State environmental officials announced they awarded dozens of small grants to rural towns across Massachusetts staffed primarily by volunteers.

State environmental officials announced they awarded dozens of small grants to rural towns across Massachusetts staffed primarily by volunteers.

Some, most particularly Monson, are still feeling the effects of the 2011 tornadoes.

"It takes 30 months to come back from 30 seconds of destruction," Monson Fire Chief George Robichaud said, who has four staff firefighters and a fluctuating pool of 12 to 40 available volunteers.

The state distributed matching grants, so recipients were required to earmark an equal amount of funds. For instance, Robichaud set aside $2,000 of his budget to win $2,000 from the state to buy more portable radios.

Previously, firefighters may have gone without portable radios depending on the scope of an emergency, Robichaud said.

Monson was among 13 towns to receive a fourth wave of Volunteer Fire Assistance Grants from the Department of Conservation and Recreation totaling $80,000; they are capped at $2,000 per municipal applicant.

The grants are designed to assist the state's smaller communities by supplementing their budgets for equipment and supply purchases and enhancing their ability to protect state forests, according to state officials.

Eligible proposals fell under firefighter safety, technology and rural fire defense.
In Sunderland, Fire Chief Robert Ahearn said that town will use $700 in state money to help purchase dry hydrant parts that allow firefighters to draft water from sources such as ponds in areas without hydrants.

"It's been something we've wanted for a long time," Ahearn said, adding that at least one will be fitted on Chard Pond on Falls Road.

Other local communities that have received the grants are: Brimfield, $1,300; Brookfield, $1,545; Buckland, $2,000; Chester, $1,148; Conway, $2,000; Granby, $1,250; Hardwick, $560; Leverett, $581; South Hadley District 2, $1,140; Wales, $2,000; Worthington, $2,000.

Westfield Assistant Clerk-Magistrate Nathan Byrnes didn't find enough probable cause to issue criminal complaints against alleged hit-and-run driver Meredith Nilan, the 24-year-old daughter of Berkshire Superior Court Probation Chief Cliff Nilan.

Google+Meredith Nilan

SPRINGFIELD – A Springfield judge is reviewing the case of alleged hit-and-run driver Meredith Nilan, the daughter of Berkshire Superior Court Probation Chief Clifford J. Nilan, after a magistrate's hearing last month failed to return criminal charges against the Pittsfield woman.

The Pittsfield Police Department had appealed the ruling by Westfield District Court Assistant Clerk-Magistrate Nathan A. Byrnes, who didn't find enough probable cause to criminally charge Meredith Nilan in connection with a Dec. 8, 2011, hit-and-run incident that seriously injured a Pittsfield jogger. Nilan has said she was driving her father's vehicle at the time of the incident and later returned to the scene with Clifford Nilan to look for any signs of the collision.

Byrnes allowed Meredith Nilan, her father and her lawyer to attend the Jan. 12 show-cause hearing in Pittsfield, but he closed the hearing to the injured jogger, Peter Moore, and his attorney. Byrnes was tapped to conduct the hearing to avoid any conflicts of interest because Clifford Nilan, a long-time Massachusetts Trial Court employee, has worked with clerks at the Pittsfield courthouse for many years.

Clifford Nilan

Byrnes did not respond to an email message from The Republican seeking clarification about the show-cause hearing process, which allows a clerk to decide who attends and who does not attend the hearings.

After Byrnes declined to issue criminal charges against Meredith Nilan, the Pittsfield Police Department filed an appeal for a judge to hold a so-called redetermination hearing in the case, which is now in the hands of Springfield District Court Judge William P. Hadley.

"We're waiting for the outcome of the redetermination hearing," said Moore's attorney, Michael R. Hinkley.

"Peter's focusing on his family right now and looking forward to full and fair adjudication," Hinkley said.

The 45-year-old Moore, a Pittsfield health care administrator originally from Connecticut, suffered a concussion, broken neck and other serious injuries in the incident, but he didn't seek medical attention immediately afterward, according to Pittsfield police.

Moore, an athletic man who went running regularly after dark in his neighborhood, suffered shock from the incident and was unaware he had even been hit by a car, according to his family. Moore told family members he thought he had fallen while attempting to evade a vehicle that drove straight toward him. It wasn't until a few hours later that Moore realized the extent of his injuries and sought treatment at Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield.

Meredith Nilan, who lives in the same Pittsfield neighborhood as Moore, hasn't denied striking Moore while driving her father's Subaru Forrester. She has denied fleeing the scene, however, telling her father and attorney that she thought she hit a dog or a deer. She claims she stopped to check but didn't see anything.

Nilan's attorney, Timothy J. Shugrue, has said his client acted appropriately. The lawyer has expressed regret that someone was injured, but Nilan has never apologized to Moore.

When Pittsfield police initially asked to look at Clifford Nilan's damaged Subaru, the probation chief told them to get a warrant. Police obtained a warrant, examined the vehicle, then filed an application for a criminal complaint against Meredith Nilan in the Pittsfield courthouse where her father works.

Moore is the son of Thomas Moore, a retired Hartford police captain. The father has criticized Byrnes' ruling and says he's seeking justice for his son.

The Berkshire Eagle reports that Hadley is expected to decide by next week whether to let the matter advance to the criminal stage. If that happens, Nilan would be arraigned on criminal charges.

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick has a two-book deal, including a budget-priced e-book and a second work that will build on responses to the first.

The Associated PressMassachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, left, takes questions from reporters as Mass. Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray, right, looks on during a news conference at the Statehouse, in Boston, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. Patrick sent lawmakers a proposed $32.3 billion state budget for the next fiscal year on Wednesday.

NEW YORK — Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick has a two-book deal, including a budget-priced e-book and a second work that will build on responses to the first.

Hyperion announced Thursday that "Faith in the Dream" will come out in May. It will be listed at $2.99 in the hopes of finding "a broad and diverse readership." According to Hyperion, the book "represents a strategic expansion of Governor Patrick's core vision" and will help Patrick communicate with readers through social media.

The second book, currently untitled, is scheduled for 2014. It will be available electronically and on paper and will incorporate responses to "Faith in the Dream." Patrick has written a previous book, "A Reason to Believe," which came out in 2011.

The incident occurred Wednesday night in the Forest Park neighborhood and more arrests are expected.

Christopher Rodriguez-

SPRINGFIELD – A marijuana deal Wednesday night in the Forest Park neighborhood allegedly turned into an armed assault when the sellers noticed that the buyer was packing a lot of cash.

Springfield Police Officer Igor Basovsky was dispatched at about 10:30 p.m. to a report of an armed robbery in progress at Washington and Carver streets. He found the victim standing next to a car parked in the middle of the intersection and holding onto one of the suspects.

Further investigation by Basovsky revealed that the victim had met with the three to purchase pot. After the deal went through. the suspects allegedly robbed the victim at gunpoint, Delaney, aide to Commissioner William J. Fitchet, said.

The suspect, Christopher Rodriguez, 20, of 31 Amber St., was charged with armed assault with intent to rob, distribution of marijuana, conspiracy and violation of a drug-free zone (Washington Elementary School).

Delaney said marijuana was found at the intersection and more arrests are likely.

The Associated Press reporting Donald Trump will endorse candidate Newt Gingrich while ABC and CNN are reporting he'll endorse candidate Mitt Romney.

FILE - Donald Trump smiles at left as Republican presidential candidate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich talks to media after their meeting in New York, in this Dec. 5, 2011 file photo. Real estate mogul and reality show star Donald Trump intends to endorse Gingrich's GOP presidential bid, according to a source close to Gingrich's campaign. Trump is set to announce his support Thursday Feb. 2, 2012 in Las Vegas, where Gingrich is campaigning in advance of Nevada's Republican caucuses on Saturday. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

Donald Trump is expected to endorse former House Speaker Newt Gingrich for president Thursday. However, reports Thursday morning say Trump is instead endorsing candidate Mitt Romney.

Trump, a real estate mogul who pondered a run for president himself, announced Wednesday that he would make a "major announcement" at 12:30 PST Thursday at his hotel in Las Vegas, according to The National Journal.

The Associated Press confirmed Wednesday night that Trump is expected to announce his endorsement of Gingrich. The AP predicts the announcement will bring "a blitz of media attention" ahead of the Nevada caucus Saturday.

However, ABC News Deputy Political Director Michael Michael Falcone reported on Twitter Thursday morning that a phone call took place between Trump and GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Wednesday night. Falcone also tweeted that a contracting company used by Romney's campaign was setting up for the press conference on Thursday morning. CNN is also reporting that Trump will endorse Romney instead of Gingrich.

Meanwhile, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann confirmed she isn't endorsing Romney and GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum picked up the endorsement of Tea Party favorite Sharron Angle in Nevada.

Bachmann, a former presidential candidate denied rumors that she was talking to Romney's campaign staff Thursday about an endorsement. Appearing on Fox News, Bachmann said, "What will I be talking about with Gov. Romney today? Well, I don't have any intention of talking to Gov. Romney today, actually. He will be in Minnesota; I'm in Washington, D.C., doing my job in the United States Congress," according to Politico.

While campaigning in Nevada, Santorum picked up the endorsement of Angle, who challenged Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in 2010.

"Rick Santorum and I have known each other for years. He is a strong fiscal and social conservative who stands on principles above politics. He has never wavered in his support for family values understanding the impact that strong families have on a prosperous economy. His continuous opposition to Amnesty, Obamacare, the bail-outs, and cap and trade are a perfect fit with our main street Tea party movement," Angle wrote in a statement.

The endorsement is expected to help Santorum in the Nevada caucus on Saturday. Candidates who have vocal supporters typically do well in caucus states, according to The Hill.

The design for Rolling Hills Resort has not been unveiled, but it will include 300 hotel rooms, according to a project representative.

This artist's rendering shows where the proposed Rolling Hills Resort Casino would be located in Brimfield, just north of the Massachusetts Turnpike

BRIMFIELD – From full-time police and fire departments to additional foreign language teachers, the Casino Study Committee discussed potential needs if MGM Resorts International is successful in its bid to win the lone Western Massachusetts casino license.

Although the library at Brimfield Elementary School was packed with spectators on Wednesday night, the committee did not take questions from the public and instructed them instead to write them down on paper so they could be addressed at future meetings.

"We will be having a public hearing, but just not yet," Diane M. Panaccione, chairwoman of the Board of Selectmen and Casino Study Committee, said.

Also in attendance were Dennis M. Murphy, an MGM representative, and Charles R. Irving, president of Boston-based Davenport Properties, which is working with MGM on the project. Murphy said he expects that at the earliest, a license would be issued sometime in the summer of 2013.

Irving could not provide many specifics about the project, but he did say it would feature a 300-room hotel. He described it as a "relatively small casino," and added that they are trying to craft it specifically for this area. He said they will likely have designs to present by May 1.

Irving added that they would like to utilize the railroad to access the site, calling it a "fantastic possibility."

The Republican | Michael S. GordonDavid J. Callahan, president of Palmer Paving, right, stands at the top of a rural hillside on property he owns in the northwest corner of Brimfield Thursday and showed James J. Murren, left, chairman and chief executive officer of MGM Resorts International and others from MGM Resorts the view of the area and the Massachusetts Turnpike visible at left. They are hoping for approval of the site as the home of a future Western Massachusetts casino resort to be named the Rolling Hills Resort.

Casino Study Committee member Carol A. Platenik asked the MGM representatives what water source they planned to use for the site, which is on 150 acres in the northwest corner of Brimfield, off Washington and Old Millbrook roads. The neighboring towns of Palmer and Warren border the property.

"Without water, this doesn't fly," Platenik said.

"Obviously we can't build this if there's not enough water," said Irving, adding he is not an engineer, but said a well may be used.

That prompted a question about the impact on 200 wells in the area of the proposed casino - residents are concerned they could lose their water supply. Irving said they would have to verify that there is sufficient water for the project to move forward.

Murphy noted the recent hiring of Gensler as the architect that will oversee the design of the proposed Rolling Hills Resort; the company is known as a "green" design firm.

Irving said they are looking at on-site wastewater facilities. He added that they will likely reach out to Warren officials to talk with them about their wastewater facility.

Panaccione listed other resident concerns, such as light and noise pollution from the site, and damage from drilling. Residents also have spoken out against having wind turbines and a wood burning plant on the property.

MGM signed a contract at the beginning of January with David J. Callahan of Rolling Hills Estates Realty Trust on the property.

Callahan, chief executive officer of Palmer Paving, is trying to open a controversial wood-burning plant in east Springfield through his Palmer Renewable Energy company.

Irving also brought up the issue of consultants, and advised the officials to name a project manager to be the head of the consulting team, to make the process easier.

Panaccione announced to the crowd that the selectmen on Monday interviewed two consultants interested in performing a casino impact study – Land Use Planning Services and Community Opportunities Group.

David W. Schweid, of Land Use Planning Services, said he worked for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe on the development of Foxwoods in Connecticut from 1992 to 1999 as its assistant director of planning, and was involved in its expansion efforts.

"I understand the impacts. Traffic, light pollution, parking, housing, all these things I have worked on and understand very well," Schweid said in an interview earlier this week.

A spokesperson from Boston-based Community Opportunities Group, which specializes in community development and planning services, could not be reached for comment.

Panaccione said selectmen have asked MGM to fund a $50,000 gift account for the study. Schweid charges $75 an hour, while Community Opportunities Group charges up to $150 an hour.

Panaccione said MGM representatives are expected to attend the selectmen's next meeting on Feb. 13, and additional consultants will be interviewed at the Feb. 27 meeting.

Resident Judith Sessler, who took issue with the public being unable to ask questions at the Wednesday meeting, asked Panaccione about putting a petition on the annual May Town Meeting warrant that would ask residents if they were for or against the casino.

"I think you'll be seeing one," she said about a petition.

There are also casino proposals for Holyoke, Springfield and Palmer.

In her testimony, Sonia Fried Oppenheim depicted the alleged victim as a "bubbly, bouncy" girl who hugged both her and her husband even after the alleged acts took place.

The Republican | Michael S. GordonSonia Fried Oppenheim testifies during the trial of her husband, David Fried Oppenheim, Thursday in Hampshire Superior Court. David Fried Oppenheim, the former co-director of Pioneer Arts Center of Easthampton, faces five counts of child rape in connection with an underage girl who took acting classes and interned at the center.

NORTHAMPTON - The wife of David Fried Oppenheim told a jury Thursday that she was with her husband almost constantly at the Pioneer Arts Center of Easthampton and that the women who claim to have had sex with him were troubled.

Sonia Fried Oppenheim's testimony indicated that it would have been nearly impossible for her husband to engage in sex acts with teenage woman at PACE without her knowing.

David Fried Oppenheim faces five counts of child rape in connection with an underage girl who took acting classes and interned at the center. The alleged victim, now 20, testified that the sex began when she was 14 and occured more than 100 times at the theater and in Fried Oppenheim's home. The five counts represent five different sex acts.

In her testimony, Sonia Fried Oppenheim depicted the alleged victim as a "bubbly, bouncy" girl who hugged both her and her husband even after the alleged acts took place.

Several other women testified earlier that Fried Oppenheim either had sex with them or confessed to his sexual relationship with the underage girl. Sonia Fried Oppenheim described one of those witnesses as a drinker who "always seemed to have some crisis gong on." Of another witness who broke down on the stand while testifying about her relationship with the defendant, Sonia Fried Oppenheim said that the woman enjoyed attention.

Contrary to what other witnesses said the defendant told them, Sonia Fried Oppenheim testified that she and her husband have a normal sex life. Several witnesses told the jury that the defendant said his wife turned him on "but never finishes anything."

Wilbraham had no shelter during the October snowstorm, after which some residents lost power for as long as eight days.

The Republican file photo | John SuchockiConstruction on the new Minnechaug Regional High School, which will be used as an emergency shelter.

WILBRAHAM – Members of the Hampden-Wilbraham School Committee met Wednesday night with public safety officials in the two towns to determine the steps needed to utilize the new Minnechaug Regional High School as an emergency shelter.

Hampden-Wilbraham School Committee Chairman Scott R. Chapman said all members of the School Committee have stated that they favor having the new high school serve as an emergency shelter when it opens in August.

Wilbraham had no shelter during the October snowstorm in which some residents lost power for as long as eight days. The old high school did not have an adequate generator, officials said.

Wilbraham Building Inspector Lance Trevallion said he can help school officials determine how many residents the new high school could serve if it had to be opened as an emergency shelter.

During the October snowstorm Hampden opened its senior center as an emergency shelter.

Hampden Selectman Vincent Villamaino said a supply of cots is needed. He said the towns would have to establish a fund to purchase and clean the cots.

Chapman said School Superintendent M. Martin O’Shea would have to designate managers of the shelter. The manager would coordinate management of the building along with police and fire emergency personnel who would be on duty.

Chapman said the Red Cross is willing to pay for the cost of running an emergency shelter if it is designated as a multi-jurisdictional shelter open to communities in the region. Chapman said town officials have not yet determined whether they want the new high school to serve as a multi-jurisdictional shelter.

O’Shea said school officials could arrange for some initial shelter management training since the high school is under the jurisdiction of the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District.

Chapman said he expects the School Committee to authorize use of the new high school as an emergency shelter at a meeting in either February or March.

Takeshi Hikihara offered advice to the museums in case they want to stage traditional tea ceremonies as they have in the past.

The Republican | Don TreegerTakeshi Hikihara, Consul General of Japan in Boston, toured the Springfield Museums to view the Japanese art collections at the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum. Here, Director of Art Museums, Heather R. Haskell, shows a 19th century hand carved porcelain vase that features the 500 Arhats or Disciples of Buddha.

SPRINGFIELD –For Takeshi Hikihara, the Japanese consul general in Boston, the family name Miochin doesn’t just signify the long-ago makers of one of the six full suits of samurai armor on display at the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum.

It’s a Japanese family that is still involved in metalwork today, a family with which he’s done business.

Hikihara also pointed out that the family that owned the Miochin-built armor, the family of the Diamyo (or nobleman) of Arima, was one of the first Christian families in Japan.

Hikihara toured the Springfield Museums on Tuesday afternoon, focusing his attention on the collection of Asian Art in the George Walter Vincent Smith Museum. Hikihara, the official representative of the Japanese government in New England, learned about the museum’s impressive collection and arranged the visit, said Holly Smith-Bove, president of the Springfield Museums.

The collection includes more than 500 examples of Japanese arms and armor, including the six full suits of armor. George Walter Vincent Smith and his wife, Belle, also collected an ornate Shinto wheel shrine. Carved during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the shrine represents 15 years of work by a father-and-son team.

The museum also holds a the Smith’s collection of Japanese decorative arts including bronze and ceramic pieces and a number of Chinese and Korean pieces as well, said Heather R. Haskell, director of Art Museums and Collections Management at the Springfield Museums.

“It’s really incredible, isn’t it,” Hikihara said. “What I love about the collection is that it shows Japanese arts and culture over several different time periods, right up to the 18th century.”

In the bronze gallery Hikihara pointed out that the museum displays bronze turtles near a bronze crane. Both animals are considered symbols of longevity in Japanese culture.

“Some turtles live for more than 100 years,” he said. “Put it with a crane for a long and prosperous life.”

A bronze deer reminded Hikihara of his hometown of Nara. Once the capital of Japan, Nara’s herd of deer are considered sacred.

The Japanese consulate in Boston works with Japanese citizens living in or visiting the region and helps promote trade between the two countries.

“Cultural exchanges like this are an important part of our work,” Hikihara said.

Hikihara offered advice to the museums in case they want to stage traditional tea ceremonies as they have in the past. He also offered a Japanese tree for the museum grounds if the museums would like one.

Obituaries from The Republican.

Marilyn Higgins

Marilyn A. Higgins, 57, of Belchertown died last month from complications of plasma cell leukemia, an aggressive form of blood cancer. Coach Higgins to thousands of students, she was born an Army brat in Indianapolis, spent her first two years in Germany, then returned stateside to her father's hometown of Pottstown, Pa. She attended Pottstown schools, and received her bachelor's and master's degrees from Springfield College. Higgins taught in the Belchertown Schools for over 25 years and coached at Belchertown High School for over 40 seasons. She was awarded her district's Pioneer in Women's Sports award, and was given two honors from the Connecticut Valley Soccer officials, one for sportsmanship and another for professional contributor to the game.

Obituaries from The Republican:

• 
  Black, Kenneth A.
  



• 
  Carmody, Kathleen M.
  




• 
  Champagne, Linda (McLain)
  



• 
  Czerapowicz, Elizabeth "Betty"
  



• 
  Duquette, Albert




• 
  Eddington, Mary Ann
  



• 
  Fisher, Daniel J.
  




• Francoeur, Margaret "Peggy" (O'Hare)
  




• 
  Gray, William R.
  



• 
  Hartwell, Harry Deane




• 
  Higgins, Marilyn A.
  



• 
  Hill, Robert MacMillan
  




• Kudlic, William T. "Bill"
  




• 
  Lagoditz, Paul
  



• 
  Malone, Robert J.




• 
  McDonald, Gilbert L.
  



• 
  Miller, Virginia
  




• Mitchell, Robert W.
  




• 
  Nelson, Yvonne I. (Goodrow)
  



• 
  Oppenheimer, Donald Irvine




• 
  Osowski, Sophie J.
  



• 
  Patryak, Frieda M. (Kobuskaitia)
  




• Ramsey, Howard A.
  




• 
  Rattray, Esther L.
  



• 
  Richt, Peter A.




• 
  Theroux, Carolyn J. (Benware)
  



• 
  Treml, Helen M. (Kelleher)
  

McDonnell plans to release a letter at local Catholic Masses on Sunday denouncing the mandate as an attack on religious liberties of all faiths.

File photo | The RepublicanRoman Catholic Diocese of Springfield Bishop Timothy McDonnell

SPRINGFIELD – Springfield’s Roman Catholic Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell has joined religious leaders everywhere in a fierce reaction to the national healthcare law’s mandate to include free contraceptives and other birth control.

McDonnell will release a letter at local Catholic Masses on Sunday denouncing the mandate as an attack on religious liberties of all faiths.

“The federal government, which claims to be ‘of, by, and for the people,’ has just dealt a heavy blow to almost a quarter of those people – the Catholic population – and to the millions more who are served by the Catholic faithful,” the letter reads, in part.

A copy of the message was provided to The Republican; it will be released in its entirety to local parishioners on Sunday.

Among the provisions of the new health care law is its requirement that all health plans provide “preventive services” for free. That category includes vaccines, mammograms, cholesterol checkups and mammograms. Starting this year, it also includes coverage of birth control contraceptives and the so-called “Plan B” or morning-after pill.

The law exempts churches and other religious entities that primarily employee same-faith workers, but religious-affiliated agencies such as colleges and hospitals will be expected to fall in line and provide the benefits or face stiff fines.

“Catholic Bishops in principle are, of course, not opposed to health care in this country ... but the government is really crashing though our constitutional protections. Our expectation is that if someone works for us they shouldn’t violate any key moral principals we hold dear,” and the church certainly shouldn’t have to pay for it,” said diocesan spokesman Mark Dupont.

McDonnell will join the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and his counterparts across the state in decrying the law to parishioners in written pleas at Masses this weekend, saying the church will resort to flouting federal law if need be.

“Unless the rule is overturned, Catholic entities will be compelled either to violate conscience, or drop health coverage for employees (and suffer the penalties for doing so). The Administration’s sole concession was to give our institutions one year to comply ... We cannot – we will not – comply with this unjust law,” McDonnell wrote.

The rule will not go into effect for a year. In the meantime, two religious colleges have sued, their complaints bolstered by a prior unanimous Supreme Court decision that expanded the definition of religious freedom.

Attempts to reach officials at the Catholic-run Mercy Medical Center and Elms College were unsuccessful.

Dupont said the diocese already provides prescription coverage to its employees under its healthcare plan, but excludes birth control contraceptives.

Tricia Wajda, spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, said the Catholic Bishops are a small but vocal group out of step with mainstream values – including for Catholics.

“Most Catholic women do use birth control at some point. I’m a practicing Catholic and I have used birth control at various points in my life,” Wajda said. “Birth control is a type of preventative medicine and every person in this country deserves a basic standard of health care.”

She added that Planned Parenthood also supports the right of every individual to practice religion without interference from the government or employers.

A research firm commissioned by Planned Parenthood in a 2010 survey found 71 percent of voters polled believed birth control should be provided under insurance plans. Contraceptive use by Catholics – including those who attend religious services most frequently – is the norm, according to a report by the Washington D.C.-based Guttmacher Institute. Use of birth control among sexually active women is nearly universal, it found.

Libertarian and Mormon voters are expected to turn out en masse for Nevada's Republican caucus on Saturday.

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, speaks at a campaign rally in Las Vegas, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney has a double-digit lead going into Saturday's Nevada caucus, according to a new poll.

Forty-five percent of Republicans who said they plan to attend the caucus support Romney, according to a Las Vegas Review-Journal/8NewsNow poll. Candidate Newt Gingrich was favored by 25 percent of the respondents while Rick Santorum and Ron Paul came in with 11 percent and 9 percent respectively. Ten percent responded they don't know or none of the candidates.

Nevada has 28 Republican delegates up for grabs on Saturday.

Romney, a Mormon, has strong support among Mormon voters with 86 percent saying they support him while Gingrich wins among tea party supporters. Thirty-seven percent of tea party supporters said they strongly support Gingrich compared to 27 percent who strongly supporting Romney, according to the poll.

Mormon voters are expected to be a large group at the caucus. About 7 percent of Nevada's population is Mormon, but they turn out in larger numbers than other groups, according to the Associated Press.

The National Journal is predicting that a large number of Libertarian voters will attend the Nevada caucus due to the state's "individualistic and anything goes culture."

In 2008, Romney won Nevada with 52 percent of the vote. About 25 percent of voters in 2008 were Mormons and 98 percent of them voted for Romney, according to The Atlantic.

"Breaking and entering into both homes and motor vehicles have gone down."

David J. Labrie

SOUTH HADLEY – Increasing police visibility through traffic stops may have helped this town experience a drop in other kinds of criminal activity, according to Police Chief David J. Labrie.

“We’re out there,” Labrie said at a recent meeting of the South Hadley Tri-Board, which consists of the Selectboard and Appropriations and School Committees.

Statistics from the past two years bolster the idea that flashing blue lights from a traffic stop make burglars think twice.

From 2010 to 2011, there has been an increase of more than 200 percent in the number of people stopped by police in South Hadley for traffic-related offenses, said Labrie.

“I can’t draw a direct correlation,” he said, “but breaking and entering into both homes and motor vehicles have gone down.”

In 2010, 193 homes were broken into, a number that dropped to 91 the following year.

In 2010 there were 17 car thefts. In 2011, there were 10. Breaking into cars and stealing something inside went from 65 in 2010 to 54 in 2011.

“We attempt to present a proactive police force and an atmosphere of omnipresence,” said Labrie, “and it’s a deterrent to criminal activity.”

Speaking of drivers, he said that, unfortunately, “a lot of cars are unregistered because people can’t afford to the pay the insurance.” In that case the driver may be detained and the car can be towed.

If an uninsured car were in an accident with someone who was insured, said Labrie, it would be hard for the person who was insured to be “made whole” for damages or injuries..

Crime isn’t the only area where numbers have dropped. Labrie said the cost of heating the police station in South Hadley has also gone down.

When he arrived in 2005, the heating budget was $18,000 a year. His budget request for 2013 is for $12,000. “We’ve become, like everyone else, more conscientious about heating the building,” said Labrie.

Officer David Gagne was provisionally appointed sergeant in the Police Department this week Gagne is “provisional” only until the scores of an exam required for the promotion have been released, said Labrie. He is confident Gagne has passed the test, because he has passed it before.

Patrick Burke, who has completed police academy training and is currently in field training, has joined the department as a patrol officer. The Selectboard has approved both appointments.

The city is continuing discussions with state officials regarding financial aid to address serious tornado damage at the Brookings and Dryden schools.

File photo by Michael S. Gordon / The RepublicanThe exterior of the Forest Park Middle School in Springfield is seen in this 2009 photo.

SPRINGFIELD – The School Building Commission on Thursday authorized interior demolition work and environmental cleanup at the Forest Park Middle School as part of a $43.4 million renovation-expansion project.

The demolition within the building and cleanup will cost approximately $1.1 million. This was the low bid received, and was approximately $500,000 less than expected, said Rita L. Coppola-Wallace, the city’s director of capital asset construction.

The contractor is American Environmental Inc. of Holyoke.

The unanimous vote to move forward with the work was “extremely critical” for a project that is under a very tight schedule, Coppola-Wallace said. Extensive renovations and construction of a building addition will follow, and the school is slated to reopen in September of 2013.

The interior work follows the recent demolition of four houses and a commercial property adjacent to the school by Associated Building Wreckers of Springfield. Associated was hired after submitting the low bid of $147,717.

The houses were demolished at 121, 125 and 132 Garfield St., and at 47 Sumner Terrace, and the former Sam’s Restaurant at 370 Belmont Ave., was also razed.

The Forest Park school construction project is approved for 90 percent state reimbursement by the Massachusetts School Building Authority.

In other action, the School Building Commission voted to approve a contract with Morganti/Aquadro & Cerruti as construction manager for renovations and/or new possibly new construction at the tornado-damaged Elias Brookings Elementary School on Hancock Street. The Mary Dryden Veterans Memorial School on Surrey Road is slated for repair and addition of the tornado damaged north wing.

The cost for pre-construction services for both of these projects is $150,909.

An estimated $10 million to $12 million renovation project is planned at the Dryden School, which was damaged in the June 1 tornado. In addition, local officials are proposing construction of a new school to replace the heavily damaged Brookings School, seeking support and financial assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Massachusetts School Building Authority, Coppola-Wallace said.

“The design for Dryden is moving along very well,” Coppola-Wallace said. “We need to get Brookings on the same schedule and hopefully we will be able to do this shortly as the decisions are made to go forward with a new school.”

Coppola-Wallace also informed the local School Building Commission that construction of the new Roger L. Putnam Vocational-Technical High School remains more than a month ahead of schedule, and roughly $6 millions under budget.

The groundbreaking occurred in May of 2010, and Putnam is slated to open in September of 2012.

The commission meeting was conducted at the Barney Carriage House at Forest Park.

A new Indian restaurant and Popcorn Noir are vying for an all-alcohol license, and city restaurateurs Casey Douglass and Jeff Cahill also made inquiries.

Photo by Diane Lederman/The RepublicanAnup Sangar of Lee stands in front of the former Treydon's Bar & Grill. He purchased the building and will open an Indian Restaurant there in March. He is applying with others for the only liquor license available in the city.

EASTHAMPTON – The Licensing Board had two public hearings scheduled Wednesday night, but two others interested in a lone available license turned out to make their pitch and the board had to put off the hearings until March.

Karen Cadieux, the board’s clerk, said the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission recently awarded the city an additional liquor license following the census that put the city over the 16,000 mark.

She said word got out about the additional license, which led to a lengthy meeting.

The board consequently scheduled four public hearings for its meeting on March 7.
The board had scheduled requests for a license for a new Indian restaurant to open where Treydon’s Bar & Grill was and for Popcorn Noir, which currently has a seasonal license but wants an all-alcohol license, Cadieux said. Popcorn Noir is a bar and restaurant and shows movies for free.

A seasonal license means the business cannot serve alcohol from Jan. 15 to April 1 each year, she said.

But Casey Douglass, owner of Apollo Grill and Jeff Cahill, co-owner of Riff’s Joint, which recently reopened after a move to the Eastworks building, also came by to inquire about the license.

Douglas is considering buying another building and was inquiring about the license for that, she said.

At Riff’s people can bring their own beer and wine, but the restaurant does not have any kind of liquor license.

Treydon’s liquor license had been granted by a special act of the Legislature, Cadieux said. Once the business closed, the license was gone because of the specifications of that license, she said.

Sometimes those licenses stay with a building or can be transferred.

Anyone can petition the Legislature for a license that needs both Legislative and local approvals, said Raymond Redfern, chairman of the licensing board.

Redfern said license board members visited three of the four sites Thursday. They did not visit the site that Douglas is considering, he said.

The board will take public comment at its March 7 meeting and review the applications. Then the members will have to decide which business would receive the license. He said the board likely wouldn’t make a determination that night.

He said he doesn’t know if any others will apply for the license as well.

Many races are shaping up for the election.

LUDLOW - With two incumbents having announced they do not plan to seek re-election to the Board of Selectmen, there are six candidates with nomination papers out for the two seats.

The deadline to return nomination papers to run in the March 26 town election is Monday at 5 p.m.

Residents with nomination papers out for the two selectmen seats are Walter Craven, Timothy S. Donnelly, Carmina D. Fernandes, Christine D. Peacey, Joseph Queiroga and Manuel D. Silva.

The two incumbents, Selectmen John Da Cruz and Antonio Dos Santos, have announced they will not be seeking reelection.

There also two candidates with nomination papers out for a seat on the School Committee. The candidates are incumbent Jacob R. Oliveira and Deborah A. Stephenson.

For assessor, three candidates have nomination papers out - incumbent Donald J. Lake, Antonio Rosa and Manuel D. Silva.

For a two-year position on the Board of Health, Victor J. Field and Timothy J. Fontaine have returned nomination papers. Selectmen appointed Field to fill the position until the election.

There also are two candidates running for a three-year position on the Board of Public Works. They are incumbent Barry J. Linton and Richard A. Zucco.

For a five-year term on the Planning Board Queiroga has nomination papers out.

All other positions are unopposed.

The candidates who have nomination papers out for more than one position will only be able to return them to run for one position, Town Clerk Laurie Gibbons said.

Kriger returned home Thursday after a lengthy hospital stay for treatment of injuries from a car accident last month while he was away on vacation.

Courtesy of WWLPWWLP 22 News anchor Barry Kriger returned home from the hospital Thursday following an automobile accident last month.

CHICOPEE - Longtime WWLP-TV 22 news anchor Barry Kriger returned home Thursday after a lengthy hospital stay for treatment of injuries from a car accident last month while he was away on vacation.

WWLP reported that Kriger returned home to be greeted by his dog, Maggie, as well as a box fill of get-well cards and letters from area viewers.

Kriger spent nearly a month in the hospital for treatment of undisclosed injuries. In video of his return, Kriger can be seen moving about with the aid of a walker.

It's unclear when Kriger will be able to return to work. Station manager William Pepin told the Daily Hampshire Gazette recently that Kriger will need to receive additional treatment at an area rehabilitation facility.

Video of Barry Kriger's homecoming

Exclusive: 22News anchor Barry Kriger comes home: wwlp.com

The vehicles, including pick-ups, a recycling truck and a Chevy Lumina, are available for viewing on Friday at 2 sites.

HOLYOKE – The city is accepting bids for seven surplus vehicles until Tuesday at 10 a.m. at City Hall.

Bids at that point will be publicly opened in Room 15, Chief Procurement Officer David A. Martins said Monday.

Vehicles can be viewed only on Friday at the Department of Public Works yard at 63 North Canal St. between 10 and 11 a.m. and Fire Department headquarters at 600 High St. between 11 a.m. and noon, he said.

“These are some old cars that are rusted. Some are pretty stripped of parts,” Martins said.

Four of the vehicles are at Fire Department headquarters: a red 1996 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 4x4 sport utility vehicle; a white 1998 Chevrolet Lumina with a V6 engine; a 1995 Chevrolet Caprice four-door with a V8 engine and a 1991 red Ford Ecovan, he said.

Three vehicles are at the DPW yard: an orange 1993 Chevrolet pickup truck; a white 1996 Ford F-250 pickup truck and a green 1990 International 4900 series recycling truck, he said.

The city reserves the right to accept or reject any bids, he said.

The successful bidder must pay for the vehicle within 72 hours of notification. The vehicle must be removed at owner’s expense within five days of notification of award, he said.

Bidders can get necessary forms at the Purchasing Department, City Hall, Room 15, he said.

File photo | The RepublicanHolyoke City Hall.

The average American throws away 75 pounds of textiles every year; in Massachusetts, that adds up to 260,000 tons of textiles that end up in landfills and incinerators.

The Republican | Mark M. MurrayJohn Grossman , Sales and Donation manager at EcoBuilding Bargains, gives a tour of the business Thursday to the Western Mass. Municipal Recycling Coordinators group.

SPRINGFIELD – Larry Groipen, owner of ERC Wiping Products in Lynn, held a dingy men’s undershirt complete with underarm sweet stains in front of a gathering of municipal recycling officials Thursday.

“Believe it or not, I turn this into money,” Groipen, who also serves as president of the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association, said. “That hat with a tear in it, those stuffed animals that your kids never let you throw away, jeans with the holes in the knees and the broken zipper. It’s all recyclable.”

Groipen spoke with recycling officials as part of a statewide effort to encourage the recycling of clothing and other textiles.

The average American throws away 75 pounds of textiles every year. In Massachusetts, that adds up to 260,000 tons of textiles that end up in landfills and incinerators, said Brooke A. Nash, branch chief with the Municipal Waste Reduction Program at the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.

All that cloth in the trash adds up to money. It costs about $65 a ton to dump trash in a landfill or incinerator, she said.

The state is not, however, considering making cloth recycling mandatory.

“The market is there for this material,” she said. “The infrastructure for collecting it is there.”

Many people donate clothing that is in good shape to Goodwill and the Salvation Army. But they don’t think of donating material that can be turned into rags or ground into fluff for use as soundproofing in new cars or insulation in homes, Nash said.

She brought Groipen and others in the cloth-recycling business to speak Thursday at the quarterly meeting of the Western Massachusetts Recycling Coordinators to make those coordinators aware of the opportunity. The meeting was hosted by EcoBuilding Bargains, the former ReStore, at its new facility at 83 Warwick Street.

John E. Majercak, executive director of the Center for EcoTechnology, which is the parent organization of EcoBuilding Bargains, said he also wants recycling coordinators to direct the usable building materials like lumber, cabinets, trim and fixtures they get to EcoBuilding Bargains. They’ll even come and pick it up from homes or recycling centers.

Groipen said most recycled cloth is collected at bins or gathered from hospitals, hotels and factories. Curbside pickup doesn’t work because the cloth cannot get wet.

A lot of cloth gets into the recycling stream after it gets rejected for re-sale by organizations like Goodwill and Salvation Army. Other companies help organizations like scout troops and sports teams host clothing drives as fund-raisers.

Alannah Shevenell said she's glad to be feeling well again and able to go sledding, make a snowman, work on her scrapbooks and give her grandmother a little good-humored sass.

Associated PressAlannah Shevenell, 9, speaks to a reporter at her home in Hollis, Maine, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012. Alannah returned home Wednesday afternoon, three months after receiving six new organs in a groundbreaking operation. Doctors at Children's Hospital Boston replaced Alannah Shevenell's stomach, liver, spleen, small intestine, pancreas and a portion of her esophagus in October. It's believed to be the first-ever transplant of an esophagus and the largest number of organs transplanted at one time in New England. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

By CLARKE CANFIELD

HOLLIS, Maine – A 9-year-old Maine girl is home from a Boston hospital healthy, active and with high hopes — and a new stomach, liver, spleen, small intestine, pancreas, and part of an esophagus to replace the ones that were being choked by a huge tumor.

It's believed to be the first-ever transplant of an esophagus and the largest number of organs transplanted at one time in New England.

Spunky and bright-eyed as she scampered around her family's farmhouse outside Portland, Alannah Shevenell said Thursday that she's glad to be feeling well again and able to go sledding, make a snowman, work on her scrapbooks and give her grandmother a little good-humored sass.

The best part, though? "Being home," she said. "Just being home."

It was 2008 when Alannah, then 5, began running a fever and losing weight while her belly swelled. Doctors discovered the tumor that year and twice attempted to remove it, as it made its way like octopus legs from organ to organ. But it was difficult to access what turned out to be a rare form of sarcoma, said Debi Skolas, Alannah's grandmother, and chemotherapy didn't do the trick, either.

All the time, the growth — known as an inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor — continued to grow in her abdomen, causing pain, making it hard to eat and swelling her up with fluid. Surgery was the last resort to save her life, and Alannah spent more than a year on a waiting list for the organs, said Dr. Heung Bae Kim, the lead surgeon on the procedure at Children's Hospital Boston.

The family was told there was a 50 percent chance Alannah wouldn't survive the procedure. But without it, she had no chance whatsoever.

Things were more tense than celebratory in October when doctors prepared to remove the growth and the organs in one fell swoop and replace them with organs transplanted in one tangled piece from another child of similar size.

The hardest part was taking out her organs and the tumor, Kim said, calling it a difficult operation with lots of blood loss.

"It's probably one of the most extensive tumor removals ever done," the surgeon said.

Dr. Allan Kirk, professor of surgery at Emory University in Atlanta and the editor-in-chief of The American Journal of Transplantation, said no other esophageal transplant has been reported in medical literature.

After the surgery, Alannah spent three more months at the hospital, with her grandmother sleeping every night in a lounge chair by her bed. She battled infections and complications from the surgery before finally being given the OK to leave.

She arrived back home Wednesday in the 192-year-old house on a country road where she lives with her grandmother and grandfather, Jamie Skolas, in Hollis, a town of 4,500 residents about 20 miles west of Portland.

But just because she's home doesn't mean she's out of the woods. Alannah has to take nine medications each day, some two, three or four times. Her grandparents have to precisely measure what goes in and comes out of her body, and check her blood sugar.

She has an ostomy pouch and feeding tube attached to her for nutrition as she slowly gets used to eating again. Scars from her surgeries look like a roadmap on her stomach. A tutor comes to the home 20 hours a week for her schooling.

Her immune system is so weak that she can't go to places with large numbers of other people, such as school, church or a mall. She can't eat raw vegetables or fruits unless they have thick skins because of concerns over germs, and she'll never be able to swim in a lake because of the bacteria. The Skolases installed ultraviolet lights in their heating ducts to kill mold, mildew and bacteria that might sicken Alannah.

Alannah is aware of her limitations and what she's been through. "Don't even ask," she says when the subject of the medical costs, which have been covered by MaineCare — Maine's version of Medicaid — come up.

She's talkative and enjoys bantering with her grandparents.

"Grammy, you're not always right," she said to end a conversation.

The Skolases, who took Alannah in several years ago but declined to discuss the whereabouts of her parents, have made sacrifices for her through the years. Their hand-crafted-furniture business has suffered, with Debi devoting her time to care for Alannah, and the couple has dipped into retirement savings to make ends meet.

Friends have organized a fundraiser to help raise money to offset the costs.

More than anything, though, the family is thankful for the girl's second chance at life and to the family that went through the pain of losing a child and before deciding to donate the organs to help Alannah.

"That was a courageous decision," Debi Skolas said. "I still cry when I think about it."

Associated Press writer Bridget Brown in Boston contributed to this report.