Well it appears that summer is winding down and that fall is revving up. School has started, the concerts on the green have concluded, and the College Football Season beings today, GO BUCKEYES!
The City Council is back into full gear. The agendas are full of items that require thought and research before an informed decision can be rendered. I try and get all sides of an issue before casting a vote. As you can imagine this can be very time consuming but also rewarding. No issue is cut and dry. They are all complicated and have ramifications that need to be thought through. These are the challenges facing each and every City Councilor at each meeting. City Councilors are not the only committee or board members that have this responsibility. There are many boards and committees that have serious responsibilities and make decisions that directly impact the citizens of Westfield. To these I want to say “Thank You”.
Let’s recap a very positive summer season. The concerts on the Green were once again a success and a big Thank You needs to go out to WOW. Quality music was again delivered to a receptive and respectful audience. It was great to see the Green was once again alive and crowded. The Tuesday open mike program is growing both in the number of participants but also in the number of spectators. The Pokémon phenomenon reached Westfield as well. The Green was a popular location for numerous searches. Whether looking for that elusive Pokémon, recharging the phone, or just hanging out with friends, the Green was alive at night. The return of the Food Fest to Downtown was met with hungry citizens that enjoyed the offering from the various food trucks and Non Profit groups in attendance. The long awaited Gazebo was finally completed and the doors were removed to reveal the fine detail of its construction. The craftsmanship displayed by the students from the Westfield Technical Academy will stand for decades to come. The gazebo has become as much of a symbol of Westfield as the Whip has been.
Congratulations to everyone that planned, participated, or watched the Babe Ruth World Series. This event put Westfield out to the World in a very positive light. The list of volunteers and participants is too long to mention here, so I want to take this opportunity to personally thank each and every one that had a part in this event. Hats off to the various City departments that stepped up and contributed as well. It really does take everyone to pull in the same direction for a feat of this magnitude to be such a great success.
With Summer ending and Fall beginning, we need to remember that with school starting, pedestrian and automobile traffic will increase. School traffic will increase at specific times of the day. Watch out for students walking or for distracted parents dropping their students off. Every school has its own peculiar set of traffic issues so we all need to be extra alert as we drve. Hats off to the Crossing Gard’s, and Bus Drivers and Monitors as they perform their duties to keep out students safe.
One of the busiest City Departments this summer has been the School Department. Welcome and congratulations to our new Superintendent, Stefan Czaporowski . He is attempting to develop an open and transparent administration. He has had one meet and greet on the Green and has another one planned for September 19, from 4:30 to 6 pm. This will be held in room 201 at City Hall. I would like to welcome all the new Administrators, Teachers, Paraprofessionals to a school district on the move in the right direction. I would also like to wish all of the School personnel a great and successful year. A special shout out goes to everyone involved in the recent certification that the Aviation Program has obtained from the FAA. This is a historical accomplishment for the City of Westfield. Westfield educational system is now the talk of not only the Commonwealth but the nation. This program is only the third of its kind in the whole country. The Technical Academy is addressing the concerns of our Governor regarding work force development and job readiness. A great big Thank You goes out to Gulfstream for their additional donation to this program. Gulfstream has donated another $100,000 for the Aviation Program. This is key to maintaining our city’s economic vitality. The time is now to finalize the monetary commitment necessary to complete this project.
The recent long awaited Appeals Court ruling has arrived. I look forward to working with our city leaders as we explore the future of the stalled project. The students attending Abner Gibbs and Franklin Avenue deserve a physical plant that matches their peers in this city. It is also imperative that we educate all of our students within the City of Westfield. There are no winners in this situations, now is the time to change that so that out students become the winners. The time has come to move forward on this project.
When I sat down to write this article I was not sure that there was much to write about but as I got going I discovered that there is a lot to be said about Westfield. I will be having office hours at the Senior Center on Thursday 9-15-16 at 11AM. Please feel free to stop by and give me your concerns and your input. My e-mail is [email protected] and my phone number is 413-568-9954.
Remember to vote this Thursday September 8. 2016. If you do not vote. You have no right to complain.
Ralph J.Figy
Ward 2
