TONIGHT Rain Showers. Low of 40. Search for The Westfield News The WestfieldNews Search“IN forSCANDAL The Westfield, News Westfield350.comTODAY IN WESTheTFIELD WestfieldNews AS IN ROBBERY, HISTORY: Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns THE “TRECEIME IISVER THE IS ONLY WEATHER ALWAYSCRITICAS BADWITHOUT 1885: First issue of “Wsfld TONIGHT Valley Echo” newspaper. AS THE THAMBITIONIEF.” .” Partly Cloudy. - LOSearchRD CHESTERFIE for TheJOHN Westfield STEINBECKLD News Westfield350.comLow of 55. Thewww.thewestfieldnews.com WestfieldNews Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns “TIME IS THE ONLY WEATHERVOL. 86 NO. 151 TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017 CRITIC 75WITHOUT cents VOL. 87 NO. 43 75 Cents TONIGHT WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018 AMBITION.” Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com Veterans Town VOL. 86 NO. 151 TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017 ‘Back to the 75 cents Hall Thursday at the Westfield drawing board’ Senior Center for accessible By AMY PORTER Correspondent WESTFIELD – The VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System and the playground City of Westfield Veterans Department will host a Veterans Town Hall at the Westfield By AMY PORTER Senior Center, 45 Noble Street on Thursday, Correspondent February 22 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. WESTFIELD – Peter J. Miller, director of community The veteran community is invited to learn The Select Board officially hired Ian Depietro as a paramedic and fire- development reported to the Commission for Citizens with firsthand about Veterans Administration pro- fighter in the department. (Photo courtesy of Greg Fitzpatrick) Disabilities on Tuesday that Westfield has been turned down grams and services from VA representatives, for two state grants to fund an all-abled accessible playground including John P. Collins, Director of the VA Center Western Massachusetts HealthCare in the Hampton Ponds park area. Miller said while the city System, other regional VA healthcare leader- intends to go forward with the project, it has to first go “back ship and staff, claims representatives from to the drawing board.” the Boston VA Regional Office, VA National Southwick Fire adds Miller said he learned a lot through the process and plans to Cemetery Administration officials, and local attend an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) training in veteran service officers. April, “so we can prepare a better grant next year,” he said. Dennis R. Ramstein, Outreach Coordinator Miller also said that the $65,000 given by the Commission for the VA Central Western Massachusetts full-time paramedic for handicap-accessible improvements for the city would still HealthCare System said they have been By GREG FITZPATRICK be applied. “We don’t have a lot of accessible recreation here,” holding Town Halls for the last three years, Correspondent he said. but this will be the first one held in Westfield. SOUTHWICK – The Select Board unanimously voted in favor to offer He said one reason the Hampton Ponds grant was turned “They’re very informative. We always get a employment to Ian Depietro. A Westfield resident, Depietro will now be a down is that the state did not want to fund projects that called lot of compliments from veterans after we full-time paramedic and firefighter for the Southwick Fire Department. for cutting of trees, and that location was in a wooded area. He host one of these,” Ramstein said. Previously, Depietro had been on the call force for the department for the said the other reason was they were giving priority to spray The goal of the Town Hall is to answer last five years. The call force consists of emergency personnel who aren’t parks this year. questions from veterans and family mem- full-time employees but get called to duty when there is an emergency call “From my perspective, it’s a blessing in disguise,” Miller bers regarding VA benefits and to ensure that to the department. said, noting that they had not budgeted a sufficient amount for eligible veterans make an informed decision Having his firefighter 1 certification, which is required to be a full-time an accessible playground surface because the grant was due regarding the care and services available to paramedic and firefighter, Depietro is looking forward to having more of a before the engineering documents were completed. them. VA Central Western Massachusetts, contribution to the department. “Wood chips won’t work,” he said, and with the city coun- based in Northampton, oversees the VA “This is essentially a new chapter of my life,” said Depietro. “I just Medical Center in Leeds and seven outpa- cil-imposed moratorium on crumb rubber surfaces, remaining tient clinics including the Springfield VA really can’t wait to get on it.” solutions are expensive. They are working with the engineers clinic at 25 Bond Street. According to Southwick Fire Chief Russ Anderson, Depietro will now to find the right surface, according to Miller. During the Town Hall, veterans will also start an in-service training in the department. Anderson has observed Commission member Andrea Pianka asked whether it had to have an opportunity to enroll in VA health Depietro’s time on the call force and is eager to see what he can do for the be on an existing playground. Miller said it would be more care. A copy of a Veteran’s discharge docu- department for the future. realistic. He said the Parks and Recreation Commission would ment, DD214, is helpful for on-site enroll- “He’s great to have on board,” said Anderson. “He’s got a great work be driving the decision of where the accessible playground ment. Veterans and families may also inquire ethic and he’s been a great asset, so we can only expect more from him.” would be located. about financial and other forms of assistance Over the last month, the Southwick Fire Department has added a total of “I think Cross Street is right for this – that would probably to veterans, including compensation and five people to their call force, after all of them graduated from the be my recommendation,” Miller said. He also said Paper Mill pension benefits and information about the Massachusetts Fire Academy in Springfield this summer. might be another location for it. “I hope we can find enough National Cemetery. money through these state grants,” he added. The Town Hall is open to all veterans, Also before the commission on Tuesday was Carol Martin of family members and anyone interested in the Westfield Museum. Martin introduced Raymond Casella of veterans issues, and is an an ideal opportu- nity to obtain valuable information in one See Playground, Page 8 place at one time. No advance registration is necessary. For additional information, call Suspect cleared the Senior Center at 562-6435. By CARL E. HARTDEGEN Correspondent WESTFIELD – A city woman who went to the Westfield WalMart store on Sunday to investigate a fraudulent purchase on her credit card may have been surprised to find that a man who looked to be an obvious sus- pect was also in the store – to pick up a purchase made with her card. Officer Michael Csekovsky responded to investigate and Capt. Michael McCabe reports Csekovsky found that the man was a “patsy” who had not been involved in the fraudulent purchase. McCabe said that the man had not been a party to the fraudulent on-line purchase of a phone but had been duped by a woman he knows only on- line. He said that the woman he knows on-line said that she had bought a new phone on-line and arranged to pick it up in the store. However, she told The Westfield Senior Center, 45 Noble her dupe that she couldn’t get it herself because she was in Italy dealing Street will host a Veterans Town Hall on with her father’s funeral and asked him to collect it for her. Thursday, Feb.Prof. 22. from George 5 to 7:30 p.m. MichaelMcCabe said no charges were filed although the incident remains under Peter Miller discusses accessible playground with investigation. Commission for Citizens with Disabilities. (Photo by Amy WSU Terrorism Expert Porter) RADIO FOR THE WESTFIELD MASSES THE WESTFIELD FOR RADIO The Westfield News Radio Show Report on 2017 motocross nationals and look towards 2018 event Thursday By GREG FITZPATRICK Nielsen Report that the race had the Correspondent highest viewership on national tele- Line-Up SOUTHWICK – Rick Johnson of vision of any motocross event in the 6am-8am The Wick 338 met with the Select past three years. Board on Tuesday night to report on Informing the Select Board that the results of the 2017 Motocross this past year’s organization of the This Thursday... Nationals that took place in race was much more improved than Southwick last summer. 2016, Johnson highlighted a new 6am-8am: A nationally-televised event on front-gate system, which made it 6am-8am: NBC (National Broadcasting much more efficient and accessible BOB McKEAN Company) on July 8, Johnson was for people to enter the track. The Executive Director Stanley Park happy to announce that ticket pre- spectator’s viewing area was also The Best of Westfield sales for the event increased by 24% improved by 30%, due to tree trim- Mark Boardman & Jennifer Gruzska from last year’s pre-sales. The ming. NewsWestfield Radio Rotary Show Club increase is the highest amount in Johnson was pleased with how the Rick Johnson of The Wick 338 discusses the Motocross Nationals’ history. 2017 Nationals with the Select Board. (Photo Download WSKB from your Tune In Radio App courtesy of Greg Fitzpatrick) or watch on Comcast Cable CH. 15 Johnson also discovered from the See Nationals, Page 8 PAGE 2 - WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018 THE WESTFIELD NEWS 1669 1770 1775 1775 1792 1783 1780 1810 MONTGOMERY TOLLAND AROUND TOWN Submit your Around Town News to [email protected] Free Parent Save the date: Falling in love with music - again! Training on Red Cross A first person account of a musical opportunity Positive Blood Drive HUNTINGtoN - At 6:04 a.m.