Thursday night was the Springfield debate for the three Republican candidates running in the special election to replace John Kerry and become the junior United States Senator from Massachusetts. I attended the debate at City Stage in downtown Springfield. Westfield’s own Jim Madigan was the moderator and the hour-long debate was televised.
The three GOP candidates, Dan Winslow, Gabriel Gomez, and Mike Sullivan presented their case to the voters in the room and at home why they should win the special election primary on April 30. Each candidate had his strengths and weaknesses. All three indicated their belief that the next Massachusetts US Senator should be a senator for the entire Commonwealth, Western Mass included.
Working in politics for as long as I have I’ve attended numerous live debates and participated in my fair share. For those who are interested in this type of thing, there is nothing better than a live debate to get a feel for the candidates. You can see who the clever ones are. Who the quick thinkers are. Who handles the pressure well? Who has the best charisma and connects best with the people?
Because the timetable for this special election is so short, I think it is vital for the candidates to make their case directly to as many voters as they can. I have not endorsed anyone, preferring to let the candidates convince the voters of their own merits. I have not yet decided whom I will vote for on Election Day but sitting in the audience and observing the individual styles and skills of the candidates I am beginning to lean toward one of them. That person is…
Wednesday night there was a community meeting organized by the Hampton Ponds Association with residents of the three communities that share Hampton Ponds: Holyoke, Southampton, and Westfield. The topic was quality of life issues, pond access and safety, and other impacts on the area such as illegal dumping. Senator Mike Knapik and I both participated, as well as City Councilors Chris Keefe and Chris Crean. There were officials from the Westfield Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police, the Environmental Law Enforcement, and the Department of Conservation and Recreation.
I think it was an excellent forum and the attendees and participants all agreed that the dialogue should continue as we work collaboratively to address the points raised to make Hampton Ponds safer and more enjoyable for all who live on them and recreate in them.
I have said for years when addressing civic groups and speaking publicly and privately to people that the worst thing about being a legislator from Western Massachusetts is the commute. When the Massachusetts Turnpike was designed and built in the late ‘50s I doubt the designers envisioned or conceived of the need for “traffic relief valves” on certain long stretches of the Pike.
This Tuesday I had one of the worst rides to Boston in my twenty-year career of travelling the east-west corridor. Although the House of Representatives was not in formal session I was going to the State House for the annual Library legislative lobby day and a House Republican caucus meeting with the leadership of the beleaguered state Department of Transitional Assistance that oversees welfare benefits and the Electronic Benefits Transfer card system.
I should have known the drive was going to be bad when I stopped at the Ludlow rest area to buy myself a coffee and get a tea for my Chief of Staff Maura Cassin who was in her car a few miles ahead of me. We were going to meet at exit 9 in Sturbridge and carpool in to Boston together from there. I got a call on my cell phone from a former state representative who saw me pulling away. He warned me that there was “some sort of truck accident” up the road. I reported, as I approached exit 8, that I hadn’t run into any traffic yet.
As soon as those words left my mouth, and I passed the last hope Palmer exit, I ran smack into the middle of a two-lane bumper to bumper traffic jam that was moving forward at less than a mile an hour. If you’re familiar with this piece of the Mass Pike you know there are no exits, turn-offs, or rest areas between there and exit 9. And it’s a long stretch.
I called Maura who said she was stuck in it about 5 miles ahead of me and she still hadn’t seen the accident scene yet. Just about then, a car pulled up on my left. It was Craig and Erin Carrier from Westfield. They had seen my bumper sticker and wanted to say hello. So I offered Erin the tea because I guessed it would be cold by the time I ever saw Maura again. She took it and Craig joked that he might need the cup later. Believe me, by the time I made it to the State House I was regretting drinking that coffee.
An hour and a half later I finally got to the Warren-Sturbridge line near mile-marker 68 and saw two trucks tipped off the right side of the road in the ditch. There were fire trucks, state police, and tow trucks all over. The traffic on the eastbound side of the Pike was restricted to one lane as it crawled past the accident site. The road opened up and it was a fairly smooth ride to Boston from that point. But the whole trip took me
Worst part of it? Once I was stuck in traffic and going nowhere fast I got on the phone to call my fellow legislators and warn them of the terrible traffic. I was able to contact a few of them who were able to change their plans or their routes and avoid the headache. When I called my buddy Senator Knapik to give him the heads up he said he knew about the accident and was already in Boston. He had heard about it earlier and had taken Route 20 to avoid the traffic jam. When you see Mike thank him for me for the courtesy of his warning call. Grrrr.
Happy Easter to you and your family!
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not the staff, editor, or publisher of the Westfield News.
Representative Don Humason and his Chief of Staff Maura Cassin may be reached at their Westfield District Office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085, (413) 568-1366.
Representative Don Humason may be reached at his Boston office, State House Room 542, Boston, MA 02133, (617) 722-2803.
Email address: [email protected]
Website: www.DonHumason.org
