MI HISTORIA CON HOLYOKE

Holyoke tiene una población diversa. Como inmigrante de Italia que ha vivido en muchos lugares, entre ellos América Central, me siento cómoda con vecinos de muchos orígenes.

Holyoke tiene hermosos recursos naturales, incluyendo abundante agua; fantásticos servicios públicos, incluyendo una empresa superior de gas y electricidad; y una arquitectura incomparable. A lo largo de los años que siguieron, todos estos factores se combinaron para enriquecer mi vida en Holyoke.

Financieramente, Holyoke ha sido bueno para mí, como lo ha sido para tantos otros. Mi primera casa fue en las Tierras Altas. En 2008, compré otro cerca del hospital. Ambas propiedades son bifamiliares. Viví en uno, mientras alquilaba parte de ella, y alquilé el otro a dos familias adicionales. Las propiedades me proporcionaron un ingreso constante al mismo tiempo que aumentaban en valor. Recientemente, me beneficié vendiendo las dos familias que poseía en las Tierras Altas. Luego renové mi compromiso con Holyoke comprando con mi esposa una casa modernista hermosa de1960 echa de ladrillo, cerca de Holyoke Community College.

Cuando me mudé por primera vez a Holyoke, solía decir: "En diez años, ¡todos querrán mudarse aquí!" Me equivoque por sólo cuatro años. Ahora mismo, en 2021, las casas en las Tierras Altas se están vendiendo por hasta medio millón de dólares. La casa promedio con un precio de $ 220,000 dura en el mercado solo por tres días.

WHAT’S BEST FOR HOLYOKE

Holyoke has become a chosen destination for people who crave an urban setting with a diverse population that also provides vicinity to nature, quality of life, and affordable services and utilities.

While the promise of Holyoke is undeniable, there are challenges that have not been met and must be met. More than ever, we need good government. We need officials who see clearly what Holyoke is now and what it can attain in the future. This future requires an ability to envision a Holyoke that is different from the glories of the past.

We are no longer an industrial city. Solutions that may have worked in another era are not appropriate for today. Leadership in the city has too long looked to the past for its model of progress and hope. What is needed now is a new vision that includes the whole city and its entire population. Although Holyoke provides comparatively affordable high standards of living for all its residents, we still have work to do to ensure that dignity and safety are available to everyone.

WHY I’M THE CANDIDATE FOR HOLYOKE

If you believe that rational, ecologically sound and fiscally intelligent decisions have been passed over in favor of out-of-date or sentimental solutions, or if you believe that uncompromising ideology has stopped dialogue, then I am the candidate for you.

The seeds for the future are already planted. An increasingly affluent population is moving here. Holyoke is developing a successful agricultural marijuana industry. Holyoke is a city that is starting to attract innovative entrepreneurs who have decided to locate their businesses and buy houses here. Newcomers are settling in our city, just as I did a decade and a half ago.

Yet these new Holyokers, as well as many longtime residents, feel that their voices are not being heard. For this reason, I am presenting myself as a candidate for the Holyoke City Council.

In return, I will work to ensure that the public has valid and accurate information so that all citizens can understand what their government is doing and why, and have the opportunity to take positions of their own. I promise to listen to ALL residents who present informed suggestions.

I promise to make sure that Holyoke continues to be environmentally friendly, energy-efficient, and open to new, innovative businesses, while also preserving its architectural and geographical wonders.

Thank you for reading.

— Paola Ferrario

 PROFESSIONAL CAREER

1986
MFA in Art from Yale University, School of Art and Architecture

2004
Recipient of Guggenheim Fellowship in Photography

1997-2005
Associate Professor of Photography Rhode Island College, Providence

2006-11
Harnish Visiting Artist in Photography, Smith College, Northampton, MA

2016-17
Harnish Visiting Artist in Photography, Smith College, Northampton, MA

2019-present
Realtor at Murphy’s Realtors, Northampton MA