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TONIGHT: Mostly Cloudy. Low of 62. Search for The Westfield News IFE HAS TAUGHT The WestfieldNews Search for The“L Westfield News Westfield350.com The WestfieldNews ME TO THINK, Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns “TIME BUTIS THE THINKING ONLY HAS WEATHER CRITICNOT WITHOUT TAUGHT ME TONIGHT AMBITIONHOW .”TO LIVE.” Partly Cloudy. —JOHN AL exSTEINBECKANder HerzeN Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com Search for The Westfield News Westfield350.comWestfield350.org The WestfieldNews “TIME IS THE ONLY VOL. 86 NO. 151 Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns WEATHER TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017 75 centsCRITIC WITHOUT VOL. 88 NO. 191 THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 2019 75 Cents TONIGHT AMBITION.” Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL.Westfield 86 NO. 151 Fair showcasesTUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017 75 cents city’s agricultural roots By LORI SZEPELAK tors this year. experienced as a child, he now Correspondent Now marking its 92nd year, feels “lucky to have it part of WESTFIELD — Since 1927, the Westfield Fair is slated Aug. my life today.” the Westfield Fair has been a 16-18 at the Westfield Freniere said he relishes the staple for the city to celebrate Fairgrounds on Russellville Westfield Fair for its spotlight its agricultural roots. Road. on horse and oxen pulls, antique From left: Public Health Director Joseph Rouse, Board of Health Chair Juanita “Farms are disappearing by Freniere noted he became tractor pulls, demonstrations of Carnes, and Board Member Dr. Teresa Mitchell. (Photo by Peter Currier) the hundreds each day and involved with the fair about 10 a cow being milked, and area small fairs like the Westfield years ago. residents participating in local Fair is one of the few places we “It was something my wife’s produce competitions. give the public the opportunity family has always been a part of “All of these things support to see how this country became as a volunteer and exhibitor how local fairs originated,” said Vape sale restrictions what it is today,” said Andrew showing milking shorthorn Freniere, adding, “Farmers Freniere, a member of the dairy cows,” said Freniere, add- bringing their best of what they Westfield Fair Association’s ing, “the Westfield Fair at its had to compete with their board of directors. Freniere is roots is an agriculture fair.” neighbors and celebrate a good likely forthcoming overseeing the concessions, Freniere added that while rides, and commercial exhibi- agriculture wasn’t something he See Westfield Fair, Page 3 By PETER CURRIER those 21 or older. Staff Writer The board floated the idea of changing WESTFIELD- The Board of Health how they penalize violations of tobacco this week discussed imposing greater sale policy to punish stores that are not restrictions on the sale of vaping and complying. Rather than imposing increas- e-cigarette products in the city to prevent ing fees for subsequent violations by the products from continuing to get in the such stores, they thought about making a hands of kids and teenagers. single, flat fee that would be the same for Public Health Director Joseph Rouse each violation, but higher than what the said that there is a vaping problem in first offense currently would have been. Westfield and beyond. Right now, the first three offenses by a “Electronic nicotine delivery devices store selling vapes to underage people are are all over the place. Kids are using fined as $100, $200, and $300 respec- them all over the place in the schools,” tively. The board considered making the said Rouse. flat fine somewhere between $200 and He noted that there has been a public $300. There is a current regulation that push from the City Council, Police revokes the tobacco sale permits for Department, and Westfield residents to stores that fail four compliance checks in do something about the vaping problem. a single calendar year. “It’s probably far overdue that we Health Inspector Thomas Hilbert said address it because it’s not going away,” that it is rare that the city can do that said Rouse. many checks on a single store in a year. Rouse said he fears that store owners Instead, he thought of making it so that who carry vaping products are not treat- consecutive failures, regardless of the ing them the same as they would more time scale, could be penalized more traditional tobacco products like ciga- heavily. This could include failures dur- rettes or cigars. He noted that he gets the ing inspections by the Food and Drug sense that some store owners are not A view of the fairgrounds from the Ferris Wheel. (2013 File Photo by Don Wielgus) treating vapes like a product meant for See Vape Sale Restrictions, Page 3 Rep. Velis: Sales tax holiday a ‘win-win’ By AMY PORTER Staff Writer WESTFIELD – Don’t be surprised to see state Rep. John C. Velis looking in store windows over this upcom- ing tax-free weekend. The two-day tax holiday, set for Aug. 17 and 18, will allow shoppers to avoid paying the 6.25 percent sales tax on most retail items that are less than $2,500, excluding food and drink at restaurants. “I will certainly take a walk downtown and see what’s out there that I might buy,” Velis said. He admitted that he’s not much of a planner when it comes to shopping, saying he is more likely to start shopping for presents at 4:30 to 4:45 p.m. on Christmas Eve. But, he said he is “absolutely” in favor of the sales tax holiday. “People talk about some of the revenue the state will lose, but if it ends up in the pockets of Massachusetts residents and consumers, it’s a good thing to err on the side of taxpayers,” Velis said. The “people” he mentioned are critics of the tax-free weekend. According to a story by Chris Lisinski in the State House News Service, the tax pause carries a sig- nificant price tag with it. The Department of Revenue estimated that the state forewent between $16.7 million and $37.7 million in tax revenue over the two-day holi- day last year. As a result, based on the midpoint between those fig- ures of $27.2 million, Dept. of Revenue Commissioner Christopher Harding said the MBTA and School Modernization and Reconstruction Trust Fund — which receive a dedicated portion of the state’s sales-tax reve- nue each year — each missed out on about $4.3 million in potential funding in 2018. Babe Ruth Semifinal Also, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy Greenville, North Carolina shortstop Alex Popovich tags out Meridian, Mississippi’s Brett Busbea (9) at second base. See stories and addition photos in today’s Sports Section. (Photo by Marc St.Onge) See Sales Tax Holiday, Page 3 PAGE 2 - THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 2019 WWW.THEWESTFIELDNEWS.COM THE WESTFIELD NEWS Bishop calls church abuse reporting system ‘an important step’ By HOPE E. TREMBLAY can arise,” Bishop Robert Deeley, of the Diocese of Assistant Managing Editor Portland, said in a statement. “I am pleased that the BOSTON — Roman Catholic dioceses across New new, third-party system establishes a clear and inde- England Wednesday joined an independent system for pendent system way for people to report misconduct reporting misconduct or abuse by church leaders. by bishops.” Rev. Mitchell Rozanski, Bishop of the Roman However, the Survivors Network of those Abused Catholic Diocese of Springfield, said this was “an by Priests, known as SNAP, said there was a “glaring important step.” flaw” in the system in that allegations are not made The system, started by the Diocese of Boston, was public. joined by the Diocese of Manchester in New “The Catholic Church has already demonstrated Hampshire, the Diocese of Burlington in Vermont and that it cannot be trusted to police itself. By keeping the the Diocese of Portland in Maine, as well as several accusations under wraps, the process does not encour- dioceses in Massachusetts. age victims, witnesses and whistleblowers with addi- Rozanski, who is away on retreat this week, issued tional information to come forward,” Melanie Sakoda, the following response. the survivor support coordinator for the group, said in “I am grateful to Cardinal O’Malley for his leader- an emailed statement. “People are often reluctant to be ship in implementing this important facet of Vos Estis the first but will step up when they know someone Lux Mundi here in the Boston Province,” he said. else has come forward. The best place for allegations “This is an important step in assuring accountability of sexual abuse is still in the hands of law enforce- for bishops in continuing to be vigilant in our church ment.” for the safe environment of all our members, particu- The Westfield News reported the story of a city larly our most vulnerable.” family affected by abuse of a Westfield boy by a local According to The Associated Press, the names are priest. That family has reached out to the Diocese of accompanied by resources on the website for survi- Springfield for assistance in coping with the lifelong vors and a section for anyone to report church abuse. effects of the abuse. Last May, Pope Francis issued a church law that The confidential system allows alleged victims to requires all priests and nuns to report sexual abuse by file abuse claims anonymously either by phone or clergy, as well as cover-ups by their superiors to email. All claims will be reported to law enforcement church authorities. The next month, the U.S. and apostolic nuncio as necessary. Alleged victims get Conference of Catholic Bishops creating a third-party a case number and can track their claims, according to national reporting system for abuse claims against The Associated Press.

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