Search for The Westfield News Westfield350.comTheThe Westfield WestfieldNews News 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 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2020 VOL. 89 NO. 258 Westfield murder trials set to continue following COVID delays By PETER CURRIER was a legitimate suicide. Brian Fanion posting the bail on July 18, 2020. Staff Writer was charged with murder and pleaded Vadym Misiruk, 20, is scheduled for a WESTFIELD — Four homicide trials not guilty. status conference on Nov. 5. Misiruk is stemming from incidents in Westfield Fanion was released on Feb. 14. 2020 accused of killing Nazar Tkach, a are slated to continue in Springfield after posting the $200,000 cash bail. 17-year-old male from Southwick whose BRIAN FANION DANIEL A. TORRES Superior Court starting in November Daniel A. Torres, 29, the man accused body was discovered Sept. 19, 2019 in after COVID-19 shutdowns delayed the of killing his infant daughter in July, Stanley Park. According to court docu- court systems. 2018, is scheduled to have a Nov. 18 ments, witnesses said they saw Misiruk Vadym Misiruk, Daniel Torres, Blake Status Conference with a jury trial date follow Tkach into a section of woods in Scanlon and Brian Fanion are set to con- of Jan. 12, 2021. Stanley Park after an argument. Misiruk tinue their trials for different incidents Torres is accused of having beat his was then reported to have returned from that took place over the last two years. infant daughter, Lily Anayah Torres, to the woods alone with a razor blade and Retired Westfield Police Detective the point of unconsciousness. After blood on his hands. Brian Fanion, 57, is scheduled to have a Torres called emergency services him- Misiruk pleaded not guilty to the mur- final trial conference on Jan. 13, 2021, self she was brought to Baystate Noble der charge. but he does not yet have a scheduled trial Hospital where she was resuscitated at Blake J. Scanlon, 25, is scheduled for date. Fanion is accused of killing his least eight times. She passed away two a status conference on Nov. 16. Scanlon wife on May 18, 2018 via a gunshot days later. He was charged with second is accused of killing his significant other, wound to the head. Prosecutors say he degree murder. He pleaded not guilty. Alexis Avery, who was 20 at the time, on staged the killing as a suicide. At his Torres was originally held in lieu of $1 Jan. 11, 2019. Nov. 8, 2019 arraignment, his defense million bail, but a judge lowered his bail VADYM MISIRUK BLAKE J. SCANLON attorney argued that Amy Fanion’s death to just $20,000, and he was released after See Delays, Page 3 Technology Early Voting opens doors for ends Friday By AMY PORTER Staff Writer church leaders WESTFIELD – By LORI SZEPELAK Friday, Oct. 30 is the last day to early vote in Correspondent Westfield. In-person WESTFIELD-The Zoom platform has been a voting in the basement blessing for many church leaders during the coro- level of Westfield City navirus pandemic – including The Rev. Nancy The front of the Heath family Hall, 59 Court St., will Webb Stroud and The Rev. David Riley. home is transformed into a pump- be open this week through Friday. Oct. 30 “Most of the people who were faithful and fre- kin patch. (GREG HEATH PHOTO) KIM and GREG HEATH from 9 a.m to 5 p.m. quent in attendance before the pandemic seem to be City Clerk Karen M. Fanion said 2,000 following along with virtual services, and engaging residents voted in person the first week of with our written and mailed communications,” said Early Voting, from Oct. 17 to Oct 24. “We’re Webb Stroud of The Episcopal Church of the Community creates personal averaging between 200 and 250 per day,” she Atonement on Court Street. said, adding, “It’s actually running very Webb Stroud added it has been hard for her to smoothly. We’ve had a steady flow all day gauge attendance. pumpkin patch for resident long.” “We are using Zoom for some services and all of By HOPE E. TREMBLAY ers included written messages for the All registered voters of Westfield are wel- our meetings,” she said. “That is relatively easy to Editor Heath family; Greg, Kim and their chil- come to cast their vote in early voting. Voters count, up to about 30 people. But we are also live WESTFIELD – After spending nearly dren Drew and Megan. may still participate in Early Voting even if streaming services on YouTube and Facebook.” two weeks in the hospital, Kim Heath “I am very happy and excited and in they’ve requested a mail-in ballot as long as A plus that Webb Stroud said is worshippers are returned home Oct. 25 to her very own disbelief that so many participated,” said the ballot has not been received. able to join in from far away. pumpkin patch. Kim Heath after seeing the outpouring Fanion said they are getting people that had “A colleague of mine recently retired and moved Heath has been chronically ill for years from the community. previously requested a mail-in ballot, and and her latest diagnosis is Lupus, which is Greg Heath said he thought people then chose to come in and vote early instead. to Florida,” she said. “She has been attending our “They just have to be told if they choose to Sunday morning service and virtual coffee hour. a non-curable disease, said her husband would just leave a few pumpkins but was Greg Heath, a recently retired Westfield surprised at how many — and how elabo- vote in person, they cannot use their mail-in ballot. If they do use their mail-in ballot, it See Technology, Page 3 firefighter. She had not been feeling well rate – some of them were. for a while and unable to decorate for fall, “I’m so happy that so many people put will be rejected,” she said, adding that of the her favorite time of year. A close family so much work into their pumpkins,” he 10,000 ballots the city has mailed out to resi- friend, Rachel Miller, decided to bring said, “people got really creative and cus- dents, they have received 6,000 back through fall to the Heath house and Greg Heath tomized them for Kim. It made her feel the mail or in the drop box at City Hall. put out a call on social media for pump- very happy and warm that the community Fanion said all of the ballots they have kins. could come together in such a loving received will go to the polls on the day of the The result was “Kim’s Patch,” which way.” election on Nov. 3, and be put in the machines now includes about 80 pumpkins. Some The family said they hope the kindness at the polling places. were dropped off by family and friends they were showed will spread out to oth- Mailed-in ballots must be returned to the and others from strangers who heard ers. drop box at City Hall by 8 p.m. on the day of about Kim Heath’s return home. Some “Continue doing things like this for the election on Nov 3 in order to be counted. pumpkins were in freshly picked condi- people to bring people together rather Ballots sent back through the mail must be tion, others were carved and a few were than dividing community’s through poli- postmarked by Nov. 3 and received by Nov. 6 painted. Two pumpkins featured paintings tics and racism,” said Greg Heath, adding in order to be counted. in honor of one of Kim Heath’s favorite “we want thank everyone who has sup- All of the regular polling locations will be bands, Van Halen, and another had a ported us through all our difficult times open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the day of the painting of one of her dogs. One was an through the years. So many meals, prayers election Nov. 3, except for the Senior Center. elaborately carved mini-display of a and lending hands. We truly appreciate Wards 2A and 2B will instead vote at the pumpkin roasting marshmallows and oth- everyone in our lives. Love to everyone.” Westfield Middle School. There is no school on Election Day in Westfield. Fanion said the city has added extra volun- Gabriel Burke of Westfield, the son of Rachel and teers for the day of the election, and each James Burke and a member of The Episcopal polling location is staffed by a police officer, Church of the Atonement, stands at his Holy as is standard practice. “We’ve had a lot of Place, which is set with a prayer cloth, a chil- people vote already. They’re expecting a rise dren’s Bible, and a card on which is written the in the voter turnout,” she said. Lord’s Prayer. This month, children and families Fanion said 76% of residents, 19,300 vot- are creating “holy spaces” at home. (RACHEL ers, participated in the 2016 presidential elec- BURKE PHOTO) tion. Baystate Noble designated a Hidden Scar of Excellence Center for breast cancer surgery By HOPE E. TREMBLAY patients to have hidden scars and it is also impor- Breast surgeons employ a technique called Editor tant to have surgery close to home. Hidden Scar surgery which offers patients WESTFIELD – For many people who must “I am happy we can offer this surgery in improved cosmetic results and is made easier by have breast cancer surgery, the physical scars left Springfield and Westfield,” Lipoff said, adding radioactive seed localization.