Amherst features its Merry Maple Celebration and Easthampton showcases its Holiday Stroll.

Republican file photoThe annual Easthampton Holiday Stroll in 2008. Carrying the banner leading the stroll are Denise E. Gross and Steve J. Zavisza.

Amherst and Easthampton will celebrate the holiday season with events on Friday highlighted by visits from Santa Claus.

Santa first makes an appearance in Amherst at the annual Merry Maple Celebration, something Town Manager John P. Musante said he’s looking forward to. The event in front of Town Hall offers hayrides beginning at 4:30 p.m. and a performance by the Amherst Regional Middle School Chorus from the Town Hall steps at 4:30.

The Town Room at Town Hall will become a crafts room and a place where children can have their faces painted.

The tree lighting commences at 4:45, with Santa Clause arriving on a fire truck accompanied by the University of Massachusetts Marching Band at 5:30 p.m.
As tradition dictates, Santa will hold court at the Amherst History Museum at the Strong House.

Those attending are asked to bring new and unwrapped toys, clothing, sports equipment, books and games for infants through teens for the annual Amherst Survival Center Toy Drive.

In Easthampton, the greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce and the Holiday Spirit Committee presents the annual Holiday Stroll and Santa visit beginning at 7 p.m. with strollers assembling at the Maple Street School.

They will amble to downtown singing holiday songs and then gather at Pulaski Park to wait for Santa. Santa will help light the park and then meet with children who will be able to partake of cocoa and cookies as they impart their wishes to the man in red.

In the past more than 500 have joined the celebration.

Events in both communities are free.

Officials are waiting for autopsy and toxicology reports to determine how each died, but the deaths are not considered the result of foul play.

NORTHAMPTON – The Northampton Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police Detectives Unit assigned to the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office are jointly investigating the deaths of two male residents of the Soldier On shelter at the V.A. Medical Center in Leeds.

The first death was reported at about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, the second at 8:20 a.m. on Wednesday. The deaths were non-violent and no foul play is suspected, but investigators are awaiting the results of autopsies and toxicology examinations to determine their causes.

Solider On is a not-for-profit organization that provides support and services to homeless veterans. It is located at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Leeds.

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Cain, on a 1-day bus tour of Ohio, insisted he was seeing "a groundswell of positive support" after a woman's allegation of a longtime affair.

Associated PressRepublican presidential candidate, Herman Cain speaks during a campaign rally, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

By DAN SEWELL
and SHANNON McCAFFREY

DAYTON, Ohio – His campaign's survival in question, Herman Cain plowed ahead Wednesday in a determined effort to move past a woman's allegation that they had a longtime affair.

Publicly, there were no signs that the former pizza company executive was calling it quits in his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. In fact, it was just the opposite: Aides were moving ahead with plans for events in New Hampshire, Tennessee, South Carolina and Georgia and prepared to launch a fresh round of TV ads in Iowa.

And Cain himself, on a one-day bus tour of Ohio, insisted he was seeing "a groundswell of positive support" after the latest allegation threatening his campaign. Still, he acknowledged "we are re-assessing and we are re-evaluating" in light of the woman's account, which followed accusations of sexual harassment by other women in recent weeks. He renewed what has become a familiar defense: that he is the victim of attacks by liberals and the establishment, who are threatened by his outsider appeal.

"They want you to believe that with another character assassination on me that I will drop out," a defiant Cain told a crowd of about 200 in Dayton. The boisterous crowd greeted him with shouts of "no!" and "boo!"

"One of the reasons they are trying to shoot me down and tear me down is the strength of my message that resonates with the American people," he said.

Cain drew enthusiastic crowds in three appearances in the state. Though there were signs that some in early voting Iowa and New Hampshire were reconsidering their support — and political veterans were beginning to suggest his campaign's days were numbered — some backers here said they were deeply skeptical of the mounting allegations.

"I absolutely trust the character of the man. No man is perfect, but I just don't believe it," said Pauline Clark, 80, from Xenia, Ohio. She urged Cain to "tough it out."

George Phillips, of Beavercreek, said he was sticking with Cain because of his ideas and management experience, saying: "I just like him, and he certainly seems to understand the economy." He added: "It seems funny that every time a candidate rises up, something pops up against him."

And Jim Stansbury, who drove two hours to West Chester from his home in Louisville, Ky., to show his continued support, suggested that Cain's enemies were behind the allegations surfacing and called them "an orchestrated event." Though Sainsbury said Cain's base of support remains solid, he allowed that the accusations could make it more difficult to persuade undecided voters to get behind the candidate.

Cain's latest turmoil comes just five weeks before the first votes are cast in the state-by-state march to the nomination. He's spent a month battling several sexual harassment accusations, which took a toll on both his standing in polls and, supporters say, his fundraising. Prominent conservatives who rushed to his defense when the first allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior surfaced were all but silent after the affair accusation. At least one New Hampshire backer — state Rep. William Panek — switched his allegiance to a Cain rival. And Cain's campaign has lost some precinct-level supporters in the leadoff caucus state of Iowa.

"His campaign is strong enough to survive the allegations," argued Michael Farren, 31, an Ohio State University doctoral student in economics, from Pataskala, Ohio.

Among political operatives, however, the perception was setting in that Cain's troubles were causing irreparable harm to his bid.

"I don't see how they walk away from the damage that's been done and emerge as a viable primary candidate," said Rick Wilson, a longtime GOP consultant based in Florida. "All these things about Herman Cain keep coming out drip, drip, drip, and they're not handling it well. And now conservative Republicans have another place to go: Newt Gingrich."

Dan McLagan, a veteran GOP strategist based in Atlanta, agreed, saying: "Cain is like a zombie at this point: he's dead but he does not appear to have noticed and has kept on walking. His support is all moving to Gingrich and, at some point, he's going to look back and see that he is grand marshal of a one-man parade."

Indeed, former House Speaker Gingrich has been the beneficiary — in polls, at least — of Cain's slide in the month since it was disclosed that the National Restaurant Association paid settlements to two women who claimed Cain sexually harassed them while he was president of the organization. A third woman told The Associated Press that Cain made inappropriate sexual advances but that she didn't file a complaint. A fourth woman also stepped forward to accuse Cain of groping her in a car in 1997.

Cain has denied wrongdoing in all cases.

The latest furor came Monday when Atlanta-area businesswoman Ginger White, 46, accused Cain of a consensual sexual relationship that spanned more than a decade and ended this year before he became a White House candidate.

The candidate has denied any such affair, and in a letter addressed to "patriots and supporters" called her allegations "completely false" and labeled her "troubled."

"It's very disappointing that he would call me troubled and, you know, it's unfortunate," White said Wednesday on ABC's "Good Morning America."

As Cain was greeted warmly at stops in Ohio, top aides huddled privately to map out a strategy to get past the allegations. Cain has told his top supporters that his campaign must determine whether he will have the financial and grassroots support to move ahead.

He was holding an event in Manchester, N.H., Wednesday evening and planned to campaign in Tennessee on Thursday. A rally was planned Friday in Rock Hill, S.C. And an email to supporters said Saturday's planned opening of a new campaign headquarters in Atlanta to house volunteer efforts was still on.

"He's going to be here a lot going forward," Cain's South Carolina state director William Head said, adding that the Cain campaign had sent no signal it was in retreat.

"I think the most effective thing is for people here to get some time with him. When people hear Mr. Cain, they are reassured," Head said.

In Iowa, Cain's state chairman Steve Grubbs said he was preparing a busy December schedule beginning with a Dec. 10 debate in Des Moines. And Grubbs said Cain, who has not aired any campaign ads in Iowa since last week, will resume advertising Friday with a new spot that asserts that electing Cain would mean putting a veteran CEO in the White House, not a politician.

"The campaign has authorized us to go back on the air," Grubbs said, "and that is a very big signal to everyone who is concerned about the viability of the campaign."

Associated Press writers Ann Sanner in Columbus, Tom Beaumont in Des Moines, Iowa, and Kasie Hunt in New York contributed to this report.

A resident and district councilor have complained that a gasoline station-convenience store proposed for Union and Park streets would worsen traffic congestion.

Photo by Don Treeger / The RepublicanCumberland Farms hopes to open a gas station and convenience store at the location of this Gulf gas station at corner of Union and Park streets

WEST SPRINGFIELD – Both a resident and the town councilor of the district for which Cumberland Farms has proposed opening a gasoline-convenience store objected strongly to the proposal Monday during a public hearing by the Board of Appeals.

Diane Crowell of 26 Russell St. and District 1 Town Councilor Angus M. Rushlow both told the board that the project would bring more traffic to an area that is already congested.

Cumberland Farms needs a special permit from the Board of Appeals to do the project at Park and Union streets because the proposed new building would replace a Gulf gasoline station at the site that constitutes a pre-existing use in nonconformance with zoning regulations. The Framingham-based company would like to construct a 4,242-square-foot convenience store of colonial design with 10 fueling stations.

The site is zoned Business A-1, which generally confines uses to professional offices.

Board members must agree the project would enhance the general character and quality of the neighborhood, provide adequate off-street parking for use of the property and not be more detrimental to the neighborhood that the existing nonconforming use.

“This would not enhance our neighborhood at all,” Crowell said of the proposed project.

Crowell said she knows the intersection is already congested because she has to drive through it every day,

“When it is up and running it will interfere with the town’s use of the Town Common,” Rushlow said of the landmark, which is located across from the existing gasoline station. “We have enough parking problems as it is.”

Representatives of Cumberland Farms said that the proposed new business would not draw much more traffic to the area, but would draw patrons from the existing traffic.

“This site will not be a destination site,” Dennis P. Powers, the attorney for Cumberland Farms, told the Board of Appeals.

Planning Administrator Richard Werbiskis said he does not dispute the traffic study Cumberland Farms had done by Fuss & O’Neill engineers, but that the project would create congestion.

The Board of Appeals continued the public hearing to Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. because it cannot take action on the special permit request until after it acts on variances Cumberland Farms is seeking for some of its landscaping buffers. Cumberland Farms must also get its site plans for the project approved by the Planning Board.

The chairman of the gaming commission is set to receive $150,000 salary, while each of the other four commission members would receive $112,500.

BOSTON - Leaders on Beacon Hill said Wednesday they plan to use a search firm when appointing two of five members of a new state commission that would oversee casinos.

According to the new casino law, a full-time, five-member Massachusetts Gaming Commission will regulate casinos and issue licenses for a single slot barn and three casino resorts including one in Western Massachusetts.

Deval L. Patrick

Gov. Deval L. Patrick, Attorney General Martha Coakley and Treasurer Steven Grossman would each individually appoint a commissioner. The governor would name the chair. The chairman is set to receive $150,000 salary, while each of the other four members would receive $112,500.

The final two commissioners would be chosen by majority vote of the governor, attorney general and treasurer.

According to a joint press release, the three officials are seeking bids to select a search firm that would review all applications for the two shared commission appointments. They said the firm will be selected within 30 days. The firm will name finalists for the two shared commission appointments.

Martha M. Coakley

"A high emphasis will be placed on ethics and no candidate will be chosen who has any conflicts of interest that could impact their ability to make the best and most independent decisions," the release said. "Finalists identified by the search firm will be referred to the three offices for further review and final determination on the two appointments."

The commission must be bipartisan, with no more than three members representing the same political party. All members would serve five-year terms with a term limit of 10 years. Members must be appointed within 120 days of Nov. 22, the day Patrick signed the casino bill passed by the Legislature.

Commission members don't have to be Massachusetts residents when appointed, but each commissioner must be a resident within 90 days of getting the job.

Coakley said applications for her individual appointment are due by Jan. 9.

Coakley's individual appointee must have a background in law enforcement and criminal investigations.

“Throughout this selection process, we will remain committed to identifying the best potential candidates to serve with integrity on the Commission and help properly regulate this new industry in the Commonwealth," Coakley said in a statement.

Steven Grossman

Grossman said he established a five-member advisory panel to select finalists for his individual appointment, who must have experience in corporate finance and securities.

“We only have one chance to get this right,” Grossman said in a statement. “The process through which our appointment is made should be comprehensive and transparent."

Gaming commissioners would also hire an executive director at a salary they would determine. The executive director would then appoint a chief financial officer, and subject to approval of commissioners, hire other employees, consultants and advisors including a chief legal counsel.

No commissioner can be an elected official, run for elected office or be an official in a political party, according to the law.

The Virginia prosecutor said he sought to try Thomas 1st because the charges against him in his jurisdiction are especially heinous, and that it was hard to imagine a more disturbing crime than what Thomas allegedly committed.

Associated PressThis undated handout photo provided by the Prince William County, Va., Police Department shows Aaron Thomas. Thomas, a Connecticut man who police believe is responsible for a series of sexual assaults along the East Coast over more than a decade was arraigned Wednesday in Virginia on charges of raping two teenage trick-or-treaters in 2009. (AP Photo/Prince William County, Va. Police Department)

By MATTHEW BARAKAT

MANASSAS, Va. – Aaron Thomas, a Connecticut man who police believe is responsible for a series of sexual assaults along the East Coast over more than a decade, was arraigned Wednesday in Virginia on charges of raping two teenage trick-or-treaters in 2009.

Thomas, 40, was extradited Tuesday from Connecticut to Virginia and made an initial appearance Wednesday morning in Prince William County's Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.

He appeared through a video hookup from the county jail and, unlike the other inmates awaiting their hearings, was shackled at his wrists and ankles. Asked if he understood the charges against him, Thomas replied "No," and mumbled for a court-appointed attorney. He hung his head throughout the brief hearing.

Before he was extradited, his public defender in Connecticut said he had been consulting experts about a possible mental health defense. After Wednesday's hearing, Prince William County Commonwealth's Attorney Paul Ebert said he would not be surprised if a similar defense were offered in Virginia.

Ebert said he sought to try Thomas first because the charges against him in this jurisdiction are especially heinous, and that it was hard to imagine a more disturbing crime than what Thomas allegedly committed in the Woodbridge area on Halloween 2009 — abducting three trick-or-treaters at gunpoint in the Woodbridge area, and raping two 17-year-olds. The third victim, age 16, was able to send a text message to her mother seeking help, and the attacker was forced to flee as police lights and sirens approached.

"When you have a serial rapist, it always strikes fear in the heart of the citizenry," Ebert said, noting that some parents had been reluctant to let their kids trick-or-treat after the attack.

In all, authorities believe Thomas is responsible for rapes and other attacks on 17 women from Virginia to Connecticut over the span of a decade. Many of the cases, including the Woodbridge rapes, are linked by DNA evidence, and police say a DNA sample obtained from a cigarette butt smoked by Thomas connects him to the crimes.

Thomas was arrested in March in Connecticut and had been held there on charges connected to a 2007 rape in New Haven. But Connecticut agreed to extradite Thomas after what Ebert said were long conversations with his Connecticut counterpart. Ebert emphasized the potentially lengthy prison term Thomas could face — in all he faces eight felony counts, several of which carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years and maximum sentence of life in prison.

Under the terms of the extradition agreement, Thomas would not be returned to Connecticut if he gets a sentence of 60 years or more in Virginia.

Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Judge Scott Bailey scheduled a preliminary hearing for Jan. 25.

Ebert also said Wednesday that the victims in the Halloween assault are willing to testify against him at trial.

Defense lawyer Ronald Fay, who was appointed by the judge Wednesday to represent Thomas, could not immediately be reached for comment.

The June 1 tornadoes were followed by hundreds of building permits and millions of dollars in anticipated disaster aid.

The Republican | Mark M. MurrayThe owner of Dave's Furniture on Main Street in Springfield's South End said he hopes to reopen shortly. Six months after the June 1 tornado that tore through downtown and Western Massachusetts, rebuilding is evident but so is the extent of the damage done.

SPRINGFIELD – Although boarded homes and shredded trees are still evident, the six-month anniversary of the June 1 tornadoes that swept through Western Massachusetts finds substantial rebuilding, officials said.

The worst tornado sliced through a 39-mile section of Western and central Massachusetts and damaged hundreds of homes and businesses and tens of thousands of trees regionally.

“I think the progress has been substantial,” said Gerald W. Hayes, co-chairman of DevelopSpringfield, a lead agency in the public-private Rebuild Springfield effort. “The community response has been terrific and is much appreciated. But we have a long way to go and many challenges ahead.”

Of the 577 structures that were damaged by the tornado in Springfield, 513 have been repaired, cleared, or work is in progress, Hayes said. There were 3,106 building permits obtained in the tornado-affected neighborhoods, totaling $17.6 million in estimated construction.

“You see a lot of rebuilding,” Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said. “You continue to hear about the resiliency of the Springfield people. We have moved from recovery to rebuilding and resurgence.”

In Monson, 30 permits have been issued to rebuild homes, and an additional 320 permits have been issued for renovations including siding, windows and roofing. Also, 57 demolition permits have been issued, as well as 20 permits for temporary trailers, according to the Building Department.

“Six months sounds like a long time, but with the magnitude of damage that we sustained in this town, I think we made remarkable progress,” Selectman Edward A. Maia said. “We have some people who are still fighting with insurance companies, but others are back in their homes.”

In Brimfield, Selectmen Chairwoman Diane Panaccione said she also has seen progress in her town. Exact figures on the number of building permits issued were unavailable from the Building Department on Wednesday.

Wilbraham Selectmen Chairman Patrick J. Brady said there were 237 homes in Wilbraham damaged in the tornado and about two dozen were found to be unsafe for habitation.

He said there are still some residents living in temporary trailers on Tinkham Road and Main Street.

Two houses on Echo Hill Road have new frames, roofs and siding up, but it will probably be spring before the homes are completed, Brady said.

Various state and federal agencies continue to help, including providing millions of dollars in aid received and anticipated. The Federal Emergency Management Agency offers 75 percent reimbursement for eligible costs and various other grant and loan programs exist to help tornado victims.

“Six months after the tornadoes, it is heartening to see communities pulling together and rebuilding better and stronger than before,” said Gov. Deval L. Patrick. “Our administration is in it for the long haul, and we will do whatever it takes to make sure that every resident, family and community is made whole again.”

In addition, a master plan is being prepared for Springfield in conjunction with Concordia LLC, of New Orleans, the lead consultant for the Rebuild Springfield effort. The plan is nearly 75 percent complete, with continuing public input through hearings that have already involved an estimated 1,000 people. Online comments are being sought through DevelopSpringfield’s website and letters, Hayes said. “Our goal is not just to rebuild, it to achieve a substantial improvement in the quality of life in these neighborhoods,” Hayes said, estimating it will take a sustained effort over several years to fully rebuild.

Remaining scenes of the devastation in Springfield range from the heavily damaged South End Community Center, to the rooftops covered by blue tarps along Central and Spruce streets, to the lot on Island Pond Road with just a foundation and fireplace.

While progress has been “excellent” in the East Forest Park and Sixteen Acres area, there has been some lag in other neighborhoods with a mix of construction and some neglected properties, Hayes said. The city has been pursuing court action in many cases to require repairs or demolition, he said.

There have been two rounds of public hearings on the master plan and another round planned in December. Concordia will share some specific recommendations for redevelopment and gain additional public input, Hayes said.

The Republican | Lucila J. SantanaSpringfield Redevelopment Authority chairman Armando Feliciano inspects the tornado damage inside his home at 36 Amanda St.

Those still recovering from the tornado include the Springfield family of Armando Feliciano, which has lived in a small apartment since their home on Amanda Street was nearly destroyed in the tornado. Moving back to their home is expected sometime between now and February.

“It has been really kind of sad,” Feliciano said. “We miss our home. We’re in crowded conditions.”

Feliciano serves as chairman of the Springfield Redevelopment Authority, which is the lead public agency in the Rebuild Springfield effort, as assigned by Sarno.

His role in the Rebuild Springfield and his relief that his family was not hurt in the tornado, is “how I have been able to deal with the issues, the pain of the monster that struck us,” Feliciano said.

In the South End, the owners of Milano Importing delicatessen and Dave’s Furniture said they are working hard to reopen their Main Street storefronts, expected soon. The renovations will not only eliminate the damage but make the buildings better, the owners said.

Milano’s was able to continue its wholesale business, and hopes to open its storefront by Dec. 14, said Nick Recchia, co-owner.

“I felt devastated then and I feel exhausted right now, but optimistic,” Recchia said. “We are committed to the South End.”

Linda Guidetti, manager of Dave’s Furniture, said there is approximately three more weeks of repairs, but the reopening date is not yet known.

The city also plans to renovate the Elias Brookings School on Hancock Street and the Dryden Memorial School on Surrey Road. In addition, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield has pledged to rebuild Cathedral High School.

Private and public funding is being raised for mass tree plantings in Springfield which lost an estimated 10,000 trees in the tornado. The tree devastation worsened in the freak Oct. 29 snowstorm.

Staff writers Lori Stabile and Suzanne McLaughlin contributed to this report.

The School Committee has no authority to change the school schedule.

File photo | The RepublicanStudents from a 2010 gifted class at Chicopee's Bellamy Middle School listen to a guest speaker.

CHICOPEE – The School Committee is asking that the gifted program be restored to Edward J. Bellamy Middle School after hearing parents and students protest the change.

The School Committee has no official authority to change the school schedule, so the 11-0 vote is merely a recommendation. The Education Reform law of 1993 gives school principals authority over issues such as the types of classes to offer.

This year, Bellamy Principal Matthew T. Francis decided to change the gifted program, called REACH, from a daily 45-minute class. The new program added the gifted class concepts, such as problem-solving and scenario writing, into the regular 90-minute English class to expose more children to the program. It also moved other components to a four-day, after-school program.

The change came in part because the long-term teacher had retired. Francis chose to replace that position with a needed math teacher.

“I think there is a middle ground. I think we can do both,” Superintendent Richard W. Rege Jr. said, after the School Committee vote.

After hearing complaints, especially from fifth-graders who expect to attend Bellamy next year, members asked to at least monitor the change and see how many children are attending the after-school class.

Reports showed that less than half of the children have signed up for the after-school program than did for the class held during the school day. During the previous year, 16 sixth-graders, 19 seventh-graders and 19 eighth-graders were the class. Now eight sixth-graders, five seventh-graders and six eighth-graders attend the class.

“A lot said they could not do it because of other after-school activities,” said Susan A. Lopes, a committee member who has been pushing for a return to the original schedule for the REACH classes.

Sharon M. Nawrocki, a committee member, said she would like to see the concepts such as problem-solving continue to be integrated in English classes, but also would like to see the regular class restored for the next school year.

“I believe everyone on the board supports thinking outside of the box and supports innovations,” she said.

Donald J. Lamothe, a committee member, said one of the concerns the School Committee will have to address is adding another teacher if Francis agrees to the recommendation, since the salary used for the REACH teacher is not available.

Bellamy is currently scoring far below state average in math with 43 percent of all sixth, seventh and eighth-graders scoring proficient or above while 82 percent of children in those grades statewide score proficient or above.

“Bellamy is not doing as well as it should, and Mr. Francis is trying to do something,” Lamothe said. “Unfortunately, he stepped on a few parents’ toes.”

Add Captain Kirk vs. Princess Leia to the growing list of celebrity feuds.

AP file photosPrincess Leia vs. Captain Kirk: Take no prisoners.

When Captain Kirk of "Star Trek" and Princess Leia of "Star Wars" slug it out in a war of words, was there any chance in this crazy, mixed-up, SEO-driven media world that no one would notice?

Yeah, right.

If the Internet seems a little slow today, it’s likely bogged down by fans of the two mega-sci fi franchises choosing sides in the William Shatner vs. Carrie Fisher duel.

Multiple websites, from The Huffington Post to ComicBookMovie.com, are weighing in on the feud and what it means to the rest of us when two make-believe universes collide.   

Even noted film critic Roger Ebert posted a piece on his Sun-Times blog, Roger Ebert’s Journal.

“One can only hope George Takei (Star Trek’s Lt. Sulu) can be brought in to broker a peace settlement before blood is shed,” Ebert wrote. 

The feud got off to a start when Shatner in a recent interview set his phasers on ridicule to blast a few holes in the Star Wars mystique. 

The original 1966-69 "Star Trek" TV series, known to fans, nerds and the guy who debugs your laptop as ST:TOS, was both more original and far superior than Star Wars in terms of story lines and character development, Shatner contends.
“‘Star Trek' had relationships and conflict among the relationships, and stories that involved humanity and philosophical questions. ‘Star Wars' was special effects,” Shatner said.

“ 'Star Wars' was derivitive of us by - what, 10, 15, 20 years?” he said.

And of Fisher’s character, Princess Leia, Shatner says "As beautiful as she was, and as wonderful an actress as she is, (she) can't compare to the marvelous heroines we had on 'Star Trek.’ ”



If those sound like fighting words, Fisher certainly thought so.

In a separate video titled "Star Wars is soooo much better than Star Trek," Fisher, who played Leia in three films between 1977 and 1983, fires up the verbal Death Star and lays waste to the "Star Trek" universe as if it were Alderaan.

She mocks "Star Trek" (“Klingon sounds like a laundry detergent,”) mocks overbearing Trekkie community, in particular the fan who paid $75,000 for one of Shatner’s kidney stones, and dismisses the original series as kind of cheap. “There are no sunsets in ‘Star Trek.’ They couldn’t afford it in their budget,” she said.

She even takes a shot at Shatner’s weight gain since retiring the Capt. Kirk role, and even goes after the defining attribute of Leonard Nimoy’s Mr. Spock costume.

“My space buns are so much better than Nimoy’s ears,” she said.


In the third video, called “Dear Carrie...,” that was posted on Shatner’s Youtube Channel on Monday, Shatner yielded no ground with his attack.

“Everything about 'Star Wars' is special effects. I envy the special effects,” he said. “The only thing is you forgot about the story, and character, and plot development, those kids of basic things.”

He said if he had been cast as Darth Vader, instead of “that big, heavy-voiced guy,” he would have played it with a high-pitched, helium voice. “And it would have been sensational.”

Shatner says he could still fit into his original Kirk outfit although he said the stretch material would require a little push here and there, while he doubted Fisher could still fit into the bikini she wore in "Star Wars: Return of The Jedi".

At the event scheduled for the MassMutual Center in Springfield, 3 business leaders will discuss doing business in the destination casino resort industry.

File photo | The RepublicanAction around some of the hundreds of slot machines at the Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville, Conn.

SPRINGFIELD – Mohegan Sun will hold an event, “Destination Casino Resorts: Opportunities for the Business Community of Western Massachusetts” on Dec. 8 at the MassMutual Center at 1277 Main St. from 8 to 10 a.m.

The Connecticut-based casino operator, which wants to build a resort casino in Palmer, will discuss how businesses can benefit from expanded gaming in Western Massachusetts.

Mohegan Sun is hosting the event in partnership with the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts, Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield, Massachusetts Latino Chamber of Commerce and Quaboag Hills Chamber of Commerce.

Three business leaders will discuss doing business in the destination casino resort industry – Mohegan Sun Director of Purchasing Paul Suprenant, who works with vendors in Connecticut and Pennsylvania; Tony Sheridan, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut, whose members work with Mohegan Sun; and Gary Galonek, sales manager at All Star Incentive Marketing, whose Fiskdale-based company provides rewards programs and services for Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.

The 29-year-old, identified only as John Doe, had never told anyone about the abuse he claims he suffered until Sandusky was charged this month with abusing other boys.

Associated Press file photoFormer Penn State football defensive coordinator Gerald "Jerry" Sandusky sits in a car as he leaves the office of Centre County Magisterial District Judge Leslie A. Dutchcot in State College, Pa., on Nov. 5.

By MARYCLAIRE DALE

PHILADELPHIA – Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky sexually abused a boy more than 100 times and threatened to harm his family to keep him quiet, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday by a new accuser who is not part of the criminal case.

The 29-year-old, identified only as John Doe, had never told anyone about the abuse he claims he suffered until Sandusky was charged this month with abusing other boys. His lawyer said he filed a complaint with law enforcement on Tuesday. He became the first plaintiff to file suit in the Penn State child sex abuse scandal a day later.

Sandusky has acknowledged that he showered with boys but denied molesting them. His lawyer did not immediately return a message about the lawsuit.

The lawsuit claims Sandusky abused the boy from 1992, when the boy was 10, until 1996 in encounters at the coach's State College home, in a Penn State locker room and on trips, including to a bowl game. The account echoes a grand jury's description of trips, gifts and attention lavished on other boys.

"I am hurting and have been for a long time because of what happened, but feel now even more tormented that I have learned of so many other kids were abused after me," the plaintiff said in a handwritten statement his lawyer read aloud at a news conference.

The lawsuit seeks tens of thousands of dollars and names Sandusky, the university and Sandusky's The Second Mile charity as defendants. The man says he knew the coach through the charity, which Sandusky founded in 1977, ostensibly to help disadvantaged children in central Pennsylvania.

The man was not referenced in the grand jury report that charges Sandusky with abusing eight boys over a 15-year period.

His lawyer, Jeff Anderson, said he believes Sandusky was a predator who could not control his sexual impulses toward children. He harshly criticized officials at Penn State and The Second Mile who failed to report their suspicions and put a stop to any abuse.

"We need to address the institutional recklessness and failures," said Anderson, who specializes in clergy sex abuse lawsuits. "Was it because of power, money, fear, loyalty, lack of education?"

The university said it had not seen the complaint.

The charity said it would respond after reviewing the lawsuit but added: "The Second Mile will adhere to its legal responsibilities throughout this process. As always, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families."

Anderson suggested that it ended four years later because Sandusky was not sexually interested in older teens.

The lawsuit was filed hours before students and high-ranking administrators participated in a town hall forum organized by students at Penn State's main campus in State College.

Penn State president Rod Erickson promised the university would raise the visibility of ethics "to a new level" following the scandal, which has rocked the campus.

"So hopefully everyone in the university understands ... we learn to do the right thing the first time, every time," Erickson said in opening remarks before an audience of about 450 students and employees at an auditorium in the student union.

Students said the forum, which was broadcast on the school's public television station, will help in the healing process.

Sandusky was charged on Nov. 5 with abusing eight boys, some on campus. A grand jury said the allegations were not immediately brought to the attention of authorities even though high-level people at Penn State apparently knew about at least one of them.

The scandal has resulted in the departures of school President Graham Spanier and longtime coach Joe Paterno. Athletic Director Tim Curley has been placed on administrative leave, and Vice President Gary Schultz, who was in charge of the university's police department, has stepped down.

Schultz and Curley are charged with lying to the grand jury and failure to report to police, and Sandusky is charged with child sex abuse. All maintain their innocence.

In the lawsuit, the plaintiff said Sandusky gave him gifts, travel and privileges after meeting him through his charity in 1992. The abuse began shortly afterward, the suit said.

Anderson described Penn State and the charity as entwined institutions, and he charged that both failed to ensure that children were safe when they took part in trips and activities. He declined to say which bowl game the boy attended.

Sandusky took one boy he molested to the Alamo Bowl in Texas in 1999 and threatened to send him home when he resisted his advances, the grand jury said.

The bowl proved to be Sandusky's last game as Penn State's defensive coordinator. Once Paterno's heir apparent, Sandusky left after Paterno told him he would not get the head coaching job.

John Doe's lawsuit seeks a minimum of $400,000 in damages for sexual abuse, negligence, emotional distress and other claims. The accuser long thought he was the only victim and was mired in guilt and self-loathing, the lawyer said.

"Now that I have done something about it, I am feeling better and going to get help and work with the police," the accuser wrote in his statement.

Anderson declined to specify what sexual acts his client says took place, but he called them "severe." Nor would he say which police agency his client contacted Tuesday.

Police in Philadelphia and State College said they were not aware of such a complaint. The attorney general's office, which led the grand jury investigation, and state police said they could not disclose if a report was filed.

A university spokeswoman said police have received two complaints since Sandusky's arrest, the most recent from a prison inmate in Oklahoma, and both have been turned over to the attorney general's office. Anderson said his client John Doe is not that Oklahoma inmate.

By Anderson's count, the grand jury report lists 17 adults made aware of complaints or suspicions about the coach over the years, including those who knew of a 1998 complaint that Sandusky had showered with a Second Mile boy. Police pursued that mother's complaint and compiled more than 100 pages of investigatory notes, but no charges were filed.

Had John Doe known about that, he might have come forward to a parent or counselor years ago, Anderson said.

"Why were so many people, for so long, making choices that protected the institutions and not the children?" Anderson asked. "It's not just about Penn State, it's about all of us."

AP writer Genaro C. Armas contributed to this report from State College.

On "Piers Morgan Tonight," O'Brien talked about the bullying that led to her daughter's suicide, South Hadley school officials, and more.

The Republican file photo | Michael S. GordonAnne O'Brien, mother of Phoebe Prince, center, delivers a victim impact statement at a hearing in Franklin - Hampshire Juvenile Court, in Northampton, Thursday. Elizabeth Dunphy Farris, former Northwest first assistant district attorney, left, and victim-witness advocate Jane Schevalier, right, are at her side.

Phoebe Prince’s mother, Anne O’Brien, said Wednesday night that those responsible for the bullying of her 15-year-old daughter, the South Hadley High School freshman who committed suicide last year, engaged in “depraved behavior” that is “just beyond my understanding.”

O’Brien made the comments during an appearance on the on the “Piers Morgan Tonight” show on CNN.

“It was almost planned,” O’Brien said of the pattern of bullying.

Prince hanged herself with a scarf in her South Hadley home on Jan. 14, 2010. Her death and subsequent revelations of the events surrounding it drew focus on bullying in school and attracted international attention, which continues to this day.

Phoebe Prince

In May, five former South Hadley High School students – Ashley Longe, Flannery Mullins Sean Mulveyhill, Kyla Narey and Sharon Velazquez – admitted to misdemeanor counts in the Prince bullying case.

Morgan asked O’Brien, “Why were they so determined to force Phoebe into what eventually happened?” O’Brien responded, “That level of aggression toward another human being is just beyond my understanding. …

“It’s astounding that there was never a stop mechanism. … (an) internal stop mechanism for some of these kids to say this is going too far. But I also think the culture in the school helped enable that.”

School officials in South Hadley, including Superintendent Gus Sayer, came under fire for their handling of the case.

Morgan asserted that Sayer “made it pretty clear: Don’t blame us. Not our fault. We knew nothing about any of this.”

“That’s not true, is it?” O’Brien replied

Morgan asked O’Brien what her reaction was to some of Sayer’s statements.

“It was very painful because you realize as a parent that no matter what I did, no matter how many times I called the school, no matter how many people I might have spoken to there, that she didn’t stand a chance there,” O’Brien said.

Before coming to CNN this year to replace Larry King, Morgan had been the editor of one of Britain's top tabloids.

A 25-year-old Connecticut man is facing charges after police allegedly found a child porn collection and a wild animal menagerie in his Torrington apartment.

Andrew Pattrell, 25, of Torrington, Connecticut is facing child pornography charges following a four-month investigation. (Torrington Police Department booking photo)

TORRINGTON, Conn. - A 25-year-old Connecticut man is facing charges after police allegedly found a child pornography collection and a wild animal menagerie in his Torrington apartment.

According to a report by The Register Citizen, Andrew Pattrell was charged with first-degree possession of child pornography and illegally possessing 14 Valium pills without a prescription after police executed a search warrant at his apartment.

Police told the newspaper that during the warrant was requested following a four-month investigation sparked by information allegedly developed by the Connecticut State Police Computer Crimes unit. The search on Wednesday allegedly revealed a computer and external hard drive containing 165 photos and 54 videos depicting child porn, most of which appear to involve children under the age of 10, police said.

During the search, which Pattrell reportedly cooperated with, police also stumbled upon three live snapping turtles living in a dresser in his kitchen. Police also found a a ferret living in a fish tank in the kitchen, reportedly living in unsanitary conditions. There was also a small propane grill sitting on top of the ferret's tank, police said.

As Pattrell was taken into custody by Torrington and state police, the animals were taken from the home by the local animal control officer.

He was held in lieu of $100,000 bond and scheduled to be arraigned Thursday morning.

Maginn said that among the party's top priorities is ensuring that U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, the only Republican member of Congress from Massachusetts, is reelected in November.

Bob Maginn (Photo courtesy of Bob Maginn for Mass GOP Chair.com)

BOSTON — Following the October departure of former Massachusetts Republican Party chairwoman Jennifer Nassour, Bob Maginn has been chosen to lead the state party into the upcoming election season.

Maginn, a Boston businessman, philanthropist and active conservative in the Bay State, received the party's nod for leadership over Frank McNamara on Wednesday by a margin of 30 votes.

Maginn had the backing of senior state GOP officials, including House Republican Leader Brad Jones.

Maginn said ensuring that U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, the only Republican member of Congress from Massachusetts, is re-elected in November is among his top priorities.

The GOP is also weighing its options in relation to several congressional seats, especially following the announcement this week that following his current term, U.S. Rep. Barney Frank won't seek another run.

Maginn also said that he will help build to the membership of the House and Senate GOP caucuses and create a farm-team for the state legislature by allocating resources to winning town and municipal elections across the state.

Maginn has detailed his plans for the party in a ten-point list on his website.

In 1988, Maginn ran a failed bid for state treasurer and on reflection of that experience, he has pledged not to run the party in a "top-down" manner.

Among the items on his business/political resume, Maginn was a senior partner at Bain & Co., a Boston-based business strategy firm, which helped launch former Massachusetts Governor and GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney's career.

His wife Chai Ling is a well-known political activist and was one of the student leaders in the Tian'anmen Square protests of 1989.

Ironically, perhaps, she has supported the Occupy Wall Street movement and advised protesters at the Occupy Boston camp.

Supporting the protests, a stance which led Brown supporters to attack Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren, also reflected negatively on Maginn, based on an article jointly-posted by the political blog Blue Mass Group and the Massachusetts Tea Party.

Maginn and Ling currently run the Eastern Mass.software company Jenzabar.

Everyone knows the former Massachusetts governor can rattle off facts and figures without uttering a single “oops,” but who is he offstage? The Parade interview explores the man behind the candidate.

This Jan. 3, 2007, file photo shows outgoing Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, accompanied by his wife, Ann, as he takes the "lone walk" out of the Statehouse in Boston. To see a photo gallery of the Romney family over the years, visit Parade.com. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)

Mitt Romney has sailed through every debate in the past six months, but to many voters, he’s still a faraway figure. We all know the former Massachusetts governor can rattle off facts and figures without uttering a single “oops,” but who is he offstage?

Parade contributing writer and CNN political analyst David Gergen sat down with Romney last month to find out. During their revealing conversation, he saw two sides of Mitt Romney.

There was the pragmatic CEO who considers every angle of an issue before making a decision or answering a question, and there was also the devout, loving family man who proudly shows off photos of himself sledding with grandsons and who credits his wife, Ann, with pushing him to try again for the Presidency.

The following is an excerpt from the interview, which will be available online and in the December 4 issue of The Republican.

Mormons are not permitted to smoke, drink alcohol or coffee, or have premarital sex. Has it been hard to follow these rules?

My view is that the commandments of God—let’s take the Ten Commandments, the basis of all Judeo-Christian faiths—are not so much restricting as liberating. I think being faithful to one’s spouse is a wonderful source of passion and devotion in marriage and that paying tithes as suggested in the Book of Malachi makes one’s money less important.

Do you tithe on a regular basis?

Yes. I've given away 10 percent of what I've earned, pretax.

That means you’ve given millions of dollars to your church so far?

Absolutely.

Your net worth is an estimated $250 million. How can you connect with the people struggling to get by?

Americans have looked to people like Dwight Eisenhower, F.D.R., and the Kennedys, who all had unusual experiences that were needed for the times they served. In the U.S., the very poor are provided a safety net, which must be maintained. The very rich are doing fine. The middle class is suffering. It is for the great majority of Americans, the 90 percent in the middle, that I'm running for president.

You've touted your experience in turning around companies, but some opponents have argued that you achieved success by shutting down a number of businesses.

Democrats sometimes live in a Pollyanna world where every business succeeds. Anyone who works in the real economy knows that batting a thousand is nearly impossible. I’ve been chief executive in four settings, all successful. But when investing in other people’s companies—we invested in over 100 companies, creating tens of thousands of jobs, and some failed. It’s a heartache to know people lost savings and jobs. But I’m proud of the fact that we were more successful than not.

You’ve been attacked by the left and the right. The White House’s David Plouffe said you had no core; George Will called you a “pretzel candidate.” Do these attacks sting?

Well, one, I don’t read them [laughs]. Secondly, I wrote a book, No Apology, in 2010 that laid out my views on the issues. That’s what I believe. I know there will be an effort on the part of some to distract the American public from the significant issues, which are, domestically, the failure of this administration to reboot our economy and, internationally, the growth of entities that wish to reshape the world in their image—namely, the jihadists, an emerging China, a soon-to-be-nuclear Iran unless we take corrective action, and a resurgent Russia. America faces extraordinary challenges, and there are some people who would rather divert attention from those issues to secure their long-term tenure in the White House.

How would you break the partisan gridlock in D.C.?

By finding people who care more about the country than anything else. And I would intend not to attack the people across the aisle. When I was governor of Massachusetts, with a legislature that was 85 percent Democrat, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that if I attacked the House or Senate leaders, I’d get nothing done.

Let’s say you become president and you’re trying to reach a bargain on deficits. The other side says, “We’ll reform retirement, but you need to budge on revenue.” Your party says, “No way.” What would you do?

If you’re climbing a mountain and encounter a cliff, you don’t scramble against it—you look to the left or right to see if there’s a way around. It means saying, “You’ve got your principles. I’ve got mine. Let’s see if we can both honor them and achieve our objective.”

Your wife, Ann, has been supportive of your campaign?

Not just supportive—insistent. I was reluctant after 2008 to run again. She was very committed to my doing it and pushed me for six months to a year to proceed.

Mitt Romney's wife Ann talks about the softer side to the candidate.

What do you think about the extreme partisanship dividing America today?

I’m sensing this malaise. People are concerned, whether it’s the right or the left. There’s a sense that things aren’t working.

Critics have accused your husband of flip-flopping on the issues. What do you think?

It’s gobbledygook. Mitt is very consistent. I don’t let it bother me because I know where his heart is and what his intentions are.

Where do you stand on birth control?

It’s a personal choice for everyone. There’s nothing I love more than children, but as women, we know when enough is enough.


For more of the Ann Romney interview, visit Parade.com or check out the print edition available in the Sunday, Dec. 4 issue of The Republican.

Mayor Edward Gibson said it is important to move forward with bonding for the proposed new $13.4 million library because funding must be in place by Jan. 30 for the city to receive a $6.3 million grant needed for the project.

Republican file photo03.09.11 | Photo by Julian Feller-Cohen – West Springfield Town Hall.

WEST SPRINGFIELD – The Town Council Monday will hold a public hearing on a request by the mayor to authorize $7.1 million in bonding to help pay for the proposed new $13.4 million library.

Mayor Edward J. Gibson said Tuesday that it is important to move the process along now because the city must have all its financing in place by Jan. 30 in order to receive its $6.3 million grant for the project from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.

Gibson said it may well be that the request for bonding is taken up by the current council, but is not put to a vote until new town councilors are on board. However, Town Councilor George R. Kelly and Mayor-elect Gregory Neffinger said the council could wait until January to take up the bonding matter.

Neffinger, who had expressed reservations about the library project while campaigning, said he does not see any harm in waiting until January to take up the bonding issue. That will give him enough time to devote more study to the matter in regard to such issues as downtown revitalization and the city’s master plan, the mayor-elect said.

In a Nov. 10 letter to Town Council President Kathleeen A. Bourque, Gibson also wrote that it may be a number of years before ground can actually be broken on the project, which would be built on the site of Mittineague School. He stated that closing Mittineague is part of the School Committee’s long-range plans as it has been determined it would be cost prohibitive to remodel or add onto the school so it would be best to decommission it.

The library project is contingent on moving Mittineague students to Tatham School, which would require remodeling, upgrading and an addition to accommodate the increased student body. That work depends on the city getting a grant from the Massachusetts School Building Authority, according to the mayor.

“The MBLC has a history of being very patient with communities as they have worked through their project logistics with one case even being as long as eight years from awarding the grant to the actual construction project began,” Gibson wrote.

Kelly, who voted against the library project, said he would rather the issue of bonding be dealt with after new councilors and Mayor-elect Gregory Neffinger take office in January.

The town councilor said officials don’t have any figures now on what it would cost to decommission Mittineague and ready Tatham for more students, something that might cost $10 million to $14 million.

“We have no facts and figures on that,” Kelly said, adding that voting on bonding for a new library without more information amounts to signing “a blank check.”

Chicopee resident Mary Graham had the June 1 tornado on her mind when she wrote out a $200 check to Toy for Joy.

View full size

SPRINGFIELD – Chicopee resident Mary Graham had the June 1 tornado on her mind when she wrote out a $200 check to Toy for Joy.

“My heart goes out to Springfield and Monson, and this was my way of showing it, by contributing to the Toy for Joy fund,” Graham said.

Graham, who grew up in Springfield, said she intended her message – “In honor of Springfield and Monson” – to recognize how the entire region has endured the wrath of Mother Nature this year beginning with the ice storms last winter; “The tornado, the hailstorms, the ice storms, the hurricane, oh man, golly,” she said.

Her contribution to the 89th annual Toy for Joy campaign leads today’s list of donations as registration continues through Friday for families to receive holiday toys and gifts for their children. By mid-week, nearly 1,400 in Springfield alone had registered for assistance.

“It’s going great,” said Maj. Thomas D. Perks, adding that nearly 900 families registered at the Greater Springfield Citadel on Monday and another 500 were anticipated to do so by day’s end on Tuesday. “We had a strong morning.”

Jointly sponsored by the Salvation Army and The Republican, Toy for Joy is working to raise $150,000 by Christmas eve. Last season, the holiday toy campaign brought toys to nearly 20,000 children from Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties.

Registrations for Toy for Joy will continue here and at Salvation Army units in Westfield and Greenfield through the end of the week. Times vary by unit.

The Holyoke Citadel will continue to accept registrations on weekdays through Dec. 9, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The most recent batch of contributions tally to $575, bringing the total raised so far to $4,333. That leaves $145,667 to be raised.

Hasbro, Inc. is joining Toy for Joy as a partner, providing some of the toys which will be distributed. Hasbro has a long history of helping families in Western Massachusetts during the holidays and this year is no different.

By teaming with the Toy for Joy campaign, Hasbro, The Republican and the Salvation Army bring over 100 combined years of experience managing programs that help families in need give their children a toy or game to unwrap on their holiday. Hasbro employees will also be among the volunteers who aid the Salvation Army with registration of families and with distribution of the toys and gifts.

For more information, call (413) 733-1518. To make a contribution to the Toy for Joy fund, write: Toy for Joy, P.O. Box 3007, Springfield 01102. Contributions may also be dropped off with the coupon to The Republican, 1860 Main St., Springfield, weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. through Dec. 23 at noon.

Here’s a list of the latest contributors:

For more information, call 733-1518. To make a contribution to the Toy for Joy fund, write: Toy for Joy, P.O. Box 3007, Springfield 01102. Contributions may also be dropped off with the coupon to The Republican, 1860 Main St., Springfield, weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. through Dec. 23.
Here’s a list of the latest contributors:

In honor of Springfield and Monson, $200
Mike, $50
In loving memory of Richie from wife Patricia, $25
In memory of Manser Hapcook, love your grandchildren and great grandchildren, $20
In memory of Aldo and Tom Cipriani and Charles Allen, $50
In loving memory of father Louis and sister Linda, $50
In memory of my Mom, Barbara Kupec, $25
In loving memory of my beloved family and precious pets, $10
In memory of Dwight and Elva Viggers, $25
In memory of Renzo and Chiara Vedany, Agawam, $20
Barbara, $15
In loving memory of Sid Harvey from his family, $25
In loving memory of James Borgo, $15
Betty, $25
In memory of Lola and Godfrey, $20

RECEIVED, $575
TOTAL TO DATE, $4333
STILL NEEDED, $145,667

Moran must answer in court for sending a fire truck to a fake call.

Republican file photo

HOLYOKE – Fire Commission Chairwoman Priscilla F. Chesky said at least the Fire Department is a bit closer to shedding the turmoil that erupted on June 15.

Chesky Monday reacted to a ruling that came last week, after a five-month wait, that a criminal complaint has been issued against former acting fire chief William P. Moran for sending a fire truck to a fake call last summer.

Meanwhile, firefighters union head Timothy J. Leary said that he wishes Moran well in his retirement but that Moran’s Dec. 7 date in Springfield District Court is no longer a union matter because Moran has retired.

Chesky and Leary reacted with caution when asked for comment on the Moran decision.

Fire Chief John A. Pond declined to comment about Moran and referred questions to the Fire Commission.

Assistant Clerk Magistrate Barbara Y. Burton issued a ruling Nov. 23, the same date that Moran’s retirement took effect, that Moran must appear in Springfield District Court to answer criminal charges.

Burton said that in sending the fire truck to a fake call on June 15, Moran put the public in danger.

“I’m glad that there’s a decision, one way or another,” Chesky said. “I think that it will help us move forward. It’s certainly not going to be over with until the resolution of the criminal matter.”

The incident made the summer stressful for many in and around the Fire Department. It prompted emergency Fire Commission meetings and put Moran, who never worked as a firefighter again after the June 15 incident, on paid administrative leave.

The controversy threw obstacles into the path of the plan for a smooth selection of a permanent chief, angered firefighters with bad publicity for the department and essentially ended Moran’s 27-year career.

“He’s no longer a union member, it’s an ongoing criminal matter,” said Leary, president Holyoke Fire Fighters Association, Local 1693, International Association of Fire Fighters.

“He’s retired. We wish him the best in his retirement. The state is moving forward. That’s all we have to say on the matter,” Leary said.

Moran’s lawyer, David P. Hoose, said Burton’s ruling was disappointing. Moran retired as a deputy chief.

On Oct. 18, the Fire Commission voted 3-0 to appoint Pond, who had been a captain, as the permanent chief. Pond became the city’s first permanent chief since the January 2010 retirement of former Chief David A. LaFond.

Chesky had said the plan was to have a permanent chief in July. But the June 15 incident prompted a state police investigation. And on June 27, Hampden District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni said he had instructed investigators to seek a criminal complaint against Moran, which Burton issued the day before Thanksgiving.

What is your take on the situation? If it is determined that Hogan did act in adult films, should he lose his job as a teacher?

A Fox affiliate's "ambush interview" with popular Massachusetts teacher Kevin Hogan about his past as an actor in adult films has created a wave of anger by supportive students and parents. (Still photo taken from footage syndicated by Fox-25 Boston)

MALDEN, Mass. - The Boston Fox affiliate which reported a story about a popular Massachusetts teacher's alleged past in the adult film industry has drawn mixed reactions from students and parents who have come to know Kevin Hogan since he was hired in August.

Undercover Fox reporter Mike Beaudet confronted Hogan in a parking lot with apparent still shots taken from the 2010 gay-themed adult films "Fetish World" and "Just Gone Gay 8," asking if it was indeed him in the films, acting under the stage name "Hytch Cawke."

Hogan, looking puzzled and surprised by the appearance of the camera and reporter, said "I don't know what you're talking about."

The TV report included reactions from parents who seemed shocked at the news that Hogan, a popular English teacher and Crew coach, may have acted in adult films. The parent's also seemed shocked at still shots from these alleged films being handed to them for an on-camera reaction.

A Facebook page started by students at Mystic Valley Regional Charter School in Malden is supportive of Hogan, calling for the firing of Fox's Beaudet.

"Kevin Hogan was my homeroom teacher in high school and I have never met a nicer teacher than him," said one supporter on the public Facebook page. "So what if he made a couple of films, it's not like the films he starred in included anything illegal. Kevin is a great teacher and deserves to stay in his job."

Another person said that although he doesn't agree with the decision to act in adult films, he believes the TV station acted inappropriately with its reporting.

"While I do not feel entirely comfortable with a teacher leading students while also involved with the morally vacillating industry of porn, I meanwhile feel the actions of Fox News and reporter Mike Beaudet are deplorable, unfair, cowardly and wretched," the person wrote.

Officials at Mystic Valley Regional Charter School say Hogan was placed on paid leave pending an investigation into the allegations.

The school said in a statement that Hogan's references were "flawless" and a criminal background check came back clean.

Fox has since reported that the reporting started when a viewer found some of Hogan's alleged movies online, and then became concerned when he believed the actor to be the person recently hired at the school.

Others have claimed the Fox report was sparked by the fact that Hogan is alleged to have acted in gay rather than straight porn.

"Horrible news segment tonight, one of the worst I've ever seen," one person wrote via Twitter. "Quit the homophobia, try an actual news story."

Beaudet struck back at that idea of discrimination on his Twitter account.

"Don't really care if the guy is gay or straight," Beaudet wrote. "Question is, is porn appropriate occupation for a teacher?"

What is your take on the situation? If it is determined that Hogan did act in adult films, should he lose his job?

Chime in below and let us know what you think.

The second cafe will be held at Esselon in Hadley Dec. 12 at 5:30 p.m.

View full sizeThis poster advertises the next UMass science cafe Dec. 12.

AMHERST – Some people think of academics or scientists as people tucked away in offices, working on research with lots of esoteric words that mean little to the real world around them.

A group of University of Massachusetts graduate students is trying to dispel that image over tea and coffee or beer.

They recently launched the Science Café and will be holding the second of its gatherings Dec. 12 at Esselon in Hadley at 5:30 p.m.

They see both the environment of the program and format for the presentation as the means by which they can involve more people in science, said Sarah Goodwin, a doctoral student in organismic and evolutionary biology who came up with the idea for the cafe. She was studying at Cornell University in Ithaca when she happened into a science cabaret and saw how engaging it was.

“Sometimes it feels like there’s a growing distance of lofty scientists” speaking in scientific terms with each other, Goodwin said. “People don’t go home and talk about science.” Yet she said, “I feel like there’s a real appetite.”

“We want to make it fun. (Science) doesn’t have to be a journal article.”

Instead of a lecture hall or classroom where talks are often held they thought of a local cafeé.

“We want it to be warm and welcoming,” Goodwin said of the environment. She is engaged to Esselon owner Mark Krause and he said he welcomed the idea.

The restaurant/café actually closes at 5 on Mondays so they are able to move tables and set up a bank of chairs. They continue to dispense coffee and with some grant money, the students buy sandwiches for those who gather.

“It’s such a different format, it’s not meant for scientists,” Goodwin said. The program features a speaker who talks for about ten or 15 minutes. There’s a musical interlude – with music written by graduate student Mike Rosario - allowing time for audience members to submit questions and there’s also a game that ends the program that pokes fun at scientists, she said, who use jargon that few understand.

A program in October that featured UMass professor Betsy Dumont speaking about bats drew about 70, Goodwin said.

For December, naturalist Charley Eiseman will talk about insect strategies for winter survival. She said they aim for “dynamic speakers.

On his Web site, Eiseman wrote, “my passion is to continually deepen my connection with my natural surroundings and help others to do the same.”

The graduate students meet weekly “to brainstorm.” Although they plan on only two cafes’ a semester creating such a program takes a lot of time. “We all love it.”

And she said, “A lot of us have a real passion for teaching.”

Advisers are supportive too she said, but they also want to make sure they are doing their research as well.

And she said there’s interest from other departments who would like to participate at some point to.