With the September primary elections seven weeks away, the Massachusetts Senate on Tuesday will debate a revised campaign finance bill that would force super PACs into the timely disclosure of contributors in an attempt by lawmakers to add transparency to the political process in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision.

By MATT MURPHY

BOSTON — With the September primary elections seven weeks away, the Senate on Tuesday will debate a revised campaign finance bill that would force super PACs into the timely disclosure of contributors in an attempt by lawmakers to add transparency to the political process in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision.

The bill would double the individual campaign contribution limit to $1,000 a year, but the first change to the donation limits in 20 years would not take effect until January. The bill also allows state committees to set up legal defense funds, and authorizes statewide candidate committees to donate up to $100 to another candidate, but not more than an aggregate total of $1,500 a year to other candidates.

The revised bill (S 2264, the text of which is embedded at the end of this article) was released Monday by the Senate Committee on Ethics and Rules, chaired by Majority Leader Stanley Rosenberg, and scheduled for debate on Tuesday. A similar bill cleared the House in late June.

The bill would require super PACs, which are independent expenditure committees allowed to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money to influence elections, to disclose the sources of their funding within seven days of making an expenditure. That disclosure window would shrink to 24 hours starting 10 days before a primary or general election.

“We tried to keep it fairly close,” Rosenberg said Monday, referring to relatively small number of changes his committee made to the House bill.

The court's free speech ruling in Citizens United opened up opportunities for super PACs to accept unlimited donations from unions and corporations, as well as wealthy individuals, as they seek to influence the outcomes of elections.

Several super PACs have already been established in Massachusetts with an eye toward the fall elections, and one group funded by the American Federation of Teachers spent heavily in the final days of last year’s mayoral election in Boston without revealing the source of the funding until after election day.

Despite some outside lobbying for changes to requirements that super PACs list their top five donors at the end of television, Internet or print ads, Rosenberg said the committee bill preserves the House language and adds a requirement that ad sponsors also include a statement directing viewers to the Office of Campaign and Political Finance website for more detailed information on donors.

The revised bill also makes clear that the “top 5” requirement applies to super PAC ads run in connection with ballot questions, but does not cover radio advertisements.

“It’s a terrific bill. I’m glad the top five donor disclosure is in there. I think it’s a clearer, more enforceable provision,” said Pam Wilmot, executive director of Common Cause Massachusetts.

Wilmot said she hoped the differences with the House could be ironed out quickly after Tuesday’s expected favorable vote, preferably without going to a six-member conference committee.

“We really need this for the upcoming elections. There’s going to be an astronomical amount of money spent by super PACs and other outside groups and we really need this information,” Wilmot said.

The bill’s release was delayed by about a week as Senate leaders considered changes to the House legislation, including suggestions made by Secretary of State William Galvin to close a loophole that has allowed some candidates to withhold the names of individual donors until the end of a reporting cycle even though they have already deposited the funds into their campaign accounts. Galvin said some Republican candidates have been exploiting the loophole, including his opponent David D’Arcangelo.

“We took a look at that and think that’s a good idea,” said Rosenberg, adding that it might get added on the floor through an amendment.

Rosenberg also said that the bill does not address Galvin’s concerns about complying with a new law before the Sept. 9 primary that requires the transliteration of candidate names on Boston ballots into Chinese and Vietnamese, but said he expected an amendment to be filed for that as well.

One section added by Rosenberg’s committee would require, starting in 2015, that the voter guides mailed to citizens prior to an election including a brief note written by the Executive Office of Administration and Finance explaining the expected impact of a ballot question on state and municipal government finances.

While the bill does not change the maximum cash contribution limit of $50, it does allow contributions of up to $100 by money order or bank check. Wilmot said she believed her organization “could live with” the change because money orders and bank checks “can still be traced, even if it’s more difficult.”

Bills 2264

Several State Senate candidates said they either see problems with housing the unattended children at Westover, or believe local officials need to be consulted.

Most of the candidates for State Senate in the 1st Hampden and Hampshire District raised concerns Monday regarding a proposal to use Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee to temporarily house some of the children from Central America who are crossing into the United States.

One of the candidates, Debra Boronski, said that with a rising number of homeless people in Massachusetts, and so many families living in emergency shelters, the state cannot care for the border-crossing children.

“We are struggling to take care of our own families,” said Boronski, the sole Republican candidate. "How are we going to take care of 50,000 children? What is the plan? I do not have faith in our federal government to offer a solution to this problem.”

Meanwhile, candidate Eric Lesser called for “compassion” for the children, but to ensure that their accommodation “is both temporary and fully funded by the federal government.”

“I agree with Cardinal O’Malley and the Diocese of Springfield that we must show compassion for innocent children forced to escape violence and unimaginable poverty,” said Lesser, who is one of five Democrats running for the Senate seat.

Gov. Deval Patrick said on Friday that he was considering two sites – Westover and Camp Edwards on Cape Cod – as possible temporary locations in Massachusetts to house up to 1,000 unattended children, mostly coming from Central America. Patrick said Massachusetts was among states contacted by the federal government to aid what he called a “humanitarian crisis.”

The federal government has stated it will cover the cost, Patrick said.

Boronski, said her answer is “no” on the governor’s proposal.

According to federal statistics, 19,029 people in Massachusetts were counted as experiencing homelessness in 2013, Boronski said. As of May 22, 2014, there were approximately 4,600 families in the state’s emergency shelter program including hotels, she said.

Candidate Aaron Saunders said he is concerned about the impact the housing proposal could have on Chicopee and the base, and is concerned about the ability of existing refugee and social services “to absorb the impact of any long-term placements in the region.”

Saunders said he would encourage the federal delegation “to ensure that any funding for this purpose include adequate resources sent directly to local communities for any potential local impact.”

Saunders said that regarding the immigration debate: “We must put America’s humanitarian spirit ahead or our politics and provide safer and healthy conditions for these children while immigration officials undertake their process.”

Candidate Tim Allen said the matter is “certainly a local issue,” and thus one that requires the government to consult with local officials. He called for a joint “problem-solving” session involving local, state and federal officials.

Allen said it is a humanitarian problem “and we need to be involved in the solution because these kids are now in our country.”

Chip Harrington, also running for the seat as a Democrat, said the commander at Westover had raised concerns about the base being equipped for the children.

“I, like everyone, want to do what is compassionate and proper for these children,” Harrington said. “But we cannot find ourselves in a similar situation that Chicopee currently faces with homeless families living in hotels. It is neither compassionate nor proper to have these children live on a military base that is not equipped to house and care for them.”

Candidate Tom Lachiusa said he believes the situation with the influx of border crossings “is probably a life or death situation for those children.

“We have to provide a humanitarian service to children who are in need,” Lachiusa said.

He said he believes Westover has the housing available to provide the lodging, and believes the use of the base would put the city of Chicopee “in a positive light.”

Candidate Mike Franco, running as an America First candidate, said that if the federal government is telling the truth, there is not supposed to be a financial strain on the state or local communities.

Franco, however, said he believes the government, “particularly the executive, having allowed the breach of our border, the ensuing invasion and a potential amnesty are in violation of the law.”

Under the Constitution, there cannot be “blanket legislation” that allows non-citizens the rights of born or naturalized Americans,” Franco said.

Much of Chicopee, including Westover, is within the 1st-Hampden-Hampshire District.

The Planning Board waived the sidewalk requirement for the first time.

CHICOPEE – A local developer is planning a new 11-lot subdivision located off another development he completed about a year ago.

Craig Authier of Premier Home Builders Inc. is proposing building the homes on a street he is calling Morgan Circle. The street is located off the new Mayflower Drive, which is off Granby Road.

The homes will be located on a cul-de-sac that will end near the Chicopee River.

Authier and Robert Levesque, of R. Levesque Associates, unveiled the proposal to the Planning Board recently. They asked the board to delay the vote while they work with the state on a plan to set aside some property as conservation land.

Some of the discussion with the board were about plans to create a retention pond that would hold storm water that would then slowly seep into the ground instead of tying into the city’s storm water pipes.

The soils in the area were tested and show the water will drain out much quicker than required by local ordinances and the pond would handle a 100-year storm, Levesque said.

“The city mandates the basins and we worked with them on it,” said Catherine L. Brown, the city planner.

The Planning Board agreed to table the proposal, but did vote to waive the requirement that sidewalks be built on the small street. The vote was 5-0.

This is the first time the Planning Board has used the new ordinance that allows it to let developers build streets without sidewalks on new roads which will see little traffic. Previously regulations required sidewalks on every road unless there was an extreme hardship, said Elin Gaynor, board chairwoman.

The ordinance requires the developer to make a payment that would be the estimated cost of installing sidewalks to a city account that will be used to repair existing sidewalks or add them on busy streets where they are needed.

The gains announced Monday include an additional 570,000 U.S. subscribers, slightly more than Netflix's management predicted. The quarter is typically the company's slowest of the year, as people spend more time outdoors instead of watching video.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Netflix's second-quarter earnings more than doubled as new episodes from a hit series helped the Internet video service surpass 50 million worldwide subscribers for the first time.

The gains announced Monday include an additional 570,000 U.S. subscribers, slightly more than Netflix's management predicted. The quarter is typically the company's slowest of the year, as people spend more time outdoors instead of watching video.

Investors applauded the second-quarter results, pushing Netflix's stock up $4.05 to $456 in extended trading. The shares have surged by 23 percent this year, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index has increased 7 percent.

The second quarter featured one of Netflix's marquee attractions, "Orange Is The New Black," which returned for its second season in early June. As with Netflix's other original series, all 13 episodes of "Orange Is The New Black," were released simultaneously so subscribers could watch the story unfold at their leisure.

"Consumers are enjoying more than ever being in control of their own schedules, able to click and watch whenever they want," Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said in a Monday interview.

Without breaking down the specific viewership numbers, Hastings said "Orange Is The New Black" became Netflix's most-watched series during the first month after the June 6 release of the second season.

"Orange Is the New Black," set in a women's prison, received 12 of the 31 Emmy Award nominations bestowed upon Netflix programming for this year's awards. Netflix's Emmy nominations eclipsed the 24 garnered by longtime pay-TV channel Showtime, which collected 24, but lagged far behind HBO's pace-setting 99 nominations.

Netflix Inc. ended June with 36.2 million subscribers in the U.S. and another 13.8 million customers in roughly 40 other countries. The Los Gatos, California, company picked up 1.1 million subscribers outside the U.S. in the second quarter, a figure that also topped management's projections.

The company said it expects to add another 3.7 million subscribers worldwide in the current quarter ending in September, including 1.3 million U.S. customers. It also plans to start selling its Internet video service in six more European countries in September, including Germany and France.

Netflix's long-term goal is to reach as many as 90 million U.S. subscribers and more than 100 million internationally.

The second-quarter performance will likely alleviate any concerns that a price increase imposed in early May would undercut Netflix's growth. Netflix raised its rates by $1 to $9 per month for Internet video streaming in the U.S., but the company eased the blow by allowing existing subscribers to continue paying the old price for at least two years.

As Netflix's video-streaming service steadily grows, the DVD-by-mail rental business that once was the company's foundation is slowly crumbling. The DVD rental service shed another 391,000 subscribers in the second quarter to end June with fewer than 6.3 million customers. That's a decline of 55 percent in less than three years.

Netflix earned $71 million, or $1.15 per share, during the April-June period. That compared to income of $29.5 million, or 49 cents per share, at the same time last year. This year's earnings per share were a penny above the average estimate among analysts surveyed by FactSet.

Revenue climbed 25 percent from last year to $1.3 billion, matching analyst projections.

Police get called the intersection for shots fired, drug activity, domestic disturbances, robberies, loitering and other problems.

HOLYOKE -- When police responded to a report of a stabbing at Elm and Appleton streets July 13, it was their 259th call to that spot this year.

The stabbing victim died to mark the city's first homicide of 2014.

But the killing was about the only new feature of the intersection for police, who can probably get there blind-folded: Between January 2011 and Monday (July 21), police have been dispatched there 1,274 times, according to statistics from Police Chief James M. Neiswanger.

The total includes 15 more calls to the intersection since Jorge Rodriguez-Nieves, 40, allegedly killed Angel David Morales, 33, by stabbing him in the neck on a Sunday morning. The stabbing occurred outside Las Chicas Market at 341 Appleton St., which overlooks the intersection, police said. Rodriguez-Nieves denied the murder charge at his arraignment July 14 and was held without right to bail. A pre-trial conference was set for Aug. 19.

"It's a big hot spot. Every community has hot spots, and it's one of ours," Capt. Denise M. Duguay, commander of the Holyoke Police Criminal Investigation Bureau, said Monday.

The calls are for a range of problems: drug activity, robbery, loitering, street stops, threats, larceny, suspicious persons, "unwanted guests," domestic disturbances, shots fired and other gun calls, malicious damage reports, property checks, assistant an ambulance or fire truck, loud music or annoying car alarms, according to statistics.

Duguay was asked whether having to devote so much attention to one area deprived other spots of police help. Police use triage, a method of determining urgency, in answering calls, she said. That means a shots-fired call will get priority over a noise complaint if they arrive simultaneously, she said.

"We have to answer calls on a priority basis," Duguay said. "That's just one of our hot spots. We have quite a few."

But in light of the homicide and the sheer number of calls requiring police there, the intersection of Elm and Appleton streets will get more city attention, Mayor Alex B. Morse said.

"These numbers are disturbing and must be addressed. Currently our city attorneys are reviewing our options ranging from fines to receivership of" properties there, Morse said.

"We need to let the owners of this property, and every problem property in the city, know that allowing the creation of a crime ridden, blighted property is not acceptable. These owners should know that we will take their property and put it in the hands of someone who will work with the city to push out this unwelcome criminal element," he said.

In the bulk of the calls, police were sent to 173 Elm St., 177 Elm St. and 365 Appleton St.

City online records show 173-177 Elm St. is a 40-unit apartment building owned by Windsor Realty, a limited liability company based in Bedford. The same property also is known as 365 Appleton St. and has the same owner, City Treasurer Jon D. Lumbra said.

The resident agent of that company is Lucjan Hronowski, of Bedford, according to online records of the state secretary of state. Hronowski couldn't be reached for comment Monday.

The property at 341 Appleton St., the location of Las Chicas Market and the stabbing, is owned by Alfredo Improta, of Springfield, according to city records. Improta said in a brief phone interview a property owner like himself is limited in what he can do if an areas has so many problems.

"What am I supposed to do?" Improta said.

New York-based JetBlue Airways Corp. said it removed John Manwaring from duty Sunday night pending the outcome of the investigation, and is cooperating with authoritie

BOSTON -- A JetBlue pilot from Florida is among six people arrested by Boston police over the weekend in an investigation of drug dealing incidents near the Boston Common.

John Manwaring, 42, of Maitland, Florida, and a woman with him were charged with heroin possession. Police said Manwaring told them he was a pilot and had arrived in Boston on Sunday.

Two men were charged with selling heroin and a third was charged with cocaine possession and trespassing. Another man was also charged with trespassing.

Police said investigators had focused on an area near Tremont and Boylston Streets after getting complaints from neighbors, and had made several earlier drug arrests there.

Manwaring and the others pleaded not guilty Monday. Manwaring was released on his own recognizance. He appeared in court without an attorney and declined to speak with reporters afterward. He is to return to court Aug. 13.

The woman he was arrested with was held for probation officers. Officials said in court she has a pending prostitution case.

New York-based JetBlue Airways Corp. said it removed Manwaring from duty Sunday night pending the outcome of the investigation, and is cooperating with authorities.

"In compliance with all FAA and DOT regulations and requirements, JetBlue has in place a rigorous drug testing program for crewmembers that includes a strict "no tolerance" program," the company said.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it is aware of the arrest but does not comment on potential enforcement actions.

At the U.N., the Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution demanding international access to the crash site and an end to military activities around the area, following intense pressure on a reluctant Russia to support the measure.

By NICOLAS GARRIGA
and NICOLAE DUMITRACHE

HRABOVE, Ukraine — Bowing to international pressure, pro-Moscow separatists released a train packed with bodies and handed over the black boxes from the downed Malaysia Airlines plane, four days after it plunged into rebel-held eastern Ukraine.

With body parts decaying in sweltering heat and signs that evidence at the crash site was mishandled, anger in Western capitals has mounted at the rebels and their allies in Moscow. Their reluctant cooperation will soothe mourning families and help investigators, but may do little to reconcile the East-West powers struggling over Ukraine's future.

Russia's Defense Ministry said Monday it saw no evidence a missile was fired and denied involvement in the downing of Flight 17 — and suggested the Ukrainian military was at fault. President Vladimir Putin spoke out but showed no sign of abandoning the separatists as fighting flared anew near the site of the crash.

President Barack Obama accused the rebels of tampering with evidence and insulting victims' families, warning of new sanctions. Europeans will consider their own sanctions Tuesday.

The bodies of the 298 victims, most from the Netherlands, have become a part of the conflict in Ukraine because they could hold evidence of what brought the plane down on July 17 as it was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

Grief turned to anger as families begged to get the bodies of their loved ones back, while the separatists held on to the remains.

"Bodies are just lying there for three days in the hot sun. There are people who have this on their conscience," said Silene Fredriksz-Hoogzand, whose son, Bryce, and his girlfriend Daisy Oehlers died on their way to a vacation in Bali, in an interview with The Associated Press in the Netherlands. "When I am in my bed at night, I see my son lying on the ground. ... They have to come home, not only those two. Everybody has to come home."

International forensics experts finally gained access to the crash site Monday — an emotional experience for the head of the Dutch National Forensic Investigations Team, Peter Van Vliet. Seeing the wreckage gave him goosebumps, he said.

The team stumbled across remains that had not yet been removed and inspected the perished passengers' luggage.

In Torez, a rebel-held town 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the crash site, inspectors bowed heads and clasped hands before climbing aboard refrigerated train cars holding the collected bodies. Armed rebels surrounded them, while commuters boarded other trains nearby.

The smell of decay was overwhelming. Workers wore masks, while passersby twisted their faces in horror at the odor. Temperatures hit 84 degrees F (29 degrees C), and a train engineer told the AP that a power outage had hit the refrigeration system temporarily overnight.

The rebels in Torez did not appear too conciliatory as the tense day wore on. They repeatedly tried to block reporters from access to the visiting experts, growing more aggressive throughout.

Late Monday, trucks arrived at the Torez station with plastic bags apparently filled with body parts, as well as piles of luggage — suitcases, backpacks, a purse with a Louis Vuitton label.

Ukrainian authorities said the total number of bodies recovered was 282.

Dutch investigators demanded the separatists transfer the bodies immediately, and the rebels complied after several hours.

With a long whistle and puff of smoke, the train bearing the bodies pulled slowly out of the station. Rebels holding automatic rifles walked alongside as it chugged away, a cluster of children on bicycles looking on.

It was headed through troubled territory, its destination not 100 percent clear.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the train was heading for the rebel-held city of Donetsk, 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of the crash site, and then on to Kharkiv, site of a crisis center controlled by the Ukrainian government. He said Ukrainian authorities have agreed to let the bodies be transferred from there to the Netherlands for identification, but gave no time frame.

Early Tuesday, the rebels handed over both black boxes from Flight 17 to Malaysian investigators in Donetsk. A rebel leader, Alexander Borodai, said the orange-colored flight recorders were being handed over to Malaysian officials on the condition that they would be delivered to experts at the International Civil Aviation Organization.

"I can see that the black box is intact even though a little bit damaged, but in a good condition," said Col. Mohamad Sakri of the Malaysian National Security Council. He added that the number one priority was for the bodies of the victims to be delivered to Amsterdam.

Earlier, a team of international observers at the sprawling crash site described strange behavior by workers.

"When we were leaving, we observed workers there hacking into the fuselage with gas-powered equipment," OSCE spokesman Michael Bociurkiw told reporters in Donetsk.

He said there was no security perimeter Monday at one of the bigger debris fields, and monitors saw that one of the largest pieces of the plane "had somewhat been split or moved apart."

In Washington, Obama asked, "What exactly are they trying to hide?"

"This is an insult to those who have lost loved ones. This is the kind of behavior that has no place in the community of nations," he said.

On Sunday, the U.S. said there was "powerful" evidence that the rebels had shot down the plane with a Russian surface-to-air missile, including video of a rocket launcher, one surface-to-air missile missing, being driven away from the likely launch site; imagery showing the firing; phone calls claiming credit for the missile strike and phone recordings said to reveal a cover-up at the crash site.

The Russian Defense Ministry offered its own evidence Monday, showing photos it said proved that Ukrainian surface-to-air systems were operating in the area before the crash — nine times alone the day the plane was brought down.

Russian officials also said they had evidence a Ukrainian Su-25 fighter jet had flown "between 3 to 5 kilometers (2 to 3 miles)" from the Malaysia Airlines jet.

"(The plane) is armed with air-to-air R-60 rockets, which can hit a target from a distance of up to 12 kilometers (7 miles) and guaranteed within 5 kilometers (3 miles)," said the chief of Russia's General staff, Lt. Gen. Andrei Kartopolov.

Defense Ministry officials insisted Russia had not given the rebels any surface-to-air missiles — and said they have no evidence that any missiles were launched at all. They asked the U.S. to share any satellite images of the launch.

Putin accused others of exploiting the downing of the plane for "mercenary objectives." He said Kiev authorities had reignited the fighting after a unilateral cease-fire expired without progress on peace talks.

At the U.N., the Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution demanding international access to the crash site and an end to military activities around the area, following intense pressure on a reluctant Russia to support the measure.

Fighting in eastern Ukraine began in mid-April after Russia annexed Ukraine's southern Crimean Peninsula a month earlier.

Battles erupted again Monday between the separatists and government troops in Donetsk, according to city authorities. An AP reporter heard several explosions and saw smoke rising from the direction of the city airport.

David McHugh in Kiev, Laura Mills and Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow, Lucian Kim in Donetsk, Ukraine, Alexandra Olson at the United Nations and Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands, contributed to this report.

Gary P. Couchon of Easthampton was held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing on Friday.

 

EASTHAMPTON – An Easthampton man is being charged with attempted murder after assaulting two women with a hammer in their apartment on Maple Street, according to published reports.

The Daily Hampshire Gazette reports Gary P. Couchon, 59, of 21 Morin Drive, was arrested Sunday night at 66 ½ Maple St. and charged with attempted murder, two counts of assault and battery on a disabled person, two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon: a hammer and a shot foot, and breaking an entering in the nighttime with intent to commit a felony.

He denied the charges at his arraignment Monday in Northampton District Court Monday. He was ordered held without a right to bail and is due back in court on Friday for a dangerousness hearing.

According to the Gazette, Couchon forced his way inside the apartment and then attacked the two women. He hit one of the women with a hammer and tried to choke the other before they managed to break free and call the police.

MGM Springfield is buying the two properties now as agreed regardless of the outcome of a statewide referendum vote in November, approving or rejecting casinos.

SPRINGFIELD – The City Council on Monday voted unanimously to sell two city-owned properties to MGM Springfield for $3.2 million, as part of plans to build a casino in the South End.

The council approved the sale of the former State Armory building, 29 Howard St., and the former Zanetti School, 59 Howard St., for $1.6 million each to MGM. Both buildings were heavily damaged in the June 1, 2011 tornado, and MGM was the high bidder to buy both sites last year.

City Solicitor Edward Pikula said the sale, as approved, will be finalized, with a closing slated by July 31, regardless if the casino is built. The sale will return both properties to the tax rolls, and MGM has agreed to a payment in lieu of taxes retroactive to last year, when it was selected as preferred developer by Mayor Domenic J. Sarno

At-large Councilor Timothy Rooke praised MGM for carrying out its pledge to buy the properties, despite a statewide ballot vote in November when voters will consider approving or rejecting casinos in Massachusetts.

The former Howard Street School, also known as the Zanetti School on Howard Street, closed after it was damaged in the June 1 ,2011 tornado is due to be purchased by MGM Springfield. Mark Murray / The Republican 

Moving ahead to buy the properties now is evidence of MGM “putting their money where their mouth is,” Rooke said.

“It is indicative of the partnership that MGM has forged with the taxpayers, the businesses and the elected officials to try to help Springfield resurface,” Rooke said. “They have put their money where their mouth is, and they have fulfilled the promises they said they would keep.”

MGM is showing how committed the company is, and how serious the company is, in moving forward with the purchase of the properties, Rooke said.

Pikula said that MGM will pay a total of more than $160,000 in payments in lieu of taxes, retroactive to February of 2013, and then pay regular taxes once the sale is finalized.

Dan D’Alma, president of the Pioneer Valley Building Trades attended the council meeting and praised the vote.

MGM “is continuing to move forward in a positive fashion,” D’Alma said.

“It’s all about jobs and economic development,” D’Alma said.

Many opponents of casinos have stated that developers will not deliver on all their promises, and that casinos will hurt some existing businesses and increase gambling addictions and related ills

In other action, a proposal to regulate and inspect rental properties in Springfield was referred to committee for further review after some landlords said it goes too far. Councilors say they want further input at future subcommittee meetings before finalizing any ordinance.

The ordinance calls for registration fees charged to owners of rental property, and inspection fees, sponsored by Councilor Orlando Ramos. Ramos said the ordinance is aimed at reducing housing blight and enhancing public safety.

Rivera was found walking by West Springfield police. They picked him up and held him until his mother came to get him, police said.

This is an update of a story published at 4:38 p.m. Monday.

WESTFIELD - A Westfield teen who had been missing since Saturday and who was the subject of a police public-awareness campaign on social media has been found and returned home, police said.

Michael RiveraWestfield police photo 

The boy, 16-year-old Michael Rivera, was spotted in West Springfield on Monday evening and picked up by West Springfield police, according to the Westfield police. Rivera's mother drove over to pick him up and bring him home, police said.

Rivera had last been seen on Saturday and his family called police when he did not come home.

Westfield police said they did not suspect foul play but finding Rivera was critical because he is taking medication. Police posted an appeal to the community to look out for Rivera on Facebook Monday morning, and it was picked up by the local media.

President Barack Obama on Monday ordered employment protection for gay and transgender employees who work for the federal government or for companies holding federal contracts, telling advocates he embraced the "irrefutable rightness of your cause."

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama on Monday ordered employment protection for gay and transgender employees who work for the federal government or for companies holding federal contracts, telling advocates he embraced the "irrefutable rightness of your cause."

"America's federal contracts should not subsidize discrimination against the American people," Obama declared at a White House signing ceremony.

Obama said it was unacceptable that being gay is still a firing offense in many places in the United States, and he called on Congress to extend the ban to all employers. But legislation that would extend the ban has become embroiled in a dispute over whether religious groups should get exemptions.

The president had long resisted pressure to pursue an executive anti-discrimination order covering federal contractors in the hope that Congress would take more sweeping action. The Senate passed legislation last year with some Republican support, but it has not been considered by the GOP-controlled House. Now, said Obama, "It's time to address this injustice for every American."

Mia Macy of Portland, Oregon, watched Obama's announcement in tears as an invited guest in the East Room. The military veteran and former Phoenix police detective applied to be a ballistics expert with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms as a male but was rejected after she changed her name and began identifying as a woman. She filed a successful complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and settled a discrimination lawsuit against the government last year.

"Having a president acknowledge us for the first time in history as citizens instead of second-class citizens is just monumental," Macy said in a telephone interview. She said Obama personally thanked her for her pioneering role in a private meeting before the ceremony.

Obama had faced pressure from opposing flanks over whether he would include an exemption in the executive action for religious organizations. He decided to maintain a provision that allows religious groups with federal contracts to hire and fire based upon religious identity, but he did not grant any exception to consider sexual orientation or gender identity. Churches also are able to hire ministers as they see fit under the First Amendment's protection of religious freedom.

Objecting to his order, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops called it unprecedented and said it lends the government's economic power to a "deeply flawed understanding of human sexuality" that faithful Catholics won't abide. The group said the executive order is an anomaly because it lacks even the exemption included in the Senate bill.

"In the name of forbidding discrimination, this order implements discrimination," the group said in a statement.

Obama's action came on the heels of the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in the Hobby Lobby case that allowed some closely held private businesses to opt out of the federal health care law's requirement that contraception coverage be provided to workers at no extra charge. Obama advisers said that ruling has no impact on non-discrimination policies in federal hiring and contracting.

Obama said 18 states and more than 200 local governments already ban employment discrimination based on sexual orientation, as well as a majority of Fortune 500 companies. But he noted that more states allow same-sex marriage than prohibit gay discrimination in hiring.

"It's not just about doing the right thing, it's also about attracting and retaining the best talent," Obama said.

The change for federal contracting will affect some 24,000 companies with 28 million workers, or one-fifth of the U.S. workforce. Many large federal contractors already have employment policies barring anti-gay workplace discrimination. However, the Williams Institute at UCLA Law School estimates that the executive order would extend protections to about 14 million workers whose employers or states currently do not have such nondiscrimination policies.

While few religious organizations are among the biggest federal contractors, they do provide significant services, including overseas relief and development programs and re-entry programs for inmates leaving federal prisons.

Obama's signature amended two executive orders. The first, signed by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965, prohibits federal contractors from discriminating based on race, religion, gender or nationality in hiring. President George W. Bush had amended Johnson's order in 2002 to add the exemption for religious groups.

Obama added sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protections, and ordered the Labor Department to carry out the order. Administration officials said that means the change will probably take effect by early next year.

Obama also amended an order signed by President Richard Nixon in 1969 to prevent discrimination against federal workers based on race, religion, gender, nationality, age or disability. President Bill Clinton added sexual orientation, and Obama included gender identity in his change, which took effect immediately.

Transgender workers already had some employment protections because of the EEOC ruling in the Macy case. But the law could be interpreted differently under a future commission, and the White House said Obama felt it was important to explicitly prohibit gender identity discrimination through an executive order.

Martin scored highest on his financial management of the town, earning 3.9 out of a possible 4.0, the cumulative results from the three board members showed

GRANBY – Town Administrator Christopher Martin is meeting his job expectations, the Select Board announced at Monday’s meeting following an annual performance review.

Martin scored highest on his financial management of the town, earning 3.9 out of a possible 4.0, the cumulative results from the three board members showed.

His overall score on “all job categories was 3.06, which translates to meets job expectations,” selectman Louis Barry said.

In other business, the board said it would convene a special meeting to discuss the proposed public sewer and water project on Monday, July 28 with the consulting firm AECOM Technology Corporation. The firm is based in Los Angeles. The 5 p.m. public meeting is at the Senior Center, 10-B West State St.

Town officials hope a decision will be made next week on whether to pursue a sewer and water infrastructure project along Rt. 202, a timetable, and the service level catchment area.

Megan Szlosek was appointed to the Granby Parks Oversight Committee by the Select Board at the July 21 2014 meetingJIM RUSSELL PHOTO 

The company has been working on a $40,000 study to provide information on the $15 million public works proposal. The research began in November and AECOM provided their first presentation to the Select Board in February. Among the issues facing the town is how the work would be financed.

During the same meeting, Police Chief Alan Wishart announced that Sgt. Mark Smith recently resigned to take a position as the police chief in the Berkshire County town of Hinsdale. Smith was sworn in as the Hinsdale chief earlier this month.

The Select Board appointed retired State Police Lt. Mike Barrett and Granby patrolman Sean Gallagher to the town’s Police Advisory Board.

The Select Board also appointed Megan Szlosek to the Parks Oversight Committee.

The work will begin Wednesday, weather permitting, and be between Island Pond Road and Roosevelt Avenue.

SPRINGFIELD - The office of Mayor Domenic J. Sarno is advising drivers that the city plans to begin resurfacing Overlook Drive by Wednesday and that traffic flow in parts of East Forest Park may be affected.

The work is being done by Palmer Paving, and will begin Wednesday, weather permitting, and be between Island Pond Road and Roosevelt Avenue.

Access for residences will be maintained, but traffic delays are expected, according to the announcement.

The work is part of the city's 2014 Winter Rapid Recovery Road Program.

Access for residences will be maintained. Travel delays are expected.

Tickets on the carousel are $2 a ride or six rides for $10.

HOLYOKE -- Parents eager to keep youngsters busy during the school break can visit the Holyoke Merry Go Round, which has announced summer hours and daily specials.

The vintage ride is available Tuesday to Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., Operations Manager Marianne Holden said in a press release.

The 48 hand-carved horses of the carousel -- built in 1929 and rescued from the former Mountain Park amusement area -- are available for the riding at Holyoke Heritage State Park at 221 Appleton St.

Tickets are $2 a ride or six rides for $10.

During the summer, Tuesday's are "2 For Tuesdays" where two riders can ride -- on separate crafted steeds -- for the price of one, Holden said.

The carousel offers "Seniors Wednesdays" where senior citizens can ride all day for $2 and their grandchildren can ride for $1 each per ride, she said.

On Thursdays, there are craft days, including making Christmas items on July 24 and "egg carton creatures" July 31. All crafts are free, she said.

This Friday (July 25) only is "Princess Day." Parents can bring young daughters in their favorite dresses or tiaras and they will get a half-price ride, she said.

This Saturday (July 26) is "Christmas in July" with Santa Claus set to visit accompanied by treats, she said.

That will be followed on Sunday (July 27) by "Parents Day." Moms and Dads can ride for half price when accompanied by children who bought their own tickets, she said.

For times and other information call (413) 538-9838 or visit the Merry Go Round website.

The first post-convention TV ad of the 2014 race for governor frames the race as one between a successful businessman that understands the economy and a "career prosecutor."

DORCHESTER — The first post-convention TV ad of the 2014 race for governor frames the race as one between a successful businessman that understands the economy and a "career prosecutor."

Treasurer Steve Grossman's new ad touts his experience running his family business, the Grossman Marketing Group, and calls him "a job creator" as soaring music plays in the background.

"Steve Grossman grew a family business into a Massachusetts success story with progressive ideas like earned sick time and family leave," the positive-sounding narrator says in the ad.

The ad notes of a program known as the Small Business Banking Partnership that was part of an effort led by Grossman to move state funds held in out of state and foreign banks into local community banks for lending purposes. To date the program has made over 8,000 loans worth a combined $1 billion across the state according to the Grossman campaign.

The mostly positive 30 second ad does not mention Attorney General Martha Coakley though it does take a shot at an aforementioned "career prosecutor." Grossman has trailed Coakley in the polls by a wide margin throughout the race, though he did manage to win the endorsement of the Massachusetts Democratic Party at their June convention.

"Who do you want to go to work on day one next January and who really has a finger on the pulse of how to create jobs, how to narrow the skills gap?" said Grossman.

Grossman is facing Coakley as well as former Medicare administrator Don Berwick for the Democratic nomination.

The ad starts airing Tuesday in the Boston TV market as part of a $300,000 ad buy.

The jury found Tazhayakov not guilty of participating in the plan to take the laptop.

By DENISE LAVOIE

BOSTON — A college friend was convicted Monday of trying to protect Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev by agreeing with another friend to get rid of a backpack and disabled fireworks they took from his dorm room three days after the attack.

Azamat Tazhayakov, a baby-faced 20-year-old, put his hands over his face and shook his head as guilty verdicts were read on federal charges of obstruction of justice and conspiracy in the first trial stemming from the twin bombings, which killed three and injured more than 260 near the marathon's finish line in April 2013. His mother sobbed loudly and rocked in her seat.

The jury found that Tazhayakov conspired with friend Dias Kadyrbayev to take from Tsarnaev's room a backpack containing fireworks that had been emptied of their explosive powder. Prosecutors said the explosive powder could have been used to make bombs. The backpack and fireworks were later recovered from a landfill.

Prosecutors and defense lawyers both told the jury it was Kadyrbayev who actually threw the items away, but prosecutors said Tazhayakov agreed with the plan and was an active participant.

Juror Daniel Antonino, 49, said the panel heavily debated the charges but in the end believed Tazhayakov had impeded the investigation.

"They took materials from that room that they never should have touched, and that's what he is going to pay the price for," Antonino said.

Tazhayakov faces a maximum 20-year prison sentence for obstruction and a five-year maximum for conspiracy at sentencing, which was scheduled for Oct. 16. The verdicts came less than three years after he arrived in the U.S. from his native Kazakhstan, hoping to get an engineering degree at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth.

Prosecutors said Tazhayakov quickly became friends with Kadyrbayev, who was also from Kazakhstan, and the two also became friendly with Tsarnaev who, like them, spoke Russian. Tsarnaev, who lived in Kyrgyzstan and Russia, had come to the U.S. as a child with his family. He turns 21 on Tuesday.

The three men often hung out together, in Tsarnaev's dorm room or at the off-campus apartment Tazhayakov and Kadyrbayev shared. Friends testified that the three men enjoyed playing video games and smoking marijuana.

During the trial, prosecutors showed jurors video of Tazhayakov at the university gym with Tsarnaev the day after the bombings. Both appeared relaxed. Tazhayakov's lawyers said the footage showed their client had no idea Tsarnaev was involved in the bombings until days later, when the FBI released photos of him and his brother, Tamerlan, as suspects.

Tazhayakov's lawyers argued that it was Kadyrbayev who removed the items from Tsarnaev's dorm room and then threw them away. Kadyrbayev faces a separate trial in September. A third friend, Robel Phillipos, is charged with lying to investigators and is also scheduled for trial in September.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed in a shootout with police. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev escaped but was soon found, wounded and hiding in a boat dry-docked in a backyard in suburban Watertown.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for trial in November. He faces the possibility of the death penalty if convicted.

Defense attorney Matthew Myers called the Tazhayakov verdict "somewhat surprising" and said it was difficult to try the case in Boston, where emotions run high over the bombings. He said he believes jurors felt a "certain pressure" to find his client guilty.

"We understand what this town has been through. ... It's hard to overcome that bias," Myers said.

Myers said lawyers will appeal the verdict, at least in part on a verdict form that asked jurors to decide whether Tazhayakov obstructed justice and conspired to obstruct justice on both a laptop computer that was taken from Tsarnaev's room and the backpack containing fireworks.

The jury found Tazhayakov not guilty of participating in the plan to take the laptop, but guilty on the plan to take the backpack and fireworks. They had to find him guilty of only one of them to convict him of the charge.

"We think it may have distracted the jury," Myers said of the verdict form.

FBI agents testified during the trial that Tazhayakov told them he and Kadyrbayev decided to take the backpack, fireworks and Tsarnaev's computer hours after Kadyrbayev received a text message from Tsarnaev that said he could go to his dorm room and "take what's there."

Myers told the jury his client was a naive college kid who was prosecuted because he was a "friend of the bomber."

Stone walls and other attempts at roadside beautification along East and West Columbus were part of $1.3 million in highway improvements financed with federal stimulus money in 2009.

SPRINGFIELD — The scruffy looking hillsides that abut Interstate-91 near the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame are getting a long-overdue trimming by crews from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation — just in the nick of time for enshrinement events, according to Hall of Fame officials.

For James Vinick, treasurer of the Hall of Fame, the tardy trimming of overgrown grass and weeds this summer — and in past summers — should have been done sooner. Vinick said the unkempt property makes the "gateway" to Springfield "look like a hellhole."

A single state highway worker was mowing the grass and trimming weeds along the West Columbus Avenue at midday Wednesday. The worker said state crews, which are responsible for the upkeep, have had a tough time keeping up with the rapid growth of weeds and grass along state highways this summer.

Additional MassDOT crews are expected to arrive this week to complete the upkeep in time for enshrinement events set for Aug. 7 to 9 — and for the influx of visitors to downtown Springfield restaurants and hotels expected to attend the Northeast Shrine Association Convention Aug. 21 to 24 at the Eastern States Exposition grounds in West Springfield, city officials said.

Vinick says the problem is a perennial one. In 2009, he penned a letter to The Republican complaining of "unsightly sumac, gigantic weeds and piles of garbage" along the highway that greet visitors to the City of Homes.

The state is responsible for about 95 percent of the upkeep along the highway, but some patches of landscaping fall to the city's Park Department, the downtown's Business Improvement District and private companies and organizations, according to James Leydon, communications director for Mayor Domenic J. Sarno.

Letters missing from the Union Street sign on the terrace at the corner of Union and West Columbus Avenue, July 8, 2014. Greg Saulmon / The Republican

Besides the overgrowth, there are some man-made problems along the downtown highway stretch.

The letters spelling out Union and Broad Streets on stone markers along East and West Columbus are routinely removed by vandals, making the signs look like they're awaiting a contestant from "Wheel of Fortune" to fill in the blanks.

Springfield Department of Public Works Director Christopher Cignoli said the letters are made of plastic and aren't costly to replace. But, he said the vandalism occurs about two or three times a year and that takes a DPW worker at least half a day to replace them.

"It's a pain in the neck," he said.

The stone walls and other attempts at roadside beautification were part of $1.3 million in highway improvements financed with federal stimulus money in 2009. The city is responsible for the upkeep of the markers and the landscaping around them.

The markers were completed in 2011, Cignoli said. The original plan called for the letters to be cast in bronze, which planners realized would have been even more tempting for vandals, he said.

Cignoli said the city has two sets of letters for the street markers at the ready and says they should be in place in time for the enshrinement and Shriners convention.

A city woman may be in need of her first name when facing her last name in court.

SPRINGFIELD - A city woman may be in need of her first name when facing her last name in court.

After spotting a vehicle reported as stolen on Tuesday, Springfield police signaled for the driver of a Toyota Camry to pull over at 2 a.m. on Wednesday.

The driver, identified as Miracle Crimes, "stated that she did not steal the Camry and that her sister gave her the keys," according to a release by Springfield Police.

In the release, Sgt. John Delaney assures that Miracle Crimes is her real name.

28-year-old Crimes was arrested for operating a motor vehicle without authority. She was arraigned in Springfield District Court today.

Officer Strohman received praise for his response to the fatal car crash on July 5th, on the recommendation of Chief Mellis and a town resident who witnessed the affair.

EAST LONGMEADOW — A new officer is on track to joining the force, and a veteran officer merits a commendation, Police Chief Douglas Mellis told the Board of Selectmen on Tuesday night.

Mellis shared updates on several topics, including the status of Michael Healey, who was hired to be a police officer at the July 8 meeting, and the department's response to the recent fatal car accident in town.

Healey has completed the necessary medical, physical and psychological testing to become an officer, allowing him to move onto academy training. The next academy session will start on Aug. 18 and last approximately 20 weeks.

Officer Stuart Strohman was recognized for his response to a fatal car crash on July 5, on the recommendation of Chief Mellis and a town resident who witnessed the incident.

"(The resident) could not praise the rescue efforts by the police officers and firefighters highly enough," said Selectman Paul Federici, reading from a letter that shared the resident's thoughts. "He did mention one officer who stayed with the victim, and was constantly reassuring her during the entire incident – the officer described... was Officer Stuart Strohman."

In other business:

• Firefighter Christopher Beecher was sworn in by the Board of Selectmen Chair, Angela Thorpe, as his family looked on. Beecher graduated from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy this past Friday.
• Fire Chief Paul Morrissette discussed the results of the recent report by the Insurance Services Office on the department's "fire suppression" capacity, which is used by insurance companies as part of their determinations. The department is still classified as a Class 4 on a scale of 1 to 9 – the lower the rating, the better.
• Selectman William Gorman announced a temporary health agent has been hired for the town to handle the position's duties until a permanent replacement for Lori McCool, the former agent, can be found.
• Board members voted to create seats for two East Longmeadow high school students on the town Cultural Council.

The city of Boston has enlisted the help of four goats to clear an area overrun with poison ivy, buckthorn, Japanese knotweed, and other invasive plant species growing on city Parks and Recreation Department property.

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