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Sterling Moore leaves New England practice squad to join Cowboys

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Moore was released and re-signed to the practice squad in November.

Patriots cornerback Sterling Moore left the New England practice squad to join the Dallas Cowboys' 53-man roster, according to his agent, Jordan Woy.

Moore spent parts of the last two seasons with the Patriots, but was released on Oct. 31 and joined the practice squad two days later. He served as a reserve early in the season and is best known for breaking up a pass to Baltimore receiver Lee Evans in the final seconds of last year's AFC Championship game.

He became expendable after New England traded for Aqib Talib and rookie cornerback Alfonzo Dennard emerged as a viable starter. Moore now must stay on Dallas' active roster for three weeks.

By joining the Cowboys, Moore's salary of $149,900 more than doubles to $390,000, assuming he is paid the league minimum. Dallas also extend his contract through 2013.


Holyoke attorney Peter Brady donates $200 to the 90th annual Toy for Joy fund

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The 90th annual Toy for Joy has a fund-raising goal of $150,000 by Christmas Eve.

111412toy-for-joy.jpg

The 90th annual Toy for Joy fund is receiving donations daily, and Holyoke attorney Peter Brady has donated $200 to help local children during the holiday season.

Brady said he and his wife Mary have been donating to Toy for Joy for “probably 25 years. ... We have five children, 12 grandchildren,” he said. “Christmas is a time for kids and it’s important that every kid have something on Christmas.”

Toy for Joy is jointly sponsored by The Republican and the Salvation Army, with support from partner Hasbro Inc. Toy for Joy has a fund-raising goal of $150,000 by Christmas Eve to donate gifts to children 16 and under of registered families.

Brady is an attorney at the law firm of Chartier Ogan & Brady in Holyoke. He is also an official of the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade committee.

Today’s donations total $525, with $3,880 received to date. Toy for Joy still needs $146,120 in donations to reach its fund-raising goal of $150,000.

For more information, call 733-7581. To make a contribution to the Toy for Joy fund, write: Toy for Joy, P.O. Box 3007, Springfield 01102. Contributions may also be dropped off with the coupon at The Republican, 1860 Main St., Springfield, weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. until Dec. 21.

Here’s a list of the latest contributors:

  • The Bradys of Montgomery, $200
  • Merry Christmas from Mike, Katie, Alyssa and Russell, $25
  • In loving memory of my mother, father and wife from Tony King, $25
  • In loving memory of Christine McCarthy-Morassi, $25
  • Jud, Es, Lois, Jack, Julian, Ted and Gene, love Nola, $50
  • We miss you Mom, Dad, Dick and Roy, love FAB, $15
  • Raymond and Phyllis, $100
  • Teresa, $10
  • In memory of Charlie Davio, $25
  • In fond memory of my husband Howard from Elizabeth, $25
  • Cheryl, $25

RECEIVED: $525
TOTAL TO DATE: $3,880
STILL NEEDED: $146,120

Gov. Deval Patrick swears in new members for youth advisory council

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The youth council advises the governor on issues such as education reform, youth violence and anti-bullying.

As a new member of the Governor’s Statewide Youth Council, Alison Ostrosky, of Ware, says she would like to find new ways to reduce bullying in schools.

Despite passage in Massachusetts of an anti-bullying law in 2010, Ostrosky, 16, and other students said on Friday that bullying still is a problem in public schools. Ostrosky said bullying is going unreported too often.

2012-11-30_13.57.35.jpg Jenna Sencabaugh, on the left, and Brienne Paradis, on the right.

“I know a lot of students don’t take it seriously,” she said.

Ostrosky was among 28 young people from around the state to take the oath on Friday to accept two-year terms on the statewide youth council to replace outgoing members. It is the third class of the council, created through an executive order by Gov. Deval L. Patrick in 2008.

During a ceremony in front of the grand staircase at the Statehouse, Patrick swore in two people from each county in the state.

The council will meet once every two months and will advise the governor on issues such as education reform, youth violence and anti-bullying. A review committee selected members partly for their leadership abilities and their potential to create change, according to the governor’s office.

2012-11-30_13.26.27.jpg Caianne Cayode, in the foreground, and Christian Knapp, first to her left, take the oath from Gov. Deval Patrick to become members of the Governor's Statewide Youth Council.

Patrick said it is uplifting to hear from the council members.

“They are a source of inspiration,” Patrick said. “Their energy is so high. They are so optimistic and positive.”

Ostrosky, who attends Quabbin Regional High School in Barre, represents Hampshire County on the council, along with Tosh Foerster, 14, of Amherst, a freshman at Amherst-Pelham Regional High School.

Caianne Cayode, 15, of Chicopee, a freshman at Chicopee Comprehensive High School, and Christian Knapp, 17, of Westfield, a junior at The Williston-Northampton School in Easthampton, are the Hampden County members.

2012-11-30_12.50.47.jpg Tosh Foerster, left, and Alison Ostrosky, right.

Knapp said he wants to work on some suggestions to increase high school graduation rates, reduce youth violence and bullying and increase youth access to the governor and legislators.

“It’s really important that youth have a voice,” Knapp said.

Brienne Paradis, 17, of Greenfield, a senior at Pioneer Valley Regional High School in Northfield, and Jenna Sencabaugh, 15, of Shelburne, a sophomore at Mohawk Trail Regional High School in Buckland, are the Franklin county members.

“I’m excited to inspire people and help change youth for the better,” Sencabaugh said.

Raphiael Putney, Cady Lalanne, keys for UMass basketball, produce mixed results in loss

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Putney played well despite foul trouble while Lalanne drew Kellogg's attention with his lack of ability to finish inside.

Esho_shot_120112.JPG Maxie Esho takes a three-pointer for UMass as Miami's Kenny Kadji defends in the first half of Miami's win Saturday at the Mullins Center in Amherst.


AMHERST — University of Massachusetts basketball coach Derek Kellogg said Friday that he would need strong play from both junior forward Raphieal Putney and sophomore center Cady Lalanne for his team to emerge with a win from Saturday’s game against Miami (Fla.)

He got mixed results from both, and ultimately got a bad result on the scoreboard as UMass fell to 3-3 with the 75-62 defeat.

Putney looked like he had an extra burst in his step early on, hitting a 3-pointer for the game’s first basket and grabbing a quick rebound.

But just 2:51 into the game, Putney headed to the bench after picking up his second foul — both of them unnecessary.

“That was frustrating because he actually had some good energy today,” Kellogg said. “He was playing at a pretty high level and did some good things.”

Putney would return later in the half, and continued to play well throughout the game, finishing perfect from beyond the arc with a 3-for-3 performance, and totaling nine points and four rebounds.

Lalanne stayed out of foul trouble, but drew the ire of Kellogg in the first half because of his lack of ability to finish in the paint.

“I was right in his ear, about as close as you can get. He’s got the ball six times one foot from the basket and didn’t get it in,” Kellogg said. “I think Cady’s got to be more of a presence for us in there.”

Kellogg went on to say that Lalanne is the only player big enough to make an impact in the paint for the Minutemen.

“We need him to be close to a double-double guy if we’re going to compete with the top teams that everybody thinks we can and wants us to,” Kellogg said. “We have to have some post presence on both ends of the floor, and it really can’t be from Sampson (Carter), (Terrell Vinson), Maxie (Esho) or (Raphiael Putney), it has to be that big body presence down there.”

Lalanne finished the game with four points and six rebounds in 20 minutes.

MORGAN SLUMPING

Junior guard Jesse Morgan entered Saturday’s game as the team’s leader in 3-pointers made, but a slump that started in Wednesday’s win over Siena carried over into an ugly performance against Miami.

Morgan was 1 for 10 from long range, and is now 2-for-17 over the team’s last two games.

The rest of his team wasn’t much better — outside of Putney’s 3-for-3 tally the Minutemen were 4 for 29, and no single player made more than one 3-point field goal.

Kellogg said the team will increase its shooting in practice to combat its woes.

“We need to shoot more in practice. The layoff we had, we didn’t shoot quite a bunch. We did more physical stuff and tried to get these guys mentally in the right frame of mind,” Kellogg said. “Now, I think we need to be positive with them and have confidence in them shooting.”

Alabama holds off Georgia, advances to National Championship against Notre Dame

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The Crimson Tide (12-1) trailed 21-10 in the third quarter, but after Alabama surged ahead.

12-1-12-alabama-wins.JPG Georgia safety Shawn Williams (36) and Kwame Geathers (99) trackle Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon (4) during the second half of the Southeastern Conference championship game Saturday in Atlanta.


By PAUL NEWBERRY

ATLANTA - Alabama is heading back to the national championship game – by a mere 4 yards.

AJ McCarron threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Amari Cooper with 3:15 remaining, and the No. 2 Crimson Tide barely held off No. 3 Georgia 32-28 in a Southeastern Conference title game for the ages Saturday.

After an apparent game-clinching interception by Alabama was overturned on a video review, Georgia’s Aaron Murray completed a 15-yard pass to Arthur Lynch, a 23-yarder to Tavarres King and a 26-yarder to Lynch, who was hauled down at the Alabama 8 as the clock continued to run.

The Bulldogs were out of timeouts.

Instead of spiking the ball and gathering themselves, the Bulldog snapped the ball with 9 seconds to go. Murray attempted a pass into the corner but it was deflected at the line, winding up in the arms of Chris Conley out in the right flats.

Surprised to get the ball, he slipped down at the 4.

Georgia couldn’t get off another play. Alabama celebrated as confetti fell from the Georgia Dome roof. The Bulldogs collapsed on the field, stunned they had come so close to knocking off the team that has won two of the last three national titles.

The Tide will get a chance to make it three out of four when they face top-ranked Notre Dame for the BCS crown on Jan. 7 in Miami.

“I’m ready to have heart attack here,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said.

For the Bulldogs (11-2), the consolation prize will likely be a spot in the Capital One Bowl, though they certainly looked like a team fully deserving of a BCS bid. Georgia coach Mark Richt said his team had the play it wanted at the end, but Alabama ruined it by getting a hand on the ball.

“I told the guys I was disappointed, but I’m not disappointed in them,” Richt said. “They’re warriors. We had a chance at the end. We just didn’t get it done.”

In a back-and-forth second half that looked nothing like a game in the defensive-minded SEC, the Crimson Tide trailed 21-10 after Alec Ogletree returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown in the third quarter.

Alabama rallied behind a punishing run game, finishing with 350 yards on the ground, an SEC championship game record. Eddie Lacy rumbled for 181 yards on 20 carries, including two TDs. Freshman T.J. Yeldon added 153 yards on 25 carries, also scoring a TD.

But the Tide won it through the air.

With Georgia stacking the line, McCarron fooled the Bulldogs with play action and delivered a perfectly thrown pass to Cooper, who beat Damian Swann in single coverage.

Georgia played like a champion, too.

The Bulldogs punted the ball back to Alabama with 2:25 left, relying on its defense to finally stop the Tide. Georgia used up its final two timeouts, forced a punt and got the ball back at its 15 with 1:16 remaining.

Alabama broke into a celebration when a pass down the middle for Conley was deflected and Dee Milliner appeared to make a diving interception. But the replay showed the ball hit the ground, so Murray and the Georgia offense trotted back on the field for their last gasp.

And what a gasp it was.

Just not quite enough.

Todd Gurley led Georgia with 122 yards rushing, including a couple of TDs. Murray finished 18 of 33 with 265 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

McCarron was 12 of 21 for 162 yards with an interception.

Mexico swears in president amid violent protests; Vice President Biden attends ceremony

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As several hundred protesters threw fire bombs at police and smashed plate glass windows, Pena Nieto marked the return of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, with a 13-point plan heavy on old-party populist handouts but with reforms designed to boost the economy and modernize the education and justice systems.

mexico.jpg Newly sworn-in Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto walks past a line of visiting dignitaries including U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, left, as he leaves the National Palace after delivering his inaugural speech in Mexico City, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012. Protesters opposed to the new president clashed with tear gas-wielding police early Saturday morning outside the National Congress, where Pena Nieto took the oath of office.


MARK STEVENSON
OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ
Associated Press


MEXICO CITY — Enrique Pena Nieto took the oath of office as Mexico's new president Saturday vowing to restore peace and security and take on the vested interests that have hindered economic prosperity.

As several hundred protesters threw fire bombs at police and smashed plate glass windows, Pena Nieto marked the return of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, with a 13-point plan heavy on old-party populist handouts but with reforms designed to boost the economy and modernize the education and justice systems.

"Mexico has not achieved the advances that the population demands or deserves," Pena Nieto said in an inaugural speech unusual for its heavy emphasis on policy. "It's time for us together to break the myths and paradigms and all else that has limited our development."

Inaugural events were marred all day by protesters opposed to the return of the PRI after a 12-year hiatus.

Inside and outside the congressional chambers where he took the oath of office, his opponents called his inauguration an "imposition" of a party that ruled for 71 years using a mix of handouts, graft and rigged elections. At least four demonstrators and four officers were injured as protesters clashed with tear-gas wielding police, and 65 people were detained.

Vandals smashed windows of stores, banks and a hotel and made bonfires of furniture dragged into the streets. One downtown bank office where all the windows were broken had the words "Welcome Pena" painted across the facade in green.

Pena Nieto countered with a speech full of specifics, from creating an integrated crime prevention program to ending the patronage and buying of teacher positions that rule the public education system.

He said he will put security at the center of all policies for Mexicans and their families and will work to ensure that roads and cities are again "peaceful areas where Mexicans can travel safely without fear of loss of their liberty or life."

Mexico has suffered a spike in violence since outgoing President Felipe Calderon launched an offensive against organized crime upon taking office six years ago. Some 60,000 people have been killed by drug violence since then, according to some estimates. While officials first said most of the victims were involved in organized crime, the killings and kidnapping spread to innocent civilians as drug gangs came to rule entire towns and even parts of some states.

Pena Nieto turned to his usual style of result-oriented governing with the list, having started his term as governor of Mexico State with 608 projects that he promised to complete.

The tone of his speech was conciliatory, an attempt to alleviate fears about a return to the PRI's autocratic past.

"I will respect every voice," he said. "I will run an open government that speaks with honesty, seeks opinion, listens to its citizens ... I will be a president who is close to the people."

Many of his proposals harkened back to the old populist PRI, promising pensions for the elderly, life insurance for single mothers to support their children through college, a program to end hunger and a new system of passenger trains.

Political analyst Jesus Silva-Herzog Marquez marveled at the specificity.

"It was as if the president took a pencil and drew the train route and how much it would cost to Toluca," Silva-Herzog said. "It was very concrete, very practical, zero ideology ... this is Pena Nieto. I think Pena Nieto is not a person who thinks in abstract terms."

Many remain to be convinced.

Before he took the oath of office, leftist congressional members inside the chamber gave protest speeches and hung banners, including a giant one reading "Imposition consummated. Mexico mourns."

"One word sums up Dec. 1: The restoration. The return to the past," said Congressman Ricardo Monreal of the Citizens Movement party.

Pena Nieto, who assumed office at a midnight ceremony at the National Palace, campaigned as the new face of the PRI, repentant and reconstructed after being voted out of the presidency in 2000.

Before his public swearing-in at mid-day, hundreds of opponents banged on tall, steel security barriers around Congress, threw stones, bottle rockets and firecrackers at police and yelled "Mexico without PRI!" Police responded by spraying tear gas from a truck and used fire extinguishers to put out flames from cocktails. One group of protesters rammed and dented the barrier with a large truck before being driven off by police water cannons.

"We're against the oppression, the imposition of a person," said Alejandro, 25, a student and protester who wouldn't give his last name, saying he feared reprisals.

"He gave groceries, money and a lot more so people would vote for him," the student added, referring to allegations that the PRI gave voters gifts to encourage them to cast ballots for Pena Nieto.

Protesters trailed the new president from the Congress to the National Palace, trying to break down the barriers set up in the Zocalo, Mexico City's giant central plaza in front of the palace.

"The president is like Salinas: 'I don't see you, I don't hear you,'" said Aurelio Medina, 64, a vendor and protestor referring to PRI President Carlos Salinas de Gortari.

Lines of riot police closed down streets around the Fine Arts Palace near where Pena Nieto gave his speech. Police arrested a few protesters who were throwing rocks or pieces of wood. Windows of a Sears departmental store were smashed and its outside walls splashed with white paint.

Despite the protests, the atmosphere inside Congress during the swearing-in ceremony was far less chaotic than six years ago, when a Calderon security unit literally had to muscle him past blockades and protesters to get him into the building so he could take the oath of office after a razor-thin, disputed victory over a leftist candidate.

Associated Press writers Adriana Gomez Licon, Michael Weissenstein, Carlos Rodriguez and Juan Diego Quesada contributed to this report.

Egypt's president sets date for constitution vote

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More than 100,000 Morsi supporters organized by the Muslim Brotherhood and ultraconservative Salafi groups took to the streets of Cairo and other cities a day after a massive opposition demonstration against his recent decrees giving him immunity from judicial oversight and the charter that was rushed through an assembly packed with allies.

egypt.jpg People wave Egyptian flags and hold a large poster with the portrait of President Mohammed Morsi, center, during a rally near Cairo University in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012. More than 100,000 Islamists waved Egyptian flags and hoisted portraits of President Mohammed Morsi in rallies nationwide Saturday to support his efforts to rush through a new draft constitution despite widespread opposition by secular activists and some in the judiciary.


SARAH EL DEEB
Associated Press

CAIRO — Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi called Saturday for a referendum in two weeks on a contentious draft constitution, setting a date for another milestone in the country's transition to democracy. Widespread disputes over the charter and Morsi's recent seizure of near absolute power have marred the process and thrown the country into turmoil.

As has been the case in nearly two years since Hosni Mubarak was ousted, what should have been a cause for national celebration turned into dueling protest between opponents and supporters of how the transition has been managed— largely divided along Islamist and secular lines.

More than 100,000 Morsi supporters organized by the Muslim Brotherhood and ultraconservative Salafi groups took to the streets of Cairo and other cities a day after a massive opposition demonstration against his recent decrees giving him immunity from judicial oversight and the charter that was rushed through an assembly packed with allies.

The presidency has been locked in a tug of war with the powerful judiciary and secular and Christian activists since Morsi granted himself far-reaching powers on Nov. 22 in a bid to pre-empt an expected decision by the Supreme Constitutional Court on Sunday to dissolve the constitutional panel, as it had done the Islamist-led parliament earlier this year.

Morsi also decreed that courts cannot dissolve the Islamist-dominated upper house of parliament, known as the Shura Council — another decision slated to be before the Constitution Court on Sunday. In protest, most of the nation's judges have gone on strike.

It was not clear if Egypt's highest court would go ahead with Sunday's session. Any move to do so would be a direct challenge to Morsi and could further undermine the charter's legitimacy. Judges also have threatened to boycott observing the referendum, and the secular opposition promised a civil disobedience campaign.

"After receiving this draft constitution, and out of keenness to build the nation's institutions without delay or stalling, I will issue today the call for a public referendum on this draft charter on Saturday, Dec. 15," Morsi said. "I pray to God and hope that it will be a new day of democracy in Egypt."

The dispute has thrown Egypt into a fresh round of turmoil after months of protests, rising crime and economic woes. It also has mobilized an increasingly cohesive opposition leadership of prominent liberal and secular politicians — a contrast to the leaderless youth uprising last year that toppled Mubarak.

Late Saturday, a few thousand pro-Morsi supporters gathered outside the building of the Supreme Constitutional Court and set up tents, heightening the tension.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland lamented the lack of consensus in Egypt's constitution-writing process.

But other U.S. officials said there were internal debates over whether to criticize the draft constitution for limiting freedom of expression, failing to grant freedom of worship, criminalizing blasphemy and eroding women's rights guarantees.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly about internal deliberations.

Acknowledging the disagreements, Morsi said he didn't want to delay the transition and said the draft constitution is another brick in Egypt's democratic experience. He also called for a national dialogue in his nationally televised address to the constitutional assembly.

The Muslim Brotherhood, from which Morsi hails, alleges the courts are dominated by Mubarak-era judges trying to stall progress.

"I tell my opponents before my supporters, help me to carry out this responsibility you bestowed upon me in managing the country's affairs," Morsi said, urging protesters to take their opposition to the ballot box. "With us all we build the nation."

As he announced the date, his supporters holding their rally near Cairo University danced and chanted in celebration. "The people support the president's decision!" they chanted.

Ashraf Metawli, a 32-year-old government employee from the Nile Delta province of el-Menoufia who was brought by bus to Cairo for the rally, said the majority of Egyptians are Muslims and its constitution should be an Islamist one.

"This is our belief. We picked the president for Islamic law, and our choice was democratic," he said. "What Morsi is doing is to get rid of all that is corrupt."

Across the Nile River, a few thousand of Morsi's opponents rallying in Cairo's Tahrir Square raised their shoes to show contempt for the plan.

The opposition held massive rallies last week, and several hundred are holding a sit-in in Tahrir, the epicenter of the uprising that forced Mubarak to step down last year. They have said they would only participate in a national dialogue if Morsi rescinds his decrees, which they said gave him near-dictatorial powers.

Prominent democracy advocate Mohamed ElBaradei, a Nobel Peace laureate who is a member of the opposition coalition leadership, said on his Twitter account that Morsi put to a referendum a constitution that "undermines basic freedoms and violates universal rights. The struggle continues."

Members of the Muslim Brotherhood, in backing Morsi, have depicted the opposition as an elitist group that has not been able to muster success in the previous elections, including an earlier referendum during the military rule, and parliamentary elections that brought the Islamists to power.

Mohammed el-Beltagy, a senior Brotherhood member and a member of the constituent assembly, told the Brotherhood-affiliated TV station Misr 25, said the opposition was a media phenomenon.

"We either go to the ballot boxes and let the people be the arbiter, or we can believe that the elite are a substitute for the people."

Islamists, including the Brotherhood and the more radical Salafi groups, garnered nearly 75 percent of the seats in last winter's parliament election. But the Supreme Constitutional Court dissolved the parliament in June, setting the stage for the current standoff.

In his speech, Morsi appealed to the judges to carry out their duties, praising their national roles and adding that the state will not challenge their decisions or powers.

"I am sure that the judges of Egypt will be of help to their nation and people. No one can act outside legal legitimacy," he said in the official ceremony held for the delivery of the draft constitution attended by panel members, as well as the defense minister, signaling military support.

Nasser Amin, the head of the Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession, said Morsi was sending a subtle hint that he didn't expect the judges to challenge his decrees.

He added that Morsi's decision to call for a referendum despite a legal challenge hanging over the body that drafted it undermines the referendum's legitimacy.

"It will be a stillborn constitution," he said.

Threatening to prolong the standoff, various groups, including religious clerics and university professors, have offered to observe the referendum in case the judges follow through with their threats to boycott it.

Despite wide opposition to the constitution and walkouts by secular and Christian representatives from the panel drafting the constitution, Morsi said the constitution establishes a real democratic system and "is going in the right direction."

Opponents say the draft charter has a distinct Islamist bent and rights groups have raised concerns about articles that undermine personal and women rights as well as freedoms of expression.

"We want to overcome disagreements and bickering to move toward serious and productive work. There are massive challenges ahead in the future internally and externally," Morsi said, referring to those who walked out of the panel or are criticizing the draft.

The opposition announced plans for an intensified street campaign of protests and civil disobedience and even a possible march on Morsi's presidential palace to prevent him from holding a nationwide referendum on the draft. It is not clear whether the opposition can rally enough voters to shoot down the constitution in a referendum or organize a boycott campaign.

Psychiatrists OK vast changes to diagnosis manual; Among the most controversial proposed changes: Dropping certain familiar terms like Asperger's disorder and dyslexia and calling frequent, severe temper tantrums a mental illness

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Expected changes include formally adopting a term for children and adults with autism — "autism spectrum disorder," encompassing those with severe autism, who often don't talk or interact, and those with mild forms including Asperger's. Asperger's patients often have high intelligence and vast knowledge on quirky subjects but lack social skills.

LINDSEY TANNER
AP Medical Writer

CHICAGO — For the first time in almost two decades the nation's psychiatrists are changing the guidebook they use to diagnose mental disorders. Among the most controversial proposed changes: Dropping certain familiar terms like Asperger's disorder and dyslexia and calling frequent, severe temper tantrums a mental illness.

The board of trustees for the American Psychiatric Association voted Saturday in suburban Washington, D.C., on scores of revisions that have been in the works for several years. Details will come next May when the group's fifth diagnostic manual is published.

The trustees made the final decision on what proposals made the cut; recommendations came from experts in several task force groups assigned to evaluate different mental illnesses.

Board members were tightlipped about the update, but its impact will be huge, affecting millions of children and adults worldwide.

The manual "defines what constellations of symptoms health care professionals recognize as mental disorders and more importantly ... shapes who will receive what treatment. Even seemingly subtle changes to the criteria can have substantial effects on patterns of care," said Dr. Mark Olfson, a Columbia University psychiatry professor who was not involved in the revision process.

The manual also is important for the insurance industry in deciding what treatment to pay for, and it helps schools decide how to allot special education.

The guidebook's official title is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The new one is the fifth edition, known as the DSM-5. A 2000 edition made minor changes but the last major edition was published in 1994.

The manual "seeks to capture the current state of knowledge of psychiatric disorders. Since 2000 ... there have been important advances in our understanding of the nature of psychiatric disorders," Olfson said.

Expected changes include formally adopting a term for children and adults with autism — "autism spectrum disorder," encompassing those with severe autism, who often don't talk or interact, and those with mild forms including Asperger's. Asperger's patients often have high intelligence and vast knowledge on quirky subjects but lack social skills.

Some Asperger's families opposed the change, fearing their kids would lose a diagnosis and no longer be eligible for special services. And some older Asperger's patients who embrace their quirkiness vowed to continue to use the label.

But experts say the change won't affect the special services available to this group.

Catherine Lord, an autism expert at Weill Cornell Medical College who was on the psychiatric group's autism task force, said anyone who met criteria for Asperger's in the old manual would be included in the recommended new diagnosis.

One reason for the recommended change is that in some states and some school systems, children and adults with Asperger's receive no services or fewer services than those given an autism diagnosis, she said.

Other proposed changes include:

—A new diagnosis — disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, which critics argued would medicalize kids' normal temper tantrums. Supporters said it would address concerns about too many kids being misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder and treated with powerful psychiatric drugs. Bipolar disorder involves sharp mood swings from feeling sad and depressed to unusually happy or energetic. Affected children are sometimes very irritable or have explosive tantrums. The new diagnosis would be given to children and adults who can't control their emotions and have frequent temper outbursts in inappropriate situations.

—Eliminating the term "dyslexia," a reading disorder that causes difficulty understanding letters and recognizing written words. The term would be encompassed in a broader learning disorder category.

—Eliminating the term "gender identity disorder." It has been used for children or adults who strongly believe that they were born the wrong gender — they dispute their normal biological anatomy. But many activists believe the condition isn't a disorder and say calling it one is stigmatizing. The term would be replaced with "gender dysphoria," which means emotional distress over one's gender. Supporters equated the change with removing homosexuality as a mental illness in the diagnostic manual, which happened decades ago.

___


Members of Springfield band Maker injured in car accident on way to Texas show

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Members of the band and a crew member were injured in the accident on way to a show in Texas.

Maker.jpg Maker

Members of the Springfield band Maker and a crew member were injured in a traffic accident while making their way to a show in Texas.

The band lost control of their Chevrolet Suburban on Friday and the vehicle flipped – ejecting two people, who were injured. A crew member was hospitalized in critical condition, according to a statement released by Maker.

“This morning, on our way to Texas, we flipped our vehicle over. A few of us are injured; one in critical condition and the vehicle is totaled," guitarist Eric Soucy said. "We’re trying to raise money to help pay hospital bills and buy a new vehicle. Any help is appreciated and please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.”

Additional details on the accident were unavailable.

The band's Paypal account is makerdonations@gmail.com

Maker is comprised of Soucy, singer Dave Carter, guitarists Mickey Lebiedz, bassist
Mike Coyle and drummer Raffi Santourian.

Maker is posting updates on their official website and Facebook page.

2 dead, 3 critical after bus crash at Fla. airport; group of Jehovah's Witnesses headed to West Palm Beach for church convention

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Chin said passengers told him they were part of a group of Jehovah's Witnesses headed to West Palm Beach. Police said in a news release that the group had chartered the bus to take them to a church convention there. The group was made up of congregation members of Sweetwater's Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, said Sweetwater Mayor Manny Maroño.

bus.jpg Law enforcement officers watch as a bus which hit a concrete overpass at Miami International Airport is hauled away, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012 in Miami. The vehicle was too tall for the 8-foot-6-inch entrance to the arrivals area, and buses are supposed to go through the departures area which has a higher ceiling, according to an airport spokesperson.


SUZETTE LABOY
Associated Press

MIAMI — A charter bus carrying 32 members of a church group hit a concrete overpass at Miami International Airport after the driver got lost Saturday, killing two elderly people on board and leaving three others critically injured, officials said.

The large, white bus was too tall for the 8-foot-6-inch entrance to the arrivals area, said airport spokesman Greg Chin. Buses are supposed to go through the departures area, which has a higher ceiling, he said.

Chin said passengers told him they were part of a group of Jehovah's Witnesses headed to West Palm Beach. Police said in a news release that the group had chartered the bus to take them to a church convention there.

The group was made up of congregation members of Sweetwater's Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, said Sweetwater Mayor Manny Maroño.

"This is a tragic accident that has affected many families, as well as, our Sweetwater family," Maroño said in a press release. "I am pursuing all avenues to get in touch with the appropriate persons to officially extend our help to the congregation and those who were hurt."

A phone number listed for the center in Sweetwater went unanswered.

At the airport, two large signs warn drivers of large vehicles not to pass beneath the concrete overpass. One attached to the top of the concrete barrier reads: "High Vehicle STOP Turn Left." The other, placed to the left of the driveway and several feet in front of the barrier, says all vehicles higher than the 8-foot-6 threshold must turn left.

Three people were at hospitals in critical condition. The other 27 surviving passengers were hurt, but their injuries were less extensive, authorities said.

One person died at the scene; the second died later at a hospital.

Eight of the 14 patients taken to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital were in stable condition while two others were in critical, said hospital spokeswoman Lidia Amoretti. Three others were expected to be discharged later Saturday.

A majority of the injuries were facial due to the frontal impact, said Miami-Dade Police spokesman Det. Alvaro Zabaleta.

"People that are passengers on a chartered bus, you are putting total confidence on the driver and they're high back chairs," he said. "It's just like you are sitting on a plane. You really don't see anything in front of you until of course they felt the impact — the force takes them forward and the majority of them were facial injuries."

Zabaleta said it was "too early to tell if in fact any charges are going to be filed."

Osvaldo Lopez, an officer with the Miami-Dade Aviation Department, said he first heard a loud noise Saturday morning and was certain it was some sort of car wreck.

He said he went inside the bus to help and found several passengers thrown into the center aisle. He said the passengers, many of whom were elderly, remained calm after the wreck.

"It was just very bloody," he said of the scene.

After helping the passengers, Lopez suffered some injuries of his own — his left arm and a finger on his right hand were both bandaged.

Fire trucks and police cars swarmed the area after 8 a.m. Saturday, and the bus was blocked off by yellow police tape. A white cooler that had been filled with water bottles was on its side behind the bus, the front of which remained wedged beneath the overpass for hours before it was towed away.

The bus was privately owned and typically used for tours, though police believe all the passengers were local residents, said Miami-Dade police Lt. Rosanna Cordero-Stutz. The driver was unfamiliar with the area near the airport and did not intend to wind up at the arrivals area, Cordero-Stutz said. Investigators were interviewing the driver, she said.

The bus was going about 20 mph when it struck the overpass Saturday morning, Chin said.

The bus model is commonly used for charters and tours, with the driver seated low to the ground and passenger seats in an elevated area behind the driver's seat.

Markings on the bus show it was owned by Miami Bus Service Corp.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration records found online show the company has had no violations for unsafe driving or controlled substances and alcohol. It also had not reported any crashes in the two years before Oct. 26, 2012.

The records show it did receive three citations related to driver fatigue in April 2011.

The company owns three motor coaches, according to the records. Miami Bus Service Corp. officials did not immediately respond to a phone message Saturday.

Islamic protests flare in Bahrain during Kim Kardashian visit

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Police fired tear gas to disperse more than 50 hardline Islamic protesters denouncing her presence in the Gulf kingdom.

MIDEAST_BAHRAIN_11692451.JPG TV star Kim Kardashian speaks to fans in Riffa, Bahrain, Dec. 1, 2012. Just hours after reality TV star Kim Kardashian gushed about her impressions of Bahrain, riot police fired tear gas to disperse more than 50 hardline Islamic protesters denouncing her presence in the Gulf kingdom.

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — Just hours after reality TV star Kim Kardashian gushed about her impressions of Bahrain, riot police fired tear gas to disperse more than 50 hardline Islamic protesters denouncing her presence in the Gulf kingdom.

The clashes took place just before Kardashian opened the Bahrain branch of her Millions of Milkshakes shop.

An Associated Press journalist saw protesters chanting "God is Great" near the shopping complex in Riffa, some 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of the capital Manama. The demonstrators were cleared before Kardashian appeared late Saturday.

Earlier, she posted glowing remarks about Bahrain on her Twitter account, calling it "the prettiest place on earth." It was re-Tweeted by Bahrain's foreign minister.

Kardashian was in Kuwait earlier this week to open another branch of the shop.

Light snow, freezing drizzle overnight, low 29

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Winter Weather Advisory for potential icy spots. Milder tomorrow.

Gallery preview
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY for Hampden County from 8 p.m. tonight through 3 a.m. Sunday and Franklin and Hampshire County from 8 p.m. tonight through 7 a.m. Sunday.

Another batch of flurries will develop across Western Massachusetts tonight. No significant accumulation is expected (one inch or less) and the bigger hazard will be the potential for light freezing rain later tonight and through the overnight hours.

Temperatures will steadily rise overnight, eventually making it warm enough for raindrops instead of snowflakes to fall. However, with ground temperatures stuck below freezing for a little while longer, a light coating of ice is possible on untreated surfaces this evening. This is the basis for the posted Winter Weather Advisory for the Pioneer Valley.

Sunday will still be gray, but it will be significantly warmer than the last couple of days. High temperatures tomorrow reach the lower-50s under mostly cloudy skies. Another system will quickly bring in a fresh batch of rain showers late Sunday afternoon and through the evening.

Monday looks to be a pleasant and unusually warm December day. Mostly sunny skies will be back in town, and high temperatures once again get into the lower-50s (average highs are in the lower-40s). A light batch of showers brush through northern New England and may clip the hilltowns on Tuesday. Another cold front delivers more rain showers for Wednesday.

Tonight: Light snow/freezing drizzle, slowly climbing temperatures, low 29.

Sunday: Mostly cloudy, scattered late-day showers, warmer, high 51.

Monday: Mostly sunny, mild, high 52.

Tuesday: Morning hilltown shower, partly sunny, mild, high 57.

Radar | 5 Day Forecast

UMass basketball coach Derek Kellogg on the death of Rick Majerus

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Former Utah and Saint Louis basketball coach Rick Majerus died Saturday.

University of Massachusetts basketball coach Derek Kellogg offered a brief statement on the death of legendary college basketball coach Rick Majerus on Saturday night.

"It's sad to see somebody of his age pass away. He had so much to offer the game of basketball. It's sad when you lose somebody in the coaching fraternity, especially when you see what he did for the game. From coaching against him and watching from afar you saw that he gave his heart and soul to the student-athlete and was something special. We are all going to miss him."

Majerus was 64.

Massachusetts discovers scoring attack in 6-3 Hockey East win over Northeastern

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Rocco Carzo had two goals for the Minutemen, who outshot the Huskies 46-36.



umass2.JPG

Rocco Carzo scored two goals to help the University of Massachusetts defeat Northeastern 6-3 at Matthews Arena in Boston Saturday night.





By SETH LAKSO

BOSTON – After failing to score a goal in 60 minutes against Northeastern goaltender Chris Rawlings the previous night, the University of Massachusetts hockey team sent five pucks past the senior keeper – adding an empty netter for good measure – on its way to a 6-3 win at Matthews Arena on Saturday.

The Minutemen salvaged a split of a home-and-home with the Huskies, who shut out UMass 1-0 at the Mullins Center on Friday.

Rocco Carzo led the Minutemen, who outshot the Huskies 46-36, with two goals, while K.J Tiefenwerth added his first collegiate goal and sophomore keeper Kevin Boyle recorded 32 saves.

The six-goal outburst was a season-high for the Minutemen (6-6-2, 5-6-1 Hockey East), who won on the road for the first time this season.

“I thought yesterday we outplayed (Northeastern) also,” Tiefenwerth said. “But we just didn’t find the net. Today was nice to have a couple bounce our way and get a win on the road.”

In the first period the Huskies (5-8-1, 3-7-1) looked poised for the sweep, taking a one-goal lead 5:56 after a Conor Sheary holding penalty led to a goal by freshman Kevin Roy just 12 seconds into the man advantage.

However, UMass rallied to score six of the next eight goals.

The Minutemen tied the score with 4:53 to play in the first when Steven Guzzo won a faceoff in the offensive end and sent a pass across the crease to Carzo, who one-timed the puck past Rawlings (40 saves).

The goal was the first allowed by Rawlings – who turned away 31 shots to record the 11th shutout of his career Friday – in 75 minutes. He recorded 45 saves over that time.

“It’s tough when you feel like you’re playing well and you look up at the scoreboard and you have nothing to show for it (like what happened on Friday),” UMass coach John Micheletto said. “It’s not necessarily that you get frustrated, but you try just a little bit more and that doesn’t always work. You just really need to stay your course and know that what you’re doing is right. Rocco’s first goal kind of gave us that.”

Next to best Rawlings was Tiefenwerth, who gave UMass a 2-1 advantage with 20 seconds to play in the period.

“It’s a relief,” Tiefenwerth said. “It’s been a few games since I’ve, you know, scored a goal. Now I’ve got it out of the way and hopefully there’s many more to come.”

The Huskies came out and tied the score early on in the second period, when Roy once again found the back of the net.

UMass then took over, scoring three unanswered goals over the next 15 minutes of play. The first of which was Carzo’s second strike of the game, and beat Rawlings five-hole.

Adam Phillips scored his first of the season 5:28 seconds into the third, capitalizing on a Northeastern turnover in its own zone.

Joel Hanley gave the Minutemen a three-goal edge a minute and a half later.

Boston Celtics lose buzzer beater to Milwaukee Bucks 91-88

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Paul Pierce and Jason Terry both attempted three-point shots in the final seconds, but failed to score the tying basket.

12-1-12-celtics-lose.JPG Boston Celtics' Paul Pierce (34) tries to drive to the basket past Milwaukee Bucks' Larry Sanders (8) during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Saturday in Milwaukee. The Celtics lost 91-88.

MILWAUKEE - Larry Sanders had 18 points, 16 rebounds and five blocked shots, and the Milwaukee Bucks rallied for a 91-88 victory after the Boston Celtics scored the first 17 points of Saturday night's game.

Monta Ellis had 17 points and seven assists for the Bucks, while Ersan Ilyasova added 15 points and five rebounds. Brandon Jennings had a big 3-pointer in the fourth quarter.

Paul Pierce paced the Celtics with 19 points, and Kevin Garnett added 17 points and seven rebounds.

Boston played without point guard Rajon Rondo, who served the second of his two-game suspension for his role in a scuffle during a game against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday. Courtney Lee, who started in Rondo's place, had 13 points, and Jason Terry finished with 15 points and 11 assists.

Jeff Green and Pierce hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Celtics an 88-85 lead with 1:44 left. Sanders then had a dunk and Jennings drained a 3 to get the lead back for Milwaukee.

Another missed shot and a foul by Boston put Sanders at the line. He hit one of two free throws to make it 91-88 lead with 11 seconds remaining. Pierce and Terry missed 3-point attempts in the waning seconds as the Bucks held on for the win.

Boston was 6 for 19 from beyond the arc for the game, including a 2-for-9 performance by Terry.

The Celtics opened the game with a 17-0 run. Milwaukee missed its first six shots from the field. The drought ended when Ilyasova sank a jump shot with about 6:30 remaining in the quarter. The Bucks' problems in the opening minutes included an air ball at the line by rookie forward John Henson.

Boston led 27-11 after one, but the Bucks rallied in the second quarter and trailed 48-47 at halftime. The teams were tied at 69 after three.

Bucks coach Scott Skiles juggled his starting lineup, inserting Marquis Daniels and Ekpe Udoh. The Bucks also played without key reserves Beno Udrih and Mike Dunleavy, both of whom sustained injuries in Friday night's loss to Minnesota. Udrih is expected to miss one to two weeks with an ankle injury, and Dunleavy attempted to play against the Celtics but couldn't due to lingering knee soreness, according to Skiles.

NOTES: Skiles wanted to insert Sanders into the starting lineup but the forward said he prefers a reserve role. ... Bucks forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute appeared in his first game of the season after rehabilitating from offseason knee surgery. He finished with eight points and six rebounds in 14 minutes. . .Boston's next game is Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at home versus the Minnesota Timberwolves.


Springfield police searching for 2 masked carjacking suspects who flashed guns, stole Chrysler Sebring near Maple and High streets

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The assailants were armed and masked when they ordered occupants from the vehicle in the city's Metro Center neighborhood.

SPRINGFIELD — Two armed-and-masked men stole a Chrysler Sebring near the corner of Maple and High Streets after ordering occupants from the vehicle around 6:45 p.m. Saturday, according to Springfield police, who continue to hunt for the assailants.

The suspects, both of whom were carrying semiautomatic handguns, initially were described as either black or Hispanic, though investigating officers were unable to get good descriptions, a detective said Saturday night.

Police said the carjacking happened in the southern end of Metro Center. The assailants approached the car, flashed weapons, then ordered occupants from the vehicle, the detective said.

The car was described as either a gray or light-metallic-green 2004 Chrysler Sebring, with a Massachusetts license plate of 54NM72.

It was not immediately clear how many people were in the car or if anyone was injured.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Springfield Police Department Detective Bureau at (413) 787-6355.


MAP SHOWING CARJACKING SITE in Springfield's Metro Center neighborhood:


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Springfield Roman Catholic Diocese to help collect money for aging priests, nuns, brothers in religious orders

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SPRINGFIELD — "Please give to those who have given a lifetime." That's the simple message the Catholic hierarchy of Western Massachusetts hopes people will take to heart this Christmas season, spurring donations to a health and retirement fund that benefits aging priests, nuns and brothers in religious orders. The annual drive to raise money for the Retirement Fund for Religious...

SPRINGFIELD — "Please give to those who have given a lifetime." That's the simple message the Catholic hierarchy of Western Massachusetts hopes people will take to heart this Christmas season, spurring donations to a health and retirement fund that benefits aging priests, nuns and brothers in religious orders.

The annual drive to raise money for the Retirement Fund for Religious will be held Dec. 8 and 9 throughout the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield.

old nun praying.JPG

The purpose of the parish-based appeal, coordinated by the National Religious Retirement Office in Washington, is to raise money for the day-to-day care of more than 34,000 senior citizens who also happen to be Catholic clergymen and women, ages 70 or older. The Diocese of Springfield raised nearly $90,000 for the fund last year.

U.S. Catholics have donated more than $671 million to support members of the senior religious community since the launch of the annual appeal in 1988. Contributions to the 2011 appeal totaled $27.4 million, roughly $23 million of which went directly to 453 Catholic religious communities around the nation, according to a release by Mark E. Dupont, spokesman for the Springfield diocese.

"Words cannot express our gratitude," Sister Janice Bader, executive director of the National Religious Retirement Office, said. "We are humbled by the generous and prayerful support that so many people share with our elder religious each year."

Just like lay people, many religious communities continue to face mounting health care costs. The average annual cost of care for members of the senior Catholic religious community is about $37,200 per person, while skilled care can exceed $56,000. In 2011 alone, the total cost of care for male and female members of the clergy was more than $1.1 billion.

Religious communities are financially autonomous and responsible for the care and support of their elder members. Because many religious communities lack adequate savings for retirement and elder care, church officials are seeking help from rank-and-file Catholics to help supplement the Retirement Fund for Religious.

More information is available online at www.retiredreligious.org, or by phoning Beth Kennedy at (919) 414-4007 or emailing her at bethkennedy@retiredreligious.org.

Tunnel collapse near Tokyo traps cars, people as fire burns inside

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TOKYO — Parts of a tunnel collapsed Sunday on a highway west of Tokyo, trapping an unknown number of vehicles and reportedly people as smoke from a fire inside initially prevented rescuers from approaching. Video footage from cameras inside the tunnel, after the fire was apparently extinguished, showed firefighters picking their way through cement roof panels that collapsed onto...

12-1-12-japan-tunnel.jpg Police vehicles are parked at the entrance as smoke billows out of the Sasago Tunnel on the Chuo Expressway in Koshu, Yamanashi Prefecture, central Japan, Sunday morning, Dec. 2, 2012. A part of the tunnel collapsed Sunday morning, possibly involving several vehicles and injuring several people, local media said.

TOKYO — Parts of a tunnel collapsed Sunday on a highway west of Tokyo, trapping an unknown number of vehicles and reportedly people as smoke from a fire inside initially prevented rescuers from approaching.

Video footage from cameras inside the tunnel, after the fire was apparently extinguished, showed firefighters picking their way through cement roof panels that collapsed onto vehicles inside the Sasago Tunnel, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) outside the city.

About 25 vehicles were inside the (2.5 mile) 4.3 kilometer-long tunnel, some of them trucks stopped by the tunnel's collapse.

Police spokesman Yoshihiro Fukutani said they were still seeking details about the situation inside the tunnel.

Police vehicles, fire trucks and ambulances were massed outside the tunnel's entrance. A man who said he saw the collapse and alerted authorities to the emergency told NHK television he managed to escape after he was ordered to flee. The roof and windows of another vehicle parked on the roadside outside the tunnel were crushed, and the injured occupants reportedly taken to a hospital.

Parishioners flock to St. Patrick Church in Chicopee, which will hold 1 weekly Mass at formerly closed sanctuary

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St. Patrick Church on Broadway in Chicopee will hold one weekly Mass, but it will not return as a regular parish, according to its pastor, the Rev. Dariusz P. Wudarski.

st patrick mass.JPG The Rev. Dariusz Wudarski conducts the first Mass at St. Patrick Church in nearly three years on Saturday. As of Dec. 1, a single Mass will be held each Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at the Broadway Street church, which was closed in an effort to combine parishes. The church will also be open for funerals, weddings and baptisms with the pastor's permission.


CHICOPEE — St. Patrick Church held its first Mass in nearly three years on Saturday, ending a period of darkness for the Chicopee Falls church and giving former parishioners a chance to worship inside their beloved Broadway Street sanctuary.

"It's good to be back," said Pat Healy, a former longtime parishioner who, like hundreds of others, went to Holy Name Church after St. Patrick was closed, then to Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church after Holy Name was closed.

It's confusing, for sure, but Healy and others said they were just glad to be back in their old church. Both of Healy's children had their First Communions and Confirmations at St. Patrick Church, where the family had attended Mass regularly since the 1970s.

"It's nice to see people who we used to see on a regular basis," she said after Saturday's 5:30 p.m. Mass, which drew a crowd of at least 300 people.

Pastor Rev. Dariusz P. Wudarski recently announced that a single weekly Mass would be held every Saturday at the Broadway church. The building also would reopen for funerals, weddings and baptisms with his permission, he said. But even though it appeared as if the church were whole again, it still isn't a parish, he said.

The parish, or organization of church members, was dissolved by the Most Rev. Timothy A. McDonnell, bishop of the Springfield Diocese, as part of ongoing efforts by the Catholic church to save money by closing facilities throughout Western Massachusetts. The Vatican said McDonnell had authority to dissolve St. Patrick parish, but it didn't authorize him to close and deconsecrate St. Patrick Church.

Worshipers at St. Patrick Church were rolled into Holy Name of Jesus Parish, but severe structural problems were found at Holy Name Church, the parish's namesake sanctuary on South Street, which was then closed to parishioners. After that, a decision was made to reopen the closed Assumption of the Blessed Mary on Springfield Street, which became a magnet for many former St. Patrick and Holy Name parishioners.

St. George Church on East Main Street, whose parish also was dissolved by the bishop but whose building was ordered to remain open by the Vatican, is the fourth church in Holy Name Parish.

For Ardell Stebbins, a convert to Catholicism and a former longtime St. Patrick parishioner, the only thing that mattered was returning to her church. "I am thrilled," she said, speaking to a reporter after Saturday's Mass. "It's a great feeling to know that there will be at least one Mass a week."

Wudarski, pastor of Holy Name Parish for about two months, alluded to the difficulties during Mass. "I know it's been three years since the last time that you celebrated the Eucharist here in St. Patrick Church," he said, describing the confusion and church closures as a "desperate situation."

"I hope that your willingness and your zeal will continue," he told the large crowd in attendance for Saturday's Mass.

His words apparently were not lost on his flock, many of whom applauded afterward and embraced or shook hands.

St. Patrick Church will only continue to offer one weekly Saturday Mass at 5:30 p.m. if at least 100 people consistently attend services at the sanctuary, according to church officials. Wudarksi is expected to review church attendance in March to see if the parish can afford to continue holding services at St. Patrick.

East Springfielders disappointed that Ameristar Casinos has withdrawn proposal to build Page Boulevard hotel-gaming complex

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The Las Vegas-based casino company pulled the plug on plans for a $910 million gambling and hotel complex on Page Boulevard in East Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD — If someone were making a movie about Ameristar's nearly billion-dollar proposal to turn a former East Springfield industrial site into a world-class casino resort, they might want to title it "38 Days Later."

That's how long it took the Las Vegas casino company to pull the plug on plans for a $910 million entertainment, hotel and gambling complex at the former Westinghouse Electric site on Page Boulevard.

convenience store clerk.JPG Peter Patel, manager of Page Convenience, says Ameristar's plans for a $900 million casino would have been great for Page Boulevard businesses. The Las Vegas-based company announced Friday it was scuttling plans for a Page Boulevard casino near Patel's store.

From Oct. 23 – when Ameristar officials first outlined their proposal to 200 people packed into a white tent pitched on the naked, 40-acre site where the luxury complex would have risen – to Nov. 30, a number of things conspired to persuade the project's proponent to drop out of the three-way race to build a casino in the City of Homes.

Now, with just MGM and Penn National competing for a single casino license for Western Massachusetts, the sequel to "38 Days Later" might be called "And Then There Were Two."

"I'm really disappointed," said Peter Patel, manager of Page Convenience, located just west of the Westinghouse site.

"I feel like a casino coming here, it's good for business. It's going to be the right way (to improve the local economy), not the wrong way," Patel said Sunday, two days after Ameristar scuttled its plans.

And those plans were rather grand: A 150,000-square-foot gaming space with 3,300 slot machines and 110 game tables; a 500-room luxury hotel with 50 suites; a 4,300-vehicle parking garage; multiple restaurants and retail establishments; swimming pools; and a spa and fitness center. And all just off Interstate 291 in a corner of Springfield that doesn't often get a lot of attention.

Patel said his customers have been gloomy ever since Ameristar broke the bad news. "They're still like, 'Oh, this is bad because the casino is not coming,' " he said.

Just up the road at Fettes Wine & Spirits, manager Jim Hagberg said most of his customers at the Page Boulevard package store are disappointed East Springfield is no longer in the running for a $900-million makeover.

"I believe that everybody in this neighborhood was up for it," said Hagberg, 43, a Hungry Hill native who now lives in Agawam. "If it doesn't go here, what are they going to do with a big empty lot?"

page convenience facade.jpg Peter Patel, manager of Page Convenience, said his store likely would have prospered if Ameristar had gone forward with its plans to build a world-class casino on Page Boulevard in East Springfield.

That's a good question, and one that Ameristar officials have yet to answer. The company, in a statement Friday, said it has not determined what it will do with the former Westinghouse site, which it purchased just over a year ago for $16 million.

A little over a month ago, Ameristar CEO Gordon Kanofsky had been promising "more of everything" in terms of the size and scope of the proposal, the revenue it would produce, and the number of jobs it would bring to Springfield. "Simply put, Ameristar's proposal is the winner," Kanofsky said. As it turns out, the shelf life for that "winning" proposal was less than six weeks.

"It's the mayor's thing," Hagberg said. "He'd rather see a casino downtown. But what about the people up here?"

One of those people, Milca Robles, 36, of Monrovia Street, said a casino would have been a shot in the arm for her working-class neighborhood, where most people have to take long bus rides to jobs in other parts of the city. "It would have been good, because this is a big neighborhood," she said. "I think it would have been great for jobs for people up in this area."

For Ward 2 Councilman Michael A. Fenton, who represents the neighborhood on the Springfield City Council, the 40-acre site is still a potential gold mine. Fenton has a glass-half-full view of Ameristar's decision to pass over Springfield. "The site is poised now for a really successful development of some sort," he said. "What we've learned now is that the site won't be a casino. I haven't been a supporter of a casino there, necessarily."

Fenton added, "I'm disappointed that there will be less competition for the casino license in Springfield. ... Our focus will now be the future use of that parcel. I, myself, and the neighborhood will continue to look forward to working with Ameristar."

Fenton said most neighborhood residents were "cautiously optimistic" about the chances of a casino coming to East Springfield, a sprawling neighborhood of residential, commercial and industrial properties. "From an East Springfield perspective, I'm not tremendously disappointed that it's not coming. I think there will be a good use for that property in the future," he said.

The possibility of bringing a Route 9-style shopping corridor, replete with "high-quality stores," to East Springfield is an option Fenton said he would embrace. "A commercial shopping center is something that could be in the mix," he said.

jimbo.jpg Jim Hagberg, manager of Fettes Liquors & Spirits on Page Boulevard, said business would have boomed had Ameristar brought a casino to the East Springfield neighborhood. Hagberg said many of his customers were disappointed to learn that Ameristar had pulled out of the three-way race to build a casino in Springfield.

A major concern of a casino coming to the neighborhood was traffic, with Ameristar proposing to finance a $58 million road and overpass project to create primary access to the site from Interstate 291. Whatever commercial project does eventually come to the Page Boulevard site will likely have to address that same concern.

"Obviously, the city is very disappointed in Ameristar's decision to withdraw from the competition to locate a world-class resort casino in Springfield," Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said Friday. "Ameristar made a strong proposal for an exciting project that would have given our voters a clear choice as to the type of location that would best serve the city."

But even with only two casino companies still seeking to establish footholds along the northern and southern ends of the city's downtown district, the mayor said he's confident the proposals by Penn National and MGM would create "robust competition" for a project to revitalize Springfield, bringing thousands of local jobs and sustainable economic benefits to the city, region and state.

Ameristar officials said costs, various requirements, and the local selection process were factors in its decision to not move forward with the proposal. Ameristar had faced a Dec. 14 city deadline to pay local and state application fees totaling $650,000.

Troy Stremming, a vice president for the company, said Ameristar was concerned that Sarno would not negotiate an agreement, thus excluding Ameristar's name from a local ballot vote to advance the company to the next level of competition. Ameristar would have needed an agreement with the city and enough local votes in order for its proposal to make it to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, which is responsible for awarding the sole resort casino license for Western Massachusetts.

michael fenton.jpg Springfield City Councilor Michael Fenton still thinks the former Westinghouse site on Page Boulevard, which is owned by Ameristar Casinos, could be turned into a good project for East Springfield and the city as a whole.

Stremming said Ameristar initially believed the state's casino law would permit viable and appropriate casino plans to be on the ballot, but the law gives local officials, such as Sarno, authority to oversee the selection process as they see fit.

Stremming said Ameristar officials reached the conclusion that their proposal would not make it onto the local ballot based on various comments by city officials, including the mayor's initial stand that he would choose only one company to place on the ballot. Sarno later said he would make a fair and objective decision by placing one or more companies on the ballot.

"If someone was going to tell me I was not going to be on the ballot, I would have made the decision a long time ago," Stremming said. "No one has said anything like that."

The remaining two casino companies will make public presentations on Dec. 11 at 5 p.m. at CityStage, One Columbus Center. The presentations will be followed by a public question-and-answer period. Doors for the event open at 4:30 p.m. Free parking will be available in the adjacent Columbus Center garage.

Outside Springfield, Mohegan Sun has proposed a casino for Palmer on land bordering Route 32 with immediate access to Interstate 90. That plan, long in the works, is being proposed against a backdrop of layoffs at the Connecticut casino.

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