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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
“Caveat actor.” (Let the doer beware.) — Latin proverb
www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 83 NO. 55
FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 2014
Council debate sparked over reappointment process By Dan Moriarty Staff Writer WESTFIELD – There are six new members of the City Council, but some issues have been debated for much longer than those new members began serving in January. Similar discussion were conducted on July 8, 2013 and on Sept. 3, 2012 with basically the same objections raised about the process of reappointing serving board and commission members. The debate last night began when Ward 2 Councilor Ralph Figy, the current chairman of the Personnel Action Committee, made a motion for immediate consideration on the reappointment of 24 commission and board members, a motion seconded by Cindy Harris, also a member of the PAC. Council President Brent B. Bean II named Figy and Harris to the Pac because both have a background in Human Resources and are therefore a good fit on the PAC. Ward 4 Councilor Mary O’Connell and At-large Councilor David A. Flaherty objected to the immediate consideration motion which requires unanimous consent to gain approval. O’Connell argued that sending the list of reappointment candidates to the PAC gives members and residents time to “consider” those nominations until the next Council meeting. “It’s our job to do our due diligence and put this nomination (for reappointment) into committee for review,” O’Connell said at the Sept. 3, Mary L. O’Connell 2012 meeting . “When I was on the PAC, I was against this process.” “I’m not talking about bringing those people in, just that we have a discussion because we have six new members who may not know these people,” O’Connell said last night. Flaherty said that he agreed with O’Connell, and that the new council members may not know the citizens being nominated or reappointed. “There are 24 people on this list. I know a couple. I’d like a short bio, a blurb as to why to keep them on those Dave Flaherty boards,” Flaherty said. Ironically, O’Connell and Flaherty raised the same objection when Bean, then the PAC chairman, called for the immediate consideration last July of candidates already serving on board and commission. Figy made the same argument last night as Bean has made in the past. Both argue that the reappointment process should be different from the review of new candidates. “Anybody new should come before the committee for evaluation, but people who have been on commissions for 10 to 15 years are capable of performing those duties,” Figy said. “I think reappointments should be a done deal.” Ward 6 Councilor Christopher Crean, who has served as the PAC chairman in the past, said that the reappointment candidates “are volunteering their time” adding that many of the candidates for reappointment have served the city for decades. At-large Councilor Brian Sullivan, the third PAC member, argued that the 24 reappointment candidates were all approved by the council just three years ago since the term of commission and board members is three years. “I don’t think it’s a big deal. Sending these reappointment nominations to committee is just cumbersome,” Sullivan said. “If you don’t know them, then shame on you.” Eventually Figy withdrew his motion for immediate consideration and referred the reappointment list to the PAC.
75 cents
$23M level-service school budget weighed
Meeka Stasko, a St. Mary High School drama club member, sings during a dress rehearsal of Anything Goes. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
STM to perform ‘Anything Goes’ By Hope E. Tremblay Staff Writer WESTFIELD – High school students at St. Mary’s Parish School are set to perform Anything Goes tonight at 7 p.m. in the school auditorium. The cast and crew have overcome many hurdles throughout the rehearsal period, including several snow days and winter vacation. Despite the challenges, they are enthusiastic about the show they call “fantastic.” “It has a lot of jokes and great songs and dance routines,” said Keelin Bailey, who portrays one of the angels in the show. Fellow thespian Andrew Mullin, who stars as Billy, called it a “classic” production. “And we have so much fun doing it, it’s hard for the audience not to have fun, too,” added Will Armstrong, who portrays Lord Evelyn Oakleigh. Co-directors Peggy Readon and Rob Lepage said they selected Anything Goes specifically for this group of students. “I’ve been trying to do Anything Goes for years,” said Lep age. “We never really had the right cast, but we do now. This year we have the right kids for the right parts.” The Cole Porter musical debuted in 1934 and has been charming audiences ever since that first show on Broadway. The story concerns madcap antics aboard an ocean liner bound from New York to London. Billy Crocker is a stowaway in love with heiress Hope Harcourt, who is engaged to Lord Evelyn Oakleigh. Nightclub singer Reno Sweeney and Public Enemy #13 Moonface Martin aid Billy in his quest to win Hope. The musical introduced such songs as “Anything Goes,” “You’re the Top,” and “I Get a Kick Out of You.” Reardon said the plot line is as entertaining today as it was during its first run 80 years ago. The musical is so popular that this is not the first time St. Mary’s has held a production of Anything Goes. In 1988 it was performed, and to commemorate that performance, the current cast invited members of the cast from 25 years ago to tonight’s show. See Anything Goes, Page 8
By Hope E. Tremblay Staff Writer SOUTHWICK – A $23,358,168 Southwick-TollandGranville Regional School district Fiscal Year 2015 budget was presented to the School Committee this week. Superintendent John Barry and Business Manager Stephen Presnal made the presentation Tuesday and said it is essentially a level service budget. “It is 2.15 percent higher than the current budget, but it is a modest increase,” said Barry. Barry said the budget is “98 percent level service” and added that in order to maintain that level, cuts will be made. “No teachers will be cut,” Barry stressed. Although the budget continues to be a moving target because state allocations are not final, Presnal and Barry were confident that any changes would not affect services. “The good news for parents and students is that they are going to see the same services we have in place this year,” said Barry. Gov. Deval Patrick’s “House I” numbers were used in the budget, however the House Ways and Means Committee is reviewing it and he numbers could change again. “We’re hoping the state numbers, as they change, will help us a little bit,” Barry said. The budget presented maintains current class sizes, current educational programs, commitment to special education students, participation in the Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative, and includes debt service payments for initial long term financing of district share of building project costs. The PowerPoint presentation included primary characteristics of the proposal such as Chapter 70 aid is leveling off, incorporates state target share increases, and minor staffing reductions likely for the first time in several years. School Committee Chairman James Vincent said all three towns in the regional district were considered in the budget. “We tried to make it fair to the taxpayers,” said Vincent. “We met with the selectmen and finance committees of all three towns and I think this budget is acceptable for all.” Vincent said it is difficult to create a budget when state funds are not final, but they do their best to predict the numbers. The budget presented this week is not quite balanced. Vincent said the $108,000 deficit would be worked on in the next few weeks. “We have to present a final budget April 1 to the town and it has to be balanced,” said Vincent. The committee will take up the budget again March 18.
Council initiates Papermill Road acceptence By Dan Moriarty Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The City Council approved the first reading of a home rule petition to the state Legislature to decree Papermill Road as a city public way on a 3-0 recommendation from the Legislative & Ordinance Committee last night. The second reading and final passage at the council’s March 20th session will allow city officials to submit the road acceptance to the Legislature. Matthew VanHeynigen, a member of the L&O Committee, requested the City Council to accept two motions, one of which includes the minutes of the Jan. 16, 2014 public hearing on a layout order for Papermill Road as official records. Eleven residents and five council members spoke in support of the petition to seek legislative acceptance of the roadway. Nobody spoke in opposition, a fact cited by Ward 4 Councilor Mary O’Connell.
“I’m not a fan of home rule petitions, but not one person spoke against this at the public hearing,” O’Connell said, “so I will support the Ward 6 councilor.” Crean said that the Legislature’s approval of the Christopher home rule petition M. Crean to accept Papermill Road as a public way is the only viable path to improving the heavily-traveled road. Crean has been seeking a way to accept the road as a city street to enable the city to used state or federal funds for reconstruction of the roadway. Currently, as an unaccepted road, repairs and improvements can only be done with city funds
which has delayed the improvement project because of the high cost. The Law Department recommended the course of action initiated last night to seek legislative approval for the “special procedure” to establish city ownership of the right of way for the street, making it eligible for state road-improvement funding under Chapter 90. Crean and the city’s Law Department held a community meeting two years ago at the Paper Mill Elementary School asking residents to voluntarily surrender their ownership right to the land under the road. Crean said that the vast majority of resident agreed and signed documents, but several did not support that process which needed 100 percent support from the property owners abutting the roadway. “It’s all a matter for formality,” Crean said yesterday prior to the council session, “to show the Legislature that we have done our due diligence and that the city is in favor of accepting this as a city street.”