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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com
VOL. 86 NO. 105
“Nobody is bored when he is trying to make something that is beautiful, or to discover something that is true.” — WILLIAM INGE
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WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017
Walmart, abutter ordinance discussed by Westfield Planning Board
The walk audit tour stops at Huntington Public LIbrary. (Photo by Stacey Beuttell)
HUNTINGTON
Town officials take a ‘walk audit’ tour through center
By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD—Walmart has proposed plans to the city’s planning board to allow for online grocery pick-up at their Westfield location. The Westfield Planning Board discussed the Walmart plans, as well as the proposed ordinance by At-Large City Councilor Dan Allie to notify abutters of proposed zoning changes within the city during the planning board meeting yesterday. The board voted to OK the ordinance change with amendments, while the Walmart plan was continued so more information could be sought. The proposal by Allie would modify the zoning ordinances by mandating that property owners whose property is within 300 feet from the border of a property directly affected by a map or parcel change must be notified within 10 days via mail of any public hearings related to the proposals. There is currently no such requirement within zoning, with the exception of special permitting. “With this people have a chance to voice their opinion rather than finding out after the fact,” Allie had previously said of the proposal. Several members from the planning board, city council and residents who attended the meeting all spoke in favor of the proposal by Allie. “I believe that it actually is fair to notify residents, as a resident and landowner, I think that they should be notified,” Rob Levesque said. Levesque said that he was a resident of Westfield. Levesque also works for R. Levesque Associates, a landscape architecture and civil engineering firm that could be affected by the change if one of their proposals would require a zoning change. The planning board sent the proposal with a positive recommendation to city council but added two parts to it. One was to have a sign put in at the area of the proposed zoning change that will help to notify residents too, and the other suggestion was to allow for exemptions that can be determined on a caseby-case basis by city council. Regarding the Walmart proposal, it was initially thought to be a small change for the
By AMY PORTER Correspondent HUNTINGTON – About a dozen community leaders in Huntington went on a “walk audit” of the town Tuesday afternoon, with the help of WalkBoston’s Stacey Beuttell and Healthy Hampshire’s Sarach C. Bankert. Bankert, whose organization recently donated a grant of $4,500 to create a riverwalk behind the town hall, invited Beuttell to the town to share her expertise. WalkBoston is a non-profit pedes-
trian advocacy organization dedicated to improving walking conditions in cities and towns across Massachusetts. Beuttell, an urban planner, has been focusing her efforts on the cities and hilltowns of western Massachusetts lately, conducting walk audits in Belchertown, Williamsburg, Northampton and in two weeks, the town of Goshen. Beuttell said the walks are a brainstorming process, with an eye to what See Walk Audit, Page 7
First annual scholarship race helps remember Libby By GREG FITZPATRICK Correspondent SOUTHWICK – The 1st Annual Scholarship Run in memory of Elizabeth Kulas, is taking place at Southwick Regional High School on May 6. The two-mile race begins with registration at 10 a.m. then the kids run starts at 10:30 a.m. with the rest of the community taking off at 11 a.m. Kids that are 10 years old and younger can register for free, while it is $20 for students and $25 for adults. You can pre-register by visiting https://www.runreg.com/eliza1st Annual bethjlibbykulasmemorialscholarshiprun. For The more information on the event, contact Kristin Scholarship Run in memory of Elizabeth Tetrault at coachkristen@gmail.com An eighth grader at Powder Mill School, Kulas is taking place on Elizabeth “Libby” Kulas passed away in 2013 May 6 at the Southwick after a two-year battle with cancer. Several of Regional High School. Libby’s friends and classmates are set to (Photo from Micki Bertrand) graduate as the class of 2017 from Southwick Regional High School, and wanted to create a way to remember Libby. With the help of Tetrault, who was Libby’s teacher and now a teacher at the high school, a number of Libby’s friends have formed a race committee for the event.
Blandford votes on whether to keep town administrator By AMY PORTER Correspondent BLANDFORD – The annual town meeting vote on whether to reduce the pay of the new Town Administrator Angeline Ellison to $1 for 2018, effectively eliminating the position, came relatively early in the evening. Moderator David B. Hopson asked for a motion on the question, which was brought forward by a Citizen’s Petition, with the Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee recommending taking no action. Resident Tony vanWerkhooven came forward to say that he had signed the petition. He said that he had been involved in the town as a volunteer for 20 years, and while on the Finance Committee supported hiring a town administrator. He went on to say that he and others were disappointed in Ellison’s performance on the job. VanWerkhooven said that Ellison had been disruptive and destructive, causing several volunteers and staff to leave their positions. He asked that residents support the article, and that the vote be taken by secret ballot. Resident T.J. Cousineau spoke next, saying a lot of the initial problems with the hiring of the town administrator were due to the failure of the Board of Selectmen to introduce her to different departments, and speak to the volunteers and staff about the changes that would be taking place. “We need the town administrator,” Cousineau said. At that point, former fire chief Tom Ackley made a motion to postpone the vote on the article indefinitely, which was seconded. Hopson then continued the discussion, explaining that it would end with the vote on the motion to postpone indefinitely. Resident Dick Allen said he was against the $1 salary for several reasons. He said there had been no formal written complaints made against Ellison. He also said that elected and appointed individuals did not come under the town administrator. He also said that she had been hired with the authority of a vote at the Town Meeting, and by the Board of Selectmen, two out of three of whom gave her a positive performance review. “Make your vote based on truth, not on gossip. You’re being misled. To use this as a way to get rid of the town administrator cripples us for the next year,” Allen said. Adam Dolby, chair of the Board of Selectmen, said it was important to point out that they had made significant progress in all areas of the town this year. He also said that if the town took this See Blanford, Page 3
See Libby, Page 7
See Planning, Page 3
Golf coach honored at school committee meeting By GREG FITZPATRICK Correspondent SOUTHWICK – The Southwick Regional High School boy’s golf coach, Al Selden, was honored during Tuesday night’s school committee meeting. Superintendent Jen Willard recognized Selden with the You Make a Difference Award. Explaining that she had created this event once she became the Superintendent, Willard has given this award out to other school officials this year. DAN ALLIE
See Golf Coach, Page 7
JAY VINSKEY
By AMY PORTER Correspondent BRAINTREE – School children in communities throughout western Massachusetts will join those in districts across Massachusetts receiving an unprecedented investment in evidencebased substance use prevention education under a new initiative announced Monday by Attorney General Maura Healey to tackle a significant unmet need in the state’s battle against the ongoing opioid crisis. In announcements across the state in the coming days with local leaders, educators, students and law enforcement
partners, AG Healey will distribute $700,000 in funding directly to school districts, nonprofits and community organizations to fund two years of prevention programming to 41 grantees in Massachusetts. “We will never get control of this epidemic until prevention becomes a priority,” said AG Healey. “With these grants, we will partner with schools and community organizations to empower young people and protect the next generation from falling victim to this public health crisis. But, these grants are only a start, we must continue to address this unmet need.”
Students in Agawam, Westfield, Longmeadow and Belchertown public schools will join the Franklin County Regional Council of Governments, the Collaborative for Educational Services and the Berkshire County District Attorney’s Office in participating in the effort. “Westfield, like other communities across the Commonwealth, has been impacted by the Opioid Crisis,” said Susan Dargie, Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Westfield Public Schools. “Our City’s Opioid Task Force See Opioid Addiction, Page 3
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Schools in western Mass. receive funding to prevent opioid addiction
Blandford residents vote on whether to keep a town administrator at the Annual Town Meeting Monday evening.
Rotary Club Office ofWestfield Community Development
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