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A cop and his car: Springfield police officer wins prize in East Forest Park raffle, wants it to go to children

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Officer Craig Staples won the raffle prize - a ride-on toy police car - but he would prefer to go to someone who could play with it.


SPRINGFIELD - Springfield police officer Craig Staples already has a police car - a real one - so the last thing he really needed was a toy one.

Staples, a long-time police officer and a member of the Ordinance Enforcement Unit, was the winner in the East Forest Park raffle during Tuesday's National Night Out event.

His prize was a Fisher-Price toy ride-on Jeep customized to look like a police car, complete with flashing lights and working sirens.

"I was surprised as anyone I won," he said. "I couldn't in good conscience keep it. It's for a child."

With no young children or grandchildren of his own, Staples gave the car back to the East Forest Park Civic Association, which is now looking to give it out to a neighborhood child.

"I believe it was the right thing to do," he said.

Beth Hogan, president of the East Forest Park Civic Association, lauded Staples for his generosity and his service to the community.

Staples said he purchased 20 tickets for $1 each, not expecting to win anything. Although, he said, if he had won another prize, the season tickets to Mystic Marine Aquarium, he likely would have hung on to them.

Hogan said the car will now be raffled for free to East Forest Park residents on Saturday from 5-7 p.m. during a neighborhood barbecue planned at TS Mobile Accessories, 241 Allen St.

The tickets are available for East Forest Park resident only through the TS Mobile Accessories or through Nathan Bill's Restaurant , 110 Island Pond Road.

She said in order to win the car, people have to get a ticket, and then be present for the drawing on Saturday.

Tony Shukes, co-owner of TS Mobile Accessories, said the finished car is the result of about 30 hours of donated labor. It started out as a broken-down toy car that was missing a wheel and had no electronics.

They had 2 1/2 weeks to repaint it, apply decals and install the lights and siren. The flashing LED lightbar on the back was custom-made and took about 4 hours to make, he said.

In the end he was happy to do donate his time, he said.

"I want to do stuff for kids in the neighborhood," he said.

Staples said it was his pleasure to do something for the children of East Forest Park after what they did for him.

When he returned to his cruiser - his real cruiser - after the National Night Out picnic, he found it covered with hand-written notes from neighborhood children thanking him for being a police officer.

"I was overwhelmed and touched at the outpouring from the children," he said. "So many times our kids are much maligned but reading those thank-you notes restored my faith in humanity, and made me really believe when the kids grow up we don't have anything to worry about."


Construction underway on $2.1 billion Wynn resort casino outside of Boston

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With a round of air horn blasts, state officials and Wynn Resorts executives celebrated the re-start of work on the $2.1 billion hotel and casino along the Mystic River.

EVERETT, Mass. - With a round of air horn blasts, state officials and Wynn Resorts executives celebrated the re-start of work on the $2.1 billion hotel and casino along the Mystic River.

Off a dusty and bumpy road that leads into Boston's Charlestown neighborhood, the 33-acre construction site hummed with activity. Underneath red and white cranes, backhoes rumbled through the mud.

Mogul Steve Wynn was unable to make it to the celebration, apparently due to another project in Macau.

Wynn received its final license from the state Department of Environmental Protection earlier this week, and the company is now on track to open its doors June 2019, according to officials. The project includes public access to the waterfront on the Mystic River.

Earlier, the city of Somerville had appealed the awarding of the license, citing environmental and traffic concerns. Even so, Wynn continued pre-construction work, site preparation and utility re-location on the former Monsanto Chemical Co. site as it waited for state regulators to sign off.

They weren't able to work on the waterfront, which was protected by the Department of Environmental Protection permit they just received.

"Today really launches the official start of construction for Wynn Boston Harbor," said Robert DeSalvio, president of Wynn Boston Harbor.

"There's no stopping us now," he added.

Asked about any other delays, DeSalvio told reporters, "Any pending litigation will be handled through the court system, but we are absolutely positively moving forward from this day forward."

The project is the largest private development in the history of Massachusetts, according to Gaming Commissioner Enrique Zuniga.

More than 500 union workers are expected to be on the site soon, a number set to eventually swell to 4,000.

MGM Springfield is aiming to open its casino in September 2018, while the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe is aiming for 2017, though it has run into its own legal problems thanks to a judge's ruling.

Wynn officials said they expected the building frame to be up by the end of 2017, and they plan to start moving furniture into the building by the end of 2018.

Chris Gordon, Wynn's president of design and development, said workers will be moving 500,000 tons of soil from the site to other U.S. states and Quebec.

After the ceremony, Gordon led reporters through the site. Video of the mini-tour is available below.

Nurses testify about sexual assault exams in Springfield rape trial of Peter Wray

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Peter Wray, 35, of Springfield, is on trial for 17 charges, including seven counts of aggravated rape

SPRINGFIELD -- Two nurses testified Thursday in Hampden Superior Court at the rape and assault trial of Peter Wray about their exams of two young women who say they were Wray's victims.

peter-wray.jpgPeter Wray 

Ashley Gagne, a state-certified sexual assault nurse examiner, said that on Sept. 28, 2014, she was assigned to examine a then-16-year-old girl who was brought in as a rape victim from an incident that allegedly took place at a Tracy Street house in Springfield. Gagne said the girl had swelling and tenderness near her right eye and superficial lacerations on her breasts, upper abdomen and inner thighs.

She said the girl had redness around both wrists.

The now-18-year-old woman had testified Wray tied her by her wrists and feet, blindfolded her, raped her and cut her with a knife.

Wray, 35, of Springfield, is on trial for 17 charges, including seven counts of aggravated rape, six counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and two counts each of kidnapping and assault and battery.

Wray opted for a jury-waived trial that is being held in front of Judge Tina S. Page.

Thursday was the last day of the trial until it starts again Sept. 13. The prosecution's two final witnesses -- now-retired officers -- weren't available this week. The next three weeks see sequential vacations of lawyers and the court. Assistant District Attorney Jane Mulqueen, the prosecutor in this case, starts the murder trial of Luis Prosper on Aug. 29, so Page set a date of Sept. 13 to resume the Wray trial.

Defense lawyer Joe A. Smith III said in his opening statement Wray will testify in his own defense.

Testimony Thursday got very graphic as Smith asked Gagne about whether there was any damage to different parts of the woman's anatomy. Gagne said the areas that are examined in a sexual assault exam were within the normal limit.

3 young women were afraid of death threats from rape defendant Peter Wray, aunt testifies

Under questioning from Smith, Gagne said the woman did not report any contact between Wray's genitals and her mouth. The woman had testified there was no oral contact. But state DNA analyst Kathleen Gould testified there was DNA in an oral swab taken from the woman's mouth. She said the major DNA profile from the sperm part of the DNA in the oral swab from the woman matched Wray.

There was a minor DNA profile in that sperm part that would have had to be from another male, she said.

Gould testified vaginal swabs from the then 16-year-old and a then-18-year-old showed DNA matching Wray.

Marcia Tessier, a nurse who performed the sexual assault exam on the then-18-year-old woman, said the then-18-year-old had a scratch on her face, a scrape on her left groin and puncture spots on her left thigh.

Tessier said that woman had no marks on her upper chest. Testimony Wednesday from the woman to whose house the alleged victims ran was that the then-18-year-old had cuts on her upper chest.

Three young women have testified Wray tied them up and blindfolded them at the Tracy Street house. Two of them, 18 and 16 years old at the time, said Wray repeatedly raped them and cut them with a knife. The third said she was not sexually assaulted.

All three young women have testified that Wray was very angry, accusing them of taking $650 from them, on the night of the alleged assaults. 

Springfield police seek Peter Wray, who allegedly stabbed and raped 3 teenage females

Smith in his opening statement to Page said the accusations by the young women were fabricated in an attempt to extort money from Wray. Smith said they told Wray if he didn't give them money, they would say he raped them.

Wray, who is in the sex offender category the state deems most likely to reoffend, fled to Georgia after the accusations. At the time, police said he was charged with raping and assaulting three teens, but he was indicted for crimes against two.

Police said Wray went to his mother's home and stole her car after the alleged rapes and assaults.

Reputed Springfield-area mobsters deny loansharking, extortion charges

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In one case, two of the defendants allegedly threatened to behead the owner of a local towing company and bury his body in his backyard.

SPRINGFIELD -- Five reputed Springfield area mobsters -- including two who allegedly threatened to behead the owner of a local towing company -- are being held without right to bail pending a detention hearing next week.

The defendants -- Ralph Santaniello, 49, Giovanni Calabrese, 53, and Gerald Daniele, 51, all of Longmeadow; and Francesco Depergola, 60, of Springfield; and Richard Valentini, 51, of East Longmeadow -- were arrested Thursday morning in a Massachusetts-to-Florida crackdown on organized crime families based in New York City and Philadelphia.

Nearly 40 alleged leaders, members, and associates of the Genovese, Gambino, Luchese, Bonanno, and Philadelphia Organized Crime Families of La Cosa Nostra were arrested Thursday, federal officials announced.

In Springfield, the five local defendants pleaded not guilty to gambling, loansharking and extortion-related charges during a brief arraignment Thursday afternoon in U.S. District Court.

The charges were outlined in a six-count indictment issued by a federal grand jury. According to the indictment, Santaniello, Calabrese and others identified businesses to extort -- and then approached the business owners to demand payments.

In one incident, Santaniello and Calabrese allegedly threatened to behead the owner of a local towing company and bury his body in his backyard.

Federal prosecutors, citing the nature of the charges and the risk that the defendants will flee, filed a motion Thursday to keep the defendants in custody pending trial.

During the hearing, Magistrate Judge Katherine Robertson granted the request and scheduled a detention hearing for next week. The defendants will spend the next six days at the Wyatt Detention Facility in Rhode Island.


Man stabbed in Springfield; police investigating

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A 20-year-old man was stabbed in Springfield's McKnight neighborhood on Thursday afternoon, according to police.

SPRINGFIELD — A man was attacked and stabbed in Springfield's McKnight neighborhood on Thursday afternoon, according to police.

Police received a call for a man who had walked into Baystate Medical Center on Chestnut St. at approximately 4:45 p.m., according to a lieutenant at the Springfield Police Department.

The man had suffered a stab wound to the left area of his chest. The wounds appear non-life-threatening "so far," according to the lieutenant.

Police were able to ascertain that the incident occurred on Girard Ave in Springfield's McKnight neighborhood, but the victim is currently being "uncooperative" and has refused to give any information about his attacker, according to police.

Police are still investigating the incident, though they don't yet have any suspects, according to the lieutenant.

 

Obama denies $400M shipped to Iran was ransom, says it wasn't 'nefarious deal'

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Obama allowed that the one piece of new information, first reported this week by The Wall Street Journal, was that the $400 million was paid in cash. It was delivered to Iran on palettes aboard an unmarked plane.

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama expressed surprise Thursday at criticism of his administration's $400 million cash payment to Iran to settle a longstanding legal claim, adamantly rejecting claims that it was a ransom paid for the release of four Americans held in Iran.

"This wasn't some nefarious deal," Obama told reporters at the Pentagon. He pointed out that the payment, along with an additional $1.3 billion in interest to be paid later, was announced by the administration publicly when it was concluded in January, a day after the implementation of a landmark nuclear agreement with Iran. "It wasn't a secret. We were completely open about it."

Obama allowed that the one piece of new information, first reported this week by The Wall Street Journal, was that the $400 million was paid in cash. It was delivered to Iran on palettes aboard an unmarked plane.

"The only bit of news is that we paid cash," he said. "The reason is because we couldn't send them a check and we couldn't wire the money. We don't have a banking relationship with Iran which is part of the pressure we applied on them."

The payment has revived allegations from critics of the Iran nuclear deal. The timing of the arrival of the cash coincided with the release of the four detained Americans as well as implementation of the nuclear deal, leading to charges that the settlement of the 35-year-old claim was a "ransom" payment.

We've known about that 'secret' $400 million payment to Iran since January

Obama echoed denials of a ransom that have been repeatedly been offered by other administration officials, including Secretary of State John Kerry.

"We do not pay ransom for hostages," Obama said, citing longstanding U.S. policy not to pay them for fear of encouraging abductions. "We didn't here and we won't in the future."

Earlier in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Kerry told reporters that the "story is not a new story" and "was announced by the president of the United States himself at the same time."


The settlement stemmed from a claim filed by Iran with an international tribunal in 1981 that related to a $400 million payment made by the government of the U.S.-backed Shah of Iran to purchase military equipment in 1970s. The equipment was never delivered because, in 1979, his government was overthrown and revolutionaries took American hostages at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Diplomatic relations were subsequently severed although the two countries did agree to set up the tribunal to rule on claims from both nations.

U.S. officials have said they were concerned that the tribunal might order the U.S. to pay billions more in interest as part of an enforced judgment and that settling the claim in January made good sense.

"It was the assessment of our lawyers that there was significant litigation risk and we could end up costing ourselves billions," Obama said. "Their advice was that we settle."

Vermont man arrested by U.S. Marshals after allegations he sexually assaulted his daughter

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A Vermont man has been arrested after allegations that he sexually assaulted his own daughter, according to police.

RUTLAND, VT — A Vermont man was taken into custody on Wednesday, after fleeing his residence in Rutland where allegations had emerged that he sexually assaulted his 12-year-old daughter, according to Vermont State Police.

Brandon L. Rolls, 30, was located by agents of the U.S. Marshals Service at a residence in St. Albans on August 3 and arrested, according to authorities.

Police say that Rolls had fled Rutland after Vermont State Police and Rutland authorities were alerted to reports of a sexual assault involving him on July 29.

Subsequent investigations by authorities led them to believe that Rolls has been sexually abusing his own daughter for more than a year, according to police.

Rolls was arraigned in Franklin County on Wednesday and is scheduled to be transferred to Rutland County at a later date.

A number of agencies assisted with the investigation, including the Rutland Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Vermont State Police.

Seen@ photos from Springfield Regional Chamber president Jeffrey Ciuffreda's retirement party

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Business leaders and elected officials from across Western Mass. descended on the Quadrangle on Thursday as departing Springfield Regional Chamber President Jeffrey Ciuffreda held his retirement party.

SPRINGFIELD — Business leaders and elected officials from across Western Massachusetts descended on the Quadrangle on Thursday as departing Springfield Regional Chamber President Jeffrey Ciuffreda was celebrated at his retirement party.

Ciuffreda joined the Chamber in 1987 as its vice president of legislative affairs and became president in 2011.

Ciuffreda's retirement paves the way for Vice President of Marketing and Communications Nancy F. Creed to succeed him.

In 2015, Ciuffreda and Creed shepherded the chamber through a total reorganization and name change from the unwieldy Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield.

Creed will be the first woman to head the Springfield Chamber in its more than 125-year history. Check out photos from the party above and learn more about the chamber on its website.


Car crash in Littleton sends 2 children, others, to the hospital for 'serious' injuries

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A number of people were injured on Thursday after a Freightliner and a Ford collided in Littleton, according to police.

LITTLETON — A number of people, including two children, were hospitalized for serious injuries on Thursday after a Freightliner tractor trailer and a Ford Expedition collided on Rt 495 in Littleton, according to State Police.

State Police responded to a call at 1:20 p.m., regarding a two-vehicle crash on Route 495 southbound, south of Exit 31.

Police say the Freightliner was traveling in the middle lane of Rt 495 when it, for reasons not yet known, swerved into the left lane, striking the passenger side of the Ford and causing the Ford to roll over the median.

The crash caused significant injuries for many of the occupants of the Ford.

The front seat passenger – a 45-year-old woman from Billerica – suffered what police have said are "life threatening injuries," and was flown by medical helicopter to Massachusetts General Hospital for treatment.

Additionally, two children – an 8-year-old and a 9-year old – were in the backseat of the Ford and had to be taken to the UMass Memorial Hospital for treatment of "serious" injuries, according to police. The Ford's driver, a 53-year-old man, also from Billerica, was also taken to UMass Memorial Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

Police say the driver of the Freightliner – a 38-year-old man from Brook, Connecticut – did not suffer any injuries during the crash.

The crash also caused significant traffic delays and both the northbound and southbound sections of Rt 495 were closed for about 30 minutes to allow the medical helicopter to enter and exit the scene.

The cause of this crash remains under investigation, according to police.

 

Amherst College president addresses NY Times article on campus activism's effect on donations

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Amherst College alumni reduced their donations to the college this last fiscal year after campus protests led to the renunciation of the school's mascot, Lord Jeffery Amherst.

AMHERST -- Amherst College president Carolyn "Biddy" Martin on Thursday addressed the campus community following a story in the New York Times that described how political activism on college campuses including Amherst has affected alumni donations.

The story quoted Scott MacConnell, a 1960 graduate, who was cutting the college out of his will.

The college this year decided to renounce its mascot, Lord Jeffery Amherst, after students criticized him for treatment of Native Americans.

"As an alumnus of the college, I feel that I have been lied to, patronized and basically dismissed as an old, white bigot who is insensitive to the needs and feelings of the current college community," MacConnell wrote in a letter to the Amherst College alumni fund, according to the Times.

The Times reported alumni donations to Amherst dropped 6.5 percent for the fiscal year that ended June 30, and participation in the alumni fund dropped 1.9 percentage points, to 50.6 percent, the lowest participation rate since 1975, when the college began admitting women, according to the story.

Alumni from Yale and Princeton also were quoted about recent campus actions.

In her letter to the college community on the Amherst College website, Martin wrote:

"We know these are not easy decisions, given how loyal and involved Amherst alumni are. In my visits and conversations with alumni I have heard the worries expressed by the alumni who are quoted in the article. Intense discussion of student protests, divestment, policy changes, and other complicated issues is a hallmark of Amherst and this past year's conversations are no different. They extend a tradition of open exchange--a tradition we value. ...

"As I said to the Times reporter, we also urge caution about attributing increases or decreases in annual giving to any one cause. In any given year fluctuations in philanthropic giving are affected by a range of factors--some external to the institution, some internal, and some a combination of the two."

Martin's full statement can be read here >>

Quincy man, 'career criminal,' sentenced to 15 years on gun charge

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A man from Quincy was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Thursday for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

BOSTON — A man from Quincy was sentenced in U.S. District Court on Thursday in connection with being a convicted felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.

In February, George Perry, 40, pleaded guilty to the charge of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.

Perry was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Thursday, as well as three years of supervised release, after being called a "armed career criminal" by the court.

Perry's sentencing comes after an incident in February, during which law enforcement became aware that Perry had assaulted a person with a firearm in Waltham.

After tracking Perry down, authorities discovered two loaded semi-automatic weapons – a 9mm Ruger and a .40 caliber IWI Desert Storm – in his backpack.

When later interviewed by authorities, Perry admitted that he had stolen the weapons that day.

 

Ryan O'Donnell wins at-large Northampton city council seat by wide margin

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Ryan O'Donnell easily defeated Marlene Morin for an at-large on the City Council during Thursday's special election to fill a vacancy. O'Donnell pulled 1,900 votes to 946 for Morin.

ryan o'donnell stump speech.jpgNorthampton City Councilor Ryan O'Donnell 


NORTHAMPTON -- Ryan O'Donnell easily defeated Marlene Morin for an at-large seat on the City Council during Thursday's special election to fill a vacancy.

O'Donnell pulled 1,900 votes to 646 for Morin.

The new at-large councilor is currently a member of the council, representing Ward 3. O'Donnell opted to seek the at-large seat that was vacated when Jesse Adams resigned earlier this year.

"It is an honor for me to represent the entire city," O'Donnell said in an interview after the result were posted by the city clerk's office.

"The biggest issue" in Northampton, O'Donnell said, "is affordability -- and seeing what we can do to help the local economy."

He attributed his victory to "hard work -- knocking on every door I could."

2 forums next week for 3rd Hampshire District state representative candidates

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Lawrence O'Brien, Vira Douangmany Cage, Bonnie MacCracken, Solomon Goldstein-Rose, Sarah la Cour and Eric Nakajima are seeking the seat held by Ellen Story.

AMHERST -- People still looking to know more about the six candidates running for the 3rd Hampshire District state representative seat will have two chances to do so next week.

Manuel Frau-Ramos, co-founder and editor of El Sol Latino newspaper, and Carlie Tartakov and Jacqueline Smith-Crooks, hosts of WHMP's "Black In The Valley" radio show, will moderate a forum Monday at 6:30 p.m. in Amherst Town Hall.

This will be the fifth forum for the candidates. Amherst Media held the most recent gathering July 25.

Belchertown High School teacher Lawrence O'Brien, Amherst School Committee member Vira Douangmany Cage, Democratic State Committee member Bonnie MacCracken, recent Brown University graduate Solomon Goldstein-Rose, Amherst Businesses Improvement District Director Sarah la Cour and former Massachusetts Broadband Institute Director Eric Nakajima are seeking the seat held for 12 terms by Ellen Story, and Amherst Democrat who is not seeking re-election.

The district includes Amherst, Pelham and part of Granby.

That forum will also include candidates running for the Hampshire County Sheriff's race.

Melissa Perry, of Northampton, Patrick Cahillane, of Leeds, and Kavern Lewis, of Amherst, are running in the Democratic primary for sheriff. Republican David F. Isakson of South Hadley also is running and will be on the November ballot.

The winner will succeed longtime sheriff Robert J. Garvey, who is retiring.

Anyone who wants to submit questions or topics should send to amherstnaacp@gmail.com by Friday and put "Candidate Questions" in the subject field.

This event is co-sponsored by Amherst Area NAACP, Coming Together: Understanding Racism, Working for Justice, Building Connection, Citizens for Racial Amity Now and Undoing Racism Organizing Collective- UROC.

On Thursday, the Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts is holding a forum for the state rep candidates to talk about public higher education. The event begins at 5 p.m. in the University of Massachusetts Campus Center, Room 804-808.

The primary is Thursday, Sept. 8. The winner of the 3rd Hampshire state representative Democratic primary faces no opposition in the general election on Nov. 8.

Upcoming Palmer 300th anniversary events include polka music, vocalist Donna Lee, and ice cream

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The town's yearlong celebration of its 300-th anniversary this year will include polka music on Sunday, and Donna Lee singing next week that features $1 Rondeau's ice cream

Palmer 300th

PALMER -- The town's yearlong celebration of its 300th anniversary this year will include polka music on Sunday, and Donna Lee singing next week that features $1 Rondeau's ice cream.

On Aug. 7 the Polka Country Musicians perform a free concert at Pulaski Park from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

"We will have T-Shirts and Tote Bags for sale, as well as a few new items. We have magnets that look like the 'Entering Palmer' signs and we will be taking orders for full-color embroidered caps. There will be raffles and prizes," Palmer's 300th anniversary committee said in a prepared statement.

The polka music is sponsored by Polka Jammer Network.

On Aug. 11, in conjunction with town's recreation department, there will be an "Ice Cream Social Fundraiser," at Hyrniewicz Park, starting at 5 p.m.

Donna Lee's free concert that evening in the park begins at 6 p.m.

Alvin Rondeau's Dairy Bar will be on hand to provide the ice cream.

Pro-charter school campaign makes $2.3 million TV ad buy

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The ad will air throughout the Olympics on Massachusettsl NBC channels, including WWLP in Springfield.

A pro-charter school ballot committee is launching a $2.3 million ad buy, which will began airing Friday night during the Olympics Opening Ceremonies.

The ad will air throughout the Olympics on local NBC channels, including WHDH in Boston and WWLP in Springfield, as well as on cable stations.

The ad marks the first major television ad buy in what is likely to be an enormously expensive campaign over whether to expand access to charter schools.

The ad features a charter school teacher in a classroom touting Massachusetts' public charter schools as being among the best in the country.

"Our charter schools are public, and we have longer school days with more personal attention," the teacher says. "We have a proven record of helping students in underperforming areas succeed."

The ad goes on to say that approving the question and expanding charter school access will give parents a choice and result in more money going to public education.

For every student who is sent to a charter school, the money to educate that child goes to the charter school instead of the district school that the child would have otherwise attended. The district school is also reimbursed for a period of time for a portion of the costs.

"Expanding access to public charters will strengthen our education system by bringing better school options and more money to our public education system," said Eileen O'Connor, a spokeswoman for Great Schools Massachusetts, in a statement.

Steve Crawford, a spokesman for the anti-charter school expansion committee Save Our Public Schools, responded, "It is a fact that charter schools, which are financed by taxpayers but operate like private academies, will take away $400 million dollars this year from neighborhood public schools. To suggest that charters somehow create more funding for public schools, which educate 96 percent of our children, is laughable."

The top donors who contributed to the ad campaign are all listed as other education-related advocacy organizations, such as Education Reform Now Advocacy and Families for Excellent Schools. Families for Excellent Schools is a pro-charter school organization with offices in New York, Boston and Connecticut, founded by individuals working in the financial industry. Education Reform Now is another education policy think tank and advocacy group, headquartered in New York and Washington, with offices in 13 states, including Massachusetts.

The last time ballot committees had to file campaign finance reports, the reports covered only through December 2015. At that point, the pro-charter school Great Schools Massachusetts had raised just under $500,000, with many of its major donors coming from the financial industry.

Maurice Cunningham, associate professor of political science at UMass Boston, recently wrote a blog post in which he tracked the involvement of a private foundation called Strategic Grant Partners, which has been funding many of the organizations that then contribute to the pro-charter ballot initiative.

The anti-charter school expansion Save Our Public Schools had not yet filed a financial report as of the end of the year. But its money is expected to come in large part from unions, particularly teachers unions, which strongly oppose the effort.

The next campaign finance reports are due in September.


Wally the West Springfield alligator adjusting to new home at Forest Park zoo, officials say

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The Zoo at Forest Park is interested in keeping the 6-foot alligator, something the Environmental Police will have ultimate say on. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -- A day after he was seized from a West Springfield backyard -- where he apparently lived for over two decades -- Wally the alligator seems to be adjusting to his new and possibly permanent home in the Zoo at Forest Park, officials there say.

Friday morning found the 6-foot alligator, estimated to weigh as much as 180 pounds, basking in the sun in a corner of his enclosure. A short distance away, Wally's new companion -- a 5-footer named Thelma -- lounged in a pool with all but her snout and eyes submerged.

The cries of peacocks and the ululations of Digit the gibbon, who lives nearby, added to the tropical ambiance of Wally's new home.

"He is doing real well," said Megan Rothschild, a member of the zoo's board. "He is enjoying his outdoor environment."

Zoo director John Lewis -- who along with other zoo personnel helped West Springfield police extract the hissing and struggling alligator from the backyard of 660 Main St. Thursday -- said the alligator apparently lived there for a quarter century or more.

Several readers of The Republican / MassLive who commented on a story posted Thursday said a number of people knew about the presence of the alligator, who grew (and grew, and grew) in his backyard pen.

Gallery preview

Western Mass News reported much the same. Citing a friend of the owner, the television station reported that the owner brought the alligator home from Florida in a cooler 26 years ago.

Neither West Springfield police or Environmental Police, who have taken over the investigation, have publicly named the owner. A knock on the door at 660 Main St., which sits across the street from the West Springfield Boys & Girls Club, went unanswered Friday morning.

It's illegal to keep alligators and many other other wild animals in Massachusetts, said Katie Groendyke, spokeswoman for the state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

A West Springfield police report on the incident indicates the state intends to fine the owner.

According to a narrative written by West Springfield patrolman Mark Hammond, the department received a report about Wally around 12:15 p.m. Friday. Hammond rang the home's doorbell and a woman answered, according to the report.

"I explained to her that we received a report that there is an alligator living in her back yard," the report states. "She said there was one living back there, and it belongs to her son, [redacted], who lives upstairs from her."

Gator survived tornado, Massachusetts winters

Lewis said the alligator was well taken care of, but has a slight eye infection that may need to be examined by a vet. He also said Wally's teeth appear to be unusually low, but did not know what that might be indicative of.

The backyard enclosure offered an entrance to the property's garage, so Wally could take shelter when needed.

Presumably that's what Wally did back in 2011, when a tornado heavily damaged the neighborhood, in the Merrick section of the city.

Thelma the alligatorThelma, the resident alligator at Springfield's Zoo in Forest Park, now shares a space with Wally, an alligator taken from a West Springfield home Thursday.

"It's a pretty good set-up," Lewis said of Wally's former dwelling. Lewis, who met with the owner briefly yesterday, said the alligator also spent time inside the home.

The owner, Lewis said, was clearly upset over the loss of his long-time pet. "These animals are like your children. If you have something for 25 or 26 years you are going to be attached to it, he said.

But Wally was a bit overfed, Lewis said, adding: "I think he clearly could lose about 30 pounds."

According to the Western Mass News report, the alligator may have been fed Philly cheesesteaks and other treats from a neighborhood pizza shop.

"He is now on a diet of lean meat and fish," Rothschild said. "We are working towards getting him back towards what a gator should be eating."

Lewis said that "once in a while" Thelma gets a full-grown (and already dead) rat to enjoy, and Wally will likely get the same.

The zoo gets its dead rats from a commercial enterprise that specializes in such things, Lewis said. "They are more expensive than USDA meat," he said.

Live food, Lewis said, would make the alligators too aggressive. He acknowledged, however, that he has no control over animals that could inadvertently creep, crawl or fly into the alligator enclosure.

Dizzy the monkey, who made headlines across the nation and around the world earlier this summer when he escaped from the zoo for a few days, lives on the other side of zoo with his mate, Mitzy.

Lewis said the zoo is interested in keeping Wally -- but the final decision will fall to the state's Environmental Police.

If Wally stays, it's possible the two could become an mated pair, with little alligators on the way, Lewis said.

"It would be nice," Lewis said. "It would be something to see. ... It would be nice to have some eggs."

The zoo obtained Thelma about eight years ago from an alligator farm in Florida.

Lewis said the two alligators have so far had little interaction with each other.

"They are reptiles," he said. "They don't have any emotion."

Police in Holyoke pass random drug tests without violations: Acting Chief Denise Duguay

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The city had random drug testing done of all uniformed Holyoke, Massachusetts police officers in the spring as permitted in the contracts with the patrol and supervisors' unions, and on Friday, Aug. 5, 2016 officials said that all officers had passed tests and that no violations were found.

A follow up story to the one below was published at 6:15 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 5, 2016: 'You were told when you got to work that day': Holyoke police union official saying drug tests unannounced, as per contract

HOLYOKE -- All full-time Holyoke police officers received passing marks in random drug testing the city did in the spring, meaning that the screening determined no officers were using illegal substances, officials said Friday.

The results included the determination that an error occurred regarding an officer whose initial test resulted in him being placed on paid administrative leave, said a press release emailed by Capt. Denise M. Duguay, who is acting chief while Police Chief James M. Neiswanger is on vacation.

"An internal affairs investigation was launched into the matter. The results of that investigation showed the lab had made an erroneous report and the officer involved tested clean. That officer is in good standing and has been returned to his regular assignment," the press release said.

Duguay couldn't immediately be reached for comment on what the nature of the drug-testing error was in relation to that officer or the name and location of the company that did the random drug tests on Holyoke officers.

The city did the random drug testing of all police officers as permitted in the contracts with the patrol and supervisors' unions.

A follow up story with more details will be published later on Friday, Aug. 5, 2016.

Here is the press release the Holyoke Police Department issued about the random drug testing results:

"This year, with the cooperation of both police unions, Local 388 and Local 409, the Holyoke Police Department conducted drug testing of sworn full-time police officers. Mayor Alex B. Morse and Police Chief James M. Neiswanger are proud to announce that these Holyoke officers have passed their drug screening. "During the drug testing, the department received communication from the lab about one of the tests on one of our officers. Based on that communication, that officer was tested again and placed on paid administrative leave. An internal affairs investigation was launched into the matter. The results of that investigation showed the lab had made an erroneous report and the officer involved tested clean. That officer is in good standing and has been returned to his regular assignment. "I just want to say how proud I am of the members of the Holyoke Police Department and wish to re-affirm my commitment and support for them. Every day, these brave officers heroically protect and serve our community. On an almost daily occurrence, they face adversity and they handle it professionally with restraint, dignity and respect," Chief Neiswanger added.

"Capt. Denise Duguay
Commander, Technical Services Bureau
Holyoke Police Department
138 Appleton Street
Holyoke, MA 01040
413-322-6900"

Nantucket nonprofit gives veterans service dogs

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A Nantucket-based veterans nonprofit called Holidays for Heroes on Friday announced a new initiative, Service Dogs for Heroes, to provide service dogs for veterans.

BOSTON -- When Donald Jarvis returned from deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.

"Having a dog brought me out of the darkness and helped me get through the struggles of PTSD," Jarvis said, who uses a service dog named Mocha.

A Nantucket-based veterans nonprofit called Holidays for Heroes on Friday announced a new initiative to provide service dogs for veterans.

"We're helping to provide the funding that's needed to train these dogs, the food, the lifetime support," said BJ Ganem, a retired Marine who lost his leg in Iraq and is program director of Service Dogs for Heroes, the new Holidays for Heroes project. "We're working with great service dog providers ... to make this process seamless for veterans."

According to the organization, it can take more than $30,000 to cover the two-year process of training a service dog. The dog must learn general social etiquette as well has how to provide support for a specific person -- recognizing emotional cues and triggers, or providing support with mobility, vision or hearing.

Service Dogs for Heroes will work with organizations that are already training dogs. The nonprofit will pay for training, connect the nonprofits with veterans in need and routinely check in on the veterans and their dogs.

Ganem said having a service dog can help veterans re-establish the sense of team they had in the military. "The dogs not only provide help with phantom pains or emotional distress, they also provide that sense of teamwork," Ganem said.

Cathy Zemaitis, director of development for National Education for Assistance Dogs Services (NEADS), said her organization trains services dogs and places about 50 dogs a year. She hopes Service Dogs for Heroes will connect NEADS with more veterans.

"We're constantly trying to find veterans that need these world class dogs and bring them to us," Zemaitis said. "What this organization Service Dogs for Heroes is going to do is it's going to help us reach the population that we want to serve."

Wesley United Methodist Church hosts Springfield Mason Square block party

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Wesley United Methodist Church is hosting a community block party.

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SPRINGFIELD -- Wesley United Methodist Church is hosting a Community Block Party on Saturday, Aug. 6, at the church located at 741 State. St.

The block party in the Mason Square area is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., There will food and fun, music, face painting, crafts, voter registration, and book bag give-aways.

The event is touted as a day to "come and meet your neighbors with a day of fun and fellowship."

Mosquitoes in Springfield, Chicopee test positive for West Nile virus

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The Massachusetts Department of Public Health found mosquitoes infected with West Nile virus in Springfield and Chicopee.

SPRINGFIELD — State health officials on Friday confirmed that mosquitoes in Springfield and Chicopee have tested positive for West Nile virus.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health on Friday identified two mosquitoes found in a Springfield mosquito trap carrying the virus and three in Chicopee, said Deputy State Epidemiologist Catherine Brown.

"August and the first half of September tend to be our most active times for West Nile (virus) in mosquitoes," Brown said.

Mosquitoes that tested positive for the virus were found in a trap set in Springfield on Aug. 2 and in Chicopee on July 27, Brown said. Results were confirmed on Friday.

Springfield's Department of Health and Human Services was notified of the finding earlier on Friday, said Health and Human Services Director Helen Caulton-Harris.

While the department recommends residents take precautions such as wearing insect repellent, limiting exposed skin and dumping still water in backyards, Caulton-Harris said the finding does not pose an imminent threat to public health and safety.

"We are not considering this a major public health threat," Caulton-Harris said. "But we do want to make sure the residents are heeding the advice that has been developed (by state and local public health officials)."

There have been 37 cases of mosquitoes testing positive for West Nile virus in Massachusetts this year, Brown said.

A total of 164 mosquitoes sampled across the state last year came back with positive results, a statement from Springfield's Health and Human Services department says. None of the infected mosquitoes were found in Springfield.

There have been no instances of humans contracting West Nile virus in the commonwealth this year, Brown said.

About 80 percent of people infected with West Nile virus show no symptoms, according to the state public health department. The approximately 20 percent of those who become symptomatic typically experience fever, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting and sometimes swollen lymph glands, according to Mass. DPH.

Between 2000 and 2010, 67 people in the commonwealth were reported infected with West Nile virus, according to DPH data. Six of those people died.

Hot, dry weather experienced recently may have contributed to the finding, because the virus typically thrives in such weather, Brown says. Mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus also tend to gravitate toward urban areas like Boston, Worcester and Springfield.

"It is not uncommon for us to find West Nile virus-infected mosquitoes in this area," Brown said.

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