The internal Democratic poll comes to light a day before the release of a statewide Suffolk University/7News poll addressing voter reaction to questions raised about Warren’s heritage and campaign contributions Brown has received from JP Morgan Chase.

File photos / Associated PressDemocratic U.S. Senate hopeful Elizabeth Warren and Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown.

A new poll paid for by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and conducted by a company which boasts helping elect Barack Obama and other Democrats is showing Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown in a dead heat with his chief rival Elizabeth Warren despite the ongoing controversy surrounding her Native American ancestry.

The survey of 502 likely voters conducted by Colorado-based Harstad Research between May 8-10, concluded that if the election were held today, 46 percent of respondents said they would vote for either Brown or Warren.

For the past several weeks, Warren has been embroiled in a controversy about her Native American ancestry and what part, if any, it played in her career advancement in positions over the years.

Although Warren, a Harvard Law School professor, has repeatedly denied such claims, and the universities that previously hired her released statements saying they weren't aware of such heritage claims or that they played no part in her hiring, the specter of such allegations has lingered.

She has also faced questions as to whether or not she is actually Cherokee, after a New England Historic and Genealogy Society researcher retracted initial claims that she was 1/32 Native Indian after the organization said it was unable to produce copies of original documents.

Although the poll didn't address ancestry the issue directly, a question asking whether recent events have affected the respondents feelings toward the candidate was likely intended to shed some light on the issue's aftermath.

When asked, "Based on the things you’ve seen or heard about Elizabeth Warren in the past few weeks or so, are you more likely or less likely to vote for Warren for Senate?" 39 percent of the respondents said they are more likely to vote for her while 38 percent said they are less likely.

When asked the same question about Brown, who was criticized by Warren for receiving about $50,000 in campaign contributions from JPMorgan Chase employees before the banking giant loss more than $2 billion in a risky investment, respondents were split with 40 percent on each side of the fence.

According to Harstad Strategic Research, 50 percent of those surveyed identified as independents, 36 percent identified as Democrats and 13 percent said they were Republicans.

The internal Democratic poll comes to light a day before the release of a statewide Suffolk University/7News poll addressing voter reaction to questions raised about Warren’s heritage and campaign contributions Brown has received from JP Morgan.

Ransford was born in Vermont, grew up in Pittsfield and has long considered herself a Holyoker.

The Republican | Don TreegerDoris M. Ransford, in her officer at Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce, from which she is retiring as president after 26 years.

HOLYOKE — Kevin A. Jourdain joined the City Council in 1994, meaning that every December for 19 years, he clashed with Doris M. Ransford.

The city has a split property tax rate that requires the City Council to divide the burden between home and business owners, with business taking on a larger share than residents.

Jourdain argued such a split was justified because homeowners are less capable than businesses of absorbing higher taxes.

Ransford, who is retiring May 31 after 26 years as president of the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce, argued for a perhaps more business-friendly tax split.

But Jourdain, now council president, despite the clashes called Ransford the “utmost professional.”

“We have debated very contentious issues over the years, and have always found her to be a very gentle and personable person. She has been an important leader inside the business community and the city at large.

“Doris deserves a lot of credit for being such a dedicated Holyoke citizen. She was always well respected by the City Council and I wish her the very best in retirement,” Jourdain said.

As chamber president, Ransford said she tried to present the positives about business because she felt that was the way to help homeowners.

“Everybody wants what’s best for Holyoke. That’s the only way you can lower the tax rate, by bringing in business development,” said Ransford, who declined to give her age.

Ransford grew up in Bellows Falls, Vt., from which her family moved when she was 6 months old to Pittsfield, where she grew up. She attended American International College in Springfield.

In the early 1960s, she was writing copy for an advertising agency in New York City and planning to attend journalism school at Boston University, Ransford recalled in a March interview in the chamber’s High Street offices.

She remembered a conversation about her journalism school plans with the late Richard C. Garvey, who was then editor of the Springfield Daily News. He went on to become associate publisher of The Republican.

“He said, ‘Why do you want to do that? You can come work for us and get paid for it,’ ” Ransford said.

So she became a lifestyle reporter for a few years at Western Massachusetts’ largest newspaper.

“Those were the days when there was smoke all over the office,” Ransford said.

Her chamber career began in 1965. She did public relations for the Springfield and Agawam business groups. Those affiliations lasted until she became president of the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce in 1986.

The best part about chamber work was putting people in jobs. The chamber was involved in founding the so-called one-stop job center CareerPoint on High Street, Ransford said.

“We have placed lots of people in jobs from this office over the years,” she said.

She also liked the unity Holyoke businesses have shown in trying to improve the city, she said.

“The amount of time and money that business people devote to the community really goes unsung. People are really concerned about helping Holyoke,” Ransford said.

Topping Ransford’s list of dislikes is the city’s high business tax rate and the annual fight in City Council Chambers over how to split the tax burden. She was asked if Holyoke is business-friendly.

“I think public officials feel that they’re business-friendly. I think there’s sometimes a disconnect. ... It creates a schism in the community that isn’t necessary,” Ransford said.

Now, Ransford said, she simply is retiring. She never married or had children, and appeared unconcerned about how she will spend her time. She might get into gardening more and travel, she said.

“People always say, ‘What are you going to do?’ I’m not going to another job. I’m learning to retire,” Ransford said.

Kathleen G. Anderson, who recently stepped down as director of the city Office Planning and Development, will become chamber president June 1.

Ransford has been a strong advocate for businesses and business development and is well respected, Anderson said.

“I have enjoyed working with Doris on a variety of projects and initiatives over the 26 years she has been with the Holyoke Chamber and will miss her,” Anderson said.

The Republican | Don TreegerDoris Ransford

Recognized were Paul and Dianne Doherty of Longmeadow; Holyoke-based PeoplesBank and its assistant vice president, Charlene Smolkowicz; the Youth Empowerment Adolescent Health Network, also know as YEAH!; and Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno.

SPRINGFIELD – Expressing thanks for an outpouring of community support, the United Way of Pioneer Valley announced Wednesday it has reached its $6.2 million fund raising goal for 2011-2012.

The announcement came at its annual awards banquet honoring volunteers and institutions, including Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and his staff for their work on Springfield’s tornado and blizzard recoveries.

Dora D. Robinson, the chapter’s president and chief executive officer, announced the fundraising success to applause from a crowd of more than 500 at the Log Cabin Meeting and Banquet House.

“We’ve had a fair share of challenges over the past year, but we persevered and tackled each challenge as it arose. Today, we are looking ahead with hope and purpose,” she said.

Robinson said the area’s two natural disasters – June 1 tornadoes and the October blizzard – helped galvanize the agency’s fundraising efforts.

As part of its celebration, the 89-year-old agency, which serves Hampden County, South Hadley and Granby, handed out awards for exceptional community involvement in the past year.

Recognized were Paul S. and Dianne F. Doherty of Longmeadow; Holyoke-based PeoplesBank and its assistant vice president, Charlene Smolkowicz; the Youth Empowerment Adolescent Health Network, also know as YEAH!; and Sarno.

Each recipient offered brief remarks, with Dianne Doherty, regional director of the University of Massachusetts’ Small Business Center, saying, “We are so blessed to live in this area. ... We live here, we give here and we all know we get much more than we give.”

Introducing Sarno, United Way vice president Sarah Tanner referred to the hundreds of hours he spent touring tornado-damaged neighborhoods last summer, portable radio in hand. “We really should be giving him a silver walkie talkie,” Tanner said.

The mayor brought a conga line of Springfield officials to the podium with him. Team Springfield, as the mayor called them, included his top aide, Denise R. Jordan, and spokesman Thomas T. Walsh; city solicitor Edward M. Pikula; Fire Chief Joseph A. Conant; and Fire Department spokesman Dennis G. Leger.

The mark of good government, Sarno said, is not just efficiency or financial responsibility. “We have to be compassionate, too – that’s the bottom line,” he said.

Grants are also being considered for 2 Level 4 schools in Holyoke.

File photo | The RepublicanJohn F. Kennedy Middle School is one of eight low-performing schools in Springfield that will receive federal grants for the upcoming school year.

SPRINGFIELD — The state has awarded federal grants totaling $4.4 million to the Springfield school system to continue and expand efforts to transform eight low-performing schools.

The grants, awarded by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, are for the upcoming school year. It marks the second year of a three-year state program for school systems statewide to develop and implement redesign plans that significantly improve student performance at Level 4 (underperforming) schools.

Springfield has 10 Level 4 schools that are among 40 Level 4 schools statewide deemed to be the lowest performing, least achieving schools in the state.

The second-year grants in Springfield, ranging from $498,921 to $587,520, were for the following local schools: Brightwood; Elias Brookings; Chestnut Accelerated; German Gerena; Homer Street; John F. Kennedy; White Street; and Alfred G. Zanetti.

Two Level 4 schools in Holyoke are also seeking grant funds for the second year, still under review, according to a state spokesman. The Level 4 schools in Holyoke are Morgan Elementary and Dean Vocational Technical High School.

Springfield Superintendent of Schools Alan J. Ingram said he is pleased that eight local schools have received the new grant funds, and is confident the other two Level 4 schools, M. Marcus Kiley and Commerce, will also receive funding at a later date.

Alan Ingram

“In awarding us these highly competitive grants, the state has said they are convinced that systems are in place in these schools for leadership and staff to continuously assess programs towards their goal of improved academic outcomes for students,” Ingram said in a prepared release. “It’s good news for the course we are on.”

Lynda L. Foisy, senior associate commissioner for the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, stated in a letter to Ingram that the renewal applications “scored favorably.”

The review teams “were convinced that systems are in place in these schools for leadership and staff to continuously assess progress towards their goals and make mid-course corrections that will lead to improved academic outcomes for students,” Foisy said.

Ingram said that three of the Level 4 schools – Brookings, Homer and Zanetti – have been listed by the state education department as model examples of rapid turnaround this year. The state has identified “rapid achievement gain” as those with at least a 10 percent school-wide increase in the percent of students scoring proficient or advanced in English language arts or mathematics, local and state officials said.

The state released a list of 35 underperforming Level 4 schools in March 2010, including the 10 Springfield schools and two Holyoke schools. The designation was based on low Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment Systems test scores, failures to meet federal progress goals and a lack of academic growth shown by students, officials said.

Under the designation, the schools were required to take extreme measures to improve, including a requirement for changes in principals except in cases where the principals were in place less than two years.

Ingram said Commerce has undergone a “dramatic transformation” under Principal Charles Grandson, and that discussions took place last week with state officials on a new turnaround plan.

Kiley officials are in the process of redesigning their improvement plan, Ingram said.

The police event had help from war re-enactors, restaurants and others.

Members of Holyoke police, families, friends and other runners who participated in “CAN YOU OUTRUN THE LAW” Foot Pursuit to raise money for public schools.

HOLYOKE – With the firing of muskets by Revolutionary War re-enactors, the Police Department’s second annual “CAN YOU OUTRUN THE LAW” Foot Pursuit was on.

The event May 5 drew about 300 adults and children and raised money for the Friends of the Holyoke Public Schools, Lt. Matthew F. Moriarty said Tuesday.

“The weather worked out fantastic. By registration numbers, we had over 300 people registered,” Moriarty said.

The event consisted of a 3.5 mile run/walk with admission $25 per person.

Exactly how much money was raised and how much will go to the schools fund was being calculated, Moriarty said.

The fully uniformed re-enactors from the 25th Continental Regiment kicked off the race with a volley of musket fire, with additional volleys for the first runner to cross the finish line and the first police officer over the line, he said.

The re-enactors were Dave Bernier, Mike Bernier, Robert Keenan, John Richards, Trevor Sorel, Zach Torrey, Alan Torrey and Dante DiMartini, he said.

Police also wanted to thank help provided by Fernandez Family Restaurant, Paper City Deli, Holyoke Elks Lodge, 250 Whitney Ave., where the race began, and the Friends of the Holyoke Public Schools, he said.

Also, he said, police appreciated that Keila Roman, Holyoke High School sophomore, sang the National Anthem.

The event's first place finisher was Ryan Miller, of Andover, with a time of 19 minutes, 13 seconds, he said.

The first Holyoke police officer to cross the line was Joe Wilson with a time of 23 minutes, 38 seconds, he said.

The first Holyoker across the line was Robert Lubold with a time of 22 minutes, 53 seconds, followed a second later by Holyoker Jonathan Angers, according to holyokepolicefootpursuit.com

The 2 hospitals will receive a total of $70 million in federal money.

File photos | The RepublicanHolyoke Medical Center, top, and Mercy Medical Center in Springfield.

Updates a story posted Tuesday at 1:15 p.m.

Two Western Massachusetts hospitals are among seven in the state that will share $628 million to find innovative and less-expensive ways to treat the poorest patients.

Mercy Medical Center in Springfield will receive $45.6 million and Holyoke Medical Center will receive $24.5 million. The money will be spread over three years.

The money is being distributed to hospitals that care for high percentages of Medicaid patients and low numbers of commercially insured patients. The funding is focused on improving care and making it less expensive.

“This is absolutely essential money for Sisters of Providence Health Systems,” said Daniel P. Moen, president and chief executive of Sisters of Providence, which operates Mercy Medical Center. “It is an opportunity to help support and transform health care.”

The hospitals tend to be some of those which are struggling financially because the majority of people they treat are on Medicaid and those costs are typically reimbursed at a rate that is as much as 30 percent lower than commercial insurance companies.

They have received some supplemental Medicaid money in the past, but this money is more focused on innovation.

The money will be distributed in different amounts as each hospital submits data showing progress toward its different goals, said JudyAnn Bigby, the state secretary of Health and Human Services. The other so-called "safety net" hospitals are Boston Medical Center, Cambridge Health Alliance, Lawrence General Hospital, Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital and Steward Carney Hospital in Boston

The hospitals will be called to plan and integrate new systems to meet the unique needs of their patients. The plans will be different, but the seven will meet regularly to discuss and trade ideas, she said.

There are some common elements. All hospitals will be working on streamlining their use of electronic health records and creating a better system of payments, she said.

Holyoke Medical Center has proposed six projects that build on each other, said Clark A. Fenn, vice president of quality improvement.

It wants to develop a better system of communication for electronic records between the caregivers of a patient, he said.

When a patient leaves a hospital, with their permission their records will be transmitted to other health care providers who are involved in their treatment. That will ensure they get timely appointments and other needed care as needed so patients are not forgotten, Fenn said.

The medical center is also creating a new program that will establish best practices for patients with chronic diseases. It will start with heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and later extend to others, Fenn said.

“What we will be able to do is look at patient information to look for gaps in medical programs,” he said.

The programs are designed more to improve health care but there will be some financial savings, Fenn said.

“If people are treated quickly and care is more efficient the cost of care is lower overall,” Fenn said.

At Mercy Medical Center, officials are looking at a new funding model where insurance companies will pay the hospital a flat fee per year per patient instead of having a physician billing for every service, Moen said.

“You will have a range of patients and it will average out. It will be more cost effective and do a better job of managing that care,” he said.

Mercy is also developing a program to integrate mental and behavioral health into its emergency room, he said.

U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, said he has been working hard on the initiative, saying it will prevent job layoffs as well as improve care at hospitals that care for the poorest residents.

“It highlights the role the hospitals play, not only in providing first-class health care, but they are enormous job sustainers,” he said.

Incumbent assessor William Huber lost to challenger Donald Minney.

Ronald Aponte, left, and Kenneth Elstein were reelected to the Board of Selectmen in Monday's annual town election in Belchertown.

BELCHERTOWN – Voters returned the two incumbent selectmen to office and replaced the sitting member on the board of assessors in Monday’s annual town election in which 14 percent of the town’s 9,254 registered voters took part.

Selectmen incumbents Kenneth Elstein, of 76 North St., and Ronald Aponte, of 38 Azalea Way, retained their seats, beating challenger Gerald Grasso, of 30 Shaw St. There were two open seats, each for three-year terms.

Aponte was the top vote getter with 891 votes. Elstein received 700 votes, and Grasso trailed with 636.

“I want to thank the citizens of Belchertown for holding confidence in me,” Aponte said from the high school gymnasium when the votes were all counted. He said the biggest challenge that continues to face the town is the stalled economy that has slowed new growth to a trickle.

Aponte said he is hopeful the recent vote approving a $1.25 million roadway bond will finally unlock development at the remaining 50 acres of land and buildings that has been stalled for years on the former Belchertown State School property.

A private company, Weston Solutions Inc., has agreed to spend $2 million of its own money to clean up the environmental pollution on an 11-acre portion of land, then build a 170-unit assisted living facility. Town funding for a new road is contingent on Weston cleaning the site and building the housing.

Contacted at his home, Elstein said, “I look forward to another three years.” Elstein said he is thankful voters showed support for his reelection.

“The most important thing we will be doing in the next year is getting the state school property up and going,” Elstein said.

Incumbent assessor William Huber, of 281 Chauncey Walker St., lost to challenger Donald Minney, of 51 Ludlow St. Minney received 619 votes to 577 for Huber.

The following ran unopposed and were re-elected: Town Clerk William Barnett, of 16 Waterford Dr.,; assessor Raymond Goff, of 5 Jensen St.; planning board member Christopher Laurenzo, of 304 Bardwell St.; board of health member Roger Bonsall, of 76 South St.; school committee representatives Claire Popowich, of 46 Azalea Way, and Richard Fritsch, of 283 South Liberty St.; assessor Raymond Goff, of 5 Jensen St., and councilor of Hampshire Council of Government Kyle Vincent, of 8 Gulf Road.

With a win of Arkansas, too, Romney has at least 1,055 delegates leaving him just 89 shy of the 1,144 needed for him to win the GOP nomination.

By STEPHEN OHLEMACHER

WASHINGTON – Mitt Romney swept the Kentucky and Arkansas Republican presidential primaries Tuesday, inching closer to the GOP nomination he is certain to win.

Mitt Romney

With no serious opposition left, the former Massachusetts governor easily won both contests. He won all 42 delegates at stake in Kentucky and at least 21 of the 33 delegates at stake in Arkansas.

Twelve delegates were still undecided in Arkansas.

Romney has 1,055 delegates, leaving him just 89 shy of the 1,144 delegates needed to win the GOP nomination for president. He should reach the threshold next week, when voters go to the polls in Texas.

Assured of the party nod, Romney has been in general election mode for weeks. He’s been spending much of his time fundraising and focusing on Democratic President Barack Obama.

As voters in the two Southern states weighed in, Romney spent Tuesday evening at a fundraising event in New York where his campaign said he raised $5 million. Romney’s campaign has raised roughly $15 million during a three-day fundraising swing in the New York area.

He was scheduled to make a campaign appearance Wednesday in Washington.

Romney had struggled in some previous Southern contests, when former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich were in the race. With them on the sidelines, Romney displayed solid support in two states he should win in November.

Even though they have left the race, Santorum, Gingrich and Texas Rep. Ron Paul were on the ballot in Kentucky and Arkansas.

Texas, which offers 152 delegates, votes May 29.

Communities would be able to spend community preservation money on existing recreation facilities under a bill now under consideration in the state legislature.

AGAWAM – The City Council unanimously endorsed a resolution Monday night supporting a bill that would expand the range of projects communities could spend Community Preservation Act money on as well as increase the amount of money the state would send to communities.

Currently, communities that have adopted the act may use Community Preservation Act money only to work on recreational facilities they have acquired with preservation act funding, according to City Council President Christopher C. Johnson. That means in Agawam officials may use preservation act money to upgrade School Street Park because the site was purchased and developed with those funds.

However, they are not currently allowed to use community preservation money to work on recreational not created through community preservation money.

If the bill is passed by the Legislature it would open the door to using the money for such projects as working on the track at the high school and refurbishing playground equipment, according to officials.

“It makes it easier for us to do more for the community without having to bond for projects,” City Councilor Dennis J. Perry said. “It really opens the door on where we can use the money.”

Perry made the motion that the City Council support the bill. The council passed the resolution 9-0 with councilors George Bitzas and James P. Cichetti seconding Perry’s motion.

Johnson said passage of the bill is needed because of a court ruling about five years ago regarding the community of Somerville that prevented using community preservation funds on existing recreational facilities.

Prior to that, Johnson said communities had spent community preservation on recreational facilities in the belief that it was allowed.

The bill would also sent communities an additional $25 million in matching funding so that every participating community will get more money, according to Johnson.

The city started its community preservation act program about 10 years ago. By adopting the act, it was enabled to assess a 1 percent property tax surcharge to fund projects involving open space, historic preservation and affordable housing.

Among the projects the city has used the money for are $1.7 million for the first phase of the School Street Park project, $210,000 for preservation of the historic Thomas Smith House and $248,000 for roof, door and window replacements for Agawam Housing Authority properties.

Since the city started its program, it has collected more than $3 million in surcharges and received more than $2 million in matching funds from the state.

The Department of Defense announced $259 billion in possible spending cuts, including those in Massachusetts.

File photo by John Suchocki / The RepublicanSen. Michael Kanpik, Maj. Gen L. Scott Rice, 104th Wing Commander Col. Robert Brooks, Westfield Mayor Daniel Knapik and the Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray discuss the future of the 104th Fighter Wing at Barnes Regional Airport in February.

Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray joined by military officers spent the past two days discussing proposed budget cuts at Massachusetts military bases with legislators and Department of Defense officials.

There were no new developments after meetings at the Pentagon and White House Murray said, adding that it was productive and gave him new information about the proposed cuts.

In February the U.S. Defense Department announced $259 billion in spending cuts proposed over five years nationwide. The cuts could affect the six military bases in the state.

In 2013 Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee is slated to lose 17 jobs. The 104th fighter wing at Barnes Regional Airport in Westfield stands to be cut by three posts. It could also lose its explosives unit, and, eventually, Westover may lose half of its fleet of 16 C-5 Galaxy cargo jets.

Four others, Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, U.S. Army’s Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Massachusetts Military Reservation on Cape Cod and Fort Devens in Ayer also face cuts.

Since the announcement Murray has visited the six bases in Massachusetts and created a task force that is focusing on preventing cuts that will harm the military mission or the state’s defense industry. Currently Massachusetts draws $14 to $15 billion a year in defense spending fueling the economy.

“We need to get our information out on what our strengths are. If there are cuts we want them in areas of our weaknesses and not our strengths,” said Maj. Gen. L. Scott Rice, the acting adjutant general for the Massachusetts National Guard.

“The cuts are happening across the country and we know each place needs to take their fair share,” he added.

Rice, who joined Murray on the visit, said they met with Department of Defense officials Monday and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs David Agnew at the White House on Tuesday.

“They were helpful in terms of trying to gather information to learn about ways we can support existing missions and find out what decision-makers are thinking,” Murray said.

The visit gave him more direction for the task force. Currently there are subcommittees studying how the state’s technology and educational system benefits the military.

Committees are also looking at ways the state can help bases reduce utility costs with improved infrastructure and green energy and how local governments can work with bases to reduce costs.

Murray also sent a letter to the Senate Armed Services Committee asking it to adopt a provisions from House legislation that prevents the retirement or transfer of any Air National Guard or Air Force planes and to retain the core functions of the Electronic Systems Center at Hanscom Air Force Base.

He also wrote to support a failed amendment that would have frozen the reduction of Air National Guard units and personnel at Otis Air National Guard Base.

Lt Governor Murray Letter to SASC Leadership 5 22 12

Councilor Alexander said hiring an arts coordinator would be an investment for the city like repairing a road.

HOLYOKE – Councilors were mostly supportive Tuesday of Mayor Alex B. Morse’s proposal to establish a coordinator of arts, culture and tourism.

But some in the Ordinance Committee meeting at City Hall questioned whether the city could afford a new salary and how such an individual’s job performance could be measured.

The yearly salary would be $40,000, Morse said.

At least one more committee meeting will be held on the proposal before it goes to the full City Council for a vote, Chairwoman Rebecca Lisi said.

The committee began discussing the proposal May 8.

In a detailed job description filed to the City Council, Morse said the coordinator would develop “Holyoke’s creative industry as a local and regional economic force, through enhancement and growth of the creative economy.”

The coordinator would work with artists, businesses and organizations on marketing, architecture, visual arts and crafts, design, film and media, and preservation of historic sites, he said.

Gordon P. Alexander

“I think this is something the city should do,” Councilor at Large Aaron M. Vega said.

Councilors Gordon P. Alexander, Jason P. Ferreira, Joseph M. McGiverin, Gladys Lebron-Martinez and Lisi also expressed support for the proposal.

Alexander said having a city arts coordinator should be seen as an investment that will pay off long-term like spending money to repair roads.

Ferreira urged councilors to visit the growing arts area around Race Street.

“For me, I have a lot of excitement about this position,” Ferreira said.

But Ward 5 Councilor Linda L. Vacon asked about the wisdom of paying for another city position. While Morse has contended his proposed budget for the new fiscal year of $124.4 million is conservative, Vacon said it should be even tighter.

“I would argue it’s a continuation of the taxing and spending of the past,” Vacon said.

Council President Kevin A. Jourdain had numerous questions about the proposed position. He suggested the post be established with a two-year “sunset clause” after which officials could determine its effectiveness.

Ferreira praised the sunset clause idea but Alexander said, “I’m not a big fan of a sunset clause. We don’t ‘sunset’ other positions in the city.”

“Maybe we should,” Jourdain said.

Instead, Alexander said, the city should ensure the arts coordinator gets routine performance evaluations.

“That is the sunset clause,” Alexander said.

Jourdain also asked how the effectiveness of such a position could be gauged and how the city would know if it is paying for itself, as supporters have said it eventually will.

Morse said the post’s effectiveness would come in coordination that is now lacking. An example is the coordinator could avoid having Wistariahurst Museum and the city economic development office apply for, and cancel each other out, for the same grant, he said.

Marcos A. Marrero, the city’s new director of Planning and Economic Development, said one way to know the post is paying for itself is to get a grant to fund the salary. Seeking grants will be part of the coordinator’s duties, Morse said.

The awards are intended to give recognition to a group that does not necessarily put much value on being recognized. Hampden County EMS Council president Daniel J. Corliss says "Humility plays a lot into it."

The Republican | Michael BeswickLaura Machado, of Ludlow, was named Paramedic of the Year by the Hampden County Emergency Medical Services Council at its awards ceremony at The Cedars Banquet Hall in Springfield on Tuesday. Emergency Medical Serviceworkers, as a rule, do not seek or expect any special recognition, but they were thanked at an awards ceremony on Tuesday.

SPRINGFIELD – Members of the Western Massachusetts emergency services community were honored Tuesday night with an awards ceremony at The Cedars Banquet Hall on Island Pond Road.

With the anniversary of the June 1 tornado drawing near, it was natural to focus on the work of first responders in the aftermath of that disaster but to do so would overlook their work throughout the year, said Robert J. Hassett, Springfield’s emergency preparedness director.

There was also the hurricane, the earthquake, the October snowstorm, and hundreds of other smaller disasters and emergencies over the course of the year, he said.

“Everything they did, it was so professional and done with such care and competency,” he said. “I’m overwhelmed.”

Hassett said the EMTs and paramedics who treat injured people in the field before they can be taken to the hospital are often overlooked when it comes time to offer thanks.

“This is a group of people that do the jobs, do it competently and professionally, and then move on to the next one,” he said. “They don’t often give you a chance to say thanks and that is what we want to do tonight.”

The ceremony was sponsored by the Hampden County Emergency Medical Services Council.

The awards are intended to give recognition to a group that does not necessarily put much value on being recognized, said council president Daniel J. Corliss.

“Humility plays a lot into it,” he said. “These are individuals who are not looking for recognition.”

In the best possible sense of what being a public servant is about, emergency care providers as a group are interested mostly in treating people who need help, he said.

The Republican | Michael Beswick AMR's Adam Bassett of Chicopee (left) and his partner Larry Younce of Chicopee won the EMT's of the Year Award. They have been a team for 2 1/2 years and between them have 24 years in the field.

Laura Machado of American Medical Response was named Paramedic of the Year for both her work in the field and for efforts with in-house training of her colleagues.

Machado, of Ludlow, who has been with AMR for six years, shrugged when asked about the award, saying she did not know what she did that allowed her to be singled out among her peers.

A Springfield College graduate, she originally wanted to be an athletic trainer, but after her first emergency medical training class she knew what she wanted to be instead.

On the day of the tornado, she worked close to 30 hours straight, primarily down in the South End where searches were under way in collapsed buildings for survivors.

“It was like a dream. There was dust and bricks, and people running around,” she said. “We do disaster drills all the time .¤.¤. but this was different, you know.”

AMR emergency medical technicians Adam Bassett and Larry Younce, both of Chicopee, were named co-recipients of the EMT of the Year. The two have been partners for the last 2½ years.

Like Machado, Younce and Bassett said they did not know why they were any more deserving for the award than anyone else.

Younce, a 20-year-veteran, said even today the job, though hard and often unpleasant, is still fulfilling.

“I love it. When you work with a great group of people, it makes the job enjoyable,” he said.

The proposed school budget calls for the reduction of 10 teaching positions, including a Portuguese language teacher at the high school.

LUDLOW — Foreign language teachers at Tuesday’s School Committee meeting proposed adding Portuguese language instruction at Baird Middle School.

School Committee members said they support the idea.

“I love the idea of Portuguese at the middle school if we are able to maintain it at the high school,” School Committee member James P. Harrington said.

School Committee members at the direction of selectmen presented a proposed fiscal 2013 school budget that is $579,013 smaller than this year’s budget.

The proposed budget calls for the reduction of 10 teaching positions, including a Portuguese language teacher at the high school.

Many students in Ludlow are of Portuguese descent, and parents said the students should have the chance to learn about their culture.

Teachers said that Spanish is offered at the middle school, and if students are to get to the most advanced level of Portuguese in high school, they need to begin learning the language in middle school.

School Committee members said there is a chance that a grant may be received to help fund Advanced Placement language courses at the high school, which means that more funds could be freed up to offer Portuguese at the middle school.

School Committee member Jacob Oliveira said he would like to see foreign languages begun in kindergarten and first grade in order for students to become truly proficient.

Interim School Superintendent Donna Hogan asked that a curriculum committee survey nearby communities to see how many foreign languages are being offered.

The School Committee has received a 156-signature petition from high school students opposing the proposed cut of a Portuguese language teacher at the high school.

School Committee members say they are lobbying selectmen and the Finance Committee to see what funds can be added back to the School Department budget.

The annual Town Meeting at which voters will approve a budget for next year has been continued until June 18.

School officials said they hope to have support from the Finance Committee by June 18 for increasing the allocation for next year’s school budget.

The seat was discovered some distance to the southwest of the site on Elephant Mountain, some 80 miles northwest of Bangor, where a B-52 Stratofortress-C crashed on Jan. 23, 1963.

View full sizeFront pages from the Jan. 25, 1963 Springfield Daily News, top, and the Jan.26, 1963, Springfield Union report the first stories on a B-52 crash in Maine. An ejector seat from the doomed aircraft was recently found in the woods.

Nearly 50 years after a Air Force B-52 bomber flying out of Westover Air Force Base in Chicopee crashed in a mountain in an isolated section of central Maine, a forest ranger walking on an old logging road recently discovered an ejector seat believed to have been used by one of the survivors, officials announced.

The seat was discovered some distance to the southwest of the site on Elephant Mountain, some 80 miles northwest of Bangor, where a B-52 Stratofortress-C crashed on Jan. 23, 1963. Seven of the nine crew members were killed.

The seat is described as in good condition, and Maine Forest Service district ranger Bruce Reed, who discovered it, is scheduled to lead a recovery team to the scene on Thursday to retrieve it, according to a release by the Maine Forest Service.

He described it as showing some damage to the top portion around the head rest, but otherwise it has “held up remarkably well,” Reed said “Once we get it off the mountain and in the presence of those who know its true history, it will generate significant interest.”

Reed discovered the seat accidentally last fall while hunting in the area of Elephant Mountain. He spotted it in some overgrowth along an old logging road.

“It was lying upside down in the middle of that road,” he said. “I had a pretty good idea of what it was, and it was kind of eerie finding something like this in the middle of the wilderness.”

Reed left the seat behind but returned on Sunday and marked its exact GPS position, took photos and jotted down any identification numbers he could find.

AP Photo/Maine Forest Service, Bruce Reed This May 17, 2012 photo provided by the Maine Forest Service shows a B-52 bomber ejection seat found by Forest Ranger Bruce Reed near Greenville, Maine. The Maine Forest Service said Tuesday, May 22, 2012 that Reed found the seat on an overgrown logging road while hunting last fall on Elephant Mountain near Greenville. Reed returned to the site Saturday to take photos and record identification numbers to confirm it came from the B-52. The unarmed B-52 went down Jan. 24, 1963, while on a training mission out of Westover Air Force Base in Massachusetts. A recovery team plans to retrieve the seat.

Parts of the aircraft remain scattered on the mountain.

Westover at that time was known as Westover Air Force Base and was an active U.S. Air Force facility. Today it is known as Westover Air Reserve Base and is affiliated with the Air National Guard.

Base officials said they had little information on the plane crash available. Base records from when it was an Air Force installation have long since been packed up. Base officials recommended sending questions to the Air Force Historical Research Agency at Maxwell AFB, Alabama.

The B-52 Stratofortress, part of the 99th Bomb Wing assigned to Westover, crashed into Elephant Mountain while performing routine training maneuvers at low-level navigation. The training was part of training at flying below radar used by the Soviet Union.

The aircraft apparently developed mechanical problems that caused it to pitch out of control while flying at 500 feet. The investigation later determined that a vertical stabilizer had fallen off the rear of the plane.

Three crew members, pilot Lt. Col. Dante E. Bulli, navigator Capt. Gerald J. Alder and co-pilot Maj. Robert J. Morrison, managed to eject before impact, but Morrison was killed when his parachute hit a tree. Alder’s ejection seat was previously recovered and is on display at the at the snowmobile club, meaning the recently discovered seat belonged to either Bulli or Morrison.

Killed in the crash were Lt. Col. Joe R. Simpson, Jr., Maj. William W. Gabriel, Maj. Robert J, Hill, Capt. Herbert L. Hansen, Capt. Charles G. Leuchter, and T-Sgt. Michael F. O’Keffe.

Bulli and Alder were each badly injured and spent hours exposed to overnight temperatures that fell to as low as minus 28 degrees before rescue efforts could reach them.

Location of the Jan. 23 crash of a Westover-based B-52 bomber near Greenville, Maine.

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Parents, however, signed a petition complaining that the superintendent hasn't kept them informed about issues concerning student safety.

Photo by Lori Stabile / The RepublicanBelchertown parent Myndi Bogdanovich is seen with her son Ty outside of the School Committee meeting Tuesday night.

BELCHERTOWN - The School Committee on Tuesday night unanimously voted to give Superintendent Judith C. Houle a 1.5 percent increase for fiscal 2013, as well as an extra $1,000 and a 3 percent tax shelter annuity.

The change in the superintendent's contract was announced after a private meeting.

During the open session of the committee meeting, several parents spoke about their issues with Houle, who has been superintendent since 2009 and is in the first year of a three-year contract. She makes $117,315.

Myndi Bogdanovich told the School Committee that the response she has received from the "Remove Dr. Houle" Internet petition she launched shows "a real concern within your community."

The petition, which she started on Monday, had 185 signatures as of 8 p.m. Tuesday, but approximately 60 were signed "anonymous."

The petition reads: "Parents in the Belchertown School System are in need of a superintendent that informs us of issues that arise within our schools and on our buses so we can be confident that the best interests of our children are served. We, the undersigned, call on the Belchertown School Committee to end Dr. Judith Houle's role of superintendent of our schools."

Photo by Lori Stabile / The RepublicanSuperintendent Judith C. Houle, left, is seen with School Committee chairwoman Linda Tsoumas Tuesday night

Recent events cited in the petition as cause for concern include the bus incident on May 7, which Police Chief Francis Fox told WGGB-TV abc40 that his department is investigating.

After the meeting, Houle said she is bound by confidentiality laws, and shares information that she can. Regarding the May 7 bus incident, she said students were "fooling around" and it got out of hand. She said appropriate disciplinary action was taken, but declined to elaborate.

"Nobody was hurt," Houle said.

Houle said she sent a message out on May 18 to parents of students on the bus in question, to assure parents that their children are safe on the bus.

That incident was preceded by an alleged "hit list" posted on Facebook in November; two former students were later charged with threat to commit a crime.

In December, two high school students were suspected of accidentally shooting out two windows on a school bus while children were on it. They told police they were shooting at rabbits and squirrels when they accidentally shot the bus on State Street. No students were hurt. The students were charged with wanton destruction of property.

School Committee Chairwoman Linda Tsoumas said it is unfortunate that "the use of immediate social media causes misinformation to be circulated without facts."

Tsoumas later said Houle is deserving of the raise, as she is an "outstanding" and "excellent educational leader."

Tsoumas initially was reluctant to allow the public to speak about Houle, as negotiations with the superintendent were listed under executive session.

Approximately 60 people attended the meeting, where there was standing room only. Several asked Tsoumas if they could speak about the Houle issue, as that was the reason they were there.

Tsoumas polled the committee, and members agreed to let the public speak. Tsoumas limited comment to 10 minutes.

Petition signer Dawn E. French, the parent of three boys in the school system, said parents need immediate answers on issues that deal with the safety of their children.

"I fully understand that the schools must abide by the privacy laws . . . Many parents are upset and angry with the continued lack of communication from the superintendent about important safety issues in our schools and on the school buses," French said.

"I also insist to be comforted and reassured that my children are actually safe and that you will work diligently to make sure that these things do not occur again . .. if my child was threatened to have his throat slit, or have his classroom injured or having the windows shattered on his bus, or the recent bus issues that have just taken place, I'm sorry but these things are a big deal and by turning it publicly into no big deal, precedence has been set," French added.

French said she moved to Belchertown six years ago because of the school system's good reputation. She asked the committee not to extend Houle's contract, and suggested that the members do their "homework" and call families.

Sixth grade teacher Ronald McClure spoke in favor of Houle, saying he would give her an A-, and that she is doing a "pretty good job overall." McClure said she is the third superintendent that he has worked under, and called her "caring" and "very professional."

"Are we jumping on this one thing?" McClure asked.

Houle was evaluated by the School Committee two weeks ago. Tsoumas said the yearly evaluation was "solid" and one area that was identified for improvement was communication. Tsoumas said a communication policy is being developed.

In other news, the School Committee set the next meeting date for June 11 at 7 p.m. at Swift River Elementary School.

The event will include dances, fiddle-playing, baked goods and prizes.

Staff photo by Michael BeswickLast year's event of the French Heritage Center Committee promoted the culture and discussed need for a Heritage Center to pass history to future generations.

HOLYOKE – The French Heritage Center Committee will hold “A Québécois Dance” event of dances and music from the cultures of Quebec and France June 10.

The event will be at 1:30 p.m. at Holyoke Lodge of Elks, 250 Whitney Ave.

“We’re hoping for about 200 (people). We had one in June and we were estimating about 50 people and get got well over 200,” organizer Jacques Senecal said Tuesday.

The main part of the event will be Québécois dances geared to first-time participants. Some dances from France will also be offered, he said.

The dance caller will be Lausanne Allen, a fiddler from Vermont near the Canadian border. She has called dances for more than 20 years and will take participants through dances step by step, he said.

The event will include a French-themed basket raffle, a “Patisserie” (baked goods) and other prizes, he said.

The committee is seeking individual and business sponsors to off-set the cost of the event, especially the entertainment, he said.

Tickets are $15 a person and $10 for students. For information call (413) 519-3315 or email frenchconnectiontickets@gmail.com

Senecal said his message about the event is that one of the greatest gifts a generation can give another is customs like music, dance and language.

“Come to listen, come to dance—either way, you will be helping to keep French heritage and traditions alive,” Senecal said.

Known for its sleeping cat in the window, its breakfast sandwiches and its cider donuts, the Main Street institution may soon reopen due to overwhelming support by town residents.

Republican file photo

WILBRAHAM – The people of Wilbraham have spoken: They want their beloved Rice Fruit Farm to reopen, and sooner rather than later.

Famous for its sleeping cat in the window, its slap-up breakfast sandwiches and its white paper bags filled with warm cider donuts, the Main Street landmark could be back in business by September, according to town officials and new owner Dominic Maloni, who's talking to the Rice family's baker about coming back to work for him.

Town Meeting voters last week overwhelmingly approved a new zoning amendment that will allow the the local institution at 757 Main St. to reopen after getting a special permit from the Wilbraham Planning Board. A two-thirds vote was needed for the zoning amendment to be approved, and that vote appeared to be unanimous, according to Wilbraham Planning Director John Pearsall.

The zoning amendment specifically permits the site to be used as a so-called heritage farm stand, which allows for the sale of regional agricultural products, food and other products.

"We look forward to restoring it to where it originally was," Maloni told abc40 news. Maloni also owns Cindy's Drive-In, a popular roadside burger and ice cream stand on Route 202 in Granby.

Wilbraham Planning Board member Richard Butler said the plan to get the farm stand up and running again has "universal support" from town residents, The Republican reported last week. "Everybody is for it," Butler said.

The store closed in March 2009 and went on the market shortly before longtime owner Jesse Rice died at age 91 in November 2010.

Officials diverted a US Airways jet to Maine after a French passenger traveling from Paris to North Carolina handed a note to a flight attendant mentioning that she had a surgically implanted device.

The Associated PressLaw enforcement officials stand on a jet bridge and a passenger jet on the tarmac at Bangor International Airport, in Bangor, Me., Tuesday, May 22, 2012. The plane was diverted to Maine during its flight from France to Charlotte. Officials briefed on the incident say a French passenger passed a note to a flight attendant saying she had a surgically implanted device. (AP Photo/Bangor Daily News, Kevin Bennett)

By GLENN ADAMS, Associated Press

BANGOR, Maine (AP) — Officials diverted a US Airways jet to Maine after a French passenger traveling from Paris to North Carolina handed a note to a flight attendant mentioning that she had a surgically implanted device, prompting concerns about possible terrorism.

There is no evidence the plane was ever in danger on Tuesday, officials said. However, the FBI and Homeland Security Department warned airlines last summer that terrorists are considering surgically hiding bombs inside humans to evade airport security.

Two doctors aboard the plane examined the passenger, a French citizen born in Cameroon, and found that she had no scars or incisions, said U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who was briefed by Transportation Security Administration chief John Pistole.

"We have seen intelligence identifying surgically implanted bombs as a threat to air travel," said Collins, the ranking Republican on the Homeland Security Committee.

Two F-15 fighters scrambled to escort Boeing Flight 787 with 179 passengers and nine crew members to Bangor International Airport, where it landed shortly after noon. The TSA issued a statement saying the passenger's suspicious behavior warranted the unscheduled stop.

"We saw lots of police and federal customs people take a woman off the plane in handcuffs," said Stuart Frankel of Baltimore. "People were amazed at what was going on. We didn't know what was happening until we landed."

The flight was about 40 minutes away from Bangor when local officials were alerted. After landing, it taxied to a remote part of the airport where law enforcement officials removed the passenger, said Tony Caruso, acting airport manager.

Frankel said passengers had been advised to keep their shades down during a movie, so they didn't realize fighter jets had been dispatched to intercept the flight. There were a couple of calls on the overhead speakers for doctors, but that didn't seem especially unusual, he said.

Eventually, the pilot advised them that the jet needed to land for fuel in Maine.

William Milam from Richmond, Va., said he'd spoken French with the woman and helped her get her luggage into an overhead bin.

After the woman was removed from the flight, passengers were informed that they'd have to leave while the jet was checked for explosives, Milam said. "This is like, 'Wow,'" he said. "I'm thinking drugs. And they're thinking explosives."

Several passengers said they'd noticed that particular passenger because of her slight stature and big eyelashes. They said she attracted attention by walking up and down the aisle throughout the flight.

The passengers were kept in a secure area before being allowed back onto the jet, which departed 3 1/2 hours later for Charlotte, N.C.

U.S. Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., who was briefed on the matter, said the woman who was detained was traveling alone without any checked baggage and intended to stay in the U.S. for 10 days.

The FBI, which is conducting the investigation, interviewed passengers before the plane departed.

"At this time, there is no evidence that the plane or its passengers were ever in any actual danger," said Greg Comcowich, an FBI spokesman in Boston.

He said the agency wouldn't confirm the status nor release the identity of the passenger who caused the flight to be diverted.

"Out of an abundance of caution, the flight was diverted to (Bangor) where it was met by law enforcement," said TSA spokesman Sterling Payne.

The Bangor airport is accustomed to dealing with diverted flights.

It's the first large U.S. airport for incoming European flights and the last U.S. airport for outgoing flights, with uncluttered skies and one of the longest runways on the East Coast. Aircraft use the airport when there are mechanical problems, medical emergencies or unruly passengers.

Home to a Maine Air National Guard unit, the airport also serves as a refueling hub for military aircraft transporting personnel and cargo to and from Europe and the Middle East.
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Associated Press writers Eileen Sullivan in Washington; Mitch Weiss in Charlotte, N.C.; David Sharp and Clarke Canfield in Portland, Maine; and Denise Lavoie and Jay Lindsay in Boston contributed to this report.

The Maine medical examiner's office says an autopsy is scheduled Wednesday morning on the body of 31-year-old Nathan Bihlmaier of Cambridge, Mass.

This undated photo provided by the Portland, Maine, Police Department shows Nathan Bihlmaier, 31, of Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Portland Police Department)

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — An autopsy is expected to shed more light on the death of a Harvard Business School student whose body was recovered from Portland Harbor three days after he was told to leave a waterfront bar for being visibly intoxicated while celebrating his upcoming graduation.

The Maine medical examiner's office says an autopsy is scheduled Wednesday morning on the body of 31-year-old Nathan Bihlmaier of Cambridge, Mass.

Bihlmaier was last seen at 11:30 p.m. Saturday, when he was asked to leave the Ri Ra Irish Pub where he was celebrating with two friends. His body was found in the harbor on Tuesday a couple of wharves from the bar.

Police say his death appears to be a tragic accident.

Bihlmaier was scheduled to graduate from Harvard Business School on Thursday.

Debate on the $32.3 billion budget gets under way on Wednesday with nearly 700 amendments on the table.

Republican file photoBoston Statehouse

BOSTON (AP) — It's the Massachusetts Senate's turn to decide how the state will spend its money in the next fiscal year.

Debate on the $32.3 billion budget gets under way on Wednesday with nearly 700 amendments on the table.

The House passed its version of the budget last month, and after the Senate completes work a six-member conference committee will be appointed to iron out differences between the two branches.

One proposed amendment that appears to have strong support in the Senate would close a recently-exposed loophole in a 2005 law that toughened penalties for repeat drunken drivers.

The Supreme Judicial Court ruled last week that individuals charged with drunken driving who admit to sufficient facts in court but are not technically convicted of the crime cannot be considered first-time offenders under the law.