Quantcast
Channel: News
Viewing all 62489 articles
Browse latest View live

Reported road rage incident on Interstate 91 in Deerfield leads to arrest of 51-year-old Opereed McChristion of New Hampshire

0
0

The suspect was wanted on a warrant out of Boston for possession of a firearm without a permit.

DEERFIELD – A reported road rage incident on Interstate 91 Monday morning led to the arrest of a driver and the confiscation of a .45 caliber handgun loaded with hollow-point bullets, state police said.

State Trooper Michael Tucker said the incident occurred shortly after 7 a.m. when the suspect, Opereed McChristion, 51, of Claremont, N.H., allegedly ran into a woman’s vehicle as he attempted to pass her on Interstate 91.

McChristion did not stop and the woman followed him for a time and called police, Tucker said.

Trooper Adam Leonczyk arrested the suspect, whose vehicle had Indiana plates, a short time later on Route 5 in Northampton. The suspect, Tucker said, was wanted on a warrant out of Boston for possession of a firearm without a permit.

A search of the vehicle yielded the loaded .45, Tucker said. McQuestion was slated to be arraigned in Northampton District Court Monday afternoon on the warrant and charges of possession of a firearm without a license and possession of ammunition without an FID card.


Massachusetts AG Martha Coakley recommends fines against Otis, Wayland boards of selectmen over open meeting law violations

0
0

An investigation found 2 separate violations against Otis selectmen, who met at the Otis Poultry Farm to discuss how to discipline the town's police chief.

MarthaCoakley2010.jpgMassachusetts Attorney General Martha M. Coakley is recommending fines against the Otis and Wayland boards of selectmen for violating the state's open meeting law.

By STEVE LeBLANC

BOSTON — For the first time since taking over enforcement of the state's open meeting law, Attorney General Martha Coakley is recommending fines against two local boards of selectmen.

Coakley said the recommendations followed investigations into the activities of the Wayland and Otis boards, including a discussion of possible disciplinary action against the Otis police chief over her job performance.

In the case of Wayland, Coakley said a review of a local cable access broadcast showed a majority of the board's members gathered before the scheduled meeting time and deliberated quietly about the appointment of potential candidates to a local town board on July 8, 2010.

Investigators reviewed emails and meeting minutes and interviewed board members before concluding the board violated the law.

A call to the Wayland board of selectmen wasn't immediately returned.

A second investigation found two separate violations against Otis selectmen, Coakley said. Investigators pointed to the board's decision to meet at the Otis Poultry Farm on August 9, 2010, to talk about how to discipline the town's police chief.

The meeting occurred without notice of it being posted and without opening it to the public, investigators said. In addition, board members continued to discuss the matter privately after the initial meeting, investigators said.

Coakley's office found the board violated the law twice, first by holding the initial meeting without posting it or keeping minutes, and then by debating the issue for the next ten days.

Otis Town Administration Christopher Morris said the board of selectmen will take the matter under advisement and discuss their next steps with the town's legal counsel.

Both investigations were launched in response to complaints received by her office, Coakley said. In both cases, the violations were intentional, she said.

The boards face hearings before an administrative law judge and possible $1,000 fines.

The investigations were the first of their kind to result in allegations of intentional efforts to avoid the open meeting law since Coakley's office was handed oversight of the law in July 2010. The Attorney General's Division of Open Government has reviewed more than 170 complaints, issuing a variety of determinations and advisory opinions, she said.

Coakley said her goal is to use the statute "to promote greater transparency and uniform compliance with the law throughout state government."

There are limits to which governmental bodies Coakley can investigate under the law, which is designed to guarantee the public's access to the actions and deliberations of their government.

The law does not extend to the 200-member Legislature, which exempted itself from the statute.

Democrats, who hold overwhelming majorities in both the Massachusetts House and Senate, routinely hold closed door caucuses during which they discuss pending legislation before debating it publicly.

During the caucuses, court officers are often posted to prevent reporters and the public from getting inside to listen to the private discussions. Occasionally, the House or Senate has held joint caucuses of Democrats and Republicans — in effect, private meetings of the entire state Legislature.

Legislative leaders have defended the caucuses, saying bills are still debated and voted on in public. They also say lawmakers hold public hearings on pending legislation.

Luis Cintron of Springfield denies fatal stabbing of Carlos Beslanga

0
0

Beslanga's sister shouted out "murderer" and his mother dropped to the courtroom floor wailing in grief.

Luis Cintron 62011.jpgLuis M. Cintron

Updates a story posted Monday at 11:12 a.m.


SPRINGFIELD – The sister of Carlos E. Beslanga shouted out “murderer” and his mother dropped to the courtroom floor, wailing in grief, as Beslanga’s accused killer made his first court appearance Monday.

Six hours after surrendering to Springfield police, Luis M. Cintron, 37, pleaded not guilty in Springfield District Court to first degree murder in the May 21 death of Beslanga at 66 Cumberland Ave.

Beslanga, 32, of Newington, Conn., was visiting relatives in Springfield when he was stabbed in the heart and lung in front of his wife and children, police said.

Police said the victim was urinating in an alley when Cintron confronted him, and a brief altercation ensued. Beslanga was pronounced dead at Baystate Medical Center, located less than 100 yards away.

Cintron and Noemy Ramos, 33, who both lived at 66 Cumberland St., fled after Ramos hid the knife in the sewer; Ramos surrendered on May 23, and is being held in lieu of $150,000 cash bail on two counts of accessory after the fact of murder.

At Cintron’s arraignment, Judge William Boyle ordered him held without bail; defense lawyer Dale Bass said his client may seek bail in the future.

Noting that Beslanga has friends and relatives at the Hampden County House of Correction, Bass asked that his client be sent to the Hampshire County jail instead. Boyle said the request would be passed along to correctional officials.

As court officers were leading Cintron from the courtroom, Beslanga’s sister, Marianella Rizzuto, 34, of Ellington, Conn., shouted “murderer.”

Moments later, the victim’s mother, Yolanda Jarra, began weeping as family members helped her from the courtroom.

She dropped to the ground at the courtroom door, convulsed in grief, as court officers attempted to ease her through the door. By the time she was helped into a conference room, the courtroom floor was wet with tears.

Outisde, the victim’s brother in law, Philip Rizzuto, 42, of Ellington, said the family was pleased that Cintron had surrendered, and was being held without bail.

“At least he’s off the street, and won’t be able to hurt anyone else,” Rizzuto said.

Boyle set the next hearing for July 26.

Western Massachusetts residents affected by tornado visit FEMA disaster recovery centers

0
0

Six of the nine recovery centers, operated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, were open as of Monday and the remaining three are scheduled to open Tuesday morning.

me fema tornado 4.jpgOn the right side of the table, Sandra M. Foley, a rapid response business service representative with the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and Staci L. Johnson, right, claims agent in that office, help business owners affected by the June 1 tornado Monday at the Federal and Massachusetts Emergency Management Agencies disaster recovery center at the Sturbridge Public Safety Complex.

SPRINGFIELD – Dean M. Wright of West Springfield stopped in at the West Side municipal office building on Monday to see what could be done about his now-immobile car and his two flying air conditioners.

His 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix, his family’s sole vehicle, was crushed by a falling tree at his 35 Merrick St. residence during the June 1 tornado.

The two air conditioners were simply sucked out of the windows.

“Nobody thought there would be a tornado in West Springfield,” he said.

Wright was one of dozens of people throughout Hampden County suffering some kind of loss in the tornado who stopped in at various Disaster Recovery Centers in Hampden and Worcester counties.

Six of the nine recovery centers, operated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, were open as of Monday and the remaining three are scheduled to open by Tuesday morning.

The Springfield and West Springfield locations opened on Saturday, followed by Agawam, Brimfield, Sturbridge, and Wilbraham on Monday.

Facilities in Monson, Southbridge and Westfield are scheduled to open Tuesday.

The nine centers, each in a community affected by the storm, will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. until further notice.



The most recent figure provided by FEMA has 1,226 people registering for relief assistance over the FEMA website, its toll-free number or by stopping in at the centers, said Jeb Killion, FEMA spokesman.

At West Springfield, 19 people including Wright stopped in on Monday, on top of another 23 who showed up over the weekend.

In Brimfield, 15 families and businesses stopped in on Monday, that recovery center’s first day.

Seven applicants had visited the Disaster Recovery Center that opened Monday at the Blake Middle School at Wilbraham & Monson Academy.

“We’re sharing equipment to get the job done,” said Robert Haley, manager of the Disaster Recovery Center at 20 Faculty Street in Wilbraham.

In Agawam, staff saw just one person stopping in on the first day of the center at 1002 Suffield St.

Manager Eva Packer attributed the poor response to lack of publicity about it.

Westfield’s center opened Monday afternoon at Munger Hill Elementary School. Turnout figures for that location were not available, but center manager Magaly Morales said it will operate every day until no longer needed.

“Because this center is located in a school, everyone knows where we are.” Morales said. We will remain here as long as residents require our assistance.”

The centers are an offshoot of the federal disaster declaration made last week for the region. The declaration, signed by President Barack Obama, allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency to respond to the scene and coordinate the relief and rebuilding efforts between Westfield and Stockbridge.

According to the most recent figures provided by the state Division of Insurance, there have been 8,200 insurance claims filed totaling $140 million in damage.

The centers provide people information from various federal and state agencies about receiving federal assistance, direct aid and other services, including the federal Small Business Administration, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, the Internal Revenue Service and social service agencies affiliated with the United Way.

Donna L. Rowe, a counselor with the Behavioral Health Network, said she talked to eight people during a three-hour period Monday in West Springfield.

Some people are concerned that they still fell anxious and have trouble sleeping, although the tornado was nearly three weeks ago.

“We are reassuring them that what they feel is normal,” Rowe said.

Michael E. Walsh, a customer service representative from the Small Business Administration, said he had talked to 25 people since the West Springfield office opened Saturday about low-interest loans for homeowners, renters and businesses.

Karen Pollock, manager for the Brimfield recovery center said a staff of 10 is working at the center helping people who lost their homes, jobs or businesses to the tornado.

Pollock said FEMA can pay rent for eligible families for up to two months and there is a possibility that time limit could be extended. There are also loans for businesses and homeowners, Pollock said.

In other developments Monday, the state House of Representatives and the Massachusetts Senate voted final approval to a bill that includes $15 million to pay for costs of state agencies responding to the tornadoes. The bill was sent to the governor, who had filed the bill two weeks ago and is expected to sign it.

The $15 million would pay for overtime and other tornado-related costs of state agencies such as the State Police, the state Department of Conservation and Recreation and the National Guard.

The bill also speeds the process of cities and towns borrowing money for emergency purposes, and allow communities to provide property tax relief to property owners affected by the tornadoes. Property taxes for the fiscal year that starts July 1 would be based on the damaged condition of the properties.


Gov. Deval L. Patrick will be joined today in Springfield by Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray and Gregory Bialecki, the state’s housing and economic development secretary, during a public forum on rebuilding efforts following the tornadoes.

The event will be held at 3:00 p.m. at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield.

At the event, Patrick and Bialecki will sit with a cross section of leaders in business, public safety, housing, community development, planning, tourism and other fields.

The forum is intended to focus on ways government can leverage opportunities that have arisen from the storm and rebuild neighborhoods stronger than before, said Kimberly Haberlin, communications director for the state’s Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development.

The program will include remarks from the Springfield mayor, the governor and lieutenant governor as well as reports from various leaders about the status of transportation networks, school buildings and other infrastructure, rebuilding plans, small business impacts and other storm related issues, Haberlin said.

The latter half of the meeting will be devoted to a group sessions focusing on ways to rebuild housing, expand entrepreneurship, involve the local workforce, strengthen key
community institutions and other issues, she said.

Meanwhile, two interns working this summer with Patrick’s Western Massachusetts office have been doing more than answering phones and filing papers.

AE 621TORN.jpgView full sizeTwo interns in the governor's Western Massachusetts office, Orlando Cordero, left, and Mariya Holembiyevskyy, on the right, stand next to Gov. Deval L. Patrick at the Statehouse on Monday. Patrick recognized the two interns for their work in the wake of the June 1 tornadoes.

Interns Mariya K. Holembiyevskyy, of Monson and Orlando Cordero, 20, of Springfield, have been going through tornado-ravaged parts of Springfield and West Springfield, passing out fliers and knocking on doors to reach people who needed help and information

“It wasn’t what we were expecting,” said Cordero.

Holembiyevskyy, a senior this fall at Smith College in Northampton, translated documents into her native Russian to provide information to non-English-speaking Russian immigrants in affected neighborhoods of West Springfield and at the Russian Pentecostal Church of Hope in West Springfield.

A 2008 graduate of Monson High School, Holembiyevskyy said she emigrated to the U.S. when she was 2 and grew up in a family that spoke Russian.

Cordero, a 2008 graduate of Springfield Central High School and a senior this fall at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, also did a lot of canvassing near downtown West Springfield, where he took information from people in need of utilities and other assistance.

He said he was shocked to see the destruction in parts of Springfield.

“A lot of homes were condemned and some houses incredibly weren’t even there,” Cordero said.

Several events are planned in the upcoming days centered on rebuilding the communities and tending to the piece of mind of communities damaged by the tornado.

West Springfield’s First Congregational Church, 20 Lathrop St., has scheduled a special prayer service beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday and a community supper to follow at 6:45 p.m.

Doors to the church open at 5 p.m.

me tornado flattened plane 1.jpgDamaged light aircraft line the taxiway at the Southbridge Municipal Airport Monday, the remnants of the June 1 tornado.

Organizers say the service will be a time for prayer, reflection, rebuilding through meditation, and singing. Donations will be accepted to aid tornado relief.

Parking for the event will be at the Senior Center next door to the church on 128 Park Street.

Also on Tuesday, representatives of the New England Patriots and the United Way are expected in Springfield morning to announce the kick off of a fundraising campaign for tornado relief.

The announcement is planned for 12:15 p.m. at Springfield College’s Stagg Field on Alden Street.

The family of Patriots owner Robert Kraft and the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation is pledging a dollar-for-dollar matching grant of up to $100,000 in matching funds for money donated to the United Way and Mass 2-1-1.

Funds will be assigned to the Massachusetts Statewide Disaster Relief Fund, with 100 percent ofdonations directed towards helping those in need. Donations can be made by dialing 2-1-1, or via their website at http://www.unitedwaytri-county.org/disaster

Retired Patriots great Andre Tippett and current player and Springfield native Ron Brace are scheduled to be on hand for the announcement, along with United Way of Pioneer Valley President Dora Robinson.

On Friday, the New England Patriots Alumni Association will bring their ‘Football for You’ free youth football clinic to Springfield College.

On Wednesday, victims of the tornadoes can receive free legal advice from attorneys through the Disaster Relief Dial-A-Lawyer program.

The program is offered by the Hampden County Bar Association, the Massachusetts Bar Association and Western New England School of Law.

Massachusetts residents facing legal issues due to the tornadoes can call volunteer attorneys for legal advice from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

The Disaster Relief Dial-A-Lawyer phone number is (413) 782-1659. Callers getting a busy signal are asked to hang up and try again.

Normal telephone charges will apply.

Republican reporters Dan Ring, Sandra Constantine, Suzanne McLaughlin, John Appleton, Lori Stabile and Ted Laborde contributed to this report.

Holyoke School Committee approves spending plan of $88.2 million

0
0

The city appropriation in the school budget for the next fiscal year is $62.8 million, with the state funding most of the school budget.

moriarty.JPGSchool Committee member Michael J. Moriarty

HOLYOKE – No teachers will be laid off but five positions will be eliminated in the budget of $88.2 million the School Committee approved for the next fiscal year.

While the new spending plan was described as tight, officials said Monday next year’s will be worse.

During the committee meeting, officials said the budget facing the school system next year is unlikely to have the benefit of carrying over $3.4 million unspent from the previous fiscal year, as is the case with the budget set to begin July 1.

“That scares the daylights out of me,” said Michael J. Moriarty, committee member at large.

The 9-0 committee vote established a budget as of July 1 that is less than 1 percent more than the current $87.4 million.

The budget consists of state funding, a city appropriation and grants, officials said.

The budget eliminates positions of three custodians, a clerk and a staffer who helped incoming freshmen make the transition to high school, officials said.

The school system has 1,600 employees, Executive Director of Finance Christine P. Regan said.

Student enrollment is about 5,900.

The school budget includes a city appropriation of $62,879,111, but most of the school budget, including part of the funding that is considered the city appropriation, consists of state aid.

The city appropriation in the current year is $60.5 million, Regan said.

Superintendent David L. Dupont said the budget funds essential services for the 11 schools and the school administration. But tight funding required more cuts than he would have liked in the spending proposals submitted by principals and other staff, he said.

“It’s not, certainly, the budget we started out with....In the end, there are no teacher layoffs,” Dupont said.

Committee members such as Ward 4 member Cesar Lopez said that as officials try to stretch the limited funding, among their concerns are ensuring strong funding for he city’s two Level 4 schools.

A year ago, the state designated 35 schools statewide as Level 4, or chronically underperforming, in terms of student test scores.

Dean Technical High School and Morgan School are on that list, and unless significant progress is shown three years after the Level 4 designation, the state could take over the schools.

In other business, three parents during the public speakout part of the meeting said school officials had disrupted their families with rezoning decisions.

Due to overcrowding, in the fall, some children will be transferred from McMahon School at 75 Kane Road to Peck School at 1916 Northampton St.

The parents criticized officials for failing to inform families the transfers were being considered and for the lack of lead time. They said their children were comfortable and learning well at McMahon School.

“Your actions are unacceptable to me and my family ...,” said Brian P. Ramoth, who has two children.

“Nobody told us anything at all....Shame on yourself. You did a horrible job,” said Jorge R. Diaz, who said he has three children at McMahon School.

William R. Collamore, School Committee vice chairman, thanked the parents for their comments but officials otherwise didn’t respond.

Dupont said later in the meeting officials are working on rezoning plans for all the schools.

Palmer Town Council appoints Charles Blanchard as interim town manager

0
0

Charles Blanchard will be paid $450 a day, and work a minimum of eight hours a day, four days a week, as the interim town manager. He also will be reimbursed for mileage expenses for on-the-job travel.

062011 charles blanchard.jpgCharles T. Blanchard

PALMER – The Town Council on Monday night unanimously approved the appointment of Charles T. Blanchard of Sturbridge as the interim town manager.

Blanchard officially will start work on July 1, but he told the council he plans to work a few days with Acting Town Manager Patricia A. Kennedy before she retires on June 30.

He will be paid $450 a day, and work a minimum of eight hours a day, four days a week. He also will be reimbursed for mileage expenses for on-the-job travel.

Blanchard was a semifinalist for the town manager position last summer, but withdrew his name, citing personal reasons.

A council subcommittee composed of Council President Eric A. Duda, Vice President Barbara A. Barry and At-large member Paul E. Burns interviewed Blanchard on June 10.

"The minute I heard Pat was leaving I thought of Charlie," Burns said later. "Why go into a major search? He was qualified, he was vetted by two subcommittees, and for the type of job that it is ... it doesn't make sense to go out and have a lengthy interim town manager search."

Burns said that Blanchard had indicated to the search committee last summer that he also would be interested in serving as an interim town manager.

Duda said he received a letter from Blanchard on June 8 indicating his interest in the interim position.

The letter states that Blanchard, 66, has worked in public service for the past 35 years, and served as a Sturbridge selectman for 17 years, and as Paxton's town administrator for six years. He retired from that job in January. His wife Mary is a selectman in Sturbridge.

Blanchard, who later said he is not interested in a permanent town manager position, said he was Paxton's first town administrator. He said he can help move the community forward during the transition period to a permanent town manager.

Duda said he felt that Blanchard could "hit the ground running" and said his credentials speak for themselves. He said Blanchard is expected to be in the position for three to six months.

"Hopefully I'll be able to keep things moving in the right direction," Blanchard said after the meeting.

During the meeting, Barry disclosed that she works for the town of Sturbridge, where she is the finance director. Barry said Charles Blanchard was a selectman when she was hired, and said she does not have a conflict of interest.

Duda said some people have asked him about the Barry-Blanchard connection, but he said he does not see a problem, and became aware of Blanchard's qualifications when he served on the town manager search committee with Burns. Barry did not serve on the search committee.

"Maybe it looks suspicious to some, but I don't think so," Duda said.

Barry said she was among employees who received a raise recently, and said that it was approved at the annual Town Meeting.

Appointments in Sturbridge are confirmed by the selectmen; budgetary requests, such as raises, go through the town administrator, selectmen, Finance Committee and then Town Meeting, which has the final say.

"There is no conflict. If people want to think that, it's fine," Barry said.

In other town manager-related news, the council approved using $20,000 from so-called free cash to assist the new council with the town manager search. The vote was 5 to 3, with Councilors Michael R. Magiera, Donald Blais, Philip J. Hebert, William S. Heilman and Eric A. Duda voting for it, and Councilors Barry, Burns and Raymond J. Remillard voting against it. Councilor Karl S. Williams was absent.

It was Magiera's idea to set aside the extra money. He said the last two town manager searches have not gone well, and said this could help the new council with the task.

Remillard asked Magiera if the money would be used for an outside consultant, and Magiera said that would be up to the new council to decide. The new Town Council takes effect July 1.

Approximately 25 resumes have been submitted for the town manager position.

Holyoke police arrest Juan Perez in shooting murder of Reynaldo Fuentes; more arrests pending

0
0

The suspect in the city's 2nd murder of the year was arrested hours after the shooting death at Appleton and Elm streets.

View full sizeA state police detective searches the area behind 341 Appleton St. for evidence following Monday night's fatal shooting. The victim can be seen in the background under a sheet.
AE APPLETON SHOOTING 6.jpgView full sizeHampden County District Attorney Mark Mastroianni is briefed by a detective at the scene of Monday night's homicide in Holyoke

Updates a story posted Monday at 8:37 p.m.


HOLYOKE – Juan C. Perez, of 374 Maple St., was arrested and charged with the city’s second murder of 2011 on Monday, only weeks after he also stabbed the victim, police said.

The murder happened less than two days after the city’s first homicide early Sunday outside a High Street bar.

The body of Reynaldo Fuentes, 23, of 74 Waldo St., was found riddled with bullets in a parking lot behind Las Chicas market, 341 Appleton St., about 7:30 p.m., police said.

Perez, 26, was charged with killing Fuentes, Capt. Arthur R. Monfette said.

“He was just booked for murder,” Monfette said.

Two other men also were about to be arrested in the fatal shooting, including one who was being questioned late Monday at the Police Station on Appleton Street, he said.

But it appeared Perez had the main beef with Fuentes, though the seeds of the dispute were unclear. Perez was accused of stabbing Fuentes two or three weeks ago, Monfette said.

Kenneth Torres, 15, said at the scene that it was his brother who was killed. Fuentes was one of eight children and worked at a construction job in Northampton, Torres said.

“I don’t know why this happened. He didn’t get into problems with nobody. I can’t believe this happened,” Torres said.

The brothers used to hang out together, said Torres, who said the victim’s nickname was “Goldo.”

A clerk who said he worked at Las Chicas Market and didn’t want his name used said he heard three or four gunshots but didn’t see anything. Monfette said the market had nothing to do with the shooting.

The killing did not appear to be related to the city’s first murder of 2011, said acting Police Chief Frederick J. Seklecki, which occurred about 1:30 a.m. Sunday outside The Clover Cafe, 104 High St.

In that case, Oscar Castro, 26, of 23 Essex St., died from a single gunshot to the head in what police said was a street gang-related killing.

At Appleton and Elm streets, more than 100 people, many of them visibly upset, had gathered at the site of the killing about 8 p.m. Police blocked off parts of Appleton and Elm streets.

Hampden District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni was on the scene and met later with detectives at the Police Station.

Staff reporter Jeanette DeForge contributed to this report

Two homicides in Holyoke in 2 days

View Pioneer Valley Homicides, 2011 in a larger map

Search for Congamond Lakes drowning victim Larry Cauley was hampered by murky water

0
0

Cauley's body was discovered 200 feet from shore in about 35 feet of water.

larry cauley garrett players.jpgLarry Cauley prepares to perform in the American International College Garret Players production of "Much Ado About Will" in April.

Updates a story posted Monday at 2:15 p.m.


SOUTHWICK – The body of 22-year-old Larry Cauley, of Suffield, Conn., was pulled from 35 feet of water in Congamond Lakes Middle Pond at about 12:30 p.m. Monday, nearly 36 hours after he jumped or fell from a pontoon boat.

Southwick Police Chief Mark J. Krynicki said Cauley's body was found by state and local divers after teams resumed their search at 8:30 a.m. Monday. Officials from Southwick, state and environmental police suspended their search at 5:30 p.m. Sunday after scouring the water since receiving the call at about 12:30 a.m. Sunday.

“We conducted a grid search, used an underwater camera and had about a dozen personnel out there between all three groups,” Krynicki said. “He was located a short distance from where he was reported as going into the water.”

Cauley’s body was discovered 200 feet from shore in about 35 feet of water, he said, adding that there are some pockets of water on the lakes that are as deep as 50 to 55 feet.

Hampering the search and recovery, the chief said, was the condition of the water, causing poor visibility.

“Visibility was just 10 feet - it’s just the nature of the water’s composition,” Krynicki noted.

Cauley was a member of the 13-person Hill family, who had a new house built for them by the ABC-TV show “Extreme Home Makeover” in June 2009. The episode featuring the family aired in October of that year.

The chief said there were nine people on the pontoon boat when Cauley either jumped or fell from it. Three people jumped in after him with a life preserver, but were unable to locate him because of the dark.

“They did attempt to search for him, but they just couldn’t see anything.”

Police responded to the 911 call at 12:56 a.m., which was placed by a neighbor on shore who heard the cries for help. That neighbor, Jack Ferraro, of 86 Berkshire Ave., also volunteered the use of his boat to rescue personnel when they arrived at the scene.

“I was out on my deck when he went into the water,” Ferraro said Sunday afternoon.

Krynicki, who spoke briefly with the family Monday morning, said the case remains under investigation by the state police Crime Prevention and Control Unit out of the office of the Hampden County District Attorney.

“The investigation is just to tie up loose ends and make sure (the death) was accidental,” he said.

The office of the state medical examiner is conducting an autopsy and should have results from toxicology tests in about four to six weeks, Krynicki said.

In the wake of this incident, the chief said police are reminding boaters to be responsible when they are on the water and use common sense.

The last reported drowning at Congamond Lakes was in August 2000, when an 18-year-old from Brooklyn, N.Y., died in South Pond, the second largest Congamond pond. Prior to that, a 33-year-old West Suffield, Conn., man died after drowning in Middle Pond in October 1994.

On Sunday, Southwick police closed access to the lakes to boaters at the public boat launch on Point Grove Road, while boaters from private docks on their property were advised to stay clear of the search area. The lakes remained closed Monday while the search continued.

Southwick residents were advised by the town’s automated emergency phone system on Sunday and Monday to stay off the lakes while authorities continued their search for the body.


Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society withdraws from national contest to focus on tornado survivors

0
0

The animal shelter was directly in the path of the tornado when it touched down in the South End of Springfield.

Dakin 62111.jpgChristine Duross, an employee of the Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society on Union Street in Springfield, works with some of the dogs rescued after the June 1 tornadoes.

SPRINGFIELD – Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society has announced its withdrawal from the ASPCA’s $100,000 Challenge competition, so it can focus on caring for local animals in the wake of the June 1 tornado, according to Dakin spokeswoman Candy Lash.

Dakin was directly in the path of the tornado when it touched down in the South End of Springfield.

The multi-part $100,000 Challenge has several phases, and Dakin did very well in the first phase. People were asked to vote for their local shelter, and out of 93 that entered the competition, Dakin placed third in the nation.

In the next part of the challenge, each organization had to adopt out at least 300 more animals in a three-month period than last year.

That’s when Dakin folded. They have too much on their hands caring for pets who survived the tornado, said Lash.

“In the last two weeks, we have provided temporary shelter, emergency veterinary care, pet food and supplies to more than 100 people and their animals,” she said, including two dozen on the night of the tornado.

One of the survivors is a Chihuahua mix named Poochy. Her family moved away instead of rebuilding, and their solution for the little dog was to abandon her.

Neighbors fed her, and a couple in the neighborhood decided to adopt her. When they brought her to Dakin on June 15, it turned out Poochy was pregnant, the puppies had died inside of her, and a bad infection had resulted.

“She would have died, had she not had emergency surgery last night,” said Lash on Thursday. “She’s not out of the woods, but she’s doing better.”

To keep competing in the $100,000 Challenge, Dakin would have had to increase the number of homeless “Dixie Dogs” it imports from the South each month.

It decided to stick closer to home, where “we need the support of ‘Dakin Nation’ more than ever,” said Lash.

For more information on how to help Dakin through this difficult period, go to www.dpvhs.org or call (413) 781-4000.

Holyoke police: city's latest homicide was a family affair; 3 brothers charged with killing Reynaldo Fuentes

0
0

Police continue to investigate back-to-back homicides in Holyoke on Sunday and Monday. The crimes don't appear to be linked, according to police, who've arrested three brothers in connection with one killing.

A state police detective searches the area behind 341 Appleton St. for evidence following Monday night's fatal shooting, Holyoke's second homicide in two days. The victim can be seen in the background under a sheet.

Updates a story published at 11:42 p.m., Monday, June 20.


HOLYOKE – Police have arrested two more men in connection with the fatal shooting of 23-year-old Reynaldo Fuentes, whose bullet-riddled body was found Monday evening in a parking lot behind Las Chicas Market, 341 Appleton St.

All three homicide suspects are brothers, according to Holyoke Police Sgt. John Hart, adding that each is charged in connection with Fuentes' death, the city's second murder of the year.

Monday's fatal shooting, which was reported around 7:09 p.m., followed Sunday's killing of 26-year-old Oscar Castro, whom police believe died as a result of a gang-related dispute. No arrests have been made.

Castro, of 23 Essex St., was shot once in the head around 1:30 a.m. Sunday outside the Clover Cafe, 104 High St., but investigators don't think his case is related to the Fuentes case.

"We don't believe so," Hart said.

Meanwhile, investigators were still trying to piece together what led to Monday's killing of Fuentes, of 74 Waldo St.

"We're still working on a motive at this point," Hart said early Tuesday morning.

Police have arrested the Perez brothers -- Juan, Carlos and Leonardo -- in connection with Fuentes' death.

Hampden District Attorney Mark G.Mastroianni is briefed by a detective at the scene of Monday's homicide in Holyoke, the city's second killing in two days.

"All three have been booked on murder," Hart said.

The first to be arrested was Juan Perez, 26, of 374 Maple St., followed by Carlos and Leonardo Perez, ages 26 and 20, whose street addresses were not immediately available. Carlos is Juan's twin, Hart said.

The three brothers are expected to be arraigned Tuesday in Holyoke District Court.

Juan Perez stabbed Fuentes during an altercation a few weeks ago, according to police, who believe Juan is the Perez brother with the main beef against Fuentes.

At the scene of Monday's homicide, 15-year-old Kenneth Torres identified himself as one of Fuentes' eight brothers. Torres claimed Fuentes worked a construction job in Northampton and tried to avoid trouble in his Holyoke neighborhood.

“I don’t know why this happened. He didn’t get into problems with nobody. I can’t believe this happened,” Torres said.

Torres said Fuentes' nickname was “Goldo.”

A clerk at Las Chicas Market said he heard several gunshots ring out behind the store, which had nothing to do with the shooting, according to police.

A crowd of more than 100 people, many of whom appeared visibly upset, gathered near Appleton and Elm streets, which were partially closed as police investigated the fatal shooting.

Hampden District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni conferred with detectives at the scene and later went to police headquarters, located on Appleton Street about five blocks from the shooting site.

Investigators are asking anyone with information about either of Holyoke's latest homicides to call them at (413) 322-6900.


Staff reporters Mike Plaisance and Jeanette DeForge contributed to this report.


THE MAP BELOW shows the approximate locations of Holyoke's first 2 homicides of the year, which occurred within 2 days of each other:


View Pioneer Valley Homicides, 2011 in a larger map

Springfield police nab pair for alleged gunpoint robbery of two teenage girls

0
0

Police say 24-year-old Julio Carrero and 19-year-old Miguel Pizzaro robbed two 16-year-old girls at gunpoint early Monday morning in Springfield's Forest Park neighborhood.

julio.jpg
miguel.jpg

SPRINGFIELD -- Police nabbed a pair of Springfield men for the alleged gunpoint robbery of a pair of teenage girls around midnight Monday in the city's Forest Park neighborhood.

Springfield Police Capt. Cheryl C. Clapprood said the incident occurred on Ruskin Street, off Eleanor Road, where the 16-year-old girls claimed one of two men produced a gun and ordered them to give up their purses and other valuables.

After searching the neighborhood, officers cornered the alleged robbers near Kenwood Park, off Dickinson Street, around 1:15 a.m. Monday. As a result, Julio Carrero, 24, of 69 Kenwood Park and Miguel Pizzaro, 19, of 47 Longview St. were each charged with single counts of armed robbery, police said.

The teenage girls told police they were walking from White Street toward Ruskin Street around midnight on Monday when Carrero and Pizzaro approached them on BMX bicycles. One of the men showed the girls a gun that was tucked into his waistband and demanded their purses, cell phones and money, according to Sgt. John M. Delaney, aide to Springfield Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet.

The suspects fled and the girls called police, who drove them around the immediate area to see if they could identify the alleged thieves. Within minutes, Delaney said, the suspects were spotted near Kenwood Park and taken into custody.

Delaney said police recovered the items that were allegedly stolen from the girls.

Arraignment information for Carrero and Pizzaro was not immediately available.

THE MAP BELOW shows the approximate location where a pair of teenage girls were allegedly robbed at gunpoint by two Springfield men early Monday morning:


View Larger Map

Chicopee City Clerk Keith Rattell says budget cuts will cripple his office

0
0

The proposal trims the staff by half and cuts the clerk's salary by $5,000.

clerk.jpgChicopee City Clerk Keith W. Rattell stands behind the counter in his office.

CHICOPEE – A proposal to cut the staff at the city clerk’s office by half will make it impossible to run elections or provide day-to-day services to residents, according to City Clerk Keith W. Rattell.

In the budget for fiscal year 2012, which begins in July, Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette proposed moving three employee’s from the clerk's office. One would go to the law department, another would be transferred to the City Council’s office and the third would be moved to the registrar of voters.

Rattell told the City Council his office was best run with seven full-time employees and one part-time staff member. But a year ago one full-time position was eliminated and half-way through this year the part-time compliance officer was laid off. Now the proposal is to move three more clerks to different offices.

“There is no possible way I, as the city clerk, can run a city-wide election having two employees,” Rattell said.

The moves would leave the office with Rattell, who is elected as the city clerk, and two full-time employees. The proposal also cuts Rattell’s salary from the current $66,500 to $61,500.

Rattell said it was not ideal running the office with six people, but during that period of time revenues from licenses and other fees have increased from $93,904 to $106,755.

The City Council met with Bissonnette last week to talk about some of the budget, but did not ask questions about the changes in the clerk’s office. Bissonnette left the meeting before the council started scrutinizing the city clerk’s budget.

Rattell told members he has had no explanation to why the cuts have been made or if responsibilities will change in his office.

Bissonnette is traveling for the city and could not be reached for comment.

If the responsibilities will be transferred to different offices, there are problems with the plans, Ratell said. For example one clerk is being moved to the City Council’s offices, yet just 25 percent of her current duties are assisting with that body, he said.

City Council president William M. Zaskey said the council voted to pass a supplemental budget that would restore Rattell’s salary as well as transfer the three positions back to the clerk’s office.

“While reorganization may have some merits, a detailed written plan outlining the proposed changes and responsibilities would have been beneficial in the discussion and decision-making process,” Zaskey said in the letter to the mayor.

He also cited concerns that the cut in staff will mean documents will not be filed on time and there will be problems filing licenses.

AM News Links: Murder, fear on rise in Puerto Rico; President Obama now 'tweeting' all by himself, and more

0
0

Poor performance led to partial cancellation of Amy Winehouse's European tour, convicted Massachusetts lobbyist had 'no-show' job, and more of this morning's news.

bruparade.jpgKostas Klokelis, from Framingham, toasts from a window high above Saturday's parade in Boston honoring the Bruins' Stanley Cup victory. Below are the duck boats carrying the champion hockey players and their families as they roll through downtown Boston in celebration of the B's NHL title.

NOTE: Users of modern browsers can open each link in a new tab by holding 'control' ('command' on a Mac) and clicking each link.

I-91 southbound lanes re-open at Exit 18 following construction spill

0
0

The southbound lanes of Interstate 91 have re-opened at Exit 18 after a tar spill re-routed traffic to Route 5.

This is an update of a story posted a 8:38 a.m.


EASTHAMPTON- The southbound lanes of Interstate 91 have re-opened at Exit 18 after a spill in the construction zone there. According to Massachusetts Department of Transportation spokesman Michael Verseckes, the chemical spilled was bitumen, a chemical that is put on the road before tar. A sander was deployed to absorb the material and provide traction for vehicles as lanes were closed off at 8:15 a.m.

Hazardous materials clean-up crews were not sent to the scene, but the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection said they were pleased with the efficiency of the clean-up.

Stocks rise for 4th straight day on hopes for improvement in Greek economy

0
0

The Dow Jones industrial average was up 75 points in early trading.

NEW YORK – Stocks rose for a fourth day Tuesday on hopes that a Greek vote scheduled for later in the day will help the country avoid a default.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 12, or 0.9 percent, to 1,290 in morning trading. It climbed Monday for the third straight day, its longest winning streak since May. Last week, the S&P eked out a tiny gain to break a six-week losing streak, its longest since 2002.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 75, or 0.6 percent, to 12,155. The Nasdaq composite rose 38, or 1.4 percent, at 2,667.

Greece’s government faces a confidence vote later Tuesday whose results will be announced after U.S. markets close. If it survives the vote, as expected, that would reassure investors that the country will push through budget cuts required for getting the latest installment of emergency loans. Markets have been jittery since early May that Greece could default on its debt, which would hurt the banks that own Greek bonds and disrupt global financial markets.
Earns Carnival 62111.jpgThe Carnival Fantasy arrives in Charleston, S.C. last May. Carnival Corp.'s second-quarter net income dropped 18 percent but managed to beat Wall Street's view Tuesday as the cruise operator dealt with escalating fuel costs, unrest in the Middle East and North Africa and the aftermath of Japan's earthquake and nuclear disaster.

The Federal Reserve also begins its two-day policy meeting later Tuesday. Economists expect it to keep interest rates at record lows, but many don’t expect the central bank to announce another round of bond-buying to help boost the economy.

U.S. stocks appear to be emerging from a slump that began in early May. Reports have shown the economy has weakened, with home prices falling, manufacturing growth slowing and the job market stalling. The National Association of Realtors reported Tuesday that sales of previously occupied homes fell last month to their lowest level of the year.

Despite the faltering economy, analysts still expect corporate earnings growth to remain strong. They forecast second-quarter growth of 14 percent for operating earnings per share of companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index. Most large U.S. companies begin reporting quarterly results in early July.

Walgreen, the biggest U.S. drugstore chain, fell 6.4 percent after saying negotiations to stay in Express Script’s pharmacy provider network have reached an impasse. Their deal, worth $5.3 billion in revenue this fiscal year, expires at the end of 2011. Express Scripts fell 1.4 percent.

Best Buy Co. rose 2 percent after increasing its dividend by 7 percent. The electronics retailer also approved a program to buy back up to $5 billion of its stock. Carnival Corp. rose 3.7 percent after the cruise operator reported revenue and earnings that beat expectations.

Investment bank Jefferies Group Inc. fell 2.7 percent after its earnings fell on higher compensation costs. Analysts worry about profit growth overall for investment banks given new regulations.


Google Street View told to stop taking pictures of streets in India

0
0

India is especially sensitive about detailed photographs and locations of key buildings being made public since the attacks in Mumbai three years ago, in which 10 gunmen rampaged through city landmarks, killing 166 people.

India streets 62111.jpgA boat carries people through a flooded street in Ghatal town in West Midnapore, 62 miles northwest of Kolkata, India, Tuesday. Monsoon storms in eastern India damaged homes and flooded parts of Kolkata. Google Street View, meanwhile, has been told to stop taking pictures of the streets of India -- flooded or otherwise, until it gets permission from the government.

NEW DELHI – Google has been barred from taking pictures of streets in India for its popular Street View service until it obtains approval from the federal government, police said Tuesday.

T. Sunil Kumar, a senior police official in the technology hub of Bangalore, said the company would be allowed to resume filming only after it produces security clearances from the Home Ministry and Ministry of Defense.

The Mountain View, California-based company has so far not produced any clearance despite claiming to have it, Kumar said.

“We have security concerns. There are a lot of sensitive establishments in Bangalore and those pictures would be available in the public domain,” he added.

Officials at Google’s India subsidiary did not immediately comment.

India is especially sensitive about detailed photographs and locations of key buildings being made public since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, in which 10 gunmen rampaged through city landmarks, killing 166 people.

Google India launched its Street View service in Bangalore in late May and plans to include other cities as well.

Street View has raised privacy concerns in many countries.

In Switzerland the company is appealing a court ruling that obliges it to ensure all faces and vehicle license plates are blurred before pictures are uploaded to the Street View service.

The service allows users to click on virtually any spot in a city to zoom into a series of street-level pictures taken by cars mounted with 360-degree cameras.

In Germany, Street View went online after a months-long battle with authorities who insisted that citizens had the right to have images of their properties blurred. Only 20 German cities are pictured on Street View and in April, Google announced that it was removing all of its vehicles from the country.

In March, the company received a $143,570 fine in France because the cars used to take photographs for Street View illegally collected personal data from Wi-Fi networks, something it has apologized for.

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has book deal, husband Mark Kelly retires from NASA

0
0

The couple is working on the memoir together for Scribner books.

Gabrielle Giffords, Mark KellyFILE - In this undated file photo provided by the office of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Giffords, left, is shown with her husband, NASA astronaut Mark Kelly. (AP Photo/Office of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, File)

NEW YORK (AP) – Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who is recovering from a gunshot wound to the head, and her astronaut husband Mark Kelly are working on a memoir together. Kelly also announced on Tuesday his retirement from the Navy and NASA.

The book, currently untitled, will be an intimate chronicle of everything from their careers and courtship to the Jan. 8 tragedy when a gunman shot Giffords in the head during a political event in Tucson, Ariz. Six people were killed in the attack and 12 others besides the congresswoman were wounded. Scribner will publish the book at a date to be determined.

“Since Jan. 8, it’s been really touching to us to see how much support there is for Gabby and her recovery, and how much interest there is in how she’s doing and her story,” Kelly, a Navy captain, told The Associated Press during a recent interview from Texas.

“After thinking about it, and talking about it, we decided it was the right thing to do to put our words and our voices on paper and tell our story from our point of view.”

The 47-year-old Kelly most recently was commander of the space shuttle Endeavour’s final mission, which ended June 1. His retirement is effective Oct. 1.

“As life takes unexpected turns we frequently come to a crossroads. I am at this point today,” Kelly said in a statement posted Tuesday on his Facebook page. “Gabrielle is working hard every day on her mission of recovery. I want to be by her side.”

Kelly’s announcement is not surprising. NASA is retiring its space shuttle fleet in just another month, and it will be years before the United States has another spacecraft for astronauts to fly.

Giffords, 41, was released from a Houston hospital last week and is set to start outpatient therapy. She had been in the rehab facility since late January, a few weeks after the shooting, and is now living with Kelly at his home in League City, a town 26 miles south of Houston. She will continue outpatient therapy at TIRR Memorial Hermann, the same hospital where she underwent rehabilitation.

Kelly and Giffords are collaborating with author Jeffrey Zaslow, who worked on Randy Pausch’s million-selling “The Last Lecture” and Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger’s “Highest Duty.” Kelly praised Zaslow as a “good storyteller” and “the best writer” for the kind of book they wanted. Zaslow will interview friends, family members and colleagues of Kelly and Giffords.

“There are details of our personal lives together that I’d say I can count on one hand the people who know them. In some cases, it’s just Gabby and I (who know the details),” said Kelly, who met Giffords in 2003 and married her in 2007. Before the shooting, they had maintained independent lives, Kelly based in Houston and Giffords in Tucson.

Giffords will focus on her recovery, but Kelly said that the book will be part of that process and that Giffords will provide details of what “she remembers after Jan. 8 and her story before that.” While Kelly will be “the primary collaborator,” he said Giffords will be a “big part of this.” Giffords has been struggling to relearn how to speak and walk, and will be assisted by a 24-hour home health provider, according to the hospital.

Kelly, a former combat pilot, flew four times on space shuttles, more than many astronauts ever hope to do. The Endeavour’s final voyage was a high-profile mission that included four spacewalks and delivery of a $2 billion cosmic ray detector to the International Space Station. His identical twin, Scott, also part of NASA’s 1996 astronaut class, returned from a five-month stay at the International Space Station in March.

For the book deal, Kelly and Giffords were represented by Washington attorney Robert Barnett, whose clients include President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. The memoir will be edited at Scribner by executive vice president and publisher Susan Moldow, and senior vice president and editor-in-chief Nan Graham.

“I really felt a connection with them and I knew Gabby would, too,” Kelly said. “Gabby is very pro-women and she always has been. And I knew after meeting Susan and Nan that they were definitely the right people to work with.”

Because of rules covering members of the House of Representatives, Giffords will receive no advance and the deal must be cleared by the House ethics committee. A portion of the authors’ net proceeds will be donated to charities that benefit Tucson and Arizona.

PM News Links: 19-year-old arrested for hacking Sony, a look at the Bruins' $156,000 bar tab, and more

0
0

For-profit colleges in Massachusetts could face scrutiny from the State Legislature.

NOTE: Users of modern browsers can open each link in a new tab by holding 'control' ('command' on a Mac) and clicking each link.


Monson Developmental Center cleaning laundry for tornado victims

0
0

Two days after the tornadoes struck the region, the Monson Developmental Center expanded its hours, so its eight-member staff could help tornado victims by doing their laundry for free.

Monson laundry 62111.jpgSamantha M. Farquhar, Jamie D. Chaffee, Walter G. Nowak and Shala L. Perry-Moore, from left, pose inside the laundry facility at Monson Developmental Center against a backdrop of newly washed clothes for tornado victims. The facility has been washing the clothes of tornado victims for free, ever since the twister hit town June 1.

PALMER - At Monson Developmental Center, the laundry staff is doing its part to help victims of the June 1 tornadoes.

They've painstakingly cleaned clothes twisted and filled with wood, nails, glass and grime, picking out unexpected mementos like baby pictures in the process.

Two days after the tornadoes struck the region, causing rampant destruction, the 8-member staff expanded their hours, so they could help people dealing with the aftermath of losing their homes, and most of their belongings.

They are doing their laundry for free, and will take anything - clothes, stuffed animals, rugs, curtains, no matter how soiled it may be. Sometimes, they have to wash the items several times to return them to their previous state.

The laundry has been serving residents from Monson, where several neighborhoods were decimated, and Brimfield, where every road south of Route 20 was impacted.

One of the employees, Debbie Dupre, spent three days cleaning by hand a 16-foot satin wedding gown train that was found wrapped around a telephone pole. It looks almost new, and now its owner can pass it along to her young daughter someday.

"It was literally dragged through the mud," launderer Shala L. Perry-Moore said.

Perry-Moore said they have helped 40 families so far, and done "hundreds and hundreds" of laundry loads for the survivors. Seamstress Terry Currie is in charge of mending dolls and stuffed animals.

Perry-Moore said they put the soiled items in a basket so they can shake the glass and wood out, before they load them into the commercial washing machines, and then the dryers.

"It's not just laundry. It's somebody's past and we're holding that for them . . . We can give that back to them," Perry-Moore said.

Facilities Director David M. Serra said they also have donated clothing at the laundry for the tornado victims to take. More clothing is available at Daly Hall. And, he said, they will store the clothing if residents do not have an immediate place to put it.

Some people are using the laundry services daily, they said. Perry-Moore said an elderly couple who lost their home was coming in every day. When they finally got a home to rent, they surprised the staff with chocolates for helping them.

"We'll do it as long as it's necessary," Perry-Moore said about the service.

Perry- Moore said the staff all has a connection to the area, which is one of the reasons they wanted to help those affected by the tornado. Some live in Monson, and narrowly escaped the damage.

"It could have been us," she said.

The items that cannot be salvaged are returned to the families, so they can decide what to do with them. Keepsakes that are found, like photographs, are placed in envelopes for the families to pick up with their laundry.

It's been an emotional process for the staff, but also a rewarding one, as they pick through the damaged items, and find pieces of the victims' lives. Besides baby pictures, they've found school pictures, including some in frames, baseball cards.

"We knew there was going to be a need for this," Serra said about the laundry service.

"One family said we have been a godsend," Perry-Moore said, adding they told her that the money they are saving by using the laundry at Monson Developmental is being used for their children's needs, and gasoline to drive them to school.

"This is what people in the community and employers in the community should do, step up," Serra said.

"We feel really helpful doing it," Perry-Moore said.

Launderer Jamie D. Chaffee said this is a way to help the tornado victims without overwhelming them.

"We know a lot of them. It's been a little tough," Chaffee said.

Serra said anyone who needs laundry picked up or dropped off can call (413) 283-3411, ext. 1387, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The laundry is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Both the laundry and Daly clothes donation hall will be open Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The facility, on State Street, is home to 70 individuals with developmental disabilities.

Palmer Town Council approves $30.5 million budget for coming fiscal year

0
0

Councilors unanimously approved funding a capital improvement stabilization account, funding a police cruiser for $32,000, and setting the compensation for the council, Planning Board and School Committee at zero, something that prompted discussion among the members.

PALMER - The Town Council approved a fiscal 2012 budget of $30.5 million at its meeting this week, a nearly 4 percent decrease from the prior year's budget of $31.7 million.

The vote was 7 to 1 on Monday night, with District 4 Councilor Donald Blais Jr. voting against it. At-large Councilor Karl S. Williams was absent.

Blais said he was making a statement about the budget process with his vote, saying he felt the council was "cutting it too close" as the new fiscal year begins July 1.

"I must express my deep frustration at how the process has worked . . . It's simply unacceptable," Blais said, adding that people around town have expressed the same sentiments to him.

He said the council received its first copy of the budget in March, and has had two meetings - the most recent was last week - that had to be canceled due to lack of a quorum. He said councilors knew about the June 13 meeting for a month, and the budget was supposed to be voted on that night.

"Next year," Blais said, "we need to do a better job. We owe it to the people."

Council President Eric A. Duda said he is delighted that the recreation director position finally is being funded. The charter-required position was always cut during the budget process, due to a lack of funds, until this year.

Councilors unanimously approved funding a capital improvement stabilization account, funding a police cruiser for $32,000, and setting the compensation for the council, Planning Board and School Committee at zero, something that prompted discussion among the members.

At-large Councilor Michael R. Magiera said the new council should look into compensating these positions to attract candidates. Magiera noted that in last week's election, there were 18 candidates for 17 positions.

"It doesn't have to be a large figure," Magiera said.

At-large Paul E. Burns said it should be looked at, but much earlier in the budget process. Duda disagreed, saying he felt that people should run for office because they want to serve the community, not because they are getting paid to do it.

"Zero is what it should be set at," Duda said

The council also transferred $5,800 from the unemployment insurance account to elections to cover the cost of the June 14 election, $14,000 from that same account to cover fuel expenses, and $29,828 from that account to pay Acting Public Works Department Director Richard P. Kaczmarczyk accumulated vacation, sick and personal time. Kaczmarczyk is retiring at the end of the month.

It was the last meeting for the councilors who did not run for reelection, Duda, Magiera, Raymond J. Remillard and William S. Heilman.

"Bring your issues to the Town Council," Heilman said, "because they will listen to you."

Duda quoted fellow councilor Philip J. Hebert, who has said more people need to "get off the couch" and get involved.

The council held a moment of silence for former councilor Peter E. Pappas, also the former veterans' agent in town who passed away last week at age 87.

Viewing all 62489 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images