About NeVar

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In the future this website's mascot and spokes-raven, NeVar, will tell stories about the Mt. Tom Range, particularly the Mt. Tom Area.

Ravens have been followers of our kind longer than recorded history and are a rich part of our folklore. To Indigenous Americans ravens are revered noble spirits: intelligent, adaptable, sociable.

And so the common raven was chosen to tell the story of the Mt. Tom Range and why the ridge that makes up the spine of Holyoke, Massachusetts, should be preserved largely as undeveloped open space.

Mt. Tom Range Study

The Mt. Tom Range Study is a three part analysis covering the the Mt. Tom area of Holyoke, Massachusetts.  Topics addressed:  Land Use and Zoning, Real Estate, Ecology.  The purpose was to have this study serve as a guide for future planning and as a marketing tool.  Of the 21 recommendations that came from the report, 20 were adopted by the Holyoke City Council.  As a result of the study’s findings, the then 30 year old master plan was completely overhauled.  To read the entire Mt. Tom Range Study, visit the History Room at Holyoke City Library.