Argentina enters Monday’s game (5:15 p.m. ET, NBCSN), the pool-play finale, with a history of toppling the U.S.

(AP Photo/Eric Gay)USA's Lebron James reacts after an official's call during a preliminary men's basketball game against Lithuania at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012, in London.

By SEAN DEVENEY
Sporting News

LONDON -- Lithuania entered Saturday’s game against Team USA with a history of giving the Americans trouble on the international stage. Argentina enters Monday’s game (5:15 p.m. ET, NBCSN), the pool-play finale, with a history of toppling the U.S.

A decade ago, it was Argentina that dealt the first body blow to USA Basketball in Indianapolis, when a poorly constructed team of American stars was knocked off by Argentina’s “Golden Generation.” Two years later at the Athens Olympics, Argentina again beat the U.S., this time in the semifinals on their way to a gold medal. Of the seven losses that Team USA has suffered since the ’92 Dream Team, Argentina is the only team that has given them two.

“We know that they’re a good team and that they’re a dangerous team,” U.S. forward Carmelo Anthony said. “They have a lot of experienced guys, a lot of NBA guys who have played together a long time. I think the thing that stands out about them is they never quit. You’re always going to get a great effort when you play against those guys. They’re going to come out and be physical with you.”

The U.S. is obviously aware of that. Two weeks ago, Team USA met Argentina for a training game in Barcelona, and things got chippy early on when Kevin Durant and LeBron James scuffled with Luis Scola and Andres Nocioni. The Americans nearly blew a 15-point fourth-quarter lead in that one, with Argentina cutting the deficit to four with 2:50 to go. The U.S. held on for an 86-80 win, but Argentina figures to carry some confidence into Monday’s game.

Part of that confidence, of course, comes from having NBA veterans like Scola and Nocioni, as well as the team’s star player, Manu Ginobili. Sure, Ginobili is 35, but he has been brilliant in the tournament so far, averaging 21.0 points with 6.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists. Scola, too, figures to be a problem for the Americans, averaging 22.5 points.

Argentina enters the game at 3-1, having suffered a close loss to France. But Scola said he expects the team to play better as it goes along.

“We didn’t want to show nothing to nobody early on,” Scola said. “We weren’t playing well in the preparation. We weren’t feeling well, we got this feeling that it’s not going well, we need to do something, we’ve got to play better, we’ve got to move faster, we’ve got to have a little bit more of a spark.”

That’s something for Team USA to keep in mind — historically, nothing seems to spark Argentina quite like facing the U.S.

BADGE was formed specifically to address the "quality-of-life" issues in and around the neighborhood in Forest Park.

SPRINGFIELD – “Mary” is an on-again, off-again drug user who hangs out a lot in the area of lower Belmont Avenue in the city’s Forest Park neighborhood, and she is quite familiar with members of the Police Department’s BADGE unit.

They’ve arrested her four times over the past eight months for drug possession.

When “Mary” bumped into two of the unit’s officers, Sgt. Julio M. Toledo and Edward G. VanZandt, while they were on a recent walking patrol, the three exchanged pleasantries like old acquaintances.

She assures them that she is not using drugs, and she says she’s found steady work. They encourage her to keep it up.

“They’re doing a good job,” she tells a visitor about the officers. “I don’t like them, but they’re doing a good job.”

BADGE is an acronym commonly used in the place of its more clunky formal title, “Business and Domicile Geographic Enforcement Unit.” Its specialty is patrolling the streets in and around the area of Forest Park where Belmont Avenue, Sumner Avenue
and Dickinson Street intersect.

In its eight months of existence, the unit has made its presence felt in the enclave of streets known as the “X.”

Politicians, business owners, community leaders, residents and, now, even those who find themselves on the wrong side of the law are offering praise.

“The good people like us, and the bad guys don’t,” said Toledo. “It’s understood.”
Since it was formed in November, BADGE has accounted for 210 arrests, 1,020 motor vehicle citations and 98 criminal complaints. It has conducted 213 field interviews in high-crime areas and been involved in the seizure of five firearms and an undisclosed amount of narcotics.

Not a bad accounting for a unit that is comprised of just four officers: Toledo, VanZandt, Daniel Brunton and Brian Belliveau.

More than the numbers, though, the unit has made its presence felt in other ways.

Gone are the aggressive panhandlers bothering customers at businesses along Belmont or Sumner avenues, and the numbers of people hanging out on lower Belmont looking to sell – or buy – drugs is greatly reduced, observers say.

“A few months ago, if you went to buy (drugs), it would have been hopping,” Toledo said while driving his cruiser along Belmont Avenue. “They know we are out to lock them up, so they don’t hang out any more.”

BADGE was formed specifically to address the “quality-of-life” issues in and around the neighborhood in Forest Park.

Based on a similar unit, the North End Initiative, which was credited with reducing crime in that neighborhood of the City of Homes, BADGE was designed to be focused on a small area – roughly 1,000 feet in any direction from the “X” – and to work closely with businesses and residents to address their concerns, be they major or minor.

Drug dealers, panhandlers, reckless drivers, absentee landlords, problem tenants, noise complaints, BADGE deals with it all, Toledo said.

“People are concerned about loitering, loud music, trash, all the quality-of-life issues,” he said. “We can make 210 arrests, but the people only care about the quality-of-life issues.”

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno has praised the unit for helping empower those who live and work in the neighborhood.

Daniel P. Morrissey, president of the Forest Park Business Association and co-organizer of the Forest Park Public Safety Initiative, believes the numbers are impressive.

But, just as impressive, said Morrissey, is “the productive and collaborative relationship that the BADGE unit and neighborhood groups have built in such a short period of time.” He hopes the unit remains in place for a long time.

Teresa Fernandes, owner of Ttrends Salon at 509 Belmont Ave., said the presence of the unit is important for the neighborhood and she, too, hopes it continues.

“You don’t hear about the crime anymore,” she said.

Fernandes, who has operated her salon for 25 years, has seen good periods and bad, when police have concentrated patrols on the area and when they haven’t, she said.

“When coverage is cut back, (crime) gets worse,” she said. “Their presence is
important.”

Crime is not necessarily the biggest problem at the “X,” when compared to people’s perception of what’s really happening in the neighborhood, Fernandes believes.

That perception, she contends, is the result of media coverage, which routinely strings together isolated and unrelated incidents and portrays them as a ongoing pattern of violence in the neighborhood.

“I had a client come in here for product, and she said her husband warned her not to come into this area,” Fernandes said. She’s also lost customers who are afraid of being mugged, robbed or murdered because of some media reports.

“It’s the perception people have of the area,” she said. The media “never say anything good.”

Toledo has heard the same complaint from business owners. “The recurring theme is they get upset because the media makes it worse than it is,” he said. “They see us every day, and they know what we are doing.”

VanZandt said there are some crimes which will get attention. “But the business owners feel it gets so much attention, and it draws people away,” the officer added.

Elke Bosshart, who has operated Elke’s Bake Shop at 672B Sumner Ave. for three years and who also lives in the neighborhood, said the crime which occurs here usually involves drugs or family disputes.

“I never had a really bad feeling or something that its dangerous here. And that’s the same at my house,” she said.

Anytime something happens in the “X,” no matter how random or isolated, she said, though, “the whole area gets put in one pot and labeled ‘a bad area.’”

Bosshart has nothing but praise for the BADGE team. “I think they have really cleaned up the area. Really, you see their cars always driving by. You see the cops more here,” she said.

The 1,000-foot radius has been stretched this way or that when necessary.

For example, Elke’s Bake Shop is beyond the 1,000-foot marker, but Toledo said it did not make sense to exclude businesses that fell just out of range. “We expanded the boundaries a bit because we don’t want to neglect these businesses,” he said.

“We’re cognizant that you want to make sure everybody in every business feels like they’re getting an equal amount of service,” VanZandt added. “We hit all the businesses.”

They also patrol residential areas, making note of who is supposed to be there – and who isn’t. If someone is hanging around for no reason, the officers tell them to move along.

Prior to becoming part of the BADGE team, Toledo worked as an undercover narcotics detective. “I’d buy drugs for a living,” he joked. “That’s why I know all the drug dealers. They really don’t like me.”

Toledo knows the streets of this neighborhood; as he patrols the area, he can point out boarded-up buildings where he once conducted drug raids.

VanZandt served in the department’s Street Crimes Unit, the specialty squad that is dispatched to patrol hot spots for crime.

BADGE has elements of both men’s previous assignments, but at the same time, their current work is very different, they said.

“We have the luxury of not responding to 911 calls or going on ambulance assists,” Toledo said. “We have more time to do proactive, high-end enforcement.”

The key word there is proactive, not reactive, the officers underscore.

“Any officers we see are 90 percent reactive,” VanZandt said. “We don’t have to answer most calls, and we have a lot more time to deal with issues people have.”

On this afternoon, Toledo and VanZandt drive out of their area to go to a property management company in the nearby South End neighborhood.

They want to ask the company to hang some no-trespassing signs on property they own on lower Belmont Avenue in the BADGE district. The signs, Toledo said, would make it easier for police to arrest drug dealers and prostitutes who set up shop on the property and charge them with trespassing.

Toledo calls it one of those “dot the Is and cross the Ts” things that will aid both police and the neighborhood in the long run.

“It’s petty and sometimes mundane, but that’s what needs to be done to get that done correctly,” he said. “It’s those little things that go a long way.”

VanZandt and Toledo hand each person they meet on their patrol a business card. Each time, the officers make a point to note that the telephone number on the card reaches their cell phones, not some answering machine or the main switchboard at the police station. Call the number on the card, they say, and you will get an answer.

It’s a simple gesture, they say, but one that fits with the BADGE mindset: Success will come when the police and those in the neighborhood feel free to communicate with each other.

“If we make arrests and are doing what we supposed to do, holding up our end of the bargain, the business owners and property managers and stake holders have to hold up their end of the bargain,” Toledo said. “It’s a ‘one hand washes the other’ thing.”

Several hospital leaders in Western Massachusetts said they are unsure of how the bill will affect the finances of their institutions.

AP Photo/Dina Rudick of The Boston Globe. Gov. Deval Patrick, shakes hands with Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo, right, after signing a health care cost containment bill into law on Monday. Also in the photo, from left to right, are Secretary of Administration and Finance Jay Gonzalez, Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. JudyAnn Bigby, Rep. Steven Walsh of Lynn and Rep. Ronald Mariano of Quincy.

BOSTON — Gov. Deval L. Patrick on Monday signed a comprehensive new bill to control costs in health care, calling it the "next big step forward" in overhauling the health industry.

The 349-page legislation is complex enough that several leaders of hospitals in Western Massachusetts said they are unsure of the bill's financial effects on their institutions.

"This is your house," Patrick told a crowd that gathered inside Nurses' Hall at the Statehouse to celebrate the signing of the bill into law. "This is your day. This is your bill."

The bill, submitted by Patrick in February of last year, seeks to make Massachusetts the first state in the nation to limit the annual growth in health care costs to no more than the yearly growth in the state's economy.

"Today we become the first to crack the code on cost," said Patrick, who was flanked by members of his administration, House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo and Attorney General Martha Coakley.

Several hospital leaders in Western Massachusetts said they need more time to study the bill in order to determine its financial effects on the hospitals.

"We're still trying to understand the implications of this bill in terms of the financial impact,' said Dennis W. Chalke, chief financial officer for Baystate Health in Springfield, which includes Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. "We have a lot of questions. There are a lot of things that are not clear to us at this point."

Daniel Moen

Daniel P. Moen, president and CEO of the Sisters of Providence Health System in Springfield, which includes Mercy Medical Center, said he welcomed the new law even though he said he fears it may turn out to be top-heavy with regulations. “We need to make sure it is flexible so organizations can innovate,” Moen said Monday afternoon.

Moen said he likes the goal of restricting the increase in health care costs to basically the same rate of growth that exists in the state’s overall economy.

“I think it is a positive," Moen said. "It gets the discussion down on paper. It gives us a goal to work toward. I'm not sure those goals are totally realistic. But I think they are great targets for us to have.”

Hank J. Porten, president and chief executive of Holyoke Medical Center, declined to comment on the bill's possible financial impacts on the hospital.

Ronald P. Bryant, president and CEO of Noble Hospital in Westfield, said it is too soon to tell what impact the new law will have on the hospital's finances.

"We are already one of the lowest-cost hospitals in state," Bryant said. "We are already doing our part.”

Bryant said hospitals will be more affected if they have a higher percentage of patients with Medicaid, a federal-state program that finances health care for the needy and disabled.

He said the bill's cost-cutting goal is realistic. He said costs can't be reduced so much that it leads to a loss of jobs.

“If you set a goal that is too aggressive, then you are forcing hospitals to make cuts you may not want them to make," Bryant said.

To restrict annual growth in costs, the bill establishes a benchmark for growth in total health care spending from 2013 to 2017. The benchmark would be tied to the "potential gross state product," each year and would be 3.6 percent for 2013, according to Jay Gonzalez, the state secretary of administration and finance who also stood with Patrick at Monday's bill signing.

Jay Gonzalez

For 2018 to 2022, the benchmark is set at minus 0.5 percent of the growth in the economy.

The bill contains a mechanism for determining the potential gross state product each year.

If the annual growth in total health care expenditures can be limited, then growth in premiums for people and businesses should also be contained, according to Gonzalez.

A newly created, 11-member "health policy commission" can alter the benchmark. The commission includes Gonzalez, Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. JudyAnn Bigby and three appointees apiece for the governor, the attorney general and the state auditor.

In an interview, Gonzalez said the bill also establishes temporary assessments or surcharges on certain providers and insurers that would raise $225 million over four years.

The money would pay for targeted programs such as information technology, a fund for distressed community hospitals to establish payment and delivery reforms and to pay for a program for competitive grants to community-based organizations, health care providers and regional planning organizations for public health and wellness programs.

The costs of the bill pale in comparison to some lofty projections for savings.

Patrick estimated the bill will save about $200 billion over 15 years from what would otherwise be spent if historic growth rates in health care costs continued.

Over that time period, Patrick said, the average family will see an estimated savings of $40,000 on their health care premiums.

Gonzalez said the growth in the costs of health care are unsustainable. In 2000, for example, health care costs were 23 percent of the total state budget. This year, health care costs are 41 percent of the $32.5 billion state budget for the fiscal year that started July 1, though some of that growth stems from increases in people seeking state subsidized care in the wake of a couple of severe recessions.

Patrick said the bill builds on past changes including the state's 2006 law providing near-universal coverage.

The 2006 state law has resulted in about 439,000 newly insured people, mostly with money from Medicaid, a federal-state health care program for the poor and disabled.

About 98 percent of Massachusetts residents have health insurance following approval of the state law.

Josh Archambault, the health care policy director at the Pioneer Institute, a public policy research group in Boston, warned that the bill is a reversion to past failed, top-down approaches by government on cost control.

"To make matters worse, they are adding hundreds of millions of dollars in new surcharges, fees and penalties that will increase the cost of health care and ultimately be passed on to consumers," Archambault said.

The bill also establishes some new tools for paying for health care and delivering services. Some of those tools include incentives for spending more on preventative care to reduce office visits and tests, bundling certain payments instead of a fee for each service and encouraging doctors and other providers to improve the coordination of care.

Many hospitals and insurers in the state are already involved in these efforts.

Baystate Medical Center, for example, has 15 medical practices involved in so-called "medical homes," which involve organizing care around patients, working in teams and coordinating and tracking care over time, according to the hospital. "We've already taken many steps," said Chalke, the chief financial officer at Baystate Health.

The group is scheduled to return prior to Tuesday's practice.

Associated PressBill Belichick

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick will fly to Philadelphia tomorrow to attend Garrett Reid’s funeral.

Reid, the son of Eagles coach Andy Reid, was found dead in a dorm room at Lehigh University, where the team’s training camp is held. The 29-year-old was assisting the team's strength and conditioning staff.

“Very sad. Andy is good friend of mine,” Belichick said after learning of the news Sunday. “My heart goes out to him and his family.”

Belichick will fly to funeral on Saints owner Tom Benson’s private jet along with New Orleans interim coach Joe Vitt and other members of the New Orleans coaching staff. Belichick reportedly "jumped at the opportunity" when Vitt invited him to come along, according to Nola.com.

The group is expected to return prior to the start of Tuesday's 1:30 p.m. joint practice, the first of two sessions scheduled before Thursday's preseason game.

A spokesman for the Secretary of State's office said complaints about party registration tampering are uncommon, even in election years.

Photo by Mark M. Murray / The RepublicanDouglas Howie, of East Longmeadow, holds a letter he received from the state saying that he has requested an absentee ballot for the upcoming Sept. 6 Republican rrimary. He said his is a lifelong Democrat and never requested such a ballot.

EAST LONGMEADOW – Secretary of State William Galvin has opened an investigation into allegations that large number of East Longmeadow voters had their party affiliations changed without permission.

Town officials were notified Friday that Galvin’s office is looking into voter registration fraud for the upcoming Sept. 6 primary.

The investigation will determine if a large number of voter registrations “were improperly altered and changed ... in violation of law,” according to Michelle K. Tassinari, director of the office’s election division.

“Secretary Galvin considers this a matter of urgent circumstance,” she added.

Brian S. McNiff, a spokesman for Galvin, would not say how many cases of suspected fraud were being examined, or speculate on possible motives for the unauthorized changes.

But he said complaints about party registration tampering are uncommon, even in election years.

“It’s pretty unusual, that’s safe to say,” McNiff said.

Town Clerk Thomas P. Florence could not be reached for comment Monday. The letter sent by Galvin’s office last week instructed Florence to preserve all paper and computer records relating to voter registration.

Kibbe Road resident Douglas Howie received a letter Monday from the Secretary of State’s office stating that he had requested an absentee ballot for the Republican primary.

At lifelong Democrat, the 67-year old retired Connecticut Department of Corrections employee was flabbergasted.

“I’ve always voted Democrat - something’s going on here,” he said, adding that his wife received a similar letter.

“She’s a Democrat too,” he said.

Spokesman for Republicans and Democrats said they were unaware of any statewide registration problems.

Timothy S. Buckley, the Republican communications director, said there is no primary for the only statewide race – U.S. Senator Scott Brown’s contest against Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren.

"We are aware of the situation and we look forward to getting more details. Voter fraud is unacceptable and it is our hope that this matter is resolved quickly,"
Buckley said.

Douglas Howie agrees.

“I’d like to get some kind of explanation for this,” he said.

Users bring their food waste to the Locust Street transfer station in containers and dump it in lined bins.

The Republican file photo | Michael BeswickNorthampton's Food Waste Program is a handy way to keep bears out of your trash.

NORTHAMPTON — Ever agonize over what to do with that turkey grease from Thanksgiving? It stinks if you put it in the trash, not to mention the maggots. Pouring it down the drain is money for the plumber. And what about those leftover bones?

The Department of Public Works has been working on an environmentally friendly alternative, and as it enters its third year, more and more Northampton residents are taking advantage of it. The Food Waste Program accepts meat, bones, grease, oils, used paper plates, stained pizza boxes and just about everything else people can’t recycle or throw in their household compost pile.

Last year alone, the program collected some 50 tons of food waste, which is trucked by Alternative Recycling Systems to a facility in Belchertown especially set up to compost such waste.

The fee for membership in the program is $15 a year, an amount users easily save by reducing the household trash they bring to the city’s transfer stations, according to Karen Bouquillon, the Solid Waste Supervisor for the department. Although membership dropped off from a high of 353 when the city discontinued the senior discount, it has begun to spike again on the heels of a city ordinance that established a fine for feeding wild animals such as bears.

Users bring their food waste to the Locust Street transfer station in containers and dump it in lined bins. Workers stamp their membership cards. While leftovers such as potato peels, coffee grounds and egg shells are fine for a compost pile, Bouquillon said raw and cooked meats, fish, dairy and cooking oils can stink and attract wild animals like bears and raccoons.

Membership in the Food Waste Program is particularly handy after parties.

“We try to promote around the holidays because food waste increases significantly,” Bouquillon said.

Membership cards can be obtained at the department’s 125 Locust St. headquarters on most Thursdays. For more information, email or call Bouquillon at kbouquillon@nohodpw.org or 587-1059.

Hoyer is set to become a free agent after the season.

Associated Press photoBrian Hoyer celebrates with Tom Brady.

FOXBOROUGH – The most important games of the season are about to begin for New England Patriots backup quarterback Brian Hoyer.

Entering the final year of his contract with little chance of seeing the field as long as Tom Brady remains healthy, Hoyer knows that his future earning potential could ride on the next four preseason games, beginning with Thursday’s game against the New Orleans Saints.

Right now, though, Hoyer is simply trying to prepare for the upcoming season like he could be called upon at any moment.

“You never know what’s going to happen so for me, the only thing I can control is the way I play,” Hoyer said. “I try to come out here and prepare myself as well as I can so when the real bullets start flying I’ll be ready.”

Hoyer is 27-for-43 with 286 yards with one touchdown and one interception in 13 regular season games. He was 25-for-42 with one touchdown during the 2011 preseason.

Hoyer will make $1.92 million this season.

The building committee is expected to serve for the 24-month duration of the design and construction period of the project.

The Republican/Mark MurrayPalmer Police Chief Robert P. Frydryk, left, stands inside the department's communications center, as dispatchers Catherine Costa, right, and Kristen Jordan, center, take calls.

PALMER — The Palmer Police Station Building Committee has been appointed, and its first meeting will be Aug. 27, according to Town Manager Charles T. Blanchard.

In addition to Blanchard, committee members include Police Chief Robert P. Frydryk; District 4 Town Councilor Donald Blais Jr.; former town councilor Roger Duguay Jr.; Catherine M. Bousquet, who is retired from MassMutual; Brenda M. Cole, who works for the state Department of Developmental Disabilities; Charlann Griswold, a former Police Department administrative assistant and former town emergency management director; William D. Lizotte, an electrical engineer; and Larry Corcoran, a retired Springfield Police Department lieutenant.

"It's a good balance and a good representation of the community," Blanchard said about the committee.

Voters in June approved the construction of a new $7.4 million police station, to be built on town-owned land behind the current 1964 facility.

At the building committee's first meeting, Blanchard said the members will be given the proposals from various companies that have been submitted for the job of project manager. Those applications are due Aug. 15, he said.

The project manager will review the work of the project architect, Reinhardt Associates, Blanchard said.

Blanchard said $140,000 has been budgeted for the project manager. Reinhardt will receive approximately $572,000 for its fee, he said.

The building committee is expected to serve for the 24-month duration of the design and construction period of the project. The new station could be ready by May 2014.

Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan praised the thoroughness of the investigation.

Jason Phelps, 23, of 2 Hold Road, Ashburnham, was arraigned Monday in Orange District Court on charges of enticement of a child under 16 and dissemination of matter harmful to a minor, offenses that occurred in Erving.

Police said Phelps engaged in explicit online exchange of messages and sent a photo of himself nude via the Internet to a recipient he believed to be a 13-year-old girl.

Phelps was arrested Friday by Erving and Massachusetts State Police with the Northwestern District Attorney’s Child Sexual Predator Task Force.

A search warrant was executed at Phelps’ house in Ashburnham. Police identified Phelps’ bedroom as being the same one in which the nude photo was taken and seized a number of items that appeared in the photograph, as well as the defendant’s laptop, according to a statement released by the Northwestern District Attorney's Office.

State police assigned to the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office assisted with the search warrant execution and arrest, and the Ashburnham Police Department provided a location for coordination of the operation.

“Erving police and Massachusetts State Police with the Child Sexual Predator Task Force with the assistance of the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office and Ashburnham Police conducted a thorough and intensive investigation which led to this arrest,” Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan said in a statement. “It is thanks to efforts like these that we are able to identify sexual predators before they harm minors.”

Phelps was released on $5,000 cash bail with the conditions that he not frequent social media sites or have any unsupervised contact with children under 16.

The case was continued until Sept. 4 in Orange District Court.

A second 1.7-mile phase of the River Walk Loop is in the works and officials hope to start construction in the spring or early summer.

File photo | The RepublicanPeople enjoy the view of the Connecticut River from the River Walk in Agawam.

AGAWAM — The city seeks proposals from engineering consultants to work on the $2.5 million second segment of the River Walk Loop that officials hope to start construction on in the spring or early summer of next year.

Planning and Community Development Director Deborah S. Dachos said Friday that 20 consulting firms have already expressed interest in doing the work.

The 1.7-mile second phase of the project to increase access to the Connecticut River will be paid for entirely by the state Department of Transportation. It will consist of work along the part of School Street that intersects with River Road as well as part of the south end of River Road.

That work will connect to about 1.7 miles of a multi-use trail along River Road and will be available for use by hikers as well as bicyclists. The project will involve creating bicycle lanes on both sides of School Street, according to Dachos, making the street much safer for people on bicycles.

“The road (School Street) is really dangerous right now for bikers. It is too narrow and visibility is not good,” Dachos said.

The new leg of the walk along School Street will have the advantage of having playing fields at one end of the street and School Street Park on the other end, she said. Dachos said being able to expand access for bicycles in the city is very exciting.

“The first part of the bicycle loop has far surpassed my expectation in how well it has been received by the community. The residents love it, and it is highly used,” Dachos said.

Work on the second phase of the project has been long in coming, she said. Dachos said work began in 1998, when the Manchester, Conn.-based Fuss & O’Neill began design under a contract with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission.

The city was able to submit 100 percent design plans to the state last December and was positioned for the state to award it $2.5 million for the second phase of the project shortly later.

Long-term plans call for completing the loop by creating bike lanes on Main Street from the Route 57 ramp to River Road.

The supplies will be distributed through school districts across the region.

Photo by Dave Roback / The RepublicanGrace Pulsifer, of Northampton, puts a donation in a collection jar at the Stuff the Bus display at the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside.

SPRINGFIELD – The United Way of Pioneer Valley and the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority are in the midst of the third annual Stuff the Bus school supply drive.

Organizers hope to fill 1,500 backpacks with school supplies for homeless children living in Springfield, Chicopee, Holyoke, Westfield and West Springfield before the drive wraps up on Aug. 11.

After a successful two-year partnership with Peter Pan Bus Lines, United Way of Pioneer Valley partnered with the regional transit authority this year.

“Last year, we started talking with PVTA, and they were happy to partner with us,” said United Way spokeswoman Debra Foley. “A lot of their riders are homeless so they felt like this was a great way to get involved.”

The United Way has already obtained brand-new backpacks and is looking for supplies to fill them. Specifically, they are looking for pencils with erasers, pens, crayons, highlighters, pencil boxes, glue sticks, single-subject notebooks, two-pocket folders and calculators. They will also accept cash donations.

The school supply drive fits in with the United Way’s mission, Foley added.

“One of our focus areas is education, and we feel like if we can get the kids who are facing homelessness to get the school year started on the right foot, it’s such a relief to their families and to them,” she said. “The school supply lists (given by schools) are extensive and expensive; (families) might say, ‘Do we buy school supplies or go grocery shopping?’”

The backpacks will be distributed to children at the end of August by the school districts’ special coordinators assigned to assisting homeless families.

Foley said stores seem to be having sales on school supplies earlier this year, which is good news for Stuff the Bus. The final day of the drive falls during the tax-free weekend in Massachusetts.

“People really want to help,” she said. “What’s nice about this program is if you can only afford to get a couple of notebooks, you don’t have to make this huge commitment. People have been very generous so far, but there’s still a long way to go.”

Both the United Way and the transit authority have collection sites for the drive, and there will be a special collection program on Aug. 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside outside the inside entrance to Target. The mall also has a collection box at their customer service center, located on the lower level near Sears. Cash donations can be made online at www.uwpv.org.

The fire started at about 4:35 p.m. at 19-21 Nassau St., spread up the three back porches and ignited the roof, Deputy Fire Chief James McInerney said. Watch video

This is an updated version of a story posted at 5:27 this afternoon.

CHICOPEE – A fire that started on a back porch destroyed a three-story apartment block, leaving six families homeless.

The fire started at about 4:35 p.m. at 19-21 Nassau St. It spread up the three back porches and ignited the roof, said Deputy Fire Chief James McInerney.

The fire department received multiple 911 calls on the fire and neighbors also ran around the corner to the Fire Station on Chicopee Street to ask for help. The first firefighters arrived at the house within a minute, he said.

“The fire already had a huge start when he got there,” McInerney said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by Chicopee investigators and the state Fire Marshal’s Office. He did not speculate on the cause.

Residents who witnessed the fire agreed it spread quickly.

“We were taking things upstairs and we saw thick black smoke,” said Robert Morris, whose Grattan Street home is across the street from the back of the house. “It went quick. I’ve never seen anything go so quickly.”

Police Lt. John Pronovost said he was heading to the National Night Out Against Crime event in the nearby Sarah Jane Sherman Park when he saw the smoke and stopped to help. He and other officers started evacuating the building. One person on the second floor had to be escorted out, he said.

McInerney said all residents did get out safely. Firefighters first ensured the building was evacuated and started fighting the blaze on the inside but soon were called out for safety reasons.

No one was injured but one firefighter was overcome by the heat. He was treated at the scene, he said.

For more than an hour firefighters poured water on the house. Trucks were stationed on Nassau Street and Grattan Street so the front and the back could be saturated. The blaze was mostly extinguished by 6 p.m. and firefighters entered the building again to put out flames that ignited again, he said. Firefighters from Holyoke, Westover Air Reserve Base and Springfield assisted by covering the Chicopee stations while firefighter were working at the blaze, McInerney said.

The fire blanketed the neighborhood with thick black smoke. A number of roads, including parts of Grattan and Chicopee streets were closed snarling traffic at a time when people were leaving work.

Neighbors on either side of the house decided quickly to leave their homes after they smelled smoke and saw flames.

“I told everyone to get out because it was getting really hot,” said Maria Estrada, who lived two buildings down from the fire.

Jeff LaFlamme, who lives next door to the house said he grabbed his young daughter and left because it was so hot and smoky. While Estrada watched his daughter, he went back to get his dog but did not take the time to put on shoes.

McInerney estimated the damage between $180,000 and $200,000 and said the building was likely a total loss. No one was allowed to return to their homes.

A spokeswoman for the Pioneer Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross said the agency sent two support units to the scene and assisted residents who were left homeless.

The vocational high school holds a summer enrichment program for youth ages 9 to 13 every year.

Photo by Michael Gordon / The RepublicanKyle Mastalerz, 9, right, of Palmer, and other youngsters direct their robots to assigned tasks during the Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School summer enrichment program. On the other side of the table are Jack Hammond, 13, of Belchertown, Jacob Mastalerz, 9, and Pathfinder senior Kyle Lussier, 17.

PALMER – In the cafeteria, the children already made whoopie pies, and were preparing ingredients for train-shaped cakes. Another group was busy mixing cheese ravioli.

In a different area, a robot battle had just finished. At the machine shop, students made dice and keychains. In carpentry, they crafted tool boxes and tic tac toe games.

All this was happening on a recent weekday at Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School, which holds an annual three-week summer enrichment program from July 9 to 27.

According to program coordinator Paul A. Bouthiller, the program allows students ages 9 to 13 to get a taste of what Pathfinder has to offer. Bouthiller said many of the children who attend the summer program end up choosing Pathfinder for high school.

“Obviously I’m a huge fan of vocational education because I think these kids get jobs,” Bouthiller said.

Culinary Arts instructor Anthony B. Bishop helped the students with cake ingredients. He said the students like taking their creations home.

Christopher J. Greene, 9, of Belchertown, and Alex J. Davis, 10, of Monson, agreed, and said they love the baking class.

“My family is always baking and I thought I would try it,” Christopher said.

They said the oatmeal cookies with heat bar chunks that they made went over particularly well at home. They both said people have been “bugging” them for the recipe.

Shannon Davis and Monica Roche, both 12 and from Palmer, said they look forward to attending the program every year. They were getting ready to make cheese ravioli – a combination of ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses - under the direction of culinary arts instructor Patrice Mercier.

“I like making new foods,” Shannon said.

Photo by Michael Gordon / The Republican Connor Seifel, 11, left, of Belchertown and Patrick Kennedy, 10, of Palmer, sand pine wood tool boxes during a woodworking class at the Pathfinder Regional High School summer enrichment program.

Monica, who said she has “no cooking skills,” is hoping the week-long class will help her. The friends said they also signed up for the “Environmental Explorers” program, in which they go on field trips every day to places like Worcester Ecotarium, Titanic Museum in Springfield and Connecticut Science Center.

In carpentry, instructor Matthew J. Rickson supervised the tool box making. The students use hand saws and power saws to make the projects.

Jourdan A. Laflamme, 11, of Bondsville, said he had a good teacher to help him with his tool box and tie tac toe projects. He said he planned to give the wooden tool box he made to his baby brother.

Rickson said the atmosphere is relaxed, and the kids enjoy learning how to use the tools.

“Year after year, they love taking something home. It’s ownership. They built it. They sanded it,” Rickson said.

The cost to attend each week is $200. Children who sign up for all three weeks are charged $525. Other programs featured include science, cosmetology, and photography and webpage design.

Sarah Gillett Services this year awarded 25 grants totaling $27,980 to agencies that serve senior citizens.

WESTFIELD – The poor economy has taken its toll on Sarah Gillett Services for the Elderly forcing it for the first time in its 42-year-history to reach out to the community for financial assistance so it can continue to support non-profit agencies.

“The height of community service is being able to help people who need services,” Robert R. Wilcox, foundation treasurer said.

But, “the need now is greater than our resources,” said Vice President Peter H. Martin.

As a result, the agency has launched a fund-raising effort, seeking donations both corporate and private to help secure its financial foundation and allow it to continue to provide annual grants to other agencies that serve senior citizens.

There is no specific goal of the ‘Helping “Sarah” Help Seniors’ campaign, but the foundation hopes to “educate people on the service that Sarah Gillett Services provides Westfield and the hilltowns” and by doing so, raise funds that will provide needed services in the community,said President Anne W. Lichtenberger.

Officers say since the foundation was created in 1970 it has contributed more than $1 million for senior services. In the past, annual donations to area non-profit organizations that serve the elderly were as much as $60,000, Lichtenberger said.

Earlier this year, the foundation was able to provide 25 grants to service organizations for a total of $27,980.

“We serve agencies that serve senior citizens and donations made to Sarah Gillett will be used to secure and preserve our foundation so that we can continue to support others,” the president said.

A brochure outlining the purpose and history of Sarah Gillett Services for the Elderly is being mailed to Westfield businesses and residents in August utility bills from the Westfield Gas and Electric Department.

“People can give an outright donation or a gift through estate planning,” Lichtenberger said.

Several donations have been made to the foundation over the years in the form of bequests, officers said.

Sarah Gillette Services for the elderly dates back to 1907 with the creation of a home for senior citizens on Broad Street. The home was later sold and the proceeds used by the foundation to provide grants to other non-profit agencies.

Many of the grants awarded each year go to agencies that have benefited from Sarah Gillette for years such as the local food bank, 33 years, and the Westfield Council on Aging for the past 29 years.

The Westfield Athenaeum has received Gillett grants for the past 28 years to help increase its large print book collection and collection of audio books, said director Christopher Lindquist.

“We are exceptionally pleased to work with Sarah Gillett Services to supplement our books and services used by seniors. Our large print collection is one of the most used in the Athenaeum,” Lindquist said.

Grants awarded this past spring ranged from as little as $140 to Paper Mill Elementary School to transport pupils to a nursing home, to $4,225 to provide financial assistance to seniors seeking day care services at the Mercy Adult Day Health of Westfield.

The city is requesting proposals from business owners who want to develop the second 25-acre parcel.

File photo by Don Treeger / The Republican Chicopee Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette speaks during a ceremony last year marking the city's acquisition of five homes abutting Westover Air Reserve Base on Fredette Street that used to be Navy housing. On the left are U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal and Col. Robert R. Swain Jr., commander of the Air Force Reserve's 439th Airlift Wing at Westover,

CHICOPEE – The City Council approved the sale of five colonial homes formerly owned by the U.S. Navy after years of negotiating the deal.

The City Council voted 8-0 Thursday to sell the property on Fredette Street to Wayne Bessette, owner of Waycon Inc., who successfully bid to purchase the homes to renovate them. Bessette will buy the houses and about four acres of land for $250,000.

The homes, known as General’s Row, were once part of Westover Air Reserve Base but have been vacant for at least 15 years. The city has been working with the U.S. Navy, which owned the land, to acquire that four-acre parcel and a second about 25-acre parcel off Kelly Drive, for more than a decade.

In April of 2011 the property was finally conveyed to the city. It requested proposals from developers who wanted to renovate the five homes by the summer and in December of 2011 the city selected Bessette, who was the highest bidder that submitted an acceptable project.

Officials are now requesting proposals for developers interested in developing the more complicated 25-acre parcel which has 128 homes that are mostly duplexes.

“From the city’s standpoint we wanted to get it right. It was not done right 20 years ago,” when other military property was sold to create condominiums, Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette said.

To have the property conveyed properly, the city had to accept Fredette Street as a public way. Since it was former military property, issues such as a right-of-way for utilities and tree belts had never been established.

Also on Thursday, the Planning Board voted to set proper boundries for Fredette Street and properly set up curb cuts and other things. That vote was 6-0.

Bessette will have to return to the City Council to have the parcel, which currently is unzoned, to be declared in a single-family zone. He will also have to get permission from the Planning Board to subdivide the four acres into five individual lots, City Planner Catherine L. Brown said.

Despite the bureaucratic problems with the land, City Councilors said they are happy that the work was done and the homes will be used again.

“I think this is in the best interest of the city to get this land back on the tax rolls,” Councilor James K. Tillotson said.

Councilors were assured that the proposal calls for single-family homes and cannot be redeveloped in a different way.

Several spoke highly of Bessette and his company.

“I’m glad to see Waycon will do this. He has done a number of projects in the city and he lives in the city,” Councilor Donald G. Demers said.

About half the students in the public school total of nearly 6,000 ride the bus.

HOLYOKE – Special education students left stranded and broken-down buses at summer school are among problems that have officials concerned that a new company won’t be ready when school opens Aug. 29.

“You didn’t meet these expectations. You failed,” School Committee Vice Chairman Devin M. Sheehan told bus company officials Monday.

Sheehan read a four-page list of problems in the meeting with representatives of Durham School Services, of Warrenville, Ill.

The approach of the school year had him “terrified” at the prospect of problems causing headaches on a larger scale after the summer-school ordeal, he said.

Durham on July 1 began a three- year contract that pays nearly $4.5 million a year, including summer school, City Treasurer Jon D. Lumbra said.

Summer school began July 9 for about 200 students, said Leonard S. Gibbons, the schools’ director of technology and operations. He wrote the list of problems to which Sheehan referred.

During the school year, about half the public school enrollment of nearly 6,000 students rides the bus, School Superintendent David L. Dupont said.

Durham regional manager Stephen Schmuck told the School Committee in the meeting at Dean Technical High School problems would be resolved and school would open smoothly.

“I am confident in our ability to deliver,” Schmuck said.

Durham previously had the school bus contract here and has experience in Holyoke, said Schmuck.

That prompted Sheehan to say the problems got so bad a few weeks ago and he was fielding so many calls from angry and worried parents he wanted to end the contract. Buses in some cases failed to pick up special education students, he said.

“And whose fault was that?” Sheehan said.

Gibbons said Durham has improved in some ways such as drivers learning routes and being on time. But many problems remain, especially Durham’s poor communication when problems occur, he said.

“Mr. Gibbons, are you confident this is going to be up and running to your satisfaction?” Ward 7 committee member Margaret M. Boulais said.

“I’m hopeful. I can’t say I’m confident,” Gibbons said.

Problems included:

• Buses that malfunctioned

• Drivers failing to follow routes

• Buses showing up at wrong times

• Company officials failing to heed school officials’ repeated demands to notify them when problems occur like bus break-downs

• Buses lacking radios to communicate with company headquarters

• Buses lacking GPS devices so vehicles can be tracked

• Drivers not answering cell phones

• Company’s failure to provide Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) documents on all drivers.

The Friends of Westfield Dog Bark has offered to assist in building and maintaining a dog park in the city.

The American Staff Terrier 'Royal tiger of bright beauty' walks along the catwalk at the International Dog and Cat Exhibition in Erfurt, central Germany, Sunday, June 10, 2012. 4,000 dogs of 250 breeds from 16 countries take part at the exhibition and will be examined by experts this weekend. (AP Photo/Jens Meyer)

WESTFIELD – Officials are optimistic about creating the city’s first dog park at an unused city recreational area located off Lockhouse Road.

“This is a perfect place for future investment,” Mayor Daniel M. Knapik said this week about the area located near Powder Mill Reservoir.

City Councilors Christopher M. Crean and James R. Adams, members of the council’s Dog Park Committee, agree saying resuse of that area will serve both dog lovers and the general public.

“It is a suitable fit,” Crean said. “We can put a dog park there and bring back the park for residents living in that area of the city,” he said.

Adams said the expense will be minimal, hopefully just for fencing of the dog use area, and “this park should be revitalized.” He said the city will also address concerns over access to the park because of an overpass for the Massachusetts Turnpike located at the road leading to the park.

The park has stood unused for years, back to the mid-1980s, and has become overgrown with weeds and brush.

The Westfield Water Shed Association may have some concern because of its location near Powder Mill Reservoir but Crean said “We can work with them to resolve any issues.”

The association was inspecting the site this week.

“This has been a stagnant park for many years,” said Knapik. “We are looking at rebuilding the roadway entrance, establish some parking and fencing,” he said.

Knapik said labor provided by the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department can help clear brush and other debris there. He said Sheriff Michael Ashe has been asked for assistance and that is expected next month.

Assisting the city in creation of a dog park will come from a citizen group the Friends of Westfield Dog Bark which has been looking for a site and raising funds to support a dog park for several years.

Friends officers Edward J. Phillips and Marilyn Sandidge proposed a location behind Paper Mill Elementary School in February buy that facility serves as ball fields for Westfield Little League.

The friends group has offered to assist financially in creation of a dog park and its maintenance.

The event attracted between 3,000 and 4,000 people.

CHICOPEE – Volunteers knew their Night Out Against Crime event was going well when they started running out of things.

First the police had to run back to the station to get more backpacks after they gave 600 for prizes and the night wasn’t nearly over. Then they ran out of rolls after more than 1,500 hot dogs had been grilled and given away.

Even Lt. John Pronovost, the Police department’s crime prevention training officer, started off with 500 toy badges to give to children. Long before the flashlight parade that ends the event started he was down to a small plastic bag.

“I think this is our biggest event so far. We had between 3,000 and 4,000 people,” said Jean Fitzgerald, chairwoman of the Night Out Against Crime committee and founder of the event.

National Night Out Against Crime, which started nearly 30 years ago, encourages communities across the country to get together in a show of force against gangs, drugs and crime. The event is held on Aug. 7 but Chicopee always hold theirs one day early.

This was the 19th year of the event. Spread out across Sarah Jane Sherman Park were bounce houses, games offered by different community groups, a bicycle and skateboard demonstration and free food.

Corey Morales, 17, wore a bright knit yellow cap and giant sunglasses as he worked at the Boys and Girls Club booth. He said he helped at different games and picked up trash.

“It’s my first one. It has been really fun,” he said.

One of his friends, Chary Rivera, 16, teased that she helped Morales dress. She too assisted with the Boys and Girls Club.

“This is my second and it has good games, cotton candy, hot dogs and I like the jump house,” she said.

The main purpose of the event is to allow the community and police to gather in a casual setting. This year Fitzgerald was encouraging people to thank police and honored state and local officers in a breakfast for their work at the April 13 shooting that left a state trooper injured.

The one disappointment was the Fire Department, which always attends, was battling a major fire and could not come. Residents missed them but understood, she said.

“It is a great event. We always want to meet the children, and tell them if you ever have a problem go to a police officer,” Pronovost said. “We are here to help and we try to make the situation better.”

This is an undated family photo of the late Amanda Plasse.

He talked about how the event has expanded. The first few years the event would draw about 100 people and a few officers would attend. Now people line up to see the department’s rescue boat and the emergency response vehicle and wait to see demonstrations of the police dog.

In fitting with the theme of the event, Michelle Mathieson handed out flyers and sold T-shirts and bracelets in tribute to her daughter Amanda Plasse. Plasse was just 20 when she was murdered on Aug. 26 in her School Street apartment. Her killing remains unsolved.

Mathieson said she is hoping someone will come forward with information that will help solve her daughter’s death.

Fitzgerald thanked the many sponsors who donated prizes, food and their time, saying the event could not have happened without them.

This year the School Committee and City Council in a show of unity manned the hot dog station. Councilors Michael J. Pise and Adam D. Lamontagne bought the hot dogs and rolls and City Councilors Dino A. Brunetti, John L. Vieau and Frank N. Laflamme, with the help of City Treasurer Ernest N. Laflamme grilled the food.

The suspect, who has not been named by authorities because of his age, was arraigned in Franklin-Hampshire Juvenile Court.

Jane Dyer

NORTHAMPTON – Children’s book illustrator Jane Dyer is known for her peaceful, idyllic scenes, but she recently experienced a night of terror.

Dyer, 63, was attacked by a 14-year-old boy in her Cummington home on July 26, she said. She said she first saw the teenager late in the afternoon standing with a shovel at the bottom of her driveway. The boy apparently entered the house and was waiting when Dyer, who was home alone, went back inside.

The boy surprised Dyer, hitting her in the head with the shovel and continuing to beat her as she lay on the floor, she said. Dyer said she pleaded with the youth to stop, telling him she is a grandmother. The boy finally stopped hitting her and ran off, she said.

Dyer received treatment for wounds to her head. She did not wish to discuss the incident in detail on Tuesday but said she is home and feeling better.

The suspect, who has not been named by authorities because of his age, was arraigned on July 27 in Franklin-Hampshire Juvenile Court. He is charged with home invasion, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on a person over 60 and armed assault with intent to murder.

The defendant is being held on an unspecified amount of bail. In a prepared statement, Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan extended his sympathy to Dyer and wished her a speedy recovery.

“The office will make every effort to ensure that safety of all concerned and the community,” Sullivan said.

Along with Barry Moser and Eric Carle, Dyer is part of a highly esteemed group of illustrators who make their home in the Pioneer Valley. She has illustrated some 50 books, including “Lucky and Squash,” which was written by Northampton writer Jeanne Birdsall. She also collaborates with her daughter, Brooke Dyer. Dyer’s original artwork is on display at R. Michelson Gallery in Northampton.

Gallery owner Richard Michelson said Tuesday that Dyer is just like her books.

“She’s one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met,” he said.

Michelson began showing Dyer’s work years ago as part of his effort to promote illustrative art. The arrangement has been mutually beneficial.

“She and Barry Moser did more than anyone to bring attention to our gallery as a center for book illustrators,” he said. “She’s one of our most requested artists.”

Michelson, the city’s Poet Laureate and himself a children’s book author, said he was shocked when he heard about the incident. Cummington Police Chief Dennis Forgea could not be reached for more information about the boy on Tuesday.

Organizers submitted about 2,600 signatures, but only 2,219 were certified; 2,235 certified signatures were required.

The Republican | David MolnarEasthampton City Councilor Donald Cykowski

EASTHAMPTON — City Councilor Donald L. Cykowski will not be recalled unless the city clerk finds some kind of computing mistake.

As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, the deadline for submitting signatures for the recall petition, those seeking to recall Cykowski were 16 signatures short of the certified registered voter signatures needed to call for the recall election.

While the group collected about 2,600 signatures, City Clerk Barbara LaBombard said only 2,219 were registered voters. Some were illegible and some signed who didn’t live in the city, she said.

She said she will double check all the count in the morning.

Those seeking the recall needed to obtain 2,235 certified signatures by 5 p.m.

“Obviously we’re disappointed that it didn’t work out,” said Samantha Peetros, a recall organizer. But she said the number of signatures is a sign how “Easthampton residents as a whole … we want to be represented.”

She said she hoped the number of signatures obtained would demonstrate to Cykowski that "he should resign, seeing this is what the community wants regardless if we meet the number for the petition."

She said she was very appreciative of everyone who worked on the campaign.

Mayor Michael A. Tautznik was one of those who signed the petition.

Five businesses and about 30 people were involved in collecting signatures.

Organizers first had to collect 400 signatures for the recall affidavit. Once they met that threshold, LaBombard issued the recall petition. Organizers had 21 days in which to collect the required number of signatures - 20 percent of the city’s registered voters. With 11,177 voters on the rolls last November, 2,235 were needed.

The recall effort stems in part from a remark Cykowski made during a City Council meeting last December. When a former colleague couldn’t get back into the City Council room during the meeting, Cykowski said, “Where’s a Puerto Rican when we need one?”

Residents are also upset that former library director Rebecca Plimpton told the Emily Williston library board that Cykowski, then a library corporator, harassed her for years before she left the position in 2007. Cykowski has resigned from that board.
Cykowski could not be reached for comment but has said he would not resign.

He also called on those organizing the recall to pay for the election.

City Councilors in a statement earlier this year suggested that Cykowski resign. The council has no authority to oust a member.

In a statement "In light of the documented racial comment made in December 2011 if the allegations of sexual harassment at the Williston Library are proven true, the undersigned councilors believe councilor Cykowski should consider resignation in the best interest of the City Council and the City of Easthampton."

Two councilors were absent and Cykowski and Councilor Chester A. Ogulewicz Jr. did not sign the statement.

Rev. Talbert W. Swan II, leader of the Springfield branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, had commended the Easthampton recall effort. Swan had called for Cykowski's resignation or removal from public office.