Worcester Man Charged in Co-Worker's Death
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Worcester District Attorney you fail, but you AUBURN — A Worcester man is Joseph Early Jr. said Nguyen was are doomed if you accused of killing a co-worker who partially underneath a parked don’t try.” was found earlier this week under- vehicle. neath a car in one of the Auburn Auburn Fire Department para- Mall parking garages, according to medics brought Nguyen to the Beverly Sills authorities. University of Massachusetts Vu Van Ngo, 27, of 201 Dana Ave., Medical Center in Worcester, was arraigned Wednesday, Feb. where she was pronounced dead a 19, in Worcester Central District short time later. INSIDE Court on charges of murder and Assistant District Attorney misleading a police investigation. Jeffrey T. Travers said during the He is being held without bail. He arraignment that what appeared to CALENDAR ................ B1 will be back in court March 19. be blood was found in Ngo’s vehi- Around 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18, cle, and a .22-caliber semiautomat- OPINION ................... A6 Nhung Nguyen, 46, of Worcester ic pistol was found in his home. ENIORS was found unconscious in the S ................... A5 David Dore photos Auburn Mall parking garage near Please Read DEATH, page A9 OBITUARIES ............... B1 A red sport utility vehicle is towed from the scene Tuesday night, Feb. 18. SPORTS ..................A10 LOCAL Town ponders SCAVONE NETS 1,000 future of Pakachoag Golf Course BY DAVID DORE STONEBRIDGE PRESS STAFF WRITER AUBURN — While officials recommend the town take control of at least some of the operations at the munici- pally owned Pakachoag Golf Course, they will also study Ice fishing resumes whether a private company should continue to run it. The nine-hole course on Upland Street has been owned after recent storms by the Town of Auburn since 1981, but is operated by Page A2 Johnson Golf Management of New Bedford. The current contract, approved in 2005, expires in December 2015. It was the subject of a years-long court battle between the company and the town. SPORTS Department of Public Works Director and Town Engineer William Coyle presented the Board of Selectmen Monday, Feb. 10 with three options for the golf course: Continue to have a private company operate and main- tain it; have the town manage the facility and pro shop, but hire a private company to maintain the tees, greens and fairways; or have the town manage, maintain and operate the course. Coyle estimated the cost to the town of a public/private partnership at about $250,000 a year. With the current arrangement, the town pays nothing and gets $36,000 a year from Johnson Golf Management. He said the course had revenues of $220,700 in 2012 and $244,700 in 2013. Auburn rockets to “When you look at the numbers that are being turned in, the cost to do this, the revenues wouldn’t even sustain fast start, holds that cost,” Coyle said. “As much as that’s a good option, if on late to upend you can afford that option, I don’t think at this point the current revenues that we’re taking in would sustain this Photos courtesy Mark Seliger, Warriors type of operation.” SeligerPhotography.ExposureManager.com On the town taking complete control of the course, AUBURN — Auburn High senior DJ Scavone Page A13 Coyle said, “The negative aspect of this is it requires a became the most recent addition to the storied 1,000- lot more work and oversight by the town employees. The point club when his Rockets defeated Tantasqua LOCAL positive aspect of this is we have direct control of the golf Regional on Feb. 14, 61-54. course.” Above: Scavone releases the free throw that gave him his Later, he said town control would make it easier for 1,000th career point. improvements at the golf course to be made and concerns At right: Scavone fights through two Tantasqua defenders such as drainage issues to be addressed. on his way to the basket. For the story and more photos, turn to Sports on page A12! Please Read PAKACHOAG, page A9 Bay Path gets ‘topped off’ Head Start may Seniors break receive lost funds winter doldrums SCHOOL OFFICIALS BY JOY RICHARD tion from the [federal gov- with ‘Sock Hop’ , STONEBRIDGE PRESS STAFF WRITER ernment], but this reverses event STUDENTS With months of reorga- the effect of sequestration.” nization and worry behind She added that while the Page A3 CELEBRATE them, local and state Head reversal won’t change any- Start officials have begun to thing right away, the organi- PROGRESS OF see the light at the end of the zation is more than excited OPINION CONSTRUCTION tunnel with the recent rever- by the development and the sal of federal funding cuts. support from local lawmak- ET OUR G Y According to Head Start ers. POINT ACROSS of Massachusetts Executive “Obviously, Head Start PAGE A6 BY AMANDA COLLINS Director Pam Kuechler, the is thrilled about the news,” VILLAGER STAFF WRITER “reversal of the 5.7 reduc- said Kuechler. “It is a good CHARLTON — With Amanda Collins photos tion” won’t go into effect start and more kids can until the organization is be served again. It’s heart- snowflakes falling and The final steel beam is raised to the top of Bay Path. a crowd watching, the given the official green light warming to see that this is a 50,000-square-foot addi- from the federal government priority.” tion to Bay Path Regional on Feb. 18 in a traditional In October 2012, the within the next few weeks. With Head Start facili- Vocational Technical “topping off” ceremony. school’s 10 member The reduction came as ties in Southbridge, Oxford High School was “topped “It’s been a journey,” towns OK’d the project, a result of the federal gov- and Spencer (Southbridge off” Tuesday morning, said David Papagni, who which includes a mas- ernment’s sequestration, and Oxford being the big- Feb. 18, as crews placed served as Bay Path’s sive renovation to the which took place in 2013, and ger classroom centers), the final, and highest, superintendent-director existing building and a resulted in a series of budget Worcester Community steel beam on the new from 2006 to 2012, not- 50,000-square-foot addi- cuts, which affected many Action Council Executive construction. ing that the $73.8 million tion. They broke ground local programs including Director Jill Dagilis said Students, school staff, endeavor to renovate last June, and on Tuesday Head Start. they “want to be very care- local government officials the school began over a celebrated a milestone in “This doesn’t put the ful when [they] do get the and construction workers decade ago. “Nothing’s the process. money back into the current funding back.” signed the white beam been done to this school “Topping off,” some- year — it will go into the She said it is all about before it was raised to the in 40 years — we were times referred to as “top- fiscal year 2014 budget,” said meeting the start require- due.” Kuechler. “We don’t have a 6 5652510391 9 top front of the building Please Read BAY PATH, page A8 lot of hard and fast informa- Please Read HEAD START, page A9 2 • THE AUBURN NEWS • Friday, February 21, 2014 Ice fishing resumes after recent storms Ice fishing for many local anglers was of sight of the human eye. put on hold during the recent snowstorms, In the spring, sportsmen and women tak- but that all changed this week as fishermen ing a walk in the woods often spot one or made there way onto numerous frozen lakes two deer carcasses that have been killed to resume their winter pastime. during the winter months. Does (female With most lakes covered with as much as deer) are now heavy with their young and a foot of ice, fishing should now continue are even more vulnerable to domestic dogs well into the month of March. A few anglers and coyotes. ventured onto Cape ponds last week and Wild turkeys are also having a hard time had a great day of fishing at Specticale scraping up food to sustain them through Pond catching large yellow perch, bass and the winter months. Many residents are feed- pickerel. Although the anglers had to trudge ing them at back yard feeders. The flocks through deep snow to get to the frozen pond are reported to be big, with 25 to 30 birds and clear a spot to park their vehicle, every- in a flock. We need to remember that these one had a great time as action on ice tilts birds are wild and can sustain a few weeks was fast. They also tried jigging for fish but of harsh weather on their own, but if a resi- had very little success. The big problem fac- dent starts to feed them they need to contin- ing ice fishermen locally is finding a place ue to feed them through the winter months to park the car without getting it towed.