The finalists are William Collins, Irwin Sussman, Ruth Miller and Brian Salzer.

NORTHAMPTON – The principal of a Southampton elementary school and a previous finalist for the Northampton superintendent of schools jobs are among the four candidates the School Committee will interview for the post the second time around.

The committee announced Thursday that it had winnowed a field of 23 applicants down to William Collins, the principal of the William E. Norris School in Southampton, Irwin H. Sussman, superintendent of the Hadley-Luzerne Central School District in upstate New York, Ruth Miller, the assistant superintendent of the Narragansett Regional School District in Templeton and Brian Salzer, acting superintendent of the Marblehead Public Schools.

School Committee Vice Chairwoman Stephanie Pick said a search committee had narrowed the field to eight applicants, three of whom subsequently withdrew. The committee then chose the final four.

This is the committee’s second attempt to choose a replacement for Isabelina Rodriguez, who left the Northampton superintendent’s post in January to head the Granby school system. William Erickson has been serving as interim superintendent.

In March, the committee selected Sussman and Daniel J. Hanneken as its two finalists, but elected to begin the process over again when it came to light that Hanneken was not the principal of a middle school in Marlborough as his resume indicated.

The School Committee spent part of Thursday’s meeting fine tuning a list of questions they plan to ask each candidate. The committee hopes to expedite the process so its members can visit the candidates’ workplaces while the school year is still in session. Each candidate will also be invited to spend a day in Northampton meeting with parents and teachers. The advertised salary range for the post is $122,000-$140,000.

Central High School is the largest school in Western Massachusetts with more than 2,000 students.

SPRINGFIELD – The Springfield Central High School Class of 2011 graduated on Thursday night in ceremonies at a packed Symphony Hall.

A severe thunderstorm whipped through the city just before the graduation, but did not seem to dampen the spirits of the graduates, their families and friends, many of whom were directly affected by last week's tornado.

Central High School is the largest school in Western Massachusetts with more than 2,000 students

Central is one of three Western Massachusetts high schools which made a national Washington Post listing of challenge index public high schools. To qualify for that elite list, a high school had to have half its students take at least one advanced placement, international baccalaureate or advanced international certificate of education test in their junior year and one in their senior year.

MassLive.com and The Republican will have more coverage of the Central High School Class of 2011 graduation on Friday and Saturday.

Optional fees, including room and board, parking and health insurance, increased by $344

File photo | The Republican

WESTFIELD – The cost of education is going up at Westfield State University, but officials say the local campus remains one of the best bargains in the state.

The university’s Board of Trustees on Thursday approved a $455, or 6 percent, increase in mandatory student fees for the 2011-2012 school year. Mandatory fees cover student activity, general funding, capital improvement and technology.

College officials said the increase is necessary to offset a reduction of more than $250,000 in state funding, lost federal stimulus funding and the need to address maintenance issues at the Western Avenue campus.

Optional fees, including room and board, parking and health insurance, were increased by $344, for a total increase of $799, or 5 percent, over current student expenses.

A full-time student will pay at total of $16,833, which includes all fees and room and board, for the new school year that begins in September. The 2010-2011 total student bill was $16,034.

The increase places WSU eighth out of nine state universities in enrollment costs for students, officials said.

“Westfield remains the best value in Massachusetts with its 62 percent graduation rate and lowest cost of any institution in the higher education system in Western Massachusetts,” WSU president Evan S. Dobelle said.

Evan S. Dobelle

“This has been accomplished with no layoffs, no furloughs and an increase of $250,000 in financial aid to our students,” said Dobelle.

The University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees on Wednesday approved a 7.5 percent increase in fees, or $880 to attend its various campuses this fall. The one-year tuition, fees and room and board cost at UMass in Amherst will now be $22,124, up from the current $20,546.

The average college cost in the state university program will be $18,054 annually in September.

WSU trustees on Thursday also approved a new university budget of $84.1 million, up $4.4 million over current spending.

“It is balanced and addresses important issues,” said Gerald W. Hayes, vice president of administration and finance.

Most importantly, the fee and budget increase “addresses maintenance that has been deferred in recent years because of declining revenue,” Hayes told trustees.

The budget and fee schedule was recommended by an all-campus budget committee, Hayes said.

Included in the $455 fee hike is $100 annually that will be charged to students for capital improvements on campus. That will raise about $450,000 next year and the college will use another $665,000 in reserve funding to address maintenance.

Hayes said the new fee sets the stage for a 10-year, estimated $27 million plan to address maintenance issues.

Room and board fee increase ranges from $150 to $300, depending on plans selected by students. Also, there was a $1,100 increase, from $6,400 to $7,500 per school year, in the cost of a single student room at Lansdowne Place, the downtown Westfield housing complex for students.

“We undercharged for this school year,” Hayes said. The university has 216 students assigned to housing at Lansdowne Place.

Campus parking will increase by $10 to $25 depending on the type of sticker students purchase, and those who take advantage of health insurance plans will pay an additional $70 annual to a total of $1,137.

WSU established a new nursing program on campus within the past year and Hayes announced the intent is to establish a new $1,000 fee for those students in the 2012-2013 academic year to help finance the program.

See photos trace the path of the twister from its first touchdown in Westfield, through West Springfield, Springfield and Wilbraham.

The Republican staff photographer John Suchocki returned to the air on Wednesday to capture new images of the destruction left by the EF3 tornado that left a 39-mile scar across Springfield and nearby cities and towns in Western and Central Massachusetts on June 1.

These photos trace the path of the twister from its first touchdown in Westfield, through West Springfield, Springfield and Wilbraham. Suchocki's photos show entire city blocks and neighborhoods devastated by the storm, and the status of clean-up efforts one week later.

Suchocki is preparing another photo gallery, from the same trip, of photos taken over the terribly hard-hit towns of Monson and Brimfield, as well as Central Massachusetts towns beyond. That gallery will be posted on Friday.

he entire top echelon of Newt Gingrich's presidential campaign resigned on Thursday, a stunning mass exodus that left his bid for the Republican nomination in tatters. But the former House speaker vowed defiantly to remain a candidate.

FILE - In this June 8, 2011 file photo, Republican presidential hopeful, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, accompanied by his wife Callista Gingrich, speaks in Hudson, N.H. Gingrich's campaign manager and numerous other key aides have resigned together, a strong blow to his hopes for the Republican presidential nomination. (AP Photo/Cheryl Senter, File)

By DAVID ESPO & SHANNON McCAFFREY, Associated Press Writers

WASHINGTON (AP) — The entire top echelon of Newt Gingrich's presidential campaign resigned on Thursday, a stunning mass exodus that left his bid for the Republican nomination in tatters. But the former House speaker vowed defiantly to remain a candidate.

"I am committed to running the substantive, solutions-oriented campaign I set out to run earlier this spring," the Gingrich said in a posting to his Facebook page shortly after the 16 aides resigned. "The campaign begins anew Sunday in Los Angeles."

Rick Tyler, Gingrich's spokesman, said that he, campaign manager Rob Johnson and senior strategists had all quit, along with aides in the early primary and caucus states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Other officials said Gingrich was informed that his entire high command was quitting in a meeting at his headquarters in Washington. They cited differences over the direction of the campaign.

"We had a different vision for victory," Tyler told The Associated Press. "And since we couldn't resolve that difference, I didn't feel I could be useful in serving him."

He said Gingrich was not allowing enough time to campaign in key states.

FILE- In this Nov. 8, 2006, Dave Carney leaves the Texas Capitol in Austin, Texas. The entire top echelon of New Gingrich's presidential campaign resigned on Thursday, a stunning mass exodus that left his bid for the Republican nomination in tatters. Carney, joined Gingrich's campaign after working as senior political staff members for Texas Gov. Rick Perry. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck, File)

Scott Rials, a longtime aide who joined the departure, said, "I think the world of him, but at the end of the day we just could not see a clear path to win, and there was a question of commitment."

The upheaval in the campaign was likely to lead to a shake-up in the race for the party's presidential nomination, as well, as rivals reach out for disaffected staff, and possibly for donors who have been aligned with the former Georgia congressman.

Gingrich has long been viewed, by even his closest allies, as a fountain of policy ideas but a man who is unable to avoid speaking in ways that spark unwelcome controversy.

Even before the sudden departures of his top aides, Gingrich's campaign was off to a notably rocky start. Within days of formally announcing he would run, he was assailed by conservatives for criticizing a plan to remake Medicare that Republicans pushed through the House.

He telephoned the author of the plan, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, to apologize but did not back off his objections.

Within days, he had dropped from sight, embarking on a cruise to the Greek Isles with his wife, Callista, while rivals for the Republican nomination kept up their campaign appearances.

He returned to the United States this week to confront a rebellion that had been brewing for some time among the senior echelon of his campaign.

FILE - In this Aug. 9, 2007 file photo, Katon Dawson speaks in Concord, N.H. The entire top echelon of Newt Gingrich's presidential campaign resigned on Thursday, a stunning mass exodus that left his bid for the Republican nomination in tatters. Gingrich publicly shrugged off the defections, vowing defiantly to remain a candidate. (AP Photo/Jim Cole, File)

Two aides said Gingrich had refused a request to show a copy of his personal schedule. The aides, speaking only on condition of anonymity, also cited his willingness to give his wife a large role in campaign decisions as a reason for the departures.

While Gingrich told his now-departed aides he would remain in the race, he faces formidable obstacles in assembling a new team in time to compete in a campaign that's well under way. He has the allegiance of several former aides who served him when he was in Congress, but most if not all of them have moved into other fields.

Most immediately, he is scheduled to participate in a debate next Monday in New Hampshire.

Johnson and another key aide, strategist David Carney, joined Gingrich's campaign after working as senior political staff members for Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

Perry ruled out running for the White House earlier in the year, but more recently has said he might reconsider. It was not known whether his former aides were interested in returning to him.

"Nothing has changed," the governor's spokesman, Mark Miner, said in an interview on Thursday. "The governor is focused on the legislative session."

Gingrich, 67, last served in public office more than a decade ago. He resigned as speaker of the House after two terms following an unexpectedly close mid-term election in 1998 in which Republicans gained far fewer seats than he had predicted.

In the years since, he has established a virtual one-man think tank, publishing books and speaking publicly.

Gingrich announced his presidential exploratory committee in May and is not required to report the results of his campaign fundraising until mid-July.

He has raised more than $52 million for American Solutions for Winning the Future, his nonprofit policy group that can legally accept unlimited donations.

But presidential campaigns are subject to much stricter rules — a candidate can accept a maximum contribution of $2,500 per person for the primary campaign and $2,500 per person for the general election.

In addition to Tyler, Johnson and Rials, aides who quit include senior adviser Sam Dawson, South Carolina director Katon Dawson, and New Hampshire director Dave Carney. The entire full-time staff in Iowa, six aides, also quit.

One of them, political director Will Rogers, left last week out of dissatisfaction with the direction of the campaign.

He said that as of May 31, the day he announced he was quitting, the candidate had not scheduled any campaign days in the state. The Iowa caucuses traditionally begin the delegate selection process, and assembling a network of supporters is an arduous process that usually requires a candidate's frequent presence.

___

Associated Press writers Charles Babington and Philip Elliott in Washington, Tom Beaumont in Iowa, Beth Fouhy in New York and April Castro in Austin, Texas, contributed to this story.

About 200,000 Citibank credit card customers in North America have had their names, account numbers and email addresses stolen by hackers who broke into Citi's online account site.

The Citibank logo is shown on a branch office in this April 11, 2007 file photo taken in New York. Citigroup Inc. said Thursday June 9, 2011 that hackers have accessed the credit card information of tens of thousands of its North American customers. The New York-based bank didn't say exactly how many accounts were breached. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

By KELVIN CHAN & PALLAVI GOGOI, AP Business Writers

NEW YORK (AP) — About 200,000 Citibank credit card customers in North America have had their names, account numbers and email addresses stolen by hackers who broke into Citi's online account site.

Citigroup Inc. said it discovered that account information for about 1 percent of its credit card customers had been viewed by hackers. Citi has more than 21 million credit card customers in North America, according to its 2010 annual report. The New York-based bank, which discovered the problem during routine monitoring, didn't say exactly how many accounts were breached. Citi said it was contacting those customers.

The bank said hackers weren't able to gain access to social security numbers, birth dates, card expiration dates or card security codes. That kind of information often leads to identity theft, where cyber criminals empty out bank accounts and apply for multiple credit cards. That can debilitate the finances and credit of victims. Citi customers could still be vulnerable other problems. Details about their bank accounts and financial information linked to them could be acquired using the email information and account numbers hackers stole.

Federal regulators have taken notice and are asking banks to improve security.

"Both banks and regulators must remain vigilant," said Sheila Bair, chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. She said federal agencies, including the FDIC, are developing new rules to push banks to enhance online account access.

The Citi data breach was the latest in a series of recent high-profile data attacks against a number of major firms.

--On June 1, Google Inc. said that the personal Gmail accounts of several hundred people, including senior U.S. government officials, military personnel and political activists, had been breached.

--On May 30, broadcaster PBS confirmed that hackers cracked the network's website and posted a phony story claiming dead rapper Tupac Shakur was alive in New Zealand.

--On May 28, defense contractor Lockheed Martin Corp. said it had detected a "significant and tenacious attack" against its computer networks. The company said it took swift and deliberate actions to protect the network and the systems remain secure.

--In April, media and electronics company Sony Corp.'s PlayStation Network was shut down in April after a massive security breach that affected more than 100 million online accounts.

--Also in April, hackers penetrated a network operated by a data marketing firm Epsilon. The company handles email communications for companies like Best Buy Co. and Target Corp.

The number of data breaches in the last two months sets a "high water mark," said John Ottman, CEO of Application Security Inc., a New York-based firm that specializes in securing databases, the big repositories companies use to organize account information and other data.

"Attackers have realized that most organizations have not properly protected databases," Ottman said.

Cyber attackers have a variety of less-dangerous motivations, from mischief to online activism. For example, a group identifying itself as LulzSec claimed credit for the fake PBS article calling it retaliation for a documentary about WikiLeaks, the website that publishes classified documents.

But often such data breaches are an attempt to steal personal data, which is likely the case with Citi. Hackers also will pose as legitimate companies in a tactic known as "phishing," where they try to get users to supply additional information like social security numbers and email or bank passwords to get access to their financial information.

The fact that the Citi hackers only got a few pieces of personal data on customers may limit what crooks can do with the information, said Susan Grant, director of consumer protection at Consumer Federation of America, a consumer advocacy group.

"But any ID theft is worrisome for consumers," Grant said. She believes companies are responsible for protecting their customers' information from internal and external abuse.

In an emailed statement, Sean Kevelighan, a spokesman for Citi said the bank is contacting affected customers and enhancing procedures to prevent a similar security breach from happening again.

"For the security of these customers, we are not disclosing further details," he said.

-----

Kelvin Chang reported from Hong Kong. Peter Svensson from New York, and Nyia Hawkins from Washington contributed to the report.

One of the largest gasoline distributors in the Northeast is being sued by Connecticut gas station operators, who allege the company is forcing them and many others to pay unreasonable prices for gas and is playing a major role in the state having some of the highest gas prices in the country.

(Photo courtesy of Alliance Energy LLC)Alliance Energy LLC is one of the largest petroleum marketing distributors in New England. 88 Connecticut gas station operators allege that since Alliance took over their stations from Exxon-Mobil in February, they have been forced to pay huge premiums on gas resulting in Connecticut's dubious distinction as one of the most expensive states to purchase gas in the nation.

By DAVE COLLINS, Associated Press

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — One of the largest gasoline distributors in the Northeast is being sued by Connecticut gas station operators, who allege the company is forcing them and many others to pay unreasonable prices for gas and is playing a major role in the state having some of the highest gas prices in the country.

Eleven plaintiffs who operate 16 gas stations are listed in an unfair trade practices lawsuit filed in Hartford Superior Court on Thursday against Waltham, Mass.-based Alliance Energy LLC; Irving, Texas-based Exxon Mobil Corp.; and other defendants. The station operators are seeking an undetermined amount of damages and a court order mandating fair pricing of gasoline products, among other actions, while Alliance's owners are pledging to fight what they call unfounded accusations.

The operators run some of the 88 gas stations in Connecticut that Alliance Energy acquired from Exxon Mobil in February. They allege that when Alliance took over, the company began charging them 17 cents to 22 cents more per gallon of gas than what they were paying Exxon Mobil and imposed numerous other conditions that they say have hindered their ability to compete. Their lawyer believes Alliance is forcing similar conditions upon all its other stations in the state.

"In mid-May, one of my clients complained that there was a 39-cent differential between what he was paying (for gas) and what a competing station was able to charge," said Richard Weinstein, a West Hartford lawyer representing the plaintiffs. "They've all incurred substantial price increases since Alliance took them over, and the dealers have passed those price increases on to consumers."

In this April 28, 2011 file photo, John Magel pumps gas at a station in Wethersfield, Conn. As $4 a gallon gasoline becomes commonplace, drivers have made tough choices: scaling back vacations, driving less or ditching the car altogether. And a new Associated Press-GfK poll shows the impact of sustained high prices is spreading among seniors and higher-income Americans. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, file)

The average price for a gallon of regular gas in Connecticut on Thursday was $4.04, the fourth-highest price in the country after Alaska, Illinois and Hawaii, according to AAA's daily survey of more than 100,000 self-serve stations. Local, state and federal taxes on gas in Connecticut totals about 70 cents per gallon, the highest amount in the country, according to the American Petroleum Institute.

Alliance Energy, whose website says it distributes gas and diesel for major oil companies to about 500 stations in New England, New York and Pennsylvania, is owned mostly by the Slifka family of Massachusetts and also has the contracts to provide fuel and operate convenience stores at all of Connecticut's highway service plazas. Besides Exxon and Mobil, the company distributes gas for Sunoco, Shell, Citgo and Gulf stations as well as unbranded fuel for Global stations.

The Slifkas also own Global Partners LP, another large gas distributor based in Waltham that owns and supplies fuel to about 190 Mobil gas stations in New England and distributes Mobil gas to another 30 independently owned stations. Global Partners' website says it "owns, controls or has access to" one of the largest terminal networks of refined petroleum products in the Northeast.

Richard Slifka, whose family owns both companies and is vice chairman of Global's board of directors, declined to comment specifically on the lawsuit's allegations on Thursday, but he said Alliance will fight the claims.

"We believe that it's really without merit," Slifka told The Associated Press.

Weinstein said one of his concerns is the scope of Alliance and Global Partners' influence on gas pricing, given the large number of stations owned by the companies in the region. He said he wasn't sure how big the companies' influence is, but suspects it's substantial. The Connecticut lawsuit appears to be the first of its kind against Alliance.

Syed Bokhari, 47, who operates 11 Mobil stations and another half dozen other brand stations in Connecticut and Massachusetts, said he and other operators are struggling to make ends meet because of the prices being charged by Alliance Energy. Bokhari is one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

"Everybody is losing money," Bokhari said. "This just amounts to economic slavery. We are getting more and more in debt. We are stopping payments just to stay above water. There must be justice prevailing."

Bokhari said his gas sales fell 50 percent since Alliance took over. As an example, he said his Mobil station in Farmington used to sell 120,000 gallons a month but hasn't sold more than 60,000 gallons a month since Alliance acquired the station.

Fellow Mobil station operator and plaintiff Jaafar Kafel said he's been selling gas in Newington for less than what he pays for it just to compete for consumers' dollars against other local stations.

"My cost today is $3.84 and everybody is selling for $3.82," Kafel said about prices per gallon. "How can I compete and survive? We are going under water with this."

Industry experts say station operators make most of their money from the goods inside their shops and not from gas.

The plaintiffs also claim the Exxon Mobil-Alliance deal violated the state's Petroleum Products Franchise Act because the station operators weren't offered good-faith proposals to buy the properties before they were acquired by Alliance.

The lawsuit also names the Stamford-based Gasoline and Automotive Service Dealers of America, accusing it of playing a role in the Alliance acquisition deal and favoring the company when it was supposed to be representing gas station operators.

Michael Fox, executive director of the dealers group, denied the lawsuit's allegations and said he was frustrated he was being sued by the people he represents. He said he's been fighting for years to get laws passed that prevent the kind of conduct alleged in the complaint.

Fox said there's been a big push by large oil companies to sell off gas stations amid public outcry over high gas prices.

Exxon Mobil officials didn't immediately return a message Thursday.

The Department of Defense said that Marine Cpl. William Woitowicz died this week after suffering multiple traumatic injuries from small-arms fire in the Badghis Province.

In this undated photo provided by the United States Marine Corps, Cpl. William J. Woitowicz, of Groton, Mass., who was assigned to 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion, Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, is seen. The Department of Defense announced Wednesday that the 23-year-old Woitowicz died June 7, 2011 in Badghis province, Afghanistan. (AP Photo/U.S. Marine Corps)

GROTON, Mass. (AP) — Flags in Groton, Mass. have been lowered to half-staff after a Groton-Dunstable Regional graduate was killed in action in Afghanistan.

The Department of Defense said that Marine Cpl. William Woitowicz died this week after suffering multiple traumatic injuries from small-arms fire in the Badghis Province.

Former teacher Michael Donnelly says Woitowicz was a standout in his high-school engineering class who could have easily gone to college to follow in the footsteps of his older brother, who works as a construction engineer.

The 23-year-old was assigned to 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion, Marine Special Operations Regiment, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command at Camp Lejeune.

Woitowicz leaves behind his parents as well as an older brother and a younger sister, who both graduated from Groton-Dunstable.

For a more detailed account of the young Marine's life, visit The Lowell Sun by clicking here.

These are the average energy prices in the Pioneer Valley for the week ending today.

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Throughout the Bay State on Friday morning, almost 10,000 people remained without electricity as National Grid and WMECO crews worked around the clock to make repairs from Thursday's storm.

Lightning from a line of severe thunderstorms flashes over downtown New London, Conn. Thursday, June 9, 2011. A line of powerful thunderstorms sweeping across Connecticut has knocked out power to thousands of homes. Connecticut Light & Power says close to 90,000 homes and businesses have lost electricity. (AP Photo/The Day, Tim Cook)

This is an update of a story posted on Thursday at 7:15 p.m.

SPRINGFIELD - With the three tornadoes that ripped a path of destruction from Westfield to Sturbridge on June 1 still fresh in people's minds, the region was weary on Thursday as thunderstorms delivered torrents of rain, strong winds and lightening.

Fortunately the damage, although widespread, amounted to little in comparison to last week's devastation which is still being dealt with as Western Massachusetts communities are picking up the pieces and rebuilding their lives.

Throughout the Bay State on Friday morning, almost 10,000 people remained without electricity as National Grid and Western Mass. Electric Company crews worked around the clock to make repairs from Thursday's storm. Initially 20,000 customers were without electricity following the violent weather.

According to National Grid, as of 4:05 a.m., 3,434 customers across the state were without power. The 15 affected National Grid customers in Hampshire County were slated to have power restored by 1 p.m. Friday with the few Franklin County customers reporting outages scheduled to have service restored by 3 p.m.

WMECO's outages totaled 5,977 around 5 a.m., with Montague accounting for 899 customers without power, followed by Longmeadow with 777 and 480 in Springfield.

Additionally, there were still 269 outages reported in Southwick, 239 in Greenfield, 172 in Deerfield, 138 in Agawam, 118 in West Springfield and 97 in Ludlow as of early Friday morning.

Most roads in the region were cleared of large trees and branches that fell in Thursday's storm but morning commuters are reminded to use caution as some debris may have been left behind on side streets.

Connecticut Light and Power reported a total of 61,937 customers without electricity as of Friday morning, accounting for five percent of its overall customers.

Granby and East Granby had a total of 33 outages reported, but Suffield remained in almost total darkness with 2,400 customers, 40 percent of the town's total customers, without power.

Neighboring Enfield reported 1,120 customers without power while Hartford, East Hartford and West Hartford reported a total of 2,738.

For a list of road closures throughout Connecticut, click here.

The co-sponsor is Jeffrey D. Brown, owner of JB's Ice Cream in East Longmeadow, site of the fund-raiser.

File photo | The RepublicanJeffrey D. Brown, left, owner of JB's Ice Cream in East Longmeadow, and Springfield police officer Michael Carney are co-chairing a melanoma fund-raiser, "Scoops for Melanoma," on Saturday and Sunday, featuring ice cream from the store at 622 North Main Street in East Longmeadow.

EAST LONGMEADOW – Springfield police officer Michael Carney has spent years repairing the damage he caused to his skin from more than 20 years of tanning.

“When I think about all the money, time and energy I have spent trying to make up for those years of tanning I realize it was a waste,” he said.

Carney is once again joining with Jeffrey D. Brown, owner of JB’s Ice Cream, to sponsor “Scoops for Melanoma,” a fund-raiser and awareness effort about the dangers of tanning and skin cancer.

A percentage of the ice cream sales and all of the raffle sales will go to the Melanoma Education Foundation, a non-profit organization that educates people about the dangers of melanoma.

“It was very successful last year. If we can get people in here talking about skin cancer and the dangers of tanning then I consider it a success,” Brown said.

Both men were diagnosed with skin cancer in the past three years.

Carney was diagnosed with melanoma in 2009. With a history of basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas, Carney’s growth on his right leg was determined to be stage 2B, just before a stage 3. Carney had a five-inch hole carved out of his leg which required a skin graft from his thigh. He underwent three months of chemotherapy and was out of work for five months. His sister was recently diagnosed with skin cancer as well.

“It’s also genetic. People who have a history of it in their family should visit a dermatologist twice a year,” he said.

Brown was diagnosed in February of 2010. He did not have to undergo chemotherapy but he did have skin removed from his neck.

Both men are doing well now, but have to see their dermatologists regularly. Carney also has an oncologist and plastic surgeon he keeps in close contact with.

“I have spent so many years correcting the damage to my skin that I imposed on myself all because I was trying to look good,” he said.

Both men said their goal is to raise money, but more importantly awareness.

“Tanning in a tanning bed increases your changes of getting melanoma by 75 percent. Young people don’t think about that when they are out in the sun all day or in a tanning bed,” Carney said.

Brown said there will be raffle prizes including free golf lessons, gas cards, restaurant certificates and more.

“Everyone we have approached has been so giving and willing to help. It’s going to be a great event,” Brown said.

The event will also include a clown and other activities for kids.

The ice cream shop is located within the Pride gas station plaza on North Main Street.

Both the Thomas. J. O’Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center and Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society facilities are offering emergency pet food and supplies daily.

File photo by Don Treeger / The RepublicanClaude and Roberta Cyr are reunited with their pets after being displaced by the Springfield tornado from their Winton Street home. The animals are being cared for at the Thomas J. O'Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center.

SPRINGFIELD – Snowball, an indoor cat whose paws had rarely touched grass, survived on his own for over a week amidst the tornado-blasted debris of his East Forest Park neighborhood home.

The white cat’s owners, Roberta L. and Claude J. Cyr, home at 27 Winton St. when the June 1 tornado ripped through, thought that they’d never see Snowball again.

“She thought he was dead, we thought he was dead,” said Claude Cyr, 76.

Similar fears abound throughout the devastated areas of the region as residents struggle to rebound from the twisted wreckage.

Places like Thomas. J. O’Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center and Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society, which was directly in the path of one of the tornado as it rampaged through the South End, have been going full-out ever since helping residents find, and care for their pets.

Dakin is caring for about 100 Greater Springfield area pets until their owners get back on their feet, spokeswoman Candy Lash said. Along with cats and dog, animals in Dakin’s temporary care include “a couple of cockatiels, a couple of turtles. ... I think the iguana went home. It’s a bit like Noah’s ark around here,” she said.

Both facilities are offering emergency pet food and supplies daily, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., for those in need.

“We have quite a bit of supplies thanks to our buddies in the community,” said T.J. O’Connor director Pam Peebles.

The Cyrs, after the tornado tossed a neighbor’s oak onto the roof of their Cape Cod-style home, gathered up their three small dogs, carefully put on their leash harnesses and walked out into the wind, rain and thunder.

“We had to keep going from one neighbor to another trying to fight the storm,” said Roberta Cyr, 63. Snowball, and their second cat, Baby, were nowhere to be found.

The bad news for the Cyrs continued the next day when their eldest dog, Peanut, an 11-year-old fox terrier, long ailing and traumatized by the storms, had to be put down at T.J. O’Connor the following morning.

“We couldn’t take care of her,” Roberta Cyr said, her voice breaking.

T.J. O’Connor, however, helped the Cyrs, now temporarily living with a cousin on Berkshire Avenue, by taking in their two surviving Chihuahuas, Peewee and Buffy.

Returning to their ruined home for the first time on Friday, the Cyrs found Baby crouching on the attic stairs.

Since then, the Cyrs made a new routine of visiting their three pets every afternoon where they are being kept in a private area, and searching for Snowball back in their neighborhood.

They say that Peewee and Buffy seem to know when they are coming and that they are often waiting at the door when they walk in.

A report of a white cat in the neighborhood prompted Animal Control Officer Lori Charette to place a trap in the Cyrs’ yard. Along with food, Charette baited it with one of the Crys’ T-shirts and fur from their pets at T.J. O’Connor to provide a familiar and comforting scent, Peebles said.

Success came Wednesday morning when Charette discovered Snowball meowing inside the trap. The Cyrs were buying emergency supplies at Wal-Mart when Charette called with the good news.

“I said ‘Oh my God,’” Roberta Cyr said. “(Charette) said she was a little dehydrated and pale, but good.”

The Cyrs said their next step is to find a temporary home until they can rebuild. “We need a place where we can be together,” Roberta Cyr said.

Other T.J. O’Connor success stories in wake of the tornadoes include the rescue of a cockatiel and hamster from two separate homes on Williams Street in the early morning hours of the day after the tornadoes.

Peebles said the family that owned the cockatiel, sheltering at MassMutual Center, were frantic to find their bird and a cat that unfortunately remains missing.

Peebles said they found the cockatiel safe within the family’s home, inside the only room left standing. “We brought the bird over the MassMutual Center,” Peebles said. “They couldn’t get through the night without the bird.”

The owners of the missing hamster were equally thrilled to get their beloved pet back. “You would have thought we had given them their home back,” Peebles said.

Other animals currently at T.J. O’Connor include a 6-foot boa constrictor, geckos, guppies and goldfish.

In the immediate aftermath of the tornado, Dakin, which was directly in the tornadoes path and sustained major damage, and T.J. O’Connor split up their duties. Dakin is primarily caring for animals that people have had to relinquish due to the tornadoes or animals that may need temporary care.

T.J. O’Connor, meanwhile, is handling all strays, search and rescues and other field work.

Both organizations are seeking donation of such items as dog and cat food, clay cat litter and other pet supplies. T.J. O’Connor is at 627 Cottage St. and Dakin is at 171 Union St. Monetary donations can be made to both through their respective websites, www.tjoconnoradoptioncenter.com and www.dpvhs.org.

Despite a search of their home late Thursday night, police in Vermont still have no answers about what happened to Bill and Lorraine Currier of Essex, who were last seen at their jobs on Wednesday.

This photo released by the Essex, Vermont police shows William and Loraine Currier, who are missing under suspicious circumstances.

ESSEX, Vermont- Despite a search of their home late Thursday night, police in Vermont still have no answers about what happened to Bill and Lorraine Currier of Essex, who were last seen at their respective jobs on Wednesday.

William, 49, works at the University of Vermont in Burlington while his wife, 55, works for Fletcher Allen Health Care, the university's hospital and health care center, according to a report published in the Burlington Free Press.

They were reported missing by friends and family on Thursday after they uncharacteristically failed to report for work without calling. Police believe the couple disappeared sometime between 5 p.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m. Thursday.

When Essex police arrived at the couple's home to check on them, they reportedly found a broken window between the house and an attached garage and their car missing.

On Friday, the Vermont Department of Public Safety's mobile crime lab will conduct a forensic analysis of the home, which authorities are hoping will provide a clue about what happened to the Curriers.

Police said the couple may be driving a dark green Saturn sedan with the Vermont license plate ABF-818. The Currier's are also said to have serious medical conditions that are regulated by medicine, which was reportedly left behind in the house.

William is described by police as a white man, 6-feet tall, weighing 220 pounds. Lorraine is described as a white woman, 5-feet-3 inches tall, and weighing approximately 160 pounds with brown hair.

Anyone who may have seen the green Saturn or who has information on the Currier's whereabouts is asked to call the Essex Police Department at 802-878-8331.

Thunderstorms brought strong winds and torrents of rain into the already shaky region on Thursday, a massive wildfire i Arizona is nearly at the New Mexico border and more of the morning's headlines.

In this May 21, 2011 file photo, children race through the water flowing from the Whale Tail Fountain during its dedication ceremony in New London, Conn. After several locals were caught urinating, defecating and washing themselves in it, the fountain was turned off. The city announced it will be turned back on soon, but with conditions. Click HERE for the full updated story from teh New London Patch.com website." (AP Photo/The Day, Dana Jensen, File)

• Battered Brimfield takes another beating in thunderstorms [Telegram.com]


• Lee, Mass. takes heavy hit in Thursday storms [BerkshireEagle.com]


• Arizona wildfire close to crossing into New Mexico [ABCNews.com]


• Pit bull that bit elderly man given death sentence in Hadley [GazetteNet.com]


• The Facebook Tattoo Lady and Eight Other Online Hoaxes [PCMag.com]


• Mac repair man accused of installing spyware on computers he fixed to spy on women [SFChronicle.com]


Enfield, Connecticut sustains serious damage in Thursday's thunderstorms  




Twitter posts tagged #westernma in Western Mass. [MassLive.com]




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Today's poll: Will requiring state agencies to "justify their existence" help reduce unnecessary expenses in the state budget?

The Forecast

The National Weather Service forecast for Friday, June 10 reads: "Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. North wind around 7 mph."

The weekend is looking a little unsettled. Showers and thunderstorms are possible Saturday after 2 p.m., and again on Sunday.

Temperatures over the weekend will be cool: National Weather Service is predicting a high of 69 on Saturday, and a high of 74 on Sunday.

Peeking into next week, temperatures will elbow their way up into the lower 80s by next Wednesday and Thursday.

Find the full forecast here.

Today's Poll

The Massachusetts Senate this week passed several major changes to the state's budgeting process. The AP reports:

Among other things, the measure would require all state agencies to periodically go before a “sunset” commission to justify their performance and continued existence.

Before approving the bill, senators approved a Republican-backed amendment that would require a zero-based budgeting system by 2017. Such a system would require the state to build a budget essentially from scratch each year, rather than base appropriations on the previous year’s funding levels.

What do you think -- will requiring state agencies to "justify their existence" help reduce unnecessary expenses in the state budget? Vote in our poll and check back Monday for the results.

Yesterday's results: On Thursday we asked, "Has Mitt Romney's Massachusetts health care mandate infringed on your economic freedom?" 16 people voted. 56.25% said "Yes"; 43.75% said "No".

Thursday's Top 5

The top 5 headlines on MassLive.com on June 9 were:

1. Springfield Tornado Clean Up Continues [photo essay]
2. MassLive.com prom contest 2011 [photo gallery]


3. Aerials of tornado destruction [photo gallery]


4. 2011 Chicopee Comprehensive Senior prom [photo gallery]


5. Tornado cleanup day 7, Springfield, Ma.

Quote of the Day

— When I think about all the money, time and energy I have spent trying to make up for those years of tanning I realize it was a waste.”
&mdash Springfield police officer Michael Carney, who is joining with Jeffrey D. Brown, owner of JB’s Ice Cream, to sponsor “Scoops for Melanoma,” a fund-raiser and awareness effort about the dangers of tanning and skin cancer. Read Elizabeth Roman's story here.

As residents of Springfield's East Forest Park neighborhood clean up and weigh their options for what comes next, many are afraid of what the destruction left from the June 1 tornadoes may mean for one of the city's most stable and affluent areas.

SPRINGFIELD - As residents of Springfield's East Forest Park neighborhood clean up and weigh their options for what comes next, many are afraid of what the destruction left from the June 1 tornadoes may mean for one of the city's most stable and affluent areas.

Scott Coen was on the streets talking to people during the heat wave on Wednesday and although many residents want to stay in the place they've called home for many years, others might opt to leave rather than rebuilding.

The story sparked a debate among some of MassLive's frequent contributors about what this tornado might mean for the city in the long run. Along with the pessimistic who have already given up on the "City of Homes" are a growing group of people who see now as the time to reinvest in their city and use the destruction as the jumping off point to breathe new life into it.

Here is what some of our readers have to say:

Lee: I would pay and leave, Springfield is home to crime and thugs now

Justin_Marsh_Knowledge_Corridor_Productions: East Forest Park is a beautiful neighborhood with the benefits of both an upper-middle class suburb, and with the convenience of having an increasingly vibrant urban environment close by.

The author used the word "stable" to describe East Forest Park -- "stability" connotes adaptability to different situations over time. Personally, I believe that's what East Forest Park will continue to show Springfield, based on its history of "stability." In other words, I do not foresee the 'exodus' pondered in this article.

cowkitties: As an EFP resident I hold a great deal of affection for both my neighborhood and this City. While it saddens me that the landscape throughout this City has changed forever, it is my hope that both our elected officials and residents view this as an opportunity to rebuild and re-establish Springfield as a desirable community where families can thrive. As I travel along Central Street I see demolished apartment blocks that can now accommodate affordable single family homes or duplexes/condexes which would allow residents to literally have an investment in their community. With the appropriate leadership, guidance and support, this disaster can result in a change for the better.

memd: the tornado was a tragic event and if people can financially get out of Springfield they should ~ not because of the tornado but because of the mis-management of the city of homes. Sad to say the once beautiful city has been allowed to be come a sewer. If the Bishop decides not to fix or rebuild Cathedral or St. Michaels it won't happen no matter what the alumni says. The Bishop has the final word.

stoner: A sewer? Take a look at the relief efforts and volunteerism right now. People still care for each other and their city. If you want to cower behind your keyboard, go ahead. If you want to help make the city better, this is a perfect opportunity to do so.

camelothot: I'd tell you where to put your sewer comment but I'm a lady. Springfield is a beautiful city chock full of beautiful people. Ask anyone who lives here. Obviously, you don't. The next time you get an itch to slam Springfield, consider this: Western Mass FEEDS off Springfield. It's the 4th largest city in New England and the hub of the Pioneer Valley. What happens HERE effects YOUR quality of life. It'd behoove you to promote economic development in the City of Homes – not negate it. That is, if you want to preserve that fabulous life of yours out in the burbs.

Scott Coen: I have lived in Springfield for 25 years, and while I could live anywhere in the area, my family loves living here. I wrote today after talking with several of my friends and neighbors about what might happen in our neighborhood. And while it is certainly too early to know what will happen, this is a conversation my friends and neighbors are having.

I think the lynch pin of this conversation is what will happen to Cathedral HS. It is no secret that the Diocese would prefer the school's location to be somewhere else. There is a feeling that the they kept the school where it is because of pressure from parents and alumni. What's happened over there changes many things. As a resident of EFP, I'm counting on Cathedral being rebuilt right where it is. I am worried it won't be. And if it isn't what will happen to the land.

efpres2: EFP is a great neighborhood. I hope Cathedral and St Michael's can be saved. At any rate I love living there and I intend to stay. There are many other good neighborhoods .....some have more issues than others.....but you will find good people and beautiful homes throughout the city.

What do you think? Cathedral High School the lynchpin to redeveloping East Forest Park? What should the city keep in mind as it moves forward with the rebuilding process? Chime in and join the conversation by commenting below.

Weiner said he would not resign, but instead would focus on getting work done and would "try to make amends" with his constituents.

Associated PressRep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., is surrounded by reporters as he arrives at his house in the Queens borough of New York, Thursday, June 9, 2011. Weiner admitted four days ago that he had Tweeted sexually charged messages and photos to at least six women and lied about it.

NEW YORK — Anna Wisniewska may not like Rep. Anthony Weiner's raunchy online behavior, but she thinks he should keep his job.

"You cannot judge anyone," said Wisniewska, 35, who was born in Poland, but is now a U.S. citizen and lives in the congressman's district. "He did what he did and he apologized. It's only between him and his wife."

Weiner told a newspaper Thursday he would not resign, but instead would focus on getting work done and would "try to make amends" with his constituents and family. Now, there are indications in his home district that he may survive: A new NY1-Marist Poll showed the congressman continues to have strong backing from his constituents in the 9th congressional district.

It is a bit of positive news for the seven-term lawmaker from New York, who faces calls from his colleagues in both parties to leave office after he admitted sending sexually explicit photos and messages over the Internet to a half-dozen women over the past three years.

According to the poll, 56 percent of registered voters polled in Weiner's district think he should stay on the job. Thirty-three percent think he should go, while 12 percent are unsure.

The survey of 512 adults on June 8, which included 411 registered voters, had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percent. It was performed by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion.

Aides say Weiner was heartened by the polls showing no clamor for his resignation and is talking regularly with his wife, Huma Abedin, who is overseas with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The 46-year-old Democrat, who came and went from his Queens co-op on Thursday, planned to work out of his Queens office on Friday.

In private phone calls, Democrats have made clear to Weiner that staying would be tough on him and his wife of a year, who is pregnant with the couple's first child.

On Wednesday, Rep. Allyson Schwartz, D-Pa., became the first of a half-dozen Democrats to say he should leave office. Meanwhile, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California has said in a statement that she's "disappointed" in Weiner and called for an ethics committee investigation.

There is also a chance, emphasized by Democrats this week, that he could be redistricted out of Congress when new political lines are drawn for 2012.

Douglas Sherman, 50, who lives in the Kew Gardens section of Queens that Weiner represents, was saddened by the lawmaker's misfortunes.

"I voted for him, I think he was a good representative. He fights for liberal causes. I think he's a strong voice for those issues," he said, adding that he had mixed feelings about whether Weiner had to go.

"It's really unfortunate that we would lose someone like this, with his talent in politics," Sherman said.

But in Brighton Beach, a seaside section of Brooklyn nicknamed "Little Odessa" for its large population of expatriate Ukrainian and Russian Jews, resident George Nogueras said Weiner "has got to go."

"He should resign if there are nude pictures of him floating around," said Nogueras, 52.

Nogueras said he is a registered Democrat and voted for Weiner in the last election, but at this point he said there is nothing the congressman could do to win his vote back.

Frank Alberti, 68, who goes to a senior center in the same building as Weiner's district office, said he liked the congressman. "He comes and visits us," Alberti said. "He keeps us informed. He's approachable."

He said the scandal surrounding Weiner would not necessarily influence his vote. "It's an embarrassment, but I vote for someone on his record," he said.

Has headed the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts for the past 15 years.

File photoThe Right Rev. Gordon P. Scruton

The Right Rev. Gordon P. Scruton, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts for the past 15 years , has announced plans to retire at the end of 2012,

Scruton, who celebrated 40 years of ordination June 5, made the announcement in a June 9 letter to the clergy and people of his diocese as well as the diocesan council in which he said “it has been an extraordinary gift and privilege to walk with all of you.”

“When my time as your bishop is finished,” Scruton says in the letter posted on the diocesan website, http://www.diocesewma.org/

“I will be in the 17th year in this ministry and will be on the edge of turning 66. I feel a deep sense of gratitude for all the relationships and experiences we have shared over these years.

"I also have a deep sense that God is calling Rebecca and me to another ministry, although, like Abraham ad Sarah, we are not yet sure what that ministry will be.”

Scruton and the former Rebecca S. Polley were married in 1968. Scruton, who took part in the June 8 services of prayer and healing at Christ Church Cathedral, the Episcopal seat at 37 Chestnut St. in Springfield, in response to the tragedy and trauma of the June 1 tornadoes here, adds in the letter that he believes “God has brought the diocese to a moment of transition.

“It is time to seek God’s guidance for a new bishop to lead you into the next chapter of life and ministry in Western Massachusetts.”

In a comment also posted on the website, the Rev. Meredyth Wessman Ward, president of the diocese’s standing Committee released a statement of “profound gratitude for his leadership.

The Scrutons have two children, Christine and Gregory, both married and living in Massachusetts. They also have two grandchildren, Hannah Kate and Jacob Gregory.

From 1979 to 1987, Scruton chaired the Spiritual Life Commission of the Diocese of Western Massachusetts, and later served for three years on the Congregational Development Commission. Locally, he helped initiate Cursillo, a weekend focused on the renewal of faith for lay people; and Education for Ministry, a four-year in-depth study of theology, also for lay people.

He recent years, he has led mission trips to the Dominican Republic.

Scruton was born in Rochester, N.H., March 8, 1947, the son of a retired United Methodist pastor.

Scruton received a master’s degree in English, magna cum laude, from Barrington College in Providence, R.I. He then studied at the Boston University School of Theology, receiving a master’s degree in theology in 1971.

He was ordained to the deaconate in 1971 and the priesthood in 1972 in the Diocese of Rhode Island. He began his ministry as assistant rector at St. Mark’s Church in Riverside, R.I in 1971.

In 1975 he was named assistant rector at St. Paul’s Church in Kingston, R.I. While in Rhode Island he served the Diocese on the Commission on Ministry, the Evangelism Commission, and as a Stewardship consultant.

He become rector of Grace Church in Dalton, Mass., in 1977. He served there until 1981, when he was called to St. Francis Church in Holden.

Elected the eighth Bishop of the Diocese of Western Massachusetts on June 29, 1996, Bishop Scruton has been a member of the Episcopal clergy for more than 20 years.

He was consecrated a bishop on Oct. 12, 1996 in Springfield.

A video surveillance camera caught the man stealing cash while the players were on the field playing a game.

Mark M. Murray / The Republican05.21.2011 | SPRINGFIELD - The Pittsfield Colonials' Matt Nandin moves in on a ball during the third inning of an exhibition game at Forest Park earlier this spring.

PITTSFIELD (AP) - Police say a Pittsfield man has been arrested after a video surveillance camera caught him stealing cash from a minor league baseball team's locker room while the players were on the field playing a game.

Police say the camera was installed after previous instances of Pittsfield Colonials player lockers being pilfered, and on Wednesday 42-year-old Robert Wincek was arrested. He pleaded not guilty to larceny charges on Thursday and was released on personal recognizance.

His lawyer did not return a call for comment.

He allegedly took a pair of $20 bills that had been planted by investigators. He then allegedly told police he took the money and had a drug problem.

Authorities tell The Berkshire Eagle that Wincek's son works for the team, which plays in the independent Can-Am League.

___

Information from: The Berkshire Eagle, http://www.berkshireeagle.com

Andrew Nicastro said he is glad his case against the two bishops can proceed.

The Republican | Michael GordonAndrew Nicastro, suing two bishops, in Hampden Superior Court

SPRINGFIELD - Hampden Superior Court Judge Cornelius J. Moriarty has ruled a civil suit filed against two Roman Catholic bishops by a man who said he was abused by a priest will stay on track to go to trial.

Lawyers for Bishop Emeritus Joseph F. Maguire and Bishop Thomas L. Dupre had argued for a dismissal of the suit filed in 2009 by Williamstown resident Andrew F. Nicastro, saying the statute of limitations had expired.

Nicastro sued Maguire and Dupre alleging negligent supervision resulted in him being abused as a child by a priest in Williamstown.

Moriarty said because Nicastro didn’t realize until several years ago the harm the childhood abuse had caused, the case falls within the limits of the law.

“I’m glad to get this far. I’m glad the dismissal is disallowed,” Nicastro said before a pre-trial conference Thursday.

At the pre-trial conference all parties agreed to a new pre-trial conference date of Sept. 12.

One of the matters that will be discussed is the defense’s motion to compel Maguire to be deposed by the defense.

John J. Egan, lawyer for Maguire, told Moriarty right now Dupre is having a health problem and is confined to his bed in a nursing home. Egan said a major medical problem from about a year ago has been resolved.

John J. Stobierski, Nicastro’s lawyer, said, “We know of no other case in Western Massachusetts where a judge in response to a motion to dismiss allowed the case to go forward because the victim had met the burden to show they could not connect the harm to their abuse to later in life.”

“In Massachusetts there are decisions that go both ways,” he said. “So it is somewhat of an unsettled area of law.”

Nicastro, a former altar boy, alleges he was molested by the former Rev. Alfred Graves between 1982 and 1984 at St. Patrick’s Parish in Williamstown. Graves has since been defrocked.

The suit named Maguire, at the time the Springfield diocese bishop; Dupre, then a chancellor and third in command of the diocese; and the Rev. Richard S. Sniezyk, who was Graves’ supervisor, stating they knew about the molestation and did nothing about it.

Sniezyk was previously dropped as a defendant.

Dupre was bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield until 2004 when he retired suddenly after being confronted by The Republican with allegations that he molested two boys in the 1970s. He was indicted later, but the case was dropped because the statute of limitations had passed.

The suit does not name Graves or the diocese. Graves, who has been named as an abuser in other suits filed against the diocese, was barred from presenting himself as a priest in the 1990s and officially defrocked by the Vatican in 2006.

Stobierski has said the suit against Dupre is different from any other priest abuse complaint filed in the United States because it involves a defendant who has been accused of child molestation and supervised another accused of the same type of crime.

After a barrage of lawsuits early last decade, the suit is one of the few civil complaints filed since 2005. The diocese paid out $7.7 million to dozens of claimants in 2004 and agreed to pay another $4.5 million to 59 alleged abuse victims in 2008. Those costs were offset by an $8.5 million settlement between the diocese and three insurance companies.

Egan told Moriarty that Nicastro had declined to participate in the arbitration set up to settle abuse cases.

Summary Judgment Decision