Aside from a minor leg injury, employees of the private, non-profit organization, emerged unhurt as well, according to CEO Joan Kagan.

Photo by Mark M. Murray / The RepublicanFallon Barnes, a teacher at the Square One day-care center in downtown Springfield works with Kyla Davis 5 , left, and her sister Jazmyn, 4, all of whom were among the students and staff who found themselves in the middle of a tornado last week. They are are seen here Tuesday at the New Beginnings location at 721 State St.

SPRINGFIELD – Although Square One lost its corporate offices and one of its four daycare centers Wednesday afternoon as a tornado blasted through the South End of Springfield, the 50 or so young children who were there emerged without a scratch.

“That was miraculous,” said Joan Kagan, president and chief executive officer of Square One, which has provided early education and child-care support to working families in Western Massachusetts for more than 128 years. “There wasn’t a scratch on a child.”

Aside from a minor leg injury, employees of the private, non-profit organization, emerged unscathed as well, Kagan said.

The miraculous was followed by the serendipitous, as an empty school bus that just happened to be driving in front of Square One when the tornado hit, ferried the children to safety at the MassMutual Center, Kagan said.

The sheer determination of staffers and various members of the community that followed, allowed Square One to resume its services, at various locations throughout the city and county, on Monday.

“Closing was never an option,” said Kimberly A. Lee, vice president for advancement at Square One.

Square One now needs the community, which it has so long served, to help it rise from the wreckage.

“We will rebuild,” said Kagan. “We plan on being here for another 128 years and we are very committed to Springfield, to staying in Springfield and serving children and families in our community.”

Square One serves about 1,200 children in Hampden County every day with early education and child care programs and another 200 families through outreach social programs, Kagan said.

David Geld, a program coordinator, said he was in his office on the third floor of 947 Main when the twister hit.

“I heard sounds,” Geld said. “I turned around and saw the tornado come in through my window. Basically, bricks started falling on my head and hit me on the shoulder and I was just barely able to get out of my office.”

Children, ranging in age from just a few months to 5 years, accompanied by staffers, were on the first floor and heading towards the basement when the tornado hit, Geld said.

Geld said that some of the children were hysterical but the teachers “were very strong,” and reassuring the kids that everything would be OK.”

Geld joined them on the way down to the basement, but the smell of natural gas down there prompted them to evacuate the building.

Kagan, meanwhile sought shelter with 16 others staff members in the basement at 959 Main St.

Kagan said she and the others emerged to a “topsy-turvy” world. The fourth floor at 947 Main St. had been sheared off and fallen bricks and trees were everywhere.”

Kagan said she and staff members ran over to the day-care center next door and led the children to the safety of the basement at 959 Main St..

That’s when the school bus appeared at Hubbard and Main streets. Kagan said the driver, enroute to somewhere else, was just idling there, waiting for some of the debris to be cleared.

“It was serendipitous that it came and it was empty,” she said.

Staffers who went through the trauma of the tornado received a special debriefing session Tuesday with employee assistance personnel and will begin special training next week to help them recognizance and deal with the trauma that their young charges might be dealing with.

“We noticed that a lot of the children were having trouble separating from their parents and parents were having a difficult time separating from their children on Monday morning,” Kagan said.

Children who went through the horrifying experience of the tornadoes may regress a bit, Kagan said, adding that toilet-trained children may start wetting their bed again, finicky eaters may become even more so and others may have difficult sleeping at night.

“The thing is not to get alarmed about it, but to understand it and be reassuring,” Kagan said.

The search is on now, however, for a new permanent home, Kagan said, adding that options include rebuilding at the South End site.

The best way help Square One, Kagan said, is monetary contributions. Losses at the facility include playground equipment, filing cabinets, computers and two of its eight vans, valued at upwards of $30,000 apiece, she said.

Fortunately, Kagan said, Square One has a very good data recovery plan and fiscal and other records remain intact.

Checks may be sent to Square One, 947 Main St., Springfield, 01103. Donations can also be made through PayPal at Square One website.

“As they say, we are starting at square one,” Geld said.

Immigrants from nations such as Iraq, Nepal and Pakistan are sorting out life in a shelter while wondering what happens after the tornado. Watch video

The Republican | Sandra ConstantineWest Springfield residents Mamoona Iqbal and her husband, Mohammad, along with their 3-year-old son Yahya are staying in a shelter the city has established in the 4-H dormitory at the Eastern States Exposition fairgrounds.

WEST SPRINGFIELD –A crying baby, worries about their young daughters living communally, grief over what has happened and fear over what the future holds are just a few of the concerns of the city’s tornado victims being sheltered in the 4-H dormitory on the Eastern States Exposition fairgrounds.

Several of the 91 people now living there spoke about their experiences Tuesday morning as some of them continued to eat their breakfasts in the building’s cafeteria. Tiny, 2-month-old Ahamd Ibrahim, the youngest tornado victim at the shelter, was sleeping quietly in a baby carrier.

However, his mother, 37-year-old Rawaa Khaleel, said the infant cries most of the time since her family was displaced by the June 1 tornado that devastated the city’s Merrick section

She is woken up regularly by her young son, who sleeps at night in her arms.

The Iraqi native said, “I don’t sleep very well because of the baby.”

Nearby, Mamoona Iqbal, 40, was grateful now that the city had consolidated a shelter at West Springfield Middle School and Coburn School into one at the fairgrounds her family has been assigned its own room.

Iqbal had sent her three daughters, ages 20, 17 and 11, to stay with friends out of concern about them living and sleeping among mixed company in a school gymnasium. Since modesty can be restored, Iqbal said she is having the girls stay at the dormitory with the rest of the family.

The Republican | Sandra ConstantineTwelve-year-old Sajjad Ibrahim poses with his mother, Rawaa Khaleel, 37, and his 2-month-old brother, Ahamd Ibrahim, in the 4-H dormitory of the Eastern States Exposition fairgrounds in West Springfield. West Springfield has has put up people left homeless by the tornado in a shelter it is running there.

“In our religion we must be secure in our home. We feel embarrassed to live in groups,” Iqbal said of her Muslim faith.

Iqbal and her family, who are originally from Pakistan, have been sheltered by the city since the tornado destroyed the roof of their home at 17 Sprague St. While in shelters they have braved hot, fanless rooms and have had to give up eating meat as the meals provided by the school system do not use meat that is halal, or slaughtered according to Muslim traditions.

Iqbal described herself as “helpless and homeless.” She is hopeful of applying for a permanent place for her family to live with a local housing authority and is in the midst of learning how to file the necessary paperwork.

“We have no place to go or to put our stuff. I am like blind,” Iqbal said.

She and her 3-year-old son, Yahya Zafar, wake up frequently during the night because they are not used to sleeping in a strange place.

“It is a different place and I don’t know what is going on next,” Iqbal said.

Jinan Alsaffar, 53, a refugee from Bagdad who had been living at 79 George St., voiced similar fears.

“We are nervous. We have lost our homes and our clothes,” Alsaffar said.

In contrast, 19-year-old Damber K. Acharya of 15 East School St. was upbeat. The refugee from Nepal described the shelter as “just like our apartment” and said everyone in her family is sleeping well.

“I like everything except the food. ... We don’t like sugar. In American food they put sugar in everything,” Acharya said.

To deal with that situation, the family has gotten a friend to send them Indian food.

One thing the West Springfield tornado victims should have plenty of is clothes.

So many people have donated garments that the city is no longer accepting them, West Springfield volunteer Carol A. Byrnes said while folding clothes. The clothes were in a storage area to the side of the cafeteria that was filled with other donated items such as diapers and toothbrushes.

Individuals and businesses have been great about donating goods to the victims, Byrnes said.

And one of the biggest local donors to the cause of helping the tornado victims is the Eastern States Exposition itself. The Big E has provided temporary housing for victims in its 4-H dormitory at the request of Mayor Edward J. Gibson.

“We were so fortunate that our facility was not impacted. We wanted to reach out to help people who were a lot less fortunate,” G. Wayne McCary, the exposition’s president, said.

Although the Moses Building in which the dormitory is located has its own kitchen, the city’s public school system prepares and sends meals to the victims.

Jeanne Galloway, the city’s director of public health who is overseeing sheltering tornado victims, said the fairgrounds have barred people who normally use the area for walking and jogging from entering the area out of security concerns.

At the height of the crisis, Galloway said the city was providing overnight accommodations to 170 residents. City officials decided to consolidate the two shelters at the schools into one location after supper Monday because it is easier to staff just one facility. In addition, there were times cots had to be set up in hallways due to overflow from school gymnasiums and cafeterias.

Galloway said keeping people at the two schools was not a good long-term solution to the homelessness problem because students had to take physical education classes outside and eat their lunches in their classrooms.

“The rest of the school year wouldn’t have been a good idea,” Galloway said.

Many of the victims sheltered by the city are immigrants from the Merrick section, the oldest neighborhood in the community. The working class area, which has businesses, industries and many multi-family houses, has long been a home to newcomers.

State police said Melendez hit a guard rail near exit 10 in the northbound lane.

This is an update of a story that was posted at 5:55 a.m. Tuesday

SPRINGFIELD - A 31-year-old Springfield man was critically injured Monday night when he apparently lost control of his motorcycle on Interstate 91 and struck a guard rail, State Police said.

The motorcyclist, identified as Wilfredo Melendez, was in critical condition in the intensive care unit Tuesday night at Baystate Medical Center, according to a hospital spokesman.

State police said Melendez was heading north on I-91 just before 8 p.m. when he hit a guard rail near exit 10 which leads to Main Street in the North End of Springfield.

The crash reduced travel on the highway to one lane for more than 3 1/2 hours as the state police Accident Reconstruction Team invested the scene.

The accident remains under investigation.

Town Meeting last month authorized Amherst Town Manager John P. Musante to enter into the long-term lease for the project.

File photo by Diane Lederman /The RepublicanThis is the site of the proposed solar array. Neighbors have filed suit saying the site is only to be used for recreation.

AMHERST - A group of residents near the town’s capped landfill filed suit Tuesday against town officials charging they violated an agreement with the state that restricts the use of the landfill to active or passive recreation.

The town is in the process of entering into a long-term lease with the Boston-based BlueWave Capital Inc. to bring a solar array to that capped landfill. Neighbors have been critical of the project claiming in the past that it poses health, esthetic and safety issues. The suit is asking the courts to stop the project.

Town Meeting last month authorized Town Manager John P. Musante to enter into the long-term lease for the project. Depending on the cost of energy over time, the project could save the town $25 million during the next 25 to 30 years.

The suit was filed in Hampshire Superior Court in Northampton by lawyer Michael Pill on behalf of 13 residents, all of whom live on either Tanglewood and Summerfield roads, Wildflower Drive and Teaberry Lane roads in the Amherst Wood Community near the capped landfill.

According to the lawsuit, the town was supposed to have filed the deed restriction with the state within six months of signing the agreement “and prior to submitting a request for final payment” in 1989.

The suit charges that the construction and operation of a solar array is not an active or passive use and the defendants “are attempting to take advantage of their own lack of compliance with the Grant agreement by taking the position that use of the landfill is not restricted” because the deed restriction was not filed.

The suit also quotes a letter from Department of Public Works Superintendent Guilford B. Mooring to the state in 2004 stating that town has not grant requirements and that the town is interested in resolving the issues. Tuesday Mooring said they purpose of the letter was “to open the dialogue” with the state to find out “what hadn’t been done and what still needed to be done” as far as the state was concerned.

The suit claims that the site is also home to the grasshopper sparrow, a species deemed rare by the state Division of Fisheries & Wildlife.

The suit is asking the court to order the town to file the deed restriction and to ensure that the site is used only for active or passive recreation. It also asks the court to restrain officials from spending money “or incurring obligations” for the solar project.

The suit names the town, Select Board members, Musante, Town Treasurer Claire McGinnis and Comptroller Sonia Aldrich.

A soccer supporter helped kill the volleyball bill in 2008.

BOSTON – A couple of state legislators from Western Massachusetts are aiming to deliver on a bill to establish volleyball as the state's "official recreational and team sport."

The bill has been spiked in the past by soccer supporters, but legislators said Holyoke is the birthplace of volleyball and the bill would help the Volleyball Hall of Fame in Holyoke.

State Sen. Michael R. Knapik, R-Westfield, who is sponsoring the bill with Rep. Michael F. Kane, D-Holyoke, said volleyball is second only to soccer in worldwide popularity.

Knapik said the bill should be a "slam dunk," in basketball parlance.

The Republican / File photoMassachusetts State Sen. Michael R. Knapik, R-Westfield, is taking aim with a bill to set volleyball as the state's official recreational and team sport.

"Is there anyone who hasn't played volleyball in their life?" Knapik asked the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development, which held a public hearing on the volleyball bill on Monday at the Statehouse.

During his testimony, Knapik placed two new volleyballs on the table in front of him, one for the state House of Representatives and one for the state Senate. In order to help underscore the importance of the bill and the sport, he said he was willing to have sand delivered to the Great Hall of the Statehouse to create a court for a volleyball game between the two branches.

Knapik said the bill would complement a 2006 law that designated basketball as "the official sport" of Massachusetts. Former Gov. and Republican presidential candidate W. Mitt Romney signed that 2006 law with the support of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield and officials with the Boston Celtics.

Overall, there are about 59 state arms and emblems. For example, the late Theodor Geisel, of Springfield, also known as Dr. Seuss, is the "official state children's author and children's illustrator," and Norman Rockwell is "the official artist" of the state.

Knapik said basketball was born in Springfield and volleyball was invented in 1895 by William G. Morgan, a director of the YMCA in Holyoke.

George Mulry, executive director of the Volleyball Hall of Fame in Holyoke.

George R. Mulry, executive director of the Volleyball Hall of Fame, said volleyball occupies "a special place" in Massachusetts because it was invented here. He said he is "absolutely" in support of the bill by Knapik and Kane.

"Anything that brings awareness to the sport in general, but especially in the Northeast, would be key for helping us move forward," Mulry said.

The volleyball bill was defeated in 2008 after a legislator from south of Boston said that soccer also deserves consideration for the state designation. Last year, the bill perished amid a hot state election and a deepening state fiscal crisis.

Knapik said he may team up with students at the Maurice A. Donahue Elementary School in Holyoke to help advance the bill in the fall. He said he is hopeful the students might write letters of support, something they did in 2007.

Brimfield residents voted during Monday's town election not to adopt the state's Community Preservation Act.

The Republican file photo | John SuchockiBrimfield Town Hall has been closed since March because of structural problems.

BRIMFIELD -- For the third time in the past three years voters in Monday's town election rejected local adoption of the state's Community Preservation program, which uses a combination of state and town funds for grants for historic preservation, open space protection, recration and community housing.

The vote against adopting the Community Preservation Act was 235-124.

Opponents of bringing the Community Preservation provisions to Brimfield argued that this is not a time for another tax on property ownes.

Community Preservation projects are funded with money in a state account combined with funds raises through a surtax on local property taxes.

Proponents of local adoption had argued that Community Preservation would be good for Brimfield because the funds could be used for grants to protect parks and other open spaces as well as some of the town's many historic buildings, but opponents said that Brimfield already has plenty of park land within the town limits.

The question came before voters in Monday's town election because supporters had submitted petitions with 164 valid signatures.

A similar attempt to bring the Community Preservation provisions to Brimfield failed when it was defeated at the May 16 annual Town Meeting.

In 2008 local adoption of Community Preservation had support from the Board of Selectmen and the Town Meeting, but it was defeated when placed on the general election ballot that year.

Most town offices up for election this year were uncontested on Monday's ballot but there were contests for town moderator and cemetery commissioner.

For the second time in two years, incumbent Town Moderator Michael Miller held off a challenge for his position from Rev. Ian Lynch.

The vote in Monday's election was 208 for Miller and 143 for Lynch.
Incumbent Cemetery Commissioner Phillips Carpenter was re-elected to his position when he defeated challenger Stephen Phifer by a vote of 178-169.

Ellamae Shoum was re-elected to the Brimfield Housing Authority with four votes.

Shoum was not available during the town nominating process, Town Clerk Pamela E. Beall said, and there were no names on the ballot for her position.

The turnout for Monday's election was 371 voters, which is about 15 percent of the town's registered voters, Beall said.

She said she had been hoping for a better turnout but the 15 percent was better than for some previous Brimfield elections and better than some other towns did this year.

Communications were difficult in Brimfield in the days leading up to the election because electricity, telephone service, cable television and Internet services were disrupted by the tornadoes that swept through town June 1, and more than 100 homes were damaged and dozens were destroyed.

Two Springfield pizza shops competing against each other – Frankie & Johnnie's, now reopened, and Red Rose, reopening Wednesday – were affected by the tornado.

View full sizeFile photos | The RepublicanThese are your 2011 Valley Food Championship Pizza Playoffs judges from The Republican newsroom: left to right, arts and entertainment editor Ray Kelly, sports reporter Pam McCray and photographer Don Treeger.

It's been quite a journey, but the end of the road to the Elite 8 for your eight favorite Valley pizza shops is less than 24 hours away.

Round 3 voting in the 2011 Valley Food Championship Pizza Playoffs ends at 4 p.m. on Wednesday. In Round 3, readers of The Republican, MassLive.com and El Pueblo Latino are voting in eight head-to-head matchups, two in each of our four regions – North, South, East of the River and West of the River.

After Round 3 ends, our readers will have voted their original field of 117 nominees down to eight quarterfinalists. From there, our judges will take over.

One Round 3 matchup features two pizza shops that were in the direct path of the Springfield tornado – Red Rose Pizzeria on Main Street in the South End and Frankie & Johnnie's Pizza on Island Pond Road in East Forest Park.

Frankie & Johnnie's fortunately suffered no damage and reopened late Saturday afternoon after regaining power and gas. Red Rose will reopen on Wednesday, one week after the tornado hit. The restaurant has replaced glass and heating and air conditioning units damaged by the tornado.

Show your support for these two venerable fixtures of the city's dining scene by casting votes before the deadline.

Meanwhile, our judges – arts and entertainment editor Ray Kelly, sports reporter Pam McCray and photographer Don Treeger – anxiously await your Elite 8 verdicts. Where will you send them to taste-test pies over the next seven weeks?

Ray, Pam and Don and our entire MassLive.com community will learn the results not long after the voting ends at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.

Cast your ballot before it's too late!

Links to Round 3 polls:

North | South | East of the River | West of the River

The $16 million project at the former Atlas Copco factory could be open by late 2012.

This updates a story posted at 8:34 p.m.

HOLYOKE – The City Council Tuesday unanimously approved a zone change that will allow for a project anchored by a Big Y supermarket and 250 jobs at Lower Westfield Road and Homestead Avenue.

The $16 million project would occupy the former Atlas Copco factory.

The 14-0 vote of the council at City Hall changes the property zone from the current Industrial Park to General Industry, which would permit a supermarket.

The project that will also have two or three other retail stores is set to open in late 2012 or early 2013, officials said.

O’Connell Development, of Holyoke, owns the site and is working on the project with the D’Amour family, which founded Big Y in 1936.

Big Y would provide 150 to 175 jobs, with 38 to 44 of them full-time. Other retail stores yet to be chosen would yield another 100 jobs, officials said.

Frank J. Horacek, vice president of real estate and development with Big Y, and Francesca Maltese, development manager for O’Connell Development Group, said they were happy the council vote was unanimous.

Aside from concerns raised at a public hearing last month about traffic and noise, the project drew little opposition.

“It’s a community based project that serves the neighborhood and gives people the services they want,” Horacek said.

Councilors discussed the project only briefly before voting. Ordinance Committee Chairman Diosdado Lopez said his committee recommended the full City Council grant the zone change, as did the Planning Board, with no dissenters.

The project would net the city $520,000 to $590,000 a year in property taxes, up from the $100,000 the site now generates, Maltese said at the May 24 hearing.

Councilor at Large Patricia C. Devine checked herself out of knee-replacement rehabilitation to attend the meeting and vote in favor of the zone change.

Under the program, people must first purchase an energy-efficient refrigerator or air conditioner and then apply for a rebate by mail.

The Republican photo by Mark M. MurrayKris OConnor,left salesman at Mannys, Appliance store on Boston Road, goes over paperwork with Omer J. Picard Jr., of Ludlow, right one of the lucky people to get thru to the state web site and get his rebate last year.

BOSTON -- Seeking to avoid problems that undermined last year's appliance rebate program, the administration of Gov. Deval L. Patrick on Tuesday unveiled a new, slimmed-down rebate program for energy-saving refrigerators and air conditioners this summer.

Last year, many consumers couldn't log on to an Internet site to reserve a rebate for an appliance when a high volume of applicants swamped the site and it failed. Rebates were gone in two hours.

The state's energy commissioner said some key lessons were learned from last year's program.

"We put a lot of thought and spent the time necessary to design a program that will provide a good experience for the consumer but will also address some of the concerns raised in the last rebate program," said Mark D. Sylvia, commissioner of the state Department of Energy Resources.

This year's program will be limited to refrigerators and air conditioners, Sylvia said. The program is also different because people must first purchase an appliance before obtaining a rebate, he said. After making the purchase, people need to fill out an application, mail it to the vendor and then receive a rebate check from the vendor.

Last year, people were told to go to the Internet site to reserve rebates for dishwashers, refrigerators, clothes washers and freezers. After reserving the rebate, people could buy the item. That created a rush to the Internet site to secure a rebate, Sylvia said. Some people also received rebates last year and then didn't complete the purchase, he said.

The state also hired a new, experienced company to administer the program, Sylvia said. The president of last year's web provider, PixelMEDIA of Portsmouth, N.H., apologized after the Internet problems frustrated many consumers.

The new program will launch on July 28 and will be open to Massachusetts households. Customers who purchase a new energy-saving refrigerator or room air conditioner to replace an inefficient model, may qualify for rebates of $150 and $50, respectively. Customers can purchase both items if they want.

The program is expected to pay for approximately 20,000 rebates worth $2 million and is estimated to save around 1.8 million kilowatt hours in a year, enough to power 250 homes for a year.

Last year's rebates totaled about 26,000 initially and were valued at $5.5 million.

When the system failed last year, state officials agreed to finance an additional 12,731 rebate reservations placed on a waiting list.

Before purchasing a refrigerator or air conditioner in this year's program, customers will be able to check how much rebate money is available by going online to the program's web site or calling a customer service center. At the Internet site, or with a phone call, people can track the status of funding and their own rebate applications.

At their stores, retailers can also provide customers with real-time status of funding. The state will provide a web address and a phone number for the service center a couple of weeks before the July 28 launch. A list of participating retailers will also be available on the web site and through the call center.

After taking bids, the state selected Minnesota-based Helgeson Enterprises, Inc. to administer the rebate program. Helgeson Enterprises has managed stimulus-financed appliance rebate programs in 14 other states, including Colorado, Georgia and Rhode Island, and has a robust national rebate fulfillment business.

Based on Helgeson’s experience with similarly designed programs in other states, rebate funds are estimated to be available for a couple of weeks after the program launches.

The program will be financed with proceeds from the auction of carbon allowances under a regional initiative aimed at reducing greenhouse gases. It will also be financed with federal stimulus dollars and money to promote energy efficiency from a cap and trade program established to reduce ozone pollution.

Police say Christine Lajewski posed as a tornado victim; her court-appointed lawyer said she was taking donated items to give to a friend from Monson.

The Republican | Lori StabileChristine Lajewski, 47, of Ware, at her arraignment in Palmer District Court Tuesday. She was charged by Monson police with larceny and fraud for allegedly posing as a tornado victim and taking donated items from the First Church of Monson.

PALMER - A Ware woman denied in court that she stole donated items from the First Church of Monson that were supposed to be for tornado victims.

Christine Lajewski, of 4 East St., Apt. 1, was charged by Monson police, who were assisted by Ware police in the ongoing investigation. She denied charges of larceny over $250 under false pretenses and fraud at her arraignment in Palmer District Court on Tuesday before Judge Patricia T. Poehler.

Monson police said Lajewski, 47, told volunteers at the High Street church on Sunday that she lived on Main Street and that the June 1 tornado destroyed her home and car.

But Lajewski's court-appointed lawyer for bail, Holly Battige, said that Lajewski told her that she was there to volunteer, and to collect items for a friend's sister from Monson.

Before the arraignment, Monson Detective Kristen Marciniec said that after Lajewski told her story, the volunteers immediately started helping her, and loaded her car with $700 to $800 worth of items – baby formula and clothes, a $200 freezer, food, paper products, toys, stuffed animals and a gazebo tent.

"She took several trips, in her own vehicle," Marciniec said.

Marciniec said that some of the items Lajewski kept for herself, while others were given to friends.

Poehler released Lajewski on her own recognizance, but told her to abide by her conditions of release, which include staying out of Monson, remaining drug free and not committing a crime.

Lajewski, who held her face in her hands throughout most of the arraignment, will return to court July 12 for a pretrial conference.

Prosecutor Mary Partyka requested bail of $5,000, citing Lajewski's past record, which included a failure to appear on a 2005 possession of drug paraphernalia charge in Florida.

Battige described Lajewski's record as "minor."

Battige said Lajewski was gathering the items for a friend's sister who had lost everything in the tornado. Battige also said that Lajewski went to the church to volunteer but was told that they had enough volunteers that day.

Partyka said a friend of Lajewski's contacted authorities after she was told what Lajewski allegedly did in Monson. Partyka said Lajewski had "bragged" about what she had done, and the friend was "disgusted."

When a volunteer went to Lajewski's apartment to drop off the freezer, the volunteer saw people from the neighborhood taking the donated items from Lajewski's vehicle, Partyka said. Inside her apartment, "many of the items were already opened and being consumed," Partyka said.

Livchin, 23, who perished in Wednesday's tornado on West Springfield's Main Street, was a merry prankster.

The Republican | Don TreegerA photo of Sergey Livchin was placed at a memorial for him on Main Street in West Springfield, where he died during the June 1 tornado.

WEST SPRINGFIELD – The weekend before he died in Wednesday’s tornado, Sergey Livchin cracked his family up by starting a water balloon fight during a cousin’s surprise birthday party.

“He was always fun. He had a smile on his face all day,” his sister Irina Livchina recalled during an interview Monday in the living room of their family home at 15 Labelle St.

She and her mother, Yelena, spoke lovingly of the 23-year-old man who lost his life on Main Street on Wednesday when a tree came crashing down on him in his car.

Sergey, the oldest of the family’s nine children, was a person you could always have some fun with, his 20-year-old sister Irina said. The always-laughing Sergey was kind and helpful and had recently turned “softer, more caring,” his sister said. The tall young man with close-cropped dark hair and the hint of a mustache did not have a girlfriend, but had many friends, she said.

Sergey came to this country 16 years ago from Kyrgyzstan with his family, whose ethnicity is Russian. He attended West Springfield High School, but dropped out his junior year.

“He decided he would rather just go to work,” Irina said.

The Republican | Don TreegerVladimir Livchin stands at the roadside memorial to his son, Sergey, who was killed in the June 1 tornado at Main and Hill streets.

Until about a month or two ago, Sergey worked as an adjuster fixing machinery at National Envelope Corp. in Westfield, where his father, Vladimir, is also an adjuster.

Recently, Sergey had expressed interest in getting his GED and maybe going to college or getting training in repairing heating and air conditioning systems.

“He was interested in many things. He was good at many things ... cars ... always fixing things,” Irina said.

The family did not know why Sergey was on Main Street when he died, but believes he was heading home from the direction in which his car was pointed. Sergey, who was alone, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The reality of Sergey’s death did not sink in for family members until they saw his destroyed car, Irina said.

This past weekend, the family was to have gone jet skiing. “We had a lot of plans for the summer,” Irina said.

The loss has been toughest on her mother.

“It is still very unbelievable that he is gone,” Yelena Livchina said in Russian with Irina translating into English. “When I go to his room I start crying. It feels like he is going to walk through the door and come home. ... My relationship with God is helping me through this.”

Class valedictorian Jillisia James told her fellow graduates to "feel wonderful."

The Republican | Dave RobackThe Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical High School held its 101st commencement at Springfield Symphony Hall on Tuesday. Here from left are class valedictorian Jillisia James, class salutatorian Regan Kilcoyne and class president Molly Hassett.

SPRINGFIELD – Jillisia James, class valedictorian, told her fellow graduates of the Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical High School Class of 2011 on Tuesday that “confidence and faith” are keys to surviving in today’s world.

She knows personally that hard work and the support of family and teachers also goes a long ways toward success. After coming to the United States from Jamaica as a 7-year-old, she struggled in school, never imagining that she would someday be valedictorian.

But the more her parents encouraged her, the more her education improved, James said.

“Feel wonderful about ourselves,” she said, in remarks before a packed graduation ceremony conducted at Symphony Hall. “We did it.”

Other speakers, including Class President Molly Hassett and Class Salutatorian Regan Kilcoyne, congratulated their classmates and pointed to the efforts of family and faculty in helping students achieve.

“You can do anything,” Principal Gil Traverso told the graduates. “You are tomorrow’s leaders and we are depending on you.”

The graduation ceremony opened with a moment of silence for the victims of last Wednesday’s tornadoes.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno also urged the students to be leaders.

“This is only the beginning,” Sarno said. “Go out and make yourselves and your families and Springfield proud.”

Hassett thanked individual teachers who inspired her at Putnam, thanking one for “teaching me patience,” and another one for “putting up with us when we were whining.”

Without that guidance, “we would not be nearly as successful,” she said.

Kilcoyne said the class “has grown together.”

“The odds have always been against us,” she said, citing crime and poverty and other struggles. The graduates showed perseverance, diligence and dedication, she said.

School Committee member Norman Roldan, a 1984 graduate of Putnam, told students to “never, never give up.”

“The only person who can stop you is you,” Roldan said.

There were 290 graduates in the Class of 2011; 162 of those will attend college in the fall.

In Monson, 51 homes were total losses; in Brimfield, 39 are officially uninhabitable.

Officials say cleanup efforts are continuing in Monson and Brimfield, with progress being made each day, after devastating tornadoes whipped through the eastern Hampden County towns, destroying and severely damaging homes and businesses in its way.

Monson Town Administrator Gretchen E. Neggers said there were a total of 51 homes that were "total losses," and another 67 with damage so significant that use is now restricted. A total of 224 homes in the tornado's path were inspected.

The tornado, which struck June 1, ripped the roof off the Town Office Building, rendering it unusable.

Town offices are in the process of moving to the old Hillside School, and Neggers hopes that town government will be ready to operate there on Monday. The Building Department has already relocated to Hillside, which is on Thompson Street. Recovery efforts have been affected because town government itself was a tornado victim, she said.

"This has been very traumatic for the community. We're going to be there for them. We're not going to let them down," Neggers said."We are doing the best we can."

She said that Verizon and Comcast crews have been working on restoring phone and cable service. All roads are open.

Said Highway Surveyor John R. Morrell, "We're getting better every day."

In Brimfield, roughly 10 percent of the homes in town were significantly damaged in the June 1 tornadoes, so the Building Department is waiving the fees for demolition and temporary housing to help residents cope with the crisis.

Building Commissioner Harold P. Leaming, who does the same job for Monson, said it is still important for people who plan to demolish a home or put up temporary housing at their property to seek a permit from his department.

"We will work with people as much as we can,'' Leaming said.

Temporary mobile homes may be hooked up to existing water and sewer service but only after inspections are conducted and permits approved to make sure they are safe.

For those residents who need a new electrical service, the town is working with students and teachers from Tantasqua Regional High School who are building and wiring new services as a community service project.

Brimfield's electrical inspector, Scott Mansfield, will oversee and inspect each residential service. They are being built behind Town Hall not at the residential properties.

Residents interested in obtaining one of these should call Mansfield at (413) 245-4100, extension 108.

Leaming said Tuesday he and his staff have marked 142 homes in Brimfield as needing significant repairs and the numbers could go higher as the inspectors continue to get down roads that were impassable the first few days after the storm.

Of those marked, Leaming said 89 have green tags indicating they are safe to be in, but need some repairs, and 18, which have yellow tags, where the access for now is limited. In some of these a porch or a second floor will be off limits until repairs are made, he said.

There are also 39 homes marked with red tags which are officially uninhabitable.

Some of these homes were blown off the foundations or were structurally damaged to the point where they will have to be demolished, but Leaming said some of the uninhabitable homes can be rebuilt without demolition.

Electrical power was restored to most Brimfield homes by the beginning of this week and crews are working on restoring power to the remaining few.

Leaming said that in addition to having roughly 10 percent of the homes in this small town damaged by the tornadoes, the town roads have been taking a beating because of all the heavy repair trucks working every day.

Because of the potential for insurance reimbursement or state or federal financial aid, Leaming is advising residents to keep all receipts for supplies, fuel, outside meals and temporary housing.

The state Division of Insurance has set up a hotline, (617) 521-7777 to deal with people who have insurance issues related to the storm and has posted related information on its website, www.mass.gov.

Leaming said the Brimfield Building Department, had always functioned as a part-time department but now had additional staff and is operating almost at a full-time basis for this crisis.

Residents with building questions may call his department at (413) 245-4100, extension 5.

Staff writer Lori Stabile contributed to this report.

The USS Carl Vinson's deployment became historic when the aircraft carrier picked up a team of Navy SEALs carrying the body of Osama bin Laden and buried the terror leader at sea.

Associated PressRear Adm. Samuel Perez, commander of the carrier strike group that includes the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, talks to reporters in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on Tuesday, June 7, 2011. The USS Carl Vinson was in the North Arabian Sea last month when it received a Navy SEAL team carrying the body of the mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy)

By JAYMES SONG

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii — More than 100 supporters greeted the USS Carl Vinson as it returned from a deployment that became historic last month when the aircraft carrier picked up a team of Navy SEALs carrying the body of Osama bin Laden and buried the terror leader at sea.

The ship arrived in Hawaii on Tuesday, making its first stop on U.S. soil since its six-month deployment to waters in and around the Middle East and the Western Pacific. The Vinson is making a three-day stop in Pearl Harbor before heading home to San Diego — where it is expected to be met with a much larger greeting.

There had not been much fanfare preceding the ship's arrival. The media was alerted only a day before the Vinson pulled into port. And Navy officials advised reporters that senior officers wouldn't talk much about bin Laden or disclose new details of the burial.

"Our crew has taken it with the solemnity that was required and they conducted that mission in a manner that I think brings pride and credit to the United States," said Rear Adm. Samuel Perez, who commands the Navy team of ships and aircraft that the Vinson leads.

The Vinson was in the North Arabian Sea in early May when it received a Navy SEAL team carrying the body of the mastermind of the Sept. 11 terror attacks.

Pentagon officials speaking about the burial have said that bin Laden's body was placed in a weighted bag on the carrier and that an officer made religious remarks before the remains were put on a board and tipped into the sea.

Perez said the burial symbolized different things for each sailor.

"For some, it's just another mission. For others that had more personal ties to Sept. 11, I think it had a deeper meaning," he said. "That's just something that each of us has to wrap our arms around individually."

Perez said he was at the Pentagon when it was attacked, making this deployment an interesting bookend to his career.

"It's a privilege they chose us for that mission," he said. "It's just something special. I will remember it for a long time."

Most sailors were reluctant to talk about the ship's connection to the world's most wanted terrorist. But others expressed appreciation for the role their deployment played in U.S. history.

"I can honestly say I'm proud of that. I am proud of that," said Chief Petty Officer Michael Norman, of Chicago, who was on his last deployment and is retiring next year after 20 years in the Navy.

Under a light drizzle, the sailors were warmly greeted by friends and family with applause, colorful leis, hugs and tears as they disembarked from the ship.

"It's a big relief they're home. We get to see them. We actually get to hold them and make sure that they're all right. We get to physically see that they're OK," said Judy Crow, who was anxiously awaiting her husband Petty Officer 1st Class Vincent Crow, of Cleburne, Texas.

Several Navy wives including Crow said they were so proud of their husbands, but the bin Laden burial also had them shaken, fearing the ship would be a possible target for terrorists.

"When I first heard about it, I was pretty scared because terrorists are known for retaliation," she said. "A lot of families were worried."

The massive carrier, almost 11 football fields long with a flight deck spanning 4.5 acres, and its 5,500 sailors, pilots and crew were returning home from their deployment to the Middle East and Asia that began Nov. 30. It also conducted exercises with South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Britain, France and Australia in addition to responding to two piracy attempts on civilian vessels.

The carrier hosted numerous visitors from Philippines President Philippines Benigno Aquino III to the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers.

The ship is expected to leave Pearl Harbor on Friday. It typically takes three days to sail to San Diego from Hawaii, but the Navy hasn't disclosed details of the arrival.

There is expected to be a larger greeting when it returns to its home port in San Diego.

The USS Carl Vinson is named after the Georgia congressman who died in 1981.

Damage claim totals so far are for just residential properties. When automobile and business claims are added, the total damage cost is expected to soar.

SPRINGFIELD - The initial batch of insurance claims filed so far resulting from last week’s tornadoes cover 5,000 homes and tally about $90 million, but both of those numbers are expected to grow, officials said.

Barbara T. Anthony, state undersecretary of housing and economic development, that damage claims will only increase over the next few weeks and months as more damage is uncovered and more claims are filed.

Also the numbers so far do not include any claims or damage estimates for automobiles or commercial properties, she said.

As Hampden County communities continue to regroup from the June 1 tornadoes and begin addressing the vast amount of damage that needs addressing, communities are beginning to get a better understanding of the scope of the damage.

In Springfield, more than 40 buildings have been demolished and another 200 residential and business buildings have been marked condemned as of Tuesday morning, said Mayor Domenic J. Sarno.

Among the damaged buildings were 36 Springfield Housing Authority apartments.

Tina Brooks, state undersecretary of housing and community development, said the authority has set a priority of helping those affected to find new apartments by providing security deposits and a first month’s and last month’s rent.

Brooks, visiting Springfield on Tuesday, said, “If all their money is tied up in the last apartment, how can they get another security deposit?”

In Brimfield, roughly 10 percent of homes sustained at least significant damage, according to Building Commissioner Harold P. Leaming. He said that so far 39 homes were considered uninhabitable and 18 had limited access to do the amount of damage. Another 89 were damaged although not as severely, he said.

Those numbers could go higher as inspections continue, he said.

In Monson, 51 homes were destroyed and another 67 considered heavily damaged, according to officials.

In Wilbraham, building inspector Lance Trevallion said he found 13 of the 234 homes he inspected to be considered unsafe for habitation. Areas most affected appear to be along Tinkham Road, Glendale Road, Beebe Road, Brookside Circle and Evangeline Drive.

Westfield Emergency Management Director Jimmy D. Wiggs said he found 257 homes that were damaged to varying degrees in the tornado. He said he found that three sustained extensive damage, including one on Shaker Road that had a piece of tree through its roof.

Most houses received broken window or damaged roofs. The Munger Hill School on Mallard Lane also lost a 20-foot section of roof.

Anthony encouraged anyone having problems with an insurer to fall the Division of Insurance hotline at (617) 521-7777 or visit one of the tornado assistance centers in Springfield, Palmer and Southbridge.

In comparison, tornado damage sustained by southern states on April 22-28 caused loses of between $3.7 billion to $5.5 billion, according to AIR Worldwide of Boston.

The midwestern tornadoes from May 20 to 27, including the killer storm that devastated Joplin, Mo., totaled between $4 billion and $7 billion.

AIR’s estimates for the Springfield storm will not be available for weeks, said spokesman Kevin Long.

Sarno said it is up to individual property owners and their insurance companies to determine whether condemned buildings can or should be repaired economically or will have to be torn down.

Sarno said he’s hoping that funding for the preservation of historic buildings can be used to save the South End Community Center, which was badly damaged by high winds. The building was once the Howard Street Armory.

Damage in the Maple-Hill Historic District presents a problem for the city Historical Commission. Chairman Ralph Slate is asking those who live in the area to inform the commission of repairs taking place.

State law allows for the repair or reconstruction of a building damaged by natural disaster without the need to wait for and appear at a Historical Commission meeting. The homeowner simply needs to inform the commission of what repairs are taking place, he said.

View full sizeMap illustration by Bob RichThe path of the tornado through Springfield.

Permanent demolition within the district does not fall within this exception.

The commission can also write a letter to a homeowner’s insurance company to let the firm know that the property is within a historic district, and what the district guidelines require.

The commission, in partnership with the Springfield Preservation Trust, is in contact with the Massachusetts Historical Commission and Preservation to investigate the possibility of programs designed specifically to help repair historic houses after a disaster.

For any questions, contact the commission through the Springfield Office of Planning and Economic Development at (413) 787-6020.

Federal Emergency Management Agency has staff in the region collecting data that could result in a federal disaster declaration.

A disaster declaration could result in enhanced unemployment benefits for those who are out of work due to storm damage. The state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development is also asking those who are unemployed or who are self-employed who either lived, worked or were scheduled to work in a storm-damaged area to call 1-877-626-6800, or 617-626-6800.

Anthony, speaking at a City Hall news conference, said homeowners should be wary of hiring out-of-state contractors who are not registered or licensed to work in Massachusetts.

People can check registrations at www.mass.gov/consumer or by calling (888) 283-3757 for contractors. For electricians and plumbers, go to www.mass.gov/dpl or (617) 727-1794.

She also told homeowners to always have their contractor pull the permit. Never sign for a permit yourself.

That will allow consumers to seek reimbursement from the state guarantee fund if the work is not done satisfactorily. But the state’s arbitration process and guarantee fund is only open to consumers who use state-registered and state-licensed contractors. That state arbitration process is not a viable option if the homeowners sign for permits themselves.

“If you go with an out-of-state or fly-by-night contractor we cannot help you,” Anthony said.

She said consumers have three days to change their minds after signing a home improvement contract and shouldn’t knuckle under to high-pressure tactics. Also, no contractor can ask for a down payment larger than one-third of the total cost unless special-order materials are needed.

There have not been a large number of consumer complaints related to contractors or insurers yet, Anthony said. But she expects calls to increase in as the recovery process continues.

The cleanup from the storm continues throughout the region, as workers removed downed limbs, restored downed lines, and began making repairs to damaged homes.

While workers continued clearing debris from Springfield’s South End neighborhood, one of the neighborhood’s landmark restaurants announced plans to reopen this morning after being closed for a week.

Rita Caputo-Capua, manager of Red Rose Pizzeria, said it will reopen for business with its pre-tornado business hours of 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. .

The reopening comes as the city has been clearing businesses in the heavily hit area to reopen after damaged buildings were stabilized and nearby streets were cleared.

Photo by Dave RobackPhoto of storm damage to the front door of Red Rose on Main Street in Springfield's South End.

Caputo-Capua said Red Rose has replaced broken windows and repaired a damaged heating and air conditioning units.

“I would like to thank our customers for their concern and their phone calls with offers to help us,” she said.

She also thanked Sarno for providing a strong security presence in the aftermath of the storm. “The Springfield Police did a fantastic job,” she said.

Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, will give a tour of damaged South end areas Wednesday morning to Barbara Fields, the New England Regional Administrator for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Fields, as one of 10 regional administrators in the United States, serves a as a go-between between members of Congress and municipal leaders, business and non-profit leaders and residents.

Neal said that as the recovery continues in Springfield and the surrounding communities continues, HUD will play a critical role addressing housing rehabilitation and community development needs.

Also today, Gov. Deval L. Patrick returns to Springfield. This time, the governor is expected to take part in a 6 p.m. interfaith prayer service at Christ Church Cathedral, 35 Chestnut St. The service is sponsored by the Council of Churches of Greater Springfield.

Also at 6 p.m., at the Milton Bradley School, 22 Mulberry St., Sarno, Ward 3 City Councilor Melvin Edwards and Springfield state representative Cheryl Coakley-Rivera are hosting an information session for owners of storm-damaged property.

The session for residential property owners will be from 6 to 7 p.m., while the session for business owners will be from 7to 8 p.m.

Springfield Department of Public Works is reminding residents with municipal trash collection to place tree limbs and small movable construction debris curbside for eventual pickup.

Residents can haul any branches, limbs and yard waste to Bondi’s Island Landfill for free. The landfill is open weekdays from 7:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., and on Saturday from 7:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

City residents with large building materials can bring it to the McNamara transfer station on Rose Street in East Springfield, where it may be disposed of for a fee.

The City will continue to pickup small movable construction debris from the curbside.

Also, the city is delivering plywood to neighborhoods with damage. It can be used to seal broken windows or patch holes in the roof. People needing plywood delivered can contact the city’s call center at 3-1-1 or (413) 736-3111.

In Westfield, Wiggs said that so far the volume of downed trees and limbs that have been removed so far totaled more than 80,000 cubic yards of wood chips.

Meanwhile, two city residents were arrested and charged with breaking into and stealing items from a storm-damaged house in Six Corners that had been boarded up.

Luis Miguel Madera-Serrano, 18, of 700 State St., and co-defendant Geraldo Gonzalez are charged with breaking and entering in the nighttime with intent to commit a felony and with larceny.

Madera-Serrano pleaded innocent Tuesday in District Court and was released on his own recognizance. Details on Gonzalez’ case were not immediately available.

The owner of the house said Tuesday that she and her family have been victimized twice, once by the tornado and then by looters.

The woman, who asked that her name not be disclosed, said “I’m just really terrified.”
She said her fiancee, herself and the three children in the family, ages one, eight and 10, had just moved into the single-family home that the couple recently purchased.

They hid in the basement during the tornado, but had to leave the house afterward because emergency workers said there was a gas leak.

They were staying at a temporary shelter when police on Friday contacted them to say they had recovered items they thought belonged to her.

Police traced the items back to them by a piece of paper with the woman’s name and telephone number on it. The paper was recovered from inside one of her children’s backpacks, which the thieves used to carry items from her home, according to police. Items taken included computer components and her children’s sneakers.

“When my 8-year-old was able to grab his sneakers and put them on, to see him light up, I couldn’t believe that after everything we had gone through he could be happy,” she said.

Republican reporters Jim Kinney, Peter Goonan, Suzanne McLaughlin, John Appleton, Lori Stabile, and Ted Labord contributed to this story.

Valley CDC executive director Joanne Campbell said she was unsure how long the new hearing would delay the project because it would depend on what, if any, modifications have to be made. Watch video

View full sizeA southerly aerial view of Parsons Village from the Valley CDC's special permit application, filed December 28, 2010.

EASTHAMPTON - The planning board Tuesday re-opened the public hearing for the proposed Parsons Village affordable housing development, allowing the public to offer more input and giving the developer time to modify the design if needed.

At a special permit hearing May 10, attorney Mark Beglane, retained by abutters who oppose the project, said the design presented by Northampton-based Valley Community Development Corp. violates the zoning ordinance. The board closed the public hearing and said they would ask city solicitor John H. Fitz-Gibbon to respond.

As it turns out, the board’s major question for Fitz-Gibbon became whether or not the public hearing could be re-opened. He said it could and that his opinion on Beglane’s report can be ready next week.

Beglane said he is not pleased with the decision.

“All of a sudden they find out they’ve got real problems with the proposal and they’re going to let them amend the proposal so they can address the problems that they created and didn’t address,” said Beglane. “Last time, (the board was) frustrated. They said, ‘We have all the evidence we need.’”

Indeed, chair Ann Parizo chastised a member of the public at that meeting for trying to speak after she had announced Beglane would be the only one heard.

“Now they’re giving (Valley CDC) a second or third bite at the apple. How many bites do you get?” Beglane said.

A lawyer for Valley CDC has written a response to Beglane’s findings, but executive director Joanne Campbell said she will not discuss it with The Republican. Attorney Edward Etheredge has said, however, that some sections of the ordinance are open to interpretation.

A vote must take place within 90 days of closing the public hearing or the permit is automatically granted. Valley CDC has agreed to let the board restart the clock after the next hearing closes.

“If we had said no, they could have just voted it down tonight,” said Campbell. “But it certainly delays the whole process.”

The CDC is applying for state funding in December. Campbell wants to have the special permit in hand by August, she said. She was unsure how long the new hearing would delay the project because it would depend on what, if any, modifications have to be made.

Mary Westervelt lives in the New City neighborhood where the project would sit. An outspoken opponent, she said she is glad residents will have more time to speak.

“I find it heartening and it means the process is working,” she said. “There are a lot of things (Valley CDC) can’t change ... but if they can change small things and make it a better site, a better project for the residents, then that’s a step in the right direction.”

The next hearing is scheduled for July 19, at 6 p.m. at the Municipal Building at 50 Payson Ave.

This map shows the location of the Municipal Building.

View Larger Map

Background on the Months-Long Parsons Village Debate

Valley CDC applied for the special permit in December to develop a 4.3-acre lot at 69 Parsons St. Five buildings are planned with a total of 38 one- to three-bedroom apartments, a community building and a playground.

David Boyle of Autumn Properties has agreed to sell the property to the CDC if all permits are approved. The project's total price tag is expected to be about $10 million.

The community preservation act committee has promised $200,000 in funding and Campbell said the CDC will seek $300,000 more.

Mayor Michael Tautznik and planning board member Edwin Quinn support the project. Quinn was replaced for the Parsons Village proceedings because he volunteers for the CDC through the Commonwealth Corps. Jason Duda has taken his place.

Many residents have spoken in favor of Parsons Village, citing the city's lengthy affordable housing waiting lists as a major concern. As of last month, the Easthampton Housing Authority had 179 applicants waiting and no vacancies.

A major point of contention among the New City Neighborhood Association is what they say is the project's high density.

An elderly housing project at the same location was approved with a similar density, but never came to fruition.

Abutters are also concerned that the plans show the buildings so close to their own homes.

View full sizeAn aerial view of the lot at 69 Parsons St. taken from Valley CDC's special permit application.

City councilors Justin P. Cobb, Daniel C. Hagan and Donald L. Cykowski have also voiced opposition. Cobb is the councilor for New City and said, like many others, that he would like to see owner-occupied units there, which the Community Development Strategy calls for.

Opponents have often said the project violates the city's Master Plan on several points, such as the fact it is situated away from commercial districts and transportation hubs. Boyle, who chaired the Master Plan committee, said they are wrong.

Many residents want a guarantee that mostly Easthampton residents will occupy the units. The state makes the rules for occupancy preferences, but Campbell has said she also supports a high percentage.

At 21, newly elected Michael Clark will become the youngest member to serve on the School Committee.

LONGMEADOW – Michael R. Clark is now the youngest member ever to serve on the School Committee after earning a three-year seat on the board during the annual Town Election held Tuesday.

The 21-year-old University of Massachusetts student ran unopposed and received 366 votes.

Michael Clark

“I am very surprised. I think it’s the result of having been out there and being very visible,” Clark said. “ I treated this campaign like it was a very highly contested race and I had to make it known that I wanted this whether or not I had competition.”

Town Clerk Katherine T. Ingram said the voter turnout was especially low. Only 535 residents cast votes, about 4.5 percent of the town’s 11,988 registered voters.

Ingram said she will be looking into whether this is the lowest voter turnout the town has ever had.

Marie Angelides ran unopposed for an open seat on the Select Board. She received 404 votes.

“I’m excited to take on the challenge of working with the other board members,” she said.

Angelides ran unsuccessfully for state representative in the 2nd Hampden District last year. Asked if she will run for a legislative seat in 2012 Angelides said she would rather focus on her community for now.

“ Right now my eyes are on the Select Board. There’s a lot of work to do and I’m very excited about it. I’m looking forward to working with my community,” she said.

School Committee incumbents John J. Fitzgerald and Gwen M. Bruns kept their three-year seats on the committee with 343 and 341 votes respectively.

Newcomer Laurie Flynn, who ran unopposed for a one-year seat on the School Committee, received 370 votes.

One question on the ballot asked residents to approve a Proposition 2½ override of $534,000 to repair drainage systems and erosion off Ely Way and Englewood Road. The question passed with 267 in favor and 234 opposed.

In other uncontested races, Walter Gunn retained a five-year seat on the Planning Board, incumbent Roy Johansen earned a three-year seat on the Planning Board and Stephen Metz, a member of the Capital Planning Committee, earned a five-year seat on the Housing Authority.

Principal Daniel Rossi: "I love them. They are fighters, they persevere, and they have a healthy combination of common sense, heart and a sense of direction."

SPRINGFIELD – New Leadership Charter School in Springfield handed out diplomas to 37 graduates in a commencement ceremony Sunday at the Karen Sprague Cultural Center of American International College.

“We need to get right back into normalcy,” New Leadership principal Daniel Rossi said of his decision not to postpone graduation in the wake of a tornado’s destruction in Springfield.

Valedictorian of the class of 2011 was Quimeena Thomas, and salutatorian was Kristina Torres.

Guest speaker was Henry Thomas, president of the Urban League of Springfield. “He was the founder of the school,” said New Leadership CEO Charmaine White, “and he has been one of our main partners for the past 11 years.”

White welcomed the graduates and guests by speaking on the theme of consequences. Singing the National Anthem at the ceremony was New Leadership staff member Trevis Bon. Peter Daboul, chairman of the Board of Trustees at the school, also spoke.

Several awards were given out to students, including an award for the most improved student and another based on academics, performance, leadership and community service.

An unusual feature of the New Leadership ceremony was that each graduating student was the star of a slide show that traced that student’s development from early childhood on.

All but one of the students will be going to college, White said, and that was because the student chose not to apply.

Rossi described his students as “a vibrant, resilient group of young leaders. I love them. They are fighters, they persevere, and they have a healthy combination of common sense, heart and a sense of direction.”

The Connecticut House of Representatives on Tuesday passed legislation decriminalizing marijuana, with supporters calling it a "common sense reform."

The Connecticut House of Representatives debates a bill that decriminalizes possession of small amounts of marijuana at the Capitol in Hartford, Conn., Tuesday, June 7, 2011. Under the bill, possession of less than a half-ounce of marijuana would no longer be a misdemeanor. Instead, it would result in a $150 fine for a first offense and a fine ranging from $200 to $500 for subsequent offenses. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

By STEPHEN SINGER, Associated Press

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The Connecticut House of Representatives on Tuesday passed legislation decriminalizing marijuana, with supporters calling it a "common sense reform." The measure heads to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, who has promised to sign it into law.

After a nearly four-hour debate, the House voted 90-57 to soften the punishment for possession of less than a half-ounce of marijuana to fines of $150 for a first offense and $200 to $500 for subsequent offenses. Current state law classifies marijuana possession as a misdemeanor, punishable by a possible jail term and larger fines.

Those younger than 21 would face a 60-day driver's license suspension, similar to the current penalty for possessing alcohol.

The bill also requires anyone 18 years old or younger who is caught with less than a half-ounce to be referred to the state's juvenile courts. And it requires referral to a drug education program for anyone who for a third time enters a plea of no contest or is found guilty of possessing less than one half-ounce of marijuana.

Rep. J. Brendan Sharkey, House majority leader, touted the legislation's call for drug education.

"If the policy is to punish, there's also an argument to be made to prevent," he said.

In a statement, Malloy said lawmakers recognize that current law "does more harm than good — both in the impact it has on people's lives and the burden it places on police, prosecutors and probation officers of the criminal justice system."

"Let me make it clear — we are not legalizing the use of marijuana," said Malloy, a former prosecutor. "In modifying this law, we are recognizing that the punishment should fit the crime and acknowledging the effects of its application."

Opponents said marijuana is a harmful drug and that the law should keep it beyond reach.

Republican Rep. Lawrence Cafero, the House minority leader, criticized the legislation for what he said reduces the consequences for possession to a traffic ticket or an infraction. He said marijuana has ruined their lives of many young people.

"I've seen scores of students who were fantastic athletes, maybe they were talented musicians or sang in the choir. They filled their life with after-school activities," he said. "Now they quit. They've lost interest in baseball. They've lost interest in sports. I've heard parents say their kids don't want to do anything. They're lethargic."

Bill Simanski, a Granby Republican, said decriminalizing pot will be a boon to "crime syndicates and drug lords."

"It will benefit the people who get rich off of the sale of marijuana," he said.

Rep. Christopher Coutu, R-Norwich, said the legislation minimizes the unlawful use of marijuana.

"We're making a policy statement more than anything else that marijuana in many ways is less dangerous, less harmful than a speeding ticket or a cell phone while you're driving," he said.

The Senate last week passed the legislation with a tie-breaking vote by Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman.

On Monday, Springfield police arrested five alleged drug dealers and two alleged users in three separate incidents across the city.

Republican file photo

SPRINGFIELD - As the "City of Homes" works to rebuild after last week's devastating tornadoes, city police are balancing storm-related duties with traditional ones.

On Monday, Springfield police arrested five alleged drug dealers and two alleged users in three separate incidents across the city.

Mehgan Westbrook

Around 3 p.m. Monday, Lt. Alberto Ayala and Sgt. Julio Toledo led a team of officers in a surveillance operation outside the McDonald's restaurant located at 33 Plainfield St. in the city's Memorial Square neighborhood as part of the "North End Initiative" to arrest gang members and drug dealers in that section of the city.

Officers allegedly saw 54-year-old Juan Marrero of Springfield retrieve heroin from a green Volkswagen Jetta driven by two females and sell it to 42-year-old Christine Rutherford of Millers Falls, Mass.

Police arrested Marrero and Rutherford but the Jetta reportedly fled before an arrest could be made.

Shanice Luna

A short while later it was seen in a parking lot outside of 310 Stafford St. with 17-year-old Shanice Luna of 186 Santa Barbara St., and Mehgan Westbrook, 20, of 28 Janet St., both of Springfield, inside it. Police allegedly saw the females selling heroin to 43-year-old Springfield resident Angel Velez.

All three were arrested and a search of the car yielded $295 cash, 100 bags of heroin and a cell phone, Delaney said. The Jetta was also impounded.

Luna and Westbrook were both charged with two counts of distribution of heroin, possession of heroin with the intent to distribute and violating a drug-free school zone.
Velez was charged with possession of heroin.

All five people arrested in this drug sting were taken into custody and held awaiting arraignment in Springfield District Court.

Shazam Suarez

Later in the day on Monday, officers Mike Goggin and John Wajdula arrested two people for allegedly selling drugs on lower Belmont Avenue.

Around 7:30 p.m., the officers set up surveillance outside a mini-mart when they allegedly saw 31-year-old Sharon, Mass. resident Sean Ryan selling drugs. Ryan was allegedly found to be in possession of 18 bags of heroin, an unspecified number of bags of crack and four Clonazepam pills.

Sean Ryan

Ryan was charged with possession of heroin with the intent to distribute and felony and misdemeanor possession of an illegal drug with the intent to distribute.

Just before 11 p.m. Goggin and Wajdula were on patrol in the area around 160 Belmont St. when they saw 17-year-old Shazam Suarez on stairs in the rear of the building. Delaney said the officers saw him concealing a bag underneath him and when they asked him to stand up, they saw the bag contained 14 baggies of crack and $419 cash.

Ryan and Suarez were both taken into custody and held awaiting arraignment in Springfield District Court.