Major Western Mass news stories from the weekend of June 3 - 5, 2011.
One of the scores of homes damaged or destroyed on Bethany Rd. in Monson after the June 1 tornado. See more photos of the tornado damage in Monson » Rounding up some of the major Western Massachusetts news stories from the weekend of June 3 - 5, 2011:
Tornado Aftermath & Recovery
Angelica Guerrero, West Springfield woman who died saving daughter from tornado, recalled as a 'saint'
Guerrero died after shielding her 15-year-old daughter, Ibone, in a bathtub in their 667 Union St. apartment in the hard-hit Merrick section of the city.
City plays its part as tornado recovery continues in Springfield
"This is not Disney World -- it's a disaster site," said Mayor Domenic J. Sarno. "The people who are coming into the city to see the destruction are making it harder for everyone that is working to clean it up for the people who live here. We are asking them to please stay away."
Gawkers causing gridlock in Monson; residents should be wary of scam artist
An elderly couple with downed trees on their property paid $1,200 to some men to remove them, but the group left for lunch and never returned.
Vows of resilience and revitalization are tempered by lingering worries, shattered lives
"From the time I wake up until the time I go to bed, I've been clearing my land," Robert L. Matthews, a landowner on Bolles Road, said on Saturday. "Friends made it a lot easier."
Through history, Massachusetts tornadoes not unprecendented, and very deadly
he frequency of tornadoes - three to four a year on average - is lower than many other states, but because of this state’s large population density and relatively small land area, the deaths per square mile are higher.
National Weather Service confirms three separate tornadoes struck Hampden County
The most severe one was the EF-3 that carved a half-mile-wide path for 39 miles from Westfield to Charlton, killing four people and injuring 200. An EF-1 with speeds of 90 mph touched down in Wilbraham. It was 200 yards wide and traveled 3.6 miles. Another EF-1 touched down in North Brimfield. It was 100 yards wide and traveled 1.3 miles. Those two did not cause any fatalities or injuries.
Springfield
Grassroots group plans first-ever Springfield Pride Week
The June 8 - 16 event will include a film screening, Springfield Pride flag raising ceremony at City Hall, a Town Hall panel discussion, a youth pride celebration, and a Pride Week party for adults.
Springfield considering 2 proposals for reuse of former Visitor Information Center
The redevelopment plans include a proposal filed by Peter J. Pappas and his company, Alliance Converting Machinery Inc., who is proposing two business tenants for the site: a family restaurant and bar named “Fergburger,” which he said he discovered on a family trip to New Zealand; and a specialty coffee and dessert tenant.
Opinion & Commentary
Tom Shea: Taylor Branch recalls meeting Robert Kennedy
A chance encounter in 1968 leads to a memory of a lifetime.
Editorial: Could manufacturing be king here again?
Boston Consulting Group foresees a “manufacturing renaissance” in the U.S. within the next five years.
Commentary: Together for 55 years, they could be your grandfathers or mine
A group called SAGE had begun an outreach mission to elders in the gay community, and this was their introductory gathering. The room was filled with old folks, some gay and some not, but they had one thing in common: They had seen a lot of this world.
Graduations
Browse photo galleries and stories from dozens of Western Mass high school graduations held over the weekend.