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JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com SelectVOL. 86 NO. 151 Board TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017 City Council 75 cents makes decision Preview: on dog biting April 4, 2019 By GREG FITZPATRICK Correspondent By AMY PORTER SOUTHWICK – A hearing was held at the Select Correspondent Board meeting on Tuesday night regarding a dog WESTFIELD – The first item on the agenda that has bitten people multiple times. for Thursday’s Council meeting, under Bosco, a male, Rottweiler mix who currently Communications from the Mayor, is a Bond lives at 97 Powder Mill Road, most recently bit Order request of $10,250,000 for several large someone on February 18, 2019 at that residence and projects for the Airport Department. City Council was deemed as an unprovoked attack. President Ralph J. Figy said the bond is neces- According to Southwick Animal Control Officer sary in order to receive grants of $480,000 for Liz Bennett, Bosco’s first reported incident came on special projects. September 27, 2014 when he bit someone in the Further in the agenda, abdomen in an unprovoked manner at a campsite in a request that the Littleton, Mass. Just two days later, a former remaining balance of Southwick Animal Control officer, Brett Colson, Southwick Animal Control Officer Liz Bennett is seen discussing the dog hear- $272,000 from Bond was also bit in an unprovoked manner at 62 Vining ing with the Select Board on Tuesday evening. (Photo by Greg Fitzpatrick) Order 2692 to restore Hill Road when he was attempting to serve a quar- and preserve the build- antine order regarding the bite at the campsite in Upon discovering that the dog had a made a motion to accept Bennett’s rec- ing exterior of Hangar Littleton. third biting incident on February 18, the ommendation and also wanted to Two at Westfield – Originally, Bosco was residing with it’s owner on Select Board decided to hold a hearing receive a follow-up report in 30 days. Barnes be rescinded 62 Vining Hill Road, but since the owner had to with Bennett to discuss what to do Select Board Vice-Chairman Russ because that project has leave the home due to personal reasons, the mother moving forward. Fox added that if a fourth incident been completed, and RALPH J. FIGY of that individual is now taking care of Bosco at her Following the discussion, Bennett occurs, putting the dog down could be the amount unbor- Ward 2 Councilor residence on 97 Powder Mill Road and has been made a recommendation to the Select an option. rowed. An appropria- and City Council doing so for at least the past six months. Board that Bosco will be ordered by the “We thought we had worked it out tion of $190,000 from President After the two biting incidents in October 2014, it owner to have the dog crated in a differ- five years ago,” said Fox. “I don’t have Free Cash to the was ordered by the Select Board to have Bosco ent room of the home whenever people any problems with her (Bennett) trying Department of Public Works Vehicles Account is attend obedience training. are at that residence. The Select Board this, but this is it.” for a rear-loaded trash truck for smaller city streets, according to Figy, who called the situa- tion with current trucks, “not good.” Another $48,000 is being requested from Free Cash for the Repair Maintenance in Purchasing. Franklin Avenue The appointment of Jeffrey Siegel of 56 Wilson Avenue to the Fire Commission, to replace Patrick Oearlcek, who resigned; and of John students teach Neidzielski of 28 Heritage Lane to the Water Commission, replacing Matt Barnes, who resigned to become City Treasurer/Collector, are New Math being submitted. to School See City Council, Page 3 Committee By AMY PORTER Artists hope to Correspondent WESTFIELD – Franklin Avenue third and fourth graders paired up with School ‘inspire’ poems Committee members on Monday for a taste of the “new math” they are learning in ele- through their work mentary school. Principal Chris Tolpa intro- duced the presentation, saying the new math By LORI SZEPELAK gets to the right answer in a myriad of ways, Correspondent and helps students to understand the con- WESTFIELD-Six artists are hopeful that their cepts behind the answers. works of art on display this month at downtown “It’s not the same old math I was brought businesses will inspire area residents to create a up on,” Tolpa said, adding that the school poem during the Images & Words Poetry Contest. received a three-year grant to teach STMath, “Artists are constant- a visual math program that builds conceptual ly asked to write a state- understanding through creative problem ment to explain their solving. work,” said Ellen Franklin Avenue first grade teacher Regina Westerlind, whose Rosario, who Tolpa called her math cham- Candy Oyler is seen raising the Donate for Life flag outside the Southwick Town acrylic work “Rooted in pion, said she has been going to trainings in Hall on Tuesday night. (Photo by Greg Fitzpatrick) Myth” will be on dis- play at Circuit Coffee. See Students, Page 2 “For this event the viewer will be provid- Donate Life symbolizing ing the statement in the form of a poem. Art inspiring art is a very cool concept.” another life saved Now in its second Artist Susan Buffum’s pen and ink work titled By GREG FITZPATRICK During that same year, fellow year, the contest is orga- nized by ArtWorks “Raucous Raven” will Correspondent Southwick resident Beth Bradley experi- be displayed this month SOUTHWICK – A ceremony was held enced a heart attack and had complica- Westfield to celebrate National Poetry Month at Blue Umbrella Books at the Southwick Town Hall on Tuesday tions when her main cardiac artery was as part of the Images & night to celebrate April as Donate Life seized. After being put on a waiting list in April. The Westfield Poetry Trail initiative is Words Poetry Contest. month. This is the sixth year in a row a for an organ, Bradley was given Arnold’s (Submitted photo) Donate for Life ceremony has been at the heart 22 months later. made possible in part by town hall “It’s incredibly important to be a the generosity of host Southwick resident Sharon Alexander donor,” said Alexander. merchants, a grant from has been hosting the event each year as At the ceremony on Tuesday was the Westfield Cultural Council and Mass Cultural the cause has impacted her life. In June of Candy Oyler, a 57-year-old resident of Council, and ArtWorks members. 2008, Alexander’s friend, Dan Arnold, Southwick. About a year ago, Oyler went “Last year was a great success and lots of fun,” passed away at the age of 36 from a dirt to the hospital for Cardiomyopathy as a said Bill Westerlind, president of ArtWorks Westfield. “Artists have the opportunity to show Franklin Ave. fourth grader Ashlind bike accident. Prior to his passing, Arnold result of the Chemotherapy she received had the desire to donate his organs to at 14-years-old when she was diagnosed their work. Community members get to experi- Timmerman demonstrates a “new math” ence some really cool art and write poetry.” problem to School Committee member those throughout New England that may be in dire need of them. See Donate Life, Page 3 Heather Sullivan. (Photo submitted) See Artists, Page 8 PAGE 2 - WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2019 WWW.THEWESTFIELDNEWS.COM THE WESTFIELD NEWS Students Continued from Page 1 STMath, which she called math without language. Franklin She said students are given a visual math problem Ave. “new that they have to figure out. Animation helps them math” pre- figure out what they did right or wrong. sentation To illustrate, she showed a screen that had 1 1/3 at School on the top, with a line graph on the bottom num- Committee. bered to three, with thirds marked out. Students have (Photo sub- to find the fraction on the line – if they miss it, ani- mitted) mation visually blocks it out for them. Rosario said they call the efforts to find the solu- tions, “productive struggles.” “You can learn with those struggles and chal- lenges,” she said. Rosario, who was one of the Grinspoon Teaching Award winners this year, said she became a first grade teacher to instill her love of reading in the students, but previously did not feel the same way about math. However, she said after attending the trainings, she is now just as passionate about teach- ing math. Rosario then had Franklin Avenue third and fourth graders introduce themselves to the School help each other,” Tolpa said, later adding, “Learning math these Sherry Elander, Westfield High School football, Central Baptist Committee, before they fanned out and teamed up days can be such a trying subject for adults, but our students are Church, Anne and Tom Woodson and George’s Jewelers, the WHS with members to teach them a problem using learning the concepts and skills of mathematical reasoning like National Honor Society, the Boys & Girls Club, First Congregational STMath.