Police stopped Jesus Ashanti, a homeless man, and Yannick Fanis of Hartford on I-291 after the second robbery

This is an update of a story originally posted at 9:58 a.m.

SPRINGFIELD – Police arrested two men Friday morning in connection with two bank robberies in Springfield and Ludlow less than an hour apart, officials said.

Police arrested Jesus Ashanti, 34, who claimed to be homeless, and Yannick Fanis, 26, of 317 Lyme St., Hartford.

Springfield police charged Ashanti was charged with unarmed robbery and Fanis was charged with unarmed assault with intent to rob, said officer Charles Youmans, spokesman for Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet

Ludlow police charged each man with unarmed robbery, said Ludlow Detective Sgt. Thomas Foye.

No weapon was shown in either robbery, police said..

Youmans said each is also the subject of a “multi-jurisdictional investigation,” by area police to determine if either has been involved in a string of robberies in Western Massachusetts in the last month.

Springfield and Ludlow police are contacting police in Northampton, Agawam, Chicopee and South Hadley, he said.

Banks in each of those communities were robbed recently by a bearded black man wearing a distinctive hat.

“We’re trying to determine whether they are involved in those,” Youmans said. “There
is nothing to suggest it at this time.

Foye said “We have been in contact with surrounding departments. There appear to be some similarities.”

Youmans said Springfield police were called at about 9:30 a.m. to the TD North branch at 619 Chestnut Street, near Calhoun Park in the city’s Memorial Square neighborhood.

Tellers told police that a black man, about 30 years old and wearing a white hat, approached a teller and sought change for a $100 bill. When the teller opened the drawer, he reached over the counter and grabbed some cash, Youmans said.

Before he could grab very much, he ran out the door and was seen getting into a blue sedan with New York plates, he said.

Police broadcast a description of the robber and the car to surrounding towns, he said.

At about 10:20 a.m. Ludlow police were alerted by Citizens Bank, 645 Center St., that it had just been robbed, Foye said.

A black man with a beard and a some kind of white hat handed the teller a note demanding money.

The man fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash and was seen running to the rear of Randall’s Farm, 631 Center St, where the dye pack that had been slipped in with the money exploded, Foye said. Witnesses told police they saw the man get into a blue car with another man and drive off.

After Ludlow broadcast their description of the robbers to surrounding towns, Springfield detectives James Goldrick and Lt. Thomas Kennedy got on Interstate 291 and spotted a blue car matching the description from both robberies.

They pulled the car over and to question Fanis and Ashanti, Youmans said.

The detectives could see Ashanti was covered with dye from an exploded dye pack. They also recovered a large amount of money inside the car, he said.

The two men are being held at the Springfield police station until Monday when they will be arraigned in Springfield District Court.

Europa's hours have changed and the on-site menu has changed, with an emphasis on American-style favorites.

LUDLOW – People in South Hadley were disappointed when the Europa Restaurant closed up shop on Route 202 in their town a couple of years ago, but the good news is that owner-chef Michael Rodrigues has kept his business in the Pioneer Valley.

This summer the eatery re-opened, albeit with changes, as the Europa Cafe on West Street in the chef’s native Ludlow.

He wants people holding gift certificates from Europa’s South Hadley days to know those cards can still be redeemed – with the caveat that the holder must also produce the receipt that came with it.

That’s because the card itself does not have a record of what it’s worth. The receipt does.

Europa now has the distinction of being one of the few restaurants in the world located next door to a jail.

The chef revels in the unique address. In fact, one of the items on the lunch menu is the Correctional Club Sandwich.

Europa’s hours have changed, with breakfast and lunch served seven days a week and dinner Fridays and Saturdays only. The on-site menu has also changed, with an emphasis on American-style favorites.

Rodrigues said he kept the name Europa because the full-service catering part of the business is still producing the upscale cuisine for which it was known before the move.

Rodrigues said he moved to Ludlow “when the economy got worse” because the space he was occupying in South Hadley proved to be too big.

Portuguese cuisine is still available on all his menus. Rodrigues is “full-blooded” Portuguese, as he describes it, on both sides of his family.

Find out more about Europa at www.myeuropacatering.com.

Jesus Ashanti and Yannick Faris both pleaded innocent to a single charge of assault with intent to rob. Watch video

The Republican / Mark M. MurrayJesus Ashanti, left (hiding his face in his jacket), of no known address in Connecticut, and Yannick Fanis, right, of Hartford, walk into Hampden County District Court for their arraignment on bank robbery charges.

SPRINGFIELD – Two Connecticut men, suspects in a string of Western Massachusetts bank robberies, pleaded innocent in district court to last Friday’s robbery of the TD Bank on Chestnut Street.

Jesus Ashanti, 34, of no known address in Connecticut, and Yannick J. Faris, 26, of 317 Lyme St., Hartford, were ordered held in lieu of $500,000 cash bail.

Both pleaded innocent to a single charge of assault with intent to rob.

Springfield Police Sgt. John M. Delaney said the men are suspects in a recent string of as many as 10 Western Massachusetts bank robberies. A suspect in many of the robberies has been captured in bank surveillance photographs while wearing distinctive hats and a white beard that may be fake or artificially colored.

Assistant District Attorney Richard B. Morse said that Ashanti has four aliases on his out of state record. Morse said Ashanti has 1993 convictions in Connecticut for murder and larceny.

Police responded to the TD Bank at 619 Chestnut shortly before 9:30 a.m. last Friday for report of a black male with a gray beard who demanded all the money in a drawer but then fled the bank before getting any cash.

The Republican photo / Mark M.Murray - Yannick J. Fanis 26 of Hartford, walks into Hampden County District Courtroom one , for his arraignment on bank robbery charges from last week.

The Republican photo / Mark M.Murray - Jesus Ashanti attempts his hide his face as he stands for arraignment in district court on Monday.

A witness saw a black male jump into the trunk of a car parked on Lexington Street, driven by another black male. The witness was able to see that the plate was orange and with blue lettering from New York state.

Less than an hour later, Ludlow police gave out a description of a black male robbing the Citizens Bank in their town.

Police spotted the vehicle a few minutes later traveling on Interstate 91 towards Connecticut and pulled it over. Faris was behind the wheel and Ashanti was found in the trunk, covered with red dye from an exploded dye-pack.
robbery, Delaney said.

Monday’s arraignments of Faris and Ashanti pertain only to the Springfield robbery. The two suspects still face arraignments in Palmer District Court for the Ludlow robbery. The suspect’s arraignment dates in Palmer were not immediately available.

The Springfield and Ludlow crimes follow a string of bank robberies during the past several weeks in at least five Western Massachusetts communities.

West Springfield police arrested a suspect on the morning of Dec. 23 after they chased him into Springfield.

That suspect, Gerund A. Mickens, 35, of Bloomfield, Conn., faces motor vehicle charges and is being held in jail at the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow while local police departments tried to determine if he is responsible for six of the recent bank robberies.

Agawam police have a warrant naming Mickens in the Agawam bank robbery, Assistant District Attorney Ingrid Frau said last week.

Police in Chicopee, South Hadley, Springfield, Agawam and Northampton continue their investigations into unarmed bank robberies in those communities last month.

Reporter Buffy Spencer contributed to this story.

The dog must wear a barking collar at all times when it is outside, selectmen said.

LUDLOW – The Board of Selectmen has ordered Mary Dubosh of 81 Windwood Drive to keep her dog inside from 12:30 to 8 a.m. and to keep a barking collar on it at all times when it is outside.

The board took the action after her neighbor, Aimee Patalano of 26 Chadbourne Street complained that the dog awakens her and her two babies with its barking at all hours of the day and night.

Patalano said she has had spinal surgery and been confined to her bed and has had difficulty resting because of the dog’s high pitched barking.

Anthony Patalano said he has made a dozen calls to the Police Department in the past year complaining about the dog’s barking.

Animal Control Officer Gilles Turcotte said he recommended that a barking collar be kept on the dog whenever it is outside. If worn properly the dog administers a shock to the dog when it barks, Turcotte said.

Aimee Patalano said she understands that dogs bark. She said the dog has repeatedly awakened her and her children with its barking at 4 a.m.

Mary Dubosh, the owner of the dog, said she keeps the dog inside from midnight to 8 a.m. “The dog is not a nuisance,” she told selectmen.

Dubosh said the dog is “never ever out after midnight.”

Selectman Aaron Saunders said a town bylaw gives selectmen power to take action against barking dogs if they are interfering with the rest of an ill person.

Selectmen continued a Monday night hearing for six months after which time it will reevaluate whether the barking problem has been resolved between the neighbors.

Registration will be Feb. 7.

LUDLOW – St. John the Baptist School will hold an “Open House for Parents, Grandparents and Friends” Feb. 2 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the school on 217 Hubbard Street.

Friends are invited to visit the school and bring anyone who may be interested in enrolling their children in the school (pre-school through grade 8). All are welcome.

Children must be five years old by Aug. 1 to attend kindergarten in September. To attend pre-school in September children must be four years old by Aug. 1.

Registration will be held from Feb. 7 through Feb. 18 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

To facilitate matters, it is necessary to make an appointment. For kindergarten registration, call the school office at 583-8550. For pre-school registration, call Fran Flynn at 589-7531. To register, bring the child’s birth and baptismal certificates, as well as their immunization records. There is a $25 registration fee.

St. John the Baptist School is a Catholic elementary school serving students in pre-school through grade 8.

Lavoie has pleaded guilty to three counts of statutory rape and one count of enticement of child under 16.

Michael S. Gordon / The Republican01.7.2011 | SPRINGFIELD - Lisa Lavoie of Ludlow appears in Hampden Superior Court Friday afternoon on charges of violating her pre-sentencing guidelines by using alcohol. The former Holyoke school teacher has pleaded guilty to charges related to her affair with a middle school student.

Update: Lisa Lavoie's bail was revoked moments ago in Hampden Superior Court and she was ordered to be held in custody until her sentencing hearing planned for Jan. 26.

In a hearing before Judge Constance Sweeney, Lavoie lost her right to bail after it was found she violated the conditions of her release, namely that she remain drug and alcohol free.

Lavoie failed a breathalyzer test given to her Thursday night at her Ludlow residence by Ludlow police. The result of two separate tests, administered 15 minutes apart, had Lavoie blowing a .295 and a .290 on the breath test. The state of Massachusetts recognized intoxication as .08.

"A .295 is extremely high," said assistant district attorney Patrick C. Sabb. He recommended that Lavoie remain in custody until room for her can be found in a secure alcohol-treatment facility. "I don't think it is a good idea for her to remain out without strict supervision," he said.

Lavoie's lawyer David Hoose agreed to the conditions.

More information to come.

LUDLOW – Police arrested former Holyoke teacher Lisa M. Lavoie at her home Thursday night for violating one or more conditions of her release pending sentencing on statutory rape charges pertaining to a teenage student.

Ludlow Police Sgt. Daniel Valadas said that a police officer, accompanied by a probation officer, arrested Lavoie at her home on East Street, shortly after 5:30 p.m.

Lavoie, who pleaded guilty last month in Hampden Superior Court to three counts of statutory rape and one count of enticement of a child under 16, was arrested on a warrant issued through court probation, Valadas said.

She was freed, after her court appearance last month, in lieu of $25,000 bail.

Valadas had no information on the nature of the violation that prompted Lavoie’s arrest.

Coria A. Holland, communications director for the Office of the Commissioner of Probation, confirmed that Lavoie violated the conditions of her release.

Holland could not provide the nature of the violation either. She said, however, that Lavoie’s conditions of release include that she obtain mental health counseling, that she have no unsupervised contact with the victim, that she have no unsupervised contact with children under 16 and that she remain drug- and alcohol-free.

Holland said that Lavoie was wearing a GPS monitoring bracelet and that she was not allowed to leave her home except for legal, medical or employment purposes.

Lavoie has been ordered to appear in Superior Court to answer to the violation. Holland said.

Sentencing for Lavoie on the statutory rape case, which will be before Judge Cornelius J. Moriarty, has been set for Jan. 26. Prosecutors have said they will recommend that she serve a three- to five-year state prison term.

The boy, who was 15 when he fled the region with his one-time teacher in February 2009, has asked the judge to spare Lavoie time behind bars.

Defense lawyer David P. Hoose has said he will ask for a sentence of probation as well as time served, which amounts to 10 days Lavoie spent in jail after her arrest in West Virginia and before she was released on bail.

Four locations have been proposed for Smart Growth districts.

LUDLOW – A public hearing on proposed locations for Chapter 40R Smart Growth zoning districts will be presented to town residents Jan. 24 at 6 p.m. at Ludlow Town Hall.

The presentation will be facilitated by the town’s Smart Growth Zoning Advisory Committee and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission.

Chapter 40R Smart Growth zoning districts encourage a higher concentration of housing and mixed use developments in areas with existing infrastructure to create a range of housing options and spur community revitalization.

Communities that adopt Smart Growth zoning districts are eligible to receive state funds.

Established in 2009, the Smart Growth Zoning Advisory Committee has identified four locations for Smart Growth districts.

They are the Ludlow Mills, an adjacent Riverside area just over the Ludlow-Indian Orchard bridge, an area off East Street referred to as downtown and the intersection of Holyoke and West streets.

Jayne Armington, a planner with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, said incentive grants are being given by the state for higher density housing districts.

She said the housing districts are seen as desirable because they provide housing for young adults not yet able to buy a home and for the elderly in need of more affordable housing.

Many young people now leave the Greater Springfield area to live in the Boston area, Armington said. She said the proposal for denser housing districts could help to keep more of Ludlow’s young people in Ludlow.

Public hearings on the “Smart Growth” zoning proposals will be scheduled in Ludlow in January and February with the goal of bringing a proposed zoning bylaw before voters at the spring annual Town Meeting for approval.

Westmass Area Development Corp. which wants to redevelop the Ludlow Mills, will seek approval of a mixed-use commercial, industrial and residential zoning district at the Town Meeting that would contain 100 units of housing for the elderly.

Jason Barosso, a local selectman, said he felt it more likely that town residents would approve one higher density zoning district for the Ludlow Mills than all four districts.

Concerns such as traffic, congestion and the impact to the school system are the usual concerns raised in towns to the higher density housing proposals, Armington said.

The issue will be considered at a Feb. 3 regional selectmen's meeting hosted by Wilbraham.

WILBRAHAM – Fire Chief Francis W. Nothe and Police Chief Allen M. Stratton told selectmen the town should consider joining a regional dispatch unit with neighboring communities.

The town has been considering joining a regional dispatch group in Amherst.

Nothe told selectmen, however, that if Wilbraham joined a regional dispatch group based in Amherst and neighboring Ludlow joined a locally based group a mutual aid call would have to go three ways to provided the needed service.

Selectman Patrick J. Brady said a regional dispatch group being considered by towns in the Springfield area which would be based out of Amherst would mean two different county court jurisdictions.

Nothe said Wilbraham should consider either forming a group with neighboring towns such as East Longmeadow and Ludlow or waiting to see if Springfield forms a regional dispatching group.

Selectmen Chairman James E. Thompson said a regional selectmen’s meeting will be scheduled for Feb. 3 at the Wilbraham Town Offices on Springfield Street. Wilbraham selectmen will host selectmen from East Longmeadow, Longmeadow, Hampden and Ludlow.

The subject of regional dispatch will be on the agenda, Thompson said.

He invited Nothe and Stratton to come to the meeting.

Stratton said state grants may become available for regional dispatch in February and March, with an application deadline of mid-May.

Nothe said he estimates that Wilbraham could save $120,000 annually by joining a regional dispatch group. Of the $120,000, the state currently subsidizes $45,000, but that subsidy could disappear, he said.

The company owes the town approximately $10,000 in back taxes.

LUDLOW – The Board of Selectmen has approved a common victualer license for Pride Stations and Stores at 478 Center Street, and subsequently scheduled a revocation hearing.

“This will allow time for a change of heart,” said Selectmen Chairman William E. Rooney.

The town has been in a dispute with Robert Bolduc, owner of Pride Stations and Stores over back taxes the town claims it is owed on the prior Pride property at 340 Center Street.

Town Collector Fred Pereira said in a letter to the Board of Selectmen that Pride Stations owes the town approximately $10,000 in back taxes on the station formerly located at 340 Center Street.

Selectmen met with Bolduc in August, but were unable to reach an agreement on the back taxes.

In May Town Meeting members voted to accept the gas station property at 340 Center Street as a gift to the town. Bolduc told selectmen he did not feel responsible for paying back taxes which Pereira says date back to Jan, 2009.

Bolduc agreed to turn in his license for the smaller store when he built the new station and store at 478 Center Street.

At Tuesday’s selectmen’s meeting the board voted to sign a common victualer license for the Pride stores, but at the same time scheduled a revocation hearing for Feb. 1.

Two Western Massachusetts organizations are moving ahead to help with rebuilding efforts in Haiti.

A child receives medical care at Sacred Heart Hospital in Milot, Haiti. The hospital, operated by the Ludlow-based CRUDEM Foundation, has cared for more than 100,000 people injured in the earthquake which hit the nation’s capital on Jan. 12, 2010.

Every time Timothy Traynor heads to Port-au-Prince he drives by the same grade school that was flattened a year ago in one of the largest earthquakes in the world. The bodies of 350 children who were killed remain inside.

A year after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti Jan. 12, killing about 230,000 people, injuring at least 300,000 and displacing more than 1 million, rebuilding efforts in the capital city have barely begun.

“Port-au-Prince is still a disaster,” said Traynor, a Wilbraham resident who has spent at least seven months in Haiti since the earthquake. “I have not seen any concentrated effort to clean up the area. There are entire neighborhoods which were squashed ... and so many people who are dead are beneath the rubble.”

But several local organizations are moving quicker to rebuild a school and expand a hospital so each are bigger and better than before.

Traynor, a retired businessman, was in Haiti when the earthquake hit. He was volunteering at Sacred Heart Hospital, which is operated by the Ludlow-based CRUDEM Foundation in Milot.

Once word spread that the hospital was largely undamaged and had doctors and nurses who could care for the injured, it was inundated with patients, many who were critically injured and had been waiting days and even weeks for care.

“We are as busy (now) as we were on Jan. 13. Not only did we have the earthquake and the cholera epidemic, there was a period of civil unrest because of the presidential elections and we had the hurricane,” said Rev. Joni M. Paterson, director of development for CRUDEM.

There are many reasons for the continuing surge in patients. The lack of hospitals in Port-au-Prince pushed people to seek help in Milot, a number of people have migrated north to escape the devastation in the capital and as staff at the hospital offered more care and brought in more sophisticated equipment the reputation has been elevated, Paterson said.

Associated Press photoTwo women embrace during a religious ceremony held at the Titanyen mass grave site on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday. The religious ceremony is one of many events planned to mark the one-year anniversary of the Jan. 12 magnitude-7.0 quake that killed more than 220,000 people and left millions homeless.

Since the earthquake, staff hospital set up six large military-like tents to expand its capacity beyond the 73-bed hospital building.

In the past year, staff cared for more than 100,000 people injured in the earthquake, performed more than 800 surgeries, treated more than 800 cholera patients, added a permanent prosthetics laboratory, and developed a 10-person nurses training program for Milot residents, she said.

The hospital also added a machine which distills oxygen used for patients with breathing problems. Previously staff had difficulty obtaining oxygen so it purchased the machine with the help of private medical companies and donations, she said.

CRUDEM is undergoing a campaign to raise as much as $5 million so it can add two delivery rooms, an operating room and a pediatric unit. Staff also hopes to increase to 120 beds, Paterson said.

“On very little money we got a lot done,” Traynor said. “We went to work, we did not wait for the calvary to show up,” he said in reference the huge sum of money raised by the Red Cross.

The American Red Cross released a one-year report of its work in Haiti last week. Nationwide it raised $479 million and has spent or signed agreements to spend $245 million. Some money has gone to emergency relief such as providing temporary shelter for more than 860,000 people, medical care for 217,000 and food for 1.3 million and grants and loans for 220,000 people.

The organization has also spend $4.5 million and expects to spend another $10 million to prevent the spread of cholera.

One of its biggest challenges is working with the Haitian government to locate land owners so permanent homes can be built, the report said.

“There was an overwhelming outpouring of sympathy and donations from the Pioneer Valley and across the country after the earthquake in Haiti, and these donations have made a real difference,” said Paige N. Thayer, Pioneer Valley deputy director of chapter support.

Local residents donated more than $1.2 million through the Pioneer Valley Chapter. Many others gave directly to the main chapter, which is calculated separately, she said.

It wasn’t just money that was donated. Eight children from Haiti, aged 2 to 15, were flown to Massachusetts in February so they could receive intensive care to save crushed limbs or their lives.

Five were treated at Shriners Hospital for Children in Springfield, two suffering burns were treated at the Shriners burn unit in Boston and the oldest child was first treated in the pediatric intensive care unit at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield and then transferred to neighboring Shriners Hospital.

Officials at the two Springfield hospitals said four of the children returned home after about three months of care. The two others who were in Springfield are now temporarily living with families in New York while they continue with treatment. The two children treated at the burn unit remain in the country until the treatment is completed.

Joeli Hettler, a pediatric emergency physician at Baystate, is one of dozens of local medical personnel from the Springfield area and one of hundreds across the country who traveled to Haiti to assist at Sacred Heart Hospital.

When the team lead by Dr. Ian S. Goodman of Baystate went to pick up the children in February, Hettler joined them and volunteered at the hospital for a week.

About two months ago a medical team returned to Haiti and checked on the children.

“Three medically were doing perfectly and (a nurse) arranged to get medical care for the fourth,” she said.

During her stay, she said the American doctors worked under the supervision of the Haitian doctors who run the hospital day-to-day in Milot.

Visiting teams do surgery and work with Haitian staff to teach them new skills, Hettler said.

Traynor said the key to rebuilding Haiti is to develop small cottage industries that will build the economy, which was among the poorest in the world before the earthquake. That is happening in Milot.

For example, the hospital is purchasing food from farmers. The farmers then purchase goods from others and finally those who need medical care can pay the hospital for their services. Patients do pay a small fee for health care, but most of the money for the hospital comes from donations, Traynor said.

“There is no doubt in my mind, that if we don’t give up they will not give up,” he said.

CRUDEM is not alone in rebuilding. The First Church of Christ in Longmeadow, which partnered with the CONASPEH School in Port-au-Prince to provide scholarships for children, is now involved in building a bigger school than the one that collapsed during the earthquake.

“They have a basic framework up and a roof on,” said Mark H. Pohlman, of Longmeadow, who has been involved with the effort through the church, which is affliated with the United Church of Christ. A retired orthopedic surgeon, he has also volunteered at Sacred Heart Hospital.

The original four-story school, operated by a conglomeration of Haitian churches, killed 20 people, mostly nursing students, when it collapsed.

The new building will be stronger and much larger. A year ago about 450 students attended the school, which had a seminary and nursing program as well as kindergarten through 12th grade; when it is completed there will be room for about 1,500 students.

The organization is taking advantage of the rebuilding effort to add new programs to teach different trades.

At 4:50 Wednesday afternoon, the bell of the church at Longmeadow and Williams streets will toll for a few minutes in recognition of the anniversary, according to the Rev. Michael S. Bennett, senior pastor of the church.

Because of media coverage following the earthquake, American International College officials learned about the nursing program and proposed an exchange that would allow Haitian nursing students to study in Springfield, Pohlman said.

“They are very much interested in going through with this,” he said.

Pohlman said he is amazed at how Haitians have been able to handle the hardships of the hurricane, cholera and the political unrest. He has faith there will be opportunities in Haiti but said the first vital step will be to elect a new government which can control the corruption which is so pervasive among the country.

“I think it is going to take a long, long time but it is an opportunity to do things differently and there will be some real progress,” he said.

Monsignor Homer Gosselin issued a plea to return the 2 50-inch Fontanini sheep figures.

The Republican / File photoTwo 50-inch sheep figurines from the creche at St. Elizabeth's Church in Ludlow have been stolen.

LUDLOW – Monsignor Homer Gosselin, pastor of St. Elizabeth Parish, issued a plea for whoever took two sheep from the creche outside the church on Hubbard Street to return them.

The two sheep were observed to be missing on Jan. 2.

The two 50-inch sheep which are Fontanini sheep have a value close to $1,000, he said.

“We hope that whoever took them did not destroy them, but will return them,” he said.

The other figures in the creche were bolted to the floor and were not taken, Gosselin said.

Gosselin said the thefts have been reported to the Ludlow Police Department.

Each of three scenarios has costs associated with them, even keeping the dispatch centers separate.

Results of the regional dispatch study are in, but no decisions have been made whether Monson, Palmer and Hampden police departments will consolidate their emergency dispatch services.

Monson Police Chief Stephen Kozloski Jr. briefed selectmen last week about the 81-page document released by Aecom of Virginia.

Aecom recommends that the three towns create a regional communications center and possibly look for other communities to participate. But it also noted that each community is facing budgetary issues that are not expected to improve, and a consolidation would create additional costs.

The other two options were to keep everything as is, or to share key systems such as the 911 system, but continue to operate each center independently.

Kozloski said there is state grant money available if the towns opt to create a regional center. That center also could be used to house prisoners. Monson is the only one of the three Police Departments that lacks a lock-up facility.

“We’re presenting it for discussion. We have got to decide where we want to go from here,” Kozloski said.

He told selectmen to keep it in the back of their minds as budgets change and the economy improves.

Kozloski said he would support the consolidation “in an ideal world if the money was available.” While it would cost more, he said there would be significant benefits regarding training, infrastructure and the delivery and level of services.

It would also help Monson comply with an impending state mandate to have emergency medical dispatchers who will be certified to give out medical-related assistance by telephone, he said.

Aecom recommends two dispatchers be on duty at all times – one for regular dispatching, the other for medical calls. Monson now only has one dispatcher on duty, to handle emergency calls only.

Aecom’s report is available on the Monson police website at www.monson-ma.gov/Public_Documents/MonsonMA_Police/RECCFeasibilityStudy.pdf

Kozloski said each scenario has costs associated with it, even keeping the dispatch centers in their current locations. Renovations could cost up to $1.1 million, Aecom stated.

Aecom’s report listed environmental problems in Monson’s and Palmer’s dispatch centers.

Issues with “black mold” were cited in Monson, although the chief said the town has addressed that problem. Aecom said air quality concerns in Palmer and Monson should be addressed immediately. Aecom said Palmer has “dead fowl carcasses in the attic near critical pieces of equipment” and that asbestos tiles are in use, presenting a hazard to employees. Aecom said in the report that Palmer’s dispatch center air quality was expressed to be “not capable of supporting human life” over a specified period of time.

Hampden’s dispatch center was called a “much cleaner environment,” but Aecom said the desk is directly in front of the window, presenting an unsafe environment with ready access to dispatch.

Palmer is the largest town of the three with approximately 13,000 people, followed by Monson with 8,500 and 5,000 in Hampden. The dispatch study was done through a $50,000 grant that the towns secured through the state 911 Department.

Palmer Police Chief Robert P. Frydryk said he thinks there may be some benefit to regionalizing the dispatch center, especially as there is grant money to offset the project costs. But Frydryk said they have not been told just how much money there would be, and each town would have to invest more money in dispatch services than they do now.

For example, the total capital costs to build a regional center would be approximately $1 million, but that doesn’t include the cost of the building itself, or salaries. The total cost per year for each community was estimated by Aecom at $253,000 for Monson, a savings of $13,000; $385,000 for Palmer, an increase of $8,600; and $171,000 for Hampden, an increase of $27,000.

Frydryk said the state has been pushing departments to regionalize so it can cut down on the number of dispatch centers for which it provides equipment.

Two years ago, Kozloski and Frydryk also discussed the possibility of merging the two police departments, but that “kind of fell on deaf ears” and did not go any further, Frydryk said.

Amherst, Hadley, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Belchertown, Pelham, South Hadley, South Hadley Fire District 2, Ludlow, Ware, Wilbraham and East Longmeadow have expressed interest in a regional dispatch center, and Aecom is involved in that project as well. Amherst Town Manager John P. Musante has asked communities interested in joining the regional emergency dispatch center to commit by Feb. 1.

Treasurer-Collector Paul Nowicki said the properties auctioned had $175,000 in back taxes owed, so the town came out ahead by $47,000.

Palmer - Republican Photo by Mark M.Murray - Paul T. Zekos, auctioneer from Zekos Group Auctioneers of Shrewsbury, goes over details for Thursday's public auction of properties being held at the Palmer Town Building.

PALMER – An auction of seven town-owned properties netted approximately $222,000 in revenue for the town Thursday.
           
“What we made today was more than we had yesterday,” Acting Town Manager Patricia A. Kennedy said after the auction. 
           
Held in the meeting room, more than 50 people crowded inside for a chance to bid on the properties, or simply to observe. 
           
One property, at 112 State St. in Bondsville, was withdrawn because the approximately $60,000 in back taxes was paid before the auction. 
           
Treasurer-Collector Paul Nowicki said the properties auctioned had $175,000 in back taxes owed, so the town came out ahead by $47,000. The winning bidders did not have to pay any back taxes because all taxes and municipal liens were forgiven through the foreclosure process, Paul T. Zekos, president of The Zekos Group in Shrewsbury, explained to the crowd. 
           
Zekos, who ran the auction, said each property had an 8 percent buyer’s premium attached to it, as well as either a $2,500 or $5,000 special assessment, meaning a property sold at $100,000 would cost $113,000 in the end. No properties sold for that much, however. There also were no set minimum bids. 
           
The property that fetched the highest bid was 458 Springfield St., a ranch-style home in Three Rivers at $82,500. 
           
The former Al Jr.’s Cycle Shop at 3008 Center St. in Bondsville was auctioned for $50,000 to Robert J. Flagg, who said he plans to move his business, East National Water Co. there in four to five months. He said he runs it out of his home now. Flagg said he specifically came to the auction for the property and called $50,000 a fair price for it. 
           
“It’s a perfect spot,” said Flagg, who is the contractor for the Bondsville and Thorndike water departments.
           
A home at 2012 Cross St. in Three Rivers was auctioned for $35,000 to Scott M. Pascale of Monson, who said he plans to resell it.
           
“Hopefully it turns out to be a good venture,” Pascale said.
           
That home is currently occupied, but the town’s tax attorney, Peter A. Brown, said eviction proceedings are underway.
           
A bungalow-style home at 41 Bourne St. in Three Rivers that has been condemned by the Board of Health and is infested with rodents sold for $7,500; the new owner, from Wilbraham, declined comment. Eleven acres at 593 Old Warren Road was sold for $30,000 to Dino D. Dacosta of Ludlow. Dacosta, who was bidding against John W. Lizak, a major landowner in town, said he has no immediate plans for the property, which was once eyed for a subdivision.

A mobile home at 1088 South Main St. was sold for $10,000 to Dean T. Kibbe of Springfield, who said he plans to fix it up and rent it out.

Another mobile home, at 253C Ware St., will be razed by its new owner, Alan L. Racine, who bought it for $7,000. Racine, who lives in front of the property, said he will soon “have a nice view out my back window.”

Zekos said town officials wanted to ensure the auction process was open and public. He said they wanted to return the dormant properties to the tax rolls and “hopefully make them once again a vibrant part of the community.”

Zekos called the number of registered bidders “extraordinary.”

“The competition was fierce,” he said. 

He mixed in some humor as he encouraged the crowd to bid.

“What are you worried about? You have a $200 pair of sunglasses on, for God’s sake,” Zekos said to one man.

“Don’t let him push you around like that,” he said to another.
      

The crash happened at approximately 4:40 a.m. in the area of exit 90, state police said.

Republican file photo

A 24-year-old woman from Ludlow and her passenger were killed early Saturday morning after her car struck a tractor-trailer on Route 15, just north of Charter Oak Bridge in Hartford, Conn., state police said.

Connecticut state police said Brittany Mariani, of 32 Bowles Ave., was operating a Nissan Altima north when she struck a tractor trailer operated by Earnest Harris, 50, of Georgia.

The crash happened at approximately 4:40 a.m. in the area of exit 90, state police said. The tractor trailer had pulled over and was parked with flashing lights on when it was struck from behind, state police said.

Harris was not injured. Mariani was transported by ambulance to Hartford Hospital where she was pronounced dead. Her passenger, Rich A. Royster, 20, of Ossining, N.Y. was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

Seat belt use was not available.

Mariani and Royster were Central Connecticut State University students, where Mariani was a senior and Royster was a junior and a defensive lineman for the school’s football team, the Blue Devils. They were both psychology majors, according to university spokesman Mark Warren McLaughlin.

McLaughlin released a statement about the accident.

“We are deeply saddened by this terrible loss of promising young lives and we extend our warmest sympathies to Brittany’s and Rich’s families,” McLaughlin stated.

He said counselors will be available to students on Sunday, and throughout the week. Plans for a memorial are underway, McLaughlin said.

One of the proposed zoning districts is the Ludlow millls site.

LUDLOW – The town’s Smart Growth Zoning Advisory Committee and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission heard feedback Monday night on four proposed smart growth zoning districts for the town.

Chapter 40R Smart Growth zoning districts which can be adopted by communities encourage a higher concentration of housing and mixed-use commercial and industrial developments in areas with existing infrastructure to create a range of affordable housing options and spur community revitalization.

Communities that adopt Smart Growth zoning districts are eligible to receive state reimbursements.

Established in 2009, a Smart Growth Zoning Advisory Committee has identified four locations for Smart Growth zoning districts in Ludlow.

They are the Ludlow Mills, an adjacent Riverside area just over the Ludlow-Indian Orchard Bridge, an area off East Street referred to as downtown and the intersection of Holyoke and West streets known as Scott’s Corner.

Selectman Aaron Saunders said at an informational hearing on Monday that he considers it difficult to justify a Smart Growth zoning overlay district except for the Ludlow Mills site which Westmass Area Development Corp. is proposing to redevelop for industrial and commercial use.

Part of the redevelopment would include about 100 housing for the elderly units, Westmass President Kenneth W. Delude said.

Delude said Westmass is planning to bring a zoning proposal for the redevelopment of the Ludlow Mills before the annual Town Meeting in May.

Jayne Armington of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission said the Smart Growth Zoning Advisory Committee may also try to bring a Chapter 40R Smart Growth zoning bylaw before the annual Town Meeting in May for approval which would allow the town to receive some financial incentives for creating the new zone which permits mixed use commercial, industrial and housing development.

Ludlow as well as other communities in the state has a lack of affordable housing which higher density Smart Growth zoning proposals would help to remedy, Armington said.

She said a zoning proposal will be developed and further hearings held on it prior to the annual Town Meeting in May.

House Speaker Robert DeLeo appointed Democratic House members to leadership jobs.

House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo, left, ousted state Rep. Thomas Petrolati from his leadership team Friday.

BOSTON - House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo ousted Rep. Thomas M. Petrolati from his leadership team Friday, in the aftermath of Petrolati becoming a focus of a patronage investigation in the troubled Probation Department.

DeLeo, a Democrat from Winthrop, stripped Petrolati of his $15,000 bonus and demoted him to rank and file committee assignments including one on public service and another that controls spending. DeLeo, elected speaker in 2009 with the help and support of Petrolati, promoted other Western Massachusetts House members with less seniority than Petrolati but no involvement in the probation investigation.

Petrolati did not return a telephone call and an e-mail to an aide who serves as his press contact. Petrolati has not returned numerous phone calls on the probation issue.

“I think the leadership team we’ve put together is a good one, as we’ve had in the past,” DeLeo told reporters after a meeting with House Democrats to release his appointments. “I think considering what our major objectives are, in terms of job creation, ... parole and probation change, we’ve decided to make some changes, reshuffling some people in various positions.”

DeLeo appointed about 50 Democratic House members to committee chairs, vice chairs and other leadership posts. The positions generally pay $7,500 to $15,000 a year more than the regular legislator’s salary of $61,132. He also appointed Democratic members such as Petrolati to regular committee assignments that carry no extra pay.

Joseph F. Wagner

DeLeo appointed Rep. Joseph F. Wagner, D-Chicopee, as the new House chairman of the Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, which would oversee a casino bill. Wagner supports casinos, as did the prior committee chairman appointed by DeLeo, a strong casino backer.

In late November, Petrolati, a Ludlow Democrat, and DeLeo “mutually agreed,” according to DeLeo, that Petrolati would relinquish his No. 3 leadership position in the state House of Representatives - called speaker pro tempore - following an independent counsel’s report that outlined Petrolati’s extensive role in patronage hiring in probation.

DeLeo took away Petrolati’s leadership job even though the speaker himself is facing scrutiny in the probation controversy.

DeLeo, for example, recommended his godson, Brian Mirasolo, the son of an aide for the speaker, for a probation job. Mirasolo later became one of the youngest acting chief probation officers in the state, but DeLeo said he had nothing to do with the promotion.

DeLeo didn’t say in November whether he would give Petrolati another leadership post. DeLeo Friday did not appoint Petrolati to leadership, but he named him as a member of some key committees including Public Service, the House Ways and Means Committee, which oversees spending on Beacon Hill, the Rules Committee and Economic Development and Emerging Technologies.

DeLeo replaced the 24-year member Petrolati with a new speaker pro tempore - Rep. Patricia A. Haddad, of Somerset. DeLeo did not discuss Petrolati specifically on Friday, but previously has said that Petrolati was hurting public opinion of the state House of Representatives.

“It was my feeling this was putting a cloud in the House in terms of how people view us,” DeLeo recently told WBZ radio 1030 in explaining the decision to have Petrolati step down from leadership following release of the probation report.

It’s the first time Petrolati is without a leadership position in the House in at least a decade.

Petrolati has spent about $97,000 in campaign money on legal fees since late 2008 including about $57,000 of campaign funds to Fierst, Pucci and Kane in Northampton, the law firm representing him on the investigations into the state Probation Department. It is legal for elected officials to spend their campaign money on fees for lawyers and is a longtime practice on Beacon Hill, especially for legislators involved in investigations.

DeLeo also demoted Rep. James E. Vallee, of Franklin, the now-former majority leader who had been jockeying behind the scenes to possibly succeed DeLeo if DeLeo steps down.

DeLeo assigned Vallee as chairman of the lowly Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs, cutting his premium pay by $15,000 to $7,500.

DeLeo also extricated Rep. Charles A. Murphy, another possible candidate for speaker, from his position as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. DeLeo named his former casino point man, Rep. Brian S. Dempsey, D-Haverhill, as the new chair of Ways and Means, and put Wagner in charge of casinos.

John W. Scibak

DeLeo named Murphy as assistant majority leader, a position that keeps him in the speaker’s cadre of top advisers. Murphy’s bonus was cut to $15,000, a $10,000 pay cut.

DeLeo told reporters it wasn’t a question of him punishing possible rivals, “It was just a question of where I could fit people in to move our agenda forward.”

Michael F. Kane

DeLeo elevated two Western Massachusetts House members to their first chairmanships. Rep. John W. Scibak, D-South Hadley, will be House chair of the Public Service Committee, and Rep. Michael F. Kane, D-Holyoke, will be House chair of Municipalities and Regional Government.

Stephen Kulik

Rep. Stephen Kulik, D-Worthington, was promoted in the leadership ranks. DeLeo named Kulik as vice chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, up from assistant vice chairman the prior term.

Rep. Benjamin Swan, D-Springfield, stayed in his leadership position as vice chairman of Post Audit and Oversight.

Benjamin Swan

Rep. Peter V. Kocot, D-Northampton, was shifted to another committee chairmanship, after having been House chair of the Ethics Committee. DeLeo appointed Kocot to be the new House chair of the Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight.

Rep. Cheryl A. Coakley-Rivera, D-Springfield, was reappointed to her leadership job as chairman of the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development.

Cheryl Coakley-Rivera

Jeffrey S. Ciuffreda, president of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield, and Allan W. Blair, president of the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts, said they were very pleased that Wagner, Coakley-Rivera, Kulik and other top Democratic House members from the region were given major committee chairs. “We believe we will have an opportunity to really engage in the issues which are so important to the business community,” Blair said.

Peter Kocot

Wagner, who was House chairman of the Transportation Committee for the past eight years, said he is pleased with his new chairmanship. Wagner received $15,000 bonus, up from his old bonus of $7,500.

“It’s a terrific assignment,” Wagner said.

Casinos would be a single component of a larger effort at job creation and economic development, Wagner said.

Rep. Ellen Story, D-Amherst, kept her $15,000-a-year leadership bonus. She was reappointed as a floor leader.

Rep. Anne. M. Gobi, D-Spencer, was selected as House chair of the Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture.

The annual town election is March 28.

LUDLOW – With incumbent School Committee member Susan D. Gove having announced that she will not be a candidate for reelection, there is an opening on the School Committee.

Two of five School Committee positions are up for election this spring.

Incumbent School Committee member James P. Harrington has returned nomination papers to run for reelection.

Patricia Gregoire, a longtime active PTO member, also has returned nomination papers, Town Clerk Laurie A. Gibbons said.

James Warren has taken out papers to run for a position on the School Committee, but has not returned them.

The deadline to return nomination papers is Feb. 7 at 5 p.m.

The annual town election is March 28.

For Board of Selectmen, one of five positions is up for election this spring.
Incumbent Selectmen Chairman William E. Rooney has returned nomination papers to run for reelection. No other candidate has papers out for selectman, Gibbons said.

For a seat on the Board of Health, incumbent Carol Szczebak has nomination papers out and Timothy J. Fontaine of 223 Holy Cross Circle has returned nomination papers.
For a three-year term on the Board of Assessors, incumbent Edward Mazur so far has not taken out nomination papers, Gibbons said.

For a five-year term on the Housing Authority, incumbent Betty Socha has not taken out nomination papers, Gibbons said.

All candidates have until Feb. 7 at 5 p.m. to take out and return nomination papers, Gibbons said.

Belchertown, East Longmeadow, Hadley, Ludlow, Pelham, South Hadley, UMass, Ware and Wilbraham were part of an initial feasibility study.

AMHERST – Town Manager John P. Musante said he is hoping to know more in the next few days about plans to develop a regional emergency dispatch facility.

Musante has asked potential partners to let him know where they stand by Tuesday so the town can move to the next step – preconstruction and design.

Belchertown Selectmen voted last week to take part in the dispatch center, joining Pelham, which also wants to take part. Pelham is willing even if it will cost more than the community is paying now because it hopes to gain better service, Musante said.

Hadley officials also want to keep talking, he said. The town is continuing to talk with the University of Massachusetts as well.

According to the study conducted by consultants with the Virginia-based AECOM, the amount each community would save each year depends on the number of communities that participate. The state would also contribute to operating costs.

Amherst began looking at regionalizing with Hadley and UMass in the spring of 2008. Belchertown expressed interest soon after. Later, Pelham, South Hadley, South Hadley Fire District 2, Ludlow, Ware, Wilbraham and East Longmeadow asked to be part of the initial feasibility study paid for a $125,000 state grant.

State officials are encouraging regional dispatch centers because they said they improve safety in addition to cutting costs.

The state has awarded the project a $735,000 grant to pay for pre-construction and design costs and extended that grant until June.

Musante set the Tuesday deadline in December because the town has to make a decision about how to proceed.

He said that state officials “are very flexible, very committed,” to regional dispatch.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Association is advising property owners to clear off their roofs if they can. Watch video

View full size Russ G Abbey of South Hadley is one of many contractors shoveling off the deep snows from roofs. He was on a roof on Apremont Highway in Holyoke

SPRINGFIELD- The falling snow has come and gone for now, but the danger from falling roofs remains.

Throughout the Pioneer Valley Thursday, emergency responders spent the second straight day dealing with collapsing roofs on residential, retail and warehouse buildings in Springfield, Westfield, Southampton, Palmer and Northampton, and other locations across the state.

The situation prompted Gov. Deval L. Patrick to issue an advisory to residents, landlords, and businesses to watch out for too much snow building up on roofs.

“Following several days of snow and freezing rain, the dangers of roof collapse are real,” Patrick said. “If you suspect that there are any abnormalities whatsoever in a building that you occupy, you should evacuate immediately and call 911.”

The combination of heavy snow and cold temperatures over the next few days means little opportunity for melting. With more snow expected Saturday, the danger of over-taxed roofs could only increase, according to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

The agency is recommending property owners take steps to remove snow from roofs before more snow accumulates.

The National Weather Service is predicting a chance of a storm on Saturday afternoon, which could bring another 2 to 6 inches of snow.

In Springfield, firefighters responded to two separate roof collapses at residences in the Forest Park neighborhood.

A failing roof at a multi-unit home at 146 Kensington Ave. Thursday at about 10:30 a.m. displaced six residents said Fire Department spokesman Dennis G. Leger.

Firefighters helped get everyone out of the building and the American Red Cross, Pioneer Valley chapter was called to assist the displaced, he said.

The Red Cross provided temporary shelter for six residents.

Just a few blocks away, another roof collapsed at 59-61 Scott St. at about 7 a.m.

No one was injured, but firefighters found a single occupant inside who was awakened by the roof collapsing around him, Leger said.

The occupant, Dan Scagliarini had only recently moved into the 2 1/2 story home, Leger said. Firefighters escorted him out of the building, Leger said.

In Northampton, firefighters evacuated a medical office building at 76 Carlon Road just after noon out of concerns the roof would give way, said Chief Brian P. Duggan.

“Basically there is evidence of structural compromise and we are working with both the owner and the building inspector to take appropriate steps,” Duggan said.

Carlon Road is off King Street near the fire station.

Also Walmart stores in Northampton and Westfield remained closed Thursday out of concern for the amount of snow on the roof.

Walmart officials could not be reached for comment, but a spokeswoman told WWLP that the move is a precaution until snow can be removed.

In Westfield, a man clearing snow from a commercial building at 501 Southampton Road Wednesday escaped injury when he jumped from a ladder as the building’s roof collapsed.

Deputy Fire Chief Patrick Kane said Chris Malinowski heard snapping and cracking sounds from inside the building and jumped from his ladder just as the center of the roof let go.

“He heard a snap, a crack, another louder sound and jumped to the ground,” Kane said

He landed safety, but the building, which houses Martin’s Floor Covering and Kitchens Direct, was condemned. Malinowski is the son of the building’s owner.

In Warren, a garage roof owned by Lizak Bus Service, 1301 Main St., collapsed late Wednesday onto eight school buses parked inside.

There were no injuries, but the buses were pinned inside the wreckage.

“They were actually holding the roof up,” said Assistant Fire Chief Adam Lavoie.

Three of the buses were removed without damage, Lavoie said.

At the Westover Golf Course, on South Street in Granby, the roof of a maintenance building collapsed Thursday afternoon. The building was about 40 by 80 feet, according to the Ludlow Fire Department, and there were no injuries.

Cleanup from the storm continued throughout the region.

View full sizeMichael S. Gordon - The RepublicanJody Winters clears snow from in front of her Crystal Avenue home in Springfield Thursday following a two-day winter storm.

Springfield officials said the winter so far has cost $2 million in snow removal costs and there is more work yet to be done following recent storms.

DPW director Allan Chwalek said there are five crews working six days a week to clear up the snow.

The city has been removing snow to dumping sites around the city including Kiley and Duggan Middle Schools, Mary Lynch School the former York Street Jail, Smith and Wesson and several other locations. Chwalek said the city has also a verbal agreement with the state Department of Environmental Protection to dump snow in the Mill River if necessary.

“We are going to fill out the necessary paperwork, but as of now it has not come to that,” he said.

With roads still sloppy and sky-high snow banks blocking visibility at intersections, Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said people need to have some patience until city workers can get around to remove the snow.

“It is going to take some time to get to all of them, and until then we need drivers to take it slow,” he said.

Piling snow was the cause of a Chicopee argument resulted in an 83-year-old man hitting a 67-year-old neighbor repeatedly with a snow shovel on Tuesday, said police Lt. Mark Higgins.

“The argument ensued about the placement of snow,” he said.

Higgins said 83-year-old Maurice Cotton of 129 Manning St. was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, a snow shovel.

The neighbor suffered minor injuries to his head and shoulders, Higgins said.

Cotton pleaded innocent at his arraignment Thursday in Springfield District Court. He was released on his own recognizance and is due back in court for a pre-trial conference on March 7.

One of the conditions of his release is that he avoid all contact with the victim.

Kane has accepted a job as school superintendent in East Windsor, CT.

File photo by Mark M. Murray / The RepublicanLudlow Superintendent of Schools Theresa Kane is seen in a 2005 interview. The told the School Committee Friday that she will be leaving Ludlow for a post in East Windsor, Conn.

LUDLOW – Five-year School Superintendent Theresa M. Kane informed the School Committee on Friday that she will leave her job as of July 1 to take a job as superintendent of the East Windsor, Conn., public schools.

Kane accepted the East Windsor superintendent job Thursday night.

Kane, who has one year left on her three-year contract in Ludlow and has spent most of her career in Ludlow said it will be “bittersweet” to leave friends and colleagues in town, but she is anxious to get started in East Windsor. She said she will retire from the Ludlow school superintendent job.

She said the East Windsor school district has “a real sense of community, and wants to get parents involved in the educational process.” She added, “I think the job will be a good fit.”

Kane said she will negotiate her salary in East Windsor next week.

The Ludlow School Committee will meet Tuesday night at 7 to discuss the process of finding a replacement for Kane. Both School Committee Chairman Michael J. Kelliher and School Committee member James P. “Chip” Harrington said the School Committee is likely to advertise for an interim superintendent to supervise the district while it looks for a permanent superintendent.

Kane’s tenure as superintendent has generated controversy in recent years. She recommended reorganizing the school district and abolishing neighborhood schools to reduce costs and improve the school district’s performance on the MCAS tests.

Many parents in the school district turned out at hearings opposing the move which was carried out in spite of the opposition of parents.

Harrington, who is running for reelection this spring, said part of his campaign platform will be to have the school district return to neighborhood schools.

Neighborhood schools result in a more stable environment for children and a more active PTO, Harrington said.

Kane as superintendent also presided over the school district’s moving out of the corrective action category resulting from student performance on the MCAS test, but Harrington said that last year’s state testing resulted in the school district failing to make adequate progress in 11 out of 12 categories.