Lajeunesse pleaded guilty to felony charges of burning down a building and conspiracy to burn a building, for his part in the arson of three vacant homes during the summer of 2010.

Dylan Lajeunesse of Holland was sentenced to serve three years probation and pay nearly $130,000 in restitution for his part in three fires set on June 15 and June 22 in Brimfield, and July 13 in Holland. (Republican Staff photo by Mark M. Murray)

SPRINGFIELD - Dylan Lajeunesse, one of the five now former volunteer firefighters accused of setting a string of fires in Brimfield and Holland last summer, pleaded guilty in Hampden Superior Court on Wednesday.

According to a report by CBS-3, Lajeunesse pleaded guilty to felony charges of burning down a building and conspiracy to burn a building, for his part in the arson of three vacant homes during the summer of 2010.

The first of the eastern Hampden County fires was set on June 15 at 144 Paige Hill Road, Brimfield. The second was on June 22, at 151 Washington Road, Brimfield. The third was on July 13 at 6 Chandler Road, Holland. All three fires happened on Tuesdays and each were determined to have been set intentionally.

In September, Lajeunesse was arraigned along with 19-year-old Brian S. Findlay, of Ashford, Conn.; 18-year-old Jordan R. Frank, of West Brookfield; 19-year-old Patrick K. Elliott, of Charlton; and 20-year-old Donald C. Moores, of Brimfield. All five young men were charged with burning a building, a felony that carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in state prison.

Findlay, Frank, Elliot and Moores belonged to the Brimfield Fire Department while Lajeunesse worked with the Holland Fire Department.

At his court appearance on Wednesday, Lajeunesse was sentenced to three years probation and to pay nearly $130,000 in restitution, as investigators initially said that each of the five men carried different degrees of responsibility in the situation.

Police reports and court documents obtained by The Republican and MassLive.com's Lori Stabile last fall revealed a disturbing set of accusations.

From left to right, Patrick Elliot 19 of Charlton, Donald Moores ,20 of Brimfield, Jordan Frank 18 of Brimfield, and Brian Findlay 18 of Ashford Ct., all are charged with with arson, stand during arraignment in Palmer District Court on Sept. 3, 2010. (Republican Staff photo by Mark M. Murray)

An arrest report filed by the state police indicated that the friends set the fires to "look cool and go to fires," as they were tired of answering medical calls, which constitute a large number of the overall service calls for most fire departments.

Court records stated that on the night of the Holland fire, Findlay said, “We’re bored, we need a call.”

Findlay told state police that the night of the first fire on Paige Hill Road in Brimfield, Elliot was upset with his girlfriend, “and wanted to light something on fire.”

Elliot, who is accused of personally setting all three fires, according to previous reports, took a flammable mixture from the fire department and poured it through a window at the Washington Road house in Brimfield on June 22. Then the group went back to their respective vehicles and waited to be dispatched to battle the blaze.

"Firefighters as arsonists is not as uncommon as it should be," said State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan in a statement last September. "A firefighter accused of deliberately setting fires betrays the public’s trust and destroys the credibility of the fire service. It is also a betrayal of the trust firefighters need to place in one another to see that everyone goes home at the end of the day."

The other four young men facing charges will be returning to court in the coming months.

Wilbraham grandmother saves toddler after drowning Wednesday, Obama tells LGBT community he has met his commitments to them, and more headlines.

Alex Lopez, center, plays baseball with his sister Sugey while smoke generated by the Las Conchas fire covers the sky in Espanola, N.M., Wednesday, June 29, 2011. As crews fight to keep the wildfire from reaching the country's premier nuclear-weapons laboratory and the surrounding community, scientists are busy sampling the air for chemicals and radiological materials. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

• State Police Arrest 29, Seize More Than 40 Guns, Drugs in Gang Round-Up [Courant.com]


• Four in NY charged with rape, forcing child into prostitution [NewYorkTimes.com]


• Wilbraham grandmother revives toddler after he fell into pool [WWLP.com]


• President Obama: 'I've Met My Commitments to the LGBT Community' [ABCNews.com]


• Man killed on Texas highway traveled for ten minutes in windshield of car before driver knew anything happened [KHOU.com]


The family of a southeast Houston man killed in a bizarre accident must not only deal with the death of their loved one, but also the disturbing details surrounding it.


• Twitter posts tagged #westernma in Western Mass. [MassLive.com]


• Read more News Links »


• Do you have News Links? Send them our way or tweet them to @masslivenews

NOTE: Users of modern browsers can open each link in a new tab by holding 'control' ('command' on a Mac) and clicking each link.

Today's Poll: Do you believe the criminal charges Melvin Jones III is facing will have an impact on his civil rights complaint against the Springfield Police Department?

The sun sets behind the Kansas City, Mo., skyline, marking the end of the longest day of the year which occurs on the summer solstice, Tuesday, June 21, 2011, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

The Forecast

According to the National Weather Service, today will be sunny with a high near 81 degrees.

Tonight, skies will be partly cloudy, with a low around 54. And beautiful summer weather is expected to stick around throughout the weekend.

Find the full forecast here.

Today's Poll

On Wednesday, Melvin Jones III, the Springfield man who was seen being beaten by city police on videotape back in 2009, was indicted by the FBI for conspiracy to sell crack cocaine and drug trafficking.

The FBI alleges that they have video of Jones selling crack to a federal informant on Dec. 2 and Dec. 13 of last year, although no statement was made by authorities as to the quantity of the drug Jones was allegedly caught selling.

Since the Nov. 2009 incident where Jones was seen on amateur video tape apparently being beaten in the face with a flashlight by now fired city cop Jeffrey M. Asher, he has been arrested twice.

On one occasion he is accused of stealing 33 pairs of pants from the J.C. Penny store on Boston Road and on the second, he is accused of choking a woman during a domestic dispute.

Shawn Allyn, a lawyer for Jones in his federal civil rights case, said he believes these charges are coming up now to further diminish his client's credibility as the case where he is named as a victim approaches.

“He’s just trying to tank the Asher case," Allyn told The Republican and MassLive.com "If he was serious about prosecuting Asher, he would have indicted him. The Feds rejected the (drug) case."

Allyn was referring to the fact that with the drug-related charges announced Wednesday by District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni, the same charges were referred to Superior Court by the U.S. Attorney’s office two weeks ago, but that office declined to prosecute the case for unexplained reasons.

Mastroianni has said that he is committed to prosecuting the case against Asher and that this case will have no impact on it. The FBI also said Wednesday that this case will have no impact on Jones' civil rights case pending in federal court.

To read the story about the drug-related indictment, click here.

To catch up on the entire saga surrounding Jones, click here.

Monday's Top 5:

The top 5 headlines on MassLive.com on June 29 were:

1) As Palmer tries to evict him for non-payment of taxes, Jay Noone calls property taxes 'extortion'

2) Springfield police arrest 9 suspects, ranging in age from 12 to 19, following beating of openly gay man on Walnut Street

3) Reported 16 Acres home invasion results in arrest of homeowner Nicholas Korniotes and seizure of his property for drug cultivation

4) Melvin Jones III, subject of videotaped Springfield police beating, charged with conspiracy to sell crack cocaine

5) Investigators raid Wilbraham home, seize 73 marijuana plants, arrest Mark and Caroline Shields

Quote of the Day

“It’s such a mix of emotions. I met a lot of great people here, but it will be so good to finally sleep in a real bed.” said Deborah Flores, the last person to leave the Red Cross shelter at the MassMutual Center on Wednesday. To read the story of the shelter closing, click here.

Rep. John Binienda (D-Worcester), chairman of the House Rules Committee, said the idea of making lobbyists wear an identification badge revolted him and served as a reminder of Nazi Germany.

Rep. John Binienda (D-Worcester), chairman of the House Rules Committee, said the idea of making lobbyists wear an identification badge revolted him and served as a reminder of Nazi Germany.

By Michael Norton
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, - As House Speaker Robert DeLeo promised Wednesday that a set of Republican-backed ethics reforms would be given consideration, one of his top deputies compared a provision to force lobbyists to wear identification badges to the tattooing of Jews in Nazi Germany.

House Republicans indicated that since they offered ethics reforms last week - a response to the jury conviction of former House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi and lobbyist Richard McDonough in a public corruption scheme - some Democrats had expressed interest in signing on. The proposals included a plan to require lobbyists seeking access to House members or staff to wear visible identification badges.

"The idea of the badge by lobbyists to me, I kind of find that revolting," Rep. John Binienda (D-Worcester), chairman of the House Rules Committee, told the News Service in a phone interview. "Hitler during the concentration camps tattooed all of the Jewish people so he would know who was Jew and who wasn't and that's something that I just don't go along with."

Binienda's comments came a week after House Minority Leader Brad Jones, Rep. Dan Winslow (R-Norfolk) and other House Republicans unveiled the ethics changes. The proposal calls for a ban on members and staff from contacting public entities regarding pending contract procurements, largely limiting House members and staff to written recommendations for job applicants in the public sector, creating a duty for members to report unethical or criminal conduct by members or staff, treating sexual harassment as an ethical as well as employment issue, and limiting lobbyists access to members and staff unless they're wearing a lobbyist ID badge.

According to Winslow, lobbyist badges would help remind House members discussing issues with lobbyists that they are being paid to advocate for a particular point of view and to remind citizens and the press of the identities of individuals clustered around lawmakers and who those lobbyists represent.

Another GOP proposal would ban lobbyists from accessing the House chamber, a restriction that Binienda said already exists. Binienda said lobbyists seeking access to House members during sessions wait outside the chamber and fill out cards that court officers then bring to members inside the chamber.

"I know who the lobbyists are when I go out there," said Binienda, a member of the House since 1987. "They don't come in the House chamber."

The proposed checks on lobbyists are among a raft of reforms offered by House Republicans, who told the News Service Wednesday that former House Majority Leader John Rogers, defeated by House Speaker Robert DeLeo after a bruising fight for the House speaker's post in 2008, had signed on as a supporter of the changes, along with Democrat Rep. Colleen Garry of Dracut.

Winslow said House Democrats have shown interest in the rules changes, saying one Democrat called him at home Tuesday night to discuss the ideas. In deference to the item at the top of the current legislative to-do list - annual state budget talks - Winslow said he planned to wait to introduce the GOP ethics order until after budget work is completed "just so it doesn't get lost in the shuffle."

Winslow said, "It absolutely should be a bipartisan effort. We're getting calls of interest from Democratic legislators. Over a dozen have reached out to me and expressed an interest in varying degrees. I'm very hopeful that the speaker will see this as an opportunity for the House as an institution."

Binienda said that once fiscal 2012 budget talks between the House and Senate end, he plans to meet with DeLeo to discuss reforms offered by Republicans. "We'll discuss what we're going to do, when we're going to do it and if we're going to do it," he said.

But Binienda noted the House held its biennial rules debate in January.

"The next time that there will be a rules debate won't be until January of 2013 so that would be a time to change existing rules," Binienda said. "I don't know if we're going to open that up again for additional change at the present time."

Apprised of the level of support and interest among House Democrats for the Republican proposals, DeLeo spokesman Seth Gitell said in a statement late Wednesday: "This plan offers some positive proposals, and the House is going to consider them."

Gitell said a proposed GOP ban on lawmakers endorsing others for jobs with oral recommendations had been incorporated into a court management bill that's being negotiated by a six-member conference committee. As for the other GOP ideas, Gitell said, "In some cases, they further strengthen the rules reforms passed during the last couple of sessions, such as the term limit on the Speakership, mandatory ethics training for all members and staff, and a change in the House procurement process."

Binienda called a "snitch rule" proposed by Republican - which creates an ethical obligation for lawmakers and staffs to report any suspected illegal or unethical conduct by colleagues -"childish" and Winslow said that based on feedback from members, he was open to narrowing proposed reporting requirements to cases involved suspected corruption or violations of public trust. Binienda said the House already has anti-sexual harassment rules and called that something that is "never going to be tolerated in this building."

Binienda also questioned a GOP plan to give Republicans equal representation with Democrats on the House Ethics Committee. Noting the House rejected that idea in January, he suggested the change would not have influenced the case of DiMasi, who was convicted in connection with steering state software contracts to a preferred vendor for kickbacks. The GOP proposals are motivated by politics, he said.

"The remarks and the ideas of Brad and Dan were aimed at one party, the Democratic Party, and it was solely in reaction to the former Speaker DiMasi," Binienda said, alleging that Republicans would not be proposing the changes if they were in control of the House as they were in the 1940s and 1950s.

House Ethics Committee Chairman Rep. Martin Walsh (D-Dorchester) echoed Binienda's claim that some of the GOP proposals are already woven into House procedures. Referencing a GOP plan creating disclosure requirements if a House member or staff member is arrested, indicted or charged with criminal offenses, Walsh said the Ethics Committee is set up already to handle ethics issues when they arise.

"If somebody gets arrested or indicted, that's going to police itself," Walsh said, adding that he believed "in most cases the committee would act immediately."

While emphasizing no one can control the conduct of others, Walsh said recently instituted ethics training for members covers many areas highlighted by Republicans. Walsh concluded, "Any member who has an idea, you have to pursue it. In light of the situation with the former speaker's trial, some people are taking this as an opportunity to use this for whatever reason. The House has made significant changes here in the way we do business. All of this stuff went into place prior to this trial going on."

She is scheduled to attend a private fundraising luncheon just outside Boston for the Democratic National Committee.

Michelle Obama

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. – First Lady Michelle Obama is coming to New England to help raise money for the president’s reelection campaign.

She is scheduled to attend a private fundraising luncheon just outside Boston on Thursday for the Democratic National Committee.

She is later scheduled to visit Vermont, where she plans to meet with military families in South Burlington. She is expected to announce a new military family program called Joining Force.

The first lady also has two fundraisers on her schedule in Vermont.

More than 1,000 children and teenagers are expected to participate in summer reading program.

Republican file photoTwo children play a game on computers at the Chicopee Public Library.

CHICOPEE – After dismissal on the last day of school, Nancy M. Contois noticed there was a sudden burst of children filling the library.

They couldn’t wait to sign up for the summer reading program that began on Monday, the day before school was dismissed for the year, Contois, the library director, said.

“They just got out of school and the first thing they do is go to the library. It’s great,” she said.

This year more than 1,000 children and teenagers are expected to participate. And about 200 adults will join their own summer reading program at the library.

The basic program awards children and teens with small gifts and tickets for regular raffles for the number of hours they read. It also has a wide variety of activities for children and adults, she said.

Each program has a subject, which follows a statewide theme. The children’s program is “One World, Many Stories”, the teen theme is “You Are Here” and the adult theme is “Novel Destinations.”

The summer reading program is funded with about $12,500 in grants. The largest one comes from the Dow Jones Foundation and is for $7,500. The Chicopee Cultural Council will give $4,200 and about $800 comes from a federal Library Services and Technology Act, Contois said.

One of the unique parts of the reading program is the third year of the adult portion, Carol Lynn Bagley, senior reference librarian, said.

“A lot of people asked for it. They said you don’t have a summer reading program for adults and we said there is no reason why we can’t,” she said.

Some of the activities geared to adults are Monday foreign film nights that will be held at 6 p.m. on July 18 and 25 and Aug. 8. The films are part of the federal grant that also allowed the library to purchase materials in Arabic, Polish, Spanish and Russian. That grant also will fund different bands that will play polka, South American and French Canadian music.

The summer program will also have history lectures at 6:30 p.m. every Tuesday between July 12 and Aug. 16.

There are a number of family nights. Summer outdoor concerts will be held at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday from July 14 through Aug. 18 and Friday movies will be held at 1:30 p.m. on July 8 and 22 and Aug. 5 and 19, Bagley said.

Most people who participate are younger children, but there are a number of teenagers who join, she said.

“The young adults are very active and have a good time,” Bagley said.

Some programs for teens include an anime club and a newspaper, Bagley said.

A full list of activities is available on the library website at http://www.chicopeepubliclibrary.org/. People can also pick up information at the library on Front Street.

United Flight 788 resumed its flight from San Francisco at little while later.

OMAHA, Neb. – A jetliner carrying nearly 190 people to Boston landed safely in Omaha after a possible engine fuel leak was discovered.

Authorities say United Flight 788 landed at Eppley Airfield about 8:20 p.m. Wednesday. The flight had taken off from San Francisco.

Three firetrucks were standing by in Omaha as the jet landed. About three hours later, the Boston-bound passengers boarded another United plane and took off.

Mechanics are checking the jet engine and the plane’s fuel system.

His provisional attorney, Peter Krupp, is challenging an attempt by U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz to dismiss a 1994 indictment and focus on a more serious 1999 indictment.

File photo / Associated PressU.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz speaks at a news conference in Boston last week following the arrest of mob boss James "Whitey" Bulger.

BOSTON – Reputed mob boss James “Whitey” Bulger is expected in court as he seeks a taxpayer-funded attorney and fights a move by prosecutors to dismiss an old racketeering indictment in favor of a later case charging him with participating in 19 murders.

Bulger has back-to-back hearings scheduled Thursday in U.S. District Court in Boston. He was arrested last week in Santa Monica, Calif., after 16 years on the run.

James 'Whitey' Bulger

His provisional attorney, Peter Krupp, is challenging an attempt by U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz to dismiss a 1994 indictment and focus on a more serious 1999 indictment. Krupp wants the two cases consolidated and has accused prosecutors of trying to judge shop by trying to drop the older case.

Prosecutors have objected to Bulger’s request for a court-appointed attorney.

The victim was listed in good condition at Baystate Medical Center.

Republican file photo

SPRINGFIELD – A 27-year-old North End man, shot in the shoulder and stabbed in the buttocks during an altercation on Plainfield Street Wednesday night, was listed in good condition Thursday at Baystate Medical Center.

Sgt. John M. Delaney said police were summoned to the area of 134 Plainfield St. shortly before 8:20 p.m. for a reported shooting. They found the victim at the rear of the address and called for an ambulance.

The victim told police that he got into a verbal altercation with two males that turned into a knife fight. When the victim fled, one of the suspects brandished a gun and fired, hitting the victim in left shoulder, Delaney, aide to Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet, said.

The suspects, one of them bleeding, fled towards Lowell Street and one was heard to say that he had been stabbed. One of the suspects was wearing a blue shirt and basketball shorts, Delaney said.

Delaney said the incident was gang-related and that detectives continue to investigate.

Prosecutors say Vitale was paid $60,000 in lobbying fees by ticket brokers interested in changing the state’s scalping laws, but failed to register as a lobbyist.

Richard Vitale

BOSTON – The legal troubles for a friend and associate of former Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi aren’t over despite his acquittal on federal corruption charges.

Massachusetts prosecutors are set to resume on Thursday a separate case against Richard Vitale, who has been charged with concealing his work as a lobbyist.

Prosecutors say Vitale was paid $60,000 in lobbying fees by ticket brokers interested in changing the state’s scalping laws, but failed to register as a lobbyist. They said Vitale communicated directly with DiMasi before the bill passed the House in 2007.

The legislation, which would have lifted restrictions on price markups by ticket brokers, died in the Senate.

Vitale has denied acting as a lobbyist.

His attorney has said the work Vitale did for the Massachusetts Association of Ticket Brokers was exempt from the state’s lobbying registration requirements.

Obituary's from The Republican.

Robert E. Sheridan

SPRINGFIELD - Robert E. Sheridan, 87, died Tuesday at Mercy Medical Center in Springfield. Born in Hartford to the late Robert H. and Ruth (Callahan) Sheridan, he lived most of his life in Springfield. After graduating from Classical High School, he entered Kings Point Academy to join the Merchant Marines. For most of his life he worked in the insurance industry and co-founded Sheridan Real Estate and Insurance in Springfield. He was a longtime communicant of Holy Name Church in Springfield.

Obituaries from The Republican:

• Brooks, Margaret E. "Peggy" (Biagetti)
  




• 
  Cote, Irene E. (Paquin)
  



• 
  Fisk, Stuart M.




• 
  Gelinas, Joseph E. H. "Boz"
  



• 
  Hansen, Philip R.
  




• Kelley, Daniel P.
  




• 
  LaFountain, Gary R.
  



• 
  Landry, Emilia Marie




• 
  McEwan, Mary Louise
  



• 
  Milne, George A.
  




• Nelson, Doris A.
  




• 
  Nicholson, Brian B.
  



• 
  Overlock, Ruth (Gray)




• 
  Roberts, Madeline G.
  



• 
  Sheridan, Robert E.
  




• Sonoda Sr., Allan B.
  




• 
  TEMPLE, REGINALD E.
  

The trash bags for sale are ripping and tearing away from the drawstring.

File photo | The RepublicanNorthampton Department of Public Works truck.

NORTHAMPTON – Northampton has a bag malfunction.

The city’s plan to move from trash bag stickers to bags will have to wait until Aug. 1, as the bags retailers are selling on the behalf of the Department of Public Works have issues with both quality and performance, according to the department blog.

According to Karen Bouquillon, the city’s Waste Management Supervisor, “Three sizes of blue bags were ordered for the program, but the small and large size bags did not meet the City’s specifications. The DPW apologizes for the inconvenience and confusion that this recall may cause, and appreciates the public’s patience as the bag quality issue is resolved.”

The small bags were ripping at the side seams, and the large bags were tearing away from the drawstring.

“It’s a setback. We want to maker sure the bags are going to perform,” she said.

The Save Money And Reduce Trash bag program is expected to reduce the amount of waste entering the city’s landfill, Bouquillon said.

With stickers, residents use one for a full bag, half for a medium and a quarter for a small bag of trash.

“It takes a lot of judgment,” she said, for people to decide on how much of a sticker to use.

With the new system, “it’s a unit pricing for trash. There’s no guessing,” she said. A large bag is $2, a medium $1 and a small 50 cents.

She said the city of Gloucester, which is comparable in size to Northampton, saw a reduction in trash and a hike in recycling.

“It’s pay as you throw. It changes people’s behavior,” she said. People tend to start composting, buying products with less packaging and being more aware of what they’re throwing away. The city’s landfill will be closing in another year.

Bouquillon said many other communities had been using the same bag vendor without incident. The company is replacing the bags at no cost.

The medium-sized bags are fine and available at Big Y, Cooper's Corner, Cornucopia, Cumberland Farms (two locations), Jim’s Variety, Sam’s Food Store, Serio’s, State Street Grocery, Stop and Shop and Walgreens.

Residents who have already purchased the underperforming bags can return them to the DPW office, 125 Locust St., for an equal exchange of bag stickers or medium blue bags. The DPW office is open from 8:30-4:30 Monday through Friday. Bag stickers will continue to be sold at both of the city transfer stations until Aug. 1.

Readers react to the alleged hate crime committed against an openly gay man near Barrows Park in the Old Hill neighborhood of the city on Tuesday.

Shay Andre Edwards is the lone adult in the group of nine charged with committing a hate crime.

SPRINGFIELD - As an openly gay man walked home around 3 a.m. on Tuesday, he was allegedly attacked by a group of nine people on Walnut Street, which serves as the border between the Six Corners and Old Hill neighborhoods in the city.

According to police, five males and four females were charged with a hate crime following the attack as the motivation appears to be the man's sexual orientation, since statements like “That’s what we do to faggots,” were heard when the group was beating him.

The attack is considered unusual in a city and region where homosexuality typically isn't met with such viciousness, and the police said they are taking the situation very seriously.

The group of alleged attackers ranged from as young as 12 to one person whose age allowed him to be placed under more public scrutiny. Shay Andre Edwards, 19, of 11 George St., was charged with unarmed robbery and civil rights violation with injury, as were the rest of the group.

At Edwards' arraignment, he was released on his own recognizance pending the completion of a competency hearing. Due to their age, we still know very little about the eight youths who were also charged.

Here is what some of you had to say about the situation:

LenE says: Does anyone wonder why a bunch of teens, including a 12 year old, are out in the park at 3 am? Where are the parents?

memd says: This was a hate crime and it makes me sick that people do this kind of thing. What the heck was a 12 year old doing out at 3:00 AM with a 19 year old.
I hope the person that got beaten up is OK and the brats that did this find the way out of the ignorance hole they are in.

tracer says: if this was a race crime he would have at least a 1000 bail

ButterKnife says: Comparatively, non-violent drug offenders arrested solely for possessing controlled-substances, and not for assaulting or directly harming anybody, are routinely given bails they simply cannot pay, and are kept in lock up pending trial.

involved says: Every one of those thugs should be punished to the fullest extent. Where is human decency? The parents of the young teens should be investigated.

ThisMachineKillsFascists says: This society has a long way to go, a really long way. Disgusting.

Itcf says: It's the result of not having loving, caring and hardworking parents to teach their children right from wrong. Although I like the spirit of what Hillary said a while back; "it takes a village", well no it doesn't- it takes loving parents. The "village" and government can throw all of the money in the world for special programs. If you don't have parents- fuhgeddaboudit! These kids are doomed at birth, and a large percentage of them become environmentally made sociopaths

splfddad says: I agree with you somewhat but it does take more than just the parents being loving, caring and hardworking. It takes tougher laws and rules with a system that follow through. It is time we stop with the excuses and start accepting blame that we as a society are doing something wrong.

whoknows1 says: A hate crime is a hate crime! What is a 19 year old doing with all these juveniles? Maybe he is the babysitter?

He was asked by selectmen to provide a self-evaluation of himself as part of his annual performance review.

John P. Musante

AMHERST – Town Manager John P. Musante delivered a nine-page self-evaluation to the Select Board this week and said in the nine months as manager “I believe I have hit the ground not just running but in all-out sprint.”

Musante was appointed manager Oct. 1 to replace Laurence R. Schaffer who left the position. Musante had been the town’s Finance Director and continued in both positions until hiring Sanford Pooler to replace him earlier this year.

Musante pointed to the hiring of Pooler and Hubbardston Town Administrator Debra Roussel as his assistant as highlights of his nine months on the job.

He also pointed to the successful $4.5 million road improvement bond plan approved by Town Meeting; the partnership with Milestone Ministries of Springfield; and the First Baptist church which operated the town’s first emergency overnight winter shelter.

Last year, the town operated a warming station where people could stay but not sleep, a program that drew some controversy. Other highlights include securing commitments from Belchertown, Hadley and Pelham for a regional dispatch center and receiving an extension from the state of a $735,000 pre development grant.

He also cited his leadership role in the Gateway- Redevelopment project. Musante responded to the eight performance goals outlined by the Select Board in October. New goals will be set later this summer One of the goals was to address the ongoing revenue crises and come up with a way for generating new revenue. Musante pointed to the solar project at the town’s closed landfill, which he states “has potential to generate significant property tax revenue” in addition to reducing town electric costs.

He also noted the enhanced housing/code enforcement strategy in which user fees could pay for some or all of the staff positions needed to implement it.

“I thought his self-evaluation was detailed and thoughtful, and was a good summary of the spectrum of challenges, new initiatives and accomplishments that have defined his first year as Town Manager,” Select Board chairwoman Stephanie J. O’Keeffe wrote in an e-mail. The evaluation process will continue over the summer.

In July, questionnaires will be sent to staff and e-mailed to Town Meeting members as well as a posting on the town web site. Forms are due by Aug. 3. The Select Board must file evaluation forms with O’Keeffe by Aug. 17. The results of the forms will be discussed Aug. 22 with the evaluation presented the following week.

Binienda had compared a proposal that lobbyists wear I.D. badges to the tattooing of Jewish prisoners during the Holocaust.

Rep. John Binienda (D-Worcester), chairman of the House Rules Committee, said the idea of making lobbyists wear an identification badge revolted him and served as a reminder of Nazi Germany.

BOSTON — Rep. John Binienda (D-Worcester), chairman of the House Rules Committee, issued an apology Thursday morning for remarks suggesting that a Republican proposal to require lobbyists to wear ID badges was akin to the tattooing of Jews by the Nazis.

“Yesterday, I made an inappropriate analogy regarding a proposed change to the House Rules,” Binienda said in a statement. “No comparison can be made between the Nazi regime and a rules proposal made by members in good faith. I apologize to the sponsors as well as the people of Massachusetts for my words and look forward to working with the sponsors on these proposals.”

Binienda had also called the proposal “revolting” and criticized as “childish” and partisan other portions of a sweeping ethics overhaul offered by Republicans.

Republicans issued their proposal last week, citing the conviction of former House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi on corruption charges as the impetus for the filing.

House Speaker Robert DeLeo indicated Wednesday, through a spokesman, that he expects the House to give the GOP proposal consideration. Binienda told the News Service he plans to meet with DeLeo and discuss the rules proposal after the Legislature finishes work on next year’s state budget.

Republicans suggested Wednesday that several Democrats had signaled an interest in signing onto the plan. Reps. John Rogers (D-Norwood) and Colleen Garry (D-Dracut) have signed on already, according to House Minority Leader Brad Jones and Rep. Dan Winslow (R-Norfolk).

The proposal calls for a ban on members and staff from contacting public entities regarding pending contract procurements, largely limiting House members and staff to written recommendations for job applicants in the public sector, creating a duty for members to report unethical or criminal conduct by members or staff, treating sexual harassment as an ethical as well as employment issue, and limiting lobbyists access to members and staff unless they're wearing a lobbyist ID badge.

A line of would-be renters is already jostling to get a look at the apartment once occupied by America's most wanted criminal.

Associated PressIn this photo taken June 24, 2011, the top corner third floor apartment, upper left, where fugitive crime boss James "Whitey" Bulger and his longtime companion Catherine Greig were arrested on June 22, is seen in Santa Monica, Calif. The two were arrested without incident, the FBI said. Bulger was the leader of the Winter Hill Gang when he fled in January 1995 after being tipped by a former Boston FBI agent that he was about to be indicted. The simple Southern California apartment where James “Whitey” Bulger hid from the FBI for more than a decade could soon be one of the hotter properties in Santa Monica’s rental market.

LOS ANGELES — The simple Santa Monica apartment where James "Whitey" Bulger hid from the FBI for more than a decade could soon be one of the hotter properties in the city's rental market.

The door to unit 303 remains sealed with police tape as FBI agents continue to pick the place apart, but a line of would-be renters is already jostling to get a look at the apartment once occupied by America's most wanted criminal.

Mark Verge, owner of Westside Rentals, said his Santa Monica office had been inundated by callers wanting to know when the Bulger apartment would be available and how much it would cost. So many people called, he sent a memo to employees telling them not to promise it to anyone.

"It's a total curiosity," Verge said. "People say they want to rent it. But as the owner, you want the best tenant, not someone who is fanatical about living in a monster's apartment."

Verge's agency has no formal agreement with the 28-unit Princess Eugenia complex where Bulger lived, but has previously advertised several other vacant apartments from the building.

There's not much to distinguish Bulger's former home from any other in the 1970s complex. The corner unit faces away from the sea, is next to an elevator and has two bedroom and two bathrooms.

And it's not available -- at least for now.

Bulger, always punctual with his rent, which he only ever gave in cash, had paid through the end of June. FBI agents will remain at his former home for at least two more weeks as they search for anything he could have stuffed into the walls or floors of the two-bedroom unit.

After his June 22 arrest, agents found about $800,000 in cash, more than 30 firearms, multiple knives and several pieces of false identification in the apartment.

The FBI recently allowed a property manager a brief visit inside. Several square and rectangular holes, measuring about 10 inches wide and 18 inches tall, had been cut neatly into the drywall by the front door and in one of the bedrooms.

Agents told the manager that Bulger had kept these hidey holes covered over with pictures and mirrors.

The manager spoke only on condition of anonymity to avoid additional attention from the media.

Josh Bond, the building supervisor, went into the apartment soon after Bulger's arrest and said it seemed like any other. He too had been fielding calls from people wanting to know about renting it.

"We've been getting a lot of calls," Bond said. "People from Boston, people that saw it on the news and want to rent it out. The phone was off the hook there for a few days."

Bulger, now 81, fled Boston in 1995 after a retired FBI agent who had recruited him as an informant warned him he was about to be indicted on racketeering charges.

The former leader of Boston's notorious Winter Hill Gang has also been linked to 19 murders, including the strangling of an associate's girlfriend who knew he was a snitch and the murder of a man shot so many times his leg was almost severed from his body.

Soon after the ex-agent, John Connolly, tipped Bulger off, it was discovered that the Boston FBI had a corrupt relationship with its underworld informants and had protected crime leaders as long as they were feeding their handlers useful information.

Bulger was arrested along with his longtime girlfriend Catherine Grieg after publicity about the case led to the FBI getting a tip. The couple, who went by the aliases Charles and Carol Gasko, was known to neighbors as a generally friendly if somewhat aloof pair.

It's not clear exactly when Bulger moved in to the Santa Monica apartment, as its owners had no rental agreement on file.

When he first arrived in the early- to mid-1990s, the units were mainly used as extended-stay vacation homes, the property manager said. They were turned into regular apartments in the late '90s and no one saw a need to collect references or a tenancy agreement from Bulger, who had been a good tenant.

Because the apartment was rent-controlled, which meant rates could only go up a small amount each year, Bulger was getting a relative bargain rate on his rent. According to property records, he was paying $1,145 a month, while some of his neighbors pay more than twice that amount.

The property manager said the ideal new tenant would be a reliable person with good credit.

FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said it was not known how much longer agents would remain at the apartment. The unit's owners could file a claim with the government for any rent due or damage done to the home during the course of the investigation, she said.

The slow-motion stampede began about 6:45 a.m., and within three hours there were so many turtles on Runway 4L and nearby taxiways that controllers were forced to move departing flights to another runway.

Associated Press photoA photo provided by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey shows captured turtles at New York's Kennedy airport Wednesday. About 150 turtles crawled onto the tarmac at New York's Kennedy airport in search of beaches to lay their eggs, delaying dozens of flights, aviation authorities said. The migration of diamondback terrapin turtles happens every year at Kennedy, which is built on the edge of Jamaica Bay and a federally protected park.

NEW YORK — About 150 turtles crawled onto the tarmac at New York's Kennedy airport Wednesday in search of beaches to lay their eggs, delaying dozens of flights, aviation authorities said.

The slow-motion stampede began about 6:45 a.m., and within three hours there were so many turtles on Runway 4L and nearby taxiways that controllers were forced to move departing flights to another runway.

"We ceded to Mother Nature," said Ron Marsico, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns the airport.

Workers from the Port Authority and the U.S. Department of Agriculture were scooping up turtles and moving them across the airport, he said. Flight delays averaged about 30 minutes, the FAA said.

The migration of diamondback terrapin turtles happens every year at Kennedy, which is built on the edge of Jamaica Bay and a federally protected park. In late June or early July the animals heave themselves out of the bay and head toward a beach to lay their eggs.

The peak of the turtle trouble usually lasts a few days, Marsico said.

Several pilots, some of them stifling chuckles, began reporting turtles on Runway 4L just as the morning rush hour was beginning at JFK, according to a radio recording posted on LiveATC.net.

"Be advised 30 feet into the takeoff roll, left side of the centerline, there's another turtle," called the pilot of American Airlines Flight 1009, a Boeing 767 that had just taken off for the Dominican Republic.

"There's another one on the runway?" asked the controller.

"Uh, well he WAS there," the pilot said as the big airliner climbed into the air.

American 663, a Boeing 737 headed to Fort Lauderdale, found its way to runway 4L blocked by three of the roving reptiles. After ground crews removed them, the plane taxied into takeoff position, received takeoff clearance — and was promptly blocked by more turtles.

American and JetBlue, which has a hub at JFK, both said there were no major disruptions to their flights.

"We hope for faster animals next time," JetBlue said in a statement.

Female diamondback terrapins can grow up to 9 inches long and weigh up to three pounds.

And they're apparently computer-savvy: By midmorning, the turtles were chronicling their adventures through a joke account set up by someone on Twitter.

"So Steve was like 'Frogger is cool. Let's try that.' 12 hours later and here we are," the "turtles" tweeted, referring to the 1980s video game in which a frog tries to cross a busy highway.

In March, an anonymous jokester set up a Twitter account for a cobra that went missing in the Bronx Zoo's reptile house. By the time the cobra was recaptured, 235,000 people were following the snarky snake's wisecracks online. A peahen that slipped away from the zoo in May also tweeted her escape.

For aviation officials, wayward wildlife is a serious concern at JFK and nearby LaGuardia Airport, which both sit on shorelines populated by geese, turtles, ducks, frogs and other animals. In January 2009 a U.S. Airways plane bound for Charlotte, N.C. was forced to land in the Hudson River after it hit a flock of birds and lost power in both engines. All 155 passengers and crew members were rescued.

In the past year, planes at JFK have collided with gulls, hawks, swans and an osprey, according to the FAA's database of wildlife strikes. In February, a superjumbo Airbus 380 flown by Emirates Airlines sucked an unidentified bird into one of its massive engines, causing about $30,000 worth of damage, the database shows.

"Other regions have their own issues with the runways, but this is kind of unique being so close to the water," FAA spokeswoman Arlene Salac said.

Road kill on runways can sometimes make the surface slippery, but there are no reports of turtles damaging a plane at JFK in recent years, the FAA database shows.

The main concern is for the turtles themselves, Marsico said. He said crews were loading the turtles into pickup trucks and giving them rides to the nesting beaches.

"We are trying to help wildlife out a bit here," Marsico said. "We built on the area where they were nesting for generations, so we feel incumbent to help them along the way."

It is expected to include local aid cuts, efforts to significantly slow growth in spending on health care and insurance, and a controversial overhaul of municipal health insurance rules governing cost-sharing by employees.

The Republican | Joe DeburroThe Massachusetts Statehouse in Boston.

By MICHAEL NORTON
and MATT MURPHY

BOSTON - .With fiscal 2012 hours away, House and Senate negotiators have reached agreement on a spending plan for the new fiscal year, according to three sources familiar with the budget talks, which have been led by Rep. Brian Dempsey and Sen. Stephen Brewer.

The budget, which could be ratified by the House and Senate on Friday, is expected to include local aid cuts, efforts to significantly slow growth in spending on health care and insurance, and a controversial overhaul of municipal health insurance rules governing cost-sharing by employees.

Dempsey and Brewer plan to outline budget details at 2:05 p.m. outside the capitol press gallery.

According to one source, Ways and Means staff remained at the State House until 4 a.m. to draft the language of the budget after an agreement in principle was reached between the two branches Wednesday.

The conference committee aims to file the final bill with the House clerk by 8 p.m. Thursday in anticipation of bringing the budget to the floor of the House and Senate for final approval Friday.

A top aide to House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo advised House members to be ready for a 10 a.m. caucus Friday and a formal session at 1 p.m. According to an email sent Thursday morning from DeLeo chief of staff James Eisenberg to House members and staff, the plans are "pending" a report from the six-member budget conference committee.

The budget accord, according to one source, will have to be vetted by House and Senate counsel in the Committees on Bills in Third Reading before being filed.

Conference committee reports, which reconcile differences between the branches on approved bills dealing with the same topic, are not subject to amendment and are typically approved in each branch.

Gov. Deval L. Patrick indicated Thursday morning he was not looking forward to filing a second interim budget to give legislative leaders more time to reach agreement on a spending bill that is expected to weigh in at around $30.5 billion.

“I’m disappointed it's not going to be done in time for the new fiscal year and I’m not looking forward to the prospect of a bunch of these interim budgets while they get their work done,” said Patrick, who kicked off this year’s budget debate by filing his spending plan in January. “They need to get their work done, and I hope they're going to do that right through every day from now until it’s complete.”

The House and Senate approved a $1.25 billion, 10-day budget on Monday that will carry state agencies beyond the July 1 start of the new fiscal year until a final budget is in place.

Patrick said he believed the House and Senate were "not dramatically off" on spending issues, but said there were reforms included in the budget that he knows are "difficult."

Though he said he did not know what sticking points remained in the negotiations, Patrick raised the issue of municipal health reform and negotiations over the extent of labor involvement in future negotiations over municipal health insurance premiums, benefit, copayments and deductibles.

Presented with the contention that DeLeo has taken a harder-line stance against unions than Senate President Therese Murray, Patrick disagreed. "I don't think that's a fair description. They both are about delivering those savings in substantial form this year, and that's really important," Patrick said, adding, "Nobody is quarreling about the question about labor at the table. Nobody, including the Speaker. He's there. There question is the extent of that role."

Longmeadow Police Chief Robert F.Siano was among those making the announcement.

File Photo

SPRINGFIELD –A 33-year-old Illinois man has been charged with 18 counts of child exploitation charges after he allegedly induced a 15-year-old girl to travel from Massachusetts to Connecticut so he could make child pornography.

James Waddell, of Montrose, Ill. ,was charged with 16 counts of sexual exploitation of a child, one count of inducing travel to engage in illegal sexual activity and one count of online enticement, according to a release issued by U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz.

A federal indictment, unsealed after Waddell’s arrest Tuesday in Illinois, states that the incidents occurred in 2009 and 2010. It also alleges that Waddell inducted the minor to travel across state lines so he could have sex with her.

Although the release does not specify where in Massachusetts the girl was allegedly lured from, it names Longmeadow Police Chief Robert F. Siano as among those announcing Waddell’s arrest.

Siano was not available for comment Thursday.

Waddell had his initial appearance Tuesday in federal court in the Southern District of Illinois, according to the release. If convicted on the charges, he faces up to life in federal prison.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Ortiz’s Springfield Branch Unit. Grant was also not available for comment.

Others participating in the announcement included: Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Colonel Marian McGovern, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Bruce M. Foucart, special agent in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Office of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston.

This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.

Jones was held in lieu of $50,000 bail.

Melvin Jones III

SPRINGFIELD – Melvin Jones III, who shot to local notoriety after being allegedly beaten by police during a traffic stop in 2009 on Rifle Street as an amateur videotape rolled, appeared in Hampden Superior Court on Thursday to answer cocaine trafficking, conspiracy and distribution charges.

He was held in lieu of $50,000 bail after denying the charges.

Jones was indicted Tuesday along with Alfred and Raheim Reid, brothers from Springfield, for drug charges linked to selling crack cocaine to an FBI informant in December.

It is yet another bump in the road for Jones, who acquired a following of civil rights protesters after the traffic stop, when he was apparently pummeled by a police officer with a flashlight and was subsequently arrested on drug charges.

The patrolman, retired officer Jeffrey M. Asher, who is white, argued Jones, who is black, made a grab for one of his colleague’s guns as they attempted to arrest Jones. Jones has denied going for the gun and testimony from previous court hearings indicates the officers were ultimately unclear about it.

Asher was fired from the police force one day after he received a disability retirement. He faces a criminal trial in connection with the incident, scheduled to begin in Chicopee District Court on Nov. 28.

Jones, 30, has compiled a complicated history with the court since the alleged beating – which his lawyer says left him permanently blind in one eye. Hampden County District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni earlier this year dismissed drug charges against Jones that were linked to the 2009 traffic stop.

But in the meantime, Jones has been arrested for allegedly stealing 30 pairs of jeans from a J.C. Penney store in January and once again following a domestic dispute with his girlfriend. The bail granted in the then-pending drug case was revoked four months ago and he has remained behind bars since.

Before his arraignment in Superior Court Thursday morning, the domestic assault charges against him were dismissed in Springfield District Court and a judge set an Oct. 21 trial date for the shoplifting case.

The usual sign-holding individuals calling for justice in his case were not outside the courtroom, as has been their custom.

Assistant District Attorney James R. Goodhines said that Jones delivered crack cocaine on behalf of the Reid brothers on two occasions to an FBI informant.

Like the alleged beating, the alleged hand-to-hand sales were caught on videotape – the latter film was made by the FBI, however.

Defense lawyer Jared Olanoff said Jones was likely under surveillance because of the notoriety he had gained with police.

“These were the circumstances he was living with,” Olanoff said, declining to discuss the details of the case as he had not been provided with any police reports or the videotape.

Jones also has a federal lawsuit against the police department pending in U.S. District Court. U.S. Attorneys declined to bring the instant drug case against Jones and instead referred it to state court two weeks ago, according to Mastroianni.

A pretrial conference is scheduled for Sept. 26.