Gentile, a lawyer, has served as an assistant Hampden Superior Court clerk for the past 15 years.

SPRINGFIELD – Laura Gentile announced Wednesday she is a Democratic candidate for Hampden Superior Court Clerk.

Laura Gentile

Gentile, a lawyer, has served as an assistant Hampden Superior Court clerk for the past 15 years.

Before that she served in the Hampden County District Attorney’s Office and as a private attorney for the law firm of Santaniello, Posnik and Basile, P.C.

Gentile is a member of the Hampden County Bar Association and the Superior Court Clerks Association.

She received her law degree from Western New England University School of Law and her master’s degree in public administration from American International College.

She is married to Tom Gentile and they have a son, T.J., who graduates from Cathedral High School on June 1. They live at 101 Pinecrest Drive in Springfield.

In her announcement, Gentile quoted Stephanie Miner, the first woman mayor of Syracuse, N.Y., who said, “What city government — in fact all levels of government — must now do, is to evolve and reinvent.”

“I believe that is exactly what we must do at the Hampden County Clerk’s Office in order to meet the increasing demand for services with limited resources,” Gentile said.

“Working in the court system for the past 20 years gives me a unique insight into the operation of the Clerk’s Office. From performing administrative duties to consulting with judges, ruling on motions, setting bails and setting court dates, my professional experience distinguishes my candidacy for this important office,” she said.

Gentile said, “Although the position is complex, my message is simple: We need professional leadership. I will reinvent the operation of the Clerk’s Office to ensure justice for all of our citizens.”

Other Democratic candidates are Springfield City Councilor Thomas M. Ashe; lawyer and former Ludlow selectman John DaCruz; and Linda A. Stec DiSanti, of Chicopee, legal administrator/office manager at DiSanti Law Offices in West Springfield.

Current clerk Brian P. Lees is not seeking reelection.

The Conservation Commission say the the parties working on the project failed to file notices of intent to do work near wetlands, but state officials have argued the state is exempt when work involves a bridge and its approaches.

The Republican | Dave RobackSite work for construction on the railroad bridge on Route 20 in West Springfield was underway last week, as seen from this view off Charles Avenue.

WEST SPRINGFIELD — While the Department of Transportation has announced that it will resume work Thursday on the $6.5 million Route 20 bridge project, the Conservation Commission has issued cease and desist orders to it and its contractors.

The Conservation Commission voted 5-0 Wednesday night to issue the orders to the state as well as contractors on the project, Gordon’s Tree Service of Pittsfield, White Wolf General of Washington and SPS New England Inc. of Salisbury.

Conservation Office Mark A. Noonan asked the board to take that action because none of those parties have filed notices of intent to do work within 100 feet of wetlands as is required by the state Wetlands Protection Act. State officials have argued the state is exempt when work involves a bridge and its approaches.

Noonan has argued that work near Squassick Brook and Charles Avenue is not near the bridge or its approach and is therefore not exempt.

Meanwhile Mayor Gregory C. Neffinger said Wednesday that the city shut work down Monday morning because workers on the project were cutting down trees on municipal lane near Charles Avenue. The mayor also said the state was storing equipment related to the project on city land without authorization.

The Republican | Sandra E. ConstantineA section of Route 20 in West Springfield, where the state is expected to resume work Thursday on the $6.5 million bridge project, is seen on Wednesday.

“After a review of all the pertinent documentation, MassDOT has determined it has the requisite property rights to proceed with work on the Route 20 bridge project,” a news release, which was issued late Wednesday, states.

Asked if that means the city does not own the land in question, state transportation department spokesman Michael W. Verseckes said, “We have made the determination that we have the right to be there. The statement is going to have to stand for itself.”

The mayor said the state was also storing equipment related to the project on city land.

“They are allowed to work on their own land,” Neffinger said. “We’re hoping to work the whole thing through.”

When the age of digital technology came along, Jan Resnick plunged in.

Janeen Resnick

SOUTH HADLEY – Libraries offer more than books, says lifelong book-lover and new member of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners Janeen (“Jan”) Resnick of South Hadley.

Resnick was appointed to the statewide board by Gov. Deval Patrick last week.

She will be one of nine commissioners dedicated to supporting and improving 1,700 libraries all over the state, including 370 public libraries.

Resnick, 65, learned to love books from her mother, who was the librarian in the small town of Culver, Ind.

Jan graduated from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa., and earned a Master of Library Science degree from Drexel Institute of Technology in Philadelphia.

At Dickinson, she met her future husband, Mitchell Resnick, now head of the Board of Trustees of the South Hadley Public Library.

When the age of digital technology came along, Jan Resnick plunged in. In 1995, she was project manager for a program that provided the first computers, Internet, email and training to smaller public libraries.

She has served on the executive board of Central/Western Massachusetts Automated Sharing. She co-authored an article on “The Evolution of a Digital Repository in Massachusetts.”

In short, Resnick is not stuck on paper. She has evolved with the times.

She also believes libraries can’t be replaced. “They are gathering places and community centers,” she said. “You meet people in the library and you talk about books and ideas with them.”

According to the Board of Library Commissioners, more people in Massachusetts went to their libraries last year than to Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins and Celtics games combined.

Resnick has been advocating for libraries for 40 years. She was inducted into the Massachusetts Library Association Hall of Fame in 1998.

She admits libraries have changed. “Some of the work I did for my mom, like filing circulation records, is automated,” she said. “A lot of very routine stuff is done by machine.”

But other things, such as the relationship between library staff and patrons, continue, said Resnick

One of the financial challenges for libraries, she said, will be that, as different formats emerge, “staff will have to spend lots of time teaching people how to use them.”

That’s where the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners can help.

Today it may be best known for awarding multi-million-dollar building grants to four libraries in Western Massachusetts last year, but it also offers advisory services, workshops, continuing education, statistics, emergency aid and directories of libraries, archives and historical societies.

“They do a lot of work with trustees of libraries and ‘Friends of the Library’ groups,” said Resnick.

The board meets once a month, varying the location. On June 7, for example, it will meet in Adams.

Resnick is one of two members from Western Massachusetts. The other is Mary Kronholm, of Blandford.

This part of the state has some special issues, said Resnick. “The libraries are further apart,” she said. “There’s far less public transportation, and we have some of the smallest libraries in the state.”

Faust, who was honored for saving the lives of nine people during a September house fire, is at age 13 the youngest person to win Springfield's most prestigious award for heroism. Watch video

The Republican | Dave RobackDemetrious Faust, 13, of Springfield, accepts the Lt. J. Frank Murphy of Valor award from Richard Tyrell, right, chairman of the Springfield Veterans Activity Committee, while Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno looks on, during a ceremony Wednesday at City Hall.

The Springfield Veterans Activity Committee on Wednesday night made it official.

The committee presented Demetrious with the Lt. J. Frank Murphy Medal of Valor, Springfield’s most prestigious award, in a ceremony in City Hall.

Committee chairman Richard Tyrell said that as far as anyone knows, Demetrious is the youngest person selected to receive the award. “We so seldom recognize the good young people do in our society,” he said.

Demetrious was credited with saving the lives of nine people, including his own family, when he alerted them to a fire at their home at 51-53 Daytona St. on Sept. 14.

The boy smelled smoke at 4 a.m. and ran through the building to wake family members and other residents in the two-family home. The house sustained more than $100,000 in damage, but no one was injured, and officials at that time called the boy a hero.
“We honor you for being a true role model,” Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said.

In addition to the medal of valor, he was also presented with two citations from the state Senate and House of Representatives, which where presented by aides on behalf of Sen. Ben Swan and Rep. Angelo Puppulo.

The Medal of Valor is named in memory of Murphy, a Springfield native, who led a raid in 1945 behind enemy lines to capture a Japanese prison camp, freeing 511 survivors of the Bataan Death March.

He was a member of the Army 6th Ranger Infantry Battalion. He was awarded the Silver Star by Gen. Douglas McArthur and elected posthumously into the Ranger Hall of Fame in Fort Benning, Ga.

The award is given annually to a citizen of Springfield who has risked his or her life in saving the lives of others, or to a non-resident who performed such an act within the city of Springfield.

But as Tyrell noted, the award is only given out when the selection committee decides that a nominee is worthy. Three times in its 22 years the award has not been given out.

Demetrious spoke briefly, making a pitch for families to be prepared with an emergency fire drill plans for their homes. “Everyone should practice their fire drill and be ready at any time. It can happen any time,” he said.

He also put in a plug for firefighters, saying when an emergency happens, they will be there to help.

Sarno said Demetrious applied the fire safety lessons he learned at school to an emergency situation at his home.

The Republican | Patrick JohnsonDemetrious Faust, center, addresses the local press following his being awarded the Lt. J. Frank Murphy Medal of Valor in a Springfield City Hall ceremony on Wednesday. Looking on are his mother, Sandra Faust, left, and father Lee Hutchins on the right.

His father, Lee Hutchins, said that on the night of the fire, the plan worked to perfection. At the meeting point, a nearby tree, he was able to do a headcount and know that no one was still in the house.

“And that was all because of Demetrious,” he said.

Without the meeting point, his father said he probably would have wanted to go back inside to see if anyone was trapped inside. And he said he probably would not have gotten back out. “And we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

Demetrious said he hasn’t gotten used to being a celebrity and to being congratulated frequently by strangers.

During an interview, a woman he did not know approached to shake his hand. “I just want to shake the hand of the man!,” she said.

After she left, Demetrious said he’ll never get used to the acclaim. “I was at the Big E last year looking at the horses and some guy came up and said ‘Hey, aren’t you the kid I saw on TV?’”

Brown and Warren are in a statistical tie; most voters think the controversy over Warren's use of her Native American heritage is not a significant story.

(Associated Press file photos)Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Elizabeth Warren and Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown.

Despite continued controversy over Democratic Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren’s use of her Native American ancestry, Warren has actually gained ground on U.S. Senator Scott Brown, and the Massachusetts Senate race is a dead heat, according to a Suffolk University poll released Wednesday night.

The poll found that Brown, the Republican incumbent, leads Warren by just one point – 48 percent to 47 percent – well within the poll’s margin of error. That is a jump for Warren, who in February trailed Brown 49 percent to 40 percent.

The close margin indicates that a small number of undecided voters could swing the race. Though the election remains nearly six months away, only 5 percent of respondents have yet to make up their minds – compared to 11 percent in February. David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center, said the focus on Warren’s Native American status – along with attacks by the Warren campaign on Brown’s ties to Wall Street – may have only succeeded in polarizing the electorate, rather than enticing voters to change their minds.

“The lines in the sand drawn by both campaigns have made it easier to choose,” Paleologos said.

For the past three weeks, Warren has faced constant questions about whether she has Native American ancestry, and whether she used her ancestry to claim minority status and advance her career as a law professor at Harvard University and elsewhere.

Although 72 percent of likely voters said they were aware of the controversy, a large majority – 69 percent of likely voters – said Warren’s Native American heritage listing is not a significant story. Only 27 percent said it is. Nearly half (49 percent) of voters believe Warren is telling the truth about her ancestry, while 28 percent said she is not. Voters were split on whether Warren benefited by listing herself as a minority, with slightly more believing that she did not benefit.

In the western part of the state, Paleologos said voters knew less about the controversy than in the eastern part of the state. Only 55 percent of people living in the five counties west of Worcester were aware of it.

While the Brown campaign has been relentlessly attacking Warren on the Native American issue, the Warren campaign has responded by tying Brown to Wall Street, noting the large number of campaign contributions Brown has received from the financial industry. But the Suffolk poll found that attack is not gaining traction either. When voters were asked if “a vote for Scott Brown is a vote for Wall Street,” 55 percent said no and 33 percent said yes.

One major plus for Warren in Massachusetts is her affiliation with President Obama. Warren ran an introductory ad featuring the Democratic president – and the Suffolk poll found that Obama’s favorability rating is at 62 percent in the state. But, Paleologos said, one out of four Obama voters plans to vote for Brown.

“For Warren, she needs to win over more Obama voters who are voting for Scott Brown,” Paleologos said.

The poll did show some encouraging signs for Brown. A majority of voters (56 percent) said there is a benefit to having one Democrat and one Republican representing Massachusetts – compared to 38 percent who felt otherwise. Democratic Senator John Kerry is not up for re-election this year.

Brown’s popularity is growing – with 58 percent viewing him favorably and only 28 percent viewing him unfavorably. In comparison, perceptions of Warren are mixed. She is seen favorably by 43 percent of voters compared to 33 percent who see her unfavorably.

While voters believe Warren would do a better job representing the middle class (49 percent to 36 percent), they believe Brown would be more independent (47 percent to 42 percent). And voters believe by a large margin (42 percent to 23 percent) that Brown has run the better campaign.

The bottom line, Paleologos said, is that the race – which is projected to be the most expensive Senate race in the country – is close enough that it will be decided by a tiny group of still-undecided voters. “They are going to spend a lot of money to find these people who are disconnected from the political process but can swing the election,” Paleologos said. “It’s amazing that all this debate preparation and opposition research and all this money and effort is going to be focused on such a small group of voters.”

The poll of 600 likely Massachusetts voters was conducted May 20-22 and has a margin of error of 4 percent.

The teenager was planning to study computer science at the University of Massachusetts in September.

View full sizeCourtesy Brian Regan, Assistant Scoutmaster, Troop 504Harry Delmolino of Hadley at his Eagle Ceremony earlier this month.

NORTHAMPTON — Harry Delmolino, 18, of Hadley, was a graduate of Greenfield Community, an Eagle Scout and an outdoorsman who had planned to enter the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in the fall to study computer science.

Delmolino, who collided with a car while riding his bicycle in the middle of downtown Northampton on Saturday, died Tuesday from his injuries.

“He was into a lot of different things. He was really into computers and he was very savvy with computers and computer programming,” said Lyle Denit, assistant scout leader with Boy Scout Troop 504.

Delmolino had joined the troop, based in Amherst, when he was 11 and continued throughout his life. He earned his Eagle Scout award just two weeks ago, Denit said.

He was riding his bike Saturday when he collided with a sedan at the intersection of Main and Pleasant streets just after 7:30 p.m., in full view of motorists and pedestrians. He died Tuesday afternoon at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.

Denit said he watched Delmolino grow from a quiet child into a young man who loved hiking, bicycling and camping. He was fascinated by high-performance cars and had become a good bicycle mechanic over the past year while working at the Laughing Dog Bicycles in Amherst.

“He was a much quieter kid when I first met him and he really grew a lot emotionally and (in) becoming a leader,” he said.

Denit said he especially noticed Delmolino had a real gift for working with the younger scouts in the troop. He was entertaining, was a good mentor and children really liked spending time with him.

He leaves behind his mother and father, Susan and John Delmolino, and an older sister.

“It is every parent’s worst dream. It is a nightmare you don’t wake up from,” Denit said.

Delmolino had been home schooled for most of his life and started taking classes at Greenfield Community College as a teenager, earning an associate’s degree last spring when he was 17. He decided to take a year off and worked at the bike shop, but had registered to attend UMass in September, Denit said.

“His parents gave him a lot of opportunities. He wasn’t running by the usual structured program of teenage kids,” he said.

The teen also loved adventure, Denit said. With the Boy Scouts he went on many hiking, camping and canoe trips. One memorable one was in 2010 when he went with four other Boy Scouts and four adults to a scout high-adventure base in New Mexico and backpacked for 10 days.

Denit said he especially remembers taking a winter hike at Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire, where the troop got caught in a snow squall. Instead of complaining, Delmolino loved the adventure of it, he said.

For his Eagle Scout project, Delmolino built bluebird houses with the rest of the troop and installed them on conservation land in Amherst, Denit said.

The Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Team examined the accident scene Saturday and interviewed multiple witnesses. The Northwestern District Attorney’s Office said it is continuing its investigation into the collision.

“We will wait for all relevant information to be gathered and evaluated before drawing any conclusions about the nature and cause of the collision,” the office said in a statement.

Cesar Avelar, 43, of Northampton was driving the sedan that collided with Delmolino’s bicycle. The car was turning left onto Pleasant Street from Main Street when the accident occurred. No charges have been filed against Avelar to date. Delmolino was not wearing a helmet, according to police.

The District Attorney’s Office expressed its condolences to Delmolino’s family for its loss. Family members were with him during his hospitalization.

The funeral is scheduled for 11 a.m., Tuesday, from Kostanski Funeral Home, 1 Kostanski Square, Turners Falls. Calling hours will be held Monday evening from 4-7 at the funeral home.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Boy Scout Troop 504 of North Amherst, c/o Greenfield Savings Bank, 400 Main Street, Greenfield, MA 01301.

Staff writers Conor Berry and Fred Contrada contributed to this story.

Courtesy Brian Regan, Assistant Scoutmaster, Troop 504Harry Delmolino

He was the fifth male "Idol" winner in a row.

Phillip Phillips, shown in an April 25 file photo, is the winner of this season's 'American Idol.' (AP Photo/Fox, Michael Becker, File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Phillip Phillips, a bluesy Georgia guitar man, was crowned the new "American Idol" on Wednesday after defeating teenager Jessica Sanchez in record viewer voting. He was the fifth male "Idol" winner in a row.

Phillips, 21, a pawn shop worker from Leesburg, Ga., looked stunned after host Ryan Seacrest announced his name, then wordlessly accepted a hug from Sanchez and congratulations from his fellow finalists.

He dissolved into tears as he sang "Home," the song that may be his first single.

Phillips received the winning share of the record-high 132 million votes cast after Tuesday's final showdown with high school student Sanchez, 16, of Chula Vista, Calif. The vote count was not announced.

His victory extended the "American Idol" winning streak for men to five consecutive seasons. The last female to win, and the last non-white, was Jordin Sparks in 2007.

Phillips has more in common with the last four winners than gender. Like them, he is a young Caucasian guitar player, also known to "Idol" watchers as WGWGs — white guys with guitars.

Last year's winner was Scotty McCreery, preceded by Lee DeWyze, Kris Allen and David Cook.

Sparks, 22, was among the guest stars who helped fill out the two-hour finale show, among them Rihanna, Neil Diamond, Reba McEntire, Chaka Khan and John Fogarty. "American Idol" judges Steven Tyler, with his band Aerosmith, and Jennifer Lopez also performed, but it was Sanchez and Jennifer Holliday who stood out with a powerhouse duet on "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going."

Besides music, there was a marriage proposal for the season 11 finale: Former contestants Ace Young and Diana DeGarmo got engaged on stage.

Young, 31, a season five finalist, told Seacrest that he and DeGarmo, 24, had just moved in together. Then Young got down on one knee and popped the question to her.

"I love you to death. You're my best friend," Young said in his proposal, which included a jarring credit for the jeweler who made the engagement ring he was offering. DeGarmo, a runner-up in season three, tearfully accepted, her head bobbing up and down.

But the point of the finale, saved for the final minutes and the highest possible ratings, was anointing the newest Idol and winner of a record contract.

During the three-song showdown Tuesday between Phillips and Sanchez, the show's judges praised his performance across the board. Sanchez was faulted for a lackluster rendition of her third song, "Change Nothing."

Although some critics dismissed Phillips as a Dave Matthews clone, viewers embraced him for his humility, his on-camera mugging and his memorable acoustic covers of songs like Usher's "U Got It Bad." In weekly tallies, Phillips never fell among the low vote-getters.

On Tuesday, he earned consistently high marks from the show's judges, while Sanchez faltered on "Change Nothing," the song that could serve as her first release.

The teenager agreed with panelists Randy Jackson, Lopez and Tyler, saying she should have gone more "urban" with her song choice.

Phillips had better luck with the slow-tempo, acoustic tune "Home," which the judges said recalled artists like Fleet Foxes, Paul Simon and Mumford and Sons. At one point during Phillips' final performance, the pawn shop worker was accompanied by a marching band.

It was a hit with the panel. Jackson, beaming, exclaimed: "I love the song. I love you. I love the production. I love the marching band. Everything about that was perfect."

Last year's contest between McCreery and runner-up Lauren Alaina drew more than 122 million votes, the record that was broken Wednesday.

The Supreme Judicial Court last week overturned the license suspension of an individual based on a 2010 case in which the defendant refused to take a breath test.

File photo | Associated PressThe Massachusetts Statehouse in Boston.

By MATT MURPHY

BOSTON — The Senate late Wednesday night voted unanimously to close a “loophole” in state law meant to enhance penalties for repeat drunk drivers that was exposed last week by the Supreme Judicial Court when it overturned the license suspension of a two-time offender.

As the Senate prepared to wrap up its first night of the debate on $32.3 billion spending plan for fiscal 2013, it took little convincing from Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr and Sen. Katherine Clark to get lawmakers to back the budget amendment, which Tarr said had been “painstakingly” reviewed and tailored so as to apply only to repeat drunk drivers.

The amendment, offered by Tarr, seeks to address the SJC ruling that “continuance without a finding” resolutions in cases against certain defendants accused of operating under the influence are not considered convictions under Melanie’s Law and therefore would not trigger increased license revocation penalties for repeat drunk drivers intended under the law.

The Supreme Judicial Court last week overturned the license suspension of an individual based on a 2010 case in which the defendant refused to take a breath test.

Despite the defendant having previously been arrested for drunk driving in 1997 in a case that was continued without a finding after the individual admitted to sufficient facts, the court ruled that the 1997 case did not count as a first offense under Melanie’s Law because it did not qualify as a “conviction.”

Tarr said the distinction drawn by the court undermined the “statutory scheme” the Legislature put in place. “Therefore, we must act,” Tarr said.

Sen. Katherine Clark (D-Melrose) called the amendment “straightforward and critical” to keeping Melanie’s Law “robust” and the roads safe. “We are not going to tolerate repeat drunk driving offenses in Massachusetts any longer,” Clark said.

The amendment passed 37-0 in the final vote of the night for the Senate which began its debate on the fiscal 2013 budget Wednesday morning plowing through 253 of the 694 amendments filed to the bill, adopting 55 changes and rejecting 145 proposals. Senators withdrew 43 of their amendments, and 10 were ruled out of order because they dealt with tax policy. There were 17 roll-call votes.

While Rep. Eugene O’Flaherty has said he would pursue similar action in the House to correct Melanie’s Law, Sen. Robert Hedlund (R-Weymouth) told his colleagues Wednesday night that they were not done considering updates to the drunk driving law.

Hedlund said Senate leaders had “struggled with the language,” but intended to bring an amendment forward on Thursday seeking to close another “loophole” in the law, which Senate aides described later as a concern that a defendant waiting to resolve one OUI charge who is subsequently arrested again for a similar violation could have the cases treated as a single incident under Melanie’s Law and not face the increased penalties for repeat offenses.

The Senate kept up a brisk pace on Wednesday, with Sen. Stanley Rosenberg, D-Amherst, presiding over the much of the session in unusual departure from protocol that typically has Senate President Therese Murray, D-Plymouth, handling the gavel during formal sessions.

As Murray and then Rosenberg led the chamber through categories of amendments dealing with local affairs, the judiciary, government, the environment, economic development, miscellaneous and about half of those dealing with education, many of the more controversial issues were left on the docket.

It appears Senate leadership would prefer to wrap up debate on Thursday night, and issues of immigration verification, welfare benefit reform and financial disclosure requirements for mutual companies, including banks and financial firms, are still waiting to be debated.

After Murray ruled at the start of debate that tax amendment would be out of order, the biggest subject of discussion on Wednesday centered around the expansion of the bottle redemption law to include non-carbonated water, juices and sports drinks.

With Democrats accusing Republicans of raising taxes and Republicans firing back that Democrats are not supporting a key environmental protection, the Senate came back from a dinner break and adopted an amendment offered by Sen. Marc Pacheco creating a new commission to study the issue on a relatively close 22-15 vote, with Tarr and Sen. Michael Knapik, R-Westfield, joining the Democratic majority in support.

While supporters of the amendment said the proposal would ease pressure on landfills, help clean up the environment, and address a glaring omission in the 30-year-old law, opponents likened the proposal to a new tax and said it would burden retailers while driving consumers to buy their products in neighboring states.

Hedlund, who filed the initial, called the study amendment used to block an up-or-down vote on the bottle bill expansion “a ruse to stifle debate” and a “poison pill.”

Sen. Cynthia Creem and Sen. Kenneth Donnelly also called for a straight vote on the issue, insisting that multiple Legislatures over more than a dozen years has had time to consider the pros and cons of expanding the bottle redemption law.

Janet Domenitz, executive director of MassPIRG, ripped the study amendment calling it "a complete joke.” “It gives a very bad name to homework, because it's been studied for 14 year,” Domenitz told the News Service.

Other highlights of the first day of budget debate in the Senate included:

• Adoption of an amendment filed by Sen. Harriette Chandler increasing the percentage of fines related to speeding tickets that goes to the Head Injury Trust Fund from 60 percent to 75 percent.

• Adoption of an amendment filed by Sen. Hedllund requiring the Inspector General, in consultation with the Attorney General, to hire a competitively-bid third-party CPA to audit 40B certifications.

• Adoption of an amendment filed by Sen. John Hart increasing Emergency Food Assistance funding by $1 million from $11.5 million to $12.5 million

• Adoption of an amendment filed by Sen. Jennifer Flanagan lowering the population threshold from 35,000 to 20,000 to be considered a Gateway City, adding eight communities to the current 24: Gloucester, Agawam, Milford, Bridgewater, Middleborough, Wareham, Ludlow and Gardner.

Work crews were attempting to fix the sinkhole, which occurred on Sheridan Street near Dewey Street, according to city officials.

The Republican | Don Treeger05.24.2012 | CHICOPEE -- Workers at the site of a sinkhole on Sheridan Street Thursday morning.

CHICOPEE –: City police are cautioning motorists to avoid Sheridan Street in the vicinity of Dewey Street, which will be closed Thursday morning as crews attempt to address a large sinkhole in the roadway.

Chicopee Department of Public Works crews began fixing the problem Wednesday evening, shortly after a large hole appeared near the corner of Sheridan and Dewey streets. But that work is expected to continue throughout today, according to officials, who warned motorists to find alternate routes and to expect delays.

"It's going to take some time," a Chicopee police officer said of the repairs, urging drivers to seek alternate routes for this morning's commute.

DPW Superintendent Stan Kulig told 22News that a pipe burst beneath the raod, causing the massive hole to form. Kulig said the road will hopefully reopen Thursday night.

The affected section of Sheridan Street lies between Memorial Drive (Route 33) and Fuller Road, though residents who live in that area will still be able to access their streets.

MAP showing area of sinkhole at Sheridan and Dewey streets in Chicopee:

View Larger Map

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.

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.

1) Harry Delmolino, 18-year-old cyclist hit in Northampton, has died [Conor Berry]

2) MassWildlife officials band brood of Peregrine Falcon chicks at Monarch Place [Greg Saulmon] Photo gallery at right.

3) Ejection seat from downed Westover B-52 found in Maine woods near site of 1963 crash [Patrick Johnson]

4) Springfield police looking for city man who reportedly tried to steal 2 air conditioners from Walmart [Conor Berry]

5) Framingham mom angry after son's tooth pulled at school [Associated Press]

Tyler F. Maia, 18, formerly of East Granby, pleaded not guilty to a felony assault charge for allegedly breaking his 4-year-old son's ribs.

ENFIELD – A former East Granby resident has been charged in connection with an alleged assault on his infant son, who suffered broken ribs and breathing problems, according to Connecticut officials.

Tyler F. Maia, 18, who now lives in Southington, posted $25,000 bail for his release after denying a second-degree assault charge at his arraignment Wednesday in Enfield Superior Court. Maia is due back in court June 13.

Connecticut State Police said they were notified by the state Department of Children and Families (DCF) in March after the 4-month-old boy was admitted to Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford with breathing problems. Police said X-rays showed the baby had sustained multiple rib fractures, prompting DCF officials to take custody of the child.

Maia told investigators he was feeding his son at their East Granby home on March 19. When the infant began to vomit, Maia claimed he violently shifted the baby in his arms.

Material from the Associated Press, The Granbys Patch, and the Hartford Courant was used in this report.

Suzanne Beck, director of the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, is on the commission, as is Robert Ross, a past president of the Florence Civic and Business Association.

NORTHAMPTON – Mayor David J. Narkewicz has appointed an 11-member Economic Development Commission to advise the city on a range of issues, including marketing, job creation and attracting and retaining businesses.

The Economic Development Advisory Commission will work with an as yet unnamed successor to former Community and Economic Development Coordinator Teri A. Anderson, who left earlier this year to take a job in the private sector. Narkewicz has budgeted to fill Anderson’s post, but will consult with the commission to define the duties involved in that job.

The appointees represent a broad spectrum of the business community, including Smith College, the Iron Horse Entertainment Group. Others work in banking, real estate and retail. Andrew Crystal, Vice President of O’Connell Development Group and one of the new commissioners, served as chairman of the city’s Planning Board for 10 years and is on the board of the Academy of Music.

“I think the mayor has taken a creative and important step to help promote economic development,” said Crystal, who played a major role in developing the new Kollmorgen Electro-Optical headquarters, now called L-3 KEO, on Village Hill.

Suzanne Beck, director of the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, is on the commission, as is Robert Ross, a past president of the Florence Civic and Business Association. Noting that the chamber has its own economic development committee, Beck said her new role will serve as a valuable link with the chamber.

“There are a lot of different viewpoints and experience on the committee that can be very valuable to the mayor,” she said.

Ross hopes his appointment will give the village of Florence a greater voice in the city’s overall economic development.

“It will be good to be part of the city and part of the equation,” he said, “which sometimes is overlooked.”

Among the areas the committee will address, as outlined by the mayor, are attracting start-ups and entrepreneurs, marketing the city, streamlining regulations, identifying barriers to business development and promoting industry compatible with Northampton. More specifically, commission expects to take a close look at the development of King Street and Village Hill, which still has available commercial and industrial space. Its first meeting is scheduled to take place in June.

The B-52 Stratofortress was based at the former Westover Air Force Base in Chicopee when it crashed in rural Maine on Jan. 24, 1963. A forest ranger found the ejection seat while hunting last fall.

Republican file photoA front-page report in the Jan. 25, 1963, Springfield Daily News covered the B-52 crash in Maine. An ejection seat from the doomed aircraft was recently found in the woods.

Unless weather gets in the way, rangers from the Maine Forest Service are expected to set out today to retrieve an ejection seat from a Westover-based B-52 bomber that crashed on a remote central Maine mountain almost 50 years ago.

The ejection seat was discovered last fall by Ranger Bruce Reed, who found it lying on a logging trail southwest of the crash site on Elephant Mountain, which is located in sparsely populated Piscataquis County in north-central Maine. The crash site is about five miles southwest of Moosehead Lake.

Reed and a team of Maine Forest Service rangers are expected to use a cargo net to carry out the roughly 80-pound seat, which came from an unarmed B-52 Stratofortress that was based at Westover Air Force Base in Chicopee. The plane crashed during a routine training mission on Jan. 24, 1963, killing seven of the nine crew members.

"Once we get it off the mountain and in the presence of those who know its true history, it will generate significant interest," Reed said.

According to officials, the ejection seat is most likely the one that saved the lives of either the pilot or navigator, both of whom survived the crash.

Material from the Associated Press, the Boston Globe and The Republican was used in this report.

THE MAP BELOW shows the approximate location of the crash site on Maine's Elephant Mountain:


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Kane has held the seat since 2001 and Vega is a two-term councilor and small-business owner.

State Rep. Michael Kane, D-Holyoke, left, and Holyoke City Councilor Aaron Vega

HOLYOKE – With the election for the city’s state representative less than four months away, the incumbent and a challenger were asked to discuss their plans for jobs and neighborhood safety.

Rep. Michael F. Kane, D-Holyoke, has held the 5th Hampden District House of Representatives seat since 2001. He faces a challenge from City Councilor at Large Aaron M. Vega, a Democrat.

The primary election is Sept. 6 to narrow the field of candidates if there is more than one from a party.

The election could be decided with the primary if Kane and Vega remain the only two candidates.

The general election is Nov. 6.

Kane said Monday he supports an economic stimulus bill lawmakers are to debate this week. The bill contains $25 million in new borrowing authorization for university research and development grants, $12.5 million for research and development at the University of Massachusetts, $1 million to match stipends technology and innovation companies use to hire interns and $1 million to match private venture capital for new companies.

“With this economic development piece that we are going to debate, I and the House of Representatives are committed to creating jobs in Holyoke and the commonwealth,” Kane said.

Vega said Monday he would help small business with increased grants and tax incentives tied to job creation.

“(I’d) work with other Western Mass legislators to ensure larger business comes to this area, instead of the ‘495/128’ corridor. If 400 jobs come to Holyoke, that would be the best-case scenario, but we also benefit if it arrives in neighboring communities,” Vega said.

He and wife Debra Vega own Vega Yoga and Movement Arts, 4 Open Square Way.

Asked what a state representative can do to help Holyokers have safe neighborhoods, Vega said he would push to ensure programs that work remain funded. He would stay in touch with the district attorney and sheriff’s offices to strengthen neighborhood watch and inmate pre- and post-release programs, he said.

Kane said he will keep supporting funding for local programs to prevent street gang violence – “I’ve always been a strong advocate” – along with backing a House plan to ensure cities and towns in the next fiscal year get at least $899 million in unrestricted local aid , the same as this year.

The mother of a Cambridge man fatally shot inside a Harvard University dormitory during a drug-related robbery has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Ivy League school.

Harvard University is hoping to draw budding technology entrepreneurs with initiatives, such as Harvard Business School’s Rock Center for Entrepreneurship’s announcement of a $50,000 seed investing program for very early stage ideas, and an Innovation Lab set to open this fall. 

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — The mother of a Cambridge man fatally shot inside a Harvard University dormitory during a drug-related robbery has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Ivy League school.

Denise Cosby says in her suit filed in Middlesex Superior Court that Harvard negligently allowed the mastermind of the killing of her son, Justin Cosby, to operate a "criminal enterprise" in Kirkland Hall that resulted in the May 2009 killing.

Her lawyers tell The Boston Globe that Denise Cosby believes her son would be alive today if the school had followed its own policies.

The 21-year-old Cosby was shot by one of three men during a drug robbery. None were Harvard students, but the shooter was dating a student.

A Harvard spokesman says there is no basis in law or fact to hold the university accountable.

Facebook's initial public offering is the subject of two congressional inquiries and mounting lawsuits as the social network enters its fifth day of public trading.

The Associated PressThe pre-market price for Facebook stock is shown, Wednesday, May 23, 2012 at the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York. Facebook stock rose in early trading Wednesday, although still far below the $38 it was priced at before its initial public offering Friday. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

BARBARA ORTUTAY, AP Technology Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Facebook's initial public offering is the subject of two congressional inquiries and mounting lawsuits as the social network enters its fifth day of public trading.

The shares regained some ground Wednesday, rising $1, or 3.2 percent, to close at $32. They were up another 50 cents, or 1.6 percent, to $32.50 in early premarket trading Thursday. But they are still more than 14 percent below their $38 per share IPO price last week.

The stock's rocky inaugural trading day last Friday was followed by a two-day decline.

The launch was held up by a half-hour delay, caused by glitches on the Nasdaq Stock Market. It was marred further this week as investors began accusing the banks that arranged the IPO of sharing important information about Facebook's business prospects with some clients and not others.

Several shareholders who bought stock in the IPO have filed lawsuits against Facebook, its executives and Morgan Stanley, the IPO's lead underwriter. At question is whether analysts at the big underwriter investment banks cut their second-quarter and full-year forecasts for Facebook just before the IPO, and told only a handful of clients about it.

One lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in New York, claims Facebook's IPO documents contained untrue statements and omitted important facts, such as a "severe reduction in revenue growth" that Facebook was experiencing at the time of the offering. The suit's three plaintiffs, who bought Facebook stock on its first day of trading May 18, claim they were damaged in the process.

Morgan Stanley declined to comment. Facebook said the lawsuit is without merit.

Another lawsuit, filed in San Mateo County Superior Court in California, claims Facebook and underwriters misled investors in Facebook's IPO documents. Both lawsuits seek class action status on behalf of investors who bought Facebook stock and lost money on Friday.

"No one gets it perfect, as far as saying what the financial results are," said Anthony Michael Sabino, professor at St. John's University's Peter J. Tobin College of Business. The bottom line, he added, is whether Facebook or the underwriter had material information about Facebook's finances that was not disclosed publicly.

"At this moment, it's still too early to say," Sabino said. "We don't know enough, but this could turn out to be an issue."

What is known is that, in March, Facebook began meeting with analysts at the underwriting firms. The gatherings are a customary part of the IPO process and are designed to help analysts understand the company's business so they can make accurate financial projections.

On May 9, the third day of Facebook's pre-IPO roadshow to meet with prospective investors, the company filed an amended IPO document that said its number of mobile users was growing faster than its revenue.

According to a person familiar with the matter, Facebook then had another meeting with analysts and told them that based on the new information in the filings, the analysts' forecasts should be at the low end of the range that the company gave them in April. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not publicly authorized to discuss the matter.

Adding to Wednesday's events, Facebook was in talks with the New York Stock Exchange to move its stock from the Nasdaq Stock Market after the botched offering, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. The news of the talks was first reported by Reuters.

NYSE spokesman Rich Adamonis said: "There have been no discussions with Facebook regarding switching their listing in light of the events of the last week, nor do we think a discussion along those lines would be appropriate at this time."

A Nasdaq spokesman declined to comment.

Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, said late Wednesday that his panel wants to learn more about the social network's initial offering. The committee seeks briefings with Facebook representatives, regulatory agencies and others.

After the briefings, Johnson said, he will determine whether a hearing should be held.

Also gathering information about Facebook's IPO is the House Financial Services Committee. An aide to that panel said its staff is getting briefings.

The subject is likely to be raised in hearings by the committee in the coming weeks, even though no hearings are planned specifically on the Facebook IPO, the aide said. The aide spoke on condition of anonymity because the House committee's planned inquiry hasn't been publicly announced.

The incident reportedly involved three elementary school students, but police so far have not characterized the nature of the alleged assault.

03.09.11 | Photo by Julian Feller-Cohen – A Belchertown Police cruiser.

Belchertown Police Chief Francis Fox

BELCHERTOWN – Police here continue to investigate an alleged school bus assault from earlier this month. Due to the allegations and ages of the those involved, however, they were unable to provide details about the case.

"It's being handled by the district attorney's office with coordination by us," Belchertown Police Sgt. Steven Henn said Thursday morning. Henn deferred all further comment to police Chief Francis Fox, who was expected to be out of the office for most of Thursday.

Parents of local students claim the assault, which involved three elementary school students, was sexual in nature and that school officials were slow to release information. School officials say they responded as soon as they learned about the incident and have since met with school district bus drivers to discuss proper protocol when such issues arise.

Fox said two sixth-grade boys from Chestnut Hill Community School assaulted a third-grade boy from Swift River Elementary School on May 7, but the chief declined to discuss details of the incident, which some parents claim was sexual in nature. "I cannot comment on that. It appears to be some kind of assault, and we are investigating," he told CBS3, media partner of The Republican and MassLive.

The incident was reportedly caught on tape, according to the TV station, but that could not immediately be verified with law enforcement officials.

Belchertown School Superintendent Judith C. Houle said no one was injured in the episode. Houle said she spoke with school bus drivers and the management company on Wednesday about policies and procedures. "We want them to call us when they're experiencing issues with kids," she said.

Houle has come under fire from some district parents for allegedly not communicating well with them. The superintendent said she disseminates all information that she's legally obligated to release, but she pointed out that details about criminal investigations are largely off-limits due to privacy laws. Her critics have said an automated phone message delivered to parents more than 10 days after the May 7 incident was sent too late. Houle said she sent the message as soon as she learned about the alleged assault. "It was not brought to my attention right away," she said.

An online petition, dubbed "Remove Dr. Houle," continues to seek her ouster from the district. Such a move seems unlikely, however, considering the Belchertown School Committee recently voted to give a 1.5 percent salary increase to Houle, who is in her first year of a three-year contract. She earns more than $117,000 annually.

Houle said criticism of school superintendents is par for the course. "It comes with the territory," she said.

Parent Myndi Bogdanovich, who launched the online petition to oust Houle, said parents need to learn about issues at the school in a timely fashion so they can discuss such matters with their children. "I feel like a lot of us as parents really want to be able to have the conversation. If the conversation isn't had, then these things are going to keep happening and happening," she told CBS3. "Kids won't have an understanding what the severity of it is."

As his campaign evaluates potential running mates, Republicans with a possible shot at the No. 2 spot on the presidential ticket are starting to engage in unofficial public tryouts.

The Associated PressRepublican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney gestures while speaking at the Latino Coalition annual economic summit, Wednesday, May 23, 2012, at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

By KASIE HUNT, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Mitt Romney's vice presidential search has entered a new phase: auditions.

As his campaign evaluates potential running mates, Republicans with a possible shot at the No. 2 spot on the presidential ticket are starting to engage in unofficial public tryouts for the traditional vice presidential role of attack dog.

Democratic President Barack Obama is "the most ill-prepared person to assume the presidency in my lifetime," New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie declared at a speech in Kentucky this week. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio told South Carolina Republicans that Americans hadn't seen such a "divisive figure in modern American history" as Obama.

Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, speaking Tuesday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library — it's a favorite venue for Republicans seeking more attention — said Obama "wants to take us further in the wrong direction." And in an Alabama appearance earlier this month, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal called Obama "the most incompetent president since Jimmy Carter."

Not that any of them — or any of the others who may have landed a spot on Romney's list — are talking about becoming vice president. Nor are any of them acknowledging they're trying out for the role or saying the Romney campaign has asked them to do so. Top Romney aides are sworn to secrecy, as are potential running mates and their staffs — an example of the Romney campaign's closely controlled, no-leaks culture.

But their high-profile appearances come just over a month after Romney assumed, for all practical purposes, leadership of the Republican Party. His vice presidential search is now well under way, with his Boston headquarters engaged in a secretive process of weighing the pros and cons of each potential pick.

With just three months to go until Republican National Convention, his campaign has little time to waste as it meticulously prepares the presumptive Republican nominee to make one of his most important decisions. With it will come implications not just for whether he'll win the White House but how he would govern the country.

Knowledge of the process is limited to a few of Romney's highest-level aides. Information is on a "need-to-know" basis — and as far as those aides are concerned, there are few people inside the Boston headquarters at 585 Commercial Street who need to know, let alone reporters and other outsiders. The Republicans who discussed the vice presidential selection process did so on the condition of anonymity because they did not want to anger a campaign that has barred people from talking about the selection in public.

The process is so secret because it's so sensitive. A vice presidential vetting is possibly the most intense background check in politics. Everything is fair game: voting records and the political past, to be sure, but also personal issues.

"You're sitting down with someone and asked if they've ever had a marital problem, if their spouse has ever cheated on them, if they've ever sought mental health counseling — that's just the beginning," said Sara Fagen, who worked for former President George W. Bush and for Romney's 2008 campaign.

If past campaigns are an indication, that level of probing will happen later, after the Romney campaign has narrowed the list to a few people who are under serious consideration. Earlier in the process, potential choices are typically asked fewer invasive biographical questions, as the campaign itself runs through all available public information.

This more basic information will help the Romney campaign narrow the list — and evaluate and prepare to deal with potential trouble spots in the backgrounds of those who make it through. The campaign team will have to be prepared to deal with past statements that might publicly contradict Romney or give Obama's team an extra opening to criticize his Republican opponent. The Democratic president had to deal with this in 2008, when Republicans gleefully circulated a clip of now-Vice President Joe Biden saying Obama was "not ready" to be president.

The Republicans who are informally auditioning would each bring different strengths — and drawbacks — to the presidential ticket.

Ohio Sen. Rob Portman supported Romney early, has a solid rapport with the candidate and hails from Ohio, a critical battleground state that could decide the election. But he wouldn't necessarily appeal directly to Hispanic or women voters.

Jindal, the Louisiana governor, could help Romney turn out the religious right and would add diversity to the ticket as an Indian-American, but he struggled during a national debut rebutting the 2010 State of the Union address.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell appeals to social conservatives but signed a controversial state law that requires Virginia women to have ultrasounds before having an abortion.

New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte, who's campaigned frequently with Romney, could help with female voters and in her swing state of New Hampshire. But she's from New England, the same region of the country as Romney, while Christie, a conservative favorite who can work a crowd, is from New Jersey.

Rubio could bring Florida, always a deciding factor in a general election, and appeal to Hispanics, a fast-growing voting bloc, but he's run into some trouble over a foreclosed home and possible misuse of an official credit card. And Ryan is a serious, leading policy mind with a bright future — and a brand name that's directly tied to a controversial budget that would make major changes to Medicare.

As deliberations and the informal auditions continue, potential long-listers are perfecting their nondenial denials about providing any information to the Romney campaign.

"The Romney campaign has a policy, and I'm a national co-chair of the campaign, that we don't talk about the vice presidential policy in terms of timing whether it relates to me or anyone else or the aspects of that," former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, another possible pick, told MSNBC last week when asked if he'd agreed to be vetted. "That's just the campaign policy. We don't discuss the details of that process."

"I'm not getting into that. I'm not changing any of my answers," Ryan told the Washington Examiner's editorial board recently when asked about the vice presidential process. "I get asked this every time I walk down the street. I'm not giving you any answers."

Or they're not saying anything at all. After a speech at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, a small group of reporters questioned Rubio about whether he was being considered for vice president.

"Senator, would you like to answer any questions about vice president?" one reporter finally asked.

Rubio, smiling, turned and walked away.

Firefighters from Easthampton, Williamsburg and Hatfield provided mutual aid.

Residential customers of Western Massachusetts Electric Co. can expect to see their monthly bills drop 13 to 15 percent starting July 1.

The Republican | Mark M. MurrayWorkmen from Western Massachusetts Electric Company work on clearing trees branches from the power lines on Bliss Road at Burbank Road in Longmeadow following the crippling October nor'easter that struck the region.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — Residential customers of Western Massachusetts Electric Co. can expect to see their monthly bills drop 13 to 15 percent starting July 1.

The cuts approved by state utilities regulators will last six months and would mean a $5.90 reduction in the monthly bill of customers who use 600 kilowatt hours per month.

The cut also applies to small commercial and industrial customers.

Medium and large commercial and industrial customers will see a slight increase.

WMECO President and Peter Clarke says in a statement that a decrease in the price of natural gas used to generate electricity is the reason for the decline.

WMECO, an operating company of Northeast Utilities, has about 210,000 customers in 59 western Massachusetts communities.