City Officials Mourn the Passing of Longtime Commissioner
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
TONIGHT Chance of Snow Shower. Low of 9. Search for The Westfield News The Westfield Search for The Westfield News News E SENS COMMUN “L Westfield350.com The Westfield News N EST PAS SI COMMUN ’ .” “TIME IS THE ONLY Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns (COMMON SENSE IS WEATHER CRITIC WITHOUT NOT SO COMMON.) TONIGHT AMBITION — V.”OLT AIRE 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,TUESDAY, Southwick, JUNE 27, and2017 surrounding Hilltowns 75 cents VOL.88WEATHER NO. 53 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2019 CRITIC75 CentsWITHOUT TONIGHT AMBITION.” Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com ‘Retire the Fire!’ VOL. 86 NO. 151 City officials mourn the passing 75 cents Getting the TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017 Help You Need of longtime commissioner By PETER CURRIER us getting involved with elected offices. She Correspondent was a very dedicated Westfield resident and I in an Emergency WESTFIELD- Members of the city govern- know she did a lot of homework to get to know ment and Westfield Gas and Electric are mourn- how the Gas and Electric worked and how to By TINA GORMAN ing the loss of Jane Wensley, a member of the make it most beneficial for City of Westfield,” Executive Director Municipal Light Board and an active member of said Mayor Brian Sullivan, “She was a very Westfield Council the Westfield community. classy lady, and always had a nice Hello for you On Aging Jane, who was 71, moved to Westfield with when you saw her at local functions. The City “9-1-1. What is the her late husband, Robert Pawson Wensley, in has lost yet another passionate and respected address of your emergen- 1973 after spending much of her life in the Westfield Citizen, and she will be missed by all cy?” It is not unusual for south. She was immediately active in civic that knew her.” older adults to require the affairs and made an impact on every person in Jane was primarily involved with the city’s services of firefighters, Westfield she interacted with. paramedics, or police offi- “I met Jane many years ago prior to either of See Wensley, Page 3 JANE WENSLEY cers. City residents should remember that in an emer- gency, seconds count. Mayor The faster that emergency TINA GORMAN Brian personnel can get to the Executive Director Sullivan City Council scene and assess the situ- Westfield Council addressing ation properly, the more On Aging students at likely Westfield that a Middle Preview 3/7/19 life can be saved or a disaster School. By AMY PORTER averted. (Photo by Correspondent Massachusetts law requires Peter Currier) WESTFIELD – Featured on the that every building in the agenda for the regular City Council Commonwealth, including meeting on Thursday, March 7 will homes, apartments, condo- be a presentation by City Engineer miniums, and businesses have Mark Cressotti on the city’s pave- a number affixed to the building. The number Westfield Middle ment management plan. Council must be large enough and situated on the building President Ralph J. Figy said the so that, to the extent practicable, it is visible from PowerPoint presentation would take the nearest street or road providing vehicular about 20 minutes. School hosts its first The City Council will also vote RALPH J. FIGY access to the building. Addresses are entered into on a resolution to allow the Mayor Ward 2 Councilor the electronic database for use in enhanced 9-1-1 to sign a Host Community and City Council service. Career Symposium Agreement with HEKA, Inc., at 89 President House numbers need to be at least four inches T.M. Sgt. Dion Way for an adult use in height and facing the street. The numbers By PETER CURRIER marijuana establishment, which was tabled at the meeting on should be situated under lighting and contrast Correspondent Feb. 25. Figy said tabling the motion at the last meeting gave with the background of the house so that they are WESTFIELD- Professionals, business owners, and elected the Councilors additional time to study the agreement. visible at night. If the house numbers are officials visited Westfield Middle School Tuesday morning Items under Communications from the Mayor include obstructed by trees, bushes, flags, or decorative to talk to kids about potential career paths for their first ever acceptance of a grant of $396,000 from the Dam Repair or ornaments, they will not be seen by emergency Career Symposium. Removal program of the Executive Office of Energy and personnel. In addition, numbers on the mailbox Among those who talked with the kids were Mayor Brian Environmental Affairs to the Department of Public Works, for must be visible from both directions. Sullivan, the Director of Sales for the Greater Springfield the removal of the Tekoa Reservoir Dam. Script numbers or numbers that are spelled out Convention and Visitors Bureau Alicia Szenda, IT Consultant Figy said the grant acceptance, along with a grant of $1,400 in words may be aesthetically pleasing, but are Ed Watson, and Nursing Educator Connie Blake. There were from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency to 17 total speakers for the students to choose from. Each stu- the Westfield Emergency Management Dept., and a transfer of difficult to read quickly from the street. Brass or $1,500 within the Police Dept., and one of $46,535 within the bronze numbers are also difficult to see. Numbers dent was allowed to sit in on two sessions of their choice. Mayor Sullivan spoke with students about what it means to Airport Dept. would likely be referred to the Finance sub- that provide a color contrast with the background committee. of the house and are located on, above, or at the follow your dreams, and how knowing what you actually want to do when you grow up is more difficult than is let on. Other items from the Mayor’s office to be referred to sub- side of the main entrance will be most visible committees include an ordinance amendment regarding con- from the street. Numbers placed in an obscure He put an emphasis on the students taking the opportunities sumption of alcohol in public places, open container; and area in the yard, for instance on a decorative rock, orders and funding for easements of the Springfield Road will probably go unnoticed by emergency person- See Career Symposium, Page 3 Traffic Signal project. nel. Also from the Mayor is the reappointment of Cynthia Often when a house has been repainted or Bronson for the Historical Commission, and permission to resided, the owner fails to put the numbers back serve beer and wine for the Westfield 5K Kooldown Block on the house. It may be necessary to purchase Party on May 18. new numbers if the color contrasting has changed Assistant City Solicitor Shanna Reed has submitted a list of traffic ordinance amendments from Police Chief John A. and the old numbers are no longer visible. Camerota from the Traffic Commission, which include reduc- In a crisis, the injured person, a visitor, or a ing the speed in the central downtown Elm St. business district grandchild may be unable to provide clear direc- to 25 mph. tions. Emergency personnel from a neighboring The School Committee has submitted a recommendation to community may be unfamiliar with the targeted have all coaches, referees and mentors deemed Special destination. Precious time is lost if firefighters, Municipal Employees under the city’s Conflict of Interest paramedics, or police officers drive right by the statute. Figy said the request is in order to speed up the process house because it is not clearly identified. for approval of these positions. Once the house has been located by emergency Reports from committees will include the recommendations personnel, it is necessary to have a clear pathway from the Finance committee on appropriating $115,000 from into the home as well as to the location of the Free Cash for pickleball courts at the Municipal Playground; victim. In the winter, sidewalks should be free of and reallocating the remaining funds in Bond Order #2455 for Alicia Szenda of the Greater Springfield Convention and the same purpose. The Finance committee will meet prior to snow and ice. All doorways, hallways, and stairs Visitors Bureau, talking to students about her job. (Photo by should be free of clutter so that first responders Peter Currier) See City Council, Page 3 can get to the victim quickly. Objects can become major obstacles in an emergency. Emergency personnel can treat victims most effectively if they have some basic information about the person. It is helpful for first responders to know if the person in distress has a dementia Site Plan review of seasonal farm labor diagnosis, memory loss, or cognitive limitations as well as hearing, visual, or mobility challenges. The First Responder Informative Extra Needs camp gets pushback from residents Directive or FRIEND form provides valuable By AMY PORTER the crop. He said the farm is in a flood Planning Board members commented information to first responders about the person Correspondent plain, and they started the process with a that the submitted plan shows one win- in need, prior to arriving on the scene. Once WESTFIELD – A full gallery, includ- zoning determination form, and are dow and no doors. Hinckley said they completed, information from the FRIEND form is ing many residents from ward 4, attend- going over speed bumps as they come. started with a plan from a farmer in CT, entered into the Westfield 9-1-1 dispatch system.