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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
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SATURDAY NIGHT
Fire Dept. receives state grant
See Fire Dept., Page 3
— JOHN MILTON
MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2016
VOL. 85 NO. 14
By CHRISTINE CHARNOSKY Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The Westfield Fire Department was one of 212 departments across the Commonwealth to receive state grants. The WFD received a $5,937 Student Awareness of Fire Education (S.A.F.E.) program grant to work with classroom teachers to deliver fire and life safety lessons. The department also received a $3,115 Senior SAFE program grant to work with older adults on fire and life safety. “‘This is the 21st year of the S.A.F.E. Program in Massachusetts and we are truly reaching our goal of raising a fire safe generation of children,’ said Governor Charlie Baker. ‘The average number of children who die in fires each year in Massachusetts has dropped by over 70 percent,'” according to the release from the governor’s office. The S.A.F.E. Program allows trained firefighter-educators to work with teachers to deliver age-appropriate fire and life safety lessons that also meet the requirements of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Health Curriculum Frameworks, the release states. “‘Seniors are most at risk of dying in fires in Massachusetts and the Senior SAFE program works to change that statistic,’ said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. ‘Firefighters use these funds to better educate seniors on fire prevention, general home safety and how to be better prepared to survive a fire,'” according to the governor’s office. The S.A.F.E. Program provides $1.25 million through the Executive Office of the Public Safety and Security to local fire departments. The Senior SAFE program provides $600,000 in grant funds from fees paid by tobacco programs to the Fire Standard Compliant Cigarette Program to ensure their products meet the fire safety requirements to be sold in Massachusetts. The programs are administered by the state Department of Fire Services. “Educating youngsters on the dangers of fire and being safe around fire at early ages, has reduced the number of fires involving young people. We work closely with law enforcement officials and provide counseling and education to youngsters who cause unsafe fire situations,” is a statement posted on the WFD’s Website regarding its community education programs. Two Westfield residents died in house fires in the city
“None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license.”
Power restored in Chester after town-wide blackout
Alpaca visits Stanley Park Lauren Bardsley & Peter Kurowski brought "Buzz" their Alpaca to Westfield's Stanley Park for a visit with the park's Managing Director, Bob McKean.
CHESTER (WWLP) – Chester residents in the dark Saturday night. Jill Moretz, the general manager of Chester Electric, said nearly the entire town lost power around 4 p.m. Saturday. Eversource spokesman Mitch Gross said a tree fell on Route 20 on the Beckett/Chester town line. Twenty-seven customers were without power in Beckett, while nearly the entire town of Chester, or over 1,300 people, were in the dark. Power was restored around midnight Sunday. Blue Note Café on the other end of Route 20 in Chester also had no power until approximately 11:30 p.m. They did not close their doors though. According to manager Jamie Bird, the power goes out at least half a dozen times normally during the winter. “Everybody’s used to the power being out, so we had a good time,” he said. Saturday night, they lit candles and used batterypowered lanterns. They also “broke out some acoustic guitars, and listened to the battery-powered boom box for a while,” Bird said. “We’ve done it multiple times,” he said. “We had a good crowd.” They did not have the television going though. Speaking about the Patriot’s playoff game, Blue Note employee Jean Deveno said, “A lot of people suffered through and couldn’t watch it.” However, she said because there have been so many times when Chester is without power for days, some residents have generators. “Some people have them hard-wired right into their homes,” Deveno said, adding that others “have the small generators that can run your TV box and a little heater.” She said residents without generators who were determined to watch the game had to drive out of town, unless they had their pellet and wood stoves going. “You can’t leave them,” Deveno said. “A lot of people were See Blackout, Page 3
State boosts electric vehicle rebate funding BOSTON – Department of Energy Resources (DOER) Commissioner Judith Judson announced this week at the New England International Auto Show that the state is adding $2 million in funding to DOER’s electric vehicle (EV) rebate program. “Electric vehicles are a vital component of our Global Warming Solutions Act commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “These rebates have proven to be important in buyers’ decisions to go electric and make clean transportation financially achievable for more Massachusetts residents.” “In addition to saving drivers money, zero emission vehicles reduce air pollution, which improves the health of our communities and families,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “The Baker-Polito Administration is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and petroleum use by aiding the transition to cleaner, more efficient vehicles for Massachusetts residents.” Since June 2014, the Massachusetts Offers Rebates for Electric Vehicles (MOR-EV) program has issued nearly $3.8 million for 1,606 vehicles, cutting the state’s greenhouse gas emissions output by an estimated 4,554 tons annually. MOR-EV provides rebates ranging from $750 to $2,500 based on vehicle category and battery capacity. Zero and low-emission vehicles save drivers money on fuel and
maintenance costs, according to the DOER’s Fuel Economy side-by-side comparison. For example, a driver purchasing a compact battery electric vehicle can save $3,750 dollars on fuel over five years, compared to the same vehicle with a gasoline engine. “The MOR-EV program’s success reflects Massachusetts drivers’ excitement about electric vehicles and their commitment to reducing environmental impact,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton. “By getting more electric vehicles on the road, we can reduce emissions and reliance on foreign oil, boost use of new technology and meet our commitment to a cleaner future for the Commonwealth.” “Zero emission vehicles are a criti-
cal part of the clean transportation future and we are committed to helping Massachusetts auto dealers educate their customers on the benefits of driving zero emission vehicles,” said Judson. According to the Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE), the MOREV program administrator, about 65 percent of MOR-EV rebates were for purchase or lease of battery electric vehicles, while the remaining were for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Nearly three-quarters of recent MOR-EV recipients who participated in a survey indicated the MOREV rebate was an important factor in their decision to buy an electric vehicle. This funding is financed by Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
WNG File photos
(RGGI) auction proceeds, and aims to help reduce reliance on foreign oil and meet Massachusetts’ goals under the Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector 7.6 percent by 2020. For complete rebate program information and other details, go to www.MOR-EV.org.