The City Council kept the same tax rate shift between residential and commercial property.

Republican file photoThe Christmas tree in front of Holyoke City Hall, where the City Council met Christmas Eve.

HOLYOKE – The City Council Saturday failed to override Mayor Elaine A. Pluta’s veto of a proposal to raise the residential tax rate by 11 percent.

The City Council had to set the tax rate quickly so bills can be mailed by the state Jan. 1 deadline. If they were not, the city would face cash-flow problems.

With many councilors having scheduled vacations after Christmas, they decided to meet at 12:45 p.m. Christmas Eve. Despite the timing, all 15 members attended.

The dispute was about the division of how much of a tax burden homeowners and business owners should each shoulder. After the override failed, the council voted to keep the burden the same as it is this year.

The City Council voted to increase the tax levy of the city by legally-allowed maximum of 2.5 percent when it set the budget months ago.

Last week the council shifted the rate more towards residential taxpayers. That 9-6 vote would have raised homeowners rates from the existing $15.78 per $1,000 valuation to $17.50 per valuation and increase the bill for the average homeowner from $2,919 to $3,237.

Saturday’s decision kept the split the same, but will increase rates for both. In the next year homeowners will pay $16.85 per $1,000 valuation while the commercial rate will be $38.52 per $1,000.

Pluta said she supports shifting a small amount of the burden to residential property, but vetoed the change the council adopted because it was too much.

“To those people who say we lost businesses because of the tax rate, I would say we had 85 new businesses come into the city of Holyoke” in two years, she said.

Mayor-elect Alex B. Morse was also invited to speak. He encouraged one of the six City Councilors who voted against the shift to switch their support to override the veto.

“We need to make Holyoke more competitive for business. We are the second-highest rate in the state,” he said.

Instead four reversed their votes and rejected the bigger shift toward homeowners, so the attempt at an override failed 10-5.

Members then voted 8-7 to keep the same shift for next year between commercial and residential. James Leahy, Rebecca Lisi, Diosdado Lopez, Todd A. McGee, Brenna E. Murphy, Peter R. Tallman, Donald R. Welch and Kevin A. Jourdain supported the proposal. Anthony M. Keane, John J. O’Neill, Timothy W. Purington, Aaron M. Vega, Patricia C. Devine, Linda L. Vacon and McGiverin voted against.

“We are supposed to be progressive and help poor people,” Jourdain said, adding the city is still competitive in attracting businesses because its assessments are lower.

But O’Neill said the rates don’t make sense. He said he has a two-family home and a business building which are each assessed at about $200,000. He pays about $3,000 a year for the residential property and $7,000 in taxes for the business.

In his Christmas Eve homily, the Rev. Timothy A. McDonnell, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, talked about the generosity of people toward those who lost their homes in recent storms.

SPRINGFIELD – The Christmas Eve Mass at St. Michael’s Cathedral was extra special this year because it also celebrated the 150th anniversary of the church.

In his homily, the Rev. Timothy A. McDonnell, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, wove in stories about the long history of the cathedral with those of the past year in his message of hope.

When the first Mass was celebrated in 1861, the Civil War was under way and families in Springfield were worried about the 2,000 men who had been sent in two regiments to fight, the bishop said. At the same time, New England was facing an economic crisis because the mills were shutting down with the dwindling cotton supply.

This year, 150 years later, residents faced a tornado, microburst, hurricane and the damaging October snowstorm, as well as a continuing economic crisis and stalemate that has paralyzed government, he said.

“Still, here we are 150 years after the first Mass, celebrating another Christmas Mass in this selfsame church and realizing that despite everything, hope lives,” he said in his homily.

Hope and generosity were seen this year when people rallied to help those who had homes and businesses damaged by the storms, he said.

“We stepped out of our conventional roles and created oases of light in a dark world. In doing so, we become signs of the hope that arises from the birth of Jesus,” he said.

Christmas homily

The Mass on Christmas Day 1861 helped introduce a reluctant Springfield to the open observance of a holiday we have come to embrace and enjoy 150 years later.

Submitted photoInside St. Michael's Cathedral in Springfield, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary.

By FRANCES GAGNON

For 18 months following a July 1860 groundbreaking, construction of St. Michael’s Church on State Street in Springfield generated considerable discussion and interest.

Not only was this the first house of worship of any denomination erected in nearly a decade, but it was to be “the largest and most costly” church in the city, according to a January 1860 report in The Republican. It was also Catholic, something of a rarity in its day.

As December 1861 neared its end, the project reached completion. The exterior provided a commanding presence on Springfield’s key public way, with a spire rising 190 feet heavenward.

Even early skeptics were transformed into admirers as the building took shape, with The Republican noting, “The style of architecture is as new and peculiar as to have elicited much comment and commendation.”

Curiosity grew, however, about the interior of this new Catholic edifice which would replace the modest parent structure on Union Street. Named St. Benedict’s in 1847, the building was purchased from the Baptist Society, moved and adapted for Catholic worship with assistance from U.S. Armory officials named Rosencrans and Scammons, also parishioners.

When Father Michael P. Gallagher announced plans for the new church in January 1860, his congregation was thrilled, and, in the early planning stages, it was decided to name the new parish church St. Michael’s.

Starting Dec. 18, 1861, the newspaper printed daily announcements about a “Grand Concert” scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 22, at St. Michael’s Church, with doors opening at “half past 6 P.M.” Tickets priced at 50 cents admitted anyone interested in the new organ “to be exhibited by the celebrated Mr. Wilcox of Boston, accompanied by his choir.” Proceeds from the event were to be used for payment of the organ’s cost.

Installed as part of the original plan, the instrument was created by Boston’s famed E. & G.G. Hook for about $5,000, and pronounced by “good musical authorities to be equal to any organ of its size in this country.” A day prior to the concert, The Republican suggested that the performance would be “one of the finest musical entertainments ever given in Springfield” and of “an unusually high order.”

And, indeed, it was. The next day, Dec. 23, 1861, the newspaper described it glowingly: “The sacred concert at St. Michael’s Church last evening was a fitting introduction of that beautiful edifice to the people of Springfield. The house was filled in every part; all classes and denominations fully represented. Of the concert itself one cannot speak in detail, but it was generally pronounced one of the richest musical treats ever enjoyed in Springfield . . .There was no place on the program which did not give the highest satisfaction.”

On Saturday before the concert, The Republican had printed a preview entitled, “The New Catholic Church.” An extensive description of all details, exterior and interior, it informed curious readers about the building designed by Brooklyn architect Patrick C. Kieley.

The complimentary story stated that “the interior of the arches, walls, windows and vaulted ceilings being enriched and fretted in every part with stucco work, produce a beautiful and chaste effect. Each symbol and enrichment has peculiar reference to the part of the church where it is placed.”

Circular ceiling details framed four major frescoes of scenes from the life of the blessed virgin Mary, and five large oil paintings were placed at the back of the main altar depicting the “Agony in the Garden,” “Carrying the Cross,” “The Crucifixion,” “Resurrection” and “Ascension.” Large panels in the transept galleries featured the lord blessing children and the expulsion of rebellious angels from heaven. Still more fabulous artwork filled key spaces and enhanced the arcade of 22 arches.

In 1861, Dec. 25 in Springfield was not the holiday familiar to us. Schools were in session, and people went about the business as usual. To Catholics, however, it was a holy day, and the perfect time to hold the first liturgy at St. Michael’s Church.

On Christmas Day, 150 years ago, the Rev. Michael P. Gallagher celebrated high Mass for the first time in the church he had so long envisioned for his parish. The Mass took place in the “presence of the largest congregation of Catholics ever assembled together in Springfield,” according to church historian E. A. Hall.

The sacred concert of a few nights before was a sparkling moment, but the Christmas Mass was really what meant most to all involved.

None of this was lost on The Republican’s publisher, Samuel Bowles. On Dec. 28, 1861, he elected to address the possibility of “Union in Worship:”

“Why may not Christians worship together? This inquiry must have occurred to many thoughtful persons among the great audience that thronged St. Michael’s Church in this city on Sunday Evening, while listening with delight to some of the noblest sacred music nobly rendered,” he wrote. “The widest difference of Christian opinion were represented in the audience – the strictest adherents to Roman Catholic doctrine and forms, and the most latitudinarian of Protestants, repudiating pretty much all doctrines and forms – and yet all alike were inspired, elevated and charmed by music, every syllable and note of which breathed Christian penitence, devotion or aspiration. To the devout the concert was something infinitely higher and better than an artistic entertainment. It was worship the most elevated and impressive, and there could have been few in the audience so insensible as not to have felt the spiritual influence of some of the most effective passages. For the present we must be content to get what light and warmth we can, each in his narrow and thinly occupied fold, gaining only a distant glimpse of what may be when some unsectarian occasion, like a grand emotions, multiplied and ennobled by the presence of a vast congregation sympathizing in a common feeling a common joy.”

It is evident that the opening events at St. Michael’s had a profound impact on publisher Bowles and others in this city.

The opening of its doors on Dec. 22, 1861 proved to be more than a great concert. It became the city’s first ecumenical experience under a Catholic roof. The Mass on Christmas Day helped introduce a reluctant Springfield to the open observance of a holiday we have come to embrace and enjoy 150 years later.

Frances Gagnon is a historian and trustee of the Springfield Museums.

The state party said early Saturday that Gingrich and Texas Gov. Rick Perry had failed to submit the required 10,000 signatures to appear on the March 6 ballot.

AP File PhotoRepublican presidential candidate former House Speaker Newt Gingrich will not be on the ballot in Virginia, the state where he currently lives.

Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich failed to qualify for Virginia's Super Tuesday primary ballot, the latest setback for a candidate whose standing in polls has been slipping. Gingrich's campaign said he would pursue an aggressive write-in campaign, though state law prohibits write-ins on primary ballots.

The state party said early Saturday that Gingrich and Texas Gov. Rick Perry had failed to submit the required 10,000 signatures to appear on the March 6 ballot.

Failing to get on the ballot in Virginia, where Gingrich lives, underscores the difficulty first-time national candidates have in preparing for the long haul of a presidential campaign.

And it illustrates the advantage held by Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, who has essentially been running for president for five years. Romney's team, larger than those of most of his opponents, has paid close attention to filing requirements in each state. He will appear on the Virginia ballot along with Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who also has run a national campaign before.

Ironically, Gingrich had a slight lead over Romney in a Quinnipiac poll of Virginia Republicans released earlier in the week.

The former House speaker surged in popularity in early December and tried to use that momentum to make up for a stalled campaign organization. But his standing in polls has slipped in recent days amid a barrage of negative ads in Iowa, where the Jan. 3 caucuses begin the contest for the Republican presidential nomination.

Three other candidates — Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman — did not submit signatures before Virginia's deadline of 5 p.m. Thursday.

Gingrich's campaign attacked Virginia's primary system on Saturday, saying that "only a failed system" would disqualify Gingrich and other candidates and vowing to run a write-in campaign.

"Voters deserve the right to vote for any top contender, especially leading candidates," Gingrich campaign director Michael Krull said in a statement. "We will work with the Republican Party of Virginia to pursue an aggressive write-in campaign to make sure that all the voters of Virginia are able to vote for the candidate of their choice."

However, according to state law, "No write-in shall be permitted on ballots in primary elections."

"Virginia code prohibits write-ins in primaries. He can't do it," said Carl Tobias, a law professor at University of Richmond.

Tobias said Gingrich may have had trouble meeting a requirement that he must submit 400 signatures from each of Virginia's 11 congressional districts.

Gingrich's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Gingrich had been concerned enough to deliver his signatures personally. Rushing Wednesday from New Hampshire, which holds its primary on Jan. 10, he had supporters sign petitions before entering a rally in Arlington, Va.

Virginia GOP spokesman Garren Shipley said in a statement that volunteers spent Friday validating signatures on petitions that Romney, Paul, Perry and Gingrich had submitted. "After verification, RPV has determined that Newt Gingrich did not submit required 10k signatures and has not qualified for the VA primary," the party announced early Saturday on its Twitter feed. Shipley did not respond to telephone calls Saturday seeking comment.

Forty-six delegates will be at stake in Virginia's Super Tuesday primary. That's a small fraction of the 1,144 delegates needed to win the nomination. But they could prove pivotal in a close race, especially for a candidate like Gingrich, who expects to do well in Southern contests.

Gingrich already missed the deadline to appear on the ballot in Missouri's Feb. 7 primary, though he insists it doesn't matter because the state awards delegates based not on the primary but on a Republican caucus held in March.

Meanwhile, Virginia's Democrats said President Barack Obama's re-election campaign gathered enough signatures to get him on the state's primary ballot though he was the only candidate who qualified.

As of noon on Dec. 23, Toy for Joy donations tallied to $163,425.97

Mark M. Murray / The Republican12/22/11 Springfield - Employees of the Springfield Postal Service Mail Processing Center hold a banner with the $ 8,800 amount which they collected and donated to this years Toy for Joy , they are from left to right in the front row, Joann Chiaro, Monica Lewandowski, Doreen Gallagher , Holly Pereira , Nancy Rivera , Monique Weeks, Behind them left to right, Norman Doray , Henry Ingram , Dodie Sullivan , Lenny Gamache , Rex Honsinger , Rhonda Lozinski, Bob McNeish, and Mary Griffith.

SPRINGFIELD – The spirit that infuses Toy for Joy each holiday season was exemplified on Friday when a woman, accompanied by a little boy, arrived at the Greater Springfield’s Salvation Army Citadel to pick up a bag of toys.

The child looked at his mother as they walked through the door and said, “You said there wouldn’t be a Santa,” Maj. Mary Jo Perks, co-commander of the citadel, recalled.

Not if the readers of The Republican and Masslive.com had anything to do with it. Toy for Joy, through the generosity of readers, handily exceeded its $150,00 goal this year.

With the help of U.S. Postal Service workers, a Springfield law firm, a Longmeadow businessman and his familiy and scores to school children, workplace groups and individuals, the Toy for Joy goal was surpassed, and the costs of this year’s toy program covered.

“We gave her the bag of toys, and his face lit up because her face lit up,” Perks said of the last-minute gift distribution. “That’s what we do this for. That’s what Christmas hope is.”

More than $30,000 in contributions received on Friday helped pushed Toy for Joy $13,000 beyond its goal.

The tally as of noon stood at $163,425.97. And, donations were still coming in and will be compiled for a final accounting in the next week.

“That’s fantastic,” said Perks. “That’s great news.”

“All of us at the Salvation Army, at The Republican and MassLive and our partners at Hasbro could not be more grateful,” said Cynthia G. Simison, managing editor of The Republican. “We are well aware that the effects of fragile economy still linger here in Western Massachusetts and that we have had many challenges in the past year. But, through it all, and with another Toy for Joy campaign, everyone has pulled together to show how resilient and generous we can be to those most in need.”

This marks the 89th annual Toy for Joy campaign, jointly sponsored by The Republican and the Salvation Army. The campaign welcomed Hasbro as a partner this year, with the toy manufacturer donating some of the toys distributed across the region.

The program distributed toys to thousands of families in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties.

Once again, U.S. Postal Service employees from the Indian Orchard facility organized an effort that pushed the campaign over its goal, giving $8,800 this holiday season.

“These people, I swear to God, they give from their pockets deeply,” said Dodie Sullivan, a mail handler who has helped coordinate the postal workers’ Toy for Joy drive for 25 years, “Their hearts are just big; that’s all I can say.”

Employees at the post offices on Main Street and in the Forest Park neighborhood also contributed, as did those in Wilbraham, Sullivan said.

Meanwhile, another long familiar face to Toy for Joy, Robert Sullivan, of the Sullivan Companies, walked into The Republican early on Friday morning to deliver a check for $4,000.

“Thank you to The Republican and the Salvation Army for another great job. Our gift is a tribute to all of our associates and customers at the Sullivan Companies. They are the finest group of people,” said Sullivan.

Another long-time contributor, the attorneys and staff at the law firm of Doherty, Wallace, Pillsbury & Murphy, gave $2,170 to Toy for Joy in memory of a colleague, Robin Morris. It, too, has been a tradition.

Toy for Joy contributions, as of noon on Friday, represent 1,817 Toy for Joy line items. Individual donors, of course, tally to many, many more.

Donors include schools and school children, businesses and corporations, people seeking to honor lost loved-ones as well as provide a little bit of that Christmas hope for others.

“We are grateful to everyone, no matter the size of the donation. The pennies gathered by one school group are just as important as a $50 or $100 or more gift. Every contribution helps make a difference in a child’s life on Christmas morning,” said Simison.

Here’s a list of the latest contributors:
Merry Christmas Gramma and Popa. We love you, Emily, Owen, Sam, Alex and Brayden, $10
Happy birthday Mom and Gramma. Enjoy your day the 27th from all of us, $10
In loving memory of Joyce Cote, postmistress extraordinaire of Lake Pleasant, $50
Merry Christmas to the children, from the employees of the U.S. Postal Service, Springfield, $8,800
Happy holidays in tribute to the associates and customers of the Sullivan Cos., from Celia and Robert Sullivan, Ceily, Bobby, Jamie and Charlie Sullivan, $4000
In loving memory of Chris on his birthday Dec. 25, $25
In honor of Thomas, Nicholas and Arianna, $50
In loving memory of Rose, parents, Mary, Joanne and Michael, $20
In loving memory of my husband from Beverly, $100
Heather, Tonya, Jen and families, $100
In memory of all dogs and cats in heaven, $50
In memory of my husband Fred, who loved Christmas from Barbara, $10
Merry Christmas Acadia and Doug, $50
Merry Christmas from Ted and Judi, $25
In loving memory of Matt Devine. Sadly missed on this first Christmas. Love, John and Eileen, $50
For acts of kindness and good deeds, from Mrs. Moriarty’s kindergarten class at Southampton Road Elementary School, Westfield, $50
Wish it could be more, $30
Patti, Susan, Kris and Susan from AIC, $40
In memory of Bob Yvon and Russ Russell. Love, D and DTM, $100
In loving memory of Tony Gittles from Carol and family, $25
In loving memory of Paul Hughes, Nancy, $150
Merry Christmas from Dez and Ken Dempsey, $100
Merry Christmas from the Fryes, $20
Joseph, $25
In memory of my mother and father Nell and Baxter, $25
To all the children, merry Christmas, $25
In memory of our beloved son David, $10
Anonymous, $25
In memory of Dad, Cheryl, Richie, Heidi and Allan Sr., love the Sonoda’s, $50
Thank you Jesus and St. Jude from Irene, $20
To help those who need, $200
Anonymous, $50
In memory of Mary and Bill Cook, $30
For George Jackson, who carried the Christmas spirit all year, from Kathy and Terry, $25
For Tim Dunne, who loved Christmas from Jane and Kathy, $25
In honor of my 27 great-grandchildren, $27
In memory of Anthony F. DeSimone, $100
In loving memory of Ma from Debbie, Paul, Danielle and Michael, $20
For all the kids, $25
YT and Jean, $100
We miss you Lisa, $30
In praise of all animals, $20
From Ladybug and Emmett, $50
Merry Christmas from Gabby Hayes, $25
In memory of Dom and Jack, thanks for the beautiful years, $50
In remembrance of Mae and Donna, $50
In memory of Grandma and Grampa and in memory of Barney and Annie, $10
In memory of Michael C. and Josh D., $50
In lieu of gifts from the Taylor and Gallo families, $220
Merry Christmas and God bless everyone. Thank you for prayers answered, $50
In memory of Fred, $250
Christmas blessings to all, all year long, $50
Peace on earth, one toy at a time, $200
In loving memory of Meme Paquette and so many happy Christmases. Love, Janet, $25
A prayer answered from Claire, $10
In memory of my Dad, Merry Christmas from Paul, $20
In loving memory of Michael Hanetsen, $50
In loving memory of our parents from George and Janet, $100
Merry Christmas from Trish and Bob Griffith, $100
For Emily, Christopher, Kayla, Becky, Natalie, Noelle, Nicholas and Grandpa K, $200
In memory of Ellie Porter. Love, the Porter family, $50
In memory of the Zurowski and Kecki family. Love, Phyllis and Chet, $100
In loving memory of Barbara Rose Schmidt, $100
Merry Christmas from Conor, Kara, Brendan and Brianne, $40
In loving memory of Norman and Madeline Wagner, $50
In loving memory of Arthur Yurko, $20
In memory of Jennie and Aldo Grassetti. We miss you. Love, Es, Ronnie, El, Joan and grandchildren, $30
In memory of Erma Bernardos, Palheiredo family, Louis Moreno family, Chico Georgia and Mitchell Belczyk. Love, Esabel and Anna, $30
In loving memory of Robert Grassetti. I miss you. Love, Esabel and children, $50
Anonymous, $100
Merry Christmas from Cathedral High School girls’ basketball team, $115
MTA Western Office, AnneMarie, Carol S., Carol W., Fred, George, MaryAnne and Nancy, $125
In memory of our dads. Love, Tom and Maria, $25
Merry Christmas from Matthew and Lisa, $250
Bling, Biggie, Pebbles and Bandit say Merry Christmas to all, $25
Happy holidays to all from the students in Mrs. Webster’s Spanish classes at Monson High School, $150
Karen and Howard, $25
Karen, $25
In memory of David and his pals Ziggie and Spike, $100
In loving memory of Gus Adamopoulos who loved Christmas time. We miss you, from Mom, Dad and Ava, $200
Merry Christmas from Carando Foods; donated $700 worth of toys to Salvation Army, $500
Hoping for a safer 2012, no more severe storms, from Accu Finish Orthodontic Lab, $25
Merry Christmas from U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, $500
From Alexis and Estella, $50
In honor of Paula Rapa from the National Honor Society at Central High School, $350
Happy holidays from the employees at OMG Inc., $1028.60
In loving memory of Raymond F. Kennedy from RAK, $45
In loving memory of Ena Flynn, Al Fortin and Brian Fontaine from RAK, $45
East Springfield Oil Co.., $300
From the Lappins. God bless, $65
Anonymous, $20
In loving memory of Fredrick and Kathleen Minie, Sis, Albert and Mary, $25
In loving memory of Joseph Falzone who made every day Christmas, $25
Chicopee School Committee, $105
In memory of Frank and Evelyn Dialessi, $50
In loving memory of Art Jacobson, $50
Thanks to St. Jude for prayers answered, Ann, $10
From the students and staff at Powder Mill Middle School, $316.10
Anonymous, $6
In loving memory of Cain James Cavanaugh, $35
In memory of Leonard Narcisse who passed on Dec. 26, 2007, $5
In memory of all our dear friends and family members, Lapine Multimedia, $100
Joseph and Judith, $25
Spreading the magic of the season, from United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1459 Women’s Network, $1,000
On behalf of the trustees of the Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation, $1,000
From the employees of Hampden Engineering Corp., $300
From Hampden Engineering Corp. to match employee contributions, $300
Love Mom, Eileen, $10
In loving memory of William Manegre from his wife Catherine and daughter JoAnne Gould, $10
In memory of John and Mary Ganley. We miss you, your daughter Catherine Manegre and granddaughter JoAnne Gould, $10
In loving memory of William Manegre who passed away in 1974. Sadly missed by wife Catherine Manegre and daughter JoAnne Gould, $10
In loving memory of John and Mary Ganley. Sadly missed by daughter Catherine Manegre and granddaughter JoAnne Gould, $10
In memory of Basil and Eleanor Gould from Walter and Joanne Gould, $3
In memory of Grandpa and Grandma Gould from Robert Gould, $3
In memory of Walter and Bertha Edwards from grandson Walter Gould, $3
In memory of Charles and Helen Edwards from nephew Walter Gould and family, $3
In memory of Joe and Mary Dillon from nephew Walter Gould and family, $3
In memory of Robin Fleming from the Gould family, $3
In memory of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Fleming from the Gould family, $3
In memory of Ken Fleming from the Gould family, $3
In memory of our dogs, Buddy, Princess, Toby and Sandy girl from the Gould family, $3
In memory of Grandpa Manegre from grandson Robert Gould, $3
Happy holidays to all my friends from Robert Gould, $3
In memory of Benny Bonnevita from the Gould family, $3
In memory of our neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. H. Hawley from the Gould family, $3
In memory of our neighbor Stan, from the Gould family, $3
In memory of our neighbors Mr. and Mrs. Kwist from the Gould family, $3
In memory of Mr. and Mrs. George Pelletier from the Gould family, $3
In memory of my pal, Josie from Robert Gould, $3
In memory of Mary and Jerry Langone from the Gould family, $3
In memory of Jay Rouis Langone from the Gould family, $3
In memory of Jim Maher from Walter Gould, $3
In memory of Harry Gallerani from the Gould family, $3
In memory of Mr. and Mrs. O’Diorne from the Gould family, $3
In memory of Grandpa Larosa from Robert Gould, $3
In memory of our friend, Anthony Larosa from Joanne and Walter Gould, $3
In memory of our neighbor, Fred Kelleher from the Gould family, $3
In memory of Aunt Gerry and Uncle John and Uncle Paul from the Gould family, $3
In memory of Ciro Langone from the Gould family, $3
Happy holidays to all our friends from the Gould family, $3
To the staff at Tony’s Barber shop in Springfield’s South End. Merry Christmas from Walter and Robert Gould, $3
Thank you to all our customers at Peter Pan gas from manager Walter Gould, $3
Thank you to all of our parkers at Propark from manager Walter Gould, $3
In memory of Ruth Taylor, from sister Cathy, niece JoAnne, nephew Walter and great nephew Robert Gould, $3
In memory of Brian O’Diorne, from the Gould family, $3
In memory of retired Springfield police officer Mike J. Ristaino, $3
To my third Christmas as a Gould family member, Preston, $3
Merry Christmas Boppy. Love, Gavin, $20
Anonymous, $150
In memory of my beloved Guy from Sandi, $25
In memory of my brother Crit and nephew Michael. Miss you, Dianne, $100
In loving memory of Eileen and Laura from Dad, Mom and brother Ernie, $15
Shirley, $20
In loving memory of Richard H., Richard W., and Gloria E. Bragg from Barb and Al, $25
In memory of Nick and Alice Kazantis, $100
Sabina, $50
In memory of my wife Diane Anair, $25
Merry Christmas from Ainsley, $20
Merry Christmas from Ron and Sorayah B., $50
In memory of Nana and Grandpa from CB, $20
Fred and Peggy, $20
Jim, Nancy, Jesse, Ben and the big dog Brewski, $50
For Julia, $25
In loving memory of Grace Mathews, $100
God bless the children from Craig and Barbara, $25
Merry Christmas from Charles, $25
In loving memory of Grandma O’Connor. Love, Christopher and Katie, $10
Merry Christmas to all the little children. Love, Mrs. Duquettes first-graders at Dryden Schoo, Springfieldl, $7
In memory of AJ and Mildred Hutchins and Edward and Carole Howe, $50
“Dr Quack” who loved Christmas, always in my heart, JJ, $100
In memory of Jean Nolan. Missing you. Love, Joni, $100
In memory of Grandma Ruthie Navone, Merry Christmas, $100
In loving memory of John Nolan, Lisa and Ben Contrino and Donna Viens from Don and Bev, $100
To share our blessings, $150
In memory of our parents Anna, Hugh and Jim. Love, Ken and Peg, $25
In memory of Natalie and Bob, $25
For the children with love from Ed and Gail, $25
In memory of Peg and Ted Fournier, $25
In memory of Bill and Estelle Barry, $50
Gods peace to all, $20
Merry Christmas from Joe, Carol, Mike and Matt, $25
In memory of Fiona Dean’s Kane. Love, Dad Bean, $15
In memory of SPC Jeremy Reqnier. Miss and love you, Mom, $15
In loving memory of Mildred and Stephen Bielizna, $10
In memory of Louis Germaine and Dan Salier, $25
Merry Christmas from Deb, $100
Merry Christmas, $2
In memory of Sparky and Grace, John and Ceil from the Armstrong family, $25
Merry Christmas to all children from the MCDI family, Sister Senga, Michelle, Eileen, Dolores, Romanita, Pauline, Allie, Jennie, Kerry, Ray, Dan, Tom and Bonnie, $165
In loving memory of Dora and Marie Lucchesi, $35
Mom, you have been joined by your last sibling Aunt Gloria and Uncle Dick, what a wonderful celebration in heaven this Christmas. Love, Claire, $25
In loving memory of Joseph LaPierre and Rena Pasarcik. Love, Claire and Jim, $25
Loving thoughts of Christmas with Alphee and Bernice Boudreau. Always in our hearts. Love, your family, $25
Mary, $25
In loving memory of my Dad, Raymond Paro. Miss you so much, Gina, $50
Wilbraham Children’s Museum, $100
In memory of Gloria Gomes, $15
Thank you St. Jude, BB, $20
In loving memory of Mom, who loved children and Christmas, $50
This gift is in memory of Tennyson D. Wilson and Eric D. Wilson, $10
Enjoy!, $10
Thank you St. Jude for your intercessions, Billy G and Dottles, $5
Merry Christmas from the wonderful customers and staff at Cooper’s, $400
Mestek employees share their “dressed down” fund, $500
Merry Christmas from the Bontempos, $50
Merry Christmas from Mark, Anne, Anna, Eliza and Sarah Cormier, $70
Kelvin Alexander and Hill Associates, $300
In loving memory of Eddie Lukas (Luke). Miss you bro, $50
In memory of Robin Morris, from the attorneys and staff at the firm of Doherty, Wallace, Pillsbury & Murphy, $2170
For Nemo – Always Believe!, $50
To honor Richard C. Garvey, editor, mentor and supporter of Toy for Joy, $50
With thanks for Tracey, the Toy for Joy angel, $50

RECEIVED, $30,371.70
TOTAL TO DATE, $163,425.97

People who go Christmas shopping on Dec. 24 are procrastinators, but people hitting the stores on Dec. 26 are very likely getting a jump on Christmas 2012.

File photo | The RepublicanDeep discounts greeted shoppers at the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside the day after a previous Christmas.

People who go Christmas shopping on Dec. 24 are procrastinators, but people hitting the stores on Dec. 26 are very likely getting a jump on Christmas 2012.

William J. Rogalski, general manager of the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside, calls the day after Christmas “the second coming of Black Friday.”

“There are always going to be a certain percentage of returns,” Rogalski said. “But, since the popularity of gift cards, (Dec. 26) has really gotten busy for us.”

Kerri Radwilowicz, of Old Mill Pond Village Shops in Granby, Conn., reports that sales have been strong in November and December, despite the lingering aftereffects of the Halloween snowstorm which kept shoppers home in early November.

Her sentiments fit with research by the National Retail Federation which revised its holiday predictions upward in mid-December. The federation is now predicting $469.1 billion in holiday spending in November and December, a 3.8 percent increase from last year.

Monday, though, is expected to be a post-holiday shopping frenzy of sorts.

“We do have a big after-Christmas sale that people look forward to every year,” said Radwilowicz, a part owner of Old Mill Pond Village Shops and Country Colonial Shop in Southwick. Old Mill Pond is a clutch of quaint buildings, so Radwilowicz promotes it as a family-friendly shopping destination for families.

“Christmas is our biggest holiday,” she said. “We start ordering in January and February. Merchandise starts shipping in early spring. We do a lot of garden business in the spring and summer. But, usually, by July, we set up for Christmas again.”

And starting today, folks can add to their own miniature “Department 56”-brand Christmas village at 2 to 50 percent off.

A National Retail Federation survey done in the middle of December predicted there would be a last-minute surge at the malls in the week before Christmas. Returns, always a big part of post-Christmas business for retailers, are likely to be down, though, the survey concluded. The National Retail Federation said 64.5 percent of holiday shoppers said they didn’t return a single gift this year.

Kevin R. Pernice , owner of the La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries in West Springfield, said his business has been good this holiday season.

“The chairs make great gifts,” he said. “Some of the full-line furniture shops have a tough time around the holidays. People don’t want to re-do an entire room. But the chairs do really wheel.”

Automobile dealers are among those who look to the weeks before and after Christmas to help bolster their year-end sales figures.

Some car-buyers wanted their new Fords delivered before the holidays, said Michael J. Filomeno, general manager of Marcotte Ford in Holyoke. Some of them were giving cars as gifts, while others wanted a new car to drive on their holiday trip.

“Service has been busy with people wanting their cars,” he said.

The last week of the year is busy because businesses want to buy before New Year’s Day so they can take the business expense on their 2011 taxes.

“We are anticipating a strong week,” Filomeno said. “Ford has a lot of great things going on in the product line.”

Detective Anthony Brach, a narcotics officer, said the tradition targets areas with heavy drug traffic and crime to show kids that the police are not bad.

View full sizeHolyoke, 12/25/11, Staff Photo by David Molnar -- At the corners of Hampshire and Walnut Sts., Santa (retired Holyoke Detective Dennis Egan) hands new toys to neighborhood children. Detectives with the Holyoke Police Narcotics Bureau collected and distributed donated and bought toys for some of the city's neighborhoods as a gesture of good will on Christmas Day. David Molnar

HOLYOKE - Officers in the Narcotics Bureau of the city police department spent Christmas Day cruising through high-crime areas and drug hotspots, lights flashing, sirens blaring. They created roadblocks, redirecting traffic away from a homeless shelter on Oak Street and neighborhoods around the Appleton Street police headquarters.

When the caravan stopped, plainclothes officers with badges hung from chains around their necks surrounded a U-Haul truck they had been following for blocks, popped open the cargo hold, stood back and revealed...

Toys.

Jolly Old Saint Nick, who also calls himself retired Detective Dennis Egan, has been handing out gifts to children for almost 25 years. On Sunday, he posed for pictures and gave toys to the kids at The Family Place, a state-run shelter that organizers said houses about 100 kids.

Detective Anthony M. Brach, a narcotics officer, said the tradition targets areas with heavy drug traffic and crime to show kids that the police are not bad.

"The kids just see us as arresting their dads, you know?" said Brach. "We're not 'the big, bad police.'"

Brach said on Christmas Eve he personally delivered some of the program's donated toys, of which there were several hundred, to families that Santa Claus was going to miss. He even drove to Springfield to spread holiday cheer to a former Holyoke family with four kids and no steady income.

Zuleika Ocasion, who lives at The Family Place with her two boys, ages 2 and 3, said the officers brought her kids the only Christmas presents they'll get this year. Her sons each got a package of Hot Wheels cars.

Santa reminded them to be careful of the small parts.

Ocasion is visibly pregnant and said she lives at the shelter because she can't afford to pay rent on an apartment.

Nevertheless, she said she was happy "as long as my kids are happy."

"Christmas is about the kids," said Brach, who has no children of his own. "It's one day out of the year, but it's a day they should be happy."

The officers' kids were involved, too, carrying Santa's giant red sacks stuffed full of dolls, board games, Fisher-Price educational toys and all kinds of trucks, art supplies and playsets.

Hundreds of presents had been donated since the drive began on Thanksgiving. Brach said one six-year-old boy collected money to buy toys to donate and even gave up all his birthday presents for the cause.

"It's always a good time. Every year," said Brach.

Santa Claus set records Christmas Eve as he raced across the globe on his traditional holiday mission.

AP File Photo | ED ANDRIESKIAir Force Lt. Col. David Hanson, of Chicago, takes a phone call from a child in Florida at the Santa Tracking Operations Center at Peterson Air Force Base near Colorado Springs, Colo. in 2010.

DENVER (AP) — Santa Claus set records Christmas Eve as he raced across the globe on his traditional holiday mission.

Santa tracking volunteers at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado said they fielded about 102,000 telephone queries beginning early Saturday on his progress, breaking the previous mark of 80,000.

And his NORAD Facebook page recorded about 999,000 "likes," compared with 716,000 a year ago. Twitter followers increased from about 53,000 last year to more than 89,000.

Officials said records set this year were likely generated by people passing the word as well as social media interest.

"I think what happens is that every year the ones that participated" tell others, Canadian Navy Lt. Al Blondin. "There's word of mouth."

Volunteers at NORAD Tracks Santa said kids started calling at 4 a.m. Saturday to find out where Santa was.

"The phones are ringing like crazy," Lt. Cmdr. Bill Lewis said Saturday.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command has been telling anxious children about Santa's whereabouts every year since 1955. That was the year a Colorado Springs newspaper ad invited kids to call Santa on a hotline, but the number had a typo, and dozens of kids wound up talking to the Continental Aerospace Defense Command, NORAD's predecessor.

The officers on duty played along and began sharing reports on Santa's progress. It's now a tradition at NORAD, a joint U.S.-Canada command that monitors the North American skies and seas from a control center at Peterson.

First lady Michelle Obama was among the volunteers for a second year in a row. She took about 10 calls from her family's holiday vacation in Hawaii. Lewis said Obama's voice didn't throw any of the phoning children.

"They all just asked run-of-the-mill stuff. They wanted to know about Santa," Lewis said.

After visiting many nations, Santa's first stop in the U.S. came at 9:02 p.m. MST in Atlanta, Blondin said.

The NORAD website said Santa then set a generally westward course, making numerous stops including Cleveland, Denver and San Francisco. He later passed through Hawaii and Alaska before setting his home course for the North Pole.

In addition to NORAD's Santa website and Facebook and Twitter pages, Santa this year has a new tracking app for smart phones. The app includes the Elf Toss, a game similar to Angry Birds. Blondin said there had been more than 700,000 downloads.

Acting Fire Chief Antonio Conte said attempts by firefighters to rescue the house's occupants were pushed back by intense flames and heat.

View full sizeActing Fire Chief Antonio Conte said attempts by firefighters to rescue the house's occupants were pushed back by intense flames and heat.

STAMFORD, Conn. (AP) — Fire tore through a house in Stamford early Sunday, killing five people, making it among the worst Christmases in the city's history, the mayor said.

Officials said the fire, which was reported shortly before 5 a.m., killed two adults and three children. Two others escaped. Their names have not been released.

"It is a terrible, terrible day for the city of Stamford," Mayor Michael Pavia told reporters at a news briefing at the scene of the fire. "There probably has not been a worse Christmas day in the city of Stamford."

Acting Fire Chief Antonio Conte said attempts by firefighters to rescue the house's occupants were pushed back by intense flames and heat.

He said fire officials do not yet know the cause of the blaze and will not likely get clues for a few days until fire marshals can enter the house "and figure out what happened."

Conte said he did not know the conditions of the two survivors.

"We had our hands full from the moment we arrived on the scene," he said.

A neighbor, Sam Cingari Jr., said he was awakened by the sound of screaming and that the house was entirely engulfed by flames.

"We heard this screaming at 5 in the morning," he said. "The whole house was ablaze and I mean ablaze."

Cingari says he does not know his neighbors, who he said bought the house last year and were renovating it. Power also was out in the neighborhood, he said.

The neighborhood in Stamford, a city of 117,000 residents about 25 miles northeast of New York City, juts into Long Island Sound.

Federal lawmakers set aside $2.76 billion last winter for people who developed illnesses after spending time in the ash-choked disaster zone.

View full sizeThis photo taken Sept. 11, 2001 by the New York City Police Department and obtained by ABC News, which claims to have obtained it under the Freedom of Information Act, shows one of the towers of the World Trade Center in New York as it begins to collapse. (AP Photo/NYPD via ABC News, Det. Greg Semendinger)

By DAVID B. CARUSO

NEW YORK (AP) — More than 1,600 people who filed lawsuits claiming that their health was ruined by dust and smoke from the collapsed World Trade Center must decide by Jan. 2 whether to keep fighting in court, or drop the litigation and apply for benefits from a government compensation fund.

For some, the choice is fraught with risk.

Federal lawmakers set aside $2.76 billion last winter for people who developed illnesses after spending time in the ash-choked disaster zone.

But to be considered for a share of the aid, all potential applicants must dismiss any pending lawsuits by the deadline and give up their right to sue forever over 9/11 health problems. Anyone with a lawsuit still pending on Jan. 3 is barred from the program for life.

The government program is attractive because it spares the sick from having to prove that their illness is related to 9/11, and that someone other than the terrorists put them in harm's way. But applicants won't know for months, or even years, how much money they might eventually receive from the program. That means some people may give up their lawsuits and find out later that they only qualify for a modest payment.

Others face a deeper problem. People exposed to trade center dust have blamed it for hundreds of illnesses, but currently the fund only covers a limited number of ailments, including asthma, scarred lungs and other respiratory system problems. That list does not currently include any type of cancer, which scientists have yet to link to trade center toxins.

But the very possibility that cancer could, someday, be covered has led some plaintiffs to drop their lawsuits anyway.

"In a sense, I've weighed my options and rolled the dice believing that the country I helped is not going to let me down," said former New York City police detective John Walcott, who retired after being diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia in 2003.

He decided a few days before Christmas to drop his case, saying he had come to believe he would never get anything out of the legal system.

"The court system was set up for attorneys to make a lot of money," he said. He added that at age 47, he is tired of a court fight that had no end in sight. "I'm done with 9/11. I can't go forward with my life and family and live in peace with this hanging over me."

The special master overseeing the compensation fund, Sheila Birnbaum, acknowledged that the deadline would put some people in a tight spot, especially if they have an illness that isn't currently covered by the fund.

"That is one of the dilemmas," she said.

Birnbaum noted, though, that the law gives her no wiggle room. Anyone who has a lawsuit active on Jan. 3 will be disqualified from consideration, she said, even if their illness is later deemed to be covered.

"It's a hard decision that they have to make," she said.

The lengthy application process for the fund began in October, and Birnbaum said she expected thousands to apply. She could not say how many might do so by the time the fund closes years from now.

Lawyers who represent people with pending cases said they have been going over the pros and cons with their clients for several months, to see which option might suit them better.

"It's a complicated analysis," said attorney Gregory Cannata, whose firm represents about 100 people, including laborers brought in to repair damaged buildings and cleaners who swept tons of dust from office suites.

Cannata said that for the most part, his clients have decided to stick with their lawsuits, in part because of the possibility of a larger payout than they might receive under the government program.

Police officers, firefighters and city contractors who cleared away the 9/11 rubble make up only a small slice of the people facing the dilemma. Most of the more than 5,000 city workers who filed lawsuits claiming that the city had failed to protect them from the dust settled their cases in 2010, before the compensation fund was created.

Walcott was one of a few who rejected the deal, worth more than $700 million. Under the law, people who settled previously will be allowed to apply for government benefits. Any award they receive will be reduced by whatever they got from the legal settlement.

The tough decisions won't end Jan. 2.

In addition to people with legal claims already pending, thousands more New Yorkers have become ill because of exposure to the dust. They will have to decide in the coming years whether to sue someone over their illness or try their luck in the government program.

If too many people apply for aid from the compensation fund — including people with common illnesses that may, or may not, have anything to do with 9/11 toxins — the nearly $2.8 billion set aside by Congress may get exhausted quickly. Adding just 1,000 people with cancer to the program could eat up $1 billion, said Noah Kushlefsky, an attorney with the firm Kreindler & Kreindler.

"The real question is, how many more cases are there out there?" Kushlefsky said.

Enough, it seems, to keep both the courts and the 9/11 fund administrators busy for some time yet.

Suzanne Sullivan said her son suffered two gunshot wounds to his back, which shattered his spine.

View full sizeSuzanne Sullivan holds a photo of her son Christopher Sullivan, an Army soldier, outside her home in San Bernardino, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011. Sullivan, who survived a suicide bombing last December while serving in Afghanistan, is now in critical condition after a gunman shot him during his homecoming home party Friday in San Bernardino. (AP Photo/The San Bernardino Sun, Gabriel Luis Acosta)

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (AP) — A decorated Army soldier recovering from injuries suffered in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan has been shot at his homecoming party, and family members say he's paralyzed and in critical condition.

Christopher Sullivan, 22, was shot late Friday while trying to break up a fight between his brother and another man at a San Bernardino, Calif., residence.

"My son didn't deserve this. He served his country," his mother, Suzanne Sullivan, told the San Bernardino Sun.

Suzanne Sullivan said her son suffered two gunshot wounds to his back, which shattered his spine. Family members told the newspaper that the shooting late Friday left Sullivan paralyzed and in critical condition.

Police said Sullivan's brother and a partygoer got into an argument over football. When Sullivan moved to intervene, the man pulled a gun and opened fire.

The gunman fled the scene before police arrived.

Sullivan was wounded in a suicide bombing attack last year in Kandahar, Afghanistan, while serving with the 101st Infantry Division. He suffered a cracked collar bone and brain damage in the attack and has been recovering in Kentucky where he is stationed. He was awarded a Purple Heart.

Sullivan was home on leave when the shooting occurred.

"To come home to this, it's so unfair," his aunt Theresa Marquez told the newspaper.

His enlistment would be complete in April, after which Sullivan had planned to come home to go to college.

Family members are calling on the shooter to surrender.

Police have not identified the suspect.

The Pioneer Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross is assisting the victims.

07/21/11 Springfield- Republican Photo by Mark M.Murray- The Springfield Fire Department unveiled two new fire truck thursday during a press conference at the Raymond M. Sullivan Public Safety Complex. The front of the new Engine 10

SPRINGFIELD – Fire investigators are searching for the cause of a fire that burned 18 people out of their home early Christmas morning.

The blaze was reported at about 12:30 a.m. at a two-family house at 830-832 Carew St. It is believed to have started on the third floor, caused about $30,000 in damages and caused the home to be condemned, said Dennis G. Leger, Fire Department spokesman.

It took firefighters some time to extinguish the blaze that burned through the roof. No one was injured in the fire, Leger said.

The Pioneer Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross is assisting most of the victims. The building is owned by Claudio Itecaldo, he said.

Some volunteered so others could have a special Christmas.

Republican staff photo by David MolnarFrom left, volunteers Tim Lessard and Shirley Frazer-Williams, both of Springfield, serve hot dinners at the Open Pantry's Christmas Dinner held at the High School of Commerce.

One of the brightest spots of Olcay Kocaman’s Christmas was helping a customer who was desperate to find fish food.

“She came in and said ‘I have a silly question...do you have fish food?” he said.

Kocaman, assistant manager of the Pride gas station and store at 77 West St. in Springfield, told the customer that no question was silly, especially since the store did carry fish food in the pet supply aisle.

“I could see her happiness,” he said, adding she explained she forgot to buy some before the holiday and ran out on the day when most stores are closed.

While thousands celebrated Christmas on Sunday by opening presents and sharing a meal with their families, police officers, firefighters, medical personnel, store clerks and others went to work.

A few volunteered to leave their families and helped make the holiday special for other people.

Free holiday dinners were held in several communities including Holyoke, Chicopee and Springfield for those who are poor or alone. Most of those events were made possible by those who gave up their time to cook, serve or do dishes.

The cafeteria at Springfield’s High School of Commerce was a hub of Christmas activity as about 100 volunteers served a feast to more than 300 hungry residents.

At noon, the school on State Street was packed with people looking for a meal of roast pork, stuffing and vegetables offered by the non-profit Open Pantry.

Volunteer Terry Maxey and his family gave up most of their Christmas morning and part of the afternoon to help set up tables and serve meals.

“It’s a family thing,” said Maxey. The Maxey’s have been involved for 15 years, since one of Terry Maxey’s daughters, who now is a college student, was only 5.

“I do it for my kids so they can appreciate what they have,” he said. “Everyone needs to lend a hand out there¦...¦We don’t have a lot, but there’s always someone out there who has less than we have.”

Open Pantry’s holiday meals coordinator Robert Maurice said the army of volunteers started showing up at 6 a.m. He said he has been giving up his Christmas to help others for more than 20 years.

“I’m giving back to my community,” he said. “I grew up here. This is my home.”

At American Medical Response in Springfield, the paramedics and emergency medical technicians who cover Springfield, Holyoke, Hampden and East Longmeadow, gathered at the company’s headquarters on Cottage Street in Springfield for a holiday meal during breaks.

The company had about 25 people working on Christmas, said Scott Kier, operations supervisor.

“It is a 24-hour business, we work nights, weekends and holidays,” he said.

To make up having to work, employee Bea Bates treated her fellow workers to a full buffet of meatballs, lasagna, ham and many other dishes. Others baked desserts.

Because a full crew is generally needed, people typically work if their regular shift falls on a holiday. Others swap, with some volunteering for those with young children or special plans. Some do not have family in the area and appreciate the extra holiday pay.

Cindy Foster, a paramedic from Williamsburg, said she has worked in emergency medicine for 21 years and has worked 16 Christmases.

“This is my family as well,” she said. “Why shouldn’t I spend time with them.”

The employees have seen some of the worst things together. Sometimes they argue like family but they always work it out and are always ready to pitch in an emergency, Foster said.

It is not always easy working on Christmas because they have to face a family who may have seen a relative die or be injured on a day when they should be celebrating, she said.

“We treat the family like a second patient,” she said “We feel good because we tended to a family in their worst possible time.”

The types of calls the company receives varies. With traffic lighter than usual, accidents are less frequent but there are still plenty of people who need an ambulance because they are having chest pains or injured themselves in an accident, Kier said.

Yesterday, few accidents or other crimes were reported by police.

A house fire at about 12:30 a.m. Christmas on Carew Street in Springfield left 18 people homeless. The cause is unknown, Dennis G. Leger, Springfield Fire Department spokesman said.

Ricky Johnson and John Shecrallah spent part of their Christmas working for Peter Pan Bus Lines.

While fewer people travel on Christmas Day than in the days before or after the holiday, they still need drivers, said Shecrallah, director of system wide operations.

Johnson, of Springfield, spent some time with his children in the morning and came in for the afternoon. Referred to as a bus jack-of-all-trades, he said he was serving as a stand-by in case the company needed to place an extra bus on a route, was called to do a charter shuttle or an operator called in sick and they needed a replacement.

“I like things to be different. When it is busy, I like to be in the middle of it,” he said.

There are other rewards as well. Johnson said it is heartwarming to see family members greet travelers as they are getting off the bus.

Johnson said he chose the profession and expects to work on holidays.

Peter Pan was exceptionally busy the week before Christmas, both from people who were traveling to family and friends for Christmas and from special holiday charter trips to New York, Boston and other places, Shecrallah said.

Traveling was very slow on Christmas Day but he said he was preparing for huge crowds on Dec. 26. Over the holidays he was expecting an extra 200,000 people and put on an extra 625 buses.

Not only did Shecrallah work on Christmas, he also served as a volunteer. He joined his family for a Christmas Eve celebration and the next morning he and other family members joined others to volunteer to serve breakfast at the Friends of the Homeless Inc. shelter in Springfield.

At the Pride store, Kocaman said his store is one of the few open and he is happy to be able to provide service to travelers and regular customers from the neighborhood.

“I don’t mind working. I know my company and they take care of their employees,” he said.

He said he finds it important to show a little kindness and good service to travelers so they leave the area with a good feeling about Western Massachusetts.

Kocaman said most of his family is in Turkey, so he would have not been able to join them for the holiday. After he left work at 6 p.m., he and his wife expected to sit down to a special dinner in their West Springfield home and then, he said, he will take his wife out for a movie.

“I come from a working family and my wife understands the work comes first,” he said.

Staff writer Brian Steele contributed to this report.

No one was injured in the car accident.

Republican file photo

SPRINGFIELD – Police arrested a city man on charges of domestic assault and battery and carjacking after he crashed his girlfriend’s car Sunday night.

Police received a report just before 8:20 p.m. that a man had assaulted a woman and took her car. Less than 15 minutes later they spotted the car getting onto Interstate 91 heading north. Police started following him but before they were able to get close, he lost control of the car and crashed it while trying to leave the highway on exit 13 A leading to West Springfield, Police Lt. Alberto Ayala said.

Johny Giron, 19, of 101 Federal St. was arrested and charged with car jacking, domestic assault and battery, unlicensed operation, failure to stop for a police officer, speeding and reckless operation, Ayala said.

He was not injured in the accident, he said.

A variety of college police departments assisted with the search.

Republican file photo03.09.11 | Photo by Julian Feller-Cohen – The Amherst Police Department's patch.

AMHERST – A 22-year-old man was arrested on charges of breaking into two East Amherst homes and stealing a variety of items including several wrapped Christmas gifts early Christmas morning.

A resident of one of the houses called police at about 5 a.m. to report he had seen someone leave his home with gifts and other items. Police from Amherst, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst College and state police searched the area and found the man about 100 yards from the victim’s home. At the same time they received a second report of gifts stolen from another house, police said.

Stephen J. Larochelle, 22, of 159 Old Belchertown Road, was charged with two counts each of breaking and entering and larceny over $250, police said.

Here is a list of major municipal meetings for the coming week: Agawam Tues.- Board of Appeals, 6:30 p.m., Agawam Public Library. Wed.- Community Preservation Committee, 6 p.m., Agawam Public Library. Chicopee Tues.- Zoning Committee, 6:30 p.m., City Hall. Easthampton Tues.- Zoning Board of Appeals, 6:30 p.m., 50 Payson Ave. Greenfield Tues.- Franklin County Technical School Policy Subcommittee, 4:30...

File photo | The RepublicanHolyoke City Hall.

Here is a list of major municipal meetings for the coming week:

Agawam

Tues.- Board of Appeals, 6:30 p.m., Agawam Public Library.

Wed.- Community Preservation Committee, 6 p.m., Agawam Public Library.

Chicopee

Tues.- Zoning Committee, 6:30 p.m., City Hall.

Easthampton

Tues.- Zoning Board of Appeals, 6:30 p.m., 50 Payson Ave.

Greenfield

Tues.- Franklin County Technical School Policy Subcommittee, 4:30 p.m., Library Conference Room.

Board of License Commissioner, 6 p.m., 14 Court Square.

Conservation Commission, 7 p.m., Police Station.

Wed.- Pubic Safety Commission, 6 p.m., 321 High St.

Greenfield Local Cultural Council, 6:30 p.m., 355 Main St.

Hadley

Tues.- Board of Health, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Hatfield

Thu.- Selectmen, 9 a.m., Memorial Town Hall.

Holyoke

Tues.- Fairfield Avenue Local Historic District Commission, 6:30 p.m., Wistariahurst Museum, carriage house, 238 Cabot St.

Water Commission, 7 p.m., 20 Commercial St.

Springfield residents have a few more opportunities to contribute to the final comprehensive plan for the rebuilding effort of the Rebuild Springfield.

Springfield residents have a few more opportunities to contribute to the final comprehensive plan for the rebuilding effort of the Rebuild Springfield.

In the second week of December, the third open forum district meetings took place throughout the city, with many residents working together with the planning team on the draft rebuilding plan. Last week, a summary of the working progress in District 1 (South End and Metro Center) and District 2 (Maple High-Six Corners, Forest Park, Old Hill and Upper Hill) was published.

This week’s column summarizes the District 3 meeting (East Forest Park and Sixteen Acres), which was held at the Greenleaf Community Center on Dec. 13, as well as the early stages of the overall plan for the rebuilding efforts.

The MassLive.com iPad app features content from Western Massachusetts' leading news and information properties including MassLive.com and The Republican.

This screen shot shows the new MassLive.com app for the iPad

SPRINGFIELD – MassLive.com has launched a new iPad app, with real-time local news, sports, entertainment, business and opinion articles, photos and classifieds, powered by The Republican.

The MassLive.com iPad app features content from Western Massachusetts’ leading news and information properties including MassLive.com and The Republican.

The free app is available in the iTunes App Store. It was developed and launched with Advance Digital and Verve Wireless.

Ed Kubosiak Jr.

“This is another step in our efforts to meet our readers where they are and to deliver the news on a dynamic, mobile platform,” said Ed Kubosiak Jr., editor-in-chief of MassLive.com. “The intuitive layout of the news within the app, and the seamless functionality make reading a pleasure. It’s tough to put it down.”

Articles with multiple photos automatically generate photo galleries. Intuitive swiping gestures quickly move the reader from one page to another. A convenient pop-up “More Articles” tray shows the 20 most recent stories in a section.

Articles are downloaded and stored locally in the app for fast access, even when offline.

“The popularity, portability and ease of use of the iPad makes for a terrific device to view MassLive’s vast array of content,” said Wayne E. Phaneuf, executive editor of The Republican.

Content on the app includes news coverage of local communities throughout Western Massachusetts, high school sports, local pro and college teams; entertainment coverage of TV, movies, music and the local arts scene; and photo galleries and obituaries. There’s also local advertising and links to classifieds listings of jobs, autos, and homes for sale and rent.

When a CFL can no longer produce light, the electronics in its base will still try to function, sometimes leading to overheating, smoke and fire.

Consumer Product Safety CommissionA broken compact fluorescent lamp (CFL). When a CFL can no longer produce light, the electronics in its base will still try to function, sometimes leading to overheating, smoke and fire.

Compact fluorescent lamps, or CFLs, have been counted on to light the way to a more energy-efficient future.

Compared to traditional incandescent bulbs, which will gradually be phased out starting in January, CFLs use about a fifth the power and have a life six to 10 times as great.

However, since the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission launched its online safety complaints database in March, there have been 34 reports made by people about CFLs that emitted smoke or a burning odor and four reports of the devices catching fire.

As perspective, though, 272 million CFLs were sold in 2009 in the United States.

Nevertheless, the complaints are a cause for concern, according to Jennifer Mieth, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Fire Services.

“In 2008, the state fire marshal’s office office first alerted the fire chiefs that CFLs could smoke” at the end of their life, she said.

“I’m not aware of any fires that fire departments in the state have responded to that were started by CFLs, but, as a consumer, it’s a good idea to be vigilant,” she said.

An incandescent bulb typically ends its life when the wire filament, which glows to produce light when electricity passes through it, burns out and breaks. Fires from this are almost nonexistent.

A CFL uses electricity to heat an element in the lamp’s base that excites the mercury vapor gas in the coils so that they emit light. When a CFL can no longer produce light, the electronics in its base will still try to function, sometimes leading to overheating, smoke and fire.

Consumer Reports magazine, in its August issue, addressed the CFL burnout issue. “In our labs, we’ve tested 77 models of compact fluorescent lightbulbs over the last five years, for a combined 2,680,000 hours of light,” the article said.

“We’ve never seen a bulb create smoke or overheat enough at the end of its life to cause any noticeable physical damage to itself. But we’ve heard from readers about bulbs smoking and their plastic base or glass tube melting and discoloring,” the article said.

In 2009, after reports of end-of-life smoke and fire in CFLs, standards were revised for CFLs sold in North America that set new minimum requirements for the materials used in the plastic housing of the base.

However, millions are in use that were made prior to the standards. In October 2010, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall of 124,000 CFLs made in China and sold in this country under the brand name Trisonic. The lights were sold in stores in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut from January 2008 to December 2008. There had been reports of two fires resulting from failure of the bulbs.

Osram Sylvania Inc., the largest U.S. maker of CFLs, did not respond to a request for a comment concerning the end-of-life issues for CFLs.

Smoke and fire are not the only concerns about CFL. They contain mercury vapor.

“Disposal of them is not the same as disposal of a standard lightbulb because of the trace amounts of mercury in them,” says Greenfield Fire Chief Michael J. Winn, who is the president of Western Massachusetts Fire Chiefs Association. He also knows of no reports of fires started by a CFL in Western Massachusetts.

The state Department of Environmental Protection lists drop-off locations to recycle CFLs on its website. Home Depot and Lowe’s both offer free recycling for CFLs at all their stores.

Alex Morse wins in Holyoke, David Narkewicz wins in Northampton, potential Brown-Warren race heats up, and ex-State House speaker Salvatore DiMasi is convicted of corruption.

As 2011 winds down, The Republican and MassLive.com recap some of the Top 10 news stories each day this week leading up to Jan. 1 when the complete list will appear with photos in The Sunday Republican.

No. 10: The ups and downs of the political year saw the election of Alex Morse as mayor of Holyoke and the imprisonment of former House speaker Sal DiMasi for corruption.

What a year Morse had.

It began with Morse, then a senior at Brown University, announcing his candidacy on the steps of Holyoke City Hall and ended with Morse being wined and dined at the White House where President Obama joked about the 22-year-old being an overachiever.

Indeed.

Perhaps Morse himself put it best when, moments after he was declared the winner over incumbent Elaine A. Pluta, 67, he stood before the overflow crowd at his victory celebration and exclaimed “holy mackerel!”

In the election postmortem, the upset was quickly characterized as new Holyoke besting old Holyoke.

Holyoke wasn’t the only city electing a new mayor.

In Northampton, David J. Narkewicz defeated Michael Bardsley to succeed longtime mayor Mary Clare Higgins.

In West Springfield, Gregory C. Neffinger defeated Gerard B. Matthews to become only the second mayor in that city’s history, succeeding Edward Gibson who opted not to seek reelection after six terms.

And one of the top stories in 2011 is destined to be one of the top stories in 2012 as the likely U.S. Senate race between Republican incumbent Scott Brown and leading Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren continues to attract interest from the entire country.

DiMasi, a onetime king maker in Massachusetts politics, ended 2011 as one of 1,900 inmates at a Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Ky., a minimal security prison, where he will spend the next seven years.

DiMasi, a legislator since 1979 and House Speaker since 2004, was convicted on federal corruption and conspiracy charges in June. Prosecutors charged that he used his political clout to steer two state contracts worth $17.5 million to a software firm in exchange for kickbacks to himself and two friends.

When DiMasi reported for sentencing in early December, he still maintained his innocence.