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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 85 NO. 34
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016
See SPL, Page 7
— AUDREY HEPBURN
75 cents
Former Mayor Knapik now promotes ‘Green Communities’
Library offers activities, programs for all By HOPE E. TREMBLAY Staff Writer SOUTHWICK – The Southwick Public Library (SPL) has programs for all ages, including vacation week activities for young children and teens. For students in grades 7-12, the SPL is offering “Coding with Minecraft” Feb. 17 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The Rhode Island Computer Museum will bring 20 computers and teach coding for Minecraft. Learn how to summon lightning bolts with a bow and arrow or build giant rainbows in the Minecraft world with code! Spawn farm animals or monsters instantly and have fun “modding” your world! This workshop introduces coding concepts by showing you how to build or change (e.g. mod) the game using Javascript or Python programming language. The set-up is easy for beginners, challenging for experienced gamers and fun for all. Registration is required. Call the library’s Reference Desk at 5691221 or sign-up when visiting the library. Other offerings during vacation week include Drop-in Post It Note Gallery in the Children’s Library, Tuesday Storytime Feb. 16 at 10:30 a.m. for children age 2-5, and Kids Board Games Feb. 17-18. The SPL will train a new set of teen volunteers on Tuesday, Feb. 23 or Thursday, Feb. 25. Both days training will begin at 3 p.m. Participants need to attend only one sessions. Training will last approximately 1 ½ hours. Once trained, teens will be scheduled for one hour per week at a mutually agreed upon time. Volunteers will be scheduled to work from March until early June. All volunteers will receive a certificate validating their volunteer time. For adults, the SPL has Sally Killips presenting her “The Art of the Handmade Rug” program Feb. 23 at 7p.m. From the time of the Vikings to the current era, handmade
“People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.”
HOLYOKE SOLDIERS HOME
Velis and Humason meet with Baker on funding veterans
By DENNIS HOHENBERGER Correspondent WESTFIELD – Members of the western Mass. State House delegation met with Gov. Charlie Baker last week on the need to increase funding for the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home and veterans services in general. The delegation included State Rep. John Velis (D-Westfield) and State Sen. Donald Humason (R-Westfield.) The delegation was pleased the Baker administration proposed boosting funding for the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home, which has undergone a series of high-profile resignations in the past month. The delegation wants to see Holyoke Soldiers’ Home funding on par with its Chelsea counterpart. The governor submitted a $39.6 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2017. House and Senate leaders were expected to begin work on their respected budgets. The current fiscal year ends on June 30. This week, Velis said the House and Senate are in the process of constructing state budgets, which also call for increases to the soldiers’ home. In December, Holyoke Soldiers’ Home Superintendent Paul Barabani, Deputy Superintendent John Paradis and Board of Trustees Chairman Steven Como submitted their resignations. The state appointed former Chelsea Soldiers’ Home Superintendent Cheryl L. Poppe as acting superintendent in Holyoke. A search is underway to appoint a permanent superintendent in Holyoke. After years without a chief financial officer, Velis said an announcement is forthcoming about a new financial officer for the home. Velis, who serves on the Joint Committee
on Veterans and Federal Affairs, said the Holyoke Soldiers’ Homes serves the region’s veterans. The home falls within Humason’s senate district. The Senator also serves on the committee. “All of us have constituents who are residents and patients there. We also have constituents who work there, and not to mention how sacred the place is in general,” he said. “It’s something that’s very near and dear to all of our hearts. Velis said veterans’ causes remain a top priority for him as he continues to serve in the Army National Guard, holding the rank of captain. His service included deployments to war zones. While the Baker administration put forth a budget, the House and Senate versions must be hashed out and reconciled, followed by budget negotiations. Velis said House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo (D-Winthrop) has a long supported increases to funding veterans. In meetings with House Ways and Means Chairman Brian S. Dempsey, Velis said he frequently mentions needed increases for the Holoke Soldiers’ Home. The delegation pointed out to the Governor the disparities in how the Holyoke and Chelsea homes are funded, with a major portion going to Chelsea. He believes the funding shortages in Holyoke, including the lack of a chief financial officer, acted as a catalyst for Paradis’ resignation. Paradis also took on the duties of executive officer and communications director. See Veterans, Page 7
‘Holey Moses! Ice Fishing Derby’ returns RUSSELL – Despite the recent unseasonably warm weather, Russell First is moving ahead with plans for hosting the 4th Annual “Holey Moses! Ice Fishing Derby”. The venue once again is Russell Pond off General Knox Road in Russell with all proceeds being donated to the Horace A. Moses Boy Scout Camp located on the pond. The event is scheduled for Saturday February 20s starting at 6 a.m. and running until 2 p.m., conditions permitting. Registration is $15 with kids under 14 free when accompanied by a registered adult. All participants are required to sign a waiver and fishing will be at your own risk. Entry fee includes eligibility for largest fish cash awards and door prize drawings. All participants will receive a meal ticket good for a hot dog and chips. Coffee and hot chocolate will also be available at no charge. All fish must be checked by 2 p.m. with cash awards being presented at 2:15 p.m. for the largest fish measured head to tailin four categories; trout, perch, pickerel, and bass. All current state fishing regulations apply with licenses required for those 14 years See Ice Fishing Derby, Page 7
William Webster of Westfield shows off his 24” pickerel at last year’s derby. (Photo submitted)
By DENNIS HOHENBERGER Correspondent WESTFIELD – Former Mayor Daniel M. Knapik continues to promote the Massachusetts Green Communities Program, which promotes clean, renewable energy projects across the Commonwealth. In November 2015, Gov. Charlie Baker appointed Knapik as director the Green Communities Division, which falls under the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources. Knapik’s background in municipal government has served him well in meeting with local officials, residents and business leaders about adopting the Green Communities Act. The act came into being in 2010. The act “challenges” communities to reduce their energy footprint by 20 percent, said Knapik. The division manages and allocates $10 million a year in grants and technical assistant to the 161 communities that adopted the act. In 2008, Knapik recalled the conversation in the legislature centered around clean energy or renewable energy sources. Participating cities and town must abide by five criteria to be designated a Green Community. The municipality must establish areas for “As-ofRight” zoning or parcels devoted to the manufacturing, research, development or generation of clean energy technologies like solar and wind. “The Commonwealth has these goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They realize they’ll get there through cities and towns,” said Knapik. “They wanted to make sure the cities and towns were prepared to site these type of facilities.” A community must adopt expedited permitting or a streamlined process to get clean energy projects on board faster. “Permitting mustn’t be an endless string of activities,” he said. Centralized permitting reduces the process to one year or less. The act also requires a community to submit an energy reduction plan that reduces a municipality’s energy footprint by 20 percent in five years. The plan only focuses on municipal operations, leaving residential and business properties alone. Under the plan, cities and towns look for ways to See Green, Page 7
Heroin use becoming more common among teenagers WESTFIELD (WWLP) – A 16-year-old Westfield High School student died from a heroin overdose this past weekend, and a 22-year-old man could now face manslaughter charges for her death. Bill Liptak, who lived down the street from the teenager, said his daughter went to middle school with her, and from what he remembers she was a good kid with a bright future. “She was easy going, and friendly,” he said. Liptak said he was stunned when he heard the news. “I was shocked. I mean, you don’t know how it happens, you don’t know what kind of peer pressures kids get into now,” he said. The heroin epidemic impacts people of all ages. According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, 28,000 people, between the ages of 12-17, used heroin in 2014. Nearly half of adolescents who’ve tried heroin first abused prescription pills. Forensic psychologist Dr. Paul Kalill said for teenagers, peer pressure or bullying can be more than enough to steer them down a dangerous path. “Not even bullied, but made to feel less important than they really are, and as a result of that, some of these things can easily happen. They get in a wrong crowd, or they just try something because somebody dared them to do that,” he said. Kalill said schools can only do so much. Oftentimes, one bad influence can be enough to push any teenager over the edge. Kalill urges parents to keep a close eye on their teens. He said nowadays, you can never be too nosey.