Palmer town councilor Paul E. Burns said the campaign finance reports were about what he expected, and it's time to move forward. He wants a written commitment from Mohegan to develop the Route 32 site.

PALMER - Mohegan Sun may have outspent its local competition, but it didn't come close to the money that MGM Resorts International in Springfield and Hard Rock in West Springfield spent on their casino efforts.

Final campaign finance reports were due to the town clerk's office on Thursday, 30 days after the Nov. 5 casino referendum in Palmer failed by 94 votes.

The filings showed that Mohegan, which had long wanted to build a billion-dollar casino on a wooded hillside overlooking Thorndike Street (Route 32), spent $485,107, from August through November.

The costs are just for campaigning for a period of time leading up to the election. Mohegan Sun said earlier it spent $25 million overall on costs ranging from engineering and design to office space in downtown Palmer.

The $485, 107 compares to just $4,000 spent by Quaboag Valley Against Casinos, on newspaper ads, radio advertising, fliers and legal services, $3,000 in receipts and another $10,518 in in-kind contributions for more newspaper ads, radio time, fliers, signs and T-shirts.

Quaboag Valley Against Casinos co-president Iris L. Cardin said she felt her group's spending was "minute" compared to Mohegan's.

"We never had any paid political ads on TV like they did," Cardin said.

Charlotte S. Burns, Quaboag Valley Against Casinos co-president, said some of their donors were very generous, with one submitting an in-kind contribution of $7,400 for radio ads and an ad in a weekly newspaper.

Both she and Cardin said the filing should dismiss rumors that their campaign was funded by competing casino projects.

"They were just people who just thought it would be a good investment to spend money on advertising or on signs to save the town from having a casino . . . They didn't want to live in a town with a casino and were willing to spend the money to stop it," Burns said.

Most of the Mohegan money was spent on advertising and consulting, with $33,000 paid to Connecticut company Outthink for a television commercial, and $160,000 to Mintz-Hoke ad agency in Avon, Conn.

Yes for Palmer showed $70,100 in receipts, $33,211 in expenditures and $37,125 in in-kind contributions from Mohegan for the July 19 to Oct. 18 period, and expenditures of $30,904.70 and in-kind contributions from Mohegan of $23,997 for the Oct. 19 to Dec. 4 period. Most of Yes for Palmer's expenditures were on food, signage and marketing.

A Mohegan spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.

That compares to approximately $2.6 million that MGM Resorts spent on its winning casino referendum in Springfield, according to filings with the city.

Voters approved that project in July, and now MGM is the only casino operator left for a Western Massachusetts gaming license, pending a successful background check.

MGM Resorts International spent or contributed approximately $1 million to the “Yes for Springfield” effort since the pro-casino group formed in mid-May, and another $1 million in July. The 30-day filing showed $1 million in receipts (all from MGM), and another $1 million spent on everything from advertising and parking to lodging, catering and flowers. In-kind contributions totaled $238,000.

Hard Rock, which failed in its attempt to site a casino on the Eastern States Exposition grounds in West Springfield at the polls in September, spent nearly $1 million on its campaign, according to reports filed with the city. From Aug. 25 to Oct. 22, the company spent another $560,289.09 on entertainment, catering, consulting, advertising and furniture rental.

In Palmer, Citizens for Jobs and Growth, a pro-casino group, received $13,150 in contributions from Northeast Realty, the company leasing 152 acres to Mohegan for the casino project. Mohegan has said it wants to pursue non-gaming development there, now that it is focused on a new casino project at Suffolk Downs in Revere.

Citizens for Jobs and Growth spent its money on radio and newspaper ads, mailers, postage and photography for its mailers.

Jennifer L. Baruffaldi, spokeswoman for the group, said Northeast wanted to see the casino project go forward as much as her group did.

"I think Mohegan could have done more. They could have done a better job with their campaign overall. Ninety-four votes isn't a lot," Baruffaldi said.

Paul E. Burns, an at-large town councilor, said the campaign finance reports were about what he expected. Burns, who is not related to Charlotte, said it is time to move forward, and said he has written to Mohegan Sun, urging it to commit in writing "to significant investment of the Route 32 site" and to develop it quickly.

"While simply the fault of the process itself, this site in Palmer has been in limbo for years as the casino process has played out. Given Mohegan’s significant investment in this property I would imagine them to be well positioned to repurpose the site in a manner that could provide significant advantage for everyone involved," Burns wrote in a press release.

"Clearly a strong Mohegan Sun in Revere benefits Palmer as well so long as there is a strong commitment to develop a significant non-gaming project in Palmer," Burns added.

According to WMECO spokeswoman Priscilla Ress, the outage affected customers along Route 5 from Morgan Road to Brush Hill Road, including the business located in the Table & Vine plaza.

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Crews with Western Massachusetts Electric Company took less than an hour to bring power back to more than 700 customers who lost electricity around 2:17 p.m. Friday.

According to WMECO spokeswoman Priscilla Ress, a car backed into a utility pole on Myron Street, snapping the wires and causing the outage which affected customers along Route 5 from Morgan Road to Brush Hill Road, including the business located in the Table & Vine plaza.

At 3 p.m. the company's outage map showed that of the 12,666 customers served in West Springfield, 716, or six percent were without power.

But ten minutes later, Ress said that the crews had completed their work and got the busy thoroughfare up and running.

The building at Main and Arch streets was vacated by court order in February when inspectors found conditions ranging from electrical hazards to water leaks throughout the building.

SPRINGFIELD — The city is seeking bids for demolition of an apartment block at Main and Arch streets in the North End that has been vacant and boarded since February when tenants were evicted by court order for unsafe conditions.

The city has obtained Western District Housing Court approval to demolish the two attached buildings at 2612-2616 Main St., and 3 Arch St., totaling 16 apartments, and will attach a lien on the property to try to recover its costs, officials said this week.

“In its current state, we had no choice but to demolish it because it has become a blight on the neighborhood,” Associate City Solicitor Lisa C. DeSousa said Thursday.

Bids are due by Dec. 18, at 2 p.m., at the Chief Procurement Office at City Hall. The demolition project has an estimated cost of $200,000, and the city is slated to select the lowest responsible bid.

In February, approximately 30 remaining tenants were forced out of the building after city inspectors found conditions that included: electrical problems that created a safety hazard; inadequate smoke and carbon monoxide detectors; water leaks throughout the building; the likelihood of mold; insufficient lighting outside; trash and litter; and illegal activity including drug sales outside.

The building at the time was ruled unfit for human habitation by court order.

“This has been a difficult property for the neighborhood and a challenge for the city as well,” said Tina Quagliato, the city’s deputy director of neighborhood stabilization.”

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and the City Council granted funds for demolition.

Ward 1 Councilor Zaida Luna praised the plans.

“It is my hope this demolition will continue to improve the quality of life for residents and the small business community in the North End,” Luna said. “I look forward to working with the community to continue to improve our neighborhood.”

The city has done additional boarding and other security measures in recent months, but the property remains a public safety hazard and fire hazard and an attraction for illegal activity and other trouble, Quagliato and DeSousa said.

The building was the scene of a fire in August.

The property owner is listed as Cre Base Three LLC, of West Hills, Calif., but it has been under the control of court-appointed receiver, according to city records.

The site will be open for inspection by potential contractors on Dec. 9, between 10 a.m. and noon. Those interested are advised to call Quagliato at (413) 750-2114 for additional information.

There have been multiple break-ins to businesses in the North Main Street area since September.

 

PALMER — Police are investigating a break-in at Cindy's Sports Bar on North Main Street.

Police Chief Robert P. Frydryk said Thursday's reported break-in was the third one since September at the 1618 North Main St. bar.

The break-in is believed to have happened sometime overnight, and was discovered Thursday afternoon when staff arrived at the bar. A window was smashed and cash was stolen, Frydryk said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Palmer police at (413) 283-8792.

Cindy's also was broken into on Sept. 12 and 26. There have been several break-ins to businesses in the North Main Street area since September.

Nelson Mandela led black South Africans in their struggle to throw off the yoke of white rule and then helped the entire nation heal the wounds of racial division.

SARAH DiLORENZO, Associated Press

Nelson Mandela led black South Africans in their struggle to throw off the yoke of white rule and then helped the entire nation heal the wounds of racial division.

But his message of perseverance, respect and forgiveness didn't just heal South Africa. He also inspired people in countries far and wide in their fights against authoritarian rule.

The measure of his influence was in the varied and immediate outpouring Friday from people around the globe in response to his death. In South Africa, people held his image in the streets, but they did so in the Palestinian territories as well. South Africans lowered their flags to half-staff, but so, too, did Europeans and Americans.

Several African countries declared three days of mourning, and traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange stood quiet for a minute before the market opened. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg declared that a Brooklyn high school will be renamed The Nelson Mandela School for Social Justice.

As leaders and citizens, athletes and artists remembered Mandela, many struggled to find words big enough to describe the man who changed the face of South Africa and inspired a continent and a world: a colossus, a father figure, a giant baobab tree providing shade for an entire nation.

Many noted that Mandela's legacy would not go with him. It would live on, for example, in the freedom of the Eastern bloc countries and the example he set for other African ones.

"He no longer belongs to us. He belongs to the ages," said President Barack Obama.

As a summit on peace and security in Africa opened in Paris, many leaders vowed to live up to the model he set, but his legacy is also an uncomfortable one for other leaders on a continent where many cling to power and amass riches while their populations suffer.

In Gambia, for instance, intellectuals and public servants quietly wondered if the death of the South African icon would serve as a wakeup call to President Yahya Jammeh, who has ruled his West African nation with an iron fist, accused of imprisoning, torturing and killing his opponents, including journalists. Jammeh has yet to comment on Mandela's death.

AN INSPIRATION FOR STRUGGLING PEOPLE THE WORLD OVER

In Haiti, a Caribbean nation that became the world's first black republic in 1804 through a successful slave revolt, Mandela symbolized the struggle for black equality.

"Mandela is not only the father of democracy in South Africa, but is also a symbol of democracy," said Haitian President Michel Martelly. "And like any symbol, he is not dead. He is present in all of us and guides us by his lifestyle, his courage and faith in the true struggle for equality."

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"When he could leave prison after 27 years of suffering, that coincided with the fall of communism in our part of the world, thus Mandela became a moral compass, a source of inspiration not only in South Africa but in our region, too," Hungarian President Janos Ader said in a letter addressed to his South African counterpart, Jacob Zuma.

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Poland's Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski called Mandela a "Titan of the 20th century."

"All people who fought for freedom in the 20th century, including the Poles, understand what this great man meant to Africa and for the whole world."

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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India compared Mandela to his country's own icon for the struggle for freedom, independence leader Mohandas K. Gandhi.

"A giant among men has passed away. This is as much India's loss as South Africa's. He was a true Gandhian. His life and work will remain a source of eternal inspiration for generations to come."

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Palestinians have pinned photos of Mandela on Israel's separation barrier to draw a parallel between his struggle against apartheid and theirs against Israeli occupation.

Several dozen demonstrators marched from the West Bank village of Bilin to the nearby barrier Friday, chanting "Mandela, Mandela" and pinning 20 photos of the former South African leader to the wire mesh fence.

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Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl who was shot in the head by the Taliban and now campaigns for girls' right to education, paid tribute to Mandela, whom she called "my leader."

"Nelson Mandela is physically separated from us, but his soul and spirit will never die," Yousafzai said in a statement.

A MAN WHO LED BY EXAMPLE

"God was so good to us in South Africa by giving us Nelson Mandela to be our president at a crucial moment in our history," Archbishop Desmond Tutu said. "He inspired us to walk the path of forgiveness and reconciliation, and so South Africa did not go up in flames."

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"He transformed hate into love, putting his country and people back together," Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara told French TV.

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"He is comparable to a great baobab, this invincible tree under which everyone shelters. And when this baobab falls, we find ourselves exposed," said Guinea President Alpha Conde.

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Model Naomi Campbell said: "He was much more than just a figurehead to me — he was my mentor, my honorary grandfather, my Tata. Since meeting him in 1993, he's guided me and gave me a reason for being in the tough times of my life. He changed my perception of the world."

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South African Foreign Minister Maite Mashabane told the summit in Paris that Africans must work together to achieve peace and fulfill Mandela's vision.

"We will do so, if we work together to find a peaceful resolution so that our people can continue to put peace, security and development together in the name of our father, who chose no revenge, who said South Africa belongs to all living in it, irrespective of color or creed, who made the impossible possible."

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Former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan said the world had lost "a visionary leader, a courageous voice for justice and a clear moral compass."

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"Nelson Mandela is an example. An example of resistance in the face of oppression. An example of freedom in the face of injustice. An example of dignity in the face of humiliation. ... An example of forgiveness in the face of hatred," French President Francois Hollande said as he opened the summit in Paris, devoted to bringing peace to Africa.

Hollande said that Mandela's spirit would preside over the summit.

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"Nelson Mandela was convinced that it is not hatred and revenge that make the world better, but reconciliation and political change — and that is how he lived," German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters in Berlin. "That is why he is a giant of history, a statesman with a message that is valid in every country and at every time."

AN UNCOMFORTABLE LEGACY

Robert Mugabe, whose wasted Zimbabwe is often held up as the counterpoint to Mandela's multiracial, prosperous South Africa, has yet to comment on Mandela's death. Mugabe recently criticized Mandela for being too conciliatory to whites.

But Zimbabwe's opposition hailed him as an icon.

"Africa should continue to produce more Mandelas who think more about the people than personal power; for whom the people's welfare is more important than the selfish pursuit of personal power and glory," said opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

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Speaking under condition of anonymity, a top official at the Gambian Civil Service, who could not be named for fear of reprisal, said President Jammeh should emulate the leadership qualities that Mandela had shown.

"Our president should be the first person to reflect on Mandela's legacy," he said.

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Associated Press reporters Gillian Gotora in Harare, Zimbabwe; Karl Ritter in Stockholm; Geir Moulson in Berlin; Bernard Ghee in Atlanta; Pablo Gorondi in Budapest, Hungary; Dalia Nammari in Ramallah, West Bank; Monika Scislowska in Warsaw; Jill Lawless and Cassandra Vinograd in London; Jamey Keaten and Sylvie Corbet in Paris; Abdoulie John in Mbour, Senegal; Svetlana Kozlenko in Kiev, Ukraine; Ian Deitch in Jerusalem; Ashok Sharma in New Delhi; Kristen Gelineau in Sydney; Aye Aye Win in Yangon, Myanmar; Julie Pace in Washington; Jake Pearson in New York; David Koop in Mexico City; Bruce Schreiner in Louisville, Kentucky; Sara Burnett in Chicago; and Andrea Rodriguez in Havana contributed to this report.

Before Aaron Collins died, he gave his brother, Seth, a mission: Eat, be merry and leave a giant tip. The other night, Seth Collins, of Lexington, Ky., did just that, leaving a $500 tip for a Friendly’s waitress in Springfield, Vt.

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

Abdul-Alim is facing charges of illegal possession of a ammunition and a firearm and illegal possession of a loaded firearm.

SPRINGFIELD - Hampden Superior Court Judge John S. Ferrara has ruled police had the right to stop and frisk Ayyub Abdul-Alim on Dec. 9, 2011.

Ayyub Abdul-Alim 

Abdul-Alim, 35, is facing charges of illegal possession of a ammunition and a firearm and illegal possession of a loaded firearm.

It was the gun police said they found on Abdul-Alim his lawyer Thomas E. Robinson was seeking to have thrown out of the case, saying police had no right to stop and frisk his client.

Each time Abdul-Alim’s case has a court date, dozens of supporters are present and have held vigil’s outside the courthouse.

Organized under the name “Justice For Ayyub”; the group’s website said Springfield police and the FBI framed Ayyub in their attempt to get him to become an informant on the Muslim community.

Ferrara, in a ruling issued Thursday, said Springfield police officers William Berrios and Anthony Sowers stop and search of Abdul-Alim, as ordered by city police officer Ronald Sheehan, met the legal criteria.

In a hearing on the motion to suppress the police stop Siham Nafi Stewart, Abdul-Alim’s wife, testified she called Sheehan Dec. 9, 2011, and told him her husband just left their 683 State St. apartment with a gun.

She said she had had previous contact with Sheehan when she went to the police station and told him her husband - with whom she and their small child lived - was involved in drug dealing and had a gun.

Ferrara wrote Sheehan was a 25 year veteran of the city police and also serves on a joint federal and state terrorism task force.

Stewart testified she was watching out the window as Sowers conducted a pat frisk of her husband and did not feel a firearm and put Abdul-Alim in the cruiser.

She said she then called Sheehan, who was nearby, on his cell phone and told him Abdul-Alim had the gun in his underwear. Berrios then conducted a pat frisk and felt the gun, which was removed.

Members of Justice For Ayyub contend the gun was planted on Abdul-Alim after no gun was found in the first pat frisk.

Sheehan testified in the hearing after Abdul-Alim was arrested he continued to get information from Stewart, but not about Abdul-Alim’s arrest.

Sheehan said she received a total of $11,929 in five or six payments from law enforcement.

He said he gave her some of the cash payments, and he was present when federal law enforcement personnel gave her payments.

Berrios testified Sowers did not do a thorough pat frisk and did not feel the gun.

He said he took Abdul-Alim out of the cruiser and did a more thorough pat frisk and found a lump in the groin area. He said they then put Abdul-Alim back in the cruiser, unzipped his pants and got the gun.

Abdul-Alim ‘s trial is scheduled for Feb. 18. 

Firefighters were called to 26 Olmstead Drive and quickly put out a fire in the second-floor apartment.

SPRINGFIELD — A fire, put out quickly by Springfield firefighters, caused damage to the second-floor unit of a two-family home in the Forest Park neighborhood late Friday afternoon.

Firefighters were called to 26 Olmstead Drive at about 4:50 p.m. The fire was out by about 5 p.m.

A resident of the first floor unit said the second floor unit was vacant.

At about 5:15 p.m., firefighters were seen on the ladder truck checking the roof and an exterior second story porch. Traffic on Olmstead Drive at Dickinson Street was blocked.

The map below shows the approximate location of 26 Olmstead Drive:

The state grant will fund a new pool, accessible trail, amphitheater and program buildings at Camp STAR Angelina

SPRINGFIELD – There was excitement in the air Friday as campers and their parents gathered to praise a new $1.2 million state grant that will fund major improvements at Camp STAR Angelina at Forest Park, serving youth with and without disabilities.

“We love Camp STAR — it has been a savior for us,” said Cherylyn Dembek, of Hampden, whose daughter Nicole, 14, attends the camp. “Without Camp STAR, she would be sitting on the couch and watching movies all day.”

Camp STAR Angelina offers inclusive recreational programs for youth and young adults, ages 3 to 22, most with special needs.

Aided by the state grant and privately raised funds, work will begin in April to install a sloped zero-entry pool, an accessible trail to Porter Lake, a three-season amphitheater, year-round program buildings and overall site improvements.

During a grant signing ceremony, Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and state Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Richard K. Sullivan said the camp improvements continue a trend of improving parks, open space and recreation in urban centers.

Dembek was among parents and campers using the word “excited” to express how they felt about the upcoming improvements.

The pool design offers safety for children of all swimming abilities and the camp definitely needs major upgrades, she said. Her daughter said she will be excited to return next year.

“I am excited for the new pool and the trail and everything,” said Megan Pelletier, 20, of Springfield, who was a camper for the first time this year. “I’m excited about everything. I love it. I met a lot of friends this year at camp.”

Roman DiVenuto, 14, of Springfield, said he “can’t wait to see everyone’s reaction” at camp.

DiVenuto said he is “mostly famous” at camp for his singing some years ago, is especially excited about the theater, and may come up with some ideas for future shows.

The camp serves about 250 youth each summer, mostly from Springfield.

James and Carol Aubin, of Springfield, said they have been active in the camp over the last 35 years, dating back to when their middle son was a camper.

“It is a pleasure to see what is going on right now,” James Aubin said.

“I am really so excited to have it finally come,” Carol Aubin said, of the planned improvements. “It’s absolutely terrific.”

Sarno thanked Gov. Deval Patrick and Sullivan for being “terrific partners” of the city.

“All our residents, especially the youth of Springfield, deserve the opportunity to participate in outdoor recreation regardless of physical ability.”

Patrick J. Sullivan, the city’s director of parks, buildings and recreation management, said there is a $3.3 million master plan for camp improvements that will make it a universally designed, barrier-free facility, to increase therapeutic recreation opportunities for people of all abilities.

Park Commission Chairman Brian Santaniello said camp improvement project will help children and young adults to experience the beauty of Forest Park without impediments.

Others in attendance included City Councilor Clodovaldo Concepcion and Park Commission member Terry Rodriguez.

Greenfield police Lt. William Gordon and Sgt. Laura Gordon took their St. Bernard dogs, Rosie and Clarence, to Boston shortly after the Marathon bombing this year. Watch video

GREENFIELD – For Rosie and Clarence the comfort dogs, there is no longer anywhere to hide. Their celebrity moment is coming Dec.10, when the Animal Medical Center fetes the Greenfield police dogs along with Barbara Walters at its annual Top Dog Gala in New York City.

They will be celebrated as the first dogs in the nation officially dedicated to comforting first responders – like police, firefighters and other emergency workers – who are hurting from the trauma of their jobs. It’s doubtful that fame will go to the dogs' heads.

Rosie and Clarence are already hard-pressed to hide, since they are St. Bernards, the size of small pack animals. The 4-year-old Rosie tips the scale at 140 pounds. Clarence, named after the late Clarence Clemons of the E Street Band, is half Rosie’s age and weighs 160.

On Friday, the dogs were the star attractions at the Federal Street School’s monthly all-school meeting. When their owners, Greenfield police Lt. William Gordon and Sgt. Laura Gordon, brought the dogs out on stage, a buzz went through the crowd of kindergarten-to-3rd-graders seated on the auditorium floor.

“Their job is to make people feel better when they’re in a scary situation,” Lt. Gordon explained in introducing the St. Bernards. “Other police dogs are not as furry and cuddly. These dogs, all they do is love people.”

The Gordons, who are married and own the dogs as pets, realized early on that Rosie and Clarence have some ineffable quality that lets them draw the poison out of people who see awful things.

“As a police officer, we go to a lot of bad calls,” Gordon said later. “You go over and over them in your mind. You can become socially isolated. The dogs help me when I feel alone.”

Last year, the Gordons brought Rosie and Clarence to Newtown, Conn., after a gunman went on a rampage that left 26 students and adults in Sandy Hook Elementary School dead.

Thinking the dogs were there for the families, officials tried to send the Gordons home, explaining that there were no family members present. Then they saw the firefighters on their knees weeping as they hugged the dogs for their own comfort.

The Gordons are among a select few invited back to Newtown for the one-year anniversary of the shooting on Dec. 14.

“It’s very difficult for first responders to ask for help,” Gordon said. “They’re there to provide help. Dogs don’t judge you. They’re there to basically listen.”

The Gordon’s can’t explain exactly what it is about the dogs that brings rescuers to their knees. Rosie, they say, has an “X factor.”

“There’s love in her eyes,” Gordon said. “Clarence has a calmness that’s hard to explain.”

The Gordons took their dogs to Boston shortly after the Marathon bombing in April. They were invited back in June, when the were mobbed by the participants in a 10-kilometer race .

Rosie and Clarence are also available to help victims of child abuse, rape and domestic violence.

William Gordon himself was helped by Rosie after he was diagnosed with work-related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in 2010, and he first noticed how she comforted other police and firefighters. The Gordons then started Canines Helping Autism and PTSD Survivors (CHAPS), a non-profit.

Nonetheless, they have kept a low profile.

“We don’t self-dispatch,” William Gordon said. “We have to be asked.”

They may be getting more calls after Dec. 10.

Greenfield Police Chief Robert Haigh, who was at the Federal Street School event, called the comfort dog program unique.

“First responders don’t like to admit any kind of weakness,” he said, “but it’s crucial that you get help.”

Haigh acknowledged that Rosie and Clarence have carte blanche to visit his office when they’re in the station.

“I’ve got some slobber on me right now,” he said.

Troopers reported that around 5:25 p.m. Friday, a tip led them to a home in Enosburg where they found Turcotte.

ST. ALBANS, Vt. — Vermont State Police reported on Friday evening that a missing 13-year-old boy who was last seen on Monday was found safe.

View full sizeMichael Turcotte 

Michael Turcotte of Richford, Vt., was believed to be with friends in either his hometown or Enosburg, both located near the Canadian border. Troopers reported that around 5:25 p.m. Friday, a tip led them to a home in Enosburg where they found Turcotte.

The boy was taken to the St. Albans barracks and found to be in good health without any compilations. He was released into the custody of the Vermont Department for Children and Families.

The fire on Olmstead Drive in Springfield was confined to the second floor but the first floor received smoke and water damage.

This updates a story posted at 5:57 p.m. Friday.

SPRINGFIELD — A fire that broke out in a second floor apartment at 26 Olmstead Drive on Friday afternoon caused $40,000 damage and left nine residents of the first floor in need of temporary shelter, a fire official said.

Dennis Leger, aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant, said no one was injured in the fire, which was reported just before 5 p.m.

The fire was limited mostly to the second floor, but the first floor sustained water and smoke damage. The residents, three adults and six children, will not be able to stay there until the building is cleaned up and repairs are made, Leger said.

The Pioneer Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross was responding to the scene Friday night to assist the family, according to a Red Cross spokeswoman.

Leger said the fire started on the second floor, but it is unclear what caused it.

The landlord told fire officials the apartment was vacant, as the previous tenant had recently been evicted. But Leger said there was still furniture and other items in the upstairs apartment, so it is unclear if the tenants had not yet finished moving.

The Springfield Arson and Bomb Squad is investigating how the fire started, he said.

Olmstead is located between Dickinson Street and Trafton Avenue near the eastern edge of Forest Park.

Traffic on Olmstead was blocked while firefighters battled the fire.

The request comes one week after Higher Education Commissioner Richard M. Freeland and 3 trustees asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit, claiming that Dobelle voluntarily resigned his post in November.

WESTFIELD - Former Westfield State President Evan S. Dobelle is asking a federal judge for a two-week extension to file new information in his lawsuit against the schools trustees and other defendants.

In a motion filed Friday, Dobelle said events occurring after his lawsuit was filed on Oct. 24 will bolster his case. He requested that the Dec. 9 deadline for amending his lawsuit be extended to Dec. 23.

No description of the events was provided in the motion filed by one of Dobelle’s lawyers, Katherine M. Romel, in U.S. District Court in Springfield.

The request comes one week after Higher Education Commissioner Richard M. Freeland and three trustees asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit, claiming that Dobelle voluntarily resigned his post in November.

Dobelle, 68, filed the lawsuit after the schools trustees placed him on paid leave Oct. 17 and hired a Boston law firm to investigate his travel and spending habits.

He resigned Nov. 8, two weeks before the law firm's report was to be completed.

The suit claims that Freeland; trustees John F. Flynn III, Kevin R. Queenin and Elizabeth D. Scheibel and others not only conspired to force Dobelle from office, but also violated his constitutional and contractual rights in the process.

Also named as defendants in Dobelle’s suit were the Braintree-based auditing firm of Drew & O’Connor, the schools attorney, James B. Cox and the Boston law firm of Rubin & Rudman.

On Friday, Cox and Rubin & Rudman also asked for two week extensions to respond to Dobelle’s lawsuit.

Under court rules, Dobelle has until Dec. 13 to respond to the request filed by Freeland and the trustees to dismiss the case.

As part of his new motion, Dobelle also asked for more time to respond to the defendants' dismissal request, explaining that the new information in his amended lawsuit will render their motion moot.

The controversy over Dobelle’s spending began in August when O’Connor & Drew released the first public summary of his travel, including visits to China, Thailand, Vietnam and Hong Kong and 15 trips to San Francisco.

The auditors found that Dobelle repeatedly violated travel and credit card policies, including charging personal travel expenses for himself and family members to school-related credit cards.

In response, Dobelle said his travel benefited the university, and any personal expenses charged to the school were later reimbursed.

In the wake of Dobelle's departure, the trustees named Elizabeth Preston, the school's vice president for academic affairs, as interim president until a permanent successor is found. Milton Santiago, vice president for administration and finance, resigned this week, adding to upheaval at the university.

The city, in receiving one proposal for a medical marijuana facility in Springfield, will review its qualifications in advance of a formal application

 

SPRINGFIELD — A single company has submitted notice to the city that it is interested in locating a medical marijuana facility in Springfield in response to the city’s first-phase request for qualifications and proposals.

Baystate Compassion Center, Inc. filed the formal notice, and stated that it will submit a Phase 2 application for a Springfield site, Mayor Domenic J. Sarno announced Friday. The specific site is not yet being disclosed, pending the second phase.

Kevin G. Collins, of Springfield, chief executive officer of Baystate Compassion Center, recently stated an interest in locating a facility either in Springfield or Chicopee.

A second firm, Debilitating Medical Condition Treatment Centers, was invited to submit plans in Springfield, but sent notice to the city that it will not locate here, seeking a site in Holyoke instead, Sarno said.

“The city’s intent in carrying out this process is to implement, at the local regulatory level, a careful balance of appropriate access for patients with identified need, while mitigating security, community and fiscal impacts to the city,” Sarno said in a prepared release.

There is currently a moratorium in effect, delaying any marijuana facility in Springfield, to allow for zoning ordinance amendments. The request for qualifications and proposals, however, will help the city in drafting its local zoning requirements and firms will also be governed by state public health regulations.

In November, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health released the names of 100 finalists for licenses to sell medical marijuana in the state, including both Baystate Compassion Center and Debilitating Medical Condition Treatment Centers.

Springfield’s first phase process is intended to pre-qualify any enterprise seeking to locate a facility here.

The proposal submitted will be evaluated by a review group that includes the following city officials: Health and Human Services Commissioner Helen R. Caulton-Harris; Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet; Planning Director Philip Dromey; Code Enforcement Commissioner Steven Desilets; Public Works Director Allan Chwalek; and Deputy Associate City Solicitor Theo Theocles.

An application for the Phase 2 process is due by Jan. 21, and the city would then announce if the company qualifies for the right to negotiate a host community agreement with the city by Feb. 17. Any agreement reached would be announced by March 31, under the timetable.

In the first phase process, the company's financial viability will be reviewed, as will whether any member of the organization has a felony drug conviction, among other factors.

The moratorium is in effect until June 30, or until the regulations are drafted, whichever is sooner.

The Old First Church was included in the festivities at the last minute when rain forced the relocation of the lighting ceremony indoors. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD - The city celebrated three landmarks at once Friday night as the annual Christmas lights light ceremony in Court Square opened up to envelop the Springfield Municipal Group and Old First Church in Court Square.

The Municipal Group, the official name for the complex of City Hall, Symphony Hall and the Campanile, was feted as part of the official celebration of its 100th anniversary.

Old First Church was included in the festivities at the last minute when rain forced the relocation of the lighting ceremony indoors.

“Sorry for all the changes but it is pouring out,” said Spirit of Springfield President Judy Matt. “I think this is a magnificent place to hold this. Old First Church – 1636. Isn’t this spectacular. We’re lucky to have it.”

Mayor Domenic Sarno said it was fitting to include Old First Church into the anniversary celebration of the Municipal Group because the church, founded in 1636, is the oldest institution in the city. “This is the birthplace of the city.

Rain or no rain, the lighting of the holiday lights in Court Square went off without a hitch as Santa Claus, surrounded by dozens of children flipped the switch, revealing snowflake lighting on lamp poles, an icy fountain and tree lighting throughout the square. The Old First Church and City Hall were adorned with temporary lighting that bathed each in a vibrant purple.

At the conclusion of the lighting ceremony, people were invited to cross Court Street to tour City Hall, to have cookies and cocoa and to be serenaded by the Children’s Chorus of Springfield.

“Welcome to my second home,” Sarno said as he greeted visitors in front of city hall.

The lighting and festivities are being sponsored by MGM Springfield as part of the 100-year anniversary of the opening of the historic Municipal Group buildings.

Vanessa Tucky, vice president of Community and Public Affairs for MGM Resorts International, said she was pleased to be a part of the ceremony, as MGM is pleased to be part of the city of Springfield.

It was the second year MGM has sponsored the lighting ceremony. MGM shares with Springfield a strong sense of civic pride and of giving back to the community.

The Municipal Group opened 100 years ago after being constructed at a cost of $2 million. The previous city hall building burned down in 1905.

The open ceremonies of the complex 100 years ago was such an important event that the main speaker was President William Howard Taft. He called the new complex “one of the most distinctive civic centers in the nation, and indeed, the world.”

Sarno said that spirit still exists today to some extent.

“Whenever someone comes in this building for the first time, they are always struck by the beautiful, historic architecture,” Sarno said. We have one of the greatest city halls in the country and it is important that we celebrate it.”
 Sarno said it was a treat to have what he called “my second home” let up with Christmas lights and filled with the joyful sounds of the children’s choir.
Looking over the crowd of children, their parents and a few other well wishers, Sarno said “It’s good to have them all here. Usually when there are this many people in the lobby, it’s a protest not a celebration.”

Festivities continue over the weekend.

The Springfield Symphony Orchestra presents its holiday pops concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Symphony Hall.

On Sunday, the 215th Army Band from the Massachusetts Army National Guard will perform a free holiday concert, also in Symphony Hall.

Descendants of John Avery Denison, Springfield’s mayor from 100 years ago, are scheduled to be on hand for the festivities.

Denison’s granddaughter, Mary Evelyn Denison Porter, and her son, Jonathan Fantini Porter, are expected to attend both concerts over the weekend.

The speed limit on the MassPike has been reduced to 40 mph from Westfield to the New York line.

 

SPRINGFIELD - A winter weather advisory is in effect through much of Western Masachusetts Friday evening as the falling temperatures and constant rain is leading to slick road and icy conditions, according to the National Weather Service.

The advisory is in effect through 6 a.m. Saturday morning.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation reduced the speed limit on the Massachusetts Turnpike to 40 MPH from Westfield to the New York State line.

The National Weather Service is predicting that the rain could turn over to sleet and snow Friday night in areas north of the Massachusetts Turnpike, particularly in parts of Hampshire, Franklin and upper Berkshire counties. Snow may be heavy at times between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. Saturday.

Snowfall amounts could measure between 2 to 4 inches, according to the forecast.

A winter weather advisory is issued whenever the forecast calls for snow or ice., making driving conditions difficult. Motorists are being urged to use caution, especially on roads that have not been sanded, and when going over bridges, which tend to freeze first.

Obituaries from The Republican.

Edward Morris 

"Chief" Edward H. Morris, 82, of Chicopee, passed away on Thursday. He was born in Mason, Ill., raised in Havana, Ill., and joined the Navy in 1948. He served in the Korean Conflict, Vietnam War and the Persian Gulf War. During his military career, he was a C Bees and at one point was stationed in the Philippines, where he was the personal driver and mechanic for General Douglas MacArthur. He served for 44 years, retiring from the Air Force as chief master sergeant. He worked for Rivet Oil Co. in Chicopee as a repairman and also worked as a salesman for Sid Harvey Inc. in Springfield for 35 years.

Obituaries from The Republican:

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  Aubin, Keith Alan (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Baker, William G. (In Memoriam)
  



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  Barbato, Joseph and Rose (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Barbato, Joseph P. (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Baron, Frances S. (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Baron, Naomi S. Baniel
  



• 
  Belton, Rose V. (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Bobrowski, Joan (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Bobrowski, Joan (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Borchers, William (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Caputo, Albert F. (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Carduff, Martha Savaria (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Carlson, Kenneth J. (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Carney, Diane (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Chmael, John (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Cressotti, Florence (In Memoriam)
  



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  Czupryna, Aniela
  



• 
  Dialessi, Evelyn I. (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Ennaco, Mary (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Ennaco, Ralph (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Fessenden, Sheryl B. (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Fratamico, Thomson (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Galavotti, Elizabeth L.
  



• 
  Gillette Jr., Greg A. (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Gillette Jr., Greg A. (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Gingras, Martha (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Gomes, Manuel J.
  



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  Guidi, Anna M. (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Henderson, Agnes "Nan" (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Irla, Mary A. (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Isham, Wesley and Lillian (In Memoriam)
  



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  Jazab, Walter J.
  



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  Jones, Emma (In Memoriam)
  



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  Kelly, Brian P. (In Memoriam)
  



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  King, Inez M. (In Memoriam)
  



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  Kittridge Jr., Paul Hendrick
  



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  Kornacki, Kevin (In Memoriam)
  



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  Laliberte, Gladys Laliberte (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  LaPierre, Dr. Hilda Marta (In Memoriam)
  



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  Lepine, Beatrice (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Morris, Edward H.
  



• 
  Olson Jr., Algot V. (In Memoriam)
  



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  Pallatino, Josephine (In Memoriam)
  



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  Panetti, Antoinette (In Memoriam)
  



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  Penna, Michael (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Placanico, Giorgio (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Reid, Lawrence A. (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Robledo, Barbara A. (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Rodriguez, Rafael
  



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  Rota, Alan L.
  



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  Santaniello, Nicholas (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Santos, Julieta D. (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Sawa, Stella M. (In Memoriam)
  



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  Stomski, Joan F. (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Weiner, Seymour (In Memoriam)
  



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  Williamson Sr., Raymond Otis (In Memoriam)
  



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  Witaszek, Thaddeus J.
  



• 
  Wrobleski, Edward J. (In Memoriam)
  



• 
  Zulkiewicz, Frank "Pop" (In Memoriam)
  

After the service, Neal, who also credited Napolitan with his political success, said Napolitan remained pure despite his love of politics.

SPRINGFIELD - Joseph Napolitan was remembered as a man who "walked among kings" but who never lost the common touch.

Napolitan, 84, was a Springfield-bred international political consultant who advised American presidential candidates including John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, as well as Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos.

His funeral Mass drew local former and current elected officials including U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, Governor's Councilor and former Mayor Michael J. Albano, former Mayor Charles V. Ryan, who delivered the eulogy, former City Councilors Timothy Ryan, William Foley and Francis G. Keough III.

Napolitan died on Monday after a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease, leaving a legacy of high-profile political campaigns unparalleled in local circles. The son of a bar owner, Napolitan ran his globe-trotting business from an office on Chestnut Street.

"There's not too many of us who walked with kings, especially on a regular diet," Charles Ryan told mourners at Holy Name Catholic Church on Saturday.

Ryan was among many local candidates whose campaigns Napolitan gave a boost.

Ryan, a Springfield mayor in the 1960s and again in 2003 and 2005, also was a close friend of Napolitan who lauded his love of people and genuine conversation.

"Conversations with him were like a tennis match. It was back and forth and back and forth and it took two people to make it work. That's kind of a lost art, really," Ryan said.

Napolitan was predeceased by his wife, Mary. He had four children. Two of his five grandchildren gave readings at the service.

Napolitan was amid the inner circles of high-profile elections globally. According to family members, Napolitan worked for onetime French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing, heads of state in Costa Rica, the Sudan, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. He persuaded Oscar Arias of Costa Rica to make "peace" the theme of his presidential campaign. Arias went on to win the Nobel Prize.

Napolitan also was the co-founder of the International Association of Political Consultants, a Washington D.C.-based coalition that ran a memorial to Napolitan on-line.

He was a pioneer of political polling and political ads. Napolitan was the author of "The Election Game and How to Win It." Family members said he never shied from speaking his mind, even to some of the globe's most formidable leaders.

Napolitan once traveled to Palestine as an elections observer and participated in a meeting with Palestinian President and Chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organization Yasser Arafat, who bragged that his campaign lasted only 30 seconds.

"Mr. Chairman, I think you have been running for 35 years," Napolitan interrupted.

"Everyone was silent, wondering what Arafat would do," according to his daughter, who put a synopsis of Napolitan's life in writing for mourners. "Suddenly he got up, clapped Joe on the back, gave him a hug and later gave him a tour of the palace."

Years into his struggle with "forgetfulness," Napolitan never forgot his manners, helping elderly women with their bags at grocery stores and visiting ailing and grieving friends.

Msgr. David Joyce, who presided over the funeral Mass, called Napolitan "a political consultant par excellence" who would often dispense advice over coffee and a cigar at his Longhill Street home on weekends.

Ryan concluded his eulogy by reprising the late U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy remarks after the assassination of his brother, Robert F. Kennedy, in 1968.

"We wish him to be remembered as a good and decent man," Ryan said, quoting Kennedy.

After the service, Neal, who also credited Napolitan with his political success, said Napolitan remained pure despite his love of politics.

"He revered the institutions of American government. He was never cynical not did he think any of us should be," Neal said.

Voters in the 5th Congressional District are heading to the polls this week to decide the latest in a string of special elections in Massachusetts.

BOSTON — Voters in the 5th Congressional District are heading to the polls this week to decide the latest in a string of special elections in Massachusetts.

The race pits Democratic state Sen. Katherine Clark of Melrose against Republican Frank Addivinola, a Boston attorney. Both won their respective party primaries in October.

The victor will fill the seat left vacant by Edward Markey, who resigned after winning a special election to fill John Kerry's U.S. Senate seat. Kerry had stepped down to become secretary of state.

Clark and Addivinola have staked out very different ground in what has been a low-profile contest at a time when many voters have turned their attention to holiday preparations.

Clark said her priorities include pay equity for women, ending gun-related violence and supporting Social Security and early education. Clark has also voted for an increase in the state minimum wage from $8 to $11 over three years, tying future raises to inflation.

"What we're talking about is really trying to get Congress back to work for middle-class families," Clark said. "That's the economic lens that I've been looking at these issues through."

Addivinola, who described himself as a "small government kind of candidate," said that he's also interested in helping families but that the best way to do that is to help turn around a stagnant economy.

He said a lack of leadership in Washington has helped fuel unemployment and underemployment, which in turn is helping stall a recovery. He said what businesses most need is a stable regulatory environment and less interference.

"New employees become local consumers, which stimulates the local economy," he said.

President Barack Obama's health care law is one of many topics where the two disagree.

Addivinola said health care changes are best left to individual states, pointing in part to Massachusetts' landmark 2006 health care law.

"The role of the government should be minimal," said Addivinola, who believes health care plans should accept customers regardless of pre-existing conditions, an element of the federal law.

Clark called the federal initiative "a law of historical significance" and said that while it's been frustrating to watch the website problems, the goal of insuring tens of millions of Americans is critical.

Clark said she hoped the health care law could lead to a "public option" that would allow states to sell insurance in competition with private plans and eventually to a so-called single payer system, which would effectively guarantee health coverage for everyone.

On social issues, the two candidates also hold very different positions.

Addivinola describes himself as "pro-life" and feels states should have greater leeway to limit or expand access to abortion.

"I am into human rights, and I feel that the unborn fetus is entitled to protection," Addivinola said.

He said gay couples should have access to tax benefits available to married couples, but he is not a proponent of gay marriage and is "a believer in the strength of the family for procreation."

Clark backs gay marriage and access to abortion and criticized what she said are the actions of "a group of extremists in the House focused on attacking women's rights."

Both candidates said they were skeptical about a recent deal with Iran. Under the agreement, Iran would freeze parts of its nuclear program in return for relief from Western sanctions while both sides try to negotiate a final settlement.

Addivinola called the deal "a tragic mistake" that would allow Iran to continue their nuclear program.

Clark said she was skeptical but also hopeful the agreement will start the process of ending Iran's capability of developing nuclear weapons.

On the question of immigration, Addivinola said he doesn't support mass deportation of the millions of immigrants in the country illegally but believes the country should enforce its immigration policies.

Clark said she supports a bill passed by the U.S. Senate this year calling for a path to legal status for the estimated 11 million immigrants already living illegally in the country.

Clark, 50, a lawyer and former public interest attorney, was first elected to the Legislature in 2008 and served seven years on the Melrose School Committee.

Addivinola, 53, writes and publishes medical school admission prep books and also teaches introduction to law at Northeastern University while completing a doctoral degree in law. He grew up in Malden but lives in Boston.

Two other candidates are on the ballot — Wellesley resident James Aulenti and Arlington resident James Hall.

Massachusetts currently has an all-Democratic congressional delegation.

The winner of Tuesday's election will face re-election next year.

Dozens of people are preparing to gather at a decommissioned U.S. Navy destroyer stationed in Boston to commemorate the anniversary of the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that launched the U.S. into World War II.

BOSTON — Dozens of people are preparing to gather at a decommissioned U.S. Navy destroyer stationed in Boston to commemorate the anniversary of the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that launched the U.S. into World War II.

National Park Service spokesman Sean Hennessey says Pearl Harbor survivor Donald Tabbut is set to attend Saturday afternoon's service on the USS Cassin Young. The ship is named for a U.S. Navy commander who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions during the surprise Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor.

Hennessey says at least 100 people are expected to attend the Boston ceremony. They include the commander of the Navy's oldest commissioned warship, the USS Constitution and Massachusetts Secretary of Veterans' Services Coleman Nee.