Since the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted to declare Holyoke a "chronically underperforming" Level 5 district, many members of the Holyoke Public Schools community have questioned what changes will come to the district. Watch video

HOLYOKE -- Since the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted to declare Holyoke a "chronically underperforming" Level 5 district, many members of the Holyoke Public Schools community have questioned what changes will come to the district.

Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Mitchell Chester was in Holyoke Friday to meet with city high school students and educators. He addressed some concerns at a press conference Friday afternoon.

Chester spoke of a report some have shared on social media, that the bank accounts of Holyoke Public Schools clubs that fund field trips, school dances and other school activities have been frozen. He said such this is not true.

He also said school athletics and advanced placement courses would still be open to students under receivership.

The commissioner repeated past sentiments regarding the employment of city teachers, said there would be "no mass firings" in days to come.

"There are rumors out there. Beware those rumors," Chester said.

Following the press conference, he met with city educators in a closed-door meeting at Holyoke High School. A group of educators and local activists stood outside the school Friday afternoon and protested the meeting. 

The mayor has denied it now so has the highest education official in Massachusetts. Watch video

HOLYOKE -- The mayor has denied it now so has the highest education official in Massachusetts.

When asked if he sought for Holyoke Public Schools to be placed in receivership, Mayor Alex B. Morse said such allegations are "unfounded," adding, "anyone who does any investigation will find that that's not the truth."

Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Mitchell Chester confirmed Morse's statement in a press conference Friday afternoon.

"I want to be very clear because this is one rumor that I've heard, that somehow this receivership is triggered by the mayor: absolutely not correct," Chester said. "This receivership was my recommendation and my recommendation alone."

He also said concerns that Governor Charlie Baker requested city schools be placed into receivership are not true.

While speaking with reporters, Chester addressed other concerns the Holyoke School community has shared regarding future employment of educators and what extracurriculars will be available to students.

A bullet struck a window at 302 Chestnut St., police said.

HOLYOKE -- Eight bullet shells were found on the ground and a window was shot out at Chestnut and Hampshire streets but no injuries were reported despite multiple shots-fired calls, police said Friday (May 1).

"No one was hurt. There were no reports of injuries that we heard," Lt. James Albert said.

A shot went through a window at 302 Chestnut St., he said.

Witnesses reported seeing a Hispanic male who was about 5 feet, 6 inches tall wearing blue-jean shorts going up Hampshire Street. A black SUV also possibly was involved, he said.

Police began getting calls about gunshots at 1:50 p.m., he said. The incident occurred near the Lawrence School at 156 Cabot St., he said.

"We're working the scene, canvassing witnesses," Albert said.

Albert also told Western Mass News, media partner of The Republican and MassLive.com, that bullets hit a parked car and a minivan, and the incident appears to be gang and drug related.

A police spokesman said all officers have been reminded citizens can legally videotape them.

BOSTON -- A Boston police sergeant apologized Friday to a 61-year-old man he confronted for videotaping officers as they detained a teenager -- an incident that prompted a police investigation into apparent intimidation by the sergeant.

Sgt. Henry Staines met with Lawrence Dugan on Friday and apologized. Police Commissioner William Evans apologized for Staines' actions on Thursday.

Dugan was taking video of the officers in the Roxbury neighborhood on Monday when Staines approached.

The video shows Staines telling Dugan he didn't have permission to film the officers. Staines later presses a fake gun against the camera, saying: "See that, see that, that's why we're here."

A police spokesman says all officers have been reminded citizens can legally videotape them. Staines remains on duty while an internal affairs investigation is underway.

John W. Cowles, 35, has four open cases being sent to superior court that include two counts of breaking and entering in nighttime for a felony, two counts of receiving stolen property over $250, two counts of larceny over $250, larceny of a motor vehicle and several drug charges.

WESTFIELD -- A Westfield man will be tried in Hampden Superior Court after being arraigned 143 times for reported instances of violent crime, selling heroin and breaking and entering, according to court records.

John W. Cowles, 35, has four open cases being sent to the Superior Court that include two counts of breaking and entering in nighttime for a felony, two counts of receiving stolen property over $250, two counts of larceny over $250, larceny of a motor vehicle and several drug charges.

Records show that in the last few months Cowles allegedly bought and sold heroin in bulk, stole a car and one night in December broke into and stole items from several vehicles in Westfield. He also reportedly broke into the family home of his sister and stole a dining room set and scrap metal valued at more than $1,000, police said.

Records show that Cowles has been arraigned 135 times in Westfield District Court, 43 for breaking and entering and larceny-related charges, and 24 for violent crimes, including multiple charges for threatening to commit murder and assault and battery with dangerous weapons.

"There would be many more charges against John Cowles if people were not so afraid of him,...(he) threatens to kill people whenever they cross him," police records read, and later stated, "I feel that if he is released from jail he will continue to commit crimes to support this habit and will retaliate against those he thinks are responsible for his arrest."

On the morning of Dec. 11, multiple residents along the same area of North Westfield Street reported their unlocked vehicles had been broken into some time during the night, including a resident of the street that told police her 2000 Toyota Camry had been taken from her driveway. The car was later found the same day at a lot on Union street close to Cowles' home, police said.

Sunglasses, a camo helmet, a wrist watch, a white ski helmet and spy goggles that went missing from the cars that night were all later found at Cowles home during a warranted search, reports said.

On Dec. 10, Cowles allegedly broke into a fenced work area on Colfax street and stole "well over" $250 worth of car parts and tools, including a rim, tire and an aluminum head ofr a Honda Civic, police said. Cowles also reportedly broke the window of a truck parked in a lot on the same street for "no apparent reason," according to police.

Police eventually recovered the rim and tire, which hidden under a tarp in Cowles' backyard, reports said. After Cowles was escorted to police headquarters, 10 bags of heroin were found scattered on his kitchen floor, as well as empty heroin bags and hypodermic needles in the bedroom trash, on the bedroom floor, and on the bed and shelves, police said.

In a prior drug case on Nov. 18, police executed a search warrant for Cowles' home as part of an ongoing narcotics investigation. Upon arrival, a Patrick Ryan was immediately arrested for buying heroin off Cowles, and 160 bags of heroin were found on an end table next to a scale and packaging material, reports said.

Cowles told police he was buying heroin in bulk and selling it for a profit to support his own habit, according to court documents.

On Dec. 31, Cowles allegedly broke into a home owned by his sister, inherited from their father, on Russeville Road. The sister, who lives out of state, told police she fears Cowles.

Cowles is serving time at the Hampden County House of Correction in Ludlow. His trial date in superior court has yet to be set.

Springfield logged two homicides in January, two in February, and five in March – but none in April.

SPRINGFIELD — The city logged nine homicides in the opening three months of 2015, marking one of the worst first quarters in recent memory.

But the last killing was on March 28 – a so-called "house party gone bad," as city police Commissioner John Barbieri put it – and there hasn't been a homicide since then. In that incident, a 23-year-old man was stabbed to death at a Cambridge Street house party, but police have never publicly identified the victim.

The accelerated pace of killings, the likes of which Springfield had not seen in years, led to expanded policing measures and renewed efforts to get law enforcement and the communities they police on the same page.

The C3 policing initiative was expanded into other city crime hotspots, including the Forest Park, South End and Mason Square neighborhoods. C3 is an intensive form of community policing that involves officers building bridges with the neighborhood residents they police, a personalized approach that has been credited with reducing crime rates in the North End, the birthplace of the program.

On Friday, as April officially went down in the books as a homicide-free month, MassLive / The Republican reached out to Mayor Domenic Sarno for comment on whether he believes the expanded policing initiatives are helping to curb the violence. But the mayor, through his communications director Jim Leydon, declined to comment.

Springfield almost went homicide-free for the first three months of 2014, logging its first case on March 22. This year, however, there were two killings in January, two in February and five in March.

Money didn't motivate the man who's credited with inventing the personal computer; he said he just loved working with computers and he wanted to make something useful to people. Wozniak applauded the entrepreneurs in attendance, adding that not every idea needs to be world-changing in order to be important.

SPRINGFIELD - Steve Wozniak captivated the crowd Friday night at the MassMutual Center, telling stories from the early days of Apple, promoting technological advances like self-driving cars and describing the philosophy that has driven him to such success.

The Apple co-founder participated in a question-and-answer session moderated by NECN's Latoyia Edwards. The talk was put on by the Springfield Public Forum with help of sponsors including MassMutual, Wilbraham & Monson Academy and Paragus Strategic IT. MassLive was the media sponsor.

"Everything you do should have a little bit of fun," said Wozniak. "What is success in life? ... I don't want to frown."

Money didn't motivate the man who's credited with inventing the personal computer; he said he just loved working with computers and he wanted to make something useful to people. Wozniak applauded the entrepreneurs in attendance, adding that not every idea needs to be world-changing in order to be important.

"When we started, we had a really lousy idea of what a computer was for," he said, referring to himself and Steve Jobs, who founded Apple in the Jobs family garage in 1976. They thought about people using home computers to store recipes and balance their checkbooks, but that would be just "a $2,000 word processor if we ever came up with a printer."

Time, tenacity and talent grew the company from its meager roots into the world's leading technology giant. When Jobs died in 2011, some analysts wondered if the company would suffer. Wozniak said that shouldn't have been a concern because the people who run it now are top-notch, and the sheer financial power "buys a lot of opportunities for failure."

Wozniak spoke openly about Jobs' death, saying it "hit me emotionally." Jobs would call Wozniak in the later days of his life and the two would look back at the times they shared.

Wozniak came to Springfield through chance and generosity. He had events in Buffalo and Boston, with a few days off in between, so he came to the city for a discount. Sponsors leapt at the opportunity to put on the event.

Demand for the free tickets was so high that they vanished in just hours, so the talk was moved to a larger space and more people were allowed in.

And Wozniak didn't disappoint. The crowd laughed at his jokes. They applauded when he mentioned his donations to children's museums. They went along for the ride when he pontificated about marijuana legalization (he's for it) and more familiar topics like driverless cars (he can't wait).

"I love technology, to try it out myself," said Wozniak. "I've got at least 5 iPhones. ... I have some Android phones."

He imagined a world in which these kinds of devices would be able to teach our children for us.

"A lot of our schools slow students down," he said. "We put computers in schools and the kids don't come out thinking any better."

Rather than just putting more gadgets and gizmos in the classroom, he said, each classroom needs to have fewer students, and kids who are further ahead than their peers should be nurtured, not forced to fall in line.

Dismissing the concern over giving artificial intelligence too much intelligence, he said that's already happened.

"The machines won 200 years ago. We made them too important," said Wozniak. "That makes us the family pet."

Before his talk at the MassMutual Center, Wozniak visited Tech Foundry, the computer education program downtown. He met dozens of high school students and some of the winners of Thursday's Valley Venture Mentors Accelerator Awards.

"Creativity is the most important thing we have," Wozniak told the students. He added that knowledge does not always come from other people and books; you can teach yourself everything you need to know to make your dreams a reality.

At the end of the evening, Edwards asked Wozniak how he would like people to remember him after his own death.

"I really want them to remember me as being a caring person, gave a lot, cared about others, and shared," he said. But he acknowledged that most people will remember his role at Apple.

Pride development plans for property across from Exit 3 are pending before the City Council and Planning Board.

WESTFIELD - Compressed natural gas was described as safe and efficient during an informational session at City Hall Friday sponsored by Robert Bolduc, Pride Limited Partnership president.

About a dozen city officials and representatives of the Fire Department and Westfield Gas and Electric Department attended the informal hearing to hear Michael P. Manning, director and market and business develo0pment for Alternative Vehicle Service Group and Stephen B. Russell, coordinator of the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources explain the benefits of CNG and service stations that provide the alternative fuel.

Those in attendance included city Planning Jay Vinski, Community Development Director Peter J. Miller, Gas and Electric Department Superintendent Daniel Howard and Fire Chief Mary Regan. No members of the City Council nor Planning Board attended.

Manning has not driven a gasoline fueled vehicle since 1994 and brought his 2012 Honda Civic, which runs exclusively on CNG to the City Hall parking lot for inspection by those attending the informational session.

Currently, Pride plans for developement of about 15 acres across from Exit 3 of the Massachusetts Turnpike are pending before both the Planning Board and City Council.

Both agencies will continue public hearings on the Pride plans for a regular motor vehicle service station along with electric and CNG refueling services; a truck refueling station, restaurant and convenience store facilities at the Southampton Road parcels that surround Friendly's Restaurant there.

Manning said his vehicle gets the equivalent of 40-miles per gallon or a total range of 300 miles on a fill-up. CNG powered vehicles cost about $5,000 more than conventional vehicles, he said.

CNG is lighter than air, Manning said, adding that when released it "immediately dissipates into the air."

The nearest CNG service facility to Westfield is in Worcester he said, noting there are 18 such stations in the state, most in the Boston area. CNG has an octane equivalent of 130 and is stored in vehicles in a cylindeer, similar to the Scott Air Packs worn by firefighters when they enter burning buildings.

Manning also noted that the MBTA has about 400 buses that run on CNG and that currently some 60-percent of refuse vehicles produced have a CNG option.

"Service stations need no deliveries of CNG because it is provided to those stations by underground pipelines," Manning said.

Jazmin R. Patrocino, 23, of Lawrence, was arrested and charged with heroin trafficking and cocaine possession with intent to distribute after a police surveillance operation allegedly spotted him dealing drugs in Burlington.

BURLINGTON — Police arrested an alleged heroin trafficker on felony drug charges after he was caught in a surveillance sting Thursday, according to Burlington Police Chief Michael Kent.

Jazmin R. Patrocino, 23, of Lawrence, was arrested and charged with heroin trafficking and cocaine possession with intent to distribute after officers spotted him dealing drugs on Cambridge Street, Kent said.

Kent said plainclothes officers observed Patrocino making a drug transaction and approached him while he was in his vehicle, where they found 32 bags of heroin and 9 small bags of cocaine. Police also seized Patrocino's 1998 Nissan Altima in connection with the investigation.

"Heroin is a national epidemic, and the Burlington Police Department will continue to show drug dealers that it is not a good idea to do business in our community," Kent said. "This case is an example of excellent police work and a result of the incredibly strong partnerships we have built with our residents and business owners, who are equally unwilling to sit back and allow drug dealers in our town."

Kent said residents had contacted police to complain about drug dealing in the neighborhood.

Patrocino was arraigned Friday in Woburn District Court. The outcome of that hearing wasn't immediately known.

The compromise is intended to generate $172 million in budget savings next year.

By MATT MURPHY
and ANDY METZGER

BOSTON - Facing time pressures to reach a deal on early retirement, House and Senate leaders brokered a compromise late Friday that will allow up to 5,000 employees working in the Baker administration to retire early in an attempt to trim the state's payroll and generate $172 million in budget savings for next year.

The compromise bill, which was negotiated between House Ways and Means Chairman Brian Dempsey and Senate Ways and Means Chairwoman Karen Spilka, will allow eligible executive branch employees to add up to five years to either their age or years of service to sweeten their pensions if they retire.

"We believe that it incorporates the best ideas of both bills and look forward to timely action in order to achieve the savings necessary to balance the budget for fiscal year 2016 and allow for a successful early retirement program," Dempsey and Spilka said in a joint statement.

The House and Senate each have two informal sessions planned for next week, and could take up the bill then as long as no lawmakers object in order the speed the proposal to Gov. Charlie Baker's desk.

Employees interested in taking advantage of the program would have about a month, from May 11 through June 12, to apply to the Board of Retirement for early retirement under the bill, and the board would be directed to prioritize those who have a longer length of service should the numbers applying reach the Legislature's cap.

Those using the incentive program would retire effective June 30, the eve of the fiscal year when the payroll savings are expected to help balance the budget. A progress report on the program would be due May 27, under the legislation.

Gov. Charlie Baker first proposed the early retirement incentive plan as a method for balancing the fiscal 2016 state budget, and said he aims to reduce the state payroll by about 4,500 employees to achieve the desired budget savings.

House and Senate leaders had been trying unsuccessfully to reach an informal agreement on the bill until Monday when six members from each branch were appointed to a formal conference committee. The conferees included Dempsey, Spilka, Sen. James Timilty, Sen. Vinny deMacedo, Rep. James Murphy and Rep. Brad Hill.

Though the conference never actually met, all six lawmakers signed off on the compromise bill (H 3353) before it was filed Friday afternoon, according to aides.

The path to a compromise opened when Spilka and her fellow Senate conferees agreed to lift their proposed cap on the number of employees who could participate in the early retirement program by 500 employees, satisfying the House's desire to give the Baker administration a cushion to achieve the desired savings.

The House did not include a cap in its original bill, while the Senate passed a bill that included a 4,500 employee cap in order to prevent a widespread exodus of employees that some feared would harm services to vulnerable citizens.

With the Senate preparing to release its version of the fiscal 2016 state budget during the week of May 11, pressure has been building to finalize the early retirement bill in order to use the savings toward the budget. Any extended delays could have pushed effective retirement dates later into the new fiscal year, diminishing the payroll savings sought.

The compromise bill also includes a 30-day "cooling off" period preventing the administration from rehiring retired employees as consultants for at least a month. The House had initially proposed a 120-day cooling off period, while the Senate had recommended limiting employees to 90 days of post-retirement consulting work to ensure a smooth transition in their agencies.

In addition to the pension-sweetening early retirement program, the compromise allows the secretary to achieve the $172 million in savings through the hiring freeze implemented right after Baker took office, incentive payments to encourage employees to retire or layoffs. The legislation caps the reduction in employees at 5,000.

Baker administration officials have already begun taking steps in anticipation of an early retirement program, notifying agency heads on Wednesday that they would likely have the opportunity to offer buyouts of up to $10,000 as an incentive for eligible employees who have already accrued their maximum pension benefit and would not stand to gain from adding five years to either their age or length of service.

The bill gives Secretary of Administration and Finance Kristen Lepore until next Friday, May 8, to designate in writing "critical positions" ineligible for the early retirement incentives, and requires her to estimate the number of layoffs on that same date.
The administration would be allowed to hire new employees to fill vacated positions, but cannot spend more than 20 percent of the payroll savings on backfills.

Major indexes recovered nearly all their losses from a fall the day before.

By MATTHEW CRAFT

NEW YORK -- The stock market bounced back on Friday as investors picked up companies that had dropped earlier in the week. Major indexes recovered nearly all their losses from a fall the day before.

"It's an odd day in the markets," said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at BMO Private Bank. The news out Friday was mostly disappointing, he said. Big corporations' earnings reports weren't all that good.

Expedia was an exception. The online travel company turned in sales that topped Wall Street's estimates, driving its stock up $7.46, or 8 percent, to $101.69.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index climbed 22.78 points, or 1.1 percent, to finish at 2,108.29. That's after dropping 1 percent the day before.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 183.54 points, or 1 percent, to 18,024.06, while the Nasdaq composite rose 63.97 points, 1.3 percent, to 5,005.39.

Charlie Smith, chief investment officer at Fort Pitt Capital Group, cautioned against reading too much into a day with light trading. "The rally is fun," he said, "but it doesn't mean much."

The Nasdaq lost 1.7 percent for the week as investors sold many of the technology companies that have fared well this year. Strong gains for Apple and other tech stocks helped the Nasdaq finally topple a record high last Thursday. So, what changed?

Smith said Apple's earnings had something to do with it. Apple is big enough that its moves can swing the Nasdaq higher or lower. Last week, investors bought Apple's stock in anticipation of another blowout earnings report when the tech giant reported results Monday. In the three days afterward, Apple's stock lost 6 percent.

LinkedIn plunged after the online networking service warned of weaker earnings in the months ahead, a result of the stronger dollar and the company's pending purchase of Lynda.com, an online learning company. Twitter continued a slump started earlier in the week when the company turned in disappointing sales and cut its revenue outlook. Twitter dropped $1.12, or 3 percent, to $37.84, while LinkedIn lost $46.92, or 19 percent, to $205.21.

Roughly a third of all the companies in the S&P 500 reported first-quarter results this week, and the news was mixed. Falling oil prices and a rising dollar hammered many of them. Analysts expect companies in the S&P 500 will say overall earnings inched up 0.6 percent compared with the same period of last year, according to S&P Capital IQ, a provider of financial information. But revenue is expected to drop 1.4 percent.

Ablin said that investors are wrestling with a slew of diverging trends. Recent reports have raised concerns about the economy's strength. On Wednesday, the government said that it nearly stopped growing in the first three months of the year. To some investors that's not such bad news: Weak economic growth could lead the Federal Reserve to postpone its plans to raise a key borrowing rate. Record low interest rates have helped the stock market soar since the financial crisis.

"Economic data has recently been disappointing," Ablin said, "but that keeps the Fed offstage."

In Europe, the only major market open for trading was in Britain, where the FTSE 100 finished with a gain of 0.4 percent.

Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.1 percent, and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 0.4 percent. New Zealand's benchmark rose 0.1 percent. Most markets in Asia and Europe were closed for the International Workers Day holiday.

Back in the U.S., government bond prices sank, pushing the yield on the 10-year Treasury note up to 2.12 percent from 2.03 percent the day before.

In commodities trading, gold dropped $7.90 to end at $1,174.50 an ounce, while silver lost 2 cents to $16.14 an ounce. Copper added 4 cents to $2.93 a pound.

Oil fell nearly 1 percent Friday, the first trading day in May, following a gain of more than 20 percent the month before. U.S. oil slid 48 cents, or 0.8 percent, to $59.15 a barrel. Brent crude slipped 32 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $66.46 a barrel.

In other trading:

1. Wholesale gasoline was barely changed at $2.045 a gallon.
2. Heating oil crept up 0.2 cent to $1.982.
3. Natural gas rose 2.5 cents to $2.776 per 1,000 cubic feet.

INDIAN ORCHARD - The Spring 2015 open studios of the Artists at Indian Orchard Mills began Friday, May 1 and will continue Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. The public is invited to tour the studios and meet the artists. The mills house woodworkers, painters, photographers and artists in mixed media, fashion, textiles, multi-media, sculpture and ceramics.

INDIAN ORCHARD - The Spring 2015 open studios of the Artists at Indian Orchard Mills began Friday, May 1 and will continue Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.

The public is invited to tour the studios and meet the artists. The mills house woodworkers, painters, photographers and artists in mixed media, fashion, textiles, multi-media, sculpture and ceramics.

"The Woz" is credited with inventing the personal computer. He said his goal was not to make money, but to make something that was valuable to people, and he had a passion for working with computers.

SPRINGFIELD - Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak spoke with MassLive before his talk at the MassMutual Center Friday night, touching on subjects like technology startups and improving the nation's education system.

"The Woz" is credited with inventing the personal computer. He said his goal was not to make money, but to make something that was valuable to people, and he had a passion for working with computers.

Other people have similar dreams, and there are ways to make them come true, he said. Before the one-on-one interview in the green room, Wozniak visited the computer education program Tech Foundry and spoke to tech-savvy high school students about their ambitions, urging them to pursue happiness above all else.

Steve Wozniak:
One of the first things I did was I went to bookstores. I could buy all these computer manuals on programming languages that had no classes for them. I couldn't take the classes, but I sure could learn.

MassLive:
You told the students at Tech Foundry that you don't have to get your knowledge from other people and books. You can think for yourself. That's an important message.

SW:
The message isn't that it's possible, because that's obvious. The message is that ... you can come up with something better than the book. That was exactly how I operated. I didn't care how people had done it before. I could probably come up with better things and, eventually, I developed really good skills at it.

MassLive:
There are a lot of people who may have ideas that are potentially ground-shaking, real moneymakers, but they may not know how to get them into stores or how to get them into people's hands. What do you say to someone who has a great idea and they just don't know how to execute it?

SW:
I usually say, if a 15-year-old kid ever got that idea, and paid attention to every little subject that came his way in school and the university, in books and on the Internet, he might be the one that makes it happen. Usually, you know, you get an idea and a lot of people just say, "That's a great idea. I'll tell other people." No, it's the people that turn it into something real. Working models, virtual models on computers, whatever it takes so that people can experience and feel it. Make it into a product that the masses of the world can get.

MassLive:
So you don't keep that idea to yourself. You go far and wide looking for opportunities to share it.

SW:
There's a mixture. If it's such a good idea, it's so out of the box, no one's ever done it before, most people won't believe in it anyway. That's not how things are done. Going back to personal computers, you can share it all you want; I gave away the design that became the Apple computer. I gave it away publicly before Steve Jobs even knew it existed. I wanted to help other people be able to build their own computer, have a useful device in their life.

Nowadays, it's critical to making good products to keep them secret, certain aspects of them. I'm still for openness, that when you create something, try to make it open to everybody in the world on every platform. Apple doesn't do that. But you should keep your project secret so that the engineers can create the absolute best thing they can come up with without outside interference. Telling them what's right, what they like, what they don't like. They shouldn't hear that in advance. Leave that to marketing later on.

MassLive:
So, you can teach yourself how to do these things if nobody else is available to teach you or if you don't want anybody else to know about it.

SW:
If you're independent, you still need some strong management. You still need at least, hopefully, one mind looking over the total product to make sure that it's consistent, it's good, it's well-performing and it's not cluttered. You still need someone who really cares about using it, doesn't want it to become a jumbled mess. Just because engineers can make it, doesn't make it good.

But you still need a lot of independence to come up with every idea you can and not be afraid to make the changes, tweak, and don't release the product until it's ready. Enough value for the price it's going to be sold. And I say that based on a lot of mistakes Apple made. Huge mistakes in the first 10 years.

MassLive:
Even now, they make mistakes. Maybe they have the smartest engineers in the world creating products, but they only discover flaws once they hit the market.

SW:
I look at Apple as an exception to that. Not counting problems and bugs in a product. That'll happen just because we're humans and we make mistakes. I'm talking about the quality level of the products from Apple. Where's a low-quality product? We were able to do that before the iPhone, but the iPhone was kept very secret. It wasn't shown to Bill Gates and others. It came out and it was so obviously ahead of things that it just grabbed your imagination and your wants.

MassLive:
Do you think that schools are doing enough to nurture these dreams and really encourage people to use their imaginations so they can come up with these ideas and execute them?

SW:
That's a difficult question. I can't necessarily say that I'm right or wrong. I would say no in some regards and yes in others. Schools teach us how to learn. ... They don't give us the skills. Every skill that was valuable in my life? I got it (outside) of school.

A strong set of formulas can lead to a solution. You have a goal you want to achieve and you can work on it with mathematics and it's right or it's wrong. Is that right for every single person? I say that, no, not even math, not even science is meant for every person. Some heads just aren't into that way of life. In school, we say that everybody has to take these subjects, but I wish you could diversify early. Your third year of college, you get to start heading toward a major. Why not in middle school? Why not say, "I'm interested in the maths and the sciences and I want to skip history and writing." Other people love to write and they should be able to go off and write as much as they want. Schools teach you that being smart is being the same as everyone else. Knowing exactly the same things as a million other people your age in the country. They weren't your answers. They were learned out of books and they weren't thought out.

Schools have a problem with money because they're underfunded. And the reason they're underfunded is that money for schools comes from the government. That means you get a larger slice of the pie if you have more votes. A family of five with kids in school gets no more votes than a family of two that doesn't need to pay for schools. That's unfair that a family of five isn't counted more strongly, especially for education money. We're always going to be shortchanged. That is wrong. It's as wrong as blacks not having the votes and women not having the votes and poor people not having the votes when we started our country. Maybe someday, it'll get undone. You've got a teacher with 30 students, and the teachers would rather teach 30 kids poorly than 20 kids well because they get more money. You'll find a few exceptions.

Some day, we'll have one teacher per student, I hope. It'll be a computer that looks at your facial expressions, that knows your feelings, that cares for you, that knows your family. When computers are conscious, they can do that. And if it becomes your best friend, it'll be your trusted guide to what you should learn and you can go as fast as you want in the things you love, and you can skip the things you don't love.

MassLive:
Do you think that's possible in our lifetimes?

SW:
I think it's possible even, maybe, 20 years from now. You'll have to fight the infrastructure of schools that exist by today's methods once computers are conscious. But there's so many problems with artificial intelligence, I don't know if we want it or not. For education, it would give every student their best friend in their pocket. It would know their heart and soul better than other humans do. It's going to be your little device that you're going to trust. It will know to take you in the right directions and not the wrong ones for you. You'll enjoy the education you get that way.

The problem is, if you think of any ideas on how to improve education that are based on what he have today, you're no smarter than a million other people thinking the same way. So I won't be able to come up with any good solutions for education other than, five people should have five votes. I do believe in that.

Computers didn't really make a difference in how smart he come out, how good of thinkers we come out from our education, primary or university-level. So what could be in the future? If computers get conscious, it'll be like an artificial human teacher, and I think maybe that would be successful, maybe not. It's the only idea I can come up with that's so different that maybe it'll pan out. Who knows if I'll alive then?

MassLive:
The entrepreneurial landscape in a lot of regions is blossoming, and this is one of them. If you want to start an innovative company, maybe you don't need to go to Silicon Valley or Boston anymore. Maybe you can do it in Middle America or in Springfield. Do you think that's a fair assessment?

SW:
I hear that thinking almost everywhere I go and I totally buy into it and believe in it. ... You have to have a few successes locally that spin out other ones. How did Silicon Valley start? The inventor of the transistor moved there. It was an accidental early step that you couldn't have planned.

It's the most interesting thing in the world. The products are intriguing to everyone who uses them, young and old. Inspiring the young is really where it starts.

Spreading information and how to make life better because of it. That's the future.

Kahallyck Morales, 27, was charged with heroin trafficking, illegal possession of ammunition, and a school-zone drug violation after police raided his Vinton Street apartment around 6 p.m. Friday.

SPRINGFIELD — A Friday evening drug bust in the city's North End made a "huge dent" in the war on heroin, according to Sgt. John Delaney, a spokesman for the Springfield Police Department.

Kahallyck Morales, 27, was charged with heroin trafficking, illegal possession of ammunition, and a school-zone drug violation after police raided his Vinton Street apartment around 6 p.m. Friday. Investigators said they seized 1,550 bags of heroin during the raid.

Narcotics officers, who had been investigating the sale of heroin from 46 Vinton St., obtained a search warrant that ultimately led to the seizure of the drugs, 10 rounds of 40-caliber ammo, and nearly $280 cash, police said.

Morales was expected to be arraigned Monday in Springfield District Court.

While eldest children have their destinies carved out from birth, many royal "spares" have struggled to find meaningful public roles.

LONDON (AP) -- When Prince William and his wife, Kate, announced the arrival of their first child in 2013, Britain jubilantly celebrated the birth of a future king. Two years later it's a different story.

A second child was born Saturday to the royal couple -- a princess who will surely delight the public but face life known half-jokingly as "the spare to the heir." Her name was not immediately announced.

Royal succession rules dictate that the throne always passes to the eldest child, and royals born second in the line of succession rarely have to worry about one day becoming king or queen. It's a position that brings far less responsibility, but also fewer privileges than those enjoyed by the heir apparent. It's also one that attracts relentless public scrutiny.

While eldest children have their destinies carved out from birth, many royal "spares" have struggled to find meaningful public roles.

"It's always been a rather unenviable situation. There are often shades of jealousy, evident in the current queen and her sister," said Joe Little, managing editor at Britain's Majesty magazine, referring to Queen Elizabeth II and the late Princess Margaret.

Not all younger royal children spend their lives waiting in the wings, heading charities and cutting ribbons. Elizabeth's grandfather, George V, inherited the throne in 1910 after his elder brother died of pneumonia. George VI, another second son, became king after his brother abdicated in 1936.

Here's a look at some younger royals.

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PRINCE HARRY (born 1984)

The second son of Prince Charles and Diana, Harry is often seen as the mischievous one, the fun-loving counterpart to the more staid -- some say dull -- William.

Harry came of age under full public scrutiny, and through the years he has sparked some scandalous headlines. He admitted to smoking cannabis and drinking in his teenage years, and in 2004 he was photographed scuffling with a photographer outside a London nightclub.

A couple of incidents were particularly embarrassing for the royals: When the prince was photographed wearing a Nazi-themed costume to a fancy dress party, prompting the headline "Harry the Nazi," and more recently when he was pictured partying naked in Las Vegas.

Like many other royals, Harry chose a military career and has served in Afghanistan. That will likely continue to be his main role as he gets bumped further down the line of succession. The new royal baby will see Harry relegated to fifth in line.

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PRINCE ANDREW (born 1960)

Andrew, the queen's second son and Charles' younger brother, gets more press than fellow siblings Anne and Edward -- largely for the wrong reasons.

Andrew, the Duke of York, enjoyed a successful naval career as a helicopter pilot and served in the Falklands War, yet that record has been overshadowed in recent years by headlines about his friendship with several controversial figures, notably U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein, a registered sex offender. Andrew stepped down from his role as a trade envoy in 2011 as questions mounted, and this year he had to publicly deny claims that he had sex with an underage woman.

Andrew's chaotic marriage to Sarah Ferguson -- known as Fergie -- ended in divorce. He has long been criticized for his opulent, globe-trotting lifestyle, and his romantic links to a number of models and starlets have attracted unwelcome nicknames like "Randy Andy."

Andrew will become sixth in line to the throne with the baby's birth.

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PRINCESS MARGARET (1930 -2002)

Four years younger than the queen, Margaret was Elizabeth's only sister. With her film-star looks and vivacious personality, Margaret lived a glamorous life, and many remember her best for her turbulent romances.

The princess's relationship with divorced pilot Peter Townsend was frowned upon by Winston Churchill and the Church of England, among others. In 1955, aged 25, she declared she had decided against marrying him, "conscious of my duty to the Commonwealth."

Margaret later married photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones, a commoner, and the couple became the heart of a fashionable set in the Swinging London scene of the '60s and '70s. The princess was often snapped dancing late into the night, threw famous parties in the Caribbean and mixed with pop stars like Mick Jagger.

Before the couple divorced, Margaret met Roddy Llewellyn, 17 years her junior, a relationship that prompted huge media coverage.

Margaret's health declined in her 60s, and she died in 2002 at 71.

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KING GEORGE VI (1895-1952)

The father of the queen, George VI -- born Albert -- became the unexpected king when his elder brother, Edward VIII, abdicated in 1936 after a reign that lasted just 11 months. Edward, often portrayed as a raffish playboy, had abandoned the throne to marry his mistress, the divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson.

A shy man with a stammer, George had to restore public faith in the monarchy and be the symbolic leader of a country at war with Germany. The Oscar-winning film "The King's Speech," which dramatized the story of how he overcame his initial struggles as monarch, reignited interest in his often overlooked life.

George died at 56 in 1952.

Luis Oppenheimer, 27, was arrested along with more than 20 others last June during a citywide crackdown on drugs, guns and gangs during a particularly violent period in Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD - A city man arrested last year after police and federal agents found over 2,000 bags of heroin in his apartment is set to plead guilty in U.S. District Court on Monday.

Luis Oppenheimer, 27, was arrested along with more than 20 others last June during a citywide crackdown on drugs, guns and gangs during a particularly violent period in Springfield.

Oppenheimer was indicted in federal court for conspiracy to distribute heroin and possession with intent to distribute heroin.

At a bail hearing following his arrest, now-retired U.S. Magistrate Judge Kenneth Neiman noted Oppenheimer's long criminal record including nine domestic restraining orders in five years.

Police said Oppenheimer was dealing drugs out of his Sycamore Street apartment where he lived with his wife and three young children. Investigators said they found 2,002 baggies of heroin there and $7,609 in cash.

"The defendant's extensive criminal history demonstrates repeated, practically scheduled, violations of the law in his short life as well as an inability or unwillingness to abide by conditions of probation," Neiman wrote in a ruling ordering that Oppenheimer be held behind bars pending trial.

He believes the building is basically breathing its last gasp for use as a 24-hour, critical, technologically-driven municipal service space.

WILBRAHAM - The small, white Wilbraham police station on Main Street may look quaint and pretty enough from the outside, but from the inside ...

To be honest - by modern municipal facilities standards - it's kind of a cramped, smelly, water-logged dump.

With two town votes coming up to green-light a new, $8 million police station on Boston Road, voters need only take a tour of the current station to reject the notion that the stewards of public safety here are prima donnas looking for fancy digs.

Twenty-six hardworking officers who make hundreds of arrests a year, plus more civilian and dispatching staff, are crammed into the roughly 5,000-plus square foot structure that once served as the Town Hall. Two police captains and five sergeants share one small office and one phone line on the top floor. The 911 dispatchers take emergency calls in a high-traffic, noisy area sandwiched next to the front lobby. Old metal gym lockers hold overflow evidence next to that room.

In fact, many of the staff lockers were salvaged from the girls' locker room at the old Minnechaug Regional High School.

The entire bottom floor - where there is a so-called "community meeting room," a staff kitchen, office space, the main evidence room, the electrical room and one spot that houses hundreds of thousands of dollars in technical equipment - is filled with the overwhelming scent of mold.

And, there's moisture-bred stuff growing on the walls - everywhere.

WILBRAHAM - There's unspecific, moisture-bred stuff crawling up the walls in the bottom floor of the police station. Photo by Stephanie Barry 

"During those really soaking spring rains, there's about an inch of water on the floor in here. We get it up with a shop-vac," said Police Chief Roger W. Tucker, gesturing to the electrical room in the basement.

When asked by a reporter what a particular growth was on a wall in the main evidence room, Tucker responded with a chuckle: "I don't know."

Another staffer said she refers to the wall-crawling growths as "barnacles." With two prior proposals to upgrade the police station shot down over the past 30 years, employees have been forced to grin and bear it.

"Due to recent cutbacks, the light at the end of the tunnel has been shut off," reads a sign propped up in one administrative office.

Tucker is hopeful about the upcoming votes by taxpayers - a 2/3 vote is required at the May 11 Town Meeting plus a simple majority on the May 16 ballot if it survives the first hurdle. Interim Town Administrator Thomas Sullivan has said that although the new police station is estimated to cost $8 million, the town could afford $4 million from available funds and residents would be asked to approve a debt exclusion override of $5 million.

However, Tucker is unsure how prominent the police station needs are in voters' minds with public school issues and other fiscal matters in play. Signs on many lawns in town urge voters to vote "yes" for a new police station but he is unsure how the populous will lean given that tax bills in Wilbraham are already steep.

"It's always about money," Tucker said.

Sullivan has set a 15-year bonding period for the project that would bump average homeowners' taxes up $16.03 in the first year with descending quarterly expenses to $12.44 quarterly by the seventh year.

Police held the third in a series of open houses at the current station on Saturday. Traffic was light. A number of those who came to take the tour were fathers with small children fascinated by police work. They got to sit in Tucker's chair and take a photo.

There will be a public forum on April 28 and another open house on May 2.

WILBRAHAM - The police station is shown here on Main Street. The Republican staff 

Tucker said suggestions that they build an addition on the current building are unrealistic. They've maxed out on the property and don't even have a garage for their police cruisers. Plus, the brick foundation on the 105-year-old building is rotting.

The last rehabilitation done at the site was in the late 1970s and was intended as a short-term fix, he said.

He believes the building is basically breathing its last gasp for use as a 24-hour, critical, technologically-driven municipal service space.

It's not just about aesthetics and morale, it's about safety and preserving the integrity of their investigations, Tucker argues.

Plus, advocates for the new station scaled back initial plans for the proposal by more than $1 million and have identified a plot of land next to the fire station on Boston Road where the owner has offered to demolish the house before selling the parcel.

Thousands lined Main Street under sunny skies to celebrate LGBT pride. Watch video

NORTHAMPTON -- As the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to issue a landmark ruling on the topic of marriage equality, the 34th annual Noho Pride parade kicked off under sunny skies with a record number of marchers and participants.

"It keeps getting bigger every year," said parade coordinator Kathy Silva, as flatbed trucks with floats, marching bands, and nearly 150 community groups lined up along Hampton and Pleasant streets.

"I wouldn't miss this for anything in the world," said U.S. Rep. James McGovern. "I'm proud to be here today. It represents the best of who we are."

ACLU lawyer Bill Newman was found adjusting his Lady Liberty costume in the parade lineup. "There's been an avalanche of demand for equality in recent years," he remarked. "We'll soon see a victory for all Americans when the Supreme Court affirms the right of marriage for all."

Nine justices heard oral testimony on April 28 in a case that seeks to strike down state bans on same-sex marriage. A decision is expected in June.

Transgender activist and pageant queen Lorelei Erisis said it's also been a watershed year for transgender people: "Trans people have suddenly become much more visible, with the Bruce Jenner interview and with Laverne Cox on the cover of Time. It's a great moment, and I just hope we can keep this momentum going."

Erisis said she attends Pride events across New England, and that Northampton is the first of the season. "I break my sash and crown out of mothballs for this event," she said.

Noho Pride Coordinator Felicia Forrestor said planning for the event begins in January, and that 14 entertainment acts were lined up for the post-parade rally at the Three County Fairgrounds.

"We have a big deaf community here, so while the performers are on stage, interpreters are doing the number in sign language. They get into it with the sign language stuff; it's so incredible," she said.

Forrestor was among a group of self-described drag queens. Ivanna introduced herself as a "classy trashy girl." Her friend Tytania Lockhart described her costume as "steampunk Japanese attire." Dirty Dixie Normous from Connecticut, slated as one of the afternoon's entertainers, said she was probably "one of the oldest, dirtiest drag queens out there" and was prepared to deliver a risque performance.

Thousands lined Main Street as Dykes on Bikes, hula hoopers, politicians, gay-straight alliances from dozens of schools, church groups, and neighborhood associations made their way to the celebration at the fairground.

The Freedom Trail Marching Band from Boston played pop tunes by Lady Gaga, the Expandable Brass Band delivered New Orleans-style street music; floats from area nightclubs blasted dance tunes as staffers showed their moves.

A group of senior citizens from the Lathrop Communities rolled by in a 1975 Delta 88 convertible. Volunteers with the Dakin Humane Society walked with a dozen friendly dogs on leashes. A large contingent from Bay State Health Systems marched, led by their own color guard comprised of military veterans. Among the sights were skaters with the Pioneer Valley Roller Derby, the Leather Boys of New England, rainbow stilt walkers, and jugglers.

A married couple who identified themselves as "Amy and Heather from Florence" were among those quietly watching from the sidelines. "This is a celebration of how far we've come," said Heather. "Years ago, I never thought I'd be here today with my wife and kids."

The couple said their 15-year-old twins, students at Northampton High School, were somewhere in the crowd.

"It's a different world," she remarked. "All of our lobbying, all of Pride parades, that was not for nothing. We're looking at a much better, much brighter future."

Mary Serreze can be reached at mserreze@gmail.com

Officials say shots rang out in front of 177 Elm Street and the victim was shot at least once.

HOLYOKE - Police say one man was wounded in a shooting just before 3 on Saturday afternoon.

Officials say shots rang out in front of 177 Elm Street and the victim was hit at least once. However, his injuries are not considered life-threatening.

No arrests have been made yet but detectives are continuing their investigation.

This is a developing story; more details will follow as they become available.

A citywide cleanup effort was held Saturday in Springfield ,the event coincided with the Great American Cleanup and Earth Day. Volunteers were sent to one of four zones set up in the city from Rebecca Johnson School,in Mason Square to Medina's Supermarket on Main Street in the North End , Duggan Middle School on Wilbraham Road and the Forest Park...

A citywide cleanup effort was held Saturday in Springfield ,the event coincided with the Great American Cleanup and Earth Day.
Volunteers were sent to one of four zones set up in the city from Rebecca Johnson School,in Mason Square to Medina's Supermarket on Main Street in the North End , Duggan Middle School on Wilbraham Road and the Forest Park Middle School on Oakland Street .
Trash was picked up by the volunteers and brought to select locations in their zone where it was picked up by assigned crews.
The event started at 8 am and went until noon, tires,mattresses,bottles,just about every type of trash was picked up by the workers in that time period as they attempted to make the areas that they were in cleaner and safer.