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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com
VOL. 83 NO.182
By Carl E. Hartdegen Staff Writer WESTFIELD – A city homeless man who found a warm place to sleep Monday night got a rude awakening in the morning when he was dumped into a recycling truck. An emergency dispatcher reports he took a 4:49 a.m. call Tuesday from a panicked man working for a trash disposal company who reported that after he dumped a container into his truck an Asian male party jumped out of his truck and fled toward the east. The caller told the dispatcher that when he was lifting the cardboard recycling container at a Main Street donut store to dump it into his truck he heard someone screaming but “did not think anything of it.” Sgt. Michael Kane was the first officer to arrive and reports that he looked for the man (described as a “Korean guy”) on Route 20 from the West Springfield line to the donut shop without finding him but the other responding officers, Matthew See Awakening, Page 8
Similar names, different goals By Carl E. Hartdegen Staff Writer westfield police patchWESTFIELD – Residents with an interest in supporting law enforcement officers in the city and environs may be well advised to pay close attention to the name of the organization a telephone solicitor represents when making a donation in order to be sure that their money goes where they want it to. Westfield police officer Mark Carboneau, the president of the Westfield Police Association, reports that telephone solicitors representing the Massachusetts Police Association have been active in the city and residents may be confused by the similar sounding names. Although the names sound similar, the two organizations have rather different purposes. See Goals, Page 8
an error which has to be corrected is a heavier burden than the truth.” — Dag Hammarskjold
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2014
Rude awakening for city homeless man
“A successful lie is doubly a lie;
75 cents
City’s slice of state pie shrinks
Volunteers of the Westfield Homeless Cat Project in 2012: Sharon Wielgus, Roxanne Sprague, Pat Mitchell, Marie Boccasile, Denise Sinico, Roger Angers, Paula Pagos, and Anna LaPorte. (File photo by Don Wielgus)
Volunteers busy with adoptions By Peter Francis Staff Writer WESTFIELD – This summer had been a busy one for Denise Sinico and the Westfield Homeless Cat Project (WHCP). “We probably have about 40 cats right now, and we always have people bringing my kittens to foster homes, because I try not to keep kittens here,” said Sinico, director of the WHCP. “Kittens come in and they’re usually not in great shape, so I send them to foster homes and have vet techs go to the homes and take care of the kittens,” she said. “When they’re two pounds and ready to go, they come in during our adoption times.” For the rest of the summer, this no-kill cat and kitten rescue facility located on 1124 East Mountain Road will be holding adoptions on Thursday evenings from 5-7 p.m., Saturday mornings from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m., and Sunday afternoons 1-3 p.m.
As to how many cats can go home with a person at one time, Sinico said it all depends on the ordinance of the community that the adopter resides in. “A lot of times people adopt two kittens. I’ve had three kittens at a time, but I would wonder if a person came in to adopt five,” she said, adding that the city of Westfield limits one cat to an apartment and three to a house. “Every person has to fill out an application and then meet with an adoption coordinator, and if we see something we’re not comfortable with… we do refuse a lot of people,” she said. Sinico said adopters have come from as far away as Maine and New Jersey, and that she has flown cats – “with somebody” she assured – out to California and Florida. She’s even had inquiries from Ireland. “I did fly a cat on it’s own once, because See Volunteers, Page 3
Rotarian rider to pause in city By Carl E. Hartdegen Staff Writer WESTFIELD – A Merrimac man pedaling his way home from Seattle will pause in the Whip City on his trek to raise money for the Rotary Foundation and will be the featured guest at the meeting of the local Rotary club on Monday. Keith Harris, a member of the Ipswich Rotary Club, reports that his ride has raised, to date, more than $30,000 for the Rotary Foundation, the arm of Rotary International which supports a wide range of humanitarian, educational and cultural exchange programs around the world. Harris left Seattle June 9 and reports that he is also undertaking the ride in gratitude for his life after a near-death experience resulting from a minor softball injury in 2007. He explains that what was initially a minor abrasion led to emergency openheart surgery when a staph infection developed. After that experience, he reports “I felt like I couldn’t go back to life as normal” and the trip has given him a number of striking experiences including the most challenging day of his trip, a 70-mile traverse of Beartooth Highway, an 11,000 foot pass connecting northwest Wyoming
to southwest Montana and leading to Yellowstone National Park. “It was 35 miles up and 35 miles down, with 30-foot snow banks at the top,” he said. Harris is expected to ride into Westfield, escorted by members of the Rotary Club of Westfield, on Sunday. He will be the featured guest at the local club’s regular weekly meeting at Genesis Spiritual Life Center on Mill Street at noon. The meeting, like all the club’s meetings, is free and open to the public. Lunch will be served, at a cost of $12, before Harris shares some of the stories of his trip and also speaks about issues of bicycle safety. Information about the meeting or more general information about the local Rotary club may be obtained by contacting the club’s program coordinator, Jennifer Gruszka, at 413 265 1236 or by email at jennifer1545@yahoo.com. Additional information specifically about Harris’ trek may be found at his website, http://pedalingforapurpose.com. While in the area, Harris will also meet with other area Rotary clubs including the
By Peter Francis Staff Writer WESTFIELD – State Treasurer and 2014 gubernatorial candidate Steve Grossman announced late last month that the Massachusetts State Lottery is set to rake in an estimated $971 million in profit this year, $34 million above projections for the fiscal year 2014, exceeding expectations for a third straight year. The Massachusetts State Lottery is currently the largest source of unrestricted local aid for the state’s 351 cities and towns, and this year’s haul was second only to FY12′s $983 million in terms of total profit. This would seem like good news for municipalities like Westfield, who has lost $1 million a year for the past five years according to At-large City Councilor Dan Allie. A candidate for State Representative this fall, Allie recently put a question on the upcoming local fall ballot to ask the state to increase fundDAN ALLIE ing for road repairs and maintenance, as well as local aid, back to 2007 levels. “When they created the lottery, it was revenue for the cities and towns and it still is, by state law, for education,” said Allie. “The state has taken about $700 million out of the lottery fund in the last five years.” Allie said that the state cleared over $900 million in revenue above projections last year and could’ve easily left the lottery fund alone. “In fact, it could’ve taken 10 percent of that surplus as another way to restore local aid,” he said, adding that he knew the state would have a surplus in revenue again this year. “The initial forecast was that it was going to be $20 million (above projections).” Allie reiterated his belief that the state doesn’t have a revenue problem, but a spending problem. “The point is that we’re paying for all of this and we’re not getting the services. People are buying lottery tickets and they’re thinking it’s going to the cities and towns for education,” he said. “The Governor wanted a billion dollar tax increase and the legislature only gave him half a billion. Then they reinstated tolls on the Mass Pike. That road has been paid for since I was four years old, many times over.” Allie stated that, without an increase in local aid, hardworking people and seniors will be forced to take drastic actions like selling their homes. “I wasn’t happy with the tax increase last year because they had such a significant surplus,” Allie said. “The real economy is when people can hang onto their money just a little bit longer – they buy things, they spend money. Otherwise they hunker down.” “People don’t know that there is this significant surplus or that the states taking money out of the lottery fund,” he said. “Whether we’re talking about the transportation bond bill or the lottery fund, the money is in those funds – its just not coming back to the cities. The See Slice, Page 8
See Rider, Page 3
New funeral home approved By Hope E. Tremblay Staff Writer SOUTHWICK – Business partners Jody Darren Newcomb and Brian Paolillo are hoping to open a funeral home on College Highway this fall. The pair met with the Southwick Planning Board last night to request a modification to the special permit at 691 College Highway. The property is owned by Ralph DePalma and was most recently occupied by an antique shop. It was previously a hair salon and a physician’s office. Newcomb has 20 years experience in the funeral business. He and Paolillo have known each other many years and decided to join forces for the business venture. “I’ve known him for a while and people kept saying he should open his own home,” said Paolillo. “My role is more financial.” Paolillo said while they are partners, Newcomb will run the funeral home. They chose Southwick, said Paolillo, because they wanted to provide services to a small community and liked the ties Southwick’s resiBrian Paolillo presents plans for a funeral home at 691 College Highway dents have to the town. to the Southwick Planning Board yesterday. (Photo by Hope E. Tremblay) See Funeral Home, Page 8
Garden concert Shea Grayson adds spark to her performance at Amelia’s Garden last night. Free concerts take place every Tuesday night starting at 6:30. See additional concert photos Page 8. (Photo by Liam Sheehan)