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Springfield man convicted of murder as a juvenile denies robbery, shooting; bail set at $1 million

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Ordered to hand over his wallet, the man began to laugh, thinking Williams was joking. He was still laughing when Williams fired the gun, police said.

SPRINGFIELD — A Springfield man described in court records as having been convicted of murder as a juvenile is charged in a Thanksgiving night shooting that left the victim with bullet wounds in both legs.

Luther L. William, 36, pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and four related charges during his arraignment last week in Springfield District Court. By agreement of defense and prosecution lawyers, his bail was set at $1 million.

On Nov. 24, Williams allegedly pulled a gun on the victim as he walked with his girlfriend to a home on Windsor Street, according to the arrest report. After being ordered to hand over his money, the victim began to laugh, thinking that Williams was joking.

He was still laughing when Williams fired the gun, once into the air and once into the ground, and then grabbed at the chain around the man's neck, the report said.

In the ensuing struggle, Williams shot the man once and fled on foot, leaving behind two cellphones. The bullet traveled through the victim's left thigh and lodged in his right leg, the report said.

A Windsor Street resident told police she recognized the shooter and sent them a Facebook photo of Williams. The victim, who knew the shooter by the nickname of "Snipes," later picked out Williams' photo from an eight-person array at police headquarters.

Assistant District Attorney Cary Szafranski asked that Williams be held on $1 million on the new charges. She also asked Judge William Boyle to hold him for a probation violation hearing in a 2015 domestic assault case.

The judge agreed to both requests.

In paperwork explaining his actions in the case, Boyle noted that Williams is on probation in one domestic assault case and awaiting trial in a second. He also cited the defendant's criminal history, which included a murder conviction as a juvenile, according to court records.

The judge offered no details of the murder case, and no mention of it was made during the arraignment. By law, records of juvenile offenders are sealed.

A Boston native, Williams is unemployed and divorced, with no tattoos and a scar between his eyes, according to court records.

He is due back in court on Dec. 29 for a pretrial hearing on the new charges.

 

Chicopee Planning Board rescinds approvals for subdivision reached only through Springfield

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The developer can return to request approvals for his plans once an inter-city agreement is signed.

CHICOPEE - The Planning Board voted to rescind, rather than extend, approvals for a complicated six-home subdivision that could be reached only through Springfield streets saying the developer has not made progress in securing needed agreements with the two cities.

Ralph Capua, owner of Sodi Inc., had asked for an extension of the site plan approval that would allow him to build six homes on the end of Russell Road Extension in Springfield because the plans were due to expire before he could start the work.

The Planning Board had tabled the plans twice in the past two months while waiting for Capua to get final approvals from the Chicopee City Council and the Springfield City Council on a cooperative agreement that would spell out who would be responsible for trash collection, street plowing and other services.

Capua has already built nine homes on the Springfield portion of the street but is still working on extending the road into Chicopee to build out the other six homes. Those six homeowners would be Chicopee residents but the street can only be accessed from Springfield roads.

In a meeting with the Planning Board in September, Thomas Murphy, a lawyer who represents Sodi Inc., said the project met all zoning requirements and had been approved by all city departments. The only thing standing in its way is the inter-city agreements.

"This has been a very complex proposal. I feel confident I will be able to get both City Councils to sign off on the agreements," he said in October.

He added the subdivision is not unprecedented. There are plenty of similar housing developments, including those in Chicopee, which can only be accessed by going through roads owned by other communities.

But by December neither City Council had approved the agreements. One Chicopee City councilor said no proposal had been submitted to board yet.

During the December meeting Robert Hendrickson, a member of the East Springfield Neighborhood Council said his group voted against the proposal of the inter-city agreement.

"I am not looking forward to this being dragged out," he said.

He questioned the plan to have Springfield pick up residents' trash and Chicopee paying for it and also asked about school bus access to the road.

"I get the idea they are nowhere near ready," Cynthia Labrie, Planning Board chairwoman said.

She added the Planning Board approved the preliminary site plan only on the condition that the agreement is signed before construction begins.

Officials for Sodi Inc. did not attend the meeting.

The Planning Board voted 4-0 against granting the extension and to rescind the site plan approval.

"If he gets his ducks in a row he can come back," Michael Sarnelli, a Planning Board member said.

Seen@ One Cottage Street Studio's 30th anniversary celebration in Easthampton

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For many in the Pioneer Valley and beyond, the One Cottage Street is the place to buy a gift from the gifted.

EASTHAMPTON -The building at One Cottage Street here was once a factory that produced battens, twines, and elastic threads using waterpower from a dam at the mouth of the Nashawannuck Pond.

That's all water over the dam today.

Today, it's home to Riverside Industries, which uses the second floor of the building, and provides five floors of studio space to dozens of regionally, nationally and internationally known artists and artisans.

Since 1986, on the first weekend of December, the artists and artisans open their studios to the public for their annual Open Studio and Holiday Sale. That's 30 years - but who's counting? Well, Lynn Latimer. As the creative force behind Latimer Glass Studios, she was there when it all began.

"We had a little sale, and there were five of us," she said. "Now we have more than 50."

Her fused glass panels are created using multiple layers of colored glass. Her work is on display in hospitals and cancer treatment centers as well as private homes across the country.

For many in the Pioneer Valley and beyond, the One Cottage Street is the place to buy a gift from the gifted.

"We've been to seven Open Studios so far, and this is the best," said Andrew Vlock of Cambridge.

For the artists and artisans, it's not all about the art.

"I really like to talk with the people. It's fun," said one artist.

If you missed it, the the studios will be open again Dec. 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit the official website here.


Gas up a nickel per gallon in Massachusetts

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Bay State gas prices jumped by a nickel per gallon, mirroring the upward trend in global crude oil prices.

Bay State gas prices have jumped by a nickel per gallon, mirroring the upward trend in global crude oil prices, according to the Associated Press.

AAA Northeast on Monday placed the average price of a gallon of self-serve, regular at $2.11.

Massachusetts motorists nonetheless enjoy a 7-cent-per-gallon discount compared to the national average.

But at this time in 2015, a gallon of self-serve, regular in the Bay State ran one $2.06.

Although crude oil prices have increased over the past year, in the short-term they actually fell Tuesday thanks to increased output in most major export regions, reports Reuters.

An oil glut could benefit the wallets of consumers, but the prospect triggers fears among economists of its broader impact on the economy

In September, the International Energy Agency revised previous expectations of an end to the glut in global oil supplies, saying it would likely persist through 2017 at least, Bloomberg reported. If so, 2017 will mark the fourth consecutive year of oversupply.

Tuesday's news came despite the plans of OPEC and Russia to cut production and resulted in a dip in the price oil futures were trading at on the market. 


Lawyer: Springfield Deputy Fire Chief Glenn Guyer not required to live in city

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A lawyer for Springfield Deputy Fire Chief Glenn Guyer said his client is not in violation of the city's residency ordinance. The comments occurred prior to a hearing to consider the residency issue.

SPRINGFIELD -- A lawyer representing Deputy Fire Chief Glenn Guyer said Tuesday that his client has no legal obligation to move to Springfield despite allegations by some city officials that he is in violation of a residency ordinance.

Lawyer Brett Vottero, representing Guyer, said the deputy fire chief was initially hired as a firefighter on Sept. 14, 1987, and that a provision of the ordinance states: "All employees employed by the City of Springfield on March 17, 1995, shall be considered to have fully complied with the residency provisions of this article."

"Deputy Chef Guyer is not under any legal obligation to live in Springfield," Vottero said in an email response to The Republican. "His promotion through the ranks to his current position as deputy chief does not change the fact that he (and all city employees hired before March 17, 1995) is not required to be a city resident."

City officials confirmed this week that a hearing has been scheduled with Guyer to determine if he is in violation of the city's residency requirement for failing to move to Springfield after his promotion.

Vottero said that under state law, Chapter 41, Section 99, police and firefighters must live within 15 miles of the city city or town where they are employed. Guyer lives in Wilbraham, according to city records.

"Deputy Guyer lives a half-mile from Springfield," Vottero said. "That same (state) law also contains a so-called 'grandfather provision' which protects police and firefighters appointed before the adoption of city ordinances requiring that they live closer."

City Councilors Justin Hurst and Bud Williams said recently that Guyer should be fired for failing to move to Springfield within one year of his promotion. The residency ordinance requires deputies to live in Springfield or to move to the city within one year of their promotion, they said.

Guyer was promoted to permanent deputy chief in November 2015 by Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant, and missed the deadline, councilors said.

A City Council committee met with top city officials including Conant, Police Commissioner John Barbieri, Human Resources Director William Mahoney and City Solicitor Edward Pikula to determine if the deputy chiefs of both police and fire are required to live in Springfield.

Barbieri said deputy police chiefs either live in Springfield or are aware they must move here within one year of their promotion. Two new deputies who live outside Springfield are fully aware of the need to move to the city, he said.

Conant told councilors the issue "is not a cut and dry issue," and said Guyer is entitled to a hearing under Civil Service and has a right to due process.

Mahoney declined to release the date of Guyer's hearing.

The alleged residency violation will be heard by either Conant or a hearing officer designated by Conant, Pikula said. Hearings are required under state law before there is any decision or disciplinary action, Pikula said.

Conant said Guyer has served as provisional deputy chief for over four years, and was the only candidate who qualified for deputy chief in passing the examination.

At a Monday meeting of the City Council, Hurst said he felt there was a leadership issue involved in how the departments enforce or do not enforce the residency requirement for deputy chiefs. Conant immediately accused Hurst of "putting words in my mouth."

Hurst said the city ordinance seems to "have a lot of holes," and suggested that city officials work with the mayor and council to bring revisions to help with enforcement efforts.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said recently that both Conant and Barbieri were informed that residency for deputy chiefs will be enforced.

Councilors Bud L. Williams and Michael Fenton said the council has repeatedly asked Sarno to appoint members to a Residency Compliance Committee, without action. Mahoney said his department has a residency compliance unit that oversees the requirement.

The residency requirement in Springfield has been debated for decades, with some unions, including patrolmen and firefighters, exempt from the local law.

Mahoney said that 11 labor contracts in Springfield have added residency clauses in the last seven to eight years.

Williams said it is morally wrong for district chiefs and deputy chiefs to live outside Springfield. He said there are city employees who choose not to live in Springfield, spending their money outside Springfield, and not interested in many local homes for sale.

Springfield police deputy chief sent prophetic email on Bigda videos; suspended detective returns to work

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Springfield Police Detective Gregg Bigda is scheduled to return to work today, in the records division, after serving a 60-day suspension over videos showing him threatening violence against two juveniles, and threatening to plant drugs on one of them.

SPRINGFIELD -- More than a month before the public storm began over videos showing a narcotics detective threatening two teenage suspects, Deputy Chief Mark Anthony sent a snarky and unwittingly prophetic email to Police Commissioner John Barbieri.

Anthony's Aug. 9 email, obtained through a public records request, referred to a story published on MassLive about the U.S. Department of Justice's probe of the Baltimore Police Department. That department has been wracked with controversy since the 2015 death of Freddie Gray while in police custody.

The email, sent from Anthony's private email account to Barbieri's department address, pointed out a court-mandated consent decree sought by the justice department to force sweeping policy changes in Baltimore. 

"How would the IBPO and SPSA like the DOJ to come in with a consent decree? They think they have it rough now. Call it the Bigda decree," Anthony wrote, referring to the patrolmen's and supervisors' unions, respectively.

Officer Gregg Bigda, formerly assigned to the narcotics unit, was suspended over videos showing him threatening violence against two juveniles -- and threatening to plant drugs on one of them -- after a group of teens allegedly stole an undercover police vehicle on Feb. 26. 

Bigda is scheduled to return to work Wednesday, Dec. 7, after a 60-day suspension and is assigned to the records division, according to police sources.

And, his conduct is in fact under investigation by the U.S. Dept. of Justice for potential civil rights violations. The incident is also the subject of a criminal probe by the state Attorney General's Office.

The Republican first reported on the videos in late September, and published the videos in early November.

The FBI launched a preliminary review of the matter Oct. 4, according to records obtained by The Republican. The U.S. Attorney's Office and Attorney General joined the investigation shortly after.

anthony-screenshot.pngA screenshot shows an Aug. 9 message sent by Springfield Deputy Chief Mark Anthony to Commissioner John Barbieri.  

The records division assignment has historically been considered a no-man's land for misbehaving cops, along with the booking area and other passive posts. The suspension followed an ongoing controversy over videos that emerged of Bigda threatening two juvenile suspects who allegedly stole the unmarked car left idling outside a pizza shop.

Interestingly, Anthony's email was sent around two weeks after Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni informed Barbieri of the existence of the Bigda videos, but more than a month before the videos and Bigda's suspension began making headlines. This may suggest police were bracing themselves for the storm to come.

Anthony did not respond to a request for comment on the email. As the second-in-command over all investigative units -- including the narcotics squad -- Anthony has escaped any public criticism as questions about departmental management has been a much-discussed undertone in law enforcement circles.

According to police reports, a group of youths hopped in the car and took off. Former narcotics detective Steven Vigneault caught a ride back to the station and filed a stolen car report. Hours later, according to Vigneault, a police captain heard a pursuit that began in Wilbraham over the scanner.

A group of plainclothes narcotics detectives including Bigda and Vigneault jumped in a car, off-duty, and raced to the scene, which ended in Palmer. Bigda and another officer began impromptu interrogations of two of three teen boys in custody in separate holding cells at the Palmer Police Department. The cells were outfitted with cameras in the relatively new police station.

Bigda proceeded to scream death threats at the boys and threatened to plant drugs on one, bellowing at one infamous moment: "I'm not hampered by the f***ing truth because I don't give a f***!"

Once the videos became public, the fallout was significant. Bigda was suspended following an internal investigation and is now the subject of a civil rights investigation by the Department of Justice and a criminal probe by the state Attorney General's Office. On a weekly if not daily basis, drug prosecutions are hobbled in district and superior court because of the taint of Bigda as a potential witness.

Internally, the Bigda mess coupled with other public relations fiascoes at the police station have prompted some finger-pointing among upper management.

Bigda has declined requests for comment through his attorney, Thomas Rooke.

MassLive staff writer Dan Glaun contributed to this report.

Expect wet roads with a mix of snow this morning

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There are no school closings or delays to report.

Parts of Massachusetts will see some snowfall this morning and throughout the day, but conditions are expected to be milder than Monday morning.

The National Weather Service is alerting drivers to expect some slush on the roads in the morning and to leave some extra time for commuting to work, especially those in the Central and Western Massachusetts area.

The snowfall began around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, and is expected to continue intermittently at least until 9 a.m. Afterward, weather conditions are expected to dry up, with temperatures hitting 45 degrees Fahrenheit in the afternoon.

 

For updates on weather or traffic alerts, sign up for MassLive text alerts here.

Hampden-Wilbraham school officials OK middle school transfers even though Hampden voters rejected idea

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Parents have until Dec. 22 to request a transfer for their middle school-age children.

WILBRAHAM -- The school board is allowing Thornton W. Burgess Middle School students to transfer to Wilbraham Middle School, even though Hampden voters have rejected a formal consolidation plan to send TWB students to WMS.

The current regionalization agreement, approved by both towns over 25 years ago, mandates students in kindergarten through eighth grade to attend schools in their hometowns, with infrequent exceptions granted for a family hardship or students who require special education programs.

The Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School Committee has approved a transfer plan that enables TWB students to attend WMS, the school district's larger, better-performing middle school. Similarly, Wilbraham parents can opt to send their kids to TWB, which has been plagued by falling enrollment and test scores in recent years.

On Oct. 24, Wilbraham residents voted to amend the regional school district agreement to allow TWB students to be relocated to WMS for a five-year period beginning next fall, but Hampden voters roundly rejected the idea. Both communities had to approve the merger plan for it to be implemented.

Rather than trying to bolster the academic program at TWB, district officials, citing continuing declining enrollment projections at the Hampden school, have been pushing a plan to send TWB students to Wilbraham to create a more "robust" educational program. The influx of TWB students would have necessitated the construction of a detached modular building to provide four additional classrooms at a cost shared by both towns.

Nick Fyntrilakis, a Hampden resident and member of the Middle School Task Force that recommended merging TWB students with WMS students in Wilbraham, said the schools should be combined for educational and economic reasons. Whether or not consolidation produces savings, the fact remains that district finances are "just not going to permit adequate educational opportunities in both buildings as things currently stand," he told The Republican in late September.

The middle school battle is mainly being waged along town lines, with most Hampden residents supporting the viability of TWB by improving the school and most Wilbraham voters supporting a "unified" middle school to set the stage for a renovated or new regional school in Wilbraham. As the results of the October votes showed, however, the two communities are far from unified on the issue.

In another blow to enrollment at TWB, fifth-graders at the Hampden middle school will be sent to Green Meadows Elementary School beginning in fall 2017, according to Superintendent Albert G. Ganem Jr., who said such a move would be necessary regardless of the outcome of the middle school merger vote.

This year's TWB enrollment is 222 students for grades five through eight. Using this year's enrollment numbers, if fifth grade remains at Green Meadows, then TWB's enrollment will drop to 147 students in grades six through eight in the next school year.

Since the failure of the consolidation plan, district officials claim to have received "multiple requests" from Hampden parents who would like to send their kids to WMS. To accommodate them, the administration has provided transfer information through robocalls and on the district's website.

"We have an idea of some of the people (who want to send their kids to WMS), but there may be more people, or some people may pull back," School Committee Chairwoman Lisa Morace said at a recent board meeting. "We have no idea really of how many people would be making requests for transfers."

Morace said the school board will consider transfer requests on a case-by-case basis and make all decisions during executive session. The deadline for parents to request a transfer in writing is Dec. 22. All letters must be addressed to Ganem and received by 4 p.m.

The Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District's regional agreement allows students to attend other district schools with permission from their parents and the School Committee, the latter of which must determine if the transfer is "prudent, can be accomplished, and is in the best interest of the student."

School board member William Bontempi said the disparity in the academic performance of Hampden middle-schoolers and Wilbraham middle-schoolers is "staggering" and must be addressed. "We gotta do something different. These kids (TWB students) are functioning at literally half the level of the WMS kids based on the PPI indicators (Progress and Performance Index)," Bontempi said.

TWB supporters say allowing Hampden middle school students to transfer to WMS and sending TWB fifth-graders to Green Meadows will break TWB, a Hampden institution since 1967.

Hampden resident Rita Vail, speaking at a recent School Committee meeting, insisted that there's nothing unusual about a middle school that serves students in grades five through eight, which is TWB's current configuration. Roughly 30 percent of Massachusetts middle schools follow this academic model, she told the board.

"So TWB, as a configuration, is far from an aberration and has served Hampden well for nearly 25 years within the regional agreement," Vail said. "Why the change now? It looks like it is another attempt -- and I speak for many people -- to cause a significant decrease in TWB's enrollment."

Hampden resident Jeannine Shumway, a strong supporter of keeping TWB alive, said the School Committee's decision to allow Hampden middle-schoolers to transfer to Wilbraham and to send fifth-graders to Green Meadows runs counter to Hampden's town meeting vote in October.

"The Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School Committee is not respecting our
wishes to keep Thornton W. Burgess open," she wrote in a letter to the local weekly newspaper that serves both towns. "Instead, they are looking for ways to work around losing."

Shumway claims the ultimate goal of district officials is to get a new regional school in Wilbraham -- a possible scenario if both middle schools are combined on a single regional campus -- and to permanently close TWB.

"I have heard over and over that Wilbraham subsidizes Hampden, that Hampden needs Wilbraham," Shumway said. "Do we really?"

Lisa Sternberg, a former district teacher and TWB supporter, says the school's enrollment will decrease by about 25 percent if fifth-graders are transferred to Green Meadows. Add in potential TWB transfers to WMS, and TWB's enrollment could slip even further, she said.

"How can anyone draw any conclusion other than that the ... administration and School Committee are still on their straight and narrow trail to close TWB," Sternberg said. "Hampden's voters overwhelmingly and conclusively rejected the proffered amendment. Instead, (district officials) are opting, once again, to circle their wagons, ignoring the will of the people to continue to educate their kindergarten through eighth-graders in their hometowns."

According to Sternberg, the decision of the district's leadership to move TWB's fifth-graders to Green Meadows will the disrupt the equilibrium at three of the school district's seven schools -- Green Meadows, TWB and WMS.

Long before both towns voted on the merger issue in October, there was a districtwide call for "healing and goodwill" among all parties affected by the middle school issue. But apparently that was "all talk," Sternberg said, accusing district officials of driving an "even greater wedge" between residents with differing points of view.

"To regain our trust, they must earn that trust with acts of integrity and inclusivity, with consideration for all," Sternberg said.

Built a year apart, the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District's two middle schools are closing in on the half-century mark. Both buildings would require renovations to accommodate an influx of new students if a regional middle school is formed, though only one of the existing buildings would be needed in such a scenario.

To that end, district leaders have been in contact with the Massachusetts School Building Authority -- the quasi-independent government authority that helps fund capital improvement projects at state public schools -- to discuss various options for the middle schools.



Lots of holiday cheer coming to the Hampden Public Library this Christmas season

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Here's what's on tap at the library for the month of December: a craft fair, a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus, a pajama drive, a movie night, a holiday parade

HAMPDEN — There's so much going on at the Hampden Free Public Library this Christmas season, it's hard to know where to begin.

Let's try Saturday, Dec. 10 ... That's when Santa and Mrs. Claus will be dropping by the library's Holiday Craft Fair to visit with local kids from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Cookies, treats and refreshments will be provided by the Friends of the Hampden Public Library.

At 11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 21 — the first day of winter — children and their families are invited to join the Hampden Holiday Parade. There will be crafts, music, and singing around the Hampden Town House.

To register for this event, stop by the library in person or call or email Kate Rumplik, youth services librarian, at 413-566-3047 or krumplik@cwmars.org.

As part of the library's "Sharing the Warmth" initiative, a pajama drive is being held from now until Dec. 17. New children's pajamas will be collected and donated to homeless and needy children in the Springfield area.

As a bonus, a Pajama Movie Night is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 22, at the library, which is located on the upper floor of the Hampden Town House at 625 Main St.

Additional information on these and other upcoming events is available by calling Hampden Public Library Director Ellen Moriarty at 413-566-3047. The library's website is hampden-library.org.


Seen@ The X Christmas Tree lighting and Santa's Bright Nights Workshop in Springfield's Forest Park

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Commuters passing through The X in Springfield were treated to a surprise visit by Santa as part of the 6th annual Christmas tree lighting where an estimated 75 people gathered for the 30-minute ceremony.

SPRINGFIELD - Commuters passing through The X in Springfield were treated to a surprise visit by Santa as part of the 6th annual Christmas tree lighting where an estimated 75 people gathered for the 30-minute ceremony.

Santa greeted the crowd that had gathered at the Cafe Christo not far from the terrace where the tree is located was adopted in memory of Dora and Jimmy Placanica.

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno joined Santa and members of the Placanica for a brief speech before the switch was activated which illuminated thousands of lights filling the tree with brilliant color.

Meanwhile, only a short distance from the Christmas tree lighting celebration hundreds more were touring the Bright Nights fun at Forest Park. The three-mile drive through the forest features dozens of oversized light displays covered in more than 650,000 lights.

Visitors could also experience Santa's Magical Forest which features Santa's Cottage, gift shop, a winter carousel, Santa train and a Bright Night's Snow Globe.

For more information on activities sponsored by the Spirit of Springfield, check out the website at www.spiritofspringfield.org.

Chicopee Comprehensive High students build house as learning experience

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A total of 23 students from the carpentry department are doing the main job but drafting students wrote the blueprints, electrical students will wire it and horticulture students will landscape the yard later. Watch video

CHICOPEE - A few short weeks ago Andrew Minkos wasn't that comfortable working on a second-story roof but now he is looking forward to installing the plywood and shingling.

It is just one of the many things the 17 year old has learned since Chicopee Comprehensive High School students started building a two-story with a single-car garage on Rolf Avenue this fall.

"In the shop we don't get to do roofing and even putting up (plywood) sheeting on the side of the house," said Minkos who hopes the experience will help him land a job in the construction industry when he graduates in June.

"Putting up trusses is a lot different than I thought it was," he said.

There have been a lot of eye-opening since students started construction in October. At first Minkos said he was hesitant to work that high off the ground but he quickly got used to it and now he doesn't mind running a nail gun while on the roof.

This is the second house the students have built in recent years. The last house on McKinstry Avenue was finished in 2012. Since then students have also helped renovate the Department of Public Works building on Baskin Drive and done other work such as helping with wiring jobs at City Hall.

Student Builders Inc., a corporation set up to handle the finances of building the home and other projects including taking out a construction loan, purchased a lot on Rolf Avenue which was taken for nonpayment of taxes. Local contractor Nick Riley is volunteering as the general contractor to hire subcontractors and do other work the students cannot, said Gary Guilbault, who teaches the carpentry students.

He also helped the school apply for different permits to allow the house to be built on a lot which is too small to meet zoning regulations.

"It is a real life experience. We can't substitute this in our shop," Guilbault said.

For example students learn to work on a large size building. Typically they wouldn't build something larger than a shed inside. They can see the importance of squaring up a large building because if something is off slightly off in one spot, it will throw off everything else, he said.

One recent afternoon he called for students to set up a chalk line so that they would not miss the roof trusses when nailing plywood being installed on the roof. At the same time he instructed another student to measure a plank exactly 23 1/4 inches. "Put a pencil mark there."

Students also get the experience of working outside and learn that sometimes rain or snow will prevent them from doing the job they planned for the day and they have to figure out an alternate, he said.

They also have to troubleshoot problems that happen. In one case students were having a difficult time getting a piece of machinery to operate and thought it was broken. Guilbault suggested they check the generator and they realized the connection was loose.

In total there are 23 carpentry students, 13 juniors who work on the house in the morning and then take academic classes in the afternoon and 10 seniors who do the reverse and work on the house in the afternoon.

A number of other students in the career and technical department at the school are involved as well. Electrical students will wire the house, drafting students wrote the blueprints and horticulture students worked on the land after the foundation was dug and will return when the house is finished to seed the lawn and landscape, Guilbault said.

The biggest difference between the student construction project and a regular one is Guilbault stops frequently to teach something students do not know, so the work does take longer. There is also a big focus on taking proper safety precautions.

Students are also doing some things that carpenters would not typically do so they can get the experience. For example, the foundation was poured by an outside contractor because it was something the school could not do, but the students did the waterproofing, he said.

The plan is also to have the students install the vinyl siding, which would typically done by a subcontractor, Guilbault said.

Since October they have framed the house and are now working on the roof. Students are making good progress on it and carpentry teacher Al Styckiewicz said he believes they will be finished by the end of next week, which will make it easier to work on the house when it is enclosed.

Styckiewicz said he also was a teacher when students built homes more than a decade ago and said he finds they benefit so much from the experience.

"They see a lot of problems that can arise," he said. It is typically up to the young crews to try to figure out how to fix them before consulting with a teacher.

When asked what she has learned from building the house, Zariah Colon, 17, a senior, echoed many of her classmates by simply saying "Oh, a lot."

"There is so much more than you would learn in the classroom," she said.

Zach Gray, 17, a senior, was assigned to strengthen the roof trusses with furring strips. While some of the students are still a little hesitant to work up high, he had no problem with the job.

"I think the most interesting thing is at first it was just a concrete foundation. Looking at it now, I think 'how did we ever get here,'" he said.

Students tend to switch off on jobs so all them get to learn different parts of the construction process. They also help each other out, he said.

"A lot of it is learn as we go," Gray said. "It is very hands on."

Teachers hope the house will be finished before the end of the school year and will then be put on the market to be sold.

Santa Claus is coming to West Springfield's Mittineague Park

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Santa's House will be open to children and families from Dec. 10-23. The park is located at 1695 Westfield St.

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Santa Claus is coming to Mittineague Park this Christmas season.

Santa's House will be open to children and their families sevens days a week, beginning Saturday, Dec. 10, and running through Friday, Dec. 23.

The West Springfield Park & Recreation Department has been sponsoring Santa's House at Mittineague Park since 1980, giving generations of West Side kids a chance to meet the big man himself. The park is located at 1695 Westfield St. (Route 20).

Visiting hours with Santa are as follows: Monday to Friday, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, from 2:30 to 4 p.m. and from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Other recent holiday activities around town have included the "caroling on the green" event, which included Mayor Will Reichelt, the town's "caroler in chief," joining the Tatham Choir for some spirited Christmas tunes.


Seen@ The Majesters Holiday Improv Comedy Show in West Springfield

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WEST SPRINGFIELD - The Majesters troupe of improvisational comics took to the stage at the Majesty Theater for their holiday performance on Tuesday night.

WEST SPRINGFIELD - The Majesters troupe of improvisational comics took to the stage at the Majesty Theater for their holiday performance on Tuesday night.

The troupe is composed of some of the best improvisational actors in Massachusetts who thrive on the unknown, and, barring a few pre-thought out sketches, the a majority of their show was completely unplanned. Taking queues from the audience on topics, props and settings, the actors worked their way through a playful and rambunctious two act performance that would have left even the most stubborn Scrooge in stitches.

Their holiday performance took the time to focus the audiences attention on picking at some of the quirkier parts of the busy holiday season, a way of replacing some of the holiday stress with laughter.

The group holds its next performance on Tuesday, February 7th at the Majestic Theater, where they perform almost every week throughout the summer.

Tickets to the Majesters shows are $7 at the door, and only 230 tickets are sold to each show.

View photos from the show above, and to learn more about the Majesters troupe, or some of the exciting holiday events going on at the Majestic Theater, visit their official websites.

24-year-old from Massachusetts killed in lightning strike while on vacation in Australia

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Family and friends are in mourning after Massachusetts native Sam Beattie was killed on vacation in Australia.

Family and friends are in mourning after Massachusetts native Sam Beattie was killed on vacation in Australia.

Beattie and his girlfriend Michelle Segalla left on a year-long trip to Australia in October. In the first weeks of their trip, Beattie shared photos on Instagram of the couple swimming with dolphins, drinking wine in the Gold Coast and spotting a kangaroo and her baby. 

The couple - both of whom grew up in Duxbury - were traveling in New South Wales when they decided to pitch a tent on Mount Warning to watch the sun rise the next day.

A fierce storm hit overnight, Australian publication the Tweed Daily News reports.

"About 4:50 a.m. this morning lightning struck a tree adjoining their tent," Tweed Byron LAC Superintendent Wayne Starling told the Daily News. "He was killed pretty much instantly."

Beattie was 24 years old.  

Segalla, 23, was injured in the lightning strike and taken to a nearby hospital. 

It took Australian officials several hours to transport Segalla and Beattie's body down the mountain following the storm. 

Quincy residents encouraged to write skydiving Santa get-well cards after crash landing

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A Norfolk County city, home to an annual parachuting Santa event, is accepting get-well cards after the man in red crash landed Saturday, reports The Boston Globe.

A Norfolk County city, home to a parachuting Santa event, is accepting get-well cards after the man in red crash landed Saturday, reports The Boston Globe. 

High winds pushed Mike Burns -- the skydiving Santa -- away from the designated landing area and towards the crowd of roughly 1,000 people, gathered for "Santa Jump," the annual event.

Three others parachuters dressed as elves were not hurt, but also came down nowhere near the landing area.

Burns steered himself away from the crowd and into a nearby wooded area, breaking a leg in the process. He underwent surgery Monday at Boston Medical Center and was recovering at the hospital and in good condition the following day, according to The Globe.

Now, the Recreation Department in Quincy, upon the initiative of residents John and Andrea Coughlin, is encouraging residents old and young to write Burns get-well cards.

Jack Welch, director of the department, told The Globe, "I was extremely pleased. I just thought it was a wonderful idea . . . I'm looking forward to cheering up Mike with all of this."



Delta to expand Boston routes, offer nonstop flights to Fort Myers, Tampa

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Interested in catching a flight to Florida? Delta Air Lines announced this month the company will add two nonstop routes to Florida from Boston Logan International Airport.

Interested in catching a flight to Florida? Delta Air Lines announced this month the company will add two nonstop routes to Florida from Boston Logan International Airport.

A pair of daily round-trip flights will run on the route to Tampa. A round-trip flight Saturdays and Sundays will be offered to Fort Myers.

Expanded service from Boston will begin mid-February.

Delta currently offers 83 daily departures from Boston to 16 domestic and five international locations, USA Today reports.

Agawam police hosting 'Fill a Cruiser' charity event for Toys for Tots

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The event will take place at Geissler's Supermarket, 830 Suffield St., from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 17 and 18.

AGAWAM -- The Agawam Police Department will once again be collecting gifts for needy children this Christmas season.

The department's Fill a Cruiser for Toys for Tots event will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Geissler's Supermarket on Saturday, Dec. 17, and Sunday, Dec. 18. Geissler's is located at 830 Suffield St.

"Help us fill our cruiser with new, unwrapped toys to donate to the Toys for Tots campaign," Agawam police officials said on Facebook. "Last year was a huge success and we are hoping to do it all again this year."

Toys for Tots is a program run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, which distributes toys to kids whose parents can't afford to buy them gifts for Christmas.

The program was founded in 1947 by reservist Major Bill Hendricks.


More information about Toys for Tots is available online at www.toysfortots.org.


St. Patrick's Committee of West Springfield seeking applicants for annual Colleen Contest

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The contest is open to females between the ages of 17 and 22 from West Springfield who claim Irish heritage.

WEST SPRINGFIELD — The St. Patrick's Committee of West Springfield is seeking applicants for the annual Colleen Contest, which is open to females between the ages of 17 and 22 from West Springfield who claim Irish heritage.

Applicants must be single with no children. Applications may be printed from the St. Patrick's Committee website or requested by emailing 01089irish@gmail.com.

The deadline to apply is Jan. 3.

The St. Patrick's Committee of West Springfield is an association that promotes Irish history and culture through programs and events that advance the town's Irish heritage.

Perhaps the most important duty performed by the committee, however, is picking the Colleen and court members who will represent West Springfield in the annual Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade.

The nonprofit organization also awards up to $2,500 in student scholarships and recognizes local citizens who have contributed to the advancement of Irish culture and the Town of West Springfield.



2 Holyoke men among 4 arrested on firearm and drug charges in North Adams

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The raid was executed early Tuesday and law enforcement personnel seized a large quantity of heroin, crack cocaine, thousands of dollars in cash, a semiautomatic rifle, ammunition and distribution materials

NORTH ADAMS -- Two Holyoke men were among four people arrested on drug and gun charges during a raid on a Brayton Hill apartment early Tuesday.

The raid was executed about 5 a.m. and law enforcement personnel seized a large quantity of heroin, crack cocaine, thousands of dollars in cash and distribution materials, according to a post on the North Adams Police Facebook page.

Police also seized a semi-automatic rifle with multiple boxes of 7.62 x 39 mm ammunition. The rifle contained a live round and magazine, its safety was off and was not found within a locked container.

Arrested were Henri Caudle and Kevin Smith of Holyoke, Jessica Trotter of North Adams and Troy Fernandez of Dorchester,

Caudle and Smith were charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, conspiracy to violate drug laws, possession of a large capacity rifle without FID/LTC, possession of a large capacity feeding device with an FID/LTC, possession of ammunition without an FID/LTC.
Trotter was charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and conspiracy to violate drug laws.

Fernandez was charged with possession of cocaine.

Take a look: 'Fantastic job' cited at Holyoke's newly $1 million renovated Mont Marie Rehabilitation-Healthcare Center (photos)

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The $1 million renovation at Mont Marie Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center at 36 Lower Westfield Road in Holyoke, Massachusetts was presented with a tour on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2016 that showed updates to the 84 short- and long-term care rooms, an expanded therapy gym and features like wall-mounted iPads for patient-care checks with Administrator Carol Mortensen and Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse.

HOLYOKE -- The therapy gym is is nearly three times larger than before a $1 million renovation that also added wall-mounted iPads to check patient care at Mont Marie Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center.

"The therapy here is above and beyond the call of duty," said Donald Hansen, 84, of West Springfield, who is 13 weeks into recovering from a stroke.

The renovation at the 36 Lower Westfield Road facility was presented at an open house Wednesday that included a tour with Administrator Carol Mortensen and Mayor Alex B. Morse.

The year-long renovation at the 84-bed facility modernized the lobby, improved patient rooms, expanded the therapy gym and added an "Activities of Daily Living" room, with sink, stove, dining table and bed to help in reacclimating patients. The facility was built in 1962, officials said.

"We give care to residents that come here short-term and long-term," said Mortensen, who began as administrator last month.

Mortensen succeeded Marc Hunter as administrator. The company wouldn't disclose Mortensen's salary, said Emma Willis of Ball Consulting Group LLC of Newton.

The facility has 180 employees and is one of the seven buildings on the 51-acre site owned by Tryko Partners of New Jersey. Tryko subsidiary Marquis Health Services operates Mont Marie Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center.

Morse toured the renovated wing and said that investment and the center's 180 employees are economic generators for the city.

"As I toured the wing, I was saying I was impressed with the renovations they have done here," Morse said.

Hansen, a short-term resident, is retired from the packaging business. He said he expects to go home Dec. 23 and was glad his wife chose the facility for his recovery.

"They've done a fantastic job here. They are the best, I'll tell you," Hansen said.

The 84 rooms consist of 58 long-term units and 26 for short term equipped with flat-screen TVs, storage closets and rest rooms. They are folks rehabilitating after illnesses and those in post-surgery and post-fall recovery, Mortensen said.

To get admitted to the facility usually involves contacts with hospital placement staff and evaluations of the patient's needs, said Kathryn Auclair, director of admissions and marketing at Mont Marie.

iPads on walls outside patient rooms let nurses and other staff monitor and update the steps of care a patient has received, said Stacey Rebelo, regional director of clinical operations.

"It cuts back on paperwork," Rebelo said.

"And they can do it in real time," Mortensen said.

The gym is equipped with parallel bars, practice stairs and walking and other movement machines. It is 2,100 square feet compared to the previous gym's 800 square feet, said Tom Kilcourse, vice president, plant operations.

In December 2014, Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield sold Mont Marie to Tryko for $3 million.

The renovated wing is across the lobby from the chapel, where Mass is celebrated seven days a week at 10 a.m. and broadcast over speakers in rooms of patents that want it, Auclair said.

A dozen nuns still live and volunteer at the facility, said Greg Turner, vice president of Ball Consulting Group.

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