The White House said Obama would address the nation from the White House at 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Associated PressIn a Feb. 14, 2010 file photo, a U.S. soldier returns fire as others run for cover during a firefight with insurgents in the Badula Qulp area, west of Lashkar Gah in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan. President Barack Obama is expected to withdraw roughly 10,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan this year, with one brigade of about 5,000 forces leaving this summer and a second brigade of similar size coming home by the end of the year, a senior U.S. defense official said Tuesday, June 21, 2011.

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is expected to withdraw roughly 10,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan this year, with about 5,000 forces leaving this summer and an additional 5,000 Americans coming home by the end of the year, a senior U.S. defense official said Tuesday.

Obama is also weighing a timetable for recalling the 20,000 other troops he ordered to Afghanistan as part of his December 2009 decision to send reinforcements to reverse the Taliban's battlefield momentum. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss the plans before Obama's formal announcement.

The White House said Obama would address the nation from the White House at 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Ahead of that announcement, Obama called Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the White House Tuesday for an Afghanistan strategy session. Aides have said Obama wants to ensure that the drawdown set to begin next month puts the U.S. on a path toward giving Afghans control of their own security by 2014.

A reduction this year totaling 10,000 troops would be the rough equivalent of two brigades, which are the main building blocks of an Army division. It's not clear whether Obama's decision would require the Pentagon to pull out two full brigades or, instead, a collection of smaller combat and support units with an equivalent number of troops.

Obama was given a range of options for the withdrawal last week by Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan. The military has favored a gradual reduction in troops but other advisers were advocating for significant decrease in the coming months.

The president has said he favors a "significant" withdrawal, his advisers have not quantified that statement.

At a democratic fundraiser in Washington Monday night, Obama said that by the end of the year, "we will be transitioning in Afghanistan to turn over more and more security to the Afghan people."

Following the announcement on the drawdown, Obama will visit troops Thursday at Fort Drum, the upstate New York military base that is home to the 10th Mountain Division, one of the most frequently deployed divisions to Afghanistan and Iraq.

While much of the attention is focused on how many troops will leave Afghanistan next month, the more telling aspects of Obama's decision center on what happens after July, particularly how long the president plans to keep the surge forces in the country.

Military commanders want to keep as many of those forces in Afghanistan for as long as possible, arguing that too fast a withdrawal could undermine the fragile security gains in the fight against the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan, the al-Qaida training ground for the Sept. 11 attacks. There are also concerns about pulling out a substantial number of U.S. forces as the heightened summer fighting season gets under way.

Gates, who is retiring from the Pentagon next week, has said he believes the initial drawdown should be "modest."

But other advisers backed a more significant withdrawal that starts in July and proceeds steadily through the following months. That camp believes the slow yet steady security gains in Afghanistan, combined with the death of Osama bin Laden and U.S. success in dismantling much of the al-Qaida network in the country, give the president an opportunity to make larger reductions this year.

Gates said Monday that Obama's decision needs to incorporate domestic concerns about the war in Afghanistan into his decision on drawing down American troops there.

"It goes without saying that there are a lot of reservations in the Congress about the war in Afghanistan and our level of commitment. There are concerns among the American people who are tired of a decade of war," Gates said during a news conference at the State Department.

Twenty-seven senators, Democrats as well as Republicans, sent Obama a letter last week pressing for a shift in Afghanistan strategy and major troop cuts.

"Given our successes, it is the right moment to initiate a sizable and sustained reduction in forces, with the goal of steadily redeploying all regular combat troops," the senators wrote. "The costs of prolonging the war far outweigh the benefits."

Arizona Sen. John McCain, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, differed with that assessment. He told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Tuesday that he agreed with Gates in hoping the withdrawal would be "modest."

"I believe that one more fighting season and we can get this thing pretty well wrapped up," McCain said.

There is broad public support for starting to withdraw U.S. troops. According to an Associated Press-GfK poll last month, 80 percent of Americans say they approve of Obama's decision to begin withdrawal of combat troops in July and end U.S. combat operations in Afghanistan by 2014. Just 15 percent disapprove.

Obama has tripled the number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan since taking office, bringing the total there to about 100,000. The 30,000-troop surge he announced at the end of 2009 came with the condition that he would start bringing forces home in July 2011.

The president took months to settle on the surge strategy. This time around, aides say the process is far less formal and Obama is far more knowledgeable about the situation in Afghanistan than he was in 2009, his first year in office.

With the troop withdrawal set to begin next month, U.S. officials in Afghanistan said that military operations will become more focused and less ambitious over the coming three years. As troop levels decline the military will shift from a comprehensive counterinsurgency doctrine, which emphasizes small military-led development projects to gain the confidence of the local population, to counterterrorism, which focuses on capturing and killing insurgents, officials said.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because Obama has not announced the troop plan yet.

There are also indications that the administration, having learned from the U.S. experience in Iraq, will set deadline dates for the drawdown as it progresses, in order to keep pressure on the Afghans and give Congress mileposts.

With Iraq as a blueprint, commanders will need time to figure out what they call "battlefield geometry" — what types of troops are needed where. Those could include trainers, intelligence officers, special operations forces, various support units — from medical and construction to air transport — as well as combat troops.

Much of that will depend on where the Afghan security forces are able to take the lead, as well as the state of the insurgency. Part of the debate will also require commanders to determine the appropriate ratio of trainers versus combat troops.

Fuentes' slaying was the second homicide in Holyoke in two days.

This is an updated version of a story posted at 4:30 this morning.

Photo by John Suchocki / The RepublicanCarlos, Leonardo and Juan Perez, from left, are seen during their arraignment in Holyoke District Court Tuesday afternoon.

HOLYOKE – Three brothers, charged with murder in the shooting death of Reynaldo Fuentes Monday night, were ordered held without right to bail following their arraignments Tuesday in District Court.

The 23-year-old was shot multiple times in a parking lot behind Las Chicas Market, 341 Appleton St.

Juan, 26, of 374 Maple St.; Carlos, 26, of 4 Barrett St.; and Leonardo Perez, 20, of 282 Pine St.; denied single charges of murder and were ordered to return to court on July 19 for pre-trial hearings.

A woman, surrounded by family and friends, wept softly as the three suspect appeared before Judge Maureen Walsh. Security, inside and outside the courtroom, was beefed up by court officers and Holyoke Police.

The death of Fuentes marked the city’ second homicide in two days.

Juan Perez stabbed Fuentes during an altercation a few weeks ago, according to police, who believe Juan is the Perez brother with the main beef against Fuentes.

Monday’s fatal shooting, which was reported shortly before 7:10 p.m., followed Sunday’s killing of 26-year-old Oscar Castro, whom police believe died as a result of a gang-related dispute. No arrests have been made.

Castro, of 23 Essex St., was shot once in the head around 1:30 a.m. Sunday outside the Clover Cafe, 104 High St., but investigators don’t think his case is related to the Fuentes case.

“At this point we have no connection,” said Sgt. James Albert.

Albert said there is no indication that gangs played a role in the fatal shooting of Fuentes. “It may be more of a personal nature,” said Adams.

Those attending the arraignment included Benny Garcia, who said he drove up from Connecticut in honor of his late friend.

“He was a very good man,” Garcia said of Fuentes. “He would give the shirt off his back to me and to anyone.”

Appointed lawyers for the three are: Carlos Perez. Paul Rodoff; Juan Perez, David Hodge; and Leonardo Perez, Edward Fogarty.

Hampden assistant district attorney for the case is Joan Dietz.

Watch a live video stream starting at 3 p.m.

S.P. Sullivan, MassLive.comGov. Deval Patrick and Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno listen to presentations at the tornado recovery forum at the Basketball Hall of Fame.

This event is now over. A live blog transcript can be read below. Full story coming from The Republican.

The Governor, mayor of Springfield and state housing and development secretary will host a forum on tornado recovery Tuesday at the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Gov. Deval Patrick, State Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Gregory Bialecki and Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno will briefly address the audience before presentations by state and local agencies on the recovery process.

Presentations will focus on the status of infrastructure repair, utilities, the reconstruction of housing and opportunities for entrepreneurship, according to Kimberly Haberlin, the director of communications for the Executive Office of Housing & Economic Development.

We'll have a live video stream of the first hour of the forum, including opening remarks and presentations. The event is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. Check the live chat for updates,

We'll be doing our best to make sure the stream works with most Internet connections and modern browsers, but because video streaming requires a lot of bandwidth, in order to watch the stream you will need approximately 512kbps available (check your connection speed here) and should be using the latest version of your Internet browser.

If you are using Internet Explorer and the stream is not displaying, it's likely that you need to download Adobe Flash Player or verify that it is enabled on your browser. Follow updates in the live blog below:

“I think frankly it’s not just the conviction, it’s the whole sordid episode that has shaken people’s confidence in state government,” Patrick said.

AP file photoGov. Deval Patrick, left, is seen here with former Speaker of the House Salvatore DiMasi.

Six days after a jury convicted former House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi on public corruption charges, Gov. Deval L. Patrick again emphasized his belief that government employees are hardworking but said the “whole sordid episode” had taken a toll on public confidence in government.

“I think frankly it’s not just the conviction, it’s the whole sordid episode that has shaken people’s confidence in state government,” Patrick told two reporters at the Statehouse. “But I can tell you I work here every day. I work really hard. I work with people who run to work and keep the public’s interest foremost in mind and we deal with people who are really overwhelmingly like-minded.”

“I think when someone steps out of line it’s the job of the authorities to impose those consequences.”, he said.

While some Beacon Hill officeholders have sought to single out DiMasi as acting alone and to differentiate their own work from his, several analysts of DiMasi's six-week corruption trial have argued that someone in the Legislature or the Patrick administration should have raised red flags when DiMasi pressed for performance management contracts, eventually awarded to a vendor preferred by the former Speaker, both in the legislative and executive branches.

Patriots football player Ron Brace said he is concerned about his Springfield hometown and all those who have lost their homes and possessions.

View full sizeThe Republican | Mark M. MurrayNew England Patriots defensive lineman Ron Brace, a Springfield native, sheds a tear as he speaks during the announcement Tuesday in which the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation said it was teaming up with the United Way and going to match up to $ 100,000 in public gifts that will be put toward relief for tornado victims in Massachusetts.The event was held at Stagg Field on the Springfield College campus.

SPRINGFIELD – Ron Brace, a Springfield native and professional football player with the New England Patriots, showed himself as a hometown hero again on Tuesday.

Brace was among representatives of the Patriots organization who gathered at Springfield College’s Stagg Field to announce a fund drive for the victims of the June 1 tornadoes in Massachusetts including his hometown.

The fund drive was officially launched with a pledge of up to $100,000 in matching funds from the family of Patriots owner Robert Kraft, through the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation.

Brace was moved to tears as he spoke about his concerns for his hometown in the aftermath of the tornadoes and of his commitment to help. His home when he was growing up in Springfield on Clifton Avenue was among damaged buildings, but he said his attention was on the many people who lost their homes and their possessions.

He was joined at the announcement by retired Patriots Hall of Famer Andre Tippett, along with other team representatives including a Patriots cheerleader and mascot.

Beginning immediately, the foundation is pledging a dollar-for-dollar matching grant of up to $100,000 for donations to the United Way and Mass 2-1-1.

Funds raised will be assigned to the Massachusetts Statewide Disaster Relief Fund, with 100 percent of money raised being directed to those in need, officials said.

Donations can be made at www.unitedwaytri-county.org/disaster, or by dialing 2-1-1.

On Friday, the New England Patriots Alumni Association will bring their "Football for YOU" free youth football clinic to Springfield College, with Brace among the participants.

View full sizeThe Republican | Mark M. MurrayAndre Tippett, left, former New England Patriots player, now an executive with the team, and Springfield native Ron Brace, a defensive lineman with the team, at the announcement that the team will match up to $ 100,000 in funds to the United Way for relief for tornado victims in Massachusetts.

Dora D. Robinson, United Way of Pioneer Valley president and chief executive officer, and Mayor Domenic J. Sarno were among officials thanking the Kraft family and the Patriots.

Many of Brace's family member and other relatives were present for the announcement. His father, Ron Brace Jr., said he was very proud of his son.

"I am very proud of him giving back to his community," Brace said. "I am proud of him as a person. He has been the perfect kid."

More to come on MassLive.com and in The Republican

The bill also has $10 million for grants to prevent youth violence.

BOSTON – Gov. Deval L. Patrick today signed a bill that will help pay for state costs associated with damage from the June 1 tornadoes in Western Massachusetts.

The $54 million bill includes $15 million to finance the state's costs for the tornadoes including overtime for workers in agencies such as the National Guard, State Police and the state Department of Conservation and Recreation.

The state Legislature voted final approval of the bill on Monday.

The bill includes a measure to speed the process for cities and towns to borrow on an emergency basis. It also clears communities to provide property tax relief to property owners affected by the tornadoes. Property taxes for the fiscal year that starts July 1 would be based on the damaged condition of the properties.

The bill contains $10 million for grants to organizations and communities such as Springfield and Holyoke to reduce youth violence.

The bill also has money to pay for union contracts, $1.2 million for private, nonprofit housing agencies to provide short-term rentals to prevent homelessness and $10 million for child care for the poor.

Griffin has stated supporting projects like building a new high school help continue to make West Springfield a great place to live.

Brian J. Griffin

WEST SPRINGFIELD – Town Councilor Brian J. Griffin has announced he will seek a third term on the Town Council in the November election.

Griffin, 43, issued a press release outlining his background, platform and achievements Friday.

“I have always strived to be the most prepared leader on any issue that comes before the council,” Griffin stated.

The candidate is currently chairman of the Budget Subcommittee. Among the projects Griffin stated he has voted for are the move to build a new West Springfield High School and funds for veterans’ benefits. He also supported the Trane Energy Saving Project, which offers guaranteed savings from energy conservation measures involving city buildings.

Funding such projects helps West Springfield continue to be “a great place to live and learn,” Griffin stated.

Griffin is employed as a home office field unit leader for the Liberty Mutual Agency Corp. Among the areas in which he is involved in that capacity are planning, fiscal management, training and technical forums, and catastrophe resource allocation and preparedness.

The vice chairman of the West Springfield Democratic Committee, Griffin is affiliated with youth baseball as a coach, the John Boyle O’Reilly Club, the Dante Club and the West Springfield Knights of Columbus.

The School Committee has finalized the hiring process, confirming a 3-year contract with a starting annual salary of $142,000.

File photo | The RepublicanSuzanne Scallion, who will become superintendent of schools in Westfield on July 1, will begin work at the School Department on Monday.

WESTFIELD – Her starting date is July 1 but Suzanne Scallion will be at the School Department June 27 to prepare for her new role as superintendent of schools here.

Scallion earlier this week said she is “eager to begin” and return to Massachusetts after nearly three years as an elementary school principal in Napa, Calif. She served as principal at Leeds Elementary School in Northampton from September 2002 until June 2008.

The School Committee appointed Scallion to succeed the retiring Shirley Alvira as superintendent here last month.

The committee finalized the hiring process Monday night, confirming a three-year contract with a starting annual salary of $142,000. Alvira, who will retire July 9 after four years as superintendent, earns $131,840.

Committee vice chairman Mary Beth Ogulewicz Sacco said Tuesday the contract does not include moving expenses from California to Westfield.

Scallion previously said she plans to reside in Easthampton in a home she owned before traveling to California.

“I am very excited about getting started. I am ready to dive in,” Scallion said of her new position.

First on her agenda, after meeting with school administrators and staff Monday, will be a tour of Munger Hill Elementary School and its roof damage from the June 1 tornado.

“Thank God the kids were not in the building at the time,” she said.

Scallion was selected on a 4-3 vote of the School Committee. She holds a doctorate degree in education from the University of Massachusetts and a master's degree from Bridgewater State University.

Scallion was selected by the committee over South Middle School principal Ronald R. Rix. Rix received three votes from the School Committee during its May 9 vote.

The average hourly wage for all employees in the Greater Springfield was $23.35 in May, up from $23.30 in April and $23.22 in May 2010.

SPRINGFIELD – The city’s unemployment rate rose slightly in May to 11.7 percent from 11.5 percent in April despite the region’s overall gain of 4,700 jobs during the month.

Springfield’s unemployment rate was higher a year ago at 12.1 percent.

“It’s hard to be excited about the numbers, unfortunately,” said Karl J. Petrick, an assistant professor of economics at Western New England University.

Petrick said the national measures of the labor market such as the number of overtime hours worked or the number of temporary jobs being created have been disappointing in recent weeks.

“With unemployment so high, consumption is so low,” Petrick said. “That doesn’t give companies a reason to expand and hire more people.”

At 11.7 percent, Springfield’s May 2011 unemployment rate ranked seventh-highest in the state. Provincetown was highest at 19.7 percent. Holyoke’s unemployment rate was 10.6 percent in May compared with 10.2 percent in April and 10.9 percent a year before.

The statewide seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate was 7.4 percent in both May and April, down from 8.3 percent in June.

Adjusted for seasonal changes, the state’s unemployment fell to 7.6 percent in May. The national unemployment rate was 9.1 percent in both April and May.

Economist Michael D. Goodman, chairman of the public policy department at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, said these numbers show that older “gateway cities” like Springfield and Holyoke are being left behind.

Jobs are growing in high-tech industries centered in and around Boston, he said.

“In Springfield, not so much,” Goodman said. “It puts cities like Springfield in a bad position as the state’s economy continues to improve.”

The falling statewide unemployment means that Massachusetts residents no longer qualify for some extended unemployment benefits, weeks 87 to 93, said Rena Kottcamp, director of research for the state Division of Unemployment Assistance.

Greater Springfield added 4,700 jobs in May, Kottcamp said. Those jobs came in varied parts of the economy, including leisure and hospitality, construction, trade and transportation, government, professional scientific and business services and in manufacturing.

Manufacturing added 100 jobs this month, Kottcamp said, but she didn’t know where or at what company. She has job statistics only for areas, not for individual cities and towns.

According to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average hourly wage for all employees in the Greater Springfield was $23.35 in May, up from $23.30 in April and $23.22 in May 2010.

Petrick said tornado cleanup efforts are likely to boost employment in construction, a sector of the economy hard-hit by the recession.

“I hope that it means a majority of local companies and local workers will get a shot at that work,” he said.

The center, which treats 40,000 patients a year, is the second-largest immigrant health provider in Massachusetts.

View full sizeThe Republican | Michael BeswickA view of the Caring Health Center at 1049 Main St. in Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD – Despite suffering more than $500,000 in tornado damage, the Caring Health Center is pushing ahead with its $18.7 million expansion on Main Street, with construction set to begin in August, Gov. Deval L. Patrick announced Tuesday.

Speaking at a news conference in the storm-battered South End, Patrick said the June 1 tornado caused about $590,000 in damage to the health center’s 1145 Main Street clinic, as well as the expansion site at the former Hampden Furniture building across the street.

Patrick said he was delighted that the tornado did not demolish the building, or even delay the deadline for the start of construction.

“I’m thrilled to see this project will move forward as we recover from this extraordinary event,” the two-term Democrat said.

The building is being renovated to house medical, dental, counseling, and administrative offices and a pharmacy for the publicly funded health center, which treats 40,000 patients a year and is the second-largest immigrant health provider in Massachusetts.

Anne Awad, the center’s director, said the roof of the Hampden Furniture building was torn off, but the costs should be covered by insurance.

Several other state officials, including Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray and Gregory Bialecki, secretary for housing and economic development, and state Sen. James T. Welch, D- West Springfield, also attended the news conference.

The center purchased the 40,000-square-foot Hampden Furniture building for $525,000 at auction in 2008. When completed, the expansion will provide an estimated 100 new jobs, along with the center’s 75 current employees.

The project will also generate 60 to 80 construction jobs, Patrick and Murray said.

Materials producers and other companies whose profits are closely tied to global economic growth had the biggest gains.

By MATTHEW CRAFT and STAN CHOE | AP Business Writers

Associated PressRiot police officers, foreground, stand guard behind a Greek flag as members of Greece's presidential guard take part in the changing of guards ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, during a State owned company Hellenic Defence Systems protest in central Athens, Tuesday, June 21, 2011. Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou faces a crucial parliamentary vote of confidence in the new cabinet he formed to face down increasing opposition to austerity measures needed to avoid a national debt default. A default by Greece, where the country finds itself unable to pay back its debts, could spark a financial maelstrom around the world, dragging down Greek and European banks as well as stoking renewed fears over the public finances of other euro countries, such as Portugal, Ireland and Spain. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

NEW YORK — Stocks rose for a fourth day straight Tuesday on hopes that a vote of confidence in the Greek government will help the country avoid a default.

The vote was expected late Tuesday. A successful vote could reassure investors that Greece will push through budget cuts required to get the latest installment of emergency loans. Worries that a default by Greece could lead to a wider financial crisis have been a drag on markets since early May.

Materials producers and other companies whose profits are closely tied to global economic growth had the biggest gains Tuesday. Aluminum producer Alcoa Inc. rose 4 percent, leading the 30 companies that make up the Dow. Gains were widespread, with nine out of 10 industry groups higher. Only consumer goods saw a decline.

"One of the reasons we're more positive than negative on stocks is that there's so much bad news priced into the markets right now," said Eric Thorne, an investment adviser and senior vice president at of Bryn Mawr Trust Wealth Management, which has $4 billion in assets under management. "The bar has been set so low for housing and jobs that it makes us feel like we may be able to jump over that low bar."

The S&P 500 index rose 17.16 points, or 1.3 percent, to close at 1295.52. The last time the S&P rose four days straight was at the end of May.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 109.63, slightly less than 1 percent, to 12,190.01. The Nasdaq composite rose 57.60, or 2.2 percent, to 2,687.26.

Before posting a small gain last week, stocks indexes fell for six straight weeks after reaching a peak for the year on April 29.

Another reason stocks are rising is that analysts expect corporate earnings growth to remain strong. That's despite more than a dozen reports since May that showed the U.S. economy has slowed. Home prices and sales have declined, manufacturing growth has slowed and the job market remains weak.

Even so, analysts surveyed by FactSet forecast that companies in the Standard & Poor's 500 index will earn 14 percent more in the second quarter compared with last year. Large U.S. companies begin reporting quarterly results in early July.

Carnival Corp. rose 4.2 percent after the cruise operator reported revenue and earnings that beat expectations.

Best Buy Co. rose 2.6 percent after increasing its quarterly dividend 7 percent, to 16 cents per share. The electronics retailer also approved a program to buy back up to $5 billion of its stock.

Walgreen, the biggest U.S. drugstore chain, fell 4.2 percent after saying negotiations to stay in Express Script's pharmacy provider network have reached an impasse. Their deal, worth $5.3 billion in revenue this fiscal year, expires at the end of 2011.

European stocks climbed. The gains accelerated through the day after U.S. stocks moved higher. France's CAC 40 index rose 2 percent, and Germany's DAX index rose 1.9 percent.

The Federal Reserve began a two-day policy meeting Tuesday. Economists expect the central bank to keep interest rates at record lows, but most say the Fed won't announce another round of bond buying to help boost the economy.

Six stocks rose for every one that fell on the New York Stock Exchange. Trading volume was 3.6 billion shares.

Springfield ranked No. 2 in the state from 2006 to 2010 in the number of homicides of people less than 23 years old, and Holyoke was tied at No. 10.

The Republican | Joe DeburroThe Massachusetts Statehouse in Boston.

BOSTON – Ranked No. 2 in youth murders in the state the past five years, Springfield could benefit from a new law that provides $10 million in violence-prevention grants for cities.

Gov. Deval L. Patrick signed a bill on Tuesday that includes $10 million for a new program that would target grants to communities with the highest number of youth homicides and serious assaults. The same bill, given final approval by the state Legislature on Monday, also includes $15 million to pay for state costs of tornado response, a provision that captured most of the attention.

According to statistics compiled by the Massachusetts State Police and provided by the Massachusetts Senate, Springfield had 24 murders of people less than 23 years old from 2006 to 2010, far behind Boston, ranked No. 1 with 142 such murders.

Other communities on the "Top twenty cities with youth homicides" included Brockton, with 16; Worcester, 13; Lawrence, 11; and Lowell, 10. Holyoke was tied at No. 10 on the list with Quincy and Taunton with 6 each.

From left to right, in front of reporter's microphone, Marilyn Chase, an undersecretary for health and human services and point person for new effort to prevent youth violence, stands with Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and Gov. Deval Patrick at an event on Monday to promote the governor's new initiative to prevent youth violence in cities such as Springfield and Holyoke.

Jennifer Kritz, a spokeswoman for the state Executive Office of Health and Human Services, said the agency is developing guidelines for providing grants.

The language in the new law is unclear about whether the grants would go to private, nonprofit agencies, municipalities or both.

In a recent speech on the program, Patrick said youth violence is not purely an issue for government.

Patrick said his administration will work with local officials and civic leaders to tailor a strategy for each community to quell urban violence.

"The most at-risk young people in the most violent communities in the commonwealth must have the full continuum of services, from trauma counseling to job training," Patrick said in the speech outlining his bid for the $10 million. "So, for each targeted community ... we will assess what services currently exist, which are working and which are not, and what gaps need to be filled."

Sen. Gale D. Candaras says a lack of jobs and opportunities is causing hopelessness and despair among youth in Springfield.

Sen. Gale D. Candaras, D-Wilbraham, advocated for the $10 million during a speech last week on the Senate floor, saying that Springfield is plagued with gang violence. She said there is a serious lack of jobs and opportunities for young people in the city, causing hopelessness and despair long before the tornadoes struck on June 1.

Candaras said a shooting or a stabbing occurs just about every weekend in the city. She said officials need to control gang violence and repeated shootings and stabbings.

"We're in dire need immediately," Candaras said.

The chairman of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, Sen. Stephen M. Brewer, D-Barre, also pushed for approval of the $10 million.

"These cities need this help now," said Brewer, who read from the top 20 list during his speech. "We can help .. with this targeted assistance."

The state House of Representatives and the Senate both overwhelmingly voted in support of the bill that included the $10 million.

The mayor plans to announce a police chief Monday to replace the retired Anthony Scott.

Submitted photosHolyoke police chief search finalists James M. Neiswanger, left, and Pedro J. Perez, right.

HOLYOKE – Mayor Elaine A. Pluta praised the two men she is reviewing to be the next police chief in a process an official said was intended to include more finalists for the mayor to consider.

Pluta said her plan is to announce a new chief Monday.

The finalists are Pedro J. Perez, 58, of Albany, N.Y., a retired 30-year veteran official of the New York state police, and James M. Neiswanger, 48, of South Windsor, Conn., a captain and 25-year veteran of the Manchester, Conn. Police Department.

“I think they’re both very well-rounded, experienced, knowledgeable candidates,” Pluta said Monday.

Former Chief Anthony R. Scott retired April 30 after having been the chief since 2001. His annual salary was $133, 164.

Capt. Frederick J. Seklecki is acting police chief.

Perez and Neiswanger were put through a seven-hour evaluation known as an assessment center Saturday at Holyoke Community College that included role-playing, taking questions and other tests.

A seven-member search committee – meetings of which were closed to the public – was appointed by Pluta and began meeting in December.

The committee watched the assessment center process Saturday and then voted to recommend Perez and Neiswanger as finalists.

The process included role-playing, taking questions and other tests and was run by consultant Stephen H. Unsworth, director of BadgeQuest, of West Yarmouth. A written report of the assessment center from BadgeQuest is among the information Pluta said she is considering.

Perez and Neiswanger were the only two candidates to go through the assessment center, but the committee had the option of recommending only one or neither of them, committee Chairman Joseph M. McGiverin said.

The original field was 39 candidates. That was narrowed to 13, then nine and then five, committee he said.

James M. Neiswanger, Holyoke Police Chief Finalist Cover Letter and Resume

The committee’s plan was to submit four or five finalists to Pluta. But of the final five, three dropped out days before the assessment center was held. One and possibly two of the five got other jobs and what happened with the third was unclear, McGiverin said.

“I’m disappointed the other three didn’t go through the assessment center,” he said.

Perez and Neiswanger are strong and evenly matched, he said.

“In the end, I don’t think there’s a clear 1-2. Pretty much a split decision, if you were going to rank them,” he said.

The committee considered “back-filling,” returning to the final nine or final 13 candidates to get additional finalists, but that option raised fairness and legal issues, and it was scrapped, he said.

West Springfield Police Capt. Ronald P. Campurciani confirmed he was among the final 13.

“It was just an opportunity that presented itself in Holyoke. I wasn’t looking to leave West Springfield,” said Campurciani, a 25-year veteran.

Advertisements were placed for candidates in New England and New York, but periodicals that included the ads ran nationally, so at least one candidate applied from Arizona and another was from Nebraska or Montana, McGiverin said.

Eight to 10 candidates were from Massachusetts and others were from Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York, he said.

There were several women, but most of the candidates were men, he said.

Besides McGiverin, the committee consisted of Councilor at Large Patricia C. Devine; Holyoke Police Capt. Arthur R. Monfette; Lt. Randy Mead of the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department; Debra Vega, co-owner of Vega Yoga & Movement Arts here; Andrew L. Melendez, director of the Homework House Inc. tutoring program here and member of the charter study commission; and retired lawyer Paul Lietz.

After an announcement, the mayor and the chief choice would have to agree on a contract. A background check and physical and psychological examinations also would be done on the man, Pluta said.

Pedro Perez, Holyoke Police Chief Finalist Cover Letter and Resume

Former guidance counselor Patrick Van Amburgh, the town and several town officials were named in the U.S. District Court suit.

File photo | The RepublicanPalmer High School.

PALMER – A lawsuit has been filed in U.S. District Court on behalf of a former Palmer High School student who said she was targeted by her ex-guidance counselor for a sexual relationship in 2008 when she was a senior.

Filed earlier this month by the plaintiff’s lawyer, Jeffrey E. Poindexter of the Springfield firm Bulkley, Richardson & Gelinas, the complaint names as defendants former Palmer High School guidance counselor Patrick Van Amburgh, the town of Palmer, School Superintendent Gerald A. Fournier, former High School principal Bonny B. Rathbone, and the School Committee, including past member Mary A. Salzmann.

More than a year ago, Poindexter filed a similar complaint on behalf of his client - referred to as “Jane Doe” - with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, which found probable cause for the complaint.

Included in the MCAD complaint was a statement from Van Amburgh that said he did not have sex with Doe; Van Amburgh, believed to be living in New York, could not be reached for comment, nor could his attorney, Hal Etkin, regarding the new lawsuit.

The lawsuit contends that school officials knew about Van Amburgh’s behavior and should have taken action against him.

Bonnie B. Rathbone

Now, Doe is seeking compensatory damages, including for emotional distress, attorney’s fees, interest and any other relief deemed appropriate by the court.

Fournier declined comment about the suit; he said he is still waiting to hear from the state Department of Education if Van Amburgh’s educator’s license has been revoked.

The suit states that Van Amburgh had a pattern of inappropriate relationships with students that came to light in 2006.

It states that Van Amburgh, also the assistant football coach, was “very popular,” and “very friendly” with students, particularly female students, and kept photographs of them on his office wall.

Through a police investigation, it was reported that Van Amburgh had sex with a student. He denied he had sex with the student, but admitted to failing to maintain proper boundaries and using poor judgment, according to the suit.

The complaint goes on to say that Van Amburgh did not change his dealings with students after the 2006 police investigation, and that he bragged about his conquests of female students, including a “belt system” used by him and another high school employee. They collected belts of the students they slept with as “trophies or proof of their conquests,” the suit states.

Gerald Fournier

“Dr. Fournier ... has testified under oath that he believed that Mr. Van Amburgh was too ‘cozy’ with female students,” the complaint reads. “Dr. Fournier on one occasion observed a female student in Mr. Van Amburgh’s office wearing a short skirt with her feet up on Mr. Van Amburgh’s desk and took action to stop such conduct.”

It also states that Van Amburgh monitored the ages of female students to ensure his sexual conquests would not result in statutory rape charges.

Doe turned 17 in January 2008, and started her senior year that September. A month later, the complaint states Van Amburgh started showing “an unusual and unprofessional interest” in her. Between Oct. 3 and 18, they exchanged more than 1,300 text messages, and Doe said the two had sexual relations during her second visit to his apartment.

Doe’s mother met with Fournier and Vice Principal Joseph Bianca about the relationship; school officials asked her not to go to the police with the story, according to the suit.

“Mr. Van Amburgh asked Jane Doe to lie and tell the school officials that they just talked about college and relationship issues,” the suit states.

Mary A. Salzmann

Fournier placed Van Amburgh on paid administrative leave on Oct. 20, 2008, pending an investigation regarding allegations of inappropriate interactions with students. On Nov. 17, 2008, Fournier told Van Amburgh by letter that he intended to terminate him for having sexual intercourse with at least one current student, inappropriate interactions with several other female students, misuse of work time for sending thousands of text messages to female students, and visiting inappropriate websites during school time.

Van Amburgh resigned that day.

The suit states that Doe was “vilified and ostracized by various students and staff members” because of Van Amburgh’s popularity.

And, it states that she was sexually harassed and abused by Van Amburgh, and that the defendants failed to address or remedy adequately the sexual harassment by Van Amburgh, which interfered with her education by “creating an intimidating, hostile, humiliating and sexually offensive educational environment.”

State Rep. Todd M. Smola, R-Palmer, said legislation that was filed that would have made it a felony for a school employee to have sex with a student, regardless of age, “died” in the last legislative session, but it is continuing to be reviewed by legal counsel.

Smola said this should be something every school district addresses in its policy handbook.

Palmer schools have had a policy since 2006 that bars “student-staff personal relationships which exceed the scope of normal professional student-staff relationships.” Violating that policy can result in termination, it reads.

Reid, the top elected Mormon in the Democratic Party, says the country is not ready for fellow Mormon Romney to be the Republicans' presidential nominee.

Associated PressU.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nevada, left, says former Massachusetts Gov. W. Mitt Romney, right, a fellow Mormon, "doesn't know who he is."

WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, the top elected Mormon in the Democratic Party, says the country is not ready for fellow Mormon Mitt Romney to be the Republicans' presidential nominee.

"Here's a man who doesn't know who he is," Reid told reporters Tuesday, citing Romney's changed positions on some issues. "If someone doesn't know who they are, they shouldn't be president of the United States."

A Romney spokeswoman, Andrea Saul, said in response to the senator's comments that the Romney campaign wasn't seeking a Reid endorsement, "nor is it one we would accept."

Reid pointed to three issues on which he argued that Romney has shifted positions: gay marriage, abortion and health care.

However, the Senate majority leader misstated Romney's support of gay marriage, saying the Republican backed gay marriage as governor of Massachusetts. In fact, Romney did not, although Romney did say during his unsuccessful 1994 Senate race that he would be stronger on gay rights than his opponent, Democratic Sen. Edward M. Kennedy.

Reid also said Romney "was for abortion" as governor and was now against it. Romney did indeed back away from his support of abortion rights as a gubernatorial candidate and now opposes abortion.

As for health care, Reid said President Barack Obama's health care overhaul law last year was modeled "to a large degree about what he (Romney) did in Massachusetts. Now, he's trying to run from that."

Romney has said that his statewide health care initiative, which included requiring that people have health insurance, wasn't meant to be undertaken on a national level and not in the form of the new federal health care law.

Reid had kinder words for another fellow Mormon, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, who announced his candidacy for the GOP nomination on Tuesday.

"In that race, if I had a choice, I would favor Huntsman over Romney," Reid said. "But I don't have a choice in that race."

Reading teacher Sarah Jordan showed a portion of the video "Superman" by rapper Eminem during a class on media analysis.

File photo | Associated PressRapper Eminem performs at Yankee Stadium in New York.

WESTBOROUGH — A middle school teacher in Westborough has resigned after showing a class a sexually suggestive video by the rapper Eminem.

Earlier this month, reading teacher Sarah Jordan showed a portion of the video "Superman" during a class on media analysis at Sarah W. Gibbons Middle School.

Parents of two of the 20 children in class complained to administrators, and Jordan had been suspended with pay before stepping down.

The video contains nudity and sexual images. But police didn't press charges against Jordan after determining the students were shown an edited version of the video, which blurred out anything that would have been considered obscene.

Monson town manager Gretchen Neggers said the town it is difficult to look past the damage to think of rebuilding. "We're trying to get past the horror and see the opportunity," she said. Watch video

View full sizeRepublican staff photo by Don TreegerRecovery efforts are underway in Brimfield following the tornado of June 1st, 2011. The Village Green Family Campground was decimated by the tornado, but residents and owners are trying to recover. Here, Robert J. Parron of Holland works on building a new pavilion to replace the one that was destroyed.

SPRINGFIELD – State and local officials at a public forum Tuesday said the June 1 tornado left behind an unprecedented amount of damage and disruption in Western Massachusetts, but it also created a unique opportunity for long-term redevelopment.

Before a crowd of more than 250 people at Center Court at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, a series of speakers, including Gov. Deval L. Patrick, Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray, and Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, emphasized a need to look to long-term goals while dealing with the immediate problem of cleanup from the storm.

“We have a need and an opportunity here,” Patrick said.

Clearly, there is work needed to be done immediately to stabilize the region, he said, but at the same time, communities also need to take a long view.

“We need to focus on a long-term mission of revitalizing, not just rebuilding, but revitalizing our communities,” he said.

Patrick talked about the rebuilding as an opportunity for different and sometimes opposing sectors to work together, including state and local agencies, the public and private sectors, and business and labor. His administration is committed to allowing displaced residents and businesses to return to their neighborhoods, to rebuilding as quickly as possible, and to look for opportunities for job-creation, long-term sustainability and clean-energy development.

The crowd applauded when Patrick announced the Caring Health Center, which was heavily damaged when the tornado swept across Main Street in the South End, is going forward with an $18.7 million expansion project.

The center, which provides medical and dental care to 16,000 people, sustained close to $600,000 damage in the storm. The project should create as many as 75 construction jobs, and when completed will have as many as 125 permanent health care positions.

CEO Ann Awad praised her staff for continuing to work and care for patients, even though they themselves have been traumatized by the destruction.

Of the project, she said, “I hope it inspires the people of the South End as they see it rise.”

Murray, standing at center court for the basketball hall of fame, invoked the words of legendary Celtics coach Red Auerbach when he said rebuilding will require both tenacity and a sense of purpose to be successful.

“The spirit it there. It’s going to take time,” he said.

Gretchen Neggers, town manager for Monson, said the small town and its residents are trying to think about the future, but they are still coming to grips with the level of damage.

“Ever since June 1, everywhere I go everyone has a different story to tell (about the tornado), and every community has a different story to tell,” she said. “We are a town of 8,500 people. The last thing we wanted was to be on anyone’s map.”

Republican staff photo by Dave RobackMonson Town Administrator Gretchen Neggers speaks at the Rebuild Meeting at the Basketball Hall of Fame. Looking on from left are Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Gregory Bialecki, Massachusetts Gov. Deval L. Patrick and Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno.

“It has been a difficult event to process and to see as an opportunity. But we are trying,” she said. “We’re trying to get past the horror and see the opportunity.”

Springfield interim Development Director Christopher Moskel said the tornado cut a path 6.2 miles long and between a quarter-mile and a mile wide.

Eight of the city’s 17 neighborhoods sustained some damage. Three schools, the South End Community Center and 10 public parks were damaged, and up to 7,500 trees have been damaged, he said. “The city’s landscape has
been changed.”

Also 220 houses have been condemned, and 114 have been demolished. Some 3,300 rental units have been lost.

Seventy-four businesses were damaged and so far 47 have reopened, and 18 of those are in temporary quarters.

The city is proceeding with a public-private partnership to help with the rebuilding, and Moskel said it is also a priority is to do it as transparently as possible.

The focus is on rebuilding each of the neighborhoods.

“We believe the long-term revitalization of the city depends on strong neighborhoods,” he said.

The forum consisted of brief remarks by Patrick, Murray and Sarno, followed by reports by various officials with affected communities, state officials, and private industry leaders.

For the second portion, the audience broke into smaller discussion groups that focused on different elements for rebuilding, such as construction of energy efficient buildings, opportunities for entrepreneurs and for the local workforce, and ways to implement community planning.

Lara Shepard-Blue of the No One Leaves/Nadie Se Mude Coalition, a non-profit organization that aids people facing foreclosure and eviction, said afterward she was a little disappointed that the audience seemed to be made mostly of city and state employees and business professionals, but seemed to have few ordinary people or small non-profit community groups.

She said any effort rebuilding of the city needs to make sure that everyone, including low- and moderate-income people “have a voice at the table.”

When the federal disaster declaration was issued last week, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced a 90-day moratorium on all foreclosures of Federal Housing Administration mortgages.

Shepard-Blue said the coalition is calling on area banks holding private mortgages to do the same.

Republican staff photo by Patrick JohnsonSpringfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno gestures as he makes a point to Lara Shepard-Blue of the Springfield No One Leaves/Nadie Se Mude Coalition in the hallway of the Naismith Memorial National Basketball Hall of Fame. Each attended a public forum on tornado relief strategies, and Shepard-Blue asked Sarno afterward about ways to aid people facing foreclosure or eviction.

She said the hundreds of city people remain traumatized about losing their homes in the disaster, she said, “and no one knows how many evacuees are homeless.”

There are 144 people staying in the emergency shelter at the MassMutual Center, but Shepard-Blue said no one knows how many people who lost their homes are staying with family or friends.

Earlier in the day, Patrick in Boston signed a bill that will help pay for state costs associated with damage from the June 1 tornadoes in Western Massachusetts, and a state senator from Wilbraham said she would file legislation to help protect tornado victims from scams and unscrupulous contractors.

The $54 million bill signed by the governor includes $15 million to finance the state’s costs for the tornadoes including overtime for workers in agencies such as the National Guard, State Police and the state Department of Conservation and Recreation.

The state Legislature voted final approval of the bill on Monday.

The bill includes a measure to speed the process for cities and towns to borrow on an emergency basis. It also clears communities to provide property tax relief to property owners affected by the tornadoes. Property taxes for the fiscal year that starts July 1 would be based on the damaged condition of the properties.

With that bill now law, Sen. Gale D. Candaras, a Wilbraham Democrat, said she would file a bill to protect people from contractors or others who might attempt to take advantage of property owners in the wake of the storms.

Under the bill by Candaras, people would face state prison terms of up to 30 years and fines up to $1 million for defrauding or stealing from a victim of an emergency or major disaster.

In addition to the criminal penalty, the bill automatically suspends or revokes the license of state-certified contractors and suppliers and bars them from bidding or being awarded government contracts for a period of five years.

Registration for assistance at FEMA’s Disaster Recovery Center at Munger Hill School in Westfield has been sparse since it opened at 1 p.m. Monday.

Magaly Morales, relief specialist, said staff has assisted only 11 residents, as of mid-day Tuesday, in registering for possible federal financial assistance needed for home repairs resulting from the June 1 tornado.

But, she said response is expected to pick up as word spreads about the center’s location.

“We sent out community relations workers today to pass out flyers announcing the center operations here,” Morales said Tuesday.

The center will be manned daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., including Saturdays and Sundays when it will be open until 5 p.m., if necessary, to assist homeowners in need.

In addition to FEMA, state agencies such as the Department of Housing and Community Development, unemployment and insurance services also have representatives at Munger Hill to assist residents.

Morales said the center will connect residents with the National Process Service Center via a computer link. Based on information residents provide to that center, they will be referred to various programs.

Residents can also call (800) 621-3362 for assistance. City officials have said 250 homes were damaged by the tornado that hit Westfield first before moving into West Springfield.

In West Springfield, Health Director Jeanne Galloway said officials are still struggling to find housing for the many refugees who form the majority of the 90 or so people living in the homeless shelter the city has set up for tornado victims at the Eastern States Exposition fairgrounds.

Although there are some smaller apartments available in the community, Galloway said there are not many of the larger ones that the refugees need because they have big families.

Galloway said the city aims to get housing for everyone by July 1.

As of early afternoon Tuesday, FEMA’s disaster recovery center on the third floor of the municipal building had seen eight people for that day.

In Monson, the FEMA disaster center opened Tuesday at Granite Valley Middle School. Disaster Recovery Center Manager Kenneth F. Swain said approximately 35 people visited as of 4:30 p.m.

“It’s been steady,” Swain said.

Swain said it can be an overwhelming process for people after they have experienced a disaster, but the staff is there to help them.

Trevor N. Trott, owner of Nu-life Home Solutions on Washington Street, was there to find out about a small business loan. His house survived, but the garage and trailer on the property which housed his business, are another story. The garage is gone; the trailer is a total loss.

“All my stuff got tossed,” Trott said. “My tools are all gone.”

View full sizeComedian Bill Cosby talks with Lisa Michaud, spokeswoman for the American Red Cross and Rick Lee, American Red Cross Pioneer Valley Chapter Executive Director, during his visit to Springfield to speak to those sheltered at the MassMutual Center.

Comedian Bill Cosby visited the MassMutual Center shelter in Springfield for tornado victims on Tuesday. Cosby, a resident of Shelburne, spoke to staff with Red Cross of Pioneer Valley.

He expressed his thanks and his appreciation for the work they are doing.

After speaking to staff, Cosby met with citizens in Court Square. An announcement was made inside the shelter that Cosby was across the street and many went outside to see him, according to Steve M. Noe, a Red Cross staff member.

Republican reporters Dan Ring, Sandra Constantine, Ted Laborde, Lori Stabile and Kyle Newcomb contributed to this report.

Papandreou now faces a critical vote next week on a massive austerity package that Greece's international creditors have said must pass by the end of June.

Associated PressGreek Prime Minister George Papandreou, right, is congratulated by his Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Evangelos Venizelos in Athens on Tuesday June 22, 2011. Debate began in parliament last Sunday on a vote of confidence in the reshuffled government. The ruling socialists win the vote with 155 over 300-seat parliament. (AP Photo/Dimitri Messinis)

By DEREK GATOPOULOS
and ELENA BECATOROS

ATHENS, Greece — The Greek prime minister survived a crucial confidence vote early Wednesday, keeping alive a government dedicated to averting a debt default that could spark a financial maelstrom around the world.

Lawmakers voted 155 to 143 along party lines to back Prime Minister George Papandreou, who now faces a critical vote next week on a massive austerity package that Greece's international creditors have said must pass by the end of June.

He is seeking €28 billion ($40.24 billion) in budget cuts and new taxes and €50 billion worth of privatization of public assets. Unless the new measures pass, Greece will not receive the next batch of bailout funds, worth €12 billion, and will face a disastrous default in July, when it runs out of money.

A default by Greece could drag down Greek and European banks and renew fears over the finances of other eurozone countries such as Portugal, Ireland and Spain.

Papandreou must still convince all the lawmakers from his Socialist party to support the austerity bill, which has provoked strikes, riots and a slump in his popularity. While all 155 Socialists voted in favor of the confidence motion, several have publicly criticized the austerity measures and at least one has said he will not back them.

After the vote, riot police fired tear gas and stun grenades to push back a group of about 200 protesters who had broken off from a main rally of several thousand to throw bottles and other objects at the police lines guarding Parliament.

"We will do everything in our power to end the state of insecurity Greek families face and exit this crisis in a safe way. We have a plan, we have prospects," Papandreou said during a debate before his victory. "Regardless of the panic caused by some, we are on an organized course, helped by the international community with massive loans — the largest every given in the history of our planet."

Papandreou's government came to the brink of collapse last week as protesters rioted on the streets of Athens, two party rebels resigned their parliamentary seats and talks with the opposition conservatives over forming a pro-austerity coalition government fell apart. In response, he reshuffled his Cabinet, replaced his increasingly unpopular finance minister with a party heavyweight — his main internal rival — and called for the confidence vote.

European officials have been pressing opposition leader Antonis Samaras to back the austerity bill, which will run to 2015, two years beyond the current government's mandate. But Samaras has insisted the thinking behind it is wrong, saying it is keeping Greece in a recession. He has called for a renegotiation of the initial bailout deal.

Papandreou's losing the confidence vote would have likely led to early elections and thrown into question whether Greece could pass the new austerity measures. Expectations he would win lifted world markets earlier in the day.

As deputies voted, several thousand protesters gathered outside Parliament chanting "Thieves! thieves!", shining green laser lights at the parliament building and into the eyes of riot police protecting it. Continuing strikes by electricity company workers objecting to privatization caused a second day of rolling blackouts.

"I understand the anger, the fear, and the question whether we will make it," Papandreou said. "My answer is that we have been making it every day for the last 20 months, with difficulties and mistakes, with a price to pay and with sacrifices but we are succeeding."

Greece is being kept financially afloat by a €110 billion ($157 billion) package of bailout loans granted by other eurozone countries and the International Monetary Fund last year, and has implemented strict austerity measures in return, cutting public sector salaries and pensions, increasing taxes and overhauling its welfare system.

But the country has struggled to meet it targets, missing many, and is now in negotiations for a second bailout, which Papandreou has said will be roughly the same size as the first.

Officials from the IMF, European Commission and European Central Bank who have been overseeing Greece's reforms were in Athens Wednesday to discuss the new austerity measures.

On Tuesday the new finance minister, Evangelos Venizelos, promised that parliament will pass the unpopular austerity package by the end of June.

"We must follow this course to save the country," Venizelos said.

"Our European partners ... face us with distrust," he said. "This is an atmosphere that we have to change."

Papandreou's popularity has been hammered by the latest austerity measures, with an opinion poll published Tuesday giving the Socialists a 20.1 percent approval rating. Rival conservatives fared marginally better, at 21 percent, in the GPO survey for private Mega television of 1,000 adults. No margin of error was given.

Menelaos Hadjicostis, Demetris Nellas and AP photographers contributed to this report.

The 31,000-square-foot facility is going up next to the current station, which was built in 1964 and has become obsolete for modern police work.

Artist's conception of new Northampton police station.

NORTHAMPTON – The new police facility is on course to come in on its $17.6 million budget, according to a preliminary review of the bids for subcontracting services.

Police Chief Russell P. Sienkiewicz, the co-chairman of the Building Committee for the project, said that the bids for services such as masonry, roofing, flooring and electrical work appear to be in line with the projected cost of the facility, although the process has not yet been finalized. The bids were opened on May 27 and represent virtually all the work on the building, minus the foundation and some other site work.

Barr & Barr., Inc. of Framingham, the construction manager at risk, is still reviewing the bids and will present its report to the Building Committee on Wednesday, according to Sienkiewicz. By the terms of its contract with the city, the construction manager at risk assumes responsibility for the final cost, once the figures are locked in. Arcadis of Middletown, Conn., the project manager representing the city, has also been involved in the review process along with the architect, Caolo and Bienick Associates, and some other consultants.

The 31,000-square-foot facility is going up next to the current station, which was built in 1964 and has become obsolete for modern police work. The project was on the cusp of breaking ground in 2008 when it fell apart amid the financial collapse that shook the country. Last year, voters approved a $10 million debt exclusion override of Proposition 2½, and the facility was back in business. The estimated cost has fluctuated to as high as $19 million. Sienkiewicz said it has taken some bargaining to bring the project back to the $17.6 million cost promised to Northampton taxpayers.

“There has been active negotiation among all parties to close what was a gap,” he said. “Everybody had to shave a little.”

On the city side, it sacrificed features such as the sophisticated air-handling system, going with a less computerized but equally effective model. Bidders have also looked for ways to cut costs on items such as light fixtures, Sienkiewicz said.

The original plan called for a firing range inside the building. That feature was eliminated, then reintegrated into the project. As it currently stands, Sienkiewicz said, the cement pill-box for the range will be built as part of the basement, but the project lacks the money for the $80,000 cooling unit that goes with it. The unit could possibly be added later, if there are leftover funds.

The Building Committee is putting 2.5 percent of the budget in a contingency fund for unexpected problems. Those problems are most commonly encountered during excavation. After breaking ground on May 12, crews have dug to within 10 feet of their target for laying the foundation. Should the rest of the excavation go smoothly, Sienkiewicz is hopeful he will have some money to spare.

“Once you’ve got the hole dug and you’ve started to do the building, it’s all fixed costs,” he said.

The project is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2012. The current station will be demolished as part of the plan, which also includes a two-level parking garage.

Jason Valdez of Utah updated his Facebook status while holding a woman hostage and was told by a friend where the SWAT officers where outside the house.

In this June 17, 2011 photo, officers approach the area as Ogden City Police respond to a hostage situation at the Western Colony Inn where a man holds a woman hostage, in Ogden, Utah. On Tuesday, June 21, 2011, the suspect, Jason Valdez, remains hospitalized in critical condition due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound, after a 16-hour weekend standoff with police. Throughout the standoff, Valdez posted status updates on Facebook. (AP Photo/Deseret News, Scott G. Winterton)

By JENNIFER DOBNER, Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Jason Valdez is no stranger to Utah police. His latest brush with the law, however, may have been the most public.

An armed Valdez, 36, held a woman hostage at a motel in a tense 16-hour, overnight standoff with SWAT teams, all while finding time to keep his family and friends updated on Facebook, authorities said.

He even got some help from the outside over the social network: A friend posted that a SWAT officer was hiding in the bushes.

"Thank you homie," Valdez replied. "Good looking out."

When officers swarmed the room, Valdez shot himself in the chest with a handgun, Ogden police said. On Tuesday, he was in critical condition.

The Associated Press reviewed Valdez's Facebook profile page on Tuesday. Police believe he wrote the messages during the standoff.

It wasn't immediately clear, however, whether police were following the posts in real-time, though the department spokeswoman said officers routinely search the Internet and other sources for background on suspects.

In all, Valdez made six posts and added at least a dozen new friends.

His family and friends responded with 100 comments. Some people offered words of support, and others pleaded for him to "do the right thing."

Court records show Valdez has a criminal history, including convictions for aggravated assault and domestic violence in front of a child.

In March, prosecutors filed felony and misdemeanor drug possession charges against Valdez. A judge issued a warrant for Valdez's arrest after he missed a June 1 preliminary hearing in the case.

This photo taken Tuesday June 21,2011 shows a portion of a Facebook page of Jason Valdez, who barricaded himself in a Utah motel room with a hostage for a 16-hour standoff with police, all the while updating his Facebook status. A SWAT team soon descended on the scene, and Valdez began his real-time online rants. "I love u guyz and if I don't make it out of here alive that I'm in a better place and u were all great friends," he wrote in one Facebook posts. Authorities eventually stormed the room, and Valdez shot himself in the chest and remains in critical condition. (AP Photo)

On Friday afternoon, Ogden police tried to serve Valdez with a felony drug warrant for the missed court appearance.

Valdez barricaded himself inside the Western Colony Inn.

"I'm currently in a standoff ... kinda ugly, but ready for whatever," Valdez wrote in his first post at 11:23 p.m. "I love u guyz and if I don't make it out of here alive that I'm in a better place and u were all great friends."

Valdez said in posts that he was with a woman named Veronica. Police described her as a hostage.

In his posts, Valdez told friends when police shut off the power that his "hostage" was fine — and with him willingly — and that police are jeopardizing her life by their actions.

At 2:04 a.m., Valdez posted two pictures of himself and the woman.

"Got a cute 'Hostage' huh," Valdez wrote of the photographs.

At 3:48 a.m., one of Valdez' friends posted that police had a 'gun ner in the bushes stay low." Valdez thanked him in a reply.

The final post was at 7:25 a.m. Saturday: "Well i was lettin this girl go but these dumb bastards made an attempt to come in after i told them not to, so i popped off a couple more shots and now were startin all over again it seems ..."

SWAT officers stormed Valdez's room about 90 minutes later. Police never fired, Ogden Lt. Danielle Croyle said.

Police believe that responses from Valdez's friend gave him an advantage.

Authorities are now discussing whether some of Valdez' friends should be arrested and charged with obstruction of justice for hampering a police investigation. "We're not sure yet how to deal with it," said Croyle.

"We're talking about it and trying to figure out how do we address the kind of conflict that it presents," Croyle said.

Valdez could be facing new charges stemming from his actions during the standoff, including fire his handgun at police, Croyle said.