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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 84 NO. 278
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015
“I hate war as only
a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity.” — PRESIDENT DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER
75 cents
WSU supports and honors student veterans
United States Marine Corps celebrate 240th It was the United States Marine Corps 240th Birthday Party, November 10th, 1775 and the Leathernecks came together last night to celebrate with new and old friends. The gathering began with a sit down dinner, raffles, and the ceremonial cutting of a birthday cake. The get together took place at the Westwood restaurant, ending the night singing the Marine Corps hymn and a photo op of some of the Marines who attended. (Photo by Don Wielgus)
Montgomery now faces uphill broadband battle By AMY PORTER Correspondent MONTGOMERY – After Monday’s vote of 128 for a fiber optic network through Wired West and 103 against, falling short by 26 votes of the two-thirds majority needed, selectman Daniel Jacques ponders what’s next for the town’s search for broadband. He said the Select Board will consider establishing a broadband committee to see what other options are available. “I don’t think the board on its own will do it,” he said. He said he would like to see an independent group of people serve on the committee. “We need dedicated people to put in a lot of time,” he said. The time pressure comes from the June 30, 2016 deadline for reimbursement from the state. “There is a very serious uphill battle to reach those deadlines,” Jacques said. He said the estimated cost for the last mile broadband project in Montgomery is $1,510,000. Of that, the state would kick in $550,000. The town would have to borrow the remaining $960,000, which is the authorization they were seeking at Monday’s vote. Jacques said the project started when
the town voted almost unanimously in 2011 to form a Municipal Light Plan (MLP) for this purpose. An MLP is a citizen-owned, not-for-profit Utility Corporation. MLPs are authorized under MA General Law Chapter 164, Section 47C and certified by the MA Secretary of State to provide telecommunications, electricity and energy services. WiredWest is a cooperative of MLPs in 32 western Massachusetts towns, according to its website. After researching different options for telecommunications, it became apparent to the Select Board that the cooperative would be the best option for the town, Jacques said. “The cooperative model pays back the debt for the town through the revenue generated by the network,” he said, adding that not many private sector companies would do this because they couldn’t guarantee that it would be repaid. Jacques, who is the WiredWest delegate for Montgomery, speculated that the reason they lost the vote was that some people weren’t entirely sold on the WiredWest model, and thought the private sector should provide the service. Others didn’t believe taxes should pay for it, and were skeptical the money would come back to the town. Others, he said,
By HOPE E. TREMBLAY Staff Writer SOUTHWICK – The Board of Selectmen approved a tax classification factor of one this week. The single tax rate means that residents and business owners will continue to be taxed at the same rate. Many communities have separate rates for residents and commercial and industrial properties often shifting the burden to the businesses. The Board of Assessors recommended the single rate once again and said although the numbers are not yet certified by the state they estimate the rate will be $17.10 per $1000 in property valuation. The estimated rate is 16 cents higher than the current rate of $16.94. Chief Administrative Officer Karl Stinehart said that amount does include the school assessment and debt service. “It includes short-term borrowing but does not include the last stepping in of $7 or 8 million (for the schools)” said Stinehart. “That will come up in the FY17 budget.”
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Southwick sets tax factor of one
are happy with their DSL (digital subscriber line), or don’t go on the Internet at all. Residents of Montgomery now have either DSL through Verizon, satellite, wireless, or dial-up access to the Internet. The DSL lines were made possible by equipment from Boston that was obsolete, and Verizon has said they have no plans to upgrade or replace them. Satellite and wireless are expensive, and not all residents have wireless coverage available to them. Comcast needs a minimum of fifteen houses per mile to meet its expenses, and does not cover the town Even among the members of the Select Board, Jacques said one wasn’t entirely convinced that a public model was the best option but said they were “pretty unanimous” that the town needs broadband. “Our kids have never lived without the Internet,” he said. The Select Board will take up the discussion of a broadband committee at its next meeting on Nov. 20. Jacques said the board wants townspeople to get involved, understand this is important, and make it happen. “For the good of the town, whatever the final solution is, we don’t have much time,” he said.
WESTFIELD – Westfield State University has always proudly supported the education goals of its active military personnel, Guard/Reserve, veterans and family members. In recognition of Veteran’s Day, the university will honor its veteran students with two events: a film screening of “The Borinqueneers” on Thursday, November 12 and a campuswide event on Tuesday, November 17. Westfield State currently has 124 veterans, 86 Guard members, and 45 students who are family members of veterans and receiving military benefits. About Veteran Support One university benefit is the services provided by the Veterans and Military Services Coordinator (VMSC), who acts as an advocate and university resource for military and veteran students. The coordinator, who also serves as a Veterans Affairs (VA) certifying official, helps to assimilate service members into the campus community, keep military students on track for graduation by verifying courses, and ensure that all military students and veterans A student veteran celebrates after receive the benefits to receiving his diploma at Westfield which they are entitled State’s 2015 Undergraduate and that all benefits are Commencement. used correctly. The role of Veterans and Military Services Coordinator has never been more important as veterans across the nation are returning to civilian life seeking higher educations. According to a study by the Student Veterans of America, an organization which strives to provide veterans with the support and resources to attend and succeed in post-secondary education, and USA Today’s subsequent report on the study, one in three veterans who attended college from 2002 to 2013 earned a bachelor’s degree or higher. Additionally, 51.7 percent of veteran students completed schooling ranging from vocational training to post-graduate degrees. Veteran’s Day Recognition “The Borinqueneers” is an award-winning documentary on the history of the all-Puerto Rican 65th Infantry Regiment, the only Hispanic-segregated unit in Army history and its significant participation during the Korean War. They are recipients of the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor bestowed by the United States Congress. The film will be presented from 6- 8 p.m. on Thursday, November 12 on Dever Stage in Parenzo Hall. The screening is free and open to the public. For more information on the film, visit http://borinqueneers.com. Filmmaker Noemi Figueroa Soulet will attend the event and answer audience questions. Soulet will be accompanied by 65th Infantry Veteran Eugenio Quevedo. Born in Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico, Soulet was raised in Spanish Harlem and has a degree in Education from New York University and a Certificate in Digital Filmmaking from SUNY Westchester Community College. She has produced numerous short films including “The Priest’s Wife,” “The Paramount Movie Palace,” and “Surviving the American Dream.” On Tuesday, November 17 at 3:30 p.m., a Veterans and Military Appreciation Event will be held in Wilson Hall Savignano Auditoriums A and B. There will be a posting of the colors ceremony by the Westfield State University Color Guard and a singing of the National Anthem by a Westfield State Student. Representative John Velis will speak as well as Student Veteran President Charles Towse of Westfield. Bryan Doe from the Springfield Vet Center will present his lecture, “From the Combat to the Classroom.” In addition, there will be a Student Veteran Panel. Throughout the day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., there will be tables set around campus with refreshments for the university’s military, veterans, and family members as well as a banner for all to sign. The tables are scheduled as follows: 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. – Wilson Hall 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Ely Campus Center 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Banacos Center 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Horace Mann The Veterans and Military Appreciation Event is free and open to the public. For more information on student veterans services offered by the university, please contact Lisa Ducharme, veteran and military coordinator at 572-5227.