Quantcast
Channel: News
Viewing all 62489 articles
Browse latest View live

Get a filter and look up: That dot is Venus

0
0

The transit of Venus — a planetary spectacle that won't occur again until 2117 — won't be enough to significantly block the sun's light, but it will give Earth's closest star a moving beauty mark.

Transit of VenusView full sizeThis map provided by NASA shows the visibility for the transit of Venus passes in front of sun. Venus crosses the sun on Tuesday, June 5, 2012, from the Western Hemisphere (Wednesday, June 6 from the Eastern Hemisphere). Known as a transit of Venus, this won't happen again until 2117. The transit is happening during a 6-hour, 40-minute span starting after 6 p.m. EDT in the United States. (AP Photo/NASA)

By OSKAR GARCIA, Associated Press

HONOLULU (AP) — Stargazers around the world are setting up special telescopes and passing out cardboard eclipse glasses to view the once-in-a-lifetime celestial cameo of Venus passing in front of the sun.

The transit of Venus — a planetary spectacle that won't occur again until 2117 — won't be enough to significantly block the sun's light, but it will give Earth's closest star a moving beauty mark. Venus is currently Earth's closest neighboring planet, although Mars occasionally has that distinction.

"In terms of rarity, to be here at a time when it's happening, you almost have to look at it," said Geoff Chester of the U.S. Naval Observatory, who saw the last transit in 2004. "It ain't going to happen again in my lifetime."

The transit is happening during a 6-hour, 40-minute span starting just after 6 p.m. EDT in the United States. What you can see and for how long depends on what the sun's doing in your region during that exact window, and the weather. Those in most areas of North and Central America will see the start of the transit until the sun sets, while those in Western Asia, the eastern half of Africa and most of Europe will catch the transit's end once the sun comes up.

Hawaii, Alaska, eastern Australian and eastern Asia including Japan, North and South Korea and eastern China will get the whole show since the entire transit will happen during daylight in those regions.

Don't stare directly at the sun without eclipse glasses, a properly filtered telescope or a strong welding visor. Permanent eye damage could result.

Astronomers across the globe are using the rarity of the moment to spark scientific curiosity among the public, and to document the transit with the latest technology available.

Sul Ah Chim, a researcher at the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute in the central South Korean city of Daejon, said he hoped the event will help people see life from a larger perspective and "not get caught up in their small, everyday problems."

"Most people consider 105 years to be a very long time," Sul said. "But when you think about it from the context of the universe, 105 years is a very short period of time, and the Earth is only a small, pale blue spot."

In Hawaii, university astronomers planned viewings at Waikiki Beach, Pearl Harbor and Ko Olina. At Waikiki, officials planned to show webcasts of the transit as seen from telescopes from volcanoes Mauna Kea on the Big Island and Haleakala on Maui.

NASA planned a watch party at its Goddard Visitor Center in Maryland with solar telescopes, images from its Solar Dynamics Observatory Mission and expert commentary and presentations. The observatory will produce "Hubble-quality" images, according to NASA's website.

Groups of scientists from the University of North Texas planned to watch from points in Alaska and Hawaii to recreate the 1769 expedition of British Capt. James Cook, who used the transit to calculate Earth's distance from the sun. The scientists will use atomic clocks, GPS and high-end telescopes to take measurements, and will use high-end video gear to capture time-lapse video.

Experts from Hong Kong's Space Museum and local astronomical groups were organizing a viewing Wednesday outside the museum's building on the Kowloon waterfront overlooking the southern Chinese city's famed Victoria Harbor. The transit begins there around 6 a.m. local time.

The transit also coincides with a national holiday in South Korea. Choi Hyungbin, head of the Daejon Observatory, said he was expecting more visitors than might otherwise come out to watch the transit. Local media urged curious residents to visit observatories for the event, reiterating the danger of looking directly at the sun.

This will be the seventh transit visible since German astronomer Johannes Kepler first predicted the phenomenon in the 17th century. Because of the shape and speed of Venus' orbit around the sun and its relationship to Earth's annual trip, transits occur in pairs separated by more than a century.

It's nowhere near as dramatic and awe-inspiring as a total solar eclipse, which sweeps a shadow across the Earth, but there will be six more of those this decade.
___

Contributing to this report are AP Science Writer Alicia Chang in Los Angeles; and Associated Press writers Rachel D'Oro in Anchorage, Kelvin Chan in Hong Kong and Hye Soo Nah in Seoul.


Jury selection begins in Jerry Sandusky trial

0
0

Prosecutors and Jerry Sandusky's defense lawyers started the process of picking a jury for his child sexual abuse case Tuesday with a pool of 220 potential jurors.

060512 Jerry SanduskyFormer Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, center, arrives with his attorney Joe Amendola, second from left, for the first day of jury selection at the central Pennsylvania courthouse on Tuesday, June 5, 2012 in Bellefonte, Pa. Sandusky will stand trial on 52 counts of child sexual abuse involving 10 boys over a period of 15 years. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

By GENARO C. ARMAS and MARK SCOLFORO, Associated Press

BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) — Prosecutors and Jerry Sandusky's defense lawyers started the process of picking a jury for his child sexual abuse case Tuesday with a pool of 220 potential jurors.

More than 600 summonses were sent out to residents in Centre County, the home of Penn State University. The process of finding the 12 jurors and four alternates could take days.

Judge John Cleland addressed the prospective jurors in a somber, packed courtroom about what their duties would entail inside the court house while, outside, scores of journalists lined the front lawn with television cameras and computers waiting for word.

The prospective jurors were to be taken in groups of 40 for more questions and, ultimately one-on-one questioning in phase three for those who are not dismissed beforehand.

Sandusky, the 68-year-old former Penn State assistant coach is accused of 52 criminal counts for alleged abuse of 10 boys over 15 years, charges he's repeatedly denied.

Sandusky arrived at the courthouse, about 10 miles from the Penn State campus, Tuesday morning with his lawyer. They didn't comment as they exited their vehicle.

An hour before jury selection was set to begin, a dozen photographers awaited Sandusky's arrival while 10 television satellite trucks lined up outside the courthouse in Bellefonte.

Potential jurors slowly filed into the front door of the courthouse around 8 a.m., some standing in a steady drizzle as they wait to get through security. One man wore a gray Penn State sweat shirt.

The jurors are being chosen from among people who live in the State College area, where Penn State's main campus is located. That was a victory for the defense, which argued against bringing in jurors from elsewhere in the state.

Some of the alleged victims are expected to testify during the trial, the opening of which is likely to begin on Monday morning.

The expected witnesses are expected to include several young men who contend they were abused by Sandusky. Prosecutors have claimed that Sandusky groomed boys he met through a charity he founded for at-risk youth, then attacked them, in some cases in his own home or inside university athletic facilities.

Among the challenges for jury selection are the extraordinarily heavy news coverage of the scandal and the wide reach of The Second Mile, the youth charity Sandusky founded in 1977.

Joseph Kennedy III turns in signatures to officially appear on ballot in 4th Congressional District race

0
0

Although only 2,000 signatures are needed to appear on the ballot, the fact that Kennedy collected so many is a typical boasting point among candidates to show a large political machine working in their support.

Joseph P Kennedy IIIMassachusetts Democratic candidate for Congress Joseph P. Kennedy III gets into a car outside the Democratic State Convention in Springfield, Mass. on Saturday, June 2, 2012. Kennedy is the son of former U.S. Congressman Joseph Patrick Kennedy II. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

NEWTON - Democrat Joseph Kennedy III turned in more than 7,000 signatures this week, far surpassing the 2,000 required to officially land him on the ballot in the race to represent the 4th Congressional District in Massachusetts, a seat currently held by longtime Democratic Rep. Barney Frank, who is retiring at the end of his term.

Kennedy, the son of former U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy II and a grandson of the late Robert F. Kennedy, is facing Republican competition from Sean Bielat, a U.S. Marine and businessman; former state mental health commissioner Elizabeth Childs and Fall River dentist David Steinhof.

On Monday, Julius "Jules" Levine, a Democratic Boston University professor also vying for the seat, dropped out of the race, endorsing Kennedy in the process. That leaves Herb Robinson, the Newton Democrat who dropped out of the U.S. Senate race in Massachusetts in December, as Kennedy's only potential in-party competition.

Although only 2,000 signatures are needed to appear on the ballot in accordance with Massachusetts election law, the fact that Kennedy collected so many is a typical boasting point among candidates to show a large political machine working in their support. Of the 7,000 signatures dropped off at the secretary of the commonwealth's office, only 4,093 were actually accepted, as the office takes up to double the amount needed.

In a statement, Kennedy said he has visited every city and town in the 4th district at least once, held more than 100 events in the district, signed up more than 1,200 volunteers and held numerous phone banks, canvasses and organized meetings across the district, all of which he says emphasizes his campaign's dedication to grassroots efforts.

"From the signatures collected to the phone calls made, and doors knocked – the grassroots energy behind this campaign is incredible," Kennedy said in a statement. "Thanks to the absolutely tireless work of our staff, volunteers and supporters, I am honored to have a place on the Democratic ballot in the 4th Congressional District primary election. I couldn't ask for a better team by my side in the days, weeks and months ahead."

Since jumping in the race, Kennedy has landed endorsements the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts union, the Massachusetts Nurses Association and the National Education Association political action committee.

Longmeadow's clay tennis courts put back in play

0
0

A Longmeadow family, which chose to remain anonymous, donated more than $15,000 to revitalize the courts and pay for maintenance equipment.

LONGMEADOW - Five years after maintenance funds were redirected to the town athletic fields, the clay tennis courts at Bliss Park have reopened.

Parks and Recreation Director Bari Jarvis said the courts opened on June 1.

A Longmeadow family, which chose to remain anonymous, donated more than $15,000 to revitalize the courts and pay for maintenance equipment.

"This is something we have wanted to do for a very long time," said Park Board Chairman Jim Brennan. "We have been exploring various revitalization options over the past five years, including grants and privatizing the courts in exchange for maintenance. This was very timely and we are very grateful."

Jarvis said she has already received a lot of positive feedback from residents particularly those who live in the neighborhood near the courts.

"People are happy to see them repaired," she said.

One of the reasons the courts were not repaired is that they are more expensive than regular hard cover courts and require a lot more maintenance.

"They have to be brushed off every time they are used; they have to be rolled and protected from the elements. They just require more attention," Jarvis said.

During a March Select Board meeting, Town Manager Robin Crosbie had announced that a resident would agree to pay for the repairs if the town made a commitment to maintain the courts. The maintenance for the clay courts is estimated at $3,000 to $5,000 per year.

Jarvis said that there are already programs and tournaments slated to be played at the clay courts this season. The courts are free and open to the public.

State law stipulates that widow of slain Springfield police officer Kevin Ambrose to receive his full salary for life

0
0

Ambrose was shot to death after responding to a call for a domestic dispute in Sixteen Acres.

kevin ambrose mug shot.jpgKevin Ambrose

SPRINGFIELD — Under state law, the widow of slain Police Officer Kevin Ambrose will receive his annual salary, tax-free, for the rest of her life, according to local and state retirement officials.

In addition, there is a one-time payment of $100,000 to the family of an officer killed in the line of duty, provided through the Massachusetts Retirement Board, under state law.

Ambrose, 54, was shot and killed in the line of duty on Monday afternoon, after he responded to an emergency call for a domestic dispute at an apartment building on Lawton Street in Sixteen Acres.

The gunman, Shawn Bryan, 35, of Hempstead, N.Y., shot Ambrose through a door, and then opened the door and shot him again in the third floor hallway at 90 Lawton St., according to police. Bryan then shot Charlette Mitchell, 29, inside the apartment, and went to his car, and killed himself with a single gunshot to the chest, police said.

Mitchell, initially in critical condition, was upgraded to stable condition Tuesday at UMass Medical Center in Worcester.

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

Under state law, Chapter 32, Section 100, a pension is paid to a surviving spouse of any police officer, firefighter, or correctional officer killed in the performance of his duties.

Anne C. Leduc, executive director of the Springfield Retirement System, said the amount received by the wife is the regular compensation of the officer annually for the rest of her life and is a non-taxable death benefit, under the law. Ambrose’s annual base salary was $57,304, according to city payroll records.

The annual pension payment made to the spouse “shall be equal to the amount of salary which would have been paid.. had he continued in service in the position held by him at the time of his death;” the law states.

Ambrose had not filed for retirement prior to his death, according to city records. He is listed as having nearly 35 years of creditable service in the retirement system, Leduc said. His date of hire is listed as July 15, 1977, according to city personnel records.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno has ordered that the flags at City Hall and all municipal buildings be lowered to half-staff for the foreseeable future, which includes all school buildings and libraries.

Thomas T. Walsh, communications director for Sarno, said he has received calls from some business entities, including Balise, and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, offering their condolences and confirming the protocol for flying flags at half-staff.

Funeral plans for Springfield Police Officer Kevin Ambrose, killed in the line of duty, tentatively set for Friday

0
0

Shooting victim Charlene Mitchell, 29, is in stable condition at UMass Medical Center in Worcester, police said.

kevin ambrose.jpgSpringfield Police Officer Kevin Ambrose, who was killed in the line of duty responding to a domestic dispute call on Monday.

SPRINGFIELD - Funeral services for Officer Kevin Ambrose, killed in the line of duty Monday afternoon, are tentatively set for Friday and expected to draw as many as 4,000 to 6,000 law enforcement officers to the city, police said.

“The brotherhood in blue is very strong and they are going to come out for it,” said Sgt. John M. Delaney.

Charlene Mitchell, 29, shot by her estranged boyfriend, Shawn Bryan, 35, during the incident in the Sixteen Acres neighborhood is now in stable condition at UMass Medical Center in Worcester, Delaney said.

Police credit Ambrose with saving the lives of Mitchell and her baby girl, Delaney said.

Delaney, who is working with members of the Ambrose family to finalize services, said more information should be available Tuesday afternoon.

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 fallen officer’s body, escorted by some 20 city and state police cruisers, was borne to the state Medical Examiner’s Office in Boston Tuesday morning for autopsy.

Delaney said the police officers and troopers are now standing by to bring Ambrose back home.

Bryan went to his car after the shootings, got inside, and fatally shot himself in the chest.

Investigators, meanwhile, continue to probe the case. “It’s still ongoing,” Delaney, aide to Commissioner William J. Fitchet said. “Like any investigation of this magnitude there is a lot of people involved in it.”

2 finalists named for free WMass. campus

0
0

The billionaire family that's giving away a 217-acre campus in Western Massachusetts has narrowed potential recipients to two.

Gallery preview

By JAY LINDSAY, Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — The billionaire family that's giving away a 217-acre campus in Western Massachusetts has narrowed potential recipients to two.

Grand Canyon University, a for-profit Christian school in Arizona, and the North American Mission Board, the Southern Baptist Convention's missions and evangelism arm, are the last groups in the running for the Northfield site.

The Green family of Oklahoma will make a decision in the coming weeks.

The Greens obtained the former property of Northfield Mount Hermon prep school in 2009, intending to give it to a new Christian college. When that fell through, the Greens decided to give it away to a conservative Christian group. There have been dozens of suitors.

Grand Canyon would establish a second campus there. The mission board would train missionaries and create a pastoral retreat center.

Springfield Sonic Drive-In opens on Boston Road

0
0

Cars queued up 4 and 5 deep in the Walmart parking lot on Boston Road hours before lunchtime.

SPRINGFIELD — Cars queued up four and five deep in the Walmart parking lot on Boston Road hours before lunchtime Tuesday in anticipation of Western Massachusetts' first Sonic Drive-In location and its famous roller-skating car hops.

Sonic had its grand opening Tuesday at 1057 Boston Road.

“Right at the moment for most people it is a new concept that they have been hearing about only in national advertising,” said Steven J. Hurwitz, owner of the location with his brother Michael E. Hurwitz, father Stuart J. Hurwitz and their business partner Aaron D. Spencer. “But the people who know Sonic, they love the drinks, we have slushes and shakes and so many different combinations. I think there is something like 400,000 different drink combinations once you start paring this vanilla with that strawberry and so on.”

Sonic also features hand-made onion rings. Entrees are burgers, hot dogs and chicken sandwiches. Combo meals start at about $5 and go up to $8.

Founded in Shawnee, Okla., in 1953, Sonic Drive-In has 3,500 locations. Most of those locations are in the South and West, but the company is establishing beachheads in the Northeast, Steven Hurwitz said.

The next-nearest Sonic Drive-In is in Manchester, Conn., Hurwitz said. His group doesn’t own that location. But they do have the rights to open more Sonic locations in Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester counties.

Hurwitz and his partners already own Uno Chicago Grill locations on West Columbus Avenue in Springfield, in the Holyoke Mall and in downtown Worcester.

In 2010, they opened a Pollo Campero chicken restaurant at the Boston Road location before closing it about a year later.

“It just never took off,” Hurwitz said. “We marketed the heck out of it. Everyone who ate there liked it.”

Hurwitz said he and his brother hired 85 people to open the Sonic. There will be some attrition as the crew gets its legs under it, but Hurwitz expects the restaurant will have 65 or 70 employees at any given time.

In addition to driving up for car hop service, customers can order inside or via a drive-up window.

On Facebook, the location already has 1,100 fans.


Billerica superintendent Charles Lyons defends comments about 'brown' kids at Dean Technical High School in Holyoke

0
0

He said the point he was trying to make is that Dean has a disproportionate number of students of color who are trying to learn English, or are special education students.

Charles Lyons.jpgCharles Lyons

HOLYOKE – A Billerica superintendent whose comments about students atDean Technical High School angered officials here said Tuesday he was only reporting what he saw in a two-day visit on the state’s behalf.

Charles Lyons acknowledged the comments – “All I saw were ‘brown’ kids. I didn’t see one white kid” – perhaps could have been stated less offensively. But he stood by them because his point was his observations showed Dean had a disproportionate number of students of color, students who were trying to learn English and special education students. This city of 40,000 is nearly half Hispanic.

“I guess my reaction is, are they upset with what I said or are they upset with what I saw?... I stand by my comments, although it might have been said differently. I stand behind what I saw there,” said Lyons, superintendent of the Shawsheen Valley Technical School District.

He visited Dean May 14 and 15 as a volunteer consultant for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in a continuing review of the city’s vocational school. The review will feature a decision Friday on whether the nonprofit agency that has been managing Dean since July will stay on amid conflicts with local officials about autonomy.

The state last year ordered the city to hire a manager because public school efforts had failed to improve years of chronically poor academic results at Dean.

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.

Lyons made the comments May 30 in a meeting at the state education offices in Malden. Officials present included state education Commissioner Mitchell D. Chester, Holyoke Superintendent David L. Dupont, Ward 3 School Committee member Dennis W. Birks Jr. and Executive Director Joan E. Schuman of the Collaborative for Educational Services, of Northampton, the agency that has been managing Dean. Federal and other grants are paying the Collaborative $606,520 a year.

“‘I’ve been superintendent of the Shawsheen Valley Technical School District for 26 years,” Lyons said over the phone. “I volunteered my time to go out there and what I saw was depressing. This should be a call for action.”

J.C. Considine, state education department spokesman, said Lyons’ intent wasn’t to be offensive but to provide an experienced educator’s observations. The state now is waiting for information from the city about enrollments of Hispanic, English language learners and special education students at the city’s two high schools, Dean and Holyoke High School, he said.

“I can tell you that it was not Superintendent Lyons’ intent to offend anyone,” Considine said.

The School Committee voted 8-1 Monday to send a letter of protest about Lyons’ comments to Chester. Birks, who said he is the father of a “brown eighth-grade boy with special needs” who attends Dean, called Lyons’ comments “very disturbing.”

Dupont said Tuesday that what Lyons saw at Dean was not a disproportionate number of students in a particular category, but a reflection of Holyoke.

“The city of Holyoke has a lot of poor kids and a lot of minority kids and a lot of special education kids,” Dupont said.

The important point about Dean, he said: “We’re still looking at trying to fix a school.”

Assistant Holyoke School Superintendent Kimberly Wells provided statistics she said will be sent to the state. The numbers seem both to counter and support Lyons’ remarks about Dean having disproportionate numbers of Hispanic, special education and English-learning students.

Of the 366 students who entered ninth grade in September, 116 went to Dean, 240 to Holyoke High and 10 to the Center for Excellence, an alternative school, city statistics show.

Of the 366 ninth-graders, 350, or 96 percent, were Hispanic. Dean got 112, or 32 percent, of those students, Holyoke High 210, or 60 percent, the Center for Excellence got 10, or 3 percent, with the remainder either students who had been held back or for whom information was unavailable, city statistics show.

The ninth-graders included 108 students who were English language learners. Dean got 52, or 48 percent, Holyoke High 42, or 39 percent, and the Center for Excellence 7, or 6 percent, city statistics show.

The ninth-graders included 126 special education students. Dean got 50, or 40 percent, Holyoke High 42, or 39 percent and Center for Excellence 7, or 6 percent, city statistics show.

Sen. Scott Brown and Elizabeth Warren to debate in Boston; no other cities agreed upon yet

0
0

While Warren's campaign has agreed to a debate in Springfield hosted by a media consortium organized by The Republican and MassLive.com, Brown's campaign has not yet responded to the request for a Springfield debate.

Scott Brown VS Elizabeth WarrenDemocratic U.S. Senate hopeful Elizabeth Warren and Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown have agreed to a series of debates across the state, although the details are still being worked out.

Shortly after this story was posted, Sen. Scott Brown's campaign agreed to a debate in Springfield. The updated post can be found here.


Although the details are still being worked out, Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown and Democratic Harvard Law School professor Elizabeth Warren may be debating on a TV set near you in the coming months.

Following the ousting of immigration attorney Marisa DeFranco from the Democratic challenger pool at the party's state convention in Springfield on Saturday, Warren said she was looking forward to debating Brown.

And though no dates have been set, both Brown and Warren have mutually agreed to debate in Boston at an event hosted by Jon Keller of WBZ-TV, the Hub's CBS affiliate.

Despite that one agreement, it seems the respective campaigns are yet to mutually agree on several other pending offers for debates, including one to encompass the western part of the state that would take place in Springfield.

Warren has said she will take part in four total televised debates.

While Warren's campaign has agreed to the WBZ-TV debate and one in Springfield hosted by a media consortium organized by The Republican and MassLive.com, Brown's campaign has not yet responded to the request for a Springfield debate.

Additionally, the Brown campaign did not immediately return a phone call requesting a response to the Springfield proposal Tuesday afternoon.

On his own, Brown has also agreed to radio debate offers from WBZ's Dan Rea and WTKK's Jim Braude and Margery Eagan.

"It is of paramount importance that the people of Massachusetts be able to hear from both candidates for U.S. Senate,” said Mindy Myers, campaign manager for Elizabeth Warren, in a statement. “Televised debates will allow voters across the state to hear about the issues from both candidates and see the clear contrast between them.”

In a press release from the Republican incumbent's campaign, the sentiment was similar.

"Elections are fundamentally about differences on policy issues, and voters deserve to know where their candidates stand," Brown said. "I believe we should keep taxes low, rein in government debt and spending and implement pro-growth policies that will spur job creation and put people back to work. My opponent wants to raise taxes and increase spending, which will hurt jobs. That's why I am pleased to accept this TV debate offer so that Massachusetts voters will be able to see these differences for themselves."

As the details get ironed out and the two campaigns presumably have a conversation to determine when and where else they will debate, the details will be reported on Masslive.com.

Local radio stations Rock 102 and Lazer 99.3 schedule Wednesday fundraiser for family of slain Springfield police officer Kevin Ambrose

0
0

Two local radio stations are planning a joint fundraiser Wednesday to raise money for the family of Springfield police officer Kevin Ambrose, who was shot to death Monday.

SPRINGFIELD - Two local radio stations are planning a joint fundraiser Wednesday to raise money for the family of Springfield police officer Kevin Ambrose, who was shot to death Monday. 

Rock 102 will be accepting donations at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on West Columbus Avenue, and Lazer 99.3 will be collecting in the parking lot of the Eastfield Mall on Boston Road. 

Both collection sites will be staffed from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Both stations are encouraging people to stop by and donate on their way to work, during lunch breaks or at the end of the work day.

A spokesman for the two stations said all money raised will go directly to the Ambrose family. 

People can also donate online at www.Rock102.com or lazer993.com


Timothy Forbes of Springfield, accused of biting off part of basketball coach's ear, too dangerous to be released, judge rules

0
0

Defense lawyer Vincent Bongiorini said the victim's behavior will be an issue at Forbes' trial.

Timothy Forbes mug 2012+.jpgTimothy Forbes

SPRINGFIELD – Despite an impassioned argument from his defense lawyer, Timothy Forbes will still be held without right to bail, Hampden Superior Court Judge Tina S. Page ruled Tuesday.

Page said there are no conditions under which Forbes – accused of biting off part of the ear of a youth basketball coach – can be released without posing a danger to the victim, the victim’s family and the general public.

The charges faced by Forbes, 34, of 62 Catherine St., are mayhem, assault and battery causing serious bodily injury and assault and battery.

The attack on Jose Feliciano, who coached the winning team at the Holy Name School on Alderman Street, happened when players were in a line shaking hands after the game March 9.

Vincent A. Bongiorni, Forbes’ lawyer, told Page in his argument Monday his client has always obeyed all restraining orders, each of which were only in place for a short time, against him.

“You have a gentlemen who in the past has demonstrated his ability to obey court orders,” Bongiorni said, arguing for Forbes release with an order to stay away from the victim and other conditions.

Two of Forbes’ children, ages 12 and 13, were in the courtroom for the hearing, he said.

All three of the women who took out restraining orders against Forbes in the past “are here today,” Bongiorni said, either in person or by way of letter to say they do not fear Forbes.

Those included Forbes’ mother, who was in the courtroom, and the mothers of two of Forbes’ five children.

Bongiorni challenged the prosecution’s ability to prove all the charges against Forbes.

Bongiorni said, “Sure Mr. Feliciano and Mr. Forbes were involved in an argument – altercation – and there’s a small portion of Mr. Feliciano’s ear missing, but that’s not the true barometer of whether or not Mr. Forbes will obey a court order.”

“We expect when this case goes to trial there are going to be some issues with respect to Mr. Feliciano’s conduct. I’m not going to get into them at this point,” he said.

Assistant District Attorney Max Bennett said witnesses to the incident testified the attack on Feliciano was completely unprovoked.

Bennett pointed to “the sudden nature” of the biting and the setting of “a gymnasium filled with school-age children.”

Bennett said Forbes has a hair trigger temper.

“He can go off in a gym filled with children – what happens if someone cuts him off on the way home,” Bennett said.

Bongiorni said there is no instance where Forbes has had a problem with strangers.

Massachusetts, Connecticut economic development officials predict growth; Massachusetts employers lose some optimism

0
0

Associated Industries' business confidence index fell from 57.1 points in April to 56.8 points in May on a 100-point scale where 50 is neutral.

AIM004.jpg

ENFIELD – Top economic development officials from both Massachusetts and Connecticut expressed optimism Tuesday in the face of recent poor jobs numbers and bad economic news from Europe.

Growth will be slow, said Gregory P. Bialecki, Massachusetts secretary of housing and urban development. He said Massachusetts economic advisers are predicting a 2 or 2.5 percent rate of growth in the near future.

His Connecticut counterpart, Catherine H. Smith, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Economic Opportunity and Community Development, said she is hearing at least anecdotally that businesses are getting ready to move ahead with long-delayed plans for growth.

“A lot of people are on the cusp of making that decision to hire that next person or buy that next piece of equipment, Smith said.

Last week, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said the national as a whole added just 69,000 jobs in May. State jobs numbers won’t be available until later this month.

Smith and Bialecki addressed 370 business people and government officials from both Connecticut and Massachusetts gathered at the Holiday Inn Springfield-Enfield. The Hartford-Springfield Economic Partnership is dedicated to marketing the entire six-county region called New England’s Knowledge Corridor as one single region.

AIMMAY@.jpg

Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks is considered a critical asset for the region and Smith fielded several questions about increasing Western Massachusetts’ influence on the new Connecticut Airport Authority that now runs Bradley.

Despite the officials’ tempered optimism, employers in Massachusetts lost confidence in the economy last month according to a poll released Tuesday by Associated Industries of Massachusetts, a Boston-based business lobbying group.

Associated Industries Business Confidence Index fell from 57.1 points in April to 56.8 points in May on a 100-point scale where 50 is neutral.

It’s the first time the index has fallen since October 2011.

“We have very inconclusive but disturbing news from Europe. We have had a string of negative employment reports,” said Andre Mayer, senior vice president of communications and research for Associated Industries. “Obviously the news has not been disastrous but has not been positive.”

The hiring picture looks substantially unchanged since April with 31 percent of employers saying that plan to add staff in the next six months and 12 percent foreseeing cuts.

Maybury Associates Inc. in East Longmeadow is hiring, president John F. Maybury said. Maybury, who attended the Hartford-Springfield event, said his customers are starting to expand again. his company provides material-handling equipment like conveyors and lift trucks to industries and warehouses.

“I work with everyone, Friendly’s, Lenox, Hasbro,” he said. “That makes me a good bellwether. And things are picking up.”

Chicopee honors police officers for actions during shooting, remembers fallen Springfield officer

0
0

A moment of silence was held in the memory of Springfield Officer Kevin Ambrose who was shot to death Monday.

Gallery preview

This is an update of an earlier story

CHICOPEE – When Officer David W. Benoit answered a call for help he found, a man standing on a porch firing semi-automatic weapons and a state trooper lying on the ground bleeding assisted by a police officer and civilian.

“I knew the most important thing was to get the officer out of there,” he said.

Working with troopers and city police, Benoit managed drive his cruiser through the gunfire. While some officers protected the trooper with shields, another grabbed John Vasquez by the shirt and dragged him into the car. Benoit rushed him to Springfield’s Baystate Medical Center.

“The guy definitely wanted to kill a police officer. He was aiming for anyone in blue,” he said.

Tuesday the Chicopee Police Department recognized nine of its police officers, three state troopers and a civilian for bravery related to the April 13 shooting on West Street.

That morning Carlos Gonzalez-Lauger sprayed bullets over downtown for two hours. He injured Vasquez and a woman while holding his former girlfriend and her young son hostage. Gonzalez-Lauger committed suicide and had been shot by police.

Benoit, Chicopee Officer Johnny Jusino and state troopers Kellar Williams and Vasquez were awarded the Medal of Valor, the highest honor given, by Chicopee Police Chief John R. Ferraro.

Chicopee Capt. Thomas Charette, Sgt. Roy Landry and officers Brian Lepage, Mark Page, Ryan Romano, Joseph Brunelle, Timothy Foley and Trooper David Podworski were awarded Meritorious Service Ribbons.

Those officers provided cover and rescued a driver and two women and a child trapped in a school bus in the line of fire, Ferraro said.

Ward Hamilton, a retired New Haven Conn. police officer, was given a commendation for jumping into the line of gunfire to help Vasquez.

The Tuesday ceremony was marred by the death of Springfield Patrolman Kevin Ambrose, who was killed while responding to a domestic dispute call. A second victim, Charlene Mitchell, was also shot and seriously wounded. The shooter, Shawn Bryan,committed suicide.

Ferraro opened the ceremony asking for a moment of silence and offered his sympathy and assistance to Springfield Police.

Many officials including U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, Massachusetts State Police Col. Superintendent Marian J. McGovern, Hampden County District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni and Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette thanked the officers.

Ferraro complimented his officers for bravery and excellent work under the worst circumstances.

“Everyone was ready to accomplish that task in an efficient and professional manner,” he said.

Several speakers reminded the crowd police are held to a higher standard but are human.

“You area group that is indispensable,” Mastroianni said. “You are a group a that is questioned by everyone. Every split second decision you make is looked at and questioned.”

But no one questioned the work done April 13.

Benoit said main concern is about the lack of enforcement on people who violate restraining orders. Gonzalez-Lauger had violated restraining orders in the past and should have been in jail.

Trooper John Vasquez, who was shot in the finger and the leg, attended. He said he hopes to return to work in July.

“We were going to help with the call of shots fired and no one knew where the firing was coming from. When I turned the corner he started firing on my cruiser,” he said.

He thanked his fellow officers who helped him escape from the line of fire.

Jusino, a member of the department’s special response team, said he was surprised by the medal.

“I did not think I was doing anything special. Our focus was to stop the threat,” he said.

Arrangements released for calling hours, funeral of slain Springfield police office Kevin Ambrose

0
0

As many as 4,000 out-of town police officers are scheduled to participate in the funeral procession on Friday.

Gallery preview

SPRINGFIELD - The Springfield police have released details for the calling hours and funeral for slain officer Kevin Ambrose.

As many as 4,000 out-of town police officers are scheduled to participate in the funeral procession on Friday, and police are warning members of the public to anticipate traffic delays in Sixteen Acres.

Calling hours will be Thursday from 2 - 7 p.m. at Sampson’s Chapel of the Acres Funeral Home, 21 Tinkham Road.

Out-of-town police officers are being asked to park at the campus of Western New England University, 1215 Wilbraham Road. Buses will be available to shuttle people back and forth between the parking lot and the funeral home.

The funeral is scheduled for 11 a.m. at St. Catherine of Sienna Church, 1023 Parker St.

Out-of-town officers are being asked to assemble at Greenleaf Park at Vincent and Barnett streets, roughly 1 1/2 blocks from the church. Attendants will be onhand to assist with parking. At the request of the Ambrose family, out-of-town officers are being asked not to go to the funeral home before the church service.

Following the service at the church, the procession will march to Hillcrest Cemetery, 895 Parker St. for the graveside service.

Afterward, people are invited to Court Square in downtown Springfield for a reception. Buses will be available to provided transportation from the cemetery, and the parking areas under Interstate 91 will be available at no cost for police officers.

Between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Friday, motorists are being asked to avoid Tinkham Road and Wilbraham Road between Parker Street and Tinkham Road.

Parker Street will be reduced to two lanes as the east side of the road will be closed to traffic for the procession between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Traffic will be rerouted by members of the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department and the Massachusetts State Police.


View Kevin Ambrose funeral plans in a larger map


Elizabeth Warren, Scott Brown agree to televised Springfield debate

0
0

Republican U.S. Sen. Brown and Democrat Warren have so far agreed to televised debates in Springfield and Boston.

feb2012 scott brown vs elizabeth warren.jpgRepublican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown and Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren have now mutually agreed to a debate in Springfield and one in Boston.

This updates a story posted at 5:50 p.m. Tuesday.


The dates aren't set, but Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown and his Democratic rival Elizabeth Warren will be participating in televised debates in Springfield and Boston in the 2012 Massachusetts U.S. Senate race.

Late Tuesday afternoon, Brown's campaign manager Jim Barnett confirmed that his campaign has followed Warren in agreeing to add a Springfield debate, involving many Western Massachusetts media outlets, to their list.

"Scott Brown has already accepted invitations to three debates, including a televised debate with Jon Keller," Barnett said in a statement. "Today he has accepted the offer to the Springfield debate, and hopes that Professor Warren will join him at the radio forums with Dan Rea, Jim Braude and Margery Eagan. He will be there in-studio with or without her."

Following the ousting of immigration attorney Marisa DeFranco from the Democratic challenger pool at the party's state convention in Springfield on Saturday, Warren said she was looking forward to debating Brown.

In addition to the Springfield debate, which is tentatively slated to take place at Symphony Hall, both candidates have also agreed to debate in Boston at an event hosted by Jon Keller of WBZ-TV, the Hub's CBS affiliate.

Although the two sides are on board with the aforementioned debates, it seems the respective campaigns are yet to mutually agree on several other pending offers for debates.

Warren said Tuesday that she will take part in four total televised debates.

On his own, Brown has also agreed to radio debate offers from WBZ's Dan Rea and WTKK's Jim Braude and Margery Eagan.

"It is of paramount importance that the people of Massachusetts be able to hear from both candidates for U.S. Senate,” said Mindy Myers, campaign manager for Elizabeth Warren, in a statement. “Televised debates will allow voters across the state to hear about the issues from both candidates and see the clear contrast between them.”

In a press release from the Republican incumbent's campaign, the sentiment was similar.

"Elections are fundamentally about differences on policy issues, and voters deserve to know where their candidates stand," Brown said. "I believe we should keep taxes low, rein in government debt and spending and implement pro-growth policies that will spur job creation and put people back to work. My opponent wants to raise taxes and increase spending, which will hurt jobs. That's why I am pleased to accept this TV debate offer so that Massachusetts voters will be able to see these differences for themselves."

As the details get ironed out and the two campaigns presumably have a conversation to determine when and where else they will debate, the details will be reported on Masslive.com.

UMass trustee finance committee recommends 4.9 percent fee hike

0
0

Fees would be frozen if the state would fund 50 percent of the university cost.

umass logo umass shield.jpg

AMHERST – University of Massachusetts students came a little bit closer to paying nearly 5 percent more in student fees in the fall after the Board of Trustees' Committee on Finance and Administration approved the hike Tuesday afternoon in Dartmouth.

The full board is scheduled to vote Wednesday morning, but typically supports the recommendation of the finance committee.

The hike amounts to about $580 on average but UMass Amherst students will pay closer to $630. The hike follows a 7.5 rate hike imposed last year.

That increase hiked fees by $880 bringing the cost of tuition and fees for in-state students to $12,612 at the start of the 2011 academic year.

The new hike means in-state students in Amherst will pay about $13,292 in tuition and fees. Tuition, however, is $1,714 and the remainder is fees. This hike does not include room and board. Those costs have not been set.

Three years ago, trustees approved a $1,500 fee hike, but about $1,100 was returned based on a sliding scale. The full $1,500 was imposed the following year. Students will see more than $3,000 in fee hikes since then.

The trustees called the 4.9 percent “a pragmatic middle course,” according to a press release and will generate $25 million in net additional revenue.

Gov. Deval L. Patrick's proposed $32.3 billion fiscal 2013 budget includes $455 million for the five-campus UMass system, up 6 percent from the current budget. 


But system costs rose because of a $34 million increase in union contract increases and a $29 million hike in the debt service from borrowing to pay for construction and renovation across the five campuses, according to UMass figures.

Board of Trustees Chairman James J. Karam proposed an amendment that said the university would freeze tuition and fees for in-state, undergraduate students in academic years 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 if the state agrees to fund 50 percent of the cost of the University’s education programs. Currently the state pays about 45 percent of the cost.

“After much internal debate and soul-searching, we are trying to steer a moderate course on this difficult issue,” said UMass President Robert L. Caret, according to the release.

“On one hand, I was attracted to the idea of freezing tuition and fees, but that would have forced us to make dramatic and unacceptable cuts in a range of programs to offset rising labor and debt-service costs.”

Earlier this year, Caret said he had been hoping to keep fee hikes to the rate of inflation.

UMass Amherst Student Government President Akshay Kapoor said Monday that students were relieved fees would not rise as much as last year, but the increase was still disappointing.

Fallen Springfield police officer Kevin Ambrose's kindness, humility recalled

0
0

His fellow officers believe Ambrose died intent on saving the life of the young mother and her child. Watch video

Gallery preview

SPRINGFIELD – Kevin Ambrose kept his skills of diplomacy sharp with 36 years on the street as a police officer, and his build trim over as many years on softball fields and golf courses when not on duty.

kevin ambrose mug shot.jpgKevin Ambrose

Both had served him well on the job. Colleagues still reeling from the killing of Ambrose on Monday said the fallen officer could easily hit a golf ball more than 300 yards off the tee or nail a ball anywhere he chose in an outfield.

More importantly, Ambrose had always been equally as accurate sizing up potentially explosive scenarios he encountered every day as a uniformed officer.

“He had an uncanny ability to make people laugh in the worse situations. Back when we were young cops ... we were always taught to separate the combatants,” said Raymond Muise, now a chief security officer at MassMutual who rode in a squad car with Ambrose when the two were rookies in 1997. “Kevin would take the man, and I’d take the woman, or vice versa, and a few minutes later you’d always hear laughter coming from the room where he was.”

Ambrose, a husband, father of two and a grandfather, was fatally shot by a New York corrections officer, Shawn Bryan, during a routine call in the early afternoon. As he had done hundreds of times before, Ambrose had been called to ensure the safe passage of a television set to Bryan from the man’s estranged girlfriend, Charlene Mitchell, who had just obtained a restraining order against him.

The call for assistance seemed anything but volatile. But, on this occasion, Ambrose’s intuition, experience and his burly build couldn’t help him when faced with a man intent on killing his girlfriend and anyone who got in his way, according to his fellow officers.

Bryan shot at Ambrose through the door to his girlfriend’s apartment, shot Mitchell with their 1-year-old daughter close by and, later, fatally shot himself in the chest in his car, parked outside a Lawton Street apartment building.

Robert McFarlin 6512.jpgRobert McFarlin

“When we game this, there’s nothing we’ll find that he did wrong. This is the most routine thing we do. If a guy is intent on killing you, there’s not a whole lot you can do,” said Deputy Chief Robert McFarlin during an emotional interview in his office less than 24 hours after Ambrose’s death.

Like McFarlin, many officers kept their grief behind closed doors. On the outside, it was business as usual: A line formed in the lobby at 130 Pearl St. as people came in for traffic complaints and made reports about stolen items. Routine dispatches crackled over the radios, while purple and black memorial bunting was being draped outside.

“We all recognize that this is part of the deal here, and we accept it as part of the job,” McFarlin said, before choking up and then continued haltingly. “But, this guy could’ve retired last year. He could’ve had his pension and been playing golf every day.”

Like Muise, McFarlin had come on the job in the 1970s with Ambrose. He rode in a car on the midnight to 8 a.m. dog watch with Ambrose to patrol the Mason Square neighborhood. The two got married and had kids young, McFarlin said, and cut their teeth on incessant calls about break-ins, bar fights and domestic disputes.

In 1985, McFarlin responded to the dreaded call of “officer down,” when patrolmen Alain Beauregard and Michael Schiavina were shot and killed during a traffic stop on Stebbins Street in the city’s Old Hill neighborhood.

“I still remember the positions of their bodies, and Michael’s eyes being wide open, but he was dead. But we were young guys. We just didn’t understand at the time,” McFarlin said. “I’ve known this guy more than 40 years.”

Like most who knew Ambrose well, McFarlin recalled his friend’s quick sense of humor and athletic prowess. The two shared another quality: They were both southpaws, and McFarlin notes that Ambrose was hit in his left shoulder by Bryan’s first shot, likely rendering him unable to go for his gun.

“He (Bryan) was only supposed to go up there and get his goddamn TV and take it back to New York,” McFarlin said, breaking down again.

Officers who followed Ambrose onto the force remembered him as a kindly mentor and being among the few officers uninterested in meting out the subtle hazing that rookies were expected to endure.

John Delaney 6512.jpgJohn Delaney

“I remember when I came on as a cadet and was just awestruck by him and his partner,” said Sgt. John M. Delaney, executive aide to Commissioner William J. Fitchet. “When you’re the new guy, you’re kind of shunned and put aside, but he wouldn’t look at you that way. He was just a good-natured guy and made you feel a part of the Police Department.”

Delaney also recalled playing in golfing foursomes with Ambrose at tournaments and marveling how far he could drive the ball. On the job, however, Ambrose flew under the radar.

He earned commendations in 1978 for his assistance at a house fire, in 1993 for assisting an elderly woman who had her purse snatched, in 1999 for helping to catch a bank robber, and in 2005 for assisting at a near-drowning in Five Mile Pond.

Ambrose made a conscious choice to stay in uniform as a patrol officer instead of chasing promotions, Muise said.

“Every time you get promoted, you have to go back to the dog watch. Of all the guys who started on the night shift in our car, Kevin hated working nights the most. He didn’t like the impact it had on his family,” Muise said.

Muise began hearing calls over the scanner on Monday from his post at MassMutual, and the strand made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

“I heard the ‘officer down’ calls, and I heard Kevin’s name. I thought: it couldn’t be – he’s too savvy and too good to get caught in something like that. I was in disbelief, thinking of all the crazy things we went through as young cops together. All of those times, the most we ever got were stitches or a lump on the head,” Muise said.

In addition to leaving his wife, Carla, and his children, Kyle and Krista, colleagues say that among Ambrose’s legacy will be the lives of Mitchell and the couple’s child, who was unharmed in the incident.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that Kevin died trying to save that girl’s life,” said now retired Sgt. Dennis O’Connor, who worked with Ambrose for more than 30 years before retiring in 2010. “He was just a kind, dedicated and hard-working police officer; if you had 600 people lined up in parking lot and you could pick just five to be on your team, Kevin would be my first pick.”

Aardon Tarjick of Pittsfield gets 19 to 25 years for 17 counts of child rape

0
0

The former Middlefield resident was found guilty of 17 counts of sexual acts toward two separate child victims for charges that were brought in Berkshire and Hampshire counties.

SPRINGFIELD – Aaron Tarjick of Pittsfield was sentenced Tuesday to 19 to 25 years in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised probation, following his conviction Monday by a Hampshire County jury on three counts of forcible rape of a child under 14 , one count of aggravated rape of a child, one count of rape and abuse of a child and over a dozen related charges.

Tarjick will also be required to register as a sex offender under the sentence imposed by Judge C. Jeffrey Kinder in Hampden Superior Court in Springfield.

Tarjick, 36, was found guilty of a total of 17 counts of sexual acts toward two separate child victims for charges that were brought in Berkshire and Hampshire counties and joined for trial in Hampshire Superior Court.

“Justice has been served,” Assistant District Attorney Linda Pisano, chief of the child abuse unit of the Office of Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan, said.

Pisano praised the “incredible courage” the victims showed in telling their story. “The bravery of the victims has helped other children be safe,” she said.

The acts for which Tarjick was found guilty include 11 counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, and one count of open and gross, lewd and lascivious acts.

He was found innocent on one count of posing and exhibiting a child in a state of nudity.

Tarjick’s actions first came to light when the biological father of one of the victims notified State Police that he was en route to pick up his 13-year-old daughter in Middlefield after she had notified him via a text that she had been sexually assaulted by the defendant.

The investigation resulted in a search warrant being executed at the defendant’s Middlefield home. He was arrested on Aug. 18, 2010, and indicted by a Hampshire County Grand Jury on Sept. 22, 2010 for multiple acts that occurred between May and August 2010.

The Hampshire and Berkshire County Grand Juries also indicted the defendant’s wife, Mackenzie Tarjick, 34, also of Pittsfield, for one count of wanton or reckless endangerment of a child under 18. Her trial is scheduled for this summer.

During the course of the investigation it was learned that the defendant had committed similar acts towards the same victim and another victim in Dalton and Becket. As a result of these offenses, a Berkshire County grand jury indicted the defendant for four counts of forcible rape of a child, eight counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 and posing and exhibiting a child in a state of nudity. The Berkshire County offenses occurred between 2006 and May 2010.

Ludlow selectmen fail to agree on school budget recommendation

0
0

Selectmen are trying to reach a recommendation prior to the annual Town Meeting.

LUDLOW - Selectmen Tuesday discussed increasing their recommendation for funding for next year’s School Department budget but came to no agreement.

Selectmen said they will seek to meet Monday with the Finance Committee regarding an increase to the fiscal 2013 school budget.

Finance Committee member Maureen “Kim” Downing said the Finance Committee is slated to meet with the School Committee on Wednesday, but will try to move the meeting up to Monday night.

Manual Silva mug 2012.jpgManuel Silva

School officials say the proposed $25.4 million school budget for fiscal 2013 is $579,000 less than this year’s budget.

School officials said they will have to cut 15 staff positions next year including 10 teachers, a guidance counselor, two teacher aids and two tutors to stay within the budget recommended by the Finance Committee and the selectmen.

At the Tuesday selectmen’s meeting Downing said she would support an additional $150,000 for next year’s school budget which would include $36,000 for the School Department’s share of a police officer for the schools and $114,000 now expected in additional Chapter 70 state aid to the schools.

Selectman Manuel Silva said he felt $250,000 would be a more reasonable increase to give the School Department.

Silva has said he does not want to see a Portuguese language program at the high school reduced as has been proposed due to the decreased funding.

The School Department is currently negotiating with teachers for a new teachers’ contract, but so far has requested no additional funds for a contract settlement, Downing said.

She said that when school officials meet with the Finance Committee next week, they should present a figure of how much will be needed to fund collective bargaining agreements.

Selectmen had first proposed that a budget recommendation be finalized next Wednesday night in advance of the June 18 annual Town Meeting.

Town Administrator Ellie Villano said she needs more time to notify town meeting members of any changes to the budget recommendation so selectmen said they would try to hold all meetings and finalize their budget recommendation on Monday night.

Viewing all 62489 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images