Saturday, December 19, 2009

Councilors take their leave

WESTFIELD — The City Council cleared its agenda, then focused on the six members who attended their final session Thursday night.
City Council President Charles Medeiros, one of those leaving, said the changing of the guard with five new members coming onto the council in January, is the largest changeover in the history of the council.
Councilors who will return for the new session presented a gift to outgoing members.
Mary O’Connell opened the process by thanking David Bannish for his service, which began in 1988, and his “institutional knowledge of legislative procedure and history.”
Bannish said that as a student at Westfield High School, Garreth Lynch, who later served as mayor, was a student teacher in the English Department.
Bannish said he submitted a paper, which was corrected by Lynch, who strongly advised Bannish to curtail the “profundity of your verbosity.” … Click to Subscribe!
DAN MORIARTY

Funds needed for schools study

SOUTHWiCK — The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education says its cupboard is too bare, and it can’t come up with $20,000 for a Regional Planning Grant to help the Southwick -Tolland Regional School District and the Granville School System with a regionalization feasibility study.
“If the economic climate were different, then the two parties would share the cost,” Superintendent of Schools John D. Barry said. “As it is, a Regional Planning Grant is a pretty normal thing. Normally the DESE would fund it, especially since they are encouraging regionalization. Things are bad.”
Barry said he is turning to the district’s two legislative representatives.
“We are hoping the Legislature can find the money we need,” Barry said. “We have approached state Rep. Rosemary Sandlin and state Sen. Michael Knapik and asked them to see if they can find the $20,000 we need. The problem is this is not something you can stick on just anyone in the office. You need to hire an outside consultant.”
The two school districts have been discussing joining forces since August when the Granville Selectboard approached the larger system. … Click to Subscribe!
DAVE CANTON