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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
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“Anyone can do any amount of work, provided it isn’t
the work he is supposed to be doing at that moment.” — ROBERT BENCHLEY
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2015
VOL. 84 NO. 287
75 cents
CONSTRUCTION
Road work wrapping up for season Phil and Laura Nasciadrelli were among those attending the lecture titled “A History of Downtown Westfield” by Dr. Robert Brown on Wednesday night. (Photo by Lori Szepelak)
Dr. Robert Brown presented a lecture titled “A History of Downtown Westfield” to a packed crowd on Wednesday night. (Photo by Lori Szepelak)
Crowd enjoys reliving downtown’s past By LORI SZEPELAK Correspondent WESTFIELD – Parking lots were a reoccurring theme as Dr. Robert Brown shared a walk down memory lane for close to 200 area residents who packed the sanctuary of First United Methodist Church on Wednesday night. During Brown’s entertaining and informative 45-minute presentation titled “A History of Downtown Westfield,” close to 80 photographs brought back vivid memories from the 1950s and 1960s – most taken by David Mosher, who had spent close to 70 years documenting the downtown area since he lived many years on Chapel Street. Mosher’s family had discovered all of the photographs after he entered a local nursing home and donated the collection to the Westfield Athenaeum. Brown had noted that Mosher’s photographs are the first significant collection of late 20th century photos of the city to be donated to the Athenaeum. “As David Mosher wandered city streets, he didn’t have any plan in mind,” said Brown. “He took photos that interested him.” Prior to Brown’s lecture, there was speculation among the attendees of what they might see in photographs. For Sharon and Frank Thompkins, their
Jim Haley purchased a 2016 Picture Westfield ... at Work calendar prior to Dr. Robert Brown’s lecture titled “A History of Downtown Westfield” on Wednesday night. Calendars are still available at the Westfield Athenaeum and will also be on sale at the Westfield Technical Academy Christmas Craft Fair on Nov. 29 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and at the WOW Building on Nov. 28 during the Dickenson Day Christmas Stroll. (Photo by Lori Szepelak)
fondest memories included meals at Friendly’s on Franklin Street and shopping at businesses including W.T. Grant, Jack & Harry’s, and Fine’s. “The downtown area was special because it was easily accessible,” said Frank Thompkins. “I also had met David Mosher so I wanted to see his photographs.” For Jim Haley, one of his fondest memories as a youngster was taking the train from Westfield to Springfield to shop at stores including Forbes & Wallace. “We also liked to shop at Newberry’s and go to the bowling alley,” said Haley, who grew up on Hampton Ponds. Friday night shopping was also a popular routine for many in the 50s and 60s, including Laura and Phil Nasciadrelli. “We all worked the tobacco fields and would meet Friday nights and see who were with the girls from Pennsylvania,” said Laura Nasciadrelli. The couple also spoke fondly of some of their favorite stores which included Landau’s, The Bell Shop, and Templeton’s Drug Store. “We could get a milkshake for 25 cents at Templeton’s,” said Phil Nasciadrelli. As the lights went down and Brown started his lecture, all eyes were glued to See Downtown’s Past, Page 8
By DAN MORIARTY Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The contractors of several major road improvement projects in Westfield are racing the onset of winter to complete work as the 2015 construction season comes to a close. Work on the North Elm Street and Notre Dame Street intersection is rapidly nearing conclusion for the current season. City Engineer Mark Cressotti said it is the intention of the contractor, Baltazar Construction of Ludlow, to complete paving and sidewalk work prior to Thanksgiving. The $4.4 million project, to widen the roadway, install new drainage and add dedicated left turn lanes, will resume next spring at the start of the 2016 construction season. Start of that work was expected to begin earlier this summer but it was delayed because of issues with financing and securing legal access to property. The project is being funded through a $10 million bond approved by the City Council several years ago and used to correct drainage problems as well as repave Arch Road. The city attempted to sell more of that bond to finance the North Elm Street improvements, but the bond companies balked because that intersection was not specifically include in the scope of work to be completed with the bond money. Baltazar, which had crews working at night to minimize impact on day time commuters, completed that phase of work this week and is currently working to pave areas that were excavated to install the drainage system and, in some areas, relocate existing infrastructure. Crews are also repairing and paving sidewalks that were cut as part of the infrastructure improvements. Cressotti said that work on Franklin Street is also completed for this year and will begin again in 2016. “We’ve spent about $300,000 so far on curbing and sidewalk improvements and I anticipate that the final cost when work is completed next year will be around $750,000,” Cressotti said. There will be additional sidewalk improvements along the north side of Franklin Street at the Washington Street intersection. Franklin Street will then be paved between Summer Street and the intersection of Charles Street next season. “We’ve had fits and starts on the sidewalk installation because the money is tight, its Chapter 90 funding,” Cressotti said recently. “Next season we’ll mill the pavement down to expose the existing curbs and then pave the roadway.” Cressotti said the work in the Gas Light District may continue into early December, depending on the weather. The contractor, Gagliarducci Construction Inc. of Springfield, will continue work to replace sidewalks along Central Street, Cressotti said, but that the contractor will only patch the sidewalks along School Street. “There is a lot of conduit work to be done under the School Street sidewalks during the spring construction season next year,” Cressotti said. “My under See Road Work, Page 8
WOW check presentation Representative John Velis, Prabodh Reshamwala, Paul Condarcuri Jr., Bob Plasse, Barbara Trant, Tania Vancini, Senator Donald Humason. (Photo by Lynn F. Boscher)