Reflecting on fairness in 'a wierd situation'

Area students perplexed by charges in Phoebe Prince case

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

Area high school students interviewed Wednesday said they are bewildered that criminal charges were filed against nine teenagers from South Hadley High School in connection with the bullying of Phoebe Prince, who committed suicide in January. They said the charges seem extreme for behavior they say takes place in schools across the country every day.

"If anyone should be charged for anything, it should be the teachers at that school for criminal negligence, because they apparently knew what was going on and didn't do anything to stop the bullying," said junior Ian Steinberg, while walking home from Northampton High School in the rain Tuesday afternoon.

Angus Fisher, an NHS senior, said news of the criminal charges became a topic of discussion among students all day Tuesday. He said he believes the extent of the bullying was being "blown way out of proportion."

"It is a weird situation and there is just a lot of stuff that is not being said about it," said Fisher.

NHS junior Liam Flemming said it seemed the charges were filed against students to protect teachers and parents who should have done more to intervene.

"They're doing it just to make it look like they didn't do anything wrong, and although I think the kids there should take personal responsibility for what they did, I think more of the fault should fall on the parents and administration," said Flemming.

Lucca Reiter, also a junior, questioned the statutory rape charges filed against two students so long after the alleged crimes occurred.

"I agree that they should have been charged with statutory rape, but the fact that they are only being charged now because of the suicide instead of when it was happening isn't fair," Reiter said.

Northampton senior Anna Lello-Smith said she read about the charges in the newspaper Tuesday morning, and wondered whether Prince had problems apart from the bullying.

"I think that there probably were other ongoing issues that made her commit suicide," Lello-Smith said. "I don't think it is OK that these students did what they did, but I don't think they should end up being charged for murder or anything."

In Amherst, Amherst High School student Zack Maldonado expressed shock at the news of the extent of the bullying.

"It sounded like what was happening at South Hadley was way worse than what happens in Amherst in terms of bullying," Maldonado said.

And, he said, parents of the students responsible should also face criminal charges.

Meanwhile, Liz Resnick, a Northampton senior, said students she spoke with seemed worried that teenagers charged as criminals for high school bullying will face a lifetime of obstacles.

"Everyone is thinking, 'well I'm sure they didn't intend for that to happen,'" Resnick said. "A lot of people feel like it is unfair because it completely ruins nine people's lives when they made some mistakes while they were that young."

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.

Eye on sodden skies

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

Steady rainfall expected to saturate parts of the Pioneer Valley over the next two days has prompted The National Weather Service to issue a local flood warning that will remain in effect until noon today.

The service is predicting that rain continuing throughout the day today and into Wednesday morning could add another 1 or 2 inches to the inch produced by Monday's wet weather.

A flood watch means flooding or flash-flooding is possible in a given area; a flood warning means flooding or flash-flooding is already occurring or is expected to occur soon.

On Monday, President Barack Obama declared seven Massachusetts counties major disaster areas, freeing up federal aid to people and households for damages caused by severe storms and flooding that began earlier this month.

The disaster declaration covers Bristol, Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk and Worcester counties. But all counties in the state are also eligible to apply for assistance under the federal Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.

Although the majority of urban flooding damage has been reported in the eastern-half of the state, News 22 meteorologist Brian Lapis said area residents should keep a close eye on local roadways, rivers and streams.

"The bulk of the action in terms of flooding is going to be happening out east, but we could still certainly see some flooding around our area," Lapis said Monday.

"We are keeping our eye on some local rivers expected to reach flood stage by Wednesday afternoon."

Rivers rising

The Connecticut River, which reaches flood stage at a depth of 112 feet, was measured at 106 feet at 7 a.m. Monday and was expected to approach 111 feet by 7 a.m. Wednesday, according to the service's Web site.

Other local rivers expected to approach flood stage by Wednesday morning, according to the site, include the Mill, Chicopee and Westfield rivers.

Police in Amherst, Belchertown, Easthampton, Hadley, Northampton and South Hadley reported that they hadn't received any flood-related calls as of Monday evening.

The potential for flooding also prompted the American Red Cross' Pioneer Valley Chapter to release a statement listing emergency preparedness guidelines aimed at helping local residents reduce risks associated with heavy rainfall.

Recommendations include creating a disaster plan, preparing an emergency preparedness kit with first aid, medications and non-perishable food items, and heeding local flood warnings and watches.

The statement also urged residents to avoid attempting to drive through flooded waterways and to abandon their vehicles if they become trapped.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com

Sugar season sours: Producers say early heat sharply cut 2010's sap run

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

The unseasonably warm weather that brought scenes of spring this month spelled disaster for area maple sugar producers, some of whom are yielding 20 percent as much syrup as expected.

The sap run for maple sugaring usually lasts from February to April, depending on local weather conditions. This year's unusually warm weather, particularly at night, is devastating syrup production across New England, as well as in New York, Pennsylvania and Canada.

"I've heard from people in almost every maple-producing state and they are all having an off year," said Winton Pitcoff, coordinator of the Massachusetts Maple Producers Association. "It all depends on how long you've been doing it, but I've heard from some of the old-timers that this is as bad as it's ever been."

Maple syrup production relies on the temperature fluctuating above and below the freezing point. The thawing and freezing causes water uptake from the soil, which, along with gravity, causes sap to flow out of tap holes and other wounds in a tree's stems or branches.

At South Face Farm in Ashfield, owner Tom McCrumm is almost ready to call it a season, as tap holes drilled into some 2,000 maple trees on his Watson Spruce Corner Road property continue to slowly pump out sap.

"The sap flow mechanism is triggered when the temperature alternates back and forth across the freezing point," McCrumm said. "Without that flip-flop, the sap just doesn't run like it should."

McCrumm, former longtime coordinator of the maple association, said despite enjoying lower overnight temperatures than Valley farmers at lower altitudes, this is one of the worst seasons he has seen in 25 years.

"It just got too warm way too early and it stayed warm," McCrumm said. "The weather we expect to get in early April we had in early March."

One Valley farmer struggling to find sap this season is Paul Zononi of Paul's Sugar House in Williamsburg, where warm weather will cause him to come up 60 percent short on his expected syrup production.

"I've been doing sugar now for 40 years, and this year is as bad as I've ever seen it," Zononi said this week, adding, "We've got to make 1,000 gallons of syrup just to cover our sales, and we haven't made half of that yet."

Steven Holt, owner of Steve's Sugar Shack on North Road in Westhampton, said the tap holes on most of his 1,000 maples have already begun to heal over.

"Right now we've produced 20 percent of what we made last year, and it doesn't look good. My sap hasn't run for nine days and the trees have started to heal themselves and are starting to put out buds. Once they move on to the next step, they're done."

Although it doesn't look good for the overall harvest, meteorologist Brian Lapis of Channel 22 said record high temperatures during the beginning and middle of March, some of which were 20 degrees above the average high, may not carry through into April.

Vacuums to the rescue

Some local farmers, like Jeff Mason of the Red Bucket Sugar Shack in Worthington, are trying to survive the off year with the help of a more modern harvesting method that enlists the support of plastic tubing with a partial vacuum.

The term "vacuum harvesting" may sound like the sap is being pulled out of the maple trees, but that's not quite the case. The use of a vacuum lowers atmospheric pressure at the tap hole site, which forces sap to run despite the lack of colder overnight temperatures. The resulting pressure difference inside the tree forces sap out.

"Using vacuums means you will always get some sap every year, but it is not going to guarantee you a good season when the weather is like it is," McCrumm said. "It will guarantee your crop won't be a complete failure, which is what we are seeing a lot of this year."

Of the 9,000 trees tapped on his Kinnebrook Road property, Mason said about half are harvested using this vacuum technology.

Sap collected this way will produce most of his syrup this season.

"What it does is it fools the tree into thinking that it is on a low-pressure system, and we basically vacuum the sap right out of the tree," Mason said. "We have that set up so we can still get syrup during a bad year just like this one."

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com

Northampton schools chief finalist for job

By OWEN BOSS
Staff Writer

NORTHAMPTON — Superintendent of Schools Isabelina Rodriguez was named one of three finalists competing for the position of superintendent of the East Longmeadow public school system.

Rodriguez is competing with two other finalists; Roland Joyal, principal of Chicopee High School and Gordon Smith, principal of Ludlow High School.

According to Gregory Thompson, Vice Chair of the East Longmeadow School Committee, final interviews of the candidates will occur during the committees’ open session meetings on April 5 and 6 and a decision is expected to be made soon after.

“We are scheduled to make our final decision by April 7,” Thompson said.

Rodriguez has been acting superintendent in Northampton since 2004 and she began her work here as Director of Pupil Services in 1994. Prior to joining the Northampton School District, Rodriguez worked in the Springfield Public Schools, serving first as a Bilingual Special Education Teacher for six years, then as an Evaluation Team Leader/Crisis Support Teacher, and finally as Supervisor of Special Education.

Although she said she would welcome the opportunity to run East Longmeadow’s schools, Rodriguez, who was a finalist in a superintendent search in Amherst less than a year ago, made a point of saying the application doesn’t diminish her commitment to schools in Northampton.

“I’m excited about the opportunity and to explore the possibility of running a school district such as East Longmeadow’s,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve had the opportunity to spend some time there and I am very excited at the thought of this opportunity.”

The position is being advertised of having an annual salary of between $130,000 and $140,000 and the winning candidate will take over on July 1.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com

PVPA students put up good act in mock trial competition

By OWEN BOSS
Staff Writer

SOUTH HADLEY — Students from the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter Public School came one win short of a state championship Friday at the 25th annual Mock Trial Program in the Great Hall of Boston’s Fanueil Hall.

Although PVPA representatives advanced farther than more than 100 other teams from high schools across the state, team members were defeated 2-1 in the final round by students from The Winsor School in Boston.

“They were great they were absolutely great,” said Gary Hugget, team coach. “The case was given out in mid-November and our team has been preparing for this competition since January.”

This year’s civil case involved an individual who loses a large sum of money after investing a daughter’s college fund with a brokerage firm financial advisor. The case focused on whether the firm or the advisor are responsible for the loss.

Teams representing PVPA prepare to win the competition every year, Hugget said, have advanced the finals in five of the last seven years and became the first Western Mass school to win it all in 2005.

“We were there two years ago and lost by a split decision there as well,” Hugget said, adding that while it is disappointing to come in second he is extremely proud of how his team competed.

The competition, presented by the state’s Bar Association, placed high school teams in a simulated courtroom situation, where they take on the roles of plaintiff attorneys, defense attorneys and witnesses. Local attorneys serve as both team coaches and judges of the trials and state champions advance to compete in the national competition in Philadelphia, Pa., in early May.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com

Valley could see localized flooding

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

A steady rain pouring on the Valley this week is swelling streams and rivers and could bring localized flooding to some parts of Hampshire County.

Sustained rain overnight Monday prompted the National Weather Service to issue a flood warning for Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden counties Tuesday evening. Rain is expected to continue through this morning, according to the service.

Besides increasing the water level of rivers and streams, the rain might also cause drainage systems to flood in urban areas, according to the advisory.

Although some flash flooding may occur, Guilford Mooring, superintendent of Amherst's Department of Public Works, said he isn't expecting major problems.

"We don't have much of a snow pack left above us, so dealing with (flooding) should be pretty easy," Mooring said.

George Brehm, superintendent of the Northampton Department of Public Works' wastewater division, said the spring has produced a "nice melt," and crews at the city's wastewater plant on Hockanum Road are closely monitoring the height of the adjacent Mill River.

The river was some 5 feet above average for this time of year, and as a precaution, Brehm said he has a crew stationed at the plant around the clock to operate pumps.

Local police departments received few flooding reports as of Tuesday night, other than a small amount on Fort Hill Road in Easthampton. That flooding was the result of spillover from River Road, which was already flooded.

The Connecticut River had risen to 27 feet Tuesday afternoon, or about 1 foot shy of flood stage, according to the weather service. The level is expected to approach 31 feet by Wednesday evening. At that height, flooding in low-lying areas outside of levee protection is likely from Greenfield to Hatfield.

As a result, the weather service has issued a flood warning for Franklin and Hampshire counties until further notice.

The river measured at 107.5 feet Tuesday morning, some 5 feet above average for this time of year but shy of expert predictions that the river could exceed 113 feet should the rain continue to fall. As a precaution, Brehm said he has a crew stationed at the plant around the clock to operate pumps.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com

Harsh words exchanged at Amherst warming center

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

AMHERST - An argument between staff members and volunteers at a warming center for the homeless Monday night prompted a police response after several members of the town's Committee on Homelessness attempted to bring in blankets, pillows and food for the patrons.

At 10:30 p.m., Jane Banks, program director for Center for Human Development, called local police after receiving word from a staff member about the dispute at the First Baptist Church, police Lt. Ronald Young said.

Three officers responded to the scene and defused the situation. Police returned to the Main Street warming center half an hour later, Young said, to make sure peace was being maintained.

Rose Evans, program director for the Center for Human Development, said Tuesday that the center does not have a legal permit to house the homeless overnight, and that providing the items is forbidden based on the CHD's contract with the town.

Chris Yurko, CHD communications coordinator, said in an emailed statement to the Gazette: "If the Committee on Homelessness has issues with what they can and cannot bring to guests there, they need to take the issue up with the Amherst health inspector, fire chief and town manager and not make it more difficult for the warming center staff to do their jobs, which is to take care of the guests."

--See the state's guidelines on temporary shelters

Last Friday, Town Manager Laurence Shaffer announced the closure of the Warming Place as of Monday, more than a month earlier than expected. Members of the Committee on Homelessness held an emergency meeting in response to try to stay the closure.

Since then, Amherst reconsidered and asked the CHD to continue providing services until patrons could find other accommodations. The center - which is operated by CHD for the town - is now slated to close on March 31.

In a press release issued last week, Shaffer listed several reasons for the center's closure, including the inability of the current facility to provide separate quarters for men, women and families, showering and bathing facilities and adequate accommodations to feed program participants.

Volunteer Dave Keenan, who has been working as a CHD employee, disputes the official accounts. He said what he and other employees were being asked to do was akin to kicking people when they are already down.

"They were trying to make us take away the personal property of the guests," Keenan said.

Attempts to reach Reikka Simula, chairman of the Committee on Homelessness, were unsuccessful Tuesday.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.

Warming center has abrupt end

By OWEN BOSS
Staff Writer

AMHERST — The town of Amherst and the Center for Human Development’s announcement Friday afternoon that a warming center for the homeless would be shut down this coming Monday sparked an emergency meeting of the town’s Committee on Homelessness Friday night.

According to Town Manager Laurence Shaffer, the warming center, which was operated by the Center for Human Development with funds provided by the town and was slated to remain open through the end of April, will close its doors Monday. The center opened Dec. 14 and is housed in the First Baptist Church.

In a press release issued Friday afternoon, Shaffer listed several reasons for the center’s closure, including the inability of the current facility to provide separate quarters for men, women and families, showering and bathing facilities and adequate accommodations to feed program participants.

The announcement of the closure prompted members of the town’s Committee on Homelessness, upset with a lack of notice from the town, to hold an emergency meeting at Bangs Center Friday night.

Hwei-Ling Greeney, vice chair of the committee, said Shaffer, who was invited but did not attend, told her he would challenge any decisions made at the meeting because it had been posted with the town clerk at 4 p.m. It is required that meetings be posted 48 hours in advance.

“In case the town manager challenges us after instructing me not to hold this meeting today, I wanted to give you the heads up,” Greeney said, adding, “He didn’t think this would qualify as an emergency.”

Although committee members noted that closing the center would ultimately be the town’s decision, they pointed out faults in the city’s reasoning behind the closure.

“It was made very clear in the beginning that this was not a facility for families and that no one under the age of 18 would be allowed on the premises,” Greeney said. “And we have dividers there to separate the males from females, and the church has a certified kitchen.”

Also speaking out against the closure was Kevin Noonan, director of the Open Pantry Community Services in Springfield, who worried the news wouldn’t reach the local homeless population.

Jim Goodwin, president of the Center for Human Development, attributed the closure to the arrival of spring weather and a decreasing need for a place for the homeless to warm up.

“The need for the center has deteriorated,” Goodwin said. “The focus of this was to provide a place to warm up during the coldest months of the year, and we are 100 percent behind putting it together for next year.”

Greeney, the former longtime coordinator of Amherst’s Not Bread Alone soup kitchen, filed a lawsuit against the Center for Human Development, her former employer, in Hampshire Superior Court last month alleging she was wrongfully fired for comments made at an Amherst Select Board meeting last year. She is seeking $153,166.67 for emotional distress and lost wages, according to the suit.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com

House passes anti-bullying legislation

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

BOSTON - In the wake of several recent high-profile bullying cases, House lawmakers Thursday evening unanimously passed legislation targeting school bullying that will require school administrators to report bullies to the police.

The state Senate passed similar legislation last week.

In addition to the mandated reporting of all bullying incidents that could result in criminal charges, the House bill requires all school districts - public, charter, and private schools - to develop a bullying prevention and intervention plan. The bill also aims to clamp down on so-called cyberbullying by prohibiting the use of emails, text messages, Internet posts and other electronic means to create a hostile school environment.

The legislation would also require school officials to inform parents of their anti-bullying curriculum and alert both the parents of bullies and the parents of their victims after a reported bullying incident.

Lawmakers approved the bill on a 148-0 vote after debating the measure for more than three hours.

The bill, titled an Act Relative to Bullying in Schools, was filed in the wake of the Jan. 14 death of Phoebe Prince, a freshman at South Hadley High School who moved to the town from Ireland in the fall.

Prince hanged herself after enduring taunts about her accent and her brief relationship with a senior on the football team. A number of students have left the school following her death, but school officials would not specify whether they had left of their own volition or if they had been expelled. No criminal charges have been filed.

The bill was also prompted by a similar case in early 2009, when sixth-grader Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, 12, of Springfield, hanged himself with an extension cord after he was subjected to repeated bullying at school.

Those critical of changes to the bill made by the House Ways and Means Committee last week would be pleased to learn that all sections removed by the committee were reinserted before the bill's passage, said Rep. John W. Scibak, D-South Hadley.

"This bill is a lot stronger than what was reported in the media (Thursday) morning," Scibak said. "The section on mandated reporting of bullying incidents, which we put back in, is absolutely essential and really is the guts of this bill."

Scibak, who has strongly advocated for the bill following Prince's suicide, said he thinks the bill is a step in the right direction for the town and its school system.

"I think the town of South Hadley has begun to turn the page," Scibak said. "The town's anti-bullying task force has been meeting for several weeks now and I think there is a true sense in the community of dealing with this issue proactively. What this bill is going to do is assist other communities in doing the same."

An important aspect of the legislation, Scibak said, is providing schools with all the resources necessary to address the issue of bullying with the state's younger schoolchildren.

"Bullying isn't something that happens overnight, and if we start dealing with younger students and teach them to be considerate in how they treat other people, hopefully we can prevent similar episodes down the line," Scibak said.

Also pleased with the bill's passage was South Hadley Police Chief David LaBrie, who said the required reporting section will go a long way to preventing incidents such as January's tragedy.

"This bill's language provides us with the ability to more comprehensively coordinate information in the community on an individual under investigation," LaBrie said. "Because the school environment is only one component of our community where accused individuals conduct themselves, the capacity for local law enforcement to participate in bullying cases and provide all pertinent information will allow for far more effective investigations."

There have been several attempts to pass anti-bullying laws in Massachusetts before, most recently in 2008.

Although there is no immediate time line for when a final version of the bill will arrive on the desk of Gov. Deval Patrick, Scibak said the House version will likely be reconciled with the Senate's.

"I'm hoping that because the differences between the two are relatively minor that it will be reconciled quickly," Scibak said. "It is just a matter of how quickly the Conference Committee can get together to work this out. My hope is that it will be done in the next two weeks."

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettent.com.

Easthampton panel pares cost of school

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

EASTHAMPTON - Members of the High School Building Committee, urged by the state's School Building Authority to find ways to reduce costs on the proposed construction of a $43.5 million high school, approved several cost-cutting measures at a meeting Wednesday night that was focused on aligning public support for the project.

Committee members voted to cut costs by eliminating windows in the school's gymnasium, replacing some metal roofing with a lower-cost membrane material, replacing standard bricks with larger ones and installing concrete curbing in lieu of using granite, measures the committee estimated would save approximately $300,000. But they were split down the middle when discussing plans to provide air conditioning to all of the building's classrooms.

Carl Weber, a representative for architects Strategic Building Solutions, told committee members that, at a meeting in Boston last Thursday, the Massachusetts School Building Authority noted that Easthampton's is the only new project that included air conditioning in all classrooms.

Those in favor of air conditioning throughout, most vocally school principal Vito Perrone, argued that future school years may be longer than 180 days and could require holding classes during the summer months, when heat affects the learning environment. Also, Perrone said, one of the original goals of the project was to create a community space in the event of an emergency, and lack of air conditioning might leave the town unprepared.

"We need to have a building that is flexible in the long term," Perrone said, adding that what he is most worried about is preserving a learning environment that will benefit future students.

Mayor Michael Tautznik, who twice voted against the installation of air conditioning in all classrooms, argued that it would already be required in some classrooms, common areas, auditoriums, administrative offices and core parts of the building, and eliminating it wouldn't make or break a local voter's decision.

"I think people who go to the polls will still vote for a building without air conditioning," Tautznik said. "But there are some people out there who are going to vote against this because of it."

Following a split 6-6 vote on keeping air conditioning as a requirement for all classrooms, committee members regrouped and passed a motion in favor of providing air conditioning only to the building's south-facing classrooms. An estimate on the savings in this plan was not available Wednesday.

Members also voted to keep a "daylight harvesting" line item that would require each classroom to have sensors capable of turning off lights if adequate sunlight is available.

"I think it would be crazy to go to all this trouble to conserve energy and have a green building if we aren't going to do passive things to conserve," Superintendent Deborah Carter said.

Committee members were careful not to make decisions that would cost them incentive points awarded this month for the new building's energy-efficient features and maintenance of the current building.

Although the total cost is likely to change after Wednesday's meeting, the current proposal has a total project budget of $43.5 million, somewhat less than the $44.9 million proposed in early February. After eliminating costs recently deemed ineligible by the state authority, the town would then be reimbursed 62.84 percent of the resulting $40.51 million, bringing the town's portion to roughly $17.9 million.

Final project plans are due in Boston March 22. The state authority is set to vote on the schematic design March 31. The public will have a chance to weigh in on the project at two forums: one April 1 at White Brook Middle School and the other May 4 at the high school.

on Williston Avenue and will feature guided tours, has been scheduled for May 4.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.

Southampton firm fined for violating state wage laws

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

SOUTHAMPTON - Industrial Mechanical Insulation Corp., a local contracting company, has been ordered by Attorney General Martha Coakley to pay over $16,000 in restitution and $2,000 in fines for violating the state's wage and hours laws.

According to Harry Pierre, spokesman for Coakley's office, in February 2009 the attorney general's Fair Labor Division began an investigation into the company's employment practices after receiving complaints from employees who alleged they were working over 40 hours a week and weren't being paid the proper overtime rate.

"We first became aware of the situation when we received some complaints from their employees, who noticed that there was a problem," Pierre said.

Attempts to reach the company's president, Robert Buckingham, 55, of Easthampton, at his Valley Road office were unsuccessful Tuesday.

An audit of the company's payroll records, Pierre said, revealed that Buckingham had failed to pay 21 employees the proper overtime rate between June 2007 and February 2009 for work performed on numerous public works projects and various private jobs.

Most employers in the commonwealth are required to pay their employees time-and-a-half for any hours over 40 they work in a single week.

In addition to the overtime violations, the audit showed that the company had failed to pay the proper prevailing wage rate to two employees who performed work on the Massreco Street Fire Station project in Springfield.

The Prevailing Wage and Records Keeping Laws apply to all construction work performed on in-state public works projects. The Prevailing Wage Laws allow all contractors bidding on public works projects to enjoy a "level playing field" by standardizing the rate of pay their workers earn.

Pierre said Buckingham has already paid both the required restitution and fines.

Additional information about the wage and hour laws is available at the attorney general's Workplace Rights Web site: www.massworkrights.com.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.

Easthampton car chase leads to OUI charge

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

EASTHAMPTON - A suspected drunken driver who led local police on a brief car chase Monday night quickly exited his vehicle and denied driving before being found in possession of marijuana and placed under arrest, police said.

Matthew J. Stevens, 22, of 11 Highland Ave., Easthampton, pleaded innocent Tuesday in Northampton District Court to charges of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and failure to stop for police.

At 9:53 p.m., police reportedly saw Stevens backing his car out of a Pleasant Street parking lot and spin out his tires as he quickly accelerated southbound on Pleasant Street - at one point reaching 54 mph in a posted 30 mph zone.

Although police had activated their emergency lights in an attempt to pull him over, Stevens reportedly sped away, traveled past Searle Avenue and crossed over the dividing line to pass another vehicle before turning into the parking lot adjacent to the Peter Pan Cafe "at an unsafe speed."

Stevens reportedly jumped out of his vehicle, walked away from his car and refused to produce a license or registration, telling police on scene that he hadn't been driving, according to court documents.

After submitting to and failing several field sobriety tests, Stevens reportedly registered a blood alcohol content of .19, which is more than twice the legal limit, and was issued a citation for possessing less than an ounce of marijuana.

Judge Richard J. Carey released Stevens on his own recognizance. Stevens is scheduled to return to court on April 1 for a pretrial hearing.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.

Man denies assault on UMass student

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

AMHERST - A Brockton man accused of assaulting a female student at the University of Massachusetts led police on a short car chase early Saturday before being found in possession of a loaded pellet gun and being arrested for breaching a no-trespass order.

George L. Waugh, 20, of Brockton, pleaded innocent Monday in Eastern Hampshire District Court to charges of trespassing, carrying a dangerous weapon on school grounds, assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (shod foot) and disturbing the peace. Judge Mark Mason ordered him held without the right to bail and scheduled him to appear in court for a pretrial hearing April 7.

On Saturday at 4:39 a.m., officers from the UMass police department responded to a disturbance at Mary Lyon dormitory where students reported that a man had been banging on a dorm room door for about an hour and was threatening a female student inside, yelling, "Open the ... door or I'll knock it down," according to police. Waugh is not enrolled at the university.

The alleged victim told responding officers she had met Waugh at the beginning of February. She felt he was "trying to push a relationship on her," according to court documents.

She also told police Waugh was named in a no-trespass order for the campus after a Feb. 28 incident in which she said Waugh slapped her in the face while she was in his car and kicked her with a military-style combat boot as she tried to regain possession of a cell phone he ripped from her hands.

As Officer Mark Shlosser arrived on scene Saturday morning, he reportedly spotted Waugh leaving the dorm, running to his car and speeding away. When Shlosser activated his emergency lights and attempted to stop Waugh in an unmarked cruiser, he reportedly accelerated to 45 mph in a posted 20 mph zone before stopping about a half-mile later. During the motor vehicle stop, an officer reportedly found, in plain view, a loaded pellet pistol with a full cartridge and full magazine as well as a black night stick.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com

Two Belchertown women accused of falsifying prescriptions

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

BELCHERTOWN - A woman and her daughter deny using a computer to create false painkiller prescriptions, then passing them fraudulently at a Hadley supermarket over the last two years.

In Eastern Hampshire District Court Friday, Heather A. Lord, 38, and her mother, Rosemary V. Lord, 65, of 137 Glendale Road, each pleaded innocent to 36 counts of uttering a false prescription and 36 counts of obtaining a drug by fraud.

According to a report filed by a South Hadley police detective, Rosemary Lord earlier admitted to using her computer to create 36 false prescriptions for oxycodone and OxyContin and having her daughter pass them at the pharmacy within the Big Y Supermarket on Russell Street in Hadley.

The prescriptions were reportedly filled between August 2008 and January 2010.

Judge John Payne Jr. ordered both women released on their own recognizance and scheduled a pretrial hearing April 13.

Minibus donated to Red Cross

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

NORTHAMPTON - The Pioneer Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross unveiled the latest addition to its emergency fleet Wednesday - a donated 1996 GMX minibus that other donors refreshed with a brand-new paint job and Red Cross logos.

The minibus, which will be used primarily in Hampshire County, was donated by Van Pool Transportation Co. of Wilbraham. It will help the nonprofit meet a growing need for disaster-response vehicles, said Paige Thayer, a spokeswoman for the organization.

"We have been in need of a vehicle for some time. The emergency-response vehicle that has been in service in the Northampton area has been in need of some repairs, and there was a definite need for an additional vehicle for disaster response," Thayer said.

Kevin Hinkamper, owner of Van Pool, said he was approached about the donation by Paula Wilke, a Red Cross volunteer and fellow parishioner of Christ the King Lutheran Church in Wilbraham.

"(Paula) put me in touch with someone, and they came and had a look at it and they said it would be a great help, and we were pleased to donate it," Hinkamper said.

Hinkamper said the vehicle was in good running condition when he sent it to be refurbished and repainted. He said he discussed the donation with his employees beforehand.

"This donation was from all of our employees too," Hinkamper said. "I told them, I hope you never see this bus again, but if you do, you should be glad that we donated it."

The Pease family of the 1812 Paint & Body Shop of Florence stepped up to repaint, do some body work, and put on the logo for the makeover.

The donation of their time and services, Thayer said, was in memory of their late son, Todd Pease, who died in 1991.

"It was an amazing collaboration of community spirit. It will be a huge help having a vehicle that we can count on when we need it," Thayer said, adding, "This really came at a perfect time for us, to have a vehicle fully donated like this."

The new vehicle, Thayer said, will be used to transport Red Cross volunteers and their supplies, and could act as temporary shelter for victims of disasters.

"When our volunteers and staff go out to a fire, we need a Red Cross vehicle that is large enough to have our clients come inside so we can do our casework and paperwork inside and out of the elements," Thayer said.

"We need a vehicle that can carry supplies and anything we may need for any disaster call."

Thayer said administrators and volunteers are always looking for donations.

"We are hoping to add another vehicle to our fleet in the coming months," Thayer said. "Our service area is very large, and we want to make sure we are being wise about turning over our vehicles."

The Pioneer Valley Chapter's service area spans the Connecticut to Vermont borders.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.

Arrest follows Northampton vandalism spree

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

NORTHAMPTON - After being caught shoplifting from Pop's Package Store on Bridge Street, a man was injured during a wild vandalism spree Wednesday afternoon that resulted in damage to several vehicles and businesses, police said. Police declined to release the man's name because he was still being treated at Cooley Dickinson Hospital Wednesday night.

According to Sgt. David Callahan, at 5:15 p.m., police responded to the area of Hawley and Bridge streets for a report that a man was damaging vehicles and storefronts.

"He was inside Pop's and it all began when he shoplifted an item and then damaged their door on the way out," Callahan said.

After breaking the door of the business, the man went on to damage "more than several" nearby vehicles and other businesses, Callahan said.

Callahan was unable to offer details on the businesses that were vandalized or a cost estimate of the damages Wednesday, but he said the man was placed under arrest near the railroad tracks behind Union Station restaurant on Pleasant Street. He suffered lacerations from broken glass incurred during the vandalism spree and was taken to the hospital for treatment, Callahan said.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com

Ousted Amherst Superintendent to be paid through May

By Nick Grabbe and Owen Boss

Staff Writers

AMHERST - Former Superintendent of Schools Alberto Rodriguez, who left the position on Monday, will be paid his $158,000 annual salary through May.

Farshid Hajir, chairman of the Regional School Committee, has declined to disclose the terms of the financial settlement, citing advice from the committee's attorney. A source close to the parties involved, who chose to remain anonymous, provided the information to the Gazette.

The dollar value of the settlement is approximately $36,000, plus the cost of continuing Rodriguez's health care coverage.

Attempts to reach Hajir and Amherst School Commitee Chairman Andy Churchill were unsuccessful Wednesday evening.

Rodriguez, 49, had lived in Miami for most of his life, working as a history teacher, principal and assistant superintendent; his wife and two daughters still live there and he reportedly spent much time in Florida over the last eight months. He had used up his 25 days of vacation time by February.

When Rodriguez arrived in Amherst last July, he was the fifth person to lead the school system in slightly over a year. His hiring provoked controversy even before he started, because of his $158,000 salary, plus $10,000 for housing and $5,000 for travel expenses. Jere Hochman, who held the post from 2003 to 2008, was hired at a salary of $130,000 and made $134,583 when he left to become superintendent of the Bedford Central School District in Westchester County, N.Y.

Last Friday, Rodriguez met at his office with Hajir and Churchill to discuss allegations contained in a 65-page evaluation composed by school staff that was read by members of the Regional School Committee. The contents of these evaluations have not been released and a request for copies has been submitted.

Monday night, Rodriguez went to the Regional Middle School and signed a joint statement with the chairmen of the Regional, Amherst and Union 26 School Committees.

The statement read: "After the committees' and Dr. Rodriguez's receipt of the survey results from employees, particularly the feedback from a majority of senior administrative personnel who report to Dr. Rodriguez, the committees and Dr. Rodriguez agreed that it was in the best interests of all parties for Dr. Rodriguez to leave his position as superintendent of the districts."

On Tuesday, at a meeting that was scheduled for an evaluation of Rodriguez, the combined Amherst, Regional and Pelham school committees voted 6-4 not to conduct an immediate search for Rodriguez's replacement, instead choosing to name Maria Geryk interim superintendent for the next 16 months.

The upheaval in the superintendent's position occurred just two weeks before town voters go to the polls to decide the fate of a tax override, which will have a large impact on next year's school budget. It also came just a week before teachers are scheduled to vote on a proposal to give up some salary increases provided to them by their union contract.

Pioneer Valley Red Cross to honor 'Hometown Heroes'

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

SPRINGFIELD - A string of arson fires that ravaged Northampton last year threatened the community's sense of well-being. In the aftermath of the fires that killed two city men and destroyed two homes and other property, residents rose to the occasion.

The Pioneer Valley Red Cross took notice, and plans to honor city residents and their outpouring of support Thursday by giving Mayor Clare Higgins an award to recognize the unity and compassion they exhibited over the past two-plus months.

In addition, nine other selfless Valley residents will receive awards at the nonprofit's eighth annual Hometown Heroes breakfast at the MassMutual Center in Springfield.

Among them will be Evelyn Gore, a teacher's aide at the R.K. Finn Ryan Road School, and her son, Grant Martin of Northampton, who are being honored for fighting their way through thick black smoke to save their next-door neighbor from a fire.

Southampton resident John A. O'Leary, a biologist with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, is being recognized for courageous actions in saving a car wash attendant whose scarf was caught in one of the car wash spinners.

On Feb. 9 of last year, O'Leary was credited with saving the life of 19-year-old Stephanie Carpluk after freeing her from the car wash spinner and administering CPR until she regained consciousness.

Although Higgins will accept the city's award, Thayer said it is recognition of all those who stepped up following a string of suspicious fires that resulted in the deaths of two city residents.

"The award is being handed to the mayor, but she is accepting it on behalf of the citizenry of Northampton and emergency responders," Thayer said. "There were plenty of people who looked out for their neighbors, volunteered and fundraised after the fires."

Other honorees include Arnold D. Cox and his wife, Frances Morales, of Springfield, who are being honored for their dedication to offering after-school programs to Springfield youths; Kamau Matthew Crawford, of Springfield, honored for saving his sister's life with the Heimlich maneuver; Bernie Gardner, of Southwick, who saved a stranger's life while they were being attacked by a dog; Art Jasper, of Springfield, recognized for his work with the homeless and participation on a variety of boards and committees; Jared Dennis Smith, of East Longmeadow, who donated stem cells for bone marrow to a stranger; and Sidney Weiner, of Springfield, who served the Greater Springfield community for over 50 years as a Mason and a Melha Shriner.

The breakfast, which begins at 7:30 a.m., serves as the chapter's largest annual fundraising event, supporting local Red Cross services in our hometowns. It is sold out, but will be streamed live on wwlp.com

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.

Follansbee selected as Easthampton superintendent of schools

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

EASTHAMPTON - School Committee members were pleased to name longtime Easthampton educator Nancy Follansbee as their choice for superintendent at their meeting Thursday night.

Follansbee, of Easthampton, who has served as the school system's director of curriculum for four years, said it was an honor to be selected above three other well-qualified candidates.

"I am excited about continuing to work with the many talented faculty, staff and administrators we have in Easthampton schools in this new capacity as superintendent," said Follansbee, reached by phone Thursday evening. "I am also looking forward to working with the School Committee and in partnership with the mayor to continue our effort to open up our schools to all members of the community."

Follansbee, 61, joined the local school district in 1991, where she has held various positions, including reading specialist, Reading Recovery teacher, literacy coordinator, Title I director and grants manager.

Prior to her time in Easthampton, Follansbee taught students in grades 4 through 6 in New York for six years. She holds a bachelor's degree from St. Lawrence University, a master's degree from the State University of New York at Fredonia, and a certification in Reading Recovery - a short-term intervention for children who have the lowest achievement in literacy in first grade - from Lesley College.

"In my interview I talked about growing the programs we already have that have been so successful here and looking at new and innovative ideas for improving education for all of our students," Follansbee said.

Follansbee has accepted the position, but was not present at the meeting Thursday night. She will begin her role as superintendent July 1.

The School Committee is considering a salary range of $110,000 to $130,000. Outgoing School Superintendent Deborah Carter's salary in her last year was $121,000.

School Committee Chairman Peter Gunn said he was grateful to have so many qualified candidates vying for the position and that Follansbee was chosen because she was "the right person for where is Easthampton is now and where it needs to go."

"Nancy is a teacher's teacher, her personal style of leadership is collaborative and she is a very good listener," Gunn said, adding, "The broad support that she enjoyed from the School Committee reflected the broad support she enjoyed from the administrators in our district."

Although her 18 years of experience in the city's public schools was a major draw, Gunn said her ability to provide School Committee members with a clear vision for the future set her apart.

"She articulated a vision that included next steps and new possibilities, and as superintendent we think she can marshal in those changes in the years to come," Gunn said.

Among ideas mentioned in her interview with committee members, he said, were offering parents parent-guided tours of school facilities and a video look into classrooms.

During her finalist interview, Follansbee focused on creative collaboration among teachers across schools in the district. She said she would pursue grants and seek better communication with the public concerning Easthampton's "jewel of a school district."

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com

At forum, women attest to sex crimes on campus

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

AMHERST - At a meeting intended to quell growing concern following a recently publicized report of a past sexual assault on campus, school officials heard from several outraged students Thursday, some of whom shared their own stories of rape and the red tape that kept the alleged perpetrator from being punished.

Fighting back tears, UMass sophomore Erika Tabur begged Dean of Students Jo-Anne T. Vanin and Jean Kim, associate vice chancellor for student affairs, to review current policies regarding on-campus sexual assault, after describing how she and her friends were among those victimized.

Before a sympathetic and vocal gathering of about 50 people, Tabur, 20, said she and one of her friends both dated a sexually abusive male student and had "terrible experiences" when seeking help from UMass police and deans at the college.

"I was told verbatim by a detective that 'the guy is a jerk and unfortunately being a jerk isn't against the law,'" Tabur said, adding, "I've come to terms with it. I understand this is a gray area because we both dated him, and it's not like someone came out of the bushes and attacked somebody."

Also sharing her experience was Amanda Molina, 22, a first-year graduate student who spent four years at the college as an undergraduate. She said she was drugged and raped in a dorm room during her junior year.

"I don't know anything about the university's disciplinary procedures with this, but when I went to the UMass Police Department for help, I felt harassed and revictimized," Molina said.

Vanin, who fielded questions at the meeting, admitted that the reported sexual assault was mishandled by faculty members and that an egregious error occurred when a dean at the college chose not to seek her opinion when handing out a deferred suspension as punishment.

"Unfortunately I have to sit here before you and acknowledge that in recent history we had a case that came to the office of which the outcome, for me, was unacceptable," Vanin said. "That is a very difficult thing for me to say, because I take great pride in the work that my office and my staff does. This outcome is completely unacceptable."

Although she was unable to release new details about the case, Vanin announced that the student accused of sexual assault no longer lives in any on-campus residential building and will not be allowed back on campus in the future.

"That should provide some comfort to students, but it does not take away the fact that this situation was handled incorrectly," Vanin said, adding "I wish it was possible to go back and change it, but I cannot do that. What I can do is everything I can in my role as dean to ensure that this will not happen again."

Another student upset with how college administrators handled the reported sexual assault was sophomore Roy Ribitcky, who asked Vanin why school officials "are so scared of prosecuting a rapist who admitted to his crime?"

"Who is this guy? Is he the chancellor's son? Is he one of your sons? Is he an all-star athlete?" Ribitcky asked. "Why are you too scared to get a rapist off of our campus?"

When asked how her office would regain the trust of students and parents of incoming students at the college, Vanin said it would be done by making sure a similar mistake isn't repeated.

"With this incident front and center, my office has lost a lot of trust," she said. "It is going to take the work that we do moving forward and the way that we handle future cases to earn that trust back."

Also speaking at the meeting was UMass Police Chief John Whitehead, who reminded those in attendance that the sole reason this case didn't result in a legal trial was that the alleged victim didn't want to pursue criminal charges - and that she still has that option.

"Obviously I can't predict what this person may do in the future, but there is no indication that he poses any immediate threat to the campus," Whitehead said.

Vanin and Kim also announced plans to form a special commission, made up of campus faculty members and five students, that will be charged with reviewing the school's current policy regarding sexual assaults.

The commission, Kim said, is expected to be formed following the college's spring break and is to submit a finalized report to the dean of students office by November.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.

Man held on $10,000 bail for cocaine possession

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

NORTHAMPTON - A local homeless man was ordered held on $10,000 cash bail Monday after allegedly being found in possession of 19 grams of cocaine.

Jose Cruz, 37, whose address is listed as the streets of Northampton, pleaded innocent Monday in Northampton District Court to charges of trafficking cocaine and possessing a class B substance (cocaine) with intent to distribute, subsequent offense.

On Friday, March 5, state police conducted a controlled purchase of cocaine from Cruz and then followed him as he drove a white Chevrolet Cavalier from Northampton to Fort Pleasant Avenue in Springfield, an area of "high drug distribution activity," according to court documents.

After waiting for about 15 minutes, police watched as Cruz approached a mini-van that had parked nearby and, after following his vehicle down Interstate 91, pulled him over when he used exit 19 to return to Northampton, court documents state.

A search of Cruz during the motor vehicle stop, state police said, uncovered 19 grams of cocaine.

In a prior case from April 23, 1993, in Northampton District Court, Cruz was found guilty on a charge of possessing a class B substance (cocaine) with intent to distribute; he was ordered to serve eight months in jail, according to court documents.

Judge W. Michael Goggins scheduled Cruz to appear in court on May 3 for a pretrial hearing.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com

Arrest in grave thefts: Montague brothers charged in cemeteries case

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

Two Montague men were arrested Tuesday and charged with stealing bronze veterans' flag holders from cemeteries in Franklin and Hampshire counties.

Police from Amherst, Montague and Greenfield and state troopers conducted raids at several places Tuesday morning. Arrested were Mark E. Kuklewicz, 32, of 26 Lake Pleasant Road, Lake Pleasant, and Stanley Kuklewicz, 37, of 38 E. Main St., Millers Falls. Both men have been charged with felony larceny and larceny from a grave.

Lt. Ronald Young of the Amherst Police Department, who led the raids, said that so far police have managed to recover 75 of the bronze grave markers.

The two men pleaded innocent to the charges at their arraignments late Tuesday afternoon in Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown.

According to the clerk's office at the Belchertown courthouse, Mark Kuklewicz was held on $750 cash bail and Stanley Kuklewicz was held on $500 cash bail.

Under Massachusetts law (chapter 272 section 73), anyone who steals, or removes, a veteran's grave marker or flag holder, if convicted, can be sent to prison for up to five years. The sentence for felony larceny is also a term of up to five years in state prison.

According to Young, Stanley Kuklewicz was taken into custody at his home in Millers Falls on Tuesday and Mark Kuklewicz was found at a friend's house on Montague City Road.

"The arrests occurred without incident," he said.

At last count more than 200 flag holders had been removed from the graves of veterans in Greenfield, Montague, Deerfield, Sunderland, Hadley, Amherst and South Hadley.

According to a report filed by Amherst Police Detective David Foster, at a meeting Feb. 17, state police told officers from the affected towns that a confidential informant had identified the Kuklewicz brothers as the perpetrators of the cemetery thefts. The informant also told state police the men had sold the flag holders to a scrapyard in the northern Berkshire County town of Florida, off Route 2.

On Feb. 25, Foster stated, Amherst investigators went to Dobbert Recycling, at 19 Mohawk Trail in Florida, and after reviewing the business's financial records were able to locate 74 bronze veterans' grave markers on the owner's inventory, all of which were collected over the last three months.

Also found on that visit, Foster reported, were six cash receipts made out to Stanley Kuklewicz, beginning on Dec. 15 and ending on Feb. 8. A seventh receipt, on Dec. 17, was to Mark Kuklewicz, police said. The plaques stolen from the town of Amherst alone had an estimated value of $1,250.

When reached Tuesday evening, Amherst police declined to give the total amount of the receipts.

Amherst investigators then showed the owner the brothers' driver's license photos, and the owner identified the two men as "regular customers."

Young said police may have no way to match recovered markers to specific graves "unless the family or the funeral homes have marked them in some way."

According to Young, some of the flag holders have been damaged and may be beyond repair.

In Deerfield and Sunderland, police have asked the keepers of local cemeteries to remove all of the bronze markers from the graves of veterans until the matter of the thefts has been resolved.

Some of the people who care for veterans' graves say they will replace the bronze markers with bronze-washed aluminum because the lighter metal has little value on the scrap market.

Other veterans' agents say they think these crimes have been going on for many months and have only become widely known recently.

"I don't know who would accept bronze flag holders as scrap, anyway. To me it's pretty obvious what these things are for - they are from somebody's grave," Greenfield veterans agent Charles Loven said.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com

Drunken driver tears up local neighborhood

By OWEN BOSS
Staff Writer

SOUTH HADLEY — A suspected drunken driver awoke a small neighborhood early Saturday morning when his pickup truck left the road, broke through a picket fence, struck a parked car, and knocked a family’s shed off of its foundation before becoming stuck in the mud.

Roger Masse, 48, of Ridge Road in South Hadley, pleaded innocent Monday in Eastern Hampshire District Court to charges of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and two counts of leaving the scene of an accident with property damage.

At 1:40 a.m. Saturday morning, police responded to the area of 20 Richview Ave., for a report that a car had struck someone’s house and reportedly found Masse’s 1988 Ford Ranger stuck in the mud in a resident’s backyard, according to court documents.

Masse, who narrowly avoided going off a small cliff, reportedly told emergency responders at the scene he thought he was more than a mile away on Ridge Road at the time of the accident, according to a report filed by officer Eric Ortiz.

Lauren Harris, 26, a Richview Avenue resident, wasn’t home when the crash occurred but said fresh tire tracks behind her house and the victim’s tell the story of what happened that night.
“The truck got stuck on the dog run that was attached to their house and you can see the tire marks in number 20’s back yard where he saw the gully, backed up, and then drove through the tree line and hit their shed,” Harris said.

Lt. Steven Parentella said the accident resulted in no injuries and damage to the structure Masse allegedly struck was minor.

Judge John Payne Jr. released Masse on his own recognizance and he is scheduled to appear in court for a pretrial hearing on March 30.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com

Hilltowns to see the most snow

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

The Pioneer Valley has seen its share of sloppy weather this week, and residents can expect more of the same today. But the Hilltowns will bear the brunt.

Local weather experts predict snow showers throughout the day and heavy snowfall for some northern Hilltowns already coping with more than a foot of snow.

Although he is predicting only a light coating of snow for most locations across the Valley, News 22 meteorologist Brian Lapis said higher elevations can expect to see much higher snow totals.

"We have received a couple of emails already from viewers in Plainfield who have already seen another four or five inches of snow (Friday)," Lapis said. "After they pick up another few inches of snow overnight and into Saturday, they will be looking at another solid foot of accumulation."

Similar to Friday's weather, Lapis said residents living across the southern half of Hampshire County should be prepared for some strong winds and occasional snow flurries.

"Saturday is going to look a lot like (Friday) did," Lapis said. "Downtown Northampton might catch another inch or two of snow and a slushy coating on top of that - but it is the Hilltowns that are going to hit the jackpot for snow."

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.