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Springfield Civil Rights Movement legend Ruth Stewart Loving dies at 100

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Following King's assassination, former Mayor Frank H. Freedman, who later became the first federal judge in Springfield, appointed loving as chairwoman for the first citywide King memorial observance.

SPRINGFIELD — Ruth Stewart Loving, known as the "mother of civil rights in Springfield" – a college graduate at the age of 73, library champion, radio show host, singer, piano player, performer and NAACP leader – died Tuesday at the age of 100, Henderson Funeral Home confirmed on Wednesday.

Funeral arrangements have not been finalized, according to Henderson.

Loving, who had been undergoing rehabilitation for about a month at Wingate Nursing Home following surgery after she fell and broke her hip, died of a heart attack on Tuesday evening, according to her neice Diane Petaway, of New Haven.

Up until she fell, Loving had been living independently and was active, engaged and interested in community and national affairs, Petaway said. "She has a fantastic legacy," she said

Petaway, who had visited her aunt earlier in the day on Tuesday, said she was resting peacefully when she last saw her.

Loving, who was featured in "The Struggle for Freedom: The History of African Americans in Western Massachusetts," "never wavered from the cause," said Republican Executive Editor Wayne Phaneuf, who authored the book.

"Ruth Loving was one of a kind," Phaneuf said. "She can't be replaced."

Vera O'Connor, who served with Loving on the city's library commission, recalled Loving's fight to reopen the Mason Square Library after it had been sold to the Urban League. Loving celebrated her 100th birthday on May 27 during a party held at the library branch.

Loving was civil rights icon, who brushed shoulders with Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and Congressman John Lewis when she was a leader of the Springfield chapter of the NAACP. She also and hosted a radio show on WMAS-AM and FM from 1969 to 2011.

Following King's assassination, former Mayor Frank H. Freedman, who later became the first federal judge in Springfield, appointed loving as chairwoman for the first citywide King memorial observance.

She was a wife, mother, PTO leader, USO worker and a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, receiving her degree through the University Without Walls program.

Loving was born on May 27, 1914, in Pennsylvania - the youngest of seven children born to Alexander and Emma Stewart.

The family later moved to a diverse neighborhood in New Haven, Conn. Later, Loving, her husband and three children moved to Springfield in the 1940s where she became active in community affairs.

Loving, who sang at the original Cotton Club in Harlem, was active in performing and choir and church work. She founded the Freedom Choir made up of singers from nearly a dozen African-American churches in Springfield.

She was a member of "Company 3" of the Springfield National Guard and in 1945 become a member of the Women's Defense Corps and traveled throughout New England as a vocalist with the USO. She learned Morse Code for her communications work.

During an interview with the Republican in the summer, Loving said she always tried to live by the Golden Rule.

If more people treated others as they wish to be treated, and followed the words of spiritual leaders - no matter what their religion, she said a lot of the world's problems could be solved.

"We're all the same," Loving said. "We all breathe, we all eat; we all sleep. There is no difference."


Springfield property values database 2015: What is the assessment of real estate in the city?

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The City of Springfield Board of Assessors has released its proposed fiscal 2015 real estate and personal property assessments for residential and commercial property owners, and we've created a database of the valuations.

SPRINGFIELD — The City of Springfield Board of Assessors has released its proposed fiscal 2015 real estate and personal property assessments for residential and commercial property owners, and we've created a database of the valuations.

The city makes the proposed assessments available for public review ahead of preliminary and final certification by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue's Bureau of Local Assessment. The disclosure period continues through Dec. 3.

According to the assessors' website:

The intent of this disclosure period is to identify any glaring errors or omissions in the proposed valuations. The public may either call 787-6160, visit the Assessors office, or send an e-mail to the assessors office with any questions or concerns about the proposed valuations between November 26-December 3.

Here's how the assessors describe the revaluation process:

The assessments are intended to reflect full and fair cash value as of January 1, 2014 based on physical status as of June 30, 2014. In a re-certification, the assessors gather, verify, and analyze information on market sales of houses and all other property. All properties are revalued in accordance with law and Mass. Revenue Department (DOR) guidelines.

Taxpayers can dispute their valuations through the formal abatement process after fiscal 2015 tax bills are issued. Information about how to file for an abatement is available on the assessors' real estate tax FAQ page here »

The proposed valuations are available at the assessors' website; hard copies can be viewed in City Hall Room 109 weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., or at the Central and Sixteen Acres Branch libraries.

Or, you can use the database below created by The Republican's assistant managing editor-multimedia Greg Saulmon.

The database begins with three search fields:

  • Number
  • Street
  • Owner

Searching any single field will return results (e.g., searching "Roosevelt" in the Street field will return all listings for Roosevelt Avenue). Multiple listings are shown in order by street number. For best results, enter data in all three fields to narrow the search down. The "Street" and "Owner" fields will return results for partial search terms; for example, last name only, or a partial street name.

Note: The software we use to produce databases causes this page to reload each time you search; after clicking "Search," scroll back down to view the results.

Online Database by Caspio

Click here to load this Caspio Online Database.

Massachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo issues 6 percent pay raises despite looming mid-year budget cuts

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The total cost of the raises is $1.6 million, reflecting 3 percent bumps for each of the last two years.

By MATT MURPHY

BOSTON - With state programs and agencies facing mid-year budget cuts, House Speaker Robert DeLeo has signed off on a more than 6 percent raise for all House employees after aides and staff went two years without a salary adjustment, according to his office.

The total cost of the raises is $1.6 million, reflecting 3 percent bumps for each of the last two years. A spokesman for the speaker said the increases would not be retroactive, and are based on two-year annual cost-of-living hikes, promotions or"merit-based modifications."

Announced the day before Thanksgiving with most lawmakers and staff far from Beacon Hill, the raises arrive as Gov. Deval Patrick is attempting to close a projected $329 million gap in the fiscal 2015 budget with a blend of unilateral spending cuts and reductions for agencies and programs that require Legislative approval.

"The adjustments are commensurate with those realized by most state employees within collective bargaining units and will be supported by existing appropriations," spokesman Seth Gitell said in a statement addressing the raises. Gitell could not say how many employees would be impacted.

According to the speaker's office, almost 60 percent of House employees earn $40,000 a year or less.

A spokeswoman for Senate President Therese Murray said that unlike in the House, raises for staff in the Senate are based on individual recommendations by members after performance reviews, and are not done across the board.

Patrick this month used his executive authority to unilaterally cut $198 million from the $36.5 billion state budget. After identifying additional revenue streams and asking quasi-public agencies to forgo about $29 million, the governor filed legislation to close the remainder of the shortfall with $57 million in cuts to local aid and non-executive branch agencies.

Among the recommendations, Patrick proposed a $1.27 million cut to the Legislature's budget, including almost $764,000 earmarked for House operations and $346,352 to the Senate.

While DeLeo roundly rejected the governor's call for a $25.5 million cut to local aid for cities and towns, Ways and Means Chairman Brian Dempsey is still reviewing Patrick's other recommendations and the House has not yet agreed to trim its own budget.

Holyoke Transportation Center sends travelers to family or home from work or to Thanksgiving planning

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Folks head around and out of the city at the Holyoke Transportation Center on Thanksgiving Eve.

HOLYOKE -- Her bus was minutes away. Lisa Raymo stood huddled in a dark coat and hood that exposed only her face to icy drifts outside the Holyoke Transportation Center Wednesday. A few more minutes.

"It'll be here at 10-of, or five-of," said Raymo, of Holyoke, just before 4 p.m.

She was thinking more about the warmth of the bus and heading home than it being Thanksgiving Eve, she said.

"I live up by the Holyoke Mall. Lovely time of year. I work at Dunkin' Donuts, Northampton Street. I took the bus down here," said Raymo, 46.

The Holyoke Transportation Center on Maple Street overlooking Veterans Park sorted folks up and down the city on Thanksgiving Eve.

Raymo's bus pulled in and left and then the outdoor bays were empty for a few moments. Then other buses slid in like big tubes with muted lighting to absorb shivering passengers behind the folding doors.

Cynthia James' Louisiana license plate stood out despite the snow covering her bumper. She waited for a bus to bring her daughter from work in Northampton.

She is originally from Springfield, said James, 41, visiting with her two other daughters, Nani 7, and Jesse, 2. She spoke from her car seat parked across from the bus terminal as snow pelted through the open window.

"I don't miss it. I don't mind the cold, but the snow, too much work," James said.

cynthia.jpegCynthia James sits in her vehicle at the Holyoke Transportation Center on Maple Street Wednesday (Nov. 26). Her daughters Nani, 7, left and Jesse, 2, are visible behind her. 


Virgil Hoheb, originally from St.Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, said he was en route to see family.

"I'm getting ready to head down to Springfield. I'm taking care of business. When it's like this, it's a little slower, but it's OK," Hoheb, 52, said inside the terminal.

As far as Sheila Martinez was concerned, the sloppy snow lacked any prettiness

"Traveling on a day like this is horrible," said Martinez, 25, waiting for a bus to Springfield.

US stock market inches to record ahead of Thanksgiving holiday

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Orders for long-lasting manufactured goods rose in last month, but a key category that tracks business investment plans declined sharply for a second straight month.

By STEVE ROTHWELL

NEW YORK — The U.S. stock market eked out another record close on Wednesday ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday as investors assessed the latest reports on the economy and some corporate earnings.

Orders for long-lasting manufactured goods rose in October, but a key category that tracks business investment plans declined sharply for a second straight month. Another report showed U.S. consumers spent modestly more in October, a slight improvement after no gain at all in the previous month.

The reports paint a picture of a "good, but not great" economy, said Scott Keifer, global investment specialist at JPMorgan Private Bank. Slow growth is keeping inflation low and that's holding down interest rates. The result is an environment in which stocks can prosper.

"There seems to be a feeling that the markets are going to continue to drift higher as we get to the end of the year," said Keifer, who is based in Orange County, Calif.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 5.80 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,072.83. The index has now closed at an all-time high on 47 occasions this year.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 12.81 points, or 0.1 percent, to 17,827.75. The Nasdaq composite climbed 29.07 points, or 0.6 percent, to 4,787.32.

Semiconductor stocks were among the gainers on Wednesday after Analog Devices reported income and revenue that exceeded Wall Street's forecasts. The company said it expects revenue growth of 21 percent in its first fiscal quarter. The stock jumped $2.85, or 5.5 percent, to $54.56, leading gains for semiconductor stocks in the S&P 500, which rose 2.3 percent.

Stocks have rebounded strongly from a slump that lasted from mid-September to mid-October. The S&P 500 has surged 11.3 percent since then. The gains have slowed this week, however, ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.

"This seems to be a classic holiday plateau," said Kristina Hooper, head of US Capital Markets Research & Strategy for Allianz Global Investors. "Probably, we are not going to get any focus until we come back on Monday."

The U.S. stock market will be closed on Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday. It will also close early, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time, on Friday.

Among individual stocks, Deere was among the losers.

The company's fourth-quarter results were stronger than Wall Street expected, but the company said its sales of farm equipment and its income will keep falling in the company's new fiscal year. Deere's stock slid 80 cents, or 0.9 percent, to $86.99.

Energy stocks were once again the biggest loser of the 10 industry groups represented in the S&P 500 index as the price of oil dipped again.

The price of oil slid to another four-year low in light trading ahead of an OPEC meeting Thursday in Vienna that is not expected to result in a cut to global production.

Benchmark U.S. crude fell 40 cents to close at $73.69 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell 58 cents to close at $77.75 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.

Energy stocks slumped 1.1 percent, taking their loss for the year to 5.6 percent. The sector is the only group in the S&P 500 to be down for the year.

In metals trading, futures closed little changed from the day before. Gold fell 50 cents to $1,196.60 an ounce, silver edged down half a cent to $16.55 an ounce and copper was flat at $2.96 a pound.

In bond trading, U.S. Treasury prices rose slightly. The yield on the benchmark 10-year note fell to 2.24 percent from 2.26 on Tuesday.

The dollar edged down to 117.65 yen from 117.85 yen late Tuesday. The euro rose to $1.2507 from $1.2477 late Tuesday.

Western Massachusetts, Northern Connecticut school closings and delays for Wednesday

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Heavy snow is forecast to hit the area by afternoon.

With heavy snow predicted for the region by the afternoon Wednesday, some area school districts will close a day early heading into the Thanksgiving holiday.

(Last updated at 7:48 a.m. Wednesday.)

Elementary and secondary schools: CLOSED Wednesday, Nov. 26

  • Amherst-Pelham School District

  • Gateway Regional School District

  • Hampshire Regional School District

  • Hartsbrook School, Hadley

  • Monson Schools

  • Mohawk Trail School District

  • Monson Public Schools

  • Mount Greylock Reg. School District

  • Northampton Schools

  • Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School, Palmer

  • Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School

  • White Oak School, Westfield

  • Williamstown Elementary School District


Elementary and secondary schools: HALF DAYS Wednesday, Nov. 26

  • West Springfield Public Schools

A number of area colleges are closed Wednesday. Find that list here »

For updates, check back here or visit CBS 3 Springfield, media partner of MassLive.com and The Republican.


Not Bread Alone prepares annual Thanksgiving dinner in Amherst for the hungry

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Not Bread Alone has been feeding the hungry in Amherst since 1983.

AMHERST - For Mallika Desu, it was the first Thanksgiving at the First Congregational Church of Amherst, though not the first in the U.S.A. The India native has had plenty of the latter. This year, she wanted to get the Not Bread Alone experience.

"It's nice to work here because all the people who come are very positive and have good energy," she said. "It's soul-satisfying."

Not Bread Alone has been feeding the hungry in Amherst since 1983. Kitchen manager Bob Stover wasn't sure how many Thanksgivings at the church that includes, but thinks the holiday meal has been going att least since 1990. Stover expected to feed 60-80 people Thursday, serving them turkey and the fixings, along with Nottingham yam pudding.

For some, preparing the annual holiday meal is a tradition. Ken Bernstein has been in the church's kitchen before, though it was the first time for his son, Asa Parker-Bernstein.

"People need food on Thanksgiving," said the Amherst High School junior, 17. "I think it's a good idea."

Jeanne Friedman of South Hadley, her partner Carol-Ann and their 12-year-old son all rolled up their sleeves to mash potatoes.

"It's a good way of helping people and a good thing for us to do," Friedman said.

Debbie Friedlander was having guests at her house later in the day, but was eager to lend a hand Thursday morning. Her job: lining trays with parchment paper in preparation for cornbread.

"You walk in and they tell you what to do," she said.

Upscale Kabul district hit by Taliban attack following fatal assault on British embassy vehicle; Video: 'Girls and boys among the wounded'

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Taliban fighters staged an attack Thursday evening in an upscale district in the Afghan capital Kabul. Witnesses described multiple explosions and bursts of gunfire in the Wazir Akbar Khan district, which contains numerous foreign embassies and compounds housing international agencies and companies -- as well as the homes of some senior Afghan government officials.


By LYNNE O'CONNELL

KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban fighters staged an attack Thursday evening in an upscale district in the Afghan capital Kabul. Witnesses described multiple explosions and bursts of gunfire in the Wazir Akbar Khan district, which contains numerous foreign embassies and compounds housing international agencies and companies -- as well as the homes of some senior Afghan government officials.

The attack came hours after a suicide car-bomber struck a British embassy vehicle, killing five people including a British citizen.

Kabul Police Chief Gen. Mohammad Zahir said there were three explosions followed by extended gunfire. A Taliban spokesman said the intended target was a guesthouse in the district occupied by foreigners. The spokesman, speaking on condition of anonymity, refused to give further details, adding only that the target of the attack was, "enemies."

Afghan police flooded into the area and locked down the surrounding streets. Footage from area security cameras showed heavily armed security forces and armored vehicles deploying in large numbers.

The attack took place near the compound of the development agency International Relief and Development. The agency's head of security, Tony Haslem, told The Associated Press the attack lasted about 45 minutes and he heard rocket propelled grenades and automatic weapons being fired.

Deputy Interior Minister Mohammad Ayoub Salangi confirmed that the target of the attack was a guesthouse in the diplomatic area. He said no foreigners had been killed.

"One Nepalese guard was wounded, but all the foreigners are fine," Salangi said. Three attackers had been killed, two by Nepalese guards at the guesthouse, he said.

"One of the attackers blew himself up," he added.

Kabul has come under regular attack in recent weeks. Earlier Thursday, a suicide bomber targeted a British embassy vehicle, killing at least five people, including a British security guard, officials said.

An Afghan national who was driving the vehicle was also killed, and a second British security guard was wounded, Britain's Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said in a statement.

Afghanistan's Interior Ministry spokesman Seddiq Sediqqi confirmed that four Afghans were killed in the attack and said another 33 civilians were wounded.

Earlier the British Embassy said no diplomats were riding in the car at the time it was hit.

Hammond, speaking at a press conference in Rome, called the attack "senseless and cowardly" and paid tribute to those killed.

"Let me take this opportunity to offer my condolences to those who lost their lives this morning, the families and friends of those who lost their lives and were injured in this appalling attack," Hammond said. "It reminds us once again of the risks that our personnel take every day in trying to help the Afghans to build a better future for their country and by helping them to do so to protect our own security and our own interests. "

Police said that a car packed with explosives rammed the heavily armored British embassy vehicle, exploding on impact and sending a huge plume of dust and smoke into the air.

The midmorning attack happened on the traffic-choked road between Kabul and Jalalabad city. Witnesses said at least a dozen civilian cars were damaged by the blast, and the road was strewn with smoldering debris from the British vehicle.

Video footage showed the roof of the embassy jeep had been blown off and flung about 15 meters (50 feet) along the road, an indication that it was a powerful blast, as the vehicles are built to withstand substantial impact.

Taliban insurgents claimed responsibility for the attack in a brief statement.

In recent weeks, suicide bombers have launched attacks on military convoys and on compounds housing foreign service companies and their international employees.

Thursday's suicide bomb attack is the first on a diplomatic target in Kabul for some time, as most embassies are secured behind high concrete blast walls with razor wire and guards with automatic weapons. The U.S. consulate in the eastern city of Herat was attacked last year and the Indian consulate in the same city was attacked in May this year.

In September 2011, insurgents launched a complex attack involving suicide bombers and gunmen on the diplomatic area of Kabul -- close to the U.S. Embassy and NATO's headquarters -- that lasted around 20 hours and left seven people dead, none of them U.S. citizens.

Kabul has come under almost daily attack as insurgents intensify their war on local security forces and U.S. and NATO troops, who are set to officially conclude their combat role in the country at the end of next month.


P.D. James, queen of crime writing, dies at age 94 in Oxford, England

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James took the classic British detective story into tough modern terrain, complete with troubled relationships and brutal violence, and never accepted that crime writing was second-class literature.

By JILL LAWLESS

LONDON — P.D. James took the classic British detective story into tough modern terrain, complete with troubled relationships and brutal violence, and never accepted that crime writing was second-class literature.

James, who has died aged 94, is best known as the creator of sensitive Scotland Yard sleuth Adam Dalgliesh. But her wickedly acute imagination ranged widely, inserting a murder into the mannered world of Jane Austen in "Death Comes to Pemberley" and creating a bleak dystopian future in "The Children of Men."

James told the Associated Press in 2006 that she was drawn to mystery novels because they "tell us more ... about the social mores about the time in which they were written than the more prestigious literature."

Publisher Faber and Faber said James died peacefully on Thursday at her home in Oxford, southern England.

Faber, James' publisher for more than 50 years, said in a statement that she had been "so very remarkable in every aspect of her life, an inspiration and great friend to us all."

James' books sold millions of copies around the world, and most were just as popular when adapted for television.

Because of the quality and careful structure of her writing -- and her elegant, intellectual detective Dalgliesh -- she was at first seen as a natural successor to writers like Dorothy L. Sayers, creator of Lord Peter Wimsey, in the between-the-wars "Golden Age" of the mystery novel.

062513_pemberley.JPGThis photo provided by PBS/Masterpiece shows Matthew Rhys, left, as Darcy and Anna Maxwell Martin as Elizabeth Darcy, in "Death Comes to Pemberley." The television show airing Oct. 26, 2014 and Nov. 2 on PBS, is adapted from P.D. James' 2011 mystery novel that revisits characters from Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice."  

But James' books were strong on character, avoided stereotype and touched on distinctly modern problems including drugs, child abuse, terrorism and nuclear contamination.

Novelist A.S Byatt said the realism of James' writing was one of its strengths.

"When people in her books died the other characters' lives changed as they would in real life," Byatt told the BBC. "Phyllis (James) was working with real people that she cared about.

"The world will be a worse place without her."

Although there was nothing remotely genteel about P.D. James' writing, she was criticized by some younger writers of gritty urban crime novels.

They accused her of snobbery because she liked to write about middle-class murderers, preferably intelligent and well-educated, who agonize over right and wrong and spend time planning and justifying their crimes. Dalgliesh of Scotland Yard, hero of more than a dozen of James' 20 novels, is a decidedly gentlemanly detective, who writes poetry, loves jazz and drives a Jaguar.

James was unapologetic. She said her interest was in what made people tick.

"The greatest mystery of all is the human heart," she said in a 1997 interview, "and that is the mystery with which all good novelists, I think, are concerned. I'm always interested in what makes people the sort of people they are."

Phyllis Dorothy James was born in Oxford on Aug. 3, 1920. Her father was a tax collector and there was not enough money for her to go to college, a fact she always regretted.

Even as a child, she said, she had been interested in death. As a little girl, when someone read "Humpty Dumpty" to her, she asked, "Did he fall or was he pushed?"

But she did not start producing her mysteries until she was nearly 40, and then wrote only early in the morning before going to the civil service job with which she supported her family. Her husband, Connor Bantry White, had returned from World War II mentally broken and remained so until his death in 1964.

"It was a late beginning for someone who knew from early childhood that she wanted to be a novelist, and, looking back, I can't help regret what I now see as some wasted years," James wrote in a 1999 autobiography, "Time to Be Earnest."

James worked as a filing clerk, hospital administrator and in the forensics and criminal justice departments of Britain's Home Office.

Her first novel, "Cover Her Face," was published in 1962 and was an immediate critical success, but she continued to work as a civil servant until 1979.

In 1980, with the publication of her eighth book, "Innocent Blood," her small but loyal following exploded into mass international popularity.

"Monday, I was ticking along as usual, and by Friday I was a millionaire," she once said.

The Crime Writers' Association gave James its Diamond Dagger award in 1987 for lifetime achievement, and in 2005 the National Arts Club honored her with its Medal of Honor for Literature.

As well as Dalgliesh, James created the female detective Cordelia Gray, protagonist of "An Unsuitable Job for a Woman" and "The Skull Beneath the Skin."

Her work was not confined to the mystery genre. Her 1992 science fiction novel "The Children of Men," about a dystopian future in which humanity has become infertile, was turned into a critically praised 2006 movie by Alfonso Cuaron.

In 2013 she published "Death Comes to Pemberley," introducing a murder mystery into the world of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice."

Queen Elizabeth II made her Baroness James of Holland Park in 1991, in recognition of her work as a governor of the BBC, a position she held from 1988 to 1993.

James represented the Conservative Party in the House of Lords, but in many ways she was anything but conservative.

James was often spoken of as an heir to classic mystery icons Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle, but her admirers thought she transcended both.

"Doyle and Christie are genre writers -- clever, yes, but one must suspend considerable disbelief right from the get-go when reading their works," said author Anita Shreve. "No such acrobatics are necessary with a James novel."

James is survived by two daughters and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

MANNA Soup Kitchen serves Thanksgiving dinner to hundreds in Northampton

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Bob Saalfrank, the head chef for MANNA Soup Kitchen's annual Thanksgiving meal, wasn't sure how many people 40 turkeys, 17 hams, 250 pounds of mashed potatoes and 140 pounds of squash would serve, but he'd already sent out 200 meals for delivery.

NORTHAMPTON - The line was long in the basement of Edwards Church Thursday, but the payoff was worth the wait: Thanksgiving dinner with friends.

Bob Saalfrank, the head chef for MANNA Soup Kitchen's annual Thanksgiving meal, wasn't sure how many people 40 turkeys, 17 hams, 250 pounds of mashed potatoes and 140 pounds of squash would serve, but he'd already sent out 200 meals for delivery. The Big Y and Stop & Shop provided many of the desserts and the meat came from the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.

George Bernier, of Hatfield, said he was all set to make himself a hamburger Thursday but changed his mind as it defrosted. Instead, he made the walk into Northampton.

"It got cold and windy," said Bernier, 68.

Another man in line who declined to give his name said he was there because he'd lost his job and the meal was free. Last year, he said, he had Thanksgiving with his niece.

"I'm kind of the black sheep of the family now," he said.

Manna.JPGMichael Brown was at Thanksgiving in spirit at Edwards Church. 

Raven Storm spends most of her days seeking spare change on the sidewalk in front of Faces on Main Street.

"If I wasn't here, I'd be not eating," she said.

Storm said she was at the meal with a friend and family.

Amy Bookbinder has been both a server and a guest at the Thanksgiving meal. This year she was on the receiving end of the food. Bookbinder brought with her a photograph of Michael Brown, whose shooting in Ferguson, Missouri, at the hands of police has sparked demonstrations across the country. Brown was black and the officer who shot him is white.

Brown.JPGAmy Bookbinder has her Thanksgiving meal. 
At one point, one of the guests stood and asked those eating the Thanksgiving dinner to applaud those serving it.

Northampton Chamber of Commerce hires shovelers in time for storm

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A Superior Court judge dissolved the BID earlier this month, ruling it was improperly formed.

NORTHAMPTON - Some might think it was Christmas elves, but it was the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce that picked up where the Business Improvement District left off, shoveling the sidewalks in downtown Northampton after the Thanksgiving storm.

A Superior Court judge dissolved the BID earlier this month, ruling it was improperly formed. Among the duties the BID had assumed in maintaining the downtown area was shoveling the sidewalks. The chamber, with the help of $10,00 in pledges from Baystate Health Outpatient Center, Florence Savings Bank, the Northampton Cooperative Bank and Smith College, has promised to undertake that task from now on.

Coming on the eve of Thanksgiving, the heavy snow took many by surprise. The few places that were open Thursday, including Bruegger's Bagels and CVS, said they shoveled their own sidewalks. Some, however, saw mysterious men dressed in yellow with shovels.

Mayor David J. Narkewicz confirmed that they were from the Dame Landscaping Company retained by the BID for shoveling snow. They now work for the Chamber of Commerce. Narkewicz said the Chamber was well prepared for the storm.

"It drove the timing (of the assignment)," he said.

Holyoke's Kate's Kitchen serves 137 Thanksgiving meals to folks who left 'rubbing their bellies'

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Kate's Kitchen is in its 34th year.

HOLYOKE -- Kate's Kitchen at 51 Hamilton St. served 137 meals to adults and children who needed a dinner or didn't want to be alone on Thanksgiving Thursday.

"Everything was beautiful, everybody was happy. We had the complete dinner," said Martin Davis of Chicopee, a Kate's Kitchen chef.

"I like to see the smiles on the kids' faces, people walking out of here rubbing their bellies," said Davis, 69, closing up after the noon meal.

Kate's Kitchen had 19 volunteers preparing and serving the food. The kitchen, which is in its 34th year and is part of Providence Ministries for the Needy Inc., served meals that were provided by the Knights of Columbus of Chicopee, as in previous years, Executive Director Karen M. Blanchard said.

"Everything went really well. It was great that we were able to provide such a wonderful meal to people because of the Knights of Columbus," Blanchard said.

The kitchen serves a noon meal every day of the year anyone who comes in no questions asked. It also provides a brown bag supper on Wednesdays from 5 to 6 p.m., its website said.

Kate's Kitchen served its first meal in 1980. The kitchen provides about 150 meals a day and has offered more than a million meals since its inception, the website said.

"The kitchen depends heavily on volunteers to assure the smooth running of the kitchen. We are grateful to the many church groups, farmers, supermarkets, restaurants, civic organizations and the general public for continually volunteering or donating food to this program," the website said.

Those interested in sponsoring a meal at Kate's Kitchen can call (413) 536-9109.

Several hundred savor Open Pantry Community Service Inc.'s annual Thanksgiving dinner

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With the help of dozens of volunteers, including U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield and 30 High School of Commerce students, the Open Pantry kept its 25-year holiday tradition alive.

SPRINGFIELD - By the time he finished his turkey dinner, Mark Adalan was already having a good day.

But as he wheeled his mountain bike out of the High School of Commerce cafeteria Thursday, things got even better: The "Macarena" began playing on the sound system and Adalan stopped for a moment to dance with his bike.

"It's all wonderful," the 58-year old Springfield man said. "Just wonderful."

Several hundred people shared his point of view Thursday during Open Pantry Community Service Inc.'s annual Thanksgiving dinner for the poor, hungry and homeless.

With the help of dozens of volunteers, including U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, and 30 High School of Commerce students, the Open Pantry kept its 25-year holiday tradition alive.

Allison Maynard, the Open Pantry's director, said about 300 people were served in the high school cafeteria and another 500 elderly, ill or homebound people had meals delivered.

Along with Christmas and Easter dinners, the noontime event is financed through private donations, Maynard said.

On Thursday, the dinner featured turkey, stuffing, sweet and mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and dessert delivered hot, to each table, by a small army of volunteers.

To Hector Cordero and his six children, the combination was perfect.

"It's awesome, everything tastes great," Cordero, 46, of Springfield. Across the table, his son Scottie offered a thumbs-up sign of approval.

Adding to the festive atmosphere was DJ Michael Yacavonne, who pumped out dance hits as food servers zigzagged across the cafeteria; in the corner, Magic Al the
Magician (also known as Alexander Sawicki of Chicopee), entertained children with card tricks.

By 12:30, a volunteer dressed in a turkey outfit joined a group of children dancing in front of the dj table to the sounds of Cupid's "Cupid Shuffle."

"It's a family-friendly event," said Terry Maxey, a volunteer waiter and member of Open Pantry's board of directors.

Commerce student Amber Martinez stopped for a moment to watch the dancers. With a few friends, the sophomore volunteered for the event last week after hearing an announcement over the school intercom.

"We like to help people - and its fun, too," she said.


Does brotherly love open doors to pope fans in Philadelphia needing a place to stay?

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Residents of the Philadelphia area are being asked to show some brotherly love to those traveling to the city to see Pope Francis next year.


By KATHY MATHESON

PHILADELPHIA — Residents of the Philadelphia area are being asked to show some brotherly love to those traveling to the city to see Pope Francis next year.

With hotel rooms filling up fast for the Roman Catholic-sponsored World Meeting of Families, organizers hope to find more than 10,000 households willing to host guests in their spare bedrooms for a modest fee. It will be the first pontifical trip to the U.S. since 2008.

"We hope that a large number of the people of Philadelphia -- not just the Catholic community, but others -- will open their homes to visitors from around the world," Archbishop Charles Chaput said this week.

Organizers estimate that as many as 15,000 people will attend the Sept. 22-25 conference, which offers workshops and seminars on strengthening family bonds. More than 1.5 million pilgrims are expected for the pontiff's two public appearances Sept. 26-27, including a festival and a Mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

But the city only has 11,000 hotel rooms, so finding enough space for everyone is going to be "a big project," Chaput said. Event planners have even looked at hotels 90 miles away in Baltimore, he noted.

To supplement those beds, organizers have begun promoting a "Host a Family" effort, enlisting the Irish company Homestay to help match prospective hosts and visitors. More than 100 families have registered so far, said Homestay CEO Alan Clarke, noting that travelers can begin booking their stays in the coming weeks.

Organizers have publicized the recruiting effort online and through local Catholic parishes, which is how Renee Bowen first heard of the opportunity. Bowen, who lives in the Philadelphia suburb of Wayne, said she wants to welcome an international guest so her family can have a memorable cultural experience on top of what promises to be a major religious and historical event.

"It's really a leap of faith," she said. "I just think there's going to be so much energy and so much excitement around this. I don't want to stand on the sidelines and just watch."

Bowen registered with Homestay by offering information about her family -- she is married with twin 12-year-olds and three cats -- and photos of the accommodations. Hosts are expected to live in the house with their guests and offer tips and suggestions on navigating the area.

Church organizers suggest families charge $30 to $50 per night, which Clarke said is roughly the average price per night across Homestay's thousands of properties worldwide. The company takes a 10 percent cut as an administration fee.

A similar hosting initiative was used at the last World Meeting of Families three years ago in Milan, Italy. Officials there reported 50,000 beds were used, according to Donna Crilley Farrell, executive director of Philadelphia's organizing committee.

Dakin Humane Society offers Black Friday specials on pet adoptions

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he Springfield and Leverett shelters of the Dakin Humane Society are offering adoption deals today.

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield and Leverett shelters of the Dakin Humane Society are offering adoption deals on Black Friday.

From 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Dakin will feature reduced adoption fees on cats 5 years and older, small animals and its Diamonds in the Ruff Thrift Shoppe items.

There will be a $5 adoption fee for cats 5 years old and older and for specially selected cats, a 50 percent discount on the adoption fee for small animals including rabbits, birds, mice, gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs and rats, and a 50 percent discount off items at the Springfield thrift shop.

According to a press release from Dakin, "These reduced adoption fee events are meant to help Dakin find homes for animals who have been waiting for adoption for a longer period of time than usual." The events also encourage adoptions.

The Springfield Dakin shelter is at 157 Union St. and the Leverett shelter at 163 Montague Road.


Rocky's Ace Hardware sponsors food drive for homeless pets

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Rocky's Ace Hardware is partnering with Lazer 99.3, WLZX FM and radio personality Pat Kelly through Dec. 23 to help homeless and abandoned pets.

SPRINGFIELD — Rocky's Ace Hardware is partnering with Lazer 99.3, WLZX FM and radio personality Pat Kelly through Dec. 23 to help homeless and abandoned pets.

Each of the nine Springfield area Rocky's Ace Hardware stores have partnered with an area Humane Society or shelter to collect food during the holiday season for animals in need.

Customers can make donations of much needed pet food at their local Rocky's Ace Hardware store. Specially marked signs and a collection basket will guide customers to the collection area. The stores will collect all donations and drive them to their locally chosen charity. Donations will be delivered directly to the shelter or Humane Society on or about Dec. 24, according to a press release from Rocky's.

Last year, the third annual pet food drive resulted in a collection of more than 8,000 pounds of food and many toys, pet beds and other needed accessories.

The following are recipients for the donations in Greater Springfield:

Agawam Friends of Homeless Cats and the Thomas J. O'Connor Shelter; Rocky's in Agawam

Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society, Rocky's in South Hadley, Hadley and Palmer

Thomas J. O'Connor Shelter, Rocky's in Island Pond Road, Springfield, Liberty St., Springfield, Ludlow and East. Longmeadow

Westfield Animal Shelter, Rocky's in Westfield

Lazer's Kelly will be at the following Rocky locations at the following times:

Dec. 1; 5-6 p.m. at East Longmeadow
Dec. 2; 5-6 p.m. at Westfield
Dec. 3; 5-6 p.m. at Hadley
Dec. 4; 5-6 p.m. at Liberty Street, Springfield
Dec. 5; 5-6 p.m. at Palmer
Dec. 8; 5-6 p.m. at Island Pond Road, Springfield
Dec. 9; 5-6 p.m. at South Hadley
Dec. 10; 5-6 p.m. at Ludlow
Dec. 11; 5-6 p.m. at Agawam
Dec. 12; 5-6 p.m. at East Longmeadow

Ferguson shooting: Did Michael Brown put his hands up? For some, it's irrelevant

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Despite a three-month state grand jury investigation and an ongoing federal probe, no one has publicly disclosed any photos or videos capturing exactly what transpired.

FERGUSON, Mo. -- The word spread within minutes of Michael Brown's death -- a young black man with his hands raised in surrender had just been shot by a white cop.

Soon, "Hands Up. Don't Shoot!" became a rallying cry for protesters in the streets of this St. Louis suburb and a symbol nationwide of racial inequality for those who believe that minorities are too often the targets of overzealous police.

Yet the witness accounts contained in thousands of pages of grand jury documents reviewed by The Associated Press show many variations about whether Brown's hands were actually raised -- and if so, how high.

To some, it doesn't matters whether Brown's hands literally were raised, because his death has come to symbolize a much bigger movement.

"He wasn't shot because of the placement of his hands; he was shot because he was a big, black, scary man," said James Cox, 28, a food server who protested this week in Oakland, California.

Some witnesses said the 18-year-old had his hands held high toward the sky as Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson gunned him down midday Aug. 9. Others thought they saw his hands partially raised, about shoulder high. To some witnesses, his palms appeared out, as if surrendering. To others, his palms seemed open, as if glancing at his wounded hand or gesturing with an attitude of "what are you going to do about it." Some said Brown's hands weren't raised at all.

The truth may never be certain. Despite a three-month state grand jury investigation and an ongoing federal probe, no one has publicly disclosed any photos or videos capturing exactly what transpired.

After a Missouri prosecutor announced Monday night that the grand jury had decided not to indict Wilson, the symbolic chant of "Hands Up. Don't Shoot!" rang out from protesters from Los Angeles to New York to London.

In Ferguson, some protesters have been wearing shirts with the phrase as they demonstrate outside the police station.

Protester Taylor Gruenloh, a 32-year-old white man from nearby Florissant, said that while he believes there's truth to claims that Brown had his hands raised when shot, the lack of proof makes little difference to protesters who have found it to be a unifying force.

"Even if you don't find that it's true, it's a valid rallying cry," he said. "It's just a metaphor."

Brown had been walking with a friend down the center of Canfield Drive when Wilson, passing in his patrol vehicle, told them to move to the sidewalk. They did not. Wilson testified that he then realized Brown was a robbery suspect. A scuffle broke out at the vehicle. Wilson fired a shot that hit Brown in the right hand. When Brown ran, Wilson gave chase. At some point, Brown stopped and turned toward Wilson, who opened fire.

Wilson told the grand jury that Brown had his left hand in a fist at his side and his right hand under his shirt at his waist, and was charging toward him.

The phrase "hands up" is peppered throughout the grand jury documents, as prosecutors and investigators tried to clarify exactly what witnesses saw. In quite a few cases, it's unclear exactly what the witnesses say they saw, because the gestures they made for grand jurors weren't described in the transcripts.

Some of the witness accounts of the shooting differed so much they didn't seem like the same scene.

"I saw him in the middle of the street on his knees with hands up," one witness said. "(The) officer came up to him and shot him in his head and he fell."

Another witness was insistent that Brown was on his feet and did not raise his hands.

"The officer was already in pursuit of him. He stopped. He did turn, he did some sort of body gesture, I'm not sure what it was, but I know it was a body gesture," the witness said. "And I could say for sure he never put his hands up after he did his body gesture, he ran towards the officer full charge."

In some regards, the disputed circumstances of Brown's death highlight the inherent troubles with eyewitness testimony.

"It's difficult for people under the best of circumstances to accurately report what happened," said Elizabeth Brondolo, a psychology professor specializing in the effects of race on mental and physical health at St. John's University in New York.

For Wilson and others at the shooting scene, what they say they saw may depend not just on their vantage point, but also their view of life, she said.

"The truth always really matters, but it's important to recognize that past experience to stereotypes also influences the perception of hands being raised," Brondolo said.

After the Ferguson grand jury announcement, several hundred protesters marched through central London with their hands raised, shouting "Hands Up. Don't Shoot!" Others carried hand-made banners saying "Black lives matter." The Brown shooting has particular resonance in London, which was rocked by days of rioting following the 2011 death of Mark Duggan, a young black man shot to death by police under disputed circumstances.

Architect Evan Chakroff was among the protesters this week in Seattle. He said the "Hands Up" gesture is far from a literal representation of the circumstances of Brown's death.

"My sense is that it's totally symbolic and a way of representing powerlessness" in the face of inequality and militarized police, he said.

Several demonstrators said focusing on the exact circumstances of Brown's shooting misses the point of the slogan.

"This is not about one boy getting shot in the street, but about the hundreds just like him who have received the same callous and racially-influenced treatment," said Oakland, California, protester Gabe Johnson, a middle school teacher. "So ultimately, no, it doesn't matter at all if somehow we can say for sure whether this one young man really said these words or had his hands up."

Weekly rallies supporting rebuilding of Cathedral High School planned for Surrey Road site in Springfield

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The diocese, for its part, has released figures showing that enrollment at Cathedral had declining sharply before the 2011 tornado destroyed the Surrey Road campus.

SPRINGFIELD - A group fighting for the rebuilding of Cathedral High School on Surrey Road plans to hold weekly rallies at the site, beginning this Sunday.

The rallies, called Sundays on Surrey Road, will be held each Sunday at 5 p.m. on the grounds of the tornado-damaged Surrey Road school.

In a release Thursday, the Committee for Cathedral Action said the rallies were scheduled with the cooperation of East Forest Park residents and will involve "flashlight and rosary" rallies and walks.

The rallies are the latest move by the non-profit group of alumni and friends of Cathedral High School committed to keeping the school in the East Forest Park neighborhood.

On Monday, the group announced plans for a "Save Cathedral Day" on Dec. 16 during which members will wear Cathedral High apparel and display bumper stickers and lawn signs to show support for rebuilding the school on Surrey Road.

Last week, 400 people attended a rally to keep the school on Surrey Road at St. Anthony's Maronite's social hall.

The group, formed last year, has stepped up its efforts following Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski's letter earlier this month indicating that rebuilding on Surrey Road is not a certainty.

The announcement came long after Springfield area residents had considered the rebuilding a certainty.

Following lobbying from students, parents, East Forest Park residents, city councilors and Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, the diocese announced in March that it would rebuild the school destroyed in the June 1, 2011, tornado with the help of funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

At the time The Most Rev. Timothy A. McDonnell, now retired, said the project would be financed from a tornado-related insurance settlement and disaster relief funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The diocese, for its part, has released figures showing that enrollment at Cathedral had declining sharply before the 2011 tornado destroyed the Surrey Road campus.

Built in 1959, the school was designed for 3,000 students; enrollment for the current year is 217, or 555 fewer students than a decade ago, according to the diocese.

In his Nov. 9 statement, the bishop said any decision on Cathedral's future would be made only after options and opinions have been reviewed.

In a release Friday, the committee said the Sunday rallies will involve "flashlight and rosary walks" and were scheduled with the cooperation of East Forest Park residents.

Annual Parade of Big Balloons set for downtown Springfield

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The parade will make its way down Main Street, beginning at 11 a.m.


SPRINGFIELD - The annual Parade of Big Balloons steps off Friday morning along Main Street through downtown Springfield, beginning at 11 a.m.

The parade, which features a giant Cat in the Hat and other balloons, marches from Lyman Street to Locust Street in the South End.

This year's parade will be led by Colonel Thomas Cleland, instructor for Springfield Central High School's Air Force Junior ROTC, and members of his family. Behind him will be the Springfield Central High School Band and the more than 450 students enrolled in the Junior ROTC program.

Besides the 50-foot Cat in the Hat, there will will also be a 40-foot Smokey the Bear, a 35-foot tall Tweety Bird, and others, along with 200 or so balloon wranglers leading them on their way.

Also, the Springfield Fire Department's Ladder 1 will escort Santa Claus along the parade route, and afterward, he will take his seat at Tower Square's Annual Holiday Open House.

For more information, visit the Spirit of Springfield website.

Massachusetts Health Connector schedules health insurance enrollment fair in Springfield for area residents

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The health insurance enrollment fair is scheduled Dec. 3, from noon to 8 p.m., at the Springfield Marriott.

SPRINGFIELD - The Massachusetts Health Connector and other organizations will team up to provide a health insurance enrollment fair for area residents on Wednesday, Dec. 3, at the Springfield Marriott.

The enrollment fair is from noon to 8 p.m., at the Marriott, at 2 Boland Way, in the downtown.

The event gives residents from the area the opportunity to get help from trained experts and sign up for 2015 health insurance.

The Massachusetts Health Connector will be joined by MassHealth, Health Care for All, health insurance carriers, and Navigator community groups from across Western Massachusetts to host the enrollment fair.

Along with application assistance, Health Connector carriers will be available to provide information to visitors.

The Springfield Falcons will provide activities and a visit from Screech the Falcon, and there will be free food and give-aways, including free Falcon tickets.

Open enrollment for health insurance began Nov. 15. Everyone who is in Health Connector coverage or was placed in temporary coverage over the last year will need to submit a new application if they still want to be covered by health insurance through the state, according to a release from the Massachusetts Health Insurance Connector Authority.

For additional information on the event, or to apply for coverage, residents can visit: MAhealthconnector.org.

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