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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 85 NO. 177
“Man must rise above the Earth — to the
top of the atmosphere and beyond — for only thus will he fully understand the world in which he lives.” — SOCRATES
75 cents
FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2016
In the heat? Watch out for your health By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD—While we may finally see some rain and lower temperatures today, by next week the heat will be right back on us—and with the heat comes risk. Heat can bring about medical issues even if people are careful, so exercising caution while outside in the beating sun is especially important. “People tend to not keep up with their water losses,” Dr. Murdoc Khaleghin, emergency room physician at Baystate Noble Hospital, said. “Bodies burn through moisture faster in heat and people underestimate how much we lose.” This can cause what many people know as dehydration, and the onset can come in just a few hours. In elderly it can be even quicker. In order to combat this, Khaleghin suggests that people drink as much as a glass of water an hour. However, sometimes water alone is not enough. For those that are exercising or doing something particularly strenuous outside—such as riding your bike or walking on the Columbia Rail Trail—Khaleghin suggests also drinking fluids that are loaded with electrolytes. This may be Gatorade, Powerade or even Pedialyte, which he said is a great source for electrolytes. A good way to know if you haven’t drank enough water is to simply notice that you’ve been in the sun for an extended period of time, Khaleghin said. Other symptoms may include dizziness, headache, dizziness or muscle pain. It is important to stay on top of dehydration, because if given enough time it can develop into heat stroke. Khaleghin said that heat stroke is when the body’s blood vessels continue to dilate and constrict to move fluid around to compensate for the lack of hydration. Eventually, the body becomes ineffective at this, which then reduces blood flow to the brain and causes altered mental status, which is where the term “heat stroke” originates, Khaleghin said. According to the Mayo Clinic website, additional symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, seizures and coma. Fortunately, Khaleghin said that heat stroke is very uncommon at Baystate
Noble. He said that he sees it perhaps once a year. Other problems that come from the heat may not be because of exposure to it, but rather what else is out because of it. Khaleghin said that the emergency room will see a fair amount of bug bites. And while it may seem foolish to go to an emergency room for a bug bite, Khalegin said that some bites do warrant a visit to the hospital. As an example, if a tick bites someone then they are typically lodged under the skin. Often, people do not know how to properly remove the tick, and emergency room physicians are trained on how to remove the arachnid so that it does not leave any of its body behind, which can otherwise transmit disease. Additionally, with tick bites it is suggested that you begin a regimen of prophylactic antibiotics Khaleghin said, in order to help prevent any diseases like Lyme or Rocky Mountain spotted fever, which the emergency room can also provide. So, next time you are out and about in the sun, make sure to have water and be aware. Also, do not forget your first responders like police, fire and EMS, as they are susceptible to all this, too.
Neither drought nor heat wave stop Westfield Farmers Market WESTFIELD (WWLP) — The sounds of the Caribbean emanated from a percussionist playing steel drums filling the air and setting the mood for Thursday night’s Farmers Market in Westfield. Close to 20 area small farmers had set up open-air booths to sell their produce: lettuce, cabbage, kale, corn, string beans, peas and squash. The produce vendors erected temporary canopies in the lot next to the Episcopal Church of the Atonement on Court Street. The same drought that’s been turning lawns brown all across western Massachusetts
is challenging farmers’ ability to grow fruits and vegetables. “We have the well-water up in Blandford where we live, and we’ll water the gardens in the morning. And then 20 minutes later you’re dry again. We can’t run the sprinkler all day long, so it does cause a bit of a problem,” said Blandford farmer Maureen Boomsma.
Boomsma said the dry weather really diminishes her raspberry crop. “The raspberries really need water,” she said. “Without water, you don’t get very many and they’re really little, and you don’t get much of a crop.” The Farmers Market is a weekly event in Westfield. They set up every Thursday at noon, and stay open until 6 p.m.
Lack of rain could impact the fall foliage in Western Massachusetts GREENFIELD (WWLP) — Western Massachusetts continues to see little rainfall this summer. The drought may be good for planning outdoor activities, but not for the land. The ongoing drought we’ve had this summer in western Massachusetts could affect what you see during your fall foliage drive in Franklin County. “When we have conditions like this, where it’s hotter than normal, drier than normal it puts a lot of stress on the trees and they tend to lose their leaves earlier,” said 22News Stormteam Meteorologist Adam Strzempko. “You’re going to see that on the highway in the next couple of months.” Heat, pollution, and poor air quality can all put stress on the trees and cause the trees to lose their leaves. Rain helps alleviate that stress. In Franklin County, Route 2 is the most popular road for fall foliage, extending
from Greenfield to Charlemont. But Franklin County officials are confident the tourists will come, even if the colors aren’t as bright this fall. “It may be impacting people who are planning their vacation last minute, but the fact is it’s the most popular time of year and the hotels are booked,” said Lisa Davol Franklin County Chamber of Commerce. “People book their vacations well in advance.” Davol said it’s about more than just “leaf-peeping.” Tourists can enjoy the fall festivals across Franklin County. The weather is usually comfortable enough for outdoor activities like kayaking, boating, and zip-lining. Davol said they have many visitors who come back every year just for the small town feel.
SOUTHWICK PUBLIC LIBRARY
Project at Southwick Public Library already underway By GREG FITZPATRICK Correspondent SOUTHWICK – The Southwick Public Library is currently under construction as a project has been underway. The library’s old sprinkler system is being removed and then replaced with a whole new system. The primary cause for the project was due to the constant leakage that has been occurring in the building. As the issues with the leaks are in the process of being resolved, it is a problem that has been present for some time now. “Over the past few years, they’ve had numerous leaks with the sprinkler systems,” said Bill Fern. Fern, the interim Supervisor of Buildings and Grounds for the Town of Southwick, is overseeing this project. Fern has been filling the role of the Buildings and Grounds position until the new Supervisor, Robert Johnson, officially begins. With the fact that the sprinklers have been leaking over the past three years or so, it has been an important topic in the community leading up to this work being started. A town meeting was held by the Town of Southwick a couple months ago. The result ended up being that the money was approved for a brand new sprinkler system at the library. The main issue with the leaks from the sprinklers is that some of the piping was too thin and was leaking above many of the book shelves. Cogswell Sprinkler Co. from Worcester was hired by the Town of Southwick to be the contractor for the project. Fern said that the estimated cost towards Cogswell Sprinkler Co. would be $118,000. Fern strongly believes that the progress of the project has been very positive. He stated
This is the current state of the library during the construction phase as this photo was taken from the front entrance of the library. (Photo by Greg Fitzpatrick)
that the removal of the former sprinkler system is anywhere from 75 to 80% complete. Once the old system is entirely taken out, the new system is expected to be installed in the next couple of weeks. As this upgrade will be a good addition to not only the library but the entire town, Fern quite simply pointed out the main relief for citizens in the community. See Southwick Public Library, Page 8
Erroneous headstones piling up at Westfield cemetery WESTFIELD (WWLP) – At least twice each year, veterans’ headstones are discovered to contain mistakes in the inscriptions. When that happens, they have to be replaced with headstones having the correct information. Many of these veterans’ headstones end up near the St. Mary’s Cemetery garage in Westfield. A foreman told 22News that when the government agency discovers inaccurate information, they replace the headstone, and then set the incorrect one aside by the garage. A few of those that needed replacement date back as far as 20 years.