If a fundraising group reaches its goal of mustering $2 million to help fund a new library the city can float a bond for $5.1 million rather than $7.1 million, according to the library director.

View full sizeFile photo by Dave Roback / The RepublicanThis is a drawing of the exterior of the proposed new West Springfield Public Library.

WEST SPRINGFIELD – Town Council President Kathleen A. Bourque has called for a study session of the board for Wednesday to discuss $7.1 million in proposed bonding to help pay for a new $13.4 million library and to consider related issues involving Mittineague School.

The meeting will take place at 4 p.m. in the municipal building on Central Street.

Some residents have raised questions about the wisdom of going forward with the venture without knowing how much it will cost to move students from Mittineague School. The neighborhood school has been scheduled for demolition to provide a site for the new library.

Mayor Edward J. Gibson and other officials favoring the library project have argued that decommissioning Mittineague School has been part of the School Department’s master plan for several years. Mittineague students would be accommodated by building an addition to Tatham School under the scenario proposed by Gibson.

In addition, some people, mostly notably Town Councilor George R. Kelly, have argued that taxpayers cannot afford the expense of a new library and work on Tatham School coming on the heels of the new high school for which ground will be broken later this month. Mayor-elect Gregory C. Neffinger, who takes office the beginning of January, has also expressed reservations about the library project.

Bourque said she has called Wednesday’s meeting because a couple of councilors had requested it to learn more about the timeline for the library project and about issues related to tearing down Mittineague for use as a site.

If councilors’ concerns are dealt with, Bourque said the board should be prepared to put the bonding request to a vote during its Dec. 19 meeting. A public hearing on the library project began Monday and after hearing two hours of testimony, the council continued the session to its Dec. 19 meeting.

More than a dozen residents among the more than 100 people at the meeting who spoke on the pros and cons of the project. Most of those who testified spoke in favor of building a new library.

Gibson has said it is important to move forward because the city must have all its financing in place by Jan. 30 in order to receive a $6.3 million grant the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners has awarded for the project.

Proponents of the project have argued that the current building on Park Street is overcrowded, not accessible to the handicapped, and does not have adequate parking.

Supporters have also said that aside from lending books, the library provides DVDs as well as computers for people who do not have any at home. It also circulates compact discs and video cassettes in addition to sponsoring programs that include English classes.

Library Director Antonia Golinski-Foisy has pointed out that if private fundraising in the works raises the projected $2 million for the project the city could keep its borrowing for the project to $5.1 million.

Just back from a trade trip to Chile and Brazil, Patrick said South American government officials have a “high level of enthusiasm and esteem” for Massachusetts because of its concentration of colleges and universities and teaching hospitals.

Deval L. Patrick

BOSTON - Gov. Deval L. Patrick said Monday he is is close to naming a chairman of the state's new Gaming Commission. But the governor stopped short of saying it would be in the next few weeks.

In speaking with reporters at his Statehouse office, the governor said the appointee should “have a reputation for integrity and an ability to create a commission” from the ground up and build a staff able to analyze any casino proposals.

Patrick said starting the commission would require different skills because “some of the demands of the commission will be different in 10 years than they are right now.”

Just back from a trade trip to Chile and Brazil, Patrick said South American government officials have a “high level of enthusiasm and esteem” for Massachusetts because of its concentration of colleges and universities and teaching hospitals.

Patrick met with Chilean President Sebastian Pinera, and signed three memorandums of understanding to work on projects in biotechnology, life sciences and clean energy sectors, as well as education.

While Patrick was in Brazil, Hopkinton-based data storage company EMC Corp. broke ground on a new research facility. The governor could not quantify how many jobs might come as a result of the trip.

“The range of opportunities is huge, and frankly it was bigger than I anticipated when I went,” Patrick said. “We are going to build on the contacts we made.”

During the press briefing, the governor also said Mayor Thomas Menino showed a “wonderful sense of balance,” when dealing with Occupy Boston protestors.

Most of the protesters left their Dewey Square encampment voluntarily after it became evident the city planned to clear the site. Menino showed respect for protestors, while still protecting public safety, he said.

“The points "Occupy Boston" have raised are really important points, but there are a lot of them,” Patrick said.

The School Committee and the Select Board in Longmeadow jointly appoint Katherine Girard to the School Committee.

By Elizabeth Roman

LONGMEADOW-The Select Board and School Committee jointly appointed Katherine Girard as the newest member of the School Committee.

Girard applied for the seat along with fellow resident Gerard D. Kiernan. She received eight of the 11 votes and was sworn in Monday.

School Committee members Jennifer Jester, John Fitzgerald, Owen Humphries, Michale Clark, Laurie Flynn,and James Desrochers voted for Girard along with Select Board members Robert H. Aseltine and Christine L. Swanson. Select Board members Mark P. Gold, Paul P. Santaniello and Marie Angelides voted for Kiernan.

This appointment will be until the next annual town election in June 2012, at which time there will be an election to fill this position for a regular three-year term.

Girard will be filling the seat left by former member Armand C. Wray who resigned in November citing an increase in his work responsibilities.

Girarad, a mother of two, said she moved to Longmeadow with her husband four years ago primarily because of the school system.

"I think that's the first draw to the town, the educational system,"she said.

Girard said she became a stay at home mom after the birth of her second child two years ago and made a commitment to be more involved in her community. She said being on the School Committee will allow her to do that.

School Committee Flynn said she is glad the committee is now fully complete with seven members.

Wray joins School Committee members Thomas Brunette and Gwen M. Bruns who also resigned this year. Brunette cited personal reasons, and Bruns said she would be relocating to Vermont with her family.

In October the Select Board and School Committee appointed James Desrochers and Owen Humphries to seats on the School Committee. They must run for re-election in June 2012 if they want to keep the seats.

Several other public officials have also expressed their intent to leave their positions. On Oct. 17, Select Board member Christine L. Swanson said she will leave the board before the end of the year. Also in October, Town Manger Robin L. Crosbie announced that she will be seeking other employment opportunities.

Controversy erupted when the governor's office sent out an advance notice saying he would be participating the the lighting of a "holiday" tree.

View full sizeAssociated Press photoThe Statehouse Christmas tree is illuminated following a ceremony in Boston. Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick fended off criticism after his public schedule referred to the event as a "Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony." (Photo by Charles Krupa)

BOSTON - Gov. Deval L. Patrick Monday deflected criticism about the planned lighting of a "holiday" tree at the Statehouse in Boston by saying, "’Is a Christmas tree. I’ve always called it a Christmas tree. That’s what it is."

The governor's remarks came after his office sent out an announcement to reporters telling of the planned tree lighting ceremony, according to the Boston Herald.

"When asked why the invitations referred to a “Holiday Tree,” Patrick replied: “Talk to the people that sent the invitations out.” Patrick did not respond when a Herald reporter pointed out the invitations came from his office."

According to the Associated Press, a cememony was held at the Statehouse Monday evening to honor the late Thomas “Tip” O’Neill Jr., kicking off a year of centennial events to remember the late U.S. House speaker.

Some people were particularly sensitive when the initial announcement of the tree lighting ceremony came out just a week after a controversy in Rhode Island swirled around the lighting of a tree there.

Last week, carolers singing "O Christmas Tree" crashed Rhode Island's Statehouse tree lighting on Tuesday after Gov. Lincoln Chafee called the 17-foot spruce a "holiday" tree.

Chafee insisted his word choice was inclusive and in keeping with Rhode Island's founding as a sanctuary for religious diversity," WCVB-TV, Channel 5 in Boston reported last week. "But his seasonal semantics incensed some lawmakers, the Roman Catholic Church and thousands of people who called his office to complain that the independent governor was trying to secularize Christmas.

Monday was the governor's first day back in his office after the trade mission, which he said helped strengthen business and cultural ties between Massachusetts and the South American states.

Later in the month, Patrick is scheduled to participate in the annual Statehouse Hanukkah menorah lighting.

The search for a permanent town manager has been marked by potential candidates dropping out.

Charles T. Blanchard

PALMER - There is only one finalist for the town manager position, and it's the interim town manager, Charles T. Blanchard.

The Town Council discussed the town manager search at its Monday meeting, where town manager subcommittee chairwoman Mary A. Salzmann said that there were 16 applicants, then five semifinalists, then three finalists. But before the names of the three finalists could be presented to the full council, two of them dropped out late last week.

Town Council President Paul E. Burns said Blanchard, who has been on the job since July, will be interviewed on Monday at the Town Building on Main Street at 6:30 p.m. Contacted after the meeting, Burns said the subcommittee will create questions for the interview. Burns said it remains to be seen if Blanchard gets the full-time job. Blanchard currently is paid $450 a day for a four-day work week.

"We'll see how the interview goes. We've been through this so many times. He's certainly a qualified candidate and I think we need to fully vet him," Burns said.

The ongoing search for a permanent town manager has been marked by potential candidates dropping out.

Back in January, the council even suspended the search, opting to stick with acting town manager Patricia A. Kennedy. Councilors said the search would resume after a new council was seated in June.

Blanchard replaced Kennedy, who retired at the end of June. She had been serving as acting town manager since the council fired Matthew Streeter in June 2010.

The City Council will set the new tax rate Dec. 20, with most home and business owners to get increases.

File photo | The RepublicanHolyoke City Hall.

HOLYOKE – Lowering business taxes, cutting the city budget and seeking revenue from tax-exempt entities were among ideas at a Board of Assessors public hearing Monday.

The tax classification hearing drew about 25 business owners and residents to City Hall.

The unsurprising result for home and business property owners will be higher tax bills, Chief Assessor Anthony Dulude said.

“Both sides most likely go up, depending on the vote of the City Council,” Dulude said.

The council will vote the new tax rate Dec. 20 and bills reflecting the new rate will be mailed by Jan. 1.

Home and commercial property values have stayed essentially flat in the current fiscal year compared to a year ago.

A key difference is that because of decreased activity at the Mount Tom coal plant on Route 5, the city will get $20 million less in revenue than a year ago from personal property such as machinery taxed at the plant, Dulude said.

It was the assessors’ hearing, but it also served as a chance for business and home owners to urge city councilors to vote certain ways on setting the tax rate. Ten of the 15 councilors attended.

The city has a split tax rate, meaning there are different rates at which residential property is taxed compared to commercial property.

The current tax rates are $15.78 per $1,000 valuation for residential property and $37.08 per $1,000 valuation for commercial and industrial property.

Holyoke’s business tax rate is the second highest in the state behind Springfield’s. That hurts the city’s ability to compete for new businesses and the revenue and jobs they bring, some speakers said.

“We need to make it easier for businesses that are going to pay taxes to come to Holyoke,” said Helene A. Florio, of 31 Wellesley Road.

Jeff Aldrich, owner of the Eighty Jarvis Restaurant at 80 Jarvis Ave., suggested the city set a different tax rate for small businesses. It is unfair to tax a small business the same rate as a large business like an industry, he said.

“The possibility of another tax rate would promote and support small business in Holyoke,” Aldrich said.

Robert Sylvester of Hazen Paper Co., 240 South Water St., urged officials to remember his company must compete not only locally but worldwide to sell its product.

“We have to keep track of every nickel and dime,” said Sylvester, Hazen chief financial officer.

That means businesses need the city’s help, he said.

“I respectfully ask you please, please lower the business tax rate,” Sylvester said.

Thomas Accomando recently moved to a home at 28 Mayer Drive. He works as administrator at the Holyoke Health Care Center, 282 Cabot St., which he said employs 154 people and does pay taxes. He wants the city to succeed, he said, and that entails a lower business property tax.

“I’m now part of your city and let’s make it work,” Accomando said.

Councilors Kevin A. Jourdain and Linda L. Vacon said taxes could drop if more councilors supported cuts to reduce spending when the budget is prepared every spring. The budget is more than $120 million.

Jourdain argues yearly that business is more able to absorb higher taxes than the many homeowners here such as senior citizens who are on fixed incomes. If the city’s business tax rate is so unattractive, he said, why are casino gambling companies eager to build here now that the state has legalized gaming.

The city spends money to help business such as with infrastructure improvements and plans for $6 million in parking garage upgrades, he said.

“This is why the tax rate is what it is,” Jourdain said.

Robert W. Gilbert Jr. of the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce said some businesses are recession-proof. Casinos know gamblers will always gamble, said Gilbert, who said the point is the city cannot keep blunting its appeal to new businesses by having such a high tax rate.

“You need to be committed to a long-term strategy that’s going to work,” Gilbert said.

Most objectionable to Richard L. Theroux, of 191 Brown Ave., and others was that more than 40 percent of business and commercial property here is owned by tax-exempt groups. Those include social service agencies, hospitals, churches.

But the tax-exempts still get services like police protection and plowed streets, Theroux said.

“Something’s got to be done,” Theroux said.

A property tax task force that Mayor Elaine A. Pluta formed a year ago will release its report Thursday. Among the issues it will address is dealing with tax-exempt groups such as by pursuing payments in lieu of taxes, Jourdain said.

City officials hope the sale of the half-acre, coupled with a state grant application, will lead to major improvements to Hubbard Park totaling nearly $1 million.

View full sizeMap provided by UniFirst

SPRINGFIELD – The City Council on Monday unanimously approved the sale of a half-acre section of Hubbard Park in Indian Orchard for $280,000 to an abutting business, UniFirst Corp. of Parker Street, which would allow the company to expand its cramped parking lot.

The home rule bill allowing the sale was approved by a 13-0 vote, and will be forwarded for needed approval by the state Legislature. In addition, the council voted 13-0 to approve a requested zone change from Residence B to Commercial P (parking) to allow the company’s lot to expand from 75 spaces to 115 spaces.

The company has 140 employees.

The sale price of $280,000, along with a the city’s current application for a $500,000 matching state grant and federal funds, could lead to improvements at Hubbard Park totaling close to $1 million including an improved, expanded parking lot, city officials said.

“It’s really going to benefit the entire city,” said Councilor Kateri B. Walsh, chairwoman of the council’s Maintenance and Development Committee, which oversees the park system. “I think the vote we took tonight was the last step in more than a two-year process to do this right.”

Hubbard Park is approximately 38 acres, and city officials said the loss of six-tenths of an acre will not be detrimental. In addition, Solutia Inc. of Indian Orchard has announced that it is giving the city its 21-acre private park, Plastics Park on Page Boulevard, as a gift, which fulfills a legal requirement to replace any sold parkland.

The city plans to use $200,000 from UniFirst for improvements to Hubbard Park, and the remaining $80,000 for improvements to Plastics Park, as stated in the legislation.

The Indian Orchard Citizens Council had voted in support of the UniFirst parking lot expansion in late 2008, but four neighborhood residents spoke against the zone change at the City Council public hearing Monday. The residents said they are concerned about radiation from the company and potential contamination of the air and water.

UniFirst is an industrial laundry company, and its subsidiary, Unitech, provides nuclear protective clothing and tool and metal decontamination services.

Michael R. Fuller, project manager for UniFirst, said the plant has repeatedly met state and federal regulations. He presented an October letter from the state’s Bureau of Environmental Health Radiation Control Program, which stated “there were no items of noncompliance found” in a June inspection.

In addition, the expansion is for parking only, and there will be no plant expansion, Fuller said.

Some councilors initially considered sending the matter to committee to determine if there could be greater communication with residents of the neighborhood. The unanimous votes came after councilors were told there was a tight timetable for the grant, and with the knowledge that conditions could not be attached to a zone change.

Paul E. Caron, a former state legislator and a community liaison for UniFirst, said the company is very pleased with the land agreement, believing it benefits both the company and city. The agreement will also result in the planting of at least 80 saplings to replace the loss of trees from the parking expansion.

Customers have criticized utilities for a slow response and inaccurate power restoration estimates, among other things.

GREENFIELD — The state Department of Public Utilities will hold two final local public hearings on Tuesday to gauge how utility companies responded to the Oct. 29 snowstorm, which caused massive damage and left some Western Massachusetts communities without power for more than a week.

Both DPU sessions will be held this evening at 7 p.m. in Greenfield and Brookfield.

The Greenfield session, which will focus on Western Massachusetts Electric Co.'s storm response and preparedness, will take place at Greenfield High School, 1 Lenox Ave.

The Brookfield session, which will focus on National Grid's handling of the storm, will take place at Brookfield Town Hall, 6 Central St.

Previous DPU hearings were held in Belchertown, East Longmeadow and Springfield, and some of the citizens who attended the sessions criticized utility officials for poor communication during the outages.

Major points of contention for critics included a general perception that both WMECO and National Grid responded too slowly, and general frustration over power restoration estimates that rarely proved accurate.

In some instances, National Grid upgraded restoration estimates to sooner than originally predicted, only to later downgrade those estimates to much later than originally predicted – crushing some customers' optimism for a timely resolution to the problem.

Northeast Utilities, the Hartford-based parent company of WMECO and Connecticut Light & Power, expects the storm's price tag to exceed $202 million.

The company, in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission last week, said the bulk of the costs – around $163 million – stem from restoration efforts at CL&P.

At the height of the storm, about 830,000 Connecticut customers were without power. At the height of the storm in Massachusetts, which is served by several utility companies, around 700,000 customers lost power, including more than 200,000 in the western portion of the state.

Northeast Utilities said around $23.5 million will pay for WMECO restoration costs, while $16.2 million will go toward a third subsidiary, Public Service Co. of New Hampshire.

The utility company predicted its fourth-quarter earnings would not be significantly affected by the nor'easter, except for an $18 million charge to investors – or 10 cents per share – for a fund to reimburse some costs for residential customers.

Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Toy for Joy has a goal of raising $150,000 for Dec. 23.

View full size

SPRINGFIELD – FLN-MAR Rubber and Plastics, Inc. of Holyoke honors both its customers and needy children in Western Massachusetts with an annual gift to the Toy for Joy campaign.

Anne Cistoldi, an employee of the company, said it has been donating to the holiday campaign for several years now. A number of the company’s customers receive holiday letters stating that the donation has been made in their name, she said. “I think it’s great for our customers to know it’s a gift on a local level,” Cistoldi said. “We will look forward to doing this again next year.”

FLN-MAR gave $500 to Toy for Joy. Last year, nearly 20,000 children in Hampden, Hampshire and Berkshire counties benefited from the Toy for Joy fund.

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 Dec. 23 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.

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 have been among the volunteers who have been aiding the Salvation Army with the program. Donations to date tally to $26,720. That leaves $123,280 to be raised.

For more information, call (413) 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 Republican, 1860 Main St., Springfield, weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. through Dec. 23.

Here’s a list of the latest contributors:

With thanks for my grandson Brayden on his 6 month birthday, $10
Wishing Kathy Gallivan and all on 2011 Ireland trip a Nollaig Shona Dhuit, G and C P, $25
In loving memory of Joseph and Elizabeth Surprenant, $50
Merry Christmas to all children, in memory of Mom and Dad, $25
In lieu of presents for my students in Room 13 at Mountain View School is East Long., $50
To honor Aunt Dot, love Greg, Carol, Allison and Amanda, $25
For the kids, $25
In memory of Connie and Walter Maciolek, love Ray and JoAnn and family, $25
In memory of Madeline and Armand Degree, love JoAnn and Ray and family, $25
Merry Christmas kiddies, $100
Lew and Jade, $20
In memory of Grammy and Grampy Maurer, love Jeff, Mike and Chris, $15
In honor of Matthew’s first Christmas, $25
Anonymous, $100
In thanks for the best family in the whole world, $25
In loving memory of Tom Mairo, $100
Merry Christmas all from Joan and Bob, $50
In gratitude for Kristen, Sheri, Joe, Alissa, Alex and Aubrey, $100
In loving memory of Doris and Richard Corriveau, $20
In loving memory of my angel mother “peanut”, $25
Carol, $25
Merry Christmas Mom and Dad, $100
Merry Christmas Barry and Dan, $50
In loving memory of Marilyn Cronin Urdzela wife, $15
Happy Holidays from Mark and Sue, $150
I wish the best to all the children from Brian, $10
In memory of family and friends no longer with us, The Kenyons, $20
Love to Nicholas, Isabella, Lizzie, James, Matt, Jack and Meghan from great gramp Stan Olechna, $35
In memory of loved ones who have passed away, $25
In memory of Pepere, we miss you, $25
Merry Christmas to the children everywhere, $50
May these toys provide hope and fulfill dreams for our kids, $30
In loving memory of our daughter Christine Weckerly and my mother Catherine, $25
Merry Christmas to all the children, $10
To see a smile on a child’s face, $20
In memory of our beloved son Paul Woishnis from Mom and Dad, $10
In loving memory of our precious grandson Matthew Woishnis from Baci and Dziadziu, $10
In memory of Tanner Simpkiss from brothers Hunter, Shea and family, $20
In loving memory of Lindy, Samantha, Maybelline, Freddie, Kelly, Scamper, Clancy, Molly and Sparkey, $27
In loving memory of Edward from Mary, Frances, John, Fred and Michael, $100
In loving memory of Grandma Bewsee who loved children, $25
In memory of my husband Frank, $10
In loving memory of the six Worcester firefighters, $20
Merry Christmas from RMK, $25
Merry Christmas from Wayne and Maureen, $25
Anonymous, $25
In loving memory of Henry C and Ethel E Gibson, Joseph R and Dorothy R Braun, Joseph M Braun and Carole Clarke, $100
To remember George Jackson, love by all his family, $100
Thanks to all the servicemen and women who keep us free, $25
Kathleen, $20
In memory of Harold Odiorne Sr., $25
In memory of Gwendolyn Marshall, $25
In memory of Bud and Millie Carey, $25
Merry Christmas to all and Happy New Year, $10
In loving memory of “Grandma down there” Dorothy Savard, $100
FLN-MAR Rubber and Plastics, Inc says, “Thank You” and Merry Christmas to our loyal customers with our wishes for Happy Holidays, $500

RECEIVED, $2,647
TOTAL TO DATE, $26,720
STILL NEEDED, $123,280

With gas prices hovering around $3.31 for a gallon of regular in greater Springfield, Pioneer Valley motorists could get a break when they hit the highways this Christmas season.

SPRINGFIELD — Since last week, the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in Massachusetts fell by a penny to $3.27, the same as the national average, according to a survey by AAA Southern New England.

The drop marks the fourth consecutive week of falling prices at the pump, though the cost of gas in greater Springfield – around $3.31 per gallon – was still slightly higher.

A penny-per-gallon drop, though not dramatic, is in line with a trend that's likely to please travelers who are poised to hit the highways this holiday season.

AAA and IHS Global Insight projected around 42.5 million travelers would journey at least 50 miles from home for the Thanksgiving holiday – a four percent increase from 2010 – but they haven't yet made predictions for the Christmas travel season.

Meanwhile, Orbitz Worldwide, the online travel company, said Boston Logan International Airport was the fifth-busiest airport in the nation on Thanksgiving, and Christmas travel could also be heavy this year.

Last year's busiest air travel week was "Christmas week," or Dec. 19-25, according to Orbitz.

But for those who'll be grounded this holiday season, lower pump prices could spur more travel over the next couple of weeks.

The current statewide price is 12 cents cheaper than a month ago, but still 28 cents higher than the $2.99-per-gallon price of a year ago. AAA's survey of regular gas also found prices as low as $3.15 and as high as $3.49 a gallon.

In greater Springfield, a gallon of regular gas dropped by a penny from Sunday to Monday, or $3.32 to $3.31. That puts this region on par with greater Boston, where the average per-gallon price is around $3.29, just a couple of cents cheaper.

A month ago, gas in Springfield was around $3.45 a gallon, while a week ago the price fell to around $3.35 a gallon.

Click HERE to read AAA's Top 10 gas-saving tips.

Paper City police arrested 9 shoplifting suspects in less than six hours, according to Holyoke Police Department records.

File photo | The Republican

HOLYOKE — City police spent a good chunk of Monday rounding up alleged shoplifters, making a total of nine arrests in less than six hours.

Alleged victims included Best Buy, Burlington Coat Factory, KMart, Target and Walgreens, according to Holyoke police records.

The first of several alleged shoplifting incidents was reported at 2:18 p.m., and the last was at 10:08 p.m., police said.

Arrested were Angel Gonzalez, 18, Jean Lopez, 23, Janet Rodriguez, 35, Stephanie Cabrera, 19, and Alexis Oquendo, 31, all of Springfield.

Also arrested were Heriberto Mora, 31, of Holyoke, Sergio Azahares, 18, of Chicopee, Shon Smith, 43, of West Springfield, and Nicholas Cody, 26, of Agawam.

Gonzalez, Lopez and Rodriguez were arrested in connection with a 4:22 p.m. incident at Burlington Coat Factory at the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside, but all of the other arrests stemmed from separate incidents, police said.

Smith, who was arrested in connection with a 7:27 p.m. incident at the KMart store at 2211 Northampton St., also had two outstanding warrants, police said.

The suspects are likely to be arraigned today in Holyoke District Court.

British physicist Peter Higgs theorized the existence of the Higgs boson more than 40 years ago to explain why atoms have weight.

Associated PressAn illustration shows how a Higgs boson may look in Atlas, in this May 20, 2011 file photo at the European Center for Nuclear Research, CERN, outside Geneva, Switzerland. Scientists at CERN will hold a public seminar Tuesday Dec. 13, 2011 to present their latest findings from the search for an elusive sub-atomic particle known as the Higgs boson.

GENEVA — A scientist from one of two research teams says new data uncovered narrow the regions where an elusive sub-atomic particle believed to be a basic building block of the universe is likely to be found.

The information is expected to be confirmed later Tuesday by the second research team. Both teams are involved with CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research near Geneva.

Fabiola Gianotti, an Italian physicist with the team running what's called the ATLAS experiment, said "the hottest region" is in lower energy ranges.

Researchers believe data about the so-called Higgs boson could help explain many scientific mysteries. British physicist Peter Higgs theorized its existence more than 40 years ago to explain why atoms have weight.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

GENEVA — Scientists involved with the world's largest atom smasher prepared Tuesday to unveil the latest data in their hunt for a subatomic particle believed to be a basic building block of the universe — information that may narrow the region the elusive particle can be found.

The data about the so-called Higgs boson has generated much buzz among researchers, who believe it could help explain many scientific mysteries. The particle was named for British physicist Peter Higgs, who theorized its existence more than 40 years ago to explain the puzzle of how atoms — and everything else in the universe — have weight.

Although it would be an enormous scientific breakthrough for the physics world if the Higgs boson was found, officials at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research near Geneva, have ruled out making any such announcement this year.

However, CERN scientists have told The Associated Press that the latest information from the $10-billion Large Hadron Collider under the Swiss-French border helps narrow the region of the search for the particle.

The physicists said the data would exclude some of the higher energy ranges where the Higgs might be found and show some intriguing "events" — hints, glimpses, or possible sightings — at the lower energy ranges that remain unconfirmed.

Joe Incandela, a top CERN physicist, has described the data from one of the two main experiments as being "right at the boundary of where you might get a vague hint of something."

Leaders of the two main experiments, ATLAS and CMS, are to present their data Tuesday. To provide more certainty about what is being found, the teams work independently of each other at the collider — a 17-mile (27-kilometer tunnel) where high energy beams of protons are sent crashing into each other at incredible speeds.

The tree caught fire because it was too close to a lit fireplace, according to Shutesbury Fire Chief Walter R. Tibbetts.

SHUTESBURY — A Christmas tree that caught fire inside a Shutesbury house on Sunday night left a family homeless and killed several pets.

"Nobody was seriously injured," Shutesbury Fire Chief Walter R. Tibbetts said Tuesday, adding that the family is staying with relatives in the area.

The cause of the blaze: a Christmas tree placed too close to an open flame, according to Tibbetts.

"There was nothing suspicious; it was just carelessness," he said. "They shouldn't be placing anything that's flammable that close (to a heat source)."

The tree was about two feet from a lit fireplace, and heat from the fire caused the tree to erupt into flames just before 10:30 p.m. Sunday.

The house, located at 31 Merrill Drive, is still standing but sustained substantial heat and smoke damage.

"There was a substantial loss to the contents of the house," Tibbetts said.

The house was being rented by the Rose family, who managed to escape unharmed, but three of the family's four cats weren't as lucky, Tibbetts said.

"You always hate to see it," he said. "But you really hate to see it around the holidays."

Firefighters from other area departments, including Amherst, Leverett, Montague, New Salem, Pelham and Wendell, assisted Shutesbury.

Tibbetts said it took less than a half-hour to extinguish the blaze, but firefighters stayed on scene through early Monday morning to prevent any flareups.

A neighbor told the Daily Hampshire Gazette that the Roses had rented the small house near Lake Wyola for about the past six months. The family could not immediately be reached for comment.

Dawn Leaks, communication director for the Pioneer Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross, told the Gazette that the organization had been in contact with the family "to determine what they will need from us."

The blaze was reported shortly after 8 a.m. near 1200 East Mountain Road

Submitted photo | Katie Haydocy Pais12.13.2011 | WESTFIELD - A car fire on East Mountain Road Tuesday morning.

WESTFIELD – A college student escaped injury Tuesday morning when his car caught fire on East Mountain Road.

Deputy Chief Mark Devine said that a fellow northbound motorist traveling just ahead of the student, looked in his rearview mirror, saw flames coming from the engine compartment, stopped his own vehicle and waved the student down.

The fire quickly traveled into the passenger compartment and shortly after the student got out it was engulfed in flames. The blaze was reported shortly after 8 a.m. in the area of 1200 Mountain Road, Devine said.

“The car is totally destroyed,” Devine said, adding that the student’s biggest concern was whether he would be able to retrieve school-work from his laptop computer which had partially melted.

Gov. Deval Patrick will be at the State House today to mark the National Guard's 375th year.

AP PhotoArizona Gov. Jan Brewer speaks in Phoenix regarding Supreme Court's agreement to rule on Arizona's anti-immigration law

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• Northampton Volkswagon dealership repares for new fleet of pre-owned vehicles [Daily Hampshire Gazette]
• Skate Park opens next to Pittsfield High School [Berkshire Eagle]
• Gov. Deval Patrick to commemorate National Guard's 375 years today at State House [Berkshire Eagle]
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File photo | The RepublicanUniversity of Massachusetts president Jack Wilson told state legislators that Gov. Deval Patrick's budget leaves the university system with a $54.5 million budget gap for fiscal 2012.
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The mayor said the new tax rates apportion the tax burden fairly between business and residential taxpayers.

Republican flie photo

WEST SPRINGFIELD – The Town Council Monday approved a property tax classification schedule that triggers a fiscal 2012 residential property rate of $17.24 per thousand dollars of valuation for homeowners and $35.65 for businesses.

Those rates represent an increase of about 3.1 percent for homeowners, whose old rate was $16.72, and about 4.24 percent for businesses, whose old rate wast $34.20.

The council triggered those new rates on a motion by Council President Kathleen A. Bourque. It voted 7-1 to adopt a tax shift factor of 1.56 with Councilor Robert M. Mancini casting the sole opposing vote. Voting in favor of Bourque’s proposal were councilors Michael J. Finn, Brian J. Griffin, George R. Kelly, Gerard Matthews, Angus Rushlow and John R. Sweeney. Council Lida M. Powell was absent.

Mancini said he voted against Bourque’s proposal because he wanted to shift more of the burden onto business than what the council approved.

“Residents need a break. They absolutely need a break,” Mancini said.

For the owner of the average home valued at $214,267 that means a fiscal 2012 property tax bill of $3,676.82. For the owner of the average business valued at $876,300 that means a fiscal 2012 property tax bill of $31,240.10.

In adopting the tax scheme, councilors voted for a tax shift factor of 1.56 as opposed to the 1.556 proposed by Mayor Edward J. Gibson.

“Your’re talking pennies on the tax rate,” Gibson said of the difference his proposal would have made had it been approved.

He called the shift a fair one for both business and residential taxpayers.

In Massachusetts, muncipalities are allowed to shift some of the property tax burden of the residential class to the business class to give homeowners a break.

The city’s budget for fiscal 2012, which started July 1, is $89,132,048. Of that sum, $58,378,048 is to be raised by property taxes.

The total value of residential property in the city comes to $1,775,789,675. The value of all property in the city when commercial, industrial and personal property is added to residential values is $2,554,393,712.

Also announced Tuesday were plans by Boston-based Winn Development to build a $20 million 83-unit senior housing complex at the site.

File photo | The RepublicanThe Ludlow Mills complex.

LUDLOW – HealthSouth plans to relocate its rehabilitation hospital to the Ludlow Mills property as part of a $70 million rejuvenation of the industrial complex.

Also announced Tuesday were plans by Boston-based Winn Development to build a $20 million 83-unit senior housing complex at the site in Mill Building 10.

The former jute mill, located on State Street and underutilized since the 1960s, is being redeveloped by Winn and Westmass Area Development Corporation.

The HealthSouth project will cost $25 million and result in the relocation of 53 beds and 240 employees by 2013. HealthSouth CEO Scott R. Keen said the for-profit health care provider is moving out of the former Ludlow hospital because the building is outdated. The new structure will have all private room and an open floor plan gym.

Kenneth Delude, president of WestMass, predicted that the projects will create hundreds of construction jobs beginning in 2012, with both projects expected to be complete in 2013.

The roadblock will be held at an undisclosed county location and is intended to remove intoxicated drivers from area roadways, according to state police.

The Republican file photo

With the holiday season in full effect, the Massachusetts State Police will be holding a sobriety checkpoint at an undisclosed Hampden County location on Saturday, Dec. 17, according to Col. Marian J. McGovern, superintendent of the statewide police force.

The checkpoint is aimed at removing intoxicated drivers from county roadways, according to McGovern.

The roadblock will be operated during "varied hours, the selection of vehicles will not be arbitrary, safety will be assured, and any inconveniences to motorists will be minimized with advance notice to reduce fear and anxiety," the superintendent said in a statement.

The checkpoint, which begins Saturday evening and lasts into Sunday morning, is made possible through a grant from the Highway Safety Division of the state Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.

A Thanksgiving weekend roadblock on Route 5 in Holyoke netted five arrests for operating under the influence of either alcohol or drugs, according to troopers from the Northampton barracks who conducted the operation.

Those arrests followed a Sept. 30-Oct. 1 checkpoint in Springfield that also resulted in five OUI arrests.

Media advisories are issued whenever checkpoints are planned in various counties throughout the state, but the locations are always kept under wraps.

Neal said that Gingrich is to blame for turning the tone of politics to extreme negativity in Washington, where it once was a place for civil debate.

U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, right, said GOP Presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich, left, is to blame for the uncivil turn political debate has taken in Washington D.C. (AP & Republican file photos)

By Kyle Cheney

BOSTON –Newt Gingrich, the latest frontrunner for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, “changed the way we talk to each other in Washington,” according to a veteran member of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation, who accused the former U.S. House speaker Monday of vilifying Democrats as corrupt traitors and misfits, rather than simply disagreeing with them.

“No longer is Tip O’Neill wrong, he’s corrupt,” U.S. Rep. Richard Neal said Monday morning in downtown Boston, characterizing Gingrich’s tone. “He’s good at tactics. You end the conversation saying he’s combative.”

“I always thought Mitt Romney would be the nominee,” he continued. “Out of nowhere, even for those of us who follow this every day, Newt Gingrich has emerged.”

The 12-term Democrat’s comments, at a function hosted by the New England Council, are a window into the strategy Democrats may use to pummel Gingrich, should his lead in the polls translate into a primary victory over former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. During 20 minutes of remarks, Neal cast Gingrich as out of step with even Israelis on America’s policy toward Palestinians and said his proclivity for speaking “based upon the moment” could lead to miscalculations in his leadership.

Neal contrasted his view of Gingrich with his relationship with Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul, also a member of the U.S. House.

“I don’t agree with [Paul] on anything. But I’ve got to tell you, he’s the nicest guy,” Neal said, predicting Paul would perform better than expected in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, which would portend a long, drawn-out primary battle.

“I think this is going to go on,” Neal said.

Although Massachusetts is expected to fall heavily in President Barack Obama’s favor during next year’s election, Gingrich does have some support in the Bay State, earning the endorsement last week of Red Mass Group, publisher of the conservative blog Red Mass Group.

“Over the past 40 years, the Speaker has been at the forefront of conservative thought. He, along with Jack Kemp, helped develop supply side economics. While in the house in the 1980s he helped guide the Reagan Agenda. As Speaker he ushered in balanced budgets,” Eno wrote in his endorsement message.

“Is he sometimes brash? Yes. Does he have personal problems and foibles? Yes, but who doesn't? There is no candidate in this race, save Newt Gingrich that understands more fundamentally that this nation is at a crossroads. He understands that large-scale changes in our way of doing business are needed, and that yes, they might be painful in the short-term. There is no candidate that offers a plain-spoken opposition to the empty rhetoric of hope and change, than Newt Gingrich.”

As he has ascended in the polls, Gingrich has emphasized his credentials as the former leader of the U.S. House and often spoken professorially about the nation’s financial challenges and earned favorable reviews for his debate performances. He has also offered some of the sharpest critiques of President Barack Obama and pointedly ripped news outlets hosting debates for stoking conflict among Republican candidates. His critics have already begun weaving in Gingrich’s two extramarital affairs into their talking points, and others have questioned his work as a “historian” for Freddie Mac.

Neal’s remarks came before an audience of lobbyists and officials from Raytheon, Verizon, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Citi, Serlin Haley, Northeast Utilities, Boston Beer Company, the University of Massachusetts and MassDevelopment. He criticized House leaders – Gingrich, his Republican successors and Democrat Nancy Pelosi – for centralizing most decision-making within House leadership.

“We moved away from the regular order on the floor and more and more legislation was consolidated in the Speaker’s office,” he said.

Neal also attributed President Obama’s failings to his slow grasp of the modern news cycle, which he said shines a more intense light on conflict with fewer “informative pieces.”

Neal, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, spent a portion of his remarks advocating for a remaking of the American tax code.

“The tax system in America is falling under its own weight,” he said, adding that the committee’s current chairman, David Camp, is a “friend of mine.” “I just don’t know how much room David has to make a deal. Our tax code now has very little credibility with the American people. We need to figure out where to go, and it can’t be an argument over more taxes or less taxes.”

Neal described a “dust-up” he had with Vice President Dick Cheney shortly after President George W. Bush took office over the issue of a major tax cut.

“I said, ‘Mr. President, why don’t we keep paying down the debt. Why don’t we continue paying down the debt, and let’s do a modest, middle-class tax cut,’” Neal recalled. “After the look that Cheney and I had with each other, and we had a dust-up over it, you would’ve thought I was involved in the Lindbergh kidnapping.”

Neal also worried that the clout of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation would suffer with the impending departures of U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee, and U.S. Rep. John Olver, a member of the Appropriations Committee.

“Junior members of Congress are not going to get that done,” he said.

The company has 550 employees including about 330 in Northampton. It is Northampton’s largest employer having moved this year into a new Hospital Hill neighborhood.

The Republican / John Suchocki1-11-2011 - Northampton - This Jan. 2011 file photo shows Andrew Crystal at the new Kollmorgen facility on Route 66 in Northampton.

NORTHAMPTON – Defense contractor L-3 communications has bought Kollmorgen Electro-Optical from Danaher Corp. for $210 million.

Headquartered in Northampton, Kollmorgen develops and manufactures specialized equipment, according to a news release, including submarine photonics systems and periscopes, ship fire control systems.

The company has 550 employees including about 330 in Northampton. It is Northampton’s largest employer having moved this year into a new Hospital Hill neighborhood.

Kollomorgen also has employees in Bologna, Italy.

The acquisition is anticipated to be completed in the first quarter of 2012.

Headquartered in New York City, L-3 Communications employs approximately 61,000 people worldwide and is a prime contractor in command, control, communications, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems, aircraft modernization and maintenance, and government services. L-3 is also a leading provider of a broad range of electronic systems used on military and commercial platforms. The company reported 2010 sales of $15.7 billion.

Additional information will be posted on MassLive.com as it becomes available and look for a full report in Wednesday's edition of The Republican.