Medeiros getting his way
By DAN MORIARTY
Staff Writer
WESTFIELD – City Councilor Charles W. Medeiros learned how to get controversial legislation through City Council and approved, during a career that spanned three decades. Medeiros made political compromise an art form, stating it was always better to walk away from an issue with half a loaf than with empty hands.
Medeiros, who passed away last June after a brief battle with cancer, will get his way at least one more time, and will take one last compromise out of the council’s debate.
During much of his political career Medeiros represented Ward 1, which was everybody north of the Westfield River, for decades, a huge land mass and diversified constituency which Medeiros was always able to bring together.
Medeiros’ successor, Ward 1 Councilor and, like Medeiros, City Council President, Christopher Keefe and Ward 5 Councilor Richard E. Onofrey Jr., are looking for a compromise and a way to bring two very different constituencies together.
The problem the two councilors are attempting to resolve is generated in Ward 1 and manifested in Ward 5. The problem is the word summit, as in Summit Drive, a residential street of Pontoosic Road near the crest of Provin Mountain, as in Summit Lock Road, an industrial park located off Southampton Road. Summit Drive is near the top of a mountain, while Summit Lock was the highest elevation of the canal system constructed in Westfield and connecting it with New Haven.
That industrial area generates a great deal of truck traffic, much of it coming off the Massachusetts Turnpike. The truck drivers look at the address of their industrial destination and type “Summit” into their guidance (GPS) systems, then follow the directions all the way across town with their huge rigs, only to find themselves on the steep slopes of the residential neighborhood.
Onofrey introduced legislation in November to change the name of the residential street, a motion that drew protest from the residents who would have to change all of their identification, financial, mailing and legal documents.
Edward Ziskowski of 34 Northridge Road asked the council members to vote no on the Summit Drive name change if the motion was brought out of the Legislative & Ordinance Committee for council action.
“There are 15 residents of Summit Drive and only five businesses on Summit Lock Road,” Ziskowski said. “It’s a problem that’s been going on for a year now.”
Robert Myco of 15 Summit Drive said changing the name of the residential street would create a hardship for residents.
“I oppose any street name change because the 15 or 16 residents would have to change their addresses,” Myco said. “I don’t have email and I still get all of my communication by mail. I would have to change my home insurance information, my deed, my driver’s license and car registration, my bank and retirement accounts, my mortgage, my will, my medical records, my organization affiliations, my excise tax, water and sewer bill, everything that has my address. Changing my address will create a hardship and confusion.”
“The solution to this problem lies in the hands of the businesses on Summit Lock Road,” Myco said.
Keefe and Onofrey heard and heeded that hardship argument. Last night the councilors brought out their proposed compromise to rename Summit Lock Road after Medeiros.
The original motion was to change the name to Charlie Medeiros Road, but Onofrey requested an amendment to change that to Charlie Medeiros Way.
“Charlie always wanted his way,” Onofrey said.
Dan Moriarty can be reached at [email protected]
