The chair of the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education has made a six-figure donation to a group advocating for more charter schools in the state.

The chairman of the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education has made a six-figure donation to a group advocating for more charter schools in the state.

Paul Sagan donated $100,000 last month to the Campaign for Fair Access to Quality Public Schools, an organization in support of ballot Question 2. A yes vote on the ballot will allow a dozen more charters per year in Massachusetts. The donation appeared in filing with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance this month.

Sagan stepped down as CEO of Internet corporation Akamai Technologies Inc. in 2013 and announced plans to become a venture capitalist, joining General Catalyst Partners in Cambridge.

He was appointed chairman of the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education in 2015 by Governor Charlie Baker.

The donation is legal though has been criticized by some.

"It will give them total power to create an unlimited number of charter schools that will take an unlimited amount of money from our local community," Steve Crawford, a spokesman for the group Save Our Public Schools, told WBUR. Save Our Public Schools opposes lifting the cap on charter schools. "Any chairman who does not understand that it is inappropriate to donate $100,000 to a campaign that would give him that kind of power should no longer serve as chairman of the board."

Sagan responded in a statement to WBUR that he will stay on the board as chairman. 

"I am a dedicated supporter of all of our public schools, district, public charter and turnaround," Sagan said. "It is an honor to serve as Chairman of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, and I'm thrilled to work toward maintaining Massachusetts's position as a national leader in public education."

The deceased was identified as James F. Bickford of Holyoke, according to Connecticut State Police.

Robert Rizzuto | rrizzuto@repub.com 

STAFFORD, Conn. - Connecticut State Police say a 46-year-old Holyoke man died following a motorcycle accident Sunday afternoon on Route 32.

He was identified as James F. Bickford of 78 Nonotuck Ave., Holyoke.

According to police, Bickford was heading south on Route 32, also known as Monson Road, when he apparently lost control near the intersection of Stony Lane. No other vehicles were involved.

Police said he was ejected from the motorcycle.

He was transported by ambulance to Johnson Memorial Hospital hospital where he was later pronounced dead, police said.

The accident scene was just south of the Massachusetts line.

Police said the motorcycle was registered to Damian J. Cote of Holyoke.

A new movie based on the 1967 riots in Detroit is being filmed in several Massachusetts cities currently. Watch video

Brockton, Dorchester and Lynn as Detroit?

A new movie based on the Detroit Riot of 1967 is being filmed in several Massachusetts cities currently.

The riot began after police raided an after-hours bar on the city's Near West Side. Confrontations between police, patrons and people on the street developed into five days of the deadliest riots in the nation's history.

In the midst of the riot, Governor George W. Romney, father of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, sent in the Michigan Army National Guard to Detroit. President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered two airborne divisions to Michigan's capital as well.

Days of violence resulted in 43 people dead, more than 1,000 inured and over 7,000 arrested. Several thousand structures in the city were damaged as well.

Detroit Riot of 1967: Wayne State shares never before seen aftermath footage

The production seeking to capture such events is being directed by Kathryn Bigelow, of The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty. 

Multiple scenes were filmed in Dorchester and Lynn this summer and filming begins in Brockton on Wednesday, the Enterprise reports. 

Men with law enforcement or military experience are sought to participate in filming. Boston-based C.P. Casting seeks men between the ages of 18 and 35 of any ethnicity to be paid extras in the film. 

Interested? Send an email to to DetroitMovieProject@Gmail.com. Casting emails must include availability, contact information, height, weight and a recent photograph.

Sergio Davila, a 20-year-old man shot last week near Worthington and Armory Streets, has died, according to Springfield Police Department.

SPRINGFIELD -- Sergio Davila, a 20-year-old man shot last week near Worthington and Armory Streets, has died, according to Springfield Police Department.

Davila sustained wounds to the head and chest while standing outside a car at 955 Worthington St. on Tuesday, Sept. 6 -- just two days after an earlier shooting around the same place. 

Taken by ambulance to Bay State Medical Center, Davila had been listed in critical condition before he finally died at the hospital over the weekend, Springfield Police Sgt. John Delaney said.

Springfield Police Capt. Trent Duda is heading up the investigation along with detectives from the Major Crime Unit. No arrests have been made in connection with the incident.

Meanwhile, the victim shot on Sept. 4 -- still being treated at the hospital -- is expected to recover.

Springfield roadway construction projects for the week of Sept. 12, includes milling of Boston Road and continuation of sewer interceptor project along the Mill River.

File photo 

SPRINGFIELD -- The Springfield Water and Sewer Commission and Department of Public Works has released its roadway construction list for the week of Sept. 12, that includes milling work on a section of Boston Road and continuation of a major sewer interceptor project along the Mill River.

The following projects are scheduled:

Department of Public Works

Boston Road -- From State Street to Bay Street. Milling and utility work. Expect delays and possible lane reductions.

Calhoun Street -- From Main Street to Chestnut Street. Utility work

Road Closures
Union Street -- From Main Street to East Columbus Avenue. Road closure extended to Oct. 14.

Springfield Water and Sewer Commission

Long Term Projects

Main Interceptor Rehabilitation Project

Water Pipe Replacement Project - Worthington Street from Spring Street to Chestnut Street: Worthington Street will be reduced to a single lane with alternating traffic flow.

Water Pipe Improvement Project - Hancock Street: During some phases of construction, Hancock Street from State Street to Lebanon Street will be reduced to a single lane with alternating traffic flow.

Sewer Pipe Rehabilitation Project - Alden Street: Sections of Alden Street from the intersection of Northumberland Street to 672 Alden Street will be reduced to a single lane with alternating traffic flow. Northumberland Street at the intersection of Alden Street will be closed to through traffic. Northumberland Street traffic will be detoured onto Carnavon Circle.

Short Term Projects

Sewer Pipe Rehabilitation Project - Union Street from East Columbus Avenue to West Columbus Avenue: lane shifts on Union Street, East Columbus Ave., and West Columbus Ave.

City officials gathered for a special flag raising ceremony at City Hall this past Friday to commemorate Greek Heritage weekend in the city.

SPRINGFIELD -- City officials gathered for a special flag raising ceremony at City Hall this past Friday to commemorate Greek Heritage weekend in the city.

The ceremony was the unofficial kickoff to the 2016 Glendi festival, which drew thousands to St. George Cathedral in the city's North End over its three day run.

The popular Greek cultural event dates back to 1978. In addition to all the food, the event also features live Greek music provided by Hellenic Express, Greek folk dancing performed by the Glendi Dancers decked out in traditional Greek costumes, as well as Greek imports for sale, youth activities, and much more.

All proceeds from Glendi benefited the ministries of St. George Cathedral.

The hauler skips pickups, leaves trash to rot in the sun, and puts customers on hold when they try to call, said residents at Monday's Board of Health meeting.

EASTHAMPTON -- Officials from the trash hauler County Waste & Recycling were told Monday by the Board of Health to improve their operations or risk losing their permit to do business in the city.

All waste hauler permits will be considered for annual renewal on Dec. 5, and the board could decline to renew County Waste's permit if improvement is not seen, said health agent Jackie Duda.

In recent months, around 17 residents have complained to her about County Waste, said Duda. She said in contrast, her office received only one other complaint about any other trash hauler in five years.

After lengthy discussion, the board found County Waste in violation of a state law that regulates filth and public health nuisances. The board also issued the company a four-pronged agenda to improve its operations and customer service if it wishes to have its local permit renewed for 2017.

"We hear you loud and clear, and we've got to do something about it," said Steve LaFollette, vice president of County Waste's Hudson Valley division.

The company was told it must pick up garbage within 24 hours of any scheduled pickup, remove its containers within one week if a customer changes vendors, communicate with customers if there is going to be a delay, and improve its call center service.

LaFollette claimed the company has already been working to improve staffing, truck maintenance, worker training, and communication protocols.

A half-dozen residents spoke their minds during a public comment session. They described garbage rotting in the sun, missed pickups, unfulfilled promises, and poor customer service.

"If they don't pick up on a Friday, you can't reach them over the weekend," said resident Joshua Vogel. "If you call them on Monday, you're put on hold. When they finally pick up, they tell you it will be another 24 to 48 hours."

Bonnie Harrison said County Waste marketed itself "like gangbusters" when it came to town about five years ago, "but their service has gone from good to bad to worse." She said she swapped haulers in June, but it took until September for the company to pick up its containers. "I made multiple calls and got no response," she said. "They gave excuses -- mechanical problems with a truck, someone out sick."

Ron Chateauneuf said garbage festered on Main Street over the summer, after County Waste apparently failed to make scheduled pickups. "The stench was unbearable," he said. "If the company is taking money for services it is not providing, the city should hold them accountable."

The only person to praise County Waste on Monday was Suzanne Davis of Picard Circle. "I have been very satisfied with them," she said. "We should have the right to use whoever we want." Davis said if a customer is not happy, "they should just hire somebody else."

Vogel said tenants aren't in charge of that decision. He said County Waste is popular with landlords because the company undercuts prices offered by other haulers. "The Board of Health is the only recourse for tenants or people who live next to tenants," he said.

County Waste, based in Clifton Park, New York, has around 5,700 customers in Western Massachusetts, and maintains a physical operations center on Rocus Street in Springfield, said LaFollette. The company has five trucks running four routes in the region, and plans to add a sixth, he said.

He said the garbage trucks are maintained by Dave's Truck Repair on Page Boulevard, that trash is hauled to either Complete Disposal Co. in Westfield or the Covanta municipal waste combuster in Agawam, and that recycling is taken to the Springfield Materials Recycling Facility.

LaFollete said part of the problem stems from staff turnover and difficulty in filling open positions. He said there have been problems with "people not knowing the route; not knowing the map." He said there would be a new emphasis on job recruiting, driver training, and worker oversight. "We have to teach our drivers to do a better job."

He said having the call center shut down at 5 p.m. on Friday and not reopen until Monday is the "industry standard." He also said it is standard for companies to have two weeks to pick up unused containers from former customers.

"I don't care what the industry standard is," said Duda. "We're giving you one week." She also said the call center operation must improve "so that people get the answers they need."

The company submitted a two-page improvement plan to city officials. "Quite honestly, we are going to pick the trash and recycling up daily and then hold our team accountable," the document concludes.

Duda noted that regardless of County Waste's level of service, landlords are still responsible to see that trash is removed. She said tenants in buildings with three or more apartments should contact her office if there is an ongoing sanitary problem.

"We don't want raccoons ripping into the bins; we don't want mice or rats," said Duda. "So far we have no Norway rats in Easthampton, and I don't want to have them."

Vogel, who went door-to-door with flyers over the summer, told The Republican that he's happy the board is taking the matter seriously. "I really hope that residents will remain vocal over the next several weeks, so the health department has good information about the company's performance."

Easthampton does not offer municipal curbside trash pickup, meaning homeowners, landlords and business owners must contract with a private hauler.

Present at Monday's meeting were Board of Health Chairman Dr. Norman Roy and board member Laurel Pelis; absent was member Trisha Rogers. In addition to LaFollete, present for County Waste were operations supervisor Matt Sharp and staffer Chris Harriman, according to a sign-in sheet.

Mary Serreze can be reached at mserreze@gmail.com

James F. Bickford loved Holyoke so much he could make you gasp, laugh, scream, reach for the phone and either take his name in vain or thank the heavens he was on your train.

Below are Monday's most-read local news stories on MassLive.com. If you missed any of them, click on the links below to read them now.

1) James Bickford recalled as scythe-wielding blogger who loved Holyoke, his family, lampooned officials [Mike Plaisance]

2) Doherty football player Mike Oppong says suspension for protest during national anthem has been lifted [Alban Murtishi]

3) Springfield man charged with stabbing three people at North End Pride station [Patrick Johnson] (Photo gallery above)

4) 20-year-old Springfield gunshot victim died over the weekend, police say [Phil Demers]

5) Springfield man charged in fatal hit-and-run drove to nearby Taco Bell, ordered food after collision, court records show [Jack Flynn]

In Newton, Mass., they're happy about the expected benefits from all electronic tolling, like less congestion on the roads and better air quality. They're not as thrilled with the proposed higher tolls.

This story is part of ongoing MassLive coverage into the state's October 2016 launch of all-electronic tolling on the Mass. Pike and the elimination of toll plazas.

_________________________

NEWTON, Mass. - They're happy about the expected benefits from all electronic tolling, like less congestion on the roads and better air quality.

They're not as thrilled with the proposed higher tolls.

Around 30 people gathered in Newton City Hall on Monday to hear Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) officials extoll the virtues of the coming switch to the new cashless system and acknowledge that yes, the Newton area will be seeing the largest increase under the proposed toll rates system.

For example, a West Newton to Boston trip will go from costing $1.00 to $1.70.

Overall, tolls are going up or staying the same for most drivers with an E-ZPass Massachusetts transponder, and for 47 percent of trips taken by drivers, the cost will decrease under the proposed system. The hearing in Newton is one of seven the state is holding to take public input on the proposed toll rates.

In the Newton area, state transportation officials are re-installing tolls taken down in the 1990s.

"I'm surprised the room is not packed with people," Marie McMullen, who commutes to downtown Boston, told transportation officials.

The new set-up will result in more traffic in Newton Corner, she said, a place already known locally as the "Circle of Death."

Steven Jakob, said his son works at Logan International Airport, earning $13 an hour as a cargo handler. The round-trip cost of his son's will go up to $6.40, from $5.00. "That is a big deal for him," Jakob said.

It's an increase totaling $30 a month, and "somewhat onerous," Jakob added.

New Mass. Pike proposed rates released to public

The 16 metal gantries, across the state with cameras that will take photos of license plate and mail bills to the owners of vehicles that don't pay the toll, have gone up in the last year and will replace the toll plazas. The new system is set to go live on Oct. 28.

On I-90 eastbound, approximately 64,000 vehicles pass under the new Newton metal gantry every day. According to MassDOT, 51 percent are coming from Western Turnpike, 31 percent are coming down from I-95, and remaining 18 percent get on at Exit 16 (West Newton) and either exit at 17 (Newton Corner) or continue on to Boston.

MassDOT officials said data collected from the gantries this summer showed that of the aforementioned 18 percent, six percent had an E-ZPass or license plate registered to addresses in Newton, while 94 percent had E-ZPass or license plates registered in other towns.

"This initial data suggests most of the traffic that will incur the added toll...are drivers cutting through Newton to avoid the Weston toll," a MassDOT presentation at the meeting stated.

While that was good news for some Newton residents, it was a small comfort to others.

"I did not expect anyone to say 'thank you so much for raising my toll 50 cents or in some cases 70 cents," Thomas Tinlin, the state highway chief, said after the hearing.

Mass. Pike toll calculator: See how much your commute will cost

"I certainly appreciate the gentleman's comments in speaking for his son," Tinlin said when asked about the father of the Logan Airport worker.

"And this is exactly the type of public process and public comment we want to hear so as we finalize our recommendation to the MassDOT board, it will not go unnoted... as we formulate our final proposal," he added.

Tinlin told reporters that state transportation officials "still have some thinking to do" on the proposal.

"We'll see where we land," he said.

The MassDOT board is expected to vote on the proposed toll rates on Oct. 6.

"I was surprised it's a little bit more," said state Cynthia Creem, D-Newton, who attended the Monday night hearing.

But Creem noted MassDOT officials said Newton residents who work in Natick and Framingham will see a reduction in tolls.

Overall, "the whole system sounds great," she said.

Mass. lawmakers concerned about new tolling structure

Salvatore "Big Nose Sam" Cufar lorded over his underlings at the original Ciro's in the South End.

SPRINGFIELD -- New owners have rebranded the former Blackjack Steakhouse at 904-912 Main St. with a name from the South End neighborhood's past -- Ciro's.

New awnings are up at the former steakhouse, once home to an Italian restaurant called  Carpaccio, proclaiming the location "Ciro's 'A Tradition'." The new restaurant has not yet opened.

Documents at the office of William Francis Galvin, secretary of the Commonwealth, indicated that Charles R. Della Penna established a business entity called Ciro's Restaurant Group LLC in August with 904-912 Main St. as its business address. Della Pena couldn't be reached over the past two weeks.

The new Ciro's does not have a liquor license and has not applied for one, according to the Springfield Licensing Commission.

Blackjack Steakhouse closed in July with owner Mark Laramee blaming the location, crime and public perception of the neighborhood.

Before it was Blackjack's Steakhouse, the location was briefly an Italian restaurant called Carpaccio.

The original Ciro's, located just down the street at 868-870 Main St., was a longtime fixture in the South End with ties to organized crime.

Salvatore "Big Nose Sam" Cufari used the restaurant as a headquarters when he was head of the local Genovese family crew.

According to their obituaries, Albert S. Scibelli and  Rose M. (Langone) Scibelli, owned and operated Ciro's for 24 years. Scibelli died in 1997, a year after his wife.

The Hampden District Attorney's Office has stayed tight-lipped about its ongoing investigation. Now, on the anniversary of Jerry Bradley's death, the DA's office says its inquiry is nearing an end.

SPRINGFIELD -- Jerry Bradley suffered a fatal aneurysm in Springfield Police lockup on Sept. 13, 2015, and the year since has been dotted with the consequences of his death.

A funeral service under the green awnings of Henderson's Funeral Home. His family's long quest for answers. And the completion of an internal police investigation, which led to the suspension of two police officers for 30 days.

Through all that, the Hampden District Attorney's Office has stayed tight-lipped about its ongoing investigation into the matter. Now, on the anniversary of Bradley's death, the DA's office says its inquiry is nearing an end.

"It's close to completion," DA spokesman James Leydon wrote in an email.

Bradley, a 57-year-old handyman who had lived in Springfield's Old Hill neighborhood for a decade, was in the passenger seat of a car traveling on State Street on Sept. 11, 2015 when it was pulled over by police. Officers ran his information and arrested him on a warrant, for what his family told MassLive was an unpaid fine out of Dudley for writing a bad check.

Because he was arrested on a Friday, he could not be arraigned until Monday morning, meaning a weekend stay in Springfield Police headquarters' lockup until he could be transferred to Dudley District Court.

He called his girlfriend Angela Williams from the police station to say he would not make it home that weekend, Williams told MassLive in April. That was the last time they would speak.

I said, 'I'll been waiting for you.' We said we loved each other. We hung up the phone," Williams said.

What happened over the next 29 hours is muddled by conflicting testimony, according to an internal police investigation report obtained by MassLive in a public records request.

It is not disputed that Bradley, early in the morning of Sept. 13, was found unconscious by a guard doing regular rounds who began futile attempts to save his life. He was Baystate Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 1:10 a.m.; the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later determined his cause of death was a ruptured thoracic aortic aneurysm.

John Thompson, the family's attorney, said the year-long investigation has led to a lack of information for Bradley's loved ones. While they have been verbally briefed on the cause of Bradley's death, the actual autopsy report remains confidential due to the ongoing investigation, he said.

"They're distressed. The DA has tied up the medical examiner's information during the course of this investigation," Thompson said. "None of it's been provided to them. They're still in the dark, a year later."

The internal police investigation and MassLive's interviews with Bradley's family members found contradictions between how officers working at the station, Bradley's fellow prisoners and Bradley's family described the events of that weekend.

According to the department's internal report, officers said they had no knowledge of any serious medical issues plaguing Bradley, and the three officers on duty Friday night said he never asked for medical help. On Saturday, officers reported that Bradley had complained of back pain, but experienced no severe distress until he was found unconscious.

"Sgt. Bortolussi stated that officers Reyes and Dowd told him that [Bradley] was checked every 15 minutes and he appeared fine throughout the rest of the night," the internal report said.

But prisoners in neighboring cells to Bradley described a man who appeared to be in severe pain. One prisoner said Bradley shouted to an officer "I can't breathe, I need my treatment," on Friday night. Another said that the night of Bradley's death, he banged on the glass of his cell for two hours while screaming "This ain't right, call the ambulance."

And while officers wrote in their report that Williams, Bradley's girlfriend, told them she had no knowledge of any medical problems he had, she said otherwise in an interview with MassLive. Bradley had a tumor in his abdomen and she had told detectives of his condition when they interviewed her after his death, she said.

Williams had previously not seen the police account of her statements, but after reviewing the officers' report during an April interview with MassLive, she said it was false.

"He had a tumor. We knew this. That's why I told them," Williams said. "That is inaccurate."

Bradley's death was first reported by MassLive in April, seven months after it happened. MassLive began its inquiry after the case appeared in the appendix of a March report on Springfield's Community Police Hearing Board, in a group of entries on a spreadsheet, marked "investigate death of prisoner in his cell."

Of the seven officers investigated, two were suspended and five cleared of administrative charges, according to the report and statements from the city's law department.

The city and the police department would not say what specific actions led to the officers' suspensions, nor would they disclose their identities. The city's law office said the officers were suspended for 30 days without pay for violating the rules and regulations of the police department.

When asked for comment, Police Commissioner John Barbieri said he could not comment on internal disciplinary matters.

Though the department's internal investigation concluded months ago, a concurrent probe by the Hampden District Attorney's Office is still ongoing. Leydon, the department's spokesman, told MassLive the office could not comment on the investigation but said it should be completed soon.

It can take the length of 18 football fields to stop a train traveling 55 miles per hour.

CHICOPEE - Richard Towle has a message for the many people who use the train tracks as a way to cut through from Plainfield Street to Wesson Avenue.

Please don't.

"What we are trying to do is avoid fatalities," said Towle, law enforcement liaison officer for the Federal Railroad Administration.

Chicopee Police and Fire departments joined with Boston Main Railroad and Amtrak police officials and Towle on Monday morning to hand out packets of safety information and talk to motorists who were driving across the railroad crossing on Plainfield Street, heading to work.

At the end of the two-hour period, they had passed out nearly 400 bags that included train refrigerator magnets, pens, key chains and pamphlets explaining what different training warning signs mean and overall train track safety.

Statistically every three hours someone is killed by a train in the country, Towle said.

Getting the word out is especially important since high speed rail came to the area about two years ago. The trains, which make two passes through the Springfield and Chicopee area daily, can reach speeds of 79 miles an hour on the route to northern Vermont. They do not travel that fast when they are in the Holyoke, Chicopee, and Springfield area and there are more spots where they stop, he said.

Still trains cannot stop on a dime and when the tracks are wet or icy it takes them even longer to stop, Towle said.

One of the key messages Towle wanted to get out to motorists is to respect the red lights when they start to flash at a train crossing and to never try to beat a train.

"At 55-miles-an-hour it takes one mile to stop. We tell kids that is 18 football fields," he said.

While it is rare, occasionally someone will stall or break down on the tracks. If that happens people should get out of their car and run away and towards the direction the train coming from. The reason for that is if a train does hit a car, it will destroy the car and send tires and other debris flying down the tracks, Towle said.

People should never walk along the tracks, but if they do, they should stay as far away as possible from them. The tracks are about five feet apart but trains measure at least 15 feet in width. But the wind they create can suck people toward the train, he said.

People should also never walk on train trestles because the only way to get away from a train is to jump, Towle said.

The Plainfield Street area is not the only spot where people walk along the tracks. Michael Wilk, public information officer for the Chicopee Police, said. They have problems with children playing on the tracks near Rivers Park and using train tracks as a shortcut to other locations.

"We have a problem with homeless live along the tracks. People walk along the tracks," he said.

About a year ago a 14-year-old boy was injured after being struck by a passenger train while walking on tracks behind Meadow Street.

Since the high speed rail came to the area, police officers and firefighters have visited all the schools and talked about train safety to preschoolers through high school seniors, Wilk said.

The simple message is to stay away from the tracks: Don't walk on them, don't party on them and don't play on them, he said.

"It looks like it is gliding in but then it is right on top of you," Towle said.

The City Council Finance Committee will be discussing the list at an upcoming meeting.

HOLYOKE -- At the request of Councilor Daniel B. Bresnahan, the City Council now has a list of the top 100 delinquent taxpayers -- and spotlighting them is another step the city can take to hunt down needed revenue, he said.

"We're talking about $7 million in taxes that are owed to us," from the top 100, Bresnahan said last week in a phone interview. "A lot of the folks that are on this list are local and we need to start holding these people's feet to the fire."

The list of the top 100 delinquent taxpayers, along with a memo to the City Council from Tax Collector Katherine M. Jackowski and a letter to the council from Treasurer Sandra A. Smith, are below.

Officials such as Mayor Alex B. Morse and Treasurer Sandra A. Smith said such pressuring of taxpayers who are delinquent is already a standard part of the revenue game plan. Another is another step urged by Bresnahan, that the city target properties of owners who are in arrears and place those in the redevelopment process known as receivership in the court system to get them redeveloped, they said.

The so-called Problem Property Group meets once a month to resolve delinquent tax issues. The group includes representatives of the mayor's, planning, fire, community development, Board of Health, building, treasurer and other offices, Smith said in the letter to the City Council.

"We are aware of the size of the outstanding taxpayer list, both in numbers and dollars, and we have a plan in place for (the current fiscal year). The plan involves members of the Problem Property Group to review the properties and provide the best course of action for the city to take, if payment is not met," Smith said.

In any case, Bresnahan said, the point is that seizing such millions in owed taxes is important on several fronts, such as that the city needs the money and prodding such delinquents to pay their share is the only fair step for taxpayers who do pay on time.

"Some of these properties are very viable," Bresnahan said.

The City Council Sept. 6 referred the top 100 list that was provided by Jackowski to its Finance Committee. Committee Chairman Todd A. McGee said a meeting is being scheduled.

Jackowski said the total amount owed by the top 100 delinquents was $7,081,169. That consists of outstanding taxes, interest, fee, and any water, sewer, Holyoke Gas and Electric Department and demolition liens assigned to the property taxes, she said.

She compiled the list with the help of the treasurer and Board of Assessor offices and it was up to date as of Aug. 29, she said.

Memo to Holyoke City Council from Tax Collector Katherine Jackowski: by Mike Plaisance on Scribd

Top 100 Delinquent Taxpayers in Holyoke: by Mike Plaisance on Scribd

Letter to Holyoke City Council from Treasurer Sandra Smith: by Mike Plaisance on Scribd

A drugged motorist knocked out power for 650 city residents early Wednesday by crashing his vehicle into a Main Street transformer, then exposed himself to police during the subsequent arrest.

Springfield police say a drugged motorist exposed himself to arresting officers after crashing his vehicle into a transformer and knocking out power for 650 city residents.

Springfield Police Captain Brian Keenan said the driver, a 26-year-old Holyoke man whom he declined to identify by name, drove into a transformer at 2473 Main St. around 1 a.m. on Tuesday morning. The transformer briefly caught fire after the accident.

City police officers arrived and during the subsequent arrest the man "pulled his shorts down, exposing himself to the police," Keenan said.

"I'll leave the rest out," Keenan told MassLive. "You can imagine what happened after that."

The man will be charged Tuesday morning in Springfield District Court with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs, third offense, open and gross lewdness and operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license.

Eversource had restored power to the 650 affected customers by 5 a.m.

The man was taken to Baystate Medical Center following the accident but had suffered no injuries, Keenan said.

Susan Egan was city clerk of Holyoke, Massachusetts for over 20 years and a municipal employee for 43 years, retiring in 2013 and passing away nearly two years later.

HOLYOKE -- Susan M. Egan will be honored with a ceremony Wednesday that will rename the part of Dwight Street that runs past City Hall in honor of the longtime city clerk who died in 2015.

The ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. on Dwight Street between High and Heritage streets and led by City Clerk Brenna Murphy McGee.

Egan worked for the city for 43 years and was city clerk, stationed at City Hall, for more than 20 years. She retired March 1, 2013 and died Jan. 5, 2015 at 65.

Besides Murphy McGee, scheduled speakers are Mayor Alex B. Morse, state Sen. Donald R. Humason, R-Westfield, state Rep. Aaron M. Vega, D-Holyoke, City Council President Kevin A. Jourdain, former mayor Elaine A. Pluta and Egan's brother William Egan, Murphy McGee said.

SUBMITTED IMAGE 

Councilors Todd A. McGee and Diosdado Lopez will unveil the Susan Egan Way street sign, Murphy McGee said.

Light refreshments and coffee in City Council Chambers in City Hall will follow the ceremony, she said.

The renaming will be an honorary designation, meaning Dwight Street in its entirety still will be known as Dwight Street.

Egan retired because she was in poor health and died at a nursing home in Agawam.

A statewide poll of likely voters shows 50 percent support Question 4, the November ballot question legalizing marijuana in Massachusetts.

A statewide poll of likely voters shows 50 percent support the November ballot question legalizing marijuana in Massachusetts.

Question 4 would allow adults 21 years and older to possess, cultivate and use marijuana. The question also sets up a regulatory structure under a new Cannabis Control Commission.

Forty-five percent in the new WBUR/MassINC poll are opposed to the ballot question. Five percent are undecided or said they don't know.

The poll of 506 likely voters took place between Sept. 7 and Sept. 10.

The election is Tuesday, Nov. 8.

"Younger people are very much in favor of legalization, and it declines steadily as you move up the age brackets to where you get to voters who are 60-plus, and they're opposed to it by a 17-point margin," Steve Koczela, president of the MassINC Polling Group, told WBUR.

Supporters of legalization say the ballot question sets up a strict system that will bring in tax revenue for the state and drive down the black market.

But opponents dismiss the benefits, arguing that marijuana is a gateway to harder substances and noting the black market hasn't been eliminated in Colorado, which legalized marijuana in 2012.

George Bush's cousin donates $10,000 to pro-marijuana effort
Eighty percent of respondents in the WBUR/MassINC poll said they did not believe using marijuana is morally wrong. Fourteen percent said it is; six percent said they don't know or they are undecided.

The poll also showed 48 percent believe "people using marijuana present a public safety hazard," 43 percent believe it does not.

Asked whether marijuana increases the likelihood of people trying other drugs, 50 percent said it does not, while 43 percent said it does.

They were also asked what they found most harmful to a person's overall health: 42 percent said tobacco, 19 percent said alcohol, 13 percent said sugar and four percent said marijuana.

Massachusetts voters decriminalized small amounts of marijuana through a 2008 ballot question, and in the same manner legalized medical marijuana in 2012.

Here are the four Mass. ballot questions in November

A November ballot question that would allow an expansion of charter schools in Massachusetts would receive a "no" vote from 48 percent of likely voters, according to a new poll from WBUR/MassINC.

A November ballot question allowing an expansion of charter schools in Massachusetts would receive a "no" vote from 48 percent of likely voters, according to a new poll from WBUR/MassINC.

Forty-one percent said they backed Question 2, as the ballot initiative is known.

The WBUR poll, conducted by the MassINC polling group, occurred Sept. 7-10 and included 506 likely voters.

The election is set for Tuesday, November 8.

Proponents of the measure say it will provide a choice for tens of thousands of students, many of them in underperforming school districts and on waiting lists for charter schools. Opponents say charter schools divert public resources from charter schools.

The poll also asked respondents whether they believe charter schools "drain money from other public schools." Forty-six percent said yes, while 38 percent said they don't. Fifteen percent said they were undecided.

Asked whether the quality of education at charter schools is mostly better, worse or the same when compared to other public schools, 39 percent said "better," six percent said "worse," 39 percent said "about the same" and 15 percent said they didn't know or they were undecided.

The debate over charter schools is growing increasingly heated as the election draws closer. A supporter and opponent exchanged words in Springfield on Monday, while in Boston the group opposed to charter schools called for Gov. Charlie Baker's state education board chair to step down after a $100,000 donation to a pro-charter campaign organization.

Baker, who is supporting Question 2, dismissed the call, saying the donation is a "nothingburger."

If ballot question passes, where do the new charter schools go?

What do macabre backup dancers, eight foot tall skeletons, pseudo serial killers and sea monsters have in common?

NORTHAMPTON - What do macabre backup dancers, 8-foot tall skeletons, pseudo serial killers and sea monsters have in common?

In short, nothing, but they were all in attendance at Pearl Street Nightclub last night when indie rock group Of Montreal took the stage with a barrage of stage antics of both weirdness and wonder.

Of Montreal, contrary to their name, is a Georgia-based band. The brainchild and original solo project of lead singer Kevin Barnes. The band's name comes from a failed relationship between Barnes and a woman "of Montreal."  Shortly after starting the project, Barnes quickly expanded and added new members.

The band is known for their delicate rock music which is a blend between electro funk, rock and 80's dance music. Vocally, their compositions are operatic in nature, having many complex harmonies and offering offbeat techniques like singing in rounds, where vocalists sing the same melody, but begin singing at different times.

For those who had never seen them live, the many visual performances the band offers may have come as a delightful surprise. What started off as almost cartoon like backup dancers in spandex suits, soon became 8-foot tall dancing skeletons comprised of multiple people stacked on top of each others shoulders, and even further became a show with serial killer like characters in masks similar to those seen in the Friday the 13th movies, the whole act orchestrated by band leader Kevin Barnes entirely dressed in drag.

If the stage antics weren't enough to entertain, the band's almost perfectly executed hits from their discography certainly were. Fans got a taste of the band's newest album release Innocence Reaches which was released a month earlier on Aug. 12, along with a selection of classic hits from their first 19 albums. Including most notably their popular hit "Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games" from 2005 album The Sunlandic Twins, a parody of which was featured in the 2006 "Let's Go Outback Tonight" ad campaign for Outback Steakhouse.

Throughout the tour the band is supported by also Georgia-based Ruby the Rabbitfoot.

The tour continues on through September, and ends on Oct. 31  at Terminal West in Atlanta.

It was worth noting that the venue was quite comfortable, having just come off cooling issues with the air conditioning systems, in which scheduled shows had been rerouted to the Calvin Theater until maintenance was complete. Bartenders also offered pitchers of water on all bars for patrons.

For more informationm visit the band websites for Of Montreal or Ruby The Rabbitfoot.

Bennet Omalu, a forensic pathologist who discovered chronic traumatic encephalopathy in the brains of deceased NFL players, has called on Hillary Clinton's Democratic presidential campaign to check the former first lady for signs of being poisoned.

Bennet Omalu, a forensic pathologist who discovered chronic traumatic encephalopathy in the brains of deceased NFL players, has called on Hillary Clinton's Democratic presidential campaign to check the former first lady for signs of being poisoned.

Following Clinton's near-collapse in New York City on Sunday -- something which her campaign attributed to pneumonia -- Omalu took to Twitter to offer his own medical advice to the White House hopeful, the Washington Post reported.

The doctor, whose story was portrayed in the movie "Concussion," urged Clinton's team to perform toxicologic analysis of the former secretary of state's blood.

"It is possible she is being poisoned," he tweeted.

I must advice the Clinton campaign to perform toxicologic analysis of Ms. Clinton's blood. It is possible she is being poisoned.

— Bennet Omalu (@bennetomalu9168) September 12, 2016

Although Omalu did not explicitly accuse anyone of being behind such an alleged poisoning, he later tweeted that he does not trust Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who have exchanged praise with each other in recent months, according to the newspaper.

I do not trust Mr. Putin and Mr. Trump. With those two all things are possible.

— Bennet Omalu (@bennetomalu9168) September 12, 2016

A British inquiry implicated Putin earlier this year in the 2006 poisoning death of Alexander Litvinenko, a former KGB operative, in London, the Post previously reported.

Top U.S. national security officials, meanwhile, have accused Russian intelligence agencies of hacking the Democratic National Committee.

Clinton, whose walking was aided by staff members, stumbled as she left the 9/11 memorial ceremony, sparking new questions about her health and fitness to serve as president.

Her doctor attributed the incident to the former secretary of state becoming "overheated and dehydrated," the Associated Press reported. Clinton's campaign later released a statement from her doctor saying she was diagnosed with pneumonia on Friday.

Police are searching for the ex-boyfriend of Wanda Rosa, 29, who was found dead Monday in her Methuen home where she lived with their 4-year-old son.

METHUEN -- Police are searching for the ex-boyfriend of Wanda Rosa, 29, who was found dead Monday in her Methuen home where she lived with their 4-year-old son.

The Essex District Attorney's office has named Emilio De La Rosa, 32, as a person-of-interest in the murder of Wanda Rosa.

De La Rosa reportedly drove his 4-year-old son to a relative's house before police arrived. That relative called the police to Rosa's home, where they had to force their way in to get to her.

Police arrived around 5:45 a.m. and found Rosa unresponsive. She was declared dead at the hospital. The cause of her death is still unknown, but the DA's office said an autopsy will be performed later today.

De La Rosa served a four-year prison sentence in 2012 for previously assaulting and kidnapping Rosa.

He was released on probation, which came with an abuse-prevention order. De La Rosa was barred from abusing Rosa, but under the order could still contact and visit her and their son.

At this time, it is unknown if De La Rosa has violated any other terms of his parole, which include taking parenting classes, participating in a battered-spouse program and complying with requests from the Department of Children and Families.

The DA's office does not believe anyone else is being targeted.

De La Rosa is still at large, and the DA's office is asking anyone who knows about De La Rosa or of his whereabouts outside of his home to contact Methuen and state police.