Funding to the Meals on Wheels program would mean the loss of more than 200,000 meals per year.

Photo by Michael S. Gordon / The RepublicanLunch time at the Pleasant View Senior Center in East Longmeadow. The state is considering cutting funding to meal programs in 2013.

Marge Sheehan, of East Longmeadow, has lunch at the Pleasant View Senior Center on North Main Street every day at noon. For Sheehan, and many seniors, lunch is a chance to get out of the house, meet with friends and eat an inexpensive and healthy meal.

“It’s a lifeline,” said Sheehan, who has also volunteered to prepare the meals for the Meals on Wheels program. “It gives me a chance to socialize, eat a healthy meal and have a good time with friends.”

Gov. Deval Patrick’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2013 includes a 24 percent cut to funds that pay for Meals on Wheels and congregate meal programs like the one at Pleasant View. Elder care service providers said the cuts would be devastating to the program.

“This is an important nutrition program, but also an important socialization program for seniors,” said Albert Norman, the executive director of Mass Home Care. “Whether they go to a congregate meal site or they get a meal delivered at home it is an opportunity to interact with other people.”

Norman said Patrick’s budget slashes the elder nutrition program by $1.5 million, from the fiscal year 2012 level of $6.3 million, to $4.8 million in fiscal year 2013.

“The loss of funding will cut nearly a quarter a million meals in 2013. Total meals served to seniors will plummet from 996,000 meals in 2012, to 754,000 meals in 2013, a loss of 242,000 meals,” he said.

Mass Home Care works with WestMass ElderCare, Greater Springfield Senior Services, Highland Valley Elder Services, Franklin County Home Care Corporation and Elder Services of Berkshire County, which in turn provide funds for meals at individual towns in Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin and Berkshire counties.

WestMass ElderCare Executive Director Priscilla L. Chalmers said her organization is responsible for meals in Belchertown, Chicopee, Granby, Holyoke, Ludlow, South Hadley and Ware. They also provide funds for Lorraine’s Kitchen in Chicopee and Kate’s Kitchen and the Salvation Army in Holyoke. In fiscal year 2011 they served 380,320 meals.

“We do get federal funding and some local donations, but we rely heavily on funds from the state,” Chalmers said. “This would be a devastating loss for us.”

Photo by Michael S. Gordon / The RepublicanLunch time at the Pleasant View Senior Center in East Longmeadow.

Chalmers said the program helps seniors stay in their homes for longer.

“By providing them a daily meal we help keep them out of nursing homes,” she said.

John Lutz, executive director of Highland Valley Elder Services, which serves twenty-four communities in Hampshire and Hampden county including Northampton, Hadley, Amherst, Southwick, Westfield and Easthampton, said they serve about 950 meals a day with 826 of those being home delivered and 124 at congregate meal sites. He said this is the first time in years that the state has considered cutting funding to the program.

“Seniors are very aware that there could be a cut and we are encouraging people to advocate for the program by calling their local legislatures and telling them how important the meals are,” he said.

Ruth Pessolano, Connie Garcia, Marilyn Cramblit and Kay Murphy meet for lunch every day at Pleasant View. They are aware of the possible funding cut and said they will write letters to their legislatures and promote the program any way they can.

“If it wasn’t for this program I don’t know where I would be,” Murphy said.

Garcia said the program gets her out of the house and into the senior center where she can then participate in a variety of activities throughout the day.

Local senior center directors like Carolyn Brennan, who runs Pleasant View, said the funds are essential to for operating the program.

Brennan said she budgets about $100,000 a year for the meals program. The money comes from federal and state grants as well as donations. They do not receive money from the town’s general fund, she said.

Brennan said she receives about $20,000 from the state to run the program.

“If we lost that it would be a huge blow to us. I don’t think we could supplement such a large amount,” she said.

Senior center’s like Pleasant View receive the grants from Greater Springfield Senior Services, one of the organizations Mass Home Care supports.

“We provide grants for East Longmeadow, Longmeadow, Monson, West Springfield and Agawam,” said Elaine Massery, the executive director of Greater Springfield Senior Services.

Massery coordinates 20,000 meals per day through the congregate sites, but mostly through the Meals on Wheels program. The organization directly serves communities including Springfield, Wilbraham, Palmer, Wales, Holland, Brimfield and Hampden.

Massery said the program receives about $315,000 in state funds. With Patrick’s cut they would lose about $75,000 dollars.

“If we lose that money some things will have to change. We will have to look more closely at who is getting meals, we might require our drivers to take on more meal deliveries,” she said. “This has never been an issue before, so we will have to come up with some other options.”

Chalmers hopes an event put on by WestMass ElderCare in March will bring awareness to the importance of the program.

“On March 23 we will be organizing an event called March for Meals where we will invite elected officials to assist us in delivering meals to people. It will give them a chance to speak with seniors about the value of this program,” she said.

Brennan said she is working with the Meals on Wheels Association of America to raise awareness about the importance of the program.

“This is more than just a meal, it serves as a method of socialization and a well-being check,” Brennan said. “Often times our drivers will stop by to deliver a meal and find an elderly person on the floor or in need of medical help. For some seniors this is the only person they will talk to in day.”

Norman said he will be going to Beacon Hill to defend the program before the Senate and the House of Representatives make a decision on whether to cut funding.

“We are ready to fight for this program,” he said.

Silva, the principal assessor for the town of Wilbraham, is one of 5 candidates seeking 2 seats on the board.

Manuel D. Silva

LUDLOW – Manuel D. Silva, a lifelong resident of Ludlow and the principal assessor for the town of Wilbraham, has announced his candidacy for the Board of Selectmen.

Silva is seeking one of two three-year terms on the Board of Selectmen in the March 26 town election. There are five candidates seeking the two seats.

“With over 30 years experience as the principal assessor in the town of Wilbraham, I believe I am the best choice for Ludlow selectman and the strongest choice with respect to experience,” Silva said.

“I believe I will be a great asset to the Board of Selectmen and town of Ludlow,” Silva said.

He said that fiscal 2013 will prove to be a financially difficult year.

“We need to focus on keeping property taxes down by generating more local receipts, tightening our belts and attracting additional revenue sources,” Silva said.

Silva said he has served on the Fiscal Planning Committee in Wilbraham and understands how each department functions and is an integral part of each local community.

“Tough decisions are going to have to be made, via budget cuts, paying for non-reimbursed storm damage and determining which essential services are priorities,” Silva said.

“With ongoing increases in insurance premiums, the Massachusetts Department of Revenue is looking at assisting communities to reach Group Insurance Commission levels,” Silva said.

“These are going to be challenging decisions, but my government experience will enable me to effectively negotiate in this area,” he said.

“It would be my sincere pleasure to serve the residents of Ludlow,” Silva said. “My only agenda is to make Ludlow a better place to live and even better place to leave our children.”

Silva is married with five children and two grandchildren. He has coached youth soccer for more than 20 years and is a member of the Ludlow Country Club and the Gremio Lusitano Club. He also is a member of Our Lady of Fatima Church.

No one was injured in the accident

LUDLOW – A 44-year-old Chicopee man was arrested on his third drunken driving offense after he allegedly hit a car parked in a driveway parallel to the street.

Leonard E. Asselin, 44, was arrested at about 5:40 p.m. after a police officer pulled him over on Holyoke Street when he saw the car had serious front-end damage and was leaking oil and other fluids, Ludlow police Sgt. Daniel Valadas said.

At the same time of the stop, six people called 911 reporting an accident at 18 Fuller St., Valadas said.

Asselin is being accused of striking a 2007 Saturn with his 2001 Jeep Cherokee and leaving the scene of the accident. No one was in the parked car and Asselin was not injured. Both cars had serious damage, he said.

Police were able to follow a path of oil and other fluids to the car on Holyoke Street. Asselin was charged with drunken driving and other crimes including operating after license revocation, leaving the scene of a property damage accident, reckless operation of a car and on an outstanding warrant, Valadas said.

Asselin is scheduled to be arraigned in Palmer District Court Monday.

A number of streets including Lower Whitney, East, State and Windsor have been blocked because of the fire.

Submitted photoA Ludlow fire truck in front of the three-story building at 21 Lower Whitney Street. Smoke blanketed the neighborhood from the fire.

LUDLOW – A fire that started in the basement of a three-story apartment building spread to the third floor, forcing residents to evacuate.

All six families that lived in the building at 17-21 Lower Whitney St. were forced to leave for the night. Town officials were determining if they will be able to return to their homes soon, Ludlow Fire Capt. Joseph Crowley said.

The fire was reported at about 6:50 p.m. by a resident who was in an apartment on the second floor. Police officers arrived and were able to evacuate residents, Police Sgt. Daniel Valadas said.

When the fire department arrived they found a serious fire in the basement that was spreading to the first floor. Because of the older construction of the building, the fire was able to travel up the walls and into the attic of the right side of the building, which is 21 Lower Whitney St., Crowley said.

“We were able to keep the fire to the right side of the complex and hold it there,” he said.

The three apartments on the left side received heavy smoke damage. Utilities were turned off so residents could not return to any of the six apartments, Crowley said.

The Pioneer Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross were at the scene to assist the victims, he said.

The number of people living in the home was not available.

Wilbraham and Chicopee Fire Departments assisted Ludlow with extinguishing the fire. Springfield firefighters were called to cover vacant fire stations in the town, Crowley said.

Heavy smoke from the blaze blanketed the downtown area. A number of streets including Lower Whitney, East, State and Windsor were blocked off because of the fire, Valadas said.

The cause is under investigation by Ludlow firefighters and the state Fire Marshal’s office.

Rooney said in addition to teen drug and alcohol problems, Ludlow has the 4th-highest chlamydia rate in Massachusetts for teens ages 14 to 19.

LUDLOW — Selectman William Rooney said he will support putting funds in next year’s budget to restore having a police officer at the high school.

There currently is no police resource officer at the high school because the police did not have sufficient manpower, Rooney said. He said the town needs to take steps to bring down a problem with prescription drug abuse by teens as well as a problem with teen drinking.

Rooney said the town also has the fourth-highest chlamydia rate in the state for teens ages 14 to 19.

The School Department is planning a forum for parents and other community members for April 24 to begin to combat the problem of teen drinking and drug use. Rooney said he wants to make a community wide effort to get as many parents as possible to attend the meeting.

“We need to bring drug and alcohol use down,” he said.

The forum will discuss the effect of alcohol on the brains of teenagers who are still growing. Interim School Superintendent Donna Hogan is developing a format for the forum.

Police Officer Paul Dobek said that restoring a police officer at the high school would be part of the solution to solving the drug problem in town.

At a recent school forum held to update the community on anti-bullying efforts, some parents said some prescription drugs such as OxyContin are being sold out of houses in town. Parents need to be able to recognize the signs of drug use, parents said.

Rooney said, “There is a huge drug problem in town.”

He said he cares about Ludlow because “I don’t live anywhere else.”

In January, James Pendrick, 51, of 108 Holy Cross Circle, Ludlow, was found guilty in Hampden Superior Court of selling drugs from his house and going to the home of the lead investigator and trying to intimidate him. Pendrick was found guilty of trafficking in the class of drug that includes heroin, morphine and opium and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

For the actions Pendrick took at the home of Ludlow Police Sgt. Thomas F. Foye, Pendrick was found guilty of trespass, intimidation of a witness and resisting arrest.

The School Committee is scheduled to interview a 2nd candidate, Todd Gazda, principal at Gateway Regional Middle School in Huntington, on Wednesday night.

Diana Roy

LUDLOW — The School Committee on Tuesday interviewed Diana Roy for the school superintendent position.

Roy is the curriculum director for the Ludlow public schools and has both principal and superintendent certifications.

She has been with the school system for 34 years and has served as an English teacher and curriculum instructional leader at Baird Middle School. She also served as acting school superintendent after Kenneth J. Grew stepped down from the job.

Roy said she attended Ludlow schools and sent her children to Ludlow schools.

“I know that the teacher in front of the class is the most important factor in student learning,” she told the School Committee. “I know what good teaching looks like.”

Roy said that technology and textbooks are important, but good teaching is more important.

On Wednesday night the School Committee is scheduled to interview a second candidate for the superintendent position – Todd Gazda, principal at Gateway Regional Middle School in Huntington.

School Committee Chairman Michael Kelliher said the School Committee hopes to go ahead with the interview despite the forecast of snow. The School Committee is scheduled to interview Gazda Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Veterans Park Elementary School.

Kelliher said there is a chance the School Committee will vote to appoint the next superintendent following the interview.

The two finalists for the position were unanimously recommended by a Superintendent Search Committee appointed by the School Committee. The superintendent position has been advertised to pay between $130,000 and $150,000, with negotiable benefits and a three-year contract.

Roy said Gazda has experience as a school principal which she does not have. She added that she did superintendent internships under Grew and interim superintendent Donna Hogan.

Roy said that if she is selected as the next superintendent she will represent Ludlow with dignity.

“I know that teachers are hard workers,” she said. She said that if she is chosen as the next superintendent she will expect the same hard work of teachers that she expects of herself.

Since Feb. 29 happens only every 4 years, leap-year babies have only a quarter of the birthdays ordinary people have – technically.

The Republican | Don TreegerLeap Year baby Aryana Angelis will be 8 this year. She is seen here with her mother, Yansa Garcia.

James Kalbaugh, who celebrates his 9th birthday today, is a firefighter in Agawam.

James Wooller, of Holyoke, is a pastor with four kids. He turns 11 today.

In Northfield, Walter Morgan, who is retired from a long career in environmental management and forestry, turns 16.

No, these are not alarmingly precocious children.

They are all people who were born on Feb. 29. In a leap year, February has 29 days instead of 28.

Since that happens every four years, leap-year babies have only a quarter of the birthdays ordinary people have – technically.

That’s why Aryana Angelis, who made the front page of The Republican when she was born eight years ago, is telling people that she turns 2 today. She arrived minutes after midnight on Feb. 29, 2004.

It’s also why, although the calendar says she is only 4, Westfield High School sophomore Monica Browne will celebrate her “Sweet 16” birthday with a special party.

There’s no question that this calendrical oddity catches people’s attention. There’s even an Honor Society of Leap Year Day Babies (leapyearday.com), which claims to have more than 10,000 members

“People are just fascinated by it,” said leap-year baby and psychic medium Jess Steinman, of the Agawam-based business In Touch with Spirit.

“I get a lot of jokes like, ‘Wow, you’re really smart for 8 years old,’” said Steinman, who is actually 32.

Kalbaugh, who lives in Chicopee and is a paramedic as well as a firefighter, says his 10-year-old daughter Meghan loves the fact that she’s “older” than her dad.

Julius Caesar adopted the leap-day concept from the Egyptians after figuring out that the quadrennial addition of an extra day could make a precise calendar. Leap years are necessary to keep the calendar in alignment with the Earth’s revolutions around the sun. It takes the Earth approximately 365.242199 days to circle once around the sun.

Being the fanciful critters they are, people soon began attaching special meanings to leap year.

For example, on Feb. 29 it’s supposed to be permissible for a woman to propose marriage to a man. Also, leap-year babies are thought to be lucky.

The myths keep coming. Wooller said a member of his congregation at Crossroads Community Church in West Springfield reported hearing on the radio that “you can’t put Feb. 29 as your birthday on a driver’s license.” False!

Calendar or not, rare is the family that doesn’t celebrate Feb. 29 birthdays in the off-years, too.

Lisa Guillemette, of Ludlow, couldn’t wait to celebrate her son Caleb’s birthday. She and her husband, Justin, had been childless for 10 years when Caleb was born on Feb. 29, 2008.

A year later, they celebrated with a “big party in a rented hall,” said Lisa.

She would have done the same this year for Caleb’s other “first” birthday, but the 4-year-old wanted to have his party at home. Fifteen of his friends have been invited.

Aryana’s mom, Yansa Garcia, said she usually celebrates her daughter’s birthday on March 1 in the off-years. Morgan said his parents used to celebrate his birthday on either Feb. 28 or March 1, and would let him choose what kind of cake he got.

Springfield FalconsDamon Markiewicz

Damon Markiewicz, head of marketing for the Springfield Falcons hockey team, jokes that he got “greedy” as he got older, so he started claiming both days in off-years.

Wooller claims he went even further. One of the good parts of being a leap-year baby, he says, is that he gets to decide when to celebrate his birthday – “and sometimes I can make it several days!”

Though leap-year babies tend to shrug off the idea that they are “special,” Markiewicz was indeed a miracle baby.

He was supposed to be born on April 10 – and was born on Feb. 29 instead.

Doctors gave the preemie a 2 percent chance of survival. His chest collapsed and he was baptized in the hospital in case he didn’t make it.

He grew up strong and healthy. He got involved in youth sports. When his birthday fell on the day of a game, he and his pals would all go out together afterwards to celebrate.

He is now 36. “I’m very lucky,” said Markiewicz.

The School Committee voted 5 to 0 to offer the position to Gazda, the principal of Gateway Regional Middle School in Huntington and Chester Elementary School.

Todd Gazda

LUDLOW – The School Committee Wednesday night voted 5 to 0 to offer Todd H. Gazda the school superintendent position.

Gazda is the principal of Gateway Regional Middle School in Huntington and Chester Elementary School.

School Committee Chairman Michael Kelliher called Gazda and offered him the position, and Gazda accepted. A contract is still to be negotiated.

The School Committee interviewed two finalists for the position – Gazda and Diana Roy, a longtime English teacher at Baird Middle School and curriculum director for the Ludlow public schools. All five School Committee members said both candidates were qualified for the job.

School Committee member Charles Mullin said Roy is respectful of teachers and keeps a level-headed demeanor, but he said Gazda has more administrative experience and is “a forward thinker.”

School Committee member Jacob Oliveira called Gazda “inspiring” and “visionary.”

“We had two wonderful candidates,” School Committee member Patricia Gregoire said. She added, “People here are looking for a leader.”

Gazda said his school district has some cutting edge technology. He said 6-year-olds can learn to use iPads without being taught.

“There are many educational applications for iPads,” he said.

Gazda said he has used teachers who are advanced in using technology to give professional development sessions to their fellow teachers.

“Teachers will listen to their colleagues,” he said.

In the last few years, Gazda said classes at Gateway Regional Middle School have grown to 26, 27 and 28 students as budget cuts had to be made.

“This year I recommended that my position be eliminated” so as not to cut more classroom teachers, Gazda said. He said his position will be eliminated next year, following his recommendation. Another principal will oversee his schools, he said.

When Kelliher called to offer him the Ludlow superintendent job, he told him, “You’re no longer unemployed.”

The Ludlow school superintendent position was advertised to pay between $130,000 and $150,000, with negotiable benefits and a three-year contract.

Todd Gazda

Taxpayers are invited to a meeting Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Gremio Lusitano Club.

LUDLOW – A citizens group is planning a meeting for Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Gremio Lusitano Club at 385 Winsor Street to discuss ways to lower the property tax rate.

All taxpayers who think that taxes should go down are invited to the meeting and voice their ideas and thoughts.

“People are angry about their last tax increases,” Carlton Leonard, a town resident said. He said town officials have stated they want to keep taxes from rising more next year.

“We think taxes need to go down,” Leonard said.

An advertisement placed in local store fronts says, “This is a grass roots effort and every Ludlow taxpayer is welcome.”

Selectman William Rooney said he received many calls of complaint about the tax increase this year. Selectman Antonio Dos Santos said selectmen will be looking for savings in health insurance co-pays.

Rooney said, “We cannot afford health insurance increases.” “Otherwise, we will have layoffs and service reductions.”

The election is March 26.

LUDLOW – Two candidates seeking a single seat on the School Committee said at a forum on Monday that Ludlow schools need to improve student achievement.

For a three-year term on the School Committee, Deborah A. Stephenson is trying to unseat three-year incumbent Jacob Oliveira in the March 26 town election.

At a forum held Monday at Ludlow High School, Stephenson said the school district needs to improve student performance on state MCAS tests.

“We are below the state average in 13 of 17 test categories,” Stephenson said. She said Wilbraham, East Longmeadow and Belchertown all have higher test scores.

Oliveira said the school district in recent years has moved out of corrective action with the state. Students have moved from a level 4 to a level 2 in some areas, he said.

Oliveira said the school district must do more to foster student achievement at all levels.

He said that while 90 percent of Ludlow students go on to college, some require remedial education in math and English once they get to college.

“We need to better align our curriculum with college standards,” Oliveira said.

Oliveira said more needs to be done to give students college aspirations in eighth grade, before they get to high school.

Oliveira, 25, a fourth generation Ludlow resident, said he works as assistant executive officer to the state University Council of Presidents.

Stephenson, director of human resources at Country Bank in Ware, served on the committee which recommended the new superintendent.

The School Committee last week voted to offer Todd H. Gazda, principal of Gateway Regional Middle School in Huntington, the school superintendent post. Gazda has accepted the position.

Stephenson said she has experience as “a parent.”

“Let me be a voice for you on the School Committee,” she said.

“We need to reach out to parents and get parents involved,” she said.

Oliveira said a quality education is “a great equalizer.”

Stephenson said that if she is elected, she will “keep resources focused on the classroom.”

Oliveira said that if he is reelected, he will work to improve the school district’s four-year college acceptance rate.

The election will be held March 26.

The last day of school for Ludlow students is scheduled for June 22.

LUDLOW - The School Committee has voted to restore the April vacation which begins the week of April 16.

“We voted to put the April vacation back in,” said School Committee member James P. “Chip” Harrington.

The School Committee had voted earlier to remove the April vacation from the school calendar after school had to be closed for a week following the October snowstorm during which many homes in the region were without power for a week.

“We usually use three to five snow days every winter, so we initially thought we should give back the April vacation so students would not be in school until July,” Harrington said.

With this year’s mild winter, only one snow day was used this winter, Harrington said.

Even with restoring the April vacation, the last day of school for students will be June 22, Harrington said.

School Committee member Jacob Oliveira said he felt unsure about whether to vote to restore the vacation, since some teachers had had to cancel plans when it was taken away.

“Without the vacation it was a long stretch until the end of the school year,” Oliveira said.

With all the MCAS preparation, we did not want to risk burnout by students and staff,” Oliveira said.

“It is good for students to have a mental break,” Oliveira added.

Interim School Superintendent Donna Hogan said some parents and students have made plans to visit colleges and universities during April vacation so that students can see the schools while they are in session.

Oliveira added that even where students go to school year round, there is a break in the calendar built in every nine to 10 weeks.

“It’s been a very mild winter,” Oliveira said. “Today the temperature is 71 degrees. It’s great.”

Even with the April vacation, students will get out of school for the summer on June 22.

“They won’t be going to school until July 1st,” Oliveira said.

Incumbents Antonio Dos Santos and John Da Cruz decided not to seek reelection.

Candidates Carmina Fernandes, Christine Peacey, Manuel Silva, Timothy Donnelly and Walter Craven, clockwise from top left, are seeking two seats on the Board of Selectmen in Ludlow's annual town election March 26.

LUDLOW - The five candidates running for two open seats on the Board of Selectmen all say the town needs to hold the line on tax increases.

None of the selectmen candidates in the March 26 town election are incumbents. The two incumbents, Antonio Dos Santos and John Da Cruz, decided not to seek reelection to the board.

The candidates for the two three-year terms on the board are Carmina D. Fernandes, Christine D. Peacey, Manuel D. Silva, Walter E. Craven and Timothy S. Donnelly.

Fernandes, a practicing attorney in town who was born in Portugal, said she has traveled the world “and truly appreciates what Ludlow has to offer.”

She said her focus as a selectman would be to make Ludlow a fiscally responsible and independent town “without always relying on increasing taxes and fees to its residents.”

She said innovative solutions are needed to increase income while controlling spending.

Fernandes said another one of her goals would be to offer transparency and information to residents.

She said she would seek to develop business interests in the town without compromising the needs of town residents.

Peacey, whose husband, Walter Peacey, is a town firefighter, said that insurance co-pays should be raised to save the town money.

Incentives could be given to encourage town employees to voluntarily go on their spouse’s health insurance plans, Peacey said.

Peacey, who will not be able to vote on matters related to the firefighters’ contract, said she will look for ways to grow current businesses in town and bring in new businesses.

“Increased business would bring in more tax revenues which would help residents with tax burdens,” Peacey said.

Peacey said she is a Ludlow small business owner of Hair Salon and Spa. Peacey said she also is an active town meeting member and familiar with the challenges Ludlow faces.

Silva, who is an assessor in Wilbraham, said some town services may have to be cut.

Silva said insurance co-pays can be raised, but the savings probably will be absorbed by projected increases in energy costs.

“We need to focus on keeping property taxes down by generating more local receipts, tightening our belts and attracting additional revenue sources,” Silva said.

Tough decisions are going to have to be made, via budget cuts, paying for non-reimbursed storm damage and determining which essential services are priorities,” Silva said.

Craven, who has twice run unsuccessfully for School Committee, said he has identified three areas that need continued effort for the long-term financial health and quality of life for the residents of the town.

He said the first area is the stabilization and reduction of the residential tax rate, the second area is the reduction of non-employee related expenses in the town, and the third is the continuation of the business development plans along East Street and Center Street with a focus on long-term planning and attraction of upscale larger businesses.

He said the town should look to centralize purchases and maintenance to save money.

Donnelly, former cable operation manager for Ludlow Community TV, said town departments already are lean. He said he favors continuing discretionary services such as the senior center, library, Board of Health nurses and Recreation Department.

Donnelly said the town could cut its $283,000 yearly contribution to the Ludlow Boys & Girls Club & Community Center and make the club become self sufficient.

Donnelly said town department meetings with the selectmen should be held on a more regular basis.

John DaCruz has served as Ludlow selectman for six years.

John Da Cruz

SPRINGFIELD – Democrat John P. Da Cruz of Ludlow is running for Hampden Superior Court clerk in the fall elections.

Da Cruz, a long-time private lawyer who has just ended his six years as a Ludlow selectman, said he has always enjoyed public service and believes his diverse legal background fits well with the clerk position.

Brian P. Lees, a Republican, has been clerk since 2007. He could not be reached Tuesday about whether he plans to run for reelection.

DaCruz, who was born in Springfield but grew up in Ludlow, worked for three years when he graduated law school as an assistant district attorney under former Hampden District Attorney William M. Bennett.

He got an undergraduate degree in finance from Western New England University and then got his law degree at the School of Law there.

DaCruz, 43, said he has 18 years experience in criminal and civil law and has practiced in many courts in this county and other parts of the state.

“I think it would be an easy transition for me,” DaCruz said of the clerk position.

He said he is in the early stages of his campaign and will be registering with the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance and putting together a campaign committee.

If there are other Democratic candidates besides DaCruz there would be a primary. If not, DaCruz would face any Republican candidate in the general election in November.

Serving as Ludlow selectman has made him familiar with funding issues, DaCruz said.

He said the town has had to do more with less money.

But, DaCruz said, he also knows it’s important to aggressively lobby for more funding.

“That’s part and parcel of being in a political office,” DaCruz said.

DaCruz said he is active in a number of different organizations in Ludlow, such as the Gremio Lusitano Club, organized with the purpose of bringing Portugese people together, and the town’s Polish American club.

He has been active in the Ludlow Boys and Girls Club and does probono legal work for his church, Our Lady of Fatima.

Lees was paid $109,800 in 2011, according to state records.

Correctional officer said severe concussion caused memory loss.

The Republican / File photo

SPRINGFIELD – Joseph Giannetti described for jurors Thursday how Roland Ellison hit him from behind four or five times on the head before he lost consciousness and slipped from his chair to the floor.

Giannetti, a correctional officer at the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow, said he had both hands up trying to protect his head after Ellison – an inmate there – stepped up into the guard station while he was on the telephone calling his supervisor.

“The next I remember is being treated by medical down the hall,” Giannetti testified on the witness stand in the Hampden Superior Court trial of Ellison and co-defendant Alex Gonzalez.

Sheriff Michael J. Ashe previously called the assault the worst instance of an officer injured at the hands of an inmate in the last 20 years.

Assistant District Attorney Howard I. Safford showed Giannetti pictures taken of him, bloody and wounded, after the attack.

Giannetti said the pictures were of him, but he has no recollection of the time period in which they were taken. He said the first time he saw himself most of the blood was cleaned off him.

A few times during his testimony, Giannetti said he didn’t remember certain things that happened Jan. 5, 2011, due to the severe concussion, among other injured, he suffered in the attack that day.

Jurors in the trial before Judge Constance M. Sweeney saw – several times including once in slow motion – a recording of the event made by a stationary camera in the “pod” or section of the jail.

From that camera Ellison, 32, of Springfield, can be seen going into the partially-walled officers station and hitting downwards repeatedly.

Ellison is charged with assault and battery on a correctional officer, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and two counts of threat to commit a crime.

The dangerous weapon in the second charge is a metal grate. The grate was a fixed part of shelving in the office, and the charge is that Giannetti was injured with the grate when Ellison hit him into it.

Co-defendant Alex Gonzalez, 21, is charged in a joint venture with Ellison for the two assault charges. He is not accused of touching Giannetti but of planning with, and assisting Ellison in, the assault.

At the time of the assault, Ellison was awaiting trial on weapons and assault charges. He pleaded guilty to some of those charges in June 2011 and was sentenced to 7½ to 10 years in state prison for those.

Giannetti was the only correction officer staffing the pod when the 2 p.m. attack happened, where 20 or 30 inmates were present with all others from the pod in classes elsewhere.

Giannetti said when all inmates were in the pod he was the only uniformed correctional officer for the about 70 inmates housed there.

A counselor who is also a correctional officer was in her office in the pod and came out and yelled at Ellison to stop, as well as triggering alerts to other jail staff about the problem.

Giannetti also had a fracture to the left cheek, two staples in the back of his head, a fractured rib and lacerations in his forehead. He spent two days in Baystate Medical Center.

The trial is scheduled to resume Friday.

Roland Ellison said his assault on the correctional officer was done alone, without his co-defendant.

The Republican / File photo

SPRINGFIELD – Roland Ellison took the stand in his own defense Friday at his trial for the severe beating of a correctional officer at the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow.

He didn’t deny pummeled and kicked correctional officer Joseph Giannetti repeatedly on Jan. 5, 2011, causing a severe concussion, broken rib, fractured cheek and forehead lacerations.

The Hampden Superior Court jury has seen the jail video of the beating numerous times during the trial in front of Judge Constance M. Sweeney.

Sheriff Michael J. Ashe previously called the assault the worst instance of an officer injured at the hands of an inmate in the last 20 years.

Ellison, 32, of Springfield, said when he was kicking and punching Giannetti he did not see Ellison’s head hitting a metal grate that was part of the shelving in the officers station.

And Ellison said his co-defendant, Alex Gonzalez, had no role in planning or carrying out the attack on Giannetti.

Edward C. Bryant Jr., Ellison’s lawyer, acknowledged in closing arguments the jury could see Ellison attacking Giannetti on the video.

That is the charge of assault and battery on a correction officer, Bryant said.

But, Bryant said, the state didn’t prove Ellison knew Giannetti’s head was hitting the metal grate. He said jurors should find him innocent of the charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (the metal grate).

Assistant District Attorney Howard I. Safford told jurors Ellison would have had to see and hear Giannetti’s head hitting the grate as he punched the correctional officer.

Jurors are scheduled to resume deliberating Monday.

Ellison said his beating of Giannetti was not planned, and he snapped because Giannetti said something about his mother, who died in November 2010.

Ellison said an exchange he started with Giannetti got acrimonious and the officer said he didn’t care about his (Ellison’s) dead mother.

Safford suggested to jurors Ellison fabricated that conversation, in tandem with Gonzalez, to have an excuse for the assault on Giannetti at trial.

Giannetti had testified his severe concussion caused him to have some memory loss from that day, but said he doesn’t recall saying anything about Ellison’s mother and he would not have said such a thing.

Elizabeth Rodriguez-Ross, lawyer for the 21-year-old Gonzalez, said there is no evidence at all Gonzalez had anything to do with planning the assault or helping Ellison.

She said Gonzalez, on the video, looks shocked and backs up when he sees Ellison beat Giannetti.

Safford said Gonzalez can be seen on the video with Ellison before the attack, watching him during the attack and shaking his hand and hugging afterwards.

Several jail staff people and inmates testifying for the prosecution said when inmates are planning to fight they “strap up,” or tighten the Velcro on their sneakers.

Safford said the video shows Gonzalez and Ellison “strapping up” before Ellison attacks Giannetti.

Ellison testified he was just tucking his pant leg into his sneaker.

U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz said the indictments are only one step in the investigation of corruption in the department.

BOSTON - Declaring the charges as only "one step" in her investigation, U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz on Friday unveiled indictments against the former deputy probation commissioner in Springfield and the state's two former top state probation officials .

The indictments, a dramatic development in the ongoing hiring scandal in probation, charge the three former officials with operating a sham hiring system at probation that favored politically-connected candidates pushed mostly by current or former state legislators.

Indictments were lodged against former Springfield deputy probation commissioner William H. Burke III of Hatfield, former probation commissioner John J. O'Brien of Quincy and former second deputy probation commissioner Elizabeth V Tavares of Newton.

At a press conference to announce the indictments in Boston, US Attorney Ortiz said, "This is just one step in an ongoing investigation."

The indictment lists 23 examples of politically-connected hires or promotions. In the examples, the 20-page indictment uses only the initials of the successful applicants and identifies legislators only by their legislative titles or as "members" of the state House of Representatives or Senate.

William H. Burke III

Ortiz said that "Beacon Hill is full of a lot of hard-working, genuinely committed individuals." But she added, "Where there has been conduct involving political corruption in the past, we will clearly try to ferret it out."

She declined to specify whether legislators would be targets of potential future indictments.

"There's a lot of patronage that was clearly going on, but patronage in and of itself is not illegal," Ortiz said. "Our responsibility is to determine whether or not federal criminal laws were violated."

Here is a link to the indictment issued by Ortiz.

At their arraignments, Burke, O'Brien and Tavares each pleaded innocent in U.S. District Court in Worcester on Friday afternoon.

O'Brien, 55, Burke, 68, and Tavares, 54, were released on conditions but all were led out of the courtroom in handcuffs after their arraignments.

O'Brien, Burke and Tavares were each arrested on Friday and charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy and 10 counts of mail fraud. The mail fraud, part of the alleged illegal hiring scheme, include mostly mailing rejection letters to unsuccessful candidates for probation jobs.

O'Brien and Tavares were each also charged with a count of substantive racketeering.

If convicted, the defendants each face up to 20 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine on each count, Ortiz's office said.

Burke, a 35-year veteran of the probation department in Western Massachusetts who retired in 2009 with an $83,000 pension, was enmeshed in the hiring at probation, according to a 307-page report issued in 2010 by Paul Ware, an independent counsel appointed by the state Supreme Judicial Court to investigate probation hiring.

According to the indictment, Burke, deputy commissioner for 10 years before retiring, O'Brien and Tavares participated in a conspiracy between 2000 and 2010 including multiple acts of mail fraud.

They are charged with using a “sham hiring system” that favored candidates sponsored by legislators, judges and others including one hire, listed as only “K.P.,” in the indictment.

“K.P.,” who was sponsored by former House Speaker Thomas M. Finneran, was hired as a manager in the electronic monitoring program in Springfield in 2001, though she was not the most qualified, according to the indictment. Holding that position is Kathleen Petrolati, wife of Ludlow Rep. Thomas M. Petrolati, who has long been tangled up in the probation scandal and previously agreed to give up his position as the No. 3 power in the House.

John P. Pucci , a lawyer representing Petrolati, who is the dean of the Western Massachusetts legislative delegation, said on Thursday he has "absolutely no reason" to believe that Petrolati could be indicted. Pucci could not be reached on Friday.

As a matter of constituent service, Petrolati made recommendations for people to get jobs, but that is not a crime, Pucci has said. Many other members of the state Legislature also recommended people for positions in probation, he has said.

No legislators or other elected officials have been charged with criminal offenses in connection with the probation scandal.

According to Friday's indictment, the Senate President in 2008 -- who was Therese Murray, the current Senate president, -- sponsored three candidates for probation officers who were hired in Plymouth courts even though they were not the most qualified.

House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo, a Winthrop Democrat, is also mentioned in the indictment for sponsoring the son of an aide for a probation officer's job in Boston in 2005. DeLeo was chairman of House Ways and Means at the time. DeLeo sponsored Brian Mirasolo, the son of his assistant Leonard Mirasolo, The son was hired even though he was not the most qualified, the indictment said.

In a statement, Murray said the indictment does not indicate she was aware of any fraudulent actions.

"My office receives many requests for assistance each year, including requests for public, private and institutional referrals," Murray said. "But we have no control over any hiring process and the indictment does not suggest that I was aware of any fraudulent conduct within the probation department. Indeed, when I did learn about what was going on in probation, we led a forceful and thorough overhaul of the department’s hiring practices last year to insure the highest degree of transparency possible."

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr of Gloucester urged Ortiz to leave "no stone unturned" in her investigation.

People should not "rest until anyone who corrupted our state government in this case is appropriately punished, and all possible reforms are enacted to ensure that this behavior never happens again," Tarr said in a statement.

In U.S. District Court in Worcester on Friday, Magistrate Judge Timothy S. Hillman released Burke, O'Brien and Tavares on numerous conditions including that they surrender passports, give a DNA sample, provide an unsecured bond of $25,000 and avoid all contact with possible victims or witnesses in the investigation.

Only Burke had guns to surrender. He was ordered to remove all firearms from his residence and adjoining residence and surrender his firearm identification card to the Hatfield Police Department.

The judge agreed to allow Burke to have contact with his daughter, after Burke's lawyer, James C. Bradbury, told Hillman that Burke's daughter was mentioned in the indictment.

Burke's daughter, called "M.B." was also hired as an assistant manager in the electronic monitoring department in 2001 in Springfield. She also was not the most qualified, and she was sponsored by her father, the indictment said.

Burke's lawyer said after the arraignment that his client is doing "very well." He would not comment further on specifics because he said he had just received the indictment, including whether the hiring of Burke's daughter was legitimate.

"Mr. Burke has not committed any crime in the 38 years that he served the commonwealth," Bradbury said, adding he looks forward to defending his client.

Hillman was going to restrict the defendants' travel to Massachusetts, but because Tavares has an 11-year-old daughter on a traveling softball team, he opened it up to the New England states for all the defendants.

"Good luck," Hillman told the defendants.

The former probation officials hired people sponsored by legislators but also maintained a facade of a merit-based hiring system that increased their ability to win favorable votes on the budget and other interests, the indictment said.

Instead of hiring the best qualified, the former probation officials promoted the most politically connected or sponsored candidates, the indictment said. This was done to increase the probation budget, gain control over the enterprise and build their power, the indictment said.

They kept "sponsor lists" to ensure that legislators' candidates were hired, the indictment said.

"This sham system was used to conceal that the hiring systems were pre-determined and not based on the merits but upon the nature and extent of the sponsorship," the indictment said. "O'Brien would take names from sponsor lists and give them to Tavares, Burke and interview panels."

They sought to ensure that preferred candidates reached the final round of interviews and also had the highest score at the final interview, it said. Scoring sheets were falsified and other methods skewed to reach this result, prosecutors said in the indictment.

Friday's indictment follows the arrest in December of an acting chief probation officer in Western Massachusetts, who was charged with intimidating and harassing another probation officer who is a witness in the federal investigation of hiring practices at the state Probation Department, the U.S. Attorney's office said.

Christopher J. Hoffman, 39, of Hatfield, the acting chief probation officer in Hampshire Superior Court who was placed on leave on Oct. 26, was the first person to face criminal charges in the federal investigation of the probation department. Hoffman was charged with two counts of obstruction of justice.

Material from the Statehouse News Service was used in this report. Lori Stabile, staff writer for The Republican, contributed from Worcester.

Town Clerk Laurie Gibbons is predicting a 40 percent voter turnout.

LUDLOW - Town Clerk Laurie Gibbons is predicting a 40 percent turnout for today’s town election.

Voting is from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the town’s six precinct polling places.

“There are a lot of races,” Gibbons said, “and if the weather is partly sunny and mild, that will help bring voters out to the polls.”

There are five candidates running for two seats on the Board of Selectmen.

The candidates for the two terms are Carmina D. Fernandes, Christine D. Peacey, Manuel D. Silva, Walter E. Craven and Timothy S. Donnelly.

For School Committee, Deborah Stephenson is seeking to unseat three-year incumbent Jacob Oliveira.

For a seat on the Board of Assessors, Antonio Rosa is challenging incumbent Donald Lake.

For a seat on the Board of Health incumbent appointee Victor Field is seeking the seat as well as Timothy Fontaine.

Sentencing is set for 2:30 p.m. today.

UPDATE, 3:45 p.m.: Ellison was sentenced Monday afternoon to 9 1/2 to 10 years in state prison. Click here for a new story.

SPRINGFIELD - Roland Ellison was found guilty today of assault and battery on a correctional officer for the severe beating of Joseph Giannetti at the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow.

Ellison is slated to be sentenced at 2:30 p.m. for pummeling and kicked Giannetti, a correctional officer, repeatedly on Jan. 5, 2011, causing a severe concussion, a broken rib, fractured cheek and forehead lacerations.

Ellison, 32, refused to be brought into the courtroom from the court lockup when Judge Constance M. Sweeney sent jurors out for deliberation in the morning, and then refused to be brought into the courtroom when the jury had a question and for the verdict.

Sweeney said it was within Ellison's right not to appear for those matters, but he must appear for sentencing. She said the court will find a way to assure Ellison is present for his sentencing and that public safety is protected.

The Hampden Superior Court jury acquitted Ellison's co-defendant Alex Gonzalez. The prosecution argued although Ellison was alone in the assault, Gonzalez planned it with him and was willing to assist.

About 30 colleagues of Giannetti were on hand to see the verdict, waiting all morning for the jury, which came back with the verdict shortly after noon.

Edward C. Bryant, Ellison's lawyer, asked the court to order a mental health exam of Ellison by the court mental health staff before sentencing.

Sweeney denied the request, saying Ellison has shown deliberate, manipulative behavior and this is another attempt to delay what will happen to him.

On at least one day of the trial Ellison would not come into the courtroom in the morning for an hour, delaying the trial and keeping jurors and the court waiting.

The Republican / File photo

Ellison was convicted of attacking corrections officer Joseph Giannetti, pictured.

The Republican | Dave Roback03.26.2012 | SPRINGFIELD - Correctional officer Joseph Giannetti, seated with tie, listens to the sentencing of Roland Ellison.

SPRINGFIELD - Roland Ellison was sentenced Monday to 9 1/2 to 10 years in state prison for the severe beating of corrections officer Joseph Giannetti at the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow.

That sentence will start after Ellison completes a 7 1/2 to 10 year state prison term for assault and battery and other charges in an unrelated case. Ellison was sentenced in that case in June 2011.

Judge Constance M. Sweeney called Ellison's attack "one of extreme brutality."

Assistant District Attorney Howard Safford had urged Sweeney to give Ellison that sentence, saying Ellison delivered 50 or 60 blows to Giannetti in the attack captured on security cameras at the jail.

Ellison had been found guilty by a Hampden Superior Court jury of assault and battery on a correctional officer for pummeling and kicked Giannetti, a correctional officer, repeatedly on Jan. 5, 2011, causing a severe concussion, a broken rib, fractured cheek and forehead lacerations.

Giannetti, in his victim impact statement to Sweeney, said he never believed something like this would happen to him.

“I relive this incident over and over in my head,” he said, saying the support of his friends and family helped him in his recovery from the injuries.

Giannetti said the 9½-10-year sentence will send a message that he hopes will prevent future attacks against his fellow correctional officers both in Hampden County and across the state.

Ellison, 32, refused to be brought into the courtroom from the court lockup when Sweeney sent jurors out for deliberation in the morning, and then refused to be brought into the courtroom when the jury had a question and for the verdict.

Sweeney said it was within Ellison's right not to appear for those matters, but he must appear for sentencing.

For the sentencing, court security put Ellison in a small conference room at the back of the courtroom. The door was kept open and Ellison could hear what was being said directly and with an audio backup.

Court officers kept people from passing by the door while Ellison was inside with the door open.

The Hampden Superior Court jury acquitted Ellison's co-defendant, Alex Gonzalez. The prosecution argued although Ellison was alone in the assault, Gonzalez planned it with him and was willing to assist.

Defense lawyer Elizabeth Rodriguez-Ross told jurors there was no evidence at all Gonzalez had anything to do with Ellison’s assault.

About 30 colleagues of Giannetti were on hand to see the verdict and for the sentencing.

Edward C. Bryant, Ellison's lawyer, had asked the court to order a mental health exam of Ellison by the court mental health staff before sentencing.

Sweeney denied the request, saying Ellison has shown deliberate, manipulative behavior and this is another attempt to delay what will happen to him.

On at least one day of the trial Ellison would not come into the courtroom in the morning for an hour, delaying the trial and keeping jurors and the court waiting.

Ellison was also charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. The jury found him guilty of a lesser offense, assault and battery.

Since the dangerous weapon portion was gone, both prosecution and defense agreed the charge became a duplication on the assault and battery on a correction officer charge

The dangerous weapon in the charge was a metal grate that was part of the shelving in the officers station where the beating took place. Safford argued Ellison beat Giannetti’s head into the grate.

Bryant asked Sweeney to give a sentence less than what the prosecution wanted, saying although the attack was violent, it was a quick incident and was not planned.

Jacob Oliveira kept his seat on the School Committee.

LUDLOW - The two winners in the selectmen’s race in Monday’s annual town election were Carmina D. Fernandes, an attorney in town, and Manuel D. Silva, an assessor in Wilbraham.

“The people have spoken,” Fermandes said Monday night from her victory party at the Montalegre Restaurant on State Street.

She said residents want their taxes lowered, and she plans to listen to them.

“We will look at new ideas for raising revenues and for more efficiencies,” Fernandes said. She said she will invite people in town to work with her.

She said she had many volunteers who worked with her Monday to get the vote out.

“It was a cold day,” she said.

Silva said he has 30 years experience setting tax rates in Wilbraham. He said he plans to help normalize the tax rate in Ludlow.

There were five candidates seeking the two selectmen seats. Fernandes received 1,743 votes and Silva received 1,156 votes.

The unsuccessful candidates for selectmen were Christine Peacey who received 656 votes, Walter Craven with 697 votes and Timothy Donnelly with 675 votes.

For a seat on the School Committee, incumbent Jacob Oliveira kept his seat, defeating challenger Deborah Stephenson. Oliveira received 1,625 votes to 1,128 votes for Stephenson.

Oliveira said he used social media to campaign for the first time this year.

The next big priority for the School Committee will be the fiscal 2013 budget, he said.

Oliveira said he plans to continue to work with all members of the School Committee in a professional manner.

The assessor’s race was an upset with Antonio Rosa, president of Appraisal Services in Ludlow, defeating incumbent Donald Lake. Rosa received 1,505 votes to 1,123 votes for Lake.

For Board of Public Works, incumbent Barry Linton defeated Richard Zucco. Linton received 1,671 votes to 1,002 votes for Zucco.

For a seat on the Board of Health, Timonthy Fontaine defeated Victor Field. Fontaine received 1,457 votes to 823 votes for Field.

Voter turnout Monday was 22 percent, with 2,912 voters casting ballots of 13,208 registered voters.