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A NEW CHARTER FOR OLD LONGMEADOW Letter to the Editor:
This letter is in response to a letter printed in the Reminder of 2-2-04. No one is proposing to fix a system that is not broken. We are hoping to gain a better system by improving the outmoded and timeworn process of government in Longmeadow. The problems in Longmeadow are inefficiency, redundancy and a superannuated organizational model. We live in a beautiful, safe, convenient and historic community that has changed a lot in the last 300 plus years. We need to prepare for the 21st Century since the new century is already here.
The Charter Committee has worked long and hard on the new Charter, and now it is time to examine it. I applaud their diligence, their research and their wonderful well-written articles that have kept us abreast of their activities during the past year. I do not know if there is time to revise this charter, or make changes to this proposal. I sincerely doubt if it is perfect, yet I know one thing for sure; we are moving ahead into the future. If we do not do something soon to improve communication and organization, we will fall behind and perhaps fall apart. The schools cannot endure any more budget cuts, their accomplishments are substantial considering what torture we have put the teachers through in recent years. Our children and their education is what this community is all about. Real estate prices will falter if we do not keep our foundation strong.
A volunteer government needs leadership from experienced administrators to be effective. I respect venerable institutions that accept changes, and want to change with the times. I cannot respect those who think everything is fine and perfect when it is not. The Town Meeting is democratic in it's intent, yet we do not have space for all voters to fit in one room to fulfill their duties. Why is voting democratic when people cannot get to the May meeting due to work commitments, childcare coverage and other disabilities? The Town Meeting is the place to discuss issues, and voting should be done on Election Day, when people have several hours to participate.
Thanks to those dedicated folks who have proposed this new Charter. Let's now discuss the direction we want to take for this special town to preserve the quality of life here. I honestly believe that this historic community needs modern government. Perhaps computer voting is in our future.
February 2004
There is a long-standing problem with dangerous driving on Converse Streeet. Many residents who live near this "race track" try to avoid it during the busy hours of the day. The intersection at Laurel Street is beyond dangerous, and I shudder to think that The Converse Street School stood at this location until 20 years ago. Now I am glad that masses of school children do not cross there.
Please try to remain aware and undistracted at this intersection, and at others around town. I know we are all multi-tasking in our lives, but car phones and paper coffee cups for those on-the-go are adding to this dilemma! Why can't we all just focus when driving is the top priority when we are in our cars.
My sister narrowly avoided being hit at an intersection by someone running a traffic light. She had learned long ago, what we all should have been taught in driver's education at age 16. When a light turns green, slowly count to three and then look right and left before proceeding. Unfortunately, when a light turns yellow, many drivers have not been taught that slowing down is the only option.
Please take the time to teach new drivers these important lessons. Why rush? All we really want is to get there safely.
Thanks for driving carefully!October 2003
WHAT HAPPENED AT TURNER PARK? Recently there was an interesting article regarding Turner Park in the Reminder. The time line presented was thought-provoking. There are still glaring gaps in the history of events at the site and I have several questions. What was the budget approved for renovations at the site in 1973? What happened between 1973-2002? The present residents of the town should have some say in the outcome for the land - surely many if not most of the 1973 residents have moved away.
G. Michael Dobbs wrote an insightful editorial about the rules and regulations in the Town of Longmeadow. Perhaps the Charter Commission will uncover the secrets about how this all came to pass. Communication is key and the Parks Department will be more forthcoming with future plans, I'm sure. The ball fields are needed, yet there should have been some discussion in early 2002.
We may have missed the great blackout of 2003 here in Western Massachusetts, but we were kept in the dark in Longmeadow. It is about time that someone uncovered many of the facts and illuminated this important issue. Now that the lights are on, let's keep our eyes and ears open. There certainly is room for improvement here.
August 2003
ARE WE ON DRUGS????? I think I have a headache. In fact, I know I have one and my head is throbbing. I just bought more Advil tablets and I'll have to take some now.
Is it really true? Is a Walgreens moving to Longmeadow? Everyday my routine is totally disrupted since the Community Market is closed, and I was hoping for another food store. Sounds like a case for the Department of Redundancy Department. Longmeadow is headed for a drug overdose.
First there was Bliss Pharmacy, then one CVS, then another and after Bliss closed - we got Big Y Pharmacy! How many places do we need that have the exact same products and services? Will they make deliveries, or will they sell some basic food items? How many choices do we need for buying perscriptions, over the counter medications and diapers?
Speaking of drugs, you should have seen me trying to buy the Advil last week. Should I get caplets or tablets? Should I buy 50, 100 or 165? Maybe I should get the CVS generic equivalent or Motrin, which is exactly the same thing. There were 25 similar products on one shelf alone! On the next aisle there were 45 shampoos.
What I really want is for Atkins Farms, or Bread & Circus, or the Highland Park Market to move here. Maybe I'm just dreaming, or maybe I have another headache coming on. Where is that jumbo size container of Advil I bought?
3-12-2003
A CONCERNED MOTHER I wish everyone who drives in the town of Longmeadow would keep their eyes open wide as they drive around the schools these days. There have been several dangerous occurances at both Blueberry Hill School and Williams Middle School that I have watched in the past few weeks and I have had it!
Our children must be safe within a school zone!
It takes me at least 35-40 minutes, on a good day, to pick up two children at two different times at two different schools. The frigid cold and snow makes matters worse but there is a lack of courtesy and common sense that I see each day that has to stop. Children get into and out of cars on main streets and walk between cars that have their engines running! People make u-turns in parking lots without looking around them and cut people off without a care. The parking lot situation must improve before the redistricing starts. If there are another 100 children at Blueberry or Wolf Swamp, then a better plan must be in place. The streets around the schools cannot cope with the traffic.
For the safety of our community and our children, please help to find solutions to this potential nightmare. Car-pooling would help, and parking SUV's on narrow side-streets only makes matters worse. The police staff and cross-guards are doing an excellent job, but is it their job to direct traffic? Please do not let children you know get into or out of cars in the wrong place. Everyone must do their part for the system to work.
1-28-2003
ANOTHER CHAPTER CLOSES
(So Long, Farewell to the Longmeadow Community Market)Well, it's January, and a time of new beginning. How sad that I write about an ending during this time of renewal. Goodbye to the Longmeadow Community Market and to Mark Schneider and his family who ran the store for the past 55 years. Young and old, this store holds memories for all of us. Even my young children feel that something special will be missing from the town.
It is cold outside and the bitter chill keeps our family inside to hibernate during this season. Someone tells me to read the paper. A friend shows me an article announcing the closing of the Community Market. The time has come for this beloved business to shut their doors. Another chapter closes in the history of the town of Longmeadow.
I ran out the door, through the ice and frigid temperatures to see if this story is really true. Yes, Mark explains that small family businesses across the country are experiencing this same dilemma. His loyal customers come to pay respects one by one. He tells his story again. The shelves begin to empty. I go back a few days later, and more things are gone. First the bread is gone, then the meat department, then the deli, now the dairy department. Where will we shop now? There are only two choices left in this town now.
Our annual Thanksgiving and Christmas turkeys have come from the Longmeadow Community Market for the past seven years. What will we do now? Some people have been shopping there since the 1940's. A tradition has come to an end and rather than continue my routine at this convenient market I may be forced to go to a huge market aka a Super Store to shop for home supplies.
This town is entering a new phase, and something will appear in place of the Community Market. I sincerely hope it is a business that this town needs, and not something that is an unnecessary repetition of stores already in place. Good Luck to Mark and his family and may we wish you a happy and successful future. We will miss you and your staff. Thank you for being an integral part in the daily life of Longmeadow for so long. So long, farewell…the memories are good ones for me and my family.
Thank you Mark Schneider!
1-24-2003
50 YEARS AGO IN LONGMEADOW Our town has dramatically changed during the last half century. What was daily life like here in 1952? Let us bring back into focus what Longmeadow looked like only fifty short years ago. All of our photographs from that era are in black and white, but let us try to see those days in vivid colors!
Between 1933 and 1955 the population of the town almost doubled from 4,437 to 8,482. Longmeadow experienced the post World War II "baby boom" that characterized our whole country during the 50's. The population of the town doubled again hitting a high of over 16,000 in the 1980's. Our community has grown at a rapid pace in the last fifty years, and homes, schools and services have expanded to keep pace with the evolving needs of our residents. Life was certainly simpler then. We were not simply a suburban area next to Springfield. Longmeadow maintained some rural charm with several barns around town and even a horse riding stable on the southeast corner of Converse and Burbank Road. Several people in their 50s today remember riding there in the 1950's.
In 1952 plans were underway to create a High School building on the eastern side of town in an open area. Before students attended LHS in 1954, our 9-12 graders were sent to Springfield for education. Each student cost the town over $300 to educate, not including the transportation costs. Long-time resident Russell Dale remembers taking those trolley trips to school in the 1930's when the cost was 4 1/10 cents per trip. Tickets could be bought at a dry goods store in Court Square. Wolf Swamp School opened its doors in 1956 and Williams Junior High School was completed in 1959. Blueberry Hill School was built in 1957 for less than $500,000 and it had only six classrooms originally. Elementary School children always came home for lunch. They had to because there were no school cafeterias at the time.
In examining an old map at the Storrs Library, dated January 1949, the original blueprint of the town becomes clear. Longmeadow Street and the homes around the green date from the 18th and 19th centuries. Many of the smaller roads date from the turn of the 20th century when the trolley traffic brought people from other areas. The Colony Hills and Kibbe/Forest Acres neighborhoods date from the 1920's-30's when commuting by rail was easy. The trolley went out of existence in the 1940's and the tracks were dismantled for the war effort. Only fifty years ago there was little or no development on Converse Street east of Park Drive. The JCC in nearby Springfield dates from 1954. Wolf Swamp Road is hardly developed, while Bliss Road and Williams Road are empty east of Lynnwood Drive. Frank Smith Road slowly moved southward in the 60's and 70's and was named after the town clerk.
Where did people shop? There were seven grocery stores spread around town in the 1930's. Remember that many people did not have cars, so travel was by foot or trolley. Martha Van Gaasbeck moved here in 1951 and remembers it vividly. There were only a few shops and almost all residents had their milk and bread delivered daily. "Most families only had one car." she explained. "My husband used to be part of a carpool with other men from his office in downtown Springfield." Some markets in nearby Springfield made daily deliveries, and of course there were local dairies that delivered milk products. The Wood & Steele Market (the former C.L. Woods) was located on the green, where the real estate office stands. This was also known as Woodies and sold penny candy. The Community Market had its roots in a store called C.C. Waters, which opened in 1915. The name was changed in 1933 and is the longest continually operated business in town. By the turn of the 1960's plans were underway to develop the eastern end of town. In 1961 Brightwood Hardware opened as well as Kimmel's Deli, located near the Popular Market in a brand new shopping center.
The interstate highway, known as I-91 was built in the late 1950's and Twin Hills Country Club and The Field Club date from the early 1970's. Norway Street School served the southern end of town, towards Connecticut and Converse Street School served the northern portion of the community from the 1930's to the early 1980's. Center School and the original Junior High were both filled to capacity by 1952. Center School began to use the basement for classrooms at this time. In the Town's Annual Report from 1952 it states that, "All kindergarten children were again furnished with a map depicting their individual safest route to school." In the school budget there is a whole page devoted to the activities of the School Dentist. That year he extracted three permanent teeth for students and made several fillings, seeing a total of 117 students.
In the old days, Grammar School was K-6 and Junior High was 7th and 8th grades. How many Longmeadow residents remember those ballroom dancing classes, given by Mr. Myron G. Ryder at the Community House? Do you remember going to Friendly's on Bliss Road across from St. Mary's or swimming at the pump before the two public pools opened? The yacht club opened almost fifty years ago, yet the Field Club and Twin Hills were developed later on.
The occupations of town residents listed in the Annual Street Lists show social and demographic changes unlike our community today. Most women listed their roles as "housewife" or "at home" and several homes employed live-in maids. The two income couple was a thing of the future. It is no wonder that so much school building was going on! This population explosion is crucial to our understanding of the 1950's decade. From 1950-56 the total of elementary school children grew from 760 to 1,176 in only six years; mothers were in abundance.
The 1949 Annual Report states the police activity in town. There was one murder, one illegitimacy, 36 arrests for drunkenness and 127 for speeding. A most interesting fact is that there were two arrests for working on the Lord's Day. By 1952 the numbers have changed. There were two arrests for assault and battery, 66 for drunkenness, 2 runaways and 397 speeding infractions. In addition there was one stubborn child and one person sent to state prison. Of over 100 residents listed as jurors that year, not one person was female. In 1952 each selectman was paid $800 per year. The Appropriations Committee did not recommend two items on the warrant for the Town Meeting, namely, a drain for Converse Street east of Porter Lake Drive at an estimated cost of $12,000 and dishwashing equipment and installation at the Community House for $2,505.
Many longtime residents can clearly remember what this place felt like in 1952, but the rest of us can only imagine. A report from the Longmeadow School Survey Committee, dated January 25, 1952 looks at land use and the prospect of development. The total acreage of Longmeadow is 6004. In 1952 58% of the town was not developed, and consisted of forest and open sandy areas. A total of 1,526 acres were already developed and 200 acres could not be used due to the fact that parks, ravines, pond areas, the river meadow and the Country Club golf course offered protection. The 2116 acres left to be developed in 1952, has almost all been fully developed by 2002. There may be about 20 lots left.
Do you have memories of Old Longmeadow that you would like to share? Please contact Betsy Huber Port, Secretary of the Longmeadow Historical Society regarding an Oral History Project.
A special thanks to Farida Pomerantz, Adult Reference Librarian at the Storrs Library for her assistance with historical research.
Revised 12-04-2002
LOVE IN A BAGEL The town of Longmeadow lost a long time resident and business owner recently. Phil E. Grant passed away on Monday, September 23 at the age of 78. For all those devoted bagel fans around, Phil was our favorite bagel baker. Kimmell's Bagel Shop has been in town for eleven years and Kimmell's Bakery and Deli was in operation from 1961-1989. I am sure many of you have fond memories of days spent enjoying the food and good company at Kimmell's.
As a special tribute to Phil and his family I am posting my 1999 article about his shop on the Longmeadow website. He is greatly missed by his loyal following, but his business lives on. Grandpa Phil, we miss you.
WE LOVE KIMMELL'S, written in April 1999
It was Friday, April 9th and we had not had a delicious crusty fresh Kimmell's bagel in over a week! Our morning ritual had been altered temporarily due to the Passover holiday and our four-year old son Jeremy was perplexed that the store had been closed for so long. He usually asks to go to the bagel store and likes to show the guys there a toy car or train of his.
Our love of bagels had started long ago in New York and Boston. My husband and I always looked for the best place to purchase our beloved bagels wherever we lived. Soon after arriving in Longmeadow, we found Kimmell's Bagels tucked away around the corner from Bliss Pharmacy and Brightwood Hardware in our local shopping center. We walked in, took a deep breath of fresh baked dough and fell in love. What were even better were the fresh wholesome ingredients, no preservatives and each bagel is low in fat! Jeremy could enjoy a plain bagel for breakfast because there are no dairy products included that he is allergic to.
Now we can visit Phil & Shirley Grant, Murray and Lisa almost every morning and see the regulars like Leo and Mark enjoying the camaraderie of old friends. The food is delicious and the place smells like the best bakeries! Sometimes it gets very crowded, but the mood is always upbeat and the staff is always happy to greet their loyal customers. It occupies a very small space, but it was not always this way. About 9 years ago, when the Big Y expanded, Kimmell's needed to move and their dining area and deli were sacrificed. Today there is no place to sit down but Jeremy usually finds a spot among the soda cans. Kimmell's is a local institution that has existed for almost 37 years. If you have not tried a yummy hot bagel from their ovens, please stop by to experience the best quality around. Tell them Jeremy Port sent you!
P.S. Luna the Wonderdoggie is another faithful patron of the bagel store. I hear that he cannot survive without his one-a-day fix.
October, 2002
The First ENFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS Long ago, and for more than a century, the land that is now the Town of Enfield, Connecticut was part of the land governed by the Royal Government of the Massachusetts Bay. The town of Somers and Suffield were also part of Massachusetts at the time.
In 1642, the surveyors Woodward and Saffery made an error when drawing the line between the colonies of Connecticut and Massachusetts. The mistake was undiscovered for many years. In 1680 the historic district of Enfield, Massachusetts was settled and by 1683 the township of Enfield was established. In 1695 a new survey corrected the mistake but the people were in dispute. The issue came to a head in 1747 and by 1749/50 Enfield, Somers and Suffield seceded from Massachusetts.
Before the settler's came to Enfield from Salem, Massachusetts the area was part of the Springfield Plantation granted to William Pynchon by the General Court of Massachusetts. In 1688 the Podunk Indian named Nottatuck sold the land from Asnuntuck to Umguatuck and 8 miles east, to the new settlers for 25 pounds sterling. The Springfield Committee governed the area known as Enfield until 1693 when the town began to control their own affairs.
There are other places with the name of Enfield in New England. There is an Enfield, Maine and an Enfield, New Hampshire and even another Enfield, Massachusetts. In the late 1930's there were four towns that were sacrificed when the Quabbin Reservoir was created. In the late 1780's an area known as Quabbin Parish was settled north of here. In 1816 the second Enfield, Massachusetts was incorporated and it existed for over 120 years. This Enfield was the southern most of the four valley towns that were lost. As a result, both Enfields in Massachusetts are now lost to memory.
Please take a trip down Route 5 into the state of Connecticut to visit the Old Town Hall Museum/Enfield Historical Society Museum. It is open on Sundays from May through October from 2:00-4:30 and is free to the public. It is located at 1294 Enfield Street (Route 5) across from the Enfield Congregational Church, just north of the green. This is the church where Jonathan Edwards gave his famous sermon on July 8, 1741.
In 1976 the Bicentennial Commission of Enfield placed a large sign commemorating the town's unique history in front of the museum. Visitors may also want to see the Martha A. Parsons House Museum at 1387 Enfield Street built in 1782. There are special seasonal hours or by appointment. Our neighbors to the south were at one time residents of Massachusetts.
February, 2002
THE ABC'S OF WESTERN MASS. A is for Amherst and Agawam
B is for the BIG E
C is for Chicopee
D is for Deerfield
E is for East Longmeadow
F is for the Falcons Hockey Team
G is for Greenwood Park
H is for the Holyoke Mall
I is for I-91
J is for Jacob's Pillow
K is for King Phillips Stockade
L is for Longmeadow, Lenox and Lee
M is for Monson
N is for Northampton
O is for the Oxbow
P is for Peter Pan Bus Lines
Q is for the Quadrangle
R is for Rinaldi's
S is for Springfield and Stockbridge
T is for Town Meetings
U is for utopian area
V is for the Victorian homes in the McKnight section
W is for Williamstown, Westfield and Wilbraham
X is for the X
Y is for Yankee Candle
Z is for the Zoo at Forest ParkJanuary 13, 2002
GONE TOO SOON I have been in a fog lately. We are all waiting for the other shoe to drop. Several people have asked me, "When will you start writing again?" We all have our different ways of coping with the tragedy of 9/11 and I have taken time to look within, and contact old friends, many who worked with me in Manhattan during the 1980's.
It has been over a month now. More than four weeks of tears, pain, anger, bewilderment, nightmares and asking why? Too many lives taken before their time. It was all too sudden. How could so many souls disappear all at once?
Is there some light at the end of this tunnel? I certainly hope so for our children's sake. My daughter asked me if we were at war. I said yes, but agreed with her that it doesn't really feel like it. We will all look at life differently now. We may be more protective of our loved ones. We may not travel as frequently. We will look before we leap, which is probably a positive change. Priorities will shift. There are so many people who are unconscious of their actions. People should think twice and hug their children more. I feel differently when I say goodbye. When and if will I see them again? We are reaching out to each other and I have heard from long lost friends.
On a local note, there have been several changes in town. The Big Y has expanded and Bliss Pharmacy suddenly disappeared one cold day in January. The other shops in the business district will hopefully be staying for awhile. Chippy's Barber Shop had a huge "Thank You Big Y" sign in the window for months. Looks like he will be there for 2-4 more years. Kimmel's plans to continue baking and serving delicious warm bagels in their location for as long as possible. Brightwood Hardware will move to the basement in approximately two years. Good luck to Mo, Phil and Chippy and their staff.
Life's passages continue. Some individuals are gone too soon and they leave before we are prepared to say good-bye. We lost Longmeadow residents, cousins, neighbors and friends this year. People have passed away and others have moved. Babies are born and it looks like many new families are relocating here. Stores are closing and new businesses are opening. We will remember the year 2001 as a year of profound change. I know that my world will never be the same.
October 15, 2001
POSTCARDS FROM OUR PAST It has been almost five years since my collection of old postcards was exhibited at Storrs Library. A lot has happened since then. Forest Park has undergone a huge revitalization, and the Bright Nights annual holiday display of lights has become a new local tradition. the City of Springfield has changed. Perhaps we will have a new waterfront area within the next five years.
During the months of September and October these early 20th -century images will be on display again during regular hours a the library in Longmeadow. Images of days gone by are captured in these small souvenirs, which are hand-colored photographs or chromolithographs.
My favorite postcards show downtown Springfield in its heyday and the Barney House before it was demolished.
Before we had telephones, fax machines and e-mail, the post office provided the best means of communication. There were two deliveries each day in the early 1900's, and postcards were a quick and economical way to send a brief message.
I hope you will be able to view these postcards and perhaps recall how Springfield looked in the old days. Nostalgic collectors can still find similar examples at the Brimfield shows, flea markets and tag sales for a few dollars each. There is even one card on display from Longmeadow showing the trolley car on its way from the city to the Connecticut line.
Enjoy these reminders of our local history!
August 30, 2001
GROUP KARMA We are here on earth to make our own individual contributions. We are here to improve the world and to help others. It is time to thank the volunteers of this town for all their work during the past year!
Maimonides, a 12th century Jewish sage, taught that there were 36 righteous souls in each generation for whose sake God keeps the world in existence. These charity- minded people - the tzaddikim" - were simple, honest folks who did good deeds without a thought of reward or recognition. I know you can think of a local person who has made special contributions to our community. In fact, both Mary Dowd and Peter Santos received awards at the recent Town Meeting for their years of service to Longmeadow. A select group of volunteers can set the tone for an entire community.
It is time to thank the Selectman, the Appropriations Committee, the Conservation
Commission, the School Committee, the PTO's and a special thanks to the LINK
Committee for their contribution to the evolution of our community. We need to thank the Longmeadow Gardners and the Gardeners-on-the-Green for their beautification of our green spaces. The Longmeadow Historical Society, the Historic District Commission, the Long Range Planning and Zoning Boards work hard all year to preserve and protect the integrity and history of our town. In the temples, the churches, the JCC and the Newcomers Club, people of all ages have joined various projects to help those in need and to bring folks together.During the dedication of the Safety Complex, one of the officers stated how wonderful it is for morale to work in such a state-of-the-art facility! The firemen and policemen appreciate the new building and the renovation of the Police Department. Both the Town Hall and Storrs Library are receiving new sidewalks and handicapped access ramps for their entrances. This will ensure the safety of all residents who need to get into and out of these public buildings. We should be proud of these changes!
I am personally very happy that voters decided to say "Yes" to the improvements to the
high school. The heating system, roof and windows needed attention, and it will be good for the students' morale to learn in an improved environment. It shows that we care.Long Meddowe Days is the one event that brings us all together. Every year countless
volunteers pull the event together for the good of the community. I hope you will take some time to help with this event in the future or find another group to be involved with in the days ahead! Some people donate their time; others donate their money. Volunteers give from their hearts!Happy Summer! See you in the Fall!
June 14, 2001
