The western Massachusetts town of  Longmeadow joined my own community of  Tewksbury as they supported a renovation/reconstruction project to upgrade a seriously dilapidated Longmeadow High School. After a long period of public discussion – some quite contentious – and an overwhelming vote of approval at a recent Town Meeting – the voters of  Longmeadow went to the polls yesterday and approved a Proposition 2½ debt-exclusion override that will require the town to pay $44 million of the $78 million high school construction project. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts through the SBA will provide the other $34 million for the project. The override passed with 63.5 percent of the vote, or by 4,077 to 2,340. Over 50 percent of the town’s registered voters came out to express their opinion.

My personal interest in the passage of this override rests with the best interests of my two youngest granddaughters who live in Longmeadow and will within a few years be attending Longmeadow High School. I supported the Tewksbury debt exclusion vote and appreciate the over 4,000 forward-thinking voters who did the same in Longmeadow.

Read the full story in the Springfield Republican here.