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Obituaries from The Republican, Dec. 13, 2018


Palmer Planning Board approves special permit for marijuana sales shop

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Altitude Organic President Aaron Bluse said in an interview following the Dec. 10 meeting that a community outreach meeting will be scheduled sometime in January.

PALMER - The planning board on Monday unanimously approved a special permit and the site plan for a proposed recreational marijuana sales business that hopes to open next year on a 1.4-acre site at 1235 Thorndike St. on Route 32 near Mt. Dumplin Road.

Colorado-based Altitude Organic Corporation told the board there would be 27 parking spaces for customers, with store hours daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The business is currently negotiating a host community agreement with the town  through which it would agree to provide a set amount of money to the town in exchange for permission to operate.

Once the parties have agreed on the terms of that contract, the company will apply to the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission for permission to open.

Altitude Organic President Aaron Bluse said in an interview following the Dec. 10 meeting that a community outreach meeting will be scheduled sometime next month.

"We would like to hire from the local community," he said. "We want to give residents the first opportunity (to be hired)."

Bluse said the company hopes to open in the "second or third quarter" of 2019.

Chicopee's Westover Air Base commander promoted to general

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D. Scott Durham is the seventh out of eight Westover wing commanders to be promoted to general since 2000.

CHICOPEE - The commander of Westover Air Reserve was promoted to brigadier general by a vote of the U.S. Senate recently.

D. Scott Durham, who was named colonel in 2012, was appointed as commander of Westover Air Reserve Base in June of 2017. Previously he had served as commander of the 512th Airlift Wing at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

A pin-on ceremony to celebrate his promotion has not been scheduled yet, Westover officials said.

Durham has ushered in a new era at Westover since he officially took over two days after the first reconditioned C5-M plane arrived on base. Since then all eight of the base's C5-B jets have been upgraded to make them more fuel-efficient, reliable and quieter.

Durham is a graduate of the Citadel, in South Carolina and holds a master's degree from Georgia College. He began his military career in 1991.

"Talk about standing on the shoulders of giants. This is a testament to all the great Airmen that work so hard day in and day out to make Westover and the Air Force Reserve great," Durham said, in writing.

Durham is the seventh out of eight wing commanders at Westover to be promoted to general since 2000. The other past commanders who became general were Jay Jensen, Albert V. Lupenski, Steven Vautrain, Wade Farris, Martin Mazick and James Bankers.

Durham is married to Jennifer Durham, a respiratory therapist. They have three college-age children.

New Bedford commercial fisheries top the US charts for 18th year

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Scallops accounted for 80 percent of the port's $389 million value in 2017, according to NOAA.

New Bedford commercial fisheries landed 111 million pounds of seafood valued at $389 million in 2017, making the Massachusetts port number one, from an economic perspective, for the 18th year running.

While ports in Alaska, Oregon, Virginia, and Louisiana handled more volume, New Bedford topped all others in terms of value, due in large part to the lucrative scallop trade. Massachusetts landed 32.4 million pounds of scallops last year, with an average ex-vessel price of $9.84 per pound.

The U.S. fisheries statistics are released on an annual basis by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, which estimated that New England fisheries accounted for 97,000 jobs and $8.7 billion in sales during 2016.

The report comes as Massachusetts works to build an offshore wind industry, with staging expected at New Bedford's commercial marine terminal. The state has set up a working group to facilitate communication between the two industries.

New Bedford has around 44 fish wholesale companies, 75 seafood processors, and some 200 shore side industries, the federal agency reports.

Judge denies bail for Chicopee carjacking suspect with extensive criminal record

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Since 2012, Stefen Kervian has been arraigned on 14 charges, including arson, armed robbery, assault and battery and larceny, court records show.

CHICOPEE - A South Hadley man who was on probation for a 2015 convenience store robbery before being charged Monday with a carjacking outside another convenience store is too dangerous to be released on bail, a judge has ruled.

Stefen Kervian, 28, will spend the next 120 days at the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow under an order issued Thursday by Judge Bethzaida Sanabria-Vega.

Citing the defendant's criminal history and drug dependency, the judge granted a detention request from Assistant District Attorney James Roux, who said Kervian posed too great a danger to the public to be released on bail.

Kervian allegedly assaulted a customer leaving Jeffrey's Corner convenience store early Monday and threatened to stab him with an AIDS-infected needle if he didn't hand over the keys to his BMW sedan, according to the arrest report.

Arrested at the scene, Kervian was charged with carjacking, assault and battery, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. He denied the charges Tuesday in Chicopee District Court and was held for a dangerousness hearing.

During Thursday's hearing, the judge reviewed the police report for Kervian's  arrest, videotape from the convenience store and a statement from the BMW owner.

The judge also considered Kervian's criminal record, which includes 14 arraignments since 2012 on charges ranging from arson, armed robbery and assault and battery to breaking and entering and larceny, court records show.

The new charges were filed 24 months after Kervian was sentenced to two and a half years at the Hampden County Correctional Center for robbing a Food Bag convenience store in Chicopee in February 2015.

He was ordered to serve 18 months behind bars, with the remaining 12 months suspended, followed by three years of probation. He was given credit for 296 days spent in jail awaiting trial, court records show.

In her ruling, the judge noted the similarity between the 2015 case and the charges in Kervian's latest case.

Kervian is due back in court for a pretrial hearing on April 11. 

When his detention order expires, prosecutors can ask a judge to renew it for another 120 days.

Man fatally stabbed in Thorndike section of Palmer, suspect arrested

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A 43-year-old man, suffering from multiple stab wounds, was taken to Baystate Wing Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

 

PALMER -- Police arrested a man following a fatal stabbing Thursday night on River Street in the Thorndike section.

Police were summoned to River Street shortly after 8 p.m., according to a release.

Officers found a 43-year-old man suffering from multiple stab wounds. The victim was taken to Baystate Wing Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

A 62-year-old man, also at the scene, was later arrested and charged with murder.

Police said there is no threat to the community.

The death remains under investigation by Palmer police and the state police attached to the Hampden District Attorney's office.

Police have yet to release the names of the suspect and the victim.

This is a developing story. Additional information will be posted as soon as it is available.

Sandy Hook school receives bomb threat on shooting anniversary

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Sandy Hook Elementary School was evacuated Friday following a bomb threat made on the sixth anniversary of the deadly shooting at the school.

Sandy Hook Elementary School was evacuated Friday following a bomb threat made on the sixth anniversary of the deadly shooting at the school. 

Newton, Conn. police said the threat was reported around 9 a.m. Friday. The school was evacuated early Friday morning and students have since been sent home.

It's unclear if the threat was connected to the many bomb threats made nationwide on Thursday.

Twenty six children and educators were killed in a 2012 massacre at the elementary school. 

Gallery preview 

Wilbraham firefighters respond to house fire on Margaret Drive

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The blaze was reported about 10:30 a.m. on Friday.

WILBRAHAM -- First responders were summoned to a house fire on Margaret Drive Friday morning.

The blaze was reported about 10:30 a.m., according to Western Mass News.

Heavy smoke could reportedly be seen coming from the garage and the eaves of the home. Western Mass News is television partner to The Republican and MassLive.com.

This is a developing story. Additional information will be posted as soon as it is available.


Hampden DA releases name of man suspected of stabbing another man to death in Palmer

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A 62-year-old man suspected of stabbing another man to death at a River Road address Thursday night has been identified town resident Robert Nompleggi.

 

PALMER - A 62-year-old man suspected of stabbing another man to death at a River Road address Thursday night has been identified as town resident Robert Nompleggi.

The Hampden District Attorney released the suspect's name early Friday afternoon.

Police were summoned by a 911 caller to 321 River Road in the Thorndike section shortly after 8 p.m. The victim was pronounced dead at Wing Memorial Hospital.

Nompleggi has been charged with murder, intimidation of a witness and violating a restraining order. He is slated to be arraigned Friday afternoon in District Court.

Investigators have not yet released the victim's name.

This is a developing story. Additional information will be posted as soon as it is available

Nine years later, closed Our Lady of Hope Church in Springfield has uncertain future

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The long-closed Our Lady of Hope Church in Springfield, protected from demolition by its designation as a historic district, is used for storage and has no long-term reuse plan. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -- The long-closed Our Lady of Hope Church remains a Hungry Hill landmark, but a spokesman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield said there is no long-term reuse plan of the site, which he said is hampered by its city-imposed designation as a historic district.

The diocese closed the church on Dec. 31, 2009, triggering sadness and anger from parishioners and others. The closing was just days after the Armory Street property was created as a single-property historic district by vote of the City Council, aimed at protecting the church from demolition or harmful exterior changes.

The future?

It will continue to be used for storage of items from other closes churches and diocesan facilities, said Mark E. Dupont, diocesan spokesman.

With the approval of the Springfield Historical Commission, its stained glass windows were removed in 2016 and 2017, and nine were relocated to the successor church, Mary, Mother of Hope on Page Boulevard, officials said.

The church had double windows -- the stained-glass windows on the inside and clear-glass windows on the outside, offering some protection. A view of the church exterior this week found a couple of small windows that were broken.

There is general upkeep of the property, and those windows will be fixed, Dupont said.


The church steeple houses cellular antennae, bringing in rent revenue, Dupont said. The attached former rectory continues to be used as administrative offices for the Sisters of St. Joseph.

The church property is not being marketed, Dupont said.

"It goes without saying, the historic designation was unfairly placed on this site, limiting future development, but for the time being we have found a way to utilize the site within these limitations," Dupont said. "It is hard to see what benefit, other than nostalgia, that has come to the city from this single parcel historic district designation."

The statements occur as the diocese demolishes another long-closed church this week -- Mater Dolorosa Church in Holyoke, drawing criticism from many former parishioners and residents.

Springfield Ward 2 Councilor Michael Fenton, whose ward includes Hungry Hill and who was a parishioner of Our Lady of Hope Church, said the historic designation has served well, protecting the church.

"Unlike the site in Holyoke, Our Lady of Hope Church is not in jeopardy of demolition," Fenton said. "It has been protected from demolition since the City Council designated it a single parcel district."

Dupont said the church structure is stable.

"We have undertaken some work on the property and the most recent report indicates the structure is stable," Dupont said.

Fenton said he has met with Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski, "and the current Bishop has been very supportive of my desire to protect the church."

"I have met with him in the past year to discuss the future of the building and I am grateful to him for his willingness to work with me and the City on this difficult issue," Fenton said. "I have found him to be thoughtful, compassionate, and pragmatic."

In Holyoke, there was a prolonged battle between the city and diocese over the plans for demolition, in which the diocese claimed the building was structurally unsound, disputed before demolition was allowed.

As a historic district, any changes to the exterior of the former Our Lady of Hope church must be approved by the Springfield Historical Commission.

The U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the historic district in 2013. The ruling stated that the diocese's challenge of the district was premature, in part because there had been no proposal for reuse of the church or exterior changes, and no proof of substantial harm by its designation as a historic district.

The city began taxing the Our Lady of Hope property in July of 2010, due to its termination as a church, officials said.


The property taxes are approximately $32,000 a year, based on a current property valuation of $809,700, and a commercial tax rate set at $39.30. There is also Community Preservation annual tax surcharge estimated at $418.

The tax expense is covered by the rent paid, Dupont said.

In four of the past eight years, the diocese was granted abatements on their property tax bills that reduced the paid amount by roughly $7,300 annually.

Fenton said the former Our Lady of Hope "is a very special place for me and countless others."

The use of the rectory, first as temporary home for the administration offices of Cathedral High School and then by the Sisters of St. Joseph "is an example of how creative thinking can one day breathe life into Our Lady of Hope again."

"I am hopeful there will be a successful reuse of the structure in the future, and I look forward to working with this bishop on achieving that goal."

Palmer man accused of fatal fire poker stabbing held without bail

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The victim had been stabbed multiple times with a fireplace poker, according to the arrest report.

PALMER - Murder suspect Robert Nompleggi was ordered held without right to bail Friday after pleading not guilty to a fatal stabbing Thursday night in Palmer.

Nompleggi, 62 of Palmer, pleaded not guilty in Palmer District Court to murder, intimidation of a witness and violation of a restraining order.

Judge Bruce Melikian ordered the defendant held without right to bail and continued the case for a pretrial hearing on Jan. 10.

Palmer police, responding to a 911 call, found the victim inside a home at 321 River Road. The victim, who has not been identified, was pronounced dead at Baystate Wing Memorial Hospital, according to the arrest report.

The victim had been stabbed multiple times with a fireplace poker, including once in the chest, the report said.

This is a developing story which will be updated. 

Reporting sexual harassment often leads to retaliation, job loss, UMass researchers find

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The researchers looked at the results of 46,210 sexual harassment discrimination charges filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

AMHERST -- In this age of the #MeToo movement, the news is not good: over two-thirds of those who reported sexual harassment at work faced retaliation, according research from the University of Massachusetts Amherst Center for Employment Equity.

And 64 percent of those who reported sexual harassment said they lost their jobs, UMass researchers Carly McCann, Donald Tomaskovic-Devey and M.V. Lee Badgett found.

The researches looked at the results of 46,210 Title VII sexual harassment discrimination charges filed between 2012 and 2016 with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, according to the report.

They found that about five million employees are sexually harassed at work every year, but that 99.8 percent don't file formal charges. 

"Most employer responses tend to be harsh both via retaliation and firing employees who complain," the report says. "The very low proportion of employees who file sexual harassment complaints is very likely to be related to employers' typically punitive responses."

The data didn't indicate whether retaliation came after internal reports, or after reports were made to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or Fair Employment Practices Agencies.

"However, what is clear is that complaining about sexual harassment is quite dangerous, inciting employer retaliation and firing in most instances," the report says.

The #MeToo movement prompted the researchers to look at that data, said sociology professor Tomaskovic-Devey. They spent the last six months examining the available numbers.

Tomaskovic-Devey said there were a number of surprises, including the number of "brave and motivated people" who filed charges.

He was also surprised "by how poor the results were."

Only 23 percent of those people who had their cases processed by the courts were awarded compensation. The average settlement was $24,700 with a median amount of $10,000.

That would not compensate for the loss of a job, he said.

The employment commission, he said, was upset with the findings, because the agency doesn't want to discourage people from filing complaints. 

He understands the numbers could be discouraging but "from my point of view, the primary responsibility (falls to) managers in the workplace. The legal route is a risky route with low payout."

In the report, researchers wrote, "Our conclusion from these results is that sexual harassment, and perhaps discrimination of all types, should be addressed proactively and affirmatively as managerial responsibilities, rather than leaving it to the targets of discrimination to pursue legal remedies as individuals."

The report concludes that while the legal process "appears to lead to suboptimal results, the current social movements around sexual harassment certainly can play a role in empowering targets, changing managerial responses, and even preventing future workplace sexual harassment."  

He said they will be looking at the complaints filed since 2016 and he said he knows there has been an increase in California and across the country. 


The report, as well as the interactive graphic embedded below, is available on the Center for Equity's Website.


Ware superintendent asks school board for contract extension to 2023

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Marlene DiLeo was hired five years ago to run the district, and has been in the Ware district eleven years, previously as the elementary school principal, then as high school principal.

WARE - School Superintendent Marlene DiLeo requested Wednesday that the School Committee extend her employment until June of 2023.

The committee is expected to act on the request at its next meeting Jan. 9.

DiLeo's current contract expires in June 2020, she said.

Ware School Committee Chairman Aasron Sawabi asked why she made the request now. DiLeo said that in 12 months, it would be time for the committee to determine whether they wish to keep her, since they must let her know by Dec. 1, 2019.

"That's a really short period of time to have someone in place," the school chief said, should her contract not be renewed.

DiLeo said she wants "to assure there's a continuity of leadership."

Sawabi asked for a motion, for the committee to discuss the idea, but Vice Chairman Brian Winslow said he wanted time to review the matter first, and to study documents DiLeo provided the board on Wedneday showing her accomplishments.

Winslow invited the public to "be a part of the process" on the superintendent's request, and asked folks in the community to share their opinions on the superintendent.

He said he is opposed to "rushing it through" and recommended taking up the matter again in January.

"I would very much like to continue" as superintendent, DiLeo said.

She was hired five years ago as superintendent, and has been in the Ware district 11 years, previously as the elementary school principal, then as the high school principal.

Springfield officials celebrate official opening of Naismith's Pub & Pretzel (photos, video)

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A federal loan program helped attract Naismith's to a long-vacant, ground-floor space next to Theodores on Worthington Street downtown. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -- City officials gathered at Naismith's Pub & Pretzel on Friday to celebrate the opening of the first recipient of a Downtown Dining District restaurant loan.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is funding up to $1.5 million through the program to support full-service restaurants, with individual loans ranging from $50,000 to $200,000. Naismith's landed a $200,000 loan to use as capital to grow the business.

The program helped attract Naismith's to this long-vacant, ground-floor space next to Theodores on Worthington Street downtown. Run by owners Ed Kenney and Alisa Garanzha, Naismith's offers a variety of food and drink options, including freshly baked "bulochka" pretzels based on the owners' Ukrainian family recipes. The pub also features craft ciders and 24 craft beers on tap.

It had a soft opening a week ago.

"I was down there Saturday night before going to the Thunderbirds hockey game and the place was packed. Through our Downtown Dining District Restaurant Loan Program, this is exactly the 'eclectic type' of establishments we have attracted to our Worthington/Bridge/Stearns Square areas," Mayor Domenic Sarno said in a statement. "Again, I'm very appreciative of Ed and Alisa's belief and investment in our Springfield."

The loan program is intended for restaurants locating in Springfield's Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) district along Main, Bridge and Worthington streets. The targeted area is just south of Union Station and three blocks north of the MGM casino. For more information, visit the city's website.

The Republican's Peter Goonan contributed to this story.

West Springfield police seek to identify armed robbery suspect

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West Springfield police are seeking to identify an armed robbery suspect. Watch video

WEST SPRINGFIELD - Police are hoping to identify a person who robbed a local market at gunpoint last week.

West Springfield police say a man entered the EZee Mart convenience store located at 83 River Street around 7:35 a.m. last Friday and proceeded to rob it. 

The suspect, who was captured on the store's surveillance system, threatened the clerk with a firearm before making over with several hundred dollars, police said. After leaving the store, the suspect fled east, disappearing behind a neighboring apartment building.

He is described as having light skin, standing between 5'5"-5'8" tall, and having a thin build. He is estimated to weigh between 130 and 140 pounds. 

Anyone who believes they may be able to identify the suspect has been encouraged to contact the West Springfield Police Department at 413-263-3210.


Feds award 3 more offshore wind leases off Massachusetts coast

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Equinor Wind; Mayflower Wind Energy, and Vineyard Wind will pay a record combined $405 million in federal lease payments.

Following 32 rounds of sealed bidding, three more federal offshore wind area leases off the coast of Massachusetts were awarded on Friday.

The winners, announced by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, are Equinor Wind, Mayflower Wind Energy, and Vineyard Wind.

The bidders will pay around $135 million a piece for the privilege of holding 33-year development rights in federal waters south of Cape Cod -- a record combined $405 million.

The areas are on the outer Continental Shelf of the Atlantic Ocean -- and unlike the ill-fated Cape Wind, which officially died one year ago -- are not visible from the mainland. 

Equinor, of Norway, already lights a million European homes with wind power. Mayflower is a new partnership between Shell and EDP Renewables. Vineyard Wind, based in New Bedford, is a partnership between Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Avangrid Renewables.

Eleven companies competed in the auction, and the lease payments, totaling a record-breaking $405 million, will boost federal revenue. To date, the BOEM has awarded 16 commercial offshore wind leases off every eastern seaboard state from Massachusetts to North Carolina.

"Today's biggest winners are the American workers who will help build and operate these wind farms, and the consumers who will soon have access to a new large-scale source of clean, reliable electricity," said Nancy Sopko of the American Wind Energy Association.

The new acquisition provides Equinor with a "strong strategic position," the company said, and "gives us a foothold to engage in the Massachusetts and wider New England market, a region notable for its strong commitment to offshore wind."

Equinor already holds a lease are off New York, which it procured in 2016.

Vineyard Wind said it is excited to expand its New England presence, and "grateful to the BOEM for working for many years with stakeholders -- including the fishing industry, environmentalists, wildlife experts, and local communities."

Vineyard Wind has a head start, because in May it won utility contracts to supply Massachusetts utilities with 800 megawatts of offshore wind. The company plans that plant within a separate 160,000 acre federal area 14 miles south of Martha's Vineyard.

Massachusetts has set an offshore wind goal of 3.2 gigawatts by 2035, enough to power 20 percent of the commonwealth's homes.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced the Massachusetts auction in October.

"If fully developed, the wind auction could support approximately 4.1 gigawatts of power to supply nearly 1.5 million homes," Zinke said at the time. "This is just one example of the importance of fostering wind energy as a new American industry."

'I hope you die,' Palmer murder suspect told victim stabbed 10 times with fireplace poker, court documents allege

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Court records show the victim was granted a court order in August barring Nompleggi from contacting him or abusing him.

PALMER - The man on his floor had been stabbed at least 10 times with a fireplace poker, but Robert Nompleggi said he had an explanation, according to the arrest report.

"I was only defending myself, only defending myself," Nompleggi, 62, of Palmer,  said Thursday night after police responded to a 911 call at his River Road home.

The victim was unconscious and bleeding from a puncture wound to his chest; another 10 to 12 puncture wounds were discovered on his back after he was taken to Baystate Wing Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The wounds were inflicted with a "long fireplace poker" during a dispute between Nompleggi and the victim, who had complained to the defendant that the power in his room had been shut off, a witness told police.

The witness heard the two men struggling in another room, then heard the victim say, "You stabbed me," according to the police report.

"Your going to die. I hope you die you piece of s---," Nompleggi responded, according to the report.

The witness attempted to call 911, but had phone trouble. When Nompleggi emerged from the room, he grabbed the telephone, forcing the witness to run to a nearby home and call 911, the report said.

Arrested at the scene, Nompleggi was charged with murder, intimidation of a witness and violation of a restraining order. He pleaded not guilty Friday in Palmer District Court, and was held without right to bail.

Court records show the victim was granted a court order in August barring  Nompleggi from contacting or abusing him. 

Nompleggi, a Springfield native and construction worker, is due back in court for a pretrial hearing on Jan. 10.

Hatfield 'community solar garden project' would cover farmland with energy plant

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Land owner Sidney Chang said the land is too wet to grow vegetables.

Twenty-nine acres of Pioneer Valley farmland could fall to a solar farm -- at least for 25 years.

Clean Focus Renewables of Colorado proposes the 5-megawatt, 29-acre Hatfield Community Solar Garden Project. If approved, it would be built near the Whately border on land owned by the Chang Family Trust of South Deerfield.

Zach Sawicki, a developer with Clean Focus, recently presented the company's plans to the Hatfield Planning Board, and described a 20,000-panel ground-mounted system, reports the Daily Hampshire Gazette.

Sidney Chang, representing his family, said it has been a challenge to lease the land for agricultural purposes -- saying it is too wet and "not really good for growing vegetables."

Other farmers at the meeting said the land could be used for hay and corn. Planning Board Chairman Robert Wagner said the land could alternatively be developed with five homes, according to the Northampton newspaper.

Sawicki said the plant would be removed after 25 years, and the farmland would remain intact.

The land is under Chapter 61A, the Massachusetts law that lets farmland be taxed at a lower rate. The law gives the town the right of first refusal to buy the land. Anyone taking the land out of Chapter 61A would have to pay back taxes.

The project would need permits from the Hatfield Planning Board and Conservation Commission.

Driver sentenced in March hit-and-run death of Westport woman

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Natalie Vieira, 59, of California, was sentenced to serve less than two years in jail after she was convicted of fleeing the scene of a pedestrian fatality in March. Natalie Vieira entered a guilty plea in Bristol Superior Court Wednesday.

A California woman was sentenced to serve less than two years in jail after she entered a guilty plea to a charge that she struck and killed a Westport woman as walking on State Road in Dartmouth in March.

Natalie Vieira, 59, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Bristol Superior Court to a single count of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, the Fall River Herald News reported.

Prosecutors said Vieira was not charged with vehicular homicide because she was unable to avoid striking the victim. Accident reconstruction determined the victim walked into the roadway and into Vieira's path.

District Attorney Thomas Quinn said if Vieira had stopped at the scene and submitted to police she would not have been prosecuted.

Authorities said 33-year-old Stasha Faria, of Westport, was walking alongside State Road in Dartmouth the evening of March 3 when she was struck from behind by Vieira's Chevy Uplander.

Faria was propelled into a nearby utility pole with such force that she suffered severe head and upper body injuries and died at the scene.

Vieira fled and hid the car at a relative's home in Westport for two days before having it towed to a Fall River auto body shop.

The defendant was sentenced to serve two and a half years in the Bristol County House of Correction with 20 months to be served direct and the balance suspended for three years.

Obituaries from The Republican, Dec. 14, 2018

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