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Mortgage industry document 'robo-signing' continues

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Mortgage industry employees are still signing documents they haven't read and using fake signatures, 8 months after big banks and mortgage companies promised to stop the illegal practice.

By MICHELLE CONLIN and PALLAVI GOGOI | AP Business Writers

071811 john o'brien robo-signing.jpgSouthern Essex District Register of Deeds John O'Brien stands near copies of robo-signed signatures at his office, in Salem, on Monday. O'Brien said an investigation of more than 710,000 documents in his office found that 25,187 homeowners in the county, or about 3.5 percent, have paperwork on file with signatures he believes are fraudulent. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Mortgage industry employees are still signing documents they haven't read and using fake signatures more than eight months after big banks and mortgage companies promised to stop the illegal practices that led to a nationwide halt of home foreclosures.

County officials in at least three states say they have received thousands of mortgage documents with questionable signatures since last fall, suggesting that the practices, known collectively as "robo-signing," remain widespread in the industry.

The documents have come from several companies that process mortgage paperwork, and have been filed on behalf of several major banks. One name, "Linda Green," was signed almost two dozen different ways.

Lenders say they are working with regulators to fix the problem but cannot explain why it has persisted.

Last fall, the nation's largest banks and mortgage lenders, including JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America and an arm of Goldman Sachs, suspended foreclosures while they investigated how corners were cut to keep pace with the crush of foreclosure paperwork.

Critics say the new findings point to a systemic problem with the paperwork involved in home mortgages and titles. And they say it shows that banks and mortgage processors haven't acted aggressively enough to put an end to widespread document fraud in the mortgage industry.

"Robo-signing is not even close to over," says Curtis Hertel, the recorder of deeds in Ingham County, Mich., which includes Lansing. "It's still an epidemic."

In Essex County, Mass., the office that handles property deeds has received almost 1,300 documents since October with the signature of "Linda Green," but in 22 different handwriting styles and with many different titles.

Linda Green worked for a company called DocX that processed mortgage paperwork and was shut down in the spring of 2010. County officials say they believe Green hasn't worked in the industry since. Why her signature remains in use is not clear.

"My office is a crime scene," says John O'Brien, the registrar of deeds in Essex County, which is north of Boston and includes the city of Salem.

In Guilford County, N.C., the office that records deeds says it received 456 documents with suspect signatures from Oct. 1, 2010, through June 30. The documents, mortgage assignments and certificates of satisfaction, transfer loans from one bank to another or certify a loan has been paid off.

Suspect signatures on the paperwork include 290 signed by Bryan Bly and 155 by Crystal Moore. In the mortgage investigations last fall, both admitted signing their names to mortgage documents without having read them. Neither was charged with a crime.

And in Michigan, a fraud investigator who works on behalf of homeowners says he has uncovered documents filed this year bearing the purported signature of Marshall Isaacs, an attorney with foreclosure law firm Orlans Associates. Isaacs' name did not come up in last year's investigations, but county officials across Michigan believe his name is being robo-signed.

051211 jeff thigpen robo-signing.jpgGuilford County, N.C., registrar Jeff Thigpen shows a group of signatures on loan documents all "signed" by Linda Green in Charlotte, N.C. County officials in at least three states say they have found an alarming number of suspect signatures on mortgage documents filed over the last 12 years. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

O'Brien caused a stir in June at a national convention of county clerks by presenting his findings and encouraging his counterparts to investigate continued robo-signing.

The nation's foreclosure machine almost came to a standstill when the nation's largest banks suspended foreclosures last fall. Part of the problem, banks contended, was that foreclosures became so rampant in 2009 and 2010 that they were overwhelmed with paperwork.

The banks reviewed thousands of foreclosure filings, and where they found problems, they submitted new paperwork to courts handling the cases, with signatures they said were valid. The banks slowly started to resume foreclosures this winter and spring.

The 14 biggest U.S. banks reached a settlement with federal regulators in April in which they promised to clean up their mistakes and pay restitution to homeowners who had been wrongly foreclosed upon. The full amount of the settlement has not been determined. But it will not involve independent mortgage processing firms, the companies that some banks use to handle and file paperwork for mortgages.

So far, no individuals, lenders or paperwork processors have been charged with a crime over the robo-signed signatures found on documents last year. Critics such as April Charney, a Florida homeowner and defense lawyer, called the settlement a farce because no real punishment was meted out, making it easy for lenders and mortgage processors to continue the practice of robo-signing.

Robo-signing refers to a variety of practices. It can mean a qualified executive in the mortgage industry signs a mortgage affidavit document without verifying the information. It can mean someone forges an executive's signature, or a lower-level employee signs his or her own name with a fake title. It can mean failing to comply with notary procedures. In all of these cases, robo-signing involves people signing documents and swearing to their accuracy without verifying any of the information.

Most of the tainted mortgage documents in question last fall were related to homes in foreclosure. But much of the suspect paperwork that has been filed since then is for refinancing or for new purchases by people who are in good standing in the eyes of the bank. In addition, foreclosures are down 30 percent this year from last. Home sales have also fallen. So the new suspect documents come at a time when much less paperwork is streaming through the nation's mortgage machinery.

“My office is a crime scene.”
– John O'Brien, Southern Essex District register of deeds

None of the almost 1,300 suspect Linda Green-signed documents from O'Brien's office, for example, involve foreclosures. And Jeff Thigpen, the register of deeds in North Carolina's Guilford County, says fewer than 40 of the 456 suspect documents filed to his office since October involved foreclosures.

Banks and their partner firms file mortgage documents with county deeds offices to prove that there are no liens on a property, that the bank owns a mortgage or that a bank filing for foreclosure has the authority to do so.

The signature of a qualified bank or mortgage official on these legal documents is supposed to guarantee that this information is accurate. The paper trail ensures a legal chain of title on a property and has been the backbone of U.S. property ownership for more than 300 years.

The county officials say the problem could be even worse than what they're reporting. That's because they are working off lists of known robo-signed names, such as Linda Green and Crystal Moore, that were identified during the investigation that began last fall. Officials suspect that other names on documents they have received since then are also robo-signed.

It is a federal crime to sign someone else's name to a legal document. It is also illegal to sign your name to an affidavit if you have not verified the information you're swearing to. Both are punishable by prison.

In Michigan, the attorney general took the rare step in June of filing criminal subpoenas to out-of-state mortgage processing companies after 23 county registers of deeds filed a criminal complaint with his office over robo-signed documents they say they have received. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's office has said it is conducting a banking probe that could lead to criminal charges against financial executives. The attorneys general of Delaware, California and Illinois are conducting their own probes.

The legal issues are grave, deeds officials across the country say. At worst, legal experts say, the document debacle has opened the property system to legal liability well beyond the nation's foreclosure crisis. So someone buying a home and trying to obtain title insurance might be delayed or denied if robo-signed documents turn up in the property's history. That's because forged signatures call into question who owns mortgages and the properties they are attached to.

"The banks have completely screwed up property records," says L. Randall Wray, an economics professor and senior scholar at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

In the Massachusetts case, The Associated Press tried to reach Linda Green, whose name was purportedly signed 1,300 times since October. The AP, using a phone number provided by lawyers who have been investigating the documents since last year, reached a person who said she was Linda Green, but not the Linda Green involved in the mortgage investigation.

071411 curtis hertel robo-signing.jpgIngham County, Mich., Registrar of Deeds, Curtis Hertel, displays documents filed in Ingham County containing signatures of well-known robo-signers that are known to be fraudulent at the Ingham County Courthouse in Mason, Mich. (AP Photo/Kevin W. Fowler)

In the Michigan case, a lawyer for the Orlans Associates law firm, where Isaacs works, denies that Isaacs or the firm has done anything wrong. "People have signatures that change," says Terry Cramer, general counsel for the firm. "We do not engage in 'robo-signing' at Orlans."

To combat the stream of suspect filings, O'Brien and Jeff Thigpen, the register of deeds in North Carolina's Guilford County, stopped accepting questionable paperwork June 7. They say they had no choice after complaining to federal and state authorities for months without getting anywhere.

Since then, O'Brien has received nine documents from Bank of America purportedly signed by Linda Burton, another name on authorities' list of known robo-signers. For years, his office has regularly received documents signed with Burton's name but written in such vastly different handwriting that two forensic investigators say it's highly unlikely it all came from the same person.

O'Brien returned the nine Burton documents to Bank of America in mid-June. He told the bank he would not file them unless the bank signed an affidavit certifying the signature and accepting responsibility if the title was called into question down the road. Instead, Bank of America sent new documents with new signatures and new notaries.

A Bank of America spokesman says Burton is an assistant vice president with a subsidiary, ReconTrust. That company handles mortgage paperwork processing for Bank of America.

"She signed the documents on behalf of the bank," spokesman Richard Simon says. The bank says providing the affidavit O'Brien asked for would have been costly and time-consuming. Instead, Simon says Bank of America sent a new set of documents "signed by an authorized associate who Mr. O'Brien wasn't challenging."

The bank didn't respond to questions about why Burton's name has been signed in different ways or why her signature appeared on documents that investigators in at least two states have deemed invalid.

Several attempts by the AP to reach Burton at ReconTrust were unsuccessful.

O'Brien says the bank's actions show "consciousness of guilt." Earlier this year, he hired Marie McDonnell, a mortgage fraud investigator and forensic document analyst, to verify his suspicions about Burton's and other names on suspect paperwork.

She compared valid copies of Burton's signature with the documents O'Brien had received in 2008, 2009 and 2010 and found that Burton's name was fraudulently signed on hundreds of documents.

Most of the documents reviewed by McDonnell were mortgage discharges, which are issued when a home changes hands or is refinanced by a new lender and are supposed to confirm that the previous mortgage has been paid off. Bank of America declined comment on McDonnell's findings.

In Michigan, recorder of deeds Hertel and his counterparts in 23 other counties found numerous suspect signatures on documents filed since the beginning of the year.

In June, their findings led the Michigan attorney general to issue criminal subpoenas to several firms that process mortgages for banks, including Lender Processing Services, the parent company of DocX, where Linda Green worked. On July 6, the CEO of that company, which is also under investigation by the Florida Attorney General's office, resigned, citing health reasons.


Michael Rivers of Springfield wins legal battle against parking meter

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Rivers said he spent hundreds of hours researching, writing and asking for advice from friends with legal training.

michael riversMichael Rivers, of Springfield, leans on the parking meter which caused him so much trouble.

SPRINGFIELD – After two years, $450 in legal fees and enough aggravation to last a lifetime, Michael D. Rivers has prevailed over a parking meter 1112 in Hampden Superior Court.

In a surprise ruling last week, Superior Court Judge Cornelius J. Moriarty II threw out a $25 parking ticket issued to Rivers in 2009, giving the retired School Department audio visual supervisor a victory in his battle against the Springfield Parking Authority and one of its 620 parking meters.

For Rivers, who represented himself in court, the ruling was a long-awaited vindication in a case involving multiple court dates, two judges, a city Law Department attorney, a hearing officer and a meter maid.

Still, he hardly sounded jubilant over his victory.

“I prosecuted the case without legal help – something I will never do again,” the Leyfred Terrace resident said. “It was painful, like doing my own dentistry.”

The parking authority’s executive director, Harold “Hal” King, was philosophical after the court’s decision.

“Mr. Rivers put together a very eloquent case, and the judge took it under review” before issuing his decision, said King. “That’s the way it goes sometimes.”

“If it’s one man against the big bad Parking Authority, (the judge could say) I feel for this guy; let’s give him the benefit of the doubt,” King added.

River’s legal odyssey began outside the Red Rose Pizzeria on Main Street in October 2009, when he pumped 50 cents into the meter for an hour of parking time. By his account, River returned 45 minutes later to find a ticket on his windshield.

A quick inspection suggested the meter was malfunctioning, according to Rivers, who said the glass window was clouded with “gunk” – a sign of battery leakage. As an audio visual supervisor, Rivers said he was familiar with battery leakage and the havoc it causes in electronic devices.

Before deciding to challenge the ticket, Rivers used his cellphone to snap pictures of meter 1112. By the time the appeal was filed, the meter was replaced as part of a South End revitalization project.

His first appeal was to the Parking Authority, which contracts out the city’s meter system to Republic Parking System, a national firm.

When the authority rejected his appeal, Rivers took his case to Superior Court, where he initially lost when Judge Bertha D. Josephson dismissed the case after Rivers failed to appear for a hearing.

The case was reinstated after Rivers argued that he was never notified; why, he asked, would somebody spend $300 in filing fees to appeal their case, then deliberately miss the hearing?

By the time the case reached Judge Moriarty, the city was tacking on late-payment fines to the original $25 ticket, and Rivers had filed a motion accusing the city of harassment. The late fines and harassment motions were dropped, clearing the way for Morarity’s ruling July 6.

“In retrospect, I should have won easily – it was an open and shut case; the meter suffered from deferred maintenance” Rivers said, noting that he spent hundreds of hours researching, writing and asking friends with legal training for advice.

“I could never have done it if I wasn't retired,” he added.

City Solicitor Edward M. Pikula said he had not seen the ruling, and could not comment on the case.

Last week, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court handed down a ruling affirming the validity of Northampton’s appeal system for parking tickets, despite a Greenfield man’s contention that the cost of the appeal effectively negated his rights under the state constitution.

Vincent Gillespie said the $319.90 cost of appealing his July 19, 2005, parking ticket in Hampshire Superior Court so far exceeded the $15 fine that it denied him his guaranteed access to the court system.

Ludlow School Committee to advertise in the fall for permanent superintendent

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Interim Superintendent Kenneth Grew has said he is willing to stay for a year if needed.

LUDLOW – The School Committee will get serious in September about hiring a permanent superintendent for the Ludlow public schools, School Committee member James P. “Chip” Harrington said.

“We will meet with our search consultant late in August,” Harrington said. He said the committee probably will advertise for the position in September.

The School Committee has hired an interim superintendent to replace Theresa M. Kane, who left to take a job as superintendent of the East Windsor, Conn., public schools.

Interim Superintendent Kenneth J. Grew, a retired school superintendent, said he is willing to stay for a year if it takes that long for a permanent replacement to be found.

School Committee member Jacob R. Oliveira has said he wants the School Committee to take its time in finding a permanent superintendent.

“I still have concerns that if we hire mid-year we could reduce our applicant pool,” he said.

When Kane left the school district, many of her administrative hires left with her, including the high school principal, two elementary principals and the curriculum and special needs director.

With the approval of the School Committee, Grew has filled all of the administrative positions. Most are one-year appointments, but Grew said he holds out the possibility of making them three-year appointments before he finishes his term.

The new high school principal, Lisa Nemeth, an assistant principal at Chicopee High School, has been appointed for three years.

Amid debt limit talks, President Obama threatens veto of House GOP spending cuts

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The Republican bill demands deep spending reductions and congressional approval of a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution in exchange for raising the nation's debt limit.

By DAVID ESPO | AP Special Correspondent

071811 tom coburn.jpgSen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., reveals his "Back in Black" plan to reduce the federal deficit, Monday, July 18, 2011, during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

WASHINGTON — Courting confrontation and compromise alike, House Republicans shrugged off President Barack Obama's threat to veto legislation to cut federal spending by trillions of dollars on Monday while simultaneously negotiating with him over more modest steps to avert a potential government default.

The Republican bill demands deep spending reductions and congressional approval of a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution in exchange for raising the nation's debt limit. But Obama will veto it if it reaches his desk, the White House said, asserting the legislation would "lead to severe cuts in Medicare and Social Security" and impose unrealistic limits on education spending.

In response, GOP lawmakers said they would go ahead with plans to pass the bill on Tuesday. "It's disappointing the White House would reject this commonsense plan to rein in the debt and deficits that are hurting job creation in America," Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio said.

By contrast, neither the administration nor congressional officials provided substantive details on an unannounced meeting that Obama held Sunday with the two top House Republican leaders, Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia.

Obama said late Monday the two sides were "making progress."

Several Republicans said privately the decision to vote on veto-threatened legislation is paradoxically designed to clear the way for a compromise. They said conservatives would have a chance to push their deep spending cuts through the House, and then see the measure quickly die either in the Democratic-controlled Senate or by veto.

Barring action by Congress to raise the $14.3 trillion debt limit, the Treasury will be unable to pay all the government's bills that come due beginning on Aug. 3, two weeks from Wednesday. Administration officials, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and others say the result could be a default that inflicts serious harm on the economy, which is still struggling to recover from the worst recession in decades.

In a gesture underscoring the significance of the issue, Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., announced the Senate will meet each day until it is resolved, including on weekends.

The two-pronged approach pursued by the House GOP follows the collapse of a weeks-long effort to negotiate a sweeping bipartisan plan to cut into future deficits. The endeavor foundered when Obama demanded that tax increases on the wealthy and selected corporations be included alongside cuts in benefit programs, and Republicans refused.

The failure of that effort also reflects the outsized influence exerted by 87 first-term Republicans, many of them elected last fall with tea party backing.

As late as last Thursday, Republican leaders held a news conference to tout plans to vote this week on a proposed balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.

But the same senior Republicans emerged from a closed-door meeting of the rank and file on Friday to say the House would instead vote on an alternative — dubbed by its advocates as "Cut, Cap and Balance." No date has been set for a vote on the constitutional amendment itself.

Officials said the change in course had been requested by members of the Republican Study Committee, whose members are among the most conservative in Congress.

071811 no labels.jpgPamela Donehower, of Middleburg, Va., left, John Holman, of Denver, Colo., center, and others with the group "No Labels", rally on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, July 18, 2011, to urge Congress and the president to find a bipartisan solution to the fiscal crisis. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Supporters of the measure say it would cut $111 billion from government spending in the budget year that begins on Oct 1, and $6 trillion more over the coming decade through a requirement that the budget shrink relative to the overall size of the economy.

Additionally, it would require both houses of Congress to approve a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution as a condition for an increase in the debt limit.

Both Boehner and Cantor reacted relatively mildly to the White House veto threat.

"As President Obama has not put forth a plan that can garner 218 votes in the House, I'd caution him against so hastily dismissing 'Cut, Cap and Balance,'" said Cantor.

Other Republicans, by contrast, took a harder line.

"I find it incredibly ironic that President Obama is one of the few Americans who think we don't need a constitutional amendment 'to do our jobs.'" Said Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas, a member of the leadership.

"The point of cutting up the credit cards in order to raise the debt ceiling isn't to meet his tax-and-spend demands; it's to force him to stop spending money we don't have."

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky made a strong statement of support for the measure.

"Not only is this legislation just the kind of thing Washington needs right now, it may be the only option we have if you want to see the debt limit raised at all," he said.

"I strongly urge my Democratic friends to join us in supporting it."

Despite his warning, McConnell and Reid have been deeply involved in writing a fallback measure that is viewed in both houses as promising.

It would allow the president to raise the debt limit by $2.5 trillion in three installments over the next year without a prior vote by lawmakers. Instead, a panel of House and Senate members would be created to recommend cuts in benefit programs, with their work guaranteed a yes-or-no vote in the House or Senate.

Recreating the divide that plagued the earlier negotiations, Democrats want the panel to have the power to recommend higher taxes.

Neither Reid nor McConnell has publicly disclosed the details of the measure, and neither is expected to do so as long as the legislation in the House is pending.

One conservative deficit hawk, Sen. Tom Coburn, unveiled his own proposal to bring federal deficits under control. The Oklahoma Republican recommended $9 trillion in cuts over a decade, including $1 trillion in higher taxes.

Associated Press writers Andrew Taylor, Erica Werner and Ben Feller contributed to this report.

Boy, 12, collapses and dies at Holden soccer camp

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Joshua Thibodeau of Holden collapsed during a low-speed drill with 15 others at the Zalgiris Soccer Camp at Wachusett Regional High School.

HOLDEN — A 12-year-old boy has died shortly after collapsing in the field at the beginning of a soccer camp in central Massachusetts.

Joshua Thibodeau of Holden collapsed during a low-speed drill with 15 others shortly before 10 a.m. Monday. He was rushed to the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester, where doctors pronounced him dead at 10:45 a.m.

Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. says the office of the state medical examiner has accepted the case and will conduct an autopsy.

State and Holden police officers are also investigating the incident.

The boy was attending the Zalgiris Soccer Camp at Wachusett Regional High School.

Ladies' fight in Springfield's North End leaves 1 injured, several under arrest

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A Springfield detective suffered lacerations to his face when he tried to break up the fight between several women in the city's North End.

SANDERSON 3.jpgView full sizeAn EMT tends to a woman collapsed on the ground outside of 67 Sanderson St. in Springfield. A fight between several woman outside the apartment building led to as many as 6 arrests Monday night.

SPRINGFIELD - One woman was taken to the hospital and as many as six others were taken to jail following a brawl just before 9 p.m. Monday outside a Springfield Housing Authority apartment building at 67 Sanderson St. in the city's Brightwood neighborhood.

Police were still sorting out the details on who was arrested and what the charges will be, said Sgt. Christopher Hitas.

"It was a fight between several women," Hitas said.

A Springfield police detective received when he got in the middle of the row and tried to break it up, Hitas said. The officer, whose name was not disclosed, was treated at the scene for what appeared to be scratches on his face and forehead, but he did not require a trip to the hospital.

The officer radioed for assistance and within minutes every available police car in the city was racing to the scene.

One witness told The Republican that the fight started between two woman and soon escalated within moments as several friends of each descended on the scene and joined in.

The injured woman, whose name was not available, was taken to Baystate Medical Center by ambulance. Her condition was not known, but she appeared to be conscious when she was loaded on the ambulance.

Hitas said initial reports from the scene indicate that the woman may not have been injured in the fight but collapsed due to medical reasons, possibly an anxiety attack.

When she was loaded on the ambulance, the woman appeared to have a bloody nose and marks on her face.

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Massachusetts legislative leaders defer to committee on casinos bill

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The Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies is chaired by Rep. Joseph Wagner, D-Chicopee, and Sen. Karen Spilka, D-Ashland.

robert deleo therese murray.jpgMassachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo, left, and Senate President Therese Murray, right, said they're deferring to a legislative committee's work on a casinos bill still marked for debate in September.

By KYLE CHENEY
and MATT MURPHY

BOSTON – After talks this year with Gov. Deval Patrick failed to produce an agreement on major expanded gambling legislation, House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Senate President Therese Murray said Monday they're deferring to a legislative committee’s work on a bill still marked for debate in September.

Murray and DeLeo, after meeting with the governor in his State House office, said they agreed to debate gambling in September to give the Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies more time to complete its review of more than two dozen gambling bills and craft an omnibus proposal. The committee is chaired by Rep. Joseph Wagner (D-Chicopee) and Sen. Karen Spilka (D-Ashland).

“We felt that the committee should do their work over the summer, that it wasn’t quite baked yet,” said Murray. “They’ll probably take something from every one of those bills and they’ll put something out when we come back in September.”

DeLeo confirmed that he and Murray have yet to forge a deal with the governor on the issue.

“I think that what we’re stating right now is that although we are having discussions about it, the most important folks that are having discussions right now are the chairs of the committee,” he said. “They’re taking the legislation, which they have, trying to decipher the good and the bad of each of them.”

The comments from DeLeo and Murray show the leaders, who have privately tried to reach a gambling bill deal with Patrick for months, appear to be shifting the workload back to the committee. Expanded gambling critics have recently amplified their criticism of the high-level secret talks on gambling.

Spilka said the panel is soliciting input from lawmakers and outside stakeholders, such as the attorney general, and reviewing gambling bills. She anticipated the committee would recommend legislation “after Labor Day.”

061010 karen spilka.jpgKaren Spilka

Spilka said she expected the conversations between the governor, speaker and Senate president to continue, but said those talks have not directly affected the work at the committee level.” Clearly their discussion will keep going, but we will continue to be working on a bill,” she said.

Asked if she would prefer after watching gaming legislation collapse last summer to draft a bill she knew Patrick would support, Spilka said consensus is something legislative committee strives for on all issues.

“I think we’re all better off if we’re going to put something out to craft a bill that has consensus, so the more we listen to people and get feedback the better off we are,” Spilka said.

DeLeo acknowledged that the issue of slots at the state's current and former racetracks -- a sticking point during failed negotiations on the issue last year – continues to be an issue during this year's round of talks.

“I expressed an interest in negotiating on that, compromising on that,” he said.

Both leaders said they liked the framework of a bill introduced last session. That proposal would have sanctioned three openly bid and regionally dispersed casinos and two slot facilities at current and former racetracks, as well as established a regulatory structure to oversee the new industry. However, Murray and DeLeo noted that each branch saw an influx of new members that could lead to a different framework.

DeLeo left open the possibility that lawmakers would move on a bill without the express support of the governor.

“We did that last year,” he said.

Asked whether that was acceptable, Murray said, “This is going to the committee process. Talk to the committee members, ask them where they are on this.”

Wagner was not available for comment.

Murray also joined DeLeo in voicing support for a crackdown on illegal gambling facilities, which DeLeo filed last week. DeLeo said he was not sure how many so-called cyber cafes there are in Massachusetts but said they have sprung up “throughout the North Shore” and regulations have proven insufficient.

“We know that there are some social clubs that have been doing it,” said Murray, adding that “illegal gambling is illegal.”

Other members of the committee include: Sens. Thomas McGee (D-Lynn), Eileen Donoghue (D-Lowell), Richard Moore (D-Uxbridge), Brian Joyce (D-Milton), and Richard Ross (D-Wrentham), as well as Reps. Timothy Toomey (D-Cambridge), Thomas Petrolati (D-Ludlow), Robert Koczera (D-New Bedford), Christine Canavan (D-Brockton), Thomas Calter (D-Kingston), Stephen DiNatale (D-Fitchburg), Ann-Margaret Ferrante (D-Gloucester), Marcos Devers (D-Lawrence), Paul Brodeur (D-Melrose), Nick Collins (D-South Boston), Paul Frost (R-Auburn), Kevin Kuros (R-Uxbridge).

Expanded Massachusetts bottle bills set to go before committee

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Over a dozen bills, including 1 that would place deposit fees on nearly all beverages, will be considered.

bottle bill recycling machine.jpg

By JOHANNA KAISER

BOSTON — Massachusetts lawmakers are considering updates to the state's bottle bill that would expand deposit fees to non-carbonated beverages and redirect unclaimed deposits to help fund local recycling programs.

Over a dozen bills proposing changes to the state's 30-year-old container deposit system are set to be heard before a legislative committee Wednesday, including one that would place deposit fees on nearly all beverages, including water, iced tea, juice, and sports drinks.

The current deposit system charges consumers five cents on every bottle or can of soft drink, mineral water, beer or other malt beverage. Consumers can redeem their deposit if they return the containers to a redemption center for recycling. Supporters of the proposed expansion say more deposits would encourage recycling and create a cleaner environment.

"By expanding the nickel deposit to more types of beverage containers, we can increase recycling, protect industry jobs and reduce waste disposal costs for local communities," said Sen. Cynthia S. Creem, a Newton Democrat and sponsor of the Senate version of the bill.

Almost 40 percent of drink containers do not have a deposit, according to Creem, but an increased incentive to recycle more containers would reduce litter, and the cost of disposing of trash for cities and towns.

"These drink containers litter our parks and public spaces, and are thrown away as trash at a cost to our cities and towns," said Creem.

But the expansion would increase the cost to consumers and businesses, say opponents of the bill.

"This is a serious tax on consumers at the wrong time," said Christopher Flynn, president of the Massachusetts Food Association, which represents retailers, manufacturers, and wholesalers in the supermarket and grocery industry.

Flynn said expanding redemption centers and converting machines to accept different bottles could also cost the state's retailers millions of dollars and smaller businesses may not be able to expand to handle the increased volume.

"Logistically it's a nightmare and there's really no need for it," he said. The association instead supports increased curbside recycling and more recycling bins in public parks and stadiums, measures that Flynn described as more efficient and comprehensive than more bottle deposits.

The proposal does aim to promote community recycling programs by establishing a separate fund for unredeemed deposits that would help cities and towns pay for local recycling programs. Unredeemed deposits now go into the state's general fund.

"This is meant to be complimentary to curbside recycling," said Janet Domenitz, director of the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group, a top proponent of the proposal. "If there are more container deposits, people get back in the habit of doing redemption."

According to Domenitz, 70 percent of bottles with deposits are recycled, while only 22 percent of bottles without deposits are recycled.

Redemption centers would also receive a one-cent increase in their handling fees under the proposal. The centers now receive 2.25 cents per container, and have not seen an increase since 1991. The bill proposes a 3.25-cent fee, which would be reassessed periodically.

Lawmakers considered the same proposal last year, but the legislative session ended before it could be formally debated. Gov. Deval Patrick added legislation expanding bottle deposits to his budget proposal in January, but the legislation was not included in the state's final spending plan.

Another bill on Wednesday's hearing schedule would eliminate deposits on all containers in the state.


Hackers target Rupert Murdoch-owned Sun newspaper website

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Visitors to The Sun's website late Monday were redirected to a page featuring a story saying Murdoch's dead body had been found in his garden.

071811 fake the sun.JPGView full sizeIn this screen grab made Monday, July 18, 2011, a page to which visitors to The Sun's website were redirected is seen. A group of internet hackers claims to have tampered with the website of Rupert Murdoch's Sun newspaper. Visitors to The Sun's website late Monday were redirected to a page featuring a story saying Murdoch's dead body had been found in his garden. Lulz Security took responsibility via Twitter, calling it a successful part of "Murdoch Meltdown Monday." (AP Photo)

By CASSANDRA VINOGRAD
and JILL LAWLESS

LONDON — A group of internet hackers claims to have tampered with the website of Rupert Murdoch's Sun newspaper.

Visitors to The Sun's website late Monday were redirected to a page featuring a story saying Murdoch's dead body had been found in his garden.

Lulz Security took responsibility via Twitter, calling it a successful part of "Murdoch Meltdown Monday."

Lulz Security has previously claimed hacks on major entertainment companies, FBI partner organizations and the CIA.

Murdoch is due to appear before a parliamentary committee Tuesday to answer lawmakers' questions over phone-hacking at News International, his British newspaper division.

The phone hacking scandal has prompted the closure of Murdoch's News of the World.

Springfield police charge Nicholas Boucher with attempting to rob Cumberland Farms at the 'X' with broken bottle

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Boucher demanded money from the register, but when a clerk offered him a dollar to leave, he accepted and then made his way to the Taco Bell around the corner.

SPRINGFIELD - An 18-year-old Connecticut man who attempted to rob a Belmont Avenue convenience store with a broken bottle Monday night was arrested by police moments later inside a fast-food restaurant around the corner on Sumner Avenue, police said.

Springfield Police Capt. William Collins said Nicholas Boucher of Windsor Locks, Conn., was charged with armed robbery shortly after the 7 p.m. incident.

Police charged that Boucher entered the Cumberland Farms convenience store, 514 Belmont Ave., and threatened a clerk with the jagged end of a broken bottle, Collins said. He told her "give me everything you have," Collins said.

Another clerk who was in the store offered to give Boucher a dollar if he would go away. Boucher accepted and fled, and once he did, the clerks called police, Collins said.

Police investigated and found some articles of clothing outside the store matching the description of the suspect's clothing. A short time later, they found Boucher a few hundred feet away inside the Taco Bell restaurant at 546 Sumner Ave., Collins said.

He is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges Tuesday in Springfield District Court.


View Armed robbery and arrest at the 'X' in a larger map

Springfield City Council approves sale of old school administration building

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CSM North of Acton must deliver on its agreement to use private funds to convert the site to 30 to 35 market-rate apartments.

040408_springfield_school_department_building.JPGThe former Springfield School Department building at 195 State St.

SPRINGFIELD – The City Council was willing Monday to sell the vacant, century-old former School Department office building at 195 State St., for a nominal fee of $1, saying the proposed market rate housing project, the future tax revenues, and the reuse of the site was too important to let slip away.

By a 10-1 vote, the council authorized the sale of the building to CSM North of Acton for $1, which was the offer made for the city-owned building.

In exchange, CSM North must deliver on its agreement to use private funds to convert the site to 30 to 35 market-rate apartments, city officials said. The sale price is considered the city’s contribution to bringing quality, market-rate housing to downtown and to keep the site from becoming a long-vacant, neglected structure, officials said.

The School Department moved out of the building a year ago, relocating to the old federal courthouse building on Main Street.

Councilor Clodovaldo Concepcion cast the sole vote against the sale.

“I don’t think we should be giving city property away,” Concepcion said following the vote. “It’s a prime location. We should wait for a good price.”

Councilor Timothy C. Allen, chairman of the Planning and Economic Development Committee, said many factors override the price issue.

The project “strengthens the neighborhood” with additional market-rate housing, triggers new tax revenue estimated at $40,000 to $60,000, and brings major interior renovations to “a beautiful building, a historic building with a lot of wonderful features.”

The request for proposals attracted just one other bid from GLC of Boston, offering a price of $25,000 for the building. However, GLC needed $500,000 in city funding commitments through federal grant programs to provide housing with low income restrictions, city officials said.

The CSM North project drew community support from groups that included the State Street Alliance, the Armory-Quadrangle Civic Association, the Springfield Preservation Trust, the Springfield Museums and the Classical Condominiums.

Councilors also praised the developer’s track record for quality market-rate apartment projects in other cities, including New Haven, Hartford, Lowell and Lawrence.

Springfield City Council OKs resolution urging mayor to refuse to participate in 'Secure Communities' immigration initiative

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Gov. Deval Patrick has already announced Massachusetts will not participate in the federal program.

SPRINGFIELD – The City Council on Monday night approved a non-binding resolution that urges Mayor Domenic J. Sarno to refuse to sign any memorandum of agreement to participate in the federal “Secure Communities” immigration initiative.

Gov. Deval L. Patrick already announced in June that Massachusetts will not participate in the federal program, which checks the immigration status of people who are arrested. Defenders of the program say it only targets immigrants arrested for committing violent crimes and is not an effort to enforce federal immigration laws.

At Monday’s council meeting, an overflow crowd of residents and community activists applauded and cheered the passage of the council resolution.

The resolution states in part that the Secure Communities initiative “would deter the reporting of criminal activity, encourage racial profiling, or would deteriorate the relationships with communities that have been carefully cultivated with years of hard work.” It also states the council “remains firmly committed to the protection of civil rights and civil liberties of all people.”

Westfield School Building Committee to hold final public information meeting on new elementary school

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Westfield plans to file its formal request with the School Bonding Authority for state funding later this month.

WESTFIELD – The School Building Committee will hold the third of three public information meetings on construction of a new elementary school Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the School Department offices on Ashley Street.

The meetings have been scheduled to update residents and provide an opportunity for public comment about plans for construction of a school under the state’s School Building Authority’s Model School Program.

The city plans to file its formal request with the School Bonding Authority for state funding later this month.

Tornado recovery update meetings scheduled in Springfield

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Representatives of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Small Business Administration will be among agencies represented at the sessions.

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SPRINGFIELD – Local, state and federal relief agencies have scheduled two informational meetings this week to provide an update about tornado recovery efforts and to answer questions from residents and business owners.

Representatives of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Small Business Administration will be among agencies represented at the sessions.

The first meeting is Tuesday at 6 p.m., at the Greenleaf Community Center.

The second meeting is Wednesday at 6 p.m., at the Italian Cultural Center, 55 Margaret St

Granby Energy Committee takes aim at efficiency

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The Energy Committee "will make recommendations on how to promote sustainable energy resources and reduce our carbon footprint," Town Administrator Christopher Martin says.

GRANBY – Ever hear of “vampire” energy?

It has nothing to do with Robert Pattinson (the actor who portrays the vampire Edward Cullen in the "Twilight" film series). It’s the amount of energy that is wasted when people turn off their appliances but neglect to unplug them, according to Margaret (“Peggy”) Jedziniak.

Jedziniak is a member of the new Energy Committee in Granby. She joined Erica Bischoff White and Arthur Krulewitz on the committee when the Selectboard appointed her last week.

Town Administrator Christopher Martin said the board had been talking about creating the new committee since last winter. Interest grew when the town applied for, and was granted, designation as a Green Community by the state.

To become Green Communities, towns must agree to a list of energy-efficient standards. In return they become eligible for certain grants.

The Energy Committee “will make recommendations on how to promote sustainable energy resources and reduce our carbon footprint,” said Martin.

The recommendations will address municipal buildings as well as the town at large. “Anything that can help us reduce our energy usage is a good thing,” said Martin.

Mark Bail, chair of the Selectboard, said the reasons Granby needs an Energy Committee at this time are both local and global. “The most immediate reason is the cost savings for the town,” said Bail.

Jedziniak, who has lived in Granby for 12 years, said energy efficiency has been an interest of hers since the 1970s. “When we had the gas crisis, I thought it was an excellent opportunity for the country to look at what assets we have here that could make us independent of foreign oil,” she said.

Jedziniak uses solar panels on her own home and is a member of Co-op Power, a network of New England communities devoted to saving energy.

Her other great interest, she said, is the Granby Public Library. She can’t wait for a new library that would be LEEDS-certified. LEEDS stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is a program of the U.S. Green Building Council.

Any Granby resident who is interested in applying for a seat on the Energy Committee can call Town Administrator Christopher Martin at (413) 467-7177.


Parsons Village developers, opponents clash over use of porous pavement in Easthampton project

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Terrence Reynolds said the pavement “requires some serious oversight ... and a fair amount of ongoing maintenance.”

Parsons Village Aerial View South.jpgView full sizeA southerly aerial view of Parsons Village from the Valley CDC's special permit application, filed December 28, 2010.

EASTHAMPTON – Opponents of the proposed Parsons Village affordable housing project have taken issue with the stormwater management system the developer is planning to use.

The type of pavement being proposed to be used, known as porous pavement, has a high number of air voids that allow water to pass through several layers of filters and slowly infiltrate into the subsoil. No catch basins are necessary, but Northampton-based Valley Community Development Corp. has agreed to include two at the edge of the property as back-ups.

Joanne Campbell, executive director of Valley CDC, said the pavement is practical, cost-effective and good for the environment. The National Asphalt Pavement Association’s website says “such pavements have been proving their worth since the mid-1970s.”

Parsons Village’s potential neighbors commissioned a report from T. Reynolds Engineering in Whately. It shows a few places where the design needs work, such as substandard erosion control and a missing “blanket” between the filter course and reservoir course.

Owner Terrence R. Reynolds said the pavement “requires some serious oversight ... and a fair amount of ongoing maintenance.”

Amy Heflin said Valley CDC’s promise to perform maintenance once every six months is not nearly good enough. The Metropolitan Area Planning Council, based in Boston, calls for monthly surface cleaning and vacuuming at least three times a year.

Peter Wells of Northampton-based Berkshire Design Group, the project’s civil engineers, said “multiple studies” have shown the CDC’s schedule will be adequate.

Cars would have to be moved in order for the work to be done. Reynolds said that if it were his development, he would avoid using porous pavement for that reason.

“Logistically, it’s kind of a pain in the neck with 24/7 residents on it,” he said.

Many abutters who have spoken out at Planning Board special permit hearings are concerned their basements will flood if the pavement fails, especially since the site has a notoriously high water table that has caused floods many times before. Wells said that won’t happen.

“We anticipate no standing water or ice puddles because the water permeates right away,” he said. “The pavement can clog up to 99 percent and still function.”

There can be no sanding in the winter because it could clog the air voids, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which also reports that clogging can increase with age and use.

The MAPC says “it cannot be used in high-traffic areas or where it will be subject to heavy axle loads,” which could make trash removal with dump trucks a problem.

“You get a lot of that sort of traffic in there and it gets crushed ... and loses its porosity,” said Reynolds.

Wells said if any of the pavement is compressed, the water will just find a new place to permeate.

Valley CDC has offered to place $12,000 in an escrow account for eight years and issue annual reports on the maintenance. If the pavement were not properly maintained, the city could use that money to pay for the work.

“We have done good developments,” said Campbell. She said the CDC’s record shows their projects “remain in good condition.”

Debate over Holyoke's Mater Dolorosa Church steeple continues

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Mater Dolorosa and Holy Cross parishes joined together to create a new parish, Our Lady of the Cross. Watch video

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HOLYOKE – Diocesan officials plan to hire a contractor soon to remove the steeple from Mater Dolorosa Church, even though protesters continue to occupy it 24-hours a day.

Protesters argue they see no serious flaws in the steeple. They recently hired their own engineer to inspect the steeple and are awaiting a report.

Victor Anop, of Chicopee, a church member and one of the vigil organizers, did not release the name of the engineer, but said he was selected because he has experience with church buildings.

In a recent tour of the steeple, Andrew Pavlica, president of Engineering Design Associates, which examined the church for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, showed a reporter the flaws found.

The firm reported it is only a matter of time before the steeple fails.

The major concern is that a set of four tie rods that hold the steeple in place are loose, and one of the timber beams the tie rods run through has a large crack through most of it. The crack allows the tie rods to move more than they should, he said.

In heavy winds the steeple will sway more than intended, jeopardizing the integrity of the masonry, Pavlica said. Already there are cracks that Pavlica said are caused by the movement.

During the tour, he also cited problems with the church’s slate roof, which is causing the structure to deteriorate.

“When we first looked at it, there was a lot of missing slate, broken slate, displaced slate. When you have slate missing, that’s essentially the same as any residential roofing. If you don’t have roofing material on there, you get water coming in, which deteriorates the wood framing,” he said.

But Anop said members have been in the steeple and looked at the roof and see no falling bricks or slate.

Andrzej Stefanowicz, of Holyoke, a parish member for 14 years, said the building consultants did not go high enough into the steeple.

“They’re saying the woodwork, the wooden beam, they are loose. So my question is: If you’re not higher than the bell, you’re taking the photos of the woodwork, and you’re not touching the woodwork with your hand — how can you possibly say those beams are loose?” he asked.

Mark E. Dupont, spokesman for the diocese, said the condition of the steeple is not the main reason the church was selected to be closed.

Holyoke no longer has enough Catholics to support the six churches in the city. The decision to close specific churches is based on both the condition of the building and that fact that Mater Dolorosa Church is less than a mile from two other churches, Dupont said.

Under the closing plan, Mater Dolorosa and Holy Cross joined together to form the new Our Lady of the Cross parish, which is using the former Holy Cross Church.

“We want this resolved before another winter season and we are moving ahead with that in mind,” Dupont said about the repairs.

But, the church cannot be repaired when it is occupied, which is something Anop is questioning.

Dupont said he is hoping the protesters will soon volunteer to leave the church. Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell has no interest in forcibly removing the people from the church, he said.

“It will leave a bitter taste in everyone’s mouth and no one wants to go down that road,” Dupont said.

Assistant Online Editor Greg Saulmon contributed to this story.

Structural Conditions Assessment Report of the Mater Dolorosa Parish Church

Farren Care Center receives Medicaid increase after 6-year stalemate, still faces major financial challenges

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The center has finally received a rate increase of $10 per patient per day. Officials had been asking for a 10 percent hike

Farren Care winter 71911.jpg

MONTAGUE – The one-of-a-kind nursing home Farren Care Center has gotten some good fiscal news from the state, but one official says it may not be good enough.

Farren is part of the Sisters of Providence Health System. It is the only facility of its kind in the state, providing care to up to 122 patients described as “medically involved” and mentally ill.

It also has an unusual funding pattern. While many other nursing homes receive customary increases in Medicaid reimbursement rates, Farren has to negotiate a new contract with the state every year. Since 2005, while its sister hospitals have gotten more money, Farren was stagnated at a rate of $282 per patient per day while costs rose, feeding into a deficit of more than $800,000.

Ninety-five percent of Farren patients are insured through Medicaid.

Christopher McLaughlin
, chief operating officer of Mercy Continuing Care Network, which oversees Farren, says the center has finally received a rate increase of $10 per patient per day.

Daniel Keenan, vice president of government relations at Sisters of Providence, has said that was the bare minimum to keep the facility afloat. Officials had been asking for a 10 percent hike, said McLaughlin.

“This is still less than we asked for and will still cause us to operate at a pretty significant deficit,” he said. “We’re probably on track to lose about ... $200,000” this year in the best-case scenario.

That shortfall could mean the building, the first wing of which was constructed in 1900, will not get the major capital improvements it needs, he said. The youngest wing of the center, which is in Turners Falls, was built in 1965.

But the effort is not over. McLaughlin said negotiations will continue, but another increase could be far off.

The less-than-ideal increase could have consequences for the center’s 200-plus employees and its patients, who come to Farren only after being rejected by traditional nursing homes because of their extraordinary needs. The average Farren patient is in his or her late 70s and some are in their 30s and 40s, said administrator Jim Clifford earlier this year.

Layoffs and reductions in quality of care are not imminent, but McLaughlin said they are possible.

“The recent $10 rate increase sort of bought us some time and helped out,” he said.

Another problem is the Medicaid User Fee Assessment, a tax taken out of the reimbursement rate. In February, officials said Farren had $16 built into its rate to help pay the fee, but the state charged them about $20. At the time, Keenan said it cost the center $150,000 per year.

McLaughlin said he wasn’t sure how that will change with the new rate, but “there’s still a net takeaway.” Keenan was not available for comment.

But McLaughlin said he is not ungrateful. He thanked Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration, state Sen. Stanley Rosenberg, D-Amherst, state Rep. Stephen Kulik, D-Worthington, and state Sen. Gale Candaras, D-Wilbraham, for helping to get Farren everything they could.

“We couldn’t be requesting this at a worse time,” he acknowledged.

“We’re pleased we’ve reached an agreement with the Farren Care Center,” said Jennifer Kritz, a spokesperson for the state Executive Office of Health and Human Services, which handles the contract negotiations. “We believe the rate adequately reflects the costs.”

Mass. man accused of posing as cop in New Hampshire

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Police say 23-year-old Richard Ramon Tirado of Lawrence, Mass. flashed the blue light Saturday night in the parking lot while the driver in front of him was waiting for a parking spot.

SALEM — A Massachusetts man has been charged with impersonating a police officer for allegedly flashing a blue strobe light during a traffic tie-up in a Salem Walmart parking lot.

Police say 23-year-old Richard Ramon Tirado of Lawrence, Mass. flashed the blue light Saturday night in the parking lot while the driver in front of him was waiting for a parking spot. The other driver became suspicious and called the real police.

Responding officers stopped Tirado and allegedly found the strobe, a ballistic vest, a reflective traffic vest, a police hat and other police equipment in his car.

Tirado said he was a former auxiliary police officer in Lawrence and was currently a reserve officer in Billerica, Mass. Billerica police said that was not true.

Tirado was released on $1,000 personal recognizance.

Sen. Scott Brown throws support behind majority-minority district advocates

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Brown met privately on Monday with members of the Massachusetts Black Empowerment Coalition to discuss redistricting.

Scott BrownSen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., addresses the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce in Boston, Monday, Nov. 15, 2010. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds)

BY MATT MURPHY

BOSTON — While the state's two most prominent Democrats have remained virtually silent on the issue of redistricting, Republican Sen. Scott Brown has shown an early willingness to engage his former state colleagues, particularly with regard to minority voting rights.

Brown, who faces re-election in 2012 for a first full-term, met privately on Monday with members of the Massachusetts Black Empowerment Coalition to discuss redistricting and the group's push to craft a new majority-minority Congressional district that would increase the odds of electing a minority to Congress.

The freshman Republican's approach has been a study in contrasts to that of U.S. Sen. John Kerry and Gov. Deval Patrick, the state's first elected African-American governor, who have both declined to weigh in thus far on the redistricting process as a 28-member panel of lawmakers held hearings across the state and now will begin work to redraw the state's political boundaries.

"He's agreed to reach out to every member of the Legislature to express his views on this. We appreciate the Senator's understanding of how sensitive this issue is to the African-American community," Kevin Peterson, the group's executive director, told the News Service after his meeting with Brown.

The late U.S. Sen. Edward Brook, a Republican, was the only non-white candidate ever elected to Congress from Massachusetts.

"No African-American has ever been elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, and I think the Commonwealth is ready for that," Peterson said.

Brown was unavailable for comment after the meeting as he quickly headed to catch a plane back to the Capitol, but his office referred questions about his support to a letter he wrote in April to the House and Senate chairs of the Redistricting Committee in which he endorsed a new majority-minority Congressional district centered in Suffolk County.

"It is my hope that any redistricting for congressional or state legislative seats will result in districts that avoid diluting the voting strength of citizens based on the color of their skin," Brown wrote. "In the interest of fairness, a new congressional district centered in Suffolk County that creates a majority-minority seat under the Voting Rights Act should be seriously considered, as well as an increase in the number of state Senate and House seats where persons of color constitute a majority vote."

Assessing the current map, Brown referred to districts "that are not geographically compact and whose lines swerve irrationally around the state so that the only logical conclusion is that it was drawn for the purpose of protecting incumbents."

Peterson met for roughly 30 minutes with Brown at the senator's downtown Boston office along with Nadine Cohen of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and David Harris, the managing director of Hamilton Institute at Harvard Law School led by the coalition's counsel Charles Ogletree.

Peterson said Kerry's office has yet to respond to a letter sent by the coalition to Washington D.C. in June seeking his support.

"We're puzzled as to why he's been so silent on this issue. We will continue to reach out on the matter that, quite frankly, should be a slam dunk for him," Peterson said. "This is a civil rights issue. As a sitting senator he should feel compelled to engage this issue as it's a matter that impacts many of his constituents."

A Kerry spokeswoman said the senator believes redistricting was a matter best left to state leaders.

"Senator Kerry has said that all players should have a seat at the table when it comes to drawing our state's next congressional map, but believes that redistricting is ultimately a State House matter that should be negotiated from home, not Washington," said Whitney Smith, press secretary to Kerry.

Peterson said his group also plans to reach out to Patrick for his support, noting that the governor has been "very quiet" on redistricting, but that they plan to "smoke him out."

"We want to have conversations with the governor. We're in the initial steps of reaching out, and we want the governor to veto any redistricting legislation that doesn't satisfy minority voting rights in the Commonwealth," Peterson said.

The governor's office issued a statement to the News Service Monday afternoon: "The Governor looks forward to reviewing the final proposal put forth by the Redistricting Committee, and supports a fair and transparent redistricting process that gives voice to the many diverse communities across the Commonwealth," spokeswoman Heather Johnson said.

Many states have taken different approaches to redistricting. In some, such as Maryland, governors have put together redistricting commissions, while in Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed a bill called the Voting Rights Act of 2011 preventing a neighborhood's political make-up from being weakened by being divided into multiple legislative districts.

Based on the 2010 Census, Massachusetts will lose one of its 10 Congressional seats, forcing lawmakers to contemplate a new political map that could force one or more Democratic incumbents to run against one another.

The Black Empowerment Coalition has submitted a proposed map to the Redistricting Committee that would create an incumbent-free majority-minority district capturing minority communities to the south of Boston in communities like Randolph, Milton and Brockton and extending north through Boston, Cambridge, parts of Somerville and Everett.

The district would carve out both incumbent U.S. Reps. Michael Capuano, of Somerville, and Stephen Lynch, of South Boston. Capuano's Eighth District is currently a majority-minority district based on total population, but Peterson said his coalition is seeking a district where minorities make up a majority of the voting age population.

Peterson said the map was drawn "with blinders on" seeking only to protect historically disenfranchised minority groups. Though he called Capuano a "good representative," he said empowering the minority voice in the electoral process is the priority.

Senate Redistricting Committee Chairman Stanley Rosenberg said he had not heard from Kerry's office and had just a "passing conversation" with Patrick on the issue, but said the committee welcomed any and all input.

"We are very mindful of our responsibility with regard to the Voting Rights Act and will consider seriously all the maps presented," Rosenberg said. Rosenberg said the committee was still reviewing population and demographic data from the Census, but said early indications are that white population growth in Boston outpaced that of minorities, complicating the idea of a Suffolk County majority-minority district.

After the 2000 Census, minority groups challenged the state House redistricting plan in court and U.S. District Court judge struck down the map, ruling that it diluted minority voting power in state House districts in violation of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The Legislature was forced to revise its plan.

This time around House Redistricting Chairman Michael Moran and Rosenberg have all conceded a lawsuit at some level over redistricting, even going so far as to discuss factoring in time for a court challenge on the calendar to have a map in place for the presidential primary in March.

Peterson, however, said he doesn't believe the courts have to get involved.

"If they do the right thing, they won't get sued, at least not by the minority community," Peterson said.

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