Tuesday, January 27, 2015

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WEATHER TONIGHT

Winter Storm Warning! Low of 20.

The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns

www.thewestfieldnews.com

— JONATHAN SWIFT

75 cents

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

VOL. 84 NO. 024

Monster snowstorm swirls into region

Closings and delays abound in greater Westfield By PETER FRANCIS Staff Writer WESTFIELD – Long before the first flakes of superstorm Juno descended upon Westfield Monday, city officials wasted no time cancelling department and commission meetings. The Joint General Advisory School Committee Meeting, to be held at Westfield Vocational-Technical High School’s Tigers Pride Restaurant at 6 p.m., was postponed and rescheduled for Monday, February 2. Monday evening’s meeting has become an annual event for the school committee, who gets a tour of the school and shops following a meeting and receives updates and feedback from WVTHS instructors and administrators. The January meeting of the city’s Youth Commission has also been postponed, but the city’s Community Development Block Grant Coordinator Diana McLean, who moderates the commission’s meetings, said Monday that the meeting would likely be held in late February. The city’s Historical Commission also postponed their meeting Monday and has rescheduled it for next Monday, February 2, according to Commissioner Cindy Gaylord. A public hearing and an appearance from John MacMillan, an architect from Agawam’s See Closings, Delays, Page 8

Allen Young Jr., of Westfield, checks his side wing plow arm and cables prior to spraying a deicing agent on College Highway in Southwick Monday. (Photo by Frederick Gore)

Things to know as state braces for blizzard By BOB SALSBERG Associated Press FRAMINGHAM (AP) — New England is bracing for a blockbuster blizzard that’s threatening more than 2 feet of snow, hurricane-force winds, coastal flooding and widespread power outages. A look at how the storm might impact Massachusetts and what is being done to prepare: PILING UP In declaring a state of emergency, Gov. Charlie Baker said based on forecasts the blizzard has the potential to be a “top 5″ all-time storm in terms of snowfall. Forecasters say once the storm gets rolling late Monday and into Tuesday, snow could fall at a rate of 2 to 4 inches an hour, with blowing and drifting and damaging winds. Forecasters expect total accumulations could range from 2 to 3 feet around the state. TREACHEROUS TRAVEL Baker issued a state of emergency and ordered an indefinite ban on all nonessential motor vehicle travel starting at midnight Tuesday to help keep roads clear for snow removal crews. The governor said the travel ban was a “last resort” but one that was warranted under the circumstances. The MBTA will also suspend all public transportation services at midnight. Exceptions will be made for the travel ban, including for hospital and certain other health care workers. State Police Col. Timothy Alben said violators could face fines of up to $500, but based on responses to similar orders in the past, he does not expect many people to ignore the order. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation says it is ready for the approaching blizzard, with more than 4,000 road crews, 250,000 tons of salt and 420,000 gallons of deicing liquid. POWER OUTAGES Baker said power outages could number in the hundreds of thousands, and it could take several days to restore power. Forecasters are expecting wind gusts of 25 to 45 mph in the central part of the state and approaching hurricane-force winds of 75 to 80 mph on Cape Cod and the islands. National Grid and NStar say they are prepositioning additional crews and equipment in areas most likely to be affected. Otis Air National Guard Base on Cape Cod will be ready to house additional utility crews that could be brought in from other parts of the country. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency said people should have an emergency kit available that includes flashlights and extra batteries, a first aid kit, essential medicines and a supply of nonperishable food. Erik Loiko, of Westfield, was busy filling pails with sand in preparation FLIGHTS GROUNDED Officials at Boston’s Logan International Airport say no flights for Tuesday’s snowstorm. The sand pile is located at 12 Ponders Hollow Road next to the Westfield Department of Public Works building. Sand is See Blizzard, Page 8 limited to four-pails per resident. (Photo by Frederick Gore)

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By MEGHAN BARR Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The Philadelphia-toBoston corridor of more than 35 million people began shutting down Monday as a monster storm that could unload a paralyzing 1 to 3 feet of snow swirled into the Northeast. Snow was blowing sideways with everincreasing intensity in New York City by midafternoon as flurries began in Boston. Forecasters said the storm would build into a blizzard, and the brunt of it would hit Monday evening and into Tuesday. More than 5,800 flights in and out of the Northeast were canceled, and many of them may not take off again until Wednesday. Schools and businesses let out early. State government offices closed. Cities mobilized snowplows and salt spreaders to deal with a dangerously windy blast that could instantly make up for what has been a largely snow-free winter in the urban Northeast. All too aware that big snowstorms can make or break politicians, governors and mayors moved quickly to declare emergencies and order the shutdown of highways, streets and mass transit systems — perhaps for days — to prevent travelers from getting stranded and to enable plows and emergency vehicles to get through. “It is not a regular storm,” New York Mayor Bill de Blasio warned in ordering city streets closed to all but emergency vehicles beginning at 11 p.m. “What you are going to see in a few hours is something that hits very hard and very fast.” Boston is expected to get 2 to 3 feet, New York 1½ to 2 feet, and Philadelphia more than a foot. The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for a 250-mile swath of the region, meaning heavy, blowing See Monster, Page 3

Businesses share snowstorm advice, help By PETER FRANCIS Staff Writer WESTFIELD – Businesses large and small are feeling the effects of a huge snowstorm sweeping into the area Monday. Fran Hartnett, owner of Westfield Home and Garden on Springfield Road, said Monday afternoon that his store is stocked with rock salt, sand, calcium chloride, shovels and roof rakes for customers to come in and purchase. “Snow blowers, generators, we’ve got it all,” said Hartnett. “We’re prepared and we’re going to hopefully be here (Tuesday). If people need something we’ll be here, one way or the other.” Randy Cross, manager of Rocky’s Ace Hardware on Free Street, said that his store is well-stocked with salt and sand, as well as ice melt and shovels. “We stocked up ahead of time, so we have held up pretty well,” he said. Cross advised customers to stock up on essential goods and adhere to the city’s parking ban, which went into effect Monday evening at 5 p.m. “Stay the heck off the road and let the DPW do their jobs,” he said, adding that his store has put a big order in for Thursday. “Even though we may be running out of some stuff, this stuff will be back in stock early See Advice, Help, Page 8

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Tuesday, January 27, 2015 by The Westfield News - Issuu