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Gardner Whitney of Westfield suspended from Masons in wake of child pornography charge

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If found innocent Whitney would be eligible for reinstatement to the fraternal organization and found guilty his membership could be terminated permanently, a local Mason said.

gardner whitney.jpg Gardner A. Whitney Jr.  

SPRINGFIELD - The grand master of the Masons Grand Lodge in Boston has suspended the membership of a 61-year-old Westfield man charged with offenses including child pornography, pending the resolution of the matter in court, according to a spokesman for the Melha Shriners.

“The suspension can last as long as it has to,” Allen G. Zippin, spokesman for the Melha Shriners here, said Tuesday of Gardner A. Whitney Jr.

The Melha Shriners are a division of the Masons fraternal organization.

Zippen said the action was taken Monday by Richard Stewart, the grand master of the Masons in Boston.

Whitney, who was the local Shriner organization’s potentate in 2011, pleaded innocent Jan. 23 in Westfield District Court to four counts of possession of child pornography and seven other related charges.

Zippin said that if found innocent Whitney would be eligible for reinstatement to the fraternal organization and that if he is found guilty his membership could be terminated permanently.


Texas woman's execution halted; DA won't appeal ruling

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The 51-year-old McCarthy was convicted and sent to death row for the 1997 stabbing, beating and robbery of a 71-year-old neighbor.

inmate.jpg FILE - This undated file photo provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice shows Kimberly McCarthy, who is on death row in Texas for the 1997 killing of a neighbor during a robbery. A state judge halted McCarthy's execution Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013, less than five hours before she could have been put to death, on the grounds that the jury that convicted her of murder was improperly selected on the basis of race. Dallas County Assistant District Attorney Shelly Yeatts says McCarthy's execution date now is April 3. (AP Photo/Texas Department of Criminal Justice, File)  

By MICHAEL GRACZYK
Associated Press


HUNTSVILLE, Texas — The first woman scheduled to be executed in the U.S. since 2010 won a reprieve Tuesday, mere hours before she was scheduled to be taken to the Texas death chamber.

State District Judge Larry Mitchell, in Dallas, rescheduled Kimberly McCarthy's punishment for April 3 so lawyers for the former nursing home therapist could have more time to pursue an appeal focused on whether her predominantly white jury was improperly selected on the basis of race. McCarthy is black.

Dallas County prosecutors, who initially contested the motion to reschedule, chose to not appeal the ruling.

District Attorney Craig Watkins said the 60-day delay was "appropriate." If no irregularities are discovered, he said he'd move forward with the execution.

"We want to make sure everything is done correctly," he said.

The 51-year-old McCarthy was convicted and sent to death row for the 1997 stabbing, beating and robbery of a 71-year-old neighbor. She learned of the reprieve less than five hours before she was scheduled for lethal injection, already in a small holding cell a few feet from the death chamber at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Huntsville Unit.

"I'm happy right now over that," she told prison agency spokesman John Hurt. "There's still work to be done on my case."

Hurt said McCarthy was in good spirits and "didn't seem tense or nervous" even before she learned she would live.

A Dallas County jury convicted her of killing neighbor Dorothy Booth at the retired college psychology professor's home in Lancaster, about 15 miles south of Dallas.

"We are very pleased that we will now have an opportunity to present evidence of discrimination in the selection of the jury that sentenced Kimberly McCarthy to death," said Maurie Levin, a University of Texas law professor and McCarthy's lawyer.

"Of the twelve jurors seated at trial, all were white, except one, and eligible non-white jurors were excluded from serving by the state. ... These facts must be understood in the context of the troubling and long-standing history of racial discrimination in jury selection in Dallas County, including at the time of Ms. McCarthy's trial," Levin said.

Investigators said Booth had agreed to give McCarthy a cup of sugar before she was attacked with a butcher knife and candelabra. Booth's finger also was severed so McCarthy could take her wedding ring. It was among three slayings linked to McCarthy, who'd been addicted to crack cocaine.

McCarthy would have been the 13th woman executed in the U.S. and the fourth in Texas, the nation's busiest death penalty state, since the Supreme Court allowed capital punishment to resume in 1976. In that same time period, more than 1,300 male inmates have been executed nationwide.

Federal Bureau of Justice Statistics compiled from 1980 through 2008 show women make up about 10 percent of homicide offenders nationwide. According to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, 3,146 people were on the nation's death rows as of Oct. 1, and only 63 — 2 percent — were women.

Judge OKs $4B BP oil spill criminal settlement

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What the plea deal approved by U.S. District Judge Sarah Vance doesn't resolve, though, is the federal government's civil claims against BP. The company could pay billions more for environmental damage from its 2010 spill.

fire.jpg FILE - In this April 21, 2010 aerial file photo taken in the Gulf of Mexico more than 50 miles southeast of Venice, La., the Deepwater Horizon oil rig is seen burning. A U.S. judge on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013, approved an agreement for British oil giant BP PLC to plead guilty to manslaughter and other charges and pay a record $4 billion in criminal penalties for the company's role in the 2010 oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)  


By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN
Associated Press


NEW ORLEANS — BP PLC closed the book on the Justice Department's criminal probe of its role in the Deepwater Horizon disaster and Gulf oil spill Tuesday, when a federal judge agreed to let the London-based oil giant plead guilty to manslaughter charges for the deaths of 11 rig workers and pay a record $4 billion in penalties.

What the plea deal approved by U.S. District Judge Sarah Vance doesn't resolve, though, is the federal government's civil claims against BP. The company could pay billions more for environmental damage from its 2010 spill.

Vance noted that the company already has racked up more than $24 billion in spill-related expenses and has estimated it will pay a total of $42 billion to fully resolve its liability for the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

The judge said the $4 billion criminal settlement is "just punishment" for BP, even though the company could have paid far more without going broke. In accepting the deal, Vance also cited the risk that a trial could result in a much lower fine for BP, one potentially capped by law at $8.2 million.

The criminal settlement calls for BP to pay nearly $1.3 billion in fines. The largest previous corporate criminal penalty assessed by the Justice Department was a $1.2 billion fine against drug maker Pfizer in 2009.

The plea deal also includes payments of nearly $2.4 billion to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and $350 million to the National Academy of Sciences. The two groups will administer the money to fund Gulf restoration and oil spill prevention projects.

The $4 billion in total penalties are 160 times greater than the $25 million fine that Exxon paid for the 1989 Valdez spill in Alaska, Vance noted.

Before she ruled, the judge heard an apology from a BP executive and emotional testimony from relatives of the 11 workers who died when BP's blown-out Macondo well triggered an explosion on the rig and started the spill.

"I've heard and I truly understand your feelings and the losses you suffered," Vance told the family members.

Keith Jones, whose 28-year-old son, Gordon, died in the rig explosion, said $4 billion isn't adequate punishment.

"It is petty cash to BP," he told Vance. "Their stock went up after this plea deal was announced."

Billy Anderson, whose 35-year-old son, Jason, of Midfield, Texas, died in the blast, recalled the trauma of watching the disaster play out on television.

"These men suffered a horrendous death," he said. "They were basically cremated alive and not at their choice."

BP agreed in November to plead guilty to charges involving the workers' deaths and for lying to Congress about the size of the spill from its broken well, which spewed more than 200 million gallons of oil. Much of it ended up in the Gulf and soiled the shorelines of several states. The company could have withdrawn from the agreement if Vance had rejected it.

BP America vice president Luke Keller apologized to the relatives of the workers who died and for the spill's environmental damage to the Gulf Coast.

"BP knows there is nothing we can say to diminish their loss," he said. "The lives lost and those forever changed will stay with us. We are truly sorry."

Most of the families of rig workers who were killed or injured in the explosion already have settled their claims against BP, through a process separate from this plea deal.

Courtney Kemp-Robertson, whose 27-year-old husband, Roy Wyatt Kemp, of Jonesville, La., died on the rig, said workers had referred to it as the "well from hell" before the explosion.

"By cutting corners, they gambled with the lives of 126 crew members to save a few dollars," she told the judge before turning to address Keller. "They gambled and you lost."

A series of government investigations have blamed the April 20, 2010, blowout on time-saving, cost-cutting decisions by BP and its partners on the drilling project.

Vance told victims' relatives who were in court that she read their "truly gut-wrenching" written statements and factored their words into her decision. She also said she believes BP executives should have personally apologized to family members long before Tuesday's hearing.

"I think BP should have done that out of basic humanity," she said.

BP also has separately agreed to a settlement with lawyers for Gulf Coast residents and businesses who claim the spill cost them money. BP estimates the deal with private attorneys will cost the company roughly $7.8 billion.

In a court filing before the hearing, attorneys for BP and the Justice Department argued that the plea agreement imposes "severe corporate punishment" and will deter BP and other deep-water drilling companies from allowing another disaster to occur.

The Justice Department has reached a separate settlement with rig owner Transocean Ltd. that resolves the government's civil and criminal claims over the Swiss-based company's role in the disaster.

Transocean agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of violating the Clean Water Act and pay $1.4 billion in civil and criminal penalties. U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo has scheduled a Feb. 14 hearing to decide whether to accept that criminal settlement. A different judge will decide whether to accept Transocean's civil settlement.

Many relatives of rig workers who died in the blast submitted written statements that were critical of BP's deal. Vance, however, said she couldn't get involved in plea negotiations and only could impose a sentence that adheres to the agreed-upon terms if she accepted it.

Also killed were Aaron Dale "Bubba" Burkeen, 37, of Philadelphia, Miss.; Donald Clark, 49, of Newellton, La.; Stephen Ray Curtis, 40, of Georgetown, La.; Karl Kleppinger Jr., 38, of Natchez, Miss.; Keith Blair Manuel, 56, of Gonzales, La.; Dewey A. Revette, 48, of State Line, Miss.; Shane M. Roshto, 22, of Liberty, Miss.; and Adam Weise, 24, Yorktown, Texas.

In other criminal cases, four current or former BP employees have been indicted. BP rig supervisors Robert Kaluza and Donald Vidrine are charged with manslaughter, accused of repeatedly disregarding abnormal high-pressure readings that should have been glaring indications of trouble just before the blowout.

David Rainey, BP's former vice president of exploration for the Gulf of Mexico, was charged with withholding information from Congress about the amount of oil that was gushing from the well.

Former BP engineer Kurt Mix was charged with deleting text messages about the company's spill response.

1913 nickel expected to be auctioned for more than $2 million

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It was surreptitiously and illegally cast, discovered in a car wreck that killed its owner, declared a fake, forgotten in a closet for decades and then found to be the real deal.

nickel.jpg This image provided by Heritage Auctions shows an authentic 1913 Liberty Head nickel that was hidden in a Virginia closet for 41 years after its owners were mistakenly told it was a fake. The nickel is one of only five known and expected to sell for $2.5 million or more in an auction conducted by Heritage Auctions in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, Ill., on April 25, 2013. (AP Photo/courtesy of Heritage Auctions.)  

RICHMOND, Va. - A humble 5-cent coin with a storied past is headed to auction and bidding is expected to top $2 million a century after it was mysteriously minted.

The 1913 Liberty Head nickel is one of only five known to exist, but it's the coin's back story that adds to its cachet: It was surreptitiously and illegally cast, discovered in a car wreck that killed its owner, declared a fake, forgotten in a closet for decades and then found to be the real deal.

It is expected to fetch $2.5 million or more when it goes on the auction block April 25 in suburban Chicago.

"Basically a coin with a story and a rarity will trump everything else," said Douglas Mudd, curator of the American Numismatic Association Money Museum in Colorado Springs, Colo., which has held the coin for most of the past 10 years. He expects it could bring more than Heritage Auction's estimate, perhaps $4 million and even up to $5 million.

"A lot of this is ego," he said of collectors who could bid for it. "I have one of these and nobody else does."

The sellers who will split the money equally are four Virginia siblings who never let the coin slip from their hands, even when it was deemed a fake.

The nickel made its debut in a most unusual way. It was struck at the Philadelphia mint in late 1912, the final year of its issue, but with the year 1913 cast on its face — the same year the beloved Buffalo Head nickel was introduced.

Mudd said a mint worker named Samuel W. Brown is suspected of producing the coin and altering the die to add the bogus date.

The coins' existence wasn't known until Brown offered them for sale at the American Numismatic Association Convention in Chicago in 1920, beyond the statute of limitations. The five remained together under various owners until the set was broken up in 1942.

A North Carolina collector, George O. Walton, purchased one of the coins in the mid-1940s for a reported $3,750. The coin was with him when he was killed in a car crash on March 9, 1962, and it was found among hundreds of coins scattered at the crash site.

One of Walton's heirs, his sister, Melva Givens of Salem, Va., was given the 1913 Liberty nickel after experts declared the coin a fake because of suspicions the date had been altered. The flaw probably happened because of Brown's imprecise work casting the planchet — the copper and nickel blank disc used to create the coin.

"For whatever reason, she ended up with the coin," her daughter, Cheryl Myers, said.

Melva Givens put the coin in an envelope and stuck it in a closet, where it stayed for the next 30 years until her death in 1992.

The coin caught the curiosity of Cheryl Myers' brother, Ryan Givens, the executor of his mother's estate. "He'd take it out and look at it for long periods of time," she said.

Givens said a family attorney had heard of the famous 1913 Liberty nickels and asked if he could see the Walton coin. "He looked at it and he told me he'd give me $5,000 for it right there," he said, declining an offer he could not accept without his siblings' approval.

Finally, they brought the coin to the 2003 American Numismatic Association World's Fair of Money in Baltimore, where the four surviving 1913 Liberty nickels were being exhibited. A team of rare coin experts concluded it was the long-missing fifth coin. Each shared a small imperfection under the date.

"The sad part is my mother had it for 30 years and she didn't know it," Cheryl Myers said. "Knowing our mother, she probably would have invested it for us. She always put her children first."

Since its authentication, the Walton nickel has been on loan to the Colorado Springs museum and has been publicly exhibited nationwide.

The coin will be up for grabs at a rare coin and currency auction.

Todd Imhof, executive vice president of Heritage, said the nickel would likely attract lofty bids that only a handful of coins have achieved at auction. That includes $8 million paid for a 1933 double eagle, a $20 gold coin, or the world-record $10 million paid Jan. 24 for a 1794 Flowing Hair silver dollar.

"This is a trophy item that sort of transcends the hobby," he said. "It's an interesting part of American history and there are collectors who look for something like this."

Ryan Givens said he's not keen on selling the nickel.

"First of all, it had been in the family for so long," he said. "It's not like something you found in a flea market or something you just found."

Cheryl Myers said they're often asked why they held on to the coin for a decade after they learned it was authentic instead of immediately cashing it in.

"It was righting a 40-year-old wrong," she wrote in an email. By allowing the American Numismatic Museum to display it for the past decade, it was honoring Walton's wishes.

"It has been quite a ride," she said.

Super Bowl Countdown: Highlights from Media Day antics

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Thousands of media members and alleged media members descended on the Superdome to ask inane questions of about 250 players and coaches while fans paid $25 a head to sit and watch the spectacle.

Gallery previewWith only five days until the Super Bowl, today marked one of the more unusual traditions leading up to the big game: Media Day. Thousands of media members and alleged media members descended on the Superdome to ask inane questions of about 250 players and coaches while fans paid $25 a head to sit and watch the spectacle.

Read all about Media Day on nola.com's Super Bowl page »

Wacky costumes

As usual, there were plenty of journalists dressed up in wacky costumes. USA Today spotted a superhero and a referee.

Check out some of the pictures and other things USA Today reporters learned today »

Joe Flacco's charm

Of course, the two opposing quarterbacks drew big attention today. But who won the Media Day Lombardi hardware? NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune writer Tammy Nunez gave that honor to Joe Flacco.

"On a day where reporters flit podium to podium like kids with ADHD on a playground – Flacco made it hard for reporters to leave his station," Nunez writes. "But he didn't do it with loud talking, singing, or dancing like some of his teammates … There was some aw-shucks charming going on."

Read more about Joe Flacco's charm at nola.com »

Check out some of the other things the Ravens' quarterback had to say »

Ray Lewis draws a big crowd

The man of the hour might have been Ray Lewis, but not because of the Super Bowl. The linebacker was asked today about a Sports Illustrated report that said he used deer-antler extract to recover from a torn tricep. Lewis denied using the substance and pointed out that he has never tested positive for banned substances.

Read the full report from The Washington Post »

Lewis also addressed a number of other topics, including topping off his 17-year career.

Check out what else Ray Lewis talked about today from nola.com »

Jim Harbaugh brings intensity to Media Day

San Francisco Coach Jim Harbaugh talked Tuesday about battling against his brother, John, replacing Alex Smith, and what's ahead for the 49ers this Sunday.

Check out nola.com for highlights on what Jim Harbaugh had to say »

Best receiver of all time?

Randy Moss doesn't talk to the press often. But the San Francisco 49ers wide receiver made his hour of availability count at Super Bowl Media Day when he proclaimed himself to be "the greatest receiver to ever play this game."

Sports Illustrated's Michael Rosenberg calls the remarks "unfortunate, because the story should be about the redemption of Randy Moss" this past year.

Head over to SI.com to read Michael Rosenberg's argument »

USA Today takes a look at some of the other things Moss had to say today »

Media from nola.com:

Massachusetts U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch to kick off U.S. Senate race in Springfield

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Lynch's announcement sets the stage for a Democratic primary between Lynch and U.S. Rep. Ed Markey.

 
Stephen Lynch U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch, who has represented the Bay State in Congress since 2001, plans to launch his U.S. Senate campaign on Thursday.  

Democratic U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch of South Boston will kick off his campaign for U.S. Senate with a stop a Springfield on Thursday.

Lynch spokesman Conor Yunits confirmed that Lynch will stop at O'Brien's Corner in Springfield on Thursday morning at 9 a.m. He will then continue on to Boston for an event at 4 p.m. on Thursday. The Springfield area and the Boston area are the two most heavily Democratic regions in the state.

Lynch’s announcement will officially set the stage for a Democratic primary to fill the seat being vacated by U.S. Sen. John Kerry, who was confirmed Tuesday as U.S. Secretary of State. U.S. Rep. Ed Markey of Malden was the first candidate to announce a run, and he has already picked up support from some powerful state Democrats, including Kerry.

Lynch, 57, has served in Congress since 2001. He serves on the House Financial Services Committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Lynch, who opposes abortion, is more socially conservative than Markey and could attract more moderate Democrats. Lynch broke with his party to support the Iraq War in 2002. Though he supports health care reform, he voted against President Barack Obama’s health care reform law because he felt it did not do enough to require insurers to keep costs down.

Lynch is a union member and former ironworker and is likely to pick up support from organized labor.

News sources first reported Friday that Lynch had decided to run, but Lynch denied the reports and said he was still undecided.

No Republicans have declared their intention to run, though former U.S. Sen. Scott Brown has indicated that he is considering becoming a candidate.

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino: State of the city 'striking, sound and strong'

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BOSTON — Mayor Thomas Menino, returning to the spotlight after health problems last fall, said Tuesday night in his annual state-of-the-city address that he's never been more optimistic about Boston's future, and outlined new initiatives to improve education and equal opportunities for working women. Menino, hospitalized for eight weeks last fall, used a cane to walk to the podium...

100512 tom menino.JPG Boston Mayor Tom Menino, hospitalized for eight weeks last fall, used a cane to walk to the podium during extended applause, and spoke vigorously about his plans for Boston at his annual state-of-the-city speech on Tuesday night.  

BOSTON — Mayor Thomas Menino, returning to the spotlight after health problems last fall, said Tuesday night in his annual state-of-the-city address that he's never been more optimistic about Boston's future, and outlined new initiatives to improve education and equal opportunities for working women.

Menino, hospitalized for eight weeks last fall, used a cane to walk to the podium during extended applause, and spoke vigorously about his plans for Boston. He didn't say if he's decided to seek a sixth term later this year, which he's not required to do until May. Boston's longest serving mayor, now 70, was re-elected to a fifth four-year term in 2009.

"Our progress is real. Our future is bright. The state of our city is striking, sound and strong," he said in prepared remarks that cited progress on economic development and crime reduction.

Menino announced $30 million in new funding for underperforming schools, and described a new pilot program with Harvard and MIT through edX, BostonX, to bring online learning to community centers.

He announced plans to promote working equality for women, including a new Women's Workforce Council, a $1 million loan program for day care providers, and a women's networking program.

He also reiterated his support for gun control, which he has long pushed with New York's Michael Bloomberg and other mayors. He criticized the National Rifle Association's call for more armed guards at schools after the Connecticut school shooting in December. "That is crazy," Menino said. "Every victim of gun violence and their families knows that's crazy."

Among those attending the speech were Gov. Deval Patrick and other leaders, including Boston-area U.S. Reps. Edward Markey and Stephen Lynch, expected to seek Sen. John Kerry's seat in a special election after his confirmation Tuesday as Secretary of State.

Menino thanked his doctors and supporters for helping in his recovery from a respiratory infection and a blood clot that was complicated by a spinal fracture and diabetes, saying he "wasn't the best patient."

Northampton artist Ellen Koteen displays colorful landscape photographs at Easthampton City Hall Gallery

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Koteen has been practicing photography for the past decade, focusing on flowers and landscapes.

koteen.jpg Florence artist Ellen Koteen with some of her photographs on display at the Easthampton City Hall Gallery.  

NORTHAMPTON - Florence artist Ellen Koteen never envisioned selling her colorful, serene photographs to anyone but her friends and family.

But after many exhibitions and a positive audience response, Koteen has had the chance to share her work throughout Western Massachusetts.

She continues now with her ongoing exhibition at the Easthampton City Hall Gallery, located at 50 Payson Avenue. The display will continue until March.

Koteen, originally from New York, splits her time between Florence and Prince Edward Island in Canada. Nature has always inspired her and has lead to a deeper appreciation for its beauty, she says.

“My first exhibit (at Forbes Library in Northampton) was called ‘Inside the Flower,’ and I can just spend a couple of hours photographing one flower. My inspiration was getting inside the flowers and trying to capture the light and the shadows,” said Koteen.

Using a macro lens, Koteen is able to capture rich detail within the flower, and give her photographs a more 3-dimensional effect.

koteen2.jpg Some of Ellen Koteen's photographs are seen on display at the Easthampton City Hall Gallery.  

But since switching to a digital camera last year with no macro lens, Koteen has switched to landscape photographs. Photographs of apple trees, beach scenes, and barns can be found in her more recent work.

While photography has many steps between the inspiration and the finished product, Koteen said the beginning and end of the process are the most enjoyable.

“I guess I have two favorite parts, one is spending time with the flowers or in the natural scene. Actually, cows are the only live things in all my photographs. I’ve no people in them. Just trying to spend time creating the composition, thinking what to include, what to exclude, when the lighting is right. A lot of my photographs are taken at botanical gardens, so a lot of times I sit there and wait for the sun to come through the window at the right angle,” said Koteen.

“My second favorite part is I do my own matting and framing, so once it’s framed up it looks great to me, when I’m lucky, when I’m happy with what I got and the finished product,” Koteen said.

Koteen has been practicing photography for the past decade, and has a studio in the Cottage Street Studios building. The exhibit at the Easthampton City Hall Gallery has special meaning for her, since she worked in the building for 11 years as the grants coordinator until 2011 when she retired.

koteen3.jpg Ellen Koteen is seen in her Cottage Street studio in Easthampton.  

Koteen is also one of the founders of Easthampton City Arts+. The program contains three galleries: the City Hall Gallery, the Chamber of Commerce, and the old town hall. Koteen has shown her work in the other two galleries, so this exhibit brings her full circle.

Koteen said she hopes to get a macro lens for her digital camera so she can continue photographing flowers, like in her earlier work. In the meantime, the prints of her photographs can be purchased at the gallery, or at her Cottage Street studio, located at One Cottage Street. Greeting cards can also be found in her Cottage Street studio.

The Easthampton City Hall Gallery is free, and open to the public.


Holyoke Catholic theater students to perform at Disney World

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A fund-raising concert of Beatles music is slated for Feb. 8 and 9 to help cover the students' cost of travel to Florida.

011813-holy-cath-disney.JPG Students from Holyoke Catholic High School's theater arts program rehearse for their upcoming performance of "Beatles: The Concert." The show is a fund-raiser for the group's April trip to perform at Disney World. Here, pianist Todd Rovelli accompanies the singers.  

CHICOPEE - For several students and a few alumni from the Holyoke Catholic High School theater program, April vacation will be a little more meaningful, as the performers will get the opportunity to sing at Walt Disney World.

Eva Stockhamer, who oversees the performing arts program at the school, says the students will get the opportunity to perform thanks to the Disney Youth programs.

A fund-raising concert of Beatles music is slated for Feb. 8 and 9 to help cover the students' cost of travel to Florida.

"I sent in one of our audition tapes from the show 'Curtains,'" she explained. "I had actually forgotten about it until I heard back from them in May that we'd been selected to perform in downtown Disney."

According to its website, Disney Youth programs are designed to be a "collection of unique, enriching experiences designed to engage young minds and show students the path to making dreams a reality."

The programs also use "the impact of Disney storytelling, the dynamic cast and environment of the Disney parks, and the power of hands-on learning to spark creativity and unlock the hidden potential within students."

The performance will be on April 17 at 11:30 a.m., according to Stockhamer.

"We only get to sing and dance for 25 minutes to music of our choice," she explained. "I love the era of musicals from the 1920s, '30s, and '40s, so we'll probably do songs from musicals of that era."

She added that after the performance, the students can enjoy themselves.

Stockhamer said that the only requirement Disney has is that everyone be there for the performance. "The students have to pay their way there," she said.

Stockhamer said that performing at Disney will be pressure-free. "This is not a competition we're going to," she explained. "The competition was getting in to perform."
Stockhamer said she has been trying to organize several fund-raisers for the students to help defray the cost of hotels, meals and park passes.

"If I can defray those costs, I did very well," she said.

Stockhamer said the fund-raisers are for the students' costs only. "There are currently around 53 people going, including parents, but they have to find their own way of paying for the trip."

Stockhamer said she has already done a candy and bake sale and did very well with it.
Students are already in rehearsal for the Beatles' concert for which they'll perform two shows.

She added that she is also trying to charter a bus for students to allow them backstage at Disney, since transportation backstage isn't allowed.

Stockhamer added that the crew from "Curtians" will also be joining the students in Florida, including the musical director and backstage manager.

"This a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Stockhamer said. "It's a vote of confidence for our seniors for a job well done."

Anyone who would like more information regarding fund-raising efforts can contact Stockhamer at hstocky@gmail.com

Palmer still tabulating subcontractor bids for new police station project

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It will be up to a general contractor, which has yet to be picked, to select which subcontractors to use for the $7.4 million project approved by voters last year.

palmer police dept rendering.jpg This is an artist's rendering of what Palmer's new police station would look like once it's built. Construction could break ground this spring, according to town officials.  

PALMER — The subcontractor bids for the town's proposed police station have been received, but they are still being tabulated by the project architect, Town Manager Charles T. Blanchard said.

Blanchard said about 95 bids were received last week, or about seven subcontractors for each facet of the project including plumbing, electrical, masonry and numerous other trades. The next major phase of the project will take place Feb. 7, when construction companies and officials will gather at the Town Office Building to open bids from general contractors.

Two or three low bidders will be selected and their references and paperwork will be reviewed and certified by the Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance, the agency responsible for major public building construction in the state. After that, the Palmer Police Station Building Committee will choose the general contractor for the project and the town manager will execute the contract.

palmer police department 1.JPG The Palmer police station currently occupies a few rooms inside the Town Office Building and a pair of doublewide trailers outside the building.  

"Our only contract will be with the general contractor," Blanchard said, adding that the winning firm will pick which pre-approved subcontractors to hire for the project.

The deadline for bids from general contractors was originally Feb. 2, but it was extended to Feb. 8 due to the level of interest, according to Blanchard. Engineers said they would need more time to review and tabulate the general contractor bids.

"If bids come in at the budget we've got approved ... then we'll be signing the contract within a matter of weeks after the bids come in," Blanchard said. "We'll be able to get started as soon as construction season begins this spring."

Palmer Police Chief Robert P. Frydryk said he's pleased with the way the project is progressing and looking forward to breaking ground. "We're on target with our timetable. Our plans are at 100 percent design," he said.

The 22,500-square-foot project is being financed by a $7.4 million debt exclusion that was approved by voters in June 2012. That amount includes engineering, architecture and construction costs, Blanchard said, adding that bids could come in lower than the projected price tag. The new facility is expected to rise on town-owned land behind the nearly 50-year-old Town Office Building at 4417 Main St.

The present police station, which officials say is cramped and unsafe, occupies about 3,600 square feet spread over a few rooms in the office building and a pair of double-wide trailers. The new station could be ready by May 2014 "if everything goes smoothly," Blanchard said.

Yesterday's top stories: Firefighter killed in crash had been injured in explosion, gas line rupture prompts evacuation of hundreds, and more

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East Longmeadow police arrested a 52-year-old Springfield man after he allegedly slashed another man in the face with a boxcutter during a fight in the parking lot of the Meadows Lounge.

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These were the most read stories on MassLive.com yesterday. If you missed any of them, click on the links below to read them now.

1) Springfield firefighter Kenneth Murray, killed in Indian Orchard car crash, was one of 13 firefighters injured in natural gas explosion [George Graham]

2) Springfield gas line rupture prompts evacuation of hundreds of people downtown Photo gallery at right. [Patrick Johnson]

3) East Longmeadow police arrest Jose Rivera, 52, of Springfield, after he allegedly slashed man in face outside Meadows Lounge [George Graham]

4) Boston Celtics trade rumors 2013: Celtics not expected to chase extra point guard as Rajon Rondo replacement... 'for now' [Jay King]

5) Who will Gov. Deval Patrick appoint as interim Senator from Massachusetts? [Robert Rizzuto]

Secretary of State John Kerry to kick off 'Thank You Massachusetts' tour with stops in Springfield, Boston

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Kerry, who represented the commonwealth in the Senate for 28 years, will start the day thanking Western Massachusetts supporters at the Springfield YWCA on Clough Street before heading back east for an evening event in Boston.

Just hours after the U.S. Senate confirmed John Kerry as the new secretary of state, Massachusetts Democrats announced that he will be kicking off a gratitude tour of the Bay State, starting with a Thursday morning stop in Springfield.

Kerry, who represented the commonwealth in the Senate for 28 years, will start the day thanking Western Massachusetts supporters at the Springfield YWCA on Clough Street before heading back east for an evening event in Boston.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren sent an email to her campaign supporters Tuesday evening asking them to join her in thanking Kerry for his lifetime of service.

"I was looking forward to spending many years as understudy to my friend and senior senator, John Kerry. That time has been cut to about three weeks," Warren wrote. "But as much as I'm going to miss him in the United States Senate, I know I speak for so many of us from Massachusetts when I say how proud we are to be sending him off as our Secretary of State."

She invited her supporters to electronically sign a card for Kerry, noting that although she would like to be at one of the events in person, she will "likely still be here in Washington casting votes."

In a 94-3 vote Tuesday afternoon, the Senate made Kerry, a decorated Vietnam War veteran and former presidential candidate, the nation's top diplomat. Republican Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, both of Texas, voted against the nomination as did Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma.

On Wednesday, Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick is expected to announce an interim appointment to serve in Kerry's place until the special election is held on June 25.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Ed Markey of Malden is presently the only contender to officially declare his candidacy, and he is set to kick off his campaign in an event on Saturday.

But The Boston Globe reported Tuesday afternoon that Democratic U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch had reserved the ironworkers hall in his South Boston neighborhood for an announcement Thursday evening which is expected to involve challenging Markey in a Democratic primary.

As far as Republicans are concerned, former U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, who lost to Warren in November, is considered the most likely challenger, although he is yet to declare his candidacy.


Westfield engineer describes Ashley Street area road project

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Community Planning Director Peter J. Miller said the $2 million project, which will be paid with federal and local Chapter 90 funds, is “somewhat contingent” on whether proposed plans for a new school at Ashley and Cross streets, the former site of the School Department office, move forward.

Ashley Street School in Westfield.jpg The former Ashely Street School in Westfield was undergoing demolition in this November file photo.  


WESTFIELD – Only a handful of residents attended an informational meeting at City Hall Wednesday night to address a proposed roadway reconstruction project in the area of the former Ashley Street School.

Known as the Old Town Roadways project, this newest effort is yet another to address utility infrastructure needs in the downtown area, which upgraded Maple Street with reconstruction work that ran the entire length of Maple Street from Orange to Franklin streets.

City Engineer Mark S. Cressotti made a presentation to residents of Ashley, Cross, East Silver, Frederick, George, Noble and State streets, as well as those who reside on Parkside and Taylor avenues and Lindbergh Boulevard, to inform them of the next project in line to receive infrastructure upgrades as part of a larger, ongoing plan to revitalize the downtown area.

“This is something we’ve been thinking about for some time,” Cressotti said.

Community Planning Director Peter J. Miller said the $2 million project, which will be paid with federal and local Chapter 90 funds, is “somewhat contingent” on whether proposed plans for a new school at Ashley and Cross streets, the former site of the School Department office, move forward.

The Old Town project, he added, would be coordinated with the school project in order for both to be completed at roughly the same time.

“We are hoping to have the plan in place in the very near future,” he said.

Demolition of the former Ashley Street School moved forward as planned in early November to make making way for the construction of a new $36 million elementary school on the same site. City officials proceeded with the demolition despite a Superior Court injunction preventing work on the adjacent Cross Street playground.

Mayor Daniel M. Knapik has said construction of the new school is pending an appeal to Superior Court Judge Tina Page to lift the injunction that applies to the playground and a so-called Article 97 restriction that requires the city to maintain the playground as open space. Article 97 refers to state law governing open space.

Those who attended the meeting expressed concern over lighting, signage, the width of the streets, sidewalk installation and the replacement of trees that are removed. In particular, several residents were especially troubled about increased traffic and speed on Lindbergh Boulevard, with one referring to it as “a racetrack.”

Prior to the meeting, a questionnaire relevant to neighborhood issues was mailed to residents to get their input.

Miller said this project is the third or fourth such effort to address utility infrastructure and upgrading the downtown neighborhoods.

Massachusetts RMV worker accused of giving illegal licenses

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Prosecutors say Alexander Brewer of Boston allowed people he knew were using legal Puerto Rico identity documents that didn't belong to them to get state driver's licenses.

 

BOSTON — Federal prosecutors have charged a former worker at the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles with giving driver's licenses to people he knew were using false identities.

Prosecutors said Wednesday that 24-year-old Alexander Brewer of Boston was working in the RMV's Revere office. They say he allowed people he knew were using legal Puerto Rico identity documents that didn't belong to them to get state driver's licenses.

RMV Registrar Rachel Kaprielian said in a statement Brewer worked as a customer service representative for the agency from August 2010 until recently. She said the RMV's auditors discovered the irregularities and reported them to law enforcement.

Brewer is charged with conspiracy to defraud the federal government by producing false identification documents.

It's not immediately known if he has an attorney.

Gloucester fisherman after New England regulators approve steep fish cuts: 'I'm bankrupt. That's it'

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The New England Fishery Management Council approved a year-to-year cut of 77 percent on the Gulf of Maine cod limit and 61 percent for Georges Bank cod.

013013-new-england-fishing-meeting.jpg Jim Weinberg, left, and Capt. Peter DeCola of the First U.S. Coast Guard District in Boston, right, confer during during the New England Fishery Management Council meeting in Portsmouth, N.H., Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013. The council met to decide 2013 limits on stocks including cod on Georges Bank and in the Gulf of Maine.  

By JAY LINDSAY

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — New England fishermen say their centuries-old industry is facing collapse after regulators on Wednesday approved cuts in cod catch limits that fishermen warn will hollow out what remains of the fleet.

"I'm bankrupt. That's it," Gloucester fisherman Paul Vitale, 40, a third-generation fisherman. "I'm all done. The boat's going up for sale."

The New England Fishery Management Council approved a year-to-year cut of 77 percent on the Gulf of Maine cod limit and 61 percent for Georges Bank cod. The move is expected to be backed by federal managers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Fishermen who chase the region's bottom-dwelling groundfish, such as cod and flounder, say the cuts are unjustified and leave them with far too few fish to catch to make a living.

"We are headed down the wrong course here, of exterminating the inshore fleet, for no good reason," said David Goethel, a New Hampshire fisherman and council member.

NOAA's top federal fisheries regulator, John Bullard, acknowledged the cuts will be devastating, but he said tough action was the only way to reverse the industry's steady, excruciating decline.

"The first thing we have to do is put denial behind us," he said.

The cuts hit an industry that was a crucial part of the nation's early economy and one imbued with the risk and romance of man versus nature that's depicted in the famous "Man at the Wheel" statue in Gloucester of a fisherman facing the sea. The valuable cod, meanwhile, is so embedded in local history that Massachusetts' famous cape was named after it.

The new low limits on cod reduce the catch to just a fraction of what it once was and prevent fishermen from landing more plentiful species, such as haddock and pollock. That's because fishermen can't pull up the healthier groundfish without catching too much of the cod that swim among them.

The catch limits approved Wednesday go into effect May 1, the start of the 2013 fishing year, and combine with a slew of reductions, ranging from 10 to 71 percent, on other local species of haddock and flounder.

An economic analysis by the council indicated that the cuts would reduce overall groundfish revenues by 33 percent, from about $90 million in 2011 to about $60 million in 2013. But fishermen said the projection is too optimistic.

"It's fantasy," Goethel said. "I mean, I'd rather go to Disney World. I've got a better chance of meeting Peter Pan."

Fishermen have consistently disputed the accuracy of the fish science driving the cuts, which indicates that stocks are in bad shape. Maine fisherman Jim Odlin, a former council member, pointed to an analysis that shows for about the last decade, the industry has generally fished at or below levels recommended by science.

"It can't be this council's fault or the industry's fault that the advice we've gotten for 10 years is wrong," he told the council Wednesday.

Brian Loftus, a Point Judith, R.I., fisherman, blasted the council, saying its management has been "a complete and utter failure for everybody."

But Peter Shelley of the Conservation Law Foundation said fish populations are struggling, and the council had to cut catch limits drastically so the stock can recover.

"A far worse result would be to fail to take the kind of action that would secure a future for this fishery," he said.

The massive reductions have been foreseen by fishermen and regulators for months, but attempts to avoid or mitigate them have failed.

Last year, the U.S. Senate committed $150 million in its Superstorm Sandy relief bill to be shared by fishermen in the Gulf Coast, Alaska and New England, where a national fishery disaster has been declared. But House lawmakers stripped out the funding, and the bill passed Monday with nothing for local fishermen.

The Northeast Seafood Coalition, an industry group, lobbied to extend an interim measure that allowed the industry to put off huge cuts in cod and haddock in the Gulf of Maine in 2012. Bullard rejected that, saying there was no legal justification. Several lawmakers who represent fishing communities have asked him to reconsider, but Bullard said Wednesday that he wouldn't, citing the law and the persistent poor health of key fish stocks.

"The day of reckoning is here, for legal reasons and for reasons of biology," he said.


Rihanna opens up about renewed relationship with former abusive boyfriend Chris Brown

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"We value each other. We know exactly what we have now, and we don't want to lose that." - Rihanna on her relationship with Chris Brown

Rihanna recently confirmed that she has gotten back together with former abusive boyfriend and fellow singer Chris Brown.

The 24-year-old Barbadian singer told Rolling Stone in an interview published this week that her relationship with Brown is more mature and not as volatile.

Rihanna told Rolling Stone "it's different now. We don't have those types of arguments anymore. We talk about ****. We value each other. We know exactly what we have now, and we don't want to lose that."

"I decided it was more important for me to be happy," Rihanna told contributing Rolling Stone editor Josh Eells. "I wasn't going to let anybody's opinion get in the way of that. Even if it's a mistake, it's my mistake. After being tormented for so many years, being angry and dark, I'd rather just live my truth and take the backlash. I can handle it."

Brown assaulted Rihanna on Feb. 8, 2009 while the two singers were still a couple four years ago. The assault required Rihanna to be hospitalized and resulted in Brown being charged with assault.

President Barack Obama's Massachusetts uncle gets date for deportation hearing

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68-year-old Onyango Obama was ordered deported in 1992 after he failed to renew an application to stay.

111711 Onyango Obama.JPG 11.17.2011 | FRAMINGHAM -- Onyango Obama, uncle of President Barack Obama, leaves Framingham District Court after a hearing on a drunk driving charge.  

BOSTON — A federal immigration judge has scheduled a new deportation hearing granted last year to President Barack Obama's uncle in Massachusetts.

Onyango Obama is the half brother of the president's late father. He has lived in the U.S. since coming from Kenya as a teenager for school.

On Wednesday, his new hearing was set for Dec. 3.

The 68-year-old Obama was ordered deported in 1992 after he failed to renew an application to stay.

His status emerged after his 2011 drunken driving arrest in Framingham. A judge continued that case for a year without a finding after Obama acknowledged prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him.

His lawyer, Scott Bratton, said Wednesday, "Everybody wants to stay in America," and he hopes the December hearing will settle Obama's case.

Bail lowered for Daniel Lozada, former Pioneer Valley Performing Arts School teacher charged with texting nude photograph to student

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Defense lawyer David G. Mintz told Rup that his client cannot come close to posting the $10,000 cash bail she set at his Superior Court arraignment in January and suggested the amount was almost punitive in nature.

LOZADA.JPG Daniel Lozada  

NORTHAMPTON — A Hampshire Superior Court judge lowered the bail Wednesday for a former Pioneer Valley Performing Arts School dance teacher charged with texting a student a nude photograph of himself, allowing him to get out of jail prior to his trial.

Daniel Lozada has been in custody since Jan. 14, when Judge Mary-Lou Rup set his bail at $10,000 cash, an amount he has been unable to raise. Rup reset it to $1,250.

Lozada, 33, texted a photo showing himself in the nude to a 17-year-old student at the school last year, according to prosecutors. He is charged with disseminating obscene matter to a minor in connection with that incident. Since his original arraignment in Northampton District Court on Nov. 11, 2012, Lozada has also been charged with two counts of distributing marijuana.

One of those counts, prosecutor Linda Pisano told Rup on Wednesday, stems from the day of Lozada's district court arraignment, when he drove around Northampton with another student and his girlfriend, smoking marijuana and bragging that he was violating a condition of his release, namely that he could not be around students.

"That day is when he did it," Pisano said, adding that her office did not learn about the incident until later.

Defense lawyer David G. Mintz told Rup that his client cannot come close to posting the $10,000 cash bail she set at his Superior Court arraignment in January and suggested the amount was almost punitive in nature. Mintz also blamed himself for the situation, saying he should have asked for a continuance so he could better argue the bail amount.

Lozada was put on administrative suspension by the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts School after he was first charged. Mintz said he has lost three jobs as a dance instructor and is applying for a job at Sylvester's Restaurant in Northampton.

A pretrial hearing on Lozada's case has been set for May 14.

Yesterday's top stories: Man convicted of murdering Springfield police officers paroled; K-9 officer and 4-legged partner arrest suspect; and more

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Juan Ortiz was convicted of murdering Springfield police officers Alain Beauregard and Michael Schiavina in 1985.

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These were the most-read stories on MassLive.com yesterday. If you missed any of them, click on the links below to read them now.

1) Juan Ortiz, convicted of murdering Springfield police officers Alain Beauregard and Michael Schiavina in 1985, granted parole [Patrick Johnson]

2) Obituaries today: Amy Vacirca, 43, of Agawam; died unexpectedly at home; UMass, Cathedral graduate [The Republican]

3) Springfield K-9 Officer Scott Stelzer, aided by 4-legged partner, arrest Adrian Velez, 26, after he allegedly punched girlfriend [George Graham]

4) Massachusetts woman who posed as boy for sex gets 7 years [Associated Press]

5) Parker Street to be closed Friday for funeral procession of Springfield firefighter Kenneth Murray [Patrick Johnson]

Somerset officer facing drug charges

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A Somerset police officer is facing charges for allegedly knocking on doors at an elderly housing complex, asking for personal information, and offering to collect and dispose of expired prescription medication.

SOMERSET, Mass. (AP) — A Somerset police officer is facing charges for allegedly knocking on doors at an elderly housing complex, asking for personal information, and offering to collect and dispose of expired prescription medication.

Ricardo Pavao (PAY'-voh) was arraigned on Wednesday after turning himself in on drug and larceny charges.

Police say the 33-year-old officer went to the housing complex Sunday without telling a supervisor.

The Herald News reports Pavao allegedly knocked on doors and told them he was checking their emergency information. A 92-year-old man told investigators he handed Pavao three prescription drug bottles after the officer offered to dispose of expired prescription drugs.

A resident notified police after becoming suspicious.

Pavao told investigators he threw the drugs away and said he was trying to show some initiative after poor work reviews.

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