TONIGHT Mostly Clear. Low of 19. Search for The Westfield News The Westfield “THE FIRST DUTY OF A LEADER TODAY IN WESTFIELD News Search for The Westfield News IS TO MAKE HIMSELF BE LOVED Westfield350.comHISTORY: The Westfield NewsWITHOUT COURTING LOVE O BE . T “TIME IS THE ONLY 1841 Towne (Poor) Farm Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns LOVED WITHOUT ‘PLAYING UP’ WEATHER CRITIC WITHOUT established on Russell Rd, TO ANYONE - EVEN TO HIMSELF .” TONIGHT AMBITION.” Search for The Westfield- ANewsNDRE MALRAUX 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 30 NO. 151 TUESDAY,TUESDAY, FEBRUARY JUNE 6, 2018 27, 2017 AMBITION.” 75 Cents 75 cents Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL.Fatal 86 NO. 151 TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017 School redistricting 75 cents accident in and design plans Southwick presented at By GREG FITZpaTRICK Correspondent SOUTHWICK – A fatal car crash School Committee occurred in Southwick on Monday morn- Jane Sakiewicz, personnel By AMY PORTER WESTFIELD FIRE CHIEF ing. The Southwick Police Department director for the City of Westfield. Correspondent MARY REGAN received a report at about 5 a.m. of a sin- (Photo by Amy Porter) WESTFIELD – The transition team that has been working since gle motor vehicle accident on Feeding September on redistricting gave presentations at Monday’s School Hills Road, near the area of Great Brook Committee meeting on the plans for the K-4 elementary schools, the Drive. 5-6 intermediate school and the 7-8 middle school. Attendance at Once arriving on scene, first responders City weighs options the meeting was largely made up of transition committee members discovered that the vehicle left the road- and staff, with some parents in attendance. There will be an oppor- way and struck a tree on the north side of tunity for public comment on the plans at a joint educational plan- Feeding Hills Road, going across both ning and curriculum sub-committee meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 27 at lanes of travel. to replace fire chief a location to be announced. The operator of the vehicle was trans- By DAN DESROCHERS Westfield Public Schools Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski ported to Baystate Hospital in Springfield Correspondent introduced Chief Financial Officer Ronald R, Rix and Transportation and suffered minor injuries. The passen- WESTFIELD—With the anticipated retirement of Westfield Fire Director Pamela Kotarski to talk about the K-4 plan. Rix said they ger in the front seat was transported to Chief Mary Regan, the Westfield Fire Commission made a decision on considered contracting out the redistricting of students returning Baystate Noble Hospital in Westfield. how they would determine who would be appointed to the position. from Russell Elementary, but found it to be too expensive and Southwick Police later received a report Regan is expected to retire in July of this year, which is one of sev- instead worked on it in house, with a goal of keeping it “realistic, from Noble that the passenger had died. eral retirements expected for the department in 2018. The city must take simple and cost-effective.” He also said they were looking at a long- Southwick Police Sgt. Thomas Krutka steps to fill the position, and, following a Fire Commission meeting term solution and not a quick fix. told the Westfield News that the identities yesterday, it was determined that, pending funding, the commission The first decision made by the team was to keep the Russell stu- of the people are currently being withheld would seek candidates through an assessment center. The decision dents together by sending all 128 to Highland Elementary School during the active investigation by comes after the state removed the fire chief examination from civil ser- next year. Massachusetts State Police and Sgt. Brad vice last year. In addition, changes were made to the English language learner Fisk of the Southwick Police Department. The assessment center option would keep the position within the groups, with ELL students consolidating into two schools, Highland Krutka did say that officers on the scene state’s Human Resources Department (HRD) civil service program. and Munger Hill. ELL students from Highland and Franklin (82 initially believed that black ice on the However, this option could also cost the city between $9,000 to $10,000 students) will go to Highland, and ELL students from Abner Gibbs, roadway contributed to the accident, but Munger Hill, Paper Mill and Southampton Road (58 students) to the official cause hasn’t been determined. See Fire Chief, Page 3 Munger Hill. Rix said there will be duplicate programs at both schools. He also said students are still arriving from Puerto Rico, so they do not know exactly how many students they will have. Rix said they don’t expect changes in special services programs for students. Another change will be for the 33 students living in the Mechanic Cause of fire Street area who will go to Abner Gibbs next year. He said the Mechanic Street students would be going to the new elementary school currently planned for Ashley Street; this way, all students in determined Abner Gibbs and Franklin Avenue would go to the new school when it is built. By DAN DESROCHERS Busing for students is also a consideration. Right now, the district Correspondent has 29 buses which take three runs for the high school (A), middle WESTFIELD—The State Fire Marshal schools and St. Mary’s (B) and the elementary schools (C). He said has provided additional information on if they don’t make changes, they will need five additional buses for what caused the Kellogg Street fire last the B run, because 45 minutes is needed between runs. The team Friday. therefore is proposing extending the elementary school dismissal by According to the State Fire Marshal’s 15 minutes, which he said would save the district $265,000. He said Office, the blaze at the three-family home they are also planning to meet with St. Mary’s to discuss transporta- at 34 Kellogg St. was an electrical fire tion options. that involved a baseboard heater. Kotarski said she will be spending the week working with a pro- Previously, it was reported that the fire fessional group to project the changes in all of the runs. The morn- began on the third floor of the residence. ing is not a problem, because currently there is one hour between The fire occurred Friday, Feb. 2, short- the middle schools and elementary schools start time. “We need to ly after 3 a.m. Following the fire, a total finalize school times to determine transportation needs,” Rix said. of 12 people were displaced but no one Human Resources director Paula Ceglowski said the change in was reported injured and the occupants elementary school dismissal time is subject to negotiations. She said were able to get themselves out of the she has already set up a meeting next week to discuss redistricting structure, according to the Westfield Fire issues with unions. Department. Mayor Brian P. Sullivan said as difficult as it is on many levels, That included six occupants that were he appreciated the Russell Elementary students going as a group to on the third floor. Highland, and thinking ahead of the next redistricting for the new The damage reported by the Westfield school. Fire Department was estimated at $30,000 Next to present were Katherine Bourque, principal of North to $40,000. Middle School and WPS Director of Curriculum Susan Dargie, who The American Red Cross was helping The home at 34 Kellogg St. Westfield where an early Friday morning fire led the team for the grades 5-6 intermediate school, which will be those displaced following the fire. displaced 12. (Photo by Lynn Boscher) housed at NMS. “We are in the process of figuring out how to change the names of the schools. We’re trying to break the North-South thing,” Mayor Sullivan said before the presentation began. Bourque said the working team, comprised of administrators, Country Club property development moving forward faculty and parent representatives met ten times. “We did spend a By GREG FITZpaTRICK purchase plan. The developers See School Redistricting, Page 8 Correspondent have now decided to acquire SOUTHWICK – Almost two the Candlewood Inn Restaurant months ago, the Select Board property which is part of the chose not to exercise their right Southwick Country Club. of first refusal to purchase the Fiore said he isn’t planning to Southwick Country Club prop- keep the restaurant as a busi- erty on College Highway. As a ness, but will use the site for result of that decision, Richard other purposes. In explaining Fiore, vice president of Fiore the decision to acquire the Realty LLC, opted to acquire additional property, Fiore said the 110-acre property and they were not sure if having a develop single-family homes. restaurant right next to homes While Fiore said that it’s a that will be built is the most “long road” until the construc- appealing aspect to a potential tion for the development begins, homebuyer. the planning hasn’t stopped. In December of last year, Currently using a fourth set of Fiore said that they could be plans, Fiore said he could be building anywhere from 45-50 bringing the project to the housing units on the property, town’s Planning Board in the but recently noted he won’t be next couple of weeks. certain about that number until “I think we’re real, real, close he begins the process with the at this particular point to have Planning Board.