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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
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“Our age knows
nothing but reaction, and leaps from one extreme to another.” — REINHOLD NIEBUHR
MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2015
VOL. 84 NO. 136
75 cents
‘A year of unknowns’ debated at meeting By AMY PORTER Staff Writer HUNTINGTON – Representatives from five of the six remaining Gateway towns, along with Gateway Superintendent Dr. David Hopson, gathered on Saturday at Stanton Hall in Huntington for a Gateway Towns Advisory Committee (GTAC) meeting. The school budget so far has passed two Town Meetings (Middlefield and Montgomery), and was voted down in Russell. Blandford voted for a school budget amount that was below their assessment, and therefore will not pass unless the mitigation money for Worthington’s withdrawal comes from the state. Huntington’s annual town meeting is Monday evening, and Chester meets on June 13. If Huntington does not pass the budget, it will be defeated. GTAC co-moderator and Huntington’s Finance Committee member Darlene McVeigh said that because Huntington residents did not pass the override in the town election, Huntington would also have to vote something less than their assessment. “We don’t have free cash reserves to dip into,” McVeigh said. “Mitigation will hopefully be part of this year’s state fiscal budget,” Hopson said. “As I understand it, it will be part of a supplemental budget. Typically, supplemental budgets are an easier sell than putting it in the regular budget.” Hopson said if the school budget is rejected, the school will go on a month-to-month budget which the state commissioner decides on. “A couple of years ago, the commissioner chose the last budget voted on by the School Committee, which is $400,000 less than the current budget (for seven towns),” Hopson said. “Hopefully at some point, we’ll know if we’ll get the injunction against Worthington leaving. Again, this is a year of unknowns.” “In the event that the Huntington vote on the school budget fails, what are the school committee’s plans to come up with a new budget?” Tony van Werkhooven of Blandford asked Hopson. “As you all know, the School Committee can come back with the same budget, an increased budget, or a decreased budget,” said Hopson. Going around the table for a report from the towns, Anne-Marie Buikus of Montgomery said, “Montgomery passed the budget, but then again our assessment was only over by $11,000.” Buikus said the town also passed two resolutions from GTAC requesting the reimbursement of unfunded mandates from the state, and the other asking the School Committee to explore all options to protect the financial and educational sustainability of the district. Huntington will also put these resolutions before voters on Monday. “I was disappointed at our meeting, because they did not pass the resolutions,” Ruth Kennedy of Russell said. “It was the Select Board that was reluctant to bring them forward,” said Derrick Mason, a member of the Russell Finance Committee as well as GTAC. “That being said, we’re not giving up on this.” “I spoke up at our Town Meeting, and said we should not pass the budget because there are too many questions,” Pandora Hague of Russell said. “I think all of the towns should not have passed the budget until we get the mitigation funding. I’m hoping the budget does not pass because of that – we need to stand firm.” “We did just very recently ink the contract for the school building rental in Russell (with the Westfield School District, which will house students from Juniper Park Elementary School), which will help us out to the tune of a quarter million dollars,” Mason said. “On the downside, we have just incurred a debt for a quarter million for a new fire truck. So it’s a wash.” Joe Kearns of Middlefield said their annual Town Meeting, which passed the budget, was the second week of May. See Gateway, Page 3
On Saturday, Stanley Park hosted an American Red Cross Blood Drive, Liz Torres from the Springfield office of the American Red Cross. Jeff Glaze, one of many donating to the cause. (Photo by Don Wielgus)
Some of the leaders and members who attended, Front row Cub Scouts, Brady, Avanti, and Andrew, Back row, John Willemzin, Event Chair, David Kruse, Scout Executive/CEO, Cheryl Izyk, Council Commissioner, and Scott Laramee, Webelos leader. (Photo by Don Wielgus)
Scouts hold Stanley Park all-Council event WESTFIELD – Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, and Explorers from all over western Massachusetts, 650 in all, set up camp at Stanley Park in Westfield for the Voyages 2015 all-Council event on Friday. Held once every five years, this major camporee is an opportunity for all divisions of Scouting to participate together, with age-appropriate activities for all. The theme Voyages celebrated explorers such as Lewis and Clark, Christopher Columbus, and the Apollo 11 mission that landed Eagle Scout Neil Armstrong on the moon. At Stanley Park, Scouts met Mike Matty, who has climbed the highest mountain on all seven continents, a feat only equaled by a few hundred explorers in history. Matty showed the Scouts the climbing gear he used when he summitted Mt. Everest, the highest mountain on Earth. Matty, who is President of St. Germain Investments in Springfield,
answered questions like: How long did it take to climb Everest? (Answer: 2 months) and how about Kilimanjaro? (Answer: 2 weeks.) The Scouts had to respond to various skills challenges, demonstrating their skills at first aid, personal fitness, and coping with being lost. “This kind of event helps Scouts meet others from around our state, building friendships that can last years,”said Jeffrey Glaze, president of the Western Massachusetts Council, Boy Scouts of America. “The Scouts set up their tent city on Friday night, and enjoyed the weekend competing, visiting exhibits, and getting to know Stanley Park.” “I’m especially happy about this event because I’m also president of Stanley Park, and this weekend my two favorite non-profits worked together to give these kids memories that will last a See Scouts, Page 3
Scouts taking a break and cooling off.
(Photo by
Don Wielgus)
Troop 18 from Ashland setting up for the weekend. (Photo by Don Wielgus)
This story is being reprinted for the anniversary of When an EF1 tornado ripped though western Mass. June 1, 2011. ... (This story was published June 7, 2011)
Tornado damaged school reopens
2014 WESTFIELD WOMAN’S CLUB GARDEN TEA
Westfield Woman’s Club Garden Tea scheduled WESTFIELD – The 18th Annual Westfield Woman’s Club Garden Tea will be held this year on Wednesday, June 24 at 1 p.m. at Stanley Park. This event is a major fundraiser for the Westfield Woman’s
Club and helps to carry out the club’s mission in the community. From providing scholarships to local high school students, See Garden Tea, Page 7
By DAN MORIARTY Staff Writer WESTFIELD — The Munger Hill Elementary School, battered by the tornado on Wednesday, opened for students Monday morning. The June 1, 2011, tornado touched down on the Munger Hill School campus, struck a glancing blow to the building, then tore down the access road, tossing trees across the driveway before bouncing up and coming down in the Falley Drive neighborhood. The tornado ripped a section of the kindergarten wing, causing serious damage to two classrooms, which will not be used for the remainder of the school year. The tornado’s winds damaged two other classrooms, pulling down the suspended ceiling, damage that was repaired over the See 2011 Tornado, Page 3