A juvenile was also arrested at the scene, according to police documents.

Republican file photo

HOLYOKE - A street stop near the Children’s Museum on Dwight street Tuesday night yielded the arrest of three city residents on drug charges.

A juvenile was also arrested, according to police reports. Information on the nature of that arrest, age, charges, etc., was not immediately available.

Jose Burgos, 17, 7 Worcester Place, first floor; Deli River. 43. homeless ; and Estebania Trinidad Villegas, 46, 7 Worcester Place, Apt. 2; were charged with conspiracy to violate drug law, according to police documents.

Burgos was also charged with distribution of heroin and violation of a drug-free zone and distribution of heroin.

Rivera was also charged with possession of heroin, possession of heroin with intent to distribute and violation of a drug-free zone.

Police were not immediately available for comment on the arrests, which were made shortly before 7 p.m.

The price of oil is headed for its biggest monthly decline since December 2008.

AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, FileIn a Friday, March 23, 2012 file photo, a gas station attendant pumps gas, in Portland, Ore.

By CHRIS KAHN
AP Energy Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — The price of oil is headed for its biggest monthly decline since December 2008.

Benchmark U.S. crude has dropped nearly 16 percent so far in May on growing expectations that world won't use as much as previously thought this year. The futures contract fell $2.93, or 3.2 percent, to $88.08 in Wednesday morning trading.

Analysts point to weak U.S. jobs numbers and a slowdown in China's manufacturing sector. The U.S. and China are the biggest oil consumers in the world.

Experts also are concerned by a banking crisis in Europe that may pull the eurozone into recession. Economic confidence has plummeted this month in Europe, pushing the euro to its lowest level in two and a half years.

Brent crude fell by $2.69 to $103.99 per barrel in London.

The state Department of Transporation will awarding funds to other area communities in coming days.

Republican File PhotoLt. Gov. Timothy Murray.

SPRINGFIELD – Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray announced Wednesday that Springfield will receive more than $1.3 million in reimbursements for infrastructure improvements including road and sidewalk repairs related to the June 1 tornado.

Springfield is the first community to receive the reimbursements as part of $3.9 million in federal emergency funds available to reimburse eight communities affected by the tornado.

The funds were awarded by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Murray was joined by Department of Transportation Secretary Richard A. Davey in announcing the funds during a press conference at City Hall.

The funds for Springfield are “critical to rebuilding neighborhoods and making them even stronger than before,” Murray said.

The communities in Western Massachusetts that were affected by the tornado are making “great strides” in their recovery efforts, he said.

“There is more work to do, and our administration is committed to supporting their recovery by reimbursing cities and towns for road repair damage and other rebuilding efforts,” Murray said.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, state Sen. James Welch, state Rep. Cheryl Coakley-Rivera, and City Councilor Bud L. Williams, joined in praising the state for approving the series of projects.

City Engineer Christopher Cignoli said the federal funds target the main arteries such as Union Streeet, Maple Street, Island Pond Road and South Branch Parkway including road repairs, sidewalks, removing trees and removing debris. The reimbursements range from 75 to 100 percent of the costs, he said.

The city is also seeking reimbursements estimated at $7.5 million to $8 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, for other tornado-related expenses eligible for disaster aid.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is also working to ensure the other communities also receive reimbursements as follows:

• Monson – $519,000 – Ely Road, High Street, Main Street, Hampden, Upper, and Wilbraham Road.

• Wilbraham – $956,000 – Main Street, Sony Hill Road, Tinkham Drive, Rochford Drive.

•: West Springfield – $200,000 – Union and Main Streets.

• Brimfield – $449,000, Holland Road, East Brimfield Road, Warren Road and Main Street

• Westfield, $70,000, Shaker Road, Pontucssic.

• Southbridge and Sturbridge are also slated to receive reimbursements.

Story will be updated.

So far in 2012, Kerry’s staff has held office hours 47 different locations throughout the state.

Foto por Maneesh Bakshi | Foto APThe staff of Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., has held office hours in 47 different communities throughout the state so far in 2012. (AP File Photo)

U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., announced his staff will hold additional office hours in Palmer and Ware on Thursday to discuss local issues, offer assistance on individual cases, and answer any and all questions.

“Tomorrow our team is coming back to Ware and Palmer to answer any question and try to help anyone we can,” Kerry said in a statement. “Whether it’s cutting through red tape, or offering additional resources – we want to make sure that we’re helping everyone we can in any way we can.”

So far in 2012, Kerry’s staff has held office hours 47 different locations throughout the state.

In Ware, citizens can stop by the town hall, 126 Main St., between 10 a.m. and noon and find Kerry's staff in the Board of Selectman Meeting Room. In Palmer, office hours are from 1 to 3 p.m. at Palmer Town Hall, 4417 Main St., in the main meeting room.

Information about future office hours is available online at Kerry's Senate website.

Patrick said people in Massachusetts "don't care about" the controversy surrounding Warren's use of her Native American heritage.

05.30.2012 | Photo by Shira Schoenberg | SOMERVILLE — Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren stands alongside Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick following the governor's endorsement of the Harvard Law School professor, three days before the state nominating convention.

This is an update of a story posted at 2:55 p.m.

SOMERVILLE — Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick said he chose to endorse Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren days before the Democratic nominating convention because he believes the race is so “critically important.”

“(Former Massachusetts Senator) Ted Kennedy gave me some really good advice which I’ve mostly tried to follow, which is to stay out of a contested primary,” Patrick told reporters at Warren’s Somerville headquarters. “But I just feel that this is a campaign that’s so critically important, and that it is time for us to turn our attention to our Republican opponent and not be so focused on each other.”

Patrick’s endorsement was no surprise, but the timing was. Patrick is a popular Democratic governor, and Warren is expected to be the Democratic nominee to face Republican Senator Scott Brown. But state Democrats will not officially endorse a candidate until Saturday at the state convention in Springfield, and immigration attorney Marisa DeFranco remains in the running. Patrick said previously that he would not take sides in the primary, but would wait until the Democrats chose their nominee.

Warren’s campaign has faced a difficult few weeks involving questions about Warren’s listing of her alleged Native American ancestry in law school directories and at Harvard Law School, where she is a professor. DeFranco’s campaign, which has raised little money, has recently been getting more attention. Patrick’s endorsement will give Warren a boost heading into the state convention.

Nate Little, executive director of the Massachusetts Republican Party, said, “It is a sign of deep panic and desperation in the Warren campaign that Governor Patrick was trotted out today to break his word and endorse her in advance of the Democratic convention.”

Asked whether he endorsed Warren now because he believed her campaign was in trouble, Patrick said no. Patrick said he spoke to both Warren and DeFranco.

“The thing that makes it particularly pressing for me is how far along the grassroots organization has been built in this campaign, and that is enormously important to me not just from a political point of view but from a values point of view,” Patrick said.

Patrick said he recognizes that the campaign will be a tough one. “We are a state I think that in some ways…tends to favor the person in office,” Patrick said. “I think that Scott Brown is a very, very effective campaigner and I think we’ve got a fight in our hands, but it’s a fight worth taking.”

Warren has already focused her campaign almost exclusively on Brown, mentioning DeFranco only when asked about her. Warren, campaigning in Brookline last week, called DeFranco a "smart, hard-working woman."

A candidate must get support from 15 percent of the delegates to the state Democratic convention to appear on the September primary ballot. Patrick said he will not try to keep DeFranco off. “She’s going to get on the ballot. We’re Democrats,” Patrick said. Patrick called both Warren and DeFranco “compelling people with compelling stories and a compelling message.”

Asked about the Native American controversy, Patrick responded, “Let me say on behalf of the people of the Commonwealth, we don’t care about that subject. What we care about is investing in education, in innovation and in infrastructure.”

At the event, close to 200 Warren supporters from across the state packed into Warren’s headquarters. Patrick encouraged supporters to engage neighbors, make phone calls and knock on doors. “We are not looking to have a senator for the Democrats any more than we want to keep the senator we have for the tea party,” Patrick said. “We need a senator for Massachusetts.”

One after another, supporters talked about the activity in their towns. One supporter recalled the chicken salad sandwich at a diner where Warren made her announcement tour; another thanked her for visiting Western Massachusetts; and another thanked her for keeping a positive message despite being “dragged through the mud by the media.”

Speaking to reporters afterward, Warren recalled the advice Patrick gave her to “be clear what your values are” and “run your campaign every single day in a way that’s consistent with your values.”

Patrick repeated the endorsement he gave in an email earlier in the day calling Warren a “thoughtful, pragmatic, compassionate, and reasoned voiced” and praising her work as a professor at Harvard Law School and an advocate reforming the country’s financial system.

Patrick called Brown “a charming man and better politician, frankly, than any of us anticipated he would be given his performance in the Statehouse.” He criticized Brown for putting “the politics of convenience ahead of the people of Massachusetts.”

The fire cause is unknown.

WALES - A fire at a home at 10 Lynch Road on Wednesday evening displaced the family living there.

Police Chief Dawn Charette said the house is a total loss, and described it as a "shell."

"There's nothing left," she said.

She said family members, including children, were home at the time the fire broke out. The Red Cross will assist the family with housing, she said.

The fire cause is unknown at this time, she said. There were no injuries, she said.

Wales firefighters were assisted by Monson firefighters. Fire officials remained on scene after 7 p.m. The fire was called in at 5:08 p.m. Lynch Road was closed to traffic at the entrance of Monson Road.

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The legal battles pit public outrage over sex crimes against cherished guarantees of individual freedom and the far-reaching communication changes brought by Facebook, LinkedIn and dozens of other sites.

Photo by Jonathan Thorne / Flickr

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Registered sex offenders who have been banned from social networking websites are fighting back in the nation's courts, successfully challenging many of the restrictions as infringements on free speech and their right to participate in common online discussions.

The legal battles pit public outrage over sex crimes against cherished guarantees of individual freedom and the far-reaching communication changes brought by Facebook, LinkedIn and dozens of other sites.

"It's going to be really, really hard, I think, to write something that will achieve the state's purpose in protecting children online but not be restrictive enough to be unconstitutional," said Carolyn Atwell-Davis, director of legislative affairs at the Virginia-based National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

Courts have long allowed states to place restrictions on convicted sex offenders who have completed their sentences, controlling where many of them live and work and requiring them to register with police. But the increasing use of social networks for everyday communication raises new, untested issues.

The bans generally forbid offenders to join social networks or chat rooms or use instant-messaging programs — just a few of the online tools that civil liberties advocates say have become virtually indispensable to free speech.

After hearing challenges, federal judges in two states threw out laws or parts of laws that they deemed too stringent. In Nebraska, the decision allowed sex offenders to join social networks. And in Louisiana, a new law lets offenders use the Internet for shopping, reading news and exchanging email. A case filed against Indiana's law is under review.

Authorities insist the bans address a real problem: the need to protect children from pedophiles who prowl online hangouts visited by kids.

"It's hard to come up with an example of a sexual predator who doesn't use some form of social networking anymore," said Steve DeBrota, an assistant U.S. attorney in Indianapolis who prosecutes child sex crimes.

Ruthann Robson, a professor of constitutional law at the City University of New York, said the bans could eventually be taken up by the Supreme Court if the justices decide there's a constitutional question.

"If we think that the government can curtail sex offenders' rights without any connection to the actual crime, then it could become a blanket prohibition against anyone who is accused of a crime, no matter what the crime is," Robson said.

Supporters of the bans say they target repeat offenders such as a Maryland man charged with extorting a 16-year-old girl Indiana girl to perform sexual acts during video chats. He was free on bond when he was accused of doing the same thing to more underage girls.

Trevor J. Shea, 21, of Mechanicsville, Md., was sentenced to 33 years in federal prison in January after pleading guilty to seven counts of production of child pornography.

Xavier Von Erck, founder of Perverted Justice Inc., a group devoted to exposing online sexual predators, said it doesn't make sense for judges to let pedophiles troll the Web for more victims but revoke the voting rights of people convicted of lesser crimes. He called that "judicial hypocrisy."

The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana, which is challenging Indiana's 2008 law, argues that it's unconstitutional to bar sex offenders who are no longer in prison or on probation from using basic online services.

"To broadly prohibit such a large group of persons from ever using these modern forms of communication is just something the First Amendment cannot tolerate," said Ken Falk, legal director of Indiana's ACLU chapter.

The case is scheduled for a court hearing Thursday. The main plaintiff, referred to in the suit only as "John Doe," was convicted on two counts of child exploitation in 2000 and released from prison in 2003, according to federal court documents.

The man cannot send questions to televised debates or comment on news stories on local websites because doing so requires a Facebook account, the ACLU contends. Neither can he communicate with his out-of-state family members using the social network or post his business profile on LinkedIn.

The plaintiff is also forbidden to supervise his teenage son's Internet use or investigate questionable friend requests sent to his child, the ACLU claims.

Prosecutors argue that social networking sites aren't the only forms of communication.

"The fact is that telephones still work. People including registered sex offenders may still congregate, discuss, debate and even demonstrate," Indiana Deputy Attorney General David Arthur wrote in a brief.

Television and radio are still widespread and offer numerous call-in shows. Newspapers still accept letters to the editor, he added.

The ACLU says precedent is on its side. The lawsuit cites a February ruling in Louisiana in which U.S. District Judge Brian Jackson found that the state's prohibition was too broad and "unreasonably restricts many ordinary activities that have become important to everyday life."

Louisiana lawmakers passed a new law this month that more narrowly defines what sites are prohibited. News and government sites, email services and online shopping are excluded from the new rules, as are photo-sharing and instant-messaging systems. The measure takes effect Aug. 1.

But courts continue to wrestle with the issue in Indiana and Nebraska, where a federal judge in 2009 blocked part of a law that included a social networking ban. A second legal challenge by an Omaha-area sex offender is set for trial in July.

"I think policymakers are struggling to come up with the right policy that makes sense," Atwell-Davis said. "There's no silver bullet."

60 jobs are available, and though there's hundreds of applicants, young people are urged to get their names on file at CareerPoint.

Submitted photo/fileFILE | CareerPoint youth counselor Alex Morse, now mayor of Holyoke, helps Lina Paola Caicedo with her resume.

HOLYOKE — Applications for 60 paid internships are available for young people between ages 14 and 21 at CareerPoint, 850 High St., until Tuesday.

Hundreds have filed applications since they became available May 22, but young people who have yet to apply still were urged to do so. Sometimes people drop out or additional funding becomes available, and it’s always good for CareerPoint to have young applicants’ names on file in case other opportunities arise, said Gladys Lebron-Martinez, CareerPoint Youth Team coordinator.

CareerPoint is a nonprofit job-placement facility.

The jobs range from clerical to custodial. Jobs will be 20 hours a week at $8 an hour from July 9 to Aug. 31, she said.

“Studies show that early work history and experience legitimately translates into later earnings and vocational aptitude,” CareerPoint Executive Director David C. Gadaire said

“The business community benefits from a solidly run youth employment program which serves to develop the next generation of talent and industrial energy,” he said.

Mayor Alex B. Morse, who was helped by and used to work at CareerPoint, praised the Summer Youth Works Program.

“There’s a definite need for jobs for young people, and once they get a job, it’s among the most important things that can help them find and advance in a career,” Morse said.

Those who get the jobs will be chosen in a lottery system, such as by choosing names from a hat. Applicants will be placed in three age-group categories: 14 to 16, 17 to 18 and 19 to 21, Lebron-Martinez said.

For information call (413) 322-7143.

That $950-million cut came from non-defense federal spending in Massachusetts it would be the equivalent of 9,213 lost jobs, the report said.

Republican File Photo9-9-2010 - Chicopee - - The drainage construction project along the flight line at Westover Air Reserve Base was funded with federal stimulus money.

AMHERST – Defense cuts would hurt Western Massachusetts, but comparable cuts elsewhere in the federal budget would hurt more according to a new study. .

President Barack Obama’s fiscal 2013 budget proposes a $5.2 billion defense-spending cut that does not include the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Massachusetts’ share of that $5.2 billion cut amounts to $950 million, according to a report issued Wednesday by the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. That $950 million is the equivalent of about 8,014 jobs.

But if that $950-million cut came from non-defense federal spending in Massachusetts it would be the equivalent of 9,213 lost jobs, the report said.

“The main reason is that the main reason is the relative labor intensity of the industries. Defense spending is capital intensive with costs for materials and equipment,” said Heidi Garret-Peltier, an assistant research professor at the Political Economy Research Institute.

For example, $1 million in federal money spent on defense in Massachusetts creates an average of 8.43 jobs. Spend $1 million on education and create 18.6 jobs, Garret-Peltier said. Spend that $1 million on clean energy and get 11.2 jobs.

Nothing in the report will stop the region’s federal lawmakers from fighting for ever defense dollar they can get, especially if that money will be spent at Barnes Air National Guard base in Westfield and Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee.

“This report doesn’t take into consideration the amount of money that (U.S. Rep.) John Olver and I have put into Westover and Barnes,” U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, said.

The study also doesn’t take into account the strategic importance of both how local colleges and universities and manufacturers benefit from defense contracting, Neal said.

Neal said no real votes on defense spending will happen until after the elections.

Westover Air Reserve Base has about 6,000 people working there, from pilots to barbers to clerks at the base exchange store, and the base pumped about $238 million into the regional economy in 2011, according to an Air Force Study.

The Air Force has announced that Westover stands to lose half of its fleet of 16 mammoth C-5 cargo jets as part of a plan to cut $259 billion in spending Air Force over the next five years.

The Air National 104th Fighter Wing stationed at Barnes airport has 801 part-time military, 149 full-time military and 273 civilian positions. Barnes could add seven part-time workers increase but lose three full-time jobs if the Air Force reduction plan is implemented.

U.S. Sen. Scott P. Brown, R-Mass., has inserted language protecting Westover and Barnes into the Senate version of the Fiscal 2013 defense spending bill.

U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry, D-Mass., has said that now more than ever, federal investment in defense and non-defense priorities is critical to the Massachusetts economy, according to an email from his spokeswoman, Whitney Smith. Kerry wants Congress to take a measured approach to necessary budget cuts instead of allowing automatic budget cuts called for in a 2011 law kick in.

Bay Path College and Holyoke Community College will offer a joint degree in leadership and organizational studies.

The Republican | Don TreegerBay Path College President Carol Leary and Holyoke Community College president William Messner sign an agreement that will offer an online bachelor's degree.

LONGMEADOW – Bay Path College and Holyoke Community College have come together to offer an online bachelor’s degree program at half the cost of a traditional education at the schools.

Bay Path College president Carol Leary and HCC president William Messner met on the Bay Path campus Wednesday to sign the agreement.

“What’s so special about this partnership besides being a public/private partnership is that this online program will benefit the working mother and women who cannot attend classes on the school grounds,” Leary said.

The schools will combine HCC’s general integrated studies associate's degree with Bay Path’s leadership and organizational studies bachelor’s degree.

“This is an interdisciplinary degree program that includes the study of non-profit organizations as well as private sector businesses; it can specialize in health care, human resources and more,” said Gina Joseph Collins, dean of the school of adult and professional studies at Bay Path. “It’s a very broad degree which looks at how organizations function and the importance of leadership and the impact it has on our economic, political and social system.”

Leary said the online program costs about half of what the traditional education at each school would cost. Students will not only save on tuition costs by starting their four-year degree in a public college, they will also save on textbook costs and will receive credits for prior learning including life and job experience.

“I believe this effort will open up new markets for both institutions,” Messner said. “We already have many students who transfer to Bay Path annually and I think we will see a lot more due to this program.”

Messner said for the last decade HCC has tried to promote its online program. Currently over 1,000 students are taking online courses. He said that while HCC is a co-ed school, it was natural to form a partnership with Bay Path because two-thirds of the community college’s students are women.

“Its an interesting dynamic that has been going on in higher education in the past 10 to 20 years. Many of our best students are female,” he said.

Leary said students in the program will have access to academic coaches and many educational programs beyond their online course work.

“We believe in the education of the entire woman. Our students will have educator coaches online who will work with students to help them reach their career dreams,” she said. “ We believe if you give a woman education, the economic development in the region in which she lives improves, her children are more likely to graduate from high school and go on to college and there will be many more benefits beyond a sheet of paper she will receive at graduation.”

Mary Elizabeth Heffernan said she will work across the state government's secretariates to locate small pots of money to fund further efforts in tornado recovery.

Photo by Michael S. Gordon / The Repuboican Mary Elizabeth Heffernan, secretary of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Safety and Security, left, listens during a meeting of concerned officials and agencies about the continuing efforts to heal the wounds of the areas of West Springfield affected by the June 1 tornado. Gareth D. Flanary, center, is president of the board of Raising Hope Together and the minister of the West Springfield Church of Christ. At right is Emil Farjo, Raising Hope Together board vice president.

WEST SPRINGFIELD – Massachusetts' Public Safety and Security Secretary Mary Elizabeth Heffernan said she will do her best to raise some money to help out local groups like the city’s long-term tornado recovery group Raising Hope Together.

She promised to look through the various state secretariats to locate “little pots of money” for such work after spending more than an hour Wednesday visiting the Raising Hope Together office. Heffernan had been invited there by the recovery group to hear about local recovery efforts by it and other organizations.

“A group like this, a little pot of money could go a long way,” Heffernan said of Raising Hope Together.

The state official said the governor is interested in seeing as much help as possible get to the area to help it get back on its feet.

“I have been amazed at how things have been provided for us,” Gareth D. Flanary, president of the board of Raising Hope Together, said of private and public support. “We want to build on the theme of resilience in the community.”

However, there are lingering needs for such things as fencing, removing debris and stumps, siding for homes not covered by insurance and help for survivors continuing to deal with the emotional fallout of the tragedy, local officials said.

Sarah W. Gaer, MassSupport Team leader with the Behavioral Health Network Inc., said her workers still travel the route of the tornado offering help to all the communities along the way that still need help like Monson and Brimfield as well as West Springfield.

“We are seeing a severe increase in anxiety levels,” Gaer said of survivors reacting to the upcoming one-year anniversary of the June 1 tornado as well as weather Tuesday that generated a tornado watch in Western Massachusetts.

Some children are still afraid to play outside and people have become concerned hearing about weather reports alerting people to Tuesday’s tornado watch, according to Gaer.

Concerns were also raised by Emil Farjo, program assistant and technology instructor with Refugee and Immigration Services of Lutheran Social Services in the city’s Merrick section. Refugees and new Americans face special problems related to the tornado, Farajo said.

The Merrick section of the city, where Raising Hope Together has its office and where most of the city’s tornado damage was concentrated, is home to many refugees and new Americans. Merrick was the site of two of the three Western Massachusetts fatalities resulting from the twister. Locally, Angelica Guerrero and Sergey Livchin lost their lives.

Farjo said helping those survivors is more challenging that one would expect because some have limited ability in English. They need to be communicated with in as many as six different languages such as Somali, Nepali, Arabic, Turkish, Russian and Swahili.

He also said some of the refugees are already dealing with past trauma from having spent time in war zones and having lived in camps with high levels of violence.

The work of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, whose office in Agawam was among the first responders to the tragedy, came in for praise from Heffernan as well as a local minister.

“The way they responded was wonderful,” the Rev. Robert P. Smith, pastor of First Baptist Church, said.

Davio was struck by a car at around 7 p.m. Friday on Brickyard Road. He was not wearing a helmet.

SOUTHAMPTON - A 12-year-old boy who was critically injured when struck by a car on Friday remains hospitalized but his condition has improved, according to hospital officials.

Max Davio was listed in good condition Wednesday night, according to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.

Davio was struck by a car at around 7 p.m. on Brickyard Road, according to Southampton police.

The boy was not wearing a helmet, which is required by law for anyone under age 16, police said.

The driver of the car, Joann Duggan, 39, of Southampton, has not been charged in the accident, police said.

The accident remains under investigation by Southampton police and troopers from the state police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section.

The Daily Hampshire Gazette of Northampton is reporting that staff and students at the William E. Norris Elementary School in Southampton have rallied together following Davio’s injuries.

School Principal William Collins said students learned of the accident when they returned to school on Tuesday. “The community has rallied and is saying, ’how can we help this child and his family? How can we respond positively and productively?“ he told the newspaper.

An assembly was held for students in the 5th and 6th grades, and counselors were available.

Also a teacher brought in a “wish tree” and invited students to write their wishes for Davio on a slip of paper and tie it to the tree. The plan is to present the tree to Davio’s family so they can plant it and know the school is thinking of him, Collins said.

Rep. Joseph Wagner said it is clear that there is very strong interest for casinos in each of 3 regions created for possible casinos in state gaming law.

BOSTON — A key state legislator on Wednesday criticized the chairman of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission for suggesting the state might approve less than three casino resorts if updated financial analyses indicate the market would be too diluted with three.

Joseph Wagner

Rep. Joseph F. Wagner, a Chicopee Democrat and co-author of the state's expanded gaming law, said companies are planning casino resorts in different regions of the state, showing they believe the market in Massachusetts can support three resorts. In a press release, Wagner said the private sector will determine the market for casinos in Massachusetts, not the gaming commission. The commission's job is to secure the best agreements with casinos to benefit taxpayers and citizens, Wagner said.

"Why would we be having a discussion about the idea there might be less than three casinos?" asked Wagner, who is a close ally of House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo. "It's pretty clear there is a very strong interest for casinos in each of the three regions established under the expanded gaming law."

In Western Massachusetts, Ameristar Casinos of Las Vegas is planning a resort for Springfield and the Mohegan Sun is proposing a casino for Palmer. The Wampanoag Tribe in Mashpee is planning a casino for Taunton in the southeast part of the state and the Suffolk Downs race track in Boston is teamed up with a casino company for a possible resort.

Stephen Crosby

Wagner reacted to remarks by Stephen P. Crosby, chairman of the gaming commission, who told reporters on Tuesday that the commission might not license all three of the casino resorts and the single slot parlor authorized in the state's gaming law. Crosby said the law gives the commission the power to determine how many casinos will be licensed.

"We are going to try to base it on real data," Crosby said of the commission's decision on the number of casinos. "The legislation came up with three plus one based on a series of economic analyses of what the market could bear. If that still holds, that's what we will do. But it is part of our job to double check that."

Crosby could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.

The state's gaming law says the commission could approve "up to" three casino resorts in three different regions including one for anywhere in the four counties of Western Massachusetts, Crosby said.

Wagner said the language accounted for the possibility that a company might not propose a casino for a region.

"How could we mandate issuance of a license if we had no one interested in a license?" Wagner said.

Crosby said the commission will take a fresh look at economic analyses that have suggested the market in Massachusetts could support as many as three casino resorts.

Stanley Rosenberg

Wagner said he is concerned that updating previous studies could cause a delay in licensing casinos and could create a perception that the approval process is slowing down.

Sen. Stanley C. Rosenberg, an Amherst Democrat and the Senate point man on casinos, said it is appropriate to update market studies on casinos, including one done for the Senate.

If legislators meant to approve three casinos under any and all circumstances, then they would have stated that three casinos must be approved, Rosenberg said. The commission needs the flexibility provided in the law, he said.

Updated market studies could be important, he said. If a casino operator proposes $1 billion casino, for example, then the commission needs to know if the market could support that, considering the law requires a minimum $500 million capital investment in a casino resort, Rosenberg said.

Rosenberg said it would take only a few weeks to make the studies current. "These consultants are up to date every day in changes in the market and changes in the industry," he said.

Caputo, who had been unemployed, said he played his children's birthdays to come up with the winning combination of 2-4-19-23-24 and Lucky Ball 11.

Photo courtesy of the Massachusetts LotteryAnthony Caputo receives a ceremonial check at the Massachusetts Lottery’s Braintree headquarters from Executive Director Paul Sternburg

BRAINTREE - The Massachusetts Lottery announced Wednesday night that Anthony Caputo of Chicopee is the latest winner in the "Lucky for Life" game and will receive $1,000 per day for the rest of his life.

Caputo, 49, redeemed his winning ticket at the Lottery's Braintree offices after the winning number was announced on Monday, according to a Lottery release.

Caputo said he played his children's birthdays to come up with the winning combination of 2-4-19-23-24 and Lucky Ball 11.

Winning the prize entitles him to $1,000 per day for the rest of his life, or for a guaranteed minimum of 20 years.

Mathematically, that works out to $1,000 per day times 365 days times 20 years (plus another $1000 for leap years or an additional $5,000) for a minimum amount of $7.3 million. Each decade thereafter adds another $3.65 million.

Caputo, who told Lottery officials he is unemployed after having been laid off, said he plans to go into early retirement and live on the winnings.

He purchased his ticket at New Crown Variety, 1875 Memorial Drive, in Chicopee. For selling the winning ticket, store owner Dinesh Patel will receive $50,000, which is the highest commission amount paid out to retailers.

Lucky for Life tickets are $2 each and may be purchased in any of the six New England states. The game, launched on March 11, has so far produced 4 grand prize winners.

For more information about the game, go to www.masslottery.com or www.NELuckyForLife.com.

“It was nice to be able to have something good come out of all the tough situations people in town had suffered during the tornado, and I thought little Toto’s story mirrored what a lot of people in town had gone through," author Jonathan Hall said.

The Republican/John SuchockiToto the tornado kitten poses with his book.

BRIMFIELD – The region’s tiniest tornado survivor is also the star of a new children’s book.

"Toto the Tornado Kitten" was found a day after the June 1 tornado, clinging to a tree branch. Rescued by a tree worker, Toto weighed 6 ounces and was no more than 3 weeks old, so small he had to be bottle-fed.

“It was the day after the tornado and I was working at the Brimfield Fire Station and this tree worker brought in this little kitten wrapped in a tiny bandanna,” Jonathan D. Hall, author of “Toto the Tornado Kitten,” said in a recent interview at his Brimfield home while Toto scampered about with his feline pal, Scooter.

Amid all the tornado devastation – homes were blown off foundations, people were trapped, a woman was killed at Village Green Campground – there was the little kitten, an unlikely survivor.

“He came in around 2 in the afternoon. He was so small and cold . . . He was really like a bright light,” Hall said.

Hall said the kitten, yet unnamed, gave everyone – the police, firefighters and emergency workers – hope.

“I couldn’t believe he was alive. He was so little. My first instinct was I wanted to keep him,” Hall said.

Because he was so young and had to be fed every two hours, he was turned over to the Animal Rescue League of Boston, which was in town to help with larger animals that were trapped or injured by the twister. Toto’s nose also was hurt.

“I thought it would be the last we’d ever see of him,” Hall said.

Hall, a paramedic for Brimfield Ambulance, and his wife, state trooper Amy Waterman, were home when the tornado struck. Their house was spared and they quickly made their way to the fire station to help with rescue efforts.

No one knows where Toto came from. He was found off Route 19.

A few months later, Hall got the idea for the children’s book based on Toto’s story.

“It was nice to be able to have something good come out of all the tough situations people in town had suffered during the tornado, and I thought little Toto’s story mirrored what a lot of people in town had gone through – losing a home and that feeling of being safe – but also finding out that there were people out there willing to provide help,” Hall said.

The story shows “that with a little help from your friends, you can end up back on your feet – or paws,” Hall added.

It was Hall’s wife who convinced the rescue league to let them have Toto back. The gray-and-white kitten had been featured in news coverage of the tornado.

“There were tons of people who wanted to adopt him, but my wife made the argument ‘This is where he belongs,’” Hall said.

So Toto – named after the dog in another famous tornado story, “The Wizard of Oz” – landed back in Brimfield in August, as a 10th anniversary present from Waterman to Hall.

“Somebody nicknamed him at the fire station and it stuck,” Hall said.

Hall went to work on the book, drawing on what happened in the tornado, Toto’s recovery and his eventual return to Brimfield. It features him being treated by his Palmer Animal Hospital veterinarian, Dr. Michelle Haroules, and snuggling at home. The book was illustrated by Vermont artist Carol Ruzicka.

“Now I have a forever home where I am very happy,” the book states.

Photo by John Suchocki / The RepublicanChicopee EMT Jonathan Hall poses with the cat he named Toto along with a copy of the children's book he wrote after this cat in a tree after the June tornado.

The story is a positive one, and Hall is donating all the proceeds to the Animal Rescue League in Boston. The book debuted in April and has already raised $13,000.

The project was funded by Country Bank. Books are $10.

Deborah A. Gagnon, Country Bank’s corporate outreach officer, said Paul Scully, the bank’s president and chief executive officer, felt strongly that Hall’s project could help the children in the area as well as the Animal Rescue League.

“We are having a great time with this,” said Gagnon, adding they have donated books to area senior centers, schools and libraries.

Hall said Toto fits right in with the couple’s other cats, and he described him as loving.

“He loves being petted, and going for car rides,” Hall said.

Toto already had a guest appearance and book signing at Six Flags New England in Agawam, where Hall works as a paramedic. He’s also appeared at local libraries, the Old Navy store in Sturbridge, and at senior centers.

Toto has several more appearances and book signings coming up: Sturbridge Senior Center on June 7 at 6:30 p.m. for all ages reading, and Brimfield town common on June 16 at 10 a.m. for the Brimfield Parent Teachers Association school fair.

Every book is stamped with Toto’s paw print. Toto even has his own Facebook page. “I don’t have a Facebook page, but my cat does,” Hall said – and a website, www.totothetornadokitten.com.

Books can be purchased through the website.

The books are also available at Sturbridge Coffee House on Route 20.

Sarno said the new condom policy is “a preventative means” to prevent sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy and to give students “educational opportunities for the future.”

Photos by Don Treeger / The RepublicanHelen Caulton-Harris, top, Springfield's director of health and human services, speaks to parents at a forum held by the Springfield School Department Wednesday to discuss the implementation of the schools' new condom policy. The event was held at the Basketball Hall of Fame.

SPRINGFIELD - Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said he favors a new School Committee policy which will give students ages 12 and older access to condoms “for economic reasons.”

“It’s either pay me now or pay me later,” Sarno said at a community forum held Wednesday to discuss implementation of the new condom policy.

The mayor said teen pregnancy is followed by “health care, housing and welfare.”

Wednesday’s forum which was held at the Mass Mutual Gallery Room at the Basketball Hall of Fame was sparsely attended by parents. Box lunches were provided to all those who attended the forum. Azell Cavaan, spokesman for the School Department, said she was unsure who paid for the box lunches.

Sarno said the new condom policy is “a preventative means” to prevent sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy and to give students “educational opportunities for the future.”

The School Committee, by a 4-3 vote, approved a policy in April providing students ages 12 and older with access to condoms as a way to reduce teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

Domenic J. Sarno

Helen Caulton-Harris, director of the Division of Health and Human Services for the city of Springfield, said Wednesday’s forum was held to get the input of community members into implementation of the new policy.

“We are here to get your input and to hear your voice as parents and community members,” Caulton-Harris said.

Jeanne Clancy, lead nurse for the Springfield public schools, said Holyoke, which distributes condoms in its schools, experienced a 47 percent decrease in its sexually transmitted infection rate among males, ages 15 to 19 years old, while Springfield experienced a 23 percent increase.

Dr. Sarah Perez McAdoo, executive director of the Youth Empowerment Adolescent Health Network, said the chlamydia rate in Springfield among Springfield teens ages 15 through 19 is three times greater than the state rate. She said the gonorrhea rate is four times the state rate for Springfield teens ages 15 to 19.

Springfield resident John Stevens, a parent of four children, said parents are “radically uninvolved” in the Springfield public schools.

Stevens said he wants to see a parental opt out provision for parents who oppose the policy to be recorded in writing.

He suggested that there be a future public forum if any changes to the opt out portion of the policy are considered.

Stevens said he is concerned that the policy will encourage students to be more sexually active and to take greater health risks.

The new School Committee policy was approved in April by Sarno, Vice President Christopher Collins and committee members Denise Hurst and Barbara Gresham.

Committee members Antonette Pepe, Norman Roldan and Peter Murphy voted against the policy.

McAdoo said studies have shown that the most effective policies are those in which condoms are provided for free and kept in visible baskets or bowls. A full stock should be maintained in the nurse’s office to encourage students to use them, she said.

Councilors had too many questions and tabled the proposed Lynch School lease.

Staff photo by Michael S. GordonThe former Lynch School at Northampton and Dwight streets.

HOLYOKE – Councilors criticized a proposed $250,000, one-year lease of the former Lynch School for providing too little money while leaving the city with utility, snow-removal and maintenance costs.

“I just don’t think we’re getting enough money. I don’t think it’s a good lease,” Councilor at Large James M. Leahy said, during Wednesday’s Finance Committee meeting.

Mayor Alex B. Morse has proposed leasing the school at Northampton and Dwight streets to the new Paulo Freire Social Justice Charter School.

Council authorization is needed for disposal of municipal property. The committee voted to table the proposed lease.

Lynch was last used as a middle school in 2008.

The lease would be for only one year. The new school’s charter with the state requires its permanent location be downtown and city officials still hope to capitalize on Lynch’s proximity to Intersate 91 and Route 5 by marketing it for redevelopment.

Robert Brick, the charter school’s executive director, said the state approved the school Feb. 28. That left little time, so he and other officials sought the one-year lease at Lynch because a downtown option fell through, he said.

As for the lease, he said, $250,000 is what the school can afford.

The school, a high school, is committed to providing quality learning for its 145 families, said Brick, who answered councilors’ questions with school board member Keith Purcel.

“We really want to deliver for these kids and their families,” Brick said.

With virtually no interest shown in Lynch by developers in the past few years, Morse’s plan with the lease was at least to get some revenue for a year for a building now drawing none.

But councilors did everything short of holding up the eight-page lease and physically tearing it to pieces.

Leahy said $250,000 is too little to charge for such a prime location. He also questioned why the lease lacked strong language requiring that the school vacate when the lease expired. City Solicitor Elizabeth Rodriguez-Ross told councilors she would insert such language.

Ward 5 Councilor Linda L. Vacon said the $250,000 essentially would be consumed by the city having to bring Lynch up to building codes and pay for utilities and snow removal.

Also, she said, the lease delays for another year the city’s attempt to market Lynch and convert the city-owned property into a tax-revenue generator.

“It would be very difficult for me to be convinced that this is good for the city,” Vacon said.

Rodriguez-Ross said Lynch has been vacant since 2008 and the charter school at least provided a tenant willing to provide some revenue.

“We haven’t been able to sell it,” Rodriguez-Ross said.

Brick said the school would be a positive for the economy.

“We’re going to be bringing other people into the community who are going to be spending their money here,” Brick said.

But councilors said the lease was a bad deal for the city.

“This is a good lease for you guys,” Councilor at Large Daniel B. Bresnahan told Brick and Purcel.

The School Committee's next meeting is June 14, where it will discuss three electives being proposed for the next school year at the high school - sports biology, astronomy and engineering.

Thomas A. Charko

PALMER - The School Committee is expected to vote next month on a $17.9 million School Department budget, representing a .1 percent increase over this year's appropriation.

The committee held a public hearing on May 24 on the budget, which features no layoffs for fiscal 2013. No one from the public spoke about the budget.

The only new position being proposed is a $56,000 full-time librarian/media specialist position.

Due to budget cuts, a librarian/media specialist has been splitting her time between Converse Middle School and Old Mill Pond Elementary School. At one time, all three schools had their own librarian/media specialist until budget cuts forced one to be eliminated.

Superintendent Thomas A. Charko said on Tuesday that if additional funding becomes available, he first would add two additional teachers - one for fifth grade and one for sixth grade - at Converse Middle School, where the teachers' association filed a grievance late last year over large class sizes.

Under contract, the maximum number of students per class is supposed to be 27, he said, adding that some classes have 28. This is expected to be an issue again next year, as first, third and fourth grade classes at Old Mill Pond School also are at the maximum number of students.

Charko said it costs approximately $58,000 per teacher. If even more money became available, he also would add one teacher each to the first and fourth grades to reduce class sizes.

Charko said he has asked that the Town Council appropriate some of the insurance savings recently realized by a switch to the Fallon Community Health Plan to the School Department.

He also is hoping to generate more revenue from the pre-kindergarten "role models" program by waiving the $50 application fee, and reducing the daily fee from $18 to $15.

Enrollment has been dwindling, and he hopes the lesser cost makes the program more attractive to parents. Having the higher fees makes the program as expensive as one offered by a private school, he said. Charko explained that the role models program is for regular education students who attend the pre-kindergarten program with special needs students, who attend for free.

Two of the town's three schools - the high school and Old Mill Pond - will use natural gas next year to save money. Converse will continue to use oil because the school does not have the capability to use gas, he said.

School Committee Vice Chairman James L. St. Amand said it's not the best budget for education, but said it's excellent in terms of the finances that are available.

"Less than 1 percent with no layoffs, it isn't bad, but it isn't the soundest educational budget," St. Amand said.

St. Amand said School Committee Chairwoman Maureen R. Gallagher said they haven't given up on someday restoring a French teacher at the high school, where only Spanish is offered for a foreign language now.

"Offering one language doesn't seem to be enough," Gallagher said.

Charko said he would look into restoring the French teacher if he is able to first add the four teaching positions at the middle and elementary schools.

Gallagher later said that she thinks the absence of layoffs is a "feather in our cap."

She noted that she has concerns about a proposal for three new electives next year at the high school - sports biology, astronomy and engineering. The committee is slated to vote on them at the June 14 meeting. Gallagher questioned if enough money is in the high school's book budget for these electives, as only $6,200 has been allocated.

"I hope we're not assigning kids to classes without the School Committee voting on this . . . How are we affording this in general?" Gallagher asked.

The homes to be auctioned off are at 128 Lafayette St. and 69 Felix St.

This house at 69 Felix St. will be auctioned June 7. Because it is in poor condition, the buyer will be required to demolish it.

CHICOPEE – The city plans auction two homes in the Aldenville section that officials took for possession because of unpaid taxes and fees that date back to 2008.

One home on 128 Lafayette St., which has four rooms, is in good condition but needs new roof. The second on 69 Felix St. has serious structural problems and the city will require it to be razed as a condition of sale, Treasurer Ernest N. Laflamme said.

The auction is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., June 7 in the City Council Chambers on the fourth floor of City Hall.

“We hope to re-develop one and put the properties back on the tax roles,” he said.

The home at 69 Felix St. has been vacant for some time. It was built on a slab and wooded supports have deteriorated, Laflamme said.

“It should not be remodeled. It has serious structural problems,” he said.

The former owners have not paid taxes since 2008 and also owe sewer, water and legal fees totaling $18,200.

Laflamme said he plans to open bidding for the .23 acre lot on Felix Street at $30,000. The land is assessed at $65,100 and he figured it will take an estimated $30,000 to remove the building, detached garage and large tree on the land.

Often people assume the city only has to sell the property for the cost of the back taxes, but Laflamme said he is required by law to get the best price possible on land.

This house at 128 Lafayette St. will be auctioned off on June 7.

The home on 128 Lafayette St. is assessed at $130,000. It is built on a 1.66 acre, the home measures 768 square feet, has two bedrooms and a one-car attached garage.

The city has been fighting with owners over legal issues and back taxes for years but during most of the time the home has been occupied and maintained. It has been empty for the past about 18 months but a neighbor has been mowing the lawn and otherwise caring for the property, Laflamme said.

The last time taxes were paid was 2008 and about $22,000 is owed in back taxes and fees, he said.

The home does need a new roof and cosmetic improvements but is overall in good condition so Laflamme said he plans to start the bidding at $100,000.

People who want to purchase either property must have a $5,000 deposit, in cash or a bank check the night of the auction. More information about the two homes is in the Chicopee Public Library on Front Street. People can also call the treasurer’s office if they have questions.

That project and the TommyCar deal leave the former Honda site closer to downtown as the last major undeveloped parcel on King Street

File photo by Dave Roback / The RepublicanThe former Hill & Dale mall is seen on King Street in Northampton last year.

NORTHAMPTON – With the former Kollmorgen site on King Street spoken for, city planners, developers and real estate brokers are hopeful that the stretch of King from downtown to Damon Road will finally reach its potential.

TommyCar Auto Group of West Springfield bought the 5-acre parcel on the corner of King Street and Damon Road for $1.8 million last Friday. The company, which also owns Northampton Volkswagen on Damon Road, plans to move that enterprise across the street and expand it.

That move would be the latest in a game of real estate checkers that has a pot of new jobs at stake. The city originally places its hopes on Village Hill, where an extensive commercial and industrial site was created out of the former Northampton State Hospital campus. Instead of a mix of new businesses, Kollmorgen claimed nearly all that land, moving its King Street headquarters there last year.

That left the abandoned King Street parcel, which is assessed at $3 million, ripe for development. When Northampton Volkswagen moves across the street, its current Damon Road site will represent the potential for new development and job creation. Cosenzi Automotive Realty, which owns Northampton Volkswagen and several other car dealerships under the aegis of TommyCar Auto Group, has not yet determined what it will do with the Damon Road property.

However, Carli Cosenzi, who runs TommyCar Auto Group with her brother, Thomas M. Cosenzi, said the company plans to double the number of service bays and create a state-of-the-art dealership on the Kollmorgen lot.

“It is important to us that when someone comes into the dealership they feel comfortable,” Cosenzi said in a press release. “That is on the top of our minds during the re-construction process.”

TommyCare Auto Group paid less than half the $4 million asking price for the property. Patrick M. Goggins of Goggins Realty, who represented Kollmorgen in the transaction, attributed the selling price to the cost of tearing down and removing the Kollmorgen building, which contains asbestos and other hazardous materials. Beltrandi & Company Realtors represented TommyCar, which also operates Country Nissan in Hadley, Country Hundai in Greenfield and Patriot Buick GMC in Charlton.

With the Kollmorgen piece off the board, some feel the fate of King Street could play out soon. In addition to the slow economy, Goggins believes the zoning on King Street has inhibited commercial development. The city recently changed that zoning in the hope of making King Street more attractive to new business.

One player keeping a watchful eye on the Kollmorgen deal is The Colvest Group, which purchased the former Hill & Dale Mall property next door and is in the process of developing it. The site had lain dormant for years. Company President Frank Colaccino said he’s glad the Kollmorgen site will no longer be vacant but expressed some concern about King Street becoming an automobile dealership row.

“Retail is slowly diminishing,” he said.

The Colvest site is the exception to that. They have already expanding the Firestone Tire franchise on the property and poured the foundation for a Greenfield Savings Bank branch. In addition, the company has gutted the dilapidated building on the lot, built an attractive façade and is putting on a new roof. Colaccino said he is negotiating with potential commercial tenants. The new development will be called Northampton Crossing.

That project and the TommyCar deal leave the former Honda site closer to downtown as the last major undeveloped parcel on King Street. Goggins believes it is a good location for new retail. Northampton Planning Director Wayne Feiden said the city would prefer that to another dealership.

“Dealerships are close to maxed out (on King Street),” he said, although he added that they are desirable because they bring in money to the community and don’t compete with downtown stores.