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TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2017
Cowles Bridge status brings several local and elected officials to city hall By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD—Several elected and city officials appeared at the city council public health and safety committee meeting Thursday to discuss Cowles Bridge. The discussion was around the status of Cowles Bridge along Route 202 and 10, which the Westfield Fire Department is unable to traverse with several fire apparatus due to weight limits and the lack of a waiver from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation
(MassDOT). This meeting, which occurred before the City Council’s regularly scheduled meeting yesterday, had officials that included Rep. John Velis, Sen. Don Humason, Westfield Mayor Brian Sullivan, Westfield Fire Chief Mary Regan and several city councilors and residents in attendance, as well as public health and safety committee members Ward One Councilor Mary Ann Babinski, Ward Six Councilor Bill Onyski and At-Large Councilor Dan Allie. A letter was sent to the city’s fire
department dated Aug. 3 from MassDOT, requesting that the bridge not be used by vehicles over the posted weight limits until a waiver has been received to do so. Since then, the fire department has complied with the request. According to Regan, the department filed for the waiver once the letter was received but has not received the waiver yet, in spite of an initial three-week window given. According to Regan, the only fire
Several city and elected officials gathered in a room at city hall for the public health and safety committee meeting Sept. 7 to discuss Cowles Bridge.
See Bridge Status, Page 8
WARD 2 COUNCILOR RALPH J. FIGY
WARD 5 COUNCILOR ROBERT A. PAUL, SR.
WARD 4 COUNCILOR MARY O’CONNELL
WARD 6 CITY COUNCILOR WILLIAM ONYSKI
L&O dominates City Council agenda Residents fill the city council chambers, flowing out through the exits, during the April water public forum. (WNG file photo)
Westfield to hold second public forum on water By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD—The city will be holding its second public forum on the state of Westfield’s water later this month. Mayor Brian Sullivan announced that the public informational forum will occur on Sept. 27 at 6 p.m., in city council chambers at city hall on Court Street. The session will include several different agencies and departments focused on the matter of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) that have been found in the city’s water supply, which caused two of the city’s wells to be taken offline in January 2016. According to Sullivan, the meeting will include members of the Air National
Guard, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), as well as representatives from the city. According to Sullivan, the several different guests will be providing residents with updates on their respective projects. For the Air National Guard, it will be related to testing happening on the Barnes Air National Guard base related to PFCs; for MassDEP, it will be related to the private well testing occurring within Westfield; for the city, it will be related to the water filtration efforts, including the construction of the water treatment facility expected on Owen District Road. In addition to these enti-
ties, Sullivan said that DPH will also be at the session and will address potential health concerns and effects. This public forum is the second such forum that the city will hold, with the first occurring in April of this year. The last meeting drew many residents, with The Westfield News reporting that attendees “were lined outside the two entrances to the city council chambers at city hall.” It was previously said that the city would be holding three public forums on the status of the water, after concerns over PFC levels in the city’s water supply in some wells was beyond the Environmental Protection Agency’s lifetime advisory limit and wells seven and eight were taken offline.
Wine tasting will support Athenaeum’s renovation project By LORI SZEPELAK Correspondent WESTFIELD-A wine tasting affair under the stars is planned Sept. 15 at the Raven Hollow Winery to benefit the Westfield Athenaeum’s Rise to Knowledge Capital Campaign. On Wednesday afternoon, under rainy skies, Daniel Paquette, Athenaeum director, and Jayne Mulligan, chair of the campaign’s fundraising committee, met with vintner Adrienne Lindstrom to discuss the varied wines that will be sampled and logistics for the event which is planned from 6 to 8 p.m. at the winery on Russellville Road. “The event promises good food, good wine and good friends, all for a good cause,” said Mulligan, who also serves on the Athenaeum’s board of trustees. Lindstrom reviewed the wine list which includes 12 fruit wines – ranging from its best seller – Strawberry Rhubarb – to a Raspberry Wine which has been featured in Boston maga-
Raven Hollow Winery vintner Adrienne Lindstrom discusses logistics for the Sept. 15 wine tasting to benefit the Westfield Athenaeum to Jayne Mulligan and Daniel zine. “Our Strawberry Rhubarb won the silver award in this year’s Big E competition,” said Lindstrom, noting that the wine was presented See Athenaeum, Page 8
By AMY PORTER Correspondent WESTFIELD – Sub-committee chairs did a little sparring at Thursday’s City Council meeting over which committee should review items on the City Council agenda. Ward 2 Councilor Ralph J. Figy, who chairs the Legislative & Ordinance subcommittee, brought forward the majority of items from the L&O meeting on Tuesday. When Figy introduced the request to allow bond orders within the Treasurer’s department to be rescinded or cancelled as the projects for which the bond orders were passed had been cancelled or completed, he said the bonds amounted to $9
million not borrowed, including a $7 million bond for Westfield Gas & Electric. Figy said it was a matter of housekeeping for the treasurer, and the L&O committee recommended in a 3-0 vote to grant the request. ‘What isn’t clear is whether there’s been spending that will be charged later to the bond,” said Finance sub-committee chair Robert A. Paul, Sr. Figy repeated that the projects for which the bond orders were passed had been cancelled or spent. “My issue is all of the bonds should not be removed at the same time,’ Paul responded. He asked that the matter be See L&O, Page 8
Board of Health hears about benefits of fluoridation By GREG FITZPATRICK Correspondent SOUTHWICK – The Southwick Board of Health is gathering information about fluoridation and the possibility of having fluoride in Southwick’s public water supply. During Thursday night’s BOH meeting, Dr. John Fischer attended to speak about fluoridation. Fischer, a dentist who has his own practice in Salem, Massachusetts, is an advocate for fluoridation and uses it daily on his patients. Fischer made a presentation to the board about his findings, experience, and posi-
tive benefits that he believes to be true about fluoridation. A key point that Fischer made was that by having fluoride in a community public water supply, residents will be exposed to fluoride which will help reduce the chance of getting decay in your teeth by 25% over a person’s lifetime. Another supposed benefit from Fischer is that community water fluoridation has proved to save as much as $38 for every $1 that is spent by increasing fluoride to a town water supply. “Community fluoridation is the most See Board of Health, Page 8
Mayor and City Council wear yellow ribbons for childhood cancer By AMY PORTER point at City Hall, and light it Correspondent up yellow for the month. WESTFIELD – At the end of During public participation, his briefing to the City Council resident Nick Morganelli said on Thursday, Mayor Brian P. he was wearing a gold shirt and Sullivan read a proclamation gold tie for the cause. He cited declaring September as that 16,000 children will be Childhood Cancer Awareness diagnosed with cancer this year, Month. the leading cause of death for MAYOR BRIAN those under 15 years old. Sullivan said he was P. SULLIVAN approached by At-large Morganelli said his own cousCouncilor Dave Flaherty with in’s family lost their 5-year old the request for the proclamation, which he boy to cancer. He thanked the Mayor and signed on behalf of the City Council. The Councilor Flaherty for the awareness, Mayor asked that the councilors vote to which he said equals funding, which approve the proclamation at the meeting. equals research and a cure. He said he was wearing a yellow ribbon Flaherty then reread the proclamation, for pediatric cancer awareness, as he noted and encouraged residents and businesses most of the councilors were. Sullivan also to join the council by displaying and wearsaid that he would look for yellow bulbs to ing gold ribbons this month.