Westfield Technical Academy seniors and instructors of Construction Tech stand in front of the Ranch-style home they are building on St. James Ave.
Reminder Publishing photo by Amy Porter
WESTFIELD — The first to arrive at the topping off ceremony of the final truss for the new home being built by Westfield Technical Academy students on 12 St. James Ave. was a truck from Westfield Gas & Electric.
They were there to complete the hook-up of electricity to the service box outside. Joseph Tremblay, president of the WTA Foundation, said the house now has full power.
The house is a 1,477-square-foot, one-story ranch-style home on a lot just under 8,000 square feet. It will have three bedrooms and two full bathrooms with an open kitchen, dining and living room. The basement has oversized windows that will allow for it to be finished in the future to add up to two more bedrooms and additional living space, should the buyer wish to expand, according to WTA Construction Technology head instructor Matthew Gomes.
Gomes said now that the framework has been completed, the student crew will install the walls and roof in order to continue to work on the interior of the home through the winter.
Proceeds from the last build paid for the land purchase, and a second 0% loan from Polish National Credit Union will pay for materials for the St. James house. “Last time, it worked out well,” Tremblay said.
Gomes and Tremblay both said they obtained the lot when the owner of the land saw an article in The Westfield News last fall about the school’s previous home build on Mill St. that stated they were looking for land for their next project, and called the school.
“We do not as of yet have a lot for our next build and are open to anyone that may have available land,” Gomes said.
During the ceremony, Gomes welcomed Mayor Michael McCabe, state Rep. Kelly Pease, Mark Messer, district director for state Sen. John Velis; Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski, members of the School Committee, the WTA Foundation, the shop’s advisory board, WTA Principal Bruce Hastings and other guests. He acknowledged the seniors in Construction Tech, who were present, and have been working hard to get the framework done, along with juniors in the program.
Guest speaker Fiore Grassetti from Ironworkers Local 7 talked about the topping off ceremony, a term used by ironworkers to indicate that the final piece of steel is being hoisted into place on a building, bridge or other large structure. He said it is a ceremony rich in tradition, tracing back to a Scandinavian rite to appease tree-dwelling spirits displaced when timber beams were used in the construction of a building.
Grassetti said to commemorate the topping off, the final piece of iron — in this case, the last truss on the frame — is hoisted into place with a small evergreen tree, an American flag and the ironworkers’ banner. The final piece is usually painted white and signed by the ironworkers and visiting dignitaries at the ceremony.
Grassetti also made a pitch for young people to consider going into the trades, including construction and ironworkers, encouraging the students to enter a well-paid career after school and be debt-free.
Speaking next, Gomes said he went for a walk with his two daughters in the woods to find an evergreen tree for the ceremony.
“We stood at the foot of dozens of towering pines — 80 feet or more in the air. We were surrounded by trees that were there long before we were born, and some of the saplings that we left behind will stand tall years after we are gone. We were there, in a way, representing our time in between. Each one of us has an opportunity to shape the world around us, not only in our moment, but with what we leave behind, and only when we actually make it happen.”
Gomes said on their way back out of the woods, they saw a beautiful tan coyote running by. “For many, a coyote symbolizes adaptability, vitality, and is often understood to challenge the norm to bring about change and improvement,” he said. “The work that we do on behalf of our students is not typical, and we are certainly bringing about positive improvement by finding creative solutions and strategies to provide our students with the best learning experience possible.”
He thanked the support of the Westfield Technical Academy Foundation and their board, and the guidance of Construction Tech’s Program Advisory Committee, all of whom are volunteers, adding that 100% of the proceeds from the project will go to supporting their students. “Nobody involved in managing the nonprofit is paid,” he said.
Gomes said the project would not have been possible without the support of the Polish National Credit Union for financing it at 0% interest.
He said the sponsors of the project are also responsible for thousands of dollars in donated materials and other financial support.
He also thanked Westfield Public Schools, Czaporowski for his unwavering support and assistance, and the administrative team and colleagues at WTA “that step up to help each other each and every day for the betterment of our students,” including Construction Tech instructors Wayne Bush, Brian Roy and David McIver, all of whom were present at the ceremony.
Gomes said the major theme of the topping off ceremony is tradition. ”Whether they realize it or not, every tradesperson is a teacher, and they have a responsibility to pass down their skill to the generation behind them.”
He said building a house can be difficult. “Some days it’s cold, some days it’s hot, some wet. It can be heavy. There’s a lot to know — codes, math and how to make things fit. Building a house is also incredibly rewarding … Students learn resilience out there. They overcome fears, they achieve, they surprise themselves.”
“I am so incredibly proud of each one of these students. It is an honor to be their teacher and to be out here with them driving nails into lumber, just like we are supposed to be,” Gomes said.
After the remarks, everyone present was invited to sign the truss before Gomes and Brian Roy, the on-site instructor at the home build, climbed the scaffolding with seniors Zachary Morgado and Aidan McCarron to affix the truss, the evergreen tree and hoist the American flag.
