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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com SATURDAY, MARCH 19, 2016
VOL. 85 NO. 67
“The heaviest baggage for a traveler is an empty purse.”
— German proverb
75 cents
City Council moves through full agenda
New Westfield Superintendent to be chosen Thursday
SPRINGFIELD – Carando, the artisans of Classic Italian Meats, partnered with Big Y to donate more than 500 spiral sliced quarter hams to The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. The donation will feed more than 500 families in need, providing them with a ham to enjoy on Easter Sunday. Carando made the donation Friday at a Big Y grocery store in Springfield. Carando Regional Manager Patrick Favalo presented 504 hams, weighing over 6,000 pounds, to Sean Nimmons, district director of Big Y and Andrew Morehouse, executive director of The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. “Carando stands for quality and heritage, so it’s important that Carando continues its tradition of giving back to the community,” said Carando General Manager Dan Incaudo. “We are extremely humbled to be able to help so many families in need by providing 504 hams to an incredible organization like The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.” The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts distributes food
By AMY PORTER Correspondent WESTFIELD – The Westfield Historical Commission reported to the City Council Thursday on its current projects, including a selfguided interactive walking and biking tour that may be downloaded on a mobile phone, called “Whipping around Westfield.” At the meeting, Historical Commission chair Cindy Gaylord instructed the councilors to download and adjust the free “PocketSights” app on their phones, then type in “Whipping around Westfield.” The tour page begins with an introduction to the city and a map of the tour, which covers nine historic sites. The first stop is the Westfield Athenaeum. A longer history is given of the library (est. in 1830) and the building (1864), along with a note at the bottom which says in order to tour the Old Burying Ground (stop number 6), the key must be picked up at the reference desk. Stop number two is the Westfield Civil War Monument at Court Street and Park Square, erected in 1871. Number three is the General William Shepard Statue at Broad Street and Park Square, created by sculptor Augustus Lukeman in 1918 and dedicated on September 3, 1919. The First Congregational Church at 18 Broad Street is stop number four, which is the church’s fourth meeting house, the first built in 1673. The present church building was erected in 1860, with L. F. Thayer as architect and George Green as builder, although its steeple was replaced in 1962. The Knox Trail Marker on Main Street around the corner from The Tavern is stop number five. The information on the tour says this is number 8 of 26 markers in Massachusetts to commemorate General Henry Knox’s transport of artillery from Fort Ticonderoga to Cambridge.
By AMY PORTER Correspondent WESTFIELD – Following a briefing by Mayor Brian Sullivan on his communication items, the City Council approved a request to serve beer and wine at a block party on Saturday, May 21 following the Run Westfield 5k. Councilors also approved a state grant of $5,000 with no local matching funds to the Community Development Department for a Self-Assessment Tool (EDSAT) study. The mayor’s other communication items were referred to committees. Several of the items on the mayor’s agenda and also in reports of committees involved transfers for purchases of supplies. During his briefing, the mayor said he was looking into creating a central account for all supplies, an idea which several councilors endorsed. The appointments of William P. Gonet to the Airport Commission, Robert T. Goyette to the Planning Board, and Rene Laviolette to the Board of Registrars were referred to the Personnel Committee. A request for an appropriation of $289,000 from Free Cash to the Westfield Redevelopment Authority was held in committee. At Large City Councilor David Flaherty said he was concerned about using Free Cash for development. Other resources are being considered, including $400,000 that remained in the Senior Center building account. In his action items, the mayor had requested approval to re-appropriate the funds for the Little River Substation Renovation and Addition. That matter had also gone to sub-committee for study. A final vote was taken on a resolution for authorization to enter into an Inter-municipal agreement with the town of West Springfield for a Carbon Credit Development consulting Service Agreement. Ward 2 City Councilor Ralph Figy said the agreement was a revenue generating option for Westfield, at no cost to the city. The agreement was originally written to include Holyoke, but Ward 4 City Councilor Mary O’Connell said the city’s law department had issues with the way Holyoke had approved the agreement. As it currently stands, Westfield and West Springfield have an agreement, and West Springfield and Holyoke have an agreement, according to O’Connell. Ward 1 City Councilor Mary Ann Babinski said she had reservations about carbon credits. “If we get carbon credits and those carbon credits get sold to municipalities, buildings, etc. that don’t meet the standards,” she said, some of the communities that buy the credit get dumped on by carbon-producing businesses. “What are we getting credit for?” asked Flaherty. “Because we have a large amount of acreage growing trees,” O’Connell said. She said another municipality, possibly even in California or Arizona that doesn’t have this could buy carbon credits from Westfield. “It’s a whole industry that’s springing up,” she said. “We’re almost encouraging bad behavior,” Babinski said. “This is watershed property that will never be developed,” At-large City Councilor Daniel Knapik said. “For us, it wasn’t going to impact us because we weren’t going to develop.” He said the acreage has watershed protection. The agreement passed the Council with Babinski as the sole no vote.
See Donation, Page 7
See App, Page 7
See Council Agenda, Page 7
By AMY PORTER Correspondent WESTFIELD – School Committee Vice-Chair Ramon Diaz, Jr. announced Friday that the meeting to vote on the candidate to be the new Superintendent of Westfield Public Schools has been moved to Thursday at 6 p.m. in City Council chambers. The dates for the other public meetings remain the same. On Monday, a public forum will be held beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council chambers where each candidate will have an hour to make a public statement, answer questions, and to meet and greet those who are present. On Tuesday, the School Committee will interview each candidate for an hour in City Council chambers, beginning at 5:30 p.m. with 15-minute breaks in between. This meeting will be open to the public and televised live on Channel 15, and aired again beginning at noon on Wednesday. The selection will then be made on Thursday. Finalists for See Superintendent, Page 7
WESTFIELD FIRE DEPT. PARAMEDICS
Drug related medical calls WESTFIELD — From Friday, March 11 to Friday, March 18, the Westfield Fire Dept paramedics responded to the following drug related medical calls: 1 PATIENT GIVEN NARCAN 2 POSSIBLE OVERDOSES
Carando and Big Y donate to food bank
POCKET TOUR APP
Whipping around Westfield – a selfguided walking and biking app touted
Shortstop Bar & Grill gives $5K donation to Westfield Fire Dept. The $5,000 donation will assist in the purchase of a new search and rescue watercraft WESTFIELD — Shortstop Bar & Grill owners, Julie & Monica Hannoush, presented Westfield’s Fire Chief, Mary Regan, with a check for $5,000 this afternoon to assist in the purchase of a Sea-Doo SAR, a search and rescue watercraft. The Sea-Doo SAR is the ideal
search and rescue watercraft as it will allow the rescue squad to enter shallow waters and areas that are not so easily accessible with their current watercrafts. The Sea-Doo SAR will have a stretcher attachment that will aid in the assistance of rescuing victims. “It will allow us to get in there, get the victim, and get them out,” said Chief Regan. Head Chef Monica said, “It’s great to be a part of the community as a restaurant, but we are so glad to be able to make a difference to the
Westfield Fire Department, who do not get as much recognition and assistance as they deserve.” The Shortstop Bar & Grill opened in December 2014 and has made it their mission to give as much back to the community as possible. Julie & Nabil Hannoush, along with their daughter Monica, who serves as Shortstop’s Head Chef, have donated $250,000 over the past three years to the Westfield Senior Center, Westfield State University, Westfield Little League, and many other different organizations and charities.