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PM News Links: Gas could hit $5 per gallon by summer, dispatcher helps mom saves toddler over phone and more

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A Leominster woman who was robbed at knifepoint came face to face with her alleged attacker at a Registry of Motor Vehicles branch.

Joseph P. Kennedy III, Joseph P. Kennedy II, Joe KennedyJoseph P. Kennedy III, right, is seen in this 2010 photo with his father, Joseph P. Kennedy II. Click on the link, below, for a report from the Boston Herald that says the young Joe Kennedy has won the backing of Massachusetts' AFL-CIO union if he decides to run for Congress.

NOTE: Users of modern browsers can open each link in a new tab by holding 'control' ('command' on a Mac) and clicking each link.


Massachusetts executive office payroll database: What does Gov. Deval Patrick make?

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A Massachusetts database shows just 63 employees on the state's executive office payroll, including Gov. Deval Patrick and his staff.

deval patrick, march 2011, APMass. Gov. Deval Patrick speaks during a news conference outside his office at the Statehouse in Boston on Friday, March 18, 2011.

A Massachusetts database shows just 63 employees on the state's executive office payroll, including Gov. Deval Patrick and his staff.

Patrick made the most of those in his department last year, but his 2011 earnings fall short of many state police. He also made about $36,500 more than State House Speaker Robert DeLeo last year.

To bring up the whole database, just click "search." To find out what the governor makes, just type his name into the "employee name" field.

If you see anything interesting, let us know in the comment section below.

Information comes from the Massachusetts Open Checkbook and was last updated on Feb. 5.

Online Database by Caspio
Click here to load this Caspio Online Database.

Sen. Scott Brown and Elizabeth Warren wage war of words over Obama's contraception policy

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Brown and Warren engage in a heated argument over a polarizing issue in an election season which could shift the power dynamic in Congress.

Brown Warren 92111.jpgRepublican U.S. Senator Scott P. Brown and Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren.

One day after discussing their respective opinions on the president's revised contraception and preventative care mandate, the campaigns of Republican U.S. Sen Scott Brown and his Democratic opponent Elizabeth Warren ramped-up their attacks on each others positions.

The issue centers on an inclusion in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act which requires insurance companies to provide coverage for contraception and female preventative care. The requirement for insurance companies to pay for such items came following pressure from religious institutions and evangelicals in the wake of the initial mandate, which called for institutions, including religious hospitals and universities, to cover items and procedures which conflict may with their ideology and beliefs.

Brown is supporting a Republican bill that would allow any business to deny coverage of any prescription or procedure which conflicts with an owner's faith, ideology or beliefs. The bill, called the "Respect for Rights of Conscience Act of 2011," was introduced by Sen. Roy Blunt, R-MO., in August 2011 and now has 37 co-sponsors, including Brown. Only one Democrat, Sen. Benjamin Nelson of Nebraska, has signed on in support of the bill.

Brown's campaign sent an email Tuesday evening, likening the senator's position to that of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, whose seat Brown won in a 2010 special election following the longtime Democrat's death.

Brown referenced a 2009 letter that Kennedy wrote to Pope Benedict XVI which came to light following Kennedy's death. In the letter, Kennedy wrote "I believe in a conscience protection for Catholics in the health care field and will continue to advocate for it as my colleagues in the Senate and I work to develop an overall national health policy that guarantees health care for everyone."

Unlike what Kennedy discussed in his letter, the bill Brown is backing doesn't limit exclusions to religious institutions or entities. Critics of the bill charge that it is too wide-sweeping in nature and would create anarchy in the health care field with employers denying coverage for any treatment they wish under the guise of a faith-based conflict.

In the email, Brown took aim at Warren, who came out in support of the revision to the mandate on Tuesday, saying that Obama had "done a pretty good job" about finding the middle ground between ensuring women have access to health care services while being respectful to religious concerns.

"It's elitist for Elizabeth Warren to dictate to religious people about what they should believe and how they should act. She wants to use the power of government to force Catholics to violate the teachings of their faith. That is wrong," Brown wrote. "One of our most fundamental rights as a people is the freedom of religion. Like Ted Kennedy, I support a religious conscience exemption in health care."

Warren fired back, calling the "Respect for Rights of Conscience Act of 2011" backed by Brown irresponsible.

“This is a completely new attack that threatens everyone’s health care,” Warren said in a statement. "It is an irresponsible assault on the health care of every family in Massachusetts and around our country. Scott Brown is on the wrong side here, standing with Washington and Republican extremists and against the people of Massachusetts - our families, our seniors, and everyone who relies on health insurance to get the care they need. This is a critical issue and when he ought to be putting the people of Massachusetts first, he’s not."

Alan Seewald allowed to withdraw from case against Northampton given his nomination for City Solicitor

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Earlier, Allen Scheinman said he and two other clients might sue Seewald if he didn’t provide money to defer the cost of filling in new counsel.

Alan Seewald 1612.jpgAlan Seewald

NORTHAMPTON – Hampshire Superior Court Judge Mary-Lou Rupp allowed lawyer Alan Seewald Wednesday to withdraw from a case clearing the way for him to become City Solicitor.

Seewald’s former clients Alan L. Scheinman, Eric G. Suher and David R. Pesuit sought to block Seewald from withdrawing from their case. Seewald was representing them in their suit against the city over the creation of the Business Improvement District that serves some downtown Northampton property owners.

With the suit still pending, Mayor David J. Narkewicz asked Seewald to become Northampton's new city solicitor and Seewald filed his motion to withdraw.

In a court hearing Wednesday, Scheinman argued that Seewald’s motion to withdraw as council represented “a conflict of interest.” He has filed two charges with the Board of Bar of Overseers asking for an investigation and has been told they would investigate.

“Whether it is a conflict of interest is not the issue before me,” Rup said. She said in allowing the motion for Seewald to withdraw there “is evidence there is no relationship between you (and Seewald.)”


Earlier, Scheinman said they might sue Seewald if he didn’t provide money to defer the cost of filling in new counsel. Rup said that the potential for the suit indicated, “that the attorney-client relationship is irretrievably broken.” Scheinman and the others had paid nearly $40,000 in fees to Seewald.

Seewald said it would be up to the mayor to decide whether he becomes the solicitor.

The first step to that was being allowed to withdraw from this case. “I couldn’t accept the appointment while remaining counsel.”

“I am very interested in serving the community of Northampton, the community I have lived in for 30 years,” Seewald said.

Narkewicz said as soon as Rup’s file’s her written order, “it is my intention to appoint (Seewald) and he’ll be sworn in.” He said that could happen as soon as the end of this week. And he said Seewald will not defend the city in the lawsuit.

“We’ll have special counsel in the suit for the city.”
He said he will cooperate with the Board of Bar of Overseers’ investigation and could not comment further.

Narkewicz called Seewald on Dec. 26 and asked if he would be interested in becoming solicitor. After thinking about it for a day, Seewald said decided to accept and notified his clients of his intention to withdraw as their attorney.

Scheinman asked that Rup keep Seewald on as counsel of record to prevent him from helping the city against their case. Rup did not.

Scheinman also questioned how Seewald could represent “the city of Northampton…He might harm the city’s interest in this case.”

He said that Seewald had agreed not to participate in the case against them.

The plaintiffs believe the city failed to follow due process in approving the Business Improvement District. They believe the district would place an inordinate amount of power over the use of downtown real estate in the hands of the city and the district's board of directors.

Scheinman reported they do have a new lawyer but the details have not yet been finalized.

Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield launches 53rd annual appeal

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Tornado victim Jimmie Mitchell said he was surprised to have gotten almost immediate tornado relief as a non-Catholic.

Prior to the announcement of the start of the 2012 Catholic Charities Annual Appeal, homeowner Jimmy Mitchell, left, shows Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell, right, the work that he has had done on his home at 186 Arcadia Blvd. since the June 1 tornado. Catholic Charities was able to provide the Mitchell family assistance with their deductibles for their insurance policies. The press conference was held at the Mitchell home.

SPRINGFIELD – After the home where he and his family had lived for 25 years was battered by the June 1 tornado, Jimmie Mitchell's insurance company fell short.

There was an approximate $10,000 gap between his settlement and the repairs his Arcadia Boulevard home needed, so he cast around for alternatives. The answer came from what he regarded as an unlikely source: the Roman Catholic Church.

"A friend told me the Catholic church was offering help to tornado victims; but, I thought they wouldn't help me because I'm not a Catholic. I was wrong," said Mitchell, a retired public school teacher. "Thank God."

After filling out a one-page application at Catholic Charities, the diocese's giving arm, Mitchell said he and his wife had a check in three weeks.

"We really needed the money. It came just in time," he said shortly after a press conference at his home, where the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield launched its 53rd annual public appeal on Wednesday.

Each year, the diocese appeals to the local community for $3 million in donations, typically highlighting the most urgent needs of the region for which it attempts to lend a hand.

Last year, the church collected approximately $2.75 million during the appeal and received an additional half-million dollars in donations and grants in the wake of the June 1 storms. The appeal funds 40 charitable organizations in the four Western Massachusetts counties that fall under the diocese.

Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell said the tornado relief dollars literally flew out nearly as quickly as they came in. The church gave money to those in need of immediate aid, and to cover deductibles and rental assistance in the following weeks and months.

McDonnell said Mitchell was not alone in thinking that Catholic Charities served only Catholics.

"It's across the board. We don't give to those from a specific religion. We give to those in need as we can," the prelate said.

He said that in addition to the unexpected explosion in need generated from the tornado and Hurricane Irene that hit Franklin County hardest, the flat economy has brought a consistent call for more emergency food assistance.

"I know that people are hurting; and that's what this annual appeal is all about," McDonnell said.

Mitchell said he called the diocese to thank the bishop personally and was surprised when McDonnell came to his home.

"They did a wonderful thing. And I just wanted him to know how grateful I was," Mitchell said.

Pioneer Valley Transit Authority considers fare increase to take effect in July

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An adult fare with a transfer from one bus route to another would go from $1.50 now to $2.50 and a fare for a child ages 6 to 12 could go from 75 cents now to $1.

Se bus 3.jpgRiders board a PVTA bus at the stop on Boland Way in downtown Springfield in the summer of 2010.

SPRINGFIELD – A regular adult bus fare could go from $1.25 to $1.50 in July as the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority struggles to close a $1.8 million budget gap without cutting back on bus service.

An adult fare with a transfer from one bus route to another would go from $1.50 now to $2.50 and a fare for a child ages 6 to 12 could go from 75 cents now to $1. A 31-day pass would jump from $45 to $52. A one-day pass would go from $3 to $5, according to documents released Wednesday.

If approved, the proposed rate increases would not go into force until July. The last PVTA fare increase was in 2008.

Even if the fare increases come to pass, passengers could still pay the old $1.25-a-trip fare by using a reusable stored-value smart card similar to the CharlieCard used by Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, said Pioneer Valley Transit Authority Administrator Mary L. MacInnes.

“It’s to the PVTA’s benefit to have more people use the smart card when we install the system in July,” MacInnes said. “Our drivers won’t have to deal with cash. It’s a promotional effort to get people to use the smart cards.”

In Boston, CharlieCard users save you 15 to 50 percent on T fares depending on how they ride.

The $1.8 million budget gap comes from $1 million in increased expenses under the PVTA’s union labor contract and the absence of a $800,000 grant the PVTA received last year from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, MacInnes said.

The Authority’s Advisory Board voted unanimously Wednesday afternoon to move ahead with a series of eight public hearings to occur sometime in March on the proposed rate increases. Some of the hearings will be in Holyoke and some in Springfield, but exact times, places and dates were not set.

The PVTA proposal would also raise the cost of paratransit, a by-appointment door-to-door service for the disabled from $2.50 to $3 for most trips but from $2.50 to $7 for people who live more than three quarters of a mile from a regular bus route. Board members urged agency staff to do anything they can to avoid that $7-a-trip fare.

MacInnes said once the hearings are set, the board can adjust the fare increases downward but it cannot increase them beyond these advertised rate increases.

Thomas T. Walsh, communications director for Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and the city’s representative on the Advisor Board, said even a small fare increase might be unbearable to people on tight budgets who depend on bus transportation.

Bus rider Cornelius Sewell, a resident of Division Street in Springfield, agreed.

“It might not sound like a lot to most people,” Sewell said. “But there are some days I don’t have bus fare.”

Sewell bought a day-long pass Wednesday so he could make several trips picking up medications and visiting the Social Security Administration office on Bond Street.

PVTA is also considering 35 cutbacks to bus service on little-used routes or at times when ridership is low, according to printed materials distributed Wednesday.

“This board has not had an appetite for drastic service cuts,” she said.

In Boston, the MBTA has proposed raising fares 43 percent to close a projected $161 million budget gap. Another scenario calls for a more modest hike of 35 percent, but accompanied by more extensive service cuts.

In the Pioneer Valley, ridership is up 7.6 percent in recent months from 5.75 million riders in July 2010 through January of 2011 year to 6.18 million riders in July of 2011 through January 2012, according to a PVTA report.

High gas prices tend to lead to increased bus ridership, MacInnes said.

AP source: Joe Kennedy III to announce run for Barney Frank's seat in Congress

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Joseph Kennedy III is formally jumping into the race for the Massachusetts congressional seat now held by retiring U.S. Rep. Barney Frank.

Joseph Kennedy IIIIn this photo taken Jan. 7, 2010, Joseph P. Kennedy III attends a campaign event for the senate candidacy of Martha Coakley in Medford, Mass. Kennedy is the son of former Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II and a grandson of the late Robert F. Kennedy. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)


By STEVE LeBLANC, Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — Joseph Kennedy III is formally jumping into the race for the Massachusetts congressional seat now held by retiring U.S. Rep. Barney Frank.

A member of the campaign who requested anonymity so as not to preempt the candidate's announcement tells The Associated Press the Democrat is expected to make the announcement Thursday.

Kennedy recently moved from Cambridge to Brookline, part of the state's newly redrawn 4th Congressional District.

Kennedy is the son of former U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy II and a grandson of the late Robert F. Kennedy. The family has deep ties to the Boston suburb.

Kennedy announced last month he was forming an exploratory committee to look at a possible run for the seat.

At least two other Democrats and two Republicans are considering runs.

Jose Bonilla-Torres of Holyoke gets murder charge dropped after nearly 2.5 years in jail

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Carlos DeJesus pleaded guilty last week to voluntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of Joseph Michael Hernandez

Jose Bonilla-Torres 2009.jpgJose Bonilla-Torres

SPRINGFIELD –Jose Bonilla-Torres has spent 911 days in jail awaiting trial on a murder charge for the fatal shooting of Joseph Michael Hernandez during a 2009 robbery attempt at a dice game in a Holyoke apartment building.

Last week, his co-defendant Carlos DeJesus admitted to the shooting, pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter and getting sentenced to 13-14 years in state prison.

On Wednesday, the murder charge was dropped against Bonilla-Torres, 24, of Holyoke, and he was allowed to plead guilty to two counts of willfully interfering with a criminal investigation.

Hampden Superior Court Judge Richard J. Carey sentenced Bonilla-Torres to 2½ years in jail on one count.

On the second count he was sentenced to an additional year in jail of which he must serve six months.

Bonilla-Torres gets credit for the 911 days he has spent in jail awaiting trial.

In the document filed by Assistant District Attorney Matthew J. Shea dropping the murder charge, he wrote DeJesus has admitted he was responsible for shooting Hernandez.

“This defendant, Mr. Bonilla-Torres, was charged as a joint venturer, however, the main and only witness the commonwealth had to prove these charges was appointed a lawyer and refused to testify by asserting a valid Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself,” Shea wrote.

He said without that witness' testimony, the state would not have any evidence Bonilla-Torres had any involvement in the killing.

David Rountree, Bonilla-Torres’ lawyer, said his client made a statement to police Aug. 17, 2009, when he was arrested and “it turned out it was borne out over and over again” in surveillance video from after the shooting.

The video “indicated their main witness was less than truthful,” Rountree said.


Sen. John Kerry praises Timothy Hillman, nominee for federal judgeship

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President Obama nominated Hillman for the new post last fall on the recommendation of Kerry and Massachusetts Republican Sen. Scott Brown.

WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — Sen. John Kerry has urged his colleagues to swiftly confirm the promotion of a federal magistrate in Worcester to a U.S. district judgeship there.

The Massachusetts Democrat introduced Timothy Hillman on Wednesday at a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing in Washington.

President Obama nominated Hillman for the new post last fall on the recommendation of Kerry and Massachusetts Republican Sen. Scott Brown.

Kerry, a former state prosecutor, praised Hillman's handling of cases involving alleged terror plots and economic espionage. He also said Hillman's work on a court reentry program has been a national model for helping offenders avoid a return to crime.

Hillman has been a magistrate judge since 2006, and also was a judge in the Massachusetts state courts.

Julian Pellegrino of Springfield gets 2nd jail sentence for driving under the influence of alcohol

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It was while Pellegrino was out on bail awaiting trial on the Chicopee car crash case that he was arrested by state police in 2010, and charged with operating under the influence of alcohol.

AE pellegrino 1.jpgJulian Pellegrino appears in Hampden Superior Court for a bail reduction hearing last summer.

SPRINGFIELD – A District Court jury on Tuesday found Julian Pellegrino guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol in November 2010 as he was awaiting trial for injuring another motorist while driving drunk in 2009.

Judge Robert A. Gordon sentenced Pellegrino, 43, to 120 days in the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow.

The sentence will be served after Pelligrino completes his term for operating under the influence of alcohol causing serious bodily injury. He pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor offense in November in Hampden Superior Court for the 2009 Chicopee car crash that seriously injured another driver.

Pellegrino, of 29 Savoy St., was sentenced to 2½ years in the Ludlow jail, with 18 months to be served and the rest suspended with three years of probation.

It was while Pellegrino was out on bail awaiting trial on the Chicopee car crash case that he was arrested by state police Nov. 9, 2010, and charged with operating under the influence of alcohol.

Pellegrino was arrested at about 2 a.m. by state police assigned to the Springfield barracks. Police said troopers stopped Pellegrino after his vehicle was observed drifting over a solid white line on State Street.

Julian Pellegrino, a lawyer who briefly considered a run for state representative in the 9th Hampden District in 1999, is the son of Kathleen B. Pellegrino, a former police commissioner and retired Springfield Juvenile Court Judge Joseph A. Pellegrino.

Julian Pellegrino took the stand in the District Court case Monday, saying he only had one beer while he was making dinner for his family the night before his early morning stop by state police.

He said he had no more to drink between then and his arrest at about 2 a.m.

Raphier D. Pellegrino, Julian Pellegrino’s brother and the lawyer who represented him in the Superior Court case, also took the stand in the District Court case.

He said when he bailed Julian Pellegrino out at the state police barracks in the early morning hours of Nov. 9 Julian was not under the influence of alcohol.

Assistant District Attorney Tina Cafaro asked Raipher Pellegrino if he bailed Julian out at 4:18 a.m., hours after his arrest.

Raipher Pellegrino said he was at the barracks at 2 a.m. because his brother called him when he was stopped by police, but did not know exactly when he saw his brother at the barracks.

Springfield City Councilor Timothy Rooke seeks stronger oversight of multi-unit apartment buildings

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Under the ordinance, landlords would provide information about themselves and their managers.

rooke.JPGTimothy J. Rooke

SPRINGFIELD – City Councilor Timothy J. Rooke has proposed a city ordinance that would expand the city’s oversight of multi-unit apartment complexes.

The ordinance would require landlords of apartment complexes to obtain a “residential rental occupancy permit” from the city. The landlords, as part of the application process, would provide information about themselves and their property managers, including how they can be contacted for inspections and maintenance and potential problems, according to the draft ordinance.

The draft ordinance was referred to the council’s Planning and Economic Development Committee for review and revision and public input.

“This allows the city to have a tool to make sure the landlords who do business in the city of Springfield are responsible and respectful to the tenants that they are renting to,” Rooke said. “The goal is to start to clean up the city of Springfield.”

If a landlord lives in a two-family or three-family building, that landlord would be exempt from the permit requirement, Rooke said.

The 14-page draft ordinance could be significantly changed during the review process to address any issues raised, Rooke said. While the draft describes a proposed permit process and initial city inspections, Rooke said he wants to start from the premise that there is “no language at this point.”

The draft calls for landlords to provide contact information such as names and addresses and telephone numbers of those responsible for maintenance and management of the apartment buildings in applying for the permit. The permit is valid until the property ceases to be used as a rental property or is transferred, under the draft ordinance.

Such an ordinance exists in Lowell and some other communities, Rooke said.

The draft ordinance states the purpose of the ordinance is to protect public health and safety and to ensure minimum standards for the maintenance of residential buildings.

Rooke said multiple city departments, including Code Enforcement, would be involved in the new ordinance.

Springfield City Council approves non-binding resolution to explore city employee health insurance 'opt-out' option

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The resolution stated the city could save $750,000 to $1 million depending on participation.

SPRINGFIELD – The City Council this week approved a non-binding resolution, sponsored by councilor Timothy Rooke, to explore if the city might offer an incentive to city employees who “opt out” of city health insurance.

The council asked city finance, insurance, human services and collective bargaining officials to research if the opt-out program is feasible and would save the city money if pursued in contract negotiations.

The resolution stated the city could save $750,000 to $1 million depending on participation.

In Westborough, lump sum stipends are offered to city employees who opt out of the city’s health insurance program, according to a form provided to the council.

Worries about Greece lead to worst 2012 drop for Dow Jones industrial average

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It was the worst 1-day decline for the Dow Jones industrial average in 2012.

By CHRISTINA REXRODE | AP Business Writer

021512 greece on a ledge.JPGAn employee at the state-run Workers' Housing Organization (OEK) crouches on a ledge while threatening to jump as a colleague speaks to her, in central Athens, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012. The agency is due to be shut as part of sweeping new austerity measures demanded by Greece's EU-IMF rescue creditors. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

NEW YORK — Stocks slumped Wednesday in one of their worst showings this year as Greece, slogging through negotiations with other countries over a bailout, once again cast a long shadow over the financial markets.

The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 97.33 points to close at 12,780.95. It was the worst one-day decline for the Dow this year, and the index narrowly avoided its first triple-digit loss for the year. The average was down as much as 125 points.

The Standard & Poor's 500 and the Nasdaq composite index climbed tentatively through the morning but gave up their gains by afternoon. The S&P fell 7.27 points to 1,343.23. The Nasdaq fell 16 points to 2,915.83.

The declines were broad, with nine of the 10 industry groups in the S&P recording losses. The only group that didn't was materials, which was flat. Only five of the 30 stocks in the Dow rose for the day, and just barely.

In a 3½-hour conference call with the finance ministers of the other 16 countries that use the euro, Greece offered assurances that it had found €325 million in budget cuts in addition to harsh measures that it has already promised.

But in a sign of the distrust that has built during the European debt crisis, particularly among richer countries, a European official said Greece would need tighter oversight of its budget before it receives another bailout.

Greece needs the money before a big bond payment comes due March 20. A default would rattle the world financial system. For weeks, incremental movement in the Greek crisis has whipsawed U.S. stocks.

"Long story short, we long for the days when markets traded on fundamentals," said David Katz, principal at WeiserMazars Wealth Advisors. He thinks stock picks have been ruled by emotion, rather than clear-eyed examinations of companies' balance sheets, at least since the credit crunch in 2007 and the ensuing Great Recession.

"Just as quickly as you see the market pop up from one headline, then you see the downturn from another," Katz said. "It doesn't really have to be (big news). It's not even the meat of the story, it's the headline."

Greece makes up just 2 percent of the total economic output of the 17 countries that use the euro. But investors are troubled by the fallout from a potential default and similar financial problems festering in other European countries, like Portugal, Italy and Spain.

"There is no shortage of people who would argue that Greece is a non-event," said Dan McMahon, director of equity trading at Raymond James. "It's more that it's a barometer for the rest of the eurozone."

Stocks have risen steadily all year, so some analysts argued that a slowdown was inevitable. The S&P 500 ended 2011 at 1,258, and many analysts predicted it would end 2012 at 1,350. But it had already reached that level last week.

"When the market does in a few weeks what was expected for the year, it's natural for the market to sort of pause and pinch itself and say, 'Is this supposed to go on?'" said Brian Gendreau, market strategist for Cetera Financial Group.

"If it continued at the same pace for the rest of the year, that's just unrealistic. You'd need an unrelenting drumbeat of good news, and we haven't gotten that," Gendreau said.

The price of oil climbed to its highest level in five weeks after Iran said it would cut off some exports of crude to Europe. Iran was responding to the European Union's plans to embargo Iranian oil this summer, an attempt to pressure Iran to abandon its nuclear program. Benchmark U.S. crude rose $1.06 to end the day at $101.80 per barrel in New York.

The average retail price for a gallon of gas was $3.52. Gas prices are already the highest on record for this time of year, and economists fear that they could crimp the halting economic recovery. This time a year ago, gas was $3.12.

Apple stock went on a wild zigzag. It set an all-time high at midday, $526.29 per share, but fell sharply and closed down $11.79 at $497.67 after eight straight days of gains.

The decline appeared to be caused by rumors that the Nasdaq 100 index would adjust its components to give Apple, the biggest company in the world by market value, less weight. That would force mutual funds that track the Nasdaq 100 to sell Apple stock.

Those rumors may have been overblown. Nasdaq declined to comment on Apple but pointed out that it adjusts the index if a company's market value represents more than 24 percent of the index. Apple represented about 17 percent at the end of the day Wednesday.

The euro fell slightly against the dollar to just under $1.31. The euro had been mostly rising since mid-January, but topped out around $1.33 late last week.

The yield on the U.S. government's benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.93 percent from 1.94 percent. Yields fall and bond prices rise when investors decided to seek a haven for their money rather than take a bet on the stock market.

Among the biggest movers in the U.S. market:

• Comcast, the cable provider, climbed 5 percent after beating Wall Street expectations for profit and revenue. It managed to slow the loss of customers as it added channels and better customer service.

• Kellogg rose 5 percent after announcing it would buy Pringles from Procter & Gamble. Diamond Foods had a deal to buy Pringles but got caught up in an accounting scandal. P&G was flat, and Diamond was up 5 percent.

• Zynga, the maker of popular Facebook games like FarmVille, plummeted 18 percent after reporting it lost money in the fourth quarter. Zynga went public in December.

Mass. Democratic Party calls for investigation of sheriff accused of using intimidation to solicit campaign contributions from employees

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An Eastern Mass. Sheriff is accused of intimidating his employees into donating more than $400,000 to his campaign war chest since 2005.

Essex County Sheriff Frank Cousins Jr.This screenshot taken from Sheriff Frank Cousins Jr.'s reelection website shows the Republican politician accused of using intimidation to coerce campaign donations out of his employees.

BOSTON – Following a news report accusing Essex County Sheriff Frank Cousins Jr. of using intimidation to solicit campaign donations from employees he holds rank over, the Massachusetts Democratic Party is calling for a formal investigation.

“The allegations that Republican Sheriff Frank Cousins has created an atmosphere of fear and intimidation to pressure his employees to contribute to his campaign committee are serious and disturbing," said John Walsh, chair of the Massachusetts Democratic Party. "At a time when many Massachusetts families are still struggling, the notion that an elected law enforcement official would force rank and file employees to fork over their hard-earned dollars to his campaign shocks the conscience."

The report by WBZ-TV, a Boston CBS affiliate station, included statements from an employee of the sheriff's office that said if you don't contribute to Cousins' campaign fund on an annual basis, intimidation and a lack of upward mobility follow.

"You won’t lose your job, but you won’t get promoted, you won’t get anywhere. You’ll get treated differently," an unnamed employee told WBZ-TV. "Some people can’t afford to pay this money… and if you can’t it’s well-known and you can feel the wrath coming from up top."

The report looked at campaign finance numbers for Cousins campaign, which showed that since 2005, more than 300 department employees and their immediate family members donated in excess of $400,000 to the Republican sheriff.

Cousins told the North Andover-based Eagle Tribune that the employee who spoke to WBZ-TV was a "disgruntled employee who resigned rather than accept a reassignment in a recent round of layoffs."

Cousins, denying any wrongdoing, said he would no longer accept donations from union employees of the department, which the newspaper reports would drop his donor pool from 502 to 27.

The Eagle Tribune also reported that in May 2011, Cousins was fined $10,000 for accepting undocumented contributions to his political campaign.

The conservative blog RedMassGroup, in response to the initial report, said that if an investigation concludes Cousins was in violation of the law, prosecution should follow.

"If in fact Sheriff Cousins is coercing his employees to donate in order to keep their jobs, then he should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law," blogger Rob Eno wrote on the website. "Donations to political candidates should not be required as a condition of employment, whether they are overt as Cousins is being accused of, or covert through the use of public union dues without an opt out clause."

Cousins has served as sheriff of Essex County in Eastern Massachusetts since 1996.

Cote's Restaurant in Chicopee allowed to reopen

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The restaurant was seized by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue because the owners had failed to pay $61,000 in back taxes.

Cote's RestaurantCote's Family Restaurant at 353 Front St.

CHICOPEE – A family-owned restaurant has been given permission to reopen after the state Department of Revenue seized it last week after the owner failed to pay taxes.

Cote’s Family Restaurant at 353 Front St. was allowed to open again after Michael Cote, who is listed as president and director of the business, discussed the tax problem with state officials, said Daniel Bertrand, a spokesman for the Department of Revenue.

“We worked out the details of a payment plan with him,” Bertrand said.

It is against department policy to discuss specifics of the plan, he said.

Revenue officials closed the breakfast and lunch eatery Feb. 7 after it had failed to pay taxes as far back as 2008. It changed the locks and placed a large orange sign saying “seized” in the window.

The back taxes total $61,000 and came from meals taxes that are included in customers’ bills and payments withheld from employees’ paychecks.

Cote leases the building but owes the city about $430 in personal property taxes from this year, said Ernest N. Laflamme, the city treasurer.

If an agreement had not been reached, the state would have auctioned off the restaurant equipment to try to recoup some of the back taxes. The Department seizes between 60 and 80 businesses, which are mostly restaurants, every year for non-payment of taxes.


New Hampshire bill to place warning signs near Massachusetts borders rejected by lawmakers

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The signs, which would have said "Warning: Massachusetts Border 500 Feet," were proposed in an effort to warn residents that they were about to enter the Bay State, which has stricter laws.

WELCOME TO MASSACHUSETTS SIGN.JPG(Republican file photo by Michael S. Gordon)

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — In New Hampshire, the state motto "Live Free or Die" is more of a way of life than just a slogan.

But despite the push of some in the Granite State to place "warning" signs on roads that lead to a border with Massachusetts, the bill was voted down in the New Hampshire House of Representatives on Wednesday in a 285-18 vote.

The signs, which would have said "Warning: Massachusetts Border 500 Feet," were proposed in an effort to warn residents that they were about to enter the Bay State, which has different laws regarding seatbelts, helmets, guns, knives, fireworks, alcohol and cell phones, according to a website backing the bill.

Rep. Candace Bouchard, a Concord Democrat, said in her report for the committee that the bill would not be a "message of hospitality" nor would it be practical since not all roads crossing the border are state roads, the Associated Press reported.

The website, borderwarning.com, includes a "horror stories" section where New Hampshire residents are encouraged to share accounts of arrests and fines resulting from unknowingly crossing into Massachusetts.

One story tells of an Iraq war veteran who was arrested after accidentally bringing his pistol, which was legally registered in New Hampshire, into Massachusetts on a drive to visit a girlfriend.

"Unfortunately states like Massachusetts do not respect the individual’s Constitutional right to keep and bear arms, even those persons with a lawful carry license issued by a neighboring state," the website's author, attorney Evan F. Nappen, wrote following the story.

Nappen said that he pushed the legislation after representing the veteran, who faced a series of legal issues following his arrest in the Bay State.

Massachusetts House of Representatives rejects spending cap

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A Republican effort to cap state spending met fierce resistance Wednesday from Democrats who called the move “foolish” and a “political gesture” that could choke off lifelines for vulnerable residents or communities ravaged by natural disasters.

Mass Statehouse.jpgA separate GOP amendment by House Minority Leader Bradley Jones to credit taxpayers when year-to-year revenue increases exceed 4.5 percent was defeated 34-116, again with Rep. Christopher Fallon as the only Democratic supporter.

By Kyle Cheney, STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

BOSTON - A Republican effort to cap state spending met fierce resistance Wednesday from Democrats who called the move “foolish” and a “political gesture” that could choke off lifelines for vulnerable residents or communities ravaged by natural disasters.

The proposal, offered as an amendment to a bill intended to rewrite the state’s finance laws, failed 34-115 on a largely party line vote, with only Rep. Christopher Fallon (D-Malden) voting with Republicans.

Republicans said the plan would index state spending limits to growth in inflation and population, forcing fiscal restraint.

“This would level our peaks and valleys of revenue we see each year,” said Rep. George Peterson (R-Grafton).

Added Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Pembroke), “This hits at the heart of fiscal responsibility.”

But Democrats said the move would tie government’s hands, potentially in life-threatening ways.

Rep. Denise Provost (D-Somerville) said the amendment would limit spending increases to factors that don’t necessarily provide an accurate indication of spending needs. She noted that just a few hours earlier, House members learned that the state’s population of special education recipients had risen fourfold in recent years, in part because of medical advances that were saving the lives of low birth weight babies.

“How does that fit into a metric that looks into inflation and population?” she wondered. “This is a foolish way to make public policy.”

“It's our job to make judgments from year to year about what we spend and how we tax. And to put into statute any requirements [that] in any way limit our successors is to make a serious political mistake,” added Rep. Jay Kaufman (D-Lexington). “If this is a meaningless political gesture we are being asked to subscribe to, I would ask that we reject it.”

Republicans bristled at the description of their efforts as political gimmickry.

“If fighting for the taxpayers of Massachusetts is gamesmanship, count me in as political,” said Rep. James Lyons (R-Andover). His fellow freshman Republican colleague, Rep. Marc Lombardo (R-Billerica), contended that recent questions about health care spending on illegal immigrants and the operation of the Rose Kennedy Greenway underscored the need for spending limits.

A separate GOP amendment by House Minority Leader Bradley Jones to credit taxpayers when year-to-year revenue increases exceed 4.5 percent was defeated 34-116, again with Fallon as the only Democratic supporter.

Rep. Peter Kocot (D-Northampton) argued that the amendment would bind the Legislature to an artificial taxation limit.

“Things happen where we have to move quickly, be flexible and jump into action,” he said, invoking the natural disasters that wracked Monson, Brimfield and Springfield last year.

The back-and-forth over Republican amendments belied the eventual passage of the underlying bill – a wide-ranging bill to overhaul the state’s finance laws – on a unanimous, bipartisan vote.

The bill’s supporters said it espoused a simple goal: making government work better. The bill will enable policy makers to operate from a more "knowledge-based, agile and pro-active" position, according to Kocot, who co-chairs the Legislature’s State Administration Committee.

The bill is a rewrite of legislation that unanimously passed the Senate last year.

According to Kocot, the bill removes “contradicting” laws pertaining to state finance and bonding, aims to ensure lawmakers are informed about trends in big-ticket accounts like pensions and human services caseloads, accelerates the transition from paper systems to computer platforms, and looks to build on the state's performance audit capabilities.

The bill also retains the Legislature's oversight of surplus property transactions, requires budget bills filed by the governor to include information on trends, and creates a five-member state finance board to promote transparency.

Proposals included in the Senate bill but dropped in the House bill would institute a zero-based budget formation process, distribute local aid on a monthly rather than quarterly basis, and create a "sunset commission" to review the need for state agencies and board. The Senate bill, unlike the House plan, also authorized the use of the state's rainy day fund for borrowing if the borrowing was cheaper than short-term cash flow borrowing.

During debate, the House adopted a Republican amendment that would require the Legislature to adopt an annual tax revenue forecast within 10 days of one being agreed upon by legislative and executive branch budget writers.

The House also backed GOP proposals to post collective bargaining agreements online, to create a special commission to study a two-year budget cycle, to create a special commission to study the feasibility of creating a nonpartisan legislative budget office, and to link an annual limit on capital gains taxes in the budget to personal income growth.

The House also supported an amendment filed by Rep. John Scibak (D-South Hadley) that would require all Executive Branch jobs to be posted in a computerized referral system. An amendment by Rep. Jason Lewis (D-Winchester) to establish a commission that would identify redundancies in government functions also won passage, along with an amendment by Rep. Jay Kaufman (D-Lexington) to promote “a comprehensive, rational, policy-driven and analytic approach to our tax expenditure budget.”

During debate on their amendments, Republicans repeatedly praised House Speaker Robert DeLeo for forswearing new taxes in the House’s initial budget proposal, due out next month.

Fallon, the Malden Democrat who voted with Republicans on taxing and spending restrictions, said many of his colleagues had employed “exaggeration and hyperbole” in their rejection of the amendments. Speaking on the proposal to index spending growth to inflation and population changes, Fallon said, “I think that this amendment is very innocuous. I think it's harmless.”

Fallon also took exception to an earlier comment by Rep. Benjamin Swan (D-Springfield), who ripped Republicans for claiming to be aware of the pulse of all Massachusetts voters.

“We're listening to some of the members as if all we do is raise taxes and spend. No single member has a monopoly on what the public of Massachusetts thinks,” Swan said, speaking against the tax proposals. “There are a number of people in my community who want increases in taxes … It's amazing that one member of this body can tell us what the taxpayers of Massachusetts want.”

To applause from the Republican caucus, Fallon replied, “To suggest that any member of this House does not have the right to get up to that podium and say that he believes that the people of Massachusetts want to hold us accountable, want to limit the spending … that person is speaking for his or her constituency.”

Speaking against taxation and spending limits, Rep. Angelo Scaccia (D-Hyde Park) predicted that the House’s budget would slash local aid to cities and towns and would make cuts to the state’s multi-billion-dollar Medicaid program.

“We're not going to be able to raise local aid. In fact, we're going to have to lower it. I can just imagine how some of the folks in this chamber are going to react to that,” he said. “For as long as I've been here, the Medicaid budget has been going up $1 billion per year. We're going to make some cuts, I think, in the Medicaid budget and in the general health care budget this year. I think there will be a group of individuals in this chamber who are going to say, 'Not my hospital. Not my doctors.' ”

“Over the past 15 years, we have had one general tax increase, and that was the sales tax that went from 5 to 6-and-a-quarter. During that same time, we have made close to … 50 tax cuts and at the same time, Mr. Speaker, we have provided tax incentives for certain corporations.”

House members appeared unaccustomed to the vigor and intensity of the debate, in part because lengthy discourse has become increasingly rare in the House in recent years. Several veteran members of the House preceded their remarks with seeming surprise at the depth and detail of the discussion.

“It was exciting to have a debate break out and have people listening to it. It's kind of what we should be about in here,” said House Minority Leader Bradley Jones, a North Reading Republican.

“I, too, have enjoyed the topical debate we've had,” said Kaufman. “It's timely. I think it's important, and I think it's been well-conducted.”

Scaccia, the dean of the House, added that although he hoped the Republican amendments were defeated, “I enjoyed the debate today. I thought it was well-orchestrated. I thought it was well-done.”

“I might spend a little more time in this chamber,” he added, drawing laughs from colleagues.

Cape Wind power purchase, WMECO rate freeze seal deal for Massachusetts OK of NStar-Northeast Utilities merger

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The deal includes freezing rates for 4 years, including rates for 200,000 customers of Western Massachusetts Electric Co.

northeast utilities nstar logos.jpg

BOSTON – State leaders on Wednesday unveiled a landmark agreement with NStar and Northeast Utilities that would permit the two electric utilities to merge in return for purchasing a certain amount of power from the Cape Wind project and for freezing rates for four years including for 200,000 customers in Western Massachusetts.

Under the agreement, which still needs approval of the state Department of Public Utilities, the combined company would keep its electric distribution base rates the same through 2015.

In addition, the merged utility would also have to award customers with a one-time rebate of $21 million, or about $12 to $15 for the average ratepayer.

sulli.jpgMassachusetts Gov. Deval L. Patrick talks to Belchertown residents during a meeting last November about the Oct. 29 snow storm. At right is Richard K. Sullivan Jr. Secretary, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Patrick and Sullivan on Wednesday announced that a merger of two electric utilities would be conditioned on a freeze of rates for four years for ratepayers including about 200,000 in Western Massachusetts.

At a press conference, Gov. Deval L. Patrick said the merger will be good for ratepayers, the environment and the economy.

"What we have today is a landmark agreement for customers," Patrick said. "It will protect ratepayers from rate increases now and into the future and it passes the savings from the merger directly back to the customer."

According to Richard K. Sullivan Jr. of Westfield, the state's secretary of energy and environmental affairs, state officials made sure that customers in Western Massachusetts would benefit from the merger.

Sullivan said the merged utility will also need to improve reliability and response to power outages in Western Massachusetts.

"This is a fair agreement, a good agreement," Sullivan said.

Under the settlement, the merged entity will enter into a 15-year contract to purchase 27.5 percent of the electricity from the 133-turbine Cape Wind, the fully permitted offshore wind energy project planned for Nantucket Sound off the south shore of Cape Cod, the Patrick administration said. If that project does not break ground by 2016, the utility will buy an equal amount of clean energy from another source, likely land-based wind or solar, the Patrick administration said.

In 2010, another key utility, National Grid, agreed to buy about 50 percent of the power output of Cape Wind.

Northeast Utilities, based in Hartford, owns the Western Massachusetts Electric Co., which serves 200,000 residential and other customers in Western Massachusetts including Amherst, Agawam, Greenfield, Ludlow, Springfield and West Springfield.

NSTAR, based in Boston, has electric customers in 81 communities and gas customers in 51 communities.

Connecticut regulators also still need to approve the merger of the two utilities.

With its provisions to boost clean energy and help ratepayers, state officials hailed the agreement as a major victory for the state and customers.

Attorney General Martha Coakley said the agreement is a condition for her approval of the merger. Coakley said her office negotiated the agreement with the two utilities.

"The merger of these public utility companies has the potential to lower costs for customers through increased operating efficiency, but we believed ratepayers needed to see the results of those savings in their bills," Coakley said in a statement. "Through this agreement, customers across the commonwealth are ensured much needed savings through the distribution rate freeze and customer credits."

The agreement also calls for restructuring existing rates that currently result in commercial and industrial customers for Western Massachusetts Electric paying significantly more than the actual cost to serve them, Coakley said.

House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones Jr., a North Reading Republican, criticized the agreement. Cape Wind has a higher cost for power when compared to some other sources of energy.

"Strong-arming NSTAR to purchase Cape Wind as a condition of the company’s merger with Northeast Utilities will ultimately increase electricity costs and hurt Massachusetts’ ratepayers, businesses and municipalities," Jones said.

The merger, which would create a company valued at $17.5 billion, was announced in October 2010. The new company would be called Northeast Utilities and would result in one of the country's largest utilities.

Sullivan said the state utilities department still needs to rule on a separate investigation into the response of electric companies to the freak Oct. 29 snowstorm, which knocked out power for a week for some customers. The state investigations, announced on Nov. 8, focus on the companies' efforts to restore electric power, including their communications with cities and towns.

Mass. Republicans outline job creation package on Beacon Hill

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The package may also figure into election-year platforms as about two dozen freshman Republicans attempt to hold on to their seats and run against a Democratic leadership they’ve accused of lacking focus on job creation initiatives and relying on the promise of casino jobs that may take years to materialize.

By Kyle Cheney, STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

BOSTON - Fee increases for commercial vehicle registrations would be capped at 2.5 percent a year, state regulations would be the subject of a review commission, and start-ups formed at higher education institutions would have access to an “angel” investment fund under a package of job creation ideas unveiled Wednesday by legislative Republicans.

The ideas are among those that 37 Republicans are planning to push as part of an offensive this spring on bills they say will jumpstart an uneven economic recovery in Massachusetts. They’re preparing to unveil five packages of policy priorities and 25 “a la carte” bills they say will spur employers to ramp up hiring.

The package may also figure into election-year platforms as about two dozen freshman Republicans attempt to hold on to their seats and run against a Democratic leadership they’ve accused of lacking focus on job creation initiatives and relying on the promise of casino jobs that may take years to materialize.

The proposals, outlined at a 45-minute press conference outside the office of House Minority Leader Bradley Jones, will encompass five categories of the Massachusetts economy: education, energy, business regulation, health care and taxes. Although many of the ideas are long-stalled retreads, Republican leaders, standing in front of about 30 GOP colleagues, said they believed Democrats would warm to their proposals because of the urgency of job creation.

Jones and Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr said they intended to file the legislation in about two weeks, after seeking Democratic cosponsors and feedback from businesses and policymakers.

Although Republican proposals face steep odds to passage in a Legislature dominated by 161 Democrats, Jones said Democratic leaders, in the face of a tough economy, have been forced to embrace Republican ideas on pension costs, municipal health savings, unemployment insurance and transportation reform.

“Some of the ideas and reforms that have actually found their way into law are things that we’ve been talking about, but when there was money coming in over the transom they weren’t maybe as willing to take on vested interests,” Jones said. “There’s no pride of authorship.”

“If I, in this still-bad economy, am running for reelection … I don’t want to run on just what we’ve done so far because we really haven’t done that much,” Jones added.

The Massachusetts economy has rebounded more strongly than other states in the wake of the recession. The state’s unemployment rate fell to 6.8 percent in December, but jobless rates are higher in many urban areas outside of the Greater Boston region.

But employment in the Bay State has remained largely flat since June 2011, with employers adding 400 jobs. But following sharp gains in July, employers entered a five-month period in which they shed 10,000 jobs, a trend capped by the loss of 6,200 jobs in December.

Democrats, under assault by Republican lawmakers in recent weeks, have defended their efforts to spark the Massachusetts economy, pointing to Democrat-led efforts to freeze the unemployment insurance tax rate for businesses, the ongoing work of a Job Creation Commission touring the state and gathering feedback, and a recent Patrick administration report on economic development strategies. Legislative leaders have also noted the passage of sales tax holidays to provide a boost to retailers and the ongoing implementation of an economic development consolidation law passed in 2010.

Speaker Robert DeLeo, addressing House members earlier this month, pledged that job creation would be a cornerstone of the Legislature’s policy agenda in 2012.

"As I meet with business leaders across the state, increasingly I am hearing about us losing the innovation battle to other states. Too often, I'm learning that our innovators and entrepreneurs are packing up and leaving. I don't like seeing Massachusetts finish second to any other state," he said, promising to pursue policies "to create a friendlier, better climate for the creation of new jobs."

"To Mark Zuckerberg, and other leaders of new companies, we want you here," DeLeo said.
Tarr told reporters that Republicans would attempt to pass their proposals in as many vehicles as possible, from the annual budget to midyear spending bills to an expected health care payment reform bill.

“We’re going to look for every opportunity to advance these ideas,” he said.

The GOP jobs package includes proposals to require competitive bidding for renewable energy projects, a relaxing of the rules requiring businesses to offer health insurance to their workers, a proposal to permit vocational technical schools to offer a wider variety of courses, a commission to evaluate energy costs in Massachusetts, permitting doctors to offer apologies for medical errors without being legally liable as a result, and rolling back laws forcing businesses who delay wages for employees to pay triple damages.

The package also includes the establishment of pre-tax “Home Buyer Savings Accounts” to help prospective homeowners make payments and to boost the real estate market.

Holyoke City Council wants parks inventoried in wake of Lynch School marketing proposal

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Not one developer submitted a bid to convert the old school into a commercial venture.

ann.field.JPGPlayers participate in a youth football league practice on Anniversary Field in this 2003 photo.

HOLYOKE – The City Council wants a list of all parks and what they are used for, and the reason for the request lies at old Lynch School.

Ward 6 Councilor Todd A. McGee sought the inventory after Mayor Alex B. Morse said recently he would consider including the adjacent Anniversary Field to increase the marketability of Lynch, which drew no interst from developers in December.

The council Feb. 7 approved sending McGee’s order to the Parks and Recreation Department.

McGee said Feb. 8 the inventory will help ensure the city is abiding by state and federal laws. In some cases, decommissioning a park requires that a similar space be established elsewhere in the city and if that isn’t done, a city can jeopardize its chances at state and federal grants, he said.

“The reality is sometimes you really can’t offer it up,” McGee said.

An updated inventory is being done, said Teresa M. Shepard, Parks and Recreation Department director.

As of the establishment of the city’s open space and recreation plan of 2005, Holyoke had 24 baseball and softball fields, 21 multipurpose fields, 20 basketball courts, consisting of 11 full courts and nine half-courts, 30 sets of play equipment, six volleyball courts, 13 tennis courts and six handball courts, among other facilities, she said.

Anniversary Field is beside Lynch, which is at Northampton and Dwight streets and near on- and off-ramps for Interstate 91. Officials for years have wanted to put a for sale sign on Lynch to exploit the marketing draw of its proximity to the highway.

Shepard said she wants the best option for the city but said Anniversary Field is heavily used by youth baseball and youth football teams and other groups.

“I would hate to see it be eliminated,” Shepard said.

Lynch, at 1575 Northampton St., was last used as a school, a middle school, in 2008. It was built in 1952 and has an assessed value of more than $3.5 million.

The goal was to attract bids from developers to turn Lynch into professional offices but the Dec. 7 deadline passed with zero bids.

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