L&O Shows Support for Futures Baseball
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JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 86 NO. 151 L&O TUESDAY,shows JUNE support 27, 2017 for Futures Baseball 75 cents By AMY PORTER ments were made to the field during the “The challenge will be the scheduling of Correspondent Babe Ruth World Series two years ago, games. Maintenance will be a challenge WESTFIELD – The Legislative and and also following the World Series held for all of us to do together,” Welch said Ordinance committee recommended a in 1992, after which a commitment was of the new agreement, adding, “This is resolution on Monday to authorize the made that Bullen’s Field would be the good for baseball. Babe Ruth supports Mayor to enter into a lease of Billy home field for Babe Ruth. Welch said this significantly.” Bullens Field with the Futures League, his league continues to invest in Mayor Sullivan also came forward to after hearing from Dan Welch, president improvements of $4,000 to $5,000 a express his support. “What you’re hear- of the Greater Westfield Babe Ruth year for the privilege of playing there. ing from behind me is the opportunity to Baseball League and Mayor Brian P. Welch said that Babe Ruth has had a continue with the awesome sport of Sullivan. great relationship with the Westfield baseball,” Sullivan said. He said the “I would like to add my support to Public Schools over the last 24 years Starfires team will bring an opportunity bring Futures Baseball to Westfield,” regarding the use of Bullen’s Field, and for freshmen and sophomores in college Welch said, stepping forward during he is confident in the commitment of Billy Bullens Field (WNG File Photo) public participation. He said improve- Mayor Brian Sullivan to the league. See Futures Baseball, Page 3 Town officials One arrested, discuss sewer arraigned connection at for lewdness, Lakewood Village By GREG FITZpaTRICK indecent exposure Correspondent By PETER CURRIER SOUTHWICK – DPW Director Randy Brown and More than 3,500 cans of nonperishable food was collected by Correspondent Finance Committee member Art Pinell met with the City of Westfield employees during the first Souper Bowl WESTFIELD- One man was arrested Sunday after a Select Board on Tuesday night to discuss the potential Challenge last year. The challenge has been expanded to State Trooper witnessed him and one other man in the nude of hooking up a sewer system at Lakewood Village, an include the Westfield Athenaeum and Westfield G&E. (Submitted waving at passing cars on Franklin apartment community located at 160 Point Grove Rd. photo) Street. According to Brown, he’s recently met with Mary Alexander Maceira, 19, of 126 Thayer, owner of Lakewood Village, about the possibil- Union Street Westfield, was arrest- ity of extending the sewer line to three of the buildings ed Sunday and arraigned in on the property. Currently, the sewer main stops within A ‘souper’ challenge Westfield District Court Monday a half-mile of Lakewood Village and this extension for charges of open and gross lewd- would allow the people in those buildings at Lakewood ness, disorderly conduct, indecent Village the ability to tie into the sewer line. underway across city exposure, and resisting arrest, While Thayer is very interested in hooking up to the according to court records. sewer, there are also 13 properties not affiliated with By LORI SZEPELAK Correspondent State Trooper Timothy Pelletier was driving on Route 20 at 11 p.m. Sunday when he saw See Village, Page 3 WESTFIELD-With the frigid temperatures across the region, a bowl of hot soup can be a welcome addition to one’s lunch or Maceira and another man dressed in only socks and jump- dinner menu. ing around while shouting incoherently at passing traffic. For the second year, City of Westfield employees are conduct- Pelletier reported that he turned on his emergency lights and ing a Souper Bowl Challenge in conjunction with Super Bowl turned his vehicle around to see the two men running away. LIII to collect non-perishable cans or boxes of soup for the He followed them in his cruiser before parking and pursu- Southwick Regional Westfield Food Pantry at 101 Meadow St. ing on foot. “We particularly appreciate the support this year, as we have Pelletier stated that he caught up to Maceira in the rear of School on WGBY’s seen a large uptick in client visits because of the government someone’s house. Maceira had apparently slipped on ice, shutdown,” said Rebecca Hart, executive director, Westfield allowing Pelletier to catch up to him and place him under Food Pantry. “People that rely on SNAP, including children, the arrest. Maceira was released on his personal recognizance As Schools Match Wits elderly and our veterans, have seen a delay in benefits.” pending a March 27 pre-trial hearing. It is unknown if the WESTFIELD — Local high school teams will City of Westfield Personnel Director Jane Sakiewicz noted her other individual has been identified. match wits next weekend in a quiz show competition department spearheaded the endeavor last year as a way to give broadcast on public television. back to the community. The two teams, Lenox High School and Southwick “We started a friendly competition among departments to see Regional School, will spar on As Schools Match Wits, who could donate the most cans for the Westfield Food Pantry,” airing on WGBY public television Saturday, Feb. 2 at said Sakiewicz, adding that more than 3,500 cans were collected. L&O Committee discusses 7 p.m. (rebroadcast Sunday, Feb. 3 at 10:30 a.m. and “The Westfield Police Department was the ultimate winner, and available for subsequent online streaming at video. when calculating cans based on employee average, the dispatch- injury indemnification fund wgby.org/show/as-schools-match-wits). ers won.” As Schools Match Wits (ASMW) pits teams of The deadline to drop off soup for the 2019 Souper Bowl for Police and Fire, western New England high schoolers against each Challenge is Feb. 4 at noon at City Hall, Personnel Department, Room 109. In addition, there are a variety of drop-off locations See Schools Match Wits, Page 8 among other items See Souper, Page 3 By AMY PORTER Correspondent WESTFIELD – The Legislative and Ordinance committee recommended two resolutions on Monday that would create an injury indemnification fund for the police and fire depart- ments. L&O chair William Onyski explained that if money New tax laws cause concern were to come into the city for insurance claims, it would go By PETER CURRIER into the indemnity fund. Correspondent First Assistant Solicitor Shanna Reed said the city would WESTFIELD- Tax season is upon us, and some people are pay out ahead of time, and any recovery by insurance would expressing concern over how to file and what their returns will be deposited into the fund, one for each department to track. look like. This will be the first year in which taxpayers will be Reed said the creation of the fund is a recommendation of the filing their taxes under the new tax reform bill passed by Municipal Modernization Act, and was brought to the city’s Congress in December of 2017. Lawrence Zabielski, a Certified attention by Police Chief John A. Camerota. She said it Public Accountant in Westfield, hopes to clear up some of the would make it easier for the department to pay overtime. confusion before the tax season starts kicking into gear. Ward 4 Councilor Michael Burns asked whether it was a “This is the most massive change in my 40-year career,” said budget issue for the city. Reed said the city cannot budget for The Select Board discusses the potential sewer con- Zabielski, “some people are going to be affected for the better, whether a lawsuit will pay. She said funds received would nection with Lakewood Village. (Photo by Greg Fitzpatrick) and some people are going to be affected for the worse.” end up in an account to be re-appropriated for overtime. “The Zabielski wanted to focus primarily on individual taxes rather than corporate taxes. The first point he made regarding the new See L&O, Page 3 law is that both tax brackets and tax rates fell, which Zabielski DPW preliminary budget said is one of the good things about this bill. The top individual tax rate has been lowered from 39.6% to 37%. However, that rate discussed with Select Board doesn’t kick in until a higher income level than before. Zabielski added that there are many aspects of the law that he By GREG FITZpaTRICK considers a negative for individual taxpayers. One such example Correspondent was the loss of personal exemptions. SOUTHWICK – The Select Board held a prelimi- “In the past if you had a husband and wife with three kids you nary discussion with DPW Director Randy Brown on had five personal exemptions,” said Zabielski, “that no longer Tuesday night at the Southwick Town Hall for his exists, and I think that is going to hurt people.” proposed Fiscal Year 2020 budget.