Moody's said the charter school expansion would have put increased pressure on budgets in cities such as Boston, Fall River, Lawrence and Springfield.

The decision of Massachusetts voters to reject a ballot question expanding charter schools is "credit positive" for urban cities like Springfield and Boston, the rating agency Moody's said Tuesday.

"The result is credit positive for urban local governments because it will allow those cities and towns to maintain current financial operations without having to adjust to increased financial pressure from charter school funding," Moody's wrote in a report.

The ballot question would have allowed state officials to approve up to 12 new charter schools a year outside of an existing cap. The current cap ensures that school districts spend no more than 9 percent of their budgets, or 18 percent in low-performing districts, paying for student tuition to charter schools. That limits the number of charter schools that can grow or expand in urban areas like Boston and Springfield, resulting in waiting lists.

A central part of the debate over charter school expansion was funding. When a child attends a charter school, the state money to educate that child goes to the charter school, although the district gets reimbursed for the first years to smooth over the transition costs. Opponents of charter school expansion say the funding formula took money from the traditional public schools, hurting struggling districts, even though the loss of students did not affect the schools' fixed costs.

Moody's wrote in its report that since 2010, cities like Boston, Fall River, Lawrence and Springfield have seen charter school spending grow by 83 percent even as overall spending on public education in the state grew by only 15 percent.

The report stated that so far, charter school spending has not had a direct impact on the credit ratings of these cities because the cities have relatively healthy credit profiles and the loss in education spending can be made up elsewhere in city budgets. Moody's notes, however, that this does limit the amount of money available to spend on municipal services.

The report stated that charter school expansion poses the risk that schools will not be able to adjust to the loss of revenue, since even if the student population drops at a district school, schools still must pay for costs like transportation and infrastructure.

The report noted that some of the cities with the greatest number of charter schools, including Springfield, also suffer from high poverty rates.

"Charter schools tend to proliferate in urban areas where school districts already reflect a degree of underlying economic and fiscal stress that can detract from a city's ability to deliver competitive services and can prompt students to move to charter schools; this growing competition can sometime create a 'downward spiral,'" the report stated. "A city that begins to lose students to a charter school can be forced to weaken educational programs because funding is tighter, which then begins to encourage more students to leave which then results in additional losses."

The report is not a surprise. The Boston Globe reported days before the election that Moody's warned four urban mayors, including Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, that a yes vote on the ballot question might negatively affect their city's credit rating. But Moody's refused to officially confirm that until after the election.

The report does not mean the cities' credit ratings will immediately go up, but only that the charter school vote will be a positive factor when the credit agencies next revise credit ratings. The credit rating of a city is important because it affects the interest rate at which a city can borrow money for infrastructure projects.

Maintaining Charter School Cap is Credit Positive for Massachusetts Cities by Shira Schoenberg on Scribd

Firefighters prevented the blaze from spreading to homes on Slate Road and into Chicopee State Park.

CHICOPEE - Firefighters believe a stubborn brush fire that burned an estimated 30 acres of vacant land near the Massachusetts Turnpike was set.

Fire investigators continue to search for the cause of the fire, which happened in the vacant Air Park South which is bordered by Chicopee State Park, Westover Air Reserve Base, the Massachusetts Turnpike and is off Slate Road, Deputy Fire Chief Wayne Lemay said.

"It is definitely suspicious. There was no lightning, no car sparks," he said. "It is still under investigation but everything else has been ruled out."

The fire was initially reported around 3 a.m. Tuesday by motorists who saw the smoke from the Turnpike, he said.

About 15 Chicopee firefighters were assisted by a crew from Westover Air Reserve Base. The combination of the fact firefighters were working in the dark and had to haul hoses thousands of feet over rough terrain because the only fire hydrant was on Slate Road, made the fire difficult to fight, Lemay said.

"They did a great job of containing it," Lemay said. No homes on Slate Road were threatened and firefighters prevented the blaze from spreading into Chicopee State Park.

At first firefighters did not realize how much land was effected by the fire and initially thought it was smaller, he said.

The dry conditions also added to the difficulty of fighting the fire, but just as the blaze was extinguished around 11 a.m., it started to rain, ensuring the fire will not rekindle, he said.

"The rain was perfect timing. Once it gets into the peat moss underneath it would have burned for a long time," he said.

The Massachusetts Health Connector will launch a new multimedia campaign and community engagement strategy to reach diverse, uninsured residents across Western Massachusetts.

SPRINGFIELD -- After speaking with a group of senior citizens on Tuesday, State Rep. Carlos Gonzalez, D-Springfield, said one of their major concerns was what will happen to their health insurance now that Donald Trump has been elected president.

"People are scared, they want to know what's going to happen to their services, especially health care," said Gonzalez, one of several public officials who will attend the unveiling Wednesday of a Massachusetts Health Connector multilingual campaign and community engagement strategy to reach diverse, uninsured residents across Western Massachusetts.

The event, hosted by the Health Connector and the Caring Health Center of Springfield, will be held at the Caring Health Center, 1049 Main St., at 11 a.m.

The campaign was developed based on feedback from area focus groups and includes an emphasis on reaching uninsured Latino residents in Western Massachusetts, organizers said in a press release.

"With 40 percent, and I would even say a 50 percent, Latino population here in Springfield, it is crucial that people are able to fully understand how to navigate the system to get access to affordable health insurance," Gonzalez said. "Having a campaign like this that serves a large segment of the community is important."

The event will include comments from Health Connector Executive Director Louis Gutierrez and Caring Health Center CEO Tania Barber.

Oklahoma City police have identified the victim of a shooting at Will Rogers World Airport as 52-year-old Southwest Airlines employee Michael Winchester.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Oklahoma City police have identified the victim of a shooting at Will Rogers World Airport as 52-year-old Southwest Airlines employee Michael Winchester.

Winchester died following the shooting Tuesday afternoon at the airport on the city's southwest side.

Police Capt. Paco Balderrama says Winchester was working at the time and police have not determined a motive for the shooting.

Balderrama says police do not believe there is an active shooter and officers are working to fully secure the airport, which has been shut down since the shooting with only a plane carrying prisoners to the Federal Transfer Center on airport property being allowed to land. No suspect has been found.

The Nov. 15 Ware selectmen's meeting begins at 7 p.m. at town hall, 126 Main St.

WARE -- Ongoing barking complaints about a Labrador retriever named Max, whose owner told the town's animal control officer that "nothing could be done about it," are scheduled to be heard tonight by the Board of Selectmen.

In a letter to the board, Animal Control Officer Sara Prideaux said she never actually met face to face with Max's owner, William Messier, who resides at 203 Monson Turnpike Road.

"I have been unsuccessful in meeting Mr. Messier face to face, though have had extensive conversations with his voicemail and front door," Prideaux wrote in a Nov. 4 report.

"The dog in question is not a bad dog, just a loud and noisy one. He is a nuisance. A simple bark collar should suffice in quieting Max. I am unaware of any other method that actually works when it comes to a barking dog," she wrote.

The Board of Selectmen meeting begins at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 126 Main St.

Selectmens Meeting 11-15 by The Republican/MassLive.com on Scribd

Jotsan Rosado is charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute in a Springfield case

SPRINGFIELD -- A defense lawyer on Tuesday asked a Hampden Superior Court jury to convict Jotsan Rosado of possession of heroin.

Jotsan Rosado 

Joe A. Smith III, Rosado's lawyer, said in his opening statement the 68 bags of heroin his client had on him when arrested were for personal use.

Assistant District Attorney Mary A. Sandstrom said in her opening statement in the trial before Judge Tina S. Page that Rosado did not possess the heroin to consume all by himself.

She said in addition to the heroin, Rosado had $1,132 in cash when he was stopped by police on Jan. 7, 2015. She said she will prove through the trial Rosado should be found guilty of possession of heroin with intent to distribute.

Smith told the jury of 13 women and one man that Rosado will testify in his own defense and will tell them his father was a heroin addict for as long as he (Jotsan Rosado) can remember.

He said Rosado will describe how he went from alcohol to marijuana to cocaine to ecstasy to Percocet. Smith said Rosado was stabbed in October 2014 and given pain pills. When they ran out, he turned to heroin.

Smith said the more heroin you buy, the better price you get.

He said he would propose to the jury the police did not recover the more than $1,000 in cash from Rosado.

"It's sad. It's unfortunate. People are dying," Smith said of addiction, suggesting Rosado should be thankful he was arrested to save him from that fate.

Police officer Edward Kalish testified that on Jan. 7, 2015, he was doing surveillance outside of 41 Belmont St., where Rosado lived. When Rosado left and got into a Jeep, Kalish told other officers to stop it. That's when the officers found the drugs and money, Kalish said.

Rosado had no cellphone, Kalish said.

Kalish and other officers then went into the apartment at 41 Belmont St., where Fernando Rosado, Jotsan Rosado's father, was arrested with 40 bags of heroin on him.

Kalish said the price of a bag of heroin varies over time, but a person could sometimes get a bag for $5.

He testified there were no scales, cutting agents, sifters or grinders -- items used by heroin dealers -- inside 41 Belmont Ave. There were no weapons.

Kalish said there were other people in the apartment, but officers helping with the search warrant said they had nothing to do with the address, so they weren't arrested.

Jotsan Rosado was originally a co-defendant in the case with his father. But Page severed the trials from one another.

The case against the Rosados was the first place the existence of videos showing suspended Springfield Police narcotics Detective Gregg Bigda threatening to kill and plant evidence on two juveniles was publicly discussed.

Bigda's involvement is not an issue being raised by Smith because Jotsan Rosado was arrested by other officers in the Jeep and not in the apartment.

Jeanne Liddy, lawyer for Fernando Rosado, hopes to be allowed to show the Bigda video in her client's trial because Bigda collected evidence being used in the case.

The Fernando Rosado case has not been assigned a judge or a trial date. A trial judge would likely decide whether or not Liddy could show the videos.

Videos recorded in February at the Palmer police station show Bigda threatening to kill and plant drug evidence on two juveniles accused of stealing an unmarked Springfield police vehicle. Bigda was suspended for 60 days.

Judge Mark Mastroianni will decide whether the case filed against Cosby by Katherine McKee should continue.

SPRINGFIELD -- A lawyer representing Bill Cosby in a defamation suit filed by a woman who claimed he raped her more than 40 years ago argued in federal court Tuesday that a letter sent on the comedian's behalf to a New York newspaper was not trying to smear the woman's reputation as much as it was to demand better journalism.

Lawyers representing Cosby are seeking to have the defamation suit brought by actress Katherine McKee dismissed, while McKee's lawyer argued the case has merits and should continue.

U.S. District Court Judge Mark Mastroianni listened to arguments from each side for 90 minutes before adjourning the hearing. He said he would make a decision shortly but gave no indication when.

Neither Cosby nor McKee was present in the courtroom.

McKee is one of eight women suing Cosby for defamation in federal court. McKee is suing him individually, while the other seven have joined together in a separate defamation suit against Cosby. Each suit charges that when women came forward with allegations of sexual impropriety by Cosby, he tried to portray them as liars.

Approximately 50 women have come forward in recent months to accuse Cosby of rape, sexual assault or unwanted sexual contact as far back as the early 1970s.

At issue is a charge by McKee, a former showgirl, actress and girlfriend of Sammy Davis Jr., that Cosby and his legal counsel defamed her in a letter to the New York Daily News that was subsequently published by other media. The letter was Cosby's rebuttal to McKee's claim in a Dec. 22, 2014 article that Cosby had raped her in the early 1970s.

The day after the article appeared, one of Cosby's lawyers, Marty Singer, wrote a letter to the Daily News to criticize the paper's coverage and to call into question McKee's credibility. Once that letter made its way into print, McKee filed a defamation suit against Cosby.

Attorney Jeffrey Schulman, representing Cosby, argued the case should be dismissed because no defamation occurred.

He said the Singer letter was a response to McKee's allegations and it was made in "the most measured and least aggressive way possible."

He said Cosby had not only the right but an obligation to deny McKee's allegations.

"Failure to do so could be deemed an admission of guilt," he said.

Mastroianni interjected to say the Singer letter went beyond just a simple denial of guilt by Cosby, but Schulman replied letter was not just a denial of guilt. "The purpose of the letter is an indictment of the Daily News specifically and the media in general," he said.

Publishing McKee's allegations and making no effort to verify them was reckless by the Daily News, he said.

"Mr. Singer opined that it was not consistent with good and professional journalism practices because an investigation was not done," he said. "It was a shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later approach to journalism."

He said the letter made no defamatory statements toward McKee. "It does not attack her. It is not addressed to her. The statements are made in relation to the Daily News and their journalism standards," he said.

Schulman argued the letter to the Daily News was not intended for publication, it was simply an attempt to complain privately to the paper about its coverage.

Mastroianni questioned how Schulman can claim the letter was intended to be private when "the Cosby camp" leaked it to other media right after it was sent to the Daily News.

The Hollywood Reporter wrote about the Singer letter one day after the original Daily News article.

"That's an allegation," Schulman replied.

"That's the allegation that I have to accept as truth at this point," Mastroianni said.

Schulman said it "defies logic" that the Cosby camp would want the letter distributed. Even if it was leaked, he said, McKee needs to prove it contained false information for it to be defamatory.

"Aren't you overselling this a little? The intent of the letter was to change journalistic standards for articles? Come on!" Mastroianni said.

That argument appears not to pass "the straight-face test," he said.

"It appears obvious that the intent of this letter was to get Mr. Cosby's version of events out, not to instruct the Daily News to write better articles," he said.

Federal judge orders Bill Cosby's insurance company to defend him in 3 civil defamation lawsuits

McKee's lawyer, F. William Salo, Salo argued that the letter was clearly intended to cast doubt on McKee's story and smear her reputation.

"I don't believe this was journalistic criticism -- it isn't," Salo said.

"(Cosby) didn't say 'I didn't do it.' He said, 'You can't believe her,'" Salo said. "His real intent was to undermine Katherine McKee by calling her a liar."

Salo said the letter also falsely accuses her of having a criminal history.

When Mastroianni asked him where it says that, Salo read a portion that referred to McKee belonging among a group of women making false accusations against Cosby who all have "criminal backgrounds, arrests for lying, and crimes for lying."

Mastroianni replied "hearing your argument and looking at the letter are two different things."

Katherine Mae McKee lawsuit against Bill Cosby

WESTFIELD - Friends of the Westfield Athenaeum will host a preview of items up for sale at its annual Toy and Book Sale Wednesday from 4 - 8 p.m.. The annual sale is scheduled for Thursday through Sunday at the former Carson Center located at 20 Broad St., directly across Park Square from the Athenaeum. Wednesday's preview will also be...

WESTFIELD - Friends of the Westfield Athenaeum will host a preview of items up for sale at its annual Toy and Book Sale Wednesday from 4 - 8 p.m..

The annual sale is scheduled for Thursday through Sunday at the former Carson Center located at 20 Broad St., directly across Park Square from the Athenaeum. Wednesday's preview will also be held at the former Carson Center.

Sale hours Thursday and Friday at from noon to 8 p.m.. Sale hours for Saturday will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m..

All proceeds from the sale will support free programs and services offered by the Westfield Athenaeum.

WESTFIELD - Westfield on Weekends will present Agawam Paranormal - Who Goes There? Wednesday at the Westfield Senior Center located at 45 Noble St. The event is open to the public free of charge. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and the presentation will begin at 6:30 p.m.. The 90-minute presentation will highlight three local paranormal investigations and include the...

WESTFIELD - Westfield on Weekends will present Agawam Paranormal - Who Goes There? Wednesday at the Westfield Senior Center located at 45 Noble St.

The event is open to the public free of charge. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and the presentation will begin at 6:30 p.m..

The 90-minute presentation will highlight three local paranormal investigations and include the history of each location, highlights of the investigation and evidence uncovered during the investigation.

The program will also review technical issues of paranormal investigations including the use of special equipment, photography and video technology.

WESTFIELD - Westfield State University's Theatre Arts Program will perform the play "The Learned Ladies" in Ely Studio Theatre Wesdnesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. nightly. Students will also play in a matinee performance at 2:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The theatre is located on the second floor of the Ely Campus Center. Tickets are $3 for students, $8...

WESTFIELD - Westfield State University's Theatre Arts Program will perform the play "The Learned Ladies" in Ely Studio Theatre Wesdnesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. nightly.

Students will also play in a matinee performance at 2:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

The theatre is located on the second floor of the Ely Campus Center.

Tickets are $3 for students, $8 for seniors and faculty and $10 for general admission. They are available at the Ely Campus Center Service Window and can also be reserved by calling 413-572-5682.

More than 50 students are involved in the play including a 15-member cast and 35 member crew.

The classic French play is a comedy that creates humor from some of the disputes the title characters have over what they should and should not be doing.

On Tuesday, police executed arrest warrants at 24 Willwood St. John Martino, 36, and Colleen Martino, 36, are being held on $10,000 bail. Watch video

CHICOPEE - Two city residents are charged with committing two armed robberies at the Quik Pic convenience store on Chicopee Street.

On Tuesday, police executed arrest warrants at 24 Willwood St. John Martino, 36, and Colleen Martino, 36, are being held on $10,000 bail.

John Martino is charged with two counts of armed robbery, while Colleen Martino faces one count plus a charge of being an accessory after the fact.

The robberies occurred on Oct. 30 and Nov. 8.

In the first incident, a man and woman entered the store and started talking to the clerk, said Chicopee Police Officer Mike Wilk. Then the woman pulled out a knife, threatened the clerk and demanded money.

The second incident involved the same male suspect, who also used a knife.

Cities across the country are enacting more bans on living in vehicles, camping in public and panhandling, despite federal efforts to discourage such laws amid a shortage of affordable housing, a new report said.

HONOLULU -- Cities across the country are enacting more bans on living in vehicles, camping in public and panhandling, despite federal efforts to discourage such laws amid a shortage of affordable housing, a new report said.

Denver, which ordered about 150 homeless people living on sidewalks to clear out their belongings Tuesday, was among four cities criticized for policies criminalizing homelessness in a report by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, an advocacy group aiming to prevent people from losing their homes.

The other cities listed in its "hall of shame" are in Hawaii, Texas and Washington state.

People in Denver chanted, "No handcuffs. Give us homes," as they packed up their belongings when police arrived. As they piled shopping carts high, a jumble of items cluttered the area: a banana, a paperback copy of Shakespeare and a pair of construction boots.

Many cities with increasing home prices have been struggling with homelessness, including Denver and Honolulu, which were reprimanded for an anti-camping law and ban on sitting or lying on sidewalks, respectfully.

"These laws are unconstitutional and bad public policy," Maria Foscarinis, the center's executive director, said in a phone call with reporters. "Homelessness remains a national crisis across the country. It's fueled by the growing lack of affordable housing and the shrinking safety net."

The report, which was based on a review of policies enacted by 187 cities over a decade, said bans on living in vehicles increased by 143 percent. Those laws can be particularly devastating because they often lead to vehicle impoundment, and people can lose all of their belongings, disrupting their ability to work or attend school, Foscarinis said.

In Denver, authorities had given notice that homeless people had to move their things. While some packed up and left, others resisted, so the city gave them more time, said Julie Smith, a spokeswoman for the human services department. She said the city wants to help them go to shelters and get other services.

Bennie Henley, an Army veteran who moved to Denver two weeks ago from Kansas to get treatment at the Veterans Administration hospital, said he prefers sleeping on an advertising banner rolled out on the sidewalk rather than in a shelter. He showed a rash on his arm that he thinks came from bedbugs in a shelter.

"I don't like being crowded up like that," said Henley, sitting on a swivel office chair on the sidewalk and leaning on a cane.

The report said Denver forces thousands of people to dismantle camps despite a waiting list for subsidized housing.

City spokeswoman Amber Miller called the report's findings inaccurate, saying the center relied on local advocacy groups with incorrect information. She said Denver's priority is helping people find assistance.

"We have increased outreach workers and paired them with police patrols, expanded day and night shelter, created 250 units of permanent supportive housing and launched a day work program," Miller said in a statement.

Honolulu was criticized for what the report called aggressive enforcement of its sit-lie ban. The group said the city has issued more than 16,000 warnings to people violating the ban since it was enacted in Waikiki in 2014.

But Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell's spokesman Jesse Broder Van Dyke said the report fails to mention that since the sit-lie law took effect in September of 2014, officers have issued 21,630 warnings and made only 27 arrests after a public education and warning period.

He also said over the last two years Honolulu has helped house more than 1,000 people who were experiencing homelessness, including over 860 veterans.

The report also targeted Dallas and Puyallup, Washington. Dallas was criticized for issuing thousands of citations for sleeping in public, and Puyallup, for making it illegal to camp, panhandle or sit and lie down in parts of the city, despite lacking adequate space in an emergency shelter.

Officials from those two cities didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.

The report called several such policies unconstitutional. The group said panhandling is protected by free-speech rights and preventing sleeping in public could be considered cruel and unusual punishment.

Authorities investigating the murder of Vanessa Marcotte, the 27-year-old Google accounts manager whose body was found not far from her mother's Princeton home in August, are looking for a dark-colored SUV that was seen around the time of the killing.

PRINCETON -- Authorities investigating the murder of Vanessa Marcotte, the 27-year-old Google accounts manager whose body was found not far from her mother's Princeton home in August, are looking for a dark-colored SUV that was seen around the time of the killing.

Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. said Wednesday that witnesses saw the SUV. The vehicle was parked on Brooks Station Road on Aug. 7, the day Marcotte was killed.

"It was parked near where Ms. Marcotte's body was found," Early said.

Marcotte was living in New York City, but went to Princeton to visit her mother.

She had gone out jogging on Brooks Station Road on Aug. 7 and never returned to her mother's home on the same road. She was found dead in the woods just a half-mile from her mother's home.

Authorities believe Marcotte was attacked and killed between 1 and 3 p.m. that day. Early said investigators believe Marcotte's killer is a man and she fought with him.

The killer might have been cut, scraped or bruised, Early said after the murder investigation first began.

The Massachusetts State Police Detectives assigned to the Worcester County District Attorney's Office and the Princeton Police have been investigating the murder. More than 1,000 tips have come in through a dedicated telephone tip line at (508) 453-7589.

Investigators assigned to this case are asking for any and all information about men who had access to a dark-colored SUV on Aug. 7 and were in or around Princeton. People are asked to call the tip line.

The movie will be shown at 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, at the high school at 425 Piper Road.

WEST SPRINGFIELD — West Springfield High School's Ski & Snowboard Club is showing Warren Miller's "Here, There & Everywhere" at 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, in the auditorium of the Piper Road school.

"I think what I really wanted most was freedom, and I found it on the side of a hill," says Miller, 93, an iconic figure in the world of ski, snowboard, and outdoor winter filmmaking.

Tickets for the club fundraiser event are $15 at the door. Tickets may also be bought at Colorado Ski & Bike, 1160 Westfield St., West Springfield, and at the West Springfield School Department office in the J. Edward Christian Municipal Office Building, 26 Central St., Monday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

A free lift ticket to Sugarbush, a ski resort in Vermont's Mad River Valley, comes with every movie ticket purchased. The event also features pizza, drinks, snacks, raffles and door prizes, including two four-packs of lift tickets to Burke Mountain Ski Resort in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, gift certificates from local vendors, and items from Colorado Ski & Bike.

Also on Saturday, Colorado Ski & Bike will host a ski swap-and-sale at the high school at 425 Piper Road. Gently used skis, snowboards and boots in good working condition and less than 15 years old may be dropped off from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The browsing and buying period is from 1 to 5 p.m., and cash and unsold gear may be picked up between 5 and 5:45 p.m. The store collects a 15 percent commission for every item sold.

Miller's film includes high-definition footage of aerial ski jumps, maneuvers and stunts that were shot in Alaska, Montana, Greenland, and the Swiss Alps, among other locales.

More information about the fundraiser is available by emailing West Springfield High School Vice Principal Hank Girardin at girardin@wsps.org, or by going online to www.skinet.com/warrenmiller/events/west-springfield-high-school-auditorium.

WATCH the trailer for "Here, There & Everywhere":

The most recent purchase was a duplex built in 1908.

SPRINGFIELD -- Balise Motor Sales has bought another property in Springfield's South End neighborhood, continuing a pattern that saw the West Springfield-based auto dealership spend $2.1 million on real estate there in the first seven months of 2016.

Balise bought 17 Norwood St. on Nov. 9 for $57,500 from Stanley M. Drumond and Tina M. Drumond of Edgwater, Florida. The transaction was recorded at the Hampden County Registry of Deeds.

Balise executives have said they have no specific plans for the newly  acquired South End properties, saying only that its existing businesses in Springfield are landlocked and have no room to expand.

The company did not return a call for comment Wednesday.

Its Springfield holdings include Balise Hyundai, Balise Ready Credit used cars and Balise Columbus Ave Car Wash, all on East Columbus Avenue, and Balise Collision Repair nearby at 292 Main St. Balise Chevrolet, Buick and GMC is located a few blocks away at 440 Hall of Fame Ave.

The most recent purchase is small, a 1,740-square-foot duplex built in 1908, according to city tax records. It sits on a 2,000-square-foot lot.

The property is adjacent to vacant lots at 13 Norwood St., 544-548 Main St. and 16 Broad St. that Balise has already purchased as part of a $750,000 transaction that included the former Bear Auto Inc. at 510 Main St. and a 2,288-square-foot home 15-17 Broad St.

 

With all these transactions in 2016, Balise now owns much of the real estate in three square blocks of the South End, including frontage on both Main Street and East Columbus Avenue.

Purchases earlier this year included the former Springfield Shopping News building at 340 Main Street. It's a 183,000-square-foot office and warehouse/manufacturing space adjacent to Balise Collision Repair and Balise Hyundai. Balise bought it in June for $850,000 from Bruce A. and Sherry V. Bromley of Longmeadow.

The building was erected in 1933, according to the decorative concrete pieces in its facade, and originally housed a twice-weekly newspaper published from 1927 to 1965.

Balise employs more than 1,400 people at dealerships in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Paul E. Balise founded the company in 1919 when he bought a welder and fixed farm equipment and automobiles in his backyard garage in Hatfield. He became a Chevrolet dealer in Hatfield, then moved to Chicopee before moving to Main Street in Springfield and then East Columbus Avenue.

The company opened one of the first North American Honda dealerships in 1971.

Grandson James E. "Jeb" Balise Jr. is the current president and dealer of Balise Motor Sales.

Reeling from a disappointing 2016 campaign cycle, Senate Democrats appealed to the more progressive wing of their party Wednesday by naming Massachusetts' Elizabeth Warren and Vermont's Bernie Sanders -- an independent -- to its expanded chamber leadership structure.

Reeling from a disappointing 2016 campaign cycle, Senate Democrats appealed to the more progressive wing of their party Wednesday by naming Massachusetts' Elizabeth Warren and Vermont's Bernie Sanders -- an independent -- to its expanded chamber leadership structure.

Newly elected Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, of New York, picked Warren and Sanders to serve on a diverse 10-member team, which he said will aim to unite the caucus and speak to those across America.

"Our whole leadership team is emblematic of that," he told reporters Wednesday's leadership meeting. "Our team is ideologically and geographically diverse, it mixes the wisdom of experience with the vigor of youth -- at least in Senate years."

Schumer stressed that although all senators represent diverse factions, they have all devoted their lives to fighting for the middle class and those struggling to get there.

Pointing to the results of the 2016 elections, Schumer said he heard "loud and clear" the concerns of the American people and plans to address them with his leadership team.

"We need to be the party that speaks to and works on behalf of all Americans and a bigger, bolder, sharper edged economic message that talks about how people in the middle class and those struggling to make it there can do better," he said.

Warren, who previously held a leadership position under retiring Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, will serve as vice chair of the conference.

Sanders, who amassed millions of young supporters as a Democratic presidential candidate, meanwhile, was named chair of outreach.

Schumer said that adding the Vermont senator and others to the leadership team "shows we can unite the disparate factions of our party and our country."

Sanders, who did not switch to the Democratic Party despite running in it's primary, called for "real change" in response to joining the leadership team.

"Real change doesn't take place on Capitol Hill. It takes place in grassroots America. It takes place when millions of working people, young people and senior citizens come together to demand that our government works for all of us and not just the 1 percent," he said in a statement. "When the people lead, the leaders follow."

.@SenSchumer: "These Sens has devoted their lives to fighting for middle class and those struggling to get there." pic.twitter.com/O7rpGZ3kPS

— Senate Democrats (@SenateDems) November 16, 2016

The city’s public health officials said Wednesday they’re steeling themselves for the legalization of marijuana in Massachusetts and looking for advice from their counterparts in Colorado, where marijuana has been commercially available since 2014.

BOSTON - The city's public health officials said Wednesday they're steeling themselves for the legalization of marijuana in Massachusetts and looking for advice from their counterparts in Colorado, where marijuana has been commercially available since 2014.

Massachusetts voters signed off on legalization, through a ballot initiative, on Nov. 8. Boston voters approved Question 4 -- 62.4 percent to 37.5 percent -- even as Mayor Marty Walsh and other top officials painted dire pictures of a city colonized by pot shops.

Under the new law, which goes into effect on Dec. 15, 2016, people over the age of 21 can possess up to 1 ounce and grow up to six marijuana plants inside their home. Retail shops could open in 2018, though that timeline could change, depending on how much surgery Massachusetts lawmakers perform on the new law.

"I think every state has had a different approach in terms of how they've passed laws around recreational marijuana, so I think we'll look to Denver and other places to stand up our work here, but we'll obviously tailor it to suit the needs here in Massachusetts and Boston in particular," said Monica Valdes Lupi, executive director of the Boston Public Health Commission.

City officials are now attempting to determine whether to pursue a 2 percent local option tax on the sale of marijuana and marijuana products and whether they need to make changes to Boston's zoning code. The city is also considering a policy to prohibit marijuana use in all city buildings.

13 Mass. towns that really wanted weed legalized

The new law levels a total tax of up to 12 percent on marijuana sales, including the 2 percent local tax. Massachusetts lawmakers are eyeing an increase, saying 12 percent is too low.

Marijuana remains illegal at the federal level, and most regulations will come from the state.

Boston officials are convening a working group of city agencies to determine their next steps at the local level.

What they've learned so far from Colorado, Lupi told reporters, includes the importance of coordinating with public safety and city inspections officials, along with the role of public health department in monitoring data as it comes in and preventing people under the age of 21 from using marijuana.

"We know with the data we have now, with our Boston high school students, this is a very vulnerable population," she said.

Denver officials also discussed with board members pesticide contamination in marijuana-derived products, saying there were 24 pesticide contamination recalls since September 2015, affecting 300,000 units.

And despite legalization, Denver officials said Colorado still has an issue with opioids, adding that there isn't compelling evidence available showing marijuana leads to opioid abuse.

Bay State voters approved marijuana for medical use in 2012, but the first medical pot shop in Boston didn't open until August 2016.

Gov. Charlie Baker says marijuana law should be implemented briskly

In 2013, the Boston Zoning Commission moved to forbid registered marijuana dispensaries in residential districts.

Patriot Care operates its medical pot dispensary in Boston's Downtown Crossing neighborhood, one of nine dispensaries now open across the state.

Frank Doyle, chairman of the Boston Public Health Commission, noted Denver had a longer time to deal with legalization of medical and recreational marijuana. In Colorado, medical marijuana was legalized in 2001 and became available commercially in 2010, while recreational marijuana became available in 2014.

Massachusetts, he said, went from decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana in 2008 to legalizing recreational use this year, a "very short time."

"The commission remains concerned about our responsibilities and we take them very seriously, across the board, on this," Doyle said.

Massachusetts just passed marijuana legalization. What happens next?

Monson Road will be closed between Ridge and Bolles roads in Wilbraham from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, to accommodate roadwork to repair a failing culvert and catch basin.

WILBRAHAM -- Monson Road will be closed between Ridge and Bolles roads from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, Wilbraham officials said in an email alert Wednesday afternoon.

No vehicles will be able to use the roughly half-mile stretch of Monson Road while work crews repair a failing culvert and catch basin. Officials are advising drivers to seek an alternate route during the construction period.

The road is expected to reopen once the work is completed.

Monson Road runs from Main Street in Wilbraham to just east of Ames Road, where it turns into Wilbraham Road at the Monson town line.

MAP showing approximate location of roadwork:

Westfield detectives are searching for a missing Westfield woman.

WESTFIELD — Westfield Detectives are searching for a missing woman who is wanted in connection to several arrest warrants.

Kayla Rae Fanion, 25, has been missing since June 24th, said Detective Rick Mazza of the Westfield Police Department.

Fanion, who is originally from Westfield, was living in Holyoke at the time of her disappearance, said Mazza.

Police believe Fanion disappeared shortly after learning that she was wanted by authorities for arrest warrants issued by Springfield and Westfield district courts, said Mazza.

"She has a history with us," said Mazza, while declining to give details on Fanion's previous run-ins with the law.

Fanion's family is extremely concerned for her well-being and fear that she may be in danger, said Mazza.

She is described as being 5 feet 2 inches tall, weighing approximately 125 pounds, and having dirty blonde hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information about Fanion's whereabouts or the nature of her disappearance have been encourage to contact Westfield police at 413-562-5411.

Judge Tina S. Page questioned Springfield narcotics Detective Michael Goggin about how he tagged a bag into evidence.

SPRINGFIELD -- It was the second day of a fairly routine trial in Hampden Superior Court until the straw popped out of the bag.

What ensued Wednesday in the trial of Jotsan Rosado -- with the jury sent out of the room -- was an examination of why no one knew there was a cut section of straw inside a paper bag containing empty stamp-sized bags allegedly used for packaging heroin.

Jotsan Rosado

The first the prosecutor knew of its existence was when the paper bag's contents were spread out on the witness stand in front of Springfield Detective Edward Kalish.

That led to questioning of another detective who tagged the bag into evidence. And it ultimately led to Judge Tina S. Page saying she found it "alarming" that the two officers who handled the bag never dumped it out to examine what was inside.

Rosado, 27, of Springfield, is charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute.

Defense lawyer Joe Smith III has told jurors the 68 small bags of heroin found on Rosado after a car stop were only for personal use. Smith urged jurors in his opening argument to convict Rosado only of possession of heroin.

The small piece of a straw could suggest personal use via snorting heroin through it. Or it could suggest distribution via using it to fill small bags for sale, according to the court discussion.

The existence of the straw piece was never indicated on any evidence tag or police report, according to testimony. Prohibitions on introducing evidence without either side knowing about it substantially before a trial are important tenets of the justice system.

Without the jury present, Page allowed Smith and Assistant District Attorney Mary A. Sandstrom to question two Springfield narcotics officers.

"The issue is where did the straw come from," Page said.

One of those questioned was the officer who took the paper bag from the 41 Belmont Ave. apartment where the prosecution says Rosado lived. He said he expected the bag to be emptied by the officer who tagged it into evidence at the station.

Detective Michael Goggin, who tagged the paper bag and its contents into evidence, said he simply looked into the top of the paper bag and saw that the smaller bags inside were empty. He said he never emptied the paper bag to examine what else might be in it.

Asked by Smith if he didn't look at all the small bags to see if any contained heroin, Goggin said he didn't because the ones he saw "appeared to be empty." He said if the straw was in the bottom of the bag he would not have seen it.

Page said the information causes her concern with what the citizens of Springfield are getting as far as police investigations.

Sandstrom and Smith said they looked inside the bag Tuesday in going over evidence to be presented and never saw the straw piece.

After they demonstrated at Page's request how they looked into it -- not dumping it out -- Page said she was satisfied the straw could have been in the paper bag Tuesday and just not noticed by Sandstrom and Smith.

When the first mention of the straw was made, Page told jurors not to consider anything said about a straw as evidence. Smith ultimately said he was satisfied with that and would not ask for any other action.

When Sandstrom told Page that Smith had not noticed the straw when he looked through the bag with her Tuesday, Page told Sandstrom not to fault Smith since it was her (Sandstrom's) evidence and the prosecution has the burden of proof.

"It's in your custody. It's yours," Page said. She said it was what Sandstrom was using to prove Rosado had the intent to distribute.

Smith, when he first saw the straw in the courtroom, said it brought to his mind potential wrongdoing by law enforcement. He said Kalish could have put the straw segment in the bag when he came in to testify.

Page said Kalish would have "had to be close to David Blaine in order to have done that in front of all these people."

Sandstrom called what happened "an oversight" and blasted Smith for his statement about Kalish. "To simply say now that a detective has planted a straw on the stand is ludicrous," she said.

Smith then said he was not saying Kalish planted the straw but that "it's possible."

Later, when the jury was brought back in, Goggin testified the heroin found on Rosado would have been worth over $300.

The trial continues Wednesday.

Jotsan Rosado was originally a co-defendant in the case with his father Fernando Rosado. But Page severed the trials from one another.

The case against the Rosados was the first place the existence of videos showing suspended Springfield Police narcotics Detective Gregg Bigda threatening to kill and plant evidence on two juveniles was publicly discussed.

Bigda's involvement is not an issue being raised by Smith because Jotsan Rosado was arrested by other officers in the Jeep and not in the apartment.

Jeanne Liddy, lawyer for Fernando Rosado, hopes to be allowed to show the Bigda video in her client's trial because Bigda collected evidence being used in the case.

The Fernando Rosado case has not been assigned a judge or a trial date. A trial judge would likely decide whether or not Liddy could show the videos.

Videos recorded in February at the Palmer police station show Bigda threatening to kill and plant drug evidence on two juveniles accused of stealing an unmarked Springfield police vehicle. Bigda was suspended for 60 days.