There will be races for district 1 town councilor and at-large town councilor in the annual town election.

Eric. A. Duda

PALMER – Tuesday was the deadline for candidates to turn in nomination papers to the town clerk’s office, and the results were surprising.

Town Council President Eric A. Duda, who took out papers for an at-large position and district 4, is not running again.

Duda, who was elected in 2009, received the most votes that year out of the at-large candidates. A teacher at Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School, Duda said it was a difficult decision, but he has to put his family first.

Duda and his wife Jennifer are expecting a baby girl in July.

“Due to this and other personal, family and professional obligations, I will not have the same amount of time that I have had in the past for local politics . . . I have enjoyed the experience and I am very proud of many accomplishments that were made in the past few years on the council and Charter Commission. I hope that more people decide to get involved and run for office in the future,” Duda said in a statement.

There will be races on the annual election ballot for district 1 town councilor and at-large town councilor.

Competing for a three-year district 1 town councilor position are incumbent Philip J. Hebert and former Bondsville fire and water commissioner Carl F. Bryant. District 2 Councilor Barbara A. Barry is running unopposed for a one-year term.

Palmer Redevelopment Authority Chairman Blake E. Lamothe is running unopposed for district 3 councilor for a one-year position; Raymond J. Remillard, who represents district 3 now, did not return his papers. District 4 Councilor Donald Blais Jr. is running unopposed for a two-year term.

Four people are competing for three at-large councilor positions. Incumbents Paul E. Burns and Karl S. Williams will face off against former School Committee chairwoman Mary A. Salzmann and newcomer Malinda C. Lastowski of Bondsville. The at-large councilor who receives the most votes will serve three years; the next highest, two years; the fewest, one year.

Because of a charter change approved by voters in November, all elected positions are up for reelection. The charter change moved the annual election from November to June, and reduced the number of town councilors from nine to seven. Other councilors not running again are Michael R. Magiera and William S. Heilman.

There are no races for Planning Board or School Committee. Planning Board incumbents Michael S. Marciniec, Norman A. Czech and Thomas S. Skowrya will be on the June 14 ballot, along with administrative assistant Andrew M. Golas and Kathleen M. Burns. Diane France and James J. Haley are not running. Haley said he did not agree with having to run again after being elected to a four-year term in 2009.

The makeup of the School Committee will not change, as Chairwoman Maureen R. Gallagher, Vice-Chairman James L. St. Amand, and members David M. Lynch, Gary A. Blanchette and Robert R. Janasiewicz all will be on the ballot. The ballot will also feature non-binding questions asking residents if they favor a town manager-town council form of government or selectmen and town meetings.

The news conference was the first time in the Fed's 98-year history that a chairman has begun holding regular sessions with reporters.

Associated PressFederal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke speaks during a news conference at the Federal Reserve in Washington, Wednesday, April 27, 2011.

WASHINGTON — At a historic news conference, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke offered clues Wednesday about when and how the Fed would begin raising interest rates.

Bernanke said that as long as the Fed continues to say rates will remain at record lows for "an extended period," rates won't rise until the Fed has met at least twice more. The Fed, which ended a two-day meeting Wednesday, gathers about every six weeks.

The Fed chairman also said any additional steps by the Fed to try to lower unemployment might raise other risks, such as higher inflation. If inflation were to accelerate, it could then reduce employment. That's because the Fed would have to raise rates to slow borrowing and spending and blunt price increases.

In his appearance, Bernanke appeared relaxed with reporters, projecting a calming presence and saying nothing that might rattle investors.

He sketched a picture of an economy that is growing steadily but remains weighed down by a prolonged period of high unemployment. He acknowledged the pain unemployment is causing, noting that around 45 percent of the unemployed have been without a job for six months or longer.

"We know the consequences of that can be very distressing because people who are out of work for a long time, their skills tend to atrophy," Bernanke said.

Stocks rose after Bernanke said he expects the economy to continue growing through next year and 2013. The Dow Jones industrial average, which was up about 50 points when Bernanke began speaking, gained another 50 points half an hour before the market closed.

Bernanke acknowledged that higher gasoline prices are creating a financial hardship for many Americans. But he said the Fed doesn't think gas prices will continue to rise at their recent pace.

The news conference was the first time in the Fed's 98-year history that a chairman has begun holding regular sessions with reporters.

It offered Bernanke a chance to drive a debate about Fed policy. Critics have said the Fed's efforts to boost growth raise the risk of high inflation. Investors are seeking clues about when the Fed will start raising interest rates to help slow price increases.

Bernanke said the first step in tightening interest-rate policy could occur when the Fed stops reinvesting the proceeds of its bond holdings. Bernanke would not be specific about when that might occur. He said it will depend on inflation and economic growth in coming months.

He said that step would be a relatively modest one. But it would constitute the Fed's first tightening because it would allow interest rates to creep up.

The news conference, the first of three scheduled this year, is part of a long-standing Bernanke effort to make the Fed more transparent.

Petraeus' move to the CIA is not expected until he wraps up his term as Afghan commander over the summer.

Associated PressIn this March 18, 2011 file photo, Gen. David Petraeus is seen in Washington.

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama plans to name CIA Director Leon Panetta as the next secretary of defense and move Gen. David Petraeus, now running the war in Afghanistan, into the CIA chief's job in a major shuffle of the U.S. national security leadership, senior administration officials and other sources said Wednesday.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates will retire on June 30 with Panetta taking over in July. Gates told senior staff that he recommended Panetta as his replacement six months ago.

Gates described his plans ahead of a White House announcement, expected Thursday, that Panetta would be the president's choice to replace Gates.

Petraeus' move to the CIA is not expected until early fall, after he wraps up his term as Afghan commander over the summer, officials said.

The four-star general also agreed to retire from the military before taking the position, in a meeting with President Barack Obama to discuss the move in mid-March, administration officials said.

The CIA would probably be led by a deputy over the summer.

Associated PressCIA Director Leon Panetta testifies before the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, in this Feb. 10, 2011 file photo.

All sources spoke on condition of anonymity because the changes hadn't been announced by the president.

The officials said Obama would name Lt. Gen. John Allen to replace Petraeus as Afghanistan commander, and diplomat Ryan Crocker to be the next U.S. ambassador in Afghanistan. With the turnover slated for September, that gives the administration several months to get Petraeus, Allen and Crocker confirmed by the Senate for their new positions.

Allen, now the deputy commander of U.S. Central Command in Florida, is due in Washington on Wednesday, and sources in Afghanistan said Petraeus was also headed to Washington.

U.S. military and civilian defense leaders call 2011 the make-or-break year for turning around the war and laying the path for a gradual U.S. exit by 2015. The main obstacles are the uncertain leadership and weak government of Hamid Karzai, the open question of whether the Taliban can be integrated into Afghan political life and the continued safe harbor Pakistan provides for militants attacking U.S. and NATO forces over the border in Afghanistan.

A U.S. official who confirmed Panetta's move to the Pentagon said the White House chose him because of his long experience in Washington, including working as a congressman with budgets at the intelligence agency, as well as his time as CIA director. The official said Panetta had traveled more than 200,000 miles to more than 40 CIA stations and bases and more than 30 countries, including Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Panetta's experience as a former director of the White House Office of Management and Budget will be helpful as the military faces efforts to cut defense spending, said John Nagl, president of the Center for a New American Security, and a member of the Defense Policy Board.

Nagl said Panetta brings "an understanding of the budget process that's probably unmatched, plus complete currency on both wars," in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Gates has come up with $400 billion in prospective cuts to the defense budget over the next 10 years, and Obama has asked him to come up with $400 billion more, Nagl said, a task that will now fall to Panetta, if he is confirmed for the job.

Petraeus, who took over as Afghanistan war commander last June, had been expected to leave that post before the end of this year. His name had been floated for weeks as a possible replacement for Panetta. Current and former administration officials noted that Petraeus would bring a customer's eye to the job as one of the key people to use and understand CIA and military intelligence during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Petraeus contends that military advances, especially in the traditional Taliban stronghold areas of southern Afghanistan, have blunted the Taliban-led insurgency and given the edge to the U.S. and its NATO partners. A planned transition to Afghan security control begins this year, and the U.S. wants to start withdrawing some of its approximately 100,000 forces in July.

Sending Crocker to Afghanistan would briefly reunite him with the outgoing Petraeus, recreating the diplomatic and military team credited with rescuing the flagging American mission in Iraq. Crocker would replace Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, a former Army general whose two-year tenure has been marred by cool relationships with major players in the Afghanistan war, including the White House, U.S. military leaders and Afghan President Karzai, administration and other sources said.

The nearly wholesale changes at the top of Obama's Afghanistan military and diplomatic lineup will leave fewer military and civilian leaders who have Obama's ear and who also have Afghanistan experience. Allen, the choice to become Afghanistan war commander, has never served there.

Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will leave his post in September after four years dominated by the ebb of the war in Iraq and the escalation of the one in Afghanistan. The top candidate to replace Mullen is Marine Gen. James Cartwright, who also has never served in Afghanistan.

Western Massachusetts Hospital celebrated its 100th year of service last fall.

Donald F. Humason

WESTFIELD – The city’s state legislative delegation expressed confidence Wednesday that the state will provide funding to allow Western Massachusetts Hospital to maintain its current level of care and services.

State Rep. Donald F. Humason Jr., R-Westfield, said that with support from other area state legislators, the House of Representatives Tuesday restore about half of a proposed $500,000 cut to the hospital’s $16 million state allocation for fiscal 2012 that begins July 1.

State Sen. Michael R. Knapik, R-Westfield, said Wednesday “with continued support from our delegation the Senate will be asked to restore the remaining $250,000 proposed in cuts.

Gov. Deval L. Patrick had recommended a budget for the hospital, one of four public facilities throughout the state, of $16 million, about $500,000 less than in recent years.

The House Ways and Means Committee trimmed $500,000 from the FY12 budget proposal, Humason said.

“Representatives from throughout Western Massachusetts provided the means to gain full support in the House on Tuesday to restore half of the cut,” Humason said. “We are looking to Sen. Knapik and the Senate to be a little more successful,” he said.

Knapik said “the goal is give the hospital what they need to maintain current operations. Long-term we hope to increase funding in the future.”

Knapik and Humason said the intent is to “at least” keep state funding for the hospital at the governor’s level for the new fiscal year.

Hospital director Derrick L. Tallman was unable to be reached for comment Wednesday.

The hospital, which celebrated 100 years of service last fall, just completed a $7 million renovation and addition project to enhance services there.

It currently serves 70 patients and has room to serve up to 100 with chronic diseases, terminal illness, neurological disorders and Alzheimer’s disease.

The new senior center is scheduled to be ready in a year, a welcome note for seniors fed up with the windowless current center.

Republican staff photo by John Suchocki Holyoke Senior Center groundbreaking ceremony with Thomas Senecal, excutive vice president of PeoplesBank, state Sen. Michael R. Knapik, R-Westfield, Shirley Morrison, chairwoman of the Council on Aging, architect John Catlin, Ann Hartstein, state secretary of Elder Affairs, Barbara Bernard, honorary Chairwoman of fundraising, Kathleen Bowler, executive director of the Council on Aging and Mayor Elaine A. Pluta.

HOLYOKE – A ceremonial ground-breaking Wednesday previewed the construction that is scheduled to begin in late May on a new, $8.1 million senior center.

“Overnight success after 20 years of work,” said Kathleen A. Bowler, executive director of the Council on Aging.

The senior center, now housed in a basement without windows at the War Memorial at 310 Appleton St., will be built at the former Anne McHugh School property at Beech and Sargeant streets.

Bids from constractors are set to be open Thursday and construction should begin in a matter of weeks, Bowler said.

The ceremony was held under a tent with a background of sloping and gouged dirt and construction equipment ringed by a temporary chainlink fence.

Remarks by Bowler, Republican columnist Barbara Bernard and others referred to the years of pushing and planning for a new senior center. That led to the shovels slicing into dirt where the McHugh School, and before that, Holyoke High School, once stood.

The City Council has approved borrowing to fund most of the project. Fund-raising, such as a $100,000 donation from PeoplesBank, will reduce the amount the city must borrow, Bowler said.

Senior citizens gather at the center to have lunch, play bingo, cards and other games, participate in health and other seminars and meet for bus trips.

The new facility will be 20,000 square feet with part of the building one-story high and the rest two-stories in height, Bowler said.

“This has been a dream of Barbara’s for many, many years and I could not be happier,” Bowler said.

“Thank every single one of you for your part in making this dream come true,” Bernard said.

It was a special day for Carol Rogers, 77, of Holyoke. She might be playing bingo in a year on the same spot from which she graduated from Holyoke High School when it was at Sargeant and Beech streets in 1951.

“High school was so much fun back then,” Rogers said.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 95.59 points to close at 12,690.96.

Associated Press photoFederal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke speaks during a news conference at the Federal Reserve in Washington, Wednesday.

NEW YORK — Stocks rose to another high for the year Wednesday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said central bank officials expect the economy to continue recovering as the jobs market strengthens. An index of small stocks hit a record.

The Fed said it expects the economy to grow as much as 3.3 percent this year. That's below the Fed's previous forecast in January, but the Fed also said it's more optimistic about jobs. It now expects the unemployment rate to fall as low as 8.4 percent by the end of the year. The unemployment is currently at a two-year low of 8.8 percent.

Bernanke's comments came during his first news conference. He was speaking after Fed officials held a two-day policy meeting. The Fed also announced that its $600 billion bond-buying program would end as scheduled in June. The Fed repeated its promise to keep interest rates low for "an extended period."

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 95.59 points, or 0.8 percent, to close at 12,690.96. The Dow was already up before Bernanke's appearance and rose another 50 points after the Fed chairman spoke. The last time the Dow was this high was in May 2008.

The Standard & Poor's 500 rose 8.42, or 0.6 percent, to 1,355.66. That was its highest price since June 2008. The index is still 13 percent below the record high of 1,565 it reached in October 2007. The Nasdaq composite index rose 22.34, or 0.8 percent, to 2,869.88.

The Russell 2000 index, a benchmark for small stocks, surpassed its record high of 855.77 reached in July 2007. It closed up 5.27, or 0.6 percent, to 858.31. Small stocks have soared since the market's rally began because they're seen as having the best growth prospects as the economy recovers.

The economy's rapid rebound from the recession has lifted smaller companies to record highs. Companies in the S&P 500 index have record amounts of cash on their balance sheets, leading to the widespread belief that smaller companies are natural targets for corporate acquisitions.

"The fact is that until we go into a sustained soft patch in the economy, the small (companies) are going to continue to outperform," said Quincy Krosby, chief market strategist at Prudential Financial.

Gold prices rose after the Fed said it would keep interest rates near zero in order to stimulate the economy. That led traders to buy gold as a hedge against inflation and a weaker dollar, both of which can result from low interest rates. Gold for June delivery rose $13.60 to settle at $1,517.10 an ounce.

Bond prices were relatively unchanged after Bernanke's press conference. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 3.35 percent from 3.32 percent late Tuesday.

Earnings results were mixed. Boeing Co. rose less than 1 percent after reporting earnings that beat analyst expectations. The airplane maker and defense contractor also said it still expects to deliver its long delayed 787 aircraft in the third quarter.

DeVry Inc. rose 7 percent. The for-profit education company reported that its earnings rose 18 percent as its revenue rose.

Broadcom Corp. fell 12 percent a day after the chip maker issued a second-quarter revenue outlook that was below analyst estimates.

Specialty glass maker Corning Inc. rose more than 2 percent after the company's revenue surged on strong sales of glass for flat-screen televisions, computers and mobile devices.

Johnson & Johnson rose less than 1 percent after the health giant said it would buy medical device maker Synthes Inc. for $21.3 billion in one of the largest deals in the company's history.

Investors were encouraged after the Commerce Department reported that businesses increased their orders for long-lasting manufactured goods by 2.5 percent in March, a bigger increase than economists had predicted.

"The manufacturing sector remains the real bright spot of the economy," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at New York-based brokerage house Avalon Partners Inc.

Three stocks rose for every two that fell on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume was 4.2 billion shares.

Obituaries from The Republican.

Irene B. Mann

Irene B. Mann, 103, a longtime resident of Wilbraham, passed away on Monday. She resided the past 10 years at Reeds Landing in Springfield. Born in Methuen, she moved to Lawrence at an early age and was a 1923 graduate of Lawrence High School. She trained in nursing at Faulkner Hospital in Jamaica Plain, and was hired by the hospital after graduation. Mann received a master's in nursing and then a degree in hospital administration. She became the assistant administrator of the hospital, a position she held for 11 years. She retired in 1957 as hospital administrator. Upon retiring she moved to Wilbraham. Mann later worked at Wesson Memorial Hospital, where she supervised central supply. She was a longtime member of Wilbraham United Church.

Obituaries from The Republican:

• 
  Amaral, Maria (Leitao)




• 
  Auchter, John R.
  



• 
  Bargar, Betty (Dickson)
  




• Barkyoumb, Wilbur M.
  




• 
  Caputo, Vincent A.
  



• 
  Carrignan, Lucille M.




• 
  Cook Sr., Carlton D.
  



• 
  Davis, Lorraine (Haarmann)
  




• Dwight, David Jeffrey
  




• 
  Fontaine, Gerald D. "Jim"
  



• 
  Hurley, Doris




• 
  Jalbert, Winifred (LaBelle)
  



• 
  Kelleher, Elizabeth M. (Pechulis)
  




• Langan III, James J. "Jim"
  




• 
  Liptak Sr., Ralph T.
  



• 
  Mann, Irene B.




• 
  Masse, Edward C. "Guido"
  



• 
  Mouroutsos, Joanna (Felopoulos)
  




• Pierz, Adam J.
  




• 
  Reed, Evelyn B.
  



• 
  Robbins, Ryland




• 
  Ryker, Eva B. (LaPointe)
  



• 
  Samble, M. Irene
  




• Spagnoli, Salvatore J. "Sam"
  




• 
  Taylor, Alan Richard "Rick"
  

The School Department is not proposing a wage freeze or furloughs for school personnel.

The Republican file photo | Michael S. GordonSchool officials touring and meeting with staff at Kiley Middle School at the start of the school year included Springfield Schools Superintendent Alan J. Ingram, left foreground. Behind him from left: Kenneth R. Luce, co-principal of Kiley, Maura O. Banta, chair of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Mitchell D. Chester and and Alyson J. Lingsch, co-principal of Kiley.

SPRINGFIELD – School Department officials have closed a projected $18.9 million budget gap for next fiscal year, saying they found cuts and efficiencies that can occur without harming classroom size and direct student services.

The budget update, which was presented to the School Budget and Finance Subcommittee on Wednesday, was far rosier than a projected $5.4 million city budget gap still facing city departments. Mayor Domenic J. Sarno has asked city employees to accept a wage freeze and furloughs or said the city faces up to 120 layoffs and cuts in services.

The school budget, still being prepared, includes a reduction of about 85 teaching positions next fiscal year, and a reduction in non-teaching personnel not yet finalized, officials said.

However, teacher-student ratios are expected to remain the same due to factors including decreases in enrollment in some areas and program changes, according to Superintendent of Schools Alan J. Ingram and Assistant Superintendent Daniel J. Warwick.

The cuts in teaching positions can be accomplished primarily with retirements, unfilled vacancies, and not recalling teachers who have failed to meet their certification requirements or who have not performed well during their first three years of employment, Ingram said. There could be some layoffs, such as cases where a program is eliminated, officials said.

Proposals such as a wage freeze and furloughs are not on the table for school personnel, said Timothy J. Plante, chief financial officer.

The School Department will be sending out layoff notices to teachers before a May 15 deadline, which is contractually required if layoffs are possible. The goal would be to rescind those notices as soon as possible, officials said.

The budget, as currently projected, would accomplish the School Committee’s goal of keeping the cuts “as far away from the classroom as possible,” said committee member Christopher Collins.

Ingram expects to recommend a $311.9 million fiscal 2012 school budget next month, reflecting an increase of $17.4 million (5.9 percent) over the current budget. The budget does not include school transportation, funded in the city budget.

The school budget, which takes effect July 1, benefited from $275.4 million in state education aid (Chapter 70 funds), an increase of $12.7 million.

The state education aid increase for Springfield was based on factors including poverty rates, whereas many other communities received reductions in education aid.

Ingram, in preparing the budget with his advisory committee, faced challenges including:

• the loss of grant funds totaling $26 million that will expire on June 30
• a 3.5 percent increase in salaries
• budget increases for health insurance and pension costs.

The School Finance and Budget Subcommittee expects to meet again in mid-May to review the budget with more specifics available. The meeting would be followed by a School Committee budget hearing and a committee vote.

School Committee members Antonette Pepe and Peter Murphy attended Wednesday’s budget subcommittee meeting.

Pepe said she wants to see the specifics to determine if there are any cuts in the classroom and wants to ensure the classrooms, students and teachers receive their supplies and classroom size is maintained.

Murphy praised the elimination of the budget gap and the effort to keep the cuts away from the classroom.

Astronaut Catherine "Cady" Coleman is reportedly enthusiastic about speaking to the UMass graduating class.

Catherine Coleman

AMHERST - Those graduating from the University of Massachusetts this year will be receiving diplomas on a Friday evening instead of the typical Saturday and the commencement address will be delivered from outer space.

NASA astronaut Catherine “Cady” Coleman, who is currently on board the International Space Station, will be speaking in a videotaped address at the May 13 commencement. Coleman, who lives in Shelburne Falls, received her doctorate in polymer science and engineering from UMass Amherst and is a chemist and retired U.S. Air Force colonel.

Committee members who plan the commencement were intrigued with the idea of inviting Coleman to speak from afar, said UMass spokesman Daniel J. Fitzgibbons.

“They e-mailed her, she responded and she agreed to do this. She’s very enthusiastic about doing it,” he said. He added that “it shows our graduates there are literally no boundaries where UMass alums can go.”

In March Coleman “met” with Holyoke and Springfield students in a video interview arranged at Springfield Technical Community College. She recently performed a duet with Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull. He was earthbound.

At that ceremony at McGuirk Alumni Stadium , 4,300 will receive degrees. David Gergen, a former White House senior aide to Presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton, will receive an honorary doctorate at the undergraduate ceremony. Ceremonies begin at 5 p.m.

Alumnus Jerome M. Paros, an internationally known leader in the field of measurement science, and alumnus Kenneth L. Brayman, pioneer in diabetes research, scholar, researcher and surgeon, will receive Distinguished Achievement Awards. Paros is a Springfield native.

The graduate commencement will be held as usual at 9:30 a.m. in the Mullins Center, also on May 13.

More than 1,200 will receive master’s and doctoral degrees. William McKibben, author and environmental activist, will receive an honorary doctorate an speak briefly.

Also alumnus, faculty member and musician Yusef A. Lateef will receive a Distinguished Achievement Award.

Chancellor Robert C. Holub, UMass President Jack M. Wilson and John R. Mullin, dean of the Graduate School, will also speak briefly.

At noon, the Stockbridge School holds its commencement at noon in Bowker Auditorium with about 100 receiving associate of science degrees. The guest speaker will be Scott J. Soares, state commissioner of agriculture and alumnus of UMass Dartmouth.

Two of the three occupants were thrown from the vehicle, and police are not yet sure which of the three was driving.

Republican file photo

This is an update of a story that was originally posted at 8:12 a.m.

WESTFIELD – A 23-year-old city man was killed and two others injured in a one-car accident at about 12:15 a.m. Wednesday in the area of 866 North Road near Hampton Ponds, police said.

The fatality is the third traffic-related death in Westfield in a week.

Police said two men from the North Road accident were taken by ambulance to Baystate Medical Center, while a third was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Police were not releasing the names of the deceased pending notification of his family.

The names, hometowns and ages of the two injured were also not disclosed. They are considered in serious and stable condition at Baystate, according to police.

The deceased man and one of the injured men were each thrown from the car in the crash, police said. The third man was found inside the wreckage.

The cause of the accident is unknown, but police said speed was a likely factor.

Traffic Sgt. Edward Murphy said it is not yet know which of the three was driving the car. It is also not clear if any of the three were wearing seat belts.

Murphy said the car was heading west on Route 202, also known as North Road, when it apparently went out of control. It crossed over to the eastbound lane, struck a guardrail, came back into the westbound lane and then off the roadway.

The car came to rest on a dirt pile near the construction site for an expansion at the church, he said. Police closed that section of the roadway for about 4½ hours while they investigated the crash.

A state police accident reconstruction unit is assisting in the investigation.

Murphy said that stretch of roadway is not known for being particularly dangerous. “It’s a pretty straight road,” he said. Westfield police are continuing to investigate two other recent accidents that resulted in the loss of life.

A three-vehicle crash April 20 on Route 20 and East Mountain Road took the life 78-year-old Antoinette Stark, of 330 Rock Valley Road, Holyoke.

Murphy said that the Route 20 crash remains under investigation and that charges have not been filed.

Also 18-year-old driver Vincent Caputo died April 22 from injuries suffered in an early morning crash on April 16 near 20 Cross St.

The accident is still under investigation. Police said the vehicle was traveling north on Cross Street when it went out of control and hit a tree and fence on the other side of the road.

Caputo’s passenger, Anthony Gay, 18, of Westfield, has been treated and released from Baystate Medical Center, according to a hospital spokesman.

Republican reporters George Graham and Lori Stabile contributed to this report

View Three fatal traffic accidents in Westfield in a larger map

The May 14 celebration includes a pancake breakfast, parade and fireworks.

The Republican | Mark M. MurraySpringfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, right, accepts a 375th birthday cake, complete with candles, made by Shaolyn Soto, left, a senior at Putnam Vocational High School. Looking on is Tiera Porter, also a senior at Putnam.

The Republican | Mark M. MurrayDonald D'Amour, chairman and chief executive officer for Big Y World Class Markets, speaks during the press conference on Springfield's 375th anniversary celebration.

The Republican | Mark M. MurrayMassachusetts National Guard Col. Peter Green speaks about the 375th celebration.

SPRINGFIELD – City officials, business leaders, and volunteers young and old gathered at City Hall on Wednesday to announce plans for a day-long program on May 14, including a pancake breakfast, parade and fireworks, that will kick off the city’s 375th anniversary celebration.

The participants and sponsors, joined by Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, shared a candle-lit birthday cake, sang happy birthday, and detailed the kick-off celebration plans during a press conference at City Hall.

“May 14 will be a spectacular day,” said Judith A. Matt, president of Spirit of Springfield, which is presenting the event.

The cake was provided by students from the Putnam Vocational Technical High School culinary program.

The celebration will begin with the annual World’s Largest Pancake breakfast, from 8 to 11 a.m., on Main Street in downtown Springfield.

At 9:30 a.m., hundreds of public school students will perform the “Springfield Song,” the “Pancake Song” and some patriotic tunes.

The Springfield’s 375th Parade begins at 11 a.m. at Springfield Technical Community College, traveling along State Street to Main Street and Mill Street. The parade will include thousands of participants, including neighborhood, veterans groups, the Massachusetts National Guard and community organizations, Matt said.

A concert is planned at Blunt Park by more than 100 members of the Sci-Tech Jazz Band, from 7:30 to 9 p.m., followed by a fireworks show, sponsored by Big Y.

Other events include:

• the Springfield Museums will host various activities from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., including a scavenger hunt, a performance of traditional songs and music, and an early American art activity
• the Springfield Armory will host Armory Day from 1 to 5 p.m., including re-enactments, demonstrations and firings.

Cherish Carlin, 21, pleaded guilty to charges related to an accident in which 71-year-old Bradford Greene was critically injured.

BRATTLEBORO, Vt. — A woman who critically injured a Vermont bicyclist with her car when she was distracted by looking at her GPS isn't going to jail.

Twenty-one-year-old Cherish Carlin of Springfield, Mass., was given a suspended sentence and placed on probation after she pleaded guilty to charges of gross negligent vehicle operation and reckless endangerment. If she stays out of trouble her criminal record will be sealed.

Carlin was driving on U.S. Route 5 in Dummerston in April 2009 when she took her eyes off the road to look for a place to eat on her GPS. She hit then-71-year-old Bradford Greene of Dummerston from behind.

Greene has since recovered from his injuries.

The Brattleboro Reformer says Carlin, who had no previous criminal record, apologized in court for her actions.

The work by students from Central, Commerce and Renaissance schools will be on display at Tower Square at the end of May.

The Republican | Diane LedermanJasmine Earl, a senior at High School of Commerce in Springfield, stands near her photograph called "Captured" now on display at the University of Massachusetts University Gallery of Contemporary Art. She was one of 26 students participating in the collaboration with UMass and other area groups.

AMHERST – Richard Tramble is wearing a dressy black shirt and white tie as if dressed for a prom or wedding and is beaming as he points out his photograph hanging in a gallery in the University of Massachusetts' University Museum of Contemporary Art to friends and family.

The black and white photograph taken by the High School of Commerce sophomore depicts a young girl peering from behind a door looking frightened. Tramble’s photo was one of 38 hanging taken by Springfield students in a collaboration involving many around the Pioneer Valley.

The idea for the project came from museum education curator Eva Fierst, who was inspired by David Goldblatt’s documentation of South Africa from apartheid to post-apartheid. That exhibit, which opened at the museum in February, is on display at the gallery along with the student work until Sunday.

While there is no legally sanctioned system of segregation in this country, “the issues are relevant in our country as well,” she said.

She looked for communities that “would have some sensitivity to the subject.”

She thought of Springfield. According to the most recent census, 22 percent of the city’s population is black and 39 percent Hispanic. Then enter Northampton resident Elaine Ulman, who was credited for making the project happen “by creating countless intersections.” Goldblatt’s exhibition is called Intersections Intersected.

Ulman was called because she had worked with the U.S. State Department on an artist exchange between South Africa, Springfield, Hartford and Holyoke. She also knew Goldblatt’s work. When she learned that Goldblatt wanted to work with the students, she said she knew she needed to “find a way to do this.”

Twenty-six students from Central, Commerce and the Springfield Renaissance School participated. Goldblatt visited the students when he was in America for the opening.

“He was delighted to work with the students,” Fierst said.

The Republican | Diane LedermanMolly Burke, a junior at the Springfield Renaissance School, stands near her work called "Peace" and "Destruction." They are two shots of the same house – the first during a winter storm and the second of a fire. The work is now on display at the University of Massachusetts University Gallery of Contemporary Art. She was one of 26 students participating in the collaboration with UMass and other area groups.

The students then traveled to the museum here and studied Goldblatt’s work.

Students met with other photographers including retired UMass professor Julius Lester, a writer and photographer. The Pioneer Valley Photographic Artists collected cameras for the students to use and found equipment to set up a dark room.

The idea, Fierst said, was “not to go out and find a car accident” but to document the “quietness of their own lives and thoughts” in emulation of Goldblatt, she said. We just were blown away with the work and the thoughtfulness. They learned Goldblatt’s lessons.”

Jasmine Earl, a senior at the High School of Commerce, captured a fence topped with barbed wire set against a roiling sky.

She said some think that people are stuck in Springfield. She left and came back.

“I don’t’ want to leave.” The photo, she said, “captures the idea of being rooted.” But at the same time “it’s also a beautiful picture.” She was inspired by Goldblatt and his work. “He captured something exactly how it is.”

Springfield Renaissance School teacher Michael Gillane said it was a great opportunity for his school because it just started a photography program. And he said, students “wanted to make a positive statement about Springfield. They felt a responsibility to put that out there.”

Alexandra Fox, a junior at that school, said she had started taking pictures but had limited resources. She was in awe of being able to talk to someone of Goldblatt’s stature. “I got to talk to him about his pictures.”

She’s always liked art, she said, but with photography, “I can do so much more.” She’s hoping there’s a camera in her future for an upcoming birthday.

“It was amazing,” Tramble said of the experience. “I feel like this is a passion of mine.” And he is delighted the work is on display. “I’m so proud of myself.”

The student work will also be displayed Tower Square in Springfield at the end of May, Ulman said. The work will hang for three weeks.

Business leaders from Western Massachusetts huddled with top political leaders on Beacon Hill during an annual event.

File photo | The RepublicanJoseph F. Wagner

BOSTON – A top legislator told business leaders from Western Massachusetts on Wednesday that his committee will be prepared to release a casino bill by early summer.

Rep. Joseph F. Wagner, a Chicopee Democrat and co-chairman of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, said that House Speaker Robert DeLeo, the Senate President and the governor would first need to agree on a framework for expanded gambling before the committee votes on a bill.

"I do think it's important ... that there be a framework for an agreement on the front end," Wagner said. "If there is not an agreement on a framework by early summer, then you won't see a bill from committee by early summer. But I think it's reasonable to think that we could move it along that timeline if all of the other necessary things fell into place."

Wagner's committee is scheduled to hold a public hearing at 10 a.m. on Wednesday at the Statehouse on 13 gambling bills. The committee would need to vote on a gambling bill and send it to the full state House of Representatives and the Senate for votes.

Wagner was among leaders at the Statehouse who spoke during an annual "Beacon Hill summit" with business leaders from Western Massachusetts.

Sen. Gale D. Candaras, D-Wilbraham, was host of the day-long event, which was presented by the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield, the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce and the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce. About 60 members of the chambers attended the event.

Next week's gambling hearing kicks off a new debate on casinos on Beacon Hill. The hearing comes as the Mohegan Sun of Connecticut is pledging to move ahead with plans for a casino resort in Palmer, and a separate group is proposing a casino for Holyoke. Legislators approved a casino bill last year, but it was rejected by Gov. Deval L. Patrick amid a hail of finger-pointing and accusations.

The Republican file photoJeffrey Ciuffreda, president of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield

Jeffrey S. Ciuffreda, president of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield, said he is concerned about how a casino bill would be structured including how revenues would be shared. Ciuffreda said he is also concerned about the possible effects of casinos on attractions such as the MassMutual Center in Springfield.

Casinos were only one issue discussed during the summit.

Senate President Therese Murray provided a grim summary of the state's $30.5 billion budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1.

Murray cited a $1.8 billion gap in the budget caused by the loss of federal stimulus funds. Legislators used about $1.5 billion in federal money to balance this year's budget, but that money now is gone, leaving a hole, Murray said.

When William J. Miller, executive director of the Friends of the Homeless in Springfield, told Murray that his organization is being shortchanged in state funding, she told him that he hasn't seen anything yet.

The Senate is scheduled to debate its version of the budget during the week starting May 23.

The yearly summit gave business people from Western Massachusetts a chance to question government leaders on a host of issues such as congressional redistricting, health care and rates for unemployment insurance and workers compensation insurance.

Sen. Stephen M. Brewer, D-Barre, the chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, told the group that he is pressing the University of Massachusetts to expand its presence in downtown Springfield. Brewer said that he is keeping the heat on the university president when he meets with him.

The university 's current programs include the Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute on Main Street, a joint venture with Baystate Medical Center and research center for diseases such as cancer and diabetes, and a design center at Court Square.

Business leaders also heard from several other people including Sen. Stanley C. Rosenberg, D-Amherst, co-chairman of the Committee on Redistricting, and Michael J. Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.

Jeanne D'Amour was a 1938 graduate of Holyoke High School and received a degree in 1940 from the Bay Path Institute, which would go on to become Bay Path College.

Submitte photoGerald E. D'Amour, co-founder of Big Y Foods, right, with his wife, Jeanne. Jeanne D'Amour died Saturday at the age of 90.

SOMERS, Conn. – Jeanne E. D’Amour, a philanthropist and widow of Big Y Foods Inc. co-founder Gerald E. “Gerry” D’Amour, died on Saturday.

She was 90. Funeral services were held in private at the D’Amour Chapel here.

Her husband died in August, also at the age of 90.

“Our mother was a strong, courageous woman who was grounded in her faith, her family and her community,” said her son, Charles L. D’Amour, now president and chief operating officer of Big Y. “She gave of herself completely, whether raising her six children, helping her husband, Gerald, build his business, or devoting her time and energy to her church and the many educational and civic organizations with which she was involved.”

“We will miss her but take comfort in her lasting legacy and all the ways that she has helped so many,” he said.

Gerald and his older brother, Paul H. D’Amour, founded Big Y in 1936. The company is this year marking its 75th anniversary in business.

That first 900-square-foot market was at a spot in Chicopee where two roads came together to form a “Y.” That location gave the chain its name.

Paul D’Amour died in 1991. Big Y now has 61 stores in Massachusetts and Connecticut with more than 10,000 employees.

“In raising her six children, while her husband was tending to the needs of a growing supermarket business, my mother always taught us the importance of family and of giving back to our community,” Jeanne D’Amour’s daughter, Claire D’Amour-Daley, said on Wednesday.

D’Amour Daley now serves as Big Y’s head of corporate communications.

Anthony S. Caprio, president of Western New England University, recalled how Gerry D’Amour was quiet, while his wife gave voice to his thoughts.

Jeanne D'Amour

“I always thought of Jeanne as being the laughter to his smile,” Caprio said. “If you ever wanted to look at a couple that was totally in synch, it was beautiful to watch.”

Jeanne D’Amour was a 1938 graduate of Holyoke High School and received a degree in 1940 from the Bay Path Institute, which would go on to become Bay Path College.

Bay Path president Carol A. Leary remembered how much Jeanne D’Amour loved her frequent luncheons with students. “She loved hearing their stories,” Leary said.

It was especially true for students who were the first women in their families to go to college or working women in Bay Path’s program of Saturday-only classes, Leary said. “She could tell the transformation that these students would undergo because of a Bay Path education,” Leary said. “She was so touched by their personal stories.”

D’Amour also loved music, according to Leary. So, the college often had a student musician perform following the meal.

D’Amour was a trustee at Bay Path from 1984 to 1994. She and her husband endowed the college’s D’Amour Hall for Business Communication and Technology.

Chief Scott said it was disheartening to get such questioning three days before he retires after 10 years as chief.

File photos | The RepublicanHolyoke City Councilor John O'Neill, left, questioned whether state law was violated if city money and personnel were used in planning a retirement dinner roast for Police Chief Anthony Scott, right. The City Council's Finance Committee voted 4-1 to withdraw an order from O'Neill regarding the event; some councilors questioning O'Neill's motives.

HOLYOKE – Harsh words again were exchanged in City Council Chambers regarding Police Chief Anthony R. Scott, but this time, most councilors sided with Scott.

The Finance Committee voted 4-1 Wednesday to withdraw an order from Ward 7 Councilor John J. O’Neill about an April 7 dinner roast held in Springfield in Scott’s honor.

Scott, 65, is retiring Saturday after 10 years as chief.

O’Neill questioned whether state law was violated if city money and personnel were used in planning the roast. Roast proceeds went to charity.

Though the committee withdrew the order, it was preceded by a discussion that featured councilors questioning O’Neill’s motives.

Scott, accompanied as he has been at recent council meetings by his personal lawyer, Judd L. Peskin, of Springfield, said he found O’Neill’s inquiry disheartening.

But he said he will donate $650 for youth scholarships to cover time his secretary spent selling roast tickets.

The $650 will cover the 23 hours he estimated his secretary devoted to roast-related actions between Feb. 28 and April 7, at about $22 an hour. That’s $506. Another $150 will cover use of city phones and other equipment, he said.

“This is disheartening. I got three days left and I’m faced with being accused of violating a criminal statute and it feels like the individual is saying, ‘You’re a crook,’ and I don’t appreciate (that),” Scott said.

O’Neill, a lawyer, said state law Chapter 268, Section 9A prohibits a law enforcement official from selling tickets a testimonial dinner punishable by a $500 fine.

“We don’t get to pick and choose” which laws to follow, O’Neill said. “It’s our obligation to look at these things as we always do.”

Councilors unloaded on O’Neill.

“This is ridiculous,” Ward 5 Councilor Linda L. Vacon said.

If there was a violation of state law, the matter belonged with the district attorney and not the City Council, said Councilor at Large James M. Leahy, who attended and said he enjoyed the roast.

“I do want to say thank you for your service,” Leahy told Scott.

Councilor at Large Kevin A. Jourdain said O’Neill’s order was making a “public spectacle” of Scott.

“You’ve given us meritorious service for many years,” Jourdain told Scott. “It’s unfortunate, as you head out the door, you get a kick in the pants, and I don’t think you deserve it.”

Ward 2 Councilor Diosdado Lopez asked O’Neill to withdraw the order.

“I think this is a waste of time and I think you should know better,” Lopez said to O’Neill.

Councilor at Large Patricia C. Devine said that, like Lopez, she wished she had moved to stop O’Neill’s order at the April 5 meeting.

“So what this witch-hunt was all about, I don’t know,” Devine said.

Committee Chairman Todd A. McGee made a motion to withdraw the order and was joined in voting yes by councilors Peter R. Tallman, Leahy and Jourdain. O’Neill voted no.

Scott began toting legal help, at his own expense, to City Council Chambers last year because he said he needed such advice as exchanges with councilors got testy.

The roast of Scott featured comedian Bill Cosby, with whom Scott is friends, and drew 750 people to the MassMutual Center in Springfield.

Ticket prices were $40 per person, or $375 per table of 10. After paying for rental of the hall and other costs, proceeds from the event were to be donated to the Valley Press Club scholarship fund and Evergreen Diamond System, a youth program organized by Samuel Bass & Associates, of Springfield.

John O’Brien and Mike Baxendale of WAQY Rock 102 radio’s “Bax and O’Brien Show” came up with the roast idea, Scott said, and the law firm of Sullivan, Hayes & Quinn helped organize it.

Wilhite's lawyer, William O'Neil faulted the jury for reaching a guilty verdict in 3 hours despite having to consider 55 pieces of evidence and testimony from 19 witnesses.

photo by Brian Turner (Creative Commons)

Republican file photoCharles L. Wilhite, seen here during his trial last December. A jury found him guilty of first-degree murder.

SPRINGFIELD – Hampden Superior Court Judge Peter A. Velis is expected to hear arguments today about whether he should set aside the jury’s guilty verdict from a December murder trial that resulted in a 27-year-old Springfield man being sentenced to life in prison without parole.

The hearing was scheduled on a motion from lawyer William J. O’Neil to overturn verdict and declare a new trial for his client, Charles L. Wilhite.

Wilhite and Angel Hernandez, 44, on Dec. 13 were each convicted of first-degree murder in the October 2008 shooting death of Alberto L. Rodriguez. Each was sentenced to life in prison without a chance of parole.

The prosecution said Hernandez hired Wilhite to kill Rodriguez.

Rodriguez was shot in his car on Pine Street in Six Corners.

O’Neil in his motion said the jury could not have given careful examination to all the evidence before reaching a verdict. He said the jury reached its verdict in three hours despite 55 pieces of evidence and testimony from 19 witnesses to consider.

The Hampden District Attorney’s Office on Friday submitted a motion opposing the request to set aside the verdict. That motion, filed by assistant District Attorney Bethany C. Lynch, argues there was sufficient evidence that Wilhite was the shooter and the verdict was not out of line with the evidence.

The family of Wilhite, who regularly packed into the courtroom for the trial, have formed a group called Justice for Charles, which has been working to promote the hearing and encouraging the support of local social justice groups. Organizer Vira Douangmany Cage said supporters plan to meet at 1:30 p.m. today in Court Square for a rally before walking to the courthouse.

Western Massachusetts Electric Co. hopes to build a $12 million, 2.2-megawatt solar facility.

The Republican | Don TreegerCarl J. Frattini, of Western Massachusetts Electric Co., explains plans for a $12 million, 2.2-megawatt solar facility in Springfield to members of the Indian Orchard Citizens Council at the American Legion Hall on Wednesday night.

SPRINGFIELD – City and utility officials Wednesday touted plans for a $12 million project to turn the formerly contaminated Chapman Valve complex on Goodwin Street into a 2.2-megawatt solar facility.

They spoke before the Indian Orchard Citizens Council in an effort to acquaint members with Western Massachusetts Electric Co.’s plans to reuse the former brownfield site that had been contaminated with radiation.

The project, to be called S.S. Goodwin Street, and formally 225 Goodwin St., will generate enough electricity to power 350 to 400 homes, according to Carl J. Frattini, the electric company’s director of business development. He addressed about 20 residents who had gathered at the American Legion Hall on Oak Street.

“It is an investment in your community. We want to be good neighbors,” Frattini said.

The project should generate about $400,000 a year in property taxes for the city, he said. It will consist of a grid of solar panels 6½ feet off the ground tilted south. It will be secured with fences and not involve any high-voltage power lines.

The energy produced at the facility will be fed into Northeast Utilities’ power grid.

View full sizeThe Republican | Don TreegerThis is a drawing of the proposed Indian Orchard solar facility at the Chapman Valve site on Goodwin Street.

The site is properly zoned for the use. Only a site plan review is needed from the city.

Harry Seitan, of Wilbraham, a representative from St. Gregory’s Armenian Church nearby, asked if consumers in the area will get a break on rates.

“There is nothing localized about this,” Frattini said.

It will not result in lower rates for the neighborhood, but by the same token the cost of the project will be spread out among the utility’s 210,000 customers, the utility executive said.

The nearly 13-acre site is owned by the Springfield Redevelopment Authority. Negotiations are taking place to either sell or lease the property to the utility, according to John Judge, the city’s chief development officer.

He said officials hope the project will be the first of three such ventures in Springfield. He touted the project as a green enterprise that will have minimal impact on the neighborhood. Judge declined to say what other sites are under consideration.

Susan M. Soto, president of the Indian Orchard Citizens Council, was sold on the idea.

View full size

“I think it will be good for the community. It is new and it is green,” she said.

Soto expressed hope the complex would draw other green businesses as the utility’s solar facility in Pittsfield has done.

The former foundry site recently was the subject of 18 months of environmental remediation using funds from the state Department of Environmental Protection and MassDevelopment.

A year ago the city demolished the main foundry on Goodwin Street. Chapman Valve was once the world’s largest manufacturer of valves and employed 3,500 people. The facility milled uranium in the late 1940s, but tests have shown the site is now free of radiation.

Solar projects are cropping up throughout Western Massachusetts, with several communities considering the placement of panels on former landfills. In Holyoke, the Gas and Electric Department plans to generate 4.5 megawatts of power on two sites in the city.

The layoffs to the information technology department were part of a company restructuring, said spokesman Mark Cybulski.

Republican file photoThe Springfield headquarters for MassMutual on State Street

SPRINGFIELD – MassMutual confirmed Wednesday night it will lay off 75 employees at its Springfield operation, primarily within the information technology department, as part of a restructuring, a company official said.

Mark E. Cybulski, director of corporate relations, said the layoffs were the result of a review of operations for its Enterprise Technology Organization, which is in charge of information technology systems.

“Like most organizations, MassMutual conducts regular reviews of its operations to ensure it has the right resources in place to efficiently and effectively meet the company’s strategic objectives,” he said.

The review’s purpose was to see that MassMutual was directing resources appropriately to meet the company’s goals, he said.

The review concluded that based on upcoming projects, the same level of staffing for information technology would no longer be necessary, he said.

“While decisions like this are never easy, we made this decision to compete as effectively as possible today and in the future,” he said.

The company continues to hire people in other areas, and has more than 100 positions open, primarily in what Cybulski called its key business areas, including the U.S. Insurance Group and Retirement Services Division.

He said people who was being let go will be able to apply for those open positions.

The announcement marks the first significant layoffs at MassMutual in two years.

Some 500 people were let go between May and September 2009 as part of another restructuring.

Fournier hesitated to identify specific positions because he said employees have not yet been told.

Gerald Fournier

PALMER – School superintendent Gerald A. Fournier has proposed laying off eight teachers to reach the $14.1 million target budget figure for fiscal 2012 set by the Town Council and town manager.

Fournier hesitated to identify specific positions at Wednesday’s School Committee meeting because he said employees have not yet been told.

But School Committee member Gary A. Blanchette said the public should know what’s on the table for cuts, and Fournier said the information will be public in time for the May 18 budget public hearing. Affected teachers will be notified by the week’s end, Fournier said.

Of the eight positions, two, a fourth grade teacher and a special education teacher, are at Old Mill Pond Elementary School. Three positions are at Converse Middle School, including one each in grade 6 and grade 7. Three positions are at the high school, including an English teacher and science teacher. The third positions respectively at the middle and high school were not revealed because doing so would identify the teachers, Fournier said.

The cuts represent $401,000. Last year, the budget was $14.6 million, which was 3.5 percent higher.

Blanchette questioned the 26 percent increase – $182,000 – in the category for textbooks, software and supplies, and asked if the administration could review that area, to perhaps save a teacher from losing his or her job.

File photo | The RepublicanGary A. Blanchette

“My first priority are the people in the classroom,” said Blanchette, himself a casualty of budget cuts two years ago.

“We’re talking about teachers. We’re talking about human beings,” Blanchette added.

School Committee Chairwoman Maureen R. Gallagher questioned enrollment figures, which Fournier said have been declining steadily at all three schools. Gallagher asked Fournier to provide enrollment figures at the next session.

Budget increases were driven in part by a 20 percent jump in special education costs (due to new students and higher rates for private schools that some students attend), the 26 percent increase in discretionary spending for books and supplies, and nearly $300,000 in extra health insurance costs.

Fournier lamented that the budget decreases each year. He said this budget is less than what the district had in 2001. There are also 40 fewer teachers from when he first started five years ago.

Utilities were a bright spot, with costs down 5 percent, in part due to the use of more energy-efficient lighting, and the use of less expensive natural gas at the elementary and high schools.

The committee also briefly discussed replacing Fournier, who will retire at the end of the school year. A Massachusetts Association of School Committees representative will attend the next meeting to discuss services it provides for superintendent searches. Its fee is $10,500.

Gerald Fournier