The City's Focus Is on Cleaning the Water
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TONIGHT Snow. Low of 25. Search for The Westfield News The Westfield PRINGSearchIS forNATURE The WestfieldS News News “S ’ Westfield350.comTODAY IN WESTheTFIELD WestfieldNews HISTORY: Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns WAY“T OFIME SISAYING THE ONLY, WEATHER 1837: Boundary set ‘LET’CRITICS PARTY WITHOUT!’” TONIGHT between Westfield AMBITION.” and Southwick. - ROBIN WILLIAMS Partly Cloudy. Search for TheJOHN Westfield STEINBECK News Westfield350.comWestfield350.orgLow of 55. Thewww.thewestfieldnews.com WestfieldNews Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns “TIME IS THE ONLY WEATHERVOL. 86 NO. 151 TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017 CRITIC 75WITHOUT cents VOL.TONIGHT 87 NO. 68 TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 2018 75AMBITION Cents .” Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com Westfield Fire wins VOL.The 86 NO. 151 City’s TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017 75 cents 6th Annual Westfield focus is on Police vs. Westfield Fire cleaning Blood Donor Challenge By RANDY BURLINGAME Correspondent WESTFIELD – The Westfield Fire Department took the water home the trophy in the 6th Annual Westfield Police vs. By AMY PORTER Westfield Fire Blood Donor Challenge that took place Correspondent Monday at the Baystate Noble Hospital Blood Donor WESTFIELD – “Experts have said clean the water. Center. The plan of action has been built,” said Mayor Brian 41 units of blood were donated in the classic red vs blue P. Sullivan on Monday, speaking about the $13 mil- showdown, all of which will stay local in Baystate Health lion bond that was voted down in the City Council last Hospitals including Baystate Children’s Hospital and the Thursday, with opposing councilors citing the need Amy Benson, Baystate Noble Hospital’s blood donor recruiter, holds D’Amour Center for Cancer Care. for an agreement in place with the Air Force. up this year’s shirt for the Westfield Police vs. Westfield Fire Blood Sullivan said the City Donor Challenge. (Photo by Randy Burlingame) See Blood Donor Challenge, Page 8 of Westfield filed a tort claim with the Department of Defense last week. He said while the tort claim is going through the pro- cess, the Air National School Committee Guard is doing its testing. “Hopefully, the ANG will find that they are respon- supports plan to sible,” the Mayor said, adding, “The ANG is Westfield Mayor Brian working with us. It’s not Sullivan study renovating the City of Westfield ver- sus the 104th.” Sullivan said the city maintains a strong relation- Franklin Avenue ship with the Air National Guard, which was repre- By AMY PORTER sented at the City Council meeting by several mem- Correspondent bers, including Colonel Peter T. Green, III, Vice WESTFIELD – On Monday, the School Committee voted Commander of the 104th. to approve the Statement of Interest (SOI) from On March 15, the base issued a letter stating that the Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski to the Massachusetts results of the recent ground water and soil site inves- School Building Authority (MSBA) for renovations and an tigation on Barnes Air National Guard Base were addition to the Franklin Avenue Elementary School for the reason of overcrowding. Fort Meadow pre-school students sang songs from their weekly released and are available on the Massachusetts music program, to start off the School Committee meeting on Department of Environmental Protection (MASSDEP) Monday, (Photo submitted) website. “The soil and ground water testing is a step See Franklin Avenue, Page 8 in the inspection process to determine potential migra- tion pathways of PFOS/PFOA compounds,” the letter stated. “We want the public to know the process is moving ahead,” said Col. Peter Green in the letter. “Our goal Westfield Seniors Tell Their Story from day one has been to partner with the City to pro- tect human health and to be transparent with informa- tion.” for Valley Eye Radio Program Sullivan said the tort claim is against the Department By RANDY BURLINGAME opportunity to talk about what their first job of Defense, just as is the case in every city or town Correspondent was, how they got it and memories from affected by the use of contaminants from fire-fighting WESTFIELD – Valley Eye Radio is their time there. foam. He also said the ANG is aware of the action the scheduled to record their first “I Remember “Everybody likes to have their story told city has taken. When” program with a live audience at and be able to express themselves by saying Sullivan said the Environmental Services 1:00 p.m on March 21st, at the Westfield something important to them,” said Harold Agreement, which is being tossed about as the solu- Senior Center located at 45 Noble Street in Anderson, programming coordinator for tion, is “a piece down the road.” Westfield. Valley Eye Radio. “The whole idea is con- The process for the Federal Tort Claims Act begins The intent of “I Remember When” is to nection. Connecting them with the commu- with the filing of a claim with the responsible agency, record recollections by seniors related to a nity, what’s going on and with other which the city did last week. Then six months for particular topic and turn it into a program seniors.” acceptance or rejection of the claim by the responsible Rita Kurty, from Westfield, will be that will be later broadcast on Valley Eye Anderson and Valley Eye Radio provide agency. Once the six months has passed or the claim one of the people sharing her story Radio. specially tuned radios to their listeners and is denied, whichever is earlier, the lawsuit is then filed during the making of the first “I The topic for the inaugural program is within six months. Remember When” program. “My First Job”, in which seniors have the See Westfield Seniors, Page 8 Then the motion practice, such as motions to dis- miss, takes six months to one year for filing, response and decision; followed by discovery and more motion practice possible, followed by the trial and decision. See Water, Page 3 Southwick Fire looking to hire Deputy Chief By GREG FITZpaTRICK Paramedic Certification, a firefighter Correspondent I/II certification, a minimum of seven SOUTHWICK – The Southwick years of structural firefighting, and at Fire Department is currently looking least five years of experience in a fire to hire a Deputy Fire Chief/paramed- service supervisory role. ic, a new position for the department Although Anderson said that According to Chief Russ Anderson, they’ve already received a few appli- they’ve had a Deputy Fire Chief on cations, the position will remain open the call force in the past, but never on until filled. the career force. The difference is that “We’re hoping that we’ll have a on the career force, the Deputy is pool of candidates within 30 days,” involved in the day to day operations said Anderson. and management of the department. Once the department has a full pool The Deputy on the call force is a vol- of candidates, Anderson will create a unteer position. review board within the department to “There’s going to be more involve- assess the candidates. The interview- ment,” said Anderson. ing process will then come down to In the job posting, which was made the final batch of candidates who will available last week, the qualifications then be interviewed by the Select Southwick Fire Chief Russ Anderson. (WNG File Colonel Peter T. Green, III, Vice Commander of the Photo) 104th Air National Guard. (WNG File Photo) include having a Massachusetts Board. Contact Ashley Stearns at (413) 896-8676 or [email protected] STARS to schedule a visit! STAR ON QUALITY and of RESIDENT CARE Overall 37 Feeding Hills Rd RATING Westfield, MA 01085 www.westfield-phg.com BY THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES PAGE 2 - TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 2018 WWW.THEWESTFIELDNEWS.COM THE WESTFIELD NEWS The Sons of the American Legion Squadron 124 donates to the Friends of the Soldiers Home in Holyoke HOLYOKE — The Sons of the American Legion Squadron 124 donated $ 1,270 to the Friends of the Soldiers Home in Holyoke on Monday, March 19, 2018 at the Sons of the American Legion Squadron 124 monthly meeting. The money was raised from the 2018 Squadron 124 sponsored Fourth Annual Chot Baginski Ice Fishing Outing that was held on February 3, 2018 at Otis Reservoir/Tolland State Forest. The annual Ice Fishing Outing is a way for the Sons of the Legion to honor the memory of Chot Baginski, who served in the U.S. Army, was a Korean War combat veteran and long-time mem- ber of American Legion Post 124, Walter J. Zarichak, a Past Commander of Post 124 and Post 124 member Paul F. Fouche Sr. Cindy Watson, the President of the Friends of the Soldiers Home in Holyoke who once served as a Trustee of the Soldiers Home in Holyoke with fellow trustee Walter Zarichak came to the Post home for the check presentation and to thank the Post 124 family for their continued dedi- cated support of the Friends of the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke, Inc. After the check presentation, Cindy Watson informed the membership of her appreciation of our shared commitment to ensure that our Veterans at the Soldiers’ Home receive the best quality of life that we can help to give them. Chot Baginski’s son Alex has organized an Ice Fishing Outing for eight consecutive years after the passing of his Dad, Chot who loved to ice fish at Otis Reservoir. Alex who is a mem- ber of the Sons of the American Legion wanted to begin using the ice fishing outing to raise some money for the Soldiers Home. The idea was that all proceeds would go to support veterans at the Soldiers Home in Holyoke.