Quantcast
Channel: News
Viewing all 62489 articles
Browse latest View live

Two local stars ready to compete in Special Olympics in Athens

0
0

“I just zone out, and I look at the finish line, and I just keep running.”

Special olympics local 61611.jpgJanelle Evrart, of Springfield, plans to compete in bocce during the Special Olympics in Greece this summer.

Two young women from Western Massachusetts embark on the trip of a lifetime today.

Alyssa Neil, of Holyoke, and Janelle Evrard, of Springfield, are departing on the first leg of a journey to Athens, Greece, where they will compete for Team USA in the Special Olympics Summer Games running June 25 through July 4.

Special Olympics was founded in 1968 for athletes with intellectual disabilities. Like the regular Olympics, it meets internationally every four years for Summer Games, with Winter Games staggered in between.

About 7,000 special athletes from around the world will be competing in 21 sports this summer. Among the members of Team USA will be Neil and Evrard, who first met at the team’s training track in San Diego in March.

The women were notified in the fall that they were on the team. “I’m very excited,” said Evrard, 36, who will be competing in bocce.

Neil, 20, is a runner with over 50 medals in track and field events.

She said she has been dreaming of going Greece ever since she saw the animated movie “Hercules” at age 5. “I can’t wait to see everything Greece has to offer,” she said.

She’s been running since age 11. It all started when she participated in a Special Olympics meet ( “just for fun”), but impressed others with her speed.

“We couldn’t believe it,” said her mother, Connie Neil.

“I just zone out, and I look at the finish line, and I just keep running,” said Neil.

Her coach is her cousin Kyle Robert, of Holyoke. “He works me really hard,” she said.

“He tells me to run a lot more on my toes, because I can get more traction. And to bring my knees up and forward.”

Neil and her sister Courtney were cheerleaders in high school. They compete together in Unified Games, which pair able and disabled athletes.

“Kyle has been her coach since she started,” said Courtney Neil, who will join her sister in Greece. “I’m just her cheerleader.”

Timothy Neil loves what athletics has done for his daughters. “From day one,” he said, “they grew in self-esteem and in the courage to get out there and try things,” he said.

Evrard said bocce, though not very common in this country, is her favorite sport among several she has tried.

“You’ve got to have just the right strength to roll the ball to hit the pallina,” she explains. (“Pallina” means “little ball” in Italian.)

“If you use too much strength, it would roll right past, and you wouldn’t be anywhere near it. With too little strength, it wouldn’t go far enough.”

Being involved in sports has helped Evrard shed 115 pounds. “She’s in training mode now,” said her mother, Caron Evrard, of Springfield.

Evrard joined Special Olympics 10 years ago, but didn’t start losing weight until she began playing volleyball five years ago.

Encouraged, she kept on exercising. “I go to the gym a lot,” she said, “and I like to take a nice walk with my dad at Forest Park.” Her father is Alain Evrard.

“Janelle is a warm and loving person, and she’s going to try her best to win the gold,” said her mother.

Massachusetts Special Olympians will gather tonight for the Torch Run at Boston University’s arena before eventually heading to Greece.


Shaq implicated in street gang beatdown of man who claimed to have sex tape of now retired NBA star

0
0

Members of a Los Angeles street gang are facing charges in the 2008 beating of a man who claimed he had a sex tape of Shaquille O'Neal and that the former NBA star was behind the attack.

Shaquille O'NealFILE - Boston Celtics Shaquille O'Neal is shown before facing the Sacramento Kings in Boston, in this Jan. 12, 2011 file photo. The Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday, June 15, 2011, citing sheriff department records, that O'Neal denied any involvement in the 2008 beating of a man who claimed he had a sex tape of Shaquille O'Neal. O'Neal and has not been charged. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Members of a Los Angeles street gang are facing charges in the 2008 beating of a man who claimed he had a sex tape of Shaquille O'Neal and that the former NBA star was behind the attack.

Sheriff's department records reviewed by the Los Angeles Times showed investigators probed allegations that O'Neal was connected to the attack, but O'Neal denied any involvement and has not been charged, the paper reported Wednesday. Also, O'Neal is not named in the criminal complaint.

Robert Ross reported being beaten in 2008 but details of the case only came to light publicly this week in a preliminary hearing in which Ross testified against seven members of the Main Street Crips facing kidnapping, robbery and assault charges.

According to sheriff's report, Ross told investigators he was kidnapped at gunpoint by Main Street Crips gang members in West Hollywood in February 2008 and taken to the home of the gang's alleged leader Ladell Rowles. He said the gang members beat him, stole $15,000 in cash and some jewelry.

Ross said Rowles demanded the purported videotape of O'Neal having sex with a woman other than his wife and $100,000, according to the sheriff's investigative report.

Ross told investigators in 2008 that he believed O'Neal was behind the attack because of a business deal gone bad and because O'Neal believed he had the tape, the Times reported. Ross later told police he was "bluffing" about the tape.

Detectives found phone records showing a "flurry of calls" between Rowles and O'Neal's business partner Mark Stevens around the time of the February 2008 incident, the sheriff's report said.

O'Neal and Stevens both denied any involvement in the attack when interviewed by sheriff's investigators in 2008, the Times said.

Prosecutors said they have no evidence that a sex tape exists.

In a July 2009 letter asking for leniency in Ross' sentencing for unrelated federal drug and firearm charges, a sheriff's captain wrote that Ross was cooperating with law enforcement as a victim and witness in an incident that may implicate a "celebrity," the Times reported.

Attorney Nicholas Tonsich, who represented O'Neal and Stevens, did not immediately respond to an Associated Press call for comment.

O'Neal retired this month after 19 seasons, several of them with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Ross is expected to resume his testimony when the preliminary hearing continues in July.

Hacker group Lulz Security claims to have hit CIA website

0
0

A group of hackers who breached the Senate computer system earlier this week claimed responsibility for problems with the CIA's website Wednesday.

Lulz Security.jpgLulz Security is a computer hacker group that claims to be responsible for several high profile attacks.


By LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A group of hackers who breached the Senate computer system earlier this week claimed responsibility for problems with the CIA's website Wednesday.

The group, known as Lulz Security, tweeted "Tango down - CIA.gov," and there were difficulties throughout the early evening accessing the agency's website.

The computer mischief appeared to be targeting the CIA's public website, which does not include classified data and has no impact on the CIA's operation. CIA spokeswoman Marie Harf said the agency is looking into the reports.

It is sometimes difficult to tell if a website has been hacked, or if the claim alone drove so many people to the site that it crashed. Efforts to access the website were met with an error message long after the breach began, around 6 p.m. EDT.

Early Thursday the site had returned to normal operation and could be accessed from various parts of the country, according to a review by analysts at Keynote, a mobile and internet cloud monitoring company based in San Mateo, Calif.

Lulz has claimed credit for hacking into the systems of Sony and Nintendo and for defacing the PBS website after the public television broadcaster aired a documentary seen as critical of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

On Monday, the group accessed a Senate server that supports the chamber's public website but did not breach other files, according to a Capitol Hill law enforcement official. The hackers said the release was a "just for kicks" attempt to help the government "fix their issues."

Senate Deputy Sergeant-at-Arms Martina Bradford said in a statement that while the intrusion was inconvenient, it did not compromise the security of the Senate's network, members or staff.

Lulz Security claimed that it had added a Senate file to its list of successful, high-profile intrusions at a time when governments and corporations are on high guard for cyber intrusions.

The group has suggested it is trying to highlight cyber security weaknesses.

Greenfield literacy students tackle James Joyce's novel 'Ulysses'

0
0

Students at the Greenfield-based chapter of The Literacy Project took on sections of the book because their teacher, Joseph Panzica, wanted to challenge them.

LIT.JPG Richard J. Riddle, left, of Greenfield, is studying to prepare for his GED with help from instructor Joseph F. Panzica at The Literacy Project, located at 15 Bank Row in Greenfield.

GREENFIELD – Richard J. Riddle left high school in the 12th grade to join the Marines. He never received his high school diploma. He didn’t read novels – his interests were women, cars and sports magazines.

But now the 55-year-old has puzzled his way through chapters of “Ulysses” – the James Joyce novel that Modern Library declared was the best English-language novel of the 20th century.

Riddle and his fellow students at the Greenfield-based chapter of The Literacy Project took on sections of the book because their teacher, Joseph Panzica, wanted to challenge them.

“The work should be very hard, very challenging,” Panzica said. “You basically try to set it up where everyone is challenged. People are going to get different things (out of it.)”

“It’s a very hard book to understand if you don’t focus,” said Riddle, who read the passages six or seven times, and then skimmed over them a few more times.

“You have to concentrate on every word the author puts out,” he said.

While reading it was challenging and complicated, “I would rather learn something hard than easy. It’s boring (otherwise.)”

While the project has offices in Orange, Ware, Northampton and Amherst, the Greenfield office was the only one that took on the reading, said Judith Roberts, executive director.

She said this was the first time she heard of a general equivalency diploma program tackling the stream of consciousness novel that follows the life and thoughts of Leopold Bloom and other characters – real and fictional – on a single day, June 16, 1904.

Part of the Literacy Project’s mission is to instill the need for critical thinking. “We know a GED alone is not enough. (If) people are taking strides on the road out of poverty, they have to have a higher education. That’s also in part why we’re doing these kinds of readings,” Roberts said.

“It’s really exciting. It’s opening doors to them. They want to read Milton, Shakespeare,” and other writers that Joyce refers to. “It’s really challenging their minds.”

“I like challenges,” Riddle said. “I don’t like doing one and two equals three.” After reading “Ulysses,” he said, “I feel more confident. I am aware I can tackle harder subjects.”

And this summer, he’s hoping to read the entire novel – in the 700- to 800-page length, depending on the edition.

The Literacy Project will be joining in the international celebration of the work on Bloomsday Thursday at The Sierra Grill in Northampton and The People’s Pint in Greenfield from 7 to 9 p.m. The event – in which sections of the book will be read – serves as a fund-raiser for the Literacy Project.

AM News Links: Video of Stanley Cup reactions in Boston and Vancouver; Photo essay of lunar eclipse from around the world; and more

0
0

Video of Stanley Cup reactions in Boston and Vancouver, photo essay of lunar eclipse from around the world, and more interesting news from around the world.

NOTE: Users of modern browsers can open each link in a new tab by holding 'control' ('command' on a Mac) and clicking each link.

Springfield city councilors propose fewer furlough days for lower paid, non-bargaining employees

0
0

Under a City Council proposal, non-bargaining staff earning $100,000 or more would be required to take 14 or 15 unpaid furlough days, while employees making less than $25,000 would take no furloughs.

Kateri Walsh 2010.jpgKateri B. Walsh

SPRINGFIELD – City councilors are proposing that the mayor’s plan to require all non-bargaining city employees to take 12 unpaid furlough days in the coming year be altered to soften the blow on lower paid workers.

Councilor Kateri B. Walsh, the lead sponsor of the proposal, is asking Mayor Domenic J. Sarno to instead impose a tiered furlough system in which the highest paid city employees would be required to take the most furlough days and the lower paid workers would face less furlough days.

“It would be much fairer,” Walsh said Wednesday. “There is such a difference in pay.”

The council will consider passage of the non-binding resolution at its next meeting Monday, at 7 p.m., at City Hall.

Sarno’s proposed fiscal year 2012 city budget, which takes effect July 1, includes a wage freeze and 12 furlough days for the city’s 330 non-bargaining staff including department heads and the mayor himself. The steps helped close a $5.4 million budget gap.

The wage freeze and furloughs were also proposed for union employees, but were subject to collective bargaining, and were not accepted.

The approach of 12 furlough days, regardless of income, “will place an unnecessary burden on those making lower salaries,” the council resolution states.

“A fair and equitable plan would be a tiered furlough plan..” the resolution states.

“Be it further resolved that no employee in a salary range of $25,000 or less would be included in the furloughs and if there are any employees who are currently deployed in the Armed Services, that they not be affected, the resolution states”

Sarno, through a spokesman, said he has not yet reviewed the proposal, but plans to forward it for review by his Finance Department. Sarno said he is focused on the tornado cleanup efforts.

Walsh said she believes she has the support of all 13 members of the council for the tiered system.

The council is scheduled to vote on the mayor’s $544.9 million budget proposal on Wednesday. The proposed budget includes de-funding 48.5 vacant positions, and laying off 33.5 employees.

Walsh, in one suggestion, said the mayor could have employees earning more than $100,000 take 14 or 15 furlough days, while someone earning approximately $50,000 a year could be required to take five or six furlough days.

Under one sliding scale proposed by Walsh, Sarno, whose salary is $95,000, would face 13 furlough days.

Your Comments: Readers react to ex-Massachusetts speaker Salvatore DiMasi's conviction on corrpution charges

0
0

Former Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi was convicted Wednesday on corruption charges. Here is what our readers are saying about it.

DiMasi and family 61511.jpgFormer Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi, right, walks with his wife Deborah and other family members after leaving the Federal courthouse in Boston, Wednesday after his conviction on conspiracy and other charges in a scheme to steer two state contracts worth $17.5 million to a software firm in exchange for payments.

BOSTON (AP) – U.S. District Court Judge Mark Wolf scheduled sentencing for Aug. 18 following the conviction of former Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi and an associate on corruption charges.

DiMasi was convicted Wednesday in a scheme to steer two state contracts worth $17.5 million to a software firm in exchange for payments to the powerful lawmaker and two of his close friends.

Wolf allowed DiMasi to remain free until then, with the provision that he cannot leave New England.

House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo, who succeeded DiMasi as the Democratic leader of the Massachusetts House, called the conviction “deeply troubling” and a powerful blow to the public’s trust in government.

But DeLeo rejected the idea that the trial pointed to deeper problems at the Statehouse, saying lawmakers have worked to toughen ethics laws.

Speaking to reporters after the conviction, U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz said “the culture of corruption on the Hill has been dealt another blow.”


The MassLive.com readers took a variety of stances on the issue. Here is what some of you had to say:

whoknows1 says: No one is questioning Mr DiMasi's service - He was found guilty for breaching that trust. His record as a legislator was not on trial, his corruption was!

gorgon67 says: Three Massachusetts House Speakers indicted in a row. All Democrats.

wally01057 says: Take a bite out of crime. Vote Republican.

chase718 says: So you are saying that only democratic pols are corrupt. Read all history, not just recent history. Let me know what you find.

shotinthedark says: Is the state still providing him with his pension? I understand the taxpayers funded his defense.

CommanderKor says: We have an old Klingon saying: "It is difficult to steal when you have no hands." Think about it, puny humans.


What do you think? Is DiMasi just one part of a larger "culture of corruption" in the Bay State? Does the problem exist solely within the Democratic Party in Massachusetts? Chime in below and join the conversation.

Sunrise report: Forecast, poll and more for Thursday June 16

0
0

Today's poll: Did you watch game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals?

Bruins fans in Holyoke react to Stanley Cup win06.15.2011 | HOLYOKE - Bruins fans at Brennan's Place on High St. react following the team's victory in game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals. Find all of our Bruins coverage here.

The Forecast

Plenty of gray out there this morning, but forecasters are promising a pleasant day.

ABC 40 / FOX 6 meteorologist Dan Brown writes:

The sun will be back [...] with highs in the lower 80s and dew points in the 50s. It will once again be nearly perfect for any outdoor plans. This time we're not expecting any afternoon or evening storms.

A frontal system will bring clouds and periods of mainly light rain back into western Mass for Friday however, overall the weekend is still looking pretty nice. There may be an afternoon shower or storm on Saturday but mixed in will be some sunshine as well.

Find the full forecast here.





Today's poll

The Boston Bruins captured the Stanley Cup last night with a 4-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks. The game capped a dramatic 7-game series.

The Bruins staged several comebacks over the course of the finals, trailing 2-0 and 3-2. The AP reports that only three other teams have won on the road in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals.

The last time the Bruins won the Stanley Cup was 1972

Did you watch the game? Vote in our poll, and check back tomorrow for the results.

Yesterday's results: On Wednesday, we asked, "Should schools be required to teach personal finance literacy?" 15 people voted. 66.67% said "Yes," and 33.33% said, "No."




Wednesday's Top 5

The top 5 headlines on MassLive.com on June 15 were:

  1. Massachusetts tornadoes aerial photos: Path of the tornado one week later (part 2: Monson, Brimfield, Sturbridge, Southbridge) [photo gallery]

  2. Massachusetts tornadoes aerial photos: Path of the tornado, one week later (part 1) [photo gallery]

  3. Springfield police arrest Jason Williams, 29, for allegedly entering woman's house and passing out on her couch

  4. Owners of properties condemned from tornado being called into housing court by Springfield officials

  5. Attleboro 8th-grader faces rape charge





Quote of the Day

“I just zone out, and I look at the finish line, and I just keep running.”
— Alyssa Neil of Holyoke, who will travel to Athens this summer to compete in the Special Olympic Summer Games. Read Patricia Cahill's story here.


Agawam School Committee creates new position for curriculum and instruction

0
0

The School Committee had create a new position at a lower salary to replace that of assistant school superintendent for curriculum and instruction.

AGAWAM – The School Committee has agreed to create the new position of director of curriculum and instruction despite a suggestion by mayoral candidate Rosemary Sandlin that funds for the job be used to save the job of two secretaries.

The committee voted 6-1 Tuesday to establish the new position and set a salary of $80,000 to $85,000 a year. The new position would replace that of assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. The person who currently holds that job, William P. Sapelli, will become interim school superintendent in late August.

School Superintendent Mary A. Czajkowski, who is leaving this summer to take a job on Cape Cod, proposed that with Sapelli leaving his job now would be a good time to eliminated that position and create a new, lower-paid job. Sapelli’s salary is $110,047 a year.

Officials have agreed to post the new job right away to get someone on board in time to replace Sapelli as soon as possible.

Sandlin argued at Tuesday’s meeting that the School Committee could keep the position by budgeting $1 for it and use the rest of the money to retain the jobs of two school secretaries slated for layoffs.

Over the next year, Sandlin suggested responsibilities with curriculum could be handled by principals and assistant principals. Sandlin, who used to the city’s state representative, also served on the School Committee for 22 years.

Mayor Richard E. Cohen, who chairs the School Committee, voted in favor of establishing the new job. Cohen said he supports the establishment of the new position as it has been endorsed by the school system’s chief educational experts, Sapelli and Czajkowski.

Responsibilities of the director of curriculum and instruction will include overseeing curriculum and instruction, professional development and English as a second language programs as well as ensuring compliance with Title 1, which governs antipoverty efforts, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Section 504 defines whether a person has a disability, including mental, physical and health impairments.

West Springfield tornado victims have tough time finding new housing

0
0

Refugees homeless because of the tornado want to remain in West Springfield, but are having a hard time finding new housing there.

Lutheran Social Services 61611.jpgMohammed Najeeb, the long term relief coordinator for Lutheran Social Services, talks about the difficulties of finding housing in West Springfield for refugees left homeless by the June 1 tornado.

WEST SPRINGFIELD – Homeless refugees living in the shelter for tornado victims are having a hard time finding permanent housing, according to an official at the refugee resettlement agency Lutheran Social Services.

They are having difficulties because of the cost of getting apartments and the general lack of available apartments in West Springfield, where most of them want to remain, Mohammed Najeeb, the agency’s disaster long-term relief coordinator, said Tuesday.

There is generally a scarcity of available apartments in the city that he said has been made worse by the fact that the housing stock has been affected by the June 1 tornado. The city has condemned 14 buildings of which five are residential, is eyeing condemning 11 more, all of which are residential, and has documented damage to about another 100 structures as a result of the June 1 tornado. Most of the destruction from the tornado was confined to the Merrick neighborhood, which is the poorest section of town and is heavily populated with refugees.

Najeeb said the refugees need low-cost housing and are also stymied by the fact that most landlords want the first month’s rent, the last month’s rent and a security deposit up-front.

“It is hard for them to (just) pay month to month,” Najeeb said.

So far, Lutheran Social Services has placed five families left homeless by the tornado and is working to find housing for 19 more families of as many as four to six people each.

There are currently about 90 people in the shelter the city has set up on the grounds of the Eastern States Exposition fairground. Najeeb estimated about 80 percent of the families in the shelter are refugees and clients of Lutheran Social Services.

Najeeb said the tornado has particularly frustrated the refugees, most of whom spent years living in refugee camps before coming to this country. Added to that is the fact that getting refugee status from the United Nation’s High Commission of Refugees, which enables them to move to this country, takes one to three years, according to Najeeb.

Refugees have suffered from such problems as racism as well as religious, social and political conflicts in their own countries, he said.

After starting with nothing in this country, the ones at the shelter have now lost everything once again, according to Najeeb.

“They are frustrated. They come to this country with zero....We have refugees in the shelter who have been in this country a couple of months,” Najeeb said. “They are so frustrated. They just wanted their American dream, a job and a home. You see your American dream blown away by a tornado, gone right before your eyes.”

“Our house is totally damaged,” Lakshima Adhikari, 20, said of her family’s former home at 85 George St.

Adhikari, whose family is originally from Bhutan, moved here with them two years ago from a refugee camp in Nepal.

She said they have no relatives in this country to offer them help.

“We are looking for an apartment in West Springfield. It is hard to find one,” Adhikari said.

Charles W. Medeiros, long-time Westfield city councilor, dies after short battle with illness

0
0

Medeiros, always colorful and often bombastic in his service to the city, served as city councilor for 32 years

charliem.JPGLong-time city councilor Charles W. Medeiros, while serving as acting mayor in 2009, speaks during a press conference.

WESTFIELD – Long-time city councilor Charles W. Medeiros died early Thursday in his beloved city after a short illness.

Richard K. Sullivan Jr., former mayor, called Medeiros “one of the best street politicians I had ever met.”

Medeiros was always colorful and often bombastic during the course of his 32 years as city councilor, but Sullivan stressed his relationship with the man was always marked with honesty and respect.

Sullivan said his colleague and friend “was bigger than life” and that his death marks the end of an era for the city.

During his tenure, Medeiros served with seven mayors, more than 200 city councilors and was elected council president eight times.

Sullivan said Medeiros passed away about 4 a.m.

Unemployment applications drop, but remain high

0
0

Applications have been above 400,000 for 10 straight weeks, evidence that the job market is weak compared to earlier this year.

061611unemployment.jpgPeople walk past a "now hiring" sign outside the future site of a Uniqlo clothing store, Wednesday, June 15, 2011 in New York. Japanese-owned Fast Retailing Co., Ltd., owner of Uniqlo, plans to open two new locations in New York and add up to 1100 new employees. Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, though the number of applications remains above levels consistent with a healthy economy.

WASHINGTON — Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, though applications remain above levels consistent with a healthy economy.

Unemployment benefit applications fell 16,000 to a seasonally adjusted 414,000, the second drop in three weeks, the Labor Department said Thursday. That's a positive sign that layoffs are slowing.

Still, applications have been above 400,000 for 10 straight weeks, evidence that the job market is weak compared to earlier this year.

Applications had fallen in February to 375,000, a level that signals sustainable job growth. They stayed below 400,000 for seven of nine weeks. But applications surged in April to 478,000 — an eight-month high — and they have declined slowly since then.

The four-week average, a less volatile measure, was unchanged.

Economists said the report signals that the job market is improving, but at a very slow pace.

"This is not a derailing of the economy," said Bricklin Dwyer, an economist at BNP Paribas. "This is a period of weak growth, and we're going to see this for some time."

Separately, builders broke ground on more new homes in May, but not enough to signal a recovery in the housing market. New-home construction rose 3.5 percent from April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 560,000 units per year, the Commerce Department said Thursday. Economists say the pace of construction is far below the 1.2 million new homes per year that must be built to sustain a healthy housing market.

The elevated level of applications suggests that companies pulled back on hiring in the face of higher gas and food prices, which have cut into consumer spending. Hiring has slowed sharply since applications rose.

Employers added only 54,000 net new jobs in May, much slower than the average gain of 220,000 per month in the previous three months. The unemployment rate rose to 9.1 percent from 9 percent.

Employers probably added more jobs in June than in May, but less than the 220,000 pace earlier this year, economists said.

The economy needs to generate at least 125,000 jobs per month just to keep up with population growth. At least twice that many are needed to bring down the unemployment rate.

But economists forecast the nation will add only about 1.9 million jobs this year, according to an Associated Press Economy survey earlier this week. That's only about 150,000 per month and is lower than a previous estimate two months ago.

The number of people receiving unemployment benefits dropped 21,000 to 3.68 million, the lowest in two months. But that doesn't include the millions of additional unemployed Americans receiving benefits under emergency benefit programs put in place during the recession. All told, 7.4 million people received benefits during the week ending May 28, the latest data available. That's about 200,000 fewer than the previous week.

More hiring is important because it's key to boosting consumers' incomes, which in turn would fuel more spending. Consumer spending grew at a weak 2.2 percent annual rate in the January-March quarter, down from 4 percent in the previous quarter. That pushed down economic growth to 1.8 percent from 3.1 percent.

Yet some companies are cutting jobs. Johnson & Johnson said Wednesday that it will stop making some of its heart devices because sales have fallen, a move that will eliminate up to 1,000 positions. Some of those cuts will be overseas.

And state and local governments are laying off thousands of employees in order to close large budget deficits. On Tuesday Los Angeles' school district approved a plan that would cut 2,000 jobs in the 2011-2012 school year.

Rush Limbaugh's 'Two if by Tea' urges consumers to rise above 'sameness and mediocrity'

0
0

Rush Limbaugh announced a new sweet tea product designed to convey American ideals and patriotism, as well as provide a refreshing summer beverage.

Two if By TeaThe front page of Limbaugh's "Two if by Tea" website replaces the face of Paul Revere with Limbaugh's own and provides a flash menu where visitors can learn about our nation's history, and how Limbaugh's tea represents the values of America. Courtesy Two if by Sea

Rush Limbaugh made his latest publicity stunt Wednesday when he --- at long last ---revealed one of his best kept secrets: a brand new sweet tea beverage called (ahem) "Two if by Tea" (get it?).

Of course being who he is, Limbaugh didn't undertake this venture simply to provide the public with a refreshing summer drink. He explains his purpose in a letter he wrote to buyers on the product's website.

"Two If By Tea represents traditional American values of capitalism and the pursuit of excellence. Each bottle is designed to rise above the sameness and mediocrity that threatens our great nation."

In fact Limbaugh wants consumers to rise so far above that "sameness and mediocrity" that he asks them to pay a whopping $23.76 to order a 12-pack. The beverage's only unit available for retail is available only over the internet.

And there's a reason for that too, as Limbaugh explains in this video from Fox. In the video, Limbaugh says, "it wouldn't be fair, we couldn't get it to everybody. So we want to make sure that it's available online so that everybody has an equal opportunity to access it."

As if plastering his face on the body of an American hero and using it to sell a product wasn't enough of a political statement for one week, Limbaugh has been keeping up his steady stream controversial declarations.

This week, Limbaugh blamed liberal women for the adultery of male politicians, and criticized the GOP debate moderator and CNN anchor John King for asking questions about gay marriage and abortion.

So how about it folks? Will you be supporting Limbaugh's everlasting crusade by ordering a case of his fine American sweet tea?

Charles W. Medeiros, 32-year Westfield city councilor, former mayor, dies

0
0

Medeiros served 32 years on the Westfield City Council and was twice acting mayor of the Whip City

MEDEIROSRETIRE.JPGFormer Westfield City Council President Charles W. Medeiros, who died June 16, is shown here center, flanked by John J. Bonavita, left, owner of the Tavern restaurant in Westfield, and Hampden County Sheriff Michael J. Ashe, right, during a retirement celebration held Sept. 26, 2009, at the Sons of Erin in Westfield.


WESTFIELD – “Some things in life aren’t supposed to change,” one veteran politician remarked here on Thursday morning.

The political landscape of the Whip City is changed, though, with this week’s death of one of the city’s longest serving city councilors and a former mayor, Charles W. Medeiros.

“They broke the mold after Charlie I think,” said another longtime public servant, former Ward 4 Councilor Barbara Swords. “He didn’t mind taking on anyone or anything.”

Medeiros, often bombastic, never shy, always intense but also, some attest, a sweetheart of a guy, died early Thursday at the Governor’s House. He had been battling lung cancer in his final weeks. He was 65.

When he retired from politics in 2009, Medeiros had served 32 years as a councilor, was council president for eight terms and had twice served as mayor in six-month stints when those serving as chief executive stepped aside.

Medeiros cut his teeth in the world of politics as the campaign coordinator for the late state Rep. Robert W. McGinn, another legend in his own time of Westfield politics back in 1960s and early 1970s. First elected as a member of the city’s Recreation Commission, Medeiros, even then as a newcomer, never shrank from confronting issues or talking about things in public.

At one point in 1971, as recreation commissioner, he found himself called before the City Council to answer questions about whether he’d butted heads – literally – with then-Mayor John Palczynski. “Well, I didn’t hit him,” Medeiros is reported to have told the council when asked if he’d come to blows with the mayor.

In 1973, the same year he was named an “Outstanding Young Man in America” by the Jaycees, Medeiros’ first attempt at a City Council seat failed. But, returning to the political arena in 1975, Medeiros ran for an at-large post and was elected with a group of young newcomers to politics who made for an interesting contrast with old-guard councilors.

The late Richard Swords was among that group of stalwarts who Medeiros joined in his early years on the council; Swords’ widow, Barbara Swords, would later become a council colleague to Medeiros.

“Charles was always respectful of me because of Dick,” Mrs. Swords recalled. “He would be mad with me for always poking around in his Ward 1, but he never lost his patience and never yelled at me.”

Barbara Swords, who led council efforts to protect the Barnes Aquifer that sits beneath a good chunk of what was Medieros’ home ward on the city’s North Side, said she worked to help Medeiros understand her environmental concerns and the need to protect the underground water resource. “He was always very respectful even though he felt like wringing my neck, I’m sure.”

“You either liked (Charlie) or you didn’t, but he made a lot of friends and he helped a lot of people. He was just so good a person,” said Swords, who’s also retired from politics.

The stories about Medeiros are legion, like the 1978 psychological sparring match he had with former council president Edwin Morawiec. Medeiros began eating peanuts – crunching them right out loud – at the council meetings; an angered Morawiec turned to the council’rs ethics subcommittee and got an opinion from the city solicitor which gave him the right to end the munching by Medeiros.

“I didn’t do it disrupt the entire council, only one person. I believe the council president and I have reconciled our differences,” Medeiros told the press as he called a truce.

Former Mayor Richard K. Sullivan had heard all the stories – and some myths – about Mediros by the time he met him in the 1980s as a young politician “He was certainly bombastic and kind of prone to be in your face,” said Sullivan, who is now state secretary of energy and the environment. “He tried to be somewhat intimidating.”

Though their styles and approaches to politics were totally different, the two became allies in many causes, Sullivan said. “Charlie was totally grounded in his beliefs; he represented the blue-collar worker, the average citizen of Westfield. He was the best at knowing what was going on at the ground, knowing what mattered to them. He was an absolute street politician, and he did it well.”

Not always on the same side of an issue, Sullivan said, he and Medeiros developed a friendship which lasted to the end. “We probably voted against each other (on the City Council) more times than not, but he never lied to me. He always told me what he was doing and why.”

Sullivan said he is likely not to be alone in learning that Medeiros’ most proud moment as a councilor was that he never voted against a School Department budget.

“It surprised me a little bit,” the former mayor said of the response Medeiros gave to his recent question about the legacy he may leave. “He could be loud and bombastic on the floor the council (chambers), and he only had an eighth-grade education. But, that answer (about supporting school budgets) that tells you something about him. Not to say the hard-scrabble outside wasn’t necessarily an act, but inside he was always trying to do the right thing for the city of Westfield.”

It was those instincts to help people which made Medeiros a consumate politician, added close friend Michael Powers. A lawyer who grew up in West Springfield and who worked for the likes of U.S. Rep. Edward P. Boland and longtime Hampden district attorney Matthew J. Ryan, Powers said Medeiros held strong to the old ways of doing right by his constituents.

"He had the desire to serve and to do the right thing for people. All he cared about was everybody else. He always put everything and everyone else above himself. He was the consumate public servant," Powers said. In fact, in his final days in a Springfield hospital, Medeiros shared with Powers his desire to go home. "He wanted to die in his city."

Funeral arrangements are incomplete; read more in The Republican on Friday.

CHASMEDEIROS.JPGThen acting Westfield Mayor Charles W. Medeiros reads to kindergarten, first and second graders during the annual mayor's holiday read at St. Mary's School in 2007. Medeiros died on June 16.



AP sources: Anthony Weiner to resign over sexting scandal

0
0

The seven-term Democrat's decision to leave Congress marks at least an ignominious pause if not an end in a once-promising career.

anthony weiner resignsIn this June 6, 2011 file photo, U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., leaves a news conference in New York, where he confessed that he tweeted a bulging-underpants photo of himself to a young woman and admitted to "inappropriate" exchanges with six women before and after getting married.

WASHINGTON — New York Rep. Anthony Weiner has decided to resign his seat in Congress after a two-week scandal spawned by lewd and even X-rated photos the New York lawmaker took of himself and sent online to numerous women, relieved Democratic officials said Thursday.

A formal announcement was expected later in the day.

Weiner, 46, has been at a treatment facility at an undisclosed location since last weekend, and has not been seen in public since telling reporters last Saturday he intended to return to work.

One official said Weiner telephoned House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Steve Israel of New York, the head of the party campaign committee, on Wednesday evening to tell them of his plans to quit. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the private nature of the conversations.

Weiner's decision to give up his House seat marks the end of a scandal without the sex — an event that resulted from the brash New Yorker's use of social media such as Twitter and Facebook.

He at first denied having sent any inappropriate photos, then recanted in a remarkable news conference 10 days ago at which he admitted having exchanged inappropriate messages with several women.

His confession triggered a tabloid-style frenzy in print and online that only grew more pronounced a few days later when an X-rated photo of the 46-year-old lawmaker surfaced on a website.

After initially calling for a House ethics committee investigation, Pelosi dramatically ramped up the pressure on Saturday when she joined with Israel and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, leader of the Democratic National Committee, in calling on Weiner to step down.

Within hours, Weiner disclosed his plans to enter treatment, and Pelosi's aides made it known that did not negate her demand for a resignation.

Several officials have said in recent days that Weiner was reluctant to make any decision about his career without speaking with his wife, Huma Abedin, a top aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who had been overseas since shortly after the scandal broke. The trip ended Tuesday night.

Abedin is pregnant with the couple's first child.

The seven-term Democrat's decision to leave Congress marks at least an ignominious pause if not an end in a once-promising career. Weiner ran for New York mayor in 2005, and had talked of seeking the office again.

His outspoken, in-your-face style cheered liberal supporters and angered conservatives. He even irritated some party leaders in 2009 when he led the charge for a government-run health care system long after the White House had made it clear that Obama was opposed.

Weiner's district includes parts of Queens and Brooklyn. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is expected to call a special election to fill the seat once the congressman submits his resignation.

Weiner's problems began on May 28 when BigGovernment.com, a website run by conservative commentator Andrew Breitbart, posted a lewd photograph of an underwear-clad crotch and said it had been sent from Weiner's Twitter account to a Seattle woman.

Initially, Weiner lied, saying his account had been hacked. But he pointedly did not report the incident to law enforcement — a step that could have led the way to charges of wrongdoing far more serious than mere sexting.

Additionally, his public denials were less than solid — particularly when he told an interviewer that he could not "say with certitude" that he wasn't the man in the underwear photo.

Weiner's spokesman said the photo was just "a distraction" and that the congressman "doesn't know the person named by the hacker."

The congressman denied sending the photo and said he had retained an attorney and hired a private security company to figure out how someone could pull off such a prank.

But Weiner dropped that story line on June 6, offering a lengthy public confession at a Manhattan news conference, admitting to online activity involving at least six women.

It was a remarkable turn of events for the brash Weiner, who conceded to a "hugely regrettable" lapse in judgment.

Weiner said he used his home computer and personal Blackberry, not government computers, in his exchanges with the women. But that might not be protection under House rules that say a member "shall conduct himself at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House."

Weiner entered politics as an aide to then-Rep. Chuck Schumer, who represented parts of Brooklyn. Weiner served on the New York City Council from 1992 until his election to the House in 1998, taking over the seat vacated by Schumer when he made his successful Senate bid.

Weiner's racy online escapades were a gift to the New York tabloids. The New York Post labeled the affair "The Battle of the Bulge" and called on Weiner to "Fall on Your Sword."

The media spotlight stayed on the congressman, upsetting Democratic Party leaders who wanted nothing more than to see Weiner quit the House and bring an end to the sordid affair.

On Friday, the congressman acknowledged he'd exchanged private Twitter messages with a 17-year-old girl from Delaware. She'd heard Weiner speak during a high-school trip to Washington and had become an admirer.

The police were looking into the matter Saturday. Weiner said there was nothing inappropriate in their messages.


Developing: Haz-mat response prompts closure of large section of Springfield Street in Agawam

0
0

Officials have tentatively set a press conference to discuss the situation at 11:15 a.m.

Emergency personnel, citing potential hazardous materials situation, have closed this section of Springfield Street in Agawam.

AGAWAM - Emergency personnel, citing a potential hazardous materials situation, evacuated an apartment building and closed a large section of Springfield Street in the Feeding Hills neighborhood.

Agawam Mayor Richard Cohen, speaking during an informal press conference, said the city was notified by the FBI at about 4 p.m. on Wednesday that there was a possible dangerous substance at Carriage House apartments at 1162 Springfield St.

“The FBI was informed that there might be something there,” said Cohen, who declined to identify those who have been evacuated.

The building was evacuated at about 9 a.m. Thursday, officals said.

There is no danger to students in nearby schools, Cohen said, adding that a hazardous materials team, state police, the FBI and local health officials are overseeing a search of the building.

Cohen would not identify the substance in question, but said it was potentially dangerous.

A report of suspicious materials in that same building prompted its evacuation back in June 2004.

Additional information was not immediately available.

Obituaries today: Hazel Paige of Springfield, 96, worked for Springfield public schools, was Bethel A.M.E. church leader

0
0

Obituaries from today's Republican.

Hazel Paige 61611.jpgHazel L. Paige

AGAWAM - Hazel (Lewis) Paige, 96, of Springfield, died on Monday at Heritage Hall West. A native of Oxford, N.C., she was the daughter of the late William Henry Lewis and Annie Lewis Chavis. She was employed by the Springfield School Department for many years. She was a member of Bethel A.M.E. church where she served as a member and President of the Mary Fisher Steward Board and was recognized in 1998 by The Lay Organization for outstanding work and service in her community. She did volunteer work with the Urban League at the Children's Place as a foster grandparent. She was a member of the American Business Women's Association and was honored as Woman of the Year in 1991.

Obituaries from The Republican:

Massachusetts unemployment rate falls to 7.6%

0
0

This is the lowest unemployment rate the state has seen since February 2009.

BOSTON – The Massachusetts unemployment rate is continuing to fall.

In May the rate dropped to 7.6 percent, down from 7.8 percent in April and well below the national unemployment rate of 9.1 percent.

This is the lowest unemployment rate the state has seen since February 2009.

But it’s not all good news.

The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development said Thursday the state lost 4,000 jobs in May. That includes jobs in government; leisure and hospitality; transportation; financial services; and mining and logging.

Education, health services, construction, and other industries gained jobs.

This follows a 20,300 job gain in April.

There are just over 3.2 million jobs now in the state. Public sector jobs are up 0.9 percent, and private sector jobs up 1.6 percent over a year ago.

While applications for unemployment benefits fell nationally last month, the country's rate was reported at 9.1 percent.


More details coming on MassLive and in The Republican.

Thursday tornado resource roundup: How to apply for FEMA aid

0
0

The president's declaration of a federal disaster area means the federal government will pay for the majority of the storm-related costs.

Below is a list of announcements regarding resources and tornado relief efforts we've received in the newsroom so far on Thursday, June 16.

If you know of a resource that should be added to this list -- or to the map at the bottom of this post -- please post a comment or email online@repub.com.

The United Way is coordinating volunteer efforts. Call 2-1-1 for information.

Call ahead before heading out to a donation center, to make sure that location is still accepting donations. And, avoid scams: check the Better Business Bureau charity guide before donating.



EVENTS / ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR THURSDAY, JUNE 16

Obama declares disaster area
The president's declaration of a federal disaster area in Hampden and Worcester counties means the federal government will pay for the majority of the storm-related costs for Springfield and other eligible communities, state agencies and nonprofit organizations.

The register for federal aid, call (800) 621-FEMA or (800) 621-3362. The TTY line number for the hearing impaired is (800) 462-7585. Or, register online at disasterassistance.gov.

Russo said phone numbers go to a phone bank that is open from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily.

Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation’s Boston Service Center accepting applications for financial aid
From Springfield Partners for Community Action: The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation’s Boston Service Center will accept applications for emergency financial aid from homeowners whose houses sustained damage from the tornado on Thursday, June 16, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Springfield Partners for Community Action, 721 State St., 2nd Floor.

Emergency financial aid will range from $200 to $500 per homeowner. Residents need to bring proof of address and their Red Cross case number to this sign-up session. Spanish translators will be available.

For more information, call 413-263-6500.

Wilbraham Red Robin to host "10%" night tonight
From Facebook:

We are going to be having a 10% night at the Wilbraham Red Robin on June 16th, 2011 from 5 to 9 pm. 10% of everyone's total bill will be donated to the people affected by the tornado in Brimfield and Monson, to be donated directly to Monson First Church and Brimfield Congregational. We need all the help we can get so SPREAD THE WORD !!




The map below includes shelter locations, agencies accepting donations, storm assistance centers and other resources.

Map Key:

  • Red line: Street closed.
  • Blue line: Road open, but police advise motorists and pedestrians to avoid the area.
  • Green marker: Shelter location
  • Pink marker: Donations accepted
  • Pink marker with dot: Information resource + donations accepted.
  • Yellow marker: Food / donation distribution point.
  • Turquoise marker: Information and links to other resources.
  • Purple marker: State Storm Assistance Center.



View Western Massachusetts tornadoes: Resources, damage and road closures in a larger map


ONGOING RESOURCES / REQUESTS

RMV offers free ID replacement for tornado victims
According to a press release from the Department of Transportation, "Governor Deval Patrick has directed that the RMV waive the $25 fee associated with duplicate IDs and license for residents living in the communities impacted by the storms." Read more here.

Food Bank seeks volunteer help at Hatfield warehouse
WWLP reports:

Food Bank Program Director Christina Maxwell says "Right now we need more people to volunteer to help distribute food and water. The community has been wonderful responding to this need and we've been getting cash donations as well as food donations. We could definitely use volunteers at our warehouse in Hatfield and people can go on our website to find out how to sign up for those opportunities."

Visit the Food Bank's website for information.

STCC library rolls out calendar of relief events
Nice use of a Google calendar to aggregate both fundraising and distribution events happening here.

Red Cross releases video of Sen. Scott Brown's Springfield tour

Ryan Hughes, a Central Mass Chapter volunteer for the Red Cross, shot and edited video chronicling Scott Brown's June 4th tour with the Red Cross. Rick Lee, executive director of the American Red Cross Pioneer Valley Chapter, writes:

Ryan is a professional videographer who took a high definition camera out on my ride-along with U.S. Senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts into some of the most severely affected areas of Springfield.

I should note that, Senator John Kerry was with us in the shelter June 1st and returned last week to revisit our shelter to speak with clients and workers. He personally thanked almost every Red Crosser he came upon and told me he had raised $25,000 through his Facebook page to support Red Cross relief in western Massachusetts.

Governor Deval Patrick, Lt. Gov. Tim Murray and much of our local political delegation have been on scene and offering their support.

When asked what we needed most I told both Senators Brown and Kerry “we need the Individual Assistance and Presidential Declaration to fuel federal financial assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to the homeowners, renters and businesses affected by these devastating storms. They pledged to do all they could to support that.

"Monson Unites" shirts available starting Today
Posted by Laura Sauriol to the Monson Tornado Watch 2011 Facebook page: OFFICIAL "MONSON UNITES" T-Shirts Will be available for $20 starting Tuesday at Monson Savings Bank and at The First Church of Monson!

Information on the Monson Recovers Resource Center
From Monson's website:

The Monson Recovers Resource Center (MRRC) has opened at Hillside School, 29 Thompson Street to provide information to community members for services needed and resources available. The MRRC has been operational since Tuesday, June 7, 2011 and is staffed by Medical Reserve Corps and community volunteers. People who are interested in volunteering by staffing the office to provide information and resources to our neighbors are asked to contact Liz Manley at monsonrecovers@monson-ma.gov or by calling 413-579-4803.

Area police and firefighters need help with Monson cleanup effort
The "Monson Tree Crew," made up of local first responders, will take another trip to Monson Wednesday (June 15) to help clear trees and debris. Organizer Justin Green writes: "We will be working on Ely Road tomorrow June 15th which is the street across from First Church. They seem to have a significant amount of work that still needs to be done. All volunteers will be meeting at the Pride Gas Station in Palmer at 7:30AM and then heading in when we get everyone together."

More information on the effort, from Fireground360: After the recent tornadoes that affected several cities and towns across Western Massachusetts local law enforcement officers and firefighters came together with chainsaws and manpower. These individuals descended on the town of Monson, MA and are providing critical assistance with the removal of trees and debris from houses, driveways, and outside structures. Their swift action this has allowed the devastated families access to their homes and what is left of their belongings.

The crew's hope is to continue this service throughout the town of Monson with the assistance of heavy equipment. With the much needed donation of a skid steer, the machine would give volunteers the ability to be more efficient by moving larger pieces of debris from the storm ravaged neighborhoods.

The crew needs: MANPOWER to pull brush + cut trees from houses, CAT 257B skid steer + grapple bucket (rental cost $451.93), used professional chain saws, saw chains, bars, files, 2 cycle oil + bar/chain oil, monetary donations for heavy equipment rental

If you would like to give a monetary donation, donate equipment and HELP in some small or BIG way we urge you to contact: Justin Green, UMASS PD, Monson Tree Crew, (413) 387-7722. Donations can also be made at Florence Savings Banks under the name of "LE Tree Crew Monson Tornado Relief".

For other questions please contact Paula + Rick Labrecque, FIREGROUND360°, fireground360@gmail.com or (413) 250-7924

Mass.gov launches tornado recovery resource page
Mass.gov's tornado recovery page includes information on storm assistance centers, rebuilding resources, consumer information, and how to help.

Catholic Charities establishes donation center
Donation center established at St. Francis Chapel, 254 Bridge St., Springfield, open Tuesday and Thursday, through July 7, also by appointment, call (413) 733-9298; needs include lamps, dishes, flatware, cups, glassware, small kitchen appliances, pots and pans, linens, blankets, towels, toiletries for adults and children, spring and summer clothing, including undergarments and sleepwear, all sizes, diapers, baby food, formula, non-perishable food supplies; also accepting volunteers and funds to assist displaced victims and aid other agencies like Red Cross and Salvation Army; more information available online, www.diospringfield.org or email inquiries to tornadorelief@diospringfield.org.

Holyoke Mall accepting donations on behalf of Springfield Rescue Mission
People may donate the following items at the customer service center, located on the lower level near Sears:

  • Non-perishable food / beverages: Bottled Water, Ice Tea Mix, Lemonade Mix, Bread, Peanut Butter, Jelly / Jam, Sugar

  • Paper / other kitchen goods: Sandwich baggies, plates, cups, napkins, paper towels, plastic flatware

  • Clean-up needs: Work gloves, Kitchen gloves (powderless), Heavy duty kitchen bags (40-45 gallon size), Hand sanitizer packets or wipes, Sunblock, Bug spray

  • Clothing: New underwear (men, women and children), New Socks (men, women and children), New t-shirts (men size large and XL). Note: The Rescue Mission is in "desperate need" of women's new underwear and new socks. 

  • Toiletries: Toothbrushes / toothpaste, soap and body wash, deodorant, lip balm, shampoo / conditioner, brushes / combs, tissues, hand / body lotion, baby power, disposable razors, shaving cream.

  • Gift cards for gas and food: Gift cards will be accepted to distribute to those living in crisis and to assist the Mission.

Council of Churches of Greater Springfield lists donation / distribution sites
The Council of Churches of Greater Springfield has set up a tornado relief page listing donation and distribution sites. Basilica of the Holy Apostles at 339 State Street in Springfield is accepting large furniture items, food, clothing and other large donations, and a "show room' will be set up at the church to facilitate pick-up.

Salvation Army offers vouchers for clothing purchases
Today, the Salvation Army will be distributing vouchers that tornado victims may use to purchase clothing at Salvation Army retail stores, said Maj. Linda Perks. Victims may claim vouchers at 170 Pearl Street from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Friday.

Perks said the Salvation Army is accepting clothing donations at 327 Liberty Street. Donations of food, toiletries and water may be made at 170 Pearl Street.

Center for Human Development seeks donations
From Chris Yurko, communications director:

CHD’s Diversion, Shelter & Housing program is collecting household items, furniture, canned foods, dry goods, and other items that will be distributed to individuals and families displaced by the June 1 tornado in the West Springfield, Springfield, Wilbraham, and Monson areas. Items needed in new or “like new” condition:

Kitchen supplies (silverware, plates, bowls, cups, etc), towels (large and small) canned foods, dry goods, bedding (sheets, comforters, pillows), bed frames (twin and full), mattresses (new), pots & pans, lamps, flash lights/batteries, toiletries (toilet paper, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo, feminine hygiene, etc.), cleaning supplies (paper towels, disinfectant, sponges, mops, brooms, etc.)

Please deliver to CHD PACE School, 69 Capital Drive, West Springfield, MA, or contact: Rose Evans at (413) 737-2679 (office), (413) 519-5468 (cell), revans@chd.org (email) or Jane Banks at (413) 737-2679 (office), (413) 575-7402 (cell), jbanks@chd.org (email).

Monetary donations and / or gift cards to any local Springfield area business that carries listed items will also be accepted and used to assist tornado victims. Please send monetary donations and/or gift cards to: CHD Development Office, 332 Birnie Ave. Springfield, MA 01107.

Uno restaurants, Taste of the Valley donating to tornado relief efforts
Through June 10, all Uno Chicago Grill restaurants in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island will donate 10% of their profits to the Pioneer Valley Red Cross.

West Springfield's Taste of the Valley event, which runs today (4 p.m. to 9 p.m.) through Sunday will be donating 100% of its proceeds to local tornado relief efforts.


FEMA, MEMA offer new ways to donate and volunteer
From MEMA public information officer Peter Judge:

Those wishing to make monetary donations to assist the most impacted individuals can contribute to the Massachusetts Statewide Disaster Relief Fund. This effort, hosted by the United Way of Tri-County can be found online at www.unitedwaytri-county.org/disaster. These funds will then be distributed in the form of grants to meet the needs of individuals and families through long-term recovery groups recognized by the Massachusetts Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (MAVOAD).
Members of the public interested in volunteering their time/skills or wishing to donate products/ equipment are encouraged to do so by using the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Donation’s Management System at http://www.aidmatrixnetwork.org/FEMA/.

Springfield seeks landlords with vacant housing units
From the mayor's office:

In an effort to help the victims of the tornado, Attorney Lisa DeSousa from the City’s Law Department – Housing Division, is urgently requesting any landlords who have available rental units to contact the Office of Housing at (413) 787-6500 or email Lizzie Malave at lmalave@springfieldcityhall.com.

Relief fund established for Monson
The Monson Arts Council reports that a relief fund for Monson has been established at Monson Savings Bank. Checks can be made out to: Make check out to Monson Savings Bank, Monson Tornado Relief, 146 Main St., Monson, MA 01057.

The Arts Council also notes: "Donations and volunteers can help at First Church, 5 Main St; Glendale Methodist Church, Main St; or St Patrick church. All clothing is being taking in at St Patrick's, The First Church and Glendale are providing hot/cold food and drinks. They both have non-perishable items for the tornado victims."

And, debris pick-up information from Kathleen Conley Norbut, Emergency Management Director:

The Board of Selectmen has contracted with Ash Britt Environmental to begin debris collection and removal from the storm beginning on Tuesday, June 7, 2011.

Regular trash pick-up resumes June 6, 2011.

Residents are asked to separate disaster debris and place vegetative debris only in piles at the curb in the public right-of-way, not on private property and NOT IN THE STREET.

Stimulations Learning Center in Monson distributing toys, school supplies and more
Stimulations Learning Center has been collecting and distributing toys, books, outdoor equipment, school and art supplies, baby items, games, puzzles and other items for children and families. Pick-up times are 7 a.m.-7 p.m. daily.

The center is also seeking donations of large boxes, masking tape and storage space.

Phone: 413 267-4716 and 413 267-0558

Open Pantry offers food and clothing
From the website of the United Way, a list of resources offered by Open Pantry Community Services [main phone: (413) 737-5354]:

  • Emergency Food Pantry: Our emergency food pantry is open Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday and Friday from 9:00AM-3:00PM. We are waiving the intake process for all tornado survivors. Special boxes will be prepared with ready to eat foods and toiletry items. We are located at 2460 Main Street, Springfield.

  • People's Center: The People's Center provides free clothing to those in need. We are open Monday through Friday 10:00AM-2:00PM. On Tuesday June 7, the People's Center will be open only to those affected by the tornado. In addition we will distributing ready to eat food and hygiene products out of 287 State Street (3rd Floor) from 9:00AM-5:00PM.

  • Loaves and Fishes Kitchen: We provide two meals a day at 12:00PM and 5:00PM. We are at Christ Church Cathedral Monday through Friday, South Congregational on Saturday and Sunday at Shiloh Seventh Day Adventist.

Red Cross seeks translators
From the website of the Pioneer Valley Chapter: The American Red Cross Pioneer Valley Chapter currently has a need for specialized translators -- if you are trained in the following: Napalese, Arabic, Burmese, Russian or Spanish -- please report to the Pioneer Valley Chapter at 506 Cottage St., Springfield and ask for Paula W.

Donations to the Red Cross Pioneer Valley Chapter may be sent to 506 Cottage St., Springfield, 01104. Phone (413) 737-4306. Donations also can be made online at http://www.redcrosscwm.org/.

Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society offers temporary pet care
Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society, located at 171 Union Street in Springfield, is offering temporary care for pets owned by residents displaced by the tornado. Dakin will house and provide care for pets for 5 days. Phone: (413) 781-4000.

Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control & Adoption Center offers services for stray animals, search and rescue
Residents can contact the Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control & Adoption Center for "field services" (search and rescue) involving animals, or if they find stray cats and dogs. The center is located at 627 Cottage Street. Phone: (413) 781-1484.

Friendship Baptist Church in Brimfield offers relief for tornado victims
Brimfield's Friendship Baptist Church, located at 9 East Brimfield / Holland Road, is coordinating chainsaw crews to help residents clear downed trees and limbs from their property. To schedule a crew, call (860) 961-0513. Crews are currently operating between Sturbridge and Monson, Pastor Steve Nurger said Monday morning. Nurger said the church also has showers and laundry facilities available to stricken residents. And while the church is not an official meal site, Nurger said, "We always have food."

Clothing, household items available at Hitchcock Academy in Brimfield
Sharon Palmer, assistant director of Brimfield's Hitchcock Academy reports this morning that the school's clothing drive was an overwhelming success. Items are now available for pick-up by residents affected by the tornado. The school is located at 2 Brookfield Road, and pick-up hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

"Even more amazing than the force of the storms is the generosity, concern, and good nature of so many people in the area who contributed their time and efforts to help others," Palmer said in a press release. The clothing / item drive is now closed to further donations. "We now have more than enough donations and literally cannot handle more," Palmer said.

Messina O'Grady tweeting tornado relief efforts
O'Grady, a South Hadley resident, has been working to coordinate donations in the aftermath of the storm. Follow Mass Tornado Relief on Twitter or find O'Grady on Facebook.

Springfield Falcons launch jersey auction for tornado relief
Our Sports Desk reports:

The Springfield Falcons announced Tuesday they have started the first phase of their online jersey auction to help benefit the Pioneer Valley Chapter of the Red Cross and aid with tornado relief throughout Western Massachusetts. The Falcons currently have 10 jerseys up for bid through Falconsahl.com/Ebay, including team-autographed Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks jerseys.

Friendly's restaurants collecting donations, starting June 15
From a press release outlining the company's efforts:

Friendly Ice Cream Corporation, which operates more than 500 company-owned and franchised family dining restaurants, announced today that the company will raise money through customer donations at over 140 restaurants throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut to benefit the Pioneer Valley Red Cross’ tornado relief effort.

Collection drop boxes will be placed at the cash register of each restaurant. Friendly’s will match all of the donations collected from customers. The fundraising effort will begin on June 15 and continue through July 10.

Scholarship fund supports Fabiola and Ibone Guerrero
From a press release:

A scholarship fund to help Fabiola and Ibone Guerrero, who lost their mother, Angelica F. Guerrero, in the June 1 tornado, is being spearheaded by a Union Street businessman.

Angelica Guerrero, 39, saved the life of 15-year-old Ibone by shielding her in a bathtub during the tornado, which caused their Merrick neighborhood apartment house to collapse around them.

Eighteen-year-old Fabiola, who just finished her first year at Holyoke Community College, was not at home when the twister hit.

Victor E. Thomas Jr., who owns Ruggers Rugby and Soccer Supply, has started The Angelica Guerrero Memorial Scholarship Fund through the Holyoke Community College Foundation. Contributions may be sent to the HCC Foundation at 303 Homestead Ave., Holyoke, MA 01040 or by going online to http://www.hcc.edu/

To learn more about Angelica, her family and different ways to help them go to Angelicasfund.com.

Springfield releases emergency information sheet

Springfield Emergency Sheet


BUSINESS EVENTS / COLLECTIONS / DONATIONS

Antonios Grinders of Springfield to host fundraiser on June 22
Press advisory from Antonio's Grinders:
On Wednesday June 22, 10 percent of all purchases made at Antonio's Grinders will be donated to tornado relief efforts. Please stop by any of our locations throughout Springfield: 770 Bay St., 17 Longhill St., and 1030 State St.
Thank you for your efforts in helping our community !

Heartsong Yoga Center of East Longmeadow plans June 21 fund raiser for tornado relief
From Sheila Magalhaes of Heartsong Yoga Center, 264 North Main St. East Longmeadow:


"The Eye of the Storm" is Heartsong's offering to the community, to raise funds for the American Red Cross, still hard at work helping Western Mass residents to re build. On Tuesday, June 21st, from 6 to 8 pm, all are welcome to attend an evening of Gentle Yoga and Deep Relaxation, with free will donations being accepted for the event, which will be dedicated to those affected by the disaster. The class will include a "Metta" or "Loving Kindness Meditation" a very gentle yoga practice (beginners are welcome) and a relaxation practice known as "Yoga Nidra" which has been widely used in the treatment of PTSD for health and wellness. 100% of the proceeds of this class will go to the Pioneer Valley Red Cross Chapter's Tornado Relief Fund.

In addition, Heartsong Yoga will collect non perishable food donations for the Open Pantry, and these can be dropped off at any time through the week of June 21st. You can contact Heartsong Yoga at 414-525-0720, they are located at 264 North Main St. "Condo East" in East Longmeadow, MA, or visit the web at www.heartsongyoga.com for a full schedule of the evening's events. All proceeds from Heartsong's four regular "drop in" classes on June 21st, morning and evening, will also be donated to the relief fund as well, call or visit the web for details.

kategray boutique of East Longmeadow begins clothing drive

Starting Thursday, June 9, there will be a donations drive at kategray store, 32 Center Square, East Longmeadow. Our goal is to be able to distribute a new professional wardrobe to anybody in need - right here at the store.

Business and work clothes, shoes and accessories in very good condition are badly needed. Personal items (soaps, new tooth brushes, tooth paste, body wash), food items, children's items and games, paper towels, 60 gallon trash bags, pet items and canned pet food will also be greatly appreciated.

Other items will be taken to Dakin Humane Center, Salvation Army and other local organizations directly involved with Tornado Relief services. Call (413) 318-0141 for more information.

Fancy That Antiques of Monson offers to aid tornado victims
From Christian Lund, Fancy That Antiques:

I am donating half of the antique merchandise up for Auction in Monson in my store to help the tornado victims.I would like to also get the word out that if anyone has the following items, Old wrist watches, pocket watches, any sort of gold, silver, old coins, fine estate jewelry, old post cards, and costume jewelry. Any of these items that I buy, I will pay them and extra 15% towards Local Tornado Victims. For information call 413 599 4705

Advocates for illegal immigrants hope Massachusetts will follow Connecticut's footsteps in proposing lower in-state tuition

0
0

Westfield state Rep. Donald Humason said he hopes Massachusetts lawmakers will observe Connecticut like a “laboratory” to determine how the new law affects illegal immigration.

By KYKE CHENEY

BOSTON - As neighboring Connecticut embraces a plan to allow certain illegal immigrants to pay lower in-state tuition rates at the state’s public universities, advocates for Massachusetts immigrants are reacting with a mixture of hope and resignation given that their own proposal has languished and faced increasing hostility in the Bay State Legislature.

“The move by Connecticut to open up opportunities to children of undocumented immigrants to go to college by letting them attend public institutions at an instate rate is the latest in a national trend towards this policy,” said Rep. Thomas Sannicandro, Speaker Robert A. DeLeo’s handpicked co-chair of the Committee on Higher Education.

Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy signed the bill on Monday. But at least one Massachusetts immigrant advocacy organization found little solace in Connecticut’s action.

“There is no legislative activity [in Massachusetts] whatsoever. I don’t think the votes are there,” said Eva Millona, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, describing waning support for in-state tuition among Massachusetts lawmakers, despite Gov. Deval L. Patrick’s support for the proposal. “I don’t think [Connecticut] is really going to make a difference. I just don’t see it happening at this point. It is a very difficult climate.”

Asked why the proposal has found little traction in Massachusetts, Rep. Alice Wolf, of Cambridge, a sponsor of a bill to extend in-state tuition rates to certain illegal immigrants, cited a single-minded focus by lawmakers on the economy.

“There’s general skittishness both among the populace actually and among the legislature and the leadership because of the way people want to focus on the economy and the other things people feel are diversions,” she said. “This is a very important bill because it really sends a signal to young people as to whether we respect them and whether we really have hope for their futures and their parents’ as well. They’re Massachusetts kids. That’s what they are. Some of them are valedictorian kids in their high school class. I want them on a path to success.”

The bill, filed by Reps. Wolf and Denise Provost in the House, as well as Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz in the Senate, would extend in-state tuition rates to illegal immigrants who have attended Massachusetts high schools for three years, earned a degree and won acceptance to a University of Massachusetts campus. Connecticut’s bill required that undocumented students attend all four years of high school in Connecticut to be eligible for in-state rates.

Backers of the Massachusetts bill say the plan would put a college education in reach for those undocumented students who perform well enough to attend UMass but can’t afford the out-of-state tuition rate they’re currently charged. The proposal, they argued, would actually boost revenue for the UMass system, bringing in tuition from students who might forgo college without access to in-state rates.

Critics have ripped the plan as a giveaway to students in the country illegally, while legal, out-of-state residents are asked to pay more. In addition, opponents have argued the bill endorses illegal activity and allows illegal immigrants to compete with Massachusetts residents for acceptance to public universities.

“The children of illegal immigrants are breaking the law. They basically jumped the line, they got into this country or into this state ahead of those people back home. To reward those folks – and many of them are very good, decent, hardworking people – but now that they’re here to give them these benefits … over legal residents of other states, I think sticks in the craw of many legislators here in Massachusetts,” said state Rep. Donald Humason, of Westfield.

Humason said Connecticut’s embrace of in-state tuition for illegal immigrants could worsen an already tenuous budget environment in the Nutmeg State. He said he credits Massachusetts voters for registering their support for crackdowns on benefits to illegal immigrants in “poll after poll after poll.” Those polls, he said, have resulted in bipartisan opposition to in-state tuition.

“I’m not surprised, with that governor,” Humason said. “I think he said he was going to support it before he got elected. He’s a Democratic governor, fairly liberal, a true believer in what government can do.” Humason added, “I think it’s going to draw more children of illegal immigrants to Connecticut. My belief is that you always get more of whatever you subsidize. If you say that Connecticut welcomes illegal immigrants … I think illegals are going to come to Connecticut.”

Humason said he hoped Massachusetts lawmakers would observe Connecticut like a “laboratory” to determine how the new law affects illegal immigration.

“They’re talking about some 200 students using or taking advantage of this benefit. I would like to see if that turns to 250 the following year, and 400 the next year,” he said. “That impacts the job market, that impacts the emergency rooms, the police department. It impacts housing.”

Rep. Richard Bastien, Republican of Gardner, a member of the Higher Education Committee, said he doesn’t expect the debate in Massachusetts to change, simply because of its neighbor’s actions.

Proposals to extend in-state tuition rates for illegal immigrants seeking to attend the University of Massachusetts have faltered for years, and the number of lawmakers signing on as cosponsors plummeted to 29 this session from 44 last year. In fact, the Senate voted last year in favor of an outright ban on in-state tuition for illegal immigrants.

As that vote occurred, just across Massachusetts’ southern border, momentum for such a plan was on the upswing, buoyed this year by inauguration of a Democratic governor and the takeover of both branches of the Legislature by Democrats.

“This bill isn’t controversial, it’s common sense,” Gov. Malloy said in a statement last month after the Connecticut Senate passed the bill on a largely party-line vote. “At a time when we need to be helping our state’s young men and women prepare for an ever-changing economy and compete with their counterparts in China, Japan and elsewhere, helping to make a college degree more accessible and affordable for those students who choose to pursue one is critically important.”

Although Gov. Patrick has expressed similar sentiment, he has expended little political capital on the proposal, which is awaiting a hearing in the Committee on Higher Education.

“I think that with every state that gets added to that list, it gets harder and harder to ignore the facts in play,” Chang-Diaz (D-Boston) said in a phone interview. “This is, in many ways, an issue apart from immigration issues. This is not about whether you like immigrants or not. But the state stands to benefit economically, very clearly, from this policy.”

Chang-Diaz noted that Texas, Utah, and Nebraska, typically right-leaning state, had embraced in-state tuition.

“They’re doing it because they see the economic sense in it,” she said.

Backers were also buoyed by a recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to refuse to hear a challenge to California’s in-state tuition law, on the grounds that it only applied to those immigrants who attended high school within the state.

A spokesman for Gov. Patrick declined to address Connecticut’s action.

“The governor continues to believe that this is an issue of basic fairness: students who have grown up here, completed their secondary education here, and are trying to straighten out their legal status should be treated like their peers and pay the same in-state tuition as their classmates,” said the spokesman, Alex Goldstein. “The Governor supports the principle of legislation that has been filed in Massachusetts to address this issue.”

Despite lobbying efforts by the Massachusetts Teachers Association, Service Employees International Union, MIRA and the National Association of Social Workers, support on Beacon Hill for an in-state tuition bill has eroded since 2006, when the proposal failed in the House on a 57-97 vote. Many members of Speaker DeLeo’s leadership voted against the bill at the time, including DeLeo himself, Reps. Patricia Haddad, Ron Mariano, Kathi-Anne Reinstein, Paul Donato and Garrett Bradley. Two of DeLeo’s four floor leaders - Byron Rushing and Ellen Story - supported the bill at that time, as did Assistant Majority Leader Charles Murphy.

Viewing all 62489 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images