The post Town Meeting set for tonight appeared first on The Westfield News.

The post McVeigh wins by one vote appeared first on The Westfield News.

SOUTHWICK – The Southwick Lions Club celebrated its 65th anniversary Saturday night, marking the occasion with proclamations from the town and state.
Lion Ken Larkin joined the club 22 years ago after retiring from the fire department. He said he was drawn to the Lion commitment to service.
When asked what keeps him coming back, Larkin said simply “we serve.”
“It’s all about helping people,” Larkin said.
The Lions Club is known for its commitment to helping the visually impaired but Larkin said they also assist with hearing needs and diabetes awareness.
“The Lions are the only international organization that donates 100 percent of funds raised without any going to administration,” said Larkin. “And, It’s a lot of fun.”
The Southwick Lions Club hosts a pancake breakfast and collects cans and bottle to recycle.
“We’ve made $2 million with cans and bottles in almost 10 years,” Larkin said. “All of that goes to Mass Eye Research or a project of International.”
The International Lions Club has supported relief efforts for areas hit by hurricanes and other devastating weather events.
Larkin said another project, Sight First, helped the plight of river blindness in Africa, sending representatives to teach people about sanitation.
The Lions Club was founded in the early 1900s by Melvin Jones as a men-only business club. It wasn’t until the 1980s that women were allowed in the Lions Club.
“Our club has had five women presidents, including the current president Justine Wietek,” said Larkin.
One of the Lion’s female members, Pamela Krynicki, was honored during the celebration Saturday at Tucker’s Restaurant with the Melvin Jones Award. Larkin said Krynicki exemplifies the Lions’ philosophy.
“It’s our highest award,” he said, “and she is a hard worker. When she joined she stepped right in.”
Krynicki participates in the club’s students exchange program, works with Boy Scouts and other youth, and is a “good member,” said Larkin.
For more information, visit southwickma.lionwap.org.

The post Lions Club celebrates 65 years appeared first on The Westfield News.

BOSTON – A 2012 campaign led by Massachusetts’ Department of Labor Standards (DLS) aimed at fighting the leading cause of death for Massachusetts construction workers was recognized with an award from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Office of Small Business Assistance last month.
According to a Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) report, falls from construction sites to a lower level claimed the lives of more Massachusetts construction workers than any other type of incident from 2007-2011. More than half of those who lost their lives after a fall were employed on residential construction sites. The campaign aims to both provide small contractors with the training and resources needed to perform jobs safely and raise general public awareness of the dangers of construction site falls.
“I’m proud of the Department of Labor Standards’ hard work on this important initiative,” said Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Joanne F. Goldstein. “Falls on construction sites are deadly but preventable. We can save lives by educating Massachusetts’ contractors about how to protect their employees by reducing the number of falls.”
The On-site Consultation Achievement Recognition, or OSCAR, is awarded to state programs that have made significant achievements in promoting worker health and safety. Massachusetts won this recognition, given by the Federal Department of Labor, in April 2013, for its 2012 Fall Prevention Outreach program. The program, done in partnership with the Andover Federal OSHA office, printed and distributed 5,000 flyers to licensed roofing contractors, trade associations, supply houses and building inspectors in Middlesex and Essex counties. Consultants and compliance officers visited hundreds of worksites and held five seminars attended by nearly 350 workers and employers. These seminars included demonstrations on fall protection devices and techniques, presentations on OSHA’s fall protection requirements and sessions for participants to ask specific questions of the safety and health field experts. Due to the success of this program, in the spring of 2013, the Consultation Program partnered with the Springfield and Andover OSHA offices to re-launch the program and expand the outreach area.
DPH, which tracks work-related deaths in the state, also recognized the dangers associated with working from heights and partnered with the Consultation Program for the 2013 Fall Prevention Outreach program. Both DLS and DPH launched the 2013 program last month.
“As the weather warms and construction jobs pick up in 2013, we will once again embark on an aggressive campaign aimed at preventing falls at residential construction sites,” said DLS Director Heather Rowe. “I am proud of the recognition we have received and grateful to work with such committed partners.
As part of the new 2013 campaign:

DPH released a set of educational materials for contractors on the topics of ladder safety, scaffold safety, personal fall arrest systems, and myths and facts about falls in residential construction. These brochures were developed in conjunction with a group of government, labor, insurance industry, community and academic stakeholders, and with input from Massachusetts construction contractors. Educational materials are available in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

DLS will offer a series of six free educational seminars in Pittsfield, Springfield, Lawrence, Gardner, Lynn and Framingham. The seminars were lead by experienced instructors who will explain nationally accepted standards to prevent falls in the construction industry and present practical solutions to common situations encountered on work sites.

Regional transit authorities across the state, including the MBTA, GATRA, BAT, PVTA, FRTA and NRTA, have also teamed up to help promote the campaign on local transit and the Department of Transportation is airing the ads on its digital billboards across the Commonwealth.

The Department of Public Safety worked with DPH on a mass dissemination of its fall prevention and campaign materials to over 28,000 licensed MA contractors, city inspectional service offices, vocational schools and community health centers.

The campaign began in April and will run through June.

The post Worker safety campaign recognized appeared first on The Westfield News.

A small unimproved road that connects the Southwick Town Hall and the Southwick Safety Complex will be closed to the public. The road is located in the rear of the Southwick Town Hall. (Photo by Frederick Gore)

SOUTHWICK – The Board of Selectmen approved permanently closing the gate to the access road between Town Hall and the safety complex this week.
The gate had been closed previously and was opened once again during College Highway construction.
“It was open to allow Town Hall employees another way to access the building,” sad Police Chief Mark Krynicki. “Once the work was complete, we asked to have it closed again.”
Krynicki and safety officer Sgt. Kirk Sanders both recommended closing the gate.
“It’s not a right of access to the public,” Krynicki said. “It was meant for emergency access for police and fire between the buildings.”
The public has been using the single-vehicle road as a cut through between College Highway and Depot Street to avoid the traffic light. Krynicki said there are several problems with that, including the narrowness of the road and the speed vehicles travel there.
There is also a sharp turn that makes it difficult to see if another vehicle is coming.
“I have almost had several head-on accidents there with the public,” said Krynicki.
Another concern is that the public has to drive through the safety complex to enter or leave the road. Krynicki said there is concern that if a police vehicle must leave for an emergency, having that extra, unknown vehicle there hinders the work of the police.
“We don’t need people driving through the parking lot when our cruisers need to get out,” he said.
Selectwoman Tracy Cesan agreed the gate should be closed but she wondered how the public would access the new animal control facility once it is built behind the safety complex.
Krynicki said although that is a future question the new chief would work on with the town, he believes the road should be open to that facility only.
“We could have access from that road through Town Hall to the facility, and fence it so the public cannot access the public safety complex and cannot come through here,” Krynicki said.
Krynicki said he has no concerns about emergency vehicles quickly reaching Town Hall if the access road is closed.
“Our cruisers were fitted with emitters so when they approach a traffic light, it turns green,” said Krynicki. “I don’t think it would take us any longer to reach Town Hall by taking Depot Street.”

The post Access road closed to the public appeared first on The Westfield News.

Southwick Water Commissioners Luther Hosmer and Edward Johnson discuss who is responsible for an undocumented water line that was attached to a water meter in Whalley Park prior to the town taking ownership of the park.  (Photo by Frederick Gore)

Southwick Park and Recreation Commissioners Daniel Call and Kelly Mangi, right, met with members of the Southwick Water Commission in an effort to help resolve an unauthorized water usage problem that was recently discovered when the town assumed ownership of Whalley Park. (Photo by  Frederick Gore)

SOUTHWICK – The water connection between Whalley Park and the Southwick Recreation Center (SRC) was discussed at last night’s Water Commission meeting, minus members of the SRC.
The SRC laid 1,500 feet of pipe from its property to connect to water at Whalley Park. The connection was disclosed to the Department of Public Works April 26. The connection was deemed illegal because Whalley Park is a town property, the water is metered, and there was no permission granted from the town. There is also a $70,000 water bill, from that meter, in question.
SRC board members have said they were not aware of the connection.
Park and Recreation Commissioners Daniel Call and Kelly Magni, as well as Finance Committee member Robert Horacek, attended the meeting. The SRC declined a request to attend.
Department of Public Works (DPW) Director Jeffrey Neece sent a letter to the SRC requesting their presence at the May 16 meeting. Neece received a response stating that no one would attend because it conflicted with the SRC regular meeting. The SRC letter stated they were also seeking information from Town Hall through a Freedom of Information Act request and once they received it, they want to have a joint meeting with the Water Commission held at Town Hall auditorium and indicated they want seating for 100 people.
Commissioners said they did not need 100 people at the meeting.
“I feel they’re telling us where to have our meeting,” said Water Commissioner Edward Johnson. “I don’t want this to turn into a circus.”
Commission Chairman Luther Hosmer agreed and said they should have been at last night’s meeting.
Selectwoman Tracy Cesan attended the meeting and echoed the commissioner’s thoughts.
“This is a serious issue that needs to be treated seriously,” Cesan said. “I don’t want this to taint what the Rec. Center stands for, but I think they should have been here tonight. They’re in the wrong and should not be dictating the meeting.”
Johnson made a motion to send a letter to the SRC asking the board to attend the Water Commission’s next meeting June 6 at the DPW on College Highway.
Neece said the connection was severed and a valve removed. He said it would take “minutes” to reconnect and the SRC needs to remove any pipes it has on Whalley Park property.
“This would make reconnection difficult,” said Neece.
Neece said he wants the public to know the town’s water system is safe. There was concern at the May 2 meeting that backflow preventers may not have been installed and if the SRC irrigation system was connected to the town water system, in addition to a well, it could infiltrate the water.
“Be assured the water system is safe,” he said.
Hosmer said a separate, but related, issue is who is going to pay the $70,000 bill. Magni and Call said since the Parks and Recreation Commission took over oversight of the park in October of 2012, it has “not used a drop of water.”
Prior to their take over, the Board of Selectmen accepted the park on behalf of the town in December, 2011, and was in control of it until the October Town Meeting.
Cesan said she does not believe Parks and Recreation should incur that cost, and agreed with the Water Commission that it should not forgive the bill. Instead, Cesan suggested paying the bill with general funds so that the cost is spread across the town. However, she said the SRC needs to pay a portion of it because it used that water.
Magni said his concern was moving forward so the Parks and Recreation could budget for the water used at Whalley Park.
“I don’t care about the past. I care about the future,” he said.
DPW Administrative Assistant Gail Cigal, who serves as the Water Commission secretary, said normally if a bill is not paid, water is not turned on.
Magni, Call, and Cesan all said the park needs water or it would cost even more to rebuild the fields.
Hosmer and Johnson agreed and said the water should be turned on.
Johnson said two members of the SRC board – friends of his for 40 years – visited his home to talk about the situation and “they are willing to work with us.”
“I was told the baseball committee has their own thing and (the board) didn’t know about (the connection),” said Johnson. “They said they did not know this was going on.”
Johnson said he wants the SRC to meet with the commission to resolve the issues.
“I think it’s getting out of hand,” he said.

The post SRC a no-show at water meeting appeared first on The Westfield News.

The post Grabowski returns to Southwick library board appeared first on The Westfield News.

LT. GOVERNOR TIM MURRAY

WEST SPRINGFIELD – Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray this week participated in EASTEC, the largest annual manufacturing event in the Northeast, and highlighted how the advanced manufacturing industry is growing in western Massachusetts by embracing innovation and creating strong workforce development ties.
“Advanced manufacturing in western Massachusetts and throughout the Commonwealth has embraced new technology and workforce training initiatives, building a stronger industry than it was before the Great Recession,” said Murray. “At EASTEC, companies from up and down the East Coast can see and hear first-hand how advanced manufacturing has been able to innovate and become a key part of our economy.”
EASTEC is an annual event being held this year at Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield. Organizers anticipate 14,000 attendees and more than 500 exhibitors at the conference. The conference includes tours of manufacturing facilities, like B&E Precision Aircraft Components in Southwick, and a focus on the importance of workplace development as a key driver for future growth in the industry.
During today’s conference, Lieutenant Governor Murray met with manufacturers who are exhibiting at EASTEC in the Manufacturing Brilliance Theater and discussed issues related to workforce development, the manufacturing skills gap and the administration’s support of the industry. The conference includes a keynote presentation, “Challenges and Solutions for a Qualified Workforce Pipeline” that will include a panel of officials and industry leaders moderated by Edward Leyden, the President of Massachusetts-based Ben Franklin Design & Manufacturing. The panel will include Housing and Economic Development Assistant Secretary for Innovation Policy Eric Nakajima and representatives from Westfield Vocational-Technical High School and the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County.
The Patrick administration has been committed to supporting the growth of advanced manufacturing in Massachusetts, an industry that is expected to fill 100,000 jobs in the next decade and offers good jobs and careers in a sector with an average annual salary of $75,000.
In western Massachusetts, the Patrick administration has supported the Precision Manufacturing Regional Alliance Project which helps veterans, Gateway City residents and others learn the skills they need to thrive in manufacturing. The administration’s Fiscal Year 2014 budget recommendation includes funding for similar programs in other regions of the state, along with funding for small-to-medium enterprise lending and competitive grants to facilitate growth and competitiveness.
The administration is also committed to improving the workforce pipeline between workers, training institutions and the industry. Regional programs in central and northeastern Massachusetts are strengthening connections between manufacturers and schools. The Amp It Up! program announced in October 2012 by Murray and operated by MassDevelopment was created to increase awareness among young adults and their families on the opportunities for good jobs and solid careers in manufacturing.
In 2010, Governor Deval Patrick created the Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative, which brings together government, academia and industry leaders to lead the sector forward. The Collaborative will hold the first statewide Advanced Manufacturing Summit on June 25 in Foxboro, which will bring together hundreds of leading executives and managers from the manufacturing industry to share best practices, network and discuss future opportunities and challenges.

The post Murray highlights manufacturing appeared first on The Westfield News.

BOSTON – The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development today reported that the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ preliminary estimates show that Massachusetts’ total unemployment rate remained unchanged at 6.4 percent and the Commonwealth lost 1,400 jobs in April.
Professional, Scientific, and Business Services, Information, and the Education and Health Services sectors added jobs in April. In the first four months of 2013, Massachusetts added 12,900 jobs. Over the year, Massachusetts added 46,200 jobs, 43,600 of which were in the private sector.
Over the year, the unemployment rate was down 0.2 of a percentage point from the April 2012 rate of 6.6 percent. Revised numbers from the BLS estimate Massachusetts lost 3,800 jobs in March rather than 5,500 jobs as was reported last month.
April 2013 Employment Overview
Professional, Scientific, and Business Services added 4,500 (+0.9%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Professional, Scientific, and Business Services added 16,200 (+3.3%) jobs.
Information gained 900 (+1.0%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Information gained 2,700 (+3.1%) jobs.
Education and Health Services added 700 (+0.1%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Education and Health Services gained 15,600 (+2.3%) jobs.
Other Services gained 200 (+0.2%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Other Services added 2,300 (+1.9%) jobs.
Leisure and Hospitality lost 1,900 (-0.6%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Leisure and Hospitality added 4,900 jobs (+1.5%).
Financial Activities lost 1,400 (-0.7%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Financial Activities shed 1,300 (-0.6%) jobs.
Trade, Transportation, and Utilities lost 1,400 (-0.3%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Trade, Transportation, and Utilities added 3,500 (+0.6%) jobs.
Construction lost 600 (-0.5%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Construction added 2,700 (+2.4%) jobs.
Manufacturing lost 300 jobs (-0.1%) over the month. Over the year, Manufacturing lost 2,900 (-1.1%) jobs.
Government lost 2,000 (-0.5%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Government gained 2,600 (+0.6%) jobs.
Labor Force Overview
The April 2013 estimates show 3,250,300 Massachusetts residents were employed and 222,800 were unemployed, for a total labor force of 3,473,200. The April labor force increased by 2,500 from 3,470,700 in March 2013, as 2,900 more residents were employed and 500 fewer residents were unemployed over the month. The labor force was an estimated 3,200 below the 3,476,400 April 2012 estimate, with 5,000 more residents employed and 8,300 fewer residents unemployed.
The unemployment rate is based on a monthly sample of households. The job estimates are derived from a monthly sample survey of employers. As a result, the two statistics may exhibit different monthly trends.

The post State unemployment rate at 6.4 percent appeared first on The Westfield News.

John McVeigh, with his dog Kato, is running for selectman in Huntington this Saturday in a contested race with Charles Bushor. (submitted photo)

HUNTINGTON – For John McVeigh, running for a seat on the Huntington Select Board is personal.
“I’m from Huntington originally,” he said. “Huntington doesn’t have that small-town feel anymore.”
McVeigh, 35, of 5 Mountain View, Huntington, moved his family and the landscaping company he ran for eight years, working between Connecticut and Massachusetts, back to town, after telling his wife all about the Huntington he remembered, and all of the community events here.
“Everything is completely changed,” he said.
McVeigh sold his business this past year, and currently is a stay-at-home dad for his son Colton, 2, and daughter Adalynn, 4. He is also a volunteer firefighter for the town. He accompanied the Huntington and Chesterfield Fire Departments to Staten Island last fall with donations for victims of Hurricane Sandy.
McVeigh wants to bring back the activities that he feels brought the communities in the Gateway region together.
“We had big fireworks, a big parade that brought all the communities together. I used to know everyone in Russell and Chester,” he said.
One of his recent ideas included installing a water park in town, which he said was met with opposition by the Select Board. McVeigh said he was willing to install it himself. He said he is interested in attracting more families to the community.
“Our biggest killer is the school system,” McVeigh said. “If we can draw more families here and keep them in the school instead of choicing them out, then we’d all be better off in the long run.”
McVeigh said he is one person who would stand up and say no to Dr. David Hopson, the school superintendent.
“He treats people like they don’t know what they’re talking about,” McVeigh said.
He also said he would not support the district budget.
McVeigh said he would like to see a pharmacy move back to Main Street. “I’ve been researching and talking with people about independent pharmacists, who can now buy their drugs at the same price as the chain stores,” he said. “That would be a huge step forward.”
He would also like to see other businesses that would fit into the historical nature of the town.
“We have to back and promote our own businesses,” he said. “There is a disconnect between downtown and regular people. We’ve got to find those things to bring them into town.”
McVeigh, whose parents both reside in Huntington, also said he would like to get more programs going for seniors.
“There’s a lot we could learn from our seniors,” he said. He also plans to join the Historic Society.
When asked why people should vote for him, McVeigh said, “You’re not going to get a line out of me just to make you happy. I’m not part of an elite clique. They know I know this town. I have a lot personally invested in it.”
“People can talk to me. With me, you’re going to get an open door,” he said. “I strongly believe in accountability and transparency.”
The election will be held this Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Stanton Hall.

The post McVeigh running for select board appeared first on The Westfield News.