Neighbors on either side of the house said they fled when they smelled smoke and saw flames. Watch video

This is an updated version of a story posted at 5:27 p.m.. Another update is now available at MassLive.

CHICOPEE — After more than an hour of battling a fire at a three-story apartment building in the Willimansett section on Monday, Chicopee firefighters have extinguished the blaze.

There was no word on the cause of the fire at 21 Nassau St., which has six apartment units. Details on how many residents were affected and if there were any injuries also were not available.

A spokeswoman for the Pioneer Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross said that the agency sent two support units to the scene.

The fire was reported at about 4:30 p.m., and started on a back porch, according to reports heard on the police scanner. Just after 5 p.m., smoke blanketed the neighborhood.

One resident said he escaped when police arrived.

"I don't know what happened. The third floor was on fire and the cops came and got everyone out," said the man, who lives in a second floor apartment with his mother. He declined to give his name.

Neighbors on either side of the house said they fled when they smelled smoke and saw flames.

“I told everyone to get out because it was getting really hot,” said Maria Estrada.

The supplies will be distributed through school districts across the region.

Photo by Dave Roback / The RepublicanGrace Pulsifer, of Northampton, puts a donation in a collection jar at the Stuff the Bus display at the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside.

SPRINGFIELD – The United Way of Pioneer Valley and the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority are in the midst of the third annual Stuff the Bus school supply drive.

Organizers hope to fill 1,500 backpacks with school supplies for homeless children living in Springfield, Chicopee, Holyoke, Westfield and West Springfield before the drive wraps up on Aug. 11.

After a successful two-year partnership with Peter Pan Bus Lines, United Way of Pioneer Valley partnered with the regional transit authority this year.

“Last year, we started talking with PVTA, and they were happy to partner with us,” said United Way spokeswoman Debra Foley. “A lot of their riders are homeless so they felt like this was a great way to get involved.”

The United Way has already obtained brand-new backpacks and is looking for supplies to fill them. Specifically, they are looking for pencils with erasers, pens, crayons, highlighters, pencil boxes, glue sticks, single-subject notebooks, two-pocket folders and calculators. They will also accept cash donations.

The school supply drive fits in with the United Way’s mission, Foley added.

“One of our focus areas is education, and we feel like if we can get the kids who are facing homelessness to get the school year started on the right foot, it’s such a relief to their families and to them,” she said. “The school supply lists (given by schools) are extensive and expensive; (families) might say, ‘Do we buy school supplies or go grocery shopping?’”

The backpacks will be distributed to children at the end of August by the school districts’ special coordinators assigned to assisting homeless families.

Foley said stores seem to be having sales on school supplies earlier this year, which is good news for Stuff the Bus. The final day of the drive falls during the tax-free weekend in Massachusetts.

“People really want to help,” she said. “What’s nice about this program is if you can only afford to get a couple of notebooks, you don’t have to make this huge commitment. People have been very generous so far, but there’s still a long way to go.”

Both the United Way and the transit authority have collection sites for the drive, and there will be a special collection program on Aug. 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside outside the inside entrance to Target. The mall also has a collection box at their customer service center, located on the lower level near Sears. Cash donations can be made online at www.uwpv.org.

The fire started at about 4:35 p.m. at 19-21 Nassau St., spread up the three back porches and ignited the roof, Deputy Fire Chief James McInerney said. Watch video

This is an updated version of a story posted at 5:27 this afternoon.

CHICOPEE – A fire that started on a back porch destroyed a three-story apartment block, leaving six families homeless.

The fire started at about 4:35 p.m. at 19-21 Nassau St. It spread up the three back porches and ignited the roof, said Deputy Fire Chief James McInerney.

The fire department received multiple 911 calls on the fire and neighbors also ran around the corner to the Fire Station on Chicopee Street to ask for help. The first firefighters arrived at the house within a minute, he said.

“The fire already had a huge start when he got there,” McInerney said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by Chicopee investigators and the state Fire Marshal’s Office. He did not speculate on the cause.

Residents who witnessed the fire agreed it spread quickly.

“We were taking things upstairs and we saw thick black smoke,” said Robert Morris, whose Grattan Street home is across the street from the back of the house. “It went quick. I’ve never seen anything go so quickly.”

Police Lt. John Pronovost said he was heading to the National Night Out Against Crime event in the nearby Sarah Jane Sherman Park when he saw the smoke and stopped to help. He and other officers started evacuating the building. One person on the second floor had to be escorted out, he said.

McInerney said all residents did get out safely. Firefighters first ensured the building was evacuated and started fighting the blaze on the inside but soon were called out for safety reasons.

No one was injured but one firefighter was overcome by the heat. He was treated at the scene, he said.

For more than an hour firefighters poured water on the house. Trucks were stationed on Nassau Street and Grattan Street so the front and the back could be saturated. The blaze was mostly extinguished by 6 p.m. and firefighters entered the building again to put out flames that ignited again, he said. Firefighters from Holyoke, Westover Air Reserve Base and Springfield assisted by covering the Chicopee stations while firefighter were working at the blaze, McInerney said.

The fire blanketed the neighborhood with thick black smoke. A number of roads, including parts of Grattan and Chicopee streets were closed snarling traffic at a time when people were leaving work.

Neighbors on either side of the house decided quickly to leave their homes after they smelled smoke and saw flames.

“I told everyone to get out because it was getting really hot,” said Maria Estrada, who lived two buildings down from the fire.

Jeff LaFlamme, who lives next door to the house said he grabbed his young daughter and left because it was so hot and smoky. While Estrada watched his daughter, he went back to get his dog but did not take the time to put on shoes.

McInerney estimated the damage between $180,000 and $200,000 and said the building was likely a total loss. No one was allowed to return to their homes.

A spokeswoman for the Pioneer Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross said the agency sent two support units to the scene and assisted residents who were left homeless.

The city is requesting proposals from business owners who want to develop the second 25-acre parcel.

File photo by Don Treeger / The Republican Chicopee Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette speaks during a ceremony last year marking the city's acquisition of five homes abutting Westover Air Reserve Base on Fredette Street that used to be Navy housing. On the left are U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal and Col. Robert R. Swain Jr., commander of the Air Force Reserve's 439th Airlift Wing at Westover,

CHICOPEE – The City Council approved the sale of five colonial homes formerly owned by the U.S. Navy after years of negotiating the deal.

The City Council voted 8-0 Thursday to sell the property on Fredette Street to Wayne Bessette, owner of Waycon Inc., who successfully bid to purchase the homes to renovate them. Bessette will buy the houses and about four acres of land for $250,000.

The homes, known as General’s Row, were once part of Westover Air Reserve Base but have been vacant for at least 15 years. The city has been working with the U.S. Navy, which owned the land, to acquire that four-acre parcel and a second about 25-acre parcel off Kelly Drive, for more than a decade.

In April of 2011 the property was finally conveyed to the city. It requested proposals from developers who wanted to renovate the five homes by the summer and in December of 2011 the city selected Bessette, who was the highest bidder that submitted an acceptable project.

Officials are now requesting proposals for developers interested in developing the more complicated 25-acre parcel which has 128 homes that are mostly duplexes.

“From the city’s standpoint we wanted to get it right. It was not done right 20 years ago,” when other military property was sold to create condominiums, Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette said.

To have the property conveyed properly, the city had to accept Fredette Street as a public way. Since it was former military property, issues such as a right-of-way for utilities and tree belts had never been established.

Also on Thursday, the Planning Board voted to set proper boundries for Fredette Street and properly set up curb cuts and other things. That vote was 6-0.

Bessette will have to return to the City Council to have the parcel, which currently is unzoned, to be declared in a single-family zone. He will also have to get permission from the Planning Board to subdivide the four acres into five individual lots, City Planner Catherine L. Brown said.

Despite the bureaucratic problems with the land, City Councilors said they are happy that the work was done and the homes will be used again.

“I think this is in the best interest of the city to get this land back on the tax rolls,” Councilor James K. Tillotson said.

Councilors were assured that the proposal calls for single-family homes and cannot be redeveloped in a different way.

Several spoke highly of Bessette and his company.

“I’m glad to see Waycon will do this. He has done a number of projects in the city and he lives in the city,” Councilor Donald G. Demers said.

The event attracted between 3,000 and 4,000 people.

CHICOPEE – Volunteers knew their Night Out Against Crime event was going well when they started running out of things.

First the police had to run back to the station to get more backpacks after they gave 600 for prizes and the night wasn’t nearly over. Then they ran out of rolls after more than 1,500 hot dogs had been grilled and given away.

Even Lt. John Pronovost, the Police department’s crime prevention training officer, started off with 500 toy badges to give to children. Long before the flashlight parade that ends the event started he was down to a small plastic bag.

“I think this is our biggest event so far. We had between 3,000 and 4,000 people,” said Jean Fitzgerald, chairwoman of the Night Out Against Crime committee and founder of the event.

National Night Out Against Crime, which started nearly 30 years ago, encourages communities across the country to get together in a show of force against gangs, drugs and crime. The event is held on Aug. 7 but Chicopee always hold theirs one day early.

This was the 19th year of the event. Spread out across Sarah Jane Sherman Park were bounce houses, games offered by different community groups, a bicycle and skateboard demonstration and free food.

Corey Morales, 17, wore a bright knit yellow cap and giant sunglasses as he worked at the Boys and Girls Club booth. He said he helped at different games and picked up trash.

“It’s my first one. It has been really fun,” he said.

One of his friends, Chary Rivera, 16, teased that she helped Morales dress. She too assisted with the Boys and Girls Club.

“This is my second and it has good games, cotton candy, hot dogs and I like the jump house,” she said.

The main purpose of the event is to allow the community and police to gather in a casual setting. This year Fitzgerald was encouraging people to thank police and honored state and local officers in a breakfast for their work at the April 13 shooting that left a state trooper injured.

The one disappointment was the Fire Department, which always attends, was battling a major fire and could not come. Residents missed them but understood, she said.

“It is a great event. We always want to meet the children, and tell them if you ever have a problem go to a police officer,” Pronovost said. “We are here to help and we try to make the situation better.”

This is an undated family photo of the late Amanda Plasse.

He talked about how the event has expanded. The first few years the event would draw about 100 people and a few officers would attend. Now people line up to see the department’s rescue boat and the emergency response vehicle and wait to see demonstrations of the police dog.

In fitting with the theme of the event, Michelle Mathieson handed out flyers and sold T-shirts and bracelets in tribute to her daughter Amanda Plasse. Plasse was just 20 when she was murdered on Aug. 26 in her School Street apartment. Her killing remains unsolved.

Mathieson said she is hoping someone will come forward with information that will help solve her daughter’s death.

Fitzgerald thanked the many sponsors who donated prizes, food and their time, saying the event could not have happened without them.

This year the School Committee and City Council in a show of unity manned the hot dog station. Councilors Michael J. Pise and Adam D. Lamontagne bought the hot dogs and rolls and City Councilors Dino A. Brunetti, John L. Vieau and Frank N. Laflamme, with the help of City Treasurer Ernest N. Laflamme grilled the food.

Public Information Officer Jennifer Mieth of the State Fire Marshal Office reports that the cause of yesterday's Chicopee fire on Nassau Street is still undetermined and adds that evidence of improper smoking materials was found on one of the back porches.

CHICOPEE -- Investigators are still working to determine the cause of a Monday fire at 19-21 Naussau Street that destroyed a three story apartment block.

Jennifer Mieth, public information officer for the State Fire Marshal Office, explained that when officers and investigators want to forensically examine the cause of a fire they approach the situation by speaking with the firefighters who were first on the scene and discuss what they believe was the source of the fire. Then, they examine the building to see where the strongest flames and most severe burning occurred.

Investigators use this information to try to eliminate possible causes and pinpoint where the fire started, Mieth said.

Due to this National Fire Investigation protocol, Mieth said that officers have not yet narrowed down a specific cause of the fire. However, Mieth said, officials cannot rule out cigarette smoking materials found on one of the back porches as a possible cause.

Deputy Fire Chief James McInerney said Monday the fire went up the three back porches and then engulfed the building's roof.

Mieth said officials have observed an increase in fires resulting from citizens smoking outside on their back porches and front stoops because many are not using suitable ash trays or safely disposing of their smoking materials.

Dailey had originally been charged as a habitual offender, which would have made his sentence 20 years.

SPRINGFIELD – Michael Dailey has been sentenced to 12 to 14 years in state prison for a series of housebreaks in Chicopee, Longmeadow and West Springfield.

Dailey, 55, who was listed as homeless when he was charged, pleaded guilty Thursday to housebreaks or attempted housebreaks and larcenies at three addresses in Longmeadow, two in West Springfield and one in Chicopee.

All told he pleaded guilty in front of Hampden Superior Court Judge Peter A. Velis to six counts of breaking and entering in the nighttime, one of attempt to commit a crime and six counts of larceny from a building.

In the case prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Patrick Sabbs, Dailey was originally charged as a habitual offender because of the his record of similar convictions.

If he had been convicted at trial and found to be a habitual offender he would have been sentenced to 20 years in state prison.

Dailey, who was represented by Arthur J. O’Donald III, has been held for 375 days in lieu of $10,000 cash bail after his arrest in July of 2011.

The Chicopee housebreak happened on July 25, 2011, and resulted in his arrest.

Other events were held in Chicopee, Palmer and East Longmeadow.

SPRINGFIELD - Hundreds of neighborhood residents attended the first National Night Out party held at Nathan Bill Park in East Forest Park.

Organizer Beth Hogan said she organized the event “to celebrate community and build partnerships with the Police and Fire Departments and state police.”

National Night Out events were held in seven other neighborhoods of the city on Tuesday as well.

East Forest Park has “good community,” Hogan said, adding that she has lived in the neighborhood for 20 years.

Former City Councilor William Foley who said he lives in East Forest Park said last year's tornado devastated a swathe of East Forest Park last year. He said the signs of the tornado are gone, except for some missing trees.

“Neighbors are walking to this event, and they will keep coming,” Foley said. “This is a very strong, neighborhood community.”

National Night Out, which involves all 50 states, started 29 years ago and has spread. Communities gather on Aug. 7 in a show of force against violence, drugs, gangs and crime. Police typically attend to meet residents and demonstrate some of their special units.

Hogan thanked State Rep. Angelo J. Puppolo Jr., D-Springfield, for inviting the state police to attend the East Forest Park event.

Hampden County District Attorney Mark Mastroianni also attended.

In Springfield National Night Outs also were held in East Springfield, Indian Orchard, City View Commons at Federal Court, Kenific Park on Plainfield Street in the North End, Allen Park Road, Seniority House at 307 Chestnut Street and Old Hill, Upper Hill and Maple High Six Corners at 721 State Street.

Chicopee held a National Night Out event on Monday, the day before the national event.

Jean Fitzgerald, chair of the National Night Out Against Crime Committee in Chicopee and founder of the event, said 3,000 to 4,000 people attended in Chicopee.

This was the 19th year of the event in Chicopee. Spread out across Sarah Jane Sherman Park were bounce houses, games offered by different community groups, a bicycle and skateboard demonstration and free food.

In Palmer, National Night Out was held in the parking lot of the Divine Mercy Parish on Main Street in Three Rivers.

The event was hosted by the Three Rivers Fire Department which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

“This is great for all the kids,” Town Council President Philip J. Hebert said. “They all love the fire trucks.”

The land is a vacant parcel bordered by West Main, Grove and Oak streets; it was being considered as a location for a new police station.

CHICOPEE — Citing concerns about potential lawsuits and possible contamination, the City Council has rejected a proposal to purchase a 2.5-acre parcel of land next to the former Uniroyal factory campus for a second time.

Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette proposed spending $280,000 to take the land bordered by West Main, Grove and Oak streets by eminent domain. The property was being considered as a location for a new police station.

The property, once owned by Facemate Corp., was acquired by Yves Demers as part of a tax settlement. Demers has since had it zoned for residential use, subdivided it into building lots and recently applied for a building permit to construct one duplex on the land.

When the City Council initially rejected the proposal, it was mainly over concerns about the cost, since it had been turned over to Demers for $90,000. But Karen T. Betournay, the city lawyer, explained the property was appraised at $280,000 by professionals, but has been assessed at $435,100 for tax purposes. The assessed value is higher because it was subdivided.

City councilors rejected the proposal in a 9-4 vote in June. It since met in closed session to discuss the issue with Betournay and this week it rejected it 10-1.

“I don’t have any appetite for taking any other contaminated property. I say let them build,” said City Councilor Timothy S. McLellan.

The property, which has no buildings on it, is believed to have been used as a parking lot for the Facemate or adjacent Uniroyal property. The land has not been tested by the city, so it is uncertain if it is contaminated. The city has been trying to clean up contamination from the Uniroyal factory campus and have the buildings demolished so the property can be redeveloped.

Councilor John L. Vieau said it has to be contaminated in some way because there are some limits now on how the property can be used, including that it cannot be farmed.

Councilor William M. Zaskey, who cast the sole vote to buy the land, said the land once belonged to the about 72-acre parcel that includes the Uniroyal and Facemate property.

“I think the 2.5 acres is an important part of the redevelopment of Uniroyal,” he said. “I think it is a good investment for the city, and I think it will be an asset for the city.”

Councilor James K. Tillotson disagreed. He said he is especially concerned that the city is planning to take the parcel for $280,000 while Demers has been paying taxes on land assessed at $435,100.

“I think it will end up going to court,” he said.

Tillotson also argued there are other 2.5-acre parcels in other spots in the city that could be used for the new police station and could be taken by eminent domain for the same amount or less and would be less problematic.

The buildings have been vacant for at least 15 years.

Republican file photo by Mark M. MurraySome of the vacant apartment buildings which were former Westover Air Reserve Base housing units, these are off Stephens Street.The City of Chicopee is seeking a developer interested in reusing the property.

CHICOPEE — The city is starting to take requests from developers who are interested in redeveloping a 25-acre parcel of land with 128 housing units on it that was once owned by the military.

The city acquired that land off Kelly Drive and a separate four-acre parcel with five single-family homes off Fredette Street near Westover Air Reserve Base from the U.S. Navy in April. All 133 buildings have been empty for at least 15 years but maintained by the military.

The City Council voted Aug. 2 to sell the property on Fredette Street to Waycon Inc. developers, who will renovate the homes and sell them as single-family homes. The larger parcel was more complicated to handle, so it has taken more time to prepare it for development.

Over the past year the city has had multiple meetings with residents of condominiums who live near the 25-acre parcel to discuss how the property should be used. It could be for residential, business or a combination, Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette said.

“At one point that complex had 600 people and 200 cars. That will not be acceptable for the renovation,” he said. “We may see a mixed bag of some demolition and some renovations.”

In the first meetings with the condominium associations, people were happy to tell officials what they did not want, but it was harder to get them to focus on what they would like to see on the property, said Kathleen A. Lingenberg, project manager for the Community Development Department, which has been working on the project for more than a year.

At least one member of each condominium association will now sit on the board that will evaluate the proposals when they are submitted.

The group has worked out a system that will score the developers’ proposals based on the neighbors’ and city’s interests and priorities, she said. The deadline is not until November, but an open house for the buildings is being held this week for interested developers, Lingenberg said.

City Councilor William M. Zaskey asked if it will be possible for a developer to simply come in and renovate all the units and turn them into a condominium or rental property.

“To just renovate it will be impossible,” Lingenberg said, explaining those proposals would score very low on the scale.

Bissonnette said the city is under no obligation to sell the land if an acceptable project is not submitted by any developer. Improvements to the roads and other infrastructure also will be required.

“We may get something unique and interesting. You are not tying someone down with this,” Councilor James K. Tillotson said.

Residents complained about excessive litter, graffiti and vandalism at the parks.

The Republican file photo | Don TreegerFour people play basketball at Szot Park. The hoops have since been removed by the Parks and Recreation Department because of complaints of litter and vandalism.

CHICOPEE — The City Council is asking for a meeting with the Parks and Recreation Committee after hearing complaints that department officials removed basketball hoops from three parks in the city.

“I have had phone calls from people who are for and who are against removing them from the parks,” City Councilor Frank N. Laflamme said. “I want to find out what is happening.”

Laflamme said he has mixed feelings about the attempt to cut down on vandalism and littering in the parks by removing the hoops.

“I know there is a lot of vandalism. At the same time I think our residents are missing out,” he said.

About a week ago the Parks and Recreation Department removed the basketball hoops at Dana Park on Newbury Street, Lincoln Grove Park on Broadway and Szot Park off Front Street, the city’s biggest park, Stanley J. Walczak, parks and recreation superintendent, said.

There were few problems at the rest of the parks so the hoops remain there, he said.

“There have been problems at several basketball sites with litter, graffiti, damage to hoops and nets,” Walczak said

Walczak said he personally visited the three parks where they were having problems and talked to the players and asked them to keep the parks clean. Despite that discussion, parks employees day in and day out have had to return to pick up empty plastic bottles and other trash left behind, even though there are several barrels at each court.

Even the basketball rims and backboards have been damaged and sprayed with graffiti. It costs about $150 to replace each rim.

Although some have complained, Walczak said many neighbors have thanked the Parks Department for removing the hoops.

“When we took the basketball hoops down the problems stopped. Where they were taken down people are very happy,” he said.

Walczak said he has been working with the police department, but wants to build the relationship and find ways to prevent problems or at least catch them as soon as they happen so they don’t escalate when the hoops are returned.

City Councilor James K. Tillotson endorsed the meeting, saying there needs to be more discussion on monitoring the parks.

“We need to figure out how to control the parks so everyone can be safe,” he said.

The private soccer complex would have indoor fields in a permanent building and under an inflatable dome.

The Republican file photo / Don TreegerDon Cameron of Amherst (right) is seeking as principal owner to construct an indoor and outdoor soccer facility at 123 First Ave., in Chicopee. In the center is his son Colby, 14, and on the left is Bill Marconi, who will be the general manager of the facility if their permits are granted.

CHICOPEE – The City Council zoning committee rejected a modified proposal to place an private soccer facility outside Westover Air Reserve Base after military officials said they have still have concerns about its safety.

After an hour-long hearing, the zoning committee rejected the request for a special permit 7-0. The full City Council will consider the proposal at its next meeting in September.

Donald Cameron III, of Amherst, wants to turn the former Post Office warehouse at 123 First St. into a sports facility with indoor and outdoor fields. His original plan was rejected in April because it is located in the Accident Prevention Zone, which is close to Westover runway and is vulnerable to plane crashes.

Thursday Cameron returned to the zoning committee with a modified plan that reduced the number of outdoor fields in the zone from six to one and moved an inflatable dome, which would cover six fields, outside the zone.

“We heard the military, we listened, we went back and we modified our plans dramatically,” said Thomas Murphy, a lawyer representing Cameron.

The biggest change is moving the inflatable dome, where 75 to 80 percent of the business will be, Murphy said.

Recommendations limit the number of people who gather in the zone to 25 per acre. With the property measuring 40 acres and the activities expected to attract no more than 225 people at a time, estimates show it will be well within the limits, Murphy said.

Murphy argued the project is good for the city, especially since playing fields are scarce. It will be a $6 million investment, the business will pay about $100,000 to the city in annual taxes and it will create jobs.

Murphy submitted a petition signed by about 3,000 people supporting the project. About 30 people attended the hearing but no one addressed the board.

He accused Westover officials of trying to scare people, saying plane crashes are rare and no C-5 Galaxy jet has ever crashed in Chicopee.

“We are not against soccer,” said Col. Steven Vautrain, commander of the 439th Airlift Wing. “People need to know this is a hazardous place.”

While the inflatable dome has been moved, the building, which will hold four indoor fields, cannot be moved. In addition people will be parking in the zone.

“We are trying to educate the public. Things do happen and they happen on the take off and landing,” he said.

Maj. Paul Dawson, a Westover lawyer, argued the density does not mean an average over the entire space but the number of people on any one spot. He said the outdoor soccer field, which measures between 1.5 and 2 acres will exceed the density of 25 people after spectators, children and employees are counted.

City Councilors said they like the project, but not in the proposed location.

“They are all legitimate concerns. I cannot recommend this,” Councilor Timothy S. McLellan said.

It is especially a concern at a time when Westover, which is the city’s largest employer, could face federal budget cutbacks including a proposal that could cut the number of planes at the base from 16 to eight in the future, he said.

Councilor John L. Vieau, chairman of the subcommittee, agreed saying his children play soccer, but he cannot support the plan when there are safety concerns.

Neighbors aired no complaints about the plans to expand.

The Republican file photo / Don TreegerIn this past photo Interstate Towing company driver Nathan McGinnis shows an award he received about two years ago for his efforts in rescuing a motorcyclist..

CHICOPEE – The Planning Board gave the owner of a growing towing business preliminary approval to nearly double the size of his building.

Jeremy J. Procon, owner of Interstate Towing, applied to build a 2,034 square-foot addition to his 3,026 square-foot building on 1660 Westover Road.

“Our building is cramped. We are sharing desks. The idea is to create more office space,” Procon said. “We are elbow-to-elbow now.”

At the same time, he said he plans to upgrade the heating and ventilation system and entrances and other areas to meet handicap accessibility codes.

The Planning Board approved waivers for requirements that Procon submit a landscaping plan and a preliminary plan in 6-0 votes.

The board also allowed Procon to withdraw a request for a waiver on creating a storm water management plan. Procon said he has been working with engineers and developed a plan to take run-off water from the roof and create an area where it can flow and be stored on the property. That will prevent more water from pouring down the road in a storm.

Board members said they had heard no concerns from the neighbors and said most supported his plan to expand.

“Everyone who called said if there was ever an issue Interstate was a good neighbor and took care of everything,” City Planner Catherine L. Brown said.

The City Council will still have to approve the expansion plans.

The Planning Board voted to table the final decision until the City Council approves the permit. It will take up the permit again in September.

Amanda Plasse was 20 when she was killed in her School Street apartment on Aug. 26.

Submitted photoAn undated photo Amanda Plasse.

CHICOPEE – The family of murder victim Amanda L. Plasse are hoping to use the anniversary of her death to help the community.

An event to be held Aug. 26 will have more than 30 bands performing at four different stages, as well as a poker tournament, food, and prizes such as signed baseballs from the Boston Red Sox and a trip to Las Vegas.

The event will be held at Maximum Capacity and the nearby Brass Tap, which are near the 73 School St. apartment where Plasse lived and was killed at about 4:30 p.m. Aug. 26, 2011, said Michelle Mathieson, Plasse’s mother.

The event is being held on the anniversary of Amanda Plasse’s death. Her murder is still unsolved.

“I don’t think it has been forgotten, but the more we keep it public the more it is out there,” Mathieson said. “Hopefully it will jar someone to come up with something.”

Plasse, who was 20 at the time, was killed on a Friday afternoon when she was getting ready for her job as a waitress at Friendly’s in Chicopee. Mathieson said she still believes someone knows something that could bring her killer to justice.

The event will begin at noon and tickets are available for $20 in advance or $25 at the door, and children under 12 will be admitted for $10. There is a $30 charge to buy into the poker game, and for $45 people can play in the tournament and listen to all the bands, Mathieson said.

All the bands have volunteered to play and owners of Maximum Capacity and Brass Tap are offering the use their clubs for free. Mathieson said she is getting donations for raffle items and is working on food donations.

The money will go to help improve the nearby Wisniowski Park, where a candlelight vigil was held in memory of Plasse. Because Plasse was a talented artist some of the proceeds will also be donated to the school department to purchase art supplies.

Mathieson is also asking people to bring a canned good to help restock Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen, which is running low on food. Everyone who does bring a donation will receive a raffle ticket.

“Everything will go right back into the community,” she said.

More information, including a list of the bands which are playing, can be found on the R.I.P Amanda Plasse Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/ripamanda.plasse.

This is the first time the city has brought a homeowner to court to enforce sanitary laws.

File photo | The RepublicanChicopee City Hall.

CHICOPEE – As part of its new efforts to enforce so-called nuisance problems, the city successfully received a court order that allowed it to clear overgrowth and trash on one homeowners lawn.

This is the first time the city has taken a homeowner to court under an ordinance adopted more than a year ago that allows several departments to place liens on properties if owners fail to maintain their property.

After the court judgment in favor of the city, the Department of Health hired a company to clean up trash and mow the lawn at 100 Gelinas Drive at a cost of $1,150. The City Council approved transferring the money from the general fund to pay the bill.

A lien will be placed on the property so it if is sold the money will be recouped, Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette said.

“This is one of the first times the City of Chicopee is taking action against people who are not taking care of their property,” Councilor John L. Vieau said, adding he hopes it will send a message to others who are not taking care of their property.

Councilor Timothy McLellan said he was especially pleased with the effort since the property is near his own house and he had received multiple calls from people complaining the weeds were so high it was attracting wildlife.

Bissonnette said the lien system gives the city one more tool to ensure a better quality of life in the city, but said it is only used as a last resort.

City employees have identified about 150 properties throughout the city that are a problem but many of them, especially overgrown lawns, are easily solved.

At least 50 percent of the time when a code enforcement officer knocks on a door and asks the resident to mow the grass they quickly comply and there is no need to levy a fine, Bissonnette said.

“There are about 50 who are in difficult situations,” he said.

Some have lost their jobs and are having financial problems, others are elderly and cannot do the work themselves and don’t have the money to hire someone. The city is working with those people to solve the problem, he said.

Of the remaining group, if a fine is levied they do the work and there are no problems.

“Then there is the dirty dozen who will be pulled into court,” Bissonnette said.

City Councilor James K. Tillotson said he is happy with the program but warned residents solutions do not happen overnight. It can take months especially if court action is needed.

The developer is interested in turning the school into housing for veterans, the elderly or both.

File photo | The RepublicanThis is an undated photo of Chapin School, which has been closed since 2004.

CHICOPEE – A developer has expressed interest in purchasing the former Chapin School, which has been vacant for eight years, and converting it into housing.

The city started requesting proposals from developers interested in purchasing and redeveloping the 34,490 square-foot school in July. Responses are due Aug. 30.

The 1898 school, located between Meadow and Chicopee streets, has been vacant since 2004. The water pipes have been drained and many windows have been boarded up to prevent vandalism.

“We are optimistic. We have interest from someone who wants to create over 55 housing or veterans housing or a combination,” Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette said.

The city has put that building out to bid several times but has attracted little interest from developers. There was one proposal submitted in 2008 from a developer who wanted to convert Chapin School into for elderly housing but the sale fell through when the developer failed to secure financing.

The issue came up during the School Committee meeting when member Donald J. Lamothe, who represents the ward where the school is located, said there have been problems at the school.

“Windows are starting to be broken and the grass is getting yeah high,” he said.

Bissonnette agreed that having the school left vacant is not good. The city has tried to market that building and several others including the former library on Market Square and the closed Belcher School on 10 Southwick St. but has had little success.

Plans to bring a Franklin Delano Roosevelt museum to the library fell through in 2007 when founder Joseph J. Plaud pulled out due to financial issues.

Bissonnette now hopes to renovate the building, which has been empty since 2004, connect it to the adjacent city hall and use it for school offices.

It is never easy to market an old building and professionals tend to do the job better than municipalities, said Robert Greeley, owner of RJ Greeley Co., of Springfield, which specializes in marketing commercial and industrial property.

One of the biggest problems is a municipality will decide they want a property turned into a specific use, but there is no demand for that use, he said.

Many older buildings are obsolete for manufacturing and other businesses and renovating them to meet industry standards and different fire, building and handicap accessibility codes can be more expensive than building new, Greeley said.

“All those factors come into plan and demand is slow right now for a lot of things,” Greeley said.

“The one success we have had is marketing the Little Red Schoolhouse,” Bissonnette said.

After searching for a buyer for years, the city sold the 1846 schoolhouse to two developers for $1,000 in 2007. The historic brick schoolhouse was renovated and has since been sold as a single-family house.

This grant was made possible through sales of Massachusetts “I’m Animal Friendly“ license plates.

File photo | The RepublicanThe Thomas J. O' Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center on Cottage Street in Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD – The Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center recently received a $12,000 grant from Massachusetts Animal Coalition that will be used to help the center spay or neuter all pets before they are placed in new homes.

This grant was made possible through sales of Massachusetts “I’m Animal Friendly“ license plates. Funds received from the sale of the license plates are awarded to non-profit humane organizations and municipal animal control agencies in the Massachusetts that provide spaying and neutering services for cats, dogs and rabbits.

The O’Connor facility, 627 Cottage St., provides animal control services to Springfield, Chicopee and Holyoke. Cats and dogs that are brought to the facility and not claimed by owners are made available for adoption after health and temperament evaluations.

More information is available online at www.tjoconnoradoptioncenter.com

The grant funds will support the Center’s efforts to combat animal homelessness and overpopulation in the community by helping to ensure that all adopted animals are spayed or neutered.

The program benefits the community, the Commonwealth, and thousands of animals. For more information on “I’m Animal Friendly” license plates, visit online at www.massanimalcoalition.org

New voter registrations vary by community.

SPRINGFIELD – Secretary of State William F. Galvin issued a reminder Wednesday that Friday is the final day to register to vote for the Sept. 6 primary.

Voters throughout the state will go to the polls then to trim the field of candidates for Congressional, state and county elected offices.

The unusual Thursday election was scheduled to prevent conflict with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year that begins Sept. 16, and the fact that many polling places involve schools and religious facilities, Galvin said. State primary elections are normally scheduled on the third Tuesday of September.

Also, state election officials wanted to avoid conflict with the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C. that begins on Sept. 4.

Galvin reported that voter registration is “relatively slow throughout the state.”

That is apparently true in local communities such as Northampton and Westfield.

Northampton City Clerk Wendy A. Mazza said people have been coming in to register but not in unusually great numbers.

“They did this for the 2008 election as well,” she said, adding that some people have come to her office “simply to make sure they are registered to vote,” said Mazza.

Westfield City Clerk Karen M. Fanion said “We have had a few last minute registrations but nothing significant.” Fanion said that as of June 1 Westfield has 23,506 voters eligible to cast ballots Sept. 6. “We will up date that after Friday,” she said.

Chicopee reported a total of 342 new voters registering within the past six weeks and 19 alone signed up at a special table set up at the city’s Aug. 6 National Night Our event, said Janina Surdyka, registrar of voters.

Surdyka reminded residents that registration deadline is 5 p.m. on Friday.

Springfield Election Commissioner Gladys Oyola said her office has received 1,006 registrations either through mail or people coming to City Hall during the last month.

“Usually the registration for primaries is slow but this has been surprisingly busy,” she said. “They are intending on voting.”

Holyoke City Clerk Susan M. Egan said voter interest in the Paper City is high.

“It’s very good,” Egan said. From March to Aug. 1, 455 new voters registered. Since Aug. 1, another 100 have registered, she said.

Staff writers Fred Contrada, Jeanette DeForge and Mike Plaisance contributed to this report.

Preliminary estimates said it will cost $30 million to convert the former Chicopee High School into a middle school.

File photo | The RepublicanThe old Chicopee High School is shown on the last day of classes before closing in 2004.

CHICOPEE – Architects hired to design the renovations of the former Chicopee High School are estimating the project will start and finish a year later than originally anticipated.

It is estimating the cost of the project will be about $30 million, but true price of the renovations will not be known until architect plans are finished and the project goes out to bid, said Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette.

The School Department and the city are planning to renovate the four-story building and convert it into a middle school to replace the Fairview Veterans Memorial Middle School.

Caolo & Bieniek Associates Inc., the architects for the Chicopee High project, completed the feasibility study of the school last month, which included a schedule and cost estimate, and submitted it to the Massachusetts School Building Authority, which is overseeing the project and providing 80 percent of its funding.

“We thought it would be a little quicker, but because we have to get approvals from the state before each step before we go forward, it has been delayed,” said William M. Zaskey, a city councilor and chairman of the Chicopee Building Renovation Committee.

The committee had a goal of having the building ready for students in September 2014. Now the completion date has been pushed back to August of 2015, the study said.

Zaskey said the committee expected there would be delays because the project is unique and the state process has changed since the city opened two new high schools.

Bissonnette said the project is especially complicated because the school, which is about 100 years old, has been renovated three times.

“I want to do this right instead of doing it fast, so it will serve our students for at least 50 years,” he said.

The exact cost will not be available for some time, but if the $30 million estimate is accurate, it will mean the city will spend $6 million on the renovation, and the state will pay the remaining $24 million.

The next step is for the architects to create a schematic design of the renovation project and submit it to the building committee for review.

“There will be a list of everything that should be done and a priority list of things that can be done,” Zaskey said.

The building committee members and School Building Authority will review the list and determine what work must be done, what should be done and what is unnecessary.

Improvements to meet building codes, for example, must be done; the state authority also has certain standards that have to be met.

Zaskey said the committee is working with Superintendent Richard W. Rege Jr. to discuss if walls have to be moved to meet the needs of a middle school.

Hazardous waste from a former dry cleaning business was found in the soil after the Market Square Billiards building was demolished.

The Republican file | John SuchockiThe Market Square Billiards building in Chicopee before it was demolished earlier this year.

CHICOPEE – The problematic Market Square Billiards project took yet another turn for the worse when hazardous waste from a former dry cleaning business was discovered recently.

But this time the cost is being paid for through two grants totaling $210,000 from MassDevelopment, the state’s finance and development agency, Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette said.

The city took the Market Square Billiards at 6-20 Springfield St. more than two years ago by eminent domain. The building had been foreclosed on by a bank and was structurally compromised.

“It would have stood there. It had been on the market for five years without a serious buyer,” Bissonnette said.

The plan was to spend $350,000 to demolish the building to remove an eyesore and create a 28-space parking lot in its place. But during demolition a variety of problems were discovered nearly doubling the price to $690,000.

First engineers discovered Market Square Billiards shared a wall with the neighboring building and the city had to shore up the shared wall for $250,000. Then an asbestos-covered boiler which had been completely walled in by masonry was discovered and had to be removed for $30,000. Demolition workers also discovered more asbestos hidden under former bowling lanes, which cost $17,000 to remove.

This time chemicals were discovered which came from a long-closed dry cleaners located near the building. They seeped into the ground, under pavement between the market square billiards building and the neighboring Kendall building currently owned by HAPHousing, Bissonnette said.

MassDevelopment first granted the city $40,000 to assess the amount of waste and to understand where it had migrated, he said.

A second grant of $170,000 has been given to the city now to clean up the environmental problem, he said.

Despite the ever increasing costs of tearing down that building, Bissonnette said he still does not regret starting the project. City councilors have complained about the costs in the past but have voted to spend the money for the project.

But a number of business owners from downtown pushed for the demolition arguing the building was an eyesore and was creating problems.

“We could have let this become a cancer on the downtown or we could have taken ownership,” Bissonnette said. “Either way it had to be done.”