View obituaries from The Republican newspaper in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Moulton said the North-South rail link project, to connect Boston's North and South Stations, is important for the proposed Boston to Springfield rail line.

BOSTON -- U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Massachusetts, a major booster of a proposed rail link between Boston's two major train hubs, is arguing that the project will also be good for Springfield.

Moulton, in an interview with The Republican after an unrelated event in Boston, tried to distinguish between the North-South rail link proposal to connect Boston's North Station and South Station and the Big Dig -- the massive Boston highway project plagued by cost overruns and design flaws.

"The Big Dig transformed downtown Boston but didn't really change travel times much around the state," Moulton said. "North-South rail link will make it much faster than driving to get to all different parts of the region from Springfield, not just to Boston but to the North Shore or South Shore or connect directly with the Northeast corridor."

The North-South rail link proposal is currently being studied by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The idea would be to connect Boston's two major transit hubs. The project has some powerful backers, including former governors Michael Dukakis and Bill Weld. But it also has skeptics, including Gov. Charlie Baker, who has said he wants to focus on maintaining the current system before launching any major new expansion projects.

Residents of Western Massachusetts have long expressed concerns about their tax dollars being spent on major projects that primarily benefit the Boston area. Moulton, who is trying to line up support for the project from throughout the state, argued that the North-South rail link would have a statewide impact.

Moulton said the link would mean that every train coming through the north would be connected to the south and vice versa. Trains coming in from Springfield would then have easier access to all parts of the state.

State Sen. Eric Lesser, D-Longmeadow, has been pushing hard for a study of high-speed rail between Springfield and Boston. Moulton argued that the North-South rail link is vital to that project.

"What Springfield needs to realize is that the North-South rail link is an integral part of east-west rail, because you're not going to have the ridership for east-west rail unless you have the connectivity to other parts of the region that north-south rail will enable," Moulton said.

Lesser said he agrees with Moulton that the rail projects are intertwined. "You want to think about rail in New England as an integrated whole," Lesser said.

Lesser said the ultimate vision is an interconnected system with hubs in Boston and Springfield that then connect to the north and the south. A Springfield to Boston rail line would most likely use South Station in Boston, and Lesser said having easy access to trains that go into North Station has the potential to "dramatically increase ridership."

Amtrak's Downeaster train to New Hampshire and Maine goes to North Station, while all other Amtrak trains go to South Station. The southern commuter rail lines go to South Station and the northern commuter rail lines go to North Station.

Currently, a passenger must take two subway lines to get between North Station and South Station, even though they are less than two miles apart.

There are also separate proposals pending to increase the capacity at South Station.

The ceremony is planned for Friday at 3 p.m. at 1 Clough St., the YWCA's main campus.

SPRINGFIELD -  A tree planting on Friday afternoon will honor survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse.

"This is the first time we have done a tree planting ceremony. We thought something living and growing would be symbolic of surviving domestic and sexual violence," said Elizabeth G. Dineen, executive director of the YWCA of Western Massachusetts.

The agency provides emergency shelter from domestic violence to more than 300 women and children each year.

The ceremony, taking place during Sexual Violence Awareness Month, is scheduled for Friday at 3 p.m. on the YWCA's 11-acre campus at 1 Clough St. It is open to the public.

"A tree planting represents the traits of the human spirit - resistance and persistence," she said.

A former Hampden County assistant district attorney who now heads the YWCA, Dineen said she "chooses to be an optimistic" when it comes to efforts to end domestic and sexual violence.

"I remain optimistic always. The more education, the more successful we will be," Dineen said.

The YWCA campus includes a 58-bed emergency shelter for victims of domestic violence as well as a 20-apartment supporting housing project for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking or dating violence.

The organization, which receives more than 10,000 hotline calls each year, also has a residential substance abuse and mental health program for victims of domestic violence and their children in Westfield.

It also operates a number of other supportive and self-sufficiency programs.

It is estimated (pdf) that nearly 1 in 3 Massachusetts women has experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, a top Massachusetts Democrat up for re-election this year, is declining to rule out voting for a Republican in 2018: Gov. Charlie Baker.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, a top Massachusetts Democrat up for re-election this year, is declining to rule out voting for a Republican in 2018: Gov. Charlie Baker.

"You never know," Walsh said during an appearance on WGBH's "Greater Boston" television show, hosted by Jim Braude. "You never know what's going to happen."

Walsh, who was first elected in 2013, developed a close relationship with Baker after he assumed the governor's office in 2015.

General Electric decided to relocate its world headquarters to Boston in part due to Walsh and Baker's ability to get along, in stark contrast to their feuding counterparts in New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, both Democrats.

Walsh and Baker also worked together in an attempt to defeat the November 2016 ballot question legalizing marijuana for adult recreational use in Massachusetts. Fifty-three percent of voters disagreed, including 62 percent of Boston voters.

But Baker, who is expected to run for a second term in 2018, has maintained high approval ratings while in office. Jay Gonzalez, a Democrat who served as Gov. Deval Patrick budget chief, is running, as is Bob Massie, a Democrat and an environmentalist who ran for lieutenant governor in 1994. Separately, Newton Mayor Setti Warren is exploring whether to jump into the race.

Appearing on WGBH, Walsh said he believes Baker is moving the state along in a "good way" on most issues. Walsh, a top union leader and state representative before he won the mayoral seat, added that he disagrees with some of Baker's reforms of the MBTA, specifically efforts to privatize some parts of the public transit agency.

When Braude, the "Greater Boston" host, pressed him on voting for Baker and voting for Republicans in general, Walsh acknowledged that he hasn't voted for a Republican before in his life and added, "We'll see what happens. I'm running for re-election."

Boston mayor dons fur coat, parodies Adele with video spoofing Baker bromance

Walsh is facing a challenge from Tito Jackson, a city councilor and former aide to Gov. Patrick.

Democrats who work with Baker at the State House often praise the governor, causing a headache for the Democrats who want to replace him.

Rep. Jeffrey Roy, D-Franklin, illustrated that point on Tuesday, when he appeared with Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and law enforcement officials at a press conference. During his remarks, Roy commended Baker for cooperating with lawmakers on the other side of the aisle.

On WGBH, Walsh, a top supporter of Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign, said he tends to vote for fellow Democrats.

"We'll see what the field is," Walsh said of the governor's race.

The cross-party bromance between Gov. Charlie Baker and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh

Moriarty-Finn said she envisioned a city in which police are welcome in every neighborhood, and all Springfield police officers and firefighters live in the city.

SPRINGFIELD -- Kelli Moriarty-Finn kicked off her campaign for Springfield City Council at-large on Tuesday night, calling on leaders to address public safety crises like the opioid epidemic and enforce the residency requirement for police and firefighters.

"Springfield is my home by choice," said Moriarty-Finn, speaking to supporters at Nathan Bill's Bar and Restaurant on Island Pond Road. "I love my city, as do all of you, but Springfield can be so much better."

Moriarty-Finn said she envisioned a city in which police are welcome in every neighborhood, children can learn about the dangers of drugs at an early age with school programs like D.A.R.E. and all Springfield police officers and firefighters live in the city.

Moriarty-Finn, a first-time political candidate, is clerk of the Atwater Park Civic Association. She is also the Ward 2 representative on the 15-member Springfield Police/Community Relations Committee.

"The first thing people say is we still have profiling issues, or we need (more) community policing," said Moriarty-Finn. "We can work toward that."

Moriarty-Finn, 47, is a senior project manager at Invesco, an investment management company. She graduated from Wheaton College in 1991 with degrees in political science and philosophy.

A native of Holyoke, Moriarty-Finn moved to Springfield in 2002. She and her husband David were married in 2013.

"We need to reset the narrative about what life in Springfield is like," she said, reflecting on her decision to move to the city. "So many people think that Springfield isn't the place to buy a home or get a great job or raise your children, but none of that is right."

She said she plans to keep a close watch on MGM Springfield as it builds a $950 million casino in the South End, and make sure the city uses the revenue wisely.

"Our skyline is changing. We have got a casino that is coming into Springfield, and we can't stop anything about it, but I will make one guarantee to you: Promises made will be promises kept," she said.

Moriarty-Finn said she was "empowered" to run for office by the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.

"It wasn't the result I was hoping for. However, it really gave me a call to action," she said.

Ten other candidates have pulled papers in the race to fill five at-large seats: incumbents Justin Hurst and Timothy Rooke and challengers Ernesto Cruz, Marilyn Felix, Kevin Green, Jynai McDonald, Jesse Lederman, Victor Davila, Kateri Walsh and Tracy Whitfield.

The deadline for taking out nomination papers is July 28 at 5 p.m., and all papers must be submitted by Aug. 1 at 5 p.m. The candidates must have at least 100 valid voter signatures to qualify for the fall ballot.

GTI Massachusetts NP Corp. received a favorable recommendation on Tuesday, April 25, 2017 to run a medical marijuana cultivation and processing facility at 28 Appleton St. from the Holyoke City Council Ordinance Committee.

HOLYOKE -- The City Council Ordinance Committee voted on Tuesday to recommend that the full Council next week approve a special permit for a medical marijuana facility at 28 Appleton St.

GTI Massachusetts NP Corp. wants to run a medical marijuana cultivation and processing facility at 28 Appleton St., essentially a greenhouse, lawyer John Ferriter said.

The City Council will consider the committee recommendation at 7 p.m. on May 2 at City Hall.

The business would be open from 7 a.m. to midnight Monday to Friday.

Councilors and business leaders praised the plan for the 25 to 30 jobs the facility would provide in its first year and 100 over three years, along with $50,000 to $100,000 a year into the city general fund and issue $15,000 in grants to community groups.

The recommendation vote came despite Council President Kevin A. Jourdain noting he opposes the notion of such marijuana facilities and hammering GTI Massachusetts officials with questions about its investment details, who would gain from the operation and whether the firm also plans to seek a pot dispensary permit later.

The Ordinance Committee's public hearing on the proposal consisted of an hour and 15 minutes of testimony on Tuesday and 2 1/2 hours on March 28.

The Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce and Holyoke Taxpayers Association urged the City Council to approve the plan based on projected jobs, revenue and safety of the facility.

GTI Massachusetts in the first year would hire 25 to 30 full-timers at entry-level salaries of $14 an hour, with benefits, with a range of positions within the new hires. Jobs will be in security, crop maintenance, management and logistics. That would increase to 100 employees in three years, representatives have said.

The company would pay $50,000 to $100,000 a year into the city general fund and issue $15,000 in grants to community groups as part of a host-city agreement the city is negotiating with Mayor Alex B. Morse, they said.

Massachusetts voters in 2012 permitted medical marijuana facilities by approving a statewide ballot question, and state law prohibits a city or town from banning such facilities. But the city can regulate where such a facility can be located and require that the permit-holder disclose security measures and discuss issues like hours of operation.

Check back with MassLive.com for more details about this meeting, including a video.

Katelin Garland, 39, used the stolen money to pay for a boat, tickets to sporting event, private school tuition, travel and her own living expenses.

BOSTON - A woman from Weymouth was sentenced to two years in prison on Tuesday for stealing more than $700,000 from her employer.

A U.S. District Court judge in Boston also sentenced Katelin Garland, 39, to two years of supervised release, and ordered her to pay $656,825 in restitution.

In November, Garland pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud.

Prosecutors said Garland was employed as an administrative manager, responsible for depositing checks, requesting payments and maintaining the record-keeping system for an unspecified company in Massachusetts.

From 2011 to 2015, she took advantage of flaws in the company's accounting system to request checks payable to fake names, which she endorsed and deposited in her own account. Then she fudged the paperwork to hide the crimes, prosecutors said.

She used the stolen money to pay for a boat, tickets to sporting event, private school tuition, travel and her own living expenses.

Her former employer has been able to recover $45,000 so far.

Weeks ago, a racially-tinged assault in the high school parking lot set off a chain of events and prompted a wide-ranging community discussion about diversity and equity.

EASTHAMPTON -- Easthampton High School Principal Kevin Burke told of growing up as an Orthodox Jew and enduring anti-Semitic remarks as he walked to school with his family.

Vice Principal Sue Welson fought back tears as she pledged to "roll up her sleeves" and "work each day to make Easthampton High School a safe and joyful place for all to learn and grow."

"We have begun to build bridges," said Superintendent Nancy Follansbee. "It's hard work and we can't do it alone."

Voices were quiet and emotions were raw at Tuesday night's School Committee meeting, where leaders discussed a plan to transform the high school's culture toward one of greater equity, inclusion, and respect for diversity. 

It was the third night of public talk in the four weeks since a racially-tinged assault in the high school parking lot prompted a mass student walkout and resulted in the arrests of three students of color. Students told reporters and city officials that serious changes are needed to foster a learning community where all feel safe.

At two previous public meetings, the School Committee heard at length from parents and others, some of whom called for Burke's ouster and for the removal of School Resource Officer Alan Schadel.

Tuesday night, several people spoke during a brief public comment session. The bulk of time was devoted to a consultant's presentation and remarks from administrators and committee members, each of whom expressed pride in the schools and faith in the community's ability to grow and transform.

"On the other side of this we will be a stronger school district and a stronger community," said committee member Marissa Carrere.

Dr. Safire DeJong from the Northampton-based Collaborative for Educational Services will help the school district develop a three-year plan to address inclusivity and equity, said Follansbee.

DeJong described a process that will begin with "listening and fact-finding," including two facilitated forums for students, two forums for parents, and a May 1 forum exclusively for high school faculty and staff.

She said her team will gather data and produce a report that reveals "themes and patterns." The report will provide recommendations for a transformative process that can be implemented by a team of stakeholders including parents, teachers, and administrators.

The report should be ready by the end of May, said DeJong.

Burke stepped to the dais and said he wanted to share some of his own personal experiences, not only as a Jewish child and college student who encountered swastikas in public places, but as the grandchild of immigrants who escaped from Poland and Russia.

"I have experienced these things -- but I can't put myself in the shoes of students," said Burke.

Some students and parents have faulted Burke, saying he ignored growing racial tensions at the high school, turned a blind eye to other problems, and that the parking lot fight could have been forestalled with skillful and early intervention.

On Tuesday night, Burke said he is "deeply upset and deeply sorry" that any student feels unsafe at Easthampton High School, described himself as a lifelong learner, and pledged "to embrace this opportunity to learn and grow."

School Committee chairwoman Deb Lusnia read a statement that promised even-handed fact-finding, a respect for student privacy, and attention to the due process rights of school employees.

Those themes were echoed by Peter Gunn, who served as acting committee chairman during two turbulent prior meetings.

Gunn on Tuesday spoke for a public process where people with differing views can be heard, and warned against simple thinking.

"It's easy to reduce things into a two-sided rubric, with a winner and a loser," he said. Stakeholders "must entertain nuance" and "be uncomfortable with uncertainty."

Freedom of speech "can be hard at times," said Gunn, who opined that when voices are excluded from the public square, they find expression elsewhere.

Mayor Karen Cadieux spoke briefly, saying that she and Follansbee "have been listening all along and will continue to listen."

Carrere, while praising school administrators, teachers, and students, said she would like to revisit the relationship between the city's schools and its police department.
School Resource Officer Schadel is currently on leave, according to Police Chief Robert Alberti.

The first after-school forum for Easthampton High School students will be held on April 27, followed by a forum for parents on April 28.

Phan Phan-Gillis has faced an uncertain fate since March 2015, when she disappeared from her group traveling in southern China. She was later accused of espionage, which carries a possible death sentence.

HOUSTON -- An American woman detained during a business trip to China was convicted of spying and sentenced Tuesday to 3 1/2 years in prison, raising the possibility that she may be allowed to return home soon.

Phan Phan-Gillis has faced an uncertain fate since March 2015, when she disappeared from her group traveling in southern China. She was later accused of espionage, which carries a possible death sentence. A United Nations panel has said her detention violated international norms, and the U.S. has long pressed China to resolve the case fairly.

Her Chinese lawyer Shang Baojun told The Associated Press Wednesday that a deportation order has been issued, and that she should be released "very soon." He said authorities don't usually inform the lawyer of the deportation date.

He said he couldn't give more details about the spying conviction because "it is related to state secrets," but that the court should release its verdict within five days.

The U.S. State Department confirmed that she had been sentenced. While Phan-Gillis' trial was closed to the public, a representative from the American Consulate in Guangzhou was allowed to attend the public announcement of the verdict against her, the State Department said.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not respond to a message about her case.

Phan-Gillis is of Chinese descent, but was born in Vietnam and is an American citizen who lived in Houston and worked as a business consultant. Known by friends as "Sandy," she made numerous trips to China for business and as a volunteer to promote cultural and business exchanges.

She disappeared from the rest of her group during a trip in March 2015 to promote business opportunities in Houston. It took her husband, Jeff Gillis, almost two weeks to confirm through American consular officials that she had been detained by Chinese state security.

China's opaque legal system often provides little or no explanation for why someone is detained or punished. Jeff Gillis, who did not return a message Tuesday, said last year that he was told his wife was accused of conducting a spy mission in 1996, then trying to recruit new spies the following two years -- allegations he called "beyond ridiculous."

"I have the passport that shows that she didn't even have a visa in '96, no entries or exits," he said. "I have her pay stubs that show that she was not off on extended leave."

The San Francisco-based Dui Hua Foundation, which monitors human rights and legal issues in China, said Phan-Gillis was the first American citizen to be convicted of spying in a Chinese court since 1973. But Phan-Gillis' 3 1/2-year prison term is on the low end of sentences for espionage charges, according to Dui Hua's research.

China sometimes releases foreigners as an apparent sign of goodwill. Last year it allowed Kevin Garratt, a Canadian citizen held for two years and accused of spying, to return home after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau mentioned Garratt to top officials in Beijing.

In Phan-Gillis' case, John Kamm, founder of Dui Hua, credited the Trump administration and particularly Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who visited Beijing last month. Kamm said he was told by "people who were in the room" that Tillerson pressed Phan-Gillis' case in private meetings.

"If U.S.-China relations were not going as well as they are right now, I think this outcome would have been different," Kamm said.

Department spokesman Sgt. John Delaney said the drop-off is planned for the parking lot at Central on Roosevelt Avenue from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

SPRINGFIELD - People with old or unwanted medication in their homes are being invited to drop it off Saturday at Central High School for safe disposal by the Springfield police.

Department spokesman Sgt. John Delaney said the drop-off is planned for the parking lot at Central on Roosevelt Avenue from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Medications will be disposed of at no charge.

The only restriction is the event is unable to accept any hypodermic needles or syringes, he said. Also not accepted are thermometers, intravenous bags or liquid medication.

The drop-off will accept any pill medication, vitamins or veterinary pills.

The event is a way to get unwanted medication out of circulation. Nationally, many addicts get their start by swiping prescription medication from the family medicine cabinet. 

"Tell all your relatives that it's time to clean out the medicine cabinet," Delaney said.

The event is part of the National Take-Back Initiative, sponsored by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. 

Communities across the county will be conducting take-back events the same day. The DEA webpage has a link to a searchable database for take-back events in other communities.

On Tuesday, State Sen. Eric Lesser attended a meeting of the East Longmeadow Town Council to deliver a legislative update.

EAST LONGMEADOW — Local aid, transportation and health care are focuses on Beacon Hill, according to state Sen. Eric Lesser.

The Longmeadow Democrat addressed the Town Council in East Longmeadow, one of the nine communities in the 1st Hampden and Hampshire District, during its meeting Tuesday night. His attendance at the meeting came a little more than a month after a scheduled appearance was cancelled due to snow.

"I view myself as ... customer service rep No. 1 for state government," Lesser said.

East Longmeadow and other communities likely will see funding for regional transportation initiatives like improving roads and building bicycle paths, Lesser said. He also espoused efforts to establish Springfield-to-Boston commuter rail service.

He also mentioned early discussions about plans that could allow municipalities to bulk purchase EpiPens, devices used to treat potentially deadly allergic reactions that have spiked in price in recent years.

The discussion with council members also delved into the issue of towns like Longmeadow and East Longmeadow coming close to reaching their maximum property tax levy and the need to find new sources for local funding.

"We need to move away from the hyper-reliance on property tax money in our communities," Lesser said. "We're facing sort of a challenge here of built-out communities that don't have a ton of room to grow ... that are really at the max."

In a statement about the meeting, Lesser said that such discussions help him set his agenda.

"These meetings with local officials are very helpful in setting local priorities and carrying them forward to my work in the state Senate," Lesser said. "I am grateful to the East Longmeadow Town Council for taking the time to meet with me and discuss the important issues East Longmeadow is facing."

The 4,500 square foot store, with drive-up window service, would be open 24 hours a day.

 

BELCHERTOWN -- A Pride gas station and convenience store has been proposed on a 40-acre site at the corner of Routes 21 (Turkey Hill Road) and 202 (State Street), Town Administrator Gary Brougham said at Monday's selectmen meeting.

He said the business "hopes to be open" by the end of this year.

The 4,500-square-foot store, with drive-up window service, would be open 24 hours a day, have five fuel islands, including diesel fuel, and enlarge Belchertown's commercial tax base, Brougham said.

"This is a good situation," he said.

Selectmen voted unanimously to refer the project to the Planning Board. 

Pride, based in Springfield, operates more than 30 gas stations and stores in the Pioneer Valley and north-central Connecticut.

The money for Massachusetts-Access to Recovery is part of an $11.7 million grant to help the state fight opioid addiction.

SPRINGFIELD -- Massachusetts has received a federal grant to continue and expand a program that improves access to opioid addiction treatment in Springfield and Boston.

The money for Massachusetts-Access to Recovery is part of an $11.7 million grant to help the state fight opioid addiction, authorized by the 21st Century Cures Act that Congress passed last year.

According to Gov. Charlie Baker's administration, the money will go to outpatient opioid treatment, recovery services and expanded community overdose prevention programs.

"Our administration strongly supported the 21st Century Cures Act as an effort to advance Massachusetts' leadership in biomedical innovation and expedite new ways to treat disease and addiction," Baker said in a statement. "We are grateful for the opportunity to use these funds for prevention and treatment activities to address the opioid crisis that has devastated families in every corner of Massachusetts."

Massachusetts-Access to Recovery is a federally funded program designed to help individuals with drug addiction in early recovery or who are looking to begin treatment or stabilize their lives.

Program participants create individualized recovery plans, then receive vouchers to access services from private providers. Services can include education, employment services, housing support, transportation, peer coaching, recovery groups, faith-based programs and more.

Massachusetts has already been running programs in Boston and Springfield for three years. They have served more than 5,000 people over the three years, with an average cost of $1,500 per person.

According to state data from the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services, 60 percent of current program participants identified opioids as their primary drug problem. The typical participant is male, white, middle-aged, unemployed and involved with the criminal justice system.

Funding for the program was set to run out in September. The additional money will let the program continue in Boston and Springfield and also expand to two other cities, which have not yet been determined. The money will let the program serve an estimated 5,800 people over two years.

State data show that program participants are more likely to find jobs and stable housing and to stay off of drugs. Those with criminal records are less likely to be re-arrested.

The federal grant money will also go toward expanding programs that distribute the anti-overdose drug Narcan in communities, improving access to Narcan in pharmacies and providing overdose prevention training to health and human service workers. Some of the money will go toward new treatment and recovery programs for at-risk populations, including pregnant and post-partum women and correctional inmates scheduled for release.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, opposed passage of the 21st Century Cures Act, arguing that it included too many "giveaways" to the pharmaceutical industry and too little funding for the National Institutes of Health or to fight opioid addiction.

After the announcement of the Massachusetts grant money, MassGOP spokesman Terry MacCormack criticized Warren for her stance, accusing her of "grandstanding" that is "embarrassing and downright dangerous for Massachusetts."

A shuttle bus will bring mourners from the Enfield Mall to the funeral home in Suffield to reduce traffic.

John SawyerJeanette DeForge | jdeforge@repub.com 

SUFFIELD - Because of limited parking space and excessive traffic expected for the wake of Chicopee native and Connecticut State Trooper John Sawyer a shuttle bus will be available for anyone who wishes to attend the services.

The bus, provided in partnership with Connecticut State Police and Suffield and Enfield police and fire departments, will run continually between the Enfield Square Mall and the funeral home. People are encouraged to park at the mall's southernmost lot located behind the Red Roof Inn, Suffield Police Capt. Christopher McKee said.

The wake is to be held at the Nicholson and Carmon Funeral Home, which is located just north of the intersection of Route 190 and 159. Police are anticipating significant traffic delays in the area of between the hours of 3 and 9 p.m. People are being advised to avoid the area, especially during rush hour on Thursday, McKee said.

Sawyer grew up in Chicopee and worked as a police officer at the University of Massachusetts and for the Chicopee Police Department before transferring to the Connecticut State Police. He was a Connecticut State Trooper for more than 20 years before retiring April 1.

The funeral for Sawyer is scheduled for 11 a.m., Friday at the St. Stanislaus Basilica, 566 Front St., in Chicopee.

Jonathan Ramos, 29, of Springfield, is suing police and the city in U.S. District Court over a head injury he said was delivered by a police baton during an arrest in 2014.

SPRINGFIELD -- A Springfield man has filed a federal lawsuit against two police officers and the city, alleging he was cracked in the head with a police baton and pepper-sprayed in the face without provocation during a disturbance at a child's birthday party in 2014.

Jonathan Ramos filed a seven-count complaint in U.S. District Court on Tuesday, alleging unreasonable force, assault and battery, civil rights violations, intentional infliction of emotional distress, conspiracy and other accusations leveled at the city for failure to supervise its police force.

Named in the complaint are Springfield Police Officers Matthew Rief and Herminio Rivas Jr., along with the city, Police Commissioner John Barbieri and Mayor Domenic Sarno.

The complaint is the latest development in what has been a virtual avalanche of bad publicity for the Police Department over the past several months, including suspensions, other lawsuits, high-profile internal investigations and an FBI investigation into possible civil rights violations.

Ramos' lawsuit alleges Rief whacked him in the head with a baton on April 26, 2014, after members of his family called 911 to ask police to remove an unwanted visitor from the party.

A lawyer for Ramos, Hector Pineiro of Worcester, said in the complaint that his client suffered a fractured skull and other injuries that required plastic surgery. He also maintains police never investigated the matter internally until Ramos filed a formal complaint earlier this year.

City Solicitor Edward M. Pikula was not immediately available for comment.

Ramos, 29, stated that his sister called police when the father of her son, for whom the gathering was held, showed up uninvited at their home at 28 Drexel St. Rief and Rivas were first to arrive at the house just before 11 p.m., records show.

The lawsuit states Rief abruptly announced his intention to arrest Ramos and take him to jail.

"For what reason? I'm not the problem here. I haven't done anything wrong," Ramos replied, according to the court filing.

Ramos turned away and Rief slipped and fell on wet grass, according to the complaint.

"Mr. Ramos raised his hands in surrender but Officer Rief intentionally swung the baton with great forced and struck Mr. Ramos once on the right side of his forehead," the lawsuit states.

It adds that Ramos "staggered" to the house where Rief eventually followed him. Rivas struck another family member with his baton, according to the complaint, adding that Rief arrested Ramos in the bathroom and hauled him back to his cruiser, where the officer "maliciously and sadistically" maced him in the face.

A police report portrays a decidedly different picture. Rief stated that he and Rivas were dispatched to the scene after a report of a disturbance and found about 10 people on the front lawn, including several men who were screaming profanities. Rief said he asked Ramos to lower his voice, but Ramos continued to scream, causing neighbors to poke their heads out their front doors.

"At this point I told Mr. Ramos he was under arrest," Rief writes in his report, adding that he ordered Ramos on the ground after Ramos punched the officer in the head.

Rief said he attempted to strike Ramos in his torso as Ramos continued to "charge at him" and one of the strikes accidentally connected with Ramos' skull.

Rief confirms Ramos retreated to the house and added family members tried to block Rief's path to follow him. He ultimately arrested Ramos, his mother and another man. There is no mention of pepper spray in the report.

Rief took Ramos to police headquarters at 130 Pearl St., where Rief said he administered first aid. Ramos was charged with assault and battery on a police officer, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. Rief said Ramos was later taken to Baystate Medical Center for his injuries.

Ramos was acquitted of the assault and disorderly conduct charges at trial, according to Pineiro, but convicted of resisting arrest. Pineiro said his client is appealing the conviction.

The attorney also argues in the lawsuit that both the city and the Police Department have a history of indifference toward citizens' complaints of brutality. Pineiro tallies up 133 complaints against seven narcotics detectives alone that were determined to be "unfounded" by the department.

He accuses Barbieri of being the latest commissioner to "reinforce the widespread existence of a code of silence and culture of impunity from the rank and file all the way up to his office."

The lawsuit demands monetary damages and attorney fees. An initial hearing has not been scheduled.

The rate at which minorities are subjected to stops, searches and frisks by police doesn't appear to be improving in Boston in the year since the department claimed it was narrowing racial disparities in its tactics.

By PHILIP MARCELO, Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) -- The rate at which minorities are subjected to stops, searches and frisks by police doesn't appear to be improving in Boston in the year since the department claimed it was narrowing racial disparities in its tactics.

At least 71 percent of all street level, police-civilian encounters from 2015 through early 2016 involved persons of color, while whites comprised about 22 percent, an Associated Press review of the most recently available data shows.

That's only a slight decline from the 73 percent that minorities comprised in such street-level encounters between 2011 and early 2015, according to data the city made available last year.

It's also higher than the roughly 63 percent that blacks comprised between 2007 and 2010, according to a report the department released in 2015. That report didn't include the tallies for other minority groups.

And the gap between minorities and whites in the most recent reporting period is likely higher.

Over 7 percent of all police-civilian encounters compiled in the department's 2015 to 2016 "Field Interrogation, Observation, Frisk and/or Search" reports don't list the civilian's race at all.

Civil rights activists have complained for years that blacks, in particular, comprise a majority of these kinds of police interactions in Boston, despite accounting for about 25 percent of the population.

The disparity matters because it affects how some residents in largely minority communities perceive police, said Carl Williams, of the Massachusetts chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which provided the recent police data the AP analyzed.

"People feel uncomfortable talking with police when they feel they're getting stopped unjustly," he said.

Police Commissioner William Evans said Wednesday that the numbers, when put into context by researchers working this past year to analyze them, will show officers are focusing on the people and places where violence happening.

"The numbers are what they are," he said. "We've got one of the safest cities in America, and it's because of the job we do. If we weren't focusing on these people in these neighborhoods, then people would be saying we weren't doing our job."

Mayor Marty Walsh said arrests have gone down roughly 40 percent in the past three years, partly because police are identifying at-risk youths in street encounters and intervening before they can commit more serious crimes.

"We've been successful with that, and we're going to continue to do that," he said.

Police spokesman Michael McCarthy earlier dismissed the AP review as "not appropriate and quite frankly irresponsible" because it didn't account for variables not provided in the data, such as neighborhood crime statistics and a subject's prior arrests and gang affiliations.

"Anything short of that is a complete disservice," he said in an email.

Big-city police departments vary in how they collect data on such encounters and how public they make it.

New York City police, prompted by a lawsuit, have been releasing quarterly reports for years, something the Massachusetts ACLU chapter has also sued Boston to provide.

New York's data show at least 83 percent of stops through the first three quarters of 2016 involved blacks or other minorities. From 2011 to 2014, they averaged roughly 84 percent of stops.

Philadelphia police provide regular data as part of a court order. The most recent report, which covers the first half of 2015, shows minorities accounted for 77 percent of stops during that period.

The Boston police enlisted independent researchers to conduct a deeper study of the 2011 to 2015 data last year, but that won't be complete at least until this summer because researchers want more information from police, said Anthony Braga, head of Northeastern University's criminal justice school and a researcher on that study.

He echoed the department's sentiment that analysis of the raw data before his study is complete is "overly simplistic, woefully incomplete, and, quite frankly, irresponsible."

But Shea Cronin, a criminal justice professor at Boston University not affiliated with the police data study, says looking at the citywide rates can be a valid starting point, even if it has its limitations.

He suggested the department should incorporate reviews of these and other statistics in their management evaluations to see whether specific officers, units or shifts use such tactics most often.

In an improvement on past data, the latest numbers from Boston Police provide more detail about the reasons for the police-civilian encounters and some of the actions police took as a result.

In about 21 percent of the incidents from 2015 to early 2016, for example, officers cited "reasonable suspicion" as the reason they engaged suspects. In 31 percent of the time, officer's cited "probable cause."

Generally, police need at least "reasonable suspicion" a crime has been, is being or will be committed in order to stop, briefly detain or frisk an individual. "Probable cause" is a higher legal threshold needed to arrest someone.

Of the more than 17,300 total incidents, officers frisked civilians about 21 percent of the time, searched them or their vehicles over 16 percent of the time, and issued a summons 2 percent of the time.

The data covering 2011 to early 2015, in contrast, provided little to no detail about why officers engaged with civilians, why a person was subsequently subjected to a search or frisk, and what the outcome of the encounters was, a previous AP review found.

The new data, however, still lack details about what, if anything, came of the stops in terms of arrests or seizures. Civil rights groups have said such information is critical to gauging whether the methods are effective.

"The question remains: Are there aggressive tactics being used?" said Darnell Williams, of the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts. "We're not here to second-guess what police are doing, but if there is a disproportionate amount of blacks being stopped for non-obvious reasons, then that's a concern."

View obituaries from The Republican newspaper in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Shacoby Kenny, 23, was captured after a brief manhunt Wednesday, according to Wilbraham police, who charged the Springfield man with assault with a dangerous weapon.

WILBRAHAM -- A gun scare led to the arrest of a Springfield man who allegedly threatened a taxicab driver who drove him to Wilbraham on Wednesday.

Shacoby Kenny, 23, whose street address was unavailable, was captured after a brief manhunt that ended shortly after noon, according to Wilbraham police, who charged him with assault with a dangerous weapon.

Kenny allegedly skipped out on the fare after telling the taxi driver to take him to 2399 Boston Road, the address for the Life Care Center of Wilbraham.

Before reaching that address, however, Kenny told the driver to take him to an ATM machine, so the cabbie took him to a store on Boston Road. That's when the passenger bolted without paying, police said.

The driver gave chase, but Kenny reached for his waistband and lifted his shirt, leading the driver to believe Kenny was reaching for a weapon, Wilbraham Police Capt. Tim Kane said. No gun or knife was ever seen or found, Kane said.

The cabbie called police and reported that Kenny had asked to be driven to 2399 Boston Road. With that information, Kane said, officers went to the Life Care Center to warn officials.

The center went into lockdown mode as a precaution, according to Dennis Lopata, executive director of the skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility. "He never made it on site," said Lopata. "We're a secure building anyway."

After evading the taxi fare, Kenny reportedly ran into a wooded area off Boston Road. Officers found him behind some abandoned buildings and ordered him to the ground, Kane said. 

"He implied he had a dangerous weapon," Kane said, which is why Kenny was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon. 

In addition to that charge, Kenny was charged with "evading a taxi fare," Kane said. He is expected to be arraigned Thursday in Palmer District Court.

Lopata said it remains unclear why Kenny gave the center's address to the taxi driver. He has no known connections to the Wilbraham facility.

A man was hospitalized after being stabbed in what appears to have been a "drug deal gone wrong" on Wednesday night. Watch video

HOLYOKE - A man was stabbed and beaten in what appears to have been a "drug deal gone wrong" in Holyoke on Wednesday afternoon. 

Police were called to Chestnut Street Park near the intersection of Chestnut Street and Sergeant Street at approximately 5 p.m., for reports of a stabbing victim. 

At the scene of the attack, police could be seen combing the park for evidence and interviewing local residents of the area. 

Lt. Jim Albert of the Holyoke Police Department said that the man was stabbed in the back and was "beat up" by a larger group of men.

"The kid who was looking to purchase got hurt," Albert said. "They jumped him, they stabbed him, and now he's gone to Baystate."

Albert said that it appears that the man's injuries are non-life threatening for now, but that he was beaten "pretty badly."

Albert said that it appears up to four to six other men were involved in the beating.

Chestnut Street Park, known largely to law enforcement as "Needle Park" due to its association with narcotics activity, is located in an area of the city that has been the site of a high degree of drug-related activity.  

The attack occurred directly in front of 304 Chestnut Street, the location of one of several large drug raids that occurred on April 13th that resulted in the seizure of over 24,000 bags of heroin and the arrest of twelve people. 

Board members of the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority voted to advance three finalists vying to succeed outgoing administrator Mary MacInnes.

SPRINGFIELD -- It was a big day for the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority as its advisory board bid farewell to its longtime leader, advanced three finalists as prospective successors and named one of its own as interim administrator.

All over sandwiches and cookies and in roughly an hour, plus with the occasional hint of a political undercurrent surfacing during a special meeting at PVTA headquarters on Wednesday afternoon.

Mary MacInnes -- who took over the transit authority as administrator during a tumultuous time and under the cloud of a federal investigation a decade ago -- announced plans to retire earlier this year. Her last day on the job is Friday.

The agency, the largest regional transit authority in the state, is overseen by a 24-member advisory board with representatives from each municipality it serves. Many members of the board met during a public meeting on Wednesday after a six-member search committee in private sessions whittled down a list of prospects to succeed MacInnes.

Board Chairman and Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz said about a dozen people applied, including candidates from other states and one from overseas. However, the three finalists all live and work in the area. All three have current or past ties to the PVTA, MacInnes noted.

They are Patricia O'Leary of Ludlow, the PVTA's current chief financial officer; Dana Roscoe of Sunderland, principal transportation planner and manager at the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission; and Sandra Sheehan of Hampden, the director of grants and contract administration for the Greater Hartford Transit District, who once served as the planning and development head at the PVTA under former administrator Gary Shepard.

Roscoe has served as a contractor for the PVTA, MacInnes said.

Shepard was ousted in 2006 after federal agents raided the PVTA's headquarters suspecting misuse of public funds on various projects. No criminal charges were ever brought against Shepard and he later settled a wrongful termination lawsuit against the authority for $50,000. 

However, because of the federal investigation, millions in federal funding for transit projects were frozen for a period of time and the authority struggled financially.

Narkewicz and other officials credited MacInnes for leading the agency out of the woods.

"She has done a lot of incredible work to, in some ways, right the organization," he said following the meeting.

The board voted to appoint Carolyn Hart-Lucien, PVTA's chief information officer, to serve as interim administrator after MacInnes departs and before the board chooses a permanent replacement. Members have said they hope to make that choice by mid-May.

The vote to appoint Hart-Lucien was nearly unanimous but for Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, who abstained. Afterward, Sarno said he meant Hart-Lucien no ill will.

"I wish the young lady the best," he said, adding cagily that he simply hopes for "greater harmony" between municipalities and the PVTA in the future. When asked if he meant there had been rancor between him and MacInnes, he responded: "No comment."

Sarno indirectly referred to the PVTA's recent announcement that it is considering eliminating city bus stops and its refusal to sign a lease with officials associated with the hotly anticipated grand opening of Union Station next month. That project has long been championed by U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, with Sarno as a consistent cheerleader.

"The bus stop situation has created a tremendous amount of angst for my senior population," Sarno said, also referring to Union Station as a "mega-project."

His decision to abstain was a message for the future administrator to be cognizant of these issues, he added.

MacInnes said she has long enjoyed a good relationship with many city departments and held out on signing the lease, along with Peter Pan Bus Lines, primarily to ensure that the PVTA received equitable rates for its bus bays in the station.

"I didn't want the PVTA to find itself in the position of paying more than other vendors for those bays," she said, adding that she proposed two compromises just yesterday to the attorney for the Springfield Redevelopment Authority, which oversees Union Station.

"As soon as that language is changed, I'll sign it," MacInnes said.

PVTA board members will meet again in next month to interview the three finalists, deliberate, and vote on their choice to succeed MacInnes. After some hemming and hawing and a bit of sniping between a few board members, Agawam representative Richard Theroux, a city councilor, took the matter in hand.

"You're picking a date?" Narkewicz asked in surprise.

"Absolutely," Theroux responded.

He made a motion to schedule a meeting for May 11, which is under consideration pending the mass checking of schedules among board members and the candidates.

Narkewicz noted Gov. Charlie Baker cut the budgets of all regional transit authorities when they were expecting a modest boost for the upcoming fiscal year.

The PVTA will operate on an $81 million budget as opposed to the $86 million it expected, MacInnes said.