Markey wrote to Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko to complain that a spokesman for Vermont Yankee had made statements "at odds with the factual history of the plant."

Associated PressRep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, is demanding to know whether the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has anything to say about the truthfulness of public statements made by the owners of the plants it regulates. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

By DAVE GRAM

MONTPELIER, Vt. — A Massachusetts congressman is demanding to know whether the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has anything to say about the truthfulness of public statements made by the owners of the plants it regulates.

Rep. Edward Markey, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, wrote Friday to NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko to complain that a spokesman for the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant had made statements "at odds with the factual history of the plant," and that the "NRC had not appropriately responded to concerns raised about this issue."

Markey's letter came nearly three months after the incident in question. On Aug. 2, the Vermont Health Department announced that the radioactive isotope strontium-90 had been found in the flesh of small-mouth bass caught in the Connecticut River about 9 miles upstream from the reactor in Vernon. The plant is about three miles from the Massachusetts line; the river flows through Massachusetts and Connecticut before emptying into Long Island Sound.

Markey took issue with a statement issued by Vermont Yankee spokesman Larry Smith saying that "There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that Vermont Yankee is the source for the strontium-90" in the fish.

At the time, both Smith and state officials said possible sources for the strontium-90 included atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons during the 1950s and '60s and the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986. Smith did not mention that Vermont Yankee had filed annual emission reports with the NRC saying it had emitted strontium-90 in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2010.

"We have 31 monitoring wells on site that are tested regularly. No groundwater sample from any well at Vermont Yankee has ever indicated the presence of strontium-90, or any other isotope other than tritium," Smith said, adding that "there is no factual basis for that suggestion" that the plant was the source.

Markey called that statement "at odds with recent history at Vermont Yankee," and cited the annual effluent reports.

On Aug. 8, David Lochbaum, director of the nuclear safety project at the Union of Concerned Scientists, sent an email to Smith and to the NRC labeling Smith's remarks "not the whole truth" and "so far short of the whole truth as to be very misleading bordering on deceitful."

NRC Branch Chief Ronald Bellamy replied Aug. 29, telling Markey, "the statements made by Mr.Smith in the press release do not fall within the NRC's purview as the NRC does not regulate statements made by licensees to the media."

Markey asked in his letter if the NRC thought Smith's Aug. 2 statements were "a truthful, accurate and complete representation of the source of the strontium." He asked for "full documentation that establishes the source of the strontium as anything other than releases from Vermont Yankee."

He also demanded documents "related to any NRC regulatory requirements regarding the veracity of statements that licensees provide to the public and the media. If there are no such requirements, please provide an explanation as to why the NRC is not concerned with the truthfulness of public statements made by licensees."

NRC spokeswoman Diane Screnci said Friday the agency will "provide a response to the congressman. She would not comment beyond that other than saying, "We don't have a requirement for communicating with the press."

Smith on Friday stuck by his earlier statements.

"It is well known that (strontium-90) is present throughout the environment at background levels due to atmospheric testing and the Chernobyl accident," he said in an email. "The finding of trace levels in a single fish sample is consistent with those background levels."

Superior Court Judge Janet Sanders entered the judgment against John Dority, awarding one victim $2 million and the other $1 million.

BOSTON — A Massachusetts judge on Friday awarded a total of $3 million to two child sex abuse victims of a former Franciscan priest who served prison time for child molestation in a separate case.

Superior Court Judge Janet Sanders entered the judgment against John Dority, awarding one victim $2 million and the other $1 million. Both were abused in Boston between 1965 and 1971, starting when they were ages 10 and 13.

Their attorney Carmen Durso said Sanders said that no amount of money could compensate either victim for their suffering.

Dority, 70, was convicted of child molestation in Rhode Island in 2005 and released from prison in 2007.

A telephone message was left Friday for Dority, who lives in Coventry, Conn.

In interview in March, Dority told The Associated Press that he never answered the lawsuit because he couldn't afford an attorney and because the allegations are true.

"What I did was completely wrong. I admit that," Dority said. "I'm very sorry for the trouble I caused, the harm I caused."

Durso said he doesn't think Dority has the money to pay the judgments, but such cases aren't about money for most victims.

"They want someone to place a value on their life and what they've lost," he said.

Police say Nicolas Guaman is an illegal immigrant from Ecuador; the case against him has sharpened discussion of whether Massachusetts should support a federal program to identify illegal immigrant criminal suspects for deportation.

WORCESTER — An alleged drunken driver police say hit a motorcyclist and dragged him beneath his truck for a quarter-mile has been indicted on a second-degree murder charge.

The Worcester district attorney announced the Friday indictment of 34-year-old Nicolas Guaman of Milford. Guaman also was indicted on other charges, including manslaughter and motor vehicle homicide, in the Aug. 20 death of 23-year-old Matthew Denice of Milford.

Police say Guaman is an illegal immigrant from Ecuador. His case has sharpened discussion of whether the state should support a federal program to identify illegal immigrant criminal suspects for deportation.

Guaman has been held on $100,000 in the case and faces arraignment Nov. 1 in Superior Court.

His attorney told the Milford Daily News he isn't surprised by the indictments, but declined further comment.

The 80-year-old chairman and CEO of News Corp. defended his handling of a phone hacking scandal in Britain and deflected any notion that he plans to step down soon.

Associated PressA protestor dressed as News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdock is seen with protestors in front of Fox Studios in Los Angeles on Friday, Oct 21, 2011. A few dozen people showed up to demonstrate outside Fox Studios where News Corp. is holding its annual shareholders meeting. Murdoch is facing shareholders with small stakes in his company for the first time since a phone-hacking scandal broke in July. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

RYAN NAKASHIMA
AP Business Writer

LOS ANGELES — Rupert Murdoch jousted with disgruntled shareholders Friday as the 80-year-old chairman and CEO of News Corp. defended his handling of a phone hacking scandal in Britain and deflected any notion that he plans to step down soon.

More than 100 protesters gathered outside the 20th Century Fox studio lot where News Corp. held its annual shareholders meeting. Inside, with his sons Lachlan and James seated before him in the front row, Murdoch parried allegations that he had poor oversight of the company, sometimes cutting off speakers to jab in an insult or dispute a fact.

Votes from the shareholders were still being counted in the afternoon but the company said a proposal from the Christian Brothers Investment Services to force the company's chairman to be an independent director had failed. Few had held out any hope they could overcome Murdoch's control of 40 percent of voting shares through a family trust, or the 7 percent stake Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal had almost certainly cast in support of him.

"It was pretty perfunctory," said Rev. Seamus Finn, who attended on behalf of the organization. "It was a nice meeting, but it didn't offer much in terms of how they're going to put this behind them."

Questions and comments from shareholders focused on the phone-hacking scandal, which caused the company this summer to shutter the tabloid News of the World and drop its $12 billion bid for full control of British Sky Broadcasting. Britons and other people worldwide were outraged to learn that a private investigator hired by the paper had hacked into the cellphone voicemail of 13-year-old Milly Dowler, potentially impeding a police investigation and giving false hope to her family. Dowler was later found to be murdered.

The phone hacking scandal has forced the resignation of two of London's top police officers, ousted top executives such as Dow Jones & Co. CEO Les Hinton, and claimed the job of Prime Minister David Cameron's former spin doctor, Andy Coulson, an ex-News of the World editor. The company said in London on Friday that it had agreed to pay 2 million pounds ($3.2 million) to her family and 1 million pounds ($1.6 million) to charities the family will choose.

Friday marked the first time Murdoch faced shareholders with small stakes in the company since the scandal broke in July.

Outside the studio lot, some demonstrators carried anti-Murdoch signs, including one that stated "Fire the Murdoch Mafia." Another read, "Rich media equals poor democracy." Some of the demonstrators were from an organization that has been staging rallies recently to demand good jobs.

Tom Watson, a member of Parliament with Britain's Labour Party, flew to Los Angeles to make a new allegation about covert surveillance techniques by company employees.

Watson asked Murdoch if he was aware that a person who had left prison was hired by News Corp.'s British newspaper unit and hacked into the computer of a former army intelligence officer. He later said the incident happened around 2005 and that evidence of the computer hacking is with London's Metropolitan Police. He said it could lead to the discovery of further victims of computer hacking. Watson said he has made the allegation before but it hasn't been widely reported.

Watson represented nearly 1,700 non-voting shares for labor group AFL-CIO and got up twice and spoke for a few minutes during the 90-minute meeting. He is been a key driver of a 2 ½-year probe into phone hacking and alleged police bribery at the company's British newspaper unit.

Murdoch said he wasn't aware of the allegation, and board director Viet Dinh said the company would look into it.

"I promise you absolutely that we will stop at nothing to get to the bottom of this and put it right," Murdoch said.

Watson evoked private investigator Glenn Mulcaire, who was jailed in 2007 for eavesdropping on the phones of royal staff. He warned that this investigation could mean more problems ahead for the company.

"News Corp. is potentially facing a Mulcaire 2," Watson said. "You haven't told any of your investors about what is to come."

Several shareholders took issue with a chart Murdoch put up showing the stock's upbeat performance compared with most media peers since the beginning of the year and since the beginning of July. They said its performance over 10 years or more lagged its peers. Murdoch said the chart was to address criticism that the company had been hurt by the hacking scandal.

Edward Mason, secretary of the Ethical Investment Advisory Group, which advises the Church of England's investments, began speaking about News Corp.'s shareholder returns when Murdoch butted in, saying "Your investments haven't been that great, but go on."

Stephen Mayne, a journalist and shareholder activist who once worked for News Corp.'s Australian newspapers, protested when Murdoch tried to bring the meeting to a close.

"Never before have you attempted to shut it down quite like this," Mayne said.

Murdoch retorted: "You had a lady friend who shut you down in the past."

Murdoch then got a laugh when he claimed he was being as open and fair as possible in letting critics air their concerns. "We even had Mr. Watson on Fox television this morning," he said. "It's called fair and balanced."

Despite the circus-like atmosphere, several large shareholder groups quietly registered their concerns, including Todd Mattley, investment officer for the California Public Employees' Retirement System, which has some $225 billion in assets.

Mattley said CalPERS voted its 1.4 million voting shares in favor of the Christian Brothers' proposal demanding an independent chairman. Although he said he knew the vote was "symbolic" he said later, "This is something we've said is a governance best practice."

The company also came under renewed fire for its dual-class share system, which allows the Murdochs to control the company despite owning voting shares that account for less than 15 percent of the company's total $44 billion market value.

Dinh said the last time the company voted on the dual-share structure was in 2007, when it passed with 77 percent of the votes.

News Corp.'s non-voting shares are down about 5 percent from when the scandal broke in early July, although they have been buoyed recently by a $5 billion share buyback plan that is about a third complete. On Friday, News Corp.'s stock rose 35 cents, or 2.1 percent, to close at $17.20.

Proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services had recommended voting out all existing board members, including Murdoch and his sons James and Lachlan. Two other firms, Glass Lewis and Egan-Jones, recommend voting against the sons, among others.

Although the vote count hadn't yet been tallied, the company said all of its director nominees had been elected.

Jay Eisenhofer, co-lead attorney in a shareholder lawsuit against News Corp. on charges of mishandling the affair, said on a conference call with Watson on Thursday that if even 20 percent of votes are cast against the re-election of Murdoch and his two sons, it would be a victory. That's because that would be nearly half the 53 percent of votes unaffiliated with the family, he said.

Associated Press video journalist John Mone contributed to this report.

Mutual aid from dozens of fire departments from around the region arrived to assist, but it was too late for the clubhouse.

Firefighters were seen trying to extinguish burning golf carts at the Greenfield Country Club around 7 a.m. Saturday. (Republican Photo/ Greg Salmon)

GREENFIELD - A massive fire destroyed the clubhouse at the Greenfield Country Club Saturday morning.

Greenfield Fire Chief Michael Wynn said the original call came in around 5:30 a.m. and that early on, flames had already consumed much of the structure.

Wynn said Greenfield police were first on the scene and reported seeing heavy smoke coming from the building. A captain with the Greenfield Fire Department was right behind the police and when he saw how far the building was already involved, he called for additional alarms to be struck.

The three-alarm fire brought mutual aid from dozens of fire departments from around the region arrived to assist, but it was too late for the historic building.

Firefighters are pictured throwing water on the rubble which once was the clubhouse at the Greenfield Country Club. (Republican Photo/ Greg Saulmon)

Bucky O'Brien, one of the PGA golf professionals who has been affiliated with the club for 43 years, arrived at the scene around 6 a.m. this morning.

He said he was on his way to the clubhouse when he received a phone call from one of the other pros telling him about the fire.

"It was beyond belief to see it. It's very difficult and we lost all the historical records of the golf course," O'Brien said. "We'll regroup and we'll rebuild, but you can't rebuild the memories. Lost in the fire were a number of plaques and other mementos from the club's long history."

After the majority of the fire was under control, only a few walls and the remained standing.

This undated postcard shows the Country Club of Greenfield as it looked sometime in the 1900s.

Around 7 a.m., firefighters scrambled on the ground to extinguish burning golf carts while firefighters from Turners Falls and Greenfield continued throwing water on the building from elevated platforms.

Wynn said the cause of the blaze will be investigated by the State Fire Marshal's Office.

As he stood watching the smoldering remnants of a club that served as his second home for almost half a century, O'Brien said that this wasn't the final chapter for the Country Club of Greenfield.

"We will bounce back," O'Brien said. "That's a promise"

Greg Saulmon contributed to this report.

Under the first phase, smoking will be banned inside public housing apartments and workplaces.

Photos by Don Treeger / The RepublicanSaab Court residents Teresa Benitez and Efrain Gonzales, from left, talk about the smoking ban at all Springfield Housing Authority properties. They are seen with Benitez' daughter, Emily Vellaneuva.

SPRINGFIELD – Teresa Benitez, 73, who has smoked most of her life, knows her smoking days are numbered at her Saab Court apartment at the Springfield Housing Authority.

The Housing Authority recently announced that it will implement a smoking ban, beginning in April for all of its public housing properties.

“I don’t have a choice so I have to quit,” Benitez said in Spanish, translated by her daughter. “I am going to miss it.”

In April, smoking will be banned inside all residences and workplaces at the authority. One year later, on April 1, 2013, the entire Housing Authority, both indoors and outdoors will be smoke-free, Authority Executive Director William H. Abrashkin said.

Benitez is not looking forward to the new policy, but her daughter, Emily Villanueva, thinks it is “great.”

“We want to have her quit,” Villanueva said. “She has tried but has failed. Now is the time for her to quit.”

Benitez said she does not expect to give up smoking sooner.

“No, I am going to wait until the very last day,” Benitez said.

Benitez recalled that she quit one time before for three years, when her youngest daughter, then 10 years old, pleaded for her to stop. Villanueva said it was her younger sister who did the pleading decades ago, but she too “gets sick” when her mother smokes near her.

To appease her non-smoking husband, Benitez often smokes on the porch, or under the stove vent, or in the bathroom.

Efrain Gonzales, a non-smoking resident at Saab Court, said he is glad a smoking ban is coming.

“Smoking is no good,” he said.

The new policy was approved by the authority’s Board of Commissioners in March, but it is being delayed and implemented in two phases to ease the transition, officials said.

Abrashkin said the new policy will promote a healthy environment and protect people from second-hand smoke. In addition, smoking is a fire hazard and the damage done by smoking is very expensive to clean up when a tenant who smokes vacates an apartment, Abrashkin said.

“By now it is firmly established that second-hand smoke is one of the major public health problems in America,” Abrashkin said. “Second-hand smoke causes cancer, respiratory and heart disease and it is a major trigger for allergies and asthma, among other health problems.”

The authority is offering help to its smoking residents and employees by providing access to smoking cessation programs and literature, Abrashkin said. The authority has 170 employees and 2,400 housing units citywide.

The Boston Housing Authority recently announced a similar smoking ban, set to take effect in September of 2012 for its approximately 25,000 tenants. Some other housing authorities also have smoking bans including Amherst.

A poll was conducted of residents prior to adoption of the smoking ban, which found that the “overwhelming majority were in favor of a smoke-free environment,” Abrashkin said.

One resident seen smoking under a bus stop shelter at the Saab Court apartments on Wednesday, however, said he believes the policy is a violation of people’s constitutional rights. The man, who declined to give his name, said he pays his rent, and believes he should be allowed to smoke unless he is bothering someone, in which case he always stops or moves.

Another resident, Kenny Maddox, who does not smoke, said he believes people should be able to do what they want in their own apartment if they pay their rent.

Abrashkin said people who are more affluent can afford to choose to live in smoke-free housing.

“Public housing residents should not be treated as second-class citizens, condemned to breathe other people’s smoke just because they do not have the means to live elsewhere,” Abrashkin said.

The commission's recommendations include requiring schools to collect annual data on bullying and to submit that information to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

02.17.2011 | SPRINGFIELD - Attorney General Martha Coakley speaks during a hearing on the Massachusetts anti-bullying legislation passed in May 2010. Coakley chairs the commission charged with reviewing the legislation.

BOSTON (AP) — Attorney General Martha Coakley is continuing her campaign to clamp down on bullying in schools.

Coakley is planning to testify Tuesday before the Legislature's Joint Committee on Education on recommendations from a special bullying commission.

The commission was created under a 2010 anti-bullying law approved by lawmakers and signed by Gov. Deval Patrick. One goal of the law is to help prevent suicides related to bullying.

The commission's recommendations include requiring schools to collect annual data on bullying and to submit that information to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Another recommendation would require schools to state in their anti-bullying plans that certain categories of students are particularly vulnerable to bullying and harassment.

The commission also looked at so-called cyberbullying through the use of the Internet and social media.

Farmers impacted by Irene may apply for the revolving fund's 3-year, $10,000 no-interest loans.

The state Department of Agricultural Resources estimates that Tropical Storm Irene led to over $5 million in damage to 6,300 acres of Western Massachusetts farmland.

Now, the non-profit Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture, based in Deerfield, has launched the CISA Emergency Farm Fund to provide loans to farmers who suffered losses from the Aug. 28 storm and those who are hit by natural disasters and severe weather in the future.

Farmers impacted by Irene can apply for the revolving fund’s 3-year, $10,000 no-interest loans at www.buylocalfood.org. CISA will consider applications starting in November and has promised to announce decisions after 15 business days.

“Our intent is to be as quick as we can be,” said CISA Executive Director Phil Korman. The loan committee includes farmers, he said.

Korman said many farms won’t be able to generate income for more than six months, making it impossible to pay toward the loans at first.

“If the need is shown, we’d be glad to defer payment for the first year,” he said.

The fund is in partnership with Whole Foods Market, Equity Trust and individual donors, including an anonymous philanthropist who provided a matching grant up to $50,000. Whole Foods Market has promised a $15,000 match, setting the fund on the path toward its goal of raising more than $100,000.

“Our stores throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut source from many of the farms that were affected in western Massachusetts,” said Ann Walsh, a spokeswoman for the Hadley Whole Foods Market, in a statement. “We want to support our famers (sic) who provide all of us with food for our families. Contributing to this fund is an important impact investment.”

Government loan and grant programs have much bigger wallets, but Korman said it could take more than a year for a farmer to get the funds and some interest rates are around four percent.

“This is a much shorter process. ... It’s designed to be helpful in an emergency situation like we have now,” he said. “Our hope is that no farmer will say no to farming because of Irene.”

Funding has also come from vendors at the Massachusetts Building at The Big E, which Eastern States Exposition matched. Donations are accepted at www.buylocalfood.org.

Hurricane Irene made landfall in North Carolina Aug. 27 and had been downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it hit New England the following day.

Eleven Massachusetts counties were declared primary natural disaster areas and four were declared federal disaster zones: Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden and Berkshire. The fund, however, will only benefit Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden for now and will only cover agricultural damage.

In a statement, state Department of Agricultural Resources commissioner Scott J. Soares said the fund “fills an important gap in a safety net for farmers.”

Korman acknowledged that “the need is greater than what we’ll be able to raise,” but that CISA wants the region to be “supportive and welcoming” to farms.

The race is a rematch of the 2009 election.

Timothy D. McLellan

CHICOPEE – Timothy S. McLellan is announcing his bid for re-election to a third term as the Ward 6 representative to the City Council.

In what will be a rematch of the 2009 election, David M. Amo is challenging McLellan. McLellan won the election by 11 votes two years ago.

McLellan, 45, a financial advisor who lives at 33 Robak Drive, said he has spent two years working with constituents to ensure they were informed and their concerns were answered during the Burnett Road construction project. He said he was able to expand the sidewalk work beyond the original plans.

“I believe there is still much work to be done to improve the Burnett Road corridor,” McLellan said. “I continue to work with state officials and local officials to ensure that the needed improvements get done in the most timely and cost efficient manner.”

He said he has worked to oppose the Palmer Renewable Energy biomass wood-burning plant proposed for east Springfield, at the request of residents concerned about it’s impact on air quality here.

McLellan said he has worked with city officials to ensure the former Navy housing was maintained until it was acquired by the city. He said he will continue to work with city officials to see the development of 25 acres of land off Kelly Road, that was recently acquired, will fit with the neighborhood.

“Public Safety has always been a top priority for me. When Sheridan Circle wanted to form a Neighborhood Watch, I was able along with the Police Department to help get things started with the necessary information and signage to ensure that people can feel safe in their neighborhoods. I will continue to support any measure that enhances public safety in our community,” he said.

In a statement, Brown said Lubchenco was indifferent to the industry's struggles and wrongly committed to a new management system he says is destroying fishing jobs.

In this March 2, 2010 file photo, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, chief, Jane Lubchenco looks out from the waterfront as she speaks to fisherman in Gloucester, Mass. Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown said Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011 in a news conference in Gloucester, that he is calling on President Obama to fire Lubchenco, saying she's worsened the fishing industry's problems. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm, File)

GLOUCESTER, Mass. (AP) — Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown is calling on President Barack Obama to fire the head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, saying she's worsened the fishing industry's problems.

Brown said Saturday in a press conference at the Gloucester waterfront that Obama should replace Jane Lubchenco.

In a statement, Brown said Lubchenco was indifferent to the industry's struggles and wrongly committed to a new management system he says is destroying fishing jobs.

Brown joins Massachusetts Rep. John Tierney and North Carolina Rep. Walter Jones, who last year called for Lubchenco's dismissal.

A NOAA spokesman said Lubchenco has always sought success for fishermen and wants to partner with them to build a profitable industry. He pointed to NOAA's commitment this week of millions to fund required on-board catch observers, a cost fishermen had worried they'd have to absorb.

Voters do not have to decide yet where the funds will come from.

File photo by John Suchocki / The RepublicanLibrary Director Jennifer R. Grant and Vice Chairman of the library trustee's and building committee member Virginia Snopek look at an artist's rendering of the proposed new Granby Public Library earlier this year.

GRANBY – Voters in Granby will assemble for a special Town Meeting that may take the town one step closer to getting a new public library.

The event is scheduled for Monday at 7 p.m. at Granby High School.

The single article on the warrant asks whether residents will allot $861,000 toward building the library.

Voters do not have to decide yet where the funds will come from. The warrant merely asks whether they agree to “appropriate, borrow or bond, transfer from available funds or transfer from the Stabilization Fund ”the specified amount to build a new library.

The Granby Finance Committee, which is required by law to comment on such actions, recommends that the request be approved, said Finance Committee chairman John Libera.

“We voted, we discussed it, and we’re behind the project,” said Libera. “The Library Building Committee did a tremendous job, and we give our congratulations to everyone involved.”

The poposed library will cost $4.6 million.

Supporters of the library have been trying for almost 30 years to get a larger space, but the convergence of several events has brought their dream closer than ever.

In January, Library Trustees announced that Fred and Alice Stewart of Granby would donate ample land on Route 202, the main artery for government and business in Granby, for the new library. The land was estimated to be worth $300,000.

They also announced that Dr. Thomas Bombardier, formerly an ophthalmologist in Holyoke and brother to Granby Board of Health chairman Richard Bombardier, had donated $50,000 to the effort.

Thomas Bombardier offered an additional $150,000, provided the town could match that sum by June. Under the leadership of Virginia Snopek, chairwoman of the Board of Trustees of the Granby Free Public Library, the town met the challenge.

Then, in July, Snopek and her team were notified by the Massachusetts Public Library Construction Authority that their application for a provisional grant of $2 million had been approved.

Again, the offer was contingent on the willingness of Granby residents to raise the rest of the money needed for the project. The grant-maker must be assured of that commitment by January 2012.

That’s where the $861,000 request comes in. Trustees and Friends of the Granby Free Public Library say that’s how much they will need to claim the state grant.

An officer was injured in a struggle that led to the discovery of an array of drugs allegedly possessed by Springfield resident Joseph O'Neil.

EAST LONGMEADOW - A Springfield man was arrested in East Longmeadow on Friday following an incident behind the Dollar Tree in the Heritage Park Plaza.

Just after 7:30 p.m., an officer in the area was patrolling behind the plaza when he came upon a car with two people sitting inside it, according to East Longmeadow police Sgt. Robert Driscoll.

"When the officer approached the vehicle, he smelled marijuana coming from it," Driscoll said. "After that he searched the car and then went to pat down the subjects for his own safety."

At that point, Driscoll said, 20-year-old Joseph O'Neil of Springfield allegedly resisted and injured the officer in a scuffle. Another officer arrived and O'Neil was subdued, Driscoll said.

But a search led to the discovery of marijuana, LSD, heroin, a hypodermic needle, a glass pipe and Suboxone, which is a prescription drug typically used to treat addiction to an opiate, such as heroin.

O'Neil was taken into custody and charged with assault and battery on a police officer, resisting arrest, and possession of the illegal drugs.

He was held awaiting arraignment and the passenger from the vehicle was not charged in the incident.

Just after 1:30 p.m., police were called to the area around Mazarin Street to investigate an incident where two armed Hispanic men allegedly pistol whipped a taxi driver.

Republican file photo

SPRINGFIELD - Police were searching for two armed men in the Indian Orchard section of the city Saturday afternoon following a violent attack on a taxi driver.

Just after 1:30 p.m., police were called to the area around Mazarin Street to investigate an incident where two armed Hispanic men allegedly pistol whipped a taxi driver.

The men apparently beat up and pistol whipped the driver. They were last seen by witnesses, including an off-duty police officer, stripping layers of clothing and running onto the trails behind Mazarin Street.

Minutes after officers began responding to the area, another patrol found a white t-shirt and a blue hooded sweatshirt near a home on the 100 block of Montcalm Street, a couple blocks from the scene.

Officers along with K-9 patrols were canvassing the neighborhood and searching for the suspects. Initial reports indicated one was armed with a knife while the other was armed with a gun.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Springfield police Detective Bureau at (413) 787-6355.

Those who wish to remain anonymous may text a tip via a cell phone by addressing a text message to “CRIMES,” or “274637,” and then beginning the body of the message with the word “SOLVE.”

Lawyer Michael Pill said that he has not yet seen the additional emails, because they were sent to his client Maria Tymocko, but is still not satisfied that their demands have been meet.

View full sizeFile photo by Michael S. Gordon / The RepublicanThe new barns at the Three County Fair Grounds were officially dedicated in September. Speakers, from left, included Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray, Bruce R. Shallcross, general manager, Three County Fair, Suzanne Beck, executive director, Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, Jay Healy, Massachusetts/Connecticut/Rhode Island state director for USDA Rural Development, U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, Northampton City Council President and acting Mayor David J. Narkewicz, Richard Sullivan, Massachusetts Environment and Energy secretary, Raymond Duda, president of the Three County Fairground Redevelopment Corp., Scott Soares, Massachusetts Agricultural Commissioner and state Rep. Peter V. Kogot, D-Northampton.

NORTHAMPTON – It will be up to a judge to decide if the latest batch of emails turned over by the city to former city councilor Maria Tymoczko is enough.

Acting mayor David J. Narkewicz this week sent Tymoczko 21 emails that passed through the computer of Teri A. Anderson, the city’s Community and Economic Development Officer. The stack of correspondences adds to the pile already submitted to Tymoczko, who is suing the city in superior court for the information.

Tymoczko, who lives on Pomeroy Terrace, has kept a wary eye on plans to develop the nearby Three County Fairground. She has expressed concerns about the impact of a revamped drainage system on what she believes is an already overloaded neighborhood system. She has demanded to see all the correspondences involving Anderson, who has been a member of the redevelopment project’s Board of Directors.

In August, City Solicitor Elaine Reall voluntarily turned over the bulk of the emails involving Anderson, reserving the right to redact sections involving her legal advice, saying it constituted attorney/client privilege. Tymoczko and her lawyer, Michael Pill, argued that there were still emails not made available to them.

On Thursday, Narkewicz sent Tymoczko an additional 21 emails, which he said he had located by ordering a search of the city’s electronic archives. According to Narkewicz, city employees have limit space in their in-boxes and are instructed to delete older files with the understanding that they will remain on the city’s main server.

Narkewicz said 19 of the 21 emails are threads of correspondences that have already been turned over to Tymoczko. Redacted portions involve information such as telephone numbers and financial figures pertaining to the fair’s plans.

In a letter to Tymoczko that accompanied the emails, Narkewicz said he shares her concern about city employees such as Anderson serving on private boards and has removed Anderson from the redevelopment Board of Directors. He will ask the board to create an ex-officio position for a city representative.

“I do believe it is important for the city and neighborhood to have a seat at the table on this important project,” he wrote.

Pill said Friday that he has not yet seen the additional emails, because they were sent to Tymocko, but is still not satisfied that their demands have been meet.

“I still don’t have explanations for two or three redactions,” he said, noting that they appear to pertain to people outside of city government who would not be covered by attorney/client privilege. He plans to file a motion to produce a privilege log which, if granted, would force the city to explain the redactions.

Pill added that he finds it hard to believe Anderson did not know about the additional emails stored in the city’s computer archives.

Narkewicz, on the other hand, believes the city has done all it can to share its information and is hopeful this will be the end of the matter.

“I feel like I handled it fairly and thoroughly and decisively,” he said.

Melissa D. Boisselle, president of PassportHolyoke and director of Wistariahurst Museum, said the idea was for visitors to spend an entire day in the city, and give them a variety of events from which to choose. “There’s a misconception that there’s not enough to do for the entire day,” Boisselle said.

The Republican/John SuchockiFile photo - Donald T. Sanders, artistic director for MIFA leads a tour of interested citizens through the Victory Theater as part of Discover Holyoke last year.

HOLYOKE – It was all about discovering Holyoke on Saturday.

The third annual Discover Holyoke Day, organized by PassportHolyoke, kicked off Saturday morning at Wistariahurst Museum and featured events throughout the day - historic tours of the city, museums, theater and dance performances, workshops, children’s crafts and more.

“I just got here,” said city resident Mary G. Potyrala, “I want to check out the performances and performing arts. I like just the feel of having a party. This is fun stuff.”

Marianne Holden, operations manager for the Merry-Go-Round, called the event “terrific” and an affordable way to explore what the city has to offer. For only a dollar, patrons could buy a wristband that allowed them free or discounted access to the events around the city.

Melissa D. Boisselle, president of PassportHolyoke and director of Wistariahurst Museum, said the idea was for visitors to spend an entire day in the city, and give them a variety of events from which to choose.

“There’s a misconception that there’s not enough to do for the entire day,” Boisselle said.

A double-decker Peter Pan bus drove visitors around the city on a sightseeing tour. It drove by City Hall, Open Square, Heritage State Park, the dam, and also gave riders a view of Mt. Tom, according to city historian and Wistariahurst curator Penni Martorell.

Inside Open Square, Jeanette D. Crumb, of Belchertown, was getting ready to do her cupcake decorating demonstration. She had festive creations on display - cupcakes with witch faces, skeletons, ghosts, spiders and a graveyard scene. There also were a few with flower designs. All the decorations were edible, and she brought materials so visitors could try decorating cupcakes themselves.

“It’s just so wonderful when you see folks make their first rose. They get so excited,” Crumb said.

Over at the library, evening children’s librarian Jason M. Lefebvre was offering a craft program, similar to what the library hosts on Wednesday nights. Children also received a free book and bag for visiting.

Parked outside the Merry-Go-Round was a stationary train from the Pioneer Valley Railroad that visitors could explore.

Kathy A. and Richard Cote, of Chicopee, brought their 2-year-old granddaughter Aubrey Merrick, on the train. Aubrey called it “spooky” and “good.”

They also had just arrived and were checking out the list of activities being offered.

“We were anxious to see this,” said Kathy Cote, adding they visit the Merry-Go-Round regularly.

Events continue until 4 p.m. Information can be found on the PassportHolyoke website: www.passportholyoke.org

A man trying to break up the fight was slashed and needed 12 stitches, the police chief said.

File photo

PALMER - Two men will be arraigned in Palmer District Court next month after police said they fought outside the Walnut Street Cafe on Sept. 27.

Police said William M. White, 46, of 2024 High St., Three Rivers, and Nathan J. Marrin, 30, of 8 Cottage Ave., Wilbraham, each were charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Police said the disturbance began when Marrin attempted to enter the Walnut Street Cafe and was told he was not welcome. Police Chief Robert P. Frydryk said Marrin and White got into a fight outside the bar, and a man who attempted to break up the fight was slashed with a knife by Marrin. The victim needed 12 stitches, Frydryk said.

White was charged because he kicked Marrin, Frydryk said.

City Councilor Joseph M. Mineo cities his dedication to the city as the main reason he seeks re-election to the board.

Agawam City Councilor Joseph Mineo

AGAWAM – Veteran City Councilor Joseph Mineo has announced he will seek a seventh two-year term on the board Nov. 8, citing a need for strong leadership.

“These are still challenging times for Agawam. Local aid and other financial issues continue to present as major concerns. Now, more than ever, we will need strong leadership to make decisions that will only grow increasingly difficult,” Mineo stated in a recently issue press release.

Mineo, 54, said Thursday the main reason he seeks re-election is his dedication to the city.

“I’ve always been dedicated to the Town of Agawam,” he said. “It is just a passion, a passion to help the town, the community.”

Mineo said he is proud of his work on the City Council’s sewer committee, of which he was chair for nine years.

The councilor said he has made constituent service, public safety and education top concerns, citing his having voted in favor of buying the new ladder truck in the Fire Department. The candidate has sent all three of his children to the city’s public schools.

Mineo also pointed to his work on School Street Park, issues of concern to seniors and public works projects.

The councilor said he is proud he voted in favor of the park being developed off School Street, the building of the Senior Center and the building of the public works headquarters on Suffield Street.

The candidate is the coordinator of the Workforce Investment Act program at Futureworks Career Center in Springfield. He has been a resident of the city for more than 25 years.

Mineo asks that residents contact him with any questions or concerns at (413) 789-4356.

City Council candidate Billy Chester said a change in the members of the City Council, some have served for as long as 10 years, could result in the generation of some new ideas.

AGAWAM – Billy J. Chester, a retiree living on Barry Street, has announced he is seeking a seat on the City Council as an average resident and taxpayer of Agawam.

“Being born and growing up in the Midwest, I am not an Agawam native, business owner, teacher, lawyer or retired town employee, but the average resident and taxpayer of Agawam,” he said in a prepared statement. “In fact, I have not held any political office. I am obligated to no one but you, the people of Agawam, and will work diligently for you."

Chester said Tuesday the main reason he is running for office is because he believes it is time for change as some councilors have been on the board for as long as 10 years.

“A change is good for the town and brings in new ideas,” he said.

The candidate identified transparency and accountability in government as his main issues. He suggested department heads appear before the council every quarter to submit reports.

Chester has also called for resolutions being thoroughly explained before being voted on by the council.

“Each issue should be explained, especially pertaining to monetary expenditures, and not just referred to as a chapter of section, or dollar amounts so the people know exactly what is being voted upon and where the money is going,” he stated.

The candidate also identified himself as pro-business, promising to review the permitting process for businesses.

Chester was born in and grew up in Indiana farm country and enlisted in the Air Force after graduating from high school. He was in the service from 1960 to 1964. He got a bachelor’s degree in business administration from American International College after attending its evening division for 10 years.

He worked in accounting administration for many years for the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co.

He and his wife, Helen, live at 320 Barry St. They have two married children.

Josef Warner,29, Springfield was arrested by Holyoke police officers along with mall security after being caught on camera making the call.

HOLYOKE - A Springfield man was arrested Saturday afternoon after allegedly being caught on camera making a bomb threat at the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside.

According to Holyoke police Sgt. Kevin Thomas, the call came in around 1 p.m. and led officers to conduct a search at the mall. When no bomb was found, detectives pulled surveillance footage from inside the mall, where the call reportedly was phoned in from.

It was a short time later when 29-year-old Josef Warner, of 70 Bristol St., Springfield, was arrested by officers along with mall security.

Thomas said that the mall was not evacuated because there was no evidence of a credible threat.

Booking information on Warner was not immediately available although he is expected to be arraigned on felony charges Monday morning.

A kitchen fire at 176 Centre St. Saturday afternoon was quickly extinguished, according to Fire Department spokesman Dennis G. Leger.

SPRINGFIELD – A kitchen fire at 176 Centre St. in the Indian Orchard section of the city Saturday afternoon was quickly extinguished, according to Fire Department spokesman Dennis G. Leger.

Leger said the fire was started by grease on the stove and reported about 3 p.m.

Although the fire was confined to the stove and an adjacent cupboard, it caused approximately $5,000 in damage to a second floor apartment in the four-unit residence.

The building is owned by Nery Bosque, of Haverhill, in Indian Orchard, he said. Firefighters cleared the scene within an hour.