The mayor has designated $250,000 of a federal grant for a skateboard park.

Staff photo by Bob SternHolyoke is considering two sites to build a skateboard park with a federal grant.

HOLYOKE – A public hearing to discuss two proposed sites for a skateboard park is scheduled for Wednesday at 6:30 at the War Memorial, 310 Appleton St.

“In order to ensure that the location of the park is in the best interest for all involved, public input is needed and encouraged,” Teresa M. Shepard, director of the Parks and Recreation Department, said in a prepared statement.

Mayor Alex B. Morse has designated $250,000 of the city’s share of the federal Community Development Block Grant for a skateboard park.

The choices are at Pulaski Park on Maple Street and at the Center of Excellence on Cabot Street, Shepard said.

Construction is scheduled for next spring and the park is set to open in summer 2013, she said.

Translation services will be available at the public hearing, she said.

The fiscal 2013 budget approved by the City Council does not call for any layoffs and maintains the current level of servcies.

Richard Cohen

AGAWAM – The City Council has unanimously adopted Mayor Richard A. Cohen’s proposed fiscal 2013 budget of $77,385,217, a spending plan 5.2 percent or $3,837,587 more than this year’s budget. The council approved the budget by an 11-0 vote at its meeting Monday.

Cohen Tuesday praised officials for the spirit of cooperation that he said made it possible for unanimous approval of his spending plan.

“I’m very happy that it passed as the administration and departments worked very hard and diligently on the budget,” Cohen said.

The mayor attributed the unanimous approval of his spending plan after no more than an hour of discussion to councilors questioning him about it prior to Monday’s meeting.

The city’s budget for the municipal financial year that starts July 1 is balanced and does not call for any layoffs. The budget is based on using $1,250,000 in free cash, which should still leave about $4 million in the free cash account.

It allows for a School Department spending of $36,488,490, the amount recommended by the School Committee.

That budget reflects an increase of about $2 million, or 5.9 percent over this year’s school spending. It is a so-called “level of services” budget that maintains the existing level of School Department services.

The spending plan also calls for a total of $3,247,555 to fund Town Hall departments including the Mayor’s Office, an increase of 6.7 percent. Spending for police, fire services, emergency management and inspection services as well as street lighting costs totals $8,858,316, an increase of 5.2 percent. The Department of Public Works budget comes to $4,851,962, an increase of 6.9 percent.

Budget making this year got a boost from so-called new growth, or increased value to the city’s property tax base, of about $2.7 million. Much of that was due to work by Western Massachusetts Electric Company setting up new power towers.

The budget maintains the current level of services, is balanced and does not call for any layoffs.

“Obviously, we are very happy there are not any layoffs or cuts in services,” City Council President Christopher C. Johnson said of the fiscal 2013 budget.

The energy-saving measures target such areas as heating, air conditioning, kitchens, lighting and weatherization, mostly in the schools.

SOUTH HADLEY – Town Meeting members Tuesday night approved entering a 20-year contract with Siemens Industries to apply energy-saving measures in town buildings and facilities, with a guarantee that their investment of $1.9 million will pay for itself because of the money they will save on utilities and products.

This major project will include Town Hall, the Police Department, the Council on Aging, the Wastewater Treatment Plant, South Hadley High School, Smith Middle School and the two elementary schools.

The energy-saving measures target such areas as heating, air conditioning, kitchens, lighting and weatherization, mostly in the schools.

The contract had been under discussion for two years, with the Capital Planning Committee recommending the action on certain conditions.

One of those conditions involved hiring someone to oversee the maintenance of town and school buildings.

Town Meeting approved a proposal to hire a firm to fill the position until they got to the point where they could specify what they needed in a facilities manager. The position will pay $60,000.

“We need to do a better job of maintenance in the future,” said John Hine, chairman of the Selectboard.

Both proposals were argued at length, with Edward Boisselle, speaking as a member of Town Meeting, proposing that the Siemens contract be reduced to 10 years instead of 20. That amendment was defeated.

Several requests for new machinery to replace worn products were also approved. These included a new backhoe, tractor, chipper, dump truck with plow and upgraded information technology.

Much of the machinery being replaced was aging and breaking down. Of the chipper, for example, the existing model is 26 years old, with an engine running poorly because of extensive use after October’s snowstorm.

Repairs to the engine of the chipper alone were estimated to cost about $5,000. The new chipper is expected to cost $30,000.

Town Meeting also voted unanimously to spend $2,938,000 on repairing school buildings. The money will be used to fund a new phone system and several items in the high and middle schools.

In the high school, floor tiles and a gym floor will be replaced, and the chimney will be repaired. In the middle school, the pool’s water heater, air conditioner and rooftop dehumidifier will be replaced. Parts of the roofs on both buildings will be repaired.

Off-duty police and firefighters attended the meeting at CIty Hall to see how the council would treat budgets.

Republican file photo

HOLYOKE – The City Council Tuesday defeated individual councilors’ bids to make six-figure cuts in the police and fire department budgets for next year.

Those decisions included preserving full funding of the more than $1 million in extra pay to police for college degrees commonly known as the Quinn Bill.

The council did make $178,000 in cuts in other areas of the budget that Mayor Alex B. Morse proposed to run the city in the fiscal year that begins July 1. But the council approved most of Morse’s proposed $124.3 million spending plan by a vote of 12-3 at City Hall.

Morse’s proposal is an increase of about $4 million, or 3 percent, over the $120 million budget approved for the current fiscal year.

Councilor at Large Joseph M. McGiverin said at the outset the proposed budget barely provides enough for police, fire, public works and the city procurement office.

He said he hoped it wouldn’t be cut at all, but councilors then began two hours of proposing and voting on line item cuts.

Dozens of off-duty police and firefighters watched in City Council Chambers to see how their budgets would get treated.

Ward 5 Councilor Linda L. Vacon proposed cutting the Quinn Bill line item in half, from the $1,026,000 proposed by Morse to $513,000.

That would reflect the state’s decision to stop paying half the cost of municipalities’ police educational incentives and acknowledge the city’s inability to pay the full share, said Vacon, who said she intended “no disrespect” to police.

“I have all the respect in the world for the work” of police, Vacon said.

But the only councilor to join Vacon was council President Kevin A. Jourdain.

Others like Jason P. Ferreira and Todd A. McGee said the Quinn Bill issue was better left to the mayor to deal with in contract negotiations with the police unions.

“I think the right way to do this, the proper way, is through negotiations,” said Ferreira, Ward 4 councilor.

The council is unauthorized to get involved in collective bargaining. But Jourdain, a lawyer, said the Quinn Bill wasn’t a contractural issue and could be determined by the council.

Officer James J. Bartolomei, president of Local 388, International Brotherhood of Police Officers, said the union appreciated councilors’ support.

“We felt it was a strong vote in our favor,” Bartolomei said.

Ward 2 Councilor Anthony Soto tried but failed to cut the Fire Department budget. Proposals to cut $232,165 of the $464,000 for deputy chiefs and the entire $77,000 for supervisor of fire alarms both died from lack of a councilor to second the motions.

“We are very top heavy. There is no need for six deputies in the city of Holyoke,” Soto said.

A later order on the agenda from Soto about another Fire Department item prompted rebukes from some councilors as Soto criticized Fire Chief John A. Pond for what he said was Pond’s failure to provide him information on several matters.

The Soto order, which was referred to committee, asked the Fire Department to provide the City Council with copies of all certifications required by state Civil Service of alarm room operators.

Pond refers him to the Fire Commission when he requests information, said Soto, a former Fire Commission member.

“With other departments, it doesn’t work like this. You just ask for things....We have a chief who’s not being a chief,” Soto said.

“This is abusing the chief,” Councilor at Large James M. Leahy said.

“We have someone over there we’re paying $90,000 to run the department,” Soto said.

Pond’s yearly salary is $104,500.

As councilors protested, Jourdain said, “Councilor Soto has the floor.”

Pond, who was in the audience, later said the only time he referred a Soto request to the Fire Commission was when the councilor sought a copy of the firefighters’ contact.

“It’s clearly a personal attack against me. I don’t know why,” Pond said.

The firefighters union appreciated the council’s dispatching of Soto’s orders, said Timothy J. Leary, president Holyoke Fire Fighters Association, Local 1693, International Association of Fire Fighters.

“I want to thank the city councilors for voting the way they did,” Leary said.

The largest cut the council approved was $90,000 in the Law Department. The cut, proposed by Vacon, reduced from $150,000 to $60,000 the line item for hiring outside legal counsel.

Ward 7 Councilor Gordon P. Alexander supported the cut and said City Solicitor Elizabeth Rodriguez-Ross has said she wants to reduce the use of outside counsel.

“I think we should encourage her by not fully funding this line,” Alexander said.

The council also approved a McGee proposal and cut the Police Department line item for reserve officers by $40,000, from $100,000 to $60,000. The cut was prompted by Police Chief James M. Neiswanger telling councilors in a budget hearing he planned to use only part of that line item, McGee said.

“I’m just taking back what he’s not going to use,” McGee said.

The largest share of the budget consists of funding for the schools at $64.2 million. About 50 school employees will be laid off because funding problems on the school side that include expiration of grants and increased costs for busing of homeless students, officials have said.

Many of the departments had positions cut to part-time in 2010.

The Republican/Michael Gordon

PALMER- The Town Council, at its meeting Tuesday, restored several positions to town departments that had experienced budget cuts in previous years, but also opted not to fund the new economic development position at this time.

Positions were restored or added in the town clerk's office, Planning Department, Public Works Department, Wastewater Treatment Plant, assessor's office, Board of Health and Council on Aging. A request to add a part-time employee to the accountant's office was denied.

Early on in the discussion, District 2 Councilor Barbara A. Barry said she felt it was a "terrible position" that the council was put in, "picking and choosing what departments to restore positions to."

"There's a recurring theme, everyone needs more help. Everyone is underfunded," Barry said.

District 4 Councilor Donald Blais Jr. agreed with Barry.

"That's the hardest thing about this budget process, having to pick and choose," Blais said.

Barry said this is the first time in her years on the council that there has been money to add to budgets, but said she was concerned that improvements to infrastructure,
such as roads and bridges, were not taken into account.

The part-time health agent position was made full-time, at a salary of $51,000.

Councilors debated what "full-time" would be, with District 1 Councilor Philip J. Hebert saying it should be 40 hours a week. Fees the office charges also will be reviewed.

Council President Paul E. Burns, the only councilor opposed to making the health agent full-time, suggested adding $10,000 to the position, saying he thought it was a "little extreme" to jump to a full-time position. At-large Councilor Mary A. Salzmann said having a full-time agent would mean the person would work exclusively for Palmer.

Barry said she felt it was a step in the right direction for a community of 12,500 people.

Regarding the request to restore the clerk's position in the town clerk's office from part-time to full-time, Town Manager Charles T. Blanchard said it would only add $4,746 to that budget. Blanchard said part-time staffing at the Town Hall "has a real impact on customer service to our residents." Barry and Salzmann were the only councilors voting against the restoration, with Burns, Blais, Hebert and Karl S. Williams voting in favor of it. District 3 Councilor Blake E. Lamothe was absent.

Councilors unanimously supported adding a part-time clerk to the Planning Department for $13,000. Barry noted that the town planner has been working by herself for several years now. The previous clerk left for a position in another town in 2010 and the job was never filled.

The Council on Aging van driver will see his hours increase from 30 a week to 35, adding $2,359 to the budget. Senior Center Director Erin E. Pincince previously said that having more hours will allow the drivers to assist more seniors.

The part-time position in the assessor's office will go to full-time, a change of $15,000 a year to $26,000. That was unanimously approved by the council. The council also unanimously approved adding a 14th position to the Public Works Department at an approximate salary of $45,000, and restoring a clerk's position at the Wastewater Treatment Plant to full-time.

Barry said she felt the council should hold off on funding the $25,000 economic development position until there was a plan in place for it.

"I disagree. I think it's important to take that step in earmarking the money," Burns said.

Salzmann suggested revisiting the position before the council sets the tax rate, which happens in November or December. Barry, Salzmann, Blais and Hebert voted against funding it. Burns cast the only vote in support, while Williams abstained.

The Town Council will vote on the fiscal 2013 at its meeting Monday at 7 p.m. at the Town Building.

A man was rushed to the hospital for a serious stab wound to the chest Tuesday night following a stabbing in the Hollywood section of Springfield's South End.

The Republican file photo

SPRINGFIELD - A man was rushed to the hospital Tuesday night with serious stab wound to the chest, and police are working to identify the assailant, Springfield police Capt. William Collins said.

The man, whose name was not available, was stabbed at around 8 p.m. on Niagara Street in the cluster of apartment buildings in the South End known as Hollywood.

Collins said the man was semi-conscious and unable to talk to police before he was taken to the hospital. He said officers are hoping to talk to him after surgery.

Police were trying to find witnesses to the stabbing but so far people in the area are not cooperating, he said.

More information will be posted as it becomes known.

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"We were able to cover the cost for the past two years, and we're confident we can do it for another year," Jeannie R. Guertin, a member of the Lacrosse Association's board of directors, said.

File ohoto by Don Treeger / The RepublicanRachel Smith fights for a loose ball during a Monson High School girls' lacrosse game in April.

MONSON - Thanks to the Monson Lacrosse Association, there will be a lacrosse program at the high school next year.

"We were able to cover the cost for the past two years, and we're confident we can do it for another year," Jeannie R. Guertin, a member of the Lacrosse Association's board of directors, said on Tuesday.

The association has been funding the high school program for the past two years. It has approximately 160 students in kindergarten through 12th grade playing on lacrosse teams.

The school district was supposed to fund the high school program for the 2012-2013 school year, but due to a budget shortfall, the athletic budget was cut, and officials said lacrosse would likely be eliminated. The news of the sport's elimination at the high school attracted a crowd of supporters to a School Committee's meeting last month, who pleaded with members to keep lacrosse.

Donna M. Mastroianni, lacrosse association president, said the decision to fund it again was made after a meeting with the high school principal, athletic director and superintendent.

"We're happy to be able to do it again," Mastroianni said.

"They've always been supportive of it," Mastroianni said about school officials. "But money's always an issue."

She said the association will have to come up with approximately $8,000 to cover the high school cost for the varsity boys and girls teams, plus the club junior varsity team. That doesn't include the cost of running the kindergarten through eighth grade program.

The association will have a booth July 4 at Summerfest, where it will raffle off Boston Red Sox tickets and a signed Red Sox jersey. A car wash may be held later in the summer, and in the springtime, it will hold its annual spaghetti supper fundraiser. Those are some of the ways it funds the program. It also accepts donations and holds other events throughout the year.

The Monson Lacrosse Association started as a way to give the town's children a way to enjoy their sport in Monson. Many were traveling to Wilbraham to play lacrosse there.

The association pays referees, transportation and field fees, and also purchases equipment and uniforms for the players, all through fundraising. She said the association was concerned about losing the high school program, and how it would affect membership at the younger levels.

"Where's the incentive for the kids to play?" Mastroianni said.

Mastroianni has two children at the high school who play lacrosse. Her oldest son has graduated, but he also played lacrosse. Guertin, who has two children playing lacrosse, said everywhere she goes, people ask her about the fate of the varsity program.

The mayor said having the position will send a message Holyoke values the arts, and that will help the economy.

File photo | The RepublicanHolyoke City Hall.

HOLYOKE – The City Council voted 11-4 Tuesday to establish a city director of arts, culture and tourism as proposed by Mayor Alex B. Morse.

Morse said he appreciated the support of councilors whom he said recognized that such a position would help the city mobilize the talents and strengths of its creative sectors. That will send a message that the arts are important here, and that will help the economy, he said.

“I think tonight the City Council took a big step in the right direction and I think it’s a great night for Holyoke,” Morse said.

The vote came deep into a meeting at City Hall in which the council spent the first few hours proposing and voting on cuts to Morse’s budget of $124.3 million for the next fiscal year.

The $40,000 yearly salary for the art director isn’t in the proposed budget. That means Morse will have to return to the council seeking an appropriation, probably around September when the state certifies the amount of free cash – money unspent in various accounts from this fiscal year – available to the city.

Councilor Daniel B. Bresnahan and others had raised concerns about paying for a new position while funding problems will force layoffs of about 50 School Department employees.

But Morse said the arts director was a sound investment for the city and the school problems involved funding specific to the School Department.

The council voted 10-5 to remove the arts director proposal from the Ordinance Committee, Councilor James M. Leahy wrote in a message on Twitter.

That means it was presented for a vote by the thinnest margin because taking a tabled item from committee during a meeting of the full City Council requires approval of 10 of the 15 councilors.

The councilors who voted against removing the tabled item were Todd A. McGee, Brenna M. McGee, Linda L. Vacon, Bresnahan and Leahy, Leahy said.

Leahy sided with the majority in voting to establish the new position, with Todd McGee, Brenna McGee, Bresnahan and Vacon voting no, Leahy said.

Voting yes were councilors Gordon P. Alexander, Aaron M. Vega, David K. Bartley, Rebecca Lisi, Joseph M. McGiverin, Gladys Lebron-Martinez, Jason P. Ferreira, Anthony Soto, Peter R. Tallman, Kevin A. Jourdain and Leahy.

The theme this year is “Safeguard your Heart,” which Zinsmeister explains refers to the deepest source of an individual’s attitudes and beliefs.

AMHERST – Commonwealth Avenue, sparsely peopled these days by summer students in T-shirts or jogging clothes, will soon be awash in the bright watercolor hues of ladies in high heels and gentlemen in ties.

Starting June 22, the Jehovah’s Witnesses will be back for their district’s summer conventions, spread out over seven weekends at the Mullins Center at the University of Massachusetts.

They come from all over the commonwealth, as well as Connecticut, Vermont, New York and Rhode Island, and they’ve been meeting in Amherst for these conventions for more than 20 years.

About 5,000 members are scheduled for each convention, according to George Zinsmeister of Sunderland, an elder of the Amherst congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

There’s a reason these annual guests dress in their Sunday best, says Zinsmeister. “During the time we’re there, the Mullins Center is our place of worship,” he said.

The theme this year is “Safeguard your Heart,” which Zinsmeister explains refers to the deepest source of an individual’s attitudes and beliefs. The scriptural reference is to Proverbs 4:23, which is translated as: “More than all else that is to be guarded, safeguard your heart, for out of it are the sources of life.”

The conventions will be conducted June 22-24, June 29-July 1, July 20-22, Aug. 10-12 and Aug. 17-19 in English, and July 27-29 and Aug. 3-5 in Spanish.

Each convention begins at 9:20 a.m. on a Friday and ends at 3:40 p.m. on a Sunday.

It includes Bible readings, services, symposia, baptisms and singing. “We do a lot of singing,” said Zinsmeister. “It’s our way of praising God.”

A dramatic production is also scheduled for Sunday afternoons. This year it is titled, “What Is True Love?” For the first time, the actors will wear modern dress. In past years, they were outfitted in costumes alluding to Biblical times.

The conventions are part of a series of 385 being held by Jehovah’s Witnesses in 103 cities in the United States this summer, according to Zinsmeister.

The suspect allegedly threw the rock on Plainfield Street shortly before 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

Melvin Cruz-Arroyo

SPRINGFIELD – Police arrested a 19-year-old city man early Wednesday after he allegedly threw a rock through the front window of a tractor trailer truck as the driver headed north on Plainfield Street.

“It shattered his front window,” said Officer Richard Rodrigues, adding that the driver was not injured in the incident, which occurred shortly before 3:30 a.m.

The driver saw police officers Juan Hernandez and Roberto Gonzalez nearby, stopped and out pointed out the suspect, Rodrigues, a spokesman for Commissioner William J. Fitchet, said.

After a brief foot pursuit, Gonzalez arrested the suspect on Clyde Street. The victim identified the man as the rock-thrower, Rodrigues said.

Melvin Cruz-Arroyo, of 100 Division St., was charged with malicious damage to a motor vehicle. He had apparently been showing off to some females, Rodrigues said.

Earlier this year, during a six-week period in March and April, over 14 such incidents of rocks being thrown at vehicles were reported in the area of Plainfield and West streets, Rodrigues said.

That spree ended, at least until this morning, with the arrest of four 12-year-olds, he said.

Sen. Scott Brown and Elizabeth Warren have thus far agreed to three televised debates in the Massachusetts Senate race.

Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown and Democratic rival Elizabeth Warren have agreed to three televised debates so far in the Massachusetts Senate race. (AP file photos)

Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown has accepted a challenge from his Democratic rival in the Massachusetts Senate race, Elizabeth Warren, to a debate hosted by a consortium of media outlets in Boston. But the junior senator's RSVP came with a challenge of his own.

In a statement released Wednesday, Brown's Campaign Manager Jim Barnett, accepted the debate proposal from the Boston media the Boston Globe, NECN, WCVB-TV, WGBH-TV, WHDH-TV, WBUR and WGBH radio in Boston, while urging the Harvard Law School professor to join Brown in a radio debate hosted by WBZ Radio's Dan Rea.

"Scott Brown is accepting the debate invitation from the Boston media consortium," Barnett said. "He will be at the first debate at WBZ radio on June 27, just seven days from now. We hope that Elizabeth Warren will stop dodging and join us next week so we can discuss the problem with her extremely liberal tax and spend policies and why they will kill jobs and further damage the economy."

Warren's camp didn't immediately respond to the challenge although they have previously stated that they are reviewing all proposals and were frustrated about the Brown camp's refusal to sit down and discuss a schedule.

On his own, Brown has also accepted a debate offer from WTKK Radio's Jim Braude and Margery Eagan, to which Waren has not yet responded.

The announcement that the Boston media group's televised debate will take place comes on the heels of Tuesday's news that a debate hosted by the University of Massachusetts Boston and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate would not happen, considering conditions Brown said must be in place for him to agree.

Brown said his acceptance of the debate proposal was conditional on Vicki Kennedy, the widow of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, remaining neutral for the remainder of the Senate race.

Organizers Lisa McBirney, chief operating officer of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, and Christopher Hogan, chief of staff for the Office of the Chancellor at the University of Massachusetts Boston rejected the demand on Tuesday.

“This non-endorsement pledge is unprecedented and is not being required of any other persons or entities,” they wrote in a letter to the Brown and Warren campaigns. “To us, such a pledge seems inappropriate when a non-media sponsor issues a debate invitation.”

In addition to the debate hosted by the Boston media group, Brown and Warren have agreed to another televised Boston debate hosted by WBZ-TV's Jon Keller and one in Springfield involving a consortium of media outlets in Western Massachusetts.

On Wednesday morning, Ford urged the jury to continue its deliberations on the final count.

The Republican | Michael S. Gordon06.20.2012 | NORTHAMPTON -- Steven B. Morse, left, leaves Hampshire Superior Courtroom 2 behind his lawyer, Michael Jennings, right, after a partial day of jury deliberations following his trial on charges related to an Aug. 17, 2010 boating fatality in Huntington. The jury will resume its deliberations on Thursday after failing to come to unanimous agreement on one of the eight charges against Morse.

NORTHAMPTON -- The jury in the Norwich Lake boating fatality trial will resume its deliberations on Thursday after failed to come to unanimous agreement on one of the eight charges against Steven B. Morse.

Morse, 37, of Westfield, is charged with involuntary manslaughter, boat homicide by reckless operation while under the influence of alcohol, boat homicide by reckless operation, operating a boat under the influence resulting in serious bodily injury, lying to police and three counts of child endangerment while under the influence.

Ten-year-old Augustus Adamopoulos of Ludlow died after the power boat Morse was operating on the Huntington Lake struck him on Aug. 17, 2010.The boy was fishing with his father when the boat ran over their kayak while pulling at water-skier.

On Tuesday, the jury reported to Judge Daniel Ford that it had reached verdicts on all but one count against Morse. There was no indication which charge was the sticking point or what the other verdicts are.

On Wednesday morning, Ford urged the jury to continue its deliberations on the final count. The judge read a standard charge given in such cases, assuring the panel there is no reason to believe a fairer or more intelligent jury could decide the case.

Ford let the jurors go at 1 p.m. because he had a meeting in Springfield he had to attend. He instructed them to return on Thursday morning.

The cooling center will be open from noon to 8 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday

HOLYOKE – The steamy weather has prompted Mayor Alex B. Morse to open a cooling center at the War Memorial Wednesday and Thursday

Spray parks at both Springdale Park and Pulaski Park will be operational this afternoon and tomorrow.

Temperatures, currently about 89 degrees in Springfield, are expected to hit the upper 90s today and tomorrow, CBS3 meteorologist Nick Morganelli said.

Rising humidity, meanwhile, will make it feel like temperatures have edged into the triple digits. Today, appropriately enough, is the first day of summer.

Morse, posting on Facebook, said the cooling center will be open both days from noon to 8 p.m. The War Memorial is located at 310 Appleton St.

The lawsuit accuses the DMV of reneging on a deal to film a TruTV series focused on the much-maligned government agency.

AP Ashton Kutcher

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ashton Kutcher's production company is suing because it isn't being allowed to spend more time at the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Katalyst Media Inc.'s breach of contract lawsuit accuses the California DMV of reneging on a deal to film a reality series focused on the much-maligned government agency and its customers.

The company produced Kutcher's show "Punk'd" and some of the actor's other projects and claims it is owed more than $1.4 million on the deal.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in Los Angeles.

It states the DMV backed out of the reality show on claims it was no longer in the agency's best interests, but it had already been promised to the TruTV channel.

DMV spokesman Mike Marando says the agency does not comment on active lawsuits.

Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren also supports abortion rights, and with fewer exceptions than Brown.

U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., puts on his jacket as he steps out of his pick-up truck while arriving for a campaign stop at Bunker Hill Community College in the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston, Wednesday May 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

U.S. Sen. Scott Brown is a rare combination: a pro-choice Republican.

However, his stance has done little to dissuade the state’s pro-life groups from supporting him – or to entice the state’s pro-choice groups to endorse him. And there still remains a significant difference on the issue between Brown and his Democratic challenger, Elizabeth Warren.

Last week, Brown brought abortion into the spotlight when he touted his vote for an amendment allowing women in the military to use federal funds for abortion care in cases of rape or incest. The press release from Brown capped a week when Brown focused heavily on women’s issues – talking about his support for reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act and releasing television and radio ads featuring his wife.

Both pro-life and pro-choice advocates point to Brown’s record. Brown supports abortion rights, with limitations: he opposes taxpayer funding of abortion, opposes partial-birth abortion, and supports strong laws regarding parental consent and notification. Brown has supported policies that expand women’s access to contraception, but he has also supported wide-ranging conscience clauses protecting those who object to providing contraception.

Brown’s campaign said his stance is clear, and that it is in favor of women’s rights. “Scott Brown believes Roe v. Wade is the law of the land, and that this decision should be made by a woman in consultation with her doctor," Brown spokeswoman Alleigh Marre said, referring to the landmark Supreme Court case legalizing abortion.

Kerry Healey, the former Massachusetts lieutenant governor and a pro-choice Republican who is supporting Brown's re-election bid, said in an interview, “From my standpoint, Scott Brown is firmly pro-choice.” She pointed to Brown’s respect for Roe v. Wade and his opinion that “decisions concerning abortion should be made by a woman in consultation with her doctor and her family.”

Healey said the issue of religious exemptions should be separate from the issue of abortion or contraception rights. “I think you’re mixing apples and oranges when you’re dragging in issues of conscience,” Healey said.

Warren, a Harvard law professor and consumer advocate, is also pro-choice. “Elizabeth's views on abortion are consistent with Roe v. Wade,” said Warren spokeswoman Alethea Harney. “She believes it is a private medical decision between a woman and her doctor and government shouldn't be involved.”

Warren would not support the same restrictions that Brown would.

Regarding partial-birth abortion, Harney said Warren “supports abortion services consistent with Roe v. Wade.” That case did not restrict partial-birth abortion (though later court decisions did).

Harney said Warren would not oppose a state’s decision to require that a trusted adult “be involved” in a minor’s decision to have an abortion. But Warren would oppose any law that required parental approval of a minor’s decisions.

Harney left open the possibility that Warren could support some federal funding for abortions. “Elizabeth believes that all Americans deserve access to vital health services and those who can't afford such services should receive assistance,” Harney said.

In the U.S. Senate, Brown has made at least two pro-choice votes where he opposed a majority of Republicans: his recent vote on abortion care for military women; and a vote opposing the defunding of Planned Parenthood.

Elsewhere, the issue has triggered Brown’s stated exceptions. In 2010, Brown opposed an amendment that would have effectively allowed military women to use private money to pay for elective abortions in military hospitals. While proponents of the bill said women would cover the entire cost with private money, opponents argued that federal funds would be used, because the abortions would take place at military hospitals.

On contraception, Brown has consistently supported so-called “conscience” amendments. The vote pro-choice advocates most frequently point to is his support for the Blunt Amendment in the U.S. Senate. Brown co-sponsored the amendment, which would have allowed employers or health insurers to deny insurance coverage for services they found religiously or morally objectionable, including birth control. The political arm of Planned Parenthood endorsed Warren with a statement pointing to Warren’s opposition to the Blunt amendment and Brown’s support for it.

When Brown served in the Massachusetts legislature, he twice voted for bills expanding access to contraception, but only after trying unsuccessfully to expand religious exemptions.

When the Legislature was considering a bill in 2005 requiring hospitals to provide emergency contraception to rape victims, Brown introduced an amendment that would allow doctors or nurses to opt out based on a “sincerely held religious belief,” as long as patients were referred elsewhere to get the contraception. The amendment failed, and Brown voted for the bill.

In 2002, when the Massachusetts Legislature required insurers to cover contraception, Brown voted for that policy, which included a narrow exemption for Catholic churches. Brown supported a larger exemption for other Catholic organizations, which did not pass.

Megan Amundson, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts, said based on five votes scored by NARAL relating to contraception, abortion and in one case a judicial nominee, Brown has a “largely anti-choice voting record.”

Dianne Luby, president of the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts, pointed to Brown's opposition to President Obama’s health care overhaul, saying it “remains unclear…to what extent we can really count on Senator Brown when it comes to protecting women’s health.”

In terms of pro-life organizations, Massachusetts Citizens for Life revived a defunct political action committee in 2009 to support Brown’s election campaign. President Anne Fox said she anticipates the group will support Brown again this year. “Obviously, we would love to have somebody who’s just 100 percent pro-life, but he made certain commitment when he ran and he has honored those commitments,” Fox said, pointing to Brown’s opposition to taxpayer funding of abortions and partial-birth abortion and support for parental consent laws.

Brown is not the only pro-choice Republican to emerge from Massachusetts. Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney was pro-choice when he was elected Massachusetts governor, though he is now pro-life. Republican governors Paul Cellucci and William Weld also supported abortion rights.

Fred Bayles, director of the State House program at Boston University’s College of Communication, said, “in a place like Massachusetts, if you want votes, you talk about being pro-choice… In Massachusetts, it’s like saying you’re for apple pie.”

Cooling centers have also been opened in Chicopee and Holyoke.

Michael Beswick / The Republican6/19/12 Forest Park - The dog days of summer are here as an English Bulldog takes a breather from chasing his ball at the Michael T. Downey Fields in Forest Park.

AGAWAM - A cooling center has been set up at the Senior Center on Main Street here as the mercury inches towards the upper 90s

The cooling center which opened this morning at 8, will remain open until 9 p.m. It will maintain the same hours on Thursday. The Senior Center is located at 954 Main St.

The West Springfield Senior Center, at 126 Park St., will operate a cooling center on Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Maximum heat indices, which measure the combined effect of heat and air moisture on human comfort, are expected to exceed 100 degrees both days, CBS3 meteorologist Nick Morganelli said.

The temperature in Springfield, as of about 2:30 p.m., was 94 degrees.

Chicopee and Holyoke are among the Western Massachusetts communities that have also opened up cooling centers.

In Hampden County, sales were up 26.9 percent from 227 homes in May 2011 to 288 in May 2012. The median sales price rose just 0.3 percent from $165,000 to $165,450.

Associated Press file

SPRINGFIELD – The number of single-family homes sold in the Pioneer Valley is up, but bargain-hunting buyers and the large number of bank-owned homes being sold are still driving down prices.

Sales volume across the Pioneer Valley rose 28.7 percent from 324 homes sold in May of 2011 to 417 homes sold in May 2012, according to statistics released Wednesday by the Realtor Association of Pioneer Valley.

The median price of homes sold fell by 1.3 percent from $179,325 in May 2011 to $177,000 in May 2012.

Over the last eight years the median price has fallen 7.6 percent from $191,600 in May 2005, also according to the Realtor Association.

On a month-to-month basis, single family sales rose 26.4 percent from 330 sold in April to 417 in May. The median price jumped 8.6 percent from $163,000 in April to $177.000 in May.

Linda S. Rotti, sales manager for the Amherst Office of Jones Group Realtors, said that while interest in high-end homes is growing most buyers are first-time home buyers lured in by low interest rates and large inventory of available homes. There has been less interest in high-end homes in recent years.

“Everybody has been conservative for the past few years based on the condition of the economy,” Rotti said.

A 30-year fixed rate mortgage averaged 3.75 percent for the week ending May 31, according to FreddieMac.com . That is lower than the 4.60 percent interest rate offered this time last year.

Barry N. Boccasile, director Growth and Development for Park Square Realty and manager of its Westfield office, said mortgages can be hard to get, though. Banks are looking for a lot of paperwork and those with poor credit are likely to get turned down.

But he said homes are getting more offers.

“Consumer confidence is sure not where it should be, but it is better than where it was last year,” he said.

One reason the median price has not risen is the high number of bank-owned and formerly foreclosed-upon homes on the market, said Kevin M. Sears, an owner and broker at Sears Real Estate in Springfield and 2010 president of the Massachusetts Association of Realtors. Bank-owned properties sell for 60 or 70 cents on the dollar, he said.

Sales volume might be up because of the mild winter, Sears said. These numbers are for closings, that is deals that started in March. March weather was fine this year, but in March 2011 homes for sale were buried under mountains of snow.

In Hampden County, sales were up 26.9 percent from 227 homes in May 2011 to 288 in May 2012. The median sales price rose just 0.3 percent from $165,000 to $165,450.

In Hampshire County, the median sales have risen 44.3 percent from 70 to 101. The median price fell 4.8 percent from $246,750 to $235,000.

In Franklin County, sales have risen 3.4 percent from 29 to 30. The median price has fallen 0.3 percent from $177,000 to $176,375.

Both students, a male and a female, were subsequently transported to a local hospital for treatment, police said.

STURBRIDGE -- The Sturbridge Police Department on Tuesday charged two Tantasqua Regional High School students from Brookfield with possession of a class E controlled substance.

Police said the charges were a result of an investigation of a possible overdose reported at the school. Evidence was seized from both subjects, and police believe both students ingested Amitriptyline, a prescription medication used to treat depression.

Both students, a male, 17, and a female, 15, were subsequently transported to a local hospital for treatment, police said.

The publisher of The Republican confirmed that the newspaper received a written proposal from two companies that would like to develop a casino on the site.

Brothers Paul, left, and Peter Picknelly, are negotiating to buy properties in Springfield that could be used for a casino.

It could be brother versus brother in a bid to build a possible downtown casino in Springfield.

Peter A. Picknelly, chairman and CEO of Peter Pan Bus Lines, is proposing a casino for the North End of Springfield. Last week, he was involved with submitting an offer to The Republican for an option on The Republican's 1860 Main St. building and other property.

His brother, Paul C. Picknelly , president of Monarch Enterprises in Springfield and a hotel owner and operator, has met with several city councilors in Springfield to discuss a proposal to develop a casino in the South End of the city.

It's unclear if either brother is in partnership yet with a casino operator or whether it's financially or otherwise viable to build a casino in the downtown of the state's third most populated city.

Neither brother could be reached for comment.

The state's casino law is designed to create a kind of competition that is emerging in Western Massachusetts for a casino.

Robert Schwarz, Executive Vice President of OPAL Real Estate Group, which is owned by Peter Picknelly, declined comment except to issue a statement indicating the group has been in talks with casino operators.

"Approximately two years ago, the OPAL Real Estate Group was formed to explore economic development opportunities which would create jobs and generate tax dollars in the City of Springfield and throughout the region.

As a result, we have been contacted by several casino operators interested in properties we own or control.

Any plan put forth will contribute to the economic, social and cultural revitalization of the City of Springfield and the region," said the statement.

View Springfield's North End casino proposal: The real estate puzzle in a larger map

In the map above, parcels in GREEN show land owned by business entities owned or managed by Peter Picknelly. Parcels in RED show land owned by The Republican Company. Parcels in BROWN show additional land adjacent to the casino proposal. Click on a parcel for additional information, including acreage and assessed value. (Map and research by Greg Saulmon | The Republican).

When questioned by a reporter, George Arwady, publisher and CEO of The Republican, confirmed that The Republican received a written proposal last week from two companies associated with Peter Picknelly. The two companies would like to develop a casino on the site, according to Arwady.

The proposal is for an option to buy The Republican's Main Street building and property, as well as the newspaper's eight vacant acres on the Connecticut River.

Arwady said The Republican has not responded to the option offer but is considering it. He said The Republican still needs to analyze the complicated offer.

Arwady declined to discuss certain details such as the name of the casino company.

Arwady sent a notice to all employees of The Republican, saying that the newspaper will continue with balanced coverage of the competing proposals for casinos in Western Massachusetts. [Read the full note below.]

To avoid the appearance of a possible conflict, Arwady said he would remove himself and business management from coverage of the story. Wayne E. Phaneuf, executive editor, will oversee coverage and won't be given any suggestions, criticism or feedback from himself or business managers, Arwady said.

The newspaper will write no editorials for or against any possible casino site, he said.

The option offer includes proposals for funds for The Republican to re-locate its offices and build a new production facility.

The current printing press would not be used in a new production facility, if one were built. Instead, a nearly identical printing press, currently idle in Michigan, would be brought to a new facility in Springfield and put into operation before current equipment were shut down, according to Arwady.

After that point, the current press would be removed and available for sale or other use.

Earlier, a different company proposed an agreement that could have led to an option on The Republican properties for a casino, but it never led to an option.

Peter Picknelly's casino proposal could also include an option on the former Kittredge Equipment Supply Co. building on East Columbus Avenue behind The Republican building.

The bid by Paul Picknelly in the South End is already stirring up residents who fear that it might require the moving of the minimum-security Western Massachusetts Correctional Alcohol Center on Howard Street to a property on Mill Street. A web site was created to oppose the idea.

Springfield City Council President James J. Ferrera III said he met with Paul Picknelly about a month ago to discuss a host of issues including the possibility of a casino in the city's South End.

The proposal might involve buying different properties. "That's a big undertaking," Ferrera said.

Ferrera, a member of Springfield's 15-member Casino Site Committee, said he told Picknelly he is keeping an open mind on all casino proposals at this point.

Zaida Luna, the Ward 1 member of the City Council, said she also met with Paul Picknelly, along with City Councilor Kateri B. Walsh and they talked about a casino. She said she is looking for the best proposal for the city.

"Anything is possible," Luna said when asked about a casino in the South End.

Luna, also a member of the casino site panel, said she is concerned with the possibility of moving the minimum-security facility operated by Hampden Sheriff Michael J. Ashe.

Richard J.McCarthy , a spokesman for Ashe, said today there are no plans to move the Howard Street regional correctional facility to Mill Street. The jail has been on Howard Street since 1986.

Ameristar Casinos of Las Vegas is planning a casino resort for 41 acres off Page Boulevard, about four miles or so from the downtown.

Ameristar officials have said they looked in downtown Springfield for a possible casino site but they said it was too complicated and would involve the purchase of several buildings.

The Mohegan Sun is planning a casino in Palmer. There is speculation that a fourth proposal for a casino in Springfield could also surface. Both Hard Rock Cafe and MGM
Resorts International have been mentioned as having an interest in the city.

Message to employees of The Republican

The Republican Co. Publisher and CEO George Arwady sent the following message to newspaper employees Wednesday regarding the casino proposal:

To Everyone:

The newspaper has been approached by several parties over the past several months about the possibility of optioning all or part of our property in Springfield for a future casino and hotel project.

A partnership associated with the owner of the Peter Pan Bus Company made a proposal last week to option all of The Republican's property in downtown Springfield, both the main facility and vacant land that we own near the river.

We are considering the proposal, but we have not responded. An article about this probably will go up on MassLive this afternoon and be in tomorrow’s paper.

The newspaper will not become an investor or equity partner in any casino projects. We are not in the casino business, and are not interested in becoming part of it. We are in this instance a property owner, pure and simple, with an offer in hand from someone wanting to buy our property.

The option offer includes proposed funds to relocate locally the newspaper's production facilities and office employees, in the event the Peter Pan partnership eventually secures the casino license for Western Massachusetts. If this were to happen, we would plan to move our operations to comparable or better facilities.

If you have not been following the casino story closely, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission is planning to award one single license – probably in 2014 -- for all of Western Massachusetts. We have published news stories about a number of potential competing sites in a variety of communities, including the City of Springfield. There is consideration of at least three potential sites within the city limits. Before any casino developer can even apply for the one license, it must negotiate a contract with the host community and obtain local voter approval.

The newspaper will continue its balanced news coverage of the various competing efforts to win that license, and Executive Editor Wayne Phaneuf will direct that reporting without any suggestions, criticism or feedback from the publisher or any other members of the newspaper's business management. The newspaper's own editorials will continue to avoid taking a position for or against this or any other particular casino site or developer.

The paper, however, will continue to welcome letters to the editor from the public, expressing opinions for or against any aspect of the news developments.

If anyone has any concerns or questions about this, please feel free to ask me directly or discuss with your supervisor.

-- George

The standoff between President Obama and the Republican-led House of Representatives moved into uncharted territory when Obama claimed executive privilege for the first time of his presidency to block a House investigation into a botched federal gun-running sting called “Fast and Furious.”

File photo by Greg Saulmon / The RepublicanFormer Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi arrives at federal court in Boston last year for the continuation of his corruption trial. Click on the link, above right, for a report from the Boston Globe that says the former Speaker has Stage 4 cancer.

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