What are you looking forward to this weekend?

Arts and entertainment selections in Western Massachusetts and environs for the weekend of November 29 - December 1, 2013:

All weekend

Bright Nights. It's not really the holiday season until Bright Nights opens, which it does this year on Wednesday Nov. 27. Fri,.Sat, Holidays 5 p.m.-11 p.m. Sun-Thur, 5 p.m.-9 p.m. $18 per car, Mon-Thur; $21 per car, Fri-Sat, holidays.
Friday to Sunday and Holidays - $21. Forest Park, Springfield. brightnights.org

Friday

Parade of Big Balloons. A tradition since 1991, this year's parade is marshaled by Colonel James Keefe, Wing Commander, 104th Fighter Group at Barnes Air National Guard Base. 11 a.m. Free.Tower Square, on Main Street, from Lyman to Locust Streets, Springfield. visittowersquare.com

Darlene Love. Rock and Roll Hall of Famer bets known from The Crystals' hit "He's a Rebel, "the classic Phil Spector Christmas album, and, more recently, the documentary '20 Feet from Stardom'. 8 p.m. $30-$45. Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Great Barrington. mahaiwe.org

John Brodeur. Veteran of the Western Mass. music scene Mark Schwaber joins New York-based Brodeur, who has drawn comparisons to Elliott Smith and Robyn Hitchcock. 7 p.m. Free (donations accepted). Luthier's Co-op, Easthampton. luthiers-coop.com

Saturday

Eugene Mirman. Comedian, Hampshire College alum and the voice of Gene on 'Bob's Burgers.' Mehran Khaghani and Zack Livingston also perform. 8 p.m. $15. Academy of Music, Northampton. academyofmusictheatre.com

Sean Rowe. Distinctive singer/songwriter known for piercing lyrics and a booming baritone. Dave Houghton of Western Mass Americana favorites Fancy Trash opens. 8 p.m. $15. The Parlor Room, Northampton. parlorroommusic.com

Llama Lasagne. Touted as "The Pajama Party of the Century" (and also a Toys for Tots fundraiser), this show includes members of numerous Western Mass. groups. Costumes are encouraged, discount for those bringing a new unopened unwrapped toy. 9:30 p.m. $6-$8. The Elevens, Northampton. facebook.com

Eddy Money. Anyone looking for two tickets to paradise, this is the show for you. 8 p.m. Wolf Den, Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Conn. mohegansun.com

What are you looking forward to this weekend? Share your picks in the comments below.

Cathedral High School has been housed at a former elementary school in Wilbraham since a tornado severely damaged and shut down their Surrey Road building in Springfield in June 2011.

Front entrance to Cathedral High School on Surrey Road in Springfield. School has been closed since a tornado on June 1, 2011File photo by Mark M. Murray, The Republican 

SPRINGFIELD — Three students of Cathedral High School recently launched a petition drive that urges the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield to return their school to its home on Surrey Road in the aftermath of being displaced by the tornado of 2011.

The online petition has been signed by hundreds of students, parents and other supporters of Cathedral, as the diocese continues to weigh its options for rebuilding, and has asked for pledges for an endowment to help subsidize tuition.

“It’s critical that Cathedral return home to Surrey Road,” said Jack Mulcahy, a 10th grader at Cathedral and one of the petition organizers. “We know the large Cathedral and Western Massachusetts communities want to see the school rebuilt and succeed. We wanted to give people a forum to show their support.”

Since the tornado struck June 1, 2011, Cathedral has been located at a former elementary school in Wilbraham under a lease. The diocese was in a prolonged insurance dispute, receiving a $50 million settlement from its insurance company for the high school damages and some other diocese buildings damaged in the tornado.

The petition gives a summary of Cathedral’s plight since the tornado, and states: “It’s time for Cathedral high School to return home to Surrey Road. To show your support to Rebuild Cathedral High School please sign this petition.”

Mulcahy launched the petition with two 10th grade classmates, Brendan Markey and Denny Tran.

Parents of Cathedral students and a diocesan spokesman, Mark Dupont, praised the students this week for their petition effort.

Josephine Rodriguez, who graduated from Cathedral in 1982 and has strong family ties to the school, said she was “very impressed” by the actions and leadership shown by the students who launched the petition.

“I think they are taking a very responsible way to draw attention to something they care deeply about and are passionate about,” Rodriguez said.

Two of her children are graduates of Cathedral, a third is a senior there at the Wilbraham site, and she hopes a fourth child, now in sixth grade, will attend Cathedral. Her parents, Paul and Josephine Sears, are also graduates and her five siblings also went to Cathedral.

She said she “fervently hopes” the building of the school starts soon on Surrey Road in East Forest Park, and agrees that an endowment fund to help reduce tuition costs for families in need makes sense.

Dupont said it is not surprising that students are gathering so many signatures online, as the alumni community is large and very dedicated to the school.

“We applaud the efforts by Cathedral students to generate support for this beloved school,” Dupont said. “Bishop shares their strong desire to bring Cathedral High School (CHS) back to Surrey Road — so any action to engage the larger CHS community is welcomed and appreciated.”

Patrick Garrity, chairman of Cathedral’s Board of Trustees, said the petition drive is “just another example that tomorrow’s leaders are today’s students at Cathedral High School.”

The diocese and trustees are following a process to seek out the best solution for Cathedral, Garrity said. In addition to the insurance settlement, the diocese is seeking federal disaster aid, is working with an architect, and pursuing the tuition endowment fund.

“We are looking for people interested in pledging, not necessarily financial donations this coming year but definitely the pledge,” Garrity said.

Mulcahy said that Cathedral offers great academic programs, but the temporary site in Wilbraham does have challenges, including that it does not have sufficient space for science labs or a high school gymnasium. It also does not have an auditorium, athletic fields or a running track.

From local shopping to author signings and traditional Thanksgiving revisited, there is plenty to do this holiday weekend.

From local shopping to author signings and traditional Thanksgiving revisited, there is plenty to do in and around Worcester this holiday weekend.

Ronda Ferreira, captain of the Greater Springfield Citadel of the Salvation Army, said each child who is registered also will receive an age appropriate book.

View full sizeTo get a printable version of this coupon that you can mail in with your donation, click on "view full size" above. 

SPRINGFIELD - Hasbro Inc. of East Longmeadow, a partner in the 91st annual Toy for Joy campaign, aims to donate a toy and a game to the children served by the fund.

Ronda Ferreira, captain of the Greater Springfield Citadel of the Salvation Army, said each child who is registered also will receive an age appropriate book.

The Toy for Joy campaign is sponsored by The Republican and the Salvation Army, with the help of campaign partner Hasbro.

Needy families with children 16 and under can register beginning Monday at participating Toy for Joy locations.

Hasbro volunteers will be volunteering to help with registration and later unloading and handing out the toys and games.

Jeff Lombard, of Longmeadow, senior vice president of domestic manufacturing for Hasbro, said the company works with the Salvation Army to tailor the donations to make them appropriate to children by age and gender.

“Hasbro works with many non-profit organizations around the country to provide toys and games to children in need during the holiday season,” Lombard said.

“Last year, we donated toys and games valued at over $3 million through both our national and local programs," he added.

Hasbro has local holiday giving programs in the communities where it has operating facilities, including Rhode Island, Springfield, Renton, WA and Los Angeles, Calif.

Last year Toy for Joy served 3,021 families and 14,199 children.

Registration begins Monday, Dec. 2 and runs to Friday, Dec. 6 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Springfield unit at Greater Springfield Citadel, 170 Pearl Street.

Registration will be Dec. 9 to Dec. 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Holyoke unit, until Dec. 6 at the Westfield unit and from Dec. 2 to Dec. 3 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Greenfield unit.

For more information, call 413-733-1518.

This year’s Toy for Joy campaign has a $150,000 fund-raising goal by Christmas Eve.

Toy registration
Here are the times for families to register at Salvation Army sites for the 91st annual Toy for Joy campaign:
Springfield
Greater Springfield Citadel: 170 Pearl St., Springfield; Dec. 2-6, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; for info, call (413) 733-1518; serves Agawam, Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Hampden, Ludlow, Palmer, Mon´son, Springfield, Ware, West Springfield, Wilbraham
Greenfield
Greenfield Service Center: 72 Chapman St., Greenfield; Dec. 2-3, 9 a.m.-noon; for info, call 773-3154; serves Hampshire and Franklin counties
Holyoke
Holyoke Citadel: 271 Appleton St., Holyoke; Dec. 9-20, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; for info, call (413) 532-6312; serves Holyoke, South Hadley, Granby
Westfield
Westfield Service Center: 12 Arnold St., Westfield; through Dec. 6, weekdays 9 a.m.-noon; for info, call (413) 568-1256; serves Westfield, Southwick, Russell, Chester, Granville and hilltowns
Required documentation
Participants must bring the following documents: Photo ID for head of household; proof of address (within the last 30 days); MassHealth cards or other identifying information for any child age 16 or younger; and birth certificates (or passports) for any child age 16 and younger.

Authorities found the bodies early Friday in farmland near the Sunni town of Mishahda, some 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of Baghdad. Gunmen in four cars snatched the men, who included two army officers and the town's mayor, from their houses late Thursday.

BAGHDAD (AP) -- Police found the corpses of 18 Sunni men Friday shot near a town just north of Baghdad, Iraqi officials said, hours after they were abducted by gunmen wearing military uniforms.

Such killings are reminiscent of Iraq's worst days of sectarian warfare in 2006 and 2007, when both Shiite and Sunni Muslim death squads roamed the streets and took people from their homes.

Police said the abducted men were killed by gunshots to the head. Authorities found the bodies early Friday in farmland near the Sunni town of Mishahda, some 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of Baghdad. Gunmen in four cars snatched the men, who included two army officers and the town's mayor, from their houses late Thursday.

A Baghdad morgue official confirmed receiving the 18 bodies. He said that all the relatives who came forward to claim the bodies were Sunnis.

Earlier this week, police found 13 bodies in areas around Baghdad.

"These recent killings show that the fears by many Iraqis that their country is heading to darker days similar to 2006-2007 are true and that the wounds of the past are not healed yet," Baghdad-based political analyst Hadi Jalo said. "If the government does not take effective measures to stop the sectarian tension and security deterioration, I think that we should expect more such killings."

Later Friday afternoon, a bomb went off inside a sheep market in Baghdad's southeastern suburb of Nahrawan, killing three and wounding six, police said. And in the western Abu Ghraib suburb, a roadside bomb killed one and wounded five others, authorities said.

Two medical officials confirmed the causality figures in the attacks. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to journalists.

Violence has been on the rise in Iraq in recent months since a deadly security crackdown in April on a Sunni protest camp north of Baghdad. More than 5,500 people have been killed since.

Biden has vacationed on Nantucket for Thanksgiving for more than 30 years, since he was a U.S. senator from Delaware.

Vice President Joe Biden made his yearly pilgrimage to Nantucket for Thanksgiving.

Biden and his wife, Jill, are spending Wednesday through Sunday with their family on the island tourist destination off Cape Cod, according to the White House. Biden is not expected to hold any public events.

Biden, a Democrat, has vacationed on Nantucket for Thanksgiving for more than 30 years, since he was a U.S. senator from Delaware.

The Inquirer and Mirror, a Nantucket newspaper, reported that Biden arrived in Nantucket Tuesday night aboard Air Force Two. He stayed at the home of retired Chicago investment banker Louis Susman, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom under President Barack Obama. The newspaper reported that on Wednesday, the vice president watched a 2 p.m. showing of “About Time,” a comedy about a man who uses his ability to time travel to try to find a girlfriend, at a local theater.

On Thanksgiving, the Inquirer and Mirror reports, the Bidens had a turkey dinner prepared by a chef at the Faregrounds restaurant who has been cooking for the Bidens for almost two decades.

The Boston Globe reported that in previous years, Biden has participated in the Thanksgiving Day Cold Turkey Plunge, a dip into frigid waters to benefit the Weezie Library for Children.

With Thursday’s temperatures topping out at 41 degrees on Nantucket, no word on whether the vice president took the plunge again this year.

An Oxford man is in guarded condition at the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center after being stabbed early Thursday and requiring abdominal surgery, according to police.

An Oxford man is in guarded condition at the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center after being stabbed early Thursday and requiring abdominal surgery, according to police.

Worcester police were called to a Providence Street residence at 3:22 a.m. Thursday for a reported stabbing, according to a police news release. Once there, officers determined that the stabbing had occurred earlier in the night during a fight in the area near 109 Water St.

The 30-year-old unidentified stabbing victim was being treated by Worcester EMS personnel when police arrived and observed that the man was severely injured and extremely intoxicated, according to a police press release.

The Worcester Police Crime Scene Unit responded to the scene and processed evidence at the Water Street address and found materials that support the belief that an altercation occurred in the area at around 1:50 a.m.

This investigation is ongoing, if anyone has information about this incident they can send an anonymous text to 274637 TIPWPD + your message or send an anonymous web based message at worcesterma.gov/police. Calls can also be made to the Worcester Police Detective Bureau at (508) 799-8651.

Shayna Fernandez was also sentenced to 10 years of probation in Essex Superior Court in the accident that claimed the lives of 62-year-old Francis O'Hanley of Saugus and 57-year-old Joseph Coppola of Malden.

File Photo 

SALEM — A Lawrence woman has been sentenced to up to 12 years in prison after being convicted of causing a drunken driving crash that killed two.

Shayna Fernandez was also sentenced Wednesday to 10 years of probation.

The 23-year-old Fernandez was convicted in Essex Superior Court of manslaughter and other charges in connection with the June 2011 crash on Interstate 93 in North Andover.

Prosecutors say she was drunk and driving more than 90 miles per hour when she struck a trailer carrying a boat.

The driver of the SUV hauling the trailer, 62-year-old Francis O'Hanley of Saugus, and passenger 57-year-old Joseph Coppola of Malden, died. A third occupant survived. They were headed to New Hampshire to go fishing.

Fernandez's lawyer said his client is remorseful and sought a lighter sentence.

Shoppers were mostly interested in the latest gadgets. “A lot of it’s tech, Beats headphones, Apple products,” Target Executive Team Leader Michael Grasso said.

11.29.2013 | DARTMOUTH, Nova Scotia -- Shoppers wait in line at a Target store in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Black Friday, thought to be the most important shopping day of the year in the United States, is having an impact on Canadian sales as retailers work to keep consumers home, north of the border.Photo by Andrew Vaughan / AP-The Canadian Press 

HADLEY — The scene at the Hampshire Mall was calm and quiet at Black Friday – at about 9 a.m.

But just after midnight, shoppers were lined up outside the length of Target waiting for that store to open at 1 a.m., reported Executive Team Leader Michael Grasso. The early morning draw: a 50-inch Element television priced at $229.

Grasso said cashiers applauded as shoppers entered and business was brisk the first two hours. Customers “were happy to be out of the cold,” he said.

He said shoppers were mostly interested in the latest gadgets. “A lot of it’s tech, Beats headphones, Apple products,” he said.

Lucinda Brown of South Hadley was there at 6:30 a.m. with a friend. She said the mall was quiet and she was able to get a parking space close to the building.

She said she used to be up and out at 4 or 5 a.m. to line up outside the Holyoke Mall, but now that she doesn’t have little kids she can take a more civilized approach. This year she headed to Hampshire Mall – “just to get all the deals.” She was buying several DVDs, some for as low as $1.99.

In court Friday, Judge Bertha D. Josephson said that Welch was examined by a doctor in a forensic unit attached to the court.

Ryan WelchThe Republican [file] 

NORTHAMPTON - A doctor who examined defendant Ryan Welch has determined that he is mentally capable of defending himself at his murder trial.

Welch, 37, is charged with killing his girlfriend, Jessica Pripstein, in her Easthampton apartment in February of 2012. Police had received a telephone call from Pripstein, who stated that her boyfriend was trying to kill her. They arrived to find her dead, her throat slashed. Welch was discovered in another room with non-fatal wounds to his wrists.

The trial has already been postponed several times as Welch, who is incarcerated at the Hampshire County House of Correction, insisted that he has not had full access to the evidence in the case. Welch has told the court he suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder. At the defendant's request, a judge dismissed his appointed attorney, Paul Rudof, and allowed Welch to represent himself at trial. However, attorney John Morris, who was appointed to assist Welch in legal matters, asked the court to have Welch examined to see if he is up to the task.

In court Friday, Judge Bertha D. Josephson said that Welch was examined by a doctor in a forensic unit attached to the court. In a 10-page report that resulted, the doctor concluded that Welch is capable of representing himself. Josephson did not reveal details of the examination in court. At Welch's request, the report was provided to him but not to the prosecution.

Court was in recess for about an hour as Welch read the report and consulted with Morris. Josephson then accepted the doctor's conclusion and put the case on the March trial list. Judge Mary-Lou Rup, who recused herself from presiding over the Welch trial for reasons she did not reveal in court, is scheduled to be on the bench in Hampshire County until March.

Josephson then met with lawyers in the Jeb S. Daly case to set a date for that murder trial. Daly is accused of killing his live-in girlfriend at their Huntington home. Northwestern Assistant District Attorney Jeremy Bucci, who is the prosecutor in both the Welch and Daly cases, has told the court he would prefer to try the Daly case after Welch because the Easthampton incident preceded the Huntington one. Josephson scheduled that trial for the May session.

Robert Delgado, 51, and Michael Karam, 49, both of Springfield were arrested after police, stopping their car late Thanksgiving morning, found 178 bags of heroin inside.

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield police detectives arrested two city men late Thanksgiving morning on heroin-dealing charges after they allegedly set up shop across the street from police department headquarters.

Police arrested the suspects at about 11:30 a.m. after stopping their white Buick at Pearl and Byers, Sgt. John M. Delaney said. Then police walked the pair from their car straight into the lockup at 130 Pearl St.

Police found 178 bags of heroin inside the vehicle, along with $933 in cash and 161 pills of clonazepam, a muscle relaxant and sedative, Delaney, aide to Commissioner William J. Fitchet, said.

Robert Delgado, 51, of 769 Worthington St. and Michael Karam, 49, of 86 Byers St., were charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute, violation of a drug-free zone, conspiracy to violate drug laws and possession of a Class E drug (clonazepam) with intent to distribute.

Police, receiving information that the pair, who allegedly based their operation across the street and were making Turkey Day drug deliveries, set up surveillance and watched them drive down to a laundromat on lower Pearl Street.

They saw the suspects sell bags of heroin to a customer who waited in the parking lot of the business, which was closed for the holiday, Delaney said.

Detectives then followed the Buick back up the hill and stopped it in front of the police station.

Michael Riley was convicted of first-degree murder while his wife, Carolyn, was convicted of second-degree murder in separate trials in the 2006 death of their daughter, Rebecca.

By DENISE LAVOIE
AP Legal Affairs Writer

BOSTON — A man convicted in the lethal prescription drug overdose of his 4-year-old daughter is asking the state's highest court to grant him a new trial.

Michael Riley was convicted of first-degree murder while his wife, Carolyn, was convicted of second-degree murder in separate trials in the 2006 death of their daughter, Rebecca. Prosecutors said the couple from the South Shore town of Hull concocted symptoms of bipolar disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in the girl to try to collect Social Security disability benefits, then overmedicated her on drugs prescribed by a psychiatrist.

Riley claims in his appeal that his trial attorney made a series of mistakes, including failing to present evidence to rebut prosecutors' claim that he was responsible for the long-term overmedication of his three children. The Supreme Judicial Court will hear arguments in Riley's appeal Dec. 6.

Riley says it was his wife who gave Rebecca and their two other children their medicine and met periodically with the psychiatrist who prescribed the drugs.

A state medical examiner found that Rebecca died of a combination of Clonidine, a blood pressure medication she had been prescribed for ADHD; Depakote, a mood-stabilizing drug prescribed for bipolar disorder; and two over-the-counter drugs, a cough suppressant and an antihistamine. The medical examiner said the amount of Clonidine in Rebecca's system was enough to be fatal.

Defense lawyers said Rebecca died of a severe, fast-moving pneumonia, not a drug overdose.

Michael Riley's appellate lawyer says in court documents that Carolyn Riley controlled the children's medication. He argued that his trial lawyer should have presented evidence showing that the dosage of Clonidine given to Rebecca went up after Michael moved out of the family's home. He moved back in during the last week or two of the girl's life.

"It is only after he moved out that the Clonidine use soared, implying, as witnesses stated, that Carolyn was unable on her own to control the children; she resorted to Clonidine to do what she could not," Michael Riley's attorney, Dennis Shedd, argues in a legal brief.

Prosecutors said that when Michael moved back in, Carolyn Riley began giving the children Clonidine earlier in the day because Michael would complain about the children and wanted them to go to sleep.

"The evidence showed a dramatic escalation in overmedication when the defendant formally rejoined the household. Rebecca was sleeping 17 hours a day — she was only awake seven hours. Her condition significantly worsened after the defendant moved back in with the family," Assistant District Attorney Gail McKenna argued in a legal brief.

Shedd also argues that Michael Riley's trial lawyer should have asked the judge to bar prosecutors from arguing that the Rileys had faked their children symptoms of mental illness to get disability checks. He said professional service providers had noted abnormal behavior by all three children.

Shedd also said the trial judge should not have allowed the jury to hear about extensive "bad character" evidence, including allegations that Michael Riley assaulted his son, testimony about allegations he verbally and physically abused the three children and his lack of emotion after Rebecca's death.

Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz said he expects Riley's conviction to be upheld.

"The murder of Rebecca Riley at the hands of her father was — as the jury found — extremely cruel and atrocious," Cruz said through a spokeswoman. "The jury got it right in this case, and we expect this just and appropriate verdict to be upheld on appeal."

Shedd declined to comment. He is asking the court to vacate Riley's conviction, order a new trial or reduce the verdict to involuntary manslaughter, or to send the case back to Superior Court to grant Riley a hearing on his motion for a new trial.

In September, the state Appeals Court upheld Carolyn Riley's conviction.

Police are asking the public for help locating a missing Hamden man who was last seen leaving the Foxwoods Resort casino in Ledyard on Thanksgiving.

HAMDEN, Conn — Police are asking the public for help locating a missing Hamden man who was last seen leaving the Foxwoods Resort casino in Ledyard on Thanksgiving.

View full sizeLawrence Clemente 

Lawrence Clemente, 76, was last spotted leaving the rainmaker parking garage at the casino around 3:25 p.m. Thursday driving a silver, four-door Ford Focus with Connecticut license plate "312MXW." Police say he was at the casino for Thanksgiving with his son Stephen Clemente, who the Stonington Patch reports is a local business owner.

The silver alert issued for the elder Clemente describes him as a white man standing 5-feet, 10-inches tall and weighing approximately 250 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing black shoes, grey pants, a blue jacket over a grey hooded sweatshirt with a tan baseball cap.

The Stonington Patch website also reports that the concern over Clemente's disappearance is growing because he is a diabetic and without his insulin.

Anyone with information on Clemente's whereabouts is asked to call the Hamden Police Department at 203-230-4000.

Republican Chris Christie and Democrat Hillary Clinton are the two frontrunners for their parties’ presidential nomination in 2016, the poll found.

Republican Chris Christie and Democrat Hillary Clinton are the two frontrunners for their parties’ presidential nomination in 2016, a new CNN/ORC poll finds.

If Clinton does not run, the next most favored Democratic candidate is Vice President Joe Biden – followed by Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the poll finds.

CNN reported Friday that the poll marks the first time a CNN/ORC poll has identified a clear frontrunner in the Republican race. Among those survey respondents who leaned Republican, 24 percent said they were likely to support Christie, the New Jersey governor who just won reelection to a second term. Further back were U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky (13 percent), 2012 vice presidential nominee U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin (11 percent), U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas (10 percent) and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida (9 percent).

On the Democratic side, Clinton, the former first lady and U.S. secretary of state, has long been the favorite. CNN reported that 63 percent of Democratic-leaning respondents said they would likely support her. However, if Clinton does not run, Biden would become the clear favorite, with 43 percent of respondents saying they would support him.

Although Warren is just a freshman U.S. senator, who has said repeatedly she will not run for president in 2016, many of the party’s progressives have been trying to draft her to run. If Clinton runs, the poll finds 7 percent of respondents would back Warren. If Clinton does not run, the poll finds that 17 percent would back Warren. In both cases, Warren had more support than any Democrat other than Clinton and Biden.

The CNN/ORC International poll included 418 Republicans and independents who lean toward the GOP and 374 Democrats and independents who lean Democratic. It was conducted Nov. 18 through Nov. 20 and has a sampling error of plus or minus five percentage points for questions just of Democrats or Republicans.

Moran was the son of Sgt. Ricky Moran, a a 30-year veteran with the department.

SPRINGFIELD – Police have identified a 23-year-old man killed in a Thursday morning car crash as Max Moran, a police cadet and son of Sgt. Ricky Moran.

“He was a very intelligent, very polite and very respectful cadet,” Sgt. John M. Delaney said. ”He definitely had a bright future at the Police Department if he chose to stay here.”

A Roosevelt Avenue crash approximately five hours earlier, meanwhile, took the life of 17-year-old Allison Dwarska.

Police, in the crash that took Moran's life, were called to Parker Street and Ellendale Circle shortly after 4 a.m.

Delaney said Moran’s 2006 Mini-Cooper, northbound on Parker, had struck a fire hydrant, careened across the street, hit a curb and went airborne, causing the driver to be thrown from the vehicle.

Moran, a 2008 graduate of Central High School, was member of the Army National Guard and was studying criminal justice at Springfield Technical Community College. He had been a cadet with Police Department for a year.

“He was a quiet kid that always had a smile on his face,” Delaney said.

Moran’s father is a 30-year veteran with the department.

Sgt. Stephen Wysznski and officer Robert Kalin, of the Traffic Bureau’s vehicle fatality squad, were called in to conduct the investigation, Delaney said. It is ongoing and the cause of the accident has not been determined.

Max Moran’s name appears repeatedly in The Republican’s archives throughout the years, most recently after he graduated from Army National Guard Infantryman One Station Unit Training at Fort Benning in 2010, Columbus, Ga. and after he made the dean's list at the University of Massachusetts in 2009.

Moran is also listed as receiving maximum honors at Central High School and honors at Holy Name and McDuffie schools.

Family members remembered Dwarska, a senior at Sabis International Charter School, as caring, smart and beautiful – and "one of a kind."

That accident remains under investigation by Springfield police as well. The driver, also 17, has not been identified, but may face charges, police said.

The 130 trees is a record for the Springfield Boys & Girls Club Festival of Trees, in its 13th year.

SPRINGFIELD — The annual Festival of Trees, a major fundraiser for the Springfield Boys and Girls Club, opened with 130 decorated trees and large crowds on Friday at Tower Square. The opening coincided with the annual Tower Square Parade of the Big Balloons.

The 130 trees is a record for the event, in its 13th year. The trees have been decorated by local businesses, civic organizations, individuals and families.

The festival continues through Dec. 15. Hours are Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursdays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission, which was free on Friday, is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and children over 12, and free for children 12 and under.

Free parking is provided in the Tower Square garage with tickets validated with festival admission.

For more information, visit www.visitreefest.com or call (413) 478-3050.

All trees will be raffled off when the event ends. Proceeds from the Festival of Trees benefit the Springfield Boys & Girls Club, which serves more than 1,500 Springfield youth each year in areas such as athletics, academics, health and nutrition, and leadership.

Santa and Mrs. Claus were among the featured guests for the annual holiday lighting of the Quadrangle at the Springfield Museums.

SPRINGFIELD — Santa and Mrs. Claus were among the featured guests for the annual holiday lighting of the Quadrangle on Friday night.

The lighting festivities also included horse and wagon rides through the Quadrangle and performances by singer Henry Lockett as well as the Springfield High School of Science & Technology band.

The lighting was one of the Springfield Museums' holiday kick-off events, which included the annual gingerbread house competition final judging and awards ceremony. The gingerbread houses, created by local bakeries, schools, youth groups, individuals and families, are on display on the second floor of the Springfield Science Museum.

Visitors voted for their favorites in the following categories in the gingerbread house competition:

• Professional: Bake Shops, Caterers, Restaurants, or Professional Bakers
• Adult: Individual or group, age 18 & up
• Youth: Individual or group, age 8-17

Families can visit Santa and Mrs. Claus weekends from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. through Dec. 22, free with museum admission. The Springfield Museums' holiday family program also includes holiday crafts and gallery games weekends from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

As part of the agreement, family child care providers will receive a 10 percent rate increase over three years.

BOSTON – The state and a union representing nearly 4,000 early childhood educators have reached a tentative three-year contract agreement.

 

Officials from the Service Employees International Union Local 509 said the settlement will provide gains for early childhood educators on pay, training, and specialized care, “while also improving the quality of and overall access to child care for working families.”

SEIU officials said that legislation to enable early childhood educators to unionize was first introduced nine years ago, but was finally signed by Gov. Deval Patrick in September.

As part of the agreement, family child care providers will receive a 10 percent rate increase over three years.

The union said the agreement goes into effect once it’s ratified by a majority vote of participating providers in coming weeks.

A ceremony for six couples at the Sheraton Waikiki is one of several wedding events planned soon after a new law allows gay couples to marry in the state.

By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER

HONOLULU – Some same-sex couples plan to get married as soon as they’re able to do so legally in Hawaii on Monday.

A ceremony for six couples at the Sheraton Waikiki is one of several wedding events planned soon after 12:01 a.m., when a new law allows gay couples to marry in the state.

Couples who want to get married as early as possible Monday won’t have to wait until Hawaii’s Health Department opens its doors at 8 a.m. Same-sex couples can begin applying for marriage licenses at 12:01 a.m., department spokeswoman Janice Okubo said.

Okubo said the state’s marriage license application site will add options for bride and bride, groom and groom, or spouse and spouse.

The licenses can then be approved by any state-certified license agent around the state, Okubo said. The agents operate around the islands, including in resorts on Maui, the Big Island and Lanai. Okubo said the agents make their own arrangements and can quickly approve licenses through the online system.

Hawaii started the national gay marriage discussion in 1990 when two women applied for a marriage license, leading to a court battle and a 1993 Hawaii Supreme Court decision that said their rights to equal protection were violated by not letting them marry.

The case helped prompt Congress to pass the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996, which denied federal benefits to gay couples. Part of the law was struck down earlier this year by the U.S. Supreme Court, which led Gov. Neil Abercrombie to call the special session that produced Hawaii’s gay marriage law.

An additional 14 states and the District of Columbia already allow same-sex marriage. Illinois was the 16th state to legalize it, and the law takes effect June 1.

Hotels and wedding planners across Hawaii expect to benefit from an estimated $217 million tourism boost over the next three years, with same-sex couples from other states seeking destination weddings.

The Sheraton’s event shows that major hotels realize the business potential of the gay wedding market, said Honolulu Pride Chairman Michael Golojuch Jr., one of the event’s organizers. “If you don’t reach out to us, you’re turning away money,” he said. “We support companies that support us.”

He said that since the governor signed the gay marriage bill, he’s been noticing ads from the wedding industry targeting the gay community. But he has yet to see any marketing efforts from the state’s tourism authority.

After the bill signing, Hawaii Tourism Authority President and CEO Mike McCartney said the agency expects gay marriage to have a positive effect on tourism.

For now, marketing efforts focus on regions and promoting the experience of a Hawaii vacation, an HTA spokeswoman said Wednesday.

Holding the ceremony at the Sheraton and donating the event space is both the right thing to do and a good business move, said Kelly Sanders, area managing director for Starwood Hotels and Resorts’ four Waikiki properties, including the Sheraton.

“I think, overall, marriage and weddings is a key part of what we do in Hawaii,” he said. “When you look at the GLBT market, the biggest thing is they need to know they’re welcome. Hawaii is an all-inclusive destination.”

The Rev. Libby Kelson-Fulcher of Big Island wedding planning company Weddings A La Heart said she’s planning a Dec. 26 beachfront wedding for a lesbian couple from Salem, Ore., and is working on booking other gay weddings for January.

“I have a feeling 2014 is really going to be a busy year,” she said. “I think this law is going to be an incredible boon for Hawaii.”

When Keola Akana and Ethan Wung are married at the Sheraton on Monday, it will be more than a year after their 150-guest wedding. They threw a wedding for their civil union at an east Honolulu Episcopal church in July 2012.

“We didn’t get federal rights, only state rights,” he said. “We’re going to be attaining all the rights our federal government, our country, offers. It’s important that we mark this. ... We’ll celebrate anniversaries for our July wedding and our December marriage.”

The Retreat project comes before Amherst Select Board and Planning Board next week.

AMHERST - The Select Board Monday night will be talking about the proposed student housing project in North Amherst called the Retreat, which is coming before the Planning Board Wednesday night for a preliminary subdivision approval.

That is just the first step in the process to build the 175-unit student housing project on the 146-acre parcel owned by Cowls.

The Georgia-based Landmark Properties has a $6.5 million option to buy the land. Neighbors and some others in town have opposed the project and many are expected to comment at both meetings.

The Select Board has scheduled an hour to talk about taking a position on the preliminary review and to take comments.

In a memo to the Planning Board ahead of the Wednesday meeting, Planning Director Jonathan Tucker outlined and explained the permitting process so that board members can advise the audience on how to address their comments.

“The subdivision permit process governs the creation of proposed new roads, associated utilities, building lots and lot layout.”

“Because a Preliminary Plan review is the first step in the process… citizens should be informed that their comments to the Planning Board would be most useful if they addressed issues directly associated with the roads, road layouts, slopes, intersections, traffic safety, emergency access, proposed parking” among others.

“Issues like the relative likelihood of student parties, changes in rural ambience, and potential impacts on salamander habitat are not regulated under subdivision review,” he wrote.

Besides this hearing, others will be held on the definitive subdivision plan and site plan review for the project as a cluster subdivision development.

Plans also have to come before the Conservation Commission.

Members of Save Historic Cushman, which has organized to oppose the project, have sent letters to the Planning and Select boards, Town Manager John P. Musante and to newspapers expressing concerns and asking the project be stopped.

In the spring, residents asked Town Meeting to place a conservation restriction either by eminent domain or by paying as much as $1.2 million for the land, but the meeting voted against that measure.

The Select Board discussion is slated for 7:10 and the Planning Board hearing begins at 7:05. Both are in the Town Room in Town Hall.

The project at one time called for 191 cottage-style units. SVE Associates of Greenfield has filed the plans.