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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
“Perhaps the world’s second-worst crime is boredom; the first is being a bore.” — CECIL BEATON
www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 85 NO. 156
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TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2016
Town water ban in effect immediately By GREG FITZPATRICK Correspondent SOUTHWICK – The Town of Southwick’s Board of Water Commissioners has finalized their Water Withdrawal Permit with the MassDEP. The water restriction is in effect immediately as of July 1. The restriction revolves around nonessential outdoor water use. Key examples of non-essential water use that have been identified as irrigation of lawns, car washes at a residence, and washing the outsides of buildings, driveways, parking lots, and sidewalks. The restriction isn’t common to the community of Southwick. “This is something unique with Southwick,” said Southwick Department of Public Works Director
Randy Brown. “There are certainly a lot of questions to answer.” Every customer of the Southwick Water Department is required to obey to the restrictions. If residents choose to not comply with the water ban, a warning will be issued on the first violation, followed by each subsequent violation resulting in a fine. A main restriction to the town’s water usage will be allowing just one day a week for non-essential outdoor water use. As discussed in the recent public hearing, Southwick residents will only be able to use their non-essential outdoor water from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on a specific day. The day depends upon which region of the town residents live in. The MassDEP and Southwick DPW have formed the
schedule seen below: • Monday – North Region, odd number properties • Tuesday – North Region, even number properties • Wednesday – South Region, odd number properties • Thursday – South Region, even number properties The spread out schedule is something that will work most effectively for the town’s water supply. Brown discussed why the schedule has the community using their non-essential outdoor water on different days. See Water Ban, Page 3
Irrigation systems and sprinklers are part of the non-essential water use in the restriction. (WNG File Photo)
Westfield Police arrest two early Friday
Photos from “We Love Westfield” community forum on Facebook, reportedly from the June 23 break-ins at Woronoco Field.
Vehicle break-ins on the rise in Westfield By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD–While parents watched their children playing soccer at Woronoco Field, on June 23 around 7:45 p.m., four of their vehicles were broken into. Then, less than one week later on June 29, shortly before 8 p.m., two more cars were broken into at the same field. All but one of the vehicles had their windows smashed, and police reported that the victims had personal belongings taken–mostly purses–from the vehicles. These break-ins aren’t new however, as police said that there has been a rise in this type of crime throughout the city during the past month, especially in the Woronoco Field area, where the parking lot is more secluded than most. “We’ve seen an increase in the ‘smash and grab’ opportunities,” Capt. Michael McCabe of Westfield Police said of the break-ins, “which tells us that its the same people or they’re new to the area.” Police do not have specific leads on who may be the culprit or culprits in these instances, but they do believe that they are all linked. However, until police know for
certain that these crimes are connected, McCabe said that each case must be investigated separately. But for most observers it may be seen as more than a coincidence. McCabe said part of the problem is that the area that Woronoco Field is in is part of a large tract of land traditionally patrolled by one officer. This can mean that it may be difficult to be at Woronoco Field when an issue requiring police attention is happening in the same district, but miles away from the area of the break-ins. Until there has been a resolution to the break-ins, McCabe said that those who park at Woronoco should secure their belongings and put them out of the sight of potential thieves. Additionally, all doors should be locked on vehicles, since he said a majority of motor vehicle breaking and entering crimes happen because of unlocked vehicles. However, McCabe was also clear that he did not want to blame the victim. “We aren’t looking to blame the victims for victimization,” McCabe said, “but it’s very clear what’s happening in these situations.”
By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD–Two local men were arrested early Friday morning, after police responded to calls of two people breaking into vehicles. Andrew R. McGuire, 20, of Greenfield, and Christopher F. McCracken, 28, of Westfield, were arrested around 2 a.m. after police received word from an astute resident witnessing two men possibly breaking into vehicles on St. Paul Street. “A woman called because she believed she heard someone breaking into a vehicle,” Michael McCabe, Captain of the Westfield Police, said. “She gave a great description and police converged to find people in the area with property that was not theirs,” he said. According to police, the woman heard door handles being lifted and could hear metal hitting together as one of the suspects walked. It was reported that one of the male suspects was also seen inside a Ford Explorer on St. Paul Street. After meeting in the street, the two suspects reportedly walked toward Chapman Park. An officer responded to the area and found the two
CHRISTOPHER F. MCCRACKEN suspects, ordered them onto the ground and asked for additional police. After additional police arrived, officers brought the witness of the possible break-ins to the suspects and police reported that the witness was able to positively identify both McCracken and McGuire. Police said that they found multiple pieces of property, including a license plate in a backpack that one of the suspects had, and the license plate reportedly belonged to a nearby resident. Police also reported that the suspects were found with multiple credit cards that had names of others on them. Police arrested and charged McGuire and McCracken each with two counts breaking and enter-
ANDREW R. MCGUIRE ing for a misdemeanor, taking or carrying away a registration plate, larceny under $250 and larceny over $250. However, the two men were arraigned on different charges once they arrived in court later Friday. McGuire and McCracken were both arraigned on two counts of breaking and entering for a misdemeanor, as well as two counts of larceny under $250, while McGuire was charged with taking a numbered license plate and McCracken was charged with unauthorized possession of a license plate. McGuire was released on personal recognizance, while McCracken was released on $200 bail. Both are due back in court Sept. 1.
Ballot question backers face another key signature deadline BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts residents hoping to get questions on the November ballot are facing another key hurdle. Wednesday is the deadline to deliver a final batch of at least 10,792 certified signatures to the Secretary of State’s office. Just four questions could be headed to the ballot after the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court blocked a fifth question that sought to end the use of Common Core educational standards. The remaining questions would legalize the recreational use of marijuana in Massachusetts, allow the state to add up to a dozen new or expanded charter schools each year outside of existing caps, ban the sale of eggs and other food products that come from farms where animals are confined to overly restrictive cages, and allow the state to issue a second slots parlor license.
Westfield had a role in American independence By DAN DESROCHERS Knox proceeded to march the cannons from Fort “SCAVENGER HUNT.” Ticonderoga, located on Lake Champlain in New Correspondent Find copies of the WESTFIELD–It may not seem it, but York, through most of Massachusetts on ice- and Westfield Freedom Trail Westfield was quite the place for freedom snow-laden roads, and arrived in Boston in Jan. scavenger hunts, go to fighters during the Revolutionary War. 1776. This trek makes up the modern-day Henry Westfield was home to several important www.thewestfieldnews.com Knox Trail, with one of the markers adorning and search “scavenger members in the fight for American Westfield on Main Street in front of The Tavern. hunt.” The two hunts will Independence, and the people here were “With those cannons they were able to run off crucial in many aspects of the Revolutionary be available free-of-charge. the British, which is why Boston celebrates Answers will be provided War. Additionally, some actions that took Evacuation Day,” Cindy Gaylord, Chairperson for to both hunts in our print place in Westfield helped impact the war, as Westfield Historical Commission, said. “It’s quite edition soon. well. celebrated and he cut right through the center of In fact, Westfield had its part in one of Westfield.” the most pivotal moments in the Revolutionary War– But Knox wasn’t the only man to travel from Westfield to Evacuation Day. Boston to help out the colonists. Henry Knox, noted American military officer, seized several According to Gaylord, General Warham Parks led the cannons at Fort Ticonderoga from the British, during the win- Minutemen from Westfield to Bunker Hill in Boston. Before ter of 1775. Knowing that the city of Boston was in grave Knox made his trek through the area, Parks led his forces to danger and under the orders of Gen. Washington to assist, Bunker Hill in June 1775, during the early part of what is
British jacket found in Westfield, located at the Athenaeum. known as the “Boston Siege.” The march in June though, was actually Parks’ second attempt at reaching Bunker Hill. “Our Minutemen didn’t get to Bunker Hill in time,” Gaylord said. “But later in June they got there in time to participate there.” See Independence, Page 3