From the Editor's Desk: Revitalizing downtown isn't an either/or proposition
3/9/2017
| Chris Maza
chrism@thereminder.com
When considering economic development and area revitalization, local government is often confronted with a chicken and egg quandary. In many areas of our cities, Chicopee included, there are portions that are in need of significant investment to reenergize them. But with that comes a dilemma. Some would argue that without commerce, you couldn’t build a positive residential trend, while others might insist it would be difficult to attract businesses to an area in which the housing prospects are dim. So what’s the right answer?
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Eat.Enjoy.Live.: Eclectic Jimmy Webb to play Pittsfield
3/9/2017
| G. Michael Dobbs
news@thereminder.com
If the name “Jimmy Webb” doesn’t ring a bell, you’ll recognize his work if you’ve been listening to contemporary music for the last five decades. This is the songwriter responsible for a variety of hits including “Up, Up and Away,” “MacArthur Park,” also for a strong of successes for Glen Campbell that include ‘By the Time I get to Phoenix,” “Galveston” and “Wichita Lineman.”
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Teachers receive awards for excellence
3/9/2017
| Chris Maza
news@thereminder.com
Nine Chicopee educators were recently honored with Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Awards. The award, a program instituted through by the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation in 2003, recognizes outstanding teachers in Western Massachusetts for their impact on students, colleagues, and schools. Award winners are nominated by their peers.
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Ease on down to Dupont Middle School for ‘The Wiz’
3/9/2017
| Payton North
Drama Club students at Dupont Middle School are trying their hands, or should we say voices, in the school's upcoming musical, “The Wiz,” in honor of “Music in Our Schools” month. “The Wiz” is an adaptation of “The Wizard of Oz,” featuring a progressive sound track and upbeat format, as well as 32 Dupont Drama Club students, ranging from ages 11 to 14. While some are actors in the musical, others are focusing on behind-the-scenes work, filling the roles of stage crew.
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Grants to boost businesses in downtown Chicopee
3/9/2017
| Chris Maza
chrism@thereminder.com
The Downtown Business Assistance Program will provide financial support to business located in the recently approved West End Housing Development Incentive Zone seeking to make improvements. With the two simultaneous initiatives, the city is making a significant investment to improve one of the city’s oldest and most densely populated areas of the city.
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ADAPT enhances drug education in Chicopee
3/9/2017
| Chris Maza
chrism@thereminder.com
For the first time since the D.A.R.E. program, the city of Chicopee has a comprehensive program for drug abuse education and prevention. The Health Department’s Alcohol & Drug Awareness Prevention Team (ADAPT) has spent the better part of the last year growing and developing an inclusive initiative aimed at stemming problems with drugs and alcohol in the community before they start.
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