About three dozen people, including Hadley officials and residents, attended a workshop on Wednesday to voice their visions for the Route 47 Corridor.

Republican file photoThe Porter-Phelps-Huntington House is considered one of the jewels along the Route 47 corridor in Hadley.

HADLEY -- Residents would like to see more recreational opportunities along Route 47 and better access to the Connecticut River.

Three-dozen Hadley officials and residents who attended a Wednesday night workshop led by the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission had an opportunity to offer their thoughts and visions for the Route 47 Corridor. A similar forum on the byway is slated for Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at South Hadley Town Hall.

The Route 47 Corridor is part of the Connecticut River Scenic Byway, the only designated National Scenic Byway in Massachusetts.

So far, $1.2 million in federal grants have been allocated for agricultural preservation and conservation restrictions to protect farmland, said Christopher Curtis, chief planner at the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission.

“A vision can be useful to help a community decide how to allocate resources,” he said.

Many people said they would like to see more recreational opportunities and better access to the river, much of which is only accessible by private property, while some envisioned a network of snowmobile, cross-country skiing and hiking trails. Others said they would like to see safer biking conditions along Route 47.

Hadley resident Alan C. Eccleston said the road could be widened by three feet on each side to provide bicycle lanes, but he worries the road might be straightened in the process.

Select Board member Gloria T. DiFulvio, who likes to bike on the road, said she enjoys the curves, which are part of the byway’s charm.

Select Board member Daniel J. Dudkiewicz said there were concerns about unregulated bicycle traffic, however, with cyclists riding next to each other instead of single file.

Many also expressed their concerns about a spike in traffic, which could increase with more promotion of the roadway’s assets. Others mentioned promoting agritourism and historical tourism along the corridor, which includes such highlights as the Porter-Phelps-Huntington House, built in 1752 and expanded in 1799, and a myriad of farm stands. But that would result in more cars along Route 47, they said.

Town Administrator David G. Nixon acknowledged the difficulty of promoting the area without turning it into a tourist trap. "How do we encourage and promote and keep what's hidden hidden?" he said.

Everyone agreed that preserving the town’s rural character has to be part of the ultimate vision.

Resident David Elvin said he opposes creating anything similar to the recently built Central Rock Climbing Center of Hadley, a 16,500-square-foot indoor climbing facility at 165 Russel St. (Route 9) near the intersection of Route 47.

Others said small family farm businesses, such as Barstow's Store and Bakery, located on Hockanum Road in the north part of town, are welcome.

Elvin said he’d also like to see more organic farming to help prevent chemical runoff into the Connecticut River.

Jayne Bernhard-Armington, a planner with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, said she was pleased about the "good turnout" at Wednesday's workshop.

She compiled the evening's suggestions and concerns, and will forward that information to the Select Board. The board "will decide what to do with it," she said.

In all, a total of 584 applicants have gone to one of the five centers to submit applications for damage relief.

GREENFIELD - Through the first full week days that they have been open, the five Berkshire and Franklin counties disaster recovery centers established to process Tropical Storm Irene damage claims have seen more than 580 applicants, officials said.

“Activity at these centers is steady, with individuals and business owners taking advantage of the opportunity to speak one-on-one with disaster program specialists,” said Federal Coordinating Officer James N. Russo with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The centers are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday until further notice.

In all, a total of 584 applicants have gone to one of the five centers to submit applications for damage relief.

Williamstown saw the highest number, with 273 applicants, which is more than double the next highest amount, Buckland with 125. Other amounts were 94 in Greenfield, 68 in Pittsfield and 24 in Great Barrington.

Massachusetts officials have estimated the Aug. 30 storm and subsequent flooding caused an estimated $25 million in damage in Franklin and Berkshire counties.

At each center, representatives from FEMA, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Small Business Administration and other agencies are available to explain assistance programs available for residents and business owners.

Recovery specialists also can help disaster survivors with referrals to other assistance programs. Before going to a center, people with storm losses need to register with FEMA by calling 1-800-621-FEMA or 1-800-621-3362 daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. A TTY line for people with speech or hearing disabilities is 800-462-7585. People can also register online by going to the websites www.DisasterAssistance.gov or m.fema.gov and following the link for applying for federal assistance.

The five centers are located at the following addresses: Housatonic Community Center, 1064 Main St., Housatonic section of Great Barrington, Green River Elementary School, 62 Meridian St., Greenfield, Pittsfield Public Library, 1 Wendell Ave., Pittsfield, Mohawk Trail Regional High School, 26 Ashfield Road, Shelburne Falls, Developers Finance, 430 Main St., Williamstown.

Also, people who are unemployed as a result of the storm may apply for federal disaster unemployment insurance until Oct. 6.

People may call (877) 232-6200 to apply or through the TTY line at (800) 439-2370 Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. More information on the assistance available can be found through www.mass.gov/dua/disasterui.

“Unfortunately, a disaster affects an individual’s income if left jobless by the storm,” said Federal Coordinating Officer James N. Russo. “If someone is not eligible for Massachusetts’ standard unemployment program and has lost a job because of Irene’s damage, the Federal DUA program could pick up the slack and provide them with funds.”

People who may qualify include unemployed workers the self-employed who lived, worked or were scheduled to work in the area impacted by the tropical storm.

Other examples of people who qualify include people injured and unable to work because of the storm, those who had their workplace damage or destroyed, those who lost their transportation to work, or who cannot travel to their job because it is in a disaster area.

The fairgrounds in West Springfield open each morning at 8.

Photo by John Suchocki / The RepublicanCrowds flood the fairgrounds at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield on the opening day of the Big E.

By SUZANNE McLAUGHLIN
smclaughlin@repub.com

WEST SPRINGFIELD - The 17-day Big E, the largest fair in the Northeast, opened Friday to beautiful fall-like weather.

“We have a good crowd,” marketing director Noreen Tassinari said. “We’re hoping to surpass last year’s first day attendance figures of 59,072.

The Big E opens each morning at 8 a.m. The buildings open at 10 a.m.

The early morning is a good time to get breakfast and see the animals,” Tassinari said.

“At 10 p.m. we’re still going full tilt,” she said.

Special events this year include Bixby’s Rainforest Rescue which has an environmental theme, Randy Burns, the Mechanical Man, Galaxy Girl who performs aerial gymnastics , the Skinny German Juggle Boy on the Storrowton Village Gazebo and Circus Round the Clock in the Young Building which highlights a day in the life of a circus.

The skies above the Big E this weekend will be filled with flipping and flying motocross jumpers.

The U.S. Freestyle Motocross National Championship Series will put on five shows between Friday and Sunday at the Eastern States Exposition – three of those counting as the final three points-paying events of the season. The first show was Friday night, with two more each day Saturday and Sunday.

Freestyle motocross is one of the most popular “action” or “extreme” sports. Participants launch their bikes off a ramp and perform a variety of tricks – backflips, twists, handstands and more – as much as 70 feet in the air. A panel of judges awards points for each jump based on a series of criteria.

“It’s obviously something very different for us,” Tassinari said. Showtimes at the Comcast Arena are at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday, and there is no extra admission charge.

Freestyle motocross has begun to achieve mainstream notoriety through its inclusion in ESPN’s annual “X Games.” Superstar Travis Pastrana brought the sport to a high level through his “Nitro Circus” stunt show on MTV.

People who come to the Big E year after year come for the Avenue of the States buildings, the Better Living Center which is a three-acre building and the exhibits in the Young Building, Tassinari said.

As it has in recent years, the Big E is hoping to achieve attendance figures of over a million over the course of the 17-day fair.

“Fairs tend to do very well in a recession or weak economy,” Tassinari said. “People may be forgoing larger vacations or travel and have time for leisure activities closer to home,” she said.

While tickets to the Big E are $15, for children ages 6 to 10, tickets are $10 and children under 6 are free.

After 5 p.m. tickets are $6 Monday through Thursday, Tassinari said.

Schools in the area do educational field trips to the Big E for which there is no charge, Tassinari said.

On Friday admission was free for military families.

“That’s why I’m here,” said Mary Ellen Zajac of the Bondsville section of Palmer.

She and her friend, Beverly Brndiar of Colorado said they found many good deals at this year’s fair on clothes, maple syrup, a messager, jewelry and food.

“Everybody is offering specials,” Brndiar said.

Lillian White of Agawam and her sister, Kathleen Avery of Quebec, said they like to “look around, walk and eat anything” when they come to the Big E.”

A ceremony is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday at Amherst's historic West Cemetery, followed by a public reception at Hope Community Church, 16 Gaylord St.

Staff photo by Diane LedermanThis is the grave of Charles Finnemore, who served in the Massachusetts 54th Infantry, one of the first black units in the Civil War. Finnemore is buried in West Cemetery in Amherst and is one of five soldiers to be honored in ceremonies Sunday.

AMHERST - Just before Memorial Day last spring, Robert Romer was walking through the West Cemetery when he noticed that there were no commemorative flags marking the graves of black soldiers who served in the Civil War.

“I’m absolutely sure this was an accident. We don’t keep very good records.”," he said, adding that his first thought was "somebody’s got to fix this.”

So, Romer and his wife, Betty, bought some flags and had a conversation with Veterans Agent Steven Connor to ensure the graves would not be missed next year. Connor said “let’s make a ceremony out of this,” Romer recounted.

That ceremony will take place Sunday at 2 p.m. at West Cemetery, followed by a public reception at Hope Community Church, 16 Gaylord St. Some of the soldiers’ descendants will be attending, Romer said.

Romer, a retired Amherst College physics professor and author of "Slavery in the Connecticut Valley of Massachusetts," said they initially talked about a celebration earlier this summer, but he’s glad they waited.

Now, he said, “we know so much more” about the men.

Romer said he expects that more black soldiers are buried in the cemetery, considering 20 from Amherst fought in the Civil War.

Included among the late black soldiers is Charles Finnemore, who served in the Massachusetts 54th Infantry and fought in the battle at Fort Wagner in Charleston S.C., where he was wounded. He had three children, all of whom died, and was one of the founders of Hope Church in Amherst.

Other black soldiers are Genalvin Marse, who served in the Connecticut 29th Infantry and moved to Amherst around 1890, and Christopher Thompson, a member of the Massachusetts 5th Cavalry.

Marse was a janitor at Amherst College’s Chi Psi fraternity. Thompson died in Pelham, but a death certificate said he was buried in West Cemetery.

Romer placed a temporary marker next to the grave of Thompson's son, Charles Thompson, also a member of the Massachusetts 5th Cavalry and a janitor at Amherst’s Delta-Kappa-Epsilon fraternity.

Because gravestones were expensive, the family may not have had money to install one, Romer said.

John Thompson, also of the Massachusetts 5th Cavalry, died during a "training accident" at Camp Readville, near Boston.

Christopher Thompson’s great-great-granddaughter and great-great-great-grandsons will attend the ceremony, Romer said, including William Harris, who’s flying in from Los Angeles.

“It means a great deal,” to them Romer said.

Besides celebrating these five, Romer said, he also hopes the ceremony will call attention to the fact that 200,000 black soldiers fought in the Civil War.

“That’s a number that ought to be in bold," he said.

On Friday night, the film “Glory” will be shown at 5:30 p.m. at Hope Community Church. The film shows the Massachusetts 54th’s July 1863 attack on Fort Wagner. The 54th was one of the first black units organized in the northern states.

Pizza and a discussion will follow the film.

Acting Amherst Town Manager M. David Ziomek will participate in Sunday's festivities, which will include choral performances by choirs from Hope Community Church and Amherst's Goodwin Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church.

It wasn't immediately known how many people were killed. But video of the crash showed a horrific scene of bodies and wreckage at the front of the stands.

Editors note: the website RGJ.com in Reno is reporting there are multiple fatalities in the crash.

RENO - Reno air race spokesman describes crash at grandstand as 'mass casualty situation'.

It wasn't immediately known how many people were killed. But video of the crash showed a horrific scene of bodies and wreckage at the front of the stands.

Mike Draper, a spokesman for the air races, told The Associated Press that Jimmy Leeward was the pilot of the P-51 Mustang that crashed into the box seat area at the front of the grandstand about 4:30 p.m. He said he did not have any information on the number of injured.

The National Championship Air Races draws thousands of people every year in September to watch various military and civilian planes race.

Spectator video of plane crash at air races in Reno

But Hampden Superior Court Judge Peter Velis ruled that 10 witnesses challenged by the defense can testify about identifications they made of Denson at his Oct. 3 trial.

File photo by Mark M. Murray / The RepublicanEric B. Denson, left, of Springfield, is seen in Springfield District Court during his arraignment in March with his court-appointed lawyer Harry L.Miles. He is accused of stabbing Cathedral High School athlete Conor Reynolds to death.

SPRINGFIELD – The judge in the murder case against Eric B. Denson Friday said three of the 13 witnesses contested by the defense team will not be allowed to testify about their identification of the suspect.

But Hampden Superior Court Judge Peter A. Velis ruled 10 witnesses challenged by the defense can testify about identifications they made of Denson at his Oct. 3 murder trial for the fatal stabbing of Conor W. Reynolds.

He said two of those three witnesses whose identification he is excluding may have been influenced by seeing Denson’s picture in the media as a suspect.

Reynolds, 18, a Cathedral High School soccer standout, was fatally stabbed while attending a crowded party for another student at the Blue Fusion night club March 13, 2010.

Denson, 22, of Springfield, is accused of killing Reynolds and wounding Cathedral student Peter D’Amario, with a knife.

The three witnesses the judge will not allow to testify include a woman who identified Denson as the stabber by pointing to him in a courtroom at a recent hearing, and one woman who picked Denson’s picture out of an 8-person photo array.

Velis said because of the time that went by between the stabbing and the identification of Denson by Danielle Hegarty and Savannah Stevens, “the risk of contamination and memory distortion is too great given this timeline and the notoriety and media coverage of this case....”

Overall, Velis said, he heard nothing in the hearings to support “the barest inference that police engaged in any unfair tactics to try to ‘stack the deck’ against the defendant.”

Velis’ ruling Friday followed six days of hearings last month in which Hampden District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni and defense lawyer Harry L. Miles questioned over 40 people, including the 13 contested witnesses as well as police investigators and others.

Denson’s lawyers contended police secured from the contested witnesses faulty identifications of their client by using a still photograph from a nearby surveillance camera to present to some witnesses.

The photograph of Denson from the surveillance camera did not show his facial features but did show clothing that in many cases resembled descriptions given by witnesses of the assailant.

The district attorney said nothing improper was done in using the surveillance photograph of Denson.

Mastroianni said Friday the majority of the testimony the defense challenged was deemed admissible by Velis.

He said he will decide by early next week if he will appeal the part of the judge’s ruling saying the three witnesses cannot identify Denson.

Mastroianni said the decision showed the police did a responsible and thorough job. The exclusion of identification by the three witnesses, he said, had to do with the people seeing media coverage, “which is certainly an issue we deal with in the media age.”
Miles could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon.

The other witness who cannot testify about Denson is Christina Catanzaro, who testified at the hearing but did not link Denson to the stabbing, just to being at the club.

Most of the witnesses who Velis said can testify about their identification of Denson said they didn’t see the assailants face and they did not pick him out of a photo array.

The witnesses who Velis said can testify about identification of Denson are Christopher Allen, Delano Brown, Peter D’Amario, James Dowd, Ashley Jaskula, Michael Shea, Katherine Stanton, Tony Taylor Kemo William and Anthony Zambelli. 

The agency said in a statement the state's outlook is stable as it bumped its rating up from AA to AA-plus.

By RODRIQUE NGOWI, Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — The Standard & Poor's credit rating service on Friday raised the Massachusetts rating a notch, citing improvements in how officials manage the state debt, finances and budget and helping it achieve its highest overall rating ever.

The agency said in a statement the state's outlook is stable as it bumped its rating up from AA to AA-plus.

Massachusetts currently has ratings of Aa1 from Moody's and AA-plus from Fitch, the two other top ratings agencies. Treasury officials say the three ratings collectively give the state its highest credit standing in history.

A bond rating for the state is like a credit rating for a person. The Standard & Poor's Ratings Services bond rating system uses an alphabetical scale from AAA down to D. Massachusetts' AA-plus rating indicates to potential investors of bonds and other debt securities that the state has a very strong capacity to meet financial commitments.

The S&P decision "will substantially improve Massachusetts' competitive position when it goes to market with $475 million worth of bonds" on Wednesday for capital improvements, the state treasurer's office said in a statement.

S&P said Friday that it assigned its AA-plus rating to the bonds.

The rating upgrade comes a week after state leaders told representatives of the three major U.S. credit rating agencies that Massachusetts was on solid fiscal footing and urged them to consider a bond rating upgrade in spite of growing concerns about the direction of the national economy.

Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick and state Treasurer Steve Grossman pointed to a proposal to deposit $300 million into the state's Rainy Day Fund, bringing it back above the $1 billion mark for the first time since the recession and giving the state one of the four strongest reserve funds in the country.

The Legislature still must approve the deposit.

Friday's credit upgrade "reflects Massachusetts' ongoing progress in improving financial, debt and budget management practices, while at the same time implementing cost-control and reform measures associated with its long-term liabilities," S&P's credit analyst Robin Prunty said. "The upgrade also reflects the commonwealth's commitment to its stabilization fund."

Patrick said the upgrade makes investments in schools, roads and housing more affordable.

"We have shown that you can still invest in our future while balancing the books and that doing both is the best way to better times," Patrick said. "Standard & Poor's has recognized that the commonwealth is a good investment, and, frankly, we've earned it."

Grossman says Massachusetts maintained "fiscal discipline and responsible management" despite turmoil in markets and economic uncertainty at the federal level.

S&P said other factors supporting its AA-plus rating included Massachusetts' relatively strong budget performance through the recent recession, with swift action to restore balance after identifying revenue shortfalls. The agency also cited high wealth and income levels in the largest New England state as well as a commitment to maintaining and, more recently, growing the stabilization fund balance, which provide flexibility to manage any budget volatility.

Secretary of Administration and Finance Jay Gonzalez said state officials were grateful that the steps they've taken to "responsibly change the way government does business" are being noticed by the rating agencies and are paying off for taxpayers.

"High bond ratings mean millions of dollars of savings for the commonwealth and a greater capacity to invest in our future," Gonzalez said.

S&P said the stable outlook reflects its expectation that Massachusetts will continue to proactively manage its budget.

These alarming mailings came along with similar incidents across the country following Osama bin Laden's death in May 2011.

Springfield Arson & Bomb Squad Firefighter Darrin Padilla, who is also a Massachusetts Department of Fire Services Hazardous Materials Team 4 member, examines a package deemed suspicious in front of Springfield Police Department headquarters on Pearl Street on May 6. (Springfield Fire Department/Dennis Leger)

SPRINGFIELD - A New York woman was indicted Friday on charges that in May, she sent envelopes containing threatening letters and a white substance to Massachusetts politicians, a local courthouse and a local jail.

The FBI alleges that Roberta Cicora, 57, of Johnsville, N.Y. mailed threatening letters and the unspecified white substance to U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, Attorney General Martha Coakley, the District Court in Greenfield and the Franklin County House of Correction in Greenfield on May 2.

The alleged mailings came during a tense week for law enforcement in the United States as news of Osama bin Laden's death reverberated through the world, along with escalated threats.

On May 3, the Greenfield District Courthouse was evacuated after the substance was found by a court employee. The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services Hazardous Materials Team along with the Massachusetts State Police responded to and closed the courthouse, which was reopened a short time later.

The same day, a Boston police and firefighters were called to the attorney general's office at about 11 a.m. when an employee opening the mail opened the envelope in question and a white substance fell out.

At Brown's office on the 24th floor of the John F. Kennedy Federal Building in Boston, a similar incident was reported.

Testing determined the substance in both envelopes was not hazardous, although authorities never released details about the composition of the substance.

These alarming mailings came along with similar incidents across the country following bin Laden's death at the hands of the elite Navy SEALS team who took him out in Pakistan. In all of the reported suspicious packages and substances, including one left at the Springfield Police Department, all turned out to be harmless.

Federal authorities have not released any details about what motive Cicora had for allegedly sending the mailings.

If convicted on the federal charges of mailing four threatening communications, Cicora
faces up to five years in prison and three years of supervised release along with a $250,000 fine on each count.

The case was investigated by the FBI in Springfield and Boston, the Postal Inspection Service in Springfield, the Massachusetts State Police Assigned to Attorney General Coakley's Springfield Office and the New York State Police.

The first phase of the road project, which includes new sidewalks and decorative lights, is slated for completion by the end of summer 2012.

Staff Photo by Dave RobackCrews from Gomes Construction of Ludlow work on a northern stretch of Main Street in Springfield this week.

SPRINGFIELD – Local and state officials and neighborhood activists on Friday praised an ongoing $3 million Main Street road and sidewalk reconstruction project in the city's North End.

The first of two phases in the project began earlier this summer, covering a stretch of Main Street from the railroad arch near the Peter Pan bus station to Osgood Street in the Memorial Square area of the North End. A future second phase will continue from Osgood Street to the Chicopee border.

Rep. Cheryl Coakley-Rivera

The first phase is scheduled for completion by the end of summer 2012.

“It’s a long time coming,” state Rep. Cheryl A. Coakley-Rivera, D-Springfield, said, adding that the project will help boost economic development and business development.

The project includes milling and paving of Main Street, new handicap accessible sidewalks, new drainage, traffic signal upgrades, landscaping and improved decorative lighting.

Coakley-Rivera, Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, Department of Public Works officials and neighborhood activists praised the project during a press conference Friday on Main Street.

Mayor Domenic Sarno

Sarno is seeking re-election and faces two challengers on the Tuesday preliminary ballot. He said he was spurred to schedule the press conference by some North End activists.

Coakley-Rivera, who has endorsed Sarno for mayor, said the press conference had “nothing to do” with endorsements. She and the mayor worked hard to get the project moving, as promised, she said.

Heriberto Flores, Jose Claudio and Terry Rodriguez were among those attending the event. The project is a welcome addition to the neighborhood, they said.

The project continues improvements that occurred along Main Street in the downtown and South End and the State Street corridor, and will provide a much improved North End-downtown link, according to officials.

Both Michael R. Bardsley and David J. Narkewicz see job potential in the remodeling and expansion of the Three County Fairgrounds.

Michael R. Bardsley, left, and David J. Narkiewicz are candidates to succeed Mary Clare Higgins as mayor of Northampton.

NORTHAMPTON – With people across the country clamoring for more jobs, it’s no surprise that the two candidates for mayor are stressing job creation in their campaigns. In fact, Michael R. Bardsley and David J. Narkewicz hold similar views on a range of issues likely to come up in the next term that could lead to new jobs.

In general, mayors can’t create jobs except in city government, and the trend in Northampton over the last several years is to cut rather than add municipal jobs to balance the budget. Both Narkewicz and Bardsley believe, however, that the mayor’s office can be an effective advocate for jobs.

“Working to stabilize the local economy and create jobs is a major part of my platform,” said Narkewicz, who gained some experience in the area as the economic development director for U.S. Rep. John W. Olver, D-Amherst.

“What we can try to do is create an environment and put in place the pieces (for job creation)," he said.

Bardsley calls jobs “the defining issue for Northampton and its future.”

“We need to have a plan that is implemented aggressively,” he said. “The mayor’s office could be used as the bully pulpit to champion our local businesses.”

Bardsley said that in talking with local business owners, he has gotten the message that many of them feel vulnerable and unsupported by the city.

“We need to have aggressive support for local businesses so they feel connected to city services and not feel like they’re out there alone,” he said.

As mayor, Bardsley said, he would lobby local businesses to hire locally.

“Otherwise the money goes to New York or wherever the contracts go,” he said.

Narkewicz said he would appoint an Economic Development Advisory Commission that would come up with recommendations to strengthen the local economy and study undeveloped sources of jobs and revenue such as eco-tourism.

Among the projects with job potential likely to surface during the next mayoral term are the rezoning of King Street, the creation of a multi-model transportation center, the further development of Village Hill and, perhaps, a second look at a city-owned parcel in the Roundhouse parking lot that has commercial potential. Both Bardsley and Narkewicz said they would prefer to see manufacturing businesses move into Northampton because of the potential for well-paying jobs.

“We need wages that can let people afford to live in this city,” Bardsley said.

The Roundhouse parcel had been targeted for use as a hotel, but that project fell through and the city is presently in litigation over the land. Should that be resolved, it could be a rare instance in which Northampton has a prime piece of developable commercial land to deal. Both candidates said they would start the process over by involving the community in discussions about the best use of the land.

“I’d sit with community representatives and get a feel for what would work,” said Bardsley.

Narkewicz said it is important for the next mayor to take a regional approach to economic development and job creation. City Hall should also be forward-looking about helping businesses conserve energy so they can put their savings into jobs, he said.

“The city has to play a role in energy financing for small businesses,” Narkewicz said, noting that he is already involved as a councilor in a program that connects local businesses and utility companies in a joint effort to save on energy costs.

Both Bardsley and Narkewicz see economic development potential in the multi-modal center that will be connected to the passenger rail system scheduled to pass through Northampton. Bardsley envisions a light-rail line that would connect the center to the University of Massachusetts and, perhaps, a locally run trolley line similar to the one in Ogunquit, Maine. In general, he would like to see more cooperatively owned businesses modeled after The Pedal People, a local company that transports household trash by bicycle.

Narkewicz said that, as mayor, he would promote job-training and adult education through the James House, a city-owned facility that was recently remodeled for those purposes.

Both candidates also see job potential in the remodeling and expansion of the Three County Fairgrounds. Bardsley said he be careful to ensure that the surrounding neighbors does not feel the brunt of the expansion. Narkewicz said the winning candidate will be involved in writing “the next chapter in the history of the Three County Fair.”

Narkewicz and Bardsley agree on one basic premise: When it comes to creating jobs, there is no simple solution.

“I don’t think there are any easy fixes,” Bardsley said.

The U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement has scheduled the meetings for Tuesday and Wednesday in New Bedford and Martha's Vineyard.

This AP file photo shows offshore wind turbines near the Netherlands.

BOSTON (AP) — State and federal environmental officials are planning two public meetings to discuss offshore wind power development in Massachusetts.

The U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement has scheduled the meetings for Tuesday and Wednesday in New Bedford and Martha's Vineyard.

Officials from the state Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs are also planning to be there.

The purpose of the sessions is to listen to public comment on the bureau's planning and analysis of possible development of offshore wind projects off the coast.

The government is seeking to develop wind energy farms in federal waters south of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, including a 285 square-mile area between Block Island and Martha's Vineyard.

On Wednesday, Parizo said she “wasn’t against” the project.

View full sizeDouglas NiedzweckiAn aerial view of the New City neighborhood, including the lot where the proposed affordable housing development Parsons Village could be built (circled in red).

EASTHAMPTON – Planning Board Chairwoman Ann M. Parizo confused and upset some residents after abstaining from a Tuesday vote that denied a special permit for the proposed Parsons Village affordable housing project. Parizo offered no explanation at the time, but later told The Republican what happened.

On Wednesday, Parizo said she “wasn’t against” the project. She abstained because she wanted Valley Community Development Corp. to make changes to the plans, but that would not have been enough to get an affirmative vote from member Chester A. Ogulewicz, Jr., she said.

All four members needed to vote in favor for the permit to be granted. The board does not use Robert’s Rules of Order, a legislative guide that contains rules for abstaining, so Parizo’s non-vote was not against protocol.

Parsons Village’s fate was sealed when the Barnes Aquifer Protection Advisory Committee was asked to weigh in on the use of a porous pavement stormwater management system. The 4.3-acre lot at 69 Parsons St. is in a Zone II aquifer area and residents had expressed concern the pavement could lead to groundwater contamination.

BAPAC deferred to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, which said porous pavement was not approved for use on that spot in New City.

Valley CDC agreed not to use porous pavement and asked that the permit be granted with that condition.

Ogulewicz, who is running for an at-large seat on the City Council in the Nov. 8 election, insisted the plans be redrawn and resubmitted.

“Re-engineering the site now with non-porous pavement would require a significant expenditure of engineering time and money without knowing that the board ever intended to approve the project,” said Valley CDC’s attorney Edward Etheredge.

“I thought it was a disservice to the applicant,” said Parizo on Wednesday. “I didn’t think it was fair to do that.”

Ogulewicz said the change would not ease his mind about the density, which he said was too high. He voted no, which sparked Parizo’s abstention, then Harry Schumann and Chester Seklecki voted in favor.

Schumann explained his vote by saying, “Because the town needs it,” which Seklecki echoed.

“On the one hand, you’re trying to make 200 people that are looking for someplace to live happy,” said Schumann. “But on the other hand, you make 105 families unhappy. ... It’s really difficult.”

Schumann said he didn’t want people to say the board was deaf to their concerns. “Nothing could be further from the truth,” he said. “We know what’s going on. ... We’re not turtles here with our heads in a shell.”

The 38-unit complex will now be presented to the Zoning Board of Appeals. Valley Community Development Corp. is seeking a comprehensive permit under Chapter 40B, a state law allowing some developments to skirt zoning codes in cities where less than 10 percent of the housing is defined as affordable.

Schumann was quick to remind opponents that the Planning Board can force the developer to abide by the zoning ordinance and set conditions for approval. Chapter 40B doesn’t allow that.

City Councilor George Bitzas hopes to work over the winter with other city officials crafting an ordinance that would allow restaurants the right to offer outdoor dining service.

Agawam City Counselor George Bitzas said he believes the 14 restrictions in his proposed ordinance as well as provisions for the building inspector to enforce them would have been sufficient in terms of controls as well as less political than the special permit process.

AGAWAM – City Councilor George Bitzas has withdrawn his proposed ordinance allowing outdoor dining service at local restaurants, but has not given up on the idea.

Bitzas said Friday that he has withdrawn his proposal to the City Council on the advice of the Law Department. In a memo to Bitzas, City Solicitor Vincent F. Gioscia recommended that strategy on the grounds that implementing changes suggested by officials, including Planning Board members, would change it so much it would better to start from scratch.

Planning Board members and some city councilors had expressed concerned over how Bitzas’s proposal would have allowed restaurants to offer outdoor dining service by right rather than by special permit.

The thinking was that a special permit would allow the city more control. Planning Board members expressed concern that restaurants with very limited space might decide to offer the outdoor dining service. They also suggested outdoor service be allowed by a special permit by the Board of Appeals, something that would require unanimous approval.

Bitzas said he believes the 14 restrictions in his proposed ordinance as well as provisions for the building inspector to enforce them would have been sufficient in terms of controls as well as less political than the special permit process.

However, the councilor said he expects to start working with city departments in the next few weeks and this time will be sure to include representation from planning officials.

“We have to get it right,” Bitzas said, explaining that he is willing to compromise and cooperate.

The Planning Department has agreed to research outdoor dining service ordinances in nearby communities. Bitzas said he is waiting to get some suggested wording from the Law Department before moving ahead.

The councilor said he is hopeful something will be in place by spring as officials have all winter to work on the issue.

“I want to make sure it benefits the businesses and the neighborhoods,” Bitzas said.

Contractor Thomas Russo Jr. has built a number of homes in Agawam and is currently constructing single-family homes at Zack's Estates off School Street.

The Republican file photo

AGAWAM – Local contractor Thomas Russo Jr. has proposed building a 36-unit condominium complex on land off Garden Street to the south of Henry E. Bodurtha Highway, according to documents on file in the Planning Department Office.

Russo said Friday that he will probably ask $265,000 to $275,000 for the 2-bedroom units and about $279,900 for the 3-bedroom units. The 2-bedroom units will have one and a half bathrooms and the 3-bedroom units will have two and a half bathrooms.

Despite the poor economy, Russo is optimistic about the project.

“We have quite a few people interested so far. People have been calling,” Russo said.

Plans call for situating the project on the north side of a 6.6 acres of cleared meadow with 443 feet of frontage on Garden Street. Each unit will have a garage and room for off-street parking. A total of 19 guest parking spaces are planned.

Designs show five two-story buildings with six to eight units each clustered around a short access road. The access road, to be named Maple View Lane, ends in a cul-de-sac. The buildings will be colonial-style, two-story structures with vinyl siding in various earth tones, according to the project’s architect Siegfried Porth.

Russo said he would like to break ground as soon as possible, hopefully before snowfall. The parcel is zoned Residence A-3, which allows for building condominiums. He needs to get the Planning Board to approve site plans as well as authorization from the Conservation Commission as there are significant wetlands in the southern portion of the parcel. The Conservation Commission will discuss the project at its meeting Thursday.

Russo also has plans to break ground in late April or early May on a commercial building for land adjacent to the land proposed for the condominium complex.

Russo has built a number of homes in the city. He is currently working on Zack’s Estates off School Street, where he has permission to build single-family homes.

The Board of Selectmen is expected to make a decision on the tornado-damaged building's fate at a Sept. 25 meeting at Hillside School.

Staff photo by Lori StabileThe Monson Town Office Building on Main Street is pictured here on June 2, the day after the tornado struck Monson.

MONSON - Town officials are weighing what to do with the Town Office Building on downtown Main Street, and they're asking citizens whether it should be fixed or torn down.

The 1925 building -- the former Monson High School -- took a direct hit from the June 1 tornado that tore through town. The twister blew out windows and ripped off 75 percent of the building's roof, along with the corner above the Parks and Recreation Department.

The Town Office building has since been condemned, and no one is allowed inside the dilapidated structure at 110 Main St.

The Board of Selectmen is expected to make a decision on the building's fate at a Sept. 25 meeting at Hillside School -- the new, temporary home of the town offices.

Selectmen discussed the future of the 6,000-square-foot facility at their Sept. 13 meeting. Details are still being ironed out, but options include repairs ranging from $6 million to $7 million.

The town's insurance company, the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association, has determined that the building can be fixed, but it must conform with current building codes and handicapped-accessibility guidelines.

The main entrance facing Main Street would have to become handicapped accessible, said Selectman John F. Goodrich II, who has been closely involved with this process.

Based on preliminary numbers, Goodrich said, a new, 4,500-square-foot building could cost about $8 million, or up to $13 million if a $5 million police station is included in the plan.

The police station, formerly in the lower level of the Town Office Building, is now spread over a series of temporary trailers next to the old station.

"I don’t see how that building can be reconstructed without incurring some significant costs to taxpayers," Goodrich said.

The selectmen said they need to make a decision quickly because water continues to leak into the building every time it rains. Officials estimate it will cost around $400,000 to secure the building before winter.

Goodrich questioned if $6 million should be put into a 100-year-old building, considering the repairs would not fix everything. He said that cost does not include new plumbing or a new boiler.

"To me it's the taxpayers building, and if the taxpayers say, 'Fix what the insurance company is willing to fix and we’ll live with the building however it is,' then that’s the taxpayers decision," Goodrich said.

"I have no problems fixing that building, but I think if we're going to fix that building, it should be fixed (to last) for another 100 years," he added.

"This is just information that people need to digest," Goodrich said, adding that "they need to let us know how they feel."

Town Administrator Gretchen E. Neggers questioned how the town even would fund a new building.

"Because of the financial constraints, we would likely do a repair," Neggers said in a later interview.

She said many residents who spoke at a Sept. 14 community visioning workshop expressed a desire to keep the town offices downtown, in either the same building or a new one. People she's talked to have expressed an interest in having a new building, until they realize that it would be taxpayer-funded, Neggers said.

The Historical Commission is also expected to weigh in on the matter.

Neggers said she's searching for available grants, as Monson also has the "green community" designation which opens it up to funding opportunities for energy-efficient projects.

To date, tornado expenses and cleanup costs are hovering around $6 million; 75 percent of that cost is expected to be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Neggers said 104 residential building permits and six commercial building permits have been issued, with the value of the new construction estimated around $4.5 million.

Sirdearner Walker said her late son, who committed suicide in 2009 at 11 years old after being persistently bullied, would have been proud of how the community has rallied together.

Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover was an 11-year-old sixth-grader at New Leadership Charter School in Springfield, when he hanged himself on April 6, 2009, after what his mother has said was persistent bullying at school.

SPRINGFIELD - One mother's tragedy has over two years sparked solidarity - and pageantry - as hundreds gathered for the second annual Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover Foundation's 5K Road Race at Forest Park on Saturday morning.

Walker-Hoover , 11, hanged himself in his home in 2009 after being bullied by classmates, according to authorities. His mother, Sirdearner L. Walker, has emerged as a national voice of anti-bullying, appearing at the White House and winning herself and her three children a spot on "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."

The well-attended run/2K walk was virtually overrun by production staff and talent for the popular show and became well orchestrated as the likes of host Ty Pennington and Boston Celtic Ray Allen milled around a hyped-up crowd.

To that end, Walker and her three children were stashed in an SUV nearby the park's Cyr Arena for a surprise introduction to the crowd just before the start of the race.

The event's slogan "Be a Buddy, not a Bully," was melded with the show's message for the occasion of "Stand Together" as a website in Walker-Hoover's honor was launched live on stage and runners were greeted with raucous, camera-ready cheers and a balloon message of the same as they crossed the finish line.

Walker held back tears as she crossed the finish line with her children: Dominique, 19; Charles, 8; and Gloria, 7.

Carl would have been 14.

"The past two years have been really difficult. Part of it is ... when I go around and speak, I have to share Carl's story and so I have to relive the most horrible day of my life over and over," Walker said.

Their revamped family home on Northampton Avenue in the city's Mason Square neighborhood was razed and will be resurrected in the show's extreme fashion in one week. The unveiling is Sunday, Sept. 18.

Walker said she has been "kept in a bubble" throughout the construction process because the emotional surprise of a newly tricked-out home for a worthy family is the show's signature punch line.

"Carl would just be so honored and so proud the Greater Springfield community," has rallied together around the issue, his mother said.

Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and Schools Superintendent Alan J. Ingram were honorary co-chairmen of the event.

Many runners and walkers were either friends of the family, or simply drawn in by the cause.

"It was really devastating to the whole community," said Sabrina Bolden, of Springfield, who signed up for the event for the second year because she knows the family well. "You don't often hear of young, black boys doing that. It touched all of us."

Walker also noted that her son's death and her ensuing crusade to raise the profile of youth suicide has united races, ethnic and socioeconomic groups in Greater Springfield and beyond.

The money raised by the foundation goes to scholarships for local students.

ICE agents intercepted a package being shipped from Peru to Connecticut containing 1,008 Pilot pens each filled with approximately 2 grams of liquid cocaine.

Police say each of the 1,008 Pilot pens were filled with approximately two grams of liquid cocaine. (Photo courtesy of Connecticut State Police)

BRANFORD, Conn. - A joint investigation between federal and state authorities in Connecticut this week led to the arrest of two illegal immigrants this week on drug trafficking charges.

According to Lt. Paul Vance, spokesperson for the Connecticut State Police, two illegal immigrants were arrested after an investigation revealed they were receiving Pilot pens filled with liquid cocaine instead of ink from Peru.

On Thursday, the Connecticut State Police South Central Narcotics field office was contacted by the Department Of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to assist them with a controlled delivery in a "narcoterrorism" investigation, Vance said.

The pens were intercepted by federal authorities and then delivered to the intended home, where the two reported illegal immigrants were arrested. (Photo courtesy of Connecticut State Police)

ICE agents intercepted a package being shipped from Peru to 138 Montoya Circle in Branford, Conn. containing 1,008 Pilot pens each filled with approximately two grams of liquid cocaine.

ICE Agents and state police detectives executed a controlled delivery of the package and the package was accepted at the residence, Vance said.

A federal search warrant was executed at the home and more than two kilos of cocaine, $10,919 in cash and a Ford Expedition SUV were confiscated.

Valentin Perez Rivera, 27, and Flore Soto, 49, were both arrested and charged with possession of narcotics and possession with the intent to sell.

Vance said that both men are illegal immigrants being held in lieu of $2 million bail each and were scheduled to appear in New Haven Superior Court on Friday.

Arraignment information wasn't immediately available on Saturday.

Using archival photos, colorful period posters and multiple video screens, “Circus Around the Clock” traces a day in the life of a traveling circus, from the train puffing into town to the tents being collapsed and packed away.

September 14, 2011 - West Springfield - Staff photo by Michael S. Gordon - Greg Parkinson, right, in the Circus Around the Clock exhibit in the Young Building at the Big E. One of his daughters, Julie Parkinson, left, wipes down a restored original Barnum and Bailey Circus Mother Goose float.

WEST SPRINGFIELD – Ringling Brothers-Barnum and Bailey Circus toured this country from 1919 to 1956, bringing to a more provincial America a fever-pitch excitement.

It was front-page news when the circus came to town, as a six-column headline in a 1935 upstate New York newspaper illustrates.

The page is part of a new exhibition at the Big E called “Circus Around the Clock,” which shows the massive effort it took to bring magic to the masses in decades past.

Using archival photos, colorful period posters and multiple video screens, “Circus Around the Clock” traces a day in the life of a traveling circus, from the train puffing into town to the tents being collapsed and packed away.

Wayne McCary, president of the Eastern States Exposition, calls the show “a unique opportunity to showcase the golden age of the big, traveling tent circuses.”

Creator of “Circus Around the Clock” is Greg Parkinson of Parkinson Enterprises, a veteran of 24 years at the Circus World Museum in Baraboo, Wisc.

September 14, 2011 - West Springfield - Staff photo by Michael S. Gordon - Emily Parkinson Smith, left, wipes down one of the clocks that will highlight the many activities of circus life in the Circus Around the Clock exhibit at the Big E. Her sister, Julie Parkinson, right, hangs pictures and posters in the exhibit space in the Young Building.

“The collection is on loan from all over the world,” said Parkinson as he slaved away last week to get the show up in time at the Young Building

The images in the exhibition are mounted on a series of colored walls, with each wall bearing a clock that shows the time of day at which the activity pictured would have happened.

The hard work behind the glamour quickly becomes evident. A sweating cook flips breakfast on a griddle. Horses drag 62-foot poles. Muscular men raise the center pole for a tent that will accommodate 12,000 people.

“Sledge gangs” pound stakes into the ground. An army of uniformed animal handlers lines up. A clown puts on makeup. A river of humanity pours into the Big Top.

Between the matinee and evening performances, the staff sits down together for dinner. At 2 a.m., the circus is packed up and the train is moving again.

Even while the clocks suggest the passage of time in a day, the photos take viewers back to decades past.

While circus costumes may be timeless, audiences and behind-the-scenes workers help locate the pictures in history with their boaters, fedoras, newsboy caps, cuffed jeans and bobbed hair.

“Circus Around the Clock” also offers activities for visitors, including a live juggler and a Hula Hoop contest.

Mini-exhibits include a 1984 poster showing a wasp-waisted bareback rider, the Hartford Circus Fire of 1944, and a magnificent larger-than-life gilded sculpture of Mother Goose that traveled on European tours.

“The chance to bring a museum-quality exhibit that showcases this historic aspect of circus fits our mission to educate, entertain and create memories,” said McCary, noting that circuses still enchant.

The Big E’s own hugely popular “Super Circus” is seen by about 80,000 people every year, said McCary.

officials of the Raising Hope Together Long Term Recovery Group would like to fund the jobs of two people who would work with it to help tornado victims in West Springfield, Westfield and Agawam.

WEST SPRINGFIELD – The West Springfield volunteer organization Raising Hope Together Long Term Recovery Group has learned it can tap into the $3 million in federal funds allocated to the area to employ tornado victims in cleanup projects.

“We need a lot of publicity work and an administrator to do the initiatives we plan,” the Rev. Gareth D. Flanary, who chairs the volunteer group, said Friday.

FEMA helped organize the group when it closed its office here to help out victims earlier this summer to ensure a long-term recovery. The group is to assist victims in Westfield and Agawam as well as in West Springfield.

The U.S. Department of Labor made the National Emergency Grant to the area to be implemented through FutureWorks, an employment agency in Springfield, and the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County Inc.

Flanary’s group is working up job descriptions for an administrator and a person who would handle fundraising and publicity. Officials have been told each job could be funded for six months or at $12,000, whichever comes sooner.

Such employees could work in areas like grant writing, letter writing, record keeping and organizing events, according to Flanary. They would be hired through the regional employment board and FutureWorks.

“Individuals who have been temporarily or permanently dislocated from their jobs as a result of the disaster, those who have suffered from long-term unemployment, and other some other eligible dislocated could be eligible for temporary employment,” Griffin stated in a prepared statement.

Flanary said his organization has also learned that it is eligible to request funds from the approximately $20,000 in donations the city has collected to fund tornado relief projects and related work.

“There are lots of possible things we could ask them for,” Flanary said.

Work still remains to be done cleaning up some lingering debris and taking down some dangerous trees, according to him.

The Raising Hope Together Long Term Recovery Group meets at 9 a.m. each Wednesday at the West Springfield Church of Christ, where Flanary is the minister. The board of directors consists of him, Diane Crowell, and Mohammed Najeeb. The meetings are open to the public.

Griffin and City Councilor Lida M. Powell have organized the motorcycle fund-raiser Take a Twisted Ride for Oct. 8. It will follow the route of the June 1 tornado from West Springfield to Sturbridge, and back to Q Pin 2’s at 885 Riverdale St.

The ride is designed to benefit victims of the tornado through the long term recovery groups for affected cities and towns affected. People can register to take part at Hog Wild Cycles at 136 Bliss St. For more information, contact Powell at (413) 478-0600 or at lidapowell@yahoo.com or Griffin at (413) 237-6240.

The duo returned to Jarrett’s home and put his lifeless body into Rubinson’s SUV and headed to a nightspot where they spent more than an hour drinking – leaving Jarrett’s body in the vehicle, according to police documents. Police say the two men used Jarrett’s card to pay for the drinks on Aug. 27, noting “they did not have Jarrett’s consent.”

DENVER – Two men are accused of driving around Denver with a dead friend, running up a bar tab on his account and using his ATM card at a strip club in what appeared to be a disturbing reflection of the movie “Weekend at Bernie’s.”

Robert Young, 43, and Mark Rubinson, 25, have been charged with abusing a corpse, identity theft and criminal impersonation.

It’s unclear how Jeffrey Jarrett, 43, died, but the men are not charged in his death. The coroner said toxicology tests were pending. Young and Rubinson are free on bond but couldn’t be reached for comment Friday.

In the 1989 Hollywood comedy, two ne’er-do-wells find their boss dead at his ritzy beachfront home and escort his body around town, attempting to save the weekend of luxury they had planned.

In Denver last month, according to a police affidavit that gives an account of a story first reported by the Denver Post, Young arrived at Jarrett’s home and found him unresponsive.

But rather than call the authorities, police say, Young went to find Rubinson.

The duo returned to Jarrett’s home and put his lifeless body into Rubinson’s SUV and headed to a nightspot where they spent more than an hour drinking – leaving Jarrett’s body in the vehicle, according to police documents. Police say the two men used Jarrett’s card to pay for the drinks on Aug. 27, noting “they did not have Jarrett’s consent.”

Rubinson and Young then drove to another restaurant to hang out, Jarrett’s body slumped in the back along for the ride, police say.

They then returned to Jarrett’s home, carried him in and put him in bed, according to court papers.

From there, police say, Rubinson and Young went to get gas and made a stop at a burrito joint, again using Jarrett’s card. The two men then went to a strip club, where authorities say they used Jarrett’s card to take out $400 from an ATM.

As the men left the Shotgun Willie’s strip club parking lot, one told the valet and a police officer standing nearby that “they were driving around with a dead guy and they didn’t know what to do with it and they were just going to go home really fast,” general manager Matthew Dunafon said.

Police went to Jarrett’s home and found the body.

Police say Young told them Jarrett was obviously dead while they were at the first stop of the night.

The Denver District Attorney’s Office said Young posted a $2,500 bond and is scheduled to appear in Denver County Court for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 27.

Rubinson posted a $3,500 bond and is scheduled to appear in Denver County Court on Oct. 4.