ToniGHT Showers Likely. Low of 51 Search for The Westfield News The WestfieldNews “TSearchHE for T TheROUBLE Westfield WINewsTH BEING Westfield350.com The Westfield News PUNCTUAL IS THAT NOBODY’S “TIME IS THE ONLY Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns THERE TO APPRECIATE IT.” WEATHER CRITIC WITHOUT TONIGHT AMBITION— Franklin.” P. Jones Partly Cloudy. JOHNSearch STEINBECK for The Westfield News Westfield350.comWestfield350.orgLow of 55. Thewww.thewestfieldnews.com WestfieldNews Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns “TIME IS THE ONLY WEATHERVOL. 86 NO. 151 TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017 75 centsCRITIC WITHOUT VTONIGHTol. 88 no . 103 saTUrDaY, MaY 4, 2019 75AMBITION Cents .” Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com Practices set for Westfield Theater VOL. 86 NO. 151 TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017 75 cents Westfield 350 Alumni Group set to perform Marching Band ‘Time in Westfield’ Golf Tourney slots still available for the Westfield 350 By AMY PORTER By PETER CURRIER Correspondent Correspondent WESTFIELD – The Golf Committee and Band WESTFIELD- The Westfield Theater Group and Orchestra Parents (B.O.P.) met with WHS Band will soon perform an original musical in honor of Director Patrick Kennedy last week to continue plans Westfield’s 350th birthday at the Westfield for the Westfield 350 weekend celebrations. Woman’s Club starting on May 10th. On Saturday, May 18, is the B.O. P. inaugural golf The play, called “Time in Westfield,” explores tournament at East Mountain Country Club. the history of Westfield through a comedic and Registration begins at 10 a.m. with a shotgun start at musical lens. It was written by Kathy Palmer 11 a.m., followed by a banquet at 5 p.m. that non- while the music was written by Marion Dunk. The golfers are welcome to attend. show itself will premiere on Friday, May 10th at WHS B.O.P. Vice President and Golf Tournament 7:30pm and will have further showings on May Coordinator Jennifer Thielen said there are still four- 11th at 7:30pm, May 16th at 7:30pm, and May somes available, and people may now sign up online 18th at 2:00pm. General admission for the show is for the tournament at https://app.eventcaddy.com/ $15. Students, senior citizens, and military mem- events/whs-band-alumni-band-golf-tournament. bers can get in for $12. Thielen said people can also go to the banquet, which “It is a lighthearted entertaining comedy that is included in the golfing packet, even if they aren’t should appeal to all ages,” said playwright Kathy golfing. The banquet starts at 5 p.m. and costs $30 as Palmer, “It should appeal to people who like a standalone, with live music performed by the WHS Westfield Tech Senior Prom plays, people who like musicals, people who like Jazz Ensemble. She said they need a head count for fun stories, people who like history, people who Early arrivals at the WTA Prom Kristen Booker, Samantha Zabik, the banquet by May 10, so they are encouraging like to see old Westfield pictures.” Jillian Carter, and Brianna Larson. See additional photos Page 8. people to let them know that they’re coming, by (Photo by Marc St.Onge) emailing [email protected]. See Time in Westfield, Page 7 See Band, Page 7 Southwick’s Emergency Management The final lecture of Traffic advisory for 350 Director participating in the 350 lecture series celebration weekend Hurricane Awareness Tour By PETER CURRIER By GREG FITZPATRICK on Wednesday Correspondent Correspondent WESTFIELD- The Westfield 350th Birthday By PETER CURRIER SOUTHWICK – Emergency Management Correspondent Celebration is coming up fast, and with it will come Director Charlie Dunlap has been invited to the climactic parade on Sunday, May 19th. During WESTFIELD- The final lecture of the Westfield the 2019 East Coast Hurricane Awareness 350 Historical Lecture Series will take place that weekend traffic will be impacted as certain Tour, which takes place May 6 at the Quonset roads are closed at various times. The entire parade Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at the First Congregational State Airport in North Kingstown, R.I. Church, where local historian Dr. Robert Brown route will be closed to normal traffic on the day of In conjunction with Hurricane Preparedness the parade itself. This includes all of Western will give a talk on the lost historical homes of Week, May 5 to May 11, the National Weather Westfield. Avenue East of Stanley Park, Court Street, and the Service is bringing this event to Southern portion of Elm Street from Park Square to Franklin Brown, who is a Professor Emeritus at Westfield New England for the first time since 2011. State University, will focus his lecture on large, Street. That same portion of Elm Street will be Among other Emergency Management closed for the entire weekend. mansion sized homes that once existed in the city officials throughout New England, Dunlap and compare them to what occupies their former Western Avenue will close at 12:30 on Sunday, will be given an exclusive tour of two air- Emergency Management space in 2019. His research on the matter goes May 19th. Buses shuttling parade participants will crafts that are used to assist during various run from Westfield Middle School to Stanley Park Director Charlie Dunlap. back two decades, and it sort of began by accident. from 10 a.m. to noon on that day. (WNG File Photo) See Awareness, Page 7 See 350 Lecture, Page 7 Rep. Velis calls for Car break-in more action to occurs on South reduce veteran suicide WESTFIELD – Representative John Velis Lane on Friday has called on community and government part- By GREG FITZPATRICK ners to come together for the prevention of Correspondent veteran suicide. GRANVILLE – On Friday morning According to a New York Times article pub- the Granville Police Department received lished last month by Jennifer Steinhauer, the a report of an individual who had their rate of suicide among veterans nationwide has car broken into. remained steadily higher than that of the gen- According to Interim Chief of Police eral population, with an average of 20 veterans Rick Rindels, a resident of South Lane taking their own lives daily. Yet, while the men- said that his car was broken into after he tal health services provided by the Veterans’ left his car unlocked in his driveway Administration have been shown to greatly overnight. The homeowner went out to reduce suicide among patients, the vast majori- his car on Friday morning and discov- ty of vets struggling with suicidal thoughts will ered that his glove compartment was never come in contact with the VA to receive open in his vehicle and some items were these services. missing, including credit cards and “If 70 percent of veterans do not regularly paperwork. use the VA, the department that is obviously in Rindels added that it is unsure exactly the best position to combat and is central to what time the incident occurred but it suicide prevention, then what can we do to happened between midnight and 6 a.m. reach veterans that are not seeking services Gateway Regional Senior Prom on Friday morning. from the VA?” asks Velis. “We all need to do a Dance is the thing at the Gateway Regional Senior Prom Friday night. See addi- With border town Granby, Conn. tional photos Page 8. (Photo by Marc St.Onge) See Rep. Velis, Page 7 See Car Break-in, Page 7 Setting up Westfield’s 350th Cake Summer Concerts on the Green wgeld.org | whipcityfiber.com PAGE 2 - SATURDAY, MAY 4, 2019 WWW.THEWESTFIELDNEWS.COM THE WESTFIELD NEWS Hutghi’s at The Nook Ribbon Cutting Left to right: Kate Phelon, President of the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce, Michelle Moriarty, office of Don Humason, John Velis, Massachusetts State Representative, Co-Owner Kevin Gebo, Co-Owner Dustin Cote, Brian Sullivan, Mayor of Westfield, Andrew Surprise, Westfield City Councilor, and Matthew Emershy, Westfield City Councilor. Not pictured, Hutghi Sephnik. Surrounded by family and many close friends. ODDS & ENDS Shell shock: Wild raccoon moves TONIGHT SUNDAY MONDAY Turtle flies into into German zoo; keepers can’t expel it car windshield BERLIN (AP) — A wild raccoon has moved into Heidelberg Zoo in Germany and on SC highway keepers can’t kick him out. Showers Likely. Mostly Sunny. CONWAY, S.C. (AP) — A South German daily Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung Carolina driver got a case of shell shock reported Friday that zoo staff recently discov- after a turtle flying through the air on a ered the uninvited guest inside the raccoon 55-57 65-68 busy highway shattered his windshield. enclosure, where he seemed to be getting Today: A chance of showers, mainly after 3pm. Mostly cloudy, John Gardner said the rear tire on a along fine with the seven original residents. with a high near 69. Tonight: Showers likely, Mostly cloudy, with truck near him hit the turtle Tuesday after- The newspaper reported that the interloper a low around 50. Sunday: Showers likely, mainly before 3pm. Showers Likely. noon on U.S. Highway 501 near Conway — nicknamed Fred — can expect free board Cloudy, with a high near 57. East wind around 7 mph. Chance of and flung the reptile into his windshield. and lodgings for life, because European precipitation is 60%. Sunday Night: A chance of showers before 9pm. Patchy fog after 5am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low He says he had no time to react to what Union rules forbid him from being released around 43. North wind 5 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. was just a “big, black dot coming at me.” back into the wild. 50-51 Monday: Patchy fog early, mostly sunny, with a high near 68.