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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com SATURDAY, APRIL 30, 2016
VOL. 85 NO. 103
“There’s a difference between a philosophy and a bumper sticker.” — CHARLES M. SCHULZ
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Westfield Gas & Electric Communications Engineer Kevin Fedora is connecting fiber to a customer’s new Network Interface Device (NID) which is the demarcation point where the fiber enters the customer’s home from either the utility pole or underground service. (Photo courtesy of the Westfield G&E)
Westfield G&E selects neighborhoods for high-speed internet service Fran Cain, assistant director of public works, reviews logistics of an open house May 7 with Joanna Williams, DPW’s budget analyst.
Open House reveals inside the water process By LORI SZEPELAK Correspondent WESTFIELD-“Water – To Know It Is To Love It” is the theme of National Drinking Water Week, and officials with the city’s Department of Public Works are hosting an open house on May 7 for its residential and commercial customers to mark the occasion. For more than 35 years, the American Water Works Association has joined with water community partners to recognize the vital role water plays in our daily lives and in the quality of life we enjoy because of it. The city’s Water Resources Department chose to participate this year to showcase all of the upgrades that have made since the devastating effects of Hurricane Irene that struck in late August 2011. During the course of the day, a re-dedication of the treatment plant in Southwick is also planned. The open house is slated from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and starts with a tour of its treatment facility at 25 Reservoir Road, Southwick, followed by a bus trip to the Granville Reservoir. Participants should expect that the round trip from the treatment facility will take about 45 minutes and are asked to wear comfortable shoes. According to a 2015 city water quality report, the Granville Reservoir, a surface water source located in Granville, contributed approximately 44 percent of the city’s drinking water. All water from this source is treated and filtered at the treatment facility in Southwick. “Guided tours will show where water enters the plant, where filtration takes place, how the hydro turbine process works, and how treatment chemicals are added like chlorine,” said Fran Cain, assistant director of public works. Cain is working on the logistics for the open house with colleagues including Joanna Williams, DPW’s budget analyst.
See Fiber Optic, Page 7
WESTFIELD FIRE DEPT. PARAMEDICS
Drug related medical calls WESTFIELD — From Friday, April 22 to Friday, April 29, the Westfield Fire Dept paramedics responded to the following drug related medical calls: FIRE DEPT. DID NOT SHOW ANY AMBULANCE CALLS IN REGARDS TO OPIATE OVERDOSES FOR THE WEEK OF 4/22/16 – 4/29/16. A view of the Granville Reservoir. Tours will also include the lab where the water is tested, and the maintenance area that includes its dump trucks and back hoes. Also, a continuous bus trip to the “scenic vista” of Granville Reservoir is planned to round out the festivities. “During reservoir repairs, we had to implement water restrictions and we will be able to explain why at the open house,” said Cain. Cain noted that “major” reconstruction of the reservoir was needed after the tropical cyclone hit since one of the issues included the collapse of the spillway. “While we were working on these projects, we also made efficiency upgrades to the plant,” said Cain. See Tour, Page 7
Got unneeded household items? Donate them to a vet in need WESTFIELD – Helping those who serve this country is an easy way to give back, said Stanley Park Executive Director Robert McKean. The park is hosting an opportunity to do just that May 2 with its third annual Furniture and Donation Drive for the Homeward Vets organization. The drive is co-sponsored by the Westfield-West Springfield Lodge of Elks. “It’s a way to say thank you to veterans and pay them back for what they gave,” McKean said. “Some of them are in really hard times.” The drive takes place May 7 from 8a.m. to 12 noon at Stanley Park of Westfield,
WESTFIELD — The residents of three neighborhoods in Westfield have been selected to submit applications to Westfield Gas and Electric for Whip City Fiber, Westfield’s high-speed fiber optic internet service. Once a sufficient number of applications from these neighborhoods are received via the whipcityfiber.com website, construction will be slated to begin. This announcement comes shortly after a campaign to assess general interest in high-speed internet for Westfield. “We’ve had a tremendous response to our I Want Fiber!
400 Western, Ave. In the Asian Garden parking lot on Margaret Lane across from the Veterans’ Memorial at Stanley Park. Homeward Vets is an organization seeking to collect small kitchen items and furniture for veterans transitioning from homelessness and setting up their permanent homes. They are looking for dinnerware, pots and pans, drinking glasses, small appliances such as toasters, microwaves, toaster ovens and coffee makers, mixers, blenders, end tables, night stands, coffee tables, couches (in very good condition), chairs/ recliners, lamps, bookshelves, unopened cleaning supplies, brooms, mops, and dish-
washing materials and new towels For large furniture donations, the organization suggests you check their website (homewardvets.org) for warehouse hours. The warehouse is located at 166 First Ave., Ludlow. “They need everything to set up a home,” McKean said. “And, most of us have things around the house we don’t use. Something that’s old for us is new for them.” Cash donations will also be accepted and will be used to purchase gift cards or food for new move-ins. If you can’t make it to the event you can donate online.
Committee tells district budget too expensive By AMY PORTER Correspondent WESTFIELD – At Wednesday’s School Committee Finance Sub-Committee, members pored line by line through the Westfield Public School’s FY17 budget, which was presented at a public hearing last Monday. “I think we went through the review in more detail than we have in the past. It was nice to have the questions asked,” said Ronald Rix, WPS Director of Business Services. The $59,625,602 budget that was presented on Monday was billed as “level service” with no new positions or programs, but with $1,749,602 in increases to fixed costs, the same amount it came in over last year’s approved budget. Rix said the Finance Sub-Committee, which is chaired by Kevin Sullivan, told administrators on Wednesday that $1.75 million was too much of an increase, although there was no consensus at the meeting on how much was too much, according to Rix. Now school administrators are going over the budget, to see where they can naturally lower it. “We don’t’ know what our increases in state aid will be,” Rix said, referring to the Chapter 70 aid, the major program of state aid to public elementary and secondary schools. The possible range is from $20 per student, the figure in the Governor’s budget, to $55 per student in the House budget. The budget is currently being debated in the Senate. No Chapter 70 aid has yet been included in the FY17 budget, according to Rix. Also, he said the district is still waiting for the retirement of 15 people to finalize. See Expensive, Page 7