Search for The Westfield News
WEATHER TONIGHT
Mainly clear. Low of 48.
The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com
VOL. 83 NO. 245
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2014
See Nov. Ballot, Page 8
75 cents
Planning Board amendment stalled
Local questions will be on Nov. ballot By Peter Francis Staff Writer WESTFIELD – On November 4, Massachusetts residents will stroll to the polls to cast their ballots for statewide referendums – chief among them whether or not the Commonwealth will repeal its automatic gas tax and casino laws – and who will succeed Deval Patrick as Governor in January. Residents will also be faced with questions of a more local nature on their ballots in November, which will vary from district to district. I n Westfield, two Dan Allie public policy questions will be posed to city residents, asking whether or not they support requesting the city’s representatives in Boston to introduce and vote for legislation to return local aid and road maintenance funding to what it was in the fiscal year 2007. The questions were placed on the ballot thanks in large part to the signature gathering efforts of at-large City Councilor Dan Allie, who will be on the ballot himself on Nov. 4 against incumbent state Rep. John Velis for the 4th Hampden District seat in a rematch of their April 1 special election. Asked of the importance of the questions, Allie says they will show the city’s elected officials what they’re looking for out of them during the next session.
“The strongest are those who renounce their own times and become a living part of those yet to come. The strongest, and the rarest.” — Milovan Djilas
Fran Ahern, front center left, general manager of Gulfstream Westfield, and Larry Flynn, front center right, hold a ceremonial pair of scissors after a ribbon cutting ceremony of the new $26 million Gulfstream project at Barnes Regional Airport in May of 2013. (File photo by Frederick Gore)
Voc-Tech gets Gulfstream grant By Peter Francis Staff Writer WESTFIELD – After much speculation, the ink is finally dry on an agreement between Gulfstream Aerospace and Westfield Vocational Technical High School in which the Savannah, Georgia-based corporation will provide $200,000 over the next four years. The money will go toward assisting the school in getting the nascent Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) aviation maintenance program off the ground by the target date of September 2015. “We’ll have the money by the end of March every year and they’re specific as to what they want us to purchase,” said WVTHS Principal Stefan Czaporowski Friday. “The money must go toward aviation and funding educational tools – equipment, tools, textbooks, anything curricular.” Czaporowski said that the school had originally requested $100,000 and Czaporowski added that the school’s Aviation Advisory Board is moving along with other fundraising efforts, as well. “The Community Preservation Commission granted an additional $30,000 for the interior of the hangar (at Barnes Airport), so that’s $500,000,” Czaporowski said. “We’ve gotten $25,000 from MassDOT (Massachusetts Department of Transportation) to hire a consultant to kind of be our facilitator with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and bring it all home, if you will. That RFP (request for proposal) for
that went out last week.” “We have another $1 million rolling grant for more equipment that we’re finalizing and will be submitting very soon,” Czaporowski added, along with a $36,000 Perkins grant. He said that the school has also applied for an additional $500,000 grant after a recent visit from state Secretary for Housing and Economic Development Greg Bialecki. “If you add it all up, we’re up to $2.36 million,” Czaporowski said before estimating what is still needed to get the program in the air. “It’s hard to tell what the interior will cost, but we have a rough idea, but we’re looking at about $3.5 million,” he said. “But $2.36 out of $3.5 ain’t bad considering we just started.” Fran Ahern, general manager of Gulfstream’s Westfield facility and head of the Aviation Advisory Board’s finance committee, spoke of what the grant will mean for not just the fledgling program but also the survival of the flight industry, one that experts believe will be in need of tens of thousands of new workers within the next 20 years. “I’m certainly proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish locally and that’s a reflection of all the employees we have here,” said Ahern of Gulfstream’s continued efforts to help local initiatives. “This will provide some opportunities for some folks and it helps the company, as well. It’s a win-win for everybody.”
Town auctions surplus vehicles, equipment By Hope E. Tremblay Staff Writer SOUTHWICK – The town is offering several items for surplus, including four vehicles. Among the vehicles are three Ford Crown Victorias and a 1991 GMC Top Kick truck. Chief Administrative Officer Karl Stinehart said the vehicles do run, for the most part, but are not being marketed as working cars. “They are being sold for parts only,” he said. In addition to the vehicles, the town is selling several pieces of equipment, including a red pump by Hale Pumps, a yellow utility body with hoist, a curb maker machine 11hp motor, Frank Roll-off plow, Tenco Roll-off plow, a Marlow Mud Hog, 21 ft. dual axle trailer Serial, a Dayton air compressor, a Wisconsin Generator with win-
power corp. alternator, 1-phase, 62.5 amp, 120/240 volt, alt. model #GR15W4-C/10VL Serial # MO-8067-1, and a 44” x 44” stainless wet well hatch door. Stinehart said it has been nearly two years since the town held a surplus sale, and past sales saw some competition. “We used to get a lot of interest in Crown Victoria parts from taxi companies,” said Stinehart. “We would get calls from the midwest, Pennsylvania, Florida, South Boston.” The town has used some of the vehicles for parts to repair police and town vehicles. Successful bidders are responsible for the removal of surplus item(s) from town property within 10 days of being awarded the item or items.
Vehicles and equipment may be viewed on October 29 at 9 a.m., at the DPW Garage at 661 College Highway. The Board of Selectmen reserves the right to accept or reject, in whole or in part, any or all bids and to take whatever other action may be deemed to be in the best interest of the Town of Southwick. Bids labeled “Bid for Surplus Property” should be delivered in a plainly marked envelope to: Office of the Selectmen, 454 College Highway, Southwick, MA 01077. All bids are due and will be opened and read aloud Nov. 5 at 10 a.m. in the Selectmen’s conference room in Town Hall. Stinehart said all money from the sale will go to the general fund and he hopes to receive several thousand dollars.
By Dan Moriarty Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The City Council sent an amendment of the ordinances establishing and regulating operation of the Planning Board back to its Legislative & Ordinance Committee Thursday after an extended debate on a portion of the amendment. The L&O had voted 3-0 to present the ordinance amendment with a positive recommendation after discussing it prior to the full City Council session. The amendBRIAN P. ment has three components: it SULLIVAN defines the role of associate or alternate members; it defines a quorum needed to conduct Planning Board meetings; and it would eliminate ward representation on the Planning Board which is currently composed of six ward representatives and one at-large representative. Elimination of the ward representation was the issue dividing the council and led to returning the amendment to the L&O. At-large Councilor Brian Sullivan, chairman of the L&O, said the committee, which includes at-large Councilor Matthew VanHeynigen, a former long-time member of the Planning Board, said the committee was submitting the amendment to eliminate ward representation with support of the Planning Board members. Sullivan said elimination of the ward representation “ will allow us to better fill vacancies on the Planning Board.” “We have the final say to vote down any (Planning Board) candidate who would give too much representation to one ward,” Sullivan said. “All members of the Planning Board effective operate as at-large members representing the entire city. The L&O feels this will help the board to be more effective and efficient.” Sullivan said a similar motion to eliminate Planning Board ward representation “was voted down in 2012 because of the strong will of ward councilors (to maintain ward representation).” Thursday night it was at-large council members who led the opposition to eliminating ward representation of the Planning Board Council President Brent B. Bean, an at-large councilor, said he would “not vote to support” the amendment as presented with elimination of ward representation. “I’m looking at this the way it’s set up now, (that) it guaranties full representation of the city,” Bean said. “Most importantly with ward representation if guaranties a flat look at the city.” At-large Councilor Cindy Harris sided with Bean’s argument. “I feel that all wards should be represented. It is much better balanced for the city,” she said. At-large Councilor David A. Flaherty said he was “opposed as well. “We have an at-large opening right now that we can’t fill. Changing this ordinance will not help with that issue,” Flaherty said. At-large Councilor James R. Adams, also an L&O member, said that he had discussed the issue with See Planning Board, Page 8
Senior Center update Contractors continue to work on the new Westfield Senior Center complex on Noble Street Wednesday. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
DAVID FLAHERTY
BRENT BEAN II