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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
“If people behaved in the way nations do they would all be put in straitjackets.” — TENNESSEE WILLIAMS
www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 86 NO. 46
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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2017
SeeClickFix given another go in Westfield By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD—The city is relaunching its SeeClickFix platform in hopes of increasing the amount of users and improving public interaction when problems arise in the city. The platform, as well as its mobile app, debuted in the city in November 2015. Since then, the city has received and addressed over 3,000 issues in Westfield. Still, city officials would like to see more residents use the platform and app so that problems can be addressed more efficiently. “It’s a good way for everyone to participate in improving their city and it’s not just a complaint on a social media site,” Amber Danahey, community outreach coordinator, said. Danahey said that the program has worked well but the total amount of registered users in Westfield is significantly low compared to the total amount of residents, which is a problem for the program. See SeeClickFix, Page 7
Westfield firefighters rescue dog Final Flight Col. Keefe has flown 330 hours of combat/combat support time in deployments supporting Operations; Southern Watch, Northern Watch, Iraqi Freedom, and Noble Eagle. See story and photos Page 8. (Photo by Lynn F. Boscher)
Chain reaction five-vehicle crash on Southwick Road By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD – A five-car crash occurred Thursday, after traffic was stopped for another crash on Southwick Road. Police reported that around 7:05 P.M. a two-vehicle crash occurred on Southwick Road. About 20 minutes later, while traffic was stopped and was being directed by Westfield Police, a separate five-vehicle collision occurred during the stop. Four people were reported injured due to the first accident, and all were transported to Baystate Noble Hospital via Westfield Fire ambulance and paramedics, according to Westfield Police
Capt. Michael McCabe. Additionally, both vehicles were towed from the scene. Regarding the five-vehicle crash, one person was injured and transported to Baystate Noble Hospital by Westfield Fire ambulance and paramedics, according to McCabe. McCabe said that the accident occurred while traffic was stopped by police due to the first accident. According to police, a vehicle was struck from behind by another vehicle on Southwick Road after they drove over a hill, which resulted in the struck vehicle colliding with a vehicle in front of it, which caused a chain reaction of collisions with two additional vehicles.
By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD—The city’s fire department’s personnel were heroes after they rescued a dog that fell through the ice on a pond in the city Friday. The incident occurred around 11 a.m. Friday, after a dog reportedly ran onto the ice of Brickyard Pond off of North Road. According to Westfield Fire Capt. Mike Szenda, the one-yearold pitbull fell through the ice about 50 yards from shore.Westfield Fire Dept. “The dog was just hanging onto the edge of the ice,” Szenda said. The dog’s owner, according to Szenda, has a home that abuts the pond area, and the dog somehow managed to get onto the ice. Szenda said that the department saw that their best chance at rescuing the dog was to use their hovercraft, so they found the easiest access to the pond and drove the craft into the pond. According to Szenda, the firefighters rescued the dog and brought it to shore. The dog was cold at first but turned out fine, Szenda said. In fact, the dog reportedly wanted to do it again. “She got back to land, shook off and jumped back into the boat and wanted to go for a ride,” Szenda said.
Update on Whalley Park project
Snow covers portions of East Mountain Country Club Friday afternoon.
Warm weather could mean golf but conditions may dampen golfers’ spirits By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD—While this warm weather is tantalizing to golfers in the area, courses may not be as great as the weather is—though they still may be playable. Local courses are anticipating opening up the fairways and putting greens as early as Monday next week, as long as the weather continues to be warm and the snow continues to melt away. However, the course conditions could be less than desirable, with premium course conditions still several months away. “I’m realistically hoping to be up and running by next week,” Ted Perez, golf professional at and co-owner of East Mountain Country Club, said. “If it’s 60 degrees the snow does melt fast and if we get some rain that will melt it even faster. But my realistic and hopeful thinking is maybe Monday or Tuesday is when we reopen.” And all this melting will leave for some potentially soggy and muddy conditions on some courses. However, according to Perez, this may not be too bad because of the lack of frost that was apparent on the ground recently. “As far as what the conditions will be, I don’t think much frost is out there so as it melts it’s also draining,” Perez said. “So once the snow is gone everything will be in play, very few unplayable
Brian Knapp skiing at Shaker Farms Country Club Thursday. (photo provided by Nancy Kotowitz)
areas.” And over at Shaker Farms Country Club, similar conditions are expected. “I think the snow is clearing up and the members are going to be out there as early as next week,” Nancy Kotowitz, co-owner of Shaker Farms Country Club, said. “It’s going to be wet because there was a lot of snow but one of the things we did here was did a lot of drainage,”
Kotowitz said. “This course is usually pretty wet but with the drainage we did it is a lot better.” Kotowitz said that the course will be in OK condition to begin next week, but eventually the course will reach its full potential—which may be as soon as mid-spring. “I would say in May conditions should be really good,” she said “I used to say June, but just because of all the drainage we have done it will be May this year.” Though as of right now, the recent gush of warm weather has made a menagerie of spring and winter activities available. Kotowitz said that while the greenskeepers have been out tending to the course, a cross-country skier was seen dashing through the remaining snow on Thursday. As for East Mountain Country Club, Perez said that good grass growth— which will mean good playing conditions—could happen as early as April but the weather has to cooperate. “Until the ground gets to 55 degrees nothing will grow,” he said. “You don’t really have any new growth until the ground gets warm, so that won’t be until the latter part of April or early May.” Still, none of this has stopped golfers from calling and seeing when the course will be open. Perez said that they have See Golfers, Page 7
By GREG FITZPATRICK Correspondent SOUTHWICK – A lighting project at Whalley Park was discussed at this week’s Park and Recreation meeting. Back in January The Westfield News reported on a plan for new lights to be installed on the baseball and softball fields at Whalley Park as there were past issues that have caused new lights to be put in. The left field homerun fence on the baseball field is not far New lights will be installed at athletic enough from home fields at Whalley Park. (Photo by Greg plate so the Parks and Fitzpatrick) Rec Commission would like to see the fence put farther back, and by doing so it will be closer to the light poles. Another concern being discussed is the slight hill on the left field side of the fence making the fence sloped slightly. Once consideration is adding a retaining wall behind the lights which would make the fence even. The projected cost See Whalley Park, Page 7
Boys and Girls Club dance team wins big By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD—The Boys and Girls Club competitive dance team scored big last week in Worcester. Members of the competitive dance team recently competed in the Diva Dance Competition, a national competition that benefits the Cornelia de Lang Syndrome (CdLS) Foundation. The Boys and Girls Club team did well, taking home several awards and honors. “I am beyond proud of them, they completely blew me away,” Mallory Wray, cultural enrichment coordinator for the Boys and Girls Club of Westfield, said. “This is our third year in competition, some of the dancers are new but those who have been with us improved and have so much more confidence on stage now, they did a really beautiful job.” According to Wray, the group scored well in the competition. In fact, one group scored well even See Dance Team, Page 7