Latest news with #Panella
Boston Globe
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Newton residents react to ‘Line Gate' during Italian American festival
Tim Strayer, who has lived in Newton for 28 years, said that the move was 'tone deaf.' Advertisement 'There may be legitimate reasons to paint it yellow, but the timing and the engagement with the community was very poor,' Strayer said after a 10 a.m. Mass at Our Lady Help of Christians Church. Around 2:30 a.m. on July 16, on the first day of Festa, police Lieutenant Amanda Henrickson Advertisement Although some residents found the removal of the Italian flag stripes disrespectful, many want to move past it and focus on the festival. Chuck Proia, 57, who has been chairperson of the festival for the last 20 years, said that he thinks of the event as 'Christmas in July.' 'I was afraid for a long time that the line controversy was going to overshadow this event,' Proia said. Around 12:30 p.m., people drank beer, ate pizza, and wore matching white shirts emblazoned with 'The Lake,' a nickname for Nonantum, even though there is no lake here. Some volunteers were preparing for the 2 p.m. procession down Adams Street, where the statue of the Madonna del Carmine from Our Lady Help of Christians was carried through the neighborhood. During the procession, the North End Marching Band, dressed in red shirts, played snare drums. Spectators pinned dollar bills to the statue, which will benefit the St. Mary of Carmen Society. Michael Panella, 72, who grew up in Newton but now lives in Needham, said he was upset when he found out that city officials had painted over the stripes on Adams Street. 'It was disgraceful … those Italian colors have been on the street for decades,' Panella said. Panella's parents immigrated from Avellino, a town near Naples in Italy. He said his father encouraged him to speak English and he regrets that he is not fluent in Italian. Panella said that the festival and the Italian character of Nonantum were an important part of retaining his parents' culture. Advertisement Michael Panza, 56, has lived on Adams Street for 20 years in a house with a driveway that's painted red, white, and green. He was welcoming neighbors to his backyard to share food before the procession. Panza said that he and his neighbors were kept up until 3 a.m. on June 27 when city officials repainted the street. 'They were out here from 10:30 at night to 3:30 in the morning with backpack blowers as loud as can be,' Panza said. He said he was skeptical about the mayor's claim that double yellow lines were needed to make the street safer. Michaela Carrieri, 28, of Brookline, came to Adams Street for the procession with her cousin, a first-time visitor to the United States from Abruzzo, Italy. Carrieri's father grew up in Nonantum, and she would attend the festival every year as a child. 'My cousin's never been a part of this festival, and this is something that I've done my whole life,' Carrieri said. 'I just wanted to show him what we do in America.' She said she found it interesting that Adams Street was repainted, pointing out that multiple streets in Nonantum, not just Adams, have a red, white, and green stripe in the middle. 'It's been here for decades,' Carrieri said. 'I'm not too immersed into what is occurring, but I do find it interesting.' Carmen Pancerella, who has lived in Newton for 28 years, said she was sad when she saw that the lines had been painted over, especially since people generally repaint the red, white, and green stripes right before Festa so the street is 'bright and vibrant.' Advertisement Pancerella, whose grandparents immigrated from Calabria, Italy, said that it was important to maintain the stripes on Adams Street and the annual celebration of the festival. 'I like seeing tradition because it's so easy for it to go away in today's world,' Pancerella said. Angela Mathew can be reached at
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Yahoo
Convicted child killer out on parole not allowed back in Kern County
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — 54-year-old Michael Todd Panella, a convicted Kern County child killer, is a free man. Panella was released on parole Wednesday morning, after 25 years behind bars. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said Panella is not allowed back in Kern County, where the crime occurred. He will be a parolee for life. 'First of all, I was told he was never going to come up for parole, it'll always be denied,' said Tammy Bell, mother of the victim, Johnathen Bell. At just 20-months-old, little Johnathen Bell was brutally abused and murdered by Panella, Bell's then-boyfriend of three months. Bell said even after two decades, it's a daily reminder her baby boy was taken too soon. 'I tell him I love you and he goes, I love you, like it was like cute,' said Bell. 'And I'd be like, you love momma? Mhm. And like I'd go, I love you, Johnathen. It's like, those are the last words I had with him,' said Bell. The irony for Bell, is that April is Child Abuse and Prevention Awareness Month. Bakersfield couple charged with child cruelty, drug crimes after confrontation with daughter Bell said she still too-vividly remembers young Johnathen's cold body she found in her bed the night of November 27, 1999. 'I remember laying him on the floor, trying to do CPR, which I didn't know how, I didn't know CPR, I was young,' Bell recalled. 'This is not over,' Bell said of Panella's release. 'He will not, I will make sure he's not comfortable in his own skin…If they can't protect me and keep him in there, or protect my other kids that are living, you know?' A jury in October 2000 found Panella guilty of first-degree murder and he was sentenced to 25 years to life. According to court documents, Johnathen suffered at least 50 bruises to his hips, head, face and extremities, ultimately dying from multiple blunt impacts to his abdomen, which caused internal bleeding and dehydration. Panella's parole conditions include not having unsupervised contact with minors under the age of seven. It's unclear at this time where Panella is, but he was released in San Luis Obispo. 17 News' Jenny Huh: 'Do you feel safe?' Tammy Bell: 'No, I don't feel safe for my other kids living. I don't feel safe. I don't, I shouldn't have to pack up and move. This is my town. This is where my kids were born. He don't, he is not from here.' Here's a timeline of how Panella's parole came to be. A 2020 state law on elderly parole reduced requirements for inmates at least 50 who served 20 years of their sentence — Panella became eligible for his first parole hearing in July 2021. Parole was granted, but after much appeal, including from Bell, Governor Gavin Newsom reversed the decision. Panella faced another parole hearing in February 2023. Parole was denied for three years. But for reasons undisclosed, Panella had his third hearing in October 2024. Parole was granted. This time, Newsom did not reverse the decision. 17 News' Capitol Correspondent Eytan Wallace had the chance to ask Newsom about Panella at a Wednesday morning press conference. Newsom stated, 'That's not atypical. A reversal is not always in perpetuity. There's always an opportunity to come back.' In a statement to 17 News, a Newsom spokesperson further explained the governor's decision. 'The Board of Parole Hearings determined this individual was not a public safety risk. The Governor asked the full Board to review it again and sent back the case. The full Board once again reached the same conclusion and so by law he is entitled to be released on parole.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chicken Wing Challenge: Brighton eatery partners with ‘Hot Ones' talk show
BRIGHTON, N.Y. (WROC) – Western New Yorkers love their chicken wings, and with March Madness in full swing, you might be ordering a batch or two at home. The popular talk show 'Hot Ones' is partnering with a local eatery to share its noteworthy sauces for customers to sample, if you're up for the challenge. 'Hot Ones' is hosted by interviewer Sean Evans, where celebrities in all fields meet for questions over a plate of chicken wings and the show's name-brand hot sauces. 'Hot Ones reached out to us about a month ago. We both agreed mutually that this would be a good partnership. We sell a lot of chicken wings and we give a lot of chicken wings away. Chicken wings is sort of in our wheelhouse, and Hot Ones has got a great reputation,' said Sal Panella, who owns MicGinny's on the River, which has been running on Brighton's East River Road for 15 years. In that time, Panella says their reputation has grown strong, especially for their wings. MicGinny's is the only regional business, for now, selected to take part. 'It's just been word of mouth. This is one of those brands that's going to sell itself. You'll have to order from Uber Eats, Door Dash, or Grubhub. We won't be selling them in the actual restaurant. But, you can order them for takeout,' he said. Much like the series, News 8's Natalie Kucko decided to get in the hot seat, sampling the hottest sauce the show has to offer. Whether customers prefer their wings mild, or with the heat turned all the way up, Panella says MicGinny's is proud to take part in something so fun and unique. 'You don't have to go out and spend $120 on a whole kit with all the sauces. For less than $20, you can get a sampling and do that right at home. We consume more chicken wings in the northeast than anywhere else in the world. A brand like this has to be strong to penetrate this market. I'm confident this brand will compliment what we've been doing in upstate New York for the last 50 years,' said Panella. To try the flavors at home, you're asked to visit 'Hot Ones' website and enter the appropriate location and information. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘A good thing;' Community relieved to hear mobile crisis mental health services will resume
A new provider is bringing back mobile crisis response services to Montgomery County. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] As reported on News Center 7 at 11:00, the Montgomery County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) recently approved a new partnership with DeCoach Recovery Centre to provide area crisis teams. TRENDING STORIES: 'We're being proactive;' University president speaks out after announcing dozens of layoffs Teen formally charged after gun with illegal 'Glock switch' found at Springfield school Driver who caused deadly school bus crash wants conviction thrown out, says trial wasn't fair Instead of sending police to handle crises, mental health experts believe a mobile crisis team could be more effective. As previously reported on News Center 7, a 75-year-old man was arrested after an hours-long SWAT standoff in Riverside on Monday. Neighbors said the man was experiencing a mental health crisis. 'That guy had a crisis on Sunday. It started early in the afternoon and he just got worse. He was in the front yard and he needed some help,' John Panella said. Panella and other neighbors in the community stood by and watched as SWAT responded to the scene early Monday morning. ADAMHS Executive Director Helen Jones-Kelly said the board believes a mobile mental health team would have helped police during this incident. 'If a crisis is going on in one house in the community, everybody's impacted, you know. Everybody's at their door, or they're out in the street. It kind of puts that person, unfortunately, under an even deeper kind of spotlight when they're not able to manage themselves well,' Jones-Kelly said. >> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 'It's very disappointing;' County leaders left confused after crisis service provider cuts ties ADAMHS ended its last partnership with RI International because it was too expensive to maintain. 'That was the most expensive piece of the services. So right now, we're just going to get back to having a mobile crisis team that can go out,' Jones-Kelley said. Community members like Panella said they're glad these services are returning to the county. 'I think that's a good thing to have in this area because we had a lot of issues like that right now with mental health and everything,' Panella said. The service will start up in April with plans on expanding to a 24-hour response. The suicide and crisis lifeline can be called or texted anytime at 988. News Center 7 will continue to follow this story. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
