Westfield350.com WEATHER Westfield350.com TONIGHT WEATHER WEATHER Partly Cloudy. TONIGHT
The Westfield Westfield News News The Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com www.thewestfieldnews.com TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017
Low of 55. TONIGHT Few PartlyClouds. Cloudy. Low 56. VOL. 86 NO. 151 Low ofof55.
VOL. 86 86 NO. NO. 237 151 VOL.
Search for The Westfield News
Search for The Westfield News
ime The N only TSearch he“T W estfield ews for Theis Westfield News will run its masthead criTic wiThouT in pinkime , in isrecognition The only.” ambiTion ofcriTic October being JOHN STEINBECK wiThouT Breast Cancer ambiTion Awareness Month. JOHN STEINBECK
“T
.”
75 cents
75 75cents cents
TUESDAY,OCTOBER JUNE 27, 2017 THURSDAY, 5, 2017
Westfield woman arraigned on improper disposal of human body, other charges By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD—A Westfield woman was arrested and arraigned on charges related to an alleged disposal of a fullterm fetus in May. Shanna M. Sharples, 38, of 50 Southampton Road, Westfield, was arrested Tuesday and arraigned on charges of improper disposal of a body, three counts of obstruction of justice and one
charge of child endangerment at Westfield District Court yesterday, according to the Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni’s Office. The arrest and arraignment comes after police previously searched the Twiss Street Transfer Station in Westfield, along with Sharples’s apartment, beginning in May. According to Hampden County Assistant District Attorney Jane Mulqueen in Westfield District Court during the
arraignment yesterday, police reported that Sharples had checked into Baystate Noble Hospital on May 4. According to the statement of facts by police, this was due to a possible miscarriage. “Sharples reported to Noble with a placenta and an umbilical cord in a plastic bag,” Mulqueen said in court Wednesday. According to Mulqueen, Sharples, who See Arraigned, Page 3
Shanna Sharples, picture provided by Westfield Police Department.
Planning board OKs air medical site
Vintage photo of Norwich Bridge School.
(Courtesy of
Huntington Historical Society)
Current photo of Norwich Bridge one-room school house in Huntington. (Courtesy of Huntington Historical Society)
Huntington one-room schoolhouse repairs needed By AMY PORTER Correspondent HUNTINGTON – At the Board of Selectmen meeting on Wednesday, David Norton and Bill McVeigh of the Huntington Historical Commission and Historical Society brought a letter requesting funds for repair of the roof on the Norwich Bridge School Museum on Worthington Road, which houses the Society. According to the Historical Society website, the school was built circa 1800, and held classes until 1919, never for more than 16 students. Norton said they were seeking up to 50% of the cost of repair from the Stanton Fund. In addition, they are seek-
ing funds from the Pettis Fund. Norton said that the Historical Society would pay the other 50%. He said they were in possession of three bids for a metal roof, ranging from $6,800 to $9,000. Selectman Karon Hathaway asked whether the Historical Society had thought of fundraising for the repairs. Norton said the Society has done presentations, but does not get a lot of money from them. McVeigh asked whether the selectmen would have any objection to putting out canisters to raise the money, which they did not. Selectman Darlene McVeigh said it’s difficult to raise funds without a 501(c)3 non-for-profit status, which the Historical Society is in the process of
obtaining. Administrative assistant Helen Speckels said the Stanton Fund currently has $117,000, from which $35,000 will be deducted for the recent HVAC/Air installation in Town Hall and Stanton Hall. McVeigh suggested paying 50% of the cost, including tree work, for an amount not to exceed $5,000, to be defrayed by the contribution from the Pettis Fund. The motion was made and passed 3-0. The selectmen also voted to approve the bid by Jason Forgue of $7,950 for the roofing job. Chair Ed Renauld suggested other improvements needed for the schoolhouse, including paint, be put into the town budget for next year.
Huntington Highway Dept. addresses driveway concern
Huntington Highway Superintendent Charles Dazelle. (Submitted photo)
By AMY PORTER Correspondent HUNTINGTON – At Wednesday’s Board of Selectmen meeting, Pleasant Street resident Jeff Smith asked for the selectmen’s help in fixing a drop off at the end of his driveway from the recent road and sidewalk construction. Smith said he was anxious to have it fixed before the winter. Also in attendance was Highway Superintendent Charles Dazelle, who said the road, which had been
redone through state grants, had not yet been released back to the town. “Technically, it’s up to them,” Dazelle said. Selectman Chair Ed Renauld asked Dazelle to make the call to get it done. He said a letter from the town requesting the finishing might help. Dazelle also said he would like to have the Highway Department hold a public meeting, to go over the road repair list, sand and salt See Driveway, Page 3
Huntington Special Town Meeting discussed By AMY PORTER Correspondent HUNTINGTON – At Wednesday’s meeting, the town’s Board of Selectmen discussed the upcoming Special Town Meeting (STM) scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 18 at 6:30 p.m. to re-vote on the Gateway Regional budget for ‘2018, which began on July 1. Huntington residents previously voted down the budget twice, once at the Annual Town Meeting, and at a STM in August. The sole article to be voted on at the Oct. 18 meeting is to see if the town will raise and appropriate $706,366 for Huntington’s share of the over-minimum contribution to the budget for Gateway Regional School District. That amount has been decreased by $23,427 from the first version of the budget at the Annual Town Meeting. Selectman Chair Ed Renauld said the selectmen will hold their regular meeting on Oct. 18 immediately prior to the Special Town Meeting, at which time they will vote on whether to recommend the article. The selectmen also went over the process for the STM with Moderator George Peterson, Town Clerk Kathleen Thomas, and Assistant Town Clerk Linda Hamlin, due to some difficulties with the vote which had to be retaken at the August meet-
Huntington selectmen Darlene McVeigh, Ed Renauld, Karon Hathaway and Helen Speckels, administrative assistant. ing. Thomas said following that meeting, she spoke with the state Elections Division to get more direction on the process. She said traditionally non-voters sit in the back of the hall. It was agreed to check all voters against the voter list at the start of the meeting, hand out the slips for the secret ballot, and put out chairs in a separate section for non-registered voters.
By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD—The Westfield Planning Board voted to unanimously approve plans of an aircraft shelter for one of the city’s newest tenants—an air medical transport company. On Tuesday the Planning Board unanimously approved the site plan and stormwater management plan for Air Methods, allowing for an aircraft shelter and associated items to be constructed at 89 Sgt. Thomas Dion Way near Barnes Regional Airport. The approximately six-acre site will be used to house one helicopter, as well as a three-person crew, with one pilot, and quarters to wait in until requests for the crew come in. According to Rob Levesque of R. Levesque and Associates, the location has an existing metal hangar that will be rehabilitated for these purposes, and there is an existing tarmac, as well. In addition, Levesque said that the site is not located upon the Barnes Aquifer. According to Levesque, the helicopter will satisfy the region for emergencies. In emergency services, helicopters and other modes of air travel may be used to transport patients from locations that are a considerable distance from appropriate medical care, whether for emergencies, facility-to-facility transfers or other situations. Previously, the Barnes Airport Commission voted to approve a three-year contract with a one-year option with Air Methods in August.
The control tower and a plane hangar at Barnes. (Photo by Dan Desrochers)
Southwick remembers police officer By GREG FITZPATRICK Correspondent SOUTHWICK – On Tuesday, the Southwick Police Department announced that a retired Southwick Police officer had recently passed away. On Thursday, Sept. 21, Ed Cebula, who served 23 years as a full-time officer on the Southwick Police Department, passed away near his home in Florida. Cebula started his tenure on August 25, Ed Cebula, a former 1975 and retired in 1998. After Southwick police offithat Cebula spent three more cer for 23 years, passed years a reserve officer before away on Sept. 21 in completely retiring in 2001. Florida. (Photo courtesy of Cebula was involved in several Southwick Police areas of the department, including Department) serving as the Court Liaison officer, which provided the force with guidance on criminal cases. Cebula also achieved the accomplishment of being the department’s first Information Technology officer. Using his knowledge, Cebula would teach officers how to use the department’s first computer system. A member of the police department for more than two decades, Cebula made a lasting impact on a number of fellow officers. “He was a caring soul,” said Southwick Police Chief David Ricardi, who worked with Cebula when he arrived to the department in 1987. “He was the ideal person for community policing.” See Cebula, Page 8