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WEATHER TONIGHT Clear Skies. Low of 54.
The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 85 NO. 223
“Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about
the earth seeking the successive autumns.” — GEORGE ELIOT
75 cents
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2016
Update on Southwick water restriction
The traffic commission in front of the larger than normal crowd.
Traffic commission attempts to answer Paper Mill Road concerns By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD–The residents on and around Paper Mill Road have had enough. The truck traffic, they say, has to go. The Westfield Traffic Commission met last night and drew a large crowd, which featured almost two dozen residents from the Paper Mill Road area who have become frustrated with the large trucks that use the road for regular travel. They claimed that the traffic creates excessive noise and other issues, and also claim that safety is becoming a concern, as well. The traffic commission has been investigating the issue since it was first brought to their attention by Ward 6 City Councilor Bill Onyski, who was also in attendance. “They start very early, at 4:30 in the morning and they don’t honor the 20 MPH speed limit,” Jean Moulton of Paper Mill Road said at the meeting. Moulton also said that the Paper Mill School where the trucks drive by, no longer has a fence up, which means that children are potentially in danger. “I see it almost once a week, they blow the stop sign,” Sean O’Neill of Joseph Avenue said. Joseph Avenue intersects with Paper Mill Road. “My house is shaking at 4:30 in the morning, the ground in my carport is cracked.” Similar complaints and concerns came from residents at the meeting, indicating that houses are being shaken from large trucks driving by, that the noise of the vehicles is too loud to talk over and that it starts early and can go as late as 9 p.m.
JOHN CAMEROTA One resident even gave a recounting of a truck driving by at 11 p.m. one Saturday night. The origin of the truck traffic, according to the commission and residents, is based on the sand and gravel pit at the end of Paper Mill Road. The commission indicated that as of
right now, there is nothing that can be done regarding ordinances or laws to prevent the trucks from traveling on the road, which was the original suggestion. If there was enough truck traffic, the commission could put forth a suggestion for an ordinance excluding large trucks from traveling on Paper Mill Road, but a study done from June 28 to July 5 showed that the traffic volume was not high enough to meet the state’s standard for an exclusion. Several residents in attendance though, thought that the statistics from that study were misleading. They felt that due to it being over a holiday weekend, truck traffic would be lower and it would not give an accurate number of trucks that drove down Paper Mill Road. The commission decided that it would run another study, with a start date to be determined. Although there would be no truck exclusion, the commission did attempt to offer some relief for residents. Westfield Police Chief and traffic commission chairman John Camerota said that the police department will look to increased law enforcement in the area. This should help with the complaints of stop signs being run and speeding, Camerota said. Additionally, commissioner Brian Boldini said that this enforcement could possibly lower the amount of traffic, since it would dissuade drivers to use the road. “We’ll do our best to try to help you with this problem,” Camerota said. “We will research every avenue.”
Baystate Noble receives award By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD–Baystate Noble Hospital has received an award from the American Heart Association for excellence in stroke care. The hospital received the “silver plus achievement” in the “Get With the Guidelines” program, which is given to hospitals who
have met goals within the program for treating possible stroke victims for 12 consecutive months. The achievement is one of three that hospitals can receive, with the others being bronze for 90 consecutive days and gold for 24 consecutive months. “What this is in sort of broad terms, there are American Heart Association guidelines of how
stroke patients should be treated,” Dr. Thomas Higgins, chief medical officer of Baystate Noble, said. “This demonstrates to the community that we can keep care local and people can get as good care as they can at a big medical center.” According to the Heart Association website, “Get With See Baystate Noble, Page 3
DR. THOMAS HIGGINS
By GREG FITZPATRICK Correspondent SOUTHWICK – Since July 1, a water use restriction has been in effect for the Town of Southwick. The water restriction focuses on non-essential outdoor water use, including irrigating lawns, residential car washing, washing the outsides of buildings, driveways, parking lots, and so on. In a previous article from the Westfield News, speaking with Southwick DPW Director Randy Brown about the water restriction on August 8, the article states, “According to Brown, before the water restriction was in effect, the town of Southwick was pumping anywhere from 1.8 to 2 million gallons per day. As the restriction is still ongoing, Brown said that as of last week, the latest average is at 1 to 1.4 million gallons per day. “Our water usage has leveled out since we’ve put the water use restriction in effect,” said Brown. “People have adapted their water usage appropriately for the most part.” The Town of Southwick, along with Brown, has had to deal with citizens that aren’t complying with the mandatory water ban. The town was able to come up with a set of violations for anyone that doesn’t follow the restrictions of residents only being able to use their outdoor water once a week and only before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m. The first-time offender of the restriction usage will receive a written warning mailed to their home from the DPW. A $50 fine for each subsequent violation would then result for a secondtime offender. As of September 21, Brown noted that the See Drought, Page 3
CDBG funding for hilltowns in jeopardy for FY17 By AMY PORTER Correspondent HUNTINGTON – A public hearing on the infrastructure work completed through the FY15 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding was held at the start of the Huntington Selectmen’s meeting on Wednesday. The CDBG grant is a program of Housing and Economic Development (DHCD). Erica Johnson, senior planner for the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) who wrote the Southern Hilltowns grant, reviewed the roadway improvements completed to date on Maple Street and those underway on Pleasant Street through the grant. Johnson reported that deteriorated roadway on Maple Street was reconstructed with two new catch basins installed. The sidewalks on the east and west sides of the street were replaced with concrete walks. Phase I of the Pleasant Street project is underway, with replacement of water, sewer and drainage lines. Work on Phase II of the project, which has been funded for FY16 (Oct. 1, 2016 to Sept. 30, 2017) will include the final surface, paving and sidewalks on Pleasant See CDBG Funding, Page 3
‘Sassy Stitchers’ Reach Goal of 100 Pink Scarves By LORI SZEPELAK Correspondent WESTFIELD-100 pink scarves. That was the goal set by Agnes Fleming, activities aide at the Westfield Senior Center, for the Sassy Stitchers Knit and Crochet Group to donate to the Rays of Hope Walk & Run next month. The group meets Wednesdays from 9 to 10:30 a.m. “I don’t knit or crochet but the men and women who are a part of this group came through and I have been dropping off boxes of scarves for the past few weeks to Baystate,” said Fleming, noting that a tent is set up on
the day of the run/walk for breast cancer survivors to pick out a pink scarf since several organizations across Greater Springfield also make donations. Fleming is passionate about the annual Rays of Hope fundraiser because she serves on its advocacy council which links the Rays of Hope community with Rays of Hope investigators to accelerate and focus research ideas. Fleming is also a breast cancer survivor and has been cancer free for 24 years. “Last year was our first year of making scarves and we made close to 70,” said Fleming. “Every member of the group was
eager to improve on that record for 2016 so they started last November working on scarves for this fall’s event.” What sets each scarf apart from others donated by area organizations is a small label that reads: “A gift from Westfield Senior Center Sassy Stitchers.” A small red heart is also part of the labeling. On Wednesday morning, a large table was covered with yarn and knitting needles – and coffee cups – as men and women were finishing up their pink scarves and also working on Community Cuddles donations which include blankets, slippers, booties and caps for area
organizations serving seriously ill, traumatized, or at-risk children from birth to 18 years of age. Fleming noted that individuals attending the Sassy Stitchers gathering may choose to work on individual projects, Community Cuddles donations, or Comfort Covers donations which include lap blankets and shawls that are given to hospice and home care patients being served through Baystate Noble Visiting Nurse & Hospice Services. Donations of new yarn, fleece, and quilting See Sassy Stichers, Page 3