The tutoring program serves women in the one-day-a-week Saturday program at Bay Path College.

LONGMEADOW – A $10,000 grant from People’s United Bank will be used to fund tutoring services for women pursuing their degree in Bay Path College’s one-day-a -week Saturday program.

The grant will provide additional tutoring for women, particularly in the subjects of math, writing and the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure, said Kathy Wroblewski, director of communications for the college.

The grant was awarded by the People’s United Community Foundation, the philanthropic arm of People’s United Bank. The foundation generally funds programs designed to promote economic self-sufficiency, education and improved conditions for low-income families and neighborhoods.

“This particular grant goes a long way in helping students who are taking difficult courses in a one day setting,” she said.

Through the one-day-a-week Saturday program, the college provides adult women with access to a college education in an accelerated degree program. The program offers bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice, business, legal studies, liberal studies and psychology.

Tutoring services are extremely important to students who may be returning to college after many years of being out of school, Wroblewski said.

She said personal tutoring sessions can help boost a student’s confidence and augment what they are learning in the classroom.

The grant will also help students struggling to meet educational expenses by offering free access to textbooks through the college’s textbook lending library, established through prior support from People’s United.

Money from the grant will allow the program to buy new books and study materials.

It’s the best postseason performance for the Minutemen since 2008 when the Travis Ford-led Minutemen reached the NIT final and lost to Ohio State.

Photo by Ron Cortes / Philadelphia InquirerMassachusetts' Jesse Morgan is swarmed by teammates after hitting a three-pointer late in the second half against Drexel in an NIT quarterfinal basketball game at Daskalaskis Center, in Philadelphia, Tuesday. Drexel lost 72-70 to Massachusetts.

PHILADELPHIA – The best season in the four-year tenure of men’s basketball coach Derek Kellogg at the University of Massachusetts will continue for at least one more game.

The Minutemen rallied from a 14-point second-half deficit to defeat former UMass coach James “Bruiser “ Flint and the Drexel Dragons 72-70 Tuesday night at the Daskalakis Athletic Center in the quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament.

UMass (25-11) advances to the NIT final four at Madison Square Garden in New York March 27. The Minutemen will take on the winner of Wednesday’s quarterfinal between Nevada and Stanford.

It’s the best postseason performance for the Minutemen since 2008 when the Travis Ford-led Minutemen reached the NIT final and lost to Ohio State.

Ford left for Oklahoma State after that season and UMass hired Kellogg, a Springfield native and Cathedral High School graduate who played point guard for UMass under John Calipari.

In his fourth season in Amherst – his first as a head coach – this was the first postseason for Kellogg, who won as many games this season as he did in his first two combined.

UMass director of athletics John McCutcheon said the outcome of Tuesday’s game would not define the season.

“Everybody is just so encouraged about the direction we are going,” McCutcheon said before the game. “Obviously we’d love to make it to New York, but a season never hangs on one game. If you look at the overall record and the progress we made, that’s what’s important.”

Expectations were not very high for the Minutemen entering this season. Following a 15-15 performance in 2010-11, they were picked to finish 12th in the Atlantic 10 Conference preseason poll by coaches and media.

Kellogg made some big offseason changes, parting ways with assistant coach Vance Walberg and his dribble-drive system of offense and going to a pressure defense and up-tempo style of play that has served the team well.

“Obviously we’re very excited about everything that’s gone on with basketball right now and the success of the team and how Derek has really done some things this year – and starting last year – making some tough decisions involving the staff and style of play that are paying off,” McCutcheon said. “We hope the future, with the young makeup of the team, gives us plenty of reason to be optimistic and excited about what’s going on right now.”

UMass fans who made the trip to Drexel feel the same way.

“From the beginning of the season to now, I think we exceeded what was expected,” said UMass junior Rich Jones, of Chicopee. “If we keep winning, it would be a bonus.”

“It’s been a pretty exciting season and the expectations weren’t as high as what has happened,” said Kim Drake, an employee of the university. “We wanted to come here because Bruiser was the coach when Derek was one of his players and we watched them.”

It took some time, but the excitement for UMass basketball has slowly grown this season. The team opened at Curry Hicks Cage and brought out more than 3,000 fans. But it wasn’t until the 18th game that UMass was able to put more than that in its regular venue.

UMass averaged 4,359 fans at the Mullins Center, but in the final six home games, that average jumped to 6,614.

The renovated park will have areas for play, senior citizens, dogs and skating.

File photo by John Suchocki / The RepublicanHolyoke Councilor Todd A. McGee, Terry Shepard, Parks and Recreation Department director, former Mayor Elaine Pluta and William D. Fuqua, general superintendent of the Department of Public Works, look over Community Field renovation plans at last year's ground-breaking.

HOLYOKE – The $3.1 million renovation of Community Field off Cherry Street in the Oakdale Neighborhood is nearly done with a public opening set for June, officials said.

“I think it’s going to be great. I love this project,” City Councilor Todd A. McGee said Wednesday.

McGee represents Ward 6, which includes Community Field.

Work began in June on the park many residents remembered as a family place and have lamented for years for its deterioration into a pit of crime and illegal dumping.

The rejuvenated Community Field will have play areas, a place for dogs to run around, ice skating, warming shelter, pavilion, picnic areas, waterspray, walking paths, drainage improvements, lighting and a video security system.

The park, in the shadow of Interstate 91, has been closed with a chainlink fence erected during construction.

“The project should be complete by the end of May,” said William D. Fuqua, general superintendent of the Department of Public Works.

“Weather permitting,” he said, Community Field should reopen in June.

“The significant features completed are the site drainage system, the skating path and warming house. The bulk of the remaining work to be done this spring is landscaping, paving and sidewalks,” he said.

The plan was to have the ice skating area ready this winter. But the rainy summer slowed progress and the Oct. 29 snowstorm and its related problems ended that goal, he said.

“Overall the project is still on schedule,” Fuqua said.

City borrowing of $2.3 million and $800,000 in state and federal grants are paying for the project.

Such a facility with a variety of amenities will be valuable because many people remain struggling in the economy and choose to avoid traveling, McGee said.

He cited two other features about the project special. It was the result of numerous people collaborating, including residents and officials and former Holyokers who offered comments. And the hope is surveillance cameras will discourage trouble-makers, he said.

“You go up there and do something, we’re going to catch you and make you pay for it,” McGee said.

A 70-year-old employee of Crabtree's Service Station in Holyoke said he successfully thwarted a knife-wielding attacker who tried to rob him.

These were the most-read stories on MassLive.com yesterday. If you missed any of them, click on the links below to read them now. The most-viewed photo gallery was Ben Larsen's "High School baseball: pitchers to watch this spring season" seen at right.

1) Mass. man dies after motorcycle hits moose [Associated Press]

2) Job seekers getting asked for Facebook passwords [Associated Press]

3) 70-year-old Holyoke gas station worker fights off knife-wielding robber [Conor Berry]

4) Assault and battery charge against Massachusetts State Police trooper Donald Scott Pillsbury dismissed [Lori Stabile]

5) Mass. marriage, birth, death records dating back centuries go online [Associated Press]

John DaCruz has served as Ludlow selectman for six years.

John Da Cruz

SPRINGFIELD – Democrat John P. Da Cruz of Ludlow is running for Hampden Superior Court clerk in the fall elections.

Da Cruz, a long-time private lawyer who has just ended his six years as a Ludlow selectman, said he has always enjoyed public service and believes his diverse legal background fits well with the clerk position.

Brian P. Lees, a Republican, has been clerk since 2007. He could not be reached Tuesday about whether he plans to run for reelection.

DaCruz, who was born in Springfield but grew up in Ludlow, worked for three years when he graduated law school as an assistant district attorney under former Hampden District Attorney William M. Bennett.

He got an undergraduate degree in finance from Western New England University and then got his law degree at the School of Law there.

DaCruz, 43, said he has 18 years experience in criminal and civil law and has practiced in many courts in this county and other parts of the state.

“I think it would be an easy transition for me,” DaCruz said of the clerk position.

He said he is in the early stages of his campaign and will be registering with the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance and putting together a campaign committee.

If there are other Democratic candidates besides DaCruz there would be a primary. If not, DaCruz would face any Republican candidate in the general election in November.

Serving as Ludlow selectman has made him familiar with funding issues, DaCruz said.

He said the town has had to do more with less money.

But, DaCruz said, he also knows it’s important to aggressively lobby for more funding.

“That’s part and parcel of being in a political office,” DaCruz said.

DaCruz said he is active in a number of different organizations in Ludlow, such as the Gremio Lusitano Club, organized with the purpose of bringing Portugese people together, and the town’s Polish American club.

He has been active in the Ludlow Boys and Girls Club and does probono legal work for his church, Our Lady of Fatima.

Lees was paid $109,800 in 2011, according to state records.

“It’s quite an honor; but it’s really just my job.

Cindy Coughlin

SPRINGFIELD – Physical education teacher Cindy Coughlin grew up near Forest Park in Springfield, and that’s where she fell in love with the outdoors. She would spend her days exploring and riding her bike with friends.

“It was a different time,” said Coughlin, 53, who tries to impart her passion for healthy outdoor activity to her students at Alice Beal Elementary School in Springfield.

So successful have her efforts been that the White House has named Coughlin a “Physical Activity Champion of Change,” and on Thursday she is receiving an award at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Thirteen teachers nationwide were scheduled for recognition, as part of President Obama’s “Winning the Future” health initiative.

“It’s quite an honor,” said Coughlin on Tuesday, “but it’s really just my job.

A graduate of Cathedral High School and Westfield State College, Coughlin has been a physical education teacher in Springfield for 15 years, the past seven at Beal.

With school counselor Sandra Collins, she developed a program to introduce children to local parks – including Forest Park.

She also helps her kids develop safe systems for walking to school rather than getting dropped off. From the Internet, she adopted a program by the New York Road Runners in which children get rewards for racking up miles as they walk around the gym.

Coughlin’s creative approach to children’s health got a boost a couple of years ago, when she met a representative of the New England Dairy Council at a workshop.

The rep encouraged her to apply for a grant from the “Fuel Up to Play 60” program, which is co-sponsored by the National Dairy Council and the National Football League. The “play 60” refers to 60 minutes of exercise.

The council awarded Coughlin a grant for $2,800. She used half of it for equipment (including good sneakers for some of the kids) and half for an “eating healthy” component.

“Every Wednesday was Fuel-up Wednesday,” she said. “I made up special snacks for them. Some of the children had never had hummus. I gave them apples with different cheeses, yogurt parfaits, Craisins.”

That was last year. This year Coughlin won $4,000 from the Dairy Council, which allowed her to buy commercial blenders for the school to make healthy smoothies. It also paid for a shed to house bicycles for fourth and fifth graders.

Coughlin and her husband, Donald, who live in East Longmeadow, were scheduled to be flown to Washington by the Dairy Council to receive her award.

She planned to wear a black suit to the awards ceremony, with a pin in remembrance of her mother, Caroline Tessicini, who died a year ago.

Mayor Domenic Sarno said city officials are looking to have the properties, located along the Mason Square stretch of State Street, redeveloped so that they "enhance and build upon the many improvements and planned developments along the State Street corridor."

City of SpringfieldAn apartment block (with retail space below) at 886-892 State St. is up for sale, and the city is seeking proposals from people willing to purchase and redevelop the site.

SPRINGFIELD – Looking for space to expand your business? Have you always wanted to own real estate in the State Street corridor?

If you answered "yes" to these questions, then the city has a deal for you: It's seeking buyers who want to redevelop "several significant properties" located along the Mason Square stretch of State Street.

"We are looking to have these properties redeveloped in such a way that they enhance and build upon the many improvements and planned developments along the State Street corridor," Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said.

The city owns the State Street properties — 886-892 and 870-880 — which are located between Andrew Street and Hayden Avenue along the southwestern edge of the Bay neighborhood. They include a mixed-use building with ground-floor retail space, upper-floor residential units and an attached parking lot, and a strip mall containing two commercial buildings and a parking lot.

"They were acquired by the city through tax foreclosures," said Tina-Marie Quagliato, deputy director of neighborhood stabilization for the city's Office of Housing.

Quagliato said the city is seeking buyers interested in doing "high quality" redevelopment work that's consistent with Springfield's overall effort to improve the State Street corridor. "I think we're looking for someone with both residential and commercial redevelopment experience and property management skills," she said.

City of SpringfieldThis commercial property, located at 870-880 State St., is among the parcels that city officials are hoping can be purchased and redeveloped as part of the ongoing revitalization of the State Street corridor.

Additions to the corridor in recent years have included a new federal courthouse, an enhanced streetscape featuring new lighting and landscaping, and other improvements geared toward restoration of the busy commercial strip.

Proposals must be submitted to the Office of Procurement at City Hall by 2 p.m. on April 18. "Request for proposal" packets can be picked up at the procurement office or downloaded from the Web at www.comm-pass.com.

Anyone interested in buying the properties will have a chance to view them on Thursday at 3:30 p.m., March 28 at 11 a.m. and April 2 at 2 p.m. Quagliato said only vacant apartment units and common areas will be available for public viewing, not occupied apartments.

The well-above-average warmth will continue into the weekend, peaking at a high of 84 Thursday.

SPRINGFIELD - Early spring will continue to feel like mid-summer in the Pioneer Valley as dense morning fog burns off and temperatures climb into the lower 80s Wednesday.

The National Weather Service has issued a dense fog advisory through 10 a.m. today. "Dense fog with a visibility of a quarter mile or less could produce hazardous driving conditions through the morning commute," the advisory reads. "Motorists are urged to use caution and slow down."

The service issues dense fog advisories when fog will reduce visibility to one quarter mile or less for more than three hours.

Once the sun beats back the fog, the region is likely to see the record high temperature of 66 degrees for March 21 shattered. The National Weather Service forecasts a high of 83 degrees Wednesday.

The average temperature for this date is 44 degrees, according to the Weather Underground.

The well-above-average warmth will continue into the weekend, peaking at a high of 84 Thursday before dropping into the 70s Friday and the mid-60s Saturday. The forecast shows a more seasonable high of 52 degrees for Sunday -- 5 degrees above average and 7 degrees shy of the record set in 2003.

On Tuesday, the first day of spring, high temperature hovered just below 80 degrees around the Pioneer Valley.

Springfield Police Sgt. Dennis Prior said the closure is necessary to accommodate the movement of heavy equipment being used at the site of the Springfield Data Center for Information Technology.

SPRINGFIELD – Spring Street will be temporarily closed between State and Pearl streets until about 9 a.m. Wednesday to accommodate the movement of heavy construction equipment, Springfield Police Sgt. Dennis Prior said.

"We're just asking people to avoid the area," Prior said this morning, as police officers were preparing to block off the street from just east of the federal courthouse on State Street to its intersection with Pearl Street.

Prior said the closure is required so that heavy equipment can be moved from the site of the Springfield Data Center for Information Technology. The $110 million project is rising between Elliot and Spring streets, with the latter serving as the main access point for construction workers and equipment.

Officials have said the data center is expected to produce up to 70 full-time jobs, and they anticipate it will be a boon for business in and around the Elliot Street and Quadrangle neighborhood. The project, which preserved the original facade of the old Technical High School building, ties in with ongoing improvements to the nearby State Street corridor, which includes the new federal courthouse.

THE MAP BELOW shows the portion of Spring Street that will be temporarily closed to traffic this morning. The street will be closed between Pearl and State streets, which are marked by blue balloons:

View State St & Spring St in a larger map

French police surrounded an apartment building where a gunman claiming al-Qaida links and suspected in the killings of three Jewish schoolchildren, a rabbi and three paratroopers barricaded himself Wednesday and stopped talking to negotiators.

The Associated PressPolice officers and firefighters stand next to a building in Toulouse, France, Wednesday, March 21, 2012 where a suspect in the shooting at he Ozar Hatorah Jewish school has been spotted. French police exchanged fire and were negotiating Wednesday with the gunman who claims connections to al-Qaida and is suspected of killing three Jewish schoolchildren, a rabbi and three paratroopers. (AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere)

By JOHANNA DECORSE, Associated Press

TOULOUSE, France (AP) — French police surrounded an apartment building where a gunman claiming al-Qaida links and suspected in the killings of three Jewish schoolchildren, a rabbi and three paratroopers barricaded himself Wednesday and stopped talking to negotiators.

An early morning raid by hundreds of police to arrest the 24-year-old Frenchman of Algerian descent erupted into a firefight. Three police officers were wounded, Interior Minister Claude Gueant said.

The suspect told police he belonged to al-Qaida and wanted to take revenge for Palestinian children killed in the Middle East, Gueant said. The suspect also said he was angry about French military intervention abroad, and had spent time in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Gueant said.

The suspect threw a handgun out a window in exchange for a communications device, but he has more weapons, authorities said. An Interior Ministry official identified the suspect as Mohammad Merah, who has been under surveillance for having "fundamentalist" views. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.

Police swept in soon after 3 a.m. (0200 GMT; 10 p.m. EDT Tuesday) on the residential neighborhood in northern Toulouse where the suspect was holed up. At one point, volleys of gunfire heard around the neighborhood were exchanged. An elite squad was handling the negotiations.

It was part of a manhunt for the shooter who has killed seven people, including French soldiers and Jewish school children, in three attacks in the Toulouse area. In Monday's attack, the three young children and a rabbi were killed.

"Terrorism will not be able to fracture our national community," President Nicolas Sarkozy said in a declaration on national television before heading to the funeral services for two paratroopers killed and another injured in nearby Montauban.

The series of attacks — every four days since March 11 — began with the killing of another paratrooper in Toulouse.

The interior minister, who was at the scene of the standoff, said the suspect tossed from his window a Colt 45 used in each of the three attacks. He has other weapons, like an AK-47 machine gun, but is talking with police and said he would surrender in the afternoon, Gueant said.

"The main concern is to arrest him, and to arrest him in conditions by which we can present him to judicial officials," Gueant said, explaining authorities want to "take him alive ... It is imperative for us."

A judicial official said the suspect's mother, his brother and a companion of the brother were detained for questioning. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly.

The interior minister had said the suspect's brother "is also engaged in the Salafi ideology," a reference to a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam.

___

Elaine Ganley, Thomas Adamson, Jamey Keaten, Ingrid Rousseau, Cecile Brisson and Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed to this report.

New Hampshire lawmakers are considering whether to take the first step toward making their state legislature the first one to repeal a gay marriage law, even as the governor threatens a veto.

The Associated PressIn this Jan. 1, 2010 file photo, Bill Gaudet, left, and Ramon Gaudet, right, wait to be wed in front of New Hampshire's Statehouse in Concord, N.H., as the Marriage Equality law, permitting gay marriage, took effect a few minutes earlier at midnight. The New Hampshire House is set to vote Wednesday, March 21, 2012, on a bill proposing the repeal of gay marriage and replacing it with the civil unions law in that was in place in 2008 and 2009. (AP Photo/Cheryl Senter, File)

By NORMA LOVE, Associated Press

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire lawmakers are considering whether to take the first step toward making their state legislature the first one to repeal a gay marriage law, even as the governor threatens a veto.

But regardless of the final outcome of the push to repeal the 2-year-old gay marriage law, both sides are pledging to continue fighting into the fall elections.

The bill, scheduled for a House vote on Wednesday, calls for repealing gay marriage in March 2013 and replacing it with a civil unions law that had been in place in 2008 and 2009. Gay marriages occurring before the repeal took effect would still be valid, but future gay unions would be civil unions. The bill also would allow voters could weigh in through a nonbinding November ballot question.

If the House passes the repeal measure, it would go to the Senate; both houses are controlled by Republicans. Democratic Gov. John Lynch has promised to veto the bill if it reaches his desk.

A two-thirds vote of the Legislature is required to override a veto. Opponents of a repeal have lobbied hard in the House in the hopes of achieving a narrower margin if the bill passes on Wednesday. The House would be the first chamber to take up an override vote if Lynch vetoes the bill, and if it failed to muster two-thirds, the measure would die.

Repeal opponents hope to solidify what they argue is public support for gay marriage, while supporters hope to reverse the law in a region of the country that gay rights groups have strength.

The National Organization for Marriage has pledged to spend $250,000 to help lawmakers running for re-election who support repealing the law. On the other side, the New Hampshire Republicans of Freedom and Equality PAC is raising money to back Republicans who vote to retain it.

If the law is repealed, a lawsuit is expected to be filed arguing New Hampshire's law discriminates against gays who no longer can get married.

Democrats enacted both the civil unions and gay marriage laws when they controlled the Legislature, and Lynch signed both. After Republicans took control of the House and Senate in 2010, repeal legislative was introduced, but held over until this year.

The repeal legislation, sponsored by state Rep. David Bates, would ensure the 1,906 existing same-sex marriages would remain valid if the gay marriage law is repealed. Bates said it would replace the current "illegitimate definition" of marriage with one defining it as between one man and one woman.

Same-sex marriage is legal in New York, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maryland, Washington and the District of Columbia. New Jersey lawmakers recently passed a gay marriage bill, but the governor vetoed it. An override vote could come as late as January 2014.

Since 1998, 31 states have had ballot measures related to same-sex marriage, and opponents have prevailed in every state. Those states include Maine, where voters in 2009 rejected the state's gay-marriage law.

Last month, a federal appeals court declared California's same-sex marriage ban to be unconstitutional. The ruling could mean the bitterly contested, voter-approved law will be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Mitt Romney says he's "almost there" in his six-year pursuit of the Republican presidential nomination after defeating Rick Santorum in the Illinois GOP primary. There are signs that big GOP donors agree, as major contributors shift more dollars in his direction.

The Associated PressRepublican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney smiles as he greets with supporters at an election night event in Schaumburg, Ill., Tuesday, March 20, 2012. Romney won Illinois Primary. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

By KASIE HUNT, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Mitt Romney says he's "almost there" in his six-year pursuit of the Republican presidential nomination after defeating Rick Santorum in the Illinois GOP primary. There are signs that big GOP donors agree, as major contributors shift more dollars in his direction.

"Tonight's win means we are that much closer to securing the nomination, uniting our party, and taking on President Obama," the Republican front-runner wrote in a campaign email sent late Tuesday.

He urged the party to fall in line behind his bid, saying, "We are almost there."

The former Massachusetts governor and his allies spent hundreds of thousands of dollars more than Santorum and his backers in Illinois, and it showed in the results: Romney was beating Santorum by 47 percent to 35 percent.

Campaign finance reports released Tuesday showed that big donors to a GOP political organization founded by political strategist Karl Rove have boosted their financial support for Romney in recent weeks.

For all of that money, though, Romney's Illinois win was a victory without an electrified electorate: Turnout seemed likely to be among the lowest in decades: Officials in several election districts said turnout hovered around 20 percent.

"You could draw a bigger crowd at a Green Bay Packers rally in downtown Chicago than what Mr. Romney delivered to the polls," Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois said on "CBS This Morning."

Romney was the clear favorite among Illinois Republicans who were most concerned about picking someone who is capable of taking on President Barack Obama in the fall. Romney's wife, Ann, suggested earlier this week that it was time for the party to coalesce behind him. And in an appeal to the centrist independents who will decide the general election, Romney pledged Tuesday to work with Democrats or "die trying."

"Tonight was a primary, but November is a general election. And we're going to face a defining decision as a people," Romney said during a victory speech to supporters. "We know what Barack Obama's vision is. We've been living it these last three years. My vision is very, very different."

Romney picked up at least 41 delegates in Illinois, according to initial results, adding to his delegate lead and making it that much harder for any of his rivals to deny him an opportunity to take on the president in November.

Obama, for his part, was headed West on Tuesday to Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma City on a trip aimed at answering critics of his energy policies, sure to be a key issue in the fall campaign. His first stop was a plant in Nevada that uses solar panels to power homes, part of an effort to highlight the president's programs to expand renewable energy sources.

Romney was moving on to Maryland, where polls show he has the advantage heading toward an April 3 primary.

The Associated PressRepublican presidential candidate former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum meets with supporters during an primary night rally, Tuesday, March 20, 2012, in Gettysburg, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

With Louisiana voting on Saturday, the South could prove less hospitable to Romney.

Santorum, who hopes to rebound in Louisiana, sounded like anything but a defeated contender Tuesday night as he spoke to supporters in Gettysburg, Pa. He said he had outpolled Romney in downstate Illinois and the areas "that conservatives and Republicans populate."

"We're very happy about that and we're happy about the delegates we're going to get, too," he said before invoking Illinois-born Republican icon Ronald Reagan, the actor turned president. "Saddle up, like Reagan did in the cowboy movies."

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich didn't speak to supporters Tuesday, instead putting out a written statement. Texas Rep. Ron Paul has yet to win a state.

Romney triumphed in Illinois after benefiting from a crushing 7-1 advantage in the television advertising wars, and as his chief rival struggled to overcome self-imposed political wounds in the marathon race to pick an opponent to Obama.

Most recently, Santorum backpedaled after saying Monday that the economy wasn't the main issue of the campaign. "Occasionally you say some things where you wish you had a do-over," he said later.

Romney has 563 delegates in the overall count maintained by The Associated Press, out of 1,144 needed to win the nomination. Santorum has 263 delegates, Gingrich 135 and Paul 50.

After the Louisiana primary, a 10-day break follows before Washington, D.C., Maryland and Wisconsin hold primaries on April 3.

Santorum is not on the ballot in the nation's capital. Private polling shows Romney with the edge in Maryland, and the pro-Romney super PAC Restore Our Future launched a television ad campaign in the state during the day at a cost of more than $450,000.

Wisconsin shapes up as the next big test between Romney and Santorum. Republican politics there have been roiled recently by a controversy involving a recall battle against the governor and some GOP state senators who supported legislation that was bitterly opposed by labor unions.

Already, Restore Our Future has put down more than $2 million in television advertising across Wisconsin. Santorum has spent about $50,000 to answer.

Neither Gingrich nor Paul campaigned extensively in Illinois. Gingrich has faded into near-irrelevance in the race, but he remains defiant.

"To defeat Barack Obama, Republicans can't nominate a candidate who relies on outspending his opponents 7-1," he said in a statement Tuesday night. "Instead, we need a nominee who offers powerful solutions that hold the president accountable for his failures."

Gingrich said his campaign will spend the time leading to the party convention "relentlessly taking the fight to President Obama."

The 26-year veteran said he also hopes to be a candidate for the permanent chief job once the mayor decides whether to change it from a civil service position to a mayoral appointment. Such a move would require local and state approval.

West Springfield Police Capt. Ronald Campurciani

WEST SPRINGFIELD – Police Capt. Ronald P. Campurciani has been tapped to serve as the city's police chief until a permanent new leader is hired to replace Thomas E. Burke, who is scheduled to retire on March 31.

Mayor Gregory C. Neffinger, who is flirting with the idea of making the chief job an appointed position, on Tuesday tapped Campurciani to serve as "provisional police chief" of this city of 28,000 people.

"We are investigating all our options," Neffinger said last month, referring to the possibility of switching the job from a civil service position to a mayoral appointment.

Campurciani, 49, has been a West Springfield police officer since 1986. His appointment as temporary chief takes effect on April 1, the day after Burke's retirement.

West Springfield Mayor Gregory Neffinger

Asked if he might be a candidate for the permanent chief position, Campurciani replied, "I will be when the mayor decides what the process will be."

Removing the chief position from the civil service process would require the approval of the West Springfield Town Council and the state Legislature. A mayoral appointee serves at the pleasure of the mayor, while one under the civil service system has the right to a hearing before dismissal.

West Side police and fire departments follow Massachusetts civil service guidelines, which require new personnel to be hired from a state-certified eligibility list.

Campurciani, who expects to serve as acting chief for only a few months, said he will work with Neffinger to devise ways of cutting department expenses without cutting services.

West Springfield Police Chief Thomas Burke

Burke turned 67 last week, which means he now faces mandatory retirement. The normal state-required retirement age for police chiefs is 65, but West Springfield secured a waiver from the Legislature that allowed Burke to serve an additional two years. Former Mayor Edward J. Gibson argued that Burke's police and budget expertise was needed during the recession, and state lawmakers agreed.

Burke, who earns more than $122,000 annually, joined the West Springfield Police Department in 1970.

Longmeadow Town Manager Robin Crosbie will resign in June.

LONGMEADOW – A search committee will be looking for a new town manager with experience in everything from town administration to zoning bylaws and good communication skills.

A small group of residents and town officials attended a forum Tuesday to discuss the upcoming town manager search and what qualities they would like the new manager to have.

The current Town Manager Robin Crosbie announced in October that she will not seek reemployement when her contract expires in June. Crosbie was hired in 2004 and was the town’s first town manager.

During a meeting last month the Select Board agreed to pay Collins Center for Public Management $14,000 to conduct the search. The board also voted to appoint an eight-member search committee including a department head representative, a union representative, a school committee member, a finance committee member, a select board member and three nominations made by the board.

Select Board member Marie Angelides said the search should include input from town residents about what they want in a town manager.

Choosing a new town manager will be a serious decision that will require full community support and involvement, she said.

Planning Board Chairman Walter Gunn attended the meeting and said it is important to select someone who has knowledge of the town’s planning and zoning bylaws.

Gunn said because the town has no real room for growth there is no need for a planning director, which means most of the issues normally handled by a director are handled by the town manager. He said Crosbie came to the town with a lot of experience in that area.

Angelides said Crosbie mentioned the fact that the person should have experience in those issues and the search committee will take that into consideration.

Resident and former school committee member Mary Vogel said besides having someone who has the right training and experience it is also important to select someone who has good communication skills and can work with all of the town department heads.

Other residents said they want a manager who will not micromanage their departments and who works well with the Select Board and School Committee.

Angelides said residents comments are an important part of the hiring process. She hopes to have a decision made by the end of May.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush endorsed Romney on Wednesday after sitting on the sidelines for much of the primary season.

Associated PressRepublican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and his wife Ann wave as they leave at an election night event in Schaumburg, Ill., Tuesday, March 20, 2012. Romney won Illinois Primary.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Mitt Romney says he's "almost there" after pursuing the Republican presidential nomination for six years, and there are fresh signs that big GOP donors and establishment figures agree. Major contributors are shifting more dollars in his direction, and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush served up his endorsement on Wednesday after sitting on the sidelines for much of the primary season.

Romney nailed down another big victory in Illinois on Tuesday and emailed his supporters afterward that the win "means we are that much closer to securing the nomination, uniting our party, and taking on President Obama." He urged the party to fall in line behind his bid, saying "We are almost there."

Bush, for his part, said in a statement: "Now is the time for Republicans to unite behind Governor Romney and take our message of fiscal conservatism and job creation to all voters this fall." Bush, one of the establishment figures who'd been holding off on making an endorsement, suggested it was all but over. He congratulated the other candidates "for a hard-fought, thoughtful debate and primary season."

The former Massachusetts governor and his allies spent hundreds of thousands of dollars more than Santorum and his backers in Illinois, and it showed in the results: Romney was beating Rick Santorum by 47 percent to 35 percent.

Campaign finance reports released Tuesday showed that big donors to a GOP political organization founded by political strategist Karl Rove have boosted their financial support for Romney in recent weeks.

For all that money, though, Romney's Illinois win was a victory without an electrified electorate: Turnout seemed likely to be among the lowest in decades: Officials in several election districts said turnout hovered around 20 percent.

"You could draw a bigger crowd at a Green Bay Packers rally in downtown Chicago than what Mr. Romney delivered to the polls," Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois said on CBS' "This Morning."

Romney was the clear favorite among Illinois Republicans who were most concerned about picking someone who is capable of taking on President Barack Obama in the fall. Romney's wife, Ann, suggested earlier this week that it was time for the party to coalesce behind him. And in an appeal to the centrist independents who will decide the general election, Romney pledged Tuesday to work with Democrats or "die trying."

"Tonight was a primary, but November is a general election. And we're going to face a defining decision as a people," Romney said during a victory speech to supporters. "We know what Barack Obama's vision is. We've been living it these last three years. My vision is very, very different."

Romney picked up at least 41 delegates in Illinois, according to initial results, adding to his delegate lead and making it that much harder for any of his rivals to deny him an opportunity to take on the president in November.

Obama, for his part, headed West on Wednesday to Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma City on a trip aimed at answering critics of his energy policies, sure to be a key issue in the fall campaign. His first stop was a plant in Nevada that uses solar panels to power homes, part of an effort to highlight the president's programs to expand renewable energy sources.

The president's GOP critics poked back at him before Obama was even on the plane out of Washington: Newt Gingrich issued a statement saying Obama was answering a real-world problem with a "solution that is totally disconnected from the practical realities of the world and has little chance of success." Crossroads GPS, the nonprofit arm of a Republican super PAC, launched an ad on TV stations in the areas that Obama was to visit and on national cable channels faulting the president for "bad energy policies" that are driving up gasoline prices.

Romney was moving on to Maryland, but opened the day by tweeting a "Happy Anniversary" message to his wife, Ann, complete with a wedding photo from 1969. His campaign released a web video in which Ann Romney recounts the details of their dating-to-marriage story.

Polls show Romney has the advantage heading toward Maryland's April 3 primary. But the South, where Louisiana votes on Saturday, has proven less hospitable to Romney.

Santorum, who hopes to rebound in Louisiana, sounded like anything but a defeated contender Tuesday night as he spoke to supporters in Gettysburg, Pa. He said he had outpolled Romney in downstate Illinois and the areas "that conservatives and Republicans populate."

"We're very happy about that and we're happy about the delegates we're going to get, too," he said before invoking Illinois-born Republican icon Ronald Reagan, the actor turned president. "Saddle up, like Reagan did in the cowboy movies."

Gingrich didn't speak to supporters Tuesday, instead putting out a written statement. Texas Rep. Ron Paul has yet to win a state.

Romney triumphed in Illinois after benefiting from a crushing 7-1 advantage in the television advertising wars, and as his chief rival struggled to overcome self-imposed political wounds in the marathon race to pick an opponent to Obama.

Most recently, Santorum backpedaled after saying Monday that the economy wasn't the main issue of the campaign. "Occasionally you say some things where you wish you had a do-over," he said later.

Romney has 563 delegates in the overall count maintained by The Associated Press, out of 1,144 needed to win the nomination. Santorum has 263 delegates, Gingrich 135 and Paul 50.

After the Louisiana primary, a 10-day break follows before Washington, D.C., Maryland and Wisconsin hold primaries on April 3.

Santorum is not on the ballot in the nation's capital. Private polling shows Romney with the edge in Maryland, and the pro-Romney super PAC Restore Our Future launched a television ad campaign in the state during the day at a cost of more than $450,000.

Wisconsin shapes up as the next big test between Romney and Santorum. Republican politics there have been roiled recently by a controversy involving a recall battle against the governor and some GOP state senators who supported legislation that was bitterly opposed by labor unions.

Already, Restore Our Future has put down more than $2 million in television advertising across Wisconsin. Santorum has spent about $50,000 to answer.

Neither Gingrich nor Paul campaigned extensively in Illinois. Gingrich has faded into near-irrelevance in the race, but he remains defiant.

"To defeat Barack Obama, Republicans can't nominate a candidate who relies on outspending his opponents 7-1," he said in a statement Tuesday night. "Instead, we need a nominee who offers powerful solutions that hold the president accountable for his failures."

Gingrich said his campaign will spend the time leading to the party convention "relentlessly taking the fight to President Obama."

Complaints about access for wheelchairs and pedestrians resulted in some "sidewalk" furniture getting hauled.

Photo by Manon L. Mirabelli Large crowds drawn to the annual Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade prompted residents to put out chairs earlier this year than usual to save sidewalk viewing spots. This crowd gathered on Appleton Street to watch the March 18 parade.

HOLYOKE – The City Council is considering a regulation to limit the time before the St. Patrick’s Parade that people can place furniture and other items on sidewalks to reserve viewing spaces.

The proposal the council considered Tuesday and was expected to refer to committee comes as complaints arose before the March 18 parade about access for wheelchair users and pedestrians on Northampton Street.

Chairs, buckets and other stuff began appearing on Northampton Street 11 days before the parade, which officials said was the earliest in memory.

The intent of the furniture and other items tied in place by rope and crime-scene tape is to guarantee a spot as the parade draws hundreds of thousands of visitors and seems to grow yearly in popularity.

Police Capt. Arthur R. Monfette said an ordinance to regulate placement of items to save viewing space makes sense.

“It was crazy this year. Usually, it’s two days, three days (before that) people start putting chairs out for the parade,” Monfette said.

Public works crews hauled away furniture on Northampton Street several days before the parade after complaints that access was obstructed.

Council President Kevin A. Jourdain filed an order that would limit to 72 hours before a parade or other event that someone can leave chairs and other items on city sidewalks and tree belts. He expected it would be referred to the council Ordinance Committee, he said.

“It looks like we’re going to have to do something. It’s not something I’m thrilled about filing,” Jourdain said.

A common remark from residents who put out furniture to save space earlier this year than other years was that others were doing the same and they wanted to be sure they got their spots, he said.

Monfette said that beyond simply removing furniture and other pieces that are placed out before the allowed period, enforcement could be hard.

“We don’t know who puts this out. They don’t put their names on it,” Monfette said.

James King said he dropped out because he believes the best way to accomplish the Democratic Party's goal of unseating Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown is, at this point, to back Elizabeth Warren.

View full sizeSubmitted photoJames Coyne King, the president and CEO of the Boston law firm he built, Murphy & King, officially dropped out of the U.S. Senate race in Massachusetts on Wednesday, March 21, 2012, pledging his support for consumer advocate Elizabeth Warren.

The U.S. Senate Race in Massachusetts will go on with one less Democratic candidate as corporate lawyer James Coyne King officially dropped out Wednesday.

King is pledging his support for consumer advocate Elizabeth Warren in the Democratic Party's bid to defeat Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, who won the seat in a 2010 special election following the death of longtime Democratic Sen. Edward Kennendy.

King said that although he holds a "great deal of respect and admiration" for Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Marisa DeFranco, Warren has the name recognition and party support to go head-to-head with Brown.

"Over the past few weeks, we had a number of meetings to look a the reasons we were running, especially in the context of so many polls showing that Brown was ahead of Elizabeth Warren," King told The Republican. "We looked at our goals of defeating Scott Brown and rebuilding Sen. Ted Kennedy's legacy, and decided that the best way to accomplish that at this point is to support Elizabeth Warren."

King's campaign had been relatively quiet for a few months while Warren's financial support and name recognition across the state have grown. Meanwhile, DeFranco, a Middleton immigration lawyer, has continued to push her message of upholding Democratic ideals to become the party's official candidate to take on Brown.

The field of Democratic challengers, which once consisted of seven candidates, has been slowly whittled away since the Fall.

Prior to King's announcement, Newton Democrat Herb Robinson was the most recent contender to disappear from the race, saying in December that Warren "sucked the oxygen out of the room as far as fundraising goes."

In 2011 King pulled $66,565 in campaign contributions, according to Federal Election Commission data.

DeFranco took in about half that amount, a total of $32,539.

Warren, on the other hand, raised a total of $8.9 million and was left with just over $6 million at the end of the year. Although her cash-on-hand fell short of Brown's $12.8 million, both candidates trumped DeFranco and King in terms of the numbers.

King said that there were events beyond his control along the way that led him into and eventually out of the race.

"When Sen. Kennedy died and then Scott Brown won the seat, I knew it was time for me to step into the election," King said. "The writing was on the wall, and I saw it. I always knew Elizabeth was going to run, mostly because of my friends in Washington, but I thought I offered something different than she does. And I always believed that competition within the party would bring forth the best candidate. But while I was busy participating in forums across the commonwealth, she was getting all the attention."

King said that over the past few months, Warren has "amplified and solidified" her support in the Democratic Party, and that he is hopeful her campaign will enlist his expertise as they move forward.

King, 63, traveled to 40 states as as a prosecutor in the Antitrust division of the
Department of Justice, prosecuting bid-riggers and price-fixers. In 1980, he came to Boston and, with his partner, founded the law firm Hanify and King, which is now called Murphy and King Professional Corporation. The firm’s 40-strong team has offices in Washington D.C., New York City, and Boston.

When asked what comes next, King said that he will continue to run his law firm and spend time enjoying the company of his first grandson, Graham, who was born on Tuesday.

"I'm a grandfather and that is something that truly makes me happy," King said.

Former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is banned from the league indefinitely because of the team's bounty program

Associated PressIn this Sept. 26, 2010, file photo, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams during their NFL football game at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, La. Saints coach Sean Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis have taken "full responsibility" for the bounty program run by former assistant coach Gregg Williams. In a statement released Tuesday, March 6, 2012, Payton and Loomis admit violations of league rules "happened under our watch." They also promised it would never happen again.

NEW YORK — The NFL has suspended New Orleans head coach Sean Payton for the 2012 season, and former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is banned from the league indefinitely because of the team's bounty program that targeted opposing players.

Commissioner Roger Goodell will review Williams' status after the upcoming season and consider whether he can return to the league.

Also Wednesday, Goodell suspended Saints general manager Mickey Loomis for the first eight regular-season games of 2012, and assistant coach Joe Vitt has to sit out the first six games.

In addition, the Saints are being fined $500,000 and forfeit second-round draft picks this year and in 2013.

The Republican-controlled House voted 211-116 on Wednesday to kill the bill that would have repealed the 2-year-old law and restored a law that allowed civil unions in 2008 and 2009.

View full sizeEmily French-Dumont, right listens as her partner Mary Dumont talks against a bill to repeal the law allowing same-sex marriage during a news conference Monday, March 19, 2012 in Concord, N.H. The House votes later this week on a bill to repeal the law allowing same-sex marriages. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)

By NORMA LOVE, Associated Press

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire lawmakers have rejected a bill that would have made their state the first to repeal a gay marriage law through legislation — a move opposed by the governor.

The Republican-controlled House voted 211-116 on Wednesday to kill the bill that would have repealed the 2-year-old law and restored a law that allowed civil unions in 2008 and 2009.

For months, gay marriage supporters lobbied to secure the margin needed to kill the bill if it reached Democratic Gov. John Lynch's desk and his promised veto.

A two-thirds vote would have been needed to override a veto of the repeal, which would have taken effect in March 2013.

The National Organization for Marriage had pledged to spend $250,000 to help lawmakers running for re-election who supported repealing the law. On the other side, the New Hampshire Republicans of Freedom and Equality PAC raised money to back Republicans who voted to retain it.

The repeal legislation, sponsored by state Rep. David Bates, would have allowed the 1,906 existing same-sex marriages in New Hampshire to remain valid but would have replaced the current "illegitimate definition" of marriage with one defining it as between one man and one woman.

Same-sex marriage is legal in New York, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maryland, Washington and the District of Columbia.

New Jersey lawmakers recently passed a gay marriage bill, but Republican Gov. Chris Christie vetoed it. An override vote in New Jersey could come as late as January 2014.

Obituaries from The Republican.

Robert F. Rennell Jr.

AGAWAM - Robert F. Rennell Jr., 55, of Feeding Hill died Saturday at Noble Hospital in Westfield after a strong battle with cancer. Born in North Adams, on Sept. 18, 1956, he was the son of the late Robert and Marilyn (Jones) Rennell and has lived in Agawam most of his life. He owned and operated U.S. Vacuum and Appliance Service Corporation in the South End of Springfield for the past 26 years. He was an active member of the National Rifle Association, the Mawaga Club and the West Springfield Fish & Game Club, where he participated in all the club's youth activities, especially the fishing derbies.

Obituaries from The Republican:

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  Babb Jr., Nelson W.
  



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  Ball, Lynn S.
  



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  Berselli, Robert
  



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  Brenner, Bruno F.
  



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  Bruso, Richard F.
  



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  Chwalek, Dorothy E. (Donaldson)
  



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  Cloherty, Marsha F. (Prior)
  



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  Couture, Todd A.
  



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  Egan M.D., James F.X.
  



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  Fisk, Lynn J. (Moltenbrey)
  



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  Foster Jr., William B.
  



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  Frost Jr., Newton J. "Jack"
  



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  Gallagher, Edward J.
  



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  Gibson, Patricia Ann (Simone)
  



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  Giroux, Vivian Rita (Labonte)
  



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  Hopkins, Irving "Hoppy"
  



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  Houlihan, Claire E.
  



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  Jarvis, Mildred C. (Migliore)
  



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  LaPointe, Marjorie M. (LeDoux)
  



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  Leonczyk, Michael Mark
  



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  Lincoln, Marvin E.
  



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  MacNeil, Stella T.
  



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  McNeil, Harry D. "Doug"
  



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  Meister, Margot
  



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  Mills, Russell E.
  



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  Mistretta, Joseph E.
  



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  Murphy, Marguerite V. "Peggie"
  



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  Proulx, Pauline Marie
  



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  Rennell Jr., Robert F.
  



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  Rosa, Ana Delia
  



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  Roy Jr., Aldor Edgar
  



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  Sambor, Thomas L.
  



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  Skowronek, Eleanor I. (Weneczek)
  



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  Smith, Essie Lee (Lowe)
  



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  Stevens, Elizabeth J. (Manning)
  



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  Tenczar, Kristine M. (Makowski)
  



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  Underwood, Anna Marie (Scheldorf)
  



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  Veinot, Hazel G.
  



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  Watson, Jean D. (Balboni)