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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
“Nothing recedes like success.” — WALTER WINCHELL
www.thewestfieldnews.com TUESDAY, MAY 10, 2016
VOL. 85 NO. 111
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School Committee passes reduced budget By AMY PORTER Correspondent WESTFIELD – At a special meeting of the School Committee on Monday, Superintendent Dr. Suzanne Scallion presented a revised budget for FY2016-2017. “We were tasked with reducing the budget to $58,900,000,” Scallion said. This represents a cut of $725,602 from the level services budget which was presented at a public hearing on April 25 that was approximately 3% more than the previous fiscal year’s budget. “We’ve been able to bring personnel reductions down by $503,385.” She went on to say that some personnel are still letting the administration know if they are retiring or not returning. “It’s still a work in motion,” she added. Scallion said they’ve also found savings on the expense side. There will be one less out of district vocational student, for a savings of $62,117. Another $50,000 in transportation has been saved due to fewer after school buses in the schedule. Also, one special education student is planning to
return to the district from out of district placement, for a savings of $110,000. Scallion said these reductions in expenses of $222,217, combined with personnel savings of $503,383, add up to the $725,602 cut that was needed. The personnel reduction represents 14 positions that won’t be filled across the district, including administration, clerical, maintenance, para-professionals, support staff and teachers. Also in the budget are 8 new positions that must be added, due to increased numbers of students. These include another aviation teacher at the Technical Academy, one teacher at Paper Mill, two at Munger Hill, an ESL teacher at South Middle School, and three additional special education teachers. Scallion said the administration will look at current staff credentials to see whether anyone can be moved into a vacant position. School Committee member William Duval asked if the district had choices See Reduced Budget, Page 3
The School Committee met in Room 351 at City Hall Monday for a special meeting to approved a revised budget, that will now go to the Mayor and City Council. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Westfield Fire displaces 9 By CHRISTINE CHARNOSKY Staff Writer WESTFIELD – A Monday night blaze destroyed a popular city convenience store and displaced nine residents from the adjoining apartments. The fire broke out around 9:30 p.m. Monday night and destroyed the Variety store, located at 94 Meadow Street. When firefighters arrived on scene, there was heavy smoke and fire coming out of the side, back part of the building, according to Westfield Fire Deputy Chief Mark Devine. “They knocked some of the fire out from outside,” Devine said, “and then went inside and knocked the rest out.” Damage is estimated at $80,000 for the structure and $30,000 for the store’s contents due to “heat, fire and smoke damage,” Devine said. “The store will probably need to be totally redone,” he said. “All the store’s contents were lost and there is a lot of structural damage.” The apartments only sustained minimal damage. Mohammed Azam owns the store, but Devine wasn’t sure whether he lives in the adjoining apartments. Azam’s son, Jabir Khan, who lives with his father in one of the adjoining affected apartments, said that they do not know the extent of the damage to their residence as they have not yet been allowed back into the building. Khan noted that the fire broke out shortly after the convenience store closed at 9pm. Tina Sampson, who lives at 171 Main St near Exchange St., told The Westfield News that she could see flames from her residence. The store was closed at the time of the blaze, said Devine. There were no injuries to the apartment residents nor to firefighters. As of Tuesday morning, fire crews were still on the scene and the state Fire Marshall had arrived and is
MassDOT public meeting tonight at City Hall
Variety store, located at 94 Meadow Street. (Photos by Chrstine Charnosky)
See MassDOT, Page 3
investigating the cause Staff Writer Christine Charnosky can be reached at christinec@thewestfieldnewsgroup.com Follow her on Twitter @charnoskyWNG
Homeward Vets helps homeless veterans WESTFIELD (WWLP) – There are currently about 1,700 homeless veterans in the state of Massachusetts. Homeless military veterans can sometimes find a more permanent home or apartment with federal assistance, but many times those new homes come empty. David Felty, of Homeward Vets, told 22News, “To give them the keys to the apartment is one thing. To give them the furniture and call it a home is a completely different idea.” That idea came from Navy veteran himself, David Felty. He helped form Homeward Vets- a non-profit organiza-
By AMY PORTER Correspondent WESTFIELD – The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) will hold a public meeting tonight at 6 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chamber to present its 5 year Capital Investment Plan (CIP) for fiscal years 2017 – 2021. This multi-billion dollar program makes longterm, multi-modal investments across the Commonwealth and covers all MassDOT highway and municipal projects, regional airports, rail and transit, including MBTA and Regional Transit Authorities as well as the Registry of Motor Vehicles. In its announcement, the agency states that in the past, transportation capital plans consisted almost entirely of long lists of funded projects, with little strategic context and even less demonstrable evidence that the investments chosen out of thousands of possible projects would best
tion that collects furnishings from residents or businesses to help veterans establish their homes. Felty says it helps keep veterans from returning to a life of homelessness. Felty, “In my mind it has helped with the veterans not falling back into remission with drug use or alcohol abuse or you know many have mental health or PTSD issues and I think having stuff like this and having a place you can actually call your home is definitely a very rewarding experience for them and as well for me.” Whether it be a toaster, cookware, or couch, every bit stacked up Saturday at
Stanley Park in Westfield to make a big difference. Chris Chistolini, a volunteer at Homeward Vets, explained to 22News, “It’s just a sad situation that these veterans who worked and gave their service to the country and they get nothing for it. They’re virtually ignored. They should be supported as well they can and we’re doing our part.” Since Homeward Vets started in 2012, they have helped furnish the homes of over 400 local veterans, all for free. To find out where you can make a donation to Homeward Vets you can log onto wwlp.com (www.homewardvets.org)
WSU’s fundraising gala exceeds expectations By AMY PORTER Correspondent WESTFIELD – Friday night’s Pathways to Excellence gala at Westfield State University exceeded fundraising expectations. The gala which showcased the innovative work of faculty and students, and offered entertainment by students, faculty, and alumni, was the third annual premier fundraiser for Westfield State University and the Westfield State Foundation. Previous years raised more than $100,000 each year for scholarships, internships and other university programs. This year, the gala raised $700,000, some of which is slated for the University’s new Science and Innovation Center, scheduled to open this fall. The grand total was achieved thanks to a generous matching grant by philanthropists Brian and Kathy Stevens of Marlborough, Mass. who were introduced to Westfield State University by WSU Board of Trustees member Robert Johnson. At the end of the gala, they agreed to match the $350,000 raised during the evening, bringing the total to $700,000. “Westfield State University is grateful for the generosity See WSU Gala, Page 3