Press Release
From the Office of
State Representative
Gale D. Candaras

May 9, 2001

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE….
Contact: Candace Ouillette Gaumond: 413.599.4785


CANDARAS SECURES FOREST PARK MONIES IN HOUSE BUDGET 2002

BOSTON– State Representative Gale D. Candaras (D-Wilbraham) announced today that she was successful in obtaining $300,000 for new lighting and signage for the Forest Park section of Springfield. Candaras worked early on in the budget process with the Forest Park Partnership and Scott Hanson, director of the X Main Street Corporation. She was able to get the new group its own line item designation in the budget. The funding was approved this past week as part of the budget process. The money will be used for a revitalization initiative for the Forest Park Neighborhood. “I applaud my colleagues in the House of Representatives for appreciating the importance this neighborhood plays in the City’s continued vitality and I thank my colleagues in the Western Massachusetts delegation for their support of this community effort. I am hopeful the Senate will support maintaining the separate line item for the Partnership and adopt the House budget language so this worthwhile project can progress forward. This is a multi year initiative and we will try to obtain additional funding for the group in the future ” said Candaras.

The funds are designated for the Forest Park Partnership, a group overseen by The “X” Main Street Corporation and the Forest Park Civic Association for the purpose of revitalizing the “X” Commercial District and surrounding historic neighborhoods.

“Thanks to the efforts of State Representative Gale Candaras for sponsoring this budget line item as well as State Representative Cheryl Rivera for initiating this partnership, our neighborhood will hopefully receive some well needed assistance to help us in our efforts to build a stronger neighborhood,” stated Robert Triggs, president of the Forest Park Civic Association.

The Forest Park Partnership is a recently formed and evolving partnership between Forest Park residents, local civic and non-profit organizations, and elected state and city officials. The Partnership was spearheaded in December of 2000 by the community efforts of Scott R. Hanson, director of The “X” Main Street Corporation, Robert Triggs, president of the Forest Park Civic Association, Pat Triggs and Bill Malloy, both active members of the Forest Park Civic Association, as an effort to combine community and civic forces together to make revitalization projects happen in the Forest Park neighborhood. “The Forest Park Neighborhood is a very dynamic urban neighborhood, a place where many diverse cultures and merchants come together; our revitalization efforts are aimed at adding value to both our residential and business communities,” states Hanson.

Some of the proposed projects for the “X” Commercial District, main arteries and historic neighborhoods include decorative street lighting, gateway signage, traffic calming measures, enhancing pedestrian linkages to Forest Park, and revitalizing the shuttered Bing Theater on Sumner Avenue. The goal of the Forest Park Partnership is to make the neighborhood and “X” Commercial District a more enticing and pedestrian friendly environment.

“The people dedicated to the goals of the Forest Park Partnership, the Triggs, Bill Malloy and Susan Poole, as well as local officials, should be commended for their commitment to the community. I also would like to acknowledge Scott Hanson who has laboriously worked towards pulling the Partnership together and laying down some of the groundwork needed to initiate these revitalization goals. These individuals and residents of the Forest Park Neighborhood deserve to have this appropriation of funding to give a fresh new look to their community. They have worked hard for this achievement,” claims Candaras.

Other local officials associated with the Forest Park Partnership are State Representative Mary Rogeness, State Representative Cheryl Rivera, State Representative Benjamin Swan, State Senator Linda Melconian and Mayor Michael Albano.

For more information related to the Forest Park Partnership or the line item in House Budget I for the Forest Park Neighborhood, please contact Candace Ouillette Gaumond at the office of State Representative Gale Candaras (413) 599-4785.