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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
“Nothing is really real unless it happens on television.”
— DANIEL J. BOORSTIN
www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 85 NO. 54
THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2016
WPD receives nearly $15,000 in grant money
Granville Fire Department equipped with new camera By HOPE E. TREMBLAY Staff Writer GRANVILLE – Through generous donations, the Granville Fire Department purchased a brand new thermal imaging camera. The all-volunteer department had been using a 15 year-old camera, which is almost obsolete. Now, the GFD has most state-of-the-art thermal imaging camera among all its surrounding towns. Firefighter Joshua Rutola said the camera cost just under $6,000. “We received donations from the Lions Club, at the Harvest Fair, Prospect Mountain Campground, the Trail Riders, the Fire Association, and private donations,” said Rutola. Dan Bryant, president of the Granville Volunteer Fire Association, said the Association works hand-in-hand with the GFD to meet their needs above and beyond the budget. “We work together as a unit,” Bryant said. The camera – a K55 by Flir – is a multiple use piece of equipment. See Thermal Imaging, Page 3
Granville Fire Department Chief Dave Gay discusses the department's new thermal imaging camera with firefighter Joshua Rutola during a training session March 1. (Photo by Hope E. Tremblay)
City selects Trump, Sanders By HOPE E. TREMBLAY Staff Writer WESTFIELD – Westfield followed the state trend when it came to the Republican nominee on Super Tuesday by supporting Donald Trump as its front-runner for president. City voters did give most of its votes on the Democratic side to Bernie Sanders, while candidate Hillary Clinton won the state overall. Ben Carson trailed behind with 150 votes and other candidates received a few votes, including 11 write-ins. Just nine votes were cast for Green Rainbow party candidates, including three for Jill Stein, one for Darryl Cherney, one for Moyowasifza Curry, and four write-ins. In Westfield, Sanders received 2,786 votes and Clinton received 2,062. It was a close call across the Commonwealth, with Clinton receiving 50.1 percent of votes to Sanders’ 48.7 percent. Trump received 49.3 percent of the state’s votes, with John Kasich coming in second with 18 percent. Marco Rubio was right behind Kasich with 17.9 percent of votes. Westfield again followed the state trend by selecting Kasich second to Trump with 804 votes. Voters cast 662 ballots for Rubio and 523 for Cruz.
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Gateway Superintendent Dr. David B. Hopson discusses the FY17 budget at a public hearing Wednesday in the Performing Arts Center. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Hilltowns’ share of Gateway budget discussed at hearing By AMY PORTER Correspondent HUNTINGTON – Gateway Superintendent Dr. David B. Hopson presented the FY17 budget to over 20 people at a public hearing on the budget in the Gateway Performing Arts Center on Wednesday evening. In attendance were representatives from the district town governments, parents and school representatives. The discussion at the meeting centered on the discrepancy between the current version of the Gateway budget and the request by some of the member towns to level fund assessments to the towns. Hopson said the district has already cut more than $400,000 from the budget, by closing the middle school office and moving the fifth grade into the elementary schools, creating a junior high and senior high configuration, and by eliminating retiring administrator positions and sharing their workload among other administrators. He also said the facility will also close at 9 p.m., which will save on energy costs. Altogether, Hopson said Gateway has reduced its administration by $330,000 over the last ten years. Following the budget presentation, Hopson said he had one question for the towns. “I’ve heard a lot from the towns about assessments,” he said. “I would like to hear from the towns what they can stretch and reach and pay. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be here Dec. 1 waiting for the state to set the school budget.” Also speaking was teacher Jim Duggan, president of the Gateway Teacher’s Association, which is in negotiations for a contract. Duggan said the district cannot make further cuts in pay to teachers and remain competitive. He also said the district cannot cut class offerings and remain competitive. He said both actions will keep families from moving to the district. “Let’s do everything to ensure that the district remains strong for years to come,” Duggan said. Huntington Finance Committee Chair Darlene McVeigh spoke on behalf of the Gateway Collaborative Task Force in saying the Gateway towns are currently signing up for a “community compact” to explore regionalization and shared services among the towns. She encouraged the School Committee to be as proactive as the towns are being. Hopson said that small rural school systems under 1,000 students will be getting together next week. Andy Myers, representing the town of Chester, said his town did recommend level funding of assessments to last year’s levels. He said due to increasing tax rates in the hilltowns, more people want to move out than move in. “I’m excited to say six towns have signed the community compact,” Myers said. “If we can make real changes, we could save hundreds of thousands of dollars. I believe that we can do that. My recommendation is to hold fast at this point.” “You’re not talking about level funding of the budget, you’re talking about level funding of assessments,” Hopson said. “Because we’re already $400,000 down.” He said level funding town assessments means another quarter of a million in cuts to the Gateway budget. “We keep being asked to cut, and I understand the issues,” Hopson said. “It seems to me, we never get credit for cutting $1 million in the last two years.” He said they could cut another quarter million dollars, but as Duggan said, that would mean cuts to teachers and class offerings. “As a town and as a school district, we’re not going to cut our way out of this problem,” Hopson said. He asked the towns to give the district a reasonable number to work towards, and not $250,000, which he called unreasonable. Following the meeting, Hopson clarified his point. “I intended to say that the school district does not seem to have received any credit for reducing its budget by nearly a million dollars over the last two years and a million and a half dollars over the last ten years. In fact, the district is operating on a budget that is essentially the same as in 2003, something I don’t believe any of our towns can lay credit to,” Hopson said. “I would like to see you maintain services and not cut,” said Chester parent Michael Crochiere. He said the biggest reason the towns are not seeing more people coming in is not having hi-speed Internet in the towns. “Right now we have a Level 1 high school,” Crochiere said. “It’s a See Gateway, Page 3
By CHRISTINE CHARNOSKY Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The Westfield Police Department received two grants totaling nearly $15,000 to combat underage drinking as well as to protect pedestrians and bicyclists. Both grants are from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Highway Safety Division (EOPSS/HSD) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The department received a $10,000 grant to crack down on underage drinking and a $4,900 to help make sharing the road a safer place for pedestrians and bicyclists. “There are many tools to combat underage drinking, and this grant provides much needed funding to target the problem,” said Capt. Michael McCabe. “Whether you are underage, plan to sell to a minor, or buy alcohol for a minor, we will be on the lookout.” The grant will fund a variety of law enforcement activities, such as the WPD conducting alcohol compliance checks for minors in bars, restaurants and retail locations, reverse stings, and party patrols. Other operations may include “shoulder tap” and “Cops in Shops” programs. Over the past three years, activities under this grant have resulted in 485 youth citations and 340 arrests along with 413 adults citations and 352 adult arrests across the Commonwealth. “Teens and parents need to be reminded that underage drinking is deadly serious,” said McCabe. According to the NHTSA, in 2013, 29 percent of young drivers 15 to 20 years old who were killed in crashes had blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) of .01 or higher. Of those young drivers who had tested positive for alcohol, 82 percent of them had BACs of .08 or higher. NHTSA estimates that minimum drinking-age laws (21 years old) have saved 29,834 lives nationwide since 1975. WPD will use the $4,900 grant for education, enforcement and outreach to protect the city’s pedestrians and cyclists from injuries and fatalities. According to the Massachusetts Traffic Records Analysis Center (MassTRAC), there have been 320 fatal injuries and 3,456 serious or incapacitating injuries sustained by pedestrians in motor vehicle crashes from 2008 to 2012. During the same time frame, bicyclists sustained 1,106 serious or incapacitating injuries and 43 fatal injuries as a result of See Grant Money, Page 3
Eugene Bartley, left, director of The Greater Westfield Community Band, rehearse in the music room at the Westfield Middle School North in 2013. (WNG file photo)
Adult musicians sought for concert band By LORI SZEPELAK Correspondent WESTFIELD – It is concert time again for the Greater Westfield Community Band and adult musicians are needed. “I am very honored and excited about leading the GWCB,” said Jim O’Connor, on the group’s website. “Gene Bartley started a wonderful tradition and I hope to carry on the reasons for the existence of this group.” The community band was founded in 1996 by Bartley and he had three purposes in mind: to give adult amateur musicians a chance to play in a large ensemble, to promote music education in Westfield, and to continually keep the public aware of the importance of music in the schools. The concert band is open to all adult musicians over the age of 18. The only requirement for participation is that musicians are able to read music. No auditions are required. Since the band performs spring and fall concerts, rehearsals are set to begin March 7 for the April 13 concert at 7:30 p.m. Rehearsals are also planned March 14, 21, 28, April 4 and 11, all from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at the North Middle School on Southampton Road. For more information, visit www.gwcb.org.