Polcetti said she was going to kill her ex-boyfriend then herself, the prosecutor said.

Kristina Polcetti

SPRINGFIELD – Kristina Polcetti, 32, of Springfield was sentenced Monday to six to eight years in prison after she admitted to firing a gun at the head of the father of two of her children last year.

Assistant District Attorney Donna S. Donato said if the man had not “snapped his head back,” allowing him to escape injury, it could be a much more serious case against Polcetti.

Polcetti pleaded guilty to armed assault with intent to murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery and two firearms charges. She was sentenced by Hampden Superior Court Judge C. Brian McDonald.

After she finishes her sentence, which McDonald said he will recommend she serve at the Chicopee Women’s Correctional Center, Polcetti will be on probation for three years.

Donato said on the morning of July 29, Polcetti went to her ex-boyfriend’s 1446 Dwight St. apartment and assaulted him, scratching and biting him until he got her out of the apartment.

At about 10:30 p.m. the victim was sitting at the kitchen table when he saw Polcetti come down the hallway, although he did not know how she got in, Donato said.

“She pushed the gun to his head, trying to push it to his left temple and forehead and then the right temple and she asked him how it felt to have a gun at his head,” Donato said. The victim asked who would take care of the kids if she killed him, Donato said.

Donato said Polcetti said she was going to kill him and kill herself.

The man saw her tighten her finger on the gun and he quickly moved his head, the gun fired and the bullet went through the kitchen window.

The man pushed her back and ran out the door, and she chased him with the gun, Donato said.

Donato said the victim, who was in the courtroom, agreed with the prosecution’s recommendation of six to eight years plus probation, although he was “somewhat conflicted ” “Recognizing she is the mother of his children.” Donato said the victim has custody of the children.

Defense lawyer Edward J. Abare III said Polcetti had fallen into drug and alcohol addiction. He said in the 243 days in the Chicopee jail Polcetti has changed drastically for the better with the halt to her addictions and her participation and work at the jail.

Rintala was beaten and strangled; the district attorney continues to be reluctant to release more details.

Republican file photoPolice respond a year ago, to 18 Barton St., Granby, where Annamarie Cochrane Rintala was killed in her home.

One year after the death of Annamarie Cochrane Rintala, her family is still waiting for an arrest, but many believe catching her killer will not end their heartache.

Rintala was 37 when she was found dead by her wife, Cara L. Rintala, in their home on 18 Barton Road in Granby.

She had been hit multiple times in the head and strangled. She died March 29.

“Her father said the only way he will get closure is if Anna walks through the door,” says Pasquale Martin, of East Longmeadow, Rintala’s uncle who is serving as the spokesman for her parents, William C. and Lucy Cochrane.

Everyone in the family wants justice, but they are unsure if an arrest and eventual conviction in her murder will make their loss feel any less, Martin said. The family continues to work with police and believe they are doing everything they can do to solve the crime and bring the killer to justice, he added.

Since the day of the killing, the Northwestern district attorney’s office has been reluctant to release details about the crime. David E. Sullivan, who took over as district attorney in January, has also remained quiet about the case.

“The investigation into Annamarie Rintala’s murder remains active and ongoing,” said first assistant district attorney Steven E. Gagne in a written statement. “In no way did this change of administration impede, interrupt or interfere with the intensive investigation being led by the Massachusetts State Police and the Granby Police Department. The investigation into Ms. Rintala’s murder will continue until the perpetrator of this heinous crime is identified, apprehended and convicted.”

Gagne declined to give details of the crime or comment on whether police have any suspects, saying it could jeopardize the integrity of the investigation.

“Murder investigations often take significant time,” he said. “The speed or length of an investigation should not be interpreted as any indication of the solvability or strength of a case. Investigations do occasionally go cold or reach an impasse, but that is hardly the case here.”

While waiting for an answer as to why Cochrane Rintala was killed, dozens of friends have joined with her large and close family to raise money and remember her in other ways, Martin said.

On March 25 they held a memorial service at Sacred Heart Church in Springfield.

A week earlier, her brother Charles Cochrane and others formed a team to run in her memory in the St. Patrick’s Road Race in Holyoke on March 19.

Friends and relatives also wear bands that read “Live, Laugh, Love,” which is something Rintala said often, Martin said.

Rintala was half-Italian and grew up in the South End neighborhood of Springfield. Martin said he lived in one part of the house as a young man and Annamarie and her brother lived in an apartment in the house with their parents, so he knew his niece well.

She embraced the Irish side of her roots as well as the Italian and would give the Irish blessing on St. Patrick’s Day, he said.

Rintala was a certified paramedic and worked on an ambulance at American Medical Response of Western Massachusetts. She also had taken classes at a several local colleges.

“She was always interested in the medical field. She always said she just wanted to help people,” Martin said.

She was outgoing and would be the first one to grab a microphone at a party, he said. But, in keeping with her kind nature, Rintala would also seek out people who may not know anyone to make sure they were comfortable and having fun.

This summer friends organized an event in her memory and to raise money to help her 3-year-old daughter Brianna. They also set up a memorial Facebook page for the cause with 488 supporters that follows the “Live, Laugh, Love” theme, Martin said.

Currently, his family has no contact with Cara Rintala or the couple’s young daughter, Martin said, but they hope to see the child in the future. Rintala, a Ludlow firefighter, sold the couple’s house on Barton Road about six months after the murder.

“When we can see her again, we want to make sure Brianna will be wanting for nothing,” Martin said.

Gregoire said the next task of the School Committee will be to find a replacement for Superintendent Theresa M. Kane

Republican file photofrom left, James P. Harrington and Patricia Gregoire

LUDLOW – Longtime PTO member Patricia Gregoire was elected Monday as the newest member of the School Committee.

The voters also returned incumbent James P. “Chip” Harrington to his School Committee seat.

Unofficial returns showed Gregoire receiving 1,169 votes and Harrington receiving 1,312 votes. Incumbent School Committee member Susan D. Gove decided not to seek reelection.

There were 205 write-in votes for School Committee, but the final numbers still were being tabulated. Walter Craven had announced that he was seeking write-in votes for School Committee.

Gregoire said last night, “I am anxious to get to work.”

She said the next task for the School Committee will be to find an interim and then a permanent school superintendent to replace School Superintendent Theresa M. Kane who is retiring in July.

In other races on Monday’s ballot, incumbents Thomas Haluch and William R. Ayers were reelected to the Board of Public Works, defeating challenger Matias F. Goncalves.

Haluch received 1,134 votes and Ayers received 976 votes. Goncalves received 898 votes.

For Board of Health, incumbent Carol Szczebak defeated challenger Timothy J. Fontaine, 1,113 to 594 votes.

For Recreation Commission, Jason C. Martins defeated Omer J. Picard. Martins received 1,154 votes to 581 votes for Picard.

Comments from the public will be used in evaluating the 40 applicants vying to be police chief.

Holyoke Mayor Elaine A. Pluta

HOLYOKE – About 50 people attended a meeting Monday to discuss qualities they want in the next police chief.

Some said the new police chief should mirror the retiring Chief Anthony R. Scott, but others called for a leader with more compassion.

For Sandra Robinson, of West Franklin Street, the main issue when it comes to the boss at the Police Department was safety.

“Since Chief Scott came here, I have not been afraid to go out at night, which I was before,” Robinson said.

A screening committee that Mayor Elaine A. Pluta has appointed led the hour-long meeting at the War Memorial, 310 Appleton St.

Comments from the meeting will be used in evaluating the 40 applicants vying for the job. The committee will recommend four or five finalists to Pluta, who is authorized to hire the chief.

Scott has been chief since 2001 and is retiring April 30. His yearly salary is $133,164.

Some residents said that while Scott was successful as a tough-on-crime chief, the city also needs a chief willing to establish measures to prevent crime instead of just locking up bad guys.

The next chief should be willing to engage in more community involvement and increase deployment of foot and bicycle patrols, others said.

“It’s going to cost us less if people stay out of jail than if we have to put them back into jail,” said Carlos Vega, of Portland Street.

Vega was on the committee that former Mayor Michael J. Sullivan formed a decade ago to screen candidates in a process that led to the hiring of Scott.

Debra Vega, co-owner of Vega Yoga & Movement Arts here and Carlos Vega’s daughter-in-law, is a member of the screening committee. Her husband is City Councilor Aaron M. Vega.

Migdalia Rios, of Holyoke, brought the room to a hush as she recalled the Sept. 5, 2010, shooting death of her son, Jean Carlos “Jon Jon” Laguer, 16.

“I just hope the next chief will have compassion for parents (of murdered children). We need somebody with compassion. Since my son got murdered in Holyoke, we lose the trust,” Rios said.

Yesenia J. Jusino, of South Silver Street, said important factors for the next Police Department leader to know are that Holyoke’s population is nearly half Hispanic, many people here are poor and people need help beyond just being locked up for crimes.

“And we need somebody who understands that,” Jusino said.

William F. Welch, of Martin Street, said the city needs a chief who is strong on law enforcement, not a social worker, of which the city has plenty.

Neighborhood meetings and bike patrols look and sound nice, but don’t work, he said.

“Let the police chief enforce the laws. If someone is breaking the law, deal with it,” Welch said.

But Scott wasn’t far from the minds of many commenters, such as Robert M. Beringer, of Walnut Street.

“Hopefully, this committee will choose the next police chief as well as” the current one was chosen, Beringer said.

Screening committee Chairman Joseph M. McGiverin reminded the gathering that under the city charter, the mayor has sole authority to appoint the chief. That means the mayor wasn’t required to appoint such a committee or have public meetings like the one at the War Memorial, he said.

“I felt it was very important that I have some input from the public before I make a decision,” Pluta said.

Still, Pluta has been criticized for her handling of the process, including by Alex B. Morse, who is running against her in the fall election. Critics have cited the failure of the screening committee’s meetings to be open to the public and Pluta’s appointing the committee too late to allow for a replacement to be in place when Scott leaves.

An interim chief will have to be appointed between when Scott departs and a new chief is hired. Pluta appointed the committee in late November.

Tranghese told jurors he brought a document to New York that prompted reputed onetime crime boss Arthur Nigro to order a hit on Bruno.

File photo / The RepublicanFelix Tranghese poses for a 1998 photograph at Mulino's Bakery.

Updates a story posted Monday at 3:43 p.m.

NEW YORK – Even being a long-established soldier in the Mafia can be a dicey business with no job security.

Longtime allies can order a hole to be dug with plans to have you bumped off after a few misunderstandings. Upstarts outside "the family," despite time-honored rules, can show up at construction sites and rough you up in broad daylight even if you're a made guy.

Such were the later years of the tenure of Felix Tranghese, 58, of East Longmeadow, Mass., who was formally inducted into the New York-based Genovese crime family in 1982 at a house on Acushnet Street in Springfield, Mass., according to his own testimony in an ongoing mob murder trial in federal court in Manhattan.

Standing trial for the 2003 contract hit on crime boss Adolfo "Big Al" Bruno are Arthur "Artie" Nigro, 66, the reputed onetime acting boss of the Genovese crime family who allegedly "green-lighted" the hit on Bruno amid a power play and rumors the Springfield boss was rubbing elbows with FBI agents. His codefendants, Fotios "Freddy" Geas, 42, of West Springfield, and brother Ty Geas, 39, of West Springfield, were, as Tranghese called them, the "scary guys" accompanying Anthony J. Arillotta, a Genovese soldier from Springfield gunning for Bruno's spot.

Arillotta also was charged in this case and, like Tranghese, turned government informant almost immediately after their arrests in 2010. Whereas Tranghese gave direct testimony for less than one day on Monday, Arillotta testified for days about Bruno's murder, the murder of his brother-in-law Gary D. Westerman in 2003, the attempted murder of a New York union boss, and a list of shake-downs he spearheaded at Nigro's urging from Springfield to Manhattan – sometimes as triggermen and sometimes as wheelmen.

Arillotta also testified Bruno ordered a hole to be dug in a wooded lot in Agawam meant for Tranghese, with whom Bruno was at odds.

Tranghese, on the other hand, told jurors he was a longtime bookmaker and numbers guy who in 2003 acted as a conduit between the "Springfield Crew" and New York higher-ups when suspicions about Bruno's loyalty came to pass. He testified he delivered a copy of a presentencing report for another gangster poised for prison that alleged Bruno told an FBI agent someone had "been made" in 2001.

The revelation prompted a furor in Springfield's mob circles and the document made the trip almost 200 miles south to the Bronx, where Nigro lived. Tranghese and Nigro met in front of a laundromat there, where Nigro often called powwows with underlings, testimony has shown.

"Artie told me that I should go back to Springfield to take care of Bruno and to make sure ... it would be better if the body wasn't found. And I shouldn't be involved," Tranghese said under direct questioning by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elie Honig.

But under cross-examination by defense lawyers, Tranghese conceded that Bruno was killed in spectacular public fashion on Nov. 23, 2003, in a hail of bullets outside his regular Sunday night card game at an Italian social club in Springfield's South End neighborhood. He was shot by paid gunman Frankie A. Roche, who pleaded guilty to the shooting in 2008 and testified at trial following Arillotta.

"This was about as close as you can get to a public execution, wasn't it?" asked Frederick Cohn, defense lawyer for Freddy Geas.

"Yessir," Tranghese responded.

Tranghese told jurors that there was a marked lag between the time Nigro gave the order to kill Bruno and when Roche, Freddy Geas' "crash dummy" prison buddy, shot Bruno six times. In the summer of 2003, he testified he made a joke to his co-conspirators at Arillotta's baby daughter's christening in Southwick, Mass.

"I said: Does anyone have a gun? We can just do it here," Tranghese said.

Also under cross-examination, Tranghese testified that Bruno was put on the "pay no mind" list in 2003 according to Nigro's right hand, a New Yorker named John Bologna who was simultaneously working for the FBI as an informant, unbeknownst to the wiseguys at the time. Tranghese told jurors that he himself was frozen out by Arillotta and the Geases years later.

"I wasn't making hardly any money on the streets," Tranghese told Nigro's defense lawyer, Murray Richman.

"So why were you a gangster?" asked Richman, a veteran New York mob lawyer who has represented clients from all of the city's five crime families. "I don't mean to be funny but ... are you saying crime doesn't pay?"

Tranghese testified that he was beaten by a gang of men Freddy Geas brought to a construction site on Tiffany Street in Springfield in 2006.

"Freddy said: 'I have a message from your friend in New York,' before a guy jumped me from behind me and then three or four of them started beating me for a few minutes," Tranghese said.

He denied anything happened when FBI agents knocked on his door the next day, and told hospital personnel who diagnosed him with a cracked vertebrae that he fell off a ladder.

The prosecution is expected to present two more witnesses and then rest its case-in-chief. The defense may put on a small case, but closing arguments are expected in U.S. District Court before Judge P. Kevin Castel on Wednesday. The jury will likely have the case by Thursday.

The new firefighters completed the 12-week training at the state firefighters academy.

HOLYOKE – Seven firefighters joined the ranks of the Fire Department in a ceremony Monday that included family members pinning on their badges.

The new firefighters are Luis Izquerdo, Curtis Carter, Matthew Gubala, Patrick Harris, Matthew Wolanczyk, Peter McMahon and Dana Potter, each at a yearly salary of about $37,000, officials said.

They completed the 12-week training at the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, in Stow, have been working as firefighters and will complete their one-year probations in July, officials said.

The ceremony was held in a truck bay at Fire Department headquarters, 600 High St. Firefighters’ family members, firefighters in uniform and city officials attended.

Provisional Fire Chief William P. Moran said the seven new members, like all firefighters, would risk their lives to save each other.

“And the neat thing is, they’d do the same for civilians,” Moran said.

Money for the seven firefighters’ salaries, about $260,000, was included in the Fire Department budget for the fiscal year that began July 1, Mayor Elaine A. Pluta said.

“I want to thank the firefighters for having the strength and courage to take on this job for the city,” Pluta said.

Gubala joins a department that includes his father, Capt. Paul L. Gubala, a 31-year veteran.

“It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do,” the younger Gubala said.

Paul Gubala said the pride at his son’s achievement comes with advice.

“I always tell him that every day is a chance to learn something new. If you learn something new every day, it makes it worth the effort,” he said.

The rider lost control and hit a guardrail on Russell Street, police said.

LUDLOW - A 23-year-old Wilbraham man was injured Monday evening when he lost control of his motorcycle and crashed into a guardrail on Russelll Street, police said.

Police Sgt. Joseph Metcalfe said the man, whose name was not disclosed, suffered injuries to his legs. He was taken by ambulance to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, he said.

The crash occurred just before 7 p.m. on Russell Street near Shawinigan Drive, Metcalfe said. The rider was operating a Honda CBR 600 motorcycle.

The rider was cited for speeding and a marked lanes violation, Metcalfe said.

No other vehicles were involved.

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Safety officials said the small amounts of plutonium found at several spots outside the complex were not a risk to humans.

Associated PressThis is the damaged No. 4 unit of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex in Okumamachi, northeastern Japan. White smoke billows from the No. 3 unit. (AP Photo/Tokyo Electric Power Co. via Kyodo News)

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
and YURI KAGEYAMA

TOKYO — Highly toxic plutonium is seeping from the damaged nuclear power plant in Japan's tsunami disaster zone into the soil outside, officials said Tuesday, as the government grew frustrated by missteps in the effort to stabilize the overheated facility.

Safety officials said the small amounts of plutonium found at several spots outside the complex were not a risk to humans but support suspicions that dangerously radioactive water is leaking from damaged nuclear fuel rods — a worrying development in the race to bring the power plant under control.

"The situation is very grave," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told reporters Tuesday. "We are doing our utmost efforts to contain the damage."

A tsunami spawned by a magnitude-9.0 earthquake March 11 destroyed the power systems needed to cool the nuclear fuel rods at the Fukushima Dai-ichi complex, 140 miles (220 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo.

Since then, three of the plant's six reactors are believed to have partially melted down, and emergency crews have grappled with everything from malfunctioning pumps to dangerous spikes in radiation that have sent workers fleeing.

Radiation seeping from the plant has made its way into produce, raw milk and even tap water as far away as Tokyo, prompting some nations to halt imports from the region. Residents within a 12-mile (20-kilometer) radius of the plant have been urged to leave or stay indoors.

The troubles have eclipsed Pennsylvania's 1979 crisis at Three Mile Island, when a partial meltdown raised fears of widespread radiation release. But it is still well short of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, which killed at least 31 people with radiation sickness, raised long-term cancer rates and spewed radiation across much of the northern hemisphere.

A series of missteps and accidents, meanwhile, have raised questions about the handling of the disaster, with the government revealing growing frustration with plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co.

The Yomiuri daily newspaper reported that the government was considering temporarily nationalizing the troubled operator, but Edano and TEPCO officials denied holding any such discussions.

The nuclear crisis has complicated the government's ability to address the humanitarian situation facing hundreds of thousands left homeless by the twin disasters. The official number of dead surpassed 11,000 on Tuesday, police said, and the final figure is expected to top 18,000.

The urgent mission to stabilize the Fukushima plant has been fraught with setbacks.

Workers succeeded last week in reconnecting some parts of the plant to the power grid. But as they pumped water into units to cool the reactors down, they discovered pools of contaminated water in numerous spots, including the basements of several buildings and in tunnels outside them.

The contaminated water has been emitting radiation exposures more than four times the amount the government considers safe for workers and must be pumped out before electricity can be restored to the cooling system.

That has left officials struggling with two crucial but sometimes-contradictory efforts: pumping in water to keep the fuel rods cool and pumping out — and then safely storing — contaminated water.

Nuclear safety official Hidehiko Nishiyama called it "delicate work." He acknowledged that cooling the reactors took precedence over concerns about leakage.

"The removal of the contaminated water is the most urgent task now, and hopefully we can adjust the amount of cooling water going in," he said, adding that workers were building makeshift dikes with sandbags to keep contaminated water from seeping into the soil outside.

The discovery of plutonium, released from fuel rods only when temperatures are extremely high, confirms the severity of the damage, Nishiyama said.

Plutonium is a heavy element that doesn't readily combine with other elements, so it is less likely to spread than some of the lighter, more volatile radioactive materials detected around the site, such as the radioactive forms of cesium and iodine.

"The relative toxicity of plutonium is much higher than that of iodine or cesium but the chance of people getting a dose of it is much lower," says Robert Henkin, professor emeritus of radiology at Loyola University's Stritch School of Medicine. "Plutonium just sits there and is a nasty actor."

When plutonium decays, it emits what is known as an alpha particle, a relatively big particle that carries a lot of energy. When an alpha particle hits body tissue, it can damage the DNA of a cell and lead to a cancer-causing mutation.

Plutonium also breaks down very slowly, so it remains dangerously radioactive for hundreds of thousands of years.

"If you inhale it, it's there and it stays there forever," said Alan Lockwood, a professor of Neurology and Nuclear Medicine at the University at Buffalo and a member of the board of directors of Physicians for Social Responsibility, an advocacy group.

Associated Press writers Shino Yuasa in Tokyo and Jonathan Fahey in New York contributed to this report.

Belchertown Agricultural Commissioner Grace Adzima said there are choices with financial benefits for landowners who want to preserve open space.

BELCHERTOWN – As chairwoman of the Agricultural Commission, Grace Adzima hears from landowners who want to preserve their farmland, so the Commission will host a workshop on Saturday about options for doing so that bring financial benefits.

“A lot of people feel they do not have a lot of options. If they do not have family members interested in preserving the land, they sometimes feel their only option is selling it to developers” Adzima said.

“But there are options, like conservation easements and the state program for purchasing development rights,” Adzima said. “With these it can become affordable.”

The Agricultural Commission workshop, “The Future of Your Land,” will be at St. Francis Parish Center, 10 Park St., from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Joining the Agricultural Commission in the program will be Springfield lawyer William Hart, and representatives from the conservation commissions of Belchertown, Granby and Pelham, the University of Massachusetts and the Kestrel Trust, a non-profit land preservation organization.

“Now is a good time to be getting the word out there because with the economy in the shape it is, there is not a lot of housing development going on,” Adzima said.

Kari Blood, a representative of the Kestrel Trust, said there is a lot of conserved land in Massachusetts, but there is a potential for a lot more.

“We want to get people thinking about this in an estate planning context. There are potential financial benefits for land conservation,” Blood said.

Kestrel Trust executive director Kristin DeBoer will speak at the workshop on how organizations like hers can assist landowners.

“For landowners who own significant tracts of woodland and farmland, deciding what will happen to their land after they are gone is a critical step, not just for their own benefit but also for the benefit of their family, their community and the land itself,” DeBoer said.

Hart plans to explain during the workshop procedures that allow landowners to save on taxes for land that is placed in restricted development categories.

“Landowners can keep their land in the family, dedicate it to agriculture or conservation and save a lot of tax dollars. All these results are greatly satisfying,” Hart said.

The workshop is free, and landowners in Belchertown and surrounding communities are invited. Space is limited, so participants are asked to make reservations by contacting Adzima at (413) 323-7194 or the Kestrel Trust at (413) 549-1097 or kari@kestreltrust.org.

The state’s Joint Committee on Election Laws held a hearing about the city’s request last week, but the process moved too slowly to make a difference.

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GREENFIELD – Despite the city’s appeal to the state Legislature, Greenfield’s April 19 preliminary election will take place.

There are three candidates for Town Councilor-At-Large, the only race. The preliminary election will narrow the field to two. There will be 11 positions on the general election ballot on June 14.

On March 7, the Town Council voted 10-2 to request special legislation from the state that would allow the preliminary election to be canceled. Considering the $15,000 price tag and voter turnout historically below 10 percent in non-mayoral elections, council president Timothy F. Farrell said he supported the measure.

“Spending $15,000 on an election where 400 people show up doesn’t make sense to me,” Farrell said. “Now that we’re having it, I urge everyone to show up and vote because your tax dollars are paying for it.”

The state’s Joint Committee on Election Laws held a hearing about the city’s request last week, but the process moved too slowly to make a difference. Gov. Deval Patrick had to have signed the legislation by Friday, the “drop dead date” for ordering the ballots, Farrell said.

Gumming up the works was a referendum petition signed by 10 voters asking the council to reconsider its March 7 vote. To force a re-vote, the petitioners would have had to follow a lengthy, multi-step process, including having their petition published in a newspaper and getting signatures from more voters, according to the city’s charter.

But town clerk Maureen T. Winseck said the state halted the request when they heard about the petition.

“The smell of the petition really slowed the Legislature down,” said city councilor Thomas C. McLellan. “We were pushed to a deadline.”

Farrell said the petition made no impact on the decision to hold the election.

“It was our choice not to call Boston on Friday morning and say, ‘Continue this request,’” said Farrell. “(The state was) just waiting to see how we proceeded.”

On Friday, the ballots were purchased and the election was set in stone. Farrell said that was the safest move because if they waited and the legislation wasn’t passed, the election would be mandatory, but there would be no ballots.

“We determined there were too many variables that could cause a fiscal issue for the town,” he said.

Rose Adams, chief of staff for state Sen. Stanley Rosenberg, D-Amherst, said that, considering the latest developments, “The senator will no longer be pushing for passage” of the city’s request.

The money for the preliminary election has not been budgeted. It will be paid out of the election fund and any deficits will probably be covered by a reserve fund transfer at the end of the year, Farrell said.

“The mayor will come forward with some kind of payment mechanism,” he said.

The Charter Review Commission will meet Tuesday at 6:30 at 114 Main St. to discuss the elections section of the city’s charter. The public is welcome to attend and offer comments.

“I still believe we need to find a better way to do preliminary elections,” said Farrell.

Five candidates have submitted nomination papers to oppose selectmen James Barry, Kenneth Elstein and George Archible.

File photosBelchertown selectmen George Archible, James Barry and Kenneth Elstein will face a recall election during the annual town election on May 16.

BELCHERTOWN – A total of five candidates have submitted nomination papers to run in the May 16 town election against the three selectmen targeted in a recall drive, but all other elective positions on the ballot will feature uncontested races.

There will also be a ballot question aimed at eliminating the excise tax on animals and machinery at working farms.

Recall petitions were submitted in February with the aim of ousting Selectmen James A. Barry, Kenneth E. Elstein and George D. Archible.

Barry’s term ends May 16, but he has submitted nomination papers to run for a new three-year term. Brenda Q. Aldrich, Richard J. Fritsch and Curtis B. Carroll have filed nomination papers to run against him for that three-year term.

Carroll and Matthew Jackson have filed papers to run against Elstein for the one year remaining in his term.

Carroll, Fritsch and William J. Huber have filed papers to run against Archible for the two years remaining in his term.

Organizers of the recall drive said they were prompted to circulate and submit their petitions because Barry, Archible and Elstein voted Feb. 3 against offering a new contract for Police Chief Francis R. Fox Jr., and because of their refusal the following week to state specific reasons during a meeting attended by more than 100 people supporting Fox.

Although Archible and Elstein reversed positions the following week when the selectmen voted 4-1 to offer Fox a new contract, recall organizers proceeded with petitions for all three.

Huber said refusing to talk about the reasons for not wanting Fox to stay on as chief represented arrogance on the part of Barry, Elstein and Archible.

The three recall questions will be voted on individually.

A simple majority will determine if Barry, Elstein or Archible are to be removed from office, and there will be contests elsewhere on the ballot to determine who will finish the remainder of the terms in cases where the recall votes result in removing a selectman from office.

Barry, Elstein and Archible will be eligible to run in these contests even if the recall votes themselves go against them, and all three have submitted nomination papers to do so.

Barry’s three-year term will end on May 16, so the remainder of his term would amount to no more than a few hours, but Carroll has submitted nomination papers to challenge him for that.

Fritsch said Tuesday that even though he has submitted nomination papers for both the Barry and Archible contests, he has decided to remove his name from the ballot in the Barry contest and run against Archible.

Town Clerk William J. Barnett said he expects the interest generated by the recall will result in a higher voter turnout than Belchertown typically has for town elections.

Because Carroll is running for three of the five seats on the Board of Selectmen and could only hold one at a time, Barnett has asked state election officials for clarification on what would happen if Carroll were to win more than one.

Tuesday was the deadline for submitting nomination papers, which must now be checked for valid signatures in order for candidates to qualify for places on the ballot.

Rivera had previously been charged with murder in the death of his 5-week-old daughter Jania Rivera.

The Republican / File photoThe Hampden County Hall of Justice in Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD – A city couple on Tuesday denied charges in Hampden Superior Court of assault and battery on a child causing serious injury. The child in the case is their 7-month-old daughter.

Samuel Rivera, 23, and Tiffany Partridge, 24, were released on their own recognizance with Judge Peter A. Velis imposing the condition requested by the prosecutor, that they have no contact at all with children under 16 years old.

Assistant District Attorney Donna S. Donato told Velis the couple are the parents of three children.

One is in the legal and physical custody of a relative, “the second died under suspicious circumstances” and the third, Jayla, is the victim in this case, she said.

“The commonwealth has a very real concern of these defendants being around children,” Donato said. The couple lives at 122 Chestnut St.

Rivera had previously been charged with murder in the death of his 5-week-old daughter Jania Rivera in October 2007 but the state ultimately dropped the case.

Donato said at the time of the dismissal one reason was lack of cooperation by family members.

Police reports in the file of the 2007 case said Rivera had called 911, and when police and ambulance personnel arrived, Jania Rivera had bright red froth coming from her nose and blood in her upper airway. She later died.

Koss, of Ludlow, must write a letter to the credit union, expressing his apologies.

SPRINGFIELD – Robert W. Koss, the former director of the Western Mass. Electric Co. Credit Union, must serve four years of supervised release, including one in home confinement, for embezzling more than $225,000 from his employer before retiring in 2006.

At the suggestion of a prosecutor, Judge Michael A. Ponsor took the unusual step of ordering Koss, 68, of Ludlow, to write a letter of apology to the Springfield-based credit union he ran for three decades.

In the majority of white collar crime cases, Ponsor said defendants tend to apologize for “what happened,” instead of taking direct responsibility.

“I’m waiting to hear I’m very sorry for what I did,” Ponsor said, in U.S. District Court.

A younger defendant would likely have received a two-year prison sentence, according to the judge, who said going to prison “would be extremely dangerous” to Koss, who appeared in a wheelchair.

In September, Koss pleaded guilty to embezzlement and filing a false tax return while running the federally guaranteed credit union for the utility’s employees, family members and retirees. Under federal guidelines, Koss could receive up to 33 months in prison.

From the late 1990s and through 2006, Koss collected about $225,000 from invented or inflated expense reimbursements, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. Welch II. He also falsified his income on a 2005 tax return, reporting between $20,000 and $30,000 less than he earned, Welch said.

Koss must repay the full $225,000 within 30 days, under Ponsor’s order; most of the funds have already been repaid, explained Springfield defense lawyer Jack F. St. Clair.

Wendy J. Tariff, the credit union’s CEO, said her predecessor not only damaged the institution’s reputation, but also hobbled its daily operations by refusing to install up-to-date technology. In a letter to Ponsor, Tariff said the lack of technology – including telephones with message systems - help to conceal the fraud.

St. Clair said his client's reluctance to embrace new technology was a generation trait, and not intended to cover up his crimes.

Springfield, which has about 9,000 unemployed people, and its surrounding towns gained 3,000 jobs.

SPRINGFIELD – The city’s unemployment rate fell slightly from 14.4 percent in January to 13.8 percent in February percent but remains stubbornly higher than the statewide and regional unemployment rate.

The February 2011 unemployment rate was still slightly higher than the 13.4 percent city unemployment recorded a year ago in February 2010, according to statistics released Tuesday by the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Regional data showed a clearer positive trend. Springfield and surrounding towns saw unemployment fall to 9.9 percent in February from 10.3 percent in January. The jobless rate was 10.4 percent in February 2010.

Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray said in a phone interview that he’s happy to see a downward trend in unemployment in many areas of the state. He said state government is working on development projects in and around Springfield.

“We’re not waiting for the phone to ring,” he said. “We are seeking out those partnerships.”

Employment, rather than unemployment, statistics were even more encouraging, said Rena Kottcamp, director of research for the state Division of Unemployment Assistance. Springfield and its surrounding towns gained 3,000 jobs from January to February, a 1.1 percent growth rate. Some of the growth was seasonal. But there were 1,400 new jobs in education and health care, as well as smaller gains in professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, financial activities and miscellaneous services.

She said job gains often don’t translate directly into falling unemployment. For one thing, jobs are counted where they are located and unemployed people are counted where they live.

People whose unemployment benefits have run out are counted as unemployed, Kottcamp said.

Also, the labor force in the region grew as more discouraged workers told government researchers they are looking for work again, Kottcamp said.

Local figures are not available, but statewide, the underemployment rate counting people who have stopped looking, people who are only marginally in the working world and people working part-time who would like to work full-time was 14.3 percent last year. That’s nearly twice the state’s current unadjusted unemployment rate of 8.7 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Michael D. Goodman, chairman of the public policy program at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth and a co-editor MassBenchmarks, a study of the state’s economy, said people in low-paid jobs are more likely to disconnect from the work force if they don’t see much hope. It’s more likely to happen in places like Springfield where there are economic challenges.

That’s why a growing work force is a good sign. More people see hope of getting a job.

Looking year over year, the region has gained 2,500 jobs, or about 1 percent. Kottcamp said that number includes an increase in manufacturing jobs that typically pay good wages and signal a strengthening economy.

“Year over year, that is respectable job-creation performance,” said Goodman, pointing out that jobs grew by about 1 percent statewide over the past year. “Although it isn’t much consolation to people who are unemployed.”

He said Springfield’s high unemployment points out the challenges the city faces when it comes to education and job training and making sure residents in poor neighborhoods have work readiness skills.

Hampshire County had 4.5 percent unemployment in February, down from 6.2 percent in January but higher than the 4.3 percent unemployment in February 2010.

Franklin County had 8.5 percent unemployment in February, down from 8.9 percent in January and from the 9.4 percent unemployment rate a year ago.

Statewide, the seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate was 8.7 percent in February and 8.9 percent in January. It was 9.3 percent a year ago in February 2010.

The national average is 9.9 percent.

Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi chastised state officials for ignoring her earlier order to halt the law's publication.

Associated PressDane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi halts Assistant Attorney General Maria Lazar's opening remarks during a hearing at the Dane County Courthouse in Madison, Wis., Tuesday, March 29, 2011. With Republican Gov. Scott Walker's administration insisting a new law eliminating most of state workers' collective bargaining rights had gone into effect and other state and municipal leaders disputing that, many were looking to today's court hearing for some kind of clarity. (AP Photo/Michael P. King, Pool)

By TODD RICHMOND

MADISON, Wis. — The showdown over Wisconsin's explosive union bargaining law shifted from the Statehouse back to the courthouse on Tuesday, but it remained unclear when or even whether the measure would take effect.

Republican lawmakers pushed through passage of the law earlier this month despite massive protests that drew up to 85,000 people to the state Capitol and a boycott by Democratic state senators. Opponents immediately filed a series of lawsuits that resulted in further chaos that might not end until the state Supreme Court weighs in.

That appeared even more likely after a hearing on Tuesday, when a Dane County judge again ordered the state to put the law on hold while she considers a broader challenge to its legality. She chastised state officials for ignoring her earlier order to halt the law's publication.

"Apparently that language was either misunderstood or ignored, but what I said was the further implementation of (the law) was enjoined," Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi said during a hearing. "That is what I now want to make crystal clear."

Sumi is set to hear additional arguments Friday on the larger question of whether GOP legislative leaders violated the state's open meetings law during debate on the measure. She also is considering Republican claims that the law technically took effect last weekend after a state agency unexpectedly published it online.

Whether she decides it did or didn't become law on Saturday, the measure's legitimacy will likely be decided by the state Supreme Court, which is already considering whether to take up an appeals court's request to hear the case.

The back and forth amplified the often angry debate between new Gov. Scott Walker, his Republican allies in the Legislature and the state's public sector unions.

Walker and the GOP have aggressively pushed forward their effort to remove the bargaining rights of state workers, using a surprise parliamentary maneuver to break a weeks-long stalemate to get it passed and then finding another route to publish the law after Sumi's order blocked the secretary of state from doing so.

State Department of Justice spokesman Steve Means said the agency continues to believe the law was properly published and is in effect.

Wisconsin Department of Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch, Walker's top aide, issued a statement saying the agency will evaluate the judge's order.

Earlier this month Sumi issued an emergency injunction in the case that blocked Secretary of State Doug La Follette from publishing the law. Republican leaders sidestepped the order, convincing the Legislative Reference Bureau, another state agency, to post the law on its website on Friday. The GOP declared that move amounted to publication and said the law would take effect Saturday.

Dane County Democratic District Attorney Ismael Ozanne — the plaintiff in the lawsuit heard Tuesday — argued the reference bureau can't publish a law without a date from the secretary of state. Attorneys for the state Department of Justice, which is representing the Republicans, argued the case means nothing because legislators are immune from civil lawsuits and the law is in effect.

The district attorney asked Sumi to declare that the law had not been published, but she refused to rule, saying she wanted to hear more testimony. But she issued the new restraining order, warning anyone who violates this one will face sanctions.

"Wisconsin working families hope that (Gov.) Scott Walker and his Republican allies in the legislature will finally begin to respect our state's judicial process and reverse any damage they've done to the working families of our state, Stephanie Bloomingdale, secretary-treasurer of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO, said in a statement.

Justice Department attorneys maintain Sumi has no authority to intervene in the legislative process. And Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald, R-Horicon, said in a statement that once again Sumi has improperly injected herself into the legislative process.

"Her action today again flies in the face of the separation of powers between the three branches of government," Fitzgerald said.

The law has been a flashpoint of controversy since Walker introduced it in February.

The measure requires most public workers to contribute more to their pensions and health insurance. It also strips away their rights to collectively bargain for anything except wages. Walker, who wrote the law, insists the measure is necessary to help close the state's budget deficit. But Democrats see the law as a political move to cripple unions, who are traditionally among their strongest campaign supporters.

Tens of thousands of people staged almost non-stop demonstrations at the state Capitol for nearly three weeks and Senate Democrats fled the state for Illinois to block a vote in that chamber.

Republicans who control the Legislature ended the stalemate by removing what they said were the fiscal elements from the plan on March 9, allowing the Senate to vote without a quorum. The Assembly passed the measure the next day and Walker signed the measure into law on March 11.

Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk, a Democrat, and several unions have filed lawsuits challenging the Senate vote, arguing the final law still contains fiscal components. Those lawsuits are still pending.

A survey comparing the overall health in counties across Massachusetts shows Nantucket has the state's healthiest population, while Hampden residents are more likely to struggle with premature deaths, preventable hospital stays and fewer primary care providers.

BOSTON (AP) — A survey comparing the overall health in counties across Massachusetts shows Nantucket has the state's healthiest population, while Hampden County residents are more likely to struggle with premature deaths, preventable hospital stays and fewer primary care providers.

The second annual County Health Rankings report, released Wednesday, also shows that Dukes and Middlesex counties were ranked second and third respectively.

Hampshire County ranked fifth, Franklin County ranked seventh, Worcester County ranked tenth while Berkshire County ranked number 11 on the list.

Suffolk County, which includes Boston, again came in second to last — just ahead of Bristol.

Researchers analyzed health records from each of Massachusetts' 14 counties and then ranked them in categories like mortality, health behaviors, access to clinical care, social and economic factors and physical environment.

The report by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is intended to help policy makers drill down and compare conditions and health factors in their state.

To read the full report, click here.

The president of Mount Holyoke College sent a scathing letter Tuesday to Maine Gov. Paul LePage for removing a labor-themed mural as the status of the artwork remains in limbo and its location remains a secret.

(AP Photo/Kennebec Journal, Joe Phelan)In this March 25, 2011 photo, Jessica Graham, right, of Waterville, Maine, leads a gathering in front of a mural honoring labor, in the Department of Labor building's lobby in Augusta, Maine. The group gathered to honor the 100th anniversary of the New York Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, which killed 146 garment workers. The mural was taken down over the weekend after Gov. Paul LePage ordered it removed.

By CLARKE CANFIELD, Associated Press

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The president of Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts sent a scathing letter Tuesday to Maine Gov. Paul LePage for removing a labor-themed mural from the Department of Labor headquarters as the status of the disputed artwork remains in limbo and its location remains a secret.

The 36-foot mural was taken down over the weekend after LePage said it was too biased in favor of organized labor and wasn't in line with his pro-business agenda. The mural was installed in 2008 and depicts Maine's long labor history with images of mill workers, labor strikes and child laborers among its scenes.

In a letter faxed to LePage's office, Mount Holyoke College President Lynn Pasquarella said she has "grave concerns" about the decision to remove the mural, which includes a depiction of 1902 Mount Holyoke graduate and former U.S. Labor Secretary Frances Perkins. The U.S Department of Labor in Washington is housed in the Frances Perkins Building, she said.

"I was particularly surprised to read that you were influenced by an anonymous fax comparing the 11-panel mural to North Korean political propaganda, because the act of removing images commemorating Maine's history itself conjures thoughts of rewriting history prevalent in totalitarian regimes," she wrote.

LePage was in Florida on Tuesday and unavailable for comment, spokeswoman Adrienne Bennett said.

Labor advocates, artists and others have protested the removal of the mural, calling it an insult to Maine's workers. It's now in storage, but administration officials won't say where.

(AP Photo/James Imbrogno)This August 2008 photo provided by James Imbrogno shows a mural by Judy Taylor that hangs on the wall of the Labor Department's lobby in Augusta, Maine. The piece depicts the 1937 shoe mill strike in Auburn and Lewiston, a "Rosie the Riveter" image at the Bath Iron Works, the paper mill workers' strike of 1986 in Jay, and other moments in Maine labor history. Maine Gov. Paul LePage is nixing the mural from the Labor Department's lobby, prompting an outcry from labor advocates.

LePage said the mural could be put on display at some other place, but so far nobody has committed to taking it.

The board of directors of the Museum L-A in Lewiston met Tuesday and reiterated its position that the mural should remain at the Department of Labor. The board also said it would be willing to accept the mural on loan, but put off making a final decision until it receives more information from the Department of Labor, said Executive Director Rachel Desgrosseilliers.

The board wants answers to questions such as who would insure the mural, how would it be transported and how long an exhibit would last, Desgrosseilliers said. There's also a bit of discomfort with all the controversy surrounding the mural, she said.

"I'm a little worried that the artwork itself and the message of the art is going to get lost in the shuffle," she said. "It's a major part of our history in Maine, labor history, and it's very important to keep the memory of those stories going, both good and bad. You can learn from both."

A Portland city councilor who had offered City Hall as a possible temporary site for the piece has now changed his mind.

"I think it's pretty clear people want it to be rehung at the Department of Labor," said David Marshall, who is an artist and art gallery owner.

Critics are also questioning whether the removal was legal under state law and if it breached the contract between the Department of Labor and artist Judy Taylor, who lives in Tremont and spent a year creating the piece. Officials said it was funded through a $60,000 award using mostly federal money.

Portland attorney Jon Beal said he's been meeting with artists and labor advocates and plans to file a lawsuit this week challenging the mural's removal.

Beal said he has sent emails to the governor's office and the Maine State Museum stating his objections. He's also asked where the mural is now located, who removed it and how much it cost to take it down, but he hasn't heard back.

"It's a little disheartening," he said.

Councilor Michael Fenton said he and other councilors plan to propose a new ordinance that would keep the trash fee in effect.

The Republican / File photo

SPRINGFIELD - Some city councilors said last week they are convinced that a trash fee is needed to prevent severe budget cuts and will attempt to resurrect the issue in April.

At a meeting last week, the trash fee was debated among councilors, and a recommendation to keep the fee in effect for next fiscal year failed in a 2-2 vote before two council committees.

The annual trash fee, currently $75, is scheduled to expire on June 30.

Councilor Michael A. Fenton, among those wanting the fee restored, said he plans to bring the matter before the full council at its next regular meeting, Monday.

“It’s a revenue source we can’t afford to lose,” Fenton said.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno has proposed replacing the current fee with a graduated bin system, in which homeowners would be charged based on the size of their bin.

Fenton and other councilors said that system should be explored further, but that the current fee should remain in effect in the meantime.

At last week’s meeting, Fenton and Councilor Kateri B. Walsh voted in favor of the current fee continuing, while Councilors Timothy J. Rooke and John A. Lysak were opposed.

Lee Erdmann, the city’s chief administrative and financial officer, said the administration is urging a vote by April 4.

The loss of the trash fee, which has generated more than $3 million annually, would require budget cuts for a balanced budget, Erdmann said.

The cuts “won’t be pretty,” he said.

Rooke has supported a “pay-as-you-throw” system in which homeowners would buy city-issued paper bags, that could be placed inside existing bins.

Lysak has raised concerns that the trash fee has been a hardship on residents.

Allan R. Chwalek, the city’s director of public works, said a pay-as-you-throw, bag purchase system discussed with WasteZero has promised savings, but the city has obtained nothing in writing.

He said his department is “dead” if forced to absorb additional budget cuts.

The trash fee was imposed by the former Finance Control Board in 2007, and a proposed extension of the fee in December failed to win council support.

Fenton said he and other councilors plan to propose a new ordinance that would keep the trash fee in effect.

A "litter index" compiled by board members and volunteers shows litter conditions and dump sites in Springfield seem to be on the decline.

The Republican | John SuchockiMichael Cass, left, who works with the city's graffiti remediation project, and Melvin Edwards, president of Keep Springfield Beautiful, examine a trash site Monday near Oakwood Terrace and Goldenrod Street, which is slated to be cleaned up April 30 in a citywide anti-litter effort.

SPRINGFIELD - A grassroots group currently preparing for a volunteer citywide cleanup on April 30 is pleased that a recent survey of litter conditions across Springfield showed overall improvements, according to organizers.

Melvin A. Edwards, president of Keep Springfield Beautiful, said he is pleased that litter conditions and dump sites seem to be on the decline, based on last week’s four-hour van tour of Springfield and a “litter index” compiled by board members and volunteers.

The index is an measurement of litter conditions conducted annually both before and after the annual cleanup, Edwards said.

“It’s gotten better - each year it seems to have gotten better,” Edwards said. “The city is certainly heading in the right direction. It has been a team effort.”

The team includes Keep Springfield Beautiful, the city’s Clean Cities crew and Park Department, the Sheriffs Department, neighborhood councils, many businesses and volunteers, said Edwards and Michael Cass, a founding board member.

“We’re the best,” Cass said of Keep Springfield Beautiful. “We’re the watchdogs of the city.”

Cass also works for the city as graffiti remediation program director.

There are five people riding as passengers in the van who grade the litter conditions in each of the city’s 17 neighborhoods. The scores are as follows: 1. no litter; 2. slightly littered; 3. littered; and 4. extremely littered.

The scoring team tries to keep the mileage evenly balanced in each neighborhood, Edwards said.

The two neighborhoods with the worst scores were Old Hill with a 3.84, and Forest Park with a 3.76. The neighborhoods with the best scores were Metro Center and Brightwood (1.16), followed closely by Sixteen Acres (1.22) and East Forest Park (1.26).

Some of the worst litter conditions seem to be in poorer areas where there is a higher concentration of rental properties and absentee landlords, Edwards said.

The cleanup on April 30 will involve hundreds of volunteers spread out in the four designated zones of the city.

Since its affiliation with Keep America Beautiful in 2007, Keep Springfield Beautiful has recruited 6,000 volunteers, collected 893,000 pounds of trash and debris, and cleaned 100 miles of streets, six miles of railroad tracks, 10 acres of playgrounds and 70 illegal dumpsites, according to the group’s statistics.

Edwards said urban blight is a “systemic disease” that reduces property values and discourages commerce and homebuyers.

“A connected community is the most powerful catalyst for positive change,” Edwards said. “To truly turn Springfield around, all sectors - public, private and nonprofit - must be united and engaged in the effort.”

Skroski, who once was a police officer in Longmeadow and Westhampton, is credited with wading into frigid waters to rescue the two women.

Times Record photoPhippsburg, Me., Police Chief John Skroski, who is a native of Southampton, Mass., was credited with a daring rescue off the coast of Maine recently.

Phippsburg, Me., Police Chief John B. Skroski, who used to live in Western Massachusetts, recently waded through icy ocean currents to perform a daring rescue of two women from a small island off the coast of his community.

The heroics of Skroski, who has numerous local connections, were detailed in a March 18 story by Seth Koenig in The Times Record, a newspaper that covers the communities of mid-coast Maine. Skroski, 39, grew up in Southampton and was a patrolman in Westhampton from 1991 to 1993 and in Longmeadow from 1993 to 1996. His father, John J. Skroski, who is retired, used to be police chief in Southampton.

“As a police officer it was the most intense experience I have ever had in my career and the most personally rewarding experience,” the Maine police chief said Tuesday.

On March 11, Skroski braved thick fog and rapid currents in 39 degree water to wade to Fox Island off Popham Beach, an area where there have been several drownings, according to the story. The women, 50-year-old pediatrician Elizabeth Leduc and her daughter, Sarah, 18, were visiting Maine colleges from their home in Georgia. Phippsburg, population about 2,100, is a tourist town whose population swells to 6,000 to 8,000 in the summer.

The two women had crossed a sand bar to the island during low tide around 11 a.m. and became stranded when the tide rolled back in, bringing strong currents with it.

Skroski was alerted to the situation when the women made a 911 call to state police, who referred them to his department as well as the Maine Marine Patrol and the Phippsburg Department of Fire and Rescue. Wearing a survival suit and accompanied by Maine Marine Patrol Officer Chris Hilton, also in a survival suit, Skroski overcame heavy fog for an hour and 10 minutes before reaching the women.

Hilton had to go back to shore after his suit sprung a leak and began taking in frigid water. A martial arts instructor who runs and lifts weights, Skroski almost collapsed from exhaustion when he reached the women.

Original plans called for the two women to cross back to the beach when the tide would have turned about 8 p.m. However, that changed about 4 p.m. when Leduc began to suffer from exposure and feared she would soon go into hypothermic shock, a potentially fatal condition.

About then, the fog lifted and other rescuers, also in survival suits, were able to pull a flat-bottomed boat to the island, using a cord tethered to the beach to reach it. The women were then put into the boat and pulled back to the beach as the vessel overcame high waves and strong currents.

Skroski praised the efforts of fellow rescue workers Deputy Fire Chief Andy Hart, Game Warden Doug Kulis, Maine Marine Officer Clint Thompson and Firefighter Billy Totman, as well as others.