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WEATHER TONIGHT
The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
Partly Cloudy. Low of 55.
www.thewestfieldnews.com MONDAY, JUNE 26, 2017
VOL. 86 NO. 150
Deacon’s path starts in Westfield By LORI SZEPELAK Correspondent WESTFIELD-“A gifted preacher.” That’s how The Rev. Nancy Webb Stroud, Rector of the Episcopal Church of the Atonement, praises The Rev. Patricia M. O’Connell, Deacon, who was ordained June 10 at Chris Church Cathedral in Springfield. O’Connell, of Wilbraham, was among five women who were ordained to the Sacred Order of Deacons by The Rt. Rev. Douglas J. Fisher, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts. More than 300 people attended the ceremony to witness and celebrate the ancient rite of the Church. As part of the ceremony, the bishop lays his hands on the head of each ordinand, and the new deacon is vested with a distinctive stole. The stole is placed on the left shoulder so that it is worn over the heart. The deacon has a distinct role to interpret the needs of the world to the Church and to be a bridge between the Church and the world. The four vocational deacons, including O’Connell, are members of the first class to graduate from the See Deacon, Page 3
The Rev. Patricia M. O’Connell, Deacon, is seen at the lectern as The Rev. Nancy Webb Stroud, Rector, looks on inside the Episcopal Church of the Atonement in Westfield. O’Connell was ordained as a deacon June 10.
Roses put to the test at Stanley Park By LORI SZEPELAK Correspondent WESTFIELD-For more than 50 years, Stanley Park has been a “testing ground” for companies that specialize in rose varietals. On Thursday morning, Paul Kuczynski, who serves as greenhouse and horticulture coordinator, and Robert Salvini, horticulture technician, were checking on the latest See Roses, Page 5
Paul Kuczynski singles out a Yellow Hybrid Tea Rose leaf that has black spots. The rose bush is among several that recently arrived from California as part of a two-year testing process at Stanley Park.
75 cents
Westfield firefighter graduates Mass. Career firefighting program
Students and teachers pose for a photo outside the front of Granville Village School. (Photo from Jess Ripley)
Emotional day for Granville community on the last day of school By GREG FITZPATRICK Correspondent GRANVILLE – It was quite the emotional day for the community of Granville on Friday morning. Residents, parents, teachers, and students, and town officials all had to say their last goodbyes to the Granville Village School as Friday was the last day that the building would ever be used as a school. Starting in September students will relocate to either Powder Mill School or Woodland School on the Southwick schools campus, unless families choose to do school choice and select another school system. Since the school first opened in 1933, it carries a long-standing tradition of many families in Granville who are a part of multiple generations of attending the school. Jess Shanti, who is a former student at the school and taught there for 13 years, her dad and grandfather were also students there. The tradition is what holds the community together. “You can leave Granville but Granville never leaves you. The whole community is sort of where everyone knows everyone’s children,” said Shanti. “Everyone is a familiar face.” Shanti went on to describe the atmosphere outside of the school after the bell had rung on Friday. “The scene at the end of the day was tough,” said Shanti. “It really almost is like a death.” Shanti then added that parents, teachers, and students all gathered outside the school and stood there
and talked like it was their own community event. Jess Ripley, who has two daughters that were at the Granville Village School this year, said Friday that the news of the school closing has been tough to deal with. “A lot of teary eyes,” said Ripley. “I feel that we’ve been completely lied to.” Ripley is one of the families in Granville who has decided to go the school choice route. Her daughter Lilie will be going to the Gateway Regional School District and her other daughter Kate will attend Chester Elementary School. Granville town officials were also vocal about the last day at the school. “This is a very sad and emotional day for the town of Granville,” said Select Board member David Ripley. “Unfortunately the administration and school committee have done nothing to make this closure easy, this entire process from start to finish has been very poorly done.” While Superintendent Willard stated that she said no Granville teachers or the principal would be able to comment, Willard addressed the situation. “This is a very emotional day for Granville,” said Willard. “That’s why we did want to start the transitions as soon as possible in late February, today is a continuation of that process.” On February 8, the school committee took a majority vote and it resulted in a 5-2 vote in favor of closing the Granville Village School.
Park now has donation boxes By LORI SZEPELAK Correspondent WESTFIELD-With more than 300 acres of trails, woods, picnic areas, recreational facilities and gardens, Stanley Park is a wonderful way to escape – for an hour walk or a daylong family celebration. Four donation boxes are recent additions to the park grounds – two located in the Rose Garden area, and others in the vicinity of the duck pond and children’s playground. “The funds in any amount are gratefully accepted and used for the upkeep of the park in all areas,” said Robert McKean, managing director, Stanley Park. See Donation, Page 5
Four donation boxes are now located at Stanley Park.
Conservation group, interns and others join to protect water from invasive species in Westfield By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD—A group from Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, including several student interns, worked together to try and protect some of the city’s natural water habitat. Interns from the Student Conservation Association (SCA), who were guided by the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge—a part of the US Fish and Wildlife Service—and the Westfield
“I am continually fascinated at the difficulty intelligent people have in distinguishing what is controversial from what is merely offensive.” — NORA EPHRON
Conservation Commission, worked to clear Brickyard Ponds off Root Road of water chestnut. The plant is an invasive species and conservation groups have been working to rid bodies of water of the plant before it ruins their ecosystems. The work at Brickyard Ponds is part of an ongoing strategy to remove the species entirely from that area, or else the plant could do massive harm to the ecosystem there. “We’ve removed 70 to 80 tons over
By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD — One firefighter from Westfield graduated from the Massachusetts career firefighting program in Springfield last week. Matthew B. Potter graduated with 20 other firefighters from the 50-day program on Wednesday, June 21. The class was just the fourth to graduate from the program, which is hosted at the Department of Fire Services’ Springfield campus. “This rigorous professional training provides our newest fire-fighters with the basic skills to perform their jobs effectively and safely,” State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey was reported as saying in a press release. The 21 graduates included two women and 19 men and represented the following departments: Chicopee, Easthampton, Greenfield, Ludlow, Northampton, Springfield, West Springfield and Westfield. According to the press release, students received “classroom training in all basic firefighter skills. They practice first under non-fire conditions and then during controlled fire conditions. To graduate, students must demonstrate proficiency in life safety, search and rescue, ladder operations, water supply, pump operation, and fire attack.”
Class photo of the graduating class, with Matthew B. Potter at center holding the axe.
State and local officials remind communities about fireworks safety By GREG FITZPATRICK Correspondent SOUTHWICK – The next couple of weeks always have the potential to be the busiest time of year for fire departments across the country and Massachusetts. With Fourth of July approaching, the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services wants to remind communities about the importance of fireworks safety. In a press release from the department, there have been 826 major fire and explosion incidents that involved fireworks, which was documented by the MFIRS (Massachusetts Fire Incident Reporting System). Of those 826 incidents, there have been 11 civilian injuries, five fireservice injuries, and an approximate loss of $1.8 million. With the holiday being popular to families, State Fire Marshall Peter Ostroskey addressed the significance of safety for children, in the press release. “This year, set a good example for your children. Just as children know where you keep the matches and lighters, they know where you stash your illegal fireworks.” He added, “Children imitate adults. If you use fireworks, children will copy you, not realizing how very dangerous fireworks are.” Jennifer Mieth, who is the Public Information Officer at the Department of Fire Services, noted that sparklers can burn upwards of 1,200 degrees. “Every year there is quite a number of injuries involving sparklers,” said Mieth. When speaking to Ostoskey, he discussed just how serious the negative impacts of sparklers can be with children. “We see a lot of life-altering injuries,” said Ostroskey. “Kids lives are changed by something that some people see as a safe practice.” While fire officials at the state level are promoting fireworks safety, locally, Southwick Fire Chief Russ Anderson is doing the same. It is illegal in the state of Massachusetts to use, possess, or transport fireworks unless you’re a licensed professional. Chief Anderson touched on the simple reason why their illegal. “They’re illegal for many reasons but mostly because See Fireworks Safety, Page 5
time,” Karen Leigh, conservation coordinator for Westfield, said. “If we haven’t the wetlands would be taken over in one to two years.” According to Cynthia Boettner, Invasive Plant Control Initiative Coordinator for the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, the plant is an invasive species that causes ecosystems to become hypoxic, or lack sufficient oxygen. If this happens, other See Water, Page 3
Adults are highly encouraged to educate children about the dangers of fireworks. (WNG File Photo)