Search for The Westfield News
WEATHER TONIGHT
The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
Mostly clear. Low of 20.
temper with the press or the public is a major rule of political life.” — DAME CHRISTABEL PANKHURST
www.thewestfieldnews.com MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015
VOL. 84 NO. 062
“Never lose your
75 cents
City council reduces Tell Tool’s tax break
Cynthia Neary, president of CSF Westfield Dollars for Scholars of Westfield, introduces members of the Board of Directors and Officers, during a scholarship presentation at Westfield Middle School South in 2013. (File photo by Frederick Gore)
CSF Dollars for Scholars hosting shredding fundraiser By PETER FRANCIS Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The Citizen Scholarship Foundation’s Westfield chapter of the Dollars for Scholars organization will be holding their annual paper shredding fundraiser on Saturday, April 18, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. in the South Middle School parking lot at 30 West Silver Street. They will try to eclipse last year’s fundraising total of over $1,000 and continue striving toward the mission of expanding access to undergraduate higher education for resident students of Westfield by raising funds and distributing these funds on a fair and nondiscriminatory basis. For $5, participants may bring up to two boxes of documents for shredding, although items such as three-ring binders, batteries, electronics, large binder clips, vinyl, plastics, or x-rays are not acceptable for shredding. CSF Board President Cynthia Neary said that the organization
is still accepting applications and has received over 300 so far. “We are in the midst of fundraising still. Last year we gave about $119,000 to 135 kids and we’re hoping to do even better this year,” said Neary. “Assuming the kids complete their applications fully, this should be a record year for us.” Neary said that the CSF shredding fundraiser has averaged about $1,000 a year since it began. As to why the organization isn’t referred to as simply “Dollars for Scholars”, Neary said that older chapters of the Citizens Scholarship Foundation often retain the CSF title. “For us, as one of the oldest Dollars for Scholars chapters in the US – there are over 800 – we wanted to pay homage to our history as CSF and incorporate Dollars for Scholars as a tribute to our history,” she said, adding that neighboring and nearby communities such as Southwick,
Granville, Easthampton and Northampton all have chapters, as well. “Dollars for Scholars originated in Fall River, so Massachusetts has one of the highest numbers of chapters in the country,” said Neary. According to CSF Westfield Publicity Chair Laurie Lombardini, Valley Green Shredding of Westfield will be donating equipment for the event so that all proceeds will fund scholarships for Westfield students. “Last year we raised around $1,200 at the event,” she said, adding that the event is now in the fourth year of operation. “Scholarships are given to students based on their grades and volunteer work in the community.” The retired Lombardini, who worked as a secretary in the city’s public school system, said that the organization benefitted both of her children during their
school days and that was what made her want to get involved. “Over 52 years, Dollars for Scholars has given out 5,744 scholarships to Westfield students and raised over $2,916,615,” she said, adding that scholarships range between $500 to $1,000 apiece. “About 98 percent of the money that’s raised goes to the students because we have very little overhead,” said Neary, stating that the organization is completely volunteer run. “You’ll get calls from various charities and the person on the phone will say ‘I’m a paid fundraiser.’ But that’s not us – never has been the case, never will be the case with Dollars for Scholars.” Any community members interested in joining or donating to the organization can visit their website at csfwestfield.dollarsforscholars.org or contact them via phone at (413) 568-2103, by email at csfwestfieldma@gmail. org.
Big E VP to retire
By DAN MORIARTY Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The City Council voted last week to restructure a tax incentive financing (TIF) package it approved last fall for a city manufacturing company seeking to expand. The new agreement will reduce both the proposed expansion of Tell Tool, located at 35 Turnpike Industrial Road, and the tax reduction, but will not reduce the creation of 17 new positions proposed under the original package approved in November. The Finance JOE MITCHELL Committee recommended that the council approve the revised TIF following a presentation by City Advancement Officer Joe Mitchell. “You can’t afford not to vote yes on this one,” Mitchell said in his opening comment. “Last November the City Council approved the Tell Tooll TIF based upon the plan to add 34,000-square-feet and invest $3 million, while creating 17 new jobs.” “The plan has been modified, so now they will add 10,000-square-feet to their facility, and instead of costing the city $76,000, it will now cost the city $33,800 for the package, so the city saves $43,000 over the five-year TIF period,” Mitchell said. “This expansion will be a $390,000 increase in the property value rather than the $900,000 originally proposed.” The TIF does not provide the company with a tax break for the existing facility, and applies only to the proposed addition of the facility. The company, under provisions of the TIF, will still add 17 new jobs to its current workforce of 100 employees. The five-year TIF was requested by Tell Tool, Inc., a supplier of precision machined components for the aerospace industry which was founded in 1976 by Paul Drewski and William Weber, to facilitate construction of the plant addition to support a 15-year contract with a customer (Hamilton SundStrand, a division of UTC Aerospace). The City Council voted 10-1 to approve the revised TIF package with only At-large See TIF, Page 3
104th night flying returns to Barnes
WEST SPRINGFIELD – Eastern States Exposition (ESE) Vice President Sue Lavoie has announced her retirement, capping a 49-year career with the West Springfield organization. She joined the staff of ESE in June, 1966, and has held a number of positions, culminating in her appointment of Vice President in 1986. “Sue’s list of accomplishments at ESE and in life is long and honorable,” ESE President and CEO, Eugene J. Cassidy, said. “She is an impressive woman who worked hard to guide and mold our organization into the fifth largest fair in North America and one of the top ten economic engines in western Massachusetts.” She oversees the sales department, which is responsible for selling of all commercial exhibit space for The Big E, obtaining sponsorships and booking the facility for year-round events, which number in excess of 100. Sue also serves as liaison to the Exposition’s Avenue of States, working closely with the six New England state governments which own and operate the buildings. “I remember the Exposition with dirt roads and old buildings and have seen this organization grow and change with numerous new structures and a thriving year-round show business,” Lavoie said. “I am proud See Lavoie, Page 3 (FILE PHOTO BY CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER FREDERICK GORE)
WESTFIELD – The 104th Fighter Wing at Barnes Air National Guard Base is scheduled to conduct evening training flights for two weeks, March 10-12 and March 16-19. The evening missions will launch from Barnes-Westfield Regional Airport in Westfield between 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., with expected landings between 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. “We do not want to alarm the residence around the local area of Westfield who may be startled by the increase in aircraft activity during the evening hours,” the 104th Fighter Wing stated in a media advisory released Sunday. “The evening missions are a critical part of our required reoccurring training. The night-training is required to ensure our pilots are ready to respond to any airborne threat in the northeastern United States, at any time, in any condition.” “With our 24/7 alert posture, our Airmen could respond to an airborne threat at any time protecting one quarter of the nation’s population and one third of the its gross domestic product,” the release stated. “We often do not have the luxury of advance notice, however, when we can prepare for training missions such as these, we will try to share as much information as we can. Thank you for your continued support.” The 104th Fighter Wing is equipped with the F-15 Eagle. One mission of the 104th is Aerospace Control Alert (ACA), providing armed fighters ready to scramble in a moment’s notice to protect the Northeast from any airborne threat.
Fatal crash on Mass Pike in Warren blocks all traffic
SUE LAVOIE
WARREN, Mass. (AP) — State police say one person has been killed and another seriously injured in a crash on the Massachusetts Turnpike that forced the shutdown of all lanes in both directions. The crash in the westbound lanes in Warren between a passenger car and a tractor-trailer was reported at about 8:40 a.m. Monday. The preliminary investigation indicates the tractor-trailer and the other vehicle made contact. The impact caused the tractor-trailer to cross the median into the eastbound travel lanes, where it came to rest blocking traffic. An occupant from the passenger vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene. The tractor-trailer driver was trapped in the vehicle's cab and had to be extricated by firefighters. No names were released.