Petition to Rescind $13 Million Bond Falls Short
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TONIGHT Clear Skies. Low of 55. Search for The Westfield News The WestfieldNews Search“THE for TheMOS WestfieldT BEAU NewsTIFUL Westfield350.com The WestfieldNews EXPERIENCE WE CAN HAVE Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns IS“T TIMEHE MYSIS THETERIOUS ONLY ... WEATHER THE FUNDAMENCRITIC WITHOUTTAL EMO - TONIGHT TION WHICH STAMBITIONANDS AT .”T HE CRADLE OF TRUE ART AND Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK SearchTRUE for TheSCIENCE Westfield.” News LowWestfield350.comWestfield350.org of 55. Thewww.thewestfieldnews.com Westfield News — AlberT EINSTEIN Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns “TIME IS THE ONLY VOL.WEATHER 86 NO. 151 TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017 CRITIC 75 cents WITHOUT VOL.TONIGHT 87 NO. 165 THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2018 75AMBITION Cents .” Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com PetitionVOL. 86 NO. 151 to rescind $13 TUESDAY,million JUNE 27, bond 2017 falls short 75 cents By AMY PORTER Authorization to be annulled, repealed or The vote by the City Council to pass the has just been phenomenal,” she said, add- Correspondent rescinded, and if it is not, that the city coun- bond was made at the City Council meet- ing, “So many people are worried about WESTFIELD – The referendum peti- cil submit the referendum petition to a vote ing on June 28. this plan.” tion to rescind the $13 million water filtra- of the qualified voters, either at the next A few hours before the Wednesday Mello also said that if they did not have tion bond, started six days ago, came up regular city election or at a special election deadline, Mello was at Stop & Shop in the required number of signatures by the short according to Kristen Mello of which the city council may, in its discre- Westfield, where she said, “We are signing deadline, she would not be turning in the Westfield Residents Advocating for tion, call for such purpose. as fast as we possibly can.” She said people petition to the City Clerk. “If we don’t hit Themselves (WRAFT). Mello said the The petition needed approximately were dropping off petitions with signatures the right number, I will protect these peo- count was 2,893 unverified signatures as of 3,100 verified signatures, 12% of the regis- they had collected; some full, some not. ple and keep their information private,” she 6 p.m. on Wednesday. tered voters in Westfield turned in to the “It’s just a nail-biting situation,” she said. said. KRISTEN MELLO The petition read: We protest against the City Clerk by 5 p.m. on Wednesday in Mello was still hopeful at that time that Mello also said she would notify the A founding member $13 Million Bond Authorization entitled order to meet the deadline of 20 days fol- enough signatures would come in, but people who signed the petition of ongoing of WRAFT (Westfield “A BOND ORDER FOR WATER lowing the bond vote, as stated in section either way, she was proud of the citizens’ developments regarding water testing in Residents Advocating WELLS, CONNECTOR AND WATER 49 of the City Charter. Nothing was pro- effort. “Last night, when we realized 2,000 the city. “These people are engaged,” she for Themselves.) TANK”. We request this Bond vided to the City Clerk by the deadline. people had fought to find us… the response said. Westfield City is moving Little League forward with water filtration By AMY PORTER fundraiser set Correspondent WESTFIELD — Mayor Brian P. Sullivan said on Thursday that for Saturday the city is moving for- By GREG FITZpaTRICK ward. “The city’s plans Correspondent and focus haven’t WESTFIELD – A charity event in Westfield is rais- changed. We’re moving ing money for the Westfield Little League. The 6th forward with the best Annual Matt Osienski engineered plans that Memorial Bowling we have,” the Mayor Tournament is taking said. place on Saturday at “We’re going forward Agawam Bowl. Doors and getting those wells BRIAN SULLIVAN open at 4 p.m., with back online, so the peo- Westfield Mayor bowling starting at 5 p.m. ple can have safe and It’s a $20 cover charge clean drinking water,” said Department of Public for anyone that is inter- Works Director David Billips. ested in bowling. It costs The contract for the filtration plant for Wells 7 $10 for people just look- and 8 is ready to be signed, following the 20-day ing to attend. Pizza is waiting period from the vote by the City Council to support the $13 million bond. Last week, Billips MATT OSIENSKI provided but attendees are encouraged to bring said that R.H. White Construction and Service their own drinks or alco- Solution out of Auburn had been selected from holic beverages. Tickets are available at the door. bids to build the water filtration plant. The event is in memory of Matt Osienski, a “They have done a lot of work for us. They’re Westfield resident who passed away from a car acci- the best firm out there. We were very happy when dent in October of 2012. Tom Naro, a life-long friend Sectional champs they won the bid,” Billips said, adding that he is See Fundraiser, Page 8 See Water, Page 3 Westfield pitcher Shea Hurley attempts to make the tag at the plate against Jesse Burkett (Worcester). See story and additional photos Page 9. (Photo by Chris Putz) Carrier ready to lead Powder Mill School Gateway Facilitated discussion group SOUTHWICK – On April 26, Southwick- Tolland-Granville Regional School District Superintendent Jen Willard announced that Erin to tackle updating regional agreement Carrier would be named the new principal of By AMY PORTER steps for the district. Powder Mill School. Correspondent The facilitated discussion, a plan- Spending the previ- HUNTINGTON – Following the ning group of town officials, school ous five years as the passage in June of the Gateway officials and school committee Assistant Principal at The cast of Goodspeed’s Oliver! singing “Food, Regional school budget and an members facilitated by retired super- Dupont Middle School Glorious Food”. (Photo by Diane Sobolewski) amended assessment method by all intendents Stephen Hemman, Jay in Chicopee, Carrier’s six member towns, the Gateway Barry and Mac Reid of the experience in education facilitated discussion group met on Massachusetts Association of extends much farther Review: Goodspeed Wednesday to consider the next Regional Schools (MARS) were than that. instrumental in forging the new After receiving her assessment method which equalized Master’s Degree in Stages Oliver! percentage increases to the towns. Education at Westfield State University, By MARK G. AUERBACH On Wednesday, Barry said that the Department of Elementary and Carrier began her career ERIN CARRIER and BENJAMIN JACEK in 1998 as an ELA Correspondents Secondary Education (DESE) agreed New Principal of to allow Gateway to implement the (English Language Powder Mill School I have a special bias towards Oliver!, Lionel Bart’s Arts) teacher at musicalization of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist, new assessment method, thanks to a lot of hard work by the group, and Agawam Junior High. now spending the summer at Goodspeed. Oliver! Following that, she became the Vice-Principal at was the first theatre production I ever did, at the providing the district bring its regional agreement up to date. He Paper Mill Elementary School. Prior to her time tender age of 12, playing one of the older characters. spent as a Assistant Principal at Dupont Middle It was also the last theatrical production I did, some said the current agreement is not in compliance with state regulations. School, Carrier was the principal at Fort Meadow 16 years later, finally getting the chance to play the Early Childhood Center in Westfield for four 12 year old Dodger. I haven’t seen Oliver! since, so He also acknowledged that the dis- trict has made four or five attempts years. I was really excited to have the chance to see how it Facilitator Jay Barry of MARS. (Photo by Amy Porter) See New Principal, Page 8 See Oliver!, Page 7 See Gateway, Page 8 PAGE 2 - THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2018 WWW.THEWESTFIELDNEWS.COM THE WESTFIELD NEWS Where is The Westfield News? During a recent visit, Westfield resident Cynthia Neary proudly displays her copy of The Westfield News while admiring Picasso's sculpture entitled "Jacqueline" which stands beside Lake Vanern in Kristinehamn, Sweden. This sculpture is 15 meters high and is one of the sculptures in Picasso's series, "Les dames de Mougins." Remember, when you’re traveling take a copy of The Westfield News with you and get a picture of yourself with it and send it to pressre- [email protected] with a brief description of who’s in the picture and where you are. Keep reading The Westfield News to find out where the news will show up next! ODDS & ENDS LOCAL LOTTERY LAST NIGHt’S NUMBERS MASSACHUSETTS Giant pyramid MassCash 03-08-21-22-35 TONIGHT FRIDAY SATURDAY Mega Millions Estimated jackpot: $422 million tourist Megabucks Doubler 11-15-23-33-38-43 Estimated jackpot: $1.2 million attraction Numbers Evening 7-7-7-7 Numbers Midday 2-0-9-4 Powerball burns in Illinois 01-10-27-28-36, Powerball: 12, Power Play: WADSWORTH, Ill. (AP) — Authorities 2 Estimated jackpot: $110 million Sunny Skies. Periods of Showers. say fire severely damaged a giant pyramid home that doubles as a tourist attraction in northern Illinois. Gurnee Fire Department firefighters 82-85 78-81 responded to a report that an elderly man in WEATHER DISCUSSION a wheelchair and his dog were trapped by the fire at the Gold Pyramid House in Today, a mainly sunny sky. High near 85F.