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Holyoke athlete and musician Jonathan 'Jonno' Gray honored by hundreds at candlelight vigil

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Police said Gray, a student at the University of Massachusetts, died while exercising at home.

vigil.JPGA candlelight vigil was held at the Holyoke High School athletic fields to honor Jonathan E. Gray, a Holyoke High grad and athlete who died Jan. 5. Here, Cindy and Doug Gray, Jonathan Gray's parents, hold candles.

HOLYOKE – Hundreds of friends and acquaintances of Jonathan E. Gray held candles in the chilly night air Monday to honor the 18-year-old who died Thursday.

“He always had others in mind,” said Becky Hoyt, 19, who was a year ahead of Gray at Holyoke High School.

Gray died while exercising at his family’s home at 35 Pynchon Road on Thursday, said Police Capt. Arthur R. Monfette Jr., who said it was believed foul play wasn’t involved.

“I was shocked,” said Becca Deleporte, 18, a friend of Gray’s.

She helped organize the vigil at Roberts Field Sports Complex beside Holyoke High School, from which she and Gray graduated in June. Gray played football and participated in track and field.

“It’s been 72 hours of shock to me. It’s terrible,” Deleporte said.

010912 jonathan gray vigil.JPGView full sizeA candlelight vigil was held at the Holyoke High athletic fields to honor the memory of Jonathan Gray, a Holyoke High grad and athlete who died this past week while exercising at home. Here, singing a song during the vigil are Jessica Sweeney and Mackenzie Gray, Jonathan's brother.

Gray was a student at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, where he was on the crew team. He also worshipped at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church here.

The vigil consisted mostly of young people and adults filling the bleachers and, in a grid formed by the rows of dots of candlelight, standing silently.

About an hour into the vigil, Holyoke firefighter Jordan Lemieux went on the public address system. Lemieux, who attended school with Gray’s father Douglas Gray, did a “last call” reading in honor of Gray, whose nickname was “Jonno” and football number was 58.

“Number 58, Jonathan Gray. Number 58 Jonno Gray please report ... All people, be advised, Jonathan Gray, number 58, student, athlete for Holyoke High School, musician, has played his last game Jan. 5, 2012. Jonno, may God rest your soul. All people, Jonathan ‘Jonno’ Gray has returned home,” Lemieux said.

Peter R. Leclerc, of the Parks and Recreation Department, was on hand to help but he said Deleporte and other young people had arranged the vigil. Police and firefighters also attended.

Mayor Alex B. Morse, who attended Holyoke High with Jonathan Gray’s brother Mackenzie Gray, said the vigil was at once sad and uplifting.

“This is the spirit that defines our community and I have no doubt that Jonathan is looking down on us,” Morse said.

Deleporte said commemorative ribbons are available for $1 by emailing jongraymemorialaward@gmail.com.


Belchertown Council on Aging chairwoman decries Massachusetts rule mandating Senior Center buy frozen meals to serve on weekends

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"We should do our damnedest to help the Council on Aging," Selectman George Archible said.

BELCHERTOWN – Council on Aging chairwoman Esther Pierce said a state policy forcing the Senior Center to buy mass-produced frozen meals from a catering company, rather than cook them on their own, constitutes "waste" and threatens the center's budget.

She pleaded with the Board of Selectmen on Monday night to make seniors' voices heard in Boston. The board agreed.

Pierce, who said she has gone to the center since 1993, said the frozen meals required to be served on weekends are less healthful than the fresh food they are perfectly capable of preparing and freezing themselves for future use.

The state will withhold $30,000 in aid from the center, utilized by 175 seniors a day, if it doesn't continue to comply with the mandate, as it has since Oct. 1.

"We know our clients and we know their needs and we try to accommodate those needs," said Senior Center Executive Director William Korzenowski. "We've prided ourselves on treating our senior citizens like family."

The meals sometimes need to be cut up, pureed or specified for diabetics and others with unique nutritional needs that, he said, the state's program can't meet. Korzenowski said the center has prepared more than 10,000 frozen meals in recent years and he knows them to be safe.

REAponte2005.jpgView full sizeRonald E. Aponte

Selectman Ronald E. Aponte said the way the center has done things for 25 years is "financially prudent" and "a home run." He said the change was "not well received at all by the seniors."

The center delayed adhering to the mandate for several years by appealing to the state Executive Office of Elder Affairs, but time has run out.

"We cannot, when we serve a hot meal, know exactly how many people are going to come," said Pierce. "If there's food left over, we can freeze it and that's what we can send out for weekend meals."

The center is allowed to buy only 45 meals, making it likely that people will be turned away from the program in the future, said Pierce.

A list of ingredients for the caterers' meals contains at least 50 items, including salt, chemicals and preservatives, that Korzenowski said are not in the meals he prepares. Pierce suggested there was a safety concern in eating them.

Those preparing the $2 meals have all the health and food training requirements needed to serve food.

"It's a hell of a meal. ... We should do our damnedest to help the Council on Aging," said Selectman George D. "Archie" Archible, who served as the selectmen's liaison to the Council on Aging last year.

"I would think the state would be commending Belchertown and the Council on Aging ... for coming up with a program that meets our local needs in a cost-effective and safe manner," said Aponte. "There's a very good chance for us to be punished for doing something better, safer and more financially prudent."

Aponte said he wanted the state to grant the council a waiver and, even if it needs to be renewed every year, it's worth the effort.

"The Council on Aging is being held hostage on a decision by the commonwealth," Archible said.

The selectmen unanimously authorized Town Administrator Gary L. Brougham to send a memorandum to the state elder affairs office asking for a waiver.

Northampton planners spell out options for Round Hill neighborhood

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Some in the audience said they would also like to preserve open space in the area.

clarke.JPGGawith Hall is among the buildings being sold by Clarke School for Hearing and Speech.

NORTHAMPTON – Expanding the Elm Street Historic District and securing individual Historic Preservation Restrictions seem the two likeliest options for protecting the Round Hill neighborhood, according to a presentation by the Planning Department at Northampton High School Monday night.

Some 40 residents of the area gathered in the high school auditorium for a presentation and slide show by Planning Director Wayne M. Feiden on the topic. Some residents are apprehensive about the fate of the historically and architecturally rich neighborhood as Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech continues to sell off its property, which sits on the crown of the hill.

In November, Clarke announced that it is planning to sell the bulk of its remaining campus, 11.2 acres and 11 buildings, to OPAL Real Estate Group of Springfield. Peter Picknelly, the owner and founder of OPAL, has said he will renovate the existing buildings to create 80 luxury apartments. OPAL does not intend to raze any of the buildings or erect new ones on the property, Picknelly said.

The OPAL sale is the culmination of Clarke's efforts in recent years to downsize its once-sprawling campus atop Round Hill. Founded in 1867, the school has been a mecca for the deaf community, with students coming from all across the country to learn its oral-auditory approach. In its heyday, hundreds of boarding students lived on campus, but with the development of technology such as cochlear implants, which afford almost all deaf people some hearing capability, Clarke has adjusted its mission, venturing out into the mainstream to teach deaf students in their community schools.

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Clarke even changed its name from Clarke School for the Deaf to Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech and opened campuses in Boston, New York, Florida and other locations.

While some neighbors say they are pleased with OPAL’s plans, they are nonetheless seeking to protect the character of the neighborhood. Heeding their cry, the Historic District Commission has recommended adding the area to the Elm Street Historic District, which sets standards for the renovation of historic buildings and offers some protections against change. If the expansion is approved by the City Council, it would add 35 buildings, 22 acres and 81 residents to the Elm Street Historic District, which currently has 104 buildings and a population of 357.

Another option being considered, Feiden said, is negotiating Historic Preservation Restrictions with individual property owners. The restrictions, which would be permanent, have the advantage of offering certainty to current owners and developers who would otherwise have to run a gantlet of boards and commissions to gain approval for changes or new construction.

Round Hill Road resident Richard Greene was among those who said they favored the option of expanding the Elm Street Historic District.

“It would protect property other than Clarke’s,” he said.

Some in the audience said they would also like to preserve open space in the area.

Demetrois Panteleakis, a managing partner for OPAL, said he found the speakers at the public hearing engaged and intelligent.

“They’re the kind of neighbors we want to have,” he said. “I think people will be apprehensive until they have the master plan in their hands.”

Panteleakis said he expects OPAL to submit such a plan to the Planning Board within 90 days.

As Feiden explained it, it will ultimately be up to the City Council to either approve the expansion of the Elm Street Historic District or pursue the option of seeking individual Historic Preservation Restrictions. The council must approve either plan by a vote of at least six councilors, he said.

Family displaced after fire on Pine Street in Warren

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Assistant Fire Chief Adam Lavoie said the fire cause is under investigation, but does not appear to be suspicious.

WARREN – A fire Sunday morning at 71 Pine St. displaced a family and caused approximately $200,000 in damage to the 2½-story home.

Assistant Fire Chief Adam S. Lavoie said no one was injured in the blaze, which was reported at 9 a.m. and took four hours to extinguish.

He said a family friend who was living at the home escaped without injury. Lavoie said three dogs and three cats survived; some were rescued by firefighters, and a few got out of the burning home on their own.

Lavoie said the fire cause is under investigation, but does not appear to be suspicious. The state fire marshal's office also was called to investigate.

He said the second and third floors were heavily damaged.

Twenty firefighters responded, and West Brookfield sent an engine and provided coverage at station A.

The family, which includes five children, is being assisted by the Red Cross. The home is owned by David and Amanda Booth.

Massachusetts politicians campaign for Mitt Romney in New Hampshire; Gov. Patrick takes swipe from Boston

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Former Gov. Mitt Romney always expected polls in the New Hampshire primary to tighten, House Minority Leader Bradley Jones said Monday, noting that a solid win in the Granite State would be impressive because there are 20 candidates on the ballot.

Mitt Romney New HampshireMitt Romney speaks during a spaghetti dinner at the Tilton School in Laconia, N.H. on Friday. (Staff photo by Brian Canova)

By Kyle Cheney
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

BOSTON -- Former Gov. Mitt Romney always expected polls in the New Hampshire primary to tighten, House Minority Leader Bradley Jones said Monday, noting that a solid win in the Granite State would be impressive because there are 20 candidates on the ballot.

Jones said those who expected Romney to pull in more than 50 percent of the vote – the latest polls show him in the mid-30s, leading other contenders by 10 to 15 points – “must be libertarians” because they’re “smoking a lot of something.”

Jones, who spoke to the News Service while on the road in New Hampshire, said he witnessed hundreds of people from Massachusetts and hundreds from New Hampshire participating in the campaign, holding signs, dropping literature and going door to door.

A dozen of his colleagues in the Massachusetts Republican caucus, Jones said, have also hit the trail, including Reps. Viriato DeMacedo of Plymouth, Paul Frost of Auburn, Todd Smola of Palmer, Ryan Fattman of Sutton, Donald Wong of Saugus, Steve Howitt of Seekonk, Geoff Diehl of Whitman, Randy Hunt of Sandwich, Jay Barrows of Mansfield and Matthew Beaton of Shrewsbury.

During Romney’s remarks to a supportive crowd Monday, he mentioned Jones’s presence in the audience and joked about him someday becoming speaker of the Massachusetts House – a comment that drew laughter in part because Republicans occupy a tiny minority of the 160-member House.

Jones responded with an unsubtle reference to the fate of the previous three occupants of the speaker’s chair – before Democrat Robert DeLeo assumed it in 2009 – all of who were convicted of felonies.

“I said, ‘No, no, don’t wish that on me. It doesn’t end well,” Jones told the News Service.

Back in the Bay State, Gov. Deval Patrick, a campaign-trail surrogate for President Obama, continued his attack on Republican candidates for president, contending that they’re more interested in leading the Tea Party than the American people.

“It’s an approach offered by the Republicans that says everybody is on their own, that government has no role to play in helping people help themselves,” Patrick told reporters at the State House, repeating one of his frequent talking points. “That’s distinct from the president.”

Although Romney has come under fire for his tenure as an executive at Bain Capital, Patrick, also a former corporate executive, sidestepped criticism of Romney’s private-sector career.

“I respect his career choices. He’s got something to offer,” Patrick said before quickly going back on message. “What we’ve seen in Governor Romney is he has occupied every position on most issues. And so the question is, which Governor Romney are you going to get at any given moment. What I want in a leader is someone who has a real core … who has a moral and philosophical rudder.”

East Longmeadow School Committee: High school lights top priority

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The list of priority projects for the schools includes purchasing 2 new buses and a district-wide facilities study.

EAST LONGMEADOW – Lights for the athletic field, new school buses and a district-wide facilities study are the top capital project priorities for the School Department.

The School Committee will meet with the Capital Planning Committee on Jan. 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council on Aging media room to discuss its priority projects for fiscal year 2013.

School Committee members approved a list of 12 projects on Monday, with the top priority being the East Longmeadow High School athletic field lighting retrofit.

Superintendent of Schools Gordon C. Smith said the lights could be taken off the list if residents vote to pay for the $115,000 project through the town's reserve fund during a special Town Meeting to be held Feb. 1.

If the lighting project is approved, the item will be taken off the list; if not the project can still be completed through the Capital Planning budget at the annual Town Meeting, Smith said.

The list of projects also includes purchasing two new buses in an effort to update the school department's fleet. Smith said the buses could cost between $85,000 and $90,000 each.

The third item on the list is a district-wide facilities study that would focus on the high school, but would also take a look at the other school buildings to see what indoor and outdoor repairs need to be done.

School Committee Chairman Gregory Thompson commended the town's facilities manager Bruce Finney and his staff for keeping the schools in good shape.

Thompson said the facilities study would allow the committee to see what projects need to be done to keep the buildings functioning for a long time without the need for expensive renovations.

Thompson said some emphasis should be placed on the high school, which is still in good condition, but could use some updating inside and out.

By doing smaller projects at a fraction of the cost, the town can avoid having to spend $75 million on a new school, he said.

Other items on the priority list include renovations to the high school tennis courts and parking lot, an electrical upgrade at Meadowbrook Elementary School, renovation of the girls locker room at the high school, bathroom renovations and new playground equipment for Mountain View School, playground equipment for Mapleshade School, renovations to the high school's business and technology classroom and visitors bleachers for the new athletic field.

Springfield seeks millions in state reimbursements for proposed repairs to 9 schools

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The work proposed includes new roofs, doors, windows and additions to replace modular classrooms.

SPRINGFIELD – The city will ask the Massachusetts School Building Authority to consider providing millions of dollars in reimbursements for major repairs and renovations proposed at nine local schools, including some additions to replace aged modular classroom buildings.

At a meeting Monday night, the City Council voted to authorize Superintendent of Schools Alan J. Ingram to submit “statements of interest” for the state’s school repair reimbursement program. The state offers 80 percent reimbursement of such projects if deemed eligible and if approved by the authority.

Assistant Superintendent Daniel E. Warwick said the repairs will help extend the use of the buildings and protect the safety of children and staff, and provide needed space for classrooms.

120411 daniel warwick.jpgDaniel Warwick

“I think they are vital,” Warwick said. “We are talking about safety, roofs, and damage that happens when the roof is old and needs to be done. These projects will extend the lives of these structures. It makes a lot of sense.”

The cost of the projects is not yet determined. The city ranked the various repairs by priority, and each project will be considered by the state authority, he said.

The additions that will replace portable classrooms are being proposed at three elementary schools: Alice B. Beal; Daniel B. Brunton; and Mary M. Lynch. The additions are each listed as top priorities by the city and will replace temporary structures manufactured 30 years ago that were kept beyond their expected lifespan of 15 years, Warwick said.

Also, an addition is proposed at Lincoln Elementary to eliminate the need for children to eat meals in classrooms, and as space for physical activities and exercise, but is listed as a lower priority, according to the city’s report.

A top priority at William N. Deberry Elementary School is renovation of the first floor of the two-story building to help eliminate outdated bathrooms and educational spaces.

At German Gerena Community Elementary School, the proposed renovation of multiple groundwater pumping stations and equipment is listed as a top priority to protect health and safety, Warwick said. There are also proposals for upgrades to the roofing and heating/ventilation system, deemed lower priorities.

There is also a proposal for a new roof at Central High School and to renovate and upgrade the science labs, deemed lower priorities.

At Homer Street Elementary School, the top priority is listed as renovation of all bathroom facilities to address health concerns and to make them more universally accessible. At White Street Elementary School and at Beal and Brunton schools, the city proposes to replace windows and doors, deemed a lower priority.

Councilor Clodovaldo Concepcion, chairman of the Maintenance and Development Committee, and Melvin A. Edwards, committee member, met with Warwick and city finance official to discuss the projects, and recommended passage at the council meeting.

Reports: Michael Philbin, son of Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin, drowned in Wisconsin's Fox River

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Joe Philbin, who has been an assistant with Green Bay since 2003, is a native of Longmeadow.

OSHKOSH, Wis. – Multiple reports say the 21-year-old son of Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin, a Longmeadow native, drowned in Wisconsin’s Fox River and was recovered by authorities Monday.

Michael T. Philbin was last heard from around 2 a.m. Sunday and was reported missing Sunday night, according to Oshkosh, Wis., Police spokesman Joseph Nichols.

michael philbin mug.jpgMichael Philbin

The elder Philbin, 50, has been an assistant with Green Bay since 2003. Members of the family contacted by The Republican on Monday declined to comment.

Michael Philbin had traveled from his home in Ripon, Wis., to Oshkosh to meet friends, Nichols said. They went out together Saturday evening, but when the group decided to move on to another establishment Michael Philbin apparently chose to stay behind, he said.

Philbin made a cellphone call to one of his friends at 2 a.m. but didn’t say where he was, Nichols said. Philbin did not sound as if he was under duress or suffering from any medical issues and the call ended amicably, Nichols said.

But he never returned to get his car on Sunday and never tried to contact anyone, prompting the call to police, Nichols said.

Police said the body of a man between 20 and 25 was pulled from the river Monday afternoon. A spokesman said they would not publicly identify the man until Tuesday.

But ESPN Wisconsin and the NFL Network reported that Green Bay players were informed that the body pulled from the river was Michael Philbin. Several Packers players also wrote about Philbin on Twitter.

“As children we all have to someday say goodbye to our parents, but a parent should never have to say goodbye to their child,” said offensive lineman T.J. Lang, whose father, Thomas, died last week according to ESPN.

Packers defensive lineman B.J. Raji wrote, “life is too short.”

“Live in the present,” Raji tweeted.

In Green Bay, the Packers are preparing for Sunday’s NFC divisional playoff game against the New York Giants at Lambeau Field.

Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy spoke in a somber tone during his regularly scheduled news conference, confirming that Philbin was away from the team and in Oshkosh.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Philbin family during this difficult time,” Packers general manager Ted Thompson said in a statement.

Michael Philbin was sentenced to six months in jail in 2009 after he was convicted of sexually assaulting two young girls.


Western Massachusetts gets a $44.7 million bad-weather bailout from the federal government

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This funds will reimburse states and communities for highway and bridge repairs, debris removal, detours and other emergency measures needed to restore transportation in the aftermath of the storms.

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Massachusetts has been awarded $44.7 million to finance repairs for weather-battered roads and bridges, with $1.3 million earmarked for Springfield.

The federal windfall, announced Monday by U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood, is part of a $1.58 billion bad weather bailout to 30 states, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

The largest amount will go to Vermont, which receives $125.6 million to defray costs from Hurricane Irene. Another $51 million will go to Connecticut for the August hurricane and the freak October blizzard, also known as Storm Alfred.

Massachusetts’ share includes $40.7 million for Hurricane Irene and $4 million for the June 1 tornadoes that ripped through western and central Massachusetts.

“Communities from coast to coast are still recovering from disasters that have affected the roads they use, their homes and businesses,” LaHood said.

“The Obama Administration stands ready to provide emergency relief and reimburse these communities for the work that has been done to restore their critical transportation needs.”

This funds will reimburse states and communities for highway and bridge repairs, debris removal, detours and other emergency measures needed to restore transportation in the aftermath of the storms.

Springfield will receive $1.3 million to cover tornado-related sidewalk repairs and debris removal, said Thomas T. Walsh, an aide to Mayor Domenic J. Sarno.

Nearly 160,000 cubic yards of tree debris was collected after the tornado, according to Walsh, who said another 500,000 cubic yards had to be cleaned up after the October blizzard,

“Anytime money is coming to the city is always good news,” said Walsh, who credited U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield with helping to secure the funds.

A state Department of Transportation spokeswoman said the agency expects to release a breakdown of which communities will receive funding and how much later this week.

A partial list obtained by The Republican shows that nearly $3 million was earmarked for hurricane damage in towns in Hampshire, Franklin and Berkshire counties.

The recipients included Colrain, which won $504,000 for repairs to Adamsville Road; Charlemont, $465,000 for North River Road and South River Road and $94,000 for Route 8A.

Also, Buckland, $185,000 for Conway Street and Charlemont Road and Ashfield, $29,000 for Rte. 116 and two other roads.

Neal said the widespread damage underscores the magnitude of the weather outbreaks that plagued the region last year.

“The devastating tornadoes in June, and the severe weather brought on by Hurricane Irene, were two of the worst natural disasters to ever occur in Western Massachusetts,” Neal said.

“As the region continues to recover, it is critically important for the federal government to continue to reimburse local communities for damage expenses,” he added.

Melvin Edwards, Springfield city councilor, to announce state senate candidacy

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Edwards plans to run as a Democrat for the Hampden District seat now represented by state Sen. James T. Welch.

010612 melvin edwards.jpgMelvin Edwards

SPRINGFIELD – City Councilor Melvin A. Edwards will formally announce his candidacy for state Senate on Jan. 19, during a campaign launch event at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Edwards plans to run as a Democrat for the Hampden District seat now represented by state Sen. James T. Welch, D-West Springfield. The campaign event is from 5 to 8 p.m.

Edwards, of 20 Dexter St., was elected in November to his second two-year term on the City Council.

Ex-West Springfield group home worker no-show for assault trial in Falmouth

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Saunders faces charges he assaulted a resident of the home for intellectually disabled during a weekend outing on Cape Cod.

FALMOUTH – A former staff worker at a West Springfield group home for the intellectually disabled failed to appear for trial Monday in Falmouth District Court on charges that he had assaulted a resident of the home during a weekend outing on Cape Cod in June 2010.

John Saunders was found by District Court Judge Don Carpenter to have defaulted on his bail. Carpenter ordered that Saunders not be released if he is stopped for any violation.

Saunders allegedly hit John Burns in the face, causing two black eyes and other injuries. The assault charges were filed in July 2010 by Burns’ sister and co-guardian, Sheila Paquette. Saunders, who is represented by a public defender, has previously denied the charges.

Saunders had worked at a group home operated by the Center for Human Development Inc., where Burns is a resident. He was fired after the incident.

TSA defends confiscation of Massachusetts woman's cupcake

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Peabody resident Rebecca Hains was barred from taking her cupcake onto a plane.

oct2011 rebecca hains.jpgRebecca Hains
Cupcake Confiscated.jpgView full sizeIn this Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011 photo provided by Rebecca Hains, a TSA agent holds a jar containing a cupcake that was confiscated at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Rebecca Hains)

PEABODY – The federal Transportation Security Administration is defending its decision to confiscate a frosted cupcake from a Massachusetts woman flying from Las Vegas.

The TSA says in a blog comment posted Monday the cupcake was packed in a jar filled with icing, which is considered a gel under a policy designed to secure travelers from terrorists seeking to evade detection by using explosives made of plastics, liquids or gels.

Peabody resident Rebecca Hains was barred from taking her cupcake onto a plane last month when a TSA agent said icing in the jar exceeded amounts of gels allowed in carry-on luggage. Hains has called that "terrible logic."

The TSA says travelers can take cakes, pies and cupcakes through security checkpoints but should expect they might get additional screening.

Holyoke Community College to host DEP hearing on expanded organic recycling regulations

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The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection hearing will focus on proposals to more than quadruple the state's capacity to process and recycle organic materials by 2020.

HOLYOKE – A public hearing will be held at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Holyoke Community College on proposed state regulations that would greatly expand the state's capacity to process and recycle organic waste materials over the next decade.

The hearing, one of four being held this week by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), will focus on three proposed amendments pertaining to solid waste regulations and the management of organic materials.

If implemented, the changes would "facilitate significant expansion of the state's capacity to process and recycle organic materials," according to a DEP release. The so-called Solid Waste Master Plan aims to more than quadruple the state's capacity to process and recycle organic materials by 2020, increasing the annual amount from around 100,000 tons to 450,000 tons.

According to the DEP, the new regulations would clarify the permitting process for operations that recycle or compost material separated from solid waste and those that use anaerobic or aerobic digestion technology to convert separated organic material into energy.

The proposals also would amend regulations governing operation and maintenance of wastewater treatment plants to allow facilities with anaerobic digesters – oxygen-limiting machines that help generate methane and carbon dioxide that can be burned to generate electricity – to accept organic material that has been separated from solid waste and is generated at other locations.

Holyoke Community College is located at 303 Homestead Ave.

Polls tweak narrative in New Hampshire

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In the waning hours before New Hampshire ballots are cast, the importance of South Carolina’s Jan. 21 primary has found new legs pending margins Tuesday that continue recent polling trends.

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MANCHESTER, N.H. - Heading into Tuesday’s first-in-the-nation primary election Mitt Romney’s corporate history is under heavy attack and since the weekend he’s dipped 7 points in polling, according to a Suffolk University/News 7 poll released early Monday.

Following a Saturday debate where Romney escaped relatively unscathed, attacks ramped up Sunday as Republican foes took aim at his corporate record, and reports loomed into Monday of a video from Super PAC “Winning Our Future” assailing his tenure with investment group Bain Capital.

But only recently has the narrative of Romney’s ethics at the corporate helm become the dominant one. Early in New Hampshire the story was Rick Santorum as financial support poured in following the former Pennsylvania Senator’s near victory in Iowa.

But heading into Tuesday’s first-in-the-nation primary election Santorum hasn’t gained the traction he was able to in the Midwest caucuses, and when polls released early Monday Santorum too saw numbers slide, dropping a single point while all other presidential contenders saw their numbers rise as more undecided voters made their choice.

Among them was Texas Representative Ron Paul whose strong showing in New Hampshire drew supporters across a wide range of demographics, and Monday trailed Romney by 13 points, up from 23 three days before.

Primary roundup ahead of ballotGOFFSTOWN, N.H. - New Hampshire Rep. Frank Guinta was the final Republican New Hampshire Representative to announce his endorsement of a candidate, when following NBC's Sunday morning debate he released a statement saying, as "ambassador" to the state's primary, he would endorse the candidate chosen by New Hampshire voters (Photo by Brian Canova)

Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman too spiked in polling, gaining 5 points after a composed weekend showing. Criticized Sunday night for serving as Obama’s Chinese ambassador, Huntsman spun it to his favor, shocking GOP candidates with Mandarin prose.

But Huntsman wasn’t the only candidate wowing New Hampshire voters with his political verse. Newt Gingrich crisscrossed the state capturing the attention of undecided voters per the former house speaker’s storied ability for public speaking.

Mostly absent from New Hampshire action, Texas Gov. Rick Perry instead focused on South Carolina where he hopes a large number of evangelical voters will boost his chances for the GOP nomination.

As the clock struck 12, voters in Dixville Notch, a town of 75 near the Canadian border, cast the nation’s first votes, an honor it’s held since 1960. Two voted Romney, two Huntsman. Gingrich and Paul claimed one a piece, and three Democratic ballots were cast for President Obama, the Associated Press reported early Tuesday.

And despite the Granite State’s distinction for holding the nation’s first primary election, in the waning hours before ballots are cast statewide, the importance of South Carolina’s Jan. 21 primary has found new legs pending margins Tuesday that continue recent polling trends.

Just Ask: What is the purpose of the fixtures that are being installed at Route 33 intersections in Chicopee?

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The state has installed cameras to help with control the flow of traffic.

Traffic cameras 11011.jpgTraffic cameras, like the one seen above, are being installed at various intersections along Route 33 in Chicopee to help with traffic flow, according to a state official.

Question: There are what appears to be overhead lights or cameras being installed at intersections along Route 33. These are on long arms extending overhead from the traffic poles.

Is this a MassHighways project and, if so what is it?

– Anonymous,
Chicopee


Answer: As part of the repaving project on Route 33, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation is installing cameras at the signal lights.

But regular motorists traveling Route 33, also known as Memorial Drive, don’t have to worry about someone monitoring their every move and issuing tickets. The cameras are simply designed to detect traffic patterns, Michael Verseckes, spokesman for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, said.

The video cameras will be able to detect if traffic is free-flowing or backing up and adjust the length of green or red lights as needed, he said.

“It will adjust to traffic so it will be flowing in an optimum capacity,” he said. “Hopefully people will take to it. There is nothing that gets under peoples’ skin more than traffic delays or back-ups,” he said.

The Department of Transportation has also used the video cameras in other parts of the state, he said.


Fast-moving fire heavily damages JD Transmission Auto Repair on Jackson Street in Holyoke

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No injuries were reported in the Tuesday afternoon blaze.

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HOLYOKE - No injuries were reported Tuesday afternoon in a fast-moving fire that heavily damaged a transmission repair shop on Jackson Street.

Lt. Thomas G. Paquin said the blaze broke out at JD Transmission Auto Repair, 56 Jackson St., at about 1:30 p.m.

A state trooper with the state fire marshal’s office is probing the cause of the blaze, which apparently started in a car that was being worked on.

“The guy said he was working on the car, doing some welding and it caught fire,” Paquin said, adding that investigators are seeking to determine why the fire spread so quickly.

Paquin said the fire caused severe heat damage and warping to the metal building and the building commissioner has ordered that it be closed until structural engineers have had a chance to evaluate it.

PM News Links: Truck bomb kills dozens in Pakistan, Syrian president vows to strike uprising, and more

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Air shows and air races are sufficiently regulated despite tragedies like the September crash at a Reno race that killed 11 people, the National Transportation Safety Board was told Tuesday.

Air Show SafetyVeteran Hollywood stunt pilot Jimmy Leeward's souped-up World War II-era fighter plane, P-51 Mustang, crashes into the edge of the grandstands, sending shrapnel into the crowd, at the Reno Air Show in Reno Nevada on Sept 16. Click on the link above, right, for a report from USA Today about a National Transportation Safety Board hearing held Tuesday to address safety issues. (Photo by Ward Howes)

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Obituaries today: James Gilhooly, 80, of Springfield; Worked as city police officer for 23 years

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Obituaries from The Republican.

James Gilhooly 11012.jpegJames F. Gilhooly

SPRINGFIELD - James F. Gilhooly, 80, of Springfield died Saturday at Baystate Medical Center, Springfield. A son of the late Michael and Elizabeth (McHugh) Gilhooly, he was born in Springfield on May 5, 1931. Raised in Springfield, he graduated from Cathedral High School and received his associate's degree from Springfield Technical Community College in criminal justice. He was employed by the city of Springfield for 23 years as a police officer, and retired in 1987. He had previously worked for 10 years at Western Massachusetts Electric Company as a lineman and at several of the company's hydroelectric stations. A lifelong resident of the city, he was a former communicant of Our Lady of Hope Church and a communicant of Sacred Heart Church. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, of West Springfield and the Sons of Erin in Westfield.

Obituaries from The Republican:

Springfield South End housing improvements get $300,000 HUD planning grant

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The grant could open opportunities for millions of dollars in public and private funds for housing improvements.

fields.photo.JPGBarbara Fields, HUD New England Regional Administrator, announces grant for the city of Springfield as Steven Carvalho, left, the acting undersecretary to the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, and Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, right, look on during a press conference an apartment complex on Marble Street owned by the Springfield Housing Authority and targeted for improvements.

SPRINGFIELD – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded a $300,000 “Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant” to Springfield that will target housing improvements in the South End as part of a neighborhood transformation effort.

The grant, which was announced Tuesday outside the Marble Street Apartments in the South End, is one of just 13 grants awarded nationwide under the program, and the only grant in New England, said Barbara Fields, New England Regional Administrator for HUD. There were 71 applications nationwide, she said.

The expected 18-month planning process could then open the door to millions of dollars in public and private funds to implement the improvements, officials said.

“This is an important moment,” Fields said. “Today, more than 10 million people live in neighborhoods of concentrated poverty – surrounded by disinvestment, failing schools, troubled housing and worst of all virtually no path to opportunity for themselves or their children.”

The planning grant will begin grassroots efforts to revitalize the Marble Street Apartments, a distressed public housing complex, in addition to two HUD-assisted multi-family projects, Concord Heights and Hollywood Apartments, also in the South End.

The idea behind the program is to transform distressed neighborhoods into choice neighborhoods, Fields said.

The city and the Springfield Housing Authority jointly applied for the funds and are co-recipients. Springfield Housing Authority Executive Director William Abrashkin, City Housing Director Geraldine McCafferty and Mayor Domenic J. Sarno were among local officials praising the program and grant award.

“Springfield’s receipt of this highly competitive grant demonstrates that we are on the right track in our work to revitalize the South End neighborhood,” Sarno said.

Fields praised a nearby park expansion project taking place at Emerson Wight Park, saying it ties in to the transformation effort.

The South End has high rates of poverty and violent crime: 42 percent of residents are below the poverty line and four times as many violent crimes occur in the neighborhood as compared to the city as a whole, Fields said.

Key elements of the pursued transformation in the South End will include new market rate housing, demolition and substantial rehabilitation of existing housing stock, and construction of a new community center and a new early childhood education center, according to the planning grant summary.

Fields said that the state Department of Housing and Community Development is a partner in the revitalization effort. In addition, she praised Gordon Pulsifer, director of First Resource Development Co., which is involved in housing revitalization including the South End and the Worthington Commons project, which received a HUD Door Knocker Award last spring.

New Hampshire Primary voters steadily hit the polls while media mobs them

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At Webster Elementary School in Manchester's first Ward, the scene was one of semi-organized chaos, with supporters campaigning and shouting while media outlets from across the world sprawled across the lawn.

Voters hit the polls in New Hampshire primaryView full sizeMANCHESTER, N.H. - Less than 24 hours before assailing the press on CNN for their overwhelming activity in New Hampshire, Paul again stared into a reporter's lens at Webster Elementary School on Tuesday. (Photo by Brian Canova)

MANCHESTER, N.H. - As voters across New Hampshire steadily took to the polls on Tuesday for the country's first-in-the-nation Primary, they were met with a barrage of campaign messages from supporters of the candidates as well as a cavalcade of news people from organizations around the world.

At Webster Elementary School in Manchester's first Ward, the scene was one of semi-organized chaos, with citizens campaigning and shouting while reporters and news cameras were sprawled across the lawn.

"This is bizarre," said former House Speaker Newt Gingrich as he was blitzed by journalists during a visit to the precinct on Tuesday. "This is like being in New Orleans at Mardi Gras. This particular media spread is pretty intense."

Despite the circus-like atmosphere created by the abundance of attention on the election, voters from the city's first ward bravely made their way into the school to cast their ballots.

"Mitt Romney has the executive experience we need in the Executive Branch of government," said Frank Bartlett, a Manchester man who relocated from Burlington, Mass. a few years back.

Bartlett said that the attacks on Romney's position with Bain Capital, an asset-management firm which Romney served as CEO, have not persuaded him at all.

"He better get used to the attacks," Bartlett said. "There will be much worse ones coming from the Democrats in a couple months."

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When asked why he migrated to New Hampshire from the Bay State, Bartlett said "Michael Dukakis chased us out of there a long time ago."

Gingrich was the candidate of choice for an 80-something-year-old Manchester resident who only identified herself as Donna.

"I've seen him speak a couple times now and I was very impressed by him," she said. "To me, he is a no-nonsense candidate. I like his 'give em' hell attitude.' He is the best hope we have of getting out of this mess and he can't be any worse than who we have in there now."

Undeclared voter Debi Rapson, a 55-year-old high school art and graphic design teacher, said former Utah Gov. Jon Hunstman earned her vote because "He's the only (candidate) who has education front and center on his website."

Rapson said she started leaning towards Hunstman at the end of last week for his positions on education and the economy, but solidified her decision because of his experience working with China, which she learned about during Saturday night's debate.

Huntsman's background also favored well with Manchester voters Lorraine and Frank Dabrowski who said his character and background as ambassador to China were qualities they considered important looking forward in the next four years.

Voters hit the polls in New Hampshire primaryView full sizeMANCHESTER, N.H. - In Webster Elementary School was a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere contrasted by the circus of supporters and reporters lingering on the other side of the door. (Photo by Brian Canova)

Texas Rep. Ron Paul is the candidate of choice for Manchester resident Cindy Beeson, who said she relocated to New England from Oregon about 12 years ago.

"Ron Paul is just the best candidate to represent American values," she said. "His values are consistent with mine and he can't do a worse job than our current leader."

Michael Ford, a 21-year-old college student also said he was supporting Texas Rep. Paul for his values as well as his policy.

"He has the most consistent history as a conservative voter," Ford said. "In 30 years, he never voted for one tax increase and he voted against the war in Iraq. He voted against the bank bailouts. And his ideas about civil liberties, which are often misconstrued by the media, are what's best for this country."

Not all the voters approached at polling places were eager to speak with a journalist.

As one reporter said hello in passing to a woman exiting the polling place.

She said "I hate you. Get out of our state."

The frustration with the large number of journalists present at campaign events as well as the polling places was an issue with some candidates as well.

Paul, during a visit to Webster Elementary School was mobbed by a barrage of journalists as a black Chevy Suburban pulled up with the candidate inside.

Manchester police organized the chaos to a degree, but the scene was described as "crazy" by a reporter who said he had just returned from an assignment in Iraq.

During a visit to Moe and Joes diner on Monday, Paul became frustrated with the level of media attention he's been receiving in the Granite State, lashing out at CNN's Dana Bash during an interview.

Paul was scheduled to sit and eat breakfast at the diner but his campaign said that the media created an unsafe situation and he was forced to leave abruptly after only 15 minutes.

A New Hampshire woman who said she brought her 90-year-old mother to meet Paul was angered at the Texas Republican for leaving. When the Presidential hopeful was asked about it by Bash, he responded with anger of his own.

"You the media did that to her, she should have been furious with you," he told CNN.

Polls across the Granite State close at 7 p.m. with results expected to be rolling in throughout the evening.

Reporter Brian Canova contributed to this report.


Stick with MassLive.com as reporters Robert Rizzuto & Brian Canova bring you the latest news from the New Hampshire Primary.
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