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Springfield readies to auction 29 tax-title properties at City Hall

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Daniel J. Flynn & Co., of Quincy is conducting the city's 3rd auction of 2011.

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SPRINGFIELD
– The city has scheduled an auction of 29 tax-title properties on Wednesday, which are conducted on occasion with the goal of returning them to the tax rolls and preventing blight in neighborhoods.

The auction will begin at 6 p.m. at City Hall, preceded by registration at 5 p.m.

The auction is conducted by the city in conjunction with Daniel J. Flynn & Co., of Quincy, and is the third auction conducted this year.

“The city has been very aggressive with its tax taking process and getting these properties back on the tax rolls is a huge benefit to the city,” Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said in a prepared statement. “More importantly, when these residences are rehabbed, it has a tremendous impact on the abutting property owners’ quality of life and adds to the overall aesthetics of our city neighborhoods.”

The properties being auctioned consist of eight houses and 21 lots.

Auctioneer Daniel Flynn said there is “a vast array of opportunity” available to both new and seasoned bidders.

“The increasing popularity in these auctions brings many repeat customers, and a steady influx of newcomers, looking to invest in a great opportunity and purchase real estate at a great value,” Flynn said.

A 5 percent buyer’s premium covers the auction fee, added to each high bid.

Auction participation requires bidders to come prepared with a certified or bank check made out to themselves, in the amount of $5,000 per property.

Interested bidders can check the city’s Web site, or www.flynnauctions.com for specific property information.


'Tis the season to ... shoplift? Rising thefts anticipated as holiday shopping gets underway

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People with sticky fingers pose a $13 billion annual threat to the U.S., where shoplifting is responsible for about $35 million in daily retail losses.

HOLYOKE — No word quite signals the arrival of the holiday season like "shoplifting," a perennial $13 billion problem in the U.S., according to the nonprofit National Association for Shoplifting Prevention (NASP).

This holiday season is shaping up to be a busy one, with plenty of cash-strapped consumers and profit-hungry retailers looking for bargains and bucks, respectively. Factor in the ongoing national economic crisis, greed and lax morals, as some might say, and conditions are ripe for nimble-fingered shoplifters in pursuit of unauthorized deals (also called larcenies).

Retailers lose about $35 million daily to shoplifters, according to the NASP. Experts say shoplifting causes a ripple effect that leads to higher legal and public safety costs, and lower sales tax revenues for affected communities. Because retailers are forced to spend more on security, they tend to pass along that expense to consumers, who end up facing higher prices at the cash register.

A survey by the National Retail Federation (NRF) indicated that retail losses totaled around $37.1 billion last year, up from $33.5 billion in 2009. Roughly 95 percent of all retailers have been a victim of organized retail crime over the last 12 months, according to NRF data.

“Increased shoplifting and shrink rates mirror what retailers are seeing with professional and organized crime rings,” said Joe LaRocca, a senior NRF asset protection adviser. “Retailers are continuing to put resources in place to fight these self-serving and unethical criminals who walk out with billions of dollars in unpaid merchandise every year.”

Closer to home, Holyoke – site of the region's largest shopping mall – has seen a spike in shoplifting since Black Friday, the unofficial launch of the annual Christmas shopping season. Several retail theft arrests were made Friday and Saturday, according to Holyoke Police Department records.

In neighboring Worcester County, Liecester Police Chief James J. Hurley acknowledged that shoplifting is a seasonal problem that coincides with the holiday season.

“Historically, we've noticed that those sort of things do pick up this time of year," he told the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

NRF data indicates that so-called "shrinkage" – the preferred industry euphemism for merchandise that goes missing between the manufacturer and the retailer – represented 1.58 percent of all retail sales last year, an increase from 1.44 percent in 2009. Shoplifting was responsible for about 33 percent, or $12 billion, of all shrinkage losses in 2010.

Local alleged thieves come in all shapes and sizes, including at least three juveniles who've been arrested for shoplifting in Holyoke since Friday. There's no typical profile for shoplifters, with men and women stealing about equally, according to the NASP.

However, a 2008 report published in The American Journal of Psychiatry found that men shoplifted more than women, defying a long-held belief that females were more likely to commit the crime than males.

From Thanksgiving to Christmas, retailers are faced with "chasing shoplifters,” Kevin M. Plante, chairman of the loss prevention committee of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts, told the Telegram & Gazette. “Then after Christmas, you're dealing with return fraud,” he added.

Plante said the Retailers Association of Massachusetts has been unsuccessful in lobbying lawmakers to pass legislation allowing shoplifting rings to be prosecuted as criminal enterprises.

A sampling of local shoplifting cases would appear to suggest that some suspected thieves prefer upscale stores, such as Sephora cosmetics at the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside, while others favor more humble venues like Sears. In most of the cases, however, the suspects appeared to act alone and not as part of a professional criminal syndicate.

Ashley Barbaro of Ludlow and Nicole K. Picard of Wilbraham, both 24, were each charged with shoplifting and larceny in excess of $250 in connection with incidents reported at Sephora Saturday evening, police said.

But not all suspected shoplifters go down without a fight, as was allegedly the case with 23-year-old Westfield resident Sergey Tikhonchuk, who also picked up charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest at Sears Friday afternoon, according to police records.

There are an estimated 27 million shoplifters (1 out of 11 every people) nationwide, and more than 10 million Americans have been caught shoplifting within the past five years alone, according to NASP data.

Around 25 percent of shoplifters are minors, while 55 percent of adult shoplifters admit they began stealing in their teens. Despite the existence of organized criminal rings, shoplifting is often not a premeditated crime: 73 percent of adult shoplifters and 72 percent of juvenile shoplifters claim they don't plan to steal in advance.

Springfield police seek suspect in South End double stabbing

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A woman was taken into custody in connection with the incident, but police are still looking for a male suspect who stabbed a man and woman at an Oswego Street address.

SPRINGFIELD — Police are seeking a suspect in connection with a double stabbing early Sunday morning in the city's South End.

Two people – a man and a woman – were stabbed some time around 3 a.m. on Oswego Street in the Hollywood section of the South End, according to Springfield Police Lt. John Slepchuk. The victims suffered non-life-threatening wounds, he said.

A woman was taken into custody in connection with the incident, but the man believed to be responsible for the stabbings remained at large as of 8 a.m. Sunday. Police could not provide a detailed description of the assailant, who was described simply as a Hispanic male last seen fleeing the area in a black Jeep Cherokee.

Denise Escalera, 26, of 51 Oswego St., was arrested for interfering with a police investigation, Slepchuk said, adding that the incident is believed to have occurred at that Oswego Street address.

"She was caught trying to conceal evidence," Slepchuk said, without being more specific.

Police have asked anyone with information about the crime to contact them at (413) 787-6355 or 787-6302.

More information will be posted on MassLive as it becomes available.

Newt Gingrich wins endorsement from New Hampshire's largest paper

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The Union Leader's backing could give him a nudge in New Hampshire and provide a steady stream of criticism.

111711gingrich.jpgView full sizeIn this Nov. 9, 2011, file photo, Republican presidential candidate former House Speaker Newt Gingrich speaks during a Republican Presidential Debate at Oakland University in Auburn Hills, Mich.

By PHILIP ELLIOTT

WASHINGTON (AP) — New Hampshire's largest newspaper on Sunday endorsed former House Speaker Newt Gingrich in the 2012 GOP presidential race, signaling that rival Mitt Romney isn't the universal favorite and potentially resetting the contest before the state's lead-off primary Jan. 10.

"We are in critical need of the innovative, forward-looking strategy and positive leadership that Gingrich has shown he is capable of providing," The New Hampshire Union Leader said in its front-page editorial, which was as much a promotion of Gingrich as a discreet rebuke of Romney.

"We don't back candidates based on popularity polls or big-shot backers. We look for conservatives of courage and conviction who are independent-minded, grounded in their core beliefs about this nation and its people, and best equipped for the job," the editorial said.

Romney enjoys solid leads in New Hampshire polls and remains at the front of the pack nationally. A poll released last week showed him with 42 percent support among likely Republican primary voters in New Hampshire. Gingrich followed with 15 percent in the WMUR-University of New Hampshire Granite State poll.

Rep. Ron Paul of Texas posted 12 percent support and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman found 8 percent support in that survey.

Those numbers could shift based on the backing of The Union Leader, a newspaper with a conservative editorial stance that proudly works to influence elections, from school boards to the White House, in the politically savvy state.

The page-one editorial, signed by publisher Joseph W. McQuaid, suggested that the only state-wide newspaper in New Hampshire was ready to again assert itself as a player in the GOP primary.

"We don't have to agree with them on every issue," the newspaper wrote in an editorial that ran across the width of the front page. "We would rather back someone with whom we may sometimes disagree than one who tells us what he thinks we want to hear."

While Romney enjoys solid support in national polls, the large pack of Republicans has shifted all year from candidate to candidate in search of an alternative to the former Massachusetts governor. That led to the rise, and fall, of potential challengers such as Huntsman, Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota and Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

Yet with six weeks until the primary, The Union Leader's move could shuffle the race and further boost Gingrich. In recent weeks, he has seen a surge in some polls as Republicans focus more closely on deciding which candidate they consider best positioned to take on President Barack Obama.

"A lot of candidates say they're going to improve Washington," the newspaper wrote. "Newt Gingrich has actually done that, and in this race he offers the best shot of doing it again."

As voters started focusing more on the race, Gingrich has turned in solid debate performances and found his stride on a national stage. He has rebuilt his campaign after a disastrous summer that saw many of his top aides resign en masse and fundraising summaries report million in debt.

In New Hampshire, he brought on respected tea party leader Andrew Hemingway to lead his efforts and his team has been contacting almost 1,000 voters each day.

Hemingway's team of eight paid staffers in New Hampshire has been adding more than 100 volunteers each day, campaign officials said. Gingrich's team has lined up leaders in the major cities and has started identifying representatives in each ward in the state.

Gingrich has opened offices in Manchester, New Hampshire's biggest city, along with Dover in the eastern part of the state and in the North Country's Littleton. He plans two more.

Gingrich hasn't begun television advertising and has refused to go negative on his opponents.

Yet The Union Leader's backing could give him a nudge in New Hampshire and provide a steady stream of criticism.

Four years earlier, the newspaper threw its support to Arizona Sen. John McCain's bid and used front page opinion columns and editorials to boost him and criticize chief rival Romney. In the time since, Romney has worked to court Union Leader publisher Joe McQuaid, who often runs columns on the newspaper's front page under his signature.

"The Union Leader's style is we don't just endorse once," McQuaid told The Washington Post in 1999. "We endorse every damn day. We started endorsing Reagan in 1975 and never stopped."

Romney and his wife, Ann, had dinner with the McQuaids at the Bedford Village Inn near Manchester, hoping to reset the relationship earlier this year. Yet it didn't prove enough and McQuaid's newspaper seemed not to appreciate the outreach.

"Newt Gingrich is by no means the perfect candidate," McQuaid wrote. "But Republican primary voters too often make the mistake of preferring an unattainable ideal to the best candidate who is actually running."

Medicare's drug coverage 'doughnut hole' shrinks; some beneficiaries now save hundreds yearly

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The coverage gap, a money-saving idea from a previous Congress, never has been popular.

Obama Sebelius.jpgView full sizeFILE - In this June 8, 2010 file photo, President Barack Obama listens as Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius speaks during a town hall meeting on the Affordable Care Act, at the Holiday Park Multipurpose Senior Center in Wheaton, Md. Medicare's prescription coverage gap is getting noticeably smaller and easier to manage this year for millions of older and disabled people with high drug costs. The "doughnut hole" will shrink about 40 percent for those unlucky enough to land in it, according to new Medicare figures provided in response to a request from The Associated Press. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR

WASHINGTON (AP) — Medicare's prescription coverage gap is getting noticeably smaller and easier to manage this year for millions of older and disabled people with high drug costs.

The "doughnut hole," an anxiety-inducing catch in an otherwise popular benefit, will shrink about 40 percent for those unlucky enough to land in it, according to new Medicare figures provided in response to a request from The Associated Press.

The average beneficiary who falls into the coverage gap would have spent $1,504 this year on prescriptions. But thanks to discounts and other provisions in President Barack Obama's health care overhaul law, that cost fell to $901, according to Medicare's Office of the Actuary, which handles economic estimates.

A 50 percent discount that the law secured from pharmaceutical companies on brand name drugs yielded an average savings of $581. Medicare also picked up more of the cost of generic drugs, saving an additional $22.

The estimates are averages, so some Medicare recipients may do worse and others better. Also, it's still unclear if the discounts will start to overcome seniors' deep unease about the law.

Concern over cutting Medicare to expand coverage for the uninsured helped push older voters toward Republicans in the 2010 congressional elections. Obama and the Democrats have been trying to woo them back ever since.

"For people with high drug expenditures, the 50 percent discount offers real savings," said Tricia Neuman, director of Medicare policy for the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. "It's certainly more helpful than no coverage at all, which is what they had previously."

More than 2 million beneficiaries already have gotten some help, discounts that have gone largely to middle-class seniors, because the poor are covered in the gap at taxpayer expense.

For retired elementary school teacher Carolyn Friedman, it meant she didn't need a loan to pay for drugs that keep her epilepsy under control.

"What a change for the better," said Friedman, 71, of Sunrise, Fla. "This year it was easier to pay my bills, whereas last year I had to borrow money to pay for my medications when I was in the doughnut hole."

One of her brand-name anti-seizure drugs cost about $370 in the gap last year, and the other about $270. This year Friedman paid about $150 and $130, respectively, for a month's supply.

Medicare covers about 47 million older and disabled people, and about 9 in 10 have some kind of prescription plan. Most rely on the drug benefit, also known as Part D, which is delivered through private insurance plans.

Beneficiaries have until Dec. 7 to change their drug plans for 2012. Consumer advocates recommend that seniors check their coverage during open enrollment to see if their current choice remains the best for next year. Many families start the process around the Thanksgiving holiday.

The coverage gap, a money-saving idea from a previous Congress, never has been popular.

It starts after an individual beneficiary and his or her drug plan have spent a total of $2,840 on medications for the year. Seniors are then on their own for the next $3,600.

Once total spending reaches about $6,440, Medicare's catastrophic coverage kicks in and beneficiaries pay only a token amount. Most people do not spend enough in the doughnut hole to qualify for catastrophic coverage.

Although few private insurance plans still cap the amount they spend on medications, Medicare's hole-in-the-middle approach is highly unusual.

The Republican-led Congress that passed the drug benefit under President George W. Bush was trying to balance coverage and costs, as many conservatives fretted about creating a new unfunded entitlement.

Supporters wanted all beneficiaries to get some initial benefit from the program, and they wanted to protect those with overwhelmingly high costs. The resulting compromise led to the doughnut hole.

Under Obama's health care law, the gap will be gradually phased down by 2020.

This year, the law provides a 50 percent discount on brand name drugs and a 7 percent break on generics. Next year the discount on generics rises to 14 percent. When the changes are fully phased in, beneficiaries will still be responsible for their annual deductible and 25 percent of the cost of their medications until they reach catastrophic coverage.

If Republicans succeed in repealing what they dismiss as "Obamacare," the discounts would be wiped out as well.

Joan Gibbs thought her pharmacy had made a mistake. Her total cost for a brand-name painkiller in the doughnut hole came out lower than her co-payment earlier in the year, at a time her plan was picking up most of the tab.

"I reluctantly called the insurance company," said Gibbs, 54, who lives near Cleveland. "If they had made a mistake, I knew they would catch it sooner or later. I was very surprised that it turned out to be such a good discount."

Gibbs is on Medicare because of an auto-immune disorder and other medical problems that left her unable to work.

Other beneficiaries say it's still a struggle, even with the discounts.

John Robinson of Bel Air, Md., has diabetes and heart problems. A retired director of patient accounts for a hospital, Robinson said he runs up his credit card balance to pay for insulin, other medications and diabetic supplies in the doughnut hole.

"Thank God for credit cards," said Robinson, 71. "I thought it was better this year, but it still cost me more money than I had."

Officials: Afghan soldiers called in NATO airstrike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers; U.S.-Pakistan relations continue to sour

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U.S. officials have expressed their sympathies over the incident and have promised to work closely with Pakistan as NATO carries out its investigation.

Pakistan NATO Strike.jpgView full sizePakistani protesters burn representation of U. S. flag to condemn NATO helicopters attacks on Pakistani troops, in Multan, Pakistan on Sunday, Nov 27, 2011. Pakistan on Saturday accused NATO helicopters and fighter jets of firing on two army checkpoints in the country's northwest and killing 24 soldiers. Islamabad retaliated by closing the border crossings used by the international coalition to supply its troops in neighboring Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Khalid Tanveer)

By RAHIM FAIEZ and RIAZ KHAN

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Afghan troops who came under fire while operating near the Pakistan border called in the NATO airstrikes that allegedly killed 24 Pakistani soldiers at two posts along the frontier, Afghan officials said Sunday.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said it's unclear who attacked the Afghan troops before dawn Saturday, but that the soldiers were fired upon from the direction of the Pakistani border posts that were hit in the strikes. The border area where the soldiers were operating contains a mix of Pakistani forces and Islamist militants.

The incident has driven to new lows the United States' already tattered alliance with Pakistan, a relationship that is vital to winding down the 10-year-old Afghan war. The Pakistan army has said the alleged NATO attack was unprovoked and has insisted there wasn't militant activity near the border posts in the Mohmand tribal area. Outraged by the strike, Islamabad closed its border to trucks delivering supplies to coalition troops in Afghanistan and demanded the U.S. vacate a base used by American drones within 15 days.

NATO has said it is likely that its aircraft carried out the attack that caused Pakistani casualties and is conducting an investigation to determine the details. The Pakistan-Afghanistan border is disputed and not marked in many areas, adding to the difficulty.

On Sunday, Pakistan army chief Gen. Ashfaq Pervez Kayani attended the funerals of the victims, including a major, as the U.S. sought to minimize fallout from the crisis, which plunged Washington's already troubled relationship with Islamabad to an all-time low.

The relationship took a major hit after the covert U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden in a Pakistani garrison town in May. Pakistan was outraged it wasn't told about the operation beforehand. The U.S. has been consistently frustrated by Pakistan's refusal to target militants using its territory to attack American and other NATO troops in Afghanistan.

But there are forces working against a total rupture in the relationship. Pakistan still relies on billions of dollars in American military and civilian aid, and the U.S. needs Islamabad's help to push Afghan insurgents to engage in peace talks.

Tensions could rise further if militants unleash attacks against hundreds of trucks carrying supplies to U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan that were backed up at Pakistani border crossings Sunday after Islamabad closed the frontier.

Suspected militants destroyed around 150 trucks and injured drivers and police a year ago after Pakistan closed one of its Afghan border crossings to NATO supplies for about 10 days in retaliation for a U.S. helicopter attack that accidentally killed two Pakistani soldiers.

The situation could be more dire this time because Pakistan has closed both its crossings. Nearly 300 trucks carrying coalition supplies are now backed up at Torkham in the northwest Khyber tribal area and Chaman in southwestern Baluchistan province. Last year, Pakistan only closed Torkham.

"We are worried," said driver Saeed Khan, speaking by telephone from the border terminal in Torkham. "This area is always vulnerable to attacks. Sometimes rockets are lobbed at us. Sometimes we are targeted by bombs."

Khan and hundreds of other drivers and their assistants barely slept Saturday night because they were worried about potential attacks, he said.

Some drivers said Pakistan had sent paramilitary troops to protect their convoys since the closures, but others were left without any additional protection. Even those who did receive troops did not feel safe.

"If there is an attack, what can five or six troops do? Nothing," said Niamatullah Khan, a fuel truck driver who was parked with 35 other vehicles at a restaurant about 125 miles (200 kilometers) from Chaman.

NATO ships nearly 50 percent of its non-lethal supplies to its troops in Afghanistan through Pakistan. The trucks are periodically targeted by suspected militants as they travel through the country, and their drivers are sometimes killed.

An official closely involved with the Afghan war said there will likely be no immediate negative effect from Pakistan's decision to close its border crossings. NATO has built up a large stockpile of military and other supplies that could enable operations to continue at their current level for several months, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

NATO has reduced the amount of non-lethal supplies it ships through Pakistan from a high of around 80 percent by using routes through Central Asia. The northern logistics link could be expanded to make up for the Pakistani closure, but it would leave NATO heavily dependent on Russia at a time when ties with Moscow are increasingly strained.

Some critical supplies, including ammunition, are airlifted directly to Afghan air bases.

Pakistan eventually relented and reopened Torkham last year after the U.S. apologized. But the number of alleged casualties is much higher this time and the relationship between the two countries is much worse.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar told U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Sunday that the alleged NATO attack negated all progress in improving the damaged alliance between the two countries.

Pakistan NATO Strike Funeral.jpgView full sizePakistani soldier pay tribute to their colleagues lost their live in a Saturday's NATO attack, during their funeral in Peshawar, Pakistan on Sunday, Nov 27, 2011. Pakistan on Saturday accused NATO helicopters and fighter jets of firing on two army checkpoints in the country's northwest and killing 24 soldiers. Islamabad retaliated by closing the border crossings used by the international coalition to supply its troops in neighboring Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Mohammad Sajjad)

She told Clinton in a phone call that the alleged NATO attack was unacceptable, showed complete disregard for human life and sparked rage within Pakistan, according to a press release issued by the Pakistani foreign minister's office.

Islamabad also protested to the Afghan government, saying it should prevent NATO from using its territory to attack Pakistan, according to another statement from the Pakistani foreign minister's office.

An Afghan official denounced the protest as "baseless," saying NATO operates in Afghanistan under a U.N. mandate that is approved by Pakistan. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

In addition to closing its border crossings, Pakistan gave the U.S. 15 days to vacate Shamsi Air Base in Baluchistan. The U.S. uses the base to service drones targeting al-Qaida and Taliban militants in Pakistan's tribal region when they cannot return to their bases inside Afghanistan because of weather conditions or mechanical difficulty, U.S. and Pakistani officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

U.S. officials have expressed their sympathies over the incident and have promised to work closely with Pakistan as NATO carries out its investigation.

NATO's top official, Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, offered his "deepest condolences" and said the coalition was committed to working with Pakistan to "avoid such tragedies in the future."

"We have a joint interest in the fight against cross-border terrorism and in ensuring that Afghanistan does not once again become a safe haven for terrorists," Rasmussen said in Brussels.

___

Faiez reported from Kabul. Associated Press writers Sebastian Abbot in Islamabad, Abdul Sattar in Quetta, Pakistan, Matiullah Achakzai in Chaman, Deb Riechmann in Kabul, Afghanistan, and Slobodan Lekic in Brussels contributed to this report.

Companies use cell phones to track shoppers' movements without knowledge, consent

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The technology uses antennas to capture the identification number assigned to each phone and track its movement throughout the stores.

cell phone.jpgView full sizeTechnology that uses customers' cell phones to track their movements through stores, without their knowledge or consent, is under fire from U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.

By KAREN MATTHEWS

NEW YORK (AP) — Technology that uses shoppers' personal cellphones to track their movements through a mall or store should not be used without their consent, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said Sunday.

Schumer said the British company that developed the so-called footpath technology should use an opt-in mechanism to give shoppers the choice whether they want their movements tracked.

"A shopper's personal cellphone should not be used by a third party as a tracking device by retailers who are seeking to determine holiday shopping patterns," said Schumer, D-N.Y. He added, "It shouldn't be up to the consumer to turn their cellphone off when they walk into the mall to ensure they aren't being virtually tailed."

The technology was developed by Portsmouth, England-based Path Intelligence. It already has been used in shopping centers in Europe and Australia, and it was used in at least two malls in the U.S. on Black Friday.

Cleveland-based mall operator Forest City said that after conducting a trial at two of its locations on Friday it would suspend further tests in part because of Schumer's concerns.

"Even though all information gathered by the system is anonymous, some consumers may still wish not to participate," said company spokesman Jeff Linton. "At present, the option for them to decline to participate is to turn off their mobile phones. ... We would like to pursue an easier 'opt-out' option for consumers."

The technology uses antennas to capture the identification number assigned to each phone and track its movement throughout the stores. It can yield data such as how many Victoria's Secret shoppers also stop at Starbucks.

Path Intelligence has said the technology is not intended to spy on individual shoppers.

But Schumer said that if the data were hacked it could compromise personal information on shoppers' phones.

In a letter to Path Intelligence CEO Sharon Biggar, Schumer urged the company to obtain the explicit consent of shoppers' through an opt-in policy. He also called on Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz to examine how this new technology fits in with existing consumer privacy regulations.

In an email, Biggar said that requiring an opt-in for her company's service would put real-world stores at a disadvantage as they compete with online retailers that track shoppers' behavior from the moment they enter a website.

"We are simply seeking to create a level playing field for offline retailers, and believe you can do so whilst simultaneously protecting the privacy of shoppers," she said, noting that her company alters the information it collects before it is stored.

"We never reveal data at an individual level, and we ask all of our clients to put up signage to let shoppers know that our system is in operation," Biggar said.

The other student loan problem: too little debt can jeopardize students' futures

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A new generation is arriving on campus whose financial education was forged almost entirely during the financial crisis and the wretched economy of the last four years.

Jesse Yeh Student Loans.jpgView full sizeIn this photo taken Nov. 16, 2011, Jesse Yeh looks out on the Occupy Cal encampment at Sproul Plaza on the University of California campus in Berkeley, Calif. He will do just about anything to avoid debt. Yeh uses the university's library instead of buying textbooks. He scrounges for free food and campus events and occasionally skips meals. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

By JUSTIN POPE

LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Jesse Yeh uses the University of California-Berkeley library instead of buying textbooks. He scrounges for free food at campus events and occasionally skips meals. He's stopped exercising and sleeps five to six hours per night so he can take 21 credits — a course load so heavy he had to get special permission from a dean.

The only thing he won't do: take out a student loan.

"I see a lot of my friends who took out student loans, then they graduated and because of the economy right now they still couldn't find a job," said the third-year student, whose parents both lost their jobs in 2009 and who grew up in the boom-and-bust town of Victorville, Calif., on a block with several houses in foreclosure. "The debt burden is really heavy on them."

Even as college prices and average student loan debt rise, educators in some sectors of higher education report they're also seeing plenty of students like Yeh. After watching debt cause widespread damage in their families and communities, they're determined to avoid loans no matter what.

What's surprising is this: Educators aren't sure that's always such a good thing.

Students who go take extreme steps to avoid debt at all costs, they say, may get stuck with something much more financially damaging than moderate student loan debt. They may not wind up with a college degree.

To pay for college and minimize borrowing, students are working longer hours at jobs and taking fewer credits. They're less likely to enroll full-time. They're living at home. They're "trading down" to less selective institutions with lower prices, and heading first to cheaper community colleges with plans to transfer later to four-year schools.

Those may sound like money-savers, but in fact each is a well-documented risk factor that makes students less likely to graduate.

"There's been such attention on student debt being unmanageable that current students have internalized that," said Deborah Santiago, co-founder and vice president for policy research at the group Excelencia in Education, a nonprofit advocacy group. In fact, "If you can take out a little bit of loan you're more likely to complete. If you can go to a more selective institution that gives you more resources and support, you're more likely to complete."

To be sure, educators can't help but admire the determination of students like Yeh; if that kind of responsibility was more common, the financial crisis might never have happened. And nobody blames students for being afraid amid a flurry of news about debt, like a recent analysis estimating the average debt burden for 2010 college graduates who borrowed was over $25,000, up 5 percent from the year before.

But getting almost no notice in recent reports was another stat: New borrowing nearly flattened out last year, according to the College Board, and actually declined on a per-student basis after accounting for inflation. Private borrowing (generally more dangerous to students) has dropped from about $24 billion in 2007-2008 to about $8 billion last year. A major factor is likely increased federal grant aid. But another may be students making more sacrifices to avoid loans.

What's the upside of borrowing? Federal data analyzed by Santiago's group and The Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) in 2008 shows roughly 86 percent of students who borrow for college are able to attend full-time, compared to 70 percent of students who don't borrow. That matters because roughly 60 percent of full-time students receive a bachelor's degree within eight years, compared to 25 percent of part-time students.

Other research, meanwhile, shows just 26 percent of students who enroll in a community college hoping eventually to earn a four-year bachelor's degree succeed within nine years. That compares to 50 percent starting at non-selective four-year colleges and 73 percent at selective schools.

The more selective school may have a higher price tag, and you may expect it will be harder. But in fact, even comparably qualified students are more likely to graduate from the more selective school, probably because such schools generally offer more financial aid and academic help.

Student debt aversion is most pronounced among Hispanics and Asians, who borrow at lower rates than whites despite having higher financial need. And it appears to have the greatest consequences for Hispanics and blacks.

Fifty-one percent of blacks who had financial need but decided not to borrow had left school within three years without a degree, compared to 39 percent of those who borrowed, the study by Excelencia and IHEP found. For Hispanics, 41 percent of non-borrowers had left, compared to 32 percent who borrowed.

In Hispanic immigrant populations, "aversion to borrowing stems from a lack of a banking relationship of any sort," said Santiago, who has studied debt aversion in the states along the Mexican border. "They tend to live in a cash economy, and (have) a very stringent determination to live within your means."

For Hispanics, she says, the issue isn't new. But more broadly, a new generation is arriving on campus whose financial education was forged almost entirely during the financial crisis and the wretched economy of the last four years.

"I think the foreclosure (crisis) is definitely something that is on my mind," said Yeh. He says he would borrow if it became absolutely necessary. He's doing OK academically, but acknowledges he used to have a few weeks to work on a paper; since upping his course load he typically bangs it out the day before. He's so busy he doesn't have time to cook and eats out regularly, even though that's more expensive.

At California community colleges, students don't usually need to borrow to pay tuition. But the decision affects how much they work outside class — and that affects their path through college.

Isaac Romero, 22, a third-year student at Long Beach City College, works a nearly 40-hour-per-week job with a workforce staffing company that has him on assignment at City Hall. He goes straight from there to class from roughly 4 until 9:40. Two bus rides later he gets home, often around midnight. Weekends are for homework.

He hopes to transfer next year, earn a bachelor's degree and then attend graduate school. Someday he wants to teach at LBCC. He figures he'll eventually have to borrow but wants to keep his debt as low as possible. So he ignores the loan solicitations that flood his mailbox.

"Life would be a little more comfortable if I did take some loans," admits Romero. "I might have a car. I wouldn't have to take the bus for two hours." But, he remembers his father — both parents are now deceased — agonizing over bills. Several friends have had cars repossessed.

"I just don't want to go through that," he said.

Eloy Oakley, the president of LBCC, says he understands the source of debt aversion.

"The predatory lending we've had from private lenders, credit card companies, has scared students," Oakley said. "I think they have a conception that all debt is bad. They're concerned about that and rightfully so."

But it's so important to move students through community college expeditiously, he says, that he's concluded debt aversion is a more dangerous problem overall than student debt.

"The longer they're in school, the more opportunity they have to be distracted by life events, jobs, families, situations that change in their own families," says Oakley, whose student body is 41 percent Hispanic and 16 percent Asian. "If we can minimize those exit points and shorten their time to degree, that's much more advantageous to them."

The solution is helping students better understand the complexities of financial aid: the difference between government and private loans, how much debt is manageable, the likely returns on various degrees and majors.

"It's hard to get a nuanced message to students so they can act prudently and get their education," Santiago said. "We have to show there's a level of financial aid and loan amount that's reasonable."


Obituaries today: F. Griffin Keough, 9, attended River Street School, was avid Cathedral boys hockey fan

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Obituaries from The Republican.

112711_f_griffin_keough.jpgF. Griffin Keough

F. Griffin Keough, 9, of Springfield, passed away on Thursday. Griffin attended River Street School in Windsor, Conn., and was a communicant of Holy Cross Church in Springfield. He enjoyed music, movies, swimming and visiting the ocean, including his most recent trip to Florida. Griffin was an avid fan of the Cathedral High School boys hockey team and often accompanied them during their dry land training sessions and hockey games.

Obituaries from The Republican:

Cyr Arena at Forest Park in Springfield hosts police-sponsored Learn to Skate series

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The free series will last 6 weeks, capped with a Christmas party on Dec. 24.

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SPRINGFIELD – The sisters took a few tumbles, but not enough to scare them off the ice at Cyr Arena Saturday.

Nydia Charpentier, 6, and her sister Tyina, 5, were among dozens of children who accompanies their primarily-police fathers to the 10th Learn-to-Skate series sponsored by the Springfield Police Department.

“I don’t know who asks me about it more, the cops, or the parents or the kids,” said Springfield Police Capt. Cheryl Clapprood, who has led the initiative each year.

This year, the free program will be open to all children in Greater Springfield each Saturday at 1 p.m. at Cyr Arena in Forest Park.

“It gets more and more crowded each week as people hear about it,” Claprood said, noting that parents are only asked to bring helmets for their children. Rental skates, ice time and instruction are free. “Normally you’d have to pay $75 an hour for lessons like this.”

Many parents said the fact that the program was free helped them when deciding whether to bring small children.

“They were scared, yeah. But I said let’s do it,” Samantha Charpentier, of Springfield, mother of the girls who were out on the ice with their father, Springfield Patrolman Hector Morales.

A few dozen children as young as age 3 attended on Saturday.

Six-year-old Jillian R. Mckay, whose father, Daniel McKay, also is a Springfield patrolman, said she’ll look forward to coming back each Saturday.

“I kind of felt scared but excited at the same time,” she said. “I only fell a couple of times though.”

Clapprood said the program will be capped by a Christmas party at the arena on Dec. 24.

West Springfield store clerk robbed at gunpoint

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One of the men was armed with a hammer and the second showed a gun.

WEST SPRINGFIELD – Police are searching for two men who robbed the Quick Stop on 20 River St. at about 3:15 p.m., Sunday.

Both men are white and one measured about 6 feet, 1 inch tall and the other stood about 5 feet, 8 inches tall. One of the suspects was wearing a blue sweatshirt and a “Freddy Krueger” type mask and a second was wearing a black sweatshirt, black sweatpants and a blue mask. They are believed to have fled in a small white or light green car, West Springfield Police Sgt. Michael Banas said.

One of the men showed the clerk a gun and the other was armed with a hammer, Banas said.

The clerk turned over money from the cash register. No one was injured in the robbery, he said.

Police are continuing to investigate, he said.

Western Massachusetts communities announce meetings for the coming week

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These are Western Massachusetts meetings for the coming week: Agawam Tues.- Council on Aging, 3 p.m., Senior Center. Amherst Mon.- Amherst Housing Authority, 3:30 p.m. 33 Kellogg Ave. Town Meeting Coordinating Committee, 7 p.m., Town Hall. Tues.- Jones Library Board of Trustees, 1 p.m., Jones Library. Amherst Leisure Services and Supplemental Education, 7 p.m., Bangs Community Center. Wed.- Budget...

Easthampton city hall.jpgThis is Easthampton's municipal office building at 50 Payson Ave.

These are Western Massachusetts meetings for the coming week:

Agawam

Tues.- Council on Aging, 3 p.m., Senior Center.

Amherst

Mon.- Amherst Housing Authority, 3:30 p.m. 33 Kellogg Ave.

Town Meeting Coordinating Committee, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Tues.- Jones Library Board of Trustees, 1 p.m., Jones Library.

Amherst Leisure Services and Supplemental Education, 7 p.m., Bangs Community Center.

Wed.- Budget Coordinating Group, 11 a.m., Town Hall.

Amherst Cultural Council, 6:30 a.m., Town Hall.

Thu.- Council on Aging, 3 p.m., Bangs Community Center.

Chicopee

Mon.- License Committee, 6:30 p.m., City Hall.

Tues.- Curriculum Committee, 7 p.m., 180 Broadway.

Easthampton

Mon.- Conservation Commission, 6 p.m., 50 Payson Ave.

Granby

Mon.- Board of Assessors, 9 a.m., Town Hall Annex.

Selectboard, 7 p.m., Senior Center Planning Board, 7 p.m., High School Library.

Tues.- Conservation Commission, 7 p.m., Aldrich Hall.

Greenfield

Mon.- Cultural Council, 6:30 p.m., 335 Main St.

Appointments and Ordinance Committee, 6:30 p.m., 331 High St.

Tues.- Board of License Commissions, 6 p.m., 14 Court Square.

Community Relations Committee, 6:30 p.m., 270 Main St.

Thu.- Library Director Search Committee, 5:15 p.m., 402 Main St.

Hadley

Tues.- Board of Health, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Hatfield

Tues.- Agricultural Advisory Committee, 7 p.m., Hatfield Elementary School.

Wed.- Conservation Committee, 7 p.m., Memorial Town Hall.

Holyoke

Mon.- Fire Commission, 5 p.m., Fire Department headquarters, 600 High St.

Water Commission, 6:30 p.m., 20 Commercial St.

Tues.- Board of Registrar of Voters, 4 p.m., Room 9, City Hall.

City Council Finance Committee, 6:30 p.m., City Hall, City Council Chambers.

Thu.- Housing Authority, board of directors, 6 p.m., Falcetti Towers 475 Maple St.

Northampton

Tues.- Finance Committee, 5 p.m., Council Chambers.

Retirement Board, 1:30 p.m., City Hall.

School Committee/City Council, 5:30 p.m., Council Chambers.

Wed.- Charter Drafting Committee, 6 p.m., City Hall.

Board of Public Works, 5:30 p.m., 125 Locust St.

Thu.- City Council, 7:15 p.m., Council Chambers.

South Hadley

Mon.- Board of Assessors, 9 a.m., Town Hall.

Planning Board, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall 204.

Library Building Committee. 7 p.m., Public Library.

Tues.- Community and Economic Development Commission, 3 p.m., Town Hall 109.

Ledges Review Ad Hoc Committee, 5 p.m., Town Hall.

Selectboard Meeting, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall.

Wed.- Superintendent Search Screening Committee, 5 p.m., Town Hall.

School Building Committee, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall.

Springfield

Mon.- City Council General Government Committee, 1 p.m., Room 200, City Hall.

School Committee School Safety Subcommittee, 4 p.m., School Department, 1550 Main St.

School Committee, 5 p.m., special meeting, School Department, 1550 Main St.

City Council Finance, General Government Committees, 5:15 p.m., Room 200, City Hall.

City Council, 6 p.m., special meeting, council chambers, City Hall.

City Council, 7 p.m., hearings, council chambers, City Hall.

Tues.- Board of Assessors, 11 a.m., Assessors room, City Hall.

Responsible Employer Ordinance Meeting, noon, Room 310, City Hall.

Commission on Disability, 3 p.m., 70 Tapley St.

Wed.- Tax title real estate auction, 6 p.m., City Hall. Registration begins 5 p.m.

Board of Appeals, 6 p.m., Room 220, City Hall.

Thu.- School Committee, 6:30 p.m., Room 220, City Hall.

West Springfield

Tues.- Capital Planning Committee, 6:30 p.m., municipal building.

Retirement Board, 7:30 a.m., Sullivan Paper, 58 Progress Ave.

Thu.- Council on Aging, 4 p.m., Senior Center.

Springfield leaders travel to Grand Rapids for hints on how to energize a city

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Like Springfield, Grand Rapids is a business and educational center for the western part of its state.

2 views 2.jpgGrand Rapids, Mich., seen in the top photo, has a few similarities with Springfield, bottom photo. Several business leaders from Springfield are going on a fact-finding tour to see how Grand Rapids works and if any of that city's successes are adaptable in the City of Homes.


SPRINGFIELD – In Grand Rapids, Mich., business and government leaders, arts organizations and educational institutions all seem to be working together to create on of the most prosperous and livable cities in the upper midwest.

It’s a trick people from Springfield hope to replicate here after visiting Grand Rapids, best known to outsiders as the hometown of former president Gerald Ford, next week as part of a City2City Greater Springfield tour.

They’ll be in Grand Rapids for three days from Tuesday through Thursday.

“I just want to learn how they are putting it all together in Grand Rapids,” said Glenn S. Welch, executive vice president of Hampden Bank and one of the local executives who plans to go to Grand Rapids. “We have so many entities involved in Springfield. We just need to figure out how to get better collaboration.”

Welch said he also wants the traveling party to come back with specific plan of action. Too often, fact-finding efforts like this one generate a lot of smoke but very little action. “We just need to come back and do something,” Welch said. “Everyone knows we have enough plans and enough studies, we just need to bring it all together.”

Others on the trip will include Joan B. Kagan, Pres. and CEO of Square One and Dora D. Robinson, executive director of Community United Way of Pioneer Valley

Grand Rapids has a population of 192,000. Springfield has a population of 153,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Both cities are a few hours west of their state’s largest cities. Detroit is 160 miles away from Grand Rapids.

“And they are both business centers for their regions,” said Richard C. Walker III, senior vice president for regional and community outreach for the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston is one of the sponsors of City2City Springfield along with the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts.

Grand Rapids is one of the Federal Reserve’s resurgent cities, Walker said, meaning the Fed is holding it up as an example to other communities.

Last year, City2City Springfield visited Winston-Salem and Greensboro, N.C.

In the past, Walker has gone with Boston’s city-to-city group on trips as far as Beijing, China.

“Seattle is the granddaddy of this,” he said. “They’ve been going all over the place for years. The idea is not just to learn about the place you are visiting, but to learn a lot about your own city in the process.”

Travelers from Springfield will meet with local economic development groups as well as ArtPrize, an internationally-known arts exhibition based in downtown Grand Rapids.

Two points make a line: The map from Springfield to Grand Rapids, Mich.

View Larger Map

Holiday traffic in Western Massachusetts heavy but steady

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Accidents on the Massachusetts Turnpike in central were causing traffic jams in the Worcester area.

Traffic.jpg

Police are reporting traffic on the major highways in Western Massachusetts is heavy but steady as motorists return home Sunday after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

On the Massachusetts Turnpike there were no serious back-ups or accidents from Ludlow through the New York border. Several accidents in the Worcester area did create serious traffic jams in central Massachusetts, State Trooper Joseph Tetrault said.

Traffic on Interstate 91 was moving smoothly but was also heavy, Springfield troopers said.

Holyoke police investigating a murder of a man on Beech Street

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The victim was shot at about 8:30 p.m. and died shortly afterward at Baystate Medical Center.

1999 holyoke police car.jpg

HOLYOKE – Police are investigating a fatal shooting that happened near the intersection of Beech and Lyman streets Sunday night.

A man was shot at about 8:30 p.m. He was rushed to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield by ambulance and died, Police Capt. Arthur R. Monfette said.

Police received a report of shots fired near 101 Beech St. Sunday night. When they arrived they found one victim. People were already performing CPR on the victim, he said.

Trained police dogs from the Massachusetts State Police and Granby Police were called to assist in searching the area of Lyman and Maple streets and St. Kolbe Drive.

Police are investigating and remain at the scene gathering evidence, Monfette said.

The name of the victim was not released immediately. There have been no arrests and there are no suspects in the shooting, he said.


Holyoke homicide victim identified as Jefforey Johnson, 19

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This is the fourth murder in Holyoke this year.

1999 holyoke police car.jpg

HOLYOKE – Police are investigating a fatal shooting of a 19-year-old that happened near the intersection of Beech and Lyman streets Sunday night.

Jefforey Johnson was shot at about 8:30 p.m. at his home at 101 Beech St. He was rushed to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield by ambulance and died there, Police Capt. Arthur R. Monfette said.

Police received a report of shots fired near 101 Beech St. Sunday night. When they arrived they found one victim and people were already performing CPR on the injured man, Monfette said.

“He was killed by a shot to the chest,” Monfette said.

Late last night police were still trying to figure out what happened. It was unclear if Johnson was killed inside or outside 101 Beech and Monfette said he did not know how many times he had been shot.

“We are not getting a lot of cooperation," from possible witnesses, Monfette said.

There have been no arrests and there were no immediate suspects in the shooting, he said.

Trained police dogs from the Massachusetts State Police and Granby Police were called to assist in searching the area of Lyman and Maple streets and St. Kolbe Drive.

State police are also assisting Holyoke police with the investigation, he said.

This is the fourth murder this year in the city. On June 19, Oscar Castro, 20, was shot to death outside a bar at 104 High St. There have been no arrests in the killing, which is believed to be gang-related.

The next day, on June 20, Reynaldo Fuentes, 23, was shot to death in a parking lot at the corner of Pine and Maple streets. Brothers Juan Perez and Leonardo Perez, of Holyoke, were arrested within hours of the killing and each face one count of murder.

Miguel Rodriguez, 24, was stabbed to death on Aug. 8 outside a apartment building on Sargeant St. after a dispute over money. Joshua Reyes, 20, of Holyoke, is facing charges in his death.

Western Massachusetts community college presidents defend campuses in wake of critical report by Boston group

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The report said that the colleges are hurt by low graduation rates, cuts in state funding and a lack of accountability.

Messner Rubenzahl Pura Raverta.jpgCommunity College presidents in Western Massachusetts include, clockwise from top left, William Messner of Holyoke Community College, Ira Rubenzahl of Springfield Technical Community College, Paul Raverta of Berkshire Community College and Robert Pura of Greenfield Community College.

Presidents of community colleges in Western Massachusetts are taking exception to a new report that calls for overhauling state governance of the schools to improve the way they train students for jobs.

The report says a central board should govern the state's 15 community colleges and that local boards of trustees should only be advisory. Trustees for the colleges are currently given broad powers to manage personnel and business at the campuses, said the report.

Robert L. Pura, president of Greenfield Community College, said the college boards are comprised of leaders in the region who know the needs of businesses and people in the area. Pura said local trustees should keep their current powers.

"We're not called Greenfield State College," Pura said. "We're called Greenfield Community College for a reason."

The report, labeled "The Case for Community Colleges: Aligning Higher Education and Workforce Needs in Massachusetts," was financed by The Boston Foundation, a civic group and major provider of grants to nonprofit organizations.

The report said that the colleges are hurt by low graduation rates, cuts in state funding and a lack of accountability.

The report called for central control of the colleges and presidents at a state board in Boston. States with community colleges that are known to be highly successful workforce and economicdevelopment engines—including Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginiaand Washington—all operate through strong centralized, state-run community college systems that are governed separately from other higher education systems, the report said.

The budgets of the colleges, now individual line items, should be consolidated, the report said. Operating money should be distributed based on a fair and open formula that rewards performance, achieves savings through efficiencies and accounts for enrollment, capital needs and labor costs at the campuses, the report said.

"The ultimate goal is for community colleges to play the
role of powerhouses when it comes to meeting critical labor market needs, as they do in a number of states," the report said. "To date, Massachusetts has not been successful in achieving the significant, large-scale system reforms that would be necessary for them to fulfill that role."

State legislators would need to approve a bill to change governance of the colleges or the way they are financed each year by the state.

Authors of the 40-page report interviewed about 50 higher education and workforce experts, civic leaders, community college presidents, employers, industry group representatives, workforce agency professionals, community-based organization leaders and representatives of state and local government, just about all located in Boston or the metro area.

Community college presidents in Western Massachusetts said the report would have been more complete if the authors had visited campuses in the region and talked with local hospital or other business leaders.

"I'm concerned the focus of the work was Greater Boston, yet the conclusions are broad-based across the entire system," said Paul E. Raverta, president of Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield who was the only college president in Western Massachusetts interviewed by the authors.

Ira H. Rubenzahl, president of Springfield Technical Community College, said that changing the governance structure of community colleges won't accomplish much.

Rubenzahl said community college presidents are pleased that the report is drawing attention to the critical role of the campuses. He said community colleges are doing a good job in workforce training, but he added that they could do a better job.

Rubenzahl said the community colleges have absorbed deep state budget cuts over recent years. Enrollment and costs are rising at the colleges, but state funding is dropping, including a 10 percent cut this fiscal year, he said.

"That's a critical issue for us -- funding," Rubenzahl said. "When you look at community colleges in Massachusetts, it kind of jumps out at you."

William F. Messner , president of Holyoke Community College, said it would be counter-productive to reduce the authority of local boards of trustees.

"Some of the recommendations are off the mark," Messner said.

Messner noted that community colleges in Massachusetts won a $20 million federal grant in late September to improve their workforce training programs for industries that would benefit from technical skills.

Messner said the colleges worked together in applying for the grant and each campus will share in the grant.

"We didn't do that because some super board told us to do it," Messner said.

Paul S. Grogan, president of the Boston Foundation, said he is not surprised that presidents are concerned about losing some of their independence if authority over the colleges is consolidated.

Grogan said the most recent data shows that only three of the 15 colleges had graduation rates above the national average including Springfield Technical Community College and Berkshire Community College.

Grogan said the colleges are critical. He said the report is a clarion call for a renewed sense of purpose and mission for the colleges, allowing them to receive more support from employers and the elected leaders that control the state budget on Beacon Hill.

"We don't think this is a just a Boston issue," Grogan said.

A top author of the report, Julian L. Alssid, executive director of the Workforce Strategy Center in New York, a think tank that works on aligning colleges with regional economic needs, said he interviewed people who constitute a "who's who" of workforce development experts in Massachusetts.

Alssid said community colleges are individually accomplishing many good things.

"How do you bring it to scale in a big way?" he said. "That's the intention and spirit."

Toy for Joy registrations start this week in Western Massachusetts

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Hasbro, Inc. has joined Toy for Joy as a partner.

toycoup11.JPGView full size

SPRINGFIELD – Parents and guardians seeking to register their children for the Toy for Joy holiday campaign may do so this week.

This marks the 89th annual Toy for Joy campaign; jointly sponsored by the Salvation Army and The Republican, the campaign is working to raise $150,000 by Christmas eve to bring toys and gifts to children in need this holiday season.

Hasbro, Inc. is joining Toy for Joy as a partner, providing some of the toys which will be distributed. Hasbro has a long history of helping families in Western Massachusetts during the holidays and this year is no different.

The most recent batch of donations tally to $955, bringing the total raised so far to $3,075. That leaves $146,925 needed to meet the goal.

Today’s list of donors include one generous reader who sent $100, along with a message to Mother Nature: “Good weather in 2012 and beyond. P.S.: Now too!”

Registration at the Salvation Army’s Greater Springfield Citadel begins today and will run through Friday, daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Springfield center is accepted registration by families from Agawam, Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Hampden, Ludlow, Palmer, Monson, Springfield, Ware, West Springfield and Wilbraham.

Salvation Army units in Holyoke, Westfield, Northampton and Greenfield will also be accepting registrations this week. Dates and times vary by unit.

By teaming with the Toy for Joy campaign, Hasbro, The Republican and the Salvation Army bring over 100 combined years of experience managing programs that help families in need give their children a toy or game to unwrap on their holiday. Hasbro employees will also be among the volunteers who aid the Salvation Army with registration of families and with distribution of the toys and gifts.

For more information, call 733-1518. To make a contribution to the Toy for Joy fund, write: Toy for Joy, P.O. Box 3007, Springfield 01102. Contributions may also be dropped off with the coupon to the The Republican, 1860 Main St., Springfield, weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Here’s a list of the lastest contributors: For more information, call 733-1518. To make a contribution to the Toy for Joy fund, write: Toy for Joy, P.O. Box 3007, Springfield 01102. Contributions may also be dropped off with the coupon to the The Republican, 1860 Main St., Springfield, weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Here’s a list of the lastest contributors:

We are thankful for Keegan, Kaylee, Brendan, Jack and Tyler Myers, $75
Happy Holidays from Chris and Connie, $25
Kaela Marsh, Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas, love Gramma Barbara, $20
In memory of my daughter Dottie Pelter, love Mom, $25
Miss you Ma from Lena, $10
Paul and Mary, $100
In memory of my wonderful parents, Don and Jacqueline from Terry Campfield Ianello, $100
In loving memory of Edward J. Bolow from his family, $25
In memory of Abraham, Victoria and Charles Catter from Christine and Peter, $75
In memory of Evelyn and Joseph Catter from Christine and Peter, $50
Teresa, $10
May your toy, was your wish, Merry Christmas from Chauncey, $20
Colleen and Loy, $100
In loving memory of George and Rita McDiarmid, the greatest parents and grandparents in the world, $30
Merry Christmas from Angie, Courtney, Nick, Jacob, Joshua, Samuel, Kincaed, Grammy and Papa, $25
In memory of Peg Robbins, $25
In loving memory of our daughter Deborah B., love Mom and Dad, $20
Anonymous, $25
May everyone have a wonderful Christmas season, from Helen, $25
In memory of Missy, NAS, $5
In memory of Donna Carmine, NAS, $5
In memory of Faye Tuber, NAS, $5
In memory of Maury Cocchi, NAS, $5
In loving memory of our granddaughters Katrina Lee and Krista Lynn, love Grandma and Grandad, $25
In loving memory of my wonderful parents, Ted and Alice and beloved pets, Princess, Maggie, Tasha, Change, Morris, Lucky, Meenu and Kitty, from Precious and Reagan, Merry Christmas, $25
Good weather in 2012 and beyond, PS now too!, $100
RECEIVED, $955
TOTAL TO DATE, $3075
STILL NEEDED, $146,925


With more electric cars coming to market, plans in works to upgrade New England grid

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Charging stations and other infrastructure changes are accommodating electric vehicles, but experts say it will be some time before the automobiles are commonplace.

040811 electric car charge station.JPGView full sizeA Nissan Leaf is charged during a demo at the first ever quick charge electric vehicle charging station in the state of Texas, located at the Walgreens at Beltline and Monfort in Dallas. (AP Photo/The Dallas Morning News, Solt)

Persistently high gas prices – which earlier this year flirted with the $4 per gallon mark – may hasten the arrival of an idea whose time has long been predicted: electric vehicles.

Over the next year, most car manufacturers will be rolling out some type of plug-in car or truck, some that run solely on batteries and others that are hybrids, combining electric and gas engines.

However, expect sales of electric vehicles to be slow for the immediate future. Their significantly higher price tags will more than offset any potential savings from lower fuel costs.

If sales ever do accelerate, though, changes will be necessary to New England’s electric infrastructure and to its homes and businesses, where charging stations will have to be added, much like gas stations became common early in the last century.

"At the current rate of adoption, electric vehicles are not expected to have a noticeable effect on grid operations in the near future," says Marcia C. Blomberg, spokeswoman for ISO New England, the Holyoke-based agency that distributes virtually all the power in the six-state region.

However, in the long term, planning is already underway for upgrades to the electric grid to accommodate electric vehicles, creating the so-called "smart grid," Blomberg said recently.

"While it’s possible that most (electric vehicle) owners will be inclined to charge their vehicles in the early evening when they get home from work, it’s likely that as the technology improves, electric vehicles will have two-way communications with the grid so that charging can usually be timed to occur when prices are low, typically late at night. All of this is some ways off in the future," she said.

102611 electric car charging station burlington_vt.JPGA customer looks at the new electric car charging station in South Burlington, Vt. Last month, Green Mountain Power and Healthy Living Market unveiled the charging station that will be free for the first year. Sculptor Kat Clear added a metal tree to the exterior of the charging station. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

Earlier this year, the Western Massachusetts Electric Co. installed two free charging stations in the Pioneer Valley, one at its Springfield headquarters on Federal Street and the other at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel in Hadley, as part of a study to see how the stations are used, according to Sandra Ahearn, a spokeswoman for the utility.

As electric vehicles begin to appear in the region, "We’ll be looking at how customers use these stations," Ahearn said.

"We want to be able to anticipate their needs and see where people end up wanting to charge their vehicles. Most will charge at home or at work. You are not going to go into a gas station to top off your battery," Ahearn added.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that using gas as a vehicle fuel costs about 3.3 times more than using electricity at current rates for the two fuels. However, industry analysts estimate that plug-in technology adds considerably to the cost of a vehicle.

For instance, the 2011 base model Toyota Prius hybrid (non-plug-in) was priced at about $24,000. The expected price of the base model Prius Plug-in hybrid, which goes on sale in 2012, is $32,000.

Whether federal incentives, which can amount to $7,500 per vehicle currently, will be available when these cars become popular remains to be seen.

The first mass-produced electric vehicles in the United States were the Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in hybrid running on both electricity and gas, and the Nissan Leaf, which runs only on electricity. Both had a limited release late in 2010.

The Volt, which goes nearly 40 miles on battery alone, costs about $40,000 before incentives, and the Leaf, which goes about 75 miles between charges on its battery, costs about $34,000.

012610 chevy volt.JPGThe Chevy Volt appears on display at the Washington Auto Show, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Sales of both the Volt and Leaf have been modest. In 2010, nearly 12.5 million new cars and trucks were sold in the United States and as of the end of October, only about 5,000 Volts and 8,000 Leafs had been sold in this country.

Most Americans who are trying to cut the costs of driving are likely to run their current gas-powered vehicle into the ground before they consider investing in a new electric vehicle. And, when they do, they will be looking for an affordable price tag.

It remains to be seen what car will prove to be the Model T of electric vehicles, inspiring great masses of people to buy it. Such an offering might be a few years down the road.

In addition to the Toyota Prius Plug-in, here are some of the vehicles other manufacturers plan to release in the next two years:

Ford will offer the Focus Electric later this year, a pure electric car that can travel about 100 miles between charges. The announced price is about $40,000.

Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV all electric car is expected to go on sale in January. With a range of 80 miles, the basic model will sell for about $28,000.

Honda will introduce the Fit EV, a plug-in hybrid model, in 2012, with a price tag of around $30,000.

BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen also have electric vehicles in the works.

Springfield Data Center iron workers conduct 'topping out' ceremony

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The building will provide a 2nd data center for the commonwealth's Information Technology Division to operate as an active backup to the Massachusetts Information Technology Center in Chelsea.

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SPRINGFIELD – Construction of the $110-million Springfield Data Center for Information Technology on Elliot Street has created 200 construction jobs, according to the state.

Last week, iron workers conducted a "topping out" ceremony marking the end of steel erecting work on the site.

The building, which utilizes the façade of the former Springfield Technical High School, is expected to be completed by November 2012. The center will be fully operational in early 2013.

The purpose of the building is to provide a second data center for the commonwealth’s Information Technology Division to operate as an active backup to the Massachusetts Information Technology Center in Chelsea. The facility will be more reliable and provide a critical backup for data storage.

The project will have about 100 permanent employees, according to the state.

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