The Hampshire Regional High School Class of 2014 graduation is scheduled to take place Friday (June 6).
NORTHAMPTON – The Hampshire Regional High School Class of 2014 graduation is scheduled to take place on June 6. Here are the details:
Name of high school:
Hampshire Regional High School
Number of graduates:
130
Date and time of graduation:
Friday, June 6, 7 p.m.
Location of graduation:
John M. Greene Hall at Smith College campus
Expected speakers at graduation:
Various student speakers
Springfield's Ray Jordan, Benjamin Swan, Cheryl Coakley-Rivera and Bud Williams are all supporting Tolman.
Warren Tolman, a Democratic candidate for attorney general, rolled out a number of Springfield endorsements as he released his plan to improve urban areas and advocate for minority communities.
"Far too few Massachusetts residents recognize the power of the Attorney General's Office to help with a consumer complaint, an infraction, or an injustice," Tolman said in a statement.
Tolman, a former state senator, is facing Maura Healey, a former bureau chief in the attorney general's office, in the Democratic primary.
Tolman rolled out his plan, and several endorsements, at an event with Boston politicians in Roxbury. He said after the event that other leaders from minority communities who are supporting him include Ray Jordan, vice-chair of the Massachusetts Democratic Party from Springfield, State Reps. Benjamin Swan and Cheryl Coakley-Rivera, both Springfield Democrats, and Springfield At-Large City Councilor Bud Williams.
Tolman's full plan includes making the attorney general's office more accessible by holding events around the state and inviting community leaders into his office on a regular basis; having a multi-lingual team at the Consumer Protection Division; advocating for Election Day voter registration; supporting more comprehensive anti-discrimination laws; and advocating for drivers licenses and in-state tuition for illegal immigrants.
Many of the issues Tolman discusses in his plan, such as gun safety and drug abuse, are things he has talked about previously on the campaign trail.
The Planning Board convened a public hearing on the zoning amendments last month, when they voted to table two of them, following a three hour discussion – when attendees raised many questions
SOUTH HADLEY – A special town meeting to amend zoning bylaws that has been called for June 4 may be canceled.
The Selectboard will decide whether to cancel the town meeting when they meet on Tuesday.
The Planning Board convened a public hearing on the zoning amendments May 27, when they voted to table two of them, following a three-hour discussion – when attendees raised many questions. The tabling means the board did not make a recommendation.
Since it is unusual for town meeting to consider zoning amendments absent a recommendation to approve zoning changes from the Planning Board, the June 4 town meeting may be canceled altogether.
The zoning changes proposed include a new provision “to provide for Flexible Development to be permitted subject to Site Plan Review instead of Special Permit.”
Language in the amendment says: “Flexible Development allows flexibility in dimensional standards and residential density in order to facilitate preservation of open space and cultural resources of significance to the Town.”
The Planning Board unanimously voted to withdraw the Flexible Development article.
Another proposal would modify dimensional requirements and mandate a minimum open space requirement for buildings and structures.
That article would establish “a standard for the minimum portion of any parcel which must be in vegetated open space for each of the various zoning districts.”
A third article, the most controversial, would create new requirements to allow conversions of a single-family home to a two-family.
Residents spoke against the idea during the May 27 Planning Board hearing, saying it needs more work, and that property rights of existing homeowners would be compromised.
The Planning Board voted 5-0 to withdraw it from the town meeting warrant.
The Selectboard vote June 3 on whether to cancel the special town meeting.
Apple is also making it easier for various devices to work together, even though the Mac and mobile systems are separate.
By MICHAEL LIEDTKE
AP Technology Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple's Mac operating system will have easier ways to share and search, while the iOS software for iPhones and iPads is getting new features for keeping tabs on your health and controlling home devices.
Apple executive Craig Federighi said data from various fitness-related devices now live in silos, so you can't get a comprehensive picture of your health. He said that will change with HealthKit in iOS 8. Apple is also working with the Mayo Clinic to make sure your weight, calorie intake and other health metrics are within healthy ranges.
Apple is also making it easier for various devices to work together, even though the Mac and mobile systems are separate. You can share songs, movies and books you purchase with your entire family, and you can sync photos more easily across several devices. Macs and mobile gadgets will share more features, and you can exchange files between the two more easily and even make phone calls from your Mac.
The free updates will come this fall, though app developers get a test version Monday as the company opened its 25th annual developers conference in San Francisco.
Here are the highlights:
CHANGES TO MAC COMPUTERS:
— The next Mac system will be called Yosemite, after the national park, now that Apple is naming it after California locales rather than cats.
— You'll be able to search for content on the computer and on the Internet at once, similar to a feature available with Microsoft's Windows 8.
— Apple is expanding its iCloud storage service so that you can store and sync files of any type, not just the ones designed specifically for iCloud. It's similar to how other services such as Dropbox let you work with the same files on multiple devices more easily.
— A Mail Drop feature will make it easier to send large files. Instead of pushing the entire file by email and overloading mail servers, the Mac will create a link that the recipient can click for the full file.
— The Mac's Safari Web browser will have more privacy controls and ways to share links more easily.
CHANGES TO IPHONES AND IPADS:
— Like the new Mac OS, the iOS 8 system will have a universal search tool to cover both your device and the Internet. It will also get the iCloud Drive service.
— The new software will sport interactive notifications, so you can respond to a message without having to leave another app. It will have new gestures, such as double tapping to see a list of frequent contacts.
— A QuickType keyboard promises predictive typing suggestions. For example, if you start typing, "Do you want to go to," the phone will suggest "dinner" or "movie" as the next word. Currently, the suggestions are limited to spelling corrections.
— IOS 8 will have a built-in health-management tool to help people track their vital signs, diet and sleeping habits. Apple's chief rival, Samsung Electronics Co., incorporated fitness-related features in its latest flagship phone, the Galaxy S5, and announced plans last week for similar management tools.
— Apple announced new technology for controlling garage doors, thermostats and other home systems, although the company didn't say how all the pieces will be linked together through what it calls HomeKit.
— For developers, Apple announced the ability to sell app bundles at discounted prices. The fingerprint security system on the iPhone 5s also will be accessible to apps written by outside parties, not just Apple functions such as unlocking the phone and verifying iTunes purchases.
WORKING TOGETHER:
— Apple's AirDrop feature, which has let you share files with other devices of the same type, will now let iPhones and Macs share directly with each other.
— A new Handoff feature will let you switch devices more easily, so you can start writing an email on a phone and finish on a Mac. And when a call comes in on your iPhone, you can answer it using the Mac as a speakerphone.
— The iMessage chat service will be broadened to work better with Android and other competing phones. Before, you can text an Android phone from your iPhone, but not from a Mac. And those messages wouldn't sync to other devices.
ANNOUNCED EARLIER:
— Last week, Apple announced a deal to pay $3 billion for Beats Electronics, a headphone and music streaming specialist. The deal brings rapper Dr. Dre and recording impresario Jimmy Iovine to undetermined roles at Apple. During a demo Monday, Federighi placed a call to Dr. Dre to welcome him to Apple.
COMING SOON:
— Apple typically announces new iPhones in September and new iPads soon after that. Many analysts also believe the company will release an Internet-connected watch as part of Apple's expansion into wearable technology.
SILENT:
— Despite speculation, Apple didn't say anything about a long-awaited digital wallet that enables Apple to process payments on iPhones and iPads.
— Apple didn't provide an update on CarPlay, its project for embedding automobiles with some of the iPhone's main applications. But Apple did say it'll be possible to tap the Siri virtual assistant without pressing a button. Cars with built-in CarPlay services and radios that are compatible with CarPlay are both expected this year.
State Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Rachel Kaprielian plans to visit each of the 33 career centers around the state.
HOLYOKE - In the words of CareerPoint Executive Director David Gadaire, Manny Cuz has something to prove and he's proving it.
Cruz, 35, said he spent a total of 12 years in jail or prison over a few periods of incarceration, mostly on drug charges. But after getting out for the last time in 2008 he came to CareerPoint one-stop career center in Holyoke and got help looking for work. Now, he's a CNC machine operator at universal Plastics in Holyoke, a job he's held for two years.
"Working long days, 4 a.m. to 4 p.m., but I'm doing what it takes," Cruz said Monday at a news conference at CareerPoint. "I had the skills, I just needed someone to open a door for me."
Hampden Sheriff Michael Ashe said released inmates need a support system and a way forward. They just can't get dropped off at a bus depot.
"Then we wonder why they come back again," he said.
The news conference Monday at CareerPoint was in part to bring attention to the Hampden County Re-Entry Partnership which includes CareerPoint, the FutureWorks Career Center in Springfield, the Hampden County Regional Employment Board and Hampden County Sheriff Michael Ashe.
It was also part of a tour for new state Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Rachel Kaprielian where she hopes to draw attention to the state's 33 career centers, including CareerPoint, FutureWorks and Franklin Hampshire Career Center in Northampton.
"It's not like the old unemployment offices. They are gems for job seekers and for employers to recruit, hire skilled labor and tell us what they need in a work force."
She's focusing on the population of job seekers that have the most trouble, those with fewer skills, those with criminal backgrounds and the long-term unemployed.
There will be a public-relations campaign, Kaprielian said. Bilboards will go up statewide and there will be signs and posters on the MBTA in Boston and in Worcester. The agency is working on getting advertising up on Pioneer Valley Transit Authority buses in this region.
Both the statewide and local jobs pictures have been improving, Kaprielian said. But she acknowledged that communities like Holyoke have been lagging behind in the recovery.
Holyoke's unemployment rate was 8.5 percent in April, down from 9.4 percent the month before and 9.8 percent a year ago but still higher than the statewide average of 5.6 percent.
"We don't really have one economy in Massachusetts, we have seven little ones," she said.
The answer, she said, is connecting job seekers with training and coaching to improve their chances of landing a job. Many employers decry their inability to find a skilled employees.
"For the long-term unemployed, a lot of those barriers are really psychological," she said.
So the solution might include updating a job-seekers skills to match with a high-tech workplace, or learning new job-search tools like LinkedIn or getting an updated resume.
For incarcerated inmates, CareerPoint works with them in jails to discern career interests and start getting them vocational training, said David Gadaire. Then it means working with the recently released inmates until CareerPoint can feel comfortable recommending them for work.
"They just haven't been connected to the working world," he said. "They don't know how to act. They don't know how it works."
Since 2003, the re-entry program has helped more than 10,000 former offenders. Of those, 73 percent of those offenders who participate in the program inside the jail, at career centers and in the community get jobs.
Gadaire also took the opportunity to ask for more funding. The program now operates on an annual budget of $212,000 culled from six separate funding sources. He'd like to add $75,000 to that.
Kaprielian said the state is interested in funding programs that work and that can be replicated.
The Franklin County Sheriff's Office is seeking to replicate the Hampden County program and he's been talking with Rhode Island authorities.
In the coming days, the new commissioner intends to make a series of promotions and transfers within the department, but the immediate focus is to get a handle on the running of the department, a spokesman said.
SPRINGFIELD – New Police Commissioner John R. Barbieri spent his first day is office in meetings for much of the day and working to familiarize himself with administrative matters within the department, according a member of his staff.
Lt. Trent Hufnagel, who was appointed to be Barbieri’s executive aide, said much of the work so far is in gaining familiarity with the position.
In the coming days, the new commissioner intends to make a series of promotions and transfers within the department, but the immediate focus is to get a handle on the running of the department.
Barbieri became commissioner on Sunday with the retirement of William Fitchet.
Hufnagel said a formal swearing-in ceremony is planned for Thursday at 10 a.m. in the Old First Church in Court Square.
After the ceremony, he intends to hold a press briefing, Hufnagel said.
Hufnagel said among Barbieri’s first orders were to fill two vacant deputy chief positions with captains Mark Anthony and Robert Cheetham. The two posts became vacant in April with Barbieri’s selection to succeed Fitchet.
One of the vacancies was the post held by Barbieri while the other was created with the departure of Robert McFarlin.
McFarlin and Barbieri were each finalists to succeed Fitchet, and when Barbieri was selected, McFarlin put in for retirement.
Anthony previously served as deputy chief from 2006 to 2009, having been appointed on an interim basis by then Commissioner Edward Flynn.
In another change, Sgt. John Delaney, who had been an executive aide under Fitchet, was assigned as head of the department’s Ordinance Squad. He remains the department’s public information officer.
Pizzaro was seen Friday leaving school with her non-constodial mother, but when the mother was contacted by police she claimed she did not know where Pizzaro is.
GREENFIELD - Police in Greenfield and Springfield are searching for a 14-year-old Greenfield girl who has been missing since Friday afternoon, according to police.
The girl, identified as Nancy Pizzaro, was last seen leaving the Greenfield Middle School with her non-custodial mother, according to police. But when police contacted, the mother, Melissa Carrasquillo of 243 Hancock St., Springfield, she told officers that she only spoke briefly with her daughter and did not know where she went after that.
She said she last saw her a few blocks away from the school walking toward her home.
Pizzaro is described as a 14-year-old Hispanic girl with dark eyes and dark hair.
Greenfield police contacted Springfield police about her disappearance and both departments have active searches ongoing, Greenfield police said.
Anyone who knows where she is asked to call the local police of dial 911.
At Peking University, once a center of student protest, Tiananmen seems to have little relevance to today's students.
By DIDI TANG
BEIJING — Born in 1989, Steve Wang sometimes wonders what happened in his hometown of Beijing that year. But his curiosity about pro-democracy protests and the crackdown on them passes quickly.
"I was not part of it," he said. "I know it could be important, but I cannot feel it."
A quarter century after the Communist Party's attack on demonstrations centered on Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989, it is little more than a distant tale to most young Chinese. The ruling party prohibits public discussion and 1989 is banned from textbooks and Chinese websites.
Many have managed to learn something about the crackdown, through people they know, by navigating around China's tight Internet controls or by traveling abroad. Some are aware of the iconic image of resistance — the lone Chinese man standing in front of a line of tanks moving down the Avenue of Eternal Peace.
But often, they seem not to care. They grew up in an atmosphere of nationalism and pride over two decades of strong economic growth. The turmoil caused by a student movement 25 years ago seems irrelevant to a generation more worried about finding jobs and buying an apartment.
"They basically don't bother to try to find out further," said Fu King-wa, a journalism professor at Hong Kong University. "Even if they learn about it, they believe in the government version."
Young Chinese tend to find it hard to empathize with students of the late 1980s, she said. "The younger generation is more influenced by cynicism and materialism," said He. "A Chinese student once said to me, 'I really do not believe they took to the street for ideals.'"
Born in July 1989, in a Beijing hospital not far from the sites of the bloody crackdown, Wang grew up without hearing a word about the student movement from parents or teachers. He first heard about it from friends in college in China.
"I was quite curious and wanted to know about it. But I could not find anything," Wang said.
In 2010, the young man went to school in England, where he met a Hong Kong student who showed him a video of the crackdown.
Back in Beijing, Wang does not think the student movement would come up in any discussion.
"Who would bring it up? There's been no reason to talk about it," Wang said. "Much time has passed since then, and China will not report it anymore. Now the foreign media want to make a fuss out of it. They are talking up the negative things about China."
At Peking University, once a center of student protest, Tiananmen seems to have little relevance to today's students.
"It is not something that concerns us anymore," said Zhang Yu, a graduate student in sociology.
Although some bold Peking University professors have shared their knowledge with their students, most keep the topic out of the classroom.
Chen Haoyun, a freshman majoring in aeronautics, said he first heard about it when a teaching assistant mentioned it in a history class.
"I do not know much about it. All I know is that it cannot be talked about," said Chen. "I am interested, but the school does not talk about it."
The university's party secretary, Zhu Shanlu, warns that teachers must be careful when speaking to students about Tiananmen.
"You must take responsibility for the students and their values. It's like buttoning up the first button, and you cannot get the first button wrong," he told an Associated Press reporter when asked if the issue is off limits on campus.
Even some young people with connections to the crackdown know little about it, including Wang Jiaying, a Beijing college student whose father participated in the student movement.
"He said he was not sensible at the time," Wang said of her father. "I think it was a special event at a special time, which cannot be discussed now."
Her roommate, Lu Qiuxuan, 21, learned it about from her mother, who was at a Beijing hospital caring for her grandmother at the time. She told Lu about the constant flow of wounded students. Lu said she looked up information when she spent time overseas.
"I didn't expect it was this huge, and there were so many people, and so many injuries. I was shocked," Lu said.
"I don't know what should be the right conclusion, as long as the Chinese government does not say anything," she said. "I regret that people of my generation cannot learn and understand it during our school years, and I think that has changed our outlook about our future lives."
At least 1 of the drugs involved in the investigation into the Holyoke Police and Fire departments was suboxone, which is used to treat opiate addiction.
HOLYOKE — An ongoing criminal drug investigation has resulted in the resignations of a firefighter and a police officer and a vow by officials Monday to establish drug testing for all city police and firefighters.
The scope of the investigation by the Massachusetts State Police, such as how many firefighters and police it might involve, was unclear, as officials at a City Hall press conference refused to identify the firefighter and police officer who resigned.
Holyoke Police Chief James M. Neiswanger said at the press conference the police officer was confronted late last week and submitted his resignation Monday. That came after the officer refused Neiswanger's order that he undergo a drug test, the chief said.
At least one of the drugs in the probe is suboxone, a medication approved for opiate addiction, Neiswanger said.
"The Holyoke Police Department and the Holyoke Fire Department do not tolerate drug usage by any of our employees, and we take a very aggressive stance on that issue," Neiswanger said.
Fire Chief John A. Pond was in Florida on a pre-arranged trip, officials said.
As a result of the state police investigation and the employees' resignations, Mayor Alex B. Morse said he will pursue drug testing of all police and firefighters. That will include both an immediate testing of all employees and establishment of a recurring testing policy, said Rory Casey, Morse chief of staff.
"We have a zero-tolerance for drug use by first-responders like police and firefighters in the city of Holyoke," Morse said.
In the Police Department, Neiswanger said an officer can be ordered to undergo a drug test based on reasonable suspicion. He defined that as an employee showing behavior such as unusual physical mannerisms, including falling down, odd work performance and the employee's own admission, he said.
If the department drug-tests one officer randomly, Neiswanger said, the contract requires that the department then test all officers randomly.
The Fire Department policy on drug testing is less clear than the one for police, though the department obviously doesn't tolerate drug usage, First Deputy Chief Robert Shaw said. Morse said later he believed the Fire Department could cite the same "reasonable suspicion" standard as the Police Department in ordering a drug test.
Although the state payment has not come, the Federal Emergency Management Agency sent the town a $384,177 check on Nov. 26, 2012.
BELCHERTOWN – No topic has been discussed more at selectmen meetings the past two years than the freak October 2011 storm that dumped up to 2 feet of snow in the region, caused trees and branches to snap power lines, and left thousands without power for more than a week.
That is because Belchertown was promised $144,525 in state reimbursement for storm damage, but has yet to receive the money.
Although the state payment has not come, the Federal Emergency Management Agency sent the town a $384,177 check on Nov. 26, 2012.
According to town administrator Gary Brougham, damage from the Oct. 29, 2011, storm left 98 percent of this town of 15,000 without electricity.
After numerous calls to the state department of transportation, and meetings with the legislative delegation, Brougham recently wrote a letter to the town’s legislators formally asking them to intervene.
That letter, sent three months ago, recounts efforts made by Belchertown public works director Steve Williams to obtain the state reimbursement.
“Our Director of Public Works has made numerous attempts to establish the whereabouts of this funding and a reasonable timeline to bring this matter to a close. Unfortunately he has had several different versions of a story to the effect staff is reviewing the federal contractor claims . . . or any number of other excuses,” Brougham wrote.
“At this point, and recognizing it is now April 2014, I am seeking your assistance in obtaining Belchertown’s eligible costs reimbursement as soon as possible,” the town administrator wrote to Sen. Gale Canderas, D-Wilbraham, and Rep. Denise Andrews, D-Orange. The Brougham letter is dated April 1.
In an interview last week Brougham confirmed the money had still not arrived.
Days after Elliot Rodger killed six people in a rampage in Isla Vista, Calif., his estranged parents released an anguished statement, expressing their distress as they grappled with the final chapter of their 22-year-old son’s long struggle with emotional problems.
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Westfield Vocational Technical High School is turning a case of vandalism into a learning opportunity.
WESTFIELD – Westfield Vocational Technical High School is turning a case of vandalism into a learning opportunity.
Last week, words and markings were discovered seared into the grass between Jachym and Bullens fields. Principal Stefan Czaporowski said Roundup probably killed the yellowed grass, and though the message includes the phrase “2K14,” it’s not clear who wrote it.
The dead grass, which is shaped into a swastika, “LOL” and some unreadable markings, won’t stay for long.
Horticulture students are tearing up the grass and replacing it with new sod, Czaporowski said. A broken machine has delayed the work, probably until Tuesday.
“It’s awesome that we have a horticulture department to do this,” he said.
In the meantime, maintenance workers have spray-painted the grass, which doesn't hide the marks as well as Czaporowski would hope.
"It looks bizarre," he said.
Czaporowski said he hopes to find the perpetrators, but the fields are used by multiple schools and the section of grass is somewhat remote — outside the useful scope of the school’s security cameras.
“It’s a needle in a haystack,” he said.
Police are looking into the vandalism.
Senior graduation is Thursday, and this week is the traditional senior week.
The annual payments provided to The Republican show three Chicopee hotels have received the highest payments in the region: a collective $20.5 million since 2009.
This is an update to a story first posted at 1:57 p.m.
State records show taxpayer-funded payments to hotels to shelter homeless families skyrocketed after the launch of the "HomeBASE" program in 2011.
The program, lauded by Gov. Deval L. Patrick as a pathway out of homelessness for families with young children, opened the floodgates for applicants but stranded many of them at area motels-turned-shelters.
Records provided by the state Office of Housing and Community Development show annual payments to more than a dozen motels from Springfield, Holyoke, Chicopee, West Springfield, Westfield and beyond peaked in 2012. The state dished out $11.6 million to a dozen motels in 2011 and $17 million to 10 motels in 2012, according to the state.
Since 2009, Massachusetts taxpayers have paid nearly $56 million to hotels housing homeless families in Western Massachusetts. The state furnished the information in response to a public records request by MassLive/The Republican.
The records show that prior to 2011, the state paid area hotels $6.1 million in 2009 and $6.3 million in 2010. In 2013, the payments locally began falling from a historic high to $10.7 million in 2013 and $4.1 million in 2014.
The motels have come under fire from tenants, and the state has been assailed by elected officials for the swelling numbers of homeless being warehoused there. State housing officials have repeatedly said they are working hard to move the numbers of homeless out of motels.
"We believe that hotels and motels are not the best places for our emergency assistance families, which is why we're executing a comprehensive strategy to reduce the use of hotels and motels and rehouse families back into their communities as quickly as possible," said Matthew Sheaff, communications director for the state housing agency.
"Since December, the Department of Housing and Community Development has been able to reduce the use of hotels and motels as emergency shelter by 15 percent in Western Massachusetts. By law, however, we are required to place eligible families the same day they apply for assistance and sometimes a hotel or motel is our only option."
After the launch of the HomeBASE program, the program ran out of $40 million in seed money within weeks of opening the rolls amid a dismal economy. The state has since tightened up its eligibility criteria but the numbers of families in need of emergency housing have not abated.
The annual payments provided to The Republican show three Chicopee hotels have received the highest payments in the region: a collective $20.5 million since 2009. Those are the Days Inn, Econo Lodge and Quality Inn.
City officials in that city recently attempted to force the motels to install sprinkler systems or lose their rights to provide long-term shelter.
Instead, the hotel owners agreed to hire a trained fire watch expert or service.
The internal investigation process provides for appeals after each determination is made.
HOLYOKE -- The investigation into drug activity in the Fire and Police departments is a criminal investigation but at this point is mostly an internal probe that department chiefs are handling, Hampden District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni said Tuesday.
"It is a serious matter. But it's really primarily an administrative investigation" at this point, Mastroianni said.
Mastroianni declined to elaborate such as whether the probe could widen. He wouldn't discuss the scope of the state police investigation, such as the number of firefighters and police it might be targeting, a day after officials here said an ongoing criminal drug investigation has resulted in the resignations of a firefighter and a police officer.
Mayor Alex B. Morse also vowed in a press conference at City Hall that he will pursue drug testing for all city police and firefighters, though union officials said such a step must be subject to collective bargaining.
Firefighter Thomas R. Bauer resigned Friday and Patrolman Jamie G. Girard resigned Monday in relation to the investigation, sources said.
Morse said city officials first learned of the state police investigation "into a limited number of public employees" Wednesday night.
State police had been staking out a man in relation to drug dealing. Upon stopping him Wednesday, they learned he was en route to make a delivery to a firefighter here "who suffered from a prescription pill addiction," Holyoke Police Chief James M. Neiswanger said.
State police contacted city police and the Fire Departrment "command structure" then was notified. The man who had been stopped proceeded to meet with the firefighter and police then questioned the firefighter, he said.
"The firefighter ... invoked his right to remain silent," Neiswanger said.
Fire Department officials sent the firefighter home, he said.
Neiswanger said he spoke Thursday with the police officer whom he said wound up resigning on Monday.
The Holyoke police internal investigation process is led by Lt. Michael McCoy and has four possible results: 1. A determination that the alleged offense happened, or sustained; 2. A determination the alleged offense didn't happen, or not sustained. 3. unfounded; 4. exonerated, Neiswanger said.
Regarding a determination of not sustained, Neiswanger said, "That doesn't mean it didn't happen. We just can't prove it happened."
The findings from McCoy's investigation go to a commanders review board of department superior officers. They review the findings and recommend a discipline to the chief.
Neiswanger said his practice at that point has been to sit with the employee and discuss the findings.
"I always try to give my employees (such a chance). Sometimes you've got to talk to someone to understand the language and the tone," Neiswanger said.
The most severe punishment the chief can give is five days unpaid leave. A punishment beyond that is the responsibility of the mayor, who is the hiring authority, he said.
Appeals are available after each determination in the internal affairs investigation. An officer can appeal the chief's discipline to the mayor, who then would hold a hearing. The mayor can maintain, increase or decrease the punishment that the chief had determined, Neiswanger said.
The results of such a hearing also can be appeared to the state Civil Service Commission, and beyond that, to Superior Court, he said.
Fire Chief John A. Pond and Fire Commission Chairman Christopher Hopewell couldn't be reached for comment about that department's internal investigation process. Morse said the Fire Commission would be handling the process for that department.
The Fire Commission is a three-member board appointed by the mayor whose duties include hiring the fire chief. The city doesn't have a similar commission for the Police Department.
A faulty sensor apparently tripped the overhead fire extinguishers at a Carew Street gas station Tuesday afternoon.
SPRINGFIELD - A faulty sensor apparently tripped the overhead fire extinguishers at a Carew Street gas station Tuesday afternoon, covering the station with a layer of white powder and sending a white plume into the sky over Liberty Heights, a fire official said.
Dennis Leger, aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant, said no one was injured in the 2:15 p.m. incident nor was there was there a fire. But the Cumberland Farms gas station and convenience store is closed until the powder can be cleaned up and the fire extinguishers recharged.
The Fire Department responded to the scene as did the city Department of Emergency Preparedness, which is overseeing the cleanup.
The city Health Department was also called to the scene. Some of the power got inside the store and officials need to check to see if any food items were contaminated, he said.
Leger said the power is essentially baking powder and not harmful unless someone were to be exposed to a massive amount of it.
Leger said the sensors on the system apparently malfunctioned and acted as if there were a fire. The malfunction may have been a result of the combination of heat and humidity.
He said he recalls between three and four such accident trips at service stations over the past few years.
arlier this month, Northampton residents photographed themselves and their city in a 48-hour photo blitz entitled Midnight to Midnight. The Historic Northampton Inc., in collaboration with the Northampton Camera Club and Forbes Library, oversaw the call for photos that have the chance to become part of the city's historical record.
Earlier this month, Northampton residents photographed themselves and their city in a 48-hour photo blitz entitled "Midnight to Midnight." The Historic Northampton Inc., in collaboration with the Northampton Camera Club and Forbes Library, oversaw the call for photos that have the chance to become part of the city's historical record.
"One result of this is we will be able to significantly enlarge our archive of images. We are also re-defining what it means to make history," Stan Sherer, vice president of the board of trustees of the Historic Northampton and the Chair of Program Committee, told MassLive earlier this month. "In this era of the 'selfie,' we are expanding this concept and saying that we would like the people of Northampton to create a 'selfie' of the city."
Take a look at some of the submissions in the photo gallery above.
Residential access will be permitted during the work.
AMHERST – Public Works crews will be paving North Pleasant Street from Governors Drive to 974 N. Pleasant and Sunderland Road from the North Amherst Public Library to Cowls Lumber Thursday and Friday this week.
Residential access will be permitted during construction and paving, however motorists should expect delays, according to a release.
If inclement weather prevents construction, the schedule will move to the next day, according to a release from the Department of Public Works.
For questions or additional information concerning this project, contact the DPW office at 259-3050.
The City Council will meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
CHICOPEE – The City Council will discuss a variety of issues in its first regular meeting of the month Tuesday.
The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a briefing from Mayor Richard J. Kos. The regular meeting, held in City Council Chambers of City Hall, will begin at 7:15 p.m.
Water Department Superintendent Alan Starzyk is asking that a communication be read about rising water rates. City Councilors are likely to discuss the rates, which have been approved by the Chicopee Board of Water Commissioners in late April. They will go into effect on July 1.
There are a total of 48 items on the City Council agenda including a proposal to name the former Chicopee High School, which is to be renovated and converted into a middle school starting this summer, after renovated starting this summer, the Sgt. Kevin A. Dupont Middle School. Dupont, a member of the Army National Guard and a Chicopee native who lived in Templeton, died as a result of injuries he sustained on combat duty in Afghanistan in 2009.
The City Council will also discuss working with hotels on Memorial Drive to try to reduce the amount of shopping carts dumped there mainly by homeless residents. There are also a number of financial transfers and approvals of accounts, which is typical since the fiscal year ends June 30.
Pizzarro was reportedly found at her mother's home in Springfield.
GREENFIELD - Police said that 14-year-old Nancy Pizzaro, who had been missing since Friday afternoon, has been found unharmed in Springfield.
Greenfield police said Pizzaro was found in Springfield by Springfield police officers.
A statement issued by the department thanks the Springfield police for their work, but also thanks "the numerous people who provided us tips that helped lead us to her being located."
The statement does not disclose where she was found.
Pizzaro went missing shortly after leaving school on Friday afternoon.
Witnesses told Greenfield police they saw Pizzaro after school in the company of her mother, Melissa Carrasquillo of Springfield. Carrasquillo, who does not have custody of her daughter, told police she spoke with her briefly after school but did not know where she went after that.
WWLP TV 22 quotes Greenfield Police Lt. William Gordon who said Pizarro was found by Springfield police at Carrasquillo's home.
Gordon tells the Springfield station that Greenfield police are considering filing a complaint against Carrasquillo to have her summonsed into court for custodial kidnapping.
A woman who had her mouth taped shut after being taken into police custody at the Big E in 2011 has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against a former West Springfield Police captain and the city.
SPRINGFIELD - A woman who had her mouth taped shut after being taken into police custody at the Big E in 2011 has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against a former West Springfield police captain and the city.
Izabella Monticello, hometown unknown, sued the city and former Police Capt. Daniel O'Brien for false imprisonment, assault and battery, infliction of emotional distress and other constitutional violations in U.S. District on Tuesday.
While Monticello's name has not previously been public, a photo of her taped to a chair and with more tape over her mouth surfaced in 2011, when the image and an accompanying letter were sent to the Hampden district attorney and U.S. attorney's office. The photo sparked an internal investigation; O'Brien was ultimately fired.
O'Brien has previously been very vocal in his own defense and reached a settlement with the city after signaling he would appeal his ouster.
A request for comment from West Springfield Mayor Edward Sullivan is pending. O'Brien was fired by former Mayor Gregory Neffinger.
Monticello was visiting the Eastern States Exposition on Sept. 30, 2011, according to the complaint. Monticello was placed in police custody for allegedly being drunk and disorderly at the state fair. She was placed in a holding area on Big E grounds and later taken to the West Springfield police station, court records state.
"Plaintiff became very anxious upon being told that she would be placed into a cell; however at no time did she behave in a violent or threatening matter," the complaint reads. "At some point in the evening, defendant O'Brien entered the booking area that contained plaintiff and informed her she was making too much noise and that he was going to 'shut her up.'"
"Plaintiff's head was secured to the chair by some sort of duct tape or red evidence tape which was also placed over her mouth. While taping plaintiff to the chair, defendant O'Brien continued to verbally abuse her, calling her, among other things a 'fat bitch,'" the complaint reads.
The lawsuit adds that Monticello has a history of asthma and had difficulty breathing with her mouth taped shut. She was eventually released and never charged with a crime, according to her attorney, David P. Hoose.
Through his attorney, O'Brien has argued that Monticello was spitting at officers, and that his pleas for "spit guards" to protect himself and other personnel drew no response from the town.
In the complaint, Hoose also accuses the town of failing to properly train its officers, "who were known to use the chair unjustifiably and in situations constituting excessive force."
The lawsuit demands unspecified money damages and attorney's fees.
Following an investigation of the incident, there were six allegations brought against O'Brien in a report issued by the city. Two other cases involved improper use of the restraint chair.
The chair is meant to be used to restrain a prisoner's ankles and wrists. But the person's mouth is meant to be left free, West Springfield police said. Covering the mouth is an obvious choking hazard, according to the city.
When in use, the chair is supposed to be left in an area where it is under constant video surveillance. This was not done in this case, according to the report.
O'Brien said no step-by-step instructions were given for use of the chair.
O'Brien also was accused of failing to disclose his medical and military background on forms he used to join the police in West Springfield and Belchertown in the 1980s.
Hoose limited his comments to a written statement:
"She was also subjected to extreme levels of verbal abuse by Captain O'Brien during the encounter. Ms. Monticello's photograph, which was taken while she was restrained in the chair, has previously been published but her name has not been made public prior to today," he wrote. "Ms. Monticello has suffered and continues to suffer extreme emotional distress from her treatment while in O'Brien's custody."
It is not publicly known who took the photo. While doing an interview with WHYN radio last year, O'Brien said the leaked photo caused morale in the station to plummet.
"Everyone is looking over their shoulder," O'Brien told WHYN, adding that he believed taking and releasing the photo violated more policies than he is accused of.
O'Brien was one of three finalists for police chief before his ouster.
