MARY ANN BABINSKI
WESTFIELD – The race for which city resident will represent Ward 1 contrasts a three-term council veteran facing off against a newcomer espousing a focus on green development for the Whip City.
Mary Ann Babinski, a former teacher and computer applications trainer, has said that the focus of her campaign is adding green businesses to Westfield, but also giving the residents of Ward 1 a stronger voice in city government.
A longtime Ward 1 resident, Babinski, while a rookie candidate for Westfield public office, is no stranger to public service, having served as a town meeting member while living in Easthampton for a time, and as a volunteer with that city’s cable access board.
“I’m a little familiar with city government, as I was involved with zoning changes and went to and participated in public hearings,” Babinski said. “And I feel we need stronger representation. That’s why I decided to run.”
Concerns of air, water and noise pollution are focal points of Babinski’s plan for the northernmost ward, issues she believes are the most pressing to Ward 1.
“I’m hoping, if elected, to work to bring in more green business to protect those resources,” Babinski said. “I understand bringing in business near the airport, but those (nearby) residents pay taxes, and they should be able to breathe clean air and have not so much noise pollution.”
Babinski’s environmental concerns have led her to oppose recent developments on the city’s north side, and she would like to see the city council and city government pay more attention to the concerns of the Barnes Aquifer Protection Advisory Committee (BAPAC.)
“Through campaigning, people across the city are concerned. I would like to be more connected with BAPAC,” she said.
Babinski said residents have seen an increase in property taxes and that city government needs to take “a more common sense” approach to spending and bonding.
“The key thing is to get people involved, to feel that they are empowered,” Babinski said. “I don’t think that happens enough.”
Currently, Babinski is embarking on a 100-mile walk to New Bedford to promote clean alternative energy, the second year she has participated in the event, which she calls “Walk the Talk.”
“Westfield is an environmental justice city with numerous environmental justice neighborhoods,” she said during a break in the walk, which began Saturday.
The United State Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development wing defines an Environmental Justice Population as a “neighborhood whose annual median household income is equal to or less than 65 percent of the statewide median or whose population is made up 25 percent Minority, Foreign Born, or Lacking English Language Proficiency.
Walking with the Westfield Concerned Citizens, a local grassroots group, Babinski hopes to deliver a message she also hopes to bring to the city council as a newly-elected representative.
“We should treat all people fairly, no matter where they live,” Babinski said. “When we come back from the walk, we’re hoping to build awareness. Other cities are green, but people don’t stop to think about it.”
Facing an incumbent is a tall task, but Babinski believes she’s up to it.
“If elected, I look forward to walking the extra mile,” she said. “Or 100.”
