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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 85 NO. 93
TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2016
“The crisis you
have to worry about most is the one you don’t see coming.” — MIKE MANSFIELD
75 cents
Chamber holds workshop on impacts of prescription drug use in the workplace
CHESTER
Hilltown business group visits Keystone Arch Bridges Trail By AMY PORTER Correspondent CHESTER – The Jacob’s Ladder Business Association sponsored a breakfast at the Chester Railway Station and a guided hike on the Keystone Arch Bridges (K.A.B.) Trail on Saturday. David Pierce, president of the Friends of the Keystone Arches and the Chester Foundation spoke about the history of the bridges and the rail line on the five mile trek. The Keystone Arch Bridges were built in the late 1830’s and completed in 1841 under the direction of West Point engineer Major George Washington Whistler, who was artist James McNeil Whistler’s father. The ten dry laid granite bridges, ranging to 70 feet in height, allowed the Western Railroad (later the Boston & Albany) to cross the meandering western branch of the Westfield River on its way to Albany, making it the longest and highest railroad in the world. Whistler was also the first engineer to cut through a mountain pass for a railroad line, using picks, shovels and black powder. Part of the trail leads through a passage where manual cuts and drill marks are still seen in the stone. He completed the project in 2 ½ years, including the arches, which were built simultaneously by different crews mainly composed of newly-arrived Irish immigrants. The name Keystone refers to the building of the bridges based on Roman arches. The keystone is the center stone of the arch, against which the ring stones forming the rest of the arch are balanced. The strength of the design, which is considered one of three major advances in the science of spanning large spaces, according to Pierce, is evident by the durability of the bridges. Two of the bridges are still in use by the railroad, now owned by CSX Transportation, carrying trains 30 times heavier than they were designed for. In 1830, a steam locomotive weighed about 12,000 lbs. The average locomotive of today weighs 350,000 lbs, Pierce said.
Three of the other original bridges that were bypassed by the railroad line relocation in 1912 have stood for 104 years with no maintenance whatsoever, and one is halfway standing, revealing the interior architecture. Pierce launched a drive in February to make the Keystone Arch bridges a Public Architecture Landmark (PAL). His goal is preservation of the abandoned Keystone Arches. A $1 million grant that had been pledged by Mass Highway for restoration of the 65 ft. and 70 ft. abandoned arches was withdrawn in 2005 mainly due to the inability to negotiate access to CSX land after year-long negotiations. Meanwhile, volunteers are doing what they can to help with the restoration. Most of the abandoned bridges are missing the one-ton free-standing granite capstones that edged the top of the bridges, and were pushed into the river below by vandals, according to Pierce. Pierce said volunteer divers have located many of the stones, and an effort is underway to haul them to the top of the two bridges. Replacement stones of Chester Blue granite that were cut with grant funding are also stockpiled at the Chester Granite Co., awaiting delivery to the site. The K.A.B. trail itself was built entirely on state Division of Fisheries & Wildlife (DFW) land by volunteers from AmeriCorps and the Gateway Regional School District, among a number of other area organizations. Students from Gateway’s welding program also made informational kiosks along the trail that point out the standing bridges. It was completed in 2004 with the addition of a 65 ft. footbridge that crosses a small gorge. The trail also follows the path of the magnificent west branch of the Westfield River, the first river in Massachusetts to receive a Wild and Scenic designation. Some of the best views of the arches require side trips off the main trail down to the river, and a guided See K.A.B., Page 3
Members of the Jacob’s Ladder Business Assoc. have breakfast at the Chester Railway Museum before the hike to the Keystone Arch Bridges on Saturday. (Photo by Amy Porter)
By AMY PORTER Correspondent WESTFIELD – The Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce held the first of three workshops exploring the impact of prescription drug use in the workplace on Monday morning at the Holiday Inn Express. Karina L. Schrengohst, Esq. of the Royal, P.C. law firm in Northampton spoke about some of the difficulties in hiring and managing employees that take painkillers and medical marijuana for underlying medical conditions, and their protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Schrengohst recommended creating, implementing, and enforcing drug-free workplace policies, and using drug testing in the workplace. She said prescription drug use is the nation’s fastest growing drug problem, and the epidemic of drug use and abuse impacts the workplace. Some of the possible impacts include absenteeism, tardiness, a decline in productivity and an increase in workplace accidents and injuries. However, she said, there are not a lot of statistics to base this on. “There is a place for pain relieving medication for some people,” Schreingohst said. She said when hiring a new employee, if the prospective candidate says they are taking a medication due to cancer, glaucoma, migraine headaches, etc., then the employer is on notice that you have someone with a disability, and you have an ADA issue. She said once you hire, there is a higher risk of a discrimination claim. She added that some employees will volunteer the information, but you don’t want to ask about it. She said creating and maintaining a drug-free workplace policy is important. Just as important is training managers and the people who are responsible for enforcing the policy to make sure they understand it, and the need for confidentiality. Schreingohst also recommended drug tresting. She said there is no drug testing statute in Massachusetts, but there is privacy law that protects against unreasonable, substantial or serious interference with privacy. See Workplace, Page 3
(Left) Karina L. Schrengohst, Esq. who spoke on the impact of prescription drug use in the workplace at a Chamber of Commerce workshop on Monday, and Kate Phelon, executive director of the Chamber. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Some worry state’s ‘rainy day’ fund not hefty enough By BOB SALSBERG Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — Saving your pennies for a rainy day isn't just good advice for children, it's sound financial policy for U.S. states that must balance their budgets in good times and bad, fiscal experts agree. Massachusetts isn't saving enough, some argue, even if its stabilization fund — far better known as the rainy day fund — remains among the nation's 10 largest with a current balance of about $1.25 billion. But viewed as a percentage of the state's operating expenses the picture is far less rosy, raising concerns that the state won't be fully prepared for the next economic downturn. "We drew down reserves quite a bit during the (Great Recession) which is totally understandable," said Doug Howgate, director of policy and research for the nonpartisan Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation. "The cycle we have to get into is to rebuild during good times, otherwise when the next recession comes, we simply won't have the resources." See Rainy Day Fund, Page 3