Summers said the economy is $1.6 trillion behind where forecasters in 2007 thought it would be by now. That translates to $5,000 in lost prosperity for every American, $20,000 lost to an average American family.

Lawrence H. Summers 

NORTHAMPTON — Soon-to-graduate college students have more to fear from a slow-growing economy than they could ever be threatened by debt incurred by an ambitious rebuilding of the nation's roads, bridges, schools, airport and other public assets, former Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. Summers told an audience at Smith College on Monday.

"They should be more worried about the stagnate economy because that is what is going to stunt the types of opportunities that they are going to see when they get out, opportunities to get a job that really is on a career path," Summers said.

Summers, who was treasury secretary under President Bill Clinton, served as an economic adviser to President Barack Obama and was president of Harvard, spoke Monday at Smith College's annual economics lecture.

He presented his theory of "secular stagnation" – secular in this case meaning "long term" – to an audience of about 400, most of them students at Smith or other area colleges.

The impact of this stagnation is immense, he said. And it is not just because recent college graduates are more likely to live at home and less likely to get jobs in their career fields.

The economy is $1.6 trillion smaller than forecasters working in 2007 thought it would be today. To put that in perspective, that is $5,000 in lost growth for every American or
$20,000 in unrealized potential for an average American family.

And it is not just the aftereffects of the 2008 recession. Summers illustrated that the U.S. economy has been largely stagnant going back to the end of the "dot com" boom of the late 1990s.

To fix it, he said, America needs to fix its infrastructure. A sustained and comprehensive building program on roads, bridges, airports and schools is the best way to stimulate demand for goods and services.

The money is cheap, he said. Interest rates and inflation are low and growth in the economy will make it easier to pay back.

"The easiest and the lowest-hanging fruit there is would be increasing demand by making much-needed improvements in public infrastructure," he said. "I would say to you that sometimes the easy decision is the right decision. Sometimes you need not make a difficult choice."

He illustrated this point by describing speaking as treasury secretary in public schools where the paint peels from the walls. He spoke of high school chemistry labs where the vents don't work so the students get ill from their experiments. He asked the crowd who among them is proud of John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.

"It is not like we won't fix Kennedy Airport," he said. "One day we'll have to, and it will be more expensive."

When asked if private investors are not more efficient deployers of investment capital, Summers said private investors have a place. But they don't operate on a scale large enough for a Golden Gate Bridge for instance.

"With all due respect, I say that is the type of thinking that made the Depression great," he said.

What it will take, he said, is political will and education. He used specific examples because people need to know about projects that have an impact on their lives.

He told one questioner from the audience that he supports increasing the minimum wage because it is the right thing to do and he doesn't see it costing jobs. But he also doesn't see a higher minimum wage having a large stimulus effect on the economy.

In September, Summers withdrew his name from consideration as chairman of the Federal Reserve in the face of opposition from liberals who felt he was too closely aligned with Wall Street. He also faced criticism for comments he'd made as Harvard president about women in science and math.

Monday, he opened his talk by addressing Smith and its role in preparing women for leadership positions. He said women worldwide comprise a large reservoir of underutilized potential.

As Harvard president, Summers promoted current Smith president Kathleen McCartney to dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

As U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry jetted to Israel on Monday in an attempt to revive faltering peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, Israeli members of parliament visiting Boston reacted with mixed emotions, ranging from cautious optimism to strong pessimism.

BOSTON - As U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry jetted to Israel on Monday in an attempt to revive faltering peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, Israeli members of parliament visiting Boston reacted with mixed emotions, ranging from cautious optimism to strong pessimism.

The parliamentarians, who spanned the political spectrum of Israeli politics, also gave mixed reviews of Democratic President Barack Obama’s approach to Israel.

“(Obama) knows the history, we all know the history,” Nachman Shai, a member of the left-leaning Labor Party said. “There were presidents, secretary of states, special envoys, army generals. Who didn’t try (to make peace)? And they all failed…The fact that the secretary of state – and this president - is ready to jump into the cold water and swim is very encouraging.”

It is less encouraging to Shuli Mualem-Refaeli, of the right-leaning HaBayit HaYehudi (Jewish Home) Party. She worries that U.S. pressure on Israel to reach an agreement with the Palestinians will hurt Israeli and result in more terrorism. “It looks for us like Kerry and President Obama take the Palestinian narrative and goes with it,” Mualem-Refaeli said.

Six members of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, are spending three days in Boston as part of a trip sponsored by the Ruderman Family Foundation to educate Israeli leaders about the American Jewish community. On Monday, they attended a lunch with Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, treasurer and gubernatorial candidate Steve Grossman, U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano and state legislators. They are also attending events at Harvard, Brandeis and Northeastern universities.

Polling indicates that Obama’s approval rating is low in Israel. One recent poll, cited in Time magazine, found that 70 percent of Israelis do not trust the American president to safeguard their interests in negotiations with the Palestinians. Obama angered some Israelis early on in his presidency with comments he made on Israel’s future borders; Kerry recently incited a firestorm by talking about the threat of international boycotts of Israel should talks with the Palestinians fall through.

But in brief interviews with The Republican/MassLive.com, the six parliamentarians – who represent five political parties – indicated that Israeli opinion is far from monolithic. Israel is a parliamentary democracy, with numerous parties and factions.

Shai acknowledged, “(Obama) would not be elected president if he runs in Israel.” But at the same time, he said, “I think (U.S.-Israel) relations has never been that good as it is today…A lot is going on between the two countries – military cooperation, intelligence cooperation, diplomatic ties, America supports Israel internationally.”

Itzik Shmuli, of the Labor Party, said he appreciates the Obama administration’s efforts. “It seems to me that sometimes (Kerry) understands something that our leaders on both sides do not understand, and this is what is the real interest of the Israeli people and Palestinian people,” Shmuli said. “I hope this in the end will bring us an agreement which is based on the two-state solution.” Separate states for the Israelis and Palestinians, he said, “is the only way to ensure the existence of Israel as a Jewish and Democratic state” and the only way to ensure security through recognized borders.

Kerry’s trip to Israel comes at a crucial time for the peace process. Kerry wanted to achieve a peace deal by April, but when that failed, he set a goal of creating a framework agreement for future negotiations. As part of the negotiations, Israel agreed to release four groups of Palestinian prisoners, the last ones at the end of March. But Israel is balking at the final release unless Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas agrees to extend talks beyond April. With the talks in danger of falling apart – as have countless rounds of previous talks during the past decades – Kerry made a last minute trip to revive them.

Shimon Ohayon, a Knesset member from Likud-Yisrael Beitenu (Israel is Our Home), a right-leaning party, said everybody hopes Kerry succeeds. But he said Palestinian leaders have rejected multiple deals under previous prime ministers, and the sticking point will be the details. “Of course, we have to insist on our demands, for example talking about the recognition of the state of Israel as our Jewish homeland and to make sure we have our own security,” Ohayon said.

Israeli member of parliament Shimon Ohayon of the Likud-Yisrael Beitenu Party poses for a picture in Harvard Square in Cambridge on March 31, 2014.SHIRA SCHOENBERG / THE REPUBLICAN 

Shimon Solomon, of the centrist Yesh Atid (There is a Future) party, which supports the peace process, said more strongly, “We need to succeed.”

“We cannot continue the situation that we have now, just talking and talking. We have to take a position,” Solomon said. Solomon said Israel is stronger than its Arab neighbors and should make concessions, such as releasing prisoners, to achieve peace. “As the strong country, we can…take the chance,” Solomon said.

However, Mualem-Refaeli does not want to take those chances. She does not believe in a two-state solution, but in one Jewish state. She is frustrated that the U.S. and others pressure Israel to release prisoners and stop building settlements. “In our north, in Syria, people are murdered every day and all over the world, silence,” she said.

Mualem-Refaeli hopes to see Kerry “speak about our rights in Israel, that Israel is a Jewish, democratic state.”

On the opposite side of the aisle, Michal Rozin, of the secular-left Meretz Party, wants Israel to make concessions. But she does not think Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of the right-wing Likud Party, will.

“I think he wants the negotiations to keep going because it’s giving him quiet and peace all over the world, especially from the United States and Europe, but I don’t think his intention is sincere…He didn’t pass the Rubicon,” Rozin said.

“Hopefully, someone will put his fist on the table and say enough is enough stop stalling, but I don’t see Kerry doing it more than he did until now,” Rozin said.

Rozin is pessimistic about Kerry’s chances. “I think that if in this stage the negotiations will fail, we’re going to another circle of violence and it’s a vicious circle, going back to violence and again to negotiation and again to violence,” Rozin said. “Until the leaders of both sides will really want to have a final agreement between them, nothing will happen.”

Owner of Teddy Bear Pools sues the Eastern States Exposition, claiming retaliation for opposing proposed casino at West Springfield fairgrounds » SPRINGFIELD — A series of screen-captured images of text messages said to have been sent by Eastern States Exposition president Eugene Cassidy to Teddy Bear Pools owner Theodore Hebert are included in court documents obtained by The Republican /...

Owner of Teddy Bear Pools sues the Eastern States Exposition, claiming retaliation for opposing proposed casino at West Springfield fairgrounds »

SPRINGFIELD — A series of screen-captured images of text messages said to have been sent by Eastern States Exposition president Eugene Cassidy to Teddy Bear Pools owner Theodore Hebert are included in court documents obtained by The Republican / MassLive in Hebert's lawsuit against the Big E filed Monday in Hampden Superior Court.

Hebert, a West Springfield resident, claims his company was banned from the annual Big E fair because he opposed building the proposed Hard Rock International casino resort on the Big E fairgrounds. The suit states that Chicopee-based Teddy Bear Pools Inc. has been a vendor and exhibitor at the Big E for 28 years, but after Hard Rock’s casino proposal was defeated by town voters at a Sept. 10 referendum, Cassidy told Hebert “he was not a team player” and his company would no longer be invited to the Big E, the suit states.

Hebert named the Eastern States Exposition, its board of directors and Cassidy in the civil suit. The lawsuit, filed by attorney Paul Rothschild, requests a preliminary injunction barring the Big E from excluding Teddy Bear Pools and a jury trial to assess damages.

Court Documents in Teddy Bear Pools and Theodore Hebert vs Eastern States Exposition

Following their meeting on Aug. 30, Cassidy sent another email reminding Herbert that unless he remained neutral on the casino issue, his business relationship with the Eastern States would be terminated, the suit states.

Court documents: Teddy Bear Pools vs. Eastern States Exposition »

SPRINGFIELD - The owner of Teddy Bear Pools has sued the Eastern States Exposition Inc., claiming his company was banned from the annual Big E fair because he opposed building an $800 million casino on the fairgrounds.

Theodore G. Hebert, of West Springfield, named the Eastern States Exposition, its board of directors and its president, Eugene Cassidy, in a civil suit field today in Hampden Superior Court.

The suit states that Chicopee-based Teddy Bear Pools Inc. has been a vendor and exhibitor at the Big E for 28 years. But after Hard Rock International’s casino proposal was defeated by town voters at a Sept. 10 referendum, Cassidy told Hebert “he was not a team player” and his company would no longer be invited to the Big E, the suit states.

By punishing Hebert for opposing the casino, the defendants have violated his civil and contractual rights, according to the suit filed by Springfield lawyer Paul Rothschild.

Cassidy said he has not seen the lawsuit and only learned about it after being contacted by The Republican. He said he was at a social event with Hebert two weeks ago, and the lawsuit was never mentioned.

The Big E is the nickname for the 17-day Eastern States Exposition, a late summer festival featuring entertainment, food, crafts, art and agricultural. In recent years attendance has surpassed 1 million.

Several emails that Cassidy allegedly sent to Hebert are quoted in the lawsuit, including one from Aug. 29, the day after Hebert attended an anti-casino meeting in West Springfield.

“Ted, this is a very important issue. An issue of dire consequence to the organization I am responsible for and frankly for the town. We must visit today. Please call me,” Cassidy wrote, according to the suit.

Following their meeting on Aug. 30, Cassidy sent another email reminding Herbert that unless he remained neutral on the casino issue, his business relationship with the Eastern States would be terminated, the suit states.

“I hate asking, but I must. Working against this development will only hurt our town and this organization and those of us charged with its stewardship,” Cassidy wrote, according to the suit.

On Sept. 8, two days before the casino vote, Cassidy sent another email after spotting Hebert holding a sign at an anti-casino gathering.

“I saw you standing out today. I thought you were going to refrain from that. We talked about relationships. I though you were going to remain neutral,” Cassidy said, according to the suit.

The lawsuit, filed by attorney Paul Rothschild, requests a preliminary injunction barring the Big E from excluding Teddy Bear Pools and a jury trial to assess damages.

A meals tax as city councilors have proposed could bring in more than $500,000 a year in revenue, officials have said.

HOLYOKE -- The City Council will consider at least three orders about how notifications and court referrals are done related to failure to pay a dog license Tuesday at 7 p.m. at City Hall.

Those were prompted by the case of how a woman who happened to have cancer was arrested and jailed March 21 after failing to answer a court summons for not paying a dog license fee from 2012.

Click here to see the full City Council agenda.

The council generally refers orders to committee for later discussion instead of taking votes on them the night of their introduction.

Councilor at Large Rebecca Lisi filed an order asking that the council and city clerk review the policy for notification before violations are sent to court.

Another order from Lisi asks that the council and city clerk consider adopting a policy that lets dog owners pay license fees for several years in advance, such as for the duration of a rabies vaccination.

"This could help cut down on administrative costs to the city as well as narrow the possibility for violations to occur," Lisi's order states.

Ward 3 Councilor David K. Bartley has an order asking that the city try to find a way to communicate with Holyoke District Court and the state police when delinquent fees are fully paid so that civil violators of these ordinances do not become subject to arrest.

Bartley's order also asks for a review of ordinances related to dog licenses, fees and late payments.

Councilors Jossie M. Valentin, Gordon P. Alexander and Lisi are proposing the city adopt a meals tax. Their order calls for the tax to be established by May 1 in order to generate revenue to help with the budget that will begin the new fiscal year July 1.

The tax would be a 0.75 percent tax on restaurant meals, an option the state granted cities and towns in 2009. That would add 23 cents to a $30 bill, for example.

Each year, the Department of Revenue calculates what each city or town would receive from a meals tax, and Holyoke would get $533,199, officials have said.

Lisi also has an order that the council consider prohibiting mobile vendors from selling toy guns. Such a practice was most recently on display with mobile vendors offering such toys at the Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade March 23.

State and city authorities are looking for the owner of a young pit bull who was found Tuesday morning on one of the off-ramps to Interstate 290 in the city.

WORCESTER — State and city authorities are looking for the owner of a young pit bull found Tuesday morning on one of the off-ramps to Interstate 290 in the city.

On their Facebook page, beside a picture of a black pit bull with a white stripe down the center of her face peaking out from the backseat of a cruiser, the Massachusetts State Police posted that it had "one in custody in Worcester.” The post added, "No, not an April Fools joke."

The female dog was found roaming exit 16 off-ramp Tuesday morning with a pink collar, but no tags, according to state police. Trooper Dana Oliver found the pup and took her to the city's Animal Control Officer, who in turn brought the dog to the Worcester Animal Rescue League, 139 Holden St.

Allie Tellier, executive director of the shelter, said the female dog seems to be well cared for and appeared to have gotten loose. She's optimistic that the dog's owner will come forward and claim her.

People have seven days to claim their lost pet before he or she is eligible for adoption, Tellier said. On average, just 17 percent of owners come to the shelter looking for a lost dog and only three percent come to find their lost cat, Tellier said. The small female pit bull was one of three dogs brought to the shelter by mid-day on Tuesday.

If this is your dog, please contact either the Worcester Animal Control through the Worcester Police Department at (508) 799-8606 or the Worcester Animal Rescue League at (508) 853-0030.

The book sale will be held on the Amherst Town COmmon May 2, 3 and 4.

AMHERST – You know it’s spring when the announcement goes out – books. Wanted for the annual League of Women Voters of Amherst annual book sale.

The league is now accepting books for the sale on the Town Common May 2, 3 and 4 at the league’s sorting and pricing center at the East Street School, 31 South East St. and in a collection trunk outside of the Stop & Shop on Route 9 in Hadley.

Anyone with a large quantity of books to donate is asked to call the league at (413) 253-0633 for an appointment to drop off at the East Street School site.

Books must be in good condition – no damaged, moldy, or mildewed books can be accepted. Only cooking or crafts magazines will be accepted. LPs if playable and in good condition, as well as CDs and DVDs will be accepted.

The book sale is one of the oldest and largest in New England. It serves as the major fund-raiser for the league and helps finance voter service programs and publications.
For additional information, contact the League of Women Voters Amherst at (413) 253-0633 or visit the website www.lwvamherst.org.

An early morning crash tossed an 11-year-old boy into a windshield and sent him to the hospital Tuesday.

WORCESTER — An early morning crash tossed an 11-year-old boy into a windshield and sent him to the hospital Tuesday.

Shortly before 7:30 a.m., Worcester police responded to the area of 86 Lafayette St. for a motor vehicle accident with injury. When they arrived, they found paramedics working to stabilize an 11-year-old boy who was a passenger in a truck involved in the accident, according to a release from the Worcester Police Department.

According to police, a 34-year old woman was driving her car on Lafayette Street when she hit a parked box truck. Three children were in the truck when it was hit. The 11-year-old boy was not wearing a seatbelt, according to police, and the crash sent him into the dashboard and windshield of the vehicle.

The boy was treated for injuries to his head and neck, said police. He is being held overnight at the hospital and is listed in stable condition.

No other injuries were reported. The investigation is ongoing though no citations have yet been issued.

The Massachusetts House unveiled a major domestic violence bill on Tuesday, which establishes new crimes related to domestic violence, new legal provisions to protect victims and new training for judges.

BOSTON - The Massachusetts House unveiled a major domestic violence bill on Tuesday, which establishes new crimes related to domestic violence, new legal provisions to protect victims and new training for judges.

The bill was spurred by the case of Jennifer Martel, who was stabbed and murdered. He ex-boyfriend, Jared Remy, has been charged.

Remy is the son of Red Sox broadcaster Jerry Remy. The Boston Globe reported that Jared Remy had a long history of violence, including against former girlfriends, but judges repeatedly let him off with light sentences.

House Speaker Robert DeLeo, a Winthrop Democrat, and Attorney General Martha Coakley, who is also a Democratic candidate for governor, said the new rules being proposed could have made a difference in Remy’s case and will make a difference for future victims.

“This bill represents some of the strongest, most comprehensive domestic violence legislation in at least a generation,” DeLeo said during a press conference, surrounded by domestic violence advocates, legislators and law enforcement officials.

The bill creates a new charge for a first offense of domestic assault and battery. This would allow officials to classify a crime as a domestic assault so it can be punished accordingly. It also means if there are future domestic charges, a judge will be better able to identify patterns.

Under the proposed law, a first domestic assault and battery offense would be punishable by up to 2.5 years in the county House of Corrections and a $5,000 fine. A second offense would be punishable by up to five years in state prison, or 2.5 years in the county House of Corrections, and a $10,000 fine.

It would also create new charges for strangulation and suffocation. Statistically, strangulation is a frequent precursor to domestic-related homicide. Currently, prosecutors classify strangulation as either assault and battery or attempted murder. The new offenses would be punishable by up to five years in state prison, or 2.5 years in the county House of Corrections, and up to a $5,000 fine.

Under special circumstances – for example, if the victim were pregnant, the victim had a restraining order against the perpetrator, the assault causes great bodily harm or it is a second or subsequent offense – the penalties for strangulation and suffocation could increase to up to 10 years in state prison and a $10,000 fine.

“That very strong language in the bill that creates the crime of strangulation will enable prosecutors and police to charge appropriately and hold people accountable for a very serious crime,” said Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan.

Among other provisions:

• The bill would exclude domestic violence cases from a state law that allows charges to be dropped if a victim says they have received “satisfaction,” or some form of compensation, for an injury.


• It would add new charges for domestic assault near a courthouse or with the intent to intimidate or prevent access to courts. It would increase penalties for domestic violence against people who are elderly or disabled.


• It would create a new state-level review team to investigate domestic violence-related fatalities and to help establish best practices to prevent domestic violence.


• It would delay bail for domestic violence offenders by six hours, to give victims a chance to find a safe place and reach out for help.


• It establishes up to 15 days of employment leave a year for domestic violence victims to deal with things like obtaining medical attention or attending court.


• It prohibits domestic violence complaints from being included in daily police logs, putting them instead in a separate log, as is currently the case with complaints of rape and sexual assault.


• It establishes fees paid by those convicted of domestic violence offenses, with the money going to a victim assistance fund.


• It requires the trial court’s chief justice to provide biannual training to court personnel on domestic violence.


• It prohibits the court from granting visitation rights to a parent convicted of rape without the child’s consent.

“Many of these acts are preventable,” DeLeo said.

DeLeo said he plans to bring the bill up for a House vote next week.

Coakley and DeLeo said the Remy case spurred officials to make changes. “Unfortunately, that case is too emblematic of both issues and problems we’ve seen in the system for a long period of time,” Coakley said.

The Remy case, Coakley said, “is an example of the system that far too long allowed serial abusers to escape punishment or any consequences and, frankly, has been unfair to victims.”

Remy was let of jail a day before the Martel murder, after he was arrested and accused of slamming Martel into a mirror. Coakley previously defended the Middlesex district attorney’s handling of that case in light of a call for the district attorney to resign.

Asked about those comments, Coakley said her comments were about the role of the district attorney and the prosecutor, and after she made those comments, the district attorney’s office did a review and concluded that it should have handled the case differently.

Asked whether her office was tough enough in prosecuting Remy’s earlier offenses, Coakley said prosecutors made sentencing recommendations and there is “equal culpability” on the part of judges who do not always impose proper sentences in domestic violence cases.

The bill was cheered by the domestic violence advocates. Risa Mednick, executive director of Transition House, a domestic violence shelter in Cambridge, said the bill will have “a significant impact” in reforming sentencing laws, educating judges to look for domestic violence patterns and helping victims receive services.

However, it is likely to draw opposition from criminal defense lawyers. Elizabeth Lunt, president of the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, said the state should focus on enforcing existing laws rather than adding new laws. “The problem isn’t that there is a lack of laws applicable to domestic violence situations,” Lunt said. “The problem in recent cases is the laws that were on the books were not enforced.”

Lunt said she would support some provisions in the bill relating to education and awareness. But Lunt called the new penalties "redundant." For example, she said, strangulation and suffocation can be prosecuted under various assault statutes. She would also object to changing the state's "satisfaction" statute, arguing that the proposed change could then prevent roommates from solving minor assault charges out of court.

Lunt said she could not comment specifically on the Remy case. But, she said, “Bad cases make bad laws. You look at one individual case and say we have to change this, that and the other. The first thing to do is look at the laws that were in existence that apply in a situation and why they weren’t properly enforced.”

Meyer had previously been convicted of a 1996 sex crime in Florida, which triggered a minimum sentence of 15 years for his latest conviction.

NORTHAMPTON - A 53-year old Cummington man, convicted of sexually assaulting the 10-year-old daughter of a friend, was sentenced to 15 – 18 years in prison Tuesday, according to the Northwest District Attorney’s Office.

Richard B. Meyer was convicted Monday by a Hampshire County jury of two counts of indecent assault and battery, subsequent offence, on a child under age 14. Meyer was convicted after the jury deliberated for a 1 ½ days. .

Judge C. Jeffrey Kinder in Hampshire Superior Court issued the sentence on Tuesday.

He was accused of sexually assaulting the girl in October 2012, and indicted by a grand jury in January of last year.

Meyer had previously been convicted of a sex crime in Florida in 1986, which meant the state could charge him with being a subsequent offender, triggering a mandatory sentence of at least 15 years in prison.

According to the Daily Hampshire Gazette of Northampton, Meyer had previously been listed as a Level 2 sex offender in Massachusetts, meaning he was considered of moderate risk to re-offend. As a level 2, he was required to regularly register with the local police and the state Sexual Offender Registration Board, but his information was not readily made known to the public.

The girl, now age 11, took the stand to testify during the 3-day trial.

Assistant District Attorney Carrie Russell, who prosecuted the case, praised the girl for taking the stand to testify.

“This conviction, and today’s sentence, are solely the result of this young girl’s courage in testifying against her abuser in court; and our community owes her a debt of tremendous gratitude in helping to keep other children safe. Her strength and resilience were the driving forces of this prosecution, and her words were likely a key factor for this jury in rendering their verdicts yesterday,” Russell said in a prepared statement.

About two dozen WMECo employees currently reporting to the Greenfield service center will report to one in Hadley, and WMECo's administrative operations will be relocated from Springfield to an existing service center in East Springfield.

 

By JON CHESTO
Managing Editor, Print

Northeast Utilities and NStar had billed their merger two years ago as one that would bring savings for customers without any significant layoffs.

But the cost reductions certainly have been significant to each person who has lost a job since the merger closed in April 2012.

A report filed with Connecticut’s Public Utilities Regulatory Authority show that Connecticut has taken the brunt of the job cuts so far. About 70 percent of the 220 merger-related job reductions that took place by the end of last September – 155 jobs – were in the Nutmeg State. There were 50 in Massachusetts and 15 in New Hampshire over the same time period. By the end of December, a total of 267 jobs had been cut from the NU-NStar work force, according to a filing with Massachusetts’ Department of Public Utilities. Northeast Utilities now has about 8,700 employees, down from 9,000 two years ago when the merger was complete.

More cuts are on their way. The Connecticut utilities agency this month approved an outsourcing plan that trims NU’s 400-person IT organization in half. Most of the layoffs – expected to number just 55, after voluntary departures and transfers – will happen through June of this year. NU is contracting with Infosys and Tata Consulting Services to provide information technology services.

The Connecticut agency also offered its blessing to a plan that will lead to the closing of seven Connecticut Light & Power service centers and three Yankee Gas service centers in Connecticut. NU spokesman Mike Durand says two Western Massachusetts Electric Co. facilities will be closed while no NStar facilities in Eastern Massachusetts will be affected. (About two dozen WMECo employees currently reporting to the Greenfield service center will report to one in Hadley, and WMECo's administrative operations will be relocated from Springfield to an existing service center in East Springfield.) No job cuts are expected as a result of these service center closings. Again, Connecticut seems to be bearing the brunt.

Durand says the closures are aimed at saving money for NU customers, and that there should be no effect on customer service. Durand says a company-wide audit turned up some locations in Connecticut and Western Massachusetts that were underutilized. All of these changes, Durand says, are being driven by a desire to deliver a better value to NU customers.

Understandably, the IT outsourcing effort and the building closures aren’t sitting well with the unions who represent many of NU’s workers. Frank Cirillo, business manager at the IBEW Local 420 in Waterbury, says NU’s executives are being disingenuous — he says these cuts are about boosting the return for shareholders, not ratepayers. He says NU’s inadequate response to outages from big storms shows the company needs more people, not fewer. John Fernandes, business manager at the IBEW Local 457 in Berlin, Conn., says the service center closings should have been delayed to allow for more analysis about the potential impacts. He’s worried about sensitive mapping info being sent to overseas locations as a result of the IT outsourcing. And Fernandes, like his counterpart at Local 420, is concerned about storm response, as some of these IT workers had storm responsibilities, and now there will be fewer boots on the ground when a storm hits.

The Connecticut’s utilities authority, in the end, decided to not get in Northeast Utilities’ way with these cuts. The decision was made to not interfere or micromanage, to give NU time to deliver on all the promises it made when the merger was first announced. The agency did impose some conditions, to ensure NU reports back on its progress toward responding to storm-related outages.

But there could be some merit to the union guys' concerns. Municipal utilities have proven they can keep or restore the lights far more effectively than big shareholder-owned utilities like Northeast Utilities. One big reason: the munis’ relatively high staffing levels. These merger-related cuts won’t directly affect the number of line workers that Northeast Utilities employs. But during a bad storm, they need all the help they can get, even from people who aren’t in the field with them.

The East Longmeadow 4th of July Parade attracts nearly 50,000 spectators.

EAST LONGMEADOW — With eight of the core members of the 4th of July Parade Committee retiring this year the group is hoping residents will step up and help continue the beloved tradition in town.

"Some of the members have been on the committee for more than 20 years and due to age, length of service, health and personal commitments we are going to be moving on," said parade chairman Carl Ohlin, who is among those who will head the parade for the last time.

"The central committee stayed on last year and we agreed to remain on this year to work with new people and mentor them," he said.

The group has had concerns about a shortage of volunteers for several years. Last year the group was very shorthanded. He said the parade is run entirely by volunteers, so participation is crucial.

"We need about 30 volunteers on parade day to serve as marshals aside from the core planning committee," he said. "The planning committee needs about 10 people."

Fortunately the town's IT Director Ryan Quimby has come on board and will be serving as co-chairman this year.

" He has been wonderful and has agreed to organize a civic group to enlist new members," Ohlin said.

The parade, which now begins at East Longmeadow High School and ends at Birchalnd Park Middle School, includes about 1,800 participants including 115 separate groups marching.

Between 45,00 to 50,000 spectators attend the parade every year, Ohlin said.

"It's a wonderful family tradition along with the fireworks, the carnival and the concert and we hope it will continue successfully for years to come," he said.

Anyone interested in joining the planning committee or volunteering on the day of the parade can contact Quimby at (413) 525-5400 ext. 1901 or email him at Rquimby@eastlongmeadow.ma.gov, or contact Ohlin at (413) 525-2952.

The tenants either relocated on their own or were assisted with housing by the landlords after Springfield inspectors said they found numerous locked bedrooms and crowded conditions.

SPRINGFIELD — Landlords who were recently cited by officials who said they operated an illegal rooming house in the Forest Park neighborhood have moved out the tenants and corrected code violations, a city lawyer said Tuesday.

Settlements were reached between the landlords and nine tenants to move from the second and third floors of the house at 75 Earl St., as ordered by the city, said Caitlin Castillo, associate city solicitor.

Several city departments had joined forces in mid-March to shut down the alleged illegal rooming house, and order it vacated. The Code Enforcement Department filed complaints in Housing Court against the landlords, identified as Felix and Mercedes Tejada, Castillo said.

“I think the city feels it is a successful conclusion to the case,” Castillo said. “We were able to stop an illegal rooming house and get them (tenants) situated in more appropriate housing. All have either been relocated on their own accord, with assistance from the landlord."

The first floor is owner-occupied, she said.

As part of the case being settled, the landlords added smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and removed locks from the rooms on the second and the partial third floors, Castillo said.

Many of the tenants were relocated to apartments on Mill Street, Castillo said.

The Code Enforcement Department, aided by a team of inspectors and police, condemned the second and third floor areas following an inspection on March 12.

The code violations included being an illegal rooming house, defective or missing smoke detectors, blocked egresses, overcrowded units, illegal locks on bedroom doors and temporary wiring and trip hazards, according to the inspection report.

Felix Tejada, reached for comment on Tuesday, said everyone has been moved to new apartments, and the house is legal and fixed.

James Paul Harris, 29, is accused of garroting 49-year-old James Gerety, of Topeka, in March or April of 2011 and keeping Gerety's head for some sort of religious reason

LYNDON, Kan. -- A Kansas man accused of beheading another man with a guitar string three years ago and keeping his head has pleaded not guilty to premeditated first-degree murder.

James Paul Harris, 29, is accused of garroting 49-year-old James Gerety, of Topeka, in March or April of 2011 and keeping Gerety's head for some sort of religious reason, prosecutors allege. Harris entered his plea Monday, and his trial is set to begin June 23, The Topeka Capital-Journal reported.

During a preliminary hearing March 14, Harris' former girlfriend, Bobbie Williams, testified that he told her he shot Gerety in the stomach, tortured him for two days and then cut off his head. Topeka police Detective Brian Hill testified that that Williams told him that Harris kept the head in a canvas bag so he could talk to it as part of some religious ritual.

Harris' lawyer, James Campbell, stressed that his client has not been convicted of the crime and intends to exercise all of his rights accordingly, including going to trial in June.

"My client, as we sit here today, is innocent until the government shows sufficient proof that he is guilty," Campbell told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Thomas Henderson, an attorney who handled Gerety's Social Security payments, testified at the March hearing that he reported Gerety missing in April 2011 after he failed to pick up his payments. Henderson said Gerety planned to live with Harris in Carbondale, 18 miles south of Topeka.

According to police, Shirley Johnson, who lives with Harris' father in rural Carbondale in Osage County, testified that she found the top of Gerety's skull on March 24, 2012, while she was out searching for mushrooms. She said she brought it inside and showed it to Harris' father, who called police.

Osage County Attorney Brandon Jones said Tuesday that testimony from witnesses in March indicated that Harris buried and then reburied the body and the section of skull was found on top of grass near his father's home. The rest of Gerety's body hasn't been recovered.

Harris was in federal custody on unrelated charges when a warrant was issued in October 2013 and he was placed on hold for Kansas authorities. In January, Harris filed a request to have the hold resolved and he was booked into the Osage County jail in March for court proceedings.

Edwin Alemany's attorney said in court on Tuesday that he was considering filing for a change of venue to move the trial away from Boston, where Alemany is accused of murdering Lord and attacking three other women.

BOSTON - Defense attorneys for Edwin Alemany, the man accused of killing Amy Lord and attacking three other Boston women, may seek to have Alemany’s trial moved out of Boston.

“As in any case…where explosive pretrial facts have come out in newspapers, TV, radio, I think a lot of people may have formed opinions already, and we want to give him his best chance to have an even playing field, to have the right kind of trial, a fair trial,” said Alemany’s defense attorney Jeffrey Denner.

Denner said he has not yet made up his mind whether to file a change of venue motion, but he indicated during a court hearing on Tuesday that he was considering it.

Jake Wark, a spokesman for Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Conley, said prosecutors would likely oppose such a motion. “If a crime is committed in Suffolk County, we generally prefer to see it prosecuted here,” Wark said.

If the case is moved out of Boston, the Hampden County Superior Court in Springfield is an unlikely destination. Although Denner did not rule out requesting a move to any particular location, Lord grew up in Wilbraham, and there was intense coverage in the region of her murder.

“Springfield has a connection to this case too that might make it difficult to find a fair jury out there as well,” Denner said.

The murder of Lord, 24, in July drew immense media attention and struck fear in the South Boston community. Lord was assaulted at knifepoint as she left her apartment around 6 a.m.

Her assailant kidnapped her and forced her to withdraw cash from multiple bank machines before he murdered her, dumped her body at a reservation in Hyde Park and set her car on fire, law enforcement officials said.

Alemany is accused of her murder, as well as attacks on three other women in South Boston. Two of the attacks, in which one woman was stabbed and another knocked down, occurred within hours of Lord’s murder. The third happened in September 2012, though Alemany was only charged in that case after Lord’s murder.

Denner said a fair trial “might be difficult in Suffolk County given that this was a middle of Boston case, and an awful lot of people in Boston felt very threatened by this and probably continue to some extent to feel threatened.” Denner said potential jurors may have made up their minds about the case or may have significant outside knowledge about the case, which would be difficult to ignore.

“I think a lot of the stuff here, the violence, the savagery of what happened here, may well not be lost on people,” Denner said. “And once you’ve heard that, it’s very difficult to take a look at the evidence and to take a fair look at him, his state of mind and what a reasonable resolution of this case would be.”

Denner has not yet filed a motion indicating whether he plans to use a “state of mind” defense, using Alemany’s mental condition to argue that he should not be held criminally responsible for his actions. But Alemany has a long history of mental illness, and Denner has indicated that his state of mind is likely to be key to the case. Prosecutors have said they have forensic evidence that appears to tie Alemany to the attacks, in addition to evidence taken from surveillance cameras, witness statements and survivor statements.

Alemany is being held at Bridgewater State Hospital, the state’s facility for mentally ill accused or convicted criminals.

His trial is scheduled for December 2014.

If Denner does seek another venue, he said he would be looking for somewhere that did not have the same media saturation as Boston. He did not rule out using polling to determine whether a change in venue would be beneficial and which venue to suggest. “Sometimes we have information about what percentage of people in Springfield versus northeastern Massachusetts versus southeastern Massachusetts versus northwestern Massachusetts have prior exposure to the case, the facts,” Denner said. “Have they been saturated? Do they remember them? How is it making them feel?”

Wark said prosecutors expect that a trial would not be moved. “Without having seen the motion, we would likely oppose it and expect to prevail,” Wark said. He pointed to the case of “Clark Rockefeller,” a man named Christian Gerhartsreiter who kidnapped his own daughter in Boston. Gerhartsreiter, who used numerous aliases, was eventually arrested and convicted of killing a California man. His trial on the kidnapping charge was held in Suffolk County, despite intense media coverage in Boston and nationally. Denner was also Gerhartsreiter’s defense attorney.

Legal experts say lawyers frequently file for a change of venue, but such motions are rarely granted.

“It would be almost, in my opinion, malpractice not to try to change the venue,” said Chris Dearborn, associate clinical professor of law at Suffolk University Law School. “If you look at it objectively, it’s very challenging for someone to get truly a fair trial in the same community where a high profile heinous crime was allegedly committed. People tend to be more protective, less objective and open-minded when it happened in their backyard.”

However, Dearborn said, judges rarely grant such motions, both because the legal standard is difficult to achieve and because of the logistical and administrative difficulties involved in moving a trial. Often, the lawyers, witnesses and victims are based in the county where the crime occurred. The crime scene is there, and all the pre-trial motions have occurred in that court.

Arthur Leavens, a professor of law at Western New England University, said motions to change venue are granted very rarely, “in part because it’s so inconvenient, and the presumptive place of trial in Massachusetts is the venue in which it happened.”

To get the trial moved, defense attorneys would have to convince a judge that there has been enough pretrial publicity to taint the jury pool, that there is a significant amount of prejudice against Alemany and that it would be in the best interests of justice to move the trial.

Dearborn added that there are additional difficulties to making such an argument since technology today spreads news coverage far beyond the place where a crime happened. For example, the trial of Boston mobster Whitey Bulger or the case of Aaron Hernandez, the New England Patriots player accused of murder, have received national attention. “Some cases like Aaron Hernandez or Whitey Bulger beg the question of could you ever get a fair trial?” Dearborn said.

After facing a rocky start and chorus of naysayers who declared his health care law a failure, President Barack Obama on Tuesday celebrated a better-than-expected 7.1 million sign-ups for health coverage that he said should end the debate over whether the law should be repealed.

By NEDRA PICKLER

WASHINGTON — After facing a rocky start and chorus of naysayers who declared his health care law a failure, President Barack Obama on Tuesday celebrated a better-than-expected 7.1 million sign-ups for health coverage that he said should end the debate over whether the law should be repealed.

"The Affordable Care Act is here to stay," Obama declared in a feisty Rose Garden speech the day after the deadline for Americans to enroll.

Obama announced the 7 million threshold that once was seen as unattainable, even as the number still could climb. People who started applying but couldn't finish before the Monday midnight deadline can have extra time, as do potential enrollees whose special circumstances kept them from signing up in time.

Administration officials said they were still compiling data that will be important in determining the ultimate success of the six-month enrollment period, such as how many enrollees were previously uninsured and whether enough younger, healthy people signed up to offset the costs of covering older, sicker consumers.

But Obama said after the initial computer problems that plagued the online insurance exchanges where people could sign up, the law was working as he had hoped.

"The bottom line is this: Under this law, the share of Americans with insurance is up, and the growth of health care costs is down. And that's good for our middle class, and that's good for our fiscal future," the president said.

"As messy as it's been sometimes, as contentious as it's been sometimes, it's progress," Obama said.

Obama lashed out at critics who still argue that the law should be repealed. "I don't get it," he said. "Why are folks working so hard for people not to have health insurance? Why are they so mad about the idea of folks having health insurance? Many of the tall tales that have been told about this law have been debunked. There are still no death panels. Armageddon has not arrived. Instead, this law is helping millions of Americans, and in the coming years it will help millions more."

The law is at the center of competitive congressional races across the country. Michael Steel, spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, argued that the law was harming the American people.

"Every promise the president made has been broken: Health care costs are rising, not falling," Steel said. "Americans are losing the doctors and plans that they like — especially seniors suffering under President Obama's Medicare cuts. Small businesses are afraid to hire new workers, hobbling our economic growth. That's why we must replace this fundamentally-flawed law with patient-centered solutions that will actually lower health care costs and help create jobs."

THE PRESIDENT: Everybody, please have a seat. Thank you so much. Welcome to the White House.

Six months ago today, a big part of the Affordable Care Act kicked in as healthcare.gov and state insurance marketplaces went live. And millions of Americans finally had the same chance to buy quality, affordable health care -- and the peace of mind that comes with it -- as everybody else.

Last night, the first open-enrollment period under this law came to an end. And despite several lost weeks out of the gate because of problems with the website, 7.1 million Americans have now signed up for private insurance plans through these marketplaces -- 7.1. (Applause.)

The truth is, even more folks want to sign up. So anybody who was stuck in line because of the huge surge in demand over the past few days can still go back and finish your enrollment -- 7.1 million, that’s on top of the more than 3 million young adults who have gained insurance under this law by staying on their family’s plan. That’s on top of the millions more who have gained access through Medicaid expansion and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Making affordable coverage available to all Americans, including those with preexisting conditions, is now an important goal of this law. (Applause.)

And in these first six months, we’ve taken a big step forward. And just as importantly, this law is bringing greater security to Americans who already have coverage. Because of the Affordable Care Act, 100 million Americans have gained free preventive care, like mammograms and contraceptive care, under their existing plans. (Applause.) Because of this law, nearly 8 million seniors have saved almost $10 billion on their medicine because we’ve closed a gaping hole in Medicare’s prescription drug plan. We’re closing the donut hole. (Applause.) And because of this law, a whole lot of families won’t be driven into bankruptcy by a serious illness, because the Affordable Care Act prevents your insurer from placing dollar limits on the coverage they provide.

These are all benefits that have been taking place for a whole lot of families out there, many who don’t realize that they’ve received these benefits. But the bottom line is this: Under this law, the share of Americans with insurance is up and the growth of health care costs is down, and that’s good for our middle class and that’s good for our fiscal future. (Applause.)

Now, that doesn’t mean that all the problems in health care have been solved forever. Premiums are still rising for families who have insurance, whether you get it through your employer or you buy it on your own -- that’s been true every year for decades. But, so far, those premiums have risen more slowly since the Affordable Care Act passed than at any time in the past 50 years. It’s also true that, despite this law, millions of Americans remain uncovered in part because governors in some states for political reasons have deliberately refused to expand coverage under this law. But we’re going to work on that. And we’ll work to get more Americans covered with each passing year. (Applause.)

And while it remains true that you’ll still have to change your coverage if you graduate from college or turn 26 years old or move or switch jobs, or have a child -- just like you did before the Affordable Care Act was passed -- you can now go to healthcare.gov and use it year-round to enroll when circumstances in your life change. So, no, the Affordable Care Act hasn’t completely fixed our long-broken health care system, but this law has made our health care system a lot better -- a lot better. (Applause.)

All told, because of this law, millions of our fellow citizens know the economic security of health insurance who didn’t just a few years ago -- and that’s something to be proud of. Regardless of your politics or your feelings about me, or your feelings about this law, that’s something that’s good for our economy, and it’s good for our country. And there’s no good reason to go back.

Let me give you a sense of what this change has meant for millions of our fellow Americans. I’ll just give you a few examples. Sean Casey, from Solana Beach, California, always made sure to cover his family on the private market. But preexisting medical conditions meant his annual tab was over $30,000. The Affordable Care Act changed that. See, if you have a preexisting condition, like being a cancer survivor, or if you suffer chronic pain from a tough job, or even if you’ve just been charged more for being a woman -– you can no longer be charged more than anybody else. So this year, the Casey family’s premiums will fall from over $30,000 to under $9,000. (Applause.)

And I know this because Sean took the time to write me a letter. “These savings,” he said, “will almost offset the cost of our daughter’s first year in college. I’m a big believer in this legislation, and it has removed a lot of complexity and, frankly, fear from my life. Please keep fighting for the ACA.” That's what Sean had to say.

Jeanne Goe is a bartender from Enola, Pennsylvania. Now, I think most folks are aware being a bartender, that's a job that usually doesn't offer health care. For years, Jeanne went uninsured or underinsured, often getting some health care through her local Planned Parenthood. In November, she bought a plan on the marketplace. In January, an illness sent her to the hospital. And because her new plan covered a CAT scan she wouldn’t have otherwise been able to afford, her doctor discovered that she also had ovarian cancer -– and gave her a chance to beat it. So she wrote me a letter, too. She said it’s going to be “a long tough road to kill this cancer, but I can walk that road knowing insurance isn’t an issue. I won’t be refused care. I hope to send a follow-up letter in a few months saying I am free and clear of this disease, but until then, I know I will be fighting just as you have been fighting for my life as a working American citizen.”

And after her first wellness visit under her new insurance plan, Marla Morine, from Fort Collins, Colorado, shared with me what it meant to her. “After using my new insurance for the first time, you probably heard my sigh of relief from the White House.” (Laughter.) “I felt like a human being again. I felt that I had value.”

That’s what the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, is all about -– making sure that all of us, and all our fellow citizens, can count on the security of health care when we get sick; that the work and dignity of every person is acknowledged and affirmed. The newly insured like Marla deserve that dignity. Working Americans like Jeanne deserve that economic security. Women, the sick, survivors -- they deserve fair treatment in our health care system, all of which makes the constant politics around this law so troubling.

Like every major piece of legislation -- from Social Security to Medicare -- the law is not perfect. We’ve had to make adjustments along the way, and the implementation -- especially with the website -- has had its share of problems. We know something about that. And, yes, at times this reform has been contentious and confusing, and obviously it’s had its share of critics. That’s part of what change looks like in a democracy. Change is hard. Fixing what’s broken is hard. Overcoming skepticism and fear of something new is hard. A lot of times folks would prefer the devil they know to the devil they don’t.

But this law is doing what it’s supposed to do. It’s working. It’s helping people from coast to coast, all of which makes the lengths to which critics have gone to scare people or undermine the law, or try to repeal the law without offering any plausible alternative so hard to understand. I’ve got to admit, I don’t get it. Why are folks working so hard for people not to have health insurance? Why are they so mad about the idea of folks having health insurance? Many of the tall tales that have been told about this law have been debunked. There are still no death panels. (Laughter.) Armageddon has not arrived. Instead, this law is helping millions of Americans, and in the coming years it will help millions more.

I’ve said before, I will always work with anyone who is willing to make this law work even better. But the debate over repealing this law is over. The Affordable Care Act is here to stay. (Applause.)

And those who have based their entire political agenda on repealing it have to explain to the country why Jeanne should go back to being uninsured. They should explain why Sean and his family should go back to paying thousands and thousands of dollars more. They’ve got to explain why Marla doesn’t deserve to feel like she’s got value. They have to explain why we should go back to the days when seniors paid more for their prescriptions or women had to pay more than men for coverage, back to the days when Americans with preexisting conditions were out of luck -- they could routinely be denied the economic security of health insurance -- because that’s exactly what would happen if we repeal this law. Millions of people who now have health insurance would not have it. Seniors who have gotten discounts on their prescription drugs would have to pay more. Young people who were on their parents’ plan would suddenly not have health insurance.

In the end, history is not kind to those who would deny Americans their basic economic security. Nobody remembers well those who stand in the way of America’s progress or our people. And that’s what the Affordable Care Act represents. As messy as it’s been sometimes, as contentious as it’s been sometimes, it is progress. It is making sure that we are not the only advanced country on Earth that doesn’t make sure everybody has basic health care. (Applause.) And that’s thanks in part to leaders like Nancy Pelosi and Dick Durbin, and all the members of Congress who are here today. We could not have done it without them, and they should be proud of what they’ve done. They should be proud of what they’ve done. (Applause.)

And it’s also thanks to the often-unheralded work of countless Americans who fought tirelessly to pass this law, and who organized like crazy these past few months to help their fellow citizens just get the information they needed to get covered. That’s why we’re here today. That’s why 7.1 million folks have health insurance -- because people got the word out.

And we didn’t make a hard sell. We didn’t have billions of dollars of commercials like some critics did. But what we said was, look for yourself, see if it’s good for your family. And a whole lot of people decided it was. So I want to thank everybody who worked so hard to make sure that we arrived at this point today.

I want to make sure everybody understands: In the months, years ahead, I guarantee you there will be additional challenges to implementing this law. There will be days when the website stumbles -- I guarantee it. So, press, just -- I want you to anticipate -- (laughter) -- there will be some moment when the website is down -- and I know it will be on all of your front pages. It’s going to happen. It won’t be news. There will be parts of the law that will still need to be improved. And if we can stop refighting old political battles that keep us gridlocked, then we could actually make the law work even better for everybody. And we’re excited about the prospect of doing that. We are game to do it. (Applause.)

But today should remind us that the goal we set for ourselves -- that no American should go without the health care that they need; that no family should be bankrupt because somebody in that family gets sick, because no parent should have to be worried about whether they can afford treatment because they’re worried that they don’t want to have to burden their children; the idea that everybody in this country can get decent health care -- that goal is achievable.

We are on our way. And if all of us have the courage and the wisdom to keep working not against one another, not to scare each other, but for one another –- then we won’t just make progress on health care. We’ll make progress on all the other work that remains to create new opportunity for everybody who works for it, and to make sure that this country that we love lives up to its highest ideals. That’s what today is about. That’s what all the days that come as long as I’m President are going to be about. That’s what we’re going to be working towards.

Thank you very much, everybody. God bless you. God bless America. (Applause.) Thank you.

The mayor discussed a range of issues from finances and education proposals to new construction planned and the need for a meals tax.

HOLYOKE -- Mayor Alex B. Morse told the City Council Tuesday the budget he will soon propose will be absent the previous-years' practice of relying on mid-year transfers for funding that some councilors have criticized as making the initial budget unrealistic.

Morse hit on a range of issues as he made a state-of-the-city address to the council at City Hall.

"Because of the work we have done together I can honestly say that the state of the city is getting stronger every day," Morse said.

Morse said he will hold community forms on the proposed budget and called for the council to adopt a meals tax and to increase the sewer rate to deal with revenue shortages.

Further, he said, he wants the city to adopt a universal pre-kindergarten program to help in improving students' ability to read English. The cost of such a program was unclear.

Morse also discussed plans to reorganize City Hall offices to improve customer service and said the city must spend to upgrade radios, computers and other communication capabilities for the Police, Fire and Public Works departments.

This is a developing story and will be updated as reporting continues.

Republican Mark Fisher appealed to the GOP's endorsed gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker to intervene with the party to have Fisher's name placed on the primary ballot. Fisher's campaign filed a lawsuit challenging the results of the GOP convention.

By Matt Murphy
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, APRIL 1, 2014….Republican Mark Fisher appealed to the GOP’s endorsed gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker on Tuesday to intervene with the party on his behalf to have Fisher’s name placed on the primary ballot after his campaign announced it had formally filed a lawsuit challenging the results of the GOP convention.

Fisher was denied access to the ballot after party officials reported that he had fallen six votes short of the required support from convention delegates to qualify. The Fisher campaign said it filed a lawsuit in Suffolk Superior Court late Tuesday afternoon against GOP Chairwoman Kirsten Hughes challenging the official tally.

Hughes, in a statement, said that the party was preparing to defend itself against Fisher’s lawsuit and taking steps to set up a legal defense fund and explore whether insurance taken out against the convention would cover the cost of a challenge.

“We are certain the outcome will prove that processes were properly followed in accordance with our rules. Additionally, all ballot challenges were thoroughly and properly adjudicated in an open manner during the Convention with Mr. Fisher's legal counsel present. Our Party and our candidates remain focused on proposing solutions to restore common sense and balance to Beacon Hill and we look forward to continuing to hear out Mr. Fisher's issues and to bring the matter to a close,” Hughes said.

Opinions differ within factions of the Republican Party over whether a primary race would be a good test for the eventual Republican nominee. Many Baker supporters and party heavyweights believe their chances of reclaiming the governor’s office will be strengthened if they can unite behind Baker and train their focus and resources on defeating the eventual Democratic nominee - there are also two independents in the contest.

Baker responded to Fisher’s request that he come to the assistance of a would-be primary foe, saying he understands after losing the 2010 gubernatorial race to Gov. Deval Patrick “the disappointment and the frustration” of working hard and coming up just short.

“I respect Mark's decision to pursue this course of action, and am confident the Party will work to ensure the process was fair and transparent. Should a primary be determined to be the fair resolution, I will welcome it and work hard to win the nomination and then carry my message of making Massachusetts great into the generalelection,” Baker said in a statement.

The lawsuit could become a lingering distraction for Baker, who hoped to emerge from the late March convention emboldened and focused while the Democratic primary process played out.

“The time to unify behind our ticket and work towards making a difference in our communities is now. However, I am aware there are remaining questions regarding the process of endorsing candidates. I have been working to understand our options for resolving this matter in a manner that is within the law and rules of our Party,” Hughes wrote in an email to state committee members on Tuesday.

With Fisher needing to secure 15 percent of the vote, the Tea Party Republican said he received 376 votes, or 15.16 percent, according to the roll call results announced publicly by Senate district from the convention floor.

Fisher contends that his vote total decreased by two votes after party officials reviewed the results backstage at the Agganis Arena, while 54 “blank votes” were added to the total tally, dragging his support under the required 15 percent.

A copy of the lawsuit was not immediately available, but Fisher’s campaign said it was challenging the party’s decision to count “blanks” and seeking an explanation of why the number of blank ballots increased substantially after review. The campaign said MassGOP Executive Director Rob Cunningham denied all requests to review ballots or disclose which districts the additional blank votes came from.

A legal memo shared with the News Service and prepared for the MassGOP by New Jersey attorney Michael Morley at the request of the party’s lawyers laid out what could be the argument for the party to hold firm on its ruling that Fisher failed to qualify for the ballot.

The Morley memo argues that the party chair has the authority to determine what constitutes a vote, and that the party bylaws do not give the chair, the state committee or the executive committee of the party the authority to “modify, revise, or reject the outcome of votes” cast during the convention after a ruling was made and the convention adjourned.

Fisher campaign manager Deb McCarthy said she did not have a copy of the lawsuit, which was filed shortly before the court closed.

The emergency room at North Adams Regional Hosptial used to see about 50 sick people a day.

This story continues live coverage from here.

NORTH ADAMS — The state and federal permits needed to reopen at least the emergency room at North Adams Regional Hospital are being expedited, but even once they are in hand Berkshire Medical Center will need a week or 10 days to get things back up and running.

North Adams

And that's just the emergency room, not the operating rooms, radiology, hospice, maternity or any of the other services this community of 14,000 once depended on, State Sen. Benjamin Downing told a crowd at a community meeting Tuesday night following a busy afternoon of meetings with state and local officials including Gov. Deval L. Patrick and Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley.

Tuesday marked a week since North Adams Regional Hospital announced that it was closing effective this past Friday. And it did close, despite the best efforts of the community to keep those doors open. The closure cost about 500 jobs and is sending people here to Pittsfield or Bennington for care.

"We are going to reopen the emergency room and then we are going to plan and assess where we are as a community and what other services are viable. We don't ever want to come close to having something like this happen again. We have to be back on solid footing," Downing, D-Pittsfield said.

But his words were cold comfort to people who thought the emergency room was saved Friday and have grown weary of bureaucracy and politicians.

North Adams emergency room nurse Diane George attended the press conference and said she is "cautiously optimistic".

"We've thought we were going to be rescued before," she said. "Only to have the rug pulled out from under us."

Like many providers here, she's worried about patients.

"Time is tissue," she said. "If you are having a stroke or a heart attack, time lost is tissue lost. It's lost brain function. It is lost heart function."

At the meeting, nurse Robbin Simonetti told the crowd there have been more than 40 ambulance runs since the emergency room closed. Round trip it takes 2.5 hours from time of call to getting to a stricken patient here, getting them to Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield 30 or 40 minutes away, and return the ambulance to Northt Adams for another call.

There were gasps in the room as she explained that. A man identifying himself as a gas station attendant on Route 8 headed out of town says he cries for his neighbors at the site of a Pittsfield-bound ambulance speeding by.

Dr. Oscar Rodriguez, who up until Friday worked in the North Adams emergency room, said the department saw 22,000 people a year, or about 50 a day.

"And the doctors in Pittsfield need our help seeing them," Rodriguez, who came to aid of a stricken woman at Mass Sunday when the cell phones were out, said. I know they overburdened."

It's not just the Emergency room. People in the crowd wanted to know where women can give birth. Berkshire Medical Center took over the obstetrics and gynecology practice. But the actual delivery room is not open.

Janessa Harrington, a nurse at North Adams Regional who delivered her baby boy there eight months ago, worries about the moms-to-be.

"I know they are scrambling for a place to start their families," she said. "We're young families. We're what this place needs and it is hard."

Mary K. Grant, president of the Massachusetts College of the Liberal Arts here, said she's added staff to the on-campus health center and extended its hours. She's also sending college staff with students who go for treatment in Pittsfield to serve as advocates and helpmates.

MCLA has about 900 students living on campus.

"We're OK," she said. "But we are standing with the community to get the hospital back open."

In her press conference, Coakley expressed confidence.

"I feel that sometime next week we are going to do this," Coakley said. "It isn't a question of if if but of how."

Patrick said lawmakers and state officials were working on a deal to merge North Adams Regional with Berkshire Medical Center. But the deal collapsed leading to the closure announcement and he was left stunned.

"I thought we had a deal," Patrick said.

Coakley said she'll press for an investigation into the North Adams Regional Hospital board and its actions.

The state thought it would have 90 days notice of a closure, she said. The 90-day notice is written into state law,

"Unfortunately there are no teeth in that regulation," Coakley said. "That is something we will look at now, adding some penalties so this doesn't happen again."

Downing doesn't see North Adams regional as a canary in the coal mine for the region's small rural hospitals. other institutions are on better footing, he said. He also referenced Coakley's investigation.

The real problem is that Medicare, Medicaid and to a certain extent private insurance don't pay enough to cover the cost of care.

"It does tell us our reimbursement system is broken," he said. "That's the system we have to fix."

The people opposed to an MGM Springfield casino and those who support the project turned out in droves on Tuesday as the Massachusetts Gaming Commission spearheaded a lengthy host community meeting at the MassMutual Center.

SPRINGFIELD — The people opposed to an MGM Springfield casino and those who support the project turned out in droves on Tuesday as the Massachusetts Gaming Commission spearheaded a lengthy host community meeting at the MassMutual Center.

Although the opinions weren't new, they were still filled with passion on both sides as members of the public made their final pitches to the commission as it gets closer to deciding whether to issue MGM Resorts International the sole Western Massachusetts casino license.

The meeting began with MGM's familiar presentation, including comments from Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno. With a PowerPoint presentation running on the screen, incoming MGM Springfield President Michael Mathis touted the high points of the host community agreement including the promised millions to the city and improvements of local streets and attractions like Riverfront Park.

But as the nearly 350 in attendance began taking the podium one-by-one for their respective 5-minute speeches, passionate concerns on both sides of the argument again came to light.

On the pro-casino side, people like local businesswoman Carol DeCarlo said she has a business in the South End, and she wants to have MGM as a neighbor. Others like City Councilor Kateri Walsh said she has heard from organizations like Holyoke Community College and the Pioneer Valley Transportation Authority who tell her the MGM Springfield project will be a boost for the whole area.

But other folks like Rhonda Latney said the MGM promises have been oversold. She also chastised Sarno for not remaining neutral in the process, and warned of the negative impacts the proposed $800 million casino could have. Similarly, city resident Karen Ford said the last thing she wants is a job with an MGM casino, and that the project represents "the absolute worst thing that could happen."

The host community meeting is one of the last stops before the commission deliberates formally to decide if MGM's South End casino gets the green light.

This artist rendering released by MGM Resorts International depicts the view from Main Street looking north, relative to its $800 million resort casino complex the company is they are aiming to build in the South End of Springfield, Massachusetts.  

Bob McCarroll, a retired principal planner for the city and a member of the Springfield Preservation Trust, is leading the call for MGM to save additional facades of historic properties located on the 14.5 acres the company is looking to develop on. During his time at the podium, McCarroll said the "wow factor" the commission has said it is seeking shouldn't be grounded in buildings built in the 21st century.

"I urge you to grant MGM the license. But in doing so, I ask you to ensure history is kept in the 'wow.'" McCarroll said to applause from supporters and opponents.

MGM Resorts International is the last company remaining in a once crowded field of competitors battling for the sole Massachusetts gaming license to be awarded in the western region of the state. All that remains from the other casino companies once focused on the Pioneer Valley are colorful renderings of casinos which will never be and promotional materials related to the ill-fated projects.

Mathis, in reflecting on being the last company standing, told those in attendance that the competition and diligence by the commission and city officials helped make their proposal better than their first draft.

"Anybody who says we have no competition doesn't remember when we had five companies," Mathis said, adding that he feels the model MGM plans to implement in Springfield has the potential to set precedent for the industry relating how to treat urban casinos in struggling cities in the future.

One city resident who spoke early on, got applause from both sides of the argument, however. She likened the city to the Biblical Garden of Eden and said she supports the MGM project, cautiously.

"It will be economically beneficial to the city. It will attract visitors from near and far," she said. "But we in Springfield will hold their feet to the fire to make sure they live up to the host community agreement."