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JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL.Final 86 NO. 151 chance for TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017 75 cents public input into school plans By AMY PORTER Correspondent WESTFIELD – On Tuesday, Westfield Public Schools parents and family members will have one more chance to comment on the elementary school redistricting plans for the fall. That’s when the Educational & Technology and Curriculum & Instruction subcommittees will meet to review the final plans, before a vote at the next School Committee meeting. Lt. Steve Graydon of the Huntington Fire Department “This would be the parents’ last prepares to jump in 40 degree water for ice rescue chance to weigh in as we hope the Firefighters practice rescuing each other with lines. class. committee will vote to approve on March 5,” said Westfield Public Schools Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski. Firefighters train for ice rescue The new plan, which was first By AMY PORTER Firefighters from Huntington, Richmond, Longmeadow, unveiled at the Feb. 5 School Correspondent Linfield, and Southwick participated in the training for a Committee meeting includes keeping HUNTINGTON – The Massachusetts Firefighting certificate. Donning ice rescue suits, they first jumped the Russell Elementary students together by sending all 128 Academy (MFA) held a surface ice rescue class at into the 38 to 42 degree water in holes in the ice that had of them to Highland Elementary School next year. Littleville Lake on Saturday. Trainer Mark McCabe of the been carved out by chainsaws, and pulled themselves out. In addition, changes were made to the English language MFA and Braintree Fire Department said the firefighters Then they practiced rescuing each other using the lines learner groups, with ELL students consolidating into two would be practicing self-rescue and rescuing each other, their partners held on shore. While in the water, other schools, Highland and Munger Hill elementary schools. ELL learning how to “talk to the victim, approach the victim groups practiced throwing out lines. students from Highland and Franklin Street elementary and rescue the victim” and how to interpret ice condi- Also demonstrated was ice rescue using a floatable school will go to Highland, and ELL students from Abner tions, such as grey ashen ice, indicative of water in the craft rescue boat. “Don’t put all your rescue eggs in one Gibbs, Munger Hill, Paper Mill and Southampton Road ele- ice. basket – have more than one option,” said instructor mentary schools will go to Munger Hill. According to Chief While the ice is still 11 inches thick at many spots on Thomas Rinoldo. Financial Officer Ronald R. Rix, who led the redistricting the lake, the water was open near the boat launch. Rinoldo said the craft he was demonstrating has multi- team, there will be duplicate ELL programs at both schools. McCabe said under the ice in the water different things uses over all water programs. With three chambers, three Rix said they don’t expect changes in special services pro- are happening, such as warm springs, or schools of fish. fill stations and three relief packs, it inflates in one min- grams for students. “No ice is safe. Every fire department will say no ice is ute. He said the cost for the boat is $5,000, but other Another change will be for the 33 students living in the safe. The only ice that is safe is a skating rink,” McCabe inflatable craft and boats may be used for rescue, although Mechanic Street area who will go to Abner Gibbs in the fall. said. He said recent rescue incidents have involved chil- flat-bottomed boats work best on ice. He said the Mechanic Street students would be going to the dren, dogs and deer. The “banana boat” Rinoldo used is open at both ends, new elementary school currently planned for Ashley Street; so the boat can be brought right over the victim to pull this way, all students in Abner Gibbs and Franklin Avenue them in, and then have the shore team pull the boat, which would go to the new school when it is built. is attached to a safety line, onshore. He said the shape of A change in busing times for students is also being pro- the boat lends itself to stability. posed. In order to reduce the need for additional buses with Rinoldo said the boat may also be used for animal res- the new schedule, the team proposed extending the elemen- cue, but firefighters need to watch for claws. He said they tary school dismissal time by 15 minutes, which Rix said have had it down to one chamber inflated and it still stays would save the district $265,000. At the Feb. 5 School buoyant. Committee meeting, Human Resources Director Paula McCabe said MFA instructors for the ice rescue class Ceglowski said the change in dismissal time was subject to came from the Framingham, Sharon, Easthampton, negotiation with employees. Swansea, Agawam and Braintree Fire Departments. He At the meeting on Tuesday, the subcommittee will also said he had to give credit to the firefighters who were review school designs for the grades 5-6 intermediate school there on their own time, taking a day off from work or and grades 7-8 middle school which was also presented on from the fire house. Feb. 5. McCabe also gave credit to the Huntington Fire The meeting, which will begin with public participation, is Department for having the foresight for putting together scheduled to start at 6 p.m. in City Council Chambers at City the training. He said they started organizing it in June, got Hall, Room 207, 59 Court Street, Westfield. Mass Firefighting Academy holds ice rescue training on Littleville Lake. (Photos by Amy Porter) See Ice Rescue Training, Page 8 Southwick implements social media policy By GREG FITZpaTRICK Westfield River is backdrop for film screenings Correspondent By LORI SZEPELAK its course. SOUTHWICK – The Select Correspondent Other topics include how a subsis- Board has been working with WESTFIELD-The Westfield River tence farmer in Peru stood up to the Town Counsel Ben Coyle on will be celebrated on March 8 at giant Newmont Mining Corporation finishing up a social media pol- Westfield State University during a spe- over the development of a gold and cop- icy for appointed and elected cial evening of hosting the SYRCL’s per mine on her property, and how mod- officials in Southwick. Wild & Scenic Film Festival currently ern day pioneers helped map the new Select Board Chiarman Doug on tour across the country. Patagonia Park in Chile. A short film Moglin and Vice Chairman The 6:30 to 10 p.m. event is planned also examines biomimicry, the practice Russ Fox recently attended the in Dever Auditorium in Parenzo Hall considered wild and scenic.” of looking deeply into nature for solu- Mass Municipal Conference in and is sponsored by the Westfield River The two groups met recently to deter- tions to engineering, design and other Boston where many local gov- Watershed Association and the Wild & mine which short documentary films challenges, and another film documents ernment officials throughout the Scenic Westfield River Committee. would be screened at Westfield State. how three friends set off on a 400 km commonwealth were talking Members of the university’s Departments The film choices – which are related to bike and backpack expedition through about their own social media Select Board Chairman of Geography and Regional Planning rivers and the environment – had pre- the heart of the sacred headwaters in policy or discussing the poten- Doug Moglin. (WNG File and Environmental Science will host the miered in January during the 16th anni- northwestern British Columbia, birth- tial of creating one. Photo) free event which is open to the public. versary of the South Yuba River Citizens place of three critical salmon rivers and “It’s kind of a hot topic,” said Donations will be accepted to help sup- League (SYRCL) Wild & Scenic Film home to the Tahitan people. In the wake Moglin. port the cost of the festival. A suggested Festival in Nevada City, Calif. Brief of a mining disaster, the team’s goal Under the policy that the Town of Southwick has estab- donation is $10 and $5 for students. descriptions and trailers for the films seeks to understand what is at stake as a lished with Coyle, there are rules and regulations that all “The festival honors the 50th anniver- can be viewed at www.westfieldriver. wave of new mines are developed across appointed and elected officials in town must follow when sary of the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act, org. this remote corner of the province. Also, they’re using all types of electronic media, which includes and the 25th anniversary of the initial Film topics range from the history of films look at failed marine conservation platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. designation of portions of the Westfield the national parks, river management efforts, a young father teaches his son In the purpose section of the policy, it is stated: “This policy River as ‘wild and scenic,’” said Bill partners joining forces to protect rivers, about the value of shared adventures, is designed to promote and govern the professional and per- Rose, president of the Westfield River and a watershed turned upside down by exploration and his ancestral Inuit heri- sonal use of social media in a responsible manner and to avoid Watershed Association, during a phone a gold dredge, to the Mighty Yellowstone tage, and a community activist pushes interview.