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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 86 NO. 9
THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2017
By AMY PORTER Correspondent HUNTINGTON – Members of the Jacob’s Ladder Business Association (JLBA) met Tuesday evening at the Rapids Bar and Grill for their annual meeting. A new slate of officers was elected. They are: Michele Kenney, president, Christina Beeke, vice president, Linda Greenia, secretary, and Stu Besnoff, treasurer. Other positions filled include Elizabeth Massa, marketing director, Bryan Farr, website liaison, Linda Hamlin, clerk, Christina Beeke, membership and meeting and events coordinator, and Wendy Long, scholarship coordinator. Michele Kenney, who continues her term as president, greeted the twenty or so members present with a recap of activities over the past year. See JLBA, Page 3
Planning Board continues public hearing for marijuana moratorium request By GREG FITZPATRICK Correspondent SOUTHWICK – The Planning Board held a public hearing on Tuesday night, regarding a zoning bylaw amendment. The public hearing involved the planning board proposing a moratorium for any applications or approvals of medical marijuana, recreational marijuana, and marijuana production facilities. The moratorium would last up to 18 months at the most, as it would give the Planning Board and the town of Southwick the chance to review the state’s legislation while conducting their own zoning and bylaw for the town. It is unclear as to when the state will finishing their legislation on marijuana, since the voters in Massachusetts voted in favor of recreational marijuana in November 2016. See Moratorium, Page 3
— DANIEL PATRICK MOYNIHAN
75 cents
Gateway School Committee gets first look at FY18 budget
Jacob’s Ladder Business Association holds annual meeting
Michele Kenney, president, and Bryan Farr, website liaison of the Jacob’s Ladder Business Association it is annual meeting on Tuesday.
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.”
A group of nurses from Baystate Noble Hospital cheer on one of the speakers at a demonstration on Westfield Park Square. (Photo by Lynn Boscher)
Noble Hospital nurses picket for contract negotiations with Baystate Health By GREG FITZPATRICK Correspondent WESTFIELD – The Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) provided an informational picket for the Baystate Noble Hospital nurses on Wednesday afternoon. The picket happened on the sidewalks near the Court St. entrance of the hospital. The contract for the Noble Hospital nurses expired on March 31, 2016 and negotiations between the nurses and Baystate Health have been ongoing ever since. Patient care is an important aspect that the MNA and the nurses feel should be negotiated in their contract. “Our number one priority is patient care and patient limits,” said Paul Dubin, who is a nurse in the rehab unit at Noble and the cochairman for the MNA. The Noble Hospital nurses picketing outside the hospital feel that patient care has been lacking due to low staffing. According to the press release from the MNA on January 9, 94 % of nurses at Noble were surveyed before negotiations began and said that their unit was shortstaffed some or most of the time. Rubin says that some nurses at Noble have gone without breaks and lunch breaks because they are understaffed and also causes nurses to have to do several tasks besides caring for the patient. “When you take the nurse away from the bedside, you take away that care,” said Dubin. Dennise Colson, one of the nurses picketing, feels that a contract needs to be put in place. “The goal is to get a contract in the end,” said Colson. “The nurse’s goal is to make sure it’s fair and for the patients.” The importance of staffing was certainly highlighted at the picket as the nurses and the MNA frequently chanted, “hey, hey, oh, oh, unsafe staffing has to go,” and “be fair to those who care.” Baystate Health was also able to comment on the needs from the
RONALD BRYANT President and CEO Noble Hospital nurses regarding staffing. “We really strongly disagree that there is any resemblance of unsafe staffing at Noble Hospital,” said Baystate Health President. According to Bryant, and reported by the National Quality Forum, the staffing at Baystate is well above the average. “We’re very, very confident that our staffing levels are safe and really in most instances, above the averages not only in the state, but in the nation,” said Bryant. Noble Hospital nurses went on to say that they would like to see staffing grids added into the contract. Bryant says that if any nurse is unsatisfied with the staffing, they have the resources to address the problem. “There’s a process they can go through with management,” said Bryant. “We can certainly address these issues.” Another key element to contract negotiations that the Noble nurses were discussing at the picket was the health insurance plan that they are currently receiving and the See Nurses, Page 8
By AMY PORTER Correspondent HUNTINGTON – At Wednesday’s School Committee meeting, Superintendent David B. Hopson presented a first look at the Gateway Regional FY18 budget. He said the only new position included in the budget was for a required half-time nurse in the Middle School and High School. Not included was a needed life skills teacher, curriculum director or technology director. He said the budget also contained no funds for the OPEB (Other Post Employee Benefits) account. See Gateway Budget, Page 7
State announces that Westfield’s drought conditions have improved By GREG FITZPATRICK Correspondent WESTFIELD – The Massachusetts Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs announced the current drought conditions for all parts of the state in a press release on January 6. It was reported that the region that includes Westfield, has improved its drought conditions. “We’re still in a drought warning,” said Westfield DPW Director Dave Billips. “But things have improved.” According to Billips, the water level of the Granville reservoir has gone up a couple of feet. The Granville Reservoir is a main water source for the city of Westfield. However, at least 10 more feet needs to be added to the reservoir in order for it to be filled. See Drought, Page 3
US National Guard’s 104th holds annual awards ceremony By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD—The US National Guard’s 104th Fighter Wing honored its top members this past Saturday, during its 43rd annual awards ceremony. The ceremony, which was held on Jan. 7 at the Sheraton Hotel at 1 Monarch Pl., Springfield, recognized 12 of the Fighter Wing’s approximately 1,400 members. Over 400 members and their families were at the ceremony to celebrate their peers’ achievements. Awards were given to members of the wing following competition with peers in flights, squadrons and groups. The winners will compete for state recognition, as well as at the national level against other winners. According to a press release from the Guard, See 104th, Page 3
Huntington Selectmen ask Fire Chief for quotes to wire all town buildings By AMY PORTER Correspondent HUNTINGTON – The Selectmen asked Fire Chief Gary Dahill on Wednesday to get quotes for a new fire alarm system in all of the town’s buildings after the recent close call in Stanton Hall. Dahill said the fire alarm was working in Stanton Hall, but was never hooked up to any call out system. He said he does test the system every year. On the day of the fire on Christmas eve, Dahill was out Christmas shopping, when a
town resident called him reporting that he saw smoke in the building. Dahill called assistant chief Charles Dazelle who was home in Huntington at the time. When Dazelle got to the building, it was full of smoke, resulting in $20,000 in damage. Stanton Hall is expected to reopen January 20. Dahill said if the fire had occurred at 2 a.m. instead of mid-day, it would have been worse. At the time, all of the records from Town Hall were being stored in Stanton Hall while new furniture was coming in. “It was a wake-up call,” Dahill said.
“We could have lost that building. We could have lost this building,” said Selectman Ed Renauld, referring to Town Hall, which is connected by a walkway to Stanton Hall. “I would like to set up fire alarms in all these buildings that transmit to somewhere, or are monitored,” he added. He asked Dahill to get three quotes for Stanton Hall, Town Hall, the Water/ Sewer building, the Highway Garage, two fire stations, Huntington Public Library, North Hall and the Hilltown Community Ambulance station, which is owned by the town. Renauld asked for prices by March 4. He
said the amount would go to the Annual Town Meeting in May, and the funds would be available by July 1. “I think it will be an easy sell at the town meeting,” Dahill said. Dahill said last year his department responded to 325 calls, the majority of them medical calls. Police Chief Robert Garriepy, also at the Selectmen meeting, said the police department was among the offices that were moved and received new furniture in the upgrade of Town See Fire Chief, Page 7