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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
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Gateway Survey shows Blizzard Bags results By AMY PORTER Correspondent HUNTINGTON – Gateway Regional School District surveyed staff and parents in April about the first year of the Blizzard Bags in the district. Students are being surveyed now through May 15 on the district website at www.grsd. org. Blizzard Bags are alternative learning projects for students to complete at home during or within five days of school cancellations for snow. The purpose is to engage students on days when they are unable to attend school, and also to eliminate the need to lengthen the school calendar at the end of June. “Our estimated savings were in transportation, utilities, cafeteria and substitutes, averaging $11,000/ day per snow day. This year students get out on June 14; without the Blizzard Bags, they would be getting out on June 21,” said Gateway spokesperson Wendy Long. The benefit of the Blizzard Bags is that the school year does not get extended due to missing classes because of snow. The survey of staff and parents found that over 90% of students in every school returned their Blizzard Bag assignments, and 75% of parents and teachers recommended keeping Blizzard Bags at 5 days or expanding to more days. Parents and teachers also agreed that five school days were enough time to complete the assignments (students generally have five days after the snow day to complete the assignment). They also said that the assignments given were appropriate, and that over the course of the year, the Blizzard Bags became easier to implement and understand, and assignments were related to what students were working on in the classroom. Most also agreed that Blizzard Bags would be easier if all of the towns had widespread broadband available. “Areas that we want to focus on next year include accommodations for special education students and ways to support students struggling with the assignments,” Long said. See Survey, Page 3
— ROBERT A. HEINLEIN
75 cents
MONDAY, MAY 8, 2017
VOL. 86 NO. 109
ANDY MONTANARO Incumbent
BRYAN YOUNG
CARA LETENDRE
Candidates for Blandford Board of Selectmen By AMY PORTER Correspondent BLANDFORD – Three residents are running for one seat on the Blandford Board of Selectmen, including incumbent Andy Montanaro, Bryan Young and write-in candidate Cara Letendre. Andy Montanaro, who is presently serving as a selectman, is running for reelection for the three year term. In addition to serving on the Select Board, he has been a member of the Gateway Towns Advisory Committee and the Hilltown Collaborative. Montanaro works for Westfield State University on the Facilities & Operations staff. He declined to give a candidate’s statement, and is standing on his record. Bryan Young is chair of the Conservation Commission, on which he’s served for the past ten years. Young bought land in Blandford in 2007, and moved to the town in 2010, saying he’s been “stomping around these hills for 50 years.” Young is a disabled veteran of the U.S. Air Force, who worked for the U.S. government for over 34 years, including the military and the U.S. Postal Service. “Now that I’m semi-retired, I want to serve my town. God, country, family,” Young said. He said politically, he is an independent. “I vote for the best man or woman.” “We’ve had a lot of problems in this town since I’ve been here. Things are finally coming back to where they should be,” Young said. He said he didn’t like the infighting in town hall, and wants to see the town get “on the right track.” On the Conservation Commission, Young has worked with every depart-
ment, including the Highway Department and the Police Department. He said when the Fire Department resigned en masse in 2013, he worked as a fireman briefly. His goals as selectmen would be to rebuild the infrastructure, and to support the Fire Department, Police Department, and the Porter Memorial Library. “People don’t want to move to a town that doesn’t have a good infrastructure. I want to make this a place people want to be. It’s beautiful here,” Young said. Cara Letendre is running an active campaign as a write-in candidate. Letendre said she has been extremely involved in the workings of the town for the past seven years, was born and raised here and is “currently raising her daughters in this beautiful town with her husband Jon.” “We purchased a home to raise our family because of the positive experiences I had growing up here. After our first daughter was born, I joined the Recreation Committee with the hopes of reviving some of the cherished events of my childhood. We successfully brought back the Halloween party, Memorial Day picnic and the skating rink,” Letendre wrote in a letter to town residents last month. She served as the editor of the Blandford Bugle for five years, and as a member of the Friends of the Porter Memorial Library. In 2012, Letendre began working at the town hall as the secretary of the Board of Selectmen. In 2014, she also started working as the Water Department See Candidates, Page 3
“Always listen to experts. They’ll tell you what can’t be done, and why. Then do it.”
Council tackles many items in lengthy meeting By AMY PORTER Correspondent WESTFIELD – During Thursday’s Council meeting, the amendment to expand notification to abutters regarding zoning changes took another step toward realization in a public hearing. The amendment requires notification of all owners of land within three hundred feet of a change in the Zone Map at least ten days prior to a public hearing. At-large Councilor Dan Allie, who proposed the amendment, told the Council that the Planning Board gave it a unanimous positive recommendation at its May 2 meeting, with a couple of suggested changes. Allie said the main changes were a recommendation for an exemption if notification became too onerous, in the example of a city-wide change, and posting a sign regarding the zoning change on or about the property. Allie said the sign could be something simple, such as a corrugated and wood, not metal. Allie said there would be no additional cost to applicants, as the permit for a zoning change was recently raised to $30. He said there would be a small fee to obtain a list of abutters. At-large Councilor Dave Flaherty said he would vote in support of the amendment. Flaherty did ask if the sign would be large enough for people who are driving by to see. Ward 2 Councilor Ralph J. Figy also asked about the proposed signage and if it would fit into the sign ordinance for temporary signs. He also asked who would be responsible for the sign. The meeting was then opened to comments from the public.
Resident John Phelps suggested that the assessor’s office have signs for purchase. “Northampton has them. They are similar to election signs,” Phelps said. He added that his family had an unfortunate experience with a zone change in a residential area to industrial, and he was in favor of the notification. Another resident spoke of an experience she had when a zone change was coming up, and she was forced to notify the neighbors, because they hadn’t read the legal notices. Several other residents stepped up and spoke in favor of the amendment. Ward 4 Councilor Mary O’Connell read a letter of strong support from a constituent, and thanked Councilor Allie for putting this together. Ward 1 Councilor Mary Ann Babinski and Ward 6 Councilor William Onyski also said they had received emails and letters in favor of the ordinance change. “This is a great thing. I thank Councilor Allie also for doing his due diligence,” Babinski said. “I’m also a yes vote a yes vote. This not only helps residents but it helps businesses,” said Ward 3 Councilor Andrew K. Surprise. Council President Brent B. Bean, III reminded members that there is still committee work to be done on the amendment. Figy made a motion to close the public hearing, and refer the amended to Legislative & Ordinance Committee and Legal. In other matters during the three and a half hour long meeting, the City Council voted final passage for a $4 million bond order for the Sanitary Sew See Council, Page 3
New commander for the Barnes means new challenges and new beginnings By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD—For US Air Force Col. James Suhr, his command of the Barnes Air Reserve Base and the 104th Fighter Wing is a unique one. That’s because Suhr is one of just two active duty Air Force members in the country to be a wing commander of an Air National Guard base. And with this unique assignment over the next year and a half to two years, Suhr hopes to expand the knowledge of both active duty and reserve members, while also providing residents of Westfield clarity and harmonious coexistence, especially in relation to the current issues surrounding the base. “Command found a place in Massachusetts where I can fit in,” Suhr said about his placement at Barnes. “We’re trying to increase the knowledge pool of the Air National Guard. Increasing the knowledge of the Guard in active duty.”
US Air Force Col. James Suhr, commander of the Barnes Air Reserve Base and the 104th Fighter Wing (WNG file photo)
Suhr comes to the position with a lengthy background in military, pilot and leadership positions. His military career started in 1993. After getting a bachelors in journalism from West Virginia University, Suhr went to Lubbock, Texas with the Air Force and first focused on aircraft maintenance and officer training. Eventually, in the late 1990s to early 2000s, Suhr followed a dream that he had and became a fighter pilot for the Air Force. “I always knew I wanted to be a pilot,” he said. Suhr started by piloting the F-15C, the same type of planes that are flown out of Barnes Air Reserve Base today. His missions included protecting a no-fly zone in Iraq in 2001, as well as Middle East coverage in Qatar from 2007 to 2008, and service within the United Arab Emirates from 2014 to 2015. Overall, Suhr said that he has compiled over 2,100 flight hours, and as part of his active duty obligations, still partakes in See Barnes, Page 3
Westfield Lions Club to host community health fair By GREG FITZPATRICK Correspondent WESTFIELD – The Westfield Lions Club will be sponsoring a Community Health Fair at Western Mass Hospital on Saturday May 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There is no registration and the fair is free and open to the public. A brand new event, the Lions Club had decided it was time that they offered a community health fair for children and families throughout Westfield. “This is a totally free, family-friendly event where you can get a lot of your health-care needs in one place,”
said Lions Club President Kyle Pierce. A variety of different health care options will be available. The Lions Club will be offering eye exams while the Holyoke Dental Group will have dental screenings. Habitat for Humanity will also be present for financial advice while the Westfield YMCA will offer a general information table. Brigid Roffe, who is the Community Liaison and Volunteer Coordinator at Western Mass Hospital, believes that this event is perfect for them. “Our mission has always been to fill
the gaps and services of the community needs,” said Roffe. “Having this health fair will definitely bring awareness.” Pierce has had a great experience working with Western Mass Hospital for the fair. “Western Mass Hospital has been incredible to work with,” he said. “It’s been a great partnership to work with right now.” The Community Health Fair will take place outside in the back pavilion at the hospital. For more information on the event, call Western Mass Hospital at 562-4131.
From left to right, are the head members of the Westfield Centennial Lions Club. Ida Tassinari, Kyle Pierce, Roxanne Bradley, and Michael McCabe. (WNG File Photo)