Police said they were unsure if this was the same woman who robbed the Racing Mart on Sumner Avenue this week and threatened the clerk there with a gun.

Republican file photo

SPRINGFIELD – Police were searching for a black woman who robbed the Shell station at 940 Belmont Ave. Saturday night and took the clerk’s cell phone.

Police said the woman was dressed in black and wore a black do-rag. Police said they were unsure if this was the same woman who robbed the Racing Mart on Sumner Avenue this week and threatened the clerk there with a gun.

Anyone with information is asked to call the detective bureau at (413) 787-6355.

“It was very lucky . . . there’s always children ordering there or sitting eating their ice creams,” police said.

Republican file photo

HOLYOKE - Police arrested a 27-year-old Maple Street man after he slammed into the take-out window at the Friendly’s restaurant on Northampton Street Saturday night.

Haywood Baker, of 426 Maple St., was charged with driving under the influence of drugs, three counts of leaving the scene of a property damage accident, driving to endanger and failing to use care at an intersection, said Police Lt. Michael J. Higgins.

Higgins said Baker was driving a 2003 Nissan Altima on Franklin Street, and failed to stop at the intersection with Northampton Street. He struck a vehicle, then spun off into the takeout window at Friendly’s.

No one was injured, which was lucky, given that the takeout window is usually busy, especially on hot nights, Higgins said.

“It was very lucky . . . there’s always children ordering there or sitting eating their ice creams,” Higgins said.

The incident was reported at 6:30 p.m. Baker will be arraigned Monday in Holyoke District Court.

Francis Soffen has been eligible for parole since 1987.

The Republican | File photoConvicted murderer Francis Soffen gestures at his parole hearing, Monday, July 6, 1998 in Boston.

SPRINGFIELD – One was shot six times in the head, at close range, with an automatic pistol.

The other ended up in the Connecticut River, wrapped in plastic, two bullets in the back of his head and his body not found until six weeks after he was killed.

The eight rounds that Francis F. Soffen pumped into his victims in 1972 were enough to make him one of Springfield’s most notorious killers, enough to keep him locked up for four decades, and enough for the state Parole Board to deny 14 requests for his release.

On Tuesday, the leader of the so-called Soffen Gang will appeal for freedom at his 15th parole hearing.

“Enough is enough,” the 72-year old wrote on a prison blog recently, explaining that his poor health and exemplary prison record – including saving the life of a correctional officer – make him an obvious choice for release.

“I’m dying,” Soffen wrote. “Hurts to admit it, but the truth is often painful.”

Before being charged in the two execution-style killings in 1972, Soffen cut a swathe through Greater Springfield – stealing from news stands and bakeries as a boy, robbing supermarkets, jewelry stores and banks in his criminal prime.

In 1971, Soffen and his crew pulled off three bank heists in Springfield, a spree that netted $58,000 while intensifying law enforcement pressure on the gang.

By the next summer, Soffen was arrested not only for the Springfield bank robberies, but also for killing two alleged accomplices.

In a plea deal with then Hampden district attorney Matthew J. Ryan Jr., Soffen admitted robbing the three banks, and killing Stephen J. Perrot, of Springfield, and Gary J. Dube, of Agawam.

Both men were killed for the same reason – to keep them from testifying about the bank heists, according to prosecutors. At 34, Soffen was given concurrent 15-years to life sentences for the killings, plus concurrent 18-20 year sentences for the bank robberies.

In both killings, Soffen said he acted in self-defense – first, when he shot Dube twice in the head while riding in a car through Ludlow on the Massachusetts Turnpike in May 1972; and two months later, when he shot Perrot six times in the face and head behind the Howard Johnson motor lodge on East Columbus Avenue.

(In the aftermath of the killings, prosecutors acknowledged that Dube, a 24-year old bartender and acquaintance of Soffen’s, had been mistakenly charged in the case.)

At his first parole hearings in the late 1980s, Soffen claimed that both men had pulled guns on him first; at more recent hearings, Soffen said his own fear and paranoia led to the killings.

Barring unexpected developments, Tuesday’s hearing in Natick is likely to follow a familiar script, with relatives of the victims vehemently opposing any release and Soffen insisting he is too old, too sick and, now, too virtuous to harm anyone else.

File photoAn angry Bonnie Dube Clark gestures at the parole hearing, Monday, July 6, 1998 in Boston., for convicted murderer Francis Soffen.

Since the first parole hearing in 1987, Dube’s sister, Bonnie Dube Clark, of Agawam, has been an especially formidable opponent for Soffen, appearing at a dozen hearings to denounce him variously as a con-artist, sociopath, a “deranged animal” and a “53-year-old punk.”

In a recent letter to the Parole Board and a letter-to-the-editor which will be published in The Republican on Monday, Clark restated her belief that Soffen’s rationale for his crimes might have changed over the years, but not Soffen himself.

“We all get old and sick, but that should not be an excuse to release a prisoner, especially one with a criminal mind such as his,” Clark wrote. “He has his life; he definitely should not have his freedom.”

Assistant district attorney Diane M. Dillon has been to previous parole hearings for Soffen and will be there again on Tuesday to voice opposition to his release.

“He really hasn’t owned up to responsibility for (the killings),” the prosecutor said last week, noting that his “self-defense” explanation failed to explain the two bullets in the back of Dube’s head.

In 1990, when a Parole Board member asked why a second shot was fired into Dube’s skull, Soffen responded: “I don’t know why.”

The Republican | John SuchockiSisters Gailann M. Melloni of Springfield and Bonnie Lee Clark of Agawam hold a painting of their brother, Gary Clark.

After the killing, Soffen and a passenger, Edward J. Uschmann Jr., formerly of Westfield, drove to Worcester to buy beer, then returned to Springfield to dispose of the body, Soffen testified.

In one of the case’s subplots, a murder charge against Ushmann was dropped after he testified about Soffen’s roles in the turnpike killing and the bank robberies.

A year later, Uschmann – the son of Springfield parking lot owner Edward Uschmann – and several others held up the Holyoke National Bank, escaping with $297,000, the largest bank heist in Western Massachusetts at the time.

In 1974, Uschmann was given concurrent seven- to 10-year sentences for robbing the Holyoke bank and another in Indian Orchard in 1971.

Remarkably, the former bank robber found a second career on the public payroll as superintendent of Montgomery’s highway department.

Not long after retiring from the town highway job, Uschmann was snared in a 1989 cocaine distribution case that resulted in a 57-month federal prison sentence.

In April, Uschmann, 67, died at home in West Springfield.

In prison, Soffen has won a growing number of supporters – not just his two brothers and two adult children, but also prison guards and counselors for the state Department of Corrections and a former House speaker, John F.X. Davoren.

More recently, prison activists have championed his release, citing various maladies – four heart attacks, diabetes, prostate cancer, hepatitis – that keep him confined to the medical unit at Norfolk state prison.

As his health deteriorated, Soffen’s accounts of his crimes have grown more self-critical; at a 2003 hearing, he was telling the board he acted like a “jerk,” adding: “I express remorse. I’m sorry.”

The 2003 hearing was the closest Soffen got to freedom as the board deadlocked on a 3-3 vote, narrowly denying him the majority support needed for release.

A year ago, The Republican was among several media outlets which received “press releases,” offering an interview with Soffen, stating the “infamous Massachusetts prisoner and reputed mob member, has agreed to be interviewed concerning the history of crime in the commonwealth of Massachusetts.”

“Mr. Soffen has in-depth knowledge of the workings of the Massachusetts criminal machine having been a lead player for many years. Mr. Soffen has been in prison since 1972 and has held the secrets that connect many mysteries in the commonwealth,” the release stated.

The release stated that “due to his infamy and notoriety,” the Parole Board had denied all his requests for release. It outlined his medical issues and said Soffen “has also been a leader in prison government, groups and organizations, working for the betterment of all.”

Soffen shared his story with a reporter for the Metro West News last summer in which he acknowledged his “smart mouth” might have got him in trouble at previous Parole Board hearings. In that interview, Soffen said he wanted to live at the St. Francis House, a homeless shelter in Boston, if released and volunteer at the Shriners Hospital in gratitude for treatment one of his children received there, according to the News’ account.

More recently, on the BetweenTheBars prison blog, Soffen offers periodic dispatches on life in prison and his campaign to get out.

On July 7, he discussed his conversion to Christianity five years ago.

“I want to do good works, works I pray will afford some atonement and reparation, but in order to do those works, I need to be healed physically,” he wrote.

“In order to achieve this healing, I must secure my release from prison,” he added.

An Nov. 15, 2010 dispatch offered a more pragmatic appeal for his release.

“Dying right in front of their eyes while your tax dollars fly out the window,” the headline read.

At Tuesday’s hearing, Soffen will face a transformed Parole Board, with new members appointed by Gov. Deval L. Patrick following the death of a Woburn policeman killed Dec. 26 in a shoot-out with a recently-paroled career criminal.

Five members who voted in 2008 to parole the prisoner, Domenic Cinelli, of Woburn, were removed by the governor in January.

As part of the Parole Board’s overhaul, Patrick ordered a review of state policies governing the release and monitoring of violent offenders.

In her letter to the board, Dube Clark urged members to consider the turmoil caused by the Woburn case.

“Please do not let Francis Soffen be a second mistake,” she wrote.

Francis Soffen Press Release

The fire was reported around 7:30 p.m. Saturday on Earl Street in the city's Forest Park neighborhood.

07/21/11 Springfield- Republican Photo by Mark M.Murray- The Springfield Fire Department unveiled two new fire truck thursday during a press conference at the Raymond M. Sullivan Public Safety Complex. The Springfield Fire Department badge on the door of one of the new firetrucks.

SPRINGFIELD -- A fire reported around 7:30 p.m. Saturday at a two-family home on Earl Street in Springfield's Forest Park neighborhood left more than a dozen people homeless, according to a published report.

Around 13 people were forced from their home after a fire broke out in a second-floor bedroom, according to a 22News report.

Springfield Fire Department spokesman Dennis G. Leger told the TV station that it took firefighters around 15 minutes to extinguish the blaze.

There was no word of any injuries in the fire, the cause of which was not immediately known.

Earl Street runs north-south between Johnson and Orange streets.

More information will be posted on MassLive.com as it becomes available.

THE MAP BELOW shows Earl Street in the Forest Park section of Springfield, where a house fire forced around 13 people from their burning home:

View Larger Map

A Stafford, Conn., man was killed Friday after crashing his motorcycle near an I-84 approach ramp south of the Wales town line.

ASHFORD, CONN. -- A 37-year-old Stafford, Conn., man was killed after being thrown from his motorcycle around 7:30 p.m. Friday on Route 89 in Tolland County, several miles south of the Hampden County line.

Authorities said Michael Sninsky lost control of his bike while riding south on Route 89 near the Exit 72 ramp to Interstate 84 in Ashford, according to CTnow.com, the website for FoxCT news in Hartford.

The crash site is less than 10 miles south of the Wales town line.

Police said Sninsky suffered fatal injuries after being thrown about 100 feet from the bike, which was found in a wooded area near the base of the I-84 ramp.

An initial report by CTnow.com cited police as saying Sninsky wasn't wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. However, a subsequent report on the website indicated the Stafford man was wearing a helmet.

The crash remains under investigation.

THE MAP BELOW shows the westbound ramp at Exit 72 to I-84 in Ashford, where a Stafford man died Friday after crashing his motorcycle:


View Larger Map

A month's lead time is allowed for ticket purchasing because the event is so popular, with a capacity of 500 senior citizens.

The Republican file photo | Don TreegerSeniors check out some of the displays by community health care providers at the 2010 Senior Fest.

HOLYOKE – Tickets go on sale Monday for the 13th annual Senior Fest Picnic, scheduled Aug. 24.

Senior Fest will be 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Mater Dolorosa Pope John Paul Social Center on St. Kolbe Drive.

Capacity is limited to 500, and the reason there is a month between tickets becoming available and the event is Senior Fest has proven so popular, officials said.

“Senior Fest has always been a wildly popular event. The day itself is meant to serve as a tribute to Holyoke’s finest citizens,” said Teresa M. Shepard, director of the city Parks and Recreation Department.

Tickets are $5. They must be bought in advance at the Parks and Recreation Department at City Hall, at High and Dwight streets, or the Council on Aging in the War Memorial, 310 Appleton St.

For information call (413) 322-5620.

As previous years’ versions of Senior Fest show, the event’s popularity goes beyond just the meal. The afternoon includes prize raffles, 20 to 30 information booths, live music and hundreds of old folks socializing.

The Senior Band of Western Massachusetts and singer Jimmy Mazz will perform.

Among companies and service providers represented at last year’s Senior Fest were Hampden County SHINE Program, Alzheimer’s Association Western Regional Office, Visiting Angels Living Assistance Services, Holyoke Medical Center and Holyoke Board of Health.

Members of the Holy Name Society help with the shopping, food preparation and clean-up for the picnic, Shepard said.

“Several city officials, state dignitaries, department heads and community leaders are on hand to help prepare the lunch and serve as the wait-staff,” she said.

“The picnic is sponsored by Parks and Rec, but it is truly a community effort that makes it so special,” she said.

Family Dollar has other stores in Springfield, Westfield, Chicopee, Holyoke and Ware.

File photo / Associated PressSharon Sexton of Waco, Texas, attempts to locate a baking item to match a coupon she clipped from her local newspaper at the Family Dollar store, in Waco, Texas. A new Family Dollar store is scheduled to open in Enfield.

By HOWARD FRENCH

ENFIELD - Family Dollar Stores Inc. plans to open in the former Scitico Market on Hazard Avenue, according to Josh Braverman, public relations manager for the chain.

The store is scheduled to open at the end of August, Braverman said. Stores typically employ five to seven people.

The new Enfield store, at 585 Hazard Ave., will be slightly larger than the chain’s average, with 7,600 square feet, he said.

The chain has stores throughout Connecticut, including outlets in East Hartford, Manchester, Stafford, Vernon, Windsor, and Windsor Locks. It also has several stores in Western Massachusetts, including Springfield, Westfield, Chicopee, Holyoke and Ware.

Beginning with one store in 1959 in Charlotte, N.C., Family Dollar now operates more than 6,800 stores in 44 states, its website says. Family Dollar Stores Inc. is based in Matthews, N.C., just outside of Charlotte, and is a publicly held company with common stock traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

Enfield retail staple Scitico Market closed in 2010 after more than six decades in business. Owner-manager Robert D’Alessandro said at the time that he had decided to retire

Speculation ran high for several years before the 2010 closing that Scitico Market would shut as other chains grew. In 2007, the opening of a Geissler’s Supermarket in nearby Somers reinforced the speculation about Scitico’s future, and three years later, Scitico closed.

Thieves have been targeting cars throughout Holyoke, say police, who are urging residents to lock their vehicles and to remove all valuables.

HOLYOKE -- The Paper City has experienced a rash of vehicle break-ins this summer, and police are asking residents to take precautions to avoid becoming crime victims.

The culprits appear to be equal-opportunity thieves, breaking into a variety of vehicles in a variety of neighborhoods throughout the city, according to Holyoke Police Sgt. John Hart.

Hart said the term "break-in" doesn't necessarily denote the smashing of a window to gain entry to a vehicle, but rather refers to any illegal entry to a car or truck -- even simply opening an unlocked door to steal items from a vehicle.

One simple way people can avoid becoming an easy target is by locking all vehicle doors and removing all valuables, Hart said.

"Whenever you leave your vehicle, remember to lock it," he said, urging city residents to remove anything of value when exiting their vehicles.

"Take your valuable items with you inside," Hart said.

Meanwhile, investigators remain unsure how many people are involved in the break-ins, which haven't been concentrated in any particular neighborhood but rather have been fairly evenly distributed throughout the city. But the thieves so far have shown no signs of letting up.

"They've been going all around," Hart said, adding that the break-ins have occurred mostly at night.

Police are asking anyone who sees criminal activity to call them at (413) 322-6900.

The Army is probing the death of a Bay State soldier in Alaska, a Berkshire woman is killed after colliding with a tractor-trailer in Adams, and more of this morning's headlines.

AP Photo/The Olympian, Steve BloomBurke Kenny, 26, of Olympia, Wash., brought home the gold this month in the 2011 World Beard and Mustache Championship in Trondheim, Norway. The hairy American won top honors in the "natural full beard with styled moustache" category.

• Lightning strikes start three house fires in South Shore town [Boston.com]


• Army probing Bay State soldier’s death in Alaska [BostonHerald.com]


• Boston’s 45th annual Puerto Rican Festival taking place Sunday in Franklin Park [BostonHerald.com]


• The death of Amy Winehouse: a career shadowed by addiction [ABCnews.go.com]


• Three dozen killed in China bullet train crash [FT.com]


• Norway attacks spotlight rising right-wing sentiment in Europe [NYTimes.com]


• Palmer car crash knocks down utility pole [WWLP.com]


• Berkshire woman killed in Route 8 accident in Adams [BerkshireEagle.com]


• 6 dead, 4 injured in Texas roller rink shooting [Reuters.com]




Associated Press video puts a spotlight on the death of pop singer Amy Winehouse:

• Twitter posts tagged #westernma in Western Mass. [MassLive.com]


• Read more News Links »


• Do you have News Links? Send them our way or tweet them to @masslivenews

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

At least two ward councilors in Springfield, Clodovaldo Concepcion of Ward 5 and Timothy Allen of Ward 7 are unopposed on the fall ballot

SPRINGFIELD – City Election Commissioner Gladys Oyola said Friday she was surprised that so few new people chose to take out nomination papers for ward seats on the City Council this year.

The deadline for taking out nomination papers lapsed at 5 p.m. on Friday. Those who did take out papers have until Tuesday at 5 p.m. to return the required signatures to qualify for the fall ballot.

A total of 39 people took out papers for the mayor’s race and the 13-member City Council. There is no School Committee race this year, as members are mid-way through a four-year term.

Just 16 people took out nomination papers for the eight ward seats on the council, including seven incumbents.

Gladys Oyola

“My biggest surprise was the lack of interest in new people running for the ward seats,” Oyola said.

The council was expanded and changed to a mix of eight ward seats and five at-large seats in the last election in 2009. It was expected to generate greater interest and participation, officials said.

At least two ward councilors will be uncontested, Oyola said.

Clodovaldo Concepcion, the Ward 5 councilor, and Timothy C. Allen of Ward 7 were the only candidates to take out papers for those seats.

One ward councilor, Amaad Rivera of Ward 6, has decided to run for at-large seat rather than the ward seat.

No more than one challenger has been certified thus far for any ward seat, as of Friday, Oyola said.

Three candidates have been certified for the ballot for mayor: incumbent Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and challenges Jose F. Tosado and Antonette E. Pepe. With more than two candidates, a preliminary election is needed Sept. 20, to reduce the field to two finalists.

Four other people took out papers for mayor, and have until Tuesday to submit at least 500 signatures of registered voters if they wish to be on the ballot.

There may also be a preliminary election needed to reduce the field of candidates for the five at-large City Council seats. Ten candidates have been certified, including four incumbants, excluding Tosado, and it appears that at least one additional candidate will be certified, which would trigger the need of the preliminary contest. Council candidates must return at least 100 signatures of registered voters to qualify for the ballot.

A preliminary election is needed if there are more than 10 candidates for the five at-large seats, as it would exceed two candidates per seat, Oyola said.

Springfield City Hall, with Campanile.

A Pennsylvania man was charged with drug and other offenses after allegedly running a stop sign Friday night in Holyoke.

Republican file photo

HOLYOKE -- A Friday night traffic stop by Holyoke police led to the arrest of a 26-year-old Pennsylvania man on half a dozen charges, including heroin trafficking.

Jose Diaz, who gave officers an address in Chester -- a city slightly smaller than Holyoke located just outside Philadelphia -- was pulled over by police near the corner of Commercial and Sargeant streets after allegedly running a stop sign around 9:22 p.m.

Police did not indicate why they searched Diaz and his vehicle, but investigators charged him with heroin trafficking; possession of a Class B drug; school-zone drug violation; possession of an ounce or less of marijuana; operating with a suspended driver's license; and failure to stop at a stop sign.

Chester has gained national attention in recent years for its high per-capita crime rate. The city of around 34,000 residents logged 24 homicides in 2010, which is 10 more than the 2009 total.

The new restaurant plans to be open by the end of the year.

Amherst Town Hall.

AMHERST - The Select Board recently granted Jason DiCaprio a full liquor license for a new brewery called High Horse that will move into space now occupied by the Amherst Brewing Company on North Pleasant Street.

That eatery is moving at the end of the month and reopening at the former Leading Edge fitness facility August.

But DiCaprio not only had to apply for the license, he also had a stipulation in his lease that within 30 days of receiving that license he join the University of Massachusetts Campus and Community Coalition to Reduce High-Risk Drinking.

His landlord, Barry L. Roberts, said this was the first time he is requiring it. He said he didn’t require it for the brewing company because the coalition wasn’t in existence when Amherst Brewing signed its lease. ABC did, however, participate in it.

The coalition, organized more than five years ago to help address problem drinking, is comprised of university and Hadley and Amherst town officials, as well as landlords and business owners. Roberts said he knows how helpful the coalition is.

“I thought it was a good idea for them to participate.”

DiCaprio owns the Moan and Dove in South Amherst and has operated there without any problems, Select Board Chairwoman Stephanie J. O’Keeffe said.

DiCaprio said High Horse will specialize in serving traditional, low alcohol brewed beer and a gastro-pub menu.

He sad the earliest they could open would be November, but he said, “By New Year’s Eve, we should be fully operational.”

A recent study by Northeastern University shows a steady decline in teen employment nationwide.

Photo by Kevin GuttingStephanie Otis, right, 16, of Goshen flips burgers at the Look Park Grill during a shift with Michelle Walsh, 23, of Northampton at Look Park on Thursday.

By MATT MEDEIROS

NORTHAMPTON - In an economy still reeling from recession, jobs for teenagers are few and far between.

“When adults can’t even find jobs, it definitely makes it harder for teenagers,” said 16-year-old Stephanie Otis, of Goshen.

Otis was lucky enough to work this summer at Look Park in Northampton grilling food, but notes: “About half my friends don’t have jobs.”

A recent study by the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University shows a steady decline in teen employment nationwide. According to the study, teen employment dropped from nearly 46 percent of all teens in 2000 to just under 27 percent in 2010.

A statewide study of teen employment by the Joint Committee on Workforce Development of Massachusetts showed a drop from 53 percent in 1999 to 29 percent in 2009.

Hampshire County ranked lowest in 2008 for teen employment statewide, with an average rate of 30.5 percent.

Although the teen employment picture seems dim, efforts are being made to address the issue.

“The percentage of teens in the work force has dropped dramatically in the past decade,” said Jim Parcells, director of planning and youth programs at the Franklin Hampshire Career Center.

In 2009, the Franklin Hampshire Career Center in Greenfield received $890,000 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Summer Program to provide seasonal jobs in the region.

The response was overwhelming, with 950 youths between 14 and 21 years old applying for 330 positions. This was only a small portion of teens looking for work, said Parcells, because most teens did not know they could go to the career center for help.

Parcells said he hopes the work picture for teens will improve as the economy strengthens, but he sees no immediate relief. This summer the career center only had enough funds to put 35 teens to work.

One potential solution, said Parcells, would be to restore funding of summer jobs for teens, but he feels budget cuts on the state and federal level make such a decision unlikely.

There are some initiatives being made to assist teens get jobs. A bill before the Legislature sponsored by state Rep. Cheryl A. Coakley-Rivera, D-Springfield, would create a commission to identify best practices for stimulating youth employment and evaluate current state programs.

Gov. Deval L. Patrick has allocated $6 million for the Youthworks program, which launched website www.massyouthemployment.org to connect teens and employers.

While the program is available in Hampden County, it is not yet in Hampshire or Franklin counties.

Parcells said the steady decline in teen employment will have serious consequences for the future labor market. Without access to jobs, teens are being denied valuable work experience typically gained at a first-time job. Once the economy picks up again, they will not be prepared to enter the work force, said Parcells.

Unemployed teens are also compounding the economic strain on families. Without an independent source of income to defray their cost of living, parents are forced to pick up some of that slack, and with the highest number of unemployed teens coming from families in lower socioeconomic levels, parents are finding themselves in a difficult position.

“There are a lot of frustrated teens out there,” said Parcells. “They just don’t see any opportunity, and without that opportunity, their motivation to prepare themselves for a job opportunity is disappearing. This is an economic problem, and it is also a problem that is personal to the community.”

Teens who have jobs say the competition is intense.

“I work at McDonald’s and even though I applied a bunch of places, they were the only one who called me back,” said Lindsay Paul, 17, of Northampton.

Networking seems to be key for teens’ employment prospects.

Shannon Keefe, a 16-year-old from Northampton, works at Look Park and said it helped that her sister worked there already. She said that about half her friends cannot find jobs, and she thinks it would be difficult to find a different job because she doesn’t have much experience.

Elijah Bovin, an 18-year-old from Northampton, has been looking for a year and applied to eight or nine jobs. “People get hired that know business owners,” he said.

Stephanie Otis felt her job prospects increased because she also knew someone working at Look Park.

Dylan Chatterton, 18, of Northampton, said that he’s been looking for about a year and applied to about seven places on multiple occasions. He said the labor market “is not that bad. It’s all about who your parents know if you want to get a job.”

While legislators decide whether to fund youth employment programs, teenagers wanting to work are left to their own devices to find it.

Lauren Durfur, 18, of Florence, says she feels lucky to have a job at Look Park. If she didn’t, Durfer says, “I think I’d have to apply a lot of places.”

As the city approaches 2 months since the the tornado, the still-evident rubble, leveled trees and boarded buildings tell the story – it will likely take 3-5 years for the full recovery, officials say.

The Republican | Mark M. MurrayWorkers repair this home on upper Central Street the Old Hill section that was hit by the June 1 tornado.

SPRINGFIELD – The leaders of Rebuild Springfield and a 15-member citizen advisory group say they already see the early signs of recovery from the June 1 tornado that left a path of destruction in the region.

But, as the city approaches the two-month anniversary of the tornado, the still-evident rubble, leveled trees and boarded buildings seen on a bus tour last week tell the true story that it will likely take three to five years for the full recovery, officials said.

The advisory committee was transported by bus, donated for the Peter Pan Bus Lines, to damaged areas, as it prepares to assist with creation of a master plan for the rebuilding task.

The tour “certainly reinforced the general concept that the master plan has to be built neighborhood by neighborhood,” said Gerald W. Hayes, co-chairman of Rebuild Springfield.

“Every neighborhood is different,” Hayes said. “Each has different characteristics, different challenges, different levels of complications in achieving the rebuilding process. That came through loud and clear.”

Among the positive signs seen was a new colonial-style home rising along Island Pond Road in the middle of damage and construction efforts, Hayes said.

In contrast, across town, pieces of the city’s history in the South End were gone or in rubble, he said.

“It’s really kind of heartbreaking,” Hayes said. “Historic rehabilitation the last 25 years, a lot of landmarks are just missing.”

And near Springfield College and the Hickory Street area, with multi-family housing, “land use issues in that area are going to be more complicated to sort out,” Hayes said.

The advisory committee will conduct a series of “listening meetings” in the neighborhoods, Hayes said.

“It’s giving residents an opportunity to express their views, vision, aspirations, and frustrations,” Hayes said.

While in some cases, the outcome is simply replacing the old house with a new house, the master plan will also consider urban renewal opportunities, officials said.

Rebuild Springfield is a public-private partnership led by a public entity, the Springfield Redevelopment Authority, and a private entity, DevelopSpringfield.

Nicholas A. Fyntrilakis, also co-chairman of Rebuild Springfield, had a mixed reaction to what he saw on the tour.

“There is no question, we have a lot of work to do,” Fyntrilakis said. “The good news is that we saw a lot of work being done in some of the neighborhoods. We saw some properties where there was not a lot of activity. We all saw there are opportunities and there are challenges.”

Peter Gagliardi, a member of the advisory committee whose own home was damaged in the South End, said it was “remarkable how many homes are still boarded up, still waiting for work to be done.”

In addition, there were large areas now cleared “that one could envision redeveloping in whole new ways,” Gagliardi said. He said he is particularly concerned about the damage done to the city’s woodland.

A spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management Administration said that federal disaster aid is available to cover 75 percent of the damage to public properties not covered by insurance. That can include damage to roads and other infrastructure, public buildings such as schools, and emergency measures, a spokesman said.

The Republican | Mark M. MurrayCrews start to install new portable classrooms behind the Elias Brookings School on Hancock Street in Springfield. Thirty of the portable classroom structures will be used by students in the upcoming school year while repairs are made to the school building that was damaged by the June 1 tornado.The buildings will be leased for two years while repairs are made to the school.

The Elias A. Brookings School and Mary A. Dryden School received significant damage.

Loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration are also available.

Property owners are encouraged to apply for federal aid from FEMA. The deadline for registration is Aug. 15, and can be done by calling the toll-free number at 1-800-621-FEMA.

Surrounding communities that were in the path of tornadoes June 1, continue to respond to the damage left.

In West Springfield, Mayor Edward J. Gibson said Thursday that officials are urging people who took out forms from FEMA and the Small Business Administration from the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center in Town Hall to return them soon.

“That is the big drive right now,” he said.

Only about 10 percent of the people who took out paperwork with the Small Business Administration have returned it, according to the mayor. The deadline for returning FEMA forms is Aug. 15. It is not necessary to wait until getting information from one’s insurance company before filing for relief from the federal government, the mayor said.

Next week, state building inspectors will be in the city to go door to door to help the city determine the extent of repairs needed because of the tornado.

Wilbraham Department of Works Director Edmond Miga said the cleanup has cost $3.5 million so far, with Ashbritt Environmental of Florida, removing downed trees and stumps from town tree belts.

Wilbraham Building Inspector Lance Trevallion said the property losses in Wilbraham ranged from minor damage to total loss.

Trevallion said 234 homes with damage were inspected in Wilbraham. Of those, 13 were classified as unsafe for occupancy.

In Monson, 8 percent of the structures in town were damaged by the June 1 tornado. Selectman Edward A. Maia said he thinks a lot of progress has been made, but there is still a lot to be done.

“Unfortunately I think that everyone wants it all done and it’s going to be a very long, slow process,” Maia said. “I think people are beginning to realize that and getting frustrated.”

Maia said the selectmen were asked what they want the downtown to look like, and he responded, “I want it to look like it did on May 31.”

Brimfield town officials said they have spent $420,000 on a contract to remove downed trees and other debris from roadways and another $130,000 for overtime worked in the first days after the tornado.

Brimfield selectmen said they are hopeful that federal money through FEMA will cover 75 percent of the town expenses. They said property owners lost roughly $7 million worth of the value in their homes and are dealing with their insurance companies on those losses.

Westfield was spared major damage from the tornado, with cleanup mostly completed within about three weeks of the storm. City officials say some cleanup and repairs, mostly by residents to personal property and homes, remains.

That includes repairs to the roof at Munger Hill Elementary School where the city has applied to the Federal Emergency Management Agency as well as the state’s School Building Authority to help finance roof replacement.

In all 250 residential homes suffered some damage, ranging from broken windows to roofs. Only three were listed by city officials as extensively damage.

Staff reporters Lori Stabile, Suzanne McLaughlin, Sandra Constantine, Ted LaBorde and John Appleton contributed to this report.

Hampden District Attorney Mark Mastroianni confirmed the arrest and said it was made in West Springfield "at the conclusion of a drug investigation."

Republican file photoPaul Barkyoumb

WEST SPRINGFIELD – Former Holyoke Police officer Paul C. Barkyoumb, who resigned after admitting to harrassing an ex-girlfried, was arrested around 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

Hampden District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni confirmed the arrest and said it was in West Springfield. He did not release details immediately including the charges.

“It was made at the conclusion of a drug investigation,” he said. Barkyoumb will be arraigned on Monday in Springfield District Court.

The arrest was made by the Hampden County Task Force that includes local and state police. As a narcotics officer in Holyoke, Barkyoumb had worked with the Task Force in the past.

A 17-year member of the Holyoke Police Department, Barkyoumb resigned in September 2010 after admitting guilt to harassing a former girlfriend by sending text messages and through telephone calls.

One text message read “Y R U afraid? Psycho, dike (sic)... I will find a way to get you back.”

In addition to resigning his police position, Barkyoumb was sentenced to two years probation. He was also required to stay away from his ex-girlfriend and cannot possess firearms, a license to carry or a firearms identification card for two years.

That was not the first time Barkyoumb had been in trouble. In February 2009, a Hampden Superior Court judge refused to allow evidence in a drug case investigated by Barkyoumb, ruling that the officer had “demonstrated an unhesitating willingness to offer false testimony.”

The Republican will update as more information becomes available.

Photo by Michael S. Gordon / The RepublicanHolyoke Police Detective Paul C. Barkyoumb was arraigned in Hartford Superior Court Tuesday.

Springfield City Engineer Christopher Cignoli and Monson Selectboard Chairman Richard Smith requested the federal assistance, citing concern that uprooted trees and other debris caused by the tornado could block culverts during heavy rain, resulting in flooded streets and threatening public safety and nearby homes and businesses.

The Republican/Mark Murray06/08/11 Springfield- This home on Hancock Street has heavy tornado damage as a result of the June 1 tornado.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service has approved up to $657,000 in federal funds for removal of trees and other debris deposited by the June 1 tornadoes in rivers and streams in Springfield and Monson.

The funds are being provided through the Emergency Watershed Protection program, administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The agency also is providing technical assistance for the work, which will be done at two sites in Springfield and three sites in Monson. Other sites in Springfield, Monson and other affected towns are being evaluated for possible assistance.

Springfield City Engineer Christopher Cignoli and Monson Selectboard Chairman Richard Smith requested the federal assistance, citing concern that uprooted trees and other debris caused by the tornado could block culverts during heavy rain, resulting in flooded streets and threatening public safety and nearby homes and businesses.

“The June 1 tornadoes deposited a significant amount of debris in local rivers and streams,” Christine S. Clarke, NRCS State Conservationist for Massachusetts, said in a statement. “With NRCS help, the debris removal will safeguard lives and property from the real hazard of flooding in the next significant storm.”

The Natural Resource Conservation Service will cover 75 percent of the cost of debris removal, which involves cutting up downed tree limbs and using heavy equipment to lift the debris from the water bodies. The work is under way at some sites and will begin soon at other locations. Cleanup at each site is expected to take about five days.

At Johnny Appleseed Park in Springfield, the estimated cost is $80,000, with $60,000 to be paid by the federal government. Rifle Street in Springfield also is included at a cost of $200,000, with $150,000 to be picked up by the federal government.

In Monson, the cost for Chicopee Brook cleanup is $342,000, with $256,500 to be reimbursed; Ely Brook cleanup is $160,000, with $120,000 to be reimbursed, and the cost to clean tributaries of the Chicopee Brook is $94,000, with $70,500 to be reimbursed by the federal government.

That’s a total of $876,000 in cleanup costs for the two communities, with a total of $657,000 provided by the federal government, and $219,000 remaining for the communities to pay on their own.

“NRCS has been very responsive. This was the only avenue available to us to get help clearing debris from rivers and streams. Two bridges, one on State Street and the other on Cushman Street, would be at risk without this assistance. We appreciate their help,” Monson Highway Surveyor John R. Morrell said in a statement.

Here is a list of major municipal meetings for the coming week: Agawam Mon.- Agawam Small Business Assistance Center, 8:30 a.m., Town Hall. Wed.- Agawam Historical Commission, 7 p.m., Capt. Charles Leonard House at 663 Main St. Thu.- Conservation Commission, 6:30 p.m., Agawam Public Library. Amherst Mon.- Select Board, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall. Committee on Homelessness, 6:30 p.m., Town...

Republican file photoHolyoke City Hall

Here is a list of major municipal meetings for the coming week:

Agawam

Mon.- Agawam Small Business Assistance Center, 8:30 a.m., Town Hall.

Wed.- Agawam Historical Commission, 7 p.m., Capt. Charles Leonard House at 663 Main St.

Thu.- Conservation Commission, 6:30 p.m., Agawam Public Library.

Amherst

Mon.- Select Board, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall.

Committee on Homelessness, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall.

Zoning Board subcommittee and Planning Board, 7 p.m., Bangs Community Center.

Jones Library Board of Trustees, 7 p.m., Jones Library.

Tues.- Zoning Board subcommittee and Planning Board, 7 p.m., Bangs Community Center.

Zoning Board of Appeals, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall.

Wed.- Committee on Homelessness, 10 a.m., Jones Library.

Conservation Commission, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Thu.- Board of Health, 7 p.m., Bangs Community Center.

Leisure Services and Supplemental Education, 7:30 p.m., police station.

Chicopee

Tues.- Finance Committee, 6:30 p.m., City Hall.

Wed.- Ordinance Committee, 6:30 p.m., City Hall.

Fairview Cemetery Commission, 4 p.m., 687 Front St.

East Longmeadow

Wed.- Board of Assessors, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall.

Thu.- Conservation Commission, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Granby

Mon.-Board of Assessors, 7 p.m., Town Hall Annex.

Tues.- Metropolitan Planning Organization, noon, 60 Commerce St., Springfield.

Hampshire Health District Incentive Grant Planning, 6 p.m., Northampton Senior Center.

Conservation Commission, 7 p.m., Aldrich Hall.

Greenfield

Mon.- Community Relations Committee, 6:30 p.m., 321 High St.

Tues.- Greenfield Retirement Board, 4 p.m., 14 Court Square.

Conservation Commission, 7 p.m., Police Station Meeting Room.

Board of Assessors, 8:30 p.m., 14 Court Square.

Thu.- Council on Aging, 2 p.m., Senior Center.

Hadley

Tues.- Board of Health, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Historical Commission, 7 p.m., Senior Center.

Select Board, 6 p.m., Senior Center.

Hatfield

Mon.- Open Space Committee, 6 p.m., Memorial Town Hall.

Tues.- Hatfield Redevelopment Authority, 7 p.m., Smith Academy.

Holyoke

Mon.- Water Commission, 6:30 p.m., 20 Commercial St.

Tues.- School Building Advisory Committee, 11 a.m., Holyoke High School, 500 Beech St.

Fire Commission, 1 p.m., Fire Department headquarters, 600 High St.

Holyoke Geriatric Authority, board of directors, 6 p.m., 45 Lower Westfield Road.

Planning Board, 6 p.m., City Hall Annex, fourth-floor conference room.

City Council Ordinance Committee, 6:30 p.m., City Hall, City Council Chambers.

Joint public hearing of Planning Board and Stormwater Authority, 6:30 p.m., City Hall Annex, fourth-floor conference room.

Thu.- School Committee, building advisory committee, 11 a.m., Holyoke High School, 500 Beech St.

Conservation Commission, 7 p.m., Jones Ferry River Access Center, 8 Oscar St.

Huntington

Wed.- Board of Selectmen, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Gateway Regional School Committee, 7:30 p.m., Gateway Regional High School.

Monson

Mon.- Assessors, 4:15 p.m., Hillside School.

Tues.- Board of Selectmen, Tornado Recovery Public Meeting, 6:15 p.m., Granite Valley Middle School.

Water and Sewer Commission, 6:30 p.m., 198 WD Main St.

Wed.- Conservation Commission, 7 p.m., Hillside School.

Thu.- Zoning Board of Appeals, 7:30 p.m., Hillside School.

Northampton

Mon.- Historical Commission, 5:30 p.m., Council Chambers.

Recreation Commission, 7 p.m., John F. Kennedy Middle School.

Tues.- Finance Committee, 5 p.m., Council Chambers.

Thu.- Forbes Library Board of Trustees, 4 p.m., Forbes Library.

Palmer

Mon.- Town Council, 7 p.m., Town Building.

Community Development Advisory Committee, 4 p.m., Town Building.

Tues.- Town Council Ordinance Subcommittee, 7 p.m., Town Building.

South Hadley

Tues.- Pioneer Valley Region Metropolitan Planning Organization, noon, 60 Congress St., Springfield Personnel Board, 5:30 p.m., Town Hall.

Thu.- Fire District 1 Board Water Commissioners, 6 p.m., 438 Granby Road.

“Redistricting: A Public Forum with Senator Stan Rosenberg,” 7:30 p.m., Town Hall auditorium.

Southwick

Mon.- Board of Appeals, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Planning board, 7:30 p.m., Town Hall.

Tues.- Sewer Committee, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Wed.- Cemetery Commission, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Springfield

Tues.- Public Employee Committee, 10 a.m., Raymond Sullivan Safety Complex, Carew Street.

Wed.- Springfield Food Policy Council, 3 p.m., Central High School, choral music room, 1840 Roosevelt Ave.

City Council Planning and Economic Development Committee, 4:30 p.m., 285 Dorset St., Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School.

Board of Appeals, 6 p.m., Room 220, City Hall.

City Council Green Committee, 6 p.m. Room 200, City Hall.

Thu.- City Council Committee on Elder Affairs, 2 p.m., Greenleaf Community Center, 1188 Parker St.

School Committee’s Legislative and Contracts Subcommittee, 4:30 p.m., School Department, 1550 Main St.

West Springfield

Mon.- Board of Appeals, 7 p.m., municipal building.

Wed.- West Springfield Retirement Board, 7:30 a.m., Sullivan Paper Co. at 58 Progress Ave.

Westfield

Tues.- Conservation Commission, 7 p.m., City Hall.

Wed.- School Committee, 7 p.m., 22 Ashley St.

Commission for Citizens with Disabilities, 7 p.m., City Hall.

Zoning Board of Appeals, 7 p.m., City Hall.

3 adults, a 6-month-old baby and a 4-year-old child were taken to Baystate Medical Center.

LUDLOW - Three adults, a 6-month-old baby and a 4-year-old child were taken to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield after a one-car accident Sunday.

None of the people received life-threatening injuries but all needed treatment. Wilbraham Fire Department, Belchertown Fire Department and American Medical Response ambulance, all assisted the Ludlow Fire Department to transport the injured to the hospital, Sgt. Joseph Metcalfe said.

The accident happened at about 7:25 p.m. at the corner of West and Brook streets. The accident is under investigation and speed is believed to have been a factor, Metcalfe said.

Part of West Street was closed for more than an hour because of the accident, he said.

The driver of a 'baby blue' Civic reportedly struck a 55-year-old woman at the corner of Sumner Avenue and Dickinson Street around 9:30 p.m. Sunday. The extent of the woman's injuries were not immediately known.

Republican file photo

SPRINGFIELD – Police are searching for a baby blue Honda Civic involved in a hit and run accident that happened Sunday night.

A 55-year-old woman was struck at about 9:30 p.m. at the corner of Sumner Avenue and Dickinson Street. The extent of her injuries were unknown but an ambulance was called to assist, Springfield Police Lt. Alberto Ayala said.

Witnesses who may know who was driving the car are asked to call police at 787-6302.

MassLive.com will update as more information is available.

Members of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission were eyewitnesses when the Men in Motion Dance Revue entertained a standing-room-only crowd.

File photo | The Republican

CHICOPEE - Maximum Capacity, a downtown bar and entertainment spot, has had its liquor and entertainment licenses suspended for allowing nude male dancing, according to Donald Goulette, chairman of the Chicopee License Commission.

Goulette said members of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission were eyewitnesses when the Men in Motion Dance Revue entertained a standing-room-only crowd on May 13 into early May 14 at the 116 School St. establishment.

Goulette said Maximum Capacity will be shut down for 10 days beginning July 24 and will be in abeyance for the next 10 days. If the club does something improper during the second 10-day period, it will be closed for 10 more days.

“We want the public to know that we take these violations very seriously and will act upon them,” said Goulette.

On its website, the Men in Motion Dance Revue describes itself as “male exotic entertainment” that does strip shows and “strip-o-grams.”

Their calendar lists Maximum Capacity performances in Chicopee every second Friday of the month.

The manager of Maximum Capacity is Donald Roberts, according to Goulette.