Three artists will soon have the opportunity to display and sell their work in the heart of downtown Springfield.

Three artists will soon have the opportunity to display and sell their work in the heart of downtown Springfield.

The Springfield Central Cultural District is looking for artists to host solo shows in pop-up galleries at New England Public Radio, the SilverBrick Lofts and 1550 Main Street. Artists will display their work from March to June, receive all proceeds from any sales and be paid a $200 stipend.

"The idea is to create unconventional gallery spaces sprung out of being asked by the host locations how to activate their community rooms, and we're always looking for ways to increase walkability downtown," Springfield Central Cultural District Director Morgan Drewniany said in a statement.

Proposals are due March 8, and more details can be found here. The proposed installations can include a wide variety of media, and will be selected based on artistic excellence and originality, creative use of the available space and regard for the broad audience who will likely see the work.

The cultural district will also favor installations which are comprehensive or have a unified theme, according to the request for proposals.

The initiative follows the cultural district's "Art Stop" program in October, when painter Joe Tomaselli, mixed media artist Chelsea Revelle and illustrator and cartoonist Justin (Murasaki) Phillips displayed their art for one-day popup galleries at NEPR, SilverBrick and 1550 Main Street.

"The October pilot Art Stop in these locations was a huge success in both ways - people were walking and talking about art in a new and different way in the district, and we hope to continue the momentum by doing it again," Drewniany said in a statement.   

Shortly before 7 a.m. Monday, a radar at the Pittsfield Municipal Airport reported 44 mile per hour wind gusts blowing.

Strong winds were blowing across Massachusetts early Monday as meteorologists warn of winds with gusts up to 60 miles per hour into the evening. 

Shortly before 7 a.m. Monday, a radar at the Pittsfield Municipal Airport reported 44 mile per hour wind gusts blowing. 

High winds threaten to create power outages Monday

The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory Monday, which remains in effect until 7 p.m. for the majority of the state. 

Northwest winds 20 to 25 miles per hour with gusts up to 50 miles per hour are expected in Western and Central Massachusetts. 

Coastal Essex County communities, Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket are expected to be hit with gusts in the 60s Monday.  

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Thomas Aquinas College has entered into a preliminary agreement to assume ownership of the former campus of Northfield Mount Hermon in Northfield.

NORTHFIELD -- Thomas Aquinas College, a private four-year California institution, has entered into a preliminary agreement with the National Christian Foundation to accept its gift of the former Northfield Mount Hermon property.

Founded by Catholic lay people in 1971, Thomas Aquinas College plans to assume ownership on May 7, pending site review and permit requirements. It would open an East Coast branch of the college in Northfield.

The foundation, the country's biggest Christian charitable organization, was given the Northfield property and the responsibility of gifting it by Steve Green, president of the arts and crafts retailer Hobby Lobby.

Green bought the campus for $100,000, in 2009, intending to transfer it to a Christian educational institution with the financial means to accept and maintain it.

Efforts to find an institution with sufficient deep pockets and willingness to adopt to its community setting have yet to succeed, though the relatively modest stated plans of the California college -- assisted by the foundation's help in the establishment of a $5 million matching grant fund for the undertaking -- may prove suitable.

The college, devoted to Catholic values and practices and the teaching of analytical, rhetorical and critical thinking skills through the study of theology, philosophy and mathematics, plans to establish what will initially be an East Coast branch on the campus that was originally founded as a girls' school, in 1879, by Northfield-born evangelist Dwight L. Moody who also founded the Mount Hermon school for boys in Gill in 1881.

The schools merged in 1971 to form Northfield Mount Hermon. The Northfield campus was shuttered when the private secondary school consolidated to its present Gill campus in 2005. Hobby Lobby reportedly spent more than $5 million in upgrades to the Northfield campus before turning it over the foundation.

Institutions involved in earlier gifting efforts including the C.S. Lewis Foundation, which failed to raise enough money in its plans to open a Christian-oriented liberal arts college for 400 students, and Grand Canyon University of Phoenix, Ariz., that planned to establish a for-profit Christian university for 5,000 students, but backed out over what it said were financial and town requirement issues.

"From the beginning, we have been impressed with Thomas Aquinas College for its commitment to academic excellence. We selected it because of this reputation, its strong leadership, and its financial strength," said Emmitt Mitchell of the foundation's Heartland board of directors in a statement.

In the same statement Michael F. McLean, college president, said the school was "profoundly grateful to Emmitt and the National Christian Foundation for this magnificent gift of the Northfield property, and that the plan for the branch campus, expected to open in fall 2018, is "to start small and build slowly, just as our founders did in California."

The statement said 36 freshmen will be accepted in each of the first four years, allowing the study body to slowly increase to between 350 to 400 students. Some members of the faculty, who are called tutors, are expected to relocated to the Northfield campus where, according to the statement, the residential and spiritual life of the California campus will be replicated.

The college was founded after the Second Vatican Council amid concerned that its reforms, which included Mass in the vernacular of practitioners, greater emphasis on ecumenical dialogue and the directive for clergy and religious to administer out in the community, too secularized Catholic identity and teachings.

Life at Thomas Aquinas, named for a saint considered a doctor in the Church for his philosophical and theological teachings, includes single sex dorms, the opportunity for daily Mass and confession, adherence to a dress code for classes and being taught by tutors who take am oath of fidelity in which they pledge to "hold fast to the deposit of faith in its entirety; I shall faithfully hand it on and explain it, and I shall avoid any teachings contrary to it."

Supporters of the college include Cardinal Raymond Burke who spoke to the 400-member student body last year on "Genuine Catholic Education and its Power to Transform Our Culture."

"Both campuses will be fully committed to, and governed by, our founding document, "A Proposal for the Fulfillment of Catholic Liberal Education,'" McLean's statement said.

"Both will initially be part of one college, with a single faculty, a single board of governors, a single curriculum, and a single accreditation, but we will explore the path to the possible independence of the two campuses in the years to come."

In a expressing support to McLean, the Most Rev. Mitchell T. Rozanski, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, is quoting as saying, "I wish to inform you of my full support for this endeavor, and will do whatever I can to help you in establishing the school here to form faithful witnesses to Christ in our Catholic faith."

McLean said the college was "greatly encouraged by Bishop Rozanski's warm welcome and pledge of assistance."

"We look forward to working with His Excellency, with the town of Northfield, and with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, to expand our mission of Catholic liberal education at this new branch campus. With God's help, we will provide even more young people the intellectual, moral, and spiritual formation they need to serve the Church and our country well," McLean's release said.

The statement also said the college will share a portion of the Northfield property with The Moody Center, which plans to do do some restoration work as well as operate a small museum with an archive of materials related to the evangelist's life and work.

The college was among the co-plantiffs in the 2016 U.S. Supreme Court case, Roman Catholic Archbishop v. Burwell, that challenged the Affordable Care's mandate that workplace insurance cover contraception for women. The court did not rule in that case, referring it to lower courts for a possible compromise.

Lawyers for Hobby Lobby successfully argued before the Supreme Court in 2014 that it is a violation of religious freedom to require corporations owned by families who object to such coverage on religious grounds to provide it.

The dance was held in the church's Fellowship Hall, with DJ Mike Check from Wilbraham providing the music.

By Dianne Lyons, Special to The Republican

WILBRAHAM- "We thought maybe we'd have 40 couples," said Paul Nesbit, director of Christian Education at Wilbraham United Church, speaking of the church's February 11 Mother-Son dance. "We had over 200 - we had to turn people away. We could probably have taken 100 more."

Nesbit attributes the overwhelming response to pent-up demand. "There are always father-daughter dances. Nobody had done a mother-son dance and some of the moms were talking... dreaming... wishing... complaining," joked Nesbit. "The Education Commission said, 'We'll do it!' We put it together rather quickly; we decided in January we were doing this and the whole thing just took off. Boy, did it take off!"

The dance was held in the church's Fellowship Hall, with DJ Mike Check from Wilbraham providing the music. Samantha Rose and Jakub Lakomski of BTTR Booths volunteered their photo booth services for the dance and provided each couple with a strip of four color photos at no charge.

While the dance floor appeared filled nearly to capacity with elementary school-age boys dancing energetically to Black Eyed Peas and Miley Cyrus, young men of all ages were represented.

"I think the average age of the sons is about nine," Nesbit said. "We also have a 59-year-old who brought his friend who is like his mom; we have some teens with their moms. The youngest is eleven weeks."

Though ticket sales surpassed all expectations, making a profit was never the objective, according to Nesbit.

"What we've been concentrating on in the church is, What does our community need? What are the needs of our neighbors? And, How do we get people back into the church?" Any profits realized from the dance will be channeled into future programming, which may include a Celebration Sunday event at the end of the program year in June.

Nesbit and the Education Commission are already talking about next year's dance.

"We're looking at doing a matinee version for the younger kids, five or six years old, then do something for the older kids in the evening. That way we can keep it here," rather than find a larger venue to meet the demand. "The overwhelming thought from some of the church members so far is, please, keep it in the building."
"I want to get people in the door," Nesbit said. "And then, if you need a place to come and worship, hey, come take a look at us."

The funding helped ensure maximum participation in the museum program for the city's 2,054 third-graders.

SPRINGFIELD - Gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson donated $10,000 in 2016 to the Springfield Museums, paying for field trip busing for every third grade public and private school student in Springfield.

The donation paid for 2,054 third-graders to go to the museums. That is 82 classrooms at public and private schools across the city, according to Smith & Wesson.

They visited Then & Now: Life at the Turn of the Century, an on-site history and social sciences program that teaches children Springfield's role as a center of industry and innovation in the late 19th and early 20th century.

Students become historians as they interpret early-20th century history by examining Indian Motorcycles, Rolls Royce automobiles, Milton Bradley games, and Barney ice skates.

Mark Smith, President of Manufacturing Services at Smith & Wesson, went to the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield history on Thursday, Jan. 12 to assist third-graders visiting from St. Michael's Academy.

"It was exciting to explore the assembly line process with the students from St. Michael's Academy. Smith & Wesson and manufacturers all over the world have been relying on assembly lines to bring their products to market for over a century, and they are still a vital part of our manufacturing process today. We are proud to be able to sponsor this wonderful program helping young students in Springfield learn about our home city's rich history and the significant role that many local businesses played in the industrial revolution." Smith said in a news release. 

Smith & Wesson has been a part of Springfield since 1852 and is one of the area's leading manufacturers, employing over 1,600.

When you're at the doctor's office, the questions often include whether you smoke and drink, and if so, how much. Gun ownership at home may soon join the list of topics your doctor or nurse practitioner brings up.

When you're at the doctor's office, the questions often include whether you smoke and drink, and if so, how much.

Gun ownership at home may soon join the list of topics your doctor or nurse practitioner brings up, if they don't already do so.

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey on Monday appeared with medical professionals and state lawmakers to roll out brochures and a voluntary online training program that can offer guidance for health care providers to help stem gun-related accidents and violence.

Calling firearm safety a "public health issue," the brochure recommends asking questions that are open-ended and not accusatory. Most gun owners have a commitment to gun safety, it adds.

The brochure says, "For example, if a patient is struggling with suicidal thoughts, don't ask, 'Do you have a gun?' Instead, you could say, 'Some of my patients have guns at home, and some gun owners with suicidal thoughts choose to make their guns less accessible. Are you interested in talking about that?"

Another suggested question is, "Do you have any concerns about the accessibility of your gun?"

Rather than advising a patient to get rid of a gun, "you could suggest that there are a number of different ways to make guns less accessible, ranging from selling/surrendering the gun, to disposing of ammunition, to temporarily storing the gun outside the home," the brochure adds.

The brochure is provided by Healey's office and the Massachusetts Medical Society, which represents over 25,000 physicians and medical students, and endorsed by the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association.

The materials unveiled on Monday point to guns as a potential household risk, much like chemicals in cleaning supplies, backyard pools, alcohol and cigarettes, and prescription medication.

"Here's a space where you think about the conversations that physicians have regularly with their patients, about seat belts, about vaccinations, about electrical outlets, about domestic violence, and smoking and alcohol and all of these things," Healey said.

Health care providers wanted to have conversations about gun safety but had questions about what they were allowed to ask and say, according to Healey.

"This is about empowering providers and empowering health professionals with the tools, with the resources, to be able to engage in and have those conversations," she said.

Healey added: "This is not mandatory, this is not a law, this is not a new regulation, this is not a new requirement. What it is, is a resource. And a resource that we think is going to help make a difference in preventing gun injuries and deaths across our state."

Healey to 'vigorously' defend copycat weapons crackdown

Dr. James Gessner, president of the Massachusetts Medical Society, joined Healey at the roll-out of the materials at Boston Medical Center.

Gessner said for Massachusetts physicians, gun violence is a "major public health threat," and the brochure and other offerings complement his organization's medical education courses.

"When you hear about a little three year old getting shot or a little six year old picking up a gun and getting shot, any one of these instances you know is preventable, let's make sure that we do everything in our power collectively to prevent that," Healey said.

House Speaker Robert DeLeo, a gun reform advocate, and district attorneys from Norfolk, Suffolk and Middlesex counties - Michael Morrissey, Dan Conley and Marian Ryan, respectively - also appeared with Healey, Gessner and others at the unveiling of the brochure and related materials.

Mass. gun owners appeal for more information about Healey's 'copycat' weapons crackdown

Jacqueline Patterson, environmental director for the NAACP, is scheduled to speak before the Springfield Climate Justice Coalition. The public is invited to attend the free event.

SPRINGFIELD - The Springfield Climate Justice Coalition is inviting the public to attend a free event on Saturday, Feb. 25, featuring guest speaker Jacqueline Patterson, director of the NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program.

The full coalition meeting is planned on Feb. 25, from 2 to 4 p.m., at Gasoline Alley, 270 Albany St.

The Springfield Climate Justice Coalition is an alliance of 36 Springfield community organizations, faith-based groups and businesses working together to address environmental and public health issues.

Patterson will speak about her work across the United States and on behalf of the NAACP, as well as speak with coalition members and attendees about local issues in Springfield, according to the coalition.

The meeting will also include an update regarding the work being done by the Springfield coalition, and a presentation by the Gasoline Alley Foundation on its work in Springfield which includes youth and businesses development. The foundation, as the meeting host, is the newest member of the Springfield coalition.

All members of the coalition are invited to attend and members of the public who are interested in joining or hearing the presentation are also welcome, according to the coalition.

Light refreshments will be served.

For additional information or to make a reservation, call (413) 734-4948.

The group calling for the University of Massachusetts to become a Sanctuary Campus has announced that it is calling a strike for Friday.

AMHERST -- A group calling for the University of Massachusetts to become a "sanctuary campus" for immigrants is calling a student strike Friday.

According to a Facebook post, students "will not attend class and opt instead to educate ourselves on resisting the continued and intensified oppression (of) immigrants in the United States. We will learn how to join and strengthen existing direct action networks, how to establish and maintain one here on campus, and how to make our community a real sanctuary."

Students are asked to gather in the Student Union at 10 a.m. for teach-ins and group work.

The group is asking that students refrain from "financially supporting UMass, with the exception of the People's Market and Earth Foods."

The UMass Amherst Sanctuary Campus Movement has been calling on the university to become a sanctuary campus since November following the election of Donald Trump as president.

A federal appeals court has upheld a freeze on Trump's controversial travel ban on nationals from seven predominantly Muslim nations. The Trump administration is looking at other options.

On Jan. 27, Trump signed an executive order barring nationals from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the U.S. for 90 days. The order also banned refugees from entering the country for 120 days, and halted the entry of Syrian refugees indefinitely.

The UMass Student Government Association, meanwhile, will vote Monday night on a list of demands pertaining the immigration orders. The vote is on a resolution that supports the sanctuary campus movement and calls on Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy to declare UMass a sanctuary campus.

The resolution states:

Subbaswamy has stated that UMass police "will not voluntarily partner with federal, state or other local law enforcement agencies to enforce federal immigration law.

"Responsibility for enforcement of federal immigration law rests with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, not with local law enforcement agencies such as the UMass Police Department," he said.

He also wrote that his administration remains "committed to the welfare and success of all members of our community, whether they be student, faculty or staff, and (pledges) to do everything within our legal and moral authority to protect them, no matter their national origin, race, religion, socioeconomic status, sexual identity, disability or immigration status."

"Every member of the UMass community, including our more than 3,500 international students, scholars and staff, have the right to pursue their educational and professional goals in a supportive environment that is based on mutual respect and is free of fear, intimidation or violence," Subbaswamy wrote.

The Faculty Senate on Thursday will consider passing a resolution condemning the Trump administration for the ban.

In a joint meeting on Tuesday, Longmeadow's School Committee will present their fiscal 2018 budget proposal to the Select Board.

LONGMEADOW -- In a joint meeting of the Select Board and School Committee this week, Longmeadow's school superintendent will present the school department's proposal for fiscal 2018's school budget.

Superintendent Gordon Smith will make his presentation before the two boards at the school administration building on 535 Bliss Rd. Tuesday at 6 p.m., according to a Select Board agenda for the meeting.

During budget proposals last year, the School Committee and Select Board quibbled, as the school department sought funds to enact full-day Kindergarten.

After first proposing a budget that exceeded the town's allocation by $300,000, the School Committee ultimately passed a $33.1 million budget, which required the town to kick in an extra $27,000 from the town's general fund.

The town's total budget for fiscal 2017, which runs through July, was just over $62 million.

Longmeadow Town Meeting is scheduled to vote on whether to approve budgets for fiscal 2018 at Annual Town Meeting on May 9.

American International College has open its doors to transfers students from three community colleges after signing articulation agreements with Springfield Technical Community College, Holyoke Community College and Capital Community College in Hartford, Conn.

American International College has opened its doors to transfer students from three community colleges after signing articulation agreements with Springfield Technical Community College, Holyoke Community College and Capital Community College in Hartford, Conn.

With the three agreements, students from STCC, HCC, and CCC will have the opportunity to transfer and continue their education in an easier and more cost-efficient way as all three two-year colleges will offer courses and programs that align with AIC.

Along with the opportunity to obtain a four-year degree, transferring students will have access to financial assistance as part of AIC's Direct Connect program, which helps students coming from two-year schools in making a seamless transition.

According to AIC, transferring students from partnering community colleges in the Direct Connect program will have an opportunity to land up to $17,000 per year in financial assistance.

Direct Connect transfer students automatically receive a $4,000 scholarship along with any merit-based scholarship they earn prior to receiving need-based aid.

"It is a benefit to students to know that the courses they take at the community college level can be transferred to our four-year institution," said AIC President Vince Maniaci, in a press release. "These partnerships also benefit our institution, knowing that when we accept students from these three community colleges, they have already proven they can meet the requirements of college level programs."

On Friday, Dunkin' Donuts will be delivering donuts and coffee to police and fire departments throughout Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties in celebration of National Random Acts of Kindness Day.

On Friday, Dunkin' Donuts will be delivering donuts and coffee to police and fire departments throughout Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties in celebration of National Random Acts of Kindness Day.

Dunkin' Donuts franchises throughout Western Massachusetts are planning on giving back to those who protect and serve the public as the organization will serve sweet treats throughout the morning.

Random Acts of Kindness Day is a nationally observed day where people, groups, and organizations are encouraged to perform acts of kindness on Feb. 17.           

From 7:30 to 9:30 a.m., Dunkin' Donuts franchises will make deliveries to participating police and fire stations in the area as a way of showing give thanks for their services.

"Dunkin' Donuts is committed to the communities we serve," said Derek Salema, a Dunkin' Donuts franchisee, in a press release. "and we are proud to help spread kindness by serving those who serve others, like our local police and fire departments. This is a small way for us to show how much we appreciate their service every day."

In New Hampshire some ski areas are reporting having seen as much as 44 inches over the past

Ski areas have officially declared a "Powder Day" after two back-to-back storms dumped an an average of 18 inches to 2 feet of snow on the slopes.

Thursday's storm favored more of the southern ski areas, with places such as Butternut, Jiminy Peak, Catamount, Blandford, Otis Ridge and Berkshire East reporting 10 to 12 inches. Sunday's storm also send plenty of flakes to the southern resorts, but northern ones saw even more snow.

In New Hampshire, resorts have reported snowfall that ranges from 18 to 44 inches over the past six days, said Jessyca Keeler, spokeswoman for Ski New Hampshire.

Vermont's Magic Mountain, which is typically closed on Monday except when there is at least 5 inches of new snow reported 12 to 14 inches of snow and started spinning chairs at 9 a.m. on Monday.

Here are some snow totals from the Sunday storm for those who can take a day off during the week or can do some night skiing:

Berkshire East: 12 inches

Butternut: 7 inches

Ski Blandford: 7 inches

Catamount: 17 inches over the last two days with 2-4 expected for Monday.

Jiminy Peak: 12 inches on Thursday and 10-12 on Sunday.

VERMONT

Bolton Valley: 9 to 11 inches

Bromley: 8 inches

Killington: 10 inches

Mount Snow: 16 inches

Okemo:9-12 inches

Jay Peak: 16 to 18 inches

Stowe: 12-14 inches

Stratton: 12 inches

NEW HAMPSHIRE

King Pine Ski Area - 18 to 20 inches

Pats Peak Ski Area - 17 to 31 inches

Gunstock Mountain Resort - 14 to 17 inches

Ragged Mountain Resort - 16 inches

Black Mountain - 15 inches

Cranmore Mountain Resort - 15 inches

Cannon Mountain - 12 to 15 inches

Loon Mountain - 13 inches

Bretton Woods - 12 inches

Waterville Valley Resort - 12 inches

Mount Sunapee - 11 inches

Dartmouth Skiway - 10 inches 

Advocates are pushing for bills that would require Massachusetts to get all of its electricity from renewable sources by 2035.

A group of environmentalists are calling on Massachusetts to get an increasing amount of its energy from renewable sources.

"With officials in Washington, D.C., threatening to roll back clean energy and climate policies, it's time for states to step up," said Ben Hellerstein, state director of Environment Massachusetts.

The advocates are pushing for bills HD.3357 and SD.1932, sponsored by State Rep. Marjorie Decker, D-Cambridge, State Rep. Sean Garballey, D-Arlington, and State Sen. Jamie Eldridge, D-Acton, which would require Massachusetts to get all of its electricity from renewable sources by 2035. All of its heating, transportation and other sectors would have to be powered by renewable energy by 2050.

Massachusetts would be the first state to implement such high standards.

Hellerstein said it is impossible to predict how much the move would cost, since the technology is continuing to develop and becoming more cost-effective.

A few cities and private companies are starting to move in this direction. San Diego set a goal of getting 100 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2035. Google hopes to be powered entirely by renewable energy this year.

Jim Boyle, chairman and CEO of Sustainability Roundtable, which helps companies move toward environmentally sustainable policies, said in a conference call with reporters that the move among companies is fueled by improvements in technology, which are now globally scaled. Boyle said Massachusetts has the technical expertise, private capital and innovation economy needed to make it a global leader in the use of renewable energy.

Renewable energy sources include things like wind, solar and hydropower.

Massachusetts already has relatively high requirements for how much energy must come from renewable sources. The Global Warming Solutions Act, passed in 2008, requires Massachusetts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020 compared to 1990 levels.

This bill would go much further. Asked whether it is a realistic goal, Hellerstein said it is "not just aspirational but it is achievable" through things like improving energy efficiency and making the electric grid fully renewable-based. He said it is necessary to combat climate change and mitigate the public health impacts of fossil fuel use.

Even if new construction is built to rely on renewable energy, Hellerstein acknowledged that at some point, the state would need to create programs and incentives to help homeowners switch from oil-based heat to, for example, electric heat pumps. Some programs already exist and could be scaled up.

Steve Linsky of Climate Action Now, an environmental group in the Pioneer Valley, said Western Massachusetts residents are moving in this direction through greater use of solar panels on houses and electric cars. The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority introduced electric buses into its fleet.

"We're seeing in real ways the public's desire in Western Massachusetts to forge ahead with a new generation renewable energy economy that provides more higher paying jobs, cleans our air, and protects our earth for future generations," Linsky said.

The bill has gotten support from 53 lawmakers in the House and Senate. It is one of thousands of bills the Legislature will consider over the two-year session.

Wadleigh was one of three people killed in the New Years' Day fire at a Holyoke apartment building.

EASTHAMPTON - A benefit is planned for Saturday in Easthampton to raise money to benefit the child of Trevor Wadleigh, one of three people in the in the New Year's Day fire at an apartment building fire in Holyoke.

Coworkers of Wadleigh at Riff's Joint, an Easthampton restaurant, have planned a benefit from 4 - 10 p.m. at the in the Boylston Room at Keystone Mill, 122 Pleasant St.

Wadleigh, 34, worked as a cook at Riff's. 

He died when an early morning fire broke out in a 5-story apartment building at 106 North East St.

Also killed were Holyoke residents Maria Cartagena, 48, and Jorge Munoz, 55.

Before he died in the flames, Wadleigh was credited saving the lives of friend Milton Galarza and Galarza's pregnant wife by waking them up and directing them to a window where they were rescued.

The atmosphere is intended for both adults and children, with activities and amusements for each including face painting, a magician and a clown, and table tennis.

Boivin Racing of Belchertown will have a race car on site for children to sit in for photographs. There will also be a driver signing autographs.

There will also be free appetizers and a cash bar, a 50-50 raffle and a silent auction.

There will also be music as six different bands have volunteered to perform.

Samantha Douville, who worked with Wadleigh, said all money raised will go toward the start of a trust fund for Wadleigh's 4-year-old son, T.J.

Anyone needing more information may call Douville at 413-244-6738 or via email at SMD1587@gmail.com

The fire in the former factory left the city with an estimated $1 million in clean-up costs.

SPRINGFIELD - Three teens who were arrested this summer and charged with setting the June 27 fire that destroyed the former Massachusetts Career Development Institute building, 140 Wilbraham Ave., have pleaded guilty and have been sentenced, according to officials.

As statement issued jointly by Massachusetts Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey, Springfield Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant and Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni announced that the three are serving sentences.

Two were charged as juveniles because they were under age 18. They were sentenced to juvenile detention. Their names were not released due to their ages.

The third was charged as an adult and sentenced to 2 1/2 years in the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow. His name has not been disclosedin the release but the Republican has requested that information be released to the press.

Each was charged with charged with breaking and entering into the MCDI building and a nearby business, as well as setting the fire. 

The fire destroyed half of the former factory building. It took firefighters 40 hours to extinguish and left the city with approximately $1 million in cleanup costs.

This is a developing story, and more information will be released as it is known.

The Holyoke Historical Commission meeting will proceed as scheduled at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 13, 2017 at City Hall Hall, fourth-floor conference room, on the proposed demolition of the closed Mater Dolorosa Church.

HOLYOKE -- The Historical Commission meeting scheduled for today on the proposed demolition of the closed Mater Dolorosa Church will proceed and is not cancelled despite being marked as such on the city website, commission Chairwoman Olivia L. Mausel said.

"We're still having our meeting," Mausel said.

The meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. at City Hall Annex, fourth-floor conference room, Mayor Alex B. Morse confirmed.

City Hall was closed today because of the heavy snowfall that began Sunday and continued into today. The city website posted "cancelled" in front of the scheduled list of municipal meetings, including the Historical Commission.

Mausel posted a listing that said "Historical Commission NOT CANCELLED" after The Republican contacted her about a possible rescheduling.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, which owns the 116-year-old church at Maple and Lyman streets, on Jan. 27 filed an application for an emergency demolition of the church and a nearby rectory for safety reasons.

An engineer hired by the Diocese said pieces of the steeple have been falling off to the ground.

Emergency demolition of Mater Dolorosa Church in Holyoke recommended: engineer

Building Commissioner Damian J. Cote rejected the emergency demolition requests for the church and rectory and referred them to the Historical Commission. The commission will determine whether the buildings have historical significance -- determinations already well established by the commission -- and is sceduled at today's meeting to set a public hearing date on the demolition proposals.

A screen shot from the city of Holyoke, Massachusetts website shows the on-off-and-on status of the Historical Commission meeting, which is in fact set to proceed as scheduled at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 13, 2017 at City Hall Annex, fourth-floor conference room.MIKE PLAISANCE / THE REPUBLICAN 

The commission then can vote whether to impose an up to six-month delay in demolition.

The Diocese closed Mater Dolorosa Church in June 2011 because parishioner numbers had declined and out of concerns about the stability of the structure's steeple.

But an engineer for Friends of Mater Dolorosa, a group that has fought and continues to oppose the closing, said the steeple's stability would hold up for years.

The Diocese combined Mater Dolorosa with the former Holy Cross Church to form Our Lady of the Cross at 23 Sycamore St.

Snow could be seen swirling and blowing from building after building all across our region with almost whiteout conditions at times. Watch video

Wind gusts of up to 50 mph buffeted Western Massachusetts on Monday as Winter Storm Orson moved out of the area.

Snow could be seen swirling and blowing from building after building all across our region with almost whiteout conditions at times.

The video above offers a view from the parking lot of the Cyalume Corporation in West Springfield, where the wind-whipped snow blew from the business' roof nonstop Monday afternoon.

The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory that remains in effect until 7 p.m. Monday. A wind advisory means that sustained winds of 31-39 mph are expected.

"For next year's budget, I'm not ruling out the possibility of any increase in taxes," DeLeo told reporters Monday.

BOSTON -- House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, is not ruling out the imposition of new taxes in next year's budget.

"I think that all of us, including the (Ways and Means) committee, wants to get a better sense of where we are fiscally," DeLeo said, speaking to reporters at the Statehouse on Monday. "For next year's budget, I'm not ruling out the possibility of any increase in taxes."

Lawmakers just voted to spend between $12 million and $18 million annually raising their pay and the pay of other elected officials and judges. DeLeo said the pay raise came out of money already in the Legislature's budget for this year.

DeLeo said raising broad-based taxes is "probably the last thing" he wants to do. But he thinks it is only fair to give the Ways and Means Committee a chance to consider the requests of those who want to talk about increased taxes.

Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, opposes new broad-based taxes, and his budget proposal for fiscal 2018 did not include any new ones. The House is now developing its own budget proposal. By law, any tax changes must originate in the House.

Separately, DeLeo said he is still putting together committee assignments for lawmakers for the coming legislative session, including for a new committee that will consider marijuana-related bills in light of the recent legalization of recreational marijuana.

Would the Access Northeast natural gas project be a boon or boondoggle for ratepayers?

Controversy over natural gas pipelines in New England continued last week, as climate activists and Eversource Energy traded barbs over a recent study that targets Access Northeast, a stalled project that would serve a collection of power plants in the region.

The report, titled "New England's Shrinking Need for Natural Gas," claims the proposed pipeline would cost consumers $6.6 billion, more than twice the $3.2 billion figure cited by developers.

Prepared by the Cambridge-based Synapse Energy Economics, the study also claims that state climate change laws and the advent of large-scale renewables will soon force the use of natural gas to plummet in New England, rendering the proposed pipeline useless, redundant and moot.

Pipeline foes celebrated the study's Feb. 7 release, while Eversource, an Access Northeast project partner, condemned its methods and findings.

The Synapse report "does a disservice to consumers by overstating the costs of the project, underestimating the impact on families and businesses of doing nothing, and ignoring the real reliability concerns that must be addressed," said Eversource in a statement.

Eversource said New Englanders in December paid electricity prices 47 percent higher than the national average, "in large part due to inadequate natural gas supplies." 

But according to the Massachusetts Sierra Club, the Synapse report "confirms what we've been saying all along -- these pipelines aren't needed, would raise costs on consumers, contribute to climate change, and put us in non-compliance with Massachusetts' energy and environmental laws."

Kathryn Eiseman, president of Pipe Line Awareness Network for the Northeast, said the study "provides a reality check on the costs of Access Northeast to consumers, and demonstrates that forging ahead with massive gas infrastructure expansion is incompatible with legal mandates throughout the region."

Massachusetts is currently under a court order to reduce emissions across all sectors, as required buy its 2008 Global Warming Solutions Act.

Eversource countered that the region has seen a 45 percent decline in greenhouse gas emissions since natural gas began to replace coal and oil for electricity generation. The company also said pipeline constraints pose a growing reliability risk to the six-state power grid. 

"The report is flawed and fails to recognize the energy challenges facing consumers and businesses in New England," Eversource stated. "The lack of adequate natural gas infrastructure is threatening our region's energy reliability, driving up costs and hurting efforts to lower greenhouse gas emissions."

The report projects that natural gas usage will be 41 percent lower by 2030, and 27 percent lower by 2023, due to climate laws and emission caps. It also claims the cited $3.2 billion construction cost excludes costs such as operations, maintenance, depreciation and return on equity, making the full cost $6.6 billion.

Access Northeast would upgrade the existing Algonquin pipeline system, and is designed to serve over 70 percent of New England's power plants with natural gas from the Marcellus shale region. The project would include a large liquefied natural gas facility in Acushnet, south of Boston.

The project, proposed by Spectra Energy, Eversource and National Grid, hit a major snag last year.

Under original plans, Access Northeast would have been financed by a surcharge on consumer electric bills. In August, Massachusetts' highest court nixed that arrangement. Public utility regulators in New Hampshire rejected a similar financing scheme. Electric companies under Eversource and National Grid in August withdrew their petitions for capacity on the pipeline. 

Spectra's Algonquin Gas Transmission LLC recently put Access Northeast on hold at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, but partners have said they are committed to the project. 

"Algonquin is taking additional time to evaluate our path forward and will provide an update to stakeholders after we have completed our comprehensive analysis of the project," said a Spectra spokesman via email on Monday. "We expect limited activity while this evaluation is ongoing."

The Synapse report was funded by Connecticut Fund for the Environment, Consumers for Sensible Energy, Mass Energy Consumers Alliance, Pipe Line Awareness Network for the Northeast, Sierra Club Connecticut and Sierra Club Massachusetts.

"We know that to comply with the law and sound climate policy, we must reject this gas infrastructure overbuild and double down on renewables, energy storage, and demand-side solutions -- and this study shows that," said Eiseman.

Baker said one of the biggest lessons his administration learned during 2015 was "don't assume one storm and it's over."

BOSTON -- Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday praised state workers for the job they did managing the roads and public transportation during Sunday's Winter Storm Orson.

"I think the folks at the highway department, I think the folks at the T and I think the folks at local government and public safety all did a terrific job managing their way through the last couple of storms," Baker said.

Baker said one of the biggest lessons his administration learned during 2015, which saw snowstorm after snowstorm throughout February, was "don't assume one storm and it's over."

In 2015, the MBTA was crippled by the record snowfall. Baker said this time, workers were running snow removal equipment and plows on the commuter rail and MBTA after the storms on Thursday and Sunday in order to clear snow off the tracks in case more snow falls.

The MBTA largely continued running during the recent snowstorms, although there were some significant delays on the Red Line Monday morning. Many people stayed home from work Thursday, and the more recent storm happened over the weekend.