Agawam elementary school officially renamed after Mayor William Sapelli

AGAWAM, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - An elementary school in Agawam has a new name, the dedication ceremony that happened on Tuesday. But some community members aren’t happy about the change.

Former students of all ages who had and knows William Sapelli came out for the dedication ceremony, but not everyone is happy about the change, one woman we spoke with said she’s upset the community wasn’t more involved in this decision.

Back in June, the Agawam School Committee voted to rename the Robinson Park Elementary School after outgoing Mayor William Sapelli.

Its a full circle moment for Sapelli, who worked at this very elementary for 12 years from 1990 to 2002, Sapelli served as the principal at the elementary that now bears his name.

City Councilor Gerald Smith has known Sapelli since he was 15 years old. Smith said its Sapelli’s career-long dedication to the town that makes him the perfect person to recognize in this way.

“I think 47 years of service to the town, in so many different capacities,” explained Smith. “He’s done so much for the town of Agawam that he deserves this honor of having a school named after him.”

The rebrand, however, faced an opposition from some community members.

“There wasn’t enough community input for anybody to know what was happening and when everyone realized what was happening it already had been voted on and done,” said Joyce Dolat, an Agawam resident.

Dolat was at the dedication with signs protesting the name change, she told us she’s upset to see the name Robinson Park go because of its significance to the area.

But Smith and others said this gesture was to honor Sapelli’s decades of town service.

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