Organizers were dealt a blow last year when more than $1,000 in cash was stolen from the tournament

Photo courtesy of Radcliffe Kenison Jr. At left, Radcliffe Kenison III, 10, with brother Arthur Kenison, 7

HAMPDEN – Organizers of an annual golf tournament and dinner to benefit autism research and education are gearing up for their fifth annual fund-raiser at the Hampden Country Club despite the theft of more than $1,000 from the event last year.

The event, which raises money for the non-profit organization, “Radcliffe is the Reason and Arthur Too!” is set for May 6.

More than $1,000 was stolen during the event last year from a money bag at one of the holes. Organizers didn’t realize until later that night, after the tournament and dinner were over, that the money was missing.

The discovery, however, of the empty bag on the ground of the country club several days later confirmed that the cash had been stolen.

“It took the wind out of our sails,” Gina G. Kenison said. “It took us pretty much the rest of the year to get our motivation and drive back.

“They stole from a charity for children with disabilities,” Radcliffe F. Kenison Jr. said. “Everyone says that is the lowest of the low.”

The theft, along with damaging morale, prompted the loss of a major sponsor, Radcliffe Kenison said.

The fund-raiser is named for the couple’s two sons, Radcliffe and Arthur, ages 10 and 7, respectively. Both have autism and are non-verbal.

The Kenisons said steps have been taken to safeguard the money raised during the event.

As the event approaches, organizers are still looking for those willing to donate items for its silent auction.

The Kenisons also urge those seeking to participate in the fund-raiser to sign up early.

“Every year we sell out,” he said. The event accommodates 36 foursomes on the links and a more than a hundred dinner seats.

Kenison said he recommends that anyone whose lives have been touched by autism, personally or professionally, to attend the event. “It’s a great way to network,” he said.

Kenison said he hopes to raise $15,000 this year. Money raised goes toward autism education and research at local, regional and national levels, he said.

Last year, Radcliffe Kenison received a top award from Autism Speaks for his fund-raising efforts.

For more information, or to donate an auction item, go to Arthur is the Reason and Arthur Too! Fight Autism on Facebook.

The co-founder of the City Year youth program made the announcement Tuesday.

Republican file photoDemocratic candidate Alan Khazei, center, participates in a candidates forum before the January 2010 special election, which Republican Scott Brown won.

BOSTON (AP) — Democrat Alan Khazei has officially declared his intention to run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Scott Brown.

The co-founder of the City Year youth program made the announcement Tuesday in messages on social media and in e-mail to supporters.

It will be Khazei's second run for the seat that was held for nearly a half century by the late Sen. Edward Kennedy. Khazei was one of four candidates who ran in the Democratic primary leading up to the January 2010 special election.

Attorney General Martha Coakley won the primary before losing to Brown.

Khazei plans campaign stops this week in Boston, Worcester and Springfield.

Robert Massie, a former candidate for lieutenant governor, is the only other declared Democratic candidate. The election is a year from November.

The title of the weeknight news-commentary hour will be "Countdown with Keith Olbermann."

Associated PressKeith Olbermann

NEW YORK — Cable network Current TV says Keith Olbermann will return to the air on June 20.

Current said Tuesday the title of the weeknight news-commentary hour will be "Countdown with Keith Olbermann." "Countdown" was the name of the program Olbermann hosted on MSNBC until his heated departure from that network in January.

Less than a month later, he signed with Current TV, the public affairs channel launched in 2005 by former Vice President Al Gore and Joel Hyatt.

A liberal lightning rod, Olbermann has often clashed with his former bosses and with the corporate culture of General Electric, until recently MSNBC's majority owner. By contrast, Current bills itself as America's only independent news and information TV network.

Current is available in 60 million households in the U.S.

The site is maintained by the AIDS Action Committee with the help of a $100,000 annual grant from the Public Health Department.

BOSTON – A group of Massachusetts lawmakers is calling on Gov. Deval L. Patrick to cut off state funding for a sexual education web site aimed at teens, saying it uses “disgusting” language to describe sex acts and downplays the risks of abortion.

The site, www.mariatalks.com , is maintained by the AIDS Action Committee with the help of a $100,000 annual grant from the Public Health Department.

At a news conference Tuesday, the bipartisan group of legislators said it was sending a letter to Patrick urging him to cut funding.

State. Rep. Marc Lombardo said the information about abortion on the site downplays medical and psychological risks and advises teens on how they can obtain abortions without telling their parents.

State Rep. Byron Rushing said the site provides useful information and “speaks the language that teenagers speak.”

In a prepared statement, the public health agency defended the site but said it would be willing to meet with critics and discuss possible changes in content.

The cases against five of the six former South Hadley High School students charged in connection with Phoebe Prince appear headed for resolution next week.

Ashley Longe, Flannery Mullins and Sharon Velazquez.

HADLEY – The cases against five of the six former South Hadley High School students charged in connection with Phoebe Prince appear headed for resolution next week.

The Northwestern District Attorney’s Office released a statement Tuesday saying there may be “significant developments” in one or more of the cases and listing hearings for five of the six defendants next week. Sean Mulveyhill, Kayla Narey and Austin Renaud face charges as adults in Hampshire Superior Court. Flannery Mullins, Ashley Longe and Sharon Velazquez were charged both as juveniles and youthful offenders. All except Renaud are charged with civil rights violation resulting in bodily injury and criminal harassment. Renaud and Mulveyhill are charged with statutory rape for allegedly having sex with Prince, who was under the legal age of consent.

Sean Mulveyhill.

Prince, a 15-year-old freshman, took her life on Jan. 14, 2010, after what investigators have described as weeks of relentless bullying. The ground-breaking charges brought by former Northwestern District Attorney Elizabeth D. Scheibel catapulted the story into the media spotlight as Prince became the focal point of an international campaign against school bullying.

Velazquez, Mullins and Longe had until Tuesday to file motions to dismiss the charges against them, but no such motions have been filed. However, Colin Keefe, who represents Velazquez, did ask that the deadline be waived because he expects the matter to be resolved by agreement next week. Because of their status as youthful offenders, the cases against Velazquez, Mullins and Longe have been open to the public.

Austin Renaud.

In seeking the May 5 hearing in Franklin Hampshire Juvenile Court, Keefe said he anticipates that his client and the prosecution will reach an agreement and that “motions will become unnecessary and moot.” That hearing is scheduled for 11 a.m. Longe and Mullins are due to appear in juvenile court at 2 p.m. that same day, according to the press release from the office of District Attorney David E. Sullivan. Narey is scheduled to be in Hampshire Superior Court on May 4, Mulveyhill on May 6.

The next scheduled date for Renaud is a final pretrial conference on July 6. A judge has denied a motion to dismiss the statutory rape charge against him. Renaud denies sleeping with Prince.

Facebook recently accused the Middleton from Concord of being an impostor and deleted her account.

Associated Press photoKate Middleton, who shares the same name with the future bride of Prince William, poses with her bicycle in Concord, Tuesday. Recently, Facebook accused the Boston Middleton of being an impostor and deleted her account. Various media reporters also keep showing up at ATA Cycle, a Concord, Massachusetts bicycling shop where she works, and asking her to speak in a British accent.

CONCORD – Yes, she really is Kate Middleton.

Kate Middleton, the Boston bicycle enthusiast, that is.

But that hasn’t stopped the 32-year-old from being confused with the woman who is about to marry Prince William. Recently, Facebook.com accused the Boston Middleton of being an impostor and deleted her account. Various media reporters also keep showing up at ATA Cycle, a Concord bicycling shop where she works, and asking her to speak in a British accent.

“I’m really not interested in pretending I’m British,“ said Middleton, who is originally from Louisville, Ky. “And I’m not really interested in pretending I’m the other Kate Middleton so I basically refused on all five requests to speak in a British accent.“

The mix-up began in January after Middleton tried to log on to her Facebook account only to find out that the account had been suspended on suspicion of it being fake. She wrote Facebook an email and said that yes, her name was Kate Middleton and asked if could she have her account back.

“Facebook disabled my account for using a fake name,“ she tweeted after the Facebook deletion. “Will the real Kate Middleton please stand up?“

She soon discovered that Facebook also had untagged her in all of her photos. “Further evidence one doesn’t really exist unless they are royalty...“ she quickly tweeted.

The account was re-instated about a week later.

File photo / Associated PressBritain's Prince William accompanied by his fiancee Kate Middleton, as they arrive at Witton Country Park, Darwen, England, earlier this month.

She wasn’t the only Kate Middleton to face a temporary ban on the popular social media site as the royal wedding in London approaches. At least three others – an Australian woman and two British women all named Kate Middleton – have been booted off Facebook and were later allowed back only after proving that they really were Kate Middletons.

Facebook bans users who open fake accounts, according to a spokeswoman. Facebook executives have said some mistakes are inevitable as they try to keep the social network secure.

The soon-be-royal Kate Middleton is scheduled to marry Prince William on Friday at Westminster Abbey.

For the American Kate Middleton, she said even though she has no relation to the famous namesake, the two do have a few things in common.

“We both have brown hair,“ she said smiling. “We’re both easy on the eyes.“

Middleton said she’s using the hoopla around her name to draw attention to her participation in a July bike tour from Boston to Provincetown aimed to raise money for multiple sclerosis. If she raises at least $10,000, Middleton promised to ride a tandem bike in a wedding dress along with a “Prince William look-a-like.“

Trippi started his career as a political strategist for the late Edward Kennedy.

Joe Trippi, the former campaign manager to Howard Dean’s 2004 presidential campaign, has joined the U.S. Senate campaign of Robert Massie as a top political advisor.

Trippi, who started his career as a political strategist on the late Edward Kennedy’s presidential campaign in 1980, helped Dean build a robust online fundraising and volunteer network, creating a model for the modern political campaign in the Internet era.

In a statement released by the Massie campaign Tuesday morning, Trippi said, “Bob Massie has a remarkable story in which he demonstrated insight, courage and tenacity. He has been a visionary national leader with a record of success transforming the global economy towards innovation and job-creation.”

More recently, Trippi consulted for California Gov. Jerry Brown during the Democrat’s race last year against Republican Meg Whitman, who spent $178 million on her campaign.

The eventual Democratic nominee for the 2012 race against U.S. Sen. Scott Brown is also expected to be at a fundraising disadvantage to Brown who has over $8 million in his campaign account.

Massie was joined on Tuesday by Alan Khazei, the co-founder of City Year, who formally announced his intention to run for the U.S. Senate.

Obituaries from The Republican.

Russell E. Snow Sr.

Russell E. Snow, Sr., 86, of East Longmeadow, passed away on Saturday. Born and raised in Greenfield, he graduated from Greenfield High School, Mount Hermon School and the University of Massachusetts, with BS and master's degrees, and received a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study from the University of Connecticut. Snow taught physics and chemistry at Martha's Vineyard High School and Birchland Park School in East Longmeadow, and finished his teaching career with 33 years at Technical High School in Springfield, where he served 16 years as head of the science department and 10 years as treasurer of the Springfield Education Association. He was a veteran of World War II, serving with the 291st Infantry Regiment of the 75th Division, and was discharged as a technical sergeant in 1946. He was a 60-year member of the First Congregational Church in East Longmeadow, a 58-year member and past president of the East Longmeadow Lions Club, a library trustee and a trustee of the Green Lawn Cemetery Association. He assisted the direction of Camp Wilder in Springfield for many years.

Obituaries from The Republican:

• 
  Baacke, Phyllis R.




• 
  Bergeron, Stella M.
  



• 
  Byrd Sr., Arthur
  




• Bys, Eleanor M. (Mea)
  




• 
  Caputo, Vincent A.
  



• 
  Chadwick, Lyle A.




• 
  Coppola, Irene (Kreczko)
  



• 
  Dame, Donald L.
  




• Duguay, Gail E. "Pachalis"
  




• 
  Flohr, Dr. Judy Kay
  



• 
  Goulet, Donald H.




• 
  Haarmann, Elizabeth A. (Lynch)
  



• 
  Hansson Jr., Gustav A. "Gus"
  




• Holzapfel, Charlene S. (Flint)
  




• 
  Hurley, Doris
  



• 
  Kazantis, Nicholas




• 
  Keane, Helen G.
  



• 
  Morris, Dr. Reverend Donald B. "Don"
  




• Murphy, Richard D.
  




• 
  Provost, Kenneth C.
  



• 
  Snigier, Victoria M.




• 
  Snow Sr., Russell E. "Russ"
  



• 
  Spagnoli, Salvatore J. "Sam"
  




• Thompson, Grace
  




• 
  Tibbetts, Helen G. (Ramsey)
  



• 
  Tuber, Frances H.




• 
  Webber, Rose "Rae" (Derber)
  

The House voted to boost money for recycling, toxic waste cleanup and state parks.

Anne Gobi

BOSTON - The state House of Representatives voted to restore $3.9 million to environmental programs Tuesday, providing more money for recycling, state parks and cleanup of hazardous waste.

The House voted 150-5 to add $3.912 million to the state environmental budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1. The full House is debating a budget approved by the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Rep. Anne M. Gobi, D-Spencer, urged approval of the money, saying it is needed to help the state continue to lead in environmental programs.

Despite the restoration, the budget for environmental and recreation programs would still be cut by about $6.8 million from this year, according to an analysis by the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center in Boston. The new budget would be $158.3 million, down about 4 percent from this year.

Environmental advocates said the House vote was a major step in the right direction, but programs would still face some difficult reductions and layoffs.

"We have a long way to go before we get back to where we need to be," said Jennifer L. Ryan, legislative director for Mass Audubon.

The House voted to add $275,000 for recycling efforts, $1.4 million to the state Department of Environmental Protection, $150,000 to help protect endangered plants and animals, $700,000 for operating state parks, $527,000 for watershed management, $500,000 for the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, $300,000 for the state Department of Agricultural Resources and $60,000 for protecting rivers.

The House voted on the second day of its debate on $30.5 billion budget.

After the House approves its version of the budget, the state Senate will vote on a budget and a House-Senate compromise will be sent to Gov. Deval L. Patrick.

"Our next step is to take the fight to the Senate and make sure they understand the severity of the cuts," said Erik Balsbaugh, acting executive director of the Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters.

A public hearing on the matter will be held in conference room B at the Municipal Building.

View full sizeFile photo by Brian TedderEasthampton Department of Public Works director Joseph I. Pipczynski in a 2009 file photo.

EASTHAMPTON – The Board of Public Works is considering increasing fees for water and sewer services to close a budget gap that would otherwise require expense cuts and layoffs, said DPW director Joseph I. Pipczynski.

A public hearing on the matter will be held Wednesday at 6 p.m. in conference room B at the Municipal Building at 50 Payson Ave.

“Obviously, we’ve got to raise the rates because we don’t have enough money to cover expenses,” said Pipczynski. “That seems to be the way things are these days.”

In the past, rate increases have been about five cents per 100 cubic feet of water and sewer, he said, but these proposed hikes would be 25 cents for water and 40 cents for sewer. There is also an additional five-cent increase that had previously been set for July 1.

The current water rate is $2 per 100 cubic feet and the annual cost is an average of $258; the sewer rate is $3.35 per 100 cubic feet and the average annual charge is $426.

With the fee increases in place, water would be $2.30 per 100 cubic feet and $294 per year. Sewer would be $3.85 per 100 cubic year and $490 per year.

“We’ve been kind of watching the revenue stream as it comes in and realized it’s not matching what we need,” he said.

If the Board of Public Works votes in the raised rates Wednesday, they would take effect July 1. Pipczynski said it could bring in an additional $360,000 and guarantee there would be no layoffs.

“In my opinion, if the rates aren’t raised to this minimum level, staffing would be severely affected,” he said, which would leave too few workers to keep the city’s services in compliance with state and federal regulations.

“If 150, 200 people show up (at the hearing) and they say, ‘We don’t really care about any fines coming from (the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection), we don’t want our water rates raised,’ I suppose the board could take it into consideration,” he said. But the board has a responsibility to ensure compliance, he said.

Northampton increased its rates earlier this month to $4.95 for water services and $5.30 for sewer.

Amherst recently increased its sewer rates, as well. Starting July 1, the town will charge $3.35 per 100 cubic feet of sewer while water rates will remain at $3.30 per 100 cubic feet.

City officials see the name change to Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport as a marketing tool.

View full sizeThe Republican | Dave RobackWestfield-Barnes Municipal Airport will become Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport to better reflect its scope of operations and to improve marketing opportunities.

WESTFIELD – Officials are changing the name of Barnes Municipal Airport to better reflect its current operations and programs and enhance efforts to market development at the airfield.

The new name will be Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport. The process to change its directory listing in Federal Aviation Administration and other national publications may take as long an 18 months, Airport Manager Brian P. Barnes said Tuesday.

Changing signage at and around the airport, as well as stationary and the airport’s website, will be completed shortly, he said.

The City Council approved the name change last week after receiving support from the Airport Commission, officials said. The request was presented to the full council by Ward 6 Councilor Christopher M. Crean and At-Large councilor John J. Beltrandi III.

“It is primarily perception,” Barnes said of the name change. “Companies and their pilots look at a municipal airport as a small airport. 'Regional' adds space but it also better reflects the services and operations provided here,” he said.

Also, 'Regional' will improve efforts to develop the airport and property it owns abutting the airfield, he said.

City Advancement officer Jeffrey R. Daley agreed.

“Many of the aircraft housed at the airport are from communities outside Westfield and 'Regional' will add to our efforts to market this jewel and attract additional business to the city,” said Daley.

“We hope to draw bigger businesses to Barnes,” the airport manager said.

Currently, the airport is home to Gulfstream, Air Flyte, Five Star, Aero Design and Westfield Flight Academy.

“Soon we hope to add a helicopter flight academy that will provide lessons to that aircraft population in addition to flight school services already provided here,” Barnes said.

“General aviation is the mainstay here and we want to avoid diminishing things like flight schools, but we also want to catch the population that is turned off by municipal airports.

“Municipal airports are considered small by people who might use them. We provide a greater service than a municipal airport does,” Barnes explained.

The Russell 2000, the benchmark index of small companies, neared a record high.

File photo / Associated PressMark Fields, executive vice president, Ford Motor Company, introduces the 2013 Ford Taurus SHO at the New York International Auto Show last week.

NEW YORK – Stocks jumped to their highest levels in nearly three years Tuesday thanks to signs that earnings are rising for U.S. companies and consumers are feeling more confident about the economy. The Russell 2000, the benchmark index of small companies, neared a record high.

The new highs continue a historic recovery in the stock market. Stock indexes have more than doubled since hitting a 12-year low in March 2009. The fastest bull market since the 1950s has now erased most of the losses stemming from the financial crisis.

Investors who bought at the top of the market in 2007 have now lost 4.2 percent, including reinvested dividends. Analysts predict stocks will continue to rise if unemployment keeps falling and global demand leads to more profit growth.

The Standard and Poor’s 500 index –the benchmark for most mutual funds –reached its highest level since June 2008. It gained 11.99 points, or 0.9 percent, to 1,347.24. It’s still 16 percent below the record high of 1,565 it reached in October 2007.

The Dow Jones industrial average also marked a new high for the year, rising 115.49 points, or 0.9 percent, to 12,595.37. The Nasdaq composite rose 21.66 points, or 0.8 percent, to 2,847.54.

The Russell 2000 rose 1 percent to 853.04, near the record high of 855.77 that it reached in July 2007.

Better-than-expected earnings reports from companies ranging from airlines to office products manufacturers helped drive a broad rally that included all 10 company groups that make up the S&P index. Industrial companies gained nearly 2 percent, the most of any group.

Delta Air Lines Inc. jumped 11 percent after reporting a loss that was far smaller than investors had expected.

Cummins Inc. gained 8 percent after the engine maker raised its earnings forecast for the year because of strong demand. United Parcel Service Inc. rose 1 percent after raising its own earnings estimate for the year.

“What we’re seeing now is a positive reinforcement of the fact that demand is rising around the world,“ said Quincy Krosby, chief market strategist at Prudential Financial. That’s despite the fact that some companies say rising costs are hurting their profits, Krosby said.

Ford Motor Co. rose nearly 1 percent after the carmaker reported its best first quarter earnings since 1998. Ford beat Wall Street’s earnings estimates with stronger sales of new vehicles. 3M Co., the maker of Post-Its and Scotch Tape, rose 2 percent after it raised its full-year earnings expectations. The company said quarterly profit jumped 16 percent from a year ago, beating analysts’ estimates.

Tuesday’s gains continued a strong first-quarter earnings season. Nearly 8 in 10 companies in the S&P index that have reported earnings have fared better than analysts were expecting, according to Jonathan Golub, the chief U.S. stock strategist at UBS.

Stocks also got a lift from a report on consumer confidence that showed that worries about rising prices and unemployment eased in April. Among the encouraging signs, those who said jobs are “hard to get” dropped, while those who expected higher incomes rose.

The market’s continued rebound is crucial to luring nervous Americans back into investing in stocks, said Alan Gayle, senior investment strategist at RidgeWorth Investments in Richmond, Va.

Gayle said he talks to a lot of retail investors who were burned when markets dropped in 2000 and 2008 and remain wary of putting their savings into stocks.

“The stock market in the last 10 years has disappointed a lot of investors,” Gayle said. “There are some lasting scars there.”

The Federal Reserve began a two-day meeting on Tuesday. Economists expect the Fed will leave short-term interest rates unchanged and end its $600 billion bond-buying program in June as scheduled. The bond-buying effort has been credited with lifting financial markets since Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke first hinted at it last August.

Three stocks rose for every one that fell on the New York Stock Exchange. Consolidated volume came to 4.1 billion shares.

The U.S. Postal Service is continuing its review of the Gilbertville post office, a postal service spokeswoman said.

LEVERETT – The post office in Leverett will remain open for now, and, in the words of one selectman, it’s “a small victory.”

Earlier this month, U.S. Postal Service representatives notified residents that the post office in the small Franklin County town was being reviewed for a possible closure, and surveys were sent out to gauge opinions.

Many residents were upset about the potential closure, and did not like the idea of driving to Sunderland, as the postal service had suggested, for their mailing needs.

A meeting about the post office was supposed to be held Wednesday, but it was canceled by the postal service, which notified the community on Monday.

U.S. Postal Service spokeswoman Maureen P. Marion said in an email that the Leverett study “has been tabled for now due to operational issues” and that there are no plans to reschedule the community meeting.

“Initiating a study does not constitute a decision to discontinue a post office. It does begin the process of data collection which helps us determine how to proceed. Our studies of the Leverett postal facility are an example of this fluid process. As a result of our initial work in this instance, we are taking a different direction with our studies in Leverett.

“This eliminates the need for a community meeting at this time . . . There is no decision in place as to whether we will reopen a review of this office for the possibility of consolidation or closure, nor do we have a timetable for such a decision,” Marion wrote.

Selectman Julie A. Shively said she thinks a combination of factors led to the postal service’s decision – the letters written to congressmen opposing the closure, the petitions circulating to keep the post office open, and the surveys that the residents returned.

“I’m relieved,” Shively said. “It’s a small victory for a moment.”

Marion said the postal service is continuing its review of the Gilbertville Post Office, which is one of three post offices in the small Worcester County town of Hardwick. The reviews of the Gilbertville and Leverett post offices were prompted because of postmaster vacancies.

The Springfield mayoral race also features the incumbent, Domenic Sarno, and City Council President Jose Tosado.

The Republican | Dave RobackAntonette Pepe announced her candidacy for Springfield mayor at the John Boyle O'Reilly Club in Springfield on Tuesday. Here she listens to her introduction.

SPRINGFIELD – School Committee member Antonette E. Pepe announced her candidacy for mayor on Tuesday, saying she has a record of keeping promises and serving as a watchdog of taxpayer dollars.

“Let’s face it, Springfield is not currently being run efficiently,” Pepe said in front of a gathering of supporters at the John Boyle O’Reilly Club on Progress Avenue. “And yet, the current mayor wants four more years. If he couldn’t get it right the first two times, the third time won’t be a charm.”

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno has stated he will seek a third term, but has not formally announced. City Council President Jose F.Tosado announced his candidacy for mayor in January.

Pepe has served on the School Committee since 2004, saying she has a record of asking the tough questions and demanding answers.

She worked as a paraprofessional for the Springfield public schools for 13 years (1991-2004) including the final 12 years as its union president.

The Republican | Dave RobackNewly announced candidate for Springfield mayor Antonette Pepe greets Jose Tosado, who is also running for Springfield mayor, at the John Boyle O'Reilly Club.

“My record shows that I always respond to the people I serve,” Pepe said. “Enough is enough. Political favors, closed door deals and all the other things that don’t serve the people’s interest in this city are over. There will be no more closed doors in City Hall with me as your mayor.”

Pepe said her chief responsibility as mayor is to make sure city streets are safe.

“We must tackle the issues of gangs, drugs, and violence,” Pepe said. “Springfield has received many grants and support. We need to analyze the use of those funds and evaluate the effectiveness of programs.”

Her accomplishments on the School Committee have included the institution of school uniforms and fighting for the families and staff of the school system, Pepe said.

“As you know, education is an issue close to my heart,” Pepe said. “My tenacity and my accomplishments are evident.”

Regarding economic development, Pepe said the city needs to stress its advantages and show that it is “open for business.”

Pepe said that Sarno’s proposal to use surplus funds and concessions from city employees to help balance the budget “is at best a quick fix.”

She called for a comprehensive budget plan, and for residents and city workers to know of all avenues pursued to balance the budget before making additional sacrifices.

The term for mayor is changing from a two-year term to a four-year term in this election, as was approved by voters in 2009. The annual salary is $95,000.

If three or more candidates are on the ballot for mayor, there would be a preliminary election on Sept. 20. The final election is Nov. 8.

Antonette Pepe's Speech Announcing Candidacy for Mayor of Springfield

The roadblock is planned for Friday night and Saturday morning somewhere in Hampden County

SPRINGFIELD – The Massachusetts State Police will be conducting a sobriety checkpoint Friday night and Saturday morning at an undisclosed stretch of road in Hampden County, the state police announced.

The state police conduct periodic checkpoints throughout the state to look for drivers who are impaired by drugs or alcohol, and to educate the public.

According to the state police, the selection of vehicles will not be arbitrary, and it is being publicized in advance to reduce any inconvenience, fear and anxiety by the general public.

The checkpoint is being paid for with a grant from the state Highway Safety Division of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.

A search of his office uncovered a laptop an external hard drive containing thousands of pornographic images and videos involving children, officials said.

Associated Press

GRANBY, Conn. - A Granby police captain was charged Tuesday arrested with possession of child pornography after investigators found thousands of pictures and videos involving children on a laptop computer in his office.

David L. Bourque, 50, a resident of West Suffield, was taken into custody by federal and state officials, said David B. Fein, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut. He was charged with a federal criminal complaint, Fein said.

According to the complaint, a Connecticut State Police trooper assigned to the State Police Computer Crimes Unit on two occasions in March was able to log onto a publicly available Internet file-sharing program and download several pornographic images involving
children. Investigators were able to trace the images to an account maintained by Bourque.

Two weeks ago, state police were given permission to search Bourque’s office and his work computers. The search uncovered a laptop computer in his office with an external hard drive containing thousands of encrypted pornographic videos and photos involving children, Fein said.

Police also searched his home, he said.

Bourque was released on $150,000 bail following his appearance Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas P. Smith in Hartford.

Judge Smith directed him to return a hospital where he has recently been receiving medical care.

Once he is released from the hospital, he is required to receive mental health counseling, to have no Internet access and no unsupervised contact with children. He was also ordered to not loiter around schools, playgrounds, arcades, or any other places where children under 18 congregate. If convicted, he faces as much as 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

Bourque is the second highest ranking officer in the department of 15 officers.

According to the Hartford Courant, he is also head of the North Central Municipal Regional Accident Reconstruction Team. Bourque has been a captain in Granby for about 18 months, and previously worked for nearly 30 years with the Suffield police.

He is currently on paid administrative leave

Andrew Nicastro, of Williamstown, who says he was molested by former Rev. Alfred Graves, is suing Dupre, Maguire and Richard Sniezyk.

Former Springfield bishops Joseph Maguire, left, and Thomas Dupre, are the subject of a civil suit in which a Williamstown man says he was molested as an altar boy by the former Rev. Alfred Graves.

SPRINGFIELD - Lawyers for two Roman Catholic bishops argued Tuesday in Hampden Superior Court that a lawsuit against the pair filed by a man who said he was abused by a priest should be dismissed.

Hampden Superior Court Judge Cornelius J. Moriarty took under advisement the motion by lawyers for Bishop Emeritus Joseph F. Maguire and Bishop Thomas L. Dupre to dismiss the civil suit against their clients.

The suit was filed in 2009 by Williamstown resident Andrew F. Nicastro against Dupre, Maguire and the Rev. Richard S. Sniezyk. Nicastro, a former altar boy, alleges he was molested by the former Rev. Alfred Graves between 1982 and 1984 at St. Patrick’s Parish in Williamstown. Graves has since been defrocked.

The suit names Maguire, at the time the Springfield diocese bishop; Dupre, then a chancellor and third in command of the diocese; and Sniezyk, who was Graves’ supervisor, stating they knew about the molestation and did nothing about it.

Photo by Michael S. Gordon / The RepublicanAndrew F. Nicastro, of Williamstown, listens to lawyers during a Hampden Superior Court hearing Tuesday related to his civil suit against officials of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield for abuse he says he suffered as a child by former Rev. Alfred Graves.

Dupre was bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield until 2004 when he retired suddenly after being confronted by The Republican with allegations that he molested two boys in the 1970s. He was indicted later, but the case was dropped because the statute of limitations had passed.

John J. Egan, lawyer for Maguire, told Moriarty that under case law decided by the state Supreme Judicial Court, Nicastro’s suit should be dismissed. Egan said Nicastro recognized the harm the abuse caused him as early as 1984, so he does not fall under a category that would allow him to pursue the suit this far after the abuse.

John J. Stobierski, Nicastro’s lawyer, said Nicastro did not realize the harm Graves caused him until he talked with another priest in 2008.

Michael O. Jennings, Dupre’s lawyer, joined the motion to dismiss the case.

The suit does not name Graves or the diocese.

Graves, who has been named as an abuser in other suits filed against the diocese, was barred from presenting himself as a priest in the 1990s and officially defrocked by the Vatican in 2006.

Stobierski has said the suit against Dupre is different from any other priest abuse complaint filed in the United States because it involves a defendant who has been accused of child molestation and supervised another accused of the same type of crime.

After a barrage of lawsuits early last decade, the suit is one of the few civil complaints filed since 2005. The diocese paid out $7.7 million to dozens of claimants in 2004 and agreed to pay another $4.5 million to 59 alleged abuse victims in 2008. Those costs were offset by an $8.5 million settlement between the diocese and three insurance companies.

Egan told Moriarty that Nicastro had declined to participate in the arbitration set up to settle abuse cases.

3 juvenile boys will be summoned to juvenile court in connection with the vandalism.

The Republican | John SuchockiThe vandalized marble statue of a child at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Ludlow.

LUDLOW – Offers of help were pouring in Tuesday from painters and experts at restoring marble following the Holy Week vandalism to the Our Lady of Fatima shrine outside Our Lady of Fatima Church.

Both a spokesman for the church and Police Sgt. Louis Tulik, who investigated the crime, said they received many calls Tuesday from people inside and outside the community who want to help.

Three juveniles, two 14-year-old males and a 15-year-old male, all from Ludlow, will be summoned to juvenile court on charges of vandalism over $250, Tulik said.

Tulik said he is leaving the issue of whether a hate crime was being committed against members of a particular religion or ethnic group to the Hampden District Attorney’s office.

“I am leaning against that interpretation,” said Tulik. He said the District Attorney’s office will receive a copy of his report on Wednesday.

The three boys also will be charged with vandalizing a St. Anthony statue on the grounds of the church and one of the outdoor Stations of the Cross and with spray painting the doors of the nearby Lusitano Stadium.

A fourth juvenile also will be charged in connection with vandalizing Lusitano Stadium, Tulik said.

Linda Augusto, secretary for Our Lady of Fatima Church, said the church is getting an estimate of damages from its insurer. The church is extremely pleased with the work of the Ludlow Police Department in solving the crime, she said.

Tulik, the lead investigator in the case, said no religious symbols were painted on the shrine. Whether the juveniles are charged with a hate crime depends on how broadly the statute is interpreted he said. “I’m going to leave that to the DA,” Tulik said. He said the families of those charged are cooperating with the investigation.

Tulik has a strong personal connection to the shrine. The shrine was erected by his late grandmother, Jessie Oliveira, nearly 60 years ago when her husband was suffering from stomach cancer. Tulik said his grandmother made a promise that if her husband survived, she would erect and care for a shrine to the miracle of Fatima that gives the church its name.

Louis Oliveira overcame his cancer and died in 1997 at the age of 93.

Tulik said he does not consider himself an extremely religious person, but he knows how important the shrine was to his grandmother, who died last October at the age of 100, and to the Portuguese community.

People travel from throughout the area to visit the shrine, he said. He said on Tuesday he saw a woman in a wheelchair visiting the shrine from outside the area who had not heard about the vandalism. “She had tears in her eyes when she saw the vandalism,” he said.

The tile and the bench at the Saint Antonio statue, which also was spray painted, was imported from Portugal, Tulik said.

Tulik said he has been buoyed by the larger community’s response to reports of the Holy Week vandalism.

As of Tuesday morning, Tulik said he has heard from at least four contractors seeking to aid the church in removing the paint from the vandalized areas.

The Republican | John SuchockiTile outside the Saint Antonio statue at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Ludlow was spray painted by vandals during Holy Week.

The Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, which has equipment to remove such kinds of graffiti, has also called to see if it can help the church, Tulik said.

“It’s just fantastic how people step up,” Tulik said.

Tulik said the break in the criminal investigation occurred Saturday when he visited Rocky’s Ace Hardware and discovered that three cans of spray paint in gold, fluorescent blue and fluorescent green had been sold together on April 18, the day the vandalism occurred.

Tulik said one of the suspects’ parents had purchased the spray paint with the idea that they would be spray-painting their bicycles.

The parents, Tulik said, have cooperated with the investigation. Tulik said that vulgar words, obscene depictions and a reference to the rap band “Hollywood Undead,” were sprayed on shrine statues, the Stations of the Cross and other areas of church property. In addition, a statue of a boy, part of the shrine, had its fingers broken off.

Those fingers have yet to be found, Tulik said.

Tulik said his grandmother personally cared for the shrine until she was nearly 90. He said he remembers helping with its care as a young boy.

Photo by John Suchocki / The RepublicanLudlow Police Sgt. Louis Tulik looks at the defaced marble statue of a child at Our Lady of Fatima Church at 438 Winsor St. The statues of the three children praying to the statue of Mary were spray painted and one had fingers broken off. Sgt. Tulik's grandmother Jessie Oliveira bought the statues in 1953 as an offering for her husband who was suffering from cancer. He lived until age 93.

The School Committee will next interview South Middle School principal Ronald Rix.

The Republican | Dave RobackMelodie L. Goodwin, curriculum director for the North Adams School District and a finalist for Westfield superintendent of schools, speaks at Westfield Vocational Technical High School on Tuesday prior to her interview with the Westfield School Committee.

WESTFIELD – Melodie L. Goodwin, curriculum director for North Adams School District, believes schools must be competitive when looking for grants or School Choice students and they must educate the community about the cost of education.

“When people, taxpayers, understand they are supportive,” she told the School Committee here Tuesday night.

School budget oversight lies with the superintendent of schools. “It is critical that they keep their eye on the (financial) ball,” said Goodwin.

“Schools can be wasteful places and there must be accountability. The superintendent must know the costs of each and all programs,” she said.

She said a good superintendent “needs support from the people who work for you and the superintendent needs to be someone who has filled the shoes of those people under them.”

Goodwin is one of four candidates for superintendent of schools here to replace the retiring Shirley Alvira.

She is one of two candidates for the job who lacks a doctorate degree.

Her response to a School Committee query concerning that was “Education for me is improving myself, not to get a piece of paper.

“I have learned the most from individuals without doctorates degrees and I have more college credit that is needed for two doctorates,” she said.

“If your are looking for a superintendent with a doctorate, it is not me,” she said.

A West Springfield native, Goodwin has been North Adams curriculum director since 2005. Prior to that she was a vice principal and then principal of the middle school in South Hadley. She is a former elementary and middle school teacher who taught in a variety of states including South Carolina, Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

She views a school “as a family that must see that the needs of the family are met,” and she believes “teachers must be flexible enough to teach their students regardless of their differences and needs.”

“Teachers can provide instruction for all,” Goodwin said during her interview.

She said her biggest challenge as superintendent here will be “to establish trust among the different stakeholders, parents, teachers and business. I can do that by following through on things, be a presence and be someone who can listen.”

Goodwin said she supports vocational education as much as academic studies, noting “college is an option that not everyone takes.”

Goodwin holds a master's degree in education from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke; a bachelor's degree from Sweet Briar (Va.) College and professional certification in elementary education, middle school education, mathematics, administration and supervision.

The School Committee will continue its interview process Wednesday night with Westfield’s South Middle School Principal Ronald R. Rix and on Saturday with Suzanne Scallion, principal of Napa, Calif., Unified School District.

Rix is the other candidate lacking a doctorate degree.

The committee interviewed Maureen F. Bingham, assistant superintendent in Swampscott, Monday night.

The committee plans to name a new superintendent in early May.

With Planning Board approval, the goal is to begin construction of the research center in the summer.

Republican Staff photo by Michael Beswick A rendering of the view from the north of the proposed high performance computing center on display during the Planning Board public hearing Tuesday.

HOLYOKE – The Planning Board Tuesday voted 5-0 to approve the site plan for the $168 million high performance computing center to be built overlooking the first-level canal on Bigelow Street.

The project will include a two-story, 90,000-square-foot building of brick, precast concrete and glass adjacent to the canal, said Dante Angelucci Jr., of Leggat McCall Properties, of Boston.

“We’re really excited about being here this evening,” Angelucci said.

Angelucci was among the consultants representing the partners in the project: the University of Massachusetts, Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston University, Northeastern University, EMC Corp., of Hopkinton, an information storage, back-up and recovery firm, and Cisco Systems Inc., a California-based internet network equipment maker.

About 80 percent of the interior of the building that houses the high performance computing center will be computers and machines that power and cool them, said John T. Goodhue, executive director of the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center, the entity’s formal name.

The academic research facility will hug the first-level canal on Bigelow Street and will operate round the clock, he said.

“It will be serving people who literally are all over the world,” Goodhue said.

The computing center will be capable of ultra-fast research into areas from biomedicine and the arts to climate change and how galaxies were formed.

Surveillance cameras and fencing will be installed for security, the site will have more than 50 parking spaces and a conference area will be available for public use, officials said.

About a dozen residents and officials asked about noise, traffic, parking and architecture, with none openly expressing opposition to the project.

Kurt Pfeil, who lives near the site of the center in a condominium on Cabot Street, asked about noise control for the air-cooling machinery the center will house to deal with heated computers.

Noise tests have been done on such machinery and shown to be less intrusive than standards allow, said Chris Lovett, Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc., of Watertown, a landscape architecture and urban design firm.

The center will occupy the former Mastex Industries site. Harry Lavo, of Easthampton Road, said he appreciates the saw-tooth shape of the Mastex roof and asked whether it could house the center instead of being demolished.

Angelucci said the building is in near-condemned shape and would cost too much to refurbish.

The board’s approval means that planning staff, as well as other departments such as public works, police and fire, have given the plan their blessings, officials said.

The plan is to begin construction of the facility this summer, officials said.

The reason the center is being built here is because of the available energy at the hydroelectric dam and canals owned and operated by the Holyoke Gas and Electric Department.

The hearing was held at Holyoke Heritage State Park on Appleton Street and lasted about 90 minutes.

Planning Board approval came with conditions that included having the center consider at some point incorporate the city’s ongoing canal walk renovation into its property.

Other highlights were that the project will include installation of new water and sewer mains in the area, four fire hydrants, planting of 80 spruce, pine and other trees for aesthetic and buffering reasons and nearly three acres of green space, officials said.