Throughout Bial’s address during the college’s 177th commencement ceremony, her words and thoughts resonated with students and guests as they applauded her observations and advice.

SOUTH HADLEY – The 580 Mount Holyoke College graduates receiving bachelor degrees Sunday were told they have to brave to repair the societal damage left by the generation before them.

Deborah Bial, president and founder of the Posse Foundation, who was bestowed with an honorary doctorate in humane letters, said she chose to speak of the challenges facing the graduates in the hopes they will “do a better job with them than we did.”

“You’re going to have to be brave, and sometimes even seemingly small things need courage,” she said.

Bial named historical figures Anne Frank, Rosa Parks, Gloria Steinem and Malala Yousafzai as brave women whose personal battles changed society.

She also mentioned John Lewis, who fought 50 years ago for the black vote; Frida Kahlo, who “painted images that challenged traditional views;” Eleanor Roosevelt, who spoke out both privately to her husband and in public about actions against humanity; and former Vice President Al Gore “who began a very public fight more than a decade ago to educate the world about climate change and its consequences.”

Their battles, Bial noted, were no less important than the ones to which the graduates will one day rise when called upon to be courageous.

“You don’t have to be revolutionary to be brave,” she noted.

Throughout Bial’s address during the college’s 177th commencement ceremony, her words and thoughts resonated with students and guests as they applauded her observations and advice.

She unabashedly apologized for the mess left behind by the current generation and told the graduates they have the most important tool of all to repair the damage – their Mount Holyoke education.

“I wish I could tell you that we have been a good steward of the earth and have exemplified responsible citizenship and visionary leadership,” Bial said. “At the very least, I wish I could tell you that we have learned from our mistakes and that, for the most part, today we are headed in the right direction. But that’s just not the case.”

Instead, “the difficult truth is that I belong to a generation that has fundamentally failed you.”

Bial also noted that every graduate is someone’s hope for the future, and it will take courage to stand up for and champion difficult and unpopular fights for equality.

“It is on you that we hang our hopes for a more just and reasonable society,” she asserted. “For those of you who make the decision to lead, to make your life about improving the lives of others, know that you will be brave.”

Nearly five years after his capture by insurgents, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's "safety and health were both in jeopardy" and officials had to act quickly to obtain his release, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Sunday.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Nearly five years after his capture by insurgents, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's "safety and health were both in jeopardy" and officials had to act quickly to obtain his release, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Sunday.

The only American prisoner of the Afghan war was freed Saturday after President Barack Obama agreed to release five high-level Afghan detainees from the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

"While Bowe was gone, he was never forgotten," Obama said from the White House Rose Garden, where he was joined by Bergdahl's parents. "The United States of America does not ever leave our men and women in uniform behind."

Two Republican lawmakers, Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon of California and Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma, said Obama violated U.S. law when he approved an exchange involving prisoners at Guantanamo without notifying Congress 30 days in advance.

In response, the White House said that officials considered what they called "unique and exigent circumstances" and decided to go ahead with the transfer in spite of the legal requirement.

On Sunday, Susan Rice, the national security adviser said on ABC's "This Week" there had been extensive consultations with Congress in the past about getting Bergdahl back and that lawmakers knew the idea of trading detainees was on the table.

Hagel, who was traveling to Afghanistan to meet with U.S. troops, said notice of Saturday's action was not relayed to Congress because of its urgency. He said intelligence indicated that Bergdahl's "health was deteriorating."

At Bagram Air Field, Hagel thanked the special operations forces that participated in the rescue. Gen. Joseph Dunford said there was a sense of excitement in the headquarters as the news spread.

"You almost got choked up," he said. "It was pretty extraordinary. It has been almost five years and he is home."

Bergdahl's parents, Bob and Jani, led a tireless campaign to keep their son's story in the public eye. They were expected to hold a news conference Sunday in their hometown of Hailey, Idaho, where residents were planning a homecoming celebration for the soldier.

Bergdahl, in good condition and able to walk, was handed over to U.S. special operations forces by the Taliban in an area of eastern Afghanistan, near the Pakistani border, U.S. officials said. In a statement on its website, the Taliban put the location on the outskirts of Khost province.

The government of Qatar served as the go-between in the negotiations. Qatar is taking custody of the five Afghan detainees who were held at Guantanamo.

In weighing the swap, U.S. officials decided that it could help further the effort to reach reconciliation with the Taliban, something the U.S. sees as key to reaching a level of security in Afghanistan. But they acknowledged that there was a risk of emboldening other insurgent groups who might grab U.S. troops or citizens in an effort the secure the release of others prisoners.

Several dozen U.S. special operations forces, backed by multiple helicopters and surveillance aircraft, were involved in securing Bergdahl's transfer from about 18 Taliban members.

Bergdahl is believed to have been held by the Haqqani network since June 30, 2009. Haqqani operates in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region and claims allegiance to the Afghan Taliban but operates with some degree of autonomy.

The U.S. believes Bergdahl was held for the bulk of his captivity in Pakistan, but officials said it was not clear when he was transported to eastern Afghanistan.

Officials said Bergdahl was taken to Bagram Air Field for medical evaluations, then transferred to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, a military facility in Germany, before he's returned to the U.S. An official said Bergdhal was tentatively scheduled to go to the San Antonio Military Medical Center where he would be reunited with his family.

Bergdahl's parents had been in Washington on a previously planned visit when Obama called Saturday with news of their son's release.

As they stood with Obama in the Rose Garden, Bob Bergdahl said his son was having trouble speaking English after his rescue. The elder Bergdahl, who grew a long, thick beard to honor his son, had worked to learn Pashto, the language spoken by his son's captors, and delivered a message to him and the people of Afghanistan in that language.

Switching back to English, he said "the complicated nature of this recovery will never really be comprehended."

The circumstances surrounding Bergdahl's capture remain murky. There has been some speculation that he willingly walked away from his unit, raising the question of whether he could be charged with being absent without leave or desertion.

In 2012, Rolling Stone magazine quoted emails Bergdahl is said to have sent to his parents that suggest he was disillusioned with America's mission in Afghanistan, had lost faith in the U.S. Army and was considering desertion. Bergdahl told his parents he was "ashamed to even be American." The Associated Press could not independently authenticate the emails.

Hagel declined to say whether he believes Bergdahl was attempting to desert the Army or go AWOL when he walked away from his unit and disappeared.

"Our first priority is assuring his well-being and his health and getting him reunited with his family," Hagel said. "Other circumstances that may develop and questions -- those will be dealt with later."

A senior U.S. official told The Associated Press that the Army would make the decision on any charges but that the feeling at the moment was that Bergdahl had suffered enough in his ordeal. All the officials who discussed details of Bergdahl's transfer insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to be identified.

The U.S. has long sought Bergdahl's release, but there was renewed interest in his case as Obama finalized plans to pull nearly all American forces out of Afghanistan by the end of 2016.

Officials said the Taliban signaled to the U.S. in November that they were ready to start fresh talks on the issue of detainees. After the U.S. received proof that Bergdahl was still alive, indirect talks began, with Qatar sending messages back and forth between the two parties.

The five Guantanamo detainees departed the base on a U.S. military aircraft Saturday afternoon. Under the conditions of their release, they will be banned from traveling outside of Qatar for at least one year.

Obama and the emir of Qatar spoke last week about the conditions of the release, which have been codified in a memorandum of understanding between the two countries, officials said.

The detainees were among the most senior Afghans still held at the prison:

--Abdul Haq Wasiq, who served as the Taliban deputy minister of intelligence,

--Mullah Norullah Nori, a senior Taliban commander in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif when the Taliban fought U.S. forces in late 2001

--Khairullah Khairkhwa, who served in various Taliban positions including interior minister and had direct ties to Mullah Omar and Osama bin Laden

--Mohammed Nabi, who served as chief of security for the Taliban in Qalat, Afghanistan, and later worked as a radio operator for the Taliban's communications office in Kabul

--Mohammad Fazl, whom Human Rights Watch says could be prosecuted for war crimes for presiding over the mass killing of Shiite Muslims in Afghanistan in 2000 and 2001 as the Taliban sought to consolidate their control over the country.

In a statement on the Taliban website that was translated by the Washington-based SITE Intelligence Group, the Taliban said it "was and has been for a long time attempting to free all the imprisoned Afghan prisoners inside and outside the country, and restoring the right of freedom to them quickly."

The Taliban said it was seeking the release of additional prisoners but offered no specifics.

In Pakistan, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said her government was "not aware of" Bergdahl's release or the negotiations leading up to it. She declined to comment further.

The fire melted the front portion of a box trailer filled with tires, said Dennis Leger, executive aide to Springfield Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant.

 

The box trailer, parked behind the business at 1736 Boston Road, sustained up to $20,000 in damage, according to Leger. "The whole front of this thing is destroyed," he said Sunday.

There were no reported injuries in the fire, which remains under investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Springfield Arson & Bomb Squad at (413) 787-6370.

Philadelphia Inquirer co-owner Lewis Katz was killed along with six other people in a fiery plane crash in Massachusetts, just days after ending an ugly ownership dispute with a deal many hoped would end months of turmoil at the newspaper and restore it to its former glory.

PHILADELPHIA -- Philadelphia Inquirer co-owner Lewis Katz was killed along with six other people in a fiery plane crash in Massachusetts, just days after ending an ugly ownership dispute with a deal many hoped would end months of turmoil at the newspaper and restore it to its former glory.

His son, Drew, and a business partner confirmed Katz's death in a crash of a Gulfstream IV private jet, which went down on takeoff from Hanscom Field outside Boston on its way to Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Saturday night. There were no survivors.

On Tuesday, Katz and Harold H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest struck a deal to gain full control of the Inquirer as well as the Philadelphia Daily News and Philly.com by buying out their co-owners for $88 million -- an agreement that ended a very public feud over the Inquirer's business and journalism direction.

James P. Leeds Sr., town commissioner of Longport, New Jersey, said his 74-year-old wife, Anne, was also aboard the plane. He received a text from Anne just four minutes before the crash saying they were about to take off, he said.

Anne Leeds, a retired preschool teacher, had been invited by her neighbor Katz on Saturday to attend an education-related function, James Leeds said. They left Longport at about 2 p.m., attended the event and went to dinner, he said.

Officials gave no information on the cause of the crash. They said the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.

When bidding on the company, Katz and Lenfest vowed to fund in-depth journalism to revive the Inquirer and to retain its editor, Bill Marimow.

"It's going to be a lot of hard work. We're not kidding ourselves. It's going to be an enormous undertaking," Katz said then, noting that advertising and circulation revenues had fallen for years. "Hopefully, (the Inquirer) will get fatter."

Katz, who grew up in Camden, New Jersey, made his fortune investing in the Kinney Parking empire and the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network in New York. He once owned the NBA's New Jersey Nets and the NHL's New Jersey Devils and was a major donor to Temple University, his alma mater.

The fight over the future of the city's two major newspapers was sparked last year by a decision to fire the Inquirer's Pulitzer Prize-winning editor. Katz and Lenfest wanted a judge to block the firing. Katz sued a fellow owner, powerful Democratic powerbroker George Norcross, saying his ownership rights had been trampled. The dispute culminated last week when Katz and Lenfest, a former cable magnate-turned-philanthropist, bought out their partners.

Lenfest said Sunday that the deal to buy out the company will be delayed but will proceed.

Three previous owners of the company, including Norcross, said in a joint statement that they were deeply saddened to hear of Katz's death.

"Lew's long-standing commitment to the community and record of strong philanthropy across the region, particularly Camden where he was born and raised, will ensure that his legacy will live on," they said.

When the crash occurred, nearby residents saw a fireball and felt the blast shake their homes.

Jeff Patterson told The Boston Globe he saw a fireball about 60 feet high and suspected the worst.

"I heard a big boom, and I thought at the time that someone was trying to break into my house because it shook it," said Patterson's son, 14-year-old Jared Patterson. "I thought someone was like banging on the door trying to get in."

The air field, which serves the public, was closed after the crash. Responders were still on the scene Sunday morning.

Hanscom Field is about 20 miles northwest of Boston. The regional airport serves mostly corporate aviation, private pilots and commuter air services.

The skies off the Hawaiian island of Kauai will be a stand-in for Mars as NASA prepares to launch a saucer-shaped vehicle in an experimental flight designed to land heavy loads on the red planet.

LOS ANGELES -- The skies off the Hawaiian island of Kauai will be a stand-in for Mars as NASA prepares to launch a saucer-shaped vehicle in an experimental flight designed to land heavy loads on the red planet.

For decades, robotic landers and rovers have hitched a ride to Earth's planetary neighbor using the same parachute design. But NASA needs a bigger and stronger parachute if it wants to send astronauts there.

This April 23, 2014 image provided by NASA shows NASA’s saucer-shaped experimental flight vehicle being prepared for a Range Compatibility Test at the at the U.S Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility at Kekaha on the island of Kaua€˜i in Hawaii. (AP Photo/NASA)
 

Weather permitting, the space agency will conduct a test flight Tuesday high in Earth's atmosphere that's supposed to simulate the thin Martian air.

Cameras rigged aboard the vehicle will capture the action as it accelerates to four times the speed of sound and falls back to Earth. Viewers with an Internet connection can follow along live.

Engineers cautioned that they may not succeed on the first try.

"As long as I get data, I'll be very happy," said project manager Mark Adler of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The search for a way to land massive payloads on Mars predates the existence of NASA. Back then, engineers toyed with sending a winged spacecraft that would land like an airplane, but the idea was not feasible, space historians say.

Landing has always been "one of the big technology challenges for a human Mars mission," American University space policy professor Howard McCurdy said in an email.

When the twin Viking landers became the first spacecraft to set down on Mars in 1976, they relied on parachutes to slow down after punching through the Martian atmosphere. The basic design has been used since including during the Curiosity rover's hair-raising landing in 2012.

With plans to land heavier spacecraft and eventually humans, NASA needed a heftier solution. So it designed a supersonic parachute that's 110 feet in diameter -- twice as big as the one that carried the 1-ton Curiosity. It's so gigantic that it can't fit into the wind tunnels that NASA typically uses to test parachutes.

Since it's impractical to test unproven technology on Mars, NASA looked to Earth as a substitute.

During the flight, a high-flying balloon will loft the disc-shaped vehicle from the U.S. Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai to 23 miles over the Pacific where it will be dropped. Then it will fire its rocket motor to climb to 34 miles, accelerating to Mach 4. The environment at this altitude is similar to Mars' thin atmosphere.

As it descends to Earth, a tube around the vehicle should inflate, slowing it down. Then the parachute should pop out, guiding the vehicle to a gentle splashdown in the Pacific.

This undated image provided by NASA shows a saucer-shaped test vehicle holding equipment for landing large payloads on Mars in the Missile Assembly Building at the U.S Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility at Kekaha on the island of Kaua€˜i in Hawaii.  (AP Photo/NASA)
 

Robert Braun, space technology professor at Georgia Institute of Technology, called the project a "high-risk, high-reward effort."

The latest test program "is advancing capabilities and creating the engineering knowledge needed for the next generation of Mars landers," Braun, who served as NASA's technology chief, said in an email.

NASA plans more test flights next year before deciding whether to use the new parachute on a future Mars mission.

Obituaries from The Republican.

Jayson Falcone 

Jayson James Falcone, 37, of Longmeadow, passed away on Thursday. Born in Springfield, he was raised in Longmeadow and was a 1995 graduate of Longmeadow High School. He graduated from Tufts University in 1999 and Suffolk University Law School in 2004, where he was a member of the Suffolk Transnational Law Review. Most recently, he was employed with Fierst, Kane and Bloomberg and previously was partner and counsel at Falcone Retail Properties. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Click Workspace Business Incubator in Northampton. In the 2007 Edition of Business West, he was awarded Top Entrepreneur of the year.

The East Longmeadow High School Class of 2014 graduation is scheduled to take place today at 2 p.m.

EAST LONGMEADOW — The East Longmeadow High School Class of 2014 graduation is scheduled to take place today at 2 p.m.. Here are the details:

Name of high school:
East Longmeadow High School

Number of graduates:
207

Date and time of graduation:
Sunday, June 1st, 2 p.m.

Location of graduation:
East Longmeadow High Athletic Fields

Expected speakers at graduation:
Principal Gina E. Flanagan
Superintendent of Schools Gordon C. Smith
Class President Brendan T. Logan
Valedictorian Kristyna M. Murphy
Amanda M. Ferrero
Natalia T. Mesiti

As many as 150 teenagers attended an underage drinking party at a closed business on Route 9, according to police.

 

Hadley police announced the news on the department's Facebook page. However, police officials didn't name the business or identify the people who were charged.

The Facebook post didn't specify if the business was closed for the evening, or closed for good, as in it's no longer operational. Additional information was not immediately available.

"The party was comprised of approximately 100-150 guests that were 18 years of age or under, and many were observed consuming alcoholic beverages. It was also evident that marijuana had been smoked inside the business," the police post states.

The adults who were charged were ostensibly serving as "chaperones" at the party, police said.

"All party guests arranged rides home with sober drivers or were picked up by their parents," police said.

"At this time there is no indication of an increase risk to public safety," said Stephanie Brackin-Dasaro, a public information officer at Vermont State Police headquarters in Waterbury.

 

Troopers responded to an 8:50 a.m. report of an "unresponsive, possibly deceased" 22-month-old boy at a Mountain View Drive address, said Stephanie Brackin-Dasaro, a public information officer at State Police headquarters in Waterbury.

"The child was pronounced deceased by medical personnel prior to the state police arrival," Brackin-Dasaro said.

A postmortem exam was completed at the Vermont Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, but a final autopsy report on the cause of death is pending, she said.

"At this time there is no indication of an increase risk to public safety," Brackin-Dasaro said.

Additional information was unavailable.

No one was injured in the blaze at 112 Mooreland St.

 

City firefighters were called to 112 Mooreland St. for a 10:15 a.m. report of "a stove fire that got out of control," Leger said.

There were no reported injuries, but the fire caused an estimated $5,000 in damage, Leger said, adding that the flames spread to cabinets near the stove.

Firefighters had to "rip open the wall" to make sure the fire was out, he said.

Christian Pratt, 38, of Williamstown, Vermont, was charged with disorderly conduct for attempting to spray a motorcyclist with a garden hose, according to Vermont State Police.

 

The incident happened on Route 14 in Williamstown at about 6 p.m. Saturday, according to Vermont State Police, who charged the resident with disorderly conduct for allegedly trying to spray the rider.

Christian Pratt, 38, was issued a criminal citation to respond to the charge next month in Orange County Superior Court.

The motorcycle rider, Christopher Hood, told police he almost crashed after trying to avoid the stream of water from Pratt's hose.

Hood confronted Pratt, who then entered his home to retrieve a gun, police said. Hood rode away from the scene and called State Police, who charged Pratt with disorderly conduct.

There were no reported injuries.

"We have a body. We're not ready to classify it at this point," Holyoke Police Lt. Jim Albert said.

Wikimedia Commons 

The Medical Examiner's office has determined the death to be suspicious, but authorities have yet to classify the case as a homicide as they continue their investigation.

"We have a body. We're not ready to classify it at this point," Albert said Sunday afternoon.

The body was found at 5:34 a.m. next to train tracks near the Muller Bridge, which carries Route 202 over the Connecticut River and connects Holyoke to South Hadley.

The case is being investigated by detectives from the Holyoke Police Criminal Investigation Bureau and state police assigned to the office of Hampden District Attorney Mark Mastroianni.

More information will be posted on MassLive as it becomes available.

LONGMEADOW - The Longmeadow Democratic Town Committee annual breakfast was held at the Twin Hills Country Club on Sunday, June 1, 2014. The committee honored Dr. Stanley Glazer of Longmeadow with the 2014 Member Achievement Award. Former Massachusetts Gov. and 1988 Democratic candidate for President Michael Dukakis was honored as Democrat of the Year at the sold-out event. Also attending...

LONGMEADOW - The Longmeadow Democratic Town Committee annual breakfast was held at the Twin Hills Country Club on Sunday, June 1, 2014. The committee honored Dr. Stanley Glazer of Longmeadow with the 2014 Member Achievement Award.

Former Massachusetts Gov. and 1988 Democratic candidate for President Michael Dukakis was honored as Democrat of the Year at the sold-out event.

Also attending the event were Democratic candidates for Massachusetts Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General and Treasurer.

Polls are open from 12 noon to 8 p.m. at town hall, 21 Main St. for the June 2 election

BRIMFIELD – Contests for Selectmen and the Planning Board top the election ballot for Monday’s town election.

Polls are open from 12 noon to 8 p.m. at town hall, 21 Main St. for the June 2 election.

Judith M. Carpenter of 1172 Dunhamtown Brimfield Rd. and Martin J. Kelly of 112 Haynes Hill Rd. are seeking election to a three-year term on the Board of Selectmen.

Five individuals are seeking the Planning Board seat, which is a five-year term.

They are: incumbent Jennifer L. Elmore of 74 Monson Rd.; Uriah T. Smith of 130 Hollow Rd.; Judith A. Sessler of 66 John Haley Rd.; and James C. Stearns, Jr. of 41 Washington Rd.

Town Moderator Michael P. Miller of 66 Five Bridge Rd. is unopposed for reelection.

Board of Health incumbents Magda H. Polack of 39 Little Rest Rd. and Karen H. Marino of 96 Five Bridge Rd. also are running unopposed for three year terms.

Holyoke High School graduated a Class of 2014 of 260 students.

HOLYOKE -- The Holyoke High School Class of 2014 graduated Sunday in a ceremony at Roberts Field.

Here is a list of graduates:

Graduating Class of 2014

Tachalie Mari Albino Vega
Osiris Almonte
Francisco Alvarado
Yashira Enid Alvarado
Logan Alexander Andrade
Derek Rashawn Aponte
Karina Ortiz Aponte
Anissa Lydia -Mary Arena
Michael Arroyo Maldonado
Kristian Darius Arturet
Isaac Andrew Badillo
Anthonys John Barbosa
Guy Daniel Barker-Caballero
Amanda Lea Barta
Jacob Nicholas Batrano
Jordan Beaudreau
Alexa Judge Belmonte
Kennedy Allen Bergman
Marissa Anna Bernard
Ashley Megan Bieg
Katelyn Marie Bigelow
Eric Matthew Blasé
Olivia Alben Bourdon
Sarah Dianne Brazeau
Briana Marie Brennan
Margaret Ann Briant
Lizeth Brito
Brandon Robert Brown
Allison Ann Brunelle
Ian Michael Brunelle
Keisha Marie Burgos
John Ericson Burke
Nora Ann Burns
Luis Alberto Cabral
Nelson Cabral
Yahaira Maritza Cabral
Yomaira Cabrera
Darrien Malik Calderon
Adonis Milan Camby
Shaniel Jose Canales
Shanieliz Canales
Eric Lemuel Canales-Diodonet
Genesis Marie Cardona
Madalyn Rose Carroll
DamayrisLezzette Cartagena
Sarah Noelle Chapdelaine
Jacob Wayne Charette
Taylor M. Choquette
Emily Jane Cicerchia
Nicole Vivian Cicerchia
Kiana Clemente
Kathryn Mary Collier
Carlos Javan Colon
Jazmin Sol Colon
Jocelyn Mari Colon
Shayna Tanysha Colon
Zulma Marie Colon
Justis David Connor
Katie Correa
Abigail Cortes
Carly Kathleen Costello
Sydney Janet Cournoyer
Christian Josue Cruz Carrasquillo
Jarrisa Lee Davis
Jonathan David DeJesus Calderon
Neftali Dejesus Vicente
Alexander Junior Del Valle
Giovanni Joshua Delgado
Joshua Anthony Delisle Manners
Raul Devers
Samantha Ivette Diaz Soto
Brian Diaz
Charlyn Marie Diaz
Camille Paul Domina
Robert Floyd Domina
Jillian Leigh D'Ordine
Ariana Lee Doyle
Daniel Francis Drohan
Jacob Robert Elkins
Sasha Taiz Espinoza
Guadalupe Lee Feliciano
Celeste Fernandez
Ana Marie Figueroa
Emily Marie Flores
Eric Xavier Fontanez Vazquez
Bryan Justin Garcia
Dominique Rose Gelinas
Guillermo Jose Godreau Rivera
Edgar Joel Gomez
Kaylese Gomez
Sirena Gomez
Harold Joseph Gonzalez
Luis Angel Gonzalez
Shawn Daniel Gonzalez
Jorge Luis Gotay-Baez
TayshaDezaray Green
Fanny Guzman - Padilla
Christian Charles Haley
Erin Katherine Hebert
Brooke AlisabethHeisler-Leary
Matthew Hellyar
Cameron Alan Henn
Allan Jaleel Hernandez
Fernanda Marie Hernandez
Linnette Marie Hernandez
Bridget Fagan Higgins
Conor James Hoey
YarishaNahomiIbarryCoriano
George Edward Jones V
Noelia Mariana Juarez
Rohan Joel Jumpp
Abbey Rae Keeler
Ryan Patrick Kirton
Alyssa Ellen Koske
Kristen Elizabeth Koszewski
Benjamin Thomas Kravetz
Desiree Amber Laboy
Brandon Thomas Lagoy
Andrew Peter Lajoie Jr.
Jessica Marie Lamagdeleine
Hannah Lynn LaPorte
Caisey Ann Lavelle
Grace Elizabeth Lavelle
Rebecca Jean Leary
Samuel Jack Lenihan
Zhiyang Lin
Carlos Manuel Lopez
Emmanuel Lopez Baez
Jodrick Damian Lopez Ortiz
Tamika Marie Lopez
Edwin Joel Lugo Diaz
Khamauri David Maitland
Alexandra Suanette Maldonado
Esmelinda Iris Mangual
Xavier Marcial
Kiari Liz Martinez
Marlene Margie Martinez
Joseph Anthony Maspo
Chance Matos
Michael Joseph McAndrew
Tristan Connor McCrodden
Joseph McPherson
Juan Luis Melo
Jhoan Mendez
TabuHashimMhina
Tylaisha Ebony Middleton
Edjesel Morales Moreno
Anfernee Rasheed Morales
Emil Eric Morales
Emily Theresa Morales
Yesenia Lydia Moran
Kristian Gerardo Munoz Torres
Kelly Ann Nicoll
Isabel Negroni
Jasmine Nicole Nelson
Andrew Scott Newell
Brigely Nieves
Maylin Nieves
Carlos Daniel Nunez Rodriguez
Amber Oates
Megan Eileen O'Connell
Meaghan Judith Orsini
Sthephany Ortiz
Katelyn Grace Ottersburg
Matthew Owsiak
Dhaval Patel
Matthew Howard Egan Paul
Cristian Luis Pedraza
Kimberly Nicole Peterson
Jordyn Elizabeth Pinkney
David Norman Plante
Samantha Grace Poutre
Jose Raphael Prieto
Stanislaw Provost
Dyanara Yvonne Quinones
Jeyssica Monique Ramirez
Keisha Ivette Ramirez
Rossy Stephanie Ramirez
Laura Restrepo
Kelly Elizabeth Reardon
Ismael Simon Reynoso
JerilyneIrinet Reynoso
Jose Joey Rios
Vanessa Maria Rivas
Sonya Divette Rivera Lopez
Anthony Rivera
Ashley Rivera
Jesus Alberto Rivera
Emily-Ann Roberge
Kevin Michael Rodgers
Shakira Rodriguez Reyes
Chavelie Marie Rodriguez
Cierra May Rodriguez
Genesis Rodriguez
JeseniaZulay Rodriguez
Natalie Mercedez Rodriguez
Nathan Michael Rodriguez
Auriana Rojas
Sabrina Roman Hernandez
Ashley Marie Roman
Keila Marie Roman
EzzatollahRoohi
Deyanira Rosa
Angeliz Rosado Nieves
Kimberly Rosario
Angel Sanchez, Jr.
Natalie Sanchez-Rodriguez
Omar Alexis Sanchez II
Ashley Michelle Santana
Carlos Geovanie Santiago
Desiree Santiago
Dialis Maries Santiago
Kendra Lea Santiago
Aliah Marie Santos
Luis Daniel Santos
Nicole Christine Santos
Patrick Voss Schmidt
Nathan Joseph Schreffler
Kyle William Schreiber
Jonathan Serrano
Robert Serrano
ShaheenZamonrezaShaghaghi
Stacy Sirkissoon
SadéAmel Sisson
Michael Joseph Skelton
MadalineSoltren
Brandon Anthony Soto
Mark Anthony Soto
Nicholas Anthony Soto
Lukasz Stefanowicz
Jason Roy Stough
Patrick Richard Sznicer
Ashlyn Marie Tabin
Nicholas James Tauscher
Richie Taveras
Brianna Rose Tejada
Devin Michael Thomas
Eván Javier Torres
MariannieSusett Torres Colon
Kimberly Marie Torres
Tameka Shanygne Torres
Cyd Marie Troche Rivera
Michael Gabriel Valentin
Berline Vargas Andujar
Jeremiah Vargas
Crystal Marie Vázquez
Holvin Vazquez Colon
Nichole Vazquez
Victor Joel Vazquez

HOLYOKE - Holyoke High School's 149th Commencement was held at the school's Roberts Field on Sunday, June 1, 2014. The school's Class of 2014 consisted of 260 graduates.

HOLYOKE - Holyoke High School's 149th Commencement was held at the school's Roberts Field on Sunday, June 1, 2014. The school's Class of 2014 consisted of 260 graduates.

The Planning Board convened a public hearing on the zoning amendments last month, when they voted to table two of them, following a three hour discussion – when attendees raised many questions

SOUTH HADLEY – A special town meeting to amend zoning bylaws that has been called for June 4 may be canceled.

The Selectboard will decide whether to cancel the town meeting when they meet on Tuesday.

The Planning Board convened a public hearing on the zoning amendments May 27, when they voted to table two of them, following a three-hour discussion – when attendees raised many questions. The tabling means the board did not make a recommendation.

Since it is unusual for town meeting to consider zoning amendments absent a recommendation to approve zoning changes from the Planning Board, the June 4 town meeting may be canceled altogether.

The zoning changes proposed include a new provision “to provide for Flexible Development to be permitted subject to Site Plan Review instead of Special Permit.”

Language in the amendment says: “Flexible Development allows flexibility in dimensional standards and residential density in order to facilitate preservation of open space and cultural resources of significance to the Town.”

The Planning Board unanimously voted to withdraw the Flexible Development article.

Another proposal would modify dimensional requirements and mandate a minimum open space requirement for buildings and structures.

That article would establish “a standard for the minimum portion of any parcel which must be in vegetated open space for each of the various zoning districts.”

A third article, the most controversial, would create new requirements to allow conversions of a single-family home to a two-family.

Residents spoke against the idea during the May 27 Planning Board hearing, saying it needs more work, and that property rights of existing homeowners would be compromised.

The Planning Board voted 5-0 to withdraw it from the town meeting warrant.

The Selectboard vote June 3 on whether to cancel the special town meeting.

In the coming days, the new commissioner intends to make a series of promotions and transfers within the department, but the immediate focus is to get a handle on the running of the department, a spokesman said.

SPRINGFIELD – New Police Commissioner John R. Barbieri spent his first day is office in meetings for much of the day and working to familiarize himself with administrative matters within the department, according a member of his staff.

Lt. Trent Hufnagel, who was appointed to be Barbieri’s executive aide, said much of the work so far is in gaining familiarity with the position.

In the coming days, the new commissioner intends to make a series of promotions and transfers within the department, but the immediate focus is to get a handle on the running of the department.

Barbieri became commissioner on Sunday with the retirement of William Fitchet.
Hufnagel said a formal swearing-in ceremony is planned for Thursday at 10 a.m. in the Old First Church in Court Square.

After the ceremony, he intends to hold a press briefing, Hufnagel said.

Hufnagel said among Barbieri’s first orders were to fill two vacant deputy chief positions with captains Mark Anthony and Robert Cheetham. The two posts became vacant in April with Barbieri’s selection to succeed Fitchet.

One of the vacancies was the post held by Barbieri while the other was created with the departure of Robert McFarlin.

McFarlin and Barbieri were each finalists to succeed Fitchet, and when Barbieri was selected, McFarlin put in for retirement.

Anthony previously served as deputy chief from 2006 to 2009, having been appointed on an interim basis by then Commissioner Edward Flynn.

In another change, Sgt. John Delaney, who had been an executive aide under Fitchet, was assigned as head of the department’s Ordinance Squad. He remains the department’s public information officer.

Pizzaro was seen Friday leaving school with her non-constodial mother, but when the mother was contacted by police she claimed she did not know where Pizzaro is.

GREENFIELD - Police in Greenfield and Springfield are searching for a 14-year-old Greenfield girl who has been missing since Friday afternoon, according to police.

The girl, identified as Nancy Pizzaro, was last seen leaving the Greenfield Middle School with her non-custodial mother, according to police. But when police contacted, the mother, Melissa Carrasquillo of 243 Hancock St., Springfield, she told officers that she only spoke briefly with her daughter and did not know where she went after that.

She said she last saw her a few blocks away from the school walking toward her home.

Pizzaro is described as a 14-year-old Hispanic girl with dark eyes and dark hair.

Greenfield police contacted Springfield police about her disappearance and both departments have active searches ongoing, Greenfield police said.

Anyone who knows where she is asked to call the local police of dial 911.

At Peking University, once a center of student protest, Tiananmen seems to have little relevance to today's students.

By DIDI TANG

BEIJING — Born in 1989, Steve Wang sometimes wonders what happened in his hometown of Beijing that year. But his curiosity about pro-democracy protests and the crackdown on them passes quickly.

"I was not part of it," he said. "I know it could be important, but I cannot feel it."

A quarter century after the Communist Party's attack on demonstrations centered on Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989, it is little more than a distant tale to most young Chinese. The ruling party prohibits public discussion and 1989 is banned from textbooks and Chinese websites.

Many have managed to learn something about the crackdown, through people they know, by navigating around China's tight Internet controls or by traveling abroad. Some are aware of the iconic image of resistance — the lone Chinese man standing in front of a line of tanks moving down the Avenue of Eternal Peace.

But often, they seem not to care. They grew up in an atmosphere of nationalism and pride over two decades of strong economic growth. The turmoil caused by a student movement 25 years ago seems irrelevant to a generation more worried about finding jobs and buying an apartment.

"They basically don't bother to try to find out further," said Fu King-wa, a journalism professor at Hong Kong University. "Even if they learn about it, they believe in the government version."

A protester stands in front of a mock tank to symbolic the man blocking a line of tanks at the 1989 pro-democracy movement in Beijing as thousands of Hong Kong people march on a down town street in Hong Kong Sunday, June 1, 2014, to Mark the 25th anniversary of the Bloody crackdown on Tiananmen Square, ahead of a much larger annual candlelight vigil. The Chinese words on white T-shirt reads " Citizen against orders " . (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)Vincent Yu 

Young Chinese tend to find it hard to empathize with students of the late 1980s, she said. "The younger generation is more influenced by cynicism and materialism," said He. "A Chinese student once said to me, 'I really do not believe they took to the street for ideals.'"

Born in July 1989, in a Beijing hospital not far from the sites of the bloody crackdown, Wang grew up without hearing a word about the student movement from parents or teachers. He first heard about it from friends in college in China.

"I was quite curious and wanted to know about it. But I could not find anything," Wang said.

In 2010, the young man went to school in England, where he met a Hong Kong student who showed him a video of the crackdown.

FILE--A Chinese man blocks a line of tanks heading east on Beijing's Changan Blvd. after Chinese forces crushed a pro democracy demonstration in Tiananmen Square on June 5, 1989. The man, calling for an end to the recent violence and bloodshed against pro-democracy demonstrators, was pulled away by bystanders, and the tanks continued on their way. (AP Photo/Jeff Widener) 

Back in Beijing, Wang does not think the student movement would come up in any discussion.

"Who would bring it up? There's been no reason to talk about it," Wang said. "Much time has passed since then, and China will not report it anymore. Now the foreign media want to make a fuss out of it. They are talking up the negative things about China."

At Peking University, once a center of student protest, Tiananmen seems to have little relevance to today's students.

"It is not something that concerns us anymore," said Zhang Yu, a graduate student in sociology.

Although some bold Peking University professors have shared their knowledge with their students, most keep the topic out of the classroom.

Chen Haoyun, a freshman majoring in aeronautics, said he first heard about it when a teaching assistant mentioned it in a history class.

"I do not know much about it. All I know is that it cannot be talked about," said Chen. "I am interested, but the school does not talk about it."

The university's party secretary, Zhu Shanlu, warns that teachers must be careful when speaking to students about Tiananmen.

"You must take responsibility for the students and their values. It's like buttoning up the first button, and you cannot get the first button wrong," he told an Associated Press reporter when asked if the issue is off limits on campus.

Even some young people with connections to the crackdown know little about it, including Wang Jiaying, a Beijing college student whose father participated in the student movement.

"He said he was not sensible at the time," Wang said of her father. "I think it was a special event at a special time, which cannot be discussed now."

Her roommate, Lu Qiuxuan, 21, learned it about from her mother, who was at a Beijing hospital caring for her grandmother at the time. She told Lu about the constant flow of wounded students. Lu said she looked up information when she spent time overseas.

"I didn't expect it was this huge, and there were so many people, and so many injuries. I was shocked," Lu said.

"I don't know what should be the right conclusion, as long as the Chinese government does not say anything," she said. "I regret that people of my generation cannot learn and understand it during our school years, and I think that has changed our outlook about our future lives."