tONiGHt: Chance Showers, T-storms. Low of 60. Search for The Westfield News The Westfield Search for The WestfieldHERE ARENews MIGHTY News “T Westfield350.com The Westfield News FEW PEOPLE “TIME IS THE ONLY Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns WHO THINK WHAT THEY WEATHER CRITIC WITHOUT THINK THEY THINK TONIGHT AMBITION .” .” Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com Search— forRO Thebe RWestfieldt HeNR iNews Westfield350.comWestfield350.org The WestfieldNews “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. 198 THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2019 75 Cents TONIGHT AMBITION.” Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL.American 86 NO. 151 Inn, townTUESDAY, enter JUNE 27, payment2017 agreement 75 cents By HOPE E. TREMBLAY “These are Southwick resi- Assistant Manager Editor dents and a Southwick busi- SOUTHWICK – The Town ness,” he said. “I believe they and The American Inn for will revitalize it, and we want Retirement Living have come them to succeed.” to terms on a payment plan to The American Inn, located address $400,000 owed in at 1 Sawmill Park off College back taxes. Highway, hosts annual public The Southwick Select car and craft shows that pro- Board issued a statement vide entertainment for all Wednesday stating that “The town residents. American Inn facility has been The community sits on a and continues, to be an impor- 50-acre campus that includes tant part of the Town. It has a retirement cottages as well as 30-year history of active resi- a large facility with single dents contributing to the civic RUSSELL FOX apartments, assisted living participation in our communi- place that is working with the apartments, a dining facility, ty.” town to pay the $400,000 fitness rooms and more. The The release noted that dur- owed in property taxes. American Inn offers health- ing the fall 2011 storm the “This is positive,” said Fox. care on-site, transportation to facility and staff gave aid to “We were able to work out appointments and shopping town officials when parts of something with the new man- and daily recreational activi- the town were without power agement team.” ties. for up to a week. Fox said with new manag- ——— Select Board Chair Russell ers and prospective new buy- Hope E. Tremblay can be Fox said the American Inn has ers, he believes the retirement reached at hope@thewest- a new management team in community will prosper. fieldnewsgroup.com. Diocese: St. Mary’s High School is ‘vital’ to city By HOPE E. TREMBLAY Elementary schools have “done a Assistant Manager Editor great job” and would continue to WESTFIELD – Changes to how work together. St. Mary’s High School is run now Bringing the high school under that it is a diocesan school will be diocesan control was a recommen- largely unnoticed by its 77 students dation of the Pathways to Faith and their families this year. Commission. Most Rev. Mitchell T. Rozanski, Richard Labrie, of Westfield, was Bishop of the Roman Catholic a member of the Commission and Diocese of Springfield, said said Wednesday he felt good about Wednesday that the transition would the decision. be mainly behind the scenes this “I’m happy to see this come to year. fruition,” said Labrie. “It’s good to Rozanski spoke with the press at see the recommendations actualize.” the school during a news conference Labrie and his wife Kathy are also attended by members of the longtime members of the St. Mary’s parish. community. Their sons attended the St. Mary’s Elementary School schools and now they have four will remain a parish school. grandchildren in the elementary Rozanski said the high school school. already serves the region and made “We want to see them get the more sense as a diocesan school. He quality education our children wrote to parishioners this week that received,” said Labrie. it was “unrealistic” for the parish to Current tuition for St. Mary’s carry the burden of operating and High School is $8,350, according to funding two schools. Collins. Baillargeon said there are St. Mary’s High School Principal options for financial assistance and Matthew Collins noted that students some funding help from other par- from Easthampton, Southampton, ishes. Holyoke, Springfield, Granville, Rozanski noted that it costs more Southwick, Connecticut, Westfield St. Mary’s Elementary School Principal Juli Jensen-Derrig, St. Mary’s High School Principal Matthew Collins, to educate each student than what and more now attend the school. Diocese of Springfield Superintendent Daniel Baillargeon and Most Rev. Mitchell T. Rozanski during a press the school charges for tuition. “The students are from all over conference Aug. 21, 2019. (Photo by Hope E. Tremblay) “That is not the total cost of edu- the area,” Rozanski said. will be two; one for the elementary families of students and members of major strides this past year and cation per student,” Rozanski said. The biggest change forthcoming school and a diocesan board for the the community at-large. worked with consulting firm “The cost per student is more than is in the St. Mary’s Parish School high school. The diocese will invite Diocesan Superintendent Daniel Management Solutions Northeast to that. But I’d say that goes for all of Board. Instead of one board, there members to the board, including Baillargeon said the board made create a strategic five-year plan. our schools.” “The current board has already St. Mary’s students return to done significant work,” Baillargeon school Aug. 29. said, adding that “when we’re talk- ——— ing about five-year plans we’re talk- Hope E. Tremblay can ing about stability.” be reached at hope@ Baillargeon said keeping the thewestfieldnewsgroup.com school, which opened in 1898, run- ning long into the future was a prior- ity. “We want to protect the vitality of the school,” he said. “That’s differ- ent from viability. We believe St. Mary’s is a vital part of Westfield.” How the school could change moving forward is unknown. Baillargeon said there are many models for small Catholic schools, and they would explore what works best for the community. The diocese Most Rev. Mitchell T. Rozanski, also operates Pope Francis High BIshop of the Roman Catholic School in Springfield, which had Diocese of Springfield, speaks dur- 336 students last year. ing a press conference at St. Mary’s Baillargeon said the administra- High School Aug. 21, 2019. (Photo ST. Mary’s High School in Westfield. (Photo by Hope E. Tremblay) tors of both St. Mary’s High and by Hope E. Tremblay) PAGE 2 - THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2019 WWW.THEWESTFIELDNEWS.COM THE WESTFIELD NEWS Westfield State University receives dual-enrollment grant By PETER CURRIER including Agawam, Amherst, from a recent evaluation of the pro- “Thanks to the leadership of insti- inclusive community and support Staff Writer Chicopee, Hampden Wilbraham, gram. The university also partners tutions like yours, Massachusetts the personal development of all of WESTFIELD- The Massachusetts Hampden Charter School of with organizations such as Think has distinguished itself as a national its members,” said Torrecilha. Department of Higher Education Science, Longmeadow, Ludlow, College and Enchanted Circle leader in creating authentic inclu- “Through this initiative we continue awarded Westfield State University Southwick Tolland Granville Theater as part of the program. sive learning opportunities for to diversify our student enrollment with a nearly $100,000 grant to sup- Regional, Springfield, West Think College is an organization young adults with intellectual dis- and make a college education a real- port students in the Massachusetts Springfield, and Westfield. that helps those with intellectual abilities,” said Dr. Carlos Santiago, ity for more motivated individuals.” Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment “We are excited to continue these disabilities access higher education. commissioner of Higher Education Students in the MAICEI program Initiative (MAICEI). initiatives and increase our partner- Enchanted Circle Theater is a pro- in Massachusetts in an award letter at WSU also work with the PIECES The $99,544.78 grant comes in ships to provide area students with gram that uses the arts as a tool to to WSU President Dr. Ramon program (Positive Inclusion of WSU’s seventh year with a MAICEI program. The idea of the program is more options and support for inclu- help kids learn in the classroom. Torrecilha. Everyone Creates Educational that it gives opportunity for students sive postsecondary education,” said Since 2013, when the MAICEI Torrecilha spoke highly of the Success). PIECES is a program run aged 18-21 with learning disabilities Lyndsey Nunes, the Westfield State program first started at WSU, the program’s commitment to the val- by WSU students that acts as a peer to take dual-enrollment courses at program coordinator. program has grown from just five ues of the university, saying that it mentor group for MAICEI students. the university. A press release from WSU stated students to 25 in the 2017-2018 helps diversify student enrollment. It allows them to interact with stu- WSU is one of 14 MAICEI pro- that the funds received from the school year, making it the second “The MAICEI program is a mis- dents during the week on campus grams in the state and accepts stu- grant would be used to improve the largest such program in the state at sion-centric initiative, which and develop social and emotional dents from 11 local school districts program based on recommendations the time. enables Westfield State to expand its skills. Westfield Farmers’ Market’s Mission to Feed the Hungry WESTFIELD — The Westfield people in need receive benefits on dors, SNAP customers are encour- Thursday, July 18.