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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 85 NO. 147
Brush fire put out on 93 College Highway By GREG FITZPATRICK Correspondent SOUTHWICK – The Southwick Fire Department responded to a brush fire in the hayfield behind 93 College Hwy, at approx. 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday. The exact cause was not determined. The fire department responded to people in the filed haying and using their baler, as the baler began to catch on fire. “Whether something happened inside the baler and or spontaneous combustion, it’s unknown,” said Southwick Fire Department Lieutenant Paul Johnson. Roughly 10 to 15 acres were burning in result of the fire starting. Johnson informs that it could have been far worse. “We’re lucky that there’s a swamp over on the backside so it stopped there before it continued on,” said Johnson. Southwick Fire also received help from local fire rescues in Granville, Lost Acres of Granby, Conn. and Suffield, Conn.
Brush fire near 93 College Hwy on Wednesday afternoon.
Fire officials urge public to leave Fireworks to the professionals BOSTON – Last Fourth of July weekend, two members of the National Football League demonstrated just how dangerous fireworks can be. Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback C. J. Wilson was forced to retire from a promising football career after losing two fingers from fireworks on the Fourth of July weekend. That same weekend, Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul mangled his hand with fireworks. Both of these national athletes set a negative example for impressionable youth.fire marshall seal Closer to home, on July 4, 2015, the Saugus Fire Department was called to 7 Oak Point Road for a hand injury to a 23-year old man. The man was lighting off commercial and consumer grade fireworks in his backyard. An explosion injured his hand and he lost multiple fingers. He was med-flighted to Massachusetts General Hospital for surgery. A large cache of fireworks were discovered in a bedroom at the residence. State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey said, “This year, set a good example for your children and leave the fireworks to the professionals this Fourth of July holiday.” On July 5, 2015, a 9-year old boy from Boston received burns to 15% of his body surface area and lost one of his hands when the fireworks he was holding exploded in his hand. His 5-year old male friend was also injured. Ostroskey said, “Children imitate adults. If you use fireworks, children will copy you, not realizing how very dangerous fireworks are.” Fifty-one percent of fireworks-related burn injuries reported by hospitals to the Office of the State Fire Marshal in the last 10 years (2006-2015) were to children under age 18. More than a quarter of the victims, (26%), were children under age 10. 4th of July No Holiday for Firefighters Wellesley Fire Chief Rick DeLorie, president of the Fire Chiefs’ Association of See Fireworks, Page 3
“A bore is a man who deprives you of solitude without providing you with company.” — GIOVANNI VINCENZO GRAVINA 75 cents
THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2016
DAVID BILLIPS
ROBERT PAUL
MARY ANN BABINSKI
Budget hearings find revenue potential By AMY PORTER Correspondent WESTFIELD – Wednesday’s budget hearings found potential for more revenue for the city in the Landfill, Department of Public Works, Building Inspection and Westfield Airport reports. Ward 5 Councilor Robert A. Paul, Sr. led the hearing, thanking At-Large Councilors David Flaherty and Matthew T. VanHeynigen for their work in his absence. Paul also thanked Councilors Mary O’Connell, Mary Ann Babinski, Andrew K. Surprise and Cindy C. Harris for their attendance at the hearing. Matthew Roman was also present, representing the public. Joseph Rouse, Director of Public Health came back for a second time to give a report on the Landfill budget. Rouse said the good news was that the city did well in the single-stream recycling, but the bad news was in the labor costs. He said recycling went up 35%, but trash hauling didn’t go down. However, the city avoided being fined for having recycling contaminants in the waste stream. “We’ve been successful from a sustainability perspective, but from a cost perspective, no change,” Paul said. Rouse said the city is back to looking at third party operation of the transfer station, to see if that would be the most cost effective way to run it. He said there are already interested parties. A request for proposal (RFP) is being prepared now. When asked what that would mean, Rouse said the city could cross off the $700,000 in trash hauling fees, plus receive income from third party pickup. He said the market would support that with an expansion that the city is unable to do. He said the minimum requirement would be five staff (now two), plus $5 to $7 million dollars for a new building. Rouse said both West Springfield and Holyoke have privatized trash pickup. During his presentation, Superintendent of Public Works David Billips also spoke about privatization. He said the budget of $900,000 for waste collection hasn’t changed much. Billips said if the city does not privatize, it will need $1 million in trash collection vehicles. He said they are preparing an RFP to address both. “What would be the change in this budget with privatization,” asked Paul. “This budget won’t exist anymore. We would be completely out of the trash business,” Billips responded. He said his best guess for a return on the RFP would be in September. Councilor Harris commented that this was not yet decided, to which Paul added that privatizing trash was a discussion, not a decision.
Other potential for revenue was also revealed in the DPW presentation. Paul praised Billips and his department for the “fantastic” work they have been doing in the city, including work they hadn’t done before. Billips said he had put more money into construction in the budget, but asked for $450,000 and only got $300,000. He said some of the work they have done on roads, curbs and sidewalks has proved the department could do it cheaper than an outside contractor. Flaherty asked why City Engineer Mark Cressotti had money in his budget for similar projects. Billips responded that the engineer’s budget paid for mostly outside contractors. Paul said there is an opportunity to use some of the funding in the engineering budget to have Billips and his team fill some of the gaps for less. “What Dave (Billips) has done with his team is show that they can do what we used to call complex road work,” Paul said. He said the city could also be more effective with Chapter 90 money, which is separate, by using the capability the DPW has demonstrated. “That’s been my argument for years,” Billips said. He added that as an example his department would like to do the entire Orange Street. “Excise tax should be going to roads and bridges, not into free cash. This department should be getting their share of that money. We should also get a lot stricter with sub-contractors,” commented resident Matthew Roman. Regarding the Parks and Recreation department, Billips revealed a similar trend. “We can’t keep being short four guys, one of them a tree climber. We have one tree guy. We’re paying $50,000 outside to fertilize our fields because we don’t have a guy to do it,” Billips said, adding, “There’s as much opportunity here to do the work ourselves and save money.” “Can you guys fix the fountains? There are three fountains. Mark (Cressotti) is spending $45,000 on contractors,” Flaherty said. “We could probably do it for less,” Billips responded. “Perhaps some of our engineers can think about how much it will cost to maintain those things, and design them more simply,” commented Harris. Building Inspector Clarissa Lisee agreed with the councilors that more revenue could be generated by her department. “We’re a self-sustaining department,” said Lisee, who began in the position on May 9. She said commercial properties are charged by the See Budget Hearings, Page 3
Annual Garden Tea Westfield Woman’s Club offered their Annual Garden Tea yesterday, Wednesday, June 22, 2016. See additional photos Page 3.
West Springfield woman arrested on OUI, other charges By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD–A crash Monday afternoon led to a broken fire hydrant and mailbox, as well as a West Springfield woman arrested. At 3:30 p.m., Monday, police received a report of a red vehicle that struck a mailbox and hit a fire hydrant on Holyoke Road. Then, prior to police arrival, the vehicle–a Honda Element–had reportedly left the scene of the accident, heading toward North Elm Street. About 10 minutes later, police receive a call from a bystander reporting that there was a vehicle on Union Street that appeared to be in an accident. Police reported that the vehicle was a Honda Element, matching the vehicle described in the accident on Holyoke Road, and was reportedly operated by Rhonda L. Guevin, 42, of West Springfield. Police reported that they talked to Guevin about the condition of her vehicle and noticed that Guevin was unsteady on her feet and had a strong odor of alcohol. According to police, Guevin told them that her vehicle was struck by another vehicle. However, according to police, the vehicle’s front bumper was missing and a bumper that matched the one missing from Guevin’s car was found at the scene of the accident at Holyoke Road. According to police, when Guevin was questioned about the accident further she reportedly denied being at fault for any accident and informed police that if she hit a fire hydrant “red paint would be on her car from the hydrant” if she hit one. However, according to police, Guevin was never told of a fire hydrant being struck. Police reported that Guevin was put through field sobriety testing on scene and she failed all tests. She was charged with operating under the influence of liquor, negligent operation of a motor vehicle and leaving the scene of property damage.
RHONDA L. GUEVIN
Blockbuster movie puts Blue Tangs in spotlight By LORI SZEPELAK Correspondent SIMSBURY, Conn. – As the blockbuster film Finding Dory continues to make a huge splash at the box office, scientists around the globe are concerned that the regal blue tang that is voiced by Ellen DeGeneres will now be sought after by parents for their children. Finding Dory is the sequel to the Disney Pixar movie Finding Nemo which created a consumer spike in purchasing clownfish when it was released in 2003. While several species of clownfish have been cultivated in captivity for decades, the regal blue tang supply might not The regal blue tang is featured be able to meet consumer in the new movie, Finding expectations. Dory, voiced by Ellen According to National DeGeneres. Geographic researchers, tangs aren’t always sustainably collected from the wild since some collectors break the coral reef to retrieve them. Additionally, researchers note there aren’t any captive-bred alternatives. For Steve Emmons, owner of Emmons Tropical Fish and Pond Center on Hopmeadow Street in Simsbury, Conn., the demand hasn’t hit yet for tangs in his shop. “We have been carrying tangs for 40 years,” said Emmons, noting the fish have popular names including “hippo tangs” and “regal tangs.” Emmons added that tangs are a “fairly common fish but not an easy keeper.” If tangs are well cared for they can expect to live eight to 10 years, according to Emmons. “They can grow up to eight to 10 inches so they need more room than other fish,” said Emmons. “Ideally, a minimum 75-gallon tank is what is recommended for its long-term survival.” Emmons said he and his employees are well versed in the needs of the saltwater and freshwater livestock they sell and See Blue Tangs, Page 3