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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 85 NO. 239
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2016
See North Pond, Page 3
Conserve North Pond supporters John Whalley and Dennis Clark are continuing their efforts to gain more matching sponsors and donations. (Photo by Greg Fitzpatrick)
75 cents
Second presidential debate examined by WSU professor
North Pond supporters creating new fundraising efforts By GREG FITZPATRICK Correspondent SOUTHWICK – Conserve North Pond supporters are currently in the midst of their latest fundraising projects. On Oct. 5, supporters gathered at the North Pond headquarters on 491 College Hwy to stuff envelopes to the 600 and counting supporters of the CRC (Citizens Restoring Congamond). CRC supporters include people who live on Congamond Lake, use the lake, vacation there, or have lived there in the past. While the North Pond supporters have mailed out a number of letters to people outside of Massachusetts, the majority of the letters are going to people in Southwick, Suffield, West Suffield, Granby, and Agawam. The envelopes that were being stuffed, consisted of a letter from the North Pond supporters as well as Franklin Land Trust, reaching out to the CRC members and asking for their support and donations towards North Pond. “We know we already have their interest and support of the lakes,” said Mary Lynn Sabourin, the Development Director at Franklin Land Trust. Just a few weeks ago, Sabourin helped North Pond supporters mail out around 350 letters to lake abutters in Southwick as well as on the Connecticut line. Winding River Conservancy, a group in Westfield who has been helping the North Pond supporters, have also received letters being asked for support and donations. “It’s just a matter of reaching out to as many people as possible,” said Dave Gunn, a North Pond advocate. “We’re hoping they’ll contribute, make our job easier.” As a lot of the focus has been put towards sending out letters to CRC supporters and lake abutters, the private donations have been just as important to help get closer to the goal of raising a total of $5 million by the spring of 2017. According to Sabourin, updated on Oct. 3, there has been $13,353 in private donations. John Whalley, who has spearheaded the matching sponsor campaign, has made the update that the four matching sponsors remain in Whalley Computer, Gristville Motors, The Southwick Inn, and Ralph Depalma.
The Westfield News will run its masthead in pink, in recognition of October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Kate Phelon, executive director of the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce, has received an appointment by Gov. Charlie Baker.
Baker appoints Chamber Director For AMC By LORI SZEPELAK Correspondent WESTFIELD-Manufacturing plays a key role in the economy across the state, and Kate Phelon, executive director, Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce, has been appointed by Gov. Charlie Baker to represent those businesses across the region as part of the Massachusetts Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative (AMC). “I am very honored and excited about this appointment and appreciate the state’s leadership in recognizing the role a chamber of commerce representative can have in not only formulating agendas for particular industries, but the outreach we have with our membership,” said Phelon. The appointment also comes at a time when the state celebrates “Manufacturing Month” in October. Phelon recently received the appointment which is one of three appointed by the governor. Michael Knapik, serving as director in Baker’s Springfield office, said in a statement that this appointment is significant because the “Baker-Polito administration is looking to broaden the membership on many boards and commissions to increase diverse, minority, and women representation.” The AMC was launched in 2011 with a “mission” – to create conditions for growth in the Massachusetts innovation economy and lead the national effort to “revitalize the country as a place that makes things.” The group is also working in parallel with President Obama’s Advanced Manufacturing Partnership and with seven other states through the National Governors Association Center of Best Practices Policy Academy on Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation. Phelon said the “purpose” of the AMC is to develop and implement the state’s manufacturing agenda with the goal to foster and strengthen the necessary conditions to promote growth and innovation of manufacturing. In her announcement to Chamber members, Phelon said she will be working with “leaders from government, industry, and academia to formulate policy in helping our manufacturing companies to remain competitive.” Phelon noted that since its formation, the AMC has focused on several key areas: workforce development and education, technical assistance, innovation and access to capital; enhancement of competitiveness, easing cost of doing business and regulatory review of small to medium enterprises; promoting manufacturing which will include attracting a talented workforce, and expansion of in-state marketing of the supply chain. Having attended her first full AMC meeting in midSeptember, Phelon has learned firsthand what the subcommittees have been engaged in for the past five years. “Right now there is a committee that is working on a five-year strategic planning process to develop a strategy to keep manufacturing growing, exciting, inclusive and innovative,” said Phelon. As her involvement and acclimation to the AMC work See Director, Page 3
By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD—After the second presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton took place Sunday night, it appears that it’s personality rather than policy that will be determining who will be the nation’s next president. And in order to help make sense of this latest debate, The Westfield News talked with Westfield State University political sciences professor Dr. David Smailes to get a recap of the event and what people can take away from the town hall debate. Smailes said that personalities have come to dominate not just this debate, but the entire election season so far, which has meant less discussion about policy. “More so than any other election I can think of, it’s about personality and people’s feelings on these candidates, and that’s not what we want elections to be,” he said. “Policy has not been front and center.” Smailes believes that the debates Professor David Smailes of should be highlighting candidates’ Westfield State University. policies and their plans instead of the scandals and flaws that have come to the forefront of this election. “It was really kind of disappointing in a way, because I think they were a good 20 minutes into it before they got into any substance of an issue that people wanted to hear about, but that’s a nature of the politics that we are at now,” Smailes said. Smailes believes that this, at least in part, has caused the slumping of Trump going into the debate. Smailes said that after the 2005 video was released on Friday where Trump said that he could freely grab women by the genitals Trump’s poll numbers dropped considerably, especially with women voters. It fit the script that personality is more disruptive than policy, according to Smails. This provided a backdrop for Trump where he was already battling negativity heading into the debate, which Smails believes took precedent over the Sunday night event. Then, the focus for the debate in large part was not about policy, but about scandal, whether it was Trump’s or Clinton’s. And when scandals were raised, even though Smailes believes Clinton was unable to respond well to Trump’s accusations involving Benghazi or emails, Trump still couldn’t come away a winner. Smailes believes this is because of one scandal Trump pushed that republican leaders did not want him to push. “One strategy they very specifically apparently said to Trump was to not pursue the Bill Clinton angle,” Smailes said. However, once he did with a pre-debate press conference with several accusers, Smailes said “I think that’s undermined the party’s confidence in him.” See Debate, Page 3
Westfield Schools can earn rewards through citizens local purchases By AMY PORTER Correspondent WESTFIELD – Registration has opened for the Stop and Shop A+ School Rewards program. The program earns points and cash for local schools through customer purchases. Linda Burdzak, secretary at Westfield High School, said the school has participated since 2010, and has earned amounts ranging from $122 in 2011 to a high of $700 in 2010. “We use the funds to enhance our student programs. One of the programs that benefits is our Renaissance Program which is an educational incentive program for all students here at Westfield High School. It recognizes student achievements, school community achievements, attendance achievements and all the good things that students at Westfield High do,” Burzdak said. Customers may register up to two schools per Stop and Shop card. If the school selection on the card remains the same, you do not have to re-register. To register your card and select a school, visit www.stopandshop.com., click on savings and rewards and the A+ school See Rewards, Page 3