Latest news with #JohnVieau
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Chicopee Mayor Vieau wins trophy at Spirit of Springfield Golf Classic
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The Spirit of Springfield Golf Classic teed off Friday morning from Franconia Golf Course in Springfield. The day kicked off with the mayors of Springfield, West Springfield, Agawam, Westfield and Chicopee all taking part in the coveted Mayor's Cup. Each mayor had three short putts to make. For each one they made, they got to take a second shot at a long putt. Closest ball wins. LIST: Ironman triathlon to cause weekend road closures In the end, Chicopee Mayor John Vieau came out victorious, recapturing the title from told 22News why he looks forward to this event, 'I get to collaborate with the mayors of western Mass. It's an incredible day and also a wonderful event. The Spirit of Springfield's fundraiser. It's a beautiful golf tournament on a beautiful day.' Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno and West Springfield Mayor William Reichelt have yet to secure the elusive trophy, but they put up a good fight this year. All five mayors said they hope to be back next year. 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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chicopee small businesses recognized at Walmart showcase
CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – May is Small Business Month, and one local business was recognized Wednesday morning in Chicopee. A small crew working in the cellar of a mill plant now sells across the country in over 3,600 stores. Super Brush was founded in Chicopee 65 years ago, and now these seemingly simple swabs are available in the largest retailer in the world. Massachusetts cemetery honors veterans ahead of Memorial Day The Walmart Supercenter in Chicopee hosted the Small Business Appreciation Showcase with community members and local officials on Wednesday. Chicopee Mayor John Vieau expressed his excitement at seeing the business grow. 'It's exciting to see one of our origins, Super Brush, who started in Chicopee, is now expanded all the way to Springfield on the shelves at Walmart, nationally recognized,' Vieau said. 'So it's really an amazing opportunity for them.' Walmart hosted events like this all throughout the country during the month of May. Public Affairs Director Chris Buchanan explained why Walmart supports so many small businesses. 'It really goes back to the days of Sam Walton when Walmart was created over 62 years ago,' Buchanan said. 'We've had a very longstanding commitment to small businesses. Walmart itself started off as a small business, and now here we are.' Over 60% of the products in Walmart are supplied by small businesses like Super Brush. Many of them attend the Walmart Open Call, an event that allows small businesses to pitch their products to the retail giant. Misty McGinnes, who's been with the company for over 30 years, told 22News how Super Brush was able to scale its business. 'Little by little, we got new customers, big customers, little customers, just added all up,' McGinnes said. 'And right now, it's walked us through a whole bunch of bad things, like supply chain and COVID and all kinds of things. We still keep walking.' Super Brunch not only employs over 100 people in the western Massachusetts area, but products are also made in the U.S. 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.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Meeting for Anna E. Barry School renovation project to be held to discuss building process
CHICOPEE — Officials will be holding neighborhood meetings with residents to discuss findings and concerns with the Anna E. Barry School renovation and refurbishment project. It was discovered in March that the elementary school, which is slated for a multimillion dollar renovation and refurbishment, has wetland soils and falls under a 'parkland designation‚' which means the land cannot be used for another public purpose beyond the conservation of natural resources. 'We realize that there is concern about the project from the neighborhood and parents, so we want to update the community. At the meeting information and findings will be shared, so residents can be informed on the process and questions we are facing,' said Mayor John Vieau in a statement. The first meeting will be held next Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Szetela Early Childhood School, a possible new site for the school, which, if selected, would combine its preschool students with the Barry School's 340 kindergarten-through-fifth-grade students. The meeting will be hosted by stakeholders on the project, including the mayor, Chicopee Public Schools officials, Caolo and Bieniek Architects, Colliers Project Leaders and owner's project managers. The sessions are meant to encourage discussion and questions from the public, explain what the 'feasibility phase' means, share experts' findings — including traffic considerations and site studies — and address possible misinformation from a recent Barry School Building Commission meeting. The school has previously been rife with issues, including asbestos, its structure and lack of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Members of the Building Commission, made up of volunteers with backgrounds in engineering and construction, want the school to stay in the Garrity Grove area, to avoid any redistricting. Chicopee is working on the project in partnership with the Massachusetts School Building Authority. Top vocational honors for Holyoke Dean Tech student Get your 'passport' ready for this year's Asparagus Valley Pottery Trail Holyoke's young chefs compete in Sodexo's 15th anniversary challenge Springfield fights illegal dumping after accusing Ludlow woman of strewing 1.5 tons of trash on street
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Local educators rally for fair wages as contract talks persist
CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – Teacher rallies across western Massachusetts continue to push for fair wages amid contract negotiations. The Chicopee Education Association says the city has enough funds to raise its wages. The city's mayor issued a statement in response. Chicopee educators took their fight to City Hall Wednesday night ahead of the school committee meeting. They are calling for fair contracts and livable wages as the committee deliberates contract negotiations. 'We watch and wonder why the school offers us 2%? That's less than $540 for the whole year,' says one teacher. 'Before taxes, $3 a day–before taxes!' The Chicopee Education Association argues that since the passage of the Student Opportunity Act in 2019, state aid to Chicopee schools has increased by more than half. Educator wages are missing the mark. Benjamin Eisen with the Chicopee Education Association told 22News that what the committee has brought to the table just won't cut it, 'For the last 4-5 years working here, we have been hemorrhaging teachers, clerks, paraprofessionals–people are fleeing Chicopee. It is not sustainable, and we are trying to change that here.' In a statement to 22News, on behalf of the school committee, Mayor John Vieau says, in part, that the committee recognizes that our staff is the foundation of Chicopee Public Schools and they are committed to negotiating contracts that are both fair to staff and responsible to the community. 'The school committee recognizes that our staff is the foundation of all we do in the Chicopee Public Schools, and we value their contributions. We are committed to working with the union leadership to negotiate contracts that are both fair to our staff and responsible to the community. We recognize that negotiations can be challenging, and we remain committed to doing the work necessary to find common ground so we can continue to provide our students with the excellent education that they deserve.' Chicopee Mayor John Vieau He goes on to say that negotiations can be challenging, but they will work to find common ground in order to provide students with the education that they deserve This is a developing story, and we will continue to follow the latest movements on the contract negotiations. 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.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Anna E. Barry School may be forced to relocate due to site issues
CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – Renovation plans for the Anna E. Barry School in Chicopee may force the school to relocate after a survey of the building site. The original plan to build the new school just feet behind the current Barry location has been met with two problems: soil and Article 97. Tapestry Health and Craig's Doors receive $150K grant to expand harm reduction services A recent study of Garrity Grove found that the wetland soil would impact the structural integrity of the new building. The other problem with this site is Article 97, which protects the parkland area under Massachusetts State Law. 22News spoke with Chicopee Mayor John Vieau about what options the city is considering. 'There were some real obstacles in trying to use this site,' Vieau said. 'It's not been completely determined that we're moving to other options. We're looking at potentially relocating to Szetela School, as that site has a lot of extra land behind the building, and also looking at another location off of Robbins Road.'The Szetela Early Childhood School on Macek Drive could provide an alternative that wouldn't require redistricting. The Barry School Building Commission is currently assessing the viability of Szetela and they don't expect any delays. Information meetings regarding this potential relocation are held at Chicopee City Hall on the second Thursday of every month. 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.
