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| By Sarah M. Corigliano Assistant Managing Editor EAST LONGMEADOW The Board of Selectmen voted last Tuesday to order an East Longmeadow family to find a new home for their dog within 30 days. According to Dog Officer Martylee Caramante, repeated orders by the town for the Houghton-Smith family to make their yard appropriate to contain their three lhasa apsos have not gone unheeded but efforts have been inadequate. Due to the little dogs escaping, neighbor Joyce Breau told the Board that she has had to seek medical treatment for her elderly dog, which she said has been knocked over more than once by the Houghton-Smith dogs when they escape their own yard and enter the Breau yard where Breau's dog is secured. "All three dogs hit him, rolled him on side," Breau said. "He's a 12-year-old dog with cataracts ... he injured his neck and spine ... it happened in my yard with my dog on a leash." At the meeting, Caramante said the family had already found homes for two of the dogs by offering them for free in a newspaper ad, but urged the family to seek a rescue home for the remaining dog, "Snow White." Heather Houghton- Smith attended the meeting with four of her children, one of whom tried to plead with the board to keep her dog. "The remaining dog is a house dog," Houghton-Smith said. The family brought Snow White to the meeting, but the Board asked that the dog be removed from the library's meeting room before the hearing began. Houghton-Smith's daughter said the dog normally visits other dogs in the neighborhood on a leash and does not cause problems. "It was recommended in [the dog officer's] letter that the Houghton-Smiths be given time to find an adequate home for their dog," Selectmen chair John Claffey said. Selectman Gary Delisle said he didn't think the issue could be resolved by the family. "Due to previous incidents and the order, nothing has been said to convince me that the situation will get better, because it hasn't," he said. "You're not taking her dog away," Houghton-Smith said. "That's beyond being cruel to a little girl." Selectman James Driscoll said he might consider giving the family 30 days to prove that they can care properly for the remaining dog. "I feel that, with the history of non-compliance, we'll almost certainly be back here with the same issue." Caramante said that such little dogs would be easy to place in rescue. The Selectmen voted 2-1 to order the Houghton-Smith family to find adequate placement for Snow White in 30 days. In other Board of Selectmen news: The Board received a letter from the Senior Center Study Committee stating that all but two members wished to continue serving the board. Delisle requested that the list be approved with one revision to remove the name of Carol Johnson, who was said to have made defaming, derogatory comments about a town official during a Housing Partnership meeting. The Selectmen said she has not denied the comments, nor apologized for them. The Board voted 2-1 to reappoint all those willing, save for Johnston. Fire Chief P. Robert Wallace informed the Board of a need for a reserve fund transfer to pay for repairs to Fire Department equipment. He also told them he's waiting to hear about a grant that would provide $115,000 for new packs and tanks for the fire fighters. "My fingers are crossed," Wallace said. Police Chief Doug Mellis sought the signature of the Board of Selectmen chairman for a form that would allow the department to use town Homeland Security funds to place surveillance cameras at the Police Department. No Parking signs, which have been removed from Crane Avenue, were approved for replacement. A request to place a crosswalk and pedestrian awareness signs near Shaker Road and Spruce Street was approved. A stop sign to be placed at Dearborn and Harwich Streets was not recommended by the Police Department and was not approved. |