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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
“Goodness, armed with power, is corrupted; and pure love without power is destroyed.”
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— REINHOLD NIEBUHR
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WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016
VOL. 85 NO. 106
Allie wins delegate slot to Republican National Convention
‘Broken’ Bones benefit led by local bands By LORI SZEPELAK Correspondent FEEDING HILLS — Patrick Reilly of Westfield sprang into action when a friend and fellow band mate was seriously injured in a head-on car crash the morning after Valentine’s Day. Billed as The “Broken” Bones Benefit Show, a host of local bands will take the stage on May 7 at The Tank, on the grounds of American Legion Post 185, 478 Springfield St., to present an afternoon and evening of music to raise funds to help Kevin “Bones” Carbone. Mental Pause members are the driving force behind The "Broken" Bones Benefit Show to support drummer Kevin "Bones" Carbone who was seriously injured in a car accident earlier this year. Mental Pause members are the driving force behind The “Broken” Bones Benefit Show to support drummer Kevin “Bones” Carbone who was See ‘Broken’ Bones Benefit, Page 8
Mental Pause members are the driving force behind The “Broken” Bones Benefit Show to support drummer Kevin “Bones” Carbone who was seriously injured in a car accident earlier this year.
Brandon Michael and his #74 Monte Carlo that he races at the Stafford Motor Speedway.
Racing is in Michael’s DNA By LORI SZEPELAK Correspondent GRANVILLE — Brandon Michael always knew that racing would be an integral part of his life – starting when he was seven riding go karts with speeds up to 60 miles an hour. “A love for racing has been in our family for a long time,” said Michael, noting his dad, Bill Michael, raced at the Lebanon Valley Speedway in the 1980’s, and his mother, Lorraine (Caruso) Michael, has a brother, Art Caruso, and uncle, Ernie Caruso, who were also avid racers. “Mom has always loved racing too,” said Michael. Now at 21, he just placed sixth out of 22 racers last Saturday during the 45th annual NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler opener at Stafford Motor Speedway in Stafford Springs, Conn. Racers complete 15 laps on a half-mile track with speeds up to 85 miles an hour. “We were having motor issues,” said Michael, adding that the new motor was “running hot all day so we were a little off on the set up.”
Michael entered the Speedway’s DARE Stock Division with five career DARE Stock victories and is setting his sights on being a championship contender this season with his rebuilt #74 Monte Carlo. He also won his division in the Fall Final at Stafford last year. “It’s the first full body stock car I’ve been able to win with,” said Michael, adding that in 2015 he had two wins out of seven races, had three podium finishes, and two top 5’s. By day, Michael is a mechanic at Bovat’s Power Equipment on Southampton Road in Westfield, and during his free time, he and his crew are always tweaking the mechanics of his race car. His crew includes his father, Bill Michael, John Berardi, who originally owned the car and serves as crew chief, and Ray Kocum. Michael is a 2012 graduate of Westfield Technical Academy, where he majored in carpentry and construction. Michael has invested approximately $7,000 this year into his #74 for a new motor, transmission, suspension and rear axle, as well as
By AMY PORTER Correspondent Westfield – Westfield City Councilor Dan Allie was elected as a delegate to the Republican National Convention at a caucus for voters from the First Congressional district in Ludlow on Saturday. 200 people participated in the caucus. At the same time across the state, 27 of the state’s 42 GOP delegates were elected, three each in DAN ALLIE caucuses held in the state’s nine congressional districts. In addition to the delegates determined at the caucuses, 12 at-large delegates will be elected by the Massachusetts Republican State Committee, and the remaining 3 slots will be taken by the state chairman and the National Committeeman and Committeewoman of the Republican National Committee from Massachusetts. Based on the results of the March 1 primary, the Massachusetts delegates will be allocated in the following way: 22 delegates for Donald Trump, 8 delegates for John Kasich, 8 delegates for
See Racing, Page 7
WESTFIELD – Westfield Bank is pleased to announce that it has donated $3,000 toward the purchase and installation of a new 1-meter diving board at Westfield High School. The new diving board will benefit Westfield High School’s Boys and Girls Swimming and Diving teams, as well as other swim clubs or groups who use the Westfield High School pool. “Westfield Bank has been a longstanding supporter of interscholastic athletics, so we were pleased to help fund a new 1-meter board,” said James C. Hagan, President and CEO of Westfield Bank. “In addition to keeping young people active and involved with school, playing sports teaches valuable Kelli Wood, Accounting Associate at Westfield Bank, presents a check to life lessons about teamwork, time manage- Westfield High School diver Lucas Stanton, his coaches, and teammates for the purchase of a new 1-meter diving board. (Photo submitted) ment, and achieving goals.”
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Executive Director Stanley Park
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Westfield Bank donates to WHS
See Allie, Page 3
Mark Boardman & Jennifer Gruzska Managing Dir. Stanley Park Westfield Westfield Rotary Club
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School Committee treated to pre-school and elementary school presentations By AMY PORTER Correspondent WESTFIELD – At Monday’s School Committee meeting, members and the public were treated to two unique presentations from the Fort Meadow Early Childhood Center and Abner Gibbs Elementary School. First up, Fort Meadow pre-school students showed their progress in learning “Lively Letters.” Lively Letters is a reading program that turns abstract letters and sounds into lively, colorful characters. Forty-four letters and letter combinations are embedded into colorful pictures that show students what to do with their mouths when making the letter sounds. The students began with a song about Lively Letters, led by pre-school teacher Aimee Blair. Then pre-school teacher Mary Vassallo did a phonetic exercise with the children using the Lively Letters, and had the 3
and 4-year-olds read words formed with the sound. Vassallo said the program is helping the children to learn to read. Following this presentation, Abner Gibbs principal Christopher Rogers introduced music teacher Geoff Gould, who he said recently changed up their school song, and wrote an original song about their school mascot, called, “Fly like an Eagle.” Rogers said that they hold a school-wide meeting every Friday in the morning, and sing the song together. Then Gould, and a chorus of children composed of one child from every classroom at Abner Gibbs, sang the song to the School Committee and the audience. Both presentations brought smiles to everyone’s faces, helping to lighten up a meeting where the School Committee was forced to cut the budget for FY17. Abner Gibbs music teacher Geoff Gould.