TONIGHT: Chance of Shower, t-storm. Low of 67. Search for The Westfield News The Westfield Search for The Westfield News News HE ART OF LIFE IS TO SHOW Westfield350.com The WestfieldNews “T YOUR HAND HERE IS NO “TIME IS THE ONLY. T Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns DIPLOMACY LIKE CANDOR. WEATHER CRITIC WITHOUT YOU MAY LOSE BY IT NOW AND TONIGHT THEN, BUAMBITIONT IT WILL.” BE A LOSS Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK WELL GAINED IF YOU DO. ...” Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com Search for The Westfield News Westfield350.comWestfield350.org The WestfieldNews — E.V. LuCas “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. 179 WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2019 75 Cents TONIGHT AMBITION.” Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL.Big 86 NO. 151 Y eliminatingTUESDAY, JUNEMello, 27, 2017 O’Connell take 75 cents plastic bags Aug. 1 nomination papers By HOPE E. TREMBLAY By LORI SZEPELAK Massachusetts communities Correspondent Correspondent since 2014, and has moved WESTFIELD – Former City Councilor SPRINGFIELD — up its 2020 timeline to elim- Mary O’Connell and Westfield Residents Saving the planet – one inate the bags to streamline Advocating for Themselves founder Kristen plastic bag at a time – is the operations and to do its part L. Mello have taken out papers to run for latest initiative for Big Y to support sustainability. election this fall. Foods, Inc. Also, by implementing this Mello took out nomination papers last Starting Aug. 1, single- ban, Big Y stores will end week for both mayor and at-large city coun- use plastic bags will be distributing 100 million cilor after being urged to run by fellow resi- eliminated at the checkouts plastic bags each year. dents. Mello is largely known for her advo- from Big Y’s supermarket Richard D. Bossie, senior cacy for clean water in the city, which is her and specialty store locations vice president of operations top priority as a candidate. in Massachusetts and and customer experience, “People have been asking me to run for a Connecticut. The grocer is said the company is always while and I kept saying no,” she said, “but KRISTEN MARY currently offering discounts considering ways to make after people walked out of the ATSDR meet- MELLO O’Connell on reusable bags through smart decisions about the ing last week with their hearts on the floor I “I have more research to do,” she said. “I August as customers transi- resources and energy used. the fuel to transport them. stopped saying no.” will run for whichever position in which I can tion away from plastic. “By working with our “Paper bags are also not Mello referred to the Agency for Toxic be more effective to protect residents.” “Since we started the pro- shoppers, we can further doing the environment any Substances and Disease Registry informa- O’Connell is hoping to be elected to the motion of buying one reus- reduce consumption to favors.” tional meeting last week regarding the Ward 4 council seat she held for 12 years able bag, getting one free make a difference in and To gauge the communi- planned PFAS Exposure Assessment. Mello before deciding not to see re-election in 2018. last Thursday, sales in the around the tight-knit com- ty’s feeling about eliminat- has a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Michael Burns is the current Ward 4 council- region have been tremen- munities that we serve ing plastic bags, a plethora University of Massachusetts and a Master’s or. dous,” said Raanan across New England,” said of comments came flooding in Analytical Chemistry. O’Connell said her reason for not seeking Hartman, Big Y’s sales mer- Bossie. in from a post on the We Mello said she is physically affected by re-election was two-fold. chandising mentor. For shoppers who do not Love Westfield Community the weather and is unable to be outside for “I really wanted to have a part in the Hartman added that feed- bring their own shopping Forum Facebook page. At long periods of time to collect signatures. Westfield 350 celebration,” she said. “That back he has heard has been bags beginning Aug. 1, a press time, more than 280 Instead, her supporters took her papers to was a two-year commitment and it’s winding mostly positive from cus- 10-cent charge per paper responses were posted – the streets on her behalf. down.” tomers. bag will be added to their mostly in favor of the ini- “It’s really a grassroots effort,” she said. “Many of our customers bill. This fee is in an effort tiative. Mello is not yet sure which papers she See Mello, O’Connell, Page 3 are excited about this to promote the use of reus- For Colleen Powers will return for certification. change and what is impor- able bags instead of paper, Andrews, she noted she tant is doing the right thing which also causes harm to hasn’t used plastic bags for for the planet,” said the environment. decades. Hartman. “We want customers to “I’m thrilled with this In a statement, Big Y steer away from paper too,” decision,” she said. Healey joins noted it has been complying said Hartman, noting all of Alena Kremer echoed with single-use plastic bag the trees that are involved in bans in several the paper process, as well as See Big Y Bags, Page 8 fight against Students urge WPS community PFAS By AMY PORTER Correspondent to ban plastic bags BOSTON – Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey Tuesday joined a By AMY PORTER coalition of 22 attorneys general in urging Correspondent Congress to pass legislation to help states WESTFIELD – Fresh from their success last sum- address the public health threats posed by mer in convincing the district to eliminate plastic toxic “forever” chemicals. straws in favor of paper straws, which will go into In a letter sent to Congressional leader- effect this fall; the rising fifth and sixth graders in the ship, the attorneys general say federal legis- Summer Edventure program advocated eliminating lation is urgently needed to help states single use plastic bags to community leaders during address the growing dangers posed by a a presentation on Tuesday at the Southampton Road family of man-made, super-resilient chemi- Elementary School. cals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl In the audience were state Rep. John C. Velis, substances (PFAS), which are contaminat- Mayor Brian P. Sullivan, Superintendent Stefan ing drinking water and other natural MAURA HEALEY Czaporowski and Christopher Rogers, Westfield resources throughout the nation. The letter Massachusetts Attorney General Public Schools administrator of student interventions also urges Congress to provide financial Brian P. Sullivan, after being notified of the and safety, who oversees the Summer EdVenture assistance to help state and local govern- letter by the Attorney General. program. ments offset the high costs associated with “Once again we are asking Congress to Summer Edventure and fifth grade teacher cleaning up drinking water supplies due to write legislation that would move the pro- Alexandra Brennan introduced the class of approxi- PFAS contamination. cesses of the Department of Defense for- mately 40 students. She said they were “super proud Canvas bag designed by students “The Commonwealth, and Westfield par- ward to alleviate the burden that has been (Photo by ticularly, is grateful for all of the recent sup- put on the towns and cities of this Country in Summer EdVenture. See WPS Students, Page 8 Amy Porter) port we have been getting from our State and Federal elected Officials,” said Mayor See Fighting PFAS, Page 3 Montgomery Town Hall gets upgrade By AMY PORTER Painters from Correspondent Pro Coat MONTGOMERY – Richard Bryer of Florence Painting in and Chris Hathaway of Pittsfield, painters with Pro Huntington Coat Painting of Huntington, were battling 95 degree heat and humidity on Tuesday as they prep 1849 scraped the paint off the Montgomery Town Hall. Union Hall Hathaway said they had been on the job for two for new paint. Janet Gravel, center, a site coordinator for Domus days scraping a couple of layers off the 1849 (Photo by Incorporated’s Prospect Hill School, Catherine Tansey, building. He said he expected the job to take a Amy Porter) a social worker at Westfield High School, and Ann Lentini, executive director, Domus. plan a past fund- raiser to benefit “Our House” on Broad Street. (Photo by By Lori Szepelak) Collection drive underway to help homeless teens week or a week and a half, depending on Thielen said she thought the side of the By LORI SZEPELAK what they find. building the painters were working on, “We are thorough. You have to make which is in the full sun, would be the Correspondent sure you get it off,” Hathaway said about worst. WESTFIELD — For homeless teens, a safe haven on the old paint. The painters will also paint the cupola Broad Street will soon celebrate its third year of providing Painters Richard Bryer of Florence and Administrative Assistant Jane Thielen on top of the building. Thielen said the a secure home, as well as group activities and services, Chris Hathaway of Pittsfield scraping paint said the job, which was bid at $4,800, town plans to have the bell removed ensuring that residents thrive and strive for their highest in Tuesday’s 95 degree heat in full sun. (Photo had been in the budget for a while. The from the cupola, mounted and displayed by Amy Porter) building was last painted in 2014. in front of the building.