Tuesday, September 30, 2014

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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns

www.thewestfieldnews.com

VOL. 83 NO. 229

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2014

“If you can’t be a good example, then you’ll

just have to be a horrible warning.” — Catherine the Great

75 cents

State releases childhood obesity audit By Peter Francis Staff Writer A new audit has found that the vast majority of public schools in Massachusetts are complying with state regulations regarding school nutrition, physical education and measuring student body mass index. Yesterday’s report from state Auditor Suzanne Bump’s office found some schools failed to report the body mass information to the state Department of Suzanne Bump Public Health or adopt policies for administering the tests, which measure body fat based on height and weight. The audit concluded that the health department is

Parents and interested parties from the Juniper Park Elementary School neighborhood listen to members of the ad-hoc committee of the Westfield School Committee on the relocation options for students of the Juniper Park Elementary School. The school is owned by Westfield State University and the city has been notified they will not be renewing the lease. (Photo by Frederick Gore)

Ad-hoc committee lists top five options By Peter Francis Staff Writer WESTFIELD – A new ad-hoc subcommittee of the Westfield School Committee charged with vetting potential sites for modular classrooms to house students currently enrolled at Juniper Park Elementary School unveiled its top five choices before a crowd of almost 30 people at City Hall last night. The ad-hoc committee, made up of Westfield School Committee Vice Chair Cindy Sullivan, Finance Chair Kevin Sullivan and chaired by committee member Ray Diaz, listed South Middle School, the Westfield Boys and Girls Club and leasing the vacant Russell Elementary School as the top three potential sites for students of

See Obesity Audit, Page 3

Planning Board ordinance revision mulled By Dan Moriarty Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The Legislative & Ordinance Committee will initiate discussion tonight to clarify the roles of Planning Board members. The board has two types of members, an issue that has clouded requirements for a quorum and supermajority vote count. The Planning Board is comprised of seven “full” members, six ward representatives and one At-large representative, as well as two associate members who are eligible to vote on a special permit or site plan if the “full” member is unable to attend the public hearing because state law requires that special permits by approved by a supermajority: five affirmative votes out of seven. Currently the Planning Board has five full members and two alternates, a sufficient number to meet the supermajority state special permit requirement. The line defining the role of full members and associate members is unclear in terms of participation and responsibility. The Law Department, in an opinion sent to Principal Planner Jay Vinskey on June 18, 2014, states that the membership of the board is nine, which requires a quorum of five members to conduct a meeting. See Ordinance, Page 3

Juniper Park while the school constructs a new elementary school to replace the Western Avenue elementary school and others in the city. Other less-favorable options included parking lots at Highland and Franklin Avenue elementary schools, while other ideas that were previously offered have been discarded. “We explored again staying at the university, but as the mayor and the School Committee addressed at our last meeting, that is absolutely not an option,” said Westfield Superintendent Dr. Suzanne Scallion. “We then explored the Moseley School and the cost to rehabilitate Moseley to bring it to MSBA (Massachusetts School

Building Authority) code in 2014 would be prohibitive.” Scallion said the school has many structural issues, while the empty Holy Trinity School was deemed too small for Juniper Park’s relocation needs. She added that the thought of moving Juniper’s fifth graders to the city’s middle schools was considered but there wouldn’t be enough space due to 13 special education programs which occupy an individual classroom at Juniper. So far, prices have been listed for only three of the committee’s options, though Scallion did not divulge any figures. See Options, Page 3

Traffic board endorses calming concept By Dan Moriarty Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The Traffic Commission voted recently to adopt a street design intended to slow traffic on major arteries downtown and to enhance pedestrian and bicyclist safety. The concept is related to the current improvements being made to West Silver and Court streets, and which will include Franklin Street next year. City Engineer Mark Cressotti, Interim Department of Public Works Superintendent Dave Billips and Deputy Superintendent Casey Berube discussed the ongoing efforts to mill (or grind) existing pavement and raise structures, sewer and stormwater grates, in preparation of paving scheduled in October. Cressotti requested that some areas of pavement be milled to create deeper gutters

MARK DAVID BILLIPS CRESSOTTI Interim Public City Engineer Works Director to speed removal of stormwater and to reveal curbing along the roadways. “We’re trying to get a reveal back,”

Cressotti said. “The curb gets buried the more the street is paved and the curbing less revealed. We’re trying to get a gutter for stormwater management.” At the heart of the conceptual design would be a project to install raised islands to sheltered dedicated left turn lanes, establishing five-foot wide bicycles lanes along the shoulders and reducing travel lanes from the current two down to one lane. “The goal is to enhance traffic management, calm traffic and improve the esthetics of the approaches to downtown,” Cressotti said. “We have so much pavement and don’t really need two travel lanes in each direction.” “Where can we do it now with only minor resetting of the curbing and shoulders, and where we could do it in the future See Calming, Page 5

Burglars recorded on security video By Carl E. Hartdegen Staff Writer WESTFIELD – City police are hoping to identify two young men who were recorded on security video burglarizing the bar at the City Hotel early Sunday morning. City police report that the owner of the bar called at 7:51 a.m. Sunday to report that an employee had notified him that

Two young men who broke into the City Hotel bar are seen on an image from security video as they burgle the bar early Sunday morning. Anyone who may be able to identify either man is asked to call city detectives at 572 6400.

A thin young man who was able to break in the City Hotel bar early Sunday morning via a small window is seen letting a confederate into the bar by the back door. Anyone who may be able to identify either man is asked to call city detectives at 572 6400.

A young man wearing a bandana across his face is seen bathroom. A subsequent examination revealed that entry had been entering the City Hotel bar early Sunday morning to burgle the bar with a confederate. Anyone who may be able to the gained via a small, 14-inch by 10-inch, window. The young man is seen to unlock the back door at allow a man is asked to call city detectives at 572-6400. confederate to enter. The video shows the two young men searching behind the there had been a break-in at the bar. Officer John Barnachez was the first officer to arrive and was bar. Although they are briefly seen going into the bar office, they soon return and continue taking items from behind the bar. soon supported by Det. Todd Edwards. Edwards reports that the two men apparently were looking Edwards reports that a review of the bar’s security video shows that at the owner locked up the bar at 12:51 a.m. and a See Burglars, Page 5 mere four minutes later a person emerged from the women’s

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