Search for The Westfield News
WEATHER TONIGHT Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 50s.
The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2014
VOL. 83 NO. 221
Addict sentenced, imprisoned By Carl E. Hartdegen Staff Writer WESTFIELD – Although police officers may get discouraged by what may seem to be a ‘catch and release’ policy regarding drug offenders when they are delivered to the Commonwealth’s courts, they are buoyed by the periodic successes they encounter such as a recent verdict in Hampden Superior Court which sent an habitual city drug offender to state prison. Mark A. Mark A. Nikiel, Nikiel 40, most lately of 8 Conner Ave. ( a recently condemned residence), is a heroin addict who has supported his habit by selling heroin to other users, Det. Sgt. Stephen K. Dickinson said recently after Nikiel was sentenced to a three years and a day term by Judge Mary-Lou Rup. Dickinson has long maintained that commercial heroin dealers do not operate in the city and supplies of heroin largely are brought into the city, in relatively small batches, by users who travel to Holyoke or Springfield to buy, not only drugs for themselves, but a surplus to sell to other city addicts. Nikiel, Dickinson said, “is the typical Westfield junkie trying to support his own habit by selling to other users.” He said that addicts “have to get the money somewhere” and some support their habits by stealing. He cited on addict who supports his habit by “selling his father’s stuff” at a pawn shop where “his father keeps buying the stuff back.” He said that he once asked the man why he didn’t tell the pawn shop staff to stop buying stolen property from his son See Sentenced, Page 3
of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.” — George Washington Carver
75 cents
Councilor seeks sign inventory Jeremy Bobo, foreground, of Synergy Solar, and Tony Paton, background, of Elm Electric, use heavy steel cables to square a solar panel mount at the new seven-acre solar farm near the Big-Y supermarket in Southwick on Wednesday. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
Southwick solar project solution planned By Hope E. Tremblay Staff Writer SOUTHWICK – The Southwick Planning Board is waiting to approve changes to a solar project behind Big Y until a site visit takes place. Matthew Puntin of SKS Design, designer of the seven-acre solar array, met with the board this week to dicsuss changes to the stormwater management plan following water damage done to neighbors of the property last month. “This is in response to the flash storm we had Aug. 13,” Puntin said. Two homes, one owned by Michael Noble and the other by Martha Baillargeon, suffered damage when water from the project ran onto their properties during the heavy rainstorm. Noble’s property was damaged both in the front and back yard, and Baillargeon’s gravel driveway washed out onto College Highway. Both residents attended this week’s planning board meeting to hear what Puntin had to say. “We’re proposing an additional swale for an extra level of protection,” said Puntin of the area near Noble’s house. Puntin proposed another trench to keep water from Baillargeon’s home. The trench
proposed, however, is shorter than Baillargeon’s property and Planning Board Vice Chairperson Roz Terry wondered how that would keep the water away. Terry said if the trench was not long enough, she envisioned the water finding a new place to run off. Puntin said he believed the new trench – plus the existing tench that runs the length of the solar project property – would hold water. Baillargeon said she was concerned it would not hold, and also questioned what would happen in the winter when the trenches are frozen and water runs right over them. During the discussion, everyone agreed there had been several water concerns prior to the solar project. Terry stressed that it’s not Puntin’s job to fix all the issues. “Keep in mind they don’t have to make it better than it was, they just can’t make it worse,” she said. Baillargeon and Noble said the problem is that it is worse. Baillargeon said the water problems go back to 2003 when the property owner was planning to create a residential subdivision there and began clearing trees See Solar Project, Page 3
Council approves appropriations By Dan Moriarty Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The City Council voted unanimously Thursday night to approve two appropriations requested by Mayor Daniel M. Knapik, one for historic preservation and the other to settle a claim awarded by the state Tax Appellate Board. The council approved an appropriation of $30,000 from Community Preservation Act funding to preserve headstones at the Old Burying Grounds off Mechanic Street. Finance Chairman Christopher Keefe, whose committee gave a 3-0 positive recommendation to both appropriations, said the funding for the headstone preservation is an example of appropriate use of the CPA fund-
ing. “This money will be used in restoring some of the oldest gravestones in the city,” Keefe said. At-large Councilor David A. Flaherty said he “would love to see more of this type of funding, money for historic preservation, rather than some of the other projects funded with CPA money.” The CPA funding was requested by the Historical Commission for preservation of headstones in the Old Burying Grounds. The Community Preservation Committee approved the preservation project, which requires an affirmative vote of the City Council to appropriate that money. The Historical Commission has already
initiated restoration of headstones at the Old Burying Grounds off Mechanic Street, using money raised last year at the inaugural ‘ghost tours, as well as donations, to preserve a damaged stone which was in dire need of restoration and which could harm people near the stone if it collapsed. A major restoration effort will begin later this year following the City Council appropriation Thursday night. The Community Preservation Committee approved a Historical Commission request last month for $30,000 to begin the Old Burying Grounds restoration project because of the historical significance to the city. The See Council, Page 3
Explorers seeking community support By Carl E. Hartdegen Staff Writer WESTFIELD – Not only do participants in the Police Explorers program get something from the program but they also give something to the community that supports them. The members of the program get a taste of police work while they are searching for their road in life and, in the process, provide valuable service to the community as they help at a wide variety of events in the community each year.
“Ninety-nine percent
Officer Mark Carboneau reports that the Explorers help with traffic and safety issues and they also help out at events – both large and small – such as fingerprinting children at child identification events or at large annual events such as the fireworks display and the Easter egg hunt. Once a year the Explorers ask for the community’s support in a fund drive to raise the money needed to pay for uniforms, trips and events such as the annual regional Police Explorer competition in Connecticut.
Carboneau reports that, starting on Monday, professional fundraisers will be calling residents seeking financial contributions to help with the Explorers’ expenses. Residents willing to help are asked to make checks payable to Westfield Police Explorers and the calling solicitor will schedule a time with each donor to leave the check on their door for pick up. Carboneau asks that persons interested in the program – or the fund drive – call him at 413-2463794 for answers to any questions they may have.
By Dan Moriarty Staff Writer WESTFIELD “Signs, signs, everywhere a sign”… At least one city council member “can’t take it anymore” so he submitted a motion to conduct an inventory of city and state signs with the goal of reducing the number of those signs throughout the city. City Council President Brent B. Bean II, who BRENT BEAN II admitted last night that he “is obsessed” with the number of signs which are redundant or no longer needed during his discussion of the motion which was referred to the Traffic Commission and Board of Public Works, said there is a glut of signs throughout the entire city. “We’re putting a lot of signs up, but we’re not taking any down,” Bean said. “I’d like an inventory, not just downtown, but throughout the whole city.” Bean gave the council members two examples of unneeded or redundant signage. “Next to the Tavern (Restaurant) there is a street, an alley, which is not a street anymore. They planted a tree in front of it and put in a curb (during the Broad Street improvement project), but the stop signs are still there,” Bean said. “Another example is the small rotary at the top of Drug Store Hill where there are four big arrow signs directing the flow of traffic around that See Signs, Page 8
Trustees set evaluation timeline By Peter Francis Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The Executive Committee of Westfield State University’s Board of Trustees met Thursday to set a timetable for evaluating the job being done by Interim University President Dr. Elizabeth Preston. A former vice president of academic affairs and faculty member at the school, Preston ascended to the presidency following the departure of former President Dr. Evan S. Dobelle, who retired amid a litany of allegations of spending improprieties. Components of the final review package to be sent to the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education include Preston’s written self-assessment, the board’s evaluation of her performance, an account of a face-to-face meeting between Preston, the board chairman and the executive committee, a follow-up report to the full board and a letter from the board chairman to Preston describing the process and general results. These components are in addition to the university’s strategic plan and the establishment of goals and objectives for the coming year. “It’s a new process for me. I have not been involved in the past,” said Elizabeth Scheibel, chairperson of the board of trustees and former Northwest District Attorney. “We have been given a deadline for the submission of our evaluation – October 10. We have a short window of opportunity.” Several members of the executive board stated that they had been in contact with Jennifer Perkins, director of the office of trustee relations for the state board of higher education regarding altering the Oct. 10 due date. See Trustees, Page 8