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TUESDAY,SEPTEMBER JUNE 27, 2017 SATURDAY, 2, 2017
Two Westfield officers injured
Westfield, Southwick to remember those lost in Sept. 11 attacks By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD/SOUTHWICK—City officials and residents will be coming out next week to honor those who lost their lives during the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11. In Westfield, the city’s fire department will hold its annual ceremony of remembrance on Broad Street and Mayor Brian Sullivan will be holding a wreath-laying ceremony at the 9/11 Monument on North Elm Street, while the Southwick Fire Department will be holding their annual remembrance ceremony in Southwick, all on Sept. 11. And on Sept. 10, Westfield resident Ron Cross will be making a 16-mile walk within the city in memory of those who died. For Cross, the walk is his second annual, with the first going 15 miles last year. This year it will go 16 miles, with each mile representing a year from the tragedy. According to Cross, the 16-mile walk will be in remembrance of the those who died in the attacks, including Dan Trant, Brian Murphy and Tara Creamer Westfield, and Melissa Harrington from West Springfield. “It’s mainly for the local victims but it is to remember all,” Cross said. “All the families, all the first responders. I made a vow and a promise to keep their spirits alive and that’s how I’m going to do it.” He added, “it’s my own personal way, the core message is to never forget and to keep their spirits alive.” Cross said that anyone is invited to walk along with him for whatever amount of distance they would like, and no donations are See Sept. 11, Page 7
Westfield District Court First Judge Philip A. Contant (L) with Westfield District Court Clerk-magistrate Carol Kantany-Casartello (R) at the judge’s bench in a courtroom at Westfield District Court
Westfield District Court Clerk Magistrate retiring after nearly 27 years By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD–The Westfield District Court’s clerk-magistrate will be retiring Sept. 5, after nearly 27 years serving in the role. Clerk-magistrate Carol Kantany-Casartello is set to retire Tuesday, joining two other Westfield District Court clerkmagistrate employees who retired on Sept. 1. Kantany-Casartello leaves with nearly 27 years of experience in the position and about 39 years of experience working in law. “I have very mixed feelings about leaving,” KantanyCasartello said. “Westfield District Court is a very unique and effective court. It’s a great honor to work here, especially with staff in all areas that work here.” Kantany-Casartello said that part of the pleasure of working at Westfield District Court is working alongside Westfield District Court’s First Judge Philip A. Contant. Both remarked that they worked together as a team during their time together. “We’ve had a real genuine
partnership in this court, the two of us, over the last 25 years,” Contant said. According to Contant, Kantany-Casartello was the model of public service during the time she has served. “I really think she’s one of the best clerk-magistrates in the entire state and is well-respected in the entire state,” he said. “It’s going to be very traumatic for me to lose her after all these years,” he added. “She is very wise in dealings that come up. I never worried about decisions or judgments she would make.” Kantany-Casartello, who earned three degrees, including her Juris Doctor at Hofstra University School of Law and her LL.M in American Banking Studies at Boston University School of Law, began her legal career as a Hampden County District Attorney in 1978. She left that position for private practice at Dusel, Murphy and Fennell in 1988. According to KantanyCasartello, while in private practice she said she came to miss the See Magistrate, Page 3 Westfield District Court clerkmagistrate Carol KantanyCasartello (L) with first-assistant clerkmagistrate Nathan A. Byrnes (R)
RON CROSS
Westfield State students give back to the City of Westfield WESTFIELD– Westfield State University will kick-start its fall semester with the eighth annual Helping Out Our Town (HOOT) Day of volunteering on Tuesday, September 5. More than 150 students are committed to provide community service at various businesses and organizations in the City of Westfield from 8:30 a.m. to noon. “Civic engagement is part of our culture and a key part of our student success initiative, The Westfield State Experience,” said Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Carlton Pickron. “In addition to underscoring the importance of community service and engagement, participation in HOOT Day provides another opportunity for our students to enrich their learning experience and strengthen their connection with the City of Westfield.” HOOT Day will begin with a brief ceremony on the city’s Green at 8:15 a.m.
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Massachusetts Representative John Velis, Massachusetts Senator Donald Humason, and Westfield State President Ramon S. Torrecilha will provide remarks. HOOT Day began in fall 2010 as a Circle K community service program. The program was designed to bring together Westfield State students and the City of Westfield. The opportunity to participate was offered to first-year students during their orientation in the summer. Multiple offices were instrumental in getting this program underway including: Westfield State’s offices of Residential Life, Student Affairs, President’s Office, Institutional Advancement, Alumni Relations, and the City of Westfield School Department. Students will be painting, gardening, cleaning, and performing other volunteer Westfield State University Students work on community service projects through- activities both indoors and outdoors out the town of Westfield as part of See WSU Give Back, Page 7 HOOT Day 2016 (Photo courtesy WSU)
WESTFIELD – Route 20, Springfield Rd., near the West Springfield line was the scene Friday evening of two separate but related accidents around 7:45pm that sent two Westfield police officers to area hospitals. According to sources within the Westfield Police Department, a Westfield officer was performing radar traffic enforcement when his vehicle collided with another. While that accident was being investigated another vehicle traveling through the area struck one of the officers conducting traffic duty around the accident investigation. One of the officers involved is in serious condition at Baystate Hospital in Springfield while the other is being treated at Baystate Noble in Westfield. Neither of the officers have life threatening injuries and Springfield Rd was reopened after about an hour. We will continue to follow this and bring you the latest as more becomes available.
Police urge to lock vehicles after recent reported break-ins By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD—After a recent spate of reported break-ins into motor vehicles in the city, Westfield Police urge residents to remember to lock their vehicles. On the mornings of Thursday, Aug. 31 and Friday, Sept. 1, police received at least nine reports of vehicles allegedly being broken into and entered. A majority of the instances occurred in the Springdale Road and Dry Bridge Road area, according to Westfield Police Capt. Michael McCabe. Also according to McCabe, the vehicles involved were unlocked. McCabe said that residents are urged to take steps in order to prevent themselves from becoming a victim, as well. “In no way are we blaming victims for being victimized,” he said, “but we are asking you to lock your doors.” McCabe said that some items that were reported missing during the alleged break-ins have included small amounts of money, wallets, pepper spray and electronics. Police received reports of four incidents on the morning of Aug. 31, with at least another five that were reported on the morning of Sept. 1. Some of the incidents involved one car, others involved more. The locations of the incidents included Deepwoods Drive, Lynnwood Drive, Springdale Road, Dry Bridge Road, Holyoke Road and Putnam Drive.
Update: Feeding Hills Road project By GREG FITZPATRICK Correspondent SOUTHWICK – With school just getting underway for the Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School District, the Feeding Hills Road project has continued to make progress while the traffic has increased due to the start of the school year. Last week, Baltazar Construction, the contractor for the project, finished putting down the first base layer onto Feeding Hills Road but according to Southwick DPW Director Randy Brown, Baltazar will have to put See Feeding Hill Road, Page 7
Baltazar Construction is seen beginning to pave the intersection of Hudson Drive and Feeding Hills Road on Wednesday afternoon. (Photo courtesy of Greg Fitzpatrick)