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Southwick Historical Society hosts preservation fundraising event
Master gardeners to offer soil testing By LORI SZEPELAK Correspondent WESTFIELD-Area residents seeking the “best garden ever” are invited to bring soil samples for testing on Sept. 21 to the Westfield Farmers’ Market. “Plan to have the best garden ever,” said Deborah Randzio, market manager, noting that a $1 donation is requested for the testing which will be conducted by members of the Western Massachusetts Master Gardener Association (WMMGA) from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. on the grounds of the Episcopal Church of the Atonement on Court Street. The WMMGA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the educational mission of promoting good and sustainable gardening practices. Members are all volunteers who have graduated from an academic training class and have completed service hours working with the public to advance the group’s mission. “Fall is the best time to test your soil for its pH,” said Randzio. “When lime is applied now it will have the winter months to work into your soil and be immediately available for your spring growing plants.” Randzio said the sample process is “easy,” and encourages individuals to collect separate samples from one’s lawn, vegetable garden, perennial flower garden, or under trees and shrubs. “With a trowel remove a plug of soil from the surface down to the proper depth,” said Randzio, adding that sample depths are three to four inches for a lawn, six to eight inches for a flower or vegetable garden, and 10 to 12 inches for trees or shrubs. “Collect from several spots in your sampling area,” she said. “If the area is small, collect four to six samples, for larger areas, collect eight to 12 samples.” Randzio said the next step in the process is to place the soil into a bucket and mix it together. “Remove twigs and other coarse materials, and sift with a sieve if you can,” she said, adding, “place about one cup into a zip lock bag.” Randzio noted that if the soil is damp, leave the bag open to let it dry out and then close it on Sept. 21 prior to testing. “Label each sample bag with its type – vegetable, lawn, perennial, and the approximate size of the area,” said Randzio. Master gardeners will test the pH and explain how much lime may be needed to apply to each area. “Master gardeners will also be able to answer all your soil questions and any other gardening questions you have,” said Randzio. For anyone needing a complete analysis, soil can be sent to the Mass Soil Testing Laboratory for a fee. For more details, visit http://soiltest.umass.edu. For more information on the WMMGA and additional soil testing events, visit http://wmmga.org.
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Papps Bar & Grill located at the Barnes Regional Airport Terminal. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
SOKHARUN “SOK” YIM
New business owner ‘lands’ at the airport By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD—A local business familiar to residents on airport property has changed owners. The Papps Bar and Grille, located at Barnes Regional Airport, has been sold and is undergoing license changes following a Westfield License Commission meeting yesterday. The location was sold to Sokharun “Sok” Yim, who is the owner of Sok’s Bar located in South Hadley, from Peter Pappas. According to Yim, the sale was finalized on Aug. 21 and the liquor and entertainment licensing was what was up for change during the license commission meeting. The commission voted to approve the transfer of sale between Pappas and Yim, as well as the transfer of licenses. The decision is now up to the Massachusetts Alcohol Beverage Control Commission, which could take as much as 11 weeks to OK the license transfers, according to Sok. In the meantime, Pappas will stay on with the restaurant and bar since the licensing is under him. According to Christopher Mowatt, chairperson of the license commission, this is still Pappas’ responsibility. “You are going to have to be on site for records,” Mowatt said. Yim said that he is attempting to expand his brand and to have a larger area, which drew him to agree to purchase Papps, but the location at the airport was what made him move to acquire the bar and grille.
“I don’t think I was in a rush. That location itself was the sell,” Yim said. “The location was everything.” Pappas said to the license commission that he was retiring, which prompted the sale. “I’m just retiring from the business,” Pappas said following the meeting. “And I’m happy to have someone of Sok’s caliber taking over.” Barnes Regional Airport Manager Eric Billowitz said that those at the airport are excited to see what will occur following the change. “We’re excited by the change,” he said. “The new owner having experience of what I understand to be operating a successful business in South Hadley and we can’t wait to see what’s in store.” According to Yim, the brand of the location will change to something under the Sok’s name, but the change will occur gradually. In addition, Yim said that his South Hadley location would continue to operate with assistance from a friend and family member to manager the location. Yim said that Sok’s in South Hadley has been open since 2012. Before opening that site, he said that he worked in bars and restaurants in Springfield since 1999, working in positions that included bartender, cook and bar manager. According to Joe Mitchell, city advancement officer for Westfield, the location of the restaurant on the airport began as The Runway in October 2007. Mitchell said that following the closing of The Runway in June 2013, Papps signed a lease in December 2013 and opened the business to customers in May 2014.
By GREG FITZPATRICK Correspondent SOUTHWICK – The Southwick Historical Society is hosting an upcoming event in order to gain support for one of their historical properties that needs an upgrade. On Sept. 16 at 6 p.m., the Southwick Historical Society will be having an event at The Cove Restaurant and Banquet Facility to raise money to replace the current roof of the Joseph Moore House, which is located at 86-88 College Hwy in Southwick and also extends into Granby, Conn. Built in 1851 by Joseph Moore himself, the Joseph Moore House has a roof that is around 20 years old and it’s important for the society to upgrade the roof. The society is looking to buy a roof that will fit in with the era of when the house was built so the level of authenticity will stay intact. The event will include comedienne Janet from Another Planet and musician Sarah the Fiddler, as well as a chance for people to participate in a raffle and have the opportunity to win some unique items. People throughout the community are encouraged to attend the event and contribute to raising money to preserve this historic town building. All donations are tax deductible. The cost to attend the event is $40. For any further questions about the event or the Joseph Moore House, call the society at 413-569-6140 or visit their website.
The Southwick Historical Society is looking to purchase a new roof for the Joseph Moore House. (Photo courtesy of Southwick Historical Society)
Westfield G&E on standby to respond to Hurricane aftermath By AMY PORTER Correspondent WESTFIELD – Beth Burns, Westfield G&E human resources coordinator said the municipal light plant is on standby following Hurricane Irma’s destructive path through Florida and the Southeast. Burns said the Northeast Power Plant Association (NEPPA) coordinates mutual aid
in New England. “When more resources are need, we’ll be there to respond, and in all likelihood sending a crew,” Burns said on Monday. Millions are without power in
Florida, and power was also knocked out in Georgia as Irma spread northward on Monday. No notifications are up yet on the NEPPA.ORG website, but on the home page a postponement of a planned “Lineworker’s Rodeo” has the following statement: “With Hurricane Irma bringing the likelihood of a large mutual aid response from our region, we have decided to post-
pone the NEPPA Lineworker’s Rodeo. We are planning to reschedule the event once we have a clearer picture of the situation in the Southeast.” Burns said that Westfield G&E would likely get involved in the second wave of mutual aid. “We have done it before in the not too distant past,” she said, speaking of a response to help restore power in Connecticut.
Superintendent’s Corner As I reflect back i[on the events that unfolded sixteen years ago on September 11, it seems like only yesterday. Much like other historical events that one remembers (such as the moon landing, the evacuation of the American Embassy in Saigon, and Pearl Harbor), actually living through events makes them much more vivid than those you only studied in school. At this time, the majority of our students were not yet born when the tragic events occurred in New York, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania on 9/11 and, despite memorial services, history lessons, and stories, these events are only a footnote in their own history. Try as we might, it’s hard for most people to find time to contemplate the ripple effect past events have on the present and future. This may be especially true for those who live in the moment or are strictly focused on the next big ‘thing’, even if that item has little or no impact beyond today (think of all the ‘crazes’ that you’ve seen such as pet rocks, chia creatures, or the latest stunt by some celebrity). Despite an obsession with current events, the fabric of the past continues to sustain and support society as we move forward. We only have to look at the founding documents of the United States to see that the core structure continues to guide us despite the changes of history. It makes one realize that pithy statements such as, “Those Gateway Regional who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” (George Santayana) have a wealth of truth to them, which reflect much knowledge, experience, and depth that School District are easy to overlook. This marks the importance of studying the past for more than just historical dates and places but rather for the impact events had on the present and S u p e r i n t e n d e n t future. One can argue that some events, as significant as they may have appeared at the time, are even more significant years later as they continue to guide us over time Dr. David B. and are used, often obliquely, to set a direction for the future. While events unfold in real time, however, it’s difficult to know if it is a singularity or part of a pattern, of Hopson. whether those citing reasons for moving forward are looking at this one item or are looking at a bigger picture ( ‘not seeing the forest for the trees’), or even more problematic, fixating on an issue because of the impact it had on an individual despite it not being relative to the majority. As we select our newsfeeds (whether done intentionally by ourselves or done for us through algorithms); as we opt to live in communities segregated by economic status; and as we define ourselves by specific labels rather than by simply being human; we become ever more fractured, contentious, and myopic forgetting about the common good. Despite this separation, there is still hope as one sees people come together during calamitous times – wars, depressions, and natural disasters often seem to do the trick. Wouldn’t it be nice, though, if we could use such positive events to overcome the dissension we face today on a regular basis? Perhaps John Lennon’s “Imagine” lyrics (“Imagine there’s no heaven…”) or even the words by Robert Fulghum ( “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”) are resources that we really need to help interpret history so that we too can practice the 21st Century Skills of Collaboration, Communication, and Creativity in a way that helps all of us, rather than just a select few. It seems that this could work at every level, from our own households, to our local communities, at the national level and even internationally, if in fact we could separate fact from fiction; use historical knowledge based upon the events rather than the view from the winning side; and concentrate on the protection of all for the common good.