Good morning. I want to thank each one of you for joining me and my family on this very special occasion.

I am grateful to those who encouraged me to have this ceremony in this beautiful room because it represents our City’s great heritage. The vintage 1876 stained glass windows that surround us today tell the story of our City’s founding and the journey that first put Holyoke on the world map. Commerce and Industry, the Arts, Agriculture, and the Power of Water. Images, 134 years old, they define our past….and still today, in many respects, provide a roadmap to our future. Community Development, Arts and Entertainment, the Dam and the Canal System are all still what makes this City special. And with the power of water, we have an opportunity to emerge as a national leader when it comes to energy conservation and our emerging “green economic” movement.

I stand before you with a sense of pride in our great City and I am honored to be its newest mayor. I am humbled by the vote of confidence and am fully aware of the responsibility and trust that has been bestowed upon me. I promise you, I will work tirelessly to guide our great city through the challenging times that lie ahead. I will be accountable and govern with the expectation that everyone who is working for you, the taxpayer, will be accountable as well.

Everyone who serves the public brings unique and distinct abilities to the office. Their efforts given to the challenges of leadership in a city or town will be measured by its residents as they reflect on their quality of life. It is my intention to make sure that your tax dollars are spent wisely and that the services provided are delivered effectively and efficiently. I will capitalize on the positives and work hard to make the changes necessary that will take the City in new and different directions. I will build on our accomplishments and continue to move forward. If progress is to be ours, it’s going to take all of us working together to make sure it happens. I look forward to working with the City Council, the School Committee, our local legislative delegation, our representatives in Washington and with all of our citizens to make Holyoke the best it can be.

Since November’s election, I have already begun the process of analyzing every aspect of our city’s government to identify what we are doing right and equally as important-to identify areas where I know we can do better.

My administration will focus aggressively on new business development, while ensuring that existing businesses receive everything they need to prosper and grow. I will work closely with the City’s Office of Economic Development, the Chamber of Commerce, and other business entities to make sure that Holyoke is considered by every company looking to expand their operations or locate here. There are many exciting possibilities and I will promote them on the City’s behalf.

Our downtown has been struggling for far too long. I will seek new ideas, new energies and new investment to bring our once flourishing down town to life. I believe my passion for the Canal Walk and the proposed Green High Performance Computer Center will help to jump start its revitalization.

I will work diligently with our new Treasurer to bring fiscal stability to our City’s finances and I will examine all our city departments, programs, and services to look for improvements with up-to-date technology so that we can position ourselves to thrive in these times of economic uncertainty and be prepared to take advantage of the economic upturn that I believe is on the horizon.
Having spent many years on the City Council, I know firsthand how dedicated every Councilor is and how hard they work towards the betterment of our great City. I am looking forward to working with the City Council to protect, defend and improve the quality of life here in Holyoke.

The problems facing our School System did not develop overnight… and solving those problems won’t happen overnight either, but by working together with our new Superintendent, the School Committee, and School Dept. personnel, we will improve our education system and inject new energy into our schools An educated workforce is also a great recruiting tool and making sure we are always improving our public education system is imperative to our success. We must and will continue to do more to prepare our youngsters for the future.

Making our streets safer is going to take all of us working together with our Public Safety personnel; neighbors looking out for neighbors, people calling 911 when they see a crime, and neighborhood crime watch programs that act as a deterrent will be highlighted by my administration.

This City has a number of non profits and faith-based organizations willing and able to help with stabilizing and revitalizing our community and we need to embrace them and take advantage of what they have to offer.

We have some difficult and challenging times ahead, but there is a quote from Winston Churchill that is very telling. “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” Even though we need to be realistic in setting our goals, we need to be optimistic and believe in ourselves as a community.

I am confident that by working together, our best days lie ahead of us. I am looking forward with great anticipation to giving shape to those voices in the community who see Holyoke’s future bright and filled with hope. This City has always stood out as resilient and with heart and soul that is second to none. So from the bottom of my heart, I thank you once again for giving me this unique and special opportunity to be part of Holyoke’s history; to lead and strengthen our resolve that we do indeed live, work and play in a great community. We can and will be proud to call Holyoke our home.

Thank you for being here today; May God bless us all and the City of Holyoke. and may the best of her yesterdays make her tomorrows the best ever.

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