Letters/Editor

To the Editor

Hello Westfield, and especially the good people of Ward 3.  First of all I need to share with you.  I received this most heartwarming e-mail from a person who is a regular reader of my edits.  It was re: my dog, and the fact that at 70, there has been a loss of family and friends.  And, as any single senior knows your dog or cat is the best, and maybe the only real friend you have and trust.  It was the nicest e-mail I have had sincere and sensitive.  THANK YOU!!!  Speaking of…this leads me to another topic I want to contribute to; from my work, learning, and personal experiences: depression, and suicide.  I recently saw on T.V., that we are experiencing some of the highest rates in depression, suicide, and I will correlate overdoses, and other behaviors that self-preservation alone should have lessened.  But, that is for later.

More positive was the Holyoke St. Pat’s Parade…I was most impressed by the Westfield contingent…It was great to see our city’s FINEST, and displays  of what Westfield is doing, and those doing it.  For me, St. Pat’s is a reunion day with old friends as Holyoke former Mayor Marty Dunn, Chicopee’s current Mayor Kos; a former student, and Sheriff: Nick Cocchi, our illustrious District Attorney Anthony Gulluni, as well as numerous former and current members of our State House.  It was a really good opportunity to personally praise Cocchi and Gulluni for the fantastic work that they are doing; not only in their primary jobs, but in all the things that they have added.  Whether working with youth, seeking real justice, support of projects to keep people out of jail, or not coming back.  I am most proud of them.  As well, by having their post parade event at the Holyoke Boys, and Girls Club.

Another positive, as seen in our Westfield News, and the other newspaper; are the many distinctions and awards being given to our school department.  Whether admin., faculty, curricula, students, or sports; they are doing fantastic.  They are doing so much to prep our youth for the 21st Century jobs, and civic affairs they are outstanding.

Ok, I cannot leave without a more humorous comment:  Marty, the robot at Stop and Shop: while many are fascinated by her; there are those who are a bit irked. Robotphobia or is a fear of the Robot Apocalypse…For me it is a fun marketing way of marketing.  Marty is not taking a job.  She spots a mess on the floor, and calls for someone to clean it up, so no one falls, and to keep the place looking good.   What amuses me is that for decades we have had our favorite robot characters in movies, and on T.V.  The other is that Humankind have survived and thrived by our ability to adapt, and to think our way out of changes in life on Earth.  I am sure that we can adapt to this too.  If you cannot adopt, you end up as all other species that couldn’t; you become extinct.  As mentioned we have a school system that is facilitating our ability, and especially for our youth to have a positive and success lives in this new reality.  The choice is simple: be relevant or expendable.  And, this applies to our civil, civic, and our business economic learning, behaviors and interactions.  The stage is set for the new economy based upon creativity, innovation, and invention in most human needs and wants areas.  Kind of a return to small businesses, but with a global market, and shipping capacity.  We just have to have a learning culture instead of a learning new things resistance.  We have to have positive inter active social skills.  The haters and their propaganda have to stop, the pro kill culture has to stop; secure the environment and enable the many to access the opportunities to develop their skills.  The new economic based upon the more that have the more that have…  The past was mind locked with the notion of a fixed and limited world, where if you share, and include others there as not enough to go around, and you are somehow deprived or left out.  And, for the NIMBY folks, you have to bend a bit, but there are ways and means to enable without NIMBY paranoia coming true.  The other obstacle ae the billion and trillion dollar corps, that fear that they cannot adapt, so must manage the government, courts, and economy.  How a trillionaire cannot adapt amazes me.  Is it the lack of imagination; the revelation that they are not perfect superior beings, or just the fear of competition and cannot play nice with others?  Oh well, just as Malls, and big box stores are on the decline so too a lot of things must adapt or be gone…More mission comments soon….Your former Ward 3 City Councilor, Brian Hoose …[email protected]

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