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Columbus Day 2011 in the Pioneer Valley: Near-record heat, fall colors playing catch-up

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Peak color for Western Massachusetts is usually Oct. 15 through 22, said Dan Brown, abc40/Fox 6 meteorologist.

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Columbus Day’s beautiful weather was just shy of setting a high temperature record for Oct. 10, abc40/Fox 6 meteorologist Dan Brown said.

“The thermometer hit 84 or 85,” he said. “The record for the date is 86.”

But the fall color which New England is known for is finally arriving, Brown added.

“Peak color for our area is usually Oct. 15 through 22,” he said. “Due to the unseasonably warm temperatures, we’re seven to 10 days behind. By next weekend we should have made up the time.”

Warm days and cool nights are needed to produce the colored hues which New England trees are known for, Brown said.

“Up north, there are colors, but they are not as brilliant,” he said. “There will be colors this year, but they may be duller."

Traffic on the Massachusetts Turnpike Monday afternoon was a little heavier than usual in spots, but it was moving, state police in Charlton said. State police in Northampton reported Interstate 91 traffic was moving but very heavy southbound.

In Northampton the three-day Paradise City Arts Festival at the Three County Fairgrounds was resulting in high traffic. Also in Northampton the Polish community turned out for the 25th Annual Pulaski Day celebration.

There was also more traffic than usual on streets in South Hadley as Columbus Day is a huge tag sale day in town.


NYPD costs rise as Occupy Wall Street protests continue

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The New York Police Department already has spent $1.9 million, mostly in overtime pay, to patrol the area near Zuccotti Park, where hundreds of protesters have camped out for several weeks.

101011_nypd_occupy_wall_street.jpgTwo New York City police officers walk alongside a protestor affiliated with the "Occupy Wall Street" protests outside Zuccotti Park after the arrest of two men in New York, on Monday, Oct. 10, 2011. (AP Photo/Andrew Burton)

By MEGHAN BARR

NEW YORK — As the protest on Wall Street enters its fourth week, police officers are keeping their posts around the perimeter of the park at the center of it all. And with no end in sight, the cost of constant police surveillance will continue to rise at a time when Mayor Michael Bloomberg has ordered citywide budget cuts.

The New York Police Department already has spent $1.9 million, mostly in overtime pay, to patrol the area near Zuccotti Park, where hundreds of protesters have camped out for several weeks. Though cold weather is on the way in, protesters don't plan on leaving anytime soon. They're prepared to stay put for the long haul.

"The bottom line is that people want to express themselves, and as long as they obey the laws, we allow them to," Bloomberg told reporters Monday when asked about the protesters' staying power. "If they break the laws, then we're going to do what we're supposed to do — enforce the laws."

Last week, Bloomberg ordered all agencies to prepare to cut expenses by a total of $2 billion during the next 18 months. Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said the budget cuts may cause the cancellation of a new class of police officers entering the academy in January.

Police officials would not comment Monday on whether the Occupy Wall Street protest would have any bearing on how the budget cuts would play out. A spokesman for Bloomberg declined to comment on any financial issues.

"We always prefer to not spend overtime, but again, this is a big complex city, lots of things going on," Kelly said last week, describing the protesters' effect on the NYPD. "And we have to spend overtime for unplanned operations."

The protesters say they're fighting for the "99 percent," or the vast majority of Americans who do not fall into the wealthiest 1 percent of the population; their causes range from bringing down Wall Street to fighting global warming. The movement gained traction through social media, and protests have taken place in several other cities nationwide.

On Monday, the Rev. Al Sharpton and rapper Kanye West made impromptu appearances at the park. A group of mothers also took small children downtown to teach them about the movement, calling themselves the "99 Percent School."

Several hundred protesters briefly marched through the Wall Street neighborhood Monday evening, honking horns and chanting.

"The banks got bailed out, we got sold out!" went one chant.

"All day, all week, occupy Wall Street," went another.

Police walked alongside the marchers as they traveled down Broadway, through Wall Street, down Beaver Street and up Broad Street.

In Boston, hundreds of college students marched through downtown Monday and gathered on Boston Common, holding signs that read "Fund education, not corporations." The protesters said they're angry with an education system they say mimics what they call the "irresponsible, unaccountable, and unethical financial practices" of Wall Street.

In New York, officers from the city's First Precinct are patrolling the area near Wall Street, and other squads help out as necessary, depending on the size and movement of the demonstrators. If the crowd seems to be growing on a particular day, the NYPD dispatches more officers to the area, Kelly said.

"We are down 6,000 police officers from where we were 10 years ago, so it's difficult to do any type of protracted operation with people who are working in their regular tour of duty," Kelly said.

There are many events in New York City that require a police presence, like parades, said James Parrott, deputy director and chief economist for the Fiscal Policy Institute.

By comparison, it cost about $50 million for one week to secure the Republican National Convention in 2004, which included massive protests and other events around the city. The figure was later reimbursed by the federal government, but so far there is no reason for the protest security to be paid for by anyone other than New York taxpayers.

"To some extent this sort of thing happens a lot in New York City," Parrott said. "$2 million in the context of a $66 billion annual budget is not a deal breaker."

Most of the protesters seem to share that view. Mark Bray, a spokesman for the protesters who was working the media table at Zuccotti Park on Monday, questioned the need for such a strong police presence in the first place.

"If your argument is that police expense equals an ineffective message, how are you ever going to form a movement?" he said. "Because the police always come out, you know?"

Associated Press writers Deepti Hajela and Colleen Long contributed to this report.

Massachusetts' Republican Sen. Scott Brown casts himself as bipartisan choice

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In the past week, Brown has decried political divisiveness on the Senate floor, sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell echoing the same sentiments, and urged Reid in a phone call to craft a bipartisan version of President Obama’s jobs bill.

Scott Brown 10311.jpgU.S. Sen. Scott P. Brown, R-Mass., speaks to reporters at the Statehouse in Boston last week following release of a poll that showed him ahead of Harvard law professor Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat, in the 2012 Senate race.

BOSTON – U.S. Sen. Scott P. Brown swept into office riding a wave of frustration with President Barack H. Obama’s push for a health care overhaul and his handling of a faltering economy – a win that was also a banner victory for a nascent tea party. Now, as he gears up for a re-election campaign, the Massachusetts Republican is busily casting himself as a bipartisan bridge builder in a bitterly divided Congress.

Democrats have been quick to portray Brown as beholden to Washington Republicans, however, while also calling a recent remark he made about Democratic front-runner Elizabeth Warren demeaning to women.

In the past week, Brown has decried political divisiveness on the Senate floor, sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell echoing the same sentiments, and urged Reid in a phone call to craft a bipartisan version of Barack Obama’s jobs bill.

For Massachusetts voters who are far more likely to elect Democrats, Brown’s message is simple.

“I’m one of the most bipartisan, if not the most bipartisan, senator there and I’m going to continue to do what I’ve been doing to be that independent voter and thinker,” Brown told reporters after hosting a recent jobs fair in Boston.

Brown’s campaign message hit a snag last week, however, following a Democratic primary debate in which Warren quipped that she kept her “clothes on” when asked how she paid for college. The questioner had mentioned Brown’s decision to pose nude for Cosmopolitan magazine as a law student.

Brown shot back during a radio interview two days later, laughing and saying “Thank God” when asked about Warren’s comment.

Democrats immediately criticized Brown’s remark as sexist, but Brown later said he was just responding to a “wisecrack” from Warren about a decision he made to pay for school.

“She was joking, I was joking and I’m not quite sure what else to say,” he said.

On Sunday, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi weighed in, saying Brown’s remark about Warren, a Harvard professor and consumer advocate, shows he’s clueless about women.

“I thought it spoke volumes about how clueless Sen. Brown is,” the California Democrat said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.” “It really spoke volumes about, really, disrespect for women he may not even realize.”

The change from tea party firebrand to bipartisan dealmaker has been an evolution for Brown, who won a 2010 special election for the seat left vacant by the death of longtime Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy by vowing to be the “the 41st senator that could stop the Obama” health care law.

Now, Brown says he’s a Republican who supports key elements of Obama’s jobs bill, including an extension of the payroll tax cut. Brown said he also supports an expansion of tax credits for businesses that hire unemployed members of the military and a repeal or delay of a withholding tax on government contractors.

Brown said he urged Reid in a phone call last week “to move on a bill that we can all agree on.”

“Take everything out of that (jobs) bill that we agree on and pass it right away in a bipartisan, bicameral manner because you want to put forth a bill that is actually going to pass,” Brown said he told Reid.

It’s a message Brown echoed on the floor of the Senate days earlier.

“How can any member here in the Senate vote 100 percent of the time with their own party?” Brown said. “Do they honestly believe that their party is right 100 percent of the time?”

Brown said thornier issues like tax hikes and entitlement reform can be left to the 12-member supercommittee charged with tackling the nation’s fiscal problems.

Not everyone has been thrilled at Brown’s moderate stance. Some of the same tea party activists who supported him in 2010 say they feel betrayed by some of Brown’s votes and won’t back him in 2012

Among those votes was Brown’s decision to join with fellow Republican Sens. Olympia Snowe Susan Collins of Maine and support a Democrat-backed overhaul of the nation’s financial system. Brown’s support of a repeal of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” ban on gays serving openly also drew criticism.

Yet Brown hopes those kinds of votes will help him reach out to key independent and Democratic voters, and not all tea party activists are abandoning him.

Christen Varley, president of the Greater Boston Tea Party, hasn’t agreed with all of Brown’s votes, but she’s already written his campaign a check and plans to hold a sign for him on Election Day.

“On the other side of the argument is that we can’t afford to lose a Senate seat,” Varley said. “It really is a no-brainer. Who’s going to run against him?”

Varley said the choice will be all that much clearer if Warren wins her party’s primary.

“Her ideology is as far off from us as you can get,” Varley said.

Even as he shifts toward the center, Brown’s campaign is trying to cast Warren as out of touch with ordinary Americans.

In one recent fundraising email, Brown’s campaign manager, Jim Barnett, said Warren was engaging in class warfare with the help of “her ultra-liberal friends” while being “cheered on left-wing blogs.”

Barnett’s e-mail included a link to a YouTube video of Elizabeth Warren in which she argues “there is nobody in this country who got rich on their own” and that those who do well should take some of their profits and “pay forward for the next kid who comes along.”

Warren, who reported raising $3.15 million during the past three months, is one of five Democrats vying for the seat. Brown has $10.5 million in his campaign account.

Democrats are working equally feverishly to tie Brown to what they see as increasingly unpopular GOP in Congress.

“It’s clear that Scott Brown is quickly building a record of voting with D.C. Republicans against jobs,” Massachusetts Democratic Party Chairman John Walsh said in a recent statement.

Chicopee City Council continues to debate digital signs ordinance

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One city councilor suggested the signs could be used, for example, to put up an announcement for a meeting of a neo-Nazi group.

sign.jpgThis sign was put on an electronic message board last year when the City Council began discussing the sign ordinance.

CHICOPEE - The City Council continues to struggle to refine an ordinance regulating digital message board signs more than a year after it first considered the issue.

The ordinance bans business owners from using signs for any purpose other than to plug their businesses. When a number of owners were authorized to erect electronic signs that scroll digital messages, they also posted the time and date, and some put up jokes or announcements.

The City Council has been trying to modify the ordinance for more than a year. Recently, a proposed change that would allow time, date, temperature and public service announcements was discussed by the zoning committee, but did not receive a favorable recommendation.

Wednesday, the City Council’s ordinance committee will take up the issue at a 6:30 p.m. meeting in City Hall.

The problem is people are now violating the ordinance, City Councilor James K. Tillotson said.

“There are concerns about someone being political,” City Councilor Jean J. Croteau, chairman of the zoning committee, said.

There are no concerns about posting of basic elements such as the time or temperature, but it is far more difficult when public service announcements are included, Tillotson said.

One of the previous complaints came in the local election two years when a few business owners used their signs to endorse political candidates, he said.

Because political speech is protected by the Constitution, it is difficult to allow public announcements but ban endorsements. Also, candidates can circumvent regulations with messages that stop short of overt campaigning, such as “City Councilor Jim Tillotson urges everyone to vote on Nov. 8,” Tillotson said.

The public announcements over the last year have not been offensive. Business owners have publicized fund-raisers for high school sports teams and the Boy Scouts. They have wished friends a happy birthday and one listed the names of all the Chicopee Academy graduates, he said.

But council members say they are worried about the possibility of offensive signs. For example, a business could put up an announcement for a meeting of a neo-Nazi group, Croteau said.

“We have been kicking it around for a long time. They don’t want to deny public announcements but they have nothing to do with the business,” Tillotson said.

Technically, businesses should receive a billboard permit to post political or public service announcements.

“That is where we get into trouble, because these signs are so easily changeable but if you are not careful you are allowing it to become a billboard,” Tillotson said.

Wisconsin woman accused of abduction, cutting out fetus in deaths of mother and unborn son

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Annette Morales-Rodriguez, 33, faces 1 count each of first-degree intentional homicide while armed and first-degree intentional homicide of an unborn child while armed in the death of Maritza Ramirez-Cruz and the boy she was set to deliver next week.

101011_annette_morales-rodriguez.jpgAnnette Morales-Rodriguez appears in Milwaukee County Intake Court, Monday, Oct. 10, 2011, in Milwaukee. Rodriguez, 33, of Milwaukee, is charged with two counts of homicide in the death of Maritza Ramirez-Cruz, and her unborn son. Morales-Rodriguez is accused of abducting Ramirez-Crus and cutting her full-term fetus out of her womb, killing both of them. (AP Photo/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Gary Porter)

By TODD RICHMOND

MILWAUKEE — A woman who faked a pregnancy and panicked as her supposed due date grew near attacked a pregnant mother with a baseball bat and cut her full-term fetus from her womb with an Exacto knife, killing the mother and baby, according to court documents filed Monday.

Annette Morales-Rodriguez, 33, faces one count each of first-degree intentional homicide while armed and first-degree intentional homicide of an unborn child while armed in the death of Maritza Ramirez-Cruz and the boy she was set to deliver next week. Morales-Rodriguez faces mandatory life in prison if convicted.

Morales-Rodriguez made a brief court appearance Monday, standing silent as her bail was set at $1 million. Online court records didn't list an attorney for her, and the Milwaukee public defender's office voicemail wouldn't accept messages Monday afternoon.

"I don't know what she had in her mind," said Maria Garcia, 44, who lives next to Morales-Rodriguez and described her as her best friend.

According to the criminal complaint, Morales-Rodriguez told detectives that her boyfriend wanted a son but she couldn't get pregnant. She told him she was pregnant anyway, then started to grow desperate as what would be her due date approached.

She told investigators she planned for two weeks to find a pregnant woman, take the baby and make it hers, the complaint said.

Morales-Rodriguez drove around on Wednesday searching for a pregnant woman, but found none, authorities said. On Thursday she drove around a nonprofit organization that provides Hispanics with health care and found Ramirez-Cruz.

The 23-year-old had moved from Puerto Rico to join her childhood sweetheart, Christian Mercado, said Mercado's father, Carlos Mercado. They already had three children together and Ramirez-Cruz was carrying their fourth.

Morales-Rodriguez told detectives she thought about telling her boyfriend the truth, but decided against it and offered Ramirez-Cruz a ride.

Telling Ramirez-Cruz she needed to change her shoes, she drove them to her weathered two-story house on Milwaukee's south side. Ramirez-Cruz went inside to use the bathroom. When she emerged, Morales-Rodriguez was waiting for her with a baseball bat.

The complaint said Morales-Rodriguez began to bludgeon her. Ramirez-Cruz fell to the ground. Morales-Rodriguez straddled the younger woman and choked her until she passed out, the complaint said. Morales-Rodriguez then duct-taped Ramirez-Cruz's feet and hands and taped over her mouth and nose. She cut her open with the knife, the complaint said, telling detectives she was trying to imitate a procedure she had seen on the Discovery Channel.

When she pulled the fetus out, the baby wasn't breathing, Morales-Rodriguez said. She smeared some of Ramirez-Cruz's blood around her thighs to make people think she herself was bleeding from giving birth. Then she called 911 and said she'd given birth to a stillborn. She was taken to a hospital, but left before she was fully examined, the complaint said.

An autopsy the next day revealed that the baby wasn't the product of a natural birth. Police returned to Morales-Rodriguez's house that day and took her back to the hospital. An examination verified she hadn't given birth and officers arrested her.

Morales-Rodriguez is due back in court Oct. 19 for a preliminary hearing.

Similar cases of women taking an unborn child from a mother's womb were reported in Massachusetts and Oregon in 2009, in Pennsylvania in 2007, in Illinois in 2006 and Missouri in 2004.

Garcia said she was convinced Morales-Rodriguez was pregnant, saying she even rubbed her belly. The last time Garcia saw her, on Oct. 3, Morales-Rodriguez told her she was going to have a Cesarean section in two weeks. But she also seemed depressed, refusing to come out of her house to even join Garcia for a walk.

"She just wanted to be in the house," Garcia said, tears filling her eyes. "I'm so confused I don't know what to do."

Carlos Mercado, 59, said he couldn't stand up when he heard Ramirez-Cruz was dead.

"My heart, oh my God, it's hurting me. I can't sleep," he said.

His son, who declined to speak with reporters at his home Monday, must now raise the couple's three children alone without much money, Carlos Mercado said. The oldest child is only six.

"He'll have to be the mother and father. I don't know how he's going to make it. He's got to grow them up, take them to school, get them in the shower," Mercado said. "He's real sad. He's real hurt."

Associated Press writer Carrie Antlfinger contributed to this report.

Treasure-hunting company Odyssey Marine Exploration finds ship loaded with silver at bottom of Atlantic

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Odyssey Marine Exploration said if found the remains of the SS Mantola, which sank on Feb. 9, 1917, after being torpedoed by German submarine U-81 during World War I.

TAMPA, Fla. — A Florida deep-sea exploration company with a record of finding sunken treasure has discovered a ship filled with silver 8,000 feet beneath the North Atlantic Ocean, the firm said Monday.

Odyssey Marine Exploration Inc. said it found the remains of the SS Mantola, which sank on Feb. 9, 1917, after being torpedoed by German submarine U-81 during World War I.

The ship was insured to carry silver worth 110,000 British pounds when it sailed in 1917. That value would mean it could hold as much as 600,000 ounces of silver — or nearly 19 tons — based on silver prices at the time. Odyssey will retain 80 percent of the value of the silver that's recovered. At current market prices, that much silver would be worth more than $19 million.

The company is preparing a recovery expedition that's planned to start next spring. It said its share of the proceeds will contribute significantly to funding its future operations.

The shipwreck is about 100 miles away from an earlier one found by Odyssey. The SS Gairsoppa sank in 1941 carrying a reported cargo of up to 7 million ounces of silver. Odyssey announced that find last month.

The Tampa-based company, which uses remote-control underwater vehicles to locate and salvage wrecks in some the deepest water ever explored, is best known for being embroiled in a protracted legal fight with the government of Spain over 17 tons of silver and other treasure salvaged from the wreck of a sunken galleon in 2007.

Odyssey made an international splash when it flew the treasure back to Florida in May 2007. The Spanish government immediately filed a claim in federal court claiming that it never relinquished ownership of the Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes and its cargo. The federal court sided with Spain. Last month, a three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta affirmed the decision, but Odyssey has asked for another hearing before all of the court's judges.

The treasure, which has been estimated to be worth as much as $500 million, is still in Odyssey's possession in an undisclosed location.

Shares of Odyssey rose 17 cents, or 6.5 percent, to close at $2.80 Monday.

Mater Dolorosa Church protesters offer to buy the Holyoke church

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A court hearing will be held over a request for an injunction to remove the protesters from the church.

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HOLYOKE – Protesters who have been holding a 24-hour vigil in Mater Dolorosa Church for more than three months have offered to purchase the building.

But members said their offer, which would end the stand-off between members of the closed church and Springfield Catholic Diocese Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell, has been rebuffed.

Peter Stasz, a lawyer and an organizers of Friends of Mater Dolorosa, said he met with Monsignor John J. Bonzagni, head of the pastoral planning committee, and one of the diocesan lawyers last week to discuss the vigil. At that time he proposed protesters buy the church on Maple Street.

“I thought it was a pretty good solution and they refused to give any credence to it,” Stasz said.

When contacted Monday, Bonzagni said McDonnell rejected the offer mostly because of procedural issues. The Springfield Diocese has a policy of letting a closed church sit until all appeals on behalf of those object to the closing have been heard.

“We are nowhere near discussing the disposition,” he said.

The Congregation for the Clergy in September upheld McDonnell’s decision to close the church. Friends of Mater Dolorosa are now in the process of asking for a reconsideration of that decision based on new information they say they have uncovered, and plan to go one step higher to appeal to the Apostolic Signatura in Rome.

“We would rather let things play out,” Bonzagni said. “We need to do things one step at a time, dealing with the trespass action and the appeal and the removal of the steeple.”

The diocese filed a lawsuit in Hampden Superior Court last week asking for an injunction to end the vigil and evict those in the church. The suit names Stasz, Victor Anop, another organizer, and seven other parishioners by name.

A hearing on an emergency injunction is scheduled for Wednesday.

The diocese is asking the court to intervene because of concerns about the structural safety of the church steeple. Bonzagni said the diocese is seeking contractors to remove the steeple and cap the roof. It plans to place the intact steeple in a corner of the parking lot until final appeals are heard.

“We need to eliminate the liability issue and the immediate thing is to take the steeple off,” he said.

063011 mater dolorosa vigil_2.JPGMater Dolorosa Church parishioners begin a continuous vigil to keep Holyoke church open.

The diocese has reports from two engineers who have said the steeple is unsafe. But an engineer hired by Friends of Mater Dolorosa also inspected the steeple and said the structure was over built and will not collapse.

Stasz said the purchase of the church would eliminate all disputes and save the Diocese the cost of making repairs.

“There are at least 20 Catholic Churches that are vacant and they are not selling,” he said. “My point is, we are willing to pay a reasonable sum.”

The church is assessed at $1.6 million, according to city records, but Stasz said there is a difference between the assessed value and what would be a fair sale price. He said he is unsure what that price would be.

He said he is also unsure how the group would use the church, but said the 1896 building is worth preserving as a historic site.

“I think we could definitely raise the money,” he said.

Police investigating report of person shot with bow and arrow in Plainfield

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The incident took place near the Dubuque Memorial Forest, police said.

PLAINFIELD – Massachusetts Environmental Police confirmed Monday night that police in Plainfield are investigating a report of a person shot with an arrow.

Environmental police said an incident involving a bow and arrow took place Monday night near the Dubuque Memorial Forest.

No information was available regarding who was shot or the extent of the injuries.


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Ohio Amish leader: Beard-cutting religious matter, cops shouldn't be involved

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Sam Mullet said he didn't order the hair-cutting but didn't stop two of his sons and another man from carrying it out last week on a 74-year-old man in his home in rural eastern Ohio.

101011_amish_beard_arrests.jpgThis combo made from photos provided by the Jefferson County Sheriffs Department shows, from left, Levi Miller, Johnny Mullet, and Lester Mullet, of Bergholz, Ohio. These three men and another, Lester Miller, all believed to be members of a breakaway Amish group, were arrested Saturday, Oct. 8, 2011 for allegedly going into the home an elderly Amish man and cutting his hair and beard. (AP Photo/Jefferson County Sheriffs Department)

By ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS

BERGHOLZ, Ohio — The leader of an Amish group with members accused of going into the home of another Amish man and cutting his hair and beard said Monday it's a religious matter and police shouldn't be involved.

Sam Mullet said he didn't order the hair-cutting but didn't stop two of his sons and another man from carrying it out last week on a 74-year-old man in his home in rural eastern Ohio.

Mullet, 66, said the goal was to send a message to Amish in Holmes County that they should be ashamed of themselves for the way they were treating Mullet and his community.

"They changed the rulings of our church here, and they're trying to force their way down our throat, make us do like they want us to do, and we're not going to do that," Mullet told The Associated Press outside his house on the outskirts of Bergholz, a village of about 700 residents.

"We know what we did and why we did it," he continued. "We excommunicated some members here because they didn't want to obey the rules of the church."

Mullet said he's upset that his group, about 120 people living on several small farms, has been called a cult by detractors. He said he moved the members of his group about 100 miles from Richland County to the hilly area in 1995 just to be by themselves.

"We're not a cult. We're just trying to live a peaceful life," said Mullet, who spoke with occasional bursts of passion for about an hour as children played nearby, a horse tethered to a buggy rested and men and women did chores. "I was hoping I could move here, try to start a group of church people, do things in school and church the way we wanted."

Mullet said he should be allowed to punish people who break the laws of the church, just as police are allowed to punish people who break the laws of the state.

"You have your laws on the road and the town — if somebody doesn't obey them, you punish them. But I'm not allowed to punish the church people?" Mullet said. "I just let them run over me? If every family would just do as they pleased, what kind of church would we have?"

Amish men typically grow beards as adults and stop trimming them when they marry, and the beards are held in high esteem.

On Saturday, Jefferson County authorities arrested two of Mullet's sons, 38-year-old Johnny Mullet and 26-year-old Lester Mullet, and another man from the community, 53-year-old Levi Miller, on burglary and kidnapping warrants out of Holmes County. The three men were being held in Jefferson County jail on $250,000 bond each pending extradition to Holmes County and couldn't be reached for comment.

Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla said Monday he expects two more arrests this week. He said the men hired a driver to carry them to Holmes County and to Carroll County, where a similar attack was carried out. He said the driver didn't know what the men were doing.

A similar attack happened in Trumbull County in September, Abdalla said.

Five people were assaulted in Holmes County, including women who had their hair cut off, said Abdalla, who disputed Sam Mullet's account, alleging the group's leader ordered the punishments.

The men entered the home and said, "Sam Mullet sent us here, and we're here on religious business," Abdalla said.

He said they used scissors and battery-powered clippers in the attack.

'Zombie Preparedness Center' offered by regional hardware chain

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In a pop-culture world of zombie marches, video games and TV shows, Westlake Ace Hardware has taken the novel approach of actively marketing power tools and garden implements as protection against the undead.

101011_zombie_preparedness.jpgA sign promoting zombie preparadness is seen in a hardware store in Omaha, Neb., Monday, Oct. 10, 2011. The Westlake Ace Hardware stores are promoting tools and household items as "zombie defense" for the living and "zombie repairs" for the half-deceased. The regional company has launched a website in preparation for Halloween. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

By GRANT SCHULTE

LINCOLN, Neb. — Hardware store manager Mike Dowling wants to be clear: His shovels might slow an attacking zombie, but you'll to need something else to put the final nail in the creature's coffin.

"I wouldn't say it's for killing zombies," the veteran Omaha store manager said. "But it's helpful for cleaning up if you ever have to."

In a pop-culture world of zombie marches, video games and television shows, one regional hardware chain has taken the novel approach of actively marketing power tools and garden implements as protection against the undead.

And not to leave out the walking dead, Westlake Ace Hardware's online "Zombie Preparedness Center" has a "Me zombie" section touting bolts and fasteners for broken bones, glue and caulk for peeling skin, and deodorizers to freshen up decaying flesh. Lose a limb? Try duct tape!

Marketing experts say such out-of-the-box campaigns can give smaller companies a competitive foothold.

"It's a great way to create brand awareness," said University of Nebraska Lincoln marketing professor Rob Simon. "But there is a risk. Say you have a jewelry store that was going to do something like that. In that case, it would really diminish what you're selling."

Westlake executives say they initially were reluctant to associate products with horror film imagery, and the campaign shies away from serious blood-and-gore. One blurb in the pre-Halloween campaign advertises chain saws "for clearing away hedges blocking your view of oncoming zombies." Nail guns are for "zombie intimidation."

"I was a little worried that we might be a little too out there, that people might take offense," said Liz Benditt, Westlake's director of customer relationship development. "But if anything, (the effect) has been the opposite."

The campaign launched last week originated with Bozell, an Omaha public relations and advertising firm. Scott Bishop, the company's director of social influence, said members of the firm's creative staff wandered the hardware store aisles and jotted notes on how items could help or halt the undead.

"We found that zombies have a very, very huge following," Bishop said. "It's very much a part of our pop culture right now."

Benditt said the risk has paid off well so far for Lenexa, Kan.-based chain, which has 88 stores scattered through Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico. She said web traffic has increased, and store managers said they've seen more potential customers coming into stores. It's not yet clear if that's led to increased sales.

The campaign is so popular that some stores that haven't yet received the zombie displays are clamoring to get them.

Alan Kulhanek, general manager for a Lincoln, Neb., store, said he's waiting for his zombie display, but several customers have already come in asking to see it.

"It's off the wall. It's odd," he said. "But it's fun. You never know how well something's going to work until you try it."

Chicopee School Committee updates goals for district

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The School Committee adopted three new district goals in a unanimous vote.

CHCT_CANDIDATE_COSTELLO_6683273(1).JPGMary-Elizabeth Pniak-Costello

CHICOPEE – Saying some of its district goals were outdated or unmeasurable, the School Committee recently updated its list of future objectives.

The committee’s district improvement plan that lasts through the end of this school year, now lists the updated goals that include academic expectations for students as well as professional aims for teachers, administrators and other staff.

The School Committee adopted the goals in a 12-0 vote recently but said they want to continue working on new ones for the future.

Three of the five goals were changed. One that calls for school officials to provide a safe, clean, orderly environment and another that calls for officials to continuously improve district-wide effectiveness and efficiency in personnel, administrative, fiscal and student services stayed the same.

The School Committee decided to modify the goal of having all students score proficient or above in math and English by 2014, which meets the federal No Child Left Behind law. It changed it to annually increasing the performance for all students in English and math.

“That is an unrealistic goal,” said John F. Mruk, a committee member who pushed for a review of the goals.

“Why would you work hard to achieve something that is not achievable,” School Committee member Michael J. Pise added.

In the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment Systems exams taken in the spring of 2011, 59 percent of students in all grades in Chicopee scored proficient or above in English and 44 percent of all city students scored proficient in math.

Also changed was one of the goals about teacher qualification. The original one called for all district staff to be highly qualified. The new one changes that to all effort will be made to hire highly-qualified staff. It also calls for teacher training to be focused on raising skills of students and staff.

The School Committee also changed a goal that called for all students to graduate from high school to be prepared for success in the 21st century to increasing the graduation rate, decreasing the dropout rate and ensuring all graduates are prepared for success.

“The goals that were written were not really that measurable,” Pise said.

The new goals will be easier to track since the school department and the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education keeps statistics on the proficiency index for each school and each grade, growth of MCAS performance and the graduation and dropout rates, he said.

Committee member Mary-Elizabeth Pniak-Costello said she wants to continue examining the goals and possibly add others.

“I’m hoping we look at holding our parents more accountable,” she said.

Amherst holding warrant review meetings in preparation for fall Town Meeting

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Town Moderator Harrison Gregg will lead the overall warrant review Thursday night.

AMHERST – The Select Board inked the 18-article Fall Town Meeting warrant last week and two groups charged with educating voters on those articles have scheduled a series of meetings and a bus tour a head of that Nov. 7 meeting.

An overall review of the warrant will be held Thursday at 7 p.m. in Town Hall.
There will also be meetings for precinct members as well as a bus tour to visit the sites that will be discussed at Town Meeting.

“It’s a way for people to understand what’s going to be coming to Town Meeting to ask questions,” said Margaret R. Roberts, a member of the Town Meeting Coordinating Committee. That committee and the Amherst League of Women Voters have organized the warrant review that will be led by Town Moderator Harrison L. Gregg.

“To make town meeting work well, people have to understand what they’re voting on. The Town Meeting Coordinating Committee tries everything to get people the information (on) what’s coming to Town Meeting,” Roberts said. But she said the review meetings are “not a time for debate (but) to ask questions.”

She said many turn out for the bus tours. “The bus tours are a lot fun. Even people who have lived in town forever don’t know were a lot of these things are.”

The bus tour will be held Oct. 30 from 2 to 4 p.m. Those coming on the tour should meet in the Amherst Regional Middle School parking lot at 1:45.

Here is the precinct meeting schedule: precincts 1 and 3 Oct. 23, 3 to 5 p.m. in the Parish Hall of the North Congregational Church; precincts 5 and 6, Oct. 24, 7 to 9 p.m. in the police station; precincts 2 and 9, Oct. 26, 7 to 9 p.m. at the middle school, development center; precincts 4 and 10, Nov. 5, 2 to 4 p.m. at the police station.

Residents can go to any meeting regardless of what precinct they live in, Roberts said. The meetings are open to town meeting members and others.

Voters will consider adopting form-based zoning at the north and south Amherst village centers, spending money on repairs at the War Memorial pool, for a housing marketing study, as well as whether the town should reestablish a Committee on Homelessness among the articles. The Select Board recently dissolved that committee as well as the Housing Partnership/Fair Housing Committee.

King Street zoning plan nears fruition in Northampton

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The section closest to downtown would have zoning encouraging pedestrian-friendly development and higher density.

king.JPGThe former Hill & Dale Mall, now slated for development, is one of the parcels that have long sat vacant on King Street.

NORTHAMPTON – There is finally light at the end of the tunnel for the rezoning of King Street, a move that city officials and the business community both hope will spark new commercial development.

Last Thursday, the Planning Board approved a plan to divide the street into three sections, each with different zoning criteria. The plan is scheduled to go before the Ordinance Committee on Tuesday. Should it pass there, the City Council will have final say in the matter.

Envisioned by many as one of Northampton’s best options for new commercial life, King Street currently has several prime parcels lying vacant. Some attribute the lack of growth to zoning changes made in 2002 that called for locating buildings closer to the street, moving parking to the back of lots and encouraging two-story buildings that could be used as residential space on the second floor. The idea was to give King Street a more intimate feel and make it a pedestrian extension of downtown.

Others see King Street as a primarily vehicle-oriented strip, however, and say the zoning rules have scared away commercial developers. The new plan divides the streets into three distinct sections: a highway business district extending north from the bike path crossing; a general business zone from the bike path south to Trumbull Street; and a central business zone from Trumbull to downtown. Under the plan, each would have its own distinct character.

The section closest to downtown would have zoning encouraging pedestrian-friendly development and higher density. General business wold be a transition zone featuring benches, bike racks and improved landscaping. The highway business district would have a wider buffer zone between buildings and the street and be designed more for automobiles.

Senior Land Use Planner Carolyn Misch said a neighborhood group from the Hampshire Heights housing development and the principal of the Jackson Street Elementary School, Gwen Agna, both told the Planning Board Thursday that they are concerned about pedestrian safety in the highway business section. Families and children from Hampshire Heights often cross King Street on foot and some Jackson Street students occasionally have to walk from the school to the River Run apartments on the far side of King Street. Although the zoning does not specifically address that concern, Misch said the Planning Board hopes to fund cross-walk improvements from a traffic mitigation fund that developers will pay into.

Karen Demers appointed interim director of Wilbraham Public Library

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Demers has served as adult services librarian at the library.

demers.JPGKaren Demers, head of adult services at the town library has been appointed interim library director while a search continues for a permanent director.


WILBRAHAM – The Wilbraham Public Library Board of Trustees interviewed two finalists for library director, but both decided against accepting the position, James Jurgens, head of the library trustees, said.

In the meantime, the trustees have appointed adult services librarian Karen Demers as interim director, Jurgens said.

Demers initially did not apply for the position of director, although she has the educational qualifications, Jurgens said.

He said the trustees will be meeting to decide whether to readvertise the position.

The trustees have to comply with the town rules on advertising and filling vacancies, Jurgens said.

Christine Bergquist, who had been the library director for 17 years, retired in September.

The position was advertised to pay between $48,000 and $56,000. It requires a master’s degree in library science.

Jurgens said the board got fewer applicants for the position than it expected.

He said Demers is a longtime employee of the library and is very familiar with the library’s popular programs.

Demers moderates many of the book clubs and reading programs at the library and organizes many speakers and workshops.

On Nov. 18 the Wilbraham Public Library Board of Trustees and the Friends of the Library will hold a public reception to honor Bergquist from 5 to 7 p.m. at the home of library trustee Llewellyn Merrick.

Residents and town employees are invited to the open house at 658 Main Street to wish Bergquist well in retirement.



South Hadley School Committee weighs how much to invest is energy-saving technology

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The hot water tank at the high school is wasteful because it’s at the opposite end of the school from the gym and the kitchen, where most of the hot water is used.

SOUTH HADLEY - The School Committee made some decisions Tuesday about how much they want to invest in energy-saving technology.

Like other town buildings, the South Hadley schools have been part of an energy audit conducted by Siemens Corp., a company that specializes in “green” cost-saving measures.

The mission of Siemens is to find environmentally-friendly solutions that will pay for themselves over time.

The energy audit was completed earlier this year, and in May Town Meeting will decide whether to hire Siemens for an “Energy Performance Package” that puts their recommendations into effect.

At the Tuesday meeting, Candice Walczak, business administrator for the schools, asked the School Committee to consider a list of issues that could be included in the question that goes before Town Meeting in May.

She told them that if all the items were approved, the schools would see $118,000 in spending and $123,000 in savings in the first year. The expectation is that, without the energy-saving measures, energy costs would increase at 3 percent a year.

Committee members present were Kevin McAllister, Lorraine Liantonio and chairman Dale Carey. Edward Boisselle and Barry Waite were absent.

The committee approved of including lighting improvements and weatherization of the building envelope in the energy-efficiency package. They also included “steam traps,” valves that are supposed to discharge steam as soon as it collects.

The steam traps at Plains School are especially bad, said Bruce Mailhott, facilities manager for the schools. “I can go into some rooms and it’s like 200 degrees,” he said.

McAllister was especially dismayed that children of that age – Plains serves pre-kindergarten to first grade – should endure discomfort.

The committee also decided to put the high school’s air conditioning system on the list, and groaned at the very mention of it. “The air conditioning has completely died, said Walczak, adding that the schools has wasted thousands in “patching it along” for the last few years.

Walczak and some committee members were strongly in favor of replacing the hot water tank at the high school, which is very wasteful because it’s at the opposite end of the school from the gym and the kitchen, where most of the hot water is used.

Unfortunately, payback on the hot water tank is 52 years. The committee decided to hold out for a better deal. “We’re willing to brainstorm with you,” said Jerry Drummond, a representative from Siemens.

The committee added various motors, drives, controls and energy management systems to the items they wanted Siemens to make more efficient.

They decided not to include the dishwasher at the high school with their request, since there were plans to “reconfigure” the kitchen.

Neither did they want to update the vending machines, as they weren’t sure if those would remain in schools.


Developer of proposed go cart facility on Center Street in Ludlow withdraws application

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More than 20 neighbors attended a public hearing on the proposal.

LUDLOW – The developer of a proposed paint ball and go cart facility at 1115 Center Street withdrew his application for site plan approval from the Planning Board Thursday night after neighbors expressed their objection to paint ball and go carts.

More than 20 neighbors who attended a public hearing on the proposed site plan said they objected to the traffic and noise such a facility would bring.

Kathy Murdock of Reservoir Road said she moved to her neighborhood because she wanted to be “in the country.”

“This would impact my quality of life,” she said.

Jose Fernandes, developer of the proposed facility which also would include miniature golf, said he will not put either paint ball or go carts on the site if the neighbors object.

“If paint ball and go carts are an issue we will eliminate them from the plan,” Fernandes said.

Fernandes said he intends to move his existing driving range further back from the street and will possibly put a miniature golf facility on the property which abuts the Springfield Reservoir.

Planning Board members suggested that Fernandes withdraw his proposed site plan and come back with a new site plan which shows the scope of the work he plans to do including the addition of parking spaces.

Brian Dobek of Clearwater Circle said if the property were to be further developed traffic studies should be done.

There already are cars parking along Reservoir Road to hike along the reservoir, he said.

Planning Board member Raymond Phoenix said a full site plan must be resubmitted before any approval for increased development on the site is given by the Planning Board.

If another site plan is submitted, the abutters will again be notified, he said.

Antonia Golinsky-Foisy of Center Street said the traffic already is very heavy on Center Street.

“I can’t walk to the reservoir from my house,” she said.



Massachusetts Juvenile Court system dependent on probation officers to make sure young offenders abide by terms of release

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Brian Moriarty is one of the 175 juvenile probation officers in Massachusetts responsible for keeping tabs on nearly 14,000 youthful offenders.

brian Moriarity james.JPGJuvenile probation officer Brian Moriarty, left, speaks with "James" during a surprise visit to the teen's home. As his probation officer, it's Moriarity's job to check in on the boy to make sure he is following the terms of his release.

SPRINGFIELD – Standing by the front porch of a home off Oakland Street, Brian Moriarty reminds “James” that the day is fast approaching when they will never have to see each other again.

That is, of course, as long as the 17-year-old “James” doesn’t screw it all up by doing something stupid.

“I need you to fly low at school for the next month,” Moriarty told him. “No fights at school. Be respectful. Keep your mouth closed – and do your work.”

Moriarty is a probation officer assigned to Juvenile Court, and the sheepish boy bobbing his head in agreement is part of his case load.

“James,” not his real name, has been sentenced to probation instead of a juvenile-detention facility, and it’s Moriarty’s job to see that the teenager abides by the terms of his release.

They have regular meetings each week, and Moriarty stops regularly at the young man’s school to talk with teachers and school officials to find out how things are going.

And, then there are moments like this one, when Moriarty shows up unannounced at the family home at night just to talk with him and his mother.

The Republican was allowed to travel with Moriarty on a recent night to learn about the work of probation officers. The only conditions set by the state Office of the Commissioner of Probation were that the juvenile offenders would not be identified and their faces would not be photographed.

“You’ve come a long way,” Moriarty tells “James.” “We don’t need any problems at school.”

He reminds the teen that the last thing he needs is to mess up now since his probation is set to expire this month .

The teen assures his probation officer that everything will be fine and there will be no trouble on his end. “I’m done. I’ve learned my lesson,” he said

The teen is serving a probationary term on assault charges; the only thing “James” would say about it is that he kept getting into fights.

His mother, standing nearby, said her son’s biggest problem has always been his mouth.

“Growing up, the boy could never keep his mouth shut and do what he was told,” she said. And, ultimately, the fights at school landed him in Juvenile Court, she said.

Brian moriarty teen girl.JPGJuvenile Probation Officer Brian Moriarty listens to the mother of a 15-year-old girl that he is responsible for monitoring during a surprise visit to their apartment. Moriarty said he conducts the surprise visits periodically to make sure juveniles under his care are where they are supposed to be and doing what they are supposed to be doing.

The mother says Moriarty, 44, has been a good influence on her son. While initially reluctant about the constant monitoring, she says she’s seen positive changes since the two were paired.

“He’s pretty good at listening to (Moriarty) and doing what he needs because (Moriarty) is pretty firm,” she said. “He means what he tells James.”

According to Coria Holland, spokeswoman for the Office of the Commissioner of Probation, there are 13,882 children across Massachusetts who are either on probation or “court involved,” the sweeping term used for all types of delinquent children, habitual truants or runaways, and abused or neglected children who are overseen by the Department of Youth Services.

And, for all of them, there are 175 juvenile probation officers across the state who are responsible for keeping track of them. That works out to about 80 cases per probation officer statewide, although in some counties the average is much higher. In Suffolk County, for example, each juvenile probation officer has 131 cases.

In Hampden County, there are 1,547 children serving probation or involved in active court cases. Twenty-one probation officers monitor those young people, a ratio of about 73 cases for every probation officer.

The Office of the Commissioner of Probation has seen its budget reduced over the last two years, from $126.3 million in fiscal 2010 to $119.4 million in fiscal 2011. This year’s budget is $116.7 million.

Even in the face of such budget-tightening conditions and rising caseloads, Judge Daniel J. Swords, first justice for the Hampden Juvenile Court, believes the probation officers do a great job monitoring all the children that go through the juvenile court and are assigned to probation.

The officers are responsible for making sure that each teen is following the terms of their probation, and the officers take that very seriously, Swords said.

“We are really blessed by having terrific probation officers. Their work with the kids, their families and the schools is fantastic.”

judge Daniel swords.JPGJudge Daniel J. Swords, first justice for Hampden Juvenile Court, said probation officers do a great job keeping juvenile offenders from re-offending. "Their work with the kids, their families and the schools is fantastic," he said.

The judges set terms of conditions, but once juveniles are released back into the community, it is up to the probation officer to make sure they are abiding by terms of their parole and keeping out of trouble.

“If they are not complying with the conditions, the (probation officer) files a violation notice with the court,” he said. When that occurs, it becomes the court’s jurisdiction, according to Swords.

Sometimes reoffending juveniles are given more restrictive conditions. Sometimes the judge assigns reoffending juveniles to serve the remainder of their term in a Department of Youth Services juvenile detention facility.

Danny Biaz, acting chief of probation for Hampden Juvenile Court, says the unannounced visits play a valuable role in the mission of probation. They give the probation officers “an idea what is going on with a child,” he said.

“We’re going out in the community,” Biaz said. “We’re out trying to take a pro-active role, rather than a reactive one.”

By seeing the young people out of their environment, at school, at home, in the neighborhood, it provides insights into the what sort of pressures they face.

A probation officer can see if the child has a stable home life or if it’s a dysfunctional home. It is also helpful to the child’s parents, he said. “They get extra support from probation.”

JuvieChart.jpg

Moriarty sees the unannounced visits as a critical tool in his job, making sure teens on probation are where they are supposed to be, doing what they are supposed to be doing.

“As a rule, I don’t tell the kids I’m coming,” he said. “I don’t want any rhyme or reason. Sometimes I go twice in one week. They can’t think they know you’re coming at any particular time.”

At another stop at a house off Dickinson Street a little while later on this night, a teen named “Michael” answers a knock on the front door and is surprised to see Moriarty on the porch.

The two had just met for their regular weekly appointment less than two hours earlier, but now he’s in his kitchen telling the boy’s father that “Michael” missed the first day of school because he did not have a uniform.

“He’ll be there tomorrow,” the dad tells Moriarty.

Moriarty reminds “Michael” and his father that they will need to finish paying off any fines and restitution and complete community service before the end of October if they want the judge to OK an end to Michael's probation.

“You’re doing a good job for me,” Moriarty tells the young man. “Do a good job for your dad.”

Before he leaves, Moriarty delivers the same warning he did to his earlier charge: make no trouble at school.

“When kids start acting stupid, you’ve got to do your own thing and walk away,” Moriarty said. “You’ve had a good couple of months. You don’t want to lose it when school starts.”

As a probation officer, Moriarty is charged with reporting to the court the progress each of his cases is – or isn’t – making.

Brian moriarty cops photo.JPGJuvenile Probation Officer Brian Moriarty talks with the two Springfield police officers who escort him on his surprise visits. As a probation officer, he is charged with reporting back to Juvenile Court when juvenile offenders are not abiding by their release. If the violation is serious enough, the courts can order the offender to be sent to a juvenile detention facility.

A Springfield police officer for 14 years before becoming a probation officer five years ago, Moriarty says he takes a no-nonsense approach to his duties.

“They have to know that you can be firm, but (that) they can also talk to you,” he said. “You have to wear a couple of different hats.”

There have been cases in which the teens assigned to Moriarty are the children of someone he had previously arrested during his police career. In those cases, Moriarty said, his past can actually be beneficial because the parent can vouch that he means what he says.

“You have to establish a relationship with the kid,” he said. “More importantly, you have to establish a relationship with the parent.”

The job of a juvenile probation officer is easier if the child’s parents are on your side, Moriarty added. And, on occasion, that is not the case.

Moriarty recognizes that he can only do so much in some cases. He can blanket his cases almost continually and say all he can about staying in school and keeping out of trouble, but if a teen is still surrounded by the negative influences of absentee or indifferent parents, trouble-making friends, drugs or gangs, the results are not always positive.

“Think back to sociology class,” he said. “We’re trying to alter behavior without controlling the environment.”

If Moriarty finds problems or feels the teen isn’t taking the situation seriously, he can to make a report to the Juvenile Court justice overseeing the teen’s case. Teens who do not go along can find the terms of their probation made more restrictive, or have it revoked and be placed in a juvenile detention facility.

Sometimes that is what it takes to get a kid’s attention, he said; “You hope it’s a wake-up call.”

Juvenile Court is designed to be different from other wings of the state Trial Court, says Swords. The focus is to emphasize on rehabilitating teen offenders instead of just incarcerating them, he said.

“We are mandated by statute to look to rehabilitation,” the judge said. The structured release that is closely monitored by a probation officer is, in most cases, preferred and more beneficial than locking someone away, Swords said.

Swords says he’s seen many success stories over the years when a young offender sentenced to probation has emerged on a new path.

"Unfortunately that is not always the case," he said. "Kids today commit some egregious crimes."

Swords said in juvenile cases where the offender has committed violent crimes, the courts have to look for a balance between what is best for the juvenile and what is best for the community.

"We look at the rehabilitation of the child. We look equally at the protection of society," he said.

Moriarty’s caseload typically involves 16- to 17-year-olds who have avoided incarceration; he occasionally deals with young people who are released from incarceration to serve additional probationary time. Many have committed crimes that are serious enough to land an adult in state prison.

“We have crimes that run the gamut from minor things to armed assault with intent to murder or rape,” Moriarty explained.

The type of offense determines how much slack he gives and how often he’s on their front porches to check in.

“Some of them you really have to stay on top of,” he said.

Amid some of the grim realities of his job, Moriarty says he has his share of success stories – some of those he’s overseen have gone on to college – although the successes are not as plentiful as he wishes.

“You don’t always have the batting average you want,” he said.

For Moriarty, the most important thing is to get teens to accept responsibility for their actions.

“I tell each kid on day one: when you are on probation, you are going to determine how this goes by your behavior and your actions,” he said. “It’s not your mother, or your counselor or whatever.”

Springfield City Councilor Amaad Rivera proposes council vote for city to cease all business with Bank of America

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Rivera's proposal, drafted as a one-page, non-binding resolution, is slated to be considered by the council at its regular meeting Monday at 7 p.m., at City Hall.

bank head.JPGFile photo of Bank of America headquarters Charlotte, N.C. The Springfield City Council is scheduled to vote on a motion Monday to cease business dealings with the bank chain.

SPRINGFIELD – City Councilor Amaad I. Rivera has filed a proposal, urging the city to withdraw all public funds from the Bank of America, saying the bank is contributing to the foreclosure crisis and predatory lending practices.

But the city had just $3,580 on deposit with Bank of America as of Sept. 30, said Stephen Lonergan, the city treasurer.

Rivera’s proposal, drafted as a one-page, non-binding resolution, sponsored by Rivera, is slated to be considered by the council at its regular meeting Monday at 7 p.m., at City Hall.

The resolution, if it passes, would be forwarded for consideration by Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and the Finance Department, but would be non-binding.

In addition, Rivera plans to take part in a related rally on the steps of City Hall at 5:30 p.m. Monday, to demonstrate on various issues including his proposal to withdraw city funds from the bank.

“I believe we should be investing in our community and supporting local financial institutions that don’t engage in predatory practices,” Rivera said Friday.

The $3,585 with Bank of America is out of $137.6 million invested with various banks and financial institutions, Lonergan wrote in an e-mail. Of that money, $65.15 million is in the Massachusetts Municipal Depository Trust. Another $43.2 million is at Citizens Bank.

Springfield once used Bank of Boston, a Bank of America precursor in this region, as its main bank. But then in 2008, the city switched to Citizens Bank and closed out its accounts with Bank of America, according to Lonergan.

amaad rivera.JPGAmaad Rivera

Bank of America, in a prepared response to Rivera’s proposal, defended its record in Massachusetts and its contributions to the region.

“Bank of America has a lot to be proud of in Massachusetts, from modifying 18,000 mortgages since 2008 to lending nearly $400 million in the first half of 2011 to small businesses fueling the local economy,” said T.J. Crawford, a national bank spokesman.

“This is to say nothing of the more than $12 million we provide in annual charitable giving, and tens of thousands of hours our employees spend volunteering. Much of that impact is felt in Springfield.”

Bank of America is a “major supporter” of Springfield-based HAP, Inc., and its affordable housing program, Crawford said. In addition, the bank donated $50,000 to assist disaster relief efforts in Massachusetts following the June 1 tornadoes, he said.

The bank also funded three jobs at the Urban League of Springfield’s Camp Atwater, and since 2004 has provided the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts with $190,000 to support its network of food pantries, Crawford said.

In August, the council unanimously approved an ordinance sponsored by Rivera that calls for a city-approved, mandatory mediation program to assist homeowners faced with foreclosures.

The Massachusetts Bankers Associations and some member banks filed a letter with city officials, raising objections and concerns regarding that ordinance and another ordinance that would require banks to place a $10,000 bond to secure and maintain any of their foreclosed, vacant properties in Springfield.

Bank of America was among the banks represented in the letter.

Rivera said he wants to invest city funds in banks that don’t engage in predatory practices, don’t hint a legal action over an ordinance, and help to maintain the local economy.

“Bank of America does not have that record,” Rivera said.

Rivera’s resolution, in calling for the withdrawal of funds, also stated that “during this economic recession, an increase in fees and unnecessary charges imposed by big banks has made the cost of survival for the average citizen even more challenging and has added to the high amount of foreclosures in the city of Springfield and throughout the United States.”

protest.JPGDemonstrators stand in front of the Bank of America branch in Northampton in this file photo from 2009. The bank chain has been the subject of protests for the last two years by those who charge it engages in predatory lending.

The city is “fortunate to have a variety of local banks that have not chosen to increase fees or engage in predatory practices .¤.¤.,” the resolution states.

Crawford said Bank of America established a program that allows community development financial institutions across the country to have access to $100 million in “microloan capital” from the Small Business Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The Western Massachusetts Enterprise Fund has taken advantage of the program twice, receiving $78,750 in grants, which has allowed it to access more than $500,000 in SBA capital to aid small business owners and entrepreneurs in the area, Crawford said.

Republican reporter Jim Kinney contributed to this article.

Heavy rain being eyed as possible reason for delay of fall foliage in Western Massachusetts

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Another factor this year is the seed production of some trees.

Fall foliage 101211.jpgSome signs of color are seen along Route 5 in Deerfield on Wednesday.

Like a wedding where the bride arrives late, the guests were gathered in the Pioneer Valley over Columbus Day weekend, but the guest of honor, the spectacular fall foliage, was delayed.

“Everyone who has come by the desk said it has been a pretty slow turn,” said Chris R. Gonzalez, a service representative for the Hotel Northampton.

“But, generally people have been stopping here on their way to Vermont, so this area is not their only stop,” he said.

Historically, the Columbus Day holiday weekend has marked the arrival of the peak colors of the autumn foliage in the Pioneer Valley. However, this year, the peak may be running a week to 10 days late.

The study of when and why trees make the transition from their lush summer plumage to their leafless winter condition is an inexact science, according to John F. O’Keefe, a longtime ecologist at the Harvard Forest, the research forest of Harvard University in Petersham.

“We still don’t really understand exactly (how the) changing day length, temperature, frosts, rainfall, cloudiness and sunlight combine to trigger and develop color change,” he said.

What affects one species may not be as much of an influence on another, he said.

The length of daylight hours, which is constant from year to year, is believed to be the main influence on trees to begin the process that brings out autumn colors. However, there are many secondary influences, scientists believe.

Heavy rains through the season may be playing a large role in the condition of the foliage this year. Since April, the Pioneer Valley has gotten about 50 percent more rain than normal, including the downpours from tropical storm Irene in August.

O’Keefe said the abundant rainfall may have promoted a fungal disease that affected sugar maples and a few other species.

“Here in Petersham many sugar maples didn’t develop bright color and dropped many of their leaves early,” he said.

Another factor this year is the seed production of some trees. Trees have developed a mechanism that enhances their chances of survival. They have good years and bad years in the production of seeds, such as acorns and pine cones, as a way to throw off populations of animals that feed on the harvest.

For instance, if oaks produced bumper crops of acorns every year, then the squirrel population would grow unchecked. However, by having years with low production, squirrels die off from the lack of food, enhancing the chances that an acorn produced in the next good year will have a chance to grow to a mature tree.

O’Keefe said there was “a huge seed crop this fall on many sugar maples, which may have led to more energy going to fruit and seed ripening and less to color production.”

However, the foliage can improve quickly, he said.

“The cold weather at the end of last week (near freezing temperatures at night on Oct. 5, 6 and 7) followed by abundant sunshine over the weekend seems to have brought on some beautiful bright colors, especially on the red maples,” he said.

Indeed, there may be a silver lining to this particular cloud, said Betsy Wall, executive director of the state Office of Travel and Tourism.

“If foliage is a little late, that means an extended season for Massachusetts. It could be better – and longer – than ever,” she said.

First round of public meetings complete in tornado recovery master plan initiative

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This week’s meetings were the first of three rounds of similar public meetings split into three districts plus a citywide series. Subsequent rounds are planned for November and December and a master plan is slated to be released in early January.

SPRINGFIELD – Progress marches on in the tornado recovery effort across Springfield, as city leaders craft a master plan to rebuild with a Jan. 5, 2012 deadline.

Saws and hammering are the norms at Milano’s delicatessen on Main Street in the South End. The family-owned business was corroded by water damage after the June 1 disaster. Workers are creeping along while they await blueprints and city approvals to rebuild the site.

“If there are workers here, I open the doors,” co-owner Anthony Recchia said on Saturday, as laborers patched up the ceiling and worked on other existing improvements. “Once we’re able to get ceiling and floor tiles up, it’ll start to look like something.”

Recchia is hopeful they can get the store back up and running in time for the busy holiday season, and maintain an Italian sausage wholesale business in an adjacent building.

Just down the street, representatives of social, cultural and business groups held the last of four post-tornado planning meetings at the MassMutual Center, where hundreds of homeless sought shelter in the wake of the storms. The disaster sparked a public-private partnership called “Rebuild Springfield” chaired by local officials and bolstered by disaster recovery experts who led the revival effort in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

“New Orleans was a community divided against itself as far as race and economics,” said David Dixon, an urban design expert with Boston firm Goody Clancy, one of a group of private consultants hired by the city to lead the rebuild. “About halfway through the process everybody figured out we’d have to work together. That same realization is already here.”

The citywide session followed a group of three neighborhood-based public meetings in the hardest-hit areas of the city: South End, Upper Hill and East Forest Park.

Saturday’s citywide meeting was relatively sparsely attended and some complained that not enough was being done to reach out to the city’s poorest residents who had been displaced by the storm.

“A lot of people who were marginalized and disenfranchised for years in this city aren’t here and they should be here,” community organizer Laura Shepard-Blue told moderators on Saturday.

Nicholas Fyntrilakis, a vice president with MassMutual, said the weekend’s meeting was designed to pull neighborhood-based concerns into an all-inclusive vision for the city.

“We broke off into groups earlier and asked: If you were a resident, or a tourist, or a business person, what should the city look like?” Fyntrilakis said.

This week’s meetings were the first of three rounds of similar public meetings split into three districts plus a citywide series. Subsequent rounds are planned for November and December and a master plan is slated to be released in early January.

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