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Mediterranean cruise ship runs aground off Italian coast; 6 reported dead, 4,200 evacuated to lifeboats

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An Italian news agency is reporting the Costa Concordia has struck a sandbar off the Mediterranean island of Giglio, 100 miles northeast of Rome.

An undated photo of the Costa Concordia liner

The Italian news agency ANSA is reporting the luxury cruise liner Costa Concordia has gone aground Friday on a sandbar off the Mediterranean island of Giglio, 100 miles northeast of Rome.

A report from the Italian news agency, translated to English, has 6 people dead, and some 4,200 passengers and crew evacuated the ship and are on lifeboats. Another 200 to 300 people remain on the ship and are awaiting helicopter rescue.

The ship is reported listing to one side. The Daily Mail of London is reporting the ship is listing 20 degrees.

The Daily Mail also has several photos of the ship sinking and its passengers being evacuated.

More information will be posted as it become available.

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Newton Mayor Setti Warren speaks at Martin Luther King Jr. ceremony in Springfield

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Warren, Massachusetts' first elected black mayor, urged residents to celebrate the progress made possible by the King while pushing for greater social and economic equality.

011312 setti warren.JPGNewton Mayor Setti D. Warren addresses the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day commemoration and flag-raising Friday at Springfield City Hall.

SPRINGFIELD – The state’s first elected black mayor urged residents to celebrate the progress made possible by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. while pushing for greater social and economic equality.

Speaking at a ceremony honoring the civil rights leader, Newton Mayor Setti D. Warren told the overflow crowd at City Hall that his daughter Abagail is growing up in a world that would be unrecognizable to her grandparents.

She lives in a city “with a black mayor, in a state with a black governor, in a country with a black president,” said Warren, the keynote speaker at the event sponsored by the city, the local NAACP chapter and other groups.

“She’s too young to know there was a time when (those opportunities) were not for her, when her ascendance was not possible,” said Warren, 42, a lawyer and Naval intelligence officer who was elected mayor in 2009 after returning from Iraq.

Still, Warren said, stubborn social problems, from substandard schools to corporate greed and political partisanship, loom as obstacles to continued progress, especially for black Americans.

“Martin Luther King Jr. understood that in times of trouble, character is revealed,” Newton said, adding: “Above all else, Martin Luther King Jr. was an optimist.”

He urged the younger generation to draw inspiration from King’s speeches and actions, especially his willingness “to look past our differences and see a stake in each other’s futures.”

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno also spoke, urging residents to celebrate the progress made toward racial equality while deploring the epidemic of gang violence.

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“There is a scourge of youth violence – our own kids killing each other, and for what?” Sarno said.

Rev. Talbert Swan, president of the local NAACP chapter, also reminded the crowd that causes championed by Martin Luther King Jr. are the same ones the NAACP is fighting for today.

“Jobs and justice,” said Swan, whose uncle, state Rep. Benjamin Swan, D-Springfield, served as chapter president in the 1960s.

Recalling the convictions last year of three Springfield men for torching of the Macedonia Church of God in Christ hours after Barack Obama’s election in 2008, Swan said: “That didn’t happen in Mississippi or Alabama; it happened right here in good old metropolitan, liberal Springfield.”

The ceremony also included songs, poetry and the raising of a flag with King’s image outside City Hall. Springfield College’s director of multicultural affairs, John M. Wilson, was also given the annual Martin Luther King Jr. award.

Students from the Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School of Excellence attended the service, with 11-year old Lenox Hamilton winning applause for his reading from of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

“I think I know who the next senator is going to be,” said Warren, who announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination to challenge U.S. Sen. Scott Brown last year, but has since dropped out of the race.

Other Martin Luther King holiday events are scheduled in the next few days.

In Northampton, the American Friends Service Committee will hold its 28th annual event Monday, beginning at 9 a.m. with a historical walk starting at the Sojourner Truth statue on Pine Street in Florence.

More events and workshops at Edwards Church, 297 Main St., start at 11 a.m.

In Amherst, the Martin Luther King breakfast will be held Saturday at 9 a.m. at the Amherst Regional Middle School.

The breakfast features speakers and awards. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $5 for children 12 and under.

On Tuesday, a celebration will be held at 1 p.m. in the Department of Veterans Affairs Northampton medical center chapel in Leeds.

The celebration’s guest speaker will be Rev. Calvin Jerome McFadden Sr., the senior pastor of St. John’s Congregational Church in Springfield. In Greenfield, a Martin Luther King Day service will be held Sunday at All Souls UU Church at 10:00 am.

Ludlow police: speeding car crashes into utility pole, sends 4 to the hospital with injuries

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Authorities are seeking criminal charges against a Springfield man, 24-year-old Barry Davis, who allegedly was speeding and driving recklessly when he crashed a car at the intersection of Cady and Grimes streets in Ludlow.

LUDLOW – Police here are seeking criminal charges against a Springfield man who crashed a vehicle at the intersection of Cady and Grimes streets Friday night, sheering a utility pole in half, toppling power lines and injuring himself and three passengers

Barry C. Davis, 24, of 38 Brook St. has a suspended driver's license and should not have been driving in the first place, according to Ludlow Police Sgt. Daniel Valadas, who said police will seek criminal charges in Palmer District Court.

A preliminary police investigation indicated excessive speed and reckless operation were factors in the 9:07 p.m. crash, Valadas said.

The incident prompted Ludlow and Chicopee police to close a stretch of Cady Street and New Lombard Road while crews from Western Massachusetts Electric Co. repaired the damaged pole and downed wires. Cady Street was expected to remain closed into Saturday morning, police said.

An update on the conditions of Davis and his passengers was unavailable early Saturday, but Valadas said all four were "seriously injured" and had to be transported by Ludlow Fire Department ambulances to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.


THE MAP BELOW shows the approximate location of a Friday night car crash in Ludlow that sent four people, including the driver, to the hospital with injuries:


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Springfield police investigating home invasion in city's Forest Park neighborhood

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Police said an occupant of 65 Lansing Place was struck in the head with a gun by the assailants, who fled with money, TV sets and tools.

SPRINGFIELD – Police are investigating an armed home invasion that happened around 2 a.m. Friday at 65 Lansing Place in the city's Forest Park neighborhood.

Springfield Police Lt. James Rosso told 22News that a resident of that address was hit in the head with a gun and robbed.

Authorities are seeking four suspects in connection with the incident, which remains under investigation. Physical descriptions of the assailants were unavailable, but they made off with money, two televisions and some tools, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Springfield Police Department Detective Bureau at (413) 787-6355.


THE MAP BELOW shows the approximate location of an early Friday home invasion on Lansing Street in Springfield's Forest Park neighborhood:


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East Longmeadow police charge town resident with OUI stemming from alleged hit-and-run incidents

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Robert W. Tangney, 54, of 33 Vadnais St., East Longmeadow, was charged with negligent operation, OUI-second offense, driving with a suspended license-subsequent offense, and leaving an accident scene.

EAST LONGMEADOW – Police here have charged a town resident with drunken driving and several other offenses stemming from alleged hit-and-run incidents just after 1 p.m. Friday.

Robert W. Tangney, 54, of 33 Vadnais St., was charged with negligent operation, OUI-second offense, driving with a suspended license-subsequent offense, and leaving the scene of an accident with property damage, according to East Longmeadow Police Department records.

Police, responding to reports of "hit-and-run accidents" involving a red cavalier, ended up arresting Tangney near the intersection of Maple Street and Westwood Avenue around 1:06 p.m. Friday.

Police records linked Tangney to two possible accidents.

Additional details were not immediately available.

Winter finally grips the Northeast and Midwest

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The Northeast and Midwest got their first real taste of winter this season as wind and snow blew through the regions on Friday, leaving ski resorts giddy while delaying air travel and forcing East Coast residents to button up against biting winds.

winter vermont.jpgMichael Hambro walks his dog, Kayla, on a snow-covered road in Vermont on Friday. It's finally looking like winter in parts of the Northeast and Midwest, both of which saw their first big snowstorms of the season after several weeks of milder-than-normal winter weather.

CAROLYN THOMPSON, Associated Press

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Many Americans' first real taste of winter this season blew through the Midwest and Northeast on Friday, leaving ski resort operators giddy, delaying commuters and air passengers, and forcing pedestrians along the East Coast to button up against biting winds.

The storm blanketed the Upper Midwest before slowly swirling to points east. Snowplow drivers were out in force overnight in Chicago, where temperatures plummeted. It could drop as much of a foot of snow on parts of Ohio along Lake Erie before plodding on.

In a typical year, such a storm would hardly register in the region. But atmospheric patterns, including the Pacific phenomenon known as La Nina, have conspired to make this an unusually icy winter in Alaska and have kept it abnormally warm in parts of the lower 48 states accustomed to more snow.

In Buffalo, worse than the accumulation of 5 inches — moderate by regional standards — were 25- to 35-mph winds that blew the snow in blinding sheets.

"We go from no snow to a blizzard," said Courtney Taylor of Lewiston, north of Buffalo, holding on to keep her fur-lined hood up.

For Steve Longo, a 47-year-old chiropractor from Wauwatosa, Wis., the wait to try out the cross-country skis he got for Christmas was excruciating. He and a friend wasted no time hitting the trails at Lapham Peak, about 25 miles west of Milwaukee.

"I wasn't worried," Longo said. "I was just anxious."

The storm annoyed commuters, and authorities said it caused hundreds of traffic accidents and at least three road deaths — two in Iowa and one in Missouri. And while some lucky grade-schoolers cheered an unexpected day of sledding, hundreds of would-be air travelers had to scramble to come up with a Plan B.

High winds delayed flights Friday, as the long Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend began, heading to large East Coast airports including Philadelphia; Newark, N.J.; New York's LaGuardia; and Boston.

Officials said the strong winds also were a factor in bringing down a huge billboard onto the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway in Brooklyn, tying up traffic for hours.

The National Weather Service said up to 36 mph winds were blowing through Central Park, and forecasters expect Saturday to be windy as well.

Blowing snow appeared to factor into a mishap at Buffalo Niagara International Airport, where the nose gear of a plane on a flight arriving from Atlanta rolled from the runway onto grass and got stuck. No one was injured.

While the dry weather has been an unexpected boon to many cash-strapped communities, which have saved big by not having to pay for plowing, salting and sanding their streets, it has hurt seasonable businesses that bank on the snow.

The arrival of blustery weather had Vermont's ski industry celebrating. The King Day weekend is one of the most important moneymaking weekends of the season.

The snow finally enabled the state's snowmobile organization, the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers, to start opening some trails.

"We are absolutely giddy, stoked, and the phones are ringing off the hook," said Jen Butson, a spokeswoman for the Vermont Ski Areas Association. "It's what we've been hoping for. Our snow dances have paid off."

Click HERE for an online interactive weather map from the AP.

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Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Carla K. Johnson in Chicago, Carrie Antlfinger in Milwaukee and Wilson Ring in Montpelier, Vt.

Springfield police investigate stabbing reports

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The first stabbing allegedly happened in the city's Six Corners neighborhood, while little information was immediately available about the second incident.

SPRINGFIELD – Police are investigating two separate stabbing incidents reported early Saturday morning.

The first incident was reported around 2:30 a.m., when a stabbing victim showed up at Baystate Medical Center for treatment.

Investigators were told the incident happened in the city's Six Corners neighborhood near Elias Brookings Expeditionary Learning Museum Magnet School, 367 Hancock St.

The second incident was reported about an hour and a half later, when an unidentified victim arrived at Mercy Medical Center for treatment. Police were called to the hospital around 4:07 a.m.

Both matters were being investigated by Springfield police detectives.

Additional information was not immediately available.

Authorities allege Franklin County man was hunting while intoxicated

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Scott Russo, 27, of 1 Steam Mill Road, Deerfield, denied charges in connection with an October 2011 incident on Pine Nook Road.

GREENFIELD – A Franklin County man has pleaded not guilty to charges of hunting while intoxicated in connection with an incident in Deerfield last October.

Scott Russo, 27, of 1 Steam Mill Road, Deerfield, denied allegations that he was drunk while hunting at a spot along the town's Pine Nook Road early on the morning of Oct. 21, 2011, according to a report in the Daily Hampshire Gazette.

Russo was arraigned Thursday in Greenfield District Court, where he pleaded not guilty to charges hunting while under the influence of liquor, intoxicated licensee carrying a firearm and disturbing the peace, the Gazette reported.

Law enforcement officers responding to a predawn report of shots fired discovered a truck containing Russo and another man parked off of Pine Nook Road, which is close to the Connecticut River.

Police said they found a loaded handgun, still warm and smelling of gunpowder, in the back seat of the vehicle, but Russo and the unidentified man denied firing the weapon. Authorities also reportedly found open alcohol containers and a spent ammunition clip for the gun, according to the Gazette.

Russo failed a sobriety breath test, according to authorities. He is due back in court next month for a pretrial hearing.

Additional information was not immediately available.


THE MAP BELOW shows the location of Pine Nook Road in Deerfield, where authorities claim Scott Russo was hunting while intoxicated back in October:


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Westfield City Council wants upgrades, expanded hours at Twiss Street transfer station

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Health Director Michael Suckau said employee contracts require overtime for Saturday hours at the transfer station.

080408 westfield transfer station twiss street transfer station.JPGThe Twiss Street Municipal Transfer Station and Recycling Center in Westfield.

WESTFIELD – The City Council wants upgrades and expanded public hours at the city’s Twiss Street transfer station.

That was the message they gave Health Director Michael Suckau during a recent City Council meeting at City Hall.

Several councilors stated they want the department to follow through on its approval two years ago of upgrading the facility, seeking expansion of the amount of trash disposed of there, constructing a gate house at its entrance, better monitoring of users of the facility and expanding hours especially on Saturdays.

The facility is open from 7 to 11:45 a.m. on Saturdays which Ward 6 Councilor Christopher Crean said is insufficient to meet public needs.

At-Large Councilor David A. Flaherty also suggested that if necessary a $2 convenience fee should be established to accommodate longer weekend hours and consideration should be given to closing the facility one weekday to allow longer Saturday hours.

Suckau said employee contracts require overtime for Saturday hours at the transfer station. He also reported an intention to seek new state permits to allow disposal of up to 150 tons of trash per day and said he supports creation of a sticker system that will control public access to the facility.

Crean and other councilors argued that employees should be assigned to monitor access to the station and that construction of a gate is a priority.

“Consider rotating shifts as a way to avoid overtime but additional hours for public use is a necessity,” said Councilor Brent B. Bean II.

Crean, who led an ad hoc committee last year that considered privatization of trash collection, said the city is losing funds because of the lack of gate monitoring and needs at the transfer station. The ad hoc committee rejected privatization which led to City Council approval of bonding for construction of a gate and additional facilities at Twiss Street.

Suckau, who was appointed health director in January 2011, said he will meet with Mayor Daniel M. Knapik on staffing and other needs at the facility and report progress to the council.

West Springfield residents to be notified of changes in voting precincts

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Voting precincts must be examined every 10 years with an eye toward keeping the populations as close to each other as possible.

west springfield seal

WEST SPRINGFIELD – Residents affected by changes in voting precinct boundaries approved earlier this year by state and local officials will be notified via the annual city census forms mailed out starting in mid-January, according to Town Clerk Otto J. Frizzell.

He said earlier this week that boundaries were redrawn somewhat for six of the city’s eight voting precincts. A map of the new boundaries, which take effect Dec. 31, may be accessed through the city’s Web site www.west-springfield.ma.us and looking up the town clerk’s section.

Cities and towns are required to adjust their voting districts every 10 years based on the most recent federal census data to keep the populations as close to each other as possible. The new boundaries are based on figures from the 2010 federal census.

Frizzell said the state proposed boundaries to which he and former Town Clerk Diane F. Foley made slight changes. The changes, which did not affect any of the town’s elected officials, were later approved by the Town Council without fanfare earlier this year.

“Everyone was very careful. No one (of the city’s elected officials) was near any of the lines so it worked out fine,” Frizzell said.

The state set a population of 3,549 residents as its target for each precinct with communities allowed to deviate by as much as 5 percent plus or minus. In West Springfield, the deviations averaged out to approximately 2.5 percent.

The following is a synopsis of the districts and any changes:

Precinct 1, which includes the Memorial neighborhood, will have a population of 3,556. Its boundaries were unaffected by the redistricting.

Precinct 2, which consists mostly of the Merrick section, had some changes to its northwestern boundaries. It will have a population of 3,624.

Precinct 3, which is centered around Elm Street and King’s Highway and will have a population of 3,539, had no changes.

Precinct 4, which will have a population of 3,595 residents and encompasses the Mittineague School and Amostown Road neighborhoods, yielded some territory to Precinct 2 and gained some from Precinct 6.

Precinct 5, which will have a population of 3,466 and covers the Tatham area through the Bear Hole watershed, got some territory from Precinct 7.

Precinct 6,which will have a population of 3,46, is located in the center of the community. It includes most of Amostown Road and some of Route 20. It got some territory from Precinct 5 and gave some to Precinct 4.

Precinct 7, which includes Piper Road to Holyoke and will have 3,520 residents, lost some territory to Precinct 5 and got some from Precinct 8.

Precinct 8, which will have a population of 3,626 and is centered around Riverdale Street, yielded some territory to Precinct 7 and gained nothing.

Elderly, small businesses in Springfield OK'd for tax exemptions

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The council raised the income limit and the limit on assets for senior citizens, ages 70 and over, to qualify for a $500 tax exemption this fiscal year.

SPRINGFIELD – The City Council recently approved special tax exemptions that will benefit some taxpayers, including some elderly residents and small businesses.

102411 michael fenton.JPGMichael Fenton

Councilor Michael A. Fenton, the lead sponsor, said the tax exemptions were recommended by an 11-member tax classification study committee that he appointed last year when he was chairman of the Finance Committee. The study committee consisted of members of the business community, residents, real estate representatives, Assessors Chairman Richard Allen, and Fenton himself.

“We are implementing good tax policy based on sound principles of financial management,” Fenton said. “Residents of Springfield should pay attention to these changes and take advantage of the tax savings when they are eligible.”

The exemptions are as follows:

• The council raised the income limit and the limit on assets for senior citizens, ages 70 and over, to qualify for a $500 tax exemption this fiscal year. The single person income limit was raised from $17,000 to a new limit of $18,000, and the asset limit from $21,000 to $24,000. The income limit for a married couple was increased from $34,000 to a new limit of $36,000, and the asset limit was raised from $40,000 to $45,000. The lost tax revenue is reimbursed by the state, up to a cap that would not be exceeded under the increases granted, according to Allen. Mayor Domenic J. Sarno co-sponsored the exemption with Fenton.

• An exemption of up to a $500 cap was approved for a homeowner who alters or improves a house to enable a person 60 years of age or older to live there. The exemption will take effect in fiscal 2013 and is expected to have a relatively modest impact on tax revenues, Allen said.

• A business with personal property valued at less than $1,000, will be exempted from paying personal property taxes. Currently, the exemption only applies if the value is less than $500. The change will take effect in fiscal 2013. If effective this year, the total impact would have been approximately 200 additional small businesses for a total tax savings of approximately $6,350, Allen said. Businesses with personal property over $1,000 would not be affected.

A proposal to exempt property taxes up to 100 percent for members of the Massachusetts National Guard and reservist on active duty in foreign countries was referred to committee for further review.

In addition, a proposal for partial exemptions for the increased value of rehabilitated, owner-occupied historic homes was also referred to committee.

Councilor Timothy J. Rooke, Finance Committee chairman, said that taxpayers should be made aware of “every possible abatement and exemption that is available to them,” both online and in mailings.

Rooke praised Fenton for his research and efforts to pursue those available exemptions, as permitted by state law.

Gov. Deval Patrick visits Gill Elementary School to celebrate designation as 'Commendation School'

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On Thursday, the governor visited the rural Franklin County elementary school that is one of 127 Commendation Schools statewide recognized for results in improving student achievement this year.

Deval Patrick reads to childrenMassachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick reads "Make Way for Ducklings" by Robert McCloskey to students at Gill Elementary School during a Thursday visit.

GILL - When Massachusetts Gov. Deval L. Patrick visited Gill Elementary School, he sat down with second graders and worked with them on a project to build bridges out of clay, paper, pipe cleaners, tongue depressors and other materials.

Education Secretary S. Paul Reville watched, commenting on how the project involved the students in thinking creatively, using different materials and working independently.

“Students are all engaged, thinking like scientists and engineers,” he said. “Education at its best ought to engage students in their work and give them a sense of curiosity and sense of satisfaction getting solutions to real world problems like building bridges.”

On Thursday, he and the governor visited the rural Franklin County school that is one of 127 Commendation Schools statewide recognized for results in improving student achievement this year.

Deval Patrick works on art projectGov. Deval Patrick joins second-grade students at Gill Elementary School in making a bridge out of a variety of materials.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education selected Commendation Schools for their progress in closing proficiency rates and helping all students achieve at higher levels.

This year, Gill Elementary School demonstrated increased numbers of students reaching proficient and higher status on the state’s Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System exams in grade five English language arts and math and grade three English language arts.

“The students and teachers at Gill Elementary School worked hard to achieve their Commendation School status and they deserve our praise,” Patrick said. “Gill elementary is providing a world-class education for its students by applying best practices in innovative teaching and learning.”

Gill-Montague Regional School District Interim Superintendent Nadine G. Ekstrom appreciated the governor’s visit, saying the school community was excited about the governor’s visit to acknowledge the school’s achievement.

Governor Patrick talks, teacher listensGov. Deval Patrick speaks to sixth graders at Gill Elementary School while their teacher, Joanne Flagg, listens.

The Commendation School designation was based on the 2010-2011 school year assessment system exams, noted Principal Kathleen Adams. “We are so pleased the governor is at Gill and we can show him a great school in the Pioneer Valley,” she said. The governor’s visit was a way for the school community to celebrate academic achievement, she added.

Gill Elementary serves 134 students in kindergarten through grade six.

During his visit, Patrick visited classrooms, read “Make Way for Ducklings” to some of the youngest students and fielded questions from sixth graders.

In answering questions about trade, the governor said the Internet has connected the world and fostered trade, but he noted that of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts, 123 have no or poor access to the Internet.

Addressing the economy, Patrick said Massachusetts colleges and universities “anchor our economy.”

“We have an edge in Massachusetts because we have all this brain power,” he said.

Education secretary greets childS. Paul Reville, Massachusetts secretary of education, shakes hands with Gill Elementary School second grader Isaac Damon as Gill-Montague Regional School District Interim Superintendent Nadine G. Ekstrom looks on. The education officials accompanied Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick on a visit to the school designated a Commendation School because of students' high academic achievement.

The Patrick Administration’s second-term education strategy is focused on five goals: getting every child to reading proficiency by the third grade; providing every child with a healthy platform for education; providing students, particularly English language learners, with the quality and quantity of education they need to succeed; preparing all students for college and career success, and seeding and planting incentives for innovation.

The first four goals will be represented by a pilot program the administration will launch in several cities on a competitive grant basis. The fifth program, a commonwealth innovation fund, will be open to all cities and towns in Massachusetts. Funding for these programs will be included in the governor’s fiscal year 2013 budget proposal.

The Achievement Gap Act, signed by Patrick in 2010, ushered in significant changes in education. With new focus, rules, tools and supports provided by the Achievement Gap Act, two-thirds of the state’s chronically underperforming schools have already shown significant improvements on the latest MCAS exams.

The Gill-Montague Regional School District has been designated an “underperforming” level 4 school district and has had to develop an accelerated improvement plan.

Monson selectman John Goodrich won't seek re-election

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As the anniversary of the June 1 tornado approaches, Karen King, leader of the volunteer "street angel" team, asked the selectmen about forming a tornado anniversary committee to organize an event to remember the day that altered the town forever.

Monson selectmen.JPGMonson Selectmen, from left to right, John Goodrich II, Chairman Richard Smith and Edward Maia, are seen here at a June meeting.

MONSON - John F. Goodrich II announced at this week's selectmen's meeting that he will not seek re-election, and encouraged other residents to consider serving on the three-person board.

Goodrich, 40, was elected in 2009 to a three-year term. Prior to serving on the Board of Selectmen, he was on the School Committee for one year, and was on the Finance Committee for 10 years.

"You've been an asset to the board and an asset to the town," Selectmen Chairman Richard Smith said.

Goodrich said he's enjoyed the last three years, adding "last year was a little long," to the snickers of his fellow board members.

Unusual weather events dominated 2011, from the tornado in June to an unprecedented October snowstorm. Goodrich himself had tornado damage at his Waid Road home, and he said that's one of the things he now will have more time to address.

He said those thinking about serving do not need previous municipal experience.

"All you really need is an open mind, a level head and a good handful of common sense," Goodrich said. "A lack of experience is no reason not to do it."

"I thank the community for having me," Goodrich said. "Maybe in the future I'll be back."

He also reminded residents of the deadlines to take out nomination papers for positions available in the April 2 election. The deadline to pick up papers from the town clerk's office is Feb. 10.

After the meeting, Goodrich said he felt it is time for a break from municipal service, and plans to spend more time with his family.

"I'm going to let someone else have some fun," Goodrich said.

In other business, the board approved a 2 percent raise for approximately 60 to 80 non-union employees. The board also approved switching employee healthcare from the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association to the state's Group Insurance Commission effective July 1. That affects approximately 200 employees.

Town Administrator Gretchen E. Neggers said the town is expected to save "hundreds of thousands" through this move, and will hold educational seminars for employees before the change takes effect so they can learn about the 10 different health insurance plans available. Neggers said the unions agreed to the change. The plan change was prompted by anticipated double-digit increases in healthcare costs, she said.

"I think employees recognize the challenges we're facing," Neggers said.

In another cost-saving move, selectmen OK'd having Neggers pursue a cheaper electricity contract for the town, as the current contract will expire in December. She hopes she can find a contract that will save $100,000 a year for the town.

"We're being pretty aggressive in trying to save money where we can," Neggers said.

And, as the anniversary of the June 1 tornado approaches, Karen King, leader of the volunteer "street angel" team, asked the selectmen about forming a tornado anniversary committee to organize an event to remember the day that altered the town forever.

Selectman Edward A. Maia said he envisioned a somber ceremony to honor the first responders that day and the volunteers.

Neggers suggested three to five people serve on the committee, with representatives from the fire and police departments, as well as the volunteers.

Holyoke City Council President Kevin Jourdain appoints new committee leaders

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Jourdain is the first new council president since 1986.

102611 kevin jourdain mug.jpgKevin Jourdain

HOLYOKE – The change sweeping through city government that has featured a new mayor has now struck the City Council committees.

Council President Kevin A. Jourdain, the first new president of the city’s legislative body since 1986, said Wednesday he has appointed new chairmen for four of the five main council committees.

Committees are where debates take place about how to spend taxpayer dollars, and it’s where public hearings are held if a restaurant wants to install a drive-up window.

Recommendations are made in the committees about whether to allow spending, establish laws, grant requests for zone changes and special permits and hire department heads and other employees.

Committee decisions are recommendations subject to vote by the full City Council.

Jourdain was elected by the 15-member council to be the new president on Jan. 3.

Jourdain scored an 8-7 win over Councilor at Large Joseph M. McGiverin, who had been president 26 straight years.

Chairmanships were based on a combination of experience, qualifications and whether councilors supported him for council president, he said.

The only returning chairman is Ward 6 Councilor Todd A. McGee, who will continue heading the Finance Committee. McGee voted for McGiverin for president and is the only councilor who did so to get a chairmanship from Jourdain.

“He did a very good job overseeing Finance,” Jourdain said. “Although he didn’t vote for me as president, he did that more out of a loyalty to Joe rather than anything against me.”

Councilors are paid $10,000 a year each and there’s no additional pay for being a chairman. Each councilor belongs to two or three committees.

Lisi1.jpgRebecca Lisi

Councilor at Large Rebecca Lisi is chairwoman of the Ordinance Committee, taking over from former Ward 2 Councilor Diosdado Lopez, who didn’t run for reelection.

“She’s a very organized person, so I think she’s going to be great there,” Jourdain said.

The Ordinance Committee is arguably the busiest, considering proposed bylaws and holding hearings that last multiple hours.

Lisi said she has contacted department heads to get information on issues to update members of her committee.

“I’m really honored to have been given the position,” Lisi said.

New Ward 2 Councilor Anthony Soto is the new Public Safety Committee chairman. Former Councilor at Large Patricia C. Devine, the previous chairwoman, was defeated in the Nov. 8 election.

Jourdain said he chose Soto because of his public safety experience as a former member of the Fire Commission and to give a voice to Ward 2 and Hispanics on such issues.

Councilor at Large Peter R. Tallman is new chairman of the Public Service Committee, taking over from Councilor at Large James M. Leahy.

“Pete’s as honorable a person as you’re going to meet,” Jourdain said.

The committee will be busy reviewing prospective appointees of new Mayor Alex B. Morse, who took office Jan. 3, Jourdain said.

Leahy said his ejection as chairman was unsurprising, given his support for McGiverin. But he said the council loses without having McGiverin’s experience as a chairman.

“I do think that overlooking Joe for a chairmanship probably wasn’t the right thing to do,” Leahy said.

Jourdain said that as with the council presidency, it was time for a change.

“I just felt it’s time to give new people an opportunity,” Jourdain said.

McGiverin is vice chairman of the Redevelopment Committee, which could be busy dealing with casino gambling issues.

“That’s the president’s prerogative,” McGiverin said. “I’m looking forward to serving on the Redevelopment Committee because I think there’s going to be a lot going on.”

Councilor at Large Aaron M. Vega is new chairman of the Redevelopment Committee, Jourdain’s former chairmanship.

Nomination papers available in South Hadley for annual town election

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This year the date of the town election has been changed to coincide with the March 6 presidential primary election.

SOUTH HADLEY – Nomination papers are now available in the Town Clerk’s office for anyone who wants to be on the ballot in the upcoming town election on March 6. Deadline for returning the papers to the Town Clerk is January 17.

Though voters may be used to having town elections in April, this year the date has been changed to coincide with the March 6 presidential primary election.

Town Clerk Carlene Hamlin said combining the two elections will not only save money, but may draw more voters. “Presidential primaries garner a lot of attention,” said Hamlin. “It’s a hot topic, and we hope it will create a higher voter turnout.”

She said her office is also working on ways to remind voters of the date.

These are the offices open in the town election:

• Town moderator. One-year term.

• Selectboard. Two seats are contested, each with a three-year term.

• School Committee. Two openings, one for two years and the other for three years.

• Board of Assessors. One opening. Three-year term.

• Board of Health. One opening. Three-year term.

• Municipal Light Board. One opening. Three-year term.

• Planning Board. Two openings, one for five years and the other for one year.

•Trustee for Free Public Library. Three openings. Three-year terms.

• Tax Collector. One opening. Three-year term.

• Clerk-Treasurer. One opening. Three-year term.

• Councilor in the Hampshire Council of Governments. Three openings. Two-year terms.

Town Meeting Members have been notified to run for re-election if they want to keep their seats. Anyone seeking election for the first time as a Town Meeting Member can get nomination papers from the Town Clerk’s Office.

For more information, call the Town Clerk’s office at (413) 538-5017. ext. 201.


From the campaign trail: This week in the U.S. Massachusetts Senate Race

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After the Republican presidential hopefuls headed to South Carolina with former Massachusetts Gov. W. Mitt Romney gassed from his New Hampshire Primary win, the U.S. Senate race in Massachusetts was once again starting to heat up.

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After the Republican presidential hopefuls headed to South Carolina with former Massachusetts Gov. W. Mitt Romney gassed from his New Hampshire Primary win, the U.S. Senate race in Massachusetts was once again starting to heat up.

On Friday, Republican Sen. Scott Brown and Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren both called on each other to denounce attack ads from political action committees. First, Brown sent Warren a letter reiterating his stance on the issue.

"The voters of Massachusetts deserve an honest campaign where candidates themselves are allowed to contest their ideas and are held accountable for the conduct of their campaign," Brown said in the letter to Warren. "Rather than adopt an elitist attitude with one set of rules for yourself and another for everyone else, I urge you once again to join me in calling for an end to all spending by third party groups."

Unlike last time Brown made the plea to end outside attacks, when Warren denounced negative ads but said that outside groups should be able to promote their interests, her campaign responded with a statement agreeing with the Senator's stance.

"We have the opportunity to set an example for the rest of the country. Let's do it. If you are serious about stopping the political games and getting to the hard work of keeping out third party ads and independent groups, I'm ready," Warren wrote to Brown. "Too often, candidates call for an end to third party influence but their words are just that, and their calls are just more empty promises and politics as usual. I propose that our agreement include television, radio and online advertisements from outside groups and third parties and further, that this agreement include consequences for the campaign that fails to honor this agreement."

Time will tell if the two will come to an agreement and if there is actually any way to keep Super PACs from running campaign ads, which they are legally entitled to do.

Both candidates have been attacked by several PAC-funded ads already in the campaign.

The League of Conservation Voters and the League of Women Voters have already spent nearly $3 million on separate ad campaigns targeting Brown.

American Crossroads and its sister organization Crossroads GPS have reportedly spent more than $1 million on ads targeting Warren.

On the campaign trail, Warren stopped in Chicopee and Holyoke on Thursday to talk about the economy and visit with Western Massachusetts residents.

At the Westover Job Corps, Warren, as a guest of Chicopee Mayor Michael Bissonnette, spoke to the group of business people and students of the program about her upbringing and work experiences.

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Following that appearance, she ventured to Holyoke where she was given a virtual tour of the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center courtesy of Mayor Alex Morse and the Turner Construction crew which is spearheading the construction of the facility.

"Making the investments in infrastructure that will bring future development is at the heart of what keeps our economy going," Warren said in Holyoke. "This is an exciting project. Alex and others in Holyoke are creating the future. No one knows exactly what the future will look like but this project is certainly special and a part of it."

Brown toured the eastern Massachusetts municipalities of Weymouth, and Norton on Friday, and also delivered the keynote speech at the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce's annual meeting in Kingston.

In the speech, Brown discussed partisan politics and the problems they create in Washington D.C.

"The hyper-partisanship in Washington is disgusting," Brown told the group of more than 350 at the Indian Pond Country Club. "I'm the most bipartisan in the delegation by far. It's great to be a Republican but I've always believed we are Americans first. When we need to get out there and solve problems, we have to work together. There are people of good will on both sides."

Scott Brown in Kingston01.13.2012.KINGSTON- Republican U.S. Sen Scott Brown talked about partisanship, corporate taxes and job creation during a speech at the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce's annual meeting on Friday at the Indian Pond Country Club in Kingston. (Staff Photo by Robert Rizzuto)

Brown also touted recent job fairs in Worcester and Roxbury as successes, citing attendance of more than 2,000 job-seekers at each event.

His speech was remiss of any mention of his Democratic challengers or the campaign itself.

Following his formal speech, which was peppered with moments of levity as he joked with former colleagues currently serving on Beacon Hill, he answered selected questions from the group on topics ranging from healthcare to the economy.

Brown said that among his chief concerns are any initiatives that will create a mandate which is paid for with a tax increase or an increase in the national debt.

In other Senate news, both Brown and Warren's campaigns released new financial documentation this week that highlighted just how expensive of a race this going to be.

Brown expects to report a year-end cash-on-hand total of $12.8 million after posting a fourth-quarter total of $3.2 million in new contributions.

Warren announced a fourth-quarter fundraising total of $5.7 million, bringing her total war chest close to the $6 million mark.

follow-money-graphic.jpgCampaign finance analysis courtesy of Greg Saulmon

On the topic of money, Warren also made headlines this week as her personal financial disclosures showed a two-year salary of more than $700,000 including compensation for her roles as a professor at Harvard Law School, two federal appointments and consulting fees for an insurance company.

Brown's campaign criticized her earnings, saying Warren was part of the "1 percent," but Warren's campaign fired back saying her rise to success from her humble beginnings came from "hard work and determination."

Brown's personal disclosure, most recently filed last Spring, showed that he received $174,000 for his position in the U.S. Senate and an advance of more than $700,000 for his book "Against All Odds," which documented his own rise to success from modest means.

Both Brown and Warren will continue their campaigning in the coming days while Brown will officially kick-off his campaign at an event in Worcester on Jan. 19.

Stay tuned to MassLive.com and The Republican throughout the week for the latest from the campaign trail.

Scott Brown could get trickle-down votes if former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is Republican presidential nominee

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In a recent interview, Brown expressed no illusions about the difficulty of running as a Republican in Massachusetts.

Mitt Romney Scott Brown.jpgRepublican presidential candidate W. Mitt Romney, left, is seen with U.S. Sen. Scott P. Brown in this composite photo.

U.S. Sen. Scott P. Brown is facing a great influx of Democratic-leaning voters in November – and he might not receive much help from the coattails of a former home state governor if W. Mitt Romney becomes the Republican nominee for president.

The Nov. 6 presidential election in Massachusetts will draw at least 700,000 more voters than the special election won by Brown two years ago. The great majority of those additional voters will be Democrats or Democratic-leaning independents, providing a significant challenge for any Republican candidate, analysts said.

Rob Gray, a Republican strategist, said Romney might have only a mildly positive effect on Brown's chances. He said Romney would have little impact on the dynamic that draws so many more Democrats and Democratic-tilting independents to the ballot box in Massachusetts in a presidential election.

"If you look at the track record of Republican candidates down the ticket in a presidential election year, it's not very good," Gray said.

In 1996, for example, when Bill Clinton won in a landslide and took 60 percent of the vote in Massachusetts, then-popular Republican Gov. William F. Weld lost to U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry by seven percentage points. And the state's two incumbent GOP congressmen that year were ousted by Democrats after both had won re-election in 1994, Gray pointed out.

When asked if Romney would help him win votes if he captures the GOP presidential nomination, Brown, a Wrentham Republican, said he would leave that up to the political pundits.

"I'm supporting Mitt," said Brown, who is scheduled to officially launch his re-election campaign on Thursday in Worcester. "I know he is supporting me. But we're both going to succeed or not succeed on our own merits."

In a recent interview, Brown expressed no illusions about the difficulty of running as a Republican in Massachusetts.

Elizabeth Warren 12611.jpgElizabeth Warren

Brown, whose auto-biography is called "Against All Odds," said he is the underdog in the contest. Brown is set to face Harvard Law professor and consumer advocate Elizabeth Warren, the likely Democratic nominee who would become the first woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate from Massachusetts.

During an interview on Dec. 28, Brown said he needs every voter to keep an open mind and ignore the rhetoric from super PACs and the Democratic machine in Massachusetts.

When asked if he was confident of re-election, Brown said: "No, I'm not confident of anything. I'm a Republican from Massachusetts. I'm the underdog. I always have been."

Republicans constitute about 11 percent of registered voters in Massachusetts; Democrats, 36 percent, and those not affiliated with a party, 52 percent.

In order to be re-elected, Brown will need tens of thousands of voters to split tickets and vote for him and for President Barack Obama, political leaders and analysts said.

In a message that could appeal to Obama voters, Brown has emphasized his moderate positions on issues and bipartisan efforts in Washington.

Sen. Michael R. Knapik, a Westfield Republican, said that Romney would be "a tremendous plus" for Brown's re-election bid and might reduce the size of victory for Obama.

It would be difficult but he said Romney would be the "home town candidate" and could hold Obama to less than 60 percent of the vote in Massachusetts. Knapik pointed to recent national polls that show a generic Republican candidate with a slight lead over Obama.

With both Romney and Brown on the November ballot, it will create a lot of excitement and help Republican candidates for all offices, Knapik said.

Romney, 64, a one-term governor elected in 2002, is the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, after winning primaries in Iowa and New Hampshire.

A leading Democrat, John E. Walsh , chairman of the Democratic state party, said that Romney would be “a mixed bag” for Brown in the election. With Romney as his party's presidential pick, it would be very hard for Brown to distance himself from the Republican ticket and aspects of its agenda that are unpopular in Massachusetts, according to Walsh.

"He definitely needs a bunch of people who decide, "I'm for Barack Obama and Scott Brown," Walsh said. "We'll see."

Obama won 61 percent of the vote in the state in 2008 and 303 of the 351 cities and towns.

House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones Jr. of North Reading said that Romney would run stronger in New England than any other Republican presidential candidate.

He said Romney could put into play New Hampshire and Maine and would reduce Obama's vote totals in Massachusetts.

"That has consequences down the ticket," Jones said.

Other Republicans said that Massachusetts votes so firmly Democratic in a presidential election, that Romney could be of little or no assistance to Brown.

“There is such overwhelming support for Obama in this state, it doesn't matter who the Republican nominee is,” said David G. Tuerck, a Republican and executive director of the Beacon Hill Institute, a think tank at Suffolk University in Boston who said he was speaking for himself, not the university or institute.

Gray, the GOP strategist, said Brown could have a more beneficial effect on Romney. Republicans and Republican-leaning independents see the presidential contest as a lost cause in Massachusetts, but they believe that Brown can win and will go to the polls when they otherwise might stay home, he said.

The election math appears daunting for Brown.

When Brown defeated Democrat Martha Coakley by 52 percent to 47 percent in the special election, voter turnout was about 2.2 million.

In a presidential year, turnout will increase by at least 700,000, said Avi Green, director of MassVOTE, a civic education organization based in Boston.

And those additional voters tend to be younger and more diverse than so-called super-voters, who vote every year, Green said. They include more people of color, including Latinos and blacks, or groups that have tended to support Democrats, and in addition more people under 30, also a core Democratic constituency, according to Green.

Yet, they will not all be Democrats, and there is always the possibility of surprises, Green added.

Turnout for the presidential election Massachusetts will be a minimum 2.9 million, similar to 2004, and could be as high as 3.3 million, Green said.

Based on past elections, maybe even a best case for the Republicans, Obama could be expected to get a minimum of 1.7 million votes in Massachusetts; the GOP nominee, 1.2 million or so, Green said.

In order to receive the estimated 1.5 million votes it will take to win the U.S. Senate election this year, Brown would need to capture about 300,000 additional votes -- all from Obama voters -- on top of the 1.2 million votes that would go to the Republican presidential pick.

"That's a tough nut," Green said.

Obituaries today: Rudolph 'Rudy' Salvas worked at Milton Bradley, ran '50s Greaser Dances

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Obituaries from The Republican.

01_14_12_Salvas_Rudolph(1).jpgRudolph Salvas

Rudolph R. "Rudy" Salvas, 65, of Springfield, passed away on Wednesday. He was born and raised in Springfield, graduated in 1965 from the High School of Commerce, and was a lifelong resident of the city. He served in the U.S. Army Reserves and attained the rank of Specialist 4. He was previously employed at Hamilton Standard in Windsor Locks, Conn., and later was employed for 29 years as a computer operator at the Milton Bradley Company in East Longmeadow. Salvas enjoyed hunting and fishing and was a Montreal Canadiens fan. For over 30 years, he ran the '50s Greaser Dances for many local charities.

Obituaries from The Republican:

Sen. Scott Brown agrees to meet with Elizabeth Warren campaign to discuss blocking political ads by PACs

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Sen. Scott Brown has agreed to meet with Elizabeth Warren's campaign to craft an agreement asking PACs to stay out of the Senate race in Massachusetts.

Brown Warren 92111.jpgU. S. Senator Scott P. Brown and Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren have agreed to a meeting to craft an agreement calling on political action committees to cease advertising in the Senate race in Massachusetts. (AP File Photos)

One day after Democratic U.S. Senate Candidate Elizabeth Warren left a voicemail on Sen. Scott Brown's cellphone regarding his letter requesting her cooperation in asking political action committees and all outside groups to cease advertising in the Senate race, both sides have agreed to meet.

"Senator Brown has agreed to a meeting among staff," said Warren's campaign manager Mindy Myers. "Elizabeth wants to move beyond political posturing and take real action. We hope that the Senator will agree. We're eager to get to work to stop the outside
groups with an enforceable agreement."

On Friday, Brown sent a letter to Warren asking her to join him in calling on outside groups to stop political attack ads in the Bay State. Warren sent a letter back saying that she wanted to move beyond "political rhetoric" and craft an "enforceable agreement" if he was serious.

When contacted by MassLive.com, American Crossroads, a political action committee backed by Republican strategist Karl Rove, declined to comment as to whether they would cease advertisements in Massachusetts if asked by both political campaigns.

American Crossroads and its sister organization Crossroads GPS have been gunning for Warren since late 2011 with two TV ads and dozens of emails criticizing the candidate, almost exclusively referring to her as "professor Warren," and frequently calling her a hypocrite.

Brown has been targeted by the League of Conservation Voters, the League of Women Voters and the Rethink Brown PAC, with the attacks ranging from depictions of Brown as a polluter to claims that he hasn't done enough to help create jobs.


The complete letters sent by both campaigns can be seen below.

Sen. Scott Brown's letter to Elizabeth Warren:

Dear Professor Warren,

As you have witnessed, outside third party groups have already begun spending millions of dollars on attack ads designed to influence the 2012 Senate election here in Massachusetts. Attack ads from unaccountable outside groups that spend millions of dollars from anonymous donors portraying their opposition unfairly and misleading voters are wrong. That is why I believe candidates have a responsibility to speak out against these groups regardless of whether those groups are seeking to help them or harm them. It has been disappointing that you have repeatedly refused to join my call for an end to this spending.

Although you defended attempts by out-of-state special interests to influence the Massachusetts election, you did claim to oppose unfair attack ads. However, in November, when questioned about a nearly $2 million attack campaign against me by the League of Conservation Voters, you defended the attacks and told WCVB they were “merely calling him out on his voting record.” The truth, as the non-partisan FactCheck.org pointed out, is that the ads ignore parts of my record that undermine their premise. You were silent when FactCheck.org called an earlier round of attacks against me “misleading.”

It seems the only third-party ads you think are unfair are those that criticize you. In recent days, you have even complained to the media that I am somehow responsible for these ads, despite all evidence to the contrary. You seem to see no irony in attacking me even though you have turned down numerous opportunities to join me in denouncing these ads. Your refusal to do so gives you zero credibility on this issue.

The voters of Massachusetts deserve an honest campaign where candidates themselves are allowed to contest their ideas and are held accountable for the conduct of their campaign. Rather than adopt an elitist attitude with one set of rules for yourself and another for everyone else, I urge you once again to join me in calling for an end to all spending by third party groups.

Sincerely,

Scott Brown


Elizabeth Warren's response to the letter sent by U.S. Sen. Scott Brown:

Dear Senator Brown:

We have the opportunity to set an example for the rest of the country. Let’s do it. If you are serious about stopping the political games and getting to the hard work of keeping out third party ads and independent groups, I’m ready. My campaign manager is prepared to meet with your representative to begin immediately to craft an
enforceable agreement.

Too often, candidates call for an end to third party influence but their words are just that, and their calls are just more empty promises and politics as usual. I propose that our agreement include television, radio and online advertisements from outside groups and third parties and further, that this agreement include consequences for the campaign that fails to honor this agreement.

We should not waste any time. I will call you this afternoon to discuss the first steps.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Warren



This is a developing story and more information will be published as it becomes available.

Massachusetts GOP leaders defend party chair Robert Maginn after donations to Democrats

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GOP leaders in Mass. are defending party Chair Robert Maginn after it was learned that he previously made contributions to Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick and N.Y. Sen. Charles Schumer's political campaigns.

Bob Maginn.jpgRobert Maginn, Chair of the Massachusetts Republican Party, came under fire recently after previously undisclosed contributions to Democratic politicians came to light.

By Matt Murphy, State House News Service

BOSTON-- With Robert Maginn under attack by some of the more conservative elements of the state Republican Party, top elected officials this week said the new party chairman should not resign and that his personal support for Mitt Romney does not conflict with his official duties.

Maginn, who was chosen in November by Republicans to lead the state party following the resignation of Jennifer Nassour, has rebuffed calls in recent days to step down over a previously undisclosed political donation he made to Gov. Deval Patrick, a Democrat, during the 2010 election campaign.

Senate Majority Leader Bruce Tarr said calls for a change in party leadership were not helpful to the GOP cause.

“At this point, I think it’s important that the party move forward in a very important election year, and I’m not certain having turbulence in the chairmanship facilitates that goal,” Tarr told the News Service.

Tarr’s counterpart in the House, Rep. Bradley Jones, said Maginn’s critics appear to be those who disagree with his support for Romney, and he added that some were unenthusiastic about the party’s gubernatorial nominee in 2010, Charles Baker.

“I think the way to judge Bob Maginn to me as party chair is what he does as party chair. So far as party chair, he’s done exactly what he said he was going to do,” Jones said, calling Maginn an “aggressive fundraiser” who has given to candidates that haven’t seen party support in years.

Asked if Maginn should resign, Rep. Elizabeth Poirier (R-North Attleboro) also said she continues to support him, and said she has been pleased with his efforts so far to raise money for legislative candidates.

“Absolutely not. What he did in his capacity as a businessman and on the boards he serves on all came before he was chair of the party and so it has no bearing,” Poirier said.

The Massachusetts Republican Assembly circulated an online petition late last week calling on Maginn to resign and suggesting his $500 donation to Patrick, along with a maximum $2,400 donation in 2009 to U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, was undermining the re-election efforts of U.S. Sen. Scott Brown and other Republican candidates.

The Assembly also hit Maginn for “pandering” to former Congressmen Peter Blute and Peter Torkildsen by naming them to positions at his company despite questionable qualifications and appointing Blute as vice-chairman of the party after they supported his bid for the chairmanship.

Maginn also gave the maximum $500 donation to Baker, the Republican gubernatorial candidate during the 2010 election cycle.

Referring to the “apparent disintegration of ethics within the MassGOP” that he highlighted in an email, MARA David Kopacz told the News Service on Monday that Maginn’s initial refusal to resign would not deter their efforts.

“Essentially, we’re going to continue,” Kopacz said. “We’re not going to stop here because this is very serious and has everything to do with the ability to grow the party, and since there seems to be a lack of grassroots support does not reflect the will of the Republicans of the state.”

Kopacz said members of the state committee up for reelection in March “need to be held responsible” and will be watched closely for their response to the questions raised by Maginn’s actions. “You’ll probably see their reelection efforts impacted by poor decision making now,” Kopacz said.

Former Greater Boston Tea Party leader Christen Varley also signed the petition that had over 200 signatures on Monday morning: “A conflict of interest of this magnitude is unacceptable. The D's are eating it up - and that hurts all R's,” Varley said in a statement.

Maginn has not been available to comment directly on the calls for his job, but a spokesman for the Republican Party said the new chairman was not considering resigning over the controversy generated by his political donations and support for Romney, calling it “old news.”

“Bob has the party off to a very strong start and we’re looking toward the future,” said MassGOP spokesman Tim Buckley.

Buckley said that Maginn has contributed or raised more than $500,000 in the last year for Republican candidates and causes, and since Maginn took over the state committee has directed $36,000 to support elected officials, including freshman Republicans in the Legislature, as they gear up for re-election campaigns. He said Maginn had not donated to any other Democrats.

Kopacz, however, said despite the lack of evidence of other Democratic donations made by Maginn, the Republican Assembly would continue to dig for information.

“Mr. Maginn should know how to spell his own name and that of his business. That’s very suspect. We’re not accusing him of anything improper, but it certainly has the appearance of that,” Kopacz said.

“I would hate to see continued leaks of these types of indiscretions throughout the campaign. They will be detrimental not only to Sen. Brown but the other conservatives and Republicans running at various levels,” Kopacz continues.

A spokesman for Brown said the junior senator continues to think Maginn is the “right person for the job.”

Maginn asked the executive committee to allow him to continue supporting Romney for president, but the GOP chairman has made no official statements of support or public endorsement of the candidates in a split Republican field. Buckley said the party will “always remain neutral in any contested Republican primary.”

While campaigning for the chairmanship, Maginn made no secret of his support for Romney. The founder and CEO of the software company Jenzebar, Maginn worked with Romney at Bain & Co. and served as finance co-chairman of Romney’s 2008 presidential campaign.

“You can’t help who you’ve been friendly with and had a relationship with over the years. I think people are trying to undo all the good that’s come out of him being the new chairman,” Poirier told the News Service.

Maginn told the News Service in November that a Romney candidacy would be the best formula for Republicans in 2012 to combat the enthusiasm expected among Democrats for President Barack Obama and the eventual Democratic nominee to challenge Brown.

“Mitt is significantly more popular than most of the others and will help us. He will be considered by unenrolled voters as somebody who was a governor they voted for, whether they like him as much as they did then,” Maginn said.

Tarr said he believed it would be inappropriate for the party to endorse a presidential candidate when Republicans in Massachusetts may be divided in their loyalties, but said he had no problem with Maginn personally backing Romney.

“I believe publicly he was with Gov. Romney before he was chairman, and I don’t think you should have to abandon your commitments because you become chairman,” said Tarr, who also supports Romney for president.

Tarr said that while he does not think Maginn should resign, he does believe the chairman should be more forthcoming about why he donated money to Democrats. Maginn told the Boston Globe the $500 donation to Patrick was made because he was invited to a fundraiser by the founder of a charity supported by the governor on whose board he sits.

The donation was not disclosed prior to the election because it did not show up in searches through campaign finance records due to the misspelling of his company’s name, according to Maginn.

“I don’t think he should resign. I think he certainly needs to provide a through explanation of the issues that have caused people concern…,” Tarr said. “I’m not sure he’s communicated that fully with either the state committee or the public. I think it’s been a very limited explanation.”

Rep. Marc Lombardo, a Billerica Republican and Romney supporter, called it “unfortunate” that the party did not know about the donation to Patrick at the time of Maginn’s election, but stopped short of calling on him to resign.

“I leave that up to the state committee. That’s not my call to make. You never want to see the leader of your party making donations to the opposition, but that’s a call that Bob needs to make and the state committee and I will support any decision as a unit,” said Lombardo, who backed Maginn’s closest rival for the post, former U.S. Attorney Frank McNamara.

McNamara declined to comment on the calls for Maginn to resign and said he didn’t have enough information to judge Maginn’s tenure so far, but confirmed comments he made prior to Maginn’s election when he said he would never donate to Schumer.

“What I said was, ‘As the father of 12 children, six daughters and six sons, I can imagine no circumstance under which I would give $2,400 to Chuck Schumer unless possibly he had kidnapped all six of my daughters and was demanding a $400 per head ransom, and that’s something Chuck Schumer is capable of. But even then, I don’t negotiate with terrorists, so I can’t imagine a circumstance under which I would donate to Chuck Schumer,’” McNamara said.

Lombardo said the state Republican Party must support the eventual presidential nominee, regardless of whether Romney prevails.

“I personally support Romney, but I’m not the leader of the GOP, and no matter who the nominee is the Massachusetts Republican Party needs to be behind them because we must get Obama out of office,” Lombardo said.

Rob Eno, publisher of the conservative blog Red Mass Group., told the News Service Monday he believes Maginn can survive this controversy by staying focused on his promises to build the grassroots networks for Republican candidates and maintain the progress the party has made in recent election cycles.

“I think that if Bob Maginn does what he campaigned on, and all signs point to that right now, he’ll have success and while the donation is unfortunate he’ll be remembered for keeping the Republican Party moving forward,” Eno said.

Eno also said that as long as no state party money is used to support Romney’s presidential bid, he does not see a problem with Maginn personally supporting the former Bay State governor.

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