Some districts are considering adding school days during scheduled vacations.

Associated PressSchool buses sitting in a parking lot during a school snow day. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Faced with having used all planned snow days two months into the school year, educators are struggling to find ways to make up canceled days because of the October snowstorm and Tropical Storm Irene.

Chicopee, which is in one of the most dire situations, will end the school year on June 26 if there are no more days off this winter, leaving it just three possible snow days. The teachers’ contract does not allow them to go to school in July.

The school district started classes on Sept. 6, the day after Labor Day, so there is less wiggle room in its calendar than most schools, which started Sept. 1.

Last week the School Committee voted to have students attend school for a half-day on Nov. 23, after originally intending to give children the day off before Thanksgiving.

“I need to start to recoup some of those days,” Superintendent Richard W. Rege told committee members, adding a half-day will count as a full day in the eyes of the state.

Rege said he proposed tacking 30 minutes to the end of the academic day starting in March if more school days had to be canceled. That was rejected by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Mitchell D. Chester, who wants children to attend 180 days.

Chester announced he would not give districts waivers that would allow them to attend fewer than 180 days since there is so much time to make up lost days. Among the state recommendations: use days off scheduled for teacher training or days from the April or February vacations, and have children attend school on Saturday.

“I’m trying whatever I can not to chip into the February vacation,” Rege said.

Rege said families of students and staff often make plans far in advance for the vacation weeks. Other districts took away days in April to make up for a lot of days lost during last school year and attendance was low.

Rege said he is also working with unions to discuss an earlier start next year.

Most School Committees are beginning to make plans to make up lost days from the October 29 storm. A number, including Springfield and Westfield, that were planning to start on Aug. 29 also canceled the first day of school because of impact from Tropical Storm Irene on Aug. 28.

In Springfield, no decision has been made on the calendar, but Superintendent Alan J. Ingram is scheduled to discuss the matter with the School Committee Thursday.

The first day of school in Springfield was canceled Aug. 29, and six other days were canceled after the October storm. Now the last day is June 19.

The Hampden-Wilbraham School Committee has taken more drastic measures to compensate for the lost days. It voted last week to cancel a day off Nov. 10 and to add two half days on Nov. 23, the day before Thanksgiving, and Dec. 23, the day before Christmas Eve.

“We have to make up the days,” School Superintendent M. Martin O’Shea told the School Committee. “We have to be in session for 180 days. There will be no waiver from the state.”

Later in the school year if more snow days are used, the Hampden-Wilbraham School Committee will consider making Good Friday, which is April 6, a school day. Another option which should be considered is to add back some days at the end of the April school vacation, School Committee Vice Chairman Marianne Desmond said.

The Longmeadow School Committee voted on Nov. 7 to make up three days missed due to the October storm. Schools were open Nov. 10, a day that was initially scheduled as a professional development day. They will also make up days on Dec. 23 and March 16, according to school officials.

The Westfield School Committee will discuss the issue on Monday. For now Superintendent of Schools Suzanne Scallion said she is inclined to wait to make a decision until seeing how bad the winter is.

Westfield Schools have already used the five emergency days built into the calendar because of the October snowstorm plus a sixth day used Aug. 29 because of flooding caused by Tropical Storm Irene. The last day of school is now scheduled for June 20.

The committee will consider canceling a professional day in February and Good Friday.

Staff reporters Suzanne McLaughlin, Jack Flynn, Elizabeth Roman and Ted Laborde contributed to this story.

The publicly blessed Republican deficit-reduction plan would raise $300 billion in additional tax revenue while overhauling the IRS code.

Associated PressHouse Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, left, and House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., wait to speak to media on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

By ANDREW TAYLOR
and DAVID ESPO

WASHINGTON — House Speaker John Boehner publicly blessed a Republican deficit-reduction plan Tuesday that would raise $300 billion in additional tax revenue while overhauling the IRS code, bucking opposition by some GOP presidential hopefuls and colleagues wary of violating a longstanding point of party orthodoxy.

Boehner, the top Republican in Congress, spoke as time grew perilously short for agreement by the deficit-fighting "supercommittee." The panel has until a week from Wednesday to vote on any compromise, but several officials said that in reality, perhaps as little as 48 or 72 hours are available to the six Republicans and six Democrats.

While Boehner's voice is important, his endorsement does not mean all Republicans will follow him or that a deal is in sight. Republicans have been unified for two decades in opposition to higher taxes, while Democrats on the supercommittee insist on additional revenue before they will agree to cuts in benefit programs like Medicare as part of a compromise.

The speaker said that the plan, outlined a week ago to Democrats on the committee, was "a fair offer." Adding tax reform would generate economic growth, he said, speaking as the supercommittee groped uncertainly for a compromise to reduce red ink by $1.2 trillion or more over a decade.

Any deal must be certified by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office as meeting the $1.2 trillion target, circulated to lawmakers and then posted publicly before the committee takes formal action. Failure to act would trigger $1.2 trillion in automatic deficit cuts in 2013 that both sides say they want to avoid.

The full committee hasn't met in several days, but various subgroups have been in near constant contact.

More than deficit reduction is at stake, one year into an era of divided government.

Democrats are hoping to add elements of President Barack Obama's jobs legislation to any deficit-cutting deal, including extensions of a Social Security payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits that are due to expire at the end of the year. A comprehensive rewrite of farm programs may hang in the balance, too, and lawmakers also must pass legislation to assure sufficient funds to reimburse doctors who treat Medicare patients.

As the pace of private talks intensifies, the two sides vie publicly for the high ground in public opinion.

"I am still hopeful that a few Republicans will put their country first and come to us with a credible offer with real revenue," Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., co-chair of the supercommittee, told reporters as she emerged from a late-afternoon meeting.

Earlier, the Republican Senate leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said GOP members on the committee outlined a proposal several days ago and have yet to receive a response from Democrats. "It's been a long week, waiting for a counter-proposal," he said.

The twin issues of taxes and benefit programs have long been stumbling blocks in budget negotiations.

In negotiations last summer, according to numerous officials, President Barack Obama and Boehner were considering sizeable cuts to benefit programs as well as an overhaul of the tax code that would have raised as much as $800 billion in additional revenue — money that Republicans said at the time would have come from economic growth. The talks ultimately failed.

In his comments Tuesday, Boehner cited the importance of tax overhaul in the proposal that Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., made to supercommittee Democrats last week.

"It's important for us to, in my opinion, reform the tax code. And we've got the highest business tax rate in the world. We've got a personal tax system that's so complicated it costs Americans about $500 billion a year to comply with the current tax code," he said.

Boehner asserted that the changes would "make America more competitive and produce more economic growth. And so I do believe that reforming the code is a step in the right direction. The details of how we get there, frankly, I think are yet to be worked out."

Republican officials have said the offer made by Toomey envisions an overhaul that would drop the top tax rate on personal income to 28 percent from the current 35 and shave or eliminate some itemized deductions that are commonly used. The top corporate rate would also fall.

The result would be an estimated $250 billion in additional revenue over a decade, they estimate.

Despite Boehner's comments — and Toomey's credentials as an opponent of tax increases — GOP presidential contenders Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry said they were prepared to oppose a plan along the lines of the one under consideration. Another candidate, Mitt Romney, brushed aside a question on the subject.

Supercommittee Republicans also support a proposal that would replace the current measurement of inflation used to adjust income tax brackets and cost-of-living increases with another, less generous one. They estimate it would result in an estimated $50 billion in higher tax revenue and reduce spending by roughly three times that amount.

Obama backed a similar plan last summer in his talks with Boehner. More recently, Democrats on the supercommittee included it in an offer, although liberals made clear their unhappiness and it was subsequently jettisoned.

Both Boehner and Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas, the GOP co-chair of the supercommittee, explained the Republican proposal to members of the rank-and-file at a closed door meeting.

According to numerous officials who attended, Hensarling displayed charts that sought to place the offer in the context of other scenarios that might occur if there is no agreement. Among them are increases in tax rates that would occur beginning on Jan. 1, 2013, if all of the cuts enacted when President George W. Bush was in office expire as currently scheduled.

"They haven't thrown me out, so I guess I got a good reception," Hensarling later said of his reception.

Associated Press writers Alan Fram in Washington and Jim Davenport in Columbia, S.C., contributed to this story

The exhibit packs more than a dozen games, including Mouse Trap, Trouble Bubbles, Word Play and The Game of Life, into a corner of the museum. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD – Ten days before opening to the public, the new Hasbro exhibit at the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History passed a key test Tuesday.

It got a nod of approval from Mr. Potato Head, the best-known and most-discerning of Hasbro’s toys.

Appearing with company officials at a preview, the well-known corporate mascot appeared delighted to see a corner of the museum transformed into brightly colored playground with interactive games combining fun, learning and history.

The exhibit, the first permanent bilingual exhibit at the Springfield Museums, will open Nov. 25.

Made possible by a grant from the Hasbro Children’s Fund, the new Hasbro GameLand pays tribute to Springfield entrepreneur Milton Bradley with games of memory, chance, speed, imagination, strategy and word play.

Northampton designer Dorrie Brooks said the emphasis was on interactive exhibits that captured the imagination of children while building, or reinforcing, basic skills.

“There’s plenty of entertainment value here” Brooks said, referring to exhibit’s potential for fun and learning. “There’s a real density of entertainment.”

Indeed, the exhibit packs more than a dozen games, including Mouse Trap, Trouble Bubbles, Word Play and The Game of Life, into a corner of the museum that also includes a brief biography of Milton Bradley and a timeline showing the development of his company’s better-known games.

Guy A. McLain, the museum’s director, said the new exhibit honors both the memory and mission of Bradley, who championed the kindergarten movement and incorporated educational elements in his company’s toys.

Hasbro vice president Jeff Lombard said the exhibit will challenge the mind of today’s youth in the same way Bradley’s games appealed to earlier generations.

Bradley moved to Springfield in 1856, and founded a lithography and publishing business in 1860. His game The Checkered Game of Life launched the board game industry. Hasbro Inc. purchased the company in 1984.

For the designers, the challenge was to create hands-on exhibits for children that can withstand their youthful enthusiasm.

But Brooks, who designed the gallery with Katie Craig of Northampton, said dealing with wear-and-tear on the games and exhibits will also signify their popularity.

“We want to have a problem like that; we want to have to come back and tweak this,” she added.

Court records show Armitage, who was sentenced to 5-plus years in prison and a $6 million fine, spent money intended for an energy-efficient bus on an SUV for his wife, his credit card bills and other expenses.

File photo by Dave Roback / The RepublicanFormer Berkshire Power chief executive officer speaks to reporters at a press conference in 1999.

Updates a story posted Tuesday at 4:15 p.m.

SPRINGFIELD – Michael J. Armitage was a self-made millionaire by the time he was 30; has wooed at least a dozen sophisticated investors to bankroll as many energy companies; and has a list of international patents pending. By all accounts, he is a brilliant entrepreneur who knows how to bring a new product to market.

However, all that savvy and smarts will languish in federal prison with Armitage, sentenced on Tuesday to more than five years behind bars for fraud and tax evasion and saddled with more than $6 million in fines and restitution.

Armitage, 58, formerly of Pittsfield, received the sentence after he delivered a halting, rambling speech to U.S. District Court Judge Michael A. Ponsor about his loyal remaining investors and irons still in the fire.

“We’ll have a nickel-hydrogen battery that will be used in cars and trucks across the country and I hope you will take that into consideration,” Armitage told Ponsor, of one of his ongoing inventions in-process, also noting that he has seven patents pending in a difficult global market.

A founder of the controversial former Power Development Corp. in Agawam, Armitage last year pleaded guilty to embezzling $4.2 million in federal grant money intended for the development of a battery-powered bus; securing bank loans in Springfield based on bogus financials; and ducking the Internal Revenue Service for 13 years as he made millions.

According to court filings, Armitage ran away from an abusive father at 14; secured his own apartment outside Cincinnati at 16; opened three optical companies in his 20s and sold them to the Quaker Oat Company to retire at 28. He soon grew restless and began looking for new opportunities, spotting an article in the Wall Street Journal about the pending deregulation of the energy industry, his lawyers said.

He moved east in the late 1990s and emerged as a flamboyant financier in local social circles by 1999. Armitage was chosen as the developer for the federally-funded bus soon after.

A lawyer for Armitage argued his client worked endless hours on the project in conjunction with officials from the Federal Transportation Administration and the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority, but the project floundered like many start-up companies.

“This was a process that went five years, between two (government agencies), through meetings and reports, and no one ever said the science wasn’t going forward,” said defense lawyer Raipher D. Pellegrino, who suggested the government was negligent in rubber-stamping scores of invoices submitted by Armitage and his partner.

Court records show Armitage spent money intended for the energy-efficient bus on an SUV for his wife, his credit card bills and other expenses.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow told Ponsor that the company charged with developing the bus, EV Worldwide, withered to nearly no employees and was drowning in debt by 2005.

Yet Armitage continued to take the taxpayer-funded grant money.

He lied to government officials, including the FTA, a sitting U.S. Congressman and (government) auditors,” Breslow told the judge. “The list is long.”

U.S. Congressman John D. Olver, D-Amherst, was the champion of the bus project and secured the $4.2 million. He was called to testify against Armitage’s partner, Christopher D. Willson, convicted in connection with the scam earlier this year.

During his monologue in court, Armitage said he poured countless hours and millions of his own money into the company. Pellegrino told Ponsor his client considered the payments a sort of deferred salary – the hallmark of an entrepreneur who makes his living off rolling the dice on
new science.

During an argument for an even higher prison sentence, Breslow noted Armitage was pocketing money from one branch of the government while refusing to file tax returns since 1993.

The judge seemed frequently irked by what he labeled Armitage’s “ostentatiously comfortable,” lifestyle, complete with a 4,100-square-foot home in Fort Myers, Fla., with an in-ground pool and brand new Mercedes Benz in the three-car garage.

“I’m not happy,” Ponsor said, adding that the defendant’s biography was impressive, but that the government funding was “down a rat hole” and the tax fraud was extreme and florid.

He ordered Armitage to pay $4.3 million in restitution to the FTA, $1.5 million to the IRS and $215,000 to the PVTA, on top of additional fines.

Armitage must report to prison by Jan. 12.

School Committee Chairwoman Maureen Gallagher asked if the committee wanted to make the vote for Charko unanimous, but members Robert Janasiewicz and David Lynch, who voted for Todd Gazda, declined.

File photo | The RepublicanPalmer High School.

PALMER - The School Committee, at its Tuesday meeting, picked Acting Superintendent Thomas A. Charko as the school district's next superintendent over Todd H. Gazda, an elementary and middle school principal for the Gateway Regional School District.

The vote was 3 to 2, with School Committee Chairwoman Maureen R. Gallagher, Vice Chairman James L. St. Amand and member Gary A. Blanchette voting in favor of Charko, and members David M. Lynch and Robert Janasiewicz voting for Gazda.

Gallagher asked if the committee wanted to make the vote for Charko unanimous, but Janasiewicz and Lynch said they wanted their votes to stand.

Charko, of Agawam, has been the school district's business manager since 1999. Gallagher said the committee has not decided if they will fill that position.

Gazda, of West Hartford, Conn., has been principal of Gateway Regional Middle School in Huntington since 2007. He also serves as principal of Chester Elementary School.

Public interviews with Charko and Gazda were held on Monday and Tuesday, respectively. School Committee members praised the superintendent search committee for bringing the finalists forward.

Gallagher said she was looking for a "people person," someone whose door will be open to the faculty and someone who will make people feel comfortable. She praised Charko's "very strong financial background," something she called a plus, given the current economic climate.

"He, too, has the best interest of students at heart," Gallagher said.

St. Amand said only one candidate had superintendent experience and that was Charko, who, he said, has stepped into the acting superintendent role three times during his tenure in Palmer.

"I want somebody who will stay in the community and not use it as a stepping stone," St. Amand said.

Blanchette said he was looking for someone to move the "fractured" district forward. He said there was "uneasiness" when Gerald A. Fournier was superintendent; Fournier retired at the end of June, and wanted to stay on as interim superintendent, but the majority of School Committee members went with Charko instead.

Janasiewicz and Lynch went to the Gateway Regional School District for a site visit with Gazda. Janasiewicz said he was looking for an "educational leader" and said Gazda emphasized that he wants to have an impact on students' lives.

While Lynch said he feels Charko does an excellent job, he felt Gazda could help the district manage better as it has no curriculum coordinator.

Gallagher called Charko to notify him that he was picked for the position. The next step will be to negotiate a contract, she said. Gallagher said she thinks Charko has brought a "great deal of pride back" to the district.

"I've heard so many wonderful, positive things about this man. Tom has been with us for 12 years and I think that says something for him," Gallagher said.

Some superintendent search committee members who were in the audience seemed upset about the decision, and refused comment after the meeting.

However, one search committee member, the district's technology director, Thomas Barnes, said he was pleased with the choice, as he has worked with Charko for 11 years.

"I think he will make a superb superintendent," said Barnes, adding morale has improved since Charko has been at the helm the past four months.

Gallagher said the reaction from some of the search committee members was the first negative one she had seen regarding Charko. Gallagher said Charko came in every day after the power outage from the Oct. 29 snowstorm to help coordinate efforts; the middle school was transformed into a shelter for a week due to the storm.

Police chief David Kozloski said Monson officers are continuing to investigate other house breaks reported over the past few weeks.

MONSON – Police Chief Stephen Kozloski Jr. said four men have been charged this week in two unrelated breaking and entering investigations, one at Sunsetview Campground and another at an Oak Street garage.

He said that Travis R. Bourbeau, 24, of 53 Crystal Lake Road, Ellington, Conn., and Eric W. Pierce, 21, of 40 Spusta Road, Stafford, Conn., were charged on Friday with nighttime breaking and entering, vandalizing property and attempted breaking and entering into a money depository for breaking into Sunsetview Campground on Town Farm Road in June. Kozloski said they allegedly entered the campground store and were trying to break into the vending and arcade machines for money when the alarm system scared them off.

Bourbeau and Pierce were identified after a joint investigation by Monson police and Connecticut State Police. They were involved in similar campground breaks in Connecticut, Kozloski said. They will be summonsed into Palmer District Court on the charges.

On Sunday, Kozloski said, two Springfield men were arrested for stealing power tools from a garage at an Oak Street residence. Nathaniel Arriaga, 20, of 6 Sunrise Terrace, and Eric James Casineau, 19, of 23 Mallowhill Road, were charged with nighttime breaking and entering, larceny over $250 and possession of burglarious tools. They denied charges in Palmer District Court on Tuesday, and will return to court Jan. 6 for pretrial conferences.

Kozloski said an Oak Street resident called police after seeing two individuals in the area of a neighbor's garage. Using information provided by the witness, Monson police notified area police departments about the description of the suspect's vehicle. Wilbraham police stopped a car matching the description on Route 20, and Monson police arrived to arrest Arriaga and Casineau.

Property stolen from the Oak Street residence was recovered from their vehicle, Kozloski said.

Kozloski said Monson police officers are continuing to investigate other house breaks reported over the past few weeks. He reminds residents to remain vigilant and to immediately report suspicious activity in their neighborhoods to police.

Opponents warned that casinos will addict more people and ruin families once they set up shop in Massachusetts.

Associated PressMassachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick takes questions from reporters in front of his office at the Statehouse, in Boston, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011. Massachusetts lawmakers have approved a compromise of a bill designed to license up to three resort-style casinos and a single slots parlor in the state. Patrick said he's still reviewing the bill, but it appears to be something he could support. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Updates a story posted Tuesday at 3:50 p.m.

BOSTON – State legislators Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to approve a compromise casino bill, setting the scene for a wide open competition for a casino resort in Western Massachusetts.

The bill authorizes up to three casino resorts, including one for anywhere in the four counties of Western Massachusetts, and a separate slot barn with 1,250 slot machines. The state House of Representatives voted 118-33 to approve the bill and the state Senate 23-14.

"I'm pleased we finally got it done," Rep. Angelo J. Puppolo, D-Springfield, said. "It's a great bill for economic development and jobs."

Gov. Deval L. Patrick congratulated lawmakers for moving the bill ahead.

"We are still in the process of evaluating the fine print, but the bill seems to conform with the general principles and features that we have discussed," Patrick said. "We look forward to getting through the rest of the review, but it looks like the long chapter in the debate around gaming is about to come to a close, and the opportunity is to create some additional middle-skill jobs in different corners of the Commonwealth is here.”

Opponents warned that casinos will addict more people and ruin families once they set up shop in Massachusetts.

Rep. Ruth B. Balser, D-Newton, said casinos will increase crime, homelessness and bankruptcies.

"This is the wrong direction for Massachusetts," Balser said.

Among Western Massachusetts legislators, those voting in opposition included Reps. Brian M. Ashe, D-Longmeadow, Denise Andrews, D-Orange, William Pignatelli, D-Lenox, Todd M. Smola, R-Palmer, and Sen. Benjamin B. Downing, D-Pittsfield.

Even before the ink is dry on the bill, casino developers are jockeying to bid for a license in Western Massachusetts, considered more fertile for casino competition than other regions.

Hard Rock International of Florida is teaming up with a group called Paper City Development to develop and manage a casino resort on the 100-acre Wyckoff Country Club off Interstate 91 in Holyoke.

The Penn National Gaming Inc. of Pennsylvania has said it also intends to seek a casino license in the region.

Western Massachusetts is viewed as a hotbed for casino applicants, compared to other regions.

The bill gives a federally-recognized Indian tribe, most likely the Wampanoag of Mashpee, an exclusive bargaining period for the license established for the southeast part of the state. Suffolk Downs is considered a frontrunner for the Boston license, leaving Western Massachusetts as the region most available for competition.

Associated PressMassachusetts State Rep. Joseph Wagner, D-Chicopee, chair of the Joint Committee on Economic Development, front, faces reporters in a hallway at the Statehouse, in Boston, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011, moments before the House went into session. Massachusetts House lawmakers have given their final approval to a bill licensing up to three resort-style casinos and a single slots parlor. The House quickly voted 118-to-33 Tuesday afternoon to accept the final version of the bill, which then headed to the Senate. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

The House speaker has estimated the bill would create 15,000 jobs. In Palmer alone, the Mohegan Sun has said a casino would create up to 3,000 permanent jobs and 1,200 construction jobs.

House and Senate leaders released the compromise bill on Monday night. Previously, each branch had approved its own version of the bill.

Patrick said he would review the bill. The governor has 10 days to decide whether to sign the bill, allow it to become law without his signature, seek amendments or issues vetoes.

Patrick said he is concerned that the bill sets aside only 20 percent of casino-resort tax revenues for local aid for cities and towns, not the 25 percent recommended by the state Senate.

Top legislators have estimated the state could eventually receive about $400 million a year in tax revenues from casinos, which could generate up to $1.8 billion a year in gross sales.

The bill establishes a 25 percent tax on gross gaming revenues at the resorts and 40 percent at the slot parlor.

In a last-minute change, the final bill sends 5 percent of casino-resort tax dollars to a development fund for race horses, a priority of House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo, a Winthrop Democrat who has the Suffolk Downs horse track in his district and is the son of a former track worker.

The bill also earmarks 9 percent of gaming revenues from the slot facility to subsidize the state’s horse racing industry. The industry also gets 5 percent of licensing fees from casinos and the slot barn.

The bill also requires state employees involved in approving the gambling bill to wait a year after they leave government before accepting a job with a casino or applicant for a license. The one-year cooling-off period covers all legislators, in addition to municipal and state officials who help put the bill into effect or administer it.

The bill requires approval of a local ballot question in a potential host community for a casino. In Boston, Worcester and Springfield, a ward would vote, but city councils in those cities could opt for a city-wide vote.

If Patrick signs the bill, state leaders will be clear to appoint a five-member gaming commission, which would accept bids from developers and regulate casinos.

Legislators have said a slot parlor could open within a year and that the casinos could be operating in about three years.

The bill would require casino developers to pay a licensing fee of at least $85 million and to invest at least $500 million in the facility, including at least one hotel. The slot parlor developer would have to pay $25 million for a license and invest $125 million in the project.

Casinos could be open 24 hours, but are banned from selling alcohol between 2 and 8 a.m. Smoking would also be banned at casinos.

Casinos could offer free drinks on the gaming floors only.

In a speech on the House floor, Rep. Joseph F. Wagner, D-Chicopee, a top author of the casino bill, singled out the House speaker for advancing casinos.

DeLeo became speaker in 2009 and announced that fall that he would support casinos. His predecessor as speaker had engineered a defeat of Patrick's bill for casinos in 2008, but DeLeo turned around votes after he took over.

A casino bill collapsed last year when Patrick refused to support DeLeo's plan for two slot licenses for race tracks. The two compromised on one slot barn included in this year's bill.

The Escape's boxy profile was looking stale in a market full of newer, more aerodynamic competitors.

Associated Press/Ford Motor CompanyThis undated photo provided by Ford Motor Co., shows the 2013 Ford Escape.

DEARBORN, Mich. — The Ford Escape is getting a long overdue makeover, ditching its boxy styling for a sleek look that Ford hopes will outshine competitors.

It has reason to be confident: Ford Explorer SUV sales are at a four-year high thanks to a similar redesign last year.

Ford will unveil the 2013 Escape at the Los Angeles Auto Show Wednesday. It goes on sale early next year. Pricing hasn't been announced, but it will likely start around $25,000.

The Escape's boxy profile was looking stale in a market full of newer, more aerodynamic competitors like the Chevrolet Equinox. The new Escape, which was designed in Europe, now has the elegant, tapered look of Ford's other new models, including the Fiesta subcompact and Edge crossover.

In addition to better styling, customers have been asking for more features and better fuel economy, said Mark Fields, Ford's president of the Americas. The more aerodynamic design, along with three updated engine choices, will help improve fuel economy from 28 mpg to as high as 33 mpg. Ford will discontinue the hybrid Escape, noting that its EcoBoost gas engines get better fuel economy than the 31 mpg on the current hybrid.

The Escape has some whiz-bang features, including a liftgate that opens when the driver makes a slight kicking motion under the bumper and a system that parallel parks the vehicle automatically with the press of a button.

The Escape will still tow up to 3,500 pounds, or enough for a one-ton boat on its trailer.

The Escape, which went on sale 11 years ago, had its last big makeover in 2008. Even then, critics said it was too dated and not efficient enough compared to newer rivals. Escape sales drooped and a rival, the Honda CR-V, outsold it until this year, when Japan's earthquake disrupted supplies and hurt Honda's sales. The Escape regained the lead.

Honda will push to recapture those sales with a new CR-V that will also be shown at the Los Angeles Auto Show and will go on sale by the end of this year.

Both Ford and Honda did all the right things with their redesigns, including improving fuel economy and styling and making their interiors more luxurious, said Michelle Krebs, a senior analyst with car information site Edmunds.com.

"I don't think either company will have a speck of problem selling all they can make in a decent economy," Krebs said.

While earlier versions of the Escape and CR-V were considered small SUVs, they're technically crossovers, which combine the roominess of SUVs with the nimbler handling and fuel efficiency of cars, since they're built on car platforms.

Crossover sales have been steadily rising for a decade. J.D. Power and Associates, a marketing information firm, predicts they'll hit nearly 3 million sales per year by 2015, making crossovers the largest segment in the U.S. They'll outsell compact cars, the nearest segment, by 400,000.

While the CR-V, Escape and Toyota RAV4 have been perennial favorites, they're facing some competition. Sales of the Equinox, which was revamped in 2009, are up 45 percent for the year to 162,000, or less than 40,000 vehicles behind the top-ranked Escape. Several other models have chalked up sales of more than 100,000, including the Nissan Rogue and Kia Sorento.

Ford hopes the radical redesign will give the Escape the same momentum as the Explorer, which has a completely new look and a lower, more efficient car platform. Explorer sales were up 134 percent through October. The Explorer is by far the best seller in market for midsize SUVs, besting rivals like the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Richard Bazzy, who owns two Ford dealerships in suburban Pittsburgh, says Escape has been a big seller for him, but he's not sorry to see it go. He thinks customers will love the new version.

"I think this is one of the best looking cars we've ever produced," he said.

No injuries were reported in the blaze which heavily damaged the home last Thursday night.

EAST LONGMEADOW - A faulty electrical outlet was the cause of a blaze that heavily damaged an Avery Street home Thursday night.

No injuries were reported in the blaze at 65 Avery St. which displaced two people. It was reported by a neighbor who called 911 shortly before 8 p.m.

State Trooper Michael Mazza, who is attached to the state fire marshal's office, determined the cause, Fire Chief Richard J. Brady said. The outlet was located in an enclosed porch near the home’s breezeway.

Brady said the fire damage was largely confined to the breezeway, porch and kitchen areas. “There was a lot of heat and smoke damage throughout the rest of the house,” he said.

According to Facebook, no user data or accounts were compromised during the attack.

Associated PressA Jan. 3, 2011 file photo shows the Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif.

BERLIN — A recent wave of spam flooding Facebook users' pages with graphic pictures depicting sex and violence has mostly been stopped, but the social networking site said Wednesday that people need to remain vigilant to keep their accounts from being hijacked.

Facebook in Germany said the latest attack tricked users into pasting and executing malicious JavaScript in their browser URL bar, exploiting a browser vulnerability that caused them to unknowingly share the content, according to a statement to news agency dapd.

"Our team responded quickly and we have eliminated most of the spam caused by this attack," the statement said. "We are now working to improve our systems to better defend against similar attacks in the future."

According to Facebook, no user data or accounts were compromised during the attack.

Facebook said it built enforcement mechanisms to quickly shut down the malicious pages and accounts that attempt to exploit the vulnerability.

"Protecting the people who use Facebook from spam and malicious content is a top priority for us," Facebook said.

Meantime, Facebook warned users to never cut and paste unknown code into a browser's address bar, and to always use an up-to-date browser, as well as to flag and report any suspicious content.

The family of Chicopee murder victim Amanda Plasse speaks out; a state bill is aiming to make it harder for metal thieves to sell scrap; and more of the morning's headlines.

An Occupy London protester symbolically covers his mouth with a U.S. dollar note, as protesters demonstrate outside the U.S. Embassy in London in support of Occupy Wall Street protesters in New York who were evicted from their camp today, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011. New York police have dismantled the Occupy Wall Street camp in Zuccotti Park and arrested about 200 people following a raid in the early hours. (AP Photo/Sang Tan)

• Hartford police investigate 23rd murder of the year [Courant.com]


• Family of Chicopee murder victim Amanda Plasse speaks out [WWLP.com]


• Occupy Boston movement marches to Beacon Hill [Boston.com]


• House bill looks to weed out scrap metal thieves [BostonHerald.com]


• Pittsfield launches website featuring cultural events in city [Berkshire Eagle.com]


• Berlusconi resignation rumor - Downtown Brattleboro dealing with repeated problems with malfunctioning railroad arms [Reformer.com]


• Fewer women hold high-level executive branch jobs​ with Conn. Gov. Malloy at the helm [NewHavenRegister.com]


• Outcry in China after coal truck slams overcrowded van full of children, killing 18 [Reuters.com]


Secret Service says bullets hit White House
• Twitter posts tagged #westernma in Western Mass. [MassLive.com]


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Investigators seek the public's help in determining who set the fire.

Photo by Don Treeger / The RepublicanHolyoke firefighters are seen at the location of a fire that destroyed a vacant house at 307 Whitney Avenue Wednesday afternoon.

HOLYOKE – Investigators have determined that the smoky blaze that destroyed a long-abandoned home at Whitney and Homestead avenues last Wednesday afternoon was deliberately set.

“They are still trying to find out who is responsible,” said Lt. Thomas G. Paquin, spokesman for the Holyoke Fire Department.

The blaze at 307 Whitney Ave., sent up a heavy black plume of smoke that could be visible for miles. It was reported shortly after 3:30 p.m.

Paquin said those who may have seen anything suspicious at or near the home are urged to call (413) 534-4515, or (413) 535-1910.

Paquin said the house is in probate, and prior to the fire, the Fire Department had periodically checked on it to make sure that it was boarded up.

The house is owned by Robert and Louise Baker of Rocky Hill, S.C.

Neighbors said they called police perhaps a half-dozen times in recent years to report that somebody might be inside.

The home was in disrepair and firefighters stayed outside while they fought the blaze because the interior floors were unsafe.

Paquin said that the Holyoke Fire Department and state Trooper Michael Mazza, who is attached to the state fire marshal’s office, are investigating.

The property will be razed once the investigation is complete, Paquin said.

Two Rhode Island slot parlors generate millions of dollars in revenue for the state every year.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Rhode Island is preparing for the possibility of casinos in Massachusetts now that legislation authorizing gambling facilities in the neighboring state is about to get legislative approval.

Gov. Lincoln Chafee says he has asked a consultant to study how casinos in Massachusetts might affect business at the Twin River and Newport Grand slot parlors. The two facilities generate millions of dollars in revenue for the state every year.

Chafee, an independent, says Rhode Island is prepared for competition from its neighbor.

He says he is committed to protecting what he calls a "vital source of revenue."

The Las Vegas company plans to build a casino on 41 acres at the old Westinghouse Complex on Page Boulevard in Springfield.

Photo by Mark M. Murray / The RepublicanDemolition continued Wednesday on one of the last buildings remaining at the former Westinghouse Electric Corp. complex on Page Boulevard in Springfield. A Las Vegas company announced that it wants to build a casino and hotel on the 41 acre site.

A Las Vegas company announced today it is planning a casino and hotel for the old Westinghouse site on Page Boulevard in Springfield.

Ameristar Casinos, Inc.said it has agreed to buy 41 acres for $16 million, with the intent to apply for the sole casino license for Western Massachusetts and, if awarded, build a luxury hotel and entertainment resort.

"This is a great opportunity for Ameristar to build on a one-of-a-kind site within the city limits of Springfield, a city that would greatly benefit from an economic development project of this magnitude," Gordon Kanofsky, Ameristar's chief executive officer, said in a statement. "There are not many attractive new-market growth opportunities for casino companies, and this one in particular fits squarely within the Ameristar business model as an upscale regional destination casino operator."

Ameristar has agreed to buy the land from an affiliate of the O'Connell Development Group Inc., which had anticipated a large-scale retail project on the site.

Westinghouse Electric Corp. opened the Springfield plant in 1915, and at its peak during World War II, the plant employed about 7,000 people. The company closed it in December 1970, and it has since been leased to a variety of businesses for storage and other uses.

The buildings on the site are being razed, and the property will be delivered to Ameristar substantially ready for construction.

The company's announcement came the day after the state Legislature voted to approve a bill that authorizes three casino resorts and a slot parlor. The bill is expected to go to the desk of Gov. Deval L. Patrick Wednesday.

The site was being eyed by Penn National Gaming as recently as late September for development as a casino.

Ameristar's development plans are preliminary but are expected to include a state-of-the-art casino continuously updated with the newest and most popular slot machines and a variety of table games, a luxury hotel, a diverse offering of dining venues, retail outlets, entertainment and meeting space, and structured parking.

"As with all of our other properties, we look forward to partnering with the city and community to ensure our project visually complements the surrounding neighborhood and suitable street improvements are made to accommodate increased traffic in the area," Kanofsky said.

Subject to the satisfactory completion of Ameristar's due diligence, the closing of the purchase is expected to occur in January 2012

It was not immediately clear what ties, if any, the suspect may have to Western Massachusetts.

Daniel Andreas San Diego was the first "domestic terrorist" to be added to the FBI's Most Wanted terrorist list. He was added in 2009. (FBI file photos)

SPRINGFIELD – The FBI has announced it will hold a press conference in Springfield Wednesday afternoon to discuss its search for a man on its “most wanted terrorists” list.

Daniel Andreas San Diego, who has ties to animal rights extremist groups, is wanted for his alleged involvement in two bombings in the San Francisco, California, area, according to the FBI website.

On August 28, 2003, two bombs exploded approximately one hour apart on the campus of a biotechnology corporation in Emeryville, according to the FBI.

Then, on September 26, 2003, one bomb strapped with nails exploded at a nutritional products corporation in Pleasanton. San Diego was indicted in the United States District Court, Northern District of California, in July of 2004.

In 2009, San Diego became the first "domestic terrorist" to be added to the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorist list.

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $250,000 for information leading directly to the suspect’s arrest.

San Diego is known to follow a vegan diet, eating no meat or food containing animal products. In the past, he has worked as a computer network specialist and with the operating system LINUX.

San Diego wears eyeglasses, is skilled at sailing, and has traveled internationally. He is known to possess a handgun.

San Diego has the following tattoos: a round image of burning hillsides in the center of his chest with the words "It only takes a spark" printed in a semicircle below; burning and collapsing buildings on the sides of his abdomen and back; and a single leafless tree rising from a road in the center of his lower back.

These tattoos may have been significantly altered or covered with new tattoos.

There is no mention on the FBI’s website of any known ties that San Diego may have to Western Massachusetts.

Ware organizers say the Holiday Flair in Ware is growing each year.

WARE – It takes a lot of volunteer work, especially from Peter Harder, but Holiday Flair in Ware is growing each year and will kick off on schedule Nov. 25 with family entertainment in the downtown business district which will be decorated for the Christmas season.

“It is even more important this year,” said Susan LaBarge, who is involved with Country Bank volunteers in organizing and carrying out the festivities.

“Last week people were struggling. Now a lot of people have lost food and everything and they are struggling more,” LaBarge said. “We need to keep this going, especially for the kids.”

The Holiday Flair will feature an arrival of Santa Claus on a horse drawn sleigh and an opportunity for children to meet with him at Town Hall.

There will also be face painting, entertainment for children and a raffle.

The events will run from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Nov. 25, and will move into Town Hall if the weather is bad.

Ware’s downtown holiday season kickoff had diminished over years, but four years ago the Rotary Club helped build the event back up with a lot of volunteer help.

LaBarge and Gail Moryl from the Rotary Club both said that the events and the festive decorations would not be possible without the efforts of Harder, who started his volunteer work on decorating the downtown while he was still a full-time police officer.

“People do not realize the amount of work he puts into this every year,” Moryl said.

Volunteers are still being sought to work on the decorations and arrangements.

To become involved, volunteers may call LaBarge at (413) 967-6221, or Moryl at (413) 967-3909.

The plan is to put up 60 Christmas trees and other decorations Nov. 19 and then have the lights turned on Nov. 25.

The downtown stores are encouraged to stay open in the evening hours Nov. 25, and some of them have special promotions of their own then.

“It is important that the merchants on Main Street take part, but we do not ask them for donations because of the state of the economy,” Moryl said.

Donations will be accepted to replace equipment and help fund next year’s Holiday Flair when mock toll road collections take place downtown Nov. 19 and 20 from 8 a.m. to noon.

The protesters filed the lawsuit after police dismantled the birthplace of the Occupy movement in New York earlier Tuesday.

Associated Press photoWith South Station and the city's financial district in as the backdrop Hip-hop mogul and political activist Russell Simmons addresses protestors at the Occupy Boston encampment in Boston, Tuesday afternoon.

BOSTON – Occupy Boston protesters are heading to court to try to block any attempt to remove them from their protest site in the city’s financial district.

A hearing was scheduled for Wednesday in Suffolk Superior Court on the group’s request for a temporary restraining order to prevent the city or police from evicting them from their encampment in Dewey Square.

The protesters filed the lawsuit after police dismantled the birthplace of the Occupy movement in New York earlier Tuesday. Hundreds of police officers in riot gear raided the Occupy Wall Street encampment, evicting hundreds of demonstrators and arresting 200.

A spokesman for Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said Tuesday that the city’s policy has been to allow the encampment to remain in place as long as it’s peaceful.

More details coming on MassLive and in The Republican.

The School Department will re-advertise its human resourced position vacancy.

Daniel Knapik

WESTFIELD – Mayor Daniel M. Knapik has asked the City Council to create an assistant personnel director position, the latest move towards consolidation of School Department and city personnel matters.

“We are getting ready for unification of the two departments,” Knapik said of the request.

Discussions involving the School Department, School Committee and City Council have been on-going during the past year concerning consolidation of some offices in both the School Department and City Hall.

The mayor’s request was referred by the full City Council to its Legislative and Ordinance and Personnel Action subcommittees and could be up for action as early as the council’s regular meeting scheduled for Nov. 17.

Legislative Committee chairman James E. Brown Jr. said his committee will review the issue this week and forward its recommendation to PAC.

Personnel chairman Brent B. Bean II could not be reached for comment Tuesday but Brown said he wants the issue acted upon “sooner rather than later.

“We are nearing the end of the (calendar) year and the council should clear its agenda if possible,” said Brown.

The School Committee last month approved the appointment of South Middle School principal Ronald R. Rix, an unsuccessful candidate for superintendent of schools earlier in the year, to become the School Department’s human resources director. Rix would have replaced Helen M. Bowler who resigned in May to take a position with the state Department of Labor.

But, Rix declined the appointment, preferring to remain in his principal position.

Superintendent of Schools Suzanne Scallion must now re-advertise the human resource position.

Currently former Chicopee assistant superintendent of schools Charles E. Tetrault is servings as interim school personnel director. Also, retired School Department human resources director Stephen A. Hagen is attending to City Hall personnel needs.

Both are under contract for part-time services at $387 per day for Tetrault and $300 per day for Hagen.

Peter Marchetti lost to Daniel Bianchi by 106 votes in the Nov. 8 election, the closest mayoral election in the Berkshire County city in nearly a century.

Peter Marchetti lost to Daniel Bianchi by 106 votes in the Nov. 8 election, the closest mayoral election in the Berkshire County city in nearly a century. (Facebook Photo)

PITTSFIELD, Mass. (AP) — The loser of the Pittsfield mayoral election has decided not to ask for a recount.

Peter Marchetti lost to Daniel Bianchi by 106 votes in the Nov. 8 election, the closest mayoral election in the Berkshire County city in nearly a century.

Bianchi received 6,144 votes to 6,038 for Marchetti.

Marchetti, a city councilor, tells The Berkshire Eagle he decided not to ask for a recount because it would cost the city too much money and would not likely change the outcome.

He says now is the time to work together.

Bianchi is a former city councilor and director of administration and finance for the city who asked for a recount when he lost the 2009 mayoral election by just over 200 votes.

The international trip, intended to boost the state’s economic prospects, will be Patrick's third overseas trip since taking office in 2007, and the second this year after traveling to Great Britain and Israel.

By MATT MURPHY

Deval L. Patrick

BOSTON - Gov. Deval L. Patrick and four members of his Cabinet will embark on a nine-day trade mission to Chile and Brazil on Dec. 1, meeting first with Chilean President Sebastian Piñera in Santiago before traveling on to Brazilia, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro to meet with business executives, university leaders and government officials.

The international trip, intended to boost the state’s economic prospects, will take Patrick out of the country from Dec. 1 through Dec. 9, and will be Patrick's third overseas trip since taking office in 2007, and the second this year after traveling to Great Britain and Israel in March on a 10-day excursion. Patrick traveled to China in 2007.

“We are committed to competing for every job in every corner of the commonwealth and the world,” Patrick said in a prepared statement. “To continue our recovery, we need to position Massachusetts for success in growing markets like Brazil, to drive job growth and catalyze international investment.”

The State House News Service reported in October that Patrick was planning a trade mission to Brazil. The governor intends to make a formal announcement of the trip Wednesday morning.

Before traveling to Brazil, Patrick and a small delegation of government officials will fly to Santiago, Chile for two days at the request of President Piñera as a follow-up meeting to Piñera’s visit to the State House in September. The Massachusetts delegation also plans to meet with business, academic and government leaders in Santiago before traveling on to Brazil on Dec. 3.

In choosing to visit Chile, Patrick follows on the heels of other Massachusetts governors, including former Govs. William F. Weld and A. Paul Cellucci who also led trade missions to the South American country.

Massachusetts and Chile have a $118 million bilateral trade relationship, with $62 million in annual exports from Massachusetts to Chile. The Council of Great Lakes Governors plans to lead a mission to Chile in 2012, according to Patrick’s office, and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Delaware Gov. Jack Markell led trade mission there during their tenures.

Patrick will then lead a larger 50-person delegation to Brazil starting on Dec. 4 in the Brazilia and finishing in Rio de Janeiro on Dec. 9. The delegation – larger than the one Patrick took to Israel and Great Britain in March - includes 12 government officials, 10 academic and cultural institution leaders and 29 business executives.

The governor’s office has budgeted $250,000 for the trip, but said it hopes to spend less, noting that the trade mission to Israel and Great Britain cost less than $200,000 after initially budgeting $300,000 for the mission.

Economic Development Secretary Greg Bialecki, Education Secretary Paul Reville, Energy Secretary Rick Sullivan, and Labor Secretary Joanne Goldstein will all make the trip, along with Sen. Marc Pacheco, a Portuguese American who is the only lawmaker traveling with Patrick.

According to the Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Investment, Brazil has the seventh largest economy in the world, and is expected to rank fifth in the "near future."

Trade between Massachusetts and Brazil topped $475 million in 2010, including $396 million in exports to Brazil and more than $80 million in imports to Massachusetts.

Exports from the state to Brazil are up 31 percent in 2011, according to state officials.Portuguese is also the second most commonly spoken language in Massachusetts after English, with pockets of Brazilian immigrants in cities such as Framingham, and a large population of Portuguese Americans spread across South Coast cities like Fall River and New Bedford and communities such as Somerville, Lowell, Hudson and Milford.Massachusetts is not alone among states targeting Brazil for economic growth potential.

Governors and senior officials from more than 15 states have visited the country during the past three years, including Florida Gov. Rick Scott, Idaho Lt. Gov. Brad Little and former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty.

Patrick said the trade mission will focus on creating jobs in the life sciences, information technology, clean energy and education sectors.

Patrick recently hosted Brazilian Ambassador to the United States Mauro Vieira and Consul General of Brazil in Boston, Fernando de Mello Barreto, at the State House to discuss the mission.

“Governor Deval Patrick will be very welcome in Brazil,” Vieira said in a statement. “His trade mission will present an excellent opportunity to strengthen ties between Massachusetts and Brazil, in particular among companies and universities, by promoting reciprocal investments, trade in services and goods as well as exchange of scientific and technological information."