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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
“Curiosity is insubordination in its purest form.” — Vladimir Nabokov
www.thewestfieldnews.com
VOL. 83 NO. 95
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2014
Senate moves forward on Worthington bill
Mass. home sales down in March By Hope E. Tremblay Staff Writer BOSTON — Two organizations that follow the state’s real estate market say a shortage of homes on the market is driving down sales while driving up prices. The Massachusetts Association of Realtors reported yesterday that the number of sales of single-family dropped almost 12 percent last month when compared to the same month a year ago, while the median price jumped more than 8 percent to more than $314,000. The Warren Group, a publisher of business data, reported an eight percent decrease in sales volume and a nearly 9 percent boost in the median price to $315,000, the 18th consecutive month of higher year-over-year prices. The organizations use slightly different figures in their calculations. Realtors President Peter Ruffini says rising home values provides an incentive for owners to put their homes on the market. Locally, Park Square Realty Realtor Lesley Lambert said there is definitely a shortage of homes for sale in the Westfield area. “I think the harsh winter has something to do with it,” Lambert said. “People considering selling were slow to prepare their homes for sale.” See Mass. Homes, Page 3
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Green awards given to Westfield institutions WESTFIELD – On Tueday, the U.S. EPA recognized twelve organizations and individuals in Massachusetts at the 2014 Environmental Merit Awards ceremony. The Massachusetts awardees were among 26 recipients across New England honored for contributing to improving New England’s environment. Each year EPA’s New England office recognizes individuals and groups whose work has protected or improved the region’s environment in distinct ways. The merit awards, given out since 1970, honor individuals and groups who have shown particular ingenuity and commitment in their efforts. “We extend our congratulations and gratitude to this year’s Environmental Merit Award winners, who are helping to ensure a cleaner See Green Awards, Page 3
Contractors continue to install a new sewer line yesterday as commuters through North and Southampton roads contend with a temporary detour through local business establishments at that intersection. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
Property owner extends sewers By Dan Moriarty Staff Writer WESTFIELD – Construction crews are extending a sewer line across North Road to provide access to two businesses located on the northwest corner of the intersection of Southampton and North roads. The sewer line was initially extended to provide service to the Cumberland Farms convenience store located on the southwest corner of the intersection as part of the sale agreement. Private developers extended the city’s sewer line from the intersection of Southampton and Summit Lock (Medeiros Way) roads, north for about 3,000 feet, to the North Road intersection with Southampton Road, according to the city’s Engineering Department. The City Council voted 11-0 at its Dec. 6, 2012 session to approve a sewer capacity petition for the project following a positive recommendation from the Zoning Planning and Development Committee. City Engineer Mark Cressotti had submitted that sanitary sewer capacity application to the City Council at its Nov. 1 session when it referred to the ZP&D Committee for further review. Cressotti said a sewer line was installed as part of the Armbrook Village project, which provides independent and assisted living facilities for senior citizens, and was proposed to be extended to serve other commercial land in the area of the Southampton and North roads intersection. “Armbrook Village is already connected to city sewers at the back of the property, but the original concept was to bring that sewer service to the front of that property on Southampton Road,”
Cressotti said following the Dec. 6 City Council session. “There was a joint participation (shared-cost element) of that proposal between the owner of the parcel in front of Armbrook Village and the owner of the Purple Onion property.” “The project went through the permitting process, then the owner of the Purple Onion, at that time, pulled out of the agreement,” Cressotti said. The Purple Onion is now under new ownership and has been renamed as the 7B’s, and there is a renewed interest in connecting to the city’s sewers. Mike McCarthy, the owner of the Armbrook facility, financed the sewer extension as part of the Cumberland Farms purchase of the property where the corporation constructed the store and gas station. “The owner of the two buildings is extending the sewer across North Road to serve both of his properties, the convenience story and the 7B’s restaurant,” Public Works Superintendent Jim Mulvenna said this morning. “They came up Southampton Road from Falcon Drive with the sewer line, but stopped right at the intersection, so now they’re just tying into those two buildings across North Road.” Water Resource Superintendent Dave Billips said the wastewater treatment plant has more than sufficient capacity for the commercial expansion of sewers in that area of the city. “Right now we’re running the plant at about three million gallons a day and it’s designed for six million,” Billips said. “We have at least another two-milliongallon-a-day capacity available.”
Westfield State gives $10,000 in scholarships WESTFIELD – The Division of Graduate and Continuing Education (DGCE) at Westfield State University will honor five incoming students with the DGCE Supporting Our Schools Scholarship. Founded by education and social reformer Horace Mann in 1838, Westfield State University has a long and rich history in educating school personnel. The goal of the DGCE’s Supporting Our Schools Scholarship is to recognize and reward the accomplishments of individuals intending to become teachers and school guidance counselors. As a reward for their academic work and commitment to education, each student will receive $2,000 to be used towards their education at Westfield State University. This spring marks the
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inaugural presentation of the scholarship, which will be awarded three times per year. The five students chosen as recipients for the spring 2014 Supporting Our Schools Scholarship are Kensey Batchelder, Master of Arts in Psychology – School Guidance Counseling (5-12 Initial licensure); Lauren Pandolfi, Master of Education – Elementary Education (Professional licensure); Denise Lucia, Master of Education – Elementary Education (Professional); Erica Conklin, Master of Education – Elementary Education (Professional); and Kaitlin Cote, Post-Baccalaureate Mathematics (5-8 & 8-12 Initial licensure). These five students will also be honored at the upcoming DGCE Academic Achievement Ceremony on Tuesday, April 22 at 5 p.m. in Scanlon
Banquet Hall. “The Supporting Our Schools Scholarship reaffirms our commitment to local school districts and current and future educators,” said Meaghan Arena, Ed.D., associate dean of the Division of Graduate and Continuing Education. “In our first year, we are pleased to support such outstanding applicants and winners succeed and continue their education.” The next round of scholarship applications is due by July 15, 2014. Interested individuals can find out more information by visiting http://www.gobacknow.com/ index.php/supporting-our-schools-scholarship/, or by contacting Kara Hedge at khedge@westfield.ma.edu or (413) 5728407.
By Peter Francis Staff Writer BOSTON – After months of deliberation and languishing in committee, the Massachusetts State Senate adopted an amendment to bill H.3815 last week regarding the Town of Worthington’s withdrawing from the Gateway Regional School District, and then engrossed the bill. The amendments, brought forth by Senators Benjamin B. Downing (D-Pittsfield) and Don Humason, Jr. SENATOR (R-Westfield), would allow the town of BENJAMIN Worthington to unilaterally withdraw as a member of the Gateway Regional DOWNING School District, provided that Mitchell D. Chester, commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, approves the future education plans for the children of both Worthington and the remaining Gateway communities. According to the amendment, Worthington and the rest of the district shall submit the plans to the commissioner within 60 days of the effective date of the act, giving Chester 60 days to issue a decision regarding said plans. Under the amendments, the Town of Worthington must also pay the Gateway district operating and capital costs under section IX of the district’s agreement with Blandford, Chester, Huntington, Middlefield, Montgomery, and Russell. Worthington would also be obligated to pay any repayment amounts due to the Massachusetts School Building Authority under section IX of the agreement. The town will be allowed to withdraw from the district after July 1 of the next fiscal year according to state law, and, upon written notification from the district that the town of Worthington is withdrawing from the district, the DESE will hold a reorganization needs conference to initiate a long range education plan to determine the overall impacts of the withdrawal, along with the impacts of the withdrawal on the district’s current and future enrollment, as well as an inventory of all educational facilities under the jurisdiction of the remaining communities in the district. Plans for the reimbursement of the commonwealth’s capital expenditures for facilities located in the town of Worthington; the requirements for continued assessments to the town of Worthington for district facilities previously paid by the town of Worthington; the administrative structure of the new district; the long-term fiscal impacts of the withdrawal of the town of Worthington, including detailed analyses of transportation, special education, vocational education and personnel costs; and fiscal recommendations to hold harmless the remaining communities, will also be addressed. Amendments to H3815 also state that the long-range education plan shall include consideration of compliance with state and federal law and the potential for enhancing learning opportunities and student performance for all students in the remaining communities in the district. The six remaining communities in the district will assist in the reorganization needs conference and long-range education planning process, including their select and finance boards, school committees, school administrators and residents. Upon completion of the reorganization needs conference and the long-range education plan, the department shall file a report of its findings with the senators and representatives of the general court that represent the members of the district and the remaining communities of the district, including recommendations for enhanced funding options for the remaining communities to maintain access to quality education for grades K-12. On Beacon Hill, Downing and Humason both spoke of the amendment, and their quotes were provided for this story by Montgomery Selectman Dan Jacques via email. “If the withdrawal is approved by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, it would address the concerns of the remaining communities,” said Downing. “In 2010, the Gateway Regional School District sought to achieve savings by closing three of the five elementary schools in the district, in Russell, Blandford, and Worthington, and the residents of Worthington established an ad hoc education committee.” Downing, whose 1st Berkshire District includes four GRSD towns and Worthington, added that, among the options explored by Worthington was the formation of a Horace Mann charter school, which was not ultimately approved, forcing them to find a new way to establish another elementary school. “The town of Worthington reached out to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and were told to follow the steps and procedures within their regional school district,” he said. “Their last recourse was to petition the General Court. The desire was rejected by the other communities and despite that they continued to move forward.” Ultimately, Worthington voted at Town Meeting to send Representative Stephen Kulik (D-Worthington) legislation that would allow for the withdrawal of the town from the district, which was referred to the Education Committee, who reported out a new draft which passed the House on December 16. The bill has sat since then in the Senate in Bills in Third Reading, during which time senators met with the communities serviced by Gateway. “It should be noted this is not a proposal that Worthington has made lightly or that they make to achieve some type of windfall for the community. It is one of several years of deliberation,” Downing said. “It will ultimately cost the taxpayers of the town of Worthington more. The end product is to establish an elementary school at the old school kindergarten See Worthington, Page 3