A day after the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that aims to save money by selling unused government-owned properties, U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., is calling for the Senate to vote on his accompanying bill.

File photo | Associated PressU.S. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass.

WASHINGTON D.C. - A day after the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that aims to save money by selling unused government-owned properties, U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., is calling for the Senate to vote on his accompanying bill.

The legislation, known as the Civilian Property Realignment Act, was introduced by Brown in the Senate in August. It aims to decrease the federal deficit by "realigning, consolidating, selling, disposing, and improving the efficiency of federal buildings and other civilian real property."

In a statement, Brown said the legislation would provide a thorough review and disposal of the estimated 45,000 government-owned properties which have been deemed underutilized.

“Considering the severity of our debt, it’s inexcusable to knowingly maintain tens of thousands of useless federal properties,” Brown said. “This wasteful practice is symbolic of Washington’s poor budgeting and reckless spending, and it’s time for it to stop. President Obama supports this effort, the House has acted, and so I urge Majority Leader Reid to allow the Senate to vote on this commonsense bill.”

The legislation would establish a commission to review potential closures and sales, which Brown says, has the potential to save taxpayers $500 million in its first six months of operation.

After the House passed its version of the bill, sponsored by Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Calif., the Obama administration said in a statement that it appreciates the sentiment of the legislation, but charged that it doesn't go far enough to save taxpayer money.

In the statement, the White House argued that the bill's exemptions for parks and military facilities are too broad and that the inclusion of a clause requiring Congressional approval for the commission's recommendations on buildings would tie up the process in unnecessary bureaucracy.

The full response from the Obama Administration is below.

Obama Administration on HR 1734

A compromise is possible on legislation that would allow for 10,500 visas for Irish immigrants.

01/25/2012 Springfield- Republican File Photo by Robert Rizzuto- Republican Sen. Scott Brown walks with a CNN reporter on Main Street in Springfield January 25, 2012 during a visit to Western Massachusetts.

Senators are currently working on a compromise on an Irish immigration bill sponsored by Sen. Scott Brown.

The legislation would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to add the Republic of Ireland to the E-3 visa program.

The E-3 visa is currently available only in Australia. Brown's Irish Immigration Reform and Encouragement Act would make available 10,500 visas to the Irish. The visas are for two years and can be renewed an unlimited number of times.

The bill, which is also sponsored by Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., is an alternative to the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act, a large immigration bill sponsored by Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Schumer's bill, which also includes an Irish immigration provision, has been referred to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee for consideration.

The legislation has been in limbo in the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee since it was sent to the committee in December. However, negotiations have begun on the legislation. Brown wrote a letter last week to Judiciary Committee member Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, requesting a compromise between his bill and Schumer's bill to allow it to move forward.

"The (Immigration and Nationality) Act put in place bureaucratic hurdles for Irish immigrants and caused Irish immigration numbers to plummet to all-time lows. Despite some legislative relief in the l990s, the Irish continue to face quotas that don’t reflect the level of demand. ...My bill would provide a legal pathway for the thousands of Irish that wish to come to this country legally." Brown wrote.

Schumer's bill is being held up in the committee on an issue unrelated to the Irish immigration provision. Grassley is hoping to work out a compromise with Brown, Grassley's office told The Boston Globe.

Brown is in a high-profile race for re-election in November. Nearly one in four residents in Massachusetts has Irish ancestry -- twice the national average.

Greece appeared to close in on the cost-cutting deal it needs to keep from defaulting on its national debt.

By CHRISTINA REXRODE | AP Business Writer

Associated PressTraders gather at a post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during the IPO of Milwaukee-based Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc., Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012. (AP Photo/Dario Cantatore, NYSE)

NEW YORK — Stocks staged an afternoon-long rally and closed higher Wednesday as Greece appeared to close in on the cost-cutting deal it needs to keep from defaulting on its national debt.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 5.75 points to close at 12,883.95 after falling as much as 60 points at midday. It was the Dow's highest close since May 19, 2008, the last time it finished above 13,000.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index edged up 2.91 points to 1,346.96. The Nasdaq composite rose 11.78 points to 2,915.86, its highest close since December 2000.

After three days of delays, Greek government leaders met in Athens to go over a deal on steep cuts in public spending demanded by the country's lenders. European leaders will meet Thursday in Brussels to discuss a €130 billion bailout for Greece.

Investors are worried that Greece will default on its debt next month, which could roil financial markets and cause major losses for banks and other investors that hold Greek debt. Several deadlines have passed without an agreement.

Stock trading has been relatively quiet this week after a slow but steady rise since the beginning of the year. The Dow has added 2 percent in February and is up 5.5 percent for the year.

Rick Fier, vice president of stock trading at Conifer Securities in New York, said he wasn't that worried that the market's advance has slowed this week. The S&P 500 is still up 7.3 percent for the year, and has fallen on only eight days in 2012.

Fier said he is concerned that the batch of earnings reports from U.S. companies for the last three months of last year "hasn't been as robust" as previous quarters. Revenue growth has slowed even though profits have been strong, he said.

Walt Disney reported earnings Tuesday that beat analysts' estimates, but its revenue growth fell short. Movie revenue fell as Disney released fewer big films in the quarter than in previous years. Revenue from DVD sales and interactive media also declined. Disney's stock rose 0.7 percent nevertheless.

Caesars Entertainment Corp., the big casino operator, soared on its first day of trading. Caesars went as high as $17.90, nearly double its offering price of $9 per share. It finished at $15.39, up 71 percent, but lost some of the gains in after-hours trading.

Caesars raised $16 million, a sliver of the more than $500 million its private owners hoped for when they first tried to go public in late 2010.

Ralph Lauren rose 9 percent after reporting higher net income and revenue in the latest quarter, a sign that wealthy customers are still spending even as the economy struggles with high unemployment. The purveyor of $1,000 dresses and handbags said holiday sales had been strong.

Buffalo Wild Wings, a chicken-and-beer chain that has bucked the trend of weak revenue dogging many of its competitors, shot up 17 percent after reporting income and revenue that easily beat analysts' estimates.

Sprint Nextel, the phone company, fell 2 percent after reporting a fourth-quarter loss. It added subscribers but had to pay dearly for them. Sprint started offering customers iPhones, but it had to subsidize them so customers could buy them for as little as $99.

OpenTable, which lets people book tables at restaurants online, plunged 12 percent. Investors had reservations about the company's cautious outlook. Executives said they expect the growth to slow this quarter in the number of diners it seats.

In other markets, Treasury prices were mostly flat, like stocks. The yield on the U.S. government's 10-year note was unchanged at 1.98 percent. The price of oil rose 0.3 percent to $98.71, and gold fell 1 percent to $1,736.20.

The 10-week academy gives ordinary city residents an opportunity to learn how the police department works from a view along the front lines.

Republican file photoIn this file photo from 2001, Springfield police officer Richard Rodriguez talks to people attending the citizens police academy inside the basement gun range at Springfield police headquarters.

SPRINGFIELD - The Springfield Police Department has openings for city residents who wish to take part in the 32nd Citizens Police Academy, beginning Wednesday, March 7.

The 10-week academy gives ordinary city residents an opportunity to learn how the police department works from a view along the front lines.

Police community liaison Kathleen Brown said the program has been successful for a long time.

“Previous participants have found the classes to be interesting, informative, and fun,” Brown said. “Topics explored will include the organization of the Springfield Police Department including Traffic, Narcotics, Internal Investigations, Gangs, Crime Prevention, Community Policing, Use of Authority, Patrol Procedures, Youth Aid Bureau, Police Community Relationships and much more.”

Sessions are Wednesdays from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Ramond Sullivan Public Safety Complex, 1212 Carew St.

It is free and open to Springfield residents, age 18 and older.

The application can be found online at www.springfieldpolice.net or by contacting Brown at Kbrown@springfieldpolice.net or by phone at (413) 787-6359.

Solomon Goldstein-Rose will serve until April 3 when the Annual Town Election is held.

AMHERST – Amherst Regional High School student Solomon Goldstein-Rose will fill a two-month vacancy on the School Committee.

Eight candidates, including the head of the University of Massachusetts Afro-American Studies program, applied for the position.

Nine initially applied to fill the seat vacated by former School Committee member Steve Rivkin in December, but the ninth was not a registered voter.

Goldstein-Rose, a senior, was chosen on the third ballot in a joint School Committee and Select Board vote Monday night. The Town Government Act requires that both boards fill the vacancy together. The winner needed at least five votes from the nine voting.

The vacancy only lasts until April 3, when the annual town election is held. So far, only one of the eight, teacher Lawrence E. O’Brien, has taken out papers to run in that election.

Select Board Chairwoman Stephanie J. O’Keeffe said that Amilcar Shabazz, professor and head of the W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies, and Michael Aronson said they might consider taking out papers. Papers must be signed by at least 50 registered voters and returned to the town clerk’s office by Feb. 14 at 5 p.m. Goldstein-Rose said he wasn’t running because he would be in college next year.

In his statement, Goldstein-Rose said he had been to many School Committee meetings and as a senior, he felt that “students tend to have a good perspective on school-related issues that others cannot know without talking to students.”

He said students have been “under represented in decision-making in the district” and that it would be valuable in particular now because the committee will be working on budgets during the next two months.

“He was very impressive,” O’Keeffe said.

She initially favored naming O’Brien to the seat, since he was the only one planning to run.

“To me, he has made a commitment. He might as well get a head start,” she said.

Others seeking the seat were Larry J. Kelley, Amy Brodigan, Joan Temkin and Vincent J. O’Connor.

Voss flew 5 space shuttle missions in 7 years, including a trip to the International Space Station.

Associated Press04.08.1997 – Astronaut Janice Voss laughs with crew members after the space shuttle Columbia landed at the Kennedy Space Center in this television image.

NASA said in a statement Tuesday that Voss died overnight after a battle with cancer.

A 1972 graduate of Minnechaug Regional High School in Wilbraham, Voss started with NASA while attending Purdue University in 1973. She later worked as an instructor before being selected as an astronaut in 1990.

Voss flew four missions in the 1990s before a flight to the International Space Station in 2000. Her final trip was part of a radar topography mission that mapped more than 47 million square miles of Earth’s surface.

NASA says Voss was one of six women to fly in space at least five times, and one of just a few astronauts, male or female, to log more than 1,000 hours in space.

Voss first went into space aboard the shuttle Endeavour in June 1993, logging 239 hours in just that first trip into orbit.

In January, 2000, she was again aboard Endeavour, this time for her fifth flight, which was a mission to map much of the Earth.

Voss, who was born in South Bend, Ind., in 1957, said it was a science fiction book she read in the sixth grade that first sparked her interest in a science career - Madeleine L’Engle’s “A Wrinkle in Time,” which deals with youngsters traveling through a time warp.

One of four daughter of James R. Voss and former Wilbraham Selectman G. Louise Voss, she moved with her family to Wilbraham in 1968. Her parents have now moved back to their native Indiana.

After graduating from Minnechaug, Voss earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering science from Purdue University in 1975 and then went on to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where she earned a master’s degree in science and a doctorate in aeronautics and astronautics.

After completing her doctorate in 1987, she took a job with Orbital Sciences Corp. She was selected by NASA to become an astronaut candidate in 1990.

In her first mission aboard Endeavour, she worked as a mission specialist, conducting experiments in Spacelab, the first commercially funded space laboratory to be taken into orbit. The experiments included growing crystals in low gravity.

File photo / Associated PressIn this NASA photo from February 2000, astronaut Janice Voss is seen on the flight deck of the Space Shuttle Endeavour..

In her January, 2000, mission, aboard Endeavour, she helped in the most comprehensive space-based, earth-mapping effort to that time, producing maps in three dimensions. The data collected amounted to nearly 10 terabytes of information, enough to fill the equivalent of 15,000 CDs.

Like many of the astronauts in the NASA program, Voss frequently spoke to schoolchildren in Western Massachusetts and elsewhere, encouraging them to consider careers in the sciences and at NASA.

State Sen. Gale D. Candaras, D-Wilbraham, said she was a friend of Janice Voss and of her parents, James R. Voss and former Wilbraham Selectman G. Louise Voss.

She said she remembers watching one of the shuttle launches in Cape Canaveral, Fla., with her parents.

“We were probably about a mile away, but I felt like I was right there,” she said. “It felt like an earthquake.”

Candaras added, “Janice was a brilliant math and science student at Minnechaug.”

She added, “She was as nice and lovely as she was brilliant. She was very generous with her time and spent many hours talking to school children in Western Massachusetts, encouraging them to consider careers in the sciences and at NASA.

Republican reporters Suzanne McLaughlin and Patrick Johnson contributed to this report.

Gov. Deval Patrick filed about 10 proposals for raising new revenues, including a 50 cent per pack cigarette tax increase.

Photo by Josh Reynolds / Associated PressSpeaker of the House Robert DeLeo, left, is seen with Gov. Deval Patrick in November, as the two spoke during a signing ceremony legalizing casino gambling in Massachusetts. Now, it seems, the two leaders are at odds over a proposal by Patrick to raise taxes and fees.

BOSTON - House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo Wednesday shot down Gov. Deval L. Patrick’s proposals to raise $260 million in new taxes and fees, saying that “predictability and consistency” in the tax code are critical for business leaders.

DeLeo, in a speech on the House floor, emphasized the need for job creation including boosting community colleges.

DeLeo, a Winthrop Democrat, said he would oppose new taxes and fees to balance the state budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1. That could doom Patrick’s proposals for raising revenues.

Patrick on Jan. 25 filed about 10 proposals for raising new revenues.

Patrick, for example,called for a 50-cent increase in the state's existing $2.51-a-pack cigarette tax to help finance court-mandated subsidized health care for legal immigrants, expanding the state’s bottle deposit law to include containers of water, juices and sports drinks and charging the state sales tax on candy and soda.

“I hear time and time again from business leaders that predictability and consistency in the tax code are what’s most important,” said DeLeo, a former House budget chief who was elected speaker in 2009.

“For the past two years, this House has rejected balancing the budget with new taxes and fees. Any changes to revenue policy should be approached with extreme caution and should never be done piecemeal. As such, we will release a budget from the House Committee on Ways & Means that does not rely on new taxes and fees," he said.

DeLeo’s pledge comes three years after state legislators and the governor raised $1 billion in new taxes including increasing the sales tax from 5 percent to 6.25 percent, creation of a local option tax of 0.75 percent on restaurant meals and giving communities the option to increase the 4 percent local tax on motel rooms by 50 percent to 6 percent.

Rep. Benjamin Swan, a Springfield Democrat, said he was not surprised by DeLeo’s stance but he believes new revenues are needed.

Benjamin Swan

Swan said he supports the governor’s plan to increase tobacco taxes and to impose the sales tax on candy and soda.

“We have to spend money wisely but we have to have money available,” Swan said.

But Rep. Donald F. Humason, a Westfield Republican, said DeLeo set the right tone by opposing new taxes and fees.

“I give the speaker credit,” said Humason. “It was the right message to send.”

Rep. Angelo J. Puppolo, a Springfield Democrat, agreed.

“I was very pleased to see he minced no words and made it abundantly clear there will be no new taxes and fees,” he said. “That will go a long way toward helping the economy.”

In a statement, Jay Gonzalez, secretary for administration and finance, said the administration proposed “a small amount of targeted tax increases” to help avoid cuts in education, local aid and safety net programs.

“None of our proposals hurt our economic competitiveness,” Gonzalez said.

DeLeo, son of a late track worker at Suffolk Downs in Boston, is noted mostly for his strong support of a new law that legalizes casinos.

DeLeo said he believed that broad agreement can be reached on a bill to cut the growth in the costs of health care while improving high standards of care and innovation.

DeLeo signaled that legislators will take up Patrick's disputed plan to overhaul community colleges. He said that House members have long believed they can do a better job of aligning community colleges with the needs of employers.

“With greater coordination and support these institutions can be an even more vibrant and integrated component in our overall workforce development system here in the commonwealth,” the speaker said.

Patrick submitted legislation to fold the 15 community colleges into a new central system for improving coordination for job training. Patrick wants to give the state Board of Higher Education new authority to set fees for students, allocate state funding and appoint and remove presidents.

Rep. Sean F. Curran, a Springfield Democrat, said the governor’s bill could hurt the independence of Springfield Technical Community College and Holyoke Community College.

Curran said he was against Patrick’s bill to strip powers away from boards of trustees for the community colleges.

“I’m not so sure the Patrick plan will happen,” Curran said. “I’m certainly opposed to it.”

In a prepared statement, Patrick emphasized the common ground between himself and the speaker.

"Speaker DeLeo shares my commitment to strengthening our innovation sectors, making our community college system an integral part of the commonwealth’s economic development strategy and reforming the way we pay for health care," Patrick said.

The School Committee is urging the public to fill out an online survey to assist in the superintendent search.

The Republican | Don TreegerPatricia Correira, field director for the Mass. Association of School Committees, talks to a group of Springfield educators gathered at Central High to discuss the process for selecting a new superintendent of schools.

SPRINGFIELD – Many of the teachers and employees who gathered Wednesday to speak out on the selection of a new superintendent of schools said the person chosen needs to be visible and supportive of their efforts and not an outsider looking at Springfield as a stepping stone.

Approximately 30 teachers and school system employees attended the meeting at Central High School as part of a series of meetings to gather public input on the superintendent search. The meeting was open to anyone but tailored for input primarily from school system employees.

Superintendent Alan J. Ingram is leaving in June at the end of his four-year contract.

Many of those attending the meeting said they hope the School Committee chooses someone who is local – someone who works in the school system or is from the area and has a commitment to the community. In addition, some said the school system would benefit from having a superintendent with a strong background in teaching and school administration.

Debra Lindner, an instructional leadership specialist at Central, said it makes sense to search “in our own house and look inside before outside.” A person who has worked in the school system is going to know the system and its challenges, she said.

Others called out in agreement. The last three superintendents came from Oklahoma, Florida and New York.

“Look for someone from here, someone working with us and we have respect for,” said Bernard Sesay, a foreign language teacher at Chestnut Accelerated Middle School.

Philip Dowgiert, a teacher at Central, said the school system does not benefit from a superintendent who approaches the job with a “corporate mindset,” and wants to treat the school system like a corporation and “wants to turn us into widgets.”

Dowgiert also said there is a need for “more transparency” under the next superintendent. That person must be more visible and relay how “he or she is facilitating change,” he said.

The School Committee is urging the public, including school staff, students, parents and district residents, to fill out a short online survey to assist in the superintendent search. The survey can be found, both in English and Spanish, on the home page of the Springfield School Department’s website at: www.sps.springfield.ma.us.

The committee will assign a 13-member search committee to assist with the review of applications, interviews, and reducing the field of candidates.

Timothy T. Collins, president of the Springfield Education Association, said that success in education reform will depend on getting someone as superintendent “who knows how to collaborate.” The superintendent also must be “a public advocate for the schools” including with the media and with the Legislature, he said.

“Most important, (the person) needs to start listening to the people doing the work,” Collins said. “They need to feel respected and need to feel supported.”

Patricia Correira, a field director with the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, moderated Wednesday’s meeting. The association will provide a report to the School Committee on what was heard at community meetings, and will suggest criteria in the superintendent search aided by that public input.

One school employee urged that the next superintendent “be sensitive to the needs of an urban school system, socio-economic factors.”

Police found text messages on Romanowski's phone where he told Briggs of the robbery and she agreed to come pick him up and give him a ride out of town.

Northampton PoliceA still taken from bank security footage during Friday's robbery at Florence Savings Bank. Police say the suspect, Thadius Romanowski later sent text messages to friend Laura Briggs admitting the robbery and asking for a ride out of town.

NORTHAMPTON - A 31-year-old Holyoke woman was arrested Tuesday and charged with aiding accused bank robber Thadius Romanowski on Friday after he allegedly held up the Florence Savings Bank, officials said.

Laura G. Briggs of 579 Northampton St., Holyoke, denied the charges Wednesday at her arraignment in Northampton District Court. She was charged with being an accessory after the fact and misleading police officers.

She was charged with helping Romanowski after police discovered text messages on Romanowski’s cell phone that indicated she was aware he had robbed the bank and agreed to help him avoid the police, said Assistant Northwestern District Attorney Jeremy Bucci.

Romanowski, 33, of also of 579 Northampton St., Holyoke, was arrested Saturday morning and charged with the unarmed robbery of the King Street bank branch on Friday afternoon. He denied the charges on at his Monday arraignment and he was ordered held in lieu of $10,000 bail.

When police searched his phone, they found records of text messages and phone calls between the two after the robbery, Bucci said. In the text messages, Romanowski told Briggs he had just robbed a bank. There were also a back-and-forth exchange where the two agreed on a location for Briggs to come pick him up, Bucci said.

Police contend that Briggs drove to Northampton to get Romanowski, brought him a change of clothes and then helped him get out of town.

Briggs was ordered held in lieu of a $10,000 personal surety and is due back in court on April 9 for a bind-over hearing to determine if her trial will proceed in superior court.

David Ettlinger, 34, of Boston, was indicted on a host of charges, including 5 counts of aggravated indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14.

Brian Turner (Creative Commons)

WOBURN — A former Newton elementary school teacher already charged with indecent assault and disseminating child pornography pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a new set of charges accusing him of assaulting a girl he babysat.

David Ettlinger, 34, of Boston, was indicted on a host of charges, including five counts of aggravated indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14, posing a child in a state of nudity, posing a child in sexual conduct, possession of child pornography and secretly recording a partially nude person, said Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone.

Prosecutors said the girl was not one of Ettlinger's students at the Underwood Elementary School in Newton. He was hired by the girl's parents to care for her in her home.

Ettlinger was arraigned on the new charges Wednesday in Middlesex Superior Court. Clerk Magistrate Michael Sullivan ordered him held on $50,000 cash bail. Sullivan also ordered him to stay away from the victim, her family and any child under the age of 16.

Ettlinger was targeted by federal investigators in Louisiana for allegedly participating in a global child pornography network.

Last month, he pleaded not guilty in two cases in Suffolk County, including charges of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 and posing a child in a state of nudity.

Ettlinger resigned from his job last week.

Prosecutors said the latest charges stem from a federal search warrant executed at Ettlinger's home on Jan. 17. Authorities said during a search of computers and digital media seized from the home, images and movies of the defendant allegedly sexually assaulting the girl were found.

"We allege that the defendant violated his position of trust, sexually assaulting a minor who was in his care," Leone said in a statement. "This, combined with the allegations made against this defendant by the federal government and the Suffolk County DA's Office, make clear that this defendant is an alleged serial predator of children and will be prosecuted as such."

Ettlinger's lawyer, Tanis Yannetti, told reporters outside court that Ettlinger's family continues to support him.

"He is disappointed to hear about these new allegations," she said.

The report ties into the students’ studies of global climate change, greenhouse gases and energy sources.

PHoto by Mark M. Murray / The RepublicanSpringfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, left, sits with Springfield Renaissance School students during a presentation by the 9th grade class on the "Greenprint 2012" report, which the students put together on how to make city elementary schools and a library more comfortable and reduce the carbon footprint.

SPRINGFIELD – Ninth grade students at Springfield Renaissance School are literally leaving their “greenprint” in the city.

The students recently presented a “Greenprint 2012” report to city officials that recommends measures to make targeted schools and public buildings more energy efficient, reduce energy costs and make them more comfortable.

It was the fourth year that the ninth-grade environmental science class targeted four buildings for on-site visits and energy audits. The four sites selected this year were: the Thomas M. Balliet Elementary School; the Springfield Academy for Excellence Middle School on Seymour Avenue; the South End Middle School; and the Pine Point Library.

“Every student and teacher in Springfield deserves to have comfortable learning and teaching environments,” said Vanessa Cramer, the environmental science teacher at Renaissance. “Also, the question of how we can preserve the environment for generations to come is one that we must keep asking.”

Students began the year by studying global climate change, greenhouse gases and energy sources, a direct tie-in to the Greenprint report, Cramer said.

Ninth grader Elizabeth Rivera said the report “makes people in Springfield aware of our energy problems and how we can fix them.”

Student Elizabeth Schabot said the project “really opened my eyes on how we can save our environment by doing simple things.”

Within the report, students said they found an overheated South End Middle School due to a continuous running boiler, a situation that led to a very uncomfortable learning environment with students feeling tired. Teachers would open windows for some relief, resulting in wasted energy, the students reported.

Their recommendations for that building and others included a Web-based energy management system to regulate the temperature in all rooms, and radiator valves.

At the Pine Point Library, recommendations included replacing interior T-12 fluorescent light bulbs with higher efficiency T-8 fluorescent light builds.

Each of the recommendations for the four public buildings included price estimates, annual energy savings, and the anticipated “payback period” for each energy investment.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and Patrick J. Sullivan, the city’s director of Parks, Buildings and Recreation Management, praised the project and recommendations.

“Continue your great work,” Sarno said, while accepting a copy of the 57-page report that was researched and compiled by the entire class. “You are great ambassadors to the city of Springfield.”

“It has been a great program,” Sullivan said. “We are utilizing city buildings as an instructional tool, and the students have brought some great ideas to our attention for energy savings. We actually have been able to implement some of their ideas.”

For example, the Web-based energy management systems were added to the Freedman and Mary Lynch schools to control heating and cooling, and radiator valves were added at the Liberty and Kensington schools, officials said. In addition, there has been weather-stripping and lighting retrofits as suggested.

The incentive means businesses would get tax exemptions on new growth over five to 20 years.

HOLYOKE – The City Council has improved a tax incentive officials hope will help the city compete for new businesses.

The council voted 14-0 Tuesday to expand the Tax Increment Financing program that lets the city offer tax breaks up to 20 years instead of the previous limit of five years.

Mayor Alex B. Morse had urged the improved incentive and applauded the council vote.

“This flexible and expanded program will help generate and support economic activity which will result in the creation of new investment in Holyoke, the establishment of job opportunities ...,” Morse said.

The program means the city can offer new businesses that are considering moving here and existing ones that want to expand an up-to-20-year tax incentive to do so.

A business gets an exemption from taxation on all or part of the increased value of property that results from new construction or significant improvement, according to the state Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development.

The incentive lasts from five to 20 years and means the business will pay, for example, zero extra property taxes on the new valuation the first year, 25 percent the second year, 50 percent the third year, etc., officials said.

“It’s a nice benefit we can offer companies interested in coming to Holyoke,” council President Kevin A. Jourdain said.

Councilor at Large Joseph M. McGiverin proposed the expanded tax incentive, which the Redevelopment Committee recommended 5-0 to the full council on Jan. 26.

Currently, about 10 companies are operating at various stages with the five-year TIF, said Kathleen G. Anderson, director of the Office of Planning and Development.

The ability to offer a company a 20-year incentive will strengthen city chances against other communities who already offer such an incentive and are vying with Holyoke for new businesses, she said.

“We do struggle with a high commercial tax rate, so this gives us an advantage,” Anderson said.

The tax rate for commercial property is $38.53 per $1,000 valuation. The residential property tax rate is $16.85 per $1,000 valuation.

To provide a TIF, approval is needed from the mayor, City Council and the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development.

“Massachusetts’ version of Tax Increment Financing allows municipalities to provide flexible targeted incentives to stimulate job-creating development,” said the state government website, mass.gov/portal/

Rhodes took turns conducting 4 band practice sessions with middle school band director Mark Turcotte. Watch video

Republican photo/ Mark M. Murray Kevin Rhodes, conductor and music director of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, answers questions from West Springfield Middle School students during their music class Wednesday morning.

WEST SPRINGFIELD – Eager students at West Springfield Middle School Wednesday asked Springfield Symphony Orchestra conductor Kevin Rhodes everything from how old he is to whether he would hire their band director.

It was 47-year-old Rhodes’ first visit to local classrooms, and the conductor said he enjoyed getting a taste of the area’s school music programs.

“It is great to see what they are doing,” said Rhodes, now in his 11th season with the Springfield symphony.

Even if the band students do not go on to become professional musicians, “these are not the kids that are going to be a problem,” Rhodes said.

The maestro took turns conducting four band practice sessions with middle school band director Mark J. Turcotte.

Tapping his left foot and snapping his fingers, Rhodes started classes by leading students through warm-up exercises as well as renditions of “Train Heading West & Other Outdoor Scenes” by Timothy Broege.

“You get longer in the eighth notes,” he called out to the flute section.

In another session, Rhodes encouraged the percussion section, telling the players they are important because the entire orchestra follows them.

“Have you ever listened to Bolero”? Go to YouTube and listen to Bolero,” Rhodes advised the drum players, calling the piece by Maurice Ravel a “tour de force” for percussion.

Following practice, Rhodes took questions from the students. He told them, for example, he first got interested in music in kindergarten when he was impressed by the piano playing of his music teacher.

Rhodes said he went on to start piano lessons in the second grade on an old piano even though his family didn’t even have a record player. The conductor said he later took up the trumpet.

“I love all instruments because each has something about it that I love,” Rhodes said. As for the piece of music he would pick if he could only listen to one for the rest of his life, he said, “My answer for that would change every day.”

Rhodes ended each session autographing starry-eyed students’ sheet music folders.

“He’s a conductor. He seems kind of cool,” 12-year-old seventh grader Roman V. Kotorobay said after getting Rhodes’ autograph.

“It was helpful because we need to know how to play louder and stay focused. It helped me a lot,” Samantha A. McCarthy, a 12-year-old seventh grade trumpet player, said of Rhodes’ advice.

And would Rhodes hire the students’ band director?

The maestro said Turcotte would have to undergo his symphony’s rigorous audition process and there would have to be an opening. The last time there was a vacancy, Rhodes said 45 people came from as far away and New York City and Montreal to vie for the position.

Council president Justin Cobb believes the project has changed enough to warrant a funding review.

This is an aerial view of the New City neighborhood, including the lot where the proposed affordable housing development Parsons Village has been proposed (circled in red).

EASTHAMPTON – The City Council Finance Committee will continue its discussion of whether to rescind funding for the Parsons Village affordable housing project at its Feb. 22 meeting.

Justin P. Cobb, City Council president and Finance Committee member, brought the proposal to the committee Wednesday night because he believes that the Parsons affordable housing project has changed from what the council supported in 2010.
“Never was the subject of 40B raised.” That he said, “to my mind is an unfriendly application.”

The Northampton-based Valley Community Development Corp. last month filed a request for a Chapter 40B permit to build 38 units of affordable rental housing on Parsons Street after the Planning Board rejected it last year.

A comprehensive permit allows the Zoning Boards of Appeals to approve affordable housing with more flexible rules - essentially to circumvent local zoning when a community has less than 10 percent of its housing as affordable.
The city has just 6.3 percent affordable housing.

Cobb believes that change is enough for the council to look at rescinding the $200,000 in Community Preservation Act funding awarded by a 6 to 3 vote in October of 2010.

More than 30 people attended the committee meeting Wednesday night including members of the preservation and fair housing committees, who oppose rescinding the funding, and neighbors who oppose the project and believe the money should be rescinded. Preservation money can be used for affordable housing and open space and historic preservation.

The council heard comments and wanted time to review them and a legal opinion on whether it has the authority to take back the money.

Daniel D. Rist, who's on the Finance Committee who asked for the opinion, said based on a quick read, counsel seems to be saying that the City Council could rescind, “but he puts up a lot of qualifiers” and expects there would be a legal challenge if the council does so, he said.

Rist supports the project. Cobb and committee chairman Daniel C. Hagan do not.
Valley Community Development Corp. Executive Director Joanne Campbell said that the corporation has counted on preservation money to leverage other money and that the project has not changed. City funding is contingent on the project obtaining all permits and other funding.

The Zoning Board hearing, meanwhile, is slated for 7:30 p.m. Feb. 21.

In addition to the committee meeting next week, Hagen said the full council will hold a public hearing on the matter to rescind at its March 1 meeting.

Under the legislation, anyone requesting the new scientific analysis must show that the testing has the potential to result in evidence that could change their conviction.

EMBED CODE

BOSTON – The Massachusetts House has unanimously approved a bill that gives those convicted of a crime the right to request that the courts order new forensic tests of the evidence used to convict them.

Under the legislation, anyone requesting the new scientific analysis must show that the testing has the potential to result in evidence that could change their conviction.

The individual must also demonstrate to the courts that the requested analysis had not already been developed at the time of their conviction.

The bill applies to anyone convicted of a criminal offense and is incarcerated in

Through the program, seniors over the age of 60 can work a variety of municipal jobs to earn a credit of up to $750 toward their annual property tax bill.

PALMER - After a four year hiatus, the town manager has brought back the senior tax relief work abatement program.

Through the program, seniors over the age of 60 can work a variety of municipal jobs to earn a credit of up to $750 toward their annual property tax bill.

Senior Center Director Erin Pincince is looking forward to the return of the program, calling the decision "absolutely wonderful." In the past, senior workers helped with janitorial and reception duties at the center.

"It's a huge help to us here . . . It's good for the seniors. They can do some work, and it makes them feel valuable. And they get the break on their taxes. For some, that's huge," Pincince said.

Town Manager Charles T. Blanchard said it made sense to revive the program, which had been a casualty of budget cuts. He obtained a list of potential jobs from various departments, which include clerical work.

Blanchard said the town receives the benefit of the workers' experience, while the workers get the tax benefit. He said they are paid the equivalent of minimum wage. To participate, they must be over the age of 60 as of Jan. 1, 2012, and earn less than $32,000 for a single person and $41,000 for a two-person household.

All participants must be town residents and be the owner/occupant of the property for which they are seeking the tax abatement.

Administrative Assistant Andrew M. Golas said someone has already submitted an application to do clerical work in the Building Department. Golas said some seniors had been asking if the program would ever return.

A total of $15,000 has been allocated for the program, through the overlay amount for abatements that was approved along with the setting of the fiscal 2012 tax rate.

Applications for the program are available in the town manager's office at the Town Building on Main Street, the Senior Center on Central Street and the library on North Main Street. They also are available on the town's website, www.townofpalmer.com

For information, call the town manager's office at (413) 283-2603.

The lack of a tree warden in West Springfield is a concern in some quarters.

Photo by Don Treeger / The RepublicanWest Springfield Mayor Gregory C. Neffinger addresses residents during a meeting called by the Precinct 1 & 2 Neighborhood Committee in the United Methodist Church fellowship hall on Main Street Wedneday night.

WEST SPRINGFIELD – Mayor Gregory Neffinger scored points with District 1 residents Wednesday during a neighborhood meeting in which he answered concerns about such issues as affordable housing and tree planting.

He spoke before about 35 people at a meeting called by the Precinct 1 & 2 Neighborhood Committee in the fellowship hall of the United Methodist Church on Main Street. Precinct 1 and 2 comprise District 1.

“I don’t know that our housing in Merrick is that affordable,” Diane Crowell, chair of the neighborhood group, said.

Emile E. Farjo, a case manager with Lutheran Social Services, said following the June 1 tornado lots of people who lost their homes because of it had trouble finding affordable housing in West Springfield. Some had to move to Springfield, Agawam and Chicopee.

Neffinger said he prefers to see housing for people of mixed incomes so “you are not congregating the statistical problems of lower incomes together.” Creating huge areas with just affordable housing was one of the “worst disasters of the twentieth century,” Neffinger said.

The mayor said his neighborhood on Bonair Avenue has housing for low-, moderate- and upper-income households and he likes it that way.

Patricia A. Garbacik, who is on the Trees for Merrick Committee, which seeks to replace the many trees that were felled during the tornado, urged that more emphasis be put on planting trees in the community.

“We have talked about the lack of a tree warden in town. I am not sure what the solution is right now,” Neffinger said.

The mayor expressed hope that the issue will be addressed when the city hires a new Department of Public Works director.

Gareth D. Flanary, chair of the Raising Hope Together group that is working to help Merrick recover from the tornado, commented that there seemed to be lots of boarded up houses there even before the tornado.

Neffinger said that is an issue he is interested in and that sometimes people who buy investment properties get overextended after they start renovating.

“I think the mayor was very receptive. I liked what he said,” Crowell said following the meeting.

Police Sgt. Lawrence G. Larrabee, who runs the police substation at Russell and Main streets, brought several of his officers to the meeting, too. He said since Jan. 1 his officers have made 17 arrests in the area and that eight of them were for shoplifting, mostly by out-of-towners.

Olberding, a Democrat, is a member of the Belchertown Finance Committee. She has a master's degree and a background as a human resources manager.

Mary Olberding

George Zimmerman

BELCHERTOWN – Mary Olberding, a human resources manager who is active in politics, announced Wednesday that she has picked up nomination papers to run for register of deeds in Hampshire County.

Olberding, 44, of Belchertown, said she believes her background — she's a human resources manager with a master's degree and is vice-chairwoman of the Belchertown Finance Committee — makes her a good fit for the $90,000-a-year job.

Northampton City Treasurer George R. Zimmerman, 56, is also vying for the position, though it wasn't immediately clear if he, or any other candidates, have picked up nomination papers to get on the Sept. 6 primary ballot.

Zimmerman has law degree and a master's in business administration.

Longtime register of deeds Marianne L. Donohue retired in September 2011, after holding the position for more than two decades. Secretary of State William F. Galvin appointed Patricia A. Plaza, Donohue’s former assistant, to fill the post on an interim basis. But Plaza has said she doesn't plan to run for the elected position when her term expires in January 2013.

Candidates need to gather 500 certified signatures to qualify for the September primary ballot.

"The registry's job is protect and preserve records for all property owners in Hampshire County," Olberding said in prepared remarks Wednesday. "As a human resources manager, I was responsible for employee records for thousands of employees at multiple sites. I can bring that experience working with records and with people to the Registry of Deeds."

A lifelong Democrat, Olberding has been active in politics over the years, volunteering on the core campaign committee that helped get Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan elected in 2010. She also played an active role in the 2008 campaign for President Barack Obama.

"I am looking forward to speaking with voters across Hampshire County to convince them why I should be the next Register of Deeds for Hampshire County," said Olberding, who credits Emerge Massachusetts, a Boston-based organization that prepares women for political careers, with inspiring her to make a bid for public office.

"It gave me the confidence that the transition from being woman on a campaign to being a woman candidate was not that big of a leap," she told The Republican last month.

Nicholas Sabadosa, 26, of Westfield, and Eric Hutchinson, 28, of Springfield, are facing multiple drug charges, including possession with intent to distribute.

Republican file photo

HOLYOKE – A car that was stopped by police at about 5:15 p.m. Wednesday on Easthampton Road led to drug charges against the occupants of the vehicle, Holyoke Police Department records show.

Nicholas Sabadosa, 26, of 531 West Road, Westfield, and Eric Hutchinson, 28, of 386 Tinkham Road, Springfield, were each charged with single counts of possession of a Class A drug with intent to distribute, Class A drug possession and conspiracy to violate drug laws, according to police records, which didn't identify the types of drugs that were seized.

Clas A substances include heroin, morphine, codeine and some so-called designer drugs, including Ketamine, also known as "Special K."

Sabadosa and Hutchinson were expected to be arraigned Thursday in Holyoke District Court. Additional information was not immediately available.

The Botaniste will be located at 101 Main St.

Photo by Diane Lederman / The RepublicanCorina Miller stands in front of her new shop she's opening in Easthampton called The Botaniste. She is a florist and decorator.

EASTHAMPTON – For years now, Corina Miller has created floral arrangements for weddings and other events or decorated people’s homes – but she’s never had an actual shop.

But that changes Saturday, when she opens The Botaniste in the space recently occupied by Cherry Picked Books, which went out of business last month.

The space at 101 Main St. became available at just the time when Miller was ready for the shop. Miller, who was born in London but grew up in Northampton, said her family home in Northampton is filled with items she has collected, some of which she will be bringing to the store to sell along with her plants and flowers.

“I practically have a showroom in my family home.”

Miller is a decorator, “functional decorating” she called it, helps people de-clutter their homes as well as creates floral arrangements for all kinds of events both in the United States and in London where she still has family.

She said she had been back in the area recently – she mostly has divided her time between New York and London - and drove through the city.

“Something had changed,” she said. “It was amazing.”

She said the city felt more vibrant than it had been a decade ago. And she loved the town-like feel. “Everyone knows everyone and I love it.”

She fell in love with the space too that that sits on the corner of Main and Union streets with a view to Park Street.

The store offered a large picture window that she loved. Miller, who also is a performer, she said she plans to show performance pieces in the window as well.

“I love beautiful things,” she said and will fill the window with them. She loves used furnishings in particular.

“I’m a vortex for things. I love, love, things that were previously owned.” She believes they offer new life for someone and “we’re not filling up the landfills” with items that people will love again.

“There is so much out there to be treasured. I guarantee someone else would be interested,” she said.

Opening the shop here is also a way for her “to justify being here more permanently,” she said.

Miller is opening the shop in time for the city’s monthly Arts Walk Saturday night, which happens throughout the city from 5 to 8 p.m.