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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com
“I don’t comment. I record.” — Henri de ToulouseLautrec
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014
VOL. 83 NO. 275
75 cents
Reckless boys injured By Carl E. Hartdegen Staff Writer WESTFIELD – Two students were injured Friday afternoon when they darted between two parked school buses at Westfield Vocational-Technical High School into the path of a pickup truck on Smith Avenue. Multiple callers reported at 1:53 p.m. that two boys had been struck at the school and Officer Kerry Paton arrived at the same time as a Fire Department ambulance. One of the boys suffered injuries to his leg and was transported to Baystate Medical Center where a spokesperson said no infor-
mation about his condition was available due to his age. However, Lt. Lawrence Valliere, the commander of the Traffic and Safety Bureau at the Westfield Police Department, said later that “his left leg was broken in two places and he’s got a concussion.” The boy’s right ankle was reportedly sprained The other boy was reportedly transported to Noble Hospital by a family member. He was treated and released. Patron reports that the operator of the Chevrolet K1500 pickup truck, an East Otis resident, said the boys ran into his path and he was unable to avoid a collision.
A motorist following the pickup truck supported his account of the accident and said that the ‘no passing’ lights on the bus were not flashing at the time of the accident. Capt. Michael McCabe said that the boys “got out of school two minutes early” and ran out of the school. He said that, as they ran between the buses, the boys vaulted the safety arm which is deployed in front of the parked bus when it is stopped. McCabe also said that the drivers do not activate the ‘no passing’ lights on their buses until they are boarding or discharging passengers.
School explores name change By Peter Francis Staff Writer WESTFIELD – Westfield Vocational Technical High School, which began as the Westfield Trade School, may soon go by the name Westfield Technical Academy to highlight a changing curricula of programs. WVTHS Principal Stefan Czaporowski said that the name change is merely a proposal at this time. “We had a SWOT analysis done by a local company,” he said, referencing the acronym for ‘strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.’ “One of the recommendations that came out of it was that a name change may benefit the perception of the school.” Czaporowski explained that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts used to refer to schools like WVTHS as “career, vocational and technical education”, but has discontinued using the term “vocational” and is now referring to See WVTHS, Page 8
This photo shows a safety arm which is deployed in front of a parked school bus. (Photo by Wikipedia. org)
Council gives thumbs up to Tell Tool tax break Paul B’Shara, right, of the B’Shara Deli in Southwick, inquired about obtaining a BYOB permit with Southwick Selectmen Russell S. Fox, and Joseph J. Deedy, and Chief Administrative Officer Karl J. Stinehart, background, during Monday night’s meeting at the Southwick Town Hall. Fox and Deedy agreed to continue the discussion when all board members are present. Tracy L. Cesan was again absent from the meeting. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
Town board tables BYOB request By Hope E. Tremblay Staff Writer SOUTHWICK – A new restaurant owner met with the Board of Selectmen last week to inquire about the town’s BYOB – Bring Your Own Bottle – policy. He said he hoped to be able to allow customers to BYOB at the deli. “I’d like them to be able to have a beer with their corned beef sandwich, or a glass of wine,” he said. Selectmen Chairman Russell Fox said the town currently has no BYOB policy and no establishments that offer BYOB. He also said he was not likely to be favorable on the subject when it came to a vote. “My gut reaction is I probably wouldn’t be in favor of this,” said Fox. “We have taken a position months ago that the [alcohol] needs of the town are being served.”
Selectman Joseph Deedy agreed and said he would also not support a liquor license application for the deli. “We’re not fans of adding to the liquor licenses,” said Deedy. The selectmen also said the town is being sued by Ocean State Job Lot because the board denied its request for a liquor license last spring. The deli owner said he hoped to “enhance business” with the BYOB option and at this time probably would not consider applying for a license to serve. He told the board his staff were “all well seasoned in serving alcohol” and he believed offering a BYOB option would help make the business a success. Selectwoman Tracy Cesan was absent Monday and Fox and Deedy agreed they wanted the full board present in order to take a vote on the matter.
By Dan Moriarty Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The City Council approved a fiveyear tax incentive financing (TIF) package which will facilitate construction of an addition and creation of 17 new jobs at a local manufacturing company. The five-year TIF was requested by Tell Tool, Inc. which was founded in 1976 by Paul Drewski and William Weber, to facilitate construction of a 35,000-square-foot addition to the plant located at 35 Turnpike Industrial Road. The company, under provisions of the TIF, will add 17 new jobs to its current workforce of 100 employees. At-large Councilor James R. Adams, a member of the council’s Legislative & Ordinance Committee (L&O) presented the package for discussion Thursday night. “This is a TIF, not an STA (Special Tax Assessment),” Adams emphasized. “They will continue to pay the full tax on the existing building; this TIF is only for the 35,000-sqaure-foot addition.” Adams made that distinction because the TIF only provides tax relief on new construction while the STA extends tax relief to the entire existing facility and equipment, which is taxed as personal property. See Tell Tool, Page 7
Allied health students seek funds for NYC trip By Peter Francis Staff Writer WESTFIELD – Students in the allied health program at Westfield VocationalTechnical High School (WVTHS) will be wrapping presents – and collecting donations for their efforts – at The Bon-Ton on East Main Street on Black Friday. The students are hoping to raise enough to travel to New York City in the spring and will also be at the store the following four Saturdays until Christmas, wrapping presents from 8 a.m to 5 p.m each day. “We are going to visit the reflection pool outside of the 9/11 Memorial, as well as the 9/11 Museum,” said Maureen Baillargeon, who has been an instructor in allied health at the school for 13 years. “Many firstresponders passed away during that event and our students have done some shadowing and interning with the Westfield Fire Department. We also have a medical reserve corps here.” Allied health is a certified nurse training program which has a 100 percent graduation rate, according to Baillargeon, adding that there have been WVTHS students who have gone on to take the Emergency Medical Technician course at Westfield State
University. In addition to visiting the site of the former World Trade Center, Baillargeon said her students will also be visiting Ellis Island. With a student body composed largely of children of Russian, Ukrainian and Moldovian descent, Baillargeon said she expects many of the first-generation Americans in her shop to be floored by the experience. “How the immigrants came in, going through a six-second medical exam for pink eye… the signing of the book, seeing generation after generation of people,” she said. “I think they’ll be fascinated.” Baillargeon said that there are usually 48 students in the allied health shop spread out between four grades and that she anticipates that many attending the trip. “We don’t have our freshmen yet, but the trip isn’t planned until the first week in May,” she said, adding that a full load of freshmen is usually 12 students. Last year, the students took a bus trip to Boston’s Prudential Center, a trip which also included one of the city’s famed duck tours, among other activities. See Allied Health, Page 8
Students in the allied health program at Westfield Vocational-Technical High School (WVTHS) are hoping to raise enough to travel to New York City in the spring. (AP Photo)