WESTFIELD – A “family-oriented community” was a top priority 14 years ago for Katherine “Kat” Bentrewicz and her husband when they settled in the city.
“We looked for a city with great schools, strong businesses, and a hometown feel,” she said.
Today, the couple has two daughters and resides on Llewellyn Drive. Bentrewicz is running for the City Council in Ward 4.
“I am excited to begin this adventure,” she said during a recent meet-and-greet fundraiser at The Westwood.
Bentrewicz said she became involved in local government due to the closing of Juniper Park Elementary School.
“Through this journey, I have come to realize that we need more positive voices speaking for our neighborhoods that comprise Ward 4,” she said.
Bentrewicz said she believes the children of Ward 4 need to attend a school in Westfield.
“Russell Elementary is an excellent temporary solution, but I will work tirelessly until we find a permanent resolution that suits the students, their families, and the community,” she said.
In addition to being passionate about the workings of the school system, Bentrewicz is also interested in the Western Avenue project and what it may bring to the small neighborhoods surrounding the area.
“As I become more knowledgeable with the plans for Western Avenue, I would love to get input on what should be done to make our main thoroughfare safer and more functional,” she said.
In her spare time, Bentrewicz has served the community over the years through volunteer work including with Westfield Helps Its Public Schools (WHIPS), Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS), Westfield Foundation for Education (WFE), and more than three years as PTC co-president, Juniper Park School, and as a coordinator for Westfield into the Arts.
“Through my volunteer efforts, I have had the opportunity to build constructive relationships with members of our community, school committee, and administrators at the Westfield Public Schools and Westfield State University,” she said. “I have learned that cooperation and positive working relationships are the key to change and growth, and I will continue creating these relationships as the Ward 4 representative.”
Bentrewicz is also concerned that it has been “several years” since Ward 4 has had roads paved, sidewalks repaired, or sewer developments. She is also interested to hear constituent views on the city’s relationship with Westfield State University and its students.
“I feel we need to find ways to cohabitate peacefully, but also fruitfully,” she said.
Bentrewicz said her personal strengths include the ability to listen to all sides of an issue before making a decision.
“I want to hear ideas and opposing views,” she said. “I enjoy a healthy debate.”
On her Facebook page, Facebook.com/Kat4westfield, Bentrewicz said it is “truly humbling” that when she knocks on someone’s door they are “welcoming and encouraging.”
Bentrewicz, who lives off Western Avenue, said after talking to Ward 4 residents and taking in her own assessments, she said the ward is “neglected.”
“Western Avenue is a beautiful street and I would like to see more people riding their bikes but the sidewalks are horrible,” she said, noting the tar and tree roots that have created treacherous conditions.
Bentrewicz also said she would like to see a nice connector from the downtown rail trail to Stanley Park one day.
As Bentrewicz continues to meet Ward 4 constituents, she said she emphasizes she is “open-minded, does not have an agenda in this race, and has a clean slate.”
“I’m a straight shooter and I will tell you exactly how and why I feel a certain way about an issue,” she said. “I’m here to listen to the people of Ward 4. I want to hear what they have to say. I want to be their voice, because that’s what I believe their representative is voted in to do.”
