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WEATHER TONIGHT Becoming mostly clear late. Low of 50.
The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
— MAHATMA GANDHI
www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 85 NO. 138
75 cents
MONDAY, JUNE 13, 2016
Munger Hill students learn about colonial life in Westfield
WEEKEND
High winds rake city These photos show a downed limb that fell in the road on Highland Avenue in Westfield, Sunday, June 12. Above, taken at about 1p.m., shows the limb down and entangled in the phone / power lines. At right, taken several hours later (about 4:30p.m.), shows the crews still at work and the large branch cut and loaded into the truck. (Photos by Jeffrey Tompkins)
Providence Arboretum a living icon for generations to come By LORI SZEPELAK Correspondent WESTFIELD-After years of planning and painstaking detailed work on a comprehensive catalogue of all the plant life on the grounds of the Genesis Spiritual Life & Conference Center, the dedication and blessing of the Providence Arboretum was official on Sunday afternoon. Sr. Elizabeth Oleksak, S.P., foundress of Genesis 40 years ago, shared the story of the Providence Arboretum during a special ceremony in the Carriage House on Mill Street. More than 50 guests attended the public celebration that marked the recognition of an official arboretum through the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program. Oleksak explained that in 2012, Genesis staff began transcribing paper records of its commemorative plants into digital format and created a catalogue which was continually updated as new plants were acquired and field checks were conducted. The arboretum sits on 19 acres that was originally settled in the 1500’s by the Native American tribe Waranoak of the Algonquin Nation. “The Algonquin conception of property was that land was not thought of as individual property of any one person but rather a sovereign right of a whole person to their political and ecological territory,” said Oleksak. “We try to live all that out here now by sharing our land with others as well as the community of wildlife that call Genesis home.” Oleksak added that many of the trees on the property are descendants of the communities that flourished in the 1500’s. “By the end of the 1800’s, the Crane estate was located on the property and trees were planted most likely for beauty, reflection of the Divine, and to act as a sound barrier from activity from the Crane paper mill at the end of the street,” said Oleksak. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield purchased the acreage and a 26-room Manor House in 1929, and the home served as novitiate for the Sisters of Providence until 1932. The manor then became the residence for the ministry to
“Fear has its use but cowardice has none.”
By AMY PORTER Correspondent WESTFIELD – Munger Hill Elementary School students have been busy exploring what life was like in 18th century Westfield. Principal Marcia Estelle said each grade level is exploring a different aspect of colonial life in the school-wide project. Kindergarteners and first graders are studying and learning 18th century crafts and games. Second graders are studying the land formation of Westfield, and why it was a good place for a city to form. Third graders are learning about what school was like back then, and fourth graders are studying sewing, needlepoint, and textiles. Fifth graders are learning about the trades and craftsmen of the times. Music, physical education and health teachers are exploring colonial music, dance and food with their classes. The school received a $1,500 grant in the fall from the Westfield Education Foundation for the project. According to Estelle, the school has explored project based learning in the past, after she and fifth grade teacher Cindy Gaylord went to a workshop on the hands-on approach to learning last year. Gaylord, who is one of two lead teachers on this project and also a member of Westfield’s Historical Commission, also went to Colonial Williamsburg for a workshop. Third grade teacher Christy Roselli is the other lead teacher on the project. “We got the idea and the financial support. The kids came up with great ideas,” said Estelle, who called the project “wonderful and very engaging.” She said that they are also trying to create a unit that’s replicable for the Foundation and for other schools. “We see the benefits of it. It’s a great way for kids to learn, hands-on, selfdirected,” Estelle added. On Wednesday, the four fifth grades had taken over the hallways and classrooms, putting the finishing touches on See Colonial Westfield, Page 3
Fr. Brian McGrath, Pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church, provided the Blessing for the Providence Arboretum on the grounds of the Genesis Spiritual Life & Conference Center on Sunday. unwed mothers until 1975. In 1976, the Genesis Spiritual Life Center was founded by the Sisters in expansion and continuation of their ministries of healing. “Our programs began with marriage counseling and transcendental meditation,” said Oleksak. “This land has become a home for hope and healing for many over the years and the trees were a great part of that hope, healing and the experience of God.” During the Blessing, Fr. Brian McGrath, pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church in Agawam, read a passage from the Book of Genesis, and then from a bowl of rain water that had been collected from Saturday night’s storm, took a small tree branch that had fallen, dipped it into the water and blessed all those inside the Carriage House. See Arboretum, Page 3
Fifth grade students from Munger Hill Elementary School who are studying wig making in colonial days hold up samples made from cotton on paper for their project. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Hartford man dies in crash on I-91 HOLYOKE (AP) — A Connecticut man has died in a traffic crash on Interstate 91 in Massachusetts. State police say the victim was driving north in Holyoke at about 3:30 a.m. Sunday when his Cadillac Escalade left the roadway and landed on Lower Westfield Road. The driver was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. He was the lone occupant. His name was not made public pending notification of family, but state police say he was 31 years old and from Hartford. The reason the car left the highway remains under investigation.
Western Massachusetts gun buyback nets 273 weapons
Kathy Niedzielski and Liz Gazda look at the flowering mountain laurel in the Providence Arboretum at the Genesis Spiritual Life & Conference Center. The mountain laurel is a memorial to their sister Mary Ann Fox who passed away in 2008. The Arboretum was officially dedicated and blessed on Sunday afternoon.
NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (AP) — Authorities say 273 guns were turned in during a gun buyback held over the weekend in Franklin and Hampshire counties. The Northwestern district attorney’s office says more than a dozen of the guns appear to be antiques and will be assessed at the Springfield Armory for possible historic value. The rest will be destroyed. Under the program, residents could turn in unloaded guns to the Northampton and Greenfield police departments in exchange for a $50 gift card. Ammunition was also accepted. The district attorney’s spokeswoman says the aim was to get unwanted guns out of homes so they could not be used in crimes or suicides. Firearms collected included a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun, a .357 Magnum and a .38 Special, as well as rifles and shotguns.