Man arrested, charged in Easthampton car breaks

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

EASTHAMPTON - A Holyoke man was arrested Saturday night after he was allegedly seen burgling a number of unlocked cars on Treehouse Circle, police said.

Hector Casanova, 21, pleaded innocent Monday in Northampton District Court to charges of operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, attempting to commit a crime, four counts of breaking and entering a vehicle during the nighttime for a felony and two counts of possessing stolen property.

According to Police Chief Bruce McMahon, at 10:45 p.m., a 17 Treehouse Circle resident called police after she awoke to her dogs barking and saw a man wearing a hooded sweatshirt using a flashlight to go though a row of unlocked vehicles parked outside her home.

After shouting at the man from her window, the witness told police he quickly left the scene in a dark four-door sedan and that several items, including a GPS device, were found to be missing from two of the cars parked outside, according to court documents.

Soon after, McMahon said police issued a city-wide look out notice for anyone matching the witness's description and at 11:45 p.m., officer Jeff Fish spotted Casanova's black Suzuki sedan turning onto Sandra Road.

When Fish attempted to catch up to the car he reported that Casanova sped away, turned off his headlights and pulled into a driveway on Golden Drive.

After calling for backup, McMahon said Fish approached the vehicle and asked Casanova if he knew the owners of the home he was parked in front of. Casanova reportedly told Fish that he was lost and was looking for a man named Bill Crosby, but could not offer an address.

After spotting a loose GPS device in the back seat of Casanova's car, Fish placed him under arrest for operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license. A further search of the vehicle revealed another GPS device under the front passenger seat and a red flashlight, according to court documents.

When told he was being charged with breaking into four vehicles on Treehouse Circle, Casanova allegedly told Sgt. Bruce Nicol that he had "only broken into two cars there, not four."

Judge Richard J. Carey ordered Casanova released on his own recognizance and scheduled him to appear in court for a pretrial hearing on Feb. 18.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.

With fuel assistance dollars dwindling, recipients fret as winter begins

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

EASTHAMPTON - Isabelle Barnachez is among the thousands of area residents receiving heating assistance this winter, and the combination of higher oil prices and lower benefits have many in her position worried that they may have to decide between heating their homes and buying food.

When a crew of workers from Home Energy Solutions arrived to better insulate the walls, ceilings and basement of Barnachez's Ely Avenue home last week, she welcomed them in out of the cold with hot coffee and doughnuts.

Barnachez, 79, lives in a two-story Easthampton Housing Authority property reserved for senior citizens and veterans and said she has struggled with keeping warm during the winter months for years.

• Related stories: Hilltowns see rise in fuel assistance applications

Recent area oil prices

"Last winter I couldn't even touch the walls in here without feeling how cold they were," Barnachez said. She noted that when workers scanned her home for drafts their equipment indicated that many of the walls were only partially insulated.

Barnachez qualifies for the weatherization help because she is a recipient of federal fuel assistance dollars. Fuel assistance programs, funded by the federal government and generally administered by anti-poverty agencies, are the entry point for weatherization programs.

More applicants

This year, the dollars are flowing more freely for weatherization work than for fuel assistance, according to Peter Wingate, Energy Director from Community Action! of Franklin, Hampshire, and North Quabbin Regions Inc.

Though Barnachez is hopeful that the new insulation will keep her warm and help her stretch her energy dollars this winter, she said she worries that the 100 gallons of oil provided through home heating assistance for low-income people won't last her very long.

"On average I use 300 gallons of oil on heat every year and what they've given me this year just isn't going to do it," Barnachez said, as she sipped a cup of tea in her kitchen.

Like other assistance recipients in the area, Barnachez's application arrived in the mail accompanied by a letter urging her to contact local legislators and ask them to advocate for increasing funding for heating assistance programs.

Wingate, who helped organize the program that funded Barnachez's insulation project, said he is seeing more heating assistance applicants than ever at Community Action's offices on Vernon Street in Northampton and at its main headquarters in Greenfield.

"We are expecting between a 15 and 20 percent increase in applications from our numbers last year," Wingate said. He attributed the sudden increase to a much larger number of middle-class people applying for assistance than in years past.

For the 2009-2010 winter, the agency accepted 10,198 people into the fuel assistance program, up 15 percent from the previous winter.

So far this year, Wingate said, the agency has taken in 8,500 applications, and is anticipating about 3,500 more.

"That's what we're preparing ourselves for," said Wingate. "It's going to be tough."

Best, worst of times

He said the program is set up so that no eligible applicants are turned away, but the amount of assistance given to those who qualify fluctuates depending upon the amount of federal money approved for the season, and the number of applicants seeking help.

At the federal level, the fuel assistance program was funded at $5.1 billion last winter.

This year, so far, a budget hasn't been approved, but those in the field say they are projecting a funding of $3.1 billion.

On the agency level, Community Action, which serves Hampshire and Franklin county clients, received $7.7 million for fuel assistance, compared to a projected $3.9 million this year.

"We're just barely into December and people are calling up to say they've used up their fuel assistance allotment for the year," said Wingate.

"There's always the fear of people using unsafe space heaters out of desperation."

On the other hand, he noted, "energy-efficiency dollars," which fund various weatherization programs, are up.

"So it's the best of times and the worst of times, all rolled into one," Wingate said. If people are living in weather-tight houses, but have no money to buy fuel, it will still be hard to stay warm.

"We're having more and more people come in who never dreamed they'd be eligible for assistance," Wingate said.

He said many applicants are those who until recently, had "pretty decent jobs," but are now out of work.

"We are also seeing many more younger families who are dealing with a situation where a two-person income became one when one of them lost their job," said Wingate.

The maximum heating assistance benefit offered to applicants last year was $1,240, Wingate said.

This year, those same residents can receive a maximum of only $515.

"We're urging people who are thinking 'I qualify but don't want to apply because it will take away from someone else who needs it' to come in," Wingate said.

"They need to know that the benefit level was lowered so we could spread it out over more households."

The increased demand for heating assistance, Wingate said, is being reported by agencies statewide.

Gail D. Pisacane, director of energy programs for Springfield's Valley Opportunity Council, said the situation is growing more and more dire in the commonwealth's major cities.

"Right now the maximum benefit is $515, and we're paying $2.87 for a gallon of oil, so that would get a resident a maximum of 179 gallons," Pisacane said.

"When you think about it, that's not going to get anyone very far. People are really hurting because of this."

Every fall the council sends heating assistance applications to senior centers across Franklin County, and this year the organization is being asked to send out additional forms, she said.

"The fact that they are asking us to send over more applications is a reflection of how many elderly people are coming in and asking for help," Pisacane said.

"So we are very worried that lower benefits are going to mean that our citizens are going to have a hard time staying warm this year."

For more information about applying for heating assistance, visit the agency's website.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.

Santa's trains bring new magic to Look Park

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

NORTHAMPTON - As they filed into the Garden House at Look Park Friday evening, a crowd of local children were handed their tickets to the North Pole and greeted by a cast of Christmas characters, including a jolly train conductor who asked if they were ready to see Santa.

They were all there for the opening night of Santa's Trains at Look Park, a new exhibit that has transformed the park's Garden House into a Christmas wonderland, complete with antique model trains, elves, hot chocolate, a crackling fireplace and the opportunity to meet the big guy himself.

As they entered the main hall, each child was given a list and challenged to find a dozen items hidden among eight model train displays, carefully constructed by a group of local model train enthusiasts.

Dressed in a conductor's hat and suspenders, George Reneris, of Sunderland, checked train wheels and put the finishing touches on the elaborate exhibit, funded in part by a number of area businesses and organized by the Pioneer Valley "S" Gaugers.

Sharianne Walker, vice chairwoman of the park's board of directors, said more than 100 volunteers worked together over two days to arrange the display, which is free and open to the public. It will be held every day until Christmas from 4 to 8 p.m. and on Christmas Eve from noon to 4 p.m.

"So many people contributed their time, talents and treasures to make this all possible," Walker said, adding that board members hope visiting the display will become a seasonal tradition for local families. She expects it will grow more elaborate every year.

Splitting the role of the jolly conductor at the front door Friday were City Council President David Narkewicz and Mayor Clare Higgins. The part of guest conductor will be assumed by a different city resident every day, including Gazette Publisher Jim Foudy on Dec. 18.

"This is a lot of fun for the kids, it's really beautiful, and they've done a great job with it," Narkewicz said, as he greeted children in full conductor attire and stamped the train tickets of incoming guests.

As they raced around the room looking for scavenger hunt items such as Santa wearing sunglasses, a man fishing and SpongeBob SquarePants, Jake and Jenna Baranowski, of Florence, laughed and shouted to each other as each discovery was made.

Other children waited patiently in line as Santa's personal receptionist checked to see if he was ready for them.

On display atop the Garden House's fireplace was a hand-crafted hardwood train made of oak, maple, cherry and birch created by local craftsman Harold F. Koebke, of Florence.

For more information about Santa's Trains at Look Park, residents are encouraged to visit the park's website at www.lookpark.org.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.

On eve of winter, experts offer tips on safe driving

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

NORTHAMPTON - Local weather experts are predicting that a storm system arriving this weekend will yield the season's first snow accumulation and will kick off another hectic winter for motorists navigating Valley roadways.

The ability to drive safely during the winter months is part practice and part preparation. Anyone who has lived through a Massachusetts winter knows that driving safety goes well beyond braking early and slowing down.

Mary Ellen Paciorek, owner of Pioneer Valley Driving School, said the best lesson is experience.

"If weather permits, we do what we call skid school on a back road, where we let the younger drivers slide around and pump their brakes," Paciorek said. "If they get a chance to experience what sliding is like beforehand, they are much less likely to panic when it happens in a real situation."

She also instructs students never to drive faster than weather conditions allow; always drive slower than normal on a slippery surface; be aware of the temperature and of areas like bridges and underpasses where roads freeze earlier than on typical roadways; and make a point of testing their brakes every season before they go out on the road.

As for other helpful tips, local experts said it is often what drivers do before they hit the road that can be the difference between making it home and ending up in a seasonal fender-bender.

As with hiking, having the proper footgear is essential to safe driving and a car's ability to stop, turn and maintain traction during icy conditions.

William Groot, manager of Town Fair Tire on King Street in Northampton where employees are working through the busy snow tire change-over season, said the "penny trick" is a quick and easy way to check the tread on your tires. Groot said motorists are told to insert a penny into their tire treads and if they can still see Abe's head, its time to get them replaced.

"You always want to make sure that you have safe, legal treads before venturing out in the winter months," said Groot. "People should just use common sense. If you're saying 'Wow, I was sliding in those wet leaves the other day or I wasn't braking like I used to,' you probably need to get them replaced."

Groot said and said there is "no magic product" when it comes to gripping the road.

Modern snow tires, he said, come in two main varieties, the more common studdable snow tires and silica-based rubber compounds that remain flexible when the temperature drops.

Groot said the biggest misconception he hears from his customers is the notion that if they have front-wheel drive, they should have their best tires on the front of their car.

"If you have front-wheel drive and you put the best tires in the front, it can cause the car to oversteer and can result in sliding or fishtailing," Groot said. "It is recommended that they put the best tires in the rear because it helps control the car when you go around corners. It is always more dangerous to oversteer than understeer because if you are going to slide with the snow tires in the back at least you are going to slide straight."

In addition to getting cars tuned up for the winter by checking brakes, fluids, lights and wipers, the state's Department of Transportation recommends motorists always use their headlights, leave extra space between them and the cars ahead, and to be sure to brush all snow and ice off of the vehicle before driving.

Another MassDOT recommendation is to put a driving safety kit on the trunk, complete with jumper cables, cat litter or sand for additional tire traction, a shovel, an ice scraper, warm clothes, including extra gloves, a hat, sturdy boots, a warm jacket and even a complete change of clothes, blankets to keep warm inside the vehicle if trapped, flashlights and extra batteries, a first aid kit, food items containing protein such as nuts and energy bars, and road flares.

And Paciorek, the driving teacher, has one more word to the wise.

"My last bit of advice is always if the weather is bad and it's not an emergency, they should just stay at home," Paciorek said.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.

Discussion to continue on later start time at NHS

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

NORTHAMPTON — The four-year discussion surrounding a proposed later start time at Northampton High School will last at least another month.

After hearing from a handful of residents and two students who supported bumping back the beginning of the NHS school day from 7:30 to 8 a.m., School Committee members decided Thursday to revisit the notion at their next full board meeting on Jan. 14.

After spending more than an hour discussing the educational benefits associated with the switch and whether or not it would be a financial possibility, members tabled the decision and requested that business manager Susan Wright bring a cost estimate prepared earlier this year to the committee's next meeting.

The consensus among committee members, it seemed, was that while they unanimously agreed with research showing an additional half-hour of sleep would increase academic performance among high school students, none could offer an answer for how to fund the additional buses needed to accommodate the change.

"There is no way to argue against the research," said Vice Chairwoman Stephanie Pick, adding, "it just makes me really nervous thinking about voting on something without knowing exactly how it will work into our budget."

Sharing Pick's viewpoint was Mayor Clare Higgins, who said she wished the high school's start time could be pushed back to 8:30 a.m. but cautioned members about a 2011 budget year that is expected to be among the worst in recent history.

The report Wright will bring to the committee's next meeting, she said, is available on the school system's website: http://www.nps.northampton.ma.us.

Although progress stalled on a decision about when to start the school day, committee members passed a motion Thursday night changing this year's NHS graduation date from Saturday, June 4, to Sunday, June 5, at 3 p.m. in order to avoid a conflict with the track and field state championship.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.

Students aim to revive Northampton Key Club

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

NORTHAMPTON — Northampton High School’s Key Club is back in action.

Organizer and high school junior Daniel Dietz said he decided to revive a local chapter of the oldest high school service club in the world after hearing from freshman looking for ways to give back to the community. "We set out on getting this group started up and so far it has been great."

About 25 students from all grade levels have been meeting every Monday from 7 to 8 p.m. to brainstorm ways to help their community.

Their work received a boost from an online chapter of the Kiwanas Club, a national service organization, which gave $500 to their cause.

The club's first event is a children's book drive, where Key Club members will hand out the more than 2,000 children's books they collected from classmates this school year.

"We're going to give out books, read to the kids and encourage all of them to take whatever books they want home with them," Dietz said. "Any books they leave behind will go straight to local libraries."

Elementary age school children are invited to the high school cafeteria Sunday from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

Dietz said the group is looking for ongoing projects and community partnerships and welcomes outside speakers to the Monday night meetings. For information and any suggestions, contact Dietz at 587-1344.

NHS students in Haiti

When they graduated from Northampton High School last year, Milo Childs Campollo and Braeden Leinhart knew they wanted to take time off before college, but didn't know where or how.

Their quest turned into a two-week trip to Haiti, where they helped build housing for people displaced by last year's earthquake.

The two 18-year-olds say they felt compelled to help after a massive earthquake demolished much of the island nation last January. Two weeks after the earthquake, Childs Campollo's mother, Alison Childs, who is a registered nurse at Franklin Medical Center, left for Port Au Prince, Haiti, where she tended to the wounded as part of a multinational relief effort.

When she returned, Childs brought with her stories of the conditions in Haiti. She asked the two young men if they would like to come along on a two-week mission in November.

"They were just awesome; not that many teenage guys their age would be willing to go down there and live without hot water and television," Childs said. "They were absolutely fantastic."

Leinhart and Childs Campollo joined a construction program aimed at helping with the country's ongoing rebuilding effort.

"It was a totally eye-opening experience and it really made me appreciate all of the things I have," Childs Campollo said. "The trip made me really feel for the people who live down there and to see how messed up it is and how corrupt it is down there made me really want to help and keep on helping those people."

The boys helped build a house for 21 people who were displaced in the quake and had been living either on the street or in tents.

"I made a lot of good friends during my time there and just seeing the conditions that people were living in that long after the quake made me want to encourage other people to help, because they really need all the help they can get," Childs Campollo said.

Leinhart, who began taking classes at Greenfield Community College this past winter, said he too learned many life lessons from his two weeks spent in Haiti. The pair hopes to inspire other students to get involved.

They will share their experience and show slides from the trip at Longmeadow High School Dec. 20 and are hoping to make similar presentations at Northampton High School and other high schools.

###

NHS musicians shine

Every year, members of the Northampton High School chorus, band and orchestra compete against musicians from area high schools for a chance to participate in a regional concert at the University of Massachusetts.

The competition, sponsored by the Massachusetts Music Educators Association, calls for high school musicians from the state's four western counties to learn sheet music, scales and develop their sight-reading abilities. After a round of auditions, the highest-scoring regional students are selected to play in an ensemble made up of the best high school musicians in western Massachusetts.

"Those who make it through the district-level auditions get to play at our big concert next month and some are selected to compete for a chance to play in our statewide concert at Symphony Hall in Boston in March," said MMEA Western District Chairman Bill Love.

NHS Band Director Deborah Coon said the following students were accepted to play at the regional concert, planned for 3 p.m. on Jan. 15 at the UMass Fine Arts Center:

Chorus: Lindsay Griffin, Georgia Lederman, Sarah Plotkin, Marguerite Suozzo-Gole, Wilson Sadowski, Rebecca Coates-Finke, Annie Arrighi-Allisan, Maria Ramsey, Kristi Spicer; Band: Melia Coletta, Benjamin DeMeo, Louis Gaudet, Aerin Thomson, Lisa Feiden, Annie Innes-Gold, Zoeth Flegenheimer, Sam Coates-Finke; Orchestra: Abby Adams, Benjamin Ramsey, Charlie Hale, Ethan Bein.

Concert tickets are $3 and are available at the door. For information about the concert series, residents are encouraged to visit the MMEA website: http://www.mmeaonline.org.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.

Night nurses maintain helping tradition

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

NORTHAMPTON - It was a cold Christmas Eve in 2005 when a local couple, the wife about to deliver, and their two young boys rushed into Cooley Dickinson Hospital's Childbirth Center ready to welcome the newest addition to their family.

Norma Galko, who was working as a charge nurse that night, said soon after they arrived it became apparent to staffers that the family was without a car and had no way of transporting their two boys back home in time for Christmas morning.

"So here it was, Christmas Eve and they had no tree, no gifts, no nothing, and it didn't sound like their kids were going to get much of anything at home," Galko said.

What happened next, she said, was nothing short of a holiday miracle.

Night nurses and overnight staff members pooled their pocket money, pulled a couple of decorative stockings off the wall and called the local police department to see what they could do to.

"The police officers brought down toys for them and somewhere, I don't know where, they found a Santa Claus outfit and someone came in dressed as Santa to deliver the gifts," Galko said. "We sent our night secretary down to Cumberland Farms and she was able to stuff two stockings for the boys."

After seeing the impact that a little holiday spirit could have on the lives of the less fortunate, Galko said, night nurses in the department have done something special each year during the holiday season.

Two years ago, as they celebrated their annual holiday party at a city restaurant, night nurses pooled a little bit of money together and gave it all to their waitress as a present, she said.

"It really just blew her mind," Galko said. "She was so thankful. It was great."

Keeping the tradition going, the same group of night nurses made an $80 donation to the Sidney F. Smith Toy Fund, which each year helps provide gifts to area residents who might not otherwise be able to provide them.

"Since that night we have tried to do something special every Christmas," Galko said.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.

Toy Fund details

Named after a former business manager at the Gazette, the Toy Fund began in 1933 to help families in need during the Depression. Today, the fund distributes vouchers to families for each child from ages 1 to 14. Eligible families in all Hampshire County communities, except Ware, may participate, as well as families in the southern Franklin County towns of Deerfield, Sunderland, Whately, Shutesbury and Leverett.

Berkshire Children and Families, at 220 Russell St. in Hadley, is accepting applications for vouchers. The last day to apply is Friday.

The vouchers will be distributed in batches as they are processed, and all should be mailed by Dec. 15 to give families enough time to shop.

Families can use the vouchers to buy holiday gifts at participating stores by midnight on Dec. 24.

The following stores are participating this year: A2Z Science and Learning Store, 57 King St., Northampton; Deals & Steals, 76 Pleasant St., Northampton; Faces, 175 Main St., Northampton; F.J. Rogers, 3 Main St., Florence; JCPenney, 341 Russell St., Hadley; Mountain Goat, 189 Main St., Northampton; Target, Route 9, Hadley; The Toy Box, 201 North Pleasant St., Amherst; and Wilson's Department Store, 258 Main St., Greenfield.

Donations to the Toy Fund may be dropped off at or mailed to the Daily Hampshire Gazette at 115 Conz St., Northampton, 01060, or Gazette offices at 67 Main St., Easthampton, or 100 University Drive, Amherst. Donations may also be made through GazetteNET. Checks should be made payable to the Sidney F. Smith Toy Fund.

TODAY'S DONORS

In memory of Homer R. Dushane from wife Jane#$25

In memory of Joe Dembek from sister Jane Dushane#$25

From Susan Riter and Sarah Neely#$20

In memory of Mike Shea, Madeline Roberts and Duke Ducharme#$25

From Richard and Susan Knapp#$35

From Augie#$200

From Peter & Deborah Christakos#$100

From Sharon and Donald Siegel#$50

From Julia Riseman & Nicholas Horton#$50

In loving memory of Aunti Annie from Kaitlin and Nick#$50

In honor of Marsha Ciaschini from the Peter Kelley family#$25

In commemoration of our mother Monica K. O'Leary, U.S. Army station in Afghanastan & our dad U.S. Army N.C.O. Brian O'Leary N.C.O. Ft. Drumm, New York for the children, from Gramma Marianne O'Leary of Sunderland and Brian, Jarrius, Annette & Patrick O'Leary, of Watertown, New York#$15

In memory of Cave & Lewis families from Morris Cave #$50

In memory of the members of Joel Hayden Chapter No. 171, now Arcana Chapter No. 50, Order of the Eastern Star in Greenfield, from Esther J. William, P.M. Secretary, Arcana Chapter No. 50 O.E.S.#$50

In grateful and loving memory of my parents Lois and Mike Meunier, as well as my brother, Michael Meunier#$50

In memory of Jaju, who loved to hand out the toys#$100

This is the fourth year of our annual donation to the Sidney F. Smith Toy Fund in memory of our son Nicholas. We give this gift every year just before St. Nicholas Day in hopes that our gift will help a life just like St. Nicholas did long before Christmas existed as a holiday. Our son was named Nicholas in hopes that his memory and our actions to perpetuate his memory would help children everywhere in some small special way from Jonathan & Katie Edwards, Whately#$75

Previous Total#$4,622.25

Today's Total#$945.00

Year-To-Date Total#$5,567.25

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com

Seventeen hurt as bus carrying UMass students rolls

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

Seventeen people were injured Friday afternoon when a tour bus carrying members of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst Ski and Board Club rolled over and slid off Interstate 91 in Putney, according to the Vermont State Police.

All 16 passengers who were hurt were released from hospitals Friday night; the bus driver remained in critical condition on Saturday, state police said

The tour bus was one of three that left the university's Amherst campus Friday afternoon for a ski trip to Quebec City, Canada. Vermont State Police Lt. Craig Laporte confirmed that the bus was carrying UMass-Amherst students.

The driver, who may have suffered a heart attack, was airlifted by helicopter to the trauma center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Hanover, N.H., according to state police spokeswoman Stephanie Dasaro.

Vermont State Police said Saturday that the driver remained in critical condition at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. Police declined to release the names of any of the people injured in the crash, including the driver.

At 3:51 p.m. Friday, more than a dozen ambulances from Vermont and New Hampshire responded to the scene after it was reported that a bus owned by Tour World, a Danville, Pa., a company that charters private bus tours, had crossed over the median, rolled over and ended up off the side of the highway's southbound lane, Laporte said.

Laporte said 16 of the 45 passengers aboard were taken by ambulance to hospitals in Brattleboro and Springfield, Vt. The other 28 were uninjured in the crash.

UMass spokesman Ed Blaguszewski said the students involved in the crash were participating in a private ski tour that was not organized by the university.

"This was not a university-organized event and was not done with university vehicles," Blaguszewski said. "This would be the equivalent to a group of students getting on a chartered bus to go to a concert, so we don't have a list of who was on the bus. Our understanding is that a great number of those involved were in fact UMass students."

Seven of the injured were taken to Brattleboro Memorial Hospital with cuts and bruises, and they were treated and released, hospital spokeswoman Barbara Gentry said.

An eighth had a neck injury and was X-rayed, but he, too, was released, she said.

The other eight passengers were taken to Springfield Hospital, where they were treated for minor injuries and released Friday night, according to hospital spokeswoman Mary Ann Bonneville.

Joe Schoppy, owner of Tour World, told the Brattleboro Reformer that the driver of the bus may have suffered a heart attack or anxiety attack and that the bus was almost at a complete stop before it rolled over.

The Vermont State Police Crash Reconstruction Team was still at the scene late Friday night investigating the cause of the accident, Dasaro said.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.

Panel seeks talk on NHS starting time

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

NORTHAMPTON - Despite agreeing with research showing that a later start time at Northampton High School would be a clear benefit to students, the slew of scheduling problems that would accompany the switch was enough to deter a decision among Curriculum Subcommittee members Thursday night.

Although all three members at the subcommittee meeting said they would rather NHS start the day at 8 a.m. instead of 7:30, they passed a motion 2-1 Thursday night stating that they were uncomfortable moving forward with plans to make the half-hour change and would rather continue the discussion with the nine-member School Committee as a whole at their next meeting.

Members James Young and Michael Flynn voted in favor of the motion. But Downey Meyer, who cast the dissenting vote, said he wanted to endorse moving the start time at the high school back a half-hour next year and then worry about rearranging transportation to and from the school.

"I'm just saying, let's go for 8 o'clock and let's see how the transportation part of it plays out," Meyer said. "Transportation is transportation, but if we can improve the education of our high school students by getting them to school at 8 o'clock rather than at 7:30 I think we should do it."

Prior to the vote, Superintendent Isabelina Rodriguez, who will leave her post to head Granby's public school system in January, urged members to base their decision on what they think is best for the students rather than worrying about how the system would find a way to pay for additional buses.

"If you want to do this then you have to find a way to fund it. Our children must be picked up at the time we've decided to dismiss them and brought in when we want them to be at school," Rodriguez said. "I'm saying if you want this change to be a priority you should make your decision separate from the problems associated with transportation."

The discussion on whether to change the start date at NHS will continue next Thursday, Dec. 9, at a School Committee meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Community Room at JFK Middle School.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.

A forest classroom

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

SOUTHAMPTON - Students in Todd Bryant's ecology class spend the majority of their time together analyzing the diverse landscape surrounding Hampshire Regional High School. The hands-on teaching method, he says, generates impressive results.

On an unusually warm autumn day, Bryant's students filed into his classroom and chatted among themselves while waiting to receive their marching orders: After breaking into groups of three, students would mark off sections of the woods behind the high school and create an inventory of the plant and tree species.

As the 25-member class made their way through the high school's parking lot, Bryant described how his curriculum is rooted in the idea that the best way to learn about earth sciences is to get outside of the classroom and gain first-hand experience.

"We're lucky because this campus is really beautiful and we have all this land to learn from," Bryant said. "We've got streams, a lot of different trees and little bit of everything. So it is really nice for us to be able to get out and actually see it and work with it."

Topics studied already this year include identifying the invertebrates in the streams, and learning how to distinguish among various tree species.

"I've found that when the kids are out here seeing, touching and feeling what they're learning about, they get a sense of ownership and a sense that they are a part of something," Bryant said, "and that is definitely one way of sparking their interest."

As the group headed into the woods, they began taking note of plant life from the forest floor to the canopy above.

"They're looking at what the dominant tree species are, what the understory of the canopy is made up of and what kind of regeneration is going on along the forest floor," Bryant said. "What I want them to be able to do is recognize that there are some tree species out here that maybe they don't know and to see that now they have the means of finding out what they are."

And thanks to the host of topics that fall under the ecology umbrella, Bryant said the fresh-air learning sessions won't be called off during the winter months.

"When you are learning science you want it to be inquiry-based," Bryant said. "You want them to be able to ask intelligent questions and understand the right way to go about getting the answers."

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.

Friends, family cope with discovery of Umass graduate's body

By Dan Crowley and Owen Boss

Staff Writers

BOSTON - The body of a University of Massachusetts-Amherst graduate who had been missing since February after a birthday celebration in Boston was found floating in Boston Harbor earlier this month, police said.

Eugene Losik, 25, of Lawrence, was last seen in the area of the Marriott Long Wharf Hotel where he was staying with his girlfriend and friends after a night out in Faneuil Hall.

Rick Keilty, one of Losik's best friends, said he was the last person to see him when Keilty left the hotel at 2:15 a.m. to get a cab ride home to nearby Brighton. The two earlier had left the hotel at around 1 a.m. and taken a 20-minute walk before returning. Surveillance video showed Losik leaving the hotel at around 2:30 a.m. He was seen exiting the rear of the hotel toward a small park at the waterfront, Keilty said.

Losik's friends reported him missing when he didn't turn up the next day. His nine-month disappearance and the mystery surrounding his death have devastated his friends and family, many of whom are still seeking answers, Keilty said in a phone interview Monday night.

"There's a lot about the story that just doesn't add up," Keilty said. "We've speculated over every possible idea for the last nine months as to why he would have gone outside. Unfortunately, we'll never really know."

Losik grew up in North Andover and graduated from UMass in 2008 with a degree in electrical engineering. He worked as an engineer at Raytheon developing test equipment. Keilty described Losik as a good friend to everyone around him and someone who always knew what to say to people in any situation. He said the young engineer had a lot to look forward to in life. He was excelling at his job and was preparing to propose to his girlfriend.

"He was only a year older than me, and I looked up to him more than anybody knew," said Keilty, who met Losik during high school. "I would much rather had him come back to us alive."

Losik's mother, Zhanna Losik, told the Boston Globe that the recent discovery of her son's body was "devastating news" for her family.

"We still don't know what happened. We don't know how he ended up in the water. It doesn't answer anything," she told the newspaper.

After several searches this year that included posting fliers around the UMass campus in Amherst, members of the Boston Police Harbor Unit on Nov. 8 responded to a report that a body was seen floating in the area of Rowes Wharf. After recovering the body, a medical examiner confirmed that it was Losik's. The cause and manner of death have not yet been determined, police said.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com

Berkshire Electric Cable sold; new owner to double work force

By Owen Boss and Ben Storrow

Staff Writers

NORTHAMPTON - The Berkshire Electric Cable Co. in Leeds will double its employees to about 70 after it was sold this week to the Champlain Cable Corp. of Vermont.

Executives at both companies said that Champlain Cable wants to use Berkshire Electric's knowledge of electric wiring used in hybrid automobiles.

Garson R. Fields Jr., whose father Garson R. Fields Sr. established Berkshire Electric in the center of Leeds in 1949, said Champlain Cable was dedicated to expanding operations at the River Road plant, where the company has been based since 1954.

"It's really pretty simple. You do what's in your family's best interests and then, if you're like me, you do what's best for your employees," Fields said, explaining the sale. "It's a big opportunity for me and the community because Champlain is going to double the work force here, probably by the end of the year."

The younger Fields joined the company in 1974, and became president after Fields Sr. died in an airplane crash in 1986.

Richard A. Hall, president of Champlain Cable, said the decision to purchase Berkshire Electric was an easy one and was made in an effort to expand his company's offerings and streamline distribution.

"Our sales are up significantly, and this is just a really good fit for us," Hall said. "Half of their business is producing our existing products and the other half is creating wires and cables for pleasure boats, and that is a market we were looking to get involved with."

Both Hall and Fields declined to reveal the price paid for the Leeds company. Fields did not disclose how long the two parties had been in negotiations, but said he had established a strong working relationship with Champlain Cable over the years.

The Vermont company's interest in Berkshire Electric was largely driven by the latter's expertise in larger electric cables, Fields said. The electric wiring industry has generally followed a trend of miniaturization recently, he said, in which the electric cables being produced became smaller and smaller.

But with the advent of hybrid automobiles, there's a growing need for larger electric cables that can deliver more power to a vehicle, Fields said. Berkshire Electric has experience with such wiring and Champlain Cable is looking to become a major player in the hybrid auto market, Fields said.

"They needed to expand their capacity," he said. "Champlain are major players in the automotive industry, and I think it is a win-win for everybody."

According to the company's website, Champlain Cable manufactures high-performance wire and cable products that are sold to automotive, industrial, military and data markets. The company has a 200,000-square-foot facility in Colchester, Vt., and recently built an 80,000-square-foot facility in El Paso, Texas.

Champlain is part of the American Industrial Acquisition Corp., a group of 36 manufacturing companies with 5,422 employees in 13 countries.

Berkshire Electric, which now has 35 employees, produces cable sold to boating, specialty electronic and appliance companies. All current employees were officially terminated Friday and rehired Monday.

As part of the asset transfer, Hall said, Berkshire Electric will continue operating as an independent division of Champlain Corp. The decision to continue running Berkshire Electric as it has in the past, Hall said, is a testament to the company's lasting success.

"The cable production community is pretty incestuous, so I've known Garson for a long time," Hall said. "Berkshire has done some great work for us over the years, and we want to continue that."

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com. Ben Storrow can be reached at bstorrow@gazettenet.com.

By plane, bus and automobile, people travel for Thanksgiving

By Owen Boss and Matt Pilon

Staff Writers

People planning to travel this Thanksgiving by land or air should prepare for crowded travel conditions. The travel organization AAA is forecasting a double-digit increase in Thanksgiving travel in Massachusetts this month compared to last year. And the bulk of it starts today.

The Department of Transportation is warning motorists that to the east, the Mass Pike Sturbridge tolls, I-495, I-95 and I-93 interchanges will likely experience heavy traffic. The DOT is recommending that travelers try to make their trips in the early morning or after 8 p.m. to avoid delays.

Meanwhile, AAA is predicting a 12.7 percent increase in Massachusetts motor vehicle traffic through this weekend. The forecast mirrors a nationwide predicted increase of 11.4 percent, according to Sandra Marsian, vice president of marketing and communications for AAA Pioneer Valley, based in Springfield.

AAA is attributing the increase, which makes up for only half the decrease in holiday travel observed from 2007 to 2009, to slightly improved economic factors over the past year.

Weather could potentially play a factor in any delays, too, Marsian said.

"Certainly inclement weather could increase accidents," Marsian said.

Today's weather is expected to be sunny, but with a 30 percent chance of showers in the evening, according to the National Weather Service. Thursday's forecast is 30 percent chance of rain during the day, and 60 percent at night, and Friday's forecast is for 50 percent chance of rain.

Air travel up, too

It's not just area roads that will see increased traffic. AAA is also predicting a 4.1 percent increase in airline travel from Massachusetts, compared to a 3.5 percent increase nationwide.

Bradley International Airport communications director John Wallace said Tuesday that the airport started experiencing higher numbers of travelers starting last Friday. And, he said, the Sunday after Thanksgiving is usually the busiest day in November.

"Everybody will be going back en masse," Wallace said.

Wallace said passengers are encouraged to arrive 90 minutes before their flight is scheduled to depart.

Meanwhile, driving is more popular than ever. Despite an expected increase in air travel for Massachusetts residents, more are choosing their cars as their mode of vacation transportation, according to AAA data.

"We discovered that this year is the highest share of auto travel since we've started recording the data," said Marsian, of AAA.

In Massachusetts, 94 percent of travelers reported in AAA surveys that they would drive rather than travel by air. It is the highest disparity between driving and flying seen in the past decade, Marsian said.

"Some of that can be attributed to the economy," she said. "They don't want to fly, whether it's the cost or the availability of flights."

Marsian said she doubted that recent news stories about enhanced security patdowns and body scans at airports have affected the numbers much.

"Typically if you need a flight for Thanksgiving, you're planning a couple of months out," she said. "All this has sort of come about in the past few weeks, particularly in the media."

Patdown concerns addressed

David Bassett, federal director of security for the Transportation Security Administration in Connecticut, downplayed concerns over patdowns and body scans in a telephone interview Tuesday.

Bradley International is currently using several of the advanced imaging, or "backscatter," units, he said.

"If you don't go through the backscatter, and you're at the metal detector, if you properly divest and remove items that might cause alarm, chances are you will not receive a patdown," Bassett said.

Bassett said Bradley does not have enough scanners operational to offer all passengers the choice between the scanner and the metal detector. He said that only 1 percent of passengers have requested not to be scanned since the airport installed the scanners several months ago.

"The vast majority prefer it," he said. "They're comfortable with it."

Bassett said TSA screeners at Bradley have been briefed about a recent campaign for a national "opt-out day," which calls for airline passengers to refuse to be body scan, instead opting for the sometimes lengthier metal detector process, which can include the patdown.

The airport is hoping that the idea doesn't catch on.

"I don't think it's going to be that big of a deal," Bassett said. "I think it's a little counterproductive should anybody try to do that, not only for themselves but for the other passengers who are trying to get home safe."

Locals unruffled

Local residents asked Tuesday about their take on the new airport screening methods said they can't see why there's such a fuss.

Of course, they were traveling by bus. Smith College student Kara Dominik, at the bus station Tuesday heading to New York City, said she didn't choose the bus over flying because of concerns over patdowns and body scanners.

"They only ask a few people to go through the body scanner, and if you have nothing to hide it shouldn't be a big deal," Dominik said. "I'd rather know that I'm safe than worry about what someone next to me might have on an airplane."

Easthampton resident Paul Matteson, who experienced a patdown on a recent flight from Amsterdam, had similar sentiments Tuesday.

"I think that unless you have someone actually grope you, then having a problem with the patdown is just an overreaction," Matteson said. "That's the price you've got to pay if you want to be safe."

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com

Northampton plans superintendent search

By Owen Boss
Staff Writer

NORTHAMPTON - Just three days after it was announced that longtime Superintendent of Schools Isabelina Rodriguez had been tapped to head up Granby's school system, School Committee members discussed the ongoing search for her replacement and a special meeting next Tuesday with a third-party consultant.

At a School Committee meeting Thursday night, Vice Chairwoman Stephanie Pick said that Superintendent Search Committee members had selected the Marlborough-based New England School Development Council to help in finding a replacement for Rodriguez, who spent the last seven years as Northampton's schools chief.

Members did not publicly discuss Rodriguez's anticipated departure date, but when she announced her resignation, she had said it was effective in June.

Meanwhile, also Thursday night, the Granby School Committee unanimously approved a three-year and five-month contract with Rodriguez.

Still unresolved is the issue of exactly when Rodriguez will begin work in Granby. School Committee members are hoping she will start on Jan. 31.

After meeting in executive session with Rodriguez, the board approved a contract that sets her annual salary at $132,000, with a review in 17 months, according to School Committee Chair Deborah Buckley.

The position had been advertised as paying between $120,000 and $140,000 annually. Rodriguez earns $113,000 in Northampton.

Rodriguez will replace Patricia Stevens, who is retiring as Granby school superintendent in February after more than eight years in the position.

Superintendent search plans

Earlier this month, Northampton search committee members met with representatives from NESDEC and the Massachusetts Association of School Committees and heard hourlong presentations from each organization about how they would move forward with the superintendent search.

The next step in the search process, Pick said, is to hold a School Committee workshop at JFK Middle School this Tuesday featuring a presentation from a NESDEC representative.

"Representatives from NESDEC will come to us and we will have the initial discussion with them about how this process should proceed," Pick said. "They will let us know what the time line will look like and we can let them know some of the qualities we are looking for in our next superintendent."

The workshop, which will be held in the school's Community Room from 6:15 to 8:15 p.m., is open to the public and will be aired on Northampton Community Television.

Pick said NESDEC representatives are working on a draft of the contract to be presented to potential applicants and plan on preparing an informational brochure containing facts about the city of Northampton and figures from its various public schools. Then, using input gathered from a series of focus groups, Pick said NESDEC representatives will begin their search for the individual they think best fits the needs of Northampton schools.

"They are looking to get a lot of public opinion that outlines the type of traits and qualifications that the public wants to see in a superintendent."

NESDEC, a private, not-for-profit educational organization with over 300 school districts as affiliates, was founded in 1946 at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, according to the organization's website.

The organization's mission, according to the site, is "helping schools and their districts become high-performance organizations by providing assistance to school boards in recruiting and selecting the very best leaders for their communities."

For more information about NESDEC, residents are encouraged to visit the nonprofit's website: www.nesdec.org.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com

Easthampton man ruled suicide after being found hanging from branch

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

EASTHAMPTON - A man found hanging from a tree on Stone Path Lane early Wednesday morning committed suicide, according to officials at the Northwestern District Attorney's office.

At 6:47 a.m., local police and members of the state police's Crime Prevention and Control Unit responded to 11 Stone Path Lane, where the body of Thomas D. Major, 56, was found hanging from a tree branch, according to First Assistant District Attorney Renee Steese.

Steese declined to say whether the tree was located in the front yard or backyard of the three-story brick house, but did say that Major's body would have been visible to pedestrians and motorists.

"We are only commenting on this because it happened outside and we know that there were people in the area," Steese said.

- OWEN BOSS

Police look for answers following Saturday crash

By OWEN BOSS

Staff Writer

WEST SPRINGFIELD - Police are still sifting through evidence to determine the cause of a five-car pile-up on Interstate 91 Saturday that sent several local residents to the hospital.

According to reports, the accident occurred around 1:45 p.m. when two vehicles crossed over the median into oncoming traffic.

State police Sgt. Matthew Murray said a Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Kristi McKenna, 39, of Northampton and a Nissan Altima driven by Syed Alrafai, 19, of Springfield, crossed the median and struck a northbound Pontiac G6, driven by Larry Spain, 43, of Bronx, N.Y.

The initial accident, Murray said, then caused two other vehicles to crash: a Saab driven by Andrew Glace, 61, of Amherst and a Dodge Caravan driven by Amy Roberts-Crawford, 39, of Buckland.

The accident occurred near Exit 14 in the interstate's northbound lane.

"There was a very large response of emergency personnel to this accident," Murray said. "We had state troopers come in from Westfield, Northampton and Springfield."

The accident, Murray said, brought traffic along the Interstate to a standstill for more than an hour. He said police are still working with witnesses and clues at the scene to determine what caused the chain reaction. "Our report doesn't yet indicate whether someone is going to be charged in this," Murray said. "When we get a big accident like this it typically takes a bit of time to investigate."

Murray said four of the five drivers were taken to Baystate Medical Center to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries. However, Keith O'Connor, a spokesman at the Springfield hospital, said only Glace and Roberts-Crawford were taken to the hospital, and both were both treated and released.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com

In Easthampton, the sound of gunfire, taps

By Owen Boss
Staff Writer

EASTHAMPTON - Three volleys of gunfire were followed by a gentle rendition of taps Thursday morning as city residents gathered at memorial sites across the city for Veterans Day.

The annual Veterans Day procession, organized by members of American Legion Dalton Lavallee Post 224 on Pleasant Street, included stops at the Old Town Hall, Brookside Cemetery and Emily Williston Memorial Library, where local veterans, dressed in uniform, laid wreaths and thanked the men and women who perished while serving their country.

At each stop along the way, Legion member Walter Sliz read a prayer honoring the dead and, after a three-gun salute, the flag over the memorial was raised from half-staff.

Among those present was local resident and U.S. Army veteran James Tenerowicz, his wife, Cathy, and son Jeff and, for whom Veterans Day is a family affair.

At a lunch afterwards at the local Legion Post, James Tenerowicz, who served in the Army for 18 years, sat proudly with his son, Jeff Tenerowicz, who was injured during his two years overseas with the U.S. Army, and his wife, Cathy, who served for 11 years as a combat nurse.

"Today is a really special day for all of us," Tenerowicz said. He said he was thinking of his youngest son, Justin, who is completing a second tour of duty in Iraq.

Inside the crowded banquet hall, more than 100 residents clapped and sang along with a series of patriotic songs played by members of the Easthampton High School Band.

Legion member Larry White, of Springfield, hosted Thursday's celebration and reminded those in attendance that Veterans Day is an opportunity to practice the freedoms that hundreds of local veterans have died to preserve. "Remember that we are all charged as Americans to protect, preserve and defend our constitutional rights," White said. "The men and women who are trying to establish those principles and beliefs overseas can't do that with us here today, so it is our responsibility to do it in their stead."

Also taking to the podium was Sen. Michael R. Knapik, R-Westfield, who said Veterans Day should be a day forever dedicated to peace. "So we gather together today in a very heartfelt way to remember those individuals who have sacrificed for Easthampton, for Massachusetts and for the United States of America," Knapik said. "And we remember that their sacrifice was born from a love of country and is one that is dedicated to peace for future generations."

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com

Southampton woman badly hurt after being hit by car

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

SOUTHAMPTON - A woman hit by a car while walking on Pomeroy Meadow Road Saturday morning remains in critical condition at Baystate Medical Center, a hospital spokesman said this morning.

Bonnie Burt, 65, of 6 Thomas Circle, Southampton was walking with a friend in the eastbound breakdown lane when she was struck from behind by a Ford Taurus operated by Samantha Duffy, 25, of 4 David St., in Southampton, who crossed the westbound lane, according to Lt. Michael Goyette, at 8:15 a.m.

Police are still investigating the cause of the accident and Goyette said Duffy may face charges, though it remains unclear what those charges would be.

Goyette said Burt was rushed by ambulance to the Springfield hospital, where she was admitted, and remains listed in critical condition, hospital spokesman Keith O'Connor said.

Nancy Gwinner, who lives near the scene of the accident and often walks along the same patch of road, said pedestrians are forced to walk in the breakdown lane.

"The sidewalk ends and the speed limit on that road is 40 and people tend to go all of it," Gwinner said.

"What's scary is that this person crossed the line and hit her from behind, so she wouldn't have even been aware that someone was coming. I walk my dog there all the time and that's just really scary." Goyette said police are still looking into the cause of the accident and initial investigation suggested that speed wasn't a factor.

"That isn't necessarily a problem road and I don't think speeding had anything to do with this," Goyette said.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com

Time out to honor veterans, especially one

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

SOUTHAMPTON - As a strong November wind whipped across the schoolyard, a proud group of local veterans exited William E. Norris Elementary School Wednesday afternoon, to be greeted by hundreds of smiling faces and a sea of miniature American flags gripped by some of the town's youngest residents.

Some of the 500 students on hand were cheering on their parents, others their grandparents, but all joined in to recognize area veterans who served their country.

The Norris School's Veterans Day celebration honored all veterans who served, are serving still, and those who died in the line of duty. But a special thank-you was reserved for local resident, U.S. Navy veteran and Pearl Harbor survivor Edward F. Borucki.

At Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, Borucki was a yeoman clerk aboard the USS Helena, a cruiser that was among the ships torpedoed by Japanese fighter pilots.

As a handful of fifth-graders peeled back a layer of red, white and blue ribbons adorning the school's flagpole to reveal a commemorative plaque, Principal Bill Collins announced that it would forever be known as the Edward F. Borucki flagpole.

"The number of Pearl Harbor veterans who participated in that pivotal moment in American History gets fewer and fewer every year, so Norris students I ask you to etch indelibly in your minds that you were here today in the presence of Mr. Borucki, a true real-life American hero," Collins said. "Someday you will be able to tell your children and their children that you were here in the presence of a hero."

The flag flying atop the pole, which was a gift from the local American Legion, was ceremoniously taken down by a handful of students, folded and presented to Borucki, 89, who then took the podium to address the crowd.

After briefly describing what he experienced during the attack on Pearl Harbor, Borucki said he was proud to have defended his country and asked those in attendance to honor the 2,390 men who died that day and his brother, Walter, who died onboard the USS Ingraham in the North Atlantic in 1942.

"I'll be 90 years old on Nov. 20, and I will continue to do the job of remembering those who gave their lives at Pearl Harbor, and I salute the school for honoring all of our local veterans," Borucki said.

Also stepping to the podium was Navy veteran and fifth-grade teacher Joseph Moynihan, who reminded students that Veterans Day is a time to remember that freedom isn't free.

"I was out there, sometimes putting myself in harm's way, just as these gentleman and ladies who are beside me did, and we did that so a ceremony like this could happen," Moynihan said. "So across our country we could gather peacefully, speak our minds, live our lives and be free."

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.

Northampton High undertakes self-review

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

NORTHAMPTON - Faculty members at Northampton High School have begun working on a self-review organized by the New England Association of Schools that targets ways of improving the quality of education offered at NHS.

Last month, NHS faculty members sat down for an hour-long presentation given by Ann Ashworth, associate director for the association's Commission on Public Secondary Schools, who outlined strategies for preparing the self-study, due in 2012.

"Northampton High School is already an accredited member of our organization and over the next year-and-a-half or two years, they are required to complete a self-study that analyzes the facility, practices, programs, teaching strategies and curricula," Ashworth said. "All of our member schools must go through this process every 10 years."

When the self-study is completed, an evaluation will be conducted by a visiting committee of professional educators, sent by the commission, who review all materials prepared by the faculty in the self-assessment, visit classes and talk with students, teachers, administrators, parents and community members during their four-day visit to the school.

"While accreditation by the association does not imply perfection, it does ensure that the school has the resources, leadership, and organization necessary to support the ongoing improvement required of all schools," said Principal Nancy Athas.

The New England Association is a voluntary accrediting agency of more than 2,000 public and independent schools, colleges and universities, and vocational, technical, and career institutions. Of these, about 650 schools have been accredited through the association's Commission on Public Secondary Schools.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com

Gan Keshet expands, affiliates with Lander-Grinspoon

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

NORTHAMPTON - A 25-year-old Jewish preschool run by Congregation Bnai Israel on Prospect Street will expand its school and offer full-day options next year.

Gan Keshet Preschool Director Wendy Stein said the expansion means the school will be able to double the number of children enrolled.

We want to be able to offer more options to more families and we think expanding what we have available will help us meet the needs of more people in our community, said Stein. We already had full-day classes that went to 3 p.m. but this expansion will allow us to run to 5:15 p.m.

By joining forces with Northamptons Lander-Grinspoon Academy, a private Jewish day school for grades K through 6, Stein said the expanded preschool will be larger and made available to all children in the community, regardless of faith.

We value diversity and welcome all families in the community, Stein said.

The school is also changing its name to Gan Keshet Jewish Community Preschool of the Pioneer Valley.

The expansion, which will begin next school year, will include offering longer-day options Monday through Friday and adding another classroom for 3-year-olds. Stein said the new three-year-old classroom will be located in currently unused space that administrators plan to refurbish. Established in 1985, the school is licensed by the states Department of Early Education and Care for children between the ages of 2.9 and 5 years old as of Sept. 1 in the year they enroll.

So much of our preschool curriculum supports a childs ability and natural interest in being a member of a community, Stein said.

Gan Keshet will be accepting applications in November for the 2011-2012 school year. The school is holding an open house Monday, Dec. 6, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. to meet the staff and visit classrooms.

For more information about Gan Keshet, residents can contact Stein at 413-584-3593 ext. 204 or visit the schools website: http://www.cbinorthampton.org/gan-keshet-preschool.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com

Founder of groundbreaking breast cancer website dies

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

SOUTH HADLEY - In the days before web-based social networking and medical sites changed the way people interacted, the concept of creating an online chat room for people diagnosed with breast cancer was a novel one.

When longtime resident Susan Frisius was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1994, she realized that such a virtual place - capable of bringing people across the world together to comfort one another, exchange ideas and treatment methods - simply didn't exist.

So, in 1997, Frisius went about creating BCForum, a popular website that features chat rooms aimed at helping people with breast cancer cope with the diagnosis and providing an open forum where they can talk one-on-one with experts and survivors.

Frisius died Thursday at the age of 63 from a stroke associated with ovarian cancer.

In an interview with the Gazette just 2½ years after her breast cancer diagnosis, Frisius said that shortly after finding out about her disease she rarely left her home and found herself too weak to attend local support group meetings.

"When you get breast cancer, you enter a world you know nothing about," Frisius said. "When you have cancer, a lot of times people abandon you. I was so needy, and people did help me out, but not enough."

During that tough time, Frisius said she turned for help to her family and friends, many of whom lived far away and didn't truly understand what she was going through.

Soon her energy, she said, was fully focused on recruiting members for her forum, sending out email messages to people affiliated with breast cancer groups and sitting for hours in front of her computer, waiting for someone to log on.

Frisius' daughter, Rachel Frisius-Henderson, who now lives in Colorado, said it wasn't long before the website was visited by hundreds of people from places including Canada, California and Costa Rica and began touching the lives of countless breast cancer patients.

Soon every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday at 8 p.m., members would enter the chat room and update each other their progress, share encouraging words and swap stories.

"She felt the need was there for people to share their stories and help each other cope," said Frisius' sister-in-law, Randi Henderson. "I know it's hard to imagine it now but, back then, there just wasn't a really easy way go about doing that. Thankfully, she had the imagination and the ingenuity to do it."

Soon after the site was created, Frisius' forum spawned numerous meet-and-greets among users and guided thousands through the steps that immediately follow a breast cancer diagnosis, like finding the right doctor, choosing medications and making healthy lifestyle choices.

Frisius was also well-known for helping those who needed it most, including one of her many foster daughters, Beverly Poynter, 18, who lived for two years in Frisius' South Hadley home before moving to Springfield a year ago.

"My mother passed away from cancer when I was 10, and Susan was always there for me and really helped me cope with my mother's death," Poynter said.

"She was a good person and was very inspirational. It always seemed like she was so busy, but she was always willing to take time out of her day to help someone else."

Frisius' online breast cancer support group, her daughter said, was also open to the family members of breast cancer patients and led to the formation of many lifelong friendships.

"The site helped a lot of people," she said. "I went to a couple of get-togethers and got to see it firsthand."

Frisius' friends and family members are invited to attend a memorial service Tuesday at Tower Theatres on College Street from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Anyone interested in viewing Frisius' website can visit www.bcforum.org.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.

Hands-on engineering

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

EASTHAMPTON - Students at Pepin School are building and programming robots as part of a regional project aimed at providing hands-on engineering experience to some of the region's youngest students.

Earlier this year, the Hampshire Regional schools and seven other Pioneer Valley school districts were awarded $200,000 in grant funding to support the Western Massachusetts Robotics Project, thanks to a grant written by Williamsburg Schools' Technology Coordinator John Heffernan.

The funding, which was provided to the state's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, equipped area elementary and middle school students with technology, math and science robotics kits and paid for a training program for teachers across western Massachusetts.

At Pepin, students in grades 1 through 4 have worked with their math and science teachers to build, program and operate miniature robots.

Marge Kline, who teaches second grade at Pepin, said the idea behind the program is to encourage school administrators to begin introducing students to technology and engineering at a younger age than in years past.

"Research has shown that very few females choose engineering as a career and this is our way of starting interest among both boys and girls at a young age," Kline said, adding "and at the same time we are promoting 21st-century skills and higher-level thinking and problem solving among students."

The results, Kline said, have been "unbelievable."

"They are all very excited and what is interesting is we were worried about managing the lessons, losing pieces and having our kids work together, and so far none of that has been a problem," Kline said. "Once we gave them a little structure the work they've done has been incredible."

According to Heffernan, who said the projects have been a hit in Williamsburg schools for years, students in grades 1 through 4 will work with Lego WeDo kits and those in grades 6 through 8 will use Lego Mindstorms to develop engineering skills through cooperative learning.

Using those kits, students will complete a variety of tasks, including constructing and programming minature robots to move, make noise and navigate mazes.

One project recently completed by the younger set of students, Heffernan said, involved setting their robot up with a drum and then using a laptop computer to change the rhythm the robot makes when it plays.

Pepin first-grade teacher Mary Franck and third-grade teacher Marcia Dushane, Kline said, are joining her for a 10-week course provided by grant funding to prepare them for the projects, which use Lego building kits to build, program and control robots capable of moving and make noise.

"We are taking the course so we can work through eight different projects and then pass the information we gain to our other grade levels," Kline said. "So far we've been absolutely impressed with the results and with the discussions we've generated."

According to the grant, participating teachers will provide at least two promising practices or lesson plans to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education by August 2011 so they can be sent out to teachers and students in school districts statewide.

Also participating in the robotics program are students in Amherst, Northampton, Easthampton, the Gateway Regional district, Greenfield and South Hadley.

Fore more information about the grant, or the Western Mass Robotics Project, residents are encouraged to visit an informational website: www.burgyschools.org/WeBot/WeBotOnePage.pdf.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.

45th Junior Miss competition offers 'Viva Las Vegas'

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

EASTHAMPTON - The annual Junior Miss competition is known for wowing crowds with a little glitz and glam, and this year's theme of "Viva Las Vegas" is sure to up the ante in both categories.

Dressed in sweats and T-shirts, the 16 high school seniors who will participate in this year's scholarship program laughed Friday in the auditorium at White Brook Middle School as they worked to fine-tune their group performances before the Nov. 21 show at the Academy of Music in Northampton.

Organizers of the competition take pains to note that the scholarship program is not a beauty pageant and that the young women are instead measured in a range of categories, including poise, confidence, public speaking, physical fitness and creativity. This is Easthampton's 45th Junior Miss competition.

Each year, participants are judged based on their performance in a group fitness routine, an individual special talent, a self-expression segment and their ability to answer questions rooted in current events.

Christine Corley, who has helped organize the program for 18 years, said she is looking forward to this year's competition because it has a fun theme and a wide variety of individual talents.

"We have girls playing basketball, reading monologues, singing, playing volleyball, playing the piano and some dancing," Corley said. "This is going to be a good year because we have such a great mix."

This time around, 16 young women from Easthampton High School, Hampshire Regional High School and Holyoke Catholic High School are gearing up to compete for a college scholarship. The winner goes on to compete in the Massachusetts Junior Miss Program and the winner of the statewide competition will have the opportunity to compete in America's Junior Miss Program in Mobile, Ala.

This year's contestants are Shealyn Berube and Rebecca Lambert of Easthampton High School; Stephanie Vlohioti of Holyoke Catholic High School; and from Hampshire Regional High School, Jessie Lewis, Margo McCarthy, Kayla Fappiano, Leah Lyons, Abigail Whiting, Shelby Benoit, Carolyn Mase, Kendra Lohr, Elizabeth Cauley, Lisa Mogilka, Caitlin Cauley, Treya Crisafulli and Vanessa Rice.

Jessie Lewis, 18, who is working on a hip-hop dance routine for the talent segment, said a friend at Hampshire Regional recommended that she participate in this year's program.

"I've heard a lot of good things about Junior Miss, and after my friend dragged me to the first meeting I heard that by the end everyone becomes a family and it is a lot of fun," Lewis said.

Another contestant, Abigail Whiting, 17, of Westhampton, who will sing for her talent portion, said she has been looking forward to her shot at Junior Miss since she was a freshman.

"I've been on the varsity cheerleading team since I was a freshman, and every year there has been at least one girl competing, and I've watched them every year," Whiting said.

"I'm really looking forward to going to college because I'm the first child from my family to do it, and winning a scholarship would be a really big deal for my family."

The show goes on Sunday, Nov. 21, at 1 p.m., at the Academy of Music on Main Street. Anyone interested in buying tickets should visit the Academy website.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com