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TONIGHT Rain Showers. Low of 59. Search for The Westfield News The WestfieldNews Search“NIN forETY The- NWestfieldINE PERCE News NT Westfield350.com The WestfieldNews OF THE FAILURES COME Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns “TIMEFROM IS THEPEOPLE ONLY WHO WEATHER HAVECRITIC THE WITHOUT HABIT OF TONIGHT MAKINAMBITIONG EXCUSES.” .” Partly Cloudy. — GeORGESearch WASJOHNHINGTON for STEINBECK The Westfield CARVER News Westfield350.comLowWestfield350.org of 55. Thewww.thewestfieldnews.com WestfieldNews Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns “TIME IS THE ONLY WEATHERVOL. 86 NO. 151 TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017 75CRITIC cents WITHOUT VOL.87TONIGHT NO. 218 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2018 75AMBITION Cents .” Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com Public,VOL. 86 NO. 151 Health and Safety getsTUESDAY, Water JUNE 27, Bond2017 75 cents update; discusses fire hydrants and sidewalks By AMY PORTER reviewed the ordinance for clearing fire DPW Assistant Director Francis Cain. “I Correspondent hydrants of snow and ice. think most people would want to shovel WESTFIELD – During public participa- Department of Public Works Director their hydrants,” he said. tion in the Public, Health and Safety com- David Billips said there are state laws, if a Morganelli said the committee would mittee meeting on Tuesday, Westfield fire hydrant is in front of a resident’s house, look at the state law, which was also men- Residents Advocating for Themselves it is the homeowner’s responsibility to tioned by the Fire Commission. Committee (WRAFT) member Kristen Mello reported clear it. He said if that language is not in member Dan Allie said the Law Department that she, former Ward 4 Councilor Mary the city ordinance, it should be. could advise them if the wording should be O’Connell, Ward 3 Councilor Andrew K. Ward 5 Councilor Robert A. Paul, Sr., added to the local ordinance. Surprise, At-large Councilor Nicholas J. who attended the meeting, said the city “We should be aware that for people who DPW Director David Billips updates the Public Morganelli, Jr. and Emily Warren on behalf could consider an advertising campaign live on a major highway, it is impossible to Health & Safety committee. (Photo by Amy Porter) of Rep. John Velis would be attending a that clearing a fire hydrant is a homeown- shovel snow; and it is difficult for the hearing in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 26. er’s responsibility. elderly,” commented At-large Councilor ment that can clear hydrants on major highways and The group plans to meet with Senators “We have sent our guys to do it, but there Cindy C. Harris. Lloyd’s Hill Road, for example. Richard Neal, Elizabeth Warren and are not enough to do it,” Billips said, add- “There are certain areas of the city where Morganelli said more flags would be great. Cain Edward Markey about the federal role in ing that there are 2,200 fire hydrants in we don’t want the homeowners doing it,” said they have the flag markers, but they can be dan- the PFAS crisis. Westfield. said Surprise. gerous for kids who could poke themselves in the eye. During the regular meeting portion, “It’s easier for homeowners to do one, Billips and Cain said they put flags on Morganelli, who chairs the sub-committee, than for the DPW to do thousands,” added the hydrants in the winter, and have equip- See Water Bond Update, Page 5 Walkers turn Purple Heart signs out in force to be relocated By GREG FITZpaTRICK Correspondent SOUTHWICK – DPW Director Randy for benefit Brown is looking to change the location of By LORI SZEPELAK four of the Purple Heart signs in town. Correspondent Currently, the signs are located throughout WESTFIELD-More than 100 walkers descend- the town and Brown will be looking to have ed on Stanley Park on Sept. 16 to support the ninth Arthur Laramee of 306 Montgomery Road celebrates after the four signs in the center of the community annual Westfield Stepping Out to Cure Scleroderma getting a special permit from the Planning Board for a resi- near or on College Hwy. The exact locations of the signs hasn’t been determined yet. Walk, according to organizers. dential kennel. (Photo by Amy Porter) The local walk was initiated by Shannon Brown will now be submitting this request to Mass DOT Broderick nine years ago, when she was a senior (Department of Transportation) for their approval before the signs at Westfield High School. can be relocated. “For me, it was about bringing attention to a Montgomery Road There are 10 Purple Heart signs in Southwick and the signage is disease that many people may have never even part of the town officially becoming a Purple Heart community this heard of,” said Broderick, adding her aunt Nina past May. Santucci-Pozgar had been diagnosed with the dis- In February 2017, Gene Theroux, past commander of Westfield ease and she wanted to help raise funds to find the Residential Kennel American Legion Post 124, made a request to extend the Purple Heart Trail into Southwick. At that time, the trail was already in See Walkers, Page 5 Westfield all the way to the Southwick border on Route 10 and 202. gets Special Permit Later that same month a ceremony was held at Southwick Town Hall in order to make an official proclamation for having the trail in town. By AMY PORTER This past April, Rep. Nick Boldyga and Sen. Don Humason Correspondent worked with both the Massachusetts Senate and House of WESTFIELD – Chairman William Carellas began the Representatives to pass a bill recognizing Southwick as having a Planning Board meeting on Tuesday with a moment of silence Purple Heart trail in town. The bill was signed in April and approved in recognition of Kevin J. Sullivan’s service to the Westfield by Gov. Charlie Baker. Public Schools, before beginning the five public hearings on the =The bill was created since any state roads or highways that have agenda. any official signage need to have a law passed in order to erect the A crowd of dog owners were in the audience to support a signs. In most cases, the signage won’t cause a bill to be created special permit for a residential kennel at 306 Montgomery unless for special circumstances and the topic of the Purple Heart Road, submitted by owners Arthur and Karen Laramee. The was deemed an exception. hearing was continued from May, due to concerns expressed by some neighbors at the earlier hearing about safety. Laramee began the hearing by saying that he had fenced in the whole back property, as the Planning Board had requested. “We decided to do what you thought was best for the commu- WGBY’s Hurricane Maria nity. Previously, the dogs, which are purebred Rottweilers were contained in kennels in the back of the property, but neighbors Close to $9,000 was raised on Sept. 16 during the were concerned about when they weren’t in the kennels. Anniversary Special ninth annual Westfield Stepping Out to Cure The Planning Board also had a report from the animal inspec- Scleroderma Walk at Stanley Park, according to tor, affirming that the property was fenced on two sides with organizers Gina and Tom Broderick of Westfield, Report this Thursday chain link and mesh fencing. The inspector said the rear of the SPRINGFIELD— Many western New Englanders underestimate seen with Nina Santucci-Pozgar, center. (Submitted property was well shaded, and there were two large covered photo) the significance of the region’s sizeable Puerto Rican population — kennels in the front of the property that met all the require- and what Hurricane Maria’s impact on the Caribbean has meant for ments. The inspector said none of the dogs showed any sign of the community here. aggression. A new half-hour joint Connecting Point / Presencia special, Laramee said since the inspector’s visit, the whole property “Hurricane Maria: One Year Later” from public television station is being fenced in. WGBY will reflect on the disastrous hurricane, which led to the “I have been down to your property twice; you can’t see worst blackout in U.S. history. Hosted by Presencia’s host Veronica Southwick where you put the fencing. It was really quiet. I never heard the Garcia, the special episode will also explore the ways in which west- dogs,” said Planning Board member Cheryl Crowe. ern New England is assisting evacuees of Puerto Rico — and how Laramee said the front is going to be totally fenced in. “It’s the community is coming together to support ongoing recovery efforts. bar looking See Special Permit, Page 5 Local PBS station WGBY will air its special this Thursday, Sept. 20, at 8 p.m. and make it available for subsequent streaming (along with additional Hurricane Maria coverage) at wgby.org/maria. Guests will include local evacuees Carmen Romero and Luis to expand MHA Launches ‘Good To Go’ Robles, National Emergency Grant Job Developer Frank Martinez, By GREG FITZpaTRICK SPRINGFIELD – “Adam” arrived at MHA’s Emergency Betty Medina Lichtenstein of Enlace De Familias Inc., Lydia Correspondent Respite, a program which provides emergency-based housing Martinez from Springfield Public Schools, Dr. Steve Zrike From SOUTHWICK – Owners of The Skybox Sports and care for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Holyoke Public Schools, Masslive/The Republican reporter Elizabeth Bar are looking to expand their business. During a Adam has fairly severe cognitive disabilities and he was emotion- Roman, and WGBY’s own Vanessa Pabón-Hernandez. public hearing with the Planning Board on ally distraught when he arrived. To make matters worse, his shirt MARIA’S LOCAL IMPACT September 11, Skybox owner Patrick Lynch pro- was soiled, his shorts were much too big and flip flops much too According to the most recent U.S.

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