The city used to draw $600,000 a year from the coal-burning plant in property taxes, but that revenue is gone.

HOLYOKE -- The owner of the coal-burning plant on Route 5 north that closed at the end of 2014 has yet to decide what to do with the 128-acre site, a spokeswoman said this week.

But groups studying reuse options for the Mount Tom Power Station have three possibilities on which they are seeking the public's opinions in a survey.

All of the survey possibilities involve installation of solar-power panels and none of the possibilities proposes options that would generate anywhere near the property tax revenue the city received for years from the coal plant.

GDF SUEZ Energy North America, which owns the plant, said in June 2014 it would shut down by the end of the calendar year. The closing of the plant cost the jobs of 28 workers. The plant opened in 1960 beside the Connecticut River.

GDF SUEZ Energy North America hasn't determined a schedule for deciding about the fate of the former coal plant, company spokeswoman Carol Churchill said Tuesday (June 9).

"We have not yet made any decision with respect to the Mount Tom facility," she said.

The plant operated only off and on for several years as the economics of burning coal to create energy clashed with the cheaper alternative of natural gas, leading to the decision to close the plant, Churchill has said.

Since December, community meetings have been held with ideas suggested and studied about what to do with the site. That process has been held by the city, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, a state agency, and Ninigret Partners, an economic development consultant from Providence, Rhode Island.

The survey on the three possibilities for the site is available here.

The comment period ends July 6, according to the website of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center.

The three possibilities all involve installation of solar-power panels and keeping farmland as part of a reused site.

Two of the options also envision public access to the Connecticut River.

One of the options includes installation of an "anaerobic digestion" system. That's a process that uses bacteria to decompose organic matter (lawn clippings, leaves, algae, manure), which produces a gas that is about 60 percent methane and 40 percent carbon dioxide, "which can be recovered, treated and used to generate energy in place of traditional fossil fuels," the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website said.

The coal plant's closing strips an annual six-figure tax revenue source, more than $600,000, from the municipal budget of one of the state's poorest cities. From 2009 to 2013, Holyoke had 31.5 percent of its population living in poverty compared to 11.4 percent statewide, the U.S. Census Bureau said.

According to "Reuse Scenarios" compiled from the community meetings, (see below) the three possibilities listed for the site in the survey would generate only $10,000 to $99,000 a year in property tax revenue.

Mayor Alex B. Morse said the "unfortunate reality" is the site is severely constrained in terms of future uses. Restrictions are related to the high risk for flooding, overlooking the Connecticut River; the presence of endangered species (Bald Eagle, dragonfly species and mussels, in the river); contaminants from the coal burning operation; and government regulatory limitations, he said.

"It seems unlikely that the site could become the cash cow it once was for the city in terms of taxes or (in lieu of taxes) payments, although some valuable uses can be had at the property like the ones described by the study," Morse said.

Holyoke Public Meeting & Workshop Reuse Scenarios May 14th , 2015

Puppolo is vice chair of the House Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight.

SPRINGFIELD - A campaign event for state Rep. Angelo J. Puppolo Jr., D-Springfield, will be Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at the Barney Carriage House in Forest Park.

State Rep. Angelo Puppolo Jr., D-SpringfieldRepublican file 

Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo will be at the event along with members of the EndZone Militia, who will attend the event in full uniform, posing for photographs and firing musket volleys.

The event honors Puppolo's leadership position in the House as vice chair of the Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight.

At least 12 people have been killed in the flooding disaster, including three zoo workers.

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) -- Tigers, lions, a hippopotamus and other animals escaped from the zoo in Georgia's capital after heavy flooding destroyed their enclosures, prompting authorities to warn residents in Tbilisi to say inside Sunday. At least 12 people have been killed in the disaster, including three zoo workers.

An escaped hippo was cornered in one of the city's main squares and subdued with a tranquilizer gun, the zoo said. Some other animals also have been seized, but it remained unclear how many are on the loose. Bears and wolves are also among the animals who fled from their enclosures amid the flooding from heavy rains and high winds.

There were no immediate reports that any of the fatalities were due to animal attacks. The zoo said one of the dead was Guliko Chitadze, a zookeeper who lost an arm in an attack by a tiger last month; the Interfax news agency said her husband also died in the flooding.

As of mid-afternoon Sunday, it was unclear how many animals remained on the loose or what species they are.

"Not all the animals who ran away from the zoo have been captured. Therefore, I want to ask the populace to refrain from moving about the city without" an urgent need to, mayor David Narmania said.

A full accounting of what animals were missing wasn't immediately possible because a large part of the zoo remained underwater, zoo spokeswoman Khaati Batsilaishvili told The Associated Press.

Heavy rains and wind hit Tbilisi during the night, turning a normally small stream that runs through the hilly city into a surging river. The flooding also damaged dozens of houses.

Narmania told journalists that 12 people were known to have died.

Helicopters circled the city and volunteers and rescue workers labored to help those whose residences were damaged or destroyed, despite the potential danger from the escaped animals. About 1.1 million people live in the former Soviet republic's capital.

The head of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Ilia II, was quoted by the Interfax news agency as telling a Sunday Mass that Georgia's former Communist rulers could be seen as involved in the disaster.

"When Communists came to us in this country, they ordered that all crosses and bells of the churches be melted down and the money used to build the zoo," he said. "The sin will not go without punishment. I am very sorry that Georgians fell so that a zoo was built at the expense of destroyed churches."

One passenger broke his arm and three others were cut and bruised.

COLCHESTER, VT - A Quebec man was killed and four Connecticut residents were injured in a head-on car collision on Interstate 89.

Vermont State Police Saturday night identified the man killed in the accident as Dominique Roy, 48, of St. Laurent, Quebec.

Roy was heading southbound on Interstate 89 near Exit 16 on Friday night when he left the road, crossed the median and ended up in the northbound lanes. He then collided head-on with a 2014 Subaru Forester with four occupants, Vermont State Police officials said.

One of the passengers of the Subaru, Robert Bowden, 50, broke his arm. The driver, Bradford Freeman, 49, and two 15-year-old passengers were cut and bruised in the accident. All four, who live in Tolland, Connecticut, were treated at the University of Vermont Medical Center, police said.

All five victims were wearing seat belts at the time. Both cars were totaled.

Police said they are investigating the cause of the crash. It was raining heavily at the time so police are looking into bad weather as a factor in the accident. Neither driver was speeding. Anyone with information pertaining to the crash is asked to call VSP Williston at 802-878-7111.

Interstate 89 north was closed for several hours. The Winooski Police Department, Colchester Fire Department and Rescue Squad, St. Michael's Fire Department and Rescue Squad, Milton Rescue Department and the University of Vermont Medical Center Rescue all responded, police said.

When Jeb Bush finally says on Monday that he's running for president, he'll begin the campaign with much to prove.

PARK CITY, Utah -- When Jeb Bush finally says on Monday that he's running for president, he'll begin the campaign with much to prove.

Back in December, the former Florida governor said he was exploring a 2016 run, an announcement that by itself had the power to kick off the campaign.

In the six months since, Bush probably has shattered a fundraising record as well as pioneering a new approach to White House campaigning. He has just completed a well-reviewed trip through Europe.

Supporters had hoped that this son of one president and brother of another would by now hold a commanding position in an unwieldy Republican field. Yet he has not broken away from the pack.

"I know that I'm going to have to go earn this," Bush said this past week. "It's a lot of work and I'm excited about the prospects of this. It's a long haul. You start wherever you start, and you end a long way away from where we are today, so I just urge everybody to be a little more patient about this."

Bush, 62, planned to make his candidacy official during a Monday afternoon speech and rally at Miami Dade College, the nation's largest university.

He has failed to scare any potential rival from the race, except perhaps 2012 nominee Mitt Romney. He is unpopular among some of his party's most passionate voters and little known beyond his home state despite the Bush name.

"I thought Jeb would take up all the oxygen," said Ohio Gov. John Kasich. "He hasn't." Emboldened by Bush's slow rise, Kasich acknowledged this weekend that he is stepping up preparations for a possible campaign.

Bush is one of 11 major Republicans in the hunt for the nomination. Kasich and a few others are still deciding whether to join a field that could end up just shy of 20.

But few among them entered the race with such a high expectations of success as did Bush. Those expectations have seemed a burden at times.

Take, for example, the question of whether Bush will report raising $100 million for his campaign in the first six months of the year. Lost amid the "will he or won't he" is that Bush probably will have taken in far more than anyone else.

Romney said Saturday it would not surprise him to learn that Bush had scooped up twice that of all the other GOP candidates combined.

"By all appearances, he's raised a lot of money," Romney said, praising Bush's "experienced and capable team." ''At this stage, that's a very important thing to do."

Even if he does not reach the $100 million mark, Bush will have amassed more in six months than Romney and his allies at a super political action committee raised for the entire year before the 2012 election.

By contrast, a senior adviser to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, considered along with Bush among the few top-tier 2016 contenders, expects he will raise roughly $25 million through the end of June. The adviser spoke on the condition of anonymity to share internal fundraising details.

Romney's former fundraising chief, Spencer Zwick, said despite Bush likely commanding lead in the fundraising race, it's not clear how much of an advantage he will hold over the field.

"You don't need $100 million to run a primary," Zwick said. He suggested that multiple candidates would have the resources "to go the distance," adding that "it doesn't feel like anybody owns the dominant position."

Bush took lots of questions this past week about a supposed shake-up at campaign headquarters, even though only one member of his senior team -- who remains on Bush's staff -- was affected. The attention exasperated Bush: "It's June, for crying out loud," he told reporters while in Berlin. "We've got a long way to go."

Still, Bush's first six months back in politics since leaving the governor's office in 2007 have been underwhelming at times.

His low-key speaking style often leaves something to be desired, particularly when compared with some opponents. He sometimes gets snippy during long campaign days. While detailed policy questions are often his strength, he struggled for several days last month to answer a predictable question about the war in Iraq that his brother, former President George W. Bush, waged.

"He would be an excellent president no doubt, but how far he can go in the process remains to be seen," said John Rakolta Jr., the CEO of a Michigan construction company and a leading Romney donor.

In his speech Monday, Bush planned to make the case that those involved in creating Washington's problems cannot fix them. The point is designed to jab the Republican senators -- including political protege in Florida, Marco Rubio -- in the race.

Meanwhile, an allied super PAC fueled by Bush's fundraising haul is developing an advertising strategy that will promote Bush's record in Florida and attack his rivals.

Illinois-based businessman Todd Ricketts, a Walker supporter, said it's far too early to draw any conclusions about Bush or the rest of the field.

"Once there's a debate, we'll have a clearer picture of who appears to be ready," he said.

Debra Tautznik was an artist and consummate volunteer for Easthampton.

EASTHAMPTON - The wife of the city's first mayor died after falling down the stairs while volunteering during the Cultural Chaos event Saturday afternoon.

Debra A. Tautznik, 60, was brought to Baystate Medical Center at about 2 p.m. Saturday after falling down the stairs to the basement at 78 Cottage St., said Mary Carey, spokeswoman for the Northwestern District Attorney's Office

"She was a jewel. This town just lost an incredible asset," said Susan Leber, a long time friend of former Mayor Michael Tautznik and Debra Tautznik.

Tautznik, who worked in financial services and mental health, was a talented artist and a consummate volunteer in the community. She was especially supportive on any environmental issue, was always involved in city cleanups and was a member of the Pascommuck Conservation Trust, Leber said.

She grew up in Springfield and later moved to Easthampton. Leber called her the perfect person to serve as the first wife when Tautznik was the first person to become mayor of Easthampton.

Mike Tautznik met Debra Davis when she was a member of the Easthampton Conservation Commission and he worked for the Pascommuck Conservation Trust. The couple married in 1998, two years after Tautznik was elected mayor.

"She stood by Mike. She was a great communicator," she said. "She was very open and honest."

Leber said she was also very caring. When she went through chemotherapy a number of years ago Debra and Mike Tautznik would each spend several hours a week with her when she was very ill and needed help.

During that period, Debra Tautznik drew her a picture of Stuart Little hanging off a chain with the caption, "Hang in There" just to try to cheer her up a little.

Michael Tautznik posted a quote on his Facebook page on Sunday. "It hurts when you have someone in your heart, but you can't have them in your arms." More than 200 people offered their sympathy on his page.

State Sen. Donald F. Humason, R-Westfield, said he was shocked to hear of the death of Debra Tautznik. He said he spent some time at the Cultural Chaos event earlier in the day and spent a little time with Michael Tautznik at the noon dedication of the Easthampton Boardwalk .

Tautznik, who did not run for reelection in 2014, was integral in opening the boardwalk.

"It is so sudden and so sad. One minute you are at Cultural Chaos and a terrible accident happens," Humason said.

The fall appears to be accidental and not suspicious in nature, Carey said.

Easthampton police and fire personnel responded to the scene, Carey said.

The death remains under investigation by the Easthampton Police Department, Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Northwestern District Attorney's Office and its Crime Scene Services.

Two convicted murders who used power tools to cut their way out of a prison near the Canadian border could be nearby or "in Mexico by now," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sunday.

DANNEMORA, N.Y. -- Two convicted murders who used power tools to cut their way out of a prison near the Canadian border could be nearby or "in Mexico by now," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sunday.

The intense manhunt focused on the fields and Adirondack woods near the prison in upstate New York after the inmates' escape was apparently hampered by a prison employee's decision to back out as their getaway driver nine days ago.

The inmates, David Sweat and Richard Matt, planned to have the now-jailed prison worker drive them about seven hours away to an unknown destination, District Attorney Andrew Wylie told CNN.

But prison tailor shop instructor Joyce Mitchell backed out of the plan at the last minute, Wylie said.

"One of the reasons that she didn't show up was because she did love her husband and didn't want to do this to him," Wylie said.

Even as hundreds of law enforcement workers stalked the rural area about 20 miles from Canada, Cuomo said it was unclear the men were still nearby.

"We don't know if they are still in the area or if they're in Mexico by now," Cuomo said in response to a question at a news conference on school aid in the New York City suburbs.

Roads on the western edge of Plattsburgh were open only to local traffic and a state police helicopter was parked in a field where 24 hours earlier a contingent of 40 officers had marched into the adjacent woods on yet another grid search.

While many local residents remained locked in their homes at the advice of authorities, the outpouring of appreciation for the search effort continued. A restaurant was urging people to tie blue ribbons around trees and mailboxes.

"The locals have been awesome," said Sgt. Barry Cartier of the Franklin County Sheriff's Department, part of a crew from a neighboring county working 12-hour shifts. "They come around with food all the time. We've got too much to eat."

But residents were very much on edge, with some saying they were keeping firearms handy just in case. Both men are considered extremely dangerous.

Sweat was serving a life sentence for killing a sheriff's deputy. Matt was serving 25 years to life for the 1997 kidnap, torture and hacksaw dismemberment of his 76-year-old former boss.

The men used power tools to cut through the back of their cells, shimmied down a six-story catwalk, broke through a brick wall then cut into a steam pipe they used to reach a manhole outside the prison walls.

Mitchell, 51, was arraigned Friday on a felony charge of promoting prison contraband and a misdemeanor count of criminal facilitation. She is accused of befriending Sweat, 35, and Matt, 48, and smuggling in hacksaw blades, chisels, a punch and a screwdriver bit to help the men escape. Her lawyer entered a not guilty plea on her behalf.

Mitchell's son Tobey told NBC that she would not have helped the inmates escape.

Cuomo said there will be "zero tolerance" for any assistance the escapees may have received.

"If an employee was facilitating or an accomplice to this escape, they will be fully prosecuted," Cuomo said.

The School Committee adopted an $80.2 million budget in early June.

CHICOPEE - Mayor Richard J. Kos is scheduled to release the budget for the next fiscal year on Monday.

The new budget for fiscal year 2016 will be submitted to the City Council. The Council will then schedule a series of meetings to review the spending proposals.

The Council must approve the budget by June 30, the last day of fiscal year 2015. It can cut the budget but it cannot add expenses.

Kos has given few hints about the budget, except to say he plans to boost the Parks and Recreation funding by about $100,000 to allow it to offer programming in the Chicopee Falls Branch library, which is slated to close on June 26.

The School Committee adopted its fiscal year 2016 budget for $80.2 million in early June. The budget, which is the minimum amount state law requires the city to spend on education, is an increase of $3.5 million over last year's budget.

As with all communities, education is the largest part of any municipal budget.

This year's budget is about $171 million. It was a 2.3 percent, or $3.8 million, increase over the fiscal year 2014 budget.

A store surveillance video obtained by a Kentucky television station shows a man violently swinging a flagpole at a Louisville Metro Police officer before police say the officer fatally shot him.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A store surveillance video obtained by a Kentucky television station shows a man violently swinging a flagpole at a Louisville Metro Police officer before police say the officer fatally shot him.

Police said the officer responded to an assault call Saturday in Old Louisville, a neighborhood near downtown Louisville. The video WHAS-TV (http://bit.ly/1HGevjv) said it got from a nearby smoke shop shows the officer talking briefly with the man, who seems to become agitated and walks away from the officer.

The coroner's office on Sunday identified the man as 35-year-old Deng Manyoun, according to the TV station.

In this video capture from surveillance camera footage, a police officer in Louisville, Ky., is seen pulling his weapon on a man attacking him with a flagpole.Surveillance camera footage

Police Chief Steve Conrad said at a news conference on Sunday that he couldn't provide the name of the man killed, but identified the officer as Nathan Blanford, a 10-year veteran. Blanford has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an inquiry by the Police Department's Public Integrity Unit.

The video, which was broken down into segments, shows the officer take a few steps forward, pull his gun and appear to call for backup before the man advances toward him swinging the flag pole. At one point the flag pole breaks.

The video shows the officer pointing his gun at the man, but doesn't show him firing.

Police said the officer fired two shots in self-defense.

Conrad told reporters at the news conference that he believes the officer felt his life was in danger, which gave him the option to use deadly force under department policy.

"I don't think the officer had an opportunity to transition to a less lethal option," Conrad said.

Manyoun was taken by ambulance to the University of Louisville Hospital, where he later died.

Kenneth Williams said on the WHAS report that he witnessed the shooting and believes the use of deadly force was unnecessary.

"He could have maced him," Williams said in the video. "He could have used his stun gun."

Witnesses said Manyoun seemed intoxicated. He appeared to stumble when the officer was talking to him in the video.

Manyoun's arrest record shows a number of alcohol-related offenses dating back to 2008, WHAS reports. Before Saturday, Manyoun was arrested on June 2 for disorderly conduct, but released the following day.

The shooting has stirred emotions in the community, where neighbors said the man was known to residents. The Courier-Journal in Louisville reported that local activists planned a meeting Sunday to discuss the shooting.

Nick Holiday told The Associated Press on Saturday that he knew the man well and that he lived in an apartment building not far from the shooting site. Holiday, and others who had gathered at the intersection Saturday evening, questioned why the officer resorted to deadly force when faced with a flagpole, rather than use a Taser or other non-lethal means. They called for a quick and transparent investigation.

The 22-year-old woman who was assaulted was treated for her injuries at a hospital and released. Police did not disclose the nature of any relationship between her and the man.

The motorcycle driver suffered non-life threatening injuries.

SPRINGFIELD - A man attempting to do a wheelie on his motorcycle fell and injured his head and leg Sunday afternoon.

The accident happened shortly before 1:50 p.m. at the corner of Main and Waverly streets, said Police Sgt. Sean Arpin.

"A subject without a helmet was trying to do a wheelie when he was separated from his bike," he said.

The man was taken to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries, he said.

Arpin said the motorcycle driver was cited in the accident, but did not immediately know the charges.

According to Section 7 of Chapter 90 of Massachusetts State Laws motorcyclists are required to wear helmets while driving.

The eastbound lane of Springfield Street is now open.

Update: Springfield Street is now open eastbound and westbound.

AGAWAM - Police have blocked off half of Springfield Street following an accident between a jeep and a police cruiser Sunday.

The accident happened shortly after 1 p.m. near the Sarat Ford at 250 Springfield St.
Police blocked off the entire street for more than two hours. The street is now open.

The jeep involved in the accident remains parked at the accident site.

Massachusetts State Police is assisting Agawam Police at the scene.

Details about the crash were not immediately available. Masslive will update as more information becomes known.

It apparently took a long time for the killers to complete their plan, working methodically between midnight and 5 a.m. over many nights.

DANNEMORA, N.Y. -- The two killers who cut their way out of a maximum-security prison apparently used tools routinely stored there by contractors, taking care to return them to their toolboxes after each night's work so that no one would notice, a prosecutor said Sunday.

District Attorney Andrew Wylie also said that Joyce Mitchell, the prison tailoring shop instructor charged with helping the men escape, had agreed to pick them up in her car and drive off with them, but she backed out at the last minute because she still loved her husband and felt guilty for participating.

"Basically, when it was go-time and it was the actual day of the event, I do think she got cold feet and realized, 'What am I doing?'" Wylie said. "Reality struck. She realized that, really, the grass wasn't greener on the other side."

Wylie said there was no evidence the men had a "Plan B" once the getaway driver backed out, and no vehicles have been reported stolen in the area.

That has led searchers to believe the men are still near the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, where the manhunt was in its ninth day Sunday, with hundreds of law enforcement officers slogging through mosquito-infested woods, fields and swamps close to the Canadian border for Richard Matt and David Sweat.

At the same time, Gov. Andrew Cuomo cautioned that for all anyone knows, the convicts could be in Mexico by now.

Wylie said it apparently took a long time for the killers to complete their plan, working methodically between midnight and 5 a.m. over many nights.

"They had access, from what we understand, to other tools left in the facility by contractors under policy and were able to open the toolboxes and use those tools and then put them back so nobody would notice," the prosecutor said.

He also said the men had been scouting out the tunnel system under the prison at night for the best way get out.

The convicts used power tools to cut through the back of their adjacent cells, broke through a brick wall, then cut into a steam pipe and slithered through it, finally emerging outside the prison walls through a manhole, authorities said.

Mitchell, 51, was charged Friday with supplying hacksaw blades, chisels, a punch and a screwdriver. Her lawyer entered a not guilty plea on her behalf, and her son Tobey told NBC she would not have helped the inmates break out.

Wylie told CNN that the two inmates planned to have Mitchell drive them about seven hours away to an unknown destination.

Residents were very much on edge, with some saying they were keeping guns handy. But there was also an outpouring of support for the search effort. A restaurant urged people to tie blue ribbons around trees and mailboxes.

"The locals have been awesome," said Sgt. Barry Cartier of the Franklin County Sheriff's Department, part of a crew from a neighboring county working 12-hour shifts. "They come around with food all the time. We've got too much to eat."

Sweat, 35, was serving a life sentence without parole for killing a sheriff's deputy. Matt, 48, was doing 25 years to life for the 1997 kidnap, torture and hacksaw dismemberment of his former boss.

The proposal to create the new historic district followed an application for demolition of the property in January, according to the Historical Commission.

SPRINGFIELD — The city's Historical Commission is proposing that the former Willys-Overland block on Chestnut Street in the downtown be approved as a new historic district in Springfield, aimed at protecting it from demolition or other adverse changes.

The recommendation is scheduled for consideration by the City Council on Monday night. The meeting starts at 7 p.m., at City Hall.

The vacant building at 151-157 Chestnut St., constructed in 1916, is the former Willys-Overland Motor Co., a significant part of the city's early automotive history, said Robert McCarroll, a member of the Historical Commission.

The current property owner, Ciocca Construction Corp. of Wilbraham, applied for a demolition permit to tear down the block, but has been temporarily delayed under the city's demolition delay ordinance, McCarroll said.

The new historic district would involve a single building and adjacent lot, bordered by Chestnut, Worthington and Winter streets. The building was damaged in a downtown gas explosion in November 2012.

Historical Commission Chairman Ralph Slate praised the proposed new historic district, saying the building is a "key part of that automobile-oriented neighborhood."

"It is well-built in an eye-pleasing style," Slate said. "Its absence would negatively transform that neighborhood and I believe it could be redeveloped to become a great asset to the downtown."

The City Council approved a single-property historic district in December 2009, comprising the closed Our Lady of Hope Church on Armory Street. That change also was intended to protect it from adverse exterior changes, officials said.

Exterior changes to properties in historic districts require Historical Commission review and approval.

The demolition delay ordinance, approved in 2013, prevents demolition of century-old buildings and properties on historic registers for nine months, aimed at improving the chances that such buildings can be saved. The historic district offers far more protection, officials said.

The Willys-Overland block is on the National Register of Historic Places, but that does not protect it from demolition, McCarroll said.

Earlier this year, city officials unveiled a report titled "Springfield Vision 2017: The Right Direction," that included ideas for the future of the city including a suggested "teacher's village" of apartments at the Wilys-Overland block.

There is a nearly identical building to the Willys-Overland block in Detroit that was converted to housing, McCarroll said.

Sewer upgrades are planned in the South End and Six Corners area, among projects this week.

Springfield Water and Sewer Commission 

SPRINGFIELD - The Springfield Water and Sewer Commission has announced projects occurring this week including main interceptor sewer system upgrades in the South End and Six Corners neighborhoods.

The majority of construction in the South End-Six Corners area will occur in the vicinity of Mill Street from Main Street to Chester Street, by commission-hired private contractors, according to the commission. Construction is scheduled to begin the week with expected completion in the fall of 2016.

The typical construction hours will be Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Some of the work required for this project will occur during the overnight hours, commission spokeswoman Joyce Mulvaney said.

Residents and businesses will be notified in advance of work that will occur outside of typical work hours.

Due to the nature of this work, changes to traffic patterns and traffic delays are expected, Mulvaney said. Traffic will be managed with posted signs and police details. Drivers are encouraged to seek alternate routes when possible.

For additional information, ccntact the Water and Sewer Commission at 413-310-3501 with questions regarding this project.

Other projects occurring this week include:

Long Term Projects

Water and sewer pipe replacement projects:

Valve Maintenance - East Columbus Avenue from Union Street to William Street

Milling and Final Paving:

No need to rework the carpool schedule as the length of classes at Holyoke Public Schools will remain the same for the upcoming school year, state education officials say.

HOLYOKE -- No need to rework the carpool schedule as the length of classes at Holyoke Public Schools will remain the same for the upcoming school year, state education officials say.

Under state control, the district receiver has the right to change the length of the school day. Lawrence Public Schools - the only other district in the state in receivership - increased the school day by hundreds of hours each year. With the approximate extra 300 hours added to each child's school day, more time has been added to key areas where students have struggled on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System -- English language arts and mathematics -- in addition to extracurricular enrichment.

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education officials said they've received questioned and concerns from the Holyoke school community regarding changes to the school day, which was factored into their decision-making process. 

Northampton Fire Chief Brian Duggan said the fire was reported just after 8 p.m. by several 911 calls from outside the home. The single-story, wood-framed home was engulfed flames by the time firefighters arrived on scene. Watch video

NORTHAMPTON -- Rolled up newspaper soaked in linseed oil caused the fire that consumed a home on Whittier Street and injured three people Sunday, according to the Massachusetts Fire Marshal's Office.

The ignition of the paper, which had been placed in the trash, was fueled by gasoline and garden chemicals stored in the garage, official reports said.

Northampton Fire Chief Brian Duggan said the fire was reported just after 8 p.m. by several 911 calls from outside the home. The single-story, wood-framed home was engulfed in flames by the time firefighters arrived on scene.

The home is owned by Adam Hall, a Smith College biological sciences professor, and Suzanne Smith, chief program officer at Tapestry Health, according to The Daily Hampshire Gazette.

Hall and Smith were eating dinner in their backyard with Callum, their teenage son, when the fire started, the paper reports.

Neighbor Amy Goodman told The Gazette that a website is being set up so community members can volunteer to help with the family's immediate needs.

Hall was moderately injured when he opened the inside door to his garage, said Duggan, who wouldn't elaborate on the injuries. Two firefighters were also hurt; one collapsed from the extreme heat while another tripped and fell while fighting the blaze. The three were taken to Cooley Dickinson Hospital.

The fire chief said the house at 107 Whittier Street was a total loss. The family also lost their two cars, which could be seen charred inside the garage.

MassLive will continue to follow this story.

The Greater Holyoke YMCA is considering options that include refiling the zone-change petition or seeking a special permit to install a parking lot.

HOLYOKE -- The parking lot lives, conceivably.

A recent controversy could repercolate -- perhaps as soon as the City Council meeting Tuesday (June 16) -- because an abutter that had opposed the Greater Holyoke YMCA's petition for a zone change to install a parking lot at 399 Appleton St. has withdrawn its opposition (see below).

It was a protest petition filed by abutters that increased to 12 votes instead of the normal 10 votes the total that the YMCA needed from the 15-member City Council to get the zone change needed to build the parking area. The 21-space area was planned for the lot across from YMCA headquarters at 171 Pine St.

Zone changes normally require only a two-thirds majority of the City Council, or 10 votes.

On March 17, the City Council actually "approved" the YMCA's zone change petition by a vote of 11-4. But it failed in this case by falling one vote short of the 12-vote threshold prompted by the abutters' protest petition.

Since then, the board of directors of the Valley Housing Development Corp. on June 8 voted to withdraw its opposition to the YMCA's zone change request for the lot at Appleton and Pine streets.

A June 12 letter to the City Council about the board's vote is on the agenda of the City Council Tuesday. The letter is an item under Communications, which the council generally receive and refer to a committee or other city department with little discussion.

The letter was from Betty Medina Litchenstein, president of the Valley Housing Development Corp.

The Valley Housing Development Corp. letter includes a copy of the minutes of the board's June 8 meeting. Board members thanked Kathy Viens, YMCA chief executive officer, for meeting with them and discussing board members' concerns about the YMCA's zone-change petition for more parking space. The minutes included mention of unidentified tenants praising the YMCA as a neighbor.

The protest petition was determined to be valid because the petitioners represented owners of 20 percent or more of the land immediately adjacent to and extending 300 feet from the land proposed to be included in the proposed zone change.

YMCA officials are considering options in light of the Valley Housing Development Corp. withdrawing its opposition to the parking lot zone change. Options include refiling the zone change petition and seeking to get approval for the parking lot by special permit from the city, Viens said.

"It's actually very good news for us," Viens said.

YMCA officials are trying to be sensitive to the feelings of neighbors and others related to a decision about the parking lot, she said.

Normally, because the original zone-change petition was denied, the YMCA would be prohibited from refiling for two years. But the two-year ban doesn't apply in this case because, despite the City Council's denial, the denial occurred with the Planning Board having recommended in favor of the zone change. The Planning Board recommendation eliminates the two-year refiling ban, Assistant City Solicitor Kara Cunha said.

But as far as Tuesday's City Council meeting, the only related item is a communication from Valley Housing Development Corp., which isn't enough for the City Council to reconsider the March 17 denial of the YMCA's zone-change petition, she said.

"At this point, the vote is done," Cunha said.

The YMCA would have to refile the zone-change petition and redo the process that included a public hearing, she said.

YMCA officials and supporters said the facility needs the additional parking to accommodate its 4,000 members.

The current zone of the lot, Downtown Residential, prohibits a commercial parking lot, and the YMCA requested it be changed to Downtown Business zone.

The meetings and hearings on the issue featured speakers praising the YMCA's contributions to the community and neighbors urging a no vote out of a concern such a commercial use was inappropriate for the area.

The debate included Rebecca Lisi, chairwoman of the City Council Ordinance Committee, saying the argument of the committee was the YMCA's proposed zone change would result in spot zoning.

"Spot zoning is illegal," Lisi said.

The former Farr Mansion at 399 Appleton St. in Holyoke as it looked a few months before its January 2014 demolition.(FILE PHOTO) 

Spot zoning is the singling out of one lot for different treatment from that accorded to similar surrounding land indistinguishable from it in character, all for the economic benefit of the owner of that lot.

Also, Lisi said, approval of a zone change in such a case makes it easier to allow in the future different kinds of inappropriate zones for adjacent parcels.

She is a YMCA member and she used to teach yoga there, she said.

"So this is not an easy decision to make," Lisi said in the March 17 meeting.

Other councilors such as Joseph M. McGiverin praised the YMCA and said the zone change should be granted.

"This is for the betterment of the entire area," McGiverin said in the March 17 meeting.

Councilor at Large Howard B. Greaney said it was unfortunate that four councilors could block the will of the majority.

"It just leaves a sour taste in my mouth," Greaney said.

Ward 4 Councilor Jossie M. Valentin said the issue came down to councilors taking votes they felt were right.

"This was not a popularity contest," Valentin said.

The issue has included the YMCA's January 2014 demolition of the so-called Farr Mansion that had stood on the lot at 399 Appleton St. since 1881, to free up space for a parking lot. The demolition came over the objections of neighbors, Mayor Alex B. Morse, the Historical Commission and others who urged that a use other than a parking lot be sought such as a developer's plan to open a cafe with offices by renovating the building.

But Viens said renovating the building would have been too expensive and left the YMCA's parking needs unaddressed. Some supporters of the YMCA's zone-change petition scoffed at giving the board-up, red-brick structure so grandiose a name as "the Farr Mansion," saying it wasn't known as that until the parking lot plan and opposition to it surfaced in 2013.

Valley Housing Development Corp. letter to Holyoke City Council

DA Sullivan said "big marijuana" would market a harmful product to teens.

AMHERST -- Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan reiterated over the weekend that he is staunchly against the legalization of marijuana in Massachusetts, saying it would be harmful to young people.

"Big tobacco sold us a bill of goods; let's not let big marijuana sell us a bill of goods," said Sullivan to a roomful of public health officials, defense lawyers, legalization advocates, and others gathered at the Amherst Room of the University of Massachusetts Campus Center on Saturday.

Sullivan was one of a dozen speakers at a day-long marijuana policy forum organized by the School of Public Health and Health Sciences. The event featured remarks by Andrew Freedman, marijuana coordinator for the state of Colorado, where pot was legalized by voters in 2012.

Sullivan, who was one of the lone voices against legalization at the forum, said his primary concern is protecting youth from the dangers of cannabis. People between the ages of 10 and 25 are vulnerable to addiction because of their developing brains, said Sullivan: "The fact is, marijuana has been proven to be damaging to youth."

Several audience members challenged Sullivan on his facts and figures after the conclusion of his formal remarks.

For instance, Sullivan said, 2,254 people under the age of 18 were hospitalized for addiction in Massachusetts in 2012, 54 percent for marijuana.

"These kids are toking up before school, and toking up after school," Sullivan said. "They're smoking every day. It's too easy."

When Boston-based attorney Andrew Fine asked Sullivan how many of those reported youth pot commitments were ordered by the courts, and therefore driven by prohibition, Sullivan said he did not know, because the Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Abuse Services, which reported the figures, does not break down the numbers in that way.

Sullivan in his talk also referred to recent data showing that "chronic marijuana use reduces the IQ of an individual permanently by eight-to-ten points." Diane Russell, a Maine Democratic lawmaker and legalization advocate, raised her hand to remark that the IQ study "had been debunked twice" for its flawed methodology.

Criminal defense attorney Charles Smith questioned Sullivan on his reasoning that legalizing pot would lead to greater youth substance abuse.

"If it's so easy (for youth) to get marijuana right now -- couldn't regulation be a possible solution to that? ... It seems a lot of the goals you're talking about are excellent arguments for legalization and regulation."

Sullivan responded that it would be a mistake to "legitimize something we know is harmful," and that "once you as adults say this is legal, you're saying it's OK."

Sullivan added that he fully supports harm-reduction measures such as the overdose antidote Narcan and needle exchange programs, and noted that he supported both decriminalization of small amounts of pot and the use of medical marijuana for "debilitating conditions."

Northampton lawyer Michael Cutler chimed in, saying that youth tobacco and alcohol use is down in Massachusetts thanks to educational campaigns "as opposed to arresting adults."

Cutler pointed to racial disparities in the enforcement of drug laws, saying that FBI data shows blacks are far more likely to be prosecuted on marijuana charges than whites, even though use rates are roughly the same. "That's not just for possession; it's also for cultivation and distribution," said Cutler.

Sullivan shot back, saying racial bias in prosecutions wouldn't be a problem in his district. "Let's keep the discussion on Massachusetts, where possession is decriminalized," said Sullivan. "We're seeing zero marijuana prosecutions here."

Ownership of less than an ounce of marijuana was decriminalized by Massachusetts voters in 2008.

Sullivan fielded further questioning by Russell, who differentiated between prosecutions and arrests.

"You can't just arrest people for marijuana possession in Massachusetts," said Sullivan. "Zero arrests, zero racial disparities."

Sullivan stuck to his guns, and outlined a series of regulations he'd like to see in place if marijuana is indeed legalized, including strong consumer protection laws, truth in labeling, regulating THC levels, imposing penalties for those who supply minors, and the creation of a Marijuana Trust Fund, where a percentage of gross sales would be put in a "lock box" to fund prevention, intervention, treatment, recovery, and mental health services related to marijuana use and abuse.

"We need to have a real conversation about how we become addicted to substances," said Sullivan. "It starts with tobacco, alcohol and marijuana."

Sullivan returned repeatedly to his theme of protecting youth, saying legalizing marijuana would send the wrong message:

"As a parent, would this make your kid a better student? Does access to marijuana for people ages 10 to 25 improve our economy? Does it help your kid make good decisions? If parents are smoking marijuana, does that set a good example?"

Freedman, in delivering his remarks, said preliminary survey numbers out of Colorado actually showed a slight decrease in youth pot smoking since the first retail dispensary opened there in January of 2014, but cautioned that 17 months is not a long time when it comes to evaluating public health data.

Several speakers at Saturday's forum said that marijuana legalization is coming down the tracks, and that Massachusetts would do well to prepare for that now by proactively crafting policies and regulations. Even so, lawmakers have been reticent.

Earlier this month, Senate President Stan Rosenberg, D-Amherst, suggested floating a non-binding resolution on marijuana legalization in 2016, then having Beacon Hill craft legislation if it passes. Rosenberg said he's trying to avoid the possibility of a poorly written law advanced by advocates at the ballot box.

Rosenberg in March reported that there is "no appetite" within the state legislature for a legalization bill this session. Rosenberg, who could not attend Saturday's forum, sent his district communications director Tom Mitchell in his stead. Rosenberg has not taken a position on legalization.

At least two groups -- the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Massachusetts and Bay State Repeal -- are pushing for 2016 ballot initiatives which would put the legalization issue before Massachusetts voters.

Sullivan is not alone in his wish not to repeat the Colorado experiment in Massachusetts -- Gov. Charlie Baker in November told MassLive/The Republican that he will "vigorously oppose" marijuana legalization. House Speaker Robert DeLeo said this week it would be "very difficult" for him to support recreational pot. Attorney General Maura Healy in March outlined her own objections to legalizing marijuana.

Mary Serreze can be reached at mserreze@gmail.com

Fiscal year 2015 ends on June 30, and a budget for 2016 still needs to be released from a negotiating committee, voted on by the House and Senate, then sent to Gov. Charlie Baker.

BOSTON - House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, said Monday that a committee of House-Senate budget negotiators is "working very hard" to make sure the final version of the state budget is released on time.

"One can never promise when exactly a finalization will come, but I can tell you they are working diligently to see that that happens," DeLeo said.

Fiscal year 2015 ends on June 30, and a budget for 2016 still needs to be released from a negotiating committee, voted on by the House and Senate, then sent to Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, for his signature.

The justices of the Supreme Judicial Court issued an advisory opinion on Monday finding in favor of the Massachusetts Senate in a tax dispute between the Senate and House.

Monday's advisory opinion by the justices will allow the Senate to keep in its version of the 2016 state budget a tax proposal that would eliminate a scheduled rollback of the state income tax and use the savings to increase the earned income tax credit, which benefits low income families.

The opinion clarified that the Senate was allowed to make the proposal. But the final say on the proposal will now be up to the committee of conference - a group of House-Senate negotiators tasked with ironing out a final budget proposal.

Senate President Stan Rosenberg, D-Amherst, said last week that budgets have historically reached the governor's desk around July 1, with the Legislature passing a budget with a small amount of money to allow state government to function while the governor takes the 10 days he is allowed by law to sign or veto it.

"It's our hope it will be on the governor's desk at roughly the same time it would have been had this situation not arisen," Rosenberg said.

But after a meeting between Baker, DeLeo and Rosenberg on Monday, the differences between the three leaders remained stark on tax policy.

Rosenberg stood by the Senate's tax proposal, which he said gave the Senate the opportunity "to speak on the issue of income equality, shared opportunity and shared prosperity."

Rosenberg said the Senate wanted to "put on the table" the possibility of freezing the income tax rate and giving the money to low-income taxpayers, as a way to help low income individuals and the economy overall.

DeLeo did not go into detail about the proposal, but he said he supports the position of the House, which did not include the tax proposal.

Baker made clear that he opposes rolling back a scheduled freeze of the state income tax rate, which voters voted for in 2000. "The people of Massachusetts voted to lower the income tax to 5 percent, and it's about time we lowered the income tax to 5 percent," Baker said. "The Legislature put a process in place to do that. The voters have been waiting patiently for 15 years for that process to play out."

Baker supports increasing the earned income tax credit, but he wants to do it by eliminating a tax credit for film production.

The council could grant first step approval to the new local historic district, with final approval at a subsequent meeting.

SPRINGFIELD - A proposed new historic district and a resolution calling for a ban on the sale of loose cigars are among the issues slated for City Council consideration Monday night.

In each case, any vote by the council will be only a partial step: the new historic district is on the agenda for just first-step approval of three steps needed, and the loose cigar sale ban is a non-binding recommendation to the city's Public Health Council.

Follow along on MassLive for live coverage of the council meeting that starts at 7 p.m., at the council chambers at City Hall.

The city's Historical Commission is proposing that the former Willys-Overland block at 151-157 Chestnut St. be established as a local historic district to help protect it from demolition or other adverse exterior changes. The owner applied for demolition in January, currently stalled by city's demolition delay ordinance.

Under council rules, the council could grant first-step approval Monday, with second and third steps needed at a subsequent meeting. Final approval requires a two-thirds majority vote.

The block in downtown Springfield, bordered by Worthington and Winter streets, is on the national register of historic places, which does not protect it from demolition, according to city officials. The creation of a historic district, however, would place exterior changes under Historical Commission review and approval.

According to state historic records, Willys Overland, an automotive company, built the Springfield block in 1916 as an automobile sales and service facility. The Springfield branch was discontinued in 1921 having various uses thereafter, according to records.

The owner is listed as Ciocca Construction Corp., of Wilbraham.

In other action, the council will consider a non-binding resolution that urges a ban on the sale of loose cigars or the sale of packages of less than four cigars in Springfield.

The resolution will be forwarded to the Public Health Council that has oversight over health regulations.

The resolution notes that the City Council bears responsibility for protecting public health and safety, and states that the sale of loose cigars reduces the cost and makes them more accessible to minors.

The council is also expected to consider a new contract for city engineers, and various city budget transfers as the fiscal year draws to a close, June 30.