"How do the changes they are proposing save the government money and help the mission," Brown said Monday.

The Republican | Mark M. MurrayMassachusetts Senator Scott Brown, center, talks with Air Force Recruiters, staff sergeant Tito Flores, left, and Matthew Bahosh, right, at their booth set up at the Bay State Jobs Fair, which Brown hosted Monday at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Memorial Drive.

CHICOPEE – U.S. Sen. Scott P. Brown toured Westover Air Reserve Base Monday, one day before he plans to question Air Force brass on proposed cuts to Westover and other Air Force installations around the state including Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield.

“How do the changes they are proposing save the government money and help the mission,” Brown said Monday.

Tuesday, Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz will testify to the Senate Armed Services Committee. Brown is on the 26-Senator committee along with six other senators from neighboring states: Joseph I. Lieberman, I-Conn.; Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.; Kirsten E. Gillibrand, D-N.Y; Richard Blumenthal , D-Conn.; Kelly Ayotte, D-N.H.; and Susan M. Collins, R-Maine.

That support is thought critical for Westover because reservists assigned there often live some distance away.
The committee’s powerful chairman, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Detroit, is poised, meanwhile, to raise questions about the Air Force’s plans to eliminate upwards of 600 jobs at Selfridge Air National Guard base in his state. The Guard unit at Selfridge flies the A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft which were once flown in Western Massachusetts and are now being phased out of service by the Air Force.

In Michigan, as in Massachusetts, members of the congressional delegation have sent letters to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and military leaders to voice opposition to the cuts, citing the loss of jobs and other economic fallout on the regional economy, and they, like other states, are garnering grassroots support among communities directly affected by the proposed cuts.

Brown plans to renew his suggestion that if the Air Force must consolidate operations, why not return active-duty Air Force operations to Westover and take advantage of the facilities, the bases safety and efficiency records and its proximity to Europe and the Middle East.

“Why are disrupting something that is already working,” he said. “Is there a way to shift he mission. Is there a way to give us the active-duty component to help us fulfill that mission.”

Consumer advocate Elizabeth Warren, Brown’s expected Democratic opponent in the November election, has also voiced support for Westover and Barnes saying they both play significant roles in national security.

The Air Force has announced plans to cut 153 civilian and 180 military jobs in Massachusetts as early as Oct. 1. The reduction is part of the Defense Department’s plan to trim $500 billion in defense spending over the next 10 years.

Westover has a total of 2,333 Reserve members with 79 full-time Reserves and 838 civilian workers. The planned cut is four Reserve members and 13 civilians effective with the fiscal year 2013 budget. The 104th Fighter Wing stationed at Barnes airport has 801 part-time military, 149 full-time military and 273 civilian positions. The part-time manpower list will increase by seven, but full-time military will lose two positions and one civilian post will be eliminated if the Air Force reduction plan is implemented.

In a separate move not counted in those reductions, the Air Force has also announced plans to transfer eight of the 16 C-5 jumbo jet transports assigned to Westover’s 439th Airlift Wing to Lackland Air Force Base in Texas in 2016.

Jamie Asselin, 35, of Chicopee, is accused of beating and robbing Donald Partyka, 75, at the man's South Hadley home. Partyka died several months later from causes unrelated to the alleged home invasion.

The Republican / File photoThe Hampshire County Courthouse in Northampton

NORTHAMPTON – Jury selection got underway Monday in the Hampshire Superior Court trial of a man accused of injuring and robbing a senior citizen during an alleged 2010 South Hadley home invasion.

Jamie R. Asselin, 35, of Chicopee, broke into the South Hadley home of Donald W. Partyka in August of that year and assaulted and robbed the man, according to police and prosecutors. Several months later, Partyka, 75, died from causes unrelated to the alleged attack.

Asselin was arrested four days after the alleged Aug. 6, 2010, attack. A Hampshire County grand jury later indicted him on a host of felony charges.

Authorities claim Asselin entered Partyka's home, stuffed a pillow in his face, then tied him up and cut his face with a knife. Cash and credit cards were taken during the home invasion, investigators said.

Jury selection was expected to continue Tuesday before opening arguments in the trial. The Daily Hampshire Gazette reports that Asselin is representing himself in the trial, which could extend into next week.

Asselin's criminal history includes past convictions and violations of probation conditions and restraining order, according to court records.

Jamie Asselin is representing himself with back-up counsel.

NORTHAMPTON – The trial of a Chicopee man charged in 2010 with home invasion, robbery and assault involving a then 75-year-old South Hadley man is scheduled to begin Wednesday morning in Hampshire Superior Court.

Jamie R. Asselin, 35, was charged with entering the home of Donald W. Partyka on Aug. 6, 2010 in the company of another man, assaulting him and stealing credit cards and cash.

The charges against him include assault and battery on a person over 60, larceny under $250 from a person over 60, both of which carry enhanced penalties, home invasion, armed robbery and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Jury selection began Monday and a full complement was seated by Tuesday morning.

According to prosecutor Jayme A. Parent, Partyka was knocked to the ground in his home and held down while his face was covered with a pillow. He was bound with electrical cords, cut on the face with a knife and had to receive medical treatment for a puncture wound.

Partyka has since died of unrelated injuries.

Asselin is representing himself with lawyer Joseph A. Hanofee as back-up counsel. He is being held at the Franklin County Jail and House of Correction in Greenfield. In March of last year, bail was set at $1 million surety or $100,000 in cash, according to court records.

Judge Mary-Lou Rup heard motions on the case Tuesday afternoon ahead of the trial.

John DaCruz has served as Ludlow selectman for six years.

John Da Cruz

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Workers spent the day removing 20 tons of butter before it melted but a more immediate environmental concern was the 100 gallons of diesel fuel that spilled.

BOWDOINHAM, Maine - A Chicopee truck driver hauling a 20-ton load of butter north on Interstate 295 lost control of his truck Wendesday morning and crashed into the woods, according to published reports.

Driver Kevin Bryant, 41, of Chicopee, was not injured in the crash, according to a report in The Kennebec Journal of Augusta, Maine.

The newspaper quoted Maine State Police troopers who said Bryant apparently fell asleep at the wheel. The truck crashed into a guardrail, went through a long section of grass and then crashed deep into the woods. Bryant was not wearing a seatbelt.

The accident was reported at about 8:30 a.m.

Troopers reported the truck could not be seen from the road after the crash.

Workers spent most of the day unloading the 20 tons of butter from the truck before it could melt.

Of bigger environmental concern was the 100 gallons of diesel fuel that was spilled with
the truck’s fuel tank ruptured. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection was called to the scene to lead the fuel cleanup.

The truck was owned by AC Motor Express, a West Springfield company that specializes in temperature-controlled deliveries to restaurants, supermarkets and warehouses throughout the Northeast.

Bowdoinham, Maine, is about 30 miles north of Portland.


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The school began in 1867 but enrollment was too weak to continue, officials said.

File photo by Mark M. Murray / The RepublicanPatricia Kern, principal of the Holy Name School in Chicopee, is seen with a fifth grader in 2005, just before she became principal of the school. The Holy Name parish announced Wednesday that the school will be closing in June.

CHICOPEE – Declining enrollment and aging facilities will force the closing of Holy Name School at 63 South St. in June, officials said Wednesday.

Holy Name pastor the Rev. David M. Darcy and Principal Patricia A. Kern announced the closing in a meeting with parents, according to a prepared statement from Mark E. Dupont, spokesman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield.

“I deeply regret the challenges and difficulties that such a decision causes,” Darcy said.

“However, there was no financial solution, sustainable enrollment or resource that could ensure our future commitment to academic excellence which was the hallmark of this school throughout its history,” he said.

The school was founded in 1867.

An academic fair featuring Catholic schools from neighboring communities will be offered to Holy Name families in the coming weeks, the press release said.

This year 118 students attended the pre-kindergarten to grade eight school. Last year, the decision to re-open for the current school year was finalized only in June and was based on a parish and school community discussion in which certain enrollment and financial goals were set. Unfortunately those trends did not improve enough to allow another year, the press release said.

The number of teachers and other staff working at the school was unclear, Dupont said. The school website lists 18 faculty and other staff, including Kern.

Springfield Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell expressed sadness at the school’s closing, the statement reads.

“I offer my prayers to faculty, students and families as they learn of this sad news. I know that Father Darcy and Mrs. Kern made tremendous efforts to keep this school open; unfortunately as we have all experienced the economy has not cooperated. I hope they are recognized for their valiant efforts,” McDonnell said.

The South Street school is slated to close at the end of this school year. Church officials are evaluating possible future uses for the site, which includes the school and neighboring Holy Name of Jesus Church, which closed last year.

Staff photo by Mark M. MurrayHoly Name School Principal Patricia Kern and Rev. David Darcy, pastor of Holy Name of Jesus Church, said Thursday that the Chicopee school will close at the end of this school year.

CHICOPEE – Not even an eleventh-hour cash infusion would likely save Chicopee's Holy Name School from closing in June, said Rev. David M. Darcy, pastor of Holy Name of Jesus Church, the neighboring South Street sanctuary that closed last year.

Rising costs and dwindling enrollment at the 145-year-old school, whose structurally unsound parish church closed in February 2011 because of termite and masonry damage, are the main culprits fueling the decision to close the school. But the real challenge has been trying to provide Holy Name's 118 students with a quality, 21st-century education in an aging facility during a prolonged sour economy, Darcy said during a press conference Thursday on the school's front lawn.

The Catholic priest said he had a "heavy heart" delivering the bad news, which most parishioners had been bracing for since at least last year, when a last-minute decision was made to open the school for the current academic year.

"It's a done deal," Art Seymour said with a note of finality. The East Springfield man, who each weekday drives his four grandchildren from Springfield and East Longmeadow to the Chicoppe school, said the closure was expected considering Holy Name has been on life support for the past few years.

As a condition for opening this year, school officials had set certain enrollment and financial goals. Church officials said donations and ongoing support were not enough to sustain the school beyond this year, but some family members disagreed.

"We met all the criteria to stay open," said Janet Seymour, Art Seymour's wife, who accused Darcy and church officials of not caring.

The future of the Holy Name site, including the school at 63 South St., the neighboring church and a former rectory that's now the Polish Center of Discovery and Learning, is unclear at this point. Darcy said he and parish officials are evaluating which church properties "can be reworked and renovated," and which should perhaps be closed.

"We're looking toward a long-term goal," he said.

Darcy said Holy Name is "solely a parish school," which means it's not directly funded by the diocese. That said, the diocese has provided some past support, according to Darcy.

When Holy Name of Jesus Church closed last year, all services were moved to the Assumption of the Blessed Mary Church on Springfield Street. The Assumption and Holy Name parishes underwent a merger after the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield closed churches in Chicopee.

Holy Name School Principal Patricia A. Kern said she and her staff of 17 will be out of work when the school closes in mid-June. However, the diocese has pledged to work with faculty and staff, who will get first dibs on any new job openings, she said.

"Mounting fiscal challenges," declining enrollment and outmoded facilities ultimately became insurmountable obstacles for the school, whose hallmark was always "academic excellence," Darcy said.

The pastor said the threat of closure had been "looming for many years," and that the school's faculty and students have "mixed emotions" about the decision. Art Seymour's emotions were crystal-clear on Thursday: He believes that both the parish and diocese have showed a lack of compassion in regard to the school.

"Where is the moral support from the church?" he said.

The school, founded in 1867, serves students from pre-kindergarten to the eighth grade. An academic fair featuring Catholic schools from neighboring communities will be offered to Holy Name families in the coming weeks, so parents can decide where to send their children next fall.

Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell offered "prayers to faculty, students and families as they learn of this sad news," adding that the economy "has not cooperated." McDonnell praised Kern and Darcy for doing all they could to keep the school open.

THE MAP BELOW shows the approximate location of Holy Name School, which is scheduled to close at the end of the academic year in June:

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Bissonnette said he would make a decision about whether to seek the post by the end of the month.

File photo | Greg SaulmonChicopee Mayor Michael Bissonnette in his office at City Hall, November 2011.

CHICOPEE - On the heels of Hampden Superior Court clerk Brian P. Lees' announcement that he will not seek re-election this year, Mayor Michael Bissonnette today hinted at a possible run for the position.

In a message posted to his Facebook page Thursday morning, Bissonnette thanked Lees for his career in public service, adding: "To those who have been asking, yes it is something I am considering given my background in the law and public management."

Bissonnette said he would make a decision about whether to seek the post by the end of the month.

Lees announced Thursday that he would not run for a second six-year term. "After consulting with my wife, Nancy, I decided it is the appropriate time in my life to explore other options outside of elective office," Lees, who served as a state senator for 18 years prior to being elected clerk, wrote in his announcement.

Earlier this week lawyer and former Ludlow selectman John Da Cruz announced that he will run as a Democratic candidate for the clerk's office.

The deadline to file as a candidate for the office is in May.

Fountain is raising concerns that appointee Bruce Stebbins is the fourth white male on the five-member board.

Joseph R. Fountain

SPRINGFIELD -- Joseph Fountain, a candidate for state representative in the 9th Hampden District, has criticized the Governor's appointment of Bruce Stebbins to the state Gaming Commission.

Fountain raises concerns that Stebbins is a Republican and is the fourth white male on the five-member board.

Click here to see Fountain's full press release.

More press releases from candidates in the various 2012 races are available at our Campaign Dispatches blog.

The theft happened just after 12 p.m. Thursday. Watch video

CHICOPEE - The thieves were in and out in well under two minutes.

Three men in a black pickup truck backed into Darrell Thompson's driveway on East Street Thursday, hitched up a trailer and drove off with two blue Yamaha "quad"-style all-terrain vehicles. Thompson's home security camera caught the brazen mid-day theft on video.

"One of them must have busted the lock off" of the trailer, said Thompson, who estimated the value of each vehicle at $1,700. The trailer, he said, is worth about $500.

Thompson described the suspects' pickup truck as a Dodge Ram. The trailer carries the license plate B31373.

Thompson noticed the trailer and vehicles were missing when he accessed his security system while at work. "I ran straight home," he said. The theft happened just after 12 p.m. Thursday, a time stamp on the video shows.

An avid rider, Thompson had already taken advantage of the mild spring by hitting the trails over the past few weeks at Granby's Farview Sportsman's club.

Thompson turned the video over to Chicopee police, and said he'd offer a reward of up to $300 for information leading to the return of the vehicles.

The phone number for the city's police department is (413) 592-6341.

In January, Patrick announced $10 million in funding for the Gateway Cities program in 2013 budget, underscoring his administration’s commitment to ensuring all students are prepared for achieve in the classroom and in life.

CHICOPEE – The state’s top executive met some of the city’s top students today when Gov. Deval L. Patrick visited Fairview Veterans Memorial Middle School.

The governor was serenaded by the school orchestra as he arrived with State Education Secretary S. Paul Reville to highlight efforts to close learning achievement gaps in 24 so-called Gateway Cities, including Chicopee.

Meeting with students in the school library, Patrick said the state had the highest overall achievement levels nationwide, but also had troubling pockets of underachievement, particularly with special needs and bi-lingual students as well as those from low-income families.

“I am proud of the progress we have made, but we won’t be satisfied until we have a system that prepares all of our students for success,” Patrick said.

In January, Patrick announced $10 million in funding for the Gateway Cities program in 2013 budget, underscoring his administration’s commitment to ensuring all students are prepared for achieve in the classroom and in life.

As outlined by the governor, the goals of the Gateway Cities program include getting all children to reading proficiency by the third grade; preparing all students for college or careers and providing bi-lingual students will support they need to succeed.

“This ... represents the next phase in our efforts to close persistent achievement gaps and focus our resources on our neediest children, while challenging all students to do significantly better,” Reville said.

Fairview Memorial, with about 700 students in grades six to eight, has its own achievements to celebrate; in September, the school was one of 127 commended statewide for sizable improvements in test scores during the last school year.

During a meeting in the library, students in the advanced placement program, called REACH, quizzed the governor about the pressures of his job and his adventures on the campaign trail for his friend Barack Obama.

Patrick, who has known the president for 15 years, said he was proud of Obama’s performance, particularly given the difficulties of running the country during a major economic downturn. He praised Obama for reviving the auto industry, reforming Wall Street and keeping the nation’s economy out of a depression.

“And he’s kept his cool,” Patrick added.

The program’s teacher, Michael J. Burke, was impressed with his students session with the governor. “I think they did an excellent job; I’ve very proud of then,” he said.

Patrick also took the opportunity to pay tribute to school staffer Sherlene Hart, a supporter who got Patrick to promise to visit the school during his first campaign.

He said Hart scolded him for taking five years to show up, but added: “Like (Hart), all my best teachers scolded me when I was in school.”

The School Committee has not discussed using the building for administration offices.

File photo by Jim SearsThe former Chicopee Public Library.

CHICOPEE - The city is planning to gut the former library down to the studs to see if it will be feasible to use the historic building for school offices.

The building, which has now been used since a new library was built in 2004, is proposed to be used to move the school department offices from the aging Helen O’Connell building to downtown.

The work, which includes removing asbestos in the walls and the tile floors, will cost $160,000. The cost also includes hiring a structural engineer to see if the walls are strong enough to support a second floor for the offices, Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette said.

“It is an iconic building. We would like to save it if we can,” he said.

The city had hired an architect to see if it was possible to build a connector between city hall and the library next door, improve handicap accessibility to both and renovate the building for school officer. But architects said they could not tell if the structure could handle a second floor without demolishing parts of the walls.

If the engineering report determines the building is not strong enough to support a second floor, then the city will have to consider other uses for it or tear it down. To re-use or demolish the building the asbestos would have to be removed anyway so the money would not be wasted, Bissonnette said.

The City Council tabled the proposal in a 9-3 vote and asked its chairman George R. Moreau to set up a meeting with Bissonnette to talk about the city’s entire capital improvement priorities.

There are a variety of needs facing the city including the building of the senior center, which is expected to begin in late summer and the renovation of the former Chicopee High School, which is starting the design phase. In addition the public safety complex is in bad shape and need to be renovated or rebuilt and the school administration building has structural problems, Councilor Jean J. Croteau Jr. said.

“We want to know what our priorities are,” he said. “What is our appetite and what can we afford.”

He said it may not be the time to do an engineering study if the project is not going to be done for another five years.

Councilor James K. Tillotson said he is also concerned that the School Committee has not discussed or voted on moving its offices to the library.

“It seems the linchpin is the School Department. To my knowledge they have not even been told about this,” he said.

But School Superintendent Richard W. Rege Jr. has said in the past he would be in favor of moving offices into the library as long as the lack of parking at city hall can be solved.

Melha Shriners looking for new members to help raise money for Shriners Hospitals.

Staff photo by Michael BeswickThe Melha Shriners were at the Ocean State Job Lot Plaza on Memorial Drive Saturday to promote the area Shriners and the Shriners Hospitals for Children. Back row left to right are Melha Shriners James Magagnoli, Pete Magagnoli, Don Haskill, Gordan MacDonald and Rick Carter. Front left to right is Melha Shriner - Bo, on the chopper is Matthew Bernier (7) of South Hadley himself a Shriners Patient and Tim Isbell-President of the Shriners Riders.

SPRINGFIELD – Right on Carew Street there is a hospital that treats children with orthopedic problems for free and many people don’t know anything about it. Shriner Peter Magagnoli wants to change that.

“We have a great Shriners Hospital right here in Springfield and many families don’t know their children can be treated there,” said Magagnoli, the chairman of the membership committee for the Melha Shriners. “ We want people to know more about the Shriners and what we are all about.”

Magagnoli helped organize what he hopes is the first of many events geared towards bringing awareness to the organization and attracting members.

“Like many philanthropic organizations membership has been dwindling for a long time,” he said.

The local Melha Shriners serve Western Massachusetts, Berkshire County, Worcester and even parts of Connecticut. There are chapters all over the world. The Shriners raise money for Shriners hospitals which serve children from all over the world even if they cannot afford to pay for treatment, he said.

“We have 22 hospitals worldwide including the orthopedic hospital in Springfield and the burn hospital in Boston,” he said.

Magagnoli said although the organization participates in parades and has fund-raisers all year long there are many people who have no idea what they do.

“You have some people who think we are a cult and others who have no clue about the good things the group does,” he said.

The event on Saturday was held at the Absolute Nutrition Center at 1485 Memorial Drive in Chicopee. They will host events at different location every month.

“We had a great turnout with a lot of families coming out. Some took literature and applications,” he said.

Magagnoli said the process to become a Shriner takes several months, but is not difficult.

“You have to become a third degree Mason before you can be a Shriner and that takes three months. Many Masons don’t realize that they are eligible to be Shriners,” he said.

Magagnoli said although the Shriners are males they have a female group that collects money for Melha called Daughters of the Nile.

“They also fund-raise and have activities to promote the hospital,” he said.

For more information on becoming a Shriner visit www.beashrinernow.com or www.melhashriners.com

According to prosecutors, Asselin and a co-defendant attacked Donald Partyka, who was 75 at the time, with a knife, covered his face with a pillow and bound him with an electrical cord.

NORTHAMPTON – Jamie R. Asselin will get another day in court after a judge granted his request for a mistrial in Hampshire Superior Court Tuesday.

Asselin, 35, of Chicopee is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on an elderly and disabled person in connection with an attack on a South Hadley man on Aug. 6, 2010. According to prosecutors, Asselin and a co-defendant who has not been identified attacked Donald Partyka, who was 75 at the time, with a knife, covered his face with a pillow and bound him with an electrical cord.

Asselin is also charged with larceny under $250. A more serious count of home invasion was dismissed. Asselin’s trial began on March 19.

According to prosecutor Jayme A. Parent, Judge Mary-Lou Rup granted the mistrial after the defense complained that evidence had not been turned over to them in a timely manner. Rup set bail at $30,000 and rescheduled the trial for June 18.

The jury could not agree – even after the long period of deliberations – on a second charge of aggravated rape, which alleged the victim was raped with a bottle.

The Republican | File photoThe Hampden County Hall of Justice in Springfield.

The Republican / File photo

SPRINGFIELD – A Hampden Superior Court jury took 2½ days of deliberation before coming back with verdicts on most – but not all – of the charges against 34-year-old John Thouin of Chicopee.

The jury convicted Thouin of assault and battery and resisting arrest.

It acquitted Thouin, who was represented by Mickey E. Harris, of charges of aggravated rape, indecent assault and battery on a person over 14 and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

But the jury could not agree – even after the long period of deliberations – on a second charge of aggravated rape, which alleged the victim was raped with a bottle. So a mistrial was declared on that charge.

The charges related to the May 31, 2009, brutal beating and sexual assault of a Chicopee woman behind a store at a strip mall near her apartment.

The victim testified Thouin, who she knew slightly because he handed out food at a local soup kitchen, had asked her if he could store his belongings in the apartment in which she lived with her boyfriend.

She said when he led her to the back of a store to get his possessions, she was raped and beaten by Thouin and another man who has never been identified.

Judge Peter A. Velis on Monday sentenced Thouin to 2½ years in the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow on the assault and battery conviction, followed by another 2½ years in that jail on the charge of resisting arrest.

That was the sentence recommended by Assistant District Attorney Patrick S. Sabbs.

People passing by in a car saw something happening and called police.

When Chicopee Police Officer Melissa Riel came on scene, she testified the woman’s lower body was on the ground, and Thouin was holding her upper body and shaking her.

The woman was unconscious, Riel said, and she was bleeding, disheveled, dirty and bruised.

Thouin ran and Riel chased him and tackled him to the ground, when he struck her arms.

In sentencing Thouin to the consecutive terms, Velis said Thouin – although convicted on only the assault and battery and resisting arrest – was part and parcel of an incident “shocking to my conscience.”

On Tuesday, the planned day to begin the retrial of Thouin for the aggravated rape charge on which the first jury could not reach a verdict, a plea agreement was reached which made a trial unecessary.

Thouin agreed to plead guilty to a reduced charge of indecent assault and battery on a person over 14 years old and the aggravated rape charge was dropped.

Velis sentenced Thouin to another 2½ years in the Ludlow jail, with the term concurrent with the one given Thouin Monday.

But the indecent assault and battery charge means Thouin is now facing the ramifications of being convicted of a sexual crime, such as sex offender registration.

The facts Thouin admitted to were that he indecently touched the woman after she was struck by someone.

Sabbs said the decision not to go to trial on the aggravated rape charge was in large part because of the difficulty testifying at the first trial for the victim.

He said it was “phenomenally difficult” for the victim to testify at the first trial.

A priority in redeveloping the downtown would be the long-stalled Cabotville Mill apartment project.

File photo by Michael S. Gordon / The RepublicanWorkers poured new sidewalks last year as part of a project to imrprove downtown Chicopee.

CHICOPEE – Professionals who studied ways to develop the western part of the city’s downtown said they are optimistic about its success.

But it will depend a lot on the plans to convert the former Cabotville mills into apartments – a project that has been stalled for at least five years.

The city received a grant of about $150,000 from the federal Environmental Protection Agency to study the area stretching from Center Street to the Delta Park. The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission was also working with the city and helped hire the Cecil Group in Boston for the study.

“We think we have found some solutions to revitalizing the west end,” said Kenneth Buckland, principal at the Cecil Group in Boston.

Much of the effort focuses on reusing brownfields, former industrial and business properties that might have been contaminated, said Carl F. Dietz, community development director.

The study examined 15 properties, including the former Cabotville Mill, the old steam plant and the former Exxon station on Center Street near the entrance of I-391.

“Some are vacant, some are developed, and all are brownfields,” Buckland said.

The key element in the plan is to see the Cabotville mill project go forward. The owner, Joshua Guttman, manager of 200 Tillary LLC, of New York, proposed to build at least 227 loft apartments there.

“You can make a difference in downtown Chicopee with 100, 200 new households,” said Frank Mahady, an economist and planner for FXM Associated of Mattapoisett, who was also involved in the study.

The approximately 25 residents and business owners who attended agreed one of the problems with the downtown area is that it is a “ghost town” with few people walking around.

Some said the area must be cleaned to attract people and questioned the idea of trying to improve it piecemeal.

The study showed there are people, most of whom are under 35 or over 55, who will be interested in living in Cabotville, Mahady said.

Dietz agreed, saying the neighboring Ames Privilege complex has a waiting list for apartments. But he also agreed there are difficulties getting the project moving because it is privately owned.

It may be possible to work with Guttman and help find a development partner if the project is stalled because of a lack of money. The city may be able to help if there are other reasons, he said.

The group also talked about proposals for other areas. The former steam plant property is difficult to reach through a narrow road near the underpass of Interstate-391. It could be used for a tree farm, solar panels or a ball field, Buckland said.

The group also agreed a canal walk could enhance the Cabotville mill area. The only problem with that is some buildings that are owned privately would have to be demolished, Dietz said.

The incident began when the woman threatened to cut off the suspect's hands, police said.

Republican file photo

CHICOPEE – Police charged a 23-year-old Briere Drive man with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon after he allegedly hit a 22-year-old woman in the hands with a fire extinguisher Tuesday morning.

Capt. Steven Muise said the incident began shortly before 9:45 a.m. at 41 Briere Drive when the woman threatened to cut the man’s hands off. “He grabbed a fire extinguisher and hit her in the hands,” Muise said.

Police arrested Ryan St. Andre. The woman did not have a knife in her possession, Muise said.

Both live at 41 Briere Drive.

A lawyer for Steven Sheldon on Westfield said he expects Sheldon will be proved innocent of all charges.

The Republican photo by Mark M. MurraySteven Sheldon, co-owner of the closed Cafeno's Internet Cafe.

The owner of the closed “Cafeno’s” Internet café in Chicopee is facing additional charges in connection with operating an illegal slot parlor, Attorney General Martha M. Coakley said.

The new indictments include allegations of falsifying state tax returns and illegal lottery advertising.

Steven Sheldon, 48, of Westfield, was indicted on Monday by a statewide grand jury on charges of aiding, assisting, procuring, counseling or advising a false return and advertising lottery tickets, Coakley's office said Thursday. The corporation, Cafeno’s Inc., faces the same charges.

Thomas Lesser, a lawyer for Sheldon, said Thursday that Sheldon did not falsify his tax returns and he expects that Sheldon will be proved innocent of all charges against him.

"This is a totally inappropriate set of indictments," Lesser said. "Mr. Sheldon received advice of counsel before opening. He notified the state police exactly how he intended to run his business. He operated openly for over a year and never received a suggestion from the Attorney General's office or from any law enforcement individual that anything he did, that any portion of the operation, was illegal."

The cafe at 76 Main St. closed a year ago after being raided by state police.

A spokeswoman for Coakley said no arraignment date is set for Sheldon on the new charges.

Attorney General Martha Coakley

In January 2012, Sheldon, and his business partner Stephen Megliola, 42, of Longmeadow pleaded innocent in Hampden Superior Court to charges of organizing or promoting gambling services and operating an illegal lottery. Sheldon was also arraigned on charges of allowing lotteries in a building and the sale and advertising of lottery tickets. The same charges were lodged against their corporation.

On Beacon Hill, a bill to ban Internet slot cafes has remained stalled after a low-key public hearing on March 6. The bill is languishing despite being sponsored by two powerful politicians -- House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo and Coakley.

“This legislation is one more step we can take toward protecting consumers from these ‘cyber cafes’ which are really ‘cyber scams’ with no posted odds, minimum odds, or guarantee of payouts for patrons," Brad Puffer, a spokesman for Coakley, said in a statement on March 6.

Most school districts in Western Massachusetts begin class before Labor Day.

Republican file photoA plow cleans up snow in a storm from a past year. Excessive cancellations because of snow have forced the Chicopee schools to start classes earlier next year.

CHICOPEE – After multiple snow days have left students going to school until the very end of June twice, the School Committee agreed to start classes before Labor Day for the first time in years.

The move was protested by some parents, but Superintendent Richard W. Rege Jr. said he does not want to take any chances for a third year.

The School Committee approved the calendars for the next school year and the 2013-2014 year in a 9-2 vote last week.

The schedule calls for most children to start school on Aug. 28 next year. If there are no snow days, school will end on June 13. The following year, the first day of school will be Aug. 27, and the last day will June 12 if there are no cancellations.

The calendar will continue week-long vacations at Christmas, in February and April. The schools will also take traditional holidays such as Good Friday, Columbus Day and Patriots Day.

“I have taken a poll of 34 people, and only one said starting before Labor Day is a good idea,” said School Committee member Sharon M. Nawrocki, who has two children in the public schools.

But Rege said Chicopee is one of the few schools in Western Massachusetts that opens after Labor Day. Because of an excessively snowy winter, school ended on June 28 last year.

This year an unusual snowstorm in October canceled school for five days, leaving children to attend school until June 26. Rege canceled a teacher training day and called a half-day for the day before Thanksgiving in a desperate attempt to make up time before the winter snowstorms hit.

The earlier start will leave the schools with 10 snow days and more flexibility if many days are canceled, he said.

“It gives us a buffer. You just don’t know what you are going to get,” said School Committee member Mary-Elizabeth Pniak-Costello.

The schools were lucky the winter was so mild and there were not more snow days, but she called this year a “nail-biter.”; Pniak-Costello, who has a daughter in the public schools, said she supported the idea to start earlier.

Calling the October storm unusual, Committee member Adam D. Lamontagne said he did not like the earlier start and the fact it moved graduations from June to May.

But David G. Barsalou, a retired Springfield educator, said he never saw a problem with starting before Labor Day when he was teaching.

An earlier start prevents the chaos of having to cancel scheduled vacations or holidays. When that happens, attendance is low and more substitute teachers have to be hired because families make plans far in advance, he said.

2012-13 and 2013-14 School Calendars

"Most people buy $5 or $10 worth. We've had people buying 300, 400, 500 tickets," said Country Trading Post cashier Basia Lewko.

The Republican | Dave RobackBradley and Lisa Willard of Ludlow purchased their lottery tickets for Friday night's Mega Millions drawing at the Trading Post in Chicopee on Friday afternoon.

CHICOPEE – At Country Trading Post in Chicopee, where an electric sign announced extended hours for the purchase of Mega Millions Lottery Jackpot tickets, the Friday lunchtime crowd was reportedly enormous and a postprandial mob continued to file past the cash registers without a break.

At $1 a ticket, few people quit at just one, said cashier Basia Lewko. “Most people buy $5 or $10 worth. We’ve had people buying 300, 400, 500 tickets.”

The size of the jackpot Friday afternoon was $640 million.

Trading Post owner Carl D. Roy said some people represent office pools, but one of his customers bought 500 tickets for himself.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this much activity,” said Roy. “I think this is just craziness.”

Roy said the store had sold about 15,000 Mega Millions tickets in the past week.

“When it goes up high, that’s when I buy a ticket,” said customer Robert Garelli, of Springfield. When asked why, he replied, “I want to know what it is to be a millionaire!”

View full sizeThe Republican | Dave RobackBuffy LaRiviere of Chicopee sold 150 Mega Millions tickets to one customer at the Trading Post.

“We play very rarely,” said Lisa Willard of Ludlow, who had bought 11 lottery tickets, “but when the jackpot’s this big, you might as well take a chance.”

“You just never know,” said her husband, Bradley. Asked how he would spend the money if he won, he said he would spend the first year imagining what to do with it – “and that’s as far as it gets.”

Melanie Boulais, of South Hadley, was refraining from risky behavior. She was about to buy a single ticket, though she had also bought one the day before. “I figure I work too hard for my money,” she said.

“My husband and I were just talking last night about how we would spend the money if we won,” said Boulais. “My daughter is 13, and she said I should give some of it to charity.

“I would pay people’s mortgages,” said Boulais. “I would hide for a while, I would buy a new car because I need one, I would help people who need help.”

Craig Pfister, also of South Hadley, had just gotten off work and was still wearing his employer’s truck driver logo when he stopped at the Trading Post.

“I’ve bought five tickets each at six or seven different places,” said Pfister, who was following instructions from his wife, Sharon. He was planning to stop at “one more place down the road” before he got home.

The Republican | Dave RobackRobert Garelli of Springfield purchased his Mega Millions tickets at the Trading Post.

If he won, said Pfister, all the money would go to his family. He would pay off his debts and would pay for the education of his older son, Brian, 19, who is in college.

Sandra Giverson, of Ludlow, said she would share the loot with “my brothers and sisters.”

“Everyone has a dream,” said Roy. “They’re all in good spirits.”

Had he bought a ticket himself? Of course. He and his wife spent about $20 on tickets, he said.