It is the first time in more than 30 years that Feyre hasn't held a municipal post.

File photo by David Molnar / The RepublicanRaymond H. Feyre, shown in February photo at Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade Committee event.

HOLYOKE – For the first time in more than three decades, Raymond H. Feyre no longer holds a municipal position.

Mayor Alex B. Morse said Monday he didn’t reappoint Feyre, a former 26-year city councilor, to the Gas and Electric Commission seat Feyre held since 2008.

Morse thanked Feyre, who said the ejection “bewildered” him, but Morse said he campaigned on a vow to provide new and creative ideas.

Feyre’s replacement is James A. Sutter, owner of owner of Sutter’s Jewelry, 1548 Northampton St., and a supporter of Morse’s mayoral campaign last year.

“I’ve been replaced by my jeweler,” Feyre said.

“It’s kind of surprising and it kind of caught me off guard because I thought I was doing everything right by staying out of the political endorsements (in last year’s mayoral race). But such is politics, such is life on the board,” Feyre said.

Feyre said he had heard he wasn’t being reappointed last week but officially was notified by a letter from Morse he received Saturday.

“I thank Ray for his many years of dedicated service to the HG and E Commission and to the city of Holyoke – he has been a tremendous asset and I look forward to working with him in another capacity,” Morse said.

“Throughout my campaign, I promised the voters transparency, along with new and creative ideas. That can only happen when we allow new and engaged citizens to get involved in municipal government. Change isn’t easy, and it doesn’t just happen at the top – it must occur on all levels,” he said.

One of the duties of the commission is to hire the manager, but Morse’s comments suggest that despite replacing Feyre, the 13-year tenure of Manager James M. Lavelle is safe.

“James Lavelle is a strong and visionary leader and I look forward to working alongside him for many years to come. Holyoke is lucky to have him,” Morse said.

Sutter was apppointed to a six-year term. He said his interest in the commission lies in it being perhaps the most innovative and interesting part of the city as the Holyoke Gas and Electric Department owns the hydroelectric dam here. That gives the city its own “green,” or environmentally friendly, source of power, he said.

“The G and E is probably the coolest thing in Holyoke, specifically the thing that sets Holyoke apart from almost any of the other aging, gilded, rust-belt cities.

“We’ve got this fantastic asset, green power...,” said Sutter, but he said it should be better marketed.

Each of the three commissioners is paid $4,000 a year. Sutter joins a board that has Francis J. Hoey as chairman and member Robert H. Griffin.

The commission establishes gas and electric rates that customers pay, among other duties.

Opponents said voters need a more accurate understanding of the provisions of a proposed ballot question on medical marijuana.

BOSTON - A judge on the state's highest court on Monday voiced some skepticism about a proposed ballot question to legalize medical marijuana, indicating he might be open to some changes suggested by opponents.

During a hearing on Monday, the judge heard arguments in a lawsuit filed by opponents against Attorney General Martha M. Coakley and Secretary of State William F. Galvin. The lawsuit asks the court to approve amendments to the summary of the question, which was prepared by Coakley, as well as to the title of the ballot question and a one-sentence statement on the ballot describing the effect of a yes vote, both prepared jointly by Coakley and Galvin.

Robert Cordy

Opponents said that if their amendments are approved, then voters will receive a more accurate understanding of the provisions of the proposed ballot question.

Robert J. Cordy, an associate justice on the state Supreme Judicial Court, challenged the propriety of the current title, which is "medical use of marijuana" on the Nov. 6 ballot.

"If it was entitled, 'Medical use of cigarettes,' would you have a problem with that?" Cordy asked Assistant Attorney General Peter Sacks. "What's your evidence there is a medical use of marijuana?"

Plaintiffs, led by Heidi Heilman, chair of the Massachusetts Prevention Alliance, said the title is misleading because it indicates clinical supervision and monitored intake of patients, which is not required in the proposed ballot question.

Heidi Heilman

Plaintiffs also contend that the title obscures the question's intent to create a system of up to 35 nonprofit dispensaries to provide marijuana for medical purposes.

Plaintiffs are asking the title to be, "Marijuana Dispensaries, Cultivation and Public Possession for Medical Conditions."

Sacks said the current title complies with state law by correctly identifying the main subject matter of the proposed ballot question in a fair, neutral and concise way.

Sacks said the statement on a yes vote is presented with the summary, which is the main source of neutral information about the law. He said it is impossible to describe the law's numerous features in a single sentence.

Sacks said the current summary clearly and accurately explains the proposed law and that excessive detail could confuse voters.

The proposed medical-marijuana law would allow a physician to prescribe a 60-day supply of marijuana to a patient with a "debilitating medical condition," such as cancer, AIDS, Parkinson's disease or a broad, more open-ended category that includes "other conditions."

The law would permit up to 35 nonprofit dispensaries or treatment centers around the state, including at least one in each county. The law would take effect on Jan. 1 if approved by a majority of voters.

Sixteen other states have laws permitting the use of the plant for medical purposes. The question would be among four on the state's ballot in November.

John S. Scheft, a Cambridge-based lawyer for the plaintiffs, said he was encouraged by the hearing and Cordy's questioning of Sacks.

"The fact that somebody says, 'marijuana is medicine'- is misleading to the public," Scheft said. "The public assumes that is correct."

Scheft is asking to change the statement on the ballot that describes the effect of a yes vote on the question so that it reflects the intent to create 35 distribution centers and allow patients up to a 60-day supply.

Scheft also said the summary of the proposed question fails to mention the question's open-ended definition of medical conditions to qualify for marijuana and the authority of the state to increase the number of dispensaries beyond the 35 allowed in the first year.

"The public assumes that marijuana is going to be given to really deserving patients through the existing health care system," he said. "This law is not going to do that. This law is going to create a system of pot shops throughout the commonwealth where .. any patient with an undiagnosed condition is going to be able to get pot for the rest of their life."

Scheft said he believed that Cordy on his own could change the title of the ballot question and the statement about what a yes vote would achieve.

He said any possible changes to the summary of the proposed law would need approval of the full state Supreme Judicial Court.

Cordy took the case under advisement.

Of the $4 million, $3 million is earmarked for cleanup of public places in the communities of Agawam, Brimfield, Charlton, Monson, Southbridge, Springfield, Sturbridge, West Springfield, Wilbraham and Westfield.

Photo by Michael S. Gordon / The RepublicanMassachusetts Gov. Deval L. Patrick speaks during a ceremony Friday at the West Springfield Boys & Girls Club to mark the one year anniversary of the day and the hour that a tornado ripped through the area last June. Seated at left is West Springfield Mayor Gregory Neffinger. Seat at right is Rev. Robert Smith, a Massachusetts Fire Chaplain and board member of Raising Hope Together, a long term tornado recovery group. Standing from left are Conni Lind, Jessie Rivers, Ethel Lee, Peter Annone and Emil Farjo, Raising Hope Together vice president.

SPRINGFIELD – Ten communities may be eligible to share in $3 million to remove tornado debris from parks and public places.

Gov. Deval L. Patrick Friday announced $4 million in tornado relief funding. Patrick was in the region for events to commemorate the June 1, 2011, tornadoes that did more than $200 million in damage to Western Massachusetts.

Of the $4 million, $3 million is earmarked for cleanup of public places in the communities of Agawam, Brimfield, Charlton, Monson, Southbridge, Springfield, Sturbridge, West Springfield, Wilbraham and Westfield.

Monson Selectman Edward S. Harrison welcomed the funding, and said he is curious to see how the money will be divided up between the communities.

In addition, $800,000 would go for planting as many as 1,600 trees in parks and along streets in the affected cities and towns.

State Sen. James T. Welch, D-West Springfield said in a prepared statement, “When I drive down the streets in the areas hit hardest by the tornado, one of the things I notice is the lack of trees. Municipality budgets don’t have the additional resources for this effort but it is an important one. These aren’t just homes and community centers that need to be rebuilt, it’s also the vibrancy of the neighborhood and the landscape goes a long way to contribute to that.”

The funding also features $50,000 for fire safety assistance grants to the 10 communities, as well as surrounding communities that provide mutual aid for firefighting.

Included in the funding is $154,000 for clean up efforts at Brimfield State Forest.

Brimfield Fire Chief Frederick Piechota Jr. called the funding “good news.”

Piechota said the funding for the Brimfield State Forest will allow the state Department of Conservation and Recreation’s work to continue. He said the state department has been clearing tornado debris to create fire roads within the forest to battle brush fires.

The work began after a brush fire burned 52 acres in Brimfield earlier this year.

A carnival midway with rides will be on the Town Common throughout the event.

Kate Danilodich, right, of West Springfield prepares crepes from Crepes Teahouse at the Chef's Preview of West Side's Taste of the Valley last year.

WEST SPRINGFIELD – A concert by an Aerosmith tribute band, a car show, a road race and delicacies from 14 local eateries top the attractions for this year’s Taste of the Valley set for Thursday through Sunday on the Town Common.

Draw the Line, the only Aerosmith tribute band to be endorsed by former members of the group, will perform Saturday at 8:30 p.m., according to Noreen P. Tassinari, publicity chairwoman for the Rotary Club of West Springfield which is putting on the event with the city. Chicopee Savings Bank will sponsor the Taste.

“We have compiled a fabulous entertainment agenda and will have delicious food from 14 eateries that will be staged in the beautiful setting of the West Springfield Town Common,” Tassinari said.

There will also be a midway with games and rides for children and teens throughout the free event.

The valley eateries that will offer up such tasty fare as mango shrimp and crepes are Angelo’s, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, Carol’s Concessions, Crepes Tea House, Edible Arrangements, Local Burger, Mamma Mia’s Pizzeria, The Runway by B’Shara’s, S’Capades, The Ultimate BBQ, Thai Taste, Villa Napoletana, Millie’s Pierogis and Mama Iguana’s.

Sweet Daddy Cool Breeze will kick off the musical part of the festival at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Disorderly Conduct, Merrick Section and Bon Jersey take the stage Friday.

The musical groups Jimmy Mazz, 94th Army Rock Band and Scrap Iron Sun will offer entertainment Saturday.

Sunday will feature performances by City View, Good Acoustics, and The Susan Angeletti Band. A complete entertainment listing, as well as other information such as race entry material is available on the Taste’s website, www.westsidetaste.com.

The annual Taste of the Valley 5K Road Race will kick off Sunday at 10 a.m. Race participants will run along a 3.1-mile route that starts and ends at the Senior Center on Park Avenue.

The Taste of the Valley’s Saturday Cruise, sponsored by Affordable Auto Glass, will return this year with a display of classic, antique and special interest cars on Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m.

The Taste is made possible by the volunteer efforts of the Rotary Club, the city, the West Springfield Lions Club and many other groups. Hours are Thursday from 4 to 9 p.m.; Friday from 4 to 11 p.m.; Saturday from 1 to 11 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Abrose's death marked the 1st of a Springfield police officer in the line of duty since the slayings of patrolmen Alain Beauregard and Michael Schiavina.

Springfield Police Dept.Kevin Ambrose

SPRINGFIELD – Monday’s killing of veteran patrolman Kevin Ambrose marked the first death of a city police officer in the line of duty since the 1985 slayings of patrolmen Alain Beauregard and Michael Schiavina.

Beauregard, 29, and Schiavina, 28, were gunned down during a traffic stop on Nov. 12, 1985.

Ambrose became the 15th officer in Police Department history to be mourned after losing his life on the job.

Beauregard and Schiavina were shot to death during a traffic stop on Stebbins Street in the Old Hill neighborhood. Eduardo “Eddie” Ortiz, 18, was driving the car, and killed both officers with a .357-caliber Magnum as they approached his car. One day later, while in hiding and surrounded by police, Ortiz killed himself.

The passenger in the car that day, Juan Ortiz, Eduardo Ortiz’s brother, was convicted by a jury of second-degree murder and sentenced to a life term with possible parole after serving 15 years. Juan Ortiz was denied parole in April on his third request — he had previously been denied parole in 2000 and 2005.

Each year, the Police Department remembers its fallen members with a ceremony in front of police headquarters on Pearl Street. A monument there lists 13 police officers killed in the line of duty; a 14th officer, Francis Sears, is included in the annual roll call of fallen officers, having suffered a heart attack during an interrogation in 1967, and pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

On Nov. 12, 2010, during a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the shooting of Schiavina and Beauregard, Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet said the passing of a quarter century had not lessened the feelings of loss nor diminished the depths of the sacrifices of Beauregard, Schiavina and their families.

During the ceremony, Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said Schiavina and Beauregard would always be remembered as “sentinels of peace.”

In Holyoke, Police Officer John A. DeNapoli was shot dead inside his unmarked police cruiser on Dec. 22, 1999. DeNapoli, was 52 and had been a police officer for 22 years when he answered a disturbance call and was shot five times by Eddie O. Morales, who is serving a life sentence after a first-degree murder conviction.

Proceeds from the race will be used to mow the meadow and trails of the 150-acre conservation area.

WILBRAHAM – The second annual Run for Rice’s Road Race will be Saturday at 9 a.m.

Runners and walkers will gather at Christ the King Lutheran Church across from the old Rice farm stand on Main Street.

“Last year we had to alter the course, because it went through the path of the tornado and all the roads weren’t cleared, but this year we’re going back to the originally planned route,” organizer Gary Roberts said.

The race will begin at Christ the King Lutheran Church and go down Tinkham Road, through the neighborhood and back to Main Street,” Roberts said. “It’s a circle.”

He said the race is a 5K, or 3.1 miles.

Those who want to participate are urged to get to the race about an hour early.

“Last year we had 95 participants,” Roberts said.

The entry fee for the race is $15. Those who participate will get free race T-shirts.

Proceeds from the race will be used to mow the meadow and trails of the 150-acre Rice Nature Preserve. Two mowings of the meadow cost about $5,000, Roberts said.

Last year’s tornado largely missed the Rice Nature Preserve, said Roberts, who is co-chairman of the Stewardship Committee. The trails in the preserve which are open for hiking can be accessed off Highmoor Drive.

At the end of the race, awards will be given to the first place male and female and to the first place male and female Wilbraham residents, Roberts said.

The Vatican's highest court has agreed to hear the appeal on the closing of the Mater Dolorosa church.

File photo by David Molnar / The RepublicanThis is one of the last masses held in the Mater Dolorosa Church in Holyoke before it was closed last year.

HOLYOKE – A preliminary ruling by the Vatican’s top court ordered protesters to leave the Mater Dolorosa Church where they have held a 24-hour vigil for nearly a year and banned the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield from demolishing or selling the church.

The Apostolic Signatura also said it will hear an appeal of the decision by the Vatican’s lower court, the Congregation for the Clergy, which upheld Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell’s decision to close the church. It rejected a request to appeal the order to merge the parish with another.

Protesters called the decision a partial victory and are meeting to decide if they should follow the order to end the vigil. The protest began June 30, the day of the last mass before the church was closed and the parish merged into the new Our Lady of the Cross.

“I think it is very positive. The reason we are having the vigil is to keep it as a worship site and this decision is saying ‘keep it as a worship site,’ ” said Peter Stasz, one of the protest organizers.

But Stasz said the decision to end the vigil is difficult, especially since protesters want to present their best case to the Apostolic Signatura and are reluctant to ignore its decisions.

“People are not happy that there is a consideration that they will have to leave the church,” said Victor Anop, one of the vigil organizers.

The group has been meeting since receiving the decree Thursday. It is expected to vote on the future of the vigil within a week, he said.

One of the biggest issues the protesters and the diocese continue to spar over is the safety of the church’s steeple.

Citing two engineering reports, diocesan officials have said it is structurally unsound and must be removed or repaired, neither of which can be done with the building occupied. Protesters hired a separate engineer who determined the steeple is safe and needs few repairs.

Monsignor John J. Bonzagni, chairman of pastoral planning for the diocese, said the diocese has a long-standing policy of not selling churches until all appeals have been exhausted. But, he said it has a legal and moral obligation to ensure no one is hurt.

“That has been our contention all along. This is a public safety issue,” he said.

This is the first time the Signatura has ever told protesters to end a church vigil. Bonzagni said he believes the unique decision was made because of safety concerns.

The diocese would like to remove the steeple and place it in the parking lot. Once the appeal is decided, it could repair and replace it if ordered to keep the church open, he said.

But Bonzagni did not say the steeple would definitely be removed if the vigil ends.

Anop, said he feels the steeple cannot be removed because the decree also says the church cannot be damaged.

There is also a dispute over whether the diocese is required to hold religious services in the church while waiting for a decision. Anop said he believes it has been ordered to return regular worship.

“It is up to the ecclesiastical authority to manage the exercise of divine worship...to determine the days and hours in which it is to be open to the faithful,” Anop said.

But Bonzagni disagreed with the interpretation.

“No masses will be said in the church and nothing says masses will be resumed,” he said.

Decree from the Apostolic Signatura

The new bishop will be ordained on Dec. 1 and replace retiring Rt. Rev. Gordon P. Scruton.

This is an updated version of a story posted at 9:48 this morning.

Douglas J. Fisher

The new bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts said he believes the key to success is to become a servant to the community and answer to its needs.

Rev. Douglas J. Fisher, 57, director of Grace Church in Millbrook, N.Y., was elected Saturday from a field of five nominees to head the Western Massachusetts diocese. He will succeed Rt. Rev. Gordon P. Scruton, who is retiring after 16 years as bishop.

Fisher, who holds a doctorate of ministry from Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, has held a number of jobs in New York, including pastor of Holy Innocents in New York, chaplain to the U.S. Military Academy in West Point and chairman of the Standing Committee for the Diocese of New York.

Western Massachusetts “is a great diocese and it has a lot of blessings and a lot of challenges and I’m looking forward to serving it,” Fisher said.

The diocesian territory stretches from Interstate 495 west and has 65 parishes. Fisher said he liked many elements of the diocese, but the main one was the members’ willingness to take risks.

One of the biggest challenges the churches face is a common one throughout the church: Fewer and fewer people of all denominations attend church and one survey showed church participation has dropped 25 percent in 11 years, he said.

“Churches are financially pressed to pay for the buildings and health care and compensation for clergy,” Fisher said. “You have to look at innovative ways to address the issues.”

But Fisher said he has found one of the best ways is to focus on going outside of the church walls and supporting the needs of the community.

In his current church community, there are many Mexican and Guatemalan immigrants whose needs were not being met, he said. As a result, his church began offering English classes, tax workshops and other programs to members and non-members alike.

“People saw we were making a difference in our community. We were trying to live the Gospel,” he said.

Fisher’s wife, Rev. Elizabeth Fisher, is a priest at a church which had about 30 members in a rural community. Those members all agreed they wanted to run a food pantry because there was none in their community, he said.

Through the effort, the group helps about 200 people a week, but also expanded to add about 70 new members, he said.

The couple has three children, two of whom have graduated from college; Their youngest will be a college sophomore in the fall.

Fisher will move to Western Massachusetts in September and plans to spend three months training with Scruton. He will be officially ordained as the bishop Dec. 1.

Officer Kevin Ambrose, a member of the department for 36 years, died of multiple gunshots after he was shot just before 1 p.m.. in the third-floor hallway of an apartment at 90 Lawton St. Watch video

Courtesy Springfield Police Dept.Springfield Police Officer Kevin Ambrose, who was killed in the line of duty responding to a domestic dispute call on Monday.

This is an update of a story that was posted originally at 2:36 p.m.

SPRINGFIELD — A long-time city police officer was killed in the line of duty Monday afternoon when a call for a domestic dispute turned deadly violent as a 35-year-old New York man opened fire on the officer, shot his estranged girlfriend, and then turned the gun on himself.

Officer Kevin Ambrose, a member of the department for 36 years, died of multiple gunshots after he was shot just before 1 p.m. in the third-floor hallway of an apartment at 90 Lawton St.

The 29-year-old resident of the apartment, Charlene Mitchell, was fighting for her life Monday night at Baystate Medical Center for a single gunshot injury. The suspected shooter, Shawn Bryan of Hempstead, N.Y., died of a self-inflicted gunshot to the chest, police said.

Bryan had been employed as a correctional officer with the New York City
Department of Corrections on Rikers Island. He and Mitchell had been estranged for about 11 months. He was also the father of her 1-year-old daughter, according to court records.

In a somber press briefing Monday night outside Springfield Police Headquarters, Ambrose was lauded as a someone who served the city faithfully for 36 years as a police officer and 38 years overall.

“It is with great regret and remorse that I announce a Springfield police officer was killed this afternoon,” said Police Commissioner William Fitchet.

District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni recalled his experiences with officer Ambrose was an honor and a privilege.

“He served as a hero; his career choice made him a hero. His actions today made him a hero,” he said.

He asked people to keep in their thoughts Ambrose family and friends as they deal with their loss and grief.

He also asked people to hold in their thoughts and prayers Mitchell as she fights for her life.

The briefing was held in front of the memorial to fallen officers.

Ambrose is the first officer to die in the line of duty since officers Michael Schiavina and Alain Beauregard were gunned down during a routine traffic stop on Nov. 12 1985.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno spoke briefly to extend his condolences to Ambrose’s family.

Visibly shaken and subdued, Sarno in a voice that was at times barely audible, lauded the fallen officer as a man “who wore his badge with honor and integrity, and served our city with a tremendous amount of pride and passion.”

He said all of Springfield shares the feelings of loss of “this remarkable officer,” and mourns alongside his family.

His death shows the dangers that police officers face every day, Sarno said.

“Domestic violence, as you can see, is unfortunately a very dangerous call (for responding officers),” he said.

Sarno earlier in the day ordered the flag at City Hall and all city buildings lowered to half staff.

The shooting remains under investigation, but Fitchet provided the press with what he called “statements of facts” in the case.

According to Fitchet, Mitchell called 911 at 12:47 p.m. to report that she had seen her estranged boyfriend, Bryan, near her apartment in violation of a restraining order and she was in fear for her life.

The restraining order had been issued roughly 30 minutes earlier by Springfield District Court.

Fitchet said Ambrose, who was patrolling that sector of Sixteen Acres in a one-man car, was the first officer to arrive on the scene. Other cars were also responding to the scene but had not yet arrived.

When Ambrose arrived on scene, Mitchell and Bryan were outside together. After a brief discussion, Ambrose escorted Mitchell and Bryan inside to Mitchell’s apartment on the third floor. The court order allowed for Bryan to remove some of his belongings from the apartment, Fitchet said.

Once at the door to the apartment, Bryan suddenly turned violent, Fitchet said.

He shoved Mitchell inside the apartment and barricaded himself inside, Fitchet said. Ambrose tried pushing the door open from out in the hallway.

It was at that point, Fitchet said that Bryan “shot officer Ambrose through the door, striking him once,”

He then opened the door again and shot Ambrose again.

Bryan then went back inside, shot Mitchell once, and then left the building. He went to his car, got inside and shot himself in the chest.

Other police responding to the scene found Ambrose in the hallway suffering from what Fitchet said were “multiple gun shot wounds” and attempted CPR.

They also found Mitchell inside the apartment. Both were rushed by ambulance to Baystate Medical Center. Ambrose was pronounced dead at the hospital while Mitchell Monday night remained in critical condition following emergency surgery, Fitchet said.

Officers conducted a search of the immediate area and found Bryan inside his car. They attempted first aid at the scene and rushed him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead, Fitchet said.

Fitchet said police recovered the handgun believed to have been used in the shootings inside the car with Bryan.

The case remains open and under investigation, Fitchet said.

Ambrose was hired by the Springfield police in 1976. Before he was appointed to the department, he spent two years as a police cadet, bringing his total service to the city to 38 years, Fitchet said.

During his time on the job, he worked as a patrol officer during all three shifts. He also worked in records, the traffic bureau and served in the detective bureau. Several times, he had received commendations for meritorious service.

He is survived by wife Carla, two children and a granddaughter.

Fitchet said funeral arrangements were incomplete as of Monday night.

Of the 175, 111 will be attending college, ranging from American International College and the University of Massachusetts to Smith College and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

SPRINGFIELD – Mixing congratulations with a challenge to excel in the future, James O’S. Morton offered 175 graduating seniors from the High School of Commerce his secret to success Monday night.

“You’ve got to want it as badly as you want to breathe,” said Morton, a former teacher at Commerce now serving as president of the YMCA of Metropolitan Hartford.

Besides honoring the class of 2012, the ceremony at Symphony Hall marked a achievement for the school itself, with 70 percent of seniors graduating - a much higher figure than in recent years.

Superintendent Alan J. Ingram said the higher graduation rate was just one sign of a broader transformation at Commerce since Principal Charles Grandson took over in September.

“This is the new Commerce High School,” Ingram said, drawing applause from many in the crowd of about 1,000, including students, family members, staff and school officials.

The loudest applause was reserved for the graduates themselves, as each climbed the stage to receive diplomas.

Of the 175, 111 will be attending colleges, ranging from American International College and the University of Massachusetts to Smith College and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

Several students, including class president Cory Lewis, addressed their classmates, with Lewis noting that success will often involve struggle.

“Meet your challenges and move on; you’ll move on and flourish,” he said.

School Committee member Barbara Gresham also offered some common sense advice. “Be safe; wear a seat belt; don’t smoke and no texting while driving,” Gresham said.

School Committee member Antonette Pepe said watching the graduation was gratifying, especially given Commerce’s struggle in recent years, including being placed on the state’s underperforming school’s list.

Noting that Grandson and his staff deserve credit for the turnaround, Peppe added: “He holds people accountable, and you can tell. You can see it here tonight.”

The Barnagians have operated the restaurant for 40 years.

WILBRAHAM - The Board of Selectmen on Monday approved an entertainment license for Gregory’s Restaurant & Pizza Pub at 2391 Boston Road.

Gregory Barnagian Jr., who with his father, Gregory Sr., owns the restaurant, said he wanted the entertainment license so he can better compete with the other restaurants on Boston Road which have entertainment licenses.

Barnagian said he and his father have operated the restaurant for 40 years.

“We’re going to have a guitar player,” he said.

He told selectmen, “We plan to have a one or two-piece band in the lounge.”

The restaurant was given permission by the selectmen to have a two-piece band Thursday nights from 5 to 11 p.m. and Friday and Saturday nights from 5 p.m. to midnight.

Selectman James Thompson said the restaurant is not permitted to have dancing.

Thompson added that the restaurant has a seating capacity of 99.

Also at the Monday meeting the selectmen approved the award of a $41,800 contract for replacement windows at the Wilbraham Public Library.

The selectmen also gave the Wilbraham Nature & Cultural Council permission to hang a banner in front of the Town Hall through the end of July advertising the annual Summer Concert Series at Fountain Park.

Selectmen also approved a temporary food establishment permit for Pioneer Valley Kettle Korn for Farmers’ Markets this summer on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Hampden Bank on Boston Road and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Christ the King Lutheran Church on Main Street.

The state ordered the city to hire a manager to run its vocational school because city efforts had failed to improve academic results.

Holyoke schools' superintendent David Dupont is seen in this composite photo with Joan Schuman, executive director of the company that is currently running Dean Technical Vocational High School.

HOLYOKE – The state wants an answer from the city by Friday whether an acrimonious partnership with the nonprofit agency running Dean Technical High School can be salvaged, officials said Monday.

Meanwhile, officials also said during the School Committee meeting they were angered by comments a consultant made at a meeting about Dean at the state education offices in Malden in which he said that in a visit to Dean, “All I saw were ‘brown’ kids. I didn’t see one white kid.”

This city of about 40,000 is nearly half Hispanic.

The discussion comes a year after the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education ordered the city to hire a manager because the public school system’s efforts had failed to turn around chronically poor student academic results at Dean.

The decision about whether the Collaborative for Educational Services, of Northampton, will continue managing Dean is solely that of Superintendent David L. Dupont. Dupont said he is gathering information on issues of control in relation to the Collaborative and will talk with school board members before deciding.

The Collaborative told the School Committee May 8 it would withdraw from its contract to run Dean unless granted complete autonomy to make the drastic changes needed to improve the school. Federal and other grants are paying the agency $606,520 a year.

Collaborative officials said they need power to develop and enforce the student admission policy, set enrollment capacity, and hire, fire and move around staff.

Dupont said he understands the desire for autonomy over such decisions. But some decision-making powers are beyond his right to grant, he said, such as those related to workers’ collective bargaining rights.

As an example, he discussed a case in which a teacher gets laid off but has seniority bumping rights that affect Dean staffing.

“What happens if the Collaborative doesn’t agree?” Dupont said.

Also, the Collaborative wants the authority to limit to 100 the number of students in each of the four grades at Dean, he said.

Such demands prompted School Committee members to say the contract with the Collaborative should end.

“If you limit the number of students coming into Dean, then where do those students go?” Ward 3 committee member Dennis W. Birks Jr. said.

Committee Vice Chairman Devin M. Sheehan said the relationship with the Collaborative had stopped being fruitful.

“I do not believe that we should continue the relationship,” Sheehan said.

Mayor Alex B. Morse, chairman of the School Committee, said he wants his office to have a stronger say in how Dean is run.

Also, Morse said a board of directors of local business people should be appointed to oversee Dean because the business community benefits from a strong vocational school.

As for the Collaborative, Morse said, “I’m sort of in between because (the Collaborative) hasn’t had much time, but I have haven’t seen drastic change and there has to be drastic change.”

Collaborative Executive Director Joan E. Schuman provided a three-paragraph statement, when asked for comment, that reiterated the need for autonomy.

“No efforts to improve the culture and quality of any underperforming school can succeed without the authority to make needed changes,” the statement said.

Birks read a letter during the meeting identifying the consultant who made what he said were offensive remarks as Charles Lyons. The remarks came in a conference room in Malden with state education Commissioner Mitchell D. Chester, Schuman and other officials, Birks said.

Lyons is superintendent of the Shawsheen Valley Technical School District, in Billerica, and was hired by the state to examine Dean, Birks said.

“It was very disturbing,” Birks said.

Lyons couldn’t be reached for comment.

The committee voted 8-1 to send a letter to Chester that Sheenan wrote criticizing the remarks as “deplorable.” Morse voted no, saying later, “I’m hesitant to put my name on a letter I didn’t write. I like to do my due diligence.”

Dean, at 1045 Main St., has a budget of $7.3 million, 600 students and 160 teachers and other staff. Students take shop classes that include auto body repair, welding, cosmetology and culinary arts.

Dennis Birks' letter

Here is the letter Dennis Birks read during the School Committee meeting:

Dear Commissioner Chester,

After listening to Joan Schuman and Charlie Lyons speak at the meeting on May 30th 2012, it is apparent to me that they don’t think poor students, students of color, ELL students or students with special needs, can learn or belong at Dean Technical High School. As Charlie Lyons stated, “All I saw were “brown” kids. I didn’t see one white kid”. Does he think more white kids would make Dean a better school? Do you think our “brown” governor’s feelings are mutual? It was surprising to me that the people at the very top of the Massachusetts education system think and speak in this manner. If this is thinking of the head administrators, our leaders, what chance do students of color stand anywhere in the commonwealth?

In Holyoke students choose where they would like to attend high school and in Holyoke most students choose Holyoke High over Dean. This happens to be the case in most surrounding cities and towns. There are more students in academic high schools, by choice, then in vocational schools.Most of the students that choose to attend Dean are poor, Hispanic, English language learners or special needs. These students don’t need to be deterred from going to Dean, they need to be welcomed, accommodated and educated.

Implementing an admissions policy making it more difficult for students to attend Dean will not benefit those students who are denied acceptance. Those students struggling with the English language, those at an economic disadvantage and those students which require accommodations will need special services wherever they go. Those services should be in place at Dean.

An important piece mentioned at the meeting was the communication barrier between some of the ELL students and their instructors who do not speak Spanish. Although teaching our teachers Spanish, which was mentioned in the meeting, would be nice, you wouldn’t see the changes you want to see at Dean in the timeframe given to CES and HPS. An example of a “radical” change would be to couple Spanish speaking teachers with non- Spanish speaking teachers and have them co teach in classes that need it most. This will allow ELL students to continue learning math, science and a trade as they are learning English. This is an example of how they can be kept in school, fully engaged without falling behind. This would also improve the drop out and graduation rates. Full service community schools also work in our schools with similar demographics.

It’s been a long time since Holyoke has had a superintendent such as David Dupont. He is a proven leader and respected by all. Since he’s taken the position two years ago all schools have made significant progress, teacher morale is up and there is more school spirit in all Holyoke schools. In my opinion Dean may benefit more without the partnership with CES and being allowed to use those funds to begin hiring bilingual teachers to help with instruction and/or equipment and text books needed to update or offer new shops.

Dean needs to be a universally designed school where all students can learn. Once more students who are already attending Dean begin staying in school, learning and graduating more students will want to be there. People want to be where any and all students are accepted and treated equally and fairly. They want to feel safe and welcome.

It is my feeling that all students can learn. And it is our duty, not to simply displace them but, to find ways to appropriately educate them. We cannot forget our mission.

Sincerely,

Dennis W. Birks Jr.
Holyoke School Committee

Father of a “Brown” 8th grade boy with special needs who chose Dean as the school he wishes to attend to learn carpentry.

he State Ethics Commission has accused a former official at an agency for special needs children of violating state conflict-of-interest laws by voting to transfer $5.5 million to a another organization while he was trying to get a job there.

BOSTON (AP) — The State Ethics Commission has accused a former official at an agency for special needs children of violating state conflict-of-interest laws by voting to transfer $5.5 million to a another organization while he was trying to get a job there.

James McCormick, former North Middlesex Regional School District superintendent, was accused on Monday of voting to transfer the money to the nonprofit Merrimack Education Center while he was with the Merrimack Special Education Collaborative.

McCormick, who was on the collaborative's board of directors at the time, landed a job there in July 2006.

If the commission finds the accusation is warranted, McCormick could face fines and ne forced to repay money.

His lawyer said he dies the allegations.

Following a brief but bruising campaign, both sides of the recall election targeting Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker are prepared for a razor-thin margin Tuesday.

The Associated PressDemocratic Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett rallies supporters inside his campaign office on Monday, June 4, 2012, in Portage, Wis. Barrett faces Republican Gov. Scott Walker in Tuesday's recall election. (AP Photo/Scott Bauer)

By SCOTT BAUER, Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Following a brief but bruising campaign, both sides of the recall election targeting Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker are prepared for a razor-thin margin Tuesday as the Republican tries to become the first U.S. governor to successfully fend off a recall effort.

The vote will bring to a conclusion more than a year of turmoil after Walker pushed through a bill stripping workers of collective bargaining rights in an effort to fix a hole in the state budget. Polls have shown Walker, just 17 months into his term, with a small lead over Democratic Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett after a campaign that's shattered state spending records and further divided an already polarized state. Both candidates worked in a flurry of last-minute stops in the campaign's final days, all too aware that turnout will be critical.

"I've been villainized for a year and a half. We've faced a year and a half of assaults on us. My opponent has no plans other than to attack us," Walker said at a campaign stop Monday, claiming that his agenda has put the state on the right economic track.

Walker said he is focused on capturing voters who have supported him in taking on public-employee unions, while Barrett is trying to capitalize on the anger over Walker's conservative agenda that began building almost as soon as he took office in January 2011.

"Gov. Walker has divided the state but we will never allow him to conquer the middle class," Barrett said at an afternoon appearance. He added: "This started out as a grassroots movement and it's going to end as one."

The recall effort against Walker began bubbling last year, shortly after the rising Republican star took office. Just a month into his first term, Walker took the state by surprise with a proposal to effectively end collective bargaining rights for most state workers and pay more for health insurance and pension benefits as a tactic to deal with the state's budget shortfall. The proposal created a firestorm of opposition, and protests drew tens of thousands to the state Capitol.

It didn't take long for opponents to begin calling for a recall.

The recall petition drive couldn't officially start until November, months after Walker signed the union changes into the books, because Wisconsin law requires that someone must be in office for at least a year before facing a recall. Organizers hit the streets a week before Thanksgiving and spent two months gathering more than 900,000 signatures — about 360,000 more than were needed to trigger the election. Barrett was chosen as Walker's opponent in a primary last month.

The Associated PressWisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, left, shakes hands with J & D Manufacturing employee Steve Poppe of Eau Claire, Wis., during a visit Monday, June 4, 2012 to the Altoona, Wis. company. The governor scheduled campaign stops at six of the state's largest cities on the day before Wisconsin's historic recall election. Walker's wife, Tonette, takes a photo, at right. (AP Photo/The Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, Steve Kinderman)

Now, Walker stands in unique company: He is only the third governor in U.S. history to face a recall vote. The other two lost, most recently California Gov. Gray Davis in 2003.

Wisconsin's recall election is a rematch of the 2010 governor's race in which Walker defeated Barrett by 5 percentage points. A key question will be whether or not Democrats can turn out voters in force, as the unions did during the protests last year. Polls show there are few undecided voters; if it's close, it could come down to how well both do in swing counties in the western part of the state.

Many of those ballots have already been cast through absentee voting. Retired teacher Jan Stebbins cast her ballot early for Barrett, just as she did two years ago. She said she's been offended by Walker, not by what he's done but "how he's done it." Stebbins can't stand the division that's emerged during the past two years.

By Wednesday morning, she hopes the state "gets back to a little bit more unity," she said. "I don't know what will happen."

Todd Schober, a financial planner from Racine, voted for Walker in 2010 and planned to do so again Tuesday.

"I'm just going to be so glad when it's all over," he said.

Walker, the 44-year-old son of a minister, has remained unflappable throughout the campaign just as he was during the massive protests that raged at the Statehouse for weeks as lawmakers debated his proposal. Along the way, he's become a star among Republicans and the most successful fundraiser in Wisconsin politics, collecting at least $31 million from around the country since taking office. That obliterated his fundraising record of $11 million from 2010.

Much of the money for the race has come from out of state. About $63 million has been spent on the race so far, including $16 million from conservative groups such as the Republican Governors Association, Americans for Prosperity and the National Rifle Association. The majority of Walker's donations are from people outside Wisconsin.

Democratic groups — including those funded by unions, the Democratic Governors Association and the Democratic National Committee — have poured in about $14 million, based on a tally from the government watchdog group the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. Barrett's $4.2 million in donations, meanwhile, were mostly from inside Wisconsin.

The race has attracted some big names on both sides. Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie appeared on behalf of Walker, while former President Bill Clinton came out for Barrett in the race's final days. Notably absent was President Barack Obama. White House press secretary Jay Carney was asked during a briefing Monday why Obama wasn't campaigning in Wisconsin for Barrett.

"The president supports him, stands by him," Carney said, adding that Obama hopes Barrett prevails.

The president himself took to the social media micro-blogging site Twitter late Monday to send much the same message.

"It's Election Day in Wisconsin tomorrow," Obama tweeted, "and I'm standing by Tom Barrett. He'd make an outstanding governor. -bo"

Walker won't be the only politician up for recall Tuesday. His lieutenant governor, Rebecca Kleefisch, and three Republican state senators also face recall votes Tuesday. A fourth state Senate seat will be determined after the Republican incumbent resigned rather than face the recall.

The recall will have implications for both labor unions and the presidential race in November. Labor unions have a lot at stake because they pushed so hard to force a recall. But when it comes to the presidential race, exactly what those implications are is unclear.

Republicans are hopeful a Walker win will pave the way for Mitt Romney to win Wisconsin, making him the first GOP candidate to carry the state since Ronald Reagan in 1984. If Walker loses, most agree Obama will have an edge. Either way, the state is likely to remain in play.

In the divided state, though, many are just ready for the seemingly endless campaigning to end. For months, voters have been inundated with telephone calls, campaign mail and television advertising. Barrett supporter John Oehrke is ready to be done.

"It doesn't really matter who wins I guess," Oehrke said. "It's all crazy."
___

Associated Press writers Todd Richmond in Fitchburg, Dinesh Ramde in Racine, and Brian Bakst in Janesville contributed to this report.

With Obama standing thoughtfully to one side, Clinton slammed Romney by name, an apparent rebuttal to his own comments last week that were widely seen as flattering to Romney's background in business.

The Associated PressFormer President Bill Clinton and President Barack Obama wave to the crowd during a campaign event at the Waldorf Astoria, Monday, June 4, 2012, in New York. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

By ANNE GEARAN, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Bill Clinton warned Monday that a Mitt Romney presidency would be "calamitous" for the nation and the world, going further than even President Barack Obama in depicting the consequences of a return to Republican rule of the White House.

With Obama standing thoughtfully to one side, Clinton slammed Romney by name, an apparent rebuttal to his own comments last week that were widely seen as flattering to Romney's background in business.

Clinton said Obama had earned a second term because of his steering of the economy through a "miserable situation," and that "the alternative would be, in my opinion, calamitous for our country and the world."

Clinton's take came as he helped raise at least $3.6 million for Obama at three New York fundraisers. The two have patched over a personal rift from the 2008 campaign when Obama defeated Hillary Rodham Clinton in a bitter Democratic primary. But Clinton caused some heartburn in Obama's campaign last week by remarking that Romney had a "sterling" business record — an assertion that undercut Democrats' criticism of Romney's decisions at the private equity firm Bain Capital.

Clinton also said at the fundraiser that Republicans and Romney have adopted Europe's economic policies. "Who would have ever thought that the Republicans who made a living for decades deriding Old Europe would embrace their economic policies," he said.

For his part, Obama said the economy had been difficult for so many voters that some could reach the point that "you're willing to try just about anything, even if you've seen it before."

Clinton's larger point in the interview last week was that Obama is the better choice to steer the economy, and the White House denied that Clinton "made news." The televised remark nonetheless gave Republicans campaign gold just as the government released a disappointing report saying the United States created far fewer new jobs in May than expected — a big political blow for Obama.

Obama and Clinton also are on opposite sides of a close Democratic congressional primary contest in New Jersey. Clinton also campaigned last week for Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Barrett. Barrett faces Republican Gov. Scott Walker in a special recall election contest on Tuesday but has seen little backing from the Democratic Party or Obama.

Romney's campaign sought to exploit the differences, circulating Clinton's comments from a December 2007 interview on PBS in which he suggested that electing Obama would carry some risks. "When is the last time we elected a president based on one year of service in the Senate before he started running?" Clinton said.

Still, Clinton's ability to deliver campaign dollars and his record as a sound campaign strategist make him an asset to the Obama campaign that apparently outweighs any drawbacks. For Clinton, Obama is not only the head of their shared party, he may be the best entree for a second Clinton administration if Hillary Clinton were to run for president in 2016.

The two appeared together at a fundraiser in April and plan several more joint events across the country. Clinton has also recorded a video for Obama and sent campaign emails to supporters.

Obama campaign bundler and billionaire investor Marc Lasry held an exclusive reception Monday night, followed by a gala at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel, where rocker Jon Bon Jovi closed a dinner concert with the upbeat Beatles anthem "Here Comes the Sun."

Taking the stage a short while later, Clinton harkened back to the better economic days of his presidency.

"Remember me? I'm the guy who gave you four surplus budgets out of the eight I sent" to Congress, he said to applause.

Clinton and Obama were focusing their message Monday on economic opportunity. Polls show that economic trends are likely to determine the election, a development that could help Romney if the economy sags significantly. Obama and Romney were tied at 46 percent in Gallup polling last week of national election preferences.

"They've got a nominee who is expressing support for an agenda that would reverse the progress we made and take us back to the exact same policies that got us into this process in the first place," Obama said, although he complimented Romney by name for his success in business.

The evening concluded with an event dubbed "Barack on Broadway" at the New Amsterdam Theatre. Obama will return to Manhattan next week for a fundraiser at the home of "Sex and the City" actress Sarah Jessica Parker.

While Obama was in New York, Romney was on the West Coast to attend fundraisers in Portland, Ore., and Seattle.

Obama's campaign released a video of campaign manager Jim Messina urging supporters to "stay focused, work hard and ignore the ups and downs." The campaign included a map listing eight undecided states: Colorado, Iowa, Wisconsin, Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, New Hampshire and Florida.

Lasry, head of the hedge fund Avenue Capital, told CNBC last week that private capital investment as practiced by Bain Capital can do worthwhile things. He shrugged off as "politics" Obama's recent references to investment choices he claims have ravaged jobs for the sake of investors' profits.

About 50 people attended the $40,000-per-ticket reception at Lasry's home, an art-filled townhouse on Manhattan's tony Upper East Side. Tickets to the 500-person gala at the Waldorf began at $2,500. Those who contributed $35,800 or raised $100,000 gained access to a smaller reception with Obama.

The concert at the New Amsterdam Theatre drew 1,700 people. Tickets for that event started at $250, the Obama campaign said.

Konarka Technology's bankruptcy came just one day after Romney criticized President Obama for government loans to the bankrupt solar company Solyndra.

In this May 31, 2012 file photo, Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks outside the Solyndra manufacturing facility, in Fremont, Calif.

A day after former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney criticized President Obama for giving taxpayer loans to a failed solar company, a solar company that Romney helped fund also went bankrupt.

Konarka Technologies, which develops thin-film solar panels, announced Saturday that it was filing for chapter 7 bankruptcy.

Konarka’s chairman, president and CEO Howard Berke, said in a statement, "Konarka has been unable to obtain additional financing, and given its current financial condition, it is unable to continue operations.”

The company has a manufacturing plant in New Bedford and holds hundreds of patents in solar energy, according to the company’s statement. It was founded by Berke and Nobel Prize winner Alan Heeger.

The Boston Herald first reported that Romney had given Konarka a $1.5 million state energy subsidy when he was governor in 2003.

On Friday, Romney, the Republican presidential nominee, held a press conference at the now-bankrupt solar energy company Solyndra criticizing Obama for loans the government made to the company. Romney has criticized Obama for losing taxpayer money by giving Solyndra the $535 million loan guarantee.

The Konarka bankruptcy - coming on the heels of Romney’s criticism of Obama – is already raising accusations of hypocrisy from the Obama camp. Obama campaign spokeswoman Lis Smith said, “Just one day after he pulled a political stunt outside Solyndra, we learned even more about his record of picking winners and losers in Massachusetts when one of the companies he gave a loan to went bankrupt.”

Over 11 years, Konarka has received $20 million in government research grants and $170 million in private money, according to its website. It received $5 million under current Governor Deval Patrick.

Reuters reported that Romney established a $15 million green energy fund to help renewable energy businesses in Massachusetts.

When Konarka received the $1.5 million state loan, Romney held a press conference at Konarka. He said he hoped the state fund could “become a major economic springboard in the renewable energy sector.” The loan, which was funded by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, a quasi-public agency, has since been repaid.

Romney spokeswoman Amanda Henneberg said, “President Obama has a lot of questions to answer about why he used taxpayer dollars to reward wealthy campaign donors for bad ideas like Solyndra, yet he is unwilling to focus on creating jobs for the millions of Americans who are struggling. His distortions and distractions will not put a single American back to work.”

Konarka also got $10,000 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, passed under President Obama, according to a government website. The Boston Globe reported that Konarka also received grants totalling $5.2 million from the Army and Department of Energy under the Bush administration.

Note: This story has been updated from its original version to reflect the Romney campaign's response and some additional reporting. It was also clarified to reflect the source of the state funding, the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative.

A Great Barrington man police say was driving nearly 100 miles per hour in a 35 mile-per-hour zone when his car crashed into a tree, killing his girlfriend, has been sentenced to 30 days in jail.

File photo

PITTSFIELD, Mass. (AP) — A Great Barrington man police say was driving nearly 100 miles per hour in a 35 mile-per-hour zone when his car crashed into a tree, killing his girlfriend, has been sentenced to 30 days in jail.

Kevin Blanco pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide Monday in Central Berkshire District Court in connection with the March 2010 crash in Sheffield that took the life of 20-year-old Stacy Sullivan. Two other passengers were hurt.

The Berkshire Eagle (http://bit.ly/KJA451 ) reports that Blanco was given a two-year sentence with 30 days to serve and the rest suspended for 11 months of probation. He was also ordered to perform 50 hours of community service.

A tearful Blanco tearfully apologized in court. His lawyer said no drugs or alcohol were involved.

___

Information from: The Berkshire Eagle, http://www.berkshireeagle.com

Officials from Springfield to Boston to New York offered condolences to Ambrose's family. The veteran Springfield officer was shot dead in Sixteen Acres by the estranged boyfriend of a local woman. Watch video

Springfield Police Dept.Springfield Police Officer Kevin Ambrose was killed in the line of duty on Monday after he responded to a domestic dispute call at an apartment complex in the Sixteen Acres section of the city.

SPRINGFIELD — The Sixteen Acres apartment complex where Kevin Ambrose was killed Monday afternoon is just over 5 miles from his Wilbraham home, but it may as well be 100 miles away. The veteran Springfield police officer was gunned down in the line of duty after responding to a domestic dispute at the Lawton Arms, an apartment complex in the outlying Springfield neighborhood bordering Ambrose's suburban community.

Other than state police cruisers parked at each end of Ambrose's street, the neighborhood was silent at dawn today — less than 24 hours after Ambrose became the first Springfield police officer to be killed in the line of duty in nearly 27 years.

Things were equally quiet at the Sixteen Acres crime scene. No memorials. No pictures. No votive candles. No signs that a homicide had occurred there, in a neighborhood widely considered to be one of the city's safest. Just a red-brick apartment building where Ambrose, 56, lost his life trying to help a woman during a domestic dispute, according to authorities.

Police said Charlene Mitchell's estranged boyfriend, Shawn Bryan, 35, shot Ambrose, then Mitchell, before turning the gun on himself and ending his own life. Mitchell, 29, remained in critical condition at Baystate Medical Center Tuesday morning, Springfield Police Lt. James Rosso said.

The death of Ambrose marked the first killing of a Springfield police officer since November 1985, when officers Alain Beauregard and Michael Schiavina were shot to death by a teenager during a traffic stop in the city's Old Hill section. Officials from Springfield to Boston and beyond reacted strongly to news of Monday's murder-suicide, which came just two weeks after local law enforcement officials honored fallen officers from this region in ceremonies at Springfield police headquarters and Springfield Technical Community College.

Gov. Deval L. Patrick said the entire commonwealth was grieving for a life "cut tragically short," and for Ambrose's widow, Carla, and the couple's two children. Ambrose was killed "doing what police officers do every day — putting themselves in harm's way to protect others," Patrick said in a statement Monday evening.

"That combination of bravery and selflessness spanned Kevin's 36 years of service to the city and residents of Springfield," the governor said. "As his family, colleagues and friends begin to bear this unthinkable loss, they should know our commonwealth shares their grief and we are grateful for Kevin's decision to dedicate his life to keeping us safe."

Closer to home, Mayor Domenic J. Sarno ordered flags to be flown at half staff at all city-owned buildings in honor of Ambrose.

"On behalf of the city of Springfield and our residents, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the family of Springfield Police Officer Kevin Ambrose, who wore his badge with honor and integrity and served our city with a tremendous amount of pride and passion," Sarno said Monday. "The thoughts and prayers of everyone at Springfield City Hall are with Kevin's loving family at this very difficult and emotional time."

Officials pointed out the volatile nature of domestic violence calls, which can have fatal outcomes. "Domestic violence, as you can see, is unfortunately a very dangerous call," Sarno said.

The mayor said the "men and women in blue at the Springfield Police Department, like police departments throughout the country, are faced with very challenging, difficult and dangerous situations on a daily basis." Residents "owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to our police officers and their families" for the risks they take and the burdens they bear, according to Sarno.

Ambrose paid the "ultimate sacrifice" by protecting and serving Springfield residents, Sarno said, adding that the officer would be "sadly missed by his fellow officers and the community."

Springfield Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet, speaking at the May 16 commemoration ceremonies for local fallen police officers, said the deaths of Beauregard and Schiavina were still fresh in his mind, not knowing he would soon be grieving another city officer killed in the line of duty. The losses of Beauregard and Schiavina were "very personal for me," Fitchet said at the ceremony. At a press conference Monday outside police headquarters, Fitchet said, "It is with great regret that I announce a Springfield police officer was killed this afternoon."

Hampden District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni said Ambrose's "career choice made him a hero."

Further afield, the national law enforcement community also noted the passing of Ambrose. Within hours of the killing, the Officer Down Memorial Page, a national organization that honors slain officers, was already paying tribute to Ambrose, who wore badge No. 7. "End of watch: Monday, June 4, 2012," the website states, citing Ambrose's last day on the job.

Shortly before 1 p.m. Monday, Ambrose responded to a domestic disturbance at the Lawton Arms, located on Lawton Street behind the Breckwood Shopping Center at the corner of Breckwood Boulevard and Wilbraham Road. There, he met Bryan, a New York City corrections officer from Long Island, and Mitchell, the mother of Bryan's 1-year-old daughter.

Bryan and Mitchell had formerly been a couple, but their relationship was over. Mitchell had obtained a court-ordered restraining order against Bryan less than an hour before Bryan shot her, Ambrose and himself. Before the violence erupted, Ambrose had escorted Bryan and Mitchell up to Mitchell's third-floor apartment at 90 Lawton St., where Bryan was expected to retrieve some of his items. That's when Bryan pushed Mitchell into the unit and locked the door, police said.

Ambrose was attempting to gain entry when Bryan opened fire through the door, hitting Ambrose at least once, police said. Bryan then opened the apartment door, stepped into the hallway and shot ­Ambrose again, police said. Bryan went back into the apartment and shot Mitchell in the head, then returned to his car and shot himself in the chest, police said. Officers said they found a handgun in Bryan's car.

Ambrose and Bryan were taken by ambulance to Baystate, where both were pronounced dead in the emergency room.

The couple's 1-year-old daughter was present at the time of the shootings. Witnesses at the scene told the Boston Globe that the child, whose face was covered with blood, was seen being carried from the building by a police officer. The child was uninjured, according to authorities.

Mitchell, in her court request for a restraining order, described Bryan as "a demon," claiming he was physically abusive before their relationship ended last summer. When Mitchell called 911 to report that Bryan was en route to her Sixteen Acres apartment, despite the active stay-away order, she told authorities that she feared for her life.

Bryan had been a correction officer since August 2009. His most recent posting was at Rikers Island, New York City's largest jail complex, located on an island in the middle of the East River. Bryan last worked there on Saturday, and he was scheduled to return to work on Tuesday, according to corrections officials in New York.

Dora B. Schriro, commissioner of the New York City Department of Correction, offered her condolences to Ambrose's family. "This is an unspeakable tragedy. We express our heartfelt condolences to the family of Springfield Police Officer Kevin Ambrose, his fellow officers in the Springfield Police Department and the City of Springfield," Schriro said in a statement Monday, adding that she was "shocked and saddened" by Monday's events.

"Each of us takes an oath of office to preserve and protect the lives of others," Schriro said.

Springfield Police Sgt. John M. Delaney, executive aide to Commissioner Fitchet, said he recently chatted with Ambrose, one of the city's longest-serving officers, about his tenure with the department. "He said, 'Why leave? I love my job,'" Delaney told the Daily News. "He is someone that I always looked up to."

Asked Monday whether he thought his support helped muster the momentum needed to block DeFranco from the ballot, Patrick said “that wasn’t its purpose.”

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.

By Matt Murphy, STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

BOSTON - Consumer advocate Elizabeth Warren scored a knockout blow over the weekend against her lone remaining Democratic rival for the party’s nomination for U.S. Senate, but Gov. Deval Patrick said he did not think his endorsement swung the tide.

Warren won the support of 96 percent of the voting delegates at the state Democratic Party Convention in Springfield on Saturday, denying immigration attorney Marisa DeFranco the 15 percent she needed under party rules to secure a spot on the ballot for Sept. 6 primary.

Warren’s historic level of the support at the convention came three days after Patrick, who typically shies from making endorsements in contested primaries, threw his weight behind Warren, despite calling both women “compelling people with a strong message.”

The Republican Party called the timing of the endorsement “a sign of deep panic and desperation” by the Warren campaign after weeks of controversy over her unproven claims of Cherokee heritage and the role it might have played in her academic career advancement.

Asked Monday whether he thought his support helped muster the momentum needed to block DeFranco from the ballot, Patrick said “that wasn’t its purpose.”

“I think Elizabeth Warren earned the history that she made on Saturday by getting 96 percent of the vote at the convention and it’s terrific. Now we can focus on the general election and it’s going to be a tough one,” Patrick said.

Pressed again about whether the timing of his endorsement helped clear the path to the nomination for Warren, Patrick said, “No. I think that was her, not me.”

With DeFranco off the ballot, Warren will be able to focus all of her attention and campaign resources toward the general election match-up against first-term Sen. Scott Brown, who’s seat Democrats badly want to take back after Brown beat Attorney General Martha Coakley in a 2010 special election following the death of Edward Kennedy.

DeFranco did not address the media in Springfield after the results of the vote were announced, and she did not return a News Service call seeking comment Monday afternoon.

Patrick said he did not have a position on whether Democrats should reconsider the party’s rule that statewide candidates must secure the support of 15 percent of convention delegates to appear on the ballot, even if they’ve already gathered the requisite 10,000 signatures. The state Republican Party requires the same of its statewide candidates.

Heading into the convention, both Patrick and Democratic Party Chairman John Walsh predicted DeFranco would get the 15 percent she needed. Neither Walsh nor the Warren campaign acknowledged any concerted effort to keep DeFranco off the ballot, though it was reported by the Boston Globe that Warren made a push to drive up attendance at the convention, thereby raising the number of votes DeFranco needed.

“I’m surprised actually. I’m surprised. My understanding is it’s never happened before,” Patrick said, referring to the fact that Democrats have never given one candidate enough votes at a convention to prevent a primary in a contested race.

Peter Blute, a former Republican Congressman and deputy chairman of the state Republican Party, criticized Democrats after the vote for the “thorough and complete slapdown of a candidate.” He told reporters, according to press accounts, that Democrats “took the opportunity to snuff out a burgeoning campaign because they were afraid she might raise uncomfortable issues in a primary debate, and I think she was starting to do that.”

While unprecedented for Democrats, Republicans rounded up the votes two years ago at their own convention to block convenience store magnate Cristy Mihos from the ballot, clearing the path for Charlie Baker to challenge Gov. Deval Patrick one-on-one throughout the summer of 2010.

Oil hovered below $84 a barrel Tuesday, wavering near an eight-month low as doubts remain whether European leaders can contain the continent's debt and economic crisis.

AP Photo/CX MatiashIn this May 13, 2012, photo, gas prices are displayed at a Hess station in Hoboken, N.J.

By PABLO GORONDI
Associated Press

Oil hovered below $84 a barrel Tuesday, wavering near an eight-month low as doubts remain whether European leaders can contain the continent's debt and economic crisis.

By early afternoon in Europe, benchmark oil for July delivery was down 24 cents to $83.74 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 75 cents to settle at $83.98 in New York on Monday.

In London, Brent crude for July delivery was down 77 cents at $98.08 per barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.

Crude fell below $82 Monday, the lowest since October. Expectations that a global economic slowdown will reduce demand for crude dragged prices down 23 percent in the last month.

Investors are hoping European policymakers can stem a debt crisis that has sent Greece into a deep recession and stalled growth in several other countries.

Finance officials from the Group of Seven industrialized powers are scheduled to hold emergency talks by phone Tuesday. Traders will also closely watch a European Central Bank policy meeting Wednesday and congressional testimony from U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Thursday.

"We will expect some additional choppy, sideways trade as this week proceeds," energy trader and consultant Ritterbusch and Associates said in a report. "We do feel that this pronounced bear market of the past month remains much alive."

Later this month, Greek elections, a quarterly OPEC meeting and another round of talks between Iran and world powers about that country's nuclear program will likely affect oil prices.

"Prices have meanwhile reached a level which from a longer-term perspective would appear attractive and should thus stimulate buying interest," said analysts at Commerzbank in Frankfurt.

Investors will also be monitoring fresh information on U.S. stockpiles of crude and refined products.

Data for the week ending June 1 is expected to show a draw of 1 million barrels in crude oil stocks and a build of 500,000 barrels in gasoline stocks, according to a survey of analysts by Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw-Hill Cos.

The American Petroleum Institute will release its report on oil stocks later Tuesday, while the report from the Energy Department's Energy Information Administration — the market benchmark — will be out on Wednesday.

In other energy trading, heating oil was down 1.1 cents at $2.6159 per gallon while gasoline futures slid 1.64 cents at $2.6543 per gallon. Natural gas gained 0.5 cent at $2.42 per 1,000 cubic feet.

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Alex Kennedy in Singapore contributed to this report.