TONIGHT Rain Showers. Low of 46. Search for The Westfield News The WestfieldNews “THESearch FA TforE TheOF Westfield LOVE News Westfield350.comTODAY IN WESTheTFIELD WestfieldNews IS THAT IT ALWAYS HISTORY: Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns SEEMS“TIME TOO IS LI THETTLE ONLY WEATHER 1676: John Lee OR TCRITICOO MUCH WITHOUT.” “whipt on the naked TONIGHT - AMELIA EDITHAMBITION BARR .” body with 15 strypes Partly Cloudy. Search for TheJOHN Westfield STEINBECK News Westfield350.comWestfield350.orgLow of 55. for resitingThe a constable” www.thewestfieldnews.com WestfieldNews Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns “TIME IS THE ONLY WEATHER VOL. 86 NO. 151 TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017 CRITIC WITHOUT75 cents VOL.TONIGHT 87 NO. 76 THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2018 75AMBITION Cents .” Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL.Calling 86 NO. 151 cops TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017 Westfield 75 cents doesn’t help pot purchaser Tech students By CARL E. HARTDEGEN Correspondent WESTFIELD – Not so long ago, drug seekers are learning couldn’t call the police when they got ripped off. Now, a local marijuana shopper has found, calling the cops doesn’t always help. Officer Andrew Cekovsky reports that in on the job December a homeless man, John Sein III, By AMY PORTER approached a man outside a Main Street store Correspondent and claimed to have “good weed.” The victim Westfield Technical Academy students working on the interior are, A. WESTFIELD – Anyone driving down Pontoosic Road in gave the man $30 and went with him to an Elm J. Onofrey and Sara Whalen. Westfield may notice a house going up right before the Street address where Sein said the marijuana Southwick line. The difference with this one is that it’s being was stashed. built by juniors and seniors from Westfield Technical However, the man told Cekovsky, when Sein Academy. reached the address he walked past it. When the The project began in November, following approval by the victim didn’t receive his item the defendant School Committee, when WTA principal Joseph Langone and objected, Cekovsky reports, “The Defendant Construction Technology head teacher Matthew Gomes said refused to give the Victim his $30 in cash back the house would be a 3 bedroom ranch style custom home or provide him with the marijuana.” designed for the homeowners’ needs, that would bring in rev- The victim said that he twice attempted to enue for the program. Gomes said he drew the plans for the “get his $30 out of the Defendant’s front pock- house along with the owners Mitch Bannish and Karen ets” but twice Sein’s friend pushed him away. Bousquet. Sein was charged with larceny of property Brian Roy, foreman of the Pontoosic Rd. project and a first valued less than $250 and was arraigned in year teacher at WTA with 37 years of experience in construc- Westfield District Court. tion, said both juniors and seniors are working on the project. On Tuesday, the prosecution found insuffi- cient evidence to pursue the case and it was Exterior view of the Westfield Technical Academy project house located See Westfield Tech, Page 3 dismissed. at 33 Pontoosic Rd. in Westfield. However, Sein has other legal issues. He is facing charges of assault and battery with serious bodily injury, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (a shod foot) and unarmed robbery in Hampden County Superior Select Board reviewing Lieutenant position Court after allegedly punching and kicking a By GREG FITZPATRICK was previously the Lieutenant. At victim who was lying defenseless on the ground. Correspondent the Select Board meeting on He is also alleged have stolen $29 from the vic- SOUTHWICK – At Tuesday January 2, the board voted in favor tim’s pocket. night’s Select Board meeting, the of selecting Bishop as the Chief. board discussed the process to hire Bishop’s promotion to Chief was the next Lieutenant of the a result of current Chief David Southwick Police Department. Ricardi announcing his retirement Since they have copies of the last in June. Ricardi has been the police Child rape case internal posting for Lieutenant, chief since 2013. there aren’t many changes that The Select Board will now focus The Select Board discussed the Lieutenant vacancy. (Photo by need to be done to the job descrip- on having the job description Greg Fitzpatrick) in superior court tion. reviewed by town counsel so they By CARL E. HARTDEGEN The search for the next Lieutenant can officially post the open posi- Select Board has posted the position internally first. This Correspondent is due to the hiring of Kevin Bishop tion. In most cases with Southwick action item has been continued to the next meeting on WESTFIELD – A Springfield man saw a as the next Chief of Police as he Police positions in the past, the Tuesday. charge of rape of a child dismissed in Westfield District Court so he can be tried in Hampden County Superior Court. The offense allegedly occurred at the Southwick Town Beach on July 4 when the 12-year-old victim was at the beach with family Presencia Returns to tell Local Latino Stories and friends. SPRINGFIELD — To outsid- Presencia is a production of WGBY, public Sgt. Robert Landis of the Southwick Police ers, the notion that western New television and PBS station for western New Department reports in a court document that he England could be a hotbed of England. The weekly program features seg- was informed of the complaint by a Springfield Latino activity may not be obvi- ments in English, Spanish, and “Spanglish” officer who had responded to Baystate Medical ous. In truth, the cities of about the people, places, and policies affect- Center to speak with the victim and her mother. Springfield, Holyoke, and ing the communities in our western New Landis reports that he interviewed the victim Chicopee have exceptionally England. who said that she had been playing in the water large Latino populations, and CELEBRANDO DIVERSIDAD at the beach with a friend and an adult man who their communities drive policy, With the tagline, “Muchas Voces, Un is married to a friend of her mother. The girl economy, and culture in the Pueblo” (or, “Many Voices, One Community”), said that the man, later identified as Ruben region. Presencia was conceived as a platform for Lagares, 56, of 70 Harrison Ave., Springfield, With as much as 15 percent of cross-generational and cross-cultural connec- was throwing her friend into the water and she the entire western New England tions. asked for a turn. population identifying as Latino, According to 2016 WGBY research con- She said that when she went to him “he according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Latino demographic ducted in partnership with UMass Amherst, Presencia is the only slipped his hand under her underwear touching makes up a significant part of our diverse community — with many bilingual public television program in the PBS system. her.” She said “she told Ruben not to do that and important stories to tell. “It was important that we create a bilingual program,” explains he told her to be quiet and to relax and not tell For a third season, Presencia, led by its co-hosts Veronica del Presencia’s Executive Producer Vanessa Pabón-Hernandez. “We Rocio Garcia and Zydalis Bauer, returns to tell those important local See Court, Page 3 stories. See Local Latino Stories, Page 3 Planning Board approves marijuana zoning bylaw By GREG FITZPATRICK “It shows where we have any indus- Slessler also added that there will be Correspondent trial areas,” said Town Planner Alan certain areas on College Hwy that will be SOUTHWICK – On Tuesday night, Slessler. “That’s where they can grow, included on the overlay district map as the Planning Board continued their pub- produce, manufacture, and process.” well. lic hearing for their proposed marijuana For the overlay district map, the grow- The Planning Board is pleased to see zoning bylaw. The board voted in favor ing, production, and manufacturing of that the bylaw passed and is ready to be of approving the bylaw and the overlay medical and recreational marijuana drafted as a warrant article. district map. would be allowed in an industrial “It was seven months of sub-commit- The bylaw will show where both types restricted zone. There is one area on tee meetings, public hearings, and it’s of marijuana, recreational and medicinal, Hudson Drive and another near the Big can be used. Y that extends to Congamond Road. See Zoning Bylaw, Page 3 Southwick Town Hall. (WNG File Photo) PAGE 2 - THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2018 WWW.THEWESTFIELDNEWS.COM THE WESTFIELD NEWS South Middle School March Band Concert Above, Director Brandon Babbin leads the combined 6th, 7th, and 8th grade bands at South Middle School’s March Band Concert, Wednesday, March 28. (Photo by Jennifer Johnson-Corwin) ODDS & ENDS LOCAL LOTTERY LAST NIGHt’S NUMBERS Girls can apply to MASSACHUSETTS TONIGHT FRIDAY SATURDAY MassCash 04-11-29-31-35 take New Hampshire Mega Millions Estimated jackpot: $502 million Megabucks Doubler governor’s job for day 04-17-19-28-30-34 CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Estimated jackpot: $1.5 million Hampshire middle and high school girls Numbers Evening 2-2-1-5 have been invited to apply to take Numbers Midday 8-9-3-1 Powerball Partly Cloudy. Sunny. Republican Gov. Chris Sununu’s job for a day. 06-08-26-52-53, Powerball: 21, Power Play: 2 Sununu on Wednesday announced the Estimated jackpot: $40 million Governor for a Day competition as part of 53-55 55-58 Women’s History Month. Applicants must WEATHER DISCUSSION answer the prompt “If I were governor for a day, I would ..