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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2015
VOL. 84 NO. 216
MATTHEW LONG
Man gets probation after multi-car crash By CHRISTINE CHARNOSKY Staff Writer WESTFIELD – A drunk driver who caused a four-collision crash on August 15 has already had his case resolved in court. Matthew W. Long of West Springfield appeared in Westfield District Court on Monday and received one year probation, was ordered to pay $65 per month while on probation, fined $600, lost his license for 45 days and was ordered to complete a drug/alcohol education program. Long’s charges of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of liquor were continued without finding, or CWOF (pronounced “quaff”), which means a defendant admits that the prosecutor has enough evidence against him/her, but agrees to probation without pleading guilty. Long, 41, was also found responsible for signal/sign/markings violation on a state highway, found not responsible for possessing an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle and had charges of negligent operation of a motor vehicle dismissed. Shortly before 9 p.m., Saturday night, August 15, Long rear-ended a 1998 Jeep Cherokee driven by Mark Sadler. A story that appeared in The Westfield News on August 19 stated that Barbara Sadler was the driver, information obtained from an erroneous police report that had See Crash, Page 8
Town Conservation Commissioner sought
from the Westfield Regional Animal Shelter)
— Ingrid Bergman
North Elm improvement work initiated
See Resident, Page 8
Ron Zebrowski's dog Coco, who he was able to save during the fire. (Facebook photo used by permission
worships the original.”
75 cents
New city resident accepting donations after apartment fire By CHRISTINE CHARNOSKY Staff Writer WESTFIELD – A disabled veteran, who lost everything in a fire and was injured saving his pets, is accepting donations until his insurance money comes in. Ron Zebrowski survived a fire that broke out in the basement below the bedroom of his School Street apartment in Chicopee during the early morning hours of August 12. Zebrowski, 60, was able to rescue Coco, a dog he had adopted from the Westfield Regional Animal Shelter only a few weeks before the fire, but he had trouble finding his 12-year-old cat, Peachy. “The smoke was so thick I could barely see,” he said. “When I found Peachy, he was foaming at the mouth.” Zebrowski, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps. from 1973 to 1977, ended up in the emergency room and was treated for smoke inhalation. His pets were fine, but he lost everything. “If you’re renting, get renters’ insurance,” Zebrowski said. “Anything can happen any time, any day.” Zebrowski was housed in the Red Roof Inn in West Springfield, which the American Red Cross covered for three days and then his insurance kicked in. He was panicking, though, because the insurance money to cover the motel bill was running out. Luckily, he said he found an apartment in Westfield, a city he fell in love with after visiting Coco in the shelter for several weeks while Coco was being treated for infections and getting ready to be adopted. Zebrowski, who was able to sign a lease on Friday, said, “I am extremely blessed and fortunate that I can move right in.” He said he scraped all the money he had together
“Be yourself. The world
By HOPE E. TREMBLAY Staff Writer SOUTHWICK – The Town of Southwick is seeking a full member of the Conservation Commission. The volunteer would fill a vacancy up for reappointment in 2016. Duties of the Conservation Commission include attendance at meetings and administering the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act. A letter of interest and resume must be submitted to the Board of Selectmen by Sept. 10 by close of business. Once letters are received, they are forwarded to the commission, which makes a recommendation to the Southwick Board of Selectmen. The Board makes decision in conjunction with the Commission. The Conservation Office personnel consists of part-time Coordinator Dennis Clark, who holds an annually appointed position by the Board of Selectmen. The commission is comprised of seven members who are appointed by the Board of Selectmen for a three-year term
to oversee the requirements of the Massachusetts Wetland Protection Act, and other activities that potentially impact the environment. The Southwick Conservation Commission’s mission is to serve as the conservation conscience of the town, providing leadership for natural resources planning. The commission works to protect, and where possible enhance plant and wildlife habitat to maintain Southwick’s natural resources. The commission, governed by Open Meeting Law, meets on the first and third Monday of each month in the second floor Land Use Meeting Room of the Town Hall. The Commission, together with the Mass Department of Environmental Protection, reviews applications for work to be undertaken in or near a wetland. The commission is entrusted with the application of the Wetland Protection Act, the Rivers Protection Act, CMR Wetlands Regulations, Storm Water Management Policy and Southwick Local Wetlands Bylaws.
Police: Alleged drunk driver travels off road, into stream By CHRISTINE CHARNOSKY Staff Writer WESTFIELD – An alleged drunk driver nearly ran a car off the road before crashing his vehicle and landing in a stream. According to police, Stephen M. Galvin, 49, first rear-ended Ronald Baldwin’s 2007 Dodge Dakota near 507 Southampton Road. Baldwin phoned police shortly before 10 p.m. Thursday night to say that a 2002 Ford was behind him on Southampton Road, struck his vehicle and continued to pass him on the right, using the shoulder of the roadway. Next, Baldwin said he witnessed Galvin turn left onto Egleston Road, and run off the roadway near 60 Egleston Road into Arm Brook. Police received additional calls from residents of Egleston Road telling police that the driver was attempting to flee the scene. Galvin was apprehended and he admitted to driving the Ford. He was identified by his MA Commercial Driver’s License and by Baldwin. Timothy Fanion, the Westfield Police officer on the scene, observed Galvin had “glossy blood shot eyes, slurred speech, unsteadiness on his feet and a strong odor of alcoholic beverage emitting from his breath,” according to court records. Galvin agreed to a field sobriety test, which he failed. Police had to employ a crane to get Galvin’s vehicle out of the stream. Also police notified the Department of Public See Off Road, Page 8
The area of Egleston Road where Stephen Galvin ran off the roadway before being arrested for OUI. (Photo by Christine Charnosky)
By DAN MORIARTY Staff Writer WESTFIELD – Work to relieve traffic congestion and street flooding at the intersection of North Elm and Notre Dame streets is finally underway after a number of legal issues delayed the start of construction. City Engineer Mark Cressotti said that the $4.4 million project to widen the roadway and add dedicated left turn lanes, was expected to start earlier this summer, but that it was delayed because of issues with securing legal access to property and with the financing. The project is being funded through a $10 million bond approved by the City Council several years ago and used to correct drainage problems and repave Arch Road. The city attempted to sell more of that bond to finance the North Elm Street improvements, but the bond companies balked because that intersection was not specifically include in the scope of work to be completed with the bond money. The City Council voted earlier this summer to modify the language of the bond, adding the North Elm Street, Notre Dame Street improvement to the bond package. Cressotti said that the contractor, Baltazar Construction of Ludlow, has also changed the sequence of work. Initially the city notified residents that the contractor would begin the project working at night. Cressotti said that See North Elm, Page 8
Gateway School Committee eliminates Finance Sub-Committee By AMY PORTER Correspondent MIDDLEFIELD – At Wednesday’s School Committee meeting held in the Middlefield Town Hall, Chair Michele Crane of Blandford said only one person, Ruth Kennedy of Russell, had signed up for the Finance SubCommittee. Long-time member Shirley Winer of Chester asked if the Finance Sub-Committee was really necessary, and whether the whole School Committee should discuss the issues. Winer followed with a motion to disband the sub-committee. During the discussion, Kennedy said that an example of not having an active Finance Sub-Committee is not having held a vote on the budget. A special School Committee meeting that had been scheduled for July 22 to vote on a new budget was cancelled due to the anticipated lack of a quorum. This lack of a vote was criticized at the meeting by town members in attendance. “In a meeting like this, we do not have the time to concentrate,” Kennedy said. “We need a few people to really delve into it.” “I agree with Shirley (Winer) that the duplication of effort is not good,” Ron Damon of Huntington said. “I’d rather have the School Committee have extra meetings at budget time.” “The other part of my point is that the discussions that the Finance Sub-Committee has leave out the other School Committee members,” Winer said. “We need to have those discussions with the whole committee.” See Gateway, Page 8
BREAKING NEWS! Inserted in today’s The Westfield News “Voice of Experience” announces the New Senior Center opening!