Obituaries from The Republican.

Irene Eberhart

Irene Eberhart, 61, of Springfield, passed away on Sunday. Born in Bairdstown, Ga,, she lived in Springfield for 51 years and was currently employed as a teacher by New North Citizens Council Child & Family Center. Irene worked with children for 24 years and loved "her babies.".

Obituaries from The Republican:

• Bordeau, Malcom "Frenchie"
  




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  Cavanaugh, Dorothy C.
  



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  DeSellier, Harold H.




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  Donze Sr., Paul N.
  



• 
  Eberhart, Irene
  




• Fallon, Marilyn R. (Murphy)
  




• 
  Gobeille, Sr. Marie
  



• 
  Gondek, Dorothy I. (Dansereau)




• 
  Grumsey, Norman M.
  



• 
  Hanlon, Robert E.
  




• Keaton, William Samuel "Keaton" "Senator"
  




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  Luquori, Douglas L.
  



• 
  Maloney, William P.




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  McCoubrey, George
  



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  Morgan, Beverly A.
  




• Morin, Shirley A. (Calkins)
  




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  Murch, Patricia A. (Clark)
  



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  Noone, Mary C. (Coyne)




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  Parker, Patricia D.
  



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  Perez, Maria
  




• Scattoloni, Robert Joseph "Bob"
  




• 
  Sondej, Ernest
  



• 
  Stone, Annie "Bubbie"




• 
  Vella, Mary Elizabeth (O'Neill)
  



• 
  Wolcott, Brian Everett
  

The 163rd Franklin County Fair fair features, rides, music, exhibits and food.

The Republican | Diane LedermanLisa Dufresne, of Sarasota, Fla., holds 9-year-old Magic, one of 12 horses she has for her show "Horses, Horses, Horses," at the 163rd Franklin County Fair in Greenfield.

GREENFIELD – Norma Durant has been attending the Franklin County Fair ever since she can remember.

On the second day of the 163rd fair, she was sitting with her friends playing bingo, something they do every year. She had already won a gift certificate to Pete’s Seafood Restaurant in Greenfield and was hoping for more prizes.

They love the fair. “It’s always the same,” she said. “It’s something to look forward to before we have fall.”

She said she’d still ride the midway if she could find someone to ride with her. But her friends said their Ferris wheel days are over.

Angela Miner, who also lives in Turners Falls, first came to the fair 56 years ago when she moved here from Italy. “I love it,” the 78-year-old said. She was sampling some fried dough while waiting for the next game of bingo to start. After bingo was finished, she expected to walk around some, see some of the exhibits and eat some more ... maybe get a grinder.

The Republican | Diane LedermanPrize-winning pumpkins on display at the 163rd Franklin County Fair in Greenfield

The Leyden Church Booth, meanwhile, was celebrating 75 years at the fair. The selling of clam chowder and beef stew is the church’s largest fund-raiser, said Gilda Galvis, chairwoman of the fair booth committee as well as church treasurer.

She said the church began serving its soup and burgers to customers sitting on tree stumps back in 1936. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and have daily specials such as chicken pot pie. All their food is home-made, she said.

“People come back every year,” she said. Overall they sell between 500 and 600 meals. The last few years, they’ve been able to raise between $6,000 and $7,000, down from the days of $12,000 because of the economy, she said.

Lisa Dufresne, of Sarasota, Fla., was enjoying the sunshine. The owner of the show “Horses, Horses, Horses,” said she started her fair tour this summer in 120 degrees, was in Cummington at the fair when the rains from Hurricane Irene hit and they had to close early, then she moved on to New York when more rain came. The fair closed and reopened which meant closing down and reopening again.

“This is wonderful to have a day of sunshine,” she said.

Dufresne said she loves what she does, but when it rains it takes four hours to clean the stalls instead of an hour. She is traveling with three horses and nine American Miniatures. Her horses have five acts, including a comedy show. She has three shows Saturday and Sunday. This is her first time at the fair, but she's been traveling for nine years.

The fair gates open at 8 a.m. Saturday and Sunday and the midway opens at 11. The fair offers live music from local bands, pig races, sheep and cattle shows, and martial arts demonstrations as well as myriad agricultural exhibits.

A fireman’s muster is slated for 2 p.m. Sunday and the Demolition Derby at 5:30 p.m.

The Western Mass. 9/11 Tribute golf outing included sports celebrities Tom 'Satch' Sanders, Dave Cowens, M.L. Carr, Greg Kite, Bill Lee and Don Marcotte. Watch video

WESTFIELD – This will be a weekend of celebration, not mourning for the family of Daniel P. Trant, one of three Westfield natives killed during the 9/11 terrorist attack at New York's World Trade Center.

"This is a time to celebrate rather than mourn," said Matthew J. Trant, who along with his mother Mary and sisters Sally Trant and Patricia A. Madamas were present for Friday's Western Mass. 9/11 Tribute golf outing at the Ranch Country Club in Southwick.

On Saturday the Trants will be in Agawam at the Oak Ridge Country Club for the 8th annual Daniel Trant Memorial Golf Tournament. Both events support the Daniel P. Trant Scholarship at Westfield High School, where he was a standout basketball player.

"Dan was a fun person, and events like this allow us to reminisce with old friends," said Mary Trant.

"We have been to Ground Zero and there is nothing there for us. This is where we want to be," Matthew Trant said of Sunday's 10th anniversary of the attack. On Sunday the family will be at the Sons of Erin's annual memorial service remembering their brother and Westfield natives Tara Shea Creamer and Brian J. Murphy, also killed on 9/11 in New York.

Madamas said the weekend "is an opportunity to be with family. Saturday's tournament is a fun event, not a sad event.

"Dan was a lot of fun and he would appreciate that we celebrate his life this way," Madamas said. "His spirit is always with us."

Mary Trant now resides in Winterhaven, Fla., while Sally lives in Tampa, Fla. Matthew Trant resides in Bethesda, Md., and Madamas still lives in Westfield.

The Western Mass. 9/11 Tribute was hosted by South Hadley natives Marc E. Leonard and Christopher B. Visser to raise funds for the Trant and Jean Roger Scholarship funds and support the Wounded Warrior Amputee Sports Teams.

Roger, of Longmeadow, also was killed in the attack at the World Trade Center, and family members were scheduled to arrive at the golf course later Friday.

The Tribute tournament attracted 144 golfers, including 22 sports celebrities such as former Celtics Tom 'Satch' Sanders, a member of the 2011 Basketball Hall of Fame inductees, Dave Cowens, M.L. Carr and Greg Kite. Bill Lee, former Red Sox pitcher, and Don Marcotte, former Bruins player, also were in attendance. Most celebrities played except for Sanders, who was nursing an injured foot.

Retired Marine Corps MSgt. William "Spanky" Gibson, captain of the Wounded Warrior Amputee softball team, called the event "wonderful. It is an honor to be invited and given the opportunity to meet people who want to help support us. 9/11 is my generation's Pearl Harbor."

Gibson, 40, of Oklahoma, retired from the Marine Corps last month after 22 years of service. That tenure included a tour of duty in Iraq with a prosthetic left leg. He had been a victim of a sniper bullet during his first Iraq duty in 2006.

Numerous regional businesses were donators to the effort, including King Ward, which provided transportation for several of the celebrities.

Visser summed up the purpose of the event quoting his late mother Mary: "You cannot think respect. You need to show respect," he said.

Leonard said, "We have received enormous community support and major sponsors from throughout the region."

Proceeds from the event, which have yet to be tallied, will go directly to the Trant and Roger scholarships and the Wounded Warrior Amputee sports teams, said Leonard.

"There is no question about this occasion," said Sanders. "It is about men and women who lost their lives. They will not be forgotten," he said.

Kite said he was "honored and excited" to participate in the tribute because of his "New England ties."

Marcotte, of Amesbury, said the tribute "is a good idea. It is something to support the families."

"It is self-explanatory," Lee said, referencing everyone's attendance Friday. "I am here for the same reason as everyone else."

Some area golfers participating in the tribute tournament included Johnny Yee, owner of Chicopee's HuKeLau Restaurant; Douglas Mercier, of West Springfield's Mercier Carpet, retired Chicopee Police Sgt. Thomas O'Donnell, Westfield Fire Chief Mary R. Regan and Dennis R. King, of Agawam.

Susan R. Taylor, of Holyoke, was hoping to meet Cowens and enjoy a round of golf with her friend Donna M. Bliznak, of Northampton.

"This is a wonderful event but a little bittersweet," said Taylor.

Bliznak said, "This is a wonderful cause and we are excited to participate."

Trant and Murphy were working in their offices at Cantor Fitzgerald in the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Roger was a flight attendant, and Creamer was a passenger, both on American Airlines flight 11, one of two planes that flew into the Twin Towers that day.

The European Central Bank said a top official, Juergen Stark, was resigning almost three years before the end of his term.

By DANIEL WAGNER and FRANCESCA LEVY | AP Business Writers

Associated PressTraders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Friday, Sept. 9, 2011. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

NEW YORK — The problems that have weighed on investors all summer — European debt and fear of a new recession in the United States — hammered the stock market Friday. The Dow Jones industrial average fell more than 300 points.

The plunge erased the week's gains for stocks and sent the Dow below 11,000. It had not closed below that level since Aug. 22, after several weeks of extraordinary volatility.

The European Central Bank said a top official, Juergen Stark, was resigning almost three years before the end of his term in 2014, revealing deep disagreement over how to solve economic problems in Europe.

Traders fear that one of the continent's heavily indebted economies could default, an event that would ripple through the global banking system and make it difficult for other European countries to borrow money.

Such an outcome could tip the world economy back into recession. In the U.S., economic growth is already slowing, and unemployment is stuck above 9 percent.

Friday was also the first chance for the markets to react after President Barack Obama presented Congress and the nation a $447 billion jobs program. It is not clear to traders that the plan will get through a bitterly divided Congress.

The Dow finished down 304 points, or 2.7 percent, its steepest drop in more than three weeks. It closed at 10,992. The average approached a 400-point drop at some points in the afternoon.

"Markets always vacillate between fear and greed, and today we're coming down pretty much all on the fear side," said Kim Caughey Forrest, equity research analyst at Fort Pitt Capital Group.

The Standard & Poor's 500 closed down 32, or 2.7 percent, at 1,154. The Nasdaq composite is down 61, or 2.4 percent, at 2,468. All three indexes finished down for the week.

Investors drove the yield on the 10-year Treasury note to 1.92 percent, its lowest since the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis began keeping daily records in 1962. The yield was 1.99 percent a day earlier.

Wall Street traders have poured money into U.S. government debt all summer, driving the price up and the yield, which moves in the opposite direction, down.

Even after Congress narrowly met a deadline for raising the limit on how much the government can borrow, barely avoiding a default for the country, investors think U.S. government can be counted on to pay its bills.

Word of the resignation of Stark, the top economist at the ECB, came shortly after U.S. markets opened. He was an advocate for higher interest rates, and published reports said he left because he opposed the bank's extensive purchases of debt issued by European countries.

Stark's departure rattled traders because the U.S. economy is "teetering on the verge of recession," and the outcome in Europe might determine which way it goes, said Andrew Goldberg, market strategist with J.P. Morgan Funds.

He said traders are latching onto any piece of news that might signal a positive or negative outcome in Europe.

Banks in Europe hold bonds issued by nations deep in debt, including Greece, Ireland and Portugal, but investors don't know exactly how much each bank holds from each country.

The value of the bonds would quickly diminish if one of those nations defaults. Banks might stop lending to each other because of fears that some would fail.

Stark's departure was seen as "a bit of news that contributes to a worse outcome, so if you're thinking of being a seller, today that's what you are," Goldberg said.

The central bank's troubles raise the stakes for a meeting this weekend in of financial leaders from the world's most developed economies.

High volatility returned to the market Friday. One measure known as the VIX, which measures investors' fears, increased 18 percent.

Friday's plunge extends a tough quarter for the stock market. The S&P 500 is down 13 percent since the third quarter started in July. However, it has recovered almost 4 percent since its lowest close this year Aug. 8.

Analysts say stocks are likely to fall further as the crisis in Europe goes on. A shrinking European economy would hurt the U.S. because roughly a quarter of American companies' revenue comes from Europe, said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist for S&P in New York.

"Maybe the market has already priced in a very, very soft spot, but it has not priced in quicksand — it has not priced in a recession," he said.

Forrest, of Fort Pitt Capital, said the sell-off had brought some stock prices "within buying range." She said traders have few other places to invest, with Treasury yields near record lows and currency markets gyrating because of fears about the euro.

Markets in Europe also fell sharply. France's CAC 40 and Germany's Dax fell about 4 percent. London's FTSE lost more than 2 percent.

In the U.S., McDonald's Corp. stock fell 4 percent because of disappointing revenue. McDonald's said that revenue at restaurants open at least 13 months rose 3.5 percent in August. Analysts expected 4.9 percent.

Bank of America Corp. fell 3 percent after The Wall Street Journal reported that it might cut up to 14 percent of its work force as part of a massive restructuring. Bank of America already has cut at least 6,000 jobs this year. CEO Brian Moynihan announced a management shake-up this week.

VeriSign Inc., which manages Internet domain names, fell 15 percent after its chief financial officer resigned. Specialty glass maker Corning Inc. fell 6 percent a day after it said it expected to sell less glass for LCD TVs than originally forecast.

The swollen Susquehanna River began returning to its banks in Pennsylvania and New York after swamping thousands of homes and businesses in some of the highest floodwaters ever seen.

By MARK SCOLFORO
and MICHAEL RUBINKAM

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. — The swollen Susquehanna River began returning to its banks Friday in Pennsylvania and New York after swamping thousands of homes and businesses in some of the highest floodwaters ever seen. But most of the 100,000 people forced from their homes could do little more than worry as they waited for the all-clear.

"I haven't even been able to get close to it to see what's left. I don't know what we're going to do," said 68-year-old Carolyn White of West Pittston, Pa., who is disabled and uses a scooter to get around. Her son managed to get close enough to see that the first floor of her house was flooded, but that was about all she knew.

The Susquehanna and its tributaries raged out of control after the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee dumped heavy rain on the already-soggy Northeast on Thursday. In many places, the river broke the high-water records set nearly 40 years ago in the catastrophic aftermath of Hurricane Agnes.

Swirling brown waters carried off at least 10 houses in Pennsylvania alone, spilled into basements, lapped at doorsteps and filled some homes to the rooftops, forcing rescues by boat and helicopter and putting severe strain on the floodwalls that protect some towns. Downstream, communities in Maryland awaited the worst from the still-rising river.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett issued a stern warning to evacuated residents to stay away: "This is still a dangerous time, even though it's nice and sunny out."

At least 14 deaths have been blamed on Lee and its aftermath: six in Pennsylvania, three in Virginia, one in Maryland, and four others killed when it came ashore on the Gulf Coast last week. President Barack Obama declared states of emergency in Pennsylvania and New York, opening the way for federal aid.

The central Pennsylvania town of Bloomsburg endured its worst flood in more than a century as the Susquehanna inundated hundreds of homes, destroying some of them. The high water prevented fire crews from reaching blazes in a high school maintenance shed and the town's recycling center.

The river crested at nearly 42.7 feet Thursday night in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. — beyond the design capacity of the region's levee system and higher than the record set during Agnes in 1972. Officials said the levees keeping back the Susquehanna were under "extreme stress" but holding, and crews scrambled to shore up weak points.

Corbett toured the region by helicopter and scolded residents who scaled the weakened levees or walked across partially flooded bridges to get a closer look at the river.

"There were many people out on the street oblivious to the danger they were in," he said.

About 135 water and sewage plants in Pennsylvania were flooded, causing sewage to spill into streams and rivers. The state capital of Harrisburg evacuated 6,000 to 10,000 residents in low-lying areas, while about 70,000 people were ordered to leave the Wilkes-Barre area.

As the northernmost reaches of the Susquehanna began retreating, the first of about 20,000 evacuees in the city and suburbs of Binghamton, N.Y., returned to their homes to survey the damage from what the mayor called the worst flood in more than 60 years.

Robert Smith made it back home around noon. Mud and debris covered the pavement, and water still blocked streets closest to the river. But he said he felt inspired by the time he spent in a shelter. When a woman collapsed on the floor there, he said, strangers rushed to tend to her.

"Everybody was helping each other out, just total strangers," he said. "You've never seen it before in your life."

The flooding came a week and a half after the dousing that Hurricane Irene gave the East Coast. And even before Irene, this was a wet summer in much of the Northeast.

In West Pittston, which is upriver from Wilkes-Barre and is not protected by levees, 300 to 325 homes were flooded — a tough blow in a community of only about 5,000 residents. National Guardsmen used a boat Friday to rescue 11 people, including two children, trapped on the second floor of a house.

Floodwaters covered street after street, inundating some homes to the roof. One homeowner who got 18 inches in his basement during Agnes was flooded with eight feet of dirty river water this time around.

Rescuers in Wyoming County, upriver from Wilkes-Barre, pulled more than a dozen people from their stranded cars and got a family of three into a boat just before their home was swept into the Susquehanna.

The heavy rains also shut down parts of the Capital Beltway in Fairfax County, Va.

In Maryland, most of the 1,000 residents of Port Deposit were told to evacuate after the big Conowingo Dam, upstream on the Susquehanna, opened its spill gates and flooded the town with four feet of water. Hundreds more were told to leave their homes in Havre de Grace, where the river empties into the Chesapeake Bay.

Rubinkam reported from Wilkes-Barre and West Pittston. Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Michael Hill and Michael Gormley in Binghamton; Chris Carola in Albany, N.Y.; David Dishneau in Hagerstown, Md.; and Alex Dominguez in Port Deposit, Md.

Romney has seized on what he perceives as Perry's vulnerability on a program that seniors hold dear, Democrats venerate as sacrosanct and Perry has labeled a "Ponzi scheme."

Associated PressRepublican presidential candidates former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, left, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry answer a question during a Republican presidential candidate debate at the Reagan Library on Wednesday in Simi Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

By PHILIP ELLIOTT

WASHINGTON — A growing divide over Social Security splits the two leading contenders for the Republican presidential nomination, and the differences between Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney foreshadow a tricky political dance with older voters.

Romney has seized on what he perceives as Perry's vulnerability on a program that seniors hold dear, Democrats venerate as sacrosanct and Perry has labeled a "Ponzi scheme."

That sets up a battle for older voters in Iowa, retirees in Florida and the Sun Belt, and Baby Boomers everywhere worried about their own recession-scarred retirement plans.

"If we nominate someone who the Democrats could correctly characterize as being against Social Security, we would be obliterated as a party," Romney said on Sean Hannity's radio program Thursday.

Perry is unyielding.

At a Friday fundraiser in California, Perry stood by his criticism of Social Security and his position that the program is best left to states to administer — a non-starter for many, including some Republicans.

"For people who are on Social Security now, like my folks, and people who are approaching Social Security, like me, it's going to be there," he said.

But, he said, he didn't know at what point age-eligibility will have to be raised because the funds simply aren't there.

"Anybody that's for the status quo with Social Security today is involved with a monstrous lie to our kids, and it's not right," he said earlier this week during a debate.

An aging population has put a heavy burden on the Social Security Trust Fund: too few workers are paying for the benefits of a growing number of retirees. In 1950, there were 16 workers paying into the fund for each recipient. Last year, that ratio fell to three workers for every recipient. Left unaddressed, cuts in benefits would be forced in 2037.

But any talk of cutting benefits comes with political risk.

"Governor Perry's immediate challenge is to knock down the hanging perception being driven that he wants to get rid of Social Security," said Rich Killion, a Republican strategist who worked on Romney's 2008 presidential bid and advised former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty's bid this year.

The Romney-Perry spat comes as the contest for the Republican nomination begins to flare. With three formal debates and a handful of forums this month, the campaign to challenge President Barack Obama has taken on urgency as voters return from their summer vacations and start to pay attention to politics.

Since Perry joined the race last month, Romney has seen his lead fade, driving him to focus his aggressive criticism on Perry instead of looking ahead to a general campaign against Obama.

"The governor says look, states ought to be able to opt out of Social Security. Our nominee has to be someone who isn't committed to abolishing Social Security, but who is committed to saving Social Security," Romney said, sharing the stage with his rival.

An AP-GfK poll in May found that 70 percent of Americans consider Social Security deeply important to their financial security in retirement. Just 6 percent said it was "not at all" important.

Yet the public is split on the likelihood Social Security will be there for them: 35 percent say it is extremely or very likely to provide income their entire retirement, 30 percent somewhat likely and 35 percent not too or not at all likely.

It's that uncertainty that both campaigns hope to tap.

"I know Florida certainly has an interest in Social Security given the large number of seniors we have here," said John Thrasher, a Republican state senator and former state GOP chairman who backs Romney.

"It's not whether it's a Ponzi scheme or not. These are retired people who are pretty intelligent. They want Social Security to be maintained. And they understand there are problems that need to be fixed. There is an opportunity to fix Social Security so it's a continued benefit for people who are getting it now and those who will get it in the future."

Romney now trails Perry by double digits in the polls and Social Security alone isn't going to help him regain his lead, his advisers acknowledge. But his team plans to make it the opening volley against Perry, Texas' longest serving governor and one who has never lost an election.

"Now, if you say Social Security is a failure, as I have just done, you will inherit the wind of political scorn," Perry acknowledges, while his aides note that Romney hasn't always had kind words for the state of the program.

In his latest book, "No Apologies," Romney wrote: "To put it in a nutshell, the American people have been effectively defrauded out of their Social Security."

He suggested increasing the retirement age, adjusting benefits for wealthy Americans or allowing workers to invest part of their Social Security taxes in private accounts.

And while he derides Perry for likening Social Security to the criminal fraud that put Bernie Madoff behind bars, Romney has compared lawmakers to dishonest trust fund managers.

"What would happen to the bankers responsible for misusing the money? They would go to jail. But what has happened to the people responsible for the looming bankruptcy of Social Security? They keep returning to Congress every two years," Romney wrote.

Those statements offer Perry's team a chance to punch back.

"In his book, Romney compared Social Security to a fraudulent criminal enterprise, but (during the debate) he ran from his position," Perry spokesman Ray Sullivan. "His evolving and inconsistent position on this important issue is curious, but unfortunately not unusual."

Officials said the patient first showed symptoms on Sept. 1 and was hospitalized that day.

Infected mosquitoes transmit West Nile virus.

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health says a middle-aged man from Middlesex County is the state's first case of West Nile virus this year.

Officials say the infection was confirmed Friday. They say the patient first showed symptoms on Sept. 1 and was hospitalized that day. Officials say his condition remains serious, but he's improving.

The state had seven cases in 2010.

The department also said Friday that testing on a 21-year-old horse, since euthanized, showed it had West Nile virus in the state's first horse case this year.

State epidemiologist Dr. Al DeMaria said the cases are reminders that the virus will be out there until the first hard frost.

Public health officials say people should apply insect repellant and wear long sleeves and pants to avoid mosquito bites.

Rosen appeared headed for certain rejection by members of the Governor's Council weighing his nomination.

William R. Rosen, of Northampton, has withdrawn his name from consideration for the Hampshire County Register of Probate vacancy.

By KYLE CHENEY

BOSTON – William Rosen, Gov. Deval Patrick’s choice to fill the top administrative post in Hampshire County Probate and Family Court, has withdrawn his name from consideration a week after he appeared headed for certain rejection by members of the Governor’s Council weighing his nomination.

“I respectfully request that my nomination to fill the vacancy as Hampshire County Register of Probate be withdrawn,” Rosen wrote in a letter to the governor dated Sept. 6 in which he thanked Patrick for showing confidence in him.

Following Rosen’s withdrawal, Patrick administration aides said the governor has no immediate plans to nominate a permanent register of probate.

Patrick nominated Rosen as register of probate - an elected position - to fill a vacancy created when Register David Sullivan was sworn in as the area's district attorney earlier this year. The post is currently filled by interim register Mark Ames, who told local publications he intends to run for the seat next year. Rosen, a Democratic State Committee member, had indicated that he intended to run as well.

In a statement, Gov. Patrick’s legal counsel Mark Reilly defended the Rosen nomination and called the Governor’s Council’s opposition “unfortunate.”

“Bill Rosen has more than 30 years of experience serving the people of Massachusetts in human services, administration, and public policy roles,” Reilly said. “Bill’s commitment to public service was demonstrated by the numerous legal, municipal, and non-profit professionals from Hampshire County who spoke in favor of his nomination. While it is unfortunate that the Governor's Council expressed reservations about his nomination, which ultimately led to Bill’s decision to withdraw, we are confident that he will continue to be an active and committed member of his community.”

Rosen is a principal at Cardinal Strategies, through which he lobbies for and consults with nonprofits. He previously worked as director of government relations at Fallon Community Health Plan and spent a stint as an aide to John Olver - now a congressman - in the state Senate. The Boston College graduate is a Northampton resident.

During his nomination hearing, councilors voiced concerns about Rosen’s inexperience with the court system, his career as a paid lobbyist and his political connections.

Some councilors wondered why Patrick would appoint Rosen to the seat just a year before the position is up for election.

“There's no real support for this nomination,” said Councilor Thomas Merrigan, a Greenfield Democrat whose district includes the Hampshire probate court, during Rosen’s confirmation hearing last week.

Governor's Councilor Thomas Merrigan, of Greenfield, who last week said Hampshire Register of Probate nominee William Rosen "just doesn't fit."

"It's like trying to put a round peg in a square hole. He just doesn't fit," Councilor Terrence Kennedy, a Lynnfield Democrat, said at the time.

Registers of probate handle the administrative functions for a court whose responsibility includes will and estate matters, paternity cases, visitation rights, guardianship and divorce matters, among others.

Several councilors recoiled at the notion that they were asked to elevate Rosen to the position prior to the election, giving him the advantage of incumbency over other potential candidates.

Rosen, who is not a lawyer, acknowledged having “no hands-on experience in probate and family law,” but said his career as an administrator would benefit the court, and he said he has often faced steep learning curves and excelled.

Although councilors agreed that Rosen had an impressive resume - and most acknowledged that the post doesn't require a lawyer - they argued that Rosen's lack of familiarity with the court system could hamper his ability to help families and litigants work their way through the bureaucracy. Many litigants, they noted, represent themselves because they can't afford lawyers.

Witnesses at last week’s hearing described Rosen as a skillful administrator who would quickly adapt to the register position.

“Bill is somebody that I know as a really stand-up guy, very, very smart, very talented, unquestioned integrity, terrific reputation in the community, and someone who will bring to this interim appointment a lot of appreciation to our community, gravitas and a great skill set for what is not, really, a ceremonial position,” said William Abrashkin, executive director of the Springfield Housing Authority and a former judge on the Housing Court's Western Massachusetts division. "It is a tough, tough job. Bill has just got what it takes in terms of his administrative experience, his values, concern for people."

Rosen's other backers included Elaine Reall, Joseph DeFazio and Edward Etheredge, all Hampshire County attorneys.

The National Weather Service called off a flood warning for parts of Western Massachusetts as river levels began returning to normal.

Route 8A completely washed away by Chickley River in West Hawley after Tropical Storm Irene. photo credit - Gregory Cox, Hawley Fire Chief.

Rivers and streams were receding Friday after a week that saw rainfall totals ranging from 2.21 in Goshen to 6.8 inches in Shelburne to 7.8 inches in Worthington. A flood warning for Hampden and Hampshire counties was canceled.

In parts of Franklin and Berkshire counties hardest hit by Tropical Storm Irene on Aug. 27 and 28, inspectors with the Federal Emergency Management Association began making inspections of properties that sustained damage.

President Obama last week declared the two counties federal disaster areas assistance, making home and business owners eligible for assistance for temporary relocation assistance, repairs, and other expenses.

The agency is advising people to be wary of possible scam artists pretending to be FEMA representatives.

Legitimate FEMA representatives will not ask people for their Social Security number or other personal information and will not ask for payment. Also inspectors will have official FEMA photo identifications.

People who suffered damages in the storm need to register by calling (800) 621-3362 or (800) 621-3362 for the hearing impaired. People can also register through the FEMA website at m.fema.gov

People who register receive a 9-digit registration number and an inspector will call to make an appointment within 10 days.

Anyone suspecting someone is posing as a FEMA inspector or filing a bogus claim for aid can call FEMA’s toll-free Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721.

To aid businesses in need of relief immediately, the towns of Greenfield, Shelburne, Buckland and Montague and the Franklin County Community Development Corporation announced the creation of the Four Town Fund.

This fund is are available for short-term bridge loans as businesses await FEMA or insurance money, officials said. Businesses should submit claims to their insurance companies and at the same time register with FEMA.

For more information contact Amy, John or Alan at (413) 774-7204 or visit the website www.fccdc.org.

Yankee Candle in Deerfield will donate $39,900 it raised by employees and outside vendors to the American Red Cross for disaster relief in Hampshire and Franklin counties, the Pioneer Valley chapter of the American Red Cross announced.

The money will be presented Tuesday during a 10:15 a.m. ceremony at the Yankee Candle corporate offices in Deerfield.

A fund-raiser is planned to help purchase more trees for tornado victims.

View full sizeThe Republican | Mark M. MurrayAt a tree-planting ceremony at 48 Ridgecrest St. are, from left to right in the background standing, Bruce Adams, Corey Hopper, owner of the home, Beth Hogan, Antonette Pepe, Russell Pepe, Lisa Decker, all members of the Ward 7 Democratic Committee, Edward Casey, City Forester, Patrick Sullivan, executive director of Department of Parks, Buildings and Recreation Mangement, and front from left to right, Martha Clayborne, Kathleen Murphy, Bud L. Williams, also members of the committee, Brian Santaniello, parks commissioner, and Mayor Domenic J. Sarno. The newly planted acorn tree is at left.

SPRINGFIELD – The Ward 7 Democratic Committee hosted a A tree planting ceremony on Friday at a home in the East Forest Park neighborhood that suffered severe damage during the June 1 tornado.

An acorn tree was planted at the home of Corey Hopper at 48 Ridgecrest St. East Forest Park was one section of the city where the tornado destroyed many trees.

A fund-raiser is planned Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Two Eagles Restaurant at 110 Island Pond Road to help purchase more trees for tornado victims.

One official says the would-be attackers' primary goal is to set off a car bomb, but if that proves impossible, they have been ordered to find some other way to cause violence.

Associated PressA New York police officer examines the rear section of a truck at a vehicle check point on Friday, Sept. 9, 2011 in New York. The city is deploying additional resources and taking other security steps in response to a potential terror threat before the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. U.S. counterterrorism officials are chasing a credible but unconfirmed al-Qaida threat to use a car bomb on bridges or tunnels in New York or Washington. (AP Photo/Jin Lee)

By EILEEN SULLIVAN
and KIM DOZIER

WASHINGTON — Government officials say at least two of the men suspected of being involved in a possible al-Qaida attack to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks are believed to be U.S. citizens or have U.S. traveling documents.

The officials say the information comes from a single source and it has not been confirmed.

One official says the would-be attackers' primary goal is to set off a car bomb, but if that proves impossible, they have been ordered to find some other way to cause violence. The tipster says the would-be attackers are of Arab descent and may speak Arabic as well as English.

The officials say the tips reached the CIA by way of a long-term source in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region who has proven reliable in the past. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the investigation.

Many say they became – and remain – victims of suspicion and hate.

Republican file photoDr. Mohammad S. Bajwa, left and Dr. Kimat Khatak are seen before morning prayer at the Islamic Society of Western Massachusetts in West Springfield

Muslims living in Western Massachusetts are diverse in their cultural origins, but their Islamic faith has made them and their places of gathering the focus of crimes in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

“I remember President George (W.) Bush at a Washington mosque saying right after 9/11 that the country had nothing against Islam but, at the grassroots level, this was not heard,” says Mohammad Saleem Bajwa, 66, a Holyoke-based internal medicine physician and pulmonologist.

“The attacks on Islam have been constant. Defaming the religion, equating it with terrorism and putting all Muslims in one basket. It creates a poisonous environment and hurts a lot. Most of us have been living with that.”

Among the several hundred Muslim families who live in the Pioneer Valley, an “aroma of fear” settled on their lives, some say, and in some respects evolved into an environment of hate dependent on events in the news.

“Before 9/11, there was criticism of Islam, but that would be with every religion,” said Bajwa recently. “But after 9/11, there is a more active campaign, not only in the print media but in everyday talk, with the radio talk shows the worst.”

Sunday will mark 10 years since the attacks by Arab terrorists committed to killing Americans in the name of Islamic supremacy. Close to 3,000 were killed when hijacked airplanes were used to bomb New York’s World Trade Center and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.

Passengers on a fourth plane, believed to have been bound for the U.S. Capitol, were killed after they staged a mutiny on the hijackers and the aircraft crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.

Bajwa describes the 19 mostly Saudi-born hijackers as “animal-like people with no faith or with a faith that has nothing to do with mainstream religion.”

Muslims at work in the trade center and flying as passengers on the planes were killed in the attacks, and Bajwa notes a high number of Muslims who have been killed as the result of what has been the international terrorism of al Qaida.

According to a 2009 study from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the majority of those killed in al Qaida attacks against the West between 2004 and 2008 were Muslims.

Saudi -born millionaire Osama bin Laden, opposed to U.S. policies in the Middle East, eventually took responsibility for the 9/11 attacks by members of his al Qaida organization of terrorist cells.

Bajwa is a founding member of the Islamic Society of Western Massachusetts that has its mosque and center in West Springfield.

His sentiments are echoed by another society member, Dr. Kimat G. Khatak, of Holyoke.

“Every year on the anniversary it is repeated over and over in the media that Muslims are evil,” Khatak said. “Images of a mosque and the call for prayers – prayers that are about God is great and that prayer is good for you – are shown and then images of fire and deaths.”

“It gets in the subconscious that the call for prayer is a call for murder and that we are bad people and people think it is true,” Khatak added. “They look at you like you are a strange person.”

The framers of the 9/11 attacks used the Islamic concept of “jihad,” an Arabic word which means “exerted effort” as in to improve oneself and fight oppression, to call for the murder of Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Muslims here and abroad have denounced this use of the Koran and the language of jihad to justify terrorist acts.

“There is no clash of civilizations. A jihad has not been fought in 500 years,” said the Pakistan-born Khatak, referring to the war against the Christian crusades. “I have been here 36 years, and all I do is take care of sick people in America. I love my patients and my patients love me.”

Naz Mohamed, 58, of Hadley, shares a similar reaction to 9/11 and its aftermath.

“I was stunned something so horrific could have happened and embarrassed and sad that Islam and Muslims will be blamed for the acts of some fanatics who are ignorant of their own religion and felt justified to take innocent lives. This is not jihad,” said Mohamed, a former early childhood educator.

“Jihad in Islam is not against innocent people. It is a personal struggle to improve oneself and to improve your surroundings,” Mohamed said. “Nothing happens on that scale without a deep-rooted, long-term cause.”

A native of Pakistan who came to the United States in 1977 to attend Mount Holyoke College and the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Mohamed said she received mostly support from friends and colleagues in the aftermath of 9/11. She also gave a number of talks about Islam.

Photo by MICHAEL BESWICKNaz Mohamed, one of the founders of the Hampshire Mosque in Amherst.

“Since then I think there are people who are trying to become more tolerant and then there are those who are becoming more and more intolerant to not just Muslims but to those who are different,” said Mohamed.

She is a member of the small, but steadily growing Hampshire Mosque that rents space in Amherst and has explored building in the area.

Bajwa says the enactment of the U.S. Patriot Act, burnings of the Koran and congressional security meetings focused on American Muslims were felt by the estimated 500 Muslim families in Western Massachusetts.

“We are always fearful,” he said. “Every now and then there have been physical assaults on the center. Our signs and entry posts have been defaced and stones thrown through the windows. There have also been assaults to individuals. These are sometimes physical and sometimes verbal slurs that create an environment of fear and hate.”

His wife, and other women who wear the hijab scarf to cover their heads, have been subject to what he calls “people talking nonsense.”

“They go into stores and from a distance, someone says, ‘Those are the kind of people who are terrorists.’ People in the community love and respect my wife but for a stranger to hear that kind of slur, well, it does hurt your heart.”

Bajwa estimates that about one third of the area population who practice Islam was born here; the rest, he said, are immigrants, mostly from the Indo-Pakistani region and the Middle East. There are also refugees from Laos who are Muslim, as well as recent arrivals from Somalia and Iraq.

A large percentage of his mosque’s members are professionals and business owners who work “day and night,” Bajwa said. Some families have children serving in the U.S. military.

“If you want to see a United Nations on a smaller scale,” Bajwa said, “come visit our center during our holidays. We have people all from all over the world who get along well. We try to create an environment of pluralism at our center.”

While not all born into Muslim families practice the religion, Bajwa said he has always liked the daily prayer and practices of Islam.

“I like its disciplines, following its basic principles and thinking about God all the time,” Bajwa said. Islam, he explained, stresses “taking care of family, being a hard worker, respecting the elderly, taking care of children and staying away from such evils as drugs.”

Defacement of the center and attacks on its members are usually fueled by events in the news, according to Bajwa.

“After the anniversary of 9/11 dies down, something else comes along and then it starts all over again,” Bajwa said.

“Right after 9/11 a few of the single guys who were in the process of settling here were apprehended, kept in secret and deported. They were never heard from until they were back in Pakistan. All it took was a little suspicion that was never proven.”

The Islamic Center of Western Massachusetts has cooperated with the FBI in its investigations as its members, like all Americans, have fears about terrorism, according to Bajwa.

“When the FBI came and sat with us after 9/11, we said, ‘You are worried about terrorists in the community and we are worried. We know how much suffering people have gone through. We don’t tolerate anything like that happening,’” Bajwa said.

Bajwa came to the United States for post-graduate medical training in 1969 with the intent to return to his native Pakistan. Ironically, he recalls, it was at a time the Nixon administration had “opened up immigration for professionals, especially doctors.”

“They would pick us up at the airport and give us the royal treatment,” he recalled. And, Bajwa said, he liked the opportunity he saw in America and worked hard to achieve its promise.

He is proud of what he has given back to his adoptive country, both as a professional and as a devote Muslim and member of the Interfaith Council of Western Massachusetts. His sons, a lawyer and a neurologist, both live in the United States, while his daughter is a doctoral candidate studying Arabic in London.

Since 9/11, Bajwa no longer travels abroad.

“Coming off the plane, I would be told, “Come over here, sir.’ I would be taken to an exam room, told to sit and look straight ahead and not to make a phone call or touch my luggage. Of course, after a few hours of tension they would find nothing,” Bajwa said. “I don’t mind in that it is better to check, but if these are random checks why do they pick me up and why don’t they have a record of how many times they have checked me? Being picked up from the plane with the public watching, I don’t feel good about that.”

Fellow physician Khatak, now 74, added that he, too, travels “as little as possible” now.

“The immigration process is very insulting as I would sit hours while every little piece is gone over in my suitcase and in my checkbook,” said Khatak. “For a Muslim, they check you in every way just short of a rectal exam even if you have been through the airport 100 times.”

9/11 panel set at college

A faculty discussion panel, “9/11 Plus 10: Islam, the Middle East and U.S. Foreign Policy,” will be held Monday at 7:30 p.m. in the main lecture hall of Franklin Patterson Hall at Hampshire College. The event is free to the public.

President Jonathan Lash will make introductory remarks for the panel that is being chaired by Michael Klare, Five College professor of peace and world security studies. Panelists will include Hampshire College professors Omar Dahi, economics; Sayres Rudy, politics;and Falguni Sheth, philosophy and political theory.

This event is sponsored by Hampshire’s School of Critical Social Inquiry and the Five College peace and security studies program.

Interfaith group supports Muslims

A statement developed by the Interfaith Opportunities Network deploring “anti-Islamic harassment” has been endorsed by more than a dozen Western Massachusetts religious congregations and organizations.

“As people of faith, we voice our support for Muslims in our community and beyond. We deplore anti-Islamic harassment, prejudice, hate-speech, and hate-based-actions,” the statement reads. “We stand with our Muslim sisters and brothers and oppose any mistreatment or exclusion based on religion. We welcome opportunities to grow in our understanding of each other’s faiths, and to build relationships of mutual respect, trust, and friendship.”

The network is a lay interfaith network based in Amherst and formed in 2005 to strengthen communication among participating religious congregations.

In releasing the statement, the organization said it is intended as “a response to the fact that some of our local Muslims have at times felt unwelcome, stereotyped, and/or misrepresented, while nationally Muslims have been targeted by hate speech and action, encountered opposition to establishing mosques, and in some cases been accused of all being violent terrorists.”

The groups endorsing the statement include: United Church of Christ churches First Congregational, South Congregational and North Congregational, Amherst, and North Hadley Congregational and First Congregational, Hadley; Grace Episcopal, Amherst; Immanuel Lutheran, Amherst; Unitarian Universalist Society of Amherst; Jewish Community of Amherst; Wesley United Methodist, Hadley; First Baptist Church, Amherst; Hope Community Church, Amherst; Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is, Amherst; the Office of Religious Life at Amherst College; the Rev. Paul Sorrentino, director of religious life, Amherst College; Chris Clark, Catholic religious advisor, Amherst College and United Christian Foundation at UMass-Amherst.

Network members include the Hampshire Mosque in Amherst, the Turkish Cultural Center and the Rumi Club of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Representatives meet monthly for education and collaboration.

More information can be found on the website www.interfaithamherst.org or by emailing Joan Lindeman at lindemanJW@aol.com.

They say Islam is not about violence, nor is jihad about terror attacks.

Republican photo by DON TREEGERDilyara Celik, of Chicopee, is director of the women's association of the Turkish Cultural Center of Western Massachusetts in West Springfield.

Dilyara Celik: 'This country is my home’

Dilyara Celik, 26, of Chicopee, is director of the women’s association of the Turkish Cultural Center of Western Massachusetts in West Springfield, and a senior at Westfield State University.

She was born in west central Russia, in the city of Kazan, which, she says, is “very famous for the peace and harmony among religions and cultures.”

She has lived in the United Sates for eight years.

Where were you when 9/11 happened?

When 9/11 happened I was 16 years old and in my last year in high school. I was shocked when I heard that the Twin Towers were struck. Islam is a religion of peace which teaches that killing one person means killing the whole of humanity.

How can you kill more than 3,000 innocent people in the name of Islam? This is not (the Islamic concept of) jihad but terror. Jihad doesn’t mean to kill the innocent people in the name of Allah or Islam.

Jihad is the struggle of a person against his self desires, ego and evil wishes to be humble, modest and a good man of dignity and sincerity.

I became very sad since the way people perceive Islam may change dramatically because of this horrible terrorist attack done by some monsters in the name of Islam.

After this horrible attack, a famous Turkish Islamic scholar, Fethullah Gulen, said: “A terrorist cannot be a real Muslim, and a Muslim cannot be a terrorist.” This is the summary of my thoughts.

Prior to the attacks, were you very public about your religion?

I think religion and faith are sacred and very personal. I have never been very public, unless my religion requires that. For example, the wearing of the scarf.

My religion requires women to cover. For some this is publicity; however, for me it is sacred and a requirement of my faith.

I started wearing the scarf seven years ago, here in the United States. So, if you consider wearing a scarf as being “very public,” then I can say I have become more public after 9/11.

I did not have any restraints or any problems here regarding my religion.

How welcome an area is the Pioneer Valley toward Muslims?

It has been almost three years since I live in this area. I moved from New Jersey and I have had only a good experience here in the Pioneer Valley.

Many of my friends from the Turkish community will agree with me. But, there were some negative situations, which would make anyone upset.

I will relate those not to people, but to the media and not enough of diversity and knowledge.

What changes did you see in how people view Muslims?

This attack triggered a lot of things. People have lots of questions about Muslims and Islamic culture.

They are more suspicious about Muslims than a decade ago. Some people are afraid of Muslims, and are cautious since they do not have too much knowledge about Islam and because of the stereotypes and misinformation about Islam in the media.

Ten years ago I thought that this is the country of freedom, democracy, human rights, diversity where people celebrate their differences, colors, languages etc. but now it has been changed a bit.

What does living in America mean to you and how do you see your self as a Muslim and an American?

For me, my religion is the root of my life and mental well being. I am also very happy and honored to live in America and to be a citizen of this country.

This country is my home, I love it a lot. Love, unity, diversity, peace — these are the values that made America, AMERICA.

I will always try to live Islam in the best way to show the people what Islam is all about. Islam is the religion of peace, love and dignity.

Farid Faruqui: America a haven for religious freedom

Republican photo by MARK M. MURRAYFarid Faruqui, of Agawam, is a member of the Islamic Society of Western Massachusetts in West Springfield

Farid Faruqui, of Agawam, is a 36-year-old managing consultant who travels frequently in his work in the health care field. He was born in Madison, Wis., and is a member of the Islamic Society of Western Massachusetts in West Springfield.

Where were you when 9/11 happened?

I was on a business trip to Kansas City on 9/11. I was 26 at the time. We heard a plane had struck the first tower, and then watched on TV as the towers collapsed.

I was horrified at what I was seeing, and as the investigation unfolded and revealed that this terrorist act was committed by so-called Muslims I remember feeling anger toward those who were misrepresenting my religion.

Prior to the attacks, were you very public about your religion?

Prior to 9/11, I wouldn’t say that I was very public. My close friends who are non-Muslim understand my beliefs and were supportive when I would step away for prayers, or would eat their lunches away from me when I was fasting in Ramadan.

After 9/11, I would say I actually became more open. It bothered me that Muslims’ reputations were being dragged through the mud due to misunderstanding about Muslims and Islam.

I felt the best way to counteract this and to show the true nature of Muslims was through my actions.

What changes did you see in how people viewed Muslims living in the United States and how did this come to affect you? How have the attacks of 10 years ago changed your life?

Unfortunately there has been a very negative reaction post 9/11. We have seen the rise of Islamophobia, and people pre-judging us as terrorists. We have politicians and talking heads fanning the flames with incendiary remarks.

This kind of showboating, playing off fear, doesn’t do anything toward creating a peaceful atmosphere and promoting the commonalities between Muslims and everyone else. This is especially hurtful to me as a loyal U.S. citizen by birth.

I have a brother who is an officer in the U.S. Navy.

I travel through airports on a weekly basis, and the invasive security checks that we must now endure bother me as much as any other frequent traveler.

The action of the 9/11 hijackers changed the world. They believe murder against Americans and people of all faiths, including Muslims, is justified to create Islamic states. How do you feel these men and others who follow in their cause have used Islam?

Islam does not promote violence. There are those who claim that all Muslims are engaged in a “jihad” against America. However, the violence associated with the word jihad has a very narrow scope – only when enduring religious persecution is it allowed to fight for one’s rights.

There is no religious persecution here in the United States. We enjoy more freedom of religion in this country than any other country in the world, thanks to the First Amendment of the Constitution.

As for those who want to establish Islamic states, they should begin with the Islamic states that exist today. Those countries – Libya, Syria, Saudi Arabia – are not within the Islamic model. There is no place for dictators and monarchs in Islam.

There is no place for maiming and killing and raping people who speak out. These states are the worst offenders of human rights. To me, if someone is looking for an example of what not to do, start there at home and not focus on the U.S.

The acts of 9/11 took many lives, including those of many Muslims who died in the Twin Towers, and changed the way we live.

I would argue, though, that 9/11 has affected Muslims more than anyone else. An estimated 3 million people in the United States practice Islam, and due to the un-Islamic acts of a very small minority, we all carry the stigma of “potential terrorist.”

What does living in America mean to you and how do you see yourself as a Muslim and an American?

Being a Muslim and being an American are not mutually exclusive. I was born in the U.S., and have always seen myself as an American. This country has been very good to me and my family.

The opportunities and facilities that we have here are the reason why so many people immigrate here from across the world.

I have friends who are Christian, Jewish and Hindus and, despite our varying beliefs, the commonality among us is that we are able to live in a country that allows us to practice our religion freely.

This is what makes the United States the best country in the world.

Mohammed Dastigir: Attacks a ‘scar in everyone’s heart’

Republican photo by DAVE ROBACKMohammed Dastigir, of Agawam, is a member of the Islamic Society of Western Massachusetts in West Springfield.

Mohammed Dastigir, of Agawam, is a 30 year old project manager for the MassMutual Financial Group and is a member of the Islamic Society of Western Massachusetts in West Springfield. He was born in New Jersey.

Where were you when 9/11 happened?

When 9/11 happened, I was on my way to the University of Massachusetts in Amherst for my engineering class. I had no idea what was going on. I was running late to class, parked my car – I lived off campus – and ran to class.

When I reached my classroom, I saw my buddies standing outside and there was a note on the door (“Class Is Canceled – God Bless America”).

We were like ... ‘Uhh, OK.’ So we went to the Blue Wall Cafe, and that’s when we realized what was going on ... everyone was staring at the big screen TV’s with their jaws dropped (some were crying).

It took me a few seconds to understand and digest the full scope of what was unfolding and then it hit me – “Oh Dear God, please don’t let this be real” – is all that I kept saying to myself.

I began praying to myself and asking God’s help for all those in the buildings to get out and to stop/prevent any other attacks.

My sister, a doctor, worked not too far away from the World Trade Center back then, but there was no way to reach her as all mobile phones and cell phones were jammed. She was OK and now practices in this area. Extremely scary moment in time.

Prior to the attacks, were you very public about your religion?

I was head of the Muslim Student Association at UMass and involved with the interfaith network in Amherst and I am a member of the Islamic Society of Western Massachusetts.

I have always been public with my religion and still am today. Jews, Christians and Muslims have very similar religions – they all stem from the same root.

I come from a very diverse background. Half of my family is Muslim and the other half is Christian – post 9/11, it was more important than ever to speak about what Islam is (Islam means “Peace”), and not let the hijackers high-jack Islam.

What changes did you see in how people viewed Muslims living in the United States.

9/11 caused two things to happen.

Firstly, Islam got a new level of exposure. There was a negative of that as hate and prejudice against Muslims or anyone who had a beard and looked Middle Eastern occurred, and folks who were not Muslim, but looked Muslim, were gunned down and beaten across the U.S.

Mosques were vandalized and nasty emails/phone calls, etc. were delivered.

Secondly, copies of the Koran were sold across the country as people who didn’t know about Islam sought a better understanding. While I was at UMass, no one threatened me, but Muslim friends of mine were threatened and subject to harassment.

How do you respond to 9/11 as a Muslim?

The horrible events of 9/11 left a scar in everyone’s mind and heart. It is something that I hope our nation or any other countries never have to endure.

All human life is priceless, we are all God’s creation and everyone deserves respect, dignity security and peace. The Koran, like the Bible, teaches the taking of one single human life is like the taking of the whole of humanity.

There is no reasoning and no excuses whatsoever for taking innocent lives no matter who was behind the attacks.

Anyone who uses religion as an excuse or premise to murder innocent women and children should be locked up and the key should be thrown away.

Have you ever been harassed because of your faith? How do you see yourself as a Muslim and an American?

My mother is of Portuguese descent and my father, Indian and Middle Eastern. I have lived in Saudia Arabia and traveled all over Europe.

I have never been harassed, perhaps because I don’t fit a physical stereotype with my diverse background. I have been asked at airports if I am sure my first name is Mohammed and I say, what does that mean?

We need to learn as individuals to appreciate other people’s cultures and that is an attitude I have had pre- and post- 9/11.

I think all wars would stop if we could appreciate other people be they Christians, Buddhists, Jews, Sikhs, Hindus, and have effective conversations with them to cross barriers.

I love the USA. This is my country and I do not want anyone (white, black, yellow, green, Jewish, Muslim, Christian, etc.) highjacking our nation for their agendas.

Maher Awkal: Education ends bigotry

Maher Awkal, of Springfield, is a 39-year-old Springfield resident and engineer. He was born in Beirut, Lebanon, and came here with his seven siblings because his parents “did not want any of us to get involved in any of the conflicts as we were growing up and wanted to give us a better opportunity.”

Where were you when 9/11 happened?

I was at work when 9/11 happened and I was 29 years old. I did see the Twin Towers being struck but only on the Internet from work.

My first reaction was it was an accident and I started thinking if the aircraft had an engine malfunction that involved the engines my company designs and manufactures or is it one of our competitors. As the story developed it was clear that this was not accident.

It brought me back to the early 1980s and the conflicts I lived through in Beirut. I automatically started thinking of survival and what I need to do to ensure my family is protected.

Prior to the attacks, were you very public about your religion?

No, I was not very public about my religion prior to the attacks. However after the attacks I felt the need to educate people about true Islam.

I want to ensure people know that our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) did not teach anyone to carry out such evil acts. As a Muslim it is my duty to ensure people have the right picture about Islam.

What changes did you see in how people viewed Muslims living in the United States ?

I clearly saw the division between those who are prejudiced and ignorant due to lack of education about other cultures and religions, and others that understood that those involved in 9/11 are the “bad apples” in the Muslim faith.

I became closer to my own religion and studied it more to ensure I portray true Islam to everyone I come in contact with. I have also been educating my family about Islam to ensure we understand the true teachings of our Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him).

What prompted you to write the letter to the editor that appeared in The Republican about the sign in Palmer that read, “Muslims will destroy us from within.”

I’ve seen several signs similar to the one in Palmer.

These signs come out of prejudice and bigotry and nothing else. Some people call it freedom of speech and I agree – I would not want to take anyone’s freedom because I know and have lived in places where people’s freedom(s) are taken away.

However, one has to ponder what drives some people to post signs like this. There are many people that look for fame at the cost of hurting others.

Some are not looking for fame but others are just bigots and prejudice.

Bigotry and prejudice are things of the past in America and some people still want to live in that past.

Education and tolerance will eventually bring these people around to spend their energy helping others.

The action of the 9/11 hijackers changed the world. They believe murder against Americans and people of all faiths, including Muslims, is justified to create Islamic states. How do you feel these men and others who follow in their cause have used Islam?

I can answer this in one word: Bigotry! These men are no different than the cults and gangs that we have here in America.

That’s what cults and gangs are all about, if you don’t believe in what they do, they will kill you in the name of whatever they believe in and/or want to make it difficult for you to live with freedom.

What has your faith mean to you. What does living in America mean to you and how do you see yourself as a Muslim and an American?

I see myself as a minority, no different than other minority groups.

It’s just the Muslim’s turn to live through it. Many minority groups have lived through the bigotry and prejudice times, some worst than others.

America goes through these growing pains with every new minority group, history is clear.

The people in America that make it a beautiful place are those that learned from its history. They help support and defend the rights of everyone equally.

They are people of tolerance and understanding. We need to continue the struggle together to educate everyone and ensure everyone understands that bigotry and prejudice have no place in this country.

We all make mistakes and it’s OK but those of us that learn from our mistakes, repent and vow not repeat them are the ones that will succeed. Islam teaches me to give everyone his or her rights, and that’s what I will always continue to do — I don’t think anyone can complain there.

Bush at a Washington mosque on Sept. 17, 2001: "The face of terrorist is not the true faith of Islam."

Globe NewswireGeorge W. Bush

The following is the transcript of President George W. Bush’s comments at the Islamic Center of Washington, D.C. on Sept. 17, 2001 in the aftermath of 9/11:

“Thank you all very much for your hospitality. We’ve just had a wide-ranging discussion on the matter at hand. Like the good folks standing with me, the American people were appalled and outraged at last Tuesday’s attacks, and so were Muslims all across the world.

“Both Americans, our Muslim friends and citizens, tax-paying citizens, and Muslim in nations were just appalled and could not believe what we saw on our TV screens. These acts of violence against innocents violate the fundamental tenets of the Islamic faith, and it’s important for my fellow Americans to understand that.

“The English translation is not as eloquent as the original Arabic, but let me quote from the Koran itself: ‘In the long
run, evil in the extreme will be the end of those who do evil, for that they rejected the signs of Allah and held them up to ridicule.”

The face of terrorist is not the true faith of Islam. That’s not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace. These terrorists don’t represent peace, they represent evil and war.

When we think of Islam, we think of a faith that brings comfort to a billion people around the world. Billions of people find comfort and solace and peace. And that’s made brothers and sisters out of every race, out of every race.

America counts millions of Muslims amongst our citizens, and Muslims make an incredibly valuable contribution to our country.

The Muslims are doctors, lawyers, law professors, members of the military, entrepreneurs, shopkeepers, moms and dads, and they need to be treated with respect.

In our anger and emotion, our fellow Americans must treat each other with respect. Women who cover their heads in this country must feel comfortable going outside their homes. Moms who wear covering must not be intimidated in America. That’s not the America I know; that’s not the America I value.

I’ve been told that some fear to leave; some don’t want to go shopping for their families; some don’t want to go about their ordinary daily routines because, by wearing cover, they’re afraid they’ll be intimidated. That should not and that will not stand in America.

Those who feel like they can intimidate our fellow citizens to take out their anger don’t represent the best of America. They represent the worst of humankind. And they should be ashamed of that kind of behavior.

And it’s a great country; it’s a great country because (we) share the same values of respect and dignity and human worth. And it is my honor to be meeting with leaders who feel just the same way I do. They are outraged; they’re sad. They love America just as much as I do.

And I want to thank you all for giving me a chance to come by, and may God bless us all. Thank you."

As outlined by the city, the proposed district looks like a jig-saw puzzle with some pieces missing.

NORTHAMPTON – Planning officials are hoping for a big turnout Monday at a neighborhood meeting to discuss the implications of National Register designation for the Pomeroy Terrace area.

The National Register status, which is largely honorary and would not place any restrictions on property owners, has come up often over the years, but the city was only recently able to secure Community Preservation Act money to carry out some of the historical work required.

Sarah I. LaValley, Northampton’s Conservation, Preservation and Land Use Planner, said the city paid the Pioneer Valley Planning Authority $63,000 to update the historical inventory forms on structures throughout the city, a federal requirement. The forms outline the history of each historically significant building, about 1,000 of which are categorized as such in Northampton.

A similar meeting scheduled for last January had to be postponed to February because of bad weather. LaValley said the turnout for the February meeting was disappointingly low. This time, flyers were distributed to each house in the district, notifying residents of the 7:30 p.m. meeting at City Hall.

LaValley described the meeting as informational.

“It’s mostly to tell people what the nomination (to National Register status) would mean and not mean,” she said. “People want to know, ‘Do I need to file a permit application if I want new windows? Can I change the color of my house?’”

Unlike a local historic district, National Register status does not carry any restrictions on what property owners can do, LaValley explained.

“Basically, it’s just a good way to recognize that a district has a lot of history,” she said.

As outlined by the city, the proposed district looks like a jig-saw puzzle with some pieces missing. Some houses on a street are included while others next door are not. LaValley said the designation depends mainly on when a house was built and by whom. The district does include Bridge Street Cemetery and some houses along Bridge Street, as well as nearly all of Pomeroy Terrace, a street of grand old manses that sits on a rise overlooking the Meadows and fairgrounds area.

Gerald S. Budgar, the president of the Ward 3 Neighborhood Association, said his Bridge Street home is part of the designated area, although it was built relatively recently in 1914.

“We think this is a Sears house,” Budgar said.

Budgar explained that Sears, Roebuck & Co. offered houses in its during that era.

“They dropped it off as a kit and it was up to you (to put it together),” he said.

When Budgar was canvassing the neighborhood about the designation, many residents said they thought it was a great idea.

“People are aware (of the history) and they’re very proud of it,” he said.

LaValley said the city has several other neighborhoods in mind for National Register designation, including the Fort Hill area and parts of Florence.

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Obituaries from The Republican.

Douglas Liquori

Douglas L. Liquori, 94, of West Springfield, died Friday. He was born in Springfield and lived in West Springfield all his life. He was a 1935 graduate of West Springfield High School and served with the U.S. Army Infantry during World War II, earning a Bronze Star. After the war, he started working for the railroad, retiring from Conrail in 1981. An avid New York Yankees fan, he was also a lifetime member of the Verdi Club and the Knights of Columbus in West Springfield.

Obituaries from The Republican:

• Biggs, Elsie A. Adinolfi
  




• 
  Bordeau, Malcom "Frenchie"
  



• 
  Boyle, Edward F.




• 
  DeSellier, Harold H.
  



• 
  Gay, Michael
  




• Gomes, Maria (Alves)
  




• 
  Jackson, Barbara (Perron)
  



• 
  Luquori, Douglas L.




• 
  McCarthy Sr., Francis Fenton
  



• 
  McCoubrey, George
  




• Morgan, Beverly A.
  




• 
  Stone, Annie "Bubbie"
  



• 
  Vella, Mary Elizabeth (O'Neill)




• 
  Wolcott, Brian Everett
  

Interim town manager Charles Blanchard said he is in the process of reviewing the job description for the town clerk so he can advertise the position.

The Republican | Lori StabileFrom left to right, Ruth C. O'Malley, a retired Palmer High School math teacher, talks to her former student, Town Clerk Patricia C. Donovan, at the Town Building on Thursday. Donovan is retiring at the end of the month after working for the town for 33 years.

PALMER – After 25 years in the position, Town Clerk Patricia C. Donovan will retire at the end of the month to spend more time with her newborn grandson.

“I have a new life to begin as a grandmother,” Donovan said.

She notified Interim Town Manager Charles T. Blanchard in a letter last week, saying it was with “mixed emotions” that she made her decision.

“It has been an honor and distinct privilege to have served the citizens of Palmer for the past 33 years, 25 of which have been as elected town clerk. It is hard to believe that so much time has passed,” Donovan wrote.

“I am eager to start this new phase of my life. I will miss where I spent half my life,” Donovan said.

She started off working for the town as the clerk to the Planning Board in 1978, when everyone used manual typewriters.

Assistant Town Clerk Susan M. Coache, who has worked with Donovan in the clerk’s office for 14 years, said it will be adjustment not having her around.

“We work well together. I will miss her,” Coache said.

Donovan was congratulated over and over by those who visited the Town Building on Thursday morning – on the news of her retirement and birth of her first grandchild, named Donovan. One of her well-wishers was her former high school math teacher, Ruth C. O’Malley.

Blanchard said he is in the process of reviewing the job description for the position, and what would be an appropriate salary. Donovan’s salary was budgeted at approximately $54,000 for fiscal 2012. He hopes he will be able to move forward and fill the position quickly.

The position was elected until voters approved a charter change in November that switched it to appointed, something Donovan didn’t support.

Town Council President Paul E. Burns said Donovan has been an "incredibly dedicated public servant" and hopes she will continue to serve the town of Palmer in some capacity in the future.

Blanchard, who has been on the job only two months, also has the task of filling the vacant public works department director position and hiring a recreation director, a new position. The Town Council on Thursday night named Donald Jacobs, of Holden, permanent town manager. Burns said he expects Jacobs will start working next month.

A new town accountant-finance coordinator has been hired, and he will start Wednesday – John P. Kuzmiski of Amherst, who was working as an accountant with Tower and Randolph in Amherst. He replaces Valerie J. Bernier, who left to become Easthampton’s city auditor.

Blanchard said Kuzmiski has a master’s in business administration and is working toward being a certified public accountant.

“We’re pleased to have him join us here in Palmer,” Blanchard said.

Officials say the regulations protect free speech but also protect neighborhoods from clutter.

File photo | The RepublicanA detail from an extra-large lawn sign that was deemed illegal in Springfield several elections ago.

WESTFIELD – The City Council has adopted new regulations governing the placement of temporary signs that officials say protect free speech but also protect neighborhoods from clutter.

New regulations were adopted by the council last week, just in time for the city’s fall election schedule. They were initiated by Councilor-at-Large David A. Flaherty and gained approval of the Planning Board last month.

Flaherty this week said new regulations limit the size of signs as well as establishing a time element so they are not left on display after elections or events that they promote.

“This is something that people can understand and follow,” said Flaherty. “This is a rule to follow but the regulation also protects anyone’s right to free speech,” he said.

Ward 2 Councilor James E. Brown Jr., chairman of the council’s Legislative and Ordinance Committee, said “we believe the ordinance is very cognizant of the First Amendment rights. It makes sense and protects free speech.”

The issue of free speech surfaced last month as Brown’s committee debated proposed regulations governing signs. Northampton ALCU lawyer William C. Newman sent council members a letter reminding them of First Amendment rights and the mandate to protect free speech.

Newman’s letter addressed several points of preliminary ordinance language and drew council attention to the free speech issue.

“At a minimum, a municipality may not treat political speech less advantageously than commercial or other speech,” Newman wrote.

The rewritten ordinance regulates temporary signs that pertain to campaigns, sales, promotions, drives or events of political, civic, philanthropic, educational or religious organizations.

Signs in residential areas must not exceed six square feet, must be placed within property lines and must not be illuminated. Signs placed in business districts must comply with requirements of business areas.

Moving parts are not allowed on signs and they can not be displayed more than two months prior to an event, cannot be displayed more than four months in any calendar year and must be removed within five days following the event date.

Signs also cannot be posted on public property.

The world's oldest commissioned warship is honoring victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks by firing its guns four times, each time coinciding with the minute of impact of each of the four airplanes used in the assaults 10 years ago.

Parthasarathi Patra, of Bhubaneswar, India, positions his camera in front of the USS Constitution at Charlestown Naval Yard, in Boston, Thursday, Nov. 8, 2001. The USS Constitution was closed for several weeks following the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. Launched in 1797, the ship is the oldest commissioned warship in the world. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

BOSTON (AP) — The world's oldest commissioned warship is honoring victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks by firing its guns four times, each time coinciding with the minute of impact of each of the four airplanes used in the assaults 10 years ago.

The USS Constitution's saluting battery in Boston will fire its guns starting at 8:46 a.m. Sunday, the moment the first of two jets hijacked from Boston's Logan International Airport hit the World Trade Center in New York City.

It will fire the last time at 10:03 a.m., when the fourth plane crashed in Pennsylvania.

U.S. sailors will play taps four times.

The ceremony honors the nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks in New York, Washington D.C. and Shanksville, Pa.

Crowds gathering for the dedication of a United Flight 93 memorial in Pennsylvania have been slowed by weather-related traffic jams, muddy conditions and security rules but have nonetheless been cheerful as they arrive.

Diane McCusker, right, a flight attendant with United Airlines who had flown with the crew that died in the crash of Flight 93, stands with her husband Charles as they view the site of the crash in Shanksville, Pa. Saturday Sept. 10, 2011. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

By JOE MANDAK, Associated Press

SHANKSVILLE, Pa. (AP) — Crowds gathering for the dedication of a United Flight 93 memorial in Pennsylvania have been slowed by weather-related traffic jams, muddy conditions and security rules but have nonetheless been cheerful as they arrive.

Minor flooding near the site and problems with parked vehicles getting stuck in the mud created a miles-long traffic backup Saturday into the nation's newest national park.

Vendors have been selling flags along the road leading to the memorial near Shanksville, but security workers have kept those flags and some larger banners out of the site if they cannot be removed from their long sticks or staffs, which are considered a security risk.

Law enforcement officers conduct a security check of a vehicle before the dedication of phase I of the permanent Flight 93 National Memorial near the crash site of United Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pa. Saturday Sept. 10, 2011. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

The ceremony will remember 40 passengers and crew who died when some fought hijackers for control of the jetliner.

It marks the first stage of the $62 million memorial.