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

Some streets in Chicopee Center closed as two-day block party gets underway

0
0

Chicopee Downtown Get Down will run from noon to 9 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday. A total of eight bands will perform for about two hours each to cover nearly all the time of the festival.

CHICOPEE -- Some streets in Chicopee Center have been closed and will remain so throughout the weekend as a two-day block party gets underway.

Chicopee Downtown Get Down will run from noon to 9 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday. A total of eight bands will perform for about two hours each to cover nearly all the time of the festival.

Springfield Street at South Street is closed, as is Exchange Street at Cabot Street and Center Street at South Street, according to a post on the police department's Facebook page.

There may be other closures as well, and motorists should plan accordingly. Organizers hope as many as 14,000 people will attend the event.


Springfield Technical Community College kicks off 50th anniversary celebration by honoring its founders

0
0

STCC would not be the thriving institution it is today without the vision, determination and collaboration of four men — Edmond P. Garvey, Joseph J. Deliso Sr., state Rep. Anthony M. Scibelli and Charles V. Ryan, former college president Andrew Scibelli said.

SPRINGFIELD -- The founding of Springfield Technical College in 1967 was the result of what former college president Andrew Scibelli calls "a perfect storm."

STCC would not be the thriving institution it is today without the vision, determination and collaboration of four men -- Edmond P. Garvey, Joseph J. Deliso Sr., state Rep. Anthony M. Scibelli and Charles V. Ryan -- Scibelli said.

Scibelli, nephew of lawmaker "Tony" Scibelli, was one of several speakers on Friday afternoon during a convocation and reception held to honor the four founders and to kick off STCC's 50th anniversary year.

More than 200 faculty members and local officials heard Scibelli and others recall the confluence of events that led to the founding of STCC during a convocation and reception at Scibelli Hall, a building named for the legislator.

"It was a perfect storm -- in a good way," Scibelli said. "It all happened in 90 days. Imagine that today."

In a video presentation shown at the convocation, Scibelli, Ryan, Clement Deliso, son of Deliso, an industrialist, and James Garvey, nephew of founding President Edmond Garvey, recalled the events leading up to the founding of STCC.

In the 1960s, the Springfield Armory -- the city's largest employer -- was shut down by the federal government, sparking a regional economic crisis and leaving the fate of one of the city's premiere properties uncertain.

When the city's efforts to save the Armory failed, Ryan, then mayor of Springfield, convened a blue-ribbon panel, including Garvey, to determine the best use for the the Federal Street site in the heart of the city.

All of the speakers credited Garvey as the driving force to establish the college as an affordable option for residents seeking training for the post-Armory workforce.

A former radio engineer for American Bosch, Garvey later turned his talents to education, becoming the principal of the former Trade High School, now Putnam Vocational Technical Academy. He later led Springfield Technical Institute, a post-graduate arm of Trade.

The idea of founding a community college at the Armory site, initially floated by Garvey, gained traction with help of Ryan, Deliso and Scibelli -- all dedicated to the future of the city.

Deliso, founder of HBA Cast Products, a Republican activist who would become the first chairman of the board at STCC, had the ear of then-Gov. John Volpe.

Tony Scibelli, then-chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, was able to push through the legislation approving funding and authorizing the transfer of 35 acres of the Springfield Armory to the state for the establishment of a community college.

And the rest is history, which STCC will celebrate in a series events throughout the year, culminating on Sept. 11, 2017 -- the date marking its 50th anniversary.

In addition to Scibelli, speakers at the convocation included Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, STCC President John Cook, former STCC President Ira Rubenzahl and faculty and local leaders.

Springfield police investigate apparent shooting in Old Hill neighborhood

0
0

Police are investigating a reported shooting near the intersection of Eastern Avenue and Manhattan Street just before 1 a.m. Police have not confirmed the reports pending investigation.

UPDATE 7:15 a.m.


This story has been updated. Please see http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2016/09/man_wounded_in_old_hill_shooti.html#incart_river_home



SPRINGFIELD— Springfield police are investigating an apparent shooting in the Old Hill neighborhood that left one person reportedly wounded and under treatment at a local hospital.

Police say they cannot confirm reports that an individual was struck by a bullet as he rode in a car near the intersections of Eastern Avenue and Manhattan and Portsmouth streets at approximately 12;45 a.m. Saturday. Police had streets in that area blocked off to traffic until approximately 1:30 a.m.

A police spokesperson declined to comment on the incident pending reports from field investigators

Police dispatch issued an alert that the city's acoustic gunfire location system, ShotSpotter, indicated eight rounds were fired at about 12:45 a.m. Minutes later an individual with a gunshot wound was reportedly found in the vicinity of Cambridge Street.


This is a breaking story and will be updated as information becomes available.

.

Vermont rider pinned underwater by ATV

0
0

A Vermont ATV rider was killed when his machine tipped off a bridge over a brook and pinned him underwater, the Vermont State Police said in a written statement.

TINMOUTH,Vermont— An ATV rider was killed Friday afternoon when his machine fell off a small bridge and pinned him underwater in the Vermont town of Tinmouth.

Vermont State Police said Clifford Bushee died at about 2:30 Friday afternoon as he rode his ATV on a trail near Tinmouth Road in Tinmouth.

A preliminary investigation determined that Bushee was riding on a trail when he tried to cross a small bridge over a brook. The ATC tipped over the side of the bridge and pinned Bushee to the bottom of the brook.He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Man wounded in Old Hill shooting, police confirm

0
0

Springfield police confirmed that one man was wounded as he rode in a car traveling on Eastern Avenue Saturday morning. The driver of the vehicle drove to Cambridge Street before stopping to call for help.

SPRINGFIELDSpringfield police now confirm that one man was wounded when the car he was riding in was shot at as it traveled on Eastern Avenue Saturday morning

Springfield Police Capt. Brian Keenan said the victim was a passenger in the car when he was wounded in the leg just before 1 a.m. The driver was not injured.

Keenan said the pair continued on to Cambridge Street before stopping to call for help. The victim was transported from Cambridge Street by ambulance to the Baystate Medical Center where he was treated for a non-life threatening wound.

Keenan said the victim has not been cooperative with investigators.

Police first became aware of the shooting when the city's acoustic gunfire location system, ShotSpotter, indicated eight rounds were fired at 12:44 a.m. near the intersection of Eastern Avenue and Manhattan and Portsmouth streets in the Old Hill neighborhood. Minutes later, officers confirmed that a man suffering a gunshot wound was in a car in the vicinity of 122 Cambridge Street.

Streets near the presumed shooting area were closed off as police searched for evidence. The affected intersections were reopened approximately 45 minutes after the shooting. Detectives found a number spent shell casings at the scene, Keenan said.

The incident remains under investigation by Springfield police detectives.

Amherst fire officials to mark Sept. 11 Sunday with ceremony, road race

0
0

The ceremonies will be held at the North Amherst station this year.

AMHERST -- The Fire Department will hold its annual 9/11 remembrance ceremony, but this year it will be at the North Amherst station and paired with the Tunnel to Towers Foundation road race. 

The department has held a ceremony every year since 2002 to remember and honor all those public safety personnel who lost their lives in the World Trade Center attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

Fire personnel will gather at 9:30 a.m., and the short ceremony will begin at 9:59, the time the first World Trade Center tower collapsed. 

The Tunnel to Towers 5K road race is held in New York City and in communities around the country in honor of Stephen Siller, one of the New York City firefighters who died that day trying to save others.

The race is a benefit to raise money for the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which builds custom smart homes for catastrophically injured service members.

The race will begin behind the Sylvan residential area at the University of Massachusetts, and the finish line will be at the North Fire Station, where awards will be presented.

The public is invited to attend the ceremony and the road race finish line activities.

Information about the race is available at t2trun.org.

Fire heavily damages Ashley Street duplex, 10 left homeless

0
0

A duplex house on Ashley Street sustained heavy damage when a fire authorities are calling suspicious, gutted both units Saturday morning. The fire started on the exterior wall of the rear of the home and spread up to involve the first and second floors.

SPRINGFIELD— Firefighters were able to quickly knock down a fire that heavily damaged an Ashley Street duplex, and officials are calling the blaze suspicious. Ten people were left homeless by the blaze, and the American Red Cross has been called in to aid the families.

Dennis Leger, executive aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant, said the fire apparently started on the rear exterior wall of the structure. Flames were able to spread upward into the first and second floors. Leger said the rear facing rooms of each unit were nearly gutted by the fast moving fire. Besides the damage to the house, Leger said two all-terrain-vehicles and a car were destroyed. He set damages at between $75,000 and $100,000.

Leger said a fire investigator from the Springfield Bomb and Arson Squad was called in to examine the fire.He said the fire started at a point on the house where there was little reason for fire to start. There was not electrical service at that point, no grills or other heat generating appliances. Fire investigator Darren Padilla inspected the burned area looking for a cause.

Meanwhile, two families, are homeless. Leger said one family of seven people lived in one unit and three people lived in the second. One family has children as young a four years old.

The Red Cross was called in to help the families with emergency living space, food and clothing.

95 Ashley Street Fire.jpgFirefighters were able to quickly knock down a fire that left two families homeless Saturday night. Firefighters were called to the scene at about 3:30 .am.  

Several injured in Springfield stabbing

0
0

Four people were injured when a man produced a knife and stabbed and slashed three people, Police arrested the suspect himself when he wnet to the emergency room for treatment of a head injury.

SPRINGFIELD— Three people were stabbed and slashed as a fight escalated when one of the combatants produced a large knife. Police arrested a suspect Saturday morning as he sought treatment for a head injury he sustained in the fight.

Springfield Police Capt. Brian Keenan said three people were transported by ambulance from the fight scene at the Pride gas station at 77 West St. to the Baystate Medical Center emergency room just after the 2:30 a.m. incident. Their conditions were unknown Saturday morning.

Keenan said a car with three males in it stopped at the gas pumps of the Pride complex for fuel. A second car pulled up and a passenger in that car began to fight with the occupants of the first. That's when the suspect produced a knife and began attacking the others.

A car parked near the fight scene was splashed in blood from one of the victims, and absorbent towels were spread across the area near the pumps to help clean up blood spread across the concrete.

Investigators were able to identify the vehicle the alleged assailant fled the scene in, and minutes later officers at the emergency room found the car in the parking lot. The alleged stabber himself sustained a head injury. He is in police custody and Keenan said he will be charged with three counts of assault and battery with the intent to commit murder.


Jason Aldean, Kid Rock kick off sold out shows at Fenway Park in Boston (photos)

0
0

Award winning musical artists Jason Aldean and Kid Rock kicked off a weekend of back to back sold out shows at Fenway Park on Friday night.

BOSTON – Singers Jason Aldean and Kid Rock kicked off the first of two nights iof back-to-back sold out shows at Fenway Park on Friday.

It was certainly a memorable day for Aldean. Not because of his sold-out return to Fenway, where he originally left his mark in 2013 by becoming the first country artist to perform at the iconic ballpark. Not because he took home the ACM Triple Crown Award during Friday night's 10th Annual ACM Awards. Die hard fans know that Friday marked the release of the latest installment in Aldean's discography, "They Don't Know.". His seventh studio album is a welcomed addition, and is already making waves in the country music community, receiving critical acclaim prior to it's release.

His performance at Fenway definitely lived up to the current hype surrounding his career, coming in with over an hour and a half of heavy hitters and crowd pleasers from his first six albums mixed with some material off his newest release.

He is joined this weekend by special guest and co-headliner Kid Rock.

Kid Rock had a big year in 2015 with the release of his first album on Warner Bros. Records "First Kiss", which was followed by a massive tour that ran from late May through October. This year he has a little quieter, only playingfewer shows and events.

Opening for the duo were country music stars A Thousand Horses and Thomas Rhett.

Jason Aldean's Six String Circus tour continues on for another night at Fenway Saturday night and then makes a quick stop on Sunday at the Xfinity Theatre in Hartford.

It continues on through the end of the month, finishing up on October 1st in Bristol, Virginia.

For more information about Jason Aldean, Kid Rock, Thomas Rhett and A Thousand Horses visit their official websites.

MassDOT announces I-91 Springfield overnight shutdowns this weekend

0
0

The contractor is painting lanes on the highway.

SPRINGFIELD -- The Massachusetts Department of Transportation announced Friday that it will close parts of Interstate 91 and surrounding roads over the weekend.

The $183.3-million project will rehabilitate about 2 miles of elevated highway built in the 1960s that opened in December 1970.

The closures are:

  • The ramp from I-391 South to I-91 South (Exit 1A) will be closed from 9 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 11, to 5 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 12
  • Temporary Exit 7-6 to Downtown Springfield will be closed  from 10 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 11, to 5 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 12
  • Lane Closures on I-91 South near the I-391 Interchange in Chicopee: Only one lane of traffic will be maintained from 10 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 11, to 5 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 12.
  • I-91 South traffic will be routed to temporary Exit 7-6 from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. on both Monday, Sept. 12, and Tuesday, Sept. 13.

Detours are: 

  • To access I-91 South from I-391 South in Chicopee: Take Exit 1B on I-391 South to merge onto I-91 North. After crossing the Connecticut River, take Exit 13B, keep left, and merge onto I-91 South. * To access Downtown Springfield from I-91 South: Take Exit 8 on I-91 South for I-291 East/Route 20 East and take Exit 2 for Chestnut Street.
  • To continue to I-91 South: Take temporary Exit 7-6 and merge onto West Columbus Avenue. Continue south onto East Columbus Avenue through the rail underpass. Bear right onto West Columbus Avenue behind the I-91 North Garage. Continue onto Hall of Fame Avenue. After passing Union Street, use the left lane to merge onto the on-ramp to I-91 South.

Those traveling through the area should follow the reduced speed limits and use caution. 

More information on the project is available on MassDOT's website at http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/i91viaductrehab/Home.aspx.

Free rides offered on Holyoke Merry-Go-Round for National Grandparents Day, to commemorate 9/11

0
0

The Holyoke Merry-Go-Round will offer free rides to certain folks for National Grandparents Day and to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016 at the carousel at Holyoke Heritage State Park, 221 Appleton St.

HOLYOKE -- Free rides will be available for certain folks on the Holyoke Merry-Go-Round Sunday in honor of National Grandparents Day and to mark the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Grandparents accompanied by a grandchild will ride the carousel for free, a press release said.

To commemorate "9/11," first-responders will receive a free ride and their family members will get rides at half-price, the press release said.

The Merry-Go-Round at Holyoke Heritage State Park, 221 Appleton St., is open Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.

Ticket prices are $2 per ride or six rides for $10.

The Merry-Go-Round and the pipe band organ at its center were located at Mountain Park on Mount Tom. When the amusement park closed in 1987, volunteers worked to save the carousel. The Merry-Go-Round was moved and opened at its current home Dec. 7, 1993.

The carousel was built in 1927 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company and the pipe band organ by Artizan Factories Inc. of North Tonawanda, New York in 1929.

Amenities at the 8-acre Heritage State Park include the Merry-Go-Round gift shop, the park itself, the Visitors' Center, the Holyoke Children's Museum and Volleyball Hall of Fame.

For more information call 413-538-9838 or visit holyokemerrygoround.org

10 Holyoke firefighters' salaries, benefits funded by grant but 'brown outs' still in play

0
0

Despite being a big help, the impact of a $1.24 million federal grant on the Holyoke Fire Department is about a year away and occasionally thin staffing will continue to require removal of trucks from service on some shifts, Fire Chief John A. Pond said at a press conference at Fire Department headquarters at 600 High St. on Friday, Sept. 9, 2016.

HOLYOKE -- The $1.24 million grant that U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal and other officials marked Friday will pay salaries and benefits of 10 firefighters for two years.

But the impact of the funding is about a year away and occasionally thin staffing will continue to require removal of trucks from service on some shifts, Fire Chief John A. Pond said.

Amid those factors, such occasions offer the chance to praise Holyoke firefighters, Mayor Alex B. Morse said.

"Hats off to you and hats off to you, chief, for your great management," Morse said.

"I have a huge admiration for firefighters," said state Rep. Aaron M. Vega, D-Holyoke.

The of $1,245,940 grant is a federal a SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) grant from the Department of Homeland Security. (see below).

Neal, a Democrat from Springfield, said the review of SAFER grant applications like the one submitted by the Holyoke Fire Department is a rigorous process featuring scrutiny by firefighting professionals.

"So you're not going to throw them a curve ball," Neal said.

The money will help the Fire Department maintain Holyoke's character, said Neal, who said he was glad when redistricting occurred several years ago that Holyoke was added to his district, the 1st Congressional District.

"I just want to say thanks to all of you because Holyoke just has that grit that I'm always proud to associate myself with," Neal said

The grant requires no funding match from the city. Some grants are contingent on local funding being provided.

Pond praised the work of the department's grant writer, Deputy Fire Chief Jeffrey Przekopowski, and said of his entire staff, "For me, it's been easy because the Holyoke Fire Department is full of great people, from the top to the bottom."

Pond said before the press conference that the grant will be handled the same way as other SAFER grants, with the expectation that once the grant expires the funding for the firefighters' salaries and benefits will come from money freed up with the retirement of other firefighters.

"This is exactly like the previous SAFER grants we have received over the past three or four years. We will hire 10 new firefighters and anticipate retirements during the grant period to potentially offset staffing. There is no obligation of employment for firefighters hired after the two-year grant period expires," Pond said.

The current uniformed staffing in the Fire Department totals 76. It is likely the effects of the SAFER grant, the additional of 10 firefighters, won't be felt for a year. The City Council must deliberate and decide whether to accept the grant, and then Pond would hire 10 firefighters and they must undergo months of training, he said.

As a result, despite the grant, the occasional "brown outs" of certain fire trucks, removing them from service, will continue. That is done to avoid paying overtime money to summon off-duty firefighters on shifts when staffing is thin, he said.

That means timing is a factor in the city being able to put the grant funding to use and the next step is the City Council's, Fire Commission member Patricia C. Devine said, noting the presence in the room of City Councilor Peter R. Tallman.

"I would definitely invite the City Council to really look closely at this and vote for it. Now the ball's in your court," Devine said.

Among factors that councilors are likely to have questions about include a clerical error that came to light in January about a previous SAFER grant the Fire Department received. The acting city auditor miscalculated the number of firefighters' salaries that had to be funded in relation to when the grant expired, resulting in a temporary deficit.

Fact sheet on federal SAFER grant: by Mike Plaisance on Scribd

South Hadley Planning Board to convene public hearing on 12-unit condominium proposal across street from new library

0
0

The September 12 public hearing, on the applicant's request for a special permit, is slated to begin at 7:15 p.m. at town hall, 116 Main St.

SOUTH HADLEY -- The planning board is scheduled to convene a public hearing Monday on a proposed three-building, 12-unit condominium project that if approved would be located across the street from the new public library in the South Hadley Falls village off Canal Street.

The Sept. 12 public hearing, on the applicant's request for a special permit, is slated to begin at 7:15 p.m. at Town Hall, 116 Main St.

Orange Park Management LLC of Chicopee has applied for the special permit.

"The goal of the proposed buildings is to add value to the neighborhood without compromising the scenic, cultural, and historic significance of the area," Orange Park said in their request to the planning board.

"The site location provides a direct pedestrian walkway to the public library, public transportation, churches, restaurants, and the Old Firehouse Museum."

Anderson Associates of Agawam prepared the site plan.

According to plans Orange Park submitted to the town, each unit would house three bedrooms and two baths, and include two parking spaces.

An industrial building, which was demolished and removed by the town, once stood on the nearly 42,000-square-foot lot in the Business B zone.

The parcel, which also included property across the street for the public library, was purchased by South Hadley in 2011.

Seen@ Bay Path University's 10th Annual Golf Tournament to benefit student scholarships

0
0

A number of Bay Path University students will begin their studies with financial assistance this fall thanks to scholarships made possible by the school's 10th Annual Golf Tournament.

AGAWAM – A number of Bay Path University students will begin their studies with financial assistance this fall thanks to scholarships made possible by the school's 10th Annual Golf Tournament.

Following a full day of golf at Crestview Country Club on Friday, golfers sat down to dinner and heard words of appreciation from several speakers.

"This program is put on every year to support Bay Path students, and to provide them with the experiences and the scholarship support that enables them to thrive ... and to achieve what they might have not otherwise ever thought possible," said Amanda Sbriscia, director of annual giving and alumni relations. "So thank you for making that possible for them."

Kathleen Bourque, vice president for university relations and board liaison, also addressed the audience, expressing appreciation for the program's organizers and participants. She noted to applause that the team that came in first place consisted of "a former board chair, a future board chair and a retired faculty member."

Besides dinner, the event also featured a raffle and a silent auction.

Proceeds from the event will be split between student scholarships and the athletics program, benefiting current and future students, said Anna Mailloux, alumni and development program associate at Bay Path.

According to Bay Path, 70 percent of the university's undergraduate students and 74 percent of its adult women students are the first in their families to attend college. Of those, 98 percent receive scholarship support.

The tournament helps these students excel in the classroom and provides programming and equipment that enable them to lead on the playing field and in life, university officials said.

Chicopee school overcrowding will force students to transfer

0
0

The overcrowding is at Patrick E. Bowe and Comprehensive High schools.

CHICOPEE -- Last-minute enrollments on the first days of school have forced officials to transfer some students from their assigned schools to buildings in other neighborhoods.

The crowding was discovered at Patrick E. Bowe School and Chicopee Comprehensive High School after parents enrolled new students in school when classes began. School started on Sept. 1 for children in grades one through nine, Sept. 2 for students in grades 10, 11 and 12 and on Sept. 9 for kindergarten, Superintendent Richard W. Rege Jr. said.

Beyond the crowding problem, Rege told the School Committee at its regular meeting this week there were few problems at the opening of school.

"It was one of the smoothest openings we have had. There were very few bus issues," he said.

There were some minor problems with busing, but no child was ever left unattended as schedules were worked out. Because of constantly moving road work, he warned parents that buses may from time to time run a little late if they are detoured or otherwise caught in traffic.

New students at Bowe School left the second grade classes overcrowded. About a half-dozen children will be bused to Belcher School this year because there is extra space in the second grade there, Rege said.

Because the children were required to move from their regular schools, families will have the option of having them return to Bowe School next year or remaining in Belcher School. In other situations like this, many children become comfortable in their new school and remain there, Rege said.

A large number of new students at Comprehensive High School also forced 16 new students to be transferred to Chicopee High School, Rege said.

The problem is there are so many students in the school, which has about 1,500 teenagers, teachers were unable to provide the courses the new students were required to take. Because of concerns the students would not be able to get a rigorous course schedule, students will be bused to Chicopee High School where there is more room, he said.

Part of the overcrowding is due to the popularity of the career and technical programs over the past few years. There are fewer freshmen who signed up for the programs this year, but there is a larger number of upperclassmen in the program, he said.

The new enrollees are from a variety of communities including Ludlow, Springfield and Northampton, and are in a variety of grades. Most moved into new homes this summer, Rege said.

The students did not know teachers or students in either school because they are new to the city, so the transfer from one school to another would not be that difficult, he said.

The students will also have the option of returning to Comprehensive High School next year or remaining at Chicopee High School.


Springfield man charged with spitting blood into mouth and eyes of correctional officer scheduled for trial

0
0

Six correctional officers and four supervisors are expected to testify against Baker at trial, court records show.

SPRINGFIELD -- Drez Baker has a good reason to avoid another trip to the Hampden County Correctional Center.

drez.baker.jpgDrez Baker 

Four good reasons, actually.

On Nov. 30, Baker, 21, of Springfield, allegedly got into a fight with a correctional officer at the Ludlow jail. After kicking the officer in the chest and threatening to kill him, Baker spit blood and phlegm into his mouth and eyes, according to court records.

At the time of the fight, Baker was being held for defaulting in a previous assault case. Four more charges -- including assault and battery with a bodily substance, assault and battery and threat to commit a crime -- were added the next day.

In February, a grand jury indicted Baker on all four counts and a trial was set for Sept. 21 in Hampden Superior Court.

Six correctional officers and four supervisors are expected to testify against Baker. Photos, videos and medical records will also be presented as evidence, according to motion filed this week by Assistant District Attorney Howard Safford.

At 21, Baker has already had his share of legal trouble.

In August 2015, he was shot in the leg on Westford Street in the
in the Upper Hill neighborhood, according to court records. He refused to cooperate with police at the scene and was arrested later at Baystate Medical Center on a default warrant from superior court.

Following the arrest, police found $600 worth of counterfeit U.S. currency and a .45 caliber bullet on Baker, who was charged with possession of counterfeit notes and possession of ammunition, records show. The status of those charges was not immediately available Friday.

In April, a judge found he violated his probation in a 2014 assault case and sentenced him to a 12-month jail term, with credit for 238 days served.

Baker is currently free on $100 bail, court records show.

2 men shot and wounded near Holyoke's High Street

0
0

Holyoke police said two men were shot and wounded just after 3 a.m. The victims were among a group of people gathered in the parking lot of Sam's Food Store at 515 High St.,and after the shooting, the two ran to Maple Street where they flagged down a passing police cruiser.

HOLYOKE— Two men were shot and wounded Sunday morning as they gathered with a group of people in the parking lot of Sam's Food Store at 515 High St.,at the intersection with Cabot Street.

Holyoke Police Sgt. Richard Stuart said the victims ran from the shooting scene up Cabot Street then north on Maple Street. There they flagged down a passing cruiser for help.

The victims were transported to the Baystate Medical Center trauma unit where they were in treatment. Their conditions are not known.

Stuart said the two were among a group of people gathered in the store's parking lot just after 3 a.m. when gunfire erupted. Police have little information to go on initially as many of the witnesses scattered as shots rang out.

According to police at the scene, the two male victims were in their 20s. One suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen and the other was hit in the wrist. While the two are in treatment police have not been able to take statements. Witnesses who did talk to police said they heard "a bunch" of gunshots" but did not see from what direction the shots came or who fired them.

Lt. James Albert, head of the department's Criminal Investigation Bureau said he is hopeful that video from nearby security cameras will help in piecing together the circumstances.

Victim scene I.jpgAn officer keeps watch over the scene on Maple Street where two shooting victims ran for help after they were wounded a block away at Sam's Food Street on High Street.  


Worthington Street crash sends 5 people to hospital with serious injuries

0
0

Five people suffered serious but apparently non-life-threatening injuries in a two-car crash on Worthington Street. One man was arrested for OUI .

SPRINGFIELD— A two-car crash on Worthington Street Sunday morning sent five people to the Baystate Medical Center with some suffering what police are calling "serious but non-life-threatening" injuries. Springfield Police Lt. David Kane said the 2:48 a.m. crash involved two vehicles in the 800 block of Worthington Street.

Both vehicles were destroyed in the crash.

Kane said one man, the operator of one of the two cars, was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. He was in the custody of police after treatment and will be arraigned in Springfield District Court Monday.

A Massachusetts success story: How the love of pie and family brought Table Talk back from extinction

0
0

The pie business is booming. Worcester-based Table Talk Pies anticipates pulling in $100 million in revenue this year for a product that (in its 4-inch version) costs about a buck.

When Table Talk Pies owner Harry Kokkinis was just 3 or 4 years old, his father took him one weekend to the family factory in Worcester's Kelley Square. There, in an office, Kokkinis' grandfather, Greek immigrant and company founder Theodore Tonna, and his business partner Angelo Cotsidas would often have a sampling of pies from the day's production.

"They had a pumpkin pie there and I still remember them offering me a piece," Kokkinis recalls.

He quickly gobbled it up.

"They said, 'Oh, you like it that much? Have another piece.'"

Then he had another piece. And another.

"All of a sudden my father turned around and said, 'You ate the whole thing!'"

It was Kokkinis' first piece of a much bigger pie that he would one day inherit -- a multi-million dollar family business that today produces a whopping 3.6 million pies a week and employs more than 300 people between its Canal District production plant in Worcester and another location it recently opened in Shrewsbury. The company also just announced plans to build an additional production plant in the long-vacant South Worcester Industrial Park where it will hire 50 more employees. It is opening a retail store on Green Street -- the first Table Talk retail store in more than 20 years.

Behind the scenes: Inside Table Talk Pies in WorcesterWithin the walls of Table Talk's Worcester factory, three million pies are made each week. Here's a look at how they're made, from flour mixed into dough to pies ready for shipping.  

The pie business in New England's second largest city is booming. Table Talk Pies anticipates pulling in $100 million in revenue this year for a product that (in its 4-inch version) costs about a buck. 

But it was almost all lost.

Having built a successful pie business that began in 1924 with horse cart deliveries on the streets of Worcester, Kukkinis' family sold Table Talk Pies to Beech-Nut in the 1960s. Kokkinis' father, Christo Cocaine (the Americanized version of the family name), continued on with the company to help run it until 1977 when he left the pie business behind.

The company went through a couple of other corporate changes until 1984 -- when the then-owners closed the doors on Table Talk. The factory was shut down. 

And that could have been the end of the story.

"Ultimately, the subsequent owners ran it into the ground," Kokkinis said. "I don't know what happened. There were a lot of changes in the marketplace at the time -- the rise of in-store bakeries in supermarkets, the falloff of diners, although diners have since come back."

But Kokkinis' father, Christo, couldn't let the family legacy die. With the help of an investor, he bought back the building, the Table Talk name and a couple of pieces of equipment. About a year later, Table Talk Pies reopened.

The new business plan: Own the snack pie market.

If there's a good example of Worcester's recent renaissance being more than just a surge in downtown development and trendy dining and coffee shops, Table Talk is it -- although its story of rebirth stretches over more than 20 years.

It started with that 4-inch snack-sized pie.

Faced with trying to rebuild a shuttered business, Christo Cocaine concentrated on doing one thing and doing it really well.

"My father came back focusing on the 4-inch and really building that snack business back up," Kokkinis said.

The company may not have invented the 4-inch pie, but it quickly owned the concept -- filling supermarket aisles across the region with it's snack-sized apple, blueberry, lemon and about nine other flavors of pies, including seasonal favorites like pumpkin.

"It was just a great lunch pail desert," Kokkinis said. "So many people would talk about how their mothers would put the junior pie in their lunchbox every day. As my son often tells me, 'Dad, I don't believe you're selling it for as cheap as you are. You can't buy a candy bar for under a $1.50.'"

MassLive found 4-inch Table Talk pies in area stores ranging from 5 pies for $4 to a $1 a pie. 

It took time, but the company went from a shuttered factory to a thriving business.

Kokkinis had since moved away, but in 2003, his father invited him to come back and help run the pie businesses together as it grew.

"Dad was looking to buy out the investor who helped him grow the business," Kokkinis said.

With the 4-inch pie in just about every major supermarket in the area and starting to stretch across the country, the company took the next big step -- a return to making larger pies.

"Some opportunities came up in the marketplace that we took advantage of," Kokkinis said.

Eight-inch pies began rolling out of the company's ovens. Now, the business long known for the 4-inch snack pie, takes in about 50 percent of its revenue from the larger 8-inch pies it bakes.

The output is impressive. Table Talk produces about 180,000 4-inch pies every day in it's Worcester plant, Kokkinis said. Another 80,000 8-inch pies are produced daily there.

"We've been growing by leaps and bounds," he said. "Our 4-inch pies are growing out across the country."

In fact, the 4-inch pies are now being sold in California. They've even been spotted in a store in Puerto Rico. And even though the larger pies have become an increasingly larger part of the business, it's those smaller snack pies that have really fueled the growth and are the force behind the company's plans to build a plant in the South Worcester Industrial Park -- a once-bustling manufacturing center of the city that for years has been a post-industrial wasteland.

"It's going to create some jobs in that particular neighborhood," Worcester City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. told MassLive last week. "People who live right in that neighborhood could potentially work at those jobs."

That's been the attraction at Table Talk's Canal District plant for years.

Kokkinis says the company has a low turnover rate of workers with many of them living in the neighborhood and either walking or taking public transportation to and from work.

That's a recipe the city has been trying to replicate in its ongoing renaissance -- getting more people to both live and work in the city.

For Central Massachusetts, the growth of a brick-and-mortar business like Table Talk shows that although the area economy has moved away from manufacturing, it's far from dead, says Greater Worcester Chamber of Commerce President Timothy P. Murray. 

"In 2013, the chamber put out a report studying the Central Mass. economy," Murray said. "Manufacturing played an important role, but the manufacturing base has shrunk from [number] 1 to [number] 4. But it's still hugely important."

Although the product itself is important to success, Murray said family ownership of businesses like Table Talk is also key.

"They've had deep routes in this community for years in lots of different ways," Murray said.

In fact, Christo Cocaine was on the chamber board for years.

"And because of that, they understand the importance and significance that their jobs provide."

Kokkinis' father passed away in 2015 at the age of 90. He continued to work seven days a week until the time of his death.

"I'm just sorry he's not able to see this," Kokkinis said. "We were growing a lot, but just [to see] the continued growth [in the past year], the new facility we have in Shrewsbury and now South Worcester."

As for the company's success, Kokkinis says he recalls a newspaper interview his father did in the 1950s.

"The [reporter] asked 'what's your most important product?' 'Quality. Quality is our most important product,'" Kokkinis recalls his father responding. "He always said pies have to be made with romance -- or as some people say, with a little love."

"He was a great man."

Table Talk through the agesChristos Cocaine (right), father of Harry Kokkinis, with his cousin. 

Behind the scenes: How a Table Talk Pie is made (video)

0
0

Pies are not made on Washington Street like your mother did. Watch video

WORCESTER -- Pies are not made on Washington Street like your mother made them. 

Within the Worcester factory, Table Talk produces more than 3 million pies each week. 

The company that was founded in 1924 makes a dozen types of four-inch snack pies and larger 8- or 10-inch pies. 

Dough is kneaded in industrial mixers before being transported to another section of the factory to be flattened into individual pie crusts. 

Pie filling is cooked in large vats that cook one flavor at a time. 

Once filled and topped with another layer of crust, pies travel through a massive oven. They cool on a conveyor belt that travel above the factory's workers and machines to packaging where the pies are boxed and sealed for shipping so they may arrive on grocery store shelves in two-to-three days. 

Viewing all 62489 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images