The Westfield NewsSearch for The Westfield News Westfield350.com The WestfieldNews Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns “TIME IS THE ONLY WEATHER CRITIC WITHOUT TONIGHT AMBITION.” Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 86 NO. 151 $1.00 FRIDAY,TUESDAY, MAY JUNE 14, 27, 2021 2017 VOL. 75 cents 90 NO. 113 City sees Approval significant not needed drop in COVID-19 for brewery cases overflow By PETER CURRIER Staff Writer Future Medical Professionals Club meeting with CRNA Christina Massaro. (SUBMITTED WESTFIELD — The Board of PHOTO) Health reported 18 new COVID- parking 19 cases this week to bring the pandemic total to 3060. WHS sophomore starts Future By HOPE E. TREMBLAY The number of new infections Editor dropped more than 50 percent SOUTHWICK – The Southwick Planning from the previous week, when 44 Medical Professionals Club Board May 12 agreed that a plan for Westfield cases were reported. Twenty-nine River Brewing Co. to use an adjacent property for Westfield residents were in active By AMY PORTER country. The first meeting parking was not necessary. isolation due to COVID-19 as of Staff Writer was held on Nov. 2, and since Town Planner Alan Slessler said he was May 12. WESTFIELD — Early in then, they have had 13 meet- approached by landowner John Whalley on the the school year, Westfield ings with 30-plus students topic. Currently, when the brewery has a large High School sophomore joining the club and meeting event, land across the street, — also owned by Ciara Johnson-Corwin speakers from all over the Whalley according to Slessler – is used for addi- approached Laura Blocher, country. tional parking. Instead, the brewery would like to her Anatomy and Physiology Blocher said speakers have use land to the south of the brewery, also owned teacher about starting a club come from California, by Whalley. for students interested in pur- Arizona, and Florida, as well “They feel this is safer,” said Slessler, adding suing a career in the medical as from right in Westfield, to that “it would not be for daily use.” field, and whether Blocher speak with the students about Slessler said the property would be mowed and For the sixth straight week in would be the advisor. what they do and what advice maintained and Whalley and Westfield River Westfield, no new COVID-19 “Throughout COVID, so they have for aspiring medi- Brewing owner Sergio Bonavita wondered if they related deaths were reported, much has been taken away cal professionals. “We usual- needed to have a formal plan. keeping the pandemic total at from the education and WHS sophomore Ciara ly meet a couple times a Planning Board Chair Michael Doherty asked 113. growth of students. I thought Johnson-Corwin. month and learn about a dif- if there was a formal plan for the current use of Health Director Joseph Rouse why not add an addition to (SUBMITTED PHOTO) ferent medical profession the land across the street. Slessler said there was expressed optimism about the the high school that could each time. We meet via no plan, just a private agreement. trajectory of the pandemic during give students an opportunity Blocher readily agreed, Google Meet, which has Board member Marcus Phelps said he had no the May 12 Board of Health to learn more about this par- and the Future Medical actually worked out well for issues with it but thought the police safety officer meeting. He said the drop in ticular field. I really have an Professionals Club was born. us this year, since we can should be consulted. cases was “a huge reduction that interest in the medical field, Blocher said that Johnson- have guest speakers from all Board member Richard Utzinger said he also we have not seen in a long time.” and I knew that other stu- Corwin took the reins and got over join us,” she said. had no problem with using the property to the Rouse said that the falling dents had the same interest,” in touch with medical profes- infection rates and low numbers Johnson-Corwin said. sionals from around the See WHS Club, Page 3 See Overflow Parking, Page 3 of deaths is a reflection of what is happening across Massachusetts. “On Tuesday, the state reported for the first time in over a year zero deaths from COVID-19,” School transportation director said Rouse, “that reflects in our numbers locally.” He said that he thinks the spike outlines complaint procedure in cases last week could be a By AMY PORTER Kotarski said, adding, “When someone has result of people traveling during Staff Writer an issue with a bus driver they should be school vacation week in April, WESTFIELD – Westfield Public Schools contacting my office, not the bus company.” but he said he has no way to con- Transportation Director Pamela Kotarski Kotarski said once she was made aware of firm this. responded to a request for comment about a the post, she immediately called the bus “We are not out of the woods, complaint posted on a Westfield Facebook company and spoke with the office manager. but we are seeing a trend through- forum about a school bus driver’s actions. “The office manager confirmed that a parent out the state,” said Rouse, She also spoke about the procedure to follow had called [that] morning about the driver “Regardless of what you hear on if someone has a complaint. speaking inappropriately to the students on national news, and what is hap- “In regards to the complaint that was the bus. The office manager told the parent pening in other states, posted on Facebook, it wasn’t until someone she couldn’t review the video tape until [the Massachusetts is doing quite well made me aware that it was on Facebook that Westfield Public Schools Transportation Director Pamela right now.” I knew that there was an issue on this bus,” See Transportation, Page 3 Kotarski. (THE WESTFIELD NEWS FILE PHOTO) Because of the falling num- bers, Rouse expressed an interest in not taking any additional COVID-19 related initiatives for the city so that the Health Department can start to focus on Tolland residents approve FY22 town budget issues they had been addressing In FY21 each Board of Selectmen before the pandemic. Budget includes member received a salary of He said that he knows there $3,182.70, the highest of any elect- will be vocal contingents of peo- regional school ed officials in Tolland. The budget ple in Westfield who will not be that passed on May 10 increased happy with any decisions made assessment each of their salaries to $3,278.18. by the Health Department in By PETER CURRIER Assistant to the board, Margaret respect to COVID-19. Staff Writer McClellan, said that town officials “You will hear a lot of people TOLLAND — Residents of are essential workers and have kept coming to the forefront recom- Tolland passed the town’s FY22 Tolland running throughout the mending what the city and the budget May 10 during its annual COVID-19 pandemic. Health Department will continue town meeting in the Public Safety “I myself have put in all the hours to be doing to combat COVID,” Complex. I am supposed to be putting in, and said Rouse, “I appreciate people About two dozen Tolland resi- the selectmen have as well,” said coming forward with recommen- dents approved the budget and McClellan, “We’ve been here, dations, but at this point, seeing largely approved it as proposed. The Residents were spaced out in the Tolland Public Safety Complex while we’ve been doing our job. We have the metrics that I am looking at, it entire budget totaled $1,356,953.46 they deliberated and voted on the FY22 town budget. (PETER CURRIER been working hard. We have not would be my desire to not take on after the vote — an increase from PHOTO) failed this town in anything. I don’t any more initiatives, any more $1,302,929.13 in FY21 – and percent raise from FY21. “In a pandemic year, I know think it’s fair that any of us that programs. I don’t want to add any $20,000 was cut from the ambu- Resident David Pickhardt said everybody worked hard and every- have been working through the pan- more workload to the staff.” lance budget from the originally that giving the officials a raise dur- body deserves three percent, but not demic should be punished because He said that even with the fall- proposed budget. ing a pandemic that impacted most this year, not while everybody is we are in a pandemic.” ing infection rates, the Health Multiple residents voiced their taxpayers is inappropriate, and that hurting and everybody is having a Pickhardt made a motion to make Department’s workload has not concern every elected official in their salaries should be frozen for hard time making ends meet,” said decreased. Tolland would be receiving a three this year. Pickhardt. See Town Budget, Page 3 Live Drive-InLive Drive-I nConcerts Concerts at Tathe STheouth wWickick Moto 338cross The Wick 338 Southwick Motocross Tickets at Purplepass.com & Delaney's Market Roomful Of Blues May 14 A Portion of the proceeds to benefit Beatlemania June 11 Sponsored By PAGE 2 - FRIDAY, MAY 14, 2021 WWW.THEWESTFIELDNEWS.COM THE WESTFIELD NEWS REVIEW: Christiane Noll: Coming Alive Again Walk-in vaccines By MARK G. AUERBACH available at Big E site Correspondent WEST SPRINGFIELD — The West of the River Christiane Noll: Coming Alive Again showcases the Broadway Collaborative COVID Vaccination site at the Eastern musical theatre artist in a concert of familiar tunes from Broadway States Exposition (the “Big E”) is open for “walk-ins” musicals from Hello, Dolly! to Wicked, each thoughtfully selected between the hours of 10 a.m.