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WEATHER TONIGHT
s w e N d l e fi t s e W The the Serving Westfield, Southwick, and
Partly to mostly cloudy. Low of 36.
surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com
VOL. 83 NO. 255
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2014
See Winter, Page 3
— John Keats
Council to consider two bond issues
appear to have been tampered should be safely discarded and any homemade or home-packaged treats should be removed unless parents are certain of the source. He also points out that not all treats are appropriate for all age children so parents checking candy should be on the lookout for hard candies or other items that little children could choke on. The fire marshal also had suggestions for residents welcoming
By Dan Moriarty Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The Legislative & Ordinance Committee voted Wednesday night to keep a $758,000 bond in committee while it is further investigated by the Finance Committee and will seek a vote to kill a$1,850,000 bond when the City Council meets next Thursday. The $758,000 bond will be used to purchase the development rights of the East Mountain Country Club through a conservation restriction which will be placed on the deed and recorded in the Registry of Deeds. The bond request submitted by Mayor Daniel M. Knapik reflects a vote of the Community Preservation Committee which approved the funding over three years. The CPC funding will be used to pay the bond. The issue was first brought to the CPC in July of 2012, and then the proposal was revised and resubmitted to the CPC in February of 2013 when the CPC members voted to approve the funding spread over three years. The issue lingered while city officials considered what was legal pertaining to the appraisal on the value of the property if it were to be developed, as well as conducted a survey to identify the 120 acres which will be restricted under the development. There were also technical issues, such as identifying a funding vehicle to make payment, spreading the allocation of CPC funding over the three-year time frame. The CPC members were concerned that making a onetime payment directly with CPC funding would deplete the board’s reserves and inhibit it from funding other projects. The Community Preservation Committee makes recommendations to the mayor and the municipality’s legislative body, the City Council in Westfield’s case, for the acquisition, creation and preservation of open space; for the acquisition, preservation, rehabilitation and restoration of historic resources; for the acquisition and preservation of land for recreational use; and for the creation, preservation and support of community housing that is acquired or created. The mayor can choose either to submit a CPC appropriation request to the City Council for its review and approval or to decline to support the appropriation by not submitting it to the council for further action. The L&O will give a negative recommendation on a bond request of $1,850,000 for energy efficiency improvements at the city Wastewater Treatment Plant. The council approved the first reading of a bond request to replace energy-inefficient equipment at the city’s Wastewater Treatment Plant at its Oct. 16 session after elements of the bond were eliminated and the amount was amended by the Finance Committee. The Finance Committee balked at the original amount and requested Water Resource Superintendent Dave Billips to revise the bond by reducing the scope of work. Billips submitted a revised bond request of $1,477,000 which will be used to replace two over-sized Turblex Blowers used in the sewerage plant treatment process to aerate effluent in the treatment tanks. Billips said the blowers were installed as part of the last plant expansion by the construction contractor and are too large for the city’s facility. The Turblex Blowers currently in the plant have a resale value of about $500,000, income which will be applied toward retiring the bond. The Law Department ruled that the City Council does not have the authority to amend a bond request, that the bond figure is an executive branch decision. L&O Chairman, At-large Councilor Brian
See Safety, Page 3
See Two Bonds, Page 3
Neil Berg’s 100 Years of Broadway to perform at Symphony Hall in Springfield tomorrow.
WHS freshman to perform live onstage SPRINGFIELD – As part of a national campaign being conducted in 20 US cities thus far, five Broadway stars gave away the chance to join them on stage in Neil Berg’s 100 Years of Broadway at Symphony Hall in Springfield tomorrow. One of the winners who will get a chance to show off her skills at Symphony Hall with five Broadway stars and an all-star New York band, is Julia Bussell, a 15-year-old freshman at Westfield High School. “When I heard the news about the 100 Years of Broadway show and how my mom entered a video of me, I was really surprised and excited,” she said. “Ever since I was little I found it really thrilling to perform for others and share with them what I love to do. There is always something about Broadway and theatre that always made me feel good about myself and it kind of got me to think about my future and what I want to do – which is perform on Broadway.” The winners were selected by the show’s panel of industry experts (including singers and managers, as well as Neil Berg himself). Contestants were asked to upload a video clip of themselves singing a Broadway favorite to YouTube or Facebook. Neil Berg’s 100 Years of Broadway concert features five Broadway stars of Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Sweeney Todd, Jekyll and Hyde, Fiddler on The Roof, Beauty and the Beast, Wonderful Town, Tarzan, Cats, The Woman in White, and It
Julia Bussell Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues singing the finest hits songs of the last 100 Years of Broadway musicals. Tickets are still available for Neil Berg’s 100 Years of Broadway, presented at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow. Ticket prices range from $28-$59. Special discounts for groups and members are available. For information about this and other performances scheduled, contact the CityStage & Symphony Hall Box Office at 413-788-7033, or visit www.citystage.symphonyhall.com.
Halloween safety precautions By Carl E. Hartdegen Staff Writer WESTFIELD – Ghouls, goblins and (perhaps especially this year) zombies will be abroad on All Hallows’ Eve tonight and State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan has offered advice for parents sending their children out trick-or-treating. Foremost in his advice is that children should be visible to help prevent accidents. He recommends that children should carry flashlights and wear brightly colored costumes or costumes which include strips of reflective tape to make them stand out in the darkness. Children should wear sturdy shoes and warm clothing under their costumes which should be made with flame retardant materials and free from tails or trailing materials which could make children trip or fall. Pointed
is no proverb to you till your Life has illustrated it.”
75 cents
Southwick DPW prepared for winter By Hope E. Tremblay Staff Writer SOUTHWICK – Department of Public Works (DPW) Director Randy Brown updated the Board of Selectmen this week on several topics, including winter preparedness and grants. The town was awarded several Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Sustainable Materials Recovery Program Municipal Grants, including one in the amount of up to $33,000. Brown said he applied for four different grants and received confirmation last week that the town was successful in all four applications. Three of them are small grants, and one has the potential to be very large. One of the grants will be used to purchase new recycling bins and another will help purchase new recycling equipment. “The Pay As We Throw grant could award up to $33,000,” said Brown. “We need to do our homework and make sure this is a program we want to go with.” Brown told the board Tighe & Bond is about 75-percent complete in its design of Congamond Road, including the addition of sidewalks, which was not part of the original design. Brown said because of this, the Department of Transportation (DOT) suggested having a meeting and include the public. “A meeting has been set for Nov. 19 at the Town Hall auditorium and the public [is invited] to come in and see the plans and give us their feedback,” said Brown. The event is not a public hearing, but a public forum, stressed Brown. The sidewalk would extend from College Highway to Crabby Joe’s on the southern side of the road. “I think it will be a nice tie-in from the Rail Trail to College Highway and local neighborhoods,” said Brown. “One thing the state didn’t consider when doing sidewalks on College Highway was crosswalks,” said Board Chairman Russell Fox, who pointed out “that one of biggest complaints I hear is there’s no place to cross.” Brown said the DOT has already said they want to include crosswalks at Sheep Pasture, close to Berkshire Avenue,
“Even a Proverb
accessories such as pitchforks or swords should be made of soft materials. In addition to being seen, children should be able to see without obstruction so makeup may be better with a costume than a mask. Coan suggests that, if a mask is used, parents should check to ensure that the eyeholes are big enough to allow a full range of vision. Young children, of course, should be escorted while trickor-treating and should go out early. Older children allowed to celebrate without adults should be taught safety habits and rules should be clearly established. Parents should insist that their children only visit neighborhoods which they know and their parents are comfortable with. They should stay in a group,
walk on sidewalks and cross streets at corners. Children should be instructed not to cross back and forth but should cover one side of a street at a time and visit only houses with decorations or illuminated lighting which indicate that Halloween visitors are welcome. Coan warns that parents should ensure that children know not to go into the homes of anybody they, and their families, don’t know and should never accept a ride or get into a vehicle. Parents should tell their children when they have to be home and provide them with a cellphone for use in case of emergency. They should also be told not to eat any of their treats before they get home where parents should inspect their loot as soon as they return. Coan said that any items which