ARTS The Wilbraham-Hampden PRSRT STD OPRO to U.S. POSTAGE honor a PAID friend PALMER, MA PERMIT NO. 22 Page 9 SPORTS ECR-WSS Playoffs LOCAL POSTAL CUSTOMER set to begin Page 15 Dedicated to Improving the Quality of Life in the Communities We Serve A TURLEY PUBLICATION ❙ www.turley.comTIMESFEBRUARY 27, 2020 www.wilbrahamhampdentimes.turley.com HISTORICAL WILBRAHAM Options aired for ambulance The Wilbraham tollgate, militia coverage By Tyler S. Witkop members and the missing boys Staff Writer HAMPDEN – After 71 years Selective notes about receiving ambulance service the history of the town from its neighbor, Amherst, Had- ley faced similar issues as Hamp- By Charles F. Bennett den today. Times Editor Emeritus Looking for a solution to the issues of an increase in calls, This week’s column is a more complex medical scenar- collection of smaller topics of ios, more stringent regulations historical note. They are not by and an increased cost in the de- any means earth-shattering but livery of services, Hadley formed make up part of the fabric of the an ambulance study committee town’s folklore. that fully examined the costs and logistics of providing such The Tollgate on Boston Road services. After bidding for am- Author Chauncey Peck, in bulance services, the only firm to his 1913 book “History of Wil- respond was Action EMS, Had- braham 1763 – 1913” mentions ley Town Administrator David that a toll gate was set up on The Nixon told the Hampden Board Old Bay Path, which we now of Selectmen Feb. 18. call Boston Road, near the rail- Nixon, was joined by Hadley road underpass where the Rota- Selectman Molly Keegan, invited ry Club has its blue “Welcome by the Hampden board to speak to Wilbraham” sign. about the town’s experience with Peck surmises the toll gate the ambulance service provider. was set up around 1814 and dis- “I will freely admit that I continued about 1847. Just as a went into the interview with a timeframe of reference, the toll bit of a negative [mindset], but it gate was started the same year went really well,” Keegan said. that the British flotilla was cap- “They don’t do anything else [but tured by the Americans on Lake Barn raisings, a time-honored pastime… emergency medical response]. Champlain in the War of 1812, A large group of men, women and children help at a barn raising in 1900 on the Allyn M. Seaver farm Their focus is getting people as in Europe, Napoleon abdicated in Wilbraham. Women and children stand and sit in front of the structure, men stand or sit on all levels quickly as possible and getting and was banished to Elba that of the frame. Stories of Wilbraham barn raisings go back before the Revolutionary War. PHOTO DIGITAL them to the hospital. It made us April, and Beethoven finished COMMONWEALTH realize there was something we his final version of “Fidelio.” were missing that we didn’t even Adna Bishop was the gate- Holyoke, and after a few years, well-known Albert Bliss family. ham and told Peck about the know we were missing.” keeper beginning about 1831; was transported to Wilbraham Peck was good friends with tale of the tollgate. Henry M. The officials said Hadley has his house was on the north in pieces on a snow sled and Rev. Charles. H. Gates who Bliss, at the time Peck’s book a residential population of about side of Boston Road. He had re-erected here. Bishop had a turned 91 in 1913. Gates spent a barn that was first erected in daughter who married into the his boyhood in North Wilbra- Please see HISTORICAL, page 21 Please see SELECTMEN, page 4 St. Mary’s Catholic Church Towns gather for regional discussion welcomes new pastor Hear updates on By Kimberly Palmucci Air Force, having served in recycling, E911 dispatch Correspondent stateside and overseas assign- ments in Germany, England, By Tyler S. Witkop HAMPDEN – St. Mary’s and Saudi Arabia, according Staff Writer Catholic Church in Hampden to an announcement from the recently welcomed the Rev. church. WILBRAHAM – With towns Michael Lillpopp, the new pas- Lillpopp said he served in throughout the region facing tor at Masses, to its community. the Air Force for a total of 14 substantial increases for such He was appointed to the posi- years, 10 of which he was en- essential services as recycling tion Feb. 1. listed active duty and four years removal and emergency 911 “The parish needs to contin- as an officer chaplain in the Re- dispatch operations, a group of ue its forward momentum of a serves. varied officials gathered in the family-oriented parish together “As an enlisted person, I Community Room of the Wil- with being able to embrace new was a signals intelligence ana- braham Police Station to look for methods of communication to lyst, and I had assignments in regional solutions. Wilbraham Selectmen Chairman Susan Bunnell (back center) help younger people grow in Germany, England and Saudi The Feb. 19 Regional Gov- welcomes local government officials to the Wilbraham Police their faith,” Lillpopp said. “We Arabia. I served during the end ernment Meeting featured repre- Station Feb. 19 for a Regional Government Meeting. Selectmen, town have a dedicated group of vol- of the Cold War and witnessed sentatives from the communities administrators and other officials representing Wilbraham, Hampden unteers who help in a variety of the reunification of Germany of East Longmeadow, Hampden, Ludlow, East Longmeadow, Longmeadow and Palmer gathered to ministries and missions, one of while living there,” he said. “I Longmeadow, Ludlow, Palmer discuss topics of regional concern. TIMES STAFF PHOTO BY TYLER S. WITKOP which is the assistance in build- served in assignments that sup- and Wilbraham. Among those in ing a medical clinic in Uganda.” ported U.S. operations during attendance were Wilbraham Se- the Balkans War in the former Ellen Glover and interim Town Steve Ellis of the Western Mas- A Western Massachusetts lectmen Chairman Susan Bun- Administrator Bob Markel, sachusetts Office of the state’s native, Lillpopp was born in Yugoslavia. Much of my work nell and Robert Boilard, Ludlow was done with the National Se- Palmer Town Manager Ryan Department of Environmental Pittsfield in 1970 and was or- Selectmen Chairman Derek De- McNutt, and Chairman Marie Protection, and Erin Hastings, dained to the priesthood in June curity Agency at Fort Meade, barge and Manuel Silva, Ludlow Maryland, and I was assigned Angelides and Richard Foster of executive director of WestComm 2005 at the Cathedral of St. Mi- Town Administrator Ellie Villa- the Longmeadow Select Board. Regional Emergency Communi- chael the Archangel in Spring- no, Hampden Selectman Mary Also joining the officials was field. He is a veteran of the U.S. Please see PASTOR, page 4 Please see TOWNS, page 8 Page 2 The Wilbraham-Hampden TIMES February 27, 2020 NEWS ABOUT TOWN East-West Rail projects discussed the Berkshires,” said Emmaladd Shepherd Residents give their opinions from Palmer Rail Stop. “We’re talking about putting a bus out on the roads?” By Peter Spotts North Adams Mayor Tom Bernard Staff Writer stated, “Any solution that requires bus transit from Pittsfield to Springfield is a SPRINGFIELD — The good news for non-starter. We need true rail from Pitts- Western Massachusetts is that five of the field to Boston.” six East-West Passenger Rail study op- Bernard received a rousing ovation tions add Palmer as a stop on the line be- from the completely packed room in the tween Pittsfield and Boston, but residents UMass Center in Tower Square for his feel a crucial piece is missing that would comments. Bernard said that since West- provide a significant ridership and reve- ern Mass. residents helped foot the bill for nue boost to the proposed project. infrastructure improvements in the east, Palmer resident and University of it’s time for them to return the favor with Massachusetts student David Fite and a “generational investment in the future of UMass Professor Rob Kusner, also from economic development.” Palmer, both spoke about the importance The option that intrigued people the of resurrecting the train line between Am- most is the sixth option for the construc- herst and Palmer during a public informa- tion of a new electrified railroad line run- tional meeting Wednesday, Feb. 12. They ning along the I-90 corridor. However, said a connection between the two com- this option also carries the steepest price The UMass Center at Tower Square in Springfield was packed to the bursting point munities would open up easy access for tag of $24.9 billion. It features the largest with people eager to learn about the six alternatives for East West Rail and give students to use the trains to travel to and projected ridership, estimated at 820 dai- feedback, thoughts and opinions. TIMES STAFF PHOTO BY PETER SPOTTS from the eastern part of the state. ly, with the fastest travel time. However, “I think making sure there’s a connec- the next most expensive option is $5.1 tion from Springfield through Amherst There were also many people express- they’re being fooled.” billion — which is alternative No. 5, the ing distrust with the projected ridership All alternatives may be viewed, with would be a great boon, not only for addi- only option without a Palmer stop. tional ridership, but also for the commu- numbers as the highest, and most expen- additional project information, at www. “The cost increases a lot faster than sive, ridership projection peaked at 820 mass.gov/lists/east-west-passenger-rail- nities,” Kusner said.