Search for The Westfield News Westfield350.comTheThe Westfield WestfieldNews News 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 TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017 75 cents $1.00 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2020 VOL. 89 NO. 261 Southwick Westfield Gardens Public nursing home Library experiencing fees lifted COVID-19 By HOPE E. TREMBLAY Editor outbreak SOUTHWICK – The Select Board By PETER CURRIER Oct. 27 unanimously supported Staff Writer eliminating fines at the library. WESTFIELD — Westfield has 56 new confirmed COVID- Southwick Public Library Director 19 cases this week, with two additional deaths and 28 people Lynn Blair said the Library Trustees in isolation as of Oct. 28. approved the request Oct. 13. She The total number of cases since the said the funds collected by fees are beginning of the pandemic now nominal and during the coronavirus stands at 678 with 61 related deaths. pandemic, she and her fellow librar- Health Director Joseph Rouse said ians wanted to lift fees to lift spirits. Wednesday that about half of the 56 “Ten cents here and 20 cents there new cases this week are from a single doesn’t really add up, and this makes nursing home in Westfield, the people happy,” said Blair. “They are Westfield Gardens on Feeding Hills really appreciative.” Road. Last week there were roughly The Board unanimously agreed seven cases tied to the same home. Sue and Ralph Figy are organizing the Westfield Public Schools Thanksgiving “If we did not have this cluster and Selectman Joseph Deedy said Food Drive for the seventh year. (THE WESTFIELD NEWS) “it’s a great thing.” now, it would be similar to last week’s The library, 95 Feeding Hills number, maybe a little bit lower,” Road, is currently back to its normal said Rouse. hours, however the number of Schools’ Thanksgiving Food Last week the city recorded 36 new patrons is limited and browsing and confirmed cases of COVID-19. computer use is by appointment Rouse said that the two people who JOSEPH A. only. Drive is on, with changes died of COVID-19 this week were ROUSE Blair said patrons have a one-hour senior citizens that were not from the Westfield Director By AMY PORTER Firtion-Adams Funeral Home, John J. window per appointment. Computers Westfield Gardens home. of Public Health Staff Writer Beltrandi, III, Dave Flaherty and Cindy The remainder of the 56 new cases are currently reserved from 2- 5 p.m. WESTFIELD – This year’s Harris also donated multiple turkeys. for student use on weekdays and this week were mostly spread out Thanksgiving Food Drive for families at The Westfield Bank, Polish National among the community, with no single significant cluster out- COVID guidelines are in place. Westfield Public Schools will be a lot Credit Union, Westfield Gas & Electric, Hours are Monday and Tuesday side of the nursing home. different because of COVID, said Sue and Elm Electric provided the cloth One case was detected in Westfield High School this week, from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m, Wednesday and Ralph Figy, who have been organiz- bags that the meals will be packed in 1-8 p.m., Thursday and Friday from but Rouse said that so far there has not been a significant ing the drive for the past seven years at according to family size for distribution. spread of the virus among school-aged youth in Westfield. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Saturday from the urging of Superintendent Stefan G&E commissioners also donated tur- 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. To reserve a time, School officials were unable to identify whether the infected Czaporowski. keys. person was a student or faculty member for confidentiality call ahead at 413-569-1221. The “We all have to adapt and make things The Westfield Food Pantry, with library is showcasing the work of reasons. work. This year is our biggest challenge whom they are coordinating, gave them Rouse said if spread among school-aged youth becomes local artist Bernadette Johnson ever,” Sue Figy said. potatoes for the meals. Figy said any through November. significant he will speak to Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski Instead of hosting a public canned leftover ingredients from the school about making the recommendation for ending or postponing food drive, for example, they have gone drive will be donated to the Westfield further in-person learning. to area businesses and individuals to ask Food Pantry. “They would probably have to convene an emergency them to sponsor parts of the meal. For Coldwell-Banker Realty is sponsor- School Committee meeting, but we aren’t there yet,” said example, the green bean casseroles are ing the corn, and Kathy Burns, Real Rouse. being sponsored by Elm Electric. Living Real Estate, is taking on the He will also be speaking with the School Committee Nov. 2 Sue Figy said her goal is to get to 200 cranberry sauce. William and Susan to figure out how to move forward while cases surge locally, meals, although she said she will most Phelon donated the squash, along with nationally and statewide. likely go higher, because the need is so an anonymous farmer who delivered a Aside from the outbreak in the nursing home, there is no great this year. Each school gives them truckload. particular age group that is seeing a higher rate of infection in the names and sizes of the families who The Figy family — Ralph, Sue, Westfield. Rouse said that the average age of those infected will receive the meals. Lauren and Sean – provided the stuffing this week is late 40’s to early 50’s. “I started about a month ago reaching and gravy, and the Westfield Police He said a large reason why Westfield has not seen signifi- out to everybody for help. Nobody has Association is sponsoring brownies for cant spread among schools yet is because schools in Westfield said no to me. I’m really happy with dessert. They also had a huge donation waited more than a month to resume in-person learning. that,” she said. of cereal from Lorena Dondley, “So During that period, Rouse said, there was some spread among Among the contributions they have everyone will get cereal. She does it people involved in youth sports. received to date is an anonymous donor every year for us,” Sue Figy said. “There was a period of about a week or two where the pre- who gave them 100 turkeys for the sec- Advance Manufacturing, the dominant age of new cases was ages of kids who would be ond year in a row. “Truly a blessing,” Westfield Education Association and playing youth sports,” said Rouse, “We weren’t back to school she said. then, so those cases never got into that setting to spread it Figy said Councilors James Adams of See Food Drive, Page 3 around. We dodged a bullet by staying out of in-person learn- LYNN BLAIR ing when we had a problem with youth sports transmissions.” Southwick Public Library Director YMCAs bring awareness to child safety through Five Days of Action campaign By AMY PORTER having them in bedrooms. Staff Writer Another suggestion of the WESTFIELD – The YMCA Five Days of Action cam- of Greater Westfield is joining paign is to start the conversa- the effort to raise awareness tion with your kids about and educate the community safety by playing the “What on protecting youth through If?” game. the YMCA Five Days of The What If? game is a Action campaign. great way to pose possible The Five Days of Action is situations to kids that they a week designed to raise cially relevant with the added may face in life and would awareness and inspire adults screen time due to remote need to solve. As a parent or to take action to protect chil- learning. Among the sugges- caregiver, it’s important to let dren from sexual abuse. Led tions is to keep your kids on a your kids know you are by the YMCA Guardians for schedule with their virtual always there for them and Child Protection, the goal is learning and online activities they can tell you anything. to engage communities, so you know when and what But you can’t always be there, improve internal operations, they are doing. Be sure to at least not physically. and advance policy and envi- include time away from Allard said by playing the ronmental change to protect devices in the schedule. What If? game, you are youth from sexual abuse. Discuss the importance of empowering your children to YMCA Director Andrea never giving out identifying develop positive decision- Allard said as a youth serving information such as name, making skills and giving them organization, they want to address, the confidence they need to bring awareness and educa- neighborhood, and phone problem-solve on their own. tion to the community through number online and have rules It helps build resilience, positive messages and infor- about where devices live and which is crucial for overcom- WHS Senior Night mation posted at the Y, and can be used – public parts of ing obstacles. through social media. the house where you can eas- Check-in with your kids The Westfield Bombers girls volleyball seniors on “Senior Night”: Grace Regan, One of the messages of the ily monitor their activity. At about how they are feeling Raeana Edwards, Irelis Rodriguez, and Viktoria Pavlyuk. See story and photos Page campaign is how to keep your bedtime have rules around 6.