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Springfield mayoral candidates Domenic Sarno, Jose Tosado to meet in 1st debate since preliminary election

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The debate, including questions from MassLive.com readers, will be broadcast by CBS-3, and will be jointly sponsored by The Republican, MassLive.com and El Pueblo Latino.

domenic sarno vs jose tosado.jpgSpringfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, left, is being challenged in the Nov. 8 election by City Council President Jose Tosado, right.

SPRINGFIELD - Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and challenger Jose F. Tosado will face off Friday night in their first televised debate since the Sept. 20 preliminary election.

The debate will be broadcast live from 7 to 7:30 p.m., by CBS-3, and will be jointly sponsored by The Republican, MassLive.com and El Pueblo Latino.

“We are pleased to be able to combine the resources and audience of CBS3, The Republican, MassLive.com, and El Pueblo Latino to stage this important debate,” said Wayne E. Phaneuf, executive editor of The Republican. “This election will determine who will be Springfield’s first mayor to hold a four-year term and help guide the city’s rebuilding effort.”

Sarno was the top vote-getter on Sept. 20 ballot, with 60 percent of the vote, followed by Tosado with 23 percent of the vote. The winner will be decided on Election Day, Nov. 8.

A third candidate, Antonette E. Pepe, was defeated in the preliminary election, coming in third place with 16.5 percent of the vote.

Phaneuf will serve as the moderator. Reporters from The Republican and CBS-3 will serve on the panel.

In addition to questions from the media, Phaneuf will mix in pre-screened reader questions and potential live questions via MassLive.com during the debate.

The format for the debate will include one-minute answers with 30-second rebuttals, and one-minute closing statements from each candidate.

The winner of a coin flip will decide if he wants the first question or the final closing statement. The questions will alternate after the first question. The candidates took part in three formal debates prior to the Sept. 20 preliminary election.

Televised debates are also scheduled on abc40 on Nov. 2, at 5:30 p.m., broadcast live, and on WWLP-22, scheduled for broadcast on Nov. 6, at noon, pre-recorded.

In past debates, the candidates for mayor have clashed on issues ranging from their approach to reducing violent crime in Springfield to their strategies for improving the city’s fiscal and economic climate.


Accumulating snow, as much as 1-2 inches in higher elevations, sliding towards Western Massachusetts

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The Pioneer Valley, from Greenfield south, will see flurries or a coating of snow at best.

snowflakes_9549.jpg10.26.2011 | SPRINGFIELD - A pedestrian crosses the walkway over East Columbus Avenue to Tower Square Wednesday morning.

SPRINGFIELD – Snow, and perhaps a few other four-letter words, will fly Thursday night.

Abc40 / Fox 6 meteorologist Mike Masco said the higher elevations -- say 800 feet or more -- could see as much as 1 to 2 inches of snow.

The Pioneer Valley, meanwhile, from Greenfield and points south, will see flurries or a coating at best, Masco said.

The good news is that accumulation will likely be limited to vehicles, walkways and grassy areas. It’s still too warm, Masco said, for the snow to accumulate on the roadways.

Rain, heavy at times, will change over to wet snow once darkness falls on Thursday, Masco said.

The white stuff is arriving bit early amidst a strange autumn that has seen delayed changes in leaf-drop and color. Western Massachusetts typically doesn’t see snow until mid-November, Masco said.

“It’s a little early,” Masco said. “But, is it totally uncommon? Absolutely not.”

The record books indicate that the earliest accumulating snow arrived here came on Oct. 10, 1979, when two inches accumulated at Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee, Masco said.

“It’s not a record-setter,” Masco said of the anticipated snow. “It’s just one of those things.”

The sun will return on Friday, but breezy and cool temperatures will make it feel more like mid-November, Masco said.

There is a chance, Masco said, for a coastal storm to bring more snow over the weekend, although computer models diverge, with some predicting a seaward track that will leave the region dry.

“Right now it’s just to early to say,” Masco. “Either way, things will be staying chilly through the weekend.”

The latter scenario bodes well for weekend leaf-raking -- unless the leaves fail to cooperate and cling to the trees a bit longer.

Man pleads guilty to 2005 Worcester drug ring slaying

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Randy Gregoire was already serving a 15-year federal prison sentence on gun and drug charges.

WORCESTER — A man already serving a 15-year federal prison sentence on gun and drug charges has been sentenced to an additional 10 years after pleading guilty to manslaughter to a Worcester shooting.

Randy Gregoire had been charged with murder in the July 2005 shooting death of 28-year-old Barrington Baker of Salem, but pleaded guilty in Worcester Superior Court on Tuesday to the reduced charge of manslaughter.

The Telegram & Gazette reports that The 31-year-old Gregoire will start his state sentence at the conclusion of his federal sentence.

Authorities say Gregoire shot Baker in the head and disposed of the body in the woods. The remains were found a year later.

Police say the men were part of the same drug ring and Gregoire shot Baker because he no longer trusted him.

Stop & Shop mobile app expands in Mass., Conn., RI

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Stop & Shop says shoppers using the app should expect to receive eight to 10 targeted coupons per shopping trip.

QUINCY— Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. LLC is expanding the availability of a mobile app that allows customers to use their personal mobile devices to scan, tally and bag their groceries while they shop in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.

The Quincy-based supermarket chain launched a pilot SCAN IT! Mobile app program in June for iPhone users in three stores. The app is now available for many Android devices and the initiative is now expanding to 42 additional stores.

Stop & Shop says the mobile app provides personalized, relevant and specific offers to shoppers based on their location in-store and purchase history. Shoppers should expect to receive eight to 10 targeted coupons per shopping trip, possibly saving between $250 and 500 a year.

The supermarket chain is part of Ahold.

Obama outlines college loan plan aimed at cash-strapped graduates

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Education Secretary Arne Duncan said the changes could save some borrowers hundreds of dollars a month.

102611obama.jpgPresident Barack Obama speaks at a campaign event in San Francisco, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Seeking to shore up support among cash-strapped college graduates and students struggling with rising tuition costs, President Barack Obama is outlining a plan to allow millions of student loan recipients to lower their payments and consolidate their loans.

Outside of mortgages, student loans are the No. 1 source of household debt. Young voters were an important bloc in Obama's 2008 campaign, and student loan debt is a common concern among Occupy Wall Street protesters.

Obama's announcement, to take place Wednesday in Denver, comes the same day a new report is being released by the College Board. It shows average in-state tuition and fees at four-year public colleges rose $631 this fall, or 8.3 percent, compared with a year ago. Nationally, the cost of a full credit load has passed $8,000, an all-time high.

The White House said Obama will use his executive authority to provide student loan relief in two ways.

First, he will accelerate a measure passed by Congress that reduces the maximum repayment on student loans from 15 percent of discretionary income annually to 10 percent. The White House wants it to go into effect in 2012, instead of 2014. In addition, the White House says the remaining debt would be forgiven after 20 years, instead of 25. About 1.6 million borrowers could be affected.

Second, he will allow borrowers who have a loan from the Federal Family Education Loan Program and a direct loan from the government to consolidate them into one loan. The consolidated loan would carry an interest rate of up to a half percentage point less than before. This could affect 5.8 million more borrowers.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan told reporters on a conference call that the changes could save some borrowers hundreds of dollars a month.

"These are real savings that will help these graduates get started in their careers and help them make ends meet," Duncan said.

The White House said the changes will carry no additional costs to taxpayers.

Last year, Congress passed a law that lowered the repayment cap and moved all student loans to direct lending by eliminating banks as the middlemen. Before that, borrowers could get loans directly from the government or from the Federal Family Education Loan Program; the latter were issued by private lenders but basically insured by the government. The law was passed along with the health care overhaul with the anticipation that it could save about $60 billion over a decade.

Today, there are 23 million borrowers with $490 billion in loans under the Federal Family Education Loan Program. Last year, the Education Department made $102.2 billion in direct loans to 11.5 million recipients.

Increases in federal aid have helped ease the burden on students dealing with tuition increases, the White House Council of Economic Advisers said in a report Wednesday.

"Despite large increases in the published price of college over the past four years, the average student has not seen commensurate increases in the net price of college, defined as the published price minus grants, scholarships and tax benefits," the report said.

Meanwhile, the Education Department and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced a project Tuesday to simplify the financial aid award letters that colleges mail to students each spring. A common complaint is that colleges obscure the inclusion of student loans in financial aid packages to make their school appear more affordable, and the agencies hope families will more easily be able to compare the costs of colleges.

Separately, James Runcie, the Education Department's federal student aid chief operating officer, told a congressional panel Tuesday that the personal financial details of as many 5,000 college students were temporarily viewable on the department's direct loan website earlier this month.

Runcie said site was shut down while the matter was resolved, and the affected students have been notified and offered credit monitoring.

Eric Denson murder trial: Live courtroom updates during day 14 of testimony

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Testimony in the case against Eric Denson continues Wednesday in Hampden Superior Court in Springfield.

The Republican's Robert Rizzuto is following the murder trial of Eric B. Denson live from Hampden Superior Court in Springfield.

Read the recap of Tuesday's testimony, when Judge Peter A. Velis barred testimony from an expert on the reliability of eyewitness identification.

Follow the courtroom proceedings during day 14 of the trial below.


Westfield police puzzle over discovery of severed goat head found tucked inside plastic bag left hanging from tree on Neck Road

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The goat head may have been hanging from the tree for two weeks or more, police said.

westfield police.jpg

WESTFIELD – Police continue to puzzle over the discovery, late last week, of a severed goat head found tucked inside a plastic bag hanging from a small tree on Neck Road.

“It was put in a bag and the horns were sticking out,” said detective Susan Figy.

Although a fellow officer spotted the white trash bag hanging in the tree about two weeks ago, it’s grisly contents were not readily discernible to passers by until the bag deteriorated a bit, Figy said.

The goat head was hanging near a utility pole, a short distance away from a Neck Road residence, Figy said.

Detective Sgt. Raymond Manos told the The Westfield News that he believes the head was just left there and that it did not have any connection to the occult.

Figy said that the rest of the goat has yet to be found and that the case has been referred to the city’s animal control officer.


Amherst Select Board voted to establish downtown Business Improvement District

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Business leaders and representatives from the University of Massachusetts and Amherst College have been working for more than two years to establish the district downtown.

AMHERST – There were handshakes and hugs in the hallway after the Select Board voted to establish the downtown Business Improvement District.

Business leaders along with representatives from the University of Massachusetts and Amherst College have been working for more than two years to establish the district downtown.

According to the improvement's Web site the district is defined as a" designated area in which property owners choose to initiate, manage and finance services to supplement the baseline of town services for the benefit of district employees, students, residents and visitors.”

“We feel at Amherst College that the future of the downtown and the college are inextricably linked,” said James D. Brassord, Amherst College director of facilities planning and management.

“The economic vitality and health of the downtown is critical (to the college,)” he said.

UMass deputy chancellor Todd A. Diacon also said the university gives “its strongest support possible” to the district’s creation. “What is good for the downtown is good for the University of Massachusetts.

Being part of the districts provides “another venue to discuss town gown/issues with business owners and business leaders,” he said.

Both institutions will contribute in a myriad ways including providing volunteers to work on various projects.

Select Board member Diana B. Stein said the town has seen “businesses come and go.” She is hoping the district “will lead to businesses coming.”

About 65 percent of all property owners signed on to be part of the district.
State law mandates that the proponents of the district obtain the signatures of at least 60 percent of the property owners within the designated area.

No one spoke against the district at the mandatory public hearing held to establish it.
All property owners within the district will be notified and have 45 days in which to opt out, said Tony A. Maroulis, executive director of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce after the meeting.

In the meantime, members will elect a Board of Directors.
The district he said, “it’s setting up a sustainable downtown. It’s really great for our future.”

Developer Barry L. Roberts who along with business owner Gerald Jolly spearheaded the creation of the district, has said that he expects the district to collect annual fees of about $400,000, including in-kind services provided by nonprofit members as well as the town, which will be part of the district. Fees are based on assessed property values.
The board of directors will decide how the money is used.

Northampton created a Business Improvement District in 2009. Districts have also been established in Westfield and Springfield.


Holyoke police arrest 27-year-old Edgar Santiago on firearm charges after stopping vehicle on South Summer Street

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Police stopped the suspect's vehicle on South Summer Street Tuesday night.

1999 holyoke police car.jpg

HOLYOKE – A motor vehicle stop by police on South Summer Street Tuesday night yielded the arrest of a 27-year-old city man and the confiscation of a loaded firearm.

Edgar L. Santiago, of 470 Maple St., 2nd floor, was charged with carrying a firearm without a license, possession of a firearm without an FID card, possession or carrying a loaded firearm and removal of identification numbers on a firearm, police documents state.

Additional information was not immediately available.

Ware town meeting to vote on budget transfers, zoning changes related to solar panel businesses

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Ware residents will also be asked whether the town should rejoin the Hampshire Council of Governments.

WARE – Budget transfers, zoning law changes related to solar panel businesses and a decision on whether to rejoin the Hampshire Council of Governments will be presented to residents at a special Town Meeting Nov. 29.

The meeting will be at 7 p.m. at Ware High School.

All registered voters in town are eligible to participate.

Town Clerk Nancy J. Talbot, who is also chairperson of the Board of Selectmen, said the town typically holds a special Town Meeting in the fall to make adjustments to the budget with money available when the state certifies the amount of unspent money from the previous fiscal year, which is officially called free cash.

Town Accountant Tracy L. Meehan said she has submitted balance sheets and revenue statements to the state Department of Revenue and expects to have a cash amount certified by the state as free cash before the end of October.

Meehan, who is serving as acting town manager in addition to her position as accountant, said one budget line item that will need to be adjusted will be the amount the town spends on health insurance for employees.

Funding for this purpose was expected at budget preparation time to be going up for the fiscal year, but Meehan said changes in co-pay arrangements, agreed to by town employee unions, kept those projected increases from happening.

Town budgets are approved at the annual Town Meeting in the spring, and Meehan said that only minor adjustments are typically needed at the special meetings held in the fall, usually to cover unexpected expenses.

The Board of Selectmen will meet with the Finance Committee prior to the Nov. 29 Town Meeting to discuss and take positions on spending proposals.

Talbot said the selectmen are interested in rejoining the Hampshire Council of Governments because membership could result in savings for some services. The town already does some purchasing through this regional form of government.

The Planning Board has been working on a set of proposed changes to the zoning bylaws which are intended to encourage the development of ground mounted solar panels for the commercial generation of electricity.

The draft proposal would allow installation of such solar panels by right in a highway commercial district and with a special permit in a residential-business or residential district.

A two-thirds vote at a Town Meeting is needed to change the zoning bylaws.

Department heads may submit additional items for consideration at the Town Meeting and residents may also place articles on the warrant provided their petitions have at least 100 signatures from registered voters and are submitted by noon on Oct. 31.

Residents must be registered to vote by Nov. 18 in order to be eligible to participate in the Nov. 29 Town Meeting. A special voter registration session will be conducted at the town clerk’s office Nov. 18 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Gov. Deval Patrick says he's 'surprised' by defensive reaction to Senate casino jobs restriction

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The proposal - met by criticism in the Senate - would prevent Senators from working in the casino industry for a designated period of time.

Deval Patrick, Timothy P. Cahil, Charles D. Baker   Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick speaks during a radio appearance at WRKO-AM 680 studios in this file photo. (AP Photo/Bizuayehu Tesfaye)

Gov. Deval Patrick said Wednesday he was surprised by the "charged" nature of a debate in the Massachusetts Senate over a proposal that would have barred lawmakers from working in the expanded gambling industry for five years after they leave office.

"I think that the debate – I was actually kind of surprised by how charged – how personally people took it in the reports that I read," he said during an appearance on WTKK.

In September, the Senate approved a "cooling-off period" of one year in which members of the Legislature could not work in the casino industry after leaving office.

Patrick supported the amendment during his radio interview. He said:

We have ethics rules that in fat we have tightened in the last few years that forbid self-dealing … It’s a new idea to say that for a period of time you cannot go into any industry after you’ve been in the Legislature. I’m not talking about a regulator. You cannot go into an industry in the private sector. That’s a new concept. I think what bothered people was that there was a proposal for five, and then they went into caucus and they came out with one. What was surprising to me was that the debate was so personal.

Patrick fielded two calls on gambling during his appearance and defended his support for bringing casinos to Massachusetts from charges that they would harm the character of Massachusetts.

Patrick divulged that even his own friends had raised those questions.

"The big question that I think is bothering you, and a bunch of my friends, by the way, is a question of whether expanded gaming is part of the character of Massachusetts," he told a caller, adding that he's comfortable with doing expanded gambling "in a limited way."

Asked about the five-year ban on lawmakers working in the casino industry, Patrick rejected a caller's assertion that "we've accepted corruption on Beacon Hill."

"I don’t think it’s correct to say that we’ve accepted corruption on Beacon Hill. We just had another trial or two. There’s no question that we’ve had more than our share, but I think 'accepting it' is unfair," he said. "I just don’t think it characterizes the vast number of people in state government."

"I think the debate was surprisingly personal, meaning the folks who opposed five years were not saying 'I’m on my way to a job in the casinos' ... but they were surprisingly defensive about the supposition that they were up to no good."

Insurance agents drop bid for ballot question that would ban companies from using socioeconomic factors when setting auto rates

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The president of the Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents said the group is pleased with a compromise bill that would prohibit auto insurance companies from using credit scores when setting rates.

Ford Focus.jpgA 2012 Ford Focus Hatchback and other sedans are lined up at the Salem Ford dealership in Salem, N.H., Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011. Consumer Reports says Ford's quality has slipped in the past year because of problems with transmissions and touch-screen systems in some new models. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

By COLLEEN QUINN

BOSTON - Insurance agents pushing to ban insurance companies from using credit scores, educational background and other socioeconomic factors when setting auto insurance premiums have dropped their plans to pursue a 2012 ballot question after reaching an agreement with a legislative committee reviewing at the issue.

Frank Mancini, the president and chief executive officer of the Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents, said Tuesday the group is pleased with a compromise bill that would prohibit auto insurance companies from using credit scores when setting premium rates.

Sponsored by Sen. Michael Rodrigues, D-Westport, the bill was endorsed by the Joint Committee on Financial Services last Thursday. Rodrigues is also the sponsor of a separate bill allowing chains in Massachusetts to hold more alcohol licenses, legislation also aimed at avoiding a ballot fight.

While the bill banning the use of credit scores in rate setting is far from final passage, Mancini said the group has dropped plans for a ballot campaign.

“Any legislative maneuver is a gamble, I guess,” he said. “We had a lot of conversations and have done a lot of work with members of the Legislature, and we are pretty confident the support is there to get this through the House and the Senate.”

Mancini credits two events with moving the legislation along –Attorney General Martha Coakley’s certification of the ballot question, and an August poll that showed nearly 64 percent of likely voters favor a ban on using credit scores and other socioeconomic factors in setting rates. The poll, conducted by JEF Associates, found 29 percent of 609 likely voters approve of their use.

“Those two events seemed to stir the legislative pot a little bit that hadn’t been stirred before. It got people talking,” Mancini said.

Ballot question opponents said they are glad the issue appears moving toward resolution without going to the voters. The question’s withdrawal likely averts an expensive campaign by the insurance industry to fight it.

Rep. Michael Costello, D-Newburyport, who co-chairs the Financial Services Committee with Sen. Anthony Petruccelli, D-East Boston, said he is confident the bill will make it through the House, and does not foresee opposition “from outside the building” because, he said, all sides on the issue were consulted extensively.

“Knowing we worked hard to get all the interested groups to the table, I think you are going to see it have smooth sailing through the House,” he said. “It will be my job to try to shepherd it through as quickly as I can through the House.”

The group of auto insurance agents filed paperwork in August to initiate a 2012 ballot drive, aimed at preventing what they call discrimination in insurance rates based on credit scores, educational background, and occupation.

“As an association we have always taken the position a person’s auto insurance premium should be based on their driving record and their driving experience, not their socioeconomic status,” Mancini said.

Critics of the ballot proposal said it would eliminate discounts for hundreds of thousands of residents. They also noted that Massachusetts already has regulations in place to prohibit the use of credit scores, education and occupation in rate setting. But proponents wanted those regulations put into law.

The bill approved by the committee would codify in state law the prohibition of using credit scores to determine insurance rates. The use of educational background and occupation will remain prohibited only by regulations, enforced by the state insurance commissioner.

The use of credit scores was the agents’ main concern because companies will often look at those in determining insurance rates, Mancini said.

“That was the most important of the three. Credit is a widely-used criteria,” Mancini said. “We just don’t think it is fair to use, particularly when many credit reports have inaccuracies in them.”

James Harrington, executive director the Massachusetts Insurance Federation, said when the state moved to a competitive auto insurance market in 2008, many drivers became eligible for discounted rates.

“Many of my companies think the use of credit is a legitimate predictor of loss. Nevertheless, it was banned in Massachusetts on a regulatory process,” he said.

Harrington said his trade association is “hopeful” the proposed legislation will not adversely affect consumers who are eligible for discounted rates based on other criteria.

If the proposed ballot question passed, the insurance industry estimates consumers would lose access to an estimated $80 to $90 million in rebates and discounts, according to Costello.

Costello said the committee worked with insurance agents and the industry to strike a balance. The insurance industry believes it can use a multitude of factors, including credit scores and education, to determine auto insurance rates, he said, while the agents prefer policies be set on driving record alone.

“I think both sides of the argument have some merit,” Costello said. “We sat down as a committee and said what are the really important issues to the agents and what are the really important issues to the insurance companies.”

Credit scores stood out as the most problematic factor, Costello said. “The credit scoring, that was the one factor that seemed to be the most egregious, and the most volatile,” he said. “People’s credit scores these days have been taking a beating. There are so many factors that someone’s credit score is based on.”

Wildlife officials tranquilize and safely move adult male bear found wandering near downtown Amherst

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Animal Welfare Officer Carol Hepburn said bear complaints typically increase this time of year.

AMHERST – Wildlife officials tranquilized an adult male bear, found wandering downtown streets Monday morning, and safely moved it to a remote location.

Animal Welfare Officer Carol Hepburn said bear complaints typically increase this time of year because the bears are getting ready for hibernation and that outdoor parties often leave tempting treats in their wake.

Hepburn said it’s important for residents to secure their garbage and limit their use of bird feeders to the winter months because the bears “are here to stay.”

Hepburn said this particular bear, which weighs about 300 pounds, had been generating complaints over the last few weeks.

Officials were summoned to the rear of the Emily Dickinson Museum on Main Street shortly after 9 a.m. Members of the state Department of Fisheries and Wildlife arrived a short time later to tranquilize, tag and move the bear.

Hepburn said she receives bear complaints about twice a week and that it is not unusual to have them approach downtown areas.

East Longmeadow school lunch prices going up 25 cents, as School Committee seeks to comply with federal orders

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A 50-cent increase had been recommended.

EAST LONGMEADOW – The School Committee voted Monday to increase the school lunch price by $0.25 cents starting in January of 2012.

The committee met with Food Services Director Lori Pahl and School Business Manager Theresa A. Olejarz to discuss the increase.

The federal government has asked for equity in school lunch pricing, Olejarz said. If you're charging less than $2.46 for school lunch then the federal government reimbursement you receive is subsidizing the school lunch program and you can't do that, she said.

Olejarz said the only solutions are to increase lunch prices or take the money out of the school department budget to fund the increase. Currently the school lunch program is self-funded.

Olejarz and Pahl recommended a $0.50 cent increase by September of 2012.

The committee will revisit the issue of increasing the price again in the spring of 2012. At that point they will decided whether to increase the price by an additional $0.25 cents or more if necessary, said School Committee Chairman Gregory Thompson.

The last school lunch price increase was in 2008. Currently elementary school children pay $1.50 for lunch, while middle and high school students pay $2. Elementary school prices will increase to $1.75 and middle school and high school prices will increase to $2.25 effective Jan. 3, 2012.

Pahl said the increasing price of food and supplies also make the increase necessary. Some changes that cost more include providing farm fresh produce to students including apples, green beans and other products from a local South Hadley Farm, she said.

You hate to say it, but those products are more expensive, so I am limited in what I can purchase, but we certainly try to do that as much as possible, she said.

They are also incorporating whole grain pizza crust and whole grain pasta and rice products.

We always offer vegetables and fruits along with their entree, Pahl said. We want to make healthy options available to them.

Thompson said any pre-purchased lunch tickets will be accepted even after the change in January.

Superintendent of Schools Gordon C. Smith said the school department will send out plenty of notice to parents about the change including through the Connect Ed system as well as school newsletters.

Woodland Elementary School targeted for overhaul as part of $69 million Southwick-Tolland Regional School District expansion

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Superintendent of Schools John Barry said if the project is defeated by voters, the reimbursement funds from the state School Building Authority may not be available at another time to complete much-needed construction projects at the district’s three schools.

SOUTHWICK – Identified as one of the state’s most overcrowded and poorly repaired educational facilities, Woodland Elementary School stands poised for a major overhaul as part of a $69 million districtwide expansion project if voters approve the proposal.

The town’s finance committee and Board of Selectmen met with school officials Monday night to discuss funding the project under the newly approved regionalization pact that includes Granville in the Southwick-Tolland Regional School District.

Superintendent of Schools John D. Barry said if the project is defeated by voters the reimbursement funds from the state School Building Authority may not be available at another time to complete much-needed construction projects at the district’s three schools, which include Woodland, Power Mill Middle School and the high school.

“It’s safe to assume we won’t have another shot at those funds,” he said. “This window has opened at a tough time – I’m not insensitive to that fact.”

The superintendent also said he could not be more specific about costs and a project timeline because in order for any of the construction plans to move forward, townspeople must approve ballot votes on capital improvements and bonding.

Both votes will be taken in the high school auditorium on Jan. 9 and Jan. 31, respectively, at 7 p.m.

Town Chief Administrative Officer Karl J. Stinehart said a two-third vote is needed and all three towns must be in agreement for the measure to pass.

Southwick, Tolland and Granville voters approved at respective town meetings the regionalization plan and the allocation of $300,000 for a feasibility study on construction costs for the updates and repairs to the district’s three Southwick schools, each of which is currently overcrowded by between 100 and 200 students.

With the regionalization plan approved, Barry said the project has moved on from the feasibility study phase to the schematic design phase.

“The feasibility study has already been completed and accepted by the MSBA,” he noted. “The schematic design is being done now and will be up for approval when we next meet with them Nov. 16.”

The project includes an addition at the high school and the assignment of grades seven and eight at the facility. Powder Mill Middle and Woodland schools will receive needed repairs and updating. There will also be changes in class assignments in those buildings with grades three to six at Powder Mill and kindergarten through grade two at Woodland.

Under the proposal, the Granville Village School, a pre-kindergarten through grade eight facility, will remain open at least for a couple of years, Barry said, with no current plans for its closure.

MSBA will finance about $40 million of the total $69 million. School officials said that will leave Southwick to finance about $24.5 million; Tolland, $1.2 million and Granville $3.5 million with local shares financed over a 30-year period.


Amherst Select Board votes to support updated sewer needs plan

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Amherst Town Meeting will be asked to consider the funding request next month.

AMHERST - Town Meeting will be asked to approve spending $4.2 million to extend town sewer to two Amherst neighborhoods in need.

The Select Board voted to accept the updated draft of the town's sewer needs report issued last month by The Department of Public Works. According to the report, The Harkness Road and Wildflower Drive area are in moderate need.

About 93 percent of the town is connected to the sewer system, the report looked at the remaining seven percent.

Also the board based on comments from Town Manager John P. Musante is recommending that the project be paid for by all sewer uses rather than betterment fees.

The town has funded all previous sewer extensions by raising sewer rates not assessing a betterment.

In his memo to the board, Musante wrote that the decisive factor for him in recommending that sewer uses bear the total cost is the financial analysis provided by Finance Director Sandy Pooler “that shows the estimated net effect on the average sewer bill by funding extensions thru the rate is virtually nil because of our corresponding retirement of old sewer debt over the next few years.”

The average bill for a four-person household would peak at about $38 and then slowly decline over 20 years, her wrote. The overall impact would be about $5 because of the corresponding retirement of old sewer debt.

Conversely, the betterment cost to an average property owner in the Wildflower Drive area would peak at $1,750 in the first year with a total payment over 20 years at $18,000, according to the memo.

In the Harkness Road area property owners would incur a betterment fee peaking at $2,390 in the first year with a total cost of $24,000 over 20 years, he wrote.
In recommending the extensions, Department of Public Works Superintendent Guilford B. Mooring offered no recommendation on funding.

In his report, he stated that Northampton charges a betterment fee to those who request a sewer connection, Holyoke charges a betterment that does not exceed $10,000 and Agawam is beginning a three-phase sewer expansion and charging a betterment that is currently no greater than 25 percent. He stated that Westfield is not charging a betterment fee.

Town Meeting begins Nov. 7

East Longmeadow, Agawam to file joint request for $450,000 each in community development grant funding

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East Longmeadow originally intended to apply for a grant on its own, but because the program is so competitive its chances increase if it shares the grant with a larger city, said Christopher Dunphy, principal planner for the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission.

EAST LONGMEADOW – The Community Development Advisory Committee plans to work with officials in Agawam to submit a request for a $900,000 Community Development Block Grant.

The town originally intended to apply for a grant on its own, but because the program is so competitive its chances increase if it shares the grant with a larger city, said Christopher J. Dunphy, principal planner for the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission.

If the communities are approved they will split the grant evenly, leaving each community with $450,000.

The advisory committee, made up of Building Commissioner Daniel Hellyer, Town Administrator Nick Breault, Planning Board Director Robyn Macdonald, Council on Aging Executive Director Carolyn Brennan, and Housing Authority member Lynn Booth, has recommended several projects that could be completed with the money.

On Oct. 18 they presented the projects to residents during a public hearing held at the Pleasant View Senior Center.

Proposed projects include $186,000 for housing rehabilitation, $82,00 for a back-up power generator for the senior center, $78,000 for Housing Authority Improvements, $44,000 for an Americans with Disabilities Act transition plan, which Hellyer said the town desperately needs, and $60,000 for general administration.

Residents who attended the meeting were most interested in the housing rehabilitation funds.

Dunphy said $6,000 to $8,000 loans will be available for homeowners who meet the income criteria and live in the target area.

The target area is composed of some neighborhoods bordering Springfield and Longmeadow and some homes off route 83. Dunphy said the money would come in the form of no-interest loans that would only be paid back if the person sells the home within 15 years of the work done on the property.

For more information on the grant and the neighborhoods that will be eligible for housing rehabilitation funds visit the town website at www.eastlongmeadowma.gov or call Dunphy at (413) 781-6045.

PM News Links: Occupy Boston seen as potential health threat, Gov. Patrick challenges Elizabeth Warren's Occupy Wall Street claim, and more

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The liquor, beer and wine industry is finding friendly faces in the Massachusetts Senate.

Andy Rooney 2009.jpg"60 Minutes" commentator Andy Rooney, center, leaves the Celebration of Life Memorial ceremony for Walter Cronkite at Avery Fisher Hall in New York in 2009. Click on the link, at right, for a report from the New York Daily News that says Rooney is in the hospital after developing serious complications following minor surgery last week.

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Pickup truck driver, hit by falling light pole on Interstate 91 near Tower Square in Springfield, escapes injury

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The accident occurred in the northbound lanes of Interstate 91

State Police file art

SPRINGFIELD – A motorist, hit by a falling light pole in the northbound lanes of Interstate 91 early Wednesday afternoon, has escaped injury, state police said.

The accident occurred near Tower Square shortly after 1:20 p.m. State police, speaking shortly after the accident, said they will remain on the scene for some time.

The motorist was driving a pickup truck. Additional information was not immediately available.

Springfield police arrest 23-year-old city resident Jose Torres on firearm charges, outstanding warrant, following domestic altercation

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The suspect had an a Chicopee warrant for motor vehicle violation.

josetorres23crop.jpgJose Torres

SPRINGFIELD – Police, responding Tuesday night to reported domestic assault on the rear porch of a McKnight neighborhood home, found a crying female and a man with a handgun in his pocket.

Police confiscated the gun, a .32 caliber, and arrested Jose Torres, 23, of 255 Bay St., Sgt. John M. Delaney said.

He was charged with possession of a firearm without a license, a Chicopee warrant for motor vehicle violations and possession of a dangerous weapon while having an active warrant, Delaney, aide to Commissioner William J. Fitchet, said.

Delaney said a records check revealed that Torres was arraigned in September, 2008, for carrying a firearm and sentenced to 2½ years in jail.

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