Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski, Westfield 350 President Harry Rock and Curriculum Director Susan Dargie display some of the “Time in Westfield” books donated by Westfield 350 to the schools. (Photo by Amy Porter)
WESTFIELD – Harry Rock, president of the Friends of the Westfield 350 Committee, presented a donation of thirteen “Time in Westfield” books, valued at $1600 from the committee to the Westfield Public Schools on Thursday, one for each of the schools and one for Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski.
Rock said the book, which explores the history of Westfield, helps to fulfill the mission of Westfield 350 to give back to the community. “Part of what I wanted to do was leave a legacy,” Rock said about the book, which is jam-packed with photos and stories from throughout the 350 years of Westfield, beginning with the first outpost in 1669, and covering its population growth, canals, industries, floods and fires. “We kept adding pages to it. To me it was all about content,” Rock said.
Rock said this year’s will be the fourth big celebration of Westfield’s history. At each of the prior celebrations, in 1869, 1919 and 1969, history books or pamphlets were also published, but in black and white and without photos.
This year, 2,000 of the privately-funded books, which cost $40 each, were published, and “have been selling off the shelf,” Rock said, adding that once they’re gone, they will not be reissued.
“I’m excited to have had the opportunity to head up the 350th,” Rock said. “For me, it was about setting goals, not just talking about features and events.” He said although retired as director of the YMCA of Greater Westfield, the Westfield 350 committee has become a full-time job, one he works on five days a week.
Rock said he started his career as a math and science teacher before going to the YMCA. His wife, Anne Rock, recently retired as a teacher at Highland Elementary School. They both wanted the celebration to be all about children and families.
“Number one, it has to be fun. Second, it has to be memorable; on a scale large enough and done well enough that people will remember,” Rock said, adding that the First Night celebration fit all those goals.
Third, and most important, Rock said, was the experience has to be educational. He said the anniversary celebration gives residents of Westfield the opportunity to focus on attributes that make Westfield a special place, including Stanley Park, the Boys & Girls Club, the YMCA, Amelia Park, the Westfield River, and the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail.
“We are trying to use the leverage of Westfield 350 for people to get excited about the community we have,” he said, adding, “There are few communities our size and larger that have everything we have.”
Part of that was providing the opportunity to learn about the past, and the focus on the past, present and future of the city, he said.
Rock said they have just finished the fifth of fourteen lectures about Westfield. “The response has been unbelievable to these,” Rock said. Partnering with Westfield State University, the Westfield Athenaeum, and First Church, he said the series is headed up by WSU Prof. Vanessa Diana, Westfield 350 treasurer Candy Pennington, and Cindy Gaylord, chair of the Westfield Historical Committee.
“They did a phenomenal job,” Rock said. Some of the series has had to be moved to larger venues due to the response, which has been as many as 400 people. He said 155 showed up during a white-out snowstorm for one lecture at WSU. “I’ve been so excited to see it,” he said.
Recently, Susan Dargie, Curriculum Director of Westfield Public Schools called to ask whether they could offer professional development credits for teachers that attend the lectures. Rock said he was on “Cloud 9,” over the idea that the schools would give PD credits to teachers to attend the series.
Rock said the series is also being recorded, and is available on Westfield350.com for residents and teachers that are not able to attend the lectures. A video of the First Night celebration is also available on the website.
Rock said a lot of great things are happening that he did not anticipate. Recently, he had a call from a woman in North Carolina, who said her husband grew up in Westfield, and was one of two boy scouts holding the banner in the 1969 parade. She asked him whether he could carry the banner in the 350th parade.
Rock asked her if her husband knew the other scout. He was found living in California, and both are returning for the parade. Since his buddy can’t march, Rock has arranged for two golf carts for the original carriers of the banner, and two current boy scouts to march alongside of them. He asked the boy scouts to both pledge to do the same in fifty years.
Another great aspect to the celebration is an original play written by Kathy Palmer and Marion Dunk, with a cast of 40. “She really tried to encompass as many as possible,” Rock said.
In addition to the full play, Palmer has written a series of vignettes which will be performed in each of the elementary schools to third and fourth graders during the week of March 11. Volunteers will also bring lesson plans with hands-on activities for classrooms, and a kit to leave behind to share with other teachers.
Dargie received a grant of $1500, $250 for each school, for materials for the history kits from the Westfield Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council. “Future third graders will be able to do those lessons,” she said.
Dargie said earlier in the year, Cindy Gaylord, who teaches fourth grade put together a year’s worth of facts on Westfield’s history, which are also being used in fun ways by the elementary schools.
“Then, leading to Harry’s generous contribution for today,” Dargie said.
“The big thing for us what really met the educational piece was the books,’ said Rock. He said this year’s celebration if the fourth big celebration of Westfield’s history. From the last celebrations, people remembered the parade, with General Knox bringing the cannon, and “everybody remembers the Mummers,” who he said have been booked for this year, and will end the parade.
Rock said the other thing people recalled was the cake, which has been installed on the Green since the third week of December. “They also remembered the book,” Rock said, something left behind to be able to embrace the history of Westfield.
