Latest news with #Levesque
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
City Council and Planning Board review zoning changes for ‘higher and better use'
WESTFIELD — The City Council and Planning Board are reviewing zoning change requests to allow property owners more options for use of their properties in Westfield. The requests will be reviewed in the Zoning, Planning and Development Committee chaired by Karen Fanion. Rob Levesque of R. Levesque Associates presented a request by Alice Wielgus to the City Council on May 15 to amend the zoning map at 14 and 170 Main St. from Rural Residence and Residence B to Residence C for a portion of the property. Levesque said the family is requesting that approximately 8 acres on Main Street, where they sell roses for Mother's Day, be rezoned to Residence C, and leave the approximately 30 acres in the rear, which is in the floodplain, as Rural Residential. Levesque said the family understands there has been interest over the years in the rear portion of the property for ball fields, and they generally like the idea. He said the Main Street portion of the property abuts a townhouse style condominium community that is zoned Residence C, and they would like to be able to utilize the front in similar way for condo development of multi-family townhouses, which he said would also be meeting the need for housing in the state. Levesque said the change in zoning would help them to think about what they would like to do with the property in the future. During the discussion in the City Council, there were questions of where the access to the property would be, both the front and the rear. Levesque said the corner of Noble Street which leads into a farm road would be the most logical place. Councilor Kristen Mello raised floodplain concerns, and said the GIS plan shows it coming up into the building area in the front. Levesque said the stormwater infrastructure would get into a bit of the flood zone. The hearing at the City Council was continued for a review by the city engineer. At the Planning Board on May 20, Levesque said the zoning change to Residence C would be for someone, likely not the family, to turn into housing similar to the adjacent condominium project in the front ten percent of the property, and leave the 50-plus acres in the rear property as Rural Residential. He said after the discussion at the City Council, they pulled the front portion further away from the flood zone, and made a sketch of a potential townhouse style residential project that could go there. Asked whether the access on Noble Street would be for both the rear property and for the housing development, Levesque said that would be preferable, but if not, there would be plenty of access points to the housing development on Main Street. Planning Board chair William Carellas said he was happy that they were not requesting spot zoning, as there is plenty of Residence C in the area, before the Planning Board made a unanimous positive recommendation to the City Council for the project. The Planning Board also positively recommended three other zoning change requests that came before the City Council, and were referred to the Zoning, Planning and Development Committee. The second zoning change request was by Mike Ventrice, owner of TV Realty & Development to change his 17-acre property on Lockhouse Road from Industrial A to Residence C, for future housing development of 25 duplexes. Ventrice said his property is 75 feet from Arch Road, with frontage on Lockhouse where the road is one-way with the one-lane railroad bridge. He said he has a meeting on June 3 with the Traffic Commission to discuss reverting the road back to two-way. Robert McKay of 27 Ridgeway Ave., an abutter on the other side of the railroad tracks, said many years ago, that section of Lockhouse that is one-way used to be two-ways, but he said it was changed for safety reasons to one-way. 'It was nice when it was two-way, but there were a lot of accidents at that bridge.' 'His property is a lot farther away from the bridge. I guess that becomes a traffic issue,' said Carellas after the unanimous positive recommendation from the Planning Board. Also recommended was a petition of Michael Sajewicz, the owner of Arrow Pharmacy to amend the zoning map at 66 Holyoke Rd. from Residence B to Business B (portion). Levesque, also representing Sajewicz, said the purpose of the zoning change would be to extend Business B from the pharmacy on a contiguous piece of property, to allow them to utilize the property for a similar or related use. The house on Holyoke Road, which is part of the property being requested for a zoning change, would remain as residential, and in the future be separated as a residential lot. Sajewicz owns the three contiguous lots. Asked what the plans are for the rear lot, Levesque said the first stop is to get the back rezoned, but there is no specific project at this point. 'In a perfect world … symbiotic uses that would work well with the pharmacy. Looking at it, it made sense to try to revamp the back of the property,' Levesque said. He said right now, they are separate parcels, and the idea would be making it one contiguous property, that would allow for 'higher and better use than what we could do on the property there now.' Also under discussion in both bodies is to amend the zoning ordinance to expand uses allowed in the Industrial A district. City Planner Jay Vinskey spoke at the Planning Board meeting on behalf of Councilor Brent Bean. He said during the last discussion, the board recommended some uses to be added to Industrial A, and that list was proposed to the City Council. He said the only change the Planning Board recommended that didn't make it through the committee was to only allow Commercial A uses in existing buildings in Industrial A, in order to avoid new shopping centers being built. 'I would agree — only for uses in existing buildings,' said Carellas. Planning Board member Richard Salois said one of the biggest concerns he had was that they build a strip mall. 'There is a reason for the use of existing buildings there,' he said. 'I believe back in April, that was not the intention, but to use empty warehouses that could go in a Commercial A district, or conversion or expansion of a building or a portion thereof for the new uses,' said board member Cheryl Crowe. Among the Commercial A uses that would be permitted by-right in Industrial A are neighborhood retail store not in excess of 750 feet; service-oriented stores such as a barber shop or beautician, but not laundry or dry-cleaning; retail service or custom stores, but no booth or restaurant facilities; branch bank, medical or dental clinic. Read the original article on MassLive.
Newsweek
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Triple H Says Vince McMahon Thought Iconic WWE Moment Would Not Work
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. WWE Chief Content Officer Paul 'Triple H' Levesque recently reflected on his poignant in-ring retirement announcement, revealing that former WWE CEO Vince McMahon initially had reservations about how the segment would be received. Levesque, however, perceived the moment as one of triumph and celebration. The powerful segment occurred at the start of night two of WrestleMania 38, hosted at AT&T Stadium. It was there that Levesque formally concluded his storied in-ring career, a decision that followed a serious cardiac procedure for a heart issue from which he has since made a full recovery. Discussing this memorable event on a recent episode of "Stephanie's Places," Levesque shared McMahon's initial perspective. He recounted how McMahon questioned the idea of opening such a grand show with what he perceived as a somber announcement. Levesque detailed the conversation, stating, "The moment in Dallas (at WrestleMania 38), Vince (McMahon) asked me to go open the show. The idea of going and putting my boots in the ring was not what he had in mind. Like, 'Why do you wanna -- I gotta open the show with a downer,' and I said, 'I don't see it as a downer. I see it as kind of a triumphant moment. I'm back." More news: WWE News: Steve Austin Reveals Real-Life Vince McMahon Confrontation In separate news concerning Vince McMahon, developments continue in the sex trafficking lawsuit filed against him, WWE, and former executive John Laurinaitis by ex-WWE employee Janel Grant. An update on May 7th, 2025, indicated that a judge had permitted Grant to proceed with an updated version of her lawsuit against the defendants. Superstar Triple H and Chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment, Vince McMahon, attend the World Wrestling Entertainment "Denver Debacle" press conference at the Hard Rock Cafe, Times Square on May 21, 2009 in New York City.... Superstar Triple H and Chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment, Vince McMahon, attend the World Wrestling Entertainment "Denver Debacle" press conference at the Hard Rock Cafe, Times Square on May 21, 2009 in New York City. MoreFurthermore, a significant decision was made in the legal proceedings to temporarily halt the discovery process in the case. This pause means that the phase where both sides gather evidence and information from each other is currently on hold, pending further legal deliberations or rulings. The lawsuit has scrutinized McMahon and WWE, with allegations detailing serious misconduct. The allowance of the amended complaint and the stay on discovery represent the latest procedural steps in what is expected to be a complex and closely watched legal battle. Triple H has been praised by WWE fans since taking over creative and breathing new life into the product. More WWE News: For more on WWE, head to Newsweek Sports.
Metro
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
WWE icon Triple H fights back tears describing near-death experience as a 'gift'
WWE legend Triple H was visibly emotional as he opened up about the fallout of his near death experience. The 55-year-old retired wrestler turned WWE chief – whose real name is Paul Levesque – has had a defibrillator in his chest since suffering from viral pneumonia and heart failure four years ago, which was caused by a genetic issue and almost cost him his life. The health scare forced him to officially retire from wrestling and focus on his behind the scenes roles, while there has been a more profound impact. In a new interview with his wife Stephanie McMahon for her ESPN series Stephanie's Places, he admitted: 'In this really weird, f***ed up way, my heart issue was a gift. 'It made me see things differently, look at life differently.' Stephanie was visibly tearing up as she candidly revealed she'd 'never' heard him reflect on it in that way before. Levesque continued: 'You can go through life – no matter how great it is or all the things you're doing, and you're just doing it. All of a sudden, you're partway through it, have a reset and go, 'Holy s**t, this doesn't last forever.' ' The couple appeared to be fighting back tears when he started to pull a coin from his pocket. 'I was just about to ask you about that,' Stephanie said, clearly choked up, while her husband revealed: 'You gave it to me. 'Memento Mori' – you can die at any second. This can all stop at any second. 'Basically saying, don't get caught up in all these bulls. Life is f***ing fleeting, so it can all go away at any moment.' Earlier this year, Levesque was inducted into the Hall of Fame with his wife, their daughters, and his mother-in-law Linda McMahon on the front row. 'It's hard to put into words. But the thing that also feels – like, that's amazing, it's the most important thing for me. My parents are there, my kids, Steph, my mother-in-law, I had friends there, that's incredible,' he told Metro in Las Vegas the night after his induction. 'And then on top of that, I'm sitting in room full of a little less than 200 talent maybe, almost all of them I have some type of really emotional connection to. 'I've watched them come in the door, I've watched them get started, I've watched them grow, or I've watched them come into this place where they thought they would never make it to WWE. A few months after his hospitalisation, Levesque – who serves as WWE's chief content officer and leads their creative process across Monday Night Raw and SmackDown – confirmed he would never be getting back in the ring as he officially retired from in-ring competition. More Trending He told ESPN's First Take in March 2022: 'I will never wrestle again. First of all, I have a defibrillator in my chest, which, you know, probably not a good idea for me to get zapped on live TV.' The 14-time world champion was warned by doctors that he was suffering 'bad' heart failure. View More » He said: 'I was nose-diving and sort of at the one-yard line of where you don't want to be really, for your family and your future.' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Netflix star reveals the brutal way she was told her acting wasn't good enough MORE: Ted Danson 'devastated' after Cheers co-star George Wendt dies aged 76 MORE: Horror fans 'can't wait to be traumatised' after watching new show's trailer
Perth Now
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
WWE legend Triple H sees his heart failure health scare as 'a gift'
Triple H sees his heart failure as "a gift". The WWE boss - whose real name is Paul Levesque - has a defibrillator in his chest almost four years after a near death experience when he was suffering from viral pneumonia and a cardiac event, which was caused by a genetic issue and almost cost him his life. In an interview with his wife Stephanie McMahon for her ESPN series 'Stephanie's Places', he said: "In this really weird, f***** up way, my heart issue was a gift. "It made me see things differently, look at life differently." Stephanie was visibly emotional as she admitted she'd "never heard" him say that before. He explained: "You can go through life - no matter how great it is or all the things you're doing, and you're just doing it. "All of a sudden, you're partway through it, have a reset and go, 'Holy s***, this doesn't last forever.' " Levesque appeared emotional as Stephanie also fought back tears when he brought out a coin from his pocket. She was choked up as she told him: "I was just about to ask you about that." He said: "You gave it to me. Memento Mori. You can die at any second. This can all stop at any second. "Basically saying, don't get caught up in all these bulls***. Life is f****** fleeting, so it can all go away at any moment." A few months after his hospitalisation, Levesque - who serves as WWE's chief content officer and leads their creative process across 'Monday Night Raw' and 'SmackDown' - confirmed he would never be getting back ini the ring as he officially retired from in-ring competition. He told ESPN's 'First Take' in March 2022: "I will never wrestle again. First of all, I have a defibrillator in my chest, which, you know, probably not a good idea for me to get zapped on live TV. "I had viral pneumonia. My lungs were inflamed and as the next couple days went on, when I got home it got increasingly worse. My wife saw some blood and stuff that I was coughing up and I went and got checked." The 14-time world champion was warned by doctors that he was suffering "bad" heart failure. He said: "I was nose-diving and sort of at the one-yard line of where you don't want to be really, for your family and your future."
Axios
13-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
Exclusive: North Korean scammers land jobs in U.S. with help from Chinese companies
North Korean IT workers are setting up front companies across China as part of their global operation to trick Western companies into hiring them, according to a new report shared first with Axios. Why it matters: Nearly every Fortune 500 company has struggled with the problem of North Korea-based IT workers trying to get hired at their firms. But few talk about the problem publicly over fears of law enforcement retaliation and embarrassment. Driving the news: Strider Technologies, a cyber intelligence platform that works with eight of the Fortune 10 companies, released a report today saying it's identified 35 China-based companies linked to North Korean IT worker operations. Those 35 companies are strongly believed to be affiliated with Liaoning China Trade Industry Co., a U.S.-sanctioned company that has shipped IT equipment to a North Korean government agency. Zoom in: Strider specifically calls out three of those 35 organizations that could be helping Liaoning China Trade fund North Korea's operation: Dandong Deyun Trading Co., a registered textiles and electronics wholesaler and retailer; Guangzhou Aiyixi Trading Co., a cosmetics and clothing wholesaler that advertises itself online as a producer of commercial induction cookers and bathroom cabinets; Yongping Zhuoren Mining Co., a company registered as a wholesaler of mineral products and building materials. The big picture: For years, North Korean IT workers have been scamming U.S.-based companies into hiring them with the goal of using the higher salaries to help fund the country's missiles program. But a part of those operations have shifted to focus on gathering intelligence about the companies they're working at, including intellectual property and any other company secrets, Strider CEO Greg Levesque told Axios. The intrigue: Cybersecurity vendors have been stepping up their efforts to raise awareness about the problem over the last year. An FBI notice sent to companies earlier this year significantly raised awareness about the scope of the problem, Levesque said. Google said during a media roundtable on the sidelines of the RSA Conference last month that it had seen North Korean IT workers applying for jobs at their company. Cyber vendors SentinelOne and KnowBe4 have said they've accidentally hired these workers themselves. What they're saying: "Right now, what we're all realizing is that the scope and scale of that enterprise is far greater than people originally knew," Levesque said. Between the lines: Much of the remote hiring process is siloed, and HR professionals aren't necessarily equipped to spot a fraudulent application. New mitigation and detection tools that automatically spot applications that could have fake or misleading information will be the key to stopping this problem, Levesque said. What to watch: Strider is releasing a tool later this week that will help automatically detect falsified resumes, which North Korean IT workers are using in their job applications all the time.
