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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
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Gov. Baker makes first visit to Holyoke Soldiers’ Home
Voters to have opportunity to change name of the Southwick Board of Selectmen By HOPE E. TREMBLAY Staff Writer SOUTHWICK – Ruth Preston is seeking a name change from the Southwick Board of Selectmen to the Southwick Select Board. Preston, a Southwick resident and Planning Board administrative assistant, made the same request last year, which was voted down at Town Meeting. This year, Preston wants to take the question to the town election. “I met with Michelle (Hill, town clerk) and she said for the election I would need 10 signatures,” Preston said. Preston turned in more than 30 signatures to the Board last week. “I want it on the ballot this time, not Town Meeting,” she said. Preston said it’s something she feels would be a giant step toward recognizing the leadership of women in town. “I noticed that other communities in the state have a select board, and we have had women on our board,” said Preston. “The term selectmen is inappropriate in this day and age – women are leaders.” While researching the procedure required to make the change last year, Preston spoke with officials in Granby, which has a select board, but previously had a board of selectmen. “They said when a woman came on the board, they just changed the name,” said Preston. “It seems it is as easy as that, but I know there will be some financial considerations
RUTH PRESTON for things like changing letterhead.” Preston did her homework and found that 17 towns in Massachusetts have a select board and just one or two others have a board of selectmen. Many communities have a city council. Preston provided the Board with a list of other towns with select boards. “I have spoken to women in town and they thought it was a great idea,” she said. Preston has been an employee with the town of Southwick for eight years and was previously the director of the Claremont Chamber of Commerce.
Heroin education programs planned for middle and high school students By LORI SZEPELAK Correspondent WESTFIELD – Youth Pastor Jeff Jones of the Westfield Evangelical Free Church will be offering a “safe environment” Wednesday night for middle and high school students to share their concerns about the recent heroin and opioid deaths in the area. Jones noted that in times of crisis, the reality is that many “teens are going to each other first for help.” “As much as adults want to believe its parents, teachers, counselors and coaches that are sought out for advice and
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direction, friends tend to be the first line of defense in times of crisis,” he said. The church’s Elevate Student Ministries will host a free program titled “Not Alone: Beginning the Dialogue About Helping Friends in Crisis” from 6-8 p.m. for middle school students and from 7-9 p.m. for high school students. “Not Alone seeks to equip and empower students to be the friends they want to be for each other,” said Jones. “Two separate sessions will be presented to address students at their developmental stage.” Jones noted that the recent press con-
ference by local city officials was an important step in recognizing the drug epidemic. “I give a lot of credit to our city officials for acknowledging the community is in crisis,” said Jones. “As a community, there is a lot of hurt and pain right now. I am hopeful about this honest dialogue and about bringing community resources together.” Kristine Hupfer, MSW, LICSW, CADC-II, a substance abuse counselor at Westfield Technical Academy, will be See Education, Page 3
City man accused of illegally killing a moose WESTFIELD (WWLP) – Environmental Police were in Westfield on Monday to serve a warrant to a resident for illegally hunting in northern Vermont. Massachusetts Department of Energy and Environmental Affairs spokeswoman Katie Gronendyke said that environmental police were executing a warrant at a home on Fairview Avenue at 10 o’clock Monday morning after a three week investigation with Vermont Game Wardens. The officers recovered a rifle suspected to have been used to illegally kill a moose, snares used to illegally trap rabbits, and rabbit pelts. The Westfield man will be charged with illegal possession and transportation of a moose under Mass. state law and will face several charges in Vermont.
By DENNIS HOHENBERGER Correspondent HOLYOKE – Gov. Charlie Baker toured the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home on Monday, his first visit to the facility since he took office in January 2015. State Sen. Donald Humason and State Rep. John Velis joined Baker and members of the western Mass. State House delegation. Baker proposed a modest, $1 million increase in the Fiscal Year 2017 state budget for the Holyoke and Chelsea soldiers’ homes. The governor was scheduled to meet with the home’s board of directors, and state and local officials. In the past few months, the Soldiers’ Home underwent an upheaval in top leadership with the resignations of Superintendent Paul Barabani, Deputy Superintendent John Paradis and Board Chairman Steven Como. The state appointed former Chelsea Soldiers’ Home Superintendent Cheryl L. Poppe as the home’s acting superintendent. An announcement is forthcoming on a new chief financial officer, a position gone unfilled for years. The visit stemmed from a recent State House meeting between Baker and the western Mass. delegation. Velis told Baker that residents asked if and when he would visit the home. The delegation, led by State Rep. Aaron Vega of Holyoke and Humason, greeted Baker just before noon on Monday. Representatives from local veterans groups were present along with Chicopee Mayor Richard Kos. Baker said the Soldiers’ Home has served area veterans for generations, including current residents who participated in the D-Day landings of WWII. “We look forward to working with the trustees and the management team to continue to make sure it fulfills its mission,” he said. Baker said he came across a number of residents who served in the Navy and Air Force. “There’re folks here from 68-98, which is just amazing,” said Baker. He said the home’s mission is to provide a “wonderful quality of life and quality of care” to western Mass. veterans. Baker addressed if the funding increase would address nurse staffing issues in Holyoke. Baker said a recent survey indicated that quality of care, staff nursing and other activities “performed extremely well.” While the Chelsea facility may receive between $4-5 million more in state funding, Baker said the facilities differ in services provided to resident and non-resident patients. “Chelsea serves more people but at the same time doesn’t have a skilled nursing facility,” he said. “The staffing levels are different at Chelsea. This place (Holyoke) has a reimbursable operation and Chelsea isn’t reimbursable.” Baker said the Chelsea Soldiers Home operates a costly power plant. Holyoke taps into a steady feed of cheap, renewable energy supplied by the Holyoke Gas and Electric. Baker called for a closer examination of caring strategies for Massachusetts veterans, and to conduct a market analysis. “It’s not just a big issue with the vets community – the aging of the population is going to be an issue we’re going to face in many, many different ways,” he said. While pleased with the Baker’s visit, Velis said, “The point that needs to be reiterated is that we need you (Baker) to be out here. If anybody deserves that, it’s the veterans from western Mass. and beyond.” Velis said the home should be treated as a “sacred” place, See Soldiers’ Home, Page 3
Gov. Charlie Baker greets Holyoke Soldiers’ Home’s resident and WWII Navy Veteran Dick Vaillancourt. (Photo by Dennis Hohenberger)