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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” — MILTON BERLE
www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 85 NO. 162
TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2016
Police ID victim in crash
Police receive outreach after last week By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD–Following incidents in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, St. Paul, Minnesota and Dallas, police have been put in the spotlight–but for the wrong reasons. But in Westfield the community has reached out to try and show support for their local police department, while Westfield Police maintain that they are simply doing their job and attempt to politely decline the praise. On local Facebook communities people are getting together to donate meals, gift cards and doughnuts to police, while also sharing their stories of the many appreciative deeds they have done for officers in the city. This all has quickly led to a real-life impact. “We get the fact that people appreciate us, but we don’t need to be fed or a parade,” Westfield Police Capt. Michael McCabe said. “When we are thanked on the street we understand what that means.” McCabe said that him and the men and women he serves with didn’t choose to become police officers for appreciation or thanks, but rather to help and protect people, as well as protecting the Constitution and Massachusetts state rights. He said that if police do not help and protect, then no one else will. To him, this is appreciation enough. Still, people on Facebook and in the community have tried to give thanks in this tumultuous time. Here are a couple of posts from the Westfield Community Forum on Facebook. From Facebook user “Kim Starsiak”: Join us on July 21 at the concert on the green in Westfield. We will be having a huge thank you card to show support to the local police departments . We will also be dressing in BLUE to show our continued support and gratitude for their hard work . Hope to see you there !!!! And from Facebook user “Julie Desharnais”: I’m posting this on behalf of the Westfield Police Department; I went in today and spoke with some of the officers in dispatch. They said people have been coming in with things here and there but not so much bringing meals. They aren’t saying anything to you, but I know that if you bring See Outreach, Page 3
75 cents
By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD–Police identified the woman who died following a crash on Route 20 Friday evening. Frances L. Poe, 68, of Russell Road, died after being involved in a single-car accident. Poe was the sole occupant of a vehicle that drove off Russell Road, Route 20, and crashed into a tree near Tekoa Country Club. There were no other people or vehicles involved. Westfield Police and Fire/EMS responded to the scene of the accident at around 6:15 p.m., where they found Poe trapped inside the vehicle. Together, police, fire and EMS personnel freed Poe from the car. Afterward, she was transported to Baystate Noble Hospital by Westfield Fire and EMS, where she was pronounced dead. Police had the road closed for nearly two hours after the crash while they investigated the accident. The road was re-opened around 8:15 p.m., Friday evening. “It seems she had some sort of onset of something medical that made her lose control of the car,” Westfield Police Capt. Michael McCabe said about the accident. McCabe said that police were not able to give an estimate of speed and were not able to comment further. He also said that the Hampden County Medical Examiner’s Office will be in charge of further investigations.
Plan renewed at Select Board Town of Southwick seeking help on boards and committees public hearing
Southwick Select Board members Russ Fox as well as Doug Moglin, Karl Stinehart, and Joe Deedy will be actively helping with appointing new members. (Photo by Greg Fitzpatrick)
By GREG FITZPATRICK Correspondent SOUTHWICK – The Town of Southwick has nine openings on different boards, committees, and commissions. A press release was issued by the Administrative Assistant to the Select Board office, Cindy Pendleton, on June 28 to announce the openings. Town officials are looking for people in the community of Southwick who are interested and invested in the town, to ultimately attempt to join a specific board, committee, or commission. Russ Fox, Chairman of the Select Board, is encouraging members of the town to become a part of the Town of Southwick. “We’re reaching out trying to get more people involved,” said Fox. “It gives people the opportunity to get involved in their community.” The nine boards are as follows: • Board of Appeals • Agricultural Committee • Community Preservation Committee • Conservation Commission • Council on Aging • Economic Development • Fence Viewer • Historical Commission • Lake Management Fox insists that if anyone is interested in one of the specific openings that they submit a letter in writing or email. That person will then be able to get in touch with the Chairman of that particular committee. Not every individual who is interested in joining a board or committee may be appointed, but it will certainly be a positive step forward to see several members of the community reaching out. “At least we know there’s an interest there,” said Fox. “We can keep the name on record if another opening comes up during the year.” The Conservation Commission is one board that is already seeking a volunteer to join. A press release was put out by Pendleton on July 8 to indicate the matter. The opening will be filling in a spot of reappointment in 2017. The tasks involved with being a member of the Conservation Commission would include attending the meetings, going to site visits, and helping
The Lake Management Committee is one of nine boards and committees that has an opening. (Photo by Greg Fitzpatrick)
administer the Massachusetts Wetland Protection Act. The Town of Southwick is highly encouraging interested individuals to submit their resume as well as a letter of interest to the Select Board office by 12 p.m. on July 22. Fox also discussed a newly-formed committee that is being developed. He discussed that once the three-year project is done on the schools in the Town of Southwick, an annual review of the buildings would then be put into place. “We would be forming a committee that will work with the regional school committee to review the maintenance of all three buildings on an annual basis,” said Fox. As the committee isn’t finalized, Fox is already set on the type of people in the community that he would like to have on the board. Fox would like a member of the select board, a building inspector, as well as a parent who has a child or children in the Southwick school system. Whether it is the Conservation Commission, a newly-formed committee or any other board listed previously, getting involved in the town government will become a benefit. “It helps you get involved in government, understand the process, understand the budget process, understand all the legal aspects of government,” said Fox.
By GREG FITZPATRICK Correspondent SOUTHWICK – The Select Board held a public hearing on Monday night regarding a Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan. Along with the Select Board, present at the hearing was Fire Chief Russ Anderson, Department of Public Works Director Randy Brown, and Director of the Emergency Management Agency for Southwick, Charlie Dunlap. The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission assisted with the plan along with Southwick’s Board of Health, Conservation Commission, Department of Public Works, Emergency Management, and Southwick Police and Fire. The Select Board made a motion to accept the plan and sign it. The last revised plan was on September 29, 2008. Dunlap and his emergency management team use the plan to deal with the potential risk of disasters in the area. They deal with anything from earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, dam failures, droughts, floods, and so on. The plan includes the mitigation aspect that is crucial to what Dunlap and his team does. “Mitigation is one of the important factors in that you want to address a situation before it happens,” said Dunlap. As Congamond Lake is a main body of water in Southwick, the plan also focuses on the development around Congamond Lake and other flood zones. The hazards that affect businesses are also instructed into the plan. Dunlap uses the process of identifying the hazard and the different types. Dunlap and his team then would discover how the specific hazard would affect the town and also look at the history of hazards that the town has had in the past. With the new revision put into place, the Town of Southwick and Dunlap can not only move forward with the plan but feel satisfied with making it official. “You feel like you’ve accomplished something, it gives you a good feeling that your work is in progress,” said Dunlap. “It gives a good feeling to those that put in the time and effort for preparing the plan.”
4 questions assigned their order on ballot
CAPT. MICHAEL MCCABE
BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts voters will be deciding the fate of four ballot questions in November, and now they know in which order they'll appear. The first question, or Question One, will ask voters if the state should issue a second slots parlor license. Question Two would allow the state to add up to a dozen new or expanded charter schools each year outside of existing caps. Question Three would ban the sale of eggs and other food products that come from farms where animals are confined to overly restrictive cages. Question Four would legalize the recreational use of marijuana in Massachusetts. Secretary of State William Galvin says backers of the four questions filed more than the required number of 10,792 certified voter signatures last week to secure a spot on the ballot.
Emergency Management Director Charlie Dunlap at work in the operations center. (Photo by Greg Fitzpatrick)