Good Morning Westfield! Hope you have all had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend so far.
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days of the year. Besides the good food and football, I also relish the opportunity to reflect on what I’m thankful for. As always, I am thankful to the men and women of the armed services around the globe who are spending Thanksgiving away from their families to keep us safe at home. I am also thankful that the residents of Westfield elected me to represent them and that I get to have one of the best jobs there is. Most importantly, I am thankful to live in the best country on Earth and for the rights and freedoms we often take for granted.
2017 has been a year filled with disturbing headlines and divisive politics. With the new year quickly approaching, I am hoping that we, as a nation, start to refocus our national conversation to the things that really matter. It seems to me that no matter which news station you turn on, the discourse is focused on the wrong topics. For example, this past week, 11 American sailors went missing after a plane crash off the coast of Japan. Luckily, eight of them were recovered safely. However, the disappearance of three people who signed up to serve this country should have been the major headline on every news station nationwide, but instead, it was barely mentioned. That’s not to say that the news stories coming out at the moment aren’t also important, but it has been a growing trend and I really hope to see some changes as we head into the holiday season.
On another note, I have a confession to make- a few months ago, while driving back from one of my many trips to Boston, I received a text message and my phone made a noise. I was going a normal speed and I looked at my phone for only a second. When I looked back up, all the cars around me had slowed down because the sun had suddenly blinded them. If I had looked down for even 2 seconds more, I’m not sure I would have made it home safely.
This is an all too common occurrence in an age where everyone has access to a cell phone. That’s why I was especially happy this past week to see Governor Baker come out in support of a hands-free cell phone bill that I have been a supporter of for several years now. With the broad use of cellphones, we need to follow the example of several other states like Connecticut and New York and ban the handheld use of these devices on the road. Many people nowadays have handsfree technology, either built into their car or readily available from the nearest tech store.
From talking with countless police officers and from personal experience, I know that cellphone usage on the road is one of the major public safety issues today. From 2015-2016, more than 400 drivers were killed because of their use of a cellphone. With stats like that, there is no defensible reason why we should not pass a law, and quickly. I am extremely proud of the Governor’s decision to ask the legislature for a bill by the end of this session and I will do whatever I can do to make sure it gets to his desk.
In local news, as many of you know, the Westfield Fire Department has been waiting for several months now to receive waivers for their trucks to be able to cross Cowles Bridge. This has been a major public safety issue since the WFD was told they could not drive their trucks over the bridge, even in an emergency. One of the most critical aspects of my job is to advocate for the City of Westfield in state matters and projects. There are 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts who all have their individual projects and needs from the State. My job is to ensure that Westfield’s needs do not go unheeded or are ignored. To that end, since the squeaky wheel tends to get the oil, I have been in constant contact with MassDOT over several phone calls and emails to make sure that the Cowles Bridge situation was resolved as quickly as possible. I am happy to report that the Westfield Fire Department will be receiving waivers for four out of five of their trucks, with speed limitations, in the coming days. This will ensure that in an emergency, the WFD will be able to respond quickly with the proper equipment to any houses located over the bridge on that side of the city.
Finally, I want to invite everyone to an event I am hosting on Tuesday. Every year, I like to host a gathering around this time of the year to say thank you. I would love for any and all of you to stop by and say hello. It will be held at the Tavern from 6-8 in the back room. Hope to see as many of you as I can!
That’s it for this week, folks. I hope you all make the most of your long weekend and as always, if you have any questions or concerns, I can be reached at [email protected] or (413) 572-3920.
