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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com TUESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2014
VOL. 83 NO.187
“If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things.” — Rene Descartes
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Road repairs begin The two soccer fields at Whalley Park have been placed on a “high priority” list for completion according to Southwick Park and Recreation Commissioner Dan Call who addressed a list of concerns during last night’s Southwick Selectmen meeting. Call said he hopes the fields will be ready for use in the spring of 2015. (© 2014 Frederick Gore)
Whalley Park slowly progressing By Hope E. Tremblay Staff Writer SOUTHWICK – The punch list at Whalley Park is still long, but Park and Recreation Commissioner Daniel Call said progress is being made and he expects a spring 2015 opening. Call met with the Board of Selectmen last night to discuss the remaining projects at the park and read from a letter written by R. Levesque Associates to contractor JL Construction, which was supposed to finish the project in 90 days. JL Construction is the same contractor working on the high school track project. Call said the commission contracted with the com-
pany in September of 2013, before the track project was in place. “This should have been done months ago,” said Selectman Joseph Deedy. “Is the track going to be done before this? Probably.” Call said the commission told JL Construction its highest priority is to get the fields – particularly the soccer field – in good condition. “The Park and Recreation Commission and our office have stressed the necessity of establishing turf per the project specifications within the disturbed areas of the park by November 1, 2014,” stated See Progressing, Page 3
Dan Call Southwick Park and Recreation Commissioner
Commission slates violation hearing By Dan Moriarty Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The License Commission voted last night to schedule a violation hearing for Ryan’s Package Store on Franklin Street which recently completed a six-day suspension for selling alcoholic beverages to persons under the age of 21. The city’s License Commission oversees all establishments which serve alcoholic beverages, either for on-premises consumption, such as in restaurants and bars, or to be taken out at package stores. One of the major components of that oversight is to ensure “compliance with all laws of the Commonwealth.” The commission was also notified last night by the state Alcohol Beverage Control Commission (ABCC) that it has scheduled a hearing on Oct. 7 pertaining to an ABCC sting which the package store failed.
The violation hearing was slated because of a police investigation of incidents of larceny reported by a 67-yearold Washington Street resident who reported jewelry was missing and who suspected that the property was taken by a Clark Street resident who was a guest on several occasions. Police investigators began looking for the guest and checking with local businesses involved in the resale of jewelry. Much of the stolen property was recovered at a local jewelry store where documentation directly linked the suspect to the stolen jewelry. The guest, who was now officially a suspect, was located and admitted to taking jewelry which he sold on the street or pawned at local businesses. The suspect said that he had exchanged some of the jewelry for alcoholic beverages at Ryan’s Package store. Detectives went to the store
where the manager surrendered a small white box containing 20 rings, later identified by the victim as being some of her property. The property was documented and later returned to the victim. The store manager said he did question the suspect about his possession of the rings and was told by the suspect that he cleaned property and that his boss allowed him to keep whatever he found. The License Commission is investigating incidents of receiving stolen property in lieu of cash payment for the alcoholic goods. The violation hearing is set for Sept. 8. The Commission will also conduct an information hearing that night in which Ryan’s will be questioned about activity conducted during its six-day license suspension which was enforced on July 7, 8, 9, and then on 14, 15, and 16. City police conducted com-
pliance checks and reported that the store, which was allowed to remain open in the area of its check-cashing business, was involved in the sale of lottery tickets and tobacco products. The License Commission has suspended the licenses of package stores in the past, requiring them to lock their doors during the suspension and put a notice on the front door, but allowed Ryan’s to remain open for the checkcashing service. A plastic construction fence was erected to allow access only to the checkcashing area of the store located at the sales counter. The manager said he contacted the state Lottery Commission and was told that the License Commission does not have the authority to suspend lottery sales. The License Commission slated the informational hearing to further discuss that issue.
Westfield woman arraigned By Peter Francis Staff Writer WESTFIELD – A city woman was arraigned yesterday on charges of disturbing the peace and resisting arrest, according to Westfield Police. Officers responded to a report of a party at the home of a George St. resident and a woman standing in the street screaming. The tenant of the home told police he was having a small gathering at his home when Heather Twing, 33, of George St., came into his backyard intoxicated and began causing a disturbance.
It was after he escorted her off the property that she stood in the street and began screaming. Officers found Twing, who resides next door to the resident who escorted her off his property, at her residence, and she answered the door intoxicated. The report stated that she would not answer questions and began yelling loudly on her porch. She was then placed under arrest for disturbing the peace and began trying to pull her arms away and walking away from police. She was restrained, handcuffed, and refused to walk, and had to be carried to the cruiser. She was released yesterday by Judge Philip Contant on her personal recognizance and is due back in court later this month.
By Dan Moriarty Staff Writer WESTFIELD – Contractors last week began work to repair roads throughout the city, milling or grinding the old pavement down and raising structures in preparation for laying new asphalt. The initial phase calls for reconstruction of Springdale Road between Holyoke Road and Union Street, of City View Road between Southwick Road and Valley View Drive, and Old Montgomery Road which provides access to Westfield Electroplating, the Pioneer Valley Railroad and the Westwood office building and restaurant. The second phase is slated for September after underground infrastructure improvements are completed. The paving schedule is a moving target as additional work has to be completed before paving those streets. The tentative schedule includes: Court, High and Chestnut streets where the WG&E is replacing gas lines and possibly West Silver Street. The city is using $300,000 of its FY 2014 Chapter 90 allocation for road improvements and paving and also has access to an additional $184,000 of special state funding. That money, which became available on July 1 and must be used by the end of September, was allocated by the state following one of the worst pothole winters in recent history. This year the freeze-thaw cycle, which usually starts in March, this year began in January. Mayor Daniel M. Knapik said earlier this summer that priority is being given to the streets most damaged this past winter. That list includes Springdale Road and City View Road in the initial phase as well as a section of Shaker Road between Falley and Laro drives will be paved. Casey Berube, interim director of the Public Works Department, said that a number of the planned paving projects have been delayed because of underground infrastructure, mainly gas and water, improvements. “Shaker Road is being done with the pothole money and Lane Construction, the city’s paving contractor, is aware of that – that it has to be done by the end of September,” Berube said. “Shaker Road is now ready for milling. Lane knows it has to be done before the end of September.” Replacement of two gas line valves and water line improvements are now complete, but the city has to reschedule the milling operation with Lane because that equipment has been moved to another community, Berube said.
Local man arraigned for knife attack By Peter Francis Staff Writer WESTFIELD – A local man was arraigned yesterday on charges of disorderly conduct and assault and battery with a deadly weapon. According to a police report, Felix Melendez, 44, of Orange St. was in the middle of the street when police arrived to respond to a disturbance call at 6:15 p.m Saturday. The report stated that Melendez was throwing his hands in the air, threatening to fight several people in front of an Orange St. home. When asked by police to calm down, Melendez continued threatening to fight and stab the people in front of the home. During the investigation, police learned that Melendez had cut an individual on the left side of his face with a knife during an argument, as the victim came forward and displayed a knife wound near their left eye. Westfield District Court Judge Philip Contant set bail at $500 yesterday.
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