I hope everyone had a great summer break, and I hope students and parents are looking forward to the start of another great school year.
I’ve got a few things to talk about this week. First, CONGRATULATIONS to our 13 year-old Babe Ruth All-Stars who made it to the World Series, and congratulations to the Boy Scouts from Troop 109 who completed a couple of 50+ mile treks this summer. I hope you all had wonderful experiences.
Next, WOW, what a great show! I attended the “Eight to the Bar” concert on Thursday evening. It was fantastic. I’d encourage everyone to take a look at the WestfieldOnWeekends.com website and show up for some of their events. There’s another WOW concert in about a week, Beatlemania is coming to the High School on September 7, and Colonial Harvest Day is scheduled for September 29. Please add these events to your family calendars, show up, and have some fun.
Some big news on the City Council front… Ward 2 Councilor Jim Brown is resigning. This will leave a giant hole to fill. Jim has not only represented Ward 2, but he’s been involved and active in almost every important piece of work the council has done over the last couple of years. I’ll miss him, but I know he’s doing what is best for himself and his family, and I wish him the best.
Because of this resignation, the City Council has to try and find a replacement for Ward 2. In this case, he ran unopposed last election, so I think the City Council will elect his replacement within a few weeks. I, and other councilors, have already been contacted by at least three potential candidates. If you are a Ward 2 resident who is interested in serving as a City Councilor, I’d encourage you to contact all of the City Councilors by phone and email as soon as possible. I do hope the election process will allow candidates to speak publically and take questions from the Council, and members of the public, before we vote, but that process hasn’t been firmed-up yet.
A bigger problem is replacing Jim as Chairman of the Legislative and Ordinance Committee. That role has a major impact on just about everything that happens in the City Council. It requires a lot of extra time and effort. President Keefe gets to appoint someone to this role – it’s not automatically filled by the new Ward 2 Councilor. I think filling that position is going to be a major challenge. There are several new councilors who would be overwhelmed with the responsibility, there are a couple who are a bit too outspoken to make President Keefe comfortable, and there are several who just don’t want the added burden of the Chairmanship of L&O. The City needs the right person in this role. Someone who is overwhelmed, or who is not willing to spend the time to and do the work, will have a major negative impact on the City. This will be, by far, one of the most important decisions President Keefe makes.
In closing, I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend and that all of the students, families, and educators have a fantastic start to the new school year.
Dave Flaherty
City Councilor
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not the staff, editor, or publisher of the Westfield News.
