Apparently the elves are not creative enough to find their own places to land after traveling to the North Pole every night.

Parents of young children seem to be constantly searching for ideas as well as silently cursing the Elf on the Shelf tradition.

For those without children of Santa age, the story, which came from a book by Carole V. Aebersold and Chandra A. Bell called "The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition."

The tradition is elves appear sometime after Thanksgiving and watch to make sure the children are naughty or nice. The elf leaves every night for the North Pole to make the report to Santa and returns the next morning, but in a different place.

It seems parents are constantly searching for creative places and scenarios for the elf, who is apparently magical enough to travel 6,636 miles daily (the distance from Springfield to the North Pole and back) but isn't creative enough to come up with his or her own spots to land. Maybe the elf is just too tired.

A recent story on Masslive about ideas for the elf proved to be one of the most popular of the week.

Here are some of the things people were Tweeting about the Elf on the Shelf.

Before the lighting of the first candle, children played a variety of games.

SPRINGFIELD — Visitors gathered in front of the Springfield Jewish Community Center Sunday night to kick-off the First Light community-wide celebration for Hanukkah.

The Hanukkah celebration is also known as the Festival of Lights and is celebrated for eight days. One candle is lit on the first night and an additional one is lit every subsequent night until all eight candles are illuminated on the eighth night.

Prior to the lighting of the candle, children enjoyed games such as, the Hanukkah potato sack race, a latke lunge three-legged race, Hanukkah horse shoes, dreidel ladle race, sevivon spinning, candle pin bowling, candle making and a latke flip challenge.

The celebration was sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts, the Springfield Jewish Community Center, the PJ Library, and was supported by the Sklar Family.

The man was charged with trafficking heroin and is being held on $50,000 bail.

DERBY, VT - Police arrested a 19-year-old after finding 410 bags of heroin stuffed into his socks and the pockets of his shorts early Sunday morning.

Antonio Matos, 19, of Newport, Vermont, was arrested at about 1:10 a.m. and charged with trafficking heroin. He is being held on $50,000 cash bail at Northern State Correctional Facility until his arraignment in Orleans County Court on Monday, Vermont State Police officials said.

Matos was arrested after police pulled over a Buick Rendezvous car on Route 5 in Derby for crossing the center lines.

During the stop, officers smelled the odor of marijuana on Matos, who was a passenger in the car. He subsequently agreed to be searched and officers allegedly discovered the heroin, police said.

The victim was transported to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield by helicopter.

CONWAY - A motorcyclist was seriously injured after he struck a guard rail on Route 116 Sunday afternoon.

The man, who is from Central Massachusetts, was flown by helicopter to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. By 4 p.m. he was still being treated for his injuries, State Police officials said.

The victim was traveling with a second motorcyclist at around 12:55 p.m. when he lost control of his bike near the intersection of Brester Road. The man he was with stopped and remained at the scene until rescue crews arrived, police said.

State Police from the Shelburne Barracks and Conway Police, fire and emergency medical units all responded. Shortly after the accident, Conway police requested the Department of Public Works treat the road for black ice, police said.

State Police Trooper Bernard Trott with the State Police Crime Scene and Collision Analysis unit is investigating the cause of the accident.

The victim's name was not immediately released.

"A death may have resulted in one case, while the general public was at risk in the other," Albano, a member of the Governor's Council and a former probation and parole official, said Sunday. "Clearly, a review is required by an independent source," he said.

SPRINGFIELD — Former Springfield Mayor Mike Albano is calling on state Attorney General Maura Healey to investigate alleged security lapses at the Hampden County Correctional Center after last week's jailbreak and a recent suicide at the Ludlow facility.

Albano, who is running for re-election to the Governor's Council and mulling a possible run for sheriff, called for the review after Friday's revelation by Christopher Murphy, president of the National Correctional Employees Union, who said the county jail is operating with fewer correctional officers and plugging the hole with staff who typically don't perform frontline security roles.

Both Albano and Murphy are calling on Sheriff Mike Ashe to beef up staffing levels at the jail, which currently has about 394 correctional officers, down about 14 percent from 2008, when there was roughly 460 officers in the Sheriff's Department, according to Murphy.

"The current staffing levels at the Hampden County Sheriff's Department are inadequate," said Murphy, a former jail employee.

On Sunday, Albano joined the call for more security. "I have great respect for Chris Murphy. When he speaks, people should listen and take action," he said.

Albano and Murphy were reacting to news of Wednesday afternoon's escape of inmate Ackeem Graham, who slipped out of the secure facility during the intake process, sparking a manhunt that ended after the convicted criminal surrendered to authorities several hours later.

Graham was poised to begin a one-year stint for a gun conviction when he escaped from the jail, according to Ashe. Wednesday's incident was the first time an inmate escaped from the Ludlow jail since the facility opened in 1992, the sheriff said.

Albano also highlighted the August suicide of Luis Laureano as further evidence that all is not well at the county jail. Laureano was awaiting trial in a bank robbery case when he used a bed sheet to hang himself at the jail.

Murphy sent a letter to Ashe on Friday, claiming that inadequate staffing levels at the jail pose a security threat. "This is a problem which can and must be addressed," he said. "We call upon Sheriff Ashe to make corrections to these shortcomings an immediate priority, and to work with correctional officers to ensure that their critical public safety function can be properly performed."

Murphy further stated: "When you have a situation where there are too few officers staffing the jail and non-frontline corrections staff being asked to perform duties with which they are unfamiliar, the jail is not going to be as secure as it should be."

Based on the recent security lapses – two serious incidents at the jail in just over three months – Albano said he believes "an investigation led by the Attorney General should be conducted."

Insufficient staffing levels appear to be the No. 1 issue at the Hampden County Correctional Center, according to Albano. "A death may have resulted in one case, while the general public was at risk in the other," he said, referring to last week's jailbreak and the August suicide, respectively. "Clearly, a review is required by an independent source," he added.

In February 2014, Albano, in his role as a member of the Governor's Council, sent a letter to then-Gov. Deval Patrick requesting a state investigation into the circumstances surrounding the 2009 death of Joshua Messier, a 23-year-old mental health patient who died at Bridgewater State Hospital. Six months later, then-Attorney General Martha Coakley named a special prosecutor to the case, Albano said.

In addition to being Springfiel's mayor from 1995 to 2003, Albano was formerly a probation officer and member of the Massachusetts Parole Board. The Longmeadow Democrat has been flirting with a possible run for sheriff for some time, though he has not publicly announced any concrete plans.

The announced candidates for sheriff – Nick Cocchi, James Gill and Jack Griffin – have all been actively campaigning to succeed Ashe, who has held the position since 1974. The longtime sheriff last year announced he would not seek another term.

Gill and Cocchi are both ranking officers in the Sheriff's Department. Gill is an assistant deputy superintendent in the department; Cocchi is the jail's deputy chief of security. Griffin is a retired official of the Connecticut Department of Corrections.

Griffin and Cocchi are both Democrats, while Gill, a self-professed lifelong Democrat, unenrolled from the party after organizing his political committee for sheriff.

The message of the Chanukah story, of the triumph of light over darkness and of religious freedom over religious oppression, resonated on Monday as politicians and families gathered at the Statehouse to celebrate the lighting of the menorah in an era of worldwide terrorism. Watch video

BOSTON - The message of the traditional Hanukkah story, of the triumph of light over darkness and of religious freedom over religious oppression, resonated on Monday as politicians and families gathered at the Statehouse to celebrate the lighting of the menorah, the holiday candelabra, in an era of worldwide terrorism.

Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin said it is important to remember the courage of the Maccabees, the small Jewish band of fighters who defeated the Greek army to reclaim the Jewish temple, part of the miracle celebrated on Hanukkah. "The same courage should inspire us...to stand for our rights throughout the world," Galvin said.

Senate Majority Leader Harriette Chandler, D-Worcester, asked for a moment of silence for victims of terror as she urged attendees to celebrate Hanukkah -- which can also be spelled "Chanukah" - -as "a time of freedom, of courage, where a small Jewish army beat back a large army and was saved by a miracle." 

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, said at a time when the world is facing threats from hatred and oppression, "We remember we can all defeat these things with faith, hope and belief in each other."

Sen. Stan Rosenberg, D-Amherst, the first Jewish state Senate president, is currently in Israel with a Senate delegation.

Almost all of the state's top officials spoke at the annual event, including Gov. Charlie Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, Attorney General Maura Healey, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, as well as Consul General of Israel to New England Yehuda Yaakov.

As a chorus of children from Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Boston sang a Hebrew song asking God to bring peace in the world, Baker enthusiastically clapped along.

Rabbi Chaim Kosofsky with help from Congressman Richard Neal and Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno ascended nearly to the heavens to light a giant Menorah. Watch video

Latkes? Check. Menorah? Check. Singing and dancing? Check.

All the boxes for the traditional lighting of the Hanukkah Menorah were checked in Springfield's Court Square as Rabbi Chaim Kosofsky with help from U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal and Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno lit the giant Menorah.

With school children from Lubavitcher Yeshiva Academy watching from below, the three men rode a high-lift to light what is billed as the "tallest Menorah in Western Massachusetts." Kosofsky recited the traditional Hanukkah prayers and then used a blowtorch to light two lights of the Menorah, signifying the second night of the eight-day celebration.

In his remarks, Neal spoke directly to the school children, telling them "freedom of religion is a cherished part of the American dream". He went on to say that "American Jews have contributed greatly to the mosaic of America".
 

While Associated Press style is to spell the holiday Hanukkah, it is also often spelled Chanukah.

Pedro Gonzalez is on trial for three counts of operating under the influence of alcohol causing serious bodily injury for a crash in Springfield Nov. 3, 2104.

SPRINGFIELD - The 13-year-old boy sat on the witness stand Monday and said quietly, "I lost an eye."

Pedro Gonzalez

He said he had been hospitalized in Boston, had surgery on his left leg, and sometimes forgets things and his family has to remind him.

"I'm not the same. I don't feel the same," said the boy, testifying at the trial of Pedro Gonzalez, accused of seriously injuring him, his brother and a friend while driving under the influence of alcohol.

The boy had been in critical condition for some time after the crash.

Gonzalez, 59, of Springfield, has chosen a jury-waived trial on the three counts of operating under the influence of alcohol causing serious injury.

Hampden Superior Court Judge Richard J. Carey is presiding over the trial.

Neither Assistant District Attorney Melissa G. Doran or defense lawyer Vincent A. Bongiorni gave opening statements.

Gonzalez was arrested Nov. 3, 2014, after his white box van hit the three teens in the crosswalk on Chestnut Street, near Montmorenci Street in the North End, about 8:40 p.m.

The first to testify Monday was a 14-year-old boy, brother to the 13-year-old boy.

The 14-year-old boy testified he was walking home from a birthday gathering with his brother, a girl and her cousin.

He said he saw a van going fast on Chestnut Street and rushed out to try to push his brother and the girl - who were crossing in the crosswalk - out of the way.

He said the next thing he remembered was being in the hospital. He said a metal rod was put into his leg and from the hospital he went to a rehabilitation facility for several weeks.

Asked by Doran how he was a year later he said, "I'm pretty good," noting he can't bend one leg.

The girl, now 14, said, "The car like came very fast."

She said she had a broken bone and was on crutches for six weeks.

Gonzalez has been free on bail awaiting trial.

Francheska Robles testified she and two relatives were standing outside her house near the crash site when her brother-in-law mentioned a van was speeding while children were crossing the street.

Asked what she heard next, Robles said, "hearing and seeing the kids get hit."

She said she and her relatives ran to the children and she called 911. She said the van driver got out of the van and started to pace back and forth but didn't go towards the children.

Asked by Bongiorni if things happened very quickly, Robles agreed, saying, "It was like watching a movie."

A 13-year-old boy who had been with the three friends who got hit testified he had not left the sidewalk when the van hit his friends in the crosswalk.

He said one of the boys "flew in the air."

The trial is scheduled to continue Tuesday.

It's expected to be a chilly evening with clear skies across the commonwealth.

SPRINGFIELD -- It's expected to be a chilly evening with clear skies across the commonwealth.

The low in Springfield for Monday, Dec. 7 will be 30 degrees, the National Weather Service reports. Temperatures will be lower in Berkshire County - around 26 degrees in Pittsfield - and warmer further east. The low for Worcester is 33 degrees and 38 degrees in Boston.

Tuesday will begin with cloudy skies in Springfield, Worcester and Boston, with patchy fog over Pittsfield until 9 a.m.

The high will be around 43 degrees in Springfield and Boston on Tuesday and 40 in Worcester and Pittsfield.

A few dozen elderly men who survived the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor 74 years ago gathered Monday at the site to remember fellow servicemen who didn't make it.

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) -- A few dozen elderly men who survived the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor 74 years ago gathered Monday at the site to remember fellow servicemen who didn't make it.

The U.S. Navy and National Park Service hosted a ceremony in remembrance of those killed on Dec. 7, 1941. About 3,000 people were expected to join the survivors.

Adm. Harry Harris, the top U.S. military commander in the Pacific, said the day "must forever remain burned into the American consciousness."

"For 74 years, we've remembered Pearl Harbor. We've remained vigilant. And today's armed forces are ready to answer the alarm bell," said Harris, who leads the U.S. Pacific Command.

He said the military was also working to "keep the alarm bell from sounding in the first place" by refocusing its attention on Asia and the Pacific region with the aim of maintaining stability, prosperity and peace.

Robert Irwin, 91, of Cameron Park, California, was in the barracks when the attack began and saw Japanese planes flying overhead. A fellow sailor saw a Rising Sun insignia on the wings and asked Irwin if he knew what the "red ball" was.

The seaman first class hopped on a truck that took him to the USS Pennsylvania, where he fed ammunition to the deck of the battleship.

"It brings back some lousy memories," said Irwin, of returning to Pearl Harbor. But he comes to the annual ceremony because the attack was a "big thing in my life." Irwin served as firefighter in San Francisco after the war and retired in as a lieutenant in 1979.

The event is being held on a Navy pier overlooking the USS Arizona Memorial. It straddles the battleship that sank nine minutes after being hit. It remains a gravesite for many of those killed.

The Navy destroyer USS Preble was to sound its whistle to start a moment of silence at 7:55 a.m., the minute the attack began 74 years ago. Hawaii Air National Guard F-22s would fly overhead to break the moment of silence.

During the attack, roughly 2,400 sailors, Marines and soldiers were killed at Pearl Harbor and other military installations on the island of Oahu.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said Monday that President Barack Obama was right to give a primetime address Sunday night to discuss terrorism and the Islamic State, after a shooting in California was revealed to be an act of terror.

Gov. Charlie Baker said Monday that President Barack Obama was right to give a primetime address Sunday night to discuss terrorism and the Islamic State, after a shooting in California was revealed to be an act of terror.

"The fact that San Bernardino is now appearing to be a terrorist attack of a fairly significant proportion I think makes it important for the president to speak out on both the issue at hand and where we are and to demonstrate that it's important to him as we move forward as a country and move forward aggressively to combat terrorism everywhere, including here in the United States," Baker said.

Baker added, "For that reason alone, I thought his decision to issue a prime time speech was a good thing."

Republican presidential candidates have criticized Obama, a Democrat, for the Oval Office speech. They say Obama has not done enough to combat Islamic terrorism.

Baker, a Republican, did not address the content of Obama's speech. Baker has generally tried to stay out of national partisan conflicts, since he has to work closely with Democrats and the Democratic-led Legislature in Massachusetts.

Baker reiterated comments he made last week, saying he believes Congress should fix a policy that currently allows someone on the FBI's terrorist watch list to buy a gun. He praised the communication between state and federal officials on security issues.

A disgusted Gov. Charlie Baker blasted Republican presidential contender Donald Trump on Monday evening over the candidate's proposal to bar all Muslims from entering the country, calling the idea "ridiculous" and antithetical to the "values that people in this country hold most dear."

By Matt Murphy, STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

BOSTON — A disgusted Gov. Charlie Baker blasted Republican presidential contender Donald Trump on Monday evening over the candidate's proposal to bar all Muslims from entering the country, calling the idea "ridiculous" and antithetical to the "values that people in this country hold most dear."

Gov. Charlie Baker

Baker, speaking to reporters after helping to celebrate Hanukkah and light the menorah the State House, grew increasingly animated as he learned what exactly Trump had said in statement proposing a ban on all Muslims, including tourists and American Muslims living abroad, until "our country's representatives can figure out what's going on."

"As I've said before, I don't like getting into presidential politics. That's not what I got elected to worry about. But I think that's ridiculous and I would never support a policy like that," Baker said initially, hearing the substance of Trump's comments read to him for the first time.

Asked whether he thought Trump was simply trying to get attention, Baker said, "I have no idea what the motivation is on that but first of all it's unrealistic, secondly it's inappropriate and third it doesn't make any sense."

Trump, in his statement, cited research from the Pew Center and others that he said showed "great hatred towards Americans by large segments of the Muslim population."

"Where this hatred comes from and why we will have to determine. Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life. If I win the election for President, we are going to Make America Great Again," Trump said.

After giving his initial reaction, Baker asked to read a copy of the full statement released by the Trump campaign. As he finished reading, the governor flicked the paper forcefully and returned to the group of reporters to expound on what he thought.

Baker noted that he had just celebrated the "miracle of Hanukkah" to commemorate the fight of the people of Jerusalem for religious freedom. That celebration took place in the State House, which he described as a mile from the Warren Tavern in Charlestown where "the patriots of this nation" held early conversations about securing freedom from the British crown. He said the earliest settlers, in fact, had come to America for the chance to practice their religion freely.

"I can't believe that I'm reading this, which is basically directly in contrast and in conflict with most of the most important values that people in this country hold most dear, among them the right and the ability to practice your religion peacefully," Baker said. "Yeah, I think this is a really bad idea."

Chipotle said Monday that it temporarily closed a restaurant in Boston after several students at Boston College, including members of the men's basketball team, reported "gastrointestinal symptoms" after eating at the chain.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Chipotle said Monday that it temporarily closed a restaurant in Boston after several students at Boston College, including members of the men's basketball team, reported "gastrointestinal symptoms" after eating at the chain.

The school said it was working with local health officials to determine whether the illnesses were tied to an outbreak of E. coli that has been linked to Chipotle. A company spokesman noted that there have been no confirmed cases in Massachusetts, but that it was closing its restaurant in Boston's Cleveland Circle as officials investigate.

The closure of the restaurant comes after Chipotle had already warned that a key sales figure is expected to fall in the fourth quarter as a result of the outbreak. That would mark the first decline since the company went public in 2006.

For the fourth quarter, the company expects sales to drop between 8 and 11 percent at established locations if current trends continue. The figure, a key measure of financial health because it strips out the volatility of newly opened and closed locations, has not declined since the chain went public.

Chipotle's stock fell 7 percent to $513 in after-hours trading, after closing down 1.7 percent Monday. The stock is down more than 20 percent since mid-October.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said the outbreak has sickened 52 people in nine states. It has not yet identified the ingredient that made people sick. The most recent of the illness reported by the CDC started on Nov. 13.

About 48 million people get sick from a foodborne illness each year, according to the CDC.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc., based in Denver, had said that whatever the likely ingredient was that made people sick is out of its restaurants and that it is adopting stricter food-safety standards.

The company said some of its local produce suppliers might not be able to meet the new standards. Locally sourced produce accounts for a "relatively small percentage" of the produce the chain uses, said Chris Arnold, a Chipotle spokesman.

Jeffrey Bernstein, a Barclays analyst, noted that fast-food chains have recovered from similar foodborne illnesses in the past. But he noted the E. coli cases are "all the more damaging" for Chipotle because of its "Food With Integrity" slogan.

The committee plans to survey parents and residents once options are established.

WESTFIELD - The School Committee has launched a thorough review of its bus transportation services for students that may result in changes in school start times and creation of a fee structure for students in grades seven through 12.

The study will determine if the School Department can cut costs while maintaining efficiency in the transportation program. The committee has charged the School Department['s Transportation Sub-Committee to develop options that will be considered.

That committee consists of four school principals and Transportation Director Pamela Kotarski.

The current bus contract, held by Westfield's own Lecrenski Brothers Transportation costs the city about $1.7 million and expires June 30, 2016. The School Department plans to advertise for a new transportation agreement in February.

School Committee Finance Chairman Kevin J. Sullivan said the committee will meet again Dec. 21 to continue discussion with Kotarski and the transportation committee.

Kotarski told the School Committee Monday night that a change in the current three-tier school bus schedule could result in the need for additional buses.

Buses now run on three scheduled with the high schools starting time at 7:23 a.m.; middle schools starting at 8 a.m. and elementary schools that begin at 9 a.m.

The city is required by state law to provide transportation to all students who live more than two miles from their school. Westfield provides transportation to those who live more than 1.5 miles from school.

Lecrenski provides 35 buses for student transportation at a cost of about $278 per bus per day.

Elimination one bus run by combining middle and high school students on the same buses will result in the need for four additional buses, Kotarski said.

Superintendent of Schools Suzanne Scallion said "the only way to reduce the number of buses is to reduce the ridership. We need parents to commit to bus ridership for their children."

If school officials adopt a bus fee of $1 per day for grades seven through 12 the School Department would generate a net amount of about $207,576, the transportation committee has determined. The gross revenue from such a fee would be nearly $346,000 but 40 percent must be subtracted because of the number of students eligible for free and reduced lunch.

Westfield has a total of 3,634 students eligible for bus transportation but only about 2,472 use the service.

Presently there are about 260 non-regional school districts in Massachusetts and 95 of those charge a transportation fee.

Area districts that charge for transportation are East Longmeadow, Easthampton, Ludlow, Momson, Northampton, Pittsfield and South Hadley. Fees charged that these communities range from a low of $125 to a high of $270 per year.

A Minnesota man who joined al-Shabab in Somalia more than seven years ago and more recently went online to urge others to carry out violence on behalf of the Islamic State group has turned himself in to authorities in Africa, the U.S. State Department said Monday.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- A Minnesota man who joined al-Shabab in Somalia more than seven years ago and more recently went online to urge others to carry out violence on behalf of the Islamic State group has turned himself in to authorities in Africa, the U.S. State Department said Monday.

Mohamed Abdullahi Hassan surrendered to Somalia's federal government on Nov. 6, the State Department said in an email to The Associated Press. It's not immediately clear why his arrest wasn't announced earlier.

State Department spokeswoman Pooja Jhunjhunwala said Hassan was in the custody of the Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency in Mogadishu. She said the U.S. Mission to Somalia is discussing the case with the Somali Federal Government, but the U.S. does not have an extradition agreement with Somalia.

"We do not have any further details on the discussions at this time," Jhunjhunwala said.

Hassan, who went by the nickname Miski when he was in Minneapolis, was just 17 and a high school senior when he left the U.S. to join al-Shabab in August 2008. Some in Minneapolis remember him as a quiet, soft-spoken kid. But in recent years, Hassan had become a vocal supporter of the Islamic State group, posting jihadist rhetoric online.

Tweeting under the name "Mujahid Miski," Hassan urged his Twitter followers to carry out acts of violence in the U.S. -- including beheadings. He also commended attacks elsewhere and used protests of police activity in Ferguson, Missouri, and Baltimore to try to recruit others to the jihadist cause.

Most notably, Hassan was among those urging an attack on a Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest in Garland, Texas, last May. Before the attacks, Hassan tweeted: "The brothers from the Charlie hebdo attack did their part. It's time for brothers in the #US to do their part."

Rita Katz, director of SITE Intelligence Group, said Hassan had at least 33 Twitter accounts and used social media to help recruit a new class of jihadists, including some from Minnesota.

"One of his important activities was he was reaching out to people that he knew, people that were somehow connected to him, and recruiting them," she said.

Katz said if the State Department's announcement is true, it would make sense because al-Shabab has been attacking and killing those who supported the Islamic State group. "If he wants to save his life, he did the right thing," she said.

She also added that while news of Hassan's surrender is important, there are many others who are willing to take his place online.

Omar Jamal, head of the Somali Human Rights Commission, said he hopes Hassan will be brought to Minnesota to face justice "because he created havoc in his tweets. ... he recruited tons of people through social media."

In addition to his online messages, Hassan was directly tied to some Islamic State group recruits. According to court documents, Hassan became Facebook friends with another Minnesota man roughly two months before that man went to Syria to join the Islamic State group. In one of their private message exchanges, Hassan gave that man some advice, telling him to connect with others who made the trip to Syria.

Hassan is among roughly 22 young men who left Minnesota since 2007 to join al-Shabab in Somalia; about a dozen Minnesota residents have traveled to Syria to join jihadist groups there since late 2013.

Hassan, who was born in Somalia, is a legal resident of the U.S. but is not an American citizen.

The Springfield City Council took up issues Monday night ranging from an $11.2 million bond for the new senior center at Blunt Park to a proposed new historic district in a section of the Forest Park neighborhood.

SPRINGFIELD - The City Council granted first-step approval Monday night for a new historic district in Springfield, aimed at helping to protect the architecture of the Colony Hills area of Forest Park that abuts Longmeadow.

The proposed Colony Hills Local Historic District, if granted final approval by the council at a future meeting, will encompass 27 houses along Park Drive, Colony Road and Normandy Road, officials said.

Colony Hills residents including former Police Chief Paula Meara and retired Springfield School Department administrator Teresa Regina strongly supported the historic district proposal. Meara said residents take "great pride" in Colony Hills.

The Historical Commission voted unanimously in November to recommend approval of the new historic district, as requested and supported by many of the homeowners, officials said. There was no opposition.

Robert McCarroll, a member of the commission, said the Colony Hills area was built in the 1920s and 1930s in Longmeadow and Springfield. The proposed historic district would affect only the section in Springfield.

The neighborhood is a park-like setting as designed and laid out by the Olmsted Brothers, a nationally prominent landscape architectural firm, McCarroll said.

If the district is approved, any changes to exterior features, visible from the road, need approval from the Historical Commission, under commission guidelines

Councilors gave first step approval by unanimous vote, and final approval is possible at the next council meeting Dec. 21.

There are currently nine historic districts in Springfield. The last district created by the council was in July, a one-block district at 151-157 Chestnut St., that was aimed at protecting the former Willys-Overland Motor Co. building.

In other action, the council:

Many greeted Santa outside the restaurant before heading across to the terrace, adopted in memory of Jimmy and Dora Placanica, where the tree is located.

SPRINGFIELD - Santa showed up. So did Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno. Both were joined by over seventy people for the 5th annual tree lighting ceremony at The X in Springfield.

What has turned into a holiday tradition, guests arrived early for snacks and candy canes at Cafe Christo on Belmont Ave.

Many greeted Santa outside the restaurant before heading across to the terrace, adopted in memory of Jimmy and Dora Placanica, where the tree is located. After a few remarks by Sarno and State Representatives Carlos Gonzales and Angelo Puppolo Jr. the tree was lit.

The tree was decorated with the help of Bright Nights with services for the event donated by the Forest Park Civic Association, the C-3 policing unit , the law offices of Bacon and Wilson PC and Silver Bell Farms.

In keeping with Easthampton tradition, the New City license was issued with no restrictions.

EASTHAMPTON -- New City Brewery will be able to host live music and broadcast televised events, now that the city's Licensing Board has issued an entertainment permit for the 180 Pleasant St. craft brewery.

Attending Monday's meeting of the three-member Licensing Board were New City co-owners Sam Dibble, Daniel Workman, and Marcel Emond. A fourth California-based investor, Raymond Pierson, was not present.

Dibble, who also serves as head brewer and general manager, told the board that New City would generally offer indoor entertainment at the brewery, located at Mill 180. He said outdoor entertainment might be offered at special events, at which point the brewery would come back before the board.

Dibble said he would be willing to accept scheduling limits upon live music if necessary, but would rather have the licensed hours for entertainment concurrent with the brewery's licensed retail hours, which run until 2 a.m., even though the brewery closes at 9 p.m.

But all talk of limits on hours quickly came to a halt when Mayor Karen Cadieux spoke from the audience, saying "the past history of licensing board has been to not limit entertainment."

"It's been our past practice not to get involved with decibels," Cadieux told the board. "That's how it's been for many, many, many, many years."

Cadieux said entertainment licenses for Cottage Street premises such as Luthier's Coop, the Brass Cat and Whiskerz Pub are not limited in any way.

The board at that point, with little discussion, unanimously approved a license which merely cites the state law which allows entertainment at licensed alcohol venues.

Cadieux, who left the building after the New City vote, did not provide additional information to a reporter. When asked why she believed it was important to appear at the meeting to speak up for unrestricted entertainment licenses in Easthampton, Cadieux said "all meetings are important to me." When asked if she believes the Licensing Board has the authority to limit the hours or type of entertainment at any venue, Cadieux said she merely wanted to inform the board of its own past practices.

Cadieux served as Licensing Board clerk for 17 years as assistant to former mayor Michael Tautznik. Cadieux, who won her mayoral seat in 2013 and again in 2015, said Easthampton put restrictions on entertainment licenses "a long time ago" when the city was a town governed by a Board of Selectmen.

The Licensing Board on Monday also approved annual renewals for a slew of licenses governing car dealerships, liquor stores, restaurants, and bars in the city.

Fort Hill licensing decision postponed

The Licensing Board declined to immediately renew entertainment and pouring permits for Fort Hill Brewery at 30 Fort Hill Rd., with chair Jason Duda saying he wanted to wait until the Planning Board issues a decision on a revised special permit that owner Eric Berzins is seeking.

"I would feel more comfortable issuing the license with the Planning Board permit in place," said Duda.

The Planning Board meets Tuesday, Dec. 8, and is expected to vote on the permit application after months of discussion. The Licensing Board set a special meeting for Monday, Dec. 14 to take up the issue of Fort Hill again.

Fort Hill Brewery has been locked in conflict with neighbors over traffic and noise associated with live weekend entertainment at the popular venue. Neighbors have charged that the Licensing Board in recent years issued pouring and entertainment licenses to Fort Hill which contradicted the terms of a 2011 Planning Board permit.

Berzins and some of his adversaries were in attendance Monday night, with Burt Thurber of Fort Hill Road asking Licensing Board members if they know what their own authority is when it comes to placing limitations upon entertainment.

"Who has the authority, since the mayor said the Licensing Board does not set restrictions?" asked Thurber. "You understand the problem -- it could fall through the cracks."
 
Duda said the Licensing Board will look at the Planning Board's decision and take its language into consideration when deliberating upon license renewals for Fort Hill Brewery.

Duda, who in his role as a board member had previously recused himself from votes involving Fort Hill, told a reporter that from now on, he will participate in such votes and discussions.

"I have no reason to recuse myself," said Duda, without elaborating upon his previous reasons for recusal.

Duda said he could not answer at this time whether the Licensing Board would consider placing restrictions upon any entertainment license for Fort Hill.

In November, the Licensing Board issued a verbal warning to Berzins after it found that patrons were wandering from the licensed premise with glasses of beer in hand.

___________________________________________________________________

Mary Serreze can be reached at mserreze@gmail.com.

The Dow Jones industrial average gave up 117 to close just under 17,731.

By BERNARD CONDON

NEW YORK -- A sharp drop in the price of oil on Monday rattled investors and helped push stocks lower across several industries.

Investors sold from the start of trading following a decision by OPEC last week not to cut production. Benchmark U.S. crude dropped nearly 6 percent, deepening its stunning 11/2 year plunge, to close at its lowest level in nearly seven years. The losses were broad, with seven of the 10 industry sectors in the Standard & Poor's 500 index closing lower.

As they have all year, oil drillers bore the brunt of the selling. Chevron and Exxon Mobil, both members of the 30-stock Dow Jones industrial average, each fell nearly 3 percent.

"There was a big hope that OPEC would announce a production cut, but it just didn't happen," said Mizuho Securities Chief Economist Steven Ricchiuto. He added: "The whole world is facing excess supply as the global economy slows."

The Dow gave up 117.12 points, or 0.7 percent, to 17,730.51. The S&P 500 fell 14.62 points, or 0.7 percent, to 2,077.07. The Nasdaq composite dropped 40.46 points, or 0.8 percent, to 5,101.81.

Airlines stocks were among the winners as investors anticipated bigger profits thanks to falling fuel costs. JetBlue Airways jumped $1.01, or 4 percent, to $26.49. Delta Air Lines also rose 4 percent, gaining $2 to close at $51.78.

In theory, lower oil prices should help many stocks because consumers often spend money elsewhere that they save at the pump or on heating bills. But investors have been disappointed.

"Retailers have been waiting for the pump-price dividend to filter into their stores, but for the most part we're not seeing it," said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at BMO Private Bank.

Meanwhile, the shift in the U.S. to producing more oil has made the stock market more vulnerable to price swings in the commodity.

In each of the past three quarters, as oil prices have tanked, earnings per share for energy companies in the S&P 500 have dropped more than 50 percent, according to S&P Capital IQ, a financial data provider. After Monday's drop, their stocks are down 22 percent since the start of the year.

Among other stocks making big moves:

• Chipotle Mexican Grill dropped $9.45, or 1.7 percent, to $551.75. The restaurant chain warned late Friday that an outbreak of E. coli linked to its restaurants sent sales plummeting by as much as 22 percent in recent weeks.


• Keurig Green Mountain soared 72 percent after agreeing to be acquired by a private equity firm. The stock jumped $37.19 to $88.89.


• Office Depot plunged nearly 16 percent after regulators said they would try to block a proposed purchase of the company by rival Staples for $6.3 billion. Office Depot dropped $1.04 to $5.59. Staples fell $1.70, or nearly 14 percent, to $10.66.


• Stocks of gun makers soared on the prospect of big sales amid a push for greater gun control following the San Bernardino shootings. Smith & Wesson Holding added $1.45, or 7.6 percent, to $20.44.

U.S. crude fell $2.32, or 5.8 percent, to close at $37.65 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, its lowest price since Feb. 2009. Brent crude, used to price international oils, fell $2.27, or 5.3 percent, to $40.73 a barrel in London.

In other energy trading in New York, wholesale gasoline fell 6.1 cents, or 4.8 percent, to close at $1.209 a gallon, heating oil lost 6.3 cents, or 4.7 percent, to close at $1.280 a gallon and natural gas fell 11.9 cents, or 5.4 percent, to $2.067 per 1,000 cubic feet.

U.S. government bond prices edged up. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.23 percent from 2.27 percent late Friday. The euro slipped to $1.0843 from $1.0871 and the dollar edged up to 123.33 yen from 123.22 yen.

Precious and industrial metals futures ended broadly lower. The price of gold slipped $8.90 to $1,075.20 an ounce, silver lost 20 cents to $14.33 an ounce and copper gave up three cents to $2.05 a pound.

Donald Trump called Monday for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States," an idea swiftly condemned by his rival GOP candidates for president and other Republicans.

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (AP) -- Donald Trump called Monday for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States," an idea swiftly condemned by his rival GOP candidates for president and other Republicans.

The proposed ban would apply to immigrants and visitors alike, a sweeping prohibition affecting all adherents of Islam who want to come to the U.S. The idea faced an immediate challenge to its legality and feasibility from experts who could point to no formal exclusion of immigrants based on religion in America's history.

Trump's campaign said in a statement such a ban should stand "until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on." It said the proposal comes in response to a level of hatred among "large segments of the Muslim population" toward Americans.

"Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life," Trump said in the statement.

At an evening rally in South Carolina, Trump supporters cheered and shouted in support as he read his statement. Trump warned during his speech that without drastic action, the threat of attacks is "going to get worse and worse."

"As he says, we have to find out who they are and why they are here," Rod Weader, a 68-year-old real estate agent from North Charleston who attended the rally and said he agreed with Trump's plan "150 percent." ''Like he said, they are going to kill us and we've got to stop it."

Since the Paris attacks, a number of Republican presidential contenders have proposed restrictions on Syrian refugees -- with several suggesting preference for Christians seeking asylum -- and tighter surveillance in the U.S.

But Trump's proposed ban goes much further than those ideas, and his Republican rivals were quick to reject the latest provocation from a candidate who has delivered no shortage of them.

"Donald Trump is unhinged," Jeb Bush said via Twitter. "His 'policy' proposals are not serious."

John Kasich slammed Trump's "outrageous divisiveness," while a more measured Ted Cruz, who has always been cautious about upsetting Trump's supporters, said, "Well, that is not my policy."

Trump's plan also drew criticism from the heads of the Republican Party in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, the first three states to vote in next year's presidential primaries.

Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski said Trump's proposed ban would apply to "everybody," including Muslims seeking immigration visas as well as tourists seeking to enter the country.

His campaign did not immediately respond to questions about whether it would also include Muslims who are U.S. citizens and travel outside of the country, including members of the military, or how a determination of someone's religion might be made by customs and border officials.

Instead, Trump said via a campaign spokeswoman: "Because I am so politically correct, I would never be the one to say. You figure it out!"

There are more than 5,800 servicemen and women on active U.S. military duty and in the reserves who self-identify as Muslim and could be assigned to serve overseas. Trump said in an interview Monday night on Fox News, "They'll come home." He added, "This does not apply to people living in the country, except that we have to vigilant."

It was also unclear whether Trump's ban would apply to Muslim allies in the fight against Islamic State militants. Ari Fleischer, a former aide to Republican President George W. Bush, tweeted, "Under Trump, the King Abdullah of Jordan, who is fighting ISIS, won't be allowed in the US to talk about how to fight ISIS."

But at Trump's rally in South Carolina, the proposed ban struck supporter Shelley Choquette as reasonable, because "it's not going to be forever. I think everybody needs to be checked."

Donald Trump is unhinged. His "policy" proposals are not serious.

-- Jeb Bush (@JebBush) December 7, 2015

In the late 1800s, Congress passed legislation broadly aimed at halting Chinese immigration. But said Leti Volpp, a University of California expert on immigration law, "there is no precedent for a religious litmus test for admitting immigrants into the United States."

"Excluding almost a quarter of the world's population from setting foot in the United States based solely upon their religious identity would never pass constitutional muster," Volpp said.

Trump's proposal comes a day after President Barack Obama spoke to the nation from the Oval Office about the shootings in San Bernardino, California, which Obama said was "an act of terrorism designed to kill innocent people."

The FBI said Monday the Muslim couple who carried out the massacre had been radicalized and had taken target practice at area gun ranges, in one case within days of the attack last week that killed 14 people.

Trump's campaign has been marked by a pattern of inflammatory statements, dating back to his harsh rhetoric about Mexican immigrants. He has taken a particularly hard line against Muslims in the days since the Paris attacks, advocating enhanced surveillance of mosques due to fears over radicalization.

"Donald Trump sounds more like a leader of a lynch mob than a great nation like ours," said Nihad Awad, national executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. "He and others are playing into the hands of ISIS. This is exactly what ISIS wants from Americans: to turn against each other."

White House spokesman Josh Earnest accused Trump of playing on people's fears and trying to tap into "a darker side, a darker element" of American society.

From the Democratic presidential campaign, Bernie Sanders said "Trump and others want us to hate all Muslims" and Hillary Clinton called the proposal "reprehensible, prejudiced and divisive."

On Capitol Hill, Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona said, "It's just foolish."

But will it hurt Trump in the campaign? "I have no idea," McCain said. "I thought long ago that things he said would hurt his prospects, and he continues to go up."