The Westfield NewsSearch for The Westfield News Westfield350.com The WestfieldNews 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 SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2019 VOL. 88 NO. 257 City of Westfield Municipal Light Board Candidate Profiles The Westfield News will publish candidate profiles daily until Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. All citizens are encouraged to vote. If you don’t know where to vote, visit cityofwestfield.org or contact the City Clerk’s Office at 413-572-6235. KRVIN M. KELLEHER DAWN RENAUDETTE ROBERT F. BROGLE FRANCIS LIPTAK Kevin M. Kelleher Sr. Dawn M. Renaudette Robert F. Brogle Francis Liptak Municipal Light Board Ward 1 Municipal Light Board Ward 2 Municipal Light Board Ward 2 Municipal Light Board Ward 4 Incumbent Incumbent Candidate Incumbent Name: Kevin M. Kelleher, Sr. Name: Dawn Renaudette Name: Rob Brogle Name: Francis Liptak Address: 270 Prospect St, Ext Address: 106 Ridgeway St. Address: 108 Mountain View St. Address: 75 City View Blvd Occupation: Self-Employed Landscaper/ Occupation: Masters Prepared Occupation: Director of Technical Occupation: Self employed painter Property Manager Registered Nurse, Director of Quality Sales, The Collins Companies, and Education at a Visiting Nurse Collinspipe.com and President, What experience do you bring to this What experience do you bring to this and Hospice agency Connecticut Trolley Museum, position? position? cttrolley.org I bring 20 years experience, having served I have been a Westfield Municipal Light What experience do you bring to under three general managers so far. Board member for 16 years and have owned this position? What experience do you bring to this Why is having a municipal utility an and operated a profitable business for over 40 In my current role I am responsible for position? asset to the city? years. Having served my constituents in Ward managing and updating policies to reflect 25+ years of management, sales, and The G&E is an asset to Westfield because 1 on the MLB and attended at least 180 meet- regulations set by our governing bodies. technical advisory experience to utilities, of short outage times, quick service with ings, I have gained considerable knowledge of I participate in the budgeting process and chemical companies, and engineering trouble calls and establishing Whip City the day to day operations of the Westfield Gas understand its impact on operations. I am firms. I’ve spent more than half of my life Fiber eventually servicing all residents. & Electric. also responsible for customer satisfac- helping companies save significant Why should residents vote for you? Why is having a municipal utility an asset tion. This experience translates to the amounts of money, and I’d like to help Residents should vote for me because I to the city? MLB role as it is responsible for estab- WG&E/WCF and our residents and busi- bring common sense and honesty to the There really is no short answer to this ques- lishing direction for the utility through nesses do the same. board and there is no better place to live and tion as the Westfield G&E brings so much policy and is accountable to the DPU. I Why is having a municipal utility an serve in. asset to the city? See Kelleher, Page 3 See Renaudette, Page 3 See Brogle, Page 3 KATHLEEN KNAPIK THOMAS P. FLAHERTY ROBERT C. SACCO JASON BEAN Kathleen Knapik Thomas P. Flaherty Sr. Robert C. Sacco Jason Bean Municipal Light Board Ward 5 Municipal Light Board Ward 6 Municipal Light Board Ward 6 Candidate for Trustee of the Incumbent Incumbent Candidate Westfield Athenaeum Name: Thomas P. Flaherty, Sr. Name: Robert Sacco Name: Jason Bean Address: 79 Wild Flower Circle Address: 65 Devon Terrace, Address: 16 Linda Drive Name: Kathleen Knapik Occupation: Regional Sales Director – Westfield Occupation: Transportation Planner Address: 45 East Silver Street Sprague Energy Resources, Current Occupation: Attorney Occupation: Teacher, Westfield Public Commissioner Westfield Municipal Light What experience do you bring to this Schools Board Ward 5 position? What experience do you bring to this Experience / Qualifications: position? I would bring 16 years of professional What experience do you bring to this posi- experience in land-use planning, permit- I am a professional educator, a parent, and As a member of the Gas & Electric a life-long learner who would bring a unique tion? Board for15 years, during which time I ting, and project management to the 25 Years of professional experience in regu- Municipal Light Board (MLB). I have also perspective and energy to the Westfield served as chairman for six years, I have Athenaeum Board of Directors. lated, unregulated and municipal electric and been a strong advocate for the ratepayers served for 7 years on the Conservation natural gas utility commodity supply manage- Commission board and believe it has I am presently serving as a teacher in the of Ward 6. I have developed policies that Westfield Public Schools, and I previously ment. Including 15 plus years as an elected ensure that ratepayers have competitive given me experience in a public meeting Commissioner on the Municipal Light Board worked as a college administrator in aca- demic and student affairs. My background See Sacco, Page 5 See Bean, Page 5 See Flaherty, Page 3 See Knapik, Page 3 4 Spearheaded the Westfield Purple Heart Trail H “I am endorsing Mary O’Connell for all she has done for 4 Helped Vietnam Veterans with Parker Park Banner Project our neighborhood. Mary is a patient listener who respond- ed to our concerns.” Jim Parker, Honey Pot Rd. resident H 4 Worked tirelessly for safe water in Westfield H “Mary O’Connell will never sell out her constituents. 4 Completed Water Resources Ordinance updates & revisions A former trucking company owner and executive, she 4 Helped create new Zones in Westfield (Court & Broad and CORE) neveretheless fought to keep 500 plus weekly logging 4 Authored Home Rule Petition for Public Ways trucks off Westfield’s roads for the good of her constituents and her beautiful City.” 4 Co-Chaired Stanley Park Accessible Playground Jane Chicoine, Concerned Citizens of Russell H 4 Committed to budget oversight & rational spending Paid for by the Committee to Elect Mary O’Connell, Council PAGE 2 - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2019 WWW.THEWESTFIELDNEWS.COM THE WESTFIELD NEWS Deviny appointed Westfield Athenaeum director By LORI SZEPELAK dent, has served as acting Drummey noted that plans include “integrating his- Correspondent director for the past three Deviny was also “instrumen- tory into the main floor of the WESTFIELD — As months. tal” in creating the online library, increasing classes and Kathleen “Kate” Deviny offi- During Monday night’s archive Edwin Online, the engagement, and keeping up cially takes the helm as direc- meeting, Deviny said she Athenaeum’s website that on our digital world which tor of the Westfield spoke about “being intimidat- allows the viewing of many continues to spiral away from Athenaeum, she feels “hon- ed by the position of being in rare and fragile papers of us.” ored” to take on the challenge. charge of our city’s library,” Colonial Westfield. As part of the Athenaeum’s The announcement came adding, “it is an honor to keep Deviny received her mas- Rise to Knowledge campaign, during the annual meeting of making the Athenaeum be this ter’s degree in Library Science the third phase includes the the corporators of the welcoming place full of enter- from the University of Rhode modernization of the Great Westfield Athenaeum on Oct. tainment and information. We Island, and a master’s degree Hall, Elizabeth Reed Room, 28 in the Lang Auditorium. will continue to protect and from the Bread Loaf School and the Jasper Rand Art “In addition to Kate’s strong keep our city’s history.” of English, the graduate Gallery. Plans also include a interim leadership perfor- Deviny began her library school of Middlebury College handicap accessible bath- mance, she brings many years career at the Athenaeum in in Vermont. She received her room, new flooring, electrical of experience with public 2001 as a part-time reference undergraduate degree from connections and a handicap libraries,” said Susan E. librarian and later became a Smith College in accessible Circulation Desk. Drummey, president of the full-time Special Collections Northampton. “The Westfield Athenaeum Board of Directors of the and Technology Librarian. As she embarks on a new is in the center of the city pro- Westfield Athenaeum, in a She also served as director of journey, the path will be viding educational and enter- statement. “I’m confident that the Great Barrington Libraries shaped by the goals created taining materials that make Kate has the passion, commit- for almost three years before through the patron survey as our lives enjoyable, under- Kathleen “Kate” Deviny has been appointed director of the ment and demonstrated capa- returning to the Athenaeum as well as a long-range strategic standable,” said Deviny. Westfield Athenaeum by its board of directors. (Submitted bility to lead our organization its Archives and Museum plan that was recently com- “Filled with staff who photo) into the very exciting future Coordinator for the Donald pleted. care,” Deviny notes the we have planned.” W. Blair Research Center. In “We want to increase the Athenaeum is a “friendly is a nonprofit organization ing fiction and nonfiction Drummey added the board that role, she managed the Athenaeum’s displays of our space” that creates current that serves as the public books, magazines, CDs and is “particularly proud” to have Edwin Smith Historical history, make the Athenaeum and historical connections and library for the city which DVDs.