Obituaries from The Republican.

Marian Adams  

Marian A. (Faust) Adams, 86, of Agawam, passed away on Saturday. Born in Springfield, she lived in Springfield before moving to Agawam in 1969. She worked as a retail sales associate for the former Steiger's Department Stores and Filene's and then retired from Macy's. She was a communicant of St. John the Evangelist Church and enjoyed vacationing with her family in Maine.

Obituaries from The Republican:

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  Adams, Marian A.
  



• 
  Almeida, Sophie V.
  



• 
  Batista, Antonio A.
  



• 
  Bouyea, Kenneth D.
  



• 
  Boyce, Kevin J.
  



• 
  Cyrus, Jarvis Lee
  



• 
  Czupkiewicz, Carole L.
  



• 
  Dwinell, Kenneth C.
  



• 
  Gibson, David W.
  



• 
  Goodrow, Rose M.
  



• 
  Gregorio, Francisco
  



• 
  Polom, Diane C.
  



• 
  Poulos Sr., Emanuel
  



• 
  Roberge, Albert Joseph
  



• 
  Watts, Cathy Elaine
  



• 
  Whitcomb, A. Claire
  

Pending autopsies statewide jumped from 2 to 13 percent over the last two years according to state records.

Elizabeth Reed, 47, of Springfield, left, was found dead in her apartment on March 15, 2012. Her cause of death has not been determined. At right is her sister, Amanda Bean. Submitted photo  

Despite her shyness and a few other quirks, Elizabeth Reed’s family never expected to find the generally healthy 47-year-old dead on her kitchen floor on March 15 last year.

“She hadn’t been to work and had called in four days in a row, which was bizarre at best,” said brother-in-law Daniel Bean, of East Longmeadow. “Her brother and my wife went over and knocked on the door. There was no answer. They called the police to check on her, and they found her face down on the floor.”

To this day, Reed’s death is something of a mystery. The family still does not have an autopsy report detailing the medical underpinnings of her seemingly sudden death. They say they have been put off by the state Office of Chief Medical Examiner for more than a year – delaying the identification of Reed’s body for weeks, her burial by a month, and emotional closure for her parents and siblings.

“Forty-seven-year-old women do not just drop. Why does a 47-year-old just die? My wife’s concern is whether it’s hereditary. If it was something genetic we really should know,” Bean said. “And the other thing is, to move on in life you need to close stuff out.”

Theirs is not the only family to be distressed by a growing bottleneck in autopsy reports for families and others in Western Massachusetts.

The retirement of one of two medical examiners in early 2011 in the Holyoke office – which serves the four western counties – has triggered a flood of cadavers being sent to the busy Boston office.

Statistics provided from the state Department of Public Safety indicate the number of bodies sent out-of-town for analysis rocketed from zero in 2010 to 369 last year. Cases completed in the Western Massachusetts office dipped from 565 to 369 over the last two years. Pending autopsies statewide jumped from 2 to 13 percent over the same time, according to state records.

While the variances aren’t huge, they have yielded a problem that combines the continuing leanness of the state budge with the clinical complexity of analyzing the dead, and the intensely personal process of mourning.

Reed’s family has complained that her autopsy was promised within three months of her death. It has still not come, despite prodding from the family. Bean said they have been told the original physician who performed the initial autopsy (one day after Reed’s death) is on extended maternity leave and is the sole clinician who can complete the exam under state law. The family received preliminary indications in October that the cause could have been a heart arrhythmia. But, the final verdict remains a question.

“It sounds to me that they feel like they don’t answer to anyone. I have never in my life felt powerless before,” said Bean. “I know they’re dealing with people who are deceased but they’re also dealing people who are living.”

Bean came forward on behalf of his family after a young couple from Springfield, Kamina Grey and Sean McKenzie, went public with an attorney to decry the delay in the final autopsy of their 1-year-old son, Sean Jr., who died in his bed last year.

The couple held a press conference denouncing the delay and what they described as a feeling of being ignored by state officials. The couple came forward just after the anniversary of the baby's death.

Terrel Harris, a spokesman for the Department of Public Safety, which oversees the Office of Chief Medical Examiner, said autopsies on infants and adults whose bodies have decomposed (like Reed’s) are the most difficult to complete. In the baby’s case, Harris said the report was delayed by having to bring in a neuropathologist.

However, the final autopsy, sent to the parents a week after they sought the media’s help, indicates that exam was completed four months ago. The answer for the child’s parents was a qualified conclusion that their baby had underlying asthma, which thwarted a complete recovery after abdominal surgery. He had been hospitalized several times before his death.

The parents did not return calls for comment after the report was finalized. However, their attorney, Thomas J. Rooke, said that case was an example of wider spread deficiencies in the Office of Medical Examiner.

“The office is either overworked and understaffed or completely incompetent,” Rooke said. “Making a family wait over a year is inexcusable.”

Harris declined to respond to Rooke’s assessment.

Jay Czelusniak, president of a the Western Massachusetts Funeral Directors Association and owner of Czelusniak Funeral Home in Northampton, said the slow-down in local autopsies has created headaches for his industry and the families they serve.

“The whole autopsy issue is becoming a real pain, to put it nicely,” Czelusniak said.

He ticked off a number of problems: Timing could send your loved one’s body to Boston. If you die late on Thursday or Friday, it’s guaranteed, since the local medical examiner's office is no longer staffed on the weekends; the trip to Boston then prompts a delay in getting the body returned, hence a lag in scheduling funeral services; autopsy reports are consequently held up by months and so are insurance payments and, of course, payments to funeral homes. Also, the cost of retrieving a loved one’s body from Boston also boosts funeral costs by as much as $1,000, Czelusniak said.

“It’s costing us more money and the families more money, on top of all the other heartache and stress and emotion. When you lose somebody the last thing you want to do is deal with red tape, and now we’ve got more of it than ever,” he said.

Hampden County District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni said all violent deaths (homicides and accidents) have been shipped to Boston since early 2011. While he still finds the state medical examiner’s office responsive, he admits the logistics of sending bodies to Boston can temporarily hinder investigations.

“I think it puts a significant strain on Boston. It’s not the autopsies themselves that get delayed, it’s the final reports,” Mastroianni said, adding that reports for homicides typically take six or seven months but that the life of a criminal case is longer than that.

He did concede that the ideal way to build a solid homicide investigation typically involves sending a police detective to be present at an autopsy. That is often not possible since local cases have been shuttled to Boston from Holyoke. There were 24 in 2011 and 18 last year.

Despite complaints from the various interest groups, the process seems unlikely to change anytime soon.

Harris said the current budget does not support the restoration of a second doctor in the Holyoke office.

“We are working to build a new Western Massachusetts facility in the next couple of years. In other words, discussions are underway,” he said.

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick says no unexploded bombs were found at the Boston Marathon. He says the only explosives were the ones that went off Monday.

BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick says no unexploded bombs were found at the Boston Marathon. He says the only explosives were the ones that went off Monday.

Three people were killed, including an 8-year-old boy, by two explosions just seconds apart near the finish line.

Police commissioner Ed Davis says 176 victims came to hospitals around Boston, and 17 of those are in critical condition.

Special Agent in Charge Richard DesLauriers says at a news conference there are no known additional threats.

Police commissioner Ed Davis says it is the most complex crime scene in history of the department.

Authorities are looking for amateur video and photographic evidence that can give clues to who set off the bombs.

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Conley says "what occurred in Boston was an act of cowardice."

Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Gabriel Gomez is reflecting on yesterday's explosions at the Boston Marathon, giving thanks for the safety of his family and staff and offering condolences for the injured and deceased.

BOSTON - Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Gabriel Gomez is reflecting on yesterday's explosions at the Boston Marathon, giving thanks for the safety of his family and staff and offering condolences for the injured and deceased.

Nearly three-quarters of the roughly 23,000 runners who participated in Monday's marathon had already crossed the finish line when an apparent garbage can bomb detonated at 2:50 p.m. on Boylston Street. That blast was quickly followed by another nearby explosion, investigators said.

The latest report from investigators states that three people were killed, including an 8-year-old boy, and more than 150 people were injured.

Gomez, a former Navy SEAL, was one of the thousands who had already crossed the finish line by the time the explosions took place. But Gomez, who along with the other candidates has suspended campaigning for the Senate seat vacated by John Kerry, said he missed the explosions by just a few minutes.

He released the following statement Tuesday morning:

"Like all Bostonians and Americans today my heart hurts in the wake of this terrible tragedy. Our prayers are with the victims of this senseless act, which turned a beautiful tradition into a horrible day we will never forget. I crossed the finish line just minutes before the blast, and thank god that my family and staff were out of harm’s way. Thank you for the outpouring of support and concern. Even in the face of unspeakable cruelty the people of Massachusetts quickly came together to help in any way they could.

While running yesterday I was reminded that this marathon is like nothing else. People from all over the world come to see the great city of Boston for an all-American event.

Even in the face of unspeakable cruelty the people of Massachusetts immediately came together to help in any way they could. From the first responders I saw run towards the blast, to the neighbors who opened up their homes to frightened runners, the worst evil of the world has brought out the best in Boston.

Today is not a day for politics, but I’d like to thank Mike Sullivan and Dan Winslow for calling immediately after the attack to make sure that we were clear of the danger.

To think about the kind of person that would plant bombs at the feet of children to maim and kill, my emotions have boiled over from sorrow, to grief, to anger. As a military veteran I’ve seen awful things, but the scenes from the Back Bay yesterday were almost too much to bear.

We will find who is responsible for these deadly acts and make sure justice is swift and clear.

Please take today, as I am, to cherish your loved ones and pray for Boston."

The FBI is asking anyone with information about the explosions to call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). Callers must press the "3" key to speak with an agent. The agency is specifically looking for anyone who captured visual images of the explosions, including videos and still images, and any other information that may be relevant to the investigation.

A statue honoring the father-son running team was erected this spring in Hopkinton near the starting line of the Boston Marathon.

HOLLAND -- Dick Hoyt and his son, Rick, are ready to run the last mile of their 31st Boston Marathon.

As a tribute to those who lost their lives and as an example to those responsible for Monday’s bombing about the spirit and strength of America, the elder Hoyt says it would be an honor for them to finish the race one day.

“I think it will mean a lot to lot of people,” Dick Hoyt said by telephone Tuesday morning. "If they ask us, we are ready."

Known as Team Hoyt, the 73-year-old father and his 51-year-old son have been running and competing in triathlons and marathons for more than three decades, inspiring people around the world with their story of perseverance.

Over the past 18 hours, Dick Hoyt said, he and Rick Hoyt have been deluged by well-wishers, supporters and members of the media clamoring for their perspective on the marathon bombing.

The Hoyts’ run on Monday was halted about a mile short of the finish line in downtown Boston, and the Hoyts were only able to make it back to their hotel thanks to a helpful bystander with an SUV who volunteered to give them a ride.

Rick Hoyt’s wheelchair was still missing in action as of Tuesday morning.

For the Hoyts, and their team of more than 30 runners, it had been a spectacular start from the Hopkinton site where a statue honoring them was installed this spring.

“The race started off very good,” Dick Hoyt said. “It was awesome. We were having a good marathon run, an-hour-and-a-half faster than last year.”

Then, word started to reach his group of runners, Hoyt recalled. “Some people were telling us a couple of bombs went off,” he said. “They stopped us with a mile to go. Here I am with Rick. What were we going to do? Where are we going to go?”

One bystander suggested they get a cab, but, Dick Hoyt said, “This running chair won’t fit in a cab. All of our stuff was waiting for us at the finish line.”

That was when another spectator stepped forward to offer his help and his Jeep SUV. “He said, ‘I can give you guys a ride. I know Boston pretty well.’”

Rick’s wheelchair eventually ended up in a different vehicle, while father and son and two of their fellow runners got a ride to the Sheraton hotel. It took them an hour and 25 minutes to make the relatively short trip by vehicle. “All the streets were closed off; Rick had no chair. I had to carry him inside to the hotel,” Dick Hoyt recalled. “We still don’t have his chair.”

Hoyt, who is a retired Air National Guard colonel, said neither he nor his son are concerned about what their finish might have been; they’re more concerned with what happens now, that all the injured receive the care they need and that authorities are able to track down who was responsible.

“At that point, for me, the race was over. It was just unbelievable,” Dick Hoyt said. He credits the Boston Police Department, other first responders and the Boston Athletic Association, the marathon’s sponsor, with good handling the shut-down of the race and response.

“You have to give credit to the police. There were 27,000 runners out there; the crowds were just unbelievable. The people on the sidelines had no idea what was going as all the fire trucks were going by,” Dick Hoyt said.

Now, he said, those responsible for the bombings must be found, and the nation needs to remain vigilant. “Don’t we live in a crazy world now. Something’s got to be done.” 

Police and federal agents appealed to the public Tuesday for amateur video and photos that might yield clues to the Boston Marathon bombing as the chief FBI agent in Boston vowed "we will go to the ends of the Earth" to find whoever carried out the deadly attack.

JIMMY GOLEN
Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — Police and federal agents appealed to the public Tuesday for amateur video and photos that might yield clues to the Boston Marathon bombing as the chief FBI agent in Boston vowed "we will go to the ends of the Earth" to find whoever carried out the deadly attack.

Two bombs blew up seconds apart Monday at the finish line of one of the world's most storied races, tearing off limbs and leaving the streets spattered with blood and strewn with broken glass. Three people were killed, including an 8-year-old boy, and more than 170 were wounded.

A doctor treating the wounded said one of the victims was maimed by what looked like ball bearings or BBs.

Boston Marathon bombing press conference: Key details released and discussed by city, state and federal officials

Federal investigators said no one had claimed responsibility for the bombings on one of the city's biggest civic holidays, Patriots Day. But the blasts raised the specter of another terrorist attack on U.S. soil.

President Barack Obama was careful not to use the words "terror" or "terrorism" as he spoke at the White House on Monday, but an administration official said the bombings were being treated as an act of terrorism.

"We will go to the ends of the Earth to identify the subject or subjects who are responsible for this despicable crime, and we will do everything we can to bring them to justice," said Richard DesLauriers, FBI agent in charge in Boston. He said investigators had received "voluminous tips," were interviewing witnesses and were analyzing the crime scene.

Gov. Deval Patrick said contrary to earlier reports, no unexploded bombs were found. He said the only explosives were the ones that went off.

Across the U.S., from Washington to Los Angeles, police tightened security, monitoring landmarks, government buildings, transit hubs and sporting events.

The FBI took charge of the investigation, converging on a home in the suburb of Revere on Monday night. Authorities gave no details on the search. Investigators were seen leaving a building there early Tuesday carrying brown paper bags, plastic trash bags and a duffel bag.

They also repeatedly appealed for any video, audio and photos taken by marathon spectators, even images that people think might not think are significant.

"There has to be hundreds, if not thousands, of photos and videos" that might help investigators, state police Col. Timothy Alben said.

Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis said investigators gathered a large number of surveillance tapes from businesses and intend to go through them frame by frame.

Investigators refused to give any specifics on the bombs and say, for example, where they might have been hidden or whether they were packed with shrapnel for maximum carnage, as is often the case in terror bombings overseas.

But Dr. Stephen Epstein of the emergency medicine department at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center said he saw an X-ray of one victim's leg that had "what appears to be small, uniform, round objects throughout it — similar in the appearance to BBs." He said it remained to be determined what exactly the objects were.

A European security official said Tuesday initial evidence indicates that the attacks were not the work of suicide bombers.

"So far, investigators believe it was not the work of suicide bombers, but it is still too early to rule it out completely," said the official, who spoke from the United States on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about the U.S. investigation.

The Pakistani Taliban, which has threatened attacks in the United States because of its support for the Pakistani government, on Tuesday denied any role in the bombings.

The fiery explosions took place about 10 seconds and about 100 yards apart, knocking spectators and at least one runner off their feet, shattering windows and sending columns of smoke rising over the street. Victims lost limbs and suffered broken bones, shrapnel wounds and ruptured eardrums.

Roupen Bastajian, a state trooper from Smithfield, R.I., had just finished the race when he heard the explosions.

"I started running toward the blast. And there were people all over the floor," he said. "We started grabbing tourniquets and started tying legs. A lot of people amputated. ... At least 25 to 30 people have at least one leg missing, or an ankle missing, or two legs missing."

At Massachusetts General Hospital, Alasdair Conn, chief of emergency services, said: "This is something I've never seen in my 25 years here ... this amount of carnage in the civilian population. This is what we expect from war."

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick says no unexploded bombs were found and that the only explosives were the ones that went off near the end of the 26.2-mile course.

Eight-year-old Martin Richard was among the dead, according to a person who talked to a friend of the family and spoke on condition of anonymity. The person said the boy's mother and sister were also injured as they waited for his father to finish the race.

A candle burned on the stoop of the family's single-family home in the city's Dorchester section Tuesday, and the word "Peace" was written in chalk on the front walkway.

Neighbor Betty Delorey said Martin loved to climb the neighborhood trees, and hop the fence outside his home.

Davis said there were 176 casualties at hospitals, at least 17 of whom were critically injured. At least eight children were being treated at hospitals.

Tim Davey of Richmond, Va., was with his wife, Lisa, and children near a medical tent that had been set up to care for fatigued runners when the injured began arriving. "They just started bringing people in with no limbs," he said.

"Most everybody was conscious," Lisa Davey said. "They were very dazed."

The Boston Marathon is one of the world's oldest and most prestigious races and about 23,000 runners participated. Most of them had crossed the finish line by the time the bombs exploded, but thousands more were still completing the course.

The attack may have been timed for maximum bloodshed: The four-hour mark is typically a crowded time near the finish line because of the slow-but-steady recreational runners completing the race and because of all the friends and relatives clustered around to cheer them on.

Davis said authorities had received "no specific intelligence that anything was going to happen" at the race.

"We still don't know who did this or why," Obama said at the White House, adding, "Make no mistake: We will get to the bottom of this."

With scant official information to guide them, members of Congress said there was little or no doubt it was an act of terrorism.

"We just don't know whether it's foreign or domestic," said Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security.

A few miles away from the finish line and around the same time, a fire broke out at the John F. Kennedy Library. The police commissioner said that it may have been caused by an incendiary device but that it was not clear whether it was related to the bombings.

The race winds up near Copley Square, not far from the landmark Prudential Center and the Boston Public Library. It is held on Patriots Day, which commemorates the first battles of the American Revolution, at Concord and Lexington in 1775.

The first explosion occurred on the north side of Boylston Street, just before the finish line, and some people initially thought it was a celebratory cannon blast. When the second bomb went off, spectators' cheers turned to screams.

Runners in the medical tent for treatment of dehydration or other race-related ills were pushed out to make room for victims of the bombing.

A woman who was a few feet from the second bomb, Brighid Wall, 35, of Duxbury, said that when it exploded, runners and spectators froze, unsure of what to do. Her husband threw their children to the ground, lay on top of them and another man lay on top of them and said, "Don't get up, don't get up."

After a minute or so without another explosion, Wall said, she and her family headed to a Starbucks and out the back door through an alley. Around them, the windows of the bars and restaurants were blown out.

She said she saw six to eight people bleeding profusely, including one man who was kneeling, dazed, with blood trickling down his head. Another person was on the ground covered in blood and not moving.

"My ears are zinging. Their ears are zinging," Wall said. "It was so forceful. It knocked us to the ground."

___

Associated Press writers Jay Lindsay, Steve LeBlanc, Bridget Murphy, Rodrique Ngowi and Meghan Barr in Boston; Julie Pace, Lara Jakes and Eileen Sullivan in Washington; Paisley Dodds in London and Marilynn Marchione in Milwaukee contributed to this report.

The Pentagon chief vowed that those responsible will be brought to justice.

By DONNA CASSATA, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is calling the Boston Marathon bombing that killed three and wounded more than 170 people a "cruel act of terror."

Hagel said Tuesday that any event with explosive devices is clearly an act of terror and promised that a thorough investigation will determine whether the perpetrators were foreign or domestic.

He said government officials still do not know who is responsible or why the historic race was targeted Monday.

The Pentagon chief vowed that those responsible will be brought to justice. He said the thoughts and prayers of those at the Pentagon are with the people of Boston.

Hagel made the comments Tuesday at the start of a previously scheduled congressional hearing on the defense budget.

What do you think? Can security ever be guaranteed?

The social media discussion surrounding the Boston Marathon bombings is increasingly turning toward the security challenges posed by such large-scale events in public settings. Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis on Tuesday called it the most complex crime scene in the history of the department. USA Today noted that security can never be guaranteed.

MassLive.com commenter Pancake29 entered the fray, defending the security work at the Boston Marathon:

Any big city cop, fireman, resident, etc, will tell you it is not possible to search hundreds of thousands of people attending such a large function, stretching over 26 miles and taking an entire day in a large city. Insulting Boston (or any) PD after the fact does little to help your case. Do you think they wanted this to happen? Additionally (and unfortunately) this is part of the price we pay for having a free society. If you'd like everyone searched at these functions, Stalinist Soviet Union would be a good place to use as a model.

What do you think? Would you support even stricter security measures at large-scale events like the Boston Marathon? Is there ever a 100 percent guarantee of security?

Law enforcement agents searched the Revere apartment overnight.

The roommate of the man whose Revere apartment was searched in Tuesday's early hours tells the Boston Globe that he doesn't believe his roommate is connected to the Boston Marathon bombing.

“I don’t think he could do that,’’ the roommate told the Globe.

As The Associated Press reported, the Revere apartment was searched overnight, but few details were available.

The Globe reports that the roommate descibes the 20-year-old man in question as being a devout Muslim from Medina, Saudi Arabia. He has reportedly been questioned at Brigham & Women's hospital, but has not been arrested.

NECN spoke with a different neighbor from the apartment complex, Sandeep Singh, who said, "We saw a lot of police presence, so everybody was thinking that they found something here."

The FBI is seeking photos from around the scene of the bombings near the Boston Marathon finish line on Boylston Street. In his 11:30 a.m. Tuesday press conference, President Obama said law enforcement officials do not yet know who orchestrated the bombing, or why.

In reflection of Monday's bombing at the Boston Marathon that injured more than 170 people and killed three, President Barack Obama has ordered all flags at the White House and on public ground be flown at half-staff.

In reflection of Monday's bombing at the Boston Marathon that injured more than 170 people and killed three, President Barack Obama has ordered all flags at the White House and on public ground be flown at half-staff.

On Tuesday morning, he issued the following proclamation:

As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on April 15, 2013, in Boston, Massachusetts, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, April 20, 2013.

I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.

The FBI is asking anyone with information about the explosions to call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). Callers must press the "3" key to speak with an agent. The agency is specifically looking for anyone who captured visual images of the explosions, including videos and still images, and any other information that may be relevant to the investigation.

Several online resources are available to help people deal with the emotional toll of the Boston Marathon bombings.

The following are several online resources that readers may find helpful in dealing with the emotional toll of the Boston Marathon bombings. Also included below is information about a resource center set up in Boston that is offering counseling services.

If you know of any western Massachusetts resources that may be able to help local residents who were at the race and witnessed the explosions, please post to the comments and I'll add the information below.

• Recovering Emotionally | Tips and information for adults as well as children on common emotional responses to disasters [Red Cross]

• Helping Children Cope with Disaster | A 12-page guide, offered online as a PDF, that includes information about how children may react to disasters at different developmental stages [American Red Cross, Department of Homeland Security, and FEMA]
• Tips for Talking With and Helping Children and Youth Cope After a Disaster or Traumatic Event | A four-page booklet, online as a PDF, offering advice for talking about difficult events with children, by age group [Substance Abuse Mental Health Administration]
• Talking to children after tragedy | A short post from the Boston Children's Hospital's pediatric health blog offering basic advice, such as limiting media exposure [Boston Children's Hospital]
• Helping Children Cope in Unsettling Times: Tips for Parents and Teachers | A one-page tip sheet that includes general advice for the home and classroom [National Association of School Psychologists]
• If you're in Boston, the Castle at Park Plaza opened at 9 a.m. today as a resource and information center. The building is located at the intersection of Columbus Avenue and Arlington Street, and it will be open until at least 5 p.m. today. The center is offering counseling services for members of the public and sheltering services for displaced residents. It's also serving as a meeting place for runners to re-connect with friends and family, and as a place for runners to pick up belongings left on shuttle busses.
• In Springfield, Foster Memorial Church has set a 6 p.m. prayer service for those 'affected by explosions' at Boston Marathon. The church is located at 1791 Wilbraham Road in the city's Sixteen Acres neighborhood.

 

Police said 46 of the 62 people found inside the apartment were underage.

WESTFIELD -- Police arrested a 21-year-old man late Friday night after he allegedly furnished alcohol to underage drinkers during a party in his Shepard Street apartment.

Capt. Michael McCabe said police were sent to the apartment shortly before midnight after a neighbor complained about a noisy party there.

McCabe said 46 of the 62 people found inside the apartment were under the legal drinking age of 21.

The tenant, Kevin M. Zyrkowski, who listed his address as 6 Windsor Drive, Hingham, was charged with disturbing the peace and furnishing liquor to a person younger than the legal drinking age.

Massachusetts General Hospital's chief of trauma surgery says doctors removed "a variety of sharp objects," including pellets and nails, from the wounds of victims of the Boston Marathon explosions.

BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts General Hospital's chief of trauma surgery says doctors removed "a variety of sharp objects," including pellets and nails, from the wounds of victims of the Boston Marathon explosions.

Dr. George Velmahos said Tuesday that in his opinion the metal fragments came from the bomb and not from the environment.

Velmahos says MGH treated 31 victims of the bombs that exploded in quick succession on Monday. The hospital performed four amputations and he said at least two more patients have legs that are still at risk of amputation.

Dr. Stephen Epstein of the emergency medicine department at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center says he saw an X-ray of one victim's leg that had "what appears to be small, uniform, round objects throughout it — similar in the appearance to BBs."

About 460 National Guard troops were on duty on Monday for the running of the Boston Marathon; all the troops went onto active duty to provide support in the wake of the bombings.

Members of the Massachusetts National Guard wait for orders on Boston Common in the evening following an explosion at the finish line of the Boston Marathon in Boston on Monday. Associated Press Photo

BOSTON – It’s been a painful 24 hours for Maj. Gen. Scott Rice, the state’s adjutant general of the National Guard, who is commanding upwards of 1,500 troops from across the commonwealth now on active duty in response to the Boston Marathon bombings.

“To think that an 8-year-old kid took the brunt of this bomb by his mother’s side on what had been a wonderful day,” the general said as he recalled Monday’s bombing.

Rice and his wife, Nancy, had been in the reviewing stand on Boylston Street near the marathon’s finish line until about 1:30 p.m. and were at lunch a few blocks away when the bomb blasts went off.

“We came right back; the dust was literally still in the air. I saw my Guardsmen responding, pulling metal off someone trapped in the debris,” Rice said.

Images of several Guardsmen in their camouflage fatigues at the blast site were among the first images distributed by the media after the bombing.

Gen. Scott Rice

“I know who they were, and I will be meeting with each of them personally to thank them for their service,” Rice said. “This was a great tragedy; it’s interesting what adrenaline does to you, and that feeling of adrenaline was in the air yesterday afternoon. Some label it as fear, but for us in the military, one of the things we do is channel that to a be a heightened sense of energy to provide what assistance we can at the scene. My three soldiers did just that, and they are still out and about in Boston helping.”

Immediately after the bombing, National Guard troops (there were more than 400 on duty all along the marathon route, Rice said) were dispatched to provide security for a 15-block area. “The Boston Police Department didn’t have the depth of force, and we had 460 soldiers and airmen already on duty along the route,” the general said. “We started pulling all of them into Boston to secure the crime scene and be in place to help as needed.”

Rice said the number of Guard members placed on active duty swelled to more than 1,000 overnight. “That’s along with 800 people who are already on full-time duty,” he said.

The general said a 22-member National Guard civil support team had been on duty prior to and during the race to provide “analytical support.”

“They work for the governor; they are in Boston. They had no indication anything was coming; they are now in high gear continuing to help secure the crime scene,” Rice said.

National Guard troops today are working hand-in-hand with the Boston Police Department and other law enforcement agencies, according to Rice. “There are soldiers at every barrier; there are soldiers helping MBTA police, checking through bags. They will be part of the public safety presence everywhere they are needed,” Rice said.

Asked what his message to the public would be as the investigation into the bombing continues, Rice said, “Number 1, I want people to know that in the height of confusion, in the height of danger and in the height of fear of the unknown, our (National Guard) response to to help and assist. A lot of our soldiers have been there and done that under very similar circumstances in other countries around the globe; we will do whatever we can to support the uniform services with public safety. We’re honored to it. We literally have hundreds of service members coming into to the city to volunteer to help."

Holyoke police sent their newly-reinstated K-9 unit to Boston to help in wake of the explosions.

File photo | The Republican

SPRINGFIELD -- Police have stepped up patrols in key areas of the city following the bombings that took the lives of three people and injured more than 170 at the Boston Marathon Monday.

“Patrols were told to give notice to public buildings, stores, things like that,” Sgt. John M. Delaney said. “It’s more or less to make people feel safe. We don’t expect anything.”

The department’s K-9 units have been patrolling such areas as the federal building and the Peter Pan bus station, said Delaney, aide to Commissioner William J. Fitchet.

Because it’s school vacation week, patrols have been augmented by the department’s school resource officers.

Springfield police, meanwhile, have offered their services to their counterparts in Boston. “If they need us they will call,” Delaney said.

In Holyoke, the police department’s newly-reinstated K-9 unit, Officer Matthew Welch and 15-month-old Ryker, have deployed to Boston, Lt. Matthew Moriarty said.

President Barack Obama says the explosions at the Boston Marathon are being investigated as an act of terror, although authorities still don't know who is responsible.

JULIE PACE
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says the explosions at the Boston Marathon are being investigated as an act of terror, although authorities still don't know who is responsible.

He called the bombing "a heinous and cowardly act" used to target innocent civilians.

Obama spoke to reporters at the White House after a briefing by his national security team.

Three people were killed, including an 8-year-old boy, and more than 170 were wounded in Monday's bombing at the famous marathon's finish line.

For every runner, there is a story. They were supposed to be stories of accomplishment and great physical achievement. Instead, they are stories of fear, panic and sadness. And yet, they know well, these are the stories of the lucky ones.

For every runner, there is a story. They were supposed to be stories of accomplishment and great physical achievement. Instead, they are stories of fear, panic and sadness. And yet, they know well, these are the stories of the lucky ones.

Boston Marathon runner Scott Strider, of Florida, was displaced from his hotel by the bombing. (By Shira Schoenberg for MassLive.com)





 

Stuart Strider

Strider, 53, of Hollywood, Florida has run the Boston Marathon 31 consecutive times.

On Monday, Strider was running slowly with less than one mile to go before the finish line when he was stopped by a roadblock near the Massachusetts Avenue bridge. “They didn’t tell people what was going on, I thought it was a timing issue,” Strider said. A police officer told Strider he couldn’t go forward, so he detoured and ran parallel to the finish line. “I looked at my watch and said I guess I’m done,” Strider said.

Then, Strider discovered the truth – that two explosions had gone off near the end of the race.

His hotel, the Charlesmark Hotel, was near the finish line and barricaded off. Strider was lucky to get a room at the Park Plaza Hotel. They allowed him to check in with no identification and no bank card. Strider, with no clothing other than his running shorts and shirt and neon yellow running shoes, spent the evening in the lobby. People offered him water and food, and the Red Cross came by. “I was basically a refugee,” he said. He went to a Boston city resource center Monday morning to find out how he can recover his luggage and fly home.

But Strider is not complaining. “My problems are very small compared to the people who were injured and died,” he said.

Strider said the bombing will not stop him from running his 32nd Boston Marathon. “I’ll be back next year because of the quality of the event and the way people rally around it,” he said. “I will be back to support this event.”

Joe Schlereth, of Charlotte, N.C. had completed the marathon when the explosions happened. (Shira Schoenberg for MassLive.com)





 

Joe Schlereth and Kathy Lee

Schlereth and Lee came to Boston with eight members of their running club from Charlotte, North Carolina. Schlereth had finished the marathon and was in the Park Plaza Hotel when the bombs exploded. Lee was watching around 1/3 of a mile from the finish line. “The explosions were huge, so loud,” Lee recalled. Lee, who was standing in front of a fire station, saw the police, medics and firefighters kick into high gear. They stopped the runners in front of her, cleared the area and controlled traffic. “They did a phenomenal job,” she said.

Lee tried to call someone outside of Boston to find out what was happening, but had no cell service so reverted to text messages.

Schlereth and Lee worried about each other, and the other members of the club. Schlereth had no cell phone. “The last I saw (Lee) was when I was running around the corner,” he said.

All the club’s runners were safe, but two spectators from their North Carolina group landed in the hospital with a leg fracture and burns.

Lee cried as she walked past the still-closed Boylston Street Tuesday morning. She was struck by the detritus left by runners – the foil blankets and yellow drop bags with personal items that some runners had never claimed.

“It was supposed to be a joyous day, instead it’s tragic,” Schlereth said.

Alison Braaten, left, and Joanne Morin were running the Boston Marathon to celebrate their 50th birthdays. Braaten saw the blasts as she approached the finish line. (Shira Schoenberg for MassLive.com)





 

Alison Braaten and Joanne Morin

Braaten, of Calgary, Canada, had passed the 26th mile mark when she saw the bombs go off.

“I heard the first explosion and thought it was too loud for a gun,” Braaten said. When the second explosion came, she knew it was a bomb.

Her immediate reaction was “to get out of there.” She considered running into the nearby convention center, but was scared it would be a target. As people were still running up Boylston Street, Braaten turned around and ran in the other direction. “I figured there would be more bombs,” she said.

Braaten ended up at a friend’s hotel, where she borrowed clothing for the evening.

Morin, meanwhile, had completed the race and was heading to pick up her bag when she heard the blast and saw smoke. In a daze, she walked around for some time, and sat down on the side of a road. “A lady offered me money, someone offered the use of their cell phone,” she said. She went to an information booth and was given a phone to call her husband in Canada. Her husband told here where to find Braaten.

Braaten and Morin are running partners who share a birthday. They qualified for the marathon as a celebration of their 50th birthdays. “It was not what we expected,” Morin said.

They hesitated to wear their jackets today – worried about showing pride in the face of tragedy. But they decided to wear them, as a tribute to those who died and were injured.

The pair are flying home today instead of tomorrow. Morin said, “I just want to get home to family.”

The boy was among three people killed, none of whom have been publicly identified by police.

BOSTON — Authorities have yet to publicly name the three people who died in Monday's deadly Boston Marathon explosions, but Boston.com has identified the youngest victim as 8-year-old Martin Richard, a resident of the city's Dorchester neighborhood.

The Boston Globe tweeted the identity of the boy, the son of Denise and Bill Richard – the latter of whom is a community leader in the Ashmont section of Dorchester – before posting an online article about the boy's death on Boston.com. Police could not immediately be reached to verify the boy's identity.

Ayanna Pressley, an at-large city councilor, said the Richard family are "beloved" members of the community. "It's surreal, it's tragic, it's incomprehensible," she told Boston.com. "Everyone here tonight is trying to comfort one another and be prayerful."

Pressley was among a group of people who gathered Monday night at Tavolo Ristorante, 1918 Dorchester Ave., in memory of Martin Richard, Boston.com reports. The boy's mother and sister reportedly suffered "grievous injuries" in the blast, though updates on their conditions were not immediately available.

Police said the suspect reached speeds of 70 to 100 mph as he attempted to elude officers.

Republican file photo 03.09.11 | Photo by Julian Feller-Cohen – A West Springfield Police Department cruiser.

WEST SPRINGFIELD -- An alleged street race on Route 5 near Bondi's Island early Sunday morning turned into a police chase that ended with the arrest of a 19-year-old man less than a block away from Springfield police headquarters.

Capt. John A. Ferrarini said the suspect reached speeds of up to 100 miles per hour and drove at times with his lights off in an attempt to elude police.

The incident began shortly after 2 a.m. when a police officer, northbound on Route 5 in a cruiser, came across two vehicles that appeared to be engaged in a street race.

Ferrarini said the officer gave chase to one of the drivers who then cut off some motorists at the Memorial Bridge rotary and then crossed the bridge into Springfield.

The suspect then took a right on West Columbus Avenue, crossed the South End / Julia Buxton Bridge back into West Springfield and headed north again on Route 5, where he reached speeds of 70 to 100 mph, Ferrarini said.

“Most of the time he had his lights off,” Ferrarni said.

Police were waiting for the suspect at the Memorial Bridge rotary and the suspect once again crossed the bridge, entered Springfield and took a right on West Columbus.

This time around, the suspect took a left on Boland Way, crossed Main Street onto Harrison Avenue, took a left onto Chestnut Street and then a right on Pearl Street where he ultimately pulled over near the intersection of Spring Street.

Jovanie Martin, of 24 Colton Ave. Apt. 1, was charged with reckless operation of a motor vehicle, failure to stop for police, racing a motor vehicle, marked lanes violation and speeding, according to police documents. He was also cited for being in possession of less than an ounce of marijuana.

Ferrarini said that street racers often use that stretch of Route 5 late at night or in the early morning hours.

The twin bombs at the Boston Marathon killed three people and wounded more than 170 on Monday. Here are the stories of those killed and some of the injured.

The Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — The twin bombs at the Boston Marathon killed three people and wounded more than 170 on Monday. Here are the stories of those killed and some of the injured.

A LONG WAY FROM HOME

A Boston University graduate student was one of the three people killed in the bombings at the Boston Marathon, the school said Tuesday.

The Shenyang Evening News, a state-run Chinese newspaper, identified her Wednesday as Lu Lingzi.

Phoenix Satellite Television Holdings, a Hong Kong-based broadcaster with ties to the Chinese government, said she was from the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang and a graduate student in statistics.

In a statement late Tuesday afternoon, the school said it was not releasing the name or any other information about the student. The Chinese Foreign Ministry and Consulate General in New York did not identify the victim at the request of the family.

The Boston University statement says the student was with two friends who were watching the race at the finish line, not far from campus. One of the friends, also a graduate student at the university, was injured and is at Boston Medical Center in stable condition.

A team led by Deputy Consul General Ruiming Zhong was in Boston to investigate and assist relatives of the victims, a statement from the consulate said.

View full size This undated photo provided by Bill Richard shows his son, Martin Richard, in Boston. Martin Richard, 8, was among the at least three people killed in the explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon Monday, April 15, 2013. (AP Photo/Bill Richard)  

Neighbors and friends remembered 8-year-old bombing victim Martin Richard as a vivacious boy who loved to run, climb and play sports like soccer, basketball and baseball.

The boy's father, Bill Richard, released a statement thanking family, friends and strangers for their support following his son's death Monday. Richard's wife, Denise, and the couple's 6-year-old daughter, Jane, also suffered significant injuries in the blasts.

The family was watching Monday's race and had gone to get ice cream before returning to the area near the finish line before the blasts.

Denise Richard works as a librarian at the Neighborhood House Charter School, where Martin was a third-grader and Jane attends first grade. Counselors were being made available to staff and students.

"I just can't get a handle on it," family friend Jack Cunningham said of the boy's death. "In an instant, life changes."

View full size This undated photo provided by the family shows Krystle Campbell. Campbell, 29, a restaurant manager from Medford, Mass., was among the people killed in the explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, Monday, April 15, 2013, in Boston. AP Photo/Campbell Family  

Krystle Campbell was a 29-year-old restaurant manager from Medford. Her father, 56-year-old William Campbell, described her as "just a very caring, very loving person, and was daddy's little girl."

Campbell had gone to the race with her best friend Karen, whose boyfriend was running in the race, her father said.

"They wanted to take a photograph of him crossing the finish line, but the explosion went off and they were right there," he said. "It's pretty devastating.

The friend suffered a severe leg injury.

Krystle's grandmother told multiple media outlets that the family was initially told Campbell was alive because of a name mix-up.

When her father arrived at Massachusetts General Hospital, however, he learned that his daughter had died.

Krystle's grandmother, Lillian Campbell, said somewhere on the way to the hospital, their names got mixed up.

Lillian Campbell said her son was "devastated" when he found out the truth and almost passed out.

JEFF BAUMAN JR.: LOST BOTH LEGS

Jeff Bauman Jr., a man pictured in an Associated Press photo from immediately after the blast, lost both his legs as cheered his girlfriend on in the race. He survived the trauma after people rushed him away from the explosion site in a wheelchair.

Rescuers took the 27-year-old victim to Boston Medical Center, but doctors had to amputate his legs because of extensive vascular and bone damage, a Facebook post from his father said Tuesday.

"Unfortunately my son was just in the wrong place at the wrong time," the elder Jeff Bauman wrote.

The son also had to have more surgery later because of fluid in his abdomen. His condition improved later.

"I just can't explain what's wrong with people today to do this to people," the father wrote. "I'm really starting to lose faith in our country."

BRITTANY LORING: AN AMBITIOUS STUDENT

Brittany Loring was spending Monday, her 29th birthday, cheering on her friend in the Boston Marathon. A day later, she lay in critical condition with injuries to her head, leg and fingers.

"We've had so many calls. Everybody's just upset over it," grandmother Philomena Loring told the Lowell Sun. "I put her on the prayer line at my church."

Loring is simultaneously pursuing degrees in law and business administration at Boston College. She's also a runner, finished 80th in the Boston College MBA 5K on April 6.