Search for The Westfield News
WEATHER TONIGHT
The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
Showers. Low of 35.
www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 86 NO. 1
“If people never did silly things, nothing intelligent would ever get done.” — LUDWIG WITTGENSTEIN
75 cents
TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2017
Local group informing community about refugees By GREG FITZPATRICK Correspondent SOUTHWICK – With over 60 million refugees worldwide, several of them look to start a new life in America. Locally, a group of churches are working together to help and welcome refugees that are trying to settle in the area. W.A.R.M. (Welcoming Assistance Refugee Ministry), consists of people from a number of churches in the communities of Southwick, Westfield, Agawam, and Chicopee. Shirley Anderson, who is one of the lead organizers of W.A.R.M., says that the group has partnered with Ascentria Care Alliance, who has an office in Westfield. Ascentria creates new partnerships in order to open the door to more opportunities to those in need, like refugees. See Refugees, Page 3
Westfield school district parents invited to workshop on effective conflict communication
By AMY PORTER Correspondent WESTFIELD – This month’s SEPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Committee) meeting on effective communication, especially when dealing with conflict, is open to all parents in the Westfield school district. “Cool tips for hot topics” will take place this Thursday, Jan. 5 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the South Middle School cafeteria. Childcare and refreshments will be provided. Samantha Armer, a clinician from the Carson Center who works primarily with middle and high school students, will be the speaker. She will be tackling the tough subject of how to better manage conversations with conflict in them, with people – your child, partner, school officials – who don’t agree with you. How can you find common ground, and make yourself be heard? Armer will discuss using communication skills, such as how to keep a good calm head, take a breath, and stay in control. Founded in 1963, The Carson Center for Human Services is a private, nonprofit agency that provides behavioral health and rehabilitation services in communities throughout western Massachusetts. Carson Center clinical programs are licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and provide services for children, adolescents, adults, families, and couples. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to bring examples from their own lives, to explore what worked and what didn’t work. “People have more skills than See School, Page 3
WNG File Photo
Westfield’s year in review By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD—How can you sum up a year when so much has happened? Westfield has been such a hub for news and events over the past year that it would be difficult to try and summarize it in a sentence or thought. There has been good news, like the Babe Ruth World Series and the planning board’s relentless desire to protect their residents; and there has been bad news, like a water ban due to contamination and tragedy that has struck residents throughout the year. However, in order to provide you, the reader, with a news capsule to help understand the goings on going forward in the city for 2017, we have decided to provide you with a brief recap on some of the stories that graced our pages this year. Of course, this will be just some of the larger stories that occurred, so make sure to grab a copy of The Westfield News every day to find out even more of what happens in your backyard.
A picture of the Granville reservoir on Nov. 14. The shore is expanded and clearly visible, showing obvious drought conditions. (Photo by
Water woes in Westfield cause worry
Dan Desrochers)
In Westfield this year, the top headline would have to be water. There was no shortage of stories on H20—even though there was a shortage of water in 2016. Westfield saw a number of water issues last year, from contamination to shortage to distribution concerns. These events dominated headlines from summer onward, as new developments were occurring regularly. At one point, they literally had to call the US National Guard to help figure out just what happened. Still, through it all city officials have repeatedly said that there is nothing to worry about. That hasn’t helped residents though, as they showed up to meetings about water and voiced concerns about the supply and about what chemicals are actually in the water. The concerns began when it was found that Westfield water had high levels of polyfluorinated carbons (PVCs), which many came to know
as PFOA and PFOS compounds. These compounds, which were found in firefighting foams that have been used on U.S. military bases across the country, were at unacceptable levels following a report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that suggested that the level of these compounds should be drastically lower in public drinking water. This drew the Guard to come in and order testing of the groundwater around Barnes Regional Airport, where they stored and used the firefighting foam for many years prior to finding that it could be harmful to water supplies. Additionally, the city saw two of its eight wells get taken offline due to the EPA recommendation, and a $5 million bond is currently up for vote by city council to help build filtration systems See Westfield 2016, Page 8
Roots once again on planning board agenda following last meeting’s debate By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD — Confusion will more than likely be on the city’s planning board agenda tonight–and this has drawn the ire of at least one city councilor. The Westfield planning board’s chair Philip McEwan moved a vote on allowing Roots Athletic Complex at 181 Root Road to continue partial operations following the building inspector’s OK to tonight after debate arose within the planning board on Dec. 20. The debate was over language regarding voting on allowing the operation of Roots in the original permit, which would have allowed the complex to continue operations indoors while repairing issues to the outdoor portion of the soccer fields. It wouldn’t be all too uncommon for a hearing to be continued within planning board to a fol-
lowing meeting, but the confusion comes from the fact that a vote was taken at the Dec. 20 meeting. The vote came out with four in favor of allowing the inspection and possible operation of Roots, and two against. However, debate arose after the board was read the following from the permit: “The planning board may, by an affirmative vote of at least five members,” allow the use or partial use of the building. Debate came about how to interpret that language, whether that meant that five affirmative votes were needed or whether at least five board members needed to vote for the vote to actually count. After several minutes of discussing the matter, McEwan decided to table the vote and move it to tonight’s vote. This decision though, has upset at least one city councilor, and has made her question how the process occurs.
“I just have a basic problem with a board or commission taking a vote, looking at the vote, not liking the vote and putting it out to vote again in the next meeting, it doesn’t seem like democracy to me,” ward 4 councilor Mary O’Connell, said. “I feel that it’s an incorrect way to run an appointed board. I just feel as if we depend on the planning board to act with certain responsibilities and I wouldn’t say it’s unethical, but it’s irresponsible to the democratic process,” she said. O’Connell said that she was puzzled after the fallout of events and feels that the board should look at city council rules when trying to settle disputes like this in the future. For now though, the planning board operates See Agenda, Page 3