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WEATHER TONIGHT Clear. Low of 30.
The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2015
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Westfield Technical Academy Principal Stefan Czaporowski shows food items being collected for Food Drive Monday. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Food drive Monday at the Technical Academy By AMY PORTER Correspondent WESTFIELD – The Westfield Public Schools will hold their first Food Drive on Monday in conjunction with WSKI 89.5 FM, Westfield State’s community radio, and facilitated by the Westfield Technical Academy. Donations may be dropped off from 6 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Technical Academy’s Tiger’s Pride restaurant/Gymnasium Entrance, where students will be on hand to assist. WSKB will be broadcasting live throughout the drive at Tiger’s Pride, with several guest hosts, including Bob Plasse, Bo Sullivan, and The Westfield News’ Patrick Berry at noon. “We thought this would be a great way to rally the community as a whole, which Westfield does very well, and to fill an urgent need,” said Brent Bean, director of Advancement and University Relations at Westfield State, which is supporting the effort. According to Stefan Czaporowski, principal of Westfield Technical Academy, the Thanksgiving food items that are being requested will be boxed and delivered Monday evening and Tuesday to area families in need. “I’ve received requests for 25 boxes from two elementary schools, and I know of 18 families from Westfield Technical Academy,” Czaporowski said. “I haven’t heard from the other schools yet.” Perishable items being requested include eggs, butter, turkey, carrots, pota-
toes and milk. Canned goods include peas, gravy, carrots, cranberry sauce, tuna, peanut butter, pasta sauce and juice. Also needed are stuffing, cake mix, dinner rolls, instant potatoes, rice, cereal, oatmeal, beans and noodles. People may also donate gift cards to local grocery stores. One of the student groups assisting will be Rachel’s Challenge, a group of twelve students committed to kindness. The group will assemble the meals, and help to deliver them on Tuesday. “They’re a great group,” Czaporowski said. The Westfield Food Pantry is also preparing food boxes for the effort. Czaporowski said any perishable items that aren’t used will be donated back to the Food Pantry. Remaining non-perishable items will go to food pantries in the Westfield schools. At least six schools have food pantries in them, including South Middle School, which started one this year. “What we collect from this will help all of them,” he said. In addition to the food items being requested, personal care items such as toilet paper, laundry soap, dish soap, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrushes and feminine hygiene products are always needed. “We have a 54 percent free and reduced meal population here,” Czaporowski said. “We have these families, and we want to help them.” “The community gives so much to our school, we want to give back,” he said.
Superintendent Scallion responds to high school principal’s absence By HOPE E. TREMBLAY Staff Writer WESTFIELD – Westfield Schools Superintendent Suzanne Scallion said she was proud of the way students handled themselves during a walkout at the high school Thursday morning. Students staged a peaceful protest and walked out of class at 9 a.m. to show support for Westfield High School Principal Dennis Duquette, who was placed on leave Wednesday. Scallion said students were respectful and she appreciated their support for Duquette. The reason they thought he was placed on leave had nothing to do with the situation. “It is not about the dog donation,” she said. Parents and students speculated on social media that
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Gateway’s budget to be set by the state
Athletic and recreational facility bond approved By DAN MORIARTY Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The City Council narrowly approved a $1.8 million bond Thursday night that will be used to rehabilitate recreational and athletic facilities across the city after nearly five months of discussion. Former Mayor Daniel M. Knapik submitted a bond request of $4 million bond, on May 7, 2015, to improve athletic fields and recreational facilities, which was opposed by a significant number of councilors who requested Knapik to submit a more moderate bond figure Knapik then revised the bond and sent the $1.8 million bond request to the council on June, which the council sent back to the mayor to change the language of the bond authorization. At-large Councilor Brent B. Bean II, chairman of the Finance Committee, requested that Knapik submit a “gender neutral” bond request which would be used for a wide range of facilities supporting both male and female activities. Knapik sent that bond authorization, with the revised authorization language, which was approved last night by a 9-4 vote. Bond authorization requires approval by a minimum of nine councilors. The discussion last night, in particular among councilors who voted against the bond, is that there are other needs which should have a higher priority for funding. At-large Councilor Cindy Harris was the first council to state she would vote against the recreational and athletic bond. “I’m sympathetic to this,” Harris said. “But we need a roads program, that what people were asking for while I was campaigning. So until we have a roads program I will not vote to approve this bond.” Ward 5 Councilor Robert A. Paul Sr., also said that there are a number of other needs which should be addressed as higher priorities than the athletic and recreational bond. Paul said that the School Department needs money for infra
quite what he was when he recognizes himself.”
— Thomas Mann
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“No man remains
SUZANNE SCALLION Westfield Schools Superintendent Duquette’s swift departure was because of a gofundme. com account students established in Duquette’s name to help pay for surgery for his dog Jake, a therapy dog who spends time at the high school. Duquette announced last
Friday that he was not able to accept the donation and he and Jake would like to donate the money to the animal shelter. Parents posted online that they believed a teacher at the school reported Duquette for not making the donation faster. Scallion said that is not true and the reason for his leave is “confidential.” Scallion said while social media can be a great tool, it can also be detrimental to a situation. “In this case it was destructive and hurt people,” she said. Scallion touted Duquette’s abilities to lead the high school. “I have every confidence in Mr. Duquette,” she said. “He is a great motivator and confidence builder and he has
skills needed at the high school.” Scallion also said rumors of his termination are unfounded. “Mr. Duquette will be back in school on Monday,” she said. Scallion said several lessons should be taken from the events of the past two days. One is that the students were respectful and she was happy to see them rally together for Duquette. “It was a beautiful gesture that they care about their principal and support him,” she said. The other lesson is that social media can be damaging when people express feelings about unsubstantiated events. “It’s not healthy for anybody and it could hurt somebody,” she said. “We want to set a good example.”
By AMY PORTER Correspondent BLANDFORD – Blandford residents rejected the Gateway budget for the fourth time this year at a special town meeting Thursday evening. The town’s Select Board and Finance Committee recommended a no vote on Article 1 to raise an additional $25,213 to meet the revised assessment for the town following the receipt of mitigation funds, contingent on an override of Proposition 2 ½. The article was defeated 68 to 23 votes. The meeting started tensely when Finance Committee member Tony van Werkhooven asked David Hopson, Gateway superintendent, to step down as the Moderator due to the subject of the article. Hopson said he “respectfully declined,” stating that having studied the bylaws he received no personal gain either way the vote went. Hopson then continued as moderator. A motion was then made from the floor to amend the See Gateway, Page 3
Blandford residents meet Thursday the for fourth town meeting this year to consider Gateway budget. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Council approves Boise Cascade TIF By DAN MORIARTY Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The City Council voted to approve a tax increment financing package for construction of a 85,000 square-foot warehouse and a 12,000-square foot office area off Union Street needed for expansion of the Boise Cascade BMD building material distribution facility. The property owner, Ronald Schortmann, plans to invest $6 million to construct the new storage facility, while Boise will invest another $600,000 in equipment. Schortmann and Boise are currently negotiating a 20-year lease for the existing facility, as well as the new facility. Boise currently has a workforce of 69 full-time employees and plans to add another 19 employees when the new facility is constructed. Ward 6 Councilor Christopher Crean, a member of the Finance Committee, said the five year tax increment financing package will immediately increase revenue for the city. Under the terms of the TIF, Schortmann will continue to pay full taxes on the existing facility and will begin to pay taxes on the new facility next year when it is completed. Crean said that it is a win-win package for both the city and one of the larger employers in the city. Schortmann/ Boise will pay tax based upon 10 percent of the value of the new buildings the first year, 25 percent in the second year, 50 percent in year three, 75 percent in year four and 90 percent in year five. That package will provide a total saving over the five year to Boise of $226,057, but will also yield new tax revenue to the city of $297,935. Schortmann’s property value will be increase by $2,606,600 based upon the value of the new buildings. “The city will continue to collect all of the current (property) taxes and will get 10 percent of the new facility for the start of the agreement, so taxpayers are not paying for this agreement,” said Ward 2 Councilor Ralph Figy. “At the end of the day, there is a substantial net gain (of revenue) for the city,” said At-large Councilor Matthew VanHeynigen. At-large Councilor Cindy Harris said she opposed giving See TIF, Page 3