Duties, responsibilities and funding for the department will be developed during the City Council review of the proposed Facilities Management Department.

WESTFIELD - The City Council will be cautious as its moves forward with plans to create a new central maintenance department to oversee all municipal buildings.

The council gave initial approval to the new department Thursday but several councilors expressed concern over management and funding for the new operation and if the department can include supervision over maintenance and repair of the city's school buildings.

Veteran Councilor Brian P. Sullivan said the council currently is just approving creation of the department. The necessary job description for its department head, staffing and other responsibilities will be determined later after the council's Personnel Action Committee reviews the proposal.

Creation of the department started back in 2012 while the city was in the middle of a $44 million project that upgraded all city buildings with items ranging from new roofs to installation of energy conservation equipment.

City Purchaser Tammy B. Tefft told Sullivan and other councilors earlier last week that currently there is no overall centralized maintenance schedule for city buildings. "We have no maintenance program for our buildings and we looked at privatization of the effort but the cost is prohibitive," Tefft said.

A proposed maintenance contract with Siemen's Corp. at $326,000 was cut from the Fiscal 2015 city budget by the council in June.

At least six city department heads have said they have funds in their individual department budgets for maintenance that can be transferred to the new department to help reduce any increased costs to the city.

Motorists are advised to find alternate routes if they are heading southbound.

HOLYOKE - An accident on Interstate 91 at the 17.4 mile marker has backed up traffic in the southbound lanes for miles.

The traffic jam starts just south of Exit 18 in Northampton and lasts about five miles until the accident in Holyoke.

Massachusetts State Police said the accident should be clear and lanes should be open by 5 p.m., but residual backups are expected for some time. Motorists are advised to find alternate routes if possible.

The accident happened at about 4:15 p.m. and involved at least two cars. Police did not release any details about it.

This is a breaking story. Masslive will update when more information becomes available

After two weeks of protests against alleged police brutality, spurred by the deadly shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown by Officer Darren Wilson, only one news outlet had gone to the black history museum 15 minutes away from the heart of the unrest: MassLive.com.

FERGUSON, Mo. – After two weeks of protests against alleged police brutality, spurred by the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown by Officer Darren Wilson, the black history museum 15 minutes away from the heart of the unrest has been largely ignored.

And that was disheartening for founder and CEO Lois Conley, who runs the Griot Museum of Black History in north St. Louis on a shoestring budget. There have been hundreds of reporters from all over the world swarming the protest sites since Aug. 10, the day after Brown's death, but none has sought historical context for the demonstrations from the local authority on the subject.

» See below for video of the interview with Conley by freelance journalist and former Boston Globe correspondent John S. Forrester.

Conley said the leaders of St. Louis have always been reluctant "to acknowledge the value of African-Americans in this city, in this region." Said said that it's tragic that the social upheaval in Ferguson was launched by a person's death.

"We have a real strong racial divide. ... [W]hen you don't talk about it, when you don't acknowledge it, when you don't deal with it head-on, as hard as it can be ... it doesn't get better," she said. "It quiets and goes away, but it always resurfaces."

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that St. Louis County (which actually does not include the city, only its suburbs) has a 23.7% black population, compared to 11.7% for the state of Missouri, and the area is sharply segregated by race.

"St. Louis probably would not have existed in the way that we do if there were not black people involved," said Conley. "We didn't just do things that were complimentary or things that uplifted the African-American community. We were engaged in every, every form of activity that led to our development."

The notorious Dred Scott decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that African-Americans could not be citizens, was based on a lawsuit originally filed in St. Louis, at the same courthouse that held slave auctions. African-Americans are also known to have been killed defending St. Louis from the British during the Revolutionary War.

George Poage was the first black athlete to win a medal at the Olympic Games. The track star took two bronze medals in St. Louis in 1904. In the video, you'll see an exhibit honoring Josephine Baker, a world-famous dancer, singer and actress who helped put the city on the artistic map.

Generation after generation, the contributions of black people to St. Louis and the surrounding area are downplayed or ignored by the people in power, and young African-Americans grow up without a clear understanding of how important their ancestors were, leading to a perpetuation of myths and stereotypes and a continuous widening of the racial divide, said Conley.

"It is just really, really sad that a young man would have to lose his life" before people started talking openly about these persistent problems, she said. "This is the kind of dialogue that should have been taking place forever, not on the occasion of someone's death, whoever it was."
 
"I feel like our presence in Ferguson is very much needed, and I'm glad to see them people there doing it," she said. "What I regret is that they don't have, they don't seem to have, a basis for how you protest."

Many of the most memorable widespread social movements have had a leader, like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Ferguson protesters seem to agree on a few core issues, like the necessity for a murder indictment against Wilson and an overhaul of how policing is done in the greater St. Louis area, but there is no roadmap, timeline or central organization.

Conley pointed to Percy Green and Richard Daly, who climbed the famous St. Louis Gateway Arch on July 14, 1964. It was still under construction at the time, and the two members of the Congress of Racial Equality said they wouldn't come down until more black workers were hired. In 1973, Green won a landmark racial discrimination suit when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled he was unjustly fired from McDonnell Douglas Corp.

"I don't think you can heal if you don't know your history, if you can't be inspired by the courageous things that people have done to help us get to where we are, despite obstacles, despite things that they've had to overcome, and despite sometimes personal sacrifice," said Conley. "I think that can be very, very inspirational to a people who is hurting, and a people who is looking for a way out or a people who is in despair and think there is no way out."

Video: Horseshoe Casino opening in Baltimore.

Do you have news or a news tip to submit to MassLive.com for consideration? Send an email to online@repub.com.

The commission is replacing about 800 feet of water lines and sewer lines on a section of Westminster Street.

SPRINGFIELD -- The Springfield Water and Sewer Commission has announced plans to replace sewer and water pipes within Westminster Street from Saint James Avenue to Bay Street.

The construction is scheduled to begin the week of Sept. 2, by private contractors hired by the commission. Typical construction hours will be Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Due to the nature of this work, changes to traffic patterns and traffic delays are expected. Westminster Street will be reduced to a single lane with alternating traffic flow, according to a commission press release. Traffic will be managed with posted signs and police details.

The planned work consists of replacing approximately 800 feet of water main pipe and approximately 800 feet of sewer main pipe. Final paving and site restoration will be completed in the spring of 2015.

The public can contact the Water and Sewer Commission at 413-787-6206 with questions regarding this project.

There will be intermittent closures on Dalton, Palmer, Cornell, Goodhue and Fairview avenues and Academy street from Sept. 2 to 4.

CHICOPEE – The city is announcing a number of detours and delays due to sewer and storm drain separation projects in the upcoming weeks.

In North Aldenville, there will be limited access on Walsh and Driscoll streets from Tuesday through Sept. 1 and limited access on Cecile Drive and Boileau Terrace through Sept. 5. There will also be limited access on Dale, Kendall and Plymouth streets through Aug. 29.

Work will also continue on Summit and Rolf avenues and Stebbins and Paradise streets through Sept. 8 so access will be limited on those roads.

In Chicopee Falls, access will be limited on Dalton, Palmer, Cornell, Goodhue and Fairview avenues and Academy Street through Aug. 29. Motorists should expect intermittent closures on those roads from Sept. 2 to 4.

There will also be limited access on Broadway and Theodore Street Aug. 27 to 29.

In the third phase of the sewer separation projects, work is being done on Hearthstone Terrace and there will be limited access through Aug. 27. Access to Brays Street will be limited from Aug. 28 to Sept. 4 and access to Old James Street access will be limited through Sept. 4.

There will be intermittent closures on parts of Skeele Street in the section from Norman to Bemis Street through Aug. 29 and from the section of Bemis to Whitman streets Sept. 2 to 5.

Amherst Regional committee to also discuss a charge it violated the Open Meeting Law.

AMHERST - The Amherst Regional School Committee is meeting with Union 26 School Committee from Pelham for myriad topics including appointing a chair person of that committee.

The committee is also expected to vote on a new finance director and read through a policy on fingerprinting and service animals in the school. School officials are recommending that Sean Mangano be hired to replace Robert Detweiler as new finance director. Detweiler left last school year. Mangano was the assistant director. He was one of eight applicants and one of three interviewed 

The committee, the first meeting with Trevor Baptiste as its new chairman, will also enter into contract negotiations in executive session with Superintendent Maria Geryk, Assistant Superintendent Michael Morris and Mangano.

 The committee is also slated to discuss an Open Meeting Law complaint filed by former committee Thomas Flittie for a meeting Baptiste convened July 14. Baptiste was not chairman at the time and only the chair of the committee can call for a meeting.

He called for the meeting to address a letter sent by Amherst School Committee chairwoman Kathleen Appy, acting regional chairman Lawrence O'Brien, also of Amherst, and Pelham School Committee chairman Darius Modestow to Amilcar Shabazz in response to comments he made at a task force meeting June 18.

Flittie said the meeting was not posted in Amherst.

The meeting was posted on the Pelham and Shutesbury sites but not on the Leverett site. It had been posted in Amherst but then indicated it was canceled.

Flittie wants the action and minutes from the meeting voided. Five members of the nine-member committee endorsed a statement disavowing the process by which the three school committee chairs sent a letter of reprimand to Shabazz, a committee member who heads the Equity Task Force.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the Amherst Regional High School library. 

A market share of less than 30 percent is a requirement for getting the Federal Communications Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice.

CHICOPEE - Neither Charter Communications nor Comcast have any new details to share on the planed swap of Massachusetts Charter Cable customers to Comcast.

The swap, which will impact 1.6 million cable households across the country, is part of Comcast's $45 billion merger with Time Warner Cable. the Comcast Time Warner deal is still under review by the Federal Communications Commission.

Charter spokeswoman Anita Lamont said that the Federal Communications Commission has to rule before she'll be able to share details on billing, channel lineups, data speeds, the future of Charter's storefront offices or even if current Charter internet customers can keep their current email addresses.

"It's been pretty quiet for a while," she said. "Everything is contingent on the Comcast purchase. It's a process that cannot be rushed."

Laura Brubaker Crisco, senior director of media relations for Comcast in the Western New England Region, promised that Comcast will communicate with its customrers when more details are settled.

In Western Massachusetts, Charter provides cable and other communications services, phones and Internet in Belchertown, Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Easthampton, Hadley, Hampden, Ludlow, Southampton, Wilbraham and a few other communities. All told, Charter represents 53 cities and towns in Massachusetts.

Belchertown, Easthampton, Ludlow and other towns have already had public hearings on the swap.

In return for the Charter/ Comcast deal Comcast will give up 1.6 million existing Time Warner subscribers to Charter. In addition, Comcast will spin off 2.5 million of its customers  into a separate company. That new company will be in the American South and West, according to a news release.

The whole exercise helps the cable companies consolidate their territory  for more efficient operations and cut their market share to levels acceptable to the federal government.

A market share of less than 30 percent is a requirement for getting the Federal Communications Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice.

Marisa DiMeo, 33, of Revere, died in a Sunday afternoon crash on Route 3 in Duxbury, according to State Police, who continue to investigate what caused the accident.

 

The Revere woman was driving her 2013 Kia Optima when she crashed in the southbound lane of Route 3 in Duxbury between Exits 10 and 11, according to Massachusetts State Police, who continue to investigate the cause of the fatal accident.

The crash sparked a brush fire that was extinguished by Duxbury firefighters.

Spiros Hatiras replaced Hank Porten as head of Holyoke Medical Center in July 2013.

Updated at 5:13 p.m. to include details from the Form 990 Holyoke Medical Center filed with the Internal Revenue Service that showed what officials determined to be "Excess Benefits" paid to former CEO Hank Porten in relation to his pension, cost of living increases and vacation time dating back to 2011.

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Medical Center has received payment of $860,000 from Hank J. Porten, the hospital's former leader, to cover overpayment for consultant services and other errors in the past three years, officials said Monday (Aug. 25).

"He paid the money back with interest. We've got that money in the bank, we got a cashier's check," said Spiros Hatiras, president and chief executive officer of the hospital at 575 Beech St.

Hatiras took over from Porten in October 2013. The hospital had an agreement to pay Porten as a consultant to help in the leadership transition, a "hand-holding" Hatiras said he soon found was unnecessary.

"I looked into that. I questioned that," Hatiras said.

Under a Senior Advisor Compensation agreement, Porten was to be a consultant for three years beginning Oct. 1, 2013. Porten as of March had been paid $151,356, but "no work product was produced," according to the Form 990 the hospital is required to file annually with the Internal Revenue Service.

"Additionally, the balance of the agreement has been cancelled, and no future payments will be made under this agreement," the Form 990 said.

The hospital's 15-member board of directors has been discussing the issue of overpayment for Porten for months.

"It wasn't an easy thing to untangle," Hatiras said.

Efforts to reach Porten for comment were not immediately successful.

The money that Porten has paid his former employer wasn't only for having been overpaid for consultant services. The Form 990 showed that the review by hospital officials determined Porten also had been overpaid for his pension ($395,336), cost of living increases ($121,781) and vacation time ($175,737).

Pension payments Porten received in 2011, 2012 and 2013 were determined to be an Excess Benefit, under federal income filling regulations, according the hospital's Form 990.

The cost of living increases "were not contemplated in the 2011 employment agreement" Porten had with the hospital. That means that money also was determined to be an Excess Benefit, according to the Form 990.

Asked what that and other parts of the Form 990 meant, Hatiras said, "The 990 I think is self-explanatory. There were some amounts from prior years that had to be recouped. The internal review started right after I became CEO around October of 2013 and took several months to complete."

Porten took vacation but recorded it as work time in 2011 and 2012, according to the Form 990.

"Time taken in excess of six weeks per year of vacation time amounted to an overpayment of $175,737. Therefore, these amounts were determined to be an excess benefit," according to the hospital's Form 990.

According to figures provided a year ago, Holyoke Medical Center had a staff of 1,324, including 300 physicians, and a payroll of $73.4 million, according to an IRS 990 form filed in August 2012. The emergency department handles 45,000 visits a year.

Reflecting the poor community, 73 percent of the hospital's patients receive Medicare, Medicaid or another government payer benefit, according to state records. The hospital's annual operating budget is $124 million, spokeswoman Nancy A. Coley said then.

This is a developing story and will updated as reporting continues.

Taupier, now of Lowell, was mayor of Holyoke from 1968 to 1975.

HOLYOKE -- Naming a landmark after former mayor William S. Taupier and training first-responders to use an anti-overdose drug are among items a City Council committee will consider Monday (Aug. 25).

The Public Safety Committee meeting is at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.

Besides items related to Taupier and helping responders deal with overdoses, the committee is scheduled to: get an update about the condition of the roof at the newly renovated Holyoke Public Library at 250 Chestnut St., which had been leaking; and discuss with Police Chief James M. Neiswanger whether hotels and motels that house homeless families should be required to have a police presence at certain times to handle calls.

Taupier, 77, of Lowell, was mayor here from 1968 to 1975. He appreciated the gesture of naming part of the city after him, he said in a phone interview Aug. 1.

The City Council on Aug. 5 referred to committee a request to honor Taupier submitted by Mayor Alex B. Morse and an order to do the same filed by Councilor at Large James M. Leahy.

Morse had proposed the part of Chestnut Street where the old Holyoke Catholic High School is undergoing a $19 million renovation into apartments be renamed "William Taupier Way" in honor of the former mayor because he championed economic development. The renaming would affect the part of Chesnut Street between Hampden and Dwight streets. Leahy's order mirrored those details.

Councilor at Large Joseph M. McGiverin said a committee discussion would be helpful on this proposal. Taupier deserves the honor, he said, but the council must be careful in renaming streets because residents and businesses in most cases have established addresses, such as on checkbooks and letterhead.

Narcan, also known as naloxone, is a prescription medicine that reverses an overdose. The commission discussion will be about an order Leahy filed asking that the Board of Health train first-responders in how to administer Narcan.

In April, an official said rain entering an open door to a heating and cooling unit on the roof was blamed for the latest leak at the newly renovated $14.5 million Holyoke Public Library.

Doors to the roof units were fastened shut and would be inspected to ensure they are secured, Stephen H. "Terry" Plum, chairman of the library board of directors, said at the time.

The library reopened in November after a renovation. A leak had been discovered where the addition meets the old section of the library on the third floor above the stairs, Plum said. Officials said the roof also leaked previously.

Officials for the state Department of Housing and Community Development have said they continue to work to move families from hotels here and in other cities to better living situations. But local officials bristle at the prospect of homeless people warehoused in hotels and motels because they say conditions are unfair to the families and costly to cities and towns in terms of services such as for police calls.

Since 2009, Massachusetts taxpayers have paid nearly $56 million to hotels housing homeless families in Western Massachusetts. The state provided the information in response to a public records request by The Republican and MassLive.com.

A part-time officer in the town of Worthington is accused of causing a disturbance at an Agawam pub and improperly storing his department-issued gun.

WESTFIELD – A part-time officer in the town of Worthington is accused of causing a disturbance at an Agawam pub and improperly storing his department-issued gun.

Scott Preston, 30, of Worthington, is charged in Westfield District Court with disorderly conduct and improper storage of a large capacity firearm. On Monday, Judge Maureen Walsh released Preston on personal recognizance.

According to the police report, officers responded Friday to Murphy’s Pub in Agawam for a report of a disturbance. An employee at the pub told officers that her boyfriend, Preston, drank too much and when she tried to drive him to his brother’s house they began to argue, causing a scene at the pub.

The woman told officers she managed to drop Preston off at his brother’s house, but she thought he would return and try to drive his vehicle.

Officers found Preston in the parking lot, hiding behind an SUV next to his vehicle, the report said. Preston told officers he was a part-time police officer with the Worthington Police Department.

Officers found Preston’s service weapon in an open duty bag in the trunk of his vehicle, loaded and with a round in the chamber, the report said.

Officers returned Preston’s equipment to the Worthington Police Department, as well as his license to carry, the report said.

Stephen Moss is currently serving a sentence in a 2012 unrelated case in which he pleaded guilty to assault and battery on a correctional officer.

 

SPRINGFIELD - Hampden Superior Court Judge Mary Lou Rup on Monday said she won't reduce the $10,000 cash bail set for Stephen Moss, who is accused of knocking over two correctional officers and then punching one.

Moss is currently serving a sentence in a 2012 unrelated case in which he pleaded guilty to assault and battery on a correctional officer.

Defense lawyer Matthew Fleischner said Moss, 35, will finish his one year of incarceration on that case soon and asked Rup to reduce bail on the current pending case to $500 or $1,000.

Both assault and battery on a correctional officer incidents are alleged to have happened at the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow.

Fleischner said now that Moss is in Hampshire House of Corrections - to which he was sentenced on the 2012 case, he is doing well in jail and completing counseling and life skills programs.

Assistant District Attorney Howard I. Safford told Rup he had checked with the Hampshire House of Corrections and had been told Moss refused to participate in a life skills program.

Rup said she would revisit the request to lower Moss' bail if she is given more information about his behavior in the Hampshire House of Corrections.

Safford opposed reducing the bail and described a violent confrontation between Moss and officers in the Ludlow facility which led to the current charges.

In addition to the two counts of assault and battery on a correctional officer which he faces, he is also charged with threat to commit a crime and disturbing a correctional institution.

Safford said on Nov. 23 Moss was brought back to the Ludlow jail from a court appearance and refused to go back to his cell, standing in the hallway, stamping his sneakers and saying he wanted to exercise.

"Officers pleaded with him. He charged at the officers and knocked two down," Safford said. "One was rendered unconscious and the defendant beat him, punched him while unconscious."

He said due to Moss' size and strength officers "four pointed him in restraints" until he calmed down but he ripped out two of the restraints. Four points restraint restricts movement in arms and legs.

Safford said Moss' record has crimes of violence, including assault with a dangerous weapon, as well as probation violations and default warrants.

Safford said he was informed of other uncharged problems such as fights with other inmates, and Moss putting the mattress against his cell door trying to keep officers out, that happened in Ludlow.

Fleischner told Rup when another judge sentenced Moss in the 2012 case, the prosecution had asked for two to three years in state prison.

He said the judge gave Moss a two year jail sentence with one year to be served and two suspended with probation. Conditions of probation were mental health evaluation and treatment and maintaining employment.

Fleischner said at that sentencing the judge was presented with a material about Moss' history. He was one of nine children taken by the state from his mother because of abuse and neglect, Fleischner said.

He was 5 at the time and up until he was 16 or 17 he was the victim of mental, physical and sexual abuse, Fleischner said.

Fleischner said on return to the Ludlow jail the day of the alleged assault Moss was going to be strip searched and that was a trigger because of his post traumatic stress disorder.

He said the report of the incident said Moss was trying to run though officers. He said Moss was really trying to run from them because of his PTSD.

Safford quickly disagreed with Fleischner's account, saying Moss had already been strip searched and he was out of the room in which that was done and in the hallway.

He said Moss' violence was "completely directed" at the officers and included him threatening them.

Moss himself spoke to Rup, with her permission, saying he has made major changed to his life.

He said the mother of his child has been the victim of an accident and was disabled and he wants to get out and take care of his family.

Fleischner noted although the incident was alleged to have happened last November Moss was not indicted on it until July 15.

The sixth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts remembered for his tireless ministry and belief in eternal life.

The burial liturgy for the Right Rev. Andrew F. Wissemann, the sixth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts, began, on Aug. 25 at Christ Church Cathedral, with the Easter hymn, "Jesus Christ Is Risen Today," with organist H. David Pulliam. The joyous message of both Christ's Resurrection, as well as how the retired bishop lived his ministry, continued throughout the service, even as some of the nearly 300 assembled wiped away tears.

Wissemann, who died Aug. 20 at his home in Longmeadow, was in his mid-80s, and had served as bishop from 1983 to 1992.

"Bishop, the whole diocese is here for you," said the Right Rev. Douglas Fisher, celebrant and current diocesan bishop. "Love is stronger than death."

When the worshipers were asked how many had ever "received a hand-written note from Andrew," nearly every hand went up.

Fisher, who invited all present to share in the "divine banquet of Holy Communion," also noted that, "Bishop No. 9 received a lot of advice from Bishop Number 6."

"He was a great parish priest," said Fisher of Wissemann, "as well as husband, father and grandfather."

Similar words were echoed by the Right Rev. George E. Councell, retired bishop of New Jersey, as preacher. Wissemann, as bishop, invited Councell to be his canon, or assistant, a number of years prior to Councell becoming elected a bishop. Councell began his vocation as a young priest, with an eight-week "pastoral internship" some 40 years ago at St. Stephen's Parish, in Pittsfield, when Wissemann was rector there.

"It was a privilege to see the faith of this man," said Councell, adding he has always harbored the feeling that "when I grow up, I want to be like Andrew Wissemann."

He also made reference to "Wissemann's incredible voice," his organizational skills and his dislike for anyone engaging in maudlin sentiments, particularly when honored at his retirement.

"He was a real servant, and not a person who yacks about servitude," Councell said.

He added that Wissemann "had the supreme gift of making everyone in the room feel like they were the only one in the room."

"If you ever felt Andrew loved you, you were right," Councell said.

In explaining Wissemann's tireless approach to life and ministry, Councell referenced the Jewish prayer "Dayanu," something that drew appreciation from retired Rabbi Jerome S. Gurland, a long-time associate of Wissemann who attended the service. The prayer, said at the Passover seder, means "enough."

"How he applied the prayer about what God did in terms of 'enough' to the life of Bishop Wissemann was a wonderful tribute," Gurland said. "The prayer at seder is about how God taking us out of Egypt was enough; how God then giving us the Commandments on Sinai was enough; and then how God helping us rebuild the Temple was enough, and so forth."

Wissemann's cremated remains were placed in one of the niches in the cathedral's colombarium, with the Right Rev. Gordon Scruton, the diocese's retired eighth bishop, leading the committal service.

Wissemann's family was in attendance. Grandchildren Jacob and Julia Miller, and David Wissemann, and wife Jessica Marsh Wissemann, took part in the liturgy, as did clergy and friends with close ties to the late bishop. The Rev. Jane Griesbach recalled, after the service, that it was Wissemann who suggested that she "seek ordination as a deacon."

"He said, 'I see a servant in you,'" said Griesbach, who serves in the Worcester parishes of St. Luke's and St. Martha." It was something I had never considered."

Ushers included Laurel Stewart, a Longmeadow resident and widow of the Right Rev. Alexander D. Stewart, whom Wissemann succeeded. She attended with daughter, Denise Sobinski, of Suffield.

"Andrew and my husband were friends for over 60 years," Stewart said. "They were both people bishops. They knew people by name, they were both tireless workers who would not ask anyone to do something they would not do, or did. My husband had a master's degree from the Harvard School of Business and brought that to the diocese's administration, while Andrew had a formidable intellect that he held under a cloak of humility."

She added she felt the liturgy was a fitting tribute in being "joyful and reflecting hope in eternal life and the Resurrection -- that was Andrew."

.

Campagnari Construction was the high bidder for the former fire station.

SPRINGFIELD – Campagnari Construction has filed a proposal to buy the former Page Boulevard fire station from the city for $20,000 to convert to office space and two market-rate apartments.

Matthew Campagnari, owner of the company, submitted the high bid for the city-owned station, which is located at 833 Page Blvd. at the corner of Roosevelt Avenue.

Under the proposal, Campagnari Construction will vacate its current location at 128 Federal St. and relocate to the former fire station.

The fire station redevelopment will cost $237,000 including the purchase price and total interior and exterior renovations, Campagnari said in a letter to the city, adding the company is well-financed and would complete the work within 12 months.

The basement area will be completely renovated for office space, and the first floor will be rebuilt to store light-construction equipment, with those floors used by Campagnari Construction, according to the proposal.

The second floor would be reconstructed into two, 850-square feet, single-bedroom, market rate apartments, under the proposal.

The redevelopment includes new mechanical, electrical, plumbing, heating-air conditioning, insulation, and flooring, and new garage doors, according the proposal. The developer said he will work with the Springfield Historical Commission in the design of the new doors and other historic features.

A second bid was received, but may be disqualified for not submitting a number of required documents, according to the Office of Procurement.

Lazy Valley Winery Inc./Copper Moon Distillery of Indian Orchard submitted the second bid, offering $1,000 for the property, to provide a new location for the business. The owners are Scott and Denise Santaniello.

Campagnari stated that his proposal to vacate 128 Federal St. will help a co-tenant in that building, Pioneer Valley Electric, to stay in that building and gain needed additional space.

The city will establish a review committee any proposal deemed to meet city guidelines, and any sale of the fire station needs approval from the mayor and City Council.

The city reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, under the guidelines.

Devin Hebert, 19, was last seen late Monday morning in Bondsville, according to Palmer police, who say it's "imperative that he be located as soon as possible."

PALMER — Authorities issued an emergency alert on Monday afternoon for a missing Palmer teenager who needs immediate medical assistance, Palmer Police Chief Robert Frydryk said.

Devin Hebert, 19, was last seen about 11:30 a.m. today in the area of State and High streets in the Bondsville section of town.

Police didn't release details of Hebert's condition, but Frydryk said it's "imperative that he be located as soon as possible."

Hebert vented his frustrations on Facebook, adding a sense of urgency to the missing person investigation.

He was last seen wearing blue jeans, a white T-shirt, sneakers and metal-framed glasses, police said. Family members also have take to social media to get the word out about Hebert, a 6-foot-2 white male who's about 180 pounds.

This is an older driver's license photo of missing teen Devin Hebert. (Palmer Police Department) 

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Hebert – a 6-foot-2 white male who's about 180 pounds – is asked to call Palmer police at (413) (413) 283-8792.

Hebert works at a local department store and studies at Holyoke Community College, according to his Facebook page.

Suher, who owns 19 properties within the district, including the Calvin Theater, Pearl Street Nightclub and The Iron Horse, testified that he saw no need for the BID.

This updates an earlier story published today.

NORTHAMPTON - Entertainment mogul Eric Suher told the judge in his civil suit against the Business Improvement District Monday that the original fee for the BID would have increased his taxes by 43 percent.

Suher, who owns 19 properties within the district, including the Calvin Theater, Pearl Street Nightclub and The Iron Horse, testified that he saw no need for the BID.

"I was concerned it would be run by a board of directors contrary to the way we think things should be handled," he said.

Suher and Alan Scheinman, another downtown property owner, are suing the BID and the city of Northampton in Hampshire Superior Court, claiming that the process by which the BID was created was flawed. Alexandra Glover is representing Scheinman and Suher. Harry Miles is the lawyer for the BID. Nancy Pelletier is representing the city.

Judge John Agostini, who is hearing the case in the old courtroom in the Hampshire County courthouse, will decide the matter in the jury-waived trial. Agostini estimated he will render his decision in October.

Suher's testimony was proceeded by that of Schineman, who battled lawyers for the defense under cross-examination. Scheinman, himself a lawyer, often asked Miles and Pelletier to repeat questions or answered that he did not recall what he did or said.

At one point, is response to an assertion by Miles, Scheinman said, "That's not quite right. It's almost right." He then asked him to repeat the question.

Saying he was in his 70s, Scheinman complained that he was having a hard time hearing and cupped his hands over his ears. The trial is taking place in the old courtroom, which has difficult acoustics.

With Pelletier on cross-examination, Miles jumped up, pointing out that Scheinman's chair was dangerously close to falling off the platform.

"That would have been a dramatic way to end the testimony," Scheinman said, moving his chair to safety.

Boston Public Schools are warning parents of charter school students that they may need to pick students up from school today themselves, amid a dispute with the drivers’ union.

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Approximately 27,000 Springfield students headed back to classes after summer vacation.

SPRINGFIELD — Teachers were organized and students knew the drill as schools across Springfield opened for the 2014-15 school year on Monday.

At Washington School, a kindergarten through sixth-grade school on Washington Street, Principal Deanna Suomala welcomed approximately 520 students who were familiarized with school rules and expectations and fire drill procedures.

Suomala, who is beginning her first year as Washington's principal, said there are a lot of logistics on the first day of school and "everything went very smoothly."

"Teachers were well prepared "and everyone knew where to go," Suomala said.

The scene was repeated throughout the city as 27,000 students headed back to classes after summer vacation.

Schools will be holding meet the teacher nights in September and open houses in October, Suomala said.

School Department spokesperson Azell Cavaan said the number of students is slightly up from the previous years.

"Everybody will be at their disposal," said Mayor Edward C. Sullivan. "It should eliminate a lot of the frustration."

WEST SPRINGFIELD – Department heads will make themselves available to investors and small business owners who need help navigating the town's various permitting processes.

Anyone can go to town hall at 26 Central St. for face-to-face guidance from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on the second Tuesday of every month, starting Sept. 9.

"Everybody will be at their disposal," said Mayor Edward C. Sullivan. "It should eliminate a lot of the frustration."

Tara Gehring, the town's economic development coordinator, said it will also allow people to meet with multiple department heads at once, in case their project or request would need approval from more than one.

If you plan to go, you're encouraged to call Gehring ahead of time at (413) 495-1873 so the person with whom you want to speak can be prepared to help. You can also email her at tgehring@west-springfield.ma.us.

No permits will be issued during the open hours, and the town will not provide financial assistance or business advice.

See below for a guide detailing which town departments issue which permits.

Guide to obtaining a permit in West Springfield, MA