The Man Behind the First Night Bike

TONIGHT Mostly Cloudy. Low of 13. Search for The Westfield News The Westfield Search for The Westfield News News “CENSORSHIP ENDS IN Westfield350.com The Westfield LOGICAL COMPLETENESS News IME IS THE ONLY Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns WHEN“T NOBODY IS ALLOWED TO WEATHER READ ANYCRITIC BOOKS WITHOUT EXCEPT THE TONIGHT AMBITION BOOKS THAT NOBODY .”READS .” Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK — GeORGSearchE BER forN TheARD Westfield SHAW News Westfield350.comWestfield350.orgLow of 55. Thewww.thewestfieldnews.com WestfieldNews Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns “TIME IS THE ONLY WEATHERVOL. 86 NO. 151 75 cents VOL.88 NO. 10 SATURDAY,TUESDAY, JUNEJANUARY 27, 12,2017 2019 CRITIC75 Cents WITHOUT TONIGHT AMBITION.” Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 86 NO. 151 ‘Kaz,’ the manTUESDAY, JUNEbehind 27, 2017 75 cents the first night bike By PETER CURRIER Manufacturing if they could construct a ‘ball’ Correspondent that would drop at the end of the night. Ali WESTFIELD — On New Year’s Eve, hun- Salehi, President of the Westfield based man- dreds of Westfield residents gathered at ufacturing company, tasked Kazimierz ‘Kaz’ Amelia Park to for the city’s first ever ‘First Trzepacz with creating the sculpture. Rather Night’ celebration in honor of the Westfield than create a traditional ball like one would 350th anniversary. There was a parade, food, see in Times Square, Rock asked Columbia to and activities for kids throughout the night. create a welded sculpture of an old-style Ali Salehi, President of Of course, no New Year’s Eve party can go bicycle, for which Columbia Manufacturing Columbia Manufacturing without a ball drop to cap off the night. is famous for pioneering. in Westfield. (Photo by Peter Harry Rock, President of the Friends of the Kazimierz ‘Kaz’ Trzepacz, far right, is seen in this family Currier) Westfield 350th, asked Columbia See Kaz, Page 3 photo. (Photo courtesy of the Trzepacz family) Westfield 350 Volunteers needed lecturer to for Financial Literacy Fair aimed at high discuss history school students By AMY PORTER Correspondent of rail trail, WESTFIELD – Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS) coordinator Tina Macy has put out a call for volunteers for Credit for Life, canal an interactive financial literacy By PETER CURRIER fair for high school students Correspondent Marion Dunk (left) writer and director of music for “Time in March 12 at Westfield State WESTFIELD- The third lecture in the Westfield Westfield” and Kathy Palmer, script writer and director of the University. Participating will be 350 lecture series will take place Wednesday eve- play. (Photo by Peter Currier) seniors from Westfield High ning at 6:30 p.m. with Bob Madison speaking School, juniors from Westfield about the history of the canal greenway and the rail Technical Academy, and stu- trail. dents from Southwick/Tolland Tina Macy, Westfield The lecture was originally scheduled to take Theater group and St. Mary’s High School, VIP’s coordinator. place at the Westfield Athenaeum, however due to about 500-600 total. (WNG file photo) the popularity of the first two lectures, it is being Credit for Life asks students to moved to the First Congregational Church. holding auditions pretend they are 25 years old. “I wrote a book, called The New Haven Given a career, and a commensurate salary, they must Northampton Canal Greenway, the Columbia make the financial choices they will face about spending Greenway is part of it,” said Bob Madison, “There money; such as deciding whether to live alone or have a are about 18 different trail names between New for Westfield roommate, where to buy furniture, what is the difference Haven and Northampton.” between buying & leasing, and do they need to save for Madison, who grew up in Westfield, said he retirement now. wrote the book because he learned that there used Students are given a credit score, a savings account to be a canal that went through Westfield that many 350th musical and the freedom to make their cash or credit purchases at By PETER CURRIER any of the 16+ booths, which include housing, insurance, See Lecturer, Page 7 Correspondent transportation, food and clothing among others. Their WESTFIELD- The Westfield Theater Group will be holding choices are reviewed at the end to see how they managed auditions this week for their May production of “Time in their money and whether they ended up in the black… or Westfield” written in honor of the Westfield 350th anniversary. in the red. The play, which explores the history of Westfield through a Macy said at least 80 volunteers are needed for the fair. comedic and musical lens, was written by Kathy Palmer, while “With so many kids, the more volunteers, the better con- the music was written by Marion Dunk. There will be an interest versations that you can have with them,” she said. A lot meeting for those hoping to be cast in the play at the Westfield of the volunteers are from the banks and financial institu- Women’s Club on Sunday at 4 p.m. tions, along with regular VIPS volunteers, however more “It’s fun, entertaining, and on the comedic side,” said play- are needed. She said you don’t have to have financial wright Kathy Palmer, “obviously we can’t do all of Westfield expertise to participate, just life experience. history. What we have tried to avoid was a history lesson.” “My first time two years ago, I was chairperson of the Palmer said she has done a lot of research on the history of the furniture booth,” Macy said, adding that there are several city. She has gone through more than half a dozen Westfield his- other positions easily picked up by anyone. For example, tory books in the process. The main characters of the musical one booth sells cars to students. Macy said salespeople Bob Madison with a copy of his book and an try to get the students into cars that are too expensive for example of his black and white watercolor paint- See Westfield 350th Musical, Page 7 them. Others try to sell vacations and cruises to them. ings that he uses in the book and lectures. (Photo submitted) See Credit for Life, Page 7 Tollland Fire Dept. seeks new truck By GREG FITZPATRICK decision to replace it with the new truck. Correspondent “It’s a city truck so it’s really not made for the country roads TOLLAND – Fire Chief Eric Munson has announced that and hills,” said Munson. the Tolland Fire Department is seeking to bring a warrant The proposed new truck also has five seats for firefighters article to the annual town meeting in May to see if the town but comes with a 1,500 gallon water capacity and would make will appropriate a new fire truck for the fire department. a positive impact on firefighting in the department. Currently, the department has both a 1992 pumper truck and “We’d be able to attack fires that we responded to much a 1995 pumper, with the latter being the primary attack pump- faster,” said Munson. er when fires occur. The 1992 pumper truck has 1,200 gallons Munson estimates that the new truck will cost anywhere of water and has two seats for firefighters. According to from $475,000 to $550,000, but there’s no set price at this Munson, the 1992 truck would serve as the replacement truck time. Over the last three years or so, the Town of Tolland has if a new truck is purchased. been saving up enough money for the truck in case it does pass The new truck would be replacing the 1995 truck, which has at the annual town meeting. Munson also added that he’s 500 gallons of water and has five seats. Due to the lack of gal- going to be meeting with a number of vendors to get a more The 1992 truck is the engine two truck that will serve as the lons of water that the 1995 truck can provide, it’s an easy specific price. back up for the new truck. (Photo from Eric Munson) PAGE 2 - SATURDAY, JANUARY 12, 2019 WWW.THEWESTFIELDNEWS.COM THE WESTFIELD NEWS Piece of Westfield history finds a new home Submitted by CAROL MARTIN The moving of such a large and heavy piece of furniture, which Westfield Museum Inc. does not “break down” for convenience the way most modern WESTFIELD – A well respected and fondly remembered part institutional furniture does, was not as difficult as expected. Said of Westfield’s collective memory has just found a new home. Paquette, “Our moving company, Empire Movers, has years of The Reference Desk, a massive solid wood fixture, measuring experience. They really knows what they are doing.” 20” wide and 12’ long, was moved on Thursday, January 10 from If you missed the Desk in its last days at the Athenaeum, or as the Westfield Athenaeum at Court Square to Westfield Museum it was transported down Elm Street and moved into its new home, Inc. at 360 Elm Street. you will be able to see it at Westfield Museum when it opens to the “We appreciate the history and years of service this desk has public later this year. given the Westfield community,” said Dan Paquette, Athenaeum Westfield Museum Board member Justin Cobb and Director, “but it just didn’t fit in with our newly updated floor plan. Westfield Athenaeum Archivist Kate Deviny are seen We didn’t want to see it moved out of Westfield, so naturally we standing behind and discussing the history of the thought of giving it to the Museum.” Reference Desk.

Load more