Kiwanis Auction Items Ready for Bids by HOPE E
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The Westfield NewsSearch for The Westfield News Westfield350.com The WestfieldNews 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 SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 2020 VOL. 89 NO. 052 Kiwanis Auction items ready for bids By HOPE E. TREMBLAY restaurant gift cards, lottery tick- Delisle said many volunteers mal member of Kiwanis, but Editor ets and more. make the event happen. From every year she helps out and she WESTFIELD – Get your dial- George Delisle of Kiwanis soliciting auction items to answer- bids on items – people like her ing finger ready for the 51st annu- International has helped organize ing phones, dozens of people are make this happen,” said Delisle. al Kiwanis Auction March 1. the popular event for more than a involved. Last year, Kiwanis raised The Westfield Kiwanis TV decade and said it’s an exciting Delisle said local celebrity $50,000 on its 50th Auction and Auction will be broadcast from 12 day. guests include Mayor Donald F. organizers hope to exceed that – 8 p.m. on Comcast Channel 15 “If you’ve never watched or Humason Jr. and state Rep. John number this year. Funds raised in Westfield and Southwick, and participated before, you will be Ce. Velis among others. Past help Kiwanis support the commu- can be followed at www.west- amazed at the range of merchan- Westfield State University nities of Westfield, Southwick and fieldkiwanis.org/auction. Bids can dise we have,” he said. “We have Kiwanis Circle K Club President the Hilltowns through various be placed by calling (413) 572- so much cool stuff!” Elyse Denorfia, who has been programs, including the Circle K Frank Sposito, Fred Doherty and George 8000 on auction day. Items include numerous gift involved with Kiwanis since grad- Club at Westfield State and K Delisle Feb. 28, 2020 load a truck with Organizers have spent the better cards, tickets to a Red Sox vs. uating a decade ago, will be back Club programs in the schools. numerous items ready for the annual Kiwanis part of the past few weeks gather- Yankees game, an air compressor, to take bids over the phone. Kiwanis also helped establish the Auction March 1. The items will be taken to ing and sorting nearly 400 auction hotel stays, trips and much more. Delisle said Kiwanis is a special Greater Westfield Boys and Girls Westfield State University’s television studio items, including the Kiwanis A complete list of items is avail- organization and many people Club and Westfield Little League for the live broadcast of the auction. (HOPE E. Treasure Chest which is valued at able in the Feb. 27 issue of The support its mission locally. and continue to contribute to both TREMBLAY/THE WESTFIELD NEWS) $5,000 and includes dozens of Pennysaver. “Marty Baillargeon isn’t a for- groups financially. GWCA Owner’s project manager selected for takes school renovation By AMY PORTER the stage Staff Writer WESTFIELD – P3 Project Planning Professionals Inc. was chosen to serve as own- March 8 er’s project manager of the By LORI SZEPELAK Franklin Avenue Elementary Correspondent School renovation. WESTFIELD — For 43 years, the The proposed project aims Greater Westfield Choral Association to renovate the 64-year-old has been enriching the lives of area Franklin Avenue school to residents with music aimed at all include students who current- ages. ly attend Abner Gibbs TAMMY TEFFT “Our mission is to bring meaning- Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School Superintendent Jennifer Willard Elementary School. Abner Director of purchasing for ful music to our listeners, as well as presents the proposed Fiscal Year 2021 budget Feb. 25, 2020 along with Director Gibbs, which is over 100 city of Westfield our performers,” said Marc Winer, of Finance and Operations Stephen Presnal. (HOPE E. TREMBLAY/THE WESTFIELD years old and needs major artistic director. “We pride ourselves NEWS) improvements, would close. mittee unanimously recom- in the wide variety of music and Selecting the manager, mended P3, which was styles; there is something for every- known as the OPM, is a ranked the highest in the one.” Budget of $26.3M proposed requirement of the pointing structure. The group’s spring concert is slat- Massachusetts School The School Building ed March 8 at 3 p.m. at Second Building Authority which is Committee also authorized Congregational Church on Western for Southwick school district overseeing the project and Tefft to negotiate with P3, Avenue. The event should run under will reimburse the city for a Inc. for the OPM contact. 90 minutes with an intermission Budget includes savings continues to decline. She explained that majority of the project cost. “We’re in that process of included. A reception will follow the “foundation” enrollment is the number P3, of Norwell, has served in transportation, negotiation,” Tefft said. She concert and refreshments will be of students who live within the district as OPM for several city proj- said the city must get a signed served. eliminates three positions who receive public education, includ- ects, including the Little contract from the company, “The other part of our mission is to ing those who use school choice to River Fire Station, the Senior but the city cannot sign it be a teaching chorus, meaning that By HOPE E. TREMBLAY attend school out-of-district. Center, the roof project at until the process is approved we don’t turn anyone away,” said Editor “Since FY13, every year our founda- Westfield High School, and by the Massachusetts School Winer, adding “we teach not only the SOUTHWICK – Southwick-Tolland- tion enrollment is slowly declining,” work done a decade ago at Building Authority . notes and rhythms, but also the love Granville Regional School Willard said. Westfield Technical Tefft said the documenta- and enrichment of the music.” Superintendent Jennifer Willard Feb. In FY13 there were 1,800 students in Academy. tion of the search and selec- Winer noted that the group also 25 presented the district’s $26.3 million the district and the projection for FY21 Director of Purchasing tion will go to the Authority offers solo opportunities to singers in budget during a public meeting with the is 1,415 students. Tammy Tefft said the process on March 3. The approval of the group. Southwick Select Board. “The great news is that our school to select an OPM went very the city’s choice for OPM “The opportunities offer a chance The presentation highlighted educa- choice numbers continue to go up,” she well, with six companies will be on the April 6 for someone who may have not per- tional initiatives, enrollment, transpor- said, adding that more students are responding to a Request for Authority meeting agenda. formed as a solo voice before, and tation, assessments and capital improve- choosing to attend virtual high school Services. The School Following Authority approv- we work with them,” he said. ments. Willard said the budget includes than ever before. Building Committee, chaired al, the two-year feasbility Concerts are conducted at the cutting three Unit A teaching positions Willard said from FY 19-21, in by Mayor Donald F. Humason study begins. church because the acoustics are but declined to comment further Southwick, there is a net loss of 23 Jr advertised the Request. Tefft said five of the six “very friendly” for the medium sized because it’s a personnel issue. students, a loss of nine students in Tefft, who serves as vice companies that bid have all choral group, and for the “wonderful Initiatives outlined include more Tolland and Six students in Granville. chair, then led a subcommit- done extensive work for the organ” that is housed in the church, social-emotional support at Woodland The district has 50 students in FY20 tee to review the bids. Authority. The OPM will rep- according to Winer. Elementary School, professional devel- that use school choice to attend a differ- The subcommittee nar- resent Westfield on the proj- “Concert goers will be delighted opment in coordination with Mount ent district while 131 students attend rowed the six companies ect and be “our liaison to to hear one of Franz Schubert’s most Holyoke College and Universal Design Southwick-Tolland-Regional schools down to three, and inter- everybody else,” she said. accessible masses in the B-flat mass, for Learning, investments in technolo- under school choice. viewed the three ranked high- “I’m very happy. I thought which will be accompanied by gy in year two of the 1:1 Technology Director of Finance and Operations est P3 Project Planning the process worked well, and organ,” said Winer. “They will also Initiative, Field Test Tier 1 Core cur- Stephen Presnal said fixed costs will Professionals, Skanska USA we had a great team review- get a wonderful variety of music in riculum in reading and writing and increase $583,500, including $500,000 Buildings, and Colliers ing the bids,” Tefft said. The the second half of the program with updating the district strategic plan with in salary and wage adjustments, International. teacher input. Following the last inter- See Renovation, Page 5 See GWCA, Page 3 Willard said foundation enrollment See Budget, Page 3 view on Feb. 26, the subcom- Danny Nason named Citizen of the Year by Elks Lodge By PETER CURRIER volunteer service, and is an thing going on but I wasn’t people who were given Staff Writer all-around good citizen in the sure,” said Nason in his awards during the Friday cer- WESTFIELD — Resident area.