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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
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“What experience and history teach is this: that people and governments have never learned anything from history.” — GEORG WILHELM FRIEDRICH HEGEL
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MONDAY, MAY 2, 2016
VOL. 85 NO. 104
Detectives seek public’s help with 35-year-old mystery By LORI SZEPELAK Correspondent Massachusetts residents are being asked to help the Miami County Sheriff’s Office in Ohio solve a 35-year-old mystery, according to officials with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. “The pollen identified on the Jane Doe’s clothing was dominated by oak pollen with some spruce and hemlock pollen,” said Carol Schweitzer, senior forensic case specialist, Forensic Services Unit, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), in an email interview with the Westfield News on Friday afternoon. Schweitzer noted that all of these pollens are “commonly found” in forested areas in the northeast United States and along the Appalachian mountains. “This covers a very broad region so we are trying to get this female’s image and story out to a wide audience hoping we can reach her family and friends that have been missing her for 35 years,” said Schweitzer. “We also have to realize that 35 years is a long time ago and people might have moved so again, we want to reach a wide audience in hopes of finding her friends and family.” Dave Duchak, Chief Deputy with the Miami County Sheriff’s Office, released a media statement this week with specific details about the case. Both the Miami County Sheriff’s Office and the NCMEC are working collaboratively to help solve the mystery surrounding the young woman.
JANE DOE IN PIGTAILS
JANE DOE WITH HAIR DOWN “An unidentified female homicide victim was found 35 years ago on April 24, 1981, in Miami County, Ohio,” said Duchak. “She was found in a ditch along Greenlee Road located west of Troy, Ohio.” Duchak noted that Jane Doe had been deceased less than two days before she was found. She was estimated to be in her late teens to early twenties, approximately 5’6” and 125 pounds, and had long reddish-brown hair that was styled in two side braids and a part down the middle. “The female appears Caucasian,” said Duchak. “She had a ruddy complexion with freckles on her face. The female had several scars; one beneath her chin, one on her left arm, two on her left wrist, right hand, right ankle, and right foot.” Duchak said the female had also been treated by a dentist as her top right central incisor had a porcelain-metal crown. “The female was found clothed wearing bell bottom blue jeans, a brown turtleneck sweater with an orange crisscross design on the front, and a handmade tan buckskin pull-over jacket with leather fringe around the seams with a deep purple lining,” said Duchak. In February, Miami County Sheriff’s detectives working with the NCMEC provided forensic scientists with case information on Jane Doe, who then conducted a facial reconstruction with new technology and additional lab testing on the clothing. Detectives sent the clothing recovered from Jane Doe to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection,
Rick Barry, Diana McClean, Natalie Matthew, Jennifer Gruszka (Rotary President), Kate Daley (APCM Executive Director) Chuck Kelly, Mike Roundy, Wil Rodriguez surrounded by the children from the museum. (Photo by Lynn Boscher)
Rotary Club helps children’s museum WESTFIELD – Children of all ages will be able to enjoy movies al fresco – or inside – once the Amelia Park Children’s Museum starts to utilize the outdoor movie system the Rotary Club of Westfield gave them recently. Lynn Boscher, the club’s project chairman, said that he had learned that the supporters of the children’s museum were looking into getting a system to allow them to present outdoor movie nights and said “It seemed like something we (the Rotarians) could do for them.” Boscher presented the idea to the club where it met widespread support and went on to research what would be needed. What he found was that the museum staff would need not only a screen but also a projector which could project DVD movies and a sound system. All three components were recently delivered to the museum. The screen that the club bought, Boscher said, is mounted on an inflatable base for use outside but he said that it can be removed to hang on a wall if it is used inside. Chuck Kelly, a member of the museum’s board of directors said “We have a tentative date set up in May for an outdoor movie, outside at the children’s museum” for the first movie and said that the actual date, and the movie title, will be announced on the museum’s website (www.ameliaparkmuseum.org) and on its Facebook page. Kelly said that the system will be available for use by other “nonprofits in the area that do a lot for the kids.” He said “there’s a lot of cross-pollination of volunteers so we won’t have a problem working together” and went on to say “we’re hoping that it will be strong enough to have a movie on the Green.” The purchase of the movie equipment was funded, in part, by the proceeds of last year’s Food Fest on Elm Street. Eric Forish, the club’s project chairman for that event, said that the 2016 Food Fest, on Aug. 26-28, will again be on Elm Street. He said that18 food vendors and at least six other participants have committed to the event which will feature continuous live music and “lots of family entertainment” throughout the event. Forish said the city’s support of the event is crucial for the project. “This couldn’t happen without the full support of all the city departments, the mayor and the City Council” he said. Rotary president Jennifer Gruszka added “While we appreciate the help we get from all the city departments we are especially thankful for the city police.” She said “The
Rick Barry, Diana McClean, Natalie Matthew, Jennifer Gruszka (Rotary President), Kate Daley (APCM Executive Director) Chuck Kelly, Mike Roundy, Wil Rodriguez surrounded by the children from the museum. (Photo by Lynn Boscher)
Westfield Police officers, both the leadership and the rank and file, have consistently stepped up to help the Rotary Club with our projects and have been vital to our successes” she said. The Rotary Club of Westfield is a part of an international service organization dedicated to service – locally, nationally and internationally. The mission of Rotary International is to provide service to others, promote integrity and advance world understanding, goodwill and peace through its fellowship of business, professional and community leaders. The local club meets at noon on Monday’s at the Genesis Spiritual Life Center on Mill Street. Visiting Rotarians and other guests are always welcome. Prospective members or persons otherwise interested in the club may visit www.westfieldrotary.org or contact Gruszka at jennifergruszka45@gmail.com for more information.
See Jane Doe, Page 3
Bark for Life event held at Stanley Park Sunday
Pollen was recently tested on clothing worn by Jane Doe who was found in a ditch in Ohio on April 24, 1981.
WESTFIELD (WWLP) – Western Massachusetts cancer survivors expressed their appreciation on Sunday to their pets, who often provide much needed peace of mind, when Bark for Life day was held at Westfield’s Stanley Park. Survivors and their pets strolled through the park symbolizing the bond between them. The event also served as a fundraiser for the American Cancer society. Participation wasn’t limited to the survivors themselves. “A friend of mine is a blood cancer survivor, and so we’re walking for him and we’re also part of a survivor journey, which is a nonprofit that’s basically a support group for cancer survivors and caregivers,” one participant said. Westfield News media partner 22News was proud to show its support for this event. 22News reporter Ashley Afonso served as master of ceremonies.
MAY 3
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