Library Park is beside the Holyoke Public Library, which reopened in 2013 after a $14.5 million renovation.

HOLYOKE -- Reading, walking, playing games or just sitting on benches or in the grass are among the amenities at the $200,000 Library Park unveiled at 250 Chestnut St. Wednesday.

""The renovated passive park will be a fun space for children, a safe space for families and a beautiful enhancement to the downtown Holyoke public spaces," said Stephen H. "Terry" Plum, president of the Holyoke Public Library board of directors.

The park is adjacent to the library, which reopened Nov. 22, 2013 after a $14.5 million, nearly two-year renovation.

The renovation budget didn't include money to improve the park, so Mayor Alex B. Morse said he devoted funds for that project from the federal Community Development Block Grant the city receives yearly.

The park includes a "StoryWalk" of colorful laminated signs bearing text and illustrations attached to wooden stakes that wind in order along a curvy path through the park. The current tale on the StoryWalk is "The Ugly Vegetables" by Grace Lin.

Here are laminated pages from the StoryWalk visitors will see posted on wooden stakes along paths at the new Library Park at 250 Chestnut St. in Holyoke.MIKE PLAISANCE / THE REPUBLICAN 

Plum praised work on the project done by John Hammer and Mark Arigoni of Milone & MacBroom of Springfield, a landscape architecture company, who designed the park and supervised construction, and Jason LaRochelle of JL Construction of West Springfield, the firm that built the park.

The park also received plantings from the state Greening the Gateway Cities program, he said.

The chancellor said the best tribute would be to make progress in the collaboration.

AMHERST - At the first meeting of a new Amherst - University of Massachusetts collaboration Wednesday night, Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy called attention to the absence of the late Town Manager John P. Musante.

"There is an obvious vacuum here," he said as he addressed dozens who gathered for the first steering committee meeting. "We dearly, dearly miss John Musante who was so responsible for getting us together."

Musante died last month at 53.

"He was a wonderful partner for me." The chancellor said he Musante pushed beyond the negative. "We wouldn't be where we are (without him.) He was a tremendous partner.

"The best tribute would be to (have) this process lead us to very productive future," for the town gown collaboration. Others too noted Musante's absence as they talked about the path forward. 

Subbaswamy initiated the collaboration in 2013 and he and Musante named members of the first 22-member committee, which began meeting two years ago.

The initial committee finished its work in December of 2014 and U3 advisors recommended a new smaller group to be created to carry the recommendations forward.

The new University-Town of Amherst Collaborative steering committee met outline goals and then to informally meet with members of the three subcommittees.

Nancy Buffone, associate vice chancellor for University Relations, and David Ziomek, interim town manager, are the co-chairs of the steering committee.

The pair chaired the initial committee as well.

Subbaswamy said one of his concerns is affordable housing for faculty and staff. He has heard from many that Amherst is too expensive.

He wants the housing subcommittee to really look into that and not make it be "one little part."

He said multi-family dwellings are also something he would like the committee to look at.

"There is probably more demand than we anticipated."

He said the university will likely be hiring "a couple hundred more faculty (who want) to be able to live in town near campus."

Besides housing, an economic Development and a Culture, Arts and Living subcommittee were also created.

Ziomek said he is excited by what the committees might find.

 "The town gown committee spent so much time working through, really coming to a sense of purpose, a sense of collaboration."

He said there were many opportunities mentioned. "We just touched the surface of where that can go."

 The steering committee will likely reconvene in January but the subcommittees will begin work soon.

Battista, a lawyer and Air Force veteran living in Belchertown, convinced the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide medical benefits to veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange by flying planes that had been flown in Vietnam.

Four years ago, Archer Battista's friend from the Air Force noticed that the men he flew with at Westover Air Reserve Base were coming down with the same diseases as men who had been exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam.

Although the Westover veterans had not all fought in Vietnam, they had, in the years after the Vietnam War, flown and maintained the planes used to spray Agent Orange, a carcinogenic chemical used to destroy vegetation in Southeast Asia.

Battista, a lawyer and Air Force veteran living in Belchertown who flew in Vietnam and at Westover, set out to convince the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide the same benefits to these peacetime veterans as to veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam.

"That's when the battle started," Battista said. "The VA was just damned if it was going to expand not simply the list of diseases but the groups who are entitled to eligibility for VA healthcare, eligibility for VA financial aid. They fought us for four-and-a-half years."

On Wednesday, Battista, 69, was given an award by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court recognizing his pro bono work.

"He stands out as a leader by example, one who brings out the very best of those around him and the legal profession as a whole," said SJC Associate Justice Geraldine Hines, who presented the award.

Battista said he got involved in the Agent Orange issue after getting a call from a former Air Force colleague named Wes Carter. Carter noticed that people they had flown with were coming down with diseases that have been connected to Agent Orange exposure - things like prostate cancer and type 2 diabetes.

"These are our friends. These are our family," Battista said. "These are people we flew with for five, 10, 20, 30 years who are now coming down with the same diseases as the guys who had a tour in Vietnam."

Battista said people like him, who saw combat in Vietnam and were exposed to Agent Orange there, do not have to fight for their Veterans Affairs benefits. He wanted the same for those peacetime veterans who flew the planes that dumped Agent Orange.

"It was a hell of a fight," Battista said.

It was not until this June that the Department of Veterans Affairs finally granted medical and disability benefits to the approximately 1,500 to 2,100 troops who flew these planes, if they were to develop diseases related to Agent Orange.

"This effort, which has had a national impact on thousands of veterans and their survivors would have been impossible without the dedication of Col. Battista's ongoing work," Hines said.

The award from the Supreme Judicial Court was also given to Battista in recognition of his work starting a veterans' court in Holyoke, which will serve Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties. The court is scheduled to open Nov. 4 and will accept criminal cases in which the defendant served in the military. A judge will guide veterans to get help for issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury or sexual assault. The defendants will be paired with other veterans as mentors.

"Our goal is not to leave any veteran behind," Battista said.

Jeff Morneau, president of the Hampden County Bar Association, said Battista is well-respected by the bar association and the Western Massachusetts legal community.

"I really don't think there's anybody more deserving of this award than Arch Battista," Morneau said. "He has throughout his career distinguished himself not only as an advocate, but as somebody who has dedicated himself and others to the commitment of pro bono work."

SJC Associate Justice Francis Spina, of Pittsfield, said Battista is "terribly deserving" of the award. "He's a wonderful candidate, he's a great lawyer, and he's just a fabulous human being," Spina said.

Spina praised Battista's work helping veterans. "They're people who have given up their lives for us, and their health and their safety, and we just have a tremendous obligation to see that they are properly cared for," Spina said.

The facility current has state permits to accept demolition and construction debris, but the company wants to also receive municipal solid waste [MSW] or garbage at the facility, located on Rt. 32.

WARE -- Tri-County Recycling, Inc., the operator of ABC&D Solid Waste Handling Facility located at 198 East St., hopes to become an industrial garbage center, and the public has been invited to comment on the proposal.

The facility current has state permits to accept demolition and construction debris, but the company wants to also receive municipal solid waste (MSW) or garbage at the facility located on Route 32.

The change requires approval from the town's board of health, which is seeking public comment on the idea.

Tri-County Recycling now has permission to accept up to 750 tons per day of the construction debris and is seeking to include municipal garbage within that limit. The garbage would not remain on the scene, but be shipped by rail out of town.

The Board of Health will receive written comments on this application until 2 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 29.

Comments can be delivered to the Board of Health Office at 126 Main St., Ware, MA 01082, or mailed.

The Dow Jones industrial average was 130 points just before the Fed released its policy statement, retreated after the statement came out, but closed up 198 points.

By MARLEY JAY

NEW YORK -- The stock market ended solidly higher Wednesday, recovering from an afternoon wobble, after the Federal Reserve indicated that it will consider raising its benchmark interest rate at its December meeting. Bond yields rose and the dollar climbed against other currencies as traders anticipated that higher rates were on the way.

Federal Reserve policymakers decided to leave interest rates unchanged after a two-day meeting, but they also said they would consider raising rates at the last meeting of 2015 if the economy keeps improving.

Bob Doll, chief investment strategist for Nuveen Investments, said October and November employment data will feature prominently in the Fed's deliberations.

"If they're OK, I think the Fed will finally, finally, finally go," Doll said.

The Dow Jones industrial average had been up 130 points just before the Fed released its policy statement at 2 p.m. Eastern time, then briefly retreated into the red after the statement came out. By late afternoon the Dow more than recovered, closing up 198.09 points, or 1.1 percent, at 17,779.52. The Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 24.46 points, or 1.2 percent, to 2,090.35. The Nasdaq composite picked up 65.55 points, or 1.3 percent, to 5,095.69.

The Fed cut its benchmark interest rate to almost zero in late 2008 to stimulate the economy during the Great Recession. Although Fed Chair Janet Yellen has said she wants to start raising rates this year, the Fed struck a cautious tone in its September meeting following some rough patches in the U.S. economy and warning signs from overseas.

Investors concluded that the Fed would probably leave rates alone until next year, but the latest release shows that an increase on Dec. 16 is very possible. In its latest statement, the Fed eliminated language expressing concern about the global economy.

The prospect of higher interest rates set off a rally in banks, which stand to make more money on lending. Bank stocks in the S&P 500 jumped 2.4 percent, twice as much as the broader index.

The dollar rose against the yen and the euro. If the Fed does begin to raise rates in December, it would come as central banks in Europe and Japan continue to pursue stimulus programs. The euro fell sharply against the dollar, to $1.0925 from $1.1040 late Tuesday. The dollar rose to 121.03 yen from 120.33 yen.

In bond trading, the yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.09 percent from 2.04 percent the day earlier. Yields on Treasury notes affect rates on mortgages and many other kinds of loans.

Oil prices soared after Pemex, the national oil company of Mexico, said it received permission to swap crude oil with the U.S. That could represent a step toward ending the U.S. ban on exporting crude. The price of oil had had been sliding since early October and reached its lowest level in two months Tuesday. The 6.3 percent gain Wednesday was the largest increase since Aug. 31.

U.S. crude climbed $2.74 to $45.94 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, which is used to price international oils, rose $2.24, or 4.8 percent, to $49.05 a barrel in London.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline rose 6.3 cents to close at $1.350 a gallon in New York, heating oil rose 6 cents to $1.484 a gallon and natural gas fell 5.9 3 cents to $2.033 per 1,000 cubic feet.

While the Fed news weighed heavily on the broader market, earnings reports continued to drive many individual stocks. Northrop Grumman surged $9.90, or 5.5 percent, to $190.50 after the defense contractor said it received a contract worth up to $80 billion to build new bombers for the Air Force. Northrop Grumman stock has been trading at all-time highs.

Apple gained $4.72, or 4.1 percent, to $119.27 after the tech giant reported another quarter of record earnings late Tuesday, boosted by surging sales in China. Apple also forecast healthy iPhone sales during the upcoming holidays.

AIG advanced $2.97, or 4.9 percent, to $63.89 after billionaire investor Carl Icahn said he's taken a "large" stake in the company. Icahn said the insurance conglomerate should split into three separate businesses. Icahn said his view has support from other major shareholders.

Metals prices increased. Gold rose $10.30, or 0.9 percent, to $1,176.10 an ounce and silver added 43 cents, or 2.7 percent, to $16.29 an ounce. Copper prices stayed steady at $2.36 a pound.

Baker is scheduled to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday, Oct. 29, at 37 Saratoga St. for the 23-building Outing Park housing complex, which is owned by First Resource Companies and recently underwent a major refurbishment.

SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Charlie Baker is expected to swing through Western Massachusetts on Thursday, Oct. 29, first participating in a ceremony at Springfield's Outing Park Apartments then traveling to Chicopee for an announcement about grant awards.

Baker is scheduled to attend a 9 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony at 37 Saratoga St. to mark completion of the rehabilitation of the 23-building Outing Park housing complex. The apartments, managed by First Resource Companies, recently underwent major renovations.

The Outing Park project is located in a section of Springfield that most residents still refer to as "Hollywood" – several blocks of 4-story apartment buildings east of Main Street between roughly Marble and Adams streets. This section of the South End was long plagued by crime and other problems, but city officials have worked closely with First Resource to improve conditions in the Hollywood neighborhood.

"This transformative project has been a major piece of the city's South End redevelopment plan," Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said Wednesday, thanking First Resource for its "partnership in this substantial revitalization project."

The $72 million project included the rehabilitation of all 316 apartment units, installation of new sidewalks, street lighting and security cameras, and construction of an on-site management office, laundry room, and off-street parking, among other features.

After the Springfield ceremony, Baker is expected to head north for a MassWorks grant announcement in Chicopee, where he will be joined by Sarno, Chicopee Mayor Richard Kos and Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse. Each of the mayors' cities is slated to receive funding from MassWorks, according to the Baker administration.

The grant ceremony is set for 10:30 a.m. in the City Council chambers at Chicopee City Hall, 17 Springfield St.

Baker will then head back east for an event in Somerville, where he will join Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and other dignitaries at Greentown Labs for a tour of the Dane Street facility.

The Holyoke patrol union president said endorsing Mayor Alex Morse wasn't an option.

A story that elaborates on this one including comments from Fran O'Connell was published at 11:34 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2015: Holyoke mayoral candidate Fran O'Connell says patrol union endorsement 'speaks volumes'

Updated at 9:45 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2015 to include comments from Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse. He said he and Chief James Neiswanger have given police resources to do their jobs and keep them safe while having to make decisions that sometimes are unpopular, maintaining a strong public safety record and working to renew trust between police and the community.

HOLYOKE -- The police patrol union voted Wednesday to endorse business owner Fran O'Connell for mayor in Tuesday's election against Mayor Alex B. Morse, union President Edward J. Moskal said.

"Stuff's not good around here," said Moskal, Local 388, International Brotherhood of Police Officers.

The union voted 50 in favor of endorsing O'Connell and 10 against that, said Moskal, who said endorsing Morse wasn't an option.

The anti-Morse vote is related to a union vote in April that it had no confidence in Police Chief James M. Neiswanger, Moskal said.

The votes are tied to what he said are several key issues. One is what he said has been poor management that has resulted in consumption of all the overtime the department had budgeted despite most of the fiscal year remaining.

Also, officials are angry about Morse's lack of action after a man made what police and others considered to be anti-police remarks on stage between musical performances at the Celebrate Holyoke festival in August, he said.

"That's supposed to be a nonpolitical event. It's a family event," Moskal said.

Morse said he and Neiswanger have given police the resources to keep crime down and keep officers safe. Unpopular decisions are part of being mayor, he said.

"The chief and I serve the public, not Ed Moskal. And the public has been well served by my administration's approach to public safety," Morse said.

Morse went on to say:

"While it's unfortunate that an element of the patrolmen's union has made this decision, it shouldn't detract from our record on public safety over the past four years.

"Every mayor has to make unpopular decisions, especially when it comes to maintaining the public trust in law enforcement. While some members of the union may not agree, I feel it's completely reasonable to fire an officer who draws his weapon at a Denny's and points it into the chest of another officer. I also feel it's completely reasonable to require drug testing in light of information about drug use in the department. Most Holyokers will understand these actions as common sense. As the chief said after the union's no-confidence vote, I will not be pressured or bullied by a few union members when the public trust is at issue.

The union took the no-confidence vote in Neiswanger because of frustrations with the chief's decisions regarding disciplining of officers, staffing and promotions and use of reserve officers, Moskal said in April.

"Since April, nothing's changed," Moskal said Wednesday night.

Neiswanger, chief here since the summer of 2011, couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

Neiswanger defended his decisions at a press conference -- at which he took no questions -- after the union vote, saying: "I was hired by the city of Holyoke to run and manage the police department. I was not hired by Ed Moskal and the patrolmen's union," Neiswanger said. "I will not be pressured or bullied into mismanaging the department."

This is a developing story and will be updated as reporting continues.

Dennis Hastert pleaded guilty Wednesday to evading banking laws in a hush-money scheme, averting a potentially lurid trial that could have dredged up sexual allegations by agreeing to a deal with prosecutors that recommended he serve no more than six months in prison.

CHICAGO -- Dennis Hastert pleaded guilty Wednesday to evading banking laws in a hush-money scheme, averting a potentially lurid trial that could have dredged up sexual allegations by agreeing to a deal with prosecutors that recommended he serve no more than six months in prison.

In the written agreement, the Illinois Republican directly acknowledged for the first time that he sought to pay someone $3.5 million to hide misconduct by Hastert against that person dating back several decades, to around the time the longtime GOP leader was a high school wrestling coach.

Before accepting the plea, the 73-year-old was warned by the judge that he could go beyond the recommendation and give Hastert up to five years behind bars when he is sentenced in February.

Because the plea agreement has a sentencing range from no prison time to six months, U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin could also decide to put Hastert on probation or home confinement.

The plea helped seal the downfall of a man who rose from obscurity in rural Illinois to the nation's third-highest political office. During his eight years as speaker, Hastert was second in the line of succession to the presidency.

As he stepped to the lectern to answer a series of questions, he spoke in a voice so soft that the judge told him to speak up.

The hearing revealed no new details about why Hastert agreed to pay the money. The indictment and the plea language both said the payments were meant to conceal past misconduct by Hastert, but neither document explained the nature of the wrongdoing.

The Associated Press and other media, citing anonymous sources, have reported that the payments were meant to hide claims of sexual misconduct.

At the half-hour hearing in Chicago, a subdued Hastert read from a brief statement that -- like his indictment -- focused narrowly on how he technically broke banking laws.

By pleading guilty, Hastert avoids a trial that could have divulged the embarrassing secrets he presumably wanted to keep under wraps by paying hush money.

Judges are also generally more likely to give lighter sentences to defendants who accept responsibility for their actions and spare the government the cost of a trial.

Hastert, who was charged with the banking violation and lying to the FBI, also acknowledged in the plea deal that he lied to the agency about the reasons for the withdrawals. The agreement indicates prosecutors will dismiss that charge.

 

When the judge asked Hastert to describe his wrongdoing in his own words, he read his statement, telling the court that he had been withdrawing cash, $50,000 at a time. After banking officials questioned him, he said, he began taking out less than $10,000 to avoid reporting requirements.

Speaking in a halting voice and losing his place in the text at one point, he described why he lied to officials: "I didn't want them to know how I intended to spend the money."

Hastert did not say why he required so much cash or why he sought to skirt reporting requirements. As he finished, the judge immediately asked: "Did you know that what you were doing was wrong?"

He responded, "Yes, sir."

The 15-page plea deal, which Hastert signed Wednesday, was released after the hearing. In it, he acknowledged the unnamed person and that the two "discussed past misconduct" by Hastert against that person, who is only referred to as "Individual A." That discussion led to the agreement for $3.5 million.

Sentencing was scheduled for Feb. 29.

Since the plea deal offers a range of punishment, the sentencing hearing could include arguments from prosecutors on why Hastert should spend some time behind bars and from the defense about why he should be spared prison.

Asked by the judge if the government would call any witnesses at the sentencing, lead prosecutor Steven Block left open that possibility, saying the prosecution would decide at a later date.

Prosecutors could theoretically call to the witness stand the unnamed person Hastert was allegedly paying, a prospect that could make public the conduct Hastert sought to conceal.

The sentencing range is below what some legal experts had predicted. They thought prosecutors would press for six months to two years in prison.

When he arrived at the courthouse, Hastert moved through a crowd of waiting photographers and TV cameras. He walked slowly into court, his shoulders slightly stooped, and peered over his glasses at courtroom benches packed with journalists.

A May 28 indictment accused Hastert of handing as much as $100,000 in cash at a time to Individual A.

Hastert made 15 withdrawals of $50,000 from 2010 to 2012. It's what he did later in 2012 that made his actions criminal. After learning withdrawals over $10,000 are flagged, he began taking out smaller increments, eventually withdrawing $952,000 from 2012 to 2014, according to the indictment.

Hastert was speaker longer than any other Republican. After leaving Congress in 2007, he parlayed his connections into a lucrative lobbying career. That career is almost certainly over.

As a convicted felon, "no congressman will want to meet with him about anything. His influence and power will be gone," said Dick Simpson, a co-author of "Corrupt Illinois: Patronage, Cronyism, and Criminality."

Lori Sforza had accused self-proclaimed warlock Christian Day of harassing her over the phone and on social media over the past three years.

This is an updated version of a story posted at 8:44 this morning.

By COLLIN BINKLEY

BOSTON -- A judge granted a protective order against a warlock on Wednesday, spelling relief for the Salem witch who accused him of harassment.

The two squared off in court before a Salem District Court judge, who granted the protective order to witch priestess Lori Sforza. She had accused self-proclaimed warlock Christian Day of harassing her over the phone and on social media over the past three years.

During testimony that at times became heated, Sforza accused Day of making incessant phone calls at night and humiliating her on Facebook, the Boston Globe reported. Day's lawyer countered that the dispute stems from a onetime business partnership that fell apart years ago.

Before 2012, Day let Sforza perform psychic readings rent-free at one of his occult shops in Salem, he told the Associated Press in an interview after the hearing. Their relationship fell apart when Sforza revealed plans to start her own witchcraft shop nearby, Day said. The two are still business rivals.

"This is a business dispute gone wrong. That's all it was," Day said. "They don't want me to make snide remarks on Facebook; I won't make snide remarks on Facebook."

During the hearing, Sforza reportedly told the judge that she can see into her own future, saying, "That's why I'm here today." Sforza, 75, uses the business name Lori Bruno and says she is a psychic witch who descends from a line of Italian witches. She also leads a pagan church in Salem.

Day, 45, who now lives in Louisiana, owns occult shops in Salem and New Orleans. Described on his website as the "world's best-known warlock," he organizes the Festival of the Dead in Salem, a series of Halloween events every October that culminates in a Witches' Halloween Ball.

The pair made headlines in 2011 when they cast spells together to try to heal actor Charlie Sheen, who had called himself a "Vatican assassin warlock" during an interview on national television.

The judge hearing the case said he was dismayed by the volume of late-night calls Day made to Sforza. After hearing the decision, Day, who didn't testify, denied making the calls and then stormed out of the courthouse, according to The Globe. He told reporters he would appeal the order.

"I'm going to fight this every step of the way because it's unjust," he said.

Salem, home of the 17th-century witch trials, has a tourism industry built around the occult that reaches fever pitch in October, drawing thousands of visitors.

The conference, organized by various anti-hunger leaders and service providers, runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30, at the UMass Campus Center in Amherst.

AMHERST — U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Worcester, will lead the first Food For Good conference at UMass Amherst on Friday, Oct. 30, to highlight state and local efforts to help feed lower-income residents who struggle to meet their families' basic nutrition needs.

The conference, organized by various anti-hunger leaders and service providers, runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the UMass Campus Center in Amherst. The goal is to cultivate ideas and new approaches to strengthen ongoing state and local anti-hunger efforts, according to conference organizers.

"With our first Food For Good Conference this week, we will bring leaders and advocates together to talk about what's working and what we can do to help even more families in need," McGovern, who's slated to give closing remarks at 2:45 p.m. Friday, said in a statement issued by his office on Wednesday.

The conference will address such topics as food insecurity and current statewide initiatives to address hunger and access to healthy food. The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines "food insecurity" as a situation in which "consistent access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources at times during the year."

Last year, about 14 percent of U.S. households were deemed "food insecure," according to the USDA's annual report, Household Food Security in the United States in 2014. That statistic is about the same as 2013's national food insecurity level.

McGovern is expected to be jointed by numerous food bank organizations, nonprofit groups, and officials from various local, state and regional agencies.

Holder, a five-year veteran, was killed last week while responding to a report of shots fired and a bicycle stolen at gunpoint in Manhattan's East Harlem neighborhood.

By MICHAEL BALSAMO

NEW YORK -- Thousands of police officers packed rain-swept streets on Wednesday, remembering a slain New York Police Department officer -- a "hero" whose commitment to policing the city's police commissioner says should serve as an example for all New York officers.

As Officer Randolph Holder's coffin was wheeled inside a Queens church, the hundreds of officers who sat shoulder-to-shoulder saluted. Outside, thousands more saluted their fallen comrade, as they lined up 10 and 20 deep.

"All of New York City is in pain at this moment," Mayor Bill de Blasio said in his eulogy. "We know our city lost a remarkable man; a man who made it better by his presence."

Before de Blasio delivered the eulogy, he paused in front of the coffin in the front of the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York. Afterward, he shook hands with Holder's parents and kissed the 33-year-old officer's fiancee.

The mayor spoke of how Holder came to the United States 12 years ago with his lifelong dream of becoming a police officer -- like his father and grandfather had in Guyana -- and "make the world better."

Holder "served as a peace officer in the truest sense of the word," the mayor said. "He loved to be in the community. He loved to connect to the people around him."

As a mourner sang "Amazing Grace," Holder's stepmother, Princess Holder, rocked slowly back and forth in her husband's arms as she wept and sobbed. At one point, she whaled, "Why?" as tears streamed down her face.

Holder, a five-year veteran, was killed Oct. 20 while responding to a report of shots fired and a bicycle stolen at gunpoint in Manhattan's East Harlem neighborhood. Authorities have accused Tyrone Howard of hopping off the stolen bicycle and shooting Holder in the head. His attorney has said there are missing details in the case.

When he got the call, Holder and his partner "went toward the danger. They didn't pull back," Police Commissioner William Bratton said. "Why? It's what we do ... In Guyana or Harlem. It's what we do."

Bratton posthumously promoted Holder to detective and issued him a new gold shield with No. 9657 -- the same number of the badge worn by his father, Randolph Sr. The elder Holder hugged Bratton before slowly bowing his head to admire the shield, as mourners erupted into applause.

"Detective Randolph Holder, you are relieved of your duty as a New York City police officer, a guardian at the gates of New York City," Bratton said. "... And we send you on your new assignment to be a guardian angel at the gates of heaven."

Holder's fiancee, Maryiane Muhammad, told the grieving congregants that his death was teaching her a painful lesson in courage.

"To simply wear the uniform of an officer is an act of courage," she said. "You have chosen to be both target and hero. It could be argued that to the loved one of an officer, we chose the same fate."

Holder is to be buried later this week in Georgetown, Guyana.

Dennis Campbell was charged with making a false bomb threat, according to Massachusetts State Police officials, who took the 55-year-old Uxbridge man into custody around 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28.

BOSTON — A Worcester County many was arrested for allegedly making a bomb threat on board a plane scheduled to depart from Boston Logan International Airport on Wednesday evening.

Dennis Campbell was charged with making a false bomb threat, according to Massachusetts State Police, who took the 55-year-old Uxbridge man into custody at about 7 p.m. United Airlines flight 439 was delayed for about 50 minutes as authorities investigated the bogus claim, police said.

State troopers boarded the plane after passengers allegedly overheard another passenger, later identified as Campbell, indicate he had a bomb in his bag, police said.

Campbell was booked at the State Police barracks at Logan and held on $250 bail pending arraignment in East Boston District Court on Thursday. Additional information wasn't immediately available.

The top 10 polling Republican presidential candidates squared-off for the third time Wednesday evening during a CNBC hosted debate at the University of Colorado's Coors Events Center.

SPRINGFIELD ‒ The top 10 polling Republican presidential candidates squared-off for the third time Wednesday evening during a CNBC hosted debate at the University of Colorado's Coors Events Center.

Polls heading into the 8 p.m. event gave retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and businessman Donald Trump large leads over other 2016 GOP presidential contenders.

Despite trailing in the polls, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., businesswoman Carly Fiorina, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-KY, also garnered enough support to participate in the prime time debate.

Lower polling candidates, meanwhile, squared-off in an earlier debate.

Similar to the first two GOP presidential debates, candidates in the 8 p.m. event again focused on issues like immigration, tax policy and campaign finance.

Here are five takeaways from the prime time debate:

Candidates blasted each other's campaign platforms, experience.

Kasich kicked-off the debate by raising concerns that American voters could be on the verge of electing president someone who is incapable of doing the job. He blasted Trump and Carson's respective immigration and tax proposals, as well as called suggestions that the government dismantle Medicare and Medicaid "fantasy."

Trump fired back, attributing Kasich's success in Ohio, in part, to fracking. He also noted that the governor worked for Lehman Brothers at the time of the recent financial crisis.

Bush also took jabs at other GOP contenders, calling on Rubio to commit to either his Senate term or his presidential campaign. The former Florida governor said state residents are looking for someone who will "fight for them each and every day."

Rubio contended that the Bush didn't complain about other senators missing congressional votes to run for president.

Huckabee, however, wouldn't take the bait when asked about his take on Trump's moral authority to lead to country, saying he was wearing a Trump tie for the debate.

Cruz, others took issue with the moderators' questions, said they "illustrate why the American people don't trust the media."

Stressing that the debate "is not a cage match," the Texas senator argued that candidates should instead be discussing substantive issues voters care about.

"The questions that are being asked shouldn't be trying to get people to tear into each other, it should be 'what are your substantive positions?'" he said.

While some GOP presidential hopefuls on the stage took aim at each other, Cruz contended that the field has more ideas, experience and common sense than candidates who participated in the recent Democratic debate.

Rubio also took a jab at what he called the "mainstream media," saying it's the "ultimate super PAC" for the Democratic party.

Christie blasted the moderators for asking about whether fantasy football should be regulated by the federal government when he believes there are more pressing issues facing the country.

"Are we really talking about getting the government involved in fantasy football?" he asked. "We have $19 trillion in debt, we have people out of work, we have ISIS and Al-Qaeda attacking us and we're talking about fantasy football?"

Carson, during his closing remarks, thanked the other Republican candidates for their civility and for not "falling for traps."

Trump said the country needs to get rid of so-called super PACs.

The businessman, who contended that he's the only self-funded candidate, called for ending super PACs, saying they lead good people to make bad decisions.

"Super PACs are a disaster," he said. "They are a scam, they cause dishonesty and you better get rid of them. They are causing a lot of bad decisions to be made by some very good people."

Likening the last several years to a "gigantic party,"Cruz pledged to drive the country home.

The Texas senator painted himself as a passionate fighter during his opening remarks, saying that he's a candidate who will work for the American people.

"For six and a half years we've had a gigantic party. If you want someone to grab a beer with I may not be that guy, but if you want someone to drive you home, I will get the job done and I will get you home," he said.

Trump took credit for the debate's length.

The businessman used his closing statement to take credit for the debate lasting just two hours, saying he and Carson negotiated the time with CNBC - a claim the moderators disputed.

"These folks, CNBC they had it down at three, three-and-a-half hours...I went out and said 'it's ridiculous, I could stand up here all night, nobody wants to watch three-and-a-half or three-hours," Trump said.

"It was a big sacrifice, but I have to hand it to Ben, he was with me 100 percent. We called in, we said 'that's it, we're not doing it, they lost a lot of money everybody said it couldn't be done - everybody said it was going to be three hours, three-and-a-half, including them, and in about two minutes I renegotiated it down to two hours so we could get the hell out of here."

CNBC contended that the debate was originally set to run just two hours.

Holyoke patrol officers voted 50 to 10 in favor of endorsing Fran O'Connell for mayor.

This story elaborates on one posted at 8:55 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2015: Holyoke patrol union endorses Fran O'Connell for mayor, criticizes Mayor Alex Morse

HOLYOKE -- Fran O'Connell said Wednesday he was honored that the police patrol union has endorsed his candidacy for mayor.

Officer Edward J. Moskal, president of Local 388, International Brotherhood of Police Officers, said the endorsement was as much a criticism of Mayor Alex B. Morse as a support of O'Connell.

"This endorsement speaks volumes," O'Connell said in an email. "I am honored to have earned the respect and trust to receive the endorsement of IBPO, Local #388.

"I firmly believe that our brothers and sisters in blue deserve to be heard. I will work closely with the department as a whole to ensure that the needs of both our citizens and the department are being met.

"The city of Holyoke faces serious issues regarding public safety and the morale of our patrol men and women is critically important to addressing these matters. I will have an open and honest line of communication with all departments, based upon respect and appreciation of their hard work," he said.

O'Connell, who owns the business O'Connell Care at Home, and Morse are competing on Election Day Nov. 3.

The union voted 50 in favor of endorsing O'Connell and 10 against that, said Moskal, who said endorsing Morse wasn't an option.

"We believe that what is needed to turn the city in a new direction is a capable and successful businessman that will be able to steer Holyoke into a business friendly environment to lure new business and growth," Moskal said in a letter to O'Connell.

"What is needed is not only a business-savvy individual but one that will listen and respond to the needs and concerns of the employees of Holyoke," Moskal said.

Moskal said in a phone interview that the endorsement of O'Connell and a union vote in April that it had no confidence in Police Chief James M. Neiswanger are tied to several key issues. One is what he said has been poor management that has resulted in consumption of all the overtime the department had budgeted despite most of the fiscal year remaining.

Also, officials are angry about Morse's lack of action after a man made what police and others considered to be anti-police remarks on stage between musical performances at the Celebrate Holyoke festival in August, he said.

"That's supposed to be a nonpolitical event. It's a family event," Moskal said.

The union took the no-confidence vote in Neiswanger because of frustrations with the chief's decisions regarding disciplining of officers, staffing and promotions and use of reserve officers, Moskal said in April.

"Since April, nothing's changed," Moskal said Wednesday night.

Neiswanger, chief here since the summer of 2011, couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

Neiswanger defended his decisions at a press conference -- at which he took no questions -- after the union vote, saying: "I was hired by the city of Holyoke to run and manage the police department. I was not hired by Ed Moskal and the patrolmen's union," Neiswanger said. "I will not be pressured or bullied into mismanaging the department."

Morse said he and Neiswanger have given police the resources to keep crime down and keep officers safe. Unpopular decisions are part of being mayor, he said.

"The chief and I serve the public, not Ed Moskal. And the public has been well served by my administration's approach to public safety," Morse said.

Morse went on to say:

"While it's unfortunate that an element of the patrolmen's union has made this decision, it shouldn't detract from our record on public safety over the past four years.

"Every mayor has to make unpopular decisions, especially when it comes to maintaining the public trust in law enforcement. While some members of the union may not agree, I feel it's completely reasonable to fire an officer who draws his weapon at a Denny's and points it into the chest of another officer. I also feel it's completely reasonable to require drug testing in light of information about drug use in the department. Most Holyokers will understand these actions as common sense. As the chief said after the union's no-confidence vote, I will not be pressured or bullied by a few union members when the public trust is at issue.

In November, Morse upheld a recommendation from Neiswanger and fired a patrolman for pulling out his gun in an Aug. 18 incident with three other officers at Denny's restaurant here. No shots were fired. The officers had been arguing about which branch of the military was better and the talk got heated, according to details from Moskal, Morse and others.

As for the remarks made at Celebrate Holyoke, Morse said in a text message that he told Holyoke Police Lt. Larry Cournoyer and Neiswanger that Celebrate Holyoke was not a political event and "we will ensure that steps will be taken that no political speech will occur in the future."

Morse said he never heard directly from the patrol union about the remarks at Celebrate Holyoke.

"I let the chief and others know that I did not plan the speaking schedule and would speak to organizers to make sure it didn't happen again," Morse said.

Maria Mossaides, the head of the state’s independent Office of the Child Advocate, said the Department of Children and Families should not have closed the case of 2-year-old Bella Bond and her mother Rachelle Bond in 2013. Watch video

BOSTON - Maria Mossaides, the head of the state's independent Office of the Child Advocate, said the Department of Children and Families should not have closed the case of 2-year-old Bella Bond and her mother Rachelle in 2013.

"We think that the case should not have been closed," she said. "However, I want to sort of remind everyone who may not understand this, that DCF often faces situations in which there are mixed messages around a family's parenting capacity."

Mossaides added that it is "impossible for anyone to say that continued involvement with the department would have prevented the tragedy that happened in that case."

Efforts are underway to "rebuild" the department, she noted, after $131 million was cut out of the department's budget years ago at the managerial and quality assurance staffing levels.

The department's handling of the case echoed its involvement in other previous cases in which a child died, like Jeremiah Oliver of Fitchburg, or was allegedly abused and neglected, as in the case of Jack Loiselle of Hardwick.

In the Bella Bond case, her mother Rachelle had previously lost custody of two older children. Until Bella was 11 months old, she and her mother lived in a family shelter and then moved into an apartment in Oct. 2013 through a rental voucher.

"Ms. Bond received housing services and public assistance from several state and federal programs," a report from the Office of the Child Advocate said on Wednesday, adding that Bond received financial support and services from various agencies for more than 15 years.

The report continued:

"Bella received regular pediatric care through May 2014 and was up-to-date with her immunizations and on track with developmental milestones. She was due to for an annual check-up at the time of her death. No one in any program or agency was found to have had contact for the eight months between October 2014 and June 2015 when Bella's body was discovered."

Since she had lost custody of the two children, DCF should have "initiated an emergency investigation" on Bella Bond, the report added, noting that Rachelle Bond's "ability to parent was not appropriately assessed."

The report also said the agency "missed opportunities" to pick up information from service providers and "relied on Ms. Bond's own statements in some cases and did not delve deeper by contacting professionals or agencies with whom she should have been working."

Gov. Charlie Baker had requested the report from the independent Office of the Child Advocate in September, after the arrest of Rachelle Bond and her boyfriend, Michael McCarthy, who is charged with Bella's murder. Bond is charged as an accessory after the fact, and both have pleaded not guilty.

The Office of the Child Advocate report is separate from the criminal investigation into Bella's death.

"By looking at both DCF's handling of this family's case and the involvement of other parties, this review reinforces the safety and well-being of a child is the shared responsibility of the family, community, and entities responsible for providing assistance to children and families," the report said.

Kelly Dempsey's line for New York Fashion Week in the two-part season finale of Lifetime's "Project Runway" Season 14 is inspired by her love of fashion and hip hop. She did the work at her family's home in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Springfield, Massachusetts: Birthplace of basketball ... city of homes ... epicenter of cutting-edge fashion design? Yes to all three, at least for a day when "Project Runway" co-host Tim Gunn visited Season 14 finalist Kelly Dempsey ahead of her New York Fashion Week show.

The first episode of the two-part Season 14 finale of Lifetime's fashion design competition, co-hosted by Heidi Klum, included Gunn's traditional home visits to the finalists to see how their collections are coming along. We knew Dempsey, who's lived in Boston the past 12 years, grew up in the Springfield suburb of Monson, but we had no idea she'd be creating her fashion-forward New York designs in the unofficial capital of Western Massachusetts until Thursday night's show turned to iconic images of Springfield.

After visits to finalists Ashley Nell Tipton, at her family home in San Diego, where she shows Tim her collection inspired by 1950s Mexico City, and Candice Cuoco in San Francisco, where he meets her and her family at the beach wearing a full on suit in classic Tim Gunn style, the screen flashed with the Peter Pan Bus sign because Tim Gunn was in Springfield!

He visited Kelly at her family home, where she shows him a collection inspired by the 1970s and Studio 54, including fanny packs, gold piping and faux wood-patterned fabric, all of which Tim loves.

"I get it," he said. "What you have here is a show."

Kelly then takes Tim to Pasquale's Restaurant on North Main Street in East Longmeadow, where he met her aunt Carol, her cousin, Anthony, and her father, Richard.

Her aunt said Kelly has been experimenting with fashion since she was a child. "Kelly would come walking in and we never knew what to expect," she said.

Her cousin said the family's one request was that Kelly make it past the first episode. "We used to joke, don't get kicked off the first episode, don't embarrass the family," he said laughing.

"Well she certainly hasn't done that," Tim said.

Kelly said making her family proud is important. "I'm doing the one thing I've always wanted to do," she said. "They are so proud of me. Family is everything."

Kelly's father teared up a bit as he talked about his daughter. "I'm overwhelmed. I'm so proud of her," he said.

Tim says goodbye to the family, and suddenly we shoot over to Medford, where Kelly introduces Tim to the owners of Bob's Italian Foods, the deli where she worked. Tim was greeted with the "Big Gunn Milanese" sandwich made especially for him.

Then he was on his way to Atlanta, to visit Edmond Newton, who had a lot of black and white pieces and a ton of work left to do.

Edmond made the finale because at the start of the episode, Tim utilizes his "Tim Gunn Save" to keep him in the competition in the least shocking move ever. On last week's episode, Edmond was told his bright sequined gown did not make the cut. But on Thursday night, Tim said Edmond put in hard work and deserved the save. The ladies took the added competition on with class.

After the home visits, all the designers head back to New York, where they celebrate with champagne and discuss Fashion Week. Then Tim presents them with their final challenge: Create a new look to add to the collection or to replace a look in the existing collection.

Kelly has some minor drama when she spots a stain on her dress. "This stain looks like it's been here since 1912," she says of the rusty looking stain on her dress. But not to fear: Ashley comes to the rescue with some color remover.

Once all the pieces are completed, the designers head to the runway for their final critiques from judges Heidi, Nina Garcia and Zac Posen.

Candice presents her three looks first with lots of leather, a voluminous hat and a bright red number.

Kelly is up next with a mini dress, shorts and an off-the-shoulder top and pants with a bright metallic tank. Kelly's signature fanny pack made an appearance on the runway as well. "I want to get the judges' feedback. I want to know what they like and what they don't like so I can fix it," she says.

Edmond's line consisted of lots of black and a touch of white. He showcased several dresses. Ashley was up last with three pieces featuring pastel colors and lots of lace, all designed for plus-size women.

The judges had some serious critiques for all four designers. But, they have grown to appreciate Kelly's unique style – and Kelly the person.

"You are super resilient. You have risen to the top. You can fix this, you can do this," Heidi said.

The final episode of Project Runway Season 14 will air on Lifetime on Nov. 5 at 9 p.m.

The faculty at Franklin County High School in Meadville, Miss., had wanted to honor Jamie Collins with a parade sometime in the early spring, just after Collins had led the Patriots with eight tackles in Super Bowl XLIX. The faculty at Franklin County High School also had known Jamie Collins for four years, so they knew they'd need a backup plan; Collins isn't exactly a parade kinda guy.

These were the most read stories on MassLive.com yesterday. If you missed any of them, click on the links below to read them now.

1) State police: Motorist killed in crash in northbound lanes of Interstate 91 in West Springfield [George Graham] Photo gallery above

2) Fantasy Football outlook: Dion Lewis, LeGarrette Blount, Brandon LaFell vs. Dolphins [Kevin Duffy]

3) New England Patriots LB Jamie Collins: A big-time playmaker with small-town roots [Kevin Duffy]

4) Springfield ranked No. 2 most dangerous metro area in Northeast, according to Law Street Media [Conor Berry]

5) Ludlow cemetery workers unearth 30- to 40-year-old bag of apparent leg bones while digging up new plot [Suzanne McLaughlin]

The council has already accepted more than a dozen private ways as public at its past meetings, including Prospect Court, Lawn Avenue, Strawberry Hill, Tyler Court, Wilder Place, Carpenter Avenue, Bratton Court, Isabella Street, Edwards Square, Ahawaga Avenue, Baker Hill Road and Church Street.

NORTHAMPTON - The City Council will take a final vote on adopting Center Court as a public street when it meets next Thursday.

The council has already accepted more than a dozen private ways as public at its past meetings, including Prospect Court, Lawn Avenue, Strawberry Hill, Tyler Court, Wilder Place, Carpenter Avenue, Bratton Court, Isabella Street, Edwards Square, Ahawaga Avenue, Baker Hill Road and Church Street. It accepted Center Court on first reading earlier in October.

The Board of Public Works, now the Public Works Advisory Board, studied 40-some streets for acceptance, studying factors such as whether or not they are paved and can accommodate two-way traffic.
The issue was forced by a 2005 order from the Massachusetts Inspector General telling the town of Wellfleet that it had to stop plowing streets in a private development.

In Northampton, the Department of Public Works has been plowing private ways, but cannot continue to do so under state law. It costs $15,000-$17,000 to plow those streets, according to the Department of Public Works. Some residents did not want their private ways to be made public, according to the former chairman of the Board of Public Works.

Councilors sometimes have reservations about particular streets, saying they are more like private communities. Center Court is off Center Street.

Holyokers will decide four questions that are binding and one that is only advisory.

HOLYOKE -- Voters will be asked to make decisions about not only candidates on Election Day Tuesday but on ballot questions aimed at changing government.

Five questions -- four binding and one nonbinding -- will be on the ballot regarding term limits, the city treasurer and reducing the City Council, along with races for mayor, City Council, treasurer and School Committee.

The binding nature of the first four questions means that if they are approved, changes they describe would take effect with the 2017 municipal election.

The fifth question is advisory in gauging whether voters want to switch from a form of government led by a mayor to one led by a city manager.

Councilor at Large Howard B. Greaney Jr. has said it should be noted that members of the City Council by voting to place the questions on the ballot are not necessarily supporting or opposing them.

The council decision is merely to give voters the opportunity to decide the issues, he said.

The ballot questions give voters the most significant chance to overhaul government since 2011. That year, voters defeated a proposal to make sweeping changes in the city charter by voting 57 percent no and 43 percent yes.

Here are the questions voters will be asked to decide, along with arguments that have been made for and against each question:

1. Should the City Council be reduced to 13 members -- consisting of seven by ward and six at large -- from the current format of 15, with seven ward and eight at large?

For: Most of the ballot questions are part of a multi-step plan to save money and increase government efficiency proposed by Mayor Alex B. Morse and City Council President Kevin A. Jourdain.

A smaller City Council would be more in keeping with a city of 40,000 and with most cities having smaller legislative bodies.

That's an argument made for years by Councilor at Large Daniel B. Bresnahan, who was on the city charter review commission in 2011 that recommended the council reduction and other changes to modernize the 119-year-old city charter.

Chopping two council seats also would save $20,000 a year, which is the $10,000-a-year stipend each councilor is paid.

Some also say in arguing that the City Council dwells more on obstruction than action that a slightly smaller board would allow for swifter business.

The smartphone-in-every-hand proliferation of internet scrutiny today acts as a safeguard against the kind of "boss politics" that Councilor at Large Joseph M. McGiverin (see "Against" below) has warned could occur with fewer at large councilors.

Against: Others argue that the form of government has lasted 119 years because it works.

Why reduce the number of voters' elected representatives when the perennially stated goal is to have an informed and active electorate?

McGiverin has said such a change as proposed in the ballot question risks corruption. The number of at large seats on the City Council always should outnumber the ward representatives. The reason for that is to block the possibility of a mayor making deals with ward councilors, who perhaps are more plugged into particular neighborhoods' needs than at large members and thus vulnerable to such backroom politics, he said.

"Boss politics" is the term McGiverin has used for such dealing.

Also, McGiverin and others have said, if the desire to reduce the size of the City Council persists and the next step is to eliminate some ward seats, that unfurls issues related to the federal census and congressional redistricting.

2. Should the mayor's term be increased to four years from the current two years?

For: The main argument has been two years is too little time for a mayor to carry out a city-improvement plan.

After year one, a mayor in a two-year term already must begin devoting time to running for reelection.

Morse told The Republican editorial board Oct. 15 that Holyoke is a small city with big-city problems like poverty, troubled schools and drug-related and other crimes fueled by street gangs that keep police busy. Two years is insufficient to begin putting a dent into such problems, he said.

Also, business leaders want the stability that comes with a mayor they know will be in office for four years, he said.

And if the decision is to increase the term of councilors, or of the mayor, it makes sense to do it across the board and have them all be held to four-year or two-year terms, some have argued.

That would allow for a four-year election cycle instead of holding an election every two years for some officials and two years later for others, supporters of this question have said.

(Though that argument doesn't really hold up at the moment upon considering that the City Council failed to forward to the state Legislature for approval in time a binding ballot question regarding School Committee members' terms. That means most school board members' terms still will require elections every two years regardless of how voters decide the ballot questions Tuesday.)

Against: Foes say four years at a time is too long to withstand a politician at the local level.

Two-year terms give voters the power to keep a short leash on a mayor, an accountability they would surrender by increasing the time in office.

The mayor's yearly salary is $85,000.

3. Should the terms of city councilors be increased to four years from the current two years?

For and Against: See four-year term for mayor "For" and "Against."

Also, Morse said that while he supports a four-year term for mayor, he opposes increasing councilors' terms because councilors and the mayor have different kinds of duties.

The city's legislators need to be at a level of accountability that allows for a two-year review of councilors who are closest to the voters they represent and not as tied as the mayor is to the daily decision-making of running the city, he said.

4. Should the city treasurer be changed from an elected to an appointed position?

For: This is the question with perhaps the most ramifications, with supporters saying that making this change would allow for other improvements.

Changing how the treasurer is chosen comes as the city's most recent full-time elected treasurer, Jon D. Lumbra, resigned Feb. 13 after a controversy that included his having taken another full-time job with a private company while continuing to work as treasurer and draw the full-time city paycheck. Lumbra said all treasurer duties were fulfilled.

If the question passes, under the Morse-Jourdain plan, the treasurer would be merged with the tax collector. The tax collector is now appointed by the City Council.

The new position of treasurer-collector also would be appointed by the City Council. The job would be filled based on an application and interview process with candidates being eligible only if they have certain skills and experience beyond just getting the most votes.

Then, under the Morse-Jourdain plan, the treasurer-collector would join other finance-related offices like the Board of Assessors and city auditor under a new department head of chief financial officer.

The goal with that is to centralize the currently splintered financial operations, Morse and Jourdain said.

Such a structure would ensure that such City Council appointees have a day-to-day supervisor, the chief financial officer, which is now missing.

Against: Removing the power to elect the city treasurer from voters weakens their control over the government generally and specifically, over an official key to handling of the taxpayers' money.

The treasurer's duties include handling tax title records for properties whose owners are in arrears with the city, holding and investing city funds and managing employee payrolls in the city budget, which began the fiscal year July 1 at $125.5 million.

The treasurer's yearly salary is $70,016.

Also, aside from some city councilors irritated by Lumbra for working the private job while continuing to work as treasurer, and get a city salary, do most people even care about that Lumbra-councilors clash, as long as government kept functioning, which it did?

5. (Nonbinding) Should the city switch from a mayor to city manager?

For: Ward 6 Councilor Todd A. McGee proposed the city manager question because he said that's among changes voters have discussed previously.

The nonbinding nature would allow for a view of voters' feelings without having to deal with the actual triggering of such a big change, he said.

The main difference between a mayor and city manager is a mayor is elected and a city manager is appointed, usually by a mayor and City Council.

Supporters of such a change argue that installing a city manager nets a financial and management specialist hired based on skills, experience and education instead of someone selected based on voters' whims.

Against: Foes of such a system note a mayor becomes little more than a figurehead personifying the city seal at events.

Meanwhile, voters would get only indirect say on a key city leader, the city manager, in the form of electing the City Council or whichever body appoints the city manager.

The supervision concern also comes into play for a city manager, a specialist hired specifically to manage and deal with finances, appointed by a legislative board that by its nature is removed from the daily workings of City Hall.

Some could argue the same concern about daily supervision could arise regarding a mayor. But a mayor is chosen to be not a specialist but a generalist in terms of managing and making decisions across the spectrum of government. A mayor's work comes under a degree of public scrutiny that is essentially required to increase periodically, during election time, an examination of which a city manager would be free.

Mysterio is a pure white cat with one blue eye and one green eye. Watch video

Each week, MassLive showcases pets available for adoption at shelters at rescue organizations in Western Massachusetts.

With the participation of the shelters listed below, many animals should be able to find a permanent home.

We occasionally provide videos and news updates. The following is a video of Jessecah Gower with Dawn, available for adoption at the T.J. O'Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center in Springfield.

Gift basket fundraiser underway

WESTFIELD - Gift baskets priced from $5 to $30 will be available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to benefit the Westfield Homeless Cat Project. They are available Saturday, Nov. 14, at PETCO in Holyoke; Saturday, Nov. 21, at Wal-Mart in Northampton; Sunday, Nov. 22, at Wal-Mart in Westfield; Saturday, Nov. 28 at PETCO in Holyoke; Sunday, Dec. 13, at Wal-Mart in Westfield.

Fall and holiday baskets as well as baskets for boys, girls, men, and women of all ages are available.

For further information, contact Paula at ppagos@comcast.net.

This is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Homeless Cat Project, a no kill rescue shelter that finds homes for hundreds of unwanted kittens and cats each year. Currently the shelter is overwhelmed with abandoned cats and kittens rescued from the cold and available for adoption.

On open house for adoptions will be held at 1124 East Mountain Road in Westfield Thursdays from 5 to 7 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sundays from 1 to 3 p.m.
For further information email westfieldhcp@aol.com

WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS SHELTERS:

Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society
Address: 163 Montague Road, Leverett
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 12:30 -5:30 p.m.
Telephone: (413) 548-9898
Website: www.dpvhs.org

Address: 171 Union St., Springfield
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 12:30-5:30 p.m.
Telephone: (413) 781-4000
Website: www.dpvhs.org

The following is a video of Trudy, a dog available for adoption at the T.J. O'Connor Animal Adoption and Control Center in Springfield.

Thomas J. O'Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center
Address: 627 Cottage St., Springfield
Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Saturday, noon-4 p.m.; Thursday, noon-7 p.m.
Telephone: (413) 781-1484
Website: tjoconnoradoptioncenter.com

Westfield Homeless Cat Project
Address: 1124 East Mountain Road, Westfield
Hours: Adoption clinics, Thursday, 5-7 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Website: http://www.whcp.petfinder.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westfieldhomelesscatprojectadoptions

Westfield Regional Animal Shelter
Address: 178 Apremont Way, Westfield
Hours: Monday-Friday, noon-5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Telephone: (413) 564-3129
Website: http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/ma70.html

Franklin County Sheriff's Office Regional Dog Shelter and Adoption Center
Address: 10 Sandy Lane, Turners Falls
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Telephone: (413) 676-9182
Website: http://fcrdogkennel.org/contact.html

Polverari/Southwick Animal Control Facility
Address: 11 Depot St., Southwick
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
Telephone: (413) 569-5348, ext. 649
Website: http://southwickpolice.com/chief-david-a-ricardis-welcome/animal-control/

Berkshire Humane Society
Address: 214 Barker Road, Pittsfield
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-4 p.m.; Thursday, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Telephone: (413) 447-7878
Website: http://berkshirehumane.org/

Purradise Feline Adoption
Address: 301 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington
Hours: Monday and Tuesday: Closed; Wednesday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Thursday 10 a.m.- 6 p.m.; Friday,10 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, noon-4 p.m.
Telephone: (413) 717-4244
Website: http://berkshirehumane.org/contact-us/