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Jury in Jeffrey Asher police brutality trial recesses without reaching a verdict

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Asher is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (a flashlight) and assault and battery in connection with a traffic stop involving Melvin Jones III.

asher-closing.JPG02.27.2012 | CHICOPEE - Prosecutor Elizabeth Dunphy Farris speaks during her closing arguments Monday morning in the trial of former police officer Jeffrey Asher.

CHICOPEE – A District Court jury deliberating the fate of former Springfield Police Officer Jeffrey M. Asher has gone home for the day without reaching a verdict.

Asher is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (a flashlight) and assault and battery in connection with a traffic stop Nov. 27, 2009. The named victim is Melvin Jones III.

Just before 3:30 p.m., jurors asked Judge Maureen E. Walsh, "Can we re-hear the definition of the charges?" Walsh repeated her instructions on those points. Jurors deliberated for about another hour without reaching a verdict.

The jury will resume deliberations on Tuesday morning.

Defense lawyer Joseph Monahan and prosecutor Elizabeth Dunphy Farris gave closing arguments on Monday morning. Monahan said Asher was justified in his actions because they were in self defense and defense of others. Dunphy Farris said Asher's multiple blows to Jones were excessive force and not necessary.

This story will be updated with more details later this afternoon.


Republican politicians concerned with presidential candidates' tone, fear it will hurt party in November

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Democratic governors send a message to Republican governors with "cheer up" buttons at governors' meeting.

National Governors Association.jpgFrom left, Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, and North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue wait for President Barack Obama to speak before the National Governors Association, Monday, Feb. 27, 2012, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Republican politicians are concerned with the length and tone of the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Meanwhile, Republican governors said at the National Governors Association meeting that they want the candidates to focus on the economy rather than social issues.

Democratic governors attending the National Governors Association meeting had a message for the Republicans: Cheer up.

The negativity has started to negatively impact Americans' opinions of the candidates, a new Gallup poll found. None of the Republican candidates have strong favorable opinion percentages, and none of the four are near the favorable opinion percentages enjoyed by the Republican candidates in the three previous presidential elections at the same point in the campaign, according to the conclusion published by Gallup.

Fifty percent have a favorable opinion of President Barack Obama while 48 percent have an unfavorable view, according to the poll. Both Republican candidates Mitt Romney and Ron Paul have 39 percent favorable opinions. However, 40 percent have an unfavorable view of Paul and 47 percent have an unfavorable view of Romney.

GOP candidate Rick Santorum, who has gained momentum in the race in recent weeks, registered with a 38 percent favorable view vs. 35 percent unfavorable. Twenty-six percent have a favorable view of presidential candidate Newt Gingrich while 61 percent have an unfavorable view, according to poll numbers.

Former Republican presidential candidates John McCain and Mike Huckabee as well as some Republican governors said they fear the long-lasting nomination fight could hurt the Republicans' chances at winning the presidency in November.

Huckabee cautioned the rhetoric used in the Republican campaigns, calling it a "toxic atmosphere" during an interview with an Israeli TV station.

"And I would love to be able to say that it's going to be all about ideas and solutions, but unfortunately, a lot of it is just being able to say I am more angry at the Obama administration than somebody else," he said, adding that the atmosphere in the race doesn't motivate him to run for office.

Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said the Republican primary race is taking the focus away from the policies of President Barack Obama.

"And the other thing is, of course, when four Republican candidates are contesting each other for the nomination, a hard-fought race, attention is being taken away from Obama's policies and the results of those policies, which are mighty poor. And any time we're not talking about Obama's policies and the results of those policies, we're not talking about what's the best thing for Republicans in the election," Barbour said on CBS' This Morning.

Barbour, the former Republican Party chairman, added that he thinks it's unlikely that the primary race will continue until the national convention.

McCain said on ABC's This Week he's concerned the negative tone of the presidential candidates will push people to vote for Obama rather than a Republican.

"I've been in very tough campaigns. I don't think I've seen one that was as personal and as characterized by so many attacks as these are," he said.

Their concern echoes former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who said last week the negative rhetoric being used in the Republican primary race could push independent voters into Obama's camp.

At the National Governors Association meeting this past weekend, Republican governors said they hope the negativity in the primary battle won't affect the November race and the candidates need to bring the focus of the race back to the economy and jobs.

Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell said the primary race is producing clips that can be used by Obama's campaign against the Republican nominee. Indiana Gov. Mitch McConnell said he hopes the bickering between the Republican candidates on non-economy issues will be long forgotten by the time voters go to the polls in November.

McDonnell, who is said to be a possible Republican vice presidential pick, also said at the meeting that his constituents are concerned about the economy and bringing the national debt down.

Meanwhile, Democratic governors stated what they thought at the meeting with buttons that said, "Cheer up."

"These Republicans that are running for president are so depressed. We've got some good news -- a great president creating jobs. And governors who are seeing job creation and therefore revenues," Democratic Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin said during a speech at the meeting.

The Republican party's multiple candidates also became the butt of a joke during the Oscars Sunday. While listing roles played by actor Christian Bale, host Billy Crystal said, "A dark knight, an American psycho, a charismatic crack addict. You'll get to choose one on Super Tuesday."

Small fire at Fenway causes $100K in damage

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The department said archival photos were stored in the area of the fire. Fenway staffers were checking if any suffered water damage.

Joe Brough, 10, and sister Katie, 8, pose with Wally the Green Monster on the field at Fenway Park.

BOSTON (AP) — A small fire in the Boston Red Sox's administrative offices at Fenway Park has caused about $100,000 in damage.

The Boston Fire Department says the blaze in a second-floor mailroom was reported at about 11:30 a.m. Monday.

The fire was quickly extinguished. Firefighters had left Fenway less than 90 minutes after they were called. The fire department said most of the damage was caused by smoke and water on both the first and second floors.

The department said archival photos were stored in the area of the fire. Fenway staffers were checking if any suffered water damage.

The department said the cause of the fire was a short circuit near a wall-mounted light fixture.

Fenway Park is celebrating its 100th anniversary in April.

Luke Gelinas settles lawsuit with South Hadley officials for $75,000

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Gelinas was ejected from an April 2010 South Hadley School Committee meeting while reading from a prepared statement regarding the suicide of high school student Phoebe Prince. Watch video

041410 luke gelinas south hadley police escort.JPG04.14.2010 | Luke T. Gelinas is asked to leave the South Hadley School Committee meeting before his remarks were finished at the open forum segment of the meeting.

SOUTH HADLEY – Luke Gelinas, who sued the chairman of the South Hadley School Committee in a federal civil rights lawsuit following the suicide of South Hadley High School student Phoebe Prince in 2010, has received $75,000 in settlement.

Gelinas alleged in the suit that Edward Boisselle, the former chairman of the South Hadley School Committee, violated Gelinas' constitutional rights under the First Amendment. Gelinas was ousted from the April 14, 2010 meeting of the School Committee. Then-chairman Boisselle ejected Gelinas, saying he broke rules that asked speakers not to mention the Princes out of consideration for he family.

Gelinas began reading from a prepared statement in which he said Prince’s death could have been prevented. He called for the removal of the South Hadley School superintendent and the principal of South Hadley High School.

Boisselle interrupted Gelinas and told him that others wanted to speak. When Gelinas continued, he was removed by two police officers. Fifteen members of the public spoke at the meeting.

Gelinas’s lawyer, Boston attorney Howard Friedman, specializes in civil rights cases.

Gelinas declined to comment on the settlement, but in a release from Friedman, Gelinas is quoted as saying, “My rights have been vindicated.....The lawsuit is not about money. ... It was about social justice, which has been served.”

The release from Friedman's office said Anne O'Brien and Jeremy Prince, Phoebe Prince's parents, said, "We will be forever grateful to Luke Gelinas. We are pleased that he has been able to settle his claim regarding a violation of his civil rights."

Gelinas v. Boisselle et al., Memorandum and Order on Cross Motions for Summary Judgement

Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation president: Bay State poised to take advantage of recovery, but problems loom

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Michael Widmer spoke at the Outlook 2012 luncheon at the MassMutual Center in Springfield.

U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Mass., left, and Michael J. Widmer, right, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, both spoke Monday at the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield Outlook 2012 luncheon at the MassMutual Center. At center is Chambers President Jeffrey Ciuffreda.

SPRINGFIELD – Massachusetts' strengths in education, health-care and high technology make it poised for success, but looming budget problems at the federal, state and local levels threaten that possibility according to the speakers at the Outlook 2012 luncheon Monday.

“My overall take is that we are doing better than most other states and are positioned better than most other states for the future,” said Michael J. Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation. “Those of you who have heard me speak over the years know I don’t say that lightly.”

Widmer shared speaking duties Monday with U.S. Rep. Richard-E. Neal, D-Springfield and Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, who focused his remarks on Springfield’s ongoing recovery from the June tornado.

The Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield drew 585 people to the MassMutual Center for the annual luncheon, said Jeffrey S. Ciuffreda, president of the Affiliated Chambers. In recent years, the chambers had hosted the lunch at Chez Josef in Agawam. But the chambers moved this year’s event to Springfield in recognition of the city’s recovery from the devastating tornadoes.

In his remarks, Widmer said the national economy is beginning to recover and he praised the recent series of state budgets for being balanced and avoiding gimmicks. But he said nationally household incomes are falling and income disparities between rich and poor are growing. Governments, especially towns and cities in Massachusetts, are facing mounting costs for employee and retiree health care.

Widmer said it will be hard to government to maintain public services in that environment. high education is a priority because the state will need an educated work force.

“We need to step up for higher education, for UMass, the state colleges and the community colleges,” Widmer said. “They are a key part of our future.”

Neal, a member of the powerful House Ways & Means Committee, spoke of the importance of the Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield and the Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee to both the area’s economy and to the nation’s defense. The federal budget is tight and there are defense cuts looming.

Neal also talked about the importance of federal tax reform and of getting a new transportation bill passed.

Unions run ads, fly banners attacking Mitt Romney's opposition to auto bailouts

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The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees is running an ad in Ohio opposing Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's stance on the auto bailouts.

Mitt Romney.jpgRepublican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney greets supporters as he walks through the garage area before the NASCAR Daytona 500 Sprint Cup series auto race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Rainier Ehrhardt)

A public sector union is taking on Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney outside of Michigan on the auto bailout.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees has bought $350,000 worth of air time in Ohio and has begun running an ad on Romney's opposition to the auto bailouts.

The ad, entitled "Romney's World," pulls together several clips of Romney saying he opposes the auto bailout.

AFSCME also spent $1 million on ads attacking Romney in Florida before the state's primary in January. The union said it plans to spend up to $100 million during 2012.

The ad comes a day after the United Auto Workers flew a banner saying "Mitt Romney: Let Detroit Go Bankrupt" for an hour over the Daytona 500 race. Romney attended Sunday's race in Florida. Romney said at the race that although he doesn't closely follow NASCAR, he has "some great friends who are NASCAR team owners." The UAW pointed out Sunday that 31 of the 43 cars competing in the race were made by the Big 3 American automakers.

Romney has consistently opposed labor unions during the past few weeks of campaigning in his home state of Michigan.

I've taken on union bosses before. I'm happy to take them on again," Romney said.

Jeffrey Asher police brutality trial jurors to resume deliberations after failing to reach verdict

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The all-white jury asked the judge to reread the definition of the charges Asher, an ex-Springfield policeman, faces in connection with a traffic stop of Melvin Jones III.

ASHEREND.JPGJeffrey Asher speaks with his attorney Joseph Monahan III as prosecutor Elizabeth Dunphy Farris makes her closing remarks to the jury.

CHICOPEE – Jurors in the police brutality trial against former Springfield patrolman Jeffrey M. Asher will continue deliberations Tuesday after about 3½ hours deliberating the case Monday.

The all-white jury of four men and two women at one point Monday afternoon asked District Court Judge Maureen E. Walsh to reread to them the definition of the charges Asher faces in connection with a traffic stop of Melvin Jones III on Nov. 27, 2009.

Asher is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (a flashlight) and assault and battery.

Jones, who has a criminal record, received a broken eye socket, a broken finger, lacerations to his face, two broken teeth and damage to his eye.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are not saying that Melvin Jones is a saint,” prosecutor Elizabeth Dunphy Farris said in her closing arguments Monday. “The police are trained to deal with people who are not saints.”

She said Asher did not, as the defense claims, act in self-defense or defense of two fellow officers when he repeatedly slammed his flashlight into Jones.

The incident was captured on video by a woman living near the Rifle Street location where it occurred.

Both prosecution and defense have cited various points in the video they say give credence to their arguments.

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Dunphy Farris said there is no credible evidence Jones tried to reach for Officer Michael Sedergren’s gun. Sedergren, Asher and Officer Theodore Truiolo testified they never saw Jones reach for the gun.

Sedergren said he felt Jones reach for his gun in his holster as he and Truiolo had Jones up against the hood of a car. He said he told the other two officers Jones had his gun. Jones did not have the gun, evidence has shown.

Defense lawyer Joseph Monahan III, in his closing arguments, said, “A police officer’s lot in life is a tough one.”

He said there is no such thing as a routine traffic stop in a high crime area.

Monahan said Jones ran during a pat down frisk and when Truiolo and Sedergren caught onto him, Jones was able to “lug” the two officers 10 yards as they held him.

Sedergren and Truiolo then had Jones against the hood of the car.

“The ultimate nightmare of a police officer happens. He’s (Jones) going for his firearm,” Monahan said. He said Sedergren told Asher to hit Jones and Asher did.

Monahan said the only reason the officers reacted the way they did is because they were in abject fear of Jones getting the firearm. The officers, Asher particularly, used the force that was necessary, he said.

Jones was completely reckless – completely disregarding anyone’s safety but himself, Monahan said.

Monahan said of Jones: “He’s a one-man crime wave ... he’s not to be believed. He has no credibility.”

“The police officers on this day were cleaning up the streets. This is a war zone and the officers acted reasonably under the circumstances,” Monahan said.

Patriot Guard Riders provide security escort for fallen Westfield Marine Christopher Arzola

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The Massachusetts Chapter Patriot Guard Riders has more than 1,000 registered members.

Public Pays Respects to Fallen MarineMembers of the Patriot Guard stand at the Firtion-Adams Funeral home in Westfield for the services of Cpl. Christopher A. Arzola, a U.S. Marine who died in an auto accident in California.

WESTFIELD – Throngs of community members and veterans turned out Monday to shield family members of Marine Cpl. Christopher A. Arzola from a threatened funeral protest by the Kansas Westboro Baptist Church.

Supporters included several members of the Massachusetts Chapter of the Patriot Guard Riders, who were joined by members of various veterans organizations, including some from Southwick’s American Legion Post 338 and area fire department representatives, all on motorcycles.

Arzola, 21, was killed in an automobile crash in Dana Point, Calif., on Feb. 14. He was a 2008 graduate of Westfield High School and a member of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton.

“We are here to show our respect and to shield the family of Cpl. Arzola,” Patriot Guard state captain Howard Shrut of Newton said.

“The Patriot Guard is a protection group created in response to the Westboro Baptist Church and its demonstrations at military funerals,” the Vietnam veteran said. The Massachusetts chapter of the Patriot Guard has more than 1,000 registered riders, he said.

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Cassondra M. Gendron of South Hadley said more than 200 college students and community members “from throughout the region” carried signs outside Firtion Adams Funeral Home on Broad Street.

“We are here to show respect and spread love as a counter demonstration to the Baptist Church group,” said Gendron.

Also, the state Senate, at the request of Michael R. Knapik, R-Westfield, remembered Arzola during its adjournment Monday.

Despite the threat, the Westboro Baptist Church delegation did not show.

“What they do is wrong and it is cool they decided not to come here,” Gendron said. Quoting Martin Luther King, Gendron said “Darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that.”

Shrut said that in the five years the Patriot Guard has been in existence, the Kansas church group has threatened to attend several funerals but has not yet traveled to Massachusetts to demonstrate.

Following Monday’s funeral service, Arzola was buried at the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Agawam.


Some Springfield delinquent taxpayers paying up to avoid foreclosures

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The interest rate on the back taxes is now 16 percent and "it adds up quickly," said Treasurer-Collector Stephen J. Lonergan

SPRINGFIELD – The city in recent weeks has collected nearly $300,000 in delinquent taxes and interest owed for fiscal year 2011 since advertising the names of the delinquents and placing liens on the properties.

Since a legal advertisement was published in The Republican on Jan. 17, listing 735 tax-delinquent properties, payments totaling $298,642 have been received as of Thursday, according to Treasurer-Collector Stephen J. Lonergan.

“We are happy whenever anyone pays up,” Lonergan said Friday. “The goal is to collect taxes and keep people in their house. We don’t want to go to the next step of the foreclosure process.”

On Jan. 17, the delinquent taxes totaled nearly $1.2 million. The amount was just for fiscal year 2011, which ended June 30, 2011.

Liens were placed after a Jan. 31 deadline passed for payments. When payments are made in full, properties are redeemed by the owner and the liens removed, officials said.

Lonergan said he encourages people with delinquent bills to contact the office to determine if payment plans can be arranged.

The interest rate on the back taxes is now 16 percent and “it adds up quickly,” Lonergan said.

Since Feb. 1, the largest payment received by the city was $32,050, for a business property at 60 Brookdale Drive, also known as 90 Brookdale Drive, according to tax records. The owner is listed as Lyons Real Estate LLC, naming William G. Lyons III as resident agent and manager.

Those who failed to pay the taxes now have liens on their properties and are in tax title.

As of Thursday, those included the owners of a building at 8-12 Stearns Square, which housed the former Skyplex nightclub, owing $35,288 in taxes for fiscal 2011, according to tax collection records. Some of the other largest amounts owed, as of Thursday, included: Springfield Food System Inc., at 632 State St., the former KFC Restaurant ($30,899 owned), and Colmar Partners LLC, 1099 East Columbus Ave., the Starbucks building ($27,375 owed).

Revenue Services, the city’s deputy collector, has begun making collection efforts on behalf of the city on the tax-title properties, officials said.

UMass gardeners could be going to the White House

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The permaculture committee is hoping the greater UMass community will vote their support online.

102610 ryan harb umass permaculture garden.JPG10.26.2010 | Ryan Harb, right, auxiliary services sustainablility specialist, talks about the low maintenance permaculture garden outside of the Franklin dining commons on campus with UMass Dining Services Director Ken Toong. Harb organized the garden effort.

AMHERST – For members of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst's student-led Permaculture Committee the accolades keep on coming.

Last week Ryan Harb, chief sustainability coordinator for Auxiliary Services and Enterprises and certified permaculture garden designer, got a call from the White House telling him that the permaculture garden project is one of 15 finalists for the White House's "Campus Champions of Change Challenge," according to a UMass press release.

Now the mission is to convince the UMass community to vote online by March 3.

The top five teams will be invited to the White House on March 15, and will be featured by mtvU and MTV Act which will be hosting an episode of mtvU’s “The Dean’s List.” MtvU is part of Viacom’s MTV Networks.

An email from the White House read: “Congratulations on being selected as a finalist in the first-ever White House Campus Champions of Change Challenge. We loved reading about the inspirational work you have done in your communities and even more so hearing how your projects can be implemented nationwide. It just proves that young people are making a huge impact across the country and stepping up at time when we need it the most.”

A group called Real Food Challenge recognized those creating the garden as the National Student Group of the Year last year. The garden committee also won the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators’ Silver Excellence Award in Careers, Academic Support, Service Learning and Community Service category.

More than 1,000 people helped transform a quarter-acre of grass near the Franklin Dining Commons into a garden.

To vote, go to: campuschallenge.uservoice.com/forums/148562-campus-champions-of-change-challenge.

Next Northampton roundabout in store for Pleasant and Conz intersection

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The city hopes to secure state funding by 2016 and begin construction at that time.

022412 northampton pleasant and conz roundabout drawing.JPGView full sizeA conceptual drawing of the planned roundabout at Conz and Pleasant streets in Northampton.

NORTHAMPTON — City engineers have their eyes on the intersection of Pleasant and Conz streets for the site of a second roundabout in Northampton, and there are more to come.

The traffic-calming device is similar to the rotaries common in the eastern part of the state, only smaller. They allow traffic to flow virtually uninterrupted in all directions while forcing vehicles to slow down when approaching problematic intersections.

The city’s first roundabout, and one of the first in the region, was constructed outside the front gate of Look Park a few years ago at a cost of about $1.4 million. Assuming financial help from the state, the second one will be where Conz Street presently intersects with Route 5, or Pleasant Street, at the southern end of the city.

On Feb. 15, Nitsch Engineering of Boston facilitated a public information session in which the firm unveiled the plans drawn up to date and sought public comment. Laura Hanson, the transportation engineer for the Department of Public Works, said that meeting was not well attended and that the city has asked the engineering firm to hold another one in the near future, when the plans are closer to fruition.

“It will be pretty close to what it’s going to be,” she said. “It will be the kickoff to addressing issues like drainage and right-of-way.”

According to Hanson, the intersection is one of the most dangerous in the city, with 140 accidents recorded over the last 10 years. With a bowling alley, the Daily Hampshire Gazette building and the Walter P. Salvo House all within a quarter mile of the intersection, traffic is often heavy there. Motorists trying to avoid downtown use Conz to get onto Interstate 91. There is also a gas station, a car repair business and a used car dealership within yards of the proposed roundabout.

Nitsch has suggested incorporating a “slip lane”— an extra lane that would facilitate traffic going from Conz into Route 5— into the design, but Hanson said engineers are taking a second look at that alternative because of prospective problems.

Although there was a considerable amount of public resistance to the Look Park roundabout, Hanson said it has been “absolutely a success.”

“Change is hard,” she said. “We’re not like Europe, which has been using roundabouts for 30 years.”

Some veteran drivers were so flummoxed by the device that they would stop at the Department of Public Works headquarters to complain about it, Hanson said. Tensions have died down, however.

“I think people have learned how to properly use it,” she said.

Hanson said there is not yet an estimate of the project’s cost. The city hopes to secure state funding by 2016 and begin construction at that time. The cost would be supplemented by federal money.

Next up after that project would be a roundabout at Hatfield and North King streets, Hanson said.

“There will be others coming,” she said.

Ludlow Selectman William Rooney supports police resource officer at Ludlow High School

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Rooney said in addition to teen drug and alcohol problems, Ludlow has the 4th-highest chlamydia rate in Massachusetts for teens ages 14 to 19.

LUDLOW — Selectman William Rooney said he will support putting funds in next year’s budget to restore having a police officer at the high school.

There currently is no police resource officer at the high school because the police did not have sufficient manpower, Rooney said. He said the town needs to take steps to bring down a problem with prescription drug abuse by teens as well as a problem with teen drinking.

Rooney said the town also has the fourth-highest chlamydia rate in the state for teens ages 14 to 19.

The School Department is planning a forum for parents and other community members for April 24 to begin to combat the problem of teen drinking and drug use. Rooney said he wants to make a community wide effort to get as many parents as possible to attend the meeting.

“We need to bring drug and alcohol use down,” he said.

The forum will discuss the effect of alcohol on the brains of teenagers who are still growing. Interim School Superintendent Donna Hogan is developing a format for the forum.

Police Officer Paul Dobek said that restoring a police officer at the high school would be part of the solution to solving the drug problem in town.

At a recent school forum held to update the community on anti-bullying efforts, some parents said some prescription drugs such as OxyContin are being sold out of houses in town. Parents need to be able to recognize the signs of drug use, parents said.

Rooney said, “There is a huge drug problem in town.”

He said he cares about Ludlow because “I don’t live anywhere else.”

In January, James Pendrick, 51, of 108 Holy Cross Circle, Ludlow, was found guilty in Hampden Superior Court of selling drugs from his house and going to the home of the lead investigator and trying to intimidate him. Pendrick was found guilty of trafficking in the class of drug that includes heroin, morphine and opium and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

For the actions Pendrick took at the home of Ludlow Police Sgt. Thomas F. Foye, Pendrick was found guilty of trespass, intimidation of a witness and resisting arrest.

Cooley Dickinson Hospital trustees vote for affiliation with Massachusetts General Hospital; Baystate Health 'extremely disappointed'

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The Northampton hospital maintains the affiliation will allow it to keep its autonomy and provide high-quality, low-cost care from local physicians while benefiting from more resources.

Cooley Dickinson MGH Possible Merger Composite.JPGView full sizeMassachusetts General Hospital (left) and Cooley Dickinson Hospital in 2007 (right) in a composite image.

NORTHAMPTON – The Board of Trustees of Cooley Dickinson Hospital has voted to join forces with Boston's Massachusetts General Hospital.

In 2008, the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Alliance disbanded and left Cooley Dickinson independent for the first time in 15 years. The 125-year-old institution studied its options in a quickly changing health care economy and determined it might not be able to survive on its own.

Since 2010, Cooley Dickinson has been entertaining merger proposals from other networks, and last November had narrowed it down to Springfield-based Baystate Health System and Mass. General, which is part of Partners HealthCare System Inc.

The merger, which has yet to be negotiated, is aimed at reducing Cooley's overhead costs, drawing in new revenue for existing and upcoming programs and supplementing prevention resources. The hospital maintains the affiliation will allow it to keep its autonomy and provide high-quality, low-cost care from local physicians while benefiting from Mass. General's resources.

“As one of the pre-eminent hospitals in the country, Massachusetts General has the financial resources and intellectual know-how to help Cooley Dickinson thrive as we navigate the fundamental restructuring of health care that is under way,” said Trustee Chairman Matt Pitoniak in a statement.

In a statement released after the vote, Baystate Health officials said they are "extremely disappointed" with the decision.

"Our vision was for local governance and an integrated, regional system of care and we are disappointed in Cooley Dickinson Hospital’s decision to join a Boston-based health care system. We feel this decision is not in the best interest of the residents of western Massachusetts,” said Mark R. Tolosky, president and CEO of Baystate Health. "We are proud to bring the best of both worlds to this community – a health system which is locally based, and which has achieved recognition across the nation for outstanding care and clinical quality.”

“It is of deep concern to us that local control of one of the region’s most important community assets may be transferred to a large Boston hospital corporation. This is particularly troublesome at a time when so many businesses and jobs are leaving the area,” added Richard B. Steele, Jr., chairman of the Baystate Health Board of Trustees.

Other institutions originally considered for the merger were Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Lahey Clinic of Burlington, University of Massachusetts Medical Center and Vanguard Health.

“We are truly humbled that the leadership of Cooley Dickinson Hospital has placed its trust in Mass General to help preserve and enhance the outstanding care that patients and families in western Massachusetts have counted on for so long,” said Dr. Peter L. president of MGH, in a statement. “We look forward to working with the Cooley Dickinson board, management, physicians, and staff on the next phase of this process.”

Mass. General has said it will allow Cooley to keep its Board of Trustees.

Baystate's system is vast, with affiliated hospitals in Ware and Greenfield along with Springfield's Baystate Medical Center, and 10 health centers in Springfield alone. Affiliated medical practices stretch all across the Pioneer Valley.

Mass. General's partners include Nantucket Cottage Hospital, The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and North Shore Medical Center. All their affiliates are located in eastern Massachusetts.

Cooley has clinical relationships with Mass. General through the Boston hospital's cutting-edge cancer center, and with Baystate.

Mass. General was ranked No. 2 on the 2011-2012 U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals Honor Roll, which is described as being "reserved for medical centers that demonstrate unusually high expertise across multiple specialties."

The same publication ranked Baystate Medical Center “high-performing” in several specialties, including cardiology, heart surgery, diabetes and geriatrics.

“We will continue to partner with others to improve the healthcare within the region,” said Tolosky in the statement. “Our dedication to serving the community, including our own employees, their families and our neighbors, has guided our decision making over the years and will continue to do so in the future."

Deval Patrick administration plans strategy to protect Massachusetts military facilities

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Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray will chair the new Commonwealth's Military Asset and Security Task Force.

020312 timothy murray.JPGLt. Gov. Timothy Murray on Monday created a task force to review military assets and security in Massachusetts.

Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray Monday created a task force to review military assets and security in Massachusetts and prepare strategy to protect reserve and National Guard units and facilities from possible Department of Defense budget cuts.

Murray, who will chair the new Commonwealth’s Military Asset and Security Task Force, said the agency will work “directly with stakeholders to develop and implement actions that will support military bases across the Commonwealth.”

“It is critical that we retain and promote the operations and missions at all our military installations. All are major players and any loss or reduction in spending at these facilities will impact our local businesses, communities, revenues, jobs, families and national security,” Murray said.

The executive order signed Monday received immediate support from the state’s Congressional delegation and state, business, labor and military leaders.

The task force will be charged with identifying goals and strategies that will not only protect current military presence from Defense Department budget reductions but also protect jobs and economic impact on the state.

“Massachusetts’ defense and aerospace industries generate more than 120,000 jobs, fueling local and regional economies across the Commonwealth," Murray said. “In working with our congressional delegation and this formalized Task Force, Massachusetts is ready to fight for the jobs and missions at our military base facilities which provide significant value to our economy as well as our national defense strategy,” he said.

Defense contracts held by Massachusetts companies total more than $14 billion, Murray said.

Task force membership, in addition to various state agencies, will include representatives from the Massachusetts National Guard, Massachusetts Port Authority, state Department of Veterans’ Services, MassDevelopment as well as a state senator and state representative.

The Defense Department plans to cut spending by $500 billion in the next 10 years, and the Air Force last month targeted the Air Force Reserve’s 439th Airlift Wing at Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee for reduction of eight of its 16 C-5 jumbo jet transport aircraft by 2016. The aircraft will be transferred to Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. Westover and state officials are awaiting information on potential staff reassignments or reductions to coincide with the aircraft transfer.

The Air Force has also proposed changes at nearby Bradley International Airport involving the Connecticut Air National Guard’s 103rd Airlift Wing in fiscal 2012 by abandoning plans to assign C-27 transport jets and eventually replace them with MC-12s, intelligence and surveillance aircraft.

There has been no indication of cuts targeting the Massachusetts Air National Guard’s 104th Fighter Wing at Barnes Regional Airport nor the Army Guard’s Aviation Flight Facility there.

The 104th Fighter Wing is responsible for Homeland Security and air sovereignty of the entire Northeast. The Aviation Flight Facility and its six Blackhawk ambulance and two observation helicopters provides services including aerial firefighting and medical evacuation.

U.S. Sens. John F. Kerry, D-Mass., and Scott P. Brown, R-Mass., as well as U.S, Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, have said the Air Force proposal and any future Base Realignment and Closure recommendations must be approved by Congress and the president before they can be implemented.

But, Murray said, “We must be prepared in case BRAC becomes a reality. We need to be ready to address budget cuts of any kind at our bases across the state.”

He said Massachusetts has plenty to promote, citing military and state collaboration in cyber security, cutting edge research and development of protective clothing, food and equipment used by the military, heavy air transport capabilities for both combat and humanitarian missions, military intelligence and air defense.

Creation of the task force follows an initiative started last month by the Deaval Patrick administration to recruit state, business and labor support for military installations.

The state’s focus on preserving its military presence began Feb. 3 on a tour of the 104th Fighter Wing at Barnes led by Murray and joined by chamber of commerce, labor and community and state leaders.

Murray still plans to bring his tour to Westover Air Reserve Base and Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford in March, followed by similar tours at Natick Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Massachusetts Military Reservation and Otis Air National Guard Base on Cape Cod and Fort Devens in April.

Holyoke public library children's services available again, upstairs at City Hall

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Library services were interrupted as temporary quarters had to be established during reconstruction.

lego.JPGCreative use of Lego building toys is among the children's services programs at the Holyoke Public Library.

HOLYOKE – Story hours and other children’s services are fully restored in the Holyoke Public Library’s temporary home at City Hall.

The library set up its provisional quarters in January as the 110-year-old library building at 335 Maple St. undergoes a $14.5 million reconstruction. The renovated library is scheduled to reopen in 2013.

Construction and movement of books, computers, phones and other relocation issues delayed resumption of some services, but children’s programs are back, nighttime children’s librarian Jason Lefebvre said Thursday.

Visitors to the converted library – in the upstairs auditorium at City Hall at High and Dwight streets – have been steady and increasing, he said.

“People have discovered us and now that we have public computers again, we’ve become fully serviceable,” Lefebvre said.

All of the children’s program are free, he said.

Every other Monday at 5:30 p.m., a story time for children will be held, he said.

On Tuesdays from 3 to 6 p.m., children and families can participate in game time with a selection of board games, he said.

Story hours for preschool children are Wednesdays at 10 a.m., he said.

Craft time is available on Wednesdays from 4:30 to 7 p.m. for children up to 10 years old. The library provides materials for projects children can complete in a single session, he said.

Lego Builders” takes place on Thursdays from 3 to 6 p.m. Children in this program can make a variety of structures limited only by their imaginations using the large collection of Lego blocks donated by the manufacturer, he said.


Massachusetts scholarship pageant titles decided in Miss America prelims

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Cherise Leclerc was crowned Miss Hampden County, Courtney Ingalls won Miss Teen Western Massachusetts and Tamara Sacharczyk was named Miss Greater Holyoke.

2012 Miss Western Mass/Miss Greater Holyoke Scholarship PageantThe Miss Western Mass/Miss Greater Holyoke Scholarship Pageant was held at the Holyoke High School Sunday. The winners are left to right, Miss Hampden County Cherise Leclerc (23) of Hampden , Miss Western Mass Outstanding Teen Courtney Ingalls (13) of East Longmeadow and Miss Greater Holyoke Tamara Sacharczyk (19) of East Longmeadow.

HOLYOKE – Cherise Leclerc and Courtney Ingalls were crowned Miss Hampden County and Miss Teen Western Massachusetts respectively Sunday during the “Leaders of Tomorrow” scholarship pageant, a preliminary event for the Miss America pageant.

Leclerc, 23, of Hampden, a communications major at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, said winning the title in the county where she was born and raised is a special experience that will influence her life in all that she does.

“I do this because I love it,” she said. “It’s taught me to work hard to be successful and has made me a confident person.”

The confidence she has gained from her involvement in pageant competition, Leclerc added, will serve her well in professional and personal future goals. The focus of her work with young women in the community is “BeYOUtiful,” and her talent was the harp.

In preliminary awards, Leclerc was also recognized for her achievements in the swimsuit and interview categories.

Gallery preview

Ingalls, 13, of East Longmeadow, a student at Birchland Middle School, competed for and won the Miss Western Massachusetts Outstanding Teen title on the platform of preventing school bullying and sang Disney songs for her talent. Ingalls described the event as “a great experience” and an opportunity to do something “I really love.”

In recalling their year at Miss Western Massachusetts 2011 and Miss Massachusetts Outstanding Teen 2011, Emma Gilbert and Sydney Levin-Epstein, respectively, could only describe their experiences as amazing as they welcomed Leclerc and Ingalls into the pageant sisterhood.

“I had the most amazing time,” Gilbert said.

Levin-Epstein said the winners can expect to form lasting and unforgettable bonds with fellow contestants and title holders as they advance in competition.

“I’ve gained new friends and pageant sisters and mothers,” she said. “This has been an amazing experience.”

Both Leclerc and Ingalls will compete in the statewide pageant that will be held in Worcester in June, and the winner of those contests will move on to the national competitions.

Tamara Sacharczyk, 19, of East Longmeadow, a communications major at Emerson College in Boston, was named Miss Greater Holyoke, and Sandra Beach, 22, of Belchertown, a nursing student at Elms College, was voted Miss Congeniality be her peers.

MGM agrees to fund Brimfield's expenses related to casino proposal

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MGM/Rolling Hills Resort has agreed to fund a $50,000 gift account.

Brimfield casino site 2012.jpgThis artist's rendering shows where the proposed Rolling Hills Resort Casino would be located in Brimfield, just north of the Massachusetts Turnpike

BRIMFIELD – Selectmen Chairwoman Diane M. Panaccione said MGM/Rolling Hills Resort has agreed to fund a $50,000 gift account that will allow the town to pay for expenses related to the casino proposal, including attorney fees and the cost of hiring a consultant to work on the town’s behalf.

However, she said the town is still waiting for the money.

Las Vegas-based MGM Resorts International wants to build a resort casino – Rolling Hills Resort – in the northwest corner of town, north of the Massachusetts Turnpike. It is expected to create approximately 3,000 jobs.

New Holyoke senior center one step closer to reality, and now bearing a signature-covered beam

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The current senior center is in the basement of the War Memorial, 310 Appleton St.

beam.JPGPeople sign a beam that will top off the new Holyoke senior center being built at 291 Pine St.


HOLYOKE – Dozens of senior citizens and others ignored a chilly drizzle to autograph a steal beam that will support the $8.1 million senior center under construction at 291 Pine St.

“We support it,” Claire Zabecki, 80, said Friday.

“I belong to the Council on Aging and they do a lot of good work,” said Annette Gingras, 74, Zabecki’s sister.

The mass signing of a beam that will be swung into place to buttress the first-floor lobby was a ceremony to show the project’s variety of backers, said Kathleen A. Bowler, executive director of the Council on Aging.

“The signing represents the cross-section” of supporters, she said.

The center is being built at the former Anne McHugh School property at Beech and Sargeant streets.

A cup containing Sharpies and other markers was available on the steps of a trailer parked at the construction site. Bowler paused to advise someone to find a dry spot on the sides or beneath the top of the I-beam to avoid smearing caused by the rain.

Signers included Mayor Alex B. Morse, city councilors, Council on Aging employees, seniors who participate in activities in the current center at the War Memorial on Appleton Street and department heads like public works Superintendent William D. Fuqua, Fire Chief John A. Pond and Police Chief James M. Neiswanger.

The beam-signing ceremony is fitting because it shows the project has taken another step, Morse said.

“It’s been a long process. This is the next step,” Morse said

The City Council has approved borrowing to fund most of the project and anything received in fund raising would reduce the borrowing amount.

Building a casino on Chicopee industrial parks will create unique obstacles

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Developers are expected to announce if they will pursue plans to build a casino in Chicopee in late March.

Chicopee River Business Park Allan W. Blair, left, president and chief executive officer of Westover Metropolitian Development Corporation, and Kenneth W. Delude, president of Westmass Area Development, look over plans when the Chicopee River Business Park was first under construction 10 years ago.

CHICOPEE – Any plans to build a casino off Burnett Road may run into a variety of daunting obstacles, including its proximity to Westover Air Reserve Base.

Allan W. Blair, president and chief executive officer of Westover Metropolitan Development Corporation, which owns the proposed Air Park South, said he has not been approached by developers who want to build on the property slated for an industrial park.

“We have not talked to anybody. Until we understand what they need, there could be no in-depth conversations,” Blair said.

Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette announced last week unnamed developers have approached him to discuss building a casino in Chicopee. They should say in late March if they will pursue a plan.

Bissonnette said he is unaware of who else the casino companies have contacted.

He said the companies are interested in two properties: Air Park South, which is vacant land located between Burnett Road and the Chicopee Municipal Airport, and the Chicopee River Business Park.

The Chicopee River Business Park is owned by Westmass Area Development Corporation. Both are affiliates of the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts but are run by their own board of trustees.

Kenneth W. Delude, president of Westmass Area Development, could not be reached for comment.

Chicopee River Business Park, which measures about 170 acres, was designed for high-technology manufacturing but has remained mostly empty in the 10 years since it was created. Some of the park is located in Springfield.

Air Park South is still being developed. Westover Metropolitan Development Corporation acquired about 80 acres of land, most of it purchased from the city, and is hoping to buy about 20 more acres for the park, Blair said.

There will be some building limitations dictated by wetlands on the property and there will be problems with traffic, Bissonnette said.

Blair said the fact that the park is so close to the Westover Air Reserve Base makes it more complicated. There are restrictions on what can be located there because the property is in the military flight path.

“There are some limitations to the number of people that can be gathering at any one time at parts of that property based on the path of the airway,” he said.

He said he cannot even comment on how he and the board which governs the property would react if a developer proposed a casino on the site.

“It depends on so many things,” Blair said. “We talk to anybody. Until we understand what they need there could be no in-depth conversations.”

Any sale to a casino developer could also be controversial because when the land was acquired by the non-profit corporation, it was understood it would be used for traditional businesses such as manufacturing and warehouses.

“It was not in the category that was contemplated in our particular developments,” Blair said. “In Westover’s (Development Corporation) case we would want the community to be in favor of the use and we would work very hard with the city. It is not a decision you make on your own.”

Springfield Museums African Hall Subcommittee seeks nominations for Ahadi Youth and Ubora awards

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The Swahili word "ahadi" means promise; "ubora" means excellence.

SPRINGFIELD – The African Hall Subcommittee of the Springfield Museums is seeking nominations for the fourth annual Ahadi Youth award and 21st annual Ubora Award. Nominations for both must be received by Saturday, March 31.

ubora award logo.jpg

The Swahili word ahadi means promise. The Ahadi Youth Award is presented to an African-American age 12 to 19 who demonstrates strong character, leadership, academic achievement, and future potential, and who has made a positive impact on the greater Springfield community.

The Swahili word ubora means excellence. The Ubora Award is presented to an African-American adult who has demonstrated a commitment to the Greater Springfield area and exhibited excellence in the fields of community service, education, science, humanities or the arts.

The Ahadi and Ubora awards will be presented at a ceremony at the Springfield Museums on Sept. 15.

For nomination forms, call (413) 263-6800 ext. 325 or email vcavagni@springfieldmuseums.org. Nominations may be mailed to: African Hall Subcommittee, c/o Valerie Cavagni, Springfield Museums, 21 Edwards St. Springfield, MA 01103.

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