Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here by Cliff Clark | Apr 23, 2025 | Hampden County, Local News, More Articles, Southwick This is one of the paintings that will be on display during the Southwick Cultural Council Art Show and Sale being held on April 26-27 in the Southwick Town Hall.Reminder Publishing submitted photos the Southwick Cultural Council is hosting its 24th Annual Fine Art Exhibition Show and Sale at Town Hall on Saturday and Sunday and one of its organizers is excited to feature some of the region’s best artists “We only take the best of the best,” said council member Susan Kochanski about the jury process the council uses to choose which artists will be featured during this free event Returning to the show this year is the Southwick artist Pauline Thomas who Kochanski described as a “perennial favorite” of the hundreds of art lovers who will stream through the front hall of Town Hall from 10 a.m Kochanski said the poster the council used this year to advertise the event included Thomas’ art of two goldfinches among a bright display of red carnations is Westfield’s watercolorist Marie Flahive “She been at the show since we started,” Kochanski said but the pandemic forced the council to cancel it for two years which he describes as having a realist style with an impressionist flair An art teacher at a Connecticut high school Sarah Asplund will be offering showgoers a ceramic art demonstration “She not a traditional potter but uses ceramics as a medium,” she said she is related to Susan) will have a workshop to introduce registered participants to learn needle felting.“It’s called sculpting with wool,” said Susan Kochanski Only a limited number can participate in the workshop which will be conducted on each day of the show, Kochanski said. To register, email cultural@southwickma.gov Kochanski said one of the region’s most acclaimed artists is returning to the show after a five-year hiatus “People are really into collecting her art,” she said Returning to the show is council member Bruce Kulas and plays a “mean harmonica,” said Kochanski She expects Kulas to demonstrate his harmonica skills with the Piper-Hopkins Band who will be performing on Sunday from noon to 3 p.m Kochanski also expects her husband Dennis Clark to be on the bass during the show whose performances have been described as “delightfully eclectic.” and this year Joe Adomavicia and Gail Ward Olmsted will showcase and sign their books Adomavicia is a Connecticut poet who was twice recognized as one of the state’s best emerging poets a former marketing executive and college professor was inspired to begin fiction writing after a trip to Arizona including “Jeep Tour” and “Landscape of a Marriage,” which is a biographical novel featuring internationally famous landscape Frederick Law Olmsted who co-designed New York’s Central Park and is a distant cousin of Gail Ward Olmsted is the Southwick Historical Society who will have an exhibit and photo essay I would like to receive emails from The Reminder — Hillsborough County deputies are investigating a homicide after a woman was found dead inside a home on Friday The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) reports that they have identified and located the suspect as 55-year-old Jasmin Berberovic Deputies say Berberovic is the victim's estranged spouse Detectives found Berberovic dead inside a home on the 5600 block of Tranquility Oaks Drive with what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound the HCSO received a 911 call reporting that shots were fired near the 5300 block of Southwick Drive in Tampa they found the adult female victim dead in the home with upper body trauma "This is a heartbreaking loss of life that has shaken our community," said Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister "Our deputies and detectives are committed to uncovering the truth and holding the individual accountable for this violence." The HCSO Public Affairs Office will provide any additional information “I think, like more people feel compelled to say something now if they hadn’t been before.”Animal lovers have ramped up their advocacy after being angered by an ABC Action News report about a Polk County shelter falling short of expectations Latest Hillsborough County News from ABC Action News Report a typo Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application 2024 surrounded by his loving family after a courageous 4 year battle with prostate cancer 1960 to Charles Richard Southwick and Patricia Ann Southwick he served a 2 year LDS mission in Arkansas They were later sealed in the Salt Lake Temple August 26th and loved himself some good old rock and roll music Any chance to get together to BBQ or have a party and was definitely known for his sense of humor and sarcasm Kelly was the kind of guy that anyone could go to when they needed pretty much anything fixed and could heal a broken heart with one big huge bear hug He was never afraid to tell you when you were wrong or give you his opinion when asked Kelly has many life long friends and strong relationships because of how easy he was to talk to and the joy you had when you were around him.. Kelly was also known for having a great head of hair Kelly is survived by his wife Jill and their three children; Justin Don Ross and Shandee Lynn Nielson (Michael); 9 grandchildren; and 2 siblings; Brian Southwick (Natalie) and Kevin Southwick The family would like to thank the medical teams who helped Kelly through this journey who went above and beyond for their family and made Kelly's last few weeks of his life very comfortable A viewing for family and friends will be held Thursday 2024 at Anderson & Son's Mortuary located at 49 East 100 North in American Fork at the Lehi LDS Chapel located at 828 South Center Street in A viewing for family and friends will be held prior to the funeral from 9:45-10:45 A.M All are welcome to attend and share their love support and memories either in person or on the memory wall located below please click on the link below to watch Kelly's service via live stream; https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84051655104?pwd=mvuibrklVb2MOcWZwKXx3EKgJruPoD.1 Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Ron Southwick talks with taekwondo club members after their training going over the main takeaways from the day in IM West on Feb Out of the over 200 kinesiology courses offered at MSU only one is taught by a world champion: KIN102 has been teaching taekwondo for the past 25 years at MSU Hosting the class and club without compensation Taekwondo club members perform stretching exercises in IM West on Feb These stretches help to increase strength and flexibility; enhancing kicking and punching abilities MSU taekwondo roots back to 1959 when Jongoon Kim started a martial arts club while attending Michigan State as an international graduate student from South Korea Kim eventually made his way to becoming a professor of judo and taekwondo and MSU soon became the first ever university to offer taekwondo for credit "I could probably write a dissertation on the benefits of taekwondo," Southwick said "There's a social element to and a cultural element to it and It's a positive outlet for people to be engaged with physical activity." and become a professor in the department of animal sciences at MSU Although he kept up with his taekwondo training he never considered teaching it until 1999 the university said Kim’s retirement would end the judo and taekwondo programs at MSU he volunteered to teach the class without compensation while continuing his research for the university until they could hire somebody else Southwick still teaches taekwondo and holds club meetings open to any MSU student simply because it is his passion.  MSU professor and world champion Ron Southwick stands in front of the portraits of three martial arts legends in IM West on Feb a pioneer for women in judo and Jongoon Kim Southwick’s former teacher who started taekwondo at MSU in 1959 Kim and saw the way that he taught I knew I wanted to do that." Now Southwick gets to be the mentor for his students that Kim was once for him.  "We’re really lucky to have a world-class instructor like Southwick here," said mechanical engineering sophomore Alex Foufopoulos "It's been a really wonderful experience." Foufopoulos took KIN102 last semester and quickly fell in love with the art of taekwondo He decided to join the extracurricular club and became a TA for the class.  "It is very much a well-rounded sport," he said "You learn everything from flexibility and strength to agility and It has the practical aspect like self defense." Taekwondo club members range everywhere from white belts who have never tried taekwondo before finance and economics junior Jogi Katende first came to MSU from Uganda he knew he was going to join the club.  taekwondo was such a big part of it," he said Katende has been practicing taekwondo since he was four years old As a kid he joined the junior Ugandan national team "When I came to MSU I was so happy to see a history of taekwondo here," he said.  Katende is scheduled to compete at the U.S Southwick has had multiple students who made the U..S national team and olympic team trials he said that creating athletes is not his goal  "I want to teach people the more positive part of martial arts as a lifelong practice," he said Finance and economics junior Jogi Katende practices kicking with two coaches in IM West on Feb Many taekwondo members stay in the club after graduating becoming coaches to help new students learn Taekwondo club coach Joseph DiVito practices fighting stances for his upcoming competition in IM West on Feb DiVito competed for the first time in the U.S Teaching first time students is one of Southwick's favorite aspects of the taekwondo club "I get so much energy out of it because they come in with a blank slate and enthusiasm," he said Just seeing somebody who doesn't think they can do something come in and start doing it Southwick tries to emphasize the community and inclusivity of martial arts to his students.  "Everybody works together to do the same thing and get the same thing out of it It's like we're on a target and the center is where we're aiming for but we all come in a different direction and we all meet in the middle," he said.  the club environment and the relationships he has built through taekwondo are his favorite aspects of the sport.  "Our principle is 'back at the gym on Monday,'" he said "Even if you have a competition and win something or lose something if you come in last or are on top of the world For everybody it's back to the gym on Monday." Taekwondo club members bow before practicing in IM West on Feb All taekwondo athletes bow every time they enter the training studio before and after class and to each other before fighting as a sign of respect Share and discuss “Professor and World Champion Ron Southwick keeps the legacy of taekwondo at MSU alive” on social media boaters on the Great Ponds of the Congamond Lakes will be required to take a boating safety course and pass an examination to operate .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Cliff Clark | The Westfield News | cclark@thereminder.comSOUTHWICK — With the new state law requiring all boaters to eventually earn a safety certificate to operate any powered craft on the state’s waterways the Massachusetts Environmental Police will hold a free boating safety course starting Tuesday “This course will take you from what you might consider common sense when boating to why you should be safe on the water,” said Richard Grannells the chair of the town’s Lake Management Committee which manages the three Great Ponds of the Congamond Lakes The LMC had been “lobbying” for years for the state to require boaters to earn a safety certificate “We used to be one of a few states that don’t require a safety certificates Before the state Legislature adopted the Hanson Milone Act and Gov the state was one of 12 that didn’t require boaters to have any education before getting on the water He wanted to stress that anyone who wants to operate a powered craft in the state must have the certificate it established a timeline for boaters to attend the safety course and that no boater shall be cited and fined until Sept must obtain their certificate before April 1 Included in the legislation was a provision that anyone younger than 18 years old can’t operate a powered craft unless there is someone on board that has a safe boating certificate which the town’s Chief Administrative Officer Nicole Parker “This would have prevented so many accidents,” she said adding that all too often inexperienced boaters have no regard for being safe on the water anyone between the ages of 13 and 17 can take the course and exam will be allowed to operate a motorboat without adult supervision Grannells said the MEP has been offering boating safety courses for years have been hosting the classes at Town Hall He said that anyone who has attended the course and still has physical copy of the certificate awarded at its completion aren’t required to retake the course he said if a boater doesn’t have the physical copy of the certificate adding the certificate is issued immediately at the end of the course The certificates will be valid for the lifetime of the person named on it they can take it as many times as necessary will not be required to complete the course or take the exam The course will be held over three days – from 6-9 p.m. And participants are required to attend all three classes, and registration is required, which can be found here Grannells said the course is limited to 50 participants The course will cover topics like navigation rules on how to safely maneuver on the water and avoid collisions; emergency procedures in case of an emergency to protect yourself and your passengers; and environmental protections to gain awareness of practices that protect Massachusetts’ treasured natural resources The new program aligns Massachusetts’ boating regulations with federal U.S Coast Guard safety standards and aims to ensure that every boater is equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to safely navigate the state’s waterways Grannells said with the renewed interest in boating safely he expects the law enforcement officials monitoring the ponds this summer will also have a renewed focus on making sure all watercraft have equipment required by the U.S The legislation was named for David Hanson who was 20 years old when he was killed in a boating accident in 2010 the late harbormaster from Weymouth who dedicated his life to boater safety and was a tireless advocate for this legislation Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices by Cliff Clark | Apr 17, 2025 | Hampden County, Local Headlines, Local News, Southwick SOUTHWICK — Now that the Democratic and Republican Town Committees have conducted their caucuses and submitted their lists of candidates to Town Clerk Christie Myette for the open seats for the upcoming municipal elections While the race for the open seat on the Select Board will match political newcomers Russell Anderson and John Cain after Jason Perron decided against running for reelection the town’s Chief Administrative Officer Nicole Parker was pleased that there are two candidates for the two open seats on the Planning Board The Planning Board has been limping along since two of members abruptly resigned in January the board will once again face a shortage of members “I’m pleased that they have two people running to service,” said Planning Board member Jessica Ann Thornton who was elected chair after Michael Doherty Running for the two open seats is current Planning Board member Diane Juzba who pulled papers and returned them and also put forward by the town’s Democratic Town Committee a current member of the Housing Authority Board whose nomination was put forward by the town’s Republican Town Committee was appointed to the seat by the Select and Planning boards that was vacated after David Sutton resigned after being reelected last May to a third five-year term on the board will serve a five-year term in the seat formerly held by Doherty Despite the likelihood Juzba and Grunwald will be elected current Planning Board member Richard Utzinger recently announced plans to retire once the two are elected “We still need another member and associate member,” Thornton said Of the other 18 seats up for grab are two open seats on the Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School District School Committee for three-year terms The Democratic Town Committee didn’t put forth a candidate for either seat but Republican Town Committee put forth candidates for the seats held by former Select Board member Russell Fox and Desiree Melloni Melissa Morrissey and Jennifer Burkholder will be running for the two open seats For the two open seats on the Community Preservation Committee incumbent Christopher Pratt returned nomination papers to appear on the ballot He was also put forward by the Democratic Town Committee Bryan Walker returned nomination papers to run for the seat on the CPC currently held by Beth Lynn Thomas For the two open seats on the Board of Library Trustees incumbents Tammy Ciak-Bissaillon and Cynthia Ann Warner are running for reelection Warner was also put forward by the Democratic Town Committee Newcomer Erika Prouty is running for a seat on the Board of Health currently held by Emily Susan Brzoska The seat has a three-year term.Two Constable seats with three-year terms are up for grabs The incumbents are Kelly Magni and William Terry and both will appear on the ballot Both were put forward by the Republican Town Committee One seat is open on the Board of Assessors for a three-year term The incumbent is Dean Horacek who is running for reelection He was put forward by the Republican Town Committee There is one seat that has a three-year term on the Cemetery Commission Incumbent Patricia Odiorne on the Dickinson School Board of Trustees is running for reelection for the three-year term She was put forward by the Republican Town Committee There is one open seat on the Parks and Recreation Commission and incumbent David DeiDolori will run for another three-year term There is an open seat for a five-year term on the Southwick Housing Authority Incumbent Kevin LaFrance is not running for reelection The Republican Town Committee put forward Christopher Grabowski Incumbent Edward Johnson will run for another three-year term on the Water Commission He was put forth by the Republican Town Committee The deadline to register to vote in the municipal election is Friday applications for a ballot must be returned by May 6 There will not be in-person early voting for this election by Cliff Clark | Mar 3, 2025 | Hampden County, Local News, Photo Slider, Southwick Cannabis Compliance Consultant Ezra Parzybok with Pioneer Valley Trading Co SOUTHWICK — It was announced that Pioneer Valley Trading Co. one of two cannabis retailers chosen by the Select Board to open in town had been approved for a provisional license from the Cannabis Control Commission “We’re nothing but smiles,” said Pioneer Valley’s Chief Executive Officer and owner Michael Albert on Wednesday one day after he and partner Jason Fiore appeared before the Planning Board during a scheduled public hearing required when requesting a special permit The issuance of a special permit is required by the CCC before it can begin the multi-step process to grant a full license to Pioneer Valley to open Town Planner Jon Goddard made the announcement about the provisional license being granted to Pioneer Valley during the board’s meeting Tuesday He also said that he had sent the security plan developed by the retailer to the Police Department Chief Rhett Bannish to review “There were no comments or concerns and none from other departments,” Goddard said about the plan Albert said once the security system is installed at the company’s location on 660 College Hwy he would be asking Police Department’s officers to walk through the facility understand its layout adding that the facility “is going to be like Fort Knox.” board Chair Jessica Ann Thornton if there were any residents that wanted to comment on the permit request She then asked if any town official wanted to comment Select Board members Diane Gale and Doug Moglin Thornton then asked the board if they were satisfied with the permit application She said at the board’s next meeting on March 11 that a draft decision would be discussed by the board Asked after the meeting if the board had essentially approved or denied the special permit after getting no negative comments from the public with potential language to utilize if a denial is at all anticipated,” she wrote in an email She said the draft is written to “anticipate any adverse findings or conditions that board members may have mentioned during the hearing and include them in the document for consideration during the next meeting.” There were no substantive comments from the board during the two public hearings “As the review of the decision occurs and board members suggest edits the vote to approve or deny becomes clearer edit the decision to reflect the vote if it is in fact a surprise at that point and then vote to approve the decision as written,” Thornton wrote Albert said the company will apply for a building permit and the CCC will conduct an architectural plan review of the building before renovations can start He said previously that his experience opening the company’s first cannabis dispensary that’s when can start building,” Albert said The building’s exterior will not be changed but the interior will be remodeled creating a space for retail space When Albert was Fiore were making their presentation to the Select Board last July Albert said the plan was to also include a medical cannabis dispensary but the CCC requires dispensaries supplying medical cannabis must have a grow operation “That’s our next order of business,” Albert said during the first public hearing held on the permit request in January There are still two more inspections by CCC staff before Pioneer Valley can officially open Albert was hesitant to give a specific date as to when that could happen Pioneer Valley was one of two retailers chosen in July by the Select Board after asking for proposals from cannabis-related businesses that wanted to open in town it has held its state mandated community outreach meeting and secured the host agreement with the town Haven has yet to host the community outreach meeting Enright and her husband Joseph of East Berlin Grady and her husband Andrew of East Berlin there will be no services.  Feiser Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.  Memories may be shared at www.feiserfuneralhome.com Anna Claire Southwick passed away on Sunday Anna Claire graduated from Our Lady of the Lake Nursing School and went on to touch countless lives through her work as a registered nurse She was a dedicated member of the Retired Registered Nurses of Greater Baton Rouge and after retiring enjoyed volunteer work at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital as a “pink lady” George Catholic Church community as a member of the Rosary Prayer Group and Golden Oaks but her favorites were baseball and football She loved watching games with family and friends and looked forward to annual lake house trips and tending to houseplants brought her great joy was her daily devotion to God through rosary and prayer Gus Owens; and Remy Brogdon; and bonus grandchildren and great-grandchildren Anna Claire is preceded in death by her beloved husband of 62 years Herman Hubert Annison and Claire Helmke Annison; her sister 7808 Saint George Drive in Baton Rouge on Friday with a Funeral Mass to be celebrated at 11:00 a.m the family requests donations to The Hospice of Baton Rouge The family would like to give a special thanks to The Hospice of Baton Rouge and best friend and devoted neighbor for 50+ years Family and friends may sign the online guestbook or leave a personal note to the family at www.resthavenbatonrouge.com .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Taylor Sanzo | tsanzo@masslive.comThe Bar Shoppe offers not only arts and collectibles to take home — but also craft cocktails and more located at 160 Point Grove Road in Southwick is an eclectic business for guests to wine and dine shop or bask in its low light and groovy ambiance See an inside look at the business in the video below guests will notice every inch of the establishment covered with wall art designed by local artists and beyond All items on display are available for purchase where the business has a room for guests to participate in workshops such as candle making and more fun Keep up with The Bar Shoppe’s Facebook page for upcoming events But if gifts and trinkets aren’t what you’re looking for sit at its craft cocktail bar to enjoy specialty drinks such as its Salted Caramel Cappuccino Martini or a flight of Old Fashioneds Guests may also take their drink or food upstairs and sit on the deck Food trucks are available on weekends for guests as well. See the lineup of food trucks and when they are coming here by Cliff Clark | Mar 10, 2025 | Hampden County, Local Headlines, Local News, Southwick SOUTHWICK — Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School District Superintendent Jennifer Willard issued a statement Monday on the findings of a report issued by the state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education into the three racial bullying incidents that occurred at Southwick Regional School last year “We acknowledge the findings from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) who conducted a thorough investigation into how the district responded to the racial complaints during the 2023-2024 school year,” Willard wrote in an email Last February the district began an internal investigation after it learned that two Black students were included as chattel in the “auction” conducted by six Southwick Regional School students between the ages of 13 and 14 including at least one girl on Snapchat beginning late Thursday The mother of one of the Black students involved requested DESE investigate the Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School District’s response to three separate incidents of racial bullying involving her daughter during the school year The DESE report required the participation of the school district’s administration through discussions and documentation and a review of relevant state and federal laws and regulations The report went into specific details about the three individual incidents two of which occurred at an unknown date in 2023 and the third — the slave auction — in February 2024 each of the three incidents were examined by DESE to determine if administrators had followed the proper procedures in investigating and documenting the incidents DESE then addressed whether each of the three incidents had been handled correctly by the assistant principal which involved the “n-word” being said in the presence of Lopez’s daughter it found that because the assistant principal didn’t conduct an investigation a bullying “determination” was not made and that the district didn’t follow Title VI rules which is a provision of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that which prohibits discrimination based on race DESE found the district “failed to comply with [the Civil Rights Act] in this matter because the school knew of a hostile environment based on race — if not the first time the Student reported another’s use of a racial epithet then certainly by the second time,” according to the report DESE also included guidance on discriminatory harassment if it is believed to have occurred by Russlynn Ali a former assistant secretary for civil rights in the U.S or disability and creates a hostile environment schools must respond according to federal civil rights laws and regulations enforced by the Office for Civil Rights,” Ali said “ … the school must take prompt and effective steps to end the harassment eliminate any hostile environment and its effects and prevent the harassment from recurring,” Ali wrote to DESE she addressed the district breaking federal civil rights law when responding to the first two incidents “While the findings recognized that the district responded with urgency and took disciplinary and educational measures to address the matter we also recognize that there is always room for growth and improvement,” Willard wrote DESE found the district had complied with state law because it had reported the incidents to the parents involved and proceeded with “restorative justice” the day they occurred It was after the third incident the assistant principal determined it was bullying “The DESE investigation confirmed that the district followed all applicable laws and procedures in addressing the February 2024 incident,” Willard wrote Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights is also conducting an investigation related to the Civil Rights Act DESE also ordered “corrective action” for two discrepancies between the district’s Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan and its Anti-Bullying Policies and Procedures and educating the staff and administrators on following the proper procedures when there is a bullying allegation — the actions must be completed by April 4 DESE ordered that a “‘viable’ report” of bullying be removed from the district’s Anti-Bulling policy State regulations require districts to have “procedures for receiving reports of bullying or retaliation” promptly responded to and investigated regardless of the subjective “viability” of it DESE also found a discrepancy the district’s policy regarding the amount of time an investigation must take One provision says 14 days and another says 15 days DESE ordered that timeline corrected to be consistent The state also required that the district staff be sent a memorandum of the changes in the Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan and Antio-Bullying Policy and Procedures and memorandum to administrators outlining the procedures for conducting investigations into report of racial harassment under Title VI and how to proceed when a matter includes bullying as defined by state law and that it may constitute a civil rights violation under Title VI “The STGRSD has complied with the corrective actions ordered by the DESE,” Willard wrote and harassment seriously and will continue to implement measures that foster an inclusive and respectful school community,” she said we are committed to strengthening our policies increasing staff training on racial equity and enhancing student education on diversity and belonging through our partnerships with Northeastern University PACT (Promoting Acceptance and Compassion Together a community action group) and the Attorney General’s office.” Althea Doris Burton Laferriere Southwick was born in Holyoke Preceding her in death was her devoted husband Ann (Clyde) Mayle and grandchildren: McKenzie Mayle and friends will be left with the task to honor her spirit Althea lived a noteworthy life and was a source of love and friendship to countless people during her 102 years she handled many trials and tribulations with dignity She never shied away from an adventure during her many travels notably her swimming with dolphins at age 90 and her parasailing at 91 and driving her snazzy convertible are perfect examples of her zest for life A remembrance and celebration of her remarkable life will be held at a future date when her ashes will join her late husband’s off the shore of Cannon Beach many joyous and loving memories were made at the family’s cabin near Haystack Rock A special gratitude is acknowledged for the exceptional care provided by Waterview Pointe Nursing Home and The Appletree Staffs who made it possible for Althea to reach this incredible milestone Appreciation is extended to the Amedisys Hospice Arrangements have been entrusted to Mid-Ohio Valley Cremation Society Donations may be made in Althea’s honor to: Clyde Mayle Honorary Scholarship | https://www.mariettatimes.com | 740-373-2121 by Cliff Clark | Apr 9, 2025 | Hampden County, Local News, Southwick Those involved in the acquisition and preservation of 10.52-acres of property on College Highway gathered March 29 to celebrate closing on the property They are: (from left) Community Preservation Coordinator Sabrina Pooler Southwick Historical Society President Denise Muldrew and Select Board member Jason Perron.Reminder Publishing submitted photo SOUTHWICK — Most of those involved in the successful purchase of 10.52-acres of property on College Highway for the Southwick Historical Society gathered on March 29 at Moore Meadows to thank residents for supporting the purchase during Town Meeting and donors for their financial help “We are truly grateful for the town’s support of this project,” said society Treasurer Pat Odiorne who was one of 14 who attended the first celebration The society chose “Moore Meadows” as the property’s name to recognize it was a part of the historic Moore family farm At the Special Town Meeting in early January voters authorized an allocation request by the Community Preservation Committee of $164,000 to purchase the conservation restriction on the property for the Southwick Historical Society th society still needed $11,000 to make up the difference of the $175,000 purchase price While the society closed on the property on Feb donations are still needed to help the society pay off the mortgage from Polish National Credit Union and expenses associated with the property’s acquisition Those include $21,000 for the property being surveyed prior to closing $1,000 for landscaping and the remaining balance of the mortgage The property will now allow public access to the property from the parking lot of the Gillett Cigar Factory on the society’s property at 86 College Hwy One of the reasons the society wanted to acquire the property was to keep it from being developed as an industrial site “It would diminish the setting the Southwick History Museum and alter the area’s rural character it will be first commercial/industrial development to greet visitors traveling north of Connecticut,” said society Archivist Lee Hamburg last year He also said its acquisition also accomplished one of the goals of the town’s master plan which is balancing the town’s distinctive New England heritage rural character and commitment to natural resource protection with strategies for future development and growth The society plans to have interpretive trails on the property based on topography educational value and environmental assets and in the kiosk photographs of some of the known flora and fauna on the property and a short history about its use as the former Moore-Nicholson-Waterman Farm All donations from supporters are tax deductible Checks can be made out to the Southwick Historical Society by Cliff Clark | Mar 18, 2025 | Hampden County, Local News, Photo Slider, Southwick A rendering of the proposed splash pad at Whalley Park.Reminder Publishing file photo SOUTHWICK — After nearly a year and a half of fits and starts on the installation of a splash pad at Whalley Park the chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission said during the commission’s March 12 meeting that progress is being made Commissioner David DeiDolori said that a meeting is planned between Crestview Construction Co. Levesque Associates to begin planning for the installation of the splash pad During Town Meeting in May 2023 voters authorized spending $294,000 of Community Preservation Act funds for the splash pad’s installation At nearly every Parks and Recreation Commission meeting between April 2024 and August 2024 it was announced that the start of construction of the splash pad was only weeks away Commissioner John Whalley III said that Crestview Construction & Trucking Inc. which has been contracted to do the site work on the pad and during the commission’s meeting in mid-June Whalley III said that Crestview was planning to start the site work “next week” based on a conversation he said he had with Crestview’s President John Dziengelewski but the town’s Chief Administrative Officer Nicole Parker paused it because there was no one to supervise or serve as the contractor to oversee the project A few weeks later it was announced the town planner would oversee the project and that Crestview would begin site work in October.That didn’t happen and it was announced the project had been pushed forward to the spring of 2025 Levesque has long been involved in the project It was contracted to draft design and engineering plans for it and was billed $13,000 for that work it was the town’s chief administrative officer who after examining the town’s contract with Leveque and its scope of services learned that Levesque was contractually obligated to oversee projects like the splash pad for the town The meeting between Levesque and Crestview was scheduled for March 19 The equipment needed to build the pad had already been purchased for $103,000 and Leveque has been billed $13,000 for design engineering plans there was also a short discussion about the town’s pickleball project the commission voted 3-2 to apply to the Community Preservation Committee for $670,000 for construction of six pickleball courts at Whalley Park The CPC approved of putting the allocation request before Town Meeting in May DeiDolori said the commission would need to make a presentation to Town Meeting before the vote “We’ve got to do a presentation about what we’re doing and why we should do it,” DeiDolori said “I don’t think there’s going to be any objection to it,” Whalley III said during the meeting “It’s anxiously anticipated by a lot of people that will certainly be at Town Meeting Commissioner Richard Harriman chimed in referring to Town Meeting “I wouldn’t be surprised that there were some people who wouldn’t want their taxes to go up because of pickleball “That’s what we’ll have to explain” DeiDolori said DeiDolori spoke briefly about a proposal to build a spur from the rail trail that would connect it to College Highway Town Planner Jon Goddard let the Planning Board know that the Economic Development Commission Chair Greg Deily had approached him with the idea of connecting the trail to College Highway through the Christ Lutheran Church property at 568 College Hwy While nothing needed to be done immediately with the proposal Goddard said the commercial developer building the 100-unit condominium project off Depot Street was amenable to having the trail cross his property DeiDolori said during the commission meeting that state grants were available for rail trail projects but the state isn’t accepting applications right now by Cliff Clark | Mar 3, 2025 | Hampden County, Local News, More Articles, Southwick SOUTHWICK — Since the town learned in early January that a citizens’ petition adopted by two consecutive Town Meetings asking the state to allow the town to elect three of the seven members of the Conservation Commission “It’s the purest form of government and the people voted for it,” said Select Board member Diane Gale looking over at fellow board member Doug Moglin after he voted against refiling the petition during the board’s meeting Monday Since the town learned the citizens’ petition was killed when it reach its third reading the state Senate there have numerous questions about how it happened which had been engrossed by the House after its third reading the Conservation Commission unanimously adopted a letter to be sent to the Select Board formally asking it to refile the petition It was the consensus of the commissioners during that meeting that the petition was being killed because of “politics.” But it was Commission Chair Christopher Pratt who went a little further than it just being about politics during the discussion “I can’t say it because it’s hearsay … but one person determines the fate of the town,” Pratt said referring to an unnamed person who may have had a hand in killing the petition It is still unclear why the bill was pulled it must have three readings in the House before it is initially adopted and moves to the Senate which also had three readings of the bill before movement on it stopped Another series of steps would have been needed As Select Board member Jason Perron opened up discussion on the having the board vote to have the bill refiled he explained the petition didn’t need to go before Town Meeting again but was unclear if the board needed to hold a vote but he didn’t and Perron made the second and called for the vote With Perron and Gale voting yes and Moglin no Moglin went on record about his opposition to the petition one that he has maintained since it was introduced during the May 2023 Town Meeting where it was overwhelmingly approved Saying that his vote Monday stood for “itself,” Moglin said he was unsure how many communities in the state might have Conservation Commission members elected but the town’s petition to the Statehouse was certainly “unique” and he credited the “wisdom of how it was set up” to those who drafted the legislation to have commissioners appointed “It has a lot of responsibility,” Moglin said “It is a key functioning board … when it was [adopted by the state Legislature] that vested [you] with the responsibility for the Conservation Commission.” He also pointed out that when two new commissioners were needed last year both — Christopher Pratt and Dennis Clark — were appointed Moglin abstained from appointing Commissioner Dennis Clark for a one-year term he characterized the petition as “moot,” or unnecessary He finished with: “I don’t see the need [for Southwick] to be that different from every other community in the commonwealth in regard to the appointment of the Conservation Commission.” There is one town in the state that elects the members of the commission that functions as the Conservation Commission Wellesley has had an elected Natural Resources Commission which operates identically to a Conservation Commission according to an staff member in its office Michael Albert and Jason Fiore.Reminder Publishing photo by Amy Porter SOUTHWICK — The Planning Board’s decision to approve the site plan and special permit for the Pioneer Valley Trading Co Tuesday was the culmination of a nearly two-year process to allow two recreational marijuana retailers to open in town to the Planning Board immediately after it voted unanimously to give the green light for the renovations the store who is the owner and CEO of Pioneer Valley Trading Co. first appeared before the Select Board asking to be considered for one of two permits that would allow a recreational marijuana retailer to open in town.They touted being longtime residents of Southwick and Albert’s experience of successfully opening a recreational marijuana retailer in Westfield as giving them the edge over three other retailers vying for the two permits after interviewing three prospective retailers the Select Board chose Pioneer Valley Trading Co. a California-based retailer with over a dozen retail operations in Southern California Haven has yet to apply to the Planning Board for a special permit and approval of a site plan It is planning on setting up shop in the former Family Dollar building on College Highway just over 1,000 feet from the Pioneer Valley store.While Pioneer Valley has what it needs from the Planning Board to begin renovating its facility which was once the home of the Southwick Episcopal Church it still needs a building permit from the town and two other approvals from the CCC before it can open which Albert said would be sometime this summer Pioneer Valley will submit its interior and exterior renovation plans to the CCC which will then conduct an architectural plan review of the building Fiore said Tuesday that process could take up to three months Pioneer Valley’s security plan has already been vetted and approved by Police Chief Rhett Bannish and once the equipment is installed department officers will be asked to walk through to understand the facility’s layout the CCC will conduct a final walkthrough of the building with it fully stocked with products to sell the CCC will grant a full license to the company to open SOUTHWICK — It will be a few more months before the town will open enrollment for the town’s municipal aggregation program because of an unexpected dip in the rate Eversource is currently charging its electricity customers “It’s just not advantageous right now with a better rate out there,” Chief Administrative Officer Nicole Parker said as the reason the town is holding off on starting the program right now the town was notified by the state’s Department of Public Utilities that it had approved the plan it developed with Colonial Power Group to negotiate with competitive suppliers to lock in electric rates which have been historically higher than Eversource rate per kilowatt-hour for periods up to six months through the Southwick Community Choice Power Supply Program Eversource is currently selling electric power at 11.7 cents per kWh until at least Aug 1 when it will be allowed by the DPU to adjust its rate which is only twice a year: August and February “It’s a phenomenal rate … the cheapest in the state,” said Colonial Power Group Vice President Denise Allard about the current Eversource rate She said the reason for the dip in the rate is that Eversource bought access to the electricity its now selling last November when prices dropped because of the unusually warm fall An excellent example of why the town will wait are the rates currently offered by the city of Pittsfield which is supplied by Eversource at the current 11.8 cents per kWh there is a note for the first half of 2025 “Eversource filed their Basic Services Rates in December for the term starting February 1 and their rate will be $0.11825 per kWh compared to the City’s Aggregation Rate of $0.13849 per kWh a difference of $0.02024 per kWh,” according to the aggregation page It also said residents are free to find an alternative provider — leave the aggregation program — if they want which operates it own municipal aggregation program negotiates rates with various electricity suppliers has three rates customers can choose: Basic considered the lowest price is 13.235 cents per kWh; Energy Choice Standard is 14.035 cents per kWh; and Energy Green Choice is 16.195 cents per kWh Town Meeting approved an article that would let the town develop the aggregation program and several months later the Select Board chose Colonial Power Group to represent the town’s interest when negotiating electricity rates with a competitive supplier Every eligible consumer in the town may participate in the program and all eligible consumers will also be able to decline service through the competitive supplier and choose any other power supply option they wish including continuing to pay Eversource’s retail rates.Those eligible consumers will be notified by mail — which the supplier will pay for — of the program once the Select Board choose the supplier While Southwick was waiting for the DPU to issue a ruling on its plan administrative processes were changed to speed up approvals by the agency One of those changes was related to electricity customers who already have contracted with a third-party supplier for service those customers would not be eligible to participate in the program but that was changed to allow them to enroll.\ many electricity customers who buy power from a third party have signed contracts which penalizes them for early termination.Allard said the standard early termination fee is $150 She said electricity customers with third-party contracts should weigh the pros and cons of the town’s program before deciding Eligible consumers who are dissatisfied with services provided under the contract negotiated by the town may also communicate directly with the competitive supplier or Colonial Power Group to assist with the implementation of the plan by email at colonialpowergroup.com/contact or by calling 866-485-5858 Eligible consumers may also opt-out at any time by contacting the competitive supplier Eligible consumers may also bring issues to the Select Board Allard said customers can opt-in or opt-out as often as they please Every electrical consumer in town will be enrolled automatically in the “standard” plan at a rate that is negotiated with the supplier by the Select Board They will be given the choice to opt-in to an alternative plan which would typically include a higher share of renewable energy at a higher price per kilowatt-hour The Select Board may seek Renewable Energy Certificates from a variety of local and national renewable sources Colonial Power Group makes money from the town’s electricity customers using a predetermined formula of 0.1 cents for every kWh used.As allowed by the statute the town can and will charge an additional 0.1 cent per kWh Bills will be sent to Eversource by the competitive supplier under contract and will be included into the standard monthly utility billing Participating consumers will receive a “complete bill” from Eversource that includes the power supply charge and Eversource’s delivery charges The bill shall include a clear delineation of all regulated and non-regulated charges by Cliff Clark | Dec 27, 2024 | Hampden County, Local News, Photo Slider, Southwick One of the articles on the warrant for Southwick’s Special Town Meeting scheduled for Jan 14 is to ask voters to approve a Community Preservation Committee recommendation to allocate $164,000 to purchase a conservation restriction on a 10.52-acre property that abuts the Southwick Historical Society’s Charles J Gillett Cigar Factory on College Highway.Reminder Publishing file photo SOUTHWICK — With the Special Town Meeting called for Tuesday the warrant has come into focus and will include two articles from the Community Preservation Committee for funding projects one about a citizens’ petition and another for a vote on a funds transfer to pay Fire Department salaries One of the two articles originating out of the CPC is a request asking residents to allocate $164,000 from its conservation fund to purchase a conservation restriction of a 10.52-acre property at 74 College Hwy the Southwick Historical Society wants to purchase to protect it from commercial or residential development the money will also be used to install an informational kiosk on the property It will also provide the public access to the property from the parking lot of the Gillett Cigar Factory on the society’s property at 86 College Hwy The purchase price for the property is $175,000 will make up the difference of $11,000 of the price real estate agent fees and closing costs; $20,750 in contingency fees; and $1,000 for preparing the perimeter of the property with mowing and landscaping The CPC also finalized the article for the warrant to use $155,000 of its historic funds cover the cost of an architectural and engineering study to determine how much it will cost to repair the brick façade on Town Hall “You can see that it’s starting to fall apart,” said former Building and Grounds Director Russ Anderson about the building’s envelop last month Anderson has been working on the project since the retirement of former Chief Administrative Officer Karl Steinhart who started it after pools of water were found inside the historic structure when its roof was replaced in 2023 The issue with the walls was discovered almost accidentally during the summer of 2023 while the building’s roof was being replaced Recognizing it was more than the roof leaking Stinehart contacted a Charlestown-based engineering firm to check on the condition of the walls which found that water was leaking through the bricks and supports that surround nearly every window and door in the building.It also tested water absorption rates on the walls’ bricks and masonry and found the bricks “absorbed water at a very rapid rate.” The firm also found the mortar joints were “very deep and showing signs of deterioration,” and sealants had failed along the perimeter of windows on the building Water leaks were also found at the below-grade walls in the front of the building directly in front of the concrete plaza area The repairs have been estimated to be between $1.15 million and $1.25 million The citizens’ petition article that will appear on the warrant was submitted by Greg Deily the chair of the town’s Economic Development Commission is asking residents to weigh in on a proposal by the EDC to lower speed limits on College Highway by 10 mph the EDC voted unanimously to endorse the proposal developed by Deily to lower the speed limits on College Highway which he said would make the town more “business friendly.” The EDC proposed lowering the speed limits by 10 mph on College Highway between Tannery Road and Town Hall the speed limit between Tannery Road and Interstate Building Supply is 40 mph The EDC supported a new speed limit of 30 mph on this stretch of College Highway The speed limit is currently 35 mph between Industrial Building Supply and Town Hall The petition is also asking residents to support installing crosswalks at “two or three” places in the town center which is considered the intersection of Feeding Hills Road and College Highway which got the required 101 signatures of registered voters it would still need to be approved by the state Department of Transportation The last of the four articles has been put forth by the town’s Chief Administrative Officer Nicole Parker and is to pay back wages to employees of the Fire Department after its union and the town agreed to a new contract several months ago that increased their wages With the expectation that the contract would be ratified the town put the estimated back wages into a reserve account in the fiscal 2025 budget but Special Town Meeting must approve moving the funds from the reserve account to the wage line in the budget the town’s union employees whose contracts have been renegotiated for higher pay have had to wait for the Annual Town Meeting in May to receive back wages Parker thought it was more appropriate to have the employees paid sooner than wait “This is just internal bookkeeping,” Parker said about the article The Special Town Meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. 14 in the auditorium at Southwick Regional School Kingston Rumi Southwick made his debut at the age of four in the 2013 romance drama 9 Full Moons the young actor has been a creator all his life nurtured his creative side from a young age Influenced by devoted artists including his grandparents Kingston developed a love for music and began creating short films and spends much of his time hanging with friends Kingston appeared in all eight episodes of Apple TV’s well-received series the show stars Jake Gyllenhaal as successful Chicagoan prosecutor Rusty Sabich and Peter Sarsgaard as rival lead prosecutor Tommy Molto After Rusty’s colleague Carolyn is found brutally murdered he attempts to seek out her killer only to become the primary suspect Kingston played Rusty’s son Kyle—between schoolwork he brought with him a lightness that balanced out the show’s weight often playing soccer with his co-stars between takes He’s next on screen in the second season of Peacock’s dark comedy series Based on a True Story along with two other projects that are still in the works “My personal journey through all of this is just my love for it,” he tells me during our interview and I catch a glimpse of that sparkle in his eyes through my laptop screen the up-and-comer discusses his role in Presumed Innocent I’m sure you were surrounded by Hollywood and that affected you wanting to become an actor What else in your childhood led you down that path my dad used to be an acting coach and now he’s an interior designer Growing up in LA you cultivate that love for cinema I loved anything that showed my creative side I also have a lot of friends who love to make short films I gravitate towards anything that shows a creative part of my personality How did booking Presumed Innocent alter your life but I didn’t know if it was going anywhere I did the audition [for Presumed Innocent] and I remember I was in science class—I hated science class “Your dad’s here to pick you up,” so I went down you have a callback.” So I get into the car and both my parents are there and my agent’s on the phone and they’re all like you booked Presumed Innocent.” I freaked out They had been looking for my character for so long and they said they looked through thousands of kids and just couldn’t find Kyle Then they saw my audition and they were like I had to go home and take a cold shower because my eyes were all puffy from crying Then I went to the table read and I met everybody Kelly] and I talked to them and laughed and it was just the best And then I started shooting two weeks later but I love acting and it’s always what I’ve wanted to do I had to leave school and go to an online school I booked something else and then I started shooting that and then I just booked more things but I still go to baseball games and the dances and all that stuff Did you do any research to prepare for the role I watched the movie and I read parts of the book What I love about David is that he wasn’t writing to make everything super connected to the movie or the book “Go with it and make it into something beautiful and new Because the episodes were written as we were shooting so we were all in the dark for the entirety of the shoot I think it worked very well because we had no idea what was going on What I really like about David’s writing and J.J Abrams’ production is that it’s like moving chess pieces together We talked a lot about how the audience was going to take it We wanted everybody to have their own ideas and thoughts on the characters and the script and I’m glad we had those conversations because I feel it shows what is something you want to bring into the acting world whether that be a quality you think you possess I remember watching movies and it gave me such a good feeling That’s why I gravitate towards shooting short films and doing movies or acting in any way that I can I would love to give other people that feeling I can’t wait to continue showing characters or ideas or creative synchronicities in everything that I do Do you have any actors or directors who you’d want to work with in the future I love working with whoever has their own love for it My friends and I do little films at each other’s houses and the last one we did was Wes Anderson- themed It doesn’t matter what director or what actors I work with ‍I write songs all the time with my friends so that would be awesome I can’t sing...but I did classical piano when I was younger for about three years and then I stopped and taught myself guitar for a year and now I’ve been playing for around three years I grew up with a lot of friends and family who were in the business My mom used to write for fashion magazines and my dad used to model That’s a big part of what I want to do in the future I just did a photoshoot two days ago with my favorite stylist I feel like being able to express myself through clothes and fashion is very important—just as important as expressing myself through acting and movies Can you share anything about a project you’re working on or anything you have planned for the future ‍I have two projects in the future that I don’t know if I can talk about but I just finished a show called Based on a True Story It’s the second season of it with Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina Jason Bateman produced it and he’s awesome and then I went in for a chemistry test and they’re like I remember sending it into them and they were like we’ll get you a teacher.” I trained for a month and a half and I got to do it in the show What is something you’re obsessed with right now My dad is obsessed with it—manifesting and stuff he told me I could manifest whatever I wanted Just try.” So I did it for about a month and a half...I was very specific And I got every single thing I asked for and more when I booked Presumed Innocent Then I did it again and I booked another thing Meditation and manifesting are huge parts of my life right now and I’m definitely going to keep doing that Photographed by Michael Muller Styled by Luca Kingston and Amanda Lim  Written by Emma Raff Grooming: Sonia Lee at Exclusive Artists Management Production: Selah Tennberg Flaunt Film: Cooper Davis Stay up-to-date with exclusive events and content © 2025 Boxcar Media LLC - All rights reserved by Hope Murray Tremblay | Mar 3, 2025 | Hampden County, Hilltowns, Local News, Southwick Director Shannon Sobolow consults with cast member Riley Moore on costume selections as Abby Grazia looks on.Reminder Publishing submitted photo SOUTHWICK — Southwick Regional School will perform “Anastastia” from March 14-16 at the school Director Shannon Sobolow said “Anastasia” was selected for this year’s production because “it offers a rich blend of historical intrigue all set against the backdrop of a pivotal time in history.” Over 60 SRS students are involved in the cast and crew as well as eight students from Powder Mill Middle School “Audiences can look forward to a visually stunning performance with breathtaking costumes and an unforgettable score featuring songs like Once Upon a December and Journey to the Pas,” Sobolow said “While the show takes creative liberties with history it also provides glimpses into real historical events from the fall of the Russian Empire to the political unrest of early 20th-century Europe.” Producer Janet Grunwald said this production includes a large cast something that excites her as the drama group continues to expand “It’s been so satisfying to see our Drama Club grow to such a large company of performers and stagehands for this year’s musical,” said Grunwald “After having to cancel our 2020 spring show and being able to only create ‘Zoom Theater’ for a year after that the club was definitely in rebuilding mode for a while We are finally back to our usual numbers and then some We have also incorporated a small group of students from Powder Mill for the first time This has been a fabulous experience for them as an introduction to large theater productions and for our high school upperclassmen who are serving as mentors to them.” Senior Abigail Grazia plays the lead role of Anya and said the show is filled with emotions “‘Anastasia’ is such a magical show in its dance and music It’s a heart-warming tale about a girl yearning to remember her past while she continues her journey into her future,” said Grazia It has been such a dream to perform this show as one of my dream roles with this group with some of my dearest friends and it is going to be fantastic People should come see this show not only because of the lovely story and the lesson the show teaches us about hope — but also because us students in the SRS Drama Club have truly put our heart and soul into the production to truly give the audience a heartwarming story worth watching.” said simply that “this is going be awesome production.” Sobolow shared what’s so interesting about “Anastasia” is the mix of true history and entertainment “This year’s theater production of ‘Anastasia’ brings a compelling mix of history and fantasy to the stage captivating audiences with its sweeping score and gripping narrative,” said Sobolow “While the musical itself is a work of fiction it is inspired by the real-life mystery surrounding Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov the Romanov family was executed during the Russian Revolution but rumors persisted for decades that Anastasia may have survived and the search for belonging — universal themes that resonate with all audiences Whether you’re drawn to its historical mystery there’s something in “Anastasia” for everyone $10 for students/seniors and $8 for children 12 and under Tickets can be purchased at the door or online through the district website: stgrsd.org; call 413-320-1170 with questions More information on the full cast is at https://tinyurl.com/4hh248wn by Cliff Clark | Jan 20, 2025 | Hampden County, Local News, Photo Slider, Southwick This graphic demonstrates who is responsible for the water service for a home or apartment.Reminder Publishing submitted photo SOUTHWICK — After a ruling by the federal Environmental Protection Agency last October that every lead or copper water line in the country must be replaced in 12 years the DPW is continuing its effort to verify the materials used in the water service lines of every home in town with a new initiative “We still have more data to collect,” DPW Director Randy Brown said about the data collection effort to reach out to about 1,600 homeowners in town with door hangers to learn if their water service lines are lined with lead or contain copper The in-basement inspections will be conducted from 8 a.m Homeowners that got the door hanger can call 413-303-9962 to make an appointment or email southwicklsl@tighebond.com While Brown is confident that there are few the EPA is requiring every municipality in the country to learn the materials used in water service lines for every home in their service areas “You have to know with 100% certainty,” Brown said When the DPW contracted with Tighe & Bond last year to collect the data Brown said there were “a lot of unknowns” about the approximately 1,600 homes that haven’t been absolutely ruled out as not having lead-based water services it’s assumed to be lead,” Brown said about those 1,600 homes And it’s not just the 1,600 homes being inventoried; he said there are some town-owned water lines in which the material used is unknown which must also be inspected Because it’s practically impossible to visually inspect the material used for water lines in those 1,600 homes the state is allowing towns to create a computer model using the information it already knows about the material used in water services to homes in various areas throughout town the computer model will extrapolate the data to determine with 95% certainty how many homes in the data set might have led-lined water lines But the computer model needs more data to reach that certainty Brown said the Tighe & Bond representatives conducting the inventory need to visually inspect water-service lines in 180 homes and residences “We need to inspect 180 services,” Brown said Brown said there are two ways to inspect a water service line There is the in-basement check of the line by Tighe & Bond or performing a vacuum excavation outside the home where the line comes in from the street Vacuum excavation is a digging method using a vacuum to remove soil from a small diameter hole to visually inspect the line Homeowners can also perform a self-inspection On the door hangers is a QR code that goes to a link that walks a homeowner through the process of inspecting the water service at least three photos of the water line are needed and must uploaded to that link the state’s Department of Environmental Protection following guidelines established by the federal Environmental Protection Agency issued regulations requiring all municipal water systems with fewer than 10,000 connections to gather information about lead service lines and make it available to the public in a digital format the DEP awarded the town at grant of $216,300 from the state’s Clean Water Trust Board of Trustees 9 that the state had been awarded $53 million in grant using money from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to also address PFAS and other contaminants in municipal water systems across the state While homeowners are responsible for replacing their water service lines Brown said there are state grants available for homeowners to help cover part or all of the expense by Cliff Clark | Mar 26, 2025 | Hampden County, Local News, Southwick SOUTHWICK — The town’s zoning bylaws need an overhaul and a recent grant provided to the state will get the process started in the next few months “I’m looking forward to getting it started as soon as possible,” said Planning Board Chair Jessica Ann Thornton when asked about the $67,500 state grant that will be used by the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission to help guide the town through the bylaw revisions Some of the issues in the current bylaws were discovered during the development of the town’s Master Plan which was drafted by the PVPC using suggestions from a committee that met for over two years to guide the process Current Town Planner Jon Goddard described the bylaw revision as “building on the work” of the committee during the development of the Master Plan Since the original town bylaws were written in the 1970s Goddard they have been “reworked piecemeal” with new elements added and others removed It has left the town with a document that is “awkward,” which is how the PVPC described the bylaws in a comprehensive review of them last year “As the town has adopted bylaw amendments and added new sections Finding information in the ZBL can be made more difficult due to various definitions and standards not being in a place where the reader would expect,” wrote the PVPC in the review Some of the issues in the bylaw were made apparent last year when the Planning Board was taken to court because of its decision to deny a special permit to a commercial real estate development company to build and open a Dollar General retail store on College Highway There were two lawsuits filed; one that questioned the impartiality of two board members and another that questioned the criteria used by the Planning Board when making a final determination on granting a special permit in both Business zoning districts The lawsuit pointed out the vagueness and subjectivity that might be used by the board to justify a decision including that the business needed to be “suitably located” in town “be reasonably compatible with the character and scale of other uses permitted,” that the “use will not constitute a nuisance by reason of … visually flagrant structures and accessories,” that the “use is in harmony with the general purposes and intent” of the zoning regulations “the public good will be served” and “the proposal reasonably protects the adjoining premises against detrimental or offensive effects of the site When former board member Michael Doherty abruptly resigned from the board in January he said the Business Restricted zoning district bylaw needed to be revised “sooner rather than later.” the PVPC pointed to one provision of the bylaw related to “adult entertainment” that would need revising.It wrote that the bylaw refers to an “Adult Entertainment District [but] does not include a reference to any map identifying the district boundaries.” prohibit all adult entertainment uses in each of the town’s zoning districts except in the Industrial Restricted district and that it is only allowed after securing a special permit from the Planning Board it does not appear necessary or accurate to include language referring to a district specific to adult entertainment,” according to the comprehensive review Goddard referred to comprehensive review as determining “what works well and what doesn’t.” “[The bylaws] reflect a set of ideals of a different time Southwick is a different place today than it was before,” he said Currently the Planning Board is struggling to conduct business because of the resignation of Doherty and David Sutton Associate member Diane Juzba was elevated to a full board member by the Planning and Select boards last month but that leaves on four voting members of the board One application for a special permit has already been put on hold because of a board member’s potential conflict of interest with the applicant While Juzba is running for Sutton’s open seat the Southwick Republican Town Committee will most likely place a candidate on the municipal election ballot in April to run for Doherty’s seat in May The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has issued a report in response to complaints of bullying and racism at Southwick Regional School last year, including when Southwick students held a mock slave auction on Snapchat last February The department found the Southwick-Tolland-Granville regional school district violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and ordered the district to take corrective action involving its bullying policy The 17-page report issued in January states “the school knew of a hostile environment based on race—if not the first time [the] student reported another’s use of a racial epithet This report follows Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell stepping in with an action plan for the District last summer Superintendent Jennifer Willard said in a statement they remain committed to providing an equitable learning environment for all students but recognize that "there is always room for growth and improvement the mother of the student who brought claims of racist acts to the school said while this report is an important step for compliance “Southwick continues to struggle with racism Students of color continue to struggle and face racism or some form of discrimination.” She said if administrators are not held accountable a firefighter paramedic with the Southwick Fire Department fills a tank on a forestry truck Friday 2025 during a prescribed burn at the Southwick Wildlife Management Area on South Longyard Road (Jim Kinney/ The Republican )The Republican The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife said it requested assistance from the Southwick Fire Department for the planned prescribed burn “A prescribed burn is a planned fire set intentionally by natural resource professionals to provide habitat for wildlife,” the agency said in an emailed response to questions highly trained staff use special equipment to light and control a fire in a designated area The Southwick Fire Department was called in out of an abundance of caution to help complete the prescribed burn.” All areas burned Friday were within an approved prescribed burn plan for Southwick Wildlife Management Area, said Nicole McSweeney, assistant director, outreach and education for Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife birds and animals including the grasshopper sparrow the Southwick Wildlife Management Area was once mostly tobacco farms and borders similarly protected lands in Connecticut Since acquiring the Massachusetts property in 2008 the state has restored native grassland too promote healthy and vigorous growth of native grasses Several maintenance roads and unmarked trails wind through the wildlife management area and can be used for walking With temperatures rising and little rain, the National Weather Service has warned about the increase in fire activity. It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Karen Southwick Haney on November 13 Utah where she spent her childhood raised by her loving parents Harold Southwick and Lacelle Shupe Southwick Karen is preceded in joining the Lord by her mother and father Karen is survived by the love of her life and devoted husband of 68 years daughter Denise Lewis and her husband Jim Lewis and son Dale Haney and his wife Lori Haney as well as sister-in-law Marilyn Southwick Her brothers David and his wife Charlene Southwick Karen is survived by eight great-grandchildren Though her loss is grieved deeply by all who knew her our hearts are comforted knowing she is at peace Funeral services will be held on Monday November 25th at The Church of the Latter Day Saints located at 790 South Haskett Street The viewing will be from 11:00 am until 12:30pm funeral service from 1:00 pm until 2:30 pm and graveside service will be from 2:30 pm until 3:30pm .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Kayla Gregoire | kgregoire@masslive.comNote: Stats Leaders is based on results sent to MassLive. If a player is missing, coaches should email sports@masslive.com Take a look at Wednesday’s top boys volleyball stat leaders below: Lorelai Whalley steps into the free kick from the corner for the Rams (Dave Hosmer / The Westfield News)The Westfield News .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Samantha Sands | SSands@masslive.comSOUTHWICK — No 12 Southwick earned a dominant win against No in the Division IV girls soccer state tournament Round of 32 on Tuesday The game was the Rams’ first-ever home contest in the state tournament Southwick advances to the Round of 16 of the D-IV tournament and will face No Lorelai Whalley scored a hat trick and was the leader on Southwick’s offense Whalley has been a scoring machine for the Rams all season with a total of 29 goals and 24 assists this year “I was very proud of their performance as a whole,” Southwick coach Chris Whalley said “As a team we defended as a unit and then we played forward well and combined well in and around the box and scored some nice goals today.” Southwick found its momentum on offense quickly turning the adrenaline of a playoff game into two back-to-back goals to start the half The first of the pair was scored by Whalley and assisted by Emily Davis Whalley sent a cross to eighth grader Olivia Gagne whose shot deflected off the goal’s sidebar and into the net just out of the hands of South’s goalkeeper the Rams set the pace of the game and held onto it for the remainder of the match we like to attack in numbers,” Chris Whalley said and I think that we created matchups that were in our favor today and some really good individual performances too.” Southwick’s defense and goalie shut down the backfield with only one goal that was scored late in the second half With many bodies and complete chaos in the box the Colonels put one past goalkeeper Alyssa Hanifan to avoid the shutout Whalley scored her second of the night after a save by South High’s goalie sent the ball back into play and to Whalley The junior set up easily and netted a goal which secured three first half scores for Southwick the Rams came out with a new sense of play style Calmed down from the heightened excitement and nerves Southwick found its groove and had complete control of possession for the rest of the game we started to come down and then at halftime the chances will just keep coming and keep coming,” Chris Whalley said Lorelai Whalley scored her third goal of the night A pass from Gagne and a juke at the top of the box created just enough of an opening for the junior but it feels really good,” Lorelai Whalley said about her hat trick “I think we found our connection within each other and we know how one moves and how to find them,” Lorelai Whalley said Gianna Masciadrelli scored from the top of the goalie-box’s arch It was the fifth goal of the night for Southwick This win puts the Rams at a 14-4-1 record on the year by Cliff Clark | Jul 24, 2024 | Hampden County, Local News, Photo Slider, Southwick A social media photo taken by an unidentified Congamond Lake property owner shows a beach party on July 13 in the North Pond Conservation Area which is supposed to be reserved for “passive recreation” such as hiking and fishing SOUTHWICK — With the increasing number of complaints about improper activities at the North Pond Conservation Area over the last few months the Select Board has temporarily closed the parking area and the Conservation Commission is considering options to reduce the number of people using it for active two days after the brawl on South Longyard Road in front of the conservation area’s parking lot residents filled the Town Hall conference room during the public comment period and nearly every speaker urged the board to shut down the area until a solution was found to reduce the number of people visiting and flouting the rules The July 13 incident began as a group of people who had been spending the afternoon along the shore of North Pond were starting to leave the conservation area Cellphone recordings shared widely on social media show people dancing in the parking lot accompanied by what social media users described as very loud music Several men who lived in the area had reportedly asked the group several times to lower the volume according to a witness who spoke during the Select Board meeting on July 15 The last time the men approached the group about music a fight broke out between the revelers and the neighbors The brawl was recorded on a cellphone and posted anonymously on Facebook It’s not clear in the video who threw the first punch but several members of the partying group are shown sucker-punching at least two of the neighbor men but refused medical treatment after EMTs arrived Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances that led to the melee “The place should be shut down,” said Krista Pochron who said she lived on South Longyard Road and watched the fight between a group visiting the area and several men who live on the road but it’s not working any longer … and we’re tired of it,” said Veronica Lynch which includes the last undeveloped shoreline on North Pond The $4 million cost was borne by local taxpayers as well as the Franklin Land Trust and the state’s Division of Fisheries and Wildlife The lake advocacy group Citizens Restoring Congamond was one of the organizations that lobbied the town to make the purchase held back tears as she spoke to both the Select Board and the Conservation Commission at their July 15 meetings “With everything we did to preserve this property and to see the things going on over there now adding that she was “heartbroken” with what had been going on there said initially she was eager to have parkland open to everyone Select Board Chair Jason Perron agreed with those speaking putting “boots on the ground” for enforcement in the area would be his solution completely shutting down the conservation area would violate the restriction placed on the property by the state when it helped fund the purchase in 2019 That was pointed out by Select Board member Douglas Moglin and resident Joanne LeBlanc Both said residents needed to read the conservation restriction on the property which only allows passive recreation like hiking and mandates that it be open at all times to the general public The board voted unanimously to temporarily close the conservation area’s parking lot and ban parking for at least a half mile in both directions along South Longyard Road When the Conservation Commission started its meeting its members immediately began discussing the incident and what steps the commission might take to ensure the area remains open but we need to get a better handle on certain things,” Commission member Christopher Pratt said during the July 15 meeting “The alcohol thing is a big thing,” Christopher Pratt said later “A little bit of deterrence would be nice … some kind of thing to stop people” from breaking the rules of the conservation area adding later that “enforcement is the key.” but the enforcement needs to do a little more,” he said He also said there is distinction between rules and laws but we have to have some teeth for some of these rules to allow enforcement,” Christopher Pratt said later suggesting new town bylaws that would formally prohibit jumping from trees and bringing glass into the conservation area “But it has to go through a process,” he said which means any bylaws would have to be approved by Town Meeting When town Conservation Coordinator Sabrina Pooler updated the commission on the plan to cut down three trees in the conservation area that have been deemed hazardous because of prohibited rope swings Christopher Pratt said the trees might be dropped along shoreline in the water or perhaps on the cleared area known as King’s Beach It was a suggestion that Moglin also made during the board meeting The Select Board also planned to meet July 22 to continue its discussion One option discussed July 15 was to make the parking ban along South Longyard Road permanent and to reduce the size of the parking area This website is unavailable in your location It appears you are attempting to access this website from a country outside of the United States therefore access cannot be granted at this time .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Taylor Sanzo | tsanzo@masslive.comThere’s a farm in Western Massachusetts that collects Christmas trees to feed its goats With the new year, it’s time to get rid of your Christmas trees. Instead of kicking them to the curb, Firefly Fields Farm in Southwick hopes to collect your trees for its goats The only catch — the trees must be live trees that are still taking water and haven’t dropped their needles The farm collects around 50 of them every season See the goats enjoying their holiday treats in action below Firefly Fields Farm is located at 9 Babb Rd. in Southwick. The farm is open year round on ​Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. tp 1 p.m, according to its website