El corazón de Holyoke está vivo con murales. The heart of Holyoke is alive with murals.
Sponsored by the Nueva Esperanza, Inc in cooperation with Beyond Walls, the new murals in Holyoke, MA, named “El Corazon are meant to both give a voice to the artists in the neighborhood as well as give a glimpse into the culture of the community.
While most of the murals are clustered together on or near Main St, Clemente St and Hamilton St you will have to either walk quite a ways or drive to a few of the far flung destinations on High St. I wanted to take in the environment and experience the area. So I parked on Main St and walked to all of the murals. They were pretty easy to find.
All of the murals posted below are on the website attached above. I am including the murals in the order I visited them.
Collaborative Mural by Repoe 9 + Teck 3%
341 Main St
“Iguana Boina” (Iguana Beret) by Rafique
363 Main St
“Ojitos Lindos” (Cute Little Eyes) by Bikismo
387 Main St
“Yagrumo” by Vero Rivera
398 Main St
Transition of the Ancestors by Frankie Borrero
401 Main St
“La Danza” by David Zayas
57 Hamilton St
“Father And Baby Moose” by Bordalo II
44 Clemente St
If you look closely, you may notice the mixed media used to make this mural
“Seguimos Tostando” by Golden305, Bikismo + 305Ange
453 High St
“Tun Cutum PÁ” by Don Rimx
147 High St
I also found some other art in my travels around Holyoke
Cost: Free, although there is a fee to enter or use some of the attractions at the park such as the Children’s Museum, Volleyball Hall Of Fame and the Holyoke Merry-Go-Round
Hours:
Park hours
Sunrise to sunset
Visitors center hours
Sunday:
12:00 pm-4:00 pm
Tuesday – Saturday:
12:00 pm-4:00 pm
Parking: Free onsite parking for about 50 cars is available in Visitors Center lot
Park Size/Difficulty: 7 acres/Easy
Handicapped Accessible: Yes
Dog Friendly: Yes, leashed dogs are allowed
Highlights: merry-go-round, canal, children’s museum, volleyball hall of fame, easy trail, statue, picnic area, play area, guided tours of the area
Tip: From May through mid-October, the park offers hour-long narrated train rides on a 1920s vintage railroad on Saturday and Sunday.
Fun Facts:
Holyoke is still known as the “paper city” because during the 19th century the city produced an estimated 80% of the writing paper used in the United States and was home to the largest paper and alpaca wool mills in the world
Between 85% and 90% of Holyoke’s energy which is powered by the municipally owned canals pictured below was carbon neutral as of 2016
Holyoke is also the birthplace of volleyball
Among the abandoned and dilapidated buildings of a once thriving mill town there is a special park that preserves the history of the area while providing family friendly entertainment and honoring their heroes.
The first building you notice upon entering the park is the Holyoke Merry Go Round. The affordable merry go round ($2 per ride) is very popular with children celebrating birthdays (perhaps I can have mine there). The merry go round, which was once part of Mountain Park (an amusement park that used to be located in the area), has been around in one capacity or another since the early 1900s.
Railroad tracks remain at the park as a reminder of what was a staple of the area. The railroad tracks are no longer in use. Yet they remain a reminder of the railroad system that bisected the area. The last photo shows the end of the tracks right next to the entrance of the Children’s Museum.
The Children’s Museum At Holyoke is located along the path of the canal (444 Dwight St). Although we didn’t go in, I did take some photos of the some murals on the exterior of the building.
Located next to the children’s museum is the Volleyball Hall Of Fame. Again, due to time constraints, we did not visit the museum. But, it is certainly on my list!
I loved walking along the canal. The views of the old factories and the canal offered some nostalgia and pretty views. I also appreciated the simple, yet historic, feel of the park. It is, in a word, charming, despite the many abandoned buildings in disrepair that line the canal. It felt like a refuge from the busy, crowded streets, although I am sure it is much more crowded during the summer season and when the temperatures rise (if that may ever come).
Along the walkway, which is handicapped accessible, there is a small picnic area and play area. There are also some interesting exhibits.
One of the exhibits is a storm drain art display. The artful displays encourage people to not pollute.
This flywheel stands near what was once the location of Skinner Mill. The mill was sold in 1961 and burned in 1980.
The pearl of the park is the statue dedicated to all of the officers who have lost their lives while on duty as police officers. The officer’s names are all engraved on the monument.
There are three police officers’ names listed on the monument. All three of these officers died while on duty working for the Holyoke police.
Officer John P. Driscoll lost his life on April 25, 1922 when he succumbed to injuries sustained when he fell from the running board of a car that he had commandeered after pursuing a vehicle that was being driven by a drunk driver. Officer Driscoll had been with the agency for five years and was survived by his wife, five children and parents.
Officer James Gatzounas died after being assaulted as he and other officers responded to a fight at a New Year’s Eve street party on January 1, 1977. During the altercation, Officer Gatzounas was kicked and punched as he attempted to place one of the suspects under arrest. He later died after going into cardiac arrest.
Two suspects, ages 19 and 17, were charged with first degree murder. When Officer Gatzounas’ autopsy revealed he died of cardiac arrest instead of injuries from the beating, the charges were reduced to manslaughter. Officer Gatzounas had been with the agency for 18 months and had previously served with the United States Army during the Vietnam War. He was survived by his wife and child.
The Man displayed in the statue, flanked by two children, is John A. DiNapoli. Officer DiNapoli was shot and killed i his vehicle while he was following a suspect. Officer DiNapoli had served for 21 years. DiNapoli was known for his service to the community. he and a few other officers started a Christmas tradition of giving toys to the children of Holyoke who lived in high crime neighborhoods. He was survived by two grown children. His son also became a police officer.
Stop by my Facebook page and like my page to view photos, reviews, videos and other fun stuff not included on my blog!
Below is a short video from the Holyoke Merry Go Round
May 3 through June 11, 2017 Days: Wednesday through Sunday
*Also, open Memorial Day, May 29
Time: 9 am – 5 pm
Cost: Free
Parking: There is a small parking lot for about 10 cars. Additional parking is available on Bridge St on the sides of the dirt road at the entrance
Handicapped Accessible: No. I did not notice an elevator to access the fishway.
Dog Friendly: No. Dogs are allowed on some of the property outside. But, they are not allowed past a certain point and they are not allowed in the building (service pets maybe allowed though)
Highlights: family friendly, educational, historical
Every year around this time of the year, thousands of shad, bass, eels and other aquatic critters make their way to the Holyoke Dam as part of their annual migration. That’s where the people at the Robert E Barrett Fishway come into the picture.
The Robert E. Barrett Fishway staff have been helping fish (mostly shad) make their migration since the mid to late 1800s when they actually had to use buckets, ropes and levers to help the fish along. Now, they used modernized technology to help thousands of fish a day make it along the dam. In 2016, they helped 422,649 by their manual count done by college interns. The interns use a clicker to count each fish. And you thought your job was tedious.
These days, the fish are carried up by a mechanical cage-like trap pictured below that collects the trapped fish about every 10 minutes. These traps can carry 500 to 700 fish at a clip.
The fish are attracted to the stream that leads to the fishway by, of all things, oxygen. Peter, our friendly tour guide, told us they add oxygen to the water and the fish, with their keen senses, are attracted to this slight change. Once they are channeled into the stream, the fish are trapped between two gate-like structures and visible behind a glass window where they are counted by the interns with clickers. They are also visible to the thousands of visitors who stop by each year.
The fishway is named Robert Barrett, the former President of Holyoke Water Power, who, in 1955, was inspired to create the first fish elevator on the east coast of the United States. Since then, the fishway has emerged as one of the busiest fishways in New England, if not the nation.
I have always thought fish were cute and resilient. A lot of people don’t seem to agree on this (at least on the “cute” part). But, think about the dangers and obstacles they face every day from predators (including people) to nature itself, the fish has withstood so much and still perseveres. In fact, we have a lot (or at least those things) in common. Think about it. Something so small and, frankly, taken for granted gives us so much and overcomes so much. Yet, we often consider them insignificant or “yucky”. Then again, the fact so many people don’t appreciate them, makes me do so all the more. In any case, I was very excited to see them all through the windows at the fishway.
After they are released from the cage, the fish make their way along the Connecticut River.
Turkey vultures and other birds of prey, perch on the various tree branches by the fishway for easy pickings.
Even if you can’t make it to the fishway for the annual fish run, you can go for a walk, observe the bird life or even take your dog along the property to enjoy the beautiful views.
On the grounds of the fishway is one of the original ways that helped power the dam. It sure has come along way from those days.
Peter was our friendly tour guide. Unfortunately, the flash didn’t go off for the photo I took of him. But, I wanted to include his photo anyway.
Unfortunately for the shad, there was the annual Shad Derby Tournament the 2nd and 3rd weekends in May. Fishing enthusiasts were bringing their catches to the parking area of the fishway to be weighed for the $1,000 cash prize.
New England Nomad 