One student said there was a lot of discussion of cyber bullying through the Internet and through the use of cell phone text messages.

Kara Yelinek, Matthew LaCoille, Susan Skaza and Adam Leecock, clockwise from top left, are four of the 30 Ludlow High School students who attended an anti-bulling workshop in Bridgewater.

LUDLOW – Ludlow High School Assistant Principal Michael Halpin and school adjustment counselor Daniel Kelliher took 30 students from the high school to an anti-bullying workshop at the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center at Bridgewater State College.

Kara B. Yelinek, 16, a junior at Ludlow High School, said the students went to an assembly and a workshop to discuss the ways bullying happens and to make students more aware of the consequences of bullying.

Yelinek said there was a lot of discussion of cyber bullying through the Internet and through the use of cell phone text messages.

Sometimes students forward bullying text messages, Susan F. Skaza, 17, a senior at Ludlow High School, said.

The students also learned that there is little guarantee of privacy on Internet social networking sites, Skaza said.

Matthew S. LaCoille, 17, a junior at Ludlow High School, said he learned that text messages could constitute proof of bullying.

Adam Leecock, 17, a Ludlow High School senior, said more people are becoming aware that there may be repercussions to bullying, including disciplinary actions.

Yelinek said she does not think there is an overwhelming problem with bullying at Ludlow High School.

Some students who bully unintentionally may not know how seriously their criticisms of their friends will be taken, LaCoille said.

Yelinek said more school spirit and more student participation at athletic events and other events designed to bring the students together would be a way to reduce bullying.

A lot of students are apathetic toward high school activities, Yelinek said.

Yelinek and LaCoille are members of the Leading Lions at Ludlow High School, a group which tries to guide underclassmen and help freshmen adjust to high school.

If more students were involved in school activities, the student body would be more united and less likely to be divided into factions, the students said.

LaCoille said there are many athletic teams, honors classes and activities to get involved in at the high school for students who are interested.

The intent behind taking the students to the anti-bullying workshops is to try and improve the culture of the high school, Halpin said.

On Dec. 14 the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center will present an anti-bullying workshop at Ludlow High School for the entire student body.

Mayor Domenic Sarno vowed to continue to crack down on the "midnight marauders." Watch video

SPRINGFIELD – You may not want to smile if caught on this candid camera.

Local and state officials gathered in Indian Orchard on Tuesday to announce that 13 people had been caught on hidden state surveillance cameras in recent months, dumping items ranging from mattresses to trash in a wooded area off Moxon Street.

The city, in collaboration with the state, issued $300 citations to those deemed responsible for the illegal dumping under the state Department of Environmental Protection’s “Candid Camera” video surveillance program.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, referring to those who dump as “midnight marauders,” said the police and park departments will continue to work with the state to crack down on illegal dumping. In addition to the 13 violators, there are three newer cases not yet issued citations, officials said.

“I am sick and tired of people being disrespectful to the city of Springfield,” Sarno said. “We will continue to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law to send a message that Springfield is not a dumping ground.”

Sarno and Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet said the dumping hurts Springfield and its quality of life, adding that many of the items dumped could have been disposed of legally at little or no cost including trash that can be set aside on the street curb. The items dumped over a period of several months this spring and summer included mattresses, furniture, construction material, a children’s slide, old tires, and a propane tank.

Pamela Talbot, director of the state’s environmental strike force, praised the collaborative effort by the city and state, noting the agency has partnered with more than a dozen communities since the program began in 2005, and is looking to expand the effort here and in other communities. Environmentalists have “long sought to end the damage and blight done to our public places by illegal dumping,” she said.

Photo by Don Treeger / The RepublicanSpringfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, right, shows photos taken by hidden cameras off of Moxon Street that caught images of illegal dumping. Thirteen people were identified from the pictures. Seen here in the center is Pamela Talbot, director of Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Agency's environmental strike force. On the left is Patrick J. Sullivan, executive director of parks, recreation and building management for the city.

With recent advances in high resolution cameras, and “at relatively low cost, we’ve greatly increased the probability of capturing and stopping this behavior,” Talbot said.

The state installed the small, battery-operated digital cameras, which are equipped with infrared night vision and triggered by motion sensors, officials said. Working with police, citations were issued, with offenders able to pay their fines or request hearings in District Court.

Illegal dumping can be a civil or criminal matter depending on the circumstances, officials said.

Timothy C. Dame, a state environmental investigator, said the cameras are a great tool to catching offenders particularly with limited resources. Officer Joseph Piemonte, of the city’s quality of life ordinance flex squad, agreed the effort increases the ability to catch offenders.

Moxon Street is a dirt road off Goodwin Street and abuts a wooded area.

The state, in releasing a video of the incidents, said one of the motorists cited, Elvis Rodrigguez, was videotaped dumping eight mattresses at once from a pick-up truck into the road, effectively blocking the street until the Department of Public Works arrived to dispose of them properly.

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno says 'think twice' before illegaly dumping your garbage

The state hazardous materials team was called in due to concerns about a possible explosion.

WILBRAHAM – Fire officials are at the scene of a fire at Utility Manufacturing on 2443 Boston Road that prompted a response from the state hazardous materials team, according to Capt. Thomas Shaw.

Shaw said the Fire Department got a call at approximately 8 a.m. Saturday for a report of an electrical fire at the company.

He said it took about 25 minutes to get the fire under control, and that firefighters from Ludlow also responded to the scene, along with the hazardous materials team, and fire marshal’s office.

There was concern about an explosion because the facility does metal processing, and has vats of acid, according to police. Shaw said the facility had a “salt bath” and if water mixed with it, there could have been an explosion.

A fire occurred in a section between the old roof and new roof, and its cause is still under investigation.

Police Capt. Roger Tucker said when emergency personnel arrived on scene, flames were shooting through the roof. Shaw was unsure as to how much damage the building sustained.

Tucker said a half-mile section of Route 20, from Brainerd Street to Post Office Park, was closed for about 45 minutes during the incident. It reopened at 9 a.m. Palmer firefighters assisted by providing coverage at the Wilbraham fire station.

According to Utility Manufacturing’s website, the company was founded in 1930.

Fernandes was arrested after an incident involving a loose dog in which he allegedly threatened the dog officer.

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

PALMER - Bruno Fernandes, the Ludlow man who is facing threatening to commit a crime and disorderly conduct charges in connection with an incident involving the Ludlow dog officer, rejected on Tuesday the prosecutor’s recommendation that he plead guilty to the charges and be on probation for a year.

While Judge Janet McGuiggan sided with the prosecutor, Christopher White, Fernandes withdrew his plea and asked for a continuance of the case, which she granted. Fernandes, 33, will be back in Palmer District Court on Nov. 19 for a pretrial hearing. Fernandes, of 190 Lakeview Drive, was arrested last month after an incident involving a loose dog in which he allegedly threatened the dog officer.

Fernandes wanted the case continued without a finding for three months, saying it “got blown out of proportion” and that the dog in question wasn’t even his. After his proposal was rejected, he said he had new evidence to present to the court.

The once-predominantly French-Canadian Catholic parish cooks up an autumn storm, using the tourtière as its major fund-raiser. Watch video

The Republican / Mark M. MurrayAt the St. John the Baptist Pastoral Center in Ludlow, clockwise, Bernadette Bourbeau, Fabiola Gamache, Ruth Makowicz and Loretta Pancione, all volunteers from Ludlow, prepare the French meat pies for their topping for the 34th annual St. Elizabeth's Church fund-raiser.

LUDLOW - By sheer volume alone, it sounds like it could be a recipe for disaster:

Three weeks, more than 30,000 individual meat pies.

The crust is made from scratch, and each pie’s details done by hand, molding the crusts into small tins, brushing them with milk to ensure a good seal between tops and bottoms and then crimping the edges with fingers - not forks - for the perfect presentation.

For volunteers like Gisele Pelletier, it’s clearly a labor of love that goes on here each October at the St. John the Baptist Pastoral Center on Hubbard Street.

Talk to enough of them, and you learn the story behind their story, how it’s about their faith, working together, helping others and feeding their flock.

Pelletier is among close to 100 volunteers, some of whom rise before dawn every weekday morning for the three weeks, arrive by 6:30 and stay until early afternoon to be part of a pie sale that’s reached almost epic proportions.

The older ones - Ories Panacione, 94, who comes most days after attending 7:30 Mass in St. Elizabeth’s Church next door, holds the “most senior” honor - work right along side the younger ones. The generations banter back and forth, they enjoy music, share a lunchtime meal - and savor their three decades of success.

In a town probably best known for all things Portuguese, this once predominantly French-Canadian Catholic parish cooks up a storm this time of year, using the meat pie - or tourtière - as the basis for its major fund-raiser.

They now cook in a building they helped finance. “It was that which bought this,” says Jeanette Nolan simply and to the point as she talks about the spacious center with its brand-new kitchen.

The pie makers contributed some $500,000 over the years to the fund that helped build the more-than-$1 million parish center. It used to be that they worked in the third-floor auditorium of the 1920s-vintage school next door.

One thing remains constant. They still use the “secret recipe” handed down by Emma Couture, grandmother to Nolan and her cousin, Jean Bergeron, who are among the stalwarts of today’s pie-making. Their mothers and aunt - three sisters among a family of 12 children - helped begin the effort with the recipe perfected in the kitchen of a house right across the street. “Noella’s Kitchen” at the pastoral center pays homage as a legacy to one of them.

Bergeron says she’s the keeper of the recipe; she confides a story about the woman who arrived one year to buy pies and plied her for the ingredients. “Allspice? No. Parsley? No. I looked up and said, ‘Lord, you’ve got to help me with this one.’ I told the woman, ‘The recipe is in my head and won’t come out.’ She left, and I said, ‘Thanks, Lord,’” Bergeron recalled.

The most they’ll reveal about ingredients is that the pie filling uses 85-percent lean ground beef, ground pork, their spice mixture and a “little water” to help with mixing the meat as it cooks.

What began as a home-based effort with about 100 pies a season, now averages some 2,500 pies each day over the three weeks.

Today, it’s James Wainwright who oversees the operation. Old-timers like Nolan and Bergeron will tell you this “younger man” of Scottish heritage has worked very hard to ensure the survival of their fund-raiser. He’s been on board for about 10 years.

Retired from an information security job at Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co., Wainwright’s working on computerized record-keeping and strategizing ways to streamline the works. He’s got the “cooling room” outfitted with new racks created from chicken wire and 2-by-4s to help cool pies in two hours or less.

Wainwright set a modest goal for this year’s effort, 31,500 pies; his committee reached out to all 96 parishes in the Roman Catholic Diocese to for potential pie orders, perhaps to be resold as fund-raisers for the other parishes.

“Three took us up on the offer, one for 200 pies, another for 150 and a third for 500,” Wainwright said. He’s hoping this plan will bear more fruit next year. “If we’d had all 96 parishes order this year, we’d have been in trouble,” he said with a grin.

Every piece of the operation has its history, right down to the wooden-handled stamp that is used to embellish each crust with “SJB” - for St. John the Baptist. The stamp was created by Emile Pelletier, Gisele Pelletier’s husband.

As it is, the operation bakes more pies each day than they know they’ll sell, just because “we have no fear we won’t be able to sell them,” Wainwright said. It also gains them a start on the next day’s orders. More than enough people either walk through the door or call in orders to ensure not a single morsel will go to waste. (The group also delivers pies to homebound members of the parish and freeze some for one of their quarterly meals at which they serve the homeless.)

Can the pie-making continue? Some of Emma Couture’s great- and great-grandchildren are in the mix of things, and a new generation of volunteers is being brought into the fold from the school next door.

Gary Bourbeau, development director at St. John the Baptist School, is seeing to that part of the equation. He grew up helping with the piemaking, and his mother’s part of the regular crew.

Bourbeau is in charge of organizing the youngest volunteers, who arrive as soon as they step off their buses and work until just before 8 a.m. when school starts.

The first day of this year’s operation, there was so much enthusiasm from the school - 45 children came through the door that morning - that Bourbeau had to set up a system where about 18 to 20 young people join the effort each day.

The lessons for the new generation are simple, Bourbeau said; “When you work together, there’s a sense of community. It’s a charitable thing, a way to put your faith into action. You’re doing it because it’s a nice thing to do.”

Twelve-year-old Krista Jasek is an example of how the tradition’s taking hold. She’s in her second year of volunteering.

“I just like helping out people,” Krista said as she helped mold the crusts into the tins this particular morning. “And, making the pies is fun. They’re really yummy.”

Kane told the school committee to hire an assistant superintendent in charge of curriculum development as a strategy to raise the district's MCAS scores.

The Republican file photoLudlow School Superintendent Theresa Kane has recommended the school committee hire an assistant superintendent for curriculum development as a strategy to raise the district's MCAS scores.

LUDLOW - School Superintendent Theresa M. Kane has recommended that the School Committee hire an assistant superintendent in charge of curriculum development as a strategy to raise the school district’s MCAS scores.

Kane recommended that the School Committee advertise and interview to fill the position and bring an assistant superintendent on board after the Christmas break.

She said the school district’s disappointing MCAS scores show a deficiency in the core curriculum, which needs to be addressed as soon as possible.

Kane said it is very disappointing that 50 percent of students in grades four and five failed to achieve proficiency in math and English Language Arts.

She said the teaching staff is attempting to standardize the curriculum.

“Our teachers and principals are giving 110 percent,” she said.

Kane said she looked at 10 comparable school districts to Ludlow and all but two had a position of assistant superintendent in charge of curriculum.

In Ludlow, the position is combined with the special education director.

Kane said there is funding available to establish the position from a School Choice revolving account.

At Ludlow High School, 180 ninth graders failed to show proficiency in math and 75 students failed to show proficiency in English language arts.

Kane did not propose a salary for the position, but she said she would like to see the School Committee vote to advertise an assistant superintendent position at its Nov. 9 meeting.

School Committee member James P. Harrington told Kane he would be more supportive of her proposal if she brought it forward in the spring with next year’s school budget.

“Then we could present the case to Town Meeting with the MCAS data,” Harrington said.

Kane responded that Harrington raised the issue of the district’s poor MCAS scores.

“If the teachers are not given the tools, the work suffers,” she said. “Don’t hold off. This is an urgent need that needs to be addressed now."

The town is looking at a savings of $200,000 in electricity costs for municipal buildings.

Associated Press

LUDLOW – An Energy Committee appointed by the Board of Selectmen is developing a proposal to contract with a company which would place solar panels on the capped town landfill off Holyoke Street.

James P. Harrington, chairman of the committee, said the committee will meet with the Board of Selectmen before the end of the year and ask that the board seek proposals from companies interested in developing a solar farm on the 21-acre capped town landfill.

“We would like to seek bids on a proposal for a solar farm and hopefully award a contract by next February or March,” Harrington said.

He said the company which operates the solar farm would produce electricity which it would sell to Western Massachusetts Electric Co.

The company also would give the town of Ludlow a discount on the electricity the municipality purchases for municipal use.

“Instead of buying electricity for 13 or 14 cents per kilowatt hour we would pay one cent per kilowatt hour,” Harrington said.

He said he estimates that the town could save $200,000 annually in electricity costs for its municipal buildings.

The town would enter into a 20-year contract with the solar company, Harrington said.

He said the incentive for the company to sell electricity cheaply to the town would be the town’s agreement to lease land to the company for the solar panels.

The proposal would allow the municipality to become more energy efficient and would result in a cost savings to the community, Harrington said.

Harrington said the town of Greenfield has undertaken a similar plan and contracted with a company to build solar panels on its landfill.

There are companies currently looking for available land for solar farms, Harrington said.

He said that if the town acts on the idea soon, it should be able to get some competitive bids and award a contract for a solar farm.

A two-way brawl for district attorney in Hampden County, possible tight contests for state treasurer and auditor and battles for some seats in the state Legislature may boost turnout and make the county even more important for statewide candidates in Tuesday’s election.

10/30/10 Holyoke Staff Photo by Mark M.Murray- Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick , delivers coffee to supporters that have gathered at the San Juan Bakery on High Street for his first stop of the day long campaign swing thru the state saturday morning.

BOSTON – With polls showing the governor’s contest is tightening, Western Massachusetts is becoming an important battleground in the election and could help decide the race, candidates and others said.

The two leading candidates for governor in Tuesday’s election – Gov. Deval L. Patrick, the Democrat, and Charles D. Baker, the Republican – campaigned in Holyoke and Springfield respectively on Saturday, showing the importance of the region.

Hampden County, which has the most votes of the four Western Massachusetts counties, has proven to be a bellwether in recent elections for governor. The vote in the county may again help elevate the winner this year, observers said.

Timothy P. Cahill, the state’s two-term treasurer and independent candidate for governor, said Western Massachusetts can “absolutely” make a difference in the governor’s contest.

“We’re fighting for every single vote,” Cahill said. “Every vote counts. We’ve spent a lot of time in Western Massachusetts to back up that point.”

Peter A. Fairman, associate professor of political science at Western New England College in Springfield, said Patrick is holding a lead despite a strong anti-incumbent mood across much of the country.

Patrick has been helped because the Massachusetts economy was not hit as hard as other states during the recent recession.

“We’re still in a Democrat-leaning state,” Fairman added.

10/30/10 Springfield Staff Photo by Mark M.Murray- Republican candidate for Governor Charles Baker, shakes hands with supporters gathered in court square in downtown Springfield saturday afternoon during a campaign stop.

A two-way brawl for district attorney in Hampden County, possible tight contests for state treasurer and auditor and battles for some seats in the state Legislature may boost turnout and make the county even more important for statewide candidates in Tuesday’s election.

Paul Santaniello, a Longmeadow selectman and a Republican, said the governor’s contest may turn on the votes of undecided people.

“It’s a mistake for any candidate to ignore any community in Western Massachusetts,” said Santaniello, who said he plans to vote for Cahill.

Four years ago, Patrick became the first Democrat to win Hampden County in a governor’s contest since conservative Democrat John R. Silber took the most votes in the county in 1990. Patrick, seeking a second term, will be looking to repeat his success of 2006 including a big margin of victory in Springfield, the state’s third largest city, and in Holyoke.

During a campaign stop at the San Juan Bakery in Holyoke on Saturday morning, Gov. Deval L. Patrick was met by a throng of boosters and chants of: “Si se puede,” Spanish for “Yes we Can,” Patrick’s slogan that helped propel him to the seat during the last election.

“Remember why we are doing this. This is not about me. It’s about you,” he told the crowd. “It’s about lifting up the whole commonwealth, not tearing it down.”

Patrick made two stops in Holyoke before moving on to eastern Massachusetts. He spent a fair amount of time at the High Street bakery shaking hands and answering voters’ questions – plus, doing the obligatory populist candidate service of doling out coffees to amused constituents.

“Did you say cream and sugar? Oh, you wanted Splenda?” he asked one woman, prompting a wave of pleased laughter from the crowd.

As he left the bakery to board a bus to the next stop, Patrick paused to talk to reporters about 11th-hour campaigning.

“I think it’s going to be a tight race,” between Patrick and presumed second-runner, Republican contender Charles Baker. “But no one is entitled to this. We’ve got to compete for it.”

Patrick conceded the economic realities of the state, but also emphasized a recent University of Massachusetts study that put the commonwealth’s fiscal recovery at twice that of the national average.

Baker, former CEO of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, is seeking to duplicate the success of past GOP candidates for governor who won Hampden County in 1994, 1998 and 2002 and went on to capture the governor’s office.

At Court Square in Springfield on Saturday, a throng of 200 Baker supporters gathered to cheer their candidate on as the Dropkick Murphys blared in the background.

Chants of “Charlie! Charlie!” and “Go Charlie Go!” filled the air as Baker shook hands with his supporters. He was introduced by state Sen. Michael R. Knapik, R-Westfield, who noted that Sunday is Halloween, and he’s most scared of “four more years of Deval Patrick.”

Said Baker, “You can choose four more years of higher taxes. What do you think about that?”

The crowd shouted back, “No!”

“That’s what I think too,” Baker said. “We’ve had enough.”

Then the crowd started chanting “we’ve had enough!”

Alluding to high unemployment numbers, Baker said someone is needed to reform state government and that people need to get back to work.

“This is your chance to take back your government. This is your chance to send a loud signal,” Baker said.

Baker said he will look forward to spending time in Western Massachusetts as governor, and marching in the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade.

Baker said Western Massachusetts will be important to him on Tuesday, as is the entire state of Massachusetts.

“We’re competing for votes everywhere,” Baker said.

He noted that job creation is an issue in Western Massachusetts, and to create jobs, regional approaches should be considered. Strengths in Western Massachusetts include precision manufacturing, travel and tourism and healthcare, Baker said.

Springfield City Councilor Timothy J. Rooke attended the rally in support of Baker.

“I’m voting for the person to best guard my wallet,” Rooke said.

A possible good sign for Baker is that U.S. Sen. Scott P. Brown, a Republican, won Hampden in the Jan. 19 special election to fill the seat of the late U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy.

Anthony L. Cignoli, a Springfield political consultant, said it is essential for the candidates for governor to win every undecided vote possible. Cignoli said Western Massachusetts has more undecided voters because candidates spend and advertise more in the eastern part of the state to get out their messages.

“Baker needs to find those independent and Democratic crossover voters and Patrick needs to keep them in his fold,” Cignoli said.

Berkshire, Franklin and Hampshire counties are among the most liberal in the state and are expected to vote for Patrick on Tuesday. All three counties voted for Democrat Martha M. Coakley in the U.S. Senate election in January and all three have supported a Democrat for governor since 2002.

If Baker is to win Hampden County, he will need to finish on top in communities that supported Brown in January including Agawam, Wilbraham, West Springfield, Longmeadow, East Longmeadow, Westfield and Ludlow.

Richard F. Gorka, a spokesman for Baker, said Western Massachusetts is important to Baker’s chances on Tuesday.

Gorka cited statistics that show 6,000 real estate foreclosures in Western Massachusetts this year alone and 33,000 people who are looking for work but unemployed in the Springfield metropolitan area, an increase of 12,000 since Patrick took office in 2007.

In a neck-and-neck election, Western Massachusetts is critical, he said. “It’s absolutely important to Charlie’s electoral chances on Tuesday,” Gorka said.

Patrick rallied with supporters in Springfield on Wednesday and campaigned in Chicopee and Amherst on Thursday. He even held a town hall-style event in the Franklin County town of Heath, an unusual choice considering it came just five days before the election when statewide candidates often pass over small communities.

Patrick and Baker were touring the entire state in the last days before the election.

In the days before the election, the Massachusetts Teachers Association bolstered Patrick with $2.75 million independent expenditure including television and Internet ads, polling and a mailing. The teachers union spent the money independent of the Patrick campaign.

The teachers association, the largest labor union in the state, also contributed $1 million to a coalition working to defeat Question 3, which seeks to cut the 6.25 percent sales tax to 3 percent.

The National Education Association in Washington, donated an additional $1.2 million to the coalition opposed to Question 3. As of Tuesday, the Massachusetts Coalition for Our Communities raised some $4.5 million to oppose the ballot question, while the proponents, the Alliance to Roll Back Taxes, raised $250,000.

Another public employee union, The Service Employees International Union, gave $500,000 to the effort to kill Question 3.

Timothy T. Collins, president of the Springfield Education Association, said the spending by the teachers union is worthwhile since Question 3 would take away money from public schools and Patrick has funded and protected public education during a fiscal crisis in state government.

Cahill said the spending by the teachers association shows that Patrick would be beholden to a big union. “When you get support from these special interest groups, you owe them something,” Cahill said. “You owe them tax increases if it’s the teachers.”

Patrick said he has clashed with the teachers union in order to make change including a law approved earlier this year that expands charter schools.

“This is not my career,” said Patrick, who is planning to serve one more term if re-elected. “The beauty of it not being my career is that I can do the job without worrying about my career.”

In the contest for state treasurer, Steve Grossman, a Democrat, is facing state Rep. Karyn E. Polito, the Republican. Democrat Suzanne M. Bump, the state secretary of labor and workforce development, is squaring off against Republican Mary Z. Connaughton and Green Party candidate Nathanael A. Fortune, of Whately, for the state auditor’s post.

In a contest to watch in the state Legislature, Republican Gregory C. Neffinger, of West Springfield, is running against Democrat Michael J. Finn for the open Sixth Hampden District seat in the state House of Representatives.

And state Rep. Rosemary Sandlin, an Agawam Democrat, is attempting to fend off strong challenges from two Agawam people – Nicholas A. Boldyga, the Republican, and independent Anthony C. Bonavita.

Voters will also decide ballot questions including one which would abolish the year-old 6.25 percent sales tax on the retail sale of beer, wine and hard liquor.

Staff writers Stephanie Barry and Lori Stabile contributed to this report.

Officials said a woman crashed her car into a guardrail. She was able to get herself out of the vehicle before it caught fire.

LUDLOW – A car caught fire on the Massachusetts Turnpike Sunday morning leaving one woman in the hospital.

Ludlow firefighters responded to a car fire between Exit 7 and Exit 8 on the Mass Pike eastbound lane around 2:39 a.m.

Officials said a woman crashed her car into a guardrail. She was able to get herself out of the vehicle before it caught fire.

The woman was transferred to Baystate Medical Center where she is being treated for non-life threatening injuries.

The cause of the accident is not being released at this time.

Check out a video of Ludlow voters discussing the issues and races. Watch video

Ray Kelly photoCampaign workers wave to passing motorists outside Precinct 3, Ludlow High School, on Chapin Street on Tuesday morning.

Tiago Leal arrived at Precinct 3 at Ludlow High School “to get some change and, hopefully, see some improvement in the state economy.”

Voter Diane Bruno agreed. “I want change.”

Retired teacher Brian Connery said he was voting with education in mind and against anything or anyone who would make cuts. “I am voting no on all the ballot questions,” he said.

The Hampden Country district attorney’s race between Democrat Stephen J. Buoniconti of West Springfield and independent Mark G. Mastroianni of Westfield grabbed the attention of many voters.

“There’s a lot of corruption downtown and a lot of cleaning up that needs to be done,” said voter Diane Ogorzalek.

Secretary of State William F. Galvin has predicted that voter turnout could set a record for a governor’s election. The record for a governor’s election was set in 1990 when 2.42 million voters went to the polls.

Polls will remain open until 8 p.m.

Democrat Gale D. Candaras of Wilbraham handily won reelection to the First Hampden and Hampshire District state Senate seat yesterday, beating back a challenge from Republican Thomas A. McCarthy of Springfield. Watch video

Republican file photoGale D. Candaras

WILBRAHAM – Democrat Gale D. Candaras of Wilbraham handily won reelection to the First Hampden and Hampshire District state Senate seat yesterday, beating back a challenge from Republican Thomas A. McCarthy of Springfield.

Aaron Saunders, aide to Candaras, said she carried 60 percent of the vote, versus 40 percent for McCarthy.

Candaras said she is “gratified in these tough economic times to have the trust and confidence of the people I serve.”

“People are frightened and fearful of the future,” Candaras said. “These are tough times.

“I am grateful that people respect my work and that they have enough trust and confidence in me to reelect me.”

McCarthy mounted a challenge to Candaras, never having held elective office before.

Prior to the election McCarthy said he decided to run because state government is plagued by too much debt and that state pensions and other state benefits are too generous.

During her campaign, Candaras said she wants to work on programs that could boost training for precision machinists in Western Massachusetts, saying the local medical industry and other manufacturers need 500 such workers.

She also said she supports reviving a casino bill next year to bring a casino resort to Western Massachusetts.

“It’s about creating jobs, bringing more jobs to Western Massachusetts,” she said.

McCarthy had called casinos a “pathetic solution” to increasing revenues and jobs in the state.

Candaras and McCarthy also disagreed on Question 3 on the ballot. The question asked voters to reduce the 6.25 percent sales tax to 3 percent as of Jan. 1.

Candaras last year voted in support of raising the sales tax from 5 percent to 6.25 percent.

Candaras opposed Question 3, saying it could hurt local and state services such as education, public safety and human services.

McCarthy, the owner of Gateway Hardware on Boston Road in Springfield, supported Question 3, calling it the only option to bring more fiscal discipline to Beacon Hill.

McCarthy said financial problems have shaken Americans’ faith in themselves.

“As government grows and regulates more aspects of our lives, our freedom to make personal choices – choices about our health care, our children’s education and even the use of our income – is slowly and steadily taken from us,” McCarthy said.

The assessments, which will be available for public review, are based on 2009 sales analysis and a field review.

LUDLOW - The Board of Assessors has received preliminary certification from the state Department of Revenue for the town’s proposed fiscal 2011 assessments based on 2009 sales analysis and a field review.

Every three years the town must go through the recertification process to stay in compliance with a state requirement that all property be at full and fair cash market value.

The proposed valuations will be available for public inspection from Nov. 9 to 16 on the first floor of the Town Hall on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Monday and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

A listing will be available at the Ludlow Senior Center from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the Hubbard Memorial Library on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The proposed valuations will be posted online at www.ludlow.ma.us.

If there are any errors or omissions in the assessments that can be corrected at this time.

Anyone with issues or questions should contact the Assessor’s office at (413) 583-5608, extension 223 or 222.

Pappas once served as Ludlow’s interim agent.

File photo by Mark M. Murray / The RepublicanFormer Palmer veterans' agent, Peter Pappas, left, is seen with state Rep.Thomas M. Petrolati, D- Ludlow, last year. Pappas, who how lives in Ludlow, has been named this year's veteran of the year in Ludlow.

LUDLOW – This year’s veteran of the year is no stranger to the town, despite having spent most of his life in Palmer.

Donald J. Couture, veterans services director, said he knew right away who he would choose for the prestigious honor – Peter E. Pappas.

Because Pappas, 87, has lived at the Keystone Commons assisted living facility for the past year and a half, Couture finally could select him for the award.

Pappas, a World War II veteran, has organized ceremonies for Memorial Day and Veterans Day, as well as a 9-11 remembrance ceremony, at Keystone, which is home to approximately 30 veterans.

Eleven years ago, Pappas helped the town of Ludlow in another way. When its veterans agent Joseph Alves suddenly passed away, Pappas took over the job for more than a year while he held the same role in Palmer.

“When he moved to Keystone Commons, I said, ‘Here’s a chance to honor someone who’s helped our town, and for everything he’s done at Keystone Commons since he’s been here,’” Couture said.

Pappas was recently hospitalized for an infection and breathing problem and will not be able to attend the Veterans Day ceremony at Keystone that he planned. But in his place will be his daughter, Anita Pappas-Raposa of Agawam, and Couture will be giving her the “veteran of the year” plaque for her father. Pappas-Raposa also will handle the ceremony for her father, who said he wishes he could be there.

Said Couture, “We want him to get better. He’s always been very active with anything to do with the veterans. It gives him something to get up for in the morning. He is one of the ‘greatest generation.’”

Pappas-Raposa said her father has devoted much of his life to the causes and concerns of veterans. She said he is doing well, but is not sure when he will return to Keystone, a place he said he misses and loves.

Maryann Burns, Keystone’s director of marketing, said they are eagerly awaiting his return.

“Every Memorial Day, every Veterans Day, he does it all,” Burns said. “He’s such an asset, he really just is. He’s just got a heart of gold, and he’s a pleasure to be around.

“Boy, does he take this veteran stuff seriously. He plans these wonderful ceremonies and puts so much effort into it. It’s definitely an asset to our community. He acts as master of ceremonies,” she added.

Burns said the events are something to which the residents look forward, as they all hail from the World War II era. She said many of the men are veterans, and the women are widows of veterans. She said Pappas is proud to be able to honor them. This year’s ceremony is at 11 a.m. at Keystone on Thursday, and is open to the public.

Couture said in addition to the plaque, Pappas’ name will be added to the list of veterans of the year at Town Hall.

Pappas said he was surprised when Couture told him he was the veteran of the year. Pappas spent three years in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He was a gunner on B-24 Liberator bombers and flew in the China-Burma-India theater.

When he retired from the post office, Pappas got the job as Palmer’s veterans agent, which he did for 12½ years until retiring in June 2003. In Palmer, he made a name for himself not only for his work with veterans, but for his countless acts of generosity. Pappas bought hooded pullovers for the Palmer High cheerleaders, and donated $1,000 to help 20 athletes play sports who could not afford a new athletic fee.

“You feel satisfied when you’re helping somebody,” Pappas said.

Pappas said when he got to Keystone, he took the initiative to start the ceremonies, and in a week’s time, also got an American flag and flagpole for the property.

“You just go and do these things,” Pappas said.

November is Family Literacy Month in Massachusetts.

File photo by Michael S. Gordon / The RepublicanIn this 2008 file photo, Cindy J. McNaught, East Longmeadow children’s librarian, right, reads “Green Eggs and Ham” by Dr. Seuss to Jennifer L. Thompson and her daughters, Aleigh E. Thompson, 2, left, and Anna Cait Thompson, 4, all of East Longmeadow.

EAST LONGMEADOW – Family walks to promote literacy will be held in East Longmeadow, Longmeadow, Ludlow and Wilbraham this weekend.

Community Partnerships for Children, an annual grant funded by the state Department of Early Education and Care and distributed by the Ludlow Public Schools, will sponsor the walks to promote the benefits of literacy for children.

“We work with parents and their children from birth until the age of 8,” said Cindy M. Milner, community coordinator for the grant. “Our mission is to support literacy, healthy childhood development, and support parents in their role as parents.”

Gov. Deval L. Patrick recently declared November as Family Literacy Month, and Milner thought it was a perfect opportunity to organize the walks.

Milner decided to use the StoryWalk program, which combines a children’s story with a popular walking route. The program was developed in 2007 by Anne Ferguson, of Montpelier, Vt. The walks promote the importance of families reading together and the benefits of young children being read to often, Milner said.

There will also be walks at Post Office Park in Wilbraham, East Street in Ludlow and Bliss Park in Longmeadow.

The walks are self-guided, which means families can come any time between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. from Friday through Sunday and walk through the park, bike trail or downtown and read pages of a story at different spots, Milner said.

In East Longmeadow and Longmeadow pages of a story will be spread out across the bike trail and park. In Wilbraham and Ludlow the pages will be posted on the windows of local businesses.

The first StoryWalk is dedicated to Cynthia MacNaught, the children’s librarian at the East Longmeadow Public Library. MacNaught has been a librarian for more than 30 years.

“We chose her for her love of children and reading. We thought she would be the perfect person for these first walks,” Milner said.

For information, call Milner at (413) 583-3527.

The state’s highest court is reviewing a 300-page report on patronage within the department.

The Republican file photoThe Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court is reviewing a 300-page report on patronage and hiring practices in the state's Probation Department, including the role played by State Rep. Thomas M. Petrolati, D-Ludlow in the growing scandal.

This is an updated version of a story posted Wednesday at 11:16.

BOSTON – Justices on the state Supreme Judicial Court are reviewing a 300-page report on patronage and hiring practices in the state’s Probation Department including the role played by state Rep. Thomas M. Petrolati, of Ludlow, in the growing scandal.

Paul F. Ware, an independent investigator appointed by the justices in May, submitted the report on Wednesday. The court has impounded the report and has provided no schedule for its official release, according to Susan Mellen, clerk for the high court.

The court appointed Ware on May 24 to conduct the investigation of hiring and promotion practices within the Probation Department, long used for patronage by state legislators.

The Probation Department has hired Petrolati’s wife, Kathleen; Robert Ryan, the husband of Petrolati’s chief of staff; Andre Pereira, a former legislative aide; and political contributors to his campaign.

Petrolati’s involvement in the probation dispute may also cost him his leadership position and bonus pay on Beacon Hill.

Depending on the probation report, House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo may not reappoint Petrolati as speaker pro tempore, the No. 3 position in the House that he has held for the past six years. If he is re-elected speaker, as expected in January, DeLeo could unveil his leadership appointments in January or February.

Seth Gitell, a spokesman for DeLeo, declined comment on Wednesday.

If Petrolati is stripped of his leadership position, he would lose $15,000 bonus that he receives in addition to his regular $61,440 salary as a legislator. A Ludlow Democrat, Petrolati has served 24 years on Beacon Hill.

Colleen M. Ryan, chief of staff for Petrolati, said on Wednesday that Petrolati will not comment on the probation investigation at this point.

Petrolati attempted to quash a subpoena for him to testify in the sweeping investigation by Ware’s office. In September, the state Supreme Judicial Court rejected Petrolati’s request to kill the subpoena and said Ware had the power to compel him to testify.

In May, the justices of the state Supreme Judicial Court placed a longtime ally and friend of legislators, Probation Commissioner John J. O’Brien, on administrative leave following reports in The Boston Globe that painted the Probation Department as a haven for patronage where promotions can hinge on political donations.

John P. Pucci, a Northampton lawyer for Petrolati, recently referred to an article in CommonWealth magazine in Boston that said the practice of recommending people for jobs in probation was widespread and goes well beyond Petrolati.

The magazine reported that probation officials disclosed to Ware that they have a database of people who contacted the agency to recommend someone for a job or probation.

“It sets up a helpful context,” Pucci said.

The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination ultimately dismissed the complaint by Jill Gagne, but now an independent counsel has taken testimony about it.

The Republican file photoA dismissed sexual harassment complaint against state Rep. Thomas Petrolati, D-Ludlow, above, whose role in patronage and hiring practices at the Massachusetts Probation Department is part of a 300-page report impounded by the state Supreme Judicial Court, has surfaced again.

BOSTON - A 14-year-old sexual harassment complaint that was dismissed is coming back to haunt state Rep. Thomas M. Petrolati as part of an investigation of patronage in the state’s Probation Department.

In 1996, Jill Gagne, then a program director at the Ludlow Boys & Girls Club, filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. In it, she claimed she was fired after she told supervisors she was sexually harassed by Petrolati and complained about his advances. Petrolati, a Ludlow Democrat, was then an honorary board member of the club.

The state commission ultimately dismissed the complaint against Petrolati, but now an independent counsel, appointed to investigate hiring practices in probation, has taken testimony about it. The special prosecutor’s report, filed this week in Boston, is now impounded with the state Supreme Judicial Court.

The testimony regarding the harassment complaint apparently turns on whether Petrolati may have used his influence at probation in an attempt to pressure a key witness in the case, the Boston Globe reported in a recent lengthy article on Petrolati’s longtime grip on patronage at probation.

The witness, James G. Moriarty, chief executive officer of the boys club, confirmed this week he did testify in the closed-door proceedings about the Probation Department. Moriarty’s wife had been seeking a state probation job at about the same time Petrolati faced the sexual harassment claim.

In a telephone interview on Thursday, Gagne told The Republican that Petrolati would constantly call her over a period of about six weeks in 1996 and would send her flowers with notes. Petrolati, who is married, would attempt to persuade her to meet him in Boston, she said.

Gagne said the conversations were “sexual” in nature.

“It was definitely clear he wanted me to have sexual relations with him,” Gagne told The Republican. “That was always his pickup line, ‘Come to Boston. Come with me there.’ ”

Petrolati never touched her, she said. There was never any physical contact, she said.

In early 1997, the commission against discrimination dismissed the complaint, saying in a decision that it was unable to conclude that the information it obtained established a violation of the law.

The Globe has reported that on the same day in 1996 that Moriarty was questioned by commission staff, his wife received an unexpected call inviting her to interview for a probation opening in Westfield District Court. Months earlier, a Petrolati assistant had told Moriarty that his wife was no longer being considered for the probation job, the Globe reported.

The Republican file photoJames Moriarty

Moriarty told investigators that he believes that Petrolati was behind the sudden reversal back in 1996, and he viewed it as an attempt to influence his testimony, the Globe reported.

“It was too much of a damn coincidence,” Moriarty told independent counsel Paul F. Ware, a source familiar with his testimony told the Globe.

In this week’s interview, Moriarty said he and his wife were subpoenaed to testify in front of Ware. He would not, however, comment on the testimony.

Moriarty said his wife was not hired in 1996 and never worked at probation. The Globe reported that the wife was interviewed for a probation post.

“We did testify,” Moriarty said. “It’s part of the official investigation.”

Petrolati has refused repeated requests for an interview. An aide referred questions to Jack St. Clair, a Springfield lawyer who represented Petrolati regarding the complaint to the state anti-discrimination commission.

St. Clair said on Friday that Gagne, in 1996, was deposed under oath and extensive evidence in the case was presented to a state hearing officer. The hearing concluded there was no probable cause to send the case to trial, according to the lawyer, and the bottom line, St. Clair said, was that Gagne’s assertions were not credible.

“Every opportunity was made for the girl at the time to make her case, and she didn’t make her case,” St. Clair said. “What she is saying now is not to be believed. It wasn’t to be believed 14 years ago when people were dealing with it intensely.”

Gagne said she was devastated when she was fired from her job at the Ludlow club. She said Petrolati’s advances were terrifying because he always seemed to be around her or calling her over those six weeks.

“He was just creepy,” said Gagne, which is her maiden name. “It was enough to scare me.”

Gagne, a 1987 graduate of Agawam High School, was 26 at the time, while Petrolati was 39.

According to a copy of the decision by the anti-discrimination commission, the commission found that Gagne lost her job because of “inappropriate actions and comments” to Moriarty, not because of her clash with Petrolati.

In a conversation with Moriarty, Gagne openly displayed physical hostility toward a 7-year-old child, the decision said.

The club took “corrective action” in response to Gagne’s complaints about being harassed, the decision said.

At the time, Petrolati denied doing anything inappropriate, but Moriarty, in his testimony to special investigator Ware, contradicted Petrolati, according to the Globe, which cited a source with direct knowledge of the testimony.

According to the Globe’s source, Moriarty testified Petrolati was so concerned about avoiding bad publicity, that his aide urged Moriarty to help him lobby a newspaper against writing a story on Gagne’s complaint. When Moriarty declined, the aide told Moriarty that his wife would no longer be considered for a probation job, the Globe reported, again citing a source.

Moriarty told Ware that he believed Gagne’s harassment claim, the Globe reported.

Petrolati, the No. 3 power in the state House of Representatives, was re-elected on Nov. 2 without opposition. He has been challenged only once since being elected in 1986.

Ware, the independent investigator appointed by state Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall and Judge Robert A. Mulligan, chief justice for administration and management for the state Trial Court, submitted a report on Wednesday. The court has impounded the report, and it’s unclear when it will be released.

The Probation Department has hired: Petrolati’s wife, Kathleen, for a $93,000-a-year program manager’s position; Robert P. Ryan, the husband of Petrolati’s chief of staff, Colleen Ryan, as $93,000 chief probation officer; Andre Pereira, a former legislative aide as a $74,350-a-year assistant chief probation officer; and political contributors to his campaign. Two of Pereira’s nieces were also hired at probation, the Globe reported.

Marshall and Mulligan placed probation commissioner John J. O’Brien, a strong ally of Petrolati, on administrative leave in May, pending the results of the now-impounded report by Ware.

Petrolati, who has one of the largest campaign balances in the state Legislature, has long collected campaign contributions from probation employees, including the great majority during an annual fund-raiser in Ludlow.

O’Brien was appointed probation commissioner in 1998 but had previously served as coordinator of “intergovernmental relations” for the administrative office of the Trial Court.

The student died at home in Springfield.

LUDLOW – School Superintendent Theresa M. Kane said she was informed by Ludlow police that a Springfield student at Baird Middle School in Ludlow died Tuesday at his Springfield home.

Springfield police were investigating whether the death was the result of natural causes, Kane said. No information was available from Springfield police about the death.

Kane said counseling was available for students at the middle school, and a letter went home to parents notifying them of the death.

The boy, identified in a school letter to parents as Brandon Cruz, died Tuesday at home.

The Republican file photo

Updates a story posted Wednesday at 3:37 p.m.

LUDLOW – School Superintendent Theresa M. Kane said she was informed by Ludlow police that a Springfield student at Baird Middle School died Tuesday at his Springfield home.

Springfield police were investigating whether the death was accidental, Kane said. No information was available from Springfield police about the death.

Baird Middle School Principal Sheryl Stanton sent a letter to parents of middle school students telling them that Brandon Cruz of Springfield, a sixth grader at the school, died accidentally at home. The letter says the Middle School guidance team is monitoring all students and is available to parents if they have any concerns.

Ashe said he received Petrolati's help to get a probation officer's job for his son.

The Republican file photosHampden County Sheriff Michael Ashe, left, said he received the help of Massachusetts state Rep. Thomas Petrolati, right, to win a probation officer's job for his son, but he said there was no deal to return the favor by hiring the legislator's supporters at the Ludlow jail.

BOSTON - Hampden County Sheriff Michael J. Ashe said he received the help of state Rep. Thomas M. Petrolati to win a probation officer’s job for his son, but he said there was no deal to return the favor by hiring the legislator’s supporters at the Ludlow jail.

“It is what it is,” Ashe said. “There’s no question that to get a job in probation, particularly in Western Massachusetts, it is well understood you need to go through Tom Petrolati.”

In a prepared statement issued in May, Petrolati said that he can only recommend job candidates and that the final hiring decision is up to Judge Robert A. Mulligan, chief justice for administration and management. “I am appreciative that I have been in the position to recommend many qualified people for available positions,” Petrolati wrote at the time.

Ashe’s son, Stephen P. Ashe is currently the acting chief probation officer in Hampden Superior Court, receiving $93,000 a year. After the sheriff sought Petrolati’s recommendation, the son was hired as a probation officer in 1997 and has worked his way up through the ranks.

Petrolati, a Ludlow Democrat, is awaiting the release of a report by a special counsel on hiring and management practices in the probation department. Paul F. Ware, a lawyer named to investigate the probation department, filed his report on Nov. 9, but it has been impounded by the state Supreme Judicial Court.

The state’s two top judges in May placed probation commissioner John J. O’Brien on paid leave pending the results of the report.

In a story last month, The Boston Globe, citing unnamed sources, reported that Petrolati resented Ashe for failing to hire more of the legislator’s references for jobs at the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow. In 2005, to send a message to Ashe, Petrolati persuaded the probation commissioner to block a promotion for Ashe’s son, The Globe reported, until Ashe made peace with the legislator.

Ashe said he never had a deal with Petrolati to allow the promotion of his son.

“I would never go in the tank or be subjected to that kind of thing,” the sheriff said.

Ashe said his son had a master’s degree in criminal justice from American International College in Springfield before he was hired.

Ashe said he had heard that Petrolati had stopped a promotion for his son, but he didn’t know if it was true.

“I have no knowledge that he and O’Brien attempted to do that,” Ashe said. “If he did do it, I’m obviously disappointed.”

Stephen Ashe was promoted to an assistant chief probation officer in 2003, a first assistant in 2006 and to his current position in 2008.

John P. Pucci, a Northampton lawyer representing Petrolati in the probation investigation, said he didn’t know about any possible conflict between the legislator and the sheriff, or whether Petrolati worked with O’Brien to prevent a promotion for the sheriff’s son.

Pucci said the bigger picture is that Petrolati fights to make sure that a reasonable number of jobs at the jail go to his constituents.

“It’s not a scandal,” Pucci said. “It simply is an appropriate use of a legislator’s authority and power ... to make sure some of the jobs at the Ludlow jail go to Ludlow residents.”

According to a 1989 law approved for the siting of the jail in Ludlow, the sheriff must favor Ludlow residents in the hiring of up to 25 percent of the new employees for the jail.

Richard J. McCarthy, a spokesman for Ashe, released statistics for the number of hires for every year since 1992 when the jail opened. The percentage of hires that were Ludlow residents fluctuated, with no pattern around any hiring or promotion of Stephen Ashe, McCarthy said.

Of 26 new employees hired so far this year, only two, or 7.7 percent, were from Ludlow. There were five new hirings last year, but none were from Ludlow. In 2008, 78 people were hired including eight, or 10.3 percent from Ludlow.

In 2007, there were 207 new hires because of the opening of the Western Massachusetts Regional Women’s Correctional Center in Chicopee, McCarthy said. A total of 14 of those hires, or 6.7 percent, were from Ludlow, records show.

In 2006, 151 people were hired including nine from Ludlow, or 5.9 percent.

In 2005, when the Globe reported that Petrolati blocked the promotion of the son, there were 77 employees hired but only two from Ludlow, or 2.6 percent.

During 1998 to 2001, the percent of Ludlow hires was somewhere between 10 and 14.5 percent each year.

A higher percentage of new employees were from Ludlow in 1995 and in 1996 than in 1997, when Stephen Ashe was hired, the records show.

The fire captain position will become vacant when Fire Captain Charles Cabana retires.

LUDLOW – The Board of Selectmen has voted 4 to 0 to request a Civil Service promotional list to fill a fire captain’s position.

Fire Chief Mark Babineau told selectmen Tuesday that the position will become vacant as of Jan. 31 because Captain Charles Cabana has announced his intent to retire.

Selectmen also voted to request a Civil Service list to hire three new firefighters.

One of the new hires will replace the firefighter who is promoted to captain, Babineau said.

In addition, Babineau said two other positions have gone unfilled by selectmen for the past two years due to the poor economy and reduced state aid.

“We are funded for 30 firefighters,” Babineau said. He said that if three new firefighters are hired, the new hires will bring the force up to 30 firefighters.

Selectman Antonio Dos Santos said that since the positions have gone unfilled, there has been a large expenditure of Fire Department overtime funds.

Babineau said that filling the positions should bring the overtime expenditures way down.

The three new hires will have to go through the Massachusetts Fire Academy when openings become available, Babineau said.

He said the Massachusetts Fire Academy currently is taking over the Springfield Fire Academy which should make firefighter training more readily available to firefighters in Western Massachusetts.

Babineau recommended that any new firefighters which are hired be trained paramedics so they can operate the town ambulance.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting selected voted to send a letter to the Board of Public Works stating that they agree with the claim of town residents that Helena Street and Deroche Circle need to be repaved due to their poor condition.

Selectman Aaron Saunders said he would like to see the issue placed on the agenda of the next joint Board of Public Works and Board of Selectmen meeting.