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

Schools beat the drums for healthy eating

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

As students prepared to sample a piece of a fresh Mutsu apple at Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School last week, the worried looks they exchanged suggested they had never had one before.

At a lunch encouraging students to make a conscious effort to eat healthier last week, they were asked to choose their favorite among Mutsu, Blush Gold, Rome, Jonna Gold, Spencer, Winesap and Spartan apples plucked from trees at Bashista Orchards in Southampton.

"Some of these are apples that I've never even heard of and it's always good to let them try new things," said Heather Bouley, the high school's food service director. "The students really seem to enjoy it."

Using a grant from the state's Department of Public Health, Bouley said the effort will promote physical and nutritional health with a series of programs.

"I've been using a portion of that to buy fresh fruits and vegetables for tastings like these," Bouley said as students worked together to decide which apple they thought was the tastiest.

Other healthy foods, including Waldorf salads, zucchinis, and carrots will be among those sampled at school-wide taste-tests this year, Bouley said.

"Caesar salad was such a hit last year among students that we made it a menu item that we now serve once a week," Bouley said. She noted that school staff prepare about 70 percent of the food they serve from scratch.

"This is just our way of reminding students to think about eating healthier and to get them thinking about the fruits and vegetables they can eat."

Tom Bashista, who provided the apples for the taste test, said he grows 42 different apple varieties at his East Street farm and hand-picked the kinds that he thought local students may have never had before.

The results, Bouley said, showed that 32 percent of students ranked Mutsu apple slices as their favorite, easily beating the Blush Gold variety which drew support from 16 percent of students.

Rodriguez honored

Superintendent Isabelina Rodriguez was recently selected by the National Association of Professional Women as one of 100 women to receive this year's Woman of the Year award.

Rodriguez said she was notified late last month that she had won the award and attributed the honor to the staff and faculty she has worked with during her tenure in Northampton.

"As your Superintendent, I am thrilled that this honor is also extended to the Northampton Public Schools as well and a big thank you goes out to my staff, administrators, School Committee members and families for continuing to support me and the district," Rodriguez said. "I am proud of all that I have accomplished during my time in Northampton and look forward to continuing that work in the coming weeks and months."

This year will mark the last for Rodriguez as the city's superintendent. Previously, she was director of pupil services for the city, and held a host of other positions in her 25 year career in public schools.

Ward 3 deadline

Candidates for the vacant Ward 3 School Committee post have until today by 5 p.m. to file nomination papers with the Registrar of Voters office in City Hall. To get on the ballot, candidates need to get the signatures of 50 registered voters from the ward.

The position earns a $2,500 a year stipend. It opened up when Timothy Fisher resigned recently because he moved to Holyoke.

The special election is set for Jan. 7, but if more than two people qualify for the ballot, a preliminary election would be held Dec. 7. The last day to register to vote in the preliminary election is Nov. 17; the last day to register for the special election is Dec. 22.