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Pregnant woman thrown from vehicle in crash in northbound lanes of Interstate 91 in Longmeadow

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The woman, a passenger, was conscious and alert at the scene, according to abc40.

An update to this story was posted at 4:37 p.m. and may be found here.

LONGMEADOW – A woman, reportedly 13-weeks pregnant, was ejected from a vehicle in the northbound lanes of Interstate 91 during a single-vehicle crash Wednesday morning.

Abc40 has reported that the crash occurred after 10 a.m. less than a mile from the Connecticut border. State police, according to the report, have closed three of the interstate’s northbound lanes.

The woman, a passenger, was conscious and alert at the scene, according to the report.


Allied Waste of Chicopee to bring changes in trash collection to Longmeadow residents

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Under the new system, one truck will pick up both recycling items and trash.

LONGMEADOW – Residents will see one truck picking up their trash and recycling instead of two and a stricter enforcement of the town’s trash bylaw as Allied Waste of Chicopee begins their waste hauling contract July 1.

“This company has a five year contract and will be enforcing the bylaw that allows for only one 40 gallon container or bag of refuse per week,” said Department of Public Works Director Michael G. Wrabel.

Wrabel said residents should expect several changes including one truck which is equipped to handle both recycled materials and refuse, a change in the route times and an enforcement of the law.

“People have been cheating for years by piling up more refuse bags then are allowed. We are encouraging people to recycle as much as possible or purchase the refuse bags that carry the town’s logo at CVS, Big Y and Armatas at $8.75 for 5 bags,” he said.

Wrabel said he is also encouraging people to have their trash out by 7 a.m. on their regular pick up day.

“The new company will take different routes so residents should expect that their trash pick-up time will change,” he said.

As always there is no limit to the amount of recyclable material that can be placed at the curb but cardboard must be flattened and cut down to 2 foot by 2 foot pieces, Wrabel said.

Wrabel said extra trash placed at the curb that is not in the special Longmeadow bags will be tagged and left behind.

“We are trying to cut costs and bring revenue up with more recycling so we are asking residents to follow the rules,” he said.

An additional service that Allied Waste Services will provide to Longmeadow residents is the curbside collection of bulky items such as furniture, appliances and carpeting. Residents may call Allied Waste at (413) 592-9411 for this fee-based service. For more information call the Department of Public Works at (413) 567-3400.

Driver and pregnant passenger seriously injured in I-91 car wreck in Longmeadow

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Two people, a driver and a pregnant passenger, were seriously injured Wednesday morning when their vehicle went out of control on Interstate 91 in Longmeadow about a mile north of the Connecticut line.

This is an update to a story that was first posted at 11:01 a.m.

LONGMEADOW – Two people, a driver and a pregnant passenger, were seriously injured Wednesday morning when their vehicle went out of control on Interstate 91, a state police spokesman said

The 28-year-old female passenger was thrown from the vehicle in the crash, said State Police spokesman David Procopio.

She and the driver, a 38-year-old man from East Windsor, Conn., were each taken to Baystate Medical Center for treatment of serious injuries, Procopio said.

He declined to release their names until police could contact their families.

The woman who was conscious at the scene was reported to be 16-weeks pregnant.

The accident happened just before 10:30 a.m. in the northbound lane, roughly one mile north of the Connecticut state line. State police were notified by multiple 911 calls from other motorists, he said.

No other vehicles were involved.

Procopio said the driver was cited for speeding and a marked lane violation.

The accident remains under investigation, he said.

Bay Path College in Longmeadow offers exploration as part of summer girls camp

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Girls are much more willing to explore things that scare them when boys are not around, the camp’s director says.

LONGMEADOW – Campers who attend Bay Path College’s Go Girls! summer programs will get to explore space, make treasures out of trash and stage a theater production for their families.

“The wonderful thing about these program is that they are entirely made up of young girls, and we have found that they are much more willing to explore things that scare them when they are not in front of boys,” says Briana Sitler, director of special programs at Bay Path.

The programs, which start next week, each last a week and include science, the environment and theater themes.

“Every year we try to bring different activities for the campers that will allow them to try new things,” Sitler said.

The first, entitled, “Out of this World,” focuses on space, the planets and stars, Sitler said. “It’s more of a science based program for girls who are interested in that,” she said.

“Back to Nature” follows. “This week will really focus on the environment and going green,” Sitler said. “Campers will learn more about recycling and using items that are found right in their backyards to make new things.”

And, the programming will wrap up with “Welcome to Hollywood! Lights, Camera, Action!” July 26-30.

“This week is more about acting and film production,” she said. “At the end of the week the girls will perform as individuals or as groups for their families.”

Bay Path students and former Go Girls! campers actually run the camp. “We have a great group of counselors, including some who went through the programs when they were younger,” Sitler said.

Rachel Maddow interviews Cpt. Tadd Lyman of Longmeadow during broadcast from Afghanistan (video)

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In the clip, Maddow pledges to buy Lyman a beer at The Student Prince.

From one Western Mass. resident to another, all the way from Afghanistan – and documented for the world to see on a popular nighttime cable news program.

Check out this clip from the Wednesday, July 7, 2010, episode of “The Rachel Maddow Show” on MSNBC. In it (beginning at the 6:06 mark), Maddow, a Western Mass. resident herself, walks with Longmeadow’s Cpt. Tadd Lyman who is a part of the U.S. military’s Task Force Fury, charged with maintaining a checkpoint in Kandahar City.

Lyman’s been in Afghanistan for 10 months.

For Lyman’s friends and family, the clip has to be one they’ve watched over and over again – a reminder of their heroic loved one, and another reason to be so proud of him.

For the rest of us, the pride and reminder might not be so personal, but its impact is just as poignant.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Longmeadow fall special Town Meeting details set

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Zoning proposals requiring drafting and review must be submitted by Aug. 5.

LONGMEADOW – The fall special Town Meeting will be held Oct. 26. All articles from departments or boards are due in the Select Board’s office no later than Sept. 2. The proposed date for closing the warrant is Sept. 13.

Zoning proposals requiring drafting and review must be submitted by Aug. 5. Anyone submitting an article must include the proposed article in writing, a brief narrative describing the purpose and the need for the article and the estimated costs, if any, for the requested article.

For more information call the Select Board office at (413) 565-4110.

Scott Brown endorses Republican Enrico 'Jack' Villamaino at fundraiser in Hampden

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Villamaino is challenging Democratic incumbent Brian Ashe as state representative for the 2nd Hampden District.

WILBRAHAM – The Conservation Commission Monday night continued until Aug. 9 a hearing on a proposal by the Minnechaug Regional High School Building Committee to build a new high school on the grounds of the existing high school.

Heather Comee of Pioneer Environmental told the Conservation Commission that a new high school will be built on the grounds of the existing high school.

The existing high school will then be torn down and athletic fields built on the site, she said.

She said an access road will continue to run off Tinkham Road to Main Street.

A parking lot will be removed and replaced with a grass athletic field which will increase the flood storage capability of the property, she said.

Christopher Brown, chairman of the Conservation Commission, said a public hearing is required to determine how the construction will impact the wetland and flood plain areas.

Comee said efforts will be made to keep debris out of culverts through street sweeping, maintenance of catch basins and keeping debris out of pipes.

John M. Lovejoy, co chair of the Building Committee, said there is water on the site which comes down from Woodland Dell to Brewer Pond and forms a stream behind the old Bennett’s Turkey Farm.

Lovejoy also said there is a pond on the school property which is surrounded by saplings.

The Building Committee may want to put a path, fencing and benches around the pond “in keeping with the loveliness of the new school,” Lovejoy said.

Once a contract is awarded for the project by the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School Committee, the Building Committee hopes to start construction later this month.

An official groundbreaking is set for Sept. 3. The goal is for the new school to be ready to open by the summer of 2012.


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Longmeadow team tops WGBH "Quiz Show"

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Longmeadow beat the Bromfield School from Harvard for the championship.

From left to right: Ryan O'Grady, Lindsay E. Oxx, Spencer Janes and Kevin Miao, with host Dhaya Lakshminarayanan.

LONGMEADOW – Having a vast knowledge of pop culture, science, history and literature along with quick reflexes helped Longmeadow High School win the first-ever statewide “High School Quiz Show” sponsored by Boston public broadcaster WGBH.

“On every question both teams had a chance to ring in and answer the question so it was really a fight to try to get in before the other team,” said Spencer Janes, 16. “ It got to the point where after just part of a question we had to ring in and kind of guess what it was asking for in order to get in before the other team. Luckily we were right most of the time.”

Janes’ teammates included students Ryan O’Grady and Lindsay E. Oxx, who both graduated in June, Kevin Miao and Alex Freeman.

The school was the inaugural winner of the new weekly television competition that celebrates and showcases academic achievement in Massachusetts schools statewide. They beat the Bromfield School from Harvard for the championship.




Two other Western Massachusetts teams were involved in the semifinals of the academic challenge; the Longmeadow team beast Northampton High School to qualify for the finals, and Bromfield bested a team from East Longmeadow High School.

“High School Quiz Show” featured students from 24 Massachusetts schools in its first season. The students competed in a fast-paced question-and-answer format, both as teams and in head-to-head lightning rounds. Questions were drawn from the state high school curriculum, including literature, history and science, together with current events, sports, entertainment, and general knowledge.

“We want to shine a spotlight on intellectual curiosity and the pursuit of learning in a fun, lively, and encouraging way,” said WGBH president Jonathan Abbott. “Academic quiz shows across the country attract a broad following of students, their families, schools, and communities in support of the home teams.”

Oxx, who made it to the semi-finals of the “Jeopardy!” teen tournament on national TV last year, said the show had a completely new format.

“We didn’t really have any expectations going into the contest,” she said. “We really just wanted to adjust quickly to the format, answer all the questions we could, and hopefully win as many matches as possible.”

Janes said he enjoyed the experience.

“It was really great to win, and it just felt amazing to know that we were state champions,” he said. “We had a tough first match but after that we never really had a problem and were ahead the whole time, so personally when we got to that last match I was expecting that we had a great chance to win.”


Western Massachusetts residents gave more than $1.15 million to help Haiti earthquake victims

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The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield announced parishioners donated $592,000 for relief.

paulgerstein.jpgDr. Paul Gerstein, emergency department physician at Baystate Mary Lane Hospital in Ware, was one of the many area residents who volunteered to provide health care to victims of the January earthquake in Haiti

When death totals topped 250,000 and the national news showed people suffering in Haiti, Western Massachusetts residents took out their checkbooks and credit cards.

In six months, they donated more than $1.15 million to help victims of the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti. Schools held fund-raisers, many gave at local supermarkets and donated through text message.

Officials for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield announced Friday parishioners donated a collective $592,000 to Haiti. Most of the total went to Catholic Relief Services, but some congregations sent about $75,000 to other organizations, spokesman Mark E. Dupont said.

“It was our largest one-time collection,” Dupont said. “I think for the Catholic community and the entire community, the images moved people as well as the fact that the country is already poor.”

The 2005 Hurricane Katrina came in at a close second with churches donating $585,000, he said.

The tragedy may have resonated with Catholics because some parishes had been involved with helping Haiti previously, Dupont said.

The Pioneer Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross recently received a report showing $408,477 was donated by Western Massachusetts residents. Not included was money given through a program that let people donate $10 through text message, Paige N. Thayer, deputy director of chapter support, said.

In total $468 million was raised nationally by the organization, she said.

“This is the biggest thing I’ve seen here,” Thayer said.

MassMutual Financial Group in Springfield donated more than $200,000. The company first gave $100,000 and then matched any employee contribution, spokeswoman Laura B. Demars said.

About half that money was given to the Red Cross and the other half was given to the Haiti chapter of Habitat for Humanity, she said.

Big Y donated $108,277 to the Red Cross from change customers dropped into store canisters. Big Y Chief Executive Officer Donald H. D’Amour and his wife, Michele, educational partnership administrator, donated another $10,000 to Hope for Haiti.

The tally of donations from Western Massachusetts is likely higher than the $1.15 million because residents donated to other organizations and gave anonymously.

“Everyone has been extremely generous. We raised a lot of money,” said Peter J. Kelly, a Wilbraham eye surgeon and president of the CRUDEM Foundation of Ludlow, which helps support the Sacred Heart Hospital in Milot, Haiti.

The hospital, which was undamaged in the earthquake, cared for hundreds of people who traveled 90 miles from the capital city of Port-au-Prince to find treatment.

It made national news and donations poured in from across the world as well as from Western Massachusetts.

“We raised more than $1 million and our costs were about $950,000,” Kelly said.

The foundation is still caring for about 150 patients, about half of whom are earthquake victims. It has also set up a prosthetic laboratory at the hospital and has fit 15 people with new limbs and has about 70 more waiting, Kelly said.

Because so many hospitals in Haiti have been destroyed, the organization started a campaign to raise money to build an addition to double the size of its 65-bed hospital. Now many patients are being cared for in tents, Kelly said.

It wasn’t just financial generosity that amazed Kelly. More than 1,500 doctors, nurses and physical therapists flew to Milot at their own expense to volunteer at the hospital. Many were from Western Massachusetts.

Kelly was one of those volunteers, as was retired orthopedic surgeon Mark H. Pohlman, of Longmeadow.

Pohlman was an organizer the First Church of Christ in Longmeadow which partnered with the CONASPEH School in Port-au-Prince and provided scholarships for children. The school was destroyed in the earthquake, killing many nursing students.

The First Church of Christ raised $30,000 for overall relief for Haiti.

It recently started a fund drive to raise money for scholarships for children who are attending the re-opened school. It is now teaching about 600 kindergarten through 12th-graders in tents until rebuilding can get under way. It will reopen its seminary and nursing program soon, he said.

Longmeadow School Committee votes to reinstate fifth grade music program

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School Committee Chairman Armand C. Wray said the committee understands the importance of the program and appreciated the efforts of parents and students who attended meetings to express their support for music in Longmeadow.

LONGMEADOW – The School Committee unanimously voted to reinstate the fifth grade music program for the 2010-2011 school year during their meeting Monday night.

School Committee Chairman Armand C. Wray said the committee understands the importance of the program and appreciats the efforts of parents and students who attended meetings to express their support for music in Longmeadow.

Michael Mucci, the head of Longmeadow High School’s music department, thanked the committee for finding the $45,000 necessary to keep a music teacher at the fifth grade level.

More details on masslive.com tomorrow and in The Republican on Wednesday.

Longmeadow School Committee adds Tracy DeMarco

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DeMarco will take the seat left vacant by Christine Swanson, who was elected to the Select Board.

LONGMEADOW - The Select Board appointed Tracy E. DeMarco to the School Committee during a meeting Monday.

DeMarco ran for a seat on the committee during the June 8 annual town election, but lost to Jennifer A. Jester and incumbent Thomas Brunette. DeMarco will take the seat left vacant by Christine L. Swanson, who was elected to the Select Board.

DeMarco, 38, has lived in town for 12 years with her husband and three children who attend the public schools.

Springfield becomes latest Western Massachusetts community to reach tentative agreement on new teachers' contract

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Negotiations are still under way in Chicopee, Agawam and West Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD – A tentative contract agreement has been reached with teachers in the Springfield school district, while negotiations continue in other communities before the start of the school year.

Teachers have approved contracts in communities such as Westfield, Northampton, Amherst, and East Longmeadow. There is a tentative agreement in Holyoke with the 480-member union, according to Superintendent of Schools David L. Dupont, and negotiations are under way in Chicopee, Agawam and West Springfield.

TCollins2010.jpgTimothy T. Collins

Timothy T. Collins, president of the Springfield Education Association, and William E. Mahoney, the city’s labor relations director, confirmed the tentative agreement this week. Both sides have agreed not to reveal the specifics of the contract proposal until presented to the 2,600 members for a vote. The previous five-year contract expired June 30.

For the first time, the teachers union and city engaged in “interest-based bargaining,” rather than traditional bargaining, according to a joint statement released by Mahoney on behalf of both sides. The bargaining method was described as requiring “a collaborative, problem solving form of negotiations to issues raised by either the (School) Committee or the Association,” he said.

The parties had met on multiple occasions beginning in January.

The School Department laid off approximately 120 teachers at the end of the school year, and has recalled 72, according to Azell M. Cavaan, the department’s chief communications officer. Additional teachers will be recalled before Sept. 1, but the final number is not yet known, she said.

Contracts, however, have expired in Chicopee and are scheduled to expire Aug. 31, in West Springfield and Agawam.

In Chicopee, Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette, who serves as School Committee chairman, said he has told unions the city cannot afford to raise salaries without laying off employees. The teachers contract expired in July.

Agawam officials are in negotiations with the 387-member Agawam Education Association and West Springfield officials are meeting with representatives of the West Springfield Education Association.

In Westfield, teachers approved a one-year contract with the School Committee on Tuesday that provides no salary increase nor any professional development funding.

The Longmeadow School Committee reached a two-year contract with teachers in January that provides no pay raises. The contract goes through August 2011.

In East Longmeadow, teachers just ratified a two-year contract that extends through August 2012.

Teachers in Ware have a contract that runs to June 30, 2011. Superintendent of Schools Mary-Elizabeth Beach said negotiations will begin in the second semester of the coming school year.

The prior contract for Springfield teachers was settled with the former, state-imposed Finance Control Board in 2006, with a retroactive clause, and followed a prolonged impasse, public protests by the union and litigation. The control board dissolved a year ago after a five-year mission to confront major deficits and to restore the city to fiscal stability.

The tentative agreement was reached by union and city officials at the close of the school year in June, with the union choosing to wait until late August or September to schedule the ratification vote, Collins said.

“We will bring the package to the membership,” Collins said. “The bargaining team will unanimously recommend it in light of these economic times.”

Currently, teacher salaries generally range from $36,000 to $67,600.

If approved by teachers, the contract will then have to be brought to the School Committee for a vote, Mahoney said.

Staff writers Ted LaBorde, Fred Contrada, Jeanette Deforge, Mike Plaisance, Sandra Constantine, Elizabeth Ramon, Diane Lederman and John Appleton contributed to this report.

Willie Ross School for the Deaf in Longmeadow undergoing major renovations

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The school is getting an outdoor classroom, a basketball court, soundproof rooms and updated technology.

WillieRoss730.jpgLouis Abbate, president and chief executive officer of the Willie Ross School for the Deaf in Longmeadow, checks on the status of renovations going on at the school Thursday.

LONGMEADOW – An outdoor classroom, a basketball court, soundproof rooms and updated technology are all in the works for the Willie Ross School for the Deaf.

The school is undergoing major renovations to its 1917-circa building and its newly-acquired acre of land.

“We wanted to preserve the current structure because it is a meaningful building in the school’s history,” said the school president and chief executive officer, Louis Abbate.

The renovations have been funded with the help of donations made by area businesses and individuals. Thus far, the donations amount to more than $300,000, Abbate said.

“Corporate business, local business and individuals have been extremely generous,” he said. “I think they believe in what we are doing here.”

Willie Ross was founded by parents of deaf children in 1967. Currently, the school has 70 students ranging from the ages of 3 to 22. While most students are from Western Massachusetts the school has also had students from Connecticut and New Hampshire.

Abbate said students follow the same curriculum required for public schools in the state.

“Students do take the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System tests and, if they pass it, they are eligible for a high school diploma from our school and the respective town they live in,” Abbate said.

The school offers services for students who have limited hearing, have cochlear implants or are completely deaf.

“We want all of our students to either go onto college or enter the work force prepared,” he said. The projects fit with the school’s mission of helping every child succeed based on what their needs are, he added.

The idea that all deaf children can be taught in the same way as hearing students is wrong, Abbate said. “We work with the individual needs of every student,” he said.

The Conway School of Landscape Design designed the new classrooms as well as the outdoor space plans. Renovations include new energy-efficient windows, air conditioning and updated technology for the classrooms. The project will also add a classroom at East Longmeadow High School, Willie Ross’ partner school, according to Abbate

The new land, which is adjacent to the property, will be used for a playing field, an outdoor classroom and lot of open playing space.

“We want students to be able to cross-country ski or go sledding in the winter,” he said. “Students will be able to explore science, botany and agriculture right on campus.”

Abbate said the indoor projects should be completed by mid-August and the open space should be ready for use by year’s end.

Emilio Fusco arrest in Italy made by police dressed as trash collectors and utility workers

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The Longmeadow man was captured in Sorrento after being charged in the Al Bruno murder.

EmilioFusco2001.jpgEmilio Fusco, of Longmeadow, is seen taking a smoke break during proceedings in U. S. District Court in Springfield in 2001.

Updates a story first posted Friday at 11:57 a.m.

SPRINGFIELD - A Longmeadow man who was a fugitive after being charged last week in connection with a mob murder was arrested on Thursday in Italy by police dressed as trash collectors and utility workers, according to law enforcement officials.

Emilio Fusco, 42, was captured in Sorrento, a town of 16,500 in southern Italy, after being charged with murder conspiracy for the 2003 contract hit on Adolfo “Big Al” Bruno, the then-regional boss of the New York-based Genovese crime family. The sixth defendant charged in connection with the Bruno murder, Fusco was caught coming out of an apartment where police later recovered $10,000, Italian officials said.

He is being detained there as his lawyers try to sort out whether he faces a possible death penalty in the United States.

His local lawyer, Michael O. Jennings, confirmed Fusco had been arrested, but said the details of his possible extradition are far from clear. The Italian government has historically refused to extradite natives exposed to the death penalty in other countries.

“It’s unclear to me how the potential of a death penalty will play into this, if at all,” Jennings said.

EmilioFusco2001mug.jpgEmilio Fusco

Local authorities said Fusco, who has dual Italian-American citizenship, left the country shortly after an army of law enforcement began digging at a wooded plot in Agawam for the remains of a gangster who went missing in 2003: Gary D. Westerman.

Fusco was charged on July 23 in a 45-page indictment out of U.S. District Court in Manhattan with various crimes including extortion and murder conspiracy. The charges allege he plotted to kill Bruno along with a handful of other gangsters vying for power. He also is accused of being present when Westerman, an organized crime associate, was fatally shot and buried in an eight-foot grave off Springfield Street in Agawam.

According to investigators, both slayings were part of a violent stint seven years ago by a local mob faction bent on a power play. Charged with Bruno’s murder in addition to the confessed shooter are alleged New York crime boss Arthur “Artie” Nigro, 65, of Bronx, N.Y.; Bruno’s reputed successor, Anthony J. Arillotta, 41, who defense lawyers believe has turned government informant; Fotios “Freddy” Geas, 42, and his younger brother Ty Geas, 38, Arillotta’s alleged onetime enforcers; and Felix L. Tranghese, 58, a so-called “made man” within the Genovese family.

The Geases and Fusco oversaw the murder of Westerman, Arillotta’s brother-in-law, law official said.

Bruno, who was gunned down by a paid hit man for $10,000, was perceived as a weak leader and a suspected government informant, though the latter has never been confirmed.

A spokesman for Italian police, Capt. Massimo Fettizio, said Fusco was arrested while going out to buy cigarettes; he had been hiding out at a rental house the disguised authorities were staking out, officials said.

Italian police said Fusco is being held at a jail in Avellino, Italy.

Longmeadow School Building Committee selects Gilbane Building Co. to manage high school project

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Construction on the $78 million project is expected to begin in late spring 2011.

LONGMEADOW - The School Building Committee has selected Gilbane Building Co. to manage the construction of the new Longmeadow High School project.

Voters overwhelmingly approved the construction project during the annual town elections held June 8.

“We are moving forward, and Gilbane is going to be a big part of that,” said Christine L. Swanson, the newest member of the Select Board and co-chair of the School Building Committee.

The company, based in Boston, will be responsible for working with the project manager and architects to get the project done on time and on budget, Swanson said. The town hired the company to manage the project for $125,000.

“They will be here every step of the process,” she said. “Gilbane is a leader in its field and brings a lot of experience with getting projects done on time. They also have employees right in Longmeadow who will be working on the project until its completion.”

In June, voters approved a Proposition 2 ½ debt-exclusion override that will require the town to pay $44 million of the $78 million high school construction project. The motion passed with 63.5 percent of the vote, or by 4,077 to 2,340.

The state School Building Authority will provide $34 million in funds to complete the project.

Swanson said the committee is working with Gilbane, the project manager and architect to establish a construction schedule. The school is expected to open in the fall of 2013.

“We are anticipating to go out to bid early in the spring of next year. Construction is expected to begin in late spring of 2011,” she said.

The School Building Committee has been meeting the third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Fire Department during the summer months and will hold meetings at the high school starting in September.


Police search for man suspected of robbing Hampden Bank on Shaker Road in Longmeadow

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Abc40 has reported that the suspect entered the bank at about 11 a.m.


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LONGMEADOW – Police are searching for a man suspected of robbing the Hampden Bank on Shaker Road late Wednesday morning.

Abc40 has reported that the suspect entered the bank at about 11 a.m. and robbed it.

Additional information, including whether the suspect showed a weapon, was not immediately available.

45th Massachusetts Municipal Police Officers Class graduates from Police Training Academy

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It was the first class to complete training at the new facility at Springfield Technical Community College.

080410_police_training_academy_graduation.jpgSome of the 31 new police officers from Western Massachusetts salute Wednesday during the graduation ceremony at the Police Training Academy at Springfield Technical Community College.

SPRINGFIELD - Officer Brendan Boyle of the Holyoke Police Department said becoming a police officer is something he knew he wanted to do from a young age after watching his father succeed in the field.

“I have looked up to him my entire life,” Boyle said Wednesday. “I always knew his fellow police officers, and they were great people.”

On Wednesday, Boyle was part of the 45th Massachusetts Municipal Police Officers Class to graduate at the Police Training Academy at Springfield Technical Community College - the first since the new building opened half-way through the program.

Boyle’s badge was pinned to his uniform by his father, detective Kevin Boyle, of the Holyoke Police Department.

“I had mixed emotions,” said the senior Boyle of pinning his son. “No father wants to see his son put himself in harm’s way, but I am very proud. He is a fine young man, and he’s going to be a great police officer.”

080410_police_training_academy_graduation_brendan_boyle.jpgView full sizeHolyoke police officer Brendan J. Boyle, left, gets his badge pinned on by his father, detective Kevin Boyle.

The senior Boyle has been with the Holyoke Police Department for 38 years and wears badge No. 1 denoting that he has served the longest.

Boyle said that having his father pin him was a lifelong dream. “He has been working for 38 years, so its nice to have that generational gap to see him actually up there pinning me.”

The graduating class endured a grueling 21-week training program in which they learned everything there is to know about working as a police officer, according to Academy Director John M. Claffey.

“In addition to the physical training, there is academic training, criminal law, criminal procedure training,” he said. “They also do firearms training and emergency vehicle training, CPR, first responder - a lot of practical training.”

Of the 39 recruits that showed up to begin the program on March 15, 31 made it through the program to graduate.

“It wasn’t easy,” said Chief Robert Frydryk of the Palmer Police Department, addressing the graduates. “It wasn’t meant to be.”

”They’re a great bunch of guys and girls,” said Boyle of his fellow graduates. “It was a tough 21 weeks but we made it through it. Without any of those guys we wouldn’t be here today.”

Capt. Ronald Campurciani, of the West Springfield Police Department, commended the officers for their unwavering dedication to the program and reassured them that they would never be alone in the field. “Something symbolic has happened today,” he said. “The merging of the old and the new. Wherever you go, you will not be alone, because you are police officers. We are part of the biggest family on the planet.”

According to Claffey, almost all of the graduates have jobs, and the few that don’t should be working in the field by the end of the month.

Of the 31 graduates, 20 of the new officers will be serving in the Pioneer Valley, including Bernardston, Springfield, Holyoke, Petersham, Brimfield, Westfield, Longmeadow, Gill, Whately and Belchertown.

Other area graduates include Jason R. Bassett, of Bernardston, Daniel M. Billingsley, of Springfield, Richard D. Cooley Jr., of Petersham, Samuel Delvalle, of Holyoke, Nicholas J. Demetrion, of Brimfield, Michael J. Garcia, of Westfield, David R.G. Irwin, of Longmeadow, Michael T. Kane, of Westfield, Paul J. Marguet, of Gill.

Also, Angel L. Marrero, of Springfield, Richard A. Mazza, of Westfield, Michael T. McNally, of Longmeadow, Stephen J. Norton, of Holyoke, Scott C. Phelon, of Westfield, Daniel F. Ryan, of Whately, Sean F. Smith, of Longmeadow, Jacob W. Strange, of Belchertown, Ryan D. Tabb, of Holyoke, and Jameson R. Williams, of Springfield.

Editor’s note: Staff writer Margaret Boyle is no relation to Brendan or Kevin Boyle.

Longmeadow seeks $500,000 from state to repair culvert that runs under Route 5

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Longmeadow Street serves as a major commuter link between Springfield and Enfield, Conn., as well as providing access to north- and south-bound entrances to Interstate 91.


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LONGMEADOW – The town is seeking $500,000 in state funding to repair a failing culvert that runs under Longmeadow Street.

The pipe-repair project has been submitted by town public works officials to the state Department of Transportation for funding under the transportation improvement program.

The town wants to repair the Cooley Brook culvert, a 4-foot- square cement pipe that runs under Longmeadow Street near Edgewood Avenue and Meadowbrook Road.


See an engineering report on the state of infrastructure in the town of Longmeadow.


“The culvert is in bad condition,” said town engineer Thomas J. Martens. “It’s not in danger of eminent failure, but it is something that has to be repaired soon.”

The culvert has been evaluated by a consultant who determined that the structural integrity of the pipe needs to be restored, according to Martens. There is also some erosion on the banks and hills in the area, the engineer said.

While the state has not historically funded culvert projects, Martens said he hopes Longmeadow Street’s being a major artery will gain approval for the project.

“Our argument is that Route 5 is a critical corridor for the town and the region, and if the pipe fails it would severely affect traffic in the area,” Martens said.

Longmeadow Street serves as a major commuter link between Springfield and Enfield, Conn., as well as providing access to north- and south-bound entrances to Interstate 91.

The state Department of Transportation’s project review committee will meet sometime in August to make funding decisions.

“The realty is that the culvert needs to be fixed and the town does not have money in the budget to pay for the repairs,” Martens said, “so getting access to federal or state funding is crucial.”

Suspect in East Longmeadow robbery may have robbed Longmeadow bank days earlier, police say

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Police suspect the man who robbed United Bank, 94 Shaker Road, East Longmeadow, on Saturday also robbed Hampden Bank.916 Shaker Road, Longmeadow, on Wednesday

elbank1.jpgSurveillance footage shows suspect in Saturday's robbery of United Bank

EAST LONGMEADOW - Police are investigating a Saturday morning bank robbery of a United Bank branch at 94 Shaker Road, in which a robber made off with an undisclosed amount of cash, police said.

Sgt. Patrick Manley of the East Longmeadow Police said the robber strongly resembles a suspect from a robbery at Hampden Bank, 916 Shaker Road, Longmeadow, on Wednesday.

“It is most probably the same individual,” he said.

hampden bank robbery front.JPGThe suspect in Wednesday's robbery of Hampden Bank in Longmeadow

He was described as white or Hispanic, approximately 5 feet, 4 inches tall and slim. He was wearing a white ball cap, a dark T-shirt, and baggy shorts.

He was last scene fleeing on foot.

Police canvassed the area but did not locate him, Manley said.

Police were alerted by a bank alarm at 11:24 a.m., he said.

Tellers told police the robber entered the bank, handed one teller a note that implied he had a weapon and demanded money, he said..

No weapon was shown.

East Longmeadow police have contacted Longmeadow police and the Massachusetts State Police as part of the investigation to determine if the robber is linked to other cases.

Manley said witnesses reported seeing the man at a nearby bank, Berkshire Bank, 72 Shaker Road, shortly before the robbery at United Bank.


He said police believe he was casing that bank for a robbery but became spooked for some reason and went to United Bank instead.

Anyone with information is asked to call either the East Longmeadow police at (413) 525-5440 or the Longmeadow police at (413) 567-3311.

Those who wish to remain anonymous may text a tip via a cell phone by addressing a text message to “CRIMES,” or “274637,” and then beginning the body of the message with the word “SOLVE.”

Volunteers help with maintenance at Longmeadow's parks, school grounds and town building grounds

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From weeding to trimming to recycling and even planting trees, the Longmeadow volunteers take on a lot of different tasks.

08.06.2010 | William Morey stands in front of the Old Town Hall and Albert T. Wood American Legion Post Building at 417 Longmeadow Street. Morey and other volunteers helped clean up the building's grounds.

LONGMEADOW - With a reduction in its 2011 budget and the loss of several employees, the Department of Public Works is relying on volunteers to help with small maintenance tasks around town.

William I. Morey, of Longmeadow, organized the Longmeadow Volunteers group several years ago and he continues to work with the DPW to keep parks, school grounds and other town building grounds clean.

“I get a variety of volunteers who come out for different clean-up projects,” he said. “We try to cover a lot of different areas in town, including the school grounds and other town buildings.”

Richard Haraty, assistant director for the Department of Public Works, said he appreciates the help.

“They really do a great job,” he said. “With a reduced budget and reduced manpower, it’s hard to get to some of the smaller things like weeding and trimming which still need to get done.”

From weeding to trimming to recycling and even planting trees, the Longmeadow volunteers take on a lot of different tasks.

“Last week we cleaned up the American Legion building, which is the old Town Hall,” Morey said. “We try to pick areas that are significant to the town or that get a lot of foot traffic.”

They have cleaned Blinn Tennis courts, the high school grounds and more.

“It is a lot of work and some of it is time-consuming, but I enjoy keeping the town looking good,” Morey said.

This Saturday, Morey will work on the grounds at Center School from 9 a.m. to noon. Morey asks that volunteers bring their own gardening equipment and gloves if possible.

Anyone interested in volunteering for this event or any others should email Morey at billmorey@comcast.net

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