Police found more than a pound of marijuana in a large canvas back inside the car.

Ludlow police photoEric Figueiredo

LUDLOW - A man arrested Thursday night on River Street for failing to stop for police officer and disorderly conduct had other charges charges tacked on when police found more than pound of marijuana in his car, police said.

Eric L. Figueiredo, 24, of 30 River St. Ludlow, was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of a dangerous weapon, failure to stop for a police officer and disorderly conduct, said Sgt. Daniel Valadas.

Police stopped Figueiredo on River Street for motor vehicle violations.

When the officer asked him for his license and registration, Figueiredo got out the car to yell at the officer, then climbed back inside and drove away, he said.

He stopped again in a driveway some distance down the road on River Street and was arrested for failing to stop for a police officer.

Ludlow police photoPolice photo of a 1 pound bag of marijuana recovered from a car during an arrest Thursday on River Street

View full sizeItems seized by police in the arrest of Eric Figueiredo include a butterfly knife, $450, packaging materials and more than 1 pound of marijuana

When they searched his car, a police K-9 dog keyed in on a large canvas bag on the seat, and which police found to contain a large bag of marijuana and two smaller bags, Valadas said.

They also found a scale, drug paraphernalia and packing materials inside the car. They also recovered $455, he said.

They also found a folding butterfly knife, which are illegal to own in Massachusetts.

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Grew will advertise for principals of Ludlow High School and Chapin Street Elementary School.

LUDLOW – The School Committee has voted to authorize Interim School Superintendent Kenneth J. Grew to advertise for a new principal of Ludlow High School and a new principal of Chapin Street Elementary School.

The school district hired Gina Flanagan as principal of Ludlow High School a year ago, but she has left to take a job as principal of East Longmeadow High School.

Dakin also has left the school district.

The School Committee also voted to authorize Grew to see whether there are any candidates who were interviewed a year ago who are qualified and interested in taking the high school principal position and to see if there are any candidates from within the Ludlow school system who could serve as an elementary principal.

When School Superintendent Theresa M. Kane announced she was leaving to take a job as superintendent in East Windsor, Conn., four administrators announced they would be leaving also.

Some of the administrators cited “philosophical differences” with the School Committee.

The East Street School principal position and the Veterans Park principal position already have been filled.

The School Committee hopes to fill the high school principal position and the Chapin Street Elementary School position by the time school starts in the fall.

Grew said his goal is to bring stability to the school district.

Kane and the School Committee disagreed about redistricting the elementary schools and the need for academic coaches to coach teachers to bring up the district’s MCAS scores.

School Committee member James P. “Chip” Harrington said, “The past is the past. It’s time to move on.”

Harrington said he is hopeful that MCAS scores will improve and teacher morale will improve.

School Committee Chairman Michael J. Kelliher said he looks forward to getting “stability” back in the school district.

The next 250th event will be a parade in September.

BELCHERTOWN – The town of Belchertown celebrated its 250th birthday on Saturday under perfect skies with an anniversary picnic on the town common featuring a little something for everyone – music, classic cars, antique carriages, tractors, face-painting, wagon rides and even a “Bushy Boys” beard growing contest.

“I think it’s great. This is wonderful weather for it,” Lois A. Smith said as she walked to Town Hall to view the quilt exhibit.

Selectman and Town Clerk William R. Barnett explained some of the town’s history, noting it was originally known as Cold Spring for the spring that attracted travelers from Worcester, Springfield and Northampton. It was named after Jonathan Belcher (Belchers Town), a prominent politician at the time who had served as governor of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New Jersey. The town was incorporated on June 30, 1761 by the Colonial legislature.

There were a dozen carriages and sleighs from the 1800s, most from the collection of 67-year-old James W. Chevalier, who brought 10 for the event but has more than 80 at his Summer Street home. He specializes in restoring horse-drawn vehicles for a living.

“I started collecting them 40 years ago. They’re all original,” Chevalier said.

It was fitting that antique carriages were on display. According to information on the town website, Belchertown enjoyed an active carriage trade up until the Civil War.

Chevalier’s carriages ranged from a few ornately painted with flowers, to one with a canopy and little trunk attached to the back. Another one carried the advertising message “Use Bowman’s Cough Syrup” from Dutchess Co. with the address of Pine Plains, N.Y.

“I’m sure it was snake oil,” Chevalier said.

Leon P. Demers of Demers & Sons, another carriage and sleigh restoration business in town, had an 1890 carriage with a parasol attached on display. Demers has 70 of the carriages and sleighs, and called Chevalier “his mentor.”

There were numerous vendors selling toys, perennials, clothing and food. The Belchertown Equine Organization was offering rides on Char-lee, a miniature horse; Bob, a “gentle giant;” and Jenna, an Appaloosa pony.

Enjoying the sounds of the Belchertown Community Band was Cheryl Theureau of France, who was visiting family in the area.

“This is very nice. It’s a village celebration,” Theureau said.

Cliff McCarthy, who chaired the anniversary picnic committee, said they brought back some of the events that marked the 200th anniversary, such as the “Bushy Beard” contest. They also planned to honor the queen from the 1961 ball, Martha Mathras Berger.

Face-painting was popular with the children. Katherine South, 17, was doing the face-painting for Belchertown Community Aid Network (CAN) to benefit Red Cross tornado relief efforts. She painted a tiger face on Maelin Pearl Manning, 6 ½, of Greenfield.

“This is great for the kids,’ said Maelin’s grandmother, Darcy A. Jurczyk, of Belchertown.

State Representatives Thomas M. Petrolati and Stephen Kulik, along with Senators Gale D. Candaras and Stanley C. Rosenberg, presented the town with a framed replica of its Articles of Incorporation. They, along with Congressman John W. Olver, gave a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday” to Belchertown from the stage.

The next 250th event will be a parade in September.

Dan D'Angelo, director of operations for the Ludlow Boys & Girls Club, has succeeded Moriarty.

James Moriarty

LUDLOW – James G. Moriarty, longtime president and chief executive officer of the Ludlow Boys & Girls Club, has informed the Board of Selectmen that he has left the position.

Moriarty has held the position for 21 years. He has been succeeded by Dan D'Angelo, who has been director of operations for the club and who for years has run many of the recreational programs at the club.

Selectman William E. Rooney said he worked with Moriarty for many years. “I wish him the best in his future plans,” Rooney said.

He said Moriarty has always been “a dedicated advocate for the children of Ludlow.”

Moriarty could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Moriarty oversaw the move of the Boys & Girls Club from its old home in the Stevens Memorial Building on Chestnut Street, originally built by the Ludlow Manufacturing Co., which owned the Ludlow Mills, to its new building at Claudia's Way.

The new building is owned by the town, and the Boys & Girls Club leases it, Rooney said.

The Boys & Girls Club has been active in Ludlow since 1950. D’Angelo has said the mission of the club is to be a positive place, not just for kids, but for families.

Rooney said many parents have long relied on the Boys & Girls Club, which provides before- and after-school care and recreation programs during the summer months and school vacation weeks for children.

“The Boys & Girls Club serves a great need in the community,” Rooney said.

Rooney said Moriarty’s last day at the Boys & Girls Club was last Thursday.

The thunderstorms had moved out of the area by 8:45 p.m.

LUDLOW – Police Wednesday night were keeping traffic away from a guardrail along East Street leading to Miller Street where thunderstorms resulted in wires down across a guardrail.

Thunderstorms were reported in Ludlow and Springfield shortly after 8 p.m. and had moved out of the area by 8:45 p.m.

East Street remains blocked off to traffic between Green and Miller streets as Western Massachusetts Electric crews are working to repair downed lines, according to police.

School officials said the appointments should help bring stability to the school district.

LUDLOW – Interim School Superintendent Kenneth J. Grew has announced the appointment of two new principals.

The first is Lisa Nemeth, who will serve as principal of Ludlow High School. She has been an assistant principal at Chicopee High School.

School Committee member James P. “Chip” Harrington said Nemeth was the choice for the high school principal position a year ago, but former School Superintendent Theresa M. Kane appointed Gina Flanagan to the position. Flanagan left to take a position as principal of East Longmeadow High School.

Harrington said he feels Nemeth will be a good choice for Ludlow High School.

“She lives in Ludlow and she has two children in the Ludlow school system,” Harrington said. “I am excited for the fall. I feel we have brought some good people on board.”

The other appointment announced by Grew is Susan Pease as principal of Chapin Street Elementary School.

Pease, a third grade teacher at Chapin, has previously served as Chapin's interim principal, Grew said.

Nemeth and Pease join other new administrative appointments announced by Grew. The other new appointments are: Diana Roy, curriculum director; Eva Tillotson, director of student support services; Thomas Welch, principal of East Street Elementary School; and Melissa Knowles, principal of Veterans Park Elementary School.

All the appointments are for one year, with the exception of Nemeth, who has been appointed for three years.

Grew said that if all the new appointees perform well this year, he will consider extending their contracts to three-year contracts.

Both Grew and School Committee Chairman Michael J. Kelliher said their goal in making the new appointments is to bring “stability” to the school district.

Harrington says he sought the restraining order after comments were made anonymously about him.

James P. Harrington

LUDLOW – School Committee member James P. “Chip” Harrington has obtained a restraining order against a town resident, Paul M. Henry, who, he claims, made threatening comments against him on a news website.

The order, issued on Monday in Palmer District Court, requires Henry to stay at least 100 yards from Harrington and to refrain from contacting him either in person, by telephone or in writing.

Henry also is ordered to stay away from Harrington’s home and workplace.

Harrington says he sought the restraining order after comments were made anonymously about him on a MassLive.com community forum. The comments were posted under various “screen names,” or aliases.

After the comments continued over a period of months, Harrington became concerned for his personal safety and the safety of his family, he said.

When Harrington complained to MassLive.com, the comments were removed. And, when they continued to be posted under a variety of screen names, including “chiplied,” “chipsux,” “chipsalldone,” and “chipsafool,” he sought legal action.

MassLive.com complied with a subpoena from his attorney and provided information which linked the comments to Henry’s email address, Harrington said. MassLive.com is an affiliate of Advance Internet; it is online home of The Republican, which is part of Advance Publications.

“When we received the subpoena, we gave the poster an opportunity to ask the court to preserve his anonymity,” said Ed Kubosiak Jr., editor-in-chief of MassLive.com. “After he chose not to do so, we complied with the subpoena.”

In the ruling made by Judge Elizabeth Sanabria-Vega, Henry is ordered “not to abuse (Harrington) by harming or attempting to harm him physically or by placing him in fear of imminent serious physical harm.” The restraining order is to remain in effect one year, and a violation would be “a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment or fine, or both,” the document states.

Harrington said he believes the MassLive community forums provide a valuable community service for people to discuss issues, but he feels those who frequent the forums should know that if they post comments which are defamatory or threatening under screen names which do not reveal their identities, it can be possible to trace who they are.

When reached at home about the court-ordered restraining order, Henry told The Republican, “No comment.”

At a School Committee meeting in September, Henry accused school officials of using “legal mumbo jumbo” to prevent him from discussing safety concerns pertaining to his daughter at a School Committee meeting. At the meeting, Henry called for the resignation of now retired superintendent Theresa Kane, saying she failed to address his concerns about his child’s safety.

Harrington told Henry at that School Committee meeting that no complaints about personnel or another student could be raised in an open committee session. Harrington said the parent must take his complaints through administrative channels.

The legal counsel for the School Committee followed Henry out of the meeting to give him a bullying reporting form, but Henry left without receiving the forms to document his claims.

Harrington said he and Kane have long disagreed, politically.

File photos | The RepublicanJames "Chip" Harrington, left, and Theresa Kane, right.

LUDLOW – Former School Superintendent Theresa M. Kane said she disputes a statement by School Committee member James P. “Chip” Harrington that Lisa Nemeth was the first choice of a search committee a year ago to serve as principal of Ludlow High School.

Kane said the Search Committee gave her a list of finalists for the job. The list was not ranked, she said.

“I appointed Gina Flanagan to the position,” Kane said. “It is the superintendent who chooses,” she said.

Flanagan this spring resigned the position to take a job as principal of East Longmeadow High School.

The new interim superintendent, Kenneth J. Grew, offered the high school principal position to Nemeth, and Nemeth has accepted the position.

Nemeth has been an assistant principal at Chicopee High School.

Harrington said he does not dispute that it was Kane’s prerogative to hire Flanagan for the high school principal job.

He repeated, however, that Nemeth was the first choice of the search committee, which he said ranked the finalists.

“Maybe she did not understand that the committee had ranked the finalists,” Harrington said of Kane.

Kane announced in February that she was leaving the Ludlow superintendent position to take a job as superintendent of the East Windsor, Conn., school system. Kane left July 1.

Kane said she believes Nemeth, who lives in Ludlow, will be a good fit for the Ludlow High School principal job. In fact, she said she has a high school principal position to fill in East Windsor, and called Nemeth to see if she would be interested in the job.

Kane said she read Harrington’s comments about the high school principal position on MassLive.com.

Harrington said he and Kane have long disagreed, politically, on a variety of issues pertaining to the schools. “She dislikes hearing the sound of my voice,” he said.

Interim Superintendent Kenneth Grew has said he is willing to stay for a year if needed.

LUDLOW – The School Committee will get serious in September about hiring a permanent superintendent for the Ludlow public schools, School Committee member James P. “Chip” Harrington said.

“We will meet with our search consultant late in August,” Harrington said. He said the committee probably will advertise for the position in September.

The School Committee has hired an interim superintendent to replace Theresa M. Kane, who left to take a job as superintendent of the East Windsor, Conn., public schools.

Interim Superintendent Kenneth J. Grew, a retired school superintendent, said he is willing to stay for a year if it takes that long for a permanent replacement to be found.

School Committee member Jacob R. Oliveira has said he wants the School Committee to take its time in finding a permanent superintendent.

“I still have concerns that if we hire mid-year we could reduce our applicant pool,” he said.

When Kane left the school district, many of her administrative hires left with her, including the high school principal, two elementary principals and the curriculum and special needs director.

With the approval of the School Committee, Grew has filled all of the administrative positions. Most are one-year appointments, but Grew said he holds out the possibility of making them three-year appointments before he finishes his term.

The new high school principal, Lisa Nemeth, an assistant principal at Chicopee High School, has been appointed for three years.

Adamopoulos’ death stunned and saddened his Ludlow and the area’s basketball community, where he was known as a precocious player.

File photo by Manon MirabelliThese warning signs were posted at Norwich Lake in Huntington last year where a 10-year-old Gus Adamopoulos, of Ludlow, was killed in a boating accident.

NORTHAMPTON – A Westfield man who is already facing manslaughter and homicide charges in connection with the boating death of a 10-year-old Ludlow boy has been indicted by a Hampshire County grand jury on new charges related to the incident.

According to prosecutors, Steven J. Morse, 37, of 65 Deborah Lane rammed his speedboat into a kayak on Norwich Lake in Huntington on Aug. 17, 2010, killing Augustus Adamopoulos, 10, and injuring the boy’s father, James Adamopoulos. Bystanders brought the father and son ashore immediately and attempted to administer first aid, but “Gus” Adamopoulos could not be revived.

Although prosecutors say they have evidence that Morse ingested alcohol and marijuana prior to operating the boat, his lawyer has cited police reports that indicate Morse did not appear intoxicated. Morse has pleaded innocent to manslaughter, homicide by vessel and homicide by vessel while under the influrence of alcohol.

Augustus Adamopoulos

This week, a grand jury indicted Morse on the additional counts of operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol causing serious bodily injury, intimidation of a witness and three counts of child endangerment while operating a vessel under the influence of alcohol. The indictment names three boys under the age of 14 who were apparently the passenger’s in Morse’s boat. According to Northwestern First Assistant District Attorney Steven Gagne, one of the boys is the son of the boat’s owner, who was being towed on water skies by Morse at the time of the crash. The other two boys are family friends.

The new indictments come seven months after the original ones brought during the tenure of Elizabeth D. Scheibel, the previous Northwestern District Attorney. Gagne said David E. Sullivan, her successor, sought the additional charges after a review of the case.

“We reviewed the entire case as we have done with every other prosecution that we assumed control of in January and we determined that the evidence supported these additional charges,” Gagne said.

Adamopoulos’ death stunned and saddened his Ludlow and the area’s basketball community, where he was known as a precocious player. He was also an avid golfer, winning an age-division champion at golf tournaments sponsored by The Republican - The Republican Junior and its Hole-in-One Contest. He won an age 10-12 division tournament at Ledges Golf Course on the morning of his passing.

Veterans Park Elementary School in Ludlow, which Adamopoulos attended, raised money to dedicate a bench in his honor at the school’s outdoor basketball court.

About 21,000 families are on a state waiting list for state subsidized day care for children of low-income people.

Photo from governor's officeGov. Deval Patrick speaks about the need to invest in early education during a summit of business leaders on Friday in Boston.

BOSTON – Business leaders from the Springfield area joined in a national effort on Friday to underscore the need for effective education and care for children at the earliest ages, well before they reach the public schools.

Business owners and executives said the best returns on tax dollars come from investing in early education and care and giving pre-school children a big jump on their futures. High-quality child care can help assure the skilled workers needed to attract businesses to Western Massachusetts, they said.

"When we are investing in our children, it is risk-free with a guaranteed yield," said George Burtch of Ludlow, a vice president with Hasbro Inc., a toy and game company with a manufacturing facility in East Longmeadow.

Burtch was among about 14 people from the Springfield area to attend the 2011 National Business Leader Summit on Early Childhood Investment at the Boston Harbor Hotel.

Pre-school care and education are provided in multiple ways, including mostly licensed private child care centers run by various organizations.

Business owners from Springfield said they face issues such as poverty, state budget cuts and a long waiting list for state subsidies for day care for the children of low-income families.

"It's truly a massive task we face," said Gayle Rediker, co-owner of Rediker Software in Hampden, who attended the event. "We need to get business people involved."

Sherri Killins, Department of Early Education and Care commissioner

Sherri Killins, commissioner of the state Department of Early Education and Care, said her agency is working with hundreds of programs in the state to rate them on quality and provide them with ways to improve.

She said 21,000 families in the state are on a waiting list for state subsidized day care for the children low-income people.

Right now, 57,000 children receive subsidies through certain state programs, she said.

According to statistics provided by Killins's office, 5,758 children from Springfield and 1,293 children from Holyoke received subsidies for day care during a recent 12-month period. In Chicopee, 956 children received subsidies and in Northampton, 199 children.

During the summit, Linda M. Noonan, managing director of the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education in Boston, praised the work of Springfield Business Leaders for Education, a group of business leaders that advocates for public schools and also demands accountability and progress for children. Noonan said the group is a national model.

The Republican photo by Dave RobackNicholas Fyntrilakis, assistant vice president at MassMutual Financial Group.

Nicholas Fyntrilakis, an assistant vice president with the MassMutual Financial Group in Springfield and co-chairman of business leaders for education, said the summit reinforced the need for a strong connection between early education and care and public schools. "You can't consider it a piece on the side," he said. "It needs to be folded in."

The summit included speeches from Gov. Deval L. Patrick and panels with experts such as David Lawrence Jr., former publisher of the Miami Herald and now president of the Early Childhood Initiative Foundation at the University of Florida.

Attendees from Springfield said that more quality early education is critical.

"Unless little kids get what they need, we as citizens are not doing our job," said Nancy Urbschat of Springfield, owner of TSM Design in Springfield.

The Republican file photoNancy Urbschat, owner of TSM Design in Springfield.

Michael J. Moriarty, a lawyer in Holyoke and member of the Holyoke School Committee, said it's clear that government alone can't do the work of improving early education.

Moriarty is a member of a task force working with Holyoke school officials to boost reading scores of grade 3 students over the next three years. Moriarty said poverty is the root cause of Holyoke students having the lowest reading scores in the state for grade 3 students.

Sally Fuller, a project director for The Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation in Springfield, said that only half the families in Springfield send their children to any formal family or center-based child care.

Advocates face a difficult challenge, partly because of a long state waiting list for subsidized day care and state budget cuts.

State funding for early education and care is $506 million for the fiscal year that began July 1, down 2.6 percent from the prior year and down an inflation-adjusted 17.2 percent from three years ago, according to the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center in Boston.

The summit was hosted by the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley and partly sponsored by the Partnership for America's Economic Success, a project of the Pew Center on the States.

The redesign is intended to improve safety and traffic flow with the use of two roundabouts.

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Photo by Diane Lederman/The Republican Baltazar crews work on a culvert on the south end of the $6 million Atkins Road project on Route 116 while flagger Paul Dias holds back traffic.

AMHERST – The Atkins corner road project took more than a decade of preparation, but now that work has actually begun, it’s moving ahead of schedule.

There were some paperwork issues in the beginning, said Paul Baltazar, owner of Ludlow-based Baltazar Contractors Inc., which was awarded the contract for the $6 million project in January. But he said now “We got ahead of the game.”

The redesign is intended to improve safety and traffic flow with the use of roundabouts at West Street and West Bay Road, and at West Street and Bay Road. The road will be slightly wider. The design also includes a multi-use bicycle lane.

Work began in March and by the time they shut down for the winter around Thanksgiving, they expect to be about 70 percent complete, said project supervisor Ian Premo.

Premo said they expect the bulk of the work will be finished in August of 2012, with a punch list and details to be finished after that. Baltazar said once they get in, they like to move quickly. The targeted completion date is June 2013, according, Michael Verseckes, spokesman for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

Most of the work has been done on the first roundabout and the second is expected to be laid in September, Premo said. Motorists are still using the existing Route 116 and so far, there have been intermittent traffic delays, Balatazar said. But beginning Aug. 1, motorists should expect delays and take alternative routes if they can. They will begin the excavation of Route 116 near Country Corners Road and only one lane of the road will be open to traffic.

Baltazar said they’ve been able to move quickly because of “the cooperation of Atkins” along with the state highway department Hampshire College and the community. He said crews don’t mind the heat. “The hotter the better,” he said.

The town in 2010 laid new sewer and water lines beneath what will be the new Route 116, removed a storage shed and three other buildings as well as apple trees in preparation for the work.

The project is funded with $2.4 million in stimulus money and approximately $5 million from other federal and state sources.

Pauline A. Lannon, president of Atkins Farms, said recently that the effect of the project on their business as been minimal. Atkins is building a new storage facility to replace the one razed for the project.

Residents, town and Hampshire College officials had been working on creating a village center here since 1998, which included the road improvements. The project required hundreds and hundreds of hours of meetings, design, town meeting votes as well as landtakings from Hampshire College, Atkins among others.

The Cecil Group, meanwhile, hired to look at creating a North Amherst Village Center along with an updated South Amherst Village Center project will be presenting the latest concept on the Atkins Corner piece Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Bangs Community Center.

3 adults, a 6-month-old baby and a 4-year-old child were taken to Baystate Medical Center.

LUDLOW - Three adults, a 6-month-old baby and a 4-year-old child were taken to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield after a one-car accident Sunday.

None of the people received life-threatening injuries but all needed treatment. Wilbraham Fire Department, Belchertown Fire Department and American Medical Response ambulance, all assisted the Ludlow Fire Department to transport the injured to the hospital, Sgt. Joseph Metcalfe said.

The accident happened at about 7:25 p.m. at the corner of West and Brook streets. The accident is under investigation and speed is believed to have been a factor, Metcalfe said.

Part of West Street was closed for more than an hour because of the accident, he said.

For many, the storm was an eerie reminder of the June 1 tornadoes that caused severe damage in Westfield, West Springfield, Springfield, Wilbraham, Monson and Brimfield.

Updates live coverage of the storm.
» Read the transcript

A strong thunderstorm that brought 50-mile-an-hour winds, hail and drenching rains late Tuesday afternoon damaged buildings, downed trees and flooded underpasses in communities just beginning to recover from the June 1 tornadoes.

A motorcyclist was killed the Berkshire County town of Hinsdale, a tree fell through a house in Hampden, part of an industrial building collapsed in Holyoke and streets were made impassable by flooding and downed trees in Chicopee.

No other injuries were reported.

For many, the storm was an eerie reminder of the June 1 tornadoes that caused severe damage in Westfield, West Springfield, Springfield, Wilbraham, Monson and Brimfield. No tornado was confirmed Tuesday.

The storm struck at about 4:30 p.m., nearly the same time the first tornado hit Springfield on June 1, and left rush-hour drivers idling as traffic signals failed and tree limbs blocked roadways. In the hardest-hit neighborhoods, some abandoned their cars and walked home with stunned expressions. In the worst spots, even that wasn’t possible as police wouldn’t allow pedestrians access because of downed electrical wires.

Such was the case in Wilbraham, where downed trees and live wires blocked multiple roads and 100 percent of the town was without power immediately after the storm after the transmission lines for the East Longmeadow Shaker Road substation were knocked down. The tornado-damaged substation had just been repaired, said David D. Graves, spokesman for National Grid.

“It appears that ground zero for the event was between Springfield Street and Tinkham Road” in Wilbraham, town Selectman Patrick J. Brady said. Tinkham Road was also seriously damaged eight weeks ago.

Residents said tornado-like winds sheered the tops off trees behind the Minnechaug Regional High School football field. The metal scoreboard on the football field was ripped off its poles and moved by wind halfway down the field.

The high winds also damaged the roof over the pool at the school.

Residents said some of the hardest hit spots appeared to be Brewer, Ripley and Orlando streets and Bittersweet Lane. Flooding was also a problem and residents had to push a car out of the driveway at the high school.

“This has been a crazy year with weather,” said Jo-Ann Carlisle, of Springfield Street. “Nothing makes any sense.

The storm started in the Berkshires at about 2 p.m. and hit Holyoke and Chicopee around 4:15 p.m. and passed east at Interstate 84 around 5:30 p.m. It brought gusting winds, heavy rains and hail, said abc40/FOX 6 meteorologist Ed Carroll.

Among the communities hit were Holyoke, Chicopee, South Hadley, Ludlow, Hampden, Wilbraham, Monson and Indian Orchard in Springfield.

Trained weather spotters for the National Weather Service reported funnel clouds over Easthampton, Chicopee and West Springfield between 4:15 and 4:30 p.m., but it is unknown if they touched down. It will be investigated by the service, Carroll said.

About 5,500 customers in Wilbraham, 500 in Hampden, 300 in East Longmeadow and 220 in Monson all lost power. Additional help was sought to repair lines, Graves said.

Western Massachusetts Electric Company reported 14,597 customers without power in the area.

Susan Walbridge said her husband called her at work and told her part of an 80-foot pine tree had fallen through their house at 18 Wehr Road in Hampden. It took her about an hour to get home from Ware.

The Republican | Michael BeswickDave Walbridge stands in a second floor bedroom of his home at 18 Wehr Rd, Hampden where a tree literally cut his house in half.

“I had to pick up my grandson in Wilbraham and you couldn’t get through. It is a mess,” she said. “Hampden doesn’t seem too bad except for our house.”

Her husband, David Walbridge, was at home when the tree fell. He was not injured but the house is badly damaged.

“I heard a big crack, it must have been when the tree broke, and I heard a bang and then parts of the ceiling and walls exploded around my head,” he said.

“It went through the upstairs bedroom and the room directly below it. You can stand on the first floor, see the second floor and look through the roof,” Walbridge said.

In Holyoke, Juan Lugo had just arrived home from work and was bringing in his dog when he heard a loud crack when a massive tree fell, crushing his son’s Oldsmobile that was parked in the driveway on 45 Meadow St.

“I heard this cracking noise,” Lugo said. “I looked outside and I couldn’t see anything outside the windows because of all the leaves.”

At first it was hard to tell if the tree damaged the house. His neighbor’s house seemed to sustain heavier damage as the tree landed on the roof, bowing it in.

On the other side of Holyoke, part of a four-story brick building collapsed. The roof of the building, owned by James A. Curran General Contractors Inc., blew off and some of the top three floors collapsed into a pile of rubble below.

Kristen L. Garvulenski, of Chicopee, working at Garvulenski Service Center on Canal Street when she heard a high pitched noise she thought was a train.

“We were in the bays near the tools and I heard this train noise, it sounded like the train sound when they go by on that trestle (nearby),” she said. “I looked outside and part of the building was gone. It was pretty scary.”

The South Hadley Fire Department had to launch a boat to rescue a father and son stranded on the rocks in the middle of the Connecticut River near when they were caught by surprise by the storm, said Robert R. Authier, chief of Fire District 1.

07.26.2011 | Staff Photo by Dave Roback | SOUTH HADLEY – Rescue crews from the South Hadley Fire Department reach boaters which overturned during the storm Tuesday afternoon below the Holyoke Dam .

“They were fishing and saw the storm and took cover and put the boat over their head,” he said. “The boat blew away and they were stranded.”

Ludlow Police reported trees down, wires down, flooding and pockets of town without power. No injuries were reported.

In Chicopee, the storm tore down trees and power lines along Memorial Drive.

Thomas Abbott pulled into his driveway at 752 Memorial Drive about 4:15 p.m., just in time for the winds to blow down a tree in his front yard.

The tree missed Abbott’s minivan, but pulled telephone lines down on its roof; in the backyard, Abbott’s metal shed took flight and slammed into his neighbors house.

“I was racing the storm home,” said Abbott, who left work at Stop & Shop in West Springfield as the skies were darkening.

“It won,” he added.

There were reports of trees and wires down all up and down Pendleton and Irene Streets and flooding was reported on Prospect Street.

On nearby Beauregard Terrace, Jennifer Hall felt her the floor shaking and she huddled in her two-story brick home.

Outside, the winds took down a tree in her backyard and shattered, Shaquille O’Neal-style, the glass backboard on the basketball hoop in the front yard.

Sweeping up branches and tree limbs in her front yard, Hall said she was lucky to escape with property damage.

“I’ve never seen anything like that,” Hall said, recalling the storm’s impact. “Everything was shaking. It was like we lived next to a railroad track and a train was going by,” she said.

In Springfield, winds toppled trees along Worcester Street, Berkshire Avenue, Pasco Road and elsewhere in Indian Orchard. Side streets, blocked by fallen trees, were also closed by police.

Traffic was blocked on parts of many major roads including Pasco Road and Boston Road in Springfield, Pendleton Avenue in Chicopee, and Springfield Street in Wilbraham while backups hit others such as Interstate 291.

The storm came just hours after Springfield representatives met with top state officials to discuss efforts to rebuild houses and businesses damaged in the June 1 tornado.

“People were scared,” said Robert J. Hassett, the city’s emergency preparedness director.

Hassett said the storm left its mark.

“The (Indian) Orchard is looking like it took the biggest hit (in Springfield,)” he said.

In Monson, many residents said they felt anxious as news spread of another tornado warning, especially given the widespread destruction that the June 1 tornado left in town.

“I didn’t believe it. This couldn’t be happening again,” Mary Swierad said. “It turned my stomach.”

Downed trees and power outages were reported on Upper Hampden, Beebe, Bennett and Stafford roads, as well as Bumstead, Bogan and Robbins roads.

A tornado recovery information meeting went on as planned Tuesday night at Granite Valley Middle School, even though representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency canceled due to the storm. Disaster Recovery Assistant Hope Bodwell coordinated the meeting so residents would be able to talk with FEMA representatives.

At Village Green Family Campground in Brimfield, where a woman was killed in the June 1 tornado and 95 of the 97 campers and trailers were destroyed, the small number of campers and staff gathered in the basement of a house on the grounds.

“We were all huddled in the cellar again, scared,” campground owner Lester Twarowski said. “We had a lot of rain but did not have any wind. We could see the wind moving to the south.”

People also heeded storm warnings and headed to the basement at the Brimfield Congregational Church and the senior housing complex behind Brimfield Town Hall, but did not see damage there in the center of town.

“Every time there is a storm now, people take cover. We are till pretty shell shocked,” said Gina Lynch, the director of the Senior Center at the church and organizer of the church’s volunteers who have been helping residents whose properties were damaged June 1.

Staff writers Suzanne McLaughlin, Mike Plaisance, Jack Flynn, John Appleton, Lori Stabile and Peter Goonan contributed to this report.

A map of power outages in Western Massachusetts, as of 7:00 a.m. Wednesday.

Click "click to interact." Then, scroll over a city / town to show the number of outages. Use the drop-down menu at left to toggle among total customers, customers without power, and percent of customers without power.

UPDATE, 11:35 a.m.: National Grid expects to restore power to East Longmeadow and Hampden customers by 6 p.m. today. The Monson restoration estimate has been revised to 2 p.m.

UPDATE, 9:27 a.m.: National Grid is still showing 3,523 customers without power in Wilbraham, but the company's estimated restoration time is now 6 p.m. today.

The data set shown above was compiled from the outage maps available on the sites of Western Massachusetts Electric Company and National Grid shortly after 7 a.m. Wednesday.

National Grid anticipates that power will be restored in Holland by 12:00 p.m. today and in Monson by 12:45 p.m. The company has provided no estimates yet for Wilbraham, Hampden and East Longmeadow -- status in those communities is listed as "assessing condition".

Among the communities not included on the map are Chicopee and Holyoke. Offices for Chicopee Electric Light and Holyoke Gas and Electric have not yet opened for the day, so calls to both were unanswered.

On Tuesday evening, Chicopee Mayor Michael Bissonnette provided this update via Facebook:

Power outage in Fairview/Prospect/Westover area will continue until afternoon at earliest. Massive damage to wires and transformers due to downed trees. Some homes damaged by trees but no injuries reported so far. Crews from as far as Braintree in to assist CEL with restoring power. DPW/Forestry doing great job but we have lost over 200 trees not counting state park on Burnett Rd.

Robert Rizzuto's overnight update on power outages is available here.

7/26/11 Wilbraham - Staff photo by Michael Beswick - A car tries to get past a downed tree and live wires at 508 Wilbraham Rd after Tuesday's storm.

The bill was approved about 8 months after an independent investigator issued a sweeping report that detailed patronage and rigged hiring in the Probation Department.

Republican file photo by Michael S. GordonRep. Thomas Petrolati of Ludlow

BOSTON – State legislators on Friday approved a bill that restricts nepotism and patronage in state government, overhauls hiring in probation and the courts and puts a professional administrator in charge of operations of the Trial Court.

The bill was approved about eight months after an independent investigator issued a sweeping report that detailed patronage and rigged hiring in the Probation Department, sparking state and federal investigations.

The bill, a compromise of different versions approved this spring in the state House of Representatives and the Senate, was approved on a voice vote in both branches and sent to Governor Deval L. Patrick, who is reviewing it. Saying the criminal reentry and supervision system is currently too fragmented, Patrick had wanted to combine most of probation into the parole department and combine both under the executive branch. The bill keeps probation in the judiciary.

Rep. Sean F. Curran, a Springfield Democrat and member of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary, said the bill calls for significant change in the operation and management of the courts.

"It's moving in the right direction," Curran said. "It improves oversight and transparency."

The bill stemmed from a report issued in November by Boston lawyer Paul F. Ware Jr., who investigated the probation department.

Ware's report concluded that the former probation commissioner and other leading officials in probation rigged hiring to favor certain applicants, including many recommended by judges and legislators.

Senate Minority Leader Bruce E. Tarr of Gloucester said the bill is timely and meaningful.

"I am particularly pleased with the reforms that are being implemented to ensure the integrity of the probation department’s hiring and promotion process, as well as the creation of a new civilian administrator to help the courts manage their resources more effectively," Tarr said.

Massachusetts General Court photoSenate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr of Gloucester

The bill seeks to curb the influence of legislators in probation hiring, including Rep. Thomas M. Petrolati , D-Ludlow, who agreed to relinquish his speaker pro tempore's position after he was mentioned almost 90 times in the report by Ware. The report detailed Petrolati's efforts at patronage in the probation department and said he received campaign contributions from 87 employees of the probation department.

Petrolati voted for the bill when it was approved in the House in the spring.

In a mid-year campaign finance report filed last week, Petrolati reported that he spent another $11,670 in campaign money on legal fees, bringing his total to about $108,000 on lawyers since late 2008.

Petrolati reported paying $5,000 in campaign money in January to criminal defense lawyer David Hoose of Northampton. Hoose declined comment.

Petrolati reported paying $6,670 in campaign money to Fierst, Pucci and Kane in Northampton, bringing the total for that firm to about $63,000.

Republican file photoJudge Robert Mulligan, chief justice for administration and management

Petrolati has one of the top campaign accounts in the Legislature with $490,530 in the bank. During the first half of this year, Petrolati reported that he spent a total of $36,694 and raised $45,727, including $2,550 from 13 probation or court employees.

In a letter to Senate Republicans in November, Attorney General Martha M. Coakley said Ware's report outlined serious violations of public trust. Coakley wrote that she assembled a team of prosecutors to investigate probation hiring. The U.S. Attorney's Office is also investigating, The Boston Globe reported.

But Petrolati may not be a target.

John P. Pucci, a Northampton lawyer representing Petrolati, said Friday he has "absolutely no reason" to believe there will be any criminal charges coming against Petrolati.

Pucci said his firm was paid from Petrolati's campaign fund for representing him last year when he unsuccessfully attempted to block a subpoena for Petrolati to testify under oath in Ware's investigation. Petrolati ultimately cited the Fifth Amendment and refused to answer questions from the independent counsel.

Republican file photoJohn Pucci

Pucci said Petrolati has not been subpoenaed or asked to testify in front of a grand jury as part of any state or federal investigations into probation.

"He doesn't have any information about anything of a criminal nature and did not participate in anything of a criminal nature," Pucci said.

Petrolati simply made periodic calls to ask that certain candidates be considered for jobs, he said.

"That puts him in a bin with everybody from the governor to the head of the Trial Court," Pucci said.

Judge Robert A. Mulligan, the chief justice for administration and management, and Judge Roderick L. Ireland, chief justice of the state Supreme Judicial Court, issued a joint statement saying they "are pleased that the legislation passed by the Massachusetts House and Senate retains the office of Probation in the Judiciary and addresses the court management structure in an effort to improve the administration of justice."

Under the bill, a civilian court administrator would need to approve hires in the probation department. The probation commissioner will no longer have unilateral hiring authority.

The bill calls for new hiring procedures for probation officers and court officers. Such applicants would need to take an entrance exam and pass background checks, behavioral screening and a review of education and work history, according to a copy of the bill.

To limit the say of legislators in hiring in state agencies, the bill requires recommendations for applicants to be shielded from hiring authorities until the final round of the interview process. Those recommendations will be public record for candidates who are hired.

In addition, applicants for employment within the executive, legislative, and judicial branches will have to disclose in writing the names of all immediate family members who are state employees. This information will be public for successful applicants.

The bill also would revise the way the court system is managed. Currently, a judge, now Mulligan, acts as the chief justice for administration and management is in charge of the day-to-day functions of the Trial Court. The bill places that authority with a new civilian administrator and the chief administrative judge remains with inherently judicial duties such as assigning and disciplining judges.

File photo | The RepublicanState Rep. Thomas Petrolati, D-Ludlow

The program is for students ages 9 to 13, and offers condensed versions of the “shops“ Pathfinder's students study throughout the year, such as robotics, culinary arts, cosmetology, automotive, auto body, Web design and machine technologies.

The Republican/Lori StabileLiam Paulhus, of Brimfield, shows off a substance he made called 'ooblek' and his balloon-propelled car. He made both in Pathfinder Regional Technical High School's summer youth enrichment program through the 'Young Einsteins Science' course. The school is in Palmer.

PALMER – Battling robots, cake decorating, making homemade ravioli, creating a gooey substance and hair-styling – these activities and more all were happening on a recent weekday at Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School as part of its annual summer youth enrichment program.

The program is for students ages 9 to 13, and lasts three weeks. It offers condensed versions of the “shops“ its students study throughout the year, such as robotics, culinary arts, cosmetology, automotive, auto body, Web design and machine technologies.

“This may give them some idea of what they may like to do in the future,“ said Paul A. Bouthiller, an automotive instructor and summer youth enrichment program director.

A battle between two robots was underway in the robotics class, led by electronics and robotics instructor Guy Nyzio.

The Republican/Michael GordonJulie M. DiPilato, 18, right, a 2011Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School graduate, crimps the hair of Shannon E. Davis, 11, of Palmer, in the school cosmetology center as Mikayla L. Shea, 11, of Belchertown, looks on at left in a program to show area youngsters the programs offered at Pathfinder. The school is in Palmer.

Nick H. Dobek, 11, of Ludlow, said he wanted to take the course after one of his friends did it and recommended it.

“I wanted the experience of building an actual robot,“ Dobek said. “It’s really fun.“

The students certainly looked like they were having fun as they cheered on their robots.

In another part of the school, culinary instructor Patrice Mercier oversaw the new “bake shop“ program, showing the students, who are all fans of the reality television show “Cake Boss,“ the basics of cake decorating.

Emily R. Bray, 10, of Belchertown, and Hannah Q. Bryan-Nelson, 12, of Ludlow, were perfecting the pastel frosting on their cakes. Bray wrote her name on hers.

“This was really fun. We got to make lots of different things and I made lots of new friends, like Emily,“ Bryan-Nelson said.

Mary B. Fusco, a science teacher, led the “Young Einsteins Science“ class, showing her students how to make catapults, balloon-propelled cars and a pink, gooey substance called “ooblek“ that had both properties of a liquid and a solid.

“Today we’re going to look at pond organisms under a microscope,“ Fusco said.

Alex G. Strickland, 11, of Belchertown, liked making the catapult so much that he recreated it with his father at home.

“They’re very enthusiastic kids. Their enthusiasm is beyond belief,“ Fusco added.

Cosmetology instructor Shelby A. Raymond said her students learned how to do facials, manicures, nail art and hair styles.

“They love working on the mannequins. Some are real naturals at it,“ Raymond said.

Culinary instructor Anthony B. Bishop had his group make homemade ravioli, something he said can be difficult even for seasoned cooks.

“They did a really good job,“ Bishop said.

Ethan J. Burek, 13, of Belchertown, and Marcello T. Miller, 11, of Ludlow, are aspiring chefs who took Bishop’s class. They both like cooking Italian food.

“My dad taught me how to cook and I loved it ever since,“ Burek said.

“My whole family cooks,“ Miller said.

Bouthiller said approximately 60 students participated in the program each week; the program ended July 29. The cost was $200 for one week.

The brawl pitted 9 inmates against 4.

File photo / The RepublicanExterior of Hampden County Correctional Center at Stonybrook in Ludlow.

LUDLOW - A gang-related brawl amongst inmates at the Hampden County Correctional Center at Stonybrook in Ludlow on Sunday night sent an inmate to the hospital for treatment and resulted in the lockdown of the pod in which it occurred.

Richard J. McCarthy, public affairs officer for the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, said the brawl pitted nine against four. He credited Correctional Officer Daniel Daoust with striving to quell the fight until special operations personnel arrived less than a minute later.

“He interceded to try to quell it to the extent that more injury didn’t come to those who were outnumbered,” McCarthy said, adding that Daoust, who is “a fairly new officer” and other responding correctional officers were not injured.

The pod was locked down “for a day or two” and the injured inmate has since returned to the facility, McCarthy said.

Investigators have determined that the brawl was gang-related and the facility has taken measures to counter the problem. The 13 inmates involved are now in segregation, McCarthy said.

A smaller gang-related fight, involving seven inmates, occurred at the facility early yesterday afternoon. No injuries were reported and the pod did not go into lockdown, McCarthy said.

“It’s a fluid situation,” McCarthy said of the department’s attempt to keep abreast of gang ties and affiliations within the jail.

The facility currently contains some 1,062 inmates who live in 18 different pods or housing units, McCarthy said.

The officers of the 46th Municipal Police Officers Class graduated last week at Holyoke Community College.

(Photo courtesy of Amherst Police Department)Amherst police officers Rudis R. Rodriguez, Jessica L. Damon and Johanlet Medrano graduated from the Western Massachusetts Regional Police Academy, in Springfield, Massachusetts, on July 27, 2011 and have begun their 12 week field officer training program.

Graduates of the 46th Municipal Police Officers’ Class of the Western Massachusetts Police Academy are beginning their tenure in local police departments.

Having three new officers is “just wonderful,” said Longmeadow Police Chief Robert F. Siano. “They are outstanding individuals.

“It’s nice to have new blood. They are young, enthusiastic. If they can keep that up for 30 years ...”

Siano said the new officers have been riding with other officers as training, doing park-and-walks, and talking to shopkeepers.

Most of the new officers “have had this aspiration for a lifetime,” said Sergeant Jeffrey Dalessio of the East Longmeadow Police Department.

East Longmeadow welcomed Officer James E. Gagnon. He has been sworn in and is getting additional in-house training, said Dalessio.

Other graduates now working in local police departments include class president Jeffrey K. Forcier, who is on the job in Holland; vice president Eric R. Alexander, in Easthampton; treasurer Brent P. Noyes in Northampton; and secretary Johanlet Medrano in Amherst.

First squad leader Francisco J. Lopez is in West Springfield; third squad leader Kyle M. Gribi, Agawam; fourth squad leader Kalju V. Lee, Northampton; fifth squad leader Megan E. Gilbert, Montague; and class guide Larry S. Kelly, West Springfield.

Other class members and their departments are: Andrew S. Carney, Northampton; Michael J. Csekovsky, Westfield; Jessica L. Damon, Amherst; Daniel J. Distefano, West Springfield; Daniel P. Fernandes, Southwick; Ricardo G. Funch, Ludlow; Michael J. Gibbons, Westfield; Daniel V. Gryzbowski, Agawam; William I. Lebrun, Northampton.

Also Brandon J. Mahoney, Longmeadow; Michael W. Matroni, West Springfield; Brett T. Morgan, Northampton; John R. Parrish, Westfield; John R. Perry II, Northampton; Danielle Rex, Longmeadow; Rudis R. Rodriguez, Amherst; Timothy S. Rogers Jr., Monson; Robert F. Sheehan III, Palmer; Frank A. Soleimani, Westfield; Anthony C. Sotolotto, Northampton; and Amanda Van Buskirk, Longmeadow.

The officers graduated in a ceremony July 27 at Holyoke Community College.

In Ludlow, steel from the World Trade Center will be surrounded by a granite pentagon; the site will be landscaped with grass to represent the Shanksville, Pa., field where United Flight 93 went down. Watch video

File photo | The RepublicanLudlow Fire Department captains James Machado (left) and John Moll are seen with a piece of steel from the World Trade Center in New York, which was destroyed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The steel is being used for a 9/11 memorial on the grounds of fire headquarters.

LUDLOW – With donations from the Department of Public Works and contractors in town, the Fire Department is preparing the site for the 2,200-pound remnant of twisted steel from the Sept. 11 World Trade Center collapse.

“We’re going to surround the steel with a granite pentagon to represent the attack on the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.,” Fire Capt. John Moll said.

He said the structure will be landscaped with tall grasses that will represent the field in Shanksville, Pa., where United Airlines Flight 93 went down.

So far town DPW workers have removed trees at the intersection of Chapin and Center Streets in preparation for the erection of the monument.

The trees had grown so much that they were impeding visibility, Moll said. The trees have been removed with the permission of the town, he said.

“This is a good site,” Moll said. “Many people drive by this site every day.”

The monument will be ready for a dedication which is being planned for this Sept. 11, the 10-year anniversary of the terroist attack on the World Trade Center.

In April, Fire Capt. James Machado and Fire Capt. Jeffery Lavoie borrowed a flat-bed truck from the town’s Department of Public Works and drove to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to pick up the steel that had been reserved for the Fire Department for use in a memorial to the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The 10-foot long piece of steel is from the North Tower. The North Tower collapsed on top of the South Tower. Steel from the South Tower is more fused together, Machado said.

Michael S. Gordon - The RepublicanA view of the 18-foot beams on the flatbed trailer in front of the Enfield Fire Department

Firefighters in Enfield, Conn., also are erecting a 9/11 monument, constructed of two, 16-foot pieces of steel from the Twin Towers.

Each piece weighs 2,400 pounds and will be erected in front of Fire Department headquarters on Weymouth Road.

The monument will be dedicated on Sept. 11, following a parade.

“The two pieces of steel will be erected to signify the Twin Towers,” Enfield Fire Lt. Brian Ellis said.

One of the men killed in the attack on the World Trade Center was Nicholas Humber, 60, a graduate of Ludlow High School who was living in Newton. The director of commercial sales for a California-based corporation, Humber was traveling on business and was aboard American Airlines Flight 11, the first of two jetliners that were crashed into the twin towers.

Moll said that 343 firefighters from New York City lost their lives in the attack on the World Trade Center, and a total of 3,000 people lost their lives across the country.

“Firefighters are a close-knit community, but we want to remember all the people killed in the attack,” Moll said.

He said that erecting the monument is “the right thing to do.”

“We don’t want to ever forget,” he said.