TONIGHT Clear Skies. Low of 17. Search for The Westfield News The WestfieldNews “THE GREATER THE Search for The Westfield News Westfield350.com The WestfieldNews PHILOSOPHER, THE Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns HARDER IT IS“T IMEFOR ISHIM THE TO ONLY WEATHER ANSWER THE CRITICQUEST IONSWITHOUT TONIGHT OF COMMON PEOPLEAMBITION.” .” Search for The Westfield- HENewsNRYK SIENKIEWICZ Westfield350.comPartly Cloudy. The Westfield JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. News Serving Westfield,www.thewestfieldnews.com Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns “TIME IS THE ONLY WEATHER CRITIC WITHOUT VOL.TONIGHT VOL.87 NO. 86 29 NO. 151 MONDAY,TUESDAY, FEBRUARY JUNE 5, 2018 27, 2017 AMBITION.” 75 Cents 75 cents Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL.WTA’s 86 NO. 151 Auto TechTUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017shop 75 cents wins national contest By AMY PORTER riculum for automotive maintenance and authors. Correspondent other education and technology fields. “We are happy to report that we have WESTFIELD – The Westfield Auto Tech instructor Dustin Raney won the Grand Prize,” Raney said. Technical Academy Automotive said students entered photos from the WTA’s submission beat out 71 other Technology department were the grand shop that demonstrated Automotive entries to win a $1,000 Cengage / prize winners in the Cengage “Show Service Excellence (ASE) pride, innova- TechForce scholarship for one of the WTA Auto Tech students Caitlin Murphy, Sara Liptak and Your Shop” national competition. tive tools used by students and safety. Mark Okhrimenko and instructor Dustin Raney in one of Cengage publishes textbooks and cur- The photos were judged by Cengage See WTA Auto Tech, Page 7 the winning photos. (Photo submitted) Select Board votes Small businesses to create another may be eligible warrant article for grant money By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD—Small businesses in Westfield have about marijuana a chance to gain some help with their enterprises By GREG FITZPATRICK through the city’s Best Retail Practices Program hap- Correspondent Along with several town’s mutual aid, the Granville Fire Department pening later this month. SOUTHWICK – During last Wednesday’s meeting, battled a major structure fire early on Saturday morning. (Photo cour- Up to eight businesses the marijuana sub-committee voted in favor of sending tesy of Granville Fire Department) that are eligible for the pro- their revised bylaw for marijuana to the Planning gram can be provided a Board. nearly $2,000 grant to assist After the Planning Board reviews the bylaw, it will Fire departments battle in a number of ways. The then be sent to the Select Board for any revisions. program is in its sixth round According to Select Board Chairman Doug Moglin, his of existence within the city board will then send it back to the Planning Board structure fire in Granville and is funded through where they’ll host a public hearing to allow residents to Community Development give input on the bylaw. Following that, the bylaw will By GREG FITZPATRICK Block Grants. Those inter- be put on a warrant article for the annual town meeting Correspondent ested in utilizing the pro- in May. GRANVILLE – At around 5 a.m. on Saturday morning, the gram must attend a work- Moglin also noted that during the Select Board meet- Granville Fire Department responded to a call for a structure fire on shop Tuesday, Feb. 27, in ing of January 30, the board voted to create a warrant Rt. 189, close to the Granby, CT border. order to be eligible. Peter J. Miller, Director article to have a local 3% option tax for marijuana retail The industrial building, which is used as an art studio, was already “The program provides of Community sales. Two weeks ago the Select Board voted in favor fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived on scene. Southwick, small businesses the oppor- Development for the of creating a ballot question for the town election in Lost Acres, East Granby, East and West Hartland, Westfield, Tolland, tunity to meet with a con- City of Westfield. (Photo May that would ask voting residents if they’d like to see Otis, Hinsdale, Russell, Blandord, and Sandisfield were the mutual aid sultant who has been a pro- by Amy Porter) that assisted Granville in the fire. the retail sale of recreational marijuana in Southwick. According to a statement by the Granville Fire department, the fessional in the retail indus- A local 3% tax is an option that the state has provided crews worked in temperatures of under 10 degrees for about six hours try for over 25 years,” Community Development to every community when they were creating their until the fire was finally put out. Although no one was injured, Director Peter Miller, said. marijuana laws at the state level. Moglin said that he Granville Fire Chief Matt Ripley did note that the building was a total Through the program, interested businesses meet wants to make that option available because it could loss. They were able to save vehicles and other items surrounding the with Christine Moynihan, expert retail consultant make the taxing process simpler for the retailers in building. from Cambridge-based Retail Visioning. town. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the State Fire The free workshop on Feb. 27 will run from 8 a.m. “We might as well get this all out in front of the vot- Marshall’s Office, along with the Massachusetts State Police Fire ers to decide,” said Moglin. Investigator’s division. See Small Business Grants, Page 7 Winter market shines a light on spring plantings By LORI SZEPELAK hours are 10 a.m. to. 3 p.m. “Thanks to a generous donation, we Correspondent “There will be approximately 25 ven- are still offering a $5 match to all SNAP WESTFIELD — Ready for spring dors, a full house of farmers, canned and customers, and we have two vendors gardening? baked goods, crafts, and live music by who participate in the HIP program for For persons with a green thumb, a Rua Bhean and “Whiskey Traveler,” SNAP customers, offering money back representative from Kelly’s Home & said Deborah Randzio, one of the mar- on fresh fruits and vegetables,” said Garden will discuss ways to start seed- ket’s managers. Randzio. lings and how to prepare a garden for Randzio added that new vendors to For more information on the market, spring planting at the fourth and final the market include B’s Breads, Jeff call (413) 562-5461, ext. 101, or send Westfield Winter Farmers’ Market on Bellefleur with chainsaw art, and an email to farmersmarketwestfield@ Feb. 10 inside the Episcopal Church of Feedbag Totes, as well as The Runamuck gmail.com. Vendor applications for the the Atonement on Court Street. Market Baker, specializing in gluten-free and coming market season are also avail- celiac-free baked goods. able at westfieldfarmersmarket.net. Sunday’s Child: Alexis Alexis is a joyful nine-year old activities with her peers. She loves to The process to adopt a child from KACEY BELLAMY girl of Caucasian descent whose be around other people and animals foster care requires training, inter- smile and laugh lights up the room! and has shown interest in toys, col- views, and home visits to determine Alexis has had many medical chal- ors, sounds, and swimming! if adoption is right for you, and if so, lenges in her short life, but she has an Who Can Adopt? to help connect you with a child or Get in optimistic spirit and brings so much Can you provide the guidance, sibling group that your family will joy to those who know her. While love and stability that a child needs? be a good match for. she cannot speak, Alexis makes her If you’re at least 18 years old, have a To learn more about adoption from needs known in other ways through stable source of income, and room in foster care, call the Massachusetts the spirit! adaptive technology and non-verbal your heart, you may be a perfect Adoption Resource Exchange A celebration of Olympic-sized cues. She also does make sounds and match to adopt a waiting child. (MARE) at 617-54-ADOPT (617- proportions is coming to the her caregivers are very attuned to Adoptive parents can be single, mar- 542-3678) or visit www.mareinc.org. Whip City. See story Page 9. what her different tones mean. Alexis ried, or partnered; experienced or The sooner you call, the sooner a ALEXIS loves being around other children not; renters or homeowners; LGBTQ waiting child will have “a permanent and likes participating in different singles and couples. place to call HOME.” PAGE 2 -MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2018 WWW.THEWESTFIELDNEWS.COM THE WESTFIELD NEWS 1669 1770 1775 1775 1792 1783 1741 1780 1810 WESTFIELD SOUTHWICK HUNTINGTON GRANVILLE RUSSELL CHESTER BLANDFORD MONTGOMERY TOLLAND AROUND TOWN Submit your Around Town News to [email protected] Huntington Council on Winter Olympics Attention Budding Filmmakers Celebration for Teens The Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative (BFMC) is pleased to present a non-credit workshop, Aging St. Valentine’s FILM PRODUCTION 1, in partnership with Berkshire Community College at BCC’s Main Campus at the SPL in Pittsfield, MA. The course will meet for 8-sessions on Wednesdays, from 6:30pm-8:30pm, begin- Luncheon Event On Wednesday, February 7th at 3 PM ning February 7th. The Huntington Council on Aging is plan- teens in grades 7-12 are invited to come to This introduction to film and video production provides a foundation in the principles, techniques ning a St. Valentine’s Event of a Soup and the Southwick Public Library to celebrate and equipment involved in production.