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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com
VOL. 83 NO.156
MONDAY, JULY 7, 2014
75 cents
Council to decide fate of BID
Westfield native ready for debut By Peter Francis Staff Writer CHESTER – For many people, coming back home can sometimes be difficult after venturing out and settling elsewhere. For Michelle Joyner, a Los Angeles-based stage and screen actor who hails from Westfield, coming home has always been anything but difficult. In fact, it’s been welcome. “I have twin boys who just turned 15, and when they were born, I wanted to come back East so my parents could spend time with my kids,” said Joyner. “I MICHELLE got this little JOYNER cabin in Huntington, so we’ve been coming here every summer for the past 15 years.” A graduate of Westfield High School in 1979, Joyner’s career in the entertainment industry began shortly thereafter in New York City, where she worked as a model for eight years before moving to LA beginning her career as a thespian. Now, after a 15-year hiatus, Joyner is preparing to return to the stage with the Chester Theatre Company, a venue she has visited many times but has never performed at. “I’ve been there many times but, aside from a reading of ‘Jane Eyre’ there last summer, this is my first time on stage there,” she said. “It’s been great for my parents, Connie and Jerry Joyner, who live in Westfield still. It’s really exciting to be performing locally.” Joyner will star in Sharr See Joyner, Page 5
Two cats rescued By Carl E. Hartdegen Staff Writer WESTFIELD – Two of three cats apparently abandoned at an apartment at Powdermill Village were rescued Thursday when a neighbor became aware of their plight and called police. Officer John Blascak responded to a 7:10 p.m. call from a resident who said that her neighbor has been gone for about two weeks but she saw a dead cat in the apartment were she said two cats were still alive. Blascak reports he requested assistance from firefighters who made entry to the apartment. The animal control officer was notified and she arranged for a representative of the Westfield Homeless Cat Project to respond and take custody of the surviving cats. The remains of the third cat were properly disposed of, Blascak reports. A representative of the city’s Health Department also responded and Blascak reports the apartment was condemned.
“It takes people a long time to learn the difference between talent and genius, especially ambitious young men and women.” — Louisa May Alcott
At least four persons have rented the second floor apartment at 9 W. School St. but the landlord, who has recently been arrested, had not allowed any of them to move in. (Photo by Carl E. Hartdegen)
Rental scam uncovered By Carl E. Hartdegen Staff Writer WESTFIELD – A city man who threatened to harm himself was arrested after a brief standoff with police Thursday evening. City police report that officers had been seeking Sergio Miacola, 56, of 9 W. School St., after three complainants reported that they had rented an apartment from him but had not been allowed to move in. The apartment at 9 West School St. came to the attention of police on June 27 when a resident came to the station to complain that she had had paid the landlord a $880 deposit representing her first month’s rent on June 1 after agreeing to rent the apartment and planning to move in on June 15. City Hall records show that Sergio and Arlene Miacola own the house where the second floor apartment is located and show that tax bills are sent to the owners there. Other records show that Arlene Miacola died May 5, 2008. The woman told Officer William Cavanaugh that when she spoke with Sergio Miacola on June 12 he said that the apartment needed to be inspected on June 27 before she could move in. The complainant paid the man an additional $1,300 at that time but he refused to sign a lease. The woman showed Cavanaugh receipts totaling $2,180 and said that she received a text message from the landlord on June 27 which said that the
apartment had failed the inspection and said that he would contact her on July 1 to discuss the matter. The prospective tenant told Cavanaugh that Miacola refused to speak with her further saying that he would be out of the state until June 30 and she has not been able to speak with him since. Cavanaugh reports that when he attempted to call the owner he found his phone had been turned off. Det. Sgt. Stephen K. Dickinson started to look into the matter and on June 30 went the look for the owner at the house. The owner was not there but Dickinson found another hopeful tenant waiting to speak with Miacola. Dickinson said that the Holyoke woman told him that she and her and her mother had rented the apartment from Miacola and they had paid him a total of $1,860. She said she had been told on June 27, when she paid him the last installment of their initial payment, to contact him on June 30, after the apartment had been inspected, to get the key and a rental agreement. She told Dickinson that she had been waiting at the apartment for hours to meet him but he had not arrived. Dickinson advised her of the apparent scam that in progress and advised her to go to the station to report her experience and she complied. See Rental Scam, Page 5
By Dan Moriarty Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The City Council will open its first meeting of the 2015 Fiscal Year tonight as it prepares for summer recess after it deals with a number of lingering issues, such as the dissolution of the Westfield BID and two Fire Department labor contracts it has been asked to approve. Property owners with in the Business Improvement District petitioned the City Council to dissolve the organization because of a recent change in the state law establishing Business Improvement Districts within the Commonwealth which compels membership of businesses within the district. Many of the business and property owners seeking to dissolve the BID had made a decision to “opt out” when the BID was established in 2006. The original 1994 state law allowed businesses and property owners the option not to participate in the BID and exempted them from BID dues. See Fate of BID, Page 3
Schools tackle cyber policies By Peter Francis Staff Writer WESTFIELD – To an untrained eye, a gathering of the Westfield School Committee’s Policy Subcommittee may seem uneventful. For the past three years though, Diane Mayhew and Bill Duval have composed this small but vital component of the city’s School Committee, and have worked exhaustively to evaluate, reevaluate and bring to the full committee innumerable policies for the district. “Deciding whether the policies that are in place right now are still viable in today’s world,” said Mayhew, the subcommittee’s current chair, when asked of the most difficult aspect of the subcommittee’s job. “We use the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) as a reference guide for us. They have online policies and help, you can email them any time with questions about a policy.” Duval, who taught for 32 years in the Psychology Department at Westfield State University, has served on the subcommittee for the past five years, while See Cyber Policies, Page 3
Free autism seminar slated By Hope E. Tremblay Staff Writer WESTFIELD – Many parents of children – and adults themselves – with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) find themselves navigating insurance coverage and Individualized Education Plans (IEP) with little local support and numerous questions. Autism Speaks’ New England Chapter is reaching out to area families with a free Parent Advocacy Seminar July 21 at Genesis Center, 53 Mill St., at 7 p.m. A roundtable panel of local experts will address insurance coverage and changes in MassHealth, best practices for prepping for the IEP process, and other services such as occupational therapy, physical therapy, and Applied Behavior Analysis. Registration is free, but RSVP is required at http://bit.ly/1l3ZQig. Judith Ursitti, CPA, Autism Speaks’ director of state government affairs who works out of the Boston office, will be a featured speaker. Ursitti spends much of her time traveling the country urging legislators to improve healthcare for people with autism. “Navigating the healthcare maze for individuals on the spectrum is complicated at best,” said Ursitti. Ursitti said the seminar will provide an explanation about:
1) What sort of health insurance coverage you should expect, 2) What efforts are in place to improve existing coverage and 3) Where to find information and support. MassHealth will soon change, and Ursitti can expertly advise individuals with autism and parents of children with ASD. “Efforts are in place to strengthen Medicaid coverage for autism in Massachusetts,” she said. “We will discuss where we are in this process at the meeting.” Individuals with autism, their caregivers, parents, siblings, friends and providers are those Ursitti believes would benefit from the free program. Westfield’s Stanley Park is the site of the annual Western New England Walk Now For Autism Speaks, a fundraising and awareness walk that draws thousands. This year’s walk is Sept. 20 and teams have already begun fundraising efforts. For more information on the walk, or to form or join a team, visit www.walknowforautismspeaks.org/wne. A free kick-off walk event is set for July 24 at the Children’s Museum at Holyoke from 4:30-7:30 p.m. This exclusive, sensory-friendly evening, includes a light supper and the opportunity for families to explore the museum after hours and speak directly to walk committee members and Autism Speaks staff. RSVP for
Team Jesse James and the Outlaw Walkers will once again participate in the Western New England Walk Now For Autism Speaks. The walk is set for Sept. 20 at Stanley Park. Teams can register at www.walknowforautismspeaks.org/ wne. (Photo by Becca & Kat’s Photography) the kick-off at http://events.autismspeaks.org/WNEKO2014. Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that impairs an individual’s ability to communicate, form relationships with others and relate to their surroundings. Seventy-three percent of every dollar raised goes back to Autism Speaks’ mission, to change the future for all who struggle with ASD. In March the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its latest autism prevalence findings and reported that one in 68 children – including one in every 42 boys – is diagnosed with autism.