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The Westfield News
“Life has got a habit of not standing hitched. You got to ride it like you find it. You got to change with it. ... ”
Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
— WOODY GUTHRIE
www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 85 NO. 164
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THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016
Westfield High School Principal Dennis Duquette and his therapy dog Jake.
WHS leadership change WESTFIELD – In a statement released by Superintendent of Schools Stefan Czaporowski this morning, Mr. Dennis Duquette, Principal of Westfield High School has tendered his resignation from the Westfield school system effective immediately. “The Westfield Public Schools is grateful for Mr. Duquette’s leadership during this period. During his administration at both the High School and Middle School, he was able to oversee a positive change in the learning and social environment. His ability to manage the school social and academic climate and connection with the stu-
Gateway School Committee votes on Director of Pupil Services
dents and community will be an asset in his next career.” commented Mr. Czaporowski. Due to Mr. Duquette’s resignation, Superintendent Czaporowski has posted the Westfield High School principal opening and plans on appointing a principal to lead the school prior to the start of the 2016-2017 school year. Mr. Duquette indicated that, “although he will miss working with the students and City of Westfield Community, he is thankful for the opportunity to serve the City of Westfield and is excited to enter the next phase of his career.”
Westfield man charged with threatening cop
By AMY PORTER Correspondent RUSSELL – The School Committee voted to confirm Kurt Garivaltis of Pittsfield as the new Director of Pupil Services at its meeting on Wednesday. The vote was 12 for confirmation, with Montgomery member Anne Marie Buikus abstaining. The meeting at Russell Town Hall followed a Meet and Greet with Garivaltis at Gateway earlier in the evening, at which about 20 members of the community, parents, and teachers were invited to ask questions and introduce themselves. Both the Meet and Greet and vote were scheduled at the last School Committee meeting on June 22, in order to give the commuKURT nity the time to reflect on Garivaltis’ openness about GARIVALTIS his past addiction to prescription painkillers following a serious snowmobiling accident in 2006. At the Meet and Greet, Garivaltis introduced himself, and went over his experience in the field, as well as the story of his accident and subsequent difficulties. Following this introduction, the questions turned to the special education programs in the school district. Garivaltis said the state just completed its Coordinated Program Review (CPR) of Gateway, giving him additional direction to get started on the See Gateway, Page 3
MILES BURNS, III
TAMARA KVARNSTROM
City man, woman arrested with heroin By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD–A Westfield man and pregnant woman were arrested Tuesday morning on multiple charges, including heroin possession and child endangerment. Miles A. Burns, III, 31, and Tamara A. Kvarnstrom, 22, were stopped on Elm Street by Westfield Police after officers found probable cause related to accusations of theft from one of the suspect’s family members. They were in a vehicle in a parking lot of a business on Elm Street. Burns was charged with larceny over $250, receiving stolen property over $250 and possession of heroin. Kvarnstrom, who police said is nine months pregnant, was charged with larceny over $250, possession of heroin and reckless endangerment to a child. The reckless endangerment charge is a contentious one, since lawmakers and politicians in states across the country have pushed back and forth on
altering the laws regarding child endangerment when a woman is pregnant and drugs are involved. Additionally, Tennessee became the first state to punish pregnant women with charges of “fetal assault.” The state just recently voted down the law. Police said that Burns and Kvarnstrom are suspects in a rash of thefts that victimized Burns’ mother, who the couple lived with. Police were able to utilize pawn shop records that allegedly matched the items reported stolen from Burns’ mother. Police also said that the two suspects may have worked together on May 16, in order to steal $300 from the mother. Police said that they found around 100 bags of heroin between the two suspects. Additionally, there was a border collie that was in the vehicle that the two were found in. Westfield Animal Control came to take the dog to the Westfield Animal Shelter, where it is still housed. Westfield Animal Control reported the dog safe and fed.
WESTFIELD — A city man faces multiple charges after allegedly threatening police on Facebook and Twitter on several occasions. Vasiliy Z. Khoyak, 28, was arrested on July 7 and arraigned on July 8 on charges of intimidating police and threatening to commit a crime. He was released on personal recognizance, but ordered to refrain from abuse and to check in with a probation officer. Court records show that police alleged that after Khoyak received a traffic citation on April 30 which resulted in Khomyak’s right to operate a vehicle to be revoked by Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles on May 6. Police reported in court records that between May 6 and 7, Khomyak allegedly wrote comments on Westfield Police Department’s Facebook page that included calling police liars and pigs, and that police “love harassing people.” In the comments he also alleged that police have harassed his mother. He reportedly finished the comment saying, “You try that again you will see what will happen.” Police alleged that they again received a message on their Facebook page by Khomyak after the initial post, but the date was not given. The message, according to court records, reportedly said “Westfield Ma Police (sic) all you do is Lie and Lie and give tickets to people….. (sic) KARMA dont sleep remember (sic).” Police reportedly viewed this as a possible threat and reportedly sent an email out to other officers reporting the possibility of a threat, according to court record. Police recorded another alleged incident, this time on Twitter, dated June 12, where Khomyak’s Twitter account had a tweet that reportedly read, “one of this (sic) days FM (sic) westfield Cops gonna die and his family.” Court records from police alleged that there were several other incidents from May 24 to See Charged, Page 3
Review: Goodspeed Stages ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ By MARK G. AUERBACH Correspondent Bye Bye Birdie has been one of my favorite musicals, since I saw the movie, and later, a touring revival with Tommy Tune and Ann Reinking. I’m a real fan of Strouse/Adams musicals, from Golden Boy to It’s A Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Superman. The gentlemen wrote brassy scores that never sound “old” on multiple replays. So, it’s one of the shows I’ve been looking forward to most this summer. The Goodspeed revival, under the able hands of director Jenn Thompson, music director Michael O’Flaherty, and choreographer Patricia Wilcox (who did the dances for Motown: the Musical) is slick, fun, and satisfying musical comedy–with a heart. Since its Broadway opening in 1960, Bye Bye Birdie has been one of America’s most popular musicals. The satire of middle American life in 1958, a year after Elvis joined the Army, Bye Bye Birdie, with Dick Van Dyke, Chita Rivera, and Paul Lynde in the original cast, had a successful tour, a London engagement, and was turned into a movie in 1963 (Ann-Margret became a star with her performance as a teen). It’s had multiple revivals; it spawned a sequel, Bring Back Birdie (which flopped), and a TV movie. The musical is popular among high school, college and community theatre troupes. The original Bye Bye Birdie won a Tony Award for “Best Musical” (Dick Van Dyke won one too).
Goodspeed’s creative team has tweaked the musical with sassy orchestrations by Dan DeLange and new dance arrangements by David Krane. The Charles Strouse and Lee Adams score, with now standards “Put on a Happy Face”, “Kids”, and “A Lot of Living To Do”, alongside mock rock “One Last Kiss” and “Sincere”, has aged well. Director Jenn Thompson added one song from the movie and one from the 1995 TV movie with Jason Alexander and Vanessa Williams. It all works. I liked Jenn Thompson’s staging, and Patricia Wilcox’s choreography gave the songs a bright lift, especially the second act song for Birdie and ensemble, “A Lot of Living To Do”, which was greeted with thunderous applause. For those unfamiliar with the musical, it’s the story of Albert Peterson (George Merrick), a music promoter, and his secretary/girlfriend Rosie (Janet Dacal), who manage rock star Conrad Birdie (Rhett Guter) who’s been drafted. Albert arranges Birdie’s final appearance before joining the army to take place in Sweet Apple, Ohio (middle America), where a teen, Kim McAfee (Tristen Buettel), who just went steady with Hugo (Alex Walton), will receive Birdie’s final kiss. Her dad (Warren Kelley), mom (Donna English) and brother (Ben Stone-Zelman) will appear live on the Ed Sullivan Show. Albert wants to quit the business and be an English teacher; Rosie wants that too, but Albert’s overbearing
Janet Dacal and George Merrick as Rosie and Albert in Bye Bye Birdie at Goodspeed through September 8. (Photo by Diane Sobolewski) mother (Kristine Zbornik).stands in the way. As they say, hilarity ensues. Tobin Ost’s sets are vintage suburbia of the JFK years, and David Toser’s costumes are perfectly period. Phillip Rosenberg’s lighting designs complement sets and costumes, and Jay Hilton’s sound nicely bal-
anced actors and musicians. Special mention must be made of Daniel Brodie’s projections, which showcased some of the early 1960s television images so many of us remember as kids. See Bye Bye Birdie, Page 5