I read in The Westfield News on Friday that we need more police officers in the City of Westfield. What do we need them for? They don’t fight crime anymore. All they do is direct traffic.
Dear PulseLine: My parents grew up in Westfield around 1910. They told me of going in a horse drawn wagon to the area that Westfield State University now stands. A huge grove of chestnuts covered this area and people gathered the nuts for food! They were a favorite stuffing for turkeys. Chestnut Street near Noble Hospital was named for the American Chestnuts that lined this steet. Sadly, the chestnuts died out in the 1920s and in the 1950s the American Elms died out along Elm Street! Today there are no elms on Elm Street or chestnuts on Chestnut Street! However, the elm has been restored and many young trees are growing on Court Street near Pine Hill Cemetery! The American Chestnut Society is restoring The American Chestnut and will sell trees. I know Westfield is in for a new look! Could not Mayor Knapik restore the beautiful chestnuts and elms to Westfield, as part of our history?
Recently, a PulseLine reader asked about bridge inspections. According to the City of Westfield Engineering Department, the city’s bridges are owned by the state, and all bridges over 20-feet long are inspected by the state at least once every two years. When work is being done on a bridge, it is inspected more often. For example, the Great River Bridge has already been inspected several times this year.
