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JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 86 NO. 151 TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017 Curbelo vows 75 cents to return City Advancement Officer Joe Mitchell screens a video for man- to ‘Idol’ stage ufacturers at the second Go Westfield forum on Tuesday. By LORI SZEPELAK (Photo submitted) Correspondent WESTFIELD — “That’s all folks!” With that Facebook post at 10:33 p.m. on Monday night, Madison Curbelo thanked everyone who had sup- ‘Go Westfield’ ported her during her journey trying out for American Idol. meets with city Curbelo, 17, who attends (Left to right) Sean Zobea, Nick Cernak, Liam Broadhurst, Emma Westfield High School, said manufacturers Renaud, and Bruce Esposito, all Freshman in Westfield Technical she had an “amazing expe- Academy’s Horticulture Program. As Spring begins, they will be going rience” at American Idol’s By AMY PORTER across the street to Grandmother’s Garden to do some of the heavier “Hollywood Week” despite Correspondent cleanup tasks so volunteers at the park can focus on other things. They the fact it was the end of her WESTFIELD – The second Go are led by their teacher, Michelle Martinat (not pictured). (Photos by Peter journey with the show. Westfield forum, this one for man- Currier) “I am so glad to have got- ufacturers, was held on Tuesday at ten the opportunity and get Westfield’s Barnes Regional an inside look at all of the Airport conference room. City craziness that goes on Advancement Officer Joe Mitchell WTA Horticulture students behind the scenes,” she said about a dozen people, includ- said. “I met so many won- ing representatives from Peerless derful people it was so Precision, Columbia begin Spring cleanup of Westfield resident interesting to meet other Manufacturing, Jarvis Surgical, Madison Curbelo answers people who share the same Mestek, Dirats Laboratories, and questions from American passion for music as I do.” Angy’s Landolfi Food Group Grandmother’s Garden Idol judges during Curbelo said during her attended the forum. “Hollywood Week.” last performance she sang Go Westfield is a marketing ini- (Submitted photo) “No Woman No Cry” by tiative launched last year with part- Bob Marley. ners Westfield Gas + Electric, “I chose it because it is a song that I hold so near and Greater Westfield Chamber of dear to my heart,” said Curbelo. “My dad and I love this Commerce, Westfield Bank and the song and it was the first song that I learned to play for City of Westfield. Its goal is to him. Every time I sing it I dedicate it to him, and that’s communicate to people outside the exactly what I did for the show.” region that Westfield “is an attrac- Curbelo is the daughter of Elizabeth and Luis Curbelo. tive location to grow a business and Nick Cernak begins raking the an exceptional place to live, work, large amount of leaves that See Idol, Page 5 and play,” said Mitchell. 20% of have been stuck under bushes. the campaign is marketed internal- ly to the city, and 80% to site selec- tors, to attract new business to Westfield. Besides the GoWestfield. Discussions continue com website, which has an upbeat promotional video about the city, ads are being placed in trade maga- on North Pond zines and online venues. Liam Broadhurst cuts off the The first forum was held with dead branches of a bush near downtown retailers and small busi- Bruce Esposito (left) and Sean Zobeo the front of the park. He did so land acquisition ness in January. use the heavy, back-mounted leaf blow- alongside Emma Renaud and By GREG FITZPATRICK Tuesday’s meeting began with a ers to clear the leaves from a large patch their teacher, Michelle Correspondent screening of the Go Westfield pro- of grass in Grandmother’s Garden. Martinat. SOUTHWICK – During the Select Board meeting motional video, and asking those Tuesday night, Select Board Vice-Chairman Russ Fox present for their comments on informed his fellow board members of the meeting he doing business in Westfield. recently had with other town officials and state officials Mitchell said it was a good sharing about the acquisition of the land adjacent to North Pond. experience for all of the manufac- Fox indicated that representatives of the Franklin turers. Select Board awards bid Land Trust, Conservation Commission Coordinator “We learned a significant con- Dennis Clark, Conservation Commission Chairman cern for these companies is having Christopher Pratt, Lake Management Committee a properly trained workforce,” for water main project Chairman Dick Grannells and individuals from the Mitchell said, adding that for some Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game were all at of the precision manufacturers, By GREG FITZPATRICK giving town residents a second water sup- the meeting. employees need specific skills; Correspondent ply in case the town water supply ever At that meeting, it was noted that the state would like however, even companies with jobs SOUTHWICK – On Tuesday night, the happens to be out of service. to have another appraisal done since the current apprais- requiring traditional skills said they Select Board approved DPW Director Brown commented last week that the al is two-years-old, just to see if the property value of $5 were struggling to fill positions. He Randy Brown’s request to award a bid for current pipeline for the water main has had million is the same. said some companies are seeking installing a new water main and pump sta- “its fair share of breaks and leaks the past On March 19, a special town meeting was held where out non-traditional avenues to meet tion off College Highway to Ludlow few years.” two warrant articles were passed that secured a total of their workforce needs, through Construction of Ludlow, Mass.. Currently, the pump station is located $5 million to be used to preserve the 146-acre property non-profit and state agencies. Ludlow Construction was awarded the right off of College Hwy, just south of on North Pond, which was the latest appraisal. Prior to Mitchell said several of the rep- bid due to being the lowest bidder, coming Wynnfield Circle. The new pump station the meeting, there was only $3.2 million raised. The resentatives talked about WE2BA, in at $4,127,225. will be about 2,000 feet north on Jarry first warrant article was to have the CPC (Community the Westfield Education to Business The project consists of installing a new Drive, right near the Westfield line. Preservation Committee) appropriate $500,000 out of Alliance between the Chamber of water main and pump station on the north- Although Ludlow Construction had put their account and the following warrant article was to Commerce and Westfield Public ern end of College Hwy, near the Westfield in a bid of $4,127,225 for the project, see if the town would bond the $1.2 million remaining Schools that has been focusing on line. With an increased capacity, the new Brown has noted that the project will cost to preserve the land, which will increase the tax rate in pump station will be able to draw more See Go Westfield, Page 5 water from Springfield Water & Sewer, See Bid, Page 5 See Land, Page 5 Review: ‘Beautiful: The Carole King Musical’ Returns to The Bushnell By MARK G. AUERBACH singer-songwriter with that unforgettable WOWO, which carried after dark to Correspondent “Tapestry” album, but before she became Northern Massachusetts. Beautiful: The Carole King Musical an icon as a performer, she’d written a Marc Bruni’s staging, a recreation of makes an encore visit to Hartford’s cavalcade of hits for other singers. his original Broadway work, is slick and Bushnell this week, and the well-ren- Carole King got her start as a writer of well-timed, and Josh Prince’s choreogra- dered touring production of the still-hot pop tunes with other writers in New York phy.pay homage to the intricate move- Broadway musical is well worth the visit City’s Brill Building. Her rise to stardom ments which accompanied musical for the first or second time. as a composer was pretty quick, but her groups like The Drifters and The The “juke box” musical has become a road to international acclaim as a singer/ Shirelles. The stage pulses with excite- Broadway staple–a collection of songs songwriter involved a journey hampered ment when Alexis Tidwell as Little Eva by a composer or artist or musical group, by many hard knocks along the way. She leads the company in Prince’s showstop- intertwined with a little plot to tie the wrote or co-wrote 118 pop hits on the ping “Locomotion”. songs together. Sometimes, they’re fabu- Billboard Hot 100. Derek’ McLane’s sets, which run the lous like Jersey Boys, the story of Frankie Most of the songs were familiar to me. gamut from concert halls and studios to Valli and The Four Seasons or Mamma I spent many hours as a teen listening to suburban New Jersey, are great, and Mia! the ABBA tunefest.