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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 84 NO. 259
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2015
HHHHHHHHHH CANDIDATE PROFILES
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Medeiros for City Council At-large
Dondley for City Council At-large
By HOPE E. TREMBLAY Staff Writer WESTFIELD – Kevin Medeiros is seeking an At-large seat on the Westfield City Council because, he said, he can bring common sense to the table. “I can make a little more common sense out of the Thursday night meetings,” said Medeiros. Medeiros also brings to the table many years of experience working with Westfield schools and fundraising for the schools. His efforts at Southampton Road School alone helped purchase Smart Boards, a playscape and a gymnasium renovation. Now, Medeiros wants to expand his efforts as an At-large councilor who works for the citizens. “I talk to residents all day long and they know their concerns are falling on deaf ears,” he said. Road condi-
By HOPE E. TREMBLAY Staff Writer WESTFIELD – Steve Dondley narrowly missed his first bid for a Westfield City Council At-large seat two years ago. This November, Dondley plans to win that seat. When asked why he is running, Dondley said his reasons are simple. “First and foremost, I care about people,” he said. “I care about the city and I want to see it prosper and do well.” Dondley, who lives on Kane Brothers Circle, has been knocking on doors across the city and said he has a good understanding of what residents want and need. “A lot of people want to see downtown turned around,” he said. “That’s come up a lot. People don’t want to see boarded up buildings and empty parking lots.” Dondley said taxes are another priority. He said
KEVIN MEDEIROS tions and inflated projects are just two examples of issues residents have spoken about. “The streets are terrible and filled with potholes. Construction in the Gas Light District seems to be repetitive. We can’t agree on sex offender legislation in this city. Why can’t we settle on new bases for the baseball field? Everything is put off for another night,” said Medeiros. Medeiros said he would bring the constituents’ concerns to the council, not his personal agenda. “Councilors should deal with constituents,” Medeiros said, “When was the last time one of them arbitrarily called a constituent?” Medeiros said he is able to serve the city and would be a “constituent-friendly, sensitive” councilor.
STEVE DONDLEY increasing revenue will offset taxes for residents. “I’m all for light industrial development on the north side of town,” he said. “Just 27 percent of the city’s revenues come from commercial and industrial taxes, compared to 40 percent in Agawam and almost 50 percent in West Springfield. I’m not saying we can increase that much, but we can do better.” Dondley also supports a ballot initiative that would increase taxes four percent for people who earn one million dollars or more. “It’s estimated that would bring in over one billion dollars a year,” he said. “That money would be earmarked for Chapter 70 and 90 funds.” Dondley grew up in the Hungry Hill section of Springfield and joined the U.S. Navy after high school. See Dondley, Page 5
Westfield Rotary Club ends fireworks run By DAN MORIARTY Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The Westfield Rotary Club Board of Directors voted recently to end its sponsorship of the annual Fireworks for Freedom display. The Directors said, in a statement to the Westfield News, that the decision “was made after a thorough and careful review of the financial and logistical aspects of the event.” The Directors of Stanley Park than also voted, according to a source, to cease hosting the event because of the wear and tear on its athletic fields and lawns and because of the extensive cost of clean up after the event. Community Development Director Peter J. Miller Jr., said “the July 4th fireworks are a tradition that we want to continue. “We need to work on the logistics and safety issues, and by February, have a solution, including a new organization sponsoring the event,” Miller said. Part of that planning process is assessing access for a large crowd and parking avail-
ability, Miller said. Miller said that he was contacted by the Rotary, prior to the board decision, about other venues for the event, including Westfield High School and Whitney Field, where it was previously held before moving to Stanley Park. Miller said that the State Fire Marshal’s Office has promulgated new regulations since the event was held at WHS or Whitney field regulating increasing the setback distance between the crowd and the area from which the fireworks are launched.
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Mayor Daniel M. Knapik said that infrastructure upgrades may facilitate using Whitney Field, if the setback zone can be accommodated, for the event. “The Fire Department hasn’t measured that setback zone yet, so I don’t know if people will be able to sit in the field like we used to when I was a kid,” Knapik said. “So I accelerated the work on the Esplanade and the Overlooks along the Westfield River Levee Walk which could be used as a viewing area.” “Not that it’s planned (to bring the event to Whitney Field) yet, but with work that’s been done on both sides of the river and shutting down Elm Street, there is a strategy to return the fireworks to the riverfront, but with a different viewing area. “The question now is who would be the sponsor, what entity would be willing to pick this up,” Knapik said. “Many of the types of organizations, such as the JCees, that have sponsored the event in the past no longer exist, so we may be looking for a See Fireworks, Page 5
New AP science course to be offered By HOPE E. TREMBLAY Staff Writer SOUTHWICK – Students at the Southwick Regional School could soon have more options when it comes to AP science. Tracy Hartshorn, an environmental science teacher at the high school, presented a proposal to the regional school committee last night to add an AP environmental science class. “What I’m seeing is a want – that could turn into a need – for a higher level environmental science class,” said Hartshorn. Currently, AP science offerings include chemistry and biology. Hartshorn said she met with Guidance Counselor Marcy Coviello who said
PSAT scores indicate “we would have plenty of kids who could take this course,” said Hartshorn. “If it was offered this year, there are potentially 17 students who could take the course,” she said. “There’s enough interest and they have the scores to do it.” PSAT scores are in indicator of who would do well in AP courses. Superintendent John Barry asked if adding the class would detract from the current offerings. “I could see that happening,” Hartshorn said, adding that the AP science courses could be one semester classes. See AP Science, Page 3
The Westfield News will run our masthead in pink, in recognition of October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
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At-large candidates vie for voter support By DAN MORIARTY Staff Writer WESTFIELD – More than 100 residents turned out at the Westfield Technical Academy auditorium last night to listen to 13 of the 14 candidates seeking election as one of the seven At-large members of the City Council in the Nov. 3 general election. See Forum Photos, Page 7 Residents listened to the candidates, many of whom are seeking elective office for the first time, as they responded to questions about taxes, generating additional revenue, expanding the city’s tax base, spending priorities and education. The pool of candidates has five incumbents, Dan Allie, Brent B. Bean II, David A. Flaherty, Cindy Harris and Matt VanHeynigen, and two former councilors seeking to return to the city’s legislative body, John J. Beltrandi III and three-term Mayor Daniel M. Knapik. The pool also has seven candidates seeking their first elective post including: Mark Butler, Steve Dondley, Richard Holcomb, Muneed Mahmood, Kevin Medeiros, Rudolph Musterait and Carl Vincent. Medeiros was unable to attend the forum last night. The candidates were given a minute for an opening statement and opportunity to begin to establish their platforms. Allie said that he and his family moved to Westfield for the quality of its schools and the fact that Westfield did not feel like a big city. “I am concerned about the schools,” Allie said. Bean, who is seeking his seventh term on the City Council, said he became “involved in politics to make Westfield a better place” to live and raise his family. Flaherty said his “major focus is on finances and taxes.” Harris said she plans to continued to be “a strong voice for homeowners” and that she will oppose shifting a greater tax burden onto homeowners. VanHeynigen said he is concerned with quality of life issues and willing to make hard decisions, such as disbanding the Business Improvement District (BID) to benefit the community. Beltrandi said that during his first two terms he served on the License, Legislative & Ordinance, and Finance committees and that he hopes to have the opportunity to do more. Beltrandi said that his children, and now grandchildren, are a major focus of his life so he has “a huge interest in the future of Westfield.” Butler, who at 20 years of age is the youngest of the candidates, said he planned to move out of Westfield but that Allie and State Reprehensive John Velis urged him to become part of the solution, not the problem. “They taught me that I could be part of making a difference,” Butler said. Dondley said that the City Council has been divisive and that he would work to “find common ground” with other members to build consensus on issues dividing the community. Holcomb, the only retired candidate, said he plans to be a voice for residents on fixed incomes, “people who can’t stand every increase in the tax rate and uncontrolled spending.” Knapik, who said the city is in a much better financial position today than in 2009 when he first ran for mayor, is seeking “to return to my roots on the City Council.” See At-large Candidates, Page 5
CITY COUNCIL AT LARGE CANDIDATE FORUM
• A Westfield area Native • Works in Family Business • Graduate of Westfield State University • Licensed Pilot and Flight Instructor • Demonstrates Strong Work Ethic • Believes in Giving Back thru Community Service and Dedication
Will be an accessible, energetic, collaborative and diligent
CITY COUNCILOR AT LARGE focusing on economic development, public safety, education youth development, senior issues and infrastructure needs Please give MOON one of your 7 Councilor-At-Large votes on Nov.3rd