Page 18 - BusinessWest August 18, 2021

Community Spotlight
Wilbraham Addressing Needs of Local Seniors
By Mark Morris
Robert Boilard credits people in town working together as the reason Wilbraham has come through the pan-
demic so far with minimal impact on the com- munity.
“We incorporated our protocols early and have been very fortunate that most people have remained safe from COVID,” said Boilard, who chairs the Wilbraham Board of Selectmen.
“Our current location is in a lovely building, but the space is only 3,840 square feet. With more than 4,000 seniors in town, it’s just too small.”
Officials from the Police and Fire depart- ments, as well as the town’s public-health nurse, provide weekly updates to the selectmen of the number of positive cases, illnesses, and hospital- izations so they can continue to closely monitor the community’s health.
Boilard pointed to a new DPW garage and
a storage facility for the Parks and Recreation department as two projects the town was able to complete during the pandemic. As a community that has received funds from the American Res- cue Plan Act (ARPA), the board is hoping to use the money on water-infrastructure projects and expanding broadband internet.
“We have a master plan to install broadband throughout Wilbraham,” Boilard said. “This is
a project that will be ongoing for the next few years.”
Another big project on the horizon involves a new senior center. On Oct. 18, Wilbraham will hold a special town meeting to discuss building the facility behind Town Hall. Paula Dubord, the town’s director of Elder Affairs, said she and oth- ers have led a 10-year effort for a senior center that can better accommodate the community’s growing senior population.
“Our current location is in a lovely building, but the space is only 3,840 square feet,” Dubord said. “With more than 4,000 seniors in town, it’s just too small.”
The drive for a new senior center began in 2012 with a study committee, which concluded the existing senior center did not meet the town’s needs, even at that time. Next, a feasibility com-
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18 AUGUST 18, 2021
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
Wilbraham at a glance
YEAR INCORPORATED: 1763
POPULATION: 14,868
AREA: 22.4 square miles
COUNTY: Hampden
RESIDENTIAL TAX RATE: $22.96
COMMERCIAL TAX RATE: $22.96
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME: $65,014
MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME: $73,825
TYPE OF GOVERNMENT: Board of Selectmen, Open Town Meeting
LARGEST EMPLOYERS: Baystate Wing Wilbraham Medical Center; Friendly Ice Cream Corp.; Big Y; Home Depot; Wilbraham & Monson Academy
*Latest information available
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