Daily Hampshire Gazette from Northampton, Massachusetts • 4

Hampshire Gazette, Northampton, August 24, 1982 WMECO applies for surcharge increase Customers of Western Massachusetts Electric Co. may find their bills higher in September than they were in August, if a proposed fuel surcharge of $3 per 100 kilowatthours is approved. The surcharge was $2.13 per 100 kilowatt hours in August, June and July William and Semanie, a WMECO spokesman. thee Semanie attributes the increase to shutdown of two of WMECO's nuclear plants. He refueling at Millstone I in Waterford, and repairs to a steam turbine at Yankee Rowe in Franklin County means the utility will have to rely more on oil-generated electricity for its 000 customers.

Semanie said the company will meet with the Department of Public Utilities next week to discuss the fuel surcharge increase for September, October and November. The requested surcharge will be reviewed by the state Fuel Charge Board, he said. The Coalition of Governments and Institutions, a consumer advocacy group, is meeting this week to Sisitsky protests auto insurance hike State Sen. Alan D. Sisitsky has lambasted the state auto insurance industry's $216 million rate i increase request, calling for several reforms.

A frequent critic of the auto insurance industry, the Springfield Democrat said the industry has more than made up for losses through its investments and is the of the most profitable industries in the nation. The industry request, if approved, would increase Commonwealth automobile insurance by a statewide Ellen Austin AMHERST Ellen (Larrabee) Austin, 82, of 32 Riverside Park Apartments, died Sunday at The Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton. She had lived in Amherst since 1978. Born Feb. 28, 1900 in Minnesota, she was the daughter of the late Benjamin F.

and Ellen (Moore) Larrabee. Mrs. Austin was a former resident of Jay, N.Y. However, she and her husband, Harold Austin, spent most of their married life in Trenton, N.J. While in Trenton, she was a member of the Royal Neighbors of AmericHesides her husband in Amherst, she is survived by a brother, Frank Larrabee of Lantana, two sisters, Faith O.

Peeples of West Palm Beach, Fla. and Doris E. Davis of Lakewood, Fla. A graveside service will be held at the Greenwood Cemetery in Trenton later. The Douglass Funeral Home in Amherst is in charge of the local funeral arrangements.

Joseph F. Blasko HARTFORD The funeral of Joseph F. Blasko, a long-time resident of Hartford, was held Saturday. He was a former resident of Amherst, and the brother of Alexander Blasko of Amherst. Blasko, 76, died Wednesday at the Hartford Hospital.

Born Dec. 14, 1905, in Cleveland, Ohio, he was the son of the late Stanley and Elsie (Sobuta) Blasko. For more than 42 years, he was employed by Connecticut Printers, until his retirement 10 years ago. Blasko was a communicant of St. Luke's Church.

He was a member of the St. Luke's Senior Citizens and the Barry Square Senior Citizens. He is survived by his wife, Mary (Dopkowski) Blasko; four sons, George Blasko of Newington, Theodore Blasko of East Hartford, John Blasko of Farmington, and Raymond Blasko of Marlborough; and a daughter, Frances Martyn of East Hartford. Besides his brother in Amherst, he also leaves two other brothers. Youth (Continued from page 1) attempted to revive the youth using cardiopulmonary and mouth-tomouth resuscitation, but their efforts failed.

The Meehan family has been running the gravel operation since April 2. Robert and James Meehan today declined to discuss the incident, but another brother, Thomas Meehan of Southwick, said his father had made no decision about the sand and gravel firm's future. Michael C. Meehan was born Oct. 13, 1970, in Springfield, the son of Robert and Esther (Knodler) Meehan.

The family live at 829 Shoemaker Lane in Feeding Hills. He was a member of the Christ Lutheran Church of Southwick. Besides his parents, he is survived by his paternal grandmother, Mabel (Rowland) Meehan of West Springfield; and four brothers, Thomas Meehan and Kurt Meehan, both of Southwick, James Meehan of Russell, and Robert Meehan, at home. The funeral will be Thursday at 11 a.m. at the Christ Lutheran Church, followed by burial in the Springfield Street Cemetery in Feeding Hills.

Calling hours at the Colonial Funeral Home, 985 Main Agawam, are tonight from 7 to 9, and tomorrow from 2 to 4, and 7 to 9 p.m. Memorial gifts can be made to the Michael Meehan Memorial Fund, in care of the Christ Lutheran Church, 568 College Highway in Southwick 01077. Reading Notices Paper Route Available, 30 customers, Lexington Avenue, Riverside Drive area. If interested call J.J, at 584-9241. O'Rourke's Auto School (Est.

1949) New D.E. Class starting Tuesday September No L.P. needed. 38 Gothic Northampton. Patient, experienced instructors, Private lessons for adults.

Call 584-4000. We pick up! determine its position on the proposed fuel adjustment, said Robert J. Garvey, head of the coalition and Hampshire County Commissioner. WMECO, a wholly owned subsidiary of Northeast Utilities, provides electricity to customers in Amherst, Easthampton, Hadley, and several of the Hampshire County Hilltowns. average of 19.4 percent.

"For every $1 consumers pay in premiums, 65 cents go to losses, and 30 cents go to expenses, but the insurance companies make more than $5, because they invest in Wall said Sisitsky, who has championed the cause of lower insurance rates during his 14-year tenure in the Legislature. Sisitsky proposed adjusting insurance agents' commission rates downward from their current 16 percent on every dollar. He said the commission for Commonwealth auto insurance agents is one of the highest in the country, and should be reduced to around 13 percent. In addition, Sisitsky proposed adopting auto insurance plans for private and public employees. By including it in the collective bargaining process, auto insurance will cost the consumer less than it would if bought through an agent, he said.

Deaths and funerals John Blasko of East Hartford and Frank Blasko of New York City; and Reading, three sisters, Helen Sophie Bussell Dolan of and Leonia Napolitano of White Plains, N.Y.. Memorial contributions may be made to the University of Hartford library fund. Virginia Esty AMHERST Virginia P. Esty, 81, formerly of the Riverside Park Apartments, died yesterday. She and her late husband, John C.

Esty, had lived in the Amherst and Sunderland area since 1949. Mrs. Esty was born in Caledonia, New York. After graduating from Smith College in 1922, Mrs. Esty was a teacher and social worker.

She and her family lived in Chappaqua, N.Y. from 1925 to 1949. Esty was employed in the advertising business in New York City during that time. Her husband, a graduate of Amherst College, was in the furniture business here for many years. He specialized in making outdoor furniture.

He also was active in many activities associated with Amherst College. Mrs. Esty was an active member of many civic and volunteer organization, both in New York and Amherst. In recent years, she was a member of the Amherst and Sunderland Women's Clubs, the Amherst Garden Club, the Travelers' Club, and the Smith Club of Hampshire and Franklin Counties. She also served on the board of deacons of the First Congregational Church Amherst, and she was a member of the Gray Ladies staff at the U.S.

Veterans Administration Medical Center in Leeds. She is survived by four sons, John C. Esty Jr. of Concord, David C. Darien, Charles P.

Esty of Wolfboro, N.H., and Peter T. Esty of Brooklyn; and 15 grandchildren. A memorial service will be held Sept. 4 at 2 p.m. at the Wildwood Cemetery in Amherst.

Memorial gifts may be made to Amherst College. The Douglass Funeral Home is in charge of the funeral arrangements. Alfred Bloomingdale, but news of the death was withheld. other businesses. OUR BIGGEST EVER! SALE Now through August 31st, you get OFF ALL CUSTOM DRAPES PLUS free Kirsch Standard "Superfine" traverse rods.

DON'T DELAY: CALL NOW! 2 Corliss CUSTOM 7 Call Satisfaction Today! Guaranteed! Drapes 586-0100 586-0880 21 Locust Northampton (Across from The Cooley Dickinson Hospital) SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) Millionaire businessman Alfred Bloomingdale, a close friend and adviser of President Reagan, has died of cancer, Bloomingdale's office said Monday. He was 66. "He lost his battle with cancer," said Bloomingdale's secretary, who would identify herself only as Miss Raab. She said he died Friday at St.

John's Hospital in Santa Monica, Auto insurance companies were granted a 15 percent increase for 1982 last year, amounting to about $139 million in additional premiums. The companies had sought a 24.5 increase for this year's rates from State Insurance Commissioner Michael J. Sabbagh. Sabbagh will begin hearings on the 1983 request Oct. 4 and will make a decision by Dec.

31. Sabbagh was not available for comment. Sisitsky is not seeking reelection this year. Louise V. Porter EASTHAMPTON Louise V.

Porter, 74, of 32 Echo Lane, died today at The Cooley Dickinson Hospital. Born in Boston April 6, 1908, she was the daughter of Eva (Ells) Carney of East Derry, N.H., and the late Charles P. Carney. Her husband, Henry C. Porter, died in 1960.

The couple had lived in Northampton for many years. Mrs. Porter was employed as a domestic worker at Smith College in Northampton. She had also, been employed by the former McCallum's Department Store in Northampton, and by the Hotel Northampton. She is survived by a brother, Charles P.

Carney Jr. of Houston; two sisters, Dorothy E. Moore of East Derry, Stella M. Johnson of Hull; and several nieces and nephews. The funeral will be held at the convenience of the family.

The burial will be in the Goshen Cemetery in Goshen. There are no calling hours. The Pease Funeral Home in Northampton is in charge. Memorial gifts may be made to the American Cancer Society, 1111 Elm West Springfield 01089. Tamara Ivask AMHERST A liturgy of Christian burial was celebrated today at St.

Peter and St. Paul's Russian Orthodox Church in Springfield for Tamara (Mezak) Ivask, of 263 Sunset Ave. Mrs. Ivask, 66, died Saturday at Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton. Born in Russia Jan.

1, 1916, she was the daughter of the late Henrick and Zinada (Alexeev) Mezak. Mrs. Ivask came to this country in 1949, and became an instructor of Russian language at Harvard University in Cambridge. She is survived by her husband, George Ivask, a retired professor of Russian language at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. The burial was in the West Cemetery in Amherst.

The Douglass Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements. businessman Bloomingdale and his wife, Betsy, often visited the Reagans at the White House and hosted them at their California home. Bloomingdale, a member of Reagan's so called "kitchen cabinet" of advisers, is an heir to the New York Bloomingdale department store fortune, but made his own millions as the founder of the Diner's Club and Anne Smith WESTFIELD The funeral of Anne M. (Curran) Smith, of 43 Court the former coordinator of nursing care services at Providence Hospital, was held Saturday at the Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Church. Mrs.

Smith, 45, died Wednesday in Springfield Hospital. She was the niece of Ruth Sullivan and Dorothy Hickey, both Amherst, and of Alice O'Connor of Northampton. Mrs. was the daughter of Eva (Hickey) and John Curran. She had lived in Westfield all of her life.

Mrs. Smith was a graduate of the St. Francis Hospital School of Nursing in Hartford, and of the Our Lady of the Elms College in Chicopee. She was the former director of nursing services at Westfield Vocational High School. She was a member of the American Nurses Association, the Sigma Theta Tau National Nurses Honor Society, and the Westfield Nurses Association.

She was a communicant of the Blessed Sacrament Church. Her husband, Dr. Leonard Smith, died in 1973. She is survived by a brother, James J. Curran of Westfield, and a fourth aunt, Rose Knapik of Westfield.

Flying high LeBeau and Amy Huxley, both of Northampton, kept an eye on LeBeau's flying dragon kite at the Northampton High School athletic field. (Photo by Gordon Daniels) Maybe she told him to go fly a kite or maybe it was simply the best way to spend a recent sunny afternoon. Anyway, Gary Come in Now and get the Accounts IRA Accounts on our full range of services. You'll be pleasantly surprised as to the special treatment Car Loans you'll receive from our friendly personnel Personal Loans Home as a special Improvement Loans Special A FREE Occasion Checks Ice Cream Cone Stop in and ask for a coupon for a FREE Ice Cream Cone from Friendly's NORTHAMPTON ALL DEPOSITS 67 King St. Northampton 584-4474 19 N.

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