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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com
VOL. 83 NO. 6
— Fiorello LaGuardia
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2014
75 cents
Report: Unfunded costs choking budgets WESTFIELD — The state’s cities and towns have shed more than 15,000 jobs in the past six years, and pension obligations, health care and borrowing costs will continue to squeeze budgets for the foreseeable future, according to a report issued on Tuesday. Municipalities face a total of nearly $45 billion in unfunded liabilities, according to The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, an independent, business-backed organization. Meeting those responsibilities could divert resources from schools, public safety and other services, the group warned. In its annual report on municipal finances, the foundation also noted what appeared to be a declining appetite among voters for property tax overrides. Cities and towns raised $11 million from overrides in the 2013 fiscal year, down from $15 million the previous year and the lowest total since 2000. By contrast, voters approved a total of $49 million in overrides in 2006. The state law known as Proposition 2 1/2 limits municipalities from raising the annual property tax levy more than 2.5 percent without approval from voters. The $13.4 billion raised in property taxes in the last fiscal year, up from $13 billion the previous year, marked the slowest rate of property tax growth since 1985, the report said. But cities and towns did benefit from a 3 percent increase in direct aid from state government — following three years of declines — and modest gains in other local receipts such as those from building permits and motor vehicle excise See Unfunded, Page 3
Parents petition for freshman teams By Hope E. Tremblay Staff Writer SOUTHWICK – A group of Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School parents are hoping to add freshman sports to next year’s high school roster. The parents have been working with high school Athletic Director Frank Montagna to make this happen and wrote a letter to Superintendent John Barry and the School Committee seeking support. Parents Matt Secovich and Christine Strain attended the committee meeting last night to urge members to consider the request. Secovich said with the upcoming combination of grades seven and eight with the high school, it is the perfect opportunity to create freshman boys and girls soccer and basketball teams. “The Rec Center has been an excellent, positive influence in our community,” said Secovich. “It’s really allowed this age group to play at a higher level, but it runs out at their freshman year.” Strain said young athletes leave the Rec Center programs and while they are often ahead of their peers, they may not be ready for a junior varsity or varsity team. A freshman team would allow them another year to gain the skills needed on the field and court and off. “From a psycho-social and playing perspective, it’s appropriate,” said See Petition, Page 3
“The devil is easy to identify. He appears when you’re terribly tired and makes a very reasonable request which you know you shouldn’t grant.”
Council president sets committees
the foundation. If a frozen pipe is found, the fire marshal’s advice is “do not use a blowtorch, kerosene or propane heater, charcoal stove or other open flame device” to thaw the pipe. He points out that, in addition to fire hazards posed by an open flame, a torch can not only melt ice in a pipe but can also cause the melted ice to boil, creating an explosion danger in the pipe. An open flame can also risk generating carbon monoxide, a lethal gas, Coan reminds residents. He urges that carbon monoxide and smoke detectors be standard items in all homes in the Commonwealth. Instead of using a torch, Coan suggests that heat to a frozen pipe may be applied by “using an electric heating pad wrapped around the pipe, an electric hair dryer, or (by) wrapping pipes with towels soaked in hot water.” He said that faucets should be left open when
By Dan Moriarty Staff Writer WESTFIELD – Brent B. Bean II, elected Monday to serve as the City Council president for 2014, announced his list of committees which was complicated this year because six new members were elected to serve on the city’s legislative branch. Typically new members are eased into council committees, an approach not available to Bean because nearly half of the sitting councilors are serving their first term. “I’ve been on the City Council for a long time and believe that I have knowledge on how to structure committees. I’ve served on all of the committees and have been the chairman of most, so I know the scope of work done in committee,” Bean said. “I also know the veteran councilors, and half of the new ones, what they bring to the table in terms of interests and backgrounds,” Bean said. “You want to put people in their strengths, look at how people want to move the city foreword.” Bean said that he tried to balance the mix of veteran councilors with new members as he formed his committee assignments. An example is the Personnel Action Committee which deals with assignments to board and commissions, as well as screening and recommending appointments of full-time officials appointed by the City Council. Ralph Figy, a retired school counselor and Cindy Harris, who has a background in the Human Resource field, were both assigned to a committee where those skills are needed. Figy will serve as PAC chairman with Harris and veteran Councilor Brian Sullivan. Bean tapped veteran Councilors Christopher Keefe and Christopher Crean to serve on the Finance Committee, where both have served in the past. Robert Paul, who served for six years on the Municipal Light Board until elected as the Ward 5 councilor, will be the third Finance Committee member. Bean also mixed experienced councilors with a new member on the Legislative and Ordinance Committee where Brian Sullivan will serve as chairman with James R. Adams. Matt VanHeynigen, a new council member, served for more than a decade on the Planning Board which routinely deals with zoning and ordinance issues. Crean will serve as chairman of the License Committee with two new members, Ward 3 Councilor Brian Hoose and At-large Counselor Dan Allie. Adams will serve as chairman of the Public Health & Safety Committee with VanHeynigen and Figy. Veteran Councilor David A. Flaherty will serve as chairman of the Zoning, Planning & Development Committee with Harris and Allie. Ward 4 Councilor Mary O’Connell will be the chairwoman of two committees she
See Frozen Pipe, Page 7
See Committees, Page 3
Frigid air engulfed the area as ice fishermen stake out their favorite part of Congamond Lake in Southwick yesterday. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
Polar vortex brings ice concerns BOSTON — Though temperatures have dropped, and bodies of water throughout the area frozen over, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) has issued precautions before using area lakes, rivers and ponds. “Before we experience a tragedy that is unfortunately too common this time of year, it is important that we remind everyone, particularly children, of the dangers of unsafe ice,” said MEMA Director Kurt Schwartz. “As lakes, ponds, streams and rivers throughout the Commonwealth freeze over, ice conditions
may be very uncertain. People may be a bit impatient to venture out on the ice for skating, hockey, ice fishing and other winter sports. We highly recommend the use of recreational skating areas provided by the Commonwealth and your local communities. It is very important to exercise precaution and common sense.” Always check with your local police, fire or park department to ensure that safe ice conditions exist. Due to the uncertainty and constant changing of ice conditions and the dangers See Ice Safety, Page 7
Frozen pipe advice given By Carl E. Hartdegen Staff Writer WESTFIELD – A Sylvan Lane resident who inadvertently sparked a fire under his sink while attempting to thaw a frozen pipe might have avoided damage to his home if he had known about – and heeded – recent advice from Massachusetts Fire Marshal Stephen Coan. City firefighters responded to a Sylvan Lane address Saturday after a resident reported that insulation had ignited while he was attempting to thaw pipes with a torch. Although the man extinguished the fire before firefighters arrived, smoke permeated the house and the kitchen suffered damage when firefighters opened up the floor and ceiling to ensure the fire had not spread. Coan’s advice for dealing with frozen pipes is that a frozen pipe should be suspected if only a trickle comes from a faucet when it is opened and it is located in a place for pipes likely to freeze – such as pipes installed along exterior walls or where water service enters a residence through
Homeless teen housing proposed By Dan Moriarty Staff Writer WESTFIELD – Domus Inc. is working in conjunction with the School Department, and community and religious organizations, to establish housing for homeless high school students in the former Red Cross Chapter house on Broad Street . Domus offers affordable housing to low and moderate income families, the homeless, and the mentally and physically disabled in nine housing buildings around the city, and is seeking Planning Board approval of a site plan to establish a 10-bed facility for homeless teen students at the Broad Street building which has been vacant since the Westfield Red Cross Chapter moved up the street to St. John’s Lutheran Church. “We have, at any one time, 30 students who are homeless in Westfield,” Ann Lentini, Domus executive director, said last night at the public hearing. “In the state we have 6,000 homeless students.” “You may have heard of the term ‘couch surfers, ‘ kids who stay with friends for a couple of days then move to another friend,” Lentini said. “Since 2008 we have been working with a number of people, school counselors, churches, the YMCA. We’ve been looking for a suitable
place.” Lentini said the building will be revamped and will have 11 residential units, as well as common areas. Ten of the units will house students and one will be used to house a proctor on the first floor for supervision and security. Lentini said Domus is trying to fast track the project to secure funding and complete the property sale with the Red Cross. Lentini is slated to meet with the Community Preservation Committee tomorrow to request funding of $80,000 for the project and Domus recently was awarded a grant of $189,644 by the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC) to finance its “Our House” project. “The units are single-occupancy apartments with a small kitchen area and bathroom,” Lentini said. “There will be a larger kitchen on the first floor where they will learn to cook, a living room, dining room and offices for counseling.” “We want to make it a secure environment where these youngsters will feel at home,” she said. “We’ve modeled this off other programs. All referrals will come through the school guidance department.” Lentini said that, like all Domus housing, Our House will be a structured environment with rules and regulations.
Cathy Tansey of the Westfield High School guidance department said that over the past nine years there have been “consistently 30 homeless kids. Right now we have 16 who are out of home through no fault of their own.” Tansey said an informal group, including Domus, churches, school and social agencies, began to raise funds and currently have three students living in apartments, but the need far exceeds the availability of housing homeless students. “We do need apartments for 10 kids,” Tansey said. A number of speakers supporting the Domus site plan application said the project addresses a unique housing problem that state social services do not address. Ward 2 Councilor Ralph Figy, a retired school counselor who also serves as a mentor at Westfield Vocation Technical High School, cited the history of Domus project success. “Let me re-emphasize that there is a need out there for these teens and the good record Domus has with its projects,” Figy said. “And this will preserve a historic building in the CORE district.” Cynthia Hartdegen, a licensed social worker, See Homeless Teens, Page 3