Ron Paul is in contention to win the Iowa caucuses and positioned to do well in the New Hampshire primary.

Associated PressIn this Aug. 27, 2011, file photo Republican presidential candidate, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, listens to a supporter at the Polk County GOP summer picnic event held at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa.

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Suddenly, Ron Paul is in contention to win the Iowa caucuses and positioned to do well in the New Hampshire primary two weeks before the first votes are cast.

Paul's standing reflects the fluidity of the Republican race as well as the failure of the social conservative, tea party and establishment elements of the GOP to coalesce behind a candidate.

While the libertarian-leaning Texas congressman is earning support for tight-fisted fiscal positions, he's so out of step with the GOP mainstream on foreign policy issues that even his most loyal aides doubt he can use his momentum to win the Republican nomination.

Still, Paul's outsider persona and refusal to give in to the ways of Washington have earned him a loyal following that he's leveraged to build a strong organization.

Springfield also received private grants for its after-school gymnasium program and for a new passenger van for its Camp Star Angelina program.

SPRINGFIELD – The city has received $216,000 in private grant funds that will allow renovations, new equipment and furnishings at the children’s room at Forest Park Branch Library.

In addition, the city has received private funds to continue its after-school gymnasium programs at four school locations in Springfield and to purchase a new 15-passenger van for use by the Camp STAR/Angelina and Fun-N-Fitness programs provided by the Park Department.

The City Council formally accepted the grants during a council meeting Monday night.

Molly Fogarty

Molly E. Fogarty, director of the Springfield public library system, said the Forest Park library improvements were made possible by a $191,000 grant from the private, nonprofit J.M.R. Barker Foundation and $25,000 from Troy and Pat Murray through the Fidelity Charitable Trust.

Both grants were issued to the Springfield Library Foundation for the improvements.

“It’s very, very exciting,” Fogarty said. “The children’s room has not been renovated or updated in probably 30 years except for some minor things. It really needs a major upgrade.”

The design and construction should take approximately one year to complete. The children’s room will become a “Family Place” library, to emphasize its family environment, Fogarty said.

The improvements will include a new wall and archway, new bookcases, divided areas for different themes and age groups, and new furniture and equipment, she said.

The Family Place section will be named in honor of “Charlie and Joan Ryan,” as sought by Troy Murray, a former resident of Springfield. The Ryans are residents of Forest Park, and Charles Ryan is president of the Springfield Library Foundation and a former mayor of Springfield.

The design is expected to include themes from Forest Park and its children’s zoo, Fogarty said.

“It’s wonderful to be able to honor the Ryans and to have a welcoming space for families in the Forest Park neighborhood,” Fogarty said.

The council also accepted a $15,000 grant from Health New England to continue after-school gymnasium programs at the Kennedy, Milton Bradley, Boland and Chestnut schools. Health New England donated $10,000 last school year.

“We are pleased that Health New England recognizes the importance of physical activity and safe places for our young people to go, particularly during the evening hours,” said Paula E. Thayer, the city’s assistant director of recreation.

The city has also received private grant funds for the after-school program from the Irene & George Davis Foundation, the state’s Mass in Motion program and the community health initiative of Baystate Health, Thayer said.

The program is funded through May 4.

The $35,000 grant for the 15-passenger Ford Econoline van was donated by STAR, Inc., a nonprofit organization formed by parents to support the social and therapeutic activities and recreation offered by Camp STAR, including the provision of equipment, financial support and scholarships, according to a summary.

File photo | The RepublicanForest Park Branch of the Springfield Library

Crawford received the ticket Feb. 3, 1953, the day he was inducted into the Army. He left his 1946 Nash at a parking meter at the induction station.

HOUSTON (AP) — A Houston man says he wants to clear his own conscience and pay a $1 parking ticket he got 58 years ago, even though the city's traffic violation records have been purged.

Dale Crawford sent a letter to city officials after finding the ticket among some keepsakes. He says it's a debt that he wants to pay, though it's a "small, almost unnoticeable amount."

Crawford received the ticket Feb. 3, 1953, the day he was inducted into the Army. He left his 1946 Nash at a parking meter at the induction station. When his dad was late retrieving the car, it had been ticketed.

Houston Mayor Annise Parker says she'll personally accept Crawford's payment Wednesday and thank him for setting an example for others who owe debts to the city.

A federal jury convicted Tarek Mehanna, 24, of Sudbury, of 4 terror related charges.

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Town officials also are discussing bringing back the senior municipal work program, which allowed senior citizens to do work for the town to receive a tax credit.

The Republican/Michael Gordon

PALMER – Taxpayers soon may notice a $30 decrease in their 2012 tax bills due to the retirement of the debt for the school construction projects that were completed 20 years ago.

Assessor Beverly A. Morin-Lizak said the new tax rate, $15.61 per thousand, has been approved by the state Department of Revenue. The town has a single tax rate for all classes of property. Last year, the tax rate was $15.85 per thousand.

Residents whose home has an average value of $185,400 will pay $2,894 in fiscal 2012; that's a change from last year, when the average home was valued at $184,500 and had an average bill of $2,924. Those figures do not include the fire district taxes.

"Overall, I think the tax bills should be either the same or a little less," Morin-Lizak said.

The four fire districts also have set their rates, which are added to the town rate.

Palmer Fire District No. 1 set its rate at $1.21, up 3 cents from last year, for a total tax of $16.82; Three Rivers Fire District No. 2 set its rate at $1.82, up 6 cents from last year, for a total of $17.43; Bondsville Fire District No. 3 lowered its tax to $1.79 from $1.96, bringing the total to $17.40; and Thorndike Fire District No. 4 set its rate at $1.80, up 16 cents, bringing the total for that district to $17.41.

Morin-Lizak said Bondsville used $55,000 in so-called free cash to lower its rate.

The overlay amount (for abatements) that was approved with the setting of the fiscal 2012 tax rate includes enough money to fund the senior municipal work program, which was eliminated several years ago as a cost-saving measure.

The program allowed residents age 62 and older to earn a credit of up to $750 toward their tax bill by volunteering their time by doing jobs, such as filing, for the town. The maximum hours that could be worked were 112.

Interim Town Manager Charles T. Blanchard said the program will be reviewed, and noted that the Town Council expressed interest in setting guidelines for earnings and income level, conditions that were not in place before. Blanchard said they also will study whether to set the tax deduction at $750 or $1,000.

In the past, the program was budgeted for $15,000. Blanchard said he also will study if residents can do work for other residents who would ordinarily qualify to participate in the program, but are unable to do so, due to their physical condition.

Blanchard said that several department heads have mentioned that this was a good program.

"I think it's a great program and I'm pleased the Town Council seemed supportive of bringing it back," Blanchard said.

He said if it is reinstated, taxpayers would receive a credit on their fiscal 2013 taxes.

The legislation requires the Departments of Health and Human Services, Defense and Veterans Affairs to devise and coordinate a comprehensive specific plan of action that combines prevention and cessation with early detection and treatment research.

The U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

WASHINGTON D.C. – With full Senate approval still pending, Republican Sen. Scott Brown has pledged his support for legislation that aims to reduce the country's lung cancer mortality rates by 50 percent over the next eight years.

The Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act calls for the Departments of Health and Human Services, Defense and Affairs to develop a coordinated research, prevention, early detection and treatment effort with the specific goal of cutting lung cancer mortality in half by the end of the decade.

In response to the developing support for the bill, the Lung Cancer Alliance has applauded legislators from both sides of the aisle, calling for additional support and passing it in 2012.

"As a seven-year survivor of lung cancer, it is reassuring to know that our elected leaders have heard our stories, have become better educated about the disease and have become proponents of a call to action that would put life-saving, cost-saving, cancer reducing benefits in motion," said Diane Legg, co-director of the alliance's New England branch.

Brown's commitment to the bill's passage puts him in line with Democratic legislators from the Bay State, including Sen. John Kerry and Representatives Barney Frank, Stephen Lynch, John Olver and John Tierney.

"I'm proud to be a part of this effort to combat the leading cause of cancer death in Massachusetts and provide resources to help those suffering from lung cancer," Brown said. "As support for the legislation grows, I hope the full Senate takes it up for a vote sometime during the second session of this Congress."

According to the LCA, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, nationally and in every ethnic group.

National Cancer Institute estimates indicate that by the end of 2011 in Massachusetts, more people will die of lung cancer – 3,490 – than the combined total of deaths due to breast cancer (760), colon cancer (980) and prostate cancer (640).

Rich Monopoli, co-director of the New England branch of LCA, said that the staggering numbers are reason for alarm.

"Sadly, the impact of lung cancer goes beyond epidemic yet few people even know that today 80% of lung cancer patients have never smoked or had already quit, often decades ago," Monopoli said. "That is why support for a more coordinated and comprehensive plan for this disease is so important – as it will help reduce lung cancer's stigma and reverse decades of neglect. The Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act is win-win for all and I am hopeful that the entire Massachusetts delegation and their New England colleagues will join our call to action."

Obituaries from The Republican.

Diolinda "Linda" (Fidalgo) Breault

Diolinda "Linda" (Fidalgo) Breault of Ludlow passed away on Monday. Born on December 29,1919, in Ludlow, she was a communicant of St. Elizabeth's Parish and a member of St. Ann's Sodality. She was also a member of the Portuguese American Citizens Club and Ludlow Senior Citizens. A seamstress, she worked at Chicopee Undergarment, Modern Bridal in Indian Orchard and Ludlow Bridal.

Obituaries from The Republican:

• 
  Arnold, Nancy M.
  



• 
  Barth, John T.
  




• 
  Beck, Joseph M.
  



• 
  Breault, Diolinda "Linda" (Fidalgo)
  



• 
  Buelow, Raymond C.




• 
  Carestia, Frances (Iellamo)
  



• 
  Cassidy, William F.
  




• Chasse, Bertrand G.
  




• 
  Clink, Minnie Eva (Brueno)
  



• 
  Colon Jr., Gregorio M.




• 
  D'Arcey, Donna (Peltier)
  



• 
  D'Arcy, Donna M. (Peltier)
  




• DeSpirt, Santo C.
  




• 
  Durick, Richard H.
  



• 
  Ellis, Patricia (Dennis)




• 
  Fabrocini, Vincent C.
  



• 
  Gignac, Marie B. (Duval)
  




• Halperin, Norman
  




• 
  Holda, Walter F.
  



• 
  Jones, Melvin




• 
  Kocak, John W.
  



• 
  Kolpus, Helene M.
  




• Litchfield, Peter T.
  




• 
  Ludwick III, Franklin J. "Jimmy"
  



• 
  McCabe, Sandra (Ramsey)




• 
  Moccio, Kenneth W.
  



• 
  Murray, Geraldine "Jerry" (Taddia)
  




• O'Neil, Arnold Barry
  




• 
  Perosino, Virginia C. (Connors)
  



• 
  Phetteplace, Madeline R. (Langevin)




• 
  Phillips, Laura
  



• 
  Rojcewicz, Theodore F.
  




• Sheehan, Ruth May (Josephson)
  




• 
  Spenard, Lillian G. (DeBlois)
  



• 
  White, George Edward

Currently bars can provide entertainment until the typical 2 a.m. closing time.

File photo | The RepublicanOutside a bar on a Saturday night on Worthington Street in the entertainment district in Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD – The city will conduct a public hearing on Friday to consider reaction to a new proposal that would require bars and other liquor establishments to obtain a special permit from the mayor if they want to offer entertainment past 1 a.m.

The hearing is at 5:30 p.m., at City Hall, in Room 220. The city is seeking input from the public and from business owners on the proposed change of the entertainment license regulations.

If approved, establishments without a “Special Late Night Entertainment Permit” will have to cease offering entertainment at 1 a.m., Currently, entertainment can be offered until 2 a.m.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno has appointed Associate City Solicitor Alesia Days to serve as the hearing officer. She will present the proposed regulations and then receive public input at the hearing, forwarding her findings to Sarno.

Interested parties are encouraged to attend and offer public testimony.

The mayor is empowered to grant entertainment licenses, in which he can place restrictions on business establishments. Entertainment can range from live or recorded music to billiards to video game machines and even television sets.

The License Commission separately considers applications for liquor and food licenses. and liquor establishments generally close by 2 a.m. Friday’s hearing regards the entertainment licenses only, controlled by the mayor.

The new addition – which represents about 50 percent of the overall project, and features six cardiovascular surgical suites and 32 critical care rooms – will be called the MassMutual Wing. Watch video

The Republican | Mark M. MurrayThe first phase of Baystate Medical Center's Hospital of the Future project will be named the MassMutual Wing, it was announced Tuesday when the MassMutual Life Insurance Company made a $3 million contribution to Baystate Medical Center's capital campaign.

SPRINGFIELD – Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. has donated $3 million to Baystate Medical Center’s expansion, representing one of the largest gifts yet in the hospital’s capital campaign.

The donation, announced Tuesday by Baystate and MassMutual officials, comes 2½ months before the first section of the $296 million “hospital of the future” is scheduled to open on March 2.

It also brings the hospital’s fundraising total to $23 million, more than double the amount collected in any previous capital campaign, hospital officials said.

“This is a sizable investment in Baystate Health and our community – and it is greatly appreciated,” Baystate’s top executive, Mark R. Tolosky, said.

The new addition – which represents about 50 percent of the overall project and features six cardiovascular surgical suites and 32 critical care rooms – will be called the MassMutual Wing, Tolosky said.

The next stage – a 70,000-square foot emergency room – is scheduled to open in November.

Besides bringing state-of-the-art medical facilities to the region’s largest hospital, the expansion has provided about 300 jobs for construction workers since 2009; another 200 clinical and medical positions are expected to be added by 2015, when the project is completed.

The Republican | Mark M. MurrayRoger W. Crandall, Chairman, President & CEO of MassMutual, announces the company's $3 million contribution to Baystate Medical Center's capital campaign.

Robert W. Crandall, MassMutual’s chief executive officer, said his company’s involvement goes beyond civic responsibility. The 5,000 MassMutual employees living in Greater Springfield and northern Connecticut, along with the company’s agents and policyholders, rely on the hospital for health care, he said.

While much of Baystate’s North End campus dates back to the 1950s and to the 1980s, the new facility will help transform Baystate into a “world-class” medical institution, Crandall added.

“This is a win all around,” he said.

The company’s gift is one of four $1 million-plus donations to the hospital’s building campaign.

Charles D’Amour, former chairman of the hospital’s board of trustees, praised Baystate’s leadership for not abandoning the project amid the collapse of the housing and financial markets in 2008 and the lingering recession.

“This is really going to be a bright, shining star for our community,” D’Amour said.

At Baystate and other hospitals, the economy is still taking its toll.

In July, Baystate Health eliminated 354 jobs across all three of its hospitals – Baystate Medical Center, Baystate Mary Lane in Ware and Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield.

The job loss included 185 vacant positions and 169 layoffs.

Hospital officials said the layoffs had no impact on the expansion, which had been in the planning stages for nearly a decade.

The FutureWorks career center in Springfield had 518 job openings in November, a 7 percent increase from 484 in November 2010

SPRINGFIELD – The city’s unemployment rate fell in November from 10.9 percent in October to 10.4 percent, a sign, economists say, that the local economy might be at long last picking up some steam.

“Consumers are consuming more. Businesses are more confident and thinking about expanding,” said Robert A. Nakosteen, a professor of economics and statistics at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst’s Isenberg School of Management. “At the same time, I’m not saying everything is OK. This is a crawl out of a deep hole.”

Springfield’s unemployment rate hasn’t been lower than 10.4 percent since before the recession began in 2008, said Rena Kottcamp, director of economic research for the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. The rate was 12.6 percent a year ago in November 2010.

Springfield’s 10.4 percent unemployment rate was the eighth-highest of any city in the state. Holyoke was the next-highest Pioneer Valley community at 9.6 percent, down from 10.3 percent in October and 11 percent a year ago.

As a region, Springfield and its surrounding communities saw unemployment decrease to 7.3 percent from 7.7 percent in October and 8.9 percent a year ago.

The region gained a net 200 jobs last month and has gained 3,700 jobs in the past year.

Local unemployment numbers are not seasonally adjusted. The state’s seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate was 6.4 percent in November 2011. That’s down from 6.8 percent in October and 8.1 percent a year ago.

Adjusted for seasonality, the state’s unemployment rate was 7 percent, down 0.3 of a percentage point from the October rate of 7.3 percent, and well below the national rate of 8.6 percent. It is the lowest monthly rate since December 2008.

Kottcamp said trade, transportation and utilities gained 700 jobs in the last month and the education and health-care sector of the economy gained 600. The professional and scientific industries added 500 jobs compared with a 500-job drop a year ago at this time.

Those gains were partially offset by losses in manufacturing, leisure and hospitality and government, she said.

Kottcamp said many of those job gains might have been related to storm recovery efforts. A freak October snowstorm brought down a lot of branches and necessitated a lot of cleanup work.

FutureWorks, a one-stop career center in Springfield, had one company come in with a request for 160 “debris monitors,” said Kevin E. Lynn, manager of business services at FutureWorks.

Overall, FutureWorks had 518 job openings in November, a 7 percent increase from 484 in November 2010

Lynn said the average wage at-hire for all people hired through FutureWorks last month was $13.24, up from $12.46 a year ago.

“The real test will come in January and February when the seasonal hiring ends,” Lynn said.

Karl J. Petrick, an assistant professor of economics at Western New England University, also worries that while consumer spending has increased, it has outpaced income growth.

That means people are either borrowing or cutting into their savings and that type of spending is not sustainable.

He also said that the size of the labor pool in Western Massachusetts has dropped, meaning some folks have simply given up looking for work leading to a decrease in the unemployment rate.

But Kottcamp pointed out that the number of employed people also rose across Greater Springfield.

Associated Press

Ziemian was diagnosed with leukemia in February, after he discovered a lump on his neck, and has been undergoing chemotherapy and other treatments.

The Republican | Don TreegerA blood drive was held at Palmer High School with the theme "Messages to Matt Z". Matt Ziemian graduated from Palmer High and is currently battling leukemia. Here, 17-year-old Evan Warner donates blood while blood bank coordinator Alphonse Murray and Becky Ziemian, sister of Matt, look on. Becky is currently a student at the school.

PALMER – Students and the public at Thursday's blood drive at Palmer High School scrawled heartfelt messages of encouragement to Matthew Ziemian, who is battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia and has been hospitalized since August.

The drive was held for Ziemian, 24, a 2006 graduate of Palmer High and former Blood Bank Committee member, and the theme was "Messages to Matt Z."

Donors wrote their messages and kind words on cards entitled "A Gift from My Heart."

Senior Izy Coffey-Moore drew a picture with a sun and moon and included lyrics from Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide" on hers.

"It means a lot to be able to give back to the community, and to Matt," Coffey-Moore said about donating blood.

She was one of many students who sported "Ace Love" T-shirts – Ziemian's nickname.

Some also wore wristbands with the quote "No Man Fails With Friends" from one of Ziemian's favorite movies, "It's A Wonderful Life."

Ziemian, who is at Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston, needs a matching donor for a marrow transplant.

He was diagnosed with leukemia in February, after he discovered a lump on his neck, and has been undergoing chemotherapy and other treatments.

His father, David J. Ziemian, said the cards from the blood drive were brought to his son on Thursday night.

"He has his moments of ups and downs ... but his spirits are still up," said his sister, Rebecca, 18, a senior and Blood Bank Committee member.

Blood Bank Coordinator and retired principal Alphonse E. Murray Jr. said 169 units were donated, an amount he called "really spectacular." Murray remembers Matthew Ziemian from his days on the Blood Bank Committee; this was the second blood drive held at the school in honor of Ziemian.

David Ziemian said his son was in remission, then the cancer returned, just as he was getting ready for his eighth and final chemotherapy treatment in August.

David Ziemian said the doctors want to try using an umbilical cord blood transplant, but must wait until the cancer is gone. He explained that through the transplant, the hope is that the umbilical cord blood would take over and provide a new immune system. He said the procedure is usually used for children, but is being considered for his son because they have not found a matching marrow donor.

Matthew Ziemian cannot leave the hospital because his white blood cell count is so low, making him susceptible to infection, so the family will likely be spending Christmas with him there, his father said. A prayer vigil for Matthew Ziemian was held on Dec. 11 at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Palmer – 200 people attended.

He said his son is upbeat, but that's his personality – "he lights up the room." In high school, Matthew Ziemian was captain of the basketball team and played baseball, and also was a drum major.

"We're just praying and hoping for a miracle this Christmas season for him and that the medication can work for him," David Ziemian said. "I've been calling all over the country to try and get second opinions and different opinions ... He's not giving up and we're not giving up. We believe and we're holding on to that belief that something is going to help him and work."

He said his son spent his 24th birthday on Nov. 1 in the hospital.

David Ziemian said the outpouring of emails, cards and Facebook messages are appreciated by his son.

He said he tells Matthew every time he sees him, "You're the best son that a father could have ever hoped to have."

Beckley has been Easthampton's principal planning official for 22 years and served as acting town administrator twice.

View full sizeEasthampton City Planner Stuart B. Beckley, who was named Town Manager in Ware on Tuesday.

WARE – The Board of Selectmen hired Easthampton City Planner Stuart Beckley as the next Town Manager at a meeting Tuesday night.

Beckley, 50, of Sunderland, has been Easthampton's principal planning official for 22 years and served as acting town administrator twice. He has a master's degree in regional planning.

Beckley said the new job is "an exciting opportunity" and he looks forward to learning more about the town. He has said it would difficult to leave Easthampton, but this is the logical next step in his career.

He has to pass a physical examination and he and the board must agree on a contract before he begins.

"What I would hope to bring to the town of Ware is stability. I'm not looking to keep moving," Beckley said.

He said he respects the town's industrial history, which is similar to Easthampton's, and the residents' active involvement in the community.

About 30 people sought the job after Mary T. Tzambazakis resigned Sept. 30. Beckley earned $59,241.28 in fiscal year 2011. Tzambazakis earned $100,000 annually.

The board's chairwoman, Nancy J. Talbot, also serves as Town Clerk and has recused herself from all matters related to the Town Manager search.

Talbot was elected Town Clerk in 2002. In 2007, the town charter was changed so that the clerk is appointed by the Town Manager. Talbot said the town's attorney recommended she not participate in the selection process because it might be a conflict of interest.

Beckley said he wanted to be a municipal servant "until I retire" and said "I would not expect to have time" for work outside the position. He has worked as a consultant in the past.

Selectman Richard Norton asked Beckley to rate his grant writing skills versus the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, which the town pays to write its applications for community development block grants.

Beckley said he understands Norton's concern over the cost and said Easthampton's planning team is "equally good at writing them," but cautioned the board not to dump the workload on a town department without making sure they can handle it.

Selectman John E. Carroll asked Beckley about his priorities in a tight budget climate.

"There are levels of financial stress for a community to dictate cuts. I personally believe ... all departments and all staff and all services are important," he said. "If there were cuts, I would try to stretch them across all departments."

But, he added, there is a limit. If a department is so underfunded it can't function well, the town needs to look at cutting services, he said.

Selectman John A. Desmond said he was "very comfortable" with Beckley's background, expertise and answers. He asked if, without facing a tight budget, Beckley would reduce staff in departments that can function with fewer people.

"It may not be reduction. It may be restructuring or choosing which services the town really wants," Beckley replied. "If people stopped horseback-riding and are now skateboarding," the parks and recreation department may just need to change its purpose.

When pressed for a yes-or-no answer, Beckley said he would be willing to do that, "but I have the caveat of needing to know if that's needed."

Responding to a question from Selectman William R. Braman, acting chairman for the interview, Beckley said he had experience negotiating contracts as acting town administrator and said his role as city planner helped make him "fiscally conservative."

Braman asked Beckley a more personal question: "What are your hobbies and interests?" He said he enjoyed the outdoors, playing sports, writing and walking his dog.

Carroll criticized Tzambazakis for working too hard "on the little things" and not enough on larger issues. He said she was not good at delegating authority or sharing projects.

Beckley said he has a similar habit and would work to strike a balance.

File photo | The RepublicanEasthampton City Planner Stuart B. Beckley, who has been named Ware Town Manager.

There will be 2.9 million New Englanders traveling by car, a 3.5 percent increase compared with a year ago.

A trucker drives west toward a winter storm along I-70 near Topeka, Kan., Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011. The interstate highway was closed in both directions in western Kansas. Fierce winds and snow that caused fatal road accidents and shuttered highways in five states, crawled deeper into the Great Plains early Tuesday, with forecasters warning that pre-holiday travel would be difficult if not impossible across the region. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

WEST SPRINGFIELD – AAA Pioneer Valley predicts a busy time on the area’s roads this holiday season.

The auto club predicts that 3.95 million people from New England will travel at least 50 miles for the holidays this year, a 1.7 percent increase from last year.

As always, most of those travelers plan to go by car, AAA Pioneer Valley said this week. There will be 2.9 million New Englanders on the road, a 3.5 percent increase compared with a year ago.

The number of travelers who plan to fly is expected to drop 11.2 percent to about 320,000.

Nationally, about 91.9 million Americans will travel for the holidays. That is up 1.4 percent from 90.7 million travelers at this time last year.

Those who do fly need to arrive at the airport 90 minutes before their flight, said John J. Wallace, a spokesman for Bradley International Airport.

“One thing our TSA folks want me to tell people is to not wrap Christmas presents you expect to bring with you as carry-ons,” Wallace said Tuesday. “It will have to go through a scanner and they might have to unwrap them.”

Also, Wallace said travelers need to remember the “3-1-1” rule for liquids and gels in carry-on-baggage. Each traveler can have no more than 3 ounces of a substance with all those bottles in no more than a single one-quart plastic bag per passenger.

Passenger volumes have been on the rise at Bradley, Wallace said. But he has no way of predicting how big the crowds will be. However, with Christmas and New Year’s Day falling on Sundays it will be a longer-than usual travel period. He thinks holiday travelers will be in the air starting today and through Jan. 2.

All those travelers might be facing winter weather. The National Weather Service pegged the chance of a white Christmas in Western Massachusetts at 50 to 75 percent depending on elevation. Starting with rain tonight, the National Weather service predicts at least a chance of some precipitation in the Pioneer Valley every day through Monday.

For Christmas Day, the National Weather Service is predicting a chance of rain and snow showers. It should be mostly cloudy, with a high near 40. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.

Travelers will find that gas prices have come down a bit. A gallon of self-serve regular went for an average of $3.28 Tuesday. That’s down from $3.33 a week ago. But prices were lower a year ago at about $3.01.

Of course, a lot of travelers are avoiding fuel costs by taking the bus. Springfield-based Peter Pan Bus Lines plans to add 625 buses for its expected 200,000 passengers.

The state Department of Transportation encouraged travelers to plan their trips well, especially if they plan to go through Interstate 90 Exit 9 in Sturbridge connecting Interstate 84 to Connecticut and New York. Drivers are encouraged to consider travel during the early morning or after 8 p.m. Traffic congestion is also typical at the Interstate 95 and Interstate 495 turnpike interchanges along with Interstate 495 and Interstate 93 northbound leading into New Hampshire.

The business community applauded the new rate, which dropped to $36.90 per $1,000 valuation from $37.08.

HOLYOKE – Maybe if the tax base expands over some years with additional revenue from new businesses that have moved here, the sting will weaken, but for now, homeowners must shoulder an 11 percent tax increase.

The City Council Tuesday heeded the arguments of the business community in approving a new tax rate that shifts less of a burden onto commercial property owners than in previous years. The step was an effort to make Holyoke more competitive and lure new businesses here.

The result of the council's 9-6 vote at City Hall is a tax rate on residential property of $17.50 per $1,000 valuation compared to the previous $15.78 per $1,000 valuation.

The value of the average single-family home has stayed about the same this year as last year, at nearly $185,000. That means the property tax bill for the average homeowner will rise to $3,237 under the new rate compared to $2,919 under the previous rate.

The new commercial property tax rate is $36.90 per $1,000 valuation compared to the previous $37.08 per $1,000 valuation.

The average value of a commercial-industrial property is $582,679 compared to $583,805 a year ago. The new commercial rate will bring an average bill of $21,512 for such property compared to the previous $21,654.

Tax bills reflecting the new rates will be mailed by early January.

"We used to haye balance. The residents are going to get taxed out of house and home and they can't afford it," Councilor at Large Kevin A. Jourdain said.

But other councilors said the city must make itself competitive by trying to keep business taxes down.

Also, said Ward 7 Councilor John J. O'Neill, the city has a newly renovated Holyoke High School and such ongoing projects as a renovated library, new senior center and improvements to Community Field.

"We have to pay for it," said O'Neill. "This vote is never an easy one to take."

Voting in favor of the tax rate were councilors Linda L. Vacon, Aaron M. Vega, Patricia C. Devine, Anthony M. Keane, Patrick J. Leahy, Diosdado Lopez, Joseph M. McGIverin, Timothy W. Purington and O'Neill.

Voting no were councilors Peter R. Tallman, Donald R. Welch,Rebecca Lisi, Todd A. McGee, Brenna E. Murphy and Jourdain.

Robert W. Gilbert Jr. of the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce said the tax rate the council approved will help the city by making it more attractive for business to brings its revenue and jobs here.

"I think it's a tough situation to pass the burden onto the residential taxpayers, but I think it's the right decision," Gilbert said.

David Callahan, chairman and chief executive officer of Palmer Paving, said he is negotiating with 2 companies, but declined to name them, on his Brimfield casino proposal.

The Republican | Lori StabilePalmer Paving Chairman David J. Callahan points to the area in Brimfield where he wants to build a resort casino on 180 acres. The parcel is in the northwest corner of town and borders Palmer and Warren. Callahan discussed the project at a community meeting Tuesday night in Brimfield.

BRIMFIELD – David J. Callahan told approximately 60 people gathered at Hitchcock Free Academy on Tuesday night that in two weeks, he will reveal the developer that he will work with to turn 180 acres in the northwest corner of town into a resort casino.

Callahan, chairman and chief executive officer of Palmer Paving, said he is negotiating with two companies, but declined to name them, on his casino proposal.

He, along with Callahan representative Dennis M. Murphy, told the people that they want to hear their concerns, and what they would like to see – or not see – regarding a casino in their rural town.

They said there will be no access to the resort from Brimfield – access instead will be through a dedicated exit off the Massachusetts Turnpike. That will minimize the impact on the town, they said, adding casino employees also must use it.

"We don't want people cutting through the town to get here," Murphy said.

"Without a doubt our site is the most isolated and remote of all those proposed in Western Massachusetts. We will buffer the town by maintaining acres of woodlands and open space around the facility, so that unless Brimfield residents actively seek out our casino it will have a limited impact on their daily lives," Callahan said.

The site is bordered by Palmer and Warren. Washington and Old Millbrook roads surround it. The turnpike runs through it.

Residents expressed concerns about traffic, the impact on nearby wells and how the facility will change the landscape.

"Illumination is going to destroy the very concept of the last green valley," said Judith Sessler, an abutter to the property.

Murphy and Callahan said an office will open soon in Brimfield so residents can go there with questions; its location has not been disclosed yet. Callahan said he expects the project will employ "thousands" of workers, but said exact details will be unveiled once the developer is announced.

Murphy said the process to build a casino is a long one, as gaming licenses are expected to be awarded in summer 2013. For a casino to open in a community, there must be a binding vote in favor of it.

"If we don't get approval, it's game over," Murphy said.

Murphy said the project will "bring an enormous amount of jobs and economic stimulus," adding their goal is to improve the quality of life in Brimfield. Murphy said this project will be the "antithesis of everything proposed so far." There won't be any neon, no reflective glass. It will fit in with New England, he said.

The project could generate an extra $6 million in taxes annually for the town, Callahan said.

Shelley E. Winiarski said she would like to see that money used for the elementary school.

Callahan said his family has "invested a ton of money over the years" on the property, has paid taxes on it and is ready to move forward.

Callahan said he believes he has the best site for a Western Massachusetts casino.

"Of course you do. You own it," Winiarski said.

There also are casino proposals for Palmer, Holyoke and Springfield.

The median age at the time of a first marriage has never been higher – slightly more than 26 years old for women and nearly 29 for men.

Associated PressIn this Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011 photo, Erin Turner poses for a photo in her apartment in Chicago. As a 20-something, Turner feels she made all the right moves dating wise. She graduated from college and spent three and a half years with a boyfriend before they moved in together. Their cohabitation bliss lasted only eight months. While Turner hopes to marry one day, she's not sweating it at the moment. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

By LEANNE ITALIE

NEW YORK – As a 20-something, Erin Turner feels she made all the right moves dating wise. She graduated from college and spent three and a half years with a boyfriend before they moved in together.

Their cohabitation bliss lasted only eight months.

"We broke up because when you live with someone, everything comes to the surface," said Turner, who remains single in Chicago as her 30th birthday approaches in March.

"You start to see how people handle confrontation, financial realities, challenges, the housework load. If we had been married we would have been divorced, or fully on our way."

While Turner hopes to marry one day, she's not sweating it at the moment. Her parents divorced when she was young and she doesn't want marriage badly enough to settle. She'd be sad if she never married, but she wouldn't "implode."

Heading into 2012, trend watchers note that barely half of all adults in the United States are married, and the median age at the time of a first marriage has never been higher – slightly more than 26 years old for women and nearly 29 for men.

In 1960, 72 percent of those 18 or older were married. The percentage fell to 57 percent in 2000, and today it's just 51 percent, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of census data.

The share of marrieds could dip below half in a few years as single-person households, single parents and couples living together outside the bounds of legal marriage multiply. The number of new marriages in the U.S. fell 5 percent just from 2009 to 2010, a wrinkle that may or may not relate to the bad economy, Pew researcher D'Vera Cohn said.

The decline is spread among age groups but is most dramatic among Turner's generation. Nearly three out of every five adults ages 18 to 29 were married in 1960, but now only one in five is.

Marriage also is on the decline in other developed countries, especially those in Europe, and the trend is starting to take root elsewhere around the globe.

In Mexico City, for instance, a recent proposal would allow couples to "test drive" marriage with a two-year contract, said Ann Mack, a trend watcher for JWT Intelligence, an arm of the marketing giant. If the trial marriage didn't work out, the parties could walk away without lengthy divorce proceedings.

Women, in particular, are experiencing a mass marriage rethink, Mack said. "A growing number of women are taking an alternate life route that doesn't include marriage as an essential checkpoint," she said.

Retreat, maybe. But not outright abandonment, said Cohn and Stephanie Coontz, who wrote "Marriage: A History" and teaches family studies at Evergreen State University in Olympia, Wash.

"We as a society have to recognize that people do still get married but cycle into marriage later and may cycle out of marriage," she said. "I think marriage is perceived as a very desirable good but no longer a necessity."

In New York, 30-year-old Grace Bello loves kids. Her mom was 30 when she gave birth to her, but Bello didn't have the American dream of a picket fence, husband and 2.5 children in her head growing up in Cupertino, Calif. She recently broke up with a guy she had been dating casually for a few weeks and is busily pursuing a freelance writing career.

"Not getting married wouldn't be the worst thing in the world," Bello said. "I think the worst-case scenario would be a loveless marriage that ends in divorce and to be a single mom supporting several kids. I'd rather be single for the rest of my life."

There's a lot to like about living single, said Bella DePaulo, who wrote the book "Singled Out."

"We're so used to, as a society, thinking about life in terms of what it means to be coupled and married that we miss out on all the ways in which living single has some real attractions, like having your own space," said DePaulo, who at 58 is happily single herself.

Among the more dramatic developments is a 17-point marriage disparity along education lines.

Nearly two-thirds of all adults with college degrees, or 64 percent, are married, compared with 47 percent with high school degrees or less, according to the Pew snapshot released Dec. 14. Fifty years ago, college graduates and those who had not gone beyond high school were about equally likely to be married.

For less educated and lower earning women in particular, Coontz said marriage is riskier than it used to be.

"Men's real wages have fallen and they face a lot of job insecurity, so a woman who would have found a high school graduate a pretty damn good catch in 1960 now has to say to herself, 'Would it really be smart of me to marry this guy?' She's choosing to focus on her own earning power."

A separate Pew survey released last year found that while nearly 40 percent of respondents said marriage is becoming obsolete, 61 percent of those who were not married would like to be someday.

"I need to support a future family," said Vince Tornero, a 23-year-old senior at Ohio State University in Columbus. "I want to have kids but I can't have kids if I don't have money."

Pew also found that marriage statistics vary by race, with 55 percent of whites, 48 percent of Hispanics but just 31 percent of blacks married.

"I thought I'd be married by now, honestly," said Keisha Pickett, who is 31, black and single in Tampa, Fla. "In my circle of friends, they haven't necessarily given up on it but they're scared. You give it your all and it could all blow up in your face one day."

Pickett is dating but has no special someone. "I had a honeybunch up until about four months ago. We had been back and forth for, like, three years," she said. "It just came to a point where I felt like it was forced. I'm very outgoing and ambitious and he was kind of a complacent, in-the-house guy."

The type is familiar to Mack, who notes a rise in the "omega" male, that perpetual adolescent of Judd Apatow movie fame. He's fond of beer, video games and women in charge.

Pickett, who runs her own public relations company, isn't interested.

"You want a honey who wants to go here or there and isn't complaining about it all the time," she said. "It was like pulling teeth. I couldn't waste any more time."

Sarno: "Kevin Kennedy brings a wealth of knowledge with federal, state and local navigating through the economic development waters." Watch video

SPRINGFIELD – Mayor Domenic J. Sarno on Tuesday discussed his appointment of Kevin E. Kennedy as the city’s new chief development officer with The Republican’s Peter Goonan during their regular "Ask The Mayor" interview for MassLive.com.

Sarno appointed Kennedy to the $125,000 per year job on Monday. Goonan asked, “How critical is this position to the future of Springfield, and what made Kevin Kennedy your choice?”

“It’s critical because … we’re staffing up now,” Sarno said about his economic development team. “When you compare us to similar-sized cities in New England or the East Coast, we do not have the number of people that they have.”

Sarno praised Kennedy’s experience as an aide to U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield. Kennedy, 59, of 54 South Shore Drive, has been Neal’s chief economic development assistant since 1989.

“Kevin Kennedy brings a wealth of knowledge with federal, state and local navigating through the economic development waters,” Sarno told Goonan.

Sarno mentioned other qualities he feels Kennedy brings to the job, and also discussed interim chief development officer Chris Moskal’s reassignment to executive director of the Springfield Redevelopment Authority and the upcoming appointment of an executive director of DevelopSpringfield, created following the June 1 tornado.

Goonan's full interview is available on the video that accompanies this post.

Of the $60 million in the federal money, a little over $2.5 million will go directly to programs in the Pioneer Valley.

Updates a story posted Tuesday at 2:35 p.m.

The state will receive more than $60 million in federal funds to help provide transitional and permanent housing to the homeless.

The Tuesday announcement comes at a time when a state program to reduce homeless – HomeBASE – has floundered because of high demand. HomeBASE does not appear to be a recipient of the federal funds.

The state will receive more than $60.2 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Continuum of Care grant program, according to a joint press release from Massachusetts congressmen.

The funds are to help provide transitional and permanent housing and supportive services to the homeless.

“We’re bracing for a brutal New England winter which is a matter of life and death for homeless people sleeping on the streets,” said U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry.

Said U.S. Sen. Scott P. Brown, “These grants are not meant just to put a roof over the heads of our homeless, but, thanks to Massachusetts’ 329 different projects, there will also be assistance for health, social and economic needs.”

Of the $60 million in the federal money, a little over $2.5 million will go directly to programs in the Pioneer Valley, according to information released by Kerry’s office.

Programs in Springfield will receive a total of $1,175,729 that will be distributed among 11 agencies.

Some of those scheduled to receive funds include Worthington House shelter, $22,255; Annie’s House, $195,574; Families First, $217,908; and Open Pantry’s Tranquillity House, $35,419.

Northampton-based agencies that serve Hampshire and Franklin counties will receive $1,499,679. Among the programs receiving funds are the Franklin-Hampshire Permanent Housing, $100,527; Franklin-Hampshire Transitional Housing and Mobile Outreach, $242,300; the Samaritan Inn Transition Program $104,99, and the Silver Street Inn, $200,529.

The future of HomeBASE, the state’s premier program to combat homelessness, remains uncertain after funding was unexpectedly drained three months into a one-year budget by a spike in families seeking emergency shelter.

State officials set a Dec. 9 deadline to make recommendations to changes in the HomeBASE program that may keep it afloat longest. But, a memo outlining recommendations sent by fiscal and housing leaders essentially served to affirm restrictions previously broadcast by the state.

HomeBASE was initially funded by the Legislature as a $40 million initiative to quell homelessness and bail families out of motels and shelters toward secure more permanent housing.

However, an unexpected flood of applicants in emergency shelters caused the state to shut the door on rental assistance after Oct. 28, according to housing officials. In November, the cap caused a wave of confusion and frustration for some of the 1,299 families across the state living in motels for months or more than a year, in some cases.

Although the Legislature fed another $19 million into HomeBASE through a supplemental earmark, the Dec. 9 memo by House and Senate Ways and Means committee leaders, plus other administrative officials, maintained the Oct. 28 cutoff.

A spokeswoman for the state Department of Housing and Community Development said the number of families living in motels remains at 1,299. The highest numbers (as of Nov. 15) were housed in Chicopee and Holyoke, at 170 and 139 families respectively as of late November, with West Springfield not far behind at 81.

State Sen. James T. Welch, D-West Springfield, who has been at the forefront of the regional fight to get families with young children out of hotels and motels, said the state’s goals remain the same but it could require a back-to-the-drawing-board approach.

“The big thing is, we’re going to assess whether or not it’s working. If it is, we’ll have strong support to keep the HomeBase program going; if it’s not working, we may have a new program,” Welch said.

Staff reporter Patrick Johnson contributed to this report.

The 2nd and final piece of an $18 million to $20 million project that includes nearly 18,400 ground-mounted solar panels in 2 locations in Holyoke was ready to generate.

An artist's rendering of the Berkshire Street segment of the Holyoke Gas & Electric solar array.

HOLYOKE – The largest solar power project in Western Massachusetts and one of the largest in New England was expected to be fully online here Tuesday.

The second and final piece of an $18 million to $20 million project that includes nearly 18,400 ground-mounted solar panels in two locations in the city was ready to generate, said James M. Lavelle, manager of the Holyoke Gas & Electric Department, the city-owned utility.

“Right now, this will be the largest solar power project in New England that is online,” he said. “This is a good use of this land. Although solar panels take up a lot of real estate, these sites were not really suitable for other development.”

In November, the first phase of the project, panels installed near the utility’s gas vaporization plant on Mueller Road in West Holyoke, went online. They are capable of generating 3 megawatts of power. The second array of panels, rated at 1.5 megawatts, was installed on a vacant lot on Berkshire Street in the Springdale section of Holyoke.

James Lavelle

If the sun were constant, the 4.5 megawatts of solar power that the two sites can produce, would have the potential to provide enough electricity for about 3,600 homes. However, with cloudy days and night darkness, the panels are expected to be operational only 13 to 14 percent of the time, Lavelle said.

“The actual kilowatt-hours is not all that high. The project will supply only about 1.5 percent of our annual needs,” he said.

The system was built and will be owned by Constellation Energy. Under a 20-year agreement, Holyoke Gas & Electric will purchase all of the electricity generated from the solar panels at a fixed cost that is less than projected market rates.

The cost of solar power remains about four times that of power from fossil fuels, Lavelle said. However, generous state and federal subsidies allowed the project to be constructed and produce power at a price that is favorable for the city.

Holyoke was a center for “green” energy before there was such a term. The city already generates about 65 percent of the power it needs at a hydroelectric station on the Connecticut river that was originally built in 1884.

The contract with police is the same negotiated with fire department union.

Republican file photoAmherst Town Hall

AMHERST – Town officials have settled two more contracts with employee unions, leaving just one union in need of a new contract.

Town Manager John P. Musante said the town has settled with both the Service Employees International Union Local 888, which represents about 60 technical and clerical staffers, and the police union, with about 40 members.

The police union settlement follows that of the settlement with the Fire Department last month, which allows for a 5 percent raise over three years. The first-year raise is for 1 percent with the subsequent two years at 2 percent each year. The contract extends through June 30, 2013.

Union representative Hunter Guiles could not be reached for comment.

For the service employees union, the contract includes a zero percent raise for the first year and a 2 percent raise kicking in Jan. 1, 2012 and another 2 percent July 1, 2012, the start of the new fiscal year.

“It was good to get it settled,” said Tina Swift, union representative. “I’m really happy with the contract.”

She said just two of about 35 voting rejected it.

“We’re really pleased. We’re happy with it,” Musante said about both contracts.

He said both “were fair” and in keeping “with our ability to pay.” He said the police contract includes language clarifying the drug and alcohol policy. “It was really a collaboration with union leadership.”

The town continues in talks with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union, which represents the Department of Public Works.