Today's poll: Should online retailers have to collect the Massachusetts sales tax from customers?

Greg Saulmon / The Republican04.06.2011 | HOLYOKE - A young man sits on a bench at South Street Plaza early Wednesday morning.

The Forecast

Looking toward the much warmer days of summer: the first Mountain Park concert of the 2011 season has been announced, Donnie Moorhouse notes. Alison Krauss and Union Station are scheduled for July 24.

This summer's live music docket is already getting crowded with quality shows, with Dinosaur Jr at the Calvin on June 21, Wilco's Solid Sound Festival at MassMoca June 24-26, and a Green River Festival lineup that includes Emmylou Harris, Old 97's and homegrown talent like Seth Glier and the Alchemystics.

Today we'll see clouds gathering through the afternoon, with a chance of showers after 3 p.m. High should be around 55, according to the National Weather Service.

There's a chance of snow showers between 2 and 9 a.m. Thursday, but "little or no" accumulation is expected.

Find the full forecast here.

Today's Poll

The Retailers Association of Massachusetts this week is lobbying for legislation that would require online retailers to collect the state sales tax from customers.

Brick-and-mortar retailers in Massachusetts say that having to levy the sales tax puts them at a competitive disadvantage with online retailers. For customers, of course, online shopping offers the dual savings of sales tax and "shoe leather" costs like travel time and gas money.

Some projections estimate the state will lose $335 million in revenue by not receiving sales tax from online purchases.

What do you think -- should online retailers have to collect the Massachusetts sales tax from customers? Vote in our poll, and check back tomorrow for the results.

Tuesday's results: Yesterday, we asked, "Will Springfield's Union Station renovation project be complete by the end of 2015?" Not a single person voted. No kidding, 0% chose "no," and 0% chose "yes."

Tuesday's Top 5

The top 5 headlines on MassLive.com on April 6 were:

1. Onyx Fusion Bar and Restaurant closes doors at Springfield riverfront


2. Stanley Peczka, 78, of Ludlow arrested at Springfield YMCA, charged with fondling a minor


3. Springfield police arrest 2 city men on heroin charges


4. West Springfield police charge 20-year-old Springfield resident Miguel Huertas with unarmed robbery of elderly woman, attempting to grab officer's firearm


5. Hodgkins family puts Williamsburg land up for sale

Quote of the Day

“You need people who can work more independently than they used to and you need people who can do more complex work.”

— Andre Mayer, senior vice president for communications and research at Associated Industries of Massachusetts, on the results of a survey showing fifty-two percent of responding employers said they are having trouble filling available jobs either because applicants don’t have the required skills or are reluctant to give up unemployment benefits. Read Jim Kinney's article here.

Police spotted the suspect early Tuesday in the Indian Orchard neighborhood.

Michael Pacheco

SPRINGFIELD – Police said that a 34-year-old city man, charged with drunken driving for the third time early Tuesday in Indian Orchard, fell asleep while his arresting officer asked him questions to test his sobriety.

The suspect, initially spotted shortly before 1:45 a.m. as he pulled his BMW behind a dumpster in the parking lot of Indian Orchard Plaza, saw the approaching officer and ran, Sgt. John M. Delaney said.

Officer Daniel M. Billingsley chased the suspect to Myrtle Street where he found him hiding in tall grass, Delaney, aide to Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet, said.

When police asked the suspect why he ran, he replied “(Because) I was drunk,” Delaney said.

The incident began when Billingsley, on patrol due to large number of breaking and enterings in the area, spotted the suspect, whose BMW had heavy front end damage.

Michael Pacheco, of 60 West Canton Circle, legally drunk, admitted to using cocaine and was also charged with operating under the influence of a drug. Delaney said his BMW was full of empty and full bottles of liquor and beer

Pacheco had been convicted for drunk driving in November of 2006 and October of 2009, Delaney said.

Pacheco was also charged with operating a motor vehicle without a license, resisting arrest and open container.

Police were summoned to the Park Street home for a disturbance Saturday morning.

EASTHAMPTON – Two police officers were injured Saturday morning as they attempted to subdue an out-of-control man at a Park Street home.

Police, summoned to the home shortly after 7:30 a.m., found the man standing on top of a car in the garage with a black cord attached to a rafter and tied around his neck, Sgt. Bruce Nicol said.

Officer Chad Alexander suffered a lacerated arm, which required 20 stitches to close, after he climbed onto the car in an effort to talk the man safely down, Nicol said. A struggle ensued and Alexander fell off the hood of the car and into a garage window, he said.

Officer Tammy Kaleta suffered a back injury when she joined the struggle. The suspect, 46-year-old James Wanat, was ultimately subdued with a blast of pepper spray from both officers, Nicol said.

Police were initially summoned to the home by the man’s brother who said he was “destroying the garage and throwing items around,” Nicol said.

Alexander and Kaleta, arriving on scene, saw that the garage door was heavily damaged and that miscellaneous tools had been scattered in the yard.

Wanat told the officers to “get lost” as they walked into the garage and saw him on top of the car, Nicol said.

Alexander initially got Wanat to calm down a bit and agree to remove the cord from around his neck. The suspect began struggling, however, when the two stepped down from car’s roof and onto its hood.

Wanat was taken to Cooley Dickinson Hospital for a mental health evaluation. Alexander and Kaleta were also taken there for treatment of their injuries.

Alexander will likely remain off-duty for another week or so while he recuperates, Nicol said. Kaleta will likely return to work after a shorter period of time, he said.

Wanat was charged with resisting arrest and assault and battery on a police officer.

Two additional Easthampton officers, recently injured while responding to unrelated calls, also remain off-duty for medical reasons, Nicol said.

Two Holyoke police officers, meanwhile, remain out after suffering on-duty injuries when their cruiser was broad-sided by a motorist who ran a stop sign on Cabot Street early Friday. One officer suffered burns to his hands from the air bag and the other suffered broken bones in his shoulder.

The motorist, Robert Murchinson Jr., 21, of Tiffany Street in Springfield, was cited for running the stop sign, Holyoke Police Chief Anthony R. Scott said.

A third Holyoke officer suffered an injury to his ankle that same night, Scott said. He declined to name the injured officers.

Springfield police Officer Edwin Irizarry, meanwhile, suffered a fractured ankle early Sunday during a scuffle with an unruly suspect in the entertainment district.

Parking Commissioner William Letendre is asking that the council amend the ordinance governing meter fees to allow for the increases.

File photo / The RepublicanA volunteer cleans parking meters in Northampton.

NORTHAMPTON – The City Council will get its first look at a proposal to raise the fees at city parking meters by 50 percent or more when it meets Thursday.

Parking Commissioner William Letendre is asking that the council amend the ordinance governing meter fees to allow for the increases. Under his proposal, the cost for parking at one-hour meters, most of which are on Main Street, would jump from $.50 to $.75 an hour. Two-hour meters would rise at the same rate. The ten-hour meters in the city’s long-term lots would increase from $.15-$.25 cents an hour and $.25-$.50 cents an hour.

Letendre said Wednesday that the proposed rate increase is simply a matter of economics. The money from parking meters goes into the Parking Meter Reserve Fund, which is used to pay for a variety of costs, from salaries to maintenance of the parking garage. Because that fund is generally dedicated to the city’s parking needs, Mayor Mary Clare Higgins has tapped it in recent years to pay for some police salaries and equipment and some clerical salaries pertaining to the downtown parking area.

“It’s about revenue,” Letendre said. “We need to increase the revenue stream without going crazy.”

Currently, the city reaps about $1 million a year from parking fees, by Letendre’s estimate. Assuming the demand for parking spaces does not decrease because of the rate hikes, that amount could rise by $.5 million, although Letendre said that goal is optimistic.

“It’s a good goal to set, but I doubt that we’ll get that much,” he said.

Letendre doubled the rate for the Main Street meters from $25-$.50 cents an hour about eight years ago and said the demand for parking did not change at all as a result. He hopes the increases will have the added benefit of encouraging more use of the John E. Gare Municipal Garage.

“There are 100 to 150 empty spaces every day, and that’s just silly because it’s the best place to park in the city,” he said.

The council will likely refer the ordinance to the Transportation and Parking Commission and the Ordinance Committee for review before it comes back before it for a vote.

A recent survey indicates that employers are having trouble filling in job openings because applicants would rather collect unemployment benefits.

File photo / Associated PressA jobs postings board is shown at an employment access center in Portland, Ore.

According to a survey carried out by the Associated Industries of Massachusetts, over 50 percent of employers said they were having trouble filling in open positions because the candidates either lack the necessary skills or are unwilling to give up their unemployment benefits.

Andre Mayer, senior vice president of Associated Industries of Massachusetts, suggested that some people who would prefer collecting benefits rather than risking earning less money working.

Here is what some our readers had to say about the unemployed refusing to accept less paying work:

easily says: When I worked a seasonal job they made you give written proof that you were trying to find work. And heaven forbid you turn a job down and they find out. ANY job.

Unemployment needs overhaul as bad as welfare. Every f'n dime you get for free should be accounted for. Any abuse including drugs, alcohol, tobacco, etc. and that's it. So second chances.

It would take a lot of manpower to account for all those records. The waste that is saved would pay those salaries.

Koz says: Believe it my son has been looking for a job for 3 years ever since bama took over.

His unemployment ran out over a year ago, still nothing. He actually had a few call from people he worked for before, but they also cut his pay in half for the same job. So then he has to pay for his mass mandated health insurance which cut his pay in half again. It ain't worth it.

So he has health insurance with mass health for free real good one too.

fmu says: it's all in the numbers. Yea let's work someplace for less and "hope" to work your way up the ladder...when it's all about layoffs, cuts, wage freezes, etc.

Heck, 2 years of UE you can also go back to school for a better skill (that's financed) and could land you in a better industry that's actually hiring some people...or at best gives you another skill to market yourself with.

Walker45 says: Take a look at the job offerings here on Masslive. A local gun manufacturer is hiring temp. help for $9.50/hour. There is an Instructor position for $12/hour. This is reality, folks. And sad it is.

Do you have a comment you would like to add? Visit the original story.

The camp where Sen. Scott Brown was allegedly sexually abused is under fire for another accusation of sexual assault. Salem Mayor decides to stay out of Mass. U.S. Senate race, while Brown announces $8 million war chest.

View full sizeAssociated PressMassachusetts Sen. Scott Brown during an Associated Press interview at his office in Boston, Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2011. Democrats haven't found a solid challenger to Brown in liberal Massachusetts next year. That's raising concerns the party could blow its best shot to take back the seat held for nearly a half-century by the late Sen. Edward Kennedy. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds)

Investigation into camp

An investigation into Camp Good News, the camp where Sen. Scott Brown was allegedly sexually assaulted as a child, has commenced as another former camper alleges experiencing sexual molestation at the camp.

The man, whose name has not been released, was inspired by Brown’s admission to reveal his own story of abuse to his lawyer.

"He was inspired to come forward because Scott Brown came forward. He felt empowered," said Mitchell Garabedian, the lawyer representing the man, according to ABC News.

The former camper, who is now an adult, alleges he was sexually abused by a counselor or assistant director at Camp Good News, located in Forestdale, Mass, when he was 10-years-old. The Barnstable County District Attorney's office has promised to investigate the allegations.

According to ABC News Garabedian described the man as a single man living in Boston. Garabedian said, "He is in a lot of emotional pain, but now that he has come forward my client feels as though a great weight has been lifted."

The camp employee who is being investigated for allegedly molesting the man 26 years ago will remain on the job, according to camp officials.

"If there's child abuse, we want to address it," Camp Good News Director Jane Brooks said to the Cape Cod Times.

Camp Good News came into the spotlight after the release of Brown’s memoir, “Against All Odds,” in which he claimed being abused as a young boy at a Christian summer camp on Cape Cod. Camp Good News confirmed Brown had attended the camp and apologized for anything that had happened while Brown attended their camp.

According to the Cape Cod Times, “the employee now under investigation is not the same abuser Brown described, according to sources close to the latest investigation.”

With the 2012 elections soon approaching, this latest investigation only adds to the barrage of news coverage surrounding the popular Republican senator.

Salem Mayor decides against Senate run

Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll has decided against challenging Sen. Scott Brown in the 2012 U.S. Senate elections.

Driscoll had been contemplating a run for Senate for the past several months, even seeking advice from fellow Massachusetts Democratic politicians such as Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino.

"My passion is the city of Salem and making this city better," Driscoll told the Salem News.

Driscoll originally thought of running for Senate out of her frustration with Washington, D.C. and the partisan attitude in Senate that prevents legislature from being done.

Driscoll announced Tuesday morning she would not make a run for the Democratic nomination.
“For the past several months I have considered a run for the United States Senate," Driscoll said in a statement. "I have concluded that I cannot enter the race at this time."

Despite not running in 2012, Driscoll has not refused to run in the future.

"My first obligation is to the people of Salem, who have elected me to do the best job I can, here first, before I think about moving on," she said in her statement. "Plain and simple, I do think the seat is winnable, but there is a time and place for everything and I have simply come to the conclusion that for me, at this time, I enjoy my job as Mayor of Salem and I believe my work here will require my full attention.”

With Driscoll withdrawing her interest in running, the Democratic contenders that remain are Newton Mayor Setti Warren, City Year founder Alan Khazei, and Congressmen Michael Capuano and Stephen Lynch, among others.

However, all potential candidates have cited the amount of money necessary to competitively campaign as a deciding factor in their ultimate decision to run.

$8 million war chest

Republican Sen. Scott Brown requited against an anticipated Democratic push for Senate yesterday by announcing he has $8.3 million in his war chest, after Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll decided to stay out of the race.

This includes $1.7 million raised by Brown in the first quarter. It is estimated that Brown’s re-election campaign may cost upwards of $25 million.

"Finally, Senator Brown, like other senators from Massachusetts and elsewhere, is registering a political action committee, 'ScottPAC,' which will allow him to respond to requests for financial support from other candidates," said spokeswoman Gail Gitcho in a Boston Globe article.

The amount of money Brown has been able to raise is believed to be a reflection of his popularity.

“The reality is that Scott Brown is in a strong position today because he’s been exactly the type of senator that he promised he would be as a candidate. . . . And judging by the lack of activity from the other side up to this point, it’s clear many Democrats recognize that as well,” said Brian Walsh, spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, in a Boston Herald article.

Despite Brown’s $8 million in cash, Democratic contenders such as Newton Mayor Setti Warren, are unfazed. State Democratic Chair John Walsh said there’s plenty of time to raise campaign money.

“We are still early in the process,” Walsh said in the Herald, “but I am confident that we will have a really strong challenger in an election that is destined to be close.”

A third party successfully negotiated the little dog's anonymous return to the facility.

Victoria the Chihuahua, seen here in a pink sweater at the T.J. O'Connor Animal Control Center, was safely returned here, early Wednesday morning after two women walked away with her late Tuesday afternoon.

SPRINGFIELD – Victoria the Chihuahua, ‘dognapped’ late Tuesday afternoon from the Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center, was wearing a new green dress when she was safely returned to the facility early Wednesday morning.

“They had some fashion sense, I guess,” said center director Pam Peebles, of the two young women who took the 2½ pound dog out for a walk around 4 p.m. and never returned.

The theft, however, was no laughing matter. “We were pretty panicked,” Peebles said. “She has a number of different medical issues that we are watching and treating.”

Peebles said the news of the stolen dog spread fast after the center reported the theft on its Facebook page. Around midnight, however, the canine caper edged towards resolution when the center received a call from a man who said he knew the two women and wanted to return the dog anonymously.

An animal control officer agreed and a short time later that man arrived at the center with Victoria, attired in the green dress that her dognappers apparently outfitted her with.

“Their intention was to take care of her,” Peebles said. “They didn’t mean to mean her any harm.”

The women had expressed interest in adopting the dog when they arrived at the center Tuesday afternoon. It’s not unusual, Peebles said, for potential adopters to ask to take their potential pets outside before making their decision.

A volunteer, however, failed to ask the women for identification, standard operating procedure at the center, before they left with the dog, Peebles said.

The chihuahua, believed to be about 4-years-old, came to the center about two weeks ago after a man spotted her on Main Street. “She was doing a lot of coughing and was very lethargic,” Peebles said.

Center personnel named the little dog Victoria in honor of the man who found her, who is named Victor, Peebles said.

A family from West Springfield will likely arrive at the facility today to finalize their adoption of the dog.

“They were very very relieved,” Peebles said. “They were so worried about her.”

House Republicans unveiled a budget plan that would slash federal spending by about $5 trillion over 10 years.

Associated PressHouse Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., center, and others, leave a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 5, 2011, after touting his 2012 federal budget.

WASHINGTON — Mindful of the political risks, Republican presidential hopefuls treaded gingerly — or ducked — as House Republicans unveiled a budget plan that would slash federal spending by about $5 trillion over 10 years while revamping health programs for the elderly and poor.

Several, including former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, praised the budget's sponsor, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, but stopped short of fully endorsing the blueprint and didn't indicate whether they backed the massive changes in Medicare and Medicaid. Others were silent on the plan, including two Republicans who rarely pass up opportunities to inject themselves into the latest national debate: former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann.

There's a reason none was eager to talk about it: The plan, unveiled Tuesday, could rile a pivotal constituency, millions of senior citizens who depend on the government-run health care programs. Also, the proposal is unlikely to be passed without changes; it's simply the starting point of a long fight over the budget for next federal fiscal year, which begins in October.

Even former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee acknowledged the document was a starting point.

"It's doubtful the House's proposal will be passed in its current form and it's unlikely that this one proposal will be the ultimate solution to all of our economic problems," Huckabee said on his blog. "But Congressman Ryan's proposal is certainly a start — one that I support as a small step to restoring fiscal sanity and reducing the size of government."

Still, the contenders had little choice but to say something. Ignoring it altogether could anger conservative voters and tea party activists pressing for less spending and smaller government, constituencies GOP hopefuls need to court. The likely candidates are all but certain to be asked about the proposal as they campaign in the early nominating states; GOP primary voters in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina — who take their jobs of vetting candidates seriously — will demand specific answers.

But specifics were hard to come by Tuesday.

"Rep. Ryan's budget recognizes the problem with government: too much spending without fiscal responsibility," Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, who is likely to enter the presidential race in the coming weeks, said in a Twitter message.

He did not elaborate.

Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor expected to make a second White House run, was almost as brief in a statement. It was sent only to reporters who inquired about his position.

"I applaud Rep. Paul Ryan for recognizing the looming financial crisis that faces our nation and for the creative and bold thinking that he brings to the debate. He is setting the right tone for finally getting spending and entitlements under control," Romney said.

But does he back the approach? Romney pointed to his 300-page book for a detailed version of how he would govern.

Pawlenty released a statement on the plan before House Republicans unveiled it at a news conference. He called Ryan a leader — and then took the opportunity to bash the Democrat he hopes to challenge, saying, "President Obama has failed to lead and make tough choices his entire time in the White House."

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin weighed in with a Twitter posting: "There is hope! Serious & necessary leadership rolls out serious & necessary reform proposal. Good start." She directed readers to a column she wrote in December that praised Ryan.

Only former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum seemed willing to embrace the plan.

But he, too, only focused on part of it, saying, "The Republicans' approach to reforming Medicare is right on target to streamline the program, reduce waste and allow future Medicare beneficiaries to have more of a say in the needs of their benefits with a market."

Ryan's plan would convert the traditional health plan for older Americans into a system in which the government would pay for private health insurance plans. The traditional Medicare program directly pays doctors and hospitals. The revision is a nonstarter for many older Americans who see any change to such government programs as unacceptable.

The council is being asked to transfer $422,591 from its undesignated fund into the general fund to pay for all the costs incurred in fiscal 2011.

Republican file photoNorthampton City Hall

NORTHAMPTON – The City Council plans do its annual financial house-keeping— nearly $.5 million worth— when it meets on Thursday.

The council is being asked to transfer $422,591 from its undesignated fund into the general fund to pay for all the costs incurred in fiscal 2011. According to Finance Director Christopher B. Pile, the figure is not unusually high.

“It’s par for the course,” Pile said.

The money transfers are necessary because it is virtually impossible to calculate exactly the expenses for the coming fiscal year when the budget is being formulated in the spring. One of the major expenses this year is $237,544 that the city promised the police union to pay for the state’s share of the Quinn Bill. That bill offered police officers financial incentive to further their training and education, but the state cut the benefit in fiscal 2010. During contract negotiations with the police union that year, the city agreed to continue paying its fifty percent share of the Quinn funding. Last year, in fiscal 2011, the city said it will also fund the state’s share of the Quinn Bill money. In exchange, police will go two years without a cost of living increase.

Pile said the city must also come up with additional money for salaries in other departments because the Massachusetts Department of Revenue has ordered municipalities to fund some of the payroll for the first week in July, 2011, from the previous year’s budget, even tough the new fiscal year begins on July 1.

Other costs are by their nature a moving target. For example, the city’s Veterans Agent comes to the council for additional funding during the year on an as-needed basis. In part because Northampton has a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, there is a fluctuating population of veterans in the city.

Pile said the city also incurred an unanticipated $143,700 in interest on a loan to fund energy upgrades in municipal buildings. City officials believe savings in energy costs will pay for the $6.5 million project over time.

Although Pile normally seeks the transfers in May, he is submitting them early this year because he is retiring at the end of April.

Obituaries from The Republican.

A. Norbert MacDonald

Dr. A. Norbert MacDonald, of East Longmeadow, died Monday. He was born in Lourdes, Nova Scotia, and graduated in 1943 from St. Francis-Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He taught chemistry at St. Patrick's College in Ottawa, Ontario, and then at Catholic University in Washington while working on a PhD in physical chemistry. After graduating, MacDonald accepted a position as research chemist at Shawinigan Resins in Indian Orchard, a company that later merged with Monsanto and is now called Solutia. His work led to several new products and improvements to existing products. A proficient bridge player, he became a "Life Master" in 1973.

Obituaries from The Republican:

• 
  Anthony, Bertha G. (Modzelewski)




• 
  Arillotta, Rose (Schiavone)
  



• 
  Beltis, Clothilde (Auclair)
  




• Bradford, Ann Mary (Hoffman)
  




• 
  Bush, Michael P.
  



• 
  Desotell, Dorothy (Converse)




• 
  Fox, Ronald J.
  



• 
  Frappier, Gerald A. "Jerry"
  




• Gallagher, Patricia A.
  




• 
  Gibson, Arthur E.
  



• 
  Hebert, Rev. Roland G.




• 
  Jarry, Kenneth F.
  



• 
  Lacey, John T. "Bud"
  




• Lopez, Justin Arcadio
  




• 
  MacDonald, A. Norbert
  



• 
  McGreal, John R.




• 
  Moye-Scott, Patricia
  



• 
  Moynihan, John J.
  




• O'Donoghue, Thomas F.
  




• 
  O'Neil, Agnes T. (Linnehan)
  



• 
  Raymaakers, Barbara Ann (King)




• 
  Rubis, Jennie N. (Robak)
  



• 
  Schlosser, Daniel C.
  




• Wojnicki, John Paul "Johnny"
  




• 
  Worthy, Josephine M. (Westmoreland)
  

Massachusetts residents can sign up through the Registry of Motor Vehicles to donate their organs.

Photo by Manon MirabelliKirk Sanders, heart transplant recipient Susan Sanders, Austin J. Prokop and his mother, Jennifer Prokop, hold a picture of Samantha P. Prokop, who was killed at age 12 in a 2008 car accident.

SOUTHWICK – One family’s tragedy can be another one’s miracle through the ultimate gift of an organ donation – the type of donation that saved the life of Susan Sanders – who underwent a heart transplant in 2008.

“I’ve been blessed, and I want the same for others,” Sanders said this week during a flag-raising at Town Hall in recognition of Donate a Life Month.

Surrounded by family, friends and well-wishers, Sanders helped hoist the Donate a Life flag up the pole that sits on the front lawn of Town Hall in the hopes that all who drive by it will be encouraged to designate themselves as organ donors.

“It’s such a miracle,” Sanders said of her own successful heart transplant. “I feel like I won the biggest lottery in the world.”

Among those who joined Sanders for the flag-raising were other organ recipients, as well as the families of loved ones whose organs were used to help strangers in need.

Diane E. Arnold, mother of Daniel Arnold, who died in June 2008 at the age of 36 after a bike accident in New Hampshire, said all her son’s major organs were harvested and used to save the lives of patients in New England, as well as one from Southwick who received Arnold’s liver.

“We were glad that some good could come from what happened,” Diane Arnold said.

In addition to Arnold, Jennifer Prokop, who in October 2008 lost her 12-year-old daughter Samantha P. Prokop to a head injury sustained when she fell out the back of a moving sports utility vehicle, was also at the event with her family.

Making the decision to donate all of Samantha’s major organs was an easy one that brought some comfort to the family, Prokop said.

“There was no hesitation when we were asked if we wanted to donate her organs,” she said. “She was a strong, healthy girl who was almost 13. If we could help one person, then some good could come out of it.”

Surveying the scene around her at the all those who participated in the event, Sanders said she owes her life to families like the Arnolds and Prokops.

“Without people like them, there wouldn’t be people like me,” she said with tears in her eyes.

Southwick joins hundreds of other organizations throughout the country that are participating in Flags Across America to promote the understanding of organ and tissue donation, said Caitlyn E. Bernabucci, public education and community relations specialist with LifeChoice Donor Services in Windsor, Conn.

“This regional display of unity will encourage people to learn about donation, to make the decision to register, and ultimately, to save and improve lives,” she said.

To join the donor registry, state residents can visit the Registry of Motor Vehicles or sign up online at Donate Life New England at www.DonateLifeNewEngland.org.

The sophomore at Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter School plays varsity soccer and teaches Irish Step Dancing.

Submitted photoSydney Rachael Levin-Epstein

LONGMEADOW – Sydney Rachael Levin-Epstein never thought about being a pageant queen.

“My mom signed me up for this pageant and at first I thought this is awful, it goes against my morals, but then I changed my mind once I realized what the pageant is all about,” said the 15-year-old Longmeadow teen who will be participating in the 12th annual Miss Massachusetts’ Outstanding Teen Pageant on Saturday.

“I have really grown from this experience and learned a lot,” she said.

Eight teens will be participating in the competition, which will be held at Keith Middle School in New Bedford at 6 p.m.

The teens will compete for scholarship money and the opportunity to represent the state at the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen Pageant in Orlando, Fla., in August.

“It’s been a challenging experience. The judges can ask you questions about everything, from your thoughts on the crisis in Japan to your thoughts on sexting. They really keep you on your toes,” she said.

Levin-Epstein is the daughter of Sheila Mulholland and Jonathan Levin-Epstein of Longmeadow. This is her first time participating in a pageant.

A sophomore at the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter School in South Hadley, Levin-Epstein plays varsity soccer and has had training in Irish Step Dancing for 13 years at the Claddagh School of Irish Dance, where she is now a teacher. She has studied various forms of dance at the New England Dance Conservatory for 12 years.

Donna Klamkin, a pageant director along with Valarie Lacasse, said the mission of the organization is to “promote scholastic achievement, creative accomplishment, healthy living and community involvement for America’s teens.”

The competition is open to teens ages 13-17. They are judged on a personal interview, talent, scholastic achievement, evening wear, on-stage questions and lifestyle and fitness.

Such thefts, driven by the high cost of metals, have skyrocketed in recent years.

Roberto Vega

SPRINGFIELD – A fast-acting passerby helped police interrupt the theft of copper piping from a vacant city-owned home in the North End Tuesday night.

Sgt. John M. Delaney said police arrested two suspects who had been in the process of cutting up piping inside the vacant home at 11 Jefferson Ave.

The incident began about 6 p.m. as Officer Raul Gonzalez, parked at Main Street and Jefferson Avenue, issued a citation to a motorist, Delaney, aide to Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet, said. A pedestrian came running over and told Gonzalez that thieves had entered the home.

When Gonzalez pulled his cruiser into the driveway, he saw a male walk out a side door that had been broken into. Delaney said the officer handcuffed the suspect and then saw another male exit the doorway with a “deer in headlights,” shocked look on his face.

That suspect did an about-face and ran back into the house. Other officers, arriving on scene, arrested the suspect after he ran out the back and jumped a fence.

Rolando Pabon, 46, of 65 Leslie St., and Roberto Vega, 44, of 27 Alice St., were charged with breaking and entering in the daytime for a felony and malicious damage to property,

Rolando Pabon

Last week, police arrested a suspect in the theft of 14 sewer grates from streets in the Sixteen Acres neighborhood, valued at about $200 apiece.

Because prescription drugs are legal, teens mistakenly think they are safe, a former DEA agent said.

Associated Press

MONSON – Marijuana remains the drug of choice among teens, but prescription pills are catching up in popularity, a former Drug Enforcement Administration agent said at the “Substance Abuse Awareness Night” presented by the Monson Public Schools on Tuesday.

“I’m a parent of two teens. I’m worried about everything, just like you are,” speaker Tina A. Murphy, a retired special agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration, told the crowd.

Murphy said marijuana is the most widely abused drug, and that kids unfortunately have the philosophy that “it’s not a big deal,” a sentiment often shared by their parents.

“Parents say, ‘Thank God he’s not using coke,’ or ‘Thank God he’s not using heroin,’” Murphy said.

But she said marijuana is still dangerous – it slows reaction time, and is a “gateway drug,” leading to more dangerous illicit substances.

“Marijuana is a drug. It is illegal,” she said.

Decriminalization of marijuana in 2009 has helped fuel the “not a big deal” attitude, she said. Anyone caught with an ounce or less has to pay a $100 fine, but they are spared arrest.

Murphy talked about the “changing landscape of drug abuse.” She said teens think because prescription drugs are legal, they must be safe. Prescription drug abuse is second only to marijuana abuse among teens, Murphy said. Kids will raid their parents’ medicine cabinets for the drugs.

“You are the drug dealer now,” Murphy told the audience.

She said many parents keep old medication, thinking they might need it again someday.

“If a pill or two is missing, would you know that? You need to safeguard them,” Murphy said.

She talked about the dangers of Oxycontin, a potent and highly addictive painkiller she described as “legal heroin.” It’s also expensive, and once teens get hooked, they often resort to heroin, which is considerably cheaper and widely available, to achieve the same high. Now parents have a child who was once a “good kid” breaking into homes to feed a drug habit – a “good kid who made a mistake,” she said.

Murphy encouraged parents to go into their children’s rooms and look for anything unusual. A syringe or razor blade may not be the clues to a drug problem, but bottles of cold medicine, such as Robitussin, might be. She said Robitussin abusers will drink the entire bottle to get high.

She encouraged parents to dispose of medications properly. On April 30, old prescriptions will be collected from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hampden Senior Center, Belchertown town common and Ludlow Town Hall. A list of collection sites can be found at www.dea.gov

High School Principal Andrew Linkenhoker was pleased with the turnout, which included approximately 60 parents and students. He said it would be a disservice to ignore the problem of drugs. There have been two marijuana possession incidents at the high school this year, he said.

According to a recent youth behavior risk survey, 12 percent of all Monson High School students have had at least one alcoholic drink in the past month, 8 percent have tried marijuana and 3 percent have tried another illegal substance in their lifetime.

Gibson is West Springfield's first, and only, mayor.

An updated version of this story is now available at MassLive.

Edward J. Gibson

WEST SPRINGFIELD – Edward J. Gibson, West Springfield’s first and only mayor, announced Wednesday he will not seek a sixth two-year term.

Gibson, who became mayor when West Springfield changed to a mayoral form of government, said the “24/7 nature of the job” had taken its toll.

Gibson said he will spend the remaining months of his term concentrating on the job and has no specific plans for the future.

The suicide was at the same Cape Cod camp where Sen. Scott Brown claimed he was sexually abused as a young boy.

SANDWICH — Authorities are investigating the apparent suicide of a man accused of molesting a boy at a Cape Cod youth camp.

It's the same camp that has come under scrutiny since it was linked to a childhood sex abuse allegation by U.S. Sen. Scott Brown.

The Cape and Island district attorney says the man who killed himself was an employee of Camp Good News in Sandwich and was recently accused of sex abuse.

This week, a 35-year man came forward to say he was abused at the camp more than two decades ago. The Cape Cod Times reported Tuesday that the suspect was not Brown's alleged abuser.

Brown said in his recent memoir that he was molested at an unnamed Christian summer camp in the 1970s. Camp Good News later said Brown had gone there.

The rally comes after U.S. Census data showed that the state’s immigrant population boomed over the last 10 years.

File photo / The Republican

BOSTON – Hundreds of immigrants and their advocates held a rally Wednesday at the Massachusetts Statehouse for the 15th annual gathering known as “Immigrant Day.“

The event attracted immigrants from around the state as advocates tried to use the gathering to showcase the state’s immigrant voting power.

“This year is following a very difficult year for immigrants,“ said Franklin Soults, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, citing what he called various “anti-immigrant“ bills in other states. “So we wanted to show the power extra strong.“

The rally comes after U.S. Census data released last month showed that the state’s immigrant population boomed over the last 10 years. The state’s Latino population, for example, grew nearly 50 percent.

Soults said immigrants and their advocates intended to lobby lawmakers throughout the session now to stave off potential cuts to English language classes and health care programs for legal immigrants. He also said immigrants were hopeful that a bill allowing in-state college tuition for illegal immigrants could be revived after other states are moving to pass similar measures.

Police are on the scene of a Wednesday afternoon shooting in the city's North End.

The Republican file photo

Update: The most recent update from Baystate as of 8:15 p.m. is that the victim is in stable but serious conditions, police said. There have not yet been any arrests.

SPRINGFIELD - Springfield police are on the scene of a shooting in the area of 2612 Main Street in the city's North End that left a man with a serious injury to his midsection, police said.

Police Sgt. John Delaney, aide to Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet, said policed were called to the scene at about 4:20 p.m.

His voice wavering at times, the 55-year-old Gibson said the “24-7 nature of the job” has worn him down

File photo by Manon MirabelliEdward Gibson, West Springfield's first and only mayor, is seen last month during the St. Patrick's Parade in Holyoke.

This is an updated version of a story posted at 3:40 this afternoon.

WEST SPRINGFIELD – Mayor Edward J. Gibson, the city’s first and only mayor, announced Wednesday that he will not seek re-election to a sixth two-year term in November.

His voice wavering at times, the 55-year-old Gibson said the “24-7 nature of the job” has worn him down and it is now time to recharge his batteries. Gibson said over his decade as the city’s chief executive his family has understood that the job has always come first.

Gibson made the announcement before television cameras in the auditorium of the community’s municipal building. About 25 officials and city workers had gathered there.

The mayor said he chose now to make the announcement as nomination papers for office will be available May 2 and he wants to give candidates plenty of time for their campaigns. Gibson said he is not endorsing anyone’s candidacy, joking that it would be welcomed by some, but seen “as a poison pill” by others.

So far, there are no declared candidates for mayor.

Gibson said he looks forward to devoting himself full time to his work as mayor during the remaining months of his term, which expires Jan. 1. Among his projects will be continuing work toward building a new $93 million high school as well as move forward with plans to build a new library, a project estimated at $13.4 million, he said.

Gibson thanked the voters and his supporters for giving him “the privilege” to serve as mayor.

“We have accomplished a lot,” Gibson said. “It has been a passion for me to serve as mayor of West Springfield here.”

Among his accomplishments that he mentioned were the completion of the middle school building project despite problems with methane gas.

“That was my first challenging problem and probably to this day my biggest headache to overcome,” the mayor said.

Gibson pointed to a $68.8 million state grant recently won to build a new high school and better budgeting practices that have made the city financially stable, something for which he gave credit to his financial team and officials. Other accomplishments he highlighted were installation of traffic lights where there had not been any to make intersections safer and developing more efficient financial procedures. Gibson said dealing with the challenging financial times will be the biggest issue confronting his successor.

“Ed did a very good job in West Springfield, as did Claire in Northampton,” Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said, regarding Gibson and Northampton Mayor Mary Claire Higgins, who is also not seeking re-election.

“It can be a very rewarding job, but it is grueling at times. You have to have passion for this job. Myself, obviously the passion is still there,” said Sarno, who will seek re-election this fall.

“I like Ed,” Higgins said. “We spent almost the same amount of time in office. He was a pleasure to work with on regional projects.”

Chicopee Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette said there are a lot of challenges facing mayors this year, such as a 40 percent reduction in state aid. Nevertheless, he said it came as a surprise to him that Gibson is not seeking reelection.

Bissonnette said that in spite of the long hours and frustrations, he finds being mayor of Chicopee very rewarding and he said he is planning on running for reelection.

“For me, this is part of giving back to the community,” he said.

Holyoke Mayor Elaine Pluta has announced she is seeking reelection. She is facing a challenge from Alex B. Morse, a 21-year-old senior at Brown University.

Westfield Mayor Daniel M. Knapik has announced he plans on seeking a second term.

Mayor Michael A. Tautznik of Easthampton announced in February he would seek re-election to an eighth term.

Students use imitation buildings to learn how to install insulation, weatherstripping and other heat-saving products.

The Republican | Mark M. MurrayJames Neveau, left, Director of the MassGreen Initiative at Springfield Technical Community College, gives a tour of the school's weatherization training program area to Jeffrey Simon, Director of the Massachusetts Recovery and Reinvestment office, right. Most of the building material around them was purchased for training using federal stimulus dollars.

SPRINGFIELD – Administrators behind a weatherproofing course at Springfield Technical Community College expect a full class of 12 students when classes resume this summer.

And plans for a second-level course, focusing this time on taking weatherization skills and starting a contacting business with them, is also in the works for fall, said James F. Neveu, director of STCC's MassGreen Institute.

It all sounded good to Jeffrey A. Simon, director of the Massachusetts Recovery and Reinvestment Office. Simon toured the Institute’s collection of full-size wall, window and attic mockups at STCC on Wednesday morning. Students use the fake buildings to learn how to install insulation, weatherstripping and other heat-saving products.

Simon’s office is in charge of monitoring the $7 billion in federal stimulus money Massachusetts has either received thus far, or will receive soon. It’s money that is running out, so stimulus programs must now move toward a greater degree of self-sufficiency.

“This is what the stimulus has done, it has created jobs in ones and twos,” Simon said. “In the long run, I think that will be a much more sustainable model. you just don’t get those thousands of jobs in one shot.”

The federal $787 billion stimulus program began in 2009 and funded immediate federal tax cuts and incentives, an expansion of unemployment benefits and other social entitlement programs. In addition, 28 federal agencies received recovery funds to finance contracts, grants, and loans around the country, according the to the government’s recovery.gov website.

Massachusetts has spent about $6 billion of the $7 billion it is expected to receive, Simon said. More than 71,000 people received a stimulus-funded paycheck between Feb. 17, 2009 and Dec. 31.

The MassGreen Institute received $1 million in stimulus money in 2010 to follow up a $1.87 million state grant it received in 2009. So far, it’s graduated 46 students from STCC, Greenfield Community College, Bristol Community College in Fall River and North Shore Community College in Beverly.

Workers are building a weatherization classroom this week at Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield, Neveu said. Qunsigamond, in Worcester, and Roxbury community colleges are also planning classrooms that will likely be built in the summer or fall, he said.

Stimulus funding is running out, Simon said. But the classrooms and programs will remain. He expects demand for the classes and to hire graduates to rise along with winter heating costs.

Simon later went to Springfield Police Headquarters at 130 Pearl St. Springfield police received more than $850,000 in stimulus money in November 2009 to hire five police officers.