Menard's last day in the library was June 15.

The Republican/Mark MurrayNancy E. Menard

PALMER - Palmer Public Library's director, Nancy E. Menard, has resigned, and the president of the Board of Directors hopes to have a replacement hired by the annual meeting in October.

Menard, who was hired in 2009, stepped down for personal reasons, according to John B. DiNuovo, president of the board.

DiNuovo said Menard's last day in the library was June 15, though her official departure date is July 15, as she has several weeks of unused vacation time.

An interim director will not be hired, and DiNuovo said the staff will continue with their usual duties.

Two part-time employees from BiblioTemps, an employment service from the Massachusetts Library System, will start work on Monday to help with the workload, he said.

An advertisement for the director position is being developed, and DiNuovo said he hopes that interviews can be conducted by the end of August or early September. He said the directors are working with the town in putting together a salary range for the job.

DiNuovo said the library will soon be installing 28 new computers. The library has 11 employees, 10 full-timers and one part-timer.

Menard, of Charlton, could not be reached for comment. She previously was the assistant director of the Wilbraham Public Library.

In Palmer, her salary was approximately $59,000.

ICE agents and Springfield police report that the retail store Main Source, located at 164 Main St., was in possession of the pirated media, including movies which are still playing in theaters.

AP Photo

SPRINGFIELD – Federal and state authorities seized about 10,000 pirated DVDs and compact discs on Monday after executing a search warrant at a clothing store in the Indian Orchard neighborhood of Springfield, according to a press release from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement .

ICE agents and Springfield police report that the retail store Main Source, located at 164 Main St., was in possession of the pirated media, including movies which are still playing in theaters. According to ICE, the raid was a part of an ongoing investigation regarding intellectual property theft.

The investigation was supported by the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center in Washington, which works against counterfeiting and piracy. As a task force, the IPR Center coordinates its 20 member agencies to share information, develop initiatives, coordinate enforcement and conduct investigations related to the theft on intellectual property.

Brown on Monday reiterated his support for securing the border and "turning off the magnets that encourage people to come into country illegally."

Supporters of immigration reform pause for a prayer during a news conference in front of the federal building that houses some offices of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in New York, Monday, June 25, 2012. The Supreme Court threw out key provisions of Arizona's crackdown on illegal immigrants Monday but said a much-debated portion could go forward -€” that police must check the status of people stopped for various reasons who might appear to be in the U.S. illegally. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown said the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on Monday to strike down parts of Arizona’s controversial immigration law “is another reminder that the federal government needs to deal with our broken immigration system.”

The court ruled that Arizona cannot make it a state crime for a person to be in the country illegally; cannot make it a crime for illegal immigrants to apply for a job; and cannot arrest someone solely out of suspicion that they are an illegal immigrant. The court upheld part of the Arizona law requiring police to check the immigration status of anyone they detain.

Arizona is one of several states that have implemented strict laws aimed at curbing illegal immigration. Proponents of the laws say states must step in, since the federal government has not successfully done so. The Obama administration challenged the Arizona law, arguing that the power to regulate immigration rests with the federal government, not the states.

Obama also announced recently that the Department of Homeland Security would give work visas and temporary relief from deportation to children of illegal immigrants who have met certain conditions. The policy is similar to the DREAM Act, an act Congress failed to pass in 2010 giving a path to citizenship to children of illegal immigrants.

Brown opposed the DREAM Act and the president’s decision. His Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren supported both.

Brown on Monday reiterated his support for securing the border and “turning off the magnets that encourage people to come into country illegally.” Brown has supported an employer verification system and penalties for employers who hire illegal immigrants. He also opposes giving drivers’ licenses and in-state tuition to illegal immigrants.

Brown said Warren “has the wrong approach.” “She supports amnesty and taxpayer funded benefits, including in-state college tuition, for those in the country illegally. She wants to make illegal immigration more attractive. I want to strengthen our legal immigration system and provide more opportunities for those who have played by the rules," Brown said.

Warren has said she supports in-state tuition for illegal immigrants for moral reasons and economic reasons, to ensure that more people can get an education. She supports giving illegal immigrants a path to citizenship, if they pay taxes and wait in line.

In response to the Supreme Court's decision regarding the Arizona case, Warren's campaign manager Mindy Myers released a statement reflecting the candidate's view on the topic.

“The Supreme Court's decision makes clear that Arizona overstepped its authority," Myers said in a statement. "While aspects of the ruling are cause for concern - specifically that it still may allow racial profiling by law enforcement - the overall effect of this decision is to reaffirm that the federal government, not the states, creates and enforces immigration laws. Scott Brown voted with South Carolina conservative Jim DeMint to prohibit the Department of Justice from even challenging the Arizona law - in effect, Scott Brown stood with the most controversial and radical immigration law in the nation. While Scott Brown stands in the way of sensible efforts to fix our immigration system, Elizabeth Warren will work for fair and comprehensive reform."

Obama said in a statement that the decision makes clear the need for Congress to act on comprehensive immigration reform. “A patchwork of state laws is not a solution to our broken immigration system – its part of the problem,” Obama said.

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney responded that Obama had broken his campaign promise to pursue immigration reform. “President Obama has failed to provide any leadership on immigration,” Romney said. “I believe that each state has the duty--and the right--to secure our borders and preserve the rule of law, particularly when the federal government has failed to meet its responsibilities.”

West Springfield officials would like to change the location of a library building project for which the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners has awarded the community $6.3 million.

Republican file photoThe Elm Street entrance to the West Springfield Public Library.

WEST SPRINGFIELD – The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners is expected to decide by its July 12 meeting whether it will allow local officials to switch the location of a library building project for which it has awarded the city $6.3 million.

Local officials want to use the grant, which was awarded to construct a new library at the site of Mittineague School, to instead rebuild the current structure housing the West Springfield Public Library on Park Street.

Sharon E. Scott, chairman of the Library Board of Trustees, said Friday she and others are hopeful the change will be allowed based on the strong local for the project. The Mittineague site is no longer available.

“The community support has just been awesome,” she said, alluding to a petition urging commissioners to approve the change signed by more than 3,000 people.

In addition, high school student Nick Motyka has made a video portraying crowded conditions at the library that is now on YouTube, according to Scott.

She as well as city councilors Brian J. Griffin and Bruce L. Gendron; Mayor Gregory C. Neffinger; state Rep. James T. Welch, D-West Springfield; state Rep. Michael J. Finn, D-West Springfield; five library trustees and Library Director Antonia Golinski-Foisy were among a contingent of local people who attended the state board’s June 7 meeting to plead the city’s case.

Local officials are currently working to get answers to questions about the situation posed by state library commissioners. Some of them are whether the city can provide enough parking for a revamped library and how much it might cost to rebuild the current structure.

Building on the site of Mittineague School has been estimated at $13.4 million.

“We are working really hard to get everything done. We are cautiously optimistic,” Scott said.

The Town Council has authorized borrowing $7.1 million for the project, a cost library trustees hope to lessen with proceeds from a local campaign to raise $2 million. Scott said the state library board has allowed a community to change the location of a project for which it has awarded a grant in only two instances. One involved having to change locations because of the discovery of Native American artifacts, according to her.

Mychelle L. Atkins, 23, of Springfield drown Friday while swimming in the Westfield River behind the Diamond Gold Connection near Park and River streets.

Republican file photo

WEST SPRINGFIELD – Police have identified the woman who drown Friday while swimming with friends in the Westfield River as 23-year-old Mychelle L. Atkins of Springfield.

Late Friday morning, West Springfield police were called to riverfront in the rear of the Diamond Gold Connection near Park and River streets as Atkins was submerged in the water. First responders used CPR to try to revive her, but their efforts were unsuccessful as Atkins was pronounced dead at Baystate Medical Center upon arrival.

Two West Springfield police officers were also taken to the hospital as a precaution following the water rescue, but were reportedly uninjured.

Supporters of Charles Wilhite were in the courtroom, but Wilhite was not brought to court.

The Republican/Michael GordonCharles Wilhite

SPRINGFIELD – Lawyers for Charles Wilhite, who has been granted a new trial after being convicted of murder, will argue July 2 that bail be set for the 28-year-old man.

Wilhite is currently held without right to bail.

William J. O’Neil, one of Wilhite’s lawyers, told Hampden Superior Court Judge Tina S. Page Monday the prosecution has not said whether it will try Wilhite again or dismiss the charge.

Wilhite, with co-defendant Angel Hernandez, was convicted of first degree murder in the October 2008 fatal shooting of Alberto L. Rodriguez on Pine Street in Six Corners.

After holding hearings, Hampden Superior Court Judge Peter A. Velis granted a new trial for Wilhite.

Velis did not reduce the jury’s verdict or reverse it to a not guilty finding, but instead granted the new trial.

Nathan Perez, one of the state’s witnesses in the trial, testified in a recent hearing he lied when he said at the trial he saw Wilhite shoot Rodriguez.

Wilhite’s efforts to get a new trial, or to get his conviction overturned, have generated an organized effort called “Justice for Charles.“

Dozens of supporters have been in court for recent proceedings and a group of supporters were in court Monday, although Wilhite’s lawyers had not had him brought to court for the quick status conference.

Kent W. Farber, who was president of the Foundation before Ancram was hired, will step in an in interim basis.

Republican File Photo11/16/11-Springfield-Staff Photo by Dave Roback-The Collaborator Award winner Ronald E. Ancrum speaks at the HAPHousing Envisioning a Resurgent Springfield Metro at the MassMutual Center in Springfield on Wednesday evening.

SPRINGFIELD – Ronald E. Ancrum has resigned as president of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts after three years at the helm.

Kent W. Farber, who was president of the Foundation before Ancram was hired, will step in an in interim basis.

Peter J. Daboul, chairman of the Community Foundation’s board of trustees, said Ancrum never moved his family to Springfield from the Boston area. The distance lead to Ancrum’s decision to move on, Daboul said.

“He’s done some good things,” Daboul said. “Ron was really good in reaching out and becoming more engaged in the community.”

Chief among Ancrum’s successes is City2City Greater Springfield, a program that gathered community leaders from Greater Springfield and sent them on fact-finding trips to Grand Rapids Michigan and to Winston-Salem and Greensboro, North Carolina.

The Community Foundation was established in 1991, Daboul said. it has about $120 million in assets under management and awards about $8 million a year in scholarships and grants. Last year, the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts put $250,000 toward tornado relief, Daboul said.

Daboul, who is a retired MassMutual executive now working as an executive in residence teaching business classes at Western New England University, said the Foundation has Farber on board at least through the fall. This time around, Daboul said the Froundation will look harder at local applicants for the job before going to a national talent-search company for help.

“In the past we’ve found some great people with a national church but getting them to relocate has been an issue,” he said.

Ancrum was born in Stamford, Conn., and currently lives in Canton. Prior to taking the Springfield job, he had spent the past eight years as president of Associated Grant Makers, a Boston-based association for foundation- and corporate-giving programs serving Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Ancrum also worked for nearly 20 years, mainly in admissions counseling, at Connecticut College, Colgate University and the University of Massachusetts-Boston.

He is married to Pam Cross, a reporter and anchorwoman for WCVB-TV in the Boston area. The couple have a daughter, Erica Ancrum.

The award came one day after Kevin Youkilis was traded.

Associated PressBoston Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks, right, went 10 for 16 last week.

BOSTON - One day after the Red Sox made it clear that Will Middlebrooks was their third baseman, the American League gave its own endorsement.

The rookie was named AL player of the week Monday after going 10 for 16 with three doubles, three home runs, 10 RBIs and six runs last week.

"I'm happy. I'm honored. But it's also only one week,'' said Middlebrooks, who is hitting .326.

"Hopefully I can keep it going.''

Middlebrooks said he was grateful for what he learned from Kevin Youkilis, who was traded to the Chicago White Sox Sunday.

At the same time, he said it's good to know he'll be playing every night.

"People coming in and knowing the lineup, it kind of slow things down for everybody,'' he said.

"You wake up and say 'I'm playing today.' It's comforting.''

Middlebrooks said he does not feel more pressure after being given the full-time job.

"I've put that on myself the whole time I've been here, to do well and help the team,'' he said.

Middlebrooks said he did not get a chance to speak with Youkilis Sunday, but thought the Fenway Park sendoff was memorable and well deserved.

The tournament benefits children of fallen police officers and Westfield's Community Christian School.

Westfield, 6/25/11, Staff Photo by John Suchocki - A file photo of the 3rd annual wiffle ball tournament at Chris Dolan's home where the back yard has been transformed into a miniature Fenway park, complete with the Green Monster and Citgo sign.

WESTFIELD – Fenway Westfield will host the 4th annual Jeremiah Hurley Jr. Wiffle Ball Tournament Friday through Sunday at the one-quarter scale replica of Boston’s Fenway Park.

The event is free to the public and parking is provided at Westfield State University’s south campus lot off Western Avenue about one block from the tournament.

Proceeds from team registration, raffles, refreshments and donations will benefit children of fallen police officers from throughout New England and Westfield's Community Christian School.

All online donations will benefit the family of Springfield Police Officer Kevin Ambrose who was killed in the line of duty on June 4 while responding to a domestic dispute.

Additional information is available at www.fenwaywestfield.com.

The ordinance would become effective this coming August.

A bear strolls Masonic Street in downtown Northampton in this file photo. It will be illegal to feed bears in the city under a new city ordinance.

NORTHAMPTON – They might be cute to look at but it will soon become illegal to feed bears and other wildlife you stumble across in Northampton.

The City Council recently approved amending an ordinance that will ban the feeding of animals including bears, deer, skunks, coyotes and other wildlife. The ordinance does not ban bird-feeders, however, nor the feeding of feral cats.

The council has to take a final vote in August for the ordinance to become city law.

According to Massachusetts Environmental Police spokesman Reginald Zimmerman,
this is the first ordinance of its kind in the state although some communities have implemented ordinances to ban the feeding of ducks and geese for public heath concerns.

“This is a matter of public safety,” he said. “We want to ensure the public safety and the welfare of the animals.” He said they don’t want bears getting too comfortable around people.

Council President William H. Dwight this said the idea for the ordinance “had floated for a couple of years.”

City officials had been waiting for the state to issue a law but the issue was again brought to the forefront because of a conflict in one neighborhood with a resident feeding bears while his neighbors opposed it. Zimmerman said legislation has been filed but nothing has been enacted. The department supports communities addressing the issue themselves.

Dwight said that environmental police told councilors that the city has three times the volume of bear conflicts per person than any other community in the state, likely due to the city’s rural urban mix. Recent conflicts have involved a dog and a bear as well.

The ordinance is aimed at educating. “It’s complaint driven, it’s not like a meter maid” ticketing violators, Dwight said.

The environmental police or animal control officer would respond to the complaint and then investigate and talk about what can be done to rectify the situation. If the incident is not resolved, fines would be levied beginning at $100, increasing for each subsequent offense.

“This is for all the people and neighbors and pets. We create these situations,” Dwight said. With “higher domestication there’s a greater likelihood of car strikes. It’s not good for the bears either.”

People are advised to use wildlife-resistant containers with sturdy lids and latches.
Without the bylaw, “we have no enforcement authority,” Dwight said.

Bears were recently spotted in Springfield and on Cape Cod. Zimmerman said Monday he was dealing with a bear sighting in Newton.

The mayor said an arts director will galvanize creative efforts in the city and be a force for economic development.

Staff photo by David MolnarKevin A. Jourdain, Holyoke City Council president

HOLYOKE – President Kevin A. Jourdain said the City Council was in a position to vote on Mayor Alex B. Morse’s proposed arts director position because of conditions Jourdain insisted on.

The 10 votes required to pull the proposal out of committee so it could be placed before the full City Council June 19 came about after Jourdain told councilors Morse had agreed on a “great compromise,” Jourdain said Wednesday.

That includes a residency requirement for the arts director and a review after two years to ensure the job is generating economic development enough to pay for itself, Jourdain said.

Morse said Thursday the compromise helped in terms of timing. The proposal wouldn’t have made it out of committee Tuesday without Jourdain’s support, as Jourdain was the 10th vote, he said.

Morse said he believed the committee eventually would have given the proposal a favorable recommendation for a full council vote, but that wouldn’t have happened until late summer.

He was agreeable to the compromise because it shows the mayor and council can work together, he said.

“I think a residency requirement is appropriate. I would have put that in there anyway,” Morse said.

Morse initially said the new position would have a yearly salary of $40,000, but said Monday the job will be on a salary schedule of $42,000 to $47,000.

“I believe the mayor, with these protections in place, has the opportunity to think outside the box to create new opportunities to grow our economic base. Time will tell if it is a success,” Jourdain said.

The council late Tuesday voted 10-5 to remove the proposed arts director from the Ordinance Committee, which had been debating the measure since May 8.

The council then voted 11-4 to establish a director of arts, culture and tourism, the official title of which is Creative Economy Coordinator.

Morse said such a position will signal Holyoke’s dedication to the arts and culture as an economic force.

The coordinator will establish an atmosphere that supports existing artists and creative industries and attracts new ones, with an eye toward generating jobs and other opportunities, Morse said.

Jourdain said the residency rule will help the city by ensuring the job goes to a Holyoker.

The so-called “sunset clause” means the job is repealed in two years if Morse is unable to show it has generated activity to pay for itself, he said.

“This was a built in protection for Holyoke taxpayers and may be a model for the future in other contexts,” Jourdain said.

Councilor Daniel B. Bresnahan voted against removing the proposal from committee and voted against establishing the new job. He reiterated his concern about creating a new job while budget problems will force the city to lay off 50 school employees.

Morse said that the arts director is an investment that will help the city, it was unrelated to the school situation and the school problems involved funding specific to the School Department.

National defense and Homeland Security contracts support 319,000 jobs throughout New England.

In this 2009 Republican file photo, F-15 Eagle Pilots walk to base operations after performing a flyover during a rededication ceremony at the 104th Fighter Wing, Barnes Air National Guard Base's F100 memorial, honoring fallen members of the 104th Fighter Wing.

National defense and homeland security contracts pump nearly $34 billion into New England’s economy annually with more than $13.9 billion of that in Massachusetts.

The amounts represent an increase 83 percent since 2003 and are responsible for 319,000 jobs at more than 5,000 firms and institutions across New England. In Massachusetts, defense and security contracts support 130,000 jobs at about 2,500 businesses and institutions.

The New England defense contracts and jobs report, prepared by the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute and commissioned by the Defense Technology Initiative, was released late Monday following a briefing of New England Congressional leaders hosted by Senators John F. Kerry, D-Mass. and Scott P. Brown, R-Mass.

DTI was created in 2003 by the Massachusetts High Technology Council to protect the Baystate’s military units and bases through the 2005 federal Base Realignment and Closure process.

Monday’s congressional briefing in Washington D.C. comes on the eve of Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray’s planned release of the first statewide report indicating economic benefits of Massachusetts’ six military bases.

It also comes on the heels of a commitment last week by the Air Force secretary Michael B. Donley that the core mission of electronics and cyber warfare assigned to Hanscom Air Force Base, north of Boston, will not change despite potential changes in national defense and base realignments during the next several years. That commitment was made to Massachusetts Congressional delegation that has been working on behalf of the state to prevent military cutbacks here.

Murray last February created a state Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force with membership from various state department, business and education communities to work in defense of Baystate military units and installations along with the state’s Congressional delegation. Strategy of the task force will be to identify both strengths and weaknesses of Massachusetts military and defense installations and protect them from federal cutbacks.

Congressional and state efforts are in response to the Defense Department’s plan to cut $500 billion in spending over the next 10 years.

The Air Force announced in March plans to cut 153 civilian and 180 military positions in Massachusetts as early as Oct. 1. Installations here are Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee, Otis Air National Guard Base, Hanscom Air Force Base, Cape Cod Air Force Station and Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield.

Congressional leaders have since included provisions in their respective Fiscal 2013 National Defense Authorization Act to delay and Air Fore and other military reorganization plans.

The House Armed Services Committee in May took steps to prevent the Air Force and Army from changing aircraft assignments during 2013.

The Air Force has targeted 48 military and 13 civilian employees for reduction from the current 1,024 military and 1,837 civilians at Hanscom.

At Westover, the Air Force announced the transfer of eight of 16 C-5 jumbo jet transports to Lackland Air Force Base in Texas by 2016. Also, four Air Force Reserve and 13 civilian positions at Westover are targeted for elimination in the Fiscal 2013 federal budget.

At Barnes Air National Guard Base, two full-time military and one civilian post are listed for elimination.

Air National Guard Maj. Gen. L. Scott Rice, current acting adjutant general for the Massachusetts National Guard, has said the Air Force plans to cut 135 of the 895 part-time guard members assigned at Otis Air National Guard base beginning Oct. 1.

He said cuts at Otis represent the majority of Defense Department changes, specifically the Air Operations Group there.

In all, the Air Force manpower cuts for 2013 involve 3,900 active duty, 5,100 Air National Guard and 900 Air Force Reserve.

Following Monday’s New England Congressional briefing on the Donahue/DTI report, Kerry said “This report’s a reminder of the unique role of Massachusetts in our defense strategy, buoyed by our innovation-based economy and world-class research and engineering institutions. It is vital we continue to gather the best information and ideas from New England’s defense community so our delegation in Washington can keep making the smartest case for a strong defense industry at home.”

Brown offered “Its widely recognized that defense research, development and manufacturing plays a key role in providing jobs in Massachusetts and New England economies. We must work together to find responsible, bipartisan solutions that meet current and future threats, keep our nation secure and ensure warfighters are equipped.”

The DTI/Donahue listed Connecticut economic impact from federal defense contracts at $12.7 billion with more than 1,100 firms receiving contracts to support more than 101,000 jobs statewide.

Maine was listed at $5 billion for 2011 through 370 firms and institutions with a combined 53,000 employees.

New Hampshire took in $1.3 billion in 2011 through 560 businesses and institutions with 17,000 jobs.

Rhode Island was listed at receiving $472 million in Department of Defense and Homeland Secutiry contracts. That was down 37 percent from 2003 but an increase of $19 million over 2010. Rhode Island federal contracts went to 389 employers responsible for 12,000 jobs.

Vermont received more than $625 million in federal defense contracts in 2011, contributing to 5,000 jobs at 215 employers.

FINAL_DTI_06_19_12

Store owners say it will save them the expense of having to put stickers on everything in their shops.

BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts lawmakers have approved a bill that would no longer require food store owners to place individual price stickers on each item for sale in their shops.

Under the law, owners would instead be allowed to place price scanners throughout their stores. Customers could use the scanners to determine the cost of an item.

Store owners say it will save them the expense of having to put stickers on everything in their shops.

Consumer advocates oppose the measure.

They say similar scanners in other stores have been unreliable, forcing consumers to play "guess the price" before heading to the checkout line.

The Senate approved the bill Monday. The House has previously backed it.

Gov. Deval Patrick said he's waiting to see the final version of the bill before deciding whether to sign it.

The chairman of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission said the agency has the time and the money to try to correctly deal with the issue of addicted gambling.

Republican file photoSeveral researchers said that problem gambling increases when casinos first open but then levels off as people adapt. In Missouri, about 17,000 people are on the self-exclusion list, or only 3,000 more than were on the list in 2006.

LYNN -- Gambling addiction is incredibly powerful and can destroy lives, but there are some effective ways to alleviate the problem, researchers and analysts told state regulators on Monday.

During a public forum, members of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission heard from two problem gamblers and several experts who have studied the issue in other states with casinos.

Stephen P. Crosby, chairman of the gaming commission, said the commission has the time and the money to try to correctly deal with the issue of compulsive gambling.

“The bottom line is that it is very good that the Legislature gave us a big mandate to take this on head-on, and they gave us the resources to do it,” Crosby said, following the afternoon event at the Lynn campus of North Shore Community College.

Stephen Crosby

“It ought to be right smack in our wheelhouse where the Legislature put it,” Crosby added. “ It’s going to be a challenge. It’s a serious problem—but there are strategies, there are tactics. We've got the time and the resources to try to address it right.”

One panelist, Sarah E. Nelson, an assistant director of research at Harvard Medical School, said a study of people in a “self-exclusion” program for casino gamblers found that about 34 percent sought treatment after enrolling in the program, or a little more than twice as much as the percent who sought treatment before signing up to exclude themselves from casinos. In 1995, Missouri became the first state to start a program to allow gamblers to sign a list to ban themselves from casinos. The Massachusetts casino law also requires that people be allowed to exclude themselves from casinos.

Nelson said the results suggest that “the very act of enrolling” in a self-exclusion program provides a straightforward first step for at-risk gamblers to assess their problem.

Several researchers said that problem gambling increases when casinos first open but then levels off as people adapt. In Missouri, about 17,000 people were on the self-exclusion list since 1995, or only 3,000 more than were on the list in 2006.

A couple of researchers suggested that it might help reduce rates of gambling addiction if Massachusetts advertises about the dangers of the problem before casinos open here. The Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling estimates that between 85,000 and 185,000 residents of the state likely have experienced "disordered gambling" during their lives.

The state’s casino law authorizes up to three casino resorts and a slots facility. One casino resort is authorized for Western Massachusetts.

Rachel A. Volberg, president of Gemini Research in Northampton, said marketing or advertising can help inoculate people from becoming addicted to gambling. New Zealand had some of the highest rates of problem gambling in the early 1990's but now has some of the lowest rates, partly because of an enormous investment in marketing, she said.

Another expert, Mark Vander Linden, executive officer with Iowa’s Office of Problem Gambling and Prevention, said that marketing is a cornerstone for prevention in his state. Marketing tells people how to access treatment and how to recognize the signs or problem gambling, he said. It can also be targeted at groups at risk for problem gambling, he said.

Vander Linden said it is also important to encourage partnerships with casinos and human service agencies and to emphasize prevention, treatment and recovery.

Vander Linden said the Massachusetts casino law could become a new national standard for dealing with compulsive gamblers.

The law requires casinos to provide on-site space for an independent substance abuse and mental health counselor selected by the gaming commission. The law also mandates that casinos train employees to identify people who show signs of problem gambling.

Also, no one less than 21 can bet or be in a gaming area at a casino.

The law also provides for generous funding in a trust fund for public health. Each casino must pay an annual fee of at least $5 million into the fund for services and programs for compulsive gambling or other addiction services, the law says. In addition, 5 percent of the annual tax money from casinos -- eventually equal to some $10 to $15 million a year -- would go into the fund.

The gaming commission also has $15 million in operating money that it can use for prevention programs if needed. The commission would get reimbursed from casino companies if it uses any of that $15 million for prevention or marketing efforts, Crosby said.

The gaming commission, with the advice of a gaming policy advisory committee, must also develop an annual research agenda in order to understand the social and economic effects of expanding gaming in the state including a baseline study of the existing occurrence of problem gambling in the state.

The gaming commission also heard from two people who were seriously hurt by addicted gambling and now are turning their lives around.

Jodie Nealley, 57, who said she served 20 months in a state prison in Framingham for larceny from her employer, said she lost about $500,000 on slot machines at the Foxwoods casino in Ledyard, Conn. Nealley, who was released from prison early last year, said casinos need more safeguards to block problem gamblers.

“No one ever tried to stop me,” she told the audience.

Scott Seely, 53, of Peru, said he lost $400,000 to $500,000, mostly on slot machines, at the Mohegan Sun around 2006 to 2007.

Seely said he realized he had a problem when an Indian casino in New York refused to allow him to cash a check when the casino's records showed that he had bounced a check at the Mohegan Sun. “It just stopped my addiction right in the tracks,” he said.

Crosby said their testimony was very compelling. "You hear the same things from alcoholics and drug addicts," he said. "Addiction is scary, powerful and destructive. We want to be in the business of mitigating that."

Daly told Dana's friends that she left in the middle of the night and he did not know where she was. The friends were immediately suspicious of the story.

Photo courtesy of FacebookJessica Daly of Huntington, seen here in a 2006 photo. She has been missing since Friday, and her boyfriend is under arrest for improperly disposing of a body. Officials have not yet released the identity of the deceased or cause of death.

This is an update of a story posted at 4:37 p.m.Monday

NORTHAMPTON – A 36-year-old Huntington man was ordered held on $100,000 cash bail in connection with the discovery of a body believed to be that of his 30-year-old girlfriend in the couple’s Rocky Brook Drive backyard.

Jeb Daly Jr. of 8 Rocky Brook Drive was charged with improper disposal of a body and misleading authorities by reporting to police that his girlfriend, Jessica Dana, had gone missing. Daly denied the charges at his arraignment Monday in Northampton District Court.

The Northwestern District Attorney’s Office indicated that additional charges may be pending once the state Medical Examiner determines identity and cause of death of the body found packed in a cardboard box in the back yard of the home.

The case is “an unfolding situation. it appears to be a homicide investigation,” Assistant District Attorney Steven E. Gagne told Judge W. Michael Goggins.

As of Monday evening, the DA’s office was not prepared to say that it was Dana’s body or elaborate on the cause of death until it hears from the state medical examiner, said spokeswoman Mary Carey. An answer to both questions could come as soon as today, she said.

Friends and family of Dana needed no such official confirmation to know that their friend was dead or that Daly was somehow involved.

Aaron Graveline of Chester, who said he had been a friend of Dana for more than 20 years, said the unfolding events have left all who knew her distraught.

“She was a wonderful person. Everyone who knew her is devastated by this,” he said.

“She was a beautiful person and a wonderful mother and it is a tragedy.”

Dana had been with Daly for five years, and he fathered two of her three children.

Though their neighbors on Rocky Brook Road, where they lived for nine months, reported Monday the couple appeared friendly but quiet, close friends and family knew the relationship was troubled.

Graveline said her family and friends were concerned for her safety.

“He had a history of being physical with her. There were some incidents before,” he said.

Her friends and family had gone so far as warn Daly to never hurt her again, he said.

Dana had last been seen by friends at her home on Friday night.

The Republican | Dave RobackJeb Daly Jr. of Huntington at his arraignment Monday in Northampton District Court on charges of improper disposal of a body. HIs girlfriend Jessica Dana has been missing since Friday but officials have not yet released the identity of the body or confirmed the cause of death. At left is his lawyer Alan Rubin

On Saturday morning, Daly called up one of her friends to ask if she knew were Dana had gone. He said she had left in the middle of the night, leaving behind her children, all her possessions and without saying where she was going, Graveline said.

“That would be totally out of character, she would not leave her children behind. She would not go out anywhere without letting someone know where she was going,” he said.

Gagne said that while Daly was telling people that Dana had been missing since Friday night, he resisted calling police until 5 p.m. Saturday, and only then at the insistence of some of her family and friends.

Gagne said that when state police appeared at the house to talk with Daly, he became distracted and nervous as he watched police search the backyard.

The body was found inside a cardboard box in the back yard, roughly 50 feet from the house.

Graveline said friends of Dana – and not the police – found the body.

Shortly after they learned she was missing, friends organized search parties and began looking along the banks of the river behind their house, he said.

They found the body Saturday afternoon, Graveline said.

They discovered the body and ran screaming toward the house, were troopers had just gone inside to interview Daly about Dana being missing. When the troopers heard the commotion in the back yard, they went outside to investigate, and Daly apparently slipped out of the front of the house, Graveline said.

Gagne said Dana asked if he could use the bathroom and then slipped out of the house before troopers noticed.

The Republican | Dave RobackThe house on Rocky Brook Drive in Huntington that is the scene of a police investigation.

Graveline said the friends who found the body saw Daly slip out of the house and gave chase along with the state troopers. They followed him across Route 112 until he disappeared in the woods.

Daly was taken into custody about 9 p.m. Sunday when police obtained the car of one of Daly’s relatives and drove to an undisclosed location where the relative was supposed to have picked him up, Gagne said.

In asking for the high bail at the arraignment, Gagne said Daly has a long criminal history and listed a number of prior convictions and defaults stemming back to 1993. He was charged in both New Jersey and Massachusetts and Daly served state prison time in New Jersey, Gagne said, for assorted larceny and breaking and entering charges. He was also charged with being a fugitive from justice in New Jersey.

Defense lawyer Alan Rubin argued for $5,000 bail saying his client was in trouble in the 90s and early 2000s. But he said he’s been back in the area since 2003.

“He settled down and is working as a Web designer,” he said, adding that he worked primarily for a New York company.

Daly is being held at the Hampshire County Jail and House of Correction. A pre-trial conference has been slated for July 27.

On Rocky Brook Drive, a quiet street off Route 112 near Gardener State Park, the only thing that appeared out of place was the state trooper parked in front of the blue 1½- story house set back from the road.

Another state police cruiser was parked out back as state police guarded the crime scene.

Neighbors said that at times from Saturday night through Sunday night, there were more police cars and more police in front of 8 Rocky Brook Drive than they had ever seen in one place before.

One man who lived up the street said he knew them enough to wave hello, but not much more.

“You’d see them walking up and down the street with their kids,” he said.

A next-door neighbor said she never saw or heard anything from the people next door to indicate something was wrong.

“It’s just very surprising,” she said. For it to happen on her street and in Huntington of all places was almost too shocking to describe, she said.

“I feel really sad for the children,” she said. “It’s just too sad.”
Republican reporter Diane Lederman contributed to this report.

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Obama spoke to an enthusiastic audience of 1,800 people at Boston Symphony Hall, where he criticized Romney for outsourcing jobs and attacked his economic proposals.

BOSTON - Before a cheering Boston audience, President Barack Obama laid out a sharp contrast between his economic vision and that of Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, at a fundraiser Monday night.

“Mr. Romney and his allies in Congress have a particular theory how you grow the economy,” Obama said. “We should go back to the top-down economic policies of the last decade. If we eliminate regulations and cut taxes by trillions of dollars, that would free up the marketplace and we’ll solve all our problems.”

The Democratic president said Romney would cut taxes for the wealthy while cutting spending on investments like education, medical research and clean energy. Obama said his own plan would invest in education, innovation and infrastructure, and would increase taxes on the wealthy. With the war in Iraq over and war in Afghanistan winding down, Obama said it is time for “nation-building here at home.”

Obama spoke at Boston Symphony Hall, where around 1,800 people filled two balconies and the main floor. The event featured a performance by Israeli violinist Miri Ben-Ari. It was attended by Democratic leaders including Gov. Deval Patrick, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and Democratic Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren, who introduced the president. Tickets cost between $250 and $2,500.

Outside, approximately 100 people gathered, anti-war protesters mingling with Warren supporters. Inside, the crowd gave Obama several standing ovations. The only boos directed at the president came when Obama, who is from Chicago, thanked Boston for trading Red Sox infielder Kevin Youkilis to the Chicago White Sox.

(A video clip of that moment is to the right)--->

Obama was direct in attacking Romney’s business background – something Romney has made a core of his campaign. Obama referred to a Washington Post story, which reported that Bain Capital, the private equity investment fund that Romney ran, invested in companies that specialized in outsourcing, helping companies move U.S. jobs to overseas call centers or factories.

The Romney campaign has said the story ignored the difference between “offshoring” and “outsourcing.”

“If you’re a worker whose job went overseas, you really don’t need somebody explaining to you the difference between outsourcing and offshoring,” Obama said. “What you need is somebody who will wake up every day and fight to make sure that investments and jobs are happening here in Massachusetts and here in the United States.”

Obama said Romney and congressional Republicans want to help corporations by whatever means necessary, whether through layoffs, outsourcing, or “union-busting.” Obama said he wants to close loopholes in the tax code that encourage outsourcing, while giving tax breaks to companies that create jobs in the U.S. Obama touted his economic record, saying he cut taxes on individuals and small businesses.

Romney campaign spokesman Ryan Williams responded, “If President Obama had even half of Mitt Romney’s fiscal record, he’d be running on it.” Williams said Romney closed the Massachusetts deficit without raising taxes and balanced the budget, at the same time as the unemployment rate dropped. Obama, Williams said, added to the national debt and deficit “and amassed the worst record on jobs and the economy of any president in modern history.”

Obama only indirectly referred to two major Supreme Court decisions pending this week.

The Supreme Court on Monday partially sided with the Obama administration when it overturned parts of Arizona’s controversial illegal immigration law. Obama this month decided that the Department of Homeland Security would stop deporting certain children of illegal immigrants. Obama received applause when he said in America “your success shouldn’t be determined by the circumstances of your birth,” and when he spoke about the election as a choice on whether to deny citizenship to people who were brought here as children.

The Supreme Court is expected to rule Thursday on whether Obama’s signature health care overhaul is constitutional. While Obama did not mention the lawsuit, he touted the law’s benefits: preventing insurance companies from discriminating based on pre-existing conditions, allowing young adults to stay on their parents’ health plans, and bringing down the cost of prescriptions drugs for seniors. Obama got a standing ovation when he said, “We can decide whether we should restrict access to birth control or defund Planned Parenthood, or we can make a decision that in this country women control their own health choices.”

The message resonated with attendees. Steve Riden, a Democratic lawyer from Boston, said he supports Obama because he wants to see a Democrat in office. “I think a Romney presidency will benefit people who are in the same socioeconomic class as Romney,” Riden said. “Those are the folks supporting him. He’s looking out for their interests. Obama is drawing from a much broader base.”

The night was also a chance for Warren, facing a tight race against incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, to speak to an audience of potential supporters.

Warren talked about Obama’s work creating the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an idea that belonged to Warren.

“When the pressure mounted against us and when we were on the ropes, president Obama stood firm,” Warren said. “He planted his feet, he squared his shoulders and he said we will stop the cheating, we will stop the trick and traps, and we will level the playing field for working families.”

Warren also took a dig at Romney for a comment he made during the primary campaign that “corporations are people.” “No Mitt, corporations are not people,” Warren said. “People have hearts, they have kids, they have jobs. They get sick, they love and they cry and they dance. They live and they die. Learn the difference.” Romney has explained that he meant that when corporations profit, the people who run them benefit.

Monday afternoon, Obama spoke at a campaign event at Oyster River High School, in Durham, N.H. Obama started the evening at a $40,000-a-ticket roundtable hosted by advertising magnate Jack Connors at Hamersley’s Bistro in Boston, attended by around 25 people.

Obama planned to conclude with a dinner fundraiser at the home of Judith and Douglass Krupp in Weston, where tickets cost $17,900 per person.

The council's action on $1.5 million cut from the city's health insurance has drawn criticism from the mayor, who has said a two-thirds majority of the council was not empowered to vote on the issue.

Republican file photo

Of the 11 arrested, four were juveniles and two others were homeless, police said.

Republican file photo

HOLYOKE – Eleven people, including four juveniles, were arrested for trespassing after police doing property checks found them in residences that were supposed to be vacant.

Four adults and four juveniles were arrested at 470 Maple St., apartment 1L, a few minutes after midnight Sunday as police responded to a report of a loud group in an apartment that was said to be unoccupied, according to Lt. Michael J. Higgins and the police log online.

Four hours later, two homeless men and a Northampton man were arrested at 56 Pine St., Higgins said.

At 470 Maple St., police arrested Alberto Febus, 18, of 287 West Franklin St., Alexander A. Lopez, 18, of 129 Chapin Terrace, Springfield, Matthew Lopez, 17, of 94 Beacon Ave., and Eric Perez, 20, of Dwight Street, along with two 16-year-olds and two 14-year-olds. All were charged with trespassing, online police records show.

At 56 Pine St., a three-family home, police arrested Roberto Davila, 41, homeless, Reginald L. Humber, 54, homeless and Conrad E. Kruzel, 39, of 56 Center St., apartment 2L, Northampton. Both were charged with trespassing, police and online property records show.

East Longmeadow Superintendent of Schools Gordon Smith has been with the district two years.

In this 2009 republican file photo, Gordon C. Smith, East Longmeadow School Superintendent, is shown standing in front of Birchland Park Middle School.

EAST LONGMEADOW - Superintendent of Schools Gordon Smith was rated proficient by the School Committee during his annual evaluation.

During its Monday night meeting the board praised Smith for his leadership abilities and professionalism.

Smith was rated based on a Department of Education evaluation which will be a requirement throughout the state next year.

"We are ahead of the game by already using this evaluation tool," said School Committee Chairman Richard Freccero.

He said Smith was rated in the areas of instructional leadership, management operations, family and community engagement and professional culture. The ratings include exemplary, proficient, needs improvement and satisfactory. Smith received a proficient in all categories.

"In order to reach a proficient rating a person must really show competence and expertise, so it is a a compliment to your work in the district," Freccero said.

Smith said he has enjoyed working in the district. He has been the superintendent for two years. He was hired in April of 2010.

School Committee member Gregory Thompson said he appreciates the work Smith has done in the past few years. He complimented his ability to work with staff, parents and student to solve problems.

Next year the superintendent as well as teachers will each be evaluated using the new state wide format.

"Our district-wide evaluation committee is definitely moving forward in preparation for the change," Smith said.

Options being considered include selling advertising at Cyr Arena, hiring contractors to run the beach concession at Five Mile Pond and bringing the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department in to help maintain parks and terraces, Sullivan said.

Springfield - Staff photo by Michael S. Gordon - Madison J. Weed, 6, and her grandfather, Gary A. Weed, both of West Springfield fish in Forest Park in August 2011.

SPRINGFIELD – Reeling from three years of budget cuts, the Parks, Buildings and Recreational Management department has begun a review of its operations to find new ways deliver services despite shrinking funding.

Department director Patrick J. Sullivan said the review will involve all aspects of its operation and should be completed by mid-September.

“We’re still early in the process, and we don’t have all the answers yet,” Sullivan said during a meeting with the City Council’s maintenance and development subcommittee.

“But we’re trying to find more creative ways to keep providing services for the public,” he said.

Options being considered include selling advertising at Cyr Arena, hiring contractors to run the beach concession at Five Mile Pond and bringing the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department in to help maintain parks and terraces, Sullivan said.

Due to spending cuts, the department will discontinue mowing and maintenance at 10 parks, including Walsh, Armory Commons, Gun Square and Angelina. The parks that will be maintained will be mowed less often than in the past, Sullivan said.

Sullivan said the department hopes to find ways to blunt the impact of budget cuts this year while anticipating further cutbacks for fiscal 2014.

Responding to questions from several councilors, Sullivan said the department is also reviewing its policy for allowing employees to take vehicles home, and has already curbed the use of vehicles by employees living outside the city.

Most department employees taking vehicles home are considered first-responders in emergencies, Sullivan said.

With 78 employees and a $7.5 million budget, the Park Department oversees 2,500 acres of open space, Sullivan said. The Facilities Department has 24 employees to run 5 million square feet of buildings, he added.