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Demolition of Don Lia's former Northampton Honda dealership under way

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The former Northampton Honda dealership at 171-181 King St. is being taken down this week, more than a month after Building Commissioner Louis Hasbrouck condemned the building and ordered its demolition.

NORTHAMPTON — The former Northampton Honda dealership at 171-181 King St. is being taken down this week, more than a month after Building Commissioner Louis Hasbrouck condemned the building and ordered its demolition.

The building has been vacant since 2004, when the the Lia Auto Group bought the Northampton Honda business and inventory from Don Lia and moved the enterprise to a new facility at 293 King St., according to The Republican files.

The move left Don Lia as the owner of three rectangular parcels comprising 5.36 acres at 171-181 King, complete with the 20,000-square-foot dealership building constructed around 1968.

Hasbrouck condemned the derelict building June 4, giving Lia 10 days to hire a demolition contractor.  On June 19, hearing nothing from Lia, the City Council authorized spending $81,650 to demolish the building.

Lia notified the city on June 23 that he had hired his own contractor to tear down the building down, said Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz Friday. Narkewicz said the city would have placed a lien on Lia's property if necessary to recoup the cost of the work.

Soil underneath portions of the site are contaminated with PCBs, metals, and hydrocarbon compounds, according to Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection records. Lia must file reports with the state's Department of Environmental Protection every six months showing that he's maintaining the integrity of the asphalt over the affected area so as to protect the public and workers from exposure, records show.

Property owner Don Lia has not returned a telephone call seeking comment.


Massachusetts unaccompanied minors program could help Central American children

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Program dates to 1995, but funding key.

Thousands of unaccompanied minors are currently crossing the southern border of the United States, fleeing murder, rape and torture, from gangs run by foreign drug cartels, and other violence in their Central American countries. The Obama administration has reportedly asked all the states to possibly shelter some of these children. Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick told the Associated Press July 16 that he regards the situation as a "humanitarian crisis" and is considering the request. He said how many children would be involved was being processed, but that they would be placed in secure environments, a possible reference to foster homes.

One social service agency has traditionally worked with the state's program for unaccompanied minors entering the country, and placed them in foster homes.

The numbers of children coming into the country from Central America hardly compare to the one-quarter-of-a -million displaced Europeans settled here after World War II. Their arrival led the U.S. Congress to pass the country's first refugee resettlement legislation, in 1948, that allowed for the admission of some 400,000 more displaced persons from Europe. It was the influx of hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese and others, following the fall of Saigon, in 1975, that led Congress to pass the The Refugee Act of 1980, that established protocol on resettlement services, incorporated the United Nations' definition of who is a refugee and provided the legal backbone for The Office of Refugee Resettlement.

According to the office's website, some three million refugees have been settled in this country since 1977.

It is this federal office that supports "the State Refugee Coordinator in managing a portfolio of grants to a state-wide network of voluntary agencies." According to the commonwealth's Office of Refugees and Immigrants website, these federally funded grants help refugees, those granted asylum and, in a nod to more recent reasons for flight that could apply to some Central American migrants, "victims of human trafficking."

Massachusetts does have regulations, through the commonwealth's health and Human Services departments and divisions, for helping unaccompanied minors who arrive in this country. This Unaccompanied Refugee Minors Program dates to 1995, when the state's Office of Refugee and Immigration and the state's Department of Children and Families agreed to provide unaccompanied refugee minors with child welfare services. The Department of Children and Families contracts with Lutheran Social Services of New England, based in Worcester and Wellesley, to provide this population with services throughout the commonwealth.

However, according to the state's website of the Executive office of Health and Human Services, there is an enrollment cap. Also, figures on the site are only current for 2009 when 90 such minors are listed and of the following ethnic backgrounds: 2 Afghani, 29 Burmese, 2 Chinese, 12 Congolese, 2 El Salvadoran, 4 Guatemalan, 6 Honduran, 1 Indian, 9 Liberian, 4 Mexican, 1 Rwandan , 2 Somali, 14 Sudanese,1 Ukrainian, and 1 Zimbabwean.

As one area agency head who helps those legally in the country from elsewhere, the ability of a state to help the thousands of unaccompanied minors from Central America is tied to Obama Administration's request for $3.7 billion in funds, which includes $1.8 billion for Health and Human Services. The 1980 act sets out provisions for how and where refugees can be settled.

The bill also includes a request of $1.1 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, $433 million to Customs and Border Protection, $64 million for the Department of Justice, and $300 million to the State Department.

Related:

http://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/refugees-asylum/refugees

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/about/history

http://www.lssne.org/urm.aspx

http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/gov/departments/ori/unaccompanied-minors.html

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/resource/the-refugee-act

Firms, individuals targeted by U.S. sanctions on Russia

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Struggling to defuse the persistent crisis in Ukraine, both the U.S. and European Union imposed new economic sanctions on Russia Wednesday, President Barack Obama declaring that Russian leaders must see that their actions supporting Ukrainian rebels "have consequences."

By JULIE PACE and
JOHN-THOR DAHLBURG


WASHINGTON — Struggling to defuse the persistent crisis in Ukraine, both the U.S. and European Union imposed new economic sanctions on Russia Wednesday, President Barack Obama declaring that Russian leaders must see that their actions supporting Ukrainian rebels "have consequences."

Though the American and European sanctions were coordinated, they nonetheless exposed fissures in what the West has tried to project as a united front in its months-long effort to isolate Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The penalties announced by the White House were broad in scope, targeting two major Russian energy firms, a pair of powerful financial institutions, eight arms firms and four individuals. Leaders in Europe, which has a far deeper economic relationship with Russia than the U.S., were more restrained, ordering investment and development banks on the continent to suspend financing agreements with Moscow.

Even the U.S. penalties stopped short of the most stringent actions the West has threatened, which would entail fully cutting off key sectors of Russia's economy. But officials said those steps were still on the table if Russia fails to abide by the West's demands to stop support for pro-Russian insurgents who have destabilized swaths of eastern Ukraine.

"What we are expecting is that the Russian leadership will see once again that its actions in Ukraine have consequences, including a weakening Russian economy and increasing diplomatic isolation," Obama said as he announced the U.S. penalties from the White House.

Celebrate Ludlow to be held July 26; fireworks at 9:30 p.m.

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The 9:30 p.m. fireworks are the highlight of the event.

LUDLOW – It’s almost time for Celebrate Ludlow.

The annual festival will be held July 26 from 4:30 to midnight at the Ludlow Fish & Game Club on Sportsmans Road.

The event is free, although a small donation will be accepted at the gate to help fund the event next year, organizer Maureen Rooney said.

Some of the attractions are for children and include bounce houses, animals from Lupa Zoo and Shriners’ clowns.

The Ludlow Community Band will perform at 4:30 p.m., an Exit 7 Players skit is planned for 5:15 p.m., the Lisa Martin Band will perform at 6 and at 7:30 p.m. there will be a performance by 7 Bridges Road, an Eagles Tribute band.

At 9:30 p.m. there will be fireworks and from 10 p.m. until midnight Lobsterz from Marz will be performing.

Parking for the event is at Ludlow High School, Veterans Park School, Ludlow Town Hall, Baird Middle School and the Ludlow Boys & Girls Club.

From the parking lots, a school bus will make repeated trips to the Fish & Game Cub until just before the fireworks.

There is also some handicapped parking at the Fish & Game Club.

The festival is a fund-raiser for many of Ludlow’s civic organizations including the Ludlow Hockey Association, the Ludlow CARES organization and the Michael J. Dias Foundation which will sell Portuguese Bifana and Chourico sandwiches.

The Ludlow CARES coalition is sponsoring a Rock Climbing Wall and St. Andrew’s Church will sell strawberry shortcake.

The Exit 7 Players will sell hamburgs and hotdogs.

“Bicycles, coolers and pets are not welcome,” Rooney said. “We want you to buy food and support the fund-raisers rather than bringing your own food,” she said.

Non-perishable food items are being collected at the festival for the Community Survival Center in Indian Orchard which is in need of food, Rooney said.

Several hundred live game birds seized from home in Springfield's Sixteen Acres

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Pam Peebles, director of the T.J.O'Connor facility said she had no idea why someone would have 500+ game birds in residential house.

SPRINGFIELD – The Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center went to the birds Wednesday afternoon after the facility was flocked with more than 500 birds that had been removed from a home in Sixteen Acres.

Pam Peebles, director of the facility, said staff spent much of the day sorting through the birds, assessing their condition and preparing them to be moved to the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' Methuen Animal Care and Adoption Center at Nevins Farm.

The batch was comprised of mostly quail, but there were also nine pheasants, six chickens, two pigeons and a parrot.

“It’s a lot birds,” she said.

The last headcount she had was 525 but she added the number could be off. Some of the birds were moving around too much for an accurate headcount, she said.

The birds were ordered removed from a house on Rochford Circle, off Parker Street in Sixteen Acres by the city Code Enforcement office, she said. The owner apparently voluntarily surrendered them to code enforcement officials.

Officials with Code Enforcement could not be reached Wednesday night.

Peebles said she did not know why someone would have that many game birds in a residential house.

“My best guess is it was a combination of for food and a hobby, but I don’t know that for sure,” she said. “It’s inexplicable to me when someone has so many of anything – especially living creatures.”

Half of the birds had been transported to the Methuen facility on Wednesday and the remainder will be sent Thursday, she said. Volunteers will help shuttle them down there.

The birds appeared to be healthy, she said. The only concerns the facility had with their care had to do with the extreme overcrowding and that they appeared dirty.

City ordinances allow people to have domestic animals, including dogs, cats, birds and reptiles as pets. A domestic animal is any animal “kept for personal use or enjoyment within the home provided that such creatures are not kept to supplement food supplies.”

It specifically notes that farm animals including horses, ponies, cows, pigs, chickens, roosters, goats, pigeons or sheep are not considered domestic animals.

City ordinances also forbid livestock on any agricultural property of less than five acres.

Springfield seeks developers for closed fire stations on Sumner Avenue and Page Boulevard

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The city is seeking to sell the two vacant fire stations for residential or possible light business uses.

SPRINGFIELD – The city is seeking bidders willing to buy and redevelop two long-closed fire stations on Sumner Avenue in East Forest Park and on Page Boulevard in East Springfield.

Proposals are due by Aug. 18 at 2 p.m. at the Office of Procurement at City Hall.

The fire station at 1043 Sumner Ave,, is being advertised for developers for the third time in three years, but local officials say they are optimistic a suitable project will be found.

“The trend across the country is to redo and live in firehouses,” Mayor Domenic Sarno said Wednesday. “I would love to see that on Sumner Avenue. There are a lot of interesting things being done with old fire stations.”

Tom Matthews, project manager for the city’s Office of Planning and Economic Development, said the city is “very optimistic” about finding a developer of the Sumner Avenue station, and is looking for a project that fits in with the neighborhood.

“Already, we’ve had several people contact us including original bidders,” Matthews said.

071614_Page_blvd_fire_station.JPGA developer is being sought for the closed fire station at 833 Page Blvd. in Springfield. 

Potential bidders for either fire station are being provided with a recently completed study that provides details of the closed fire stations in Springfield, potential re-uses of those stations, and examples of other redeveloped fire stations inside and outside Springfield, Matthews said.

The lead consultant was Fort Point Consulting Inc.

At the Sumner Avenue station, a one-family or two-family house, or a light business, or a mixed use would be considered by the city, Matthews said. However, any proposal would have to be compatible with the neighborhood and with the existence of limited parking in that area, Matthew said.

The closed fire station at 833 Page Blvd., at the intersection of Roosevelt Avenue, is at a very busy intersection with very little parking, city officials said.
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It could be suitable for a residential use, or light office use providing that it “not entail a lot of traffic,” Matthews said.

In prior years, the city did receive proposals for the Sumner Avenue fire station, but the proposals were not deemed suitable in the final analysis, officials said.

In the latest solicitation for proposals, the city will establish separate review committees to review the submissions, according to the request for proposals.

The city can reject any and all bids, and is not required to accept the highest price for the stations, the solicitation states.

The evaluation will consider many factors including the price, the developer’s history and capacity, the project feasibility, the benefits from the project, and the readiness to proceed.

Sarno will consider naming a “preferred developer” for each fire station, and any sale of the stations need approval from Sarno and the City Council.

Each station is being sold “as is.”

Glendale Road in Wilbraham to be partially closed on Thursday; detours in place

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Detour signs will be posted.

enterwilb.JPG 

WILBRAHAM – Glendale Road will be closed from Monson Road to Red Gap Road on Thursday while a contractor replaces a drainage pipe crossing at 925 Glendale Road.

Detour signs will be posted at the intersection of Glendale Road and Mountain Road and at the intersection of Ridge Road and Mountain Road.


Noah Lis, 'The Voice' contestant, to perform at West Springfield Senior Center's annual picnic

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Noah Lis, a 22-year former contestant on NBC’s 6th season of “The Voice” native to Palmer will be performing at the West Springfield Senior Center’s annual picnic, which is scheduled for Friday, August 1 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

WEST SPRINGFIELD - Noah Lis, a Palmer native and 22-year-old former contestant on NBC’s sixth season of “The Voice,” will perform at the West Springfield Senior Center’s annual picnic, which is scheduled for Aug. 1 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

“As of today (July 16) we have about 100 people signed up for the picnic and we expect hopefully an additional 50 to 60 people to sign up for it,” said James Leyden, deputy director for the Council on Aging.

Previously, Lis had performed at the West Springfield Senior Center in April for its spring fling, he said. His performance came after his competition on "The Voice."

“We were so impressed with his performance that day and had such a great response from the community that we invited him back for the picnic,” he said.

When Lis preformed at the Senior Center in April he performed a collection of jazz, rock, and pop songs, both original and covers.

He employed a ‘band-in-a-box’ style, using his keyboard’s Musical Instrument Digital Interface) tracks to record full band backing music over his vocals, with the occasional alto saxophone solo thrown into his set.

Tickets for the picnic are $6 per person with the menu consisting of a char-grilled hot dog or hamburger, macaroni salad, corn on the cob, watermelon slices, as well as some dessert dishes.

“Weather permitting, we hope to have Noah playing outside with the option for people to eat outside or inside,” Leyden said.

This year’s annual picnic is made possible with sponsorship from Health New England and Renaissance Manor of Westfield, said Leyden.


40-year-old mother of 2 makes NFL cheerleading squad despite kidney disease

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She hadn't done splits and high kicks since her cheerleading days in high school, but 40-year-old dance instructor Kriste Lewis set a lofty goal — to try out for the New Orleans Saints cheerleading squad, known as the Saintsations.

By STACEY PLAISANCE

NEW ORLEANS — She hadn't done splits and high kicks since her cheerleading days in high school, but 40-year-old dance instructor Kriste Lewis set a lofty goal — to try out for the New Orleans Saints cheerleading squad, known as the Saintsations.

Faced with competition from women — most of whom ranged in age from 18 to 28 — Lewis never thought she'd make the team. And then, she did.

"I wanted to set a goal for myself, and the audition was a specific date that required specific training, so my goal was just to make it to the audition," said Lewis, who lives with her husband and two sons in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, about 100 miles northeast of New Orleans. "Honestly, I really did not think I was going to make it."

Lewis is one of only two NFL cheerleaders in her 40s, and she's the oldest to ever audition for the Saintsations, said Lesslee Fitzmorris, director of the squad since 2001. The other dancer is 45-year-old Laura Vikmanis, who has been with the Cincinnati Bengals dance team, the Ben-Gals, since making the squad at age 40.

"The applications hadn't been processed when the dance auditions started, so the judges didn't even know Kriste was 40 until she had made it through three rounds of cuts and revealed her age in the interview round," Fitzmorris said.

Something besides her age sets Lewis apart. A big part of her motivation was her will to make the most of every day since being diagnosed with a debilitating kidney disease that will eventually lead to dialysis treatments and the need for a kidney transplant. Several family members have died of the disease, and her mother has already undergone dialysis and a kidney transplant that her body twice rejected.

Lewis said she had to have her doctor's permission to join the 36-member Saintsations.

"I know my time is limited," Lewis said. "I don't want to let any time go. I want to make every day count."

Lewis will take the field with the Saintsations when the New Orleans Saints play their first exhibition game of the season Aug. 15 at the Superdome against the Tennessee Titans.

"I can't wait to get on that field," she said. "Just being able to put a cheerleading uniform back on and go at it for my favorite team is unbelievable to me, and I'm having a blast."

Massachusetts Senate votes to reject bid to lift cap on new charter schools

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Consecutive Senate voted on Wednesday afternoon derailed a late-session effort to allow more charter schools in under-performing districts.

By Matt Murphy
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

BOSTON - In a blow to the charter school movement in Massachusetts, the Senate on Thursday soundly rejected legislation that would have gradually lifted the cap on charter enrollment in poorly performing school districts, derailing an attempt this year to expand schooling options in primarily urban districts like Boston.

While proponents touted the positive impact of some charters in their districts and the desire to give parents greater choice, senators opposed to the bill argued that there should be no rush to expand charters this session.

Several senators also questioned whether a two-decade old education reform law establishing charters had fulfilled its promise of using the schools as laboratories for best practices that could be replicated in traditional public schools.

“It was always an open question as to whether the Senate was going to pass it, and as we saw today the votes are not there to lift the cap. The membership is just too skeptical about charter schools, but up until last night I think it was a dead heat,” said Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz, a Jamaica Plain Democrat and author of the Senate bill. “Once the votes break a certain way, things sort of have a gravitational pull, but I think there was a path, however narrow, to get it through the Senate.”

The rare vote against a bill that Democrats in leadership allowed to move to the floor for debate startled many observers who declared the charter school issue “dead” for the session. The House voted 114-35 in favor of lifting the cap in May.

"I don't think there will be any more discussion of charter schools this session," said a disappointed Sen. Barry Finegold, who supported the bill after sharing success stories of charter schools in Lawrence.

In successive actions, the Senate rejected on a 13-26 vote Chang-Diaz’s proposal that had moved through the Senate Ways and Means Committee as an amendment. The Senate proceeded in a separate 9-30 vote to also defeat the underlying bill that had cleared the House.

While charter advocates opposed some of the provisions in the Chang-Diaz bill – most notably a trigger that would have blocked an annual cap lift if reimbursements to local districts were not fully funded by the Legislature - most hoped to advance the bill into a conference committee with the House affording additional time to lobby for the final changes they could support.

“This will surely not be the last time we visit this issue, and when we take it up again, we will look back on today as a moment where we failed to live up to our obligations to the children of Massachusetts and their families,” said Paul Grogan, president of the Boston Foundation, speaking on behalf of the Race to the Top Coalition.

Unions, meanwhile, cheered the bill’s defeat. "We congratulate the Senate for taking a stand for public schools and for public school students, many of whom live in poverty and who need all the resources they can get. The vote against raising the cap keeps resources in our locally controlled public schools where they are most needed,” said Tom Gosnell, president of American Federation of Teachers-Massachusetts.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles Baker issued a statement suggesting the Senate “bowed to political pressure and handed urban families stuck in struggling schools a massive defeat by shutting down access to high performing schools.”

Chang-Diaz introduced the bill for debate with a speech that riffed off of President Obama’s famous “Yes, we can” slogan imploring her colleagues to shake the polarizing rhetoric that has come to define many past debates on the merits of charter schools. Chang-Diaz said she believes there is a way to balance the interests of both sides on the issue, but suggested she would need to “reflect” on why her proposal fell short.

Senate President Therese Murray, noting that she voted against the 1993 education reform bill that established charter schools, said she did not direct the outcome of the vote. Murray did not vote on Wednesday, as is common for the president.

“You might be surprised at this, but this was the democratic process,” she told the News Service after the vote. “We said we would put a bill out and we put a bill on the floor. It was not a leadership vote. It was a conscience vote. Everyone was told the vote the way they felt they did, and there was a huge divide as you saw on the floor and if you listened to the debate between the urban and suburban districts. The suburban districts feel very much that money is coming out of their school districts and that the charter schools are not giving them what the promise was.”

>>>>>>For a video of Senate President Murray's comments click here: http://www.statehousenews.com/video/14-07-16murray/

In some ways, the vote could be looked at as a reflection of the changing makeup of the Senate that has seen an influx of more liberal members in recent years. Murray said she was surprised by the final tally, and noted that “progressives” voted against the bills.

“I’m hoping they will put a commission to look at the foundation funding and look at maybe expanded learning time in that foundation funding and how charter schools are part of that foundation funding and maybe that will change the debate,” Murray said, suggesting the study could be added to a supplemental budget later in the year.

Sen. Patricia Jehlen, a Somerville Democrat, said the proposed charter cap lift in the bill would not occur until the fall of 2017, negating any argument for pushing legislation through before the end of the month since it would not take effect for years.

Others like Sen. Kenneth Donnelly, of Arlington, and Sen. Jason Lewis, of Winchester, suggested more care must be taken to study why best practices in charter schools aren’t being replicated more often in traditional district schools. Jehlen said the money proposed for expanding charters would be better put towards early education, and several senators expressed concern that they couldn’t see the “end game” and worried about creating two competing public school systems.

While much of the focus of the debate was on charter schools, the bills also included measures to help struggling schools on the brink of being labeled “underperforming” develop turnaround plans to avoid more serious state interventions.

Rep. Alice Peisch, the House Education Committee chairwoman, said she was disappointed by the vote.

“I’m especially disappointed that they chose to kill the entire bill since there were many different areas covered in the bill and at the end of the day that bill not going forward is not helpful to improving the education of students across the Commonwealth,” Peisch said.

While Peisch said she intended to review the “very limited options” for resurrecting the so-called “challenge school” sections of the bill, Chang-Diaz said she was dubious about its prospects for passage so late in the session, which ends on July 31.

“Very little is impossible in the Legislature but I wouldn’t handicap it as likely, which is why I think this was a real lost opportunity today,” Chang-Diaz said.

Murray said she thought the school turnaround initiatives would have a “very good chance” of passing on their own, and encouraged Peisch and Chang-Diaz to talk. “I think if they had been more unified or there had been more unification on the committee maybe things would have gone easier,” she said.

Chang-Diaz said she didn’t feel as though she had been abandoned by members of Senate leadership, who allowed the bill to advance only to vote against it on the floor.

“I appreciate that they brought it to the floor. It’s an issue that deserved a vote. While I’m certainly very disappointed in the outcome and I think it was a huge lost opportunity to do something positive, I think what you saw in the Senate today was an incredibly open, robust, honest, passionate debate,” she said.

Chang-Diaz also said it was too early to say whether she might have tried a different tact politically if she had it to do over again.

“Those aren’t the kinds of questions you should answer 30 seconds, proverbially, after a vote happens. I feel a calm about my position,” Chang-Diaz said, who described her district as one that requires her to balance the interest of families in both systems.

In a statement, Massachusetts Charter Public School Association President Marc Kenen said, "The Senate's rejection of legislation to lift the cap on charter public schools is an affront to parents whose children are trapped in underperforming district schools. An opportunity to expand access to high performing public schools has been lost."

Kenen said 45,000 children on waiting lists for charter schools and alleged that "misinformation about charters is driving policy at the State House."

Holyoke Geriatric Authority board votes to seek buyers for closed nursing home, won't appeal bankruptcy dismissal

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The board didn't even consider appealing a judge's dismissal of the Geriatric Authority's bid for bankruptcy protection.

Updated at 9:53 p.m. Wednesday, July 16, 2014 to include City Council President Kevin Jourdain discussing the request-for-proposals process; the full name of Chairman Charles F. Glidden; noting the presence of board lawyer Louis Robin and city lawyer Steven Weiss; details about the bankruptcy court proceedings; and board members' comments about seeking buyers and thanking authority employees.

HOLYOKE -- The Holyoke Geriatric Authority board of directors voted 6-0 Wednesday to seek proposals from companies or developers interested in buying the 45 Lower Westfield Road facility, where the nursing home closed in April because of financial problems.

The board in an hour-long meeting didn't discuss whether to appeal Monday's decision by a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge to dismiss the authority's bid to seek bankruptcy protection.

Board Chairman Charles F. Glidden said bankruptcy is no longer an option.

"That's done," Glidden said.

Board members made clear that they were aware of property-disposal regulations and that any bids received from potential buyers would be forwarded to the City Council for an official vote.

But it was unclear if such a request for proposals regarding property that some city officials consider to be municipal property can be pursued without going through the city Purchasing Department or if the City Council legally can consider such bids.

City Council President Kevin A. Jourdain, a lawyer, said later he believes the authority board can seek bids from developers to sell the property but council approval would be needed to approve a sale.

The board in a meeting at the mostly darkened facility also took steps to ensure hundreds of boxes of records of patient, employee and financial records are stored according to state law.

The board also authorized staff to contact families who have a parent or relative in the facility's daycare program to inform them the program will be closed effective Aug. 31.

The authority is overseen by a board of seven that includes three appointed by the mayor and three by the City Council, with those six appointing a seventh. The board has one vacancy.

Officials with the city, which opposed the board's bid for bankruptcy protection, said the city is owed nearly $6 million by the authority because of years of unpaid bills for health insurance, employee pension contributions and utility services.

The authority in the bankruptcy case said the amount it owes the city is about $1.5 million.

The last residents were transferred to other facilities April 24. That came after the board voted 3-2 March 3 to contact the state Department of Public Health about closing. The state gave permission and the official closing date was May 13.

The board met only in open session and members said little about U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Henry J. Boroff's decision to dismiss the authority's bid for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as a privately run entity. Discussions about litigation often take place in executive, or closed-door, session, as the state Open Meeting Law allows for such exemptions.

A detailed transcript has yet to become available, but Boroff's dismissal noted the authority was "ineligible to file a case under Chapter 11."

Lawyer Steven Weiss, of Springfield, representing the city, had argued the authority falls under public control. That's because the authority is an agency established by the state legislature in 1971, its employees are eligible for municipal health benefits and pensions and six of its seven board members are appointed by the mayor and City Council, he said.

Weiss attended the board meeting Wednesday and took notes but didn't speak during the session.

Lawyer Louis S. Robin, of Longmeadow, represented the authority in the bankruptcy petition and also attended the board meeting. He argued in court the authority was an independent agency.

During the meeting, Robin said he could compile a request for proposals to sell the authority property in about 10 days.

"Let's get it out there and see who's interested in the property," said board member Joseph T. O'Neill, who made the motion.

It was approved by members James Brunault, Catina Galanes Grass, Raymond P. Murphy Jr., Jacqueline Watson, Glidden and O'Neill.

Brunault asked what the next step would be if a sale goes through. Robin said the board could act to pay bills to remove liens the city has placed on the property, and then perhaps meet with other creditors who are owed money.

Another step to watch for, said Robin, is for creditors to ask a state judge to appoint a receiver to take control of the authority and disperse assets, so they can get paid.

The board also thanked Administrator Michael Stroetzel and Rick Caneschi, director of the adult day care center, for their work.

"Good job," O'Neill said to Stroetzel. "We know it wasn't easy."

"We hope there's good news in your future," Glidden said.

To Caneschi, Glidden said, "You've been a great asset."

The board said its next meeting will be July 31 at 5:30 p.m. at the facility.

Birth control setback in Congress may prompt women voters in November

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Senate Democrats suffered what looked like a difficult setback on birth control Wednesday, but they hope it pays big political dividends in November.

By DONNA CASSATA

WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats suffered what looked like a difficult setback on birth control Wednesday, but they hope it pays big political dividends in November.

Republicans blocked a bill that was designed to override a Supreme Court ruling and ensure access to contraception for women who get their health insurance from companies with religious objections. The vote was 56-43 to move ahead on the legislation — dubbed the "Not My Boss' Business Act" by proponents — four short of the 60 necessary to proceed.

But Democrats hope the issue has enough life to energize female voters in the fall, when Republicans are threatening to take control of the Senate.

GOP senators said Wednesday's vote was simply a stunt, political messaging designed to boost vulnerable Democratic incumbents. The GOP needs to gain six seats to seize control.

"Democrats are just trying to win an election," Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said bluntly.

But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the Republicans were the ones "out of touch with reality." He promised that Democrats would continue to press the issue.

Women have proven crucial in electing President Barack Obama and members of his party. And Democrats desperately need a strong turnout as they defend 21 Senate seats to the GOP's 15, many in Republican-leaning states where Obama's abysmal approval ratings are a likely drag.

Last month, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that requiring closely held companies to pay for various forms of women's contraception to which they object violates the corporations' religious freedom. The decision marked the first time the high court had declared that businesses can hold religious views under federal law.

"Five men on the Supreme Court rolled back the clock on women in America," said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.

A Senate veteran — the four-term Murray — and an incumbent locked in a tight race — Colorado's Mark Udall — joined forces in pushing the legislation that would have reversed the court's decision by providing access to contraception through insurance plans at businesses that object on religious grounds.

Republicans asserted that the government must accommodate the deeply held religious beliefs of Americans, including the owners of Hobby Lobby, the Oklahoma-based chain of arts and craft stores that challenged the contraceptives provision in the law.

"The issue in Hobby Lobby is not whether women can purchase birth control, it's who pays for what," said Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., in remarks on the Senate floor. "Those of us who believe that life begins at conception have moral objections to devices or procedures that destroy fertilized embryos."

Fischer said the Green family, which owns Hobby Lobby, has similar objections and "they don't want to use their money to violate their religious beliefs." She said the company's health coverage does pay for 16 of 20 forms of contraception, including birth control pills.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Democrats "think they can score political points and create divisions where there aren't any by distorting the facts."

McConnell joined with two Republican women, Fischer and Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, in backing separate legislation that would reaffirm current law on access to contraception and in calling for a Food and Drug Administration study on whether contraceptives could be sold over the counter without a prescription.

In one of the most closely watched races in the country, McConnell faces Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes in his bid for a sixth term.

On Wednesday's vote, three Republicans broke ranks with their party — Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mark Kirk of Illinois — and backed the Democratic-led legislation. In a procedural move, Reid switched his vote to no, allowing him to bring the measure up for another vote closer to the election.

All other Democrats backed the bill.

Democrats facing re-election insisted that the court ruling would force some women to pay out of pocket for contraceptives, or simply skip the purchase if the cost was too much.

"When you charge women more for contraceptive coverage, then you are denying them access to that care," said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., who is in a competitive race.

The government has said nearly 30 million women receive birth control as a result of the four-year-old health care law.

In the 2012 presidential and House elections, Democrats captured the female vote by double-digit margins — 55 percent to 44 percent — as Obama won re-election, according to exit polls conducted by Edison Research for The Associated Press and other news organizations.

Democrats enjoyed a slightly better edge in the 2008 elections when Obama captured his first term and Democrats maintained their congressional majority.

But it was far different in the 2010 midterm elections, some eight months after Obama signed the health care law and as the tea party energized the GOP. Female voters backed Republicans 49 percent to the Democrats' 48 percent in a low-turnout election that enabled the GOP takeover of the House.

In Colorado in 2008, female voters were critical to Udall's election to the Senate, favoring his candidacy 56 percent to 41 percent while men backed him 50 percent to 46 percent.

Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said the court's decision has "awakened the pro-choice majority in this country." In Kentucky, NARAL began a 30-second ad criticizing McConnell for his opposition to the legislation.

Democratic candidates in other states have been pressing their GOP rivals on whether they supported the court's ruling.

Springfield Puerto Rican Parade planning team promises best parade ever

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The Springfield Puerto Rican Parade will be held on Sept. 14.

SPRINGFIELD — The original Puerto Rican Parade included 15 participants and not much fanfare.

"We walked from the New North Citizens Council down to City Hall. That was 1989," said Gumersindo Gomez, an original founder of the parade.

The Springfield Puerto Rican Parade planning team gathered Wednesday to discuss plans for the parade which will be held Sept. 14 to coincide with Hispanic Heritage Month.

"We are so excited," said Edward Nuñez, of Freedom Credit Union, who is a member of the new planning team. The group is working with city officials and new Police Commissioner John Barbieri to make sure the event goes forward safely and successfully.

The team is headed up by Ernesto Cruz, son of Ivette Cruz, who heads up the Puerto Rican Cultural Center.

Ernesto Cruz said a group of Latino community leaders gathered together to ask the cultural center whether they could take over the parade.

"They put a lot of trust in us and they let us do it," he said.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno attended the event and said he is proud to work with the Latino community to make this a reality.

Sarno said Latinos are a part of Springfield's cultural traditions.

"When people think of Latino culture they think North End and that is a part of it, but Latinos are in all areas of this city. They are a part of the business community and the home buyers community," he said.

The planning team will continue to work in the coming months to pull off a successful, enjoyable event that will include representation from all ethnic backgrounds, not just Latinos, officials said.

"I know on parade day in Holyoke I am Irish, we all are. I want the same feeling for our parade," Nuñez said.

Lakeland, Fla., pays $25,000 to woman forced to shake out bra at traffic stop

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Zoe Brugger was pulled over by Lakeland police officer Dustin Fetz in May 2013 for a broken headlight

LAKELAND, Fla. -- The Florida city of Lakeland has paid a $25,000 settlement to a woman ordered to shake out her bra during a traffic stop.

A check dated July 7 was paid to Zoe Brugger, 29, of Lakeland, The Ledger in Lakeland reports.

Brugger was pulled over by Lakeland police officer Dustin Fetz in May 2013 for a broken headlight, authorities said. Silent video taken from the patrol car shows her being forced to shake out her bra multiple times in a search for drugs.

The officer also searched her car over her objections. No drugs were found.

Fetz has not been reprimanded for the search itself, but he served a one-day suspension for not having his microphone on.

City officials say they're waiting for an executed release, freeing them from a lawsuit.

Death penalty in California ruled unconstitutional; court rules lengthy, arbitrary wait on 'death row' equals 'cruel and unusual punishment'

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Since the current death penalty system was adopted by California voters 35 years ago, more than 900 people have been sentenced to death, but only 13 have been executed.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A federal judge ruled California's death penalty unconstitutional Wednesday, writing that lengthy and unpredictable delays have resulted in an arbitrary and unfair capital punishment system.

The decision by U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney represents a legal victory for those who want to abolish the death penalty in California and follows a similar ruling that has suspended executions in the state for eight years.

Carney, in a case brought by a death row inmate against the warden of San Quentin state prison, called the death penalty an empty promise that violates the Eighth Amendment's protection against cruel and unusual punishment.

"Inordinate and unpredictable delay has resulted in a death penalty system in which very few of the hundreds of individuals sentenced to death have been, or even will be, executed by the State," wrote Carney, a George W. Bush appointee.

He noted that death penalty appeals can last decades and, as a result, most condemned inmates are likely to die of natural causes before their executions are carried out.

Carney also wrote that since the current death penalty system was adopted by California voters 35 years ago, more than 900 people have been sentenced to death, but only 13 have been executed.

"As for the random few for whom execution does become a reality, they will have languished for so long on Death Row that their execution will serve no retributive or deterrent purpose and will be arbitrary," the judge stated.

Gil Garcetti, a former Los Angeles County district attorney who has become an anti-death-penalty activist, called the ruling "truly historic."

"It further proves that the death penalty is broken beyond repair," he said, calling for capital punishment to be replaced with life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Ernest Dewayne JonesErnest Dewayne Jones in an undated California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation photo. 

Carney's ruling came in a legal petition brought by Ernest Dewayne Jones, sentenced to die in 1994 after being convicted of murdering and raping his girlfriend's mother.

Jones remains on death row "with complete uncertainty as to when, or even whether," his execution will come, the judge wrote, adding, "Mr. Jones is not alone."

Carney's ruling could be appealed by the governor or state attorney general, who both oppose the death penalty. For now, Jones will likely remain on death row.

Carney noted that "arbitrary factors" such as the manner in which paperwork is handled are what "determine whether an individual will actually be executed."

The ruling was not without critics. Republican state Sen. Jim Nielsen, former chairman of the California Board of Prison Terms, issued a statement saying, "The current system needs improvement, but to completely get rid of the death penalty is unconscionable for victims and their families and society.

"Victims and their families need and deserve justice. This ruling denies them and society justice."

He said Californians have long supported the death penalty, and he urged Attorney General Kamala Harris to "uphold the will of the people" and appeal.

Another federal judge put California's death penalty on hold in 2006 when he ruled the state's lethal injection procedures needed overhaul.

The judge found that the state's procedures created too much risk that an inmate would suffer extreme pain while being executed. At that time, lethal injections were carried out in San Quentin's old gas chamber, which the judge found too cramped, too dark and too old for prison staff to properly administer execution drugs.

Since then, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has built a new execution chamber on the grounds of San Quentin in Northern California and made a number of changes to its procedures to address the judge's concerns.

A new federal judge has taken over the case and has not ruled on whether those changes are enough for the state to restart executions.

Additionally, the corrections department is drafting a new set of regulations for administering lethal injections. No executions can take place until the new rules are formally adopted.


Holyoke's impoverished areas to get extra police, graffiti-cleaning help thanks to Olde Holyoke Development Corp, donors

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The housing agency's effort includes paying for extra police patrols and removing graffiti.

HOLYOKE -- Jose Alvarado outlined the problem and it involved money.

Alvarado, 45, who said he is a former member of the La Familia street gang, said he now works as a street outreach worker. A teen-ager must feel opportunities exist or crime could lure him or her, he said, at a meeting Wednesday that Olde Holyoke Development Corp. held to discuss quality-of-life steps.

"Drug dealer is going to offer him $1,000. What can I offer him?" said Alvarado, who works for Holyoke Safe & Successful Youth Initiative, a state-funded program at 63 Jackson St.

Michael J. Moriarty, Olde Holyoke president, said the latest initiative was a small step to use grant money and donations to fund extra police patrols, remove graffiti from buildings and walls, clean alleys and do minor repairs like fixing park benches.

"I wish I could tell you I had something large behind this, but that's not the case," Moriarty said, in the meeting attended by more than a dozen people at the Holyoke Public Library, 250 Chestnut St.

But, said Moriarty and others, such efforts are important for their cumulative effect.

"We're not the whole puzzle. We're a piece of the puzzle," Moriarty said.

Olde Holyoke Development, a private nonprofit housing provider, held the meeting to outline the program, which includes seeking financial donations, and hear residents' suggestions.

jose.jpegJose Alvarado said he is a former street gang member and now works for Holyoke Safe and Successful Youth Initiative. He is shown at Wednesday's Olde Holyoke Development Corp. meeting. 

Moriarty said a quality-of-life fund has about $28,000. It consist of $10,000 from the city through the Community Development Block Grant program, $5,000 from Olde Holyoke and donations, he said.

The goal is to address problem spots within the Downtown-Prospect Heights, Flats, South Holyoke, Churchill, Springdale and Oakdale neighborhoods this summer, said Jerry Hobert, Quality of Life Fund coordinator for Olde Holyoke Development.

These areas would get an additional 150 hours of police foot patrols, clean 1,000 square feet of surfaces tagged with graffiti, do weekly alley cleanups and do at least two small public infrastructure repairs a week, he said.

"We're going to make this work," Hobert said.

Marisa Martinez said she lives in the Flats and deals with its residents through her ties to social-service and faith-based agencies. She asked if resources were available to help residents with crisis intervention.

Moriarty said the effort with its limited budget likely must stick to extra police patrols and graffiti and trash clean up.

Holyoke Police Sgt. John P. Hart said at the meeting that police are being trained on crisis intervention with a grant. The funding through the state Department of Mental Health helps equip police officers with crisis resolution and de-escalation skills when responding to persons with emotional disturbances, officials have said.

Also, said Hart, police use the community policing van that parks in problem areas and opens to let officers chat with residents and maintain a presence. Police also have established ties with groups that work in such neighborhoods like River Valley Counseling, the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Holyoke and CareerPoint, he said.

Gladys Lebron-Martinez, the city councilor for Ward 1, said the discussion could open ways to other kinds of help.

Perhaps police in arresting prostitutes can give them brochures for counseling services, she said. Such steps might have little effect at first but could help in stopping the revolving door that leads to such women after their arrests returning to selling themselves, she said.

"I think that's what needs to be done," Lebron-Martinez said.

Henry LaFortune works for the Hampden County Sheriff's Department as the Ward 1 neighborhood crime watch coordinator. Numerous small steps can improve neighborhoods like Ward 1, he said, and such efforts at least are better than people pointing fingers of blame at each other.

"I call it 'Ward Wonderful' because I think it can be a great place. I grew up on North Bridge Street," LaFortune said.

Malaysian Airlines plane crash: Malaysian PM says route was declared safe, no distress call made

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The Malaysia Airlines jetliner that went down in Ukraine did not make any distress call, Malaysia's prime minister said Friday, adding that its flight route also had been declared safe by the global civil aviation body.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- The Malaysia Airlines jetliner that went down in Ukraine did not make any distress call, Malaysia's prime minister said Friday, adding that its flight route also had been declared safe by the global civil aviation body.

Prime Minister Najib Razak, who addressed a news conference after speaking with leaders of Ukraine, the Netherlands, and President Barack Obama, said "no stone will be left unturned" in finding out what happened to Flight 17.

He told reporters that Ukrainian authorities believe the Boeing 777-200, which was on its way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur with 280 passengers and 15 crew, was shot down Thursday.

"At this stage, however, Malaysia is unable to verify the cause of this tragedy but we must, and we will, find out precisely what happened to this flight," Najib said. "If it transpires that the plane was indeed shot down we insist that the perpetrators must swiftly be brought to justice," he said.

Najib said the aircraft flight route was declared safe by the International Civil Aviation Organization. The International Air Transportation Association had also stated that the air space that the aircraft was traversing was not subject to restrictions, he said. Besides, "Malaysia Airlines has confirmed that the aircraft did not make a distress call."

Still, a former head of airports security group BAA suggested that many airlines including Malaysia Airlines had continued to use the route despite warnings because it was shorter and cheaper.

"It is a busy aviation route and there have been suggestions that a notice was given to aviators telling airlines to avoid that particular area," said Norman Shanks, who is also professor of aviation security at Coventry University in England.

"But Malaysia Airlines, like a number of other carriers, have been continuing to use it because it is a shorter route, which means less fuel and therefore less money," he told The Associated Press.

This is the second tragedy to hit Malaysia Airlines this year. Its Flight 370 disappeared on March 8 while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. It has not been found, but the search has been concentrated in the Indian Ocean west of Australia.

"This is a tragic day in what has already been a tragic year for Malaysia," Najib said.

He said the Ukrainian government has promised a full and thorough investigation which will include Malaysian officials. He said they will also negotiate with rebels to "establish a humanitarian corridor to the crash site."

In his conversation with Obama, Najib said, they agreed that "the investigation must not be hindered in any way. An international team must have full access to the crash site. And no one must interfere with the area, or move any debris, including the black box."

Earlier, several relatives of those on board the Malaysian airliner began arriving at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport to seek news of their loved ones.

A distraught Akmar Mohamad Noor said her older sister, who lives in Geneva, was on her way back to celebrate Eid with the family.

The 67-year-old sister has lived in Geneva for 30 years and last visited the family in Kuala Lumpur five years ago, she said.

"She was coming back from Geneva to celebrate (Eid) with us for the first time in 30 years," Akmar said in between sobs. "She called me just before she boarded the plane and said 'see you soon," Akmar said.

She said the family saw the news on TV and rushed to the airport to get details.

Several other angry relatives were shouting and demanding to see the passenger manifest but there was no official from Malaysian Airline present, and security guards prevented them from going into the airline's operating area.

"We have been waiting for four hours. We found out the news from international media. The Facebook is more efficient than MAS. It's so funny, they are a laughing stock," an angry young man told reporters. He declined to give his name.

Najib said Malaysia Airlines is in the process of notifying the next of kin of the passengers and crew. He said the government will send a special flight to Kiev, carrying a disaster assistance and rescue team, as well as a medical team.

Rock climber injured in 30-foot fall in Erving; airlifted by helicopter UMass Memorial in Worcester

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The man was an experienced climber and was using all the proper climbing and safety gear. The fall was accidental, police said.

ERVING – A man climbing at the Farley Ledges was injured Thursday afternoon when
he slipped and fell approximately 30 feet, police said.

Officer James LaFlamme of the Erving Police Department said the man was transported by a Life Flight helicopter ambulance to UMass Medical Center in Worcester.

He characterized the man’s injuries as not life-threatening. The decision to call for the helicopter was a precaution considering the height of the fall and the nature of the man’s injuries.

The injured man, whose name was not released, complained at the scene of neck and back pain at the scene, LaFlamme said. He was conscious and alert when medical personnel reach him, he said.

The Farley Ledges are a popular rock climbing spot and are known throughout New England among climbing enthusiasts.

LaFlamme said the man was an experienced climber and was using all the proper climbing and safety gear. The fall was accidental, he said.

Erving Fire and the Turners Falls and Greenfield fire departments all participated in the rescue.

The scene were the man was hurt is somewhat remote and difficult to reach, and it took some time for rescue personnel to get to him and then to carry him out.

Police were called to the scene just after 4 p.m. and the man was not out of the woods and en route to the hospital until shortly after 7 p.m., he said.

Approximate location of accident scene.


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Springfield man pleads guilty drug charges in Pittsfield court; sentenced to 3 years in state prison

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John Dyer, 39, pleaded guilty to charges of separate counts of possession of cocaine, marijuana and oxycodone, each with intent to distribute.

PITTSFIELD - A Springfield man was sentenced Thursday to serve up to three years in state prison after pleading guilty in Berkshire District Court to charges of possessing heroin, oxycodone and marijuana, according to officials with the office of Berkshire District Attorney David F. Capeless.

John Dyer, 39, pleaded guilty to charges of separate counts of possession of cocaine, marijuana and oxycodone, each with intent to distribute, as well as having an open container in a motor vehicle, and two counts of driving without a seatbelt.

The charges stem from two separate traffic stops, the first by Cheshire police on Nov. 12, 2012, and the second by Dalton police on May 7 of last year.

Judge John Agostini ordered Dyer to serve concurrent 2 ½ to 3 year sentences at the Massachusetts Correctional Institute at Cedar Junction in Walpole for the three possession with intent to distribute charges. The other charges were placed on file.

Dyer’s sentence is scheduled to begin on Aug. 4.

Ludlow community leaders trying to combat growing heroin use

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The overdoes have been among people 20 to 51, Madera said.

LUDLOW – Selectman William Rooney told newly appointed Police Chief Paul Madera to come back to the board with an action plan to combat a growing problem of heroin use in the community.

“Come back to us with an action plan,” Rooney said. Rooney added that increased heroin use “is destroying the fabric of the community.”

Madera appeared before the Board of Selectmen and told them that a heroin epidemic is increasing across the state.

Madera said that in spite of all the town has been trying to do, recent state statistics he has received show that in the last six weeks, there have been four unintentional heroin overdoes by Ludlow residents in the state and one death related to heroin.

“Surrounding communities have been impacted as well,” Madera said.

The overdoses have been among people ages 20 to 51, Madera said.

Both the Michael J. Dias Foundation in Ludlow and the Ludlow CARES Coalition have taken the lead in town about trying to educate people about the perils of overuse of prescription drugs such as Oxycodone which can be addicting and heroin use which sometimes follows the abuse of prescription drugs.

Ludlow schools have been addressing the issue, but the town needs to do more, Madera said.

Madera said he is planning to propose that the Ludlow Boys & Girls Club implement some educational programs and that more programs be put in place for grade school children.

“The library, the schools and the Board of Health all need to get involved,” Madera said.

Fire Chief Mark Babineau said that the Fire Department has responded to some parties with many heroin users. The availability of the drug Narcan, which can be given to try and counter an overdose, may be making some people feel that heroin use is less deadly, the fire chief said.

Madera said that sales of heroin are occurring in town “any day of the week, at 10 a.m. and at noon.”

“We are assigning officers, looking for sellers, daily,” Madera said. He added, “We are making arrests.”

Rooney told the chiefs he is glad they are bringing the problem forward.

“We need to get the School Committee, the churches and the Board of Health involved,” Rooney added.

Selectman Aaron Saunders said he has had friends who were drug users who have relapsed.

Saunders said one problem is that addicted people “have to want to be in recovery.”

Madera said the drug addiction problem “discriminates against no-one.”

“It affects professionals, young people, Moms and Dads,” he said.

Madera said that arrests alone will not solve the drug problem.

“We’re trying to prevent people from dying,” he said.

Rooney said the issue is important.

“These are people we know,” he said.

Rooney said he is willing to go before town meeting for additional funds if they are needed to counter the problem of drug abuse.


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