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Hampden DA declines to prosecute Agawam cops fired for use-of-force incident

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"Having received word that the district attorney found no wrongdoing on the part of these Agawam officers, there is no reason to withhold the video from release," said attorney John D. Connor, who's representing Sgt. Anthony Grasso and Officers John P. Moccio and Edward B. Connor in their appeals before the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission.

AGAWAM -- Three Agawam police officers fired in connection with a use-of-force incident are demanding that the City of Agawam release a video of the incident that led to their termination, John D. Connor, the attorney representing the officers, said Wednesday night.

The demand came after Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni's office notified Agawam officials that criminal charges would not be filed in connection with a June 19 incident at Six Flags New England.

David P. Desjardins, 27, of Baltic, Connecticut, was taken into custody after a violent struggle with officers at the amusement park, Connor said. The trouble continued at Agawam police headquarters, where the episode was caught on camera, according to the lawyer.

"Having received word that the district attorney found no wrongdoing on the part of these Agawam officers, there is no reason to withhold the video from release," said Connor, who is representing Sgt. Anthony Grasso and Officers John P. Moccio and Edward B. Connor in their appeals before the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission. The officers are seeking full reinstatement and back pay.

Attorney Connor, who is not related to Officer Connor, did not indicate when he learned about Gulluni's decision, but he has consistently stated that the officers followed proper department protocol and would be exonerated once the video is released.

Mayor Richard A. Cohen fired the veteran cops, who had a combined 70 years of experience, on Oct. 19 following internal and external investigations. The matter was forwarded to Gulluni's officer for further review and possible prosecution.

Desjardin was "very intoxicated and extremely violent," according to Connor, who said the trouble started after a bartender at Wahoo's Tiki Bar in the Hurricane Harbor Water Park refused to serve more alcohol to Desjardins. It took several officers to subdue Desjardins, Connor said.

"This violent behavior reignited at the station during the booking process, requiring officers to use reasonable force to bring the arrestee under control," the lawyer said, noting that the only person injured in the incident was a police officer.

"We're glad that there's a videotape that demonstrates that these officers acted appropriately at all times," Connor said. Although the public may find the video to be "graphic," he said, it clearly depicts Desjardins assaulting Grasso and Officer Connor before any baton strikes were delivered to protect the officers.

At one point in the video, Desjardins is shown delivering "a vicious elbow strike to Sgt. Grasso's face," Connor said, followed immediately by a punch to Officer Connor's face. It then shows Desjardins placing Grasso in a life-threatening headlock, Connor said.

"Under the department's 'use of force policy,' the use of a baton was both authorized and appropriate under these circumstances." Connor said. "I think what the public needs to know is that Sgt. Grasso, who had recently undergone cervical fusion surgery, was placed in a headlock by Mr. Desjardin, and that only after this occurred was he forcibly subdued."

Sill photos taken from the video are conclusive evidence that Desjardins was "extremely assaultive," Connor said.

"As we have said from the beginning, the termination of these officers was a great injustice," he said. "By releasing the video, we can set the record straight and firmly establish that these officers acted appropriately."

Hearings before the state Civil Service Commission were held this week in downtown Springfield. A final evidentiary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 31.



Westfield State University selects AG Maura Healey as commencement speaker

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Attorney General will be speaker at the Westfield State University's commencement in May.

WESTFIELD — Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey has agreed to speak at Westfield State University's 178th undergraduate commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 20.

"Westfield State University is honored to have Attorney General Healey offer her valued insight with our graduates at our commencement," said Westfield State University President Dr. Ramon S. Torrecilha, in a statement.

"Attorney General Healey's exemplary work as a public servant and her impressive list of professional achievements align well with the university's emphasis on civic engagement and the strength of our criminal justice program," said Torrecilha.

Throughout her career, Healey has been associated with a number of causes, including the rights of the LGBTQ community, labor and worker rights, and ethnic and religious minorities.

Healey attended Harvard University as an undergraduate and received a law degree at the Northeastern University School of Law.

As Attorney General, Healey has pushed a number of initiatives, including working to fight the opioid and prescription drug epidemic, and fighting to lower student loan costs.

The school's Class of 2017 Council Member Jonathan Cubetus of Forestdale, called Healey a "role model" for "having dedicated her career to the causes she is most passionate about," and said that her "personal and professional stories alone provide great inspiration and her remarks will be particularly poignant as the Class of 2017 begins the next chapter of its future."

Tito Jackson launches campaign against Boston Mayor Marty Walsh

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City Councilor Tito Jackson on Wednesday announced he's challenging Mayor Marty Walsh in 2017. Walsh is running for a second four-year term. Watch video

BOSTON - City Councilor Tito Jackson on Wednesday announced he's challenging Mayor Marty Walsh in 2017.

Walsh is running for a second four-year term. He was elected in 2013, after Thomas Menino, who had the job for 20 years, announced he would not run for re-election and sparked a scramble for the open seat.

Jackson's campaign posted a video to YouTube and launched a new website on Wednesday.

Jackson, who has served as city councilor since 2011, plans to formally launch his mayoral bid at the Haley House Bakery in Roxbury at 2 p.m. POLITICO Massachusetts first reported Jackson's move.

"I am running for mayor of the city of Boston for all of the dreams of young people, for opportunities for kids like me who are adopted," Jackson said in the video. "I will ensure that our government is run with integrity, a city that promotes and protects people living with dignity and that invests in education for all students."

Jackson's City Council district includes Roxbury and parts of the city's South End, Dorchester and Fenway.

Jackson has served as a city councilor since March 2011, winning a special election to replace Chuck Turner, a longtime neighborhood activist and convicted felon.

Jackson is a former aide to Gov. Deval Patrick. Jackson worked in Patrick's Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development and in 2010 worked as political director for Patrick's re-election campaign.

Boston voters have rarely tossed an incumbent mayor from office. Other advantages for Walsh, a former Massachusetts state representative include a massive campaign war chest and high popularity numbers, despite a disastrous bid for the 2024 Olympics and federal investigations.

Walsh is scheduled to deliver his "State of the City" address on Tuesday, Jan. 17 at Symphony Hall.

Both Walsh and Jackson are Democrats. Boston municipal elections are nonpartisan.

Republican-led Senate takes 1st step to repeal 'Obamacare' on 51-48 vote

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The nearly party-line 51-48 vote came on a nonbinding Republican-backed budget measure that eases the way for action on subsequent repeal legislation as soon as next month.

By ANDREW TAYLOR

WASHINGTON -- The Senate early Thursday passed a measure to take the first step forward on dismantling President Barack Obama's health care law, responding to pressure to move quickly even as Republicans and President-elect Trump grapple with what the replace it with.

The nearly party-line 51-48 vote came on a nonbinding Republican-backed budget measure that eases the way for action on subsequent repeal legislation as soon as next month.

"We must act quickly to bring relief to the American people," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

The House is slated to vote on the measure on Friday, though some Republicans there have misgivings about setting the repeal effort in motion without a better idea of the replacement plan.

Trump oozed confidence at a news conference on Tuesday, promising his incoming administration would soon reveal a plan to both repeal so-called Obamacare and replace it with legislation to "get health care taken care of in this country."

"We're going to do repeal and replace, very complicated stuff," Trump told reporters, adding that both elements would pass virtually at the same time. That promise, however, will be almost impossible to achieve in the complicated web of Congress, where GOP leaders must navigate complex Senate rules, united Democratic opposition and substantive policy disagreements among Republicans.

Passage of Thursday's measure would permit follow-up legislation to escape the threat of a filibuster by Senate Democrats. Republicans are not close to agreement among themselves on what any "Obamacare" replacement would look like, however.

Republicans plan to get legislation voiding Obama's law and replacing parts of it to Trump by the end of February, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said Wednesday on "The Hugh Hewitt Show," a conservative radio program. Other Republicans have said they expect the process to take longer.

The 2010 law extended health insurance to some 20 million Americans, prevented insurers from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions and steered billions of dollars to states for the Medicaid health program for the poor. Republicans fought the effort tooth and nail and voter opposition to Obamacare helped carry the party to impressive wins in 2010, 2014, and last year.

Thursday's Senate procedural vote will set up special budget rules that will allow the repeal vote to take place with a simple majority in the 100-member Senate, instead of the 60 votes required to move most legislation.

That means Republicans, who control 52 seats, can push through repeal legislation without Democratic cooperation. They're also discussing whether there are some elements of a replacement bill that could get through at the same time with a simple majority. But for many elements of a new health care law, Republicans are likely to need 60 votes and Democratic support, and at this point the two parties aren't even talking.

Increasing numbers of Republicans have expressed anxiety over obliterating the law without a replacement to show voters.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she wants to at least see "a detailed framework" of a GOP alternative health care plan before voting on repeal. She said Republicans would risk "people falling through the cracks or causing turmoil in insurance markets" if lawmakers voided Obama's statute without a replacement in hand.

Collins was among a handful of Republicans to occasionally break ranks to support some Democratic messaging amendments aimed at supporting such things as rural hospitals and a mandate to cover patients with pre-existing medical conditions. They were all shot down by majority Republicans anyway.

House leaders planned a Friday vote on the budget, though Republicans in that chamber also had misgivings.

Many members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus were insisting on first learning details about what a GOP substitute would look like -- or putting some elements of the replacement measure in the repeal bill.

"We need to be voting for a replacement plan at the same time that we vote for repeal," said Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., an influential conservative.

Some GOP senators have discussed a phase-in of three years or longer to give lawmakers more time to replace Obama's overhaul and make sure people now covered by that law can adjust to a new program.

Some more moderate House Republicans were unhappy, too, including Rep. Tom MacArthur, R-N.J., a leader of GOP centrists in the House Tuesday Group. He said he would oppose the budget because there was too little information about the replacement, including whether people receiving expanded Medicaid coverage or health care subsidies under the existing law would be protected.

"We're loading a gun here," MacArthur said. "I want to know where it's pointed before we start the process."

Obituaries from The Republican, Jan. 12, 2017

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Obituaries from The Republican.

'Brownout' Holyoke mayor's office with salary cut, Councilor proposes

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The controversy in Holyoke, Massachusetts over brownouts of Fire Department trucks on some shifts to save money led a city councilor to propose a brownout of the mayor's office by cutting the chief executive's salary by 75 percent.

HOLYOKE -- If the mayor won't stop the Fire Department brownouts, a city councilor said, then brown-out the mayor.

"I will file an order to brownout Room 1 and cut his salary by 75 percent," Councilor at Large Diosdado Lopez said Tuesday of Mayor Alex B. Morse.

The mayor occupies Room 1 in City Hall.

Lopez spoke as he participated in a demonstration in front of City Hall urging a stop to brownouts, or temporary removal from service, of fire trucks on certain shifts to save spending money on employee overtime.

The demonstration was organized after a New Year's Day fire at 106 North East St. killed three people and displaced 49 tenants at a five-story apartment building.

'Stop brownouts' demonstration urges Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse, Fire Chief John Pond to restore all fire trucks to service

The mayor's yearly salary is $85,000. The City Council could change the ordinance that determines the mayor's salary, council President Kevin A. Jourdain said.

A 75 percent cut would drop the mayor's salary to $21,250.

Morse has his foes on the 15-member City Council but it's hard to imagine a majority going along with a 75 percent pay cut for the city's chief executive. Lopez said the order's intent is to force a discussion.

Morse said, "Any councilor has the ability to file an order. As to the merits of Councilor Lopez' order, I'll leave that for the Council to decide."

Morse has said that he was willing to discuss the role of brownouts in the municipal budget with the City Council, but that such a discussion wouldn't result in an immediate end to the brownouts. Brownouts are part of the budgeting process to "limit overtime spending while maintaining adequate fire protection in our community," Morse said.

Brownouts occur on shifts when personnel is thin because firefighters are on vacation, out sick or otherwise unavailable. With a brownout, the city avoids the overtime costs of calling in off-duty firefighters to work a shift. In that case, the firefighters assigned to a browned-out truck are temporarily reassigned for that shift.

Paying overtime to public safety employees is a big expense in the municipal budget. In the current fiscal year, which began July 1, the Fire Department budget of $8.7 million included $350,000 for overtime. That's $250,000 less than what Pond said the department needed for the fiscal year, which ends June 30.

It was unclear how much of the Fire Department overtime account had been spent to date.

The Police Department budget of nearly $12.3 million began the fiscal year with $450,000 for regular employee overtime, down from the $600,000 requested by Police Chief James M. Neiswanger.

The Police Department budget included $47,000 to pay police overtime on the weekend of the St. Patrick's Parade in March, $60,000 for overtime at fireworks and other festivals, $21,000 for overtime work at elections and $19,000 for "snow tows/other event overtime," according to the city budget.

The three-firefighter Engine 2 out of Fire Department headquarters at 600 High St. was browned-out as firefighters responded to the blaze just before 9 a.m. on Jan. 1. Firefighters argued that having Engine 2 on the scene first to join six other first-arriving firefighters would have saved lives, including that of a woman who jumped to her death.

Fire Chief John A. Pond and Morse have said the browning-out of Engine 2 didn't affect the fighting of the 106 North East St. fire.

An electrical problem in an outlet of the five-story apartment building caused the fire, officials said.

Alarm system at fatal fire site was installed in 2011 -- but what happened after that?

Free valet parking ready for launch in Springfield's South End to ease parking woes related to MGM casino project

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Free valet parking will be provided to patients and patrons of the Caring Health Center and surrounding businesses of the South End of Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD -- Free valet parking will begin next Tuesday in the South End, designed to ease parking difficulties faced by patrons of the Caring Health Center and surrounding businesses impacted by the MGM Springfield casino construction project.

The valet parking was approved and funded by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission for a 90-day pilot program, using casino revenues from the Community Mitigation Fund.

The complimentary valet parking will be provided directly outside the Caring Health Center, 1049 Main St., aiding those patients and patrons, and business customers between State Street and Union Street, officials said.

"Offering free valet parking service is extremely beneficial and helpful to our patients, visitors and community," said Tania M. Barber, president and CEO of Caring Health Center. "Parking has become limited and the valet option will assist patrons in an out of our business in an easy and more convenient manner."

The cost of the pilot program is listed at approximately $48,275 including the valet service and administrative costs. The state Gaming Commission authorized up to $200,000 for the full-year cost.

The Springfield Parking Authority hired Valet Park of America of Springfield for the valet parking program.

The service will be provided Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding weekends and holidays.

"We are really looking forward to helping the community and working with the Springfield Parking Authority and the Mass. Gaming Commission," said Timothy P. Graney, vice-president of operations for Valet Park of America.

Under the South End program, the uniformed employees will take the cars to one of two parking lots in that immediate area, Graney said. When the car owner is ready to leave, their cars will be returned within three to four minutes, he said.

The service is just for the patrons and patients-- not for employees of the health center or area businesses.

It was initially hoped to have the program ready by Dec. 1.

The company has been in business since 1990, and also provides valet services at other locations in the region including Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Holyoke Hospital, Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, The Fort in downtown Springfield, and The Federal in Agawam.

Thomas Moore, interim executive director of the Springfield Parking Authority, said the authority is looking forward to starting up the valet parking program "and being able to giving Caring Health and the other businesses in that areas some parking relief."

MGM Springfield is constructing a $950 million casino project in the South End area, scheduled to open in September of 2018. As part of the project, MGM is constructing a seven-level parking garage, which is to provide free parking to the public as well as patrons of the resort.

Caring Health Center hosts insurance open enrollment event Friday

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The last day to purchase or switch health insurance plans through the state's Health Connector is Jan. 31.

SPRINGFIELD -- There are only a few weeks left for people interested in obtaining or making changes to their health insurance plans through the state, and Caring Health Center staff in Springfield are ready to help.

The center has been helping clients navigate the state Health Connector website since open enrollment started on Nov. 1.

"We have been really busy working with people to get them the right coverage, and on Jan. 13 we will have Health Connector navigators available to help people on a walk-in basis," said Cassidy Hayes, navigator program director at Caring Health Center.

The event will be held from noon to 5 p.m. at the Wellness Center at Caring Health Center, 1049 Main St. Hayes said the event is free and open to the public.

"They will be able to help people with applications, comparing, selecting, switching and renewing plans, understanding payments and policies and understanding Advance Premium Tax Credits and how to avoiding penalties," Hayes said.

People can apply at any time of the year if they are applying for dental plans or for help paying for health coverage through MassHealth, Children's Medical Security Plan or Health Safety Net. Also certain "qualifying life events," such as loss of a job, may qualify people for a special enrollment period, Hayes said.

"It's important to mention that, to start new coverage on Feb. 1, the last day to enroll in new coverage or change plans is Jan. 23," Hayes said. "Plans have to be selected and first premium payments must be made by the 23rd of the month before you want the coverage to begin."

In order to purchase health insurance through the Health Connector, those interested must:

  • live in Massachusetts;
  • be a U.S. citizen, national or lawfully present immigrant;
  • not have access to affordable health insurance from an employer;
  • not be in jail; and
  • not qualify for Medicare or MassHealth.

All of the health plans a person can choose through the Health Connector offer coverage for important services, including:

  • outpatient care;
  • inpatient care;
  • emergency room treatment;
  • prenatal and postnatal care;
  • mental health and substance abuse services;
  • prescription drugs;
  • pediatric care; and
  • lab tests.

It's helpful to bring the following documents for all household members on the application. The staff can still help even without all of it.

  • Dates of birth;
  • social security numbers;
  • immigration documents, if applicable;
  • federal tax returns or pay stubs; and
  • a utility bill for proof of address.

For more information on the event or on open enrollment in general, call 413-739-1100 or visit www.caringhealth.org. Also visit www.mahealthconnector.org to learn more about the available health care plan options through the Health Connector.


Police say Brookline woman lived with sister's decomposing body for one year

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A Brookline neighborhood has just discovered that one of their quiet neighbors has been living with the decomposing corpse of her sister for the past year.

A woman in Brookline is believed to have spent the past year sharing a home with the decomposing corpse of one of her sisters, WHDH reports.

Authorities say the sister's body was found underneath a kitchen table in the home in a "significant state of decomposition." She was 67 years old.

The Norfolk District Attorney's office was tipped off to the gruesome scene by a relative who visited the home in December.

Neighbors told WHDH that the sisters lived in relative solitude and hadn't really spoken to anyone else in the neighborhood in years. The two had apparently been living there together for decades.

When authorities investigated the home, they found it contained a significant amount of clutter. 

The surviving sister told police that she would feed her sister popsicles when she was sick, WHDH reported, and that she had trouble accepting her sister's death.

Authorities are not pressing charges at this time and no foul play is suspected. An autopsy is being conducted to determine the cause of the woman's death. 

 

Ludlow home deemed total loss after early morning fire, owner notified

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An overnight conflagration completely destroyed a home on Center Street in Ludlow, where firefighters remain, continuing to assess the scene and look for potential causes.

An overnight conflagration completely destroyed a home on Center Street in Ludlow, where firefighters remain, continuing to assess the scene and look for potential causes.

Ludlow Fire Department Private Dan McKenney told MassLive a neighbor reported the fire at 2:30 a.m. on Thursday. By the time responders arrived, the home at 1400 Center St., it was fully involved in flames.

"There's no hydrants in the area, so we had to relay water in tankers from a few streets away," McKenney said.

Belchertown and Granby Fire Departments each sent engines to the scene to assist in the task.

"We still have a crew there," McKenney said around 7 a.m. "It's a complete loss. The house is pretty much downed."

He added, "It's one of the bigger fires we've had."

The home was vacant when the fire occurred and the owner has since been notified of the events, McKenney said.

The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

"We haven't gotten that far yet," said McKenney, adding that the assistance of a state fire marshal will likely be required.

In all, 14 firefighters responded to the blaze.

State grant for regional wastewater, stormwater management to benefit Agawam, West Springfield

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The $111,550 grant comes from the Community Compact Cabinet's Efficiency & Regionalization program, a Baker administration initiative to support public entities that embrace and implement regionalization and efficiency plans to promote long-term sustainability.

AGAWAM -- Agawam and West Springfield are among the local communities poised to benefit from state funding designated for efficiency and regionalization efforts.

The $111,550 grant comes from the Community Compact Cabinet's Efficiency & Regionalization program, a new initiative by Gov. Charlie Baker's administration to support public entities that implement regionalization and efficiency plans to promote long-term sustainability.

The grant will be used to help the Pioneer Valley Regional Planning Commission explore a regional approach to wastewater and stormwater management in the Connecticut River communities of Agawam, West Springfield, Chicopee, Granby, Hadley, Ludlow, Northampton, Southwick and Springfield.

The grant was part of $1 million in funding from the Community Compact Cabinet, which is headed by Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito. This first round of funding is expected to help over 70 municipalities focus on efficiency and regionalization initiatives, she said.

"The Community Compact Program is an important tool for the state to play a key role in helping local municipalities help themselves," Polito said.

"The interest in this program and the high quality of applications shows that municipalities are focused on ways to deliver services to taxpayers in a more efficient manner, including regionalization and sharing services," she said.

The grants provide funding for transition or one-time costs for municipalities, regional school districts, school districts considering forming a regional school district (or regionalizing some services), regional planning agencies, and councils of governments interested in such projects.

The deadline to apply for the next round of funding is Feb. 1.

The $115,500 grant will help the Western Massachusetts municipalities comply with stormwater requirements and examine the discharge of nitrogen, a byproduct of wastewater treatment, into the Connecticut River.

The nitrogen trading system, which is similar to carbon emissions trading -- the process of buying and selling permits and credits to emit carbon dioxide -- will also be examined.


 

Tips on holding 2 elected seats simultaneously offered to state Rep. Bud Williams of Springfield by Rep. Aaron Vega of Holyoke

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State Rep. Aaron Vega, D-Holyoke, obliged when asked to give tips to newly sworn in state Rep. Bud Williams, D-Springfield, on holding legislative and City Council seats simultaneously on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017.

HOLYOKE -- Talk with colleagues about leeway in scheduling. Take physical care. And be aware of which political hat you're wearing when making statements.

The Republcian asked state Rep. Aaron M. Vega, D-Holyoke, on Wednesday what tips he would give to Bud L. Williams, the newly sworn-in state representative from Springfield, who ended speculation Monday and said he also would keep his Springfield City Council seat.

State Rep. Bud Williams will also keep Springfield City Council seat, pull salaries from both jobs

Vega kept his City Council at large seat for the final year of its two-year term in his first year as a legislator in 2013.

"I think you have to pace yourself," Vega said.

Time, in holding the legislative and municipal seats simultaneously, must be managed carefully. Key to that is talking with council and legislative colleagues to help in getting some flexibility about scheduling for meetings, votes and other responsibilities, he said.

"That's the biggest thing," Vega said.

Vega maintained a perfect attendance record in 2013 at the meetings of the City Council committee of which he was chairman.

Driving back and forth to Beacon Hill for legislative duties will consume the days and often last into the night while City Council and council committee meetings will dominate several nights a week. Both jobs have related tasks that will spill into weekends. That requires stamina, which means sleeping and eating well, he said.

Beyond that, physical care such as yoga helps in getting the most out of time, he said. He not only held council and legislative seats but continued running the Vega Yoga & Movement small business he owns with wife Debra Vega.

"I think everybody should have some kind of outlet," said Vega, along with communicating well with family.

"It's critical to have that family support because you're going to be away from home a lot," he said.

Amid the swirl of handling City Council work and preparing for votes as a lawmaker, pause and consider before discussing a position on an issue, he said: "You've got to clearly define which hat you're wearing when you make a statement."

Also, what to do with the salaries of the two positions requires attention given how critical the public is of officials' pay, "Because it's taxpayers' money," he said.

Vega took his salary as a lawmaker and donated the $10,000 Holyoke council stipend to scholarships for high school students.

Williams said he will accept both salaries for the elected positions, but will donate part of his council salary to charity.

The Springfield City Council job pays $19,500 while the state representative seat comes with a $62,547 salary.

Chicopee expands use of Roca crews to clean up city

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The extra work the crews will do will mostly be paid for by a nearly $26,000 grant with matching city funds of $9,732.

CHICOPEE - By cobbling together money from three different maintenance accounts, the city will be able to have work crews who pick up litter, paint over graffiti and sweep up sand work twice the hours they have in the past.

The City Council voted 11-0 to spend $9,732 to match a $25,952 Social Innovation Grant that will allow the city to expand the hours crews from the Roca program work in the city. The money came from left over funds in the highway salary account, parks salary account and city hall special services account.

Every year since 2014 the city has spend about $35,000 to hire crews from the job training program to do work that city employees don't have the time to do. Many of the jobs picked up by Roca crews are also things more skilled employees simply don't want to do, Mayor Richard J. Kos said.

Roca is a job training program that hires young men and women who have little education and no work experience and teaches them basic job skills such as following directions of a supervisor and showing up on time. Many of the workers have been involved with the criminal justice system in the past, Kos said.

"It gives people with a problem with the law a last chance," he said.

To put the young people to work, Roca is generally hired by local businesses and a number of municipalities who pay the program to have crews do a wide variety of jobs.

"They come with supervisors and their own tools," Department of Public Works Superintendent Jeff Neece said. "They are quick, they are organized. They are a good crew for us."

Neece said the crews have done a lot of work that improves the look of the city. For example they have raked out cemeteries by hand, they have cut down brush along roadways and have removed trash from vacant lots.

Jean J. Croteau Jr., maintenance director for city buildings, said the Roca crews were very helpful when the city had a short window of time to prepare Chicopee Center for the Downtown Get Down.

Kos praised the crews for painting over three year's worth of graffiti in one part of the city. "Thank God we have Roca kids to clean this up," Kos said.

The grant was offered through the Roca program. All the city had to do was come up with the matching money, Kos said.

The City Council members said they were all for expanding the services, especially because it helps local people turn around their lives.

All the workers are 18 and older and some of them can avoid jail time and use the program to rehabilitate themselves, Councilor Shane D. Brooks said.

Councilor Frank N. Laflamme said it may also be a way that the Department of Public Works can train new employees for different crews since it currently has vacant positions.

"It is a chance for young people who have gone astray to come back," Councilor James K. Tillotson said.

Agawam latest commonwealth city considering moratorium on pot shops

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A proposal to implement a 1-year moratorium on recreational marijuana sales is the subject of an upcoming public hearing before the Agawam City Council.

AGAWAM -- Agawam is the latest Massachusetts community considering a moratorium on recreational marijuana establishments to allow time to plan for the state's new pot law.

On Tuesday, Jan. 17, the Agawam City Council will consider an ordinance to amend the city code to implement a moratorium through Dec. 31, 2018.

The ordinance, sponsored by Mayor Richard A. Cohen and Councilor Richard M. Theroux, would give officials time to undertake a planning process and develop zoning regulations for retail pot shops in Agawam.

In November, Massachusetts voters approved Question 4, a statewide ballot initiative that legalized weed for recreational use.

The ballot initiative, which was approved by 53.7 percent of voters and took effect Dec. 15, allows adults 21 and over to possess limited amounts of pot and grow up to a dozen plants in their homes.

However, the state Legislature voted Dec. 28 to delay sales of recreational marijuana for six months. That means pot shops that were originally slated to begin selling marijuana products on Jan. 1, 2018, will have to wait until July 1 of next year.

The state treasurer was expected to begin making appointments to the Cannabis Control Commission, the panel charged with regulating marijuana in Massachusetts, by March 1 of this year, but that that date has also been pushed back six months to Sept. 1.

Other key dates in the rollout of the new law are as follows:

  • Sept. 15, 2017: The Cannabis Control Commission will adopt procedures for enforcing laws pertaining to licensing and regulating marijuana establishments;
  • Oct. 1, 2017: The commission will begin accepting applications for marijuana testing facility licenses and for experienced marijuana establishment operator licenses;
  • Oct. 1, 2018: The deadline for the commission to accept applications for marijuana retailer licenses or marijuana product manufacturer licenses;
  • Oct. 1, 2019: The commission will begin accepting applications for marijuana cultivator licenses.

Chicopee woman charged with bomb threat at state office building

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Teearra D. Caldwell is a client of the state Department of Developmental Services, which has administrative offices in the Springfield State Office Building, the report said.

SPRINGFIELD -- A woman who was allegedly angry about not getting a ride to work has been charged with calling in bomb threats that prompted evacuation of the Springfield State Office Building on Tuesday.

Teearra D. Caldwell, 35, of Chicopee, pleaded not guilty during her arraignment Wednesday in Springfield District Court.

She was arrested late Tuesday afternoon after two bomb threats were called into the state office building at 436 Dwight St. The building was evacuated around 1:30 p.m. and city police and firefighters, state police and the state fire marshal's office were called to the scene. Workers were allowed back in the building about 4 p.m.

The calls were traced to Caldwell, who later admitted making the threats, according to a report filed by Trooper Marc J. Reidy.

"Caldwell went on to say that when she gets mad and upset she says things that she doesn't mean," Reidy wrote.

Caldwell is a client of the Department of Developmental Services, which has administrative offices in the state office building. Caldwell was upset about not receiving transportation from her residence to her job, according to court documents.

Following her arraignment, Judge Patrick Sabbs released her on personal recognizance with orders to comply with all requirements set by the state agency.

The judge continued the case for a pretrial conference on Feb. 16.

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Mother arrested on OUI after crashing into multiple mailboxes with infant in backseat

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When authorities attempted to pull over Jill Porter, she allegedly stopped in the middle of the road instead of pulling off to the right side of the road.

After allegedly damaging several mailboxes in town, a woman in Worcester County is facing several charges, including operating under the influence and reckless endangerment of her child.

Douglas police were called to Wallis Street Tuesday afternoon for a report of a black Toyota Corolla striking several mailboxes and driving off.

While scanning the area, a Douglas sergeant spotted a vehicle matching the caller's description with substantial front end damage.

Brown attempted to stop the vehicle on Church Street, but instead of pulling over to the right side of the street, the operator reportedly parked the car in the middle of the road.

While speaking with the driver, 33-year-old Jill Porter, the sergeant became convinced she was under the influence of drugs. He also noticed an infant in the back seat of Porter's car.

Porter was arrested on the charges of operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, leaving the scene of a property damage accident and reckless endangerment of a child.

Her child was put into the custody of a family member.

 


Should everyone be an organ donor by default?

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Would an opt-out organ donation system solve the US organ shortage, or sow distrust in the medical system?

Join the conversation and vote below

Every French citizen will be an organ donor unless they opt-out under a new French law. Some activists say implementing an opt-out organ donation program would end the organ shortage in the United States. Others say an opt-out program could fuel distrust in the medical system and might negatively affect donation rates. What do you think? [?]

PERSPECTIVES

Supporters of an opt-out policy point say the biggest effect would be on society's attitudes on being an organ donor. Donating organs shouldn't be an exceptional thing, it should just be a thing that people do.

Perhaps opt-out policies are useful in part because they change what it means to be an organ donor. In a 2012 study by a team of social psychologists from Cornell University and Stanford University, experimenters asked their participants to think about exactly that -- what it means to be an organ donor. When considered in the context of opt-in policies, people tended to say that organ donation qualified as "exceptional" altruism -- "more like leaving 50 percent of one's estate to charity than like leaving 5 percent," the authors write, or "more like taking part in a political campaign than like voting for mayor." In contrast, when considered in an opt-out context, a refusal to donate one's organs is what became exceptional, "more like skipping your child's graduation than like skipping your child's baseball game." In light of an opt-out policy, a decision not to donate becomes a bigger deal

Experts say an opt-out program won't fix everything, and might not even make a real difference.

What he and his colleagues learned was that even in the countries with presumed consent, donation was still discussed with the potential donor's family at the time of death, even though doctors were legally permitted to transplant those organs. In six of the 13 countries, there is actually a legal requirement that doctors speak with relatives. This is done to be transparent with the family about the donation process and to obtain a complete medical and social history of the potential donor. Donation would not proceed if the family objected, just as in the United States, in all but one of the countries surveyed (Portugal), the researchers found. This is because of a fear of negative press, the participants told Segev's team, and a desire to respect the wishes of the grieving family so as to prevent psychological harm.

If people feel as though they're being coerced into donating, there could be a backlash against organ donation that would balance out any potential gains.

"Opt-out is not the magic bullet; it will not be the magic answer we have been looking for," says Dorry L. Segev, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and leader of the study published online in the journal Transplantation. "With opt-out the perception becomes, We will take your organs unless you take the time to fill out a form. That's a dangerous perception to have. We only want to use donated organs from people who intended to donate."

Enforcing an opt-out policy raises tricky ethical questions and could challenge the relationship between the transplant community and the general public, which should be mutually supportive, Segev adds.

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West Springfield's Lower Pioneer Valley Career TEC hosting open house

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An open house for prospective students is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 7, at the Career TEC campus at 174 Brush Hill Ave. in West Springfield.

WEST SPRINGFIELD -- The Lower Pioneer Valley Career and Technical Education Center is hosting an open house for prospective students at the Career TEC campus in West Springfield from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7.

The open house is a chance for students from Agawam, East Longmeadow, Easthampton, Granville, Hampden, Longmeadow, Ludlow, South Hadley, Southwick, Tolland, West Springfield and Wilbraham to learn more about courses offered by Career TEC, a program of the Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative.

Career TEC courses are focused on critical thinking and providing hands-on training for many fields, including auto repair, carpentry, culinary arts, early education and care, facilities management, landscaping technology and horticulture, and information support services and networking, among many other industries.

More information about the center and its offerings is available online at www.lpvctec.org.

The Career TEC campus is located at 174 Brush Hill Ave., which runs between Riverdale Street (Route 5) and Piper Road.

MAP showing approximate location of Career TEC:


Wilbraham GOP throwing bash to celebrate Trump inauguration

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The Wilbraham Republican Town Committee is hosting an inauguration party from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20, at The Anchor House restaurant, 2589 Boston Road, Wilbraham.

WILBRAHAM — As some Americans prepare to mourn on inauguration day, when Donald J. Trump officially becomes the 45th president of the United States, the Wilbraham Republican Town Committee is prepared to party.

The local GOP will honor the ascension of the real estate magnate to the highest office in the land by throwing a bash from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20, at The Anchor House restaurant, 2589 Boston Road, Wilbraham.

National protests are expected to coincide with the inauguration of Trump, who won the most polarizing political contest in U.S. history by winning the Electoral College but losing the popular vote to Hillary Clinton. For GOP supporters in Wilbraham, though, it's time to celebrate.

An $18 ticket will get you a buffet lunch that includes salad, rolls, chicken francaise, penne with broccoli, roasted red potatoes, dessert, coffee and tea. Bar drinks are available, but they aren't covered by the admission price.

Many local Republicans are expected to attend The Anchor party, which will feature a live broadcast of the Washington ceremony on the restaurant's TVs and a large projector screen.

"Conservative candidates, campaign workers, and activists are encouraged to attend to network, and to celebrate the inauguration of our 45th President," the Town Republican Committee said in a press release.

Joelene Guzzo, the committee's secretary, has more information about the event at 413-427-3302.

Meanwhile, the anti-Trump movement is aiming to steal the president-elect's thunder by staging several large-scale protests on inauguration day, including "Stand up for Love," a Facebook Live event with celebrities and musicians, and the "Women's March on Washington," which is projected to draw up to 200,000 protesters.

A possible counter-inauguration concert, which has been alternately referred in the press as the "Freedom Concert" or the "We the People" concert, is shaping up to be more rumor than reality.

Despite a pre-Christmas buzz about a protest concert featuring some of the biggest musical acts in the world, from Beyonce to Bruce Springsteen, concrete plans have yet to materialize.

Barring a meteor strike or other calamity, natural or otherwise, Trump is poised to join an elite club of U.S. presidents who have one thing in common: Each man was elected president despite losing the popular vote.

The Donald's name will now appear on a short list that includes the likes of George W. Bush (2000), Benjamin Harrison (1888), Rutherford Hayes (1876), and John Quincy Adams (1824).


Owners of Nick's Roast Beef in Beverly ordered to pay $2 million in back taxes

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The owners of a popular roast beef restaurant in Beverly are accused of skimming more than the fat off their most popular menu item.

The owners of a popular roast beef restaurant in Beverly are accused of skimming more than the fat off their "famous" menu item.

Nicholas Koudanis and his brother-in-law Nicholas Markos, owners of Nick's Famous Roast Beef, pleaded guilty this week to tax fraud charges.

Both were charged in 2015 with aiding and abetting the filing of false tax returns and conspiracy.

The all-cash restaurant has been in business for more than 40 years. It was named the North Shore's "Hidden Jewel" by the Phantom Gourmet and called "perhaps the best roast beef sandwich in Eastern MA" by Hidden Boston. 

As business was booming, the owners are said to have under reported their incomes between 2009-2013, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court.  

In that four-year window, prosecutors claim each man should have paid more than one million in federal taxes each, though Koudanis and Markos annually reported their incomes around $30,000. 

They will be required to pay more than $2 million in taxes and penalties.

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