I must say I love the chatter about a Dog Park. I guess its not enough that owners have to let their dogs urinate on my mailbox and defecate in my yard, now we have to have a common place which undoubtedly won’t be enforced, where they can go at will. I’m all for pets and dogs particularly but let them do their business in your own yard. If you don’t want it happening in your yard, what makes it OK for it to happen in mine or part of a park? As for the “room to run”, well if you don’t have the room for a pet, then perhaps you shouldn’t have one… and no you can’t let them pee on the tree-belt because its “city property” as one old man actually shouted at me.
“We built a school on protected park land in 1990,” he (Mayor Knapik) said, referring to Papermill Elementary School. “There is nothing that says you can’t do this. We didn’t fix the situation a Papermill until 2004.” Mr. Mayor, just because you got away with it once before does not mean you can do it again. The downtown area cannot afford to lose open space for 14 years because you want to build a mega-school where only a neighborhood school should be. You are a person who is using his power to overpower people with less political pull than you. Do you know what that makes you? A bully.
We just read in The Westfield News that a few people living on Cross Street and Ashley Street are trying to hold up the construction of an elementary school that will hold 600 students! Since when do the NIMBYs rule the school department? The ringleader of this group went to school in Westfield! Is this his way of showing his appreciation of the fine education he received in the Westfield school system? These NIMBYs have killed a biomass plant in Russell and delayed the construction of two others, one in the north end of Westfield and one in East Springfield. Now they are using their delaying tactics to hurt school children! How can our court system let the will of a few stifle economic growth and the education of many hundreds of kids?
Good evening, Westfield. We all have been given free schooling since after the Revolution. We are retired. We have a child working and a grandchild in Westfield schools. We moved to Westfield by choice 23 years ago, not because of the cost of our home, but because of the schools. We could have bought a much cheaper home and had it paid off, in another city, but we chose Westfield. We worried about the class size and because we were outsiders, how would our child be treated. Westfield is the third largest city in our state. Look it up. Our child started in middle school, met great kids, and is today still friends. Our child went to Voke and now has degree work and a good paying job because of this. Our grandchild is now in the Westfield school system. Look around the surrounding cities and tell me we are not the best. Our teachers are fantastic. Give me the name of one and I will find hundreds that will disagree with you. If they don’t try to work 24 hours a day and 365 days a year I will eat today’s newspaper with no gravy. Now my comment is we, as Americans, are given free education from grade one to twelve, some including kindergarten. There is day care, preschool, kindergarten and college that may have to be paid for but we and our children and children’s children have free education. I know that education is paid with tax money of people who work. If you are retired, someone paid taxes for you to be educated; you worked for someone to be educated. Our child is working for someone to be educated. I hope that my grandchild will have a job to pay it forward. Even though we are retired and on limited income, if we don’t pay it forward there is no one to continue. Ever look to see how long a regular building with no problems is able to be used as living quarters, business and a school. We need schools, to be able to build homes, businesses and to continue to pay it forward. We know that you don’t have to accept the freedom of school but it is there and hope that you will use it. We love Westfield, thank you for allowing us to live here as a family. Our family votes, gets the Westfield News and makes sure that we use our local businesses. Do these things and let’s make Westfield #1. We think of Westfield that way.
Can someone clarify for me if I decide to run a sticker campaign for elected office, do I need to get 50 signatures to do that?
This is in regards to the letter in Friday’s Westfield News from Barbara Swords about John Olver. The only reason this guy retired is because he knew he couldn’t beat the big Springfield machine of Richie Neal. Period.
This is in regards to Friday’s Letter to the Editor and the plaque for Congressman Olver. I think the plaque should be put in the Sons of Erin and not the parks department. I disagree with what the lady had to say. Thank you very much. Bye.
A political debate between Scott Brown and Elizabeth Warren was held Thursday. However, its availability to be televised and easily watched throughout our entire state was not accessible. As citizens and voters, the public throughout our entire state should have had that option available to us. As voters we are considered to be important enough to have their pleas to be elected on our television every 10 minutes, 24 hours a day, but we are not important enough to have their debate available to us. I’m aware another debate will follow and be available to us but big deal. What did we miss in the first one? As a voter I feel that if I wasn’t important enough to view the first one than I am not important enough to vote for either one of them. Therefore, I will not vote for either of them this year. I’m tired of being used only when someone wants my vote. If I’m good enough for those seeking election to come into my home every 10 minutes but not important enough to view all their debates, then I’m not good enough to vote. Thank you.
I’m 80 years old and I drove a truck for 40 years, 30 years on the road and 10 years local, and I can remember the days when we were considered outlaws and always getting pulled over. Then I read about the two truckers getting pulled over out in Wyoming for drugs. You know, we always tried to stay legal and then you hear about stuff like that and it sets the whole industry back.
I wish people would stop feeding my pigeons. They go to different homes because people are putting food out. Don’t you know there are bears around? Come on; let’s get on the ball. Thank you.
Thank you, Patrick for keeping the PulseLine. I just want to remark on how we still have Nightmare on Elm Street in Westfield and why Scott Brown “poor boy” couldn’t contact Verizon about the late charge for all the people paying their telephone bills. And also, the PVTA has awful service for the Big E coming in and out of Westfield. I hope they never bring in their company or garage here. They can’t even manage the working people who depend on the bus. They are just awful.
