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Baby critical, his mother and brother injured when all three struck by car in Chicopee

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A woman and her two children were injured, one critically, after they were struck by a car as they crossed memorial Drive in Chicopee.

CHICOPEE— An eight-month-old baby boy is listed in critical condition at the Baystate Medical Center after he, his mother and his two-year-old brother were struck as they crossed Memorial Drive late Friday afternoon.

Chicopee Police Sgt. Daniel Major said the two young children were in a stroller pushed by their mother when the three were struck by a car not far from the Denny's on Memorial Drive shortly after 6 p.m.

The southbound side of the four-lane road was closed to traffic for several hours as members of the Chicopee Police Accident Investigation Team conducted its inquiry. Major said it is still unclear whether or not the woman was crossing the street in a crosswalk.

All three pedestrians were taken to the Baystate Medical Center where the youngest, the eight-month-old boy is currently listed in critical condition with head injuries. However, Major said doctors hope to have the baby stabilized by morning. The baby's two-year-old brother is currently listed in stable condition and is being held overnight for observation. The boys' mother was treated for bruises and a shoulder injury and released.

The female driver reportedly remained on the scene and gave a statement to police. Major said no charges have been filed against the driver, and the incident remains under investigation.


Search continues for 5-year-old Fitchburg boy missing for months

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Gov. Patrick wants an investigation into the missing 5-year-old boy and the DCF handling of the case.

FITCHBURG— A search is being organized for Saturday to look for five-year-old Jeremiah Oliver, missing from his Fitchburg home for nearly four months. Now, the boy's biological father has come forward and says he wants his two remaining children after his estranged wife and the state Department of Children and Families has lost his youngest son.

"Give me back my son," he said to Elsa Oliver and the state during an interview with New England Cable News. "You should have given him to me. You should have just give him to me. You could not handle him."

Oliver told TV interviewers Thursday night that he had not seen the five-year-old in two years after his estranged wife swore out a restraining order against him and took the children to Fitchburg. The family is originally from Connecticut.

Jeremiah has not been seen by family since September 14, but the boy's mother and her live-in boyfriend never told authorities he was missing. At the same time, the family was supposed to be under a care and protection order from the state Department of Children and Families. A social worker and a supervisor were fired after it was learned that they had not conducted home visits since June, and were unaware the boy was missing.

Both Elsa Oliver and her live-in boyfriend, Alberto Sierre are being held by authorities. Oliver has been charged with reckless endangerment of a child and with being an accessory after the fact. Sierre has been charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery on a child. Both has entered pleas of not guilty.

Meanwhile, Governor Deval Patrick is calling on his the commissioner of the department to complete an investigation into the incident, saying senior officials in the DCF may well face disciplinary measures.

"I have asked the commissioner whether responsibility goes beyond those two," Patrick said during his monthly radio program on WGBH in Boston. "I have some reason to believe that it does."

Patrick said he has much of the information he is looking for but does not want to comment until, "we want to give people a chance to explain."

The Boston Globe has reported that an area program manager for the agency has been reassigned as the investigation continues.

Lisa Caban of Lowell told the Fitchburg Sentinel and Enterprise that Saturday's search will cover rivers, dumpsters, parks and forested areas around Fitchburg. Caban said she hopes to find the boys alive and well, but recognizes he may not be alive.

"If we find him (dead) he could have a decent burial," she said.

Ware CVS property on West Street sold for $7 million

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CVS opened at the site in 2008.

ware cvs.jpgThe CVS on West Street in Ware 

WARE - The CVS property at 104 West St. was recently sold for $7,152,542, and the new majority owner said there are no plans to change anything on the property.

Scott Liroff, manager of City Knickerbocker Properties Ware LLC in New Jersey, which owns a 53.4 percent stake in the property, said on Friday that it was purchased as an investment.

“Our plan is to keep CVS in there,” Liroff said.

CVS opened at the site in 2008. According to the assessor’s office, the building is assessed at $1,396,900 and sits on 6.743 acres assessed at $206,500. The property’s total value is $1.6 million.

The last time the property changed hands was in 2010 when CP Ware MA 2008 LLC and Mesirow Realty Sale-Leaseback Inc. sold it to James S. Demakes, trustee, and JSD Realty Trust for $5.2 million.

In addition to City Knickerbocker, the property also is owned by two other New Jersey based firms, CPI Ware LLC, which owns a 11.6 percent stake, and TCI Ware LLC, which owns a 35 percent stake, according to the assessors.

JSD Realty Trust and Spero J. Demakes, trustee, sold the property on Dec. 9, according to a filing with the Hampshire Registry of Deeds.

Planning Department administrative assistant Margaret D. Sorel said the department has received no information regarding plans for the property.

Liroff said the Ware site is City Knickerbocker’s only property in Massachusetts.

The Liroff family also operates City Knickerbocker Inc., a New York City company that provides lighting fixtures, contemporary and antique, to the film, theater and television industries, as well as businesses and residences.

Developers of former Dye Works building have purchased the property and will begin transforming it into a 50-unit affordable housing development

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EASTHAMPTON – After working on the project for about four years, the Boston-based Arch Street Development has purchased the former Easthampton Dye Works on Cottage Street and will begin turning it into affordable rentals the end of this month. The company paid $328,000 for the building. Part of the delay in purchasing the property was lining up the financing,...


EASTHAMPTON – After working on the project for about four years, the Boston-based Arch Street Development has purchased the former Easthampton Dye Works on Cottage Street and will begin turning it into affordable rentals the end of this month.

The company paid $328,000 for the building.

Part of the delay in purchasing the property was lining up the financing, which included nearly $1 million in tax credits and $2.5 million in housing subsidies needed to leverage a mortgage, which they received in May 2012. The project also received $200,000 from the Community Preservation Act fund.

Developer Colin O’Keeffe said the project took longer than usual in part because of the economy.

O’Keeffe said there will be some activity there this month but construction will start in earnest in January. The goal is to have the project finished in a year.

The building will be fully gutted with 50 affordable rental units ranging from one to three bedrooms. “They’ll be unique spaces,” he said. There will also be a pedestrian bridge from the building out onto Cottage Street.

A structure in the back will be razed to make way for parking.

Five of the units will be for people with really low income.

Despite the delay with the project, developer Rich Relich said the need for this kind of housing is even greater than when they started. “We’ve seen the need for that type of housing,” he said. That's especially true as rents have increased in neighboring communities such as Northampton.

They have hired the Salem-based contractor James J. Welch & Co., Inc. to oversee the project. That company built Clark Biscuit Apartments for Arch Street in North Adams.

Mayor Michael A. Tautznik has said that this is a key project for the downtown. Having people live there will add vibrancy to the downtown, especially at night, he has said.
Developers paid nearly $650,000 in back taxes and fees to the city, according to O'Keeffe.

Easthampton Dye Works, a factory that made colored thread, closed in 2006. 

Since then, the project was to be an 86-unit lesbian-friendly condominium project, but that plan collapsed and then David F. Oppenheim, the one-time director of the Pioneer Valley Arts Center of Easthampton, bid on the project at auction with a plan to move the arts center into the bigger space.

That did not happen either and he was subsequently convicted of child rape involving an underage girl who performed at PACE.




Yesterday's top stories: Heroin seized from driver in Hatfield, Springfield traffic snarled as truck dumps load of paper, and more

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Police were summoned to Allen and Cooley streets for a report of a vehicle that crashed into the Dunkin Donuts store there.

These were the most read stories on MassLive.com yesterday. If you missed any of them, click on the links below to read them now.

1) 'Obama Care' and 'Kurt Cobain' heroin seized in bust of Vermont driver on Interstate 91 in Hatfield [George Graham]

2) Truckload of paper dumped on flyover from I-91 south to I-291 east in Springfield snarls traffic [George Graham]

3) Springfield police summoned to Allen and Cooley streets for report of vehicle crashing into Dunkin Donuts [George Graham]

4) Holyoke armed robbery suspect hunted in Flats area of city [Dave Canton]

5) Massachusetts' implementation of new photo EBT cards has problems, fed official says [State House News Service]

With Christmas Eve deadline approaching, Toy for Joy fund still needs to raise more than $90,000

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This year 3,270 adults and approximately 14,715 children signed up in Springfield to receive toys from the fund.

2013 Toy for Joy coupon.jpgView full sizeTo get a printable version of this coupon to mail in with your Toy for Joy donation, click on "view full size," above. 

SPRINGFIELD - The days are dwindling down to meet this year’s Toy for Joy fund-raising goal.

With three days left until Christmas Eve, the fund has more than half way to go - $90,930 of its $150,000 goal.

On Saturday the fund recorded $3,265 in donations.

The Toy for Joy fund, which is in its 91st year, is sponsored by The Republican and The Salvation Army, with the help of campaign partner Hasbro of East Longmeadow, which donates a portion of the toys for the campaign.

“We’ve been distributing toys to about 600 families per day,” said Danielle LaTaille, director of social services for the Greater Springfield Salvation Army citadel on Pearl St.

This year 3,270 adults and approximately 14,715 children signed up in Springfield to receive toys from the fund — more than last year, LaTaille said.

Holyoke so far has registered and distributed toys to 1,240 families.

Tasha Alston said she has been volunteering at the Salvation Army to help distribute toys from the Toy for Joy fund for the past three years.

Alston, who is recovering from breast cancer, said, “God has blessed me. I’m still here. Why not give back?”

Alston said that she and the other volunteers see each other every year when they come to volunteer to help with the Toy for Joy fund.

“We like to be around people that we love,” she said.

For more information, call 733-1518. To make a contribution to the Toy for Joy fund, write: Toy for Joy, P.O. Box 3007, Springfield 01102. Contributions may also be dropped off with the coupon to The Republican, 1860 Main St., Springfield, weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. through Dec. 24.

Here’s a list of the latest contributors:

  • In loving memory of my sweetheart Dennis Gaudreau, love Liz, $25

  • In honor of children and grandchildren, $100

  • In memory of Ninnie and Frank, Noni and Gramma and Grampa and Bailey from the Mastrangelo family, $25

  • In memory of our dads Morris and Irving, $100

  • Sincerest thanks to the 2 angels in the red pick up, $10

  • In memory of Papa Jack, love Billy, Caroline, Allie, MaryKate, Brenna, Regan, Jack, Ryan, Katelyn, Lauren and Gavin, $50

  • The AnFang family, $25

  • In celebration of Grace, Christopher, Lucas and baby, $30

  • For all the kids from anonymous, $25

  • In memory of my husband Jesse Wood by his wife Jennie, $25

  • In memory of Michael Girard, Dad, $25

  • Remembering my father Peter and honoring my mother Helen, $25

  • In memory of Richard, Stanley, Helen, John and Eddie from Jane, $25

  • In memory of my mom from Beth, $10

  • In lieu of toys for family from Rita, $20

  • Phil and Felicia, $15

  • Thank you Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Jude for prayers answered, PG, $20

  • In memory of my brother Alan from Todd Cheika, $200

  • In memory of William Herchuck Sr., love the Herchuck family, $100

  • In memory of our moms, Claire and Dolores who loved children, Roger and Fran, $100

  • In memory of Norma, Don, Lisa and Sarah, $100

  • Anonymous, $25

  • Anonymous, $30

  • Ken and Laura Fellows, $100

  • Remembering passed loved ones in my family, Mom, Dad, Linda and Peter, $50

  • In honor of Phil Louraine, a gift for a child rather than for him, $20

  • In memory of J.R., $50

  • In memory of my husband Michael O Miller and grandson Kenny Chapin, Genia, $10

  • In loving memory of Phyllis and Ted Dymon, $25

  • In memory of the Hudyka and Paquette family, $25

  • Merry Christmas in heaven Eddie, love Stella, $20

  • In loving memory of Billy Bond from his family, $25

  • In loving memory of Kasmier Kusek, $50

  • Anonymous, $15

  • In memory of Lucien Grondin and Rena Grondin, $25

  • In memory of Minnie, $25

  • Merry Christmas 2013, $25

  • In loving memory of my husband Delt, Betty Learned, $25

  • In memory of our wonderful parents Vincent and Rita Bongiorni, $50

  • In memory of our wonderful parents Henry and Joyce Baush, $50

  • In memory of our father and Popou Socrates Babacas, love Pam. Bobby, Krysten, Jen and Katie, $25

  • In memory of James and Elizabeth Clune, $100

  • In memory of Teresa Dooley, $100

  • In memory of Blakesley and McDonough family members, $50

  • In honor of two wonderful grandchildren, Harry and Penny, $25

  • In memory of Dory McKenna, love Mare, $25

  • In loving memory of my sister and brother in law Jenny and Steve McKenna, sadly missed by Emily Berrena, $20

  • In memory of Harold J Odiorne Sr., $25

  • In memory of Mildred and Bud Carey, $25

  • In memory of sister Gwendolyn Carey Marshall, $25

  • Happy Holidays from the employees at Heatbath, $320

  • Thank you St. Jude, St. Anthony, ECZ, $10

  • Anonymous, $20

  • Thanks to God and Jesus and St. Jude, $20

  • In memory of John F Ryan who passed 1/15/13, $20

  • Anonymous, $20

  • Happy Holidays from AFSCME Local 17, $25

  • In loving memory of my granddaughter Kimberly Anne Cannata, $10

  • In memory of Wanda Powers, $50

  • In loving memory of our dad Alphonse (Santa Claus) Lussier from Paul and Lorraine, $100

  • Mill Valley Snowmobile Club, $50

  • From the staff at the Registry of Probate in Springfield, $500
RECORDED TODAY, $3,265
TOTAL TO DATE, $59,070
STILL NEEDED, $90,930

Springfield man pistol whipped and robbed, others stabbed

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A man was pistol whipped and robbed while several others were stabbed in unrelated incidents.

SPRINGFIELD— Springfield police are investigating a number of assaults Saturday morning which sent several people to local hospitals.

Springfield Police Lt. Thomas Maccini said a 22-year-old man was pistol whipped and robbed by a group of people shortly after 2 a.m.

Maccini said the man made his way to the Mercy Hospital emergency room for treatment. The victim told police he was walking near the intersection of Carew Street and Merrimac Avenue just after 2 a.m. when he was confronted by a large group of males, all wearing masks, dark hooded sweatshirts and blue jeans. The victim was struck in the face by a hard object, and said a dark handgun was pointed at his face. After his cell phone and money was taken the victim was able to run away from his assailants and later went to the ER for treatment.

Several people were stabbed in unrelated incidents. Police responded to a report of a stabbing on Stapleton Street at approximately 12:30 a.m. However, the victim of the assault refused to cooperate with investigators and refused medical treatment. Instead he left that scene. Several hours later, an ambulance was called to a Central Street address to transport the same victim to the Baystate Medical Center for treatment of a stab wound to the torso.

At approximately 2:30 a.m. a male with a stab wound was brought to the Baystate Medical Center emergency room by private car. That victim also refused to cooperate with police, as did a third stabbing victim. He was brought to the emergency room shortly after 5:00 a.m. police said.

Big Y, customers donate $40,000 to American Red Cross Typhoon Haiyan disaster relief effort

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Previous campaigns raised $141,000 following the 2011 Western Massachusetts tornadoes, $100,000 after the Japan earthquake and tsunami in 2011, $75,000 for Hurricane Sandy relief in 2012 and $40,000 after the Oklahoma tornadoes in May.

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Big Y World Class Markets collected donations from customers and employees from Nov. 16 – Nov. 30 for American Red Cross Disaster Relief, in response to Typhoon Haiyan and the massive destruction it caused in the Philippines and portions of Southeast Asia.

Community and employee donations along with additional support from Big Y resulted in a donation of $40,000, which will be donated to both Massachusetts and Connecticut American Red Cross Chapters in support of the ongoing relief efforts in the devastated communities and the many people affected by the disaster.

A formal check presentation to the Massachusetts American Red Cross was held on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2013 at the West Springfield Big Y World Class Market. Big Y Foods Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Donald D’Amour, President and Chief Operating Officer Charles D’Amour and Mike Messer, store director, West Springfield Big Y World Class Market, presented the contribution to Rick Lee, executive director of the Red Cross Pioneer Valley Chapter.

“The D’Amour family, Big Y, and its customers have been among the very first in our community to step up to help those in need when disaster strikes, whether the need is a local fire, a tornado outbreak in Oklahoma or a catastrophic storm in the Philippines,” Lee said. “We are grateful for their compassionate response and continued generous support.”

More than one month after Typhoon Haiyan, the Red Cross continues to deliver relief supplies and humanitarian assistance to hard hit communities in the Philippines. The American Red Cross has already committed $16 million to the response for Typhoon Haiyan and is deploying 11 more American Red Cross disaster specialists, in addition to the 13 who already have been deployed in support of global Red Cross efforts.

The Red Cross expects to make additional financial commitments to the typhoon response in the Philippines as donations come in. Money donated to the American Red Cross for Typhoon Haiyan will go to the relief and recovery efforts in the Philippines.

Thanks to the public’s generous support, the Red Cross has been able to provide food, shelter, relief supplies and comfort to thousands of people. Big Y, its customers and employees have a strong tradition of supporting those in need. Past initiatives include campaigns to support both international and domestic disasters such as Red Cross International Response Fund – Haiti Relief and Development. After the Japan earthquake and tsunami, Big Y presented donations to the American Red Cross totaling $100,000. When devastation hit right in our own back yard in 2011, Big Y, its customers and employees donated $141,000 to Red Cross tornado relief and $75,000 for Hurricane Sandy Relief in 2012. Most recently, through similar efforts, Big Y Foods presented donations to the American Red Cross totaling $40,000 for relief efforts for the Oklahoma tornadoes that struck in May 2013.


Courtney Barberi of Agawam raffles off Patriots tickets to raise money for local Relay for Life team

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The raffle will be drawn on Monday for the tickets for the sold-out final regular season game against the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium on Dec. 29.



AGAWAM
– A 27-year-old Agawam resident, Courtney Barberi, is raffling two tickets Monday to a sold-out New England Patriots game to raise money for the 2014 Agawam Relay For Life.

According to a release from the American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Agawam, Barberi, co-captain of Team Rossi, wants to raise at least $500 for the raffle. All proceeds will go towards the team’s fundraising effort for the 2014 relay slated to take place overnight at Agawam High School from May 16 until the morning of May 17.

Barberi formed the team three years ago to honor and pay tribute to her aunt who died from breast cancer in 2005 and her mother, who died from leukemia in 2012, the release said.

The New England Patriots tickets raffle will be drawn on Monday and are for a sold-out final regular season game against the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough on Dec. 29.

The Patriots tickets being raffled are for seats four rows up from the back side of the end zone, (section 317, row 11, seats 12 and 13), and raffle tickets can purchased for $20 each by contacting Barberi at courtney6690@hotmail.com.

Tickets to the game were donated by Anthony Spirito, 49, a Ludlow resident and close family friend of Barberi.

Spirito said he feels good knowing that his tickets are helping Barberi’s team.

“It’s the last game of the season, so it has very important playoff implications,” he said in the release. “I’m sure any Pats fan would love the opportunity to go. I know I wouldn’t want to miss it for the world.”

For the 2013 Relay, Team Rossi raised just over $14,000, making it the top fund-raising team. Members want to raise $15,000 for 2014.


US military aircraft hit in S. Sudan, 4 wounded

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Gunfire hit a U.S. military aircraft trying to evacuate American citizens in a remote region of South Sudan that on Saturday became a battle ground between the country's military and renegade troops, officials said. Four U.S. service members were wounded in the attack in the same region that gunfire downed a U.N. helicopter the day before.

NAIROBI, Kenya — Gunfire hit a U.S. military aircraft trying to evacuate American citizens in a remote region of South Sudan that on Saturday became a battle ground between the country's military and renegade troops, officials said. Four U.S. service members were wounded in the attack in the same region that gunfire downed a U.N. helicopter the day before.

The U.S. military aircraft was about to land in Bor, the capital of the state of Jonglei and scene of some of the nation's worst violence over the last week, when it was hit. One American service member was reported to be in critical condition.

The U.S. military's Africa Command said the aircraft was "participating in a mission to evacuate American citizens in Bor." A South Sudan official said violence against civilians there has resulted in bodies "sprinkled all over town."

"After receiving fire from the ground while approaching the site, the aircraft diverted to an airfield outside the country and aborted the mission," the statement said. "The injured troops are being treated for their wounds." It was not known how many U.S. civilians are in Bor.

Two officials told The Associated Press that after the aircraft took incoming fire, they turned around and flew to Kampala, Uganda. From there the service members were flown to Nairobi, Kenya for medical treatment. The two officials are in East Africa and demanded anonymity to share information not made public.

The military statement did not identify the aircraft taking part in the mission. One official told AP it appeared the aircraft were Ospreys, the type of aircraft that can fly like a helicopter and a plane. A second official said the Americans did not tell the top commander in Bor — Gen. Peter Gadet, who defected from the South Sudan military this week — that they were coming in, which may have led to the attack.

South Sudan's military spokesman, Col. Philip Aguer, said that government troops are not in control of Bor, so the attack on the U.S. aircraft has to be blamed on renegade soldiers.

"Bor is under the control of the forces of Riek Machar," Aguer said.

The U.S. aircraft was hit one day after small arms fire downed a U.N. helicopter in the same state.

Rob McKee, operations manager for Warrior Security, a South Sudan security company, said the U.N. helicopter made an emergency landing while trying to evacuate personnel from a base in Yuai, Jonglei state. A second official who insisted on anonymity because the information hasn't been released said the helicopter was abandoned and remains unable to fly. No injuries were reported.

The U.N. planned to try to evacuate the personnel left behind by ground. A U.N. spokesman didn't answer a phone call or email seeking comment.

South Sudan's information minister, Michael Makuei Lueth, said that South Sudanese ground troops, backed by the country's air force, are fighting rebels in Bor, an effort to retake the state capital they lost earlier this week.

"There is fighting going on in Bor town, yes, because since morning they have continued to attack the civilian population," he said, talking about renegade troops. "They have gone as far as not respecting the U.N. compound."

He said fighting started early Saturday after reports came in that rebels there were shooting indiscriminately at civilians.

"The bodies are sprinkled all over the town," he said. No death toll could be estimated, he said.

South Sudan President Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, said this week that an attempted coup triggered the violence now pulsing through South Sudan. He blamed the former vice president, Machar, an ethnic Nuer. But officials have since said a fight between Dinka and Nuer members of the presidential guard triggered the initial violence late Sunday night. Machar's ouster from the country's No. 2 political position earlier this year had stoked ethnic tensions.

The violence has killed hundreds and has world leaders worried that a full-blown civil war could ignite in South Sudan. The south fought a decades-long war with Sudan before a 2005 peace deal resulted in a 2011 referendum that saw South Sudan break away from the north, taking most of the region's oil wealth with it.

Lueth described Machar as "the rebel leader," saying the forces that control Bor believe they are fighting on his behalf. Machar's whereabouts remain unknown, but he has said in recent interviews that he is in hiding somewhere in South Sudan.

An International Crisis Group expert on South Sudan told The Associated Press on Friday that rebels have taken control of at least some of South Sudan's oil fields, an issue that could bring Sudan into the conflict. South Sudan's oil flows north through Sudan's pipelines, providing Khartoum with much needed income.

The U.N. Security Council on Friday said the weeklong violence could affect neighboring countries and the entire region.

Kenya announced it was sending in Kenyan troops to evacuate 1,600 Kenyans stranded in South Sudan, many of them in Bor.

U.S. President Barack Obama earlier this week dispatched U.S. troops to help protect the U.S. Embassy in the capital, Juba. The U.S. Embassy organized at least five emergency evacuation flights to help U.S. citizens leave the country. Other countries like Britain, Germany and Italy also helped citizens evacuate.

Mediators from East Africa continued to try to help negotiate a peace. Ethiopia's Foreign Ministry said Saturday that they have held "productive" talks with Kiir and that consultations were continuing. Kiir has agreed to "unconditional dialogue" to try to stop the violence.

Winter solstice 2013: The shortest day of the year means the days get longer from here

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The 2013 winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year in Earth's Northern Hemisphere in terms of the time from sunrise to sunset.

The 2013 winter solstice arrives at 12:11 p.m. EST time today, Dec. 21, marking the shortest day of the year in Earth's Northern Hemisphere in terms of the time from sunrise to sunset.

The event that annually brings solstice celebrators to Stonehenge, the ancient site in southwestern England, has to do with astronomy and our planet's annual trip around the sun. Because Earth tilts on an axis, as it travels around the sun the Northern and Southern hemispheres take turns every six months getting more, or less, sunlight. EarthSky.org has a good explanation of the solstice here.

According to timeanddate.com:

The December solstice occurs when the sun reaches its most southerly declination of -23.5 degrees. In other words, it is when the North Pole is tilted 23.5 degrees away from the sun.

Today in Springfield, Massachusetts, for example, the sun rose at 7:15 a.m. and will set at 4:22 p.m. for a paltry 9 hours, 6 minutes and 16 seconds of daylight. On Sunday, residents of the Bay State's third-largest city will get an additional 3 seconds of daylight – nothing to write a blog post about, but a trend in the right direction for those who like light.

For folks in the United States' most eastern part, downeast Maine, winter solstice 2013 brings an ever shorter day. In Lubec, Maine, the easternmost incorporated place in the U.S., the sun will shine today for only 8 hours, 47 minutes – if it wasn't expected to be overcast all day.

While the winter solstice is something you can expect around Dec. 21 every year, it can occur anywhere from Dec. 20 to Dec. 23, though solstices on the dates on either side of that range are rare. According to timeanddate.com:

December 20 and December 23 solstices occur less frequently than December 21 or December 22 solstices in the Gregorian calendar. The last December 23 solstice occurred in 1903 and will not occur again until the year 2303. A December 20 solstice has occurred very rarely, with the next one occurring in the year 2080.

All of this increasing daylight leads up to the 2014 summer solstice, marking the longest day – sunrise to sunset, that is – of next year and the beginning of summer. That will occur at 6:51 a.m. EDT on June 21. In between will be the spring equinox at 12:57 EDT on March 20, when there will be about the same amount of daylight and nighttime.

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Obama focuses on a tough year's ups, not its downs

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Has the fifth year of his presidency been its worst? President Barack Obama laughs off such questions even as he acknowledges many months of frustrating ups and down.

WASHINGTON — Has the fifth year of his presidency been its worst? President Barack Obama laughs off such questions even as he acknowledges many months of frustrating ups and down.

"That's not how I think about it," Obama told reporters during his annual end-of-the year news conference.

Instead of brooding about tumbling approval ratings, the disastrous rollout of his signature health care law or the pile of unfinished domestic priorities, Obama looked ahead to the promise of 2014 and predicted "a breakthrough year for America."

Before he joined his family on Air Force One for a Christmas vacation in his home state of Hawaii, Obama suggested that, given widespread criticism, he may alter the power of the National Security Agency to collect information on Americans.

And when it came to the start of his health care law, Obama conceded that "we screwed it up," and said, "I'm going to be making appropriate adjustments once we get through this year." It was unclear if he meant to signal high-level personnel changes.

Obama does have some reason to be optimistic. He spoke hours after the government announced the economy grew at a solid 4.1 percent annual rate from July through September, the fastest pace since late 2011 and significantly higher than previously believed. And he heralded a modest bipartisan budget deal that cleared Congress this week, saying that while it's too soon to declare a new era of bipartisanship, Washington is "not condemned to endless gridlock."

A presidential task force has suggested dozens of ways to limit the NSA programs. The recommendations were released just days after a federal judge declared the NSA's bulk collection of Americans' phone records unconstitutional, ratcheting up pressure on him to make changes.

The president insisted that the NSA has not inappropriately used the massive amounts of data in its possession, though he added, "We may have to refine this further to give people more confidence."

After lying dormant for years, the government surveillance issues shot into the spotlight after former NSA contractor Edward Snowden leaked a trove of secret documents. Snowden is a fugitive from the U.S. and living in Russia, where he received temporary asylum. Some of his supporters have pressed Obama to grant him amnesty, though the president declined to comment on those calls.

"I will leave it up to the courts and the attorney general to weigh in in public on Mr. Snowden's case," he said.

The president opened his hourlong news conference with upbeat news on his health care law, announcing that 1 million people have enrolled in federal and state insurance exchanges since Oct. 1. That's more than two-and-a-half times the number on Nov. 30, when major fixes to the deeply flawed sign-up website were completed.

"The demand is there," he said. "The product is good."

Still, it was too soon to say whether the widely panned health care rollout had turned a corner for good. The HealthCare.gov website was down for part of the day Friday as technicians attempted to fix an error that occurred Thursday night when the site was undergoing routine maintenance. And the administration has had to enact a series of delays and exemptions for businesses and individuals, including one just Thursday for some people whose health insurance policies were canceled because of the law's new standards.

No one in the administration is known to have been fired over the health care failures. Obama said he would make "appropriate adjustments once we get through this year." There have been repeated calls for the ouster of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, but Obama gave no indication that was what he had in mind.

Other disputes lie ahead. Obama renewed his long-standing statement that he will not negotiate concessions with Republicans in exchange for legislation that will be needed in late winter or early spring to raise the nation's debt limit. "It is not something that is a negotiating tool. It's not leverage. It's a responsibility of Congress," he said, although he added he was willing to discuss other issues separately.

On a key foreign policy concern, Obama said it would be wrong to impose new sanctions on Iran at a time when the United States and other nations are testing an interim accord designed to curtail Tehran's nuclear program. If necessary, "we can pass new sanctions in a day," he said, referring to lawmakers.

The president also addressed his decision to include openly gay athletes in the U.S. delegation to the Winter Olympics in Russia, which has a national law banning "gay propaganda." Obama said the delegation, which includes athletes Brian Boitano, Billie Jean King and Caitlin Cahow, shows the U.S. doesn't make distinctions on the basis of sexual orientation.

The Sochi Games are the first since 2000 to which the U.S. is not sending a president, former president, first lady or vice president. That decision has been seen as an indication of Obama's increasingly tense relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Following the news conference, Obama and his family were to depart for Hawaii. It's the first year that last-minute legislative wrangling has not prevented the president from departing on schedule.

Obama did leave behind a New Year's resolution before boarding Air Force One.

"My New Year's resolution is to be nicer to the White House press corps," he said.

Obama says 1 million signed up for health care

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His health care plan facing a dicey transition, President Barack Obama said Friday that insurance sign-ups are surging now that the government's website is working better for consumers. But it was too soon to say the rollout has turned the corner.

WASHINGTON — His health care plan facing a dicey transition, President Barack Obama said Friday that insurance sign-ups are surging now that the government's website is working better for consumers. But it was too soon to say the rollout has turned the corner.

More than 1 million people have enrolled since Oct. 1, Obama said at his end-of-the-year press conference. That's more than two-and-a-half times the number on Nov. 30, when major fixes to the website were completed. At that point, only 365,000 had signed up through new federal and state markets offering subsidized private insurance.

"That is a big deal," Obama said of getting coverage for uninsured people. "That's why I ran for this office."

Separately, officials said 3.9 million people have qualified for government health care through the law's Medicaid expansion. Even so, things aren't exactly humming along.

HealthCare.gov was down for part of the day Friday, as technicians attempted to fix an error that occurred Thursday night when the site was undergoing routine maintenance, officials explained.

The administration cannot afford for the balky website to crash this weekend. Because of Monday's deadline to sign up so coverage can take effect Jan. 1, unusually heavy traffic is expected on the federal site and those run by states.

Largely hidden from consumers, another set of technical problems is frustrating insurers, who say the government continues to send them inaccurate data on some enrolled individuals. Insurers call some of those jumbled enrollment files "orphans" and others "ghosts."

They could turn into gremlins after Jan. 1 for some patients trying to use their new coverage. Consumers might show up at the pharmacy counter or doctor's office only to be told they're not in the system.

That's not the only potential issue. Administration officials are scrambling to prevent breaks in coverage among more than 4 million people whose individual policies were cancelled this fall because they did not meet the law's requirements. An estimated 500,000 have yet to secure new coverage. On Thursday, the administration said those individuals would not be penalized for remaining uninsured, and that they could also have access to special bare-bones catastrophic insurance plans.

The president minimized the significance of that accommodation Friday, calling it a net to catch a small number of people who may slip through the cracks.

Still tinkering with the website, the administration now faces crucial deadlines within a two-week stretch.

The last day to sign up for coverage to take effect with the new year is Monday. And Jan. 1 is the day the people can start using their new policies. Starting then, the law forbids insurers from turning away people with pre-existing medical conditions. The law's mandate that virtually all Americans carry coverage also goes into place, although uninsured people can avoid a tax penalty if they pick a plan by Mar. 31.

The stakes are much higher now than Oct. 1, when HealthCare.gov went live. It's not just that the president's political reputation has been tarnished by website woes and insurance cancellations.

The risk now is that ordinary people with pressing medical needs will suffer harm if the transition to coverage is fumbled. If that happens, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will face a new round of demands for her resignation.

"Implementing the website is the relatively easy part," said Mark McClellan, who oversaw the problematic rollout of the Medicare prescription drug benefit for President George W. Bush. "Implementing the coverage itself involves a lot more things that could go wrong, and there's a lot more at stake.

"It was possible for people to wait a month or two to use the website," McClellan added. "People who need care on Jan. 1 are not going to be able to wait a month or two to get it." McClellan is now a health policy expert with the nonpartisan Brookings Institution, a Washington think-tank.

Obama was feeling optimistic Friday. In first three weeks of December, more than 500,000 people signed up through the federal website, he noted. On Oct. 1, only a handful managed to enroll successfully.

Crossing the 1 million mark was a milestone, but the administration's own estimates called for 3.3 million to enroll by Dec. 31. The target now is 7 million by the end of open enrollment on Mar. 31.

In Florida on Friday, Lisa Hulsey wasn't feeling very confident. She had waited nearly an hour to sign up for health insurance with a counselor because the website was down. The couple before Hulsey zipped through in less than an hour and chose a midrange silver plan.

Hulsey, a paralegal, had employer insurance at no cost to her. But her company is no longer offering coverage, instead pushing employees into the federal marketplace where they may qualify for subsidies.

"I'm hungry. I'm frustrated. It should work," said Hulsey. She was leaving this weekend to visit her family in Alabama and did not know when she would have time to try again before Monday's deadline.

Obituaries today: Joseph Balboni Jr. was foreman for Springfield Water Department

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Obituaries from The Republican.

 
122113-joseph-balboni.jpgJoseph Balboni Jr. 

Joseph L. Balboni, Jr., 83, of Springfield, passed away on Monday. He was born in Springfield, raised and schooled in Springfield and was a lifelong resident of the city. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard during the Korean War. Following his military service, he returned to Springfield and was employed for over 30 years and retired in 1991 as a foreman for the Springfield Water Department. He previously worked at the former Union Carbide Company on Pasco Road in Indian Orchard.

Obituaries from The Republican:


Longmeadow parents asked to fill out kindergarten pre-enrollment survey

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The pre-enrollment survey will let officials now how many parents in Longmeadow are interested in full-day kindergarten.

LONGMEADOW — A pre-enrollment survey is now available to parents of students entering kindergarten in the fall of 2014.

Longmeadow schools logo.jpg 

The School Department is asking parents of students who will enter kindergarten next year to fill out the pre-registration by Jan. 3.

School Committee and kindergarten subcommittee member Janet Robinson said there are 57 students enrolled in full-day kindergarten out of the 173 students who are eligible.

Parents who want their children in a full-time kindergarten classroom have to pay about $4,100 a year to do so.

The School Committee asked the kindergarten subcommittee, which was created in October and is made up of school officials, teachers and parents, to create a survey that would help gauge interest in a full day kindergarten setting.

While the committee voted not to fully fund a full-day kindergarten for all students, it would like to offer the service, perhaps at a lesser fee, if enough parents are interested, said School Committee Chairman Michael Clark.

Superintendent of Schools Marie Doyle is asking parents to submit the survey through the school website at http://sites.longmeadow.k12.ma.us/www/news/pre-enrollmentforkindergarten2014-2015 . Forms are also available at the district main office for those that prefer to fill out a paper form.

A final parent forum will be held on January 8 at 7 p.m. in the business and technology center at Longmeadow High School, to discuss the results of the survey.

Doyle said the final plans for the 2014-2015 school year will be announced by Feb. 1 so that families can plan accordingly.

 

Colorado student Claire Davis, shot in head by classmate, dies of injuries

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Claire Davis appeared to be a random target, Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson has said.

LITTLETON, Colo. — A suburban Denver high school student who was shot in the head by a classmate died Saturday afternoon, hospital officials said in a statement.

Claire Davis, 17, was in critical condition after being shot at point-blank range at Arapahoe High School on Dec. 13. Friends and well-wishers had posted prayers online and raised money to help pay for her medical care.

"It is with heavy hearts that we share that at 4:29 p.m. this afternoon, Claire Davis passed away, with her family at her side," the statement from Littleton Adventist Hospital.

"Despite the best efforts of our physicians and nursing staff, and Claire's fighting spirit, her injuries were too severe and the most advanced medical treatments could not prevent this tragic loss of life. Claire's death is immensely heartbreaking for our entire community, our staff and our families."

Karl Pierson, 18, shot Davis, who just happened to be sitting nearby with a friend as Pierson, armed with a shotgun, ammunition strapped to his body, Molotov cocktails and a machete, entered the school and headed toward the library. Davis appeared to be a random target, Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson has said.

Pierson likely intended to track down a librarian who had disciplined him, but Robinson said Pierson's arsenal suggested Pierson intended to hurt many others at the school just 8 miles from Columbine High School.

Pierson set off one of the incendiary devices and fired five shots before killing himself just one minute and 20 seconds after entering the building. He knew a sheriff's deputy assigned to the school was closing in, Robinson said at a news conference.

Senior Chris Davis, who is not related to Claire Davis, said she loved horses, had a lot of friends and always seemed happy. Chris Davis, whose locker is next to Claire's, helped organize a fundraising effort for her family.

Students held vigils for Davis after the shooting. Typical was a story told by classmate Maggie Hurlbut.

"One time I remember I was upset in the hallway, and she came up to me and she just — it was like, 'Hey Maggie, I know we don't know each other well but are you doing OK?' And I told her yeah, and she was like, 'Anything you need, I'm here for you,'" Hurlbut said. "Again, that's who she is, and she just wants to take care of others, and that was really just a good representation of her character and who she was."

Gov. John Hickenlooper visited Davis and her family at the hospital and had asked for prayers.

Sheriff Robinson called Davis "a young woman of principle" and "an innocent young lady."

Pierson's original target was believed to be a librarian who coached the school's speech and debate team. Pierson was a skilled speaker and debater on the team. The librarian, whose name was not released, had disciplined the teen in September for reasons that haven't been disclosed. Robinson said Pierson had made some sort of threat against the librarian in September.

"We are looking into that, to the degree that it was understood, and then what interactions or interventions took place," the sheriff said.

The librarian was able to escape the school unharmed, Robinson said.

Pierson legally purchased his shotgun at a local store a week before the shooting and bought the ammunition the day of the shooting. Anyone 18 and older is allowed to buy a shotgun in Colorado; only those over 21 can legally buy a handgun.

Pierson, whose parents were divorced, lived at least part of the time with his mother in a higher-end neighborhood in suburban Highlands Ranch.

The Arapahoe shooting came a day before the one-year anniversary of the Newtown, Conn., attack in which a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Amherst police investigating pedestrian accident

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The man was crossing the street when he was struck by a Toyota.

Amherst police SUV.jpg 

AMHERST - Police are investigating an accident in which a pedestrian was struck by a motor vehicle Saturday night on North Pleasant Street.

Police said the accident happened just before 7 p.m., and that the man was walking in the roadway, not in the crosswalk, when he was hit by a female driver.

The man was taken to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield for non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

The accident closed a portion of the road, but it was reopened by 10 p.m.

State police also responded to the accident.

Ice storms, snow, flooding, tornadoes make holiday travel anything but jolly across US

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Forecasters warned motorists that roads that seemed passable one minute could turn treacherous the next, as a cold blast on the storm's back end turns rain to ice and snow.

CHICAGO — A storm with a 2,000-mile footprint frustrated Christmas travelers Saturday from Texas to Nova Scotia with a little of everything Mother Nature has to offer, from freezing rain, ice and snow to flooding, thunderstorms and even tornadoes.

Some of the millions of people who hit the roads and airports by midday Saturday squeaked through before any major weather had hit, but the cancellations and flight delays started to mount as the afternoon wore on.

Forecasters warned motorists that roads that seemed passable one minute could turn treacherous the next, as a cold blast on the storm's back end turns rain to ice and snow.

The system's strange swirl of winter and spring-like conditions produced starkly different weather at times in areas separated by a couple hundred miles. While drivers in Oklahoma and eastern Missouri were navigating ice-slicked streets Saturday, residents in Memphis, Tenn., were strolling around in T-shirts in spring-like temperatures in the mid-60s.

By Saturday night, a line of thunderstorms stretching from southern Louisiana to Indiana began wreaking havoc, causing rivers and creeks to swell, flooding roads and spawning winds strong enough to force cars and trucks off of highways. At least two suspected tornadoes touched down in Arkansas, injuring a total of five people and damaging nearly two-dozen homes in or near the towns of Dermott and Hughes. And a man in Rena Lara, Miss., was killed Saturday when wind flipped his mobile home.

"This is a particularly strong storm with very warm, near record-breaking temperatures in the East and very cold air in the Midwest, and that contrast is the sort of conditions that are favorable for not only winter weather but also tornadoes," said National Weather Service meteorologist Ed Danaher in College Park, Md.

The worst of the storm wasn't supposed to hit Chicago until late Saturday or early Sunday, giving those traveling to, from or through the Windy City a window at the start of the holiday rush.

Nationwide, nearly 500 flights had been canceled Saturday and more than 7,000 were delayed as of 11 p.m. CST Saturday, according to aviation tracking website FlightAware.com. Most of the disruptions were affecting flights in and out of airports that serve as major hubs, including Chicago's O'Hare, Houston's Bush International, Dallas/Fort Worth and Denver International.

Given the potential problems with flying and driving, some travelers opted for rail.

Darren Hall, 45, of Raymore, Mo., normally drives to St. Louis for the holiday, but decided not to risk it because of the freezing rain hitting the area and the promise of worse to come. Instead, he was waiting for a train at Kansas City's Union Station.

"You don't have to deal with all the roads. It's safer, less hassle," Hall said.

Freezing rain coated parts of northern New England Saturday night, as officials warned people to stay off the roads and utilities prepared for the possibility of widespread power outages. Burlington, Vt., had received a quarter-inch of ice by late Saturday, and the city's airport was forced to rely briefly on generators after losing power briefly.

"We've lined up hundreds of additional out-of-state line workers and tree trimmers in addition to all the GMP employees who will be working until all power is restored," Vermont Green Mountain Power spokeswoman Dorothy Schnure said.

Many Midwest cities that spent Saturday dealing with rain and ice were expected to get significant snowfall overnight, with up to 6 inches forecast for the Kansas City area and up to 8 inches for southern Wisconsin, eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois.

In Indiana, the weather service posted flood warnings for Saturday along southern and central Indiana streams and predicted the highest flood crests along the East Fork of the White River since April 2011.

In addition to the Mississippi weather-related death, authorities in Oklahoma were blaming two traffic deaths on the rain and ice. A 16-year-old boy died early Saturday after his car crashed and overturned on U.S. 64 near Tulsa, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. And Oklahoma City police said a woman was killed Friday night in a collision on a slick roadway.

If there is a silver lining for the estimated 94.5 million Americans who were planning to travel by road or air during this holiday season, which runs from Saturday through New Year's Day, it's that Christmas happens mid-week this year, AAA spokeswoman Heather Hunter said.

"When a holiday falls on a Wednesday it gives travelers more flexibility of either leaving the weekend before, or traveling right before the holiday and extending the trip through the following weekend," Hunter said.

Turners Falls woman beaten and robbed in violent home invasion

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Two masked men forced their way into a Turners Falls home, held a woman at gunpoint, and stole a safe.

MONTAGUE— A Turners Falls woman was beaten and held at gunpoint as a 200 pound safe was taken from her home by two suspects Saturday evening.

Montague Police Sgt. Lee Laster said the approximately 7 p.m. incident began when two men came to the woman's door at 15 5th St. in the village of Turners Falls, asking for a mutual friend. When the woman opened the door the two black men, wearing ski masks, forced their way into the home. One of the suspects struck the woman in the face then held a handgun to her head as the second suspect went directly to a safe hidden in the house.

Laster said there was no doubt that the men had visited the home before and knew exactly where the safe was kept. The victim did not tell police what was inside.

The safe weighed an estimated 200 pounds, Laster said, so a vehicle was probably parked nearby. A neighbor remembered seeing a white older model SUV parked near the home.

Police do not know in what direction the suspects fled the scene.

Anyone with information about the assault and robbery is asked to call Montague Police at 413-863-8911, ext. 210.


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Boston Strong 2014: Boston Marathon, runners, supporters will come back strong for bombing victims

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This could mark the final Boston Marathon run for Team Hoyt's Dick Hoyt and Rick Hoyt, of Brimfield.

BOSTONDick Hoyt is 73 years old, his back has been acting up and he expected the 2013 Boston Marathon to be his last.

Like thousands of other runners, the tragic bombings at the end of that race changed everything for Hoyt, who lived for many years in Westfield and now resides in the Hampden County town of Holland.

"We'll run the 2014 race for those who were killed or wounded in 2013,'' said the "captain'' of Team Hoyt, the famed father-son marathon team who have inspired millions of people around the world.

The Boston Marathon began in 1897, a year after the first modern Olympics were staged in Greece and sparked a revival in the 26-mile, 385-yard test of strength, endurance and will.

The 2014 race, which will be run on April 21, has added a new component: resiliency.

The second-largest field in the race's history is expected in Boston on Patriots Day, one year after the bombings that occurred at the finish line of the race on April 15, 2013.

Hoyt's son, Rick, was born with cerebral palsy and is wheelchair-bound. For more than 30 years, father has pushed son in marathons, triathlons and Ironman competitions of varying distances, helping redefine what is possible for physically restricted people and their families.

They will do it once more in Boston, where thousands of runners compete each year, either as a personal test or as part of a year-long regimen.

The 2014 marathon carries the powerful added motivation of making a statement of solidarity against fear and terrorism. The athletes will run for the victims of the 2013 marathon, for their fellow competitors and for themselves.

"This year is different. I'm taking it personally,'' said Bill Wells, of Wilbraham, a runner who entered the 2013 marathon as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Ruefully, he says now, it was. On a day of tragedy, Wells' own competitive struggles turned out to be a blessing.

"The bombing was a very close call for my family,'' said Wells, whose wife and mother-in-law were on hand to cheer him on. They were within the vicinity of the bombings. Had Wells' pace been faster, he and his family would have been at Ground Zero of the tragedy.

2012 bill wells.JPGBill Wells 

"I ran a terrible race. Had I run a normal race, they would have been at the finish line,'' Wells said. "With everything that happened, coming back was an easy decision. I've been training diligently.''

Boston Athletic Association executive director Thomas Grilk said the reasons for participation vary. The 2014 race will provide healing and closure for some, while others will tackle it as a competitive or personal physical challenge.

"One person's reaction to what happened, and to moving forward, differs from another. Nothing is right or wrong, and each reaction is individual,'' Grilk said.

"What has become clear is the effort to display the true meaning of 'Boston Strong.' People will live their lives the way they choose, no matter if somebody tries to stop them.''

"Everybody has a story,'' said Richard Clark, of Agawam, who will run his 19th Boston Marathon in 2014.

"I was fortunate to finish last year. I was the massage building after the race, and they said to clear the building," Clark said. "Within 10 minutes, the building was empty.''

Clark turns 60 in April. A member of the Greater Springfield Harriers, he began running Boston at age 42. Between 30 and 40 Harriers' members run the race each year.

Even at Clark's place of business, TurboCare, of Chicopee, the tragedy of 2013 hit home.

"We had a young girl working there who had gone to UMass-Dartmouth (where bombing suspect Dzokhar Tsarnaev also attended),'' Clark said. "That Friday morning, she came in and said, 'I know people who know that guy.' ''

The 2014 Boston Marathon is expected to attract 36,000 qualified, approved runners. That would make it the second most crowded field in history, surpassed only by the 38,708 entrants for the 100th race in 1996.

About 29,000 slots will go to qualifiers and those who could not finish the 2013 race because of the bombings. Another 7,000 spots will be granted to runners participating for charity, and special invitees.

Some of these invitations will go to runners with direct connection to those affected by the bombings. The field will easily exceed the 26,839 entrants in 2013.

Grilk said the expanded field is in deference to the unprecedented circumstances. It is not designed as a blueprint for any year beyond 2014.

The official count does not include "bandit runners,'' who are not approved and do not wear numbers, but who manage to join the race, anyway.

Bandit runners have been a longstanding tradition of the marathon. Race officials have not encouraged their presence but have generally accepted and indulged their presence.

Heightened security will make such participation more difficult, even under innocent circumstances.

From world-class marathoners to charity entrants and bandit runners, the race leaves 2014 Boston Marathon organizers with a delicate and unprecedented balancing act.

They are attempting to sustain the event's legendary community appeal, where runners and spectators practically mingle over the course, with the need for tightened monitoring.

On a course that winds through eight cities and towns, and attracts an estimated 500,000 spectators per year, their responsibilities were awesome even prior to the 2013 bombings. Coordinators say they are ready.

"I have a very high degree of confidence in all of the safety officials. They are working hard to find the right balance,'' Grilk said.

"Every effort will be made to preserve the community aspect of the race, while taking the security precautions everyone wants. The BAA serves as stewards of the race, but we are aware that (countless runners and spectators) consider Boston their race,'' Grilk said.

Medical personnel have always been a crucial component of the race. Even assuming the 2014 event goes normally, the enlarged field will put their expertise to the test.

"From a non-disaster standpoint, we expect to be a whole lot busier,'' said Pierre Rouzier, a staff physician at University of Massachusetts Health Services in Amherst. "We will be dealing with (runners with) cramps, heat illness and dehydration.''

Rouzier has been a race volunteer for years. In 2013, he was a triage doctor at the main medical tent.

This year, he said he has encountered a yearning from athletes, first responders and medical personnel to participate.

"They just want to be there. I was just talking to someone the other day who wanted to volunteer,'' he said.

Loud, sudden noises still affect Rouzier as they never had before April 15, 2013. "I have no butterflies, though. I'm excited about this race,'' Rouzier said.

Cliff Bresett, of West Springfield, never finished the 2013 race. He will return in April for his 22nd marathon.

121913 cliff bresett.JPGCliff Bresett 

"My first clue of the incident came at the 23-mile mark. I saw a young girl crying,'' recalled the 61-year-old member of the Greater Springfield Harriers.

A mile later, he was passed by two younger runners who had heard "something happened,'' he said.

By the 25th mile, Bresett saw spectators on the course. He was still unaware of the details, and remained perplexed at the oddly quiet, somber mood of a crowd that is normally cheering for runners to finish.

He saw seven police cruisers hurrying by. Finally, Bresett heard from a voice in the crowd that bombs had gone off.

"I didn't want to believe it,'' Bresett said.

Not far from the finish line, he was told by race officials and police the race was being stopped.

"It was getting cold. The temperature had dropped from 51 to 47, and we could not get water or blankets (at first),'' said Bresett, who had run more than 25 miles.

But, like Wells, Bresett was lucky. Slowed by a tendon injury which had bothered him in the weeks leading up to the race, Bresett was well behind his normal time. His normal pace might have led him right into the bombing.

For Team Hoyt, the 2014 race will mark the end of an era. In the early 1980s, the concept they pioneered was not widely accepted as either practical or even tasteful.

Their determination and success rewrote the rules on what families in their situation can accomplish. It also contributed to an increase in what is now the common practice of running for charitable causes.

"Rick and I were the first to run the Boston Marathon the way we do. We had to qualify in under 2 hours and 50 minutes,'' Dick Hoyt said of those first races more than 30 years ago.

The Hoyts still run about 20 races a year. The most recent was at Thanksgiving.

"But after 1,100 races, the body is telling me to slow down,'' Dick Hoyt said.

The 2014 Boston Marathon will not be the last race for Team Hoyt, but it will be the final 26-mile, 385-yard test for Dick Hoyt and his son, who turns 52 in January. They will concentrate on half-marathons, 10-milers and other such shorter races.

Dick Hoyt's back problems require treatment, and there has been talk of surgery. The meaning of the 2014 Boston Marathon, however, has given new motivation to one of the most motivated fathers in America.

"We'll do it, one way or the other,'' he said.

So will thousands of other runners who await Patriots Day and their chance to make a statement for their sport, their colleagues, the victims – and Boston.

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