Here is a list of major municipal meetings for the coming week: Amherst: Mon.- Community Development Committee, 9 a.m., Town Hall. Select Board, 6:30 p.m., Amherst Regional Middle School. Finance Committee, 7 p.m., middle school. Jones Library Board of Trustees, 7 p.m., Jones Library. Town Meeting, 7:30 p.m., middle school. Tues.-Kanegasaki Sister City Committee, 4 p.m., Bangs Community Center....

Republican file photoHolyoke City Hall

Here is a list of major municipal meetings for the coming week:

Amherst:
Mon.- Community Development Committee, 9 a.m., Town Hall.

Select Board, 6:30 p.m., Amherst Regional Middle School.

Finance Committee, 7 p.m., middle school.

Jones Library Board of Trustees, 7 p.m., Jones Library.

Town Meeting, 7:30 p.m., middle school.

Tues.-Kanegasaki Sister City Committee, 4 p.m., Bangs Community Center.

Design Review Board, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall.

School Committee, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Wed.-Select Board, 6:30 p.m., Amherst Regional Middle School.

Conservation Commission, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Town Meeting, 7:30 p.m., middle school.

Thu.-District Advisory Board, 5 p.m., Town Hall.

Board of Health, 7 p.m., Bangs Community Center.

Zoning Board of Appeals, 7:30 p.m., Town Hall.

Chicopee:
Mon.-License Committee, 6 p.m., City Hall.

Tues.-School Committee, 6 p.m., 617 Montgomery St.

Wed.-Joint City Council and School Committee meeting, 6:30 p.m., City Hall.

Board of Assessors, 10 a.m., City Hall.

Fairview Cemetery Commission, 4 p.m., 687 Front St.

East Longmeadow:
Mon.-Zoning Board of Appeals, 6 p.m., Town Hall.

School Committee, 7:30 p.m., School Committee meeting room.

Tues.-Planning Board, 6 p.m., Town Hall.

Easthampton:
Mon.-Agricultural Commission, 6:30 p.m., 50 Payson Ave.

Appointment Committee, 5 p.m., 50 Payson Ave.

Conservation Commission, 6 p.m., Municipal Office Building.

Tues.-Planning Board, 6 p.m., 50 Payson Ave.

School Committee, 7 p.m., 50 Payson Ave.

Zoning Board of Appeals, 6:30 p.m., 50 Payson Ave.

Wed.-Finance Committee, 6:30 p.m., 50 Payson Ave.

Granby:
Mon.- Board of Assessors, 7 p.m., Town Hall Annex, 215B West State St.

Planning Board, 7 p.m., junior-senior high school.

Tues.-Charter Day Committee, 7 p.m., Public Safety Building.

Conservation Committee, 7 p.m., Aldrich Hall.

Thu.-Master Plan Committee, 6:30 p.m., Aldrich Hall.

Greenfield:
Mon.-Cultural Council, 6 p.m., 395 Main St.

Tues.-Ways and Means Committee, 6 p.m., 395 Main St.

Conservation Commission, 7 p.m., Police Station Meeting Room.

Thu.-Council on Aging, 2 p.m., Senior Center.

Economic Development Committee, 6:30 p.m., 321 High St.

Hadley:
Mon.-School Committee, 6:30 p.m., Hopkins Academy.

Tues.-Board of Health, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Historical Commission, 7 p.m., Senior Center.

Hatfield:
Tues.-Board of Health, 9:30 a.m., Memorial Town Hall.

Redevelopment Authority, 7 p.m., Smith Academy.

Wed.-Community Preservation Committee, 6 p.m., Memorial Town Hall.

Holyoke:
Mon.-Board of Health, noon, City Hall, City Council Chambers.

Water Commission, 6:30 p.m., 20 Commercial St.

City Council Public Service Committee, 6:30 p.m., City Hall, City Council Chambers.

Tues.-School Committee Finance-Budget Subcommittee, 5 p.m., Dean Technical High School, Fifield Community Room, 1045 Main St.

Joint public hearing Planning Board and Stormwater Authority, 6 p.m., City Hall Annex, fourth-floor conference room.

City Council Ordinance Committee, 6:30 p.m., City Hall, City Council Chambers.

Joint public hearing City Council Ordinance Committee and Planning Board, 7 p.m., City Hall, City Council Chambers.

Wed.- Charter school, board of trustees, 5 p.m., 2200 Northampton St.

Huntington:
Wed.-Board of Selectmen, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Gateway Regional School Committee, 7:30 p.m., Gateway Regional High School.

Longmeadow:
Mon.-Select Board, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

School Committee, 7 p.m., School Committee meeting room.

Tues.-Zoning Board of Appeals, 7:30 p.m., Police Department.

Monson:
Tues.-Board of Selectmen, 7 p.m., Town Office Building.

Wed.-School Committee, 7 p.m., Quarry Hill Community School.

Council on Aging, 7 p.m., Senior Center.

Conservation Commission, 7 p.m., Town Office Building.

Northampton:
Mon.-Superintendent Search Screening Committee, 6 p.m., John F. Kennedy Middle School.

Historical Commission, 5:30 p.m., Council Chambers.

Tues.-Finance Committee, 5 p.m., Council Chambers.

Wed.-Board of Public Works, 5:30 p.m., 125 Locust St.

Thu.-City Council/School Committee, 7:15 p.m., John F. Kennedy Middle School.

Zoning Board of Appeals/Planning Board, 7 p.m., City Hall.

Palmer:
Mon.-Planning Board, 4:30 p.m., Town Building.

Tues.-Bondsville Fire and Water District annual meeting, 7 p.m., Bondsville fire station complex.

Wed.-Zoning Board of Appeals, 7 p.m., Town Building.

South Hadley:
Mon.-Planning Board, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall 204.

Tues.-Open Space Committee, 4 p.m., Town Hall 204.

Cultural Council, 6 p.m., Public Library.

Sustainability and Energy Commission, 7 p.m., Town Hall 204.

Wed.- School Committee. 6:30 p.m., high school library.

Thu.-Mount Holyoke Range Advisory Committee, 7 p.m., Fire Station 2, Woodbridge St.

Southwick:
Mon.-Board of Selectmen, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Board of Assessors, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Board of Appeals, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Tues.-Planning Board, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Sewer Committee, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Wed.- Cemetery Commission, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Springfield:
Mon.-City Council Committee of the Whole, 5:30 p.m., Room 200, City Hall.

City Council, 7 p.m., council chambers, City Hall.

Tues.-Taxi and Livery Commission, 3:15 p.m., Police Department, 130 Pearl St.

Wed.-Pioneer Valley Transit Authority Advisory Board, noon, PVTA, 2808 Main St.

School Committee’s Buildings and Maintenance Subcommittee, 1 p.m., School Department 1550 Main St.

Thu.-School Committee’s Curriculum and Programs Subcommittee, 4:30 p.m., 1550 Main St.

School Committee’s Legislative and Contracts Subcommittee, 5:30 p .m., 1550 Main St.

License Commission, 5:30 p.m., Room 220, City Hall.

Warren:
Mon.-Conservation Commission, 12 p.m., Shepard Municipal Building.

Tues.-Selectmen, 7 p.m., Shepard Municipal Building.

Assessors, 4 p.m., Shepard Municipal Building.

Warren Water District, 1 p.m., 20 Old West Brookfield Road.

Wed.-Planning Board, 6 p.m., Shepard Municipal Building.

Westfield:
Tues.-School Building Committee, 6 p.m., School Department, 22 Ashley St.

Conservation Commission, 7 p.m., City Hall.

Wed.-Commission for Citizens with Disabilities, 7 p.m., City Hall.

Zoning Board of Appeals, 7 p.m., City Hall.

Police are searching for two suspects in the stabbing death.

Staff Photo by CONOR BERRYThe alley to the left of this Cumberland Street home in the North End is where Connecticut resident Carlos Beslanga was killed Saturday, making him Springfield's eighth homicide victim of the year.

SPRINGFIELD – Mayra Padilla had a hard time listing the many things that made her fiancee a good man.

He was a hard-worker who provided for his family. He was a good son who would help his mother with yard work. He was a devoted father who would attend as many school events for his children as he could. He would even change diapers and do late-night feedings for the baby.

Saturday, Carlos Gonzalez Beslanga, 32, was preparing to take her and their and four children out to eat and then planned to head to Connecticut with them when he was stabbed to death outside her sister’s home on Cumberland Street.

“He was so devoted to his family. He lived for us,” Padilla said, wiping away tears. “It is so lonely now.”

Beslanga died from a single stab wound to the chest at about 4:30 p.m. Saturday. He was the eighth person killed in the city this year, said Sgt. John M. Delaney, a spokesman for the Springfield Police Department.

Police said the stabbing stemmed from an altercation that erupted after Beslanga urinated in a residential alleyway between 62 and 66 Cumberland St. A male suspect took offense at that and argued with Beslanga and then stabbed him once in the chest with a knife, Delaney said.

The knife punctured Beslanga’s heart and a lung and he died before family could rush him to Baystate Medical Center, which is about 100 yards from the Cumberland Street address where he was stabbed, Delaney said.

Springfield Police Capt. Cheryl C. Clapprood said arrest warrants have been issued for Luis Cintron, 37, and Noemy Ramos, the 33-year-old woman who was with him at the time of Saturday’s killing. The two live at 66 Cumberland St.

Delaney said Cintron and Ramos, are facing murder charges and are considered armed and dangerous.

Padilla said she had been visiting her sister, who lives on the second floor apartment above Cintron and Ramos.

Their 7-year-old and 9-year-old saw the suspect pull out a chef’s knife and stab Beslanga.

“My son is so sad. I told him he is with God and he said, ‘He was the best dad ever,’¦” she said.

Padilla and Beslanga have been together for 13 years, and have four children aged 9, 7, 3 and 6 months. She has lived in Springfield all her life and Beslanga lived partly in Springfield and partly in Newington, Conn., where he works and where his parents live.

Beslanga, a computer technician, worked long hours with his father at his family’s business, Computer Technology in Newington, Padilla said.

He was a graduate of Middletown High School in Middletown, Conn., and learned about computers through his father, she said.

Padilla said the last thing he said to her was “lets get the kids in the car.” She regrets never getting a last hug from him.

“He was so smart. He gave me strength,” she said. “He was my best friend.”

She said she also knows Ramos, one of the suspects. The two grew up together and were best friends at one time. But she said she never liked Cintron.

As cousins, other family and friends gathered at her sister’s house Sunday to pay their respects, Padilla said she was a little frightened the couple would return to the Cumberland Street home. But she said she did not want to be alone either.

Authorities are asking anyone with information about Saturday’s slaying to call the Springfield Police Department Detective Bureau at (413) 787-6355. Text-message tips may be sent via Text-a-Tip, an anonymous crime-reporting system. Messages should be addressed to CRIMES (or 274637) and should begin with the word SOLVE

Staff writer Jeanette DeForge contributed to this story

Police are searching for Anthony Rivera, 22, of Springfield.

The Republican file photo

SPRINGFIELD – A city police officer responding to a complaint about a domestic assault was injured after being struck by the suspect Sunday.

Officer Manny Ayala was responding to a call about the assault at about 6:25 p.m. on Northampton Street. When he and his partner arrived they learned the suspect was also wanted in another domestic assault that happened at about 3 a.m. Sunday, Police Capt. William P. Collins said.

When Ayala tried to arrest the man he struck him. The force caused Ayala to fall. Ayala is being treated at Baystate Medical Center for a possible dislocated shoulder, Collins said.

Ayala’s partner chased the man, but he was able to escape. Police are now searching for Anthony Rivera, 22, of Springfield, and have warrants for his arrest of charges of domestic assault and battery, intimidating a witness and assault and battery on a police officer, he said.

Part of Route 202 was closed for at least five hours.

Republican file photo

HOLYOKE – Police are investigating a two-car accident on Route 202 near the intersection of Apremont Highway that sent six people to the hospital Sunday night.

Police Sgt. Arthur Cranshaw had limited details about the accident but said at least two of the victims are in critical condition and were taken to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.

The accident happened at about 5:30 p.m. Route 202 remained closed for more than five hours, he said.

Authorities said the death toll could climb Monday as search and rescuers continued their work.

ALAN SCHER ZAGIER, Associated Press
KURT VOIGT, Associated Press

JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — A massive tornado that tore through the southwest Missouri city of Joplin killed at least 89 people, but authorities warned that the death toll could climb Monday as search and rescuers continued their work at sunrise.

City manager Mark Rohr announced the number of known dead at a pre-dawn news conference outside the wreckage of a hospital that took a direct hit from Sunday's storm. Rohr said the twister cut a path nearly six miles long and more than a half-mile wide through the center of town, adding that tornado sirens gave residents about a 20-minute warning before the tornado touched down on the city's west side.

Much of the city's south side was leveled, with churches, schools, businesses and homes reduced to ruins.

Fire chief Mitch Randles estimated that 25 to 30 percent of the city was damaged, and said his own home was among the buildings destroyed as the twister swept through this city of about 50,000 people some 160 miles south of Kansas City.

"It cut the city in half," Randles said.

An unknown number of people were injured in the storm, and officials said patients were scattered to any nearby hospitals that could take them.

Authorities planned to conduct a door-to-door search of the damaged area Monday morning, but were expected to move gingerly around downed power lines, jagged debris and a series of gas leaks that caused fires around the city overnight.

"We will recover and come back stronger than we are today," Rohr said defiantly of his city's future.

Early Monday, Gov. Jay Nixon said fires from gas leaks still burned across the city.

"It's a very, very precarious situation," Nixon told CNN. "It's going to be a stark view as people see dawn rise in Joplin, Missouri."

Residents said the damage was breathtaking in scope.

"You see pictures of World War II, the devastation and all that with the bombing. That's really what it looked like," said Kerry Sachetta, the principal of a flattened Joplin High School. "I couldn't even make out the side of the building. It was total devastation in my view. I just couldn't believe what I saw."

The same storm system that produced the Joplin tornado spawned twisters along a broad swath of the Midwest, from Oklahoma to Wisconsin. At least one person was killed in Minneapolis. But the devastation in Missouri was the worst of the day, eerily reminiscent the tornadoes that killed more than 300 people across the South last month.

Sunday's storm in Joplin hit a hospital packed with patients and a commercial area including a Home Depot construction store, numerous smaller businesses and restaurants and a grocery store. Jasper County emergency management director Keith Stammer said an estimated 2,000 buildings were damaged.

Among the worst-hit locations in Joplin was St. John's Regional Medical Center. The staff had just a few moments' notice to hustle patients into hallways before the storm struck the nine-story building, blowing out hundreds of windows and leaving the facility useless.

In the parking lot, a helicopter lay crushed on its side, its rotors torn apart and windows smashed. Nearby, a pile of cars lay crumpled into a single mass of twisted metal. Matt Sheffer dodged downed power lines, trees and closed streets to make it to his dental office across from the hospital. Rubble littered a flattened lot where a pharmacy, gas station and some doctor's offices once stood.

"My office is totally gone. Probably for two to three blocks, it's just leveled," he said. "The building that my office was in was not flimsy. It was 30 years old and two layers of brick. It was very sturdy and well built."

St. John's patients were evacuated to other hospitals in the region, said Cora Scott, a spokeswoman for the medical center's sister hospital in Springfield.

Early Monday morning, floodlights from a temporary triage facility lit what remained of the hospital that once held as many 367 patients. Police officers could be seen combing the surrounding area for bodies.

Miranda Lewis, a spokeswoman for St. John's, was at home when the tornado sirens began going off. By early Monday, she still had no details on any deaths or injuries suffered at the hospital in the tornado strike, although she had seen the damaged building.

"It's like what you see someplace else, honestly," Lewis said. "That's a terrible way to say it, but you don't recognize what's across the street.

"I had seen it on television, but until you're standing right here and see the devastation, you can't believe it."

Michael Spencer, a national Red Cross spokesman who also assisted in the aftermath of a tornado that devastated nearby Pierce City in 2003, was also stunned.

"I've been to about 75 disasters, and I've never seen anything quite like this before," Spencer said. "You don't typically see metal structures and metal frames torn apart, and that's what you see here."

Triage centers and shelters setup around the city quickly filled to capacity. At Memorial Hall, a downtown entertainment venue, nurses and other emergency workers from across the region were treating critically injured patients.

At another makeshift unit at a Lowe's home improvement store, wooden planks served as beds. Outside, ambulances and fire trucks waited for calls. During one stretch after midnight Monday, emergency vehicles were scrambling nearly every two minutes.

Winds from the storm carried debris up to 60 miles away, with medical records, X-rays, insulation and other items falling to the ground in Greene County, said Larry Woods, assistant director of the Springfield-Greene County Office of Emergency Management.

Travel through and around Joplin was difficult, with Interstate 44 shut down and streets clogged with emergency vehicles and the wreckage of buildings.

Emergency management officials rushed heavy equipment to Joplin to help lift debris and clear the way for search and recovery operations. Gov. Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency, and President Barack Obama said the Federal Emergency Management Agency was working with state and local agencies.

Jeff Lehr, a reporter for the Joplin Globe, said he was upstairs in his home when the storm hit but was able to make his way to a basement closet.

"There was a loud huffing noise, my windows started popping. I had to get downstairs, glass was flying. I opened a closet and pulled myself into it," he told The Associated Press. "Then you could hear everything go. It tore the roof off my house, everybody's house. I came outside and there was nothing left."

An aching helplessness settled over residents, many of whom could only wander the wreckage bereft and wondering about the fate of loved ones.

Justin Gibson, 30, huddled with three relatives outside the tangled debris field of what remained of a Home Depot. He pointed to a black pickup that had been tossed into the store's ruins and said it belonged to his roommate's brother. "He was last seen here with his two little girls," ages 4 and 5, Gibson said.

"We've been trying to get ahold of him since the tornado happened," Gibson said, adding his own house had been leveled.

"It's just gone. Everything in that neighborhood is gone. The high school, the churches, the grocery store. I can't get ahold of my ex-wife to see how my kids are," he said, referring to his three children, ranging in age from 4 months to 5 years.

"I don't know the extent of this yet," Gibson said, "but I know I'll have friends and family dead."

Minneapolis city spokeswoman Sara Dietrich said the death there was confirmed by the Hennepin County medical examiner. She had no other immediate details. Only two of the 29 people injured there were hurt critically.

Though the damage covered several blocks in Minneapolis, it appeared few houses were totally demolished. Much of the damage was to roofs, front porches that had been sheared away, or smaller items such as fences and basketball goals.

In Wisconsin, the mayor of La Crosse declared a state of emergency Sunday after a powerful storm tore roofs from homes and littered streets and lawns with downed trees and debris.

Additional storms were predicted across the southern Plains through Thursday morning.

An advisory from the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., said warm weather Monday could fuel instability in advance of another weather system. A few tornadoes, some strong, could occur — starting in Oklahoma and southern Kansas in the afternoon and in North Texas in the late afternoon.

Obama didn't retreat from his remarks on what it would take to reach a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians.

Associated PressPresident Barack Obama and AIPAC President Lee Rosenberg wave to the crowd gathered at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) convention in Washington Sunday, May 22, 2011. Obama said the bonds between the U.S. and Israel are unbreakable.

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama defended his endorsement of Israel's 1967 boundaries as the basis for a future Palestine, telling America's pro-Israel lobby Sunday that his views reflected longstanding U.S. policy that needed to be stated clearly.

He also said the Jewish state will face growing isolation without "a credible peace process."

Obama tried to alleviate concerns that his administration was veering in a pro-Palestinian direction, placing his Mideast policy speech Thursday in the context of Israel's security. He told the American Israel Public Affairs Committee that those border lines must be subject to negotiated land swaps and said these principles reflected U.S. thinking dating to President Bill Clinton's mediation efforts.

"If there's a controversy, then it's not based in substance," Obama said in a well-received speech. "What I did on Thursday was to say publicly what has long been acknowledged privately. I have done so because we cannot afford to wait another decade, or another two decades, or another three decades, to achieve peace."

The event was eagerly anticipated after Obama outlined his vision for the changing Middle East at the State Department on Thursday and then clashed in a White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a day later.

The speech came ahead of a weeklong trip for the president to Europe, where he'll tend to old friends in the Western alliance and look to secure their help with the political upheaval across the Arab world and the decade-long conflict in Afghanistan.

Netanyahu said in a statement after Obama's remarks that he supported the president's desire to advance peace and resolved to work with him to find ways to renew the negotiations. "Peace is a vital need for us all," Netanyahu said.

The Israeli leader's tone was far more reserved than last week, when he issued an impassioned rejection of the 1967 borders as "indefensible" and even appeared to publicly admonish Obama after their White House meeting.

Netanyahu was to address the pro-Israel lobby Monday night and Congress on Tuesday.

Obama didn't retreat from his remarks on what it would take to reach a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians. Repeating a large section of his Thursday speech, he said the result must come through negotiation, and said Israeli border security and protections from acts of terrorism must be ensured. An Israeli withdrawal from territory should be followed by Palestinians' responsibility for security in a nonmilitarized state.

"By definition, it means that the parties themselves — Israelis and Palestinians — will negotiate a border that is different than the one that existed on June 4, 1967," Obama said. That was before Israel seized the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, and a half-million Israelis settled on war-won lands.

"It is a well-known formula to all who have worked on this issue for a generation," the president said. "It allows the parties themselves to account for the changes that have taken place over the last 44 years, including the new demographic realities on the ground and the needs of both sides."

Obama's emphasis on what is meant by "mutually agreed land swaps" reflected a part of the equation Netanyahu largely disregarded when he vociferously rejected the 1967 borders as a basis for peace.

Palestinians have expressed willingness to let Israel annex some of the largest settlements closest to the demarcation, as long as they are compensated with Israeli land equal in size and quality. In the last serious negotiations in 2008, the sides split over how much West Bank land Israel would keep in the trade.

Leading Republicans seized on Obama's Mideast remarks, insisting that he was imperiling Israel's security.

"This is the very worst time to be pushing Israel into making a deal," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky told "Fox News Sunday," citing the uncertainty in neighboring Egypt and Syria.

GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich said the U.S. shouldn't apply any pressure on Israel in light of the recent reconciliation agreement between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' U.S.-backed government and the Islamic militant group Hamas, which controls Gaza.

"How do you have peace with a Hamas organization whose stated goal is the destruction of Israel and driving every Israeli out of the country?" Gingrich asked on CBS' "Face the Nation."

Obama acknowledged that he had touched nerves by outlining his principles for peace and that "the easy thing to do, particularly for a president preparing for re-election, is to avoid any controversy." But he said peace efforts needed to gain ground quickly.

"The march to isolate Israel internationally — and the impulse of the Palestinians to abandon negotiations — will continue to gain momentum in the absence of a credible peace process," he said.

Obama flatly opposed a Palestinian drive to win U.N. recognition for an independent state, even without a peace deal with Israel. He did note increased international impatience with what he termed the "absence" of a peace process. Arab, Latin American, European and Asian countries may be inclined to back the Palestinian bid.

"For us to have leverage with the Palestinians, with the Arab states, and with the international community, the basis for negotiations has to hold out the prospect of success," Obama said.

Palestinian reaction to Obama's speech was mixed.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat refused to address his government's reconciliation with Hamas or Obama's opposition to Palestinian efforts at the United Nations.

"I want to hear from Mr. Netanyahu," he said, calling for the Israeli leader to hold peace talks according to Obama's principles. "Before he says yes, it's a waste of time to talk about a peace process."

Hamas said it wouldn't recognize the Israeli "occupation" and that it, too, rejected Obama's reference to the 1967 borders. "It is a mistake to consider the U.S. as an honest sponsor for the so-called peace process," spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said.

Obama departed later Sunday for Ireland. He also will visit England, France and Poland this week.

The trip comes amid the continued NATO-led bombing campaign in Libya and a seemingly intractable conflict between Moammar Gadhafi's forces and Libyan rebels. Talks will also encompass economic concerns, as European countries make stark cuts in public spending and Obama and congressional Republicans try to hash out how to cut spending to bring U.S. debt under control.

___

Over the past few weeks, the field for the GOP presidential nomination has quickly become clearer.

Associated PressIn this Feb. 11, 2011 file photo, Gov Mitch Daniels speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington. Daniels said Sunday, May 22, 2011, he won't run for president because of family concerns.

WASHINGTON — Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels joined the march of would-be GOP presidential hopefuls offstage Sunday in a dead-of-night decision that put his supporters and donors in play as Republicans compete in a wide-open race for the chance to challenge President Barack Obama in 2012.

Just hours after Daniels bowed out, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty declared "I'm running for president of the United States" in an Internet video that sought to position the laid-back Midwesterner as tough enough to take on Obama.

Over the past few weeks, the field for the GOP presidential nomination has quickly become clearer even though the race itself seems more uncertain, with polls showing Republican primary voters craving more options as the GOP establishment hungers for a fresh face.

At this point, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who lost the GOP nomination in 2008, is seeking a second chance in a Republican Party that usually nominates the next guy in line. And several others are looking to emerge as his main challenger.

Among them: Pawlenty, a conservative who governed a Democratic-leaning state; former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, who recently resigned as U.S. ambassador to China under Obama and is all but certain to enter the race; and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, whose campaign got off to a rocky start over the past few weeks.

With voting set to begin in eight months, several question marks remain — perhaps the biggest being whether former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will enter the race.

Also unanswered: whether establishment Republicans, including some in the Bush family circle who had urged Daniels to run, will ultimately be successful at courting a fiscal conservative with the stature to challenge Obama into the race or whether it will rally behind a candidate already in the mix.

Influential GOP donors who courted Daniels have tried to entice former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, son and brother of former presidents, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie into the contest. There's also been talk of Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, the House Budget Committee chairman whose budget blueprint for the election year deeply cuts government spending.

But Bush and Christie insist they are not seeking the nomination. And Ryan waved off any suggestion that he was interested in joining the 2012 contest, saying on NBC's "Meet the Press" that "you never know what opportunities present themselves way down the road. I'm not talking about right now."

Another name being mentioned ever more frequently in GOP circles in Washington is Texas Gov. Rick Perry, though he's repeatedly denied 2012 presidential aspirations.

Daniels' supporters don't seem in a rush to rally behind someone else.

John Hammond, one of Daniels' top fundraisers, said a core group of Daniels' backers will await the governor's advice, saying, "I know a lot of us will be waiting to see and hear what Mitch is going to say." And Bob Grand, who ran Romney's Indiana fundraising efforts in 2008 but was prepared to support Daniels, said the group plans to meet in the coming days to vet the remaining candidates.

The candidates — declared or not — aren't waiting, judging by the compliments that flowed in after Daniels' announcement.

Huntsman associated himself with Daniels' message of fiscal conservatism, saying in a statement, "His message about the most immediate threat facing our nation — the massive debt — will not go unheard."

Gingrich praised the Indiana governor, telling CBS' "Face the Nation" that he thought Daniels "would be in the front-runners from Day One if he'd decided to run."

The scramble for Daniels' supporters came hours after the governor disclosed to his backers early Sunday that he would not run because his family had vetoed the idea.

"In the end, I was able to resolve every competing consideration but one," Daniels said in a middle-of-the-night email. "The interests and wishes of my family is the most important consideration of all."

He's the latest in a list of Republicans who opted against running for president after considering it. They include former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, businessman Donald Trump, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, South Dakota Sen. John Thune and Indiana Rep. Mike Pence.

Daniels had weighed a bid for months, and he had seemed more optimistic about a run in the past week. But as he talked about a candidacy, he always pointed back to his family as the primary issue that would hold him back.

His wife, Cheri, filed for divorce in 1993 and moved to California to remarry, leaving him to raise their four daughters in Indiana. She later divorced again, and she and Daniels reconciled and remarried in 1997.

Mrs. Daniels had never taken much of a public role in her husband's political career. So it raised eyebrows when she was chosen as the keynote speaker at a major Indiana fundraiser in May.

Both husband and wife were said to be pleased with the reception they got, and advisers suggested that the outcome could encourage Daniels to run. Even so, Republicans in Washington and Indiana with ties to Daniels put the odds at 50-50.

Daniels, who had been President George W. Bush's budget director, used his time considering a run to shine a spotlight on rising budget deficits and national debt, even though Bush enlarged the scope of government and federal spending.

A one-time senior executive at Eli Lilly & Co., Daniels caused a stir among cultural conservatives by saying the next president facing economic crisis "would have to call a truce on the so-called social issues."

Daniels made his intentions clear in a characteristically understated email.

It was sent by the governor through Eric Holcomb, the Indiana Republican Party chairman and one of Daniels' closest advisers

"Many thanks for your help and input during this period of reflection," the statement ended. "Please stay in touch if you see ways in which an obscure Midwestern governor might make a constructive contribution to the rebuilding of our economy and our republic."

Scientists said the eruption won't have the global impact of last year's eruption, which left 10 million travelers stranded around the world.

Associated PressIn this photo taken on Saturday, May 21, 2011, smoke plumes from the Grimsvotn volcano, which lies under the Vatnajokull glacier, about 120 miles, (200 kilometers) east of the capital, Rejkjavik, which began erupting Saturday for the first time since 2004. Iceland closed its main international airport and canceled domestic flights Sunday as a powerful volcanic eruption sent a plume of ash, smoke and steam 12 miles (20 kilometers) into the air.

REYKJAVIK, Iceland — An Icelandic volcano flung ash, smoke and steam miles (kilometers) into the air Sunday and dropped a thick layer of gray soot in an eruption far more forceful — but likely far less impactful — than the one that grounded planes across Europe last year.

The country's main airport was closed and pilots were warned to steer clear of Iceland as areas close to the Grimsvotn (GREEMSH-votn) volcano were plunged into darkness. But scientists said another widespread aviation shutdown was unlikely, in part because the ash from this eruption is coarser and was falling to Earth more quickly.

The volcano, which lies beneath the ice of the uninhabited Vatnajokull glacier in southeast Iceland, began erupting Saturday for the first time since 2004. It was the volcano's largest eruption in 100 years.

The ash from Grimsvotn — about 120 miles (200 kilometers) east of the capital, Reykjavik — turned the sky black Sunday and rained down on nearby buildings, cars and fields. Civil protection workers helped farmers get their animals into shelters and urged residents to wear masks and stay indoors. No ash fell on the capital.

Scientists said the eruption won't have the global impact of last year's eruption some 80 miles (130 kilometers) away at the Eyjafjallajokull (pronounced ay-yah-FYAH-lah-yer-kuhl) volcano, which left 10 million travelers stranded around the world.

"It is not likely to be anything on the scale that was produced last year when the Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted," University of Iceland geophysicist Pall Einarsson told The Associated Press. "That was an unusual volcano, an unusual ash size distribution and unusual weather pattern, which all conspired together to make life difficult in Europe."

Still, Icelandic air traffic control operator ISAVIA established a 120 nautical mile (220 kilometer) no-fly zone around the volcano, closed Keflavik airport, the country's main hub, and canceled all domestic flights. It said Keflavik would stay shut until at least noon Monday, canceling about 40 international flights.

Trans-Atlantic planes — including Air Force One, due to carry President Barack Obama to Ireland later Sunday — were told to stay away from Iceland.

The European air traffic control agency in Brussels, Eurocontrol, however, said there was no impact on European or trans-Atlantic flights further south and said it did not anticipate any impact through Monday.

Britain's Meteorological Office, which runs Europe's Volcanic Ash Advisory Center, said the plume from the volcano would spread largely northeast until Monday, but some ash would creep south and east, toward the crowded skies over northern Europe.

Where it goes after that depends on the intensity of the eruption and weather patterns.

A Met Office spokeswoman said if the eruption continues at its current rate, "the U.K. could be at risk of seeing some volcanic ash later this week." She spoke on condition of anonymity because she wasn't authorized to be quoted by name.

University of Iceland geophysicist Magnus Tumi Gudmundsson said the Grimsvotn eruption was "much bigger and more intensive" than last year's eruption and 10 times as powerful as Grimsvotn's last explosion in 2004.

"There is a very large area in southeast Iceland where there is almost total darkness and heavy fall of ash," he said. "But it is not spreading nearly as much. The winds are not as strong as they were (last year)."

He said the ash now is coarser than in last year's eruption, falling to the ground more quickly.

Grimsvotn's eruption in 2004 lasted for several days and briefly disrupted international flights. The volcano also erupted in 1998, 1996 and 1993.

Sparsely populated Iceland is one of the world's most geologically unstable countries, sitting astride the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the Eurasian and North American continental plates rub up against one another. Frequent earthquakes push magma from deep underground toward the surface, and volcanic eruptions are common. The ground is covered by hardened black lava from past eruptions and steam belches from the earth — harnessed by Icelanders for geothermal power.

Volcanic eruptions in Iceland often spark flash flooding from melting glacier ice but rarely cause deaths. Usually they only have a local impact, but when they do draw the world's attention, it's in a spectacular way.

The 1783 eruption of the Laki volcano spewed a toxic cloud over Europe, killing tens of thousands of people. Crops failed and famine spread.

In April 2010, the Eyjafjallajokull eruption prompted aviation officials to close Europe's air space for five days out of fear that the ash could harm jet engines. Thousands of flights were grounded, airlines lost millions of dollars and weary travelers slept on airport floors across northern Europe.

Some airline chiefs complained that regulators had overreacted. But a study last month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences concluded the shutdown had been justified. It said the hard, sharp particles of volcanic ash blasted high into the air could have caused jet engines to fail and sandblasted airplane windows.

Scientists said there were already signs that the latest eruption was tapering off.

"The intensity of the eruption has decreased markedly overnight," Matthew Roberts of the Icelandic Meteorological Office told the BBC, saying the ash plume had fallen to about 6 miles (10 kilometers) high.

Gudmundsson said the duration of the latest eruption would probably be short.

"In two or three days, the worst should be over," he said.

Knee replacement surgeries have doubled over the last decade and more than tripled in the 45-to-64 age group.

Associated PressIn this Friday, May 13, 2011 picture, Karen Cornwall plays with her dogs Bel, left, and Mac, in front of her home in Havertown Pa. Cornwall, a nurse who played a slew of sports since childhood, had both knees replaced last year when she was 54.

SAN DIEGO — We're becoming a nation of bum knees, worn-out hips and sore shoulders, and it's not just the Medicare set. Baby boomer bones and joints also are taking a pounding, spawning a boom in operations to fix them.

Knee replacement surgeries have doubled over the last decade and more than tripled in the 45-to-64 age group, new research shows. Hips are trending that way, too.

And here's a surprise: It's not all due to obesity. Ironically, trying to stay fit and avoid extra pounds is taking a toll on a generation that expects bad joints can be swapped out like old tires on a car.

"Boomeritis" or "fix-me-itis" is what Dr. Nicholas DiNubile, a suburban Philadelphia surgeon, calls it.

"It's this mindset of 'fix me at any cost, turn back the clock,'" said DiNubile, an adviser to several pro athletic groups and a spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. "The boomers are the first generation trying to stay active in droves on an aging frame" and are less willing to use a cane or put up with pain or stiffness as their grandparents did, he said.

A huge industry says they don't have to. TV ads show people water skiing with new hips. Ads tout "the athletic knee," ''the custom knee," ''the male knee," ''the female knee." Tennis great Billie Jean King, 67, is promoting the "30-year" Smith & Nephew knees she got last year.

"I wanted to make sure whatever they put in me was going to last," she said. "I'm not trying to win Wimbledon anymore. I'm trying to get my exercise in," play a little tennis on the clay courts in Central Park, and walk to a movie or a restaurant. "If I'd known what I know now, I would have had it 10 years ago."

Joint replacements have enabled millions of people like King to lead better lives, and surgeons are increasingly comfortable offering them to younger people.

But here's the rub: No one really knows how well these implants will perform in the active baby boomers getting them now. Most studies were done in older folks whose expectations were to be able to go watch a grandchild's soccer game — not play the sport themselves, as one researcher put it.

Even the studies presented at a recent orthopedics conference that found knee replacements are lasting 20 years come with the caveat that this is in older people who were not stressing their new joints by running marathons, skiing or playing tennis.

Besides the usual risks of surgery — infection, blood clots, anesthesia problems — replacing joints in younger people increases the odds they'll need future operations when these wear out, specialists say.

"We think very carefully about patients under 50" and talk many of them out of replacing joints, said Dr. William Robb, orthopedics chief at NorthShore University HealthSystem in suburban Chicago.

But many don't want to wait, even if they're not much beyond that:

—Karen Guffey, a 55-year-old retired civilian police worker in San Diego, plans to have a hip replaced in September. "I can't exercise the way I want to. I have to go slow, which is really aggravating. I want to go full force," she said. "I'm not worried about how I'm going to feel when I'm 75. I want to feel good now."

—Karen Cornwall, a Havertown, Pa., nurse who played a slew of sports since childhood, had both knees replaced last year when she was 54. "I just felt like I was too young and too active to be in pain all the time," she explained.

—Bill McMullen, a former Marine and construction worker from suburban Philadelphia, had seven knee repair surgeries before finally getting a knee replacement at age 55 a decade ago. He took up weightlifting to spare his knees but damaged a shoulder and had it replaced two years ago. "People ask me if I'm happy and I say, 'If you have pain, go and get it done,'" he said of joint replacement. "It was the best thing for me. I have no pain."

People are urged to exercise because it's so important for health, but there are "too many wannabes" who overdo it by trying to imitate elite athletes, said Dr. Norman Schachar, a surgeon and assistant dean at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada.

"They think if they've got a sore knee they're entitled to having it replaced," he said. "I think surgeons are overdoing it too, to try to meet that expectation."

Dr. Ronald Hillock, an orthopedic surgeon in a large practice in Las Vegas that does about 4,000 joint replacements a year, sees the demand from patients.

"People come in and say 'this is what I want, this is what I need,'" he said. "They could buy a cane or wear a brace," but most want a surgical fix.

The numbers tell the story. There were 288,471 total hip replacements in 2009, nearly half of them in people under 65, according to the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, which tracks hospitalizations.

Knee replacements soared from 264,311 in 1997 to 621,029 in 2009, and more than tripled in the 45-to-64-year-old age group.

"Five or 10 years ago, a very small number of people under 65 were receiving this surgery. Now we see more and more younger people getting it," said Elena Losina, co-director of the Orthopaedic and Arthritis Center for Outcomes Research at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

She analyzed how much of this rise was due to population growth and obesity, and presented results at an orthopedic meeting in San Diego in February.

From 1997 to 2007, the population of 45- to 64-year-olds grew by 36 percent, but knee replacements in this group more than tripled. Obesity rates didn't rise enough to explain the trend.

"At most, 23 percent of the 10-year growth in total knee replacement can be explained by increasing obesity and population size," Losina said.

"This is a very successful operation. The only caveat is, all the successes have been seen in the older population," who usually put less stress on their new joints than younger folks who want to return to sports. "It's unclear whether the artificial joint is designed to withstand this higher activity," she said.

If you have a good result from a joint replacement, don't spoil it by overdoing the activity afterward, experts warn. Better yet, try to prevent the need for one.

"Being active is the closest thing to the fountain of youth," but most people need to modify their exercise habits because they're overdoing one sport, not stretching, or doing something else that puts their joints at risk, said DiNubile, the "boomeritis" doctor.

Experts recommend:

—Cross training. People tend to find one thing they like and do it a lot, but multiple activities prevent overuse.

—Balance your routines to build strength, flexibility, core muscles and cardiovascular health.

—Lose weight. "Every extra pound you carry registers as five extra pounds on your knees," DiNubile said. "The good news is, you don't need to lose a lot of weight" to ease the burden.

—Spend more time warming up. Break a sweat and get the blood flowing before you go full blast.

—Let muscles and joints recover and rest in between workouts.

—If you've had a joint replacement, do the physical therapy that's recommended.

"I tell patients, 20 percent of the outcome is the technical stuff I do in the surgery, and 80 percent is them," said Hillock, the Las Vegas surgeon. "I can do a perfect surgery, but if they don't do the rehab they're not going to have a good outcome."

Sen. John Kerry, will hold a press conference Monday outlining his opposition to the proposal.

(AP)FILE - In a Jan. 20, 2010 photo, U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., smiles as he addresses reporters during a news conference at the Park Plaza hotel in Boston, days after his stunning Massachusetts Senate victory. Brown has been in office a little more than a year, but already he is attracting would-be Democratic challengers. Among those said to be weighing a run are Newton Mayor Setti Warren, Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll, City Year founder Alan Khazei and two current members of Congress, Reps. Michael Capuano and Stephen Lynch. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

It's a language problem fit for the SAT: One is voting on a bill when one is voting for a bill, but one is not necessarily voting for a bill when one is voting on it.

Sen. Scott Brown published an op-ed in Politico on Monday saying he would not support House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan's budget proposal, after it was widely reported that he would be voting in favor of the measure in the Senate.

The bill, which would fundamentally transform Medicare (The Christian Science Monitor explains how), was passed by the House in April. Western Mass. Congressmen Richard Neal and John Olver joined their fellow Democrats in voting against the measure. Four Republicans also opposed.

Earlier, this month, the Newburyport Daily News reported that Brown gave the Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce this prediction for the fate of the House Republican-backed proposal:

The leaders will bring forward the budget, and I will vote for it, and it will fail. Then, the president will bring forward his budget, and it will fail. It will be great fodder for the commercials.

What Brown meant to say, which he outlines in his Politico op-ed, is that he would vote on it, not for it. Here's why he's voting no:

First, I fear that as health inflation rises, the cost of private plans will outgrow the government premium support— and the elderly will be forced to pay ever higher deductibles and co-pays. Protecting those who have been counting on the current system their entire adult lives should be the key principle of reform.

Second, Medicare has already taken significant cuts to help pay for Obama’s health care plan. The president and Congress cut a half trillion dollars to the private side of Medicare — meaning seniors are at risk of losing their Medicare Advantage coverage. Read the op-ed »

The Associated Press reports that Brown's colleague, Sen. John Kerry, will hold a press conference Monday outlining his opposition to the House budget proposal and call for a "responsible approach to fiscal responsibility."

Catch up on the news you might have missed over the weekend.

Associated PressResidents of Joplin, Mo, walk west on 26th Street near Maiden Lane after a tornado hit the southwest Missouri city on Sunday evening, May 22, 2011. The tornado tore a path a mile wide and four miles long destroying homes and businesses. Read the full story »

Rounding up some of the major news stories from Western Massachusetts and beyond for the weekend of May 21-22:

The Ugly Truth: Some Massachusetts Superfund sites are still toxic nearly 30 years and more than $1 billion later
No one, not even the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, knows whether humans are still being exposed to a witch’s brew of chemicals, federal records show.

Is UMass about to replace Chancellor Robert Holub?
If UMass does not renew Holub's contract, it will mark the fourth time in 10 years the university will have a new chancellor.

Apocalypse not now: Rapture 2011 leaves some believers confused, while others take it in stride
When 6 p.m. came and went across the United States and various spots around the globe, and no extraordinary cataclysm occurred, some believers expressed confusion, while others reassured each of their faith.

Springfield

Springfield stabbing victim remembered as a good father, hard worker
Carlos Gonzalez Beslanga's fiancee and oldest children -- a 7-year-old and 9-year-old -- were present when the alleged killer pulled out a knife and stabbed Beslanga, according to Mayra Padilla.

Springfield police continue to probe North End homicide, the city's 8th this year
Carlos G. Beslanga, 32, of Newington, died from a single stab wound to the chest, according to Springfield police, who are searching for two North End residents in connection with the crime.

Organizers say Springfield Vintage Grand Prix races in jeopardy
A key stumbling block is that the city wants to organizers to provide a $300,000 performance bond to cover city costs including police details and the Department of Public Works, according to organizers.

Holyoke

More Holyoke bear sightings prompt police warning: Don't provoke the bruins
With bear sightings on the uptick in Holyoke, city police are reminding residents who live in areas frequented by bears to stay cool and leave them alone.

Northampton

Bridge extension linking Manhan and Norwottuck Rail Trails officially opens with ribbon-cutting ceremony
Seventeen years of work came to a symbolic end Sunday when the ribbon was cut on the Rt. 10 bridge extension linking the city to Northampton via the Manhan and Norwottuck Rail Trails.

Soccer at Oxbow fields to continue under terms of old permit, despite Northampton Planning Board ruling
Residents said that traffic from soccer games and practices on fields near the Oxbow Marina had created a safety hazard and changed the pace of life in the neighborhood.

Western Mass Graduations, in words and photos

AIC celebrates 126th commencement at MassMutual Center | Photo gallery »

Mount Holyoke graduates 564 with bachelor's degrees | Photo gallery »

Last crop of WNEC grads celebrate commencement | Photo gallery »

Hampshire College graduates told to make the world a better place | Photo gallery »

Westfield State Class of 2011 called unique

Amherst College holds 190th commencement; departing president gives address

Entertainment

Staind drummer Jon Wysocki out of rock band; fans left to wonder why
There was little explanation for the shake-up in the most successful rock‘n’roll band to come out of Western Massachusetts.

Opinion & Commentary

Viewpoint: Springfield City Council can stop biomass plant
Whether we want any more pollution is a local question—one that DEP does not ask and cannot answer. Whether we want our children exposed to even higher levels of pollution than we already have, is again, a local question.

Viewpoint: Biomass is clean, smart and safe
Our project is the cleanest biomass facility ever proposed in the United States and MassDEP will require us to use the “best available control technology” on the market today for our air pollution control system.

Tom Shea: Tom's nod to Seth Rogovoy on his Nod to Bob Dylan
“It is impossible to summarize or enumerate or categorize to analyze Bob Dylan’s affect on my life. It’s the way I walk, the way I sing, the way I write, what I write about, and the way I think. For better or worse, he’s the single artist who has most profoundly affected me.”

NOTE: Users of modern browsers can open each link in a new tab by holding 'control' ('command' on a Mac) and clicking each link.

In this week's Business Monday: High gas prices mean rising prices on restaurant menus, and more.

In this week's Business Monday from The Republican:

Job hunting 101: College graduates' job outlook has improved
Employers plan to hire 19.3 percent more college graduates in 2011 than in 2010, according to a new survey.
Read more »

High gas prices mean rising prices on restaurant menus
Restaurateurs are reluctantly rejiggering menus to make up for the rising cost of food, which has been inflated in part because of fuel surcharges that food suppliers have begun to charge in the face of rising gas prices. Read more »

Pioneer Valley Books launches iPad app to reach out to young readers
Eight of the early elementary school readers – some as short as 40 words long – can now be downloaded for free through the new app. Other titles coming online will be available for 99 cents each. Read more »

United Way of Pioneer Valley beats fund-raising goal, raises $6.1 million in tough economy
The United Way of Pioneer Valley supports 100 programs in 44 separate agencies. Overall, United-Way Funded programs benefited 156,000 people in 23 Hampden County towns plus South Hadley and Granby in Hampshire County. Read more »

More Business Monday:

Voices of the Valley: Steve Herrell, Herrell's Ice Cream, Northampton

National study finds salaries for women 17 percent less than for men in entry-level jobs after college

Eastec to become an every-other-year affair

Answers to small-business health costs have been slow in coming

Boston Business Journal Editorial: In Massachusetts, a tale to two housing markets

Businesses discovering the value of Skype in long-distance job interviews

Anti-theft software lets rightful owners track and possibly recover stolen computers

Bradley Airport sees recent increase in traffic as sign of encouraging long-term trend

Bradley Airport redesign brings taxi waiting area closer, means shorter waits for travelers seeking cabs

Governor's office grants provide $1.3 million to 7 non-profits that aid at-risk youth

Q&A: Why does the debt crisis in Europe matter to the United States?

Notebooks:

Business calendar for May 24 - June 17

Business Bits: St. Vincent nurses ratify contracty, Sears sues Friendly over clogged sewers, BJ's earning better than expected, and more

Business etc: Columbia Gas customers urged to go paperless, UMass ad wins award, poll shows Massachusetts residents favor alternative energy, and more

Police continue to search for the driver who allegedly hit the bicyclist and fled the scene.

GRANBY - A 50-year-old bicyclist, injured Friday night when she was hit by a hit-and-run vehicle on East State Street Friday night, was in good condition Monday at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.

Police Chief Alan Wishart identified the woman as Jill Davis of Granthan, N.H.

Wishart said police are still attempting to find the driver of the vehicle that allegedly struck Davis as she rode her bicycle in the area of East State Street at about 5:30 p.m.

Davis was thrown from her bicycle and into a utility pole. The driver left the scene without stopping.

Witnesses described the vehicle as a tan colored (1990-1995) Dodge/Chrysler minivan. The minivan was also described as having black front and rear bumpers. It is damaged on the passenger side and missing the side view mirror. The vehicle was last seen driving southbound on Route 202 in Granby.

Anyone with information about the vehicle or its operator is asked to call the Granby Police at (413) 467-9222.

The suspects, who may be driving a white 2006 Honda, are considered armed and dangerous

Springfield Police photosLuis Manuel Cintron, left, and Noemy Ramos

SPRINGFIELD - Police are seeking the public’s help in finding two suspects wanted in connection with the fatal stabbing of 32-year-old Carlos E. Beslanga Saturday afternoon in the North End.

The man and woman, who may be operating a white 2006 Honda with a Massachusetts registration of 187-HH7, are considered armed and dangerous, Sgt. John M. Delaney said.

Police said that Beslanga, visiting family and about to travel home to Newington, Conn., was stabbed once in the chest after a neighbor spotted him urinating between two buildings on Cumberland Street.

Police are seeking that neighbor, Luis Manuel Cintron, 37, of 66 Cumberland St., on a warrant for murder.

They are also seeking Noemy Ramos, 33, of that same address, on a warrant for accessory to murder.

After the stabbing, which followed a verbal confrontation, Cintron assaulted another male victim with the knife before handing it over to Ramos and telling her to get rid of it, Delaney, aide to Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet, said.

Ramos then ran down the street and hid the knife in the sewer. Delaney said. It was later recovered by police.

The murder was witnessed by Beslanga’s wife and three children and his mother, who attempted to stop Cintron from escaping, Delaney said.

Beslanga was pronounced dead in the emergency department at Baystate Medical Center, which is about 200 yards away from the stabbing. Beslanga, described as a hard-working family man who provided for his four children, is the city’s 8th homicide victim of the year.

Those with information on the stabbing are asked to call the detective bureau at (413) 787-6355. Those wishing to report serious crime anonymously in the Greater Springfield area may use the Text-a- Tip program. To do so, address a text message to “CRIMES,” or “274637,” and begin the body of the message with the word “SOLVE.”

Delaney said Cintron has been arrested numerous times by Springfield police. His last arrest, in May 21, 2010 was for breaking and entering and stealing copper pipes.

He has also been arrested in the past for burglary, assault and Battery on a police officer, Domestic assaults and Battery, breaking into vehicles, threat to murder, failure to Stop from a police officer and several additional breaking and enterings.

Ramos has been arrested numerous times by Springfield police for such things as shoplifting, motor vehicle violations and warrants.

Additions to the defense bill look like the pet projects that Republicans swore off in a promise to change Washington's spending habits.

Associated PressIn this Nov. 4, 2010 photo, Rep.-elect Bobby Schilling, R-Ill., talks with The Associated Press, in Moline, Ill. Hard-charging Republicans who rallied voters last year with cries of stop the spending, ban the earmarks are quietly offering a more familiar Washington refrain now they’re in Congress - not in my back yard.

WASHINGTON — Hard-charging Republicans who rallied voters last year with cries of "Stop the spending, ban the earmarks" are quietly offering a more familiar Washington refrain now that they're in Congress — not in my backyard.

The massive, $553 billion bill providing a budget for the Pentagon boasts millions of dollars that President Barack Obama didn't request for weapons programs, installations and other projects in districts from Illinois to Mississippi represented by House GOP freshmen. The additions look suspiciously like the pet projects that Republicans prohibited when they took over the House and that the new class of lawmakers, many with tea party backing, swore off in a promise to change Washington's spending habits.

Heated campaign talk of reining in spending and barring earmarks often cools once candidates get to Congress and face the needs and demands of their districts, especially in times of wobbly economic recovery and a widespread shortage of jobs.

The House is scheduled to begin work on the bill Monday and vote on it this week. Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee insist the additions are not earmarks. The committee chairman, Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon, R-Calif., said firmly in March that he would not permit them, and each addition carries a disclaimer that says a decision to spend these budgetary requests must be based on competition or merit.

"At the end of the day, the Pentagon still has the power," said Josh Holly, a spokesman for the GOP-controlled committee. "The Pentagon looks at the bill and will do it on a competitive basis."

Proud statements that Republican freshmen churned out within hours of the committee's early morning vote this month suggest otherwise.

A provision added to Obama's budget request would provide another $2.5 million for weapons and munitions advanced technology, money for the Quad City Manufacturing Lab at the Rock Island Arsenal in freshman Rep. Bobby Schilling's Illinois district. The lab conducts research and development on titanium, lightweight composites and other advanced materials.

"Through this legislation, we were able to pave the way for more public-private partnerships at RIA that will increase the workload, keep skills sharp and promote jobs," Schilling, who was born and raised in Rock Island, said in a statement. "These policies will help protect our war fighters abroad and help us prosper economically at home. I am honored to have the opportunity to represent the hard-working men and women at the Rock Island Arsenal,"

During his 2010 campaign against Democratic Rep. Phil Hare, the tea party-backed, pizza-business owner Schilling ran as a fiscal conservative and railed against Hare's earmarking.

"Earmark reform that forces lawmakers to be more transparent is critical to weeding out corruption and waste," Schilling wrote in an op-ed last October. "Programs should only pass if they have merit and can stand on their own. If an earmark is a good project, it will pass. If it's for swamp mice in California, it won't."

Schilling advocated voting on each amendment separately, saying anything less would be irresponsible government.

In fact, the committee approved Schilling's provision as part of a package of 19 amendments with little or no debate and no separate vote during some 16 hours of deliberations.

Questioned about the provision, Schilling's press secretary, Andie Pivarunas, said the committee process "has been transparent, and the Army will decide where this budget funding goes on a competitive or merit-based basis."

Laura Peterson, national security analyst with Taxpayers for Common Sense, said the group was analyzing the defense bill to determine whether the committee made good on its promise to prohibit earmarks, but she did see "bells, whistles and worse" that were tacked on. Her organization defines an earmark as a provision that sets aside money for a specific program, project, location or activity that bypasses a merit-based or competitive process.

"Just because the process is more transparent doesn't mean the initiative behind every congressional add is completely selfless," Peterson said.

Tom Schatz, president of Citizens Against Government Waste, said even if the additions are not earmarks based on the committee's definition, his group will be scrutinizing the bill and looking at what programs received increases in money.

Another tea party-backed lawmaker, freshman Rep. Vicky Hartzler of Missouri, won an additional $20 million for "mixed conventional load capability for Air Force bombers." Hartzler's district is home to Whiteman Air Force Base, keeper of the nation's B-2 bombers, and Fort Leonard Wood.

"I believe this increase in funding will ensure our air crews have the full capabilities necessary to protect this country," Hartzler said in a statement.

The congresswoman backed the House GOP moratorium on earmarks last November, but according to published reports in Missouri, she doesn't think the ban should apply to defense spending.

Freshman Rep. Steven Palazzo, who unseated longtime conservative Democrat Gene Taylor in Mississippi, told voters during the campaign he favored banning earmarks, saying it would "help restore the people's faith in their government."

After the committee approved the defense bill, Palazzo hailed the $189 million he secured, including $10 million to buy land for training facilities for the Army National Guard and $19.9 million for ship preliminary design and feasibility studies. Palazzo's district is home to Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula.

"I am glad to be able to help ensure the long-term viability of our shipbuilding industry and the thousands of craftsmen that build the ships," Palazzo said in a statement.

Questioned about the provisions, Palazzo's press secretary, Hunter Lipscomb, said the congressman did not request funds for any specific project, just to transfer funds to increase the programs. "'The way the authorized funding will be spent will be up to the various account managers," Lipscomb said.

The former Minnesota Governor hopes an Iowa victory will give him a boost into next-up New Hampshire and beyond.

Associated PressIn this April 15, 2011 file photo, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty speaks at the Greater Boston Tea Party's third annual "Tax Day" rally on Boston Common in Boston. The former Minnesota governor on Sunday, May 22, 2011 released an Internet video ahead of a public appearance Monday in Iowa, where he planned to formally enter the race for the 2012 GOP nomination.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Republican Tim Pawlenty on Monday pledged to be a president who levels with the American people and accused President Barack Obama of doing just the opposite as the former Minnesota governor launched his candidacy for the GOP nomination in a pivotal state.

"President Obama's policies have failed. But more than that, he won't even tell us the truth about what it's really going to take to get out of the mess we're in," Pawlenty said in prepared remarks. "I'm going to take a different approach. I am going to tell you the truth."

Pawlenty, who isn't well known nationally and ranks low in popularity polling, was making his first campaign appearance since announcing his bid for the Republican nomination in an Internet video late Sunday. It came just hours after Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels' decision against a bid jolted the GOP race and brought the field into clearer focus.

The setting for Pawlenty's appearance — one block away from the Iowa State Capitol — underscores how important the state's leadoff presidential caucuses are to his candidacy as he tries to take advantage of Daniels' absence to position himself as the principle challenger to Mitt Romney. The former Massachusetts governor lost his first bid in 2008 and again is seeking the nomination of a party that historically has nominated a candidate who had run previously.

Given an opportunity to go after Romney in a Monday morning appearance on network television, Palwenty demurred, saying he'd prefer to talk about his own good presidential traits than criticize others. He did acknowledge he probably wouldn't be able to compete with the former Massachusetts governor in terms of fundraising.

In a highly scripted multi-format campaign introduction spread out over several days, Pawlenty is casting himself as a straight-talking, truth-telling candidate and seeking to convince a Republican primary electorate searching for a hard-nosed nominee that he's tough enough to take on Obama, the Democratic incumbent.

Pawlenty, who must win the party nomination before getting the chance to take on Obama, virtually ignores his GOP rivals in an announcement video, a column published in USA Today and in excerpts of his speech made available by his advisers.

Instead, he castigates Obama, saying in the excerpts: "America is in big trouble, and it won't get fixed if we keep going down the same path." The Republican cast himself as a can-do candidate, saying that Minnesota and Washington confront the same issues: taxes, spending, health care, unions, and the courts. And he said that his record as governor shows that he knows how to "lead a liberal state in a conservative direction."

"Politicians are often afraid that if they're too honest, they might lose an election. I'm afraid that in 2012, if we're not honest enough, we may lose our country," Pawlenty said, and then outlined bedrock conservative principles. "If we want to grow our economy, we need to shrink our government. If we want to create jobs, we need to encourage job creators. If we want our children to be free to pursue their dreams, we can't shackle them with our debts. This is a time for truth."

And, he added: "the truth is, we're all in this together. So we need to work to get out of this mess together. I'll unite our party and unite our nation."

Pawlenty's Monday visit was his 14th to Iowa since the 2008 election, more than any candidate except former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.

The little-known Midwesterner hopes an Iowa victory will give him a boost into next-up New Hampshire and beyond, a strategy that carries potential benefits and risks.

If he wins Iowa, as he says he must, Pawlenty could emerge as the chief rival to Romney, who lost the GOP nomination in 2008 and ranks higher in polls this year. If Pawlenty falls short, however, he'll have to reevaluate the viability of his bid for the Republican nomination, despite the two years' groundwork he's laid in his neighboring state.

"In Iowa, he is all in. All his cards are right out on the table," said Bob Haus, a veteran Iowa GOP strategist who managed Fred Thompson's 2008 caucus campaign and is uncommitted for 2012.

Pawlenty has used his visits to appeal to many of the sometimes fractious segments of Iowa's GOP base, seeking to compete for all parts of the party.

"He fits with the social conservatives, has the background of a budget cutter, and he's strong with national security conservatives. Plus, he's a good guy, and he's here, working it," said Richard Schwarm, a confidant of Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad and a former state GOP chairman who so far hasn't chosen a candidate to back in the caucuses.

Strategically, Pawlenty has lined up an all-star team of consultants deeply rooted in Iowa Republican campaigns, winning presidential campaigns or, in some cases, both.

They include Iowa natives Terry Nelson and Sara Fagen, former political aides to President George W. Bush, who began working in the 1990s on statewide and caucus campaigns. Also on Pawlenty's team are state GOP operatives with strong ties to John McCain's 2008 campaign, as well as some former aides to Romney's 2008 caucus campaign.

Pawlenty also has hired staff in New Hampshire and courted the powerbrokers in the nation's first primary state. But he has less riding there than he does in Iowa, where he has said he has a cultural kinship and where fewer candidates may compete aggressively.

Pawlenty appeared Monday on NBC's "Today" show and CBS's "The Early Show."

Hagan boasts perfect attendance for the past year-and-a-half, according to city records.

EASTHAMPTON – Precinct 1 City Councilor Daniel C. Hagan has announced he will run for a second two-year term.

Daniel Hagan

Hagan, who sits on the finance subcommittee and the public safety subcommittee, said he enjoys being in contact with his constituents and that he has responded in some way to every one of their concerns. He boasts perfect attendance for the past year-and-a-half, according to city records.

He also co-sponsored an ordinance establishing the agricultural commission, which serves as a liaison between agricultural workers and the city government.

“I have enjoyed dealing with people,” said Hagan. “Trying to help out constituents has been the part I enjoyed the most and I would like to continue that.”

“The guy’s a straight arrow. He wouldn’t say anything he doesn’t mean,” said councilor-at-large Donald L. Cykowski, chair of the public safety subcommittee.

For a second term, he said he would like to continue primarily working with constituents and has no concrete plans to tackle particular issues.

“I try to deal with each problem as it comes up in the most common sense way I can,” he said.

Nomination papers will be available at the city clerk’s office in the Municipal Building at 50 Payson Ave. on Tuesday, July 5. A candidate for precinct councilor must get 50 signatures from registered voters in that precinct.

Several other incumbent councilors are mulling runs for re-election and said they will make their decisions and announcements in the coming weeks.

The city’s election is slated for Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty has announced he will he will run for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.

File photoSen. Scott Brown, R-Mass.

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Officials said there was not enough time to overcome legal and logistical obstacles.

Jason Remillard/The RepublicanA vintage Stutz that was expected to race in the Springfield Vintage Grand Prix this July.

SPRINGFIELD – The Vintage Car Grand Prix Race planned for July was canceled Tuesday by agreement of the city and race organizers.

Planning is underway for the three-day event in the summer of 2012.

Citing legal and logistical complications, Mayor Domenic J. Sarno announced the cancellation at a Monday afternoon press conference.

“We want to make sure we get this right,” Sarno said at a press conference with Peter Roberts, national steward of the Sports Car Club of America, which was sponsoring the race.

The press conference followed a noon meeting that included city solicitor Edward M. Pikula, members of the business community and other city officials.

Pikula said there was not enough time to overcome several obstacles, including passing legislation needed to hold a race on downtown streets.

The city had raised earlier concerns about liability and safety.

Promoters said that city officials had place roadblocks and unrealistic expectations on the organizers.

Police required pepper spray and in one case, batons, to subdue and arrest the suspects.

03.09.11 | Photo by Julian Feller-Cohen – A Northampton Police Department cruiser.

NORTHAMPTON - Two police officers were injured early Saturday following a disturbance on Pleasant Street that led to the arrests of three people and the confiscation of loaded handgun.

As many as ten people may have been involved in the brawl which was initially reported shortly before 2 a.m. at Pleasant and Pearl streets, Capt. Scott A. Savino said.

Two state troopers and three police officers from Easthampton were summoned to help quell the disturbance, Savino said.

The injured officers, Kenneth Kirchner and Brian D’Amico, were treated at Cooley Dickinson Hospital and released, Savino said. The man allegedly carrying the handgun, Hebert Levy, 23, of 285 White St., Springfield, resisted arrest and police said they required pepper spray to subdue him.

A second suspect, Jose M. Rodriguez, of 47 Montague Road, Amherst, allegedly confronted police and required both pepper spray and batons to subdue him.

A third suspect, Caitlin Cassidy, 22, of 51 Hunter’s Hill Circle, Amherst, also received a blast of pepper spray when she allegedly refused to cooperate with police, Savino said.

When police initially responded to Pleasant and Pearl streets all was quiet, Savino said. A cab driver, however, pointed out a group heading south on Pleasant Street and the officers could see that several fights had broken out, he said.

“The officers arrived on scene and of course, everybody scattered,” Savino.

Police stopped two of the suspects near Roberto’s Restaurant and Sgt. Alan Borowski observed one of them who appeared to be nervous and kept his hands in his pockets.

Borowksi decided to pat-frisk the suspect, later identified as Levy, and could feel a handgun in his left front jacket pocket, Savino said.

As soon as Borowski felt the gun, Levy “literally ran out of his jacket, leaving the sergeant holding both the gun and the jacket. Police caught Levy after a short foot chase and required pepper spray and batons to subdue and arrest him, Savino said.

While dealing with Levy, Rodriguez approached police yelling incoherently, Savino said, adding that the suspect kicked three officers before they could subdue him.
Levy was charged with committing a firearms violation with a prior conviction, possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, disturbing the peace while armed, two counts of assault and battery on a police officer and vandalizing property (one of the officers’ shirt and pants were damaged in the scuffle, possession of a firearm without an FID card and carrying a firearm without a license.

Rodriguez was charged with interfering with police, disorderly conduct and three counts of assault and battery on a police officer, Savino said.

Cassidy was charged with disorderly conduct.

The recovered handgun was a 9 mm semiautomatic. Police believe it’s a Smith & Wesson but don’t know for sure because it does not have any markings on it, Savino said.

Levy was held without bail over the weekend, Rodriguez was held in lieu of $10,000 cash bail and Cassidy was released on $1,000 cash bail.

The suspects are slated to be arraigned Monday in Northampton District Court.
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