The Springfield Preservation Trust hosted its annual awards ceremony last week, where the group honored individuals and organizations that help restore and preserve historic places in Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD - The Springfield Preservation Trust hosted its annual awards ceremony last week, where the group honored individuals and organizations that help restore and preserve historic places in Springfield.

"It ranges, everything from a Victorian restoration in McKnight, to Baystate Health moving a house to the long awaited 40-year restoration of Union Station," said Don Courtemanche, president of the private, nonprofit local preservation trust.

There were 17 recipients in 2017 including the Springfield Redevelopment Authority for its $94 million reconstruction of Union Station on Frank B. Murray St. The historic station has been closed since the 1970's and will reopen in late June as an intermodal transportation center.

The project was aided by millions of dollars in federal and state grants and city funds.

Photographs relating to the projects and recipients awarded in 2017 and prior years are on display at Tower Square through May 21.

Recipients for 2017 are listed as follows:

• 1104 Worthington Street LLC for sensitive additions to 1104 Worthington St.
• Demetrios Panteleakis for the restoration of 38 Greenleaf St. 
• Neil Greene for the restoration of 43 Firglade Ave. 
• Three Palms LLC for restoration of 176 Florida St. 
• Colony Hills Neighborhood for advocating for the creation of the Colony Hills Local Historic District
• Commonwealth of Massachusetts for the exterior restoration of the Junior Officers Quarters at the Springfield Armory
• Springfield Redevelopment Authority for the restoration of Union Station
• CRRC for saving and rehabilitating the Westinghouse Administration Building on Page Boulevard
• Rod Sitterly for advocating for the creation of the Thomas Wason House Local Historic District
• Baystate Health for saving and moving of a house, 35 Pratt St.
• The Edward Sims Award for Stewardship will go to Deborah Smith for 53 Dartmouth St.
• The Robert Holbrook Award for Stewardship will go to Paula Schendledecker for 25 Green Lane.
• The George Pooler Award for Stewardship will go to Robert & Patricia Triggs for 21 Greenleaf St.

"In too many communities in the Northeast, all too often we are reminded of the historic and architectural assets we have lost," Courtemanche said. "This is a chance to do the opposite. It's a chance to celebrate these properties that have been preserved."

The Springfield Preservation Trust was founded in 1972 to help preserve, protect and promote historic places in Springfield.

Staff writer Peter Goonan contributed to this report. 

The case of an Easthampton woman authorities believe lied about what she knew of Chad Reidy's activities following the disappearance of his wife Joanne Ringer will go before a grand jury next month.

The case of an Easthampton woman authorities believe lied about what she knew of Chad Reidy's activities following the early March disappearance of his wife Joanne Ringer will go before a grand jury next month. 

Laura Reilly, 42, an ex-girlfriend of Reidy's, appeared in Northern Berkshire District Court on Monday on charges of three counts of misleading a police officer.

Reidy committed suicide in early April, roughly a month after Ringer's disappearance.

Reilly became mired in the ominous case when Berkshire District Attorney David F. Capeless on April 21 publicly reclassified Ringer's disappearance as a murder investigation, naming Reidy as the "sole" suspect.

A police report explaining Reilly's arrest, a day before the announcement, revealed that Reilly picked up Reidy in Northampton on March 2 after he "disposed of" Ringer's car "in an effort to misdirect investigative efforts," police believe.

The car, a 2001 green Volkswagon Jetta sedan, was found on Exeter Street in Easthampton. Reidy initially told police he visited a friend in Worthington and otherwise spent the day of Ringer's disappearance at the couple's home in Clarksburg. 

Investigators said Reidy was actually in downtown Northampton placing a call to Reilly that morning, asking for a ride. Images of the pair together in Reilly's car were captured on security cameras at King Street stores.

Police investigators questioned Reilly on March 6 and 7 and April 5 and 13 -- noticing inconsistencies and lies as they uncovered more facts surrounding the disappearance independently, resulting in the present charges. 

Prior to her disappearance, Ringer confided in friends, saying Reidy allegedly abused her.

"I'm not safe (with Chad)," she said in a Facebook message viewed by MassLive.

Reilly has pled not guilty to the charges. Her trial by grand jury has been scheduled for June 30.

 

Medical personnel with Baystate Health's Blood Donor Mobile will host a blood drive in town on Thursday, June 8, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the parking lot of Baystate Wing Hospital

PALMER -- Medical personnel with Baystate Health's Blood Donor Mobile will host a blood drive in town on Thursday, June 8, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The blood drive will occur at Baystate Wing Hospital's parking lot, located at 40 Wright Street in Palmer.

In a prepared statement announcing the event, Baystate Health said all blood types are needed, and that eligible donors would receive gift cards that can be redeemed at either Big Y or Dunkin Donuts.

Appointments and preregistration is encouraged, but walk-ins are also welcome.

"Blood donations take approximately 40 to 45 minutes to complete, including the interview, donation, and refreshments," the statement said.

"Donors must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds, have a photo ID, be in good health (no colds or sore throat), and not have donated blood within the past eight weeks," Baystate said in a press release. "They should have a good meal prior to donating, drink plenty of fluids, and bring along any lists of medications they are currently taking."

For information or to preregister, contact Baystate Health Blood Donor Program at (413) 794-4600.

The Monday morning crash occurred in the area of 44 Lyman St., police said. Lyman Street has since been cleared and reopened to traffic, police said.

EASTHAMPTON -- A female suffered serious injuries Monday morning after she lost control of her car on Lyman Street and hit a tree.

The accident occurred in the area of 44 Lyman St. at about 9 a.m.., Chad Alexander, public information officer for the department, said.

The car came to rest in a yard, Alexander said, adding that the female was the sole occupant.

Police reopened Lyman Street, which had been closed between Northampton Street and Ballard Street, shortly after 1 p.m.

The woman was taken to a hospital by a Southampton Fire Department ambulance, Alexander said. It was not immediately clear which hospital.

Officials announced the locations of a new police substation and police booths Monday afternoon.

A police substation at the Pynchon Plaza will enhance public safety and create a long-desired link between the downtown corridor and the Springfield Museums and central library at The Quadrangle.

SPRINGFIELD -- City officials unveiled plans on Monday for a new police substation on Dwight Street at the long-troubled Pynchon Plaza park, saying it serves the dual purpose of enhancing public safety and creating a vital link between the downtown corridor and the Springfield Museums.

Official gather at the plaza, located across from the MassMutual Center, this afternoon to say the police substation is planned in a building at 75 Dwight St., abutting the plaza.

The officials also said the planned location of a series of police kiosks along the corridor as part of a beefed up police presence in the downtown and South End in advance of the fall 2018 opening of the MGM Springfield casino project.

"These strategic public safety visibility moves will not only enhance our downtown visitation areas, but also our neighborhoods too," Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said.

Revenues from the MGM Springfield project, under its Host Community Agreement, will fund the substation, kiosks and increased police presence.

The lighted police booths will be stationed at Main and Taylor Streets, Main and Morris Streets, and at Riverfront Park. Each will be staffed with a police officer, ensuring that residents and visitors can easily approach for questions, reports and general information, officials said.

The location of the substation "will play a pivotal role in reinvigorating Pynchon Plaza and reconnecting it to our magnificent Museums and Library Quadrangle complex - especially timely with the opening of our new Dr. Seuss Museum," Sarno said.

Approximately 40 officers and supervisors assigned to the Metro Unit will report to and deploy from the substation for their shifts, city officials said. The substation will include offices, work stations and locker facilities, as well as a conference area to be used for E3, C3 and community meetings, officials said.

Police Commissioner John Barbieri praised the public safety initiative, saying it provides a "highly visible police presence, utilizing C3 strategies in our vital economic development zone."

Kevin Kennedy, the city's chief development officer, said the plan is an "important step in our comprehensive effort to restore vitality and positive activity throughout our downtown and surrounding neighborhoods."

The substation building is owned by Related Companies.

Pynchon Plaza, a two-level park, opened to accolades in 1977, touted then as an award-winning urban park including features such as a fountain, stairs and elevator. However, the park has been mostly closed and blighted over the past four decades, with multiple failed reopening efforts.

In detailing plans for the police substation and kiosks, Sarno was joined by city officials including Barbieri and Kennedy, along with MGM officials.

The public safety additions in the Metro Center neighborhood are part of the mayor's "Enhanced Neighborhood Policing" plan, announced in March of 2016, "to increase police presence in the downtown area, to compensate for with an increase in foot traffic from the openings of MGM Springfield and Union Station, while also expanding officers on patrol in each of the city's neighborhoods," Sarno said.

Since opening in the late 1970s, he park -- potentially a corridor connecting the Quadrangle to the rest of the city's downtown -- has often been closed for years at a time.

The worker was conscious and alert after the accident.

CHICOPEE - A construction worker was taken to the hospital after he fell four stories down a shaft he was working on at Elms College Monday morning.

The worker, who is an employee for McCormick-Allum Mechanical Contractors of Springfield which was hired to do work for the college, was conscious and alert after the accident. He had leg, neck and back injuries and was taken to the hospital by the Fire Department ambulance, Michael Wilk, public information officer for Chicopee Police, said.

He was working on the shaft at about 10:45 a.m. He slid down and landed in a bathroom below, he said.

The move will put Berkshire Bank over $11.5 billion in total assets and make it the largest regional bank headquartered in Massachusetts.

PITTSFIELD -- Berkshire Hills Bancorp, the holding company of Berkshire Bank, will buy Commerce Bancshares Corp., the parent company of Commerce Bank and Trust Company in Worcester, for $209 million and move the combined bank's headquarters to Boston's Financial District as part of a major push east into the metro Boston market.

Berkshire Bank was founded in Pittsfield in 1846 as Berkshire County Savings Bank. It changed its name to Berkshire Bank in May 1997.

The move will put Berkshire Bank over $11.5 billion in total assets and make it the largest regional bank headquartered in Massachusetts.

Berkshire Bank, with headquarters at 24 North St. in Pittsfield, has 332 employees at its facilities. No jobs will be moved or lost, spokeswoman Rachel Mabee said Monday. She said senior executives will have offices in both Boston and Pittsfield, and Pittsfield remains its regional headquarters and operational hub.

Berkshire Bank has 438 employees total in all of Berkshire County and 1,330 companywide.

Berkshire Bank said it will continue to be active in Pittsfield's business community and its operational center will remain in Pittsfield. The relocation will not have any impact on operational center employees.

"Locating our corporate headquarters in Boston will not take us away from our roots in Berkshire County; we remain committed to all of our employees, customers and communities," Michael P. Daly, CEO of Berkshire Bank, said in a press release. "Boston will offer our senior executives connectivity with government leaders, regulators, and decision makers, and provide the ability to attract broader workforce talent as the bank continues to grow. With the addition of the Commerce team we will be able to leverage the strengths of both banks and capitalize on growth opportunities in the attractive, high-growth Eastern Massachusetts markets. This is not only important to Boston, but to all our local markets, to be the first regional bank with a Boston headquarters in decades."  

In a presentation to investors, Berkshire Bank said its move into Boston is driven by its desire to tap into a growing economy. Boston represents 45 percent of New England GDP.

Commerce has $2.2 billion in assets and 16 branches. Of those, 13 are in the Worcester market and three in Boston or its surroundings. 

With the acquisition, Berkshire Bank will have its headquarters, six branches and three lending offices in Greater Boston.

Regional headquarters, including one in Springfield, will remain. The Springfield headquarters is at 1259 East Columbus Ave.

Berkshire Bank has been on an expansion course, having last bought Springfield's Hampden Bank in 2015 for $109 million. It also bought Westfield's Woronoco Savings Bank in 2005, Pittsfield's Legacy Banks in 2011 and Connecticut Bank & Trust of Hartford in 2012.

Berkshire Bank said it has developed strong ties to Boston as:

• a presenting sponsor of Boston Seasons at City Hall Plaza
• the Official Bank of NESN's Boston Bruins coverage
• the official partner for lending and deposit products for the Massachusetts Teachers Association
• and representation by Ray Bourque, a Boston Bruins hockey legend, as its spokesperson.

Ahead of the Commerce acquisition, Berkshire Bank has 97 full service branch offices in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Vermont, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Divers for the second straight day continued searching the pond for the missing teen, Watch video

SPRINGFIELD - Divers searched the water underneath an abandoned railroad trestle at Watershops Pond on Monday for any signs of a 17-year-old teen who was last seen in the water on Saturday evening.

Teams of divers with the Massachusetts State Police dive team took shifts searching the water, while a state police helicopter searched the shore down stream from above.

The searched seemed to be confined to the area near the old railroad trestle along the western edge of the Springfield College campus.

The search has been underway since Sunday morning when the 17-year-old boy was reported missing.

 

The water is apparently very murky, which contributes to little or no visibility for divers. One diver, emerging from the water, could be heard saying "There's no viz."

Divers entering the water were also cautioned about the presence of debris under the surface.

The teen had been swimming with friends Saturday afternoon at around 6 p.m. He went underwater and no one saw him resurface.

His friends apparently panicked and did not report him missing to anyone until Sunday morning, police said.

In addition to the state police, Springfield police and Springfield firefighters are assisting in the search, as are officials with the with the state Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. 

The work is weather dependent so rain and other factors could delay construction.

CHICOPEE - The Department of Public Works is announcing its construction schedule for the upcoming week due to projects to separate sewer lines from storm water pipes.

In addition there will be delays on Burnett Road, from the intersection of Sandtrap Way to the Ludlow town line, because of the installation of a major water line.

All the work is weather dependent so rain could delay scheduled work.

Beston Street: The sewer main will be installed this week.

Burton Street: The sewer main will be installed this week.

Burnett Road: The redundant water main will be installed all week. Expect traffic delays.

Sandtrap Way: Water services are scheduled to be installed between May 29 and June 2.

School Street: The sewer main will be installed between May 29 and June 2.

Walnut Street: The sewer main will be installed between Wednesday and June 2 between Church Street and Broadway.

Willimansett: There will be sidewalk construction, the raising of structures in newly-paved areas and loaming and seeding and restoration activities throughout the project area.

The Longmeadow Historical Society this past weekend sponsored the Long Meddowe Days festival on the Town Green, drawing visitors from across the region.

LONGMEADOW-- The Longmeadow Historical Society this past weekend sponsored the Long Meddowe Days festival on the Town Green, drawing visitors from across the region.

For the past 37 years, the event has lent a stage to the Town of Longmeadow to celebrate its sense of community while also remembering its tradition and history. Since 1980, the historical society has sponsored Long Meddowe Days with all proceeds being used to fund educational programs, historical research, and maintenance of the Storrs House Museum.

Long Meddowe Days is a community fair including historical activities to education and foster an interest in town and regional history.  It is an annual town event attended by people of all ages in our area.  

On both Saturday and Sunday, the Town Green filled with crafters, artists, photographers and talented youth crafters who were showcasing and selling their work.   

There were also several musical acts on the entertainment stage on both days.  

Historical activities are also a key part of the festivities. The 9^th Massachusetts Light Artillery Civil War re-enactors once again set up camp on the Green and shot their cannon periodically throughout the day. The soldiers also made special presentations about Longmeadow's own Civil War hero, Lt. Howard Burnham, and the role the town played in that conflict.  

The 9th Massachusetts Light Artillery also educated visitors about life during the Civil War.

The victim, first spotted by a pizza delivery driver making a delivery to a nearby home, was laying on the side of the road suffering from numerous stab wounds, police said.

SPRINGFIELD - A Springfield man is being held without right to bail on a murder charge, two days after he allegedly stabbed a woman to death in the city's Upper Hill neighborhood.

During a brief hearing Monday in Springfield District Court, Jose Gonzalez, 32, pleaded not guilty to the fatal stabbing late Saturday on Amore Road.

By agreement of Assistant District Attorney Eduardo Velazquez and defense lawyer Melissa Elkins, Gonzalez was ordered held without right to bail and ordered to return for a hearing next month.

The victim, a 42-year-old woman who has not been identified, was the city's fifth homicide victim this year.

No details of the stabbing or the defendant's background were made public during the arraignment.

Police were summoned for a report of a stabbing victim in front of 15 Amore Road at about 12:01 a.m., according to Springfield police spokesman Sgt. John Delaney said.

The victim, first spotted by a pizza delivery driver making a delivery to a nearby home, was laying on the side of the road suffering from numerous stab wounds.

The delivery driver told his customer to call police because there appeared to be a body in the street.

The victim was taken by ambulance to Baystate Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at at 12:17 a.m., Delaney said.

Three hours later, police received a 911 reporting that a male had been stabbed and robbed in front of 31 Colonial Avenue. Friends of that victim, who turned out to be Gonzalez, took him to the emergency department at Mercy Medical Center. Detectives went to the hospital to question him, Delaney said.

Meanwhile, police responded to 31 Colonial Ave. where they found the car belonging to Gonzalez. "Officers could plainly see a large amount of blood inside the interior of the car," Delaney said.

Detectives worked the case through the night and into the morning. By 10 a.m. they had developed enough evidence to arrest the suspect, Delaney said.

Staff writers George Graham, Jeanette Deforge and Dave Canton contributed to this report.

Wilbraham was among the commonwealth communities most opposed to the statewide ballot vote that legalized recreational pot in November 2016. And the town's subsequent legislative actions have bolstered that opposition.

WILBRAHAM -- It's official: The Town of Wilbraham does not like recreational marijuana. 

Voters in a townwide referendum Saturday passed a ballot question that essentially bans all forms of commercial enterprise related to the distribution or production of recreational marijuana, including retail shops, cultivation and testing facilities, and businesses that manufacture pot products.

The vote was not even close: 1,244 yeas to 477 nays.

The ballot question was a referendum vote on articles supported by residents at the annual town meeting May 15, when voters approved proposals to amend Wilbraham's general and zoning bylaws to prohibit commercial marijuana facilities. 

Wilbraham was among the commonwealth communities most opposed to the statewide ballot vote that legalized recreational pot in November 2016. And the town's subsequent legislative actions have bolstered that opposition.

Wilbraham's ballot vote does not pertain to personal use of pot or cultivation of the drug in one's home, both legal in Massachusetts, nor does it pertain to medical marijuana, legal since 2012.

Recreational marijuana passed by statewide ballot on Nov. 8, with 53.6 percent of voters backing the measure and 46.3 percent opposing it. In Wilbraham, over 57 percent of voters rejected the legalization and commercialization of recreational pot.

Because the new state law also allows communities to vote out pot shops at the ballot box, Wilbraham now joins a growing list of Massachusetts cities and towns that have implemented moratoriums or opted out of allowing retail pot sales within their boundaries.

In December, the Legislature voted to delay recreational sales for six months, pushing the licensing date for commercial establishments from Jan. 1, 2018, to July 1 of that year. Lawmakers said they needed time to tinker with the measure.

On just the second day of the black sea bass fishing season, two boats of fishermen were caught by harbormasters with nearly 300 more of the black sea bass than allowed in the recreational limit.

On just the second day of the black sea bass fishing season, two boats of fishermen were caught by harbormasters with nearly 300 more of the black sea bass than allowed in the recreational limit.

The Wareham Harbormaster Department alerted the Massachusetts Environmental Police to the two boats on Sunday at the Tempest Knob Public boat ramp.

When officers inspected the first boat, which had four people aboard, they found multiple coolers that contained 225 more black sea bass than the recreational limit allows, Environmental Police said. Fifty-nine of those fish were smaller than the 15-inch limit.

The black sea bass fishing season is from May 20 to Aug. 29. The limit is five of the fish, which have to be at least 15 inches, according to Environmental Police.

That boat also had 98 more scup than legal possession limit, as well as two undersized tautog and one 17-inch striped bass. All four people have been summonsed to appear in Wareham District Court.

Inside the second boat, which was at the courtesy dock, the driver dumped all the contents of a cooler into the water when officers requested to see inside. Officers were able to recover most of the fish that fell out of the cooler. 

That boat had 68 more black sea bass than the recreational limit and 17 of them were undersized, Environmental Police said. Some of the fish were hidden on the boat.

That operator was arrested and his boat was towed to a holding facility.

None of the fishermen were identified in a statement from Environmental Police.

Because the fish were not on ice, they could not be let back into the water. The fish are being donated to the Buzzards Bay National Marine Life Center to be fed to recovering marine mammals, Environmental Police said.

Divers at Watershops Pond searching for a missing 17-year-old swimmer have apparently recovered a body. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -  Divers at Watershops Pond searching for a missing 17-year-old swimmer recovered a body in the area of an old railroad trestle that spans the pond.

The body is believed to be that of the missing teen. The identity of the missing teen was not disclosed.

According to Dennis Leger, aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant, the body was found at about 3 p.m. in an area of the pond  near a tire swing hanging from the center of the trestle.

Divers with the state police dive team spent much of the day searching the water at a section of the pond near an old railroad trestle. The search began Sunday morning and carried on into Monday.

The teen was swimming with some friends on Saturday evening at around 6 p.m., he went under water at one point and no one saw him resurface.

The friends apparently panicked and did not report him missing until the following morning.

Police and firefighters did not begin searching until around 11 a.m. Sunday. The state police dive team was called in Sunday afternoon and returned again on Monday.

At one point during the day, there were three boats on the water, and multiple divers in the water. The state police helicopter also joined in the search for a time, checking the shore and parts of the pond down stream.

The water is apparently very murky, which contributes to little or no visibility for divers. One diver, emerging from the water, could be heard saying "There's no viz."

Divers entering the water were also cautioned about the presence of debris under the surface.

Chica the cat was rescued from a car in the Stop & Shop parking lot on Memorial Drive Saturday.

CHICOPEE - Chica the cat who was rescued after she traveled at least six miles in a car engine has been reunited with her owners.

The cat was found trapped in the engine Saturday at the Stop & Shop on 672 Memorial Drive. The driver had traveled from West Springfield to Chicopee and heard a meow coming from the hood after the ignition was turned off, Michael Wilk, Chicopee Police public information officer, said.

Firefighters and Police rescued the black longhair cat from the engine and turned it over to the Thomas J. O'Connor Animal Control Center for evaluation.

The driver had never seen the cat and did not know who owned her. Chicopee Police and the shelter posted the photos of the cat on Facebook pages in the hopes of finding the owner, Wilk said.

On Monday officials for the Animal Shelter reported the owner, who lives in West Springfield, has been found.

"She has been identified by her family and is headed home shortly," the announcement from the Animal Shelter said. "Chica is usually a strictly indoor kitty who will be microchipped before leaving TJO in light of her recent (mis)adventure."

A Northampton man crashing an Amherst College graduation party is facing several charges after he allegedly tried to steal a keg, struck a partygoer and ran off.

AMHERST -- A Northampton man crashing an Amherst College graduation party is facing several charges after he allegedly tried to steal a keg, struck a partygoer and ran off.  

Police charged Cole White, 23, with assault and battery, larceny, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest in connection with the early Sunday morning incident. 

Amherst College Police Deputy Chief Ed Zaniewski said two men attempted to steal a keg in a tent at the outdoor party.

People at the party attempted to detain one of the men, later identified as White. When police arrived, he allegedly struck an individual and ran. Police arrested him near Laughing Dog Bicycle on South Pleasant Street.

Zaniewski said White was not affiliated with the college and should not have been on campus. He was the only one arrested.

Amherst College graduation was Sunday.

A body was recovered from the water at 3 p.m. Monday. Officials have not confirmed it is the missing teen.

SPRINGFIELD - The missing teen who disappeared while swimming Saturday at Watershops Pond has been identified by family members at Luis Gomez of Springfield, according to reports. 

Western Mass News is reporting family members said Gomez failed to surface while swimming with friends.

Members of the state police dive team recovered a body from the pond at around 3 p.m. after searching for hours. The body was found near a tire swing attached to an old abandoned train trestle on the western edge of the Springfield College campus.

Officials have not yet confirmed if the body is that of Gomez.

According to Dennis Leger, aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant, the body was found at about 3 p.m. in an area of the pond  near a tire swing hanging from the center of the trestle.

Divers with the state police dive team spent much of the day searching the water at a section of the pond near an old railroad trestle. The search began Sunday morning and carried on into Monday.

The teen was swimming with some friends on Saturday evening at around 6 p.m., he went under water at one point and no one saw him resurface.

The friends apparently panicked and did not report him missing until the following morning.

Police and firefighters did not begin searching until around 11 a.m. Sunday. The state police dive team was called in Sunday afternoon and returned again on Monday.

Search at Watershops Pond

At one point during the day, there were three boats on the water, and multiple divers in the water. The state police helicopter also joined in the search for a time, checking the shore and parts of the pond down stream.

The water is apparently very murky, which contributes to little or no visibility for divers. One diver, emerging from the water, could be heard saying "There's no viz."

Divers entering the water were also cautioned about the presence of debris under the surface.

Loomis House started 115 years ago as the Holyoke Home for the Aged.

HOLYOKE -- The Loomis Communities has sold its Loomis House property at 298 Jarvis Ave. to Berkshire Healthcare Systems, of Pittsfield, for an undisclosed sum.

According to a joint press release issued Monday, Loomis is keeping its other properties: Applewood in Amherst, Loomis Village in South Hadley and Loomis Lakeside at Reeds Landing in Springfield.

Loomis, whose corporate office is at 246 North Main St. in South Hadley, began 115 years ago as Holyoke Home for the Aged, said David W. Scruggs, president and CEO of Loomis.

"It was a tough decision to sell," Scruggs said. "This is our roots. This is where we began here in Holyoke."

But Holyoke's Loomis House includes a 92-bed skilled nursing care center, 68 independent living apartments and 13 apartments for residents that require assistance. That's the opposite profile compared with other Loomis properties that have more housing and less nursing.

"Loomis has been on this campus in Holyoke since 1981," Scruggs said. "Originally, it was independent living with a smaller nursing home than we have now."

The trend is for residents in nursing homes to be sicker than they used to be, requiring more robust health care. Providing that care increasingly requires negotiating with providers, including accountable care organizations, and a lot of expertise.

David W. Scruggs 

"It requires an organization that has more depth of experience in the health care side of things," Scruggs said. "We are primarily a residential organization."

Berkshire Healthcare is managed by an affiliate of Berkshire Health Systems, the parent of Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield.

Lisa Gaudet, vice president of business development marketing for Berkshire Healthcare Systems, said her company spun off from Berkshire Medical Center about 25 years ago.

Today, Berkshire Healthcare Systems owns or operates 14 rehabilitation and skilled nursing facilities in Massachusetts including Linda Manor Assisted Living in the Leeds section of Northampton, East Longmeadow Skilled Nursing Center in East Longmeadow, Charlene Manor Extended Care Facility in Greenfield and Hospice of Franklin County.

Neither Scruggs nor Gaudet would discuss the sale price Monday.

Holyoke records say the 4.9-acre property at 298 Jarvis Ave. has an assessment of $5 million.

Scruggs said Loomis will use the proceeds to pay down the tax-free bonds it uses to finance its properties and to improve its remaining properties.

"We are both nonprofits," Scruggs said. "That's one of the things that made this a really good fit."

Gaudet said the transaction needs the approval of the state attorney general and of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Approvals are expected by the fall.

She said residents won't see many changes. "It will be very similar and seamless as the transition moves forward," Gaudet said.

Berkshire will keep the "Loomis" name for a year.

Scruggs said Loomis has about 200 full- and part-time employees in Holyoke. They will be retained by the new owner at their current rates of pay.