The dogs' owner, Bruno Fernandes, will keep them at a property he owns in Springfield.

LUDLOW – Bruno Fernandes has agreed to voluntarily keep two of his dogs permanently out of town after they attacked a 7-year-old girl on Aug. 26.

The girl was attacked at 177 Lakeview Avenue outside her grandparents’ house, her mother, Lucy Ferreira, told selectmen Tuesday night.

Ferreira said her daughter, Madeleine, has to have rabies shots for four weeks because she was bit in the stomach and the dogs’ rabies shots had expired.

Bruno Fernandes said he kept the dogs, mixed breed boxer and Mastiff dogs, at his property at 190 Lakeview Avenue.

Residents on Lakeview Avenue had made more than 10 complaints about the dog in the last 13 months, Animal Control Officer Gilles Turcotte said.

Karen Cote of 149 Lakeview Avenue, said she has a seven-pound dog, and her dog would be “the lunch” of Fernandes’ dogs.

Other residents said there are many young children on the street and they should not have to live in fear.

Selectman Antonio Dos Santos said selectmen were asking for the voluntary removal of the dogs.

Antonio Dos Santos

Any other dogs owned by Fernandes that are kept on the property must be either in the yard or on a leash, Dos Santos said.

“We don’t want to have to order any other dogs put down,” Dos Santos said.

Fernandes said he was agreeing to keep the dogs that attacked the 7-year-old girl, which are named Dora the Explorer and Princess, out of Ludlow voluntarily. He said he will keep the dogs on property he owns at 1213 Worcester St. in the Indian Orchard section of Springfield.

The dogs have been removed from Lakeview Avenue and will not be returned to Ludlow, Fernandes said.

Fernandes also has been fined $275 by the dog officer for letting a dog under quarantine run loose, for failing to keep the dogs up to date on their rabies vaccines and for letting a dog bite a child off his property.

The dog officer has placed one of the dogs in a pound, and the dog will not be returned to Fernandes until the fines are paid, Turcotte said.

The dogs each weigh about 75 pounds, Fernandes said.

Teacher unions have put up $1 million to fight a sales tax rollback on the November ballot.

BOSTON - Teacher unions are putting up an initial $1 million to fight a tax rollback while state Rep. Thomas M. Petrolati is dipping into his campaign money to pay for legal representation in the face of two state investigations.

The spending is included in campaign finance reports filed with the state before a midnight deadline on Tuesday.

Petrolati, the speaker pro tempore, is running unopposed this year, but the Ludlow Democrat still raised $68,732 and spent $45,245 this year, more than any other candidate for the state Legislature in Western Massachusetts.

Thomas M. Petrolati

Even though he has faced no opposition since 2000, Petrolati has $537,206 in campaign funds on hand, one of the largest balances of any state legislator and only a little less than the current House speaker.

Petrolati reported that he paid $5,776 of campaign funds to Fierst, Pucci and Kane in Northampton, the law firm representing him before an independent lawyer investigating legislative patronage in the state Probation Department. Petrolati is contesting a subpoena to answer questions from independent counsel Paul F. Ware Jr. about his possible role in winning jobs for his wife, the husband of his chief of staff, and political supporters. The full state Supreme Judicial Court is scheduled to hear the case on Tuesday.

The representative also paid $5,750 to lawyer Jack St. Clair, of Springfield, who represents him in a case involving Richard Vitale, a friend of a former House speaker who is facing state charges, including failing to register as a lobbyist, while promoting a bill regulating the resale of tickets to events. Petrolati dealt with Vitale on the bill and could testify if the case goes to trial. St. Clair has said that Petrolati spent virtually no time on the bill and won’t be charged.

Petrolati previously reported that he used campaign money to pay St. Clair an additional $40,000 since November 2008.

During the reporting period from Jan. 1 to Aug. 27, Petrolati also reported raising $3,700 from 13 employees of courts or the Probation Department including $100 from a court custodian from Springfield.

Jason A. Tait, a spokesman for the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance, said campaigns are allowed under state law to pay for legal expenses. Since January of last year, for example, various elected officials, including House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo, have spent $500,000 on legal services, according to campaign finance records.

In a high-stakes issue that will be decided by voters, the Massachusetts Teachers Association contributed $562,000 and the National Education Association in Washington donated $500,000 to a group created to oppose a question on the Nov. 2 ballot that seeks to cut the sales tax from 6.25 percent to 3 percent. Another public employee union, the Service Employees International Union in Washington, gave $150,000 to the Massachusetts Coalition for Our Communities, which has $1.044 million as a balance.

Stephen Crawford, spokesman for the coalition, said the question would strip away $2.5 billion in state revenues.

Crawford said teachers understand that a cut of that magnitude would be devastating to education and other services that people value in their local communities.

The Alliance to Roll Back Taxes, the sponsor of the ballot question, has only $16,246 as a balance, but a new poll shows it is receiving some broad support.

In a poll of 400 Massachusetts adults, including 362 registered voters, conducted for the State House News Service in Boston, 54 percent supported the proposed rollback of the sales tax, 44 percent opposed and 2 percent were undecided.

The survey, taken on Aug. 29 to 31, has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.8 percentage points.

Carla Howell, chairwoman of the Alliance to Roll Back Taxes, said she is pleased with the poll results, but not surprised.

Howell said people are looking for the opportunity to lower taxes and reduce government spending to stimulate the economy and create jobs.

Dog owner Bruno Fernandes told Ludlow selectmen he'd move 2 dogs who attacked a 7-year-old to Springfield.

Photo courtesy Office of Mayor Domenic SarnoStanding in front of 1213 Worcester St. in Indian Orchard, where Bruno Fernandes of Ludlow plans to move two of his dogs that attacked a 7-year-old girl, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno announces Thursday that he will try to stop Fernandes from doing so. With him, left to right, are Pamela Peebles, of the Thomas J. O'Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center, Pat Boisine, of the Indian Orchard Citizens Council, Springfield Police Lt. Thomas Trites and Officer Mark Kenney of the police ordinance squad.

SPRINGFIELD - Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said Thursday the city will do everything possible to block a Ludlow man from relocating his two dogs to Indian Orchard after they attacked a 7-year-old girl in August.

Sarno was snarling after learning that the dogs’ owner, Bruno Fernandes, had informed Ludlow selectmen Tuesday that he would voluntarily keep the two dogs permanently out of that town, housing them instead at 1213 Worcester St., in the Indian Orchard section of Springfield.

At a hastily called press conference outside the Worcester Street business property, Sarno said he is conferring with the Law Department, city clerk, police and animal control officials to fight any effort to locate the dogs here.

“The audacity,” Sarno said. “‘Let’s just move (the dogs) to Springfield.’ What about our children in Springfield? Do I have to wait, God forbid, for something to happen here? Ludlow’s not tolerating it. I’m not going to tolerate it either.”

“It’s egregious,” Sarno said. “I’m sick and tired of Springfield being a dumping ground. It’s time to take a stand.”

The girl was attacked at 177 Lakeview Ave, in Ludlow, outside her grandparents’ house, according to the girl’s mother, Lucy Ferreira. Her daughter, Madeleine, has to have rabies shots for four weeks because she was bit in the stomach and the dogs’ rabies shots had expired, the mother said.

The dogs, named Dora the Explorer and Princess, were described as mixed breed boxer and Mastiff dogs, each weighing about 75 pounds. Residents of Lakeview Avenue had made more than 10 complaints about the dogs during the last 13 months, according to a Ludlow animal control officer.

“I sympathize with the city of Springfield and its residents,” said William E. Rooney, chairman of the Ludlow Board of Selectmen. “We fully realize that by having the dogs sent elsewhere, they will have to be somewhere.”

But Rooney said he hopes that a hearing earlier this week served as a “wake-up call.” At the hearing, Fernandes was fined for allowing a dog under quarantine to run loose, for failing to keep the dogs up-to-date on their rabies vaccinations and for letting a dog bite a child off his property.

“I hope he now knows he has to be a better citizen,” Rooney said.

Rooney said Ludlow officials wanted to avoid ordering that the dogs be put down, a solution he called “drastic.”

Patricia Voisine, an Indian Orchard resident, said she is concerned the dogs might attack passers-by including children and elderly people, particularly with the Indian Orchard library located directly across the street. Many children also walk home from school on that sidewalk, she said.

“Indian Orchard is not a dumping ground for everything,” Voisine said.

Springfield has a very strict ordinance aimed at protecting the public from vicious and potentially vicious dogs, said Sarno and Pamela L. Peebles, executive director of the Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control & Adoption Center. Under the law, if deemed vicious or potentially vicious, the dogs would need to be in a fully fenced enclosure including a fenced-in top, and the owner would need a $100,000 liability insurance policy among other regulations.

Peebles said there will be immediate action, including a hearing, if the dogs are moved to Indian Orchard. Police Lt. Thomas Trites, also attending the press conference, said the site will be monitored.

A sign on the chain link fence read “Cuidado! Perro Malo,” which translates from Spanish as a warning about a “bad dog”

Freddy Rosario, the manager of “The Car Guy,” a business located on the property, said there is no way he will allow a vicious dog to be kept there.

The property is listed as owned by Progressive Enterprises LLC., listing Miguel Goncalves of Ludlow as owner. Fernandes may be part owner, according to the tenant and city.

Massachusetts legislation now allows for the earlier start time.

LUDLOW - Selectman Aaron Saunders proposed allowing establishments in town with liquor licenses to begin serving at 10 a.m. on Sundays instead of noon, but the proposal was defeated by a 3 to 2 vote of the board.

State legislation now allows the earlier start time, Saunders said, in what he called a repeal of “antiquated blue laws.”

“I am not sure this law is antiquated,” Selectmen Chairman William E. Rooney said. He added that he is “not a fan” of serving alcohol Sunday mornings at 10 a.m.

Rooney added, “If the business owners were lobbying for this, I would consider it.”

Members of the Board of Selectmen said they have had no calls from any businesses lobbying for the earlier time.

Saunders said he does not feel the restriction should be kept when state law does not require it.

“I want to make the start time consistent with the 10 a.m. start time permitted every other day,” Saunders said.

Selectman Jason Barroso said he would favor giving businesses the option of serving alcohol starting at 10 a.m. on Sundays.

Selectmen said liquor license owners have been notified of the change in the state law.

“I am hearing no hue and cry for this,” Rooney said.

Selectmen said some businesses may appreciate the later start time since they typically serve alcohol into the early hours of Sunday morning.

“I feel comfortable with not extending the Sunday morning hours,” Selectman Antonio Dos Santos said.

Selectman John DaCruz said he has had no requests from business owners to move up the time to 10 a.m.

Voting in favor of keeping the noon serving hours on Sundays were Rooney, Dos Santos and DaCruz. Voting in opposition were Saunders and Barroso.

Sarno has opposed a plan to relocated two vicious dogs from Ludlow to Springfield.

Photo courtesy Office of Mayor Domenic SarnoStanding in front of 1213 Worcester St. in Indian Orchard, where Bruno Fernandes of Ludlow plans to move two of his dogs that attacked a 7-year-old girl, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno announces Thursday that he will try to stop Fernandes from doing so. With him, left to right, are Pamela Peebles, of the Thomas J. O'Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center, Pat Bozin, of the Indian Orchard Citizens Council, Springfield Police Lt. Thomas Trites and Officer Mark Kenney of the police ordinance squad.

When a Ludlow man proposed relocating two dogs to Indian Orchard after they attacked a 7-year-old girl, Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said the city of Springfield will do everything possible to block the move. William E. Rooney, chairman of the Ludlow Board of Selectmen, sympathized with Springfield, offering the Zen-like comment, “We fully realize that by having the dogs sent elsewhere, they will have to be somewhere.”

What do our readers think?

casualobserver says:

But on a serious note, Ludlow doesn't have a hand directly in the problem for Indian Orchard. It's up to that community to protect itself. Understanding Ludlow ordinances and rules for canines might be worthwhile. But if Ludlow would be held accountable for the actions of the dog's owners in relocating them, then I guess that same logic applies to violent human offenders. If a man assaulted his wife in Ludlow, and later beat someone on the streets of Springfield, should Ludlow carry blame for not keeping him locked up?

markopolo244 says:

This looks like an issue that Dom can really sink his teeth into without offending any constituency, and show us what a take-charge guy he is. He can be absolutely Churchillian and declare, "This will not stand." Wow, that's leadership! Don't forget to pay your trash fee, everyone.

charles lightoller says:

Hold a hearing under the existing Dog Law and use the dogs' recent history to determine if the dogs are "vicious." If they are found to be so, removal, confinement, or destruction are the choices. Not hard to do.

know the facts says:

I just couldn't believe it when I read that each year, dogs bite more than 4.7 million Americans nationwide. One in five dog bites result in injuries requiring medical attention.

No wonder Sarno is mad as hell. I wouldn't want these dogs in my town either!

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Residents would be penalized for doing too good a job of conserving, selectmen say.

LUDLOW – Selectmen, at the urging of Selectman Aaron Saunders, has voted to write a letter to the state Department of Public Utilities opposing the rate increase requested by Western Massachusetts Electric Co.

The utility says it needs the rate increase to help cover the costs to upgrade its network of aging poles and wires, add to its staff of line workers and provide for an increasing number of indigent customers who, because of illness or the presence of young children in the household, cannot be made to pay their bills.

If approved, the rate increase would hike the average household customer’s bill by 8.2 percent. For the average family which uses about 600 kilowatt hours of power a month, the bill would go from $90.89 to $98.39, according to WMECO’s calculations.

Saunders told his fellow selectmen that WMECO is seeking to underwrite a 10.5 percent profit margin.

Saunders said that WMECO is frustrated because energy saving appliances have lowered the amount of electricity customers use.

If the rate increase is approved, customers would be penalized “for doing too good a job of conserving,” he said.

The company has said its revenue is down due to the recession and customers using more energy star appliances and compact fluorescent light bulbs.

“Neither residents or businesses can afford this rate increase,” Saunders said. “This will impact businesses and jobs in Springfield and Ludlow.”

The Board of Selectmen voted 4 to 0, with Selectman Jason Barroso abstaining, to oppose the proposed rate increase.

The Department of Public Utilities will make the decision on the proposed rate increase. In November, the agency cut National Grid’s proposed rate increase by $67 million, or 60 percent.

WMECO has 210,000 customers in 59 cities and towns in Western Massachusetts covering 1,500 square miles.

Western Massachusetts Electric Co. hopes to have a rate increase in effect by February 2011.

At a hearing held in Springfield last month, businessmen and residents packed a hearing to indicate their opposition to the rate increase.

The 22-year-old was sentenced to 2½ years plus 18 months on a charge of intimidating a witness.

File Photo

SPRINGFIELD - A Hampden Superior Court judge on Monday sentenced a 22-year-old Ludlow man to 2½ years in the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow for robbing another man while holding a BB gun to his neck.

Judge Peter A. Velis tacked on an additional 18 months in the Ludlow facility for Vincent Dzierwinski on a charge of intimidating a witness.

Velis told Dzierwinski, of 57 Kirkland Ave., that “you do not make threats” to people who are seeking justice through legal channels.

Dzierwinski pleaded guilty to armed robbery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery and intimidating a witness.

Assistant District Attorney Richard B. Morse said that the victim had arranged through a third man to buy an oxycodone pill from Dzierwinski.

When Dzierwinski was in the victim’s car for the arranged transaction, and the sale didn’t go through, Dzierwinski put the BB gun to the victim’s neck and took his money, also hitting him with the gun, Morse said. The victim thought it was a real gun, Morse said.

The victim went to the Ludlow police department to report the robbery. While the victim was driving to the police department, Dzierwinski called the victim and said he would return the money if the victim promised not go to the police, Morse said.

Morse said that at the police department, with an officer listening to the speakerphone call, the victim called Dzierwinski back. Dzierwinski said the victim better not go to police or he would “have someone go to your door.”

Morse had asked for a 3-4½-year state prison sentence followed by three years probation. Defense lawyer James J. Bregianes asked for a 2½-year sentence at the Ludlow facility with probation afterwards.

Velis said that he didn’t want to send Dzierwinski to state prison in part because of his age and then gave the total of four years to the Ludlow facility followed by six years probation.

The Ludlow legislator was subpoenaed as part of a sweeping inquiry into the practices of Probation Commissioner John O’Brien.

The Republican file photo by Michael S. GordonState Rep. Thomas M. Petrolati, D-Ludlow, is challenging a subpoena to testify before an independent counsel investigating hiring practices of the Massachusetts Probation Department.

BOSTON – A lawyer for state Rep. Thomas M. Petrolati on Tuesday asked the state’s highest court to block an order for the legislator to testify on his possible role in patronage in the state’s Probation Department, saying only court employees can be subpoenaed.

John P. Pucci, a Northampton lawyer representing Petrolati, told justices on the state Supreme Judicial Court that state law limits subpoena powers during a investigation by the high court of the general superintendence of lower courts and departments. Though he said the issue has never previously been litigated, Pucci said that for such investigations, the law restricts subpoenas to people within the judicial branch of government, not the legislative or executive.

“This is uncharted, undecided legal territory,” Pucci said during a hearing by the high court.

Paul F. Ware Jr., a Boston lawyer, subpoenaed Petrolati as part of a sweeping inquiry into the hiring, promotion and management practices of Probation Commissioner John J. O’Brien, a longtime ally of state legislators.

The state Supreme Judicial Court, saying that it is concerned probation employees may be hired for reasons other than merit, appointed Ware as special counsel in May and gave him subpoena powers.

A 24-year state legislator, Petrolati is a target partly because his wife, along with the husband of his chief of staff, a former legislative aide and political contributors, were all hired by O’Brien to work in the Probation Department. Over the years, the Probation Department has also hired many other people with ties to other legislators.

Petrolati, a Ludlow Democrat and the speaker pro tempore, is asking the court to quash the order for him to testify during the investigation of the Probation Department, citing a constitutional separation of powers.

Members of the court sounded skeptical about Pucci’s arguments.

“The courts have no more power than a private corporation to investigate wrongdoing by employees except that we can subpoena them?” Judge Ralph D. Gants asked.

Judge Robert J. Cordy said legislators and others were deposed as part of a past investigation of judges in the Boston Municipal Court. Cordy questioned Pucci’s interpretation of state law.

“I’m not sure why you say that limited the processes to people within the judicial branch,” Cordy said.

Kevin P. Martin, lawyer for the independent counsel, disagreed with Pucci, saying state law gives broad powers to the high court when investigating general administration of courts. If the court decides that Petrolati’s testimony is necessary and desired, then the court can uphold the subpoena issued to the legislator, he said.

“This is a case where you should defer to the independent counsel’s judgment,” Martin said.

Martin, a lawyer with Ware in the law firm Goodwin Procter, said he can’t imagine a situation where the lawyers decide they don’t need Petrolati’s testimony. Martin said much of what is at issue involves conversations between Petrolati and people in the probation department.

John Pucci

Pucci said Petrolati’s testimony also may not be needed. He said Ware is accumulating a vast amount of information, including testimony from at least 29 witnesses and records from the Probation Department. The high court needs to obtain this information from Ware to determine if Petrolati’s testimony would be necessary or desirable, he said.

In court papers, Pucci also said a constitutional crisis could unfold if the court upholds the subpoena, Petrolati fails to comply and is held in contempt.

Petrolati did not attend the hearing. Pucci said his client was focused on legislative business.

Members of the court took the case under advisement and did not say when they would rule.

After the hearing, Ware said he plans to issue a report by mid-October. Ware said he expects the report would have some loose ends and may need some follow up depending on whether the court decides it needs more information.

Ware said he is confident Petrolati will act appropriately if the court enforces the subpoena.

“We have great respect for Representative Petrolati and every elected legislator,” Ware said.

Belchertown, Hadley, South Hadley and UMass are also considering joining, Amherst Town Manager Laurence Shaffer says.

AMHERST - Three area communities are interested in joining a regional dispatch operation but Town Manager Laurence R. Shaffer said he’s waiting for three or four more to agree before pushing forward.

So far, East Longmeadow, Wilbraham, and Ludlow said they want to participate.

Shaffer said that he thinks Hadley and Belchertown will join in as well, he’s not sure about the University of Massachusetts. He also is waiting to hear from South Hadley.

Laurence R. Shaffer

Amherst began looking at regionalizing with Hadley and the University of Massachusetts in the spring of 2008. Belchertown expressed an interest soon after. Later, Pelham, South Hadley, South Hadley Fire District 2, Ludlow, Ware, Wilbraham and East Longmeadow asked to be included in the feasibility study as well. The state awarded $125,000 for that study last year. The state has also awarded the town a $735,000 grant to pay for pre-construction and design costs for a regional center and would contribute at least 40 percent of the operating costs, Shaffer said.

Shaffer said it isn’t necessary for the communities to be contiguous to be part of the regional system.

The amount of savings depends on how many communities join.

“I’m convinced that regional dispatch is a complete home run,” Shaffer said. And he said with three or four more communities, the town should proceed with forming a district.

Frank Pozniak, executive director of the state’s 911 Department, has said that the state is very much in favor of regional dispatch systems. They save money and also save time when dispatching an emergency vehicle.

Hadley Town Administrator David G. Nixon said selectmen were slated to talk about dispatch at a meeting Wednesday night.

He said the town could save perhaps $90,000 but he said the board is concerned about residents who come in for things such as burning permits. He said the town could look at some sort of hybrid with town dispatch during the day and the regional system at night.

The report looking at regionalization identified “a number of areas where we could stand some improvement” with its dispatch. He said the town will have to address those issues either through joining the regional dispatch or if the town maintains its own.

UMass is still looking into whether to join the regional system and no decision had been made, UMass spokesman Edward F. Blaguszewski said.

Police arrested Bruno Fernandes on Wednesday night after he threatened to attack the Ludlow animal control officer, police said.

photo provided by Ludlow policeLudlow dog owner Bruno Fernandes in his police booking photo. Police said he rolled his eyes when the photo was taken.

LUDLOW - The owner of two dogs that last month attacked a 7-year-old girl and touched off a territorial dispute between Ludlow and Springfield officials was arrested Wednesday night by Ludlow police for another incident involving a loose dog.

Bruno Fernandes, 33, of 190 Lakeview Ave. was charged with threatening to commit a crime, disorderly conduct and intimidating a witness, said Ludlow police Sgt. Daniel Valadas.

He was arrested at his home at about 7:30 p.m. The dog running loose on his property did not harm anyone, but Fernandes was arrested when he threatened to attack the Ludlow animal control officer, Valadas said.

Police were called to Lakeview Avenue when neighbors called to complain a dog, described in the incident report as “a white pit bull mix” named Suki, was running free and not listening to its owner, Valadas said.

Officers responding to the scene called for the town animal control officer. The dog was eventually corralled and secured by the owner, but then Fernandes got into a heated argument with the animal control officer. Neighbors have filed more than 10 animal complaints about Fernandes over the last year.

On Aug. 26, two of his dogs, named Dora the Explorer and Princess, attacked a 7-year-old girl in front of her grandparents house at 177 Lakeview. The two dogs, initially called pit bulls by police, turned out to be mixed breed boxer and Mastiff dogs, each weighing about 75 pounds.

The girl suffered a bit to the stomach and was required to begin rabies treatments because Dora the Explorer and Princess were not up to date on their shots.

In a move that generated controversy, Selectmen allowed the dogs to be returned to Fernandes, as long as he agreed to keep them out of Ludlow. Selectman chairman William E. Rooney would say at the time the selectmen felt that ordering the dogs to be put down would be too drastic.

Fernandes told the selectmen he would keep the two dogs at his property at 1213 Worcester St. in the Indian Orchard section of Springfield, although when this was publicized, Springfield officials immediately cried foul.

Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno called a press conference in Indian Orchard to declare he was outraged another community using Springfield as “a dumping ground” for its own problems. He said he directed the law department, police, city clerk and animal control officers to block the dogs from coming to Springfield.

Fernandes will return to court on Oct. 26 for a pretrial conference.

PALMER – The owner of two dogs that last month attacked a 7-year-old girl and touched off a territorial dispute between Ludlow and Springfield officials was in Palmer District Court Thursday for another incident involving a loose dog.

Bruno Fernandes told the court that he was dog-sitting the deaf, female dog for his father’s tenant.

“The dog was not mine,” Fernandes, 33, said.

Fernandes represented himself before Judge Patricia T. Poehler on charges of threatening to commit a crime (assault), disorderly conduct and intimidating a witness related to his arrest Wednesday night. An innocent plea was entered on his behalf.

His next court date is Oct. 26 for a pretrial conference.

Wearing a pink T-shirt, Fernandes asked Poehler to be released, saying “I’ve got a lot of stuff to do.”

Poehler released Fernandes, and told him to stay away from Ludlow’s animal control officer and her daughter, and to not commit a crime.

Prosecutor Christopher White argued unsuccessfully for bail to be set at $1,500, saying Fernandes has a history of “assaultive behavior.”

White said Fernandes was uncooperative when police and the animal control officer went to his home at 190 Lakeview Ave. in Ludlow about the loose dog. White said Fernandes threatened the animal control officer, and was “uncooperative” and “unruly” and used profanities.

“You better sleep well because we know where you live,” White said Fernandes allegedly told the animal control officer.

Fernandes said he was dog-sitting for his father’s tenant in Chicopee, which was why he had a dog at his house. Fernandes said he was on the phone during the incident because he was trying to leave a voicemail for the dog’s owner about what was happening, as the animal control officer was taking custody of the dog.

He was arrested at his home at about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to Ludlow police Sgt. Daniel Valadas. The dog running loose on his property did not harm anyone, but Fernandes was arrested when he threatened to attack the Ludlow animal control officer, Valadas said. Police were called to Lakeview Avenue when neighbors called to complain a dog, described in the incident report as “a white pit bull mix” named Suki, was running free and not listening to its owner, Valadas said.

Officers responding to the scene called for the town animal control officer. Neighbors have filed more than 10 animal complaints about Fernandes over the last year.

On Aug. 26, two of his dogs, named Dora the Explorer and Princess, attacked a 7-year-old girl in front of her grandparents’ house at 177 Lakeview. The two dogs, initially called pit bulls by police, turned out to be mixed breed boxer and Mastiff dogs, each weighing about 75 pounds.

The girl suffered a bite to the stomach and was required to begin rabies treatments because Dora the Explorer and Princess were not up to date on their shots.

At a Board of Selectmen hearing after the incident, Fernandes was fined for allowing a dog under quarantine to run loose, for failing to keep the dogs up-to-date on their rabies vaccinations, and for letting a dog bite a child off his property.

In a move that generated controversy, selectmen allowed the dogs to be returned to Fernandes, as long as he agreed to keep them out of Ludlow.

Fernandes told the selectmen he would keep the two dogs at his property at 1213 Worcester St. in the Indian Orchard section of Springfield, although when this was publicized, Springfield officials immediately cried foul.

Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno called a press conference in Indian Orchard to declare he was outraged another community using Springfield as “a dumping ground” for its own problems. He said he directed the law department, police, city clerk and animal control officers to block the dogs from coming to Springfield.
Staff writer Patrick Johnson contributed to this story.

Ludlow police charged Michael S. Bryant, 21, and Daniel R. Dacruz, 20 of Ludlow, and Nathaniel M. McPhail, 17, of Chicopee with the robbery of a man Monday in the parking lot of a Center Street restaurant.

Ludlow Police DepartmentFrom left, Nathaniel M. McPhail, Michael S. Bryant, and Daniel R. Decruz

LUDLOW - Police arrested two Ludlow men and a Chicopee teen in connection with the robbery of a man in a car in the parking lot of a Center Street restaurant on Monday afternoon.

The victim reported to police that two men threatened him with a knife and a handgun inside his car at the parking lot of McDonald’s, 420 Center St., said Ludlow police Sgt. Daniel Valadas. The two men got into another car with a third man and drove off, he said.

The victim told police they made off with a cell phone, some gold jewelry and $35 in cash. He told police he knew the two men who had robbed him and had just given them a ride from the bridge at Indian Orchard.

Ludlow issued a regional look out for the three men and their vehicle and they were spotted about 30 minutes later by a state police trooper at the CVS on Center Street, Valadas said.

Arrested were Michael S. Bryant, 21, 22 Erin Lane, Ludlow, Daniel R. Decruz, 20, of 29 Letendre Ave., Ludlow, and Nathaniel M. McPhail, 17, of 268 East Main St. Chicopee.

Bryant and McPhail were charged with armed robbery. Dacruz was charged with unarmed robbery. Police added a charge of indecent exposure after he exposed his genitals to police while he was being booked at the police station.

Police found two knives in the car but the handgun was not recovered, Valadas said.

They are due to be arraigned Tuesday in Palmer District Court.

Appearing in a wheelchair in federal court, Koss pleaded guilty to embezzlement and filing a false tax return while running the Springfield-based credit union.

SPRINGFIELD – The former director of the Western Mass. Electric Co. Credit Union pleaded guilty Tuesday to bilking $225,000 from his employer by falsifying expense reports for several years before his retirement in 2006.

Appearing in a wheelchair in U.S. District Court, Robert Koss of Ludlow pleaded guilty to embezzlement and filing a false tax return while running the Springfield-based credit union for the utility’s employees, family members and retirees.

Under federal guidelines, Koss could receive up to 33 months in prison at his sentencing, set for January 21.

Koss’ scheme began in the late 1990s and continued through 2006, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. Welch II, who said the credit union director collected about $225,000 from invented or inflated expense reimbursements.

He also falsified his income on a 2005 tax return, reporting between $20,000 and $30,000 less than he earned, Welch said.

As part of a plea deal, Koss agreed to pay about $130,000 in restitution to the credit union; he already paid $80,000 to the union’s insurer in a civil suit, and has placed $50,000 in escrow for further repayments, Welch said.

Wendy J. Tariff, the credit union’s CEO, said accounts at the federally-guaranteed institution were never threatened by the scheme.

“This is the end of a very sad chapter in our credit union’s 88-year history. The staff worked hard throughout the past three plus years to document and substantiate these losses,” she said.

“This news will certainly come as a shock to our members and the Massachusetts credit union community,” Tarriff said, adding the “credit union remains a safe and sound institution.”

The deal allowed Koss, who ran the credit union for 30 years, to plead guilty Tuesday without being indicted by a grand jury or arraigned on the charges. Before pleading guilty, Koss was reminded by Judge Michael A. Ponsor that he faced a possible two years prison sentence.

When the judge quizzed the defendant about his health, Koss responded that he needed the wheelchair “because I can’t walk long distances.”

Springfield defense lawyer Jack F. St. Clair said his client had briefed him on physical liabilities before agreeing to the plea.

Father said his daughter's classroom frequently has had to be evacuated.

LUDLOW – The father of a student at Chapin Street Elementary School Tuesday night called for School Superintendent Theresa M. Kane’s resignation because he said she failed to address his concerns about his daughter’s safety in her classroom at Chapin Street Elementary School.

Paul Henry said his daughter’s classroom at Chapin Street Elementary School has repeatedly had to be evacuated due to the violent actions of another student.

He said his attempts to get the school administration including the school superintendent to address his safety concerns have met with failure for the past four years.

Kane said at Tuesday’s School Committee meeting that every classroom in the school district is monitored carefully for safety.

She added that if Henry is making charges of bullying by another student, there are forms which he should fill out and a follow-up investigation will be done by the school principal.

Matters which involve school personnel and other students cannot be discussed in an open session, she said.

Before the meeting started, School Committee Chairman James P. Harrington said that no complaints about personnel could be raised in an open School Committee session.

Henry must take his complaints through administrative channels, he said.

Henry accused school officials of using “legal mumbo jumbo” to prevent him from explaining his safety concerns at the School Committee meeting.

He accused school officials of giving him the run-around. “So I can’t speak at a public meeting?” he asked. “I should have been informed of this earlier. This is ridiculous.”

He then walked out of the meeting.

Claire Thompson, legal counsel for the School Committee, followed Henry out of the meeting to give him bullying reporting forms, but he had left the building through the front door.

No money was realized in the attempted armed robbery of the Pride convenience store.

LUDLOW – A Center Street convenience store clerk escaped injury early Thursday morning when a male suspect, armed with a hypodermic needle, attempted to hold up the store.

The suspect entered the Pride convenience store about 2:15 a.m. and threatened the clerk with the needle. He fled after the clerk dialed 911 to summon police, according to release issued by Ludlow police Sgt. David Kornacki.

The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 6 feet, 2 inches tall , with brown hair and brown eyes, wearing jeans and a dark sweatshirt.

No money was realized in the attempted robbery of the store which is located at 478 Center St., Kornacki said.

Spelman was runner-up to Buoniconti Hampden district attorney Democratic primary.

Republican file photoStephen E. Spelman, former Democratic candidate for Hampden district attorney.

SPRINGFIELD – Assistant District Attorney Stephen E. Spelman has announced that he is supporting State Sen. Stephen J. Buoniconti in the race for the next Hampden district attorney.

Spelman was the second-highest vote getter in the race, won by Buoniconti, to be the Democratic candidate for district attorney.

Spelman and Buoniconti are slated to hold a press conference today outside the Hampden County Hall of Justice courthouse to formally announce the endorsement. Buoniconti faces independent candidate Mark G. Mastroianni in the November general election.

Spelman said, “I have known Steve Buoniconti for approximately twelve years as a friend and colleague, dating back to our days working together in the Hampden County DA’s office, and have always had the utmost respect for him as a person and professional."

"Steve was a dedicated and effective prosecutor, which I witnessed on a daily basis when we served together in the DA's office," Spelman said of Buoniconti. "Steve knows the people and needs of Hampden County, and understands the importance of a community approach to fighting crime and making our neighborhoods safer. I believe he is the best candidate for this important job and I am proud to endorse him.”

Buoniconti said, "Attorney Spelman ran an excellent campaign and his lifelong dedication to serving his community and country speaks volumes of his character and commitment to public service. I am honored to have earned his endorsement.”

What are the chances that somebody would turn 10 on Oct. 10, 2010? Or 11 on 11/11/11? Or 12/12/12?

Photo by Don Treeger / The RepublicanRachel Wenninger will turn 10 years old on Sunday, Oct. 10, 2010.

LUDLOW – Rachel Wenninger turns 10 on Oct. 10.

Rachel is in the fourth grade at Pioneer Valley Christian School in Springfield. She has three brothers and wants a hula hoop for her birthday.

There are many things that make her a special little girl.

And one of them is her birthday. Think about it.

She’s turning 10 on 10/10/10.

What are the chances of that?

Rachel says her favorite subject at school – besides recess – is math. But this question would stump even a budding mathematician.

What are the chances that somebody would turn 10 on 10/10/10? Or 11 on 11/11/11? Or 12/12/12? After that, it’s over, because there is no 13th month in the calendar.

Here’s how professor John Buonaccorsi, who teaches statistics in the Math Department at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, sees it:

“If we ignore people born back in 1900, the match is only going to happen for those born in 2000, in later years ending in 01, 02, up through 12. The only ones that can have such a match in 2010 are those born on 10/10/2000.

“Of those born in 2000, 12 out of 366 – it was leap year – or about 3.3 percent, have had, or will have, such a match. Those born on 01/01/2000 turned 1 on 1/1/01, those born on 2/2/2000 turned 2 on 2/2/2002, et cetera.

“You can’t tell just how rare this is without additional information. If you ask what percent of the people in the total population have, or will have in the future, a match of this type – turning 10 on 10/10/10 or 9 on 09/09/09 – then you’d need to know how total numbers of individuals spread out across various years.”

At Western New England College in Springfield, math professor Richard S. Pelosi also says it’s hard to make an exact calculation without more info. Here’s how he approaches the puzzle:

“You have to multiply two probabilities together,” he says. “You’d have to know, of all the people living, what fraction were born in the year 2000.”

Of those children, only some were born on a “special day,” a day whose number matches the number of the month, such as April 4 or August 8. These special days only happen one day a month. So, to find how common they are, divide 12 by the number of days in the year, which comes out to about 1/30.

Then multiply that fraction by the fraction that tells what proportion of the entire population were born in 2000, and that will show how rare it is for somebody to turn 10 on 10/10/10.

“I guess the upshot is that it is not all that rare,” Buonaccorsi concludes.

Hmm.

OK, listen to this. In Rachel’s family, there are four children, and Rachel is the only girl. She has three brothers.

Her mother, Marie, was also the only girl in a family of four children. She has three brothers, too.

And her father, Steven, was the only boy in a family of four children. He has three sisters.

Now, what are the chances of that?

Across from Mount Holyoke College, almost 30 booths had been crowded onto the little Town Common.

Photo by John Suchocki / The RepublicanDolly R. Cupak, 11, of Granby, samples some fried dough at the Columbus Day fair in South Hadley Monday.

SOUTH HADLEY – Some may look forward to Columbus Day as a day to snooze, but in South Hadley, Monday was a day that popped and sizzled like a can of carbonated soda.

Pedestrians took over, as they do every year, pouring onto Route 116 in couples, in groups and singly, old and young, pushing baby strollers, carrying kids on their shoulders, past dozens of tag sales on their way to the crafts fair.

“I come every year,” said Wanda Koch, of Easthampton, emerging from a tag sale at United Methodist Church. “I love it.”

Across from Mount Holyoke College, almost 30 booths had been crowded onto the little Town Common. Fairgoers munched on hot dogs, fried dough, chili, apple dumplings and pulled pork as they perused the crafts.

“I do my Christmas shopping here,” said Patricia Reynolds, of Granby.

At the other end of Route 116, the high school parking lot offered activities for children, including a fire truck and two giant Bounce Houses donated by Allied Waste.

In between, people on front lawns were selling everything from toys to a bridal gown to a car – with a snowplower attached! At corners, homemade signs promised even more tag sales on the side streets.

“I like the crafts and my husband likes the flea markets,” said Judy A. Gilman, of Belchertown, who has been coming to the fair for 15 years.

Cars were parked in the breakdown lane for a good two miles, even in the spots that on ordinary days are reserved for buses. Those vehicles still on the road crept along to make way for people criss-crossing at will.

“My favorite part is that you see everyone in town here,” said Karen Motyka, of South Hadley

“It’s like a family reunion,” said her husband, Ronald.

Among the babies in strollers was 11-month-old Boston Lauziere, of Chicopee, whose sister, Kaylee Krajewski, 12, said her favorite food at the fair was the chicken pot pie.

Flaxen-haired Juliet Lagone, 4, and her mother, Amy, came in matching black outfits. Juliet enjoyed making a ghost at the children’s arts-and-crafts booth, said her mom.

Fifteen-year-old Brittani Aldrich, of Belchertown, said her favorite stop at the fair was the jewelry. McKinley A. Chase, of Ludlow, also 15, said food was the main attraction.

Karen Motyka said a woman came all the way from Becket to pick up six apple dumplings at the United Methodist booth, where she and her husband were working.

The Motykas said the fair typically draws 10,000 people.

Charles Jenkins, 31, has been arrested in connection with incidents in Palmer and Ludlow.

This is an updated version of a story posted at 1:45 this afternoon.

As police search for a man suspected in a rash of vehicle break-ins, mostly at area gyms and health clubs in a number of Western Massachusetts communities, police in Ludlow and Palmer have identified the person held responsible for car break-ins in their towns.

East Longmeadow, Northampton, Belchertown, East Longmeadow, Palmer, Springfield and Westfield police have working together to investigate the breaks in which purses containing credit cards have been a common target.

East Longmeadow Sgt. Patrick T. Manley said surveillance video from a vehicle break-in at Century Fitness on North Main Street earlier this month has led to a suspect who is believed to have been driving a green Ford Explorer while committing a number of the break-ins.

Police traced that Explorer to a Westfield woman who had some type of relationship with the suspect, Manley said.

“He is not in her good graces anymore and he doesn’t have access to the vehicle and his whereabouts are unknown,” Manley said.

Some of the credit cards have been used at area stores to purchase gift cards and police have been analyzing surveillance photographs of the transactions to determine his identity, Manley said. The suspect is described as a heavy-set black male, 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 10 tall, Manley said.

Meanwhile, Palmer police and Ludlow police identified the man suspected of a rash of recent car break-ins in their towns – Charles E. Jenkins, 31, who is currently being held in jail in Ludlow.

Jenkins is the same person who attempted to rob the Pride station on Center Street in Ludlow with a hypodermic needle on Sept. 30 that he said was filled with blood contaminated with AIDS, police said.

Palmer Detective Sgt. Scott E. Haley said that Jenkins has been charged with multiple counts of breaking and entering in the nighttime for stealing GPS devices, change, radios and other items from approximately 30 unlocked cars in the Lake Thompson and Brainerd Street neighborhoods.

Haley, who investigated the case along with Sgt. Rodney A. North, said Jenkins grew up in the Lake Thompson neighborhood, and was living in his car.

Ludlow Detective Sgt. Thomas F. Foye said Jenkins was arrested for shoplifting and heroin possession after he took a steak and cheese sandwich from the Cumberland Farms on Center Street on Oct. 5. Foye said police had been looking for Jenkins after a witness identified his 1995 Nissan Pathfinder near the scene of a car break-in.

Foye said Jenkins was apprehended after Officer Sean Knox noticed the Nissan outside the convenience store. As Knox monitored the vehicle, police got a call from the clerk about a man attempting to steal a sandwich. Detective Alison Metcalfe connected merchandise found in the car to a number of car breaks in Ludlow.

Jenkins also was charged with eight counts of breaking and entering into a motor vehicle in the nighttime, as well as attempt to commit a crime (armed robbery) and assault with a dangerous weapon (needle) in connection with the Sept. 30 incident at the Pride station on Center Street.

Foye said Jenkins later confessed to the car breaks and the incident at Pride.

Staff writer George Graham contributed to this report.

The federal indictment charges Peter Talbot used confidential information from his employer that he and Carl Binette used to purchase several shares of stock that they later sold for a $615,000 profit.

BOSTON - An East Longmeadow man and his nephew were charged Thursday in federal court with conspiracy to commit insider trading after they used confidential information from one of their employers to purchase stock and then sell it at a $615,000 profit, officials said.

Peter E. Talbot, 42, of East Longmeadow, and his nephew, Carl E. Binette, 29, of Ludlow, were charged in a seven-count indictment with conspiracy and securities fraud. Binette was also charged with obstruction of justice.

The indictment charges that in April 2008, Talbot learned through his job with Hartford Investment Management Company that the company was looking to buy the Safeco Corp. insurance company.

Talbot and Binette then set up an online brokerage account and purchased several shares of Safeco stock. After Safeco was purchased by another company, Liberty Mutual, the pair sold their shares, netting a $615,000 profit, the indictment states.

Binette was also charged with making several false statements to investigators.

If convicted, Talbot and Binette face up to five years in prison and a fines of up to $1.2 million for each conspiracy count and $5 million for each securities fraud count.