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US Rep. Richard Neal announces $1.6 million windfall for Springfield's Quadrangle-Matoon Street district

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“The Quadrangle is everybody’s neighborhood,” Neal said during a news conference at the Lyman & Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History.

In this 2009 republican file photo, U.S. Congressman Richard E. Neal stands in front of the former Technical High School building on Elliott Street in Springfield which is under construction to become be the new $ 76 Million State Data Center site. On June 25, 2012, Beal announced another $1.6 Million in federal funding to beautify the area around the Quadrangle, bringing the total for State Street corridor investments to $200 million.

SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Congressman Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield announced $1.6 million in funding Monday for improvements in the Quadrangle–Matoon Street historic district.

The funding will allow planting of trees, construction of new sidewalks, street resurfacing and installation of antique street lights on Edwards, Elliot and Spring streets, according to Neal, who said the latest allotment brings the total spent for improvements along the State Street corridor to $200 million.

“The Quadrangle is everybody’s neighborhood,” Neal said during a news conference at the Lyman & Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History.

Construction – which will include sewer improvements by the city – will begin later this summer; the project will be completed by the end of next summer, Neal said.

Attending the event were the Most Rev. Timothy J. McDonnell, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and Historical Commission member Robert S. McCarroll, among other officials.

Neal said he secured funding for the project from the federal Department of Transportation six years ago, but construction was delayed to allow for completion of other projects along the State Street corridor, including the new federal courthouse at 300 State St. and the backup state data center at the site of the former Classical High School, scheduled to open in October.

The state will provide 20 percent of the $1.6 million for street improvements, with the federal government providing the rest, Neal said.


Asia stocks down after Spain asks for bank bailout

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Investors already worried about an economic slowdown in the U.S. and China were preparing for the European leaders to disappoint at their June 28-29 gathering in Brussels.

Japan World MarketsA woman speaks on a mobile phone in front of a securities firm's electronic stock board in Tokyo Monday, June 25, 2012. Asian stocks mostly drifted lower Monday as investors grew cautious ahead of a critical European Union summit later this week where Greek leaders will attempt to renegotiate some terms of the country's international bailout. Japan's Nikkei 225 index was 0.4 percent lower at 8,765.54. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

By PAMELA SAMPSON, AP Business Writer

BANGKOK (AP) — Asian stock markets fell Tuesday, a day after Spain formally requested help to rescue its ailing banks and investors lost hope that an upcoming summit of European leaders would yield meaningful results.

Investors already worried about an economic slowdown in the U.S. and China were preparing for the European leaders to disappoint at their June 28-29 gathering in Brussels.

"Another day, another bout of global jitters about the state of the European Union. Overnight we saw equities on both sides of the Atlantic sold off heavily," Cameron Peacock of IG Markets in Melbourne said in a market commentary.

Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell 0.8 percent to 8,664.62 and South Korea's Kospi was 0.2 percent lower at 1,822.62. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.5 percent to 4,008.10. Hong Kong's Hang Seng, however, was marginally higher at 18,909.84.

Among the most pressing issues at the EU summit will be how to ease some of Greece's austerity terms now that it has elected a government in favor of the international bailout. Officials in both Athens and Brussels say the current deficit reduction targets are unrealistic. But giving Greece more time to make budget cuts could mean giving it more money to finance its debt. Several European countries are reluctant to do that.

Anxiety over Spain escalated Monday, when the country formally asked other euro countries for rescue loans for its banks, which are reeling from the collapse of the country's real estate sector.

The amount and terms will be agreed on July 9. Two international audits have estimated that Spain's banks could need up to €62 billion ($77.7 billion).

Meanwhile, ratings agency Fitch on Monday downgraded Cyprus to "junk" status, prompted by the amount of rescue money that would be needed to bail out its banks which are heavily exposed to the troubled Greek economy. The country's benchmark stock index crashed by 7.2 percent to 145.76 points on the downgrade.

Stocks on Wall Street were rattled Monday by Spain's request for a loan for its banks. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 1.1 percent to close at 12,502.66. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 1.6 percent to 1,313.72. The Nasdaq composite fell 1.9 percent to 2,836.16.

Benchmark crude was up 14 cents to $79.35 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 55 cents to close at $79.21 in New York on Monday.

In currencies, the euro rose to $1.2516 from $1.2495 late Monday in New York. The dollar rose slightly to 79.72 yen from 79.68 yen.

Naked man bothers bathers at Puffer's Pond in Amherst

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The man, described as an overweight white male with dark hair, approached two women in separate incidents at the North Amherst pond, according to reports.

puffer's 2.JPGBathers enjoy Amherst's Puffer's Pond in this Republican file photo. Over the weekend, however, town police received reports of a naked man approaching other swimmers at the popular recreation spot in North Amherst.

AMHERST — Police are keeping their eyes peeled for a chubby man who approached swimmers at Puffer's Pond in North Amherst over the weekend — minus his swimming trunks.

The man, described in a Daily Hampshire Gazette report as an overweight white male with dark hair, approached women in two separate incidents Saturday, the Northampton newspaper reports.

Amherst Police Detective David Foster said a woman reported being approached by the man late Saturday morning. As the woman was exiting the pond, the man, who was swearing and appeared to be intoxicated, reached for her. That's when the woman realized that the man wasn't wearing a bathing suit, police said.

In the second incident, another woman said she was approached by a fully-clothed man who then proceeded to disrobe after telling her that he's enjoyed swimming at the pond for years.

Police are on the lookout for the man to ensure that he doesn't bother bathers at the popular pond. Public nudity in Massachusetts can result in charges ranging from disorderly conduct to open and gross lewdness, among others.

New home sales in May rose at fastest pace in 2 years

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The increase suggests a modest recovery is continuing in the U.S. housing market, despite weaker job growth.

NEW HOMES SALES In this Friday, May 25, 2012, file photo, roofers shingle a new home under construction in Columbia Station, Ohio Friday, May 25, 2012. Americans bought new homes in May at the fastest pace in more than two years. The increase suggests a modest recovery in the housing market continues, despite weaker job growth. The Commerce Department says that sales of new homes increased 7.6 percent in May from April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 369,000 homes. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)


By MARTIN CRUTSINGER, AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans bought new homes in May at the fastest pace in more than two years. The increase suggests a modest recovery is continuing in the U.S. housing market, despite weaker job growth.

The Commerce Department said Monday that sales of new homes increased 7.6 percent in May from April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 369,000 homes. That's the best pace since April 2010, the last month that buyers could qualify for a federal home-buying tax credit.

Even with the gains, the annual sales pace is less than half the 700,000 that economists consider to be healthy.

Yet the increase follows other signs that show the housing market is slowly improving nearly five years after the bubble burst.

Builders are gaining confidence in the market and starting to build more homes. Mortgage rates have plunged to the lowest levels on record, making home-buying more affordable. Prices remain low and have started to stabilize. And sales of previously occupied homes are much higher than the same time last year.

Though new homes represent less than 20 percent of the housing market, they have an outsize impact on the economy. Each home built creates an average of three jobs for a year and generates about $90,000 in tax revenue, according to the National Association of Home Builders.

One reason prices could rise is the supply of new homes for sale remains extremely low. Just 145,000 new homes were for sale in May. That's not much higher than the 144,000 available in April, which was the lowest supply on records dating back to 1963.

At the current sales pace, it would take 4.7 months to exhaust the May supply. A six-month supply is generally considered healthy by economists.

"With no excess inventory of unsold new homes, any sustained rebound in new home sales should quickly translate into firmer prices," said Steven Wood, chief economist at Insight Economics.

The median price of a new home sold in May edged down 0.6 percent from the April to $234,500. But the median price was 5.6 percent higher than the same month one year ago.

Builders are responding to the low supply. In May, they requested the most permits to start construction on homes and apartments in three and a half years.

The gains in new homes sold were concentrated in two regions of the country last month. Sales surged 36.7 percent in the Northeast and 12.7 percent in the South. Sales fell 10.6 percent in the Midwest and were down 3.5 percent in the West.

Sales of new homes are increasing despite a sluggish job market, which has slowed retail spending and business investment in computers and machinery. Some economists warned that the weaker job market has also started to affect some home sales.

Sales of previously occupied homes fell in May to a seasonally adjusted sales rate of 4.55 million after nearly touching a two-year high in April.

Still, re-sales have risen 9.6 percent from the same month last year.

Hiring slowed sharply in April and May, raising concerns about the strength of the recovery. Employers have added an average of only 73,000 jobs a month in April and May. That's much lower than the average of 226,000 added in the first three months of this year.

Facebook names 1st woman, Sheryl Sandberg, to board of directors

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Facebook's No. 2 executive, Sheryl Sandberg, has become the first woman on the social-networking company's board of directors.


By BARBARA ORTUTAY, AP Technology Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Facebook's No. 2 executive, Sheryl Sandberg, has become the first woman on the social-networking company's board of directors.

Sandberg was lured from Google in 2008 to become Facebook's chief operating officer. Besides being the first woman, she is the first Facebook executive other than founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg on the board.

There had been calls for the company to add women to its board ahead of its initial public offering of stock in mid-May.

In announcing the move Monday, Facebook Inc. didn't say whether it came in response to calls to add women. But as the No. 2 to Zuckerberg, she was a logical choice.

"Sheryl has been my partner in running Facebook and has been central to our growth and success over the years," Zuckerberg said in a statement. "Her understanding of our mission and long-term opportunity, and her experience both at Facebook and on public company boards makes her a natural fit for our board."

Sandberg has been largely responsible for building Facebook's advertising business. She also often serves as Facebook's public face, appearing at conferences and important meetings, while Zuckerberg often prefers to stay in the background and focus on Facebook's products.

Sandberg's appointment is somewhat symbolic. She is already a highly influential executive at Facebook, which is unlikely to change with her board appointment. That said, Zuckerberg still controls Facebook and its board due to his holding more than half of its voting stock.

Sandberg, 42, joins Zuckerberg, Netflix chief Reed Hastings and entrepreneurs Marc Andreessen, James Breyer and Peter Thiel. Also on the board are Donald Graham, CEO of The Washington Post Co., and Erskine Bowles, president emeritus of the University of North Carolina system.

Sandberg also serves on the boards of The Walt Disney Co. and of groups such as Women for Women International. She won't receive any additional financial compensation for the board role.

UltraViolet, a women's rights group that has been asking Facebook to add women to its board, said its campaign "should have never been necessary."

"We hope this is a first step for Facebook and in the coming months more women will be added to their board," UltraViolet co-founder Nita Chaudhary said in a statement. "In addition, we hope that other companies with all-male boards, particularly those in the tech sector, will follow Facebook's lead."

Most large corporations have at least one female board member, but that's where it ends for many of them. According to a report on corporate board gender diversity from corporate advisory firm Glass Lewis, 91 percent of companies in the S&P 500 had at least one female board member in 2011.

Catalyst, a nonprofit group that advocates for women in business, says in a report that only 16.1 percent of board seats at Fortune 500 companies were held by women last year.

Companies in the energy and technology sectors had the lowest levels of female board representation, the Glass Lewis report found.

South Korea to halt Iran oil imports as of July 1

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South Korea's government said Tuesday that talks with the EU to extend insurance of South Korean tankers that ship Iranian oil had failed.

iran-oil.jpgIn this Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011 file photo, a part of the Maroun Petrochemical plant is seen, at the Imam Khomeini port, southwestern Iran. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea said it will halt oil imports from Iran starting next month due to European Union sanctions that prohibit insurance of shipments of Iranian crude.

South Korea's government said Tuesday that talks with the EU to extend insurance of South Korean tankers that ship Iranian oil had failed.

South Korea relies on European insurance companies to insure its oil tankers.

EU firms will be banned from insuring tankers carrying Iranian oil from July 1.

South Korea is one of the four major Asian buyers of Iranian oil along with China, Japan and India.

South Korea imported 87 million barrels of crude oil from Iran in 2011. Iran accounted for 9.4 percent of South Korea's total crude oil imports.

Mass. fishermen drop suit aimed at Cape Wind

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A group of Martha's Vineyard fishermen are dropping a suit that aimed to stop construction on the Cape Wind offshore wind farm and will instead work with its developers on ways to co-exist.


BOSTON (AP) — A group of Martha's Vineyard fishermen are dropping a suit that aimed to stop construction on the Cape Wind offshore wind farm and will instead work with its developers on ways to co-exist.

The settlement was announced Tuesday.

The fishermen sued the U.S. Department of the Interior in 2010, after it approved the project and granted it a federal lease. Cape Wind plans to build 130 turbines in Nantucket Sound.

The fishermen said the project would affect marine radar and force them to employ a fulltime lookout, putting many out of business.

An attorney for the fishermen said it's unclear how the problems can be solved, but it became obvious a collaborative approach would be more effective.

Cape Wind president Jim Gordon said the project shares the same goals of ocean sustainability with fishermen.

Liberal advocacy group makes Massachusetts robo-calls urging Sen. Scott Brown to freeze student loan interest rates

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Americans United for Change is urging voters to call Brown regarding the student loan issue. Brown has said he supports freezing student loan interest rates, but does not support the Democratic plan to raise taxes in order to pay for it.

obama student loans.jpgPresident Barack Obama greets students after he called on Congress to stop interest rates on student loans from doubling next month during a news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, June 21, 2012.

Update 4:30 p.m.: The Hill is reporting that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell have reached a deal on the student loan bill, though House Republicans have not yet agreed to it. Details of the deal have not been released.

The liberal advocacy group Americans United for Change is targeting Republican U.S. Sen Scott Brown with robo-calls to Massachusetts voters, asking voters to urge Brown to support freezing student loan interest rates. At the moment, however, there is no final bill to vote for, since congressional negotiators are still working out a compromise.

“President Obama has proposed legislation to stop this increase, but the Republicans in the Senate have threatened to use the filibuster to block this legislation in order to protect tax breaks for millionaires and other wealthy Americans,” the robo-call says. “The last thing we need is to make it more expensive for our kids to go to college to give more tax breaks to millionaires.” The call urges voters to contact Brown and tell him to vote to stop interest rates from doubling.

Lauren Weiner, deputy communications director of Americans United for Change said the group is running identical calls targeting Republicans in Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas. The calls, which started Friday and will run through Wednesday, allow the recipient to press a number and be patched through directly to Brown’s office. Weiner said the group is targeting “Republicans we think we have a shot at convincing or at least making an example of if they vote against student interests.”

Brown has said multiple times that he supports the freeze. The only question is how to pay for it. “Senator Brown supports extending the student loan rate and believes we must do so quickly,” Brown spokeswoman Marcie Kinzel said. “He will continue to work with his colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get this done.”

Congress in 2007 cut the student loan interest rate for subsidized Stafford loans from 6.8 to 3.4 percent for four years. If Congress does not act by July 1, the interest rate will revert to 6.8 percent. Democrats and Republicans have both said they want they want to freeze the interest rate for another year, which would cost an estimated $6 billion. But they disagree on how to cover the cost.

Brown has come up with his own plan for freezing the rates, using money from improper government payments. (Brown's plan has not been scored by the Congressional Budget Office, but an analysis of a similar plan indicates that it may not raise enough revenue to cover the cost of the interest rate freeze.) He also supported a Republican plan that would have taken money from a prevention and public health fund established as part of Obama’s health care reform. His Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren and state Democrats have criticized Brown for twice voting against a Democratic plan that would have paid for the freeze with increased payroll taxes collected from owners of some private corporations.

Americans United for Change supports the Democratic plan. The Warren campaign on Tuesday sent out another press release urging Brown to support legislation to freeze the rates. Warren campaign manager Mindy Myers said, “young people shouldn’t suddenly be asked to pay more to get an education. But Scott Brown would rather fight to preserve subsidies for Big Oil and work to weaken Wall Street regulation than fight to help middle class families across the Commonwealth.”

Brown campaign spokeswoman Alleigh Marre responded, “Elizabeth Warren and her supporters are once again not being honest with their attempts to mislead voters about Scott Brown’s support for student loans. Scott Brown has voted to keep student loan interest rates low and has sponsored a bill to do so paid for by spending cuts. Elizabeth Warren, on the other hand, supports a bill that would increase taxes on small businesses and individuals, which would destroy jobs."

Congressional negotiators are working to hammer out a compromise bill. Politico reported that the student loan issue may be addressed as part of a transportation bill, which is also the subject of intense negotiations.

Americans United for Change is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(4) non-profit that has been active in opposing Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

While Brown and Warren signed the People’s Pledge banning third party advertising in the Senate race, there is nothing in the pledge addressing robo-calls.


Patriots open training camp on July 26

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Football is almost back.

belichick.JPGBill Belichick

Football returns in less than a month.

The New England Patriots have announced that training camp will be open to the public beginning Thursday, July 26.

The practice will run from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., with sessions following the next three days at the same time. Additional practice dates have not yet been announced.

The team technically begins camp on July 25, but the first day is limited to physicals and meetings. Per the rules stated in the collective bargaining agreement, the first two practices must be held without pads and contact is prohibited.

The practices are free to attend and are typically held on the fields behind Gillette Stadium. Sessions held indoors are closed to the public.

If you are planning to attend any practices, be sure to call the training camp hotline to confirm the daily schedule (508)-549-0001.

Obituaries today: Robert Cunningham, 49, of Wilbraham; vice president at MassMutual Financial Group

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Obituaries from The Republican.

Robert Cunningham 62612.jpegRobert Cunningham

WILBRAHAM - Robert H. "Bob" Cunningham, 49, of Wilbraham died Saturday at Baystate Medical Center, Springfield. Robert, son of Richard F. Cunningham of Wilbraham and the late Barbara J. (Myer) Cunningham was born in Springfield on August 3, 1962. Raised in Wilbraham, he graduated from Minnechaug Regional High School and received his bachelor's degree in business administration from the College of Holy Cross. He was a second vice president at the MassMutual Financial Group where he worked for the past 25 years. He was active in coaching Wilbraham town sports including the the John L. Sullivan Baseball League.

Obituaries from The Republican:

Man, working to free bird tangled in tree, needs help from Springfield Fire Department to get back down to ground

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The bird, once on the ground and untangled from a fishing line, flew away

ae bird 2.jpg6-26-12 - Springfield - Firefighters used a ladder to help an unidentified man down from a tree near Watershops Pond early Tuesday afternoon. The man climbed the tree to rescue a bird, believed to be a northern flicker, that had become ensnared in fishing line about 20 feet off the ground. Once on the ground, rescuers untangled the bird and it flew away.

SPRINGFIELD – A good Samaritan, attempting to free a wild bird that had become ensnared in fishing line high up in a tree on the shores of Watershops Pond Tuesday afternoon, required the assistance of Springfield firefighters to get back down.

The incident occurred about 1 p.m. in the area of 500 Alden St.

When firefighters from Engine 3 at the White Street station responded to the scene, they found the man about 20 feet off the ground, still holding the bird, which had somehow gotten fishing line wrapped around its head, Deputy Chief Glenn Guyer said.

“They got them both down on the ground took the fishing line off the bird and let it go , it flew away unharmed. All is well,” Guyer said.

The bird may have been a northern flicker. The identity of the rescuer who ultimately needed to be rescued as well, was not available.

Massachusetts military bases pump $14 billion into economy annually, UMass report says

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The report focuses on jobs, defense contracts and economic impact of state military bases.

The state’s six military bases are responsible for more than 45,000 jobs and nearly $14 billion annually in the commonwealth’s economy, an analysis prepared for the state’s Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force found.

“From the Pioneer Valley to Cape Cod, these many jobs support our military and we cannot afford to overlook their value,” Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray said Tuesday in releasing the findings of the University of Massachusetts’ Donahue Institute and Defense Technology Initiative.

“Jobs supported by the military are greater than we ever realized and that reinforces our effort to advocate for our bases as we move forward to actively protect them” from potential federal cutbacks, Murray said.

The report examines each of the six bases in terms of jobs, defense and homeland security contracts and economic impact. A larger report that focuses on defense and homeland security economic benefits to the six New England states, also done by the Donahue Institute and DTI, was released Monday showing a regional economic impact of $34 billion and 319,000 jobs.

Both reports will be added to the state’s arsenal in combating potential reduction of military bases, manpower and defense contracts in the Department of Defense 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.

“We understand cuts and consolidation are necessary. We are asking for a seat at that table to offer alternatives,” Murray said. “We can offer options like enhanced use leasing, energy conservation and infrastructure investments to help reduce that.” Murray’s reference to enhanced leasing is representative at both Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield and Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee where both facilities are shared by both full-time military and different reserve and National Guard units.

Murray said the task force continues to work “daily” with the state’s congressional delegation to promote a bipartisan approach to defense cutbacks.

Air Force secretary Michael B. Donley, in response to Massachusetts Congressional delegation, declared last week the core mission of electronics and cyber warfare at Hanscom Air Force Base will not change despite changes in national defense.

In addition to Hanscom, military installations in the state are Westover Air Reserve Base; Barnes Air National Guard Base; U.S. Army’s Soldier Systems Center in Natick; Fort Devens and the Massachusetts Military Reservation on Cape Cod.

Murray was joined Tuesday by members of the state’s new Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force, state military leaders including Massachusetts National Guard acting Adjutant General L. Scott Rice, DTI President Chris Anderson; Donahue Institute executive director Lynn Griesemer and New England Council president James T. Brett to discuss details of the report.

Griesemer said combined, the two reports create a picture of the economic benefit to the New England region and “combined will serve to strengthen” efforts to preserve defense installations in the northeast.

Martin Romitti, director of economic and public policy at the Donahue Institute, said “effective defense requires support from highly skilled workers, precision manufacturing and scientific and technical experts. Military base here have become crucial hubs for promoting and making these connections and innovations possible that benefit national security and the economy.”

In addition to jobs, Rice said the report recognizes that the location of military installation in the state “also allow for rapid response to local, domestic and international security missions as well as natural disasters. That kind of support is priceless.”

Military Bases Economic Contribution

Brent Lillibridge gets start in CF for Red Sox

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The utility player was acquired from the Chicago White Sox Sunday.

BOSTON - In his second day with the Red Sox, Brent Lillibridge will get his first start.

Acquired from the Chicago White Sox in the Kevin Youkilis trade, Lillibridge will start in centerfield. The right-handed hitter will face Toronto lefty Aaron Laffey at Fenway Park Tuesday night.

Lillibridge is considered capable at any infield or outfield spot. He began his career as a second baseman.

Switch-hitter Daniel Nava is not in the lineup. Nava is hitting .364 against right-handers but .229 against lefties.

On his first night with the Red Sox, Lillibridge entered Monday's game as a defensive replacement in right.

Massachusetts Democrats add staff in advance of November elections

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The Massachusetts Republican Party says it is already fully staffed, with 15 staffers.

Elizabeth Warren Scott Brown vs.jpgRepublican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown and Democratic rival Elizabeth Warren. (AP file photos)

The Massachusetts Democratic Party has hired a director for its 2012 coordinated campaign, part of a larger effort to staff up ahead of the November elections.

The party on Tuesday said it had hired Matt Patton, who was working as a field director for Democratic Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren, to lead its grassroots efforts to elect Democratic candidates up and down the ballot. Patten was previously a deputy field director for Gov. Deval Patrick’s campaign in 2010. Warren said in a statement that she looks forward to “continuing to discuss and collaborate with” Patten.

It is the second time in recent weeks that a staffer has moved between a Senate and party campaign. Alleigh Marre earlier this month moved from a job as press secretary for Mass Victory, the state Republican Party’s campaign arm, to press secretary for Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown’s campaign.

Kevin Franck, spokesman for the Massachusetts Democratic Party, said last week that the party is planning to add several field organizers to coordinate specific regions of the state. “The most important thing to the Massachusetts Democratic Party is building a strong grassroots organization from one side of the Commonwealth to the other, and that requires good committed organizers at every level,” Franck said. The party also recently hired Matt House to work in communications, focusing on the Senate race and rapid response. Before Patton’s hire, Franck said Democrats had 12 staffers in their headquarters.

Tim Buckley, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Republican Party said the party has 15 staff members, including nine field coordinators, and is not planning on making any new hires. The last addition was the hiring of political director Jeff Laporte two months ago.

Both the Brown and Warren campaigns declined to comment on their staffing levels.

Sobriety checkpoint in Springfield, increased state police patrols leads to 11 arrests

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The checkpoint on West Columbus Avenue netted seven people on drunken driving charges.

State police checkpoint.JPGIn this 2007 file photo, State Trooper Thomas Jensen conducts a series of tests to check the sobriety of a suspected drunk driver. The driver was later arrested.

SPRINGFIELD - State police arrested 11 people for drunken driving and other motor vehicle violations late Friday and early Saturday as part of a sobriety checkpoint on West Columbus Avenue and increased patrols in the surrounding area, according to state police officials.

The checkpoint near 100 West Columbus Avenue resulted in seven arrests, police said.

Arrested were:

Abimelec Alicia, 22, of Springfield, OUI liquor, Yong S. Change, 29, of Colchester, Conn., OUI liquor 2nd Offense, Jesse P. Chabot, 28, Springfield, OUI liquor, Ian T. Bailey, 20, of Agawam, OUI liquor, Travis W. Lame, 25, of Old Lyme, Conn., OUI liquor, Thomas A. Russo, 39, of East Hartford, Conn., OUI liquor, Simone E. Morales, 32, New Britain, Conn., OUI liquor, operating without a license.

Saturation patrols in the area that coincided with the checkpoints yielded another four arrests.

Arrested in those patrols were :

Lisa A.Scott, 35, Stratford, N.H., OUI liquor, unlicensed operation of motor vehicle, possession of an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle, and marked lanes violation, and speeding, Luis Alberto Hodge De Mota, 28, Holyoke, OUI liquor, unlicensed operation of motor vehicle, possession of an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle, marked lanes violation, and speeding, Sailish Oquendo, 30, Springfield, OUI liquor and speeding, and Michael B Lavato, 27, Springfield, OUI liquor.

A similar checkpoint at the same location in May led to the arrest of 10 people for drunken driving.


Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz' condition is a secret, and that's a little scary

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Details are scarce about a condition described as personal and non-baseball related.

Clay BuchholzBoston Red Sox's Clay Buchholz remains hospitalized for an undisclosed illness.

BOSTON - Bobby Valentine continued to be guarded in his comments about Clay Buchholz, the Red Sox pitcher who has been hospitalized with what has been termed a gastrointestinal illness.

"Clay is stable. He's still in the hospital,'' Valentine said Tuesday when the manager was asked for an update.

He declined to identify the hospital, or say much more about the illness that put Buchholz on the disabled list Sunday.

Just how much Valentine knows about Buchholz' condition is unclear. After first saying he might never know all the details of a condition he said in personal and not baseball-related, he indicated he had been given some explanation.

"I'm a little in the dark. It's technical stuff, and for me to reiterate doctor-ese, I'm not comfortable with that,'' Valentine said,

He has spoken with Buchholz since the condition surfaced over the weekend, and was expecting a text message Tuesday.

Valentine was asked if Buchholz was likely to remain on the DL longer than the minimum of 15 days.

"That's something we're dealing with every day,'' he said.

Buchholz is 8-2 with a 5.53 ERA.. Health was not considered to be an issue last Tuesday, when he made his most recent start.

Josh Beckett expected to rejoin (6-man) Red Sox rotation in Seattle

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The right-hander has been on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation.

Josh BeckettBoston Red Sox starting pitcher Josh Beckett is expected to be activated during the weekend series at Seattle.

BOSiTON - Josh Beckett is expected to come off the Red Sox disabled list and pitch at Seattle this weekend.

The Red Sox play the Mariners in a four-game series beginning Thursday. Beckett is not expected to pitch the series opener, in part because the West Coast trip is tiring and could make the return more difficult.

Beckett (4-7) is on the DL for right shoulder inflammation. He becomes eligible to return Thursday.

If he returns as planned, manager Bobby Valentine is looking at a six-man rotation until the All-Star break, which is two weeks away.

"Depending on where we slot Josh in, yes. It could benefit everyone for us to get a little creative,'' Valentine said.

The rotation now includes converted reliever Franklin Morales and Aaron Cook, who was called up from Pawtucket a bit ahead of schedule because of Clay Buchholz' illness.

Those pitchers in particular might benefit from an extra day of rest. Cook's second start of the season, and first since May 5, was a 9-4 win over Atlanta Sunday.

He pitched five innings and allowed two earned runs.

Poll: Sen. Scott Brown gaining ground on Elizabeth Warren to current dead heat

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The latest survey from the Democratic Public Polling Policy firm shows Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown closing in on Democrat Elizabeth Warren in the Massachusetts Senate race.

Scott Brown VS Elizabeth Warren JuneU.S. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., and his Democratic rival, Harvard Law School professor Elizabeth Warren. (AP & Republican file photos)

The latest survey from the Democratic Public Polling Policy firm shows Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown closing in on Democrat Elizabeth Warren in the Massachusetts Senate race.

According to the telephone survey of 902 Massachusetts voters conducted between June 22-24, Brown and Warren are tied with 46 percent support each, although that number represents a five-point jump for Brown compared to the group's March poll.

Brown's increase is in line with the ground he's gained with independent voters, according to the institute, which noted that he led that group by 12 percentage points in March and now leads by 24 percentage points.

Among those surveyed, 49 percent said they consider Brown an "independent voice for Massachusetts" while 39 percent said he was a "partisan voice for the national Republican Party. On that question, 12 percent said they weren't sure which statement best applies to the incumbent senator.

Brown's Democratic favorability has also increased, according to the poll, which concluded that 18 percent of Democrats surveyed said they support Brown while Warren only pulls support from nine percent of Republicans.

In the overall horse race question between Brown and Warren, eight percent of respondents said they were undecided, signaling a chance for either candidate to continue to grow regardless of party lines.

“This race continues to be a sheer toss up,” said Dean Debnam, president of Public Policy Polling in a press release. “One thing to keep an eye on is the undecideds. They’re supporting Barack Obama over Mitt Romney by 50 points. That could mean Warren has more room to grow.”

The poll has a 3.3 percent margin of error and according to the firm, was not conducted on behalf of any campaign or political organization.

PPP Release MA 0626121

Daniel Rosa murder trial jury in Springfield sees photographs of murder victim David Acevedo's bullet wounds

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Lawyers sparred about what parts of Rosa's recorded jail conversation could be played for the jury.

Daniel Rosa 2011.jpgDaniel J Rosa is seen in Springfield District Court during his arraignment in January 2011 in the shooting death of David Acevedo III.

SPRINGFIELD – Jurors in the Daniel Rosa murder trial currently going on in Hampden Superior Court heard testimony and saw evidence from the medical examiner Tuesday

Murder victim David Acevedo’s loved ones also watched and listened as photographs of the entry and exit wounds on his body were shown on screens in the courtroom.

Rosa is on trial for murder in Acevedo’s fatal shooting; he is one of three men charged in the death.

Rosa, 21, of Springfield, is accused of fatally shooting Acevedo Jan. 26, 2011, on Riverton Road.

Testimony showed there had been a fight between the two men – who knew each other – about money at a mutual friend’s house shortly before the shooting outside that house.

Dr. Andrew Sexton of the state Medical Examiner’s office said he performed the autopsy on Acevedo.

He said there was a single entry wound in Acevedo’s back, then the bullet entered the area of the spine and ribs, going through the left lung and out the front clavicle.

“Any hard surface would change the direction, in this case that would be bone,” Sexton said.

Acevedo would have gone into cardiac arrest and suffer a drop in blood pressure, dying from the gunshot wound.

It was at this point in the doctor’s testimony when Acevedo’s fiancee, crying quietly throughout Sexton’s testimony, left the courtroom could be heard sobbing in the hall.

Of the three men charged in Acevedo’s shooting one, Jerel L. Brunson, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in January and was sentenced to a 13- to 16-year state prison sentence.

The other, Marcus Dixon, still faces a murder charge.

The three men were charged as having participated in a joint venture, although Hampden District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni said the prosecution alleges Rosa fired the fatal shot.

Defense lawyer Mary Anne Stamm in her opening statement said Rosa did not shoot Acevedo and was not part of any plan to kill Acevedo, saying the two other men were shooting at Rosa also.

The trial resumes Wednesday in front of Judge Peter A. Velis.

Although Brunson has pleaded guilty and is not going to testify in this trial, his name – or actually his nickname “bandanna” – came up repeatedly through a more than two hour discussion Tuesday morning.

Before the jury was brought into the courtroom lawyers and Velis went through a transcript of a telephone call Rosa made from Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow after his arrest on the murder charge.

Both sides are arguing vehemently about what should be edited from, or allowed to remain, in the tape as it is viewed as an important part of the trial.

Portions of the tape will be played for jurors. All telephone calls from the jail are recorded, and a warning is given at the start of each call.

Rosa, in a conversation with a man who is not charged in this case, says a number of things which Mastroianni said implicate him as Acevedo’s shooter.

Rosa is heard to say things attributed to or about “bandanna” throughout the call which Mastroianni said show he acted with Brunson in the killing.

Conversely Stamm said the tape includes Rosa’s repeated declaration of innocence.

Stamm wanted to take out anything that casts Rosa in a bad light that is not relevant to the murder charge.

Mastroianni said Velis was excluding too much, leaving important things without context in the edited tape.

Longmeadow Town Manager Robin Crosbie lands same position in Ipswich

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A farewell reception was held for Crosby, who has held similar posts in Hadley and Deerfield.

Robin Crosbie 2005.jpgRobin Crosbie

LONGMEADOW – Many of the department heads, committee members and staff who worked with Town Manager Robin Crosbie for six years attended her farewell reception Tuesday.

“It’s been an honor working closely with many of the department heads as well as committee members and residents in town,” Crosbie said.

She will leave the position on June 30 when her contract expires. She has been hired as the town manager for Ipswich and will begin on Aug. 1.

“It’s a good match for me,” she said. “I was looking for a community that already had experience with a town manager .”

Crosbie was the first town manager for Longmeadow after a 2004 charter established the need for one. Crosbie was also the first town administrator for the town of Hadley and the town of Deerfield.

“It is a very difficult task to be the first administrator or manager for a town and to have to be the person who implements the charter, which not everyone was in agreement with,” she said.

When she arrived in 2006 Crosbie faced many challenges including ensuring the town was in compliance with Department of Environmental Protection mandates, implementing the charter and putting the town’s finances in order.

Six years later the town has a balanced budget going into fiscal 2013 and the charter’s mandates, particularly the consolidation of school and town maintenance and technology, are working well.

Crosbie hopes the new town manager will work closely with town boards and committees and champion efforts to build a new Department of Public Works facility.

“Not being able to get a new facility for the DPW is something I regret,” she said. “The department needs the proper tools in order to do the best job they can for the town.”

The Select Board is currently considering two candidates to replace Crosbie. Applicants include Thomas Guerino, the town administrator in Bourne and Mark Stankiewicz, the former town manager of Plymouth.

Select Bard Chairman Paul Santaniello said the board will be visiting each applicants communities in the coming weeks.

Crosbie said she hopes whoever is selected will take note of the quality and caliber of the employees in town.

“There are some wonderful people in this town and it was a great experience working with them,” she said. 

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