Holyoke Council Votes Unanimously to Restore WWII Air Raid Siren

HOLYOKE -- March 17, 2026, Holyoke City Council restored a World War II air raid siren and authorized a state school building grant application in a lengthy St. Patrick's Day session Tuesday. The council voted unanimously on final passage to add a single exemption to the city's noise ordinance allowing the siren at 109 Lyman Street to sound every Friday at noon for up to two minutes, after defeating a 6-to-6 tied motion to send the item to committee for further review. Councilor McGrath Smith, who chairs the Ordinance Committee, called her approach "simple" and said it avoided "unintended negative consequences" of broader noise-ordinance language. The council also unanimously approved authorizing the superintendent to file a Massachusetts School Building Authority statement of interest for the HB Lawrence School at 156 Cabot Street, built in 1930 and cited for failing plumbing, no air conditioning, and inadequate special education space, ahead of an April 17 deadline. Separately, a $21,000 transfer request to fund out-of-state travel to a Munis software conference was denied 11-to-1, and a $7,800 recycling dividends grant was approved unanimously.