Southwick Historical Commission Stalls on 250th Planning Amid Unresolved Budget Questions

SOUTHWICK -- April 7, 2026, Southwick Historical Commission unable to commit funds for August 15 anniversary event. The commission met April 7 with Chairman Richard Marcell and members Aaron Villanueva, Russell Fox, and Kurt Sanders, reporting an operating balance of just $722 and a canal fund of $11,179.10, with no additional anniversary appropriation yet confirmed. The body is responsible for professional lighting, sound, reenactors, and entertainment at Wally Park as part of the town's United States 250th anniversary celebration, with the Southwick Civic Fund handling fireworks, the parade, and Legion grounds vendors. A lighting and sound vendor is holding a booking contingent on a $1,000 deposit the commission cannot place without budget authorization. Members agreed informally to consider a poster and community outreach campaign using the roughly $309 in the community outreach line item, with a formal vote targeted for the May meeting before the July 1 fiscal cutover. "If we don't know pretty soon, they're going to book somewhere else," Marcell said.