Innocent bystanders – a man getting a haircut and girl waiting to buy sneakers – are among the city's freshest gunshot victims.

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno railed against gun violence in the city, citing back-to-back shootings Friday and Saturday in which innocent bystanders were struck by gunfire. The Republican  

SPRINGFIELD — A clearly frustrated Mayor Domenic J. Sarno likened the no-snitching code honored by some city residents to a bumbling television character famous for knowing nothing, hearing nothing and seeing nothing.

"It's like Sgt. Schultz – nobody sees nothing," the mayor said Saturday, referring to the 300-pound sergeant played by John Banner in "Hogan's Heroes," the popular 1960s TV comedy chronicling shenanigans at a World War II German prisoner-of-war camp.

Sarno was reacting to Friday's shooting at a North End barbershop, where a man getting a trim was grazed by gunfire, and Saturday's shooting of an 11-year-old girl outside a Boston Road shoe store, where she and others were lined up to buy new sneakers by Nike Air Jordan.

Both shootings happened during daylight hours with numerous people around, yet investigators have been unable to secure any solid leads from citizens. No arrests had been made as of Saturday evening, police said.

While the city's overall crime rate has fallen in recent years, and crime-fighting efforts continue to produce successes – including expansion of the automated ShotSpotter gunfire-detection system to the North End – more needs to be done to stop and capture the minority of city residents involved in criminal enterprises, according to the mayor.

"They have complete and utter disrespect for one's self, others and human life," Sarno said of Springfield's criminal element.

A 23-year-old man getting a haircut at Cecilia's Unisex #2 barbershop, 2890 Main St., sustained a graze wound after a bullet pierced the window around 2:20 p.m. Friday. Several shots were fired on Main Street near the barbershop, but police have not determined if they were fired from a passing car or someone on the street.

Just after 8:30 a.m. Saturday, an 11-year-old girl was shot in the leg after a gunman opened fire on another man outside a shoe store at the Walmart plaza on Boston Road. She was among the crowd of people waiting in line Saturday outside Expressions, a shoe store selling popular new Air Jordan sneakers, before the shop had even opened for the day.

Sarno said the sneaker dispute stemmed from a couple of "gang-oriented" individuals trying to cut the line. When people spoke up, a dispute broke out, with one man pulling out a gun and opening fire. A manhunt by city and state police didn't turn up a suspect, but that effort continues, according to the mayor.

In both instances, the people who sustained gunshot wounds were not the intended targets, police have said.

Police are asking anyone with information about either incident to call the Springfield Police Detective Bureau at (413) 787-6355. Anonymous text-message tips may be sent to CRIMES (or 274637), with the body of the message beginning with the word "SOLVE."

Police Lt. David Martin said a shooting victim went to Baystate Medical Center for treatment, but the man claimed he was unfamiliar with the city and was unable to immediately tell officers where the incident happened.

 

The man, whose identity was not publicly released, got dropped off at the hospital just before 1 a.m. by the driver of a gray Honda Accord. The man appears to have sustained at least one gunshot wound, but police said they were unsure of the circumstances leading up to the apparent shooting.

Officers stationed at the Baystate were interviewing the victim, "who doesn't know the city," Springfield Police Lt. David Martin said. The man apparently was unable to immediately tell officers where the incident happened.

The incident happened in the vicinity of 60 Garfield St., Springfield Police Lt. David Martin said.

 

The victim, who was stabbed in the vicinity of 60 Garfield St., was being treated at Baystate Medical Center, police said. The extent of his injury was not immediately known.

Events leading up to the crime remain under investigation, according to Springfield Police Lt. David Martin. The call initially was reported as a possible break-in, but details were still unclear early Sunday.

Garfield Street, located a couple of blocks south of Belmont Avenue, runs between Oakland Street and Forest Park Avenue.

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The girl was shot in the leg, but she's expected to be OK, according to Springfield Police Detective Joe Brodeur.

A window at MadRag, a clothing store in the Walmart plaza on Boston Road, was shot out when a man opened fire on another man Saturday morning, hitting an 11-year-old bystander waiting in line for a shoe store to open. The girl was rushed to the hospital with a bullet wound to the leg and is expected to recover, said police, who continue to hunt for the gunman. A long line of people gathered outside Expressions, a shoe store in the shopping plaza, well before the sun rose Saturday. They were waiting for the store to open so they could buy new Nike Air Jordan sneakers, which went on sale Saturday. Michael Beswick, The Republican  

"Shame on them! Shame on them! Over a ... pair of sneakers!" an angry Sarno said Saturday evening.

The mayor said an "orderly line" had formed outside a local shoe store – Expressions at the Walmart plaza on Boston Road – before the shop had opened for business Saturday morning. But a pair of individuals with possible gang ties "tried to cut the line," sparking a violent episode in which the girl, an innocent bystander, was shot and wounded, he said.

"They tried to jump the line," said Sarno, who received a police briefing on the incident. "It just boggles my mind, the uncivilized nature of these unsavory individuals who could have taken the life of an 11-year-old girl." The mayor said he'll be reaching out to the girl and her family, who right now need their privacy and time to deal with the "traumatic situation."

City and state police are searching for one or more suspects, one of whom left behind a camouflage jacket. An extensive ground-and-air search effort, including K-9 units and a state police helicopter, turned up nothing Saturday, but investigators continue to probe the shooting – the second involving a local child injured by gunfire in as many weeks.

"It looks like she's going to be OK," Springfield Police Detective Joe Brodeur said of the girl, whose name was not publicly released. She was shot in the leg and rushed to Baystate Medical Center for treatment.

The incident was reported just after 8:36 a.m. Saturday, Lt. James Rosso said, adding that no arrests had been made as of early Saturday evening.

According to Brodeur, police are looking for "one or more" males who were involved in the altercation, which ended with gunfire.

On March 6, a 5-year-old boy was shot in the leg in Holyoke after a man opened fire on the boy's father. An arrest has been made in that case.

Authorities said the 11-year-old girl was standing in a line of people waiting to buy new Air Jordan sneakers at Expressions, 1067 Boston Road, a shoe store located at the Walmart plaza. She was outside MadRag, a clothing shop two stores away from Expressions, when two males in their late teens or early twenties got into verbal dispute that quickly turned physical.

One male pulled out a handgun and reportedly pistol-whipped the other before opening fire on him. It's unknown if the man who was shot at was struck, but the girl was hit in the leg, police said. "We believe she was an innocent victim," detective Sgt. Kenneth J. Murray said.

Witnesses described the shooter as a black male wearing a camouflage jacket. Murray said police found the jacket nearby and used it to attempt to track the suspect with K-9 units. State police conducted an aerial search with a helicopter, but authorities were unable to locate the gunman. "We were unsuccessful ... he had either been picked up by a car or previously passed through that area," Murray said.

Saturday marked the national release of the Air Jordan 13 Retro "He Got Game" model, which retails for about $170, as well as the Air Jordan 13 GS, a grey-and-pink sneaker for girls that sells for around $115. Air Jordan debuts typically attract crowds of sneaker enthusiasts, some of whom arrive early to get in line before stores open. Some people waited outside the Springfield shoe store all night, according to Murray.

A manager at MadRag, who declined to give her name, said police contacted her around 7:30 a.m. to let her know that one of the store's large front windows had been shattered by gunfire. By Saturday afternoon, two large pieces of plywood covered the hole where the window had been, but the store was open for business, according to the manager.

Two women working behind the counter at Expressions declined to give their names to a reporter. "They're trying to make it sound like it was related to the release (of the new Air Jordans), but it had nothing to do with that," said one of the employees, who was counting a large wad of cash. Two men had a previous beef, she said, and that disagreement coincided with the release of the new Jordans.

Disturbances have plagued past sneaker debuts by the Nike brand named after Michael Jordan, one of the NBA's all-time greatest players. In December, police used pepper spray on a mob outside a mall in Huntsville, Ala. Fights had broken out as about 100 people waited for a previous version of the iconic shoes. In 2011, police across the country struggled to maintain crowd control and quell fights outside national retail outlets as hordes of people lined up for Nike's retro Air Jordans.

Gunfire is rare in the city's Boston Road neighborhood, Springfield's main retail corridor. Sarno said the incident will not be tolerated. "The police are hunting these individuals," he said, referring to them as "disrespectful animals" who don't respect themselves or "human life" in general.

"Thank God this young lady is OK," he said of the injured girl.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Springfield Police Detective Bureau at (413) 787-6355. Anonymous text-message tips can be sent to CRIMES (or 274637), with the body of the message beginning with the word "SOLVE."

Pope Francis made an impromptu appearance before the public from a side gate of the Vatican that startled passers-by and prompted cheers as he shook hands and kissed babies.

By FRANCES D'EMILIO
Associated Press

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Walking up to crowds, shaking hands with surprised bystanders in the street, mixing his formal speeches with off-the-cuff remarks, Pope Francis stamped his own style on the papacy Sunday.

His humor and down-to-earth manner captivated those filling St. Peter's Square in Rome to overflowing, and he worked the crowd in a way that had to give his security staff palpitations. Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno, in the square himself, estimated the crowd's size at 300,000.

"Brothers and sisters, 'Buon giorno,'" Francis said in Italian in his first welcome from the window of the papal residence, setting an informal tone that has become the defining spirit of his young papacy.

Earlier Sunday, he made an impromptu appearance before the public from a side gate of the Vatican that startled passers-by and prompted cheers as he shook hands and kissed babies. Francis had just finished celebrating Mass and delivering a six-minute homily — brief by church standards — in the Vatican's tiny parish church, St. Anna, when he walked outside to greet parishioners one by one, just as an ordinary pastor does after weekly services.

Francis started speaking at the window even before the stroke of noon — the appointed time for the weekly papal address. The windows of the papal study in the Apostolic Palace were opened for the first time since Francis' predecessor, Benedict XVI, gave his last Sunday blessing on Feb. 24. Four days later, Benedict went into retirement, the first pontiff to do so in nearly 600 years.

Francis, the first pope from Latin America, was elected Wednesday and has been staying in a hotel on the Vatican's premises until the papal apartment is ready.

"The pope is down-to-earth. He is a people person and it is amazing," said Emanuel Anatsui from Britain. "He is going to do wonderfully for the church."

After Mass, Francis again put his security detail to the test as he waded into an intersection just outside St. Anna's Gate. Francis stepped up to the crowd, grasping outstretched hands. The atmosphere was so casual that several people even gripped Francis on the shoulder.

"Francesco! Francesco!" children shouted his name in Italian. As he patted one little boy on the head, he asked "Are you a good boy?" and the child nodded.

"Are you sure?" the pope quipped.

At one point he glanced at his watch and turned to an aide — as if to ask "How much time do I have?"

The pope then ducked back inside the Vatican's boundaries to dash upstairs for the address to St. Peter's Square.

Often abandoning the prepared text in his hand, Francis told the crowd that he wanted to talk about mercy, saying he was inspired by a book about forgiveness that he was reading. Citing the author, an elderly German cardinal, and praising him as a "top-notch" theologian, Francis quipped: "Don't think I'm making publicity for my cardinals' books!" drawing a roar of laughter from the crowd.

Francis said mercy can "change the world" and make it "less cold and more just."

He spoke only in Italian — ending with "Buon pranzo" (Have a good lunch) — a wish that triggered nods of approval from the crowd in Rome, where a leisurely Sunday family lunch is a cherished tradition.

But Francis did tweet in English and other languages, saying: "Dear friends, I thank you from my heart and I ask you to continue to pray for me.'"

Past pontiffs have used the Sunday window greetings to offer brief reflections and wishes in several languages.

Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said Francis would likely stick with Italian, a language he's comfortable with for spontaneous remarks. Lombardi left open the possibility the 76-year-old pope would use other languages in future public appearances.

During his window speech, Francis also talked about of his family's roots in Italy's northwestern Piedmont region. He told the crowd that by naming himself as pope after St. Francis of Assisi, an Italian patron saint, he was "strengthening my spiritual tie with this land, where, as you know, my family has its origins."

The crowd was cheering wildly when Francis appeared at the window, but fell into rapt silence when he began to speak. Some people's eyes welled up. Many people waved the blue-and-white flag of Argentina, the pope's homeland. Some people held their children aloft or on their shoulders to get a better look.

"We are so proud. He is Argentine, but also belongs to the rest of the world," said Ivana Cabello, 23, of Argentina.

Angela Carreon, a 41-year-old Rome resident originally from the Philippines, ventured that Francis "looks like John Paul II. "

"I hope he is like him," she said. "He has a heart."

The globe-trotting Polish-born John Paul II, who died in 2005, loved to charm the crowds.

Several hundred extra traffic police were deployed Sunday to control crowds and vehicles for Francis' first window speech as well as the annual Rome marathon. Bus routes were rerouted and many streets were closed off to channel the curious and the faithful up the main boulevard from the Tiber river to St. Peter's Square.

Giant video screens were set up so the huge crowd could get a close look at Francis, and dozens of medical teams were on hand for any emergencies. In the last hour before noon, a large backup formed of people trying to squeeze through three openings in the fence ringing the front of the square. But by the time Francis appeared, all had calmly found a viewing spot.

Among Francis' first formal meetings is an appointment Monday with Argentine President Cristina Fernandez. That will provide an opportunity to see if the new pope's easygoing manner still holds — the two have been on opposite sides for many years. As Buenos Aires archbishop, Francis had lobbied hard against the government's move to legalize gay marriage and make contraceptives available for free.

On Tuesday, Fernandez will join other world leaders and senior international envoys, including U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and the president of Jesuit-run Georgetown University, for Francis' formal installation as pope.

__

Associated Press writers Daniela Petroff and Karl Ritter contributed to this report.

Firefighters respond to a fire at 311 Rosewell St. in the city's Pine Point neighborhood. The home sustained about $60,000 in damage.

07/21/11 Springfield- Republican Photo by Mark M.Murray- The Springfield Fire Department unveiled two new fire truck thursday during a press conference at the Raymond M. Sullivan Public Safety Complex. The front of the new Engine 10 File photo by Mark M. Murray | The Republican  

Dennis G. Leger, aide to Springfield Fire Department Commissioner Joseph A. Conant, said the firestarted on the first floor of the home.

"Flames lapped out the window and burnt the side of the building where the utilities were," Leger said. That caused wires to come in contact with a chain-link fence surrounding the property, causing difficulties for firefighters who had to avoid possible electrocution.

"The fence was energized until they could get the power company to cut the power to the house," Leger said, adding that it "hampered firefighters a bit."

Leger said the fire displaced the home's lone resident, who is staying with family, and caused about $60,000 in damage. One firefighter received a minor injury at the scene, he said.

Police are continuing an investigation into other illegal firearm sales in Warren.

 

WARREN – Two men accused of purchasing a shotgun and ammunition without permits were arrested Saturday, after a long investigation into unlawful guns, police said.

Frank Quick, 20, and John Quick, 58, of 125 Pulaski St., were arrested at about 6:45 p.m, Saturday on North Street and charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition without a permit. Frank Quick was also charged with possession of a handgun without a license to carry.

The two were arrested after they allegedly bought the shotgun and ammunition on North Street. Police later searched their home and found the handgun. Police officers, lead by Det. Mark Chase are continuing an investigation into other illegal firearm sales in the town and more arrests are expected in the future, according to a police statement.

The parade featured about 40 floats and 15,000 marchers.

HOLYOKE — More than 400,000 spectators lined up along the 2.65-mile route to watch the 62nd annual St. Patrick's Parade in Holyoke.

“It’s a great day for a parade,” said longtime parade organizer Ray Feyre before stepping out on Northampton Street to kick off the parade.

The parade attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators, but also about 15,000 marchers, who make their way down Northampton Street onto Beech Street, then Appleton Street onto High Street and finally ending on Hampden Street.

The Sons of Erin in Westfield create a parade float every year. It was one of the 40 floats on display Sunday.

“This float has 92 flowers, three dragonflies, a butterfly and a bumble bee,” said Jay McGuill, one of the creators of the float.

“ We started working on it on New Year’s Day with about 18 to 20 volunteers,” said Paul Sawyer, who works on the floats every year.

The colorful, floral float was a showstopper, but it was matched by West Springfield’s giant castle and bright-pink dragon spewing smoke from its nostrils. The West Springfield Parade Committee created the float using grass, stones and construction materials.

“We never use float materials. We try to make it look as real as possible,” said Bill Joseph, one of the creators of the float. The idea for the dragon came from fellow volunteer Chris Thompson.

The Chicopee Falls Moose Family Center created an elaborate float featuring a train complete with spinning wheels, a bell and smoke. “It took us about two months to create it,” said Paul Aube, of Chicopee. The float carried Boy Scout Pack 1849.

“This is really about the kids, so they are the ones on the float,” Aube said.

Jim Millett and Sue Ballard, of West Springfield, pick a spot right near the Kmart Plaza the night before the parade, so they can get the best view of the floats and the bands.

“We come every year and we are always at this spot,” she said.

The couple started bringing their children years ago, and now they bring their grandchildren to the parade, Millett said.

Sisters Anita Ruby, of Chicopee, Diane Frappier, of Ware, and Sandy Procone, of Chicopee, come every year. They got their seats a day ahead of the parade near the grandstand, where various television stations film the parade. This year is extra special because it falls on Procone’s birthday.

“Yes, it’s my birthday, so I’m really celebrating and having a good time,” she said.

Frappier enjoyed the parade but wished for better weather. “I'm freezing because I just came back from California,” she said.

Sue McMullen, of Granby, and her shih tzu, Sophie, viewed the parade from Beech Street. Sophie sported bright green hair for the event. “Today everybody’s Irish,” said McMullen, who grew up in Holyoke.

After viewing the parade route early Sunday morning, Feyre said the turnout was spectacular. “This is definitely a family event, and for many people it's a homecoming,” he said. “A lot of people come home for the road race and the parade, and it’s just a wonderful time of year.”

Holyoke High School Band was named best high school marching band.

The Holyoke Parade Committee is announcing the winners of the best bands during Sunday’s Parade.

Best marching contingent: Belchertown High School Band

Most outstanding unit in the line of march: Hawthorne Cabelleros

Best brass band: Windsor Regiment

Best string band: Aqua String Band

Best string band captain: Avalon String Band

Best Drum & Bugle Corps: 7th Regiment

Best drum & bugle flag corps: The Muchachos

Best Pipe Band: Holyoke Caledonians

Best High School Marching Band: Holyoke High School

Best High School Band Flag Corps: Belchertown High School

Best high school major/majorette: Framingham High School

Best Band Major: Stoney Creek Fife & Drum

The Riley sisters from Enfield, Conn., aka "The Riley Girls," joined their lifelong pal, Gwen Kelly, outside Brennan's Place, a popular High Street pub, to watch the parade. The group had tickets to watch from inside the pub, where it was nice and toasty, but they braved a bitter windchill and decided to set up shop just outside instead.

"The Riley Girls," from left, are DeDe Leath, Alicia Riley, Courtney Sleeper and Gwen Kelly. They were among the spectators who watched Sunday's St. Patrick's Parade from a chilly spot on the curb outside Brennan's Place, a popular High Street pub. Greg Saulmon, The Republican  

But the Riley sisters – Alicia Riley, Dede Leath and K.T. Riley – and their good pal, Gwen Kelly, weren't nestled snugly inside the pub, watching the parade while sipping pints of Guinness. No, they were outside the pub. On the shady side of the street. With wind gusts making a near-freezing temperature feel more like the low 20s. Or maybe even the high teens.

"We bought tickets for Brennan's," Kelly said. So why weren't they inside the pub, where it was cozy and comfortable? The consensus: It's more fun to watch outside in the elements, they said. Plus, they were bundled up in warm jackets and covered with blankets as they lounged curbside just outside the bar.

As the John Boyle O'Reilly Club contingent, including a pipe band and float with a replica of a "beehive hut," an ancient monastic site in County Kerry, approached, Leath broke into a chant: "John-Boyle-O'Reilly-Club. John-Boyle-O'Reilly-Club." The spirited woman danced, and pranced, as the bagpipes wailed and the wind wreaked havoc on people's curbside encampments.

Springfield's Kelly family, from left, are Gwen, Tommy and Samantha. Tommy was Springfield's "Irish Elk of the Year," and he marched in Sunday's St. Patrick's Parade in Holyoke with Samantha, the couple's 23-year-old daughter. Gwen and Tommy have been married for 26 years. Going to the parade is a "family tradition," Gwen said. Greg Saulmon, The Republican  

"Want a beer?" she asked a reporter, opening a small cooler containing a variety of beverages. "No thanks," was the reporter's response, grumbling something about how he was working and would have to wait until later.

The Riley sisters and Kelly, of course, belong to the Boyle, as the Springfield Irish club is universally known throughout the Pioneer Valley, which is why they were particularly happy to spot friends marching in the parade.

For Kelly, that meant seeing her husband, Tommy Kelly, Springfield's "Irish Elk of the Year." The honor was bestowed on Tommy by the Irish Committee of Elks Lodge 61, and he and the couple's 23-year-old daughter, Samantha, marched with the Springfield contingent while Gwen cheered from the sidelines.

"We're so proud of him," said Gwen, who was raised in Enfield with the Riley sisters – her lifelong friends – but has lived in Springfield with her family for years.

As Tommy and Samantha approached, Gwen made a beeline and grabbed them for a quick photo-op. "We've been doing this for years, marching in the parade. It's been a proud tradition for us," Gwen said.

Samantha took a quick pit stop to visit her friend, Courtney Sleeper, who was hanging out with Samantha's mother and the Riley sisters, who brought along their own green tote bags emblazoned with the words "The Riley Girls." The group was having just as much fun Sunday as they've had in past years. "It's a great time," Alicia Riley said.

Inside Brennan's, meanwhile, people were jockeying for a good view of the parade outside. The pub is near the end of both the parade route and the finish line of the St. Patrick's Road Race.

Amtrak service between New York and Washington was not affected, and the Springfield shuttle was operating as scheduled.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Amtrak provided alternate service after a freight train derailment in the New Haven area forced service to be suspended along the busy New York-to-Boston corridor.

Spokesman Craig Schulz said Sunday the freight train cars were empty.

The first northbound departure from New York’s Penn Station were set for 5 p.m. Sunday, and the first southbound departure from Boston’s South Station was scheduled for 4:10 p.m.

Amtrak said commuters could expect some delays.


Trains from New York’s Penn Station ran to New Haven and detoured to Boston’s South Station via Springfield, Mass.

For passengers traveling south to New York Amtrak picked up passengers at Kingston, R.I, Providence, R.I., and Route 128 and returned to Boston to board a special train to New York.

Amtrak service between New York and Washington was not affected, and the Springfield shuttle was operating as scheduled.

The fire was caused by improper disposal of smoking materials.

 

WARE – One woman was injured and her apartment destroyed in a Sunday morning fire that also damaged a second home.

The fire was reported at about 10:40 a.m. at 26A Highland Village. When firefighters arrived there was heavy smoke and fire showing from the end unit of a four-unit row-house style apartments, fire officials said.

It was caused by improper disposal of smoking materials, officials said.

The resident was taken to Baystate Mary Lane Hospital with minor injuries. Her name was not released by fire officials.

Firefighters were able to knock down the flames quickly and extinguished the fire completely in an hour. Their efforts prevented the fire from spreading to the other three apartments but the unit next door sustained water damage and the electrical power was shut off as a precaution, officials said.

It is not known how many people lived in that unit or when they will be allowed to return home. The residents of the two remaining apartments were allowed to return home.

Talitha Abramsen, manager of Brain Balance Achievement Center in West Springfield, seized an opportunity to talk to Sen. Elizabeth Warren – as the Massachusetts Democrat was marching in the St. Patrick's Parade.

Talitha Abramsen, left, and Dr. Megan Hudson, manager and president of West Springfield's Brain Balance Achievement Center, respectively, approached Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., about their drug-free approach to treating children with developmental and learning challenges as Warren marched in Sunday's St. Patrick's Parade in Holyoke. Conor Berry, The Republican  

HOLYOKE — Do you feel neglected by politicians? Are you tired of them not hearing your voice?

Well, a pair of Holyoke women took a direct approach with Elizabeth Warren as the newly minted U.S. senator from Massachusetts marched in Holyoke's St. Patrick's Parade on Sunday. As the Democrat made her way along Beech Street near Resnic Boulevard, Talitha Abramsen left her spot on the sidewalk and trotted out to the senator, thrusting a pamphlet into Warren's hand.

"You need to know this," she told Warren, who shook Abramsen's hand and said, "Got it."

Abramsen, manager of the Brain Balance Achievement Center in West Springfield, wanted to let Warren know about the center's drug-free approach to treating youngsters with ADHD, dyslexia, Asperger’s, Tourette’s, OCD, and other learning, behavioral and processing disorders.

Abramsen was with Dr. Megan Hudson, president and franchise owner of the center at 1472 Riverdale St.

The women laughed about Abramsen's decision to approach the senator as the procession came to a brief standstill. Abramsen, who wasn't stopped by police or security guards, seemed as if she was greeting an old friend – who just so happens to be a U.S. senator.

The Holyoke women figured what the heck: They both like Warren, and they both voted for her, so why not seize the moment and approach Warren. The smiling senator seemed affable and unfazed by Abramsen's form of direct communication, graciously accepting the pamphlet then continuing her march through the streets of Holyoke.

"We're a big supporter ... and she's a mom, and we can be a state where we really get kids off meds," Abramsen said.

The center's mission is to bring hope to families with children who suffer with behavioral, academic and social challenges through a drug-free, multi-faceted treatment approach that aims to address the issues underlying many disorders that are routinely treated with medication.

Hudson said the West Side center, which has been around for about three years, will host a forum titled "End the Struggle: Understanding the Root Cause of Your Child's Social, Academic and Behavioral Issues" on Thursday, March 21, from 6 to 8 p.m., at Sylvester's Restaurant, 111 Pleasant St., Northampton. Hudson is the featured speaker at the event, which requires advance registration due to limited seating.

Those wishing to attend can call (413) 737-5439. Online registration is available at http://tinyurl.com/brainbalancewestspringfield.

No word yet on whether Warren will be attending Thursday's forum.

Project Win-Win, has helped community colleges and four-year schools find hundreds of ex-students who have either earned enough credits to receive associate degrees or are just a few classes shy of getting them.

Allison Mitchell draws blood from Dwight Beeson on March 30, 2012, at Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital in Columbia, Mo. Mitchell is one of nearly 300 Columbia College students who earned two-year associate degrees after the school tracked them down once they had left campus. The degree-completion program, known as Project Win-Win, began as a pilot project but has since expanded to more than 60 schools in nine states.  

By ALAN SCHER ZAGIER

ST. LOUIS — Carmen Ricotta knows being a college graduate could mean higher pay and better job opportunities, and it's not like St. Louis Community College hasn't been practically begging her to wrap up her two-year degree.

The school has been calling and emailing the 28-year-old electrician's apprentice to get her to return and complete her final assignment: an exit exam. But life has gotten in the way and Ricotta has been too busy to make the 30-minute trip from her suburban home near Fenton to the downtown St. Louis campus.

St. Louis Community College is among 60-plus schools in six states taking what seems like an obvious but little-used step to boost college graduation rates: scouring campus databases to track down former students who unknowingly qualify for degrees.

That effort, known as Project Win-Win, has helped community colleges and four-year schools in Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Virginia and Wisconsin find hundreds of ex-students who have either earned enough credits to receive associate degrees or are just a few classes shy of getting them.

Backed by financial support from the Indianapolis-based Lumina Foundation for Education, the pilot project began several years ago with 35 colleges in six states. As it winds down, some participating schools plan to continue the effort on their own.

Ricotta said at this point, she's not sure if getting her two-year degree is all that necessary.

"It's a pain," she said. "I don't feel like going down to the college to take a test I don't need. Yeah, I don't have the degree, but I still took all the classes."

Her seeming indifference to retroactively obtaining her degree points to just one of the challenges facing two-year schools in particular as they strive to fulfill President Barack Obama's challenge of raising college completion rates to 60 percent by 2020: convincing not just the public, but even some of their students, of the value of an associate's degree.

At central Missouri's Columbia College, the hunt for students on the verge of graduating worked so well that the school plans to broaden its efforts to find bachelor's degree candidates who are just one class shy of donning the cap and gown. The private liberal arts college has already awarded nearly 300 retroactive degrees, including one given posthumously to the mother of a deceased former student. Another two dozen students returned to campus to finish up after hearing from the school.

"If this was being done nationwide, it could make a difference," said Tery Donelson, Columbia College's assistant vice president for enrollment management.

Like his counterparts in St. Louis, Donelson and his team of transcript detectives also encountered skepticism, if not outright disbelief, from some of the prospective degree awardees.

"If you received a letter saying, 'Congratulations, you've earned a degree,' what would you be thinking?" he said. "That this is a scam. We had to get beyond them.

"We told them they earned a degree, and all they had to do was acknowledge it," Donelson continued. "We didn't want to send a degree to anybody who didn't want it."

Participating schools pared down their initial lists by eliminating students who received degrees elsewhere or were currently enrolled. Expired addresses or disconnected phone numbers eliminated many more.

The Institute for Higher Education Policy, which oversaw the project, initially estimated a potential increase of 25,000 new degrees if its efforts took hold nationwide. But most schools found the exercise more difficult than expected, said Cliff Adelman, a senior associate with the Washington-based policy group.

"It ain't as easy as you think," he said. "You can't use a magic wand and have this kind of thing happen."

In Oregon, a review of more than 6,000 students' academic records at the state's 17 community colleges found 109 degree-eligible students and another 905 who might qualify. Virginia's Tidewater Community College awarded 34 degrees and convinced 15 more students to return to campus from its initial pool of 651 prospects.

Four-year schools could follow the lead of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, which used the program to connect with dropouts who might still be interested in a two-year diploma. Or they could link up with neighboring community colleges in what are known as "reverse transfer" agreements.

Those agreements allow students to receive their associate's degrees if they earned enough credits toward them but didn't actually obtain them before heading to a four-year school. The two-year schools, in turn, can boost their completion rates — a critical measure for accrediting agencies and lawmakers looking for results.

One student happy to hear about what amounts to a free degree is Corey Manuel, 34, an Air Force veteran who expects to receive a bachelor's degree in management information systems from Columbia College. He took his classes at a Denver-area branch campus.

Manuel said his educational journey includes nearly 200 credits from five different schools, including a one-year stint straight out of high school playing basketball at Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Mo., and a pair of stops at Louisiana State University's community college in Eunice.

Now an information technology manager at defense contractor Raytheon, Manuel nonetheless still craves the credential he was too busy to pick up along the way.

"I wanted to make sure I had that box checked," he said.

A private jet apparently experiencing mechanical trouble crashed Sunday in a northern Indiana neighborhood, hitting three homes and killing two people aboard the plane, authorities said.

South Bend police and fire officials examine a home where a a plane crash occurred near the South Bend Regional Airport Sunday, March 17, 2013 in South Bend, Ind. The private jet apparently experiencing mechanical trouble crashed in the northern Indiana neighborhood, resulting in injuries and striking three homes, authorities and witnesses said.  

By TOM COYNE

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — A private jet apparently experiencing mechanical trouble crashed Sunday in a northern Indiana neighborhood, hitting three homes and killing two people aboard the plane, authorities said.

The Beechcraft Premier I twin-jet had left Tulsa, Okla.'s Riverside Airport and crashed late Sunday afternoon near South Bend Regional Airport, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Roland Herwig in Oklahoma City said. Two of four people aboard the plane were killed, Herwig said.

It was not clear if anyone on the ground was killed, and Herwig did not have any additional information.

South Bend Memorial Hospital spokeswoman Maggie Scroope said three people injured in the crashed were being treated there; one was in serious condition and two were in fair condition. Scroope did not know if they were on the plane or the ground.

The plane was registered to 7700 Enterprises of Montana LLC in Helena, Mont. The company is owned by Wes Caves and does business as DigiCut Systems in Tulsa, Okla. It makes window film and paint overlay for automobiles.

A woman identifying herself as Caves' wife answered the phone at their home Sunday and said, "I think he's dead," before hanging up.

In South Bend, Assistant Fire Chief John Corthier said everyone on the plane and in the first house struck by the jet had been accounted for four hours after the crash. That wasn't true of the other two houses, and Corthier couldn't say how many people they were still trying to track down.

"We absolutely don't know," Corthier said, adding that the presence of jet fuel and structural damage made the scene "very dangerous" for investigators. The aircraft remained lodged in one of the homes late Sunday.

"We have to shore up the house before we can enter the house," he said.

Investigators from the FAA and National transportation Safety Board were expected to arrive on the scene Sunday night, Corthier said.

Part of the neighborhood southwest of the airport was evacuated after the crash, and Corthier said it was possible some residents would be allowed back into their homes Sunday night.

Electricity was cut off to part of the neighborhood.

Mike Daigle, executive director of the St. Joseph County Airport Authority, said the jet attempted a landing about 4:15 p.m., went back up and maneuvered south to try another landing, but eight minutes later the airport learned the plane was no longer airborne.

"There was an indication of a mechanical problem," Herwig said.

Stan Klaybor, who lives across the street from the crash scene, said the jet clipped the top of one house, heavily damaged a second, and finally came to rest against a third. Neighbors did not know if a woman living in the most heavily damaged house was home at the time, and a young boy in the third house did not appear to be seriously injured, Klaybor said.

"Her little boy was in the kitchen and he got nicked here," Klaybor said, pointing to his forehead.

His wife, Mary Jane, regularly watches planes approach the airport.

"I was looking out my picture window. The plane's coming, and I go, 'Wait a minute,' and then, boom," she said.

"This one was coming straight at my house. I went, 'Huh?' and then there was a big crash, and all the insulation went flying," she said.

Associated Press writers Ken Kusmer in Indianapolis and Chuck Bartels in Little Rock, Ark., contributed to this report.

Five men have been arrested and have confessed to raping a Swiss woman who was attacked in central India while on a cycling vacation with her husband, police said.

A Swiss woman, center, who, according to police, was gang-raped by a group of eight men while touring by bicycle with her husband, is escorted March 16, 2013, by policewomen for a medical examination at a hospital in Gwalior, in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Indian police said they arrested five men Sunday, March 17, 2013 in connection with the gang rape.  

By NIRMALA GEORGE

NEW DELHI — Five men have been arrested and have confessed to raping a Swiss woman who was attacked in central India while on a cycling vacation with her husband, police said.

Two other suspects are being sought, said D. K. Arya, a senior police officer. The five men arrested in Datia on Sunday are from villages near where the attack occurred Friday night as the Swiss couple camped in a forest in Datia district of Madhya Pradesh state.

The couple told police that the woman had been raped by seven or eight men, but that it was dark and they could not be sure of the exact number, Arya said. They said the husband also was attacked by the men.

The woman, 39, was treated Saturday at a hospital in the nearby city of Gwalior and was released later that day, police said. Arya said the couple was heading to the Indian capital of New Delhi, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) to the north, later Sunday.

The attack was front-page news in Indian newspapers and happened three months after the fatal gang rape of a woman aboard a New Delhi bus, an attack that spurred outrage over the treatment of women in Indian society and the country's justice system.

Prior to the attack, the Swiss tourists, who were on a three-month visit, had visited the temple town of Orchha and were planning to cycle to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal, nearly 210 kilometers (130 miles) away.

They set out from Orchha on Friday and pitched their tent in a forest near Jatia village when they were attacked by men armed with sticks, police said.

The men beat up the husband, tied him to a tree and then raped the woman, police said. They also stole the couple's cellphone, laptop computer and 10,000 rupees ($185). Police said they recovered the laptop and phone from one of the men who was arrested.

The Swiss ambassador in India, Linus von Castelmur, said he spoke with the couple and assured them of the Swiss government's help and support.

"Their health and treatment is the priority of the moment," the Swiss Embassy said in a statement.

The embassy said it has urged a "swift investigation and for justice to be done."

Figures from India's National Crime Records Bureau show that a woman is raped every 20 minutes in India. However, many incidents of rape and other sexual crimes go unreported due to the stigma attached to such crimes in the conservative country. India's conviction rate for rapes and other crimes against women is among the lowest in the world.

Last month, the Swiss government issued a travel notice for India that included a warning about "increasing numbers of rapes and other sexual offenses" in the South Asian nation, and the latest incident could prompt other countries to issue similar warnings.

Travel industry representatives in India said the attack, coming so soon after the December gang rape in New Delhi, would affect tourism.

"Such incidents will definitely have a negative impact on tourism. It is very unfortunate," said Subhash Goyal, head of the Indian Association of Tour Operators.

According to government statistics, around 6.5 million foreign tourists visited India in 2011, generating about $120 billion for the nation's travel and hospitality sector.

One of six suspects in the December attack was found dead in a New Delhi jail last week. Authorities said he hanged himself, but his family and lawyer insisted foul play was involved, and a magistrate is investigating. Four other men and a juvenile remain on trial for the attack.

After the attack, the government passed a law increasing prison terms for rape from the existing seven to 10 years to a maximum of 20 years. The law provides for the death penalty in extreme cases of rape that result in death or leave the victim in a coma. It has also made voyeurism, stalking, acid attacks and the trafficking of women punishable under criminal law.

In a pushback led by the meat and poultry industries, state legislators across the country are introducing laws making it harder for animal welfare advocates to investigate cruelty and food safety cases.

In this April 22, 2010 image from video provided by the United States Humane Society, a Hallmark Meat Packing slaughter plant worker is shown attempting to force a "downed" cow onto its feet by ramming it with the blades of a forklift in Chino, Calif. State legislators across the country are introducing laws making it harder for animal welfare advocates to investigate cruelty and food safety cases. Bills pending in California, Nebraska and Tennessee require that anyone collecting evidence of abuse turn it over to law enforcement within 24 to 48 hours - which advocates say does not allow enough time to document illegal activity under federal humane handling and food safety laws. Critics say the bills are an effort to deny consumers the ability to know how their food is produced.  

By TRACIE CONE

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — An undercover video that showed California cows struggling to stand as they were prodded to slaughter by forklifts led to the largest meat recall in U.S. history. In Vermont, a video of veal calves skinned alive and tossed like sacks of potatoes ended with the plant's closure and criminal convictions.

Now in a pushback led by the meat and poultry industries, state legislators across the country are introducing laws making it harder for animal welfare advocates to investigate cruelty and food safety cases.

Some bills make it illegal to take photographs at a farming operation. Others make it a crime for someone such as an animal welfare advocate to lie on an application to get a job at a plant.

Bills pending in California, Nebraska and Tennessee require that anyone collecting evidence of abuse turn it over to law enforcement within 24 to 48 hours — which advocates say does not allow enough time to document illegal activity under federal humane handling and food safety laws.

"We believe that folks in the agriculture community and folks from some of the humane organizations share the same concerns about animal cruelty," said Mike Zimmerman, chief of staff for Assembly Member Jim Patterson, R-Fresno, whose bill was unveiled this week. "If there's abuse taking place, there is no sense in letting it continue so you can make a video."

Patterson's bill, sponsored by the California Cattlemen's Association, would make failing to turn over video of abuse to law enforcement within 48 hours an infraction punishable by a fine.

Critics say the bills are an effort to deny consumers the ability to know how their food is produced.

"The meat industry's mantra is always that these are isolated cases, but the purpose of these bills is to prevent any pattern of abuse from being documented," said Paul Shapiro, vice president of farm animal protection for the Humane Society of the United States, which conducted the California and Vermont investigations.

In Indiana, Arkansas and Pennsylvania it would be a crime to make videos at agricultural operations.

The goal of the proposed California law, industry representatives say, is to halt any abuses quickly and get video evidence to government regulators within two days, not to impede undercover investigations by animal welfare groups.

"The people doing this aren't cops so I wouldn't think it's their job to build a case. The goal for all of us is to reduce instances of animal abuse," said David Daley, a Cattlemen vice president and professor of agricultural science at California State University-Chico.

Formal opposition to the California bill comes from the ASPCA, the Teamsters, the HSUS and dozens of others. They say these attempts by the agriculture industry to stop investigations are a part of a nationwide agenda set by the American Legislative Exchange Council, a conservative think tank backed by business interests.

ALEC has labeled those who interfere with animal operations "terrorists," though a spokesman said he wishes now that the organization had called its legislation the "Freedom to Farm Act" rather than the "Animal and Ecological Terrorism Act."

"At the end of the day it's about personal property rights or the individual right to privacy," said spokesman Bill Meierling. "You wouldn't want me coming into your home with a hidden camera."

Animal welfare advocates say all of the focus on secrecy is energy misspent.

"I wish the cattlemen actually wanted to stop cruelty, not the documenting of cruelty," said HSUS California director Jennifer Fearing. "One could think of a thousand ways for them to actually stop cruelty rather than waiting for people to make videos and turn them over."

Animal welfare advocates say law enforcement agencies do not have the time or inclination to work complex animal abuse and food safety cases, and that federal USDA inspectors in slaughter plants have turned a blind eye to abuse.

When a USDA inspector at the Vermont plant was heard in 2009 coaching a plant worker on how to avoid being shut down, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack weighed in, calling the conduct "inexcusable."

In reaction to concerns, the USDA has been working to improve enforcement of its humane handling regulations over the past two years, including establishing an ombudsman position that accepts reports of violations. Last year 24 new positions in the Food Safety Inspection Service were dedicated to humane handling, said a high-ranking food safety official not authorized to speak publicly.

That hasn't slowed investigations or the bills designed to stop them. The Arkansas bill goes further than the others and would prohibit anyone other than law enforcement from investigating animal cases.

Last year Iowa, a major egg-producing state, passed a bill making it illegal to deny being a member of an animal welfare organization on a farm job application. Utah passed one that outlaws photography.

Most of the sensational videos of abuse in recent years are shot by undercover operatives who surreptitiously apply and are hired by the meat processors for jobs within the facilities. One recorded last year by Compassion over Killing at Central Valley Meats in Hanford, Calif. showed a worker standing on a downed dairy cow's nostrils to suffocate it and others repeatedly shot in the head, prompting several fast-food hamburger to cancel contracts, at least temporarily.

Animal welfare groups say investigations take weeks because the operatives nose around only when they aren't performing the duties for which they were hired.

An HSUS investigator was in the Hallmark plant in Southern California for six weeks between October and November 2007, when the nonprofit turned over to the local district attorney evidence that included fraud in the federal school lunch program because animals too sick to walk were being slaughtered. In January 2008, HSUS released the video to force the DA to act. Two employees were convicted of cruelty charges.

Late last year, nine workers at a Wyoming pork processing facility were charged with animal cruelty after an HSUS video showed them kicking and tossing piglets and failing to euthanize a sow gravely injured by a worker while giving birth.

In 2009, HSUS spent 21 days in the Vermont slaughterhouse where male calves born to dairy cows were killed for veal.

"Believe me our investigators would like to be out of there as soon as possible. They're stoic, they're courageous, but they are not enjoying their work at all," said Mary Beth Sweetland, director of investigations for HSUS.

A chilly, damp Dublin celebrated St. Patrick's Day with artistic flair anyway Sunday as the focal point for a weekend of Irish celebrations worldwide.

Spectators watch the St. Patrick's Day parade in Dublin, Sunday, March 17, 2013. Never mind the fickle Irish weather - a chilly, damp Dublin celebrated St. Patrick's Day with artistic flair Sunday as the focal point for a weekend of Irish celebrations worldwide.  

By SHAWN POGATCHNIK

DUBLIN — Never mind the fickle Irish weather. A chilly, damp Dublin celebrated St. Patrick's Day with artistic flair anyway Sunday as the focal point for a weekend of Irish celebrations worldwide.

More than 250,000 revelers braved the occasionally snowy, sleety skies to line the streets for the traditional holiday parade, a 3-kilometer (2-mile) jaunt through the city's heart involving performers from 46 countries.

Unusually, 8,000 tourists in town for the festivities led this year's procession in a "people's parade." Many donned leprechaun costumes or deployed banners and flags of their home nations or U.S. states, with the Texans making the biggest impression as they sported "Happy St. Paddy's Day, Y'All!" T-shirts.

One marcher, a 22-year-old engineer from Calgary, Canada, defiantly showed it wasn't so nippy at all — by doing the hour-long walk shirtless, with only a painted-on shamrock covering his chest.

"It's not cold!" Oliver Feniak declared as he, like many in the leisurely paced 2 1/2-hour parade, stopped to shake hands with onlookers standing five-deep on O'Connell Bridge spanning the River Liffey.

Sunday's decision to put tourists in the vanguard was connected to a year-long tourism promotion called The Gathering that is organizing hundreds of clan reunions nationwide in hopes of boosting the economy. That's sorely needed in an Ireland struggling with 14 percent unemployment, heavy emigration and a household-debt crisis following the 2008 collapse of its Celtic Tiger boom.

St. Patrick's Day always marks the start of Ireland's full-court press for tourists. Since 1997 Dublin has expanded the holiday into a multi-day festival featuring special children's playgrounds, street amusement parks, concerts and walking tours. Irish President Michael D. Higgins is hosting a nationally televised TV show Monday night featuring many of Ireland's top artists and musicians, including Bono and Nobel-winning poet Seamus Heaney.

"We cherish the creativity, community spirit and rich culture for which we, as a nation, are renowned," Higgins said in a speech after the parade. "I have said on many occasions that while the experience of the so-called Celtic Tiger failed to live up to the best versions of Irishness, we have not been failed by our artists. In fact, our artists are a huge moral resource and great reputational asset for Ireland."

St. Patrick's Day is being marked in skylines across the world as part of a global campaign to floodlight landmarks green at night. This year the pyramids of Giza, the leaning tower of Pisa, Niagara Falls, and the Christ the Redeemer statue overlooking Rio are among dozens of iconic spots going green for the occasion.

While tens or thousands of foreigners have made a beeline for Dublin, practically the entire Irish government has gone the other direction, sending 19 ministers to 21 countries to capitalize on a marketing opportunity unique among nations.

Prime Minister Enda Kenny marched in Saturday's biggest U.S. parade in New York and is scheduled to meet President Obama at the White House on Tuesday, when the U.S. political establishment marks the Irish holiday.

It hasn't all gone smoothly. The government deputy leader, Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore, caused diplomatic waves in Atlanta, Georgia, by snubbing the second-biggest American parade in nearby Savannah — because, Gilmore said, he didn't want to attend a dinner hosted by an Irish-American group that bans women from attending.

Most of Irish-America marked the holiday a day early, reflecting the view that such a notoriously boozy holiday shouldn't happen on a Sunday. But the Irish diaspora in most of the rest of the world stuck to marking St. Patrick's Day on March 17 as usual.

Many of Sunday's revelers suggested they were in Dublin specifically to soak up the pub atmosphere.

"We came all the way from Kansas City to drink some Guinness!' declared one banner on the parade route displayed by John Mullen, a 46-year-old lawyer, and his 17-year-old son Jack.

The senior Mullen, whose roots lie in the western county of Mayo, said he and his boy actually were golfing their way through Ireland, not drinking. He said the key to enjoying Ireland was to soak up the locals' exceptionally good conversation regardless of the foul weather.

"Yesterday we got rained on, sleeted on, snowed on as we golfed. There was even some sun here and there. It was four seasons in one round," Mullen said. "People back home say I've got the gift of the gab, but I've got no game here. The conversations here are magnificent. But you sometimes wonder how you're ever going to get out of them!"

In the world's first major St. Patrick's party Sunday, about 30,000 spectators soaked up the sun as Sydney's Irish-Australians paraded through the city. Australia always marks St. Patrick's Day on a Sunday. After the event, partiers rallying at the city's Hyde Park saw 45 Irish men and women receive Australian citizenship. That's increasingly common as tens of thousands of Irish job-seekers have made Australia a favored new home while Ireland's own economy remains in the doldrums.

Walking up to crowds, shaking hands with surprised bystanders in the street, mixing his formal speeches with off-the-cuff remarks, Pope Francis stamped his own style on the papacy Sunday.

By FRANCES D'EMILIO

VATICAN CITY — Walking up to crowds, shaking hands with surprised bystanders in the street, mixing his formal speeches with off-the-cuff remarks, Pope Francis stamped his own style on the papacy Sunday.

His humor and down-to-earth manner captivated those filling St. Peter's Square in Rome to overflowing, and he worked the crowd in a way that had to give his security staff palpitations. Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno, in the square himself, estimated the crowd's size at 300,000.

"Brothers and sisters, 'Buon giorno,'" Francis said in Italian in his first welcome from the window of the papal residence, setting an informal tone that has become the defining spirit of his young papacy.

Earlier Sunday, he made an impromptu appearance before the public from a side gate of the Vatican that startled passers-by and prompted cheers as he shook hands and kissed babies. Francis had just finished celebrating Mass and delivering a six-minute homily — brief by church standards — in the Vatican's tiny parish church, St. Anna, when he walked outside to greet parishioners one by one, just as an ordinary pastor does after weekly services.

Francis started speaking at the window even before the stroke of noon — the appointed time for the weekly papal address. The windows of the papal study in the Apostolic Palace were opened for the first time since Francis' predecessor, Benedict XVI, gave his last Sunday blessing on Feb. 24. Four days later, Benedict went into retirement, the first pontiff to do so in nearly 600 years.

Francis, the first pope from Latin America, was elected Wednesday and has been staying in a hotel on the Vatican's premises until the papal apartment is ready.

"The pope is down-to-earth. He is a people person and it is amazing," said Emanuel Anatsui from Britain. "He is going to do wonderfully for the church."

After Mass, Francis again put his security detail to the test as he waded into an intersection just outside St. Anna's Gate. Francis stepped up to the crowd, grasping outstretched hands. The atmosphere was so casual that several people even gripped Francis on the shoulder.

"Francesco! Francesco!" children shouted his name in Italian. As he patted one little boy on the head, he asked "Are you a good boy?" and the child nodded.

"Are you sure?" the pope quipped.

At one point he glanced at his watch and turned to an aide — as if to ask "How much time do I have?"

The pope then ducked back inside the Vatican's boundaries to dash upstairs for the address to St. Peter's Square.

Often abandoning the prepared text in his hand, Francis told the crowd that he wanted to talk about mercy, saying he was inspired by a book about forgiveness that he was reading. Citing the author, an elderly German cardinal, and praising him as a "top-notch" theologian, Francis quipped: "Don't think I'm making publicity for my cardinals' books!" drawing a roar of laughter from the crowd.

Francis said mercy can "change the world" and make it "less cold and more just."

He spoke only in Italian — ending with "Buon pranzo" (Have a good lunch) — a wish that triggered nods of approval from the crowd in Rome, where a leisurely Sunday family lunch is a cherished tradition.

But Francis did tweet in English and other languages, saying: "Dear friends, I thank you from my heart and I ask you to continue to pray for me.'"

Past pontiffs have used the Sunday window greetings to offer brief reflections and wishes in several languages.

Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said Francis would likely stick with Italian, a language he's comfortable with for spontaneous remarks. Lombardi left open the possibility the 76-year-old pope would use other languages in future public appearances.

During his window speech, Francis also talked about of his family's roots in Italy's northwestern Piedmont region. He told the crowd that by naming himself as pope after St. Francis of Assisi, an Italian patron saint, he was "strengthening my spiritual tie with this land, where, as you know, my family has its origins."

The crowd was cheering wildly when Francis appeared at the window, but fell into rapt silence when he began to speak. Some people's eyes welled up. Many people waved the blue-and-white flag of Argentina, the pope's homeland. Some people held their children aloft or on their shoulders to get a better look.

"We are so proud. He is Argentine, but also belongs to the rest of the world," said Ivana Cabello, 23, of Argentina.

Angela Carreon, a 41-year-old Rome resident originally from the Philippines, ventured that Francis "looks like John Paul II. "

"I hope he is like him," she said. "He has a heart."

The globe-trotting Polish-born John Paul II, who died in 2005, loved to charm the crowds.

Several hundred extra traffic police were deployed Sunday to control crowds and vehicles for Francis' first window speech as well as the annual Rome marathon. Bus routes were rerouted and many streets were closed off to channel the curious and the faithful up the main boulevard from the Tiber river to St. Peter's Square.

Giant video screens were set up so the huge crowd could get a close look at Francis, and dozens of medical teams were on hand for any emergencies. In the last hour before noon, a large backup formed of people trying to squeeze through three openings in the fence ringing the front of the square. But by the time Francis appeared, all had calmly found a viewing spot.

Among Francis' first formal meetings is an appointment Monday with Argentine President Cristina Fernandez. That will provide an opportunity to see if the new pope's easygoing manner still holds — the two have been on opposite sides for many years. As Buenos Aires archbishop, Francis had lobbied hard against the government's move to legalize gay marriage and make contraceptives available for free.

On Tuesday, Fernandez will join other world leaders and senior international envoys, including U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and the president of Jesuit-run Georgetown University, for Francis' formal installation as pope.

Associated Press writers Daniela Petroff and Karl Ritter contributed to this report.

The post-parties are especially helpful for young politicians running for office for the first time.

State Treasurer Steven Grossman, Hampden County Sheriff Michael J. Ashe and U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, speak to the crowd gathered at the party at the Greater Holyoke Boys and Girls Club hosted by Neal and Ashe after the Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade Sunday.

Photo by Manon L. Mirabelli




 

HOLYOKE – After the marching was over, the eating, drinking and campaigning began at the ubiquitous post-St. Patrick's Parade parties held across the city Sunday.

Before 4 p.m. Holyoke City Councilor David K. Bartley had already been to parties sponsored by Mayor Alex B. Morse and state Treasurer Steven Grossman before he stopped at the Holyoke Boys and Girls Club for one held by U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield and Hampden County Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr.

“It was a great day for Holyoke,” he said, thanking the parade committees in all the communities, which put hours and hours into planning for the 62nd parade.

The post-parade parties are as popular as the parade and the place to be for the area’s best-known office-holders and wannabes.

Before the night was over, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who marched with the Chicopee contingent, gave her greetings to the rapidly building crowd at the Neal/Ashe party; Grossman entertained the crowd by singing “Charlie on the M.T.A.” and former state Sen. Linda J. Melconian, D-Springfield, had shaken the hands of dozens of old colleagues.

“I wouldn’t miss this. For 25 years I marched, and I don’t march anymore, but I always come to this party,” Melconian said. “This is a great place to renew your relationships.”

Ashe said he has been holding the party for about 30 years, and several years ago he and Neal decided to join forces and hold one gathering at the Boys and Girls Club, located several blocks from the end of the parade route.

After both marched, they quickly made their way to the party to greet the more than 1,500 invited guests.

“The great thing was the crowd, the excitement and the enthusiasm,” Ashe said.

This is the first parade where Neal marched as the U.S. representative to Holyoke after redistricting left him covering the city. He has marched in the parade for years and won two of its most prestigious awards, so the change hardly meant he was a parade newcomer.

“I spent 20 years and two redistricting processes trying to get Holyoke. It was no secret I wanted Holyoke,” he said.

Springfield political consultant Anthony L. Cignoli said he advises any candidates who are running in state-wide elections to attend the St. Patrick’s breakfast in Boston early and then race to Holyoke for the parade. Afterward, the Ashe/Neal party is the one they cannot miss.

“It is the best way you can put a face to a name,” he said.

At the party were school committee members, including Holyoke’s vice chairman Devin Sheehan, Chicopee’s Michael Pise and Ludlow’s Jake Oliveira. Most of the Holyoke city councilors attended, including Brenna and Todd McGee, who brought their 2-month-old son and Aaron Vega, who is serving a dual role as state representative.

Stephen Kerrigan, of Lancaster, a candidate for lieutenant governor, marched and sponsored the Framingham High School band in the parade.

“This parade is a great tradition,” he said. “It is important to get out as early as you can and connect with as many voters as you can, and this was a great way to do that.”

Warren, who also marched last year did exactly what Cignoli recommended. She attended the Boston breakfast and then drove to Holyoke.

“I raced out here last year because I love it here and I want to be here,” she said. One of the best parts of the parade is the set-up gathering in the Kmart parking lot where she has a chance to talk to the different participants, including many high school students who are marching in bands and other units. Warren said she was also stopped by people who cheered on her efforts in banking reform, which she admitted was not the typical parade talk.