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NO. 151 4 TUESDAY,FRIDAY, JANUARY JUNE 27, 5, 20182017 7575 cents Cents WRAFT to hold Westfield Foundation informational for Education announces meeting Sunday By DAN DESROCHERS 2017-2018 grant recipients Correspondent By AMY PORTER WESTFIELD—In an effort to help fur- Correspondent ther educate and advocate for residents WESTFIELD –The Westfield Foundation for Education (WFE) about perceived issues with the water in the recently announced grant recipients for 2017-2018. New President city, the community group Westfield Linda Taylor said the all-volunteer organization, which raises Residents Advocating For Themselves money to fund innovative education and enrichment projects in the (WRAFT) is holding a public forum this A picture provided by the West Springfield Police Department schools, received a record number of grant applications this cycle, weekend. related to the suspected “felony lane gang” incident. 24 in all – from almost every school. A total of 15 projects were WRAFT will be meeting this Sunday, funded in every school level including preschool, for the first time Jan. 7, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., at Santorini’s since its inception in 2013. Nearly $15,000 in grants ranging from Pizzeria Restaurant on Southampton Road $350-$1,500 have been awarded. in Westfield. The meeting will be held in an Felony lane gang Taylor said the WFE is going through a transition period right attempt to answer questions and address now. “The women who were running the foundation have kids that concerns that WRAFT founder Kristen have gotten older. They were trying to pass it along to people with Mello said have been brought forward younger kids, to keep it going,” Taylor said. in area, according Last year, she and several other parents were asked by Fort online recently. “There’s been an enormous amount of Meadow Pre-School Principal Joanne Hentnick if they would online chatter the last few weeks,” Mello attend a WFE meeting. The three that went, Taylor, Lindsay Tanis said. to area police and Mary Zadjiel are now president, vice president and treasurer. “A lot of fury but not a lot of ‘what we “I took over the responsibility of planning the Pocketbook Bingo By DAN DESROCHERS in August, my introduction to the process. After, I thought, all right, are going to be doing about it’,” she added. Correspondent Some of these concerns, Mello said, have I’ll take over this role,” Taylor said. She said she has a first grader WESTFIELD/WEST SPRINGFIELD—According to the and kindergartener, Tanis has two in Fort Meadow pre-school, and included questions about water quality, Westfield Police Detective Bureau’s Facebook page, a group sus- from its taste to its appearances, in addition Zadjiel, a kindergartener and pre-schooler in Fort Meadow, so they pected of committing crimes in the past are reportedly back in the have a long connection with the schools in front of them. to the more lingering questions of poly- area. fluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS), also “They (the former leaders) have been great about passing on their The Westfield Detective information, and giving us their contacts,” Taylor added. known as perfluorinated compounds Bureau’s Facebook page (PFCs), in the city’s water. “The WFE is a great organization that directly impacts students shared a post from the West in the Westfield Public Schools. The new officers and new mem- “People look at their water and if the Springfield Police water is cloudy or brown or smells a certain bers, along with several veteran members, have been doing a fan- Department, and also wrote tastic job and have some great energy and ideas for the foundation way, there are a lot of questions about that,” about the “felony lane Mello said. “Then questions about PFAS to move forward. We have been sounding the alarm that we need gang.” According to the more volunteers to keep the WFE running and some very dedicated issues, but it’s not the same thing.” post, the “felony lane “Now that more people are asking, more people stepped up to take over,” said veteran WFE and School gang” has been suspected Committee member Cindy Sullivan. people are aware of it, we want to make of crime in Westfield in the A picture provided by the West sure people are given consistent and correct Taylor said the Pocketbook Bingo was so successful, raising past. The West Springfield Springfield Police Department related $10,000, that several people suggested holding it twice a year. She information,” she said. Police Department report- to the suspected “felony lane gang” Mello said that the forum, which will said they decided not to over-saturate with that event, but instead ed that the group is back in incident. are looking to do a new fundraiser in the spring with Tin Bridge allow for people to ask questions and hope- the area following a report- fully be provided answers, will be used as Brewing Co., a craft brewery in Westfield. “We are trying to reach ed incident in West Springfield. a different group,” she said. an “educational and advocacy resource” for According to the post from West Springfield Police, the group residents. Taylor said that now that they’ve been through the main fund- reportedly breaks into vehicles and steal banking-related items. raiser and the grant process, the group is feeling a bit more comfort- “What we want is people to be informed They then “recruit females to assume the identity of the victims and and proactive. We want to make sure every- able. She said they also had help with the grants from former withdraw money from their bank accounts, cash stolen checks, and teacher Dottie O’Neill, who she called “a big helper.” They are also one has correct information to do some- conduct fraudulent credit card transaction.” thing about it when they’re having the always looking for more volunteers to help. Anyone interested may It also noted that their “attacks” happen in waves. The “felony email her at [email protected]. problem,” she said. lane gang,” according to the West Springfield Police post, is a group Mello said that attendees will be provid- primarily based out of Florida, though they allegedly operate all See WFE, Page 8 ed with a number of handouts related to over the country. water, and the handouts come from differ- According to the West Springfield Police Department’s page, a ent resources. These may explain what risks report came in on Nov. 18, 2017, at the Olympia skating rink locat- certain contaminants may put onto people, ed in their city. The report was for several cars, later totaling nine, as well as what certain water issues may that were allegedly broken into “by smashing” the passenger-side mean. door windows. Among the items reported missing was the identifi- Mello added that if there are issues with cation of a Milton, New York resident. your water, that you should contact the Later, on Nov. 20, 2017, police reported that a female that the city’s water department so that it can be West Springfield Police Department shared a picture of went to a addressed. bank in Poughkeepsie, New York, and allegedly withdrew $1,400 “If the water department is not aware of from the victim’s bank account. The vehicle the suspect was in also where the problems are then they cannot allegedly had a stolen New York license plate attached. address them,” she said. Police warn others to lock their vehicles and, at a minimum, keep Mello also said that there were no invita- any valuables from view. The Westfield Detective Bureau reports tions provided directly to city officials, that common areas that are hit include business parking lots that are though they are welcome to come, as is “off the beaten path.” anyone from the public. More information can be found on the Felony Lane Gang Task Force’s Facebook page. WFE banner, held up by Pres. Laura Taylor’s children, Aaron Sheriff Cocchi headlining Southwick opioid addiction forum and Hayleigh Taylor. (Photo submitted) By GREG FITZpaTRICK Superintendent Jen Willard, Correspondent Southwick Regional High School SOUTHWICK – The Southwick Principal Joe Turmel, and members Rotary Club is preparing to host a of the police department to organize Rep. Velis Backs Sales Tax forum on February 7 at 6 p.m. at the the assemblies. Southwick Town Hall to discuss the Moglin is hoping that the entire Reduction Ballot Measure opioid addiction crisis and they have forum and what they can bring to the Representative John Velis announced that Hampden County community will help some people (D-Westfield) has come out in favor Sheriff Nick Cocchi, will be the guest realize the brutal impact opioids can of a proposed cut to the state sales speaker. have on someone. tax likely to appear on the ballot in Information provided by the Rotary “Maybe it hits home for one or two November. The so-called Club on January 2 states, “Sheriff kids and that’s all you can hope for,” “Massachusetts Sales Tax Decrease Nicholas Cocchi, Hampden County said Moglin.