Westfield State Rep. Race a Close Call
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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 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 VOL. 89 NO. 212 Westfield state rep. race a close call Unofficial results: Kelly Pease has 117 vote lead over Dan Allie By AMY PORTER Staff Writer WESTFIELD – Kelly Pease and Dan Allie went head to head in the State House 4th Hampden Republican primary on Sept. 1, seeking the GOP nomination for the House seat left vacant by John C. Velis who was elected to the state senate. Pease, a retired U.S. Army officer and a former legislative aide for former state Sen. Donald F. Humason Jr., came out on top in his firstever election, earning 1,733 votes to The Boldyga family is all smiles Sept. 1 when state Rep. Nicholas Boldyga, a Southwick 1,616 for Allie, a difference of 117 votes, Republican, won the primary election and will face Democrat Kerri O’Connor in November. according to unofficial returns. (NICHOLAS BOLDYGA PHOTO) However, Allie, a four-time Westfield City Councilor who had previously run against Velis for the House seat, said he was told by the City Clerk’s office that not all of the mail- KELLY PEASE Boldyga sweeps primary, in ballots had been counted by the close of the election. who said they were registered, for example in “There are a number of mail-in ballots that the RMV or online, but were not in the system were not counted before the polls closed. and have to be researched in her office. moves on to November election Until we have further information, we will “There are some outstanding things that By HOPE E. TREMBLAY and Southwick, receiving was thrilled with the results watch closely before making an official state- have to be taken care of. That’s very normal, Editor about 70 percent of the votes. and the number of voters who ment,” Allie said. and is part of the process and procedure,” SOUTHWICK – Voters Boldyga received 852 cast a ballot. City Clerk Karen M. Fanion said some Fanion added, saying that the official results overwhelmingly supported votes in Southwick to chal- “I think people were really mail-in ballots that were deposited at 8 p.m. must be reported to the state by Sept. 5. incumbent state Rep. lenger Dino Mercadante’s motivated to vote,” he said. were processed through her office and sent to “I feel ecstatic,” Pease said. “This process Nicholas Boldyga in the pri- 222 votes. Mercadante is an “We have a positive message the precincts to be tallied manually as auxil- has been fantastic, just meeting the voters of mary election Sept. 1. Agawam City Councilor. and have been working hard iary ballots, but had yet not been added to the Westfield. My family and I are going to take Boldyga won the 3rd Boldyga said Tuesday to represent the community machine tape total. a vacation this weekend and reset. Then I’m Hampden Republican contest night that he was happy and in Boston.” “We have until Saturday to certify the elec- going to get to know the rest of the voters, across the district, which tired. He spent the night at tion,” Fanion said. That count will also includes Agawam, Granville home with his family and he See Boldyga, Page 5 include some provisional ballots from voters See Close Call, Page 5 Carillon Tower St. Mary’s schools feature inspires begin year in-person By HOPE E. TREMBLAY Editor greeting card design St. Mary’s High has 34 new students, elementary school is full By LORI SZEPELAK with a waiting list Correspondent WESTFIELD – St. Mary’s Parish Schools started the school WESTFIELD — The natural surroundings of Stanley Park year in-person Aug. 31. continue to inspire countless individuals to capture its essence While the majority of area public schools will start the school through a variety of mediums, and this holiday season, a city year in mid-September and have a hybrid of remote and in-person woman has designed a greeting card that spoke to her after learning or fully remote instruction, students from Pre-K through experiencing the Carillon Tower from inside looking out into grade 12 will have full-day instruction in St. Mary’s schools. the rose and flower garden. Having the in-person instruction was appealing to many fami- “I am a lifelong resident of Westfield and grew up a few lies whose children previously attended public school. At St. streets down from the park,” said Denise Calvo-Berndt, who Mary’s Parish School, there are 70 new students and all class- has created a colorful holiday card that uses as its centerpiece rooms, grades PreK -8, are full this year for the first time in a a stained glass window from the Carillon Tower. while. Calvo-Berndt, a real estate agent with Real Living “There are 229 students enrolled and waiting lists in all Professionals, said she chose to expand her volunteer efforts grades,” said Daniel R. Baillargeon, superintendent of catholic last year after a friend told her about opportunities at Stanley schools, Diocese of Springfield. Park. She is also a member of Westfield Kiwanis. Baillargeon said it was a great first day back. “I started at the park in 2019 and was welcomed with open “The teachers, staff, families, and volunteers did a tremendous arms,” said Calvo-Berndt, noting she assisted with events for job in getting the building ready,” he said. “The students were children as well as for the annual park fundraiser. “I was also going to help with weekly history walks they had See St. Mary's Schools, Page 3 on Thursdays this year then COVID struck,” she said, noting in mid-August was the first time she was able to host a history tour. Westfield resident Denise Calvo-Berndt has created “It is so fun to learn about the history and special places all “A Stanley Park Christmas” card with a portion of around the park,” said Calvo-Berndt. “At the end of the walk the sale of each card to benefit Stanley Park. The we were able to go into the Carillon Tower where I saw the cards are available exclusively at Pilgrim Candle on stained glass windows for the first time.” Union Avenue. (DENISE CALVO-BERNDT PHOTO) The Carillon Tower was completed in 1950 and was dedi- cated to world peace in a national broadcast ceremony on ABC Radio. The tower’s bronze doors are decorated with 14 relief “I am not a trained watercolorist,” said Calvo- sculptures portraying various aspects of Stanley Park and Berndt, who considers herself more of a “doodler.” Stanley Home Products, including profiles of Frank Stanley After she took a class at Piece of My Art Studio on Beveridge and Catherine L. O’Brien. Beveridge and O’Brien Union Avenue, she was encouraged to pursue her co-founded Stanley Home Products in 1931 and in 1941, co- painting. She has since become a “friend” of ArtWorks founded Stanley Park. of Westfield, Inc. From that one moment in time, Calvo-Berndt was inspired to “Seems as an older person I can draw and paint a take a photo of the window and then add her magical touch of bit,” said Calvo-Berndt, adding she now paints almost St. Mary’s High School teachers Matthew Holmes and Terri watercolor artistry to bring the holiday season greeting card Garfield show the distance created in a history classroom at the into focus. See Carillon Tower, Page 3 school. (HOPE E. TREMBLAY/THE WESTFIELD NEWS) THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOTE! WWW.GARLO4WESTFIELD.COM PAGE 2 - WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 WWW.THEWESTFIELDNEWS.COM THE WESTFIELD NEWS Westfield State awarded $115K state grant to continue Massachusetts Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment Initiative WESTFIELD .— Westfield State University All funding associated with this grant is has been awarded a $115,000 state grant to subject to the FY2021 final state budget allot- enhance its support of students with intellec- ment and appropriations. tual disabilities. The grant will support student participants About the MAICEI at Westfield State in Westfield State’s Massachusetts Inclusive The MAICEI provides dual-enrollment Concurrent Enrollment Initiative (MAICEI), opportunities for students ages 18–21 that as announced by Massachusetts Commissioner have intellectual disabilities and are still of Higher Education Carlos Santiago, Ph.D. receiving special education services through “Thanks to the leadership of institutions their school districts. MAICEI students enroll like yours, Massachusetts has distinguished in 100- and 200-level courses alongside tradi- itself as a national leader in creating authentic tional day students at Westfield State. Course inclusive learning opportunities for young choices usually reflect the MAICEI students’ adults with intellectual disabilities,” Santiago long-term employment goals. stated in a letter to Westfield State University Westfield State is one of 15 MAICEI pro- Interim President Roy H. Saigo, Ph.D. grams and partners with 11 area school dis- Entering its eighth year of operation, tricts: Agawam, Amherst, Chicopee, Hampden Westfield State’s MAICEI program will use Wilbraham, Hampden Charter School of the state money to continue to partner with 11 Science, Longmeadow, Ludlow, Southwick area school districts and provide its students Tolland Granville Regional, Springfield, West with a stellar learning experience. Springfield, and Westfield. “We are excited to continue these initiatives The MAICEI program began at Westfield and increase our partnerships to provide area State in 2013 with five students and has students with more options and support for grown to the second largest in the inclusive post-secondary education,” said Commonwealth with 25 students enrolled in Lyndsey Nunes, coordinator of Westfield 2017–18.