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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
VOL. 83 NO. 262
www.thewestfieldnews.com
Carson McCullers
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014
75 cents
Speaker talks up more western Mass. jobs
Committee opposes country club bond By Dan Moriarty Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The City Council’s Finance Committee referred a bond order in the amount of $758,000 to the Legislative & Ordinance Committee with a recommendation to reject the bond. Finance Chairman Christopher Keefe said Thursday night that the committee voted 2-1 to five a negative recommendation for the bond which will be used to buy development rights on 120 acres of the East Mountain Country Club. Keefe and At-large Councilor David A. Flaherty voted against the bond request, while Ward 6 Councilor Christopher Crean, in whose ward the gold course is located, voted in support of the bond request that would benefit one of the largest business concerns in his CHRISTOPHER KEEFE ward. The Community Preservation Commission considered the request of the Perez family to purchase the development right by placing a conservation restriction on the golf course area of the country club, but not on the banquet facility and the other golf-related buildings and structures. The CPC considered that request for more than a year, negotiating a three-year deal to place the conservation restriction on the property which is directly CHRISTOPHER above the Barnes Aquifer M. CREAN and in close proximity to two city wells providing drinking water to residents throughout the city. The CPC based its decision on its desire to protect the quality of the water in the Barnes Aquifer. The CPC approved the $758,000 which includes three payments of $250,000, as well as $8,000 to provide a survey of the land specifically under the development restrictions and for legal documents which would have to be filed if the City Council votes to approve the bond. The CPC pledged to contribute CPA funding over the next three years to retire the proposed bond. Keefe said Friday that he does not have an issue with allowing the land to be developed as a subdivision. “I don’t have an issue with it being developed because there is other subdivision in that area over the aquifer,” Keefe said. “I think that 38 houses on 120 acres of land would have a minimal impact, if any. “If this is truly about protecting the aquifer, then the money should be coming from the Water Resource Department,” Keefe said. “I don’t think this is an appropriate use of Community Preservation Act funds.” Flaherty said Thursday night that he also does not opposed development of a subdivision on that property. “I’m concerned about what we are giving up,” Flaherty said. “If that land was developed as a subdivision or as a senior house project it would generate $430,000 a year in new tax revenue.” DAVID FLAHERTY
“I think we look for the differences in people because it makes us less lonely.”
Joe and Kristy Deedy, owners of the Moo-Licious Ice Cream and Farm, will be staging a free Thanksgiving Day dinner at 1 p.m. at their 258 Feeding Hills Road location in Southwick. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
Thanksgiving For All taking place again By Hope E. Tremblay Staff Writer SOUTHWICK – This Thanksgiving, for the third year in a row, the Deedy and Magni families will provide Thanksgiving For All. While most people are surrounded by family and friends eating a turkey dinner that day, there are others who have little to no food, and often few people to share it with. To make the holiday brighter for those in need of a meal and some company, Joe and Kristi Deedy, owners of Moolicious Farm and Ice-Cream on Feeding Hills
Road, will open their doors at 1 p.m. to give a free Thanksgiving meal to anyone who needs one. “This is for anybody,” said Joe. “It’s for anyone who needs a meal or a place to go or just can no longer cook.” Kelly Magni will cook the turkeys, most of which are being donated by local families, for the meal. Tucker’s Restaurant provides the squash – which Kristi said is out of this world – and Roma Restaurant donates bread See For All, Page 8
Community ready to fill Thanksgiving need By Peter Francis Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The Service Center of The Westfield Salvation Army has already booked over 200 qualifying families in need of a Thanksgiving turkey and fixings, to be donated by community members. Since the Salvation Army has reached service capacity, where can underprivileged residents go to get some help feeding their families for the holiday? Currently there are several local food pantries which rely on the generosity of their neighbors every year. In Southwick, Our Community Food Pantry helps families from
Southwick, Tolland and Granville in need and works closely with the Westfield Food Pantry. “We’re basically in the process now of getting signups for our clients,” said Sally Munson, director of Our Community Food Pantry. “As of today, we have 125 clients signed up for turkeys and average about 120 families that come in and shop with us a month.” Munson said that the number of families in need is increasing year to year. “We used to see 92, 93 families a month, but now it’s increasing,” she
By Peter Francis Staff Writer HOLYOKE – Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Robert DeLeo made the trek westward again Friday and sat alongside U.S. Rep. Richard Neal as a keynote speaker for the 2014 Checkpoint Legislative Symposium, put on by the the Greater Chicopee, Holyoke, Westfield, and South Hadley/ Granby chambers of commerce at the Log Cabin Banquet Hall in Holyoke. DeLeo, a Democrat from the Suffolk County town of Winthrop, was praised by Westfield Mayor Daniel M. Knapik for the amount of attention he has paid to western Mass. since becoming speaker in 2009. DeLeo Spoke about creating jobs in western Massachusetts by expanding the state’s technology and manufacturing sectors. Following his speech, DeLeo addressed reporters on his outlook for the Commonwealth during the upcoming legislative session. “As I travel across the Commonwealth, I see a tale of two Commonwealths,” said DeLeo. “Quite frankly, I think we can do a better job in terms of bringing more employment and jobs out here.” DeLeo also touted work the legislature put in earlier this year in developing an economic redevelopment bill. “I felt it was important that we make a major investment… in terms of how we can provide more job opportunities for people in the western part of the state,” he said. “I’m tired of being out here and not being able to talk about what’s going on in terms of unemployment. It’s going to be my priority as we go into the next legislative session.” “There’s a lot that this part of the state can offer,” said DeLeo. “If you build it, they will come.” The Speaker also referenced Governor-elect Charlie Baker’s pledge to release $100 million for road and bridge repairs for cities and towns statewide and his intentions to meet with the Swampscott Republican soon. “I think that is important, especially for western Mass. and throughout the state,” said DeLeo. “I’m hopeful the Governor-elect and myself will be getting together soon. I intend to let him know what I intend to bring up.” DeLeo also said he felt that he and the western Mass. House delegation will make a “very good” case to Baker to continue the progress being made outside 495. Regarding the level of advocacy that medical centers such as Noble Hospital in Westfield can expect from his office during this upcoming session, DeLeo said that he is aware of what these facilities mean to their communities. “I look at these facilities in terms of their importance in ensuring people out here have good healthcare. Obviously being out here is different in terms of what
See Community, Page 8
See Speaker, Page 8
Neal addresses chamber legislative symposium By Peter Francis Staff Writer HOLYOKE – Massachusetts U.S. Rep. Richard Neal was in Holyoke Friday afternoon at the Log Cabin Banquet Hall for the Checkpoint Legislative Symposium, put on by the Greater Chicopee, Holyoke, Westfield, and South Hadley/ Granby chambers of commerce. The Congressman appeared and spoke alongside Robert DeLeo, speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and prior to a panel of western Massachusetts legislators. Neal, a Springfield democrat and the dean of both the Massachusetts and New England congressional delegations, spoke for over 20 minutes on jobs and the economy. “It’s always a great opportu-
Rep. Richard Neal nity to highlight the great assets that the western Massachusetts region has economically,” said Neal of the symposium. “It’s also a moment to implore the Speaker to take advantage of those opportunities and highlight in the state legislature what
goes on out here.” “We have, in terms of our economic base, finances, agriculture, education, energy and healthcare, amongst the best in the world,” he said. “and when we reach our potential, our potential expands.” Neal also spoke of how he plans to advocate for Gateway Communities in his 1st District when it comes to two of his signature concerns – healthcare and the Barnes and Westover Air National Guard Bases in Westfield and Chicopee. “The bases really stand on their own merit. Time and again, they’ve proved their importance to America’s defense needs,” he said. “With Gulfstream growing at (Barnes), we need to reauthorize the export/import bank – that’s a big Gulfstream issue.” “If that is reauthorized, as I
expect it will be, that’s going to mean more growth for Westfield,” said Neal. “(Barnes and Westover) are both important components, not only for national defense but of economics in the western part of the state.” Regarding healthcare and continuing to improve local hospitals like Noble, Neal vowed to continue being a champion for these facilities. “The latest medicaid waiver that we sought will be successfully implemented. That’s a bonanza for our hospitals,” he said. “At the same time, I’m well aware of all the considerations and conversations that take place about these hospitals. I’ve been a big believer in growing what is already the largest employee base in the state – our hospitals.”