Chief of Police Discusses Proposed FY20 Budget
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JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com ChiefVOL. 86 NO. 151 of Police discussesTUESDAY, JUNEproposed 27, 2017 FY20 budget 75 cents By GREG FITZPATRICK supervisor for the dispatch center,” said budget is a request to continue a weap- Correspondent Bishop. ons maintenance program. Bishop is SOUTHWICK – Chief of Police The reason behind the request comes seeking additional funding to continue Kevin Bishop had a meeting with the from a management study previously to maintain the patrol rifles and shot- Select Board this week to discuss his done on the Southwick Police guns that are held in the patrol cruisers. preliminary proposed budget for Fiscal Department’s current dispatch center Bishop added that some of the weapons Year 2020. with the assessment suggesting that a are 15-years-old and older, but not all of According to Bishop, a priority in the supervisor position be created to help the weapons are used while officers are Southwick Police Department’s budget further organize and strengthen that on duty, they also need to be maintained this year is to create a position for a dis- aspect of the department. for trainings. patch supervisor. Since both the police According to Bishop, duties for a dis- A larger proposed item in the budget and fire departments co-share the dis- patch supervisor would include training, is installing a brand-new phone and patch center for emergency calls, Bishop scheduling dispatchers, radio proce- Wi-Fi system in the police department. indicated his request to the Select Board dures, being responsible for seeking Bishop noted that the department has at the budget hearing had support from grant opportunities for the dispatch cen- never had Wi-Fi and having it would be Fire Chief Russ Anderson. ter, and other tasks. Bishop requested a tremendous benefit for all operations “I would say, at this point in time, one $56,000 in the budget in order to pro- that occur within the department on a Select Board Chairman Joe Deedy asks Chief of Police of the biggest things that myself and the vide a full-time salary for the position. Kevin Bishop about the preliminary FY19 budget. (Photo by fire chief are requesting is a dispatch Another line item in the preliminary See Chief of Police, Page 5 Greg Fitzpatrick) City pushes WSU public safety back on has nailed down zone change championship security By PETER CURRIER Correspondent request to allow WESTFIELD- For the better part of the 21st century so far, communities, universities, and entire cities throughout New England have had to grapple with what to do when marijuana large groups of fans are celebrating a sports championship together. There have been 12 instances of a Boston team retailer coming away with a trophy since 2000. 10 of those instanc- By AMY PORTER es took place while Westfield State University had most of Correspondent its students on campus. WESTFIELD – Kimberley Betts Over the last 18 years, WSU has had a lot of practice came before the Planning Board on with handling crowd control. Typically, when the Red Sox Tuesday and the City Council on or Patriots have won the World Series or Superbowl Thursday, seeking a change in zoning respectively, the students rush the campus green and form for 14 Coleman Avenue from Business a mob around the centerpiece globe on campus. This ‘mob’ B to Industrial A. The property had pre- has taken on varying degrees of severity each time. viously been zoned as Industrial A, but Words with Friends In a 2017 interview, Tricia Oliver, Director of Campus had changed approximately eight or Communication, said that some public safety officers had nine years ago, according to Betts, seek- Grace Connors, Jonas Miller, and Jordan Bell with their prizes at the 8th told her the Red Sox victory in 2004 caused one of the ing tenants zoned for Business B. Betts annual Words with Friends Spelling Bee at Westfield State University last more rambunctious gatherings during that time period. The said those tenants never came, and own- night. See additional photos Page 8. (Photo by Marc St.Onge) second the baserunner was forced out in the bottom of the ers now want to change back, in confor- 9th in St. Louis, students left their dorms and rushed the mance with abutting businesses. campus green. On Tuesday, Planning Board member “Folks don’t usually come outside until the timer hits Philip McEwan said he could under- zero,” said Oliver, although she added that some students stand why they changed it before, can sometimes be seen waiting by the globe when the out- because they had a tenant lined up, and DPW Director discusses large come of the game becomes clear. the property had been vacant. He said prior to that time it had been a wood- budget items with Capital Committee See WSU Public Safety, Page 3 working shop, which is zoned Industrial A. By GREG FITZPATRICK along with sinkholes forming near the Planning Board chair William Correspondent pipeline. Carellas said he was “not jumping up SOUTHWICK – The Department “Its met its useful life,” said Brown. and down” with the zone change of Public Works’ Director Randy One of the larger items in the FY20 request, because Industrial A goes to Brown met with the Capital budget is a culvert replacement on retail marijuana; although he said he Expenditures Committee on Thursday Fred Jackson Road estimated to be understands their plight. night to discuss the larger items in the $425,000. Brown stressed to the com- Betts said there is a retail marijuana DPW’s Fiscal Year 2020 budget. mittee that if it was decided to not shop interested in the location. She said When examining the paving and replace the culvert and the culvert the company, who she identified as construction portion of his budget, failed, it could become a major issue. Ganesh Wellness, working with an indi- Brown noted that there are several “Then you’d have to shut the road vidual from Colorado, would have to paving projects with costs over down,” said Brown. come before the Planning Board for a $25,000. The paving and drainage With roads being a necessity, Brown special permit because the site is within replacement on Cedar Street and informed the committee about the six- 300 feet of a residential area. Bonnieview Road is estimated to cost year capital paving plan that he’s about $140,000 as the bottom of the Carlton Pickron (front) looks on at the crowd celebrating See Zone Change, Page 3 drainage pipeline is deteriorating See Large Budget Items, Page 2 the Red Sox World Series victory (Photo by Peter Currier) PTO plans new bingo fundraiser with ‘bags and bling’ By LORI SZEPELAK different,” said McGrath, who also serves as ing, a festive display of light refreshments Correspondent the PTO’s treasurer. including cheese and crackers and vegetables WESTFIELD-A “fabulous night out” is McGrath added that she and friends have and dip will be offered to enjoy from 5:45 to planned as Highland Elementary School attended similar handbag fundraisers and 6:45. A cash bar will also be available. PTO members host its first “Bags and Bling saw how well received the events were. McGrath also noted that a wide variety of Bingo” fundraiser on April 11. “Women can never have enough hand- raffle prizes will be up for grabs, ranging Jillian McGrath and Elizabeth Gasiewski, bags,” said McGrath, adding, “The event from wine, gift cards, and lottery tickets to both PTO members, are co-chairing the also gives women a night out with their merchandise from popular designers includ- event and are hopeful area residents ages 18 friends to have fun.” ing Vera Bradley, Longchamp, Lilly Pulitzer and older will want to participate in the fun Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and bingo is slat- and The Love Mich Collection. The cost will evening slated at Tekoa Country Club. ed from 7 to 10 p.m. Both McGrath and be $10 for a sheet of 21 raffle tickets. Popular designer brands will be featured at the “In the past our spring season fundraiser Gasiewski will be the evening’s bingo call- “We have a great lineup of raffle prizes,” Highland Elementary School PTO’s spring fun- was a calendar raffle and while it has been ers. draiser – Bags and Bling Bingo. (Submitted photo) successful, we were looking for something While attendees are arriving and socializ- See Bags and Bling, Page 3 STORE HOURS Beat the chill with a new grill Mon.–Fri. 8am–8pm, Sat. 8am–7pm Sun. 9am–5pm WESTFIELD rockys.com 2 Free St. 413-568-9251 10.875x2 WEST NEWS 1901562_ROCKYS-FebruaryGrillingAds.indd 2 1/29/19 8:42 AM PAGE 2 - FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2019 WWW.THEWESTFIELDNEWS.COM THE WESTFIELD NEWS TONIGHT SATURDAY SUNDAY Sunny.