Twenty people attended the kickoff meeting for the 250th anniversary committee on Monday night. (Photo by Greg Fitzpatrick)
SOUTHWICK – The Select Board hosted a kickoff meeting for the 250th anniversary committee on Monday night in the auditorium of the Southwick Town Hall.
With 20 people attending the roundtable meeting, it gave residents and individuals representing organizations in town the chance to share their ideas about what to include in the 250th anniversary of the town.
In April, the Select Board announced that they were looking to form a committee to work on the 250th anniversary project since the town will be celebrating its 250th anniversary in 2020. The town was incorporated as a separate community on November 7, 1770.
Looking at what their sister city in Westfield is doing with their upcoming 350th anniversary, Russ Fox, who’s organizing the 250th committee, pointed out that Westfield is planning on having their first event in December of 2018 and be a year-long celebration that goes until November 2019. Westfield is planning to have a Christmas tree lighting, caroling, and other activities outside. Fox sees that as something possible for Southwick.
“I thought that was something that might be feasible,” said Fox.
People included in the roundtable, all agreed that they would like to have events in the summer of 2020 that would include Congamond Lake, the recreation center, and the motocross track.
Roberta Page, who lives in West Springfield, but is currently helping both Westfield and Worthington with their respective anniversary celebrations, is quite familiar with Southwick. When Page was younger, the Brass Rail restaurant was a common hangout for her, as her aunt and uncle were the owners. Page wanted to remind everyone that they need to plan for inclement weather and have makeup days in place.
“It’s not just that one day that you’re going to have something,” said Page.
Lee Hamburg, who’s a part of the Historical Commission in town, suggested that there are numerous sub-committees created to have specific topics focused on. Fox agreed that one sub-committee would be a publicity committee.
Jim Putnam noted that a big key to having success organizing this celebration will be reaching out to the younger residents in Southwick. With the majority of people attending the meeting on Monday being from the older generation, he believes they need to create a Facebook page and reach out to the younger generations on social media to spread the word.
“I’m not sure it’ll work, but we have to try it,” said Putnam.
The Southwick Civic Fund, a non-profit organization in Southwick, will be assisting the committee by organizing any money that is raised for the 250th celebration.
According to Fox, the town has $5,000 left over from Southwick’s 225th anniversary along with $5,000 each that will be appropriated for both FY18 and FY19. The total amount of money the town has for the celebration is $15,000. Senator Don Humason is working on an earmark to help preserve additional money.
The next meeting for the 250th committee is on July 16 at 6:30 in the auditorium of the Southwick Town Hall.
