TONIGHT Clear Skies. Low of 25. Search for The Westfield News The WestfieldNews Search for The Westfield News Westfield350.comTODAY IN WESTFIELD HISTheTORY: WestfieldNews “THE ONLY PEOPLE 1700 VOTED: “That Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns WHO Att“TAINIME ISPOWER THE ONLY WEATHER there shall be a scool ARECRITIC T HOSEWITHOUT TONIGHT AMBITION.” hous built eighteen WHO CRAVE IT.” Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. foots square” www.thewestfieldnews.com Search— Erich for The KastnerWestfield News Westfield350.comWestfield350.org The WestfieldNews Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns “TIME IS THE ONLY WEATHER VOL. 86 NO. 151 TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017 75 cents VOL.87 NO. 283 SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2018 CRITIC75 CentsWITHOUT TONIGHT AMBITION.” Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 86 NO. 151 TUESDAY,FBI JUNE 27, charges 2017 Southwick man with 75 cents sending packages to federal offices By GREG FITZpaTRICK FBI indicated that both the FBI Correspondent office in Springfield and the SOUTHWICK – The Boston Springfield Social Security FBI office announced in a Administration Office each press release on Friday that a received three packages that Southwick man has been involved either threats or the charged in federal court in suspicious white powder. The Springfield. press release also added that The Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School District held their annual budget Kevin Johnson, 47, of the Springfield office for the roundtable on Thursday night. (Photo by Greg Fitzpatrick) Southwick, has been arrested United States Attorney’s and charged for sending four Office received a letter from a packages to the F.B.I. office in person claiming responsibility Springfield, with two of those for sending those packages. School district holds budget packages containing white Each package contains a piece powder. of white-lined paper with a According to Kristen Setera, assisted the FBI for the execu- hand-drawn logo that seems to with the Public Affairs Office tion of a search warrant for combine the “anarchist A” roundtable with town officials Johnson at 136 Point Grove By GREG FITZpaTRICK lection system that allows DESE to collect for the F.B.I. Division in symbol and the symbol for Boston, the exact charge was Rd. at around 8:30 a.m. on ISIS. Correspondent information. Willard pointed out that the Friday morning. SOUTHWICK – The Southwick- overall enrollment is the number of actual by criminal complaint, with The FBI’s press release also two counts of conveying false “The warrant was executed includes the court documents Tolland-Granville Regional School District students in the district right now, which without incident,” said held their annual budget roundtable this includes school choice students, but not information and hoaxes. It also that detail the incident. included two counts of mailing Southwick Chief of Police “As alleged in court docu- past week. Along with Superintendent Jen students who live in the district but school Kevin Bishop. “At no time Willard and members of the school com- choice out of the district. threatening communications, ments, on July 23, 2018, secu- followed by Johnson being before, during, or after, was rity cameras at the FBI mittee, Select Board members from Looking at the potential impacts to the there any threat posed to the Southwick, Granville, and Tolland were Fiscal Year 2019-2020 budget, Willard detained. Springfield Office captured an The Southwick Police neighborhood or community.” also in attendance. talked about the instructional technology The press release from the To begin the meeting, Willard discussed grant that the district received last year, Department noted that they See FBI Charges, Page7 the district’s enrollment. According to the indicating that the $200,000 could be used SIMS (Student Information Management in the budget. System) data, the overall enrollment of the “We’re really trying to move to a one-to- district has declined by seven students, one school district,” said Willard. “We with 1,518 in 2018 and 1,511 in 2019. want technology in our students hands all From the Massachusetts Department of the time.” Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), SIMS is a student-level data col- See Budget Roundtable, Page 7 Tie new year’s resolutions with 350th Race Series By LORI SZEPELAK Correspondent WESTFIELD-With the thought of new year’s reso- lutions only weeks away, city residents are encour- aged to consider adding one special goal – participat- ing in the 2019 Westfield 350th Race Series. “As the new year approaches, we often make reso- lutions and set personal goals,” said Vanessa Diana, who is a member of the race series organizing com- mittee and serves as race director for Run Stanley. “Having a fitness goal is a great motivator to chal- lenge yourself to establish new habits and push your- Opening night of ‘Holiday Spirit’ self.” Margaret Rock as “Emily” and Jonathan D’Amours as “Wilson” belt out a song at As plans for the city’s 350th celebration also accel- Friday night’s debut of “Holiday Spirit” by The Westfield Theatre Group. See additional erate with the new year, race organizers are confident photos Page 2. (Photo by Marc St.Onge) that a record number of runners and walkers will want Run Westfield is part of the to participate in the once-in-a-lifetime unique series. 2019 Westfield 350th Race Series. (Submitted photo) See 350th Race Series, Page 7 Pine Hill Cemetery seeking Stolen car, gun, found quickly By CARL E. HARTDEGEN neighbor’s driveway while he spoke with his donations, volunteers Correspondent neighbor. By PETER CURRIER WESTFIELD – A city man who left his He told the officer that a shotgun and other Correspondent unlocked car running with a shotgun in the back hunting equipment had been in the back seat of WESTFIELD- The Friends of Pine Hill Cemetery are seat escaped serious repercussions Wednesday the vehicle. seeking donations and volunteers to help maintain the cem- evening when the vehicle was stolen. Patrol officers were notified of the stolen car etery on Court Street. A Mechanic Street resident called police at and in less than an hour, at 6:53 p.m., Officer Pine Hill Cemetery, which was founded as a non-profit 6:06 p.m. to report his vehicle had been stolen William Cavanaugh reported locating the aban- in 1842, is suffering from the effects of rising expenses and moments earlier and he had seen what appeared doned vehicle on East Bartlett Street. The shot- lowering revenue. to be a male party driving it away on Meadow gun was still in the car. Chip Colton (left) President Street. Detectives Brian Freeman and Richard “Expenses have increased while sales (of plots) have of the Friends of Pine Hill gone down due to more people deciding to be cremated Officer Brendan Irujo was the first officer to Mazza processed the vehicle for evidence. A Cemetery, and Dale respond and reports that the victim said that he rather than buried,” said Chip Colton, President of The Dickson (right) State Police K-9 unit also assisted in the inves- Superintendent of Pine Hill had left the engine of his unlocked black 2010 tigation but the dog was not able to track the See Pine Hill Cemetery, Page 8 Cemetery. (Photo submitted) Ford Edge running when he parked it in a steps of the thief leaving the car. Ribbon cutting held for new solar power array By PETER CURRIER scale solar power installation in Correspondent Westfield. It is estimated to double the WESTFIELD- A ribbon cutting cere- existing solar power output in Westfield. mony was held by Green Street Power Emily Swanson, Legislative Aid for Partners Friday morning for the newly State Representative John Velis, and constructed 17-acre solar power array at Michelle Moriarity, Legislative Aid to 1040 Southampton road. State Senator Don Humason were pres- The new array, which is made up of ent and delivered citations from their 13,728 individual solar panels, will gen- respective legislative chambers com- erate an estimated 4.8 megawatts of mending the solar field’s construction. power and over five million kilowatt “This is a great location and it is a hours annually. great business to be here,” said Mayor “It’s a lot of hard work to go from Brian Sullivan, “This is an economic concept to completion,” said Tony development as well as a green energy Craig Dwyer, founder and CEO of Contrino, General Manager at Westfield development.” Terawatt Solar Energy. Terawatt was Gas and Electric, “we are finally at the Mayor Sullivan added that he was Mayor Brian Sullivan and Tony Contrino of Westfield Gas and a developing partner for Westfield’s finish line.” happy with the community’s response Electric prepare to cut the ribbon with representatives of newest solar array. (Photo by Peter The Southampton road solar power Terawatt, Green Street Power Partners, and Swinerton Renewable Currier) grid is the fourth and the biggest large See Solar Power Array, Page 5 Energy. (Photo by Peter Currier) PAGE 2 - SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2018 WWW.THEWESTFIELDNEWS.COM THE WESTFIELD NEWS Opening night at the Westfield Theatre Group’s performance of ‘Holiday Spirit’ Linda Slozak as “Jenny” and Carol Palmer as “Holiday The cast of the Westfield Theatre Group’s production of Spirit” join forces at the Westfield Theatre Group’s pro- “Holiday Spirit” gather on stage at the Westfield Women’s PHOTOS BY MARC ST.ONGE duction of “Holiday Spirit”. Club before Friday night’s debut performance. ODDS & ENDS Steer too beefy to become SATURDAY SUNDAY TONIGHT burgers reprieved to life on farm LAKE PRESTON, Australia (AP) — Knickers the steer is huge on the internet — for being huge. The black-and-white Partly Cloudy. Rain, t-storms.