Search for The Westfield News Westfield350.comTheThe Westfield WestfieldNews News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns “TIME IS THE ONLY WEATHER CRITIC WITHOUT TONIGHT AMBITION.” Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 86 NO. 151 TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017 75 cents $1.00 TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2020 VOL. 89 NO. 156 St. Mary’s Parish School plans in-person instruction this fall By HOPE E. TREMBLAY as much as possible supports students required to follow all recommendations Editor and parents, provides consistent sched- for social distancing, sanitization, and WESTFIELD – St. Mary’s Parish ules, maximizes the highest quality necessary personal protective equipment, School will open this fall with a plan to instruction, and delivers a program that when in the classroom, and on school keep students and staff safe and maxi- ensures our students holistic progress.” grounds. All recommendations will be mize in-person instruction. Collins said when the buildings closed clearly communicated with parents and St. Mary’s High School Principal this past March, the Parish schools, the community prior to the start of Matthew Collins said continuing learn- including the high school and elementary school. It is the intent of the administra- ing in-person was paramount when dis- and middle school grades, immediately tors and staff of St. Mary’s Parish School cussing how to proceed this fall. began remote learning, with the high to keep all students, staff, parents and “I feel it’s important to have students school keeping its daily class schedule to visitors safe at all times. in-person for learning because of the engage students as much as possible. St. Mary’s Parish School is in the pro- relationships they have built with their “At St. Mary’s, the remote learning cess of forming a Covid-19 Response teachers. Face to face learning allows over the past couple of months went very Team. This team will be responsible for student to ask the important questions well. The students started learning in the identifying: they may not otherwise ask when remote remote classroom the day after the school • Passing Protocols for hallway safety learning,” said Collins. closed due to COVID-19. Both the stu- • Entry and Exit Protocols In a press release, the Diocese stressed dents and the teachers did an amazing • Drop Off and Pick Up Protocols the importance of keeping students safe job, but it certainly could never replace • Facility Preparation and Cleaning and the plan in place “guarantees our in-person learning.,” Collins said. Protocols St. Mary’s High School history teacher Terri Garfield work- families the excellence they deserve. We According to the release, employees, ing from her home during the pandemic. St. Mary’s Parish believe keeping schools physically open students, parents and visitors will be See School Plans, Page 3 Schools will open in-person this fall. (ST. MARY’S PHOTO) Westfield Biker Club donates $2,000 to East Mountain Transition program By AMY PORTER Staff Writer WESTFIELD — Members of the Crippled Old Busted Bikers (COBB) of Westfield rode out to the East Mountain Transition program on June 27, to present Director Sherry Elander with a check for $2,000. Paul Sporbert, president of COBB, said the club, which started in Hinsdale and has opened a second chapter in Westfield, does a lot of community fundraising. “We’ve been gifted enough to give back to somebody else,” he said. Fundraising events include motorcycle rides, spaghetti din- ners and comedy shows, among others. Sporbert said chari- ties are picked out of a hat, literally. He said the person who writes down the selected charity has to serve on the commit- tee, and they choose a different one every time. The East Mountain Transition program was initially select- ed to benefit from a comedy show. When that was cancelled, it was going to receive proceeds from a ride. After both events were cancelled because of COVID-19, the club took funds from its reserves to donate to the program, Sporbert While friends and family cheer, John Dorman goes for a ride in his restored 1963 Buick Special convertible driven by one said. of the car’s restorers, Harley Avezzie. (MARC ST. ONGE/THE WESTFIELD NEWS) “We feel so honored that our program made it into the hat. What an honor, to have people recognize what we do, it’s Parade ends with restored classic car returned See Biker Club, Page 6 By AMY PORTER work and a paint job. “It’s been dad’s planning our own little version of Staff Writer dream for years and we were finally ‘Overhaulin’ and doing a secret reveal WESTFIELD – Kimberly Valles able to do it for him,” Valles said. this weekend. He’s been so sick with wanted to do something special for her The next part of the plan was the big chemo he can’t drive it and has no idea father, Navy veteran John Dorman who reveal, which she envisioned as a it’s gone from the garage and been at is in the fight of his life battling cancer. parade of antique cars, with her dad’s the shop,” Valles posted on Facebook. First, she and her family secretly bor- Buick Special bringing up the rear. rowed his ‘64 Buick Special for body “The car is just about done and we’re See Parade, Page 6 Paul Sporbert, president of COBB, presents $2,000 check to East Mountain Road Program Director Sherry Elander. (AMY PORTER/THE WESTFIELD NEWS) Wyben 4th of July Parade on hold By HOPE E. TREMBLAY Editor WESTFIELD – The Wyben 4th of July Parade will be back — in 2021. After a one year absence, there is a group of enthusiastic folks wanting to reincarnate this well-attended and popular event. Obviously a difficult task to safely do so this year, so sadly organizers have to spring forth to 2021 and regret its absence in 2020. “Our country is in need of patriotic events such as this to remind us of who we are, and what we have,” said John Dorman, seated, along with family and friends, waves to a parade of antique cars passing his house Sunday June 28. parade organizer Bob Allen. (MARC ST. ONGE/THE WESTFIELD NEWS) PAGE 2 - TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2020 WWW.THEWESTFIELDNEWS.COM THE WESTFIELD NEWS Westfield resident Olivia Madamba completes intensive research Ppoject WORCESTER - Olivia Madamba of Westfield, a member of the class of 2021 majoring in chemical engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), was a member of a student team that recently completed an intense research project titled Exploring the Response to an Unprecedented Pandemic. At WPI, all undergraduates are required to complete a research-driven, professional-level project that applies science and technology to addresses an important societal need or issue. Nearly 90% of students typically complete a project in collaboration with partners in communities across the country and around the world, through the university's 50-plus project centers. Students usually travel to the project center for seven- week terms; this spring, however, due to the global coronavirus pandemic, they worked remotely, using video conferencing and other technology to complete their projects. A signature ele- ment of the innovative undergraduate experience at WPI, the project-based curriculum offers students the opportunity to apply their scientific and technical knowledge to develop thoughtful solutions to real problems that affect the quality of people's lives-and make a difference before they graduate. "The WPI project-based curriculum's focus on global studies brings students out of their comfort zones to apply their knowl- edge to solve real problems for people in communities around the globe," said Professor Kent Rissmiller, interim dean of the WPI Interdisciplinary and Global Studies Division. "Students have the opportunity to learn about a different culture, from the way people live and work to the values they hold to the foods they eat - all valuable perspectives for surviving and thriving in today's global marketplace. They also learn the meaning and Sidewalk talk magic of teamwork; make a real and meaningful difference; A new sidewalk is being installed on Route 20 by Walmart as part of the MassDOT traffic signal improvements at Route and gain a competitive edge for any resume, or graduate or 20/Springfield Road. (HOPE E. TREMBLAY/THE WESTFIELD NEWS) professional school application. Police Logs Major crime and incident report 3:28 p.m.: larceny, East Main Street, a caller reports his phone were advised the complaint. Tuesday, June 23, 2020 was stolen by a person he was socializing with at a fast food res- WESTFIELD taurant,, the responding officer reports the complainant said that an SOUTHWICK 9:41 a.m.: assist other agency, Meadow Street, officers were identified friend had asked to use his cellphone and then fled with 8:28 p.m.: larceny, Shaggbark Drive, a resident reorts a laptop detailed to seek a person ordered to be at Westfield District Court, it, the officer was provided the suspect’s phone number and when was stolen from his parked motor vehicle sometime during the the officers report the man was found at a Meadow Street residence he spoke with the suspect was told that he had been playing a prank night, the resident is certain the vehicle was locked; and transported to the court; on his friend who had left when he returned give it back to him, the 9:36 a.m.: animal complaint, Berkshire Avenue, a resident 11:55 a.m.: incapacitated person, Mechanic Street, a caller officer advised the prankster of the potential serious consequences reports his dog was in a fight with a woodchuck, the woodchuck reports a person appears to be overdosing