Representative Don Humason



CHRISTMAS SPIRIT? By State Representative Don Humason, Jr. December 13, 2008 Are you in the Christmas spirit yet? Do you have your tree up? Is all your shopping done? Cards mailed out? Presents wrapped? Maybe you’re not in the festive holiday mood yet. Maybe all the rain or the lack of snow is keeping that spirit at bay. Maybe, like me, you’re a little depressed that the Westfield High School Bombers didn’t win their division Super Bowl last Saturday at Westfield State College Alumni Field despite the best efforts of the coaches, players, parents, fans, and “the best band in the land.” Seriously though, I’m very proud of our Bombers and want to congratulate them all for the very impressive feat of fighting their way to two Super Bowls in two years. On a happier note the Bombers hockey team won their first game tonight! As I sit at my computer writing this column it is late Thursday night. I am listening to a Bing Crosby Christmas CD. And I just came from a terrific event that couldn’t help but put people in the spirit. Westfield on Weekends and the Westfield Business Improvement District sponsored a bus trip from Westfield over to Bright Nights in Springfield. It was Westfield Night at Bright Nights and despite the cold rain all of us in the two big King Ward buses enjoyed the festive event. I’m sure next year we’ll see even more buses taking Westfield families to the great display. Thanks to Bob Plasse, Lisa McMahon, and all the great volunteers for hosting such a unique holiday event. Actually, WOW has been very busy scheduling a full calendar of Dickens Days events for Westfield this month. Last Sunday was the annual Dickens Day House Tour which showcased a bunch of beautiful Westfield residences with halls decked. The Westfield Theatre Group is showing The Littlest Angel this weekend. The Parent Teacher Advisory Council at the Westfield South Middle is hosting a craft/vendor fair on Saturday from 10-5PM as a fundraiser for the school. As soon as their fair ends, people are welcome to head over to Amelia Park for my free skate party from 6 to 7PM. For more information on the many events of Westfield’s Dickens Days, go to www.WestfieldonWeekends.org or www.thedistrictwestfield.com. They’ll be sure to get you in the Christmas Spirit! On Beacon Hill it appears that Speaker Salvatore DiMasi isn’t in the spirit. He called for a 10 % cut in the state aid to cities and towns, called Local Aid, in the next budget year. House Republicans joined together to send a letter to the Speaker strongly opposing any local aid cuts next year. In the letter, Republicans called for cost-cutting reforms in the state budget and said that cutting local aid before making such reforms would be “an insult to taxpayers.” The letter was delivered to DiMasi’s office Thursday morning. “As Republicans, we believe first and foremost that our state has an obligation to support our communities and the essential services that they deliver to our citizens on the local level,” said the members in the letter. “We also believe the Legislature should show a better sense of priorities than to cut local aid and education funding while working families in our state are hurting and when there is so much wasteful spending in our budget.” ”Many towns are struggling to make ends meet with the current amount of local aid they receive, never mind a further reduction . We w ant our select boards, school committees, finance committees and taxpayers to know that we are in their corner, protecting their interest and not the special interest of Beacon Hill,” the letter stated. I want to make note that last Sunday, December 7, was the 67th anniversary of the sneak attack by the nation of Japan on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. It was somberly yet beautifully observed by a gathering of Westfield veterans and residents at a temporary park near the National Guard Way bridges, on the site of the former Roy Rogers restaurant. There was a light dusting of snow but the cold did not deter people from gathering to commemorate the infamous date. We honored those killed on that day and in the war that followed. We also recognized how lucky Westfield was to have a sole remaining survivor of that fateful day, Robert Greenleaf, still living and active in our community. Let neither history nor memory fade the heroes of that day. * * * Representative Humason and his Legislative Aide Jonelle Gingrich may be reached at his State House office, Room 542. Boston, MA 02133. (617) 722-2803. Representative Humason and his Chief of Staff Sarah Latour may be reached at his Westfield district office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085. (413) 568-1366. Representative Don Humason’s website is www.DonHumason.org
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CHRISTMAS SPIRIT?

By State Representative Don Humason, Jr.
December 13, 2008

Are you in the Christmas spirit yet? Do you have your tree up? Is all your shopping done? Cards mailed out? Presents wrapped?

Maybe you’re not in the festive holiday mood yet. Maybe all the rain or the lack of snow is keeping that spirit at bay.

Maybe, like me, you’re a little depressed that the Westfield High School Bombers didn’t win their division Super Bowl last Saturday at Westfield State College Alumni Field despite the best efforts of the coaches, players, parents, fans, and “the best band in the land.” Seriously though, I’m very proud of our Bombers and want to congratulate them all for the very impressive feat of fighting their way to two Super Bowls in two years.

On a happier note the Bombers hockey team won their first game tonight! As I sit at my computer writing this column it is late Thursday night. I am listening to a Bing Crosby Christmas CD. And I just came from a terrific event that couldn’t help but put people in the spirit.

Westfield on Weekends and the Westfield Business Improvement District sponsored a bus trip from Westfield over to Bright Nights in Springfield. It was Westfield Night at Bright Nights and despite the cold rain all of us in the two big King Ward buses enjoyed the festive event. I’m sure next year we’ll see even more buses taking Westfield families to the great display.

Thanks to Bob Plasse, Lisa McMahon, and all the great volunteers for hosting such a unique holiday event.

Actually, WOW has been very busy scheduling a full calendar of Dickens Days events for Westfield this month. Last Sunday was the annual Dickens Day House Tour which showcased a bunch of beautiful Westfield residences with halls decked.

The Westfield Theatre Group is showing The Littlest Angel this weekend. The Parent Teacher Advisory Council at the Westfield South Middle is hosting a craft/vendor fair on Saturday from 10-5PM as a fundraiser for the school. As soon as their fair ends, people are welcome to head over to Amelia Park for my free skate party from 6 to 7PM.

For more information on the many events of Westfield’s Dickens Days, go to www.WestfieldonWeekends.org or www.thedistrictwestfield.com. They’ll be sure to get you in the Christmas Spirit!

On Beacon Hill it appears that Speaker Salvatore DiMasi isn’t in the spirit. He called for a 10 % cut in the state aid to cities and towns, called Local Aid, in the next budget year.

House Republicans joined together to send a letter to the Speaker strongly opposing any local aid cuts next year.

In the letter, Republicans called for cost-cutting reforms in the state budget and said that cutting local aid before making such reforms would be “an insult to taxpayers.” The letter was delivered to DiMasi’s office Thursday morning.

“As Republicans, we believe first and foremost that our state has an obligation to support our communities and the essential services that they deliver to our citizens on the local level,” said the members in the letter. “We also believe the Legislature should show a better sense of priorities than to cut local aid and education funding while working families in our state are hurting and when there is so much wasteful spending in our budget.”

”Many towns are struggling to make ends meet with the current amount of local aid they receive, never mind a further reduction . We w ant our select boards, school committees, finance committees and taxpayers to know that we are in their corner, protecting their interest and not the special interest of Beacon Hill,” the letter stated.

I want to make note that last Sunday, December 7, was the 67th anniversary of the sneak attack by the nation of Japan on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

It was somberly yet beautifully observed by a gathering of Westfield veterans and residents at a temporary park near the National Guard Way bridges, on the site of the former Roy Rogers restaurant. There was a light dusting of snow but the cold did not deter people from gathering to commemorate the infamous date.

We honored those killed on that day and in the war that followed. We also recognized how lucky Westfield was to have a sole remaining survivor of that fateful day, Robert Greenleaf, still living and active in our community. Let neither history nor memory fade the heroes of that day.

* * *

Representative Humason and his Legislative Aide Jonelle Gingrich may be reached at his State House office, Room 542. Boston, MA 02133. (617) 722-2803.
Representative Humason and his Chief of Staff Sarah Latour may be reached at his Westfield district office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085. (413) 568-1366.
Representative Don Humason’s website is www.DonHumason.org

This Site Designed and Maintained by: The Barre Group