TONIGHT Rain ending. Low of 54. Search for The Westfield News The WestfieldNews Search“A forPROFESSION The Westfield NewsAL IS Westfield350.com The Westfield News SOMEONE WHO CAN IME IS THE ONLY Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns “TDO HIS BEST WORK WEATHER WHENCRITIC HE WITHOUT DOESN ’T TONIGHT AMBITION FEEL LIKE .”IT .” Partly Cloudy. Search—JOHN A forLIST STEINBECKTheAIR Westfield COOKE News LowWestfield350.comWestfield350.org of 55. Thewww.thewestfieldnews.com WestfieldNews Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns “TIME IS THE ONLY WEATHER VOL.VOL. 86 87 NO. NO. 151 77 TUESDAY,FRIDAY, MARCH JUNE 30,27, 20182017 CRITIC 7575 cents Cents WITHOUT TONIGHT AMBITION.” Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL.St. 86 NO. 151 Mary’s HighTUESDAY, JUNE School 27, 2017 75 cents “NOW WE HAVE TO HARNESS THAT ENERGY AND DIRECT IT INTO BUILDING THE STUDENT to remain open BODY AND SOLVING SOME OF WESTFIELD – Fr. Frank Lawlor, head of eventually meet the previously reported 120 THE FINANCIAL ISSUES.” schools at St. Mary’s announced in a press student population target for the school’s con- conference Thursday at noon that Bishop tinuation. FR. FRANK LAWLOR Mitchell T. Rozanski of the Diocese of When questioned by The Westfield News if St. Mary’s pastor Springfield would be giving the parish school the school could again face the threat of clo- a one year non-renewable educational assis- sure a year from now if enrollment numbers tance grant of $300,000, on top of its normal weren’t met, Fr. Lawlor stated, “We’re not allocation, to keep the St. Mary’s High School even thinking about that now. St. Mary’s has Lawlor thanked the Bishop for the financial open for the 2018-2019 academic year. some challenges but we have incredible spirit support, saying he had been unfairly criticized Referring to the miracle of Easter that will and an incredible community.” for not supporting Catholic schools. “The be celebrated in churches all over the world Additionally, the Bishop stated that the out- Bishop has been wonderful,” Lawlor said. “He this weekend, Lawlor called it “a resurrection standing balance of $385,000 of unpaid lay has done everything possible to support this of sorts” for the Catholic high school. Lawlor employee pension contributions since 2011 be Catholic school.” also said there would be stipulations, having to addressed and a plan of repayment established. The decision by the Diocese follows a week- do more with increasing enrollment than strict- “The sleeping giant that is St. Mary’s was end meeting between the Bishop, Fr. Lawlor ly financial reasons. awakened over the last couple of weeks, and and the three parish boards. Richard G. Labrie, Some of those stipulations are that the fall the spirit and the energy that we’ve seen has who serves on both the Parish School Board St. Mary’s pastor, Fr. Frank Lawlor, 2018 freshman enrollment needs to be a mini- not been seen in a long time,” Lawlor said, and the Diocesan Pathways to Faith reads from a statement by Bishop mum of 20 students and that for future years a adding, “Now we have to harness that energy Commission, a Diocesan panel to study the Rozanski some of the stipulations that minimum of 30 freshmen per year. and direct it into building the student body and St. Mary’s parish high school will need The proposed minimum 30 students would solving some of the financial issues.” See St. Mary’s High School, Page 3 to meet in order to remain open. Mayhew and ‘Maggie’ volunteer Town awards bid for town together for Read to Rover By AMY PORTER ence classes. As Maggie pro- fully completed. Mayhew Correspondent gressed the level of training and Maggie then chose the library project WESTFIELD – Every increased through intermedi- Read to Rover program in By GREG FITZPATRICK other week since November, ate and upper level classes, the schools to participate in. Correspondent School Committee member each becoming more chal- At Southampton Road, SOUTHWICK – On Tuesday, the Select Board voted in and school volunteer Diane lenging, before the decision Mayhew and Maggie first go favor of awarding a bid for painting portions of the town Mayhew and her English was made to train Maggie in to the office of School library to Artemis Painting of Westfield. The amount of the bid springer spaniel, Maggie, go for the K9s for Kids pro- Adjustment Councilor Kelly was $18,800. to Southampton Road gram. Flaherty to get ready for the According to Library Elementary School for the “The dogs actually tell children. This year, their Director Diane Caruso, Read to Rover program. you what they want to do,” first, they have been work- she’s unsure of when Read to Rover is part of Mayhew said. First they are ing with three children in the School volunteer Diane Artemis will begin the K9’s for Kids Pediatric exposed to children, ages school who their teachers Mayhew and Maggie pre- painting, but she’d like Therapy Unit, a volunteer, infant to middle school, to felt would benefit from dog pare for a volunteer ses- to have the project fin- ished before summer non-profit organization dedi- see how they react and how therapy sion of Read to Rover. cated to kids in Western much they can be handled, Maggie, now four, relaxes reading starts in June. Massachusetts and sometimes having their ears on the rug and waits for a The last time the Ryan picked out The library was painted was Connecticut. This group of pulled, and tails pulled. knock on the door. On Berenstain Bears, and start- dogs and handlers donate Mayhew said Maggie loved Wednesday, it was Ryan at in 1998, which was a ed reading it to Maggie, year before the building their time to bring smiles kids. the door, a shy, quiet fifth and to Mayhew. His voice officially opened. and joy to children suffering “One infant, who was 6 grader. He came in, and was quiet, but grew more Although the library from a wide range of physi- months old, reached out and Mayhew asked him to pick confident as he continued. also needs carpeting cal, emotional, and learning grabbed Maggie’s fur, and out a book from the shelf. When asked what he likes added, the town current- disabilities. held on. Maggie just sat The wrinkle in the Read to about coming to see ly only has enough SOUTHWICK Mayhew first started train- there,” Mayhew said. After Rover program is that Maggie, “It’s calming,” money for the painting. PUBLIC LIBRARY ing Maggie when she was the testing, she went through instead of being read to, the Ryan said. Since the library’s open- six months old, taking her the K9s for Kids training children do the reading to ing, certain sections had through two years of obedi- program, which she success- their dog friends. See Rover, Page 3 carpet installed such as in the children’s room and young adult’s area. However, carpeting needs to be added in the main room, community room, and back offices. Caruso is expecting the progress on the carpeting to move forward gradually. “It’s happening over several years,” said Caruso. The two other painting services that were competing for the bid were King Brothers of Southwick and Peter Webster, which has locations in East Longmeadow and Cheshire, Conn. Homeless man found dead By CARL E. HARTDEGEN Correspondent WESTFIELD – The city has one fewer homeless person – but that’s not a good thing. Warren E. Shepard, 51, was found bloody and unconscious Southampton Road fifth grader Ryan said he likes Read Ryan reads The Berenstain Bears to Maggie for the Read early Wednesday morning on the ground near Bartlett Street. At to Rover because, “It’s calming.” to Rover program. Baystate Noble Hospital, he was found to have expired. The police were alerted at 3:19 a.m. by Angel D. “Loco” Hernandez who said “I saw something funny” on the ground behind the Elm Street barber shop where he works and realized it was a man with blood on his head. Hernandez said “I thought he was drunk” but went on to say that he changed his mind when he was unable to awaken the Whalley Park set to open for the season man. By GREG FITZPATRICK Whalley Park is ADA (American with Disabilities Act) He ran to a nearby 24-hour gas staton to call police before Correspondent accessible. The Southwick Rotary Club is scheduled to have returning to Bartlett Street. SOUTHWICK – With the weather starting to look more like three concerts in July in August at the park. Hernandez said that the responding police unsuccessfully Spring, Whalley Park is gradually opening up its operations to For more information about Whalley Park or you have inter- attempted to revive Shepard with CPR and when the Fire the public. est in reserving part of the park, contact the Park and Rec Department paramedics arrived they found a sign of life. According to Park and Recreation Commission Director Commission at 413-569-5701. Shepard was transported to the hospital where he was found to Cara Cartello, employees are beginning on April 9 and youth be deceased. sports games will launch for the season at the park starting Police had encountered Shepard earlier in the evening when April 13. There are currently seven teams that are signed up to they responded to a 10:50 p.m call Tuesday for a suspicious use the various fields. person at a Court Street apartment building. There, the officers “We get nothing but great compliments about the shape of found Shepard trying to sleep in the vestibule.