Obituaries from The Republican.
Douglas Lee Harris, 68, passed away on Thursday. He was born and educated in Greenville, Miss. He attended American International College in Springfield. He loved being an entrepreneur and was proud of his business the "Rib Shack." When he moved to Springfield from Mississippi, he was "adopted" by many in the community, including the Griffin and Brace families, and he also loved his Stone Soul family.
At Fenway Park, a sense of closure was felt, but the city will never forget.
BOSTON - At some point, the need for poignant demonstrations give way to the time for private memories and reflection.
For Boston, that time came Monday. A hugely successful Marathon was run, and the traditional Patriots Day game was played at Fenway Park.
Normalcy returned to the old yard at precisely 12:02 Monday morning. Shelled by the Baltimore Orioles, Clay Buchholz was booed off the mound in the third inning.
It was an early start and early finish for Buchholz on a day that represented a poignant sense of closure for his city.
Patriots Day has always been a different day on the Red Sox calendar. This day was more different than most, but not as different as one might have expected.
A marathon went on outside, and most of the day's poignancy could be found there. That mood found its way into Fenway when it was announced that an American, Meb Keflezighi, had won the race.
The roar was long and loud and patriotic for a man whose name could not be pronounced by many of those who were cheering. But he was one of ours, and especially on this day, that carried deep meaning.
The Red Sox meanwhile rubbed their eyes after finishing a Sunday night game barely 12 hours earlier. They took the field and, soon found themselves trailing 6-0.
"I'm not saying we'll go out with bells on, but we'll be there. The game must go on,'' manager John Farrell said beforehand.
The game goes on. Society goes on. This Patriots Day was a cultural milepost, a last and most important day to turn the page.
From a baseball sense, the Red Sox are looking forward to normalcy. Their first three weeks have been a constant stream of special events, from Opening Day ceremonies and ring presentations to a White House visit to odd starting times and salutes to Marathon victims and heroes.
"More than any other sport, baseball is a game of routine,'' said Farrell, who knows that starting on Tuesday, the normalcy of 7:10 starts will return.
But he and his team have embraced the significance of what April has been all about. This is especially true with the Marathon and memories that are forever etched in the mind of those who experienced April 15, 2013 in Boston.
And yet - dare we say? - Monday had the feeling of a normal Fenway Park day. The big pregame ceremony had been Sunday night.
Farrell's pregame press conference Monday was mostly about Brock Holt in the leadoff spot. Not a single Marathon-related question was asked, because really, what was left to ask?
The walk to the park was still instructive. It told a story of a city still grappling with the balance between normalcy and the recognition of its recent history.
At Audubon Circle, where Boston meets Brookline, a street corner was being closed off. "Out! Out!'' a police officer ordered a handful of leisurely passersby, in what seemed like an unnecessarily authoritative tone.
For the most part, the gaggle of police officers on the street went out of their way to be friendly and approachable. They petted dogs and chatted with citizens, the importance of their presence noticeable only by their sheer numbers.
There are those who have begun suggesting, as diplomatically and respectfully as possible, that the post-Marathon reaction - punctuated by massive coverage in social and traditional media - has become drawn out beyond its appropriate shelf life.
This is an understandable response from people who feel the best tribute to the victims, and the best way to respond to terrorism, is a steadfast and stoic return to normalcy. But Boston owed itself a year.
Its response spoke of triumph, an increasing rarity in a complex age where the bad guys and often either not caught or not identified. The death of Osama bin Laden took years and offered only partial closure to the horror of Sept. 11, 2001.
Boston's response was swift and successful. Absorbing its meaning validated all the tributes and coverage.
"We will always remember what happened, but after today, I guess it will be more normal again,'' said a 20ish woman who stood along the route, too shy to give her name.
Inside Fenway Park, life seemed almost normal again.
In a pregame ceremony, the fans honored the victims and heroes of 2013. An hour later, they were booing Clay Buchholz.
We never forget. We never lose our reverence for the victims, our appreciation for the heroes and our pride in the response.
But we move on. Closure accomplished, that began late Monday afternoon in Boston.
Amherst Select Board continues discussion of Town Meeting articles.
AMHERST – With Patriots Day Monday, the Select Board is meeting Tuesday instead and will be again taking positions on zoning articles for Town Meeting.
Town Meeting begins April 28.
Among those coming that the board will discuss is a request to rezone three parcels at Atkins Corner, a change that would lead to the creation of a village center near the Atkins Farms Market. The town has been working on the village center plans for decades.
The Select Board will also talk about a proposal to amend the home accessory business bylaw to better organize the way the town regulates accessory home business uses, according to the Planning Board outline. The request is coming from the Building Commissioner.
In non town-meeting business, the board will also be considering increases to the weights and measurement fees. The town shares the weights and measurement program with Northampton.
The increases in fees are needed, according to a memo from Building Commissioner Robert Morra, to appropriately fund the program expenses.
According to the memo, Amherst has 270 devices inspected annually. Amherst’s cost for the program is rising from $8,697 to $11,830, he wrote. Southampton and Granby also share the program.
Increases vary with the largest for scales that weigh more than 10,000 pounds with fees rising from $150 to $200.
The Select Board meeting is at 6:30 p.m. in Town Hall.
Springfield husband-and-wife team Paul Jacobs and Ann-Haggerty-Jacobs, who are helping staff a mobile Red Cross kitchen behind Newton City Hall as part of the disaster team, were among local residents who woke in the pre-dawn hours to make the trip to Boston.
Folks from Western Massachusetts are among hundreds of Red Cross volunteers stationed along the route of the Boston Marathon, ready to mobilize "just in case" they are needed, according to Dawn Leaks, spokesperson for the Pioneer Valley chapter in Springfield.
Speaking from the Red Cross command center in Cambridge, Leaks said that about 400 medical volunteers – from EMTs on up – are staffing tents to tend to any needs the runners might have along the 26.2-mile route. Another 120 volunteers are positioned in disaster response tents "just in case something happens," she said.
Springfield husband-and-wife team Paul Jacobs and Ann-Haggerty-Jacobs, who are helping staff a mobile Red Cross kitchen behind Newton City Hall as part of the disaster team, were among local residents who woke in the pre-dawn hours to make the trip to Boston.
When reached by cell phone, Haggerty-Jacobs, who is stationed at mile 19, was barely audible as cheers erupted in the background. She said the security presence was high with armored cars, police motorcycles and bicycles.
"We're just standing by," she said. "We're watching the race and the people are cheering.
Leaks said the Red Cross is posting updates throughout the day via Twitter.
The American Red Cross has a 40-year-history with the Boston Marathon, she said. And this year the tradition is continuing with an even stronger presence.
In addition to the 400 EMT-level volunteers and disaster operations personnel, there are 30 mental health volunteers available to support anyone having emotional reactions, according to a Red Cross press release.
Social media users took to Instagram to share photos and videos of Marathon Monday in Boston.
Social media users took to Instagram to share photos and videos of Marathon Monday in Boston. Many runners and spectators are proud to share their support of the runners and the city one year after two bombs killed three and injured hundreds of others.
36,000 runners are running in this year's Boston Marathon, up 9,000 from 2013.
Below, scenes from today's 26.2-mile race from Hopkinton to Boston's Copley Square:
Firefighters were called to put out a small fire at a makeshift memorial to a Fitchburg boy whose body was found last week
Firefighters were called to put out a small fire at a makeshift memorial to a Fitchburg boy whose body was found last week.
The Sentinel & Enterprise newspaper reported the small fire was sparked by mourners who lit a candle at the memorial to Jeremiah Oliver and left it burning after the walked away.
Fitchburg firefighters were called to extinguish the fire shortly after midnight Monday, following a neighbor's failed attempt to put it out. No one was hurt.
The body of five-year-old Jeremiah was found on Friday and identified over the weekend, months after he was last seen by relatives in September. Officials said the body was found wrapped in a blanket in a suitcase just off I-190 in Sterling.
Elsa Oliver and her boyfriend, Alberto Sierra, are already in prison facing charges related to his disappearance.
At the memorial near Jeremiah's home, the fire burned through a plastic table holding the candles, but several stuffed animals were undamaged.
Volunteers who helped put together the memorial are now asking the public not to leave candles at the site, the Sentinel & Enterprise reported.
Meb Keflezighi, who gave the Boston fans their first American men's champ in more than three decades, wore the names of four victims on his running bib.
A look at the 118th running of the Boston Marathon.
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IN THEIR HONOR: Meb Keflezighi, who gave the Boston fans their first American men's champ in more than three decades, wore the names of four victims on his running bib. Written in marker in small, neat letters in each corner were Krystle, Lingzi, Martin and Sean.
Krystle Campbell, Lu Lingzi and Martin Richard were killed in the bombings during last year's race. MIT Officer Sean Collier was killed days later in the hunt for the bombing suspects.
-- Steve Peoples -- https://twitter.com/sppeoples
Bauman stood in the viewing stands just past the finish line with his fiance, Erin Hurley, and Adrianne Haslet-Davis, who lost her left leg in the bombing. They all applauded runners as they crossed the finish line.
BOSTON (AP) -- Boston Marathon survivor Jeff Bauman returned to the finish line Monday after losing both his legs in last year's marathon bombing.
Bauman stood in the viewing stands just past the finish line with his fiance, Erin Hurley, and Adrianne Haslet-Davis, who lost her left leg in the bombing. They all applauded runners as they crossed the finish line.
Bauman was wearing his prosthetics and used crutches. They sat a few feet away from Carlos Arredondo, who helped save his life.
As he walked away from the finish line under his own power, his prosthetics showing, Bauman said it felt "great" to be back. He also said he felt very safe.
It was the first time Bauman had returned to the scene since two bombs exploded near the finish line on April 15, 2013.
Although Marblehead, Mass. native Shalane Flanagan set a personal best at today's Boston Marathon, she was clearly disappointed she didn't come in first.
Although Marblehead, Mass. native Shalane Flanagan set a personal best at today's Boston Marathon, she was clearly disappointed she didn't come in first.
"You know, I love Boston so much and I really wanted to do it for my city," an emotional Flanagan told CBS Boston. "I wanted my love for Boston to be portrayed through my race today."
Despite her lead earlier in the race, Rita Jeptoo of Kenya pulled out ahead of the pack around the 22-mile mark and finished in first place with a record-setting time.
An American woman has not won in Boston since 1985, when Lisa Larsen Weidenbach finished first with a time of 2 hours, 34 minutes and six seconds.
For complete Boston Marathon coverage visit masslive.com/boston
As waves of runners pass by, the noise from Wellesley College students has escalated and fans are going wild, rattling cowbells.
SCREAM TUNNEL: As waves of runners pass by, the noise from Wellesley College students has escalated and fans are going wild, rattling cowbells. One holds a sign that has a slot for a young woman's face, calling it a "kissing booth."
Freshman Ashley De La Russo wipes sweat off her face after getting a big smooch from one runner who she says was pretty cute. "The energy here is amazing," said De La Russo, from Orlando, Fla. "I knew it was going to be a scream tunnel, but this is just unbelievable."
- Paige Sutherland https://twitter.com/psutherland458
Motorists are advised that the Interstate 91 northbound ramp from Longhill Street will be closed for several hours during final paving work.
SPRINGFIELD – The Water and Sewer Commission announced on Monday that final paving is scheduled Thursday following a water main valve repair under the Interstate 91 northbound on-ramp from Longhill Street.
The commission has issued a traffic advisory that the northbound ramp from Longhill Street will be closed to through-traffic during the paving, scheduled on Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The valve repair had occurred overnight on April 11.
During the paving, Interstate 91 South will still be accessible and traffic exiting off of I-91 will not be affected, the commission said. Drivers seeking I-91 North access will be detoured to the I-91 access ramp on East Columbus Avenue.
Message boards will be placed on Sumner Avenue and Longhill Street notifying drivers of the upcoming work and detour, the commission said. Traffic will be managed with posted detour signs and police details.
For additional information, contact the commission office at (413) 787-6206.
Last May, a contractor hired by the state to replace a guardrail along the Longhill Street ramp accidentally ruptured the 33-inch diameter water main. At that time, the break was triggered by a support beam being hammered too far into the ground, breaking the main.
Moises Afonso remains free on his own recognizance.
PALMER - A pretrial conference scheduled last week in Palmer District Court for Moises I. Afonso was rescheduled to July 15.
Afonso, 81, is accused of running down an elderly woman on a sidewalk on Aug. 28 in Ludlow.
Afonso, of 180 Holy Cross Circle, faces charges of motor vehicle homicide by reckless operation, marked lanes violation and reckless operation of a motor vehicle in connection with the accident that killed Ilda Goncalves, 85.
Afonso remains free on his own recognizance.
According to information in Afonso's court file, the accident happened just before 9 a.m. in front of 67 Highland Ave.
Afonso, who police said was operating a 2010 Nissan Rogue northbound on Highland Avenue on the wrong side of the roadway, drove onto a sidewalk in front of 67 Highland Ave., where he hit a parked 2004 Honda Accord and knocked it into the roadway.
Police said Afonso then continued to drive on the sidewalk, where he struck Goncalves, dragging her under his vehicle as he hit a utility pole.
Members of the union representing social workers and other agency employees plan to hold informational picketing on Tuesday outside the agency's regional office in Lowell.
LOWELL, Mass. (AP) — State Department of Children and Families employees are stepping up demands for state officials to take action to reduce social worker caseload.
Members of the union representing social workers and other agency employees plan to hold informational picketing on Tuesday outside the agency's regional office in Lowell. A similar demonstration is planned on Wednesday in Boston.
The workers say the caseload crisis has worsened in the past year, creating concerns about the safety of children.
The agency has been under scrutiny since 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver of Fitchburg went missing last year. His body was discovered last week by the side of a highway in Sterling.
Gov. Deval Patrick's administration says it is seeking more funding to hire social workers and has taken other steps to shore up the agency.
Elizabeth Warren's name has been mentioned in 2016 speculation.
WASHINGTON — Sen. Elizabeth Warren is insisting she isn't running for president in 2016.
She says to interviewers, "You can ask this a lot of different ways. The key is, I am not running for president."
Warren, whose name has been mentioned in building Democratic speculation, said she wants to fight for the consumer issues she champions.
She acknowledges to "CBS This Morning" she was disappointed that President Barack Obama didn't select her to head a new consumer protection agency.
But Warren also says it "was never about a political future for me."
Warren says the playing field has to be leveled between the well-to-do and the struggling in America, adding that "we have to make changes right now." She said the economic system currently doesn't work very well for ordinary people.
People can learn how to build a raised garden bed at 5th annual Amherst Sustainability Festival.
AMHERST – On Saturday, people can learn to build a raised garden bed, plant a pollinator garden and build a backyard meat poultry pen among the workshops and offerings at the fifth annual Amherst Sustainability Festival.
The festival has music, games, vendors and demonstrations all with the goal of entertaining families and helping people live more sustainable lives, said Sustainability Coordinator Stephanie Ciccarello.
“Sustainably, it’s not just about energy conservation. (It’s about) food security, energy issues, how do we live on the planet in a way that we can stay on the planet. We want to find ways to live our lives so we don’t we overuse our resources. That’s what we strive to convey at the festival.”
People “don’t have to become Henry David Thoreau,” she said, referring to the author of “Walden.”
People can make small changes with what they are comfortable with. “Collective small changes, it can make a difference.”
Master gardener Carl Mailer will lead the demonstration on building a raised garden bed, Emma Golden will show how to build a backyard meat poultry pen – a place for people to slaughter their chickens after the chickens stop laying, and Meredith Wecker will help people plant a garden to help bee pollination.
Amherst Tree Warden Alan Snow will demonstrate tree pruning, David Lovler will show how to compost outdoors and the Solarize Amherst Team will demonstrate solar car racing.
Baby goats, draft horses and other animals will visit.
People will also be able recycle pellet fuel bags and large, white chunks of Styrofoam - expanded polystyrene - along with clothing and textiles. Clothing needs to be clean and dry.
The Amherst Farmers market will complement the festival and the Amherst Business Improvement District is putting on a chalk walk through downtown where artists are creating a field of daffodils. The BID will also offer trolley rides downtown, leaving from the yellow hut.
The festival will be held from 10 to 3 p.m. on the common. The chalk walk runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. begins at 9. The farmers market hours are 7:30 to 1:30 p.m.
The Big E's exhibit will include a scale model of the Ford Pavilion and an authentic 1965 Ford Mustang, which made its debuted at the 1964 World’s Fair.
WEST SPRINGFIELD - The 2014 Eastern States Exposition will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the 1964 New York World's Fair complete with a seven-foot-tall model of the famous Unisphere at this year's Big E fair.
The original Unisphere, which still stands in Queens, is a 12-story high, spherical stainless steel representation of the Earth.
Tuesday, April 22, marks the 50th Anniversary of the 1964 Fair’s opening day, the Big E said in a news release.
The Big E’s 50th Anniversary Celebration of The 1964-65 New York World’s Fair exhibit will be located in the Young building. The Big E takes place September 12-28, 2014
To quote the news release:
"Half a century later, the 1964-65 World’s Fair remains the largest of its kind to have taken place in the United States. It is only fitting that The Big E, America’s Premier Exposition, brings the memory of the World’s Fair back to life for visitors of all ages to experience with more than 250 pieces of World’s Fair artifacts and souvenirs."The Big E's exhibit will include a scale model of the Ford Pavilion and an authentic 1965 Ford Mustang, which made its debuted at the 1964 World’s Fair.
Also look for exhibits on eating at the fair the Sinclair Dinoland and new technologies that were displayed for the first time in 1964.
Volunteers helping maintain the makeshift memorial for the 5-year-old Fitchburg boy whose body was found last week are asking people not to leave candles at the tribute.
The request comes after a candle is believed to have started a small fire that burned through a plastic table at the site just Monday morning.
A neighbor tried to douse the flames before the fire department was called.
Judy Reardon says people should not bring candles, even if they remain unlit. She tells The Sentinel & Enterprise (http://bit.ly/1txlHX3 ) she's concerned that the dozens of stuffed animals left at the site will catch fire. A sign reading "No Candles Please" was put up.
Jeremiah Oliver had been missing for months before his body was found last week near Interstate 190 in Sterling.
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Information from: Sentinel & Enterprise (Fitchburg, Mass.), http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com
State nursing union officials say that more nursing positions could be eliminated as the UMass Memorial Health Care system continues to reorganization of services to reduce a significant budget deficit.
State nursing union officials say that more nursing positions are expected to be eliminated by UMass Memorial Health Care system to help reduce a significant budget deficit.
In a news release Tuesday morning, the Massachusetts Nurses Association, which represents the unionized nurses, announced that the health care system will reduce its nursing staff at the HealthAlliance Burbank Hospital in Fitchburg. The hospital will cut up to 30 percent of the registered nursing staff at the Burbank Urgent Care Unit and a 25 percent of nurses at the Simonds-Sinon Regional Cancer Center, according to the release.
The news comes less than one week after the health care network announced widespread staffing reductions at its University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center campuses in Worcester.
According to the nurses association, the plan for the Fitchburg-based facilities calls for the nursing positions eliminated to be filled by certified medical assistants.
"This is a dangerous plan that will degrade the quality of care we nurses have taken great pride in delivering to this community," oncology RN Kerry Beaulac, at the Burbank facility, said in the news release.
"Staffing and service cuts hurt us all," Beaulac added. "In fact, our patients have the most to lose if this plan is allowed to be implemented."
According to an April 11 article in the Fitchburg Sentinel & Enterprise, the HealthAlliance Hospital is grappling with the same financial difficulties as other hospitals throughout the state. A reduction in federal Medicare and Medicaid payments and declining revenue has the hospital in a financially tenuous position.
The UMass Memorial Health Care system, which includes UMass Memorial Medical Center and HealthAlliance, had a $55 million deficit last year. The organization is in the midst of a reorganization, which includes position eliminations and unit closures, in an effort to make up for the loss.
The Earth Dayi event involved volunteers planting trees to replace dead and dying trees in the lower Forest Park neighborhood of Springfield.
SPRINGFIELD — Volunteers including local high school students gathered Tuesday on Wilmont Street in the lower Forest Park neighborhood to plant approximately 25 trees in conjunction with the celebration of Earth Day.
Western Massachusetts Electric Co. and the nonprofit group ReGreen Springfield sponsored the event to replace diseased and dying trees that had to be removed from the street.
Various species of shade trees and ornamental trees were selected for the planting, donated by WMECo.
U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, and City Councilor Kateri Walsh joined city workers and volunteers for the the event.
Sarno said it was a "great partnership" with WMECo and Regreen Springfield.
Wilmont Street is off lower Dickinson Street.
An entrepreneurial center will create over 100 new jobs in the former Telegram and Gazette building care of a $1 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
WORCESTER — An entrepreneurial center estimated to create 100 new jobs in the former Telegram and Gazette building care of a $1 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
"This is an investment for the future ... an investment that is vital for the revitalization of Worcester's downtown business district and critical to growth, diversification and new jobs," said EDA Deputy Assistant Secretary Matt Erskin. "This incubator and accelerator will provide a central location, a locus, a nexus for entrepreneurs and will provide the support for these entrepreneurs as they start businesses."
The $1 million in funds will be matched by $1 million from New Garden Park Inc., which is a subsidiary of the Worcester Business Development Corporation that is redeveloping the building at 20 Franklin St. The funds will establish the Worcester Technologies and Idea Development Exchange (TIDE Center) in 11,000 square feet of the building.
The $2 million in total funding will cover the interior buildout of the TIDE Center on the first and fourth floors, said WBDC President and CEO Craig Blais. The space will be completed with cubicles and desks to provide office space for businesses ranging in size from one desk to businesses with multiple employees.
Major construction on the building is set to be finished on July 1, said Blais, with Quinsigamond Community College opening its doors in the fall. The location will serve 2,000 QCC students and employees.
The TIDE Center will house businesses in the downtown Worcester building for as long as startups need, said Blais. They will then, ideally, move out to a permanent location in the city, he said.
"We're going to be working with all the colleges as a funnel. As they incubate and transfer students that are interested in starting their own business, we will be screening those and providing them with space here," said Blais. "(Then) we'll help them find space in the downtown to ultimately open up and locate and stay here in the city."
The center's first tenant will be Ten24 Digital Solutions that is currently located in Northborough. The center will allow the business to expand to 6,000 square feet and increase the number of employees from 10 to 17. Entrepreneurialism is a key priority for President Barack Obama and his administration, said Erskin.
"Entrepreneurs develop new businesses, bring innovative new technologies to market and create jobs for millions of Americans," he said. "Providing a better environment for entrepreneurs provides a better economy for everyone."
The former Telegram & Gazette was the first built on the block and became an integral part of the build up of downtown, said McGovern, and now will be a vital part of the downtown's revitalization.
"Downtown Worcester grew up around the Telegram building and filled with bustling businesses, booming development, exciting entertainment and life. Downtown Worcester was a destination point," said McGovern. "As it was over 100 years ago, 20 Franklin St. will be a catalyst for growth and rejuvenation right here in downtown Worcester and across our city."
The ongoing project has received $13.7 million in federal tax credits and $2.5 million in H.U.D. funds.
