Obituaries from The Republican.

Kenneth L. Fleming

Kenneth L. Fleming, 58, of Feeding Hills, passed away on Wednesday. He was born in Springfield and was a graduate of Springfield Technical High School and Springfield Technical Community College. He was employed as a computer programmer for over 35 years and worked for Kidder-Stacy Company, New England Systems and Springfield Wire Incorporated. Fleming was a member and past president of the Lions Club in Agawam. He also coached Little League baseball, soccer and basketball in Agawam.

Obituaries from The Republican:

• 
  Bateman, Celeste B.




• 
  Carney, Shirley A. (Jerold)
  



• 
  Fisher, Daniel Hough
  




• Fleming, Kenneth L.
  




• 
  Harrigan, Barbara Farrell
  



• 
  Hrybyk, Julia F. (L'Esperance)




• 
  Katz, Dr. Robert I.
  



• 
  Marino, Edith MacDowell (Findlater)
  




• Massey, Michael F.
  




• 
  O'Brien, Rev. John P.
  



• 
  Opalinski, Henry S.




• 
  Rodgers, Mary Elizabeth (McCann)
  

Any approved changes will take effect on July 1.

WESTFIELD – The City Council’s Legislative and Ordinance Committee has launched a comprehensive review of the storm water runoff fee implemented on residential property and business owners last year.

The goal, is to complete that review this month with any recommended changes to become effective July 1, Ward 2 councilor James E. Brown Jr. said this week.

Brown’s committee has requested the Department of Public works to provide a tally of all revenue collected to date as a result of the fee. The committee also wants a report detailing receipts the city estimates it will receive annually and who the user fee will be spent.

“We estimate the city has already collected between $500,000 and $600,000 since the fee was created,” said Brown. “We want to see what the annual collection is estimated at and where and how the revenue will be spent,” he said.

The committee will meet to review those financial issues within the next two weeks and hopes to bring recommendations to the full City Council for consideration at June 16 meeting.

The ordinance establishing the fee assesses residents a flat $20 annually while commercial property owners are assessed a fee based on the size of paved areas and square footage of buildings. The rate is $1.60 per square foot with an minimum of $100 and maximum of $640 annually.

The issue, Brown said, is the fee assessed to owners of multi-family housing units who are assessed at the commercial rate.

“Their complaint is that their property taxes are based on residential rate not commercial,” Brown said.

“We are considering that issue,” the councilor said.

The fee was established based on a federal mandate that municipalities manage and control run-off water that enters area waterways like the Westfield River and Little River, city officials said.

The fee is assessed to property owners quarterly, amounting to $5 per quarter to residential homeowners.

SAGE, which touts itself as the oldest and largest organization serving the elder gay community in the country, started in New York in 1978.

NORTHAMPTON – Between them, Arthur Hacker and Herb Paston have lived 166 years of life, 55 of them together. They were around in the days when being gay in public meant putting your career and your safety at risk, so seeing the turnout at the Senior Center Wednesday for a program catering to older gays was quite gratifying.

“Life was never easy when we were young, so we appreciate the advances made over the years,” said Hacker.

The occasion was the kick-off event by SAGE Western Massachusetts, an advocacy organization for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender elders. SAGE representatives came with a directory of services, a big chocolate cake and the promise of activities and other events for its underserved constituency. They were warmly welcomed by a crowd that included seniors both in and outside the gay community.

Before toasting the new enterprise, director J.M. Sorrell said a few words about the need for an organization like SAGE.

“The elder generation came of age at a time when they could be institutionalized for being who they are,” she said, adding that many have a mistrust of care-givers.

“They have to deal with nursing home gossip,” Sorrell said. “Often their partners are not included in their care discussions.”

Sitting nearby with his walker, Paul Vasconcellos, 62, confirmed Sorrell’s observations. An Amherst resident who has been in and out of various facilities because of health problems, Vasconcellos said the older people there can be hostile to gays.

“You run into people in their 70s, 80s and 90s who don’t hold the same views,” he said. “You almost want to go back into the closet because you don’t want to talk about who you are.”

Hacker and Paston, both 83, faced that hostility in their everyday lives for decades.

“You had to hide your gayness,” Hacker said.

The atmosphere in Northampton, at the Senior Center in particular, is refreshingly different, they said. Both men use the exercise room at the center several times a week. They hope to take advantage of new activities and social opportunities that will come courtesy of SAGE.

“The same reason anybody else joins a group,” said Paston.

Barbara Roe Spierer, 77, carried a sign with Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays when her daughter Fern came out years ago in New York City. When she moved to Northampton, Spierer was disappointed by how few P-FLAG members she found here. She welcomes SAGE at the Senior Center in the hope that senior gays and lesbians won’t feel so isolated.

“I don’t want it to be quiet,” she said. “I want people to accept them and know they’re human. I don’t ant them to live in a corner or be afraid of getting out.”

SAGE, which touts itself as the oldest and largest organization serving the elder gay community in the country, started in new York in 1978. Sorrell said the local chapter formed in March of this year when volunteers like herself saw the need for it. In addition to the inordinate number of gay people who have made the Pioneer Valley their home, Sorrell said, older people are moving here because the media has featured the area as a good place to retire.

In towns and cities throughout the 350-mile corridor between New Haven and Montreal, officials are now making initial plans to refurbish train stations into retail and office space as the first step toward remaking downtowns as pedestrian-friendly residential, commercial and shopping districts.

In this Monday, May 23, 2011 photo, a trains pulls in and out of Union Station in New Haven, Conn. A 62-mile high speed rail project is planned between New Haven and Springfield, Mass. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

By STEPHEN SINGER, Associated Press

WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn. (AP) — Surrounded by broken asphalt and sprouting weeds, the boarded-up, 150-year-old train station is still a thing of beauty to Steven N. Wawruck Jr.

For more than three years, Windsor Locks' first selectman has been trying to persuade the state Department of Transportation to allow the town to move the historic building closer to downtown Main Street. He wants to rejuvenate the brick building and transform it into a restaurant or other business that could help revitalize the center of Windsor Locks, damaged by urban renewal in the 1970s.

In towns and cities throughout the 350-mile corridor between New Haven and Montreal, officials like Wawruck are anticipating high-speed commuter and interstate rail. They're now making initial plans to refurbish train stations into retail and office space as the first step toward remaking downtowns as pedestrian-friendly residential, commercial and shopping districts.

Springfield, Mass., officials plan to spend $75 million to renovate downtown's Union Station to add office and retail space.

And in Burlington, Vt., a former train station houses a health club, offices and space for fundraisers.

"It's not just about the train service," said Timothy Brennan, executive director of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission in Springfield, Mass. "It's how train service becomes a catalyst for development. There are areas that can stand revitalization."

The Obama administration has committed $8 billion in stimulus funding for high-speed rail nationally. Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont have received nearly $200 million.

In this Wednesday May 25, 2011 photos, a train passes an abandonded station in Windsor Locks, Conn. A 62-mile high speed rail project is planned between New Haven and Springfield, Mass. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Transportation planners are working to upgrade tracks from New York to New Haven, north through Connecticut to Springfield, into Vermont and eventually to Montreal. Plans also call for upgraded east-west rail service in Massachusetts and connections between Boston and New Hampshire cities.

So-called transit-oriented development seeks to halt urban sprawl, revitalize urban centers and promote better environmental policies. If residents use cars less frequently, it is expected that auto emissions should be reduced.

David Fink, policy director for the Partnership for Strong Communities, a statewide housing policy organization in Connecticut, said pressure likely will build for constructing new houses near downtown rail stations as high-speed rail is introduced throughout this decade. Households typically spend a third of their income on housing and nearly 20 percent on transportation, which can be reduced with housing closer to rail stations, he said.

"'The economics of putting housing near transit are undeniable," Fink said. "The problem in Connecticut is we don't have a lot of experience with those things. What are you going to do to avoid land speculation? What kind of planning is going on? This can be done well or not so well."

In Springfield, Mass., revamping Union Station, scheduled by 2014, could lead to an expanded housing market, said Chris Moskal, the city's interim chief development officer.

An artist rendering's and blueprint of the Union Station Regional Intermodal Transportation Center planned for Springfield's old Union Station on Frank B. Murray Street. The design is by HDR, an architectural and engineering firm.

"This is truly an economic spinoff for anywhere the train will come through," he said.

In Greenfield, Mass., a bus station with office space will be built by December, and officials expect it will also serve as a station for high-speed rail. Tina Cote, administrator for the Franklin Regional Transit Authority there, said the $10 million construction project at the 1.8-acre site will provide access to an adjacent north-south freight rail line with the expectation that it will eventually be used for high-speed rail. The downtown site also is adjacent to retail shops and housing, Cote said.

Melinda Moulton, a developer in Burlington, Vt., secured $1.5 million from federal and state sources to revamp the city's train station, making it accessible to the handicapped, adding space for an artist and renting out space for events such as dinners and fundraisers for nonprofit organizations. Service on the Champlain Flyer commuter train ended in 2003, so all that's needed now is a train, she said.

"I've been patiently and arduously trying to get rail back to Burlington," Moulton said.

In this Monday, May 23, 2011 photo, a passenger and dog wait on the platform for a train at Union Station in New Haven, Conn. A 62-mile high speed rail project is planned between New Haven and Springfield, Mass. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Vermont transportation officials expect to spend $87,000 to buy a privately-owned train station in White River Junction to make sure it is not lost to a private developer, said Chris Cole, director of policy planning and intermodal development at the Vermont Transportation Agency. The agency has no immediate plans for the station.

"Right now the primary importance is getting possession of the property," he said. "We'll look later at what to do with the station."

In Connecticut, state transportation officials have balked at the proposed new location for the train station in Windsor Locks. They are wary of having trains intersect with motor vehicle traffic and foresee the possibility of large traffic jams.

Still, Wawruck is determined. With Bradley International Airport, the railroad and a canal nearby, Windsor Locks has been a transportation hub, he said, "and we want to get back to that."

"It seems to be a never-ending battle. We keep plodding along," Wawruck said. "There are a lot of studies, a lot of meetings. I see light at the end of the tunnel."

A flurry of activity in efforts to legally recognize gay relationships or ban same-sex marriage is reminding advocates that even though polls indicate growing acceptance, the debate is far from settled.

Annie Cronin-Silva, left, and Melanie Silva in front of their West Warwick, RI., home Friday afternoon, May 27, 2011. Cronin-Silva and Silva were married in Massachusetts in 2008 however, nearby Rhode Island, where they now live, does not recognize their nuptials. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

By DAVID KLEPPER, Associated Press

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A flurry of activity in efforts to legally recognize gay relationships or ban same-sex marriage is reminding advocates that even though polls indicate growing acceptance, the debate is far from settled.

Rhode Island is pondering a proposal to allow civil unions, a compromise that arose after it became clear there weren't enough votes to aim for marriage. Minnesota lawmakers voted to put a constitutional marriage ban on the ballot, and the mayor of New York spoke out strongly in favor of same-sex marriage as talks continue in his state.

In Rhode Island, gay marriage advocates say they're unsatisfied with the proposal to offer civil unions, which provide many of the same legal benefits of marriage without calling it that.

"There's a special status when you say 'my wife,' and civil unions don't give that," said Annie Cronin-Silva, of West Warwick, who married a woman in neighboring Massachusetts in 2008. "But things are changing. It's coming. It's just so hard to wait."

Gay marriage is allowed in Iowa, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut and the District of Columbia. Several other states offer civil unions or domestic partnerships instead. Illinois, Delaware and Hawaii enacted civil unions this year. The debate continues to rage in several other states.

Roberta Short, right, from Cranston, R.I., along with her children Allie, left, and Andy, back, walk the halls of the Rhode Island Statehouse to listen to a House Judiciary Committee hearing on civil unions, Wednesday, May 11, 2011, in Providence, R.I. Supporters of gay marriage say civil unions make gay couples second-class citizens. Opponents say the bill would be a stepping-stone to full marriage rights for same-sex couples. (AP Photo/Stew Milne)

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Thursday warned lawmakers in his state that they will be remembered as civil rights obstructionists if they block attempts to pass gay marriage. Opponents have committed $1.5 million to defeat the efforts, matching the amount raised by supporters.

Minnesota lawmakers voted a week ago to put a constitutional prohibition against gay marriage on the 2012 ballot. Voters in 29 states have already added similar amendments, and gay marriage supporters hope to make Minnesota the first state to reject such an amendment.

"It's a changed debate in Minnesota and in the nation," said Monica Meyer, executive director of OutFront Minnesota. "I'm hoping we can ride that sea change. But we know we have a very big challenge in front of us."

Even though Massachusetts considers Cronin-Silva and her wife, Melanie Silva, legally married, Rhode Island doesn't. They've had legal agreements drawn up granting rights that are automatic through marriage, such as making medical decisions in an emergency.

Civil unions could spare gay couples an expensive trip to a lawyer, Cronin-Silva said. But she said it's no substitute for marriage.

Jennifer Norris, of West Warwick, R.I., left, blows a horn as Donny McKendall, second from right, and Kyle Marnane, right, both of Cranston, R.I., wrap themselves in a rainbow flag during a rally in front of the Statehouse, in Providence, R.I., Tuesday, May 3, 2011. The rally was held to call for equal rights in marriage for gays and lesbians. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Groups on both sides of the debate have long pointed to polls that appear to advance their agenda. But in the past nine months, several major surveys are showing a trend of increasing support for gay marriage.

A Gallup poll released this month found that a majority of Americans believe same-sex marriage should be legal. In 1996, Gallup found that only 27 percent of Americans supported gay marriage. It's just the latest of several major surveys showing that a slim majority of Americans now support gay marriage.

"I thought for a while it might be one fluky poll," said Gregory Lewis, a professor of public management and policy at Georgia State University who tracks public attitudes on gay marriage. "But now it's just one after another. It does seem like this year's polls are noticeably different even from last year."

An ABC-Washington Post survey in March found that 53 percent of Americans support gay marriage. An Associated Press poll in August found that 52 percent of Americans think the federal government should extend legal recognition to married gay couples, up from 46 percent the year before.

Opponents note that public opinion polls in Maine and California showed majority support for gay marriage in those states, too — right before voters rejected gay marriage measures. Even in left-leaning Rhode Island, efforts to pass marriage rights stalled this year after legislators balked.

The polls show at least two factors contributing to changing attitudes.

Protesters Jennifer DeSisto, of Barrington, R.I., front left, and Barbara Sawyer, of Warwick, R.I., front right, join with others in holding placards and chanting slogans during a rally in front of the Statehouse, in Providence, R.I., Tuesday, May 3, 2011, calling for marriage equality for gays and lesbians. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

For one, younger Americans of all political persuasions say they're more tolerant of homosexuality than older generations.

Meghan McCain, the daughter of former Republican presidential candidate and gay marriage opponent John McCain, is one example of a prominent Republican who says the party's opposition to gay marriage is causing it to turn off younger voters.

Madeline Koch, a 24-year-old heterosexual Republican, told Minnesota lawmakers to oppose the gay marriage amendment because it would put inequality in the state Constitution.

Second, while older Americans identifying themselves as Republicans remain firmly opposed to gay marriage, Democrats and independents appear to be changing their minds, Lewis said. The Gallup poll found that 69 percent of self-described Democrats support gay marriage, compared with 56 percent the year before.

"The generational changes don't explain everything," Lewis said. "There's a fair amount of Americans who are just changing their minds."

Gay marriage opponents concede that surveys show increased support for gay marriage. But they say polls are different from ballot questions.

"A poll is just a poll," said Chris Plante, executive director of the National Organization for Marriage-Rhode Island. "The reality is, when people go to the voting booth they protect marriage. Legislatures including our own in Rhode Island recognize that people don't want it."

Jennifer Roback Morse, president Ruth Institute speaks during the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee at the State Capitol on Friday, April 29, 2011 in St. Paul, Minn. The Minnesota Senate committee has passed a bill that would let voters next year decide whether to ban gay marriage in Minnesota's constitution. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the bill 8-4 Friday with all Republicans in favor and Democrats opposed. The vote came after two hours of testimony and an hour-long debate between senators. Gay marriage is already illegal in Minnesota law but the amendment would give voters the choice of locking it into the state constitution. Similar bills died in the state Senate numerous times in past years, but Republicans newly in charge of the Legislature are making a new push. (AP Photo/The Star Tribune, Glen Stubbe) MANDATORY CREDIT

Plante points to similar predictions made about the demise of the anti-abortion movement after Roe v. Wade. Nearly 40 years later, anti-abortion groups have successfully pushed for more restrictions on abortion throughout the nation.

"They think the old folks will just die out and they'll win this with the young people," he said. "Maybe for a season. But I believe we will see young people say, 'Wait a second. This was an awful social experiment.' You have to take the long view."

From the other side of the debate, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg also endorsed viewing it in context. A measure to legalize gay marriage in the state is being negotiated among Gov. Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders, but Cuomo has said he won't put it to a vote until enough legislators are on board.

The billionaire mayor has lobbied Republican senators, for whom he is a major campaign funder, but no senator has committed to switching camps.

"As other states recognize the rights of same-sex couples to marry, we cannot stand by and watch," Bloomberg said Thursday in a Manhattan address. "To do so would be to betray our civic values and history — and it would harm our competitive edge in the global economy."

___

Associated Press writers Samantha Gross in New York and Patrick Condon in St. Paul, Minn., contributed to this report.

Three months later, Bean was seriously injured in an auto accident that nearly claimed her life, left her legs paralyzed and has limited her to use of a wheelchair.

The Republican / Dave Molnar Brenna Bean, center, assistant coach, observes the Frontier Regional High School pole vault team at practice at the Western Massachusetts Track Championships at Westfield State University.

A year ago today, Brenna Bean, of Whately, found a way to raise – and clear – the bar on what had become one of the great accomplishments of her young life.

Bean, then a high school senior at Frontier Regional School, won her second straight pole vault title at the All-Western Mass. High School Track and Field Championships.

Then fate raised the bar.

Three months later, Bean was seriously injured in an auto accident that nearly claimed her life, left her legs paralyzed and has limited her to use of a wheelchair.

“There were two ways to go after something like this – with a happy attitude, looking at it like there is nothing I can’t do, or live a depressed life, with an awful outlook,” Bean said.

A year after her crowning moment at Westfield State University, Bean was again seen smiling near the same pole vault pit at the college’s track Saturday.

“There is nothing sad about it, being back there under different circumstances,” Bean said. “I was planning to come to Westfield State (as a student) and vault for them. It’s just great to still be able to be part of something I love. It (pole vaulting) is something I could do once. Now I can help people do it.”

This time, from her wheelchair, Bean offered support and encouragement as an assistant coach for Frontier.

“Coaching has been therapeutic for her,” Bean’s father Harlan said. “She knows the girls, they know her.”

Frontier senior Mary Shaw, a former teammate who competed Saturday, said Bean is nothing short of an inspiration.

“She’s the same person that she was before (the accident) and she is so nonchalant about her challenges,” Shaw, of Conway, said. “She accepts it. As soon as we knew she’d be OK (out of critical condition), we knew she’d be OK (in life).”

Bean had planned for a physical therapy major at Westfield State, before the accident happened just days prior to enrolling as a freshman. She will begin classes there this fall, now with an interest in recreational therapy.

“Just from being in this situation, I want to work with people like me .¤.¤. it will be great to teach them how to integrate themselves back into society,” Bean said. “When I went through it (recreational therapy), I didn’t even realize it. I don’t want people to say, “I have to go to therapy’ and not want to go.”

Bean’s positive attitude seems to shine above all else.

“If you knew Brenna before all this, she is the same exact person – which is pretty amazing,” Harlan Bean said. “I can’t even imagine dealing with the challenges she’s faced. I don’t think I’d handle it the way she has.”

Frontier Regional assistant track coach Jim Recore of Conway said Bean has “embraced her challenge,” beyond comprehension.

“She has never let down once, never .¤.¤. wouldn’t you, once in a while in the darkness of night say or think, ‘What the heck has happened to my life?’” Recore said. “She has just embraced this.”

Brenna Bean is grateful for all the help she has received, but said she was never one to rely on the help of others.

“The tough part is that when people see me in my chair, they think I need help and (they) want to help,” Bean said. “I like to prove myself, so people who know me know that I will ask for help, if I need it.”

Bean was a passenger in the August accident, one that ejected her from a pickup truck, broke her backbone in 10 spots and resulted in drunken driving charges against others involved.

“Any one of us, you or me .¤.¤. we’d have closed the blinds,” Recore said. “Who wouldn’t have been a bitter, angry person? Not Brenna.”

She has ventured into public speaking – addressing driving school classes, pre-prom high school forums and corporate functions.

“I had never really done it, but I wasn’t afraid of it either,” Bean said of public speaking. “Doing that helps me too, and I like helping other people make smarter decisions with their lives.

“And it probably helps, when they see me at 19. I was in high school a year ago. It probably makes more of an impact than a teacher, who is 50 or 60 years old, telling them what to or not to do.”

At home, Bean uses a Functional Electrical Stimulation bike on a daily basis. Electrical impulses, through electrodes attached to her legs and abdomen, force her muscles to work on their own to pedal the bike. The process helps maintain muscle tone and blood circulation, prevents bone loss and decreases muscle spasticity.

Bean is also hopeful of inventing an apparatus that would allow people in wheelchairs to pole vault.

“All she’s wanted through all this is the chance to pole vault again, somehow .¤.¤. even if she clears two feet,” Recore said.

Bean’s immediate hope is to increase her mobility, in the form of a vehicle specially-equipped for drivers without use of their legs.

“I want to be as mobile as I can be, as soon as I can,” Bean said. “Driving a car will really, really help.”

Help for that will come in a big way next month, when a fund-raiser will be spearheaded from an unlikely source – the owner of a Cambridge restaurant.

During Bean’s stay last fall at Spaulding Rehabilitation Center in Boston, one burning interest of Bean’s was to eat at her favorite restaurant – Fire + Ice Family Restaurant.

Harlan Bean sent an email to the nearby Harvard Square restaurant, inquiring about take-out service. Founder and owner John Schall replied with a take-out order and much more.

“Meeting Brenna and her family allowed me to re-live the most important time of my life .¤.¤. when an unspeakable tragedy changed so much,” Schall said. “It was a remarkable feat of human strength, courage and will and I see that with Brenna and her family.”

Schall was living in Northampton as a graduate student at UMass 35 years ago when his younger brother Mike was the victim of a car accident in Iowa. Mike has been in a wheelchair ever since.

“Brenna is a remarkable young woman, with an incredible sense of humor and incredible determination,” John Schall said. “I own her favorite restaurant, she’d make road trips just to eat here. And with all that has happened with our families .¤.¤. I have the means to do something like this.”

During dinner hours on June 14, Schall said “every nickel of tips and sales will go to Friends of Brenna Bean Fund.” The fund helps the Bean family with costs associated with Bean’s accident.

“We can seat 700 people a night, so why not generate something like $25,000 for this,” Schall said. “I know how incredibly important it was to Mike’s life, to have the ability to use a car.

“And a car that she needs is probably in the $35,000 range and with all expenses the family faces, changes to household and things like that – why not take one piece out of it that doesn’t have to come out of their pockets.”

Schall’s brother, who corresponds regularly with Bean, will make the trip from Iowa.

“Mike doesn’t know this but 110 of his co-workers have secretly made donations to Brenna and will give Mike a check before he leaves,” said Schall, who will accept dinner reservations at (617) 547-9007. “Sometimes the worst things bring out the best in people.”

And sometimes they raise the bar.

The Paradise City Arts Festival continues Sunday and Monday.

5/28/11 Northampton - Staff photo by Michael Beswick - Fran and Ginny DeSantis of Springfield admire the clay fish made by Allen and Rosemary Bennett of Bath, N.Y. at this years Paradise City Arts Festival at the Three County Fairgrounds. They are made from stoneware and porcelain and are both bisque and glaze fired.

NORTHAMPTON – For shoppers such as Carol Barr, the Paradise City Arts Festival is like paradise.

“The creative process is so powerful here . . . this is one of the best shows, the finest craft shows and the finest art shows that I have ever attended,” Barr, of Francestown, N.H., said on Saturday, the kickoff to the three-day festival.

In addition to buying a necklace with a glass pendant from North Country Glass and bowls from Touchstone Pottery, Barr was also there to scout for talent for the Labor Day arts and crafts festival in her community.

“I first came three years ago and I was in absolute awe of what I saw,” Barr said.

There is a little something for everyone at the festival, from flowers made of clay and a life-size wolf made of steel, to intricate embroidered art, fused glass coasters, furniture, silk clothing, jewelry, wooden trains, clocks, belt buckles, children’s outfits and vinyl purses shaped like old typewriters.

5/28/11 Northampton - Staff photo by Michael Beswick - All of the toys made by Russell Fullone of Heirloom Toys are handcrafted from select hardwoods, no stains are applied during the sealing process.

Tatarzyn Photography had photographs of wild animals, the result of traveling to seven continents. A large photograph of hundreds of penguins attracted the attention of passersby.

Susan C. Arnold, of East Hampton, Conn., said she often attends the festival. She was browsing glass ornaments at the Cicada Glassworks booth. Arnold said she had already purchased a $150 3-D-style picture depicting laundry day and a $120 bronze pear. She plans to start collecting the pears.

“I just love it,” Arnold said of the festival. “If money were no object I’d be buying a whole lot more.”

Herbert H. Hodos, of Florence, bought some colorful stockings with flowers and paisleys on them for $20 as a birthday present for his 16-year-old niece.

“We come probably once a year,” said Hodos, who said he enjoys talking with the craftspeople. “There’s a lot of good stuff.”

Wendy Costa first paints her designs, then silk-screens them so they can be used on her stockings. The New York artist said this is the first time she has sold the socks, and said they turned out to be popular with women of all ages, little girls to grandmothers. She also sells the vinyl typewriter purses for $160.

Robert Alan Hyde, of Washington, makes sculptures out of brass and steel. It took him about four years to make the life-sized wolf, which he is selling for $15,000. The rods used in the sculpture resembled fur. Hyde said he draws upon nature for inspiration for his works.

Nita Fournier, of Holyoke, is a Paradise City Arts Festival regular, so she brought along a friend who had never been before, Denise A. Forgue, of Springfield. Forgue found hand-carved wooden spoons with a spiral design for $36, and a spoon rest for $22.

“I love it,” Forgue said.

“You can always find something at a moderate price,” Fournier said.

The festival continues Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Monday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Three County Fairgrounds.

Police said the male victim “lost a lot of blood” and was taken to the hospital by ambulance.

5/28/11 Springfield - Staff photo by Michael Beswick - Springfield police investigate a shooting at Belmont Avenue and Hall Street Saturday night.

Update 10:43 p.m.: Springfield police have a suspect in custody for the Belmont Avenue-Hall Street shooting.

SPRINGFIELD – Springfield police have a suspect in custody in connection with a shooting of a man Saturday night outside at Belmont Avenue and Hall Street, Capt. William P. Collins said.

The incident was reported at approximately 9 p.m.

The suspect was described as a clean-shaven black male, in his 20s, about 5 feet, 6 inches tall, wearing a blue and teal San Jose Sharks baseball cap, black and white T-shirt, and blue jeans shorts. He was seen running in the area of Forest Street. Scanner reports said a silver gun was used. The victim was shot in the left leg, Collins said.

Collins said the victim “lost a lot of blood” and was taken to the hospital by ambulance.

Collins said officers on the scene developed leads and were able to trace the suspect to a house on Belmont Street.

About an hour after that 9 p.m. shooting, another shooting was reported at 37 Bowdoin St. The male victim showed up at Baystate Medical Center with a gunshot wound, Collins said.

Collins said two males are believed to be involved in that shooting. He said eight spent shells were recovered in front of 47 Florida St. The men were described as Hispanic, wearing black T-shirts. One had on black basketball shorts with a white stripe and the other had on blue jeans, according to scanner reports.

Anyone with information about the Bowdoin Street shooting can contact the Springfield police Detective Bureau at (413) 787-6355. Those who wish to remain anonymous may text a tip via a cell phone by addressing a text message to “CRIMES,” or “274637,” and then beginning the body of the message with the word “SOLVE.”

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The robber handed the teller a note that implied he had a weapon, but no weapon was shown, said Ludlow Police Sgt. Thomas Foye.

Submitted photoLudlow police released this surveillance photo of the suspect in the Friday robbery of the Chicopee Savings Bank.

LUDLOW -- Police are searching for an unknown suspect who robbed the Chicopee Savings Bank branch, 477 Center St., of an unknown sum Friday afternoon, police said.

The robber handed the teller a note that implied he had a weapon, but no weapon was show, Ludlow Police Sgt. Thomas Foye said.

Police described the suspect as about 5 feet, 9 inches tall, and he was wearing a red hat and white T-shirt with printing on the front. He also appeared to have a bandage on his neck, but Foye said investigators believe it was to conceal a tattoo or some distinctive mark.

The suspect was last seen fleeing the bank on foot, but Foye said there are indications he may have gotten into a car a few blocks away, and that car drove to the entrance of the Massachusetts Turnpike, which is on Center Street near the bank.

Foye said police have issued a lookout to Massachusetts State Police and surrounding communities for a silver or gray Nissan Maxima that may have been involved in the robbery.

K-9 officer Michael Whitney and his dog followed the robber's scent to Harding Avenue, a few hundred yards away from the bank, where it lost the track, Foye said. A review of surveillance footage from local businesses in the vicinity showed the Maxima driving on Harding Street at the same time the robber was likely in the vicinity, and police believe he got in the car and left the area. Video footage indicated the car went directly to the turnpike, he said.

Anyone with information on the robbery is asked to call the Ludlow Police at (413) 583-8305.

THE MAP BELOW shows the scene of the bank robbery investigation in ludlow:

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In addition to the 9 p.m. Saturday shooting in the city's Forest Park neighborhood, police are investigating another shooting about an hour later in the McKnight section of Springfield.

5/28/11 Springfield - Staff photo by Michael Beswick - Springfield police investigate a shooting at Belmont Avenue and Hall Street Saturday night.

Update of a story published at 9:30 p.m. Saturday.

SPRINGFIELD – Police have charged an 18-year-old Hall Street man with attempted murder after he allegedly shot a man in the leg Saturday night in the city's Forest Park neighborhood.

Springfield Police Capt. William P. Collins said Troy Harris is facing numerous charges in connection with the incident, including assault with intent to murder. Police were still compiling other charges against Harris late Saturday night.

A second man also was arrested in connection with the 9 p.m. shooting at the corner of Belmont Avenue and Hall Street.

Kalan Poole, 22, will be charged with aggravated assault and accessory before the fact. Collins said Poole may have handed Harris the gun that was used in the shooting.

Police said the victim and suspects were at a party on Belmont Avenue before the shooting.

Collins said the victim, who was shot in the leg, “lost a lot of blood” and was taken to Bay State Medical Center for treatment.

Officers at the scene developed leads and were able to trace Harris to a house on Belmont Avenue, according to police.

More details will be posted as information becomes available.

Meanwhile, police continue to investigate another shooting reported about an hour later, this time at 37 Bowdoin St. in the city's McKnight neighborhood.

A male victim showed up at Baystate Medical Center with a gunshot wound, Collins said, adding that two males are suspected in the incident.

Collins said eight spent shells were recovered in front of 47 Florida St., located about a block away. The alleged shooters were described as Hispanic men, both of whom were wearing black T-shirts. One had on black basketball shorts with a white stripe, while the other had on blue jeans, according to scanner reports.

Police are asking anyone with information about the Bowdoin Street shooting to call the Springfield Police Detective Bureau at (413) 787-6355. Those wishing to remain anonymous may text a tip via cell phone by addressing their message to “CRIMES,” or “274637,” and then beginning the body of the message with the word “SOLVE.”

THE MAP BELOW shows the approximate location of a Saturday night shooting in Springfield's Forest Park neighborhood:

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A 19th century home at 15 Basket St., Huntington, was destroyed by a fast-moving fire reported around 5 p.m. Saturday. There were no reported injuries.

A Saturday afternoon fire destroyed a home on Basket Street in Huntington.

HUNTINGTON -- A 19th century home at 15 Basket St., Huntington, was destroyed by a fast-moving fire reported around 5 p.m. Saturday.

Firefighters from Huntington, Chester, Northampton, Russel and Westhampton helped extinguish the blaze, according to media reports.

There were no reported injuries and no residents at home when the fire broke out.

Authorities have not released an official cause for the fire, which remains under investigation. Huntington Fire Chief Gary F. Dahill could not immediately be reached for comment.

Thick, gray smoke could be seen billowing from the white, wood-frame home, located just north of downtown Huntington.

It was not immediately clear who owns the 1,300-square-foot home, which was built in 1850 and was assessed at $97,000 in 2010, according to the website Realtor.com.

Click HERE to watch a video from 22News:

THE MAP BELOW shows the approximate location of a house fire at 15 Basket St., Huntington, on Saturday:

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Amherst College, which has long hosted and subsidized the well-regarded preschool, has asked the school to vacate the premises by June 2012 to make way for a construction project.

Photo by M.MoritaThe Little Red Schoolhouse preschool at Amherst College will become homeless if it doesn't find a new location by June 2012. Amherst College has asked the school to relocate to make room for a construction project.

AMHERST -- The Little Red Schoolhouse at Amherst College is getting the boot from the elite college, which has asked the well-regarded preschool to find a new home to make way for a major campus construction project.

The Little Red Schoolhouse -- officially known as Amherst Day School but affectionately called "Little Red" -- is a tuition-based preschool for children ages 3 1/2 to 5 on the campus of Amherst College.

Little Red officials have known about the college's eviction notice since January. But a grassroots effort is now underway to compel Amherst College officials to help find a new home for the 75-year-old preschool, which has been asked to vacate the premises by June 2012.

That's the move-out date established by the college, which is moving forward with plans to build a large science building in the vicinity of the schoolhouse. Amherst College officials have not said if the schoolhouse building would be razed to accommodate construction.

Officials at the top-tier college, which had provided about $20,000 of Little Red's annual $70,00 budget, say the preschool now must fend for itself.

"Unfortunately, the building has to close next June," College spokeswoman Caroline Hanna told The Daily Hampshire Gazette for its Saturday edition.

"The college has supported the Amherst Day School for more than 70 years, and has maintained the building free of charge. We hope there will be ample time to plan for their future," Hanna said.

Construction of the science building is expected to last several years, and noise, dust and heavy equipment could "affect the health and safety of the children," Hanna told The Gazette.

Undeterred by the big college's plans, Little Red appears to be bracing for a David-vs-Goliath clash, pitting a 20-pupil preschool against one of the world's most well-endowed private colleges. A "call to action" has been issued on Little Red's Facebook page, which asks supporters to write letters to save the school.

Anthony W. Marx, president of Amherst College since 2003, is leaving to become president of the New York Public Library. Officials and supporters of the Little Red Schoolhouse, a preschool located on the college's campus, have been lobbying Marx to throw them a lifeline. The college has asked the preschool to find new premises by June 2012 to accommodate a campus construction project.

"We Need More Letters Fast! Amherst College has just made a statement that they won't continue our endowment funding," a Facebook entry from last week states.

"More letters to the College Board of Trustees, letters to the editor of Hamp. Gazette, + the New York Times! Is this the legacy of consequence that President Marx wants to leave our community? Does eliminating a well-established preschool present the best image of Amherst College?" the statement goes on to say.

"President Marx" is Anthony W. Marx, who is leaving the college's top post to become president of the New York Public Library. The Amherst College Board of Trustees has named Gregory S. Call, the dean of faculty, to serve as acting president while a search committee seeks a permanent replacement for Marx. Call's tenure as acting president begins July 1.

Marx has made it clear that the college is ending its financial support for Little Red. And apparently he has been unmoved by direct appeals from parents of current and past Little Red students, according to Stacy Tobin, president of Little Red's trustees.

"I left (a March meeting with college officials) optimistic that they would want to come up with alternate plans," Tobin told The Gazette for its Saturday edition. "It wasn't until this past week that they clarified their position, giving us little time to transition from here to somewhere else."

Little Red's director, Therese A. Ross, could not immediately be reached for comment, but she told The Gazette that the preschool provides "a remarkable early childhood experience." That "experience" could soon end, however, if Little Red does not get a lifeline from the college.

"It's not necessarily a viable option to provide this same program elsewhere, because we've been subsidized by the college," Ross told The Gazette.

Little Red officials have known about the preschool's imminent demise since roughly January, but they had remained optimistic that the college might provide an alternate location for fall 2012. But that does not appear to be in the college's immediate plans, based on Hanna's previous statements.

A Feb. 11 message on Little Red's Facebook page laid out what's at stake for the preschool in unambiguous terms: "Amherst College is moving forward on their capital building plan, starting with a new science building in the summer of 2012 and continuing with the deconstruction of all the Social Dorms. The Little Red Schoolhouse building will become unavailable for the preschool program as of June 2012. The endowment funds and the physical plant support will also cease at that time."

A woman and man both reportedly were slashed across their backs during incidents that occurred early Sunday in the vicinity of Maple and Central streets in Springfield.

Republican file photoSpringfield police are investigating back-to-back slashing reports that occurred early Sunday morning in the city.

SPRINGFIELD -- City police received back-to-back slashing reports early Sunday morning that may be related, according to police reports.

Around 4:18 a.m., officers were called to respond to a female slashing victim on Maple Street, but they were unable to immediately locate the victim.

A couple of minutes later, police responded to a report of a 21-year-old man who was slashed in that same area of the city.

The man received a 10-inch slash across his back after leaving a house party on Central Street, according police reports, which described the injury as serious but not life-threatening.

Additional details will be posted when more information is available.

Hundreds of volunteers are expected in Bourne to plant 50,000 flags at a military veteran's cemetery that until now has forbidden flags on the markers.

Sgt. Joe Hancock of New London, Conn., a member of the 256 Firefighter Detachment of the Connecticut National Guard, along with other volunteers and members of veteran organizations from the New London area places flags at the graves of veterans at St. Mary Cemetery in New London Thursday, May 26, 2011. The New London area veteran organizations will also place flags at Cedar Grove Cemetery and Gardner Cemetery in New London in time for the Memorial Day weekend. (AP Photo/The Day, Dana Jensen)

BOURNE, Mass. (AP) — Hundreds of volunteers are expected in Bourne to plant 50,000 flags at a military veteran's cemetery that until now has forbidden flags on the markers.

The effort Saturday at the Massachusetts National Cemetery was organized by the family of Army Sgt. 1st Class Jared Monti, a Medal of Honor recipient killed in Afghanistan in 2006.

Monti's aunt, Fran Monti-Harring, told the Cape Cod Times the family wanted to see a flag on her nephew's grave, and it seemed fitting to also honor all the veterans.

The cemetery was designed to display rows of flags along the road in, but not near its flat markers, so it's easier to maintain the grounds. Under a new agreement, the flags can be placed at markers on Memorial Day and Veterans Day, and removed a week later.

Authorities are seeking two men in connection with a shooting that injured a city man Saturday night in the McKnight neighborhood.

Republican file photoSpringfield police continue to search for two men in connection with a shooting around 10 p.m. Saturday in the city's McKnight neighborhood. Police said a man who was wounded in the incident is expected to survive.

SPRINGFIELD -- City police continue to search for two men wanted in connection with a shooting outside 37 Bowdoin St. around 10 p.m. Saturday in Springfield's McKnight neighborhood.

A male victim was shot in the incident but is expected to recover, Springfield Police Sgt. Devon Williams said.

Williams was unsure where the man was hit by gunfire, but the sergeant said the victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The victim showed up at Baystate Medical Center for treatment, police said.

Eight spent shell casings were found in front of 47 Florida St., located a block away from the shooting site. Police did not explain how the casings wound up on Florida Street, or the caliber of weapon from which they came.

Authorities described the suspects only as two Hispanic males, both of whom were wearing black T-shirts. One had on black basketball shorts with a white stripe, while the other was wearing blue jeans, according to initial police reports about the suspects.

Police are asking anyone with information about this shooting to call the Springfield Police Detective Bureau at (413) 787-6355. Anyone wishing to pass along information anonymously may do so by sending a text message via cell phone. Messages should be addressed to “CRIMES,” or “274637,” and should begin with the word “SOLVE.”

The McKnight shooting followed a 9 p.m. shooting in the Forest Park neighborhood, where a man was shot in the leg. Two suspects have been taken into custody in connection with that incident, police said.

THE MAP BELOW shows the approximate location of a Saturday night shooting in Springfield's McKnight neighborhood:

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Police officers who were patrolling the neighborhood heard the gunfire, but they were unable to locate the suspects.

Republican file photoSeveral reports of "shots fired" in Liberty Heights early Saturday morning sent Springfield police units scrambling to find the shooter, or shooters. No one was injured, but some neighborhood residents reportedly came in contact with the suspects, including a woman who claims men tried to steal her car before firing off some rounds.

SPRINGFIELD -- The Springfield Police Department was flooded with reports of "shots fired" in the Liberty Heights neighborhood early Saturday morning, when one or more men attempted to steal a woman's car at 89 Mooreland St., according to police reports.

An officer who responded to the call said the woman "scared off some guys trying to steal her car," and at least one of the men "fired off some rounds" while fleeing the area.

The 3:55 a.m. Mooreland Street report followed a slew of reports that began at 3:36 a.m. from residents of streets just south of Van Horn Park, including Leroy Place and Armory and Wait streets.

The series of back-to-back calls sent officers on a wild goose chase for the shooter, or shooters, who were not found but managed to cause some tense moments for police and neighborhood residents alike.

A caller from Leroy Place told police somebody was trying to get into her house. Minutes later, the Mooreland Street woman reported hearing her car alarm sound. When she went to investigate, she claimed her car door was open and gunshots were fired as men fled the area.

Officers who were on nearby Raymond Place at that time confirmed hearing gunfire.

"We definitely heard those shots from our position here on Raymond," an officer was heard saying over a police radio.

That officer said he heard nine or so shots that sounded like they came from a small-caliber weapon.

Springfield Police Capt. Cheryl C. Clapprood, who was reached by The Republican shortly after the Saturday morning gunfire, said no shell casings were recovered.

All of the streets that reported hearing the gunshots are located near or within a few blocks of each other.

No further information was available.

THE MAP BELOW shows the approximate location of where a Mooreland Street woman claims a man fired shots after trying to steal her car Saturday morning:

View Larger Map

Holyoke police had little information Sunday about a gunshot victim who showed up for treatment at Holyoke Hospital around noontime Saturday.

Republican file photoHolyoke police are investigating the circumstances surrounding a man who showed up Saturday at Holyoke Hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound. The man underwent emergency surgery, but his condition was not immediately known.

HOLYOKE -- Police had little information Sunday about a gunshot victim who showed up for treatment at Holyoke Hospital around noontime Saturday.

"It's still under investigation" said Holyoke Police Sgt. David O'Connell.

The male victim underwent emergency surgery at the Beech Street hospital, according to O'Connell.

The sergeant said a preliminary report about the incident did not indicate how many times the man was shot, or the location of his injuries.

O'Connell said the city's detective bureau is handling the case.

Westfield District Court Judge Philip A. Contant said he thought some fees were unfair for people who had already signed probation contracts.

File photo by Greg Derr / The Patriot LedgerState auditor Suzanne Bump, seen here campaigning in Quincy last year, has issued a report critical of a number of state courts for failing to collect fee increases as required.

SPRINGFIELD –One in four of the state’s district courts disregarded state law by exempting some criminal offenders from paying an increase in probation fees, and nearly 26 percent of all 70 courts failed to assess some $1.2 million in fees, according to a report compiled by state auditor Suzanne Bump.

Among the district courts in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties, three courts did not collect the monthly fee of $50 -- increased from $21 -- that took effect on July 1, 2009.

In Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties, the three district courts cited in the report are Eastern Hampshire in Belchertown, Westfield District Court and Northampton District Court.

Judge Philip A. Contant, presiding judge of Westfield District Court, said even though the Massachusetts Trial Court said it was legal to enforce the increased fees, he did not think it was always fair to do so for people who had already signed a probation contract citing the amount of the monthly fee they must pay.

“I felt it was really not fair in many cases where people had agreed to a certain figure and signed a contract. Nothing on the contract said they may have to pay more,” Contant said.

He said the figures for money that could have been collected cited in the state auditor’s report were “pretty speculative -- estimated projections of potential revenues.”

“In the scheme of things, I’m not sure it’s as bad as it may look at first blush,” Contant said.

Judge W. Michael Goggins, acting presiding justice of Northampton District Court, said his court will implement any necessary procedures.

"I have looked at the report and the Northampton District Court appreciates auditor Bump bringing this administrative oversight to our attention," he said.

File photo by John Suchocki / The Republican Judge W. Michael Goggins in seen in Northampton District Court earlier this year.

Joan Kenney, spokesman for the Trial Court, said the statewide report covered the period of July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2010. She said faults were only found with cases active as of June 2009.

She said most of those cases have since finished and the courts have been in full compliance on new cases begun since the law was passed.

“Our data reflect that administrative probation fees collections have increased from $3,450,858 in 2009 to $5,266,339 in 2010,” Kenney said.

In a report issued on May 23, Bump said, “These courts made a decision not to follow the law. Not only did they forego an extra source of non-taxpayer revenue, the arbitrary collection of probation fees resulted in an inequitable application of the fee.”

In all three courts the clerk/magistrates referred questions to each court’s presiding judge. Judge John Payne, presiding justice of Eastern Hampshire District Court, was unavailable for comment due to his schedule.

Contant said Westfield District Court has historically had good rates of collection of all court fees.

He said another factor in his decision not to increase some peoples’ probation fees who had already signed a contract was that many of the probationers had terms of probation as short as a few months.

Auditor's Report on Implmentation of Increased Court Fees

Another Massachusetts trooper is injured on the job; a Lawrence woman gets shot in a crossfire; and more of this morning's news.

AP Photo/Alex BrandonKim Greeley, from Honolulu, plays the bagpipes as the Run for the Wall motorcycle group gets together for a group photo on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on Saturday, May 28, 2011. Motorcyclists of all types are in Washington for the traditional annual Memorial Day weekend Rolling Thunder events.

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• Cyber attack on weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin points to ever-evolving nature of cyber espionage [CSMonitor.com]


• What in tarnation is 'citizen' Sarah Palin up to this holiday weekend? [ABCNews.Go.com]


• Suspected Al-Qaida militants overrun Yemen coastal town [VOANews.com]


• Cape Codders flock to casting call for extras in new Adam Sandler movie [CapeCodOnline.com]


• Baby dies after falling from third-floor window in Hartford [Courant.com]


• Dog who was shot 40 times and buried alive survives! [Time.com]



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The Springfield native was the last to see 40 passengers alive before a plane crash killed them in Australia in 1943.

Samuel L. Cutler closed the door of a plane and watched it take off, but to his shock, it stayed aloft for only minutes.

In his World War II diary now available in a book, Cutler, a Springfield native who died in 1990, wrote about how the plane dropped from the sky and killed 40 servicemen in Australia.

Cutler was the last to see the servicemen alive and it haunted him.

“What a day and a TRAGIC one....killed while flying at 200 mph. Terrible,” Cutler wrote June 14, 1943

His son, Robert S. Cutler, shepherded the diary and edited the book that he calls a labor of love.

“I think my daughter said it in the forward, that somewhere, Sam is smiling. What is the line about a story with legs? It’s a Springfield story about a Springfield boy,” said Cutler, 78.

The book is “Over and Out! Sam’s Story: The Private War Diary of Captain Samuel Cutler, Army Air Corps U.S. Forces in Australia, 1942-1944” (Xlibris Corporation, 250 p., 2011).

The book is a quick read loaded with detail. On page 185, Cutler writes of exploring the plane wreckage and finding a playing card jammed half-way into a tree by the force of the crash.

Some of the chapters begin with scene-setting text written by Robert Cutler. The first diary entry is Feb. 18, 1942 as Capt. Cutler’s convoy leaves Bangor, Maine. The last is May 20, 1944 in Australia.

Norman Corwin, former Republican reporter, wrote the introduction for the book filled with photographs of Cutler with kangaroos, army life and the crash wreckage.

Robert Cutler places the occasional “War News Update,” such as this one in March 1942: “General Douglas MacArthur arrives in Darwin from Philippines to take command of Allied Forces in the Southwest Pacific. When asked about the Philippines, he replies, ‘I shall return.’”

Diary entries address a soldier’s heartbreak at not getting mail – “Tough when you expect some and don’t get it”– and hometown references to the Eastern States Exposition and Agawam Race Track.

Robert Cutler, like his father a Springfield native, is an engineering management professor who splits his time between Pennsylvannia and New Mexico.

Samuel Cutler was duty officer on the runway at Bakers Creek, near the northern seaside town of Mackay, Australia June 14, 1943.

The duty required that Cutler read aloud the roll of 41 passengers and shut the door of the B-17C “Flying Fortress.” Only one passenger survived.

The cause of the crash was never determined. Robert Cutler writes in the book that factors probably included fog restricting visibility, an inflight malfunction of one of the four engines, crew inexperience, and the gross weight of the plane, passengers and cargo.

Converting his father’s diary into a book is just the latest effort Cutler has made to commemorate the crash.

One of his successes came in 2009 with dedication of the Baker’s Creek Air Crash Memorial at the Selfridge gate to Arlington National Cemetery in Fort Myer, Va.

That ceremony included U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, a friend of Samuel Cutler’s. Neal wrote in an email Thursday he can picture Cutler wearing his trademark VFW hat and trench coat.

“While serving his country honorably in World War II, Sam became a part of history when he witnessed a tragic plane crash in Australia killing 40 American servicemen,” Neal wrote. "He kept a diary and his incredible story can now be told.”

The book is available by calling (888) 795-4274 or at Xlibris.com Prices are $9.99 electronically, $19.99 paperback and $29.99 hardcover.