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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com
VOL. 83 NO.126
FRIDAY, MAY 30, 2014
See Scam, Page 3
in life is that you may take too many precautions.”
— Alfred Adler
75 cents
PVTA adopts city bus route changes
Scam foiled By Carl E. Hartdegen Staff Writer WESTFIELD – A woman who failed to check with her brother before she paid an extortion demand has recovered the $1,000 she sent to a scammer after city police intervened. City police report that the woman left a note at the station before she sent a money order to a caller who had told her that her brother would be killed unless she sent him $1,000. Police were not able to reach the woman before she completed a Western Union money transfer but Det. Brian Freeman reports he spoke with her after she sent the money and convinced her to call her brother. The woman’s brother told her that he was fine and in no danger. Freeman found that the call apparently came from 413-535-9579 but points out that software is available to ‘spoof’ a phone’s caller identification feature so any number of callers from anywhere in the world can appear to be calling from a local number. The number the woman’s call apparently came from has been reported in relation to scams frequently. An Internet search for scams associated with the Holyoke number reveals that many others have received scam calls, ostensibly from the same number. Freeman was able to contact Western Union and the woman recovered her money. Police report in a news release that callers report scams “nearly every day” and variations on the theme the woman responded to are common. Some victims, police report, are told that their loved one has been involved in an accident and the targets of the scam are told “If you don’t send us the money it will be your fault if they die.” In another variation, a scammer will claim to have abducted a loved one and targets are told “something to the effect of ‘We have your brother, you need to meet us at Walmart and give us $2,000 or he will die.’” Another recent scam involves a caller who claims to be calling from the Gas and Electric Light Department and threatens immediate suspension of electricity service unless a payment is made immediately with a money transfer service such as a ‘Green Dot’ card. Police advise that residents not
“The chief danger
Daniel Garte, project architect of Dietz & Company Architects in Springfield, explains the overall proposed plan for the new Westfield Senior Center during a meeting last year with the Westfield Senior Center Building Committee. (File photo by Frederick Gore)
ROBERT PAUL Ward 5 Councilor
Committee endorses senior center bond By Dan Moriarty Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The Finance Committee will recommend approval of the $7.5 million senior center construction bond to the full City Council next Thursday. The Committee voted 2-1 on a positive recommendation for approval of the bond request submitted by Mayor Daniel M. Knapik. The dissenting vote was cast by Ward 5 Councilor Robert Paul Sr., who said he is opposed to the 8 percent contingency which adds $536,000, but who said he supports the senior center construction project.
Paul argued that the bond should cover the cost of construction, materials, and construction oversight, but should not include the funds included to address unforeseen problems during the construction phase. “I don’t see a need for a contingency,” Paul said. Paul commended the Senior Center Building Committee for their work and said the project should be constructed for the cost established by the contracts without a need for the contingency funding. See Senior Center, Page 3
An overview drawing of the proposed Westfield Senior Center that will be located on Noble Street. (File photo by Frederick Gore)
See PVTA Route, Page 3
Team Jesse James and the Outlaw Walkers will once again participate in the Western New England Walk Now For Autism Speaks. The walk is set for Sept. 20 at Stanley Park. Teams can register at www. walknowforautismspeaks.org/ wne. (Photo by
Teams forming for autism walk By Hope E. Tremblay Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The Western New England Walk Now For Autism Speaks committee is gearing up for this year’s event, set for Sept. 20 at Stanley Park. Walk teams are forming and registering now at www.walknowforautismspeaks.org/wne. The purpose of the event is to raise awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), gather as a community, and raise funds for Autism Speaks, the leading autism research and resource organization in the world. Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that impairs an individual’s ability to communicate, form relationships with others and relate to their surroundings. Seventy-three percent of every dollar raised goes back to Autism Speaks’ mission, to change the future for all who struggle with ASD. In March the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its latest autism prevalence findings and reported that one in 68 children – including one in every 42 boys – is diagnosed with autism. Team Jesse James and the Outlaw Walkers Captain Becca Matthew, of Westfield, first joined the walk in 2012. Her son Jesse was diagnosed in March of 2012 at 27 months old. “I felt like I needed to do something…be involved in something,” said Matthew. “I felt like I needed to take action to make a difference for families like ours. Our service coordinator from WITS (Westfield Infant Toddler services) recommended that we sign up for the walk. I did right away, and we started fundraising immediately. We were then deemed the honor of being the Ambassador Family for the walk that year, so I knew we had to do big things with our fundraising.”
By Peter Francis Staff Writer SPRINGFIELD – Bus routes for Westfield’s public transportation patrons will soon undergo changes. On Wednesday, the Pioneer Valley Transportation Authority’s Route Committee confirmed that several city routes will undergo updates over the course of this year, with a new pilot service potentially being tested out in the city, as well. Currently in Westfield, the PVTA operates four routes, two of which are currently not in operation. The Westfield State Owl is a seasonal route servicing students, but the other three routes are set to receive small updates. “The R10 service that goes to Union and Main Streets, that is not going to change until they can introduce a new community circulator,” said Joshua Rickman, a transit planner for the PVTA. “The R10 University Shuttle will be going from Westfield center and Noble Hospital all the way to Westfield State University. We can start that come fall, so we’ll have Union Street trips and Main Street trips operating the same way.” A comprehensive service analysis was done earlier this year of all PVTA routes, which resulted in a recommended service plan for each. The board’s vote Wednesday came after a series of public hearings in late winter and early spring. Recommendations for the R10, which currently runs from the PVTA’s Springfield terminal to Westfield State University’s Scanlon Hall, including the route in Westfield’s city center, while the current split routing which runs to Union Street and East Mountain Road would then be served by a “flex route” using a community circulator. “A circulator typically has a defined route, like say, Union Street, but will have the ability to flex on and off of that route,” said Rickman of what he refers to as ‘minibuses’, which fit 18 to 20 passengers. “They can pick up someone at a residence or a business off-route. Basically a smaller vehicle that has the ability to turn and access areas that a larger bus wouldn’t be able to go to.” The community circulator will alleviate some of the service cuts made by the PVTA in 2003, when it slashed its budget by 20 percent. “One thing this route will do is provide an extra layer of service that Westfield definitely needs,” Rickman said, citing Westfield’s large senior population as main beneficiaries. “A lot of them (seniors) don’t live directly onto a route or have access to a
Becca & Kat’s Photography)
Teams raise funds in different ways. Some solicit donations from family, friends, and co-workers, and others host events. Matthew has become pretty creative with her efforts and has organized a casino bus trip, held numerous tag sales, gathered change in buckets in some smaller local stores, sold advertising on the backs of team shirts for a larger donation, held a vendor fair, and most recently hosted a Royal Princess Tea Party, which was Team Jesse James and the Outlaws’ largest fundraising event to date. Over the past decade, some walk teams have come and
gone. This year, walk committee members hope teams that have waned over the years will participate once again. The event is more than just a walk, said organizers. It is a place for the autism community to come together and network and just have fun. The walk includes a Resource Fair for people in need of autism resources, services, or who just have questions. Resources for the newly diagnosed as well as those in the crucial transition stage of entering adulthood See Teams, Page 3