Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.

Mellis warns Pasquale's against future brawls, Brown Farm project stalled

Date: 12/17/2012

By Chris Maza

chrism@thereminder.com

EAST LONGMEADOW — Police Chief Douglas Mellis had strong words for management of Pasquale's Ristorante at the Board of Selectmen's meeting on Dec. 11.

Pasquale's was the site of what the police logs termed a "large fight" on Dec. 1 and owner Michael Torcia, his son Richard and manager Joe Santaniello appeared before the board to answer to the report the selectmen received from the Police Department.

"There seemed to be a brawl in which a couple of people were injured and there are some concerns raised by the Police Department about what occurred and prior to having to go through an entire public hearing, we were hoping to have a conversation with you to see if there is any background regarding the incident that occurred," Board of Selectmen Chair James Driscoll said.

Richard Torcia told the board that Pasquale's hosted holiday parties for two local salons on Dec. 1 and the fight stemmed from those patrons.

Santaniello added, "Obviously no one could predict something like that happening and it never does happen [at Pasquale's]. It's a well-behaved crowd and a well-run facility."

Driscoll said that while this was the first time such an incident had occurred at the location, the board did not want to make light of the situation.

Mellis said that his department does not have the resources to respond to bar fights while maintaining adequate coverage to the rest of the town and the onus is on the business owners to ensure that those kinds of incidents do not happen. He added that his police force couldn't sustain potential losses to personnel that could stem from responding to bar fights.

"We have other things we should be doing during those hours of the day, like patrols," Mellis said. "I know of a recent incident in Springfield where four or five officers were seriously injured responding to a bar fight. I don't have the resources to start dancing with people who are fired up and decide that they want to start swinging at police officers. That didn't happen in this incident, but the last thing I want to do is tie up my personnel going into barroom disturbances and fights.

"I don't want to tie up my resources going up there and in essence babysitting for a problem that either the bartenders aren't keeping track of and monitoring what they're drinking or don't have the guts to tell them the get the hell out of their store. That's your responsibility," he continued.

Driscoll echoed those sentiments, stating, "To the chief's point, we have four less officers today than we did 10 years ago when we had a smaller population, so our resources are stretched."

Santaniello said he was in the restaurant's office when the fight occurred and could not speak to how exactly it started, however he said the company has taken steps to ensure such an incident does not happen again.

"We've had meetings with our staff and bolstered our staff so we have more people on," he said.

Driscoll explained that in addition to the obvious issue of violence, the Police Department had expressed concerns about food service.

"The feedback the police have gotten is that the dining room was closed and hasn't been open," he said. "As you know, dining must be available during all working hours. There have been complaints that there was no food available and the kitchen was closed."

Both Torcia and Santaniello said that buffet-style food was served at the party and Santaniello insisted that food is served at all times, in accordance with the restaurant's liquor license.

Mellis, however, stated that his department has received information contradicting those statements.

"I've heard from anonymous individuals who have gone in there when the kitchen is closed," he said.

The board also conveyed concerns about a person not known to the police identifying herself as the person in charge when police arrived.

During the night of the incident, in the report that we have, Officer [Michael] Ingalls said that he spoke with Siobhan Gauthier, who arrived on scene and identified herself as the owner of Pasquale's," Driscoll said, explaining that Gauthier's name was not on any of the restaurant's permit applications.

Richard Torcia explained that Gauthier is part of the LLC that owns the building in which Pasquale's is located.

"This is why it's important for the [permit] applications to be complete, so that when an incident like this occurs, our first responders are aware of the manager, alternate manager and other people involved with the entity so that confusion like this doesn't occur," Driscoll said.

***


While the Friends of the Brown Farm were looking to move forward with the first phase of their plans to clean up and upgrade the area for the purpose of passive and active recreation, Town Counsel James Donahue cautioned the town and the Friends against moving too quickly.

Heather Cunningham from the Friends of the Brown Farm appeared before the board with hopes of securing a Memorandum of Understanding regarding the use of the property, which Driscoll said Donahue was in the process of reviewing.

However, Donahue advised the board and Cunningham that any plans regarding the use of the property must be a town-approved plan, not a plan developed by an outside entity.

"This is municipal property. It is under the control of the town and any activities that are going to take place there are done under the direction and direct control of the town," he said. "As an entity, as a 'friend' of the property, those are actions that are taken in conjunction with a plan that is established by the town as to what's going to be happening. It should be the town's plan that is being constructed on the site, not some independent authority, at least until the town or the Board of Selectmen vote to turn over to some entity that control."

Because of this, Donahue suggested that any work on the property should be delayed until the town has developed and accepted a plan.

"Moving forward with plans independent of something being done by the board or under the board's direction at this time is premature. We've got a report with respect to this location and the various uses of what's there, but there has not been a delineation as to how that parcel is going to be divided or used," he said. "The potential for housing, the potential for recreation, the potential for open space is all there, it's all recommended in the report, but the determination by the board and other town departments on how that property is going to be used going forward has to be made, I would suggest, before you start carving it up to be done by independent groups."

Selectman Paul Federici also voiced concerns about moving forward with any activities relating to the Brown Farm until the project was approved at the Annual Town Meeting in May 2013.

Part of the Friends of the Brown Farm's plans include the renovation of the buildings on the site using funds initially allocated for the demolition of the buildings at a previous town meeting.

"I realize there seems to be some sense of urgency with this, however, we do have to get, in my opinion, ultimately, the permission of the town to do this. I can't really see any great things happening before the warrant article gets put into the Annual Town Meeting to get voted on," he said. "To take steps ahead of time and to spend money that was earmarked for one process, if the town decides not to approve your idea, we're out that money and we don't have the money to do what we would have to do."

Federici added that he did not intend to put an end to the project, but that the steps should be taken in the proper order.

"I like your idea, but it's not my decision. It's not my property it's the town's property," he said.

Driscoll voiced a differing opinion, stating that the money had already been allocated for use on the property and therefore progress should not be stalled.

"I respect my fellow board member's opinion, but I will say that the town allocated the money to be spent on that property and when they do that, they're giving this board the responsibility of allocation of those funds," he said. "We could have spent those [funds] to demolish those buildings and I think the Town Counsel's opinion was we could spend those on the site's development. My opinion hasn't changed since the last time that we continue with site development."

With the Dec. 18 special election to decide upon two new board members still upcoming, Federici added he would want to make sure the new selectmen were up to speed so that they could make informed decisions regarding the property in the future.

The board did approve an asbestos study on the buildings. Federici explained to Reminder Publications that the study would have to be conducted whether the town decided to refurbish or demolish the structures.