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WEATHER TONIGHT Mainly clear. Low of 61.
The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 85 NO. 161
“Those people who think only of themselves, are hopelessly uneducated. They are not educated, no matter how instructed they may be.” — NICHOLAS MURRAY BUTLER
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MONDAY, JULY 11, 2016
Breaking and entering incidents By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD–In an effort to increase public awareness and help track the rising number of breaking and entering incidents into vehicles in the city, The Westfield News and Westfield Police Department will be generating a weekly tally of incidents. The tally will begin from Thursday, June 2, and will be compiled every Friday morning. HERE ARE THE NUMBERS: June 2 to June 9 Two incidents, two vehicles. Locations were Ridge Trail Road and Belmont Street. Items stolen were spare change and a wallet. June 10 to June 16 Three incidents, three vehicles. Locations were Elm Street, Old Apremont Way and Pequot Point Road. Items stolen include a bike and personal items. June 17 to June 23 Two incidents, four vehicles. Locations were Main Line Drive and Woronoco Field. Items stolen were personal items, including purses and wallets. June 24 to June 30 Two incidents, three vehicles. Locations were Woronoco Field and Cleveland Avenue. Items stolen include a purse and a GPS. July 1 to July 7
Cpl. Dorrington remembered The celebration of the life of Cpl. Donald S. Dorrington, USMC, took place on Saturday, July 9th. It was a very well attended ceremony. Westfield organizations who attended were, VFW, American Legion Whip City Memorial Post 454, American Legion Post 124, and the Westfield Marine Corps League. Don, a native of Westfield, is one of the last survivors of Iwo Jima in this area. Don was 90 years old. The service was held in Worthington (MA) at the 1st Congregational Church. (Photo by Don Wielgus)
Recovery high schools aid students battling addiction
Summer often means mosquitoes By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD–As the air becomes hotter, hazier and more humid, mosquitos come out to feast on us. And with those pests comes the possibility of disease, such as Zika. But how much should people in Westfield be concerned about these diseases? Well, according to infectious disease specialist Dr. Eric Granowitz, who practices for both Baystate Medical Center and Baystate Noble, it depends on a variety of factors. “Risk is defined as both likelihood and magnitude,” Granowitz said. “Some things are really likely and other things are really unlikely, but if those unlikely things have DR. ERIC severe consequences it’s not conGRANOWITZ sidered ideal,” he said. The consequences of Zika, as many people now know, can be drastic. Reports of microcephaly–a birth defect where the brain becomes improperly formed and a child’s head will be undersized–as well as Guillain-Barré syndrome–a neurological disorder that strikes the peripheral nervous system–have both been linked to Zika. However, the rate of incidence is what may be misunderstood. Granowitz said that the rate of microcephaly in Brazil in 2010, where the outbreak first started, was six out of 100,000 births. In 2015, the rate increased to 100 out of 100,000, according to one study. This shows that although it is happening at a higher rate, the risk still remains relatively low. Additionally, it is uncertain how many of the microcephaly cases were directly attributable to the Zika virus.
Six incidents, eight vehicles. Locations were St. Paul Street, Squawfield Road, Maple Terrace, Woodmont Street and East Main Street. Items stolen include spare change, license plate, credit cards and other personal belongings. Check in with The Westfield News Online for an updated list every Saturday.
BAYSTATE NOBLE HOSPITAL One point that researchers are confident about is that the transmission rates in the US states are virtually nonexistent, and travel is the only culprit of transmission. Also, according to the CDC the largest amount of cases in any US state is still under 300, which is New York at 285, and Mass. actually has the fifth highest incidence rate with just 39 cases. Granowitz suggests that the easiest way to prevent acquiring the disease it to avoid traveling to countries where Zika is currently spreading. However, if travel is necessary or if you have already traveled to one of the infected countries, abstain from sexual contact for at least eight weeks. Granowitz said that the eight-week window is from the CDC as of March 25. Additionally, in order to prevent transmission from mosquitos, See Summer, Page 3
By DEREK GENTILE The Berkshire Eagle WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — On a wooden table at the front of Rockdale Recovery High School, principal Susan Strong's office is a long plastic container. It is filled with cigarettes. Twice a day, students come into Strong's office, pick out a cigarette and go outside for a smoke. Most of the 29 students who attended the high school this year are smokers. "Well, we're addicts," one student said. "We don't use anymore, and if you took away cigarettes, we wouldn't have much else." It's a frank self-assessment. But frank selfassessments are a common thread with the students at a recovery high school. Students, according to Strong, cannot enroll in a recovery high school until they commit to recovery. And one can't commit to recovery unless they understand their problems. A recovery high school is not actually a treatment facility, Strong said. Rather, it is a high school staffed by teachers and officials who are also recovery professionals. "The good thing about this school," said a student at Rockdale, "is that most of the teachers are recovering addicts. So they know what we're going through." Amid the growing crisis of opioid addiction across the country, the state has been helping to See Addiction, Page 3