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	2nd Annual Tax Abatement Workshop article in the Holyoke Sun January 19, 2008 at Holyoke Community College Linda was once again the moderator for the workshop, where homeowners came to find out how to correctly file for a tax abatement if they thought their property was assessed too high. Linda has helped Holyoke taxpayers realize real savings on their tax bills while the City Council and Assessor's Office work hard to pass an ever-increasing share of the City's budget on to the homeowner.
	October 24, 2007 Candidates Forum, Holyoke High School October 2007 Voice of Holyoke Youth Question & Answer Forum, Holyoke High School
	Labor Day, 2007 Updates from the campaign trail.... Standout crews hit the streets ... Watch for Linda as she goes door-to-door Please feel free to let Linda know of any concerns about Ward 5 or Holyoke issues you might have. Your opinion is the number 1 concern! On Saturday, September 1st, 12 people were at 3 locations in Ward 5 to kick off the campaign season. Thanks for all the toots and waves! Watch for Linda's dedicated teams at many of Ward 5's busy intersections in September, October and up to election day, November 6th. We hope to see you passing by! If you would like to become part of our 'outstanding' team, please call Keith at 533-4258, or simply fill in our Contact Form .
	Friday-Sunday, August 17-19, 2007 Maple Street Music Festival Veteran's Park, Holyoke The 2nd annual Maple Street Music Festival was a big hit this year. Without the Celebrate Holyoke event, the City needed a boost and great weather and an even greater turnout spelled success in 2007. Linda had a table and enjoyed seeing the Holyoke and Ward 5 residents stop by to say hello!
	Thursday, May 10, 2007 Campaign Kickoff Party Pilsudski Park, Holyoke An upbeat, crowd danced to the Floyd Patterson Band at the Campaign Kick off party by the Committee to Elect Linda Vacon, held on May 10th at Pilsudski Park. Announcements included a Thank You to those who signed the sheets for Linda Vacon to appear on the November ballot for Ward 5 City Councilor. The signatures were filed before the kick off party! Linda also promised to reject a pay raise for City Councilors should it come to a vote should she be elected. She cited the high taxes and increased fees throughout the community as reasons for City Councilors t o serve as role models for fiscal restraint. The campaign team is ready to go with many past supporters already pledging their assistance. Look for Linda in your neighborhood.
	May 5, 2007 Holyoke Tax Abatement Workshop, Linda Vacon, Moderator A Property Tax Abatement workshop was held Saturday, May 5th at the Kittredge Business Center at HCC. The event was hosted by the Holyoke Ward 5 Republican Committee and all Holyoke taxpayers were invited to attend. Residents showed up and learned how to fill out a tax abatement form and also how to appeal the decision if an abatement request is denied by the Assessor's Office.
	May 1, 2007 Signatures Certified The Committee to Elect Linda Vacon announces that more than 50 signatures have been certified to have her name appear on the ballot in November.
	August 23, 2006 Holyoke Tax Forum, Linda Vacon, Moderator Local Organization Helps to Raise Tax Awareness HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS (WWLP) - Wednesday night in Holyoke, one civic group was trying to help residents become more informed. The purpose for the public forum was to educate citizens on how real estate property taxes work, and how people can help keep future rates in check. About 50 people attended the forum at the new Kittredge building on the campus of Holyoke Community College. “It's to educate people so when they hear of plans and ordinances by the city committee, tax rates setting and all that, they'll hopefully know if this is a good thing for us in the long run or not” said Keith Davis, the coordinator of the tax forum event. The Ward 5 Republican Committee organized the meeting. Previously, the group had a public forum on charter schools, and will hold future events as well.
	From the 2005 Election 2005 Archived events
	More Campaign & Election Day Pictures November 8, 2005 Election night .... The Election ends! In a very close race, Linda narrowly misses winning the Holyoke Ward 5 City Council seat. She wins Ward 5 Precinct A, 554 to 526 votes, but loses in Precinct B, 402 to 257 votes. The campaign team met after the polls closed at JP's Restaurant in a very celebratory mood. Linda thanked the dedicated team that helped with the campaign. Linda's husband John presented her with a bouquet of flowers.
	October 30, 2005 Updates from the campaign trail.... The Election Nears ... What a great reception we are getting at our standout locations around Ward 5. Thanks to all the waves, toots and thumbs-up. The volunteer group is growing by leaps and bounds. Enthusiasm and optimism is at an all-time high as the last week of the campaign begins. See you at the polls! If you would like to become part of our 'outstanding' team, please call Keith at 533-4258, or simply fill in our Contact Form .
	October 30, 2005 Hi All, I can finally say I have personally visited people on every street in Ward 5, many a couple of times. It has been rewarding, invigorating and informative! Thank you to all who have taken the time to speak with me or review my information sheet. If I missed you when I came around and you wish to meet me in person, please call 210-6077 or email me at Lindavac@aol.com and I will get in touch with you. This campaign has been a hugely positive experience for me and I feel fortunate to have met so many of you! Thanks for all your support and good wishes. It looks like the campaign might have played a small part in getting a few things done around here in Ward 5! Hope to see you around the city.....and especially on voting day November 8th!
	September 23, 2005 Thanks to the Rock Valley Neighborhood Association for hosting a 'Meet the Candidates' night, September 23, 2005, held at the Hampton Ponds Accociation building on Rt. 202 in Westfield. Over 15 candidates, both incumbents and challengers, from Wards 5 & 7, At-Large and Mayoral races in Holyoke attended. Like each candidate, Linda spoke of her plans to help the Ward 5 and all Holyoke residents and later fielded questions from interested individuals.
	September 22, 2005 During the last three weeks I have had a chance to meet and speak with many of you here in ward 5. The weather has been great and so far the daylight has given me a couple of hours each evening during the week along with weekend visiting. Going from home to home reminds me of my "visiting nurse" days and I am developing a good list of issues and ideas from our discussions. I look forward to meeting more of you in the next few weeks. Thank you to all who have allowed me to place signs in front of your homes. The positive feedback so far is very encouraging! As your Councilwoman, you could count on me providing continued opportunities for your input and participation in your city government.
	September 21, 2005 Thanks for Neighbor to Neighbor for hosting a Candidates" Night at the Donahue School. Over a dozen candidates participated in the forum. Special thanks to Lena Entin who provided Spanish translation since my second language includes only a little bit of French! Following the formal question and answer session, we were all treated to some great food prepared by the Neighbor to Neighbor volunteers. It was a worthwhile and interesting evening.
	Labor Day, 2005 Updates from the campaign trail.... Standout crews hit the streets ... Watch for Linda's dedicated teams at many of Ward 5's busy intersections. We hope to see you passing by! If you would like to become part of our 'outstanding' team, please call Keith at 533-4258, or simply fill in our Contact Form .
	August 30, 2005 Updates from the campaign trail.... The yard signs are going up all over Ward 5! Linda says, "As I visit throughout ward 5, your encouragement and support are inspiring. Many of you who are displaying my lawn signs give an extra boost of energy to my campaign. Thank you! I look forward to meeting many more of you over the next few weeks to hear your ideas and answer any questions you may have." For anyone who would be willing to display a yard sign, please call Linda at 533-6498 or Keith at 533-4258, or simply fill in our Contact Form .
	August 25, 2005 The Committee to Elect Linda Vacon held a "MEET THE CANDIDATE PARTY" at PILSUDSKI PARK on OLD COUNTY ROAD in Holyoke, on Thursday, August 25th from 6-9PM There was food, music, cash bar and a silent auction as Ward 5 residents talked with Linda and listened to our special guest. And, our special guest was Peter Bearse, author of "We The People," who made a presentation about his most recently published book, 'We, the People - A Conservative Populism'.
	June 14, 2005 Updates from the campaign trail continued..... During the weekend of May 28th our team visited many homes throughout the neighborhood. We had a chance to visit with some of you since it was one of the first nice weekends. By the end of the first week in June my team and I have visited over 1,000 homes in Ward 5. I feel fortunate to have met so many friendly people and look forward to listening to you and talking with you in the future. Thanks go out to my campaign committee members, Keith Davis and Pres Macy, Door hanger project team members, Gary and Laurie Gaulin, Mike Franco, Marie White, and last, but not least, my husband John! We met a lot of nice people, got some fresh air and some good exercise! May 21, 2005 Updates from the campaign trail: During the weekend of May 21st a team of volunteers helped Linda Vacon get the word out to over 500 Ward 5 households, introducing her campaign. Door hangers were distributed and Linda visited with a number of residents over the weekend. Look for Linda or her campaign volunteers in your neighborhood over the next few months! Please feel free to contact Linda with any questions or concerns and if you have a group that has an interest in a guest speaker, she would love to meet with you. Thanks for your interest, The Committee to Elect Linda Vacon
	May 10, 2005 The Committee to Elect Linda Vacon sponsored a KICK OFF CAMPAIGN EVENT at the Cracker Barrel Restaurant in Holyoke. Linda would like to thank all who attended for their generous contributions to her campaign and hopes everyone enjoyed the dinner.
	February 10, 2005 Linda served as the event committee Chairperson for this community dinner forum held at the Elks Lodge in Holyoke, February 10, 2005. The guest speaker was Stephen Adams from the Pioneer Institute who gave an informative and interesting talk on Charter Schools and vouchers. The event was attended by over 40 people. Many in attendance commented favorably about the food and the quality of the event.
	Fall, 2004 Linda hosts Ward 5 coffee for regional candidates in the fall of 2004.
	May 21, 2004 Linda attends a local caucus held at the Edward Bellamy House in Chicopee as a candidate for the State Committeewoman position.

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