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VOL. 86 NO. 151
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Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com www.thewestfieldnews.com TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017
BOSTON – State Senator Don Humason (R-Westfield) has been appointed to the Senate’s newly-created Special Senate Task Force on the Local Retail Sector of the Commonwealth by Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester). “This task force represents a great opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of a rapidly changing and vitally important sector of both our state and local economies,” said S e n a t o r Humason. “As a long-time supSEN. DON porter of policies HUMASON that would help strengthen our retail economy, I look forward to digging into how we, as a state, can support local retailer’s efforts to grow and compete in our expanding, 21st century marketplace.” Earlier this year, the Senate approved a measure to create a 17-member task force that will review and report on efforts to strengthen the local retail sector in the Commonwealth. Joining Senator Humason on the panel will be Senator Michael Rodrigues (D – Freeport), who will chair the task force, and Senators Vinny deMacedo (R – Plymouth), Kathleen O’Connor Ives (D – Newburyport), Michael Barrett (D – Lexington), Jason Lewis (D – Melrose), and Julian Cyr (D – Truro). The retailers appointed by Senate President Rosenberg are Judy Herrell, owner of Herrell’s Ice Cream in Northampton, Peter Kavanaugh of La-ZBoy Furniture Galleries in Dartmouth, Barry S. Rotman, Board Chair of Rotman’s Furniture in Worcester, and Malcolm Sherman, a retail consultant with expertise in turning around struggling businesses. The retailers appointed by Senate Minority Leader Tarr are Christopher Carlozzi, State Director of See Sen. Humason, Page 3
JOSEPH G. CLENDENIN (Photo courtesy Westfield Police Dept.)
Sex Offender Notification WESTFIELD – The Westfield police Dept. has released the following sex offender notification. Joseph G. Clendenin, a 6’1″ tall white male with brown hair weighing 170 lbs and born in 1989 has been classified as a Level 2 or Level 3 sex offender by the Sex Offender Registry Board. The Board has determined that this individual has a moderate or high risk to reoffend and that the degree of dangerousness posed to the public is such that public safety interest is served by public availability of registration information. M.G.L. c. 6, §§ 178C-178Q. Clendenin has a registered address of Sherman St. in Westfield. To access the Sex Offender Registry Board’s website, go to www.mass.gov/ sorb
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criTic wiThouT JOHN STEINBECK madness of wisdom .” ambiTion.” — BERGEN EVANS JOHN STEINBECK
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TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017 SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2017
Sen. Humason appointed to Senate’s Retail Task Force
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East Main Street roadwork to impact drivers
DeGray’s Service Station on Meadow Street in Westfield. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Auto inspection changes won’t affect motorists By AMY PORTER Correspondent WESTFIELD – Rumors abound about the impending changes in vehicle inspection set to go into effect October 1. According to inspection service stations, the changes won’t be affecting the motorist. “Everybody seems to be freaking out about the new system, but it doesn’t affect them at all,” said Nino Bruno, inspector at DeGray’s Service on Meadow Street in Westfield. Bruno said all of the laws and regulations are the same, as is the price, $35 for an inspection. Bruno said that every eight to ten
years, Massachusetts switches contractors, which is what has happened here. With a new contractor, comes a new system, he said. He said the new equipment has arrived, but inspectors aren’t allowed to touch it until the new contractors come to set it up. According to Judith Riley of the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, the state is in the process of transitioning between contracted vendors to install and maintain the vehicle inspection network. The RMV licenses all vehicle inspectors and inspection stations. The equipment that is used by See Inspections, Page 7
German exchange students come to Westfield High School By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD—German exchange students have arrived at Westfield High School this week to experience their own bit of American and western Massachusetts culture and education— including the Big E. The students are part of the German American Partnership Program (GAPP), a student-exchange program that allows pupils from Germany to visit Westfield and students from Westfield to visit Germany for threeand-a-half weeks. The program began in Westfield High School in 1982, and
WESTFIELD – The City of Westfield announced on Friday that road construction is scheduled to start on Monday September 18 on East Main Street (Route 20) between Delmont Avenue and Ascutney Avenue. The construction includes the installation of new sanitary sewers and a water service for the new McDonald’s restaurant that is being constructed. The work will require lane closures in both directions and potential detours that could cause significant traffic delays in the area. Motorists are encouraged to seek alternative routes. The work is expected to take approximately one week to complete. Further updates will be provided as they become available. Further inquiries may be directed to the City of Westfield Engineering Department, (413) 572-6219.
currently the high school partners with Europa Gymnasium, an advanced high school in Woerth-am-Rhein, Germany. “I heard the Big E is a big deal here, and lots of fishing. I want to do bass fishing,” one student from Europa Gymnasium said. The students were greeted yesterday to the school with a breakfast provided by culinary arts teacher Margaret Toomey and her students, which included French toast sticks, pancakes, omelets and fruit. In addition to breakfast, Westfield Mayor Brian Sullivan
Candidates for At-large Westfield City Council are seen in a previous Candidate Forum held at the Westfield VocationalTechnical High School auditorium. (WNG file photo)
Candidate forum schedule set
WESTFIELD – Since 2011 The Westfield News has partnered with The Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce to present Candidate Forums to voters of the City. These are not debates as you may be familiar but forums where each candidate will be allowed opening and closing remarks and in between they will be asked questions by a moderator and allowed a set time limit for answer. The schedule of this year’s forums is as follows: City Council candidates for Ward 3 will be at 630pm on Monday Oct 23rd
See Exchange Students, Page 7
City Council candidates for Ward 4 will be at 730pm on Monday Oct 23rd
Update on MassDOT Westfield Bridge Repairs
City Council candidates for Ward 5 will be at 630pm on Thursday Oct 26th
WESTFIELD – Mass DOT LogoHere is the latest update on bridge repairs in regards to Massachusetts Turnpike, I-90 from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
Candidates for school committee will be at 730pm on Thursday Oct 26th
• West Road over Turnpike: Substantially complete. Milling, paving, and other minor work remains for Spring 2018. • Montgomery Road over Turnpike: Substantially complete. Milling, paving, and other minor work remains for Spring 2018. • Turnpike over Pioneer Valley Railroad: Pouring walls, parapets. Grinding bridge membrane and sounding bridge. Paving in September 2017. Anticipated completion in 2018. • Turnpike over Lockhouse Road: Pouring walls, parapets. Grinding bridge membrane and sounding bridge. Paving in September 2017. Anticipated completion in 2018. • Turnpike Interchange (Exit 3): Bridge pavement removed. Contractor will repair in 4-foot sections. Paving in September 2017. Anticipated completion before Winter 2017. • Southampton Road over Turnpike: Bridge pavement removed. Paving in September 2017. Anticipated completion before Winter 2017.
Candidates for At Large City Council will be at 630pm on Monday Oct 30th All of this year’s forums will be held at the Westfield Senior Center on Noble St. and each evening the doors will open at 6pm for candidate meet-and-greet with the formal portion of the evening starting at 630pm. In addition to the above-mentioned formal candidate forums for contested seats, on Wednesday Nov 1st there will be an informal forum for City Councilors from Wards 1, 2 and 6 as well as Mayor. This will again begin with a meet-and-greet at 6pm. As previously reported, there will be only one preliminary election in the city and that will take place on Tuesday September 26th in Ward Four only to reduce the candidate pool for Ward Councilor from three candidates to two.
22nd Citizen’s Police Academy set to begin By GREG FITZPATRICK Correspondent SOUTHWICK – The Southwick Police Department is always searching for ways to unite the police with the community, and one successful tool has been the Citizens Police Academy. The town’s 22nd Citizen’s Police Academy is set to start on Oct. 10 and the eight-week program will be held every Tuesday night during which the participants will get a firsthand experience of what it’s like to be a police officer. During the first class, participants will receive an introduction to the program as well as a history of the Southwick Police
Department. Officers will then give a tour of the department and provide people with information on the dispatch center. From there, citizens will get more handson training which includes use of force and also going to the local gun range on a Saturday morning. Chief David Ricardi, who helped bring the program back to life when he became Chief in 2013, realizes just how beneficial this program is for the community. “It brings our citizens a ground level view of what we do,” said Ricardi. “Everything is right there.” See Academy, Page 3
Southwick Police officers are showing citizens how to properly fire a gun during the eight-week program at one of the past academy’s. (Photo courtesy of Kirk Sanders)