logo
Caribbean-Americans share culture with Springfield community during heritage month

Caribbean-Americans share culture with Springfield community during heritage month

Yahoo03-06-2025

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – It's National Caribbean-American Heritage Month, and the community is sharing their culture with the city of Springfield.
When it comes to Caribbean culture, celebration looks a lot like a carnival. With vibrant colors and music, it's the way they choose to express themselves.
'And that's what makes us really unique, the blended culture that we inherited,' said Andrew Sharpe, Chairman of the Authentic Caribbean Foundation. 'Both from Africa and Europe, and we created our own.'
Rep. Ramos proposes bill for red light cameras in Mass.
Springfield came together to celebrate National Caribbean Heritage Month, with local leaders showing their support at the steps of City Hall. A flag-raising was held to honor the Caribbean community across the region.
Music and dancing is a big part of Caribbean culture, and they plan to bring that to Springfield in the coming weeks. This includes the Moko Jumbie, also known as a traditional dancer on stilts.
'In terms of representing Moko Jumbie, which is one aspect of our folklore culture,' Sharpe said.
Across the Caribbean from east to west, the Moko Jumbie is celebrated. Groups like the Authentic Caribbean Foundation want this tradition to reach western Massachusetts.
'That spirit of fun and enjoyment is some of the things we bring to this nation as well,' said Curt Marcellin, Committee Chair for Caribbean Heritage Month.
Outside of Boston, Springfield and Holyoke are home to a growing population of Caribbeans. The celebration will continue through August, when the African Community Festival will take place on August 8 in Springfield.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Carbondale City Hall foyer to get facelift, display donated historic items
Carbondale City Hall foyer to get facelift, display donated historic items

Yahoo

time20 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Carbondale City Hall foyer to get facelift, display donated historic items

Carbondale native Frank 'Chauncey' Zazzera donated four handmade models of historic Carbondale buildings to the city to honor his late best friend and share the history of his hometown. While the 81-year-old who now lives in Fell Twp. hoped the city would display the replicas — the former Carbondale viaduct, a Delaware and Hudson Gravity Railroad roundhouse that was once in the city, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church and the Pugliano building at Enterprise Drive and Dundaff Street — his donation inspired a renovation project to give Carbondale's 130-year-old-plus City Hall a revitalized foyer. The replicas were all handcrafted by fellow Carbondale native Harold Ort, and Zazzera donated them to the city in honor of his longtime best friend, Roy Miley of Carbondale, who died in 2023. 'I'd just like the people of Carbondale to really enjoy it. I just don't want them to stay in my attic. Who's going to see them up there?' Zazzera said. 'This way, everybody can see them and reminisce.' Models that were inspired by churches in Carbondale will be displayed in the foyer of Carbondale City Hall Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) Built in 1892-1894, Carbondale City Hall at 1 N. Main St. is a Romanesque Revival-style brick and bluestone building that has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1983, according to a building study in January by Martina Bacarella Architect, a Scranton-based architecture studio. City Hall underwent a comprehensive renovation project in 1996 that included upgrading the fire-suppression system, redesigning the council chambers, installing an elevator and enclosing a staircase in the rear of the building for accessibility, but the improvements didn't touch the foyer aside from adding the current oak doors into City Hall, Mayor Michele Bannon said. The front of Carbondale City Hall Tuesday. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) When Zazzera approached her about donating his collection of replicas to display in City Hall, Bannon thought it would be the perfect opportunity to upgrade the foyer. 'When you walk into a grand building like City Hall … you want it to be beautiful. You want it to be opulent,' she said. 'I thought that'd be a great way to show off our history, but at the same time, make it an elegant piece of the building.' Now, work is underway to upgrade the foyer's interior, with Bannon hoping to finish the improvements by the end of the month using a $3,000 grant from the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority. The city is also in the engineering phase of a project to upgrade its police station, which is in City Hall, including upgraded workstations for officers and enhanced security, she said. The police station project will use $300,000 in funds from the state's Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, or RACP, Bannon said. She hopes to complete the police station project this year, though it could spill over into 2026. A view of the interior of Carbondale City Hall Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) City Hall's foyer is currently being repainted, with other work including new furniture like railroad-style benches, displays for Zazzera's donations, revitalized tile flooring and potentially more lighting, said Bannon, who lauded the donated labor the city has received. For interior design, a local woman, Lynn Wallis, toured the foyer and gave the city suggestions for color palettes, furniture and displays. Adams Cable donated large, framed prints of historic Carbondale scenes to display; Councilman Walter Martzen refurbished and re-plastered a water-damaged wall; city zoning and code enforcement officer Doug Calzola, who is also a contractor, is overseeing the project; residents Margie Famularo and Marjanie Hellman provided technical assistance and support; and inmates from SCI Waymart are painting the interior, Bannon said. 'Everything is volunteer — the only thing we've paid for are materials,' she said. 'Every single person has donated their time, their treasures and their talent.' For Zazzera, displaying the replicas will showcase pieces of Carbondale's history that younger generations never got to see, especially regarding the D&H Railroad and its history. 'It's part of our history, and it's never going to go away,' Zazzera said. Zazzera recalled Ort, who he knew since the 1960s, building the models himself as part of a sprawling Lionel model train collection. Ort was a master electrician, Zazzera said. 'He was a very clever fellow,' he said, noting the viaduct and roundhouse were both made to scale. 'He had so many switches and components in that roundhouse that the actual turntable inside the roundhouse would turn.' After Ort died in 2018, Zazzera and his late best friend, Miley, approached Ort's wife to buy some of the buildings from his collection. When Miley passed away in 2023, Zazzera reached out to the Carbondale Historical Society about donating the items, but with the society tucked away on the third floor of City Hall, he hoped more people could see them, prompting him to contact Bannon. 'I want them someplace that people could see and appreciate what this is,' he said. The displays will be in memory of Miley while crediting Ort for making them, Zazzera said. In the future, Bannon wants to seek grant funding to address City Hall's exterior, with the largest expense being to replace its single-pane windows, which are original to the building. Several years ago, the city received an estimate that replacing the windows would cost nearly $1 million, she said. 'How can we expect developers and investors and existing business owners to make improvements in their properties if we're not willing to do them in ours?' Bannon said, emphasizing the need to use grants, donations and volunteerism to avoid overburdening taxpayers. 'I can't embellish enough how blessed we are to have so many people who want to see us thrive.'

Chicopee celebrates Portuguese heritage with flag-raising ceremony
Chicopee celebrates Portuguese heritage with flag-raising ceremony

Yahoo

time20 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Chicopee celebrates Portuguese heritage with flag-raising ceremony

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – It was a prideful day for the local Portuguese community in the City of Chicopee. Many residents and local officials came together to celebrate Portuguese Heritage Month with a flag-raising ceremony. Mass. officials support local farms during National Dairy Month The weather brought the event indoors, but it did not stop the festivities. The event showcased the cultural heritage of the Portuguese community with music, dance, and guest speakers sharing their insights into the culture and its historical significance. 'It means a lot to us that we don't get to get together daily,' President of the Portuguese Club Brian Mendes said. 'Events like this bring a lot of friends and family together.' The celebrations continued at the Portuguese Club in Chicopee, where people sat down and enjoyed a nice lunch. Mendes said the Portuguese Club will be hosting events all month long. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Vollinger Farm in Northampton permanently conserved with first-of-its-kind federal funding
Vollinger Farm in Northampton permanently conserved with first-of-its-kind federal funding

Yahoo

time21 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Vollinger Farm in Northampton permanently conserved with first-of-its-kind federal funding

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) – One of Northampton's largest remaining unprotected farms has been permanently conserved, thanks to a groundbreaking approach to federal conservation funding. Mass. officials support local farms during National Dairy Month Kestrel Land Trust announced the preservation of 122 acres of the 217-acre Vollinger Farm, ensuring the land remains dedicated to agriculture and wildlife habitat. Located on North Farms Road, the property faces a higher risk of development than farmland in the floodplains of the Connecticut River. Recognizing its ecological and agricultural importance, landowner Robert 'Bob' Vollinger partnered with Kestrel Land Trust for more than five years to make conservation a reality. 'This complex process to become qualified for and hold an Agricultural Land Easement required a steep learning curve for everyone involved,' said Mark Wamsley, Kestrel's Conservation Director. The project marks the first time Kestrel has held a federally funded easement, made possible through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). Kestrel participated in the program with The Nature Conservancy and other partners to access funding under the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program's Agricultural Land Easement (ACEP-ALE) component. 'ACEP-ALE aims to protect the long-term viability of the nation's food supply by preventing the conversion of productive farmland to non-agricultural uses,' said Rita Thibodeau, NRCS Massachusetts Assistant State Conservationist for Programs. 'The program supports preserving high-quality agricultural soils, maintaining the integrity of working farms, and ensuring that land remains in private ownership while under conservation protection.' While Massachusetts commonly uses the state's Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) program to conserve farmland, the Vollinger Farm project used a different path. The RCPP version of ALE promotes innovation, enabling conservation of both farmland and critical wildlife habitat—a dual purpose well-suited to the mix of open fields and woodlands on the property. In total, the RCPP contributed $749,500 in federal funding. Mass Audubon's Catalyst Fund added $100,000 to the project. Another 80 acres of the farm are currently protected under the state's Farm Viability Program, which funded barn renovations for Vollinger. Vollinger Farm, which has been in the family for three generations, sits next to the Broad Brook–Fitzgerald Lake Greenway, the largest conservation area in Northampton. The farm once focused on dairy but has evolved under Bob Vollinger's stewardship to produce hay, raise beef cows, and grow seasonal crops like squash, mums, and Christmas trees. 'Conserving the farm was always my goal,' Vollinger said. 'Now it will also help me plan for the future and contribute to my retirement. I'm looking forward to spending more time on the farm and being out on the land in the coming years.' WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store