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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 85 NO. 252
The Westfield News will run its masthead in pink, in recognition of October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016
Recognition ceremony honors the Southwick Police Department By GREG FITZPATRICK Correspondent SOUTHWICK – A police recognition ceremony was held at the Town Hall Auditorium on Monday night. The ceremony recognized current police officers, retired police officers as well as various other employees working for the Southwick Police Department. Chief Dave Ricardi started off the presentation by recognizing the several retired police officers that were present for the event. Certificates of appreciation were then given to certain police officers on the force. The recognition from the police force
stretched far, from the veteran and retiring officers to the younger officers who are just beginning their career. Ken Laxton, who has been a member of the Southwick Police Department for 47 years, recently retired as an officer. Laxton recalled the memories he had during his profession. “It was a very exciting time in my life,” said Laxton. “I always wanted to be a police officer, I knew it was my goal.” Ending his time on the force, Laxton is happy to see the younger generation of officers in the department showing such prom-
ise. “To see the young individuals that have that same young gleam in their eye,” said Laxton. One of those younger individuals is Ross Henke. Being a life-long resident of Southwick, Henke always had the dream of representing that uniform in his own town. Earlier this fall, Henke was named the newest police officer to be added on as a fulltime officer. Henke was officially sworn in during the ceremonies. See Recognition, Page 3
Classmates of WHS ’66 sought for reunion By LORI SZEPELAK Correspondent WESTFIELD — 50 years. As committee members for Westfield High School’s Class of 1966 put the finishing touches on their upcoming class reunion, there are still individuals who have yet to be found and area residents are being asked to assist with tracking them down. “The lead up to this reunion has been a lot of work for the committee members as this time around compared to the past ones since we concentrated on retaining email and current addresses and trying extra hard to locate classmates,” said Greg Kallfa. Reunion committee members joining Kallfa are Frank Popkowicz, Gary Readio, See Reunion, Page 8
Westfield High School class of 1966 reunion organizers Greg Kallfa and Anne Kertiles. (WNG file
Chief Ricardi recognized retiring police officer Ken Laxton for his 47 years of service on the force. (Photo by Greg Fitzpatrick)
Ramon Diaz, Jr. promoted to Lt. Colonel in the 104th Fighter Wing at Barnes Air National Guard By AMY PORTER Correspondent WESTFIELD – Ramon “Ray” Diaz was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel at Barnes Air National Guard Base in a ceremony on Sunday, officiated by Wing commander Colonel James Keefe. Also present were Diaz’ wife, Maria and sons Jake, 12 and Nicholas, 14, who applied the new rank of silver oak leaf clusters on their father. “She deserves it more than I do,” Diaz said of his wife, Maria. Diaz has over 31 years of military service. He enlisted in the United States Army Reserve in April of 1985 as a Private E-1 where he was
Clever Clovers 4-H Club of Westfield members hone their culinary skills.
4-H Club springs up in Westfield By LORI SZEPELAK Correspondent WESTFIELD-Kim Avery “loves” the 4-H organization and with her daughter Emma’s enthusiasm, the two have spearheaded the formation of the Clever Clovers 4-H Club of Westfield. “I love the organization because of the life skills that kids can learn,” said Avery in her dining room on Sunday afternoon that was dominated by girls tossing flour, sugar and spices into huge bowls of peeled apples as well as rolling out dough they made from scratch. Earlier in the day, the six girls of the new club were with Avery and her husband Chris picking apples at Kosinski Farms in preparation for the pies that would be assembled and later donated
See 104th, Page 8
to the Westfield Soup Kitchen. “Kosinski Farms knew we were coming and donated a half bushel of apples for the pies,” said Avery, noting this was the girl’s first community service project. The girls in the Clever Clovers are Amelia Kelso, 10, Emma Avery, 10, Rachael Cyrankowski, 14, Mia Nagle, 9, Lilly Winslow, 11, and Abby Tremblay, 10. During a break that included munching on delectable apple cider doughnuts from Kosinski Farms, each girl said that community service and working with animals are top priorities for the fledgling club. Kelso, who attends Southampton Road See 4-H Club, Page 8
Leaf pick-up is essential during the fall By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD—Public Works officials urge residents to be vigilant about leaf pickup this fall. Officials request that residents maintain their leaf removal, especially in areas where leaves could end up on or in sewer drains, because this can have both an environmental and a public safety impact. “The leaf litter can build up and it can See Leaf Pick-Up, Page 8
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New Superintendents Induction Program laid out for School Committee By AMY PORTER Correspondent WESTFIELD – At Monday’s School Committee meeting, members heard a presentation by Kevin Courtney on the New Superintendents Induction Program. Courtney, a retired superintendent, serves as coach for Westfield Public Schools Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski. He said the program is in its seventh year, and is currently working with 150 new superintendents in the Commonwealth. Courtney said the program is the
brainchild of the State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) in partnership with the Mass. Association of School Superintendents (MASS). It focuses on curriculum and individual coaching. Superintendents attend eight content days in Marlborough the first year, and six the second year, along with receiving six hours of individual coaching a month. Individual coaching can take place on the phone, in leadership teams, or in the schools. Courtney said that coaches are also trained regularly to make sure they’re
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“at the top of their game.” Courtney retired in 2008 from the Pioneer Valley Regional School District in Northfield, where he served as superintendent for twenty years, and has been a coach in the program since its inception that same year. “We really emphasize collaboration. You just can’t do this job all by yourself,” Courtney said. He said superintendents need the collaboration of their leadership team, School Committee, teachers, and community. The program also focuses on teaching the instructional core, and works
with new superintendents on building an entry plan, strategy for continuous improvement, and budget. “We want to make sure that superintendents do what the School Committee hired them to do, which is to focus on teaching and learning,” he said. School Committee member William Duval asked Courtney about the cost of the program, and who pays for it. Courtney said superintendents pay See Superintendents, Page 8
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