Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has surged to a clear lead in the Republican race for the presidential nomination, but his party's attacks on President Obama's economic stewardship have yet to shake the president's lead over the GOP, a new poll finds.

Associated Press photoBoston Bruins fans cheer the team's arrival in Boston, Thursday. The Bruins won the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Wednesday night beating the Vancouver Canucks 4-0 in Game 7 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Click on the link, above left, for a report from the Boston Globe on plans for a victory celebration Saturday. Also, see a related video from NECN below.

• Hub plans big victory parade for Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins (video) [Boston.com]


• Holyoke Fire Chief William Moran reportedly sent engine company to false alarm (video) [cbs3springfield.com]


• Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney solidly leads Republicans in race for White House, new poll says (video) [online.WSJ..com]


• With Anthony Weiner's resignation in sex scandal, Democrats lose vocal advocate for progressive issues [CSMonitor.com]


• Berkshire Medical Center to close its day-care center for children [BerkshireEagle.com]


• Looters, gawkers make tornado victims' lives even harder, Brimfield Police Chief Charles Kuss says [Telegram&Gazette.com]


• Political favoritism alleged in nominations for clerk-magistrates of Northampton, Greenfield courts [GreenfieldRecorder.com]


• Sen. Bernie Sanders says Nuclear Regulatory Commission voted secretly to urge Justice Department to side with Vermont Yankee nuclear power station owners [BurlingtonFreePress.com]


• Twitter posts tagged #westernma in Western Mass. [MassLive.com]


• Read more News Links »


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Lucy Soto-Abbe discussed her appointment to the state parole board. She has come under some criticism for being too tough on criminals.

MA Parole Board from WGBY on Vimeo.

Lucy Soto-Abbe discussed her appointment to the state parole board Wednesday on WGBY's Connecting Point.

Soto-Abbe has come under some criticism from the Governor's Council for her 17 years of Crime Victims & Witness Advocacy for the Hampden District Attorney’s office, with one member questioning whether her past experience might make her too tough on criminals up for parole.

Soto-Abbe recognizes this concern, but says, "Even though I'm empathetic and I feel for victim rights, I do believe in second chances and I do believe in parole, and I think parole is a good idea for people when they want to transition back into society."

She goes on to explain that having someone with a background in victim advocacy is a good thing for the board, claiming it gives them confidence that there is someone on the board who can relate to the impact crimes have on victims.

She admits that she can be tough, but that it is only because she is applying the legal standard equally to all cases.

Connecting Point airs weeknights at 7:30 on WGBY.

Neal spoke at a press conference in Court Square in downtown Springfield Thursday. Watch video

U.S. Rep. Richard Neal made the case for prioritizing disaster relief spending at a press conference in downtown Springfield Thursday, appearing alongside Gov. Deval Patrick and Mayor Domenic Sarno to outline the federal response to tornado devastation in Massachusetts.

"Nobody said when this tornado hit, "Too much government,'" Neal said. "The response from the government at the federal level with FEMA, (Federal Coordinating Officer) Nick Russo and his team, across the board, and MEMA, and the requests that I took over the next 72 hours were always along the line of, 'What more is the government going to be able to do?' And the government responded."

With FEMA under strain from what Neal called a "violent spring" across the nation, federal disaster relief funding has not escaped spending debates, as Congressional Democrats and Republicans struggle over the nation's debt.

House majority leader Eric Cantor said earlier this year that an emergency spending bill for disaster relief should not pass through Congress unless offsets are found elsewhere in the budget by way of spending cuts.

At a recent Republican presidential candidates debate, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney said that the nation "cannot afford" to continue spending at the federal level.

Pressed by CNN's John King to answer whether that included federal disaster relief, Romney said, "It is simply immoral, in my view, for us to continue to rack up larger and larger debts and pass them on to our kids, knowing full well that we'll all be dead and gone before it's paid off. It makes no sense at all."

At the Thursday press conference, Neal commended FEMA's response to numerous disasters across the country this spring.

"FEMA has been stretched in terms of response," he said. "And yet, they were right here, and in two week's time, we had a declaration from the White House."

More details on Massachusetts' federal disaster designation coming from The Republican. Follow updates on relief resources here »

Weiner apologized again for "the embarrassment that I have caused" and said he hoped to continue to fight for the causes dear to his constituents.

Associated PressAnthony Weiner speaks to the media during a news conference in New York, Thursday, June 16, 2011. Weiner resigned from Congress, saying he cannot continue in office amid the intense controversy surrounding sexually explicit messages he sent online to several women.

NEW YORK — Seared by scandal, New York Rep. Anthony Weiner announced his resignation from Congress on Thursday, done in by lewd photos he took of himself, sent to women online and then adamantly lied about after being caught.

"I'm here today to again apologize for the personal mistakes I have made and the embarrassment I have caused," he said reading from a brief statement in Brooklyn.

"I make this apology to my neighbors and my constituents, but I make it particularly to my wife, Huma."

Weiner's wife was absent as he announced his decision, as she was 10 days ago when he admitted having sent inappropriate messages and photos to several women online.

Weiner said he had hoped to remain in Congress but conceded his predicament had made that impossible. Instead, he said he would resign "so my colleagues can get back to work, my neighbors can choose a new representative and, most importantly, that my wife and I can continue to heal from the damage I have caused."

In part, that echoed what party leaders have said for days as they pressured him to resign so Democrats could resume positioning themselves for the 2012 election campaign without constant criticism from Republicans on moral grounds.

Weiner made his announcement at the same senior citizen center in Brooklyn where he announced his candidacy for the New York city council in 1992. He did not take questions, leaving unsaid whether his resignation from Congress marked an end to his career, or perhaps an ignominious pause for a brash liberal with ambitions to become mayor of New York.

The crowd on Thursday included hecklers and radio shock jocks, vying for attention at what became a New York media event.

Weiner, 46, has been on leave from the House since last weekend. He had not been seen in public since telling reporters on Saturday morning he intended to return to work.

One official said Weiner telephoned House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Steve Israel of New York, the head of the party campaign committee, on Wednesday evening to tell them of his plans to quit.

They had pressured him to resign, concluding the relentless media focus on his activities was complicating the Democrats' efforts to position themselves politically for the 2012 elections.

Weiner's decision to give up his House seat marks the end of a nearly three-week sex scandal without the sex — an event that resulted from the brash New Yorker's use of social media such as Twitter and Facebook.

He at first denied having sent any inappropriate photos, then recanted in a remarkable news conference 10 days ago at which he admitted having exchanged inappropriate messages with several women.

His confession triggered a tabloid-style frenzy in print and online that only grew more pronounced a few days later when an X-rated photo surfaced on a website.

After initially calling for a House ethics committee investigation, Pelosi dramatically ramped up the pressure on Saturday when she joined with Israel and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, leader of the Democratic National Committee, in calling on Weiner to step down.

Within hours, Weiner disclosed his plans to enter treatment, and Pelosi's aides made it known that did not negate her demand for a resignation.

President Barack Obama added to the pressure on Monday, saying it he were in Weiner's situation, he would step down.

Several officials have said in recent days that Weiner was reluctant to make any decision about his career without speaking with his wife, a top aide to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton who had been overseas since shortly after the scandal broke. The trip ended Tuesday night.

Abedin is pregnant with the couple's first child.

Weiner's outspoken, in-your-face style cheered liberal supporters and angered conservatives. He even irritated some party leaders in 2009 when he led the charge for a government-run health care system long after the White House had made it clear that Obama was opposed.

Weiner's district includes parts of Queens and Brooklyn. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has the authority to call a special election to fill the seat once the congressman submits his resignation.

Weiner's political problems began on May 28 when BigGovernment.com, a website run by conservative commentator Andrew Breitbart, posted a lewd photograph of an underwear-clad crotch and said it had been sent from Weiner's Twitter account to a Seattle woman.

Initially, Weiner lied, saying his account had been hacked. But he pointedly did not report the incident to law enforcement — a step that could have led the way to charges of wrongdoing far more serious than mere sexting.

Additionally, his public denials were less than solid — particularly when he told an interviewer that he could not "say with certitude" that he wasn't the man in the underwear photo.

Still, the congressman said he had retained an attorney and hired a private security company to figure out how someone could pull off such a prank.

Weiner entered politics as an aide to then-Rep. Chuck Schumer, who represented parts of Brooklyn.

Now a senator, Schumer was one of only a few senior party leaders who refrained from calling publicly on his protégé to quit as the furor enveloped him in recent days.

Weiner served on the New York City Council from 1992 until his election to the House in 1998, taking over the seat vacated by Schumer when he made his successful Senate bid.

The state lost a total of 4,000 jobs in May, 2,600 of them in government, according to figures released Thursday by the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.

This is an updated version of a story posted at 11:42 this morning.

SPRINGFIELD – Statewide unemployment fell to 7.6 percent in May, but largely because the work force itself shrank.

The national unemployment rate was 9.1 percent in both April and May.

The state lost a total of 4,000 jobs in May, 2,600 of them in government, according to figures released Thursday by the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.

Robert A. Nakosteen

The work force, the total number of people working and looking for work, fell by 8,000, said Robert A. Nakosteen, a professor of economics and finance at the Isenberg School of Finance at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

“It’s not a good sign,” Nakosteen, an editor of MassBenchmarks, a study of the state’s economy, said. “This may be a function of discouragement. People haven’t been able to find work so they give up.”

Contrary to what many believe, people who have exhausted their unemployment benefits still count as unemployed and as part of the labor force as long as they keep looking. Data on who is looking is gathered through a phone survey.

But Nakosteen said some people stop looking once their unemployment insurance runs out.

The figures do not reflect the impact of the June 1 tornadoes. City-by-city unemployment figures will not be available until June 21.

Springfield’s unemployment rate fell in April to 11.6 percent, down 1.2 percentage points from 12.8 percent in March.

Joanne F. Goldstein, state secretary of labor and workforce development, said the leisure and hospitality industry lost 3,300 jobs statewide, the first monthly loss since January. She theorizes that employers in this industry staffed up in March and April for the spring and summer rush.

“This is the correction,” she said in a phone interview.

Professional, scientific and business services gained 2,300 jobs, construction gained 1,000 jobs and manufacturing gained 900 jobs, according to the release.

Nakosteen said manufacturing has been strong nationally because exchange rates are making American-goods less expensive overseas and foreign goods more expensive in the United States.

Government lost 2,600 jobs in May.

“All of our economic indicators are showing job growth,” Goldstein said.

Nationally, new applications for unemployment insurance fell last week 16,000 to a seasonally adjusted 414,000, the second drop in three weeks, according to The Associated Press.

Applications have been above 400,000 for 10 straight weeks, evidence that the job market is weak compared to earlier this year.

In Springfield, there were 442 jobs posted at FutureWorks, a one-stop career center. That’s a 40 percent improvement from May 2010, but a decrease from April 2011, said Kevin E. Lynn, the manager of business services at FutureWorks.

The average wage at hire for full- and part-time workers was $13.19, down from $13.75 in April.

Nakosteen said it is clear that the National economic recovery stalled under the weight of prices for gas and food. Massachusetts, especially the eastern third of the state, had been bucking the trend and growing faster, however.

Nakosteen said might be hard t get a handle on the tornado’s impact on local job markets. On one hand, businesses had to close. But on the other hand construction and tree-removal companies have added staff.

The juror said the seven women and five men who made up the jury were “a really good team.”

Associated Press photoFormer Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi squeezes between two parked news trucks as he attempts to leave the media behind after leaving the Federal Courthouse in Boston, Wednesday, after his conviction on conspiracy and other charges.

By KYLE CHENEY

BOSTON - A juror in the trial of former House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi, which resulted in convictions of DiMasi and lobbyist Richard McDonough on conspiracy and fraud charges, said Thursday that jurors acquitted DiMasi’s longtime financial adviser, Richard Vitale because the evidence of Vitale’s guilt presented by prosecutors wasn’t as convincing.

The juror, who asked to remain anonymous, said the seven women and five men who made up the jury were “a really good team” and worked cooperatively to reach a unanimous verdict on each of the counts presented to them.

The jury on Wednesday convicted DiMasi of conspiracy, two counts of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud and a count of extortion. McDonough was also convicted of conspiracy, two counts of mail fraud and three counts of wire fraud.

The men were charged, along with Vitale, of conspiring to rig state contracts for Cognos Corp., a Canadian software company, in exchange for kickbacks. DiMasi, prosecutors said, used his legislative power to ensure that Cognos won two contracts – a $4.5 million deal in 2006 and a $13 million deal in 2007. In exchange, they said, he received $65,000 in kickbacks funneled through a law associate, McDonough received $300,000 for his role and Vitale received $600,000.

Defense lawyers never denied that the payments occurred but argued that they were made through legal means and for legitimate purposes. For example, DiMasi, they said, received the funds from his law associate Steven Topazio as part of a longstanding fee-sharing arrangement the two men had.

A fourth codefendant, Joseph Lally, pleaded guilty in March and testified against the three codefendants. His testimony, a pivotal part of the prosecution’s case, was ripped by defense lawyers as unreliable and, essentially, bought by the prosecution, who promised Lally a lighter sentence and financial incentives for his cooperation and “substantial assistance.” For much of the trial, defense lawyers focused on Lally’s credibility as a witness, calling him a liar, a cheat and a “degenerate gambler.”

The juror declined to say whether the jury viewed Lally’s testimony as reliable. “I really don’t have any comment on that,” the juror said.

During the trial, Vitale’s role in the alleged scheme was largely addressed through testimony offered by Lally, who placed Vitale in conversations with the coconspirators at pivotal moments during the time period of the crimes. Prosecutors said Vitale established a consulting firm, WN Advisors, that essentially served as a front to paper over kickbacks from Cognos. The firm received $500,000 in 2007 after the second Cognos deal went through, funds that prosecutors alleged was set aside for DiMasi, who was contemplating leaving the Legislature.

Asked whether the jury felt there had been less convincing evidence presented to convict Vitale, the juror said “correct” and declined to elaborate.

Prosecutors also contended that Vitale extended a $250,000 line of credit to DiMasi, partially backed by Cognos funds, as part of the conspiracy.

Martin Weinberg, Vitale’s lawyer, argued that the line of credit, backed by a third mortgage on DiMasi’s home, was a relatively commonplace arrangement and that Vitale performed consulting work for Lally and Cognos to earn the proceeds from the $13 million deal.

Weinberg was not immediately available for comment Thursday said Wednesday that his client’s acquittal was “the pivotal moment of his legal life.”

“It’s bittersweet because two of his friends didn’t get the same verdicts, so it’s hard to feel exhilarated,” he said.

Vitale is still facing pending state charges in which Attorney General Martha Coakley has alleged he broke state lobbying and campaign finance laws by pushing for legislation on behalf of ticket brokers without registering as a lobbyist. Coakley’s indictment, leveled in December 2008, was against Vitale and WN Advisors. The crimes alleged are misdemeanors, according to Weinberg.

The 12-member jury hailed from a range of eastern Massachusetts cities and towns, including two members from Brockton, and one from Brookline, Boston, Lynnfield, Peabody, Westwood, Marshfield, Bellingham, Braintree and Bridgewater. Most of the jurors did not answer their phones and declined to immediately respond to messages seeking comment. One juror’s voicemail box was full and another’s listed number was not in service.

The juror who spoke said that the 12 members increasingly became aware of the significance of the trial as it went along.

“As time went on, you could tell that this was something big,” the juror said, adding that when Gov. Deval L. Patrick testified, “That was a really interesting day, exciting. I was surprised.”

Mayoral candidate Daniel Boyle has requested a district attorney investigation because he questions Mayor Elaine Pluta's impartiality.

Holyoke acting Fire Chief William P. Moran

HOLYOKE – The Fire Commission will meet in emergency session Friday to discuss the latest problem involving provisional Fire Chief William P. Moran.

As first reported by The Republican and MassLive.com, Moran was put on administrative leave Wednesday. Officials refused to say why, but according to a report by cbs3 Springfield and sources who spoke to The Republican and MassLive.com, Moran was in trouble because he sent an engine company to a false or prank call and a traffic accident occurred in which a woman was hurt.

Acting Police Chief Frederick J. Seklecki said police responded to a multicar accident Wednesday about noon at Homestead Avenue and Pynchon road. A fire truck was traveling south on Homestead Avenue and as cars pulled over on the opposite side in deference to the fire truck, one vehicle failed to stop and several vehicles collided, he said.

The driver of the vehicle that failed to stop, Marilyn Garcia, 42, of 249 Huron Ave., was hurt and taken by ambulance to Holyoke Medical Center, he said. Garcia was treated at the hospital and released, a spokesman said.

Moran, a 27-year veteran who became provisional chief in September, declined to comment when reached Wednesday and had yet to return a call seeking comment Thursday.

A press release from the office of Mayor Elaine A. Pluta said Wednesday Moran was put on paid administrative leave pending “an internal investigation by the Fire Commission due to an incident at the Holyoke Fire Department.”

The commission meeting is at 1 p.m. at Fire Department headquarters on High Street.

The mayor appoints the three-member Fire Commission. The commission has complete authority under the city charter to appoint the fire chief and hire, fire and discipline Fire Department employees.

Mayoral candidate Daniel C. Boyle has requested an investigation of the issue by Hampde District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni. Boyle said his understanding was Deputy Chief Timothy J. Moran, William Moran's brother, also was involved in the incident. Timothy Moran left a voice-mail message saying he had no comment.

Moran worked on Pluta’s mayoral campaign in 2009, and because of that and because Pluta appointed the Fire Ccommission, Pluta and the commission cannot be counted on to conduct an impartial probe of Moran, Boyle said.

“An impartial investigation by your office is the only way this matter can be resolved to the satisfaction of the parties involved, especially the Holyoke Fire Department and the citizens of Holyoke,” Boyle wrote, in a letter to Mastroianni.

Mastroianni and Pluta couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

Moran has built a career marked both by a commitment to maintaining his family’s firefighting tradition and disciplinary problems.

In 2009, Moran was demoted from deputy chief to captain for what officials at the time said was conduct unbecoming a firefighter. Moran denied that, and he was reinstated to deputy chief last year after an agreement between his lawyer and the city.

But shortly after being reinstated in July 2010, Moran was in hot water again. Then-provisional Fire Chief William F. Kane issued a letter suspending Moran over a scheduling and vacation dispute. Officials said later it was a misunderstanding.

The annual salary of a deputy chief is $68,775. The additional pay that comes with being provisional chief was unclear, but the budgeted amount for the chief’s salary is $95,873.

Moran became provisional fire chief because he was the most senior deputy chief, after the sudden retirement of Kane.

Kane had held the job since the Jan. 4, 2010 retirement of former Chief David A. LaFond, who had been chief for 15 years.

Deputy Chief Chief Robert Shaw is the acting chief until the Moran issue is resolved, City Solicitor Lisa A. Ball said.

Firefighters union president Timothy J. Leary said workers’ concerns were for the health and safety of the public and its own members.

“The union is conducting it’s own investigation (into the Moran) issue and will be cooperating fully with the city in what we hope will be a thorough investigation followed by appropriate action to address the matters that have been raised. In the intervening time we would like the citizens of Holyoke to know that the men and women of the Holyoke Fire Department will continue to protect them at the highest possible standards regardless of any distractions in the department administration,” Leary said.

President Wilson said he can't promise Holub's final evaluation will be complete before Wilson's term ends June 30.

Photo by Dave Roback UMass Chancellor Robert C. Holub, back listens to UMass President Jack M. Wilson, right during an editorial board meeting with The Republican in 2009.

AMHERST - University of Massachusetts President Jack M. Wilson has referred Chancellor Robert C. Holub’s request for an investigation into a leak of his evaluation to the system’s legal counsel for review.

Holub sent a letter to Wilson’s office demanding that Wilson ask the Attorney General’s office to investigate the leak of Holub's confidential evaluation to the Boston Globe last month. Holub alleges the leak violated university regulations that require confidentiality when dealing with job performance evaluations.

Quoting unnamed sources, that story reported that the evaluation committee recommended against reappointing Holub, who has been the chancellor since August of 2008.

But Wilson also said “someone making allegations can take those to the attorney general’s office.” He said if Holub wanted to, he could file that complaint himself directly.

The final evaluation report, however, has not been submitted to Wilson.

While Wilson would not talk about Holub's evaluation, he said the process calls for the evaluation committee to report its findings to the president -- after meeting with and talking to a range of groups. The president then prepares a short response and shares that with the chancellor under review.

Holub last month met with Wilson along with incoming president Robert L. Caret; Philip W. Johnston, chairman of the evaluation committee and trustee; and Board of Trustee chairman James J. Karam.

Evaluations always have positive and negative comments, Wilson said. The president gives the chancellor the opportunity to discuss “how they intend to address those negatives.”

Once that’s finished, the report is finalized and the president then decides what to do about a new contract.

Holub’s current contract expires July 31. However, his $375,000 pact requires a six-month notification if it is not to be renewed.

“I refuse to make any comments (on the evaluation,)” Wilson said. “In my opinion that is the way it is done. On the other hand a lot of people have been involved (in the process.) Others may make different choices.”

Wilson, who leaves June 30, said that he can’t promise the review will be finalized before he leaves but said evaluations “are a university-wide process. It’s a process with a lot of stakeholders.”

Caret, meanwhile, has already started working, allowing for more than a month-long transition, Wilson said.

Local, state and federal officials praised President Barack Obama for the speed of the federal disaster declaration. Watch video

Photo by Mark M. Murray / The RepublicanGov. Deval Patrick checks out the mortarboard made out of paper being worn by Christopher Lisojo 11, a 5th grader at the Brookings School, as Lisojo had just come from the 5th grade graduation ceremony at his school that was hit by the June 1tornado. Lisojo's family was also displaced by the tornado when their home was damaged.The governor was in Court Square for a press conference about the recent federal disaster aid announcement.

SPRINGFIELD – The declaration of a federal disaster in Hampden and Worcester counties will result in the opening of nine disaster recovery centers in the worst hit communities, beginning this weekend, to provide aid and information to victims of the June 1 tornadoes.

Local, state and federal officials including Gov. Deval L. Patrick and U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, gathered at Court Square on Thursday, to announce further details of the disaster aid and to praise the speed of the federal disaster declaration by President Barack Obama. The president signed the declaration just four days after the governor's request and supporting documentation.

“It will take time to rebuild, but we will rebuild, make no mistake about that,” Patrick said.

The first disaster centers are expected to open Saturday in Springfield and West Springfield, and additional centers will open on Sunday, said Kurt Schwartz, director of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

The specific locations will be publicized once they are ready to open, officials said.

The response from the governor and his staff was “outstanding,” and was followed quickly by the declaration of a federal disaster, Neal said.

There is no set cap on the amount of disaster aid and low interest loans that will forthcoming to the hardest hit communities, and to the damaged and destroyed homes, businesses and infrastructure.

“The government responded,” Neal said. “Nobody said when the tornado hit there was too much government.”

Patrick, Neal and Schwartz stressed that people can start getting information and can register for federal aid now.

The phone number to register is (800) 621-FEMA, or (800) 621-3362. The TTY line number for the hearing impaired is (800) 462-7585.

Victims can also register online with FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

In addition, there are two state assistance centers still open in Hampden County at the state Department of Transitional Assistance, 95 Liberty St., Springfield, and the Department of Development Service Central, at 171 State Ave., Palmer.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno praised Patrick and Neal for their efforts, which he said began immediately upon news of the tornado.

“We are firmly in the stabilization phase,” Sarno said, adding that the rebuilding phase is just “around the corner” with the federal disaster aid.

Several state legislators and city department heads also attended the press conference.

More details coming in The Republican.

House Speaker John Boehner threatened to withhold money for the mission, pitting a Congress eager to exercise its power of the purse against a dug-in White House.

Associated PressRebel fighters fire their machine guns towards pro-Moammar Gadhafi forces at the front line of Dafniya, west of Misrata, Libya, Wednesday , June 15, 2011. In recent days rebel forces have advanced along the Mediterranean coast toward Zlitan, but say they have been instructed by NATO to withdraw _ ahead of expected bombing runs _ to old front lines in Dafniya, 16 miles (25 kilometers) west of Misrata.

WASHINGTON — Republicans and Democrats on Thursday derided President Barack Obama's claim that U.S. air attacks against Libya do not constitute hostilities and demanded that the commander in chief seek congressional approval for the 3-month-old military operation.

In an escalating constitutional fight, House Speaker John Boehner threatened to withhold money for the mission, pitting a Congress eager to exercise its power of the purse against a dug-in White House. The Ohio Republican signaled that the House could take action as early as next week.

"The accumulated consequence of all this delay, confusion and obfuscation has been a wholesale revolt in Congress against the administration's policy," said Sen. John McCain, the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee who has backed Obama's actions against Libya.

The administration, in a report it reluctantly gave to Congress on Wednesday, said that because the United States is in a supporting role in the NATO-led mission, American forces are not facing the hostilities that would require the president to seek such congressional consent under the War Powers Resolution.

The 1973 law prohibits the military from being involved in actions for more than 60 days without congressional authorization, plus a 30-day extension. The 60-day deadline passed last month with the White House saying it is in compliance with the law. The 90-day mark is Sunday.

In the meantime, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has maintained his grip on power, and the White House says if the mission continues until September, it will cost $1.1 billion.

Instead of calming lawmakers, the White House report and its claims about no hostilities further inflamed the fierce balance-of-power fight.

"We have got drone attacks under way, we're spending $10 million a day. We're part of an effort to drop bombs on Gadhafi's compound. It doesn't pass the straight-face test, in my view, that we're not in the midst of hostilities," Boehner told reporters at a news conference.

Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., a combat veteran and member of the Armed Services Committee, scoffed at the notion.

"Spending a billion dollars and dropping bombs on people sounds like hostilities to me," Webb said in an interview.

Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., called the claims "really totally bizarre." Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla., said telling Congress and Americans "that this is not a war insults our intelligence. I won't stand for it and neither will my constituents."

The White House pushed back, singling out Boehner and saying he has not always demanded that presidents abide by the War Powers Resolution.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said Boehner's views "stand in contrast to the views he expressed in 1999 when he called the War Powers Act 'constitutionally suspect' and warned Congress to 'resist the temptation to take any action that would do further damage to the institution of the presidency."

Boehner's spokesman, Brendan Buck, dismissed Carney's reference to a "decade-old statement."

"As speaker, it is Boehner's responsibility to see that the law is followed, whether or not he agrees with it," Buck said.

The White House response has complicated efforts for several Democrats and Republicans urging their colleagues to hold off on any action that could encourage Gadhafi. In a Senate speech, McCain said it would be a mistake for the United States to cut and run from its allies and the mission.

Speaking directly to Republicans, McCain asked, "Is this the time to ride to the rescue of the man who President Reagan called the mad dog of the Middle East?"

McCain said later that he and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry, D-Mass., would push ahead with a resolution authorizing the U.S. mission in Libya with conditions. The committee twice postponed meetings to finalize the resolution.

"The convoluted definition of hostilities backs us into a corner," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

In a letter to Obama this week. Boehner said the commander in chief will clearly be in violation of the War Powers Resolution on Sunday and he pressed the administration to state the legal grounds for Obama's actions. The House speaker said Thursday the White House report failed to answer his questions and that he expects a response by his Friday deadline.

Previous presidents, Republicans and Democrats, have largely ignored the Vietnam-era law, which was created as a check on their power to authorize military force.

Countering the criticism, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California said Obama did not need congressional authorization, but she acknowledged the congressional frustration.

"It's like a marriage. You may think you're communicating, but if the other party doesn't think you're communicating, you're not communicating enough," Pelosi told reporters.

The White House sent Congress the 32-page report in response to a nonbinding House resolution passed this month that chastised Obama for failing to provide a "compelling rationale" for U.S. involvement in Libya.

The administration report estimated the cost of U.S. military operations at about $715 million as of June 3, with the total increasing to $1.1 billion by early September.

While the U.S. led the initial airstrikes on Libya, NATO forces have since taken over the mission. The U.S still plays a significant support role that includes aerial refueling of warplanes and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance work. Obama has ruled out sending U.S. ground forces to Libya.

"U.S. operations do not involve sustained fighting or active exchanges of fire with hostile forces, nor do they involve the presence of U.S. ground troops, U.S. casualties or a serious threat thereof, or any significant chance of escalation into a conflict characterized by those factors," the report said.

The president has said the U.S. joined the international effort in Libya to prevent the slaughter of civilians at the hands of Gadhafi's forces, a development Obama said could have shaken the stability of the entire region.

Although Obama emphasized that U.S. involvement would be limited in time and scope, the mission already has dragged on longer than many expected. The bombing campaign has halted some of Gadhafi's advances on rebel forces and there are increasing calls from world leaders for him to leave power, but the administration is still struggling to define an exit strategy for U.S. forces.

The report released Wednesday said that if the U.S. were to end its participation in the NATO operation, it would "seriously degrade the coalition's ability to execute and sustain its operations to protect Libyan civilians."

Romney made the comment while criticizing President Barack Obama's economic plan to a small group of business owners and unemployed workers at a Tampa coffee shop.

Associated PressRepublican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney gestures as he watches a baseball game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox, Wednesday, June 15, 2011, in St. Petersburg, Fla.

TAMPA, Fla. — Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney told a group of out-of-work Floridians Thursday that "I'm also unemployed," quickly drawing criticism from Democrats who said it showed the former Massachusetts governor and multimillionaire was out of touch.

Romney made the comment while criticizing President Barack Obama's economic plan to a small group of business owners and unemployed workers at a Tampa coffee shop. The former equity firm CEO told the group that he did have his eye on one particular job, however.

Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, issued a statement saying Romney's comments were "inappropriate and insensitive to the millions of Americans looking for work."

"This comment shows that Mitt Romney — a man who wants for nothing and whose only occupation for more than four years has been to run for president — is incredibly out of touch with what's going on in our country and around the dinner tables of those who are out of work," she said. "Being unemployed, Mr. Romney, is not a joke."

Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom called the Democratic criticism an "absurd distortion" of statement that what was clearly made in jest.

"The person who doesn't take the employment crisis seriously is President Obama, who has discontinued his daily economic briefing," Fehrnstrom said. "If elected, Mitt Romney will reinstate the daily economic briefing and make job creation his number one priority."

Florida's April unemployment rate was 10.8 percent, higher than the national rate of 9 percent.

The judges visited the Amherst pizzeria to compare it to Joe's Cafe in Northampton. Watch video

Another day and another pizzeria.

The judging of the 2011 Valley Food Championship Pizza Playoffs moved to Antonio's in Amherst on Thursday after the three judges had visited Joe's Cafe in Northampton on Wednesday. Antonio's and Joe's are battling for best in the North Region as judges check out the "Elite Eight" selected by online readers.

Judges Ray Kelly, Don Treeger and Pam McCray sampled a slice of cheese pizza and the house choice, BBQ chicken with bacon and ranch dressing.

The house choice was gobbled up by the judges.

"The choices of pizza slices at Antonio's can sometimes be overwhelming," Treeger said. "I was actually glad that I didn't have to choose which kind would be served to us. The house special slice was a bacon chicken ranch pizza. With ribbons of ranch dressing, it was a beautiful slice with a great crust. This pizza was bursting with flavor. The combination of ingredients worked very well with each other."

McCray said, "Bacon isn't a topping I would normally eat on pizza, but it worked on the chicken bacon ranch pizza. It was so flavorful and looked really appealing with the stripes of ranch."

Kelly admitted to being a bit wary of ranch dressing on a pizza, but was quickly won over.

"The mix of chicken, bacon and ranch dressing was unbelievable," Kelly said. "Our server told us it was the most popular offering and I can see why."

However, Kelly was unimpressed with the cheese pizza, calling both the sauce and cheese "bland and unremarkable."

"I liked the crust, but the sauce and cheese were a turn-off," Kelly said.

Treeger was also not a fan of the cheese pizza.

"The plain cheese slice wasn't as successful. The cheese was lacking in flavor and that obstacle couldn't be overcome," Treeger said. "The crust however was another winner. It passed the 'New York fold test' with flying colors. Antonio's has found the perfect crust recipe for this judge."

The three judges will go over their notes and reveal their North Region pick - Antonio's or Joe's - on Friday.

Over the next four weeks, the three judges will narrow down the candidates to the semifinalists.

As always, visit www.masslive.com/pizza to keep up with where the judges have been and where they are headed next.

UPDATE: Read the judges' review of Joe's Cafe in Northampton.

Worries that Greece’s debt troubles could spread continued to weigh on financial markets.

Associated Press photoCustomers walk to a Kroger grocery store, in Cincinnati, last week. Kroger Co. reported Thursday that sales and net income rose in its first quarter as shoppers paid more for groceries and gas.

NEW YORK – Better-than-expected reports on home building and jobs pushed two of the three major stock indexes higher Thursday. The broader market ended mixed.

The pace of new home construction quickened last month and the number of people who applied for unemployment benefits fell last week to 414,000, more of an improvement than economists expected. Weekly applications for unemployment have been over 400,000 since April, a rate that suggests job growth is still slow.

Worries that Greece’s debt troubles could spread continued to weigh on financial markets. The dollar and U.S. government bonds rose as traders moved money into safer investments.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 64.25 points, or 0.5 percent, to close at 11,961.52. The Dow is now slightly higher for the week.

The S&P 500 rose 2.22, or 0.2 percent, to 1,267.64. The Nasdaq composite lost 7.76, or 0.3 percent, to 2,623.70. The two are less than 1 percent lower this week.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.92 percent, the lowest since November, from 2.97 percent late Wednesday. Bond yields fall when prices rise.

Home Depot Inc. rose 1.8 percent following the better than expected report on home construction and an upgrade by analysts.

Kroger Co. rose 4.5 percent after the supermarket chain’s earnings rose as shoppers paid more for groceries and gas. Winnebago Industries Inc. tumbled 20 percent after the motor home company said profits sank nearly 80 percent in its last quarter.

Not all the economic news was positive. A survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia found that manufacturing slowed in that region, one day after a similar report found that manufacturing was slowing in the New York area. A series of weaker economic indicators over the past two months have led some analysts to trim their expectations for the year.

Investors are now starting to expect negative economic news, said Uri Landesdman, president of Platinum Partners, an investment manager in New York. That dulls the impact of each downward sign, he said.

“There’s still a feeling out there that even though economic data has been incrementally terrible, businesses are still cooking,” Landesman said. He also cautioned that the market could continue to slide until the next batch of corporate earnings reports, which start to come out in mid-July.

Overseas markets dipped for a second day because of fears that Greece will be forced to default on its bonds, an event that could trigger another financial crisis. The Euro Stoxx 50, an index of blue chip companies in countries that use the euro, fell 0.5 percent. Benchmark indexes in Japan and China each closed with losses of more than 1.5 percent.

U.S. stocks have fallen for six straight weeks because of rising concerns that the economy isn’t as strong as previously thought. If the S&P 500 closes down this week, it would mark the longest losing streak since the index dropped for eight straight weeks in early 2001 as the dot-com bubble was imploding.

High gas prices and a recession in Japan following its earthquake and nuclear disaster have combined to slow business and consumer spending. The S&P index is down nearly 7 percent since hitting its high for the year on April 29.

Falling stocks outpaced rising ones by a small margin on the New York Stock Exchange. Consolidated trading volume was 4.1 billion shares.

After 12 years of managing the downtown Springfield theaters, she will relocate to South Carolina.

Cynthia J. Anzalotti is stepping down as president of the Springfield Performing Arts Development Corp., which manages Symphony Hall and CityStage in downtown Springfield. (The Republican file photo)

SPRINGFIELD – Cynthia J. Anzalotti, who has overseen CityStage and Symphony Hall for 12 years, will leave that post by summer’s end.

As president of Springfield Performing Arts Development Corp., Anzalotti, 50, has managed the two downtown theaters since 1999. She took over the reins after the tumultuous transition from StageWest to CityStage.

Anzalotti said Thursday she and her husband, Paul, have decided to relocate to Charleston, S.C. – a decision they have mulled over for the past few years.

Their East Longmeadow home was recently sold and the couple is purchasing a home in a Charleston suburb. Anzalotti has a daughter in North Carolina and a son in Delaware. She is interviewing for a position with a Charleston non-profit corporation this week.

“It was a very, very hard decision to leave here. My heart is in my job and my career is part of my identity,” she said.

Anzalotti has offered to remain until mid-August while a transition is agreed up on by the performing arts corporation board of trustees, said Gary G. Breton, chairman of the board.

A four-member ad hoc committee is evaluating Anzalotti’s departure and deciding on a selection process for a replacement, he said.

“We love Cindy. She has been one of the best things to happen to downtown,” Breton said. “She is loved by our patrons and our business sponsors.”

Anzalotti earned an annual compensation package of $129,010, according to recent federal tax filings. Her salary and the operation of the arts corporation is not funded by the city of Springfield, but through ticket sales and fund-raising.

Anzalotti has been an outspoken advocate of downtown Springfield as a tourist destination.

Her theaters have struggled with competition from Connecticut casinos, as well as the size limitations of Symphony Hall.

Symphony Hall had to pass on successful touring productions of “Mamma Mia!,” “Young Frankenstein” and “In the Heights” this year because it cannot accommodate the large staging of those shows, Anzalotti said.

As a result, Symphony Hall and CityStage have had to attract popular productions that can fit in the halls, she added.

“We are a huge economic catalyst for downtown Springfield,” Anzalotti said. “There are good restaurants, beautiful theaters, a wonderful symphony and the museums.”

The Springfield Symphony Orchestra is Symphony Hall’s largest tenant.

Orchestra Executive Director Michael Jonnes said he and Anzalotti “have worked together, as fellow cultural organization execs, through good times and bad.”

“She always brought a dedicated and intense desire to help downtown Springfield stay vibrant and alive by insuring that CityStage-Symphony Hall existed as a ongoing success and on ensuring that Symphony Hall be one of the jewels in Springfield’s life.”

Those in need can start seeking federal aid immediately.

View full sizeFile photo by John Suchocki / The RepublicanThis is an aerial view of homes damaged by the June 1 tornado taken the day after the twister hit.

Federal resources are available for anyone in Hampden and Worcester counties whose home was damaged in the June 1 tornado. Receiving aid can be as simple as picking up the phone.

But there are steps to take and information you should have ready before reaching out to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for help.

FEMA offers several types of aid through its Individuals and Households Program: temporary housing, repair, replacement, permanent/semi-permanent housing construction and “other needs” such as moving, storage, funeral and medical costs, according to its handbook for applicants.

Before applying, you must file a claim with your insurance company if the property is covered. FEMA does not compensate for losses covered by insurance. If your claim is delayed by 30 days or more, FEMA may give you an advance that needs to be repaid.

Also, if your claim isn’t enough to cover all your needs or you’ve maxed out your policy’s Additional Living Expenses, FEMA may chip in. You will need to write them a letter and include documents from the insurance company. The address is Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 500 C Street SW, Washington, D.C., 20472.

If you can’t find temporary housing, call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-FEMA or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585 for the hearing/speech-impaired.

When you’re ready to apply, be ready to provide: your Social Security number, current and pre-disaster address, telephone number, insurance information, total household annual income, routing and account number from your bank if you want to have funds transferred into your account and a description of your losses.

You can call FEMA at the numbers above to register. You can also register online at www.fema.gov/assistance. FEMA will give you an application number. You need to save it.

Within the next 10 days, an inspector will schedule a free appointment to evaluate your losses in person. You or someone who lived in the house and is 18 or older must be present at the appointment. The applicant has to provide identification and proof of homeownership and occupancy.

The inspector then files a report, but does not determine if you are eligible. FEMA will let you know within about 10 days of the visit. If you are, they will send you a check with a description of how to use the money. If not, they will tell you why and let you know your rights to appeal the decision.

To receive IHP aid, you or someone who lives with you must be a U.S. citizen, a non-citizen national or a qualified alien, your home is in the declared disaster area and you live there most of the year, you can’t live in your home or it needs repair.

You may not be eligible if you have “adequate rent-free housing” available to you, the damaged home is covered by insurance but you have refused their payment, your only losses are business-related (such as to a farm), your expenses came from leaving your home but you were able to return after the disaster, or the home is a secondary or vacation residence.

Home repair money will only cover enough to make it safe and sanitary for you to live there. IHP does not provide enough to restore your home to its pre-disaster condition.

Among the repairs it covers are: structural, windows, doors, chimneys, septic or sewage systems, well or water systems, utilities, HVAC systems and access roads. It will also go for “blocking, leveling, and anchoring of a mobile home and reconnecting or resetting its sewer, water, electrical and fuel lines, and tanks.”

Before rebuilding, check with your local building authority to see what, if any, permits you need to have or procedures you have to follow.

“Other needs” are: moving, storage, medical, dental, funeral and burial costs, clothing, household items such as furniture and appliances, specialized tools you need for your job, necessary educational materials, heating fuel, disaster clean-up items such as vacuum cleaners, vehicles, or anything else FEMA deems a result of the disaster and counts as a necessity.

There are a few important things to know about any money you receive.

It’s tax-free and does not have to be repaid. If you use it the wrong way, you might not be allowed to get more and may have to give it back. You must keep all receipts for three years.

It’s “exempt from garnishment, seizure, encumbrance, levy, execution, pledge, attachment, release, or waiver” and “is not counted as income or a resource in determining eligibility for welfare, income assistance, or income-tested benefit programs funded by the Federal government.” It may not be given to another person.

Federal law prohibits discrimination in giving out aid.

The handbook can be found at http://www.fema.gov/pdf/assistance/process/help_after_disaster_english.pdf.

The declaration of a federal disaster will result in the opening of nine disaster recovery centers in the worst hit communities, beginning this weekend, to provide aid and information to victims.

The first disaster centers are expected to open Saturday in Springfield and West Springfield, and additional centers will open on Sunday, said Kurt Schwartz, director of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

The specific locations will be publicized once they are ready to open, officials said.

In addition, there are two state assistance centers still open in Hampden County at the state Department of Transitional Assistance, 95 Liberty St., Springfield, and the Department of Development Service Central, at 171 State Ave., Palmer.

There is no set cap on the amount of disaster aid and low interest loans that will forthcoming to the hardest hit communities, and to the damaged and destroyed homes, businesses and infrastructure.

Those in need can start seeking federal aid immediately.

Staff writer Peter Goonan contributed to this report.

About 18 months after Annamarie Cochrane Rintala was found murdered, her family believes the case will be solved.

Republican file photoMonsignor George A. Farland speaks at the funeral for Annamarie Cochrane Rintala last year.

SPRINGFIELD – Saying the wife of murder victim Annamarie Cochrane Rintala has not been ruled out as a suspect, the Prudential Insurance Company is asking the court to decide if a life insurance claim should be paid to her.

Annamarie Rintala took out a $512,000 life insurance policy through her employer, American Medical Response of Western Massachusetts. Her wife, Cara L. Rintala, was listed as the main beneficiary and brother Charles W. Cochrane would receive the payment if Rintala was not able.

Lawyers for The Prudential Insurance Company of America filed a civil action complaint on June 1 in U.S. District Court in Springfield, asking if it should pay the claim submitted from Cara Rintala six weeks earlier.

“Prudential was subsequently advised by the Massachusetts Northwestern District Attorney’s Office that the insured’s death is under investigation and that Cara has not been eliminated as a suspect in connection with the death of the insured,” the court document said.

Annamarie Rintala, 37, was found dead on March 29, 2010 in the basement of the home the couple shared at 18 Barton St., Granby. She was beaten in the head and strangled. Her death was ruled a homicide.

First Assistant Northwestern District Attorney Steven E. Gagne said no one has been ruled out as a suspect a year after Rintala’s death.

“We are not going to comment on anything the insurance company may have said, or what it says we said,” Gagne said.

Rintala, who has sold her home on Barton Street and moved to Rhode Island, could not be reached.

A spokeswoman for the Prudential Company said the agency does not comment on pending litigation.

According to court documents, if the company paid Cara Rintala and she is later convicted of murder, it could be required to make a second payment to Charles Cochrane.

Lawyers for Prudential asked the court to make a ruling on how to handle the issue.

“Prudential is ready, willing and hereby offers to deposit the death benefit, together with accrued claim interest, if any, to the Court or with a person duly authorized by the Court to receive it,” the court documents said.

Pasquale Martin, of East Longmeadow, Rintala’s uncle, said his family believes there will be an arrest in the death of his niece, despite the length of time that has passed since her death.

The family has had moments of impatience but they try to do the best they can do to honor his niece’s memory.

“Ann was a great person and did nothing but the best for everyone,” he said.

Martin said they continue to speak with state police and are confident the investigation is active and making progress.

It's been five years since the state Legislature even took a roll call vote on a primary seat belt law.

Beatriz Fuentes, shown on the left, with her daughter, Natalie, who was killed in a car crash in 2006 in Springfield while failing to wear a seat belt.

BOSTON -- A Springfield woman, stricken by the death of her daughter in car crash, pleaded with state lawmakers to upgrade enforcement of the state’s seat belt law.

Beatriz Fuentes, of Springfield, whose daughter Natalie was not wearing a belt when she was killed in an accident five years ago, joined with medical doctors, legislators and other advocates in a new push for approval of a “primary” seat belt law in Massachusetts.

The proposed law, called “Natalie’s bill,” would allow police to pull over a motorist solely for failing to wear a seat belt.

A mandatory seat belt law exists in Massachusetts, but it includes weaker "secondary" enforcement for adults. Current law allows police to ticket people for failing to wear a belt only if they are pulled over for another reason.

Thirty-one states currently have primary belt laws including Connecticut, Maine and New York.

“I’m counting on each of you to push this bill forward and make Massachusetts a safe state with a primary seat belt law,” Fuentes told members of the Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, which held a public hearing on the bill for a primary belt law.

Her voice cracking with emotion, Fuentes told legislators about how her daughter was a passenger in a car that flipped at Carew and Savoy streets in Springfield in July 2006 when the driver attempted to avoid a car that suddenly stopped in front of them. Alcohol and speeding were not involved in the accident, she said.

“A seat belt would have kept her in the car,” Fuentes said. “A seat belt would have saved her life.”

The legislative committee took the bill under advisement. No one opposed to a primary belt law spoke at the hearing.

In the past, critics have said a primary belt law would give police another tool for pulling over minorities such as Hispanics and blacks. Opponents have also said that a primary law goes too far in infringing on personal choice.

Fuentes, a Latina, said racial profiling is a legitimate concern, but is a different issue from a primary enforcement of a seat belt law.

Rep. Nicholas Boldyga of Southwick

Rep. Nicholas A. Boldyga, R-Southwick, who was a police officer in Simsbury, Connecticut from 2004 to 2007, said he doubted that a primary law would prompt many people to strap on a belt since the bill would impose a $50 fine for infractions, up from the current $25.

“I don’t know if that is really going to work if people don’t want to wear their seat belts,” said Boldyga, a member of the committee who emphasized that he personally wears a belt and he believes they save lives.

Boldyga said many Connecticut motorists would fail to wear a belt even with a primary enforcement law. Boldyga said police in Connecticut would have special patrols to enforce the law and would ticket people all day long for neglecting to strap on a belt.

The fate of the bill is unclear. It's been five years since the state Legislature even took a roll call vote on a primary belt law.

In May 2006, the Senate voted 24-15 to approve a primary belt law, but the House voted 80-76 to defeat the bill.

Sen. James T. Welch, a West Springfield Democrat, testified in support of the bill, saying there is no better way to boost the use of seat belts in Massachusetts. The state has one of the lowest rates of seat belt use in the nation, according to federal statistics.

“The time has come for primary enforcement and a new law here in Massachusetts,” Welch said. “It’s one thing we can do to make sure we are trying to save as many lives as we can.”

Other supporters of “Natalie’s bill” including Dr. Gregory W. Parkinson of Falmouth Hospital and Earl F. Weener, member of the National Transportation Safety Board, said that a primary belt law could save lives and money.

Weener said a primary belt law would annually save 18 lives and prevent 650 serious, non-fatal injuries from vehicle accidents in Massachusetts. Such a law would also save $170 million in related medical and other costs, he said.

The state could also receive $13.6 million in federal incentive money this year if it passed a primary belt law by June 30, said Mary Maguire, a director at AAA Southern New England.

“Natalie’s bill is a winner,” Maguire told legislators.

The mayor has refused to release the names of the three finalists for police chief, but said she will hire a new chief by late June.

Staff file photosRunning for the office of mayor in Holyoke in 2011 are, left to right, incumbent Elaine A. Pluta, Alex B. Morse, Daniel C. Boyle and Daniel C. Burns.

HOLYOKE – The three candidates running against her criticized Mayor Elaine A. Pluta’s refusal to release the names of the three finalists for police chief.

Alex B. Morse, Daniel C. Boyle and Daniel C. Burns also said it was a disservice to the public that the meetings of Pluta’s police chief search committee are held behind closed doors.

“I’ve always said the process needs to be as transparent as possible,” Morse, a job developer and career counselor at CareerPoint here, said June 10.

“And those names should be public. I would be the mayor who would have the process as open as possible,” Morse said.

Pluta and City Solicitor Lisa A. Ball said the city charter gives the mayor exclusive authority to appoint the police chief.

And under state law, Ball said, because the mayor is not a governmental body, the Open Meeting Law doesn’t apply to the mayor, the mayor’s appointment of the police chief or the search committee.

Boyle, a business consultant, said in an interview June 10 it was wrong for the mayor to deprive residents of the identities of the police chief candidates’ because certain legal interpretations say she can.

“This mayor just continues to conduct city business behind closed doors. This mayor has proven that she’s not interested in Holyoke knowing what’s going on,” Boyle said.

Pluta said last week that the police chief selection process was “in a state of flux” and that the three remaining candidates have yet to be designated the finalists.

The plan is put candidates through an evaluation known as an assessment center Saturday and after that, determine the finalists and make their names public, she said.

Pluta appointed the search committee in November.

Burns, a former city councilor, questioned why the process of finding a new chief is still dragging on since it was known for more than a year that former Police Chief Anthony R. Scott would be retiring April 30.

“The mayor is wrong. The citizens deserve better,” Burns wrote in an email Tuesday.

Scott had been chief since 2001. His yearly salary was $133,164.

Capt. Frederick J. Seklecki has been acting chief since Scott retired.

A preliminary election to narrow the field to two candidates is set for Sept. 20 and the general election is Nov. 8.

The farmers' market will be open Thursdays, from 3 to 7 p.m., through mid-October at the First Church of Monson on High Street.

The Republican | Lori Stabile06.16.2011 | MONSON - Crystal M. Rondeau, of Monson, buys tomato plants from Brimfield's Little Rest Farm at the First Church of Monson's Farmers' Market on Thursday. She will plant them for some friends who lost their house to the June 1 tornado.

MONSON - Crystal M. Rondeau was at the Farmers' Market at the First Church of Monson on Thursday to buy vegetables and fruit to plant in a garden for some friends whose Washington Street home was destroyed in the tornado two weeks ago.

The friends, Tony and Faith Esposito, have relocated to a home on Stafford Road with a garden, so Rondeau bought some tomato and pepper plants at the market -- "things that might help them with grocery bills this summer," she said.

"I'm going to surprise them and plant a garden," Rondeau explained.

She said she is "thrilled" the market is back, and wanted to visit to support it.

The tornado, which ravaged parts of Monson on June 1, caused the First Church to postpone its new farmers' market for two weeks, as members and volunteers were busy coordinating volunteer and relief efforts in damaged neighborhoods.

The market was back Thursday, and will remain open on Thursdays through mid-October, from 3 to 7 p.m.

In addition to fresh produce, there are baked goods, garden sculptures, candles and goat's milk soap.

Ted Sisley, who is coordinating volunteer efforts at the church and is one of the farmer's market managers, said they are happy to have it back. A delivery of food was made to the seniors who live at the Colonial Village senior housing on State Street. One of the buildings there was condemned after the tornado due to damage.

Without the Adams IGA supermarket, the farmers' market is helping to supply a need for fresh groceries, Sisley said. The market lost part of its roof and had its windows blown out during the storm. It is not expected to reopen until late August.

The farmer's market had approximately $2,500 in donations, some of which was used to fund the food for the seniors, Sisley said.

"They had an awful time at Colonial Village. They were blocked off for days," he said.

Sisley was sporting a "Monson Unites" T-shirt, a takeoff on the term "Monsonite." The shirts are being sold for $20 at the church and all proceeds are going toward disaster relief efforts.

The farmers market was initiated by the church's outreach group, Angels Food Ministry, and has a website, www.monsonfarmersmarket.org. The market accepts WIC, SNAP food stamps and elders' coupons.

Drivers had become used to the nearly constant green light on Hampden Street leading up to Lincoln Street.

File photo | The RepublicanHolyoke City Hall.

HOLYOKE – A recent traffic change that requires a complete stop on Hampden Street off the Mueller Bridge will be discussed at a City Council committee meeting Monday.

Councilors invited the public to discuss the change that has pleased some people and frustrated others.

The meeting of the Public Safety Committee is at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, Councilor Peter R. Tallman said Wednesday.

Drivers had become used to the nearly constant green arrow on the light that permitted the right turn leading up to Lincoln Street and the Stop & Shop. But officials said the change was made to accommodate residents of that part of Hampden Street.

The goal of the change was to give Hampden Street residents a break in the steady traffic, especially in the morning and late afternoon, so they can drive in and out of their driveways, officials said.