33rd Edition, Volume 3. June, 2014

WESTFIELD NEWS Westfield Residents Association, Inc, Est. 1981

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

WRA’S SOCIAL HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR IS COMING UP!

It’s our all-you-can-eat, meet and learn at our annual picnic meeting in the pavilion at Smith Memorial Park on Country Club Road in Middletown.

MONDAY, JULY 14th

START TIME: 6 P.M.

Hot Dogs, hamburgers, condiments and beverages will be provided. The entrees, salads and desserts are left to attendee’s creative offerings. If you have a recipe you have been meaning to try, try it on us! We are adventurous eaters and always ready to try something new. It makes for part of the fun and conversation.

Remember, these soirees are rain or shine events. The menu doesn’t change. So come one, come all and bring a neighbor. Everyone is welcome.

These picnics always have a party-like atmosphere heightened by local scuttlebutt news. If you are new to Westfield, this is an easy, informal, way to meet your neighbors.

If any of you longer time residents living in Westfield, are concerned about something in your neighborhood, this is the time to bring it to the attention of WRA Executive Committee members, because in addition to being a fun fest, this event is one of WRA’s quarterly general meetings.

While business is kept to a minimum to preserve the party atmosphere, member input of subjects of concern are important and welcome at anytime, because it gives the Executive Committee members a heads-up that helps WRA be proactive rather than reactive. Executive Committee members, too, are always ready to provide answers to any questions.

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Bill Warner has retired from the City after 25 years in the Department of Planning, Conservation and Development. Warner. As director, he had more influence than most elected officials on decisions about land preservation, the nature and sizes of subdivisions, the types of businesses that opened, and where they would be located.

During Warner’s tenure as director, Main Street has seen a resurgence of business and foot traffic. Indeed, shortly after he retired, he was honored by the Connecticut Main Street Center with its 2014 Connecticut Light and Power Award for Outstanding Contributions to Main Street Revitalization.

Warner was supportive of the WRA, and his office always provided us with all the information we needed to provide meaningful input on Planning and Zoning decisions.

Mayor Dan Drew appointed the new director from within the department. Michiel Wackers has worked in the Planning Office since 2003, and has been deputy director for 9 years.

Wackers was confirmed as Director on May 5th. The mayor has yet to appoint a new deputy director.

A Change In The Planning Department

Bill Warner started working for the city in 1989. He has taken a

job as the city planner in Farmington

Turtles are romantic and nomadic in the spring and early summer. They seek out mates, and the females seek out suitable soil or sand in which to lay their eggs. The photo is of a Westfield Snapping turtle laying eggs in a hole she excavated.

If you see a turtle crossing the road, it is probably a pregnant female looking for a spot to lay eggs. If it is safe to stop, you should pick the turtle up from the road, and move them to the side in which they are headed. Do not relocate turtles far from where you found it.

Westfield Turtles On The Move

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If you live east of I91 in Westfield, you probably can hear the sound of gunfire coming from the side of Mt. Higby, in the area north of Tynan Park on Higby Road. The noise is coming from the Dingwall Horan Joint Training Facility, a shooting range used by the Middletown Police Department, and also by the FBI.

The police department sends out emails to anybody who wishes to be notified of upcoming uses of the range. If you are interested in being placed on the list, please email the M.P.D I.T. Tech at the following address: nelson.rivera@middletownct.gov)

Higby Firing Range Usage Alerts

Continued…

The city of Middletown has agreed to name the pavilion at Smith Park in honor of Westfield Residents Association Chairperson and city public servant, Arline K. Rich. Arline was the single person most responsible for the current success of the WRA.

An attractive gold-lettered sign will cost about $1800. We have so far collected $400 in contributions from WRA members, towards a goal of at least $900. The City of Middletown will be asked to contribute half. Final approval of the sign will be from the city’s Park & Rec. dept.

If you wish to make a contribution, make a check payable to WRA Middletown, and mail to Westfield Residents, P.O. Box 373, Middletown, CT 06457. Or bring a donation to the annual picnic on July 7th at Smith Park.

Arline K. Rich Pavilion

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO THIS SUMMER? For a list of ideas, call the Parks and Recreation Department at 860.343.6620, or download their Spring/Summer Brochure 2014 at the following URL: www.cityofmiddletown.com/filestorage/117/123/159/Current_Brochure.pdf

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RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP (IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY)! The WRA represents you and all others who care about Westfield quality of life, and in fact anyone who cares about the continued reasonable development of Middletown.

If you’ve signed up between the October meeting and now, you’re set until October 2014. If you sign up at the picnic, you’re set for 2014-Oct 2015 per our bylaws.

MUNICIPAL MATTERS

141 Atkins Street. An application before the June meeting of the Zoning Board of Appeals was for permission to conduct a business in a residential zone, Applicant/Agent Keith, Linda, and Jason Blakeslee. Some neighbors spoke in favor of the application, while other neighbors were opposed. The public hearing was closed, and the ZBA voted to postpone a decision until after they had obtained legal opinion.

644 East Street. The owner of a large lot across from the Westfield Fire District

Station came before the Planning and Zoning Commission for a pre-application review. They are considering a plan for 3 lots that would have two driveways cutting out onto East Street.

Middle Street. The city conveyed a lot in Liberty Commerce Park to a private company to enable them to move a masonry restoration business in. The city bought this lot as part of the effort to block the Army from buying the land for the training facility now located on Smith Street.

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Hikes of Westfield: Mt. Higby

Some of the best trails in the city are to be found in our neighborhood, whether you are looking for a 30 minute jaunt or a more strenuous 4 hour hike.

The trail that goes along summit of Mt. Higby is part of the New England Trail, a 215 mile long trail from the Massachusetts—New Hampshire border to the shores of Long Island Sound. This is one of 11 National Scenic trails, others include the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail.

The best access to Higby mountain is from Tynan Park, an undeveloped city park on Higby Road near Sisk Street. The trail begins through a young forest, then passes through a recently abandoned hay field, and then enters a cool forest along Fall Brook. About 0.5 miles from Higby Road, the trail intersects with an abandoned city road, turn right. After another 0.25 miles, the trail intersects with the New England Trail. Turn left to ascend Mt. Higby, turn right to follow the trail to Country Club Road.

Higby Mountain was once extensively logged, for lumber (mostly red oak), and for firewood. The trail intersects several old logging roads along its ascent to the top. The lower portion of the mountain was used for grazing sheep and cows, the stone fences marking the edges of pastures now embedded within a forest that has matured in the past hundred years.

The top of Mt. Higby offers spectacular views of Lamentation Mountain to the north (part of Lamentation Mountain is also in Westfield), the Suzio quarry on Country Club Road to the west, and the valley that includes Meriden and Wallingford to the south.

In addition to the views from the top, the climb up Mt. Higby offers a glimpse of what Middletown might have looked like before the large-scale logging and subsequent industrial revolution transformed our landscape. The understory of the forest includes mountain laurel, abundant ferns, and near the top a bed of grass under stunted red oak trees. It is a land of coyotes, deer, and turkeys, and if you’re lucky you might see one of the coyotes, deer, turkeys, or other wildlife that make this preserve their home.

33rd Edition, Volume 3. June, 2014

Westfield Residents Association, Inc.

P.O. Box 373 Middletown, CT 06457

[Recipient]

The WRA executive Committee consists of the following volunteers:

Chair Jennifer Mahr Vice-Chair Cathy Branch-Stebbins Secretary Carolann D’Eon Treasurer Doug Turner Member William Doherty Member Lori Toussaint Alternate Stephen Devoto Alternate Ann Loffredo

Westfield Residents Association

The Executive Committee monitors municipal decisions that impact Westfield. This includes land use decisions by the Inland Wetlands Agency and the Planning and Zoning Commission, as well as the Parks Department, Public Works, and the Police.

We host an annual potluck picnic in Smith Park in early July, a “meet the candidates” night during election season, and other public meetings in January and April.

If you are concerned or curious about something in Westfield, let us know.

If you would like to become more involved, please speak to any of us, we are always looking for more volunteers.