Officials Disappointed Vaccine Clinics on Hold Indefinitely by HOPE E
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The Westfield NewsSearch for The Westfield News Westfield350.com The WestfieldNews Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns “TIME IS THE ONLY WEATHER CRITIC WITHOUT TONIGHT AMBITION.” Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 86 NO. 151 $1.00 SATURDAY,TUESDAY, FEBRUARY JUNE 27, 2017 20, 2021 VOL.75 cents 90 NO. 43 Officials disappointed vaccine clinics on hold indefinitely By HOPE E. TREMBLAY he sent a letter to cities and need to travel to get their vac- Editor towns across the Commonwealth cines.” WESTFIELD/SOUTHWICK this week notifying them that Humason and Westfield – Despite all the hard work of the state would not provide vac- Health Director Joseph Rouse Westfield Health Director cine doses to municipalities for released a video on the topic Joseph Rouse, Council on Aging locally run clinics effective Thursday. Rouse said while he Director Tina Gorman and March 1. is also disappointed, he appreci- Mayor Donald F. Humason Jr, “Apparently, they are focus- ates the effort to get vaccines in Westfield will not have a vac- ing on mass vaccine distribution local pharmacies so residents cine clinic anytime soon. sites and pharmacies,” stated a don’t have to go to the closest Neither will Southwick, disappointed Humason, who mass vaccination site at the where Health Director Tammy spoke with Lt. Gov. Karyn Eastfield Mall in Springfield. Spencer and Council on Aging Polito to express his concerns. “If CVS and Walgreens are a Director Cindy Sullivan have Humason posted on Facebook place where people can go so been working with the Select that “she said the state can’t give they don’t have to cross the Board and community to host a us a vaccine clinic but she river, I’m fine with that,” said clinic there. pledged to work on getting vac- Rouse, “but right now it’s not Gov. Charles D. Baker cine doses to the pharmacies in Mayor Donald F. Humason Jr. and Health Director Joseph Rouse address vaccine squashed local clinic plans when Westfield so our residents won’t See Vacine Clinics, Page 5 clinics in a Feb. 18, 2021 video. (SCREENSHOT) ‘Snow Angel Plunge’ is a pivot from annual Penguin Plunge By LORI SZEPELAK Amelia Park Children’s Museum The rules are simple, notes computer savvy as others, Radigan Correspondent (APCM). Radigan. said another option is to send a pho- WESTFIELD — Everyone Radigan said the pivot to the 2021 “Get dolled-up in your funkiest tograph or video to fun@ameliapark- remembers the joy of creating our Snow Angel Plunge was inspired by costume (not totally necessary, but museum.org and the museum staff own snow angels and now organizers the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge a few definitely encouraged),” said will be able to share them on social of the annual Amelia Park Children’s years ago. The challenge went viral Radigan, adding, “Head outside and media. Museum Penguin Plunge are hoping during the summer of 2014, raising take a quick video of yourself mak- For 16 years, the Penguin Plunge that children — and those young at funds for research and development ing a snow angel, and post it on had drawn an average of 50 partici- heart – will want to shift gears a little for ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclero- Instagram and/or Facebook with the pants annually and Radigan is hoping because of the COVID-19 pandemic. sis). hashtag #snowangelplunge.” with this new twist in the 17th year “Rather than holding a socially “We looked for something in the Radigan is also encouraging par- because of the COVID-19 pandemic, distant Penguin Plunge, we decided spirit of the Penguin Plunge that ticipants to challenge friends and more area residents will participate in to go virtual this year,” said Ray would be easy for people to do on family to join in the fun. Radigan, executive director of the their own,” said Radigan. For persons who might not be as See Plunge, Page 3 COVID-19 UPDATE Flaherty asks to study impact Southwick of early teacher retirement bill By AMY PORTER Staff Writer reports nine WESTFIELD – The last item on the City Council’s Feb. 18 agenda was a motion by At-large new cases Councilor Dave Flaherty to inves- tigate the impact of the recently proposed Teacher Early Retirement School district Incentive program on the city’s budget. The bill, SD.1111 was to have in-person presented by Sen. John C. Velis learning next week Guy McLain was named director of the Westfield Athenaeum on (Second Hampden and Hampshire) Feb. 8. (WESTFIELD ATHENAEUM PHOTO) on Feb. 11. By PETER CURRIER Flaherty said one of the goals of Staff Writer the bill is to allow older teachers SOUTHWICK — The Southwick New Athenaeum director to to retire early, by allowing teach- Board of Health reported nine new ers to add five years to their age confirmed COVID-19 cases in explore collaborative projects and five years to their years of DAVE FLAHERTY Southwick this week to bring the pan- service. He said it could poten- who indicated to him that health demic total to 460. By LORI SZEPELAK McLain said he is welcome to tially increase the cost of health- care options would have to be This marks the lowest weekly num- Correspondent any and all input from local orga- care and severance for five years, negotiated with the teachers’ ber of cases in Southwick since before WESTFiELD — Guy McLain nizations and associations that and potentially increase their pen- unions. the holidays. is ready to take the Westfield wish to collaborate on future sions from 50 percent to 80 per- “If we want some wiggle room, On Thursday, Southwick-Tolland- Athenaeum’s long history to a endeavors. cent. we have to give the mayor wiggle Granville Regional School District new level as he embarks on a “I really want to work with a “Aren’t we jumping the gun room, too,” Flaherty said, adding Superintendent Jennifer C. Willard journey of exploring the varied variety of organizations involved here,” said At-large Councilor that he wanted to refer the motion sent an email to parents saying that opportunities with the local citi- in the arts, history, and business James R. Adams during the dis- to Long Range Finance, the com- in-person hybrid learning will contin- zenry that will enhance library to find ways we can collaborate cussion, adding that a lot of work mittee that he chairs, as well as to ue for at least the week of Feb. 22-26. services and programming and to have more of an impact,” said would be put in that might not the Personnel Action Committee. On Feb. 17, the percent positivity open up dialogue for creative McLain. “I encourage organiza- have to be done. At-large Councilor Richard K. rate for Hampden County was record- endeavors for patrons of all ages. tions to reach out and I invite Flaherty said the proposed law Sullivan Jr. said he would support ed at 4.86 percent, just under the five “The Westfield Athenaeum is a anyone to call me on how we can is for a local option that the school the motion, but he would ask that percent threshold. This means the very important community work together. Even if we can’t committee and the city council Long Range Finance and Personnel school district is no longer in the resource and I hope to see us do something immediately, we would have to accept, and could take into consideration that it is exclusionary period as identified in really ramp this up with even can look for opportunities and come before the council in April just a bill and hasn’t yet passed. the Memorandum of Agreement for more library services and pro- discuss ideas.” or May, or sooner. “There are several proposals out COVID-19 school district closure grams, as well as collaborate McLain, who resides in “Before we accept any special there. This is a long way from metrics. with other organizations in the Easthampton, first discovered his act, we need to know what the real done,” Sullivan said, adding that Because the STGRSD has recorded city to work together on proj- love for history when he was sent costs are. I don’t think there’s any he thinks it’s “wildly premature.” a low incidence rate of COVID-19, ects,” said McLain, who took the to Germany while serving in the harm in doing the research early,” He also asked to add the mayor reins as Athenaeum director on he said, adding that he spoke to See COVID-19 Update, Page 3 Feb. 8. See Athenaeum, Page 3 Velis and state Rep. Kelly Pease, See Early Retirement, Page 3 PAGE 2 - SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2021 WWW.THEWESTFIELDNEWS.COM THE WESTFIELD NEWS UMass Amherst Dean's List Claudia Francis Cressotti Holy Cross announces Dean's List at Ithaca College Andrew Curran AMHERST – Below is a list of local stu- Allison Julia Davis Dean's List ITHACA, NY - Ithaca College student dents who were named to the dean’s list at the Shoshana Maniscalco from Westfield was Nicholas James Duncan WORCESTER - A total of 1,453 students University of Massachusetts Amherst for the Jakob Dupuis named to the Dean's List for the fall 2020 fall 2020 semester. In order to qualify, an were named to College of the Holy Cross' semester. Gabriel Feingold Dean's List for outstanding academic achieve- undergraduate student must receive a 3.5 Samantha Loren Feingold grade-point average or better on a four-point ment during the fall semester of the 2020-21 Mikayla Lynn Feliciano academic year.