As City Councilors we receive many communications from residents and I recently received a letter from Joan Correll, a concerned citizen, educator, and environmentalist that made so much sense that I asked her permission to re-print some of it here.
Westfield is trying to improve its image and its economy by revamping the downtown. We hope that the new downtown will pull in people from outside of Westfield to do business here, as well as encourage our own citizens to do the same. Routes 10 and 202 (named College Highway still in Southwick and in Southampton) has historical roots. When my grandparents built their farm in 1912, College Highway literally was the route to Smith, Mt. Holyoke, Amherst, and UMass, from New York City and elsewhere. I don’t know the history of Westfield changing its name to “Southampton Road” but that was a pity because it forgets the importance of that road to higher education.
The north end of Westfield has been a pleasant approach to the city from all sides (the farms or Southampton, the lake, historic Wyben). All of these years it has managed to avoid the “strip mall” look. Allowing a chain gas station to go on the southwest corner of Southampton and North roads is going to change that a great deal. My wish is that no other such establishments will be allowed. We do not need more gas stations or convenience stores. Never have we had to wait on ones to get gas or shop except in gas shortages. If we want out-of-town people to make Westfield center their destination, let’s give them incentive to come into town on “the college highway”.
I agree with so much of what Joan has said. Our Main Street has been lost to a sea of neon and, in my opinion, looks terrible. I don’t want to give up on other major thoroughfares in our city and turn them into neon alleyways.
The Mayor presented the City Council with his budget this week and we are reviewing it now. There will be more to come on this subject.
Genesis Spiritual Life and Conference Center located at 53 Mill Street held a very special ceremony on Sunday, April 21 at their location. The program, “Nurture the Seed” honored five Sisters of Providence for their combined 100 years of service to the founding of Genesis Life and Conference Center. The afternoon was inspiring and made all who were able to attend appreciate the value of this very special place in our section of the city. Genesis provides a multitude of programs and services. You can take a look at their information on their web site at http://www.genesisspiritualcenter.org.
Last month we were addressed at Public Participation by a resident who described his frustration with the piling up of newspapers all over Westfield. As a result, the Natural Resources Committee with members including O’Connell, Flaherty, and Sweeney met with representatives of both the Westfield PennySaver and the Springfield Republican EXTRA. All of the parties brainstormed together and we arrived at a few solutions. The newspapers will maintain an eye on any collecting newspapers and when carriers see papers accumulating in a driveway they will cease. As of June 1, The Springfield Republican will begin adding their customer service number to their plastic bags so customers can call and opt out of the EXTRA delivery. Our committee was very grateful for the participation of the involved parties. I am hopeful that Westfield residents will see a vast improvement in this situation.
The big news in City Hall this week has been the closing of this building for renovations. It was really surreal on Wednesday as I walked the halls of 59 Court Street and found that almost all staff had already packed up and left the building. Departments have been relocated all over the City. You may find their temporary locations on the City’s web site at CityofWestfield.org or by clicking here
Please be safe this long Memorial Day weekend as we remember and honor the men and women who died while serving our country in the United States Armed Forces.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not the staff, editor, or publisher of the Westfield News.
