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Date: 12/28/2022
EDITOR’S NOTE: As 2022 comes to a close, Reminder Publishing took a look at some of the major events and storylines that shaped these communities over the past year. While we tried to make this list as comprehensive as possible, we would like to hear from you. What do you feel were the important events, stories, milestones, etc., in 2022? Lets us know with a letter to the editor at cmaza@thereminder.com or pnorth@thereminder.com.
Belchertown faces town administrator decisions
While the Belchertown Select Board initially decided in April that it would allow Town Administrator Gary Brougham’s contract to expire, it reversed its decision on July 18, extending the contract through at least the end of June 2023.
During that April 11 meeting, Vice Chair Jim Barry revealed that Chair Jen Turner, Clerk Ed Boscher and former member Nick Pucel voted against renewing the contract while Barry and member Ron Aponte both voted to extend Brougham’s contract. “It was not unanimous,” Barry said.
Turner said the decision to move on from Brougham was made after receiving a recommendation from the Department of Local Services to transition his position from a town administrator to a town manager.
On July 18, however, Turner said it was too soon for the board to move on from Brougham based on the steps ahead in the transition between positions.
“We went through a long process these past couple of months and we found out that we need to do some more work before we transition from our town administrator role to a town manager role,” she said.
For the transition to begin, Turner said the position change would have to be approved at the Town Meeting set for May 2023.
In late October, the Select Board met with representatives from Community Paradigm Associates to talk about an existing contract to help with a transition from a town administrator to town manager and help them search for someone to fill that position.
Community Paradigm Associates founder and Managing Principal Bernie Lynch told the board the search process can take an estimated 20 weeks and that the board is already ahead of the game if they want to fill the position by June 30. Barry explained that the current Town Administrator Gary Brougham is open to signing short term contracts after June 30 if the process takes a little longer than expected.
Lynch said once they get the list of duties, they can work with the board and Belchertown on adding those responsibilities in a contract and begin the search that will start sometime in January 2023.
Strange hired as Ludlow town administrator
The Ludlow Board of Selectmen elected to hire Marc Strange in February to replace former Town Administrator Ellie Villano, who retired on Feb. 25.
Strange, who was previously the planning and community development director in Agawam and chair of the Longmeadow Select Board, beat out Hartford Public Library Chief Administrative Officer Mary Tzambazakis and current North Adams Town Administrator Angie Lopes Ellison for the position.
Strange was also one of four finalists for the East Longmeadow town manager position that was expected to be vacant following Town Manager Mary McNally’s resignation, but he withdrew from consideration when offered the position in Ludlow.
Strange assumed the role in March, telling Reminder Publishing his goals included improving the town’s technology – a new town website launched in November – and developing a facilities condition assessment to evaluate the condition of town buildings.
Belchertown welcomes new police chief
In the wake of the retirement of Police Chief Christopher Pronovost, the Select Board named Kevin Pacunas its new chief of police in August. The board interviewed Pacunas, then a lieutenant, along with Longmeadow Police Capt. Carl Mazzaferro, and North Brookfield Police Chief Mark Smith for the vacancy in July. In the interim, Sgt. Bruce Jenks had served as acting chief.
Pacunas, a 40-year resident of Belchertown, told Reminder Publishing shortly after his appointment that he viewed community engagment as crucial for the department. He joined the Belchertown Police Department in 1996 said community policing became his “niche” when he accepted the role of the department’s DARE officer, a position he held for eight years.
Pacunas was promoted to sergeant with the Belchertown Police Department in 2003, and lieutenant in 2017. During that time Pacunas earned a Bachelor of Science in law enforcement from Western New England University, graduating in 2008. Prior to being selected for the position of chief, he completed a master’s in criminal justice at Westfield State University, graduating in 2020.
LPS leadership changes
July 1, Dr. Frank Tiano took over as the new superintendent of Ludlow Public Schools. The role had been filled on an interim basis by Ludlow High School Prinicpal Lisa Nemeth, following the 2021 resignation of former Superintendent Todd Gazda, who became the executive director of the Collaborative for Educational Services in Northampton.
The former Chelmsford and Uxbridge superintendent and interim middle school principal for Dover-Sherburn Public Schools was selected in March over North Brookfield Public Schools Interim Superintendent Mary Jane Rickson, Athol-Royalston Regional School District Director of Intervention and Acceleration Cynthia Kennedy and Lee Public Schools Superintendent and Business Administrator Michael Richard.
Belchertown police officer arraigned
On April 21, Belchertown Police Lt. Michael Beaupre was arraigned in Eastern Hampshire District Court on 11 counts of unlawful wiretap and 10 counts of photographing an unsuspecting person in the nude, according to the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Director of Communication Lindsay Corcoran.
Prior to his arraignment, the Belchertown Police Department said Beaupre was on unpaid leave. According to local media reports, Beaupre resigned from the department in May.
In the report, filed by Massachusetts State Police Worcester Homicide Squad Sgt. Matthew Prescott, he said one of the victims found a thumb drive containing graphic sexual videos of herself and other women, recorded without their consent, in Beaupre’s Pelham home on Jan. 21. The victim brought the thumb drive to police on Jan. 26. Seven victims were identified in the report, dating to January 2017, in each case Prescott wrote, “The victim never gave consent nor was she aware that she was being recorded.”
Each count for unlawful wiretapping carries a maximum prison sentence of five years or two and a half years in a house of correction with a maximum fine of $10,000. For each count of photographing an unsuspecting nude person, the sentence carries a maximum of two and a half years or a maximum fine of $5,000.
Ludlow DPW faces scrutiny
The Ludlow Board of Selectmen expressed their concerns about ongoing issues involving the DPW at an Oct. 18 meeting after Town Administrator Mark Strange informed the board of the departure of the town’s fifth superintendent in five years. Strange said the resignation came on heels of the departure of the DPW business administrator and two clerical staff due to the culture and structure. Selectman Derek DeBarge said the town had gone through at least three DPW directors because of clashes with members of the Board of Public Works and Selectman Manny Silva added the issue made the community a “laughingstock.”
Chair Tony Goncalves also criticized the Board of Public Works’ alleged “childish” request for a neutral site when approached about a meeting to address the ongoing issues.