Judge Contant Retires New Stop Will Be at the Great River Bridge on Elm Street (By the Whip Factory) for a “Sneak by Carl E
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TONIGHT Mainly Cloudy. Low of 52. Search for The Westfield News The Westfield “THE TESTSearch OF COURAGE for The Westfield News TODAY IN WESTFIELD News Westfield350.com The WestfieldNews COMES WHEN WE ARE HISTORY: Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns IN THE“T MINORIIME IS THETY. ONLY WEATHER 1855 Consolidation THE TEST OF TOLERANCECRITIC WITHOUT TONIGHT of Am. Whip Co.; whips COMES WHEN WE AMBITIONARE .” IN THE MAJORITY.” Partly Cloudy. made as early as 1801 JOHN STEINBECK –Search RaLPH for W. The S WestfieldOCKMAN News Westfield350.comWestfield350.orgLow of 55. in LittleThe River & Mundale. www.thewestfieldnews.comWestfieldNews Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns “TIME IS THE ONLY WEATHER VOL. 87 NO.VOL. 105 86 NO. 151 SATURDAY,TUESDAY, MAY 5, JUNE 2018 27, 2017 CRITIC75 CentsWITHOUT 75 cents TONIGHT AMBITION.” Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com Mayor’sVOL. 86 NO. 151 Bike Ride – a greatTUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017 75 cents way to experience the city By LORI SZEPELAK “The Mayor’s Bike Ride is an opportunity Correspondent to see the city from two wheels,” said WESTFIELD-Mayor Brian P. Sullivan will Sullivan, noting he has been a “casual bike be among those biking around town on May rider” his entire life. 12 to celebrate the start of Bike Week. Sullivan noted that some of his “best child- Billed as the Mayor’s Bike Ride, the family hood memories” are playing bike tag with his friendly event kicks off at 10 a.m. in the park- neighborhood friends through Stanley Park. ing lot at City Hall – led by the Friends of the “The ride gives you a new perspective Columbia Greenway Rail Trail. The Friends about traveling through our city, from a dif- mission is to create pathways to a bicycle and ferent mode of transportation than you may pedestrian friendly Westfield. be used to,” said Sullivan. The 60-minute ride starts at City Hall and continues onto Court Street and then makes a The staff at Westfield District Court applauds as First Justice Philip A. Contant takes the right onto Broad Street. The route then turns bench for the last day of his 34 year career as a judge. (Photo by Carl E. Hartdegen) left at Hedges Avenue and then up the ramp onto the rail trail. Riders will proceed north on the trail to Main Street, then proceed on the street west to Elm Street and turn north. A Judge Contant retires new stop will be at the Great River Bridge on Elm Street (by the whip factory) for a “sneak By CARL E. HARTDEGEN the shortage of justices in the district courts. peek” of the refurbished rail bridge, as well Correspondent After work on his last day on the bench, as the Memorial Brick Plaza. The ride will WESTFIELD – Judge Phil Contant retired Contant gathered with friends, family and then head south on Elm Street and back to Thursday – sort of. colleagues for a party and offered some fare- City Hall. Philip A. Contant, First Justice at Westfield well remarks to the assembly after dinner. “The bike trail is such a beautiful part of District Court for 33 years, heard his last case “I’ve always felt it’s the best job in the Westfield Mayor Brian P. Sullivan and Don our city,” said Sullivan. “It is a great way to on Thursday after the court staff gathered in world” he said. “The district court, I love it Podolski, a member of the Friends of the see it and appreciate it.” the courtroom to wish him well on his last day because its sort of a street level (court).” Columbia Greenway Rail Trail, will once Alice Flyte, director of membership and a on the bench in Westfield. He had high praise for the court and the again be leading the group during the member of the board of directors of the Retired Clerk-Magistrate Carol Katany- staff he has worked with, calling the Westfield Mayor’s Bike Ride on May 12. (Submitted Casartello returned to the court for the ses- court the best in the system and saying that it photo) See Mayor’s Bike Ride, Page 7 sion. “She came back for an encore perfor- has been a favorite court for lawyers to try mance” Contant said, “ We really had a great cases.. relationship for 25 years.” Contant said that he was inspired by Judge “I’m not really going to be retired” he said, Sidney Cooley, the First Justice of the “Thirty four years wasn’t enough”, he said Westfield court when Content was a lawyer with a smile, “I gotta do more.” arguing cases before him when the court was Huntington Library Director ”I’m actually serving as a recall judge.” He in Westfield’s City Hall. explained that as a recall judge he may serve retiring after 35 years in any court other than Westfield to alleviate See Contant Retires, Page 7 By AMY PORTER 1982, and as librarian in 1991. Correspondent “I think I’m on the great-grandchildren HUNTINGTON – Margaret “Maggie” here,” Nareau said. Nareau is retiring at the end of June after 35 The Huntington Public Library is part of years with the Huntington Public Library. A the Massachusetts Cataloguing System and 1966 graduate of Gateway Regional High the Mass. Library system, from which School, Nareau started as assistant librarian in patrons can order any book anywhere. Nareau said the library’s 1,000 patrons take full advantage of the opportunity to order books. The library is open six days a week. Nareau said the Huntington library focus- es on pleasure reading and fiction, and cur- rently has 13,500 books. Of those, 136 were loaned out to other libraries through the inter-library loan system, and 347 were ordered from other libraries. Over the years, she said they’ve gone from one computer given to the library by the state, to a row of five on the floor for patrons, complete with a software computer library. Nareau said first preference is given for use in job searches and education, and then playtime. She said she has proctored Judge Philip Contnat cuts a cake at his retirement party Thursday as his granddaughter, Huntington Public Library Director Maggie Alyssa Plante, 7, waits for her piece. (Photo by Carl E. Hartdegen) Nareau. See Library Director, Page 2 Southwick school committee Southwick school committee candidate: Maria Seddon candidate: Chelsea Berry By GREG FITZPATRICK By GREG FITZPATRICK Correspondent Correspondent SOUTHWICK – Chelsea Berry is a chal- SOUTHWICK – Serving on the Southwick-Tolland- lenger for the open seat on the Southwick- Granville Regional School District school committee since Tolland-Granville Regional School District 2015, Maria Seddon is now up for re-election on May 8. School Committee, but she’s no stranger to Working in the Human Resources Department at Big Y, Southwick. Seddon realized in 2015 that she wanted to make an impact Berry went through the Southwick school in the community where her kids attend school. Prior to that, system as a student and became a substitute Seddon had been a PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) teacher during and after college. Now in her President at Woodland School and wanted to take the next sixth year as a math specialist at an elementary step. school in Longmeadow, Berry has decided that “I wanted to be part of it,” said Seddon. “I wanted to be this was a perfect opportunity to help her com- Chelsea Berry is a challenger for the open an advocate for them,“ said Seddon of her kids. munity in a positive way. seat on the Southwick school committee. Seddon has enjoyed her time on the school committee and “I just felt like it was the right time to give (Photo provided by Chelsea Berry) is focused on being re-elected. back to Southwick,” said Berry. “I really am and how to finance a budget. “I enjoy my time with the members of the committee and Maria Seddon is an incum- devoted to Southwick education.” “All those perspectives are really impor- the administration and there’s a momentum going on that I bent on the school commit- Recently finishing her masters in educa- tant in decision-making in the district,” want to be a part of,” said Seddon. “We want to bring the tee and is looking to retain tional leadership at Mount Holyoke College, said Berry. her seat. Photo provided by Berry learned a lot about educational policy See Maria Seddon, Page 8 Maria Seddon) and gaining knowledge about a curriculum See Chelsea Berry, Page 8 THE BLANDFORD SPRING SPECIAL MAY OFFER!* FULL PRIVILEGE GOLF AND TENNIS GOLF AND 2018 ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP TENNIS CLUB ONLY $450.00!** Download your application at *Only new & returning members are eligible for this offer. www.theblandfordclub.com ** Limited to the first 50 applications received. PAGE 2 - SATURDAY, MAY 5, 2018 WWW.THEWESTFIELDNEWS.COM THE WESTFIELD NEWS Huntington Public Library Director Maggie Nareau and Clerk Amanda Loiselle. Library Director Huntington Public Library, 7 East Main St., Huntington. Continued from Page 1 several people for finals for college in the library, which has The library also features regular shows by local artists, ing program. its own Wi-Fi. scheduling the artist’s open house on the first Saturday of the Talking about her retirement, tears come easily to Nareau’s In addition to reading and computer access, the Huntington month. This month, there is a display of art work by Gateway eyes. “It’s been a very good career. I’m 69 years old and get- library holds monthly workshops that have included recent students, with an Open House on Saturday, May 5 from noon ting tired, and it’s time for a new, fresh outlook,” she said, ones on painting, copper bookmarking, mosaic tile making and to 2 p.m.