The new assessment is a requirement for continued accreditation of Westfield High School.

WESTFIELD – Administration and staff at Westfield High School can now measure how well students meet established academic, social and civic expectations.

The new assessment, the result of continued accreditation of the high school by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, was launched during the 2010-2011 school year.

Principal Raymond K. Broderick told the School Committee this week that 90 percent of the nearly 1,600 students at Westfield High do meet the academic expectations of reading, writing, communicating and thinking.

“This is another tool that we can use to measure not only student achievement by staff achievement and where changes and new programs and services are necessary,” said Broderick.

An assessment of student social and civic expectations is included but the only data reported to parents is the academic achievement, the principal said.

“This assessment, including academic, is not a pass or fail determination,” said Broderick. “The academic achievement becomes a part of students’ final year report card but it is a measurement that helps us decide when and if any changes are needed,” he said.

“We now have our first set of data. That is being reviewed. This is the step towards reporting the results to the those concerned,” Broderick said.

Results of the first year were given to the School Committee this week. Broderick said that information will now be shared with the Westfield High School Council and staff before it is posted on the school’s website for public review.

The yearly assessment is done by teachers assigned to evaluate students the evaluation areas were created by WHS staff.

The assessment covers subject areas ranging from language arts, math, science and technology, social studies, foreign language, business, fine arts and unified life.

The assessment was established as required following the NEASC’s 2007 accreditation review of Westfield High School.

The purpose is to fight the prejudice that underlies most bullying, whether it’s about race, culture, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation or mental or physical ability.

File photo by Michael S. Gordon / The RepublicanAnne O'Brien, mother of Phoebe Prince, center, delivers a victim impact statement at a hearing in Franklin - Hampshire Juvenile Court, in Northampton, in May. Elizabeth Dunphy Farris, former Northwest first assistant district attorney, left, and victim-witness advocate Jane Schevalier, right, are at her side. Some 300 teens are expected to convene in Springfield this weekend for an anti-bullying conference.

SPRINGFIELD – About 300 young people from high schools in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island will convene at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Sunday to brainstorm about bullying and ways to end it.

The all-day program of discussions and workshops will be led by people their own age, said Andrea C. Kandel, director of the National Conference for Community and Justice, in Windsor, Conn., which organized the event.

“I’m so excited,” said Emma Murray, 16, of Westfield High School, part of a team of about 60 youths trained by the Community and Justice group to facilitate discussion.

The program at the Hall of Fame is called YES, Youth Establishing Strength, and its purpose is to fight the prejudice that underlies most bullying, whether it’s about race, culture, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation or mental or physical ability.

While many anti-bullying programs have sprung up since the suicides of Carl Walker-Hoover and Phoebe Prince, Kandel said advice wasn’t coming from one group that was close to the problem.

“We weren’t asking the students – and they’re on the front lines,” said Kandel.

YES participants will vote on the five best ideas and strategies to emerge from the Hall of Fame conference, said Kandel, and those will be turned into activities and resources that can be used nationwide.

Adult speakers at the conference will include professor Patricia Griffin of the University of Massachusetts.

The National Conference for Community and Justice has been fighting bigotry since 1927. Back then, it was called the National Conference of Christians and Jews, formed in response to the virulent anti-Catholic abuse that brought down the presidential campaign of New York Governor Al Smith, a Catholic.

In the early days, members would travel thousands of miles to take their anti-bias message to the people. These days, YES will do its traveling virtually – on the Web, Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks favored by teens.

In fact, the conference has scheduled breaks during which kids can “text or twitter” about what’s happening.

Besides Westfield High, Western Massachusetts schools selected for the YES conference were Amherst Regional, Monson and South Hadley High Schools, the Macduffie School in Granby, the Williston Northampton School in Easthampton, Early College Springfield at Holyoke Community College, Springfield Renaisance School, and Putnam Vocational and New Leadership Charter Schools in Springfield.

Each school contributed $250 to send a group of its students and one adult to the conference. Sponsors are Comcast, the Newman’s Own Foundation, Aetna, Hasbro, Travelers, and the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Paul Longtin of Leclerc Realty Corp. of Westfield said he would like to break ground at the former B'Shara's space on Riverdale Street in a couple of weeks.

File photo | The RepublicanB'Shara's Restaurant on Riverdale Street in West Springfield several years ago.

WEST SPRINGFIELD – A 70-seat takeout, fast-food restaurant may be opening at the site of the former B’Shara’s Restaurant on Riverdale Street.

The Planning Board on Wednesday voted 5-0 to grant the special permit needed to open such a business at 1268 Riverdale St. to Paul A. Longtin’s Leclerc Realty Corp. of Westfield.

Longtin said he wants to wait until a lease is signed with his prospective tenant, probably in a week or so, before he identifies it.

“We have serious negotiations in progress,” Longtin said.

The Westfield businessman said he would like to break ground in a couple of weeks and have work done before the end of the year.

Plans call for demolishing about 4,200 square feet of the existing structure of 7,620 square feet, according to Christopher Shea, the civil engineer with Sage Engineering of Westfield working on the project.

While 40 parking spaces are required, Shea said there will be 41.

Planning Administrator Richard A. Werbiskis said plans for the site, which is zoned Business A, conform to city zoning requirements and would be “a good reuse” of the property. The building at the site has been vacant for more than a year.

“This will be an improvement as to the use of the property,” Werbiskis said.

Traffic is not an issue with the site because only right turns are allowed off Riverdale Street to the site, Werbiskis said. “Traffic is already controlled,” he said.

The only person to express concern about the project was David I. Katz, chairman of the West Springfield Commission on Disabilities. He said he was worried that people using handicapped parking spaces behind the building might not see traffic going to and from the nearby Red Roof Inn.

Longtin said he would work with Katz to make the project as good as it can be.

The Westfield City Council has given preliminary approval to a $35.9 million bond that will finance construction of an elementary school at Cross and Ashley streets.

WESTFIELD – The City Council has given preliminary approval to a $35.9 million bond that will finance construction of an elementary school at Cross and Ashley streets.

The measure will face final approval at the council’s Nov. 3 regular meeting.

While the bond represents the total estimated cost of construction and equipment, Westfield will only be liable for $13 million with the balance being reimbursed by the state’s School Building Authority. The authority required the city approve appropriation of the entire amount.

Ward 5 City Councilor Richard E. Onofrey Jr., chairman of the council’s Finance Committee, said he was satisfied with the city’s ability to pay the $23 million necessary to proceed with the school project.

Mayor Daniel M. Knapik and school officials told Onofrey’s committee earlier this week that annual bond payments over 20 years can be financed with savings resulting from the closing and consolidation of Abner Gibbs and Franklin Avenue schools once the new building is ready for occupancy. That savings represents staff and maintenance savings that will be realized when Abner Gibbs and Franklin Avenue schools are closed.

The new school may also house students from Juniper Park School, leased by the School Department from Westfield State University. The lease with WSU expires next year.

City officials plan to break ground on construction next spring. The new school is expected to be ready for use in September 2013.

The city plans to save at least $975,000 annually once the new school is built through the closing of Abner Gibbs and Franklin Avenue schools.

The school proposal has drawn minimum opposition from residents, primarily a handful of Cross Street residents, during several public hearings and meetings on the project during the past year.

The city has already hired architect Margo Jones, of Greenfield, to design the school and Skanska USA as the city’s project manager to oversee completion of the project.

Knapik has said the School Building Committee plans to advertise for construction bids in early 2012 to allow a spring construction start.

A $32,000 project in 2009 repaired a structural support in City Council Chambers.

Ted Laborde | The RepublicanBuckets have been place on stairs to catch water leaking in Westfield City Hall.

WESTFIELD – Officials will move quickly on emergency repairs to City Hall if the City Council gives final approval Nov. 3 to a $3.4 million bond to address deteriorating conditions in the building.

The council gave preliminary approval Thursday night to the bond request. That action follows pitches by both Mayor Daniel M. Knapik and City Purchaser Tammy B. Tefft that at least two sections of the slate roof must be repaired or replaced before winter weather arrives.

Failure to act immediately could force the closing of two areas of City Hall to the public, Knapik and Tefft told several City Councilors last week.

Those areas involve a rear entrance to City Hall, one that leads to the Retirement Board and the other is an area that currently allows rain to seep into a records storage area.

Several city officials have said significant repairs and maintenance to the building has been lacking for at least the past 30 years.

The overall bond will allow the replacement of the entire slate roof which is beyond repair, Tefft said. It will also allow repair or replacement of windows in the building, re-pointing of the brick facade and new gutters around the building.

Water damage inside the building causes, by some estimates, the placement of up to 50 buckets throughout the building to catch water. Mushrooms are now growing in at least one ladies’ room on the building’s first floor.

Thursday's preliminary bond approval is expected to lead to a published ‘request for proposals’ quickly to address the issue.

Knapik said Friday he wants to be in a position on Nov. 4 to sign an emergency contract for the repairs.

“If the City Council grants final approval on Nov. 3, I want to be able to launch this project immediately to prevent further damage,” Knapik said.

City Hall, built in the 1800s, was once part of Westfield State College, now Westfield State University, and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings. The city’s Community Preservation Act committee has allocated $400,000 toward repair of the building.

In 2009 the city launched a $32,000 emergency repair involving a support beam in the City Council chambers on the second floor.

City officials are planning interior renovations of the building once the exterior is repaired and water tight.

The event will feature Halloween-type parties at each of the 10 participating establishments where visitors will find food, treats, prizes, games, raffles, live music and surprises.

Manon Mirabelli photoManon L. Mirabelli Photo

WESTFIELD - A downtown restaurant and pub tour is nothing new in Westfield, but for the first time the event will celebrate the season with participants encouraged to dress in Halloween costumes.

Westfield’s Haunted Harvest Restaurant and Pub Tour on Saturday will feature Halloween-type parties at each of the 10 participating establishments where visitors will find food, treats, prizes, games, raffles, live music and surprises, organizers said.

For example, those registering at the Maple Leaf will find a Mardi Gras theme. A zombie party will be held at Shenanigans, while Mina’s Wine and Spirits will host Arabian Nights.

Lisa G. McMahon, executive director of the Westfield Business Improvement District, and Robert Plasse, president of Westfield on Weekends, have partnered their organizations once again to bring the event downtown in an effort to promote local business and introduce visitors to the city.

“I love that everyone who comes out gets to visit the gems of Westfield’s downtown life,” Plasse said. “It’s great to see people on the street having a good time.”

Past pub tours featured themes such as the spring’s Kentucky Derby, but the costumed Haunted Harvest, Plasse said, was an idea born of suggestion.

“It sprang out of so many people saying, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to have it in the fall and dress up for the season,’” he said. “It offers us the opportunity to have all kinds of interesting decorations.”

In addition to each establishment’s themed party, the event will once again host a scavenger hunt and a pumpkin poker game where cards are collected at each tour stop visited. A prize is awarded at the end of the night to the person with the best poker hand.

Registration for the event will take place at the Maple Leaf on Arnold Street with a pre-party kick-off where a free appetizer buffet and live music will greet participants.

Dressing the part, Plasse said, is optional, but all guests are encouraged to participate in the spirit of the Haunted Harvest by breaking out their costumes for stops at School Street Bistro, Santiago Family Restaurant, The Maple Leaf, Shenanigans, The Nook, Tommy D’s, Mina’s Wines and Spirits, The Tavern, The Grape Crusher and The City Hotel.

For safety reasons, participants are asked not to wear masks or paint their faces.

“We encourage people to come out in groups and see what everyone else is wearing,” Plasse said.

About 400 young people from high schools in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island met during the first YES(Youth Establishing Strength) conference.

102311 Springfield - Staff photo by Michael Beswick - Youth Establishing Strength or YES held their National Conference for Community Justice to end bullying. More than 300 high school students attended the event at the Basketball hall of Fame Sunday. During the Mighty Minority class, Zach Sayen of Middletown, and Julia Krank from North Providence learn about stress and isolation as some of the group formed smaller groups with a few left alone.

SPRINGFIELD– High schoolers from across New England gathered at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Sunday to discuss ways they can help make their schools more open and friendly for all students.

About 400 young people from high schools in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island met during the first YES(Youth Establishing Strength) conference, to brainstorm about bullying and what can be done to stop it.

Charlie Melo, 16, a junior at Putnam Vocational Technical High School said he enjoyed discussing issues that affect kids in all schools.

“There’s a lot of pressure to be accepted and we have been talking about the things kids will do to feel included,” he said.

“We felt it was time to bring students to the table and hear their ideas about how to stop bullying,” said Andrea C. Kandel, director of the National Conference for Community and Justice, (NCCJ)in Windsor, Conn., which organized the event.

“YES is not just a word, it’s a movement. The youth chose this term because often times what they hear is no don’t do this or no don’t do that, but when they hear yes, they feel empowered,” she said.

Emma Murray, 16, of Westfield High School said she enjoyed the workshops held at the conference including one on youth with autism.

“I learned that 95 percent of kids with Asperger’s Syndrome are bullied and 85 percent of kids with autism are bullied, which is so sad,” she said.

Murray said she also learned that it’s not always what you say that can hurt someone.

“I learned that 7 percent of how we come across to someone is with our words, the other 93 percent is our body language, our facial expressions and movements that show someone how we feel,” she said.

Annie Kandel and Grace Findlen-Golden, both 15 and students at Amherst Regional High School, participated in the conference.

“ I went to camp Anytown run by the NCCJ and it was such an inclusive and amazing community that was so different than any other community. I want to make school more like that, where you are excited to go and you want to be apart of everything and feel included. I want that spirit to come back with us to make our school better,” she said.

Kandel said that while she has had a good high school experience, she was interested to hear what others had to say.

“I know a lot of kids have a hard time and I just wanted to learn about their experiences and maybe learn ways to stop that from happening,” she said.

Melo said he hopes he can take some of what he learned back to his high school.

“Overall we don’t have as many problems with bullying, its a pretty open environment, especially with clubs like the Gay Straight Alliance,” he said. “But I think its important to know ways to help people feel like they belong and help them feel more comfortable coming to school.”

Andrea Kandel said she hopes the ideas created by the students can become part of a curriculum that will be used in school across the country to combat bullying.

Here is a list of major municipal meetings for the coming week: Agawam Mon.- Agawam Small Business Assistance Center Board of Directors, 8:30 a.m., Town Hall. Board of Appeals, 6:30 p.m., Agawam Public Library. Tues.- Council on Aging Board, 3 p.m., Senior Center. Agawam Historical Commission, 7 p.m., 663 Main St. School Committee, 7 p.m., Roberta G. Doering School....

Photo by Julian Feller-CohenWest Springfield Town Hall

Here is a list of major municipal meetings for the coming week:

Agawam

Mon.- Agawam Small Business Assistance Center Board of Directors, 8:30 a.m., Town Hall.

Board of Appeals, 6:30 p.m., Agawam Public Library.

Tues.- Council on Aging Board, 3 p.m., Senior Center.

Agawam Historical Commission, 7 p.m., 663 Main St.

School Committee, 7 p.m., Roberta G. Doering School.

Wed.- Agawam Community Preservation Committee, 6:30 p.m., Agawam Public Library.

Thu.- Conservation Commission, 6:30 p.m., Agawam Public Library.

Amherst

Mon.- Amherst Housing Authority, 4:30 p.m., 33 Kellogg Ave.

Select Board, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall.

Tues.- Town Meeting Coordinating Committee, 1 p.m., Town Hall.

Amherst Regional School Committee, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Wed.- Planning Board Zoning Subcommittee, 5 p.m., Town Hall.

Planning Board, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

School Committee, 7 p.m., Amherst Regional High School.

Thu.- Amherst Cultural Council, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall.

Zoning Board of Appeals, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall.

Board of Health, 7 p.m., Bangs Community Center.

Chicopee

Mon.- Tax Classification City Council meeting, 6 p.m., City Hall.

License Committee, 6:30 p.m., City Hall.

Tues. - Water Commission, 6 p.m., 115 Baskin Drive.

Wed. - School Committee, 6 p.m., 180 Broadway.

Easthampton

Mon.- Conservation Commission, 6 p.m., 50 Payson Ave.

Tues.- School Committee, 6 p.m., 50 Payson Ave.

Zoning Board of Appeals, 6:30 p.m., 50 Payson Ave.

Wed.- Board of Public Works, 4:30 p.m., 50 Payson Ave.

Finance Committee, 6:30 p.m., 50 Payson Ave.

Thu.- City Arts +. 5:30 p.m., Old Town Hall.

Employees Insurance Advisory Committee, 3:30 p.m., Public Safety Complex.

Granby

Mon.- School Committee, 6:30 p.m. High School.

Selectboard Meeting, 6:30 p.m., High School.

Special Town Meeting, 7 p.m., High School.

Wed.- Dufresne Park Ad Hoc Committee, 6:15 p.m., Public Safety Complex.

Greenfield

Mon.- Community Relations Committee, 6:30 p.m., 321 High St.

School Policy Subcommittee, 6:30 p.m., High School Library.

Tues.- Housing Authority, noon, 1 Elm Terrace.

Commission on Disability Access, 1 p.m., Town Hall.

School Negotiation Subcommittee, 1 p.m., 1 Lenox Ave.

School Building Committee, 6:30 p.m., High School Library.

Conservation Commission, 7 p.m., Police Station.

School Community Outreach Subcommittee, 7:15 p.m., 141 Davis St.

Wed.- Public Safety Commission, 6:30 p.m., 321 High St.

Thu.- Greenfield Retirement Board, 4 p.m., Town Hall.

Hadley

Mon.- School Committee, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall.

Tues.- Historical Commission, 7 p.m., Senior Center.

Board of Health, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Wed.- Long Range Planning Implementation Committee, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Hatfield

Tues.- Conservation Commission, 7 p.m., Memorial Town Hall.

Wed.- Assessors, 5:30 p.m., Memorial Town Hall.

Holyoke

Mon.- Holyoke Cultural Council, 5 p.m., City Hall, management assistance program office.

Planning Board, public hearing, 5:30 p.m., City Hall Annex, fourth-floor conference room.

Conservation Commission, 6 p.m., Jones Ferry River Access Center, 8 Oscar St.

Tues.- Fire Commission, 5 p.m., Fire Department headquarters, 600 High St.

City Council Ordinance Committee, 6:30 p.m., City Hall, City Council Chambers.

Wed.- Council on Aging, 9 a.m., War Memorial, 310 Appleton St.

Thu.- Redevelopment Authority, 5 p.m., Holyoke Transportation Center 206 Maple St. Room 402-403.

Handicap Commission, 6 p.m., City Hall, City Council Chambers.

Monson

Mon. - Monson Tornado Victims Relief Fund Committee, 6 p.m., Hillside School.

Tues.- Board of Selectmen, 7 p.m., , Hillside School.

Wed.- Board of Health, 6 p.m., Hillside School.

Water and Sewer Commission, 6:30 p.m., Water & Sewer Dept., 198 WD Main St.

School Committee, 7 p.m., Quarry Hill Community School.

Thu.- Zoning Board of Appeals, 7:30 p.m., Hillside School.

Northampton

Mon.- Historic Commission, 5:30 p.m., Council Chambers.

Tues.- Finance Committee, 5 p.m., Council Chambers.

Smith Vocational High School Board of Trustees, 6 p.m., School Library.

Tree Committee, 6:30 p.m., 125 Locust St.

Wed.- Board of Public Works, 5:30 p.m., 125 Locust St.

Charter Drafting Committee, 6 p.m., Council Chambers.

Board of Almoners, 4:30 p.m., Council Chambers.

Historical Commission Preservation Awards, 4:30 p.m., 67 Conz St.

Thu.- School Committee, 7:15 p.m., John F. Kennedy Middle School.

Conservation Commission, 5 p.m., City Hall.

Palmer

Mon.- Planning Board, 7 p.m., Town Building.

South Hadley

Mon.- Board of Assessors, 9 a.m., Town Hall, Selectboard Meeting Room.

Tues.-School Committee, 6:30 p.m., High School Library.

Thu.- Fire District 1 Water Commissioners, 6:30 p.m., 438 Granby Road.

Canal Park Committee, 7 p.m., Old Firehouse Museum.

Democratic Town Committee, 7 p.m., Police Station.

Southwick

Mon.- Board of Selectmen, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Board of Appeals, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Tues.- Planning Board, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Sewer Committee, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Wed.- Cemetery Commission, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Springfield

Mon.- City Council, 7 p.m., council chambers, City Hall.

Tues.- City Council Audit Committee and School Committee, 4 p.m., Room 200, City Hall.

Wed.- Pioneer Valley Transit Authority Advisory Board, noon, PVTA administration office, 2808 Main St.

Springfield Food Policy Council, 2:30 p.m., Baystate High Street Health Clinic, 140 High St.

City Council Finance Real Estate Tax Subcommittee, 7 p.m., Greenleaf Community Center gymnasium, 1188 Parker St.

Thu.- City Council Committee on Elderly, 2 p.m., Greenleaf Community Center, 1188 Parker St.

Warren

Tues.- Warren Water District, 1 p.m., 20 Old West Brookfield Road.

Wed.- Planning Board, 6 p.m., Shepard Municipal Building.

Board of Selectmen, 6 p.m., Shepard Municipal Building.

Community Development Advisory Committee, 6 p.m., Shepard Municipal Building.

Thu.- Casino Study Committee, 6:30 p.m., Shepard Municipal Building.

West Springfield

Mon.- Park and Recreation Commission, 7 p.m., municipal building.

Board of Appeals, 7 p.m., municipal building.

Tues.- West Springfield Arts Council, 6:30 p.m., municipal building.

Capital Program Planning Committee, 6:30 p.m., municipal building.

Board of Library Trustees, 7 p.m., West Springfield Public Library.

Wed.- West Springfield Retirement Board, 7:30 a.m., Sullivan Paper Co. at 58 Progress Ave.

Westfield

Mon.- School Committee, 6 p.m., 22 Ashley St.

Tues.- Conservation Commission, 7 p.m., City Hall.

Wed.- Commission for Citizens with Disabilities, 7 p.m., City Hall.

Zoning Board of Appeals, 7 p.m., City Hall.

Olver might be forced into a matchup with U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern, a Worcester Democrat, according to the latest congressional redistricting rumor on Beacon Hill. Watch video

If U.S,. Rep. John W. Olver, left, of Amherst, seeks reelection next year, as he says he will, he could conceivably face the likes of U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern, of Worcester, center, and Berkshire Register of Deeds Andrea Nuciforo of Pittsfield.

U.S. Rep. John W. Olver is at an age when most people are retired. His wife is also seriously ill.

Yet the 75-year-old Olver emphasized again last week that he is planning to run for re-election next year to the 1st Congressional District post he’s held since 1991.

Olver might be forced into a matchup with U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern, a Worcester Democrat, according to the latest congressional redistricting rumor on Beacon Hill.

While the leaders in the state Legislature who control the redistricting process are tight-lipped, it seems a different theory is being floated every week about plans to consolidate the state's 10 congressional districts into nine. One of the more recent theories is that Olver's district of more than 100 smaller cities and towns would be merged into McGovern's district, which is dominated by Worcester, and U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal's Springfield-based district would be left as the only one headquartered in Western Massachusetts.

People are paying closer attention because the state Legislature is planning to vote on a new congressional map before it ends formal sessions for the year on Nov. 16.

“You know I’m running,” Olver, an Amherst Democrat, said last week. “My intent is to run. I’m operating on that basis.”

Olver is awaiting the new congressional districts map and will not speculate about possible outcomes, his campaign director added.

Another possible opponent for Olver, Andrea F. Nuciforo of Pittsfield, a former state senator for 10 years, said he wants to keep a district similar to the existing 1st congressional district.

"That would be true to the tradition of the district and would maintain two congressional districts in Western Massachusetts and a district with small towns and small cities," said Nuciforo, a Democrat and currently register of deeds in Pittsfield who is planning to run for Congress next year.

Massachusetts is losing a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives because of shifting population trends documented in the 2010 federal census.

Each new congressional district in Massachusetts must include about 727,000 people, up from the current 635,000. Nuciforo said about 80,000 people could be added to the 1st congressional district including Northampton, Hadley and South Hadley.Could Olver's re-election plans help salvage two congressional districts based in Western Massachusetts?

Timothy L. Vercellotti, associate professor of political science and director of the polling institute at Western New England College in Springfield, said that if Olver were stepping down, it would give state legislators a license to merge his district with another.

“Even if he’s bluffing - and I have no reason to believe that he is - it makes political sense to say you are running,” Vercellotti said. “If there is a chance he is going to run again, it makes sense for him to behave that way.”

Olver turned 75 last month; his wife, Rose, a professor at Amherst College, was diagnosed in March with ovarian cancer. Olver has said age would not be a factor in his decision to seek re-election to another two-year term.

The sprawling 1st Congressional District, represented by Olver since a special election that followed the death of longtime Republican U.S. Rep. Silvio O. Conte, is in the crosshairs of the state Legislature’s Joint Committee on Redistricting.

The future of Olver's district is in doubt because it had the slowest population growth of any of the state's 10 congressional districts. Statistics released by the U.S. Census Bureau show that the population of the 1st congressional district increased by only 1.65 percent since 2000, mostly because of Berkshire County, whose population fell by 2.8 percent to 131,219.

His district could be abolished in any event, but if Olver retired after 20 years in Washington before the committee votes on congressional redistricting, it would likely doom hopes for preserving two seats in Western Massachusetts, analysts have said.

The committee plans to release its proposed map for consolidating the state’s 10 congressional seats into nine early next month, according to state Sen. Stanley C. Rosenberg, D-Amherst, the Senate chair of the redistricting committee.

Analysts said that if Olver or another incumbent retired, it would make it much easier for the committee to carve up a district. All 10 U.S. representatives from the state are Democrats, and all are planning to run for re-election next year, meaning the overwhelmingly Democratic state Legislature needs to eliminate the district of a leader from their own political party.

The committee could also merge the seats south of Boston held by U.S. Reps. William R. Keating, D-Quincy, who is a freshman, and Stephen F. Lynch, D-Boston.

There is also talk of creating one seat in Western Massachusetts out of the districts now represented by Olver and Neal.

Jeffrey Berry , professor of political science at Tufts University, said Olver’s re-election plans make it less comfortable for the redistricting committee to chop up his district. It could also help make the final map more fair to Western Massachusetts, Berry said.

“He has leverage by saying he is going to run,” Berry said.

Olver’s seniority and clout could also help save his district, now the largest in the state with 107 communities; it spans from the New York state line east to Fitchburg and Leominister and includes Holyoke, Pittsfield and Westfield.

Olver is No. 4 in seniority in the state’s U.S. House delegation, right behind Neal at No. 3. Olver is the ranking Democrat of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and the only member of the delegation on the House Appropriations Committee.

Rosenberg said the redistricting process has been more difficult because all 10 congressmen have decided to run for re-election. In a speech earlier this month before the Longmeadow Democratic Town Committee, he said it is very rare that two people over the age of 70 would chose to run for re-election, referring to Olver and Barney Frank, D- Newton, who is 71.

The co-chairs of the redistricting committee, Rosenberg and Rep. Michael Moran, a Boston Democrat, said the committee has been working on completing new district maps for the state House of Representatives and the state Senate. Those maps for state seats were released on Tuesday, freeing panel members to turn to congressional redistricting.

Rosenberg said Friday the committee will start to do “real work” on a new congressional map within the next week.

“We have a number of concept maps,” Rosenberg said of congressional redistricting. “Every member of Congress is running against another member of Congress in one or another of these concept maps.”

Rosenberg said there is a lot of speculation about the committee’s work on congressional redistricting, but no decisions have been made. Rosenberg declined to speculate on any different outcomes being tossed around in the media.

Staff writer Suzanne McLaughlin contributed to this report.

Approval of the new Hampden District, now represented by Sen. James Welch of West Springfield, creates a 3rd "majority-minority" Senate district, up from the current 2.

BOSTON – Massachusetts legislators considered placing all of Springfield into one state Senate district, but ultimately rejected the possibility in order to create a new Senate district with a higher percentage of minorities old enough to vote, a top lawmaker said Tuesday.

Sen. Stanley C. Rosenberg, the Senate chairman of the Joint Committee on Redistricting, explained the reason for designing the new lines of the Hampden Senate District after the panel voted to approve new maps of state legislative districts. The committee unveiled the maps last week, but allowed a week for comment before Tuesday's vote.

Approval of the new Hampden District, now represented by Sen. James T. Welch of West Springfield, creates a third "majority-minority" Senate district, up from the current two.

Welch said the only negative is that the new district drops Agawam from his current district.

The Republican file photoSen. James Welch

"I was very supportive of creating a minority-majority district," Welch said Tuesday. "I stepped up and said, 'It makes sense if it's part of the district I currently represent.' "

Legislators are drawing new state districts -- 160 in the state House of Representatives and 40 in the Senate -- to comply with population changes since 2000.

Rosenberg said the goal in Hampden County was to create a district mostly of blacks, Hispanics and other minorities of voting age, not to create a seat entirely of Springfield.

Rosenberg acknowledged that the entire city of Springfield's population of 153,060 includes mostly minorities -- 39 percent Hispanic, 22 percent black and 2.4 percent Asian, according to the 2010 census. But the voting-age population in the city has lower percentages of minorities, he said. And to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act, a district's voting-age population was used, he said.

File photo | The RepublicanState Sen. Stanley Rosenberg, D-Amherst.

The committee also needed to balance other factors in establishing the new "majority-minority" Hampden district, including ensuring each Senate district is within plus or minus 5 percent of 163,691, the ideal population for a Senate district, and making changes as minor as possible to keep as many people as possible in the same district. It was also important to make sure voters had a fair chance to elect someone representing political and other considerations of the district, Rosenberg said.

Legislators could have added 10,000 people to Springfield to bring it up to the ideal size and keep the city whole, but that might have meant diluting the strong percentage of minorities with whites from neighboring towns or all but destroying Sen. Michael R. Knapik's Westfield-based district, one of only four Republican Senate districts, Rosenberg said. Knapik picked up Agawam, which is 95 percent white.

In order to establish the new Hampden district, it made more sense to unify the minority neighborhoods in Springfield and add precincts in Chicopee with high percentages of minorities, Rosenberg said. Generally speaking, the new Senate district does not include neighborhoods in Springfield with mostly whites, he added.

The new Hampden Senate district includes about 110,000 people in Springfield, according to Welch. The rest of the city is in the district of Sen. Gale D. Candaras, a Wilbraham Democrat, whose district currently includes a bigger portion of the city.

While the city's two senators are currently from the suburbs, the new district could give a Springfield resident a greater chance of getting elected in the future, since it includes more people from the city, according to Rosenberg.

The district, a variation on Welch's current district, includes 18 new precincts in Springfield from neighborhoods such as Liberty Heights, Hungry Hill and portions of East Springfield and Indian Orchard. It also includes all of West Springfield and new precincts in Chicopee.

The new district, with a population of 158,315, includes 37 percent Hispanic, 18 percent blacks and 41 percent white, according to the state Senate. It includes some areas already in Welch's district including the North and South Ends of the city.

Anthony L. Cignoli, a Springfield political consultant and partner in a group proposing a casino for Holyoke, said most people in Springfield think the new majority-minority Senate district makes sense. People don't seem concerned that Springfield remains split among two senators, he said, partly because the city is and has been represented by senators who keep a high profile in the city, he added.

The state House of Representatives and the state Senate are expected to vote next week on the new legislative maps.

The goat head may have been hanging from the tree for two weeks or more, police said.

Republican file photo

WESTFIELD – Police continue to puzzle over the discovery, late last week, of a severed goat head found tucked inside a plastic bag hanging from a small tree on Neck Road.

“It was put in a bag and the horns were sticking out,” said detective Susan Figy.

Although a fellow officer spotted the white trash bag hanging in the tree about two weeks ago, it’s grisly contents were not readily discernible to passers by until the bag deteriorated a bit, Figy said.

The goat head was hanging near a utility pole, a short distance away from a Neck Road residence, Figy said.

Detective Sgt. Raymond Manos told the The Westfield News that he believes the head was just left there and that it did not have any connection to the occult.

Figy said that the rest of the goat has yet to be found and that the case has been referred to the city’s animal control officer.

The former Ashley Street School, which has served as School Department headquarters since 1984, will be razed early next year to allow construction of a new $36 million 600-student elementary school on the site.

File photo | The RepublicanThe Ashley Street School has served as School Department headquarters since 1984. It first opened as an elementary school in 1898.

WESTFIELD – The School Department plans to move to Hampton Plaza next month, clearing the way for construction of a new $36 million elementary school and saving the city an estimated $4.5 million in repairs to the former Ashley Street School.

The School Committee Monday approved a three-year lease of the former Riverbend Medical facility at the Plaza at a cost of $2,750 per month. The lease includes two one-year extensions.

“It is a great move,” said Mayor Daniel M. Knapik, chairman of the School Committee. “It will save the city $4.5 million in necessary repairs and energy improvements at this building,” he added.

Superintendent of School Suzanne Scallion said that “while we all love this old building, Hampton Plaza will save the department money in the long run, be more accessible to the public and improve our efficiency.” The new location is a one-story building with more than adequate parking, officials said.

The Ashley Street School, a three-story brick building, has served as School Department headquarters since 1984. It first opened as an elementary school in 1898.

The structure will be razed early next year to allow construction of a new $36 million 600-student elementary school on the site. That building will then allow the district to consolidate at least two elementary schools, closing Abner Gibbs and Franklin Avenue schools. The new building may also eventually house students who now attend Juniper Park School.

There were some reservations expressed by the move.

School Committee member Mary Ann Cleland said she was concerned with the location, noting that many students, especially high school students, have business at the School Department such as work permit applications. “It could pose a travel problem,” she said.

But, Scallion and others said Hampton Ponds Plaza is on an existing PVTA bus run, which should make it accessible to more than just students.

School Committee member Cynthia A. Sullivan said, “a new school is not the only reason for this move. We are facing some serious maintenance and repair issues at Ashley Street School.”

The lease will become effective Nov. 1 and some renovations will be necessary before the School Department can occupy the plaza building, School Maintenance director Frank B. Mahar Jr. said.

Gem Trust of Wayland, plaza owner, will pay an estimated $5,000 for materials such as carpeting, tile flooring, paint and plumbing repairs along with modifications to the building entry, Mahar said.

School Department custodians and craftsmen will do the necessary work, Mahar said.

Some School Department offices will move to City Hall rather than the plaza, officials said. The School Lunch Department, school payroll and Volunteers in Public Schools will relocate to City Hall.

Friends of the Homeless has already needed to have some people sleep on the floors because the demand for beds has exceeded the supply.

File photo | The RepublicanWilliam J. Miller, Executive Director of the Friends of the Homeless, has announced plans to reopen a winter overflow shelter on Worthington Street in Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD - Friends of the Homeless, among organizations in the region that provide emergency shelter beds and services, said the need appears to be getting worse due to continued economic hardships and the loss of housing in the June 1 tornadoes.

In a prepared statement last week, Friends of the Homeless Executive Director William J. Miller announced plans to reopen a winter overflow shelter, beginning next month, that will provide an additional 24 beds per night.

“If the summer and early fall numbers are any indication, we expect to see more people in shelter and potentially more on the streets as the weather turns colder,” Miller said.

The situation has led to some of the homeless needing to sleep on the floor, with a blanket, officials said.

Friends of the Homeless completed construction of a $12.5 million homeless resource center in 2010 that included a new building and renovation to the existing building on Worthington Street.

While the focus is on finding housing for the homeless and providing support services, Friends of the Homeless continued to provide more than 130 shelter beds, with state funding assistance.

Friends of the Homeless provides the beds for homeless men and women, while other agencies serve families.

The overflow shelter will return for a second year at the former women’s shelter at 501 Worthington St., Miller said. The additional staffing alone will cost $60,000, further straining the organization’s budget, Miller said.

Friends did receive an increase in state funds, but federal funds were cut entirely, Miller said.

Donations can be made to Friends of the Homeless, 755 Worthington St., Springfield, MA, 01105.

Since January, more than 1,000 men and women have sought shelter assistance for varied lengths of time, with about half that number being new people to the shelter, according to Friends of the Homeless. The average stay for an individual in 2010 was 45 days, also receiving services from the resource center.

Friends of the Homeless averaged about 150 people per night during the summer and estimates that at least 20 to 30 individuals are living outdoors in and around the city.

The organization is no longer able to meet the needs of everyone seeking shelter, with people coming from all over Massachusetts and beyond, Miller said.

“The loss of so many apartments as a result of the June 1 tornado, along with the ongoing challenging economy is causing the situation to get worse which is the trend we are hearing of in other communities as well,” Miller said.

In Amherst, Craig’s Doors has been chosen to provide shelter at the First Baptist Church, the second year that the town is providing emergency shelter. Last year, the Springfield-based Milestone Ministries Inc. provided services.

Craig’s Doors is a new organization and the details of the contract are being finalized with the shelter set to open Nov. 1.

Last year 84 people were sheltered at the center. At times when space is unavailable the town has paid for hotels for the homeless. The shelter can accommodate 16 a night. The town is using money from a Community Development mini-entitlement grant to pay for services.

Jay Sacchetti, Vice President of Vocational, Substance Abuse, Shelter/Housing, and Berkshire Services for the Northampton-based Service Net said the Interfaith Shelter will continue to provide 20 beds and the overflow shelter in Easthampton still provide six beds as in the past, but there are no plans to offer more beds for the winter. That shelter also opens Nov. 1.

In Westfield, Samaritan Inn on Free Street has seen steady flow of clients throughout the year and currently fills 34 of its 37 available beds on a daily basis, said director Peter C. Gillis.

No one has been turned away because of space, he said.

Gillis and the Inn has dealt with ongoing construction outside its facility, both from construction of a new Rocky’s hardware store and the city’s $14 million Elm, Main and Broad streets and Park Square reconstruction project.

In Palmer, there was a proposal to operate a transitional home called “My Father’s House” for up to 14 homeless men at 4058 Church St. in Thorndike, but the application to the Planning Board was withdrawn in November 2010.

Secretary of State William Galvin outlined a scenario that would involve splitting Olver's district between the districts of Reps. Richard Neal of Springfield and James McGovern of Worcester.

BOSTON – U.S. Rep. John W. Olver's plan to retire could mean that his sprawling congressional district will be divided up among two other incumbents, or it could lead to creation of a single district for most of Western Massachusetts, state legislators said Thursday.

The state must relinquish one of its 10 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, now all held by Democrats, because of population changes documented in the 2010 census.

The co-chairman of the Joint Committee on Redistricting, Rep. Michael J. Moran, D-Boston, said Olver is a great congressman and a strong advocate for Western Massachusetts, but his retirement is "welcome news" for state legislators on the committee in one key way. "It makes it easier to draw the map," said Moran.

Moran said he and Sen. Stanley C. Rosenberg, D-Amherst, who is also co-chairman of the redistricting committee, are still hopeful of approving a new congressional map before Thanksgiving. Moran said no decisions have been made.

Rosenberg Thursday declined comment on how Olver's retirement would affect redistricting. Olver also continued to decline comment Thursday.

It will be up to Moran and Rosenberg to design a new map and present it to other members of the committee.

Cheryl Coakley Rivera

Rep. Cheryl A. Coakley-Rivera, D-Springfield, who is a vice-chair on the committee, said Thursday she would support moving big portions of Western Massachusetts into the district of U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern of Worcester, so that McGovern could share the region with U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield.

"It's much easier to have our voices heard if there are two people fighting for us as opposed to just one," Coakley-Rivera said.

Sen. Michael R. Knapik, R-Westfield, said he would move all of Berkshire and Franklin counties into the Springfield-based district now represented by Neal. Knapik said he would want to create one district to include as much of the four counties in Western Massachusetts as possible. "You have to minimize the carve into Western Massachusetts," said Knapik, who said he might be interested in running for Congress from such a district.

Right now, the population of the four counties together is about 100,000 too many for a new congressional district, which must include about 720,000 people or so.

Knapik said he is not a fan of having Worcester in the same district with large parts of Western Massachusetts.

Knapik said Olver's planned retirement all but ends hopes of having two congressional seats based in Western Massachusetts.

Rep. Stephen Kulik, D-Worthington, a member of the redistricting committee, said Olver's plans to retire seem to assure a different map than if he was seeking re-election.

Kulik said he would not be surprised to see Olver's district merged into the districts of Neal and McGovern.

William Galvin

During a press conference Thursday in Springfield to publicize the redistricting process, Secretary of State William F. Galvin also outlined a scenario that would involve splitting Olver's district between the districts of Neal and McGovern.

Galvin said the district of Neal is likely to pick up more of Hampden County. That could mean Neal would gain Holyoke and Westfield.

Rural areas of Berkshire and Franklin counties could be placed into the district of McGovern, Galvin said.

Galvin said he expects the new redistricting map to be unveiled next week by the committee on redistricting and to be voted on after a week of public comment. The new districts need to be drawn in time for next year’s congressional elections, Galvin said.

Legislators Thursday also talked about how the region is losing a champion in Washington.

Olver rose to become chairman of a House Appropriations subcommittee on transportation, housing and urban development from 2007 to the end of 2010 after the Democrats seized control of the U.S. House. He is currently ranking Democrat on the subcommittee.

Olver helped deliver money for commuter intermodal centers, bicycle paths, municipal water projects and technology for hospitals.

Olver, who likes to hike and rock climb, also filed the bill that established the New England National Scenic Trail from Long Island Sound in Connecticut, through mountains and hills of the Pioneer Valley to the mountains in southwest New Hampshire.

Olver announced Wednesday that he will not seek re-election next year, citing family circumstances. His wife, Rose, has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

Since 1991, Olver, 75, has represented the 1st congressional District, which includes about 40 percent of the state by area.

"John Olver will be missed in Western Massachusetts," said Rep. Joseph F. Wagner, D-Chicopee, also a member of the redistricting committee. "The term workhorse gets thrown around, but if anyone exemplifies that term more than John Olver, I haven't met the person."

Kulik said Olver's planned retirement is a "very tough loss" for Western Massachusetts. "He will be very hard to replace," Kulik said.

Staff reporter Suzanne McLaughlin contributed to this story.

Patrick signed a bill that appropriated the aid, restoring a cut made earlier this year in the state budget on Beacon Hill.

The Republican | Joe DeburroThe Massachusetts Statehouse in Boston.

BOSTON - Cities and towns will receive $65 million in additional local aid for this fiscal year including $621,000 for Holyoke, $269,000 for Northampton and $2.3 million for Springfield, state officials announced Friday.

Gov. Deval L. Patrick Thursday signed a bill that included final authorization to restore the $65 million cut in local aid made earlier this year. Friday’s notice includes the share each community will receive Monday from the $65 million.

“That’s great the money has been restored,” said William M. Zaskey, president of the City Council in Chicopee and a director of the Massachusetts Municipal Association.

Zaskey said he is hoping Patrick and state legislators will increase local aid for the next fiscal year.

In a message to cities and towns on Friday, Gerard Perry, director of accounts for the state Department of Revenue, said the additional aid can be applied as estimated receipts when setting tax rates this fiscal year or appropriated during the fiscal year. Money that isn’t appropriated would go to free cash.

Many towns have already had special town meetings this fall, so they might have to wait until next spring to appropriate the extra aid, said Aaron Saunders, a Ludlow selectman.

Boston received $11.6 million, the most in the state, followed by Worcester, $2.54 million.

Locally, Agawam received $225,300; Belchertown, $104,057; Chicopee, $704,230; East Longmeadow, $88,522; Greenfield, $194,159; Longmeadow, $85,443; Palmer, $122,648; West Springfield, $219,185 and Westfield, $385,001. Cities and towns have known since July that they would receive the additional aid no later than Monday.

Patrick had cut the local aid in January in his version of the state budget for the fiscal year that started July 1 when the economy wasn’t doing as well and the state budget needed to be balanced. Patrick later agreed to restore the money, after the economy improved.

The restoration of the $65 million brings unrestricted local aid for this fiscal year to about $900 million, the same as the prior year. The restoration prevents what would have been a fourth year in a row of cuts to unrestricted aid.

The effort to restore the local aid cut began in April when the state House of Representatives approved a Republican-sponsored amendment mandating that half of so-called reversions - remaining funds at the end of a fiscal year - must go to communities, not exceeding $65 million.

The money had to be distributed no later than Monday, according to the amendment, which was included in the final state budget signed into law by Patrick in July.

In the graphic below, select "click to interact". Then, click on a city / town name from the menu at left and mouse over the highlighted circle to reveal the amount of state aid issued under the supplemental budget. Amounts are shown in thousands -- for example, "2,300K" is equal to $2.3 million.

Our Family Kitchen is open Sundays through Fridays to anyone with a need.

Photo by John Suchocki / The RepublicanWestfield soup kitchen directors, chief cooks and bottle washers Allyn R. Hall and Edward J. Fournier stand in the kitchen of the Meadow Street facility.

WESTFIELD – Without fanfare, the Westfield Soup Kitchen, Our Family Table, will celebrate 25 years of service to the community.

There will be cake for volunteers, the mainstay of the kitchen, but “we do not want to spend donations we receive to support the kitchen on a party,” said Allyn R. Hall, president of the board of directors.

Started in November, 1986 on the Park Square Green with just a table, peanut butter sandwiches and milk, the kitchen has grown to serve an average of about 1,200 meals monthly. The kitchen relocated from St. Mary’s High School, where it operated from 1987, about seven years ago to its current location at the former Westfield Hotel on Meadow Street.

“The need was there in 1986 and it continues today,” the 66-year-old Hall said.

The kitchen was originally started by Robert Smith of Westfield, Gary Johnson of Granville and Richard Hansen of Russell.

A year later Westfield’s Edward J. Fournier joined the effort.

“Today the kitchen is supervised by a board of directors and we thrive on the numbers of volunteers and donations,” Fournier, 77, said.

Hall and Fournier note that while the numbers of meals served each day have increased since 1986, they have remained steady for the past several years.

“We seem to feed fewer at the beginning of the month and they increase towards the end of the month,” said Hall.

The kitchen is open Sundays through Fridays at 4:45 p.m. and meals are provided by a wide range of organizations, churches, groups and schools. A calendar listing meal sponsors is prepared a year in advance, Hall and Fournier said.

The National Honor Society at Westfield High School sponsors two meals monthly and a group from the First Congregational Church in Granby, Conn. travel the farthest to volunteer, the directors said.

In addition to meal sponsors, it costs the kitchen an estimated $15,000 annually for rent and other essentials. That is covered by a grant from the city and donations from Westfield Gas and Electric Department Westfield Band, city schools, Blessed Sacrament Church and local farmers.

“We spend what we get very carefully,” offered Hall.

“The purpose of the kitchen is to provide for anyone in need. Our volunteers do this for love of fellow man,” he said.

Fournier said he got involved because “I just wanted to help people.”

Hall said he became involved at the kitchen following retirement about 12 years. “I just want to give back to the community,” he said. “It is the right thing to do.”

Northampton voters will be asked next month they want to repeal the city’s 3 percent property-tax surcharge for community preservation.

Monson Conservation Commissioner Leslie A. Duthie, is one of 10 people honored last month at the Statehouse in Boston with 2011 Robert Kuehn Community Preservation Awards for her role in community preservation issues.

BOSTON - Matching state money was basically stable this year for most communities that have adopted a law for buying open space and historic preservation, ending a three-year slide in reduced state funding for the program.

Under the Community Preservation Act, cities and towns receive a state match if voters have approved a property tax surcharge to raise local money. The state Department of Revenue released the state matches for communities earlier this month.

Belchertown Selectmen’s Chairman Kenneth E. Elstein said the program still is worthwhile despite the lower match from the state in recent years.

“It’s been a great deal, but obviously we would like to have more,” Elstein said.

Katharine G. Baker, chairwoman of the Community Preservation Committee in Northampton, said the state matches this year show a need for boosting state funding for the program.

One possible way could be a provision in the House version of casino legislation that would direct millions of dollars from casino resorts to the statewide preservation program.

“We would be very happy with any increase in state matching funds,” said Baker, adding the law has financed 51 projects in the city over the past five years.

The act is a hot issue in Northampton. Voters on Nov. 8 in Northampton will decide the outcome of a ballot question that, if approved, would repeal the city’s 3 percent property-tax surcharge for raising community preservation money. Some residents may not want to pay the surcharge, which is $79 a year for the average property taxpayer in the city.

Agawam, Amherst, Belchertown, Conway, East Longmeadow, Granville, Hampden, Longmeadow, Shutesbury, West Springfield, Westfield and Wilbraham are among the communities that received generally a stable percentage match from the state. Each of those communities received a 26.6 percent match on money raised in communities under the Community Preservation Act.

Last year, those communities received a 27.2 percent state match. The cut in the percentage was so slight that state funding was generally the same as last year for the great majority of communities.

In prior years, the match fell to 35 percent in 2009, down from 68 percent in 2008. Before 2008, all communities received a 100 percent match from the state.

The state match is a percentage of the money raised locally through the municipality’s surcharge on property taxes. Northampton, for example, received a state reimbursement that is 32.5 percent of the $854,927 raised by the city’s surcharge during the fiscal year that ended June 30.

In Monson, Leslie Duthie, chairwoman of her town’s Community Preservation Committee, said the preservation program is critical. “To us, it makes a huge difference,” she said.

Monson has used preservation money to purchase 40 acres for the Peaked Mountain Reservation and to restore several historical churches, for example, she said. Monson may also use some preservation funds to help people rebuild their homes after the June 1 tornado, Duthie said.

Monson, which has a 3-percent surcharge for property taxpayers, received a 76 percent state match. Like many other communities, Monson exempts the first $100,000 assessed value of properties from the surcharge and allows qualified elderly people to apply for an exemption.

Joseph L. Fitzgibbon, chairman of the community preservation committee in Hadley, says virtually all municipal officials knew the match would never stay at 100 percent.

Fitzgibbon is among those who still believe the program remains a bargain. Hadley this year received $110,568 from the state, a 54 percent match on local money generated from a 3 percent surcharge.

“At this point, that’s a 50 percent return on your money,” he said. “Where else are you going to get that?“

The matches for certain communities dropped since 2008 because of the struggling real estate market. The matches have also decreased since 2008 because of an increase in the number of communities participating in the program, further spreading out the state money.

According to the 2000 community preservation law, cities and towns can raise money locally by approving a surcharge on property taxes as high as 3 percent. The state matches a certain percentage of the money. The state raises its money via $10 and $20 fees on real estate transactions.

The money can be used for historic preservation, open space, affordable housing and recreation. The state, through the fees on real estate transactions, this month announced it would distribute $26.4 million to communities for this fiscal year.

A total of 143 communities received a state match, up from 142 last year. A total of 70 communities received a 26.6 percent match this year. The remaining 73 received matches up to 100 percent, with eight receiving the full 100 percent, including Goshen, Hatfield, Leverett and Whately, according to the Community Preservation Coalition in Boston.

The average match this year was 37 percent, up from 32 percent last year.

The declines in the state match point to a need to shore up the program by approving a House bill, according to Douglas P. Pizzi, a spokesman for the preservation coalition.

Pizzi referred to a bill cosponsored by state Rep. Stephen Kulik, D-Worthington, which, if adopted, would guarantee a minimum 75 percent annual state match by raising statewide fees on real-estate transactions. The bill has 26 sponsors in the state Senate and 90 in the House, he said.

Stephen Kulik

The bill is pending in the House Ways & Means Committee.

The state House of Representatives also voted to send 5 percent of tax revenues from casino resorts to the community preservation fund. If that provision remains in a final casino bill being negotiated by the House and the state Senate, the program could receive millions of additional dollars each year.

The preservation program allows communities to complete capital projects, Pizzi said. “Nothing comes out of the state budget,” he said. “It helps communities and puts people to work.”

According to the formula used to distribute state money, communities with less than 3 percent surcharges received the 26.6 percent state match. Communities receive a larger state match if they approved the maximum surcharge allowed under the law. Matches for other communities with a 3 percent surcharge included Monson, 76 percent match; Deerfield, 68 percent; Southwick, 58 percent; Hadley, 54 percent; Easthampton, 51 percent ; Northampton, 32.5 percent; Southampton, 76 percent; and Sturbridge, 42 percent.

Under the formula in the law, smaller communities with low property values generally fare better than others. Of the communities that got a 26.6 percent match, Agawam, East Longmeadow, Longmeadow, Hampden, West Springfield and Westfield each has a 1 percent local surcharge. Amherst, Belchertown, Conway, Granville and Wilbraham each has a 1.5 percent surcharge.

PRESERVATION FUNDS

Here is a list showing state matches this year for communities which adopted the Community Preservation Act:

Agawam: $112,760
Amherst: $106,414
Belchertown: $49,991
Conway: $13,282
Deerfield: $113,377
E. Longmeadow: $54,304
Easthampton: $157,649
Goshen: $53,846
Granville: $5,529
Hadley: $110,568
Hampden: $14,368
Hatfield: $92,659
Longmeadow: $74,628
Northampton: $277,958
Southampton: $125,248
Southwick: $139,344
Sturbridge: $150,853
West Springfield: $104,620
Westfield: $93,961
Wilbraham: $75,182

Source: State Department of Revenue

Anne Schlichtig, who was 26 at the time of the crash, allegedly drove into Roberta A. Salois, 47, and her 9-year-old son, Steven X. Smith-Salois, of 555 Russell Road, killing them, as they attempted to cross South Maple Street on Oct. 31, 2008.

This 2008 Republican file photo shows the friends and family of Roberta Salois and Steven Smith-Salois mourning over a memorial on South Maple Street where the mother and son were killed on Oct. 31, 2008 as they crossed the street while trick-or-treating.

WESTFIELD- The woman accused of running over and killing a mother and son who were trick-or-treating in Westfield in 2008 has been arraigned on vehicular homicide charges.

Anne Schlichtig, who was 26 at the time of the crash, allegedly drove her 2005 Toyota into Roberta A. Salois, 47, and her 9-year-old son, Steven X. Smith-Salois, as they attempted to cross South Maple Street in their hometown of Westfield at about 8:13 p.m. on Oct. 31, 2008.

The mother was pronounced dead at Noble Hospital in Westfield while her son was pronounced dead at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.

Schlichtig is facing two counts of negligent motor vehicular homicide in connection with the incident and was released following her court appearance this week. She is scheduled to return to court in December for a subsequent hearing.

According to published reports, Schlichtig admitted to witnesses on scene that she shouldn't have been driving at night because of a medical condition that affects the cornea.

An Associated Press article from 2008 said the Westfield police reported that the mother and son were wearing dark clothing on a street with dark sidewalks.

A lifelong Westfield resident, Roberta Salois graduated from Westfield High School in 1981. She was employed as a cafeteria worker at St. Mary's School in Westfield and the Garda Armored Car Company.

Steven Smith-Salois was a fourth-grader at Juniper Park Elementary School in Westfield and a member of the Westfield YMCA.

As strange as fate may be, the incident that claimed their lives wasn't the first brush with disaster for the family in relation to Halloween.

On Oct. 29, 1994, Reign E. Salois Jr., Roberta Salois' nephew, then 16 years old, became a quadriplegic after being hit by a drunken driver while walking with friends on Court Street from a YMCA haunted house exhibit.

He suffered injuries to his head, neck, arms and legs while being dragged by the car some 100 feet down Court Street, less than one mile from the site of the accident that killed his aunt and cousin 14 years later. He died in 2005 at age 27.

Schools from Agawam to West Springfield will not be in session on Monday.

Here is a list of some of the school districts that will be closed Monday, Oct. 31:

Agawam: Closed Monday

Amherst: Closed Monday

Cathedral High School: Closed Monday

Chicopee: Closed Monday

Easthampton: Closed Monday

East Longmeadow: Closed Monday

Greenfield: Closed Monday

Hadley: Closed Monday

Hampden-Wilbraham: Closed Monday

Holyoke: Closed Monday

Longmeadow: Closed Monday

Ludlow: Closed Monday and Tuesday

Monson: Closed Monday

Northampton: Closed Monday

Palmer: Closed Monday

Southwick-Tolland: Closed Monday

Springfield: Closed Monday

Ware: Closed Monday

Westfield: Closed Monday

West Springfield: Closed Monday

Power was knocked out to 50 percent of residents on the north side of the city and 30 percent on the south.

WESTFIELD – Seventy percent of the city remains without power with outages expected to last anywhere from three to five days throughout Westfield after Saturday night’s heavy snow toppled utility poles, power lines and trees leaving behind widespread chaos.

Damages from fallen trees n the aftermath of the autumn snow storm, officials said, is more extensive and severe than that suffered after the June 1 tornado that ravaged the region.

Westfield Police Sgt. Paul R. Beebe, acting as the emergency management liaison, said about 11,000 homes are without power, which is not expected to be restored for at least three to five days with some isolated areas perhaps going back online sooner.

“It’s a slow process – there are lots of lines and trees down,” he said. “There are people coming in from out of town to assist the Westfield Gas and Electric Company.”

The entire city, Beebe added, was hit equally hard, with power knocked out to 50 percent of residents on the north side of the city and 30 percent on the south. No fatalities or injuries associated with the storm were reported.

Residents report losing power Saturday between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. with some saying the twilight sky turned purple immediately after transformers blew and others saying they heard trees thundering to the ground throughout the night.

Beebe noted that some downtown areas were not hit by power outages, which was evident by the long lines at gas stations and fast food restaurants along Route 20.

Resident Melissa Barnes said there was an hour wait Sunday afternoon for both the Hess gas station and McDonald’s restaurant in the area of the Westfield shops.

“It was crazy,” she said. “There was a line of cars for the gas station backed-up about a half mile.”

Carl J. Crawford, of 107 Tannery Road, said a fallen tree came to rest on top of his Kia min-van while a branch broke the rear window of a second vehicle in his driveway. His main concern, however, was staying warm.

“We have a gas stove, so at least we can cook and turn that on once in a while to warm-up,” he said.

An emergency shelter is available at Juniper Park Elementary School on Western Avenue where residents can seek a warm place to sleep or charge electrical devices, Beebe said. In addition, the sergeant said Noble Hospital is taking in people with disabilities and medical issues.

Westfield schools, as well as Westfield State University and Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional schools, are closed Monday.

In other areas, Route 57 on the Southwick/Feeding Hills line, was blocked by fallen trees until three men with chainsaws began cutting them. The debris was cleared by Agawam public works employees.

Jason E. Hyland, of Granville, Nate Larabee, of Southwick, and Robert J. Bellucci, of Springfield, who was returning from Otis, said they went out with chainsaws Sunday in search of areas that needed clearing.

“I knew this was going to happen, that’s why I got out the chainsaw,” Hyland said.