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VOL. 86 NO. 151
The Westfield Westfield News The Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns
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Huntington Board of Health seeking new compactor By AMY PORTER Correspondent HUNTINGTON – Board of Health members Jean Jackman, Thomas Hart and Melissa Reid met with the Huntington Board of Selectmen on Wednesday to talk about needed infrastructure repairs at the transfer station. Hart said they sent out bids on repairing the MSW (municipal solid waste) compactor, which is leaking oil. He said they received two bids, but the compactor is 29 years old and not worth repairing. Reid said the single stream recycling compactor is three years old. Selectmen chair Edward Renauld said the earliest that any money could be available for a compactor would be in December when the Free Cash is certified. However, he said they would have to call a special town meeting to get the funding approved. He asked how much a new compactor would cost, and was told $16,000. Hart said a new concrete slab is also needed under the compactor. Selectman Karon Hathaway said bids are out on the concrete slab, which was previously approved. Hart said the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently sent an inspector to the transfer station, at his invitation. Reid said she was not told of the inspection, and therefore was not present. A copy of the report detailing the inspection, performed by HRMC administrator Kathleen Casey was given to the Selectmen. The inspection, which was held on July 25 referred to the condition of the compactor, which the report described as adequate and maintained, and acceptable with corrective action. Under corrective action, it was noted that the compactor had a pool of water sitting on the concrete pad beneath it with electrical conduits leading from the attendant shed, one of which was in the standing water. “This is a safety concern that needs to be addressed,” the report stated. The letter also noted that the Board of Health submitted a transfer station certification in October 2016 to place a new concrete pad under the compactor to prevent the pooling of water, which was approved by the Mass. DEP. “The BOH should move forward with rectifying this safety issue,” Casey said in the report. Casey also wrote that she observed an oily sheen on the surface of the water beneath the compactor. She wrote that the BOH should conduct a maintenance inspection of the compactor to confirm if the sheen is the result of a leak, and if so, address the problem before there is a larger spill. Other corrective actions outlined in the report included working with the Department of Public Works to fill in low lying areas with standing water, and grading rough walking surfaces near the single-stream recycling bin. Other items included clearing debris around the sheds, and weed whacking. Altogether, out of 15 items on the list, seven required some correction action, and eight were acceptable with no corrective action. Hart said the inspection of the compactor might require immediate replacement. Renauld said the Board of Health has to plan in its budget to repair and replace equipment that breaks. He said budget meetings begin in March. “Going forward, let’s add it,” Renauld said.
Huntington Board of Health members Melissa Reid, Jean Jackman and Thomas Hart. Selectman Karon Hathaway is in foreground. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Dr. Tony Brannon, the Agriculture dean from Murray State University walks through a hemp field. Since 2014, when crops were first planted at MSU as part of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s industrial hemp research program, the state has been at the forefront of national efforts to revive hemp production. (Ryan Hermens/The Paducah Sun via AP)
Hemp Fest coming to Westfield By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD—A festival based around industrial hemp will be coming to Westfield this Saturday. The Industrial Hemp Fest will be coming to Westfield at Kelley Farm on Old Feeding Hills Road Saturday, Sept. 16, from noon to 6 p.m. The event is set to feature music, bands, food, vendors and guest speakers and is hosted by Ora Care, Inc. and Misty Valley Farm. According to Violet Hall of Ora Care, the event is being held to bring attention to what industrial hemp is. “This is an industrial and agricultural festival,” Hall said. According to Hall, the festival will provide information for attendees on industrial hemp, from educational booths to testimonials from speakers.
“It’s one of the biggest industries right now that is on the move because industrial hemp can be used in a variety of fields,” Hall said. These uses, according to Hall, include biodegradable containers, fuel, medication, oils, clothing and paper. “Your Declaration of Independence is written on hemp paper,” she said. Hall said that hemp and marijuana come from the same plant, but hemp is different genetically and is used for manufacturing items rather than ingestion. “They all come from the same plant but they all have different genetics,” she said. Hall said that the event is also being held to attempt to garner signatures for legislation related to industrial hemp and information on this will be available
at the festival. According to Hall, police will be on hand at the festival to help guide traffic and work at the entrance to the farm. In addition, she said that there will be no alcohol at the festival and that they are not expecting a large crowd. Parking is also available on site, according to Hall. According to at least a couple residents on Old Feeding Hills Rd. though, there has been little notice about what is expected. One resident nearby said that they were unsure what was going on, but were told verbally of the event. Another resident on the road said that they were unfamiliar with what was going to be happening, as well. The event charges a $5 entrance fee and parking is $5, according to a flyer found online.
Superintendent pleased with school district safety drills By GREG FITZPATRICK Correspondent SOUTHWICK – Two weeks into the 2017-18 school year, Southwick-Tolland-Granville School District administrators are making sure that this year’s students and staff in all three schools are well trained on school safety. The Massachusetts State Police, Huntington Police, and Southwick Police and Fire, emergency personnel helped all three district schools properly learn all of the safety drills, which included fire, shelter-in-place, lockdown, and bus evacuation. According to the first responders, the drill was highly successful and one of the best ones that the school district had to date. District Superintendent Jennifer Willard was
very pleased to know that the drills resulted in a positive outcome as it is important to keep the students and staff safe. “My number one concern and number one priority is the safety of all the students in the district,” said Willard. “I want us to be prepared and I want our children and our staff to know that we have procedures in place to keep them safe.” Although Willard didn’t want to disclose the district’s exact plan for future safety drills, she did say that more of them will be occurring in the schools this year in attempt to take safety precautions to the next level. For any questions or thoughts on the safety drills, contact the school district office at 5695391.
Superintendent Jen Willard. (Photo courtesy of Greg Fitzpatrick)
Bike racks donated and installed downtown By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD—Two new bicycle racks are in the downtown area, providing cyclists with even more areas to park their two-wheeled vehicles. The racks were placed in the areas of Blue Umbrella Books and Two Rivers Burrito Company. The bicycle racks came from the Friends of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail, who were gifted the racks from New Horizons Bicycle Shop in Westfield. According to Don Podolski of New Horizons, the racks were installed by the city following the donation. “The goal is to have at least a dozen racks throughout the downtown area at regular intervals and in concentrated areas where we will have bike activity,” Podolski said. According to Podolski, the racks were placed in areas where bicyclists may be more likely to stop. Podolski said that riders are traveling into the area from as far as Connecticut and this will promote riders to stop at local restaurants or
elsewhere to eat or to visit. In fact, Joe Wynn, one of the owners from Two Rivers Burrito Company, said that he has already noticed an increase in cyclists coming into his restaurant over the years and have been asking for a place to park their bikes. “It’s something people have been asking for the past few years,” Wynn said. “It’s great for our customers and the folks coming downtown,” Wynn also said. Podolski said that the racks are a hoop design rack, which means that there are two points of contact for a bicycle to be safely locked onto, which can reduce the possibility of damage or theft. The racks also have the Friends of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail logo etched into a piece of metal on them, designating where they came from. The racks placed in the two locations downtown cost about $375, Podolski said, but could be less than half that cost withA new bike rack located downtown in front of Two Rivers out the etching. Burrito Company.