Gagliarducci compared the bishop to a harbor master as the diocese transitions from two Catholic high schools to one.

SPRINGFIELD — Longtime teacher and school administrator Paul Gagliarducci, leader of the diocesan advisory board for the new Pope Francis High School, used a nautical metaphor on Friday was he outlined the mission ahead as plans for the new school begin its course.

Speaking to the members of the boards of directors, principals and faculties of Holyoke Catholic and Cathedral high schools, which will be merged under the proposal, Gagliarducci compared the bishop to a harbor master as the diocese transitions from two Catholic high schools to one.

On the Friday morning as school officials gathered to learn that the bishop had chosen the Surrey Road site in Springfield, where Cathedral stood before it was nearly destroyed by the 2011 tornado, for the new school, Gagliarducci spoke of the task ahead.

This is the metaphor he shared:

A ship has left dry dock and it is looking for a home port. It is a beautiful day and the seas are calm.

The harbor master hears that a ship is waiting in the bay.

It is not the Good Ship Cathedral nor is it the Good Ship Holyoke Catholic.

Instead it is the Good Ship Pope Francis.

The harbor master directs the ship to its new home.

Our job is to:

1. Find the best crew we can find and place them on-board.

2. Then we need to develop the best programs and on-board activities that there are and ready them for our passengers.

3. Finally, we have to find a way to make the journey affordable.

4. Once completed, we need to invite passengers aboard.

Each fall we will set sail and leave the dock for a 10 month journey. We will return in the spring and disembark our passengers. In the fall most will return and a new group will join them for the next journey. Those that do not return will begin new journeys that they have chosen.

Our hope will be that we will continue this task for many years to come with many satisfied passengers.

Gagliarducci, who was tapped by Bishop Mitchell Rozanski in February, to guide the advisory committee leading up to Friday's decision to build the new school on Surrey Road, will continue to work with the diocese's 17-member Transitional Advisory Committee as plans for the new school take shape.

James Tourtelotte, a Springfield attorney, who with his wife Elaine, is a longtime supporter of Catholic education, will chair the new committee.

Speaking at the bishop's press conference on Friday, Gagliarducci, who was sporting a tie with the school's new red and gray colors, said while there have been ups and downs along the way over the last six months, the experience has been a "joyful one."

Gagliarducci and others on the committee held countless meetings with hundreds of stakeholders – many with strong and emotional views, pro and con potential sites for the new school.

Early in the process, Gagliarducci summed up the debate, saying one group was steadfast in its support for the Surrey Road site, another group wanted the school built anywhere but Surrey Road and a third group just wanted the school built.

Gagliarducci, who worked as an elementary school teacher for a good portion of his career also served as a school administrator. As superintendent of the Hampden-Wilbraham school district, he oversaw the construction of the new Minnechaug High School.

Gagliarducci said his motivation to take on the challenge came from his family whose roots in the Catholic diocese go back 115 years and the challenge, excitement and rare opportunity to build a new school from the ground up.

The council, on second reading, passed the $82.2 million general fund budget along with the $6.6 million water enterprise fund, the $6 million sewer fund, the $.5 million solid waste fund and the 1.9 million stormwater fund.

NORTHAMPTON - The City Council gave final approval to the mayor's propossed fiscal 2016 budget Thursday without discussion.

The council, on second reading, passed the $82.2 million general fund budget along with the $6.6 million water enterprise fund, the $6 million sewer fund, the $.5 million solid waste fund and the 1.9 million stormwater fund. Including state aid, over which the council has no say, Mayor David J. Narkewicz' fiscal 2016 budget comes to $103.9 million.

As in the previous meeting at which the council gave the budget preliminary approval, there was no discussion of any of the items by councilors.

The arrests were part of a joint investigation with Homeland Security about illegal drugs, prostitution and human trafficking at truck stops.

CHICOPEE - Three truck drivers were charged with soliciting prostitution Wednesday night during a police sting at the Pride truck stop on Burnett Road, police said.

The operation was part of a joint operation involving Chicopee and state police, and investigators with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The joint investigation involving Homeland Security was looking into the larger issue of truck stops as hubs for illegal activity, including drug violations, prostitution and human trafficking, said Chicopee police spokesman Michael Wilk.

The three men, all truck drivers from outside Western Massachusetts, were arrested when they attempted to obtain sex in exchange for money, Wilk said.

Arrested were Roussko Rousskov, 61, of Belmont, Carlos Soto, 51, of North Bergen, New Jersey, and Steven Baker, no age listed, of Hamilton, New York.

Each was charged with soliciting sexual conduct for a fee, and had their trucks towed from the scene Interstate Towing, Wilk said.

He said the management of the truck stop was cooperating with the police, and additional actions could be planned at the site.

"If you come up here and do something stupid, this is what is going to happen," Wilk said.

The total capital budget envisions bonding up to $2.125 billion next year to use on construction and maintenance projects.

BOSTON - Gov. Charlie Baker wants Massachusetts to spend $79.2 million in fiscal year 2016 on the ongoing construction of new red and orange line MBTA cars, which will be built in Springfield, according to the capital budget released Friday by Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito.

The total capital budget envisions bonding, or borrowing, up to $2.125 billion next year to use on construction and maintenance projects. That is the same bond cap as was put in place in fiscal year 2015, under former governor Deval Patrick. This would be the first time since 2010 that the bond cap would not be increased.

"While very little of this $2.125 billion capital plan was truly discretionary, our plan fixes the once neglected repair and maintains our infrastructure, drives economic development with key investments, and offers the tools to build stronger communities," Baker said in a letter that accompanied the budget. "By holding the 2016 cap at last year's level, we can make crucial investments, avoid any reduction in funding for ongoing projects and responsibly control the Commonwealth's future debt load."

Around half of the money has already been committed, while only around 10 percent is dedicated to completely new projects. The biggest chunk of the noncommitted money, $35 million, will go to matching federal and MassPort money to dredge Boston Harbor and make the improvements necessary so that larger ships can reach the port and bring trade to Massachusetts. Other major projects include roadwork around UMass Boston, new manufacturing innovation grants, and an increase in funding to MassWorks, a program that provides grants to city and town economic development programs. One project being funded by MassWorks is the Springfield Innovation Center, which provides work space and assistance to Springfield area start-ups.

In addition to the construction of the new MBTA cars, several Western Massachusetts projects are slated to receive funding under Baker's proposal.

The plan would dedicate $19 million to providing high-speed broadband Internet access to rural communities, mostly in Western Massachusetts. The so-called "last mile" project, funded by a mix of state money and money from the local towns, would extend access to high-speed Internet to every home in each town.

Construction will continue in 2016 on the $73.8 million Franklin County Courthouse project in Greenfield, which will add a new addition to the existing court. The capital plan would set aside $28.5 million for the construction next year.

Berkshire Community College would get $6 million to renovate two classroom buildings, Hawthorne and Melville, on its Pittsfield campus. A new $2 million fire training facility would be built in Springfield to serve Western Massachusetts public safety workers.

Springfield would get $4.8 million for construction of a 480-space parking garage at the newly renovated Union Station. Mass MOCA in North Adams would get $18.5 million for its ongoing renovations.

The UMass Amherst training and research and development center at Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee would get $4.9 million. UMass Amherst would also get $2 million for a new classroom building and $9.1 million for a new physical science building.

Another $2 million would be spent to plant trees in Gateway Cities, which include several cities in Western Massachusetts - Holyoke, Chicopee, Pittsfield, Springfield and Westfield.

The capital budget is a plan that identifies the governor's priorities. The Legislature still has to approve individual bond bills and appropriate the money.

"This plan addresses the balance of meeting our long-term capital needs without crowding out future discretionary spending in our budgets," Administration and Finance Secretary Kristen Lepore said in a statement.

Statewide, the plan would spend more than $500 million on roads, bridges and highways and another $405 million on an "accelerated bridge" program to fix structurally deficient bridges. It would spend $90 million on maintaining public housing; $117 million on maintaining state-owned buildings; $200 million for local municipal road repairs; $65 million for a life sciences grant program; and smaller earmarks for expenditures ranging from tablets for social workers to energy efficiency upgrades.

The assets include three cars and approximately $1,000 that was taken from Tsarnaev after his arrest.

BOSTON - The U.S. government is seeking a judge's order to seize all the assets owned by Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, including three cars and approximately $1,000 that was taken from Tsarnaev after his arrest.

U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz asked U.S. District Court Judge George O'Toole in a court motion to allow the United States to seize all of Tsarnaev's assets, foreign and domestic, and particularly those related to the terrorism he committed.

Tsarnaev was 19 at the time he and his older brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who was killed in a firefight with the police, set two bombs at the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring 260. He will be formally sentenced to death next Wednesday.

Lawyers for the government wrote that they took $952 from Tsarnaev after his arrest. They also took $40 in cash, wallets and personal property from him and his brother. Other property that was seized from the Tsarnaev family home in Cambridge and from Tsarnaev's apartment near UMass Dartmouth include electronics, books, tools, hardware, photographs, pyrotechnics and household items.

Investigators also seized three cars: a 1995 Honda Odyssey, a 1999 Honda CRV and a 1999 Honda Civic. The Tsarnaev brothers drove the Civic when they murdered MIT Police Officer Sean Collier. The CRV was registered to Tamerlan Tsarnaev and the Odyssey to their father, according to testimony in Tsarnaev's trial.

Dunphy served as mayor from 1970 to 1976.

NORTHAMPTON - Gov. Charlie Baker has ordered flags be lowered to half-staff in Northampton from sunrise to sunset on Saturday in honor of former mayor Sean Dunphy who died on June 12.

Sean M. Dunphy 

Dunphy served as mayor of his hometown for three terms, from 1970 to 1976. He is credited with having hired the city's first planning director, appointing the first Conservation Commission and leading the effort to revise the city's zoning to open the way for downtown residences.

Baker's directive was requested by current Northampton Mayor David J. Narkewicz.

A weekend of baseball and friendship is underway in Springfield.

It was just a fleeting moment that happened 81 years ago, but Tony King remembers it like it was yesterday.

"We were walking down the street, and two colored gentlemen were walking toward us,'' said King, the last living member of the 1934 Springfield Post 21 American Legion baseball team that took an unforgettable stand against racism.

"They jumped across the street. They weren't allowed to pass us on the street because they were black and we were white. That was my memory of Gastonia, N.C.''

More than eight decades later, the cities reconnected. Gastonia's Legion Post 23 team arrived in Springfield on Friday to play three games against local teams, highlighted by Sunday's noon game against Post 21 at Forest Park.

For decades, the story of Post 21 and the 1934 Legion tournament in Gastonia was largely forgotten by all but those who experienced it. It was revived by Springfield College professor Richard Andersen, whose 2013 book, "A Home Run for Bunny,'' recounted how Post 21 boycotted the tournament after being told its single black player, Bunny Taliaferro, would not be allowed to play.

On Friday at City Hall, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno greeted Gastonia Mayor John Bridgeman, other officials from the city and the visiting team. It was Andersen who captivated the audience, however.

"This is a story of heroes,'' he said, describing how King, as captain, spoke first at a 1934 team meeting and said if Taliaferro could not play, he wouldn't, either.

"What if Tony hadn't said no? What if he'd said, let's win it for Bunny? Would the other players have followed him? What would have happened then?''

Andersen then turned his attention to Bridgeman, who had never heard of the 1934 episode until receiving a copy of Andersen's book. He immediately sent a touching, apologetic letter to Sarno, sparking a dialogue between the two mayors that resulted in the weekend of "friendship baseball.''

"There were many ways (Bridgeman) could have responded. He said yes (to friendship and healing). We are here today because one man (King) said no and one said yes.''

Gastonia was to play Aldenville's Legion team on Friday night. An afternoon game against East Springfield Post 420 will be held Saturday afternoon.

But the main event comes Sunday, when Gastonia plays Springfield's Post 21 Eagles, a team of players primarily from Central High School, which won the 2015 Western Massachusetts championship.

Bridgeman said the story of the 1934 boycott was all but forgotten in Gastonia. For that matter, it wasn't widely remembered in Springfield, either, until Andersen's book and diligent work by local baseball historians breathed new life into it.

"I was born in 1944, a Gastonian all my life. My mother was born there in 1914. I had never heard about it before, but I am glad it's not forgotten,'' Bridgeman said.

The City Hall ceremony included a moment of silence for victims of Wednesday's church massacre in Charleston, S.C. That tragedy, for which a white person is being held for the deaths of nine black victims, lent more poignancy to what this weekend of baseball and racial understanding is all about.

Once the talk turned to Gastonia and Springfield, it was suggested that the 1934 episode would make for compelling screenplay. King was asked who should play his role.

"Boris Karloff,'' said the 97-year-old former second baseman, who will throw out a ceremonial first pitch Sunday. Pregame ceremonies begin at 11:30 a.m.

Bridgeman admired what King's stand in 1934 meant then - and now.

"The world needs more Tony Kings,'' the Gastonia mayor said to loud applause.

"I can only imagine what it must have been like in 1934, but Tony, he was there,'' Sarno said.

Post 21 expects to reciprocate next year with a trip to Gastonia. Coach Brian Collins and the current Springfield team was on hand for the City Hall ceremony.

Through no fault of its own, Post 23 was not. The North Carolina team was stuck in traffic.

"We're not chickening out,'' Bridgeman said as the crowd laughed.

What made Post 21's stand against racism in 1934 more remarkable was that it was taken not by sophisticated adults, but by kids in their mid-teens. They were willing to sacrifice a shot at winning the Legion World Series - the dream of a lifetime - to do what they knew was right.

King became the sole survivor of the 1934 team when Dan Keyes died at 93 in 2012. Keyes' daughter, Nancy, represented the family at the greeting ceremony.

"Someone told me my father would have loved to be here,'' she said. "I said, he is here (in spirit). All of them are here.''

Duncan is on probation in Indiana following a conviction for possessing child pornography there, according to state Attorney General Maura Healey's office.

SPRINGFIELD - A city man on probation for a child pornography conviction has been ordered held without bail following his arrest on a new charge.

Jeffrey L. Duncan, 53, pleaded innocent Friday to one count of possessing child pornography during his arraignment before Judge Robert Gordon in Springfield District Court.

Gordon ordered the defendant held for a so-called dangerousness hearing on June 24 to determine if he can be released on bail.

In addition to the current charge, Duncan is on probation in Indiana following a conviction for possessing child pornography there, according to Attorney General Maura Healey's office.

Duncan was arrested Thursday by state and Springfield police following a two-month investigation prompted by information provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, according to the attorney general's office.

While searching a home linked to Duncan, state police seized several devices containing images of child pornography, the attorney general's office reported.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Benjamin Hoerner of the office's cyber crime division. In addition to state and Springfield police, members of the attorney general's digital evidence lab also assisted in the case.

David Wright, of Everett, and Nicholas Rovinski, of Warwick, Rhode Island, entered the pleas in federal court in Boston.

This is an updated version of a story posted this morning at 11:35.

By DENISE LAVOIE

BOSTON -- Two men pleaded not guilty Friday to conspiring to support the Islamic State group in a plot to kill a conservative blogger who has angered Muslims.

David Wright, 25, of Everett, Massachusetts, and Nicholas Rovinski, 24, of Warwick, Rhode Island, entered the pleas in federal court in Boston.

Both were indicted Thursday on charges of conspiring to provide material support to a terrorist organization by plotting with Boston terror suspect Usaamah Rahim, 26, to behead blogger Pamela Geller. The plot wasn't carried out.

Rahim was killed by investigators who say he lunged at them with a knife in Roslindale on June 2 when they approached him to talk about a recorded phone conversation. In the phone conversation, authorities say, Rahim told Wright he had changed his mind about killing Geller and now wanted to kill police officers. Rahim's family has questioned that account.

Wright and Rovinski will remain in custody until at least a status conference, which is set for July 29.

Wright also pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy and obstruction of justice. Authorities say he urged Rahim to destroy his phone and wipe his computer.

An FBI affidavit says the men targeted Geller after she organized a conference in Texas in May featuring cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad. Muslims generally believe any physical depiction of the Prophet Muhammad is blasphemous.

Two men showed up with assault rifles at the conference and began firing. Police shot and killed them.

Days later, the Islamic State group publicly condemned Geller and called for her to be killed.

The brief rainblow flag raising in front of Holyoke City Hall drew about 70 people and was followed by a reception.

HOLYOKE -- Some people continue to struggle with the idea that Holyoke should welcome everyone, Mayor Alex B. Morse said Friday (June 19), at the raising of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender flag outside City Hall.

"I think it's a strong image of inclusion in the city of Holyoke....We raise it not because I'm gay but because we care about each and every person in the city," said Morse, the city's first openly gay mayor.

Mayoral aide William Glidden pulled the cord down so the the rainbow flag could go up the silver pole on the High Street side of City Hall where Morse said it would fly for a few weeks.

Abiding by the United States Code of the country's general and permanent laws, the rainbow flag sits lower than the adjacent American flag.

The brief event drew about 70 people. It included remarks by organizer Kristen Bachler, co-owner with Betty Kaplowitz of the White Rose book store at 284 High St., poet Jasmin Telfair and state Rep. Aaron M. Vega, D-Holyoke.

A reception followed in the City Hall ballroom with food, music and awards to individuals in the community for being welcoming.

Gay rights remain forbidden in nearly 80 countries, and in parts of Africa can be punishable with the death penalty.

Morse said that despite living in the "progressive, liberal" state of Massachusetts, many people still have trouble accepting people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. The fourth ceremony for the rainbow flag since he took office in 2012 is designed to help in changing that, he said.

"And I think today is another reminder of that," Morse said.

Bachler said before the event that the harsh comments that the rainbow-flag raising generates in The Republican and MassLive.com and elsewhere shows the courage that is still required of those who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender.

Such vitriol also makes the "pride" flag stationed in front of City Hall an even more welcome sight, she said.

"It's a real affirmation of the accomplishments and the many struggles to see that rainbow flag flying above City Hall in Holyoke," Bachler said.

Telfair stepped to the podium and said she was terrified about giving remarks.

"But I'm going to do it because I have courage," Telfair said.,

The folks who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender -- or queer -- and who have different ethnicities, along with others of different backgrounds, all must realize individuals are stronger together than apart, she said.

"It's time to get rid of this American culture of fear...," Telfair said. "And we must be strong and love each other to survive."

Vega thanked the event's organizers and said, "I'm just proud, I'm just glad that I'm raising a family in a city that is open to diversity, to all people."

Charles Cotton confirmed writing that "innocent people died because of (Clementa Pinckney's) position on a political issue."

HOUSTON -- A Houston attorney on the National Rifle Association's board of directors is blaming the deadly Charleston church shooting on one of the victims, saying the slain pastor had opposed concealed carry legislation as a state senator that could have saved him and his fellow worshippers.

In an interview Friday with The Associated Press, Charles Cotton confirmed writing that "innocent people died because of (Clementa Pinckney's) position on a political issue." The post appeared Thursday in an online discussion board about concealed handguns.

Nine people were killed Wednesday night after a 21-year-old gunman opened fire during a Bible study at The Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, where Pinckney was pastor.

Cotton told the AP that he was expressing a personal opinion not reflective of the NRA. He also said he was "stumped" that his comments were still visible because he had deleted them after later deciding they were inappropriate.

Cotton said that Pinckney had voted against a concealed carry measure as a South Carolina senator, but a search of legislative archives could not immediately find any such measure. And he noted that the South Carolina law that bans guns in places of worship unless specifically allowed was the exact opposite of Texas law, which allows guns unless they specifically are prohibited. Cotton, a former police officer in Friendswood, south of Houston, said he carries a gun into church.

"That's the thing that's frustrating to me: Laws that disarm intended victims," Cotton told the AP. "How many more is it going to take when people realize there is no such thing as a gun-free zone?"

Mass shootings are "rare in the grand scheme of things," Cotton said. But "almost every one of them (the mass shootings) happen in a supposed gun-free zone, like a church, a school, or a military base like Fort Hood," he said, referring to the U.S. Army base in central Texas that has been the site of two mass shootings in recent years.

Last year, Martin's committee rejected a so-called "constitutional carry" bill that would have allowed people to carry guns in public without a permit. But Pinckney was not on that committee and therefore took no vote on it.

 

HOLYOKE -- After it was reported that over 100 Holyoke teachers are leaving the public school district this year, some to retire while most were received non-renewals, the top education official in the state spoke of the decision. Across the district, 78 teachers have been asked not to return to Holyoke schools next year. 54 are teachers with non-professional status, meaning...

HOLYOKE -- After it was reported that over 100 Holyoke teachers are leaving the public school district this year, some to retire while most were received non-renewals, the top education official in the state spoke of the decision.

Across the district, 78 teachers have been asked not to return to Holyoke schools next year. 54 are teachers with non-professional status, meaning they haven't held their position for more than three years, were non-renewed. Four teachers with professional status were also let go.

Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Mitchell D. Chester, who is serving as district receiver until early July, said decisions on whose contracts to not renew were made locally.

"In both Lawrence and Holyoke, as in years past, these decisions were made at the school level and were the culmination of principals' year-long efforts," Chester wrote in a statement. "The Holyoke superintendent, with my authorization as interim receiver, reviewed and approved the principals' decisions." Sergio Paez is still serving as superintendent of schools for the district and managing day-to-day operations under the commissioner.

An additional 20 teachers were let go due to their lack of accreditation. They had one-year waivers that are not renewable, Chester said, and knew when they were hired that they needed to attain certification to extend their positions. With accreditation, they are welcome to reapply.

Approximately 30 other Holyoke Public School teachers are retiring or resigning their positions this year. Holyoke Teachers Association President Gus Morales said some have chosen to take early retirement with a pension cut due to uncertainty of their future career.

Chester emphasized that the number of non-renewals this year is less than the 124 teachers non-renewed or terminated last year in Holyoke.

The number of teachers non-renewed this year is lower than last summer when 87 were let go. The number of teachers between 2014 and 2015 decreased from 575 to 488. Student enrollment has remained stagnant, at 5573 for the past two years. 

Cuts were made last year to close a $4.5 million budget deficit. State education officials are dealing with limited funding this year as well. 

Chester added that the majority of city educators are doing a good job and said he hopes they continue to teach in the district. 

Read Commissioner Mitchell D. Chester's full statement below: 

Lucius Copeland may be in the Pittsfield or North Adams areas, police said. He's described as 5'4" and 130 pounds.

PITTSFIELD - Police are asking for the public's help finding a 16-year-old boy who ran away from home.

Lucius Copeland may be in the Pittsfield or North Adams areas, police said. He's described as 5'4" and 130 pounds.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Pittsfield Police Department Detective Bureau at (413) 449-9705 and leave a message if no one answers. Facebook messages are welcome, as well.

Olympic teams from overseas might train in Western Massachusetts as they get acclimated to the climate and time change.

SPRINGFIELD - Springfield, basketball's birthplace, is in the running to host preliminary basketball games should Boston win its bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games, said Richard K. Sullivan Jr.

Western Massachusetts boosters always knew local venues, such as the MassMutual Center  or the Mullins Center on the University of Massachusetts, are too small and would never host the medal rounds of the popular men's and women's basketball tournaments, said Sullivan, president and CEO of the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council and the person leading the charge to ensure as much of the Boston 2024 Olympics occur in Western Massachusetts as possible.

"I think there is a very good chance that we will host preliminary-round basketball," Sullivan said.

Boston 2024 Thursday announced the finals of Olympic basketball, the Paralympic finals and all the competitions for Olympic Gymnastics and trampoline would be held at TD Bank Gardens should Boston be selected to host the games.

 Boston 2024 Chief Operating Officer Erin Murphy wrote in response to an emailed question that  people should expect more announcements in the next few weeks.

"Today's announcement at the TD Garden in Boston was for the men's and women's finals in Olympic and Paralympic basketball. No decisions have yet been made on the location of preliminary rounds. We will be making additional venue announcements throughout June, and we will be confirming venues as they are finalized. Our ongoing community engagement process is helping shape the next phase of our plans, which we're on track to release by June 30."

Sullivan, a former Westfield mayor who served in the cabinet of Olympic booster former Gov. Deval Patrick, said Western Massachusetts could also host volleyball, invented in Holyoke, paddle sports like canoeing and kayaking that need to be on whitewater rivers, equestrian sports  or even marathon or long-distance bicycling.

Sullivan has been in contact with Boston 2024 organizers advocating for Western Massachusetts's involvement.

"If Boston is to be awarded the Olympic Games, Western Massachusetts will need to be involved," Sullivan said. "And I have no doubt that it will be."

Kevin Kennedy, Springfield's chief development officer, said Olympic teams from far away may also come to the University of Massachusetts, Springfield College, Western New England University, American International College or elsewhere to train prior to the games. Doing so would allow them to become acclimated to the time change and to conditions.

James Naismith invented basketball in Springfield in 1891.

Prosecutors said Taylor has been in trouble with the law for crimes of violence since he was 15.

BOSTON — A 22-year-old Boston man was sentenced on Friday to 30 years in prison for pistol-whipping, shooting and robbing a U.S. Postal carrier in that city in 2013.

A lawyer for Keyon (aka "Key") Taylor made a plea for a 15-year sentence, arguing his client suffered from a number of emotional disorders including "intermittent explosive disorder" and that Taylor's prior criminal record had been "overstated" by federal prosecutors.

In addition to the crimes related to the non-fatal shooting of the postman, Taylor was charged as a "career offender," which carries a 15-year minimum mandatory sentence.

"Taylor has been in trouble with the law for crimes of violence since he was fifteen years
old. He has been convicted of, among other things, armed robbery, larceny from a person, and assault and battery. According to school records, he was found carrying a
knife to school on two occasions during the school year and was sent to a counseling and intervention center," Assistant U.S. Attorney William Bloomer wrote in a pre-sentencing memo.

Investigators say Taylor and a co-defendant jumped out of a U-Haul truck and demanded the postman's wallet while holding a gun to his head. The victim attempted to move the gun away from his head and was shot in the wrist.

The crime occurred in December of that year while the driver was delivering holiday packages, according to court records.

He was convicted after a jury trial in U.S. District Court in March.

Taylor was also ordered to pay $625,000 in restitution to the victim.

Taylor's co-defendant, 24-year-old Maurice Williams Miner-Gittens, is serving a 10-year prison sentence.

The government's memo also stated that Taylor ran into trouble while being held behind bars pending trial.

"In one year's pretrial detention in this case, the defendant received more than a dozen
disciplinary reports from the Essex County Correctional Facility for a wide arrange of
misbehavior, including threats, fighting, and resisting a correctional officer. He has been charged in Salem District Court for assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon and assault and battery in connection with the beating of an inmate, who, according to correctional officer reports, did not fight back," it reads.

Taylor's defense lawyer stated in his memo that his client was "a loving son and a loving father to a young daughter." The attorney also argued the men did not rent the U-Haul for the purposes of the robbery.

In January, a 57-year-old postal worker was attacked by a group of youths at an intersection in the Forest Park neighborhood of Springfield. Police at the time said a large group of males approached the vehicle, stopped at a red light around 6 p.m., and began to hit it and rock it. Witnesses said that when the mail carrier got out, two members of the group began to hit him in his back. When the victim attempted to cover himself, he was punched several more times, according to a police spokesman.

That postman suffered a broken jaw and other injuries, police said.

The suspects fled toward Dickinson Street and the victim took refuge in the Forest Park neighborhood post office, nearby at 393 Belmont Ave.

Springfield resident Alexis Arroyo, 18, and a 15-year-old were charged in connection with the alleged beating. Prosecutors opted to pursue the case at the state, rather than federal level. Crimes against U.S. Postal workers can qualify for federal prosecution.

That case is pending.

The program is open to adults ages 18 and older.

WILBRAHAM - "Escape the Ordinary" is this summer's theme at the Wilbraham Public Library.

The 2015 summer reading program is open to adults ages 18 and older, with programs, raffle prizes and book discussions throughout the summer.

Signups begin today and continue through July 6, either online or in person at the library. The program runs through Aug. 7.

After registering, grab a reading log with a bingo card from the library's summer reading display. For every square complete, highlight it and get a raffle ticket and librarian's initials on the square to be entered into the weekly raffle, held every Friday.

Every completed bingo gets you a raffle ticket toward the grand prize, a tote bag filled with reading goodies and gift cards to Rice's Fruit Farm and the Village Store.

"We're really excited about a great round of programming, beginning with "A Look at Black Holes" on June 24, said adult services librarian Mary Bell. Other planned events include the library's two regular monthly book discussion groups for adults, grilling with Kathleen Delaney and an introduction to searching Ancestry Library Edition.

For more information, call the library at 413-596-6141 or visit the library website at www.wilbrahamlibrary.org.

The council also gave its final approval to a resolution calling for transparency regarding the natural gas infrastructure put forth by four councilors.

NORTHAMPTON - In an attempt to expedite the appointment, the City Council scheduled a special meeting for June 29 to vote on the apppointment of Jody Kasper, Mayor David J. Narkewicz' choice to be the next police chief.

Kasper, a sergeant in the Northampton Police Department, already has the support of the entire council, said Ward 5 Councilor David Murphy, who expects the meeting to pass speedily. An Ordinance Committee meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m., an hour before the council meeting. The council referred Kasper's hiring to that committee on Thursday.

The council also gave its final approval to a resolution calling for transparency regarding the natural gas infrastructure put forth by four councilors. The resolution notes that both Berkshire Gas and Columbia Gas, which serves Hampshire County, have committed to buying gas from the proposed Northeast Energy Direct Pipeline, which has not yet been built. Both companies have put a moratorium on new customers, saying they don't have a sufficient supply of natural gas. Critics have suggested that the timing of the moratorium has raised questions about their relationship to pipeline approval.

Ward 7 Councilor Alisa Klein offered an amendment supporting pending state legislation that prohibits gas companies from passing on the cost of leakages to customers. According to Klein, there is $640 million to $1.5 billion in "unaccounted for" gas that never reaches the consumer. She does not want this cost passed on to the rate-payer.

"It's a David and Goliath thing, except there are a lot of Davids," said Ward 3 Councilor Ryan O'Donnell, noting that the legislation also puts a cap on the amount of gas that can leak.

City Council Vice President Jesse Adams acknowledged that big corporations have various ways to present their numbers, but said, "The hope is that if Northampton takes a stance and others join in, the gas companies will have to join in."

Ashfield is celebrating its 250th anniversary this weekend.

ASHFIELD -- Ashfield men have been growing their facial hair since January 1 to honor the town's 250th anniversary, and on Friday night the beards were judged by an all-female panel before a large crowd in the second-floor auditorium of the old town hall.

Prizes were awarded for the longest beard, the most historical beard, the most unusual beard, the best father-son team, and more.

Overall honors for the "best damn beard" went to filmmaker and local resident Augustin Ganley, who, according to his biography, is associated with Double Edge Theater and works behind the counter at Elmer's Store.

Each participant received a certificate, a cookie, and applause from the audience. Retired police chief Walter Zalenski, 89, was honored with a standing ovation. "I want to thank you for not arresting me," quipped resident Scott Lesure, whose family founded Elmer's Store in 1937. Lesure said when he was a little boy, Zalenski was "Santa on a Snowmobile."

Scott Lesure, 50, and his father Don Lesure, 80, won first prize in the father-son category.

Some of the beard-growers were children 50 years ago when the town celebrated its bicentennial, and others were old enough to have participated in the ritual in 1965.

The beard contest was preceded by a community potluck dinner and followed by fireworks over Ashfield Lake. Events are planned all weekend long.

"This is exactly the town of Ashfield," said selectboard chairman Tom Carter as he surveyed the crowd. "There is some sort of spirit in this hilltown that makes us want to take care of ourselves, and take care of our community."

Brief remarks were delivered by Rep. Stephen Kulik and Sen. Benjamin Downing. "This town is really a special place," said Downing, who recognized the hard work put in by many volunteers who pulled together to plan the 250th anniversary celebration.

Ashfield, incorporated on June 21, 1765, was initially called Weymouth Canada, then Huntstown.

In 1735, Massachusetts Bay granted land in what is now Ashfield to officers and soldiers who served in a 1690 expedition from Weymouth to Canada during King William's War, according to research by Nancy Gray Garvin and the Ashfield Historical Society.

Mary Serreze can be reached at mserreze@gmail.com

Seeds of a Father recruited a healthy contingent of more than 50 for the parade, which kicked off at noon on Saturday with a police and fire escort and more than 100 marchers.

SPRINGFIELD - Ten-year-old Myra Green spots her father at all her soccer games, school events and knows he's also with her for all the little moments in life.

She said that even at 10, she can see difference in some of her classmates whose father's or absent, and in some that have reemerged.

"I have one friend currently who has his father back in his life. He behaves better in school and gets in fewer fights," said Green, readying to march in the 17th Annual "Dads Make a Difference" parade down State Street on Saturday. "My father ... he takes care of me. He always puts me first."

Green's father, Kevin Green, has shared custody of his daughter and also is CEO and co-founder of "Seeds of a Father," a grassroots initiative that promotes the importance of fathers and father figures in the lives of children.

"Take a look at all the violence around the city," Green said. "Lack of fathers and father figures lead to lack of education, less socio-emotional well-being in children, less financial stability," Green said. "That's why I try to take a leadership role with this group."

SPRINGFIELD- Kevin Green, founder and CEO of "Seeds of a Father," readies to march with his daughter Myra, 10, in the 17th Annual "Dads Make a Difference" parade in Springfield on June 20, 2015. Photo by Stephanie Barry 

Seeds of a Father recruited a healthy contingent of more than 50 for the parade, which kicked off at noon on Saturday with a police and fire escort and more than 100 marchers. All wore T-shirts that read: "I am a father because of what I do NOT because of what I did.

Green co-founded the group in 2014 to shine a spotlight on the lack of present fathers in children's lives - particularly many in the inner city - which he has labeled an "epidemic."

SPRINGFIELD - Members and supporters of "Seeds of a Father" gather before a "Dads Make a Difference" parade that kicked off at the High School of Commerce on June 20, 2015. Photo by Stephanie Barry 

"Dads Make a Difference" committee member Nicole Blais said the event is organized annually to "make some positive noise" about fatherhood.

"This event is important because we like to celebrate the responsibility of fathers and how important it is to have a father or a father figure in children's lives.

SPRINGFIELD - A "Dads Make a Difference" parade processes down State Street on June 20, 2015. Photo by Stephanie Barry 

She said 300 Springfield schoolchildren grades 1 through 5 submitted essays on their "Supermen or Super Dads," and eight were chosen to be recognized at the parade.

"We had essays about a lot of dads and a lot of uncles," Blais said.

A multi-agency manhunt is underway for Travis Boys, the 33-year-old accused of fatally shooting veteran NOPD Officer Daryle Holloway. Watch video

Travis BoysNOPD 

A multi-agency manhunt is underway for Travis Boys, the 33-year-old accused of fatally shooting veteran NOPD Officer Daryle Holloway Saturday morning while being transported in the back of Holloway's police vehicle.

Boys was arrested for aggravated assault and on his way to Central Lockup around 8 a.m. when he somehow managed to free his hands -- which were handcuffed behind his back -- and make his way through an opening in the cage inside Holloway's vehicle, said NOPD Superintendent Michael Harrison. He and Holloway fought, Harrison said, before Boys managed to fatally shoot the 22-year veteran officer and father. Boys then fled the area, police said, while Holloway -- having crashed his police SUV into a utility pole near North Claiborne and Elysian Fields avenues -- was rushed to an area hospital.

Law enforcement from multiple agencies have begun scouring -- by land and by air -- for Boys, who had been arrested for aggravated battery and outstanding warrants. Holloway was not the arresting officer, police said. 

"He will pay for what he did," Harrison told reporters at the scene of the shooting.

More Coverage from NOLA.com:

• NOPD chief says slain officer fought until his end
• Travis Boys, suspect in NOPD officer's slaying, has history of escape
• Mayor Mitch Landrieu calls killing of NOPD officer 'despicable, cowardly act'

NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune reporter Jessica Williams contributed to this report.