My friend Leslie from New Hampshire has done a remarkable job battling back breast cancer. I’m looking forward to meeting her halfway and seeing her and her husband at the Vermont Life Wine and Harvest festival at Mount Snow next weekend. When she first moved up from Texas, she confided that she couldn’t understand the attraction of New England, and gosh was it cold! I told her to be patient, and she would understand when September rolled around. After a week of near perfect weather here, she’s starting to acknowledge what we all take for granted, that autumn in New England is indeed something special. I’ve been working up north along Route 2 in the town of Orange, and in the two weeks I’ve spent there, the color is just starting to emerge in the leaves. I’m guessing in about two more weeks, the French King Bridge in Gill, just a few miles west on Route 2, will be packed with sightseers and photographers, and why not: it’s one of the best vistas in New England. Our peak time here won’t be far behind; last year Joan and I spent an afternoon taking pictures around the Crane Pond area in October, and we were far from alone that sunny afternoon.
Allow me to add my voice to the chorus congratulating the Westfield Babe Ruth All Stars on their trip to the World Series. It’s been quite a while since any team from New England made it that far, and while we wish the trip to Seattle had ended with a different outcome, on behalf of my colleagues allow me to say that we’re proud of your terrific run, and grateful for all of the volunteer efforts of the coaches, managers, parents, and financial contributors. You can all be proud of the results.
Sometimes as President, I’m reluctant to single out one individual councilor as it detracts from the broader concept of acting as a legislative body. However, that means I’ll usually “save up” my comments for the right moment, and with the third departure from the Council this term, that time has arrived. My colleague and good friend, Jim Brown, has tendered his resignation to the Council, and we will (reluctantly) accept it at our next regularly scheduled meeting on September 20th. When I was elected President, the responsibility for assigning committees fell exclusively to me. Fortunately, the decision as to who would chair the busy and demanding Legislative & Ordinance committee was an easy one. Even as a rookie councilor, Jim had shown the necessary diligence and temperament to chair the committee through which all other orders, ordinances, and resolutions must pass prior to consideration. I recall one time, when the Council was engaged in rather strenuous debate with the Superintendent of the Water Resources Department over overtime expenditures at the wastewater treatment plant. While many of us, led by Finance Chairman Rick Onofrey, poured over the exhibits and grilled the Superintendent with questions, Councilor Brown along with Councilor John Beltrandi took it upon themselves to visit the plant and see the operation firsthand. That kind of pursuit of detail quickly gained the respect of my fellow colleagues, and his tireless efforts made my tenure as President much more manageable. Somewhere along the way, he also became quite the parliamentarian – sometimes to my benefit, and sometimes to my chagrin….but he was invaluable at helping me and my colleagues sort through the rules and procedures of the Council, which have grown rather complicated with the addition of expanded regulation and oversight from the new Division of Open Government. The fact that he was so effective as a ward councilor while serving as chairman of L&O is a testament to the dedication and devotion he brought to his elected position. Unfortunately, work comes first, and the demands of commuting to Boston from Westfield just became too much. We will miss him here in the City Council chamber and on the Little League diamonds, as well.
Christopher Keefe
President, Westfield City Council
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not the staff, editor, or publisher of the Westfield News.
