Search for The Westfield News
WEATHER TONIGHT Partly cloudy. Low of 18.
The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
— Elbert Hubbard
www.thewestfieldnews.com
VOL. 83 NO. 289
Finance Committee meeting planned By DAN MORIARTY Staff Writer WESTFIELD – City Council President Brent B. Bean II and Finance Committee Chairman Christopher Keefe said this morning that there will be a meeting of that committee Thursday prior to the regular City Council meeting to address pending financial matters, including the residential shift. Bean said that he requested the Finance Committee members, Keefe, Ward 6 Councilor Christopher Crean and Ward 5 Councilor Robert A. Paul, Sr., to agree to meet and bring several items out to the full City Council for BRENT BEAN II a vote Thursday. “I was able to convene a Finance Committee meeting with the aid of the committee’s members to bring out a few financial matters and to discuss all items related to the shift and levy,” Bean said. “Some of those matters are overtime for the Fire Department and the transfer of $75,000 from the School Department to the City Hall Payroll department.” Bean said that the Payroll Department currently is understaffed with two vacant positions and that the transfer will allow the hiring of another staff member immediately. Keefe had vowed not to bring any items out of his committee until it was provided with more information about the levy and residential shift factor by Mayor Daniel M. Knapik. “I believe that both the Mayor and Finance Chairman were both doing what they felt was in the best interest of the city and its residents, that neither were playing politics,” Bean said. “It’s clear that the Mayor is not moving off the 1.24 (tax increase) number, so it’s my responsibility as Council President to move the city forward and set the shift factor. “If the shift (vote) comes in Thursday, Mike (City Collector Michael McMahon) will still be able to get the tax bills out the door with minimal overtime, far less than the $135,000 the city would pay for shortterm borrowing if the bills aren’t mailed before the end of the year,” Bean said. Keefe said he has requested other City Councilors to identify issues pending in his committee that will be discussed at the Dec. 18 Finance Committee session. “I plan to post the agenda Monday and have asked Council members to contact me if they have a specific issue to be included See Meeting, Page 3
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2014
75 cents
RECYCLING PROGRAM
Elder abuse stymied
Contractors from First On Time distribute the new 64-gallon trash containers to residents living along King Place in Westfield last week. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
Truck rental funds for recycling identified By DAN MORIARTY Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The singlestream recycling program will launch in January as planned but will involve growing pains because of the lack of a functional truck fleet. The singlestream recycling will require trucks equipped with lift arms and currently the lift arms for the blue and green recycling bins are attached to employees. And then there is the maintenance issue related to the present aging fleet. “The present fleet is falling apart,” Interim Department of Public Works Superintendent David Billips said, “so we’re looking to rent trucks. I had the bid specifications, but did not have the money to act on that.” “I’ve identified some money, money we can take from open salary accounts which will be more than enough for truck rental,” Billips said. The salary accounts are relat-
DAVID BILLIPS ed to a retirement and two employees who were injured on the job and are currently collecting workmen’s compensation funding, not their salary. Billips said that he anticipates that the city will need to rent vehicles for a year, or more, because of the time needed to fabricate the special use trucks. That time will be useful
“To escape criticism — do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.”
JOSEPH A. ROUSE because it will allow the city to assess the single-stream recycling program before making any truck purchase. “I’m trying to develop a capital plan for the fleet and part of that planning process is to determine how many trucks we’ll need for single-stream See Recycling, Page 3
Kettle drive offers online option, volunteers needed By HOPE E. TREMBLAY Staff Writer WESTFIELD – Nearly everyone recognizes the Salvation Army red kettle and what it means. Volunteers ring bells outside shops and restaurants every holiday season, collecting donations to one of the most recognizable charitable campaigns in the country. This year, Westfield residents may notice fewer kettles as volunteers are sparse. To continue the good work of the Salvation Army, an online donation option has made it easier to give. Captain John Ferreria, director of the Springfield Salvation Army, which oversees seven communities – including Westfield – said www.onlineredkettle.org is taking off in other areas of the country and is becoming more popular here. “When you go to onlineredkettle.org, you Jacquet Wilson, of Westfield, and a volunteer bell ringer for the Salvation Army Service can enter the zip code where you want your Center on Arnold Street in Westfield, is one of several volunteers that can be seen around the donation to go,” Ferreria said. “Your donation city during this time of the year. (Photo by Frederick Gore) See Salvation Army, Page 3
By CARL E. HARTDEGEN Staff Writer WESTFIELD – A Springfield woman’s apparent attempt to insert herself into her grandfather’s financial life and exploit his resources was stymied by an alert banker who alerted a relative of the victim. City police became involved when the banker reported suspect elder abuse and called police. Det. Todd Edwards reports that the woman, Christina C. Rosario, 36, of 33 Revere St., Springfield, had taken her grandfather to the bank to make a $950 cash withdrawal and a short time later went into the bank with the man and attempted to make changes to his joint bank accounts. Edwards reports that the victim’s sister, who holds his durable power of attorney, is listed on his bank accounts and Edwards reports “Ms. Rosario attempted to have the victim’s sister removed from all his accounts and be replaced with her. The Westfield Bank personal became suspicious and spoke to the victim alone, at which point Ms. Rosario tried to have him leave. Upon speaking to the victim they confirmed the suspicion of financial elder abuse.” When the banker contacted the man’s sister, she said that the younger woman does not live with the victim and asked that a ‘No trespassing’ order be served for his home. Edwards reports that the woman told him that she lived there and brazenly said that it would take six months to evict her but Edwards found that the facts did not support her contention. Although the woman had an expired driver’s license listing her grandfather’s address, he said that a neighbor positioned to see the coming and goings at the house said that she has only been at the man’s home for a few days. He said that when he inspected the room in the man’s house where she said she had been living he found that most of the property there belonged to her grandfather and there were only a few bags which contained her property. In addition, a woman with her said that they had only been there a few days. Those few days were eventful, however. Edwards said that the woman had persuaded her grandfather to give her money to pay for medicine she needed and she took him to his bank on Sunday where he withdrew $600. Also on Sunday, Rosario took her grandfather to Noble Hospital. Police were notified by Highland Elder Services that she appeared to be under the influence of drugs and apparently attempted to have pain medicine prescribed for him. Later that day she also took her grandfather to Holyoke Hospital. Edwards reports that when he served Rosario with the trespassing order she adamantly insisted on taking her “stuff” with her and claimed two duffle bags and two plastic shopping bags which she had left in the room she had been staying in at her See Elder Abuse, Page 5
CHRISTINA C. ROSARIO