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Candidates at Holyoke forum broadly back language‑access policies, cite Spanish‑speaking demographics
Summary
Candidates at a Holyoke Media bilingual forum pushed for bilingual services, translated materials and interpreters; some proposed a formal language‑access policy and hiring priorities for bilingual staff.
Language access emerged as a central policy discussion at the Holyoke Media bilingual forum, with multiple candidates proposing both immediate fixes and longer‑term policy changes.
Christopher Donay cited demographic figures — saying the city is "51 to 54% Hispanic," that about "47% of the citizens speak Spanish" and that roughly "12% of Holyoke households only speak Spanish" — and argued the city should adopt a formal language‑access policy. "Translation is not that hard anymore," Donay…
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