The victim is not believed to have life-threatening injuries.

SPRINGFIELD - Police are investigating the shooting of a man in the city's Memorial Square neighborhood Wednesday evening.

The victim was shot at about 6:35 p.m. on Osgood Street. He was brought to Baystate Medical Center in a private vehicle, Police Lt. Brian Keenan said.

The victim is still being treated but police believe his injuries are not life threatening, Keenan said

Osgood Street resident Julio Guzman said he was in a nearby parking lot when he heard a sound "like firecrackers" and saw a red car speeding away from the scene.

"When the police came I found out it was gunfire," he said, nodding at a trio of evidence markers on the sidewalk by his front yard.

State police assisted in the investigation.

Assistant Managing Editor Greg Saulmon contributed to this report.

The proposed budget will be presented to the public at a hearing June 27.

WESTFIELD - The City Council's Finance Committee launched its review of the proposed $138.4 million Fiscal 2017 city budget Monday and will continue that review Thursday and through the next two weeks.

Finance members David A. Flaherty and Matthew T. VanHeynigen announced Monday night that overall the committee is looking for cuts between $1.5 and $2.8 million from the proposed budget. They then recommended a $600,000 reduction in the School Department's request for $58.9 million for the new year beginning July 1.

The Finance Committee will now turn its attention to the departments of City Clerk, Board of Registrars, city Council, Health, Community Development, Zoning, Planning, Conservation and Council on Aging Thursday night beginning at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.

The committee has scheduled addition meeting with various departments on June 15, 16, 22 and 23. All hearings will be held at City Hall beginning at 5:30 p.m..

A special City Council hearing is scheduled June 27 at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall during which councilors will hold a public hearing on the city's spending plan for Fiscal 2017.

The Finance Committee will hold its final review of the budget June 28 beginning at 6 p.m. and then present its recommendations at a full City Council budget workshop scheduled for 7 p.m. on June 29.

Adoption of the final municipal budget for the new fiscal year will be held at 7 p.m. during a special City Council meeting June 30.

The Babe Ruth World Series will be played at Bullens Field Aug. 11 - 18.

WESTFIELD - Local Babe Ruth Baseball officials have announced tickets are now available at a reduced price for the upcoming Babe Ruth World Series that will be played here at Bullens Field.

Admission passes for the entire tournament, all 25 games, are available for $20 for individuals and $45 for families that will include two adults and up to four children. That price will hold until June 30 when prices increase to $25 for individuals and $60 for families.

Single day admission tickets during the World Series will be $10 each.

Tickets can be purchased from any league player or ordered through the World Series website at www.WestfieldWorldSeries.com. Tickets will be mailed to purchasers.

Tickets are also available for immediate pickup at Cassin Insurance at 104 Elm Street and Westfield Bank branches located at 560 East Main Street and at 300 Southampton Road.

Officials are planning a ticket sales blitz on June 12 at various locations in Westfield and Southwick.

The World Series will feature 10 teams of 14-year-old Babe Ruth players from throughout the United States and Canada, the Western Mass State Champion team and a host team from Westfield.

Christopher Keefe, the town's former principal assessor, had sued the town for financial damages after Neffinger fired him in "violation of public policy," Keefe claimed in his lawsuit. A jury felt otherwise.

SPRINGFIELD — It took only a couple of hours for a jury to deliver a verdict in the civil trial of Gregory C. Neffinger, a former West Springfield mayor accused of wrongfully terminating Christopher Keefe, a former principal assessor who sued the town after he was fired in February 2012.

A Hampden Superior Court jury on Wednesday determined that Neffinger did not terminate Keefe in violation of public policy, and denied Keefe's request for financial damages.

The lawsuit claimed Neffinger fired Keefe for refusing to circumvent Department of Revenue guidelines pertaining to the taxation of nonprofit organizations, which are not considered tax-exempt charities just because they are nonprofits.

Neffinger testified during the four-day trial that he only asked Keefe to check if nonprofit social clubs were eligible for some form of tax relief. Four clubs in West Springfield were issued property tax bills for the first time in history, and Keefe was the person who issued the bills.

Keefe said he was following DOR rules, but Neffinger said he believed the principal assessor had more discretionary powers to grant tax relief.

Neffinger said he fired Keefe, an at-will employee who served at the mayor's pleasure, because he found him to be evasive, unfriendly and unwilling to work with him. Neffinger took office in January 2012 and fired Keefe the following month.

Keefe's replacement, Lauren Elliott, who is now an assessor in Connecticut, testified that DOR guidelines are not binding, but rather just general rules for assessors who have discretion to offer tax relief. Elliott offered abatements to three of the four clubs in West Springfield that were seeking tax relief, basing the reductions on the percentage of charitable uses for the properties in question.

The jury — twelve members and two alternates — did not find a "preponderance of evidence" to find Neffinger responsible for causing financial harm to Keefe, who was unemployed for about six months and now earns around $84,000 annually. He earned around $71,000 as a West Springfield employee.

Testimony in the case showed that Keefe and Neffinger's brief professional relationship was strained. Neffinger acknowledged yelling at Keefe while discussing the status of possible abatements for the clubs, but they agreed about few other details of the contentious meeting. Keefe was fired the next day.

Neffinger did not return a message from The Republican. He and the town were represented by attorney Patricia M. Rapinchuk.

Keefe was represented by attorney Tani E. Sapirstein, who declined to comment on the jury's verdict.

Bullying in the Pelham school system was the contentious topic of discussion at Wednesday's monthly community council meeting.

PELHAM — The topic of bullying at Pelham Elementary School, spurred by a controversy involving the mother of a student there, was chief on the public's mind during the Pelham School Committee meeting on Wednesday evening.

Aisha Hiza, the mother of a student at Pelham Elementary School who became the center of that controversy, was expected to speak during public comment, but didn't. A number of other community members and parents spoke instead out about what they said was a troubling trend of bullying in at Pelham Elementary School.

Hiza was issued a stay-away order by Amherst-Pelham schools superintendent Maria Geryk on March 15, months after Hiza went to school administrators to report that her daughter had become a target of bullying. The order banned Hiza from all local school premises with the exception of when she was picking up or dropping off her daughter.

Geryk lifted the order against Hiza as of June 1, the Daily Hampshire Gazette and blogger Larry Kelley reported on Wednesday. Hiza told The Republican in an email that she would be making a statement about the order at the Pelham School Committee's monthly meeting on Wednesday evening.

Though Hiza didn't participate in public comments, others who did largely eschewed the issue of race, instead focusing on concerns that administrators were not doing enough to effectively curb bullying and other student behavioral problems.

One parent, perhaps in allusion to Hiza, said that "similar to other parents," she had approached administrators about her child being bullied but that "nothing much seemed to change," and that the school "failed to follow up with" her. Another woman, who said that her third child currently attends Pelham Elementary School, stressed that she had had to wait a long time for a response from the school when she reported her daughter had been "kicked," and that she was concerned for the system's "reputation."

A woman who said she was a former teacher at the school said that she was disturbed by the stories of bullying. "It really breaks my heart to hear the stories that we hear," she said, implying that kind of student behavior was not something she had dealt with during her time as an instructor. "We never had that. So something is not working. Whatever it is, I hope you can cure it," she said.

While many of the speakers expressed concerns, they all also expressed hopes that positive resolutions could be reached by administrators.

The Springfield Central High School Class of 2016 numbered 424 graduates and the new graduates were told they "always have a home" at Central as they face future endeavors and challenges.

SPRINGFIELD — The Central High School Class of 2016 was given a fond farewell on Wednesday during a graduation ceremony at Symphony Hall, with Principal Thaddeus Tokarz urging the grads to rely on the "grit, perseverance, and integrity" shown at Central in facing future challenges.

Of the 424 students who graduated, 386 are going on to college and 12 into the armed forces, according to the school records.

In prepared remarks, Tokarz called on the new graduates to reflect on their four years in high school, and how they had to "overcome obstacles, manage social and academic pressures, meet expectations and grind out assignments."

"The grit, perseverance and integrity needed to accomplish those goals is what you need to carry with you as you exit this hall," Tokarz said. "In your life you will undoubtedly come across instances where you are scared, confused, worried, and overwhelmed" and have thoughts of quitting.

During those times, Tokarz urged the graduates to reflect back to similar situations at Central, and do what they did to overcome their troubles.

He also told the graduates they "always have a home" at Central.

Other scheduled speakers at the graduation were Class Valedictorian Nhi Yen Lam, planning to attend the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, majoring in computer engineering and mathematics, and Salutatorian Gianghi LeNyguyen, planning to attend Brandeis, majoring in biochemistry.

Superintendent of Schools Daniel Warwick and Mayor Domenic J. Sarno presided over the graduation ceremony and Denise Hurst was scheduled to speak on behalf of the School Committee.

Sarno praised the class for its "perseverance, fortitude and will to achieve." He added that their zip codes do not dictate their future.

"You dictate your future," Sarno said.

The Madrigal Singers and Senior Chorus were scheduled to perform.

A Springfield man was arrested Wednesday evening on allegations of narcotics possession with intent to distribute.

SPRINGFIELD — A Springfield man was arrested on Wednesday afternoon after narcotics detectives witnessed him dealing drugs, according to police.

Jovon Belton, 23, of 96 Sonia Street, is charged with distribution of a class D substance, possession of marijuana and heroin with intent to distribute, as well as with violating his parole, according to police.

Authorities say they were monitoring Belton earlier in the afternoon and witnessed him selling drugs in the rear parking lot of the "One Stop Package Store"at 145 Boston Rd.

Belton had previously been arrested in June of 2015 on gun violations and still had an attached, GPS-monitored ankle bracelet, according to police.

Police say they confiscated 11 bags of heroin and several packages of marijuana from Belton's Ford, all of which were stamped with the logo "The Money Train." Additionally, police also recovered $351 in cash as well as drug packaging materials and drug paraphernalia.

The two people Belton is alleged to have sold drugs to were subsequently pulled over and the marijuana he sold them was also confiscated, according to police.

Detectives say that they had received complaints and information that illegal drug sales were taking place at the parking lot on a consistent basis.

The 100th edition of The Big E begins on Sept. 16.

WEST SPRINGFIELD –Nobody throws a party like The Big E, and Wednesday night's preview to the fair's centennial was no exception.

The party began a countdown of 100 days, when the 100th anniversary celebration will be underway during the exposition's run from Sept. 16 to Oct. 2.

Guests were treated to a cake so big it had to be made in five sections, Belgian-style beer from Spencer Trappists, music from The Big E Mardi Gras Band, prize giveaways and more.

Among a handful of speakers at the event was West Springfield Mayor Will Reichelt, who called The Big E "a huge asset in the community."

"It's great to have them here... it provides a huge economic benefit for the corridor and the community in general, so we're really happy to have this anniversary," Reichelt said. "I'm honored to be here, and I look forward to the great celebration this year. Happy birthday."

Eugene J. Cassidy, president and CEO of the fair, addressed the crowd of about 150 guests, and recognized Noreen Tassinari, marketing director for The Big E, whom he called "Miss Centennial."

"She has not slept for about five years; she's been wondering about this centennial planning ...," Cassidy said. "But Noreen is driving the centennial bus, and we thank you for that."

As dusk fell, a lighting ceremony saw the illumination of five large candles atop the Brooks Building on the exposition grounds. Elsewhere on the fairgrounds, trees are being decorated with crystal-like lights for the anniversary celebration.

Earlier in the day, The Big E announced on social media that several big-name entertainers are lined up to perform during the centennial.

The musical guests are X Ambassadors, on Sept. 23; Elle King, on Sept. 24; and Maren Morris, on Sept. 25.

More information about The Big E's 100th Anniversary Celebration can be found at its website: www.thebige.com

Game Change is an anti-violence program that seeks to enlist athletes as advocates against behaviors that can lead to violence, bullying or rape.

SPRINGFIELD -- A series of speakers at a downtown session on domestic violence said Game Change has the potential to be a real game changer.

Game Change is the partnership between the Massachusetts attorney general's office, the New England Patriots and Northeastern University. The anti-violence program seeks to enlist athletes and student leaders as advocates against behaviors that can lead to violence, bullying or rape.

Officials with the initiative spoke for two hours Thursday at a forum at Tower Square that was sponsored by the Hampden District Attorney's Task Force on Domestic Violence.

Daniel Lebowitz, executive director for the Center for the Study of Sport and Society at Northeastern University, said many student athletes already have leadership skills on the field of play. That same skill on the field does not necessarily translate to off the field.

"Our training gives them a skill set to recognize egregious behavior and then intervene," he said.

Game Change will be introduced to as many as 98 Massachusetts high schools in the next few years, said Margie Pullo, policy assistant for Attorney General Maura Healey.

She said that, by the end of 2017, as many as 1,000 student athletes in Massachusetts public schools will have been exposed to the training. The training is intended to "train the trainers," or to teach people who have gone through the training to then educate others.

"We hope to empower peer leaders to reach out to their peers," she said.

Pullo said the partnership came about when a TV reporter asked Healey about Deflategate, the controversy surrounding the Patriots and how much air pressure was used in footballs during a playoff game. Healey replied she would rather the NFL focus on more significant problems, like the number of players in trouble for domestic abuse.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft saw her interview and called her up, asking if there was a way for the Patriots organization to aid Healey in combating domestic abuse. This led the Patriots and the attorney general to contact Northeastern, which for years has been the home of Center for the Study of Sport in Society and its Mentors in Violence (MVP) program.

MVP has worked with the NFL, Major League Baseball, the NCAA, all branches of the military and even the Boston police, but it had never worked with high school students before.

"We're hoping to cultivate change at a young age," Lebowitz said.

"We're trying to create a dynamic where people think deeper about what empathy looks like," he said. "And empathy is not about pity; it's about understanding someone else's perspective."

Hampden DA Anthony Gulluni said his office has a dedicated staff focused on domestic violence and sexual assault issues. He said he supports the Game Change program and believes it has great potential.

"This effort ... is about creating leaders," he said. "If we can get young leaders in our high schools to relate to their peers (about issues of sexual violence and other behaviors) I think we are going to make a big impact."

The MVP program has four basic goals: to raise awareness around domestic violence, bullying, racism and sexual assault; to challenge thinking, especially about stereotypes; to open lines of communication between people; and to inspire leadership.

Michael Fonda, a prevention educator from Rensselaer, New York, and an MVP training facilitator, asked people around the room what they thought the first time they saw the surveillance video of NFL player Ray Rice knocking out his fiancee in an elevator. Responses ranged from shock to disgust.

"We saw it ourselves on TV. People were disgusted," he said. But domestic abuse happens every day, sometimes seen and sometimes unseen, and people often don't know what to do about it.

Part of MVP training involves teaching leadership skills. "There are a lot of good men in the community who want to intervene but don't know how," he said.

Republican leader calls it a 'symbolic measure,' saying it will not become law without further work.

The Democratic-led Massachusetts Senate on Thursday passed a controversial bill that would overhaul state zoning laws, despite warnings from Senate Minority Leader Sen. Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, that without further work the bill is a "symbolic measure" that will not become law.

The bill passed by a vote of 23-15.

State Sen. Dan Wolf, D-Harwich, the bill's sponsor, said the bill achieves a balance "between density and open space, between local and state government, between regulation and cost, balancing the needs of all stakeholders and the citizens of the commonwealth."

"Every section, every nuance of the bill is based on past zoning practices, and what has and hasn't worked," Wolf said.

But Tarr said, "I'm concerned whether this is a case of land-use lasagna, where we layer on one piece after another piece after another piece, and we send forth from Beacon Hill something no one understands, and everyone is trying to implement."

The bill, S.2311, aims to reform the state's outdated zoning laws, which have not been comprehensively updated since 1975. The goal is to make it easier to build new housing and to ensure that housing is built in the places where cities and towns want development. As The Republican/MassLive.com reported, the bill includes myriad regulations relating to planning, zoning and permitting. It changes requirements related to building multifamily housing, building accessory apartments, charging impact fees and encouraging affordable housing.

Planning groups say the bill is important to encourage more housing development in a way that makes sense for cities and residents and that is also environmentally friendly. But developers say some of the proposals would make it too expensive to build new housing. Cities and towns object to measures that take away control from local zoning boards.

State Sen. Jamie Eldridge, D-Acton, said the bill addresses the state's "affordable housing crisis" while providing ways to protect open space and giving cities and towns control over where development takes place. "It allows a community to plan out how it would like its community to look, overlapped with the state's interests, like affordable housing," Eldridge said.

But Tarr said the bill includes numerous items that were not discussed in a public hearing. Cities and towns, he said, are asking questions about how to implement it. He said the bill would impose new costs on municipalities and create a "bureaucratic maze."

Tarr introduced an amendment that would have allowed municipalities to take some of the steps outlined in the bill, but would not make them mandatory. These include provisions like requiring a majority vote rather than a two-thirds vote to change zoning bylaws or creating a mediation process for developers and municipalities. Tarr's amendment would have required the state to provide technical or financial assistance to cities and towns that implement changes to their zoning laws in areas like in-law apartments and impact fees.

Lawmakers rejected Tarr's amendment and declined Tarr's request to send the bill back to a legislative committee for more work.

"To recommit this would serve no purpose other than delay," said state Sen. Harriette Chandler, D-Worcester. "We can't afford delay, because this is an economic crisis we face. People cannot find housing in this state."

Senators introduced 63 amendments, which were disposed of during several hours of debate. Amendments that were adopted would prohibit "discriminatory" land use practices, require master plans to address factors like energy and transportation, require a permit for an accessory apartment outside the perimeter of a single-family home and others.

The bill now goes to the House. House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, has not committed to taking it up before the legislative session ends in July.

A federal magistrate judge in U.S. District Court in Springfield quizzed a prosecutor on what is taking so long to mull terror-related charges against suspect Alexander Ciccolo, 24, of Adams.

SPRINGFIELD - Adams terrorism suspect Alexander Ciccolo made his first appearance in U.S. District Court in nearly a year on Thursday, only to hear the government is still sitting on its decision as to whether or not to bring terror-related charges against him. 

"I need to understand why it's really in the interest of justice to continue this case," U.S. Magistrate Judge Katherine Robertson asked Assistant U.S. Attorney Deepika Shukla. "It seems like a sufficient amount of time for the government to make a decision on whether this case is going to change. I'll hear you on why this case should just drag on like this."

Shukla asked the judge to answer at sidebar, so her explanation was not offered in open court.

Defense attorney David P. Hoose told the magistrate judge he felt his hands were tied.

"It's frustrating to me that it's taking this long and it's frustrating to Mr. Ciccolo as well," Hoose said. "But really, we don't have much of a choice in the matter."

Ciccolo, 24 -- who has spent nearly a year of pretrial time in federal prison -- was brought to court Thursday from the Wyatt Detention Facility in Rhode Island. 

He was charged with illegal possession of weapons last year, after he collected a duffel bag full of guns from a government informant on July 4, 2015. Court records filed in connection with the case state Ciccolo told the witness he was hatching a plan to carry out terror attacks on public places including a police station and at a college using explosives and guns.

After his arrest, Ciccolo told an FBI agent in a video interview that he was on the side of ISIS.

"They're freeing people from oppression. Wherever they go, they're changing things," Ciccolo is heard saying in the nine-minute clip. "The people you see being executed, they're criminals. They're the lowest of the low."

Ciccolo also was charged with assaulting a nurse during a standard intake at Franklin County House of Corrections. He stabbed her in the head with a pen in an unprovoked attack, according to investigators. Ciccolo later apologized through his lawyer.

The defendant has pleaded not guilty to both allegations.

Ciccolo does not face any terror-related charges currently, despite the government recovering Molotov cocktails and other incendiary devices at his apartment, court records state.

In a pretrial conference in February, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin O'Regan told Robertson prosecutors were "much closer" to a decision on additional charges and suggested Justice Dept. officials in Washington D.C. were holding up the case.

"Because of the nature of these charges, these discussions are longer and involve a lot more people," he told Robertson.

Hoose said Thursday that he recognized the government has "a pretty strong case" thus far, and if Ciccolo chose to take it to trial or enter a plea, he would "lose all control."

"I wouldn't want Mr. Ciccolo sitting in a federal prison for a couple of years and they say: 'You're up for release, but they are going to charge you (again) now,'" Hoose said.

Thursday's session ended with the scheduling of yet another pretrial hearing, for July 13, without any promises from the government.

Anthony Stone will return to Springfield District Court July 27 for a charge of threatening to commit a crime

SPRINGFIELD — A new pretrial conference date of July 27 has been set for the brother-in-law of Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, who has been charged with making threats against the mayor's wife.

Anthony Stone, 39, of Longmeadow, made a series of threats against his sister, Carla Sarno, during a phone call, Assistant District Attorney Cary Szafranski said at Stone's May 6 arraignment.

Anthony StoneSpringfield police photo 

Stone had a pretrial conference Wednesday in Springfield District Court that was continued to the new date, said James Leydon, spokesman for Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni.

Leydon said the defense has filed a motion to dismiss the case.

Carla Sarno called her brother to inquire about their mother's well-being. Stone took the call, then refused to put his mother on the phone, Szafranski said at the arraignment. As the argument escalated, Stone began threatening his sister and alluded to an earlier incident during which he "broke into her home, stole her car and terrorized her family," Szafranski said.

Stone has pleaded not guilty to threatening to commit a crime in the case.

At least two people were hit by gunfire Thursday afternoon in a shooting at the corner of Euclid and Belmont avenues in the Forest Park neighborhood, police said.

SPRINGFIELD — Two people were hit by gunfire Thursday afternoon in a shooting at the corner of Euclid and Belmont avenues in the Forest Park neighborhood, police said.

The shooting erupted after a "verbal altercation" escalated into gunfire, according to Springfield Police Lt. Mark Rolland.

The suspect, who has not been apprehended, was described as an African-American male in his 30s, with the sides of his head "shaved," according to Lt. Rolland. He drove away from the scene in a 2007-09 dark, two-door Honda Civic, which police are still searching for.

The victims, a 10-year-old girl and a 19-year-old woman, were transported to Bay State Medical Center, police said.

The 10-year-old was shot in the leg and the 19-year-old was shot through the buttocks, according to Rolland. The victims' injuries are believed to be non-life-threatening.

It is so far unclear as to whether the victims were involved in the verbal altercation, or if they were randomly targeted, according to Lt. Rolland. Detectives are currently at Bay State talking to the 19-year-old in an attempt to discern what happened.

Rolland also said that there was a large crowd of children nearby when the suspect began firing. "There were a lot of them," said Rolland, estimating at least 15 children were playing only a block away.

At least eight shell casings were recovered from what appeared to be a .22-caliber weapon.

This is a developing story that will be updated as reporting continues

Just two women were among the highest paid 100 executives in Massachusetts in 2015, according to research by the Boston Business Journal.

Just two women were among the highest paid 100 executives in Massachusetts in 2015, according to research by the Boston Business Journal.

Former TJX CEO Carol Meyrowitz, who stepped down in January, earned $18 million, making fourth place on the list, the Journal reported. And Radius Health Chief Medical Officer Lorraine Fitzpatrick placed 62nd, with earnings of $6.1 million.

Four women made the list last year. As the Journal noted, women are underrepresented at the top of Massachusetts companies in general; a study by the Boston Club, a women's corporate leadership organization, found that 12 percent of executives in the state's top 100 companies were women.

'While I'm certainly not happy to hear this, I'm not particularly surprised,' Boston Club Executive Director Constance Armstrong told the Journal.

A Boston Globe report on the state's corporate diversity last December found that 80 percent of board directors were white men. State Sen. Karen Spilka described diversity at the top of Massachusetts' largest companies as "abysmally low."

Students, recent high school graduates, parents, teachers and the new superintendent were among more than 50 people protesting layoffs planned by the public school system here.

GRANBY -- Students, recent high school graduates, parents, teachers and the new superintendent were among more than 50 people protesting staff layoffs planned by the public school system here.

The demonstration Thursday afternoon on the lawn in front of the high school began when classes had been dismissed for the day.

"A lot of our teachers are being cut," said 10th grader Shianne Desellier, 16, a student at Granby Junior/Senior High School.

"We want to make a difference," said 7th grader Caitlyn Eichhorn, 13.

The district last month notified 16 percent of the school's 79 teachers they had lost their jobs. Current figures show that in addition to the 12.4 full-time equivalent teachers being laid off, the staff cuts also include a principal, two clerical workers and a paraprofessional, school officials have said.

"We are just coming to support our teachers. They mean a lot to us," said Dao Phuthavongsa, 20, who graduated in 2014.

A pair of third-graders who attend West Street School were asked why they were holding signs.

"We want to help our teachers keep their jobs," said one of them, Cole Fuller, 9.

Cindy Wright Santiago resides in South Hadley; her four boys attend Granby public schools via the state's school choice program. Explaining why she attended the protest, the parent said: "Besides parents, teachers have the hardest job. Our kids are the future of our country."

"Our kids matter; we can't afford to lose our teachers," said Rhonda Fabricius.

Her daughter, Savannah, 21, a 2013 graduate, said: "Teachers make all things possible."

Parent Sharon Bail was one of the organizers of the demonstration.

"The school is the single biggest thing we have in town," she said, adding that the financial problems that resulted in the staff cuts are "bigger than a town problem -- this is a statewide problem."

Bail said Chapter 70 state education aid needs to be increased.

"It's going to take a lot more than this (protests) to get the state to listen," she said.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, took aim at presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's remarks regarding a federal judge Thursday, contending that he should be ashamed of himself.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, took aim at presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's remarks regarding a federal judge Thursday, saying that he should be ashamed of himself.

Warren, who delivered evening remarks at the American Constitution Society's annual convention in Washington, discussed what she called "a full-scale assault on the integrity of the federal judiciary and its judges," according to the speech released by her Senate office.

The Massachusetts Democrat blasted Trump's recent claims that Judge Gonzalo Curiel, who's overseeing the Trump University case, is biased against him due to his Mexican-American heritage.

Warren's criticisms of Trump marked the latest chapter in a months-long feud between the senator and the businessman.

Contending that the so-called "assault" on the judiciary is composed of two major elements -- ending centuries-old processes for appointing judges and attacking judicial nominees, potential nominees and sitting federal judges -- Warren took issue with Trump's recent comments on Curiel.

Calling the judge "one of countless American patriots who has spent decades quietly serving his country, sometimes at great risk to his own life," Warren argued that Trump, by comparison, "is a loud, nasty, thin-skinned fraud who has never risked anything for anyone and serves nobody but himself."

The Massachusetts Democrat further chastised the billionaire businessman "for using the megaphone of a presidential campaign to attack a judge's character and integrity.

"You shame yourself and you shame this great country," Warren said.

Despite blasting Trump's remarks, the senator suggested that he is not the only Republican to attack the judiciary, accusing other GOP leaders of similar conduct.

"Trump isn't a different kind of candidate. He's a Mitch McConnell kind of candidate. Exactly the kind of candidate you'd expect from a Republican Party whose 'script' for several years has been to execute a full-scale assault on the integrity of our courts ... Trump is also House Speaker Paul Ryan's kind of candidate," she said in her prepared remarks.

"Paul Ryan condemned Trump's campaign for its attacks on Judge Curiel's integrity. Great," she added. "Where's Paul Ryan's condemnation of the blockade, the intimidation, the smears, and the slime against the integrity of qualified judicial nominees and Judge (Merrick) Garland?"

Garland is President Barack Obama's nominee to succeed the late Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court.

Warren further contended that while Trump "chose racism as his weapon," his aim is the same as that of other Republicans: "Pound the courts into submission to the rich and powerful."

The senior Massachusetts senator's remarks came amidst reports that she's planning to soon endorse presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. 

She has also been named as a possible vice presidential running mate for the former first lady.

Elizabeth Warren reportedly eyeing Hillary Clinton endorsement

The senator called Trump a "small, insecure moneygrubber who doesn't care about anyone but himself" during a blistering speech before Democratic leaders attending the Massachusetts party convention in Lowell on Saturday.

Pointing to controversy regarding the businessman's for-profit education company as an example, she contended that Trump University was "one big 'fraudulent scheme" and Trump is "only qualified to be fraudster-in-chief."

On Thursday, people from across the Pioneer Valley gathered for "A Seussian Soiree," a fundraising gala where guests mingled on the lawn of the Springfield Museums with "Yertle the Turtle," "The Lorax," and other beloved characters depicted in the Quadrangle's Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden.

SPRINGFIELD -- On Thursday, people from across the Pioneer Valley gathered for "A Seussian Soiree," a fundraising gala where guests mingled on the lawn of the Springfield Museums with "Yertle the Turtle," "The Lorax," and other beloved characters depicted in the Quadrangle's Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden.

The soiree - the last in a series of the Museums' Culture & Cocktails series - aims to kick-off a campaign to raise another $2 million during the public portion of the fund-raising drive that will create the "Amazing World of Dr. Seuss" museum in the former William Pynchon Memorial Building on the Quadrangle.

Among soiree dignitaries were sculptor Lark Grey Dimond-Cates, a step-daughter of Theodor S. Geisel who created the sculpture garden.

Dimond-Cates has been in Springfield for the past week to support the project, donating the author's drawing table and 36 boxes of Seuss memorabilia.

Special entertainment for the evening included acrobats from the Boston Circus Guild, fanciful balloon sculptures and street art demonstrations, a Seuss-themed photo booth, and music by DJ Spencer Lavoie of 4Life Entertainment Organization.

A man from Framingham was sentenced to 11 years in prison on Wednesday for multiple child pornography charges, according to the Department of Justice.

BOSTON — A man from Framingham was sentenced in U.S. District Court on Wednesday in connection with multiple child pornography offenses.

Stephen John Hallissey, 38, was sentenced to 11 years in prison, with an additional 10 years of supervised release.

Hallissey was arrested in March of 2015 and pleaded guilty in November to possession and receipt of child pornography.

Federal agents discovered 450,000 child pornography images on Hallissey's computer after executing a search warrant at his home last March. Many of the images were reportedly violent and included young children being raped and sexually assaulted.

Hallissey also admitted that several years ago he repeatedly sexually assaulted two girls – one of which was only two-years-old at the time – while he was in California.

In emails Hallissey sent to other collectors of child pornography, he also apparently said "I LOVE hurting kids with sex (rape)," as well as commenting that his favorite age for a victim was "two years old."

The museum will open a year from now, in June 2017, campaign co-chair Donald D'Amour said. He said $5.3 million of a $7 million capital campaign already has been raised. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -- At a large gathering on the Quadrangle, the Springfield Museums Thursday evening launched the public portion of its $7 million capital campaign to build a Dr. Seuss museum -- a place that will promote literacy and honor the legacy of the Springfield native whose books have helped generations of children learn to read.

Donald D'Amour, co-chair of the fundraising campaign, said $5.3 million has been raised to date.

"We are here to open the public phase of the campaign," D'Amour said. He said the campaign is asking for donations in any amount, especially from those living in the Pioneer Valley.

The new museum, the "Amazing World of Dr. Seuss," will open in the former William Pynchon Memorial Building on the Quadrangle.

D'Amour said the museum is scheduled to open in June 2017. The multidimensional interactive Dr. Seuss museum will celebrate the city's most famous son while promoting children's literacy in the community that inspired his life work.

Kay Simpson, president of the Springfield Museums, paid tribute to David Starr, senior editor for Advance Publications and president of The Republican Co.

"His (Starr's) friendship with Ted Geisel made possible the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden at the Quadrangle," Simpson said.

At the Thursday "Seussian Soiree," guests mingled with Yertle the Turtle, the Lorax and other characters in the sculpture garden while eating Seussian hors d'oeuvres.

The guest of honor at the event was sculptor Lark Grey Dimond-Cates, a step-daughter of Theodor S. Geisel, who created the sculpture garden.

Dimond-Cates has been in Springfield this week to support the project, donating the author's drawing table and 36 boxes of Seuss memorabilia.

Also introduced at the fundraising gala was Mary Walachy, executive director of the Davis Foundation, a donor to the new museum.

She explained that the museum is aligned with the goals of the Davis Foundation, whose mission has always revolved around reading and building early literacy skills, along with increasing the economic vitality of the city.

Kevin Kennedy, chief development officer for Springfield, represented Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno at the event. Kennedy said Sarno was attending the Springfield High School of Science and Technology graduation.

"Springfield is changing for the better," Kennedy said. He said the MGM complex in Springfield's South End will result in 10,000 visitors a day to the city.

"The Springfield Museums will capitalize on this activity," he said. He said the Dr. Seuss museum, located in the city that is the author's childhood home, will be one of a kind like the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Springfield Police Commissioner John Barbieri has said that the neighborhood where a shooting occurred on Thursday afternoon "will be safe."

SPRINGFIELD, MA — Springfield Police Commissioner John Barbieri has released a brief statement regarding the shooting that occurred near the corner of Euclid Ave and Belmont Ave in Springfield on Thursday afternoon.

In addition to promising "extra patrols" in the area where a 19-year-old and 10-year-old were both shot in a violent incident, the Commissioner also stressed that the city's officers work hard to keep its residents safe.

"This type of activity will not be tolerated on the streets of Springfield," Barbieri said. "Our officers work tirelessly everyday to take guns and violent offenders off the street. The neighborhood surrounding Euclid Avenue will be safe," he said.

In an incident that police are still investigating, a suspect is alleged to have fired a gun several times in a crowded neighborhood, where one officer said "lots of children were playing." The suspect is alleged to have shot the 19-year-old and 10-year-old during the bout of gunfire. Police are still attempting to determine how and why the violence occurred.

At approximately 4:42 p.m., officers responded to a call for "shots fired" at the location of the shooting.

At the scene, they discovered the 19-year-old suffering from a wound to the buttocks. She was subsequently transported to the hospital for treatment. Her wounds are considered to be non-life-threatening.

While the initial investigation was taking place, the Springfield Police Department also received a 911 call from a "frantic mother" who was in the process of taking her 10-year-old daughter to the hospital for a bullet wound in the leg. The girl had been hit with what is being called a "stray bullet" on Euclid Avenue.

Officers from Springfield's Street Crime Unit ultimately assisted the mother in facilitating the 10-year-old's trip to the hospital. She is considered to be in "good condition" after being taken to the emergency room.

It was determined through initial investigation that the gunfire began after the suspect, who is described as a "dark-skinned" black male with a "Mohawk type haircut" with the sides of his head shaved, began arguing with unknown subjects at the corner of the two avenues. After the gunfire, the suspect allegedly fled in a car described as a dark blue, two door, 2006-2007 Honda Civic, according to police.

Anybody with any information on the suspect or the shooting is encouraged to reach out to the Springfield Police Department's Major Crimes Unit at 413-787-6355.