The appeal seeks to void a special permit issued by the city's Zoning Board of Appeals.

WESTFIELD – A Hampden Superior Court appeal of a recent special permit for construction of a new elementary school on Ashley and Cross streets, will not delay on-going planning for the $36 million school.

Three residents filed the appeal last week seeking to void the special permit issued last month by the Zoning Board of Appeals.

But, city officials say that appeal will not stop planning work to prepare the project for a 2012 construction start.

“Anyone has the right to file an appeal but we cannot stop the planning process for this school. We will deal with the outcome of the court when that happens, Mayor Daniel M. Knapik said.

City officials offered little comment on the court action requested by two residents of Cross Street and a third party who owns property on Cross Street, across from where officials plan to construct the 600-student elementary school.

Court papers are now under review by the city’s Law Department which will prepare a response to the action, City Solicitor Susan C. Phillips said.

School project manager Paul H. Kneedler of Skanska USA Building Inc., said that while the appeal must be reviewed and evaluated, planning for construction must proceed to keep the project on schedule.

But, Knapik said an earlier schedule calling for a September, 2013 opening of the new school is now “unrealistic and we are looking at an opening later in that year.”

School Committee member Kevin J. Sullivan, co-chairman of the school building committee, agreed that “work must continue on the project. Hopefully the court will act quickly on the appeal and allow us to move the project forward as scheduled.”

The appeal was filed by Cross Street residents Ernest L. and Elizabeth Simmons. They are joined by Thomas P. Smith. They are represented by Northampton attorney Mark A. Tanner.

The three voiced concerns over the location of the new school on the site of the current Ashley Street School at each of several public information meetings held last summer on the project. The School Committee and City Council approved the project after those hearings. At least one additional hearing will be held when the school issue goes before the Planning Board for necessary building permits.

The ZBA last month approved a special permit allowing the building to exceed side yard distances. Two wings of the new school will extend within the required 20-foot setback required. The largest wing of the new building will extend within eight feet from Ashley Street.

The complaint alleges the public was not afforded adequate time to comment during the ZBA hearings on the special permit process.

The state’s School Building Authority has approved 62-percent reimbursement of school price tag along with the design created by Margo Jones Architect of Greenfield. The school is a state approved “model school” building which will resemble a 10-year old elementary school in Williamstown.

The City Council earlier this year approved local financing for the project.

The project is expected to be advertised for construction bids in February with a ground breaking anticipated next spring. Completion of the building will allow the School Department to merge classes from Abner Gibbs, the city’s oldest school in use, and Franklin Avenue schools.

The number of people applying for unemployment benefits dropped last week to the lowest level since April 2008, the latest sign that the job market is healing.

By PALLAVI GOGOI | AP Business Writer

Associated PressTraders John Panin, center, and Robert Charmay, right, work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. European markets bounced back Thursday, Dec. 22, 2011, as the traditional holiday slowdown began in earnest, rising a day after investors were rattled by the European Central Bank's huge loans to bolster the continent's banks. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

NEW YORK – Encouraging economic reports pushed stocks higher Thursday. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 61 points, its third gain in a row.

The number of people applying for unemployment benefits dropped last week to the lowest level since April 2008, the latest sign that the job market is healing. It was the third week in a row that applications fell. The Conference Board also reported that its measure of future economic activity had a big increase last month. It was the second straight gain, signaling that the U.S. economy was picking up speed and the risk of another recession was fading.

"Today, Main Street is what matters because Main Street makes up 71 percent of the economy," said Quincy Krosby, chief market strategist for Prudential Securities. "You can't argue with the fact that the cost of gas has come down, which puts more money in the pockets of consumers to spend, and so things are starting to tick up."

Krosby noted that the latest data showed that shoppers were opening up their wallets to spend during the holidays. However, she said the economy needs to grow at a faster pace than 2 percent to be able to survive any shocks caused by the European debt crisis or a sharp slowdown in China's economy in 2012.

The government lowered its estimate of U.S. economic growth in the July-September quarter to an annual rate of 1.8 percent from 2 percent. That was still the fastest growth this year, up from 1.3 percent in the April-June quarter.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 61.91 points, or 0.51 percent, to close at 12,169.65. The Dow has risen 409 points over the past three days. Bank of America Corp. rose 4.6 percent to $5.47, the most among the 30 stocks in the Dow.

The S&P 500 index gained 10.28 points, or 0.83 percent, to 1,254. The Nasdaq composite index rose 21.48, or 0.83 percent, to 2,599.45.

Economists say that the improving job market, strong holiday shopping, and cheaper gas prices will leave consumers with more money to spend. That would get the economy growing at an annual rate of more than 3 percent in the final three months of this year, which would be the fastest pace since 3.8 percent growth in the spring of 2010.

Banks, energy and technology stocks were the biggest gainers, while consumer goods companies traded lower. Morgan Stanley led bank stocks, gaining 6.5 percent to close at $15.88, while among tech stocks Akamai Technologies Inc. the biggest gainer, rising 18.6 percent to $31.63.

In other corporate news:

• Mead Johnson Nutrition Co. plummeted 10 percent on news that Wal-Mart Stores Inc. pulled a batch of its powdered infant formula from more than 3,000 of its stores nationwide. A newborn Missouri boy was fed a batch of the Enfamil Newborn powder made by Mead and died from what preliminary tests indicate was a rare bacterial infection. So far, no link has been established between the death and the formula and the government has not ordered a recall of Enfamil.

• Tibco Software Inc. jumped 8 percent after the business software maker reported a 20 percent increase in revenue and net income that was far ahead than what Wall Street analysts were expecting.

• Bed, Bath & Beyond Inc. slid 6 percent after the retailer warned investors that its fourth-quarter earnings might be lower than analysts had expected. Third-quarter sales also fell below analysts' expectations.

With just over a week of trading left in 2011, the S&P 500 is less than 1 percent below where it started the year. The Dow has managed to gain 5.1 percent in 2011, while the Nasdaq is still off 2 percent.

Nearly three stocks gained for every one that fell on the New York Stock Exchange. Trading volume was very light at 3.5 billion, compared to the recent average of 4.6 billion.

Murray said he was surveying snowstorm damage in the predawn hours of Nov. 2 when his state-owned car hit ice and rolled over on Interstate 190.

File photo | The RepublicanMassachusetts Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray has asked state police to release information from the so-called "black box" in the state-owned vehicle that he totaled in a crash last month.

By BOB SALSBERG

BOSTON – Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray asked state police Thursday to release data from the so-called "black box" in the state-owned vehicle he totaled in a pre-dawn highway crash last month.

Police later announced they would comply with Murray's request.

In a letter sent Thursday to Col. Marian McGovern, Murray said because of his position as a high-ranking elected official, the state police should make an exception to policy and make the information public.

"Since my accident – thankfully – did not result in a fatality or serious injury, I know that downloading and making public this information is outside of your normal procedures," Murray wrote.

"However, my position as Lieutenant Governor makes this a unique situation. As an elected official, I am rightfully held to a higher standard and I believe you can make the information public in this instance without threatening your standard procedures for all other accident investigations," he wrote.

The accident on Interstate 190 in Sterling happened at about 5:30 a.m. on Nov. 2. Murray said he had left his Worcester home to survey damage from a recent snowstorm and pick up coffee and newspapers when his car hit a patch of black ice and rolled over, careening some 500 feet through the breakdown lane and a snow-covered highway shoulder before striking a rocky ledge. He declined to be taken to a hospital.

After the accident, Murray said he asked for and was administered a field sobriety test to demonstrate he was not impaired. He said the test showed a zero blood-alcohol reading.

Murray also told reporters that he was driving around the speed limit at the time of the crash and that he was wearing his seatbelt.

Since the crash, Murray and state police have come under pressure to release information from the event data recorder. Similar in concept to the black boxes carried aboard airplanes, the recorder can help indicate speed and other factors related to a crash.

Dave Procopio, a state police spokesman, said in a statement Thursday that accident reconstruction experts would download and analyze raw data from the vehicle's power control and airbag control modules. He said the data captured would be from a period 20 seconds prior to impact to five seconds following impact.

"Among the types of data it captures is vehicle speed, throttle position, engine RPMs, braking status, airbag deployment, whether a seatbelt was worn, and a change in velocity," Procopio said.

The crash data would be retrieved within seven to 10 days, Procopio said, adding that members of the specialized state police reconstruction unit were busy investigating several other crashes that resulted in death or serious injuries.

Those crashes "remain a priority over the download of crash data from (Murray's) crash, which involved neither fatal or serious injury not the potential of criminal charges," he said.

A state police report said the car was totaled, with the most extensive damage to the passenger side. The vehicle, when new, was valued at about $35,000.

Murray has a state police driver assigned to him for official duty, but the driver was not scheduled to arrive at his home until 7 a.m. that day and does not normally accompany him on personal errands.

Obituaries from The Republican.

Ryan Dempsey

Ryan James Dempsey, 29, a lifelong resident of Ludlow, passed away on Monday at Baystate Medical Center. He was the son of Joan H. (Rzeszutek) Dempsey and the late James J. Dempsey III. He was a graduate of White Oak School, where he was an honors student, and later worked as an automotive technician.

Obituaries from The Republican:

• 
  Barth, John T.
  



• 
  Berube, Juliette A. (LeFebvre)
  




• 
  Bracey, Kathryn A. (Fluker)
  



• 
  Campbell, Frank J.
  



• 
  Coderre, Lucille M.




• 
  Daly, Judith M.
  



• 
  Daniele, Giovanni
  




• Dempsey, Ryan J.
  




• 
  ERVING, Chester J. Kabaniec
  



• 
  Francis, Blythe LaBonte "Peggy"




• 
  Kabaniec, Chester J.
  



• 
  Kacpura, Stanley
  




• Laczynski Jr., Charles Louis
  




• 
  Ortiz, Blanche Iris Cote
  



• 
  Parish, Evelyn




• 
  Payne, Sherman Diane
  



• 
  Shevlin, Bernard S. "Bernie"
  




• Snyder, William D.
  




• 
  Stanton, Mariette (Lampron)
  

The latest findings will please believers, but rankle skeptics.

AP file photoA close-up photographic negative of the Shroud of Turin, which some believe is the burial cloth of Jesus Christ.

The Shroud of Turin, revered by some to be the burial cloth of Jesus Christ, was unlikely the work of medieval forgers but rather was instead caused by an unexplainable “flash of light,” according to a group of Italian scientists.

Researchers from Italy’s National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development spent five years attempting to replicate the shroud’s markings. They have concluded only something akin to ultraviolet lasers - far beyond the capability of medieval forgers - could have created the markings, Independent Online reported.

"It is obvious that a serious scientific work cannot prove any supernatural action. We have shown that the most advanced technology available today is unable to replicate all the characteristics of the shroud image," lead researcher Paolo Di Lazzaro told MSNBC. "As a consequence, we may argue it appears unlikely a forger may have done this image with technologies available in the Middle Ages or earlier. The probability the shroud is a medieval fake is really low. In this sense, the shroud image is still a scientific challenge."

Previous investigation has determined the markings could not have come from pigments or dyes, according to ABC News. Last year, the History Channel aired a special in which it revealed a 3D image of the face on the shroud constructed from the markings left in the cloth.

"The double image (front and back) of a scourged and crucified man, barely visible on the linen cloth of the Shroud of Turin has many physical and chemical characteristics that are so particular that the staining which is identical in all its facets, would be impossible to obtain today in a laboratory," La Stampa reported. "This inability to repeat (and therefore falsify) the image on the Shroud makes it impossible to formulate a reliable hypothesis on how the impression was made.”

However, Joe Nickell, of the New York-based Center for Inquiry, countered that
Di Lazzaro and his colleagues started out with the assumption a miracle took place and ignored findings by past researchers. "Making the assumption of a miracle is a really, really, really, really, really big assumption," Nickell told MSNBC. "That it's done in the name of science is just astonishing."

The recent findings out of Italy were also criticized by Tom Chivers of the Daily Telegraph. He insisted the 14-foot long linen is a medieval forgery. He based his skepticism mainly on independent Carbon-14 testing sanctioned by the church, which estimated the linen was made between 1260 and 1390.

But some have disputed those findings and argued the shroud is between 1,300 to 3,000 years old. Pollen and plant images on the linen showed it originated in the area around Jerusalem prior the eighth century, the Long Island Press reported.

While the Shroud of Turin is owned by the Vatican, the Catholic Church has never taken an official position on its authenticity.

Patrick insists he has no plans to seek higher office once his current term as governor ends.

AP Photo/Roberto CandiaChile's President Sebastian Pinera, right, speaks with U.S. Governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick, at La Moneda government palace after signing education agreements in Santiago, Chile, Thursday Dec. 1, 2011. Patrick is on a nine-day trade mission to Chile and Brazil to promote economic ties between Massachusetts and the South American nations.

BOSTON (AP) — Gov. Deval Patrick says he received a warm reception on a recent trade mission to Chile but it became uncomfortably friendly when he was introduced as a "future president of the United States."

During his monthly radio appearance Thursday on WTKK-FM, Patrick recounted his visit to the presidential palace in Santiago, where amid red carpet treatment and military honors he signed an agreement with Chilean president Sebastián Piñera to expand economic cooperation between Massachusetts and Chile.

During the ceremony, Piñera — who had earlier visited Patrick in Boston — introduced the governor as a friend and a future U.S. president.

And that, Patrick said, "was a problem."

Patrick has insisted he plans to return to the private sector when his current term ends and has no plans to seek higher office.

Jacques, 27, did not go quietly during a 3-year prosecution linked to the 2008 burning of the Macedonia Church of God in Christ.

This is an updated version of a story first posted at 2:13 p.m.

SPRINGFIELD – The second of three city men termed “shiftless and pathetic” by a judge was sentenced to nearly 14 years in prison for burning a local black church to the ground in the predawn hours after President Barack Obama was elected.

Michael F. Jacques Jr., 27, did not go quietly during a three-year prosecution linked to the 2008 burning of the Macedonia Church of God in Christ. His case included protracted arguments over a false confession, an 11-day trial earlier this year that yielded a hate crime conviction and multiple delays in sentencing proceedings.

But Jacques on Thursday accepted his fate wordlessly in U.S. District Court, along with a storm of criticism from law enforcement officials, the church pastor and the sentencing judge.

He also was ordered to pay his share of $1.6 million in restitution to the church and two of its insurance companies. Jacques was convicted of a civil rights violation, malicious destruction of religious property and using arson in the commission of a felony. The civil rights conviction tripped a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence.

Co-defendants Benjamin F. Haskell, 25, and Thomas A. Gleason, 24, previously pleaded guilty in connection with the massive blaze on Nov. 5, 2008.

They both admitted creeping through the woods that separated their homes from church on Tinkham Road, dousing the partially constructed church with gas and setting it on fire to denounce the election of the nation’s first black president. The pair said Jacques accompanied them.

Gleason testified against Jacques at trial in March, telling jurors Gleason outlined the words “hate nigger” in accelerant on the edge of the burn site. Investigators discovered the message after dousing the inferno that swallowed up the church.

File photo / Associated PressMichael F. Jacques leaves federal court in Springfield after being convicted in in April of the burning of the Macedonia Church of God in Christ in Springfield..

Jacques testified on his own behalf at prior evidentiary hearings, arguing investigators squeezed a false confession out of him while he was in the throes of Percoset withdrawal.

Haskell pleaded guilty last year and is serving a nine-year sentence. He helped implicate his friends by wearing a wire for state police while an undercover trooper recruited them for a phony arson-for-hire.

During Jacques’ sentencing, Macedonia Church leader Bishop Bryant Robinson Jr. offered a stirring address that included a careful narrative of the burning and rebirth of the church, dedicated in September.

Robinson, who came to court in a wheelchair, said he was awoken by a 3 a.m. phone call just hours after celebrating Obama’s win with family members.

“The voice said: ‘They are burning our church to the ground. ‘They are burning our church to the ground,’” Robinson recalled, adding that he saw flames leaping into the sky when he drove up Tinkham Road to see for himself.

The pastor also said he encouraged his congregation to let the justice system punish the fire-setters, rather than pursuing their own “pound of flesh.”

“It would not have been difficult to become inflammatory. It would not have been difficult to exacerbate this,” and lash back in response, Robinson told U.S. District Judge Michael A. Ponsor.

Prosecutors lobbied for a 16-year sentence for Jacques.

“The facts of this case even after three years are still shocking,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul H. Smyth said in court on Thursday. “Not here, we all said. Not in Massachusetts – a state with a proud abolitionist history.”

Unlike his co-defendants, Jacques maintains his innocence and denies harboring any racial prejudice. By contrast, Smyth told Ponsor that Jacques trained his rottweiler to “play attack” black people and often used racial epithets to describe minorities – including Obama – in the days leading up to the election.

“They burned our church because of our race, because of the race of the President of the United States,” Smyth told Ponsor, paraphrasing the sentiments of the church’s congregation.

The three were arrested and charged in January 2009 after an aggressive undercover investigation that included local and state police, fire officials, the FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Jacques’ sentencing drew high-ranking officials from all of those agencies plus Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz.

Defense lawyer Lori H. Levinson asked the judge to limit her client’s sentence to the mandatory 10-year penalty for a hate crime, plus one day for two lesser charges. Ponsor rendered his decision quickly after lawyers on both sides had their say.

“That something like this should happen in our community is appalling ... but it had another side to it. This was a group of shiftless, pathetic young men ... It was vicious, but purely blind stupidity almost beyond comprehension,” the judge said.

Jacques’ mother, who has been at every court appearance, wept quietly when her son was sentenced. Jacques showed no expression, and declined to address Ponsor when offered the chance.

“I’ve said enough, your Honor,” he said quietly.

Gleason is scheduled for sentencing Jan. 19.

Police in the drug raid also seized about $1,000 cash.

Republican file photo

HOLYOKE – Police raided two apartments on Elm Street Thursday and arrested six men, half of whom were hit with drug charges.

The apartments police investigated about 1 p.m. were at 93 Elm St. and 97 Elm St., and both were on the second floor, detective Anthony Brach said.

Jose Kuilan, 23, of 851 Main St. and Angel Kuilan, 26, of 93 Elm St., were charged with possession of heroin, possession of heroin with intent to distribute, violating a drug-free school zone (the arrest happened near the Mater Dolorosa School, 25 Maple St.) and conspiracy to violate drug laws, Brach said.

The Kuilans are believed to be brothers, he said.

Arsenio Burgos, 28, of 50 Bray Park Drive, was charged with possession of heroin. He had one $10 packet, he said.

Carmelo Garcia-Rivera Jr., 36, of 131 Sargeant St., was charged with trespassing, he said.

Jose Ramos, 28, of 912 Dwight St., was arrested on three outstanding warrants, he said.

Juan Rios, 62, of 217 Elm St., was charged with trespassing, he said.

They are scheduled to be arraigned Friday in Holyoke District Court, Brach said.

Police were calculating the amount and street value of the heroin seized in the raid, which also netted about $1,000 in cash, he said.

States got more than $845 million in federal home heating aid, but the government's fuel assistance program is still being cut by about a quarter this winter.

File photo | The RepublicanIf Congress cuts the Low Income Heating Assistance Program, New England states may have to reduce either aid amounts for heating assistance or the numbers of recipients this winter.

By ANDREW MIGA

WASHINGTON – States got more than $845 million in federal home heating aid on Thursday, but the latest round of government funding won't take the chill from the fuel assistance program, which is being cut by about a quarter this winter.

New England, with its reliance on costly home heating oil, is expected to be especially hit hard by the spending cut. Several Northeast states already have reduced heating aid benefits this winter.

"At a time when many people, especially our seniors, struggle daily to meet their basic needs and many others are still looking for work, this is a true life-saver," said Rep. William Keating, D-Mass.

The government said it was releasing the money to help poor families and seniors stay warm. The money had been expected by state officials who are struggling to cope with a reduction of about $1.2 billion this winter in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

The latest funding comes in addition to the $1.7 billion that states have already received this winter for fuel assistance.

The program will get about $3.5 billion this year, down from about $4.7 billion last winter as Congress struggles with tight budgets and deficits

Massachusetts will receive $21 million, bringing the state's total to $99 million this winter, said Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.

"It's not hyperbole to say that without this lifeline, seniors, the disabled, and working poor families would be choosing between food, medicine, and heating their homes during a brutal New England winter," Kerry said. "We've been working a long time to get our state's fair share, and this down payment comes just in time for the holidays."

Higher home heating oil prices and more families seeking aid because of the sour economy are straining resources. The number of heat aid applicants has increased more than 10 percent this winter, Boston officials say.

Families can expect to pay, on average, about $3,300 to heat a home with oil this winter in New England, according to the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association. That's about $500 more than last winter. About half of the region's homes use oil heat, the group said.

Members of Congress from New England have vowed to fight for additional funding when lawmakers return from their holiday break next month.

"LIHEAP is a proven, cost-effective program that provides critical heating assistance to our most vulnerable citizens," said Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I. "Too many of my colleagues think this is the kind of federal spending that needs to be cut. The reality is these cuts are coming just when people need it most and is only adding to the real hardships facing Rhode Islanders in need."

Rhode Island is expected to get about $23 million this winter, down from $31.1 million last winter when more than 36,000 Rhode Islanders received assistance. Given this year's spending cuts, Reed said, agencies distributing aid will likely either serve fewer clients or reduce the level of assistance.

Fe Esperanza Racpan Vinoya, one of the plaintiffs who said she opposes abortion on religious grounds, said she was happy the agreement meant she and her colleagues would not have to assist in any aspect of an abortion procedure.

Associated PressFe Esperanza Racpan Vinoya, bottom, a registered nurse at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, talks during a news conference, Monday, Nov. 14, 2011, in Newark, N.J. Twelve nurses have filed a lawsuit and are opposing a new UMDNJ policy requiring them to participate in abortions, an abrupt change from long-time policy. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

By SAMANTHA HENRY

NEWARK, N.J. – Twelve nurses who sued one of the state's largest hospitals after claiming they were forced to assist in abortions over their religious and moral objections reached a deal Thursday with their employer in federal court.

Under the agreement, 12 nurses in the same-day surgery unit of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey can remain in their current positions and not be compelled to assist in any part of an abortion procedure. The nurses must only help in a life-threatening emergency if no other non-objecting staff members are available and only until which time one can be brought in to relieve them, according to the agreement.

Fe Esperanza Racpan Vinoya, one of the plaintiffs who said she opposes abortion on religious grounds, said she was happy that the agreement meant she and her colleagues would not have to assist in any aspect of an abortion procedure. Despite the ruling specifying that the nurses wouldn't be discriminated against, Racpan Vinoya said she was still nervous they would be transferred, have their hours cut or otherwise be punished for having sued.

"I'm still scared about the part of them having four nurses brought in and we might become the surpluses," Racpan Vinoya said, referring to the hospital hiring four nurses who do not object to assisting with the procedure.

Matt Bowman, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, a coalition of Christian lawyers and organizations that represented the nurses, said they were satisfied with the agreement.

An attorney representing the hospital, Edward Deutsch, said his client was pleased the case was resolved.

"I think it's an appropriate resolution, and the hospital has been very accommodating," he said.

The hospital issued a statement saying the agreement addresses the best interests of the patients it serves, while respecting the beliefs of its nurses.

Attorney John Peirano, who also represented the hospital in the suit, said the hospital had a mission to treat all patients who come in, regardless of whether they share the nurses' views.

The ACLU, which was not party to the suit, said it was concerned about a growing number of similar cases around the country as what the organization sees as an effort to use religion to discriminate in a health care context.

"No one should ever have to worry about facing discrimination when they check into the hospital," said Brigitte Amiri, an attorney with the ACLU's Reproductive Freedom Project. "No woman should have to fear that medical staff will place ideology over duty or deny her care."

Bowman said his clients would never compromise their duty as nurses to care for patients or their oath to respond to medical emergencies.

The agreement was mediated by U.S. District Judge Jose Linares in Newark federal court. Linares said his understanding of the agreement was that the nurses would be allowed to remain in the unit and wouldn't be discriminated against because of their position on abortion, but he declined to rule on how the hospital had to staff its shifts, saying that was an issue governed by contract rules and subject to collective bargaining. Linares said he would retain jurisdiction over the case to rule on enforcement or any disputes that might arise.

Racpan Vinoya and two other nurse plaintiffs attended court Thursday. All but four nurses in their unit had signed on to the lawsuit filed Oct. 31 after they said they were notified in writing the previous month that the hospital's new policy would require same-day surgery unit nurses to assist in abortions.

The nurses claimed in the suit that the hospital was compelling them to undergo training that involved assisting in abortions and had indicated they could be subject to termination if they didn't comply. Racpan Vinoya and others said they had made their objections known to their supervisor and to hospital officials and their concerns were dismissed or ignored.

The hospital denied those claims, saying nurses were not compelled to participate, or even be in the room, during a procedure to which they objected on cultural, religious or ethical grounds.

Linares complimented both sides for reaching an agreement after several hours of discussions. He said it wasn't an easy case to resolve considering it revolved around a highly emotional issue and involved the complexities of the hospital's obligations to its patients.

The Springfield, Mass., native, the self-described "America's toughest sheriff," has survived firestorms in the past, but none in the past decade have been as bad as what the lawman has been hit with in the past few weeks.

Associated PressA defiant Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio speaks to the media before holding a ceremony where 92 of his immigration jail officers, who lost their federal power to check whether inmates are in the county illegally, turn in their credentials after federal officials pulled the Sheriff's office immigration enforcement powers Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011, in Phoenix. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security stripped Sheriff Joe Arpaio's jail officers of their federal powers after federal authorities accused the sheriff's office last week of a wide range of civil rights violations. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

By JACQUES BILLEAUD

PHOENIX – Joe Arpaio, the self-described "America's toughest sheriff," has survived firestorms in the past, but none in the past decade have been as bad as what the lawman has been hit with in the past few weeks.

And in a few days, a federal judge could make things worse for Arpaio, the Maricopa County sheriff and Springfield, Mass., native.

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Murray Snow heard arguments over a lawsuit from a handful of Latino residents alleging racial profiling during Arpaio's immigration sweeps. He could send it to trial, throw it out, or declare that Arpaio uses racial profiling in his immigration enforcement.

The accusations echo those in a scathing U.S. Justice Department report last week that resulted in the sheriff's office losing its power to checks inmates' immigration status.

Arpaio on Wednesday questioned the timing of the report's release.

"Why couldn't they wait? Were they trying to poison our (racial profiling) case?" Arpaio said. The sheriff did not attend the hearing Thursday.

The Latinos claim officers based some traffic stops on the race of Hispanics in vehicles, pulling them over without probable cause to inquire about their immigration status. The stops were made during his department's immigration patrols in metropolitan Phoenix.

They are seeking a declaration that the sheriff's office violated their constitutional rights and must establish stronger policies that protect against racial profiling.

Stan Young, a lawyer for those who filed the lawsuit, said Arpaio launched sweeps after he received racially charged letters and emails that complained of people speaking Spanish. Tim Casey, a lawyer for Arpaio's office, said the sheriff's office launches its sweeps on race-neutral grounds and that the sheriff never acted on those letters.

"If I write you a letter and say all sorts of things in that and you receive it, does that mean you are a racist because you received a letter from me?" Casey said outside of court. He called for the case to be dismissed, arguing that those who filed the lawsuit could not prove that they face a threat of future injury from the sweeps.

The hearing was the latest among the mounting legal problems and blistering criticism facing the sheriff in just the past three weeks.

At the beginning of December, he apologized for more than 400 botched sex crimes cases handled by his office. About a week later, the Justice Department released the report alleging a wide range of civil rights violations against his office. A lawsuit filed this week claimed that his staff ignored a Hispanic female inmate's complaints and violated her rights when they kept her shackled before and after her cesarean section in 2009.

And the family of a 44-year-old man was exploring legal action against the sheriff's office after he was found unresponsive following a fight in jail with deputies. He died days later after being taken off life support.

Arpaio has denied the racial profiling allegations in the lawsuit over his immigration patrols. He has said people pulled over in the sweeps were approached because deputies had probable cause to believe they had committed crimes and that it was only afterward that deputies found many of them were illegal immigrants.

The patrols, known as "sweeps," involved deputies flooding an area — in some cases, heavily Latino areas — over several days to seek out traffic violators and arrest other offenders. Illegal immigrants accounted for 57 percent of the 1,500 people arrested in the 20 sweeps conducted by his office since January 2008, according to figures provided by Arpaio's office.

The Justice Department's report said Arpaio's office had a pattern of racially profiling Latinos; basing immigration enforcement on racially charged complaints; and punishing Hispanic jail inmates for speaking Spanish. The sheriff faces a Jan. 4 deadline for saying whether he wants to work out an agreement to settle allegations, and the Justice Department has said it's prepared to sue Arpaio if no agreement can be worked out.

Apart from the civil rights probe, a federal grand jury has been investigating Arpaio's office on criminal abuse-of-power allegations since at least December 2009. It is specifically examining the investigative work of the sheriff's anti-public corruption squad.

Rondeau's annual Christmas ice sculpture is a 10-year tradition in the Central Street neighborhood.

The Republican | Lori StabileMichael E. Rondeau works on his ice sculpture of a snowman surrounded by palm trees outside his Central Street home in Palmer on Thursday night.

PALMER – It's no accident that Michael E. Rondeau chose a snowman surrounded by palm trees for his annual holiday ice sculpture.

"I'm not used to working with it this warm. I tried to wait as long as I could. The ground's not even frozen now. I got the idea for it because of the weather. I figured I'd make it a little whimsical," Rondeau said, as he took a break from carving the sculpture outside his Central Street home on Thursday night.

Rondeau's annual holiday ice sculpture is a 10-year tradition in the neighborhood, and several of his neighbors came out to watch him transform blocks of ice into palm trees and a snowman using a chainsaw and chisels.

"This is cool," said Judy L. Done, as she walked by with her aunt's golden retriever, Goldie Hawn.

Susan W. Bussell said she and her husband, David Bussell, try and watch the ice carving every year. She snapped photographs of Rondeau at work.

"It's really an art form," she said.

"I hope it doesn't melt," she added.

It was around 55 degrees when Rondeau started working at 3 p.m. He expected to be finished by 6 p.m. He said he got 1,500 pounds of ice – five blocks – from an East Hartford ice company for the sculpture.

The Republican | Lori StabileMichael E. Rondeau works on his ice sculpture of a snowman surrounded by palm trees outside his Central Street home in Palmer on Thursday night as his neighbors, Caitlyn F. Tierney, 8, left, and Alycia E. Tierney, right, watch.

Using a "regular electric chainsaw" he quickly carved one block into a snowman. The weather was taking its toll on the palm trees behind it – they were dripping.

Rondeau chooses a different theme each year. Last year, he said he made a picket fence and Christmas tree with presents.

"I do it every Christmas. It gets everybody in the mood. The neighbors like to see it," Rondeau said.

He learned how to carve ice after taking a class at Holyoke Community College. Since then, he's showcased his talents at ice carving competitions in Keene, N.H., and in Vermont. One year, he placed second for his pocket watch and diamond ring combination that he did in Keene, he said.

He also does sculptures for weddings, and last month, made a snowman ice sculpture for "Christmas on the Common" in Three Rivers.

Ice, he said, is not as strong as other materials, and can get "pretty mushy" when it's unseasonably warm.

The ideal temperature for ice carving is 20 to 25 degrees, Rondeau said.

Rondeau's assistant, Ellis G. Poulopoulos, owner of the Palmer Restaurant, described himself as Rondeau's "elf," but said he was too warm to keep his hat with elf ears on.

Rondeau may be better known for another kind of ice – ice cream. He co-owns Rondeau's Dairy Bar on Route 32 with his father, Richard C. Rondeau.

House Speaker John Boehner abruptly changed course and dropped demands for immediate holiday season talks with the Senate on a full-year measure that all sides said they want.

By ANDREW TAYLOR and LAURIE KELLMAN

Associated PressSpeaker of the House John Boehner of Ohio pauses at a news conference to announce an agreement for a 2-month extension to the payroll tax cut on Capitol Hill Thursday, Dec. 22, 2011, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Updates a story posted Thursday at 4:54 p.m.

WASHINGTON – House Republicans on Thursday caved to demands by President Barack Obama, congressional Democrats and fellow Republicans for a short-term renewal of payroll tax cuts for all workers. The breakthrough almost certainly spares workers an average $20 a week tax increase Jan. 1.

After days of wrangling that even Speaker John Boehner acknowledged "may not have been politically the smartest thing in the world," the Ohio Republican abruptly changed course and dropped demands for immediate holiday season talks with the Senate on a full-year measure that all sides said they want. Senate leaders had insisted on the two-month extension to buy time for talks next year.

The House and Senate plan to act on the two-month extension Friday.

House Republicans were under fire from their constituents and GOP establishment figures incensed that they would risk losing the tax cut issue to Democrats at the dawn of the 2012 presidential and congressional election year. House GOP arguments about the legislative process and the "uncertainty" a two-month extension would mean for business were unpersuasive.

"In the end House Republicans felt like they were reenacting the Alamo, with no reinforcements and our friends shooting at us," said Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas.

The compromise legislation would renew the tax break through Feb. 29, along with jobless benefits and a "fix" to prevent doctors from absorbing a big cut in Medicare payments. Its $33 billion cost would be covered by an increased fee on mortgages backed by Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac.

The developments were a clear win for Obama. The payroll tax cut was the centerpiece of his three-month campaign-style drive for jobs legislation that seems to have contributed to an uptick in his poll numbers — and taken a toll on those of congressional Republicans.

"Because of this agreement, every working American will keep his or her tax cut - about $1,000 for the average family," Obama said in a statement. "That's about $40 in every paycheck. And when Congress returns, I urge them to keep working to reach an agreement that will extend this tax cut and unemployment insurance for all of 2012 without drama or delay."

If the cuts had expired as scheduled, 160 million workers would have seen a 2 percentage point increase in their Social Security taxes. And up to 2 million people without jobs for six months would start losing unemployment benefits averaging $300 a week.

The GOP retreat ends a tense standoff in which Boehner's House Republicans came under great pressure to agree to the short-term extension passed by the Senate on Saturday. The speaker was initially open to the idea, but rank-and-file Republicans revolted, and the House instead insisted on immediate talks on the year-long measure passed by the House, which contains curbs to unemployment insurance and other ideas backed by conservatives — as well as deeper spending cuts to pay for the full-year cost.

After Senate leaders tried but failed to match the House's goal for a full-year pact, the chamber on Saturday instead gave sweeping approval for the two-month extension of the payroll tax cut, jobless benefits and doctors' Medicare fees that otherwise would have been cut 27 percent. The House had just days before passed a full-year extension that included a series of conservative policy prescriptions unpalatable to Obama and congressional Democrats.

Obama, Republicans and congressional Democrats all said they preferred a one-year extension but the politics of achieving that eluded them. All pledged to start working on that in January.

"Has this place become so dysfunctional that even when we agree to things we can't do it?" Obama asked. "Enough is enough.".

The top Senate Republican, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, was a driving force behind Thursday's agreement, imploring Boehner to accept the deal that McConnell and Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid had struck last week and passed with overwhelming support in both parties.

"There remain important differences between the parties on how to implement these policies, and it is critical that we protect middle-class families from a tax increase while we work them out," Reid said after Boehner's announcement.

The breakthrough emerged as a firewall erected by tea party-backed House Republicans crumbled Thursday.

"I don't think that my constituents should have a tax increase because of Washington's dysfunction," said freshman Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis.

The Republican establishment, too, put new pressure on House Republicans to compromise.

The 2008 GOP presidential nominee, John McCain, former Bush administration confidant Karl Rove and The Wall Street Journal editorial page were among conservative voices urging House Republicans to retreat.

Just hours before he announced the breakthrough, Boehner had made the case for a year-long extension. But on a brief late afternoon conference call, he informed his colleagues it was time to yield.

"He said that as your leader, you've in effect asked me to make decisions easy and difficult and I'm making my decision right now," said Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., paraphrasing Boehner's comments.

Kingston said the conference call lasted just minutes and Boehner did not give anyone time to respond.

There was still carping among tea party freshmen upset that GOP leaders had yielded.

"Even though there is plenty of evidence this is a bad deal for America ... the House has caved yet again to the president and Senate Democrats," said Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan. "We were sent here with a clear set of instructions from the American people to put an end to business as usual in Washington, yet here we are being asked to sign off on yet another gimmick."

Almost forgotten in the firestorm is that McConnell and Boehner had extracted a major victory last week, winning a provision that would require Obama to make a swift decision on whether to approve construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, which would bring Canadian oil to the U.S. and create thousands of construction jobs. To block the pipeline, Obama would have to declare that is not in the nation's interest.

Obama wanted to put the decision off until after the 2012 election.

House Republicans did win one concession in addition to a promise that Senate Democrats would name negotiators on the one-year House measure: a provision to ease concerns that the 60-day extension would be hard for payroll processing companies to implement.

Cykowski asked "Where's a Puerto Rican when we need one?" after a fellow councilor-at-large left the meeting room and was unable to reenter when the door locked behind him.

Republican file photoEasthampton City Councilor Donald Cykowski, shown here at a candidates forum this year, apologized at Wednesday's council meeting for a remark he made about Puerto Ricans at a Dec. 7 meeting.

The head of the regional branch of the NAACP has called on Easthampton officials to censure City Councilor Donald L. Cykowski for appearing to disparage Puerto Ricans in a remark he made at a Dec. 7 council meeting.

The Rev. Talbert W. Swan II, president of the Springfield chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, is also suggesting Cykowski “should consider resigning from public office, as he would be unfit to effectively serve his constituents.”

Also Thursday, Easthampton resident Lauren Marcous started an Internet petition asking the council and Mayor Michael A. Tautznik to force Cykowski to apologize and resign. She said Cykowski’s apology wasn’t sincere.

"Essentially, (Cykowski) apologized for other people 'misunderstanding' him – not for the racist statement he made," Marcous' petition letter states.

Cykowski said he has no intentions of resigning after issuing an apology at a council meeting Wednesday night.

“I thought my apology was enough,” he said Thursday.

The comment for which Cykowski apologized to his fellow council members was: “Where’s a Puerto Rican when we need one?” It was made after colleague and fellow councilor-at-large Ronald D. Chateauneuf left a meeting room and was unable to return when the door locked behind him. Cykowski hasn’t explained what he meant by the remark.

At the Wednesday night council meeting, Cykowski said, “I made a statement. If I offended anyone, I apologize.”

The apology came at the request of council President Joseph P. McCoy.

Swan said the apology isn’t enough.

“We challenge the Easthampton City Council to demonstrate the courage of conviction by strongly rebuking Cykowski’s actions in a unified voice, and truly validating the claim of council president that it does not condone such actions,” he said.

Rev. Talbert W. Swan II

Swan characterized the remark as being “racist” and said his organization does not feel such comments should be tolerated by the city of Easthampton. He said neither McCoy nor Cykowski has “identified the remark for what it was – racist.”

Swan said McCoy was correct in asking for the public apology, but he believes Easthampton city officials still need to do more to condemn the councilor’s comment.

On Thursday, Cykowski again said he didn’t mean to offend anyone.

“l quipped something out without thinking. I’m sorry I did it,” he said.

He said he was not intending to play on any stereotypes and said he has nothing against Puerto Ricans. “I worked with Puerto Ricans, Columbians, Cambodians, you name it, black guys. We always got along. I just made a quip; it seems like a slow news day.”

And he said “I’m Polish, I’ve been a butt of Polish jokes. I’ve been called a dumb Polack.” He said he just rolled with the jokes.

“I’m sorry I did this,” he said.

Cykowski has been a city councilor since 2004, replacing Bruce A. Gordon, who resigned.

McCoy said that a new council will be forming Jan. 3 and he wants to let that council respond to Swan. He said there will likely be a new president elected.

Two new members are joining the council that day. Chester A. Ogulewicz Jr. and Nathaniel P. Ziegler were elected in November, taking the seats of at-large Councilors Andrea H. Burns and Chateauneuf, who did not seek re-election.

Swan, in letter to McCoy, said, “Massachusetts has one of the highest concentrations of Puerto Ricans in the country. Elected officials in Massachusetts should take pride in the fact that Puerto Ricans have contributed to the development, defense and prosperity of the United States since 1898, when the island was ceded to the (U.S.) at the end of the Spanish-American War.”

Marcous' petition had 34 "signatures" as of 9:30 p.m. on Thursday. Some were from Easthampton, while others listed hometowns including Athol, Chicopee, Springfield, New York City, Leadville, Colo., and East Norriton Township, Pa.

"We cannot accept a city councilor who publicly (or privately) makes racist statements and potentially harbors racist sentiments toward Puerto Ricans and other people of color in our community," Marcous' petition states. "... Cykowski's statement and feigned apology are beyond offensive. Such egregious behavior cannot, should not, and will not be tolerated from our local government officials."

Staff reporter Diane Lederman contributed to this report

Easthampton City Councilor Donald L. Cykowski, left, is seen in this composite photo with Springfield NAACP president, the Rev. Talbert W. Swan II.

Diocesan spokesman Mark Dupont said workers went to retrieve the manger scene for an open parish nearby

File photo | The RepublicanThe Friends of Mater Dolorosa, who are keeping a round-the-clock vigil at the church to protest its closing by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, say the diocese took the manger scene it set up.

HOLYOKE – Protesters occupying the closed Mater Dolorosa church say the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield removed a manger scene the protesters had set up to celebrate Christmas.

Victor M. Anop, a spokesman for Friends of Mater Dolorosa Church, said Diocesan workers removed the figures of Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus and other elements of a manger scene the protesters had set up. He compared the diocese to “a Grinch, Scrooge and Marley all rolled into one.”

But diocesan spokesman Mark Dupont said workers went to retrieve the manger scene for an open parish nearby and found protesters had taken it out without permission. He said the workers simply took it to the active parish, adding all Mater Dolorosa protesters would be welcome there.

Friend of Mater Dolorosa Church is now in its 175th day of a round-the-clock prayer vigil at the church, which the diocese closed in June.

In October, a superior court judge rejected a request to order the Friends of Mater Dolorosa out of the church. The diocese filed for the preliminary, or emergency, injunction, saying the protesters must leave so they can have the steeple removed because its poor condition poses a danger to people inside and outside the church. No date has been scheduled for the hearing on the permanent injunction.

In September, the Vatican upheld the decision to close the church, but Friends of Mater Dolorosa have appealed to the Apostolic Signatura, the Vatican’s highest ruling body.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report

The advisory is in effect from 1 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday in anticipation of 2 to 4 inches of snow.

Clayton T. Weglarz clears snow from his front walk Dillon Avenue in Holyoke on Friday, December 19, 2008. Christopher Evans/The Republican

GREENFIELD - The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for Franklin County in anticipation of a storm that could leave between 2 and 4 inches of snow.

The advisory is in effect from 1 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday. It also covers western Hampshire County and norther Worcester County.

The forecast calls for rain turning to snow, which could cause bridges and untreated roads to become slippery.

Hampshire and Hampden counties are expected to see rain through the overnight and into Friday. There is a chance of some snow overnight, but accumulations are not expected to be more than 1/2 an inch.

Considered the most eco-friendly, a real live tree, with the roots intact, that can be replanted after the holidays.

The Republican | Michael S. GordonKevin Keough, retail nursery manager at Hampden Nurseries in Hampden, carts a live spruce tree, one of several spruce varieties the business offers for those who want to have a live Christmas tree that can be planted later in their yard.

If you’re dreaming of a green Christmas, you may want to start with your tree.

The traditional debate has been about the relative eco-benefits of a real or fake tree, but there is another choice, considered the most eco-friendly: a real live tree, with the roots intact, that can be replanted after the holidays.

However, live Christmas trees are not for everyone. They are more difficult to harvest, more expensive to buy and more difficult to find locally than the alternatives.

“The market for them is not great, but we have about a dozen return customers every year,” says Kevin M. Keough, retail manager at Hampden Nurseries in Hampden.

“The problem is you can’t just pluck it out of the ground. We have a crew of laborers that dig it out by hand, then pack it in burlap and hand sew it,” he said.

Live trees cost more, Keough said, running $25 to $30 more than their pre-cut counterparts, and they are generally smaller, typically just 3 to 4 feet high. A larger tree would have too large a root ball to be practical.

Last year, there were 27 million real trees and 8 million artificial ones sold in this country, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Real cut trees and artificial trees both have environmental pluses and minuses.

On the plus side, real trees turn carbon dioxide into oxygen, which is released into the atmosphere, and artificial trees can be used year after year, a form of recycling.

On the negative side, cut trees have to be disposed of after the holidays, either taking up space in a landfill or being burned. And artificial trees sold in this country are most often petroleum-based products made in China.

Real live trees remain only a tiny portion of the tree market.

Cynthia H. Cranston, the past president of the Massachusetts Christmas Tree Association and the operator, with her husband, of Cranston’s Christmas Tree Farm in Ashfield, said, “The majority of Christmas tree growers do not offer live trees.”

“It’s a labor-intensive process to get them out of the ground, and you’re taking top soil from your land. You could harvest it with a digger, but it’s very expensive to own one of those,” she said.

At Cranston’s, where nearly 32,000 trees are grown on 40 acres, people can buy pre-cut trees or go out into the fields to cut their own.

“We offer pre-cut trees, but we’ve sold very few. People want to go out into the fields with their family and cut their own. We’re seeing lots of kids. It’s become a family tradition,” she said.

This year, sales are up, she said. “The season is going very well, and we attribute it to the wonderful weather.”

Joanna Page, of Green Diamond Systems’ Page’s Tree Farm in Belchertown, sells only cut-your-own and pre-cut trees. They include a variety of firs and pines, with prices ranging from $10 “for a small Charlie Brown tree” to $45, for the largest trees.

“Our Christmas trees did not suffer any damage at all from the October storm. The trees were not frozen and so the branches were not brittle, and conifers generally have more flexible branches and shed snow better than hardwoods with leaves, like the oaks,” she said.

Kevin Kennedy was giving tattoos out of his Bondsville apartment without a permit.

The Republican file photo

Kevin Kennedy, the man who the Board of Health issued a cease and desist order to for giving tattoos out of his Bondsville apartment without a permit, went before the board at its December meeting to discuss the situation.

Health agent Lorri McCool said she told him that if he wants to give tattoos, he has to find a place to set up his business, and get the proper permits.

"We told him if he continued to do it, we'd have to take further administrative action. We made him aware that we're aware, so hopefully that will suffice," McCool said.

The board found out about Kennedy after it received complaints. The cease and desist order was sent to Kennedy on Oct. 14.

Rick Perry, Jon Huntsman, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul have no campaign events scheduled until next week.

File photo / Associated PressMichele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich and W. Mitt Romney, seen here at a debate in Michigan last month, are the only Republican presidential candidates who have campaign events scheduled for Friday.

WASHINGTON – As the campaigns wind down for Christmas, three of the GOP presidential candidates will meet with voters in three different states on Friday.

Former Massachusetts Gov. W. Mitt Romney is wrapping up his three-day bus tour through New Hampshire, with appearances at the Tilt’n Diner in Tilton and in Concord at The Toy Factory before heading for lunch with the winner of “Grab a Bite with Mitt” contest at Dos Amigos Burritos.

Former House speaker Newt Gingrich heads to Columbia, S.C., for a town hall and a Christmas-season lunch at The Blue Marlin.

Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann continues her 99-county bus tour through Iowa, stopping in Bloomfield, Centerville, Corydon, Chariton, Pella and Newton.

Rick Perry, Jon Huntsman, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul have no campaign events scheduled until next week.

The Mobile Vet Center will provide counseling and other services for veterans Jan. 4 at noon at the Greenwood Center at 231 Maple Road, Longmeadow, Mass.

The Republican file photoThe Springfield Veteran Center's mobile veterans center was on display Sunday at the Vietnam Veterans Day Commemorative at Court Square in Springfield.

The Mobile Vet Center will provide counseling and other services for veterans Jan. 4 at noon at the Greenwood Center at 231 Maple Road, Longmeadow, Mass.

Sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Longmeadow Veterans Circle, the Mobile Vet Center provides readjustment counseling and information resources to veterans across the country.

Like community-based Vet Centers, Mobile Vet Centers focus on services that help veterans make the difficult transition between military and civilian life. It helps to link all vets with V.A. Medical Services and community based programs and provide counseling for Iraq and Afghan War Veterans.