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WEATHER TONIGHT Clear Skies. Cold. Low of 35.
The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 85 NO. 238
MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2016
See Town Clerk, Page 8
By AMY PORTER Correspondent WESTFIELD – At the Board of Registers meeting last Tuesday, Westfield City Clerk Karen Fanion reported that she has received a certificate of completion for training for the 2016 elections and early voting. “It was a very good training,” Fanion said. Early voting is new this year, and required for all cities and towns to make hours available between October 24 and November 4, 2016. The deadline for registering to vote is Wednesday, October 19, and voters must be registered before participating in early voting, voting by absentee ballot or at the polls on election day, November 8. On October 19, the city clerk’s office will be open from 9
KAREN FANION
Diane Pearlman, Executive Director of the Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative.
MICHAEL HOFFMAN See3 Communications
The Western Massachusetts Film and Media Exchange’s One Day Workshop for Non-Profits and Small Businesses in Springfield on October 19
‘Scoundrels’ can be overlooked in the history books By LORI SZEPELAK Correspondent WESTFIELD-For history buffs who especially love a great “scoundrel,” Martin Henley invites you to join him this week as he revisits five key figures in American history. Henley’s presentation on his book, “Scoundrels Who Made America Great,” is planned Oct. 14 at 10:30 a.m. at the Novel Ideas Book Group gathering at the Westfield Senior Center on Noble Street. Liz Boucher coordinates the logistics for the book group that meets monthly, discusses the selection, and chooses a book for the following month. “Having the author in is a special event for the group,” said Tina Gorman, executive director, Westfield Council on Aging. During a recent interview at Blue Umbrella Books at 2 Main St., Henley said his hour-long talk will show how retrospective history provides a clear understanding how each individual made a significant contribution to this country. “Scoundrels” featured in his book include Anne Hutchinson, the Puritan “Jezebel,” Benedict Arnold, America’s most notorious traitor, John Brown, the violent abolitionist, Iva Toguri, the infamous “Tokyo Rose” of World War II, and Clarence Gideon, four-time felon, See Scoundrels, Page 3
a.m. to 8 p.m. Registration may also be made online at www.RegisterToVoteMa.com. A license or an I.D. issued by the Registry of Motor Vehicles is required to register online. Marissa Colon of the City Clerk’s office said there are now almost 25,000 registered voters in Westfield. Since September, 800 new voters have registered, which she said is above average. “What makes it a lot easier is online registration,” Colon said. In Westfield, early voting may be done in person at the City Clerk’s office, Room 210 in City Hall, 59 Court Street, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., beginning on Monday, October 24 through Friday, See Early Voting, Page 8
One family’s roots spawns rebirth of Church’s history
How to tell your story using video Town of Southwick Town Clerk, Michelle Hill, is preparing for the upcoming election day on 11/8. (Photo by Greg Fitzpatrick
75 cents
First year for Early Voting in Massachusetts
Southwick Town Clerk providing information for registered voters By GREG FITZPATRICK Correspondent SOUTHWICK – As Election Day is Nov. 8 in the state of Massachusetts, town clerks throughout the commonwealth are preparing for what is expected to be a high turnout of registered voters. While Southwick Town Clerk Michelle Hill is preparing for several aspects of the election, Hill already sees the impact of this year’s presidential election. According to Hill, as of Oct. 6, over 6,900 potential voters in Southwick have already registered for this year. With Oct. 19 being the last day to register to vote, the registration numbers will continue to rise. It has already skyrocketed well past the 2012 Presidential election as there were 6,408 registered voters in the town of Southwick. Since this year’s election is highly anticipated, Hill knows what to expect. “It’s going to bring a lot of emotions,” said Hill. With those emotions, Hill hopes that every person registered in Southwick who has a strong opinion on the election, will go out and vote. “You have the right to vote,” said Hill. “You should exercise the right.” Another main reason that the registration numbers are expected to make a jump is the fact that early voting has been activated for the
The Westfield News will run its masthead in pink, in recognition of October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
By MARK G. AUERBACH Correspondent If you’re an entrepreneur, a small business, or someone involved with a non-profit organizations that needs to market their programs or raise money, this workshop’s for you.
The Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative presents the third annual Western MA Film and Media Exchange on October 19, 2016 at the Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel. This See Your Story, Page 8
By LORI SZEPELAK Correspondent WESTFIELD-A guardian angel and a makeshift cross still grace the grounds of the former St. Casimir’s Church, and now the church’s history has been resurrected with the publication of “St. Casimir’s Children: The Lithuanians of Westfield.” Joan Morris Reilly, whose grandfather was the first Lithuanian on record to settle in Westfield and was a founder and builder of St. Casimir’s, recently self-published the book so that future generations will have a reference for their Lithuanian roots. Due to changing demographics over the years, according to Reilly, St. Casimir’s was shuttered in 2003 and parishioners merged with St. Peter’s Church on State Street which is now known as St. Peter & St. Casimir Parish. Reilly initially started working on the book last summer and spent hours researching on Ancestry.com, looking up birth and death certificates, collating documents she had from the church’s 50th anniversary booklet, and reviewing photographs she had inherited from an aunt. Reilly also credits three local residents, Natalie Masaitis, and Jim and Marcia Rogers, all of Lithuanian descent, for the conversations they shared with her about their experiences as parishioners of St. Casimir’s. On a recent afternoon, Reilly got together See Rebirth, Page 8
Dams celebrated as integral part of daily life By LORI SZEPELAK Correspondent HUNTINGTON-Fall foliage made a stunning backdrop on Saturday morning as representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and public officials celebrated the 50th anniversary observance of Littleville Lake and the 75th anniversary of Knightville Dam. Matthew Coleman, project manager for Littleville Lake and Knightville Dam, wel-
comed more than 40 area residents who attended the festivities that began at 11 a.m. at Littleville Dam. “The dams have made a great impact here,” said Coleman, adding that everyone he meets relates a “special memory” of time spent fishing, hunting, picnicking or studying nature. For Jean (Elder) Bush who grew up in Chester, the event was bittersweet. “My family’s home was taken from us when construction started for the Littleville Lake
project,” said Bush, adding her family relocated to Montgomery in 1962. Bush is a member of the Chester Historical Society and was on hand to answer questions about the construction project, along with fellow members Fay Piergiovanni and Janice Brown. District Engineer Col. Christopher Barron, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, was unable See Knightville Dam, Page 8
Kiwanis Welcomes Participation in Park of Honor By LORI SZEPELAK Correspondent WESTFIELD-The Kiwanis Club of Westfield is presenting a “To Serve & Protect Park of Honor” starting on Nov. 5 on the front lawn of South Middle School. Row upon row of flags will be displayed with a ribbon on each flag, containing information about the person being honored, according to Kellie Brown, who is spearheading the project. Individuals, families and companies can sponsor a flag in honor of a veteran, law enforcement officer, firefighter or first responder (past or present). “The community will be invited to walk among the flags, read names, listen to and share the stories of themselves, family members, friends and others who have given in many different ways so we are able to See Kiwanis, Page 8