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New England braces for cuts in heating aid

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Advocates said New England home heating oil prices are expected to be in the $4-per-gallon range this winter, an increase of about 15 percent over 2008.

Markey.jpgRep. Edward Markey, D-Mass.

ANDREW MIGA
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — With Congress expected to gut a federal home heating aid program, possibly cutting it in half, New England states are preparing to reduce benefits or the number of households receiving aid just as fall begins.

"We're working against a worst-case scenario and we are very worried," said Richard Moffi, fuel assistance program chief for the Vermont Department for Children and Families.

Congress, wrestling with record deficits and facing strong pressure to slash spending in its drawn-out budget battle, is expected to scale back the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.

"Most states are planning on deep cuts" to the program that provides heating and cooling subsidies nationwide, said Mark Wolfe of the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association. "They're planning for a 50 percent cut in the program, and hoping it is not as bad as that."

With its cold winters and heavy reliance on costly oil heat, New England is particularly vulnerable to high energy costs. Many poor and elderly on fixed incomes struggle with heating bills that can run into thousands of dollars.

Wolfe said it will cost on average about $3,300 to heat a home with oil this winter in New England, an increase of about $500 from last winter. About half of the region's homes use oil heat, he said.

If federal funding is halved, Vermont could be forced to reduce its average household benefit by more than half, to about $400, Moffi said. Vermont's average benefit last winter was $866.

Nearly a third of Vermonters receiving benefits are elderly and the vast majority rely solely on Social Security, Moffi said.

"We're approaching this winter with trepidation," said Dale McCormick, director of MaineHousing, a state agency that administers the federal assistance.

Maine, where about 80 percent of households use oil heat, would likely reduce its benefit levels, depending on the size of any federal cuts, she said.

Maine's average benefit last winter was about $805 among 63,842 households served. The average income of recipients is $16,757.

"These are people who live close to the margin," McCormick said. "They will have to cut food or medicine or transportation."

New Hampshire plans to keep its benefit level the same as last winter, about $700. But the state would likely cut the number of households it assists if federal funding is reduced, said Celeste Lovett, who runs the program in New Hampshire.

Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., said cuts could put the poor and elderly at risk in Massachusetts, where about 250,000 household got aid last winter.

"Cutting funding for LIHEAP could force thousands of Massachusetts families to choose between heating and eating," Markey said in a statement.

Wolfe estimated that if federal funding is cut in half, Connecticut's share would fall from about $102.9 million to about $51 million, while Rhode Island would drop from $31 million to about $13 million.

New Hampshire would go from $36 million to about $15 million, Wolfe said, while Massachusetts would fall from $183 million to about $102 million. Vermont would slip from $26 million to about $11 million. Maine would go from $54 million to $32 million.

In fall 2008, amid concerns about rising fuel prices, the government nearly doubled fuel assistance, releasing $5.1 billion to states for the following winter.

But last February, President Barack Obama proposed cutting the $5.1 billion program nearly in half. The House is expected to follow Obama's lead, though the Senate Appropriations Committee recently approved a measure including bout $3.6 billion for the program. It's unclear what Congress will finally decide.

Obama has said his proposed cut was based on the expectation that fuel prices would be lower this winter. He said that if prices spiked he would reconsider.

Heating aid advocates are urging him to take another look. New England governors in a recent letter to congressional leaders noted that August heating oil prices in the region were about $3.80 a gallon, an increase of more than 25 percent from 2010. Advocates said New England home heating oil prices are expected to be in the $4-per-gallon range this winter, an increase of about 15 percent over 2008.

"In this difficult budgetary climate where we must do more with less to put our nation back on a sustainable fiscal path, it is critical that families reliant on critical heating assistance this winter won't bear the brunt of federal spending cuts," said Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, in a statement.

Over the years, the region's lawmakers have often successfully fought cuts to the program in Congress, but this year's tight budgetary constraints have dimmed such hopes.


Political action committee spending soars on Beacon Hill

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A new report by the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance found that Massachusetts PACS set new spending and contribution records during the 2009-2010 elections.

BOSTON – Spending by political action committees is soaring on Beacon Hill.

A new report by the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance found that Massachusetts PACS set new spending and contribution records during the 2009-2010 elections as they tried to influence legislation on Beacon Hill.

During that election cycle, Massachusetts PACs reported $6.8 million in overall expenditures. That’s an increase of more than 18 percent over the prior record of $5.8 million set during the 2007-2008 cycle.

PACS also stepped up their direct contributions to lawmakers and candidates.

PACs sent $2.74 million to state and county candidates during the 2009-2010 elections a more than 2 percent increase over the previous contribution record of $2.68 million during the 2007-08 elections.

Democratic candidates received 89 percent of the total donated by PACs.

Obituaries today: Scott Creelman, 68, of Deerfield; former CEO of Spalding Sports Worldwide

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Obituaries from The Republican today.

Scott Creelman 92311.jpgScott H. Creelman

DEERFIELD - Scott Huntley Creelman, former CEO of Spalding Sports Worldwide, died on Wednesday after a five year battle with cancer. He was 68 years old. He was born January 11, 1943 in Melrose to Wallace R. Creelman and Hilda S. Creelman. Scott graduated from Melrose High School in 1960 where he was a three sport star and was inducted into the Melrose High School Hall of Fame. He attended Dartmouth College in Hanover N.H., where he also received many accolades lettering in both football and baseball, most notably the Bob Blackman Trophy, All-Ivy honors, and records in single season strikeouts and career shutouts. He received his bachelor of arts degree in sociology in 1964 and then attended Columbia University where he received a masters degree in 1966. He worked for the Scott Paper Company in Philadelphia from 1967 until 1974 before beginning his 35 year career with Spalding Sports Worldwide. He started as business manager of the tennis group, but worked his way through the ranks quickly. Throughout his career he held various positions including managing director, international; vice-president, international; vice-president golf products worldwide and executive vice-president, Spalding division. He traveled all over the world growing the various divisions of Spalding and even resided in Cambridge, England from 1979 to 1983. He retired, for a second time, in 2008. He served on many boards throughout the years including: Historic Deerfield, the Sara's Wish Foundation, the Bement School, Alliance Corporation, Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council, and The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts in Hatfield. He also served as the honorary chairman of the Volleyball Hall of Fame in Holyoke and won the Henry Butova Award, which honors a football player or individual from the region who is devoted to the game. He was also a member of the Kittansett Club in Marion, the New Bedford Yacht and was a former member of Crumpin Fox Golf Club in Bernardston.

Obituaries from The Republican:

Small plane crashes in South Deerfield, one person reportedly trapped in wreckage

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A small plane crashed near routes 5 and 10 in South Deerfield at about 4:15 p.m. and there are re ports of at least one person being trapped in the wreckage.

deerfield plane crash.jpegA photo of a small plane crash in South Deerfield, taken by Michael Arietta and posted on his Twitter account.

DEERFIELD -A small plane crashed near routes 5 and 10 in South Deerfield at about 4:15 p.m. and there are reports of at least one person being trapped in the wreckage, according to police.

State Police report the plane, a single-engine Cessna, crashed in a field. Preliminary reports are that one person is trapped and emergency crews are working to free the person.

The state police are reporting two people have been injured, and each has been transported to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. Their injuries were described as not life-threatening.

Their names were not released.

Michael Arietta, who has a Twitter account under the name @Migo_Migo, posted a photo of the wreckage moments after the accident. He reports the crash site is near the corporate offices of Yankee Candle

Reporter Diane Lederman is on the scene. She reports by cell phone that two people, a man and a woman, were injured and have been taken away by ambulance, presumably to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton. The extent of their injuries were not known.

Police closed routes 5 and 10 for a while after the accident, but the road has since been reopened in both directions, police said.

The crash scene is in a wooded area on the east side of routes 5 and 10, just north of the Yankee Candle corporate offices on Yankee Candle Way, she said.

The plane, based on its tale number, is a Cessna Centurian registered out of Wilmington, Del. It apparently had taken off from Barnes Airport in Westfield en route to Bar Harbor, Maine about 30 minutes before the crash was reported.

ae crash 1.jpgState police set up a perimeter around the area off routes 5 and 10 where a small plane crashed at 4:15 p.m. Friday.


Michael Arietta of Deerfield was just getting off work at Yankee Candle and was about to leave the parking lot with his 17-year-old son, Domenic, when they saw the plane coming in really low and obviously in trouble.

When he first saw it, it was flying on its side so that Arietta could see the top of the wings. IT flew over Route 10 just a few hundred feet off the ground, he said.

"It was too low and too fast. It went by from right to left about as fast as I can move my arm," he said.

He said he lost sight of it before impact, but his son told him it appeared to level off just before it crashed into the trees.

When they made it out to the woods, they found one of the occupants was out of the plane and walking around. Another person was trapped inside. He said he could not see if the person trapped was badly injured. He said he is hoping the person was not seriously hurt.

More information will be posted as it become available.

Scene of plane crash in South Deerfield

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Jonathan Hart plotted for weeks to kill his great-uncle Joseph Cernauskas of Hardwick, court documents say

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The statement of facts included in the court files reveals that the murder of Joseph Cernauskas had been planned since mid-August, and Jonathan Hart attempted to recruit others in the plot.

HARDWICK - When firefighters arrived at 151 Off Maple St. in the Wheelwright section of Hardwick on Sept. 6, they were responding to the scene of a murder that had been planned for weeks, according to court records.

The home was fully engulfed in flames and there was a puddle of blood on the outhouse floor, along with bloody bedding items and a bloody pillow.

The homeowner - Joseph Cernauskas, a former selectman just three days shy of his 85th birthday - was nowhere to be found. His van, gone.

joseph cernauskas.jpgJoseph Cernauskas

Drag marks were in the grass and mud in front of the outhouse, and a bucket car seat nearby was covered with bloody smear marks.

Now, his great-nephew, Jonathan Hart, 21, of Barre, and his best friend, Jason F. Lopez, 19, of 24D Highland Village, Apt. D, Ware, are in jail in Florida and awaiting arraignment on charges of murder, arson, armed home invasion, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Lopez tried to commit suicide by jumping in front of a moving car in Florida on Sept. 14, according to a statement of facts included in court files for both Hart and Lopez in Western Worcester District Court in East Brookfield.

The statement of facts reveals that the murder of Cernauskas had been planned since mid-August, and Hart attempted to recruit others in the plot. It also reveals the timeline of events that led to the capture of Hart and Lopez.

A little over a week after the suspicious fire, witnesses told state police detectives that the friends discussed the plan to kill Cernauskas, and their getaway to Florida.

One witness - described as a best friend of Lopez - met with Massachusetts state troopers in Florida, at the Tarpon Springs Police Department. Hart asked this witness to assist in a plot to murder a "pedophile" and was told Lopez would be participating. The witness declined involvement, but was called by Hart and Lopez on Sept. 11. Once the friends met up with the witness in Florida, they shared "intimate details of the murder," the statement of facts stated.

Three days after the fire, the 1999 Town & Country van was found in Ware, at an elderly housing complex on Church Street. The rear passenger bucket seat was missing. Inside the van were gloves, what appeared to be a plastic tarp, and red-brown stains on several items.

On Sept. 13, Hart's grandmother, Helen Hart, contacted the North Brookfield Police to report that her grandson had been missing for several days, and that he took her 1996 white Dodge Stratus. The car was entered into the National Crime Information Center database as stolen, and troopers discovered that the car was stopped by police on Interstate 95 on Sept. 11 in Georgia, where Lopez was given a speeding ticket.

Felony warrants were then obtained on Sept. 14 in East Brookfield district court for Hart and Lopez for larceny of a motor vehicle. That same day, Lopez jumped in front of the car, and was taken to a Tampa area hospital where he was later arrested on the larceny of a motor vehicle warrant.

On Sept. 15, Hart was stopped in the Stratus by Tarpon Springs police in the area of the Lake View Apartments, which is directly across from the Tarpon Springs Police Department.

Once in custody, both Hart and Lopez confessed to the murder of Cernauskas and arson of his home, according to the statement of facts.

A body believed to be Cernauskas was found Sept. 20 off Blair Road in Barre in "an advanced state of decomposition," according to the court file. The body was found near a remote area described by Lopez and Hart, as well as a witness.

It is not yet known when Hart and Lopez will be arraigned. Hart had no prior criminal record. Lopez was on probation for breaking into the Honeywell Farms convenience store on East Street in Ware in June 2010; he stole cigarettes, Ware police said.

Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said Cernauskas had no criminal record. At a press conference Wednesday, Early did not discuss any problems between Cernauskas and his great-nephew.

Cernauskas, described as a frail man who loved to read and who had an extensive book collection, lived in the home he grew up in with no running water and only the outhouse.

His sister-in-law, Norma G. Cernauskas, of North Brookfield, said she and her husband, John Cernauskas, are upset to learn that a relative is to blame for Joseph's murder.

"We're heartbroken," she said.

She said she and her husband, who is 83, have had trouble sleeping at night since the ordeal began. She said she is not sure if her husband will be able to "hold up" to attend the arraignments.

She said Hart alternated between living with his grandmother and his parents, and occasionally would see his great-uncle at his grandmother's home. She said she doesn't know why Hart would want to kill his great-uncle.

"The big question is why?" Norma Cernauskas said.

Ludlow selectmen agree to negotiate for installation of solar system for town landfill

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Borrego Solar Systems is proposing to lease the landfill from the town for 20 years.

Ludlow solar 92311.jpgRonald C.DeCurzio and David Tuohey, from left, of Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company, stand in front of the company's solar panels located on their property in Ludlow. A private company is currently negotiating with the town to put a similar installation on the former landfill property.

LUDLOW - The Board of Selectmen agreed on Tuesday to negotiate a contract with Borrego Solar Systems of Lowell for solar installation panels which will cover 14 acres of the closed town landfill on Holyoke Street.

Borrego Solar Systems is proposing to lease the landfill from the town for 20 years for the installation of solar panels for the production of electricity which would be sold to Western Massachusetts Electric Co.

James P.”Chip” Harrington, the chair of the town’s Energy Committee, told the Board of Selectmen that if electricity costs the town 9 cents per killowatt hour, if the solar operation is built, the town could purchase electricity for municipal use from Borrego Solar Systems for 5.5 cents per killowatt hour.

“We are projecting a municipal electricity savings of $80,000 to $150,000 per year,” Harrington said.

He added, “That would be a significant cost savings to the town.”

Harrington said that voters at the Oct. 3 special Town Meeting will be asked to vote to give the Board of Selectmen the authority to enter into the 20-year lease agreement with Borrego Solar Systems.

Harrington said he believes an agreement can be negotiated in 30 to 40 days.

After that, permitting by the state could take approximately six months, and there will be a six month construction timetable, Harrington said.

Harrington said Borrego will build and maintain the solar system.

Jared Connell, senior project developer for Borrego Solar Systems, said the project also will come with an educational component including a solar energy curriculum which can be provided for the Ludlow public schools.

Selectmen said they will appoint a committee to negotiate a contract with Borrego Solar Systems. The committee will include representatives from the Board of Selectmen, the Energy Committee and the Board of Public Works.

Authorization to enter into a contract between the Board of Selectmen and Borrego Solar Systems is subject to approval by voters at the special Town Meeting, Harrington said.

Wall Street: Stock market closes on quiet note, despite concerns about world economy

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The Dow Jones industrial average rose nearly 38 points, to close above 10,771.

Wall Street 92311.jpgBank of America specialist Scott Wetzel monitors stock prices at the New York Stock Exchange, Friday in New York. Investors fear that a global recession may already be under way.

NEW YORK – A brutal week for the stock market ended on a quiet note Friday, but worries about the global economy continued to pound copper, gold and other commodities.

Fears about Europe’s debt were stoked early Friday by news that Moody’s Investors Service had downgraded its ratings of eight Greek banks by two notches. Finance ministers from 20 large countries pledged to take “all necessary actions to preserve the stability of the banking systems and financial markets.” But they offered nothing specific.

Europe’s problems helped feed the heavy selling this week. But the chief worry was that the U.S. is headed for another recession and that policy makers are running out of ways to fight it. Congress was in another standoff over spending that could force the government to shut down.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 37.65 points Friday, or 0.4 percent, to close at 10,771.48. The Dow lost 6.4 percent for the week, its biggest drop since the week that ended Oct. 10, 2008, when it fell 18 percent. That’s was at the height of the financial crisis.

The S&P 500 index rose 6.87 points Friday, or 0.6 percent, to 1,136.43. For the week, the index dropped 6.5 percent, its worst slide since the first week of August.

The Nasdaq rose 27.56, or 1.1 percent, to 2,483.23.

John Merrill, chief investment officer at Tanglewood Wealth Management in Houston, said Friday’s respite might not last.

“Nothing goes in a straight line, even markets that are declining steeply,” he said. Merrill said the market was moderating as traders bought shares that looked like bargains after the week’s selling. But the problems that have weighed on markets for months now show no sign of letting up.

It’s common after a big plunge for volatility to ease as investors start buying stocks that look cheap. Bargain-hunters “bring some stability into the market for a day or two, until they’ve used up their buying power,” Merrill said. “Then the macro issues surface again” and volatility returns.

Commodities from soybeans to metals sank Friday. Gold dropped 5.9 percent, copper lost 6 percent and silver 17.7 percent. Commodity producers also dropped. Range Resources Corp. fell 11 percent to $58.53. Newmont Mining Corp. fell 3.6 percent to $62.86.

Treasury yields rose slightly from record lows reached Thursday as the quieter stock market reduced traders’ hunger for lower-risk bets such as Treasurys. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.80 percent from 1.73 percent late Thursday. Demand for Treasurys drives their prices higher and their yields lower.

Traders had sold gold to raise cash during Thursday’s sell-off. They dumped other commodities that tend to lose value when the economy weakens, such as oil and raw materials.

Nearly two stocks rose for every one that fell on the New York Stock Exchange. Trading volume was slightly above average at 5.1 billion shares.

Attorney General Martha Coakley's office reports 300 complaints about credit card robo scam

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The scam also involves text messages sent to cell phones.

Master Card.jpeg

BOSTON - Attorney General Martha Coakley's office reported Friday that it has received 300 complaints about a robo-calling scam aimed at gaining access to consumers' banking and Social Security information.

The scam also involves text messages sent to cell phones, according to the attorney general's office.

According to a script released by Coakley's office, a typical call says:

"This is a call from (NAME) Bank. Your Mastercard account has been locked. Please press 1 now to unlock."

The recording then instructs individuals to enter their card number in order to activate it.

"We are again warning people not to provide any personal banking information based on an automated phone call or text message," Coakley said in a prepared statement.


Monson's Adams-IGA market reopens after tornado damage

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The market was closed for four months after the tornado hit town.

Monson tornado market 92311.jpgWork is seen going on at the Adams Hometown Market at 115 Main Street in Monson about a month after the store was hit by tornado June 1. The store has since reopened.

MONSON - Gail P. Dunn could barely contain her excitement as she shopped at the Adams-IGA hometown market on Friday morning.

"Oh wow! This is beautiful!" Dunn said, as she wheeled her shopping cart into the market's adjoining liquor store.

"I am ecstatic. Oh joy, oh bliss, we have our store back. You never realize how much you miss something until it's gone," Dunn, of Monson, said. "My husband was so excited he said he was going to be here at 7 in the morning."

The market, on downtown Main Street, was one of the casualties of the tornado that ripped through the town on June 1, leaving the residents without a local market to shop at for nearly four months as repairs were under way.

The roof was destroyed, the liquor store window was knocked out, and a 2,000-pound steel beam flew across the parking lot. Water leaked in the building, and walls were replaced.

A "soft opening" was held on Sept. 16, according to David R. Hess, vice president of operations for Adams. But Friday was the official grand re-opening.

The outside facade is brighter and more modern looking. Inside the 28,000-square-foot store, there are historic photographs of the town on the walls. The customer service desk no longer hovers over the store in a corner and is out in the open, near the checkout area. The liquor store also has a more open layout, and with a walk-in beer cooler.

There are 43 employees between the market and liquor store, Hess said, adding that hiring is still ongoing.

Hess said it was an emotional day when the store first opened its doors, with lots of hugging between customers and employees.

"We're so happy to be back open and back to being a part of the community again. We truly, truly missed all of our customers, and we are so happy all of our employees are back to work . . . It was a tough couple of months," Hess said.

Pamela Richardson, a customer service supervisor, said she is happy to be back to work.

Whenever she ran into someone from Monson, they would ask her when the store was reopening. She has worked at the market for 19 years.

"It was very difficult not having the store," Richardson said.

Adams is Monson's lone grocery store. So when it closed for repairs, residents had to travel to another town for groceries. Considering the high gas prices, Irene C. Demetrius said she is happy she can stay in Monson now to do her shopping.

Maria I. Cacela, of Wilbraham, said having Adams open gives people another shopping option in the area.

"It's also wonderful for the community. It's one of the hubs of the town. I always find it worth coming. They have a great meat selection," Cacela said.

Hess said there was a line of customers waiting for the store to open on Friday for the grand reopening. The first 200 were given a free half-gallon of milk and loaf of bread, as well as a glass depicting the swirling tornado with the message "Adams Market, June 1, 2011, We Survived!"

Kathy Howard, of Monson, who was shopping with family members, said she lives about a quarter-mile away from the market and is glad it is finally back open. She especially likes the prepared meals.

"It's easy to come after work," Howard said.

Southwick's 6-mile portion of the Columbia Greenway Trail is now complete

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Southwick residents can now use the rail trail from Westfield to Farmington, Conn.

Southwick rail trail 92311.jpgState State Sen. Michael R. Knapik, Southwick Selectman Fred Arnold, Southwick Parks and Recreation officials Daniel Call and state Rep. Nicholas A. Boldyga, from left, participate in the grand opening of the final section of Southwick's rail trail, along Feeding Hills Road, Friday. Waiting for their first ride were Rodger and Loretta Yargeau of Southwick, and Gerry Ledger of Granby Conn.

SOUTHWICK - Riding the Jog, the town's six-mile rail trail, has become a daily activity for residents Loretta and Rodger Yargeau.

"I ride the trail everyday. I enjoy it very much," said Loretta Yargeau as she and her husband joined town and state officials Friday for the official opening of Southwick's 3-mile Phase 2 of the trail.

"I join her as often as I can," said Rodger Yargeau. "It is a wonderful trail," he said.

Southwick's portion of the Columbia Greenway Trail extends from Suffield, Conn. to the Westfield city line. In all, bikers and hikers have access to nearly 30 miles of trail from Westfield to Farmington, Conn.

The Yargeaus rode their bikes from Southwick to Simsbury, Conn. and back Friday morning.

Southwick Parks and Recreation Commission member and bike trail liaison Daniel D. Call said the town's stretch of the trail "was 17 years in the making and this is another benchmark that Southwick has made."

State Sen. Michael R. Knapik, R-Westfield, noted that the Southwick's interest in joining in the Columbia Greenway Trail project was born by a "group of fifth grade students here back in 1995" while state Rep. Nicholas Boldyga, R-Southwick, called the trail "a great accomplishment for the town."

Selectman Chairman Fred B. Arnold said completion is the "result of a joint effort by several town boards and commissions with state and federal financial support."

Kelly McDermott of Simsbury, Conn., and Barbara J. Vanderhoof of Agawam, said they enjoy walking the trail despite a light rain that was falling Friday afternoon.

"It is new, it is clear and level and we feel safe walking it," said Vanderhoof. "It is also great for seniors to use," she added.

Also enjoying a bicycle ride on the trail Friday was Sasha M. Zatyrka, of Suffield. "I ride several times a week. It is awesome," she said.

Phase I of the trail, from Suffield to Point Grove Road opened in May 2010. Construction of the six mile trail cost $4 million with most of the funding coming from federal highway funding.

Two people injured in Deerfield plane crash near Yankee Candle offices

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The small-single engine Cessna had just taken off from Barnes Airport in Westfield about 30 minutes before the crash.

deerfield plane crash.jpegA photo of a small plane crash in South Deerfield, taken by Michael Arietta and posted on his Twitter account.

This is an update of a story that was originally posted at 4:36 p.m.

DEERFIELD — Two people were injured Friday afternoon when their small, single-engine plane crashed in wooded area near the Yankee Candle Co.’s main offices off routes 5 and 10, officials said.

The crash, reported at 4:15 p.m., closed routes 5 and 10 in both directions for more than an hour as police and firefighters responded to the scene.

One person was trapped in the wreckage and needed to be freed by the Deerfield fire department.

State police reported the plane’s two occupants were each taken by ambulance to Baystate Medical Center for treatment of injuries described as not life-threatening.

The crash remains under investigation. Investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration were expected on scene Friday night.

The single-engine Cessna Centurion was registered out of Wilmington, Del. It had taken off from Barnes Airport in Westfield en route to Bar Harbor, Maine about 30 minutes before the crash was reported, police said.

Michael Arietta of Deerfield was just getting off work at Yankee Candle and was about to leave the parking lot with his 17-year-old son, Domenic, when they saw the plane coming in really low and obviously in trouble.

When he first saw it, it was flying on its side so that Arietta could see the top of the wings.

It flew over Route 10 just a few hundred feet off the ground, and he could make out the pilot trying to control it, he said.

“It was too low and too fast. It went by from right to left about as fast as I can
move my arm,” he said.

He said he lost sight of it before impact, but his son told him it appeared to level off just before it crashed into the trees.

When they made it out to the woods, they found one of the occupants was out of the plane and walking around. Another person was trapped inside, he said.

The crash scene was in a thickly wooded area on the east side of routes 5 and 10. From the side of the road, the wreckage was barely visible.

Arietta said he thought the trees may have slowed the plane down before it hit the ground.


New England states may be forced to reduce heating aid for struggling families if Congress cuts LIHEAP funds

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With its cold winters and heavy reliance on costly oil heat, New England is particularly vulnerable to high energy costs and many poor and elderly struggle with heating bills that can run into thousands of dollars.

heating oil.JPGIf Congress cuts the Low Income Heating Energy Assistance Program, New England states may have to reduce either aid amounts for heating assistance or the numbers of recipients this winter.


By ANDREW MIGA
Associated Press

WASHINGTON — With Congress expected to gut a federal home heating aid program, possibly cutting it in half, New England states are preparing to reduce benefits or the number of households receiving aid just as fall begins.

Congress, wrestling with record deficits and facing strong pressure to slash spending in its drawn-out budget battle, is expected to scale back the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.

New England Farmworkers Council energy program director Mary Ann Koblyanski said a 50 percent cut would be “devastating” for the households in Springfield that need the council’s help.

“It is going to be tough. It is going to be a very tough year,” Koblyanski said.

Last winter, her organization assisted more than 12,000 households in Springfield, where it received applications from about 14,400. It gave out about $9 milllion in aid, a figure that could shrink to $4.5 million.

The council may be reduced to giving out only about enough for one tank of heating oil per household, which she said will not last a winter.

Last year, she said the council could offer as much as $1,000 per household, but that would have to drop to $400—$500 if the cut materializes. A 50 percent cut could also mean having to slash her program’s staffing of 15 employees in half, according to Koblyanski.

“We are real concerned,” Heriberto Flores, executive director of the farmworkers council, said.

“We’re working against a worst-case scenario and we are very worried,” said Richard Moffi, fuel assistance program chief for the Vermont Department for Children and Families.

“Most states are planning on deep cuts” to the program that provides heating and cooling subsidies nationwide, said Mark Wolfe of the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association. “They’re planning for a 50 percent cut in the program, and hoping it is not as bad as that.”

With its cold winters and heavy reliance on costly oil heat, New England is particularly vulnerable to high energy costs. Many poor and elderly on fixed incomes struggle with heating bills that can run into thousands of dollars.

Wolfe said it will cost on average about $3,300 to heat a home with oil this winter in New England, an increase of about $500 from last winter. About half of the region’s homes use oil heat, he said.

If federal funding is halved, Vermont could be forced to reduce its average household benefit by more than half, to about $400, Moffi said. Vermont’s average benefit last winter was $866.

Nearly a third of Vermonters receiving benefits are elderly and the vast majority rely solely on Social Security, Moffi said.

“We’re approaching this winter with trepidation,” said Dale McCormick, director of MaineHousing, a state agency that administers the federal assistance.

Maine, where about 80 percent of households use oil heat, would likely reduce its benefit levels, depending on the size of any federal cuts, she said.

Maine’s average benefit last winter was about $805 among 63,842 households served. The average income of recipients is $16,757.

“These are people who live close to the margin,” McCormick said. “They will have to cut food or medicine or transportation.”New Hampshire plans to keep its benefit level the same as last winter, about $700. But the state would likely cut the number of households it assists if federal funding is reduced, said Celeste Lovett, who runs the program in New Hampshire.

Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., said cuts could put the poor and elderly at risk in Massachusetts, where about 250,000 household got aid last winter.

“Cutting funding for LIHEAP could force thousands of Massachusetts families to choose between heating and eating,” Markey said in a statement.

Wolfe estimated that if federal funding is cut in half, Connecticut’s share would fall from about $102.9 million to about $51 million, while Rhode Island would drop from $31 million to about $13 million.

New Hampshire would go from $36 million to about $15 million, Wolfe said, while Massachusetts would fall from $183 million to about $102 million. Vermont would slip from $26 million to about $11 million. Maine would go from $54 million to $32 million.

In fall 2008, amid concerns about rising fuel prices, the government nearly doubled fuel assistance, releasing $5.1 billion to states for the following winter.But last February, President Barack Obama proposed cutting the $5.1 billion program nearly in half. The House is expected to follow Obama’s lead, though the Senate Appropriations Committee recently approved a measure including bout $3.6 billion for the program. It’s unclear what Congress will finally decide.

Obama has said his proposed cut was based on the expectation that fuel prices would be lower this winter. He said that if prices spiked he would reconsider.

Heating aid advocates are urging him to take another look. New England governors in a recent letter to congressional leaders noted that August heating oil prices in the region were about $3.80 a gallon, an increase of more than 25 percent from 2010. Advocates said New England home heating oil prices are expected to be in the $4-per-gallon range this winter, an increase of about 15 percent over 2008.

“In this difficult budgetary climate where we must do more with less to put our nation back on a sustainable fiscal path, it is critical that families reliant on critical heating assistance this winter won’t bear the brunt of federal spending cuts,” said Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, in a statement.

Over the years, the region’s lawmakers have often successfully fought cuts to the program in Congress, but this year’s tight budgetary constraints have dimmed such hopes.

Republican reporter Sandra Constantine contributed to this story

Diocese of Springfield and protesting Mater Dolorosa parishoners remain at impasse over church closing

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Mater Dolorosa and Holy Cross churches in Holyoke closed June 30 and merged into the new Our Lady of the Cross. They worship at the former Holy Cross Church.

mater dolorosaView full sizeMembers of Mater Dolorosa Church, seen here in June, are continuing their 24-hour vigil in the now-closed church to protest its closing


HOLYOKE – A preliminary effort to find a resolution between protesters who have been occupying the Mater Dolorosa Church and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, who would like them to leave, has had little success.

Diocesan officials met with group leaders after months of refusing to negotiate with them, saying they are trespassing in the church.

“We got nowhere,” said Monsignor John J. Bonzagni, who is the head of the pastoral planning committee which oversees church closings for the diocese.

Members disputed documentation showing the church’s debt of about $700,000 and aired other complaints, he said.

Victor Anop, a lawyer from Chicopee and vigil member, agreed the meeting was unproductive.

“We just exchanged information,” he said. “They have an entrenched position. They don’t really want to talk but we will continue to have a dialogue with them to see how it goes.”

At the same time protesters are working with a lawyer from Rome to continue the process to save the church.

On Tuesday, a ruling came down from the Council of Churches at the Vatican that upheld Springfield Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell’s decision to close the church.

Mater Dolorosa and Holy Cross churches in Holyoke closed June 30 and merged into the new Our Lady of the Cross. They worship at the former Holy Cross Church.

Anop said his group will first ask the Congregation of the Clergy to reconsider its decision based on new information. After the appeal was filed, protesters hired an engineer to examine the church steeple and he ruled it is in good condition.

One of the reasons cited for closing Mater Dolorosa is engineers hired by the diocese said the steeple is in poor condition and they recommended its removal.

Bonzagni questioned if asking for a reconsideration will work, especially if the Vatican is faced with conflicting engineering reports.

“In the decree itself the congregation said that the recourse is the Apostolic Signatura. They are telling them to go to the next highest level,” he said.

If the request for the reconsideration fails, the group plans to submit its appeal to the Apostolic Signature. The lawyer they hired, Carlo Gullo, is one of a few certified to practice law at that level, Anop said.

The Diocese continues to ask the protesters to vacate the church, especially since it wants to remove the steeple before the winter. It has promised to cap the roof and place the steeple in the parking lot and do nothing else with the church until final appeals are heard, Bonzagni said.

“It is questionable where it gets anyone,” he said.

Two of the closings in Western Massachusetts that were reversed were for Chicopee churches where no vigil was held.

But Anop said a vigil shows officials that they are serious.

“A vigil is a method of bringing it to the attention of the Diocese,” he said. “If we didn’t have people coming in to pray in large numbers, we wouldn’t be continuing it.”

Pioneer Valley home sales for August show big jump from a year ago; local Realtors remain cautious about market turnaround

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The increase in August 2011 sales looks so good because sales in August 2010 were historically awful, a real estate official said.

HomeSale0924.jpgView full size

SPRINGFIELD – Sales of single-family homes in the Pioneer Valley jumped a whopping 41.4 percent this August over August of 2010, according to statistics released by the Realtor Association of Pioneer Valley Inc., a development attributed to low sales last summer.

The rebound was led by Hampshire County, where the jump was an incredible 70 percent this August over August of 2010.

Association president-elect Corinne A. Fitzgerald Friday tempered the deceptively rosy news by pointing out that figures look unusually high because August of 2010 represented a very low point in sales of single-family homes.

She pointed out many home buyers last year rushed to close sales by June 30, 2010,
in order to get a $7,500 federal tax credit. As a result, sales dropped in the months following the deadline, she said.

However, the high numbers do show that the valley’s real estate market is healthy, Fitzgerald said.

“We are definitely seeing good signs of the market getting healthy,” she said. “We’ve been seeing a pretty well balanced market for several months now.”

A report by the association shows 454 sales in August 2011 versus 321 in August of 2010 for the Pioneer Valley. The sales volume jumped from $71,426,575 to $105,600,982 with the average sales price growing from $222,513 to $232,601.

The median sales price also increased, from $192,000 to $210,000.

Hampshire County saw its median sales price climb 10 percent from $250,000 to $275,000, while the average sales price vaulted from $275,326 to $313,680.

Total monthly sales in Hampshire County grew from 74 to 125, a jump of 70 percent. Total sales volume increased from $20,374,100 to $39,209,978.

In Franklin County, the news was also extremely good, with the total number of sales jumping 33.3 percent from 48 to 64, with the value of all home sales increasing from $10,915,250 to $14,420,115.

However, the price of the average house sold in August declined slightly from $227,401 to $225,314, while the median sales price increased from $189,000 to $204,500.

Hampden County also posted an increase in total house sales. Its total home sales volume grew 31.1 percent from 199 to 265, with total sales climbing from $40,137,225 to $51,970,889. However, the average price of homes sold in Hampden County from August of 2010 to this August dropped. The average sales price declined from $201,695 to $196,110, while the median sales price climbed from $172,500 to $178,000.

In another piece of good news in the local real estate world, the end of August 2010 saw a 10.3-month supply of homes at its current rate of sales, while that supply dropped to 7.4 months this August. The median price of a home decreased 4.5 percent from $219,900 in August of 2006 to $210,000 this past August.

Springfield police: Suspect wearing 'Harvard' T-shirt robs man at knifepoint

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A man claimed he was robbed at knifepoint by a suspect wearing a Harvard University T-shirt around 2:40 a.m. Saturday in the city's South End.

SPRINGFIELD -- His T-shirt may have been emblazoned with the name of the nation's preeminent university, but his actions were more minor league than Ivy League.

Springfield police are seeking a white male who was wearing a Harvard University T-shirt when he robbed a man at knifepoint in the city's South End early Saturday morning.

The incident was reported around 2:40 a.m. and allegedly occurred near 11 Acushnet Ave., where an unidentified victim told police that a clean-shaven man wearing the college shirt robbed him of more than $200 cash.

The victim was hurt during the armed robbery, although the extent of his injuries were not immediately known.

He told investigating officers that he does not know the suspect, who was last seen on foot on Acushnet Avenue. The suspect is about 5 feet, 8 inches tall with a medium build, according to a police description.

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

THE MAP BELOW shows the approximate location of an armed robbery reported around 2:40 a.m. Saturday in Springfield's South End:


View Larger Map


Springfield stabbing victim shows up at hospital for treatment

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A man who claimed he was stabbed on Dwight Street showed up at Baystate Medical Center around 2:56 a.m. Saturday for treatment of a laceration to his arm.

SPRINGFIELD -- A man who claimed he was stabbed during an altercation on Dwight Street early Saturday showed up at Baystate Medical Center with an arm laceration just before 3 a.m., according to police reports.

Details remained sketchy, but that incident was among multiple knife assaults investigated by city police early Saturday morning, including a 2:20 a.m. incident at a South End gas station/convenience store.

Additional information about that incident was not immediately available, but the victim apparently was stabbed or cut with a knife during an attempted robbery outside the station.

The victim went inside the store to get away from the suspect, described by police as a tall Hispanic male with a "very large knife."

A precise street address was not immediately available. More information will be posted on MassLive.com as it becomes available.

Springfield police bust alleged pot dealers

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A pair of suspected drug dealers who operated from their Indian Orchard home were arrested during a police raid Thursday.

SPRINGFIELD -- City police, responding to complaints from the community, have shut down an alleged drug-dealing operation in the Indian Orchard neighborhood.

Members of the Springfield Police Department Narcotics Bureau, under the direction of Capt. C. Lee Bennett, arrested two residents of 1128 Worcester St. after raiding the home around 3:30 p.m. Thursday, according to Sgt. John M. Delaney, executive aide to Springfield Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet.

Investigating detectives had received information from the neighborhood's community council and residents that drugs were being sold from the Worcester Street home, Delaney said.

During their lengthy investigation, undercover police officers noticed "a great deal of traffic coming and going from that target address," Delaney said.

Police implemented a search warrant late Thursday afternoon and arrested 27-year-old George Lovejoy and 24-year-old Elisha Mcintyre, both of whom were charged with marijuana possession with intent to distribute and school-zone drug violations.

Delaney said the latter charge was lodged against the Worcester Street residents because of the proximity of their base of operation to Kennedy Middle School.

Police said the search of the home yielded more than a pound of marijuana, $182 cash, drug paraphernalia and drug packaging materials.

Delaney said police are working with the building's landlord to evict Lovejoy and Mcintyre.

In another drug case, Officer Cisco Duncan arrested a Springfield woman around 3:30 p.m. Thursday for allegedly trying use a phony prescription to buy powerful painkillers from a CVS pharmacy in Sixteen Acres.

According to police, 30-year-old Chrissy Metras of 22 Stephanie Circle used a fake prescription when she tried to purchase oxycodone pills from the store at 1242 Parker St. Metras was charged with one count of uttering a false prescription, police said.

Delaney said the recent drug arrests were part of an overall effort to step up the fight against drug dealers in Springfield .

THE MAP BELOW shows the approximate location of an alleged drug-dealing operation in the Indian Orchard section of Springfield:


View Larger Map

25 tornado-damaged Springfield homes to be rebuilt in 5 days, beginning next week

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The seemingly Herculean effort is being handled by the Springfield chapter of Rebuilding Together, whose "Funnel Your Energy for Rebuilding Together" campaign kicks off Oct. 1.

lovey.JPGColleen Loveless, executive director of Rebuilding Together

SPRINGFIELD -- The Springfield chapter of Rebuilding Together, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to affordable housing and revitalization, is poised to begin repairing 25 tornado-damaged city homes in just five days.

The seemingly Herculean feat is slated to begin Oct. 1 and conclude Oct. 5, according to Thomas T. Walsh, communications director for Mayor Domenic J. Sarno.

Walsh said a press conference is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Monday on the steps of Springfield City Hall to announce the launch of "Funnel Your Energy for Rebuilding Together," a revitalization initiative that will include around 1,000 volunteers.

Colleen Loveless, executive director of the local chapter of Rebuilding Together, will serve as master of ceremonies for the launch event. Expected to be on hand are Sarno and Delores Culp, a disabled military veteran whose East Forest Park home is among those slated for repair during "October Rebuild Week," as the 5-day initiative is dubbed.

East Forest Park was among the Springfield neighborhoods hardest hit by the June 1 tornado, and Culp's home on Amanda Street was no exception.

The homes chosen for the revitalization effort belong to 25 low-income families, who either had inadequate insurance or no insurance, according to Rebuilding Together officials.

Local bank officials also are expected to be on hand Monday, including Tom Burton, CEO of Hampden Bank, who will present a $10,000 check to Rebuilding Together.

Founded in 1992, the Springfield Chapter of the national organization has helped preserve hundreds of homes throughout the city by performing critical repairs.

Loveless has more information at (413) 788-0014 or colleen.Loveless@rebuildingtogetherspringfield.org. The organization's website is www.rebuildingtogetherspringfield.org.

Culp, a 59-year-old retired U.S. Army veteran, received a new roof last year through Rebuilding Together. But, then the unexpected tornado rolled through the region and pummeled her Amanda Street home, splintering its new roof and obliterating the chimney, among other damages.

“I go to church and believe in God," Culp told The Republican in July. "And I know He’ll only put so much on your shoulders, and I can’t thank all the people who helped me enough.”

“If something falls outside insurance or involves high deductibles – that’s where we come in,” Loveless said in a July 29 article in The Republican.

Forest Park Business Association hosting cleanup of the 'X' commercial district

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The effort will get underway at 9 a.m. today, Saturday, Sept. 24, and will conclude at 1 p.m. Volunteers will be sprucing up planters, picking up litter and weeding sidewalks, among other groundskeeping duties.

SPRINGFIELD -- The Forest Park Business Association is holding a rain-or-shine cleanup of the "X" commercial district today, Saturday, Sept. 24, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and association officials are optimistic community volunteers will show up despite the soggy forecast.

Local business owners and residents will meet in the parking lot of Forest Park Liquors, 594 Sumner Ave., at 9 a.m. before they begin sprucing up the neighborhood's main commercial district.

General groundskeeping activities will include buffing up public planters, weeding sidewalks and picking up litter throughout the “X” district, famous for an X-patterned intersection that's among the city's busiest.

Anyone wishing to participate is asked to bring trash or leaf bags, rakes, brooms and appropriate gardening tools.

“This is a great opportunity for those that care so much about the Forest Park neighborhood to lend a hand and beautify the area, and make it even more welcoming than it already is,” Daniel Morrissey, president of the nonprofit Forest Park Business Association, said in a statement this morning.

Benson’s Bagels, 598 Sumner Ave., will provide bagels and coffee this morning morning, while the afternoon portion of the cleanup campaign will include pizza from Nino’s Pizzeria, 674 Dickinson St., and Italian cookies from the new Sal’s Bakery and Café, 513 Belmont Ave.

Also, Nancy’s Flower Depot, 673 White St., is donating enough flowers to fill up to 20 planters.

Anyone who wants to donate free professional landscaping services may contact the business association at (413) 218-1525 or info@exploreforestpark.org.

Bixby's Rainforest Rescue show teaches fairgoers about environmental concerns at the Big E

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The show seeks to increase children's interest in environmental issues, such as recycling.

Rainforest Big E 92411.jpgFairgoers get up close and personal with a snake at BIXBY's Rainforest Rescue show at the Big E.

WEST SPRINGFIELD - Heather Carver said she has been coming to the Big E since her mother was pregnant with her.

Now a resident of Wilton, N.H., she tries to come to the Big E every year with her husband and two sons.

This year is a special year, she said. Her husband, Randy Carver, is home from Iraq for good and on Sept. 20 they were celebrating the birthday of her son, Alex, 7, at the Big E.

“We’ll stay all day,” she said, “and drive home late tonight.”

At Bixby’s Rainforest Rescue, an educational show to create children’s interest in protecting the environment, Alex was chosen as a helper.

He got to help with the exhibit of the ring-tailed Lemur, which is native to Madagascar off the coast of Africa and which is on the endangered list.

Afterwards, he got to have his picture taken with his Mom and Dad and his brother and the ring-tailed Lemur which perched on his Dad’s head.

Tricia Woodford, 7, of Tewksbury was visiting the Big E with her Dad.

She also got to help the exhibitors and she got to pat Allie, the Albino Burmese python.

“He felt smooth,” she said.

Bixby’s Rainforest Rescue which is being sponsored by Chicopee Savings Bank shows three times a day at the north end of the Avenue of the States.

“It is for a family audience,” said Barry DeVoll, creative producer of the show which originates in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and travels around the country.

“Most of those who attend are children, ages 4 to 12, and their families,” he said.

The show is entertaining, he said, and it also tries to educate.

“We use live animals which are bred in the United States, and we only keep them on the road for a year before they are returned to a larger habitat,” DeVoll said.

“Most Americans never leave the United States,” he said. “Showing them a toucan, a python, a macaw or a Kinkajou helps them to envision the rainforest in South America which has a 70 to 125-foot canopy,” DeVoll said.

One thing children can do to save the trees in the rainforest is to encourage their families to recycle newspapers, DeVoll said.

When newspapers are put in the recycling bin and taken to a recycling center, they are shredded and water is added to create pulp so the paper can be used again as newsprint, DeVoll said.

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