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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com FRIDAY, JULY 18, 2014
VOL. 83 NO.166
75 cents
Commission role may expand
Senate abortion bill draws praise, ire By Peter Francis Staff Writer WESTFIELD – It’s an issue that’s been legally settled in this country for over 40 years, yet remains quite possibly the most polarizing social wedge in America today. Whether you deem it the murder of an unborn fetus or a woman’s right to choose, abortion continues to serve as a major sticking point for citizens all over the U.S. On Wednesday, the Massachusetts Senate passed a bill that would enable police to disperse protesters and groups “substantially impeding access” to abortion clinics in the Commonwealth, a response to a unanimous Supreme Court decision that struck down the state’s previous law, which created a 35-foot protest-free zone around clinic entrances. Under the new bill, after a dispersal order is issued, individuals would have to remain at least 25 feet from the clinic’s entrances and driveways for a maximum of eight hours. A dispersal area would have to be clearly marked and the law posted. An Act to Promote Public Safety and Protect Access to Reproductive Health Care Facilities would also prohibit any physical act or threat of force from being used to intimidate anyone trying to enter or leave a clinic, and knowingly impeding an individual or vehicle’s access to a facility. The bill would allow victims under the new law to file a civil action in Superior Court seeking injunctive relief, damages, and attorneys’ fees, along with amending the existing Massachusetts Civil Rights Act to allow the Attorney General to seek damages on behalf of affected individuals who have been blocked from clinics, as well as recover litigation costs and seek civil penalties for the interference of constitutional rights. A hearing convened by the Joint Committee on the Judiciary was held in Boston Wednesday, with organizations such as the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Citizens for Life testifying for and against the bill. PPLM Vice President of Health Center Operations Deb Fenton testified “without the buffer zone, patients and staff are once again unnecessarily put at risk”, while MCFL President Pat Stewart highlighted over 20 laws regarding blockading and harrassment currently on the books in the Commonwealth. Senate President Therese Murray (D-Plymouth) and House Speaker Robert DeLeo (D-Winthrop) said See Bill, Page 3
“Miracles are propitious accidents, the natural causes of which are too complicated to be readily understood.” — George Santayana
Detectives seized $17,220 and about two pounds of marijuana when they executed a warrant Wednesday evening on Gold Street. (Photo by Carl E. Hartdegen)
$17,000, pot seized By Carl E. Hartdegen ponic tank in Bottone’s closet. Staff Writer The detectives also seized a digital WESTFIELD – City detectives seized scale and a vacuum packaging apparamore than $17,000 in cash when they tus designed to store food. Renaudette executed a warrant resulting from an reports the bags found with the vacuinvestigation into an apparent marijuana um packing machine do not appear to dealer. be the same as the ones used to packThe detectives were assisted by comage the two large bricks of marijuana munity policing officer Douglas seized. Lavalley Wednesday evening when they Besides the cannabis products descended on the residence of Antonio found, detectives also seized smaller B. Bottone, 19, of 12 Gold Street, to quantities of two prescription pills for execute the warrant. which Bottone had no prescription. ANTONIO B. Det. James Renaudette reports that the Renaudette reports that a number of BOTTONE detectives found a large amount of cash, pills found to be Clonazepam, a drug $17,220, stacked in several bundles, as well as a large used for the short-term relief of anxiety symptoms amount of marijuana and other contraband. and for certain types of seizures, were found in a He reports that the detective found one vacuum cigar tube. A few labeled doses of suboxone, a drug packed package of marijuana weighing more than a used to control moderate acute or chronic pain or to pound as well as a somewhat smaller vacuum packed treat opiate addiction were also seized. bundle and several much smaller bags of marijuana. Bottone was arrested for possession of a Class D In addition, one bag seized appeared to contain hash- substance (marijuana) with intent to distribute, for ish and two others contained substances which were cultivation of a Class D drug, for possession of a not readily identifiable. Class B drug (suboxone) and possession of a Class C All the contraband will be identified, the evidence drug (clonazapam). officer said, when it is sent to the State Police lab for Det. Lt. David Ragazzini explained that when testing. funds or other property are deemed to be ill gotten In addition, a dozen marijuana seedlings were found to be growing under artificial light in a hydroSee Pot Seized, Page 3
Dog locks car By Carl E. Hartdegen Staff Writer WESTFIELD – Dogs sometimes get blamed for a wide variety of ills, from the stink that nobody wants to take responsibility for to the homework which wasn’t turned in because it was eaten. On Wednesday a Hawks Circle dog took the rap for something different when a resident called for help after her dog locked her out of her car. The resident told an emergency dispatcher shortly before 2 p.m. that after she got out of her car her dog activated the car’s lock when it jumped on the locking button. Westfield Fire Capt. Seth Ellis reports he found the vehicle’s engine running when he arrived and made entry via the driver’s door without incident.
By Dan Moriarty Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The Cable Television Advisory Commission is assessing a broader scope of responsibilities which could include providing guidance to the city on technology issues, as well as its current role negotiating with the city’s cable television provider. The city’s Cable Television Commission, which advises Mayor Daniel M. Knapik about contract issues, recently toured the facilities at Westfield State University and the Technology Center next to Barnes Regional Airport to determine what equipment and technological capacities the city needs to acquire to improve the quality of local telecommunication and cable services to the city’s 13,000 cable subscribers. The city’s 10-year contract with Comcast, the city’s cable provider, expired last March. The current negotiations are at “a standstill” over the term of the new contract. Comcast is seeking a 10-year pact, while Mayor Daniel M. Knapik has said that because of the rapid evolution of telecommunication technology that it is in the city’s best interest to enter a five-year contract.
DANIEL M. KNAPIK MAYOR
Senate approves sweeping gun bill By STEVE LeBLANC Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — The Massachusetts Senate approved a sweeping overhaul of the state’s gun laws yesterday, but not before stripping out a key provision that would have given local police chiefs more discretion over issuing firearms identification cards needed to buy rifles or shotguns. The Senate bill had initially included the measure — which is part of a similar bill passed by the House — but it was eliminated during debate. The Senate bill would maintain current law which limits chiefs to conducting background checks before issuing FID cards. The bill, which mirrored many other aspects of the House bill, was approved on a voice vote. That means the votes of individual senators were not recorded. Gun rights activists hailed the change. “I’m very pleased with what the Senate did today,” said John Hohenwarter, the National Rifle Association’s government affairs director for Massachusetts. “The bill’s in much better shape than it was when it came over from the House.” Gun safety advocates said the change guts the bill. John Rosenthal of the group Stop Handgun Violence, said giving police chiefs added discretion over the issuing of FID cards was the single most important aspect of the bill.
“Without it, it’s not worth the paper it’s written on,” Rosenthal said. “Shame on the Massachusetts Senate. Sadly they voted against police chiefs and against public safety and for the special interest gun lobby and people will die as a result.” James Timilty, Senate chairman of the Public Safety Committee, said the change was in keeping with the Constitution’s Second Amendment. He rejected the idea that the Senate bowed to pressure from the gun lobby when it accepted the amendment on a 28-11 vote. “There was no pressure from angry gun owners,” said Timilty, D-Walpole. “This was something I felt very strongly about.” Sen. Cynthia Creem, who opposed the amendment, said she was told that the NRA had pressed lawmakers to strip out the language. “It wasn’t until today that I had any inkling that that amendment would have had any traction,” the Newton Democrat said. Jim Wallace, head of the Massachusetts Gun Owners Action League, credited the change on lobbying efforts by members of the group, who made calls and sent emails to lawmakers. “It was an education process, It’s not just a matter of slamming your fist on the table and demanding See Gun Bill, Page 3