Ice fishing (drinking) accident on Hamilton Reservoir.
Howard Crow, Norm Butler, Dennis Bonetti, and Glenn Tracy were ice fishing and drinking all day.
The fun day with fishing and drinking on the ice around the fire ended tragically.
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Comments:
Posted on 24 Jan 2010, 3:21 by lake loverdummies
wow, what did the police do to them for the open container violation.
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Posted on 24 Jan 2010, 3:55 by hamilton
also
and the o.u.i.. motor vehicle on public way
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Posted on 24 Jan 2010, 8:39 by lake guy
nothing
The lake is not considered a public way.. If he has a good attorney he'll be fine,
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Posted on 24 Jan 2010, 13:25 by OH MY GOD !!!!!
Fire ,,, Fire,,Fire !!!!
Is that fire for cooking...Did they have a permit..Look at the logs in that fire..thats no cook fire.....Quick Call Tani Saperstein...She is subsidizing Johnson @ land-gate with side jobs for cook fires I hear.
Quick call the fat guys with the Green trucks OH MY GOD!!!!! Call enviro police.. Help these people think they are above the law...
Seriously tho.. I hope the injuries are not permanent.
Jim L
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Posted on 24 Jan 2010, 19:41 by Peter Frei
Update on the quad accident..
Today, the environmental Police came back to the scene of yesterday’s accident to investigate and to take pictures.
Because the accident did not happen on a public way, the matter is being investigated by the Environmental Police.
The daylight painted another picture of what happened last night. Who ever was steering the quad made a left turn at high speed and flipped the quad to the right. There are clear skid marks and deep cuts in the ice where the quad hit the ice upside-down. These marks in the ice are just 20 feed ahead of the spot with the blood stains on the ice. Tracks from snow mobiles and quads frozen over possibly caused an obstacle that prevented the tires of the quad to just slide sideward.
Norm Butler threatened to sue me over the story stating, “I don’t like my name all over your blog and the internet.” He went on to state, "you will hear form my lawyer.." addressing me as "Sir."
Norm Butler is the owner of the quad that was involved in the accident during which Howard Crow suffered severe head injuries. Norm Butler, a truck driver by occupation, was charged for OUI after another day of ice fishing (drinking) a year ago. He lost his license and has not been able to work as a truck driver since.
Phone calls to Crow’s family to inquire about his condition have not been returned as of yet.
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Posted on 24 Jan 2010, 19:47 by Kevin & Amy
Enough Already!!!
Aren't these guys the same fellas that got into trouble around the same time last year when Norm "Chuckie" Butler fell on the ice (drunk AGAIN) and broke his leg - thus requiring EMR treatment??? And they were inebriated again this year yet the Holland PD let them go free despite OUI. I understand that Chief Haughey was not on duty Sat. but isn't it time he instructs his officers it's time to lock these guys up and throw away the keys?? They are a nuisance to the residents who pay taxes to enjoy our beautiful Lake Hamilton. And these jerks aren't even Holland residents. Bonetti lives in Sturbridge, Glenn Tracy lived in Brookfield and now lives in Spencer or wherever, and Chucky Butler lives wherever he can be found. The injured person (THIS YEAR) Howard Crow is from Warren and is a VERY familiar person to local area PD. Enough already!! Cmon Bryan do your job and rid our lovely town of these losers.... They are a lawsuit waiting to happen and cost us taxpayers more $$$$
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Posted on 24 Jan 2010, 20:04 by Mike LaMountain
If you don't want your name on the blog
Then stop making headlines. Your just lucky your name didn't end up in the obituaries. Awesome job. Lucky no one else got hurt trying to rescue you guys or you'd be "hearing from their lawyer."
I hope the guy that got hurt makes a full recovery and doesn't suffer any permanant damage. We're pulling for yah. Goodluck and play safe
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Posted on 24 Jan 2010, 20:07 by Someone who knows Chuckie Butler VERY WELL
Whose Kiddin Who
Peter please don't be concerned about telling the truth... YOU should sue Norm "CHUCKIE" Butler for threatening to sue you for stating the truthful facts because everyone knows he broke his leg last year on the lake after a day of fishing & drinking and it's officially documented. I won't even let my children enjoy the lake to sled, ice skate, etc. when these drunks are out there. They are a nuisance to our town. I also know a lot more about CB that would shock the community but will withhold my info until necessary. So let me know if Chuckie tries to sue you because I'll be glad to provide info/support you in this matter. Hopefully Chief Haughey will restrain him/his drinkin buddies from the lake so the rest of us taxpaying residents can enjoy it while living here...
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Posted on 24 Jan 2010, 20:22 by Bob Edwards
Idiots
Seriously Town Officials, GET A CLUE!. These guys where out drinking all day, involved in an accident and you let them drive home??? You're paid to do a job, DO IT! These guys are not only a danger to themselves but as soon as they get on the road they are a danger to US ALL.
They will be out there again next weekend drinking and on the road risking our families lives.
Get off your A$$@$ and do something.
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Posted on 24 Jan 2010, 20:28 by Grateful to Know
Thank You
Thank you Peter for this website and keeping residents up on the local news. It's too bad we have so much crap going on in this lovely town because we started off as summer residents from CT and decided to move here year-round thinking Holland is a prime location to settle in. If we only knew before what we know now we would have thought differently. Thank you for keeping us aware of things in Holland.
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Posted on 24 Jan 2010, 20:42 by NOT NO MORE
Freis friends
Hey Frei if i remember that red truck that is owned by Chucky was parked in your driveway not only one time but plenty of times.These guys were drinking on your property that day so maybe you are to blame.Looks like you just lost another friend in Holland.
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Posted on 24 Jan 2010, 20:42 by Jim LaMountain
Whats up Chuck
I happen to like Chuckie. He is a single Dad and Kay use to live at his place for a while. He taught my sons to shoot and was really good to the kids. I am sorry for his troubles. It was not him driving the quad last night. Chuck don't worry about the news on the blog, after all we are all friends and neighbors here.
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Posted on 24 Jan 2010, 20:54 by Chris
In Agreement with Bob Edwards
Don't know where you live but this town needs someone like you in office here. I couldn't have said it better and agree with you 100%. I think if Police Chief Bryan Caughey was present Sat. nite these guys would have been in the clinker by now. They did the same thing last year & got away with it when Kevin Gleason was Police Chief. They need to be locked up FOR YEARS so they learn a lesson. I agree with everything you said and hope it matters to Chief Haughey when he gets in his office tomorrow (Mon.) Next weekend is the annual fishing derby and you can be sure there'll be plenty of drinking while ice fishing, etc. on the lake. Hopefully the PD will be patrolling the lake. Doesn't Holland has regulations against drinking alcohol on the Hamilton Reservoir? Can anyone confirm?????
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Posted on 24 Jan 2010, 21:13 by Aimee
TO NOT NO MORE
Yeh that's the sad part of being a nice guy and letting someone park in your yard. Only problem is Peter doesn't drink and doesn't condone anyone else doing so on his property - so it's to his benefit if he lost such a (so-called) friend. No loss Peter.... Who needs friends like these losers anyway. I'd be glad to be rid of em if I were you. Hopefully the PD will get these bums off our pristine lake once and for all....
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Posted on 24 Jan 2010, 22:54 by Peter Frei
tales of ice-fishing..
Sometimes it is difficult to make the right choices. I never gave Chucky permission to park his car in my driveway. The only guy I gave permission years ago to park at the end of my driveway is Dennis.
To the commenter “NOT NO MORE,” they don’t need permission, these guys park their cars anyway. Last year, I got a phone call from a friend that needed my help immediately. I rushed out of the house and drove up my driveway. There were four trucks parked in my driveway. I could not get out and had to go back and find the driver of the car blocking the end of my driveway. He explained that he did not park there, that he was just gonna leave..
Years ago, I was living in Manchester CT and came up for the day. There was a pickup truck parked in front of my garage; I could not drive into my own garage on my own property! When I asked the driver who was busy ice fishing (drinking), he wanted to know why he had to move!!
In the early 90’s, I use to spend winters in Switzerland. One spring after my return I found the passenger window on the front door of my car smashed. The station wagon was parked in front of my house. Someone helped him-, herself to my inspection sticker. It must have been someone familiar with my property. For an inspection sticker this individual broke my passenger side window causing damage for several hundred dollars! All the rain got into my car. These guys also helped themselves to firewood to feed the fires on the ice. Every winter at least half a cord that I had cut and split myself. They habitually helped themselves to Mountain Loral bushes they just broke off around my house to use as kindling.
A couple of years ago, a guy ice drinking (not one of the four guys mentioned in the piece above) took some firewood stacked under the roof on the side of my shed while I was home!
Last year, I had to remove a 50 gallon steel barrel they just left on the ice. These guys just left it there, filled with trash to the brim.
Out of fairness I also want to mention that the four guys mentioned in the piece above always clean up after themselves and don’t leave ANY trash behind. The barrel was an exeption.
But all this is petty stuff in comparison to what I had to put up by town officials over the years.
These guys are just harmless drunks who don’t intent to harm anybody (but sometimes kill with their cars while driving home drunk, I do understand.) I can also understand that parents fear for their kids and keep them rather inside which they shouldn’t have to.
I have observed snowmobiles racing each other at high speeds. Some of these snowmobiles reach speeds in excess of 100 miles an hour!
I’m grateful that I enjoy live without the need to get drunk or smoke pot or do any other drugs for that matter.
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Posted on 27 Jan 2010, 20:45 by Peter Frei
Dennis, no more parking on my property!
I just got a phone call (20:04 hours), it was Dennis Bonetti, son of the owner of Bonetti’s Home Improvement Contractors, located on 1 Leno Road, Sturbridge, MA 01566-1440.
He was among the group of drunks Howard Crow was a part of last Saturday night when he crashed driving Chucky’s 500cc Polaris Quad and subsequently had to be hospitalized with an Ambulance.
Dennis had not much to say, just “Don’t fuck around!”
I guess it was suppose to intimidate me?? It is one of the few things my father never taught me, how to be intimidated by anyone or anything. It should not surprise you that a drunk like you hopelessly fails.
Dennis, after this phone there is no longer a parking space at the end of my driveway for you. The same goes for Chucky (Norm Butler,) and your drinking buddy Glenn Tracy. They all think I did them wrong. At least the two had the guts to call me not anonymous. However, you guys need to grow up and take responsibility for your actions.
Look at the piece I wrote about the events of last Saturday as me holding a mirror in front of you. It is an accurate recollection of a day in your life. If you are embarrassed to see, (read) about you and your buddies, it may be time to change. There is nothing incorrect in the picture in the mirror, it is just the truth.
Dennis, I think your father is not going to be happy to hear that you use his business phone (508) 347 4906 to harass other people by placing anonymous threatening phone calls.
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Posted on 27 Jan 2010, 22:22 by fisherman
Dennis
Looks like someone lost they're fish'n spot.. That sucks.
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Posted on 27 Jan 2010, 22:46 by Peter Frei
Some Stats..
This piece about the quad accident has been viewed as of now 402 times by 275 different IPs. The average time was 3:47 minutes. Comments have been read 416 times for 3:32 minutes on average.
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Posted on 7 Feb 2010, 10:30 by Mike in Brimfield
SHAME ON YOU
Seriously people.... Someone is seriously hurt laying on the ice in need of help and YOU Peter have the audacity to take pictures of him and post them!!!! SHAME ON YOU!!! It sounds like as usual there are a couple groups that are getting out of hand on the lake and these people should be dealt with but I feel pictures posted with out permission of someone is WRONG and you should remove them. Think about it please . There is no need to drag these guys names all over the internet deal with them in person if you have an issue. You could easily have posted about a drinking problem on the lake involving another accident without the Names and pictures. You are coming off to alot of people as a different kind of trouble maker but a trouble maker non the less.
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Posted on 7 Feb 2010, 11:13 by Jim in Holland
Shame on You MORE
Hey Mike.. ANY pictures taken in the public domain are the property of he who takes the picture. If the Telegram or Republican or maybe the Evening News had staff on the lake at the same time and place as Peter Frei then they would have ran the story too.
The PHOTOS are candid and real life. They are a documentary in and of themselves. .... There are 5 W's of reporting any news story.. >>>>>>>>Who...What.....Where....When....and Why. <<<<<<<<< Peter hit them all.... The problem is Mike from Brimfield, you want to deny the public access to one or more of the W's according to your post above. ..! The trouble was not with Peter's stories ..the trouble is from those involved in the story not liking to see their name in print.....((( I know that feeling & believe me it is much worse when they print lies too.)))))... But that is not the case here. All this happened outside Peter Frei's front door and is documented truth...
So we got a very well written story full of dynamic action photo's complete with comments from those involved.... We also got comments from others including yourself Mike from Brimfield, about the incident.
You can not do that with a newspaper or television story like you can on a Blog post.
Just because Mr Frei uses 21st Century INternet Technology and is smart enough to write his own code and ride on the leading edge does not give you or anyone else the right to censor any of the W's. ..!!.. Truth STANDS all challenges Mike..... What you suggest would be the same as if we took the Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press clauses out of the fabric of American Ideals and Values .. MIKE... Think about it and you will understand that Mr Frei is a trouble maker the same way that Paul Revere , Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Hancock and countless other Patriots and founding Fathers were trouble makers.
It scares me that you would want to silence that Mike from Brimfield...Very Scary indeed.
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Posted on 7 Feb 2010, 13:29 by Peter Frei
Blessing or Curse?
I’m trouble for everybody who is on the wrong side of the law in a substantial way.
If a twenty-four pack is not enough for three guys for the day and someone gets hurt at the end (in the dark) the public has a right to know the ins and outs.
"Mike in Brimfield" wrote, "without permission of someone.." I’m glad I don't have to get Mike's permission or anyone else's for that matter. Norm Butler threatened me with a lawsuit. I assume this was the reason why the law offices of James Sokolove logged onto the blog and spent 26:09 minutes looking into whether the information on the Holland Blog was slanderous.
Norm didn't get far, I assume attorney Sokolove asked Norm if he is one of the three guys in the picture standing around the fire with a beer can in his hand and with the 24 pack in clear sight. Norm's answer must have been a truthful "yes." Skolove must have asked him then, "is it true that you lost both of your drivers licenses due to OUI (DUI) charges?" Norm's answer must have been another truthful "yes."
I image at this point in time Skolove told Norm that he would need to bring a retainer to his office and that Skolove had no interest pursuing the matter on a contingency agreement. That I guess was the end of it. No drunk ever got help by covering up the effects his drinking had on family, friends or society.
For some of the readers the Holland Blog is a blessing, for others it is a curse. It all depends on what side you are on.
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Posted on 8 Feb 2010, 17:10 by Mike from Brimfield
Poor Judgment
The pictures and articles are intended to cause hardship and you have used poor judgement in doing so.
You are dragging dirty laundry onto the internet and the more I read over your post the clearer it became to me...cleverly disguised I might say but it is quite obvious your intentions are to create controversy
There are ways of dealing with "law breaking yahoos" authorities, courts, person to person to name a few. Taking pictures of an injured man and posting them for the public to see is wrong regardless of who they are and why or how they were injured.
I dont know if you are married or have children but what if your daughter was drinking with freinds and hit a tree on rt 20 and as she was thrown from the car a sign sliced off her limb ...would you post pictures of her laying in the road with a missing leg as ems workers were trying to help her and officers were searching the road side for her missing leg or arm???? I find that thought REPULSIVE! "
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Posted on 8 Feb 2010, 18:34 by Peter Frei
Do you have a TV?
Did you follow the reports about Haiti? Did you see not only insured but dead people laying along the streets? Did you see separated limbs sticking out of the ground as they covered the dead bodies with a heavy bulldozer?
Those pictures were not published on some little blog, they were shown live on world wide TV!
You talk about "poor judgment," who are you trying to kidding?
The dead bodies and limbs on CNN did belong to totally innocent people, they did not drink to much and as a result cause an accident; still they were shown on CNN.
What you are trying to do is manipulate people's mind with your stupid "poor judgement" argument into questioning my intentions in their mind.
This blog is exposing people's wrongdoings, nothing else!
There is nothing controversial about drunks and driving under the influence and exposing the problem, we are far from that point with the posts on this blog!
It is simply about RIGHT and WRONG. Keep trying!
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Posted on 8 Feb 2010, 20:05 by Mike from Brimfield
Please show some consideration.
Haiti? Please answer the question Peter Frei. Would you take pictures of your daughter or encourage someone else to do so as she lays on the ground bleeding on the side of the street on rt 20 after a night of drinking with friends? Teeth smashed in on what used to be a beautiful young lady..... It bothers me to even type this hypothetical scenerio...yet the fact is this is excactly what you did to the man on the ice!!! It is careless and insensative and I would hope that you reconsider this kind of "journalism" in the future.
I too would certainly be as frustrated as you are in dealing with people invading my right to quiet enjoyment of my property. I would not tolerate it nor would I be nice about these intrusions on my land. please dont misenterpret my point here. I dont need a response to this I just ask that people be considerate of some things. The internet makes it too easy for ALL to disrespect and it goes on and on and on.
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Posted on 8 Feb 2010, 24:42 by Peter Frei
Meet Jacquelin Saburido..
Reginald Stephey’s first concern after killing two and critically insuring a third person was about his car he just totaled. While on the phone with the 911 operator just after the crash he said, "I loved that car..I just lost every thing I had.”
Reginald was 17 years old at the time of his drunk driving accident. He didn’t have a scratch, Jacquelin Saburido and her two killed friends were not as lucky.
Mike from Brimfield; I should be more considerate towards drunk drivers?
I don't think so..
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Posted on 9 Feb 2010, 5:50 by Mike from Brimfield.
You only get your point
You should show more consideration towards "people" As expected from reading over your blogs....you only see things your way. I also noticed some of your agressiveness toward people in your responses to my comments. Your true colors shine through Peter..THANK GOD YOU AND YOUR FATHER DONT DRINK AND THE DAUGHTER THAT YOU WOULD FORBID TO DRINK IF YOU HAD ONE.
now have your last word..... It's your lifeline.
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Posted on 9 Feb 2010, 6:11 by Are you narrow minded
To Mike in Brimfield
Mike I see you seem to have a concealed message here. It seems you just don't get it. The folks that were Ice Drinking around the Peninsula and crashed the quad are responsible for the pictures and related news story on this Blog. Peter lives on the lake right where it happened... Peter did not post any picture near as graphic as the one you described either Mike.
In any event Mr Howard Crow is expected to make a full recovery and I hope he will pay Chucky for the damages to the quad. Writing a story about the quad wreck is not the same as airing dirty laundry. The quad wreck affects our community and Peter reported it. I think you are looking for phantoms where there are none. In any event Welcome to the Holland Blog Mike.
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Posted on 9 Feb 2010, 7:47 by Long Gone
My Thoughts
You Drink you Drive you LOSE! I believe this goes for more then just a stiff penalty... If you lack the intelligence to know that its not a good idea to get on a quad and drive around a lake drunk then I think you do deserve to be put out there as Peter did in his story. I only know a couple of the guys involved and I know it wasn't the first time they had a brush with the law or chose to operate a motorized object while intoxicated!I do wish Mr Crow a speedy recovery but I think its time to grow up Men and put the bottle down for at least a couple days during the week.....
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Posted on 9 Feb 2010, 8:43 by local guy
drunk
Looks like Peter hit it out of the park this time Mike!
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Posted on 14 Feb 2010, 7:39 by Lake Guy
Mike should watch the Olympics
Hey did anyone see the guy die while witching the Olympics? He happend to die on the ice and there was no beer involved! They televised it over and over again on the air with detail.. So mike are the people who played this for the world to see, "Careless and insensitive"? Dude get a clue it's everywhere.. It seems like you MIKE are just looking to take the cheap shot where ever you can get one in..
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Posted on 22 Mar 2010, 18:30 by Peter Frei
Norm Butler Update..
Norm Butler had recently his day in court and was acquitted of all OUI charges on a technicality. Out of fairness I need to inform the readers of the Holland Blog that he, after all, is not guilty as charged.
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