Westfield Rotary Club's Food Fest Begins Tonight
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TONIGhT: Mostly Clear. Low of 55. Search for The Westfield News The Westfield Search for The Westfield LLNews LIFE IS A News “A Westfield350.com The Westfield News CONCATENATION OF “TIME IS THE ONLY Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns EPHEMERALITIES WEATHER CRITIC WITHOUT .” TONIGHT AMBITION— ALfred.” e. KAhN Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com Search for The Westfield News Westfield350.comWestfield350.org The WestfieldNews “TIME IS THE ONLY VOL. 86 NO. 151 Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns WEATHER TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017 75 centsCRITIC WITHOUT VOL. 88 NO. 199 FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019 75 Cents TONIGHT AMBITION.” Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL.Westfield 86 NO. 151 Rotary Club’sTUESDAY, JUNEFood 27, 2017 Fest begins tonight 75 cents By PETER CURRIER ers, and other companies. The list of vendors Staff Writer includes Janik’s Pierogi Café and Smoothie Bar, WESTFIELD- The Westfield Rotary Club’s Angelo’s Fried Dough, the Boys and Girls Club 5th annual Food Fest gets underway tonight at 5 of Greater Westfield, the Kiwanis Club of p.m. and will feature local restaurants, food Westfield, Moe’s Donuts, Skyline Beer Co., Alo trucks, vendors and music during the two-day Saigon, The PAHK, Moo-licious Ice Cream, downtown festival. North Elm Butcher Block, Little Georges, Yummi The free-to-attend festival will take place on Noodle, Lemonade by Julie Turner, All Stars Elm Street between School Street and Franklin Dance Center, Mary Kay by Mikki Provencher, Street. The event begins at 5 p.m. with two Feel Good Fixes, the Department of Children and musical performances on separate stages. Families, Paparazzi Accessories, WSKB 89.5, On the North stage, Westfield’s Harry Rock Sand Art by Ron Olivero, New England Novelty will perform some early 1970’s folk-rock. On and Glamourous Creations. the South stage, the Charlie Galvin Band will be The sponsors for the event include Westfield playing some easy listening music. Bank, Elm Electric, Forish Construction Co., Both stages will feature musicians playing Westfield Gas and Electric, Jerome’s Part Plus, throughout the festival on Friday and Saturday. Commercial Distributing Co., John S. Lane & “We have two music stages filled with music.” Son, Sarat Ford, Air Compressor Engineering Said Jennifer Gruszka, of the Westfield Rotary Co, Eastfield Grass Co., Roger Butler Insurance Club, “Special thanks to Whip City Music for Agency, Valley Concrete and Construction, their help in organizing the music schedule.” The annual Food Fest sponsored by the Rotary Club of Westfield will return Aug. 23 and Salamon Flooring, and Fortier Painting. Tonight’s festivities will end at 10 p.m. and 24 with food,music and fun on Elm Street. “The net proceeds from this event will be will continue Saturday from noon to 9 p.m.. returned to the Westfield community in the form On Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., there will fee. on Saturday.” Said Gruszka. of grants. The Westfield Rotary Club is pleased be a classic car show. Anyone wishing to show “We will also have a rock climbing wall There will be a number of vendors at to provide an enjoyable event for the residents their car can register tomorrow for a $15 entry as well as corn hole board games available Food Fest representing local foods, jewel- and businesses of Westfield.” said Gruszka. East Mountain Transition program ‘longest and strongest’ By AMY PORTER they want to. Staff Writer Over the years, the program has WESTIELD – This week, the built strong partnerships with the Massachusetts Department of YMCA, Rinnova Creative Arts, Higher Education announced an Central Baptist Church, Responsible almost $100,000 grant to Westfield Driving School, Pilgrim Candle, State University for the Inclusive Westfield City Hall, Westfield Concurrent Enrollment Initiative Public Schools, the ReStore, WSU (ICEI), which supports students (she has student from ICEI working aged 18 to 21 with learning-disabil- at the university), and Shaker Farms ities to take dual enrollment courses Country Club. at the University. New partnerships have been Among the 23 students who will formed with Blue Umbrella be attending courses at WSU Bookstore, which is starting a week- through this program are four stu- Maddie Gainer hugs Sherry ly book club, and the Ohana School dents from the East Mountain Elander after learning that she has of Performing Arts in Chicopee, Transition program in Westfield. been accepted into the MAICEI started by Ashley Kohl. “The East Mountain Transition program. (Photo submitted) East Mountain also has a long- program is one of our longest and time partnership with Shaker Bowl strongest,” said Lyndsey Nunes, the Garrett Wheeler oversees East Hyper Tufa Pot created by East in East Longmeadow through the WSU MAICEI program coordina- Mountain students making garden Mountain students for Planting it Center for Human Development, tor. planters for the Planting it Forward Forward program. (Photo submitted) and the Gandara Impact Youth Strong is a fitting word to describe program. (Photo submitted) Center in Springfield, a peer men- the East Mountain Transition toring group for 16-21 year olds. Program run by Sherry Elander, Elander said the collaboration with transition specialist with the the Impact Center offers a variety of Westfield Public Schools. The pro- different programming classes and gram is entering its sixth year in a opportunities. building on the grounds of Western The Mass Developmental Mass Hospital, and its thirteenth Disabilities Council also offers two year in the district. Zachary Fedora and Shaun 10-week series at Independence This year, the program will have Stebbins work at the Pilgrim College at HCC. The series is taught 24 students, ages 18 to 21 enrolled. by an individual with disabilities Candle Company. (Photo submitted) Thirteen are returning students, and and has a focus on employment and 11 are new to the program. On aver- self-advocacy skills. Elander said age, 10 students a year are moving ful for the state grant as they work training coordinator Lee Larriu up, Elander said. Half of the stu- towards that goal. oversees the whole program, and dents are on the autism spectrum. “We’re pretty fortunate. The trains people with disabilities as Besides the four students who administration is so supportive, the trainers. will be attending WSU, another four staff and faculty is invested, and Elander also has a meeting set will be attending the MICEI pro- most important, the student body,” with Doug Cotton, owner of Whip gram at Holyoke Community Nunes said. She said the program City Music. Garden planter made from a repurposed pallet for Planting it Forward College. hopes to become self-sustaining this “I have a student who went program. (Photo submitted) Elander said up until last year, the year through tuition payments by through this program, spent one ICEI program was free at WSU. She sending districts. ing three students who we have got- graduated, or have prepared an year at ICEI, and matriculated into said their numbers had to decrease “When we’re looking at slots that ten enrolled in the dual enrollment MCAS alternate portfolio. college at HCC,” she said. due to cost. She also said she works cost money, any student going to program that all students have Some East Mountain students are He recently reached out to Elander hard to make sure that her program ICEI has to be a part of the IEP team access to, at no cost to the district or able to matriculate. Currently and wants to volunteer. She got him does not cost the district a lot of decision and has to be in the IEP. to families,” Elander said. Another Elander has seven students working an internship with Whip City Music, money. The student has to have a vision of student who is still a senior at on passing one or two courses in and she hopes to help him be able to “Also, word was getting out going to college. We have limited Westfield High School will also be preparation for the MCAS. teach music one day. more, and other districts wanted to slots,” Elander said, adding that of enrolled. The students won’t get the “All of the students we’ve worked “Guitar is his thing,” she said. be a partner in the program because the four going to WSU, two are same supports from the university, with over the last six years have all Garrett Wheeler, another student they were more aware of it and new, and two are returning. but will be supported by the district. gotten their diplomas,” she said, who graduated from the program families were more aware of it,” she Due to the increased cost of the “I’m really excited that we’re try- which she said is about 10 out of 10. last October, recently chose to come said. This year, 11 school districts ICEI program last year, Elander ing something new out. We’re try- “So far, (there is a) 100% pass rate back as a volunteer. Elander are participating in the WSU ICEI started collaborating with Tara ing to expand opportunities for my for students I worked with.” explained that they do all of their program. Bean, who runs the college and students,” she said. Besides college opportunities, the own maintenance and don’t have Nunes said the ICEI program is career program in the high schools, She explained that ICEI takes East Mountain program is also very money for a janitor in their budget. working towards self-sustainability for other options for her students at students with intellectual disabili- involved in connecting students She wanted to find a way to com- at the university in order to ensure local colleges.