Tuesday, January 21, 2014 by The Westfield News

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WEATHER TONIGHT Partly cloudy. Low of 4.

The Westfield News

“A

man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams.”

Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns

www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 83 NO. 17

John Barrymore

TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014

75 cents

Stolen gold brings charges By Carl E. Hartdegen Staff Writer WESTFIELD – A city woman is facing larceny charges after she was arraigned in Westfield District Court Friday as a result of a police investigation into evidence that she stole a handful of gold jewelry from the home of a retired city police officer. Det. Anthony Tsatsos reports that the young woman, Gina M. Gallo, 24, of 162 Root Road, came to his attention during his regular examination of jewelry sales to area jewelry stores when he noticed that she had made multiple sales of gold jewelry at two area jewelry stores. Tsatsos was able to place a hold on five gold rings and a gold earring

Taylor with grandparents Rosalie West and Ray West. (Photo submitted)

American Idol contestant Taylor Hildack performs in front of the judges.

See Stolen Gold, Page 8

Senior Center on Planning Board docket By Dan Moriarty Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The Planning Board will begin its consideration tonight of the petition of the Council on Aging petition for approval of a site plan, special permit and stormwater management plan for the Senior Center to be constructed on Noble Street. The board will also initiate the review of Whip City Aviation, LLC, which plans to make substantial investment at Barnes Regional Airport to repair existing “T” hangers and to construct new hangers

Taylor gets a support hug from her family. (Photo submitted)

Taylor and Tyler Hildack. (Photo submitted)

Staff Writer WESTFIELD – After months of controversy involving the departure of now-former President Dr. Evan Dobelle, Westfield State University is looking to start the spring semester of 2014 off by mending it’s relationship with students and alumni alike. As a part of that effort, the University’s new advancement division, headed by former State Senator Michael R. Knapik, announced staffing changes this week and set an agenda emphasizing donor engagement for a new year filled with fundraising efforts. See Gala, Page 8

See Route 57, Page 3

Gala highlights Westfield State advancement effort By Peter Francis

Minimum Wait. Maximum Care.

Westfield native’s Idol experience By Peter Francis Staff Writer WESTFIELD – Taylor Hildack remembers the day last summer at Foxborough’s Gilette Stadium, when she was chosen out of thousands to take a walk to meet some very important people. Moments later, she was introduced to Ryan Seacrest, host of “American Idol”, the hit program that has captivated and inspired aspiring singers the world over, who then informed her that she would be moving on to the next round of auditions to earn a trip to Hollywood for the right to be crowned “American Idol.” While she didn’t advance past that third round of auditions in Boston, Hildack, 20,

has positive memories of her entire Idol experience, which culminated with an appearance on the program’s Season 13 premiere last week. “I felt like I was dreaming. I was on cloud nine,” said Hildack, daughter of Christine Libardi and Randy Hildack. “I could hear them (the judges) talking, but I could hardly hear them because of the adrenaline.” She cites jazz luminaries Etta James, Billie Holiday, and Nina Simone, along with modern R&B crooners Lana Del Rey and the late Amy Winehouse as inspirations, and showcased her versatility by belting James’ immortal “Something’s Got a Hold on Me” and Idol alum Carrie

Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” for Idol judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban, and Harry Connick, Jr. “We went through the registration in September at Gilette when a producer came up to her and asked her if she could sing,” said Taylor’s father. “So she sang for him, and he gave her a green sticker.” Randy Hildack went on to explain the exhilaration at hearing his daughter’s name the next day over the stadium loudspeakers, and promptly being led to meet Seacrest. Following the initial audition in Foxborough, Taylor Hildack went on to the next audition and then the regional final, See Westfield Idol, Page 8

DOT administrator: state ‘not interested’ in Route 57 By Hope E. Tremblay Staff Writer SOUTHWICK – It came as a big surprise to town and state officals last week when Administrator of the MassDOT Highway Division Frank DePaola wrote in a letter that the state was “not interested” in land where Route 57 is supposed to be extended. The letter was sent to Western Massachusetts Electric Company (WMECO), owners of the land. WMECO has been holding the property for the state, which promised to complete the Route 57 project decades ago and took homes along the path of the extension. The Southwick Board of Selectmen is hoping the state will offer a clarification of its position on extending Route 57. More than a week ago, a meeting took place in Boston regarding the future of Route 57. The meeting with DePaola was attended by Agawam Mayor Richard Cohen and West Springfield Mayor Edward Sullivan, along with state Reps. Nicholas Boldyga and Michael Finn, and State Sen. Donald Humason’s chief of staff. Southwick officials were not informed of the meeting until the day before, so

See Senior Center, Page 8

(www.facebook.com/

AmericanIdol)

Overgrown vegetation grows where a house once stood on the north side of the present Route 57 near the Southwick / Agawam town line. The home was purchased and razed to make way for the expansion of Route 57. (Photo by Frederick Gore)

Walk-In Express Care is now open in Westfield! Noble Express Care is conveniently located at 57 Union Street. Hours: Mon - Fri 11:00am - 8:00pm | Sat - Sun 10:00am - 5:00pm

Noble Express Care 57 Union Street, Westfield MA 01085 (413) 642-7200 NobleExpressCare.com Noble Express Care is a DBA of Westfield Medical Corp

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AROUND TOWN

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Submit your Around Town News to pressreleases@thewestfieldnews.com

Help the Fire Dept. Protect You:

Shovel Fire Hydrants

Open for business The new Cumberland Farms at the intersection of North Road and Southampton Road recently opened for business. (Photo by Frederick Gore)

LOCAL LOTTERY

Odds & Ends WEDNESDAY

TONIGHT

Increasing sunshine with blowing snow. Cold!

12-16 Light snow. Windy.

THURSDAY

Mostly sunny. Cold!

14-18

WEATHER DISCUSSION Expect increasing clouds throughout the day. By 5p.m. light snow will be spreading our area. Snow will fall across western Mass. overnight, but should be done by morning. Nothing too significant. With temperatures in the teens and single digits through the duration of this storm, expect light, fluffy snow - the stuff that’s easy to shovel. Once this storm exits, the cold air will take over! Even though we’ll have increasing sunshine tomorrow, a brisk northerly breeze will keep highs in the mid-teens!

6-10

today 7:13 a.m.

4:51 p.m.

9 hours 37 minutes

sunrise

sunsET

lENGTH OF dAY

“In a fire seconds count,” said Westfield Fire Chief Mary Regan, “so help your fire department protect you and your neighbors buy removing snow from nearby fire hydrants.” Fire oftlcials are urging those who are able to do so shovel snow away from tire hydrants incase access to them is needed quickly. Clear Snow from Furnace and Dryer vents. Keep outside furnace, hot water and dryer vents clear of drifting snow, to prevent flue gases from backing up into the home and creating a carbon monoxide hazard. Clear Snow from Vehicle Tailpipes Last winter, two children from Boston died from carbon monoxide while sitting inside a running vehicles where the tailpipe was clogged with snow. Doctors from the Boston Public Health Commission have created an educational video on CO poisoning that addresses this particular risk. (http:// youtube/7Yy9zXsaeCA)

Student hopes to use graduation cap to cut debt FLINT, Mich. (AP) — A University of Michigan-Flint student hopes to use his graduation cap to take a bite out of his education debt. Alex Benda of St. Clair tells the Detroit Free Press (http://on.freep.com/1aDt8Dk ) he wants to cash in on the 10-by-10-inch hat by selling ad space in 1-inch squares on top for $300 each. If he sells 100 squares, he’ll have wiped out his about $30,000 in student loans, he said. “I realized that I would have the eyes of every graduating student and their family’s on me as I walked across the stage to accept my diploma,” he wrote on his website. “You can advertise on it, give a shout out, put a quote, a silly image of your cat, practically anything! All while helping a graduating college student start his life without student debt.” The 22-year-old international business major is scheduled to graduate in a few See Cap and Debt, Page 5

Last night’s numbers

MASSACHUSETTS Lucky For Life 12-22-24-33-39, Lucky Ball: 16 MassCash 13-16-17-19-22 Mega Millions Estimated jackpot: $51 million Numbers Evening 0-2-6-7 Numbers Midday 5-9-7-8 Powerball Estimated jackpot: $131 million

CONNECTICUT Cash 5 01-04-18-26-30 Lucky For Life 12-22-24-33-39, Lucky Ball: 16 Mega Millions Estimated jackpot: $51 million Play3 Day 7-4-8 Play3 Night 4-8-7 Play4 Day 0-1-7-7 Play4 Night 4-5-0-0 Powerball Estimated jackpot: $131 million

TODAY IN HISTORY

Today is Tuesday, Jan. 21, the 21st day of 2014. There are 344 days left in the year.

n Jan. 21, 1954, the first atomic submarine, the USS Nautilus, was launched at Groton, Conn., as first lady Mamie Eisenhower christened the vessel with the traditional bottle of champagne broken against the bow. (However, the Nautilus did not make its first nuclear-powered run until nearly a year later.)

On this date:

Decca Records (on this date in 1942, they re-recorded the song for Okeh Records). In 1950, former State Department official Alger Hiss, accused of being part of a Communist spy ring, was found guilty in New York of lying to a grand jury. (Hiss, who proclaimed his innocence, served less than four years in prison.) George Orwell (Eric Blair), author of “Nineteen Eighty-Four,” died in London at age 46.

In 1648, Margaret Brent went before the Maryland colonial assembly to seek two votes in that body, one for herself as a landowner, the other as the legal representative of the absent Lord Baltimore; the assembly turned her down.

In 1968, the Battle of Khe Sanh began during the Vietnam War. An American B-52 bomber carrying four hydrogen bombs crashed in Greenland, killing one crew member and scattering radioactive material.

In 1793, during the French Revolution, King Louis XVI, condemned for treason, was executed on the guillotine.

In 1977, President Jimmy Carter pardoned almost all Vietnam War draft evaders.

In 1861, Jefferson Davis of Mississippi and four other Southerners whose states had seceded from the Union resigned from the U.S. Senate.

In 1982, convict-turned-author Jack Henry Abbott was found guilty in New York of first-degree manslaughter in the stabbing death of waiter Richard Adan in 1981. (Abbott was later sentenced to 15 years to life in prison; he committed suicide in 2002.)

In 1908, New York City’s Board of Aldermen passed an ordinance prohibiting women from smoking in public (the measure was vetoed two weeks later by Mayor George B. McClellan Jr.). In 1910, the Great Paris Flood began as the rain-swollen Seine River burst its banks, sending water into the French capital. In 1924, Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin died at age 53. In 1937, Count Basie and his band recorded “One O’Clock Jump” for

In 1994, a jury in Manassas, Va., found Lorena Bobbitt not guilty by reason of temporary insanity of maliciously wounding her husband John, whom she’d accused of sexually assaulting her.

Ten years ago:

President George W. Bush visited community colleges in Ohio and Arizona, where he highlighted the economy and several new jobtraining initiatives he’d proposed a day earlier in his State of the Union speech. The recording industry sued 532 computer users it said were illegally distributing songs over the Internet.

Five years ago:

In a whirlwind first full day in office, President Barack Obama showcased efforts to revive the economy, summoned top military officials to chart a new course in Iraq and eased into the daunting thicket of Middle East diplomacy. The Senate confirmed Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state.

One year ago:

A day after being inaugurated for a second term in a private Sunday ceremony, President Barack Obama took a public oath, summoning a divided nation to act with “passion and dedication” to broaden equality and prosperity at home, nurture democracy around the world and combat global warming. British movie director Michael Winner, 77, who’d made 30 films, including three in the “Death Wish” series, died in London.

Today’s Birthdays:

Actress Ann Wedgeworth is 80. World Golf Hall of Famer Jack Nicklaus is 74. Opera singer Placido Domingo is 73. Singer Mac Davis is 72. Actress Jill Eikenberry is 67. Country musician Jim Ibbotson (The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) is 67. Singer-songwriter Billy Ocean is 64. U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke is 64. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is 63. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is 61. Actor-director Robby Benson is 58. Actress Geena Davis is 58. Basketball Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon is 51. Actress Charlotte Ross is 46. Actor John Ducey is 45. Actress Karina Lombard is 45. Rapper Levirt (BRock and the Bizz) is 44. Rock musician Mark Trojanowski (Sister Hazel) is 44. Rock singer-songwriter Cat Power is 42. Rock DJ Chris Kilmore (Incubus) is 41. Actor Vincent Laresca is 40. Singer Emma Bunton (Spice Girls) is 38. Actor Jerry Trainor is 37. Country singer Phil Stacey is 36. Rhythm-and-blues singer Nokio (Dru Hill) is 35.

WWW.THEWESTFIELDNEWS.COM

THE WESTFIELD NEWS

Senior tax credit information released BOSTON – State Senator Benjamin B. Downing (DPittsfield) unveiled his annual informational pamphlet on the Senior Circuit Breaker Tax Credit, updated specifically for Tax Year 2013. First published by the Senator in January 2008 for Tax Year 2007, this brochure is intended to help Massachusetts citizens, aged 65 or older, determine their eligibility for the tax credit. “The state Department of Revenue reports that the Senior Circuit Breaker Tax Credit returns more money to the wallets of senior taxpayers in Massachusetts than any other state tax credit,” said Downing. “Each year I distribute this informational brochure to those serving seniors in western Massachusetts hoping to spread the word about this opportunity.”

The Senator provides copies of his pamphlet to the Councils on Aging serving communities throughout his Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin & Hampden District. It is also available under the Hot on the Hill tab of his website, www.SenatorDowning. com. The brochure is free and all are welcome to print and share this information to those who may find it helpful. The Senior Circuit Breaker Tax Credit is an income tax credit designed by the Legislature to alleviate some of the burden from property taxes, so-called because it is “triggered,” like an electrical circuit breaker, when property taxes, water and sewer bills exceed 10% of a senior citizen’s annual income. For Tax Year 2013, the maximum credit is $1,030. Eligible seniors must claim

this credit by submitting a completed Schedule CB, Circuit Breaker Credit, with their 2013 state income tax return. To be eligible one must be a Massachusetts citizen, aged 65 or older by January 1, 2014; own or rent residential property in the Commonwealth and occupy the property as a primary residence; and have an annual income of $55,000 or less for a single filer; $69,000 or less for a head of household; or $82,000 or less for joint filers. The state Department of Revenue reports that in Tax Year 2012 (the most recent tax year for which complete information is available) 81,717 taxpayers received more than $65.9 million in cash or credits used to lower income tax payments through the Senior Circuit Breaker Tax Credit, an average of

TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014 - PAGE 3

Government Meetings NEXT SCHEDULED MEETINGs

TUESDAY, JANUARY 21 WESTFIELD Planning Board at 7 pm

SOUTHWICK

Park & Recreation Commission - 6:30 pm Planning Board Public Hearing - Common Driveways at 7:45 pm

GRANVILLE Council on Aging at 1:30 pm Fire at 7 pm

TOLLAND

SENATOR BENJAMIN DOWNING $806 per taxpayer. Downing notes that his brochure is for informational purposes only – it is not an official tax document and seniors should consider consulting with tax professionals for additional guidance.

School Committee at 7 pm

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22 SOUTHWICK Block Grant Committee at 6 pm Open Space Planning Committee 7 pm

GRANVILLE EMTs at 7 pm

HUNTINGTON

Route 57

Selectboard at 5:30 pm

Continued from Page 1 Selectmen Chairman Russell Fox asked Humason and Boldyga to represent Southwick’s interest in the issue. “My personal opinion is that it should be completed,” said Fox. “I told the senator that I hope the Commonwealth would consider giving due consideration to Southwick.” Fox said Humason and Boldyga indicated the meeting went well and were surprised to learn that just one day later a letter was sent to WMECO. “It wasn’t very good news,” said Fox. “I think someone needs to explain what transpired.”

Humason was shocked when he heard about the letter because, he said, it was his understanding that DePaola indicated in the meeting that he knew nothing about the property use. “The letter was written the day before that meeting,” said Humason. Humason said he, Finn, Fox, Cohen, Sullivan, Boldyga and State Sen. James Welch penned a letter to Mass DOT Secretary Richard A. Davey asking the state to make good on its promise to the towns and residents involved and complete the project. “They may not have the money now,

but another administration may in the future,” Humason said. “I’m not even sure the secretary or the governor were aware of this (letter).” Humason said this was the first time there was any word from the state that it would not continue the project. “This is a big deal,” he said. “We want them to purchase the property because if they don’t do it now and WMECO sells it, it will be more difficult to take the property in the future to finish Route 57.” Humason said WMECO was copied on the letter to Davey.

Cap and Debt Continued from Page 2 months. He says it’s “scary” to think about trying to find a job while having so much debt. As of midday Monday, he had raised more than $1,200 online from 12 backers — but no square buyers had yet to make a pledge. “I have gained so much from my education that I hope to help others with their goal of going to college, but right now I appreciate any help,” he said in his posting. “I graduate May 4th so time is running out! ——— Online: Benda’s fundraising page: http://bit.ly/1bd5HxB

Grief Support Group offered WESTFIELD — A weekly bereavement group for those who have lost a loved one to cancer meets once a week on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. at the Cancer House of Hope 1999 Westfield St. W. Springfield, MA. This free community support group offers helpful topics and discussions for those seeking help and guidance after a loss. Newcomers are welcome! Please call 413-7331858 for more information or visit www.chd.org/cancerhouseofhope

Holyoke Medical Center: Living with Chronic Disease HOLYOKE — This is an educational program for people living with chronic heart disease. The four-week series will consist of understanding heart disease; nutrition for your heart; medications for your heart; and physical activity and your heart. The series will be repeated monthly and participants are welcome to join at any point. The series will be repeated monthly and participants are welcome to join at any point. The next series begins on Thursday, February 6 from 10 to 11 a.m. in the Fran Como Conference Room, and on successive Thursdays at the same time and place. Family and caregivers are welcome to attend. Registration is required. To register or for more information, Janet at (413) 534-2789.

The present two-lane Route 57 highway at the Southwick, Agawam town line. (Photo by Frederick Gore)

Gateway garden project funded HUNTINGTON – Gateway Regional High School won a $1,035 grant from Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom to support an inquiry-based gardening project for students in the Life Skills classroom. “Gateway to Gardening” students will grow organic heirloom vegetables, and use the project to practice mathematics and science learning. The project will involve planning and expanding a pilot garden, growing fruits and vegetables, and setting up a business plan to sustain the project over time. Welding classes will plan and create row covers for the garden. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics lessons will be used to plan, create and implement an irrigation system for the garden. The project was designed by teacher Michele Klemaszewski, although her students planned the budget, researched prices and materials, and determined the food that would be grown. Partners include Gateway’s Food Services Department, which has served some of the food raised in the pilot garden last year, and has received supIf you would like to run a Memorial for your Pet contact: Diane DiSanto at dianedisanto@the westfieldnewsgroup.com or call 413-562-4181 1x3 with photo...$15 1x2 without photo...$10

port from the Jacobs Ladder Business Association and Moss Hill Farm. Teachers are also submitting a $500 grant request to the Gateway Education Foundation to help cover the costs of the program. Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom formed in 1984. It is a private, nonprofit organization that pro-

Saturday, January 25th

motes agricultural education and training. Their mission is to foster an awareness and learning in all areas related to the food and agriculture industries and the economic and social importance of agriculture to the state, nation and the world. The grant was written by Wendy Long and Michele Klemaszewski.

If you would like to run a Birthday Announcement in The Westfield News contact us at: 413-562-4181

LOST AND FOUND LOST: LARGE ORANGE CAT, male, has a black birth spot on lip. Vicinity of Lois Street and South Maple Street, Westfield. Answers to Patrick or Mr. Kitty. Missing since Saturday, January 18th. Please call (413)977-1169. $100. REWARD. LOST: BRACELET, black leather and silver on 12/5/13. Vicinity Westfield Shops parking lot possibly Friendly’s, Big Y areas. (508)685-7949. FOUND - Diamond ring in Westfield. Call 5687560 (12/2/13) $500. REWARD. Lost cat. “Nowelle” black with white striped nose, white paws and white bib. Needs daily insulin. Call, text, email Karen, (413) 478-3040. findnowelle@gmail.com anytime. . (11-27-13) REWARD! Lost: black and white medium haired cat. Vicinity of Munger Hill area of Westfield. Work (617)212-3344. (11-27-13)

Hampton Ponds State Park Westfield, Mass. Plunge Begins at 1:00 P.M.

Plungers get donations and take the plunge in Hampton Ponds. Proceeds benefit Amelia Park Children’s Museum. ❆ Win a triP for tWo to the Las Vegas Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada! ❆ get sPonsors and raise even more money with your own custom plunge website! ❆ free gift for first 24 registered plungers!

Visit www.WestfieldPlunge.com, call Amelia Park Children’s Museum at 413-572-4014 or email fun@ameliaparkmuseum.org

Many Thanks To Our Wicked Cool Sponsors:

PAGE 4 - TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014

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THE WESTFIELD NEWS

COMMENT

Just wanted to say it was great to have the city council meeting back on TV but would like to make one comment: please have the audience people who are leaving their comments and also the city councilors, would you please tell them to speak into the microphone because a lot of what they say is not able to be heard. Thanks and again, thanks for being back on. Good morning. I just want to say how much I enjoyed the article about the writing course program at the Westfield Senior Center. It was very interesting and I hope that the paper will put in some more columns on readers who write because I think it is very interesting to know what other people have to say and I enjoy when you have those in the paper. Thank you. Have a good day. Bye. If you find guilty the persons who smashed my mailbox on the Northside of town this week, for their sentence, I would like them to watch me smash a headlight out of their car. One for one. Even Steven. I wrote to you about a week ago concerning the water problem. I live on Upper Western Ave. and we cannot wash clothes with it. I have ruined clothes, can’t drink water (have to buy) has a smell and toilet and sink is yellow etc. Now my question is: Why should we all who are having the problems have to pay the Water bill? I think with us buying water, rust remover and our clothes are all discolored it is only right for us to be bill free. I bet they won’t go along with it. Join the conversation at pulseline@thewestfieldnews.com

Patrick Kennedy to President Obama: Pot has changed By Tal Kopan Politico.com Former Rep. Patrick Kennedy says President Barack Obama is wrong about the dangers of marijuana, saying that the drug today is not like what the president smoked in his youth. The former eight-term Rhode Island Democrat said Obama’s statement in an interview this weekend that pot is not worse than alcohol was based on anecdotal evidence, not science. “I think the president needs to speak to his NIH director in charge of drug abuse,” Kennedy said on MSNBC’s “Hardball” on Monday night. “[She] would tell the president that, in fact, today’s modern, genetically modified marijuana, so it’s much higher THC levels, far surpass the marijuana that the president acknowledges smoking when he was a young person.” Kennedy said government research shows that marijuana is harmful. “He is wrong when he says that it isn’t very harmful, because the new marijuana is not the old marijuana,” Kennedy said. “We need to have presidential decisions made based upon public health and the sound science that the federal government’s invested in.” The former congressman said if the president believes alcohol is more dangerous, he should be concerned about legalizing and commercializing marijuana, because, Kennedy argues, America doesn’t want another Big Tobacco or Big Alcohol. “I mean, if the president feels alcohol is worse than tobacco, what’s he prepared to do? And I’ll tell you, the president won’t be able to do a thing,” Kennedy said. “Why? Because alcohol is too powerful an industry to change. And right now, we have a chance to stop another for-profit industry from targeting our public health.” The son of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and nephew of President John F. Kennedy is the chairman of the advocacy group Smart Approaches to Marijuana.

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From consultant to candidate By James Hohmann Politico.com During his campaign for Virginia governor last year, longtime political fixer Terry McAuliffe was castigated for his role in the Clinton fundraising scandals, pilloried for doing Big Tobacco’s bidding and ridiculed for leaving his wife and newborn in the car one night to collect checks from Democratic Party fat cats. So when Ed Gillespie watched McAuliffe deliver his victory speech on Election Night, friends and associates said the Republican couldn’t help but think: If he can do this, why can’t I? Gillespie — the former Republican National Committee chairman and seasoned lobbyist turned Senate candidate from Virginia — last week became the latest in a long line of political wise men and women to put their consulting work aside and go for the brass ring themselves. Most political staffers would probably confess fancying the notion at one point or another watching their bosses perform: Surely I could do this myself. But the transition for the few who act on the impulse can be bumpy. Dispensing advice, it turns out, can be a lot easier than following it. High-powered consulting work can turn into a high-profile liability on the campaign trail. For every Rahm Emanuel — the political sage who dispensed advice to two presidents and won both a seat in Congress and the Chicago mayorship — there’s a Bill Daley, the ex-chief of staff to President Barack Obama who flopped as a candidate for Illinois governor last year. “When you’re a staff member, it’s really easy to sit back and give advice and complain when the person up there on the firing line doesn’t do something the way you would hope they would,” said Andrei Cherny, who lost campaigns for Arizona treasurer and the U.S. House after advising Bill Clinton, Al Gore and John Kerry in various roles. “When you’re in that position [of running] yourself, it becomes apparent that not everything is as easy.” One of the toughest adjustments going from confidant to candidate is letting go of the detail work, said Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Mo.), the No. 2 at the RNC under Gillespie, who won her seat in 2012. At one point during her House campaign, she found herself poring over a mail piece at 1 a.m. after five rounds of edits. Finally it dawned on her that “it was someone else’s job to do it,” Wagner, who also served as Missouri state GOP chairwoman, said in an interview. “It’s a whole new experience once you put your name on the yard sign,” she added. “Any time someone gives you advice or direction, you’re quick to question it and think you’ve got a better way. At some point, you’ve got to cut loose of that and be the candidate.” The experience as a backstage hand can be highly valuable when it comes time to run. Candidates who’ve seen up close what makes for a successful campaign — or a disastrous one — can’t be easily had by vendors. They understand polling and are better attuned to how messaging plays with various constituencies. Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) believes his background running congressional campaigns gave him a major advantage when he ran for the House himself. The former executive director of the National Republican Congressional Committee knew exactly which admaker and pollster to hire and how much he should pay for their services. He offered his consultants smaller retainers but bigger bonuses if he won, so they would be more invested in his success. “You’ve seen a candidate under almost every imaginable circumstance, so you have a very keen awareness of the pitfalls,” Cole, who won his seat in 2002, said in an interview. “You also have credibility with friend, foe and usually the media as well.” Cole, who also once served as chief of staff at the RNC, said novice candidates tend to engage in “self-denial.” They don’t think they have to ask for money because their friends will step up, he said, or that they don’t need to have opposition research conducted on themselves, naively assuming their skeletons will never be unearthed. Of course, not all staffers turned candidates are equal. Some are so visible and respected as political strategists that they come to campaigns not only accustomed to the media glare but also as celebrities in their own right, at least among the Beltway political class. Running for public office for the first time, the 52-year-old Gillespie is, without question, of that ilk. “This is somebody who has been on ‘Meet the Press,’ ‘This Week’ and the other shows more times than I can count,” said

Rep. Tim Griffin (R-Ark.), Gillespie’s research director at the RNC, referring to the new Senate candidate. “When you’re the RNC chairman, you’re a principal in and of yourself.” Haley Barbour, a leading Republican strategist and mentor of Gillespie’s, also made that grade when he ran for Mississippi governor in 2003. He came to the campaign as one of the most seasoned and savvy political strategists in the GOP, boasting stints as political director in Ronald Reagan’s White House and at the helm of the RNC. More than a year before the election, Barbour tapped his nephew Henry to manage the effort. “The candidate’s got to remember he’s the horse and not the jockey,” Haley Barbour said. “We sat down early on and talked about how I thought we could win and what I thought were the important things. Then, after that, I tried to stay out of the execution.” Like Gillespie, Barbour had co-founded one of Washington’s top lobbying firms. His opponent, Democratic incumbent Ronnie Musgrove, spent millions on ads highlighting his clients. One spot accused Barbour of working with the tobacco industry to help “poison our kids.” Barbour responded with a commercial that featured a cancer survivor who praised Barbour’s lobbying work for a university medical center, where the person had received treatment. During his second debate with Musgrove, Barbour saw an opening to bring up the tobacco attack ad. “Be a man, and say that to my face,” Barbour said, catching Musgrove off guard. “I don’t think Henry and [the campaign staff] were enamored with that, but it played well with the audience and the public,” Barbour said in an interview. “It was probably not something they would have planned. I just saw the opening and took it. You do have to do that sometimes.” The same issues surfaced again when Barbour considered running for president in 2012, and he ultimately passed rather than face the inevitable attacks. The path from consultant to candidate is well-traveled. Going back a few decades, Pierre Salinger, the White House press secretary under John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, returned to California to run for Senate in 1964. When the retiring incumbent died, the Democratic governor appointed Salinger to the seat. But he was crushed months later by actor George Murphy. Salinger later put the operative hat back on, managing Bobby Kennedy’s 1968 presidential campaign. He was at Kennedy’s side when he was assassinated. Another famous Kennedy adviser, Ted Sorensen, tried to run for Senate from New York in 1970, but finished third in the Democratic primary. Daley suffered a similar fate last year, dropping out of the governor’s race less than three months after filing. A lifetime in politics, Daley said at the time, did not prepare him for the reality of seeking public office himself. “One of the things I always thought in my career that I wanted to do, I thought I would be able to have that opportunity, I hoped, would be to run for office. And even though you’re around it for a long time, you really don’t get a sense of the enormity of it until you get into it,” Daley told the Chicago Tribune. “I’ve come to the conclusion that this isn’t the best thing for me.” If Gillespie manages to stage an upset against Democratic freshman Sen. Mark Warner (himself a prominent political operative in his former life), it would mean the Old Dominion would have an ex-party chairman from each party as governor and senator. McAuliffe and Gillespie share a long history in politics — McAuliffe used to joke that he spent more time with Gillespie than his wife. Gillespie declined an interview request. In his campaign announcement, he noted his rise from Senate parking lot attendant to top presidential adviser. Gillespie is running “because he believes we need a leader for policies that grow the middle class and foster upward mobility, enabling people to lift themselves out of poverty,” his spokesman said in an email. Like McAuliffe, Gillespie arrives at the campaign well-aware that his career — in addition to his lobbyist work, he was a top political staffer in George W. Bush’s White House and later cofounded a super PAC with Karl Rove — will be fodder for his opponent. Nevertheless, Haley Barbour believes his friend has what it takes to prevail. “If Terry McAuliffe can get elected governor of Virginia,” Barbour said, “Ed Gillespie can get elected senator from Virginia.”

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RUSSELL - Dr. J. Michael Pepek, 66, of Russell, MA passed away on Sunday, January 19, 2014. He was the son of Dr. Joseph M. Pepek and Marjory Malligan Pepek of Westfield. Born in Westfield, Dr. Pepek was a longtime resident of the city and opened his first orthodontic practice there in 1978; he later opened practices in West Springfield and Holyoke. Dr. Pepek was active in the community as an avid tennis player and youth sports coach. He loved landscaping, the banjo, Notre Dame sports, and spending time with his grandchildren. Dr. Pepek graduated from St. Mary’s High School in Westfield, the University of Notre Dame, and from Georgetown University School of Dentistry. After completing his orthodontic residency at the University of Louisville School of Dentistry, he participated in post-graduate training at the H.K. Cooper Institute and the Lancaster Cleft Palate Clinic for the clinical care and research of cleft lip and palate patients. Dr. Pepek served on the consulting staff at Shriner’s Hospital for Children in Springfield, where he volunteered as the orthodontist to the Cleft Lip and Palate Clinic. Dr. Pepek was the first orthodontist from Western MA to be honored as a member of the College of Diplomats of the American Board of Orthodontics. He was also a member of the American Association of Orthodontists, The American Cleft Palate Association, The American Dental Association, The Massachusetts Dental Society and The Valley District Dental Society. Dr. Pepek leaves behind his wife of 38 years, Sharon, of Russell; three sons, a daughter, and their spouses: Dr. Joseph Pepek and Elizabeth (Stapleton) Pepek of Princeton, N.J., William Pepek of Washington, D.C., Catherine (Pepek) Allen and Ryan Allen of Newton, MA and Ian Pepek of Washington, D.C. He leaves two granddaughters, Madeleine and Laura Pepek. He is survived by a sister, Ann (Pepek) Morrison of New York, and two brothers, Dr. Patrick Pepek of Westfield, and John Pepek of West Springfield. Calling hours will be held on Thursday, January 23rd from the Firtion-Adams Funeral Service, 76 Broad Street, Westfield from 4:00-8:00 p.m. A Liturgy of Christian Burial will be held on Friday in St. Mary’s Church in Westfield at 10:30 a.m. Burial will follow in St. Mary’s Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations should be sent to Shriner’s Hospital for Children, 516 Carew Street, Springfield, MA 01104. firtionadams.com

Pole struck A utility pole on Montgomery Road was broken Saturday afternoon when a pickup truck slid off the road and struck it but the pole remains upright and the street light is still working. No injuries were reported and the pickup was towed from the crash scene but, apparently, the pole is okay. (Photo by Carl E. Hartdegen)

angry, the officer advised the suspect to cease and desist; 4:03 p.m.: accident, Montgomery Road, multiple callers reports a pickup truck struck a utility pole, the responding officer reports the operator was not injured, the pole was broken but has not fallen, the vehicle was towed to the police impound yard, see photo in the Tuesday Edition of The Westfield News; 7:01 p.m.: motor vehicle violation, a patrol officer reports he observed a vehicle operating on Southampton Road at a high rate of speed and used radar to determine the pickup truck was operating at 45 mph in a 30 mph zone, the vehicle was stopped on Clay Hill and the operator’s license was found to have been suspended, David J. Whitlock, 41, of 73 North Boulevard, West Springfield, was arrested for operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license and for speeding in violation of special regulations, the officer reports that during the booking process the man was found to be in possession of pills for which he had no prescription and he was also charged with possession of Class B drug; 10:30 p.m.: motor vehicle violation, Southampton Road, a patrol officer reports he observed a vehicle operating at a high rate of speed on the snowy road and used radar to determine the vehicle was traveling at 75 mph in a 40 mph zone, the vehicle was stopped and the officer observed that a partially full bottle of brandy was thrown for a window, the officer noted an “overwhelming” odor of marijuana and found the operator had been denied a driver’s license and was the subject of an outstanding warrant, Alejandro Rodriguez, 38, of 12 W. School St., was arrested for unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, possession of an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, speeding and on the warrant; 11:10 p.m.: assist citizen, Old Farm Road, a caller reports he has locked his keys inside his car which has the headlights illuminated, the responding firefighters report entry was gained; Sunday, Jan. 19, 2014 12:27 a.m.: arrest, Noble Hospital, Court Street, a caller from the hospital reports that a patient believed to be the subject of an outstanding warrant is ready to be discharged, the responding officer reports Scott Groves, 44, of 7 Free St., was arrested on three warrants; 1:07 a.m.: disturbance, Arnold Street, patrol officers report a fight outside an Arnold Street bar, the responding officer reports that while attempting to interview a participant in a fight another party repeatedly yelled at him, other officers and bystanders despite repeated instructions to stop interfering, the officer reports that when the man finally started to walk away he passed close to an officer and, after insulting him directly, attempted to throw an elbow at him, the man was subdued despite his efforts to resist being taken into custody, John A.

ving Lo

Luppi, 34, of 3 Shepard St., was arrested for disorderly conduct, assault and battery on a police officer and resisting arrest; 1:21 a.m.: suspicious vehicle, a caller reports a suspicious vehicle has been lingering in the area, the responding officer reports the vehicle was found and stopped on Locust Street, the operator refused to identify himself or produce any documentation, the man exhibited the classic symptoms of alcohol intoxication and failed the only part of a field sobriety test he would attempt, John P. Rosario, 27, of 35 Short St., Taunton, was arrested for operating a motor vehicle under the influence of liquor, refusing to produce motor vehicle documents and being a motor vehicle operator who refuses to identify himself, when he was taken into custody the man stated without prompting that there was marijuana, nunchucks and a knife in his vehicle and he was also charged with possession of a dangerous weapon and possession of marijuana; 10:26 a.m.: breaking and entering, Ashley Street, a resident came to the station to complain that his vehicle was broken into overnight and property was stolen, the responding officer reports the man said that his vehicle parked in his driveway had not been locked and his wallet, cell phone, camera and iPod were stolen; 2:15 p.m.: parking violation, Church Street, a uniformed patrol officer reports he observed a vehicle parked in a posted no parking zone and stopped his cruiser to speak with the female operator who was alone in the vehicle, the officer reports the woman did not respond when he told her that she was parked in a prohibited area and would be ticketed if she did not move but continued to sit in the vehicle, the officer exited his cruiser and repeated his warning but the woman still did not move the car, a parking ticket was issued; 11:47 p.m.: unwanted guest, Otis Street, a caller reports he has two unwanted female parties in his home, the responding office reports one of the women had left prior to his arrival and both remaining parties agreed to got to bed, the officer reports that after he exited the residence the female party came outside and complained that the man had pushed her, the officer reports he spoke again with both parties, neither claimed an injury or exhibited any signs of injury, both were advised they may contact the department’s domestic violence advocate.

Memor yo f

Saturday, Jan. 18, 2013 12:32 a.m.: assault, Woodsong Road, a hospital staffer reports a patient asserts he was assaulted at a local bar and would like to speak with an officer, the responding officer reports the patient said that he had become engaged in an argument with a former friend while at a local bar and the man struck his head with a glass which shattered and caused lacerations which required 27 stitches to close, the bar staff said that although they had been advised of the altercation staff did not witness it and it was not reported to police, the officer took custody of the shards of glass, the officer went to the suspect’s home where he observed the suspect’s vehicle and saw a bloody paper towel in the front seat but nobody came to the door, the officer sought and was granted a warrant; 7:23 a.m.: vandalism, Caitlin Way, a caller reports his car was egged overnight, the responding officer reports the complainant said that between midnight and 6 a.m. his vehicle was struck by three eggs while it was parked in front of his resident, no lasting damage was done; 9:54 a.m.: vandalism, Gladwin Drive, a caller reports her mailbox and those of several neighbors were apparently stuck with a baseball bat and damaged overnight, the responding officer reports that three mailboxes appear to have been vandalized; 12:30 p.m.: suspicious activity, Main Street, a caller from a Main Street jewelry store reports three persons entered his store and one appeared to be attempting to distract him while the others attempted to steal, the responding officer reports that a female party engaged him and appeared to be attempting to obstruct him when he saw that the two male parties appeared to be attempting to take screws out of a display case to gain access, the man said he told the people that they had to leave because he had to use the bathroom, the owner said he subsequently discovered a screw which had been removed from a display case; 2:09 p.m.: annoying phone calls, a resident came to thestation to complain that her boyfriend’s estranged wife is harassing her, the respond officer reports the complainant said that she had tried to be cordial to the woman but she had been harassing her via social media, the officer spoke with the woman who acknowledged that her complaints are with her husband and not his new girlfriend but said she is nonetheless

Dr. J. Michael Pepek

Emergency Response and Crime Report Friday, Jan. 17, 2013 8:28 a.m.: larceny, East Main Street, a resident came to the station to report the theft of tools from his pickup truck, the responding officer reports the complainant said that he had left his pickup truck parked in an East Main Street parking lot overnight and when he returned to it he found that power tools valued at about $1,000 he had left on the back seat had been stolen, the man said that he thought he had locked the vehicle but said there were no signs of forcible entry; 8:47 a.m.: assist citizen, a resident came to the station to surrender his firearms after the police chief revoked his license to carry firearms when the man became the defendant of a harassment order, the man surrendered 45 firearms, the man said that most of the weapons had belonged to his father who had been a wealthy gun collector; 12:10 p.m.: assist resident, Princeton Street, a caller requests assistance retrieving his keys from his locked vehicle, the responding deputy fire chief reports entry was made; 3:13 p.m.: accident, North Elm Street at Notre Dame Street, a caller reports a crash involving a pedestrian, the responding officer reports a bicyclist said that he was waiting to cross North Elm Street in a crosswalk when an operator waved him across, the man said that while he was riding his bike across the street a van appeared in the other lane and he was unable to avoid colliding with the side of the van, the bicyclist was transported to Noble Hospital; 4:14 p.m.: violation of a protective order, Sunnyside Road, a caller reports her former boyfriend violated the ‘No contact’ clause of a recently served protective order by sending her text messages while she was in the city visiting her mother, the officer reports the woman said that the man has also asked a friend to pass a message from him to her, a criminal complaint was filed and, at the woman’s mother’s request the officer explained how to serve the man a ‘No trespassing’ order via certified mail; 6:52 p.m.: well being check, Kane Brothers Circle, a caller requests that an officer check a complaint of no heat he received from one of his children who is at the home of his estranged wife where he is enjoined from visiting by a protective order, the officer reports that temperature at the home was comfortable and the children’s mother had made arrangements to have her heating oil tank filled, the woman said that the man had left her a message in violation of the ‘No contact’ clause of the protective order, the officer reports he met with the caller who admitted that he had left a message, Andrew T. Hartley, 44, of 65 Kane Brothers Circle, was arrested for violation of an abuse prevention order; 11:06 p.m.: false 911 call, Conner Avenue, a anonymous caller reports that it sounds as if neighbors are fighting, the responding officer reports that the bogus call was made in an effort to coerce a resident to pay a debt allegedly incurred by the resident, the suspect was advised that the issue of payment for a purchase is a civil matter which should be addressed in civil court, a criminal complaint for making a false police report was filed; 11:10 p.m.: disturbance, Frederick Street, a caller reports hearing a fight in a common area of her apartment house, the responding officer reports a resident came to the door of the indicated apartment while applying a bandage to a cut, the man said that he had injured his finger when an argument with a friend devolved into a physical altercation, the resident said that the dispute had been resolved; 11:47 p.m.: disturbance, Frederick Street, a caller reports the participants in a previous altercation had resumed a verbal dispute, the responding officer reports the resident said that she did not feel safe with a guest she has allowed to stay in her home for a few days because the man is intoxicated, the man acknowledged that he had consumed a quantity of alcohol, he told the officer that he had no place to go but requested a ride to the West Springfield border so he could walk to Springfield, the man was placed in protective custody.

Katherine “Trin” Wantuch 5-11-67 ~ 1-22-84 Trin, 30 years of loving and missing you. We know you are with us because when we went to the medium (Theresa Caputo) you sure made your presence known. We were so happy for that. Since then we have lost our Rock, your Dad, now he is with you, which makes us sad and jealous. May the winds of love blow softly and whisper so you’ll hear, we will always love and miss you and wish that you were here. Please take care of each other. Love you, till we meet again.

Sadly Missed by Mom, sisters Kelly, Kim, Kristie and Kerrie

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HEALTHFITNESS HHS No. 2 doesn’t recall elevating security worry RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The second-in-command at the federal Health and Human Services Department says he doesn’t recall reporting security concerns about the administration’s health insurance website to higher-ups. Deputy Secretary William Corr “has no recollection” of relaying concerns passed on to him by the department’s top technology officer to his own boss, Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, or to White House officials, spokeswoman Joanne Peters said. Corr and Sebelius both have offices on the sixth floor of the HHS building, overlooking the National Mall. Over the summer and into early fall, the department was working frantically to meet a selfimposed Oct. 1 deadline for the start of the first open enrollment season under President Barack Obama’s health care law. That’s also when the website was scheduled to go live. HHS chief information officer Frank Baitman testified to Congress this week that he learned days before the launch that senior cybersecurity experts inside the department were balking at signing a required operational certificate. The problem: Security testing had not been completed because the website was getting constant technology tweaks and also was crashing. Baitman said he passed that information on to Corr and another top official.

In Mass., website woes frustrate health care push

make the needle sticks a habit because it hurt so much,” he said. “And there are still times I don’t want to do it — it hurts and it’s inconvenient. When I’m hanging out with friends, heading down to the beach to body-surf or going to lunch, I have to hold everyone up to take my blood sugar.” The idea that all of that monitoring could be going on passively, through a contact lens, is especially promising for the world’s 382 million diabetics who need insulin and keep a close watch on their blood sugar. The prototype, which Google says will take at least five years to reach consumers, is one of several medical devices being designed by companies to make glucose monitoring for diabetic patients more convenient and less invasive than traditional finger pricks. The contact lenses were developed during the past 18 months in the clandestine Google X lab that also came up with a driverless car, Google’s Web-surfing eyeglasses and Project Loon, a network of large balloons designed to beam the Internet to unwired places. But research on the contact lenses began several years earlier at the University of Washington, where scientists worked under National Science Foundation funding. Until Thursday, when Google shared information about the project with The Associated Press, the work had been kept under wraps.

STEVE LeBLANC Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts has long held a special status in the debate about President Obama’s health care law. It was a 2006 Massachusetts law that provided the inspiration for the 2010 national law, and Massachusetts already had near-universal coverage before the federal law took effect. Now the state that gave birth to a sweeping expansion of health coverage nationally is trying to knit the two laws together and struggling to make sure no resident falls through the insurance net. At the center of their frustration is a glitchy website that has forced the state to rely on workarounds to ensure access to coverage. About 5,400 shoppers were able to enroll in health care plans through the Massachusetts Health Connector by the end of December, according to a report by the federal Health and Human Services Department. Of those, 31 percent were between the ages of 18 and 34. But state health officials say that the number of new people were able access to subsidized coverage through the Connector and MassHealth programs despite the website problems was higher — about 28,000. Even so, 26,000 other people ran into technical roadblocks and had to be enrolled in temporary subsidized coverage through MassHealth, the state’s Medicaid program. Officials say they’re focused on improving those numbers before March 31, when the federal health care law’s first open enrollment season ends. Jean Yang, executive director of the Health Connector, said the agency had to come up with creative ways to work around the website failures. That included increasing call center capacity to help people who were unable to use the website. On Dec. 31, there were about 200 call center staff on hand — three times the original capacity on Oct. 1. Massachusetts Secretary of Administration and Finance Glen Shor said the state is determined to protect the gains made since 2006. Massachusetts has the highest percentage of insured residents of any state. He also said that the federal health care law, despite its complexity, is good for Massachusetts and will help beef up the state’s already strong record on providing

See Google Option, Page 7

See Health Care Push, Page 7

This undated photo released by Google shows a contact lens Google is testing to explore tear glucose. After years of scalding soldering hair-thin wires to miniaturize electronics, Brian Otis, Google X project lead, has burned his fingertips so often that he can no longer feel the tiny chips he made from scratch in Google’s Silicon Valley headquarters, a small price to pay for what he says is the smallest wireless glucose sensor that has ever been made. (AP Photo/Google)

Google contact lens could be option for diabetics

See HealthCare.gov, Page 7

Weighing more doesn’t boost survival for diabetics; study refutes ‘obesity paradox’ idea MARILYNN MARCHIONE AP Chief Medical Writer The “obesity paradox” — the controversial notion that being overweight might actually be healthier for some people with diabetes — seems to be a myth, researchers report. A major study finds there’s no survival advantage to being large, and a disadvantage to being very large. More than 24 million Americans have diabetes, mostly Type 2, the kind that is on the rise because of obesity. About two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight, including one-third who are obese. Weighing too much increases the chances of heart disease, cancer and premature death. But some small See Obesity Paradox, Page 7

MARTHA MENDOZA AP National Writer MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP) — Brian Otis gingerly holds what looks like a typical contact lens on his index finger. Look closer. Sandwiched in this lens are two twinkling glitter-specks loaded with tens of thousands of miniaturized transistors. It’s ringed with a hair-thin antenna. Together these remarkable miniature electronics can monitor glucose levels in tears of diabetics and then wirelessly transmit them to a handheld device. “It doesn’t look like much, but it was a crazy amount of work to get everything so very small,” he said before the project was unveiled Thursday. During years of soldering hair-thin wires to miniaturize electronics, Otis burned his fingertips so often that he can no longer feel the tiny chips he made from scratch in Google’s Silicon Valley headquarters, a small price to pay for what he says is the smallest wireless glucose sensor ever made. Just 35 miles away in the beach town of Santa Cruz, high school soccer coach and university senior Michael Vahradian, 21, has his own set of fingertip callouses, his from pricking himself up to 10 times a day for the past 17 years to draw blood for his glucose meter. A cellphone-sized pump on his hip that attaches to a flexible tube implanted in his stomach shoots rapidacting insulin into his body around the clock. “I remember at first it was really hard to

Patients with deadly TB released in South Africa MARIA CHENG AP Medical Writer LONDON (AP) — The spread of a virtually untreatable form of tuberculosis in South Africa is being fueled by the release of infected patients into the general community, according to a new study. Scientists tracked 107 patients with extensively drug-resistant TB, also known as XDR-TB in three South African provinces between 2008 and 2012. Despite most patients being treated with about eight TB drugs, 78 died. More than 40 others were released from hospitals without further monitoring. TB is an infectious bacterial infection that usually affects the lungs and is often spread by coughing and sneezing. In one case, DNA testing confirmed a discharged

patient passed on the deadly strain to his brother; both eventually died without being admitted to a hospital. Researchers said releasing patients with the lethal TB strain was happening on a widespread level in South Africa because there were few available beds in TB hospitals or palliative care facilities. “These patients can survive for months or even years and are contributing to the community-based spread of XDR-TB,” said Keertan Dheda of the University of Cape Town in South Africa, who led the study. The research was published online Friday in the journal, Lancet. Dheda described the situation as alarming and called for modern sanatoriums to be built so patients could be treated away from society.

South Africa has the world’s highest number of patients with XDR-TB and health officials warn other drug-resistant forms of the disease are spreading at an increasing rate, most notably in eastern and central Europe, China, India and Africa. In an accompanying commentary, Max O’Donnell and Neil Schluger of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York and the World Lung Foundation, described drug-resistant TB as an “out-of-control problem with potentially vast and devastating repercussions for global public health.” Globally, experts estimate only about one in five people with drug-resistant TB is diagnosed or treated. ——— Online: In this Friday, Nov. 9. 2007 file photo, a doctor examines chest X-rays at a tuberculosis clinic in www.lancet.com Gugulethu, Cape Town, South Africa. (AP Photo/Karin Schermbrucker, File)

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Google Option Continued from Page 6 “You can take it to a certain level in an academic setting, but at Google we were given the latitude to invest in this project,” Otis said. “The beautiful thing is we’re leveraging all of the innovation in the semiconductor industry that was aimed at making cellphones smaller and more powerful.” American Diabetes Association board chair Dwight Holing said he’s gratified that creative scientists are searching for solutions for people with diabetes but warned that the device must provide accurate and timely information. “People with diabetes base very important health care decisions on the data we get from our monitors,” he said. Other non-needle glucose monitoring systems are also in the works, including a similar contact lens by Netherlands-based NovioSense, a minuscule, flexible spring that is tucked under an eyelid. Israel-based

OrSense has already tested a thumb cuff, and there have been early designs for tattoos and saliva sensors. A wristwatch monitor was approved by the FDA in 2001, but patients said the low level electric currents pulling fluid from their skin was painful, and it was buggy. “There are a lot of people who have big promises,” said Dr. Christopher Wilson, CEO of NovioSense. “It’s just a question of who gets to market with something that really works first.” Palo Alto Medical Foundation endocrinologist Dr. Larry Levin said it was remarkable and important that a tech firm like Google is getting into the medical field and that he’d like to be able to offer his patients a pain-free alternative from either pricking their fingers or living with a thick needle embedded in their stomach for constant monitoring. “Google, they’re innovative, they are up on new tech-

nologies, and also we have to be honest here, the driving force is money,” he said. Worldwide, the glucosemonitoring devices market is expected to be more than $16 billion by the end of this year, according to analysts at Renub Research. The Google team built the wireless chips in clean rooms and used advanced engineering to get integrated circuits and a glucose sensor into such a small space. Researchers also had to build in a system to pull energy from incoming radio frequency waves to power the device enough to collect and transmit one glucose reading per second. The embedded electronics in the lens don’t obscure vision because they lie outside the eye’s pupil and iris. Google is now looking for partners with experience bringing similar products to market. Google officials declined to say how many people worked on the project

HealthCare.gov Continued from Page 6 HealthCare.gov is the online portal to coverage under Obama’s law. It was overwhelmed by multiple technical problems when it launched and was out of commission most of October. Major computer issues have since been resolved, and most consumers are able to sign up. But questions remain about how and why the administration bungled the rollout. Baitman told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee this week that on Sept. 20 the chief

information security officer for the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, Teresa Fryer, outlined her concerns during a teleconference. CMS is the department division running the website. A second cybersecurity professional senior to Fryer, the chief information officer of CMS, was also uncomfortable with signing the operational and security certificate, which is a requirement for federal technology projects. “I shared it with a few people,” Baitman said, naming Corr and E.J. “Ned”

Obesity Paradox Continued from Page 6 studies have suggested this might not be true for everyone, and that Type 2 diabetics might even benefit from a few extra pounds — a “metabolic reserve” to help get them through sickness. The new research — which looked at deaths according to how much people weighed when they were diagnosed with diabetes — dispels that idea. “We didn’t see this protective effect at all,” said one study leader, Deirdre Tobias of the Harvard School of Public Health. “The lowest risk was seen in the normal-weight category.” The National Institutes of Health and the American Diabetes Association paid for the work. Results are in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine. “It’s a very convincing study” and large enough to give a clear answer, said one independent expert, Dr. Patrick Remington, associate dean for public health at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It involved 11,427 female nurses and male health professionals diagnosed with diabetes sometime after enrolling in two long-running health studies. They were grouped according to body mass index, a measure of height and weight. People with a BMI over 25 are considered overweight, and 30 or higher, obese. A 5-foot-8-inch person would be overweight at 164 pounds and obese at 197. During more than 15 years of follow-up, there were 3,083 deaths. The lowest risk was among those in the normal range — BMIs of 22.5 to 25. For the rest, researchers saw a J-shaped curve — deaths trended higher at both extremes. Being just a little overweight did not substantially raise the risk of death, but the trend was in that direction. The study was big enough that researchers could look at subgroups. For those under 65 when they were diagnosed with diabetes, the risk of death rose directly in relation to BMI. The same was true of people who had never smoked. Trends for smokers and people over 65 were less uniform. Smokers had higher death rates in general. Smoking suppresses appetite and contributes to lower weight, but contributes so strongly to many diseases that it can overshadow and complicate efforts to measure the effect of weight alone, Tobias said. Older people have many other health conditions that also make it hard to see the effect of BMI. The results support guidelines urging people to keep a healthy weight, said Dr. Donna Ryan of Louisiana State University’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center. Even though being modestly overweight did not raise the risk of dying very much in this study, many others show that it impairs quality of life by contributing to high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other problems, she said. Ryan said she doubted that overweight people would think it’s OK to be a little pudgy. “Are you kidding?” she said. “Everybody is trying to lose weight.”

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Holland, the department’s assistant secretary for administration. “I thought it was noteworthy that the chief information security officer for CMS had expressed that she was uncomfortable signing it,” Baitman added. He said he didn’t consider that a “red flag,” but he wanted to share it with senior officials. The security certificate was finally signed on Sept. 27 by Marilyn Tavenner, the administrator of Medicare and Medicaid, whose background is in hospital administration, not technology. It amounted to a six-month permit, coupled with a series of measures to address possible security vulnerabilities. Without complete security testing ahead of the launch, it wasn’t possible to assess how well the site would stand up to hackers. Fryer testified that testing was successfully completed on Dec. 18, and she would be willing to sign off now. There have been no successful attacks on the site. Corr, the No. 2 HHS official who was alerted by Baitman, plays a behind-the-scenes role. Corr got his start in health care in the 1970s, running clinics in rural areas of Tennessee and Kentucky. He later served as a senior staffer to House and Senate Democrats and worked as HHS chief of staff during President Bill Clinton’s administration. Before returning to government service in 2009, he was executive director of the Campaign for TobaccoFree Kids.

Hearing Test Set for Senior Citizens AnnouncementFree electronic hearing tests will be given from Monday-Friday 9am – 5pm at Avada Hearing Care Centers at 9 locations in Western Mass. Call to find the location nearest to you. The test has been arranged for anyone who suspects they are not hearing clearly. People who usually say they can hear but have trouble with understanding words are encouraged to come in for the tests. The testing includes newly-developed tests that determine your ability to hear speech in noisy environments. Everyone, especially those over 55 who have trouble hearing words clearly, should have a test annually. Demonstrations of the latest devices to improve clarity of speech will be available, on the spot, after the tests. You can HEAR for yourself if the latest methods of correction will help you understand words better. Call for your Appointment

cose is present in tears and whether the amount of glucose is proportional to the amount of glucose in blood. He’s still analyzing but optimistic about his findings and warns there are many potential pitfalls.

“Already this has some breakthrough technologies, but this is a moonshot, there are so many challenges,” he said. One is figuring out how to correlate glucose levels in tears as compared with blood. And what happens on windy days, while chopping onions or during very sad movies? As with any medical device, it would need to be tested and proved accurate, safe, and at least as good as other types of glucose sensors available now to win FDA approval. Karen Rose Tank, who left her career as an economist to be a health and wellness coach after her Type 1 diabetes diagnosis 18 years ago, also is encouraged that new glucose monitoring methods may be on the horizon. “It’s really exciting that some of the big tech companies are getting into this market,” she said. “They bring so much ingenuity; they’re able to look outside the box.”

Health Care Push coverage. “At the end of the day we have to remember this is not about a website, this about health security,” Shor said. Connector officials have brought in outside consultants to help assess the website and come up with solutions. The assessment team is being led by experts from MITRE, a nonprofit research and development center with expertise in systems engineering and integration. The report was originally due Friday, but Shor say MITRE was putting the final touches on the study, which they expected soon. Connector officials said the report could provide critical information as they decide whether to pursue legal action against CGI Group, the Montreal-based information technology company hired to create the new website. CGI also was the top contractor on

Continued from Page 6 the troubled federal website. CGI says it remains focused on helping Massachusetts residents get insured by enrolling in qualified, affordable health plans online. “CGI and its resources are dedicated to delivering continuous improvements in system performance and the user experience for the Massachusetts Health Connector,” said company spokeswoman Linda Odorisio. Josh Archambault, health care policy director for the Pioneer Institute, a conservative-leaning Boston-based think tank, said part of the frustration is that Massachusetts had a functioning website before the federal law was passed. “The big question is whether the state could have built off its existing website or did it have to start all over?” He said. Archambault said the fed-

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eral law is a “net negative” for Massachusetts because it adds another layer of bureaucracy while many of the benefits of the federal law were already covered by the state law. The health care woes have already become an issue in the Massachusetts governor’s race with Republican hopeful Charlie Baker calling for the state to seek a comprehensive waiver from the federal law. “We have a system in place that works and addresses all the goals of the (federal law), so I believe we should be doing everything we can to see that we are able to keep it,” Baker said in a statement last week.

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TAYLOR LEE IN HILDACK CONCERT RECENTLY N APPEARED OO L! AMERICAN ID

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1 BROAD ST • WESTFIELD, MA 413-562-0335 • WWW.TAVERNRESTAURANTWESTFIELD.COM Taylor Hildack speeks with Ryan Seacrest at the American Idol.

Westfield Idol both held this time at Boston’s Marriot Hotel. “When Taylor was little, she’d sing all the time in the car,” her dad said proudly. “She started taking singing lessons at a young age, and has been singing ever since. She won talent shows, won a scholarship to the Community School of Music in Springfield, where she performed with the Avery Sharp Trio.” Graduating from Westfield High School in 2011, Taylor was a member of the WHS Jazz Ensemble and cites her instructor Patrick Kennedy as a big influence on her musical aspirations. “He made me realize you have to feel the music, to understand the lyrics,” she said. “He also got me into scatting and improvisation.” In addition to Kennedy, Hildack cites a slew of instructors, friends and family as influences and inspirations, including her brother Tyler, 23, a session guitarist who is currently leading an effort to bring another recording studio to the

Continued from Page 1 a person. Not everyone gets to Hollywood in city. “People like Ellen Cogen, Bob Ferrier, Peter their first audition.” “She was very professional when they told her Thompson, and Pat,” she said of several Holyoke Community College music professors and to come back next year,” Randy Hildack said of the Idol experience last fall. “Hey, it took Carrie instructors who’ve helped her along the way. Many musicians seeking fame and fortune Underwood a few auditions to make it.” Taylor is confident that the Idol judges have sacrifice everything to see their name in lights, but Hildack is looking to establish a safety net not seen the last of her, and that the best is yet to come. should her musical dreams not materialize. “The next audition is in August, if it’s the same “I’ve been accepted to the Berklee College of Music in Boston,” she said, admitting she still is time as last year,” said Hildack, who is currently unsure what path she wishes to take as far as taking voice lessons from Thompson in course study. “I want to do either Music Longmeadow, and singing lessons from Janet Education and Performance, or Music Therapy.” Ryan of Springfield. “I just want to thank everyDespite only earning a vote from J-Lo at the one for their support. I will be back.” Hildack will be performing locally at The Marriot, Hildack said that not advancing to Hollywood, while the obvious aspiration for Tavern Restaurant tomorrow night. ——— every Idol contestant, isn’t everything to her. ON THE WEB “I don’t mind if I don’t get all the way,” she Mother Christine Libardi and father https://www.youtube.com/ said. “To get recognized and to be a part of the Randy Hildack from Westfield. watch?v=QjQ8ZX6Pb1I competition will help me grow as a singer and as

Senior Center

Stolen Gold

Continued from Page 1 under a 50-year lease approved by the City Council at its Jan. 6, 2014 session. The Senior Center Building Committee goal is to present the project to the Planning Board to begin the board’s review of a petition for approval of a special permit, site plan and stormwater management plan associated with the $7 million construction project. The stormwater management plan not only includes details of how stormwater will be managed on the Noble Street site, but also plans to relocate an existing stormwater line crossing under the proposed building. The line, which passes through an easement granted to the city for drainage of the Ely-Dolan apartments, is being moved to the northern border of the property. The 20,000-square-foot, two-story building is being designed by a team of two architectural companies, Dietz & Company Architects of Springfield which is teaming up with Courtstreet Architects of Newton. Courtstreet has designed several senior centers constructed recently in the state. Mayor Daniel M. Knapik snet a request Thursday, Jan. 16, to the City Council to appropriate $371,000 from the city’s free cash account to complete the design effort for the Senior Center

Continued from Page 1

on Noble Street. He said that the $371,000 will take the project through the design phase and to the bid process of the construction phase. The Senior Center Building Committee has established a timeline to push the project toward construction next fall, with the opening of the new facility slated for the fall of 2015. The committee anticipates a construction phase of 14 months beginning in the late summer or early fall if the other milestones are met. Whip City Aviation, LLC has also petitioned the Planning Board for approval of a special permit, site plan and stormwater permit and will present details of its plan tonight. Whip City, under terms of the lease, plans to invest over $1.1 million at Barnes Regional Airport. An estimated repair cost of the five existing hangers is projected at a minimum of $313,000. The two principles of Whip City are Dwight Klepacki and John Burke. Klepacki, of South Hadley, has been a pilot for more than 30 years with strong ties to the Barnes aviation community and is the owner of a metal fabrication business. Burke, a city resident, is a building contractor and developer, who has held a pilot license for the past six years.

that the young woman had sold to a West Springfield jeweler for $210 and showed pictures of the items to the victim who identified the pieces as among items which had been stolen from her, apparently while her grandson was staying at her house while she and her husband were away. Tsatsos determined that Gallo had been in dating relationship with the victim’s grandson and that she had visited him there. Tsatsos pointed out in his report that the young man “was not aware that his girlfriend (Gina Gallo) was stealing his Grandmother’s (sic) jewelry while visiting him at their house.” Tsatsos reports that he visited Gallo at her workplace and she agreed to come to the station for an interview. There, Tsatsos reports, she was advised of her Miranda rights and subsequently admitted to stealing the jewelry he had recovered while she was visiting her boyfriend. The woman told Tsatsos that “she needed the money to pay an old debt” of $350 to a cocaine dealer. She also surrendered a watch, another gold ring and a gold chain that she said she had also

stolen from the home. That jewelry, in addition to the items Tsatsos had already recovered, were returned to the victim but she subsequently reported that she is also missing two more gold rings, two watches and a pair of matched gold bracelets. The victim put a value of about $1,675 on the additional items. Tsatsos reports that, while Gallo was paid only $210 for the first items he recovered, “The actual value of the items sold is some $1800.00 to $2000.00” but points out that she was paid only for the scrap value of the gold and “this amount in no way reflects the true value of the items sold.” Gallo was charged with larceny of property value more than $250 for the theft of the jewelry and also with larceny of property value less than $250 for the theft from the jeweler who paid her for stolen property he was not able to keep. When Gallo appeared for arraignment before Judge Philip A. Contant Friday she was released one her personal recognizance pending a March 25 hearing.

Gala The division’s premiere fundraising event for 2014 is the 175th Scholarship Gala, which will be held on Saturday, March 29, at the Scanlon Banquet Hall on the Western Avenue campus, with event proceeds benefiting student scholarships, internships, and book scholarships. “As Westfield State continues to observe its 175th anniversary, this event and others will showcase the talented students and excellent faculty and staff who are part of our university,” Knapik said. Appointed in August, Knapik has rounded out a prolific team to head the division, including former director of the Westfield Business Improvement District, Lisa McMahon; former development officer at Bay Path College, Amy Carignan; WHYNAM 560 on-air personality Bo Sullivan; and recent WSU grad David Candella. Also assisting Knapik will be longtime Westfield State employees David Caspole and Bonnie Clark. “The university has put together a tremendous team of professionals whose primary task will be to raise funds to support students, faculty, and university needs,” Knapik said. “Each of these professionals brings a great deal of fundraising, stewardship, and networking skills to the table… I could not think of a better team to help Westfield State during its 175th anniversary year.” As part of his new duties Knapik oversees the Westfield State University Foundation, which raises funds for scholarship support, internship programs, athletics, and other projects. The foundation’s Board of Directors and its extended corpora-

Continued from Page 1 tors serve as the fundraising arm of the university within the community and western Massachusetts. Signature events have included the university’s annual Breakfast with Santa and the Interfaith Breakfast to support the university’s Interfaith Center, a gift from the late philanthropist Al Ferst and his wife, Millie. “Perhaps the foundation’s greatest impact is that it manages and raises monies through a series of events and direct appeals for a portfolio of scholarships and funds to benefit the students who attend Westfield State,” Knapik said. Made up of a group of committed alumni, community residents, and professionals, the foundation, which was founded in 1980, is a non-profit organization designed to raise funds to support the university’s mission. Other initiatives of both the advancement division and foundation include raising funds for the state’s University Internship Incentive Program, where every dollar raised by the university will be matched by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts dollarfor-dollar for paid internships, supporting faculty priorities, and participating in a capital campaign for the university’s new STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) building. The foundation manages scholarships and funds endowed to honor over 18 individuals, various classes and families, as well as heading on-campus initiatives such as the naming of the Bud and Jim Hagen Field at the university this past spring. “We are grateful at the university to have such generous benefactors and partners among its alumni, within the community, and on campus.” said Knapik. “These funds and programs sup-

plement state support, student tuition, and other costs associated with attending WSU.” In addition to the March scholarship gala, the foundation has announced several events over the course of 2014, including a Tekoa Hold ‘em Tournament on April 4 at Tekoa Country Club, the Fiddler on the Roof Dinner Theater on April 12 at WSU’s Dever Auditorium, the Foundation Golf Classic on June 9 at the Springfield Country Club, the Owl Club Golf Tournament on August 4 at The Ranch Golf Club in Southwick, and Breakfast with Santa on December 6 at WSU’s Scanlon Banquet Hall.

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THE WESTFIELD NEWS

WWW.THEWESTFIELDNEWS.COM/SPORTS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014 - PAGE 9

THE WESTFIELD NEWSSPORTS

Westfield’s Kay Kennedy, foreground, lines up for the shot as a Holyoke defender watches. (Photo by Frederick Gore)

Westfield’s Jules Sharon, center, attempts to snag the rebound as a pair of Holyoke defenders move in. (Photo by

Westfield’s Alicia Arnold, foreground, collects the rebound during last night’s game against visiting Holyoke. (Photo by

Frederick Gore)

Holyoke shoots down Bombers By Chris Putz Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The Westfield High School girls’ basketball team ran into a buzzsaw Monday night. Holyoke converted eight 3-pointers and produced four scorers in double-digits in a 69-50 thrashing of Westfield. Kelly Reardon (20 points), Carly Castello (12), Alli Meadows (11), and Callie Cavanaugh (10) each reached that mark for the Purple Knights. “If you give up 69 points, you’re going to lose to anybody,” Westfield coach Ralph

Loos said. “We have communication issues on defense … we’re not rotating to the ball … and we’re turning the ball over by hero passes.” Fueled by consecutive 3-point shots from Meadows, Holyoke surged ahead late in the second quarter with an 8-1 run to take a 28-23 lead. Westfield managed to hang around for much of the second half until Reardon drained two 3s, sandwiched around another trey from Meadows. “It seems like we’re close, but we don’t have the ability right now to get over the

Westfield’s Jules Sharon, center, attempts to break through a pair of Holyoke defenders during the second period of last night’s game in Westfield. (Photo by Frederick Gore)

hump,” said Loos, whose team is mired in a four-game losing streak. Westfield played without guard Lexi Minicucci Monday, and lost Beka Santiago late in regulation to injury. The extent of the injury was not known. Both teams exchanged the lead several teams through the game’s first 12 minutes. Westfield’s Alicia Arnold, who notched nine points in her previous outing, nailed two 3s for the team’s first six points. Arnold made another with 6:18 remaining to pull the Bombers within one point

of a tie, 20-19. Westfield took its final lead of the game about two minutes later on a 2-point shot from Keri Paton. Paton finished with 11 points. Arnold had a teamhigh 15. “We had our opportunities,” Loos said. “I believe that when we run our stuff, we are pretty efficient.” The Bombers will attempt to improve their efficiency rating Tuesday night when they take on the Minnechaug Falcons in a home game at 7 p.m.

Westfield’s Keri Paton, left, looks for the net as a host of Holyoke defenders attempt the block during the second period. (Photo by Frederick Gore)

Westfield’s Beka Santiago, left, battles a pair of Holyoke defenders during the first period of last night’s game in Westfield. (Photo by Frederick Gore)

Westfield’s Olivia Florek, rear, attempts to stay in control as Holyoke’s Kelly Reardon, foreground, looks for the block. (Photo by Frederick Gore)

Westfield High struggles; schedule toughens By Chris Putz Staff Writer AMHERST – Four players netted doubledigits in the scoring column to lead host Amherst past Westfield, 62-50, Monday night. Westfield attempted to fight back despite trailing at the half, 29-23. Isiah Headley and Richard Barnett led the Bombers with 16 and 10 points, respectively. The schedule does not let up for Westfield.

The Bombers next play Central Wednesday at home before traveling to West Springfield Thursday to take on the Terriers. Both games tip of at 7 p.m. Gateway 58, St. Mary 28 HUNGTINGTON – …and the beat goes on for the Gateway Regional High School boys’ basketball team. Gateway continues to pound the competi-

tion in the Tri-County League, remaining unbeaten in league play with a rout of visiting St. Mary Monday night. Justin Edinger, Curtis Dowers, and Calvin Dowers scored 13 points apiece to lead Gateway. Brian Mickalay and Bryce Kibbe netted 11 and 8 points, respectively, for St. Mary. Gateway next plays Thursday at McCann Tech, who has just one league loss.

GIRLS’ HOCKEY Cathedral 1, Walpole 0 Madison Pelletier scored a late third-period goal to lift Cathedral in a thriller. Katie Joyal and Brenna Hoar assisted on the play. Lexi Levere was outstanding in goal for the Panthers, collecting 31 saves. Cathedral had 20 shots.

Additional photos and reprints are available at “Photos” on www.thewestfieldnews.com

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PAGE 10 - TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014

THE WESTFIELD NEWS

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS SCHEDULES TUESDAY January 21

WEDNESDAY January 22

THURSDAY FRIDAY January 23 January 24 WESTFIELD HIGH SCHOOL

SWIMMING at Northampton, 4 p.m. GIRLS’ JV HOOPS vs. Minnechaug, 5:30 p.m. GIRLS’ V HOOPS vs. Minnechaug, 7 p.m. BOYS’ V HOCKEY at Longmeadow, Olympia Ice Center, West Springfield, 8:30 p.m.

BOYS’ HOOPS vs. Central, 7 p.m.

BOYS’ JV HOOPS at Granby, 5:30 p.m. GIRLS’ JV HOOPS vs. Holyoke Catholic, 5:30 p.m. BOYS’ V HOOPS at Granby, 7 p.m. GIRLS’ V HOOPS vs. Holyoke Catholic, 7 p.m.

WRESTLING at Gateway, 7 p.m.

BOYS’ JV HOOPS vs. Renaissance, 5:30 p.m. BOYS’ V HOOPS vs. Renaissance, 7 p.m.

GIRLS’ JV HOOPS vs. Putnam, 5 p.m. GIRLS’ V HOOPS vs. Putnam, 6:30 p.m.

WRESTLING vs. Southwick-Tolland, 7 p.m.

SKIING – PVIAC Race, 5 p.m. BOYS’ JV HOOPS at McCann Tech, 5:30 p.m. BOYS’ V HOOPS at McCann Tech, 7 p.m.

SATURDAY January 25

MONDAY January 27 BOYS’ JV HOOPS vs. Northampton, 5:30 p.m. BOYS’ V HOOPS vs. Northampton, 7 p.m.

GIRLS’ HOCKEY (Cathedral/WHS/ Long.) at Matignon, Stoneham Arena, 11 a.m. BOYS’ V HOCKEY at East Longmeadow, Olympia Ice Center, West Springfield, 4 p.m.

SKIING – PVIAC Race, Berkshire East, 5 p.m. BOYS’ JV HOOPS at West Springfield, 5:30 p.m. BOYS’ V HOOPS at West Springfield, 7 p.m. GIRLS’ V HOOPS vs. Holyoke, 7 p.m.

***Sunday, January 26***

BOYS’ JV HOCKEY vs. Cathedral, Cyr Arena, 8 p.m.

SOUTHWICK-TOLLAND REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS’ JV HOOPS at McCann Tech, 6 p.m. GIRLS’ V HOOPS at McCann Tech, 7:30 p.m.

GATEWAY REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS’ JV HOOPS at Commerce, 5:30 p.m. GIRLS’ V HOOPS at Commerce, 7 p.m.

WRESTLING at The Mounty, All Day

BOYS’ JV HOOPS vs. Holyoke Catholic, 5 p.m. BOYS’ V HOOPS vs. Holyoke Catholic, 6:30 p.m.

WESTFIELD VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL BOYS’ JV HOOPS at Pioneer Valley Christian School, First Baptist Church Community, 5:30 p.m. BOYS’ V HOOPS at Pioneer Valley Christian School, First Baptist Church Community, 7 p.m.

BOYS’ JV HOOPS vs. Smith Voke, 5:30 p.m. BOYS’ V HOOPS vs. Smith Voke, 7 p.m.

GIRLS’ JV HOOPS vs. Putnam, 4 p.m.

SAINT MARY HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS’ V HOOPS vs. Franklin Tech, Westfield Middle School North, 5:30 p.m.

GIRLS’ V HOOPS vs. Dean Tech, Westfield Middle School North, 5:30 p.m.

BOYS’ V HOCKEY at Chicopee Comp, Fitzpatrick Arena, 3:30 p.m.

BOYS’ JV HOOPS at Whitinsville Christian School, 5:30 p.m. BOYS’ V HOOPS at Whitinsville Christian School, 7 p.m.

WESTFIELD STATE UNIVERSITY SCHEDULES

Ice Hockey DAY Thursday Saturday Thursday Saturday

DATE OPPONENT Jan. 23 at Fitchburg State Jan. 25 at UMass Dartmouth Jan. 30 WORCESTER STATE Feb. 1 PLYMOUTH STATE

Thursday Saturday Saturday

Feb. 6 Feb. 8 Feb. 15

at Framingham State at Salem State FITCBHURG STATE

TIME 7:00 4:30 7:35 5:35

Feb. 20 Feb. 22 Feb. 25 March 1 March 4 March 8

Thursday Saturday Tuesday Saturday Tuesday Saturday

UMASS DARTMOUTH at Worcester State PLYMOUTH STATE MASCAC Quarterfinals MASCAS Semifinals MASCAC Championship

5:35

Men’s Basketball DAY

DATE

OPPONENT

TIME

Tuesday

Jan. 21

WORCESTER STATE