1.5M in Grants Awarded to Southern Hilltowns
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TONIGHT Few Clouds. Low of 59. Search for The Westfield News The Westfield Search for The Westfield News News RADITION IS WHAT Westfield350.com The WestfieldNews “T YOU“T IMERESOR IS THET T ONLYO WHEN Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns YOU DON T HAVE THE WEATHER CRITIC ’ WITHOUT TIME OR THE MONEY TONIGHT AMBITION .” TO DO IT RIGHT.” Partly Cloudy. SearchJOHN for STEINBECK The Westfield News LowWestfield350.com Westfield350.orgof 55. Thewww.thewestfieldnews.com WestfieldNews — KurT HERBERT ADLER Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns “TIME IS THE ONLY VOL.WEATHER 86 NO. 151 TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017 CRITIC75 cents WITHOUT VOL.TONIGHT 87 NO. 197 SATURDAY, AUGUST 25, 2018 75AMBITION Cents .” Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL.$1.5M 86 NO. 151 in grants TUESDAY,awarded JUNE 27, 2017 75 cents to southern hilltowns By AMY PORTER the ramp the following year. Correspondent The second grant is for $1,090,860, the majority of which HILLTOWNS – Erica Johnson, senior planner/manager for will go to the town of Russell for road and infrastructure work. the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission has announced two $495,000 is slated for retaining wall replacement on Pomeroy Community Development Block Grant (CDGB) awards for the Terrace, which will include new guard rails, drainage and road southern hilltowns of Russell, Huntington, Chester and work. Middlefield, totaling $1.5 million. Also in Russell, an infrastructure planning project that will be The majority of the first grant of $408,000, which is specific looking at the whole town and all of the villages, including Pleasant Street in Huntington received CDBG grant to Huntington, is for water line replacement on Aldrich Avenue. Woronoco, has been awarded an estimated $110,000. Johnson funding last year for the replacement of water, sewer and Johnson said the road collects water and gets flooded. The grant said the project, which will be contracted out for an engineering drainage lines on Pleasant as well as a new roadway and will enable the town to replace the old pipes with bigger pipes analysis, will look at streets, sidewalks, drainage, and sewers, sidewalks. (Photo submitted) and redo the road. and will result in an infrastructure master plan to allow the town $20,000 of the grant will also be used for the design for a new to prioritize projects. towns ten years ago. ramp at the Town Hall. The current ramp, which enters into “The town realizes they need to look at it more holistically,” Social services also received some of the $1 million both Town Hall and Stanton Hall, is not compliant with ADA Johnson said, adding that they do great work in the highway, plus award. The Huntington Food Pantry will receive standards, according to Johnson. She said the redesign will give water and sewer departments, but that much of the work is $40,000. The Hilltown Family Center and Health Outreach the town the opportunity to provide access from the ramp to the independent of each other. “Hopefully, this will be our guide Program for Elders (Hope), both under the auspices of the town green; which is currently blocked off from access. moving forward,” said Johnson, who admitted that she has Johnson said the plan is to apply for a grant for construction of wanted to do the analysis since she started working with the See Grants, Page 3 Southwick trail receives funding from the state By GREG FITZpaTRICK Correspondent SOUTHWICK – The Baker- Polito Administration announced earlier this week that they’ve awarded over $3.9 million in order to fund design, maintenance, and construction for 75 trail projects throughout Massachusetts. The grant is Southwick DPW Director Randy Brown. being funded through the state’s (Photo courtesy of Greg Fitzpatrick) RTP (Recreational Trail Program) and other state fund- ing. Gov. Charlie Baker expresses Local communities his thoughts on the grant. “The Commonwealth’s net- receive funds work of trails offers residents and visitors outdoor recreation- al opportunities, while also for recycling serving as connections between By GREG FITZpaTRICK regions and communities,” said Correspondent Baker. “These grants will aid SOUTHWICK/GRANVILLE – Rep. Nick local organizations, municipali- Boldyga and Sen. Don Humason announced on ties, and other stakeholders in Tuesday that local communities have received their efforts to build and main- funding for the Massachusetts DEP (Department tain trails throughout of Environmental Protection) Recycling Massachusetts.” Dividends Program. The press release from the The floating boardwalk is one of the attractions on the Rising Corner Road trail that will be improved Southwick has received $6,000 while Massachusetts Department of on from the grant. (WNG File Photo) Granville is receiving $4,200. Conservation and Recreation “I’m happy to see our district awarded these describes the way the RTP grant Federal Surface Transportation (DCR) Commissioner.” enough. important grants to help improve recycling ser- is funded. Act, in coordination with the Southwick is a local commu- The AMC (Appalachian vices and green energy,” said Humason. “These “The grants are funded by Massachusetts Department of nity that is being positively Mountain Club), a non-profit funds will assist local efforts to promote cleaner both federal Recreational Trails Transportation (MassDOT). All impacted by the grant. The trail organization that takes care of communities and neighborhoods.” Program (RTP) funds and state RTP grant applications have in Southwick on Rising Corner more than 350 miles of trails “I’m glad our district is being recognized and capital funds. Federal RTP been reviewed by the Road will be receiving $31,577 across five states in the rewarded for its efforts to promote green com- funds are received directly from Massachusetts Recreational in order to build a more stable Northeast, applied for the RTP munities,” said Boldyga. “These funds will the motor fuel excise tax on off- Trails Advisory Board parking lot for the trail, as well this past winter. The AMC origi- ensure they can continue to recycle and promote road vehicles including ATVs (MARTAB), which is an inde- as a trail that leads to the floating nally requested $43,000 from the a green community.” and snowmobiles, and are pro- pendent volunteer board appoint- boardwalk, which has been iden- Baker-Polito Administration, vided by the U.S. Department ed by the Department of tified as a concern, since the See Recycling, Page 5 of Transportation and the Conservation and Recreation poles to stabilize it aren’t deep See Southwick, Page 5 Blandford Native Serves with the U.S. Navy half a world away By Mass Communication Specialist me in the Navy,” said Bessette. “I’ve and more than 130,000 uniformed and Hospitalman 1st Class Robert Zahn, Navy Office of learned that what I learned growing up civilian personnel serving in the Pacific. Kyle Bessette Community Outreach has carried with me.” “Just the learning experience here is is serving SANTA RITA, Guam – A 2015 Naval Hospital Guam is comprised of great. There’s such a camaraderie with with the Gateway Regional High School gradu- the main hospital in Agana Heights and everyone,” said Bessette. “If you’re hospital ate and Blandford, Massachusetts, native two branch clinics, medical and dental, willing to learn, you can do anything.” in Guam. is serving with the U.S. Navy with U.S. on Naval Base Guam. The hospital’s Though there are many ways for sail- (Photo by Mass Naval Hospital Guam. staff consists of 516 active duty and 201 ors to earn distinction in their command, Communication A Navy hospital corpsman is respon- civilians, contractors, reservists and vol- community, and career, Bessette is most Specialist 2nd sible for the prevention and treatment of unteers who serve more than 26,000 proud of finding his career path in the Class Jackson disease and injury, assisting health care beneficiaries. medical field. Brown) professionals in providing medical care According to officials at the U.S. “I’m grateful for the Navy giving me to personnel, conducting preliminary Navy’s Pacific Fleet headquarters in the opportunity to better my life and physical examinations, as well as per- Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, the ships, subma- mature,” Bessette said. forming medical administrative, supply rines, aircraft and Navy personnel for- As a member of one of the U.S. and accounting procedures. ward-deployed to Guam are part of the Navy’s most relied upon assets, Bessette “I enjoy working here because it’s world’s largest fleet command and serve and other sailors know they are part of a given me so many opportunities to expe- in a region critical to U.S. national secu- legacy that will last beyond their life- rience all aspects of my job,” said rity. The U.S. Pacific Fleet encompasses times, one that will provide a critical Bessette. “I’ve done surgeries so it’s 100 million square miles, nearly half the component of the Navy the nation needs. something that I thought I’d never do.” Earth’s surface, from Antarctica to the “The Navy gave me opportunities to Bessette credits success in the Navy to Arctic Circle and from the West Coast of get on my feet and do what I want to do many of the lessons learned in Blandford. the United States into the Indian Ocean. with my life,” Bessette said. “I’m proud “I learned to help others by putting All told, there are more than 200 ships myself in their shoes. This has helped and submarines, nearly 1,200 aircraft, to say that I can wear this uniform.” PAGE 2 - SATURDAY, AUGUST 25, 2018 WWW.THEWESTFIELDNEWS.COM THE WESTFIELD NEWS A Salute to a South Wood Badge Reunion to Celebrate 70th Anniversary Westfield RUSSELL —Wood Badge alumni and their guests are invited to commemorate Community the 70th anniversary of the first American course at a reunion picnic on Sunday, Worthington Character August 26.