According to the complaint, Brown began conversing with a 16-year-old boy from an undisclosed location over a website dedicated to older gay men seeking younger partners.

 

WILLIAMSTOWN - A registered sex offender living in Williamstown was charged Friday with sexually exploiting a 16-year-old boy whom he met over the Internet and encouraged to run away from home to join him in Massachusetts, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Ronald Brown, 50, was charged in a complaint with sexual exploitation of children.

Brown was considered a level 2 sex offender, based on his conviction in 1995 for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old boy, according to officials. A level 2 offender is considered to be of moderate risk to reoffend. They are required to register with local authorities but there identities are not disclosed to the general public.

According to the complaint, Brown began conversing with a 16-year-old boy from an undisclosed location over a website dedicated to older gay men seeking younger partners. Over time he persuaded the boy to send him naked photos and videos, and on Jan. 19 arranged air travel for him to Newark, where Brown met him and drove him to New York where they had sex.

Brown was stopped by police on the New York State Thruway en route back to Massachusetts after a multi-state advisory had been sent out about the boy’s disappearance. Authorities learned of Brown’s connection when the boy’s mother discovered their exchanges on her son’s home computer, according to officials.

The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from Williamstown police, and the Massachusetts and New York state police. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the U.S. Attorney’s office in Springfield.

If convicted of the charge, Brown could face up to 50 years in prison, lifetime probation and a fine of up to $250,000.

Federal affidavit against Ronald Brown. by Patrick Johnson

More than two-thirds of Hawaii's state senators have signed onto a bill to protect celebrities from paparazzi, giving them power to sue over unwanted beach photos and other snapshots on the islands.

Aerosmith's Steven Tyler gestures after climbing aboard a duck boat which transported the band Monday, Nov. 5, 2012 to Boston's Allston neighborhood where they gave a free concert. A bill to protect celebrities from paparazzi is being proposed by Hawaiian lawmakers at the request of Tyler, who recently bought a new home in Maui.  

By ANITA HOFSCHNEIDER

HONOLULU — More than two-thirds of Hawaii's state senators have signed onto a bill to protect celebrities from paparazzi, giving them power to sue over unwanted beach photos and other snapshots on the islands.

The bill's author says he's pushing the law at the request of Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler, the former "American Idol" judge who recently bought a new home in Maui.

A representative for Aerosmith declined comment late Thursday, saying Tyler was not immediately available.

Sen. Kalani English, a Democrat from Maui, told The Associated Press the so-called "Steven Tyler Act" will help Hawaii's tourism and film industries, encouraging famous people to come here without fear of being stalked by paparazzi.

"These are my constituents as well," English said. "Public figures have a right to reasonable privacy. There's a balance that we need to create."

The bill would open people up to civil lawsuits if they invade the privacy of public figures by taking or selling photos or videos. It defines invasion of privacy as capturing or trying to capture images or sound of people "in a manner that is offensive to a reasonable person" during personal or family moments. It does not specify places where pictures would be OK or whether public places would be exempt. The bill says it would apply to people who take photos from boats or anywhere else within ocean waters.

"Although their celebrity status may justify a lower expectation of privacy, the Legislature finds that sometimes the paparazzi go too far to disturb the peace and tranquility afforded celebrities who escape to Hawaii for a quiet life," English wrote in the bill.

Longtime Hawaii media lawyer Jeff Portnoy said the legislation is vague and panders to celebrities.

"It's unnecessary, it's potentially unconstitutional and it flies in the face of decades of privacy law," he said.

He said that it's hard to know how the court would interpret the state constitutional provision for the right to privacy in terms of this bill, but that based upon privacy-related court precedents, the law would be unnecessary.

The bill has only been introduced and referred to committee; lawmakers haven't set a date to discuss it yet. While 18 of 25 of the state's senators have signed on, including the Senate majority leader, it's unclear whether the bill would stand a chance in the House.

Hawaii House Majority Leader Scott Saiki said he supports the idea of protecting celebrities' privacy but thinks the bill should be more specific.

"'In a manner that is offensive to a reasonable person' — what does that mean?" Saiki said.

He said he thinks the bill needs substantial amendments to make sure it's enforceable.

English said he believes the bill is constitutional. He said the state has a provision in its constitution to protect the right to privacy.

"Generally, we've respected people's privacy, but we have a different time now," English said.

Like other destinations, Hawaii has a steady stream of high-profile visitors. President Barack Obama vacations on Oahu once a year with his family, while Lance Armstrong escaped to the Big Island last month after a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey in his home state of Texas.

Anita Hofschneider can be reached at http://twitter.com/ahofschneider.

A graduate of Sabis International High School, Murray was a 2-year veteran of the department, wore badge number 298 and worked at the White Street station. Watch video

Springfield firefighters march Friday in Kenneth J. Murray's funeral procession Republican photographer Michael Gordon  

Updates a story posted Friday at 12:22 p.m.

SPRINGFIELD — Firefighter Kenneth J. Murray II was eulogized as a good son, brother, friend and public servant at his memorial service Friday.

About 150 city firefighters came to St. Catherine of Siena Church to pay tribute to Murray, 23, who was killed in a one-car crash Sunday morning. Following the service, firefighters marched in procession up Parker Street to Hillcrest Park Cemetery for burial.

One of 13 firefighters injured in a November gas explosion downtown, Murray was on medical leave, suffering from burns and concussion-like symptoms, before his death.

Kenneth Murray Submitted photo  

A graduate of Sabis International High School, he was a two-year veteran of the department, wore badge number 298 and worked at the White Street station.

Engine 3 from White Street sat outside the church during the service, and accompanied the procession to the grave site.

Delivering the eulogy, firefighter Joseph Talmont recalled his friend’s reaction to the Nov. 23 gas explosion that obliterated the Scores strip club and damaged 45 buildings downtown.

“He said, ‘Everything went black and I didn’t know where I was; I didn’t know if I was in the club, on the street or sitting up on the truck,’” Talmont said.
 
In the following weeks, Talmont called the injured firefighter to boost his spirits. “I’m still calling him now; I hope someday he picks up,” he said.

Talmont recalled growing up with Murray, and spending time at his home. “There were a lot of I-love-yous and laughter in that house,” Talmont said.

Despite his imposing size, Murray was a warm, easygoing presence at his firehouse; long before the explosion, however, Murray suffered from severe migraine headaches, forcing him to retire to his bunk until the pain passed, Talmont recalled.

Murray’s father, Springfield Police Sergeant Kenneth J. Murray; his mother, Denise; and three siblings were joined by family members, friends and city officials, including Mayor Domenic J. Sarno.

Growing up, Murray was close to his mother, though Talmont quickly added, “he was no mama’s boy.”

Included in the program for the service was a photo of Denise Murray with her son, along with the poem “A Mother’s Love” by Helen Steiner Rice.

The poem concluded with the lines: “But whatever road you chose/ I’m right behind you, win or lose/ Forever young, forever young.”

“Consider (the poem) a testimony and a prayer to the way Kenny lived his life,” the program said.

Following a brief graveside ceremony, fire engine 3 sounded its horn three times, signaling its return to the White Street station.

Massachusetts Health and Human Services Secretary John Polanowicz said the department is working with the USDA to identify families that should no longer be receiving benefits.

02.01.2013 | SPRINGFIELD -- Newly sworn-in Massachusetts Secretary of Health and Human Services John Polanowicz talks to the media about his asking for and receiving the resignation of Department of Transitional Assistance commissioner Daniel J. Curley following a cabinet meeting held at Springfield Technical Community College. Don Treeger / The Republican  

SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Deval L. Patrick defended Friday his administration's work at cutting down on welfare cheats in the wake of the resignation of Department of Transitional Assistance Commissioner Daniel Curley on Thursday.

"This administration will continue to do everything it can to stamp out welfare fraud and abuse," Patrick said.

He said that this state's "slippage rate" of unaccounted-for welfare families is at or about the national average.

"But we must do better," he said.

The Boston Herald reported that Health and Human Services Secretary John Polanowicz asked for and received Curley's resignation following a report that that nearly 3,100 out of 47,000 families receiving taxpayer-funded benefits and contacted through a voter registration mailer were unaccounted for. Their accounts are being closed, according to the Associated Press.

Gov. Deval Patrick talks to the media during a visit to the Machinist Training Program at STCC. Don Treeger / The Republican  

"The former commissioner, while a good guy, was not accomplishing everything he should have been doing," Patrick said Friday during an unrelated visit to Springfield Technical Community College.

Polanowicz, who was also at the Springfield event, said the department is working with the USDA to identify families that should no longer be receiving benefits. Those that have moved and not notified the state of their new addresses should be getting notice soon.

He also said the administration will take steps to make sure electronic benefits cards are not used in inappropriate establishments.

The cars collided near near the traffic lights at the Exit 6 exchange to Interstate 291, state police said.

Republican file photo  

CHICOPEE — Two people were hospitalized after a four-car crash just before 3 p.m. Saturday at the Exit 6 exchange to Interstate 291, according to a Massachusetts State Police official.

The cars were exiting I-291 at the time of the crash, which happened at the traffic lights near Fuller Road, the official said. Two people were taken to the hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, he said.

One of the drivers was cited for "failure to use caution," he added.

An end to winter's bitter cold will come soon, according to Pennsylvania's famous groundhog.

By KEITH SRAKOCIC
and RON TODT

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. — An end to winter's bitter cold will come soon, according to Pennsylvania's famous groundhog.

Following a recent stretch of weather that's included temperatures well below freezing as well as record warmth, tornadoes in the South and Midwest and torrential rains in the mid-Atlantic, Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his lair Saturday in front of thousands but didn't see his shadow.

Legend has it that if the furry rodent sees his shadow on Feb. 2 on Gobbler's Knob in west-central Pennsylvania, winter will last six more weeks. But if he doesn't see his shadow, spring will come early.

The prediction is made during a ceremony overseen by a group called the Inner Circle. Members don top hats and tuxedos for the ceremony on Groundhog Day each year.

Bill Deeley, president of the Inner Circle, says that after "consulting" with Phil, he makes the call in deciphering what the world's Punxsutawney Phil has to say about the weather.

Phil is known as the "seer of seers" and "sage of sages." Organizers predicted about 20,000 people this weekend, a larger-than-normal crowd because Groundhog Day falls on a weekend this year.

"I just hope he's right and we get warmer weather soon," said Mike McKown, 45, an X-ray technician who drove up from Lynchburg, Va., with his mother.

Phil's got company in the forecasting department. There's Staten Island Chuck, in New York; General Beauregard Lee, in Atlanta; and Wiarton Willie, in Wiarton, Ontario, among others noted by the National Climactic Data Center "Groundhog Day" Web page.

"Punxsutawney can't keep something this big to itself," the Data Center said. "Other prognosticating rodents are popping up to claim a piece of the action."

Phil is the original — and the best, Punxsutawney partisans insist.

The 1993 movie "Groundhog Day" starring Bill Murray brought even more notoriety to the Pennsylvania party. The record attendance was about 30,000 the year after the movie's release, said Katie Donald, executive director of the Groundhog Club. About 13,000 attend if Feb. 2 falls on a weekday.

Phil's predictions, of course, are not always right on. Last year, for example, he told people to prepare for six more weeks of winter, a minority opinion among his groundhog brethren. The Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University later listed that January to June as the warmest seven-month period since systematic records began being kept in 1895.

"We'll just mark it up as a mistake last year. He'll be correct this year," McKown said hopefully.

Ron Todt reported from Philadelphia.

Faced with substantial industry opposition, federal regulators are struggling to implement a sweeping aviation safety law enacted after the last fatal U.S. airline crash nearly four years ago, according to a report by a government watchdog.

In this Feb. 12, 2009, file photo, the wreckage of Continental flight 3407 lies amid smoke at the scene after crashing into a suburban Buffalo home and erupting into flames, killing all 48 people aboard and at least one person on the ground, according to authorities. Faced with substantial industry opposition, federal regulators are struggling to implement a sweeping aviation safety law enacted in the wake of the last fatal U.S. airline crash nearly four years ago, according to a report by a government watchdog. The Federal Aviation Administration is experiencing lengthy delays in putting in place rules required by the law to increase the amount of experience necessary to be an airline pilot, provide more realistic pilot training and create a program where experienced captains mentor less experienced first officers, according to the report by the Department of Transportation’s Inspector General.  

By JOAN LOWY

WASHINGTON — Faced with substantial industry opposition, federal regulators are struggling to implement a sweeping aviation safety law enacted after the last fatal U.S. airline crash nearly four years ago, according to a report by a government watchdog.

The Federal Aviation Administration is experiencing lengthy delays in putting in place rules required by the law to increase the amount of experience necessary to be an airline pilot, provide more realistic pilot training and create a program where experienced captains mentor less experienced first officers, according to the report by the Department of Transportation's Inspector General. The report was obtained by The Associated Press.

The FAA is also running into problems creating a new, centralized electronic database that airlines can check prior to hiring pilots, the report said. The database is supposed to include pilots' performance on past tests of flying skills.

In each case, the agency has run into significant opposition from the airline industry, the report said.

"To effectively implement these initiatives in a timely manner, (the) FAA must balance industry concerns with a sustained commitment to oversight," the report said.

Congress passed the law a year and a half after the Feb. 12, 2009, crash of a regional airliner near Buffalo, N.Y., that killed all 49 people aboard and a man on the ground. A National Transportation Safety Board investigation of the accident highlighted weaknesses in pilot training, tiring work schedules, lengthy commutes and relatively low experience levels for pilots at some regional carriers.

The accident was due to an incorrect response by the flight's captain to two key safety systems, causing an aerodynamic stall that sent the plane plummeting into a house below, the NTSB investigation concluded.

"The law is only as strong as the regulations that come from it so this (implementation) process is the true measuring stick of how this law will ultimately be viewed," said Kevin Kuwik, spokesman for a group of family members of victims killed in the crash. The family members lobbied relentlessly for passage of the safety law. Kuwik lost his girlfriend, 30-year-old Lorin Maurer, in the accident.

Driven by the accident and the new safety law, the FAA substantially revised its rules governing pilot work schedules to better ensure pilots are rested when they fly. It was the first modification of the rules since 1985 and "a significant achievement" for the FAA, the report said.

Kuwik said he gives the FAA "a lot of credit" for revising the work schedule rules and for staying in touch with victims' family members. However, he said it's critical that the agency meet deadlines later this year for issuing new regulations on pilot training and qualifications.

"If the foot-dragging continues and missing deadlines..., the potentially significant effects of the safety bill will be lost," Kuwik said.

Responding to the report, the FAA said in a statement that more than 90 percent of air carriers now use voluntary programs in which pilots and others report safety problems with the understanding that there will be no reprisals for their conduct or computer-assisted programs that identify and report safety trends. "This has led to significant training, operational and maintenance program improvements," the statement said.

The agency also noted that it has "delivered seven reports to Congress, initiated five rulemaking projects and continued rulemaking efforts for another four final rules as a result of the" new safety law.

The inspector general's report, however, details how FAA has missed deadlines and run into complications trying to issue regulations necessary to implement key portions of the law.

For example, the FAA is behind schedule on rules to substantially increase the experience required to become an airline pilot from the current 250 flight hours to 1,500 flight hours. The agency currently estimates it will issue the rules in August, a year after the deadline set in the law. Airlines, worried they won't be able to find enough qualified new pilots, oppose the increase, arguing that a pilot's quality and type of flying should be weighed more heavily than the number of flight hours.

The FAA has proposed a compromise that would allow military pilots with 750 hours of flight experience or pilots with 1,000 hours and a four-year aviation degree to qualify to be hired as an airline pilot, but airlines remain opposed. If the FAA doesn't act by the August deadline, the increase to 1,500 hours will take effect without the exceptions offered in FAA's compromise proposals.

Yet the FAA and its inspectors haven't taken steps to ensure regional airlines, which will most affected, will be able to meet the new requirements, the report said. At two regional carriers visited by the inspector general's office, 75 percent of the first officers didn't have an air transport certificate — the highest level pilot's license issued by the FAA — which will be required for all airline pilots by the August deadline.

Online:

The Federal Aviation Administration: http://www.faa.gov

Department of Transportation Inspector General: https://www.oig.dot.gov/

Soldiers dressed in World War II-era uniforms marched solemnly as Russia marked the 70th anniversary of the end of one of modern warfare's bloodiest battles.

By ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO

VOLGOGRAD, Russia — An aged T-34 tank clattered into the center of the southern Russian city once known as Stalingrad and soldiers dressed in World War II-era uniforms marched solemnly as Russia marked the 70th anniversary of the end of one of modern warfare's bloodiest battles.

President Vladimir Putin came to the city later Saturday to take part in the commemorations, including a visit to the famous hilltop memorial complex surmounted by a towering 87-meter (280-foot) statue of a sword-wielding woman representing the motherland.

"Stalingrad will forever remain a symbol of unity and invincibility of our people, a symbol of genuine patriotism, a symbol of the greatest victory of the Soviet liberator soldier. And as long as we are devoted to Russia, our language, culture, roots and national memory, Russia will be invincible," Putin said at an evening commemorative concert.

The city 900 kilometers (560 miles) south of Moscow suffered six months of intensive fighting, beginning with massive air strikes, as Nazi forces tried to push deep into the Soviet Union and reach its Caucasus oil fields.

At least 1.2 million people are estimated to have died before the fighting ended on Feb. 2, 1943. The Red Army's defeat of the Nazis after house-to-house battling was a decisive turn in World War II.

One of the houses became a particularly resonant symbol of the battle. The four-story apartment building became known as the Pavlov House after the sergeant whose platoon inflicted heavy damage on Nazi troops and tanks while under heavy attack for two months, even as civilians continued to occupy it.

A woman born in the house a couple of months before the siege, Zinaida Andreeva, told the Interfax news agency Saturday that "for me, Feb. 2 is like a birthday. It's a special day, in which tears and happiness are side by side."

The city was renamed Volgograd in 1961, as part of the Khrushchev era's drive to erase the personality cult of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. But the name Stalingrad is indelibly connected with the battle that is one of Russia's most-lauded military achievements.

The connection is so strong that the city council this week passed a resolution under which it would use the name Stalingrad in official communiques on the day commemorating the battle's end, as well as five other days marking World War II events.

The legacy of Stalin remains a delicate issue nearly 60 years after his death. Although widely reviled for his decades of brutality and repression, many laud him as leading the people to victory against Nazi Germany amid immense suffering.

In a controversial move, Stalin's image adorns five buses that are to run in Volograd until Russia observes Victory Day on May 9, and similar buses were to run Saturday in St. Petersburg and Chita.

The leader of the liberal Yabloko party's faction in the St. Petersburg city council, Georgy Poltavchenko, denounced the Stalin buses.

"The victory in the Great Patriotic War" as Russians call WWII " including the victory in the battle on the Volga, was not achieved thanks to the 'military genius' of Stalin ... but thanks to the heroic resistance of our people," he was quoted by Interfax as saying.

Jim Heintz in Moscow contributed to this report.

A charter bus carrying high school students from Pennsylvania crashed when it attempted to pass under a low bridge in Boston on Saturday night, injuring more than 30 people, four seriously, and leaving some trapped for more than an hour, authorities said.

View full size Emergency personnel remove passengers at the scene of a bus crash, Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013 in Boston. Authorities say a charter bus heading from Harvard University to Pennsylvania has struck a bridge in Boston, injuring 33 people. (AP Photo/The Boston Herald, Stuart Cahill) BOSTON GLOBE OUT; METRO BOSTON OUT; MAGS OUT; ONLINE OUT  

BOSTON — A charter bus carrying high school students from Pennsylvania crashed when it attempted to pass under a low bridge in Boston on Saturday night, injuring more than 30 people, four seriously, and leaving some trapped for more than an hour, authorities said.

The students had been in the area to visit Harvard University. The bus, which was carrying 42 students and adult chaperones, was heading back to the Philadelphia area when it struck an overpass on Soldier's Field Road, a major crosstown road, at around 7:30 p.m., Massachusetts State Police said.

Authorities said the Calvary Coach bus did not belong on the road, where a 10-foot height limit is in place and over-sized vehicles are not authorized. State Police said the driver, whose name was not released, "failed to heed signs" warning of the height limit and will likely be cited for an overheight violation. The investigation will determine if he faces more serious charges, state police said. The driver was not injured.

Ray Talmedge, owner of the Philadelphia-based Calvary Coach Bus company, said Saturday night that his driver was being interviewed by police. Talmedge, who said he didn't know anything about the road restrictions, said the driver also drives a school bus.

The students were part of a Destined for a Dream Foundation group, Talmedge said. Officials with the Bristol, Pa.-based group, a nonprofit that helps underprivileged youth, refused to comment on the crash when reached by phone.

The group's Facebook page said the trip to Harvard was to "visit the campus, sit with the office of cultural advancement, followed by a tour of the campus ... followed by Harvard Square (shopping, eating, site seeing...etc...) This should be a fun time for all!"

The bus suffered significant damage in the crash. The front part of the roof was pushed in while the center section bowed downward. Photos posted on the Fire Department's website showed firefighters standing on the top of the bus using boards to extract people. The last victim was freed from the bus around 9 p.m., according to the department.

The Boston Emergency Medical Services said 34 people were injured, including one who was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries and three with serious injuries. None of those injured were identified, and state police said they did not know how many of the injured were adults and how many were juveniles.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority sent buses to pick up other passengers and get them out of the frigid temperatures.

Soldiers Field Road curves along the Charles River and passes by Harvard and Boston University. It is a major roadway to the Massachusetts Turnpike. Soldiers Field remained closed while tow trucks tried to hoist the bus over guardrails onto an adjacent road.

The Hampton Company, where Ostafin worked, was razed long ago.

Florence writer and historian Joseph Manning. John Suchocki  

He took it from there.

Meet John Ostafin. The 13-year-old boy had come to the U.S. from Poland about two years before the photograph and lived at 5 Boylston St. in Easthampton, about a 15-minute walk from The Hampton Company at 1 Ferry St.

Ostafin was one of the thousands of poor laborers photographed by Lewis Hine during America’s Industrial Revolution in the early 20th century. Hine roamed the country with his camera from 1909 to 1916, capturing images of the working poor, mostly children. Some 5,000 of his photographs are in the Library of Congress.

Manning, 71, a retired social worker, discovered Hine's work in 2005 and made a second career out of tracking down his subjects. The Florence resident is equal parts writer, historian and sleuth.

“I surf through the pictures,” he said. “Every one of them is tempting.”

Though Hine’s subjects are long dead, Manning is occasionally able to piece together their stories, with the help of their children and grandchildren. If he finds a local figure, all the better.

“Hine didn’t take a lot of Easthampton photographs,” he said. “I got lucky.”

Manning learned that Hine, whose photography skills were better than his reporting skills, wrote down the boy’s name incorrectly as “Johnnie Ostafan.” His proper name, Manning found out, was John Ostafin. For reasons unbeknownst to Manning, Ostafin changed his name later in life to “John Overs,” who happens to be a character in a Charles Dickens novel.

Ostafin, it seems, was a skilled steam shovel operator who traveled as far as South America to ply his trade. He lived all over the U.S. and had two children late in life. Both are still living, but neither seemed to have fond memories of Ostafin, said Manning, who tracked them down in Nebraska and California.

“They weren’t particularly interested or pleased,” he said.

Manning did some detective work on the photo’s background as well, determining that Ostafin was facing east on a street called Emerald Place with his back to Lower Mill Pond. The West Boylston Manufacturing complex can be seen on the other side of the pond. It was since been converted to Eastworks, a complex of shops and offices.

The Hampton Company, where Ostafin worked, was razed long ago. The rail line that supplies the West Boylston mill in now the Manhan Rail Trail.

Manning, who lectures at schools and museums, does not currently have a talk lined up about Ostafin, but his work is available for the public to view on his website, www.sevensteeples.com.

The key event will be a dinner and showing of ESPN movie "Unguarded."

Holyoke High School, home of the Purple Knights, also will be home this week to Project Purple fund-raising and awareness campaign around issues of drug addiction.  

HOLYOKE -- A fund-raising campaign to raise awareness about drug addiction will be held the week of Feb. 4 at Holyoke High School.

The campaign is called Project Purple, after a national nonprofit group that highlights issues related to drug addiction, and purple also is the color of the school's Purple Knights.

The week's key event will be a $5 dinner -- chicken, rice, macaroni salad, dessert and coffee, tea or juice -- Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. in the cafeteria at the school, 500 Beech St., said one of the organizers, Beth Beardsley Romeo.

Romeo is a paraprofessional at the school. "These kids are struggling with their lives," Romeo said.

T-shirts, wrist bands, shoelaces and ribbons wiill be sold, with all proceeds going to Project Purple, she said.

The Thursday ticket price also will gain patrons entry to a 7:30 p.m. showing in the high school auditorium of the ESPN movie "Unguarded," which is about former NBA player Chris Herren, of Fall River, Mass. Project Purple is an initiative of The Herren Project, which Herren established to help individuals and families struggling with addiction, she said.

Tickets are available at the Holyoke High main office, from members of the student council, the school's Business Club or band members, as well as at The Cottage Gifts, 1615 Northampton St., and Holyoke Sporting Goods, 1584 Dwight St., she said.

For information, call (413) 534-2020.

Here are five things to watch in Sunday's Super Bowl XLVII as the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers throw down in New Orleans to determine which team walks off with the Lombardi Trophy.

Here are five things to watch in Sunday's Super Bowl XLVII as the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers throw down in New Orleans to determine which team walks off with the Lombardi Trophy:

1. Harbaugh head games

San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh and Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh participate in a news conference for the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game Friday, Feb. 1, 2013, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)





 

Admittedly, the Har-Bowl hype has been a bit over the top with all the cutesy family interviews and sibling spin. But once the game begins, this brother angle becomes absolutely fascinating.

Baltimore's John Harbaugh versus San Francisco's Jim Harbaugh may very well be the most intriguing coaching "chess match" in Super Bowl history. After all, who knows you better than your own brother?

The Harbaughs certainly know a ton about each others' philosophies and tendencies from years of discussing the game together. They no doubt shared more than a few insider tidbits about their personnel and schemes this season before either had any inkling that they would face off in the biggest game of the year.

Ever play chess with a sibling? It's downright maddening. You've played each other so often that you know all your opponent's moves. You know all their weaknesses. The only problem is, they know you know and they use that against you. It messes with your head. Watching those mind games play out on the Super Bowl stage is going to be highly entertaining.

2. Turnover battle

This one is a no-brainer, but that doesn't make it any less important. Of the 46 winning Super Bowl teams, 34 won the turnover battle. There isn't much margin for error when it comes to protecting the football in the Super Bowl. Both the Ravens and the 49ers are very good in that department, but Super Bowl jitters have been known to affect even the most sure-handed player.

The Ravens and 49ers each finished the regular season with a plus-9 turnover differential. In the playoffs, both offenses have averaged just a single turnover per game. Defensively, San Francisco has forced a total of four turnovers in two games this postseason and Baltimore has forced twice that many in three games.

One errant throw, like the pick-6 that San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaerpernick tossed in the NFC divisional playoff against Green Bay, could be the difference between winning and losing. One case of fumble-itis, like the one that afflicted Baltimore running back Ray Rice in his two-turnover performance against Indianapolis in the wild card round, could decide the game.

Historically, victory in this game does not go to the careless.

3. Getting Gored

San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore (21) runs a drill during practice on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013, in New Orleans. Waiting their turn behind Gore are running back LaMichael James, left, and safety Trenton Robinson, right. The 49ers are scheduled to play the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game on Feb. 3. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)





 

Despite all the pyrotechnics provided by the emergence of Kaepernick, the San Francisco offense remains as much smash as it is flash. The 49ers hang their hat on a power running game, with Frank Gore providing most of the power.

While the Ravens defense has been revived since the return of linebacker Ray Lewis, it remains vulnerable against the run. Baltimore has surrendered an average of 128 rushing yards per game in the playoffs, and none of its opponents – the Colts, Broncos and Patriots – had a running back that compares to Gore.

Gore rushed for 1,214 yards in the regular season and has added 209 more in the playoffs. His season average of 4.7 yards per carry has carried right over to the postseason. And the 49ers' commitment to the run means that Gore won't stop barreling into the belly of the Ravens defense until the game clock expires.

The Ravens' best chance to slow down Gore is by grabbing an early lead and forcing the 49ers to take to the air. Barring that, they'll likely need to dig in and take their lumps.

4. Protecting Flacco

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco warms up during an NFL Super Bowl XLVII football practice on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013, in New Orleans. The Ravens face the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday, Feb. 3. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)





 

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has tossed eight touchdown passes this postseason without throwing a single interception. He's been sacked a total of only four times in those three games. That's no coincidence.

If the 49ers hope to cool off Flacco, they're going to need to get some pressure on him. San Francisco has the weapons, led by Aldon Smith and Justin Smith, to get the job done. But so did Denver, and Broncos pass rushers Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller combined for just a single sack in their loss to Flacco and the Ravens three weeks ago.

Flacco has been doing most of his damage downfield. He's completed 15 passes of at least 20 yards during these playoffs, including five that covered 40 yards or more. Passes that long take time to develop. If the 49ers can limit Flacco's time in the pocket, forcing him to dink and dunk, they'll limit his big-play opportunities. But if Flacco continues to enjoy the excellent protection he's had all postseason, look for him to inflict some major damage.

5. Corralling Kaepernick

San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick isn't Tom Brady or Peyton Manning – and that actually could be bad news for the Ravens. Kaepernick is not a pure pocket passer like Brady and Manning, the two elite quarterbacks that the Ravens bested on the way to the Super Bowl. They say that speed kills, and Kaepernick has plenty of it.

Kaepernick showed the kind of threat he can be as a runner when he torched Green Bay for 181 yards rushing and two touchdowns in the divisional playoff round. He proved that he can be smart and efficient by completing 76 percent of his passes and compiling a 127.7 quarterback rating in the NFC Championship Game win over the Falcons. So, do the Ravens deploy a spy to try to keep him from breaking off a long run? Or do they hang back to keep him from carving up the secondary?

It's a dilemma for which opposing defenses have yet to find a solution. To win the Super Bowl, the Ravens will likely need to be the first.

• Watch SI.com Senior Writer Don Banks break down the Super Bowl matchup and reveal which team he expects will hoist the Lombardi Trophy:

Super Bowl Sunday is the biggest gambling day of the year for sports bettors. But even if you don't know a Harbaugh from a handbag, the good folks in Las Vegas have come up with a way for you to join in on the fun. Two words: prop bet.

Beyonce is scheduled to perform during halftime of the Super Bowl XLVII. Her appearance has generated a slew of prop bets. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)  

Super Bowl Sunday is the biggest gambling day of the year for sports bettors. But even if you don't know a Harbaugh from a handbag, the good folks in Las Vegas have come up with a way for you to join in on the fun. Two words: prop bet.

Super Bowl prop bets are specialty bets that have grown to extend far beyond the more vanilla winner/loser and over/under staples of traditional sports betting. The popularity of these sometimes absurd wagers has exploded since 1986, when gamblers bet big on whether or not Chicago Bears defensive tackle and occasional goal-line fullback William "The Refrigerator" Perry would score a touchdown in Super Bowl XX (FYI: he did).

Today, more than 27 years after Perry's touchdown plunge, there are more than 500 prop bets available for Super Bowl XLVII between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers. You can lay your money down on prop standards like which team will win the opening coin toss or which player will be named MVP, but what fun would that be?

Any football fan can make an educated wager as to which player will score the game's first touchdown, but it takes a real gambler to bet on how Beyonce will wear her hair during the halftime show.

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis jogs during an NFL Super Bowl XLVII walkthrough on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013, in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. The Ravens face the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)  

Here's a look at 10 of the more novel Super Bowl prop bets being offered by sports betting websites in advance of the big game. If you don't have enough gumption to bet your paycheck on how many times Ray Lewis will mention God, never fear. This prop craze is great fun at parties. You can make friendly (and modest) bets with your guests or wager household chores with your spouse. Heck, turn it into a drinking game. The important thing is that you end up screaming at announcers Jim Nantz and Phil Simms to please, please, please say "Har-Bowl" just on more time before the end of the broadcast.

1. Which team will President Barack Obama pick to win the Super Bowl?

Ravens (-290)

49ers (+210)

Advice: Most Chicago sports fans would be neutral on this issue, but not one who spends as much time on the Beltway as Obama. If the Prez gets pinned down, expect him to back Baltimore.

2. How long will it take Alicia Keys to sing the National Anthem?

Over 2 minutes, 10 seconds (+110)

Under 2 minutes, 10 seconds (-150)

Advice: For perspective, Beyonce's recent rendition of the National Anthem at President Obama's inauguration (lip-synched or not) took approximately two minutes and 19 seconds, although that was an especially ceremonial version that included an extended intro and a bit of an ad-lib at the end. By comparison, Kelly Clarkson sang the anthem at last year's Super Bowl and whipped through it in about 1:40. Singers tend not to take many liberties with this song when they know folks are anxious for kickoff, so the under is likely a safe bet.

3. How many times will "Harbaugh" be said during the game?

Over 22 1/2 (-150)

Under 22 1/2 (+110)

Advice: If Vegas set the line at 1 million, I would STILL take the over.

4. Will Beyonce be showing cleavage when she performs her first song during the halftime show?

Yes (-275)

No (+215)

Advice: For the gentlemen readers out there, I highly recommend betting against this occurrence. That way, you're a winner no matter what.

5. Will Beyonce be joined by husband Jay-Z on stage during the Super Bowl halftime show?

Yes (-105)

No (-135)

Advice: Are you kidding? I was shocked that he didn't contribute a guest verse when Beyonce sang the National Anthem on Inauguration Day. No way Hova's sitting this one out.

6. What color will the Gatorade (or other liquid) be that is dumped on the head coach of the winning team?

Yellow - 1/1

Clear/water - 9/4

Orange - 15/4

Red - 13/2

Green - 7/1

Blue - 15/2

Advice: I never gave it much thought before, but the odds certainly seem to indicate that most NFL players would choose lemon lime Gatorade in a blind taste test. Still, if you're looking to take a chance, feel free to adopt my roulette philosophy and bet on red.

7. How long will the postgame handshake/hug last between Jim and John Harbaugh?

Over 6 seconds (-120)

Under 6 seconds (-120)

Advice: If the classic Chris Farley film "Tommy Boy" has taught us anything it's that brothers don't shake hands, brothers gotta hug. Take the over all the way.

8. Who will the Super Bowl MVP thank first?

Teammates - 8/5

God - 5/2

Coach - 12/1

Family - 15/1

Owner - 20/1

No one - 3/2

Advice: Never bet against God.

9. What will be the highest tweet per second during the Super Bowl?

Over 17,000 (-130)

Under 17,000 (-110)

Advice: See, Vegas even loves social media addicts! And social media addicts love them some Twitter. Last year's Super Bowl generated 10,000 tweets per second at its peak, and the Twitter legions have only grown since then. So bet on the over, charge up your smartphone and get ready to hashtag the heck out of this Super Bowl.

10. What will happen with the Dow Jones the day after the Super Bowl?

Market Up (-140)

Market down (Even)

Advice: If I could predict fluctuations in the stock market, I would be writing this from a villa in Aruba (I'm not, by the way). You're on your own here. I've got nothin'.

Linda Carrier, the Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Monson Public Schools since 2010 is one of four finalists for the superintendent's job at Southern Berkshire Regional School District.

MONSON - Linda Carrier, the director of curriculum and Instruction at Monson Public Schools since 2010, is one of four finalists for the superintendent's job at Southern Berkshire Regional School District.

Patricia E. Gardner, principal of Turners Falls High School in the Gill-Montague Regional School District, is also a finalist.

The district, located at the southwest corner of the state, includes the towns of Alford, Egremont, Monterey, New Marlborough and Sheffield.

Other finalists are Southern Berkshire school's curriculum director David Hasting and Patricia A. Lally, who is assistant superintendent at Tewksbury public schools.

Southern Berkshire Regional School Committee is expected to interview the finalist at a 6 p.m. meeting on Feb. 12.

Springfield state police respond to various accidents on the highway due to bad road conditions.

File photo  

SPRINGFIELD- State police responded to at least five accidents Sunday morning due to bad weather, police said.

Police responded to five accidents and two spin outs between 1 and 2:30 a.m. Sunday.

There were spin outs near Exit 6 and Exit 1 on 91, police said.

Several accidents on I-291 including one near Exit 3 and another near Exit 5 occurred due to black ice, police said.

Two drivers were transported to Baystate Medical Center with minor injuries.

The National Rifle Association's executive vice president continued to oppose background checks for all gun purchases despite polls indicating that most NRA members don't share his position.

This frame grab image shows a scene from video released by the National Rifle Association. In a sharp pushback against any new gun regulations, the NRA posted a Web video on Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013, that labels President Barack Obama an "elitist hypocrite" for allowing his daughters to be protected by armed Secret Service agents while not embracing armed guards for schools.  

By KEVIN FREKING

WASHINGTON — The National Rifle Association's executive vice president continued to oppose background checks for all gun purchases despite polls indicating that most NRA members don't share his position.

The NRA's Wayne LaPierre said on "Fox News Sunday" that background checks for all gun purchases would lead to a national registry of gun owners. Critics say such a registry could lead to taxes on guns or to confiscation.

Mark Kelly, a gun owner and husband of Gabrielle Giffords, the former Arizona congresswoman who survived a 2011 shooting, asked LaPierre to listen to his members. He said the current system prevented 1.7 million gun purchases since 1999. However, those potential buyers had other options because many gun sales don't require a background check.

"Members of the NRA tend to be very reasonable on this issue," Kelly said, who also appeared on the Fox show.

As Congress responds to the spate of mass shootings in recent years, most notably the December massacre of 20 children and six teachers in Newtown, Conn., some are calling for a ban on certain semi-automatic weapons and on high-capacity ammunition magazines. However, calls for expanding background checks appear to have gained the most bipartisan support.

LaPierre said that requiring checks for all gun purchases would be a bureaucratic nightmare.

"It's going to affect only the law-abiding people," he said. "Criminals could care less.

LaPierre was pressed about his contention that gun checks would lead to a national registry, when no one from the Obama administration is calling for that.

"And Obamacare wasn't a tax until they needed it to be a tax," LaPierre said.

Kelly and LaPierre agreed on one point: More people seeking to buy guns illegally should be prosecuted.

"They should be prosecuted and there should be stiff penalties," Kelly said.

A 25-year-old man was charged with murder in connection with a shooting at a central Texas gun range that killed former Navy SEAL and "American Sniper" author Chris Kyle and his friend, the Texas Department of Public Safety said Sunday.

Former Navy SEAL and author of the book “American Sniper,” Chris Kyle poses April 6, 2012, in Midlothian, Texas. A Texas sheriff has told local newspapers that Kyle has been fatally shot along with another man on a gun range, Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013.  

GLEN ROSE, Texas — A 25-year-old man was charged with murder in connection with a shooting at a central Texas gun range that killed former Navy SEAL and "American Sniper" author Chris Kyle and his friend, the Texas Department of Public Safety said Sunday.

Sgt. Lonny Haschel said in a news release that 25-year-old Eddie Ray Routh of Lancaster was arraigned Saturday evening on two counts of capital murder. Officer Kyle Roberts at the Erath County Jail said Routh arrived there Sunday morning and is being held on a combined $3 million bond. Roberts did not have information on whether Routh had a lawyer.

Haschel said Erath County Sheriff's deputies responded to a call about a shooting at the Rough Creek Lodge, west of Glen Rose, at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Police found the bodies of Kyle, 38, and Chad Littlefield, 35, at the shooting range. Glen Rose is about 50 miles southwest of Fort Worth.

Kyle and Littlefield had taken Routh to the range, said Travis Cox, the director of a nonprofit Kyle helped found. Littlefield was Kyle's neighbor and "workout buddy," Cox told The Associated Press on Sunday morning.

"What I know is Chris and a gentleman — great guy, I knew him well, Chad Littlefield — took a veteran out shooting who was struggling with PTSD to try to assist him, try to help him, try to, you know, give him a helping hand and he turned the gun on both of them, killing them," Cox said.

Police said Routh opened fire on Kyle and Littlefield around 3:30 p.m. Saturday, and fled in a Ford pickup truck. Cox said that was Kyle's truck. At about 8 p.m., Routh arrived at his home in Lancaster, about 17 miles southeast of Dallas. Police arrested him after a brief pursuit and took him to the Lancaster Police Department.

The motive for the shooting was unclear. A knock on the door at Routh's last known address went unanswered Sunday. A for-sale sign was in front of the cream-colored wood-framed home.

Kyle, a decorated veteran, wrote the best-selling book, "American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History," detailing his 150-plus kills of insurgents from 1999 to 2009. According to promotional information from book publisher William Morrow, Kyle deployed to Iraq four times.

Kyle's nonprofit, FITCO Cares, provides at-home fitness equipment for emotionally and physically wounded veterans.

"Chris was literally the type of guy if you were a veteran and needed help he'd help you," Cox said. "And from my understanding that's what happened here. I don't know how he came in contact with this gentleman, but I do know that it was not through the foundation."

Cox described Littlefield as a gentle, kind-hearted man who often called or emailed him with ideas for events or fundraisers to help veterans.

"It was just two great guys with Chad and Chris trying to help out a veteran in need and making time out of their day to help him. And to give him a hand. And unfortunately this thing happened," Cox said.

Craft International, Kyle's security training company, had scheduled a $2,950-per-person civilian training event at Rough Creek Lodge called the "Rough Creek Shoot Out!" for March 1-3. The price included lodging, meals and shooting instruction. Kyle was scheduled to teach the first class, called "precision rifle."

Kyle is survived by his wife, Taya, and their two children, Cox said.

Associated Press Writers Jamie Stengle in Dallas, Christopher Sherman in McAllen, Texas, and Andale Gross and Erica Hunzinger in Chicago contributed to this report.

Police used a stun gun to arrest a man armed with knives outside Buckingham Palace on Sunday, as throngs of tourists gathered to watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony there.

A cornered off area containing knives, a hat and Taser wire outside Buckingham Palace in central London after a man armed with two knives was stunned by police, Sunday Feb. 3, 2013. Scotland Yard said the man, thought to be in his 50s, acted aggressively when challenged by police outside the gates of the heavily touristed landmark on Sunday. Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip were at their country retreat, Sandringham Estate, at the time.  

By SYLVIA HUI

LONDON — Police used a stun gun to arrest a man armed with knives outside Buckingham Palace on Sunday, as throngs of tourists gathered to watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony there.

Scotland Yard said the man, thought to be in his 50s, was spotted carrying two knives outside the central gate of the London tourist landmark. He did not threaten other people at the scene, but when challenged by police he acted aggressively.

Officers used the stun gun on him and took him to a London police station, Scotland Yard said. No one was injured.

A video posted onto YouTube by a witness showed mounted police clearing tourists from the area as the unidentified man put a kitchen knife to his neck and shouted. The man took several swipes with one of his knives at an approaching policeman, who fired the stun gun. The man then fell to the ground and was surrounded by policemen in front of hundreds of onlookers.

Other witnesses said the man had broken through a security cordon and was attempting to walk toward the palace guards when he was stopped by police.

About 15 officers surrounded the man once he'd been subdued, said witness Kevin Burrows, 33. "Everybody was standing back when it happened, and people were actually quite calm. I think everyone was surprised," said Burrows.

The confrontation took place just before noon — a busy time when visitors from around the world flock to the front of the palace to watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony, which takes place every other morning during the winter.

Two knives and a pair of sneakers were left inside a cordoned off area outside the palace gates.

Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, were not at the palace at the time, and its staff declined to comment about the confrontation.

The Commerce Department has announced a proposed agreement on fresh tomatoes imported from Mexico that would strengthen anti-dumping enforcement and reset minimum wholesale prices.

Tomatoes are sold at the Union Street Farmer's Market in downtown Gainesville, Fla. The Commerce Department has announced a proposed agreement on fresh tomatoes imported from Mexico that would strengthen anti-dumping enforcement and reset minimum wholesale prices.  

WASHINGTON — The Commerce Department has announced a proposed agreement on fresh tomatoes imported from Mexico that would strengthen anti-dumping enforcement and reset minimum wholesale prices.

The agreement with Mexico's tomato industry would suspend an investigation initiated after Florida tomato growers complained that Mexican producers were selling fresh tomatoes for less than the production cost.

The proposal would replace a pact that's been in place for 16 years. The Commerce Department has just released a draft of the agreement for public comment.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says it allow the U.S. tomato industry "to compete on a level playing field."

U.S.-produced fresh and processed tomatoes account for more than $2 billion in cash receipts. Mexico's tomato trade with the U.S. was worth more than $1.8 billion in 2011.

Street homeless went from a recent high of 98 in 2004, and decreased steadily to a low of 10 in 2010.

HOLYOKE - Homeless outreach volunteers Michael Gelineau, left, and John Badger are out before dawn on a Saturday morning scouting for hidden homeless. Photo by Stephanie Barry  

SPRINGFIELD – While the annual “point in time” homeless count can be something of a delicate process - with volunteers tip-toeing around abandoned buildings and crevices where street dwellers seek anonymity - Charlie Knight conducts it like he is shot from a cannon.

Homeless for many years himself, Knight, 68, can read every shadow, doorway and nuance in empty buildings at a glance.

“These boots were just worn last night. They’re drying out because they got wet,” said Knight, now an advocate for the homeless. He lives in a rooming house after years of living in his car and sleeping on park benches.

He was part of four teams of volunteers who made their way through downtown on Jan. 30 during a national street count initiative.

Volunteers across the country go out at the same time, on the same night each year to gauge numbers of unsheltered homeless. The information is ultimately shared among advocates for further outreach and funneled to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Last year, 16 were discovered in Springfield; this year the count was 14.

Knight said the number of people living on the street during the 1990s was easily around 200.

“Under the bridge; two here; four over there. Everyone knew where everyone lived,” he said, adding that his long stint with homelessness began when his family homestead in New Marlborough was overcome with mold and he came to Springfield looking for work that never materialized.

While the numbers of street dwellers have plummeted since tent cities in Springfield closed up in 2005, numbers in local shelters continue to go up. William J. Miller, director of Friends of the Homeless, the largest open bed shelter in the region, said he recently logged his highest overnight census - 190.

Street homeless went from a recent high of 98 in 2004, and decreased steadily to a low of 10 in 2010. According to U.S. Census statistics from that year, however, Massachusetts had the eighth highest numbers of homeless in the nation.

Large numbers in big shelters are part of the spectrum of reasons that drive some to sleep in public places, advocates say.

Case in point: During the Jan. 30 homeless count, after charging up several flights of stairs in a downtown parking garage and leaving younger men behind, Knight quickly made his way back down.

“Found two, Dave!” he exclaimed to David Havens, a case worker and shelter manager for the Mental Health Association on Worthington Street who organizes teams and routes for the annual count.

Havens made his way up the stairs and made gentle overtures to two men tucked away in a stairwell on the top floor. Heat rises, Knight whispered, and no one parks on the upper floors late at night. It was a spot he would have chosen.

Havens explained why the group was interested in their whereabouts, and asked if the men could be coaxed inside for the night. While one was fast asleep through the whole interview, his companion said they were content for the night. They had been displaced from a Taylor Street shelter by the Nov. 23 gas explosion that crippled many downtown buildings.

“It’s too crowded at the Worthington Street shelter,” the man, clad in a hat and tucked into a red sleeping bag, explained.

Some, they find, are fiercely independent and prefer the freedom of the streets. Most struggle with mental illness and substance abuse, or both. National statistics indicate street homeless, on average, live to be 47.

Havens added the annual count is only the beginning of a process to identify people and get them housing and other services. After sharing the information they find during the street count, a citywide team will discuss strategies to provide the unsheltered with needed services. Those include shelter first and foremost, medical and mental health care, in many cases, subject abuse treatment and other supports.

“There’s a lot more cooperation these days and attempts to bring the community together to puzzle out how to use the scant resources we have,” Havens said, adding that the national “Housing First” push has diverted the lion’s share of homeless resources to getting people into permanent housing.

Some advocates say while the “housing first” model is ideal, it takes funding away from other agencies including shelters. Miller notes that Havens’ program has a few slots that provide lifelong housing and support for the most vulnerable – including those living outside and with serious mental health diagnoses.

The state has also been pouring more funding into getting families out of shelters and motels and into permanent housing; all admirable efforts, but not without gaps.

William J. Miller, executive director of Friends of the Homeless, said his shelter logged record high numbers last month. Republican file photo  

“It may be the ‘best’ way but it is incredibly expensive for taxpayers, and not a realistic solution for the vast majority. There will never be enough subsidized housing and support services. We see 1,200 individuals annually,” Miller said. “’Housing First’ is the national model but we just can’t afford it for everyone. So, the occasional lifeboat is floated. Whoever is lucky enough to catch on, grabs it. The rest are consigned to the warehouse or the streets.”

Havens said outreach that entails regularly combing the streets for the unsheltered has dwindled to nearly nothing.

That’s why freelance volunteers like John Badger and Michael Gelineau are critically important to the small numbers who remain on the streets.

Badger has a long history of street outreach in Hartford, and has an eye similar to Knight’s. While some inner city havens for the homeless may be invisible to most, Badger has a way of sniffing them out.

“You develop a different way of looking at the city. I don’t look at woods, I look through them. If I’m looking under a bridge, I don’t look down, I look up,” Badger said, adding the support beams under a bridge can be homes for a small family.

Badger and Gelineau, of Holyoke, have been trolling the streets of that city before dawn many mornings for months. Gelineau, a social worker, knew of Badger’s work in Hartford and wanted some mentoring from the older man.

“We were driving around and around the streets of Holyoke, and I was going: where are they, man?” and then I said to Michael: pull over,” Badger recounted.

There, barely noticeable, was an interruption in the sidewalk along an industrial stretch by the city’s canals. A subtle piece of cardboard was propped strategically over a hole in the cement. Upon further investigation, the men found a hole with a mattress and a makeshift home inside. After returning in the subsequent days, they carefully called out to its resident.

“Sometimes we say we’re from a church. We say we’re not cops; we just want to help you. A lot of times, at first, they won’t even come out. They’ll just say nah, man I’m all set. The last thing these people want is to be discovered and pushed out of their homes,” Badger said.

In the days that followed, they learned the urban hobbit’s name was “Eddie.” They left him a heavy sleeping bag; a warm coat, lunches; gloves; and a hat.

Eventually, “Eddie” agreed to an interview with the two men and a reporter.

Edmund Santiago, 49, said he had been living in “his cave” for about a year. He had lived in a steel construction cylinder for two years before that, until the site was cleaned up by the city. Santiago had a job and a roommate before that. Then he lost the job, and was out on the streets.

“My mentor, Nelson, he taught me to live on the streets,” Santiago said.

His first advice: stay out of the wind. His second: stay out of sight.

HOLYOKE - Edmund Santiago, 49, has made this hole underneath a sidewalk in an industrial area in Holyoke home for over a year. Photo by Stephanie Barry  

To that end, he rises before dawn and usually returns by nightfall. He concedes he is a chronic drinker and it has periodically interfered. But, he is practical and picks up odd jobs throughout the days when he cans, such as running errands. He also takes great pains to stay out of trouble and out of the way of police. Santiago said people are largely kind to him.

He said he would prefer an apartment but is not inclined to go to a shelter.

“I don’t know how to say … I don’t want to be controlled. I don’t want someone to tell me when to come in, when I can go out, when to sleep, when to eat,” Santiago said.

Badger said they will continue to reach out to Santiago and hope he can help them find others living on the streets.

“You won’t find a better network than that,” Badger said.