Among national retailers advertising Black Friday deals on Thanksgiving Day Kmart, Walmart, Target, Macy's, JC Penny, Radio Shack and Best Buy will all open this holiday. But not in Massachusetts.

It used to be Black Friday deals were on, you know, Friday. Not so anymore. The blatantly observable "Christmas creep" has resulted in many national retailers opening as early as 7 a.m. Thanksgiving Day for Black Friday sales. Black Thursday? It's not just an overcooked turkey anymore. 

Among national retailers advertising Black Friday deals on Thanksgiving Day Kmart, Walmart, Target, Macy's, JC Penny, Radio Shack and Best Buy will all open this holiday. But not in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts' so-called "blue laws" prevent most stores from opening on the holiday -- although there are 55 noted exceptions including convenience stores and gas stations. But with chains buying regional TV and print ads Bay Staters may still see advertisements for Thanksgiving Day sales. Rest assured, however, unless your local gas station is advertising Black Friday slushies, those early sales aren't happening here. 

Rhode Island and Maine also have laws preventing retail stores from opening on Thanksgiving. If you're not far from the border, however, many stores are open in Connecticut, New York, Vermont and New Hampshire. 

In Connecticut, the Enfield Mall reports some stores will open at 6 p.m. Thanksgiving Day. 

Israel Merced was sentenced Tuesday to seven to eight years in state prison after admitting to raping a 26-year-old woman.

File Photo 

SPRINGFIELD — Israel Merced of Springfield was sentenced Tuesday in Hampden Superior Court to seven to eight years in state prison after admitting he raped a 26-year-old woman after dragging her into the woods near Goodwin and Moxon Streets last year.

Merced was also sentenced to five years probation after the prison term. Judge Tina S. Page accepted the agreed-upon sentence between prosecution and defense.

Merced, 44, pleaded guilty to rape and two counts of indecent assault and battery for the Sept. 13, 2013 crime. He also pleaded guilty to open and gross lewdness for performing a sexual act on himself in front of the same woman in July 2013.

Assistant District Attorney Matthew W. Green said the woman only knew the man's nickname and had seen him around. She was able to identify him from a photo array, Green said.

The woman was treated at a hospital after the rape and DNA taken from her body matched Merced's DNA.

The School Committee offered a proposal that would nearly double the number of pay steps for teachers.

CHICOPEE - Dozens of teachers are expected to attend the School Committee meeting Wednesday night to show their displeasure with the contract proposals offered and to protest the impasse in negotiations.

The Chicopee Education Association has been negotiating with the School Committee since February to replace a new contract for the about 700 teachers. The contract expired June 30.

Negotiations were suspended over the summer. In September the committee and teachers set up four meetings with the goal of finalizing negotiations at the end of October, said Charles Clark, the association president and a teacher at Chicopee High School.

"We got to the third meeting and there was no movement," he said.

While School Committee officials say it was the union which asked to go to arbitration with an outside party, union officials said it was the committee that called for arbitration.

School Committee vice chairwoman Marjorie A. Wojcik said the negotiations have been complicated by the fact that the schools faced a tight budget for this year and had to take creative steps to avoid laying off staff.

Next year is expected to be equally difficult financially. The fact that new Gov. Charlie Baker will take over in January adds to the complexity because no one is sure how much funding he will support for education. Currently about 75 percent of the Chicopee school budget if funded with state money, Wojcik said.

The association has received one offer, which is unacceptable to union members. The proposal calls for adding eight steps to bring the existing 10-step pay scale. People ascend up the steps and increase pay grades as they grow in experience, Clark said.

The Patrolmen's union agreed to a similar deal recently that added eight pay steps to their pay scale, giving the union 12 steps. The deal was finalized Tuesday when the City Council agreed to fund the additional $121,000 needed to fund the contract for the first six months of the deal, which begins Jan. 1.

But teachers say they are not interested in a similar change in their contract. The problem is the newest teachers would see a decline in pay. Over a 30-year career, there would be a $60,000 loss in pay, Clark said.

"The bottom line if we lose good teachers in Chicopee it will compromise the education system," Clark said.

Along with other problems, the proposal would create a division in the union because it lowers the salaries of the least experienced teachers and raises the pay of the most experienced, he said.

"The issues are about time and money," he said.

The union is also trying to find a way to help teachers find time to deal with the excessive increase in paperwork that comes with the new state evaluation system and the introduction of the national Common Core standards, Clark said.

"There needs to be time in the day to deal with the increased paperwork," he said.

MassHealth is also enrolling customers who do not chose new plans are rolled into plans that do include their primary-care provider.

SPRINGFIELD - BMC HealthNet Plan customers will have in-network access to Baystate Health services and facilities through the end of February, but Baystate's contract with the insurer is still scheduled  to expire Dec. 1.

BMC Healthnet Plan, a unit of Boston Medical Center, cancelled its contract with Baystate Health  after both sides failed to resolve a dispute over how much the health plan would pay Baystate to provide health care. BMC HealthNet had  50,000 customers using Baystate hospitals and medical practices at the time.

BMC HealthNet Plan is one of a class of health insurance programs that brings a managed care system to Medicaid, the federal-state program that provides health care to the needy, aged, blind, disabled and for low-income families with children.

Under a managed Medicaid program like BMC HealthNet Plan, additional federal money goes to pay case managers, called care coordinators,  who help patients enrolled in the plans focus on prevention and wellness.

BMC HealthNet maintains contractual relationships with other area hospitals.

• MassHealth has determined that patients whose primary-care practices would not remain covered for care under BMC HelthNet Plan, and who have not yet selected another plan, will be automatically enrolled into plans that ensure coverage at those practices.

Baystate described this as a a short-term solution to help ensure continuity of care, and patients will retain the ability to make longer-term selections of the insurance that best fits their needs.

• Patients who are pregnant, have long-term or rare illnesses, or who receive home care or behavioral-health services may be able to retain covered access via BMC HealthNet even beyond the grace period. They can contact the Baystate Health help line we've set up--1 (844) 282-6700—or BMCHP for more info.

•  Baystate said insurance customers need to make the best choices of insurance plans based on what works for them. Baystate encouraged people to call  MassHealth at 1(800)-841-2900 or our the Baystate Helpline, 1 (844) 282-6700, for assistance with making those choices.
• Baystate has brought on extra temporary employees to help manage transitions and support  patients.

Some 40 people in all have been indicted by grand juries in Hampshire and Franklin counties.

GREENFIELD - A Franklin Superior Court judge has dismissed the charges against two of dozens of Chinese natives from the New York area who were indicted in what authorities call the biggest insurance fraud scam in Western Massachusetts.

Judge John Ferrara granted a motion by Greenfield lawyer Barry Auskern, who represents Xi Zai Jiang, contending that the Franklin County charges are invalid because the insurance company office where his client made the false statements is in the Hampden County community of Chicopee. Prosecutors say Jiang and the other defendants falsely claimed to live in Northampton or Greenfield to get lower rates on their car insurance.

The alleged mastermind of the scheme, Lefen "Helen" Chen, 55, of Flushing, New York, advertized in a Chinese language newspaper that circulates in New York that she could get drivers lower rates, according to prosecutors. Chen has been indicted on more than 160 counts of insurance fraud, perjury and conspiracy. Some 40 people in all have been indicted by grand juries in Hampshire and Franklin counties. Investigators say the scheme defrauded insurance companies of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

However, Ferrara agreed with Auskern that the indictments violated Jiang's Sixth Amendment right to be tried within the jurisdiction where the alleged crime occurred. Charges were also dropped against a second defendant, Jun Li. The two went to the Edwards Insurance Agency in Chicopee to apply for automobile insurance. The other cases are still pending.

Communities near the intercept point may notice increased aircraft activity during the exercise.

WESTFIELD - Fighter jets out of the 104th Fighter Wing at Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield are scheduled to take part in a training exercise Thursday in which they will intercept an aircraft over New Hampshire, the base announced Wednesday.

The mission, named Fertile Keynote, was announced in advance to assure members of the public who might otherwise be alarmed.

According to the base, two F-15 fighter jets will scramble sometime Thursday afternoon. They will fly northeast to New Hampshire where they will try to intercept a plane somewhere over Lebanon and Concord, New Hampshire.

The plane to be intercepted will be low-speed civilian propeller aircraft piloted by the Civilian Air Patrol.

The drill is intended to train pilots on intercept procedures.

Base officials say the exercises are carefully planned, closely controlled and include
exercising airspace restriction violations, hijackings and responding to
unknown aircraft.

Communities near the intercept point may notice increased aircraft activity during the exercise.

Jurors returned two guilty verdicts Wednesday afternoon in the trial of three Holyoke men accused of assaulting a corrections officer who was working at the Chessmen Lounge in Springfield.

Patrick Johnson | pjohnson@repub.com 

SPRINGFIELD — Jurors returned two guilty verdicts Wednesday afternoon in the trial of three Holyoke men accused of assaulting a corrections officer who was working at his wife's family's Springfield bar at closing time.

The Hampden Superior Court jury rejected a charge of armed assault with intent to murder against Michael Phillip Rojas, but convicted him of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

The jury also convicted Carlos Fonseca of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. He was charged as acting in a joint venture.

The third defendant, David Lopez was acquitted of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. He had also been charged as acting in a joint venture with the other two defendants.

The jury took a little over an hour to deliberate.

Judge Richard J. Carey sentenced Rojas, 22, to two to three years in state prison.

He sentenced Fonseca, 23, to two years in the Hampshire County House of Corrections with one year to be served and the rest suspended, with one year of probation. As a condition of probation he must stay away from victim Nicholas Moses and remain alcohol free.

Moses is a corrections officer at the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow.

Assistant District Attorney Eduardo Velazquez had asked Carey to sentence both men to four- to six years in state prison. He said the extent of injuries to Moses called for an increase over standard sentencing guidelines.

Arthur J. O'Donald III, lawyer for Fonseca, said his client – a barbershop owner – had no record and asked for a sentence of probation. He said Fonseca did not touch Moses, although charged in a joint venture with the other defendants.

Michael G. Malkovich, lawyer for Rojas, asked for a suspended sentence, saying Rojas had a minimal criminal record.

In closing arguments Wednesday, Velazquez told jurors the prosecution proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Rojas is guilty of armed assault with intent to murder for hitting Moses in the head with a tire iron.

He said all three men should all be found guilty of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon because "clearly all of these people were acting together."

Carey on Tuesday threw out armed assault with intent to murder charges against Fonseco and Lopez, but kept that charge alive against Rojas.

Carey made the ruling after three defense lawyers argued – at the end of the prosecution's presentation to the jury – that there was no evidence presented that any of the three had the intent to murder Moses in the early morning hours of Nov. 9, 2013 in the Chessmen Lounge parking lot on Dwight Street.

Moses testified he was beaten in the head with a tire iron after trying to get a group of men to leave the parking lot of the Chessmen Lounge. He testified he was working at the lounge after his jail shift ended around midnight.

As they have contended throughout the trial, defense lawyers in their closing arguments said Moses could have: called police; had the Chessmen Lounge's paid security worker on duty that night address the situation; or pressed the panic button under the bar rather than go confront the men outside.

They say he incited the incident by going outside a second time with a pool cue and two friends who also were corrections officers.

Velazquez said a lot of bad decisions were made that led to the incident.

He said Moses probably should have called the police, probably should have pressed the panic button to the alarm company inside the bar, and probably shouldn't have gone back to the parking lot a second time to try to get the men to leave. But all that doesn't change what happened, Velazquez said. He directed jurors to review specific portions of surveillance video camera footage they were shown at trial – and had in the jury room.

"They're making noise and they're in his parking lot and they're not even patrons of his bar," Velazquez said of the defendants. He told jurors to look at the medical records which show a laceration in the head, and fractured nasal and wrist bones.

Eileen Leahy, lawyer for Lopez, said her client was not near Rojas and Moses, but off to the side with one of the other corrections officers with Moses. She said although the corrections officer testified Lopez hit him first, that is not on the video.

The jury acquitted Lopez of assaulting the other corrections officer.

Balise said he made the personal disclosure in order to bring public attention to a little-known form of cancer.

This story follows: Mike Balise of Balise car dealerships announces stomach cancer diagnosis, says he wants to bring awareness of disease

WEST SPRINGFIELD - Balise Auto Sales has established an online method for people to send well wishes to company owner and vice president Mike Balise.

Balsie, 49, announced Wednesday that he is battling Stage IV stomach cancer. He was diagnosed in September and told that the average patent has eight to 12 months to live.

The "Well Wishes for Mike" site is available at: www.baliseauto.com/well-wishes-for-mike.htm

Balise made the announcement on the Bax & O'Brien Morning Show on Rock 102.

A podcast of Balise' radio interview can be heard here. Scroll down to "On Demand."

Balise said he made the personal disclosure in order to bring public attention to a little-known form of cancer.

AGAWAM -- A motorcyclist involved in a serious crash on Springfield Street last week has died, according to police. Jonathan Towle, 45, of High Street in Agawam, died Tuesday, Agawam Police Chief Eric Gillis said in a press release. The official cause of death has yet to be determined. The accident is still under investigation by the Agawam Police Department,...

AGAWAM -- A motorcyclist involved in a serious crash on Springfield Street last week has died, according to police.

Jonathan Towle, 45, of High Street in Agawam, died Tuesday, Agawam Police Chief Eric Gillis said in a press release. The official cause of death has yet to be determined.

The accident is still under investigation by the Agawam Police Department, Massachusetts State Police and the Hampden County District Attorney.

The crash occurred about 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 12 when a 53-year-old motorist driving westbound attempted to take a left turn onto Sheri Lane and collided with Towle, who was traveling east, according to police.

When emergency personnel arrived they found Towle on the ground, reports said. The female motorist, who was uninjured and also from Agawam, remained at the scene. Towle was taken to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield where he was treated until his death.

"The thoughts and prayers of the Agawam Police Department are with Mr. Towle's family and friends as they endure what must be a very emotionally difficult time," Gillis said.

Travis Perkins, 21, is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in Hampden Superior Court on a murder charge in the shooting of Jermaine Cowell.

SPRINGFIELD — Travis Perkins, 21, is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in Hampden Superior Court on a murder charge.

Travis PerkinsSpringfield police photo

Springfield police announced in August they obtained an arrest warrant for Perkins in connection with the fatal shooting of Jermaine Cowell in July on White Street.

A Hampden Superior Court grand jury recently indicted Perkins for murder and two illegal gun charges. But even after the indictment, Perkins was shown to be wanted on a warrant.

No information was immediately available on where Perkins was found or if he turned himself in to authorities.

Cowell, 27, was shot and killed July 19 near 163 White St. at about 9 p.m. Police found him on the ground with several gunshot wounds to the chest near the Golden Eagle Apartments on White Street.

Normal food service operations resumed Tuesday.

WILBRAHAM - Wilbraham Middle School had a partial ceiling collapse in the cafeteria during Monday's heavy rain.

As a result of the partial ceiling collapse, a decision was made not to serve hot lunch and to prepare bagged lunches for students which included peanut butter and jelly and bagels.

School Superintendent M. Martin O'Shea said the leak that penetrated the ceiling in the Wilbraham Middle School cafeteria was traced back to a roof drain.

He said a collar coupling separated from the piping, allowing water from the roof to enter the building.

The repair was completed in about 90 minutes at no cost to the regional school district because the work was done on the same drain that the contractor had repaired last August, O'Shea said.

He said the damage was limited to a few ceiling tiles that required replacement.

Prior to the start of school, when the leak was first identified, Wilbraham Middle School Principal Noel Pixley and Food Service Director Julie Douglas decided, as a precaution, to close down hot lunch service and prepare bagged lunches for students, O'Shea said.

He said normal food service operations resumed Tuesday.

A woman's plan to escape a Brockton courthouse lockup fell through, literally, when she came crashing into a busy courtroom after trying to crawl to freedom through the ceiling.

A digest of news stories from around New England and beyond.

Do you have news or a news tip to submit to MassLive.com for consideration? Send an email to online@repub.com.

A ceremony will be held to mark the renaming of the parking garage after the former mayor.

HOLYOKE -- The Suffolk Street parking garage will be renamed in honor of former mayor William S. Taupier after a unanimous City Council vote Tuesday (Nov. 18).

"I appreciate it, the family appreciates it and I'm sure he appreciates it," said Alan Taupier, of Holyoke, the former mayor's brother.

Alan Taupier spoke during the public comment period at City Hall before the council approved the measure 15-0.

Taupier, 78, was mayor here from 1968 to 1975. He now lives in Lowell, location of William S. Taupier Associate, a real estate appraisal and professional services business.

Taupier is ill and unavailable to comment, said Anne Taupier, the former mayor's daughter. She said over the phone Wednesday her father was grateful to the City Council and to Mayor Alex B. Morse for the honor.

"We are very proud of him," Anne Taupier said.

Former Holyoke mayor William S. Taupier is shown at his business in Lowell, William S. Taupier Associate, a real estate appraisal and professional services business, Aug. 4. Photos on the wall behind him show places in Holyoke like City Hall, Depot Square, Second Level Canal, Parson's Block, Holyoke Water & Power Co.(PHOTO BY FRANCES SAGENDORF) 

Morse proposed the honor for Taupier Aug. 1. Originally, Morse proposed that the part of Chesnut Street between Hampden and Dwight streets be named after Taupier because that is where the former Holyoke Catholic High School is being renovated into 54 apartment and Taupier was a "development-focused mayor."

But councilors in committee decided the parking garage was a better fit for the Taupier honor.

"I'm happy to see it and pleased they followed my direction in honoring the former mayor," Morse said.

"The Taupier family has served the city for many years honorably," Councilor at Large Howard B. Greaney said.

The plan is for the Department of Public Works to make a new sign for the garage honoring Taupier and for a ceremony to be held, but the event had yet to be scheduled, officials said.

The library leaked in February, April, July and August.

HOLYOKE -- Members of the City Council want a building-code inspection done of the Holyoke Public Library where a half dozen leaks occurred this year despite a $14.5 million renovation.

Councilors said Tuesday (Nov. 18) they are unsatisfied with the response of library officials and a contractor about why the facility at 250 Chestnut St. has leaked and how the leaks have been handled a year after reopening following the renovation.

"The key is, who is in charge? I haven't heard from anybody who's in charge," Councilor at Large Joseph M. McGiverin said.

Councilors need to hold a meeting with library officials and someone from Fontaine Bros. General Contractors, of Springfield, which was in charge of the library renovation, McGiverin said.

Maria G. Pagan is the library director and there is a 13-member board of directors.

Finance Committee Chairman Todd A. McGee said the city should get certification that the building is in compliance with building codes after roof and other kinds of leaks had to be repaired.

"That's not how we should be doing business. Send someone up there with a license (to inspect the library). We spent a lot of money up there," McGee said.

He will file an order calling for an inspection at the next council meeting, he said.

The library reopened Nov. 22, 2013 after nearly two years of construction in a renovation prompted in part by years of roof leaks that had damaged the structure and created mold. The renovation featured a 15,000-square-foot addition built onto what was the rear of the original, 111-year-old, 25,000-square-foot library.

The library's entrance now is from Chestnut Street. Previously it fronted on Maple Street.

The renovation was funded with more than $5.5 million in city borrowing, $4.6 million from the Holyoke Public Library Board endowment, a $4.3 million state grant, other grants and fundraising.

The discussion Tuesday came as the council received a report from its Public Safety Committee about the library leaks.

"As we all know, there have been a number of issues following with renovation of the library," committee Chairwoman Linda L. Vacon said.

Some councilors said that despite the issue having been discussed in committee, more questioning of officials is needed.

McGiverin said the library roof leaking so soon after a costly renovation was disturbingly similar to the old police station.

That building opened behind City Hall in 1979 and leaks began almost immediately, leading to years of mold and unhealthy air. Local 388, International Brotherhood of Police Officers took the city to Hampden County Superior Court where a judge ordered construction of a new police headquarters, a $9.7 million facility that opened at 138 Appleton St. in 1997.

McGiverin said he wasn't criticizing Vacon or the Public Safety Committee.

"What I'm criticizing is the lack of response" from library officials, the contractor and the Department of Public Works, McGiverin said.

"I think there's more to it. I think we're slipping, just like we did with the (old) police station...we certainly should have our questions answered," McGiverin said.

Councilor at Large James M. Leahy said he understands that attaching a new building to an old one, as was the case with the library renovation, is difficult. But that's why the renovation cost so much money, he said.

"We had significant leaks in our brand new library," Leahy said.

The first leak was detected in February in the seam where the old and new buildings meet. It caused a small stain on the carpet in the Periodicals Room, library officials said in a memo to councilors in August.

Two more leaks occurred in April. A "design error" led to roof drains being clogged with leaf and maple tree seeds, causing gutters to overflow onto the roof. Water found its way into the building through a crack where the old and new buildings meet, officials said.

The drains were cleaned, the crack was sealed and the ceiling was repaired and painted, officials said.

Another leak occurred in April because a door to one of the heating and cooling machines on the roof was closed improperly, allowing wind and rain into the space and eventually into the building. Such doors have been fastened shut and are supposed to be inspected periodically, officials said in April.

In July, a leak occurred from an air conditioner on the roof into the circulation area of the library. That was because of an "incorrect pitch to the drain pan" on the roof and it was fixed July 21, the library officials' memo said.

In August, what library officials in the memo called a small leak occurred in the History Room "occasioned by horizontal rain due to almost hurricane force winds getting under the louvers of the attic vent and running down the wood trusses from the vented ridge."

Carlos Matos was freed shortly after the sentencing and will return to a local homeless shelter.

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. District Judge Michael A. Ponsor let a sex offender convicted decades ago off with time served for failing to register while he was living in Massachusetts in 2011.

Carlos Matos, 64, was convicted of indecent assault of a young girl in 1980, according to court records. He stayed out of harm's way in the ensuing decades but for two arrests for public urination while he was homeless, according to his lawyer.

Matos was arrested in 2011 in Massachusetts for failing to register and has been in federal custody for 39 months. Matos' advisory sentencing guidelines were 36 months. He was indicted under the Adam Walsh Act, designed to expose those who fail to register as sex offenders to federal prison time.

Several of those cases have been prosecuted in U.S. District Court in Springfield recently. Late last month, U.S. District Judge Mark G. Mastroianni sentenced perennial sex offender David Venetucci to an additional six years behind bars for the same offense. The cases are typically pursued by the U.S. Marshal's Service and other state and local law enforcement officials who comprise a regional task force.

"Mr. Matos has already served a sentence that is longer than what I would have imposed," Ponsor told lawyers in the case. "And given the extraordinary amount of time that has elapsed since the time of the underlying offense, i also have in mind the fact that (the crime) was many decades ago."

Through a Spanish interpreter, Matos told Ponsor that he has made an effort to stay out of trouble, and that these last three-plus years behind bars have served to "get his head straight."

Matos was freed shortly after the sentencing and will return to a local homeless shelter.

A meeting of residents who will be impacted by the project will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 24 at the Belcher School.

CHICOPEE - The city is preparing for the next round of sewer separation projects and this time it will be in the west Aldenville area.

The about $6 million project is expected to involve 21 streets. Workers will install 11,500 feet of new sewer pipes, 4,500 feet of new storm water pipe and 3,500 feet of new water main, said Thomas Hamel, special projects manager.

The three-year project will impact about 215 homes and will stretch about 2.1 miles, he said.

To prepare for the project, the city is holding an informational meeting at 6:30 p.m., Nov. 24 at the Belcher School on 125 Montgomery St. Hamel said he wants to talk to people who have had sewer backups into their homes, which is a frequent problem in the city, own sump pumps, have a flat roof, experience street flooding or have other problems.

"I know we don't get a lot of calls, but I have had people come and talk to me and we have learned this is an area of concern for sewer backups. A lot of people have shutoff valves," he said.

He said he is hoping a lot of people will attend the meeting because residents know best what the problems are in the neighborhood and what needs to be fixed, Hamel said.

The 21 streets involved are Arcade, Berger, Concord, Grace, Grattan, Hillside, Marcelle, Mary, Olea, Providence, Ravine, View and Wilfred streets; Briere, Daviau and Lavoie drives; Crawford, McKinstry and Zoar avenues and Rivest and Valley View courts.

Residents who cannot attend the meeting and have concerns or issues such as owning a sump pump should contact Hamel at the Waste Water Treatment Department at 594-3585.

Already the city has four sewer separation projects ongoing in Willimansett, Chicopee Falls, in the area of Hearthstone Terrace and off Sheridan Street. This one should begin in the spring, just as the Chicopee Falls project is being finished, Hamel said.

Chicopee is under a federal EPA mandate to stop dumping raw sewage into the Connecticut and Chicopee rivers. The city is working to separate all storm pipes from water mains, since the problems happen when heavy rains overwhelm the pipes, which then flow directly into the rivers as well as into peoples' homes.

The city has spent more than $100 million already to separate pipes and is expected to spend another $100 million before the project is completed. The projects are funded through sewer and storm water fees. The city has received a number of low-interest loans to help pay for the work.

Under an agreement with the EPA, Chicopee must complete the installation of the sewer and storm water pipes in west Aldenville by Dec. 31, 2015. Hamel said he does expect to be able to meet the deadline because the requirement only calls for the completion of the pipes, not the paving of the road or reseeding of lawns.

In total each project takes about 3 years from the time the digging starts to the end of the restoration process, where sidewalks are repaired or replaces and landscaping is repaired.

Planning for the west Aldenville project is mostly complete and the Department of Public Works plans to go out to bid for a contractor in early December. Construction should begin in early spring, he said.

Massachusetts Gaming Commission's Ombudsman John Ziemba said that in light of renewed interest in applying for a casino license in Region C, he is suggesting they move the deadline for applying from Dec. 1 to Jan. 30.

The casino licensing process in Southeastern Massachusetts has been stalled for months, thanks to uncertainty created by the failed casino repeal effort and the potential to have to compete with a Native American gaming facility there.

But on Thursday, Massachusetts Gaming Commission's Ombudsman John Ziemba said that in light of renewed interest in applying for a casino license in Region C, he is suggesting they move the deadline for applying from Dec. 1 to Jan. 30.

The region is the most complicated among the three designated by the gaming commission. The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe in 2012 negotiated a pact with Gov. Deval Patrick to allow it to proceed with plans to develop a $500 million resort casino (photos above) in an industrial park in Taunton. But in 2013, the gaming commission unanimously voted to open that region up to commercial competition.

So while the tribe may be the casino developer the commission chooses, it seems that their state pact may allow them to proceed even if a commercial company is granted the region's sole license- a possibility which sours the allure of a potential minimum $500 million investment there.

At the time of the 2013 commission vote, then MGM Springfield President Bill Hornbuckle voiced concerns about how increased competition would affect its proposal in Western Mass.

"The potential for a fourth license .. was not a possibility that any applicant considered when they balanced the significant capital expenditure expected from them and the scope of the market based on the statute," he wrote at the time in a letter to the commission.

Still, Ziemba said that based on conversations he's had, he thinks it is possible the commission will receive at least one application, along with the non-refundable $400,000 application fee, by the original Dec. 1 deadline.

But under new deadlines proposed Thursday, casino operators eying the region's license have until Jan. 30 to submit applications and the associated fee, with the commission reaching a decision later in the year, should the required municipal referendum approving a host community agreement prove to not be an issue.

MGM Resorts International was awarded the sole Western Massachusetts casino license for its $800 million Springfield casino, while Wynn Resorts won the Eastern Mass. license for its $1.6 billion Everett project. Penn National Gaming's $225 million Massachusetts slots parlor is already under construction at the Plainridge Race Track in Plainville.

Just four months into its eight-year contract, the French operator of the Bay State's commuter rail line has been hit with $804,000 in performance-related penaltie

By Gintautas Dumcius
State House News Service

BOSTON -- Just four months into its eight-year contract, the French operator of the Bay State's commuter rail line has been hit with $804,000 in performance-related penalties.

Keolis, the company that won the $2.7 billion contract, was fined $434,000 for on-time performance issues and $370,000 for other issues, such as station and train cleanliness, according to a presentation to the state transportation board Wednesday by Keolis officials.

Keolis General Manager Thomas Mulligan blamed old equipment for the on-time performance issues and said new equipment is on the way.

"It's a new contract, so I mean that's the first experience we've all had with it," Mulligan told reporters when asked about the penalties. "Any on-time performance penalty that's going to cost you money isn't good, so in the grand scheme of things, you just have to analyze the situation and just prepare whatever type of a process you need to address those concerns."

Some of the locomotives currently in service were first built in the 1970s, Mulligan said. "It's like trying to keep an old car together," he said during his presentation to the seven-member board.

Fifty new double decker coaches are in service, and 25 coaches are in the testing and inspection phase, according to the MBTA.

By early next year, all 75 new coaches, which were built by Hyundai Rotem, will be in service. State transportation officials have previously criticized Hyundai Rotem, accusing the company of falling behind schedule in delivering trains, which also required fixing once they reached Massachusetts.

Year-to-date, on-time performance on the commuter rail is at 89 percent, according to the presentation. July's on-time performance rate stood at 87 percent, August 90 percent, and September 92 percent, which dropped to 85 percent in October.

"There's a lot of room for improvement but at the same time . . . we are four months into this," MBTA general manager Beverly Scott told reporters.

Janice Loux, a member of the state transportation board, said Keolis is in a "honeymoon period" but warned of a potential "rough stretch" with the start of winter, a season that often causes severe public transit delays.

"It's a big contract to pick up," she said. "I would imagine you're just getting your head around what you really want to do."

Addressing the transportation board, Eric Asselin, Keolis executive vice president, said that the service's new management is encountering resistance from some corners in the organization, adding, "very clearly there is a need for a stronger reorganization."

Mulligan said the mechanical department has a lax attitude about some safety measures, such as wearing hard hats. He told the board that Keolis is developing a "new safety management training culture" and "contract compliance training."

"We're the new operator and it's a change, and people are reluctant to change," he told reporters after his presentation, adding that the issues aren't "insurmountable."

Mulligan added that Keolis is working with the commuter rail's labor organizations to implement a "confidential close call reporting system" for employees to report safety issues.

Loux expressed skepticism about the anonymous tip line leading to better attitudes about safety.

"You need to create a culture of safety that is talked about, felt and it has to become part of your organizational mantra," she said. "I don't think you have it yet."

"We don't have it yet but it's certainly our intention," Mulligan said.

Attorney General-elect Maura Healey will "embrace" any immigration reforms President Obama orders, and hopes Republicans in Congress do not block any action, she said Thursday.

By Colleen Quinn, STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

BOSTON — Attorney General-elect Maura Healey will "embrace" any immigration reforms President Obama orders, and hopes Republicans in Congress do not block any action, she said Thursday.

"I am really heartened to see some action out of D.C. I think a frustration for many of us has been the lack of action out of D.C. on needed immigration reform," Healey told reporters Thursday before speaking at the annual Thanksgiving Day luncheon held by Massachusetts Immigration and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA).

Midway through his second term and frustrated by an inability to reach a deal on immigration reforms with Congress, Obama plans to act unilaterally on reforms that are expected to assist millions of illegal immigrants, a plan the White House says will strengthen national security and the economy and enable immigrants to "come out of the shadows."

Republicans on Thursday vowed to fight any action by the president.

"The action he's proposed would ignore the law, would reject the voice of the voters, and would impose new unfairness on law-abiding immigrants - all without solving the problem," Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement Thursday. "In fact, his action is more likely to make it even worse."

Healey said she is "heartened" to see Obama take action.

"We've got folks who have been living in the shadows. We've got young people who came to this country through no act of their own, who have played by the rules, gone to school, and done everything right but then seem to hit a wall," Healey said. "And we've got parents of these children who have been breadwinners and caretakers.

"We've got to be smart, we've got to be sensible, and I am just heartened to see there is movement in this direction" she added.

As attorney general, Healey said it will be her job to implement any reforms in Massachusetts.

MIRA Executive Director Eva Millona said approximately 150,000 undocumented immigrants could be affected in the state.

"I really want to take a look at what it is the president is proposing. I want to continue to meet and discuss with some rights advocates, with community leaders, with municipal leaders, and with others in law enforcement how it is we can both protect civil liberties and also ensure public safety," Healey said.

Asked if she was surprised by Obama's plans, Healey said, "I am not surprised to see some action in the face of inaction and utter refusal of Republicans in Congress to deal on this issue."

"I think that in an ideal world we would have seen debate; we've seen a lot of debate, but we haven't seen action. And the crisis continues to grow for families and for communities, frankly. It is a real strain on law enforcement in the face of inaction," she added.

Asked whether Obama's plan could be seen as an invitation for people to flout immigration laws, Millona said the administration has been "very serious about enforcing immigration law."

Healey said she will look at the proposals, and then figure out what needs to happen at the state level.