PUBLISHED BY REMINDER PUBLISHING
MAY 21, 2026 | FREE
Deedy scores decisive win over Gale IN THIS
EDITION
By Cliff Clark
cclark@thereminder.com
WESTFIELD
Municipal Light Board compensation not discussed The unique compensation package for the members of the city’s Municipal Light Board will remain as is.
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SOUTHWICK
Select Board opts into Complete Streets Program POSTAL CUSTOMER
Two of the three board members approved moving forward with the Complete Streets Program. Joseph Deedy spent May 12 appealing to last-minute voters along College Highway during Southwick’s annual municipal election. He prevailed in his race for the open seat on the Select Board against incumbent Diane Gale. Reminder Publishing photo by Cliff Clark
See DEEDY on page 4
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Other races
For the two open seats on the Southwick-Tolland-Granville-Regional School District School Committee, incumbent Ryan Welch Korobkov received 917 votes, and Stephanie Jane Widun received 834 votes. Both were nominated by the Southwick Republican Town Committee. Lynn Comer, who was nominated by the Southwick Democratic Town Committee, finished third with 538 votes. Korobkov and Widun will each serve three-year terms. In the race for the open seat on the Board of Assessors, William Brown IV, who was appointed to the board last September by
ECRWSS
dents sought what they believed would ensure stability and comfort for the town’s future, and that transformative change can sometimes feel unsettling as new approaches take shape. I respect the outcome of the election and remain profoundly proud of the work we accomplished together. I extend my congratulations to Joe Deedy and wish him every success in his continued stewardship of our community. Southwick’s future is best secured when we move forward with mutual respect and a shared commitment to the town we all care about so deeply,” Gale said.
POSTAL CUSTOMER
has been an honor, and I extend my sincere gratitude to everyone who remains engaged in our town’s future. “As we reflect on this election, I want to acknowledge the importance of public dialogue in shaping our shared path forward. While debate and differing viewpoints are a natural part of civic life, our community is at its strongest when discussions remain respectful, factual, and focused on substantive issues. I am grateful to the many residents, volunteers, and employees who continued to engage thoughtfully and constructively throughout this process. I understand that many resi-
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID SPRINGFIELD, MA PERMIT NO. 142
SOUTHWICK — While three of the last four elections for the open seat on the Select Board were decided by fewer than 83 votes, Joseph Deedy’s drubbing of incumbent board member Diane Gale will stand out as one of the most lopsided wins in recent years. “Last night honestly caught me off guard. I never walked into this thinking, ‘Oh yeah, we’re definitely winning this thing.’ We just kept our heads down and tried to run a campaign that felt real,” Deedy said on the morning of May 13 in a text. Deedy carried every precinct by commanding margins over Gale and won by a margin of 1,091-539, or 67% of the 1,630 votes cast during the May 12 town election. “What stood out most to me wasn’t even the numbers. It was the people,” Deedy wrote. “You saw tradesmen pulling in after work. You saw people in work boots, dirty sweatshirts, work trucks, folks grabbing 10 minutes between shifts just to vote. A lot of people asked why it was usually just me standing out there waving signs. The answer was simple: you weren’t electing a team. You were electing Joe Deedy, for whatever that’s worth. So, I figured people should see exactly who they were voting for, no smoke, no giant production, no overthinking it,” he added. “This won’t be easy going forward, and I don’t pretend to have all the answers. But I’m grateful people showed up, grateful they cared enough to vote, and grateful they trusted me with this responsibility,” Deedy concluded. Gale reacted to the results on May 13. “Serving our community