Volunteers at the new center will help veterans with questions about state and federal benefits.

 

HOLYOKE -- An official with the Holyoke Soldiers' Home said Friday he will look into correcting a phone number provided for the facility's new Veterans Assistance Center that only sends callers into a circle of recordings.

"'You have reached the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' voice message system. If you know your party's seven-digit extension, you can dial it at anytime ...," begins the message upon calling (413) 538-5924.

Steven E. Como, chairman of the Soldiers’ Home board of trustees, said he will find out the right phone number to reach the center, an office that opened Thursday and will be staffed by volunteers trained to address questions about eligibility for state and federal benefits.

Rintala cried off and on during the interview and at one point appeared to dry heave into some tissues.

Testimony Friday in the case of Cara L. Rintala in Hampshire Superior Court included this Granby Police video testimony of Rintala being interviewed by Massachusetts State Police Detective Lt. Robin Whitney, at right on screen, head of the state police detective unit for Hampshire and Franklin counties. Rintala is accused of killing her wife, Annamarie Cochrane Rintala. Seated from left at the defense table is Rintala and her lawyers, Luke Ryan and David Hoose. The Republican / Michael S. Gordon  

Read the transcript of Friday's live coverage.

NORTHAMPTON – Jurors in the Cara Rintala murder trial saw the defendant tell a police detective Friday that her wife, whom she is accused of beating and strangling to death, was the more aggressive of the two and that she felt bullied by her.

Rintala looked distraught and nervous during the 2 ½ hour videotaped interview with state police detective Lt. Robin Whitney, which was filmed at the Granby police station just hours after police found the bloody, paint-covered body of Annamarie Cochrane Rintala in the house the two women shared on 18 Barton St. in March 2010. When police responded to a 911 call at that address, the defendant was in the basement cradling her wife’s body and wailing.

After an 18-month investigation, a grand jury indicted Rintala, 45, for murder. Prosecutors said the marriage was a turbulent one, filled with arguments over money and personal matters. At one point, each woman filed a restraining order against the other. Both also filed for divorce, but dropped their petitions.

In the video shown in Hampshire Superior Court, Rintala describes Cochrane Rintala as more aggressive and extravagant than she, while less prone to work and manage money. She told Whitney that she felt bullied by Cochrane Rintala, who was a bigger woman.

“Ann has a temper,” she said. “I’m not like that. I get anxious. I feel like I can’t get out of my own way. I felt bullied in my own house.”

Rintala cried off and on during the interview and at one point appeared to dry heave into some tissues. She interspersed her description of her wife with declarations of love. Nonetheless, she aired a host of grievances. She said Cochrane Rintala felt threatened by her other friendships and that she once chest-bumped a porter on a cruise the two women took.

“Ann managed to get into fights with all my family,” Rintala said. “I love her. She’s mostly good. I feel terrible for saying things about her.”

Whitney did little talking during the interview, in which Rintala also complained that her wife was loathe to work, had expensive tastes and had taken out a credit card in Rintala’s name without her knowledge and run up a $25,000 tab.

“I really feel like I got bamboozled a lot,” Rintala said.

Whitney kept bringing Rintala back to the crime scene and her discovery of her wife’s body. When the detective pressed for more details, Rintala got defensive.

“I feel like you’re pointing your questions at me,” she said, “that I had something to do with it.”

State police Sgt. Christopher Ray later testified that he checked out details of Rintala’s account of her whereabouts in the hours before she reported finding her wife’s body. Ray went to the Holyoke Mall and a McDonalds and Stop & Shop in Holyoke, retracing Rintala’s route. Prosecutor Steven Gagne showed the jury surveillance video from all three locations. In a few of them, Ray pointed out a white object in the bed of a truck he said was Rintala’s. Gagne plans to introduce into evidence a white laundry basket with a drop of the defendant’s blood.

The jury is scheduled to view the crime scene at 18 Barton St. in Granby on Monday morning. Testimony will resume when they return to Hampshire Superior Court.

Westfield's Savage Arms drew crowds with a display of its rifles and shotguns.

Neal Schemherhorn, left, of Monson and George LeClerc, of Belchertown, talk about proposed gun control laws during a visit to the Springfield Sportsmen's Show at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield Friday. The show continues Saturday and Sunday.  

WEST SPRINGFIELD - If the outdoor enthusiasts at the Springfield Sportsmen's Show agree on anything it's most of the gun control laws now under discussion won't do much to stop violence but will inconvenience them unfairly disparage a sport they love.

"I think its a big waste of time. The gun is just an inanimate piece of steel, a piece of metal. it's the person using it," said said Neal Y. Schermerhorn, of Monson, who was volunteering at the Western Massachusetts Duck Hunters Association booth along with George A. LeClerc, of Belchertown.

"How did prohibition work out?" Schermerhorn said. "How is the war on drugs working out for us?"

He said background checks are good and the state and federal governments should do more to keep guns from the hands of the mentally ill, even going as far as to take away gun licenses if someone's mental state changes. But regulating firearms or the features on firearms is doomed to failure, he said.

The show, which runs 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m,. Sunday at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, drew thousands of hunters, anglers and outdoor enthusiasts Friday to booths advertising adventure trips all over the world and tables laden with outdoor gear, including firearms.

Westfield's Savage Arms drew crowds with a display of its rifles and shotguns. Springfield's Smith & Wesson didn't display this year.

Also on Friday, Organizing for Action, an organization to support President Barack Obama’s agenda, planned to host a rally at the Statehouse in Boston in support of gun control laws. On Thursday, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden held a rally for gun control in Connecticut near the site of December's deadly Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Conn.

Proposed changes to Massachusetts laws could block people from buying more than one gun every thirty days, ban high-capacity magazines and require Massachusetts gun owners to buy liability insurance.

But many at the Sportsmen's Show resent being lumped in with criminals.

"That's not us," said Francine Bacalocostantis of Syosset, N.Y. "Most of us treat it like a sport."

She added that she and her husband keep their guns in a safe to keep them out of irresponsible hands.

Evan S. Beaudoin, 21, of Southwick recently earned a state permit allowing him to carry a handgun. He hasn't bought the gun yet.

"Getting that permit is something everyone should do," he said. "I might get a handgun and a rifle, one of everything I guess."

There are always people looking for firearms training, said Darell L. Mitchell of Longmeadow. He offers firearms safety and marksmanship education through his company, Safety First. He said demand for the classes has gone up since the Newtown shootings with concerns that gun laws will get tighter.

"Most people are looking for personal protection," he said. "But the firearms safety class is something everyone should have whether they ever buy a gun or not."

In his first public comments since the boy’s death on Feb. 15, Warwick said school officials are cooperating fully with the Hampden district attorney office’s investigation.

Springfield Schools Superintendent Daniel Warwick said all swimming classes and other pool-related activities throughout the city district have been canceled while officials investigate the death of a student at the Kiley Middle School pool. The Republican [file]  

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Schools Superintendent Daniel Warwick said school officials have halted all swimming classes and other pool-related activities throughout the district while they conduct a full review of the death of a 12-year-old boy during a swimming class at Kiley Middle School on Feb. 15.

Warwick said school officials are cooperating fully with the Hampden district attorney office’s investigation.

“Sadly, today marks one week since the unspeakable tragedy occurred where we lost one of our students. As a school district, we are doing all that we can in the aftermath of such a tragedy. We have reached out to the family. We have made counseling available. We have suspended all pool-related activities at all of our schools for the time being. And we have begun reviewing the events leading up to this tragedy with the purpose of conducting a full review to determine exactly what occurred,’ Warwick said in a press release issued Friday morning.

Warwick’s office has not released the name of the sixth grade student, saying the School Department is not permitted to release personal information about students.

Hampden District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni said Thursday the investigation is ongoing, and his office is awaiting the results of an autopsy conducted Monday. The preliminary report stated that results are pending the return of certain testing that has been sent out by the local office of the state Medical Examiner, he said.

“The investigation revolves around whether or not there was negligence or recklessness that rose to the level of criminal activity,” Mastroianni said.

All information received thus far indicate the death was a drowning, “however there is no way I can say that conclusively without the benefit of an autopsy that will give us information regarding the health of the young person,” Mastroianni said.

The student was pronounced dead at Baystate Medical Center after being rushed to the hospital from Kiley following the incident shortly before 2:30 p.m., on Feb. 15. It occurred during a regular swimming class involving approximately 45 students and two teachers, according to police.

A team from the state Department of Public Safety inspected the pool at the Kiley Middle School Wednesday, five days after the death of a 12-year-old student.City Health Director Helen R. Caulton-Harris said results of the inspection should be made public next week.

Warwick’s full statement is below:

“Sadly, today marks one week since the unspeakable tragedy occurred where we lost one of our students. As a school district, we are doing all that we can in the aftermath of such a tragedy. We have reached out to the family. We have made counseling available. We have suspended all pool-related activities at all of our schools for the time being. And we have begun reviewing the events leading up to this tragedy with the purpose of conducting a full review to determine exactly what occurred.

Understandably, there has been an avalanche of questions and concerns. People both inside and outside of our organization want answers. They are desperate to understand what happened, how it happened, why it happened and what will happen next.

As superintendent, I assure you I am just as desperate to learn the answers to those questions and based on those answers to make thoughtful determinations about what must occur next. I promise that those decisions will be made with one thing and one thing only in mind – what is best for all of our students in moving forward.

The fact of this matter is that this process will require time. We need time to fully investigate, making sure that every aspect is covered and that we can be confident in our process once it is complete.

We have worked closely with police officials as they conducted their investigation. It has been reported that the police department has turned their investigation over to the Office of the District Attorney and we fully support and respect that measure.

We have also been in contact with the Springfield Department of Health and Human Services, which worked with the state department this week to conduct an inspection of the pool at Kiley. I certainly anticipate the state’s findings and, again, support those measures.

We consulted the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to verify that we were operating within their prescribed guidelines for swimming curriculums and learned that we were. Nonetheless, I have made the decision to suspend all swimming classes throughout the district because I expect and understand that there may be a high level of angst and anxiety around the program at this point.

As Superintendent, it is my intent to make sure this investigative process is beyond reproach. That is precisely the reason why I am unable to answer many questions that have been posed to me at this juncture. Jeopardizing the integrity of this process is simply a risk that I am not willing to take. So for now, I will continue to keep the details of our investigation and the personnel matters that lie therein confidential. However, you have my word that I will personally share the findings and courses of actions that result with our entire community once they are determined.

Next week will be a difficult one at Kiley. We have communicated with the school already, assuring them that it will be outfitted with grief counselors for both students and staff. It is important for us to take care of the hurting adults in the school so that they can be better prepared to take care of the kids. We will have counselors available early in the morning to meet with staff. During that morning meeting, staff will be provided information, teacher-to-student talking points, protocols and practices that they can utilize to bring a sense of comfort, normalcy and warmth to the students. Professional grief counselors will be stationed in the school all day and during the week.

Last Saturday, we opened the school for several hours and a good number of staff and some students took advantage of the opportunity to seek solace and comfort in one another and to receive professional grief counseling. We also made arrangements for Springfield Public Schools staff to have 24-hour crisis counseling available throughout this week.

As I stated in the opening of my remarks, it has been one week since tragedy struck our school district. Words cannot express our deep sorrow. I ask that you join me in continuing to pray for the family of our lost student, his friends, teachers and all who have been touched by his life.

Mayor Gregory Neffinger said the city is preparing for the potential evacuation of approximately 30 streets in the city’s Merrick section should the need arise as CSX Corp. personnel work to remove 2 derailed railroad tankers — one carrying a chemical that is “more flammable than gasoline.”

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.

The most viewed photo gallery was the Associated Press' 31 striking photos that help define the week, at right.

1) Body recovered from Connecticut River near Springfield's South End bridge [Patrick Johnson]

2) Cara Rintala Trial: Live updates from Day 7 of courtroom proceedings [Fred Contrada]

3) West Springfield preparing for potential evacuation of 30 streets in Merrick section should derailed tanker leak flammable chemical [George Graham]

4) Video: Plow driver brags about burying cars in YouTube clip [MassLive.com staff]

5) Kiley Middle School student Marlon Brown, identified as boy who died in swimming class, remembered for 'special smile, caring heart' [Peter Goonan]

Get ready for the 2013 Oscars with these five things to watch for.

No. 1: Seth MacFarlane, smart pick or risky move?

Bringing on "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane to host the Oscars might be a little risky, but it could also pay off big. MacFarlane's Family Guy is known for its crude humor, including fart jokes, awkward asides and fights with a human-sized chicken,

Funny ladies Tina Fey and Amy Poehler saw rave reviews after hosting the Golden Globes early this year, but we're used to seeing them acting in leading roles on "SNL," "Parks and Recreation" and "30 Rock." MacFarlane's largely a voice actor, who brings to life multiple characters on his show.

If he can balance being funny and edgy without going too far, MacFarlane could make these Oscars one to remember.

No. 2: Will there be any surprises in those envelopes?

After the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards early this month, Vanity Fair picked "Argo" to take home the Oscar for Best Picture, Daniel Day-Lewis for Best Actor and Jennifer Lawrence for Best Actress. The Hollywood Reporter and Entertainment Weekly made the same choices in those categories this week.

But there's always the potential for surprises at the Oscars with Entertainment Weekly writing this about the Best Picture category:

Everyone suspects this is a battle between "Argo" and "Lincoln," but the real potential spoiler here is "Silver Linings Playbook." It’s the first movie since 1981′s "Reds" to land nominations in all four acting categories, which indicates broad support within the actors branch, the largest voting bloc in the Academy.

No. 3: Keep an eye on that second screen

No one's waiting for those watercooler moments to happen at the watercooler anymore.

Besides sometimes the social media mocking, animated gifs and spontaneously created Twitter accounts that seize on a moment we're all watching are more entertaining than the actual awards show anyway.

Case in point:

• Angelina Jolie's right leg
• Binders full of women
• Super Bowl blackout

No. 4: Hits and misses on the red carpet

Which designers will shine on the red carpet and whose ensembles will fall flat?

Take a stroll down memory lane with E! Online as they recall the best and worst dressed, including Bjork's swan-themed frock, of Oscars shows past.

Compare the stars' styles at the 2013 Academy Awards with those that made fashion blogger Kathleen Thibodeau's hit and miss list last year.

No. 5: The snubs

We already know who the Academy passed over in the nomination process, but will there be any glaring mistakes as the winners are announced?

Get a sense of the films nominated for Best Picture with these trailers and clips:

ARMOUR

ARGO

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

DJANGO UNCHAINED

LES MISERABLES

LIFE OF PI

LINCOLN

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

ZERO DARK THIRTY

Lynch votes with the Democratic Party around 90 percent of the time. Yet he opposes abortion and voted against President Barack Obama's health care reform.

Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., gestures while announcing his bid for the U.S. Senate seat vacated with the resignation of John Kerry at Ironworkers Local 7 in Boston on Jan. 31. Associated Press File Photo  

BOSTON - U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch has an unusual voting record for a Massachusetts Democrat – one that could hurt him with progressive Democrats while bolstering his image among conservatives and independents in his run for U.S. Senate.

While Lynch votes with his party most of the time, he also broke with Democrats on some major issues.

He voted against Democratic President Barack Obama’s health-care reforms and opposes abortion.

Jerold Duquette, associate professor of political science at Central Connecticut State University and author of a blog on Massachusetts politics, says Lynch’s record allows him to appeal to “Reagan Democrats,” what Duquette calls the “culturally more conservative crowd.”

“He basically tows the party line on most important votes, though he did have some high-profile defections, none of which altered the course of legislation,” Duquette said. “He’s kind of an iconoclastic conservative Democrat.”

Lynch is hardly a rogue Democrat. A Congressional Quarterly database from 2011 found Lynch voted with his party 93 percent of the time, in cases when a majority of Democrats opposed a majority of Republicans.

A Washington Post database of the 112th Congress also found Lynch voting with his party around 90 percent of time.

Some of his breakaway votes, however, irk Democrats. “There are those in the Democratic Party who think his vote against the Affordable Care Act was improper,” said Boston political activist Woody Kaplan, who supports U.S. Rep. Edward Markey, D-Malden, in the Senate race.

In 2010, Lynch sided with every House Republican and just 33 other Democrats in opposing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. At the time, Lynch referred to the landmark health insurance reform bill as “a bill that cost almost a trillion dollars but which in my opinion, offered little to reform the current skyrocketing costs of the fee-for-service system that is dominated by the insurance industry.”

Lynch said he supported an earlier version, but opposed the final bill because it did not repeal a law allowing insurance companies to act as monopolies; did not allow states to provide a public option (a state-run health insurance plan); and funded the law through a tax on high-cost health plans rather than high-income earners. Lynch opposes a national public option, but supports it at a state level.

Lynch defends his vote on the Senate campaign trail, recently handing out a Wall Street Journal story detailing unions’ concerns about the law to a gathering of business leaders. Lynch told the group that by exempting small companies, the law encourages small companies not to provide health insurance while incentivising large firms to pay a penalty rather than pay the higher cost of health insurance. Lynch has opposed efforts to repeal Obama’s reforms.

On abortion, Lynch calls himself pro-life, another area that could hurt him with Democratic voters.

William Geary, a member of Markey’s finance committee, said he thinks a major issue of this Senate campaign will be “whether women want to contemplate having someone who will support the right to choice, Roe v. Wade.”

Lynch has received mixed scores from pro-life and pro-choice groups. In Congress, he voted to ban partial birth abortion. As a state legislator, the Boston Globe reported that Lynch led an effort to ban abortions after 24 weeks and opposed creating a “buffer zone” keeping protesters away from abortion clinics.

As a member of Congress, Lynch voted against a cut in funding for Planned Parenthood. Lynch says he does not want to repeal Roe v. Wade and would not support a judicial nominee with that agenda.

“I think that the way you reduce abortions is to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies, and you increase access to contraceptive counseling and birth control,” Lynch told The Republican and MassLive.com in an interview.

On defense, Lynch was one of 81 Democrats who joined almost every House Republican voting to authorize the 2002 Iraq war. Lynch said he was briefed by Republicans, Democrats and Israeli experts and was influenced by Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s history of attacking his neighbors and the belief that he had weapons of mass destruction.

“Based on the information I had in front of me at the time, I thought it was the right vote,” Lynch said. “Of course, later on we discovered that the information was not correct.”

Asked whether the U.S. should use force to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, Lynch said, “I would be very cautious about making that step.” Lynch says the U.S. must respond to the Iranian threat as part of an international coalition, and any actions must be taken with international partners.

On fiscal issues, Lynch supported the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill and the 2009 federal stimulus bill. He says he opposed Obama’s temporary 2 percentage point payroll tax cut because it took money from Social Security. He opposed the 2008 bailout of the financial industry. He is a strong supporter of unions.

Lynch has a mixed record on free trade – supporting, for example, a Russia-U.S. trade agreement, and opposing agreements with Central America, Panama, Colombia and Chile. Lynch says he generally opposes agreements with countries that would result in the exploitation of low-skilled workers.

On Western Massachusetts issues, Lynch supports the development of broadband Internet networks in rural areas. “I see broadband much the same as I see power delivery or roads and bridges, as part of the infrastructure,” Lynch said. “It will help stimulate economic activity.”

Lynch worked with members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation to prevent cuts to Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee and Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield.

He has talked about addressing unemployment throughout the state by ending tax incentives and policies that encourage companies to send jobs overseas.

Lynch serves on the House Financial Services and Oversight and Government Reform committees.

UMass fraternity members plan to return weekly to work with veterans at Leeds.

Greg Wnuk, left, vice president of Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity at UMass, was one of 11 to visit with veterans at the Northampton Veterans Affairs Medical Center Monday. Here he plays bingo with resident Dayrus Betts. John Suchocki / The Republican  

NORTHAMPTON - It was more than a patriot game.

On Presidents Day Monday, 11 members of Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity at the University of Massachusetts Amherst spent the afternoon running a bingo game for those being treated at the Veterans Affairs Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System.

It was the fraternity's first trip to the center in Northampton's Leeds section, and the fraternity plans to make many more visits over the next few months.

“One of our core values is patriotism,” said fraternity spokesman Brandon Graham. That means supporting “our nation’s military, our national heroes,” he said.

Crossing the Coolidge Bridge on a day they didn’t have classes was the least they could do, said Alpha Sigma Phi vice president Greg Wnuk.

The fraternity plans to spend Saturdays in March and April at the center working with veterans. Having the group come is something the center appreciates.

John Paradis, VA public relations manager, said although a number of high school and college groups visit the center, in this case the fraternity is “looking to have more of a long-term relationship with the VA. It’s really heart-warming,” he said.

Paradis said it's good for the fraternity to get to know members of the military. Currently, just 10 percent of the population has a family member in the service.

“We’re building a whole new generation…of what it means to be in service,” he said.

“It’s great getting to know the patients,” Gagnon said.

Besides running the illuminated bingo board, members of the group visited with patients, offered help when needed and awarded prizes.

Laurie Smith of Palmer served in law enforcement in the U.S. Air Force in the late 1970s and is now getting treatment at the center.

“It’s nice to see the public get involved,” she said.

Bingo prizes were coupon books that can be used in the cafeteria and store on the veterans center campus. The fraternity was planning to send in $50 toward the cost, said Karen Zerneri, recreation therapist.

Dozens turned out for the game Monday, which is about typical, she said. Games are offered when a volunteer group will come in to help run one.

Having something to do helps get the veterans out of their rooms, Zerneri said. Having people come to see them, “makes them feel important.”

The members of Alpha Sigma Phi? “These are a nice group of fellas,” she said.

Paradis said volunteers are key for the center and are always needed in a range of capacities. Anyone wishing to help can visit the center’s website, www.centralwesternmass.va.gov/giving/.

The development engine would be powered by an organization called an Economic Development Corporation -- to revitalize the area in line with South Hadley's master plan

Public safety officials investigate the scene of a fire in January at the Crack of Dawn restaurant in South Hadley Falls. Selectmen this week agreed to create an economic development corporation for the Falls neighborhood. Don Treeger / The Republican file  

SOUTH HADLEY - Following some uncertainty, town officials now say that the $20,000 appropriated at town meeting to foster economic development will focus squarely on the South Hadley Falls area of town.

The decision resulted in selectmen voting this week to use the money to hire a consultant to guide development in the Falls area.

The consultant's job would be to assist the town's Community and Economic Development Commission. The development engine would be powered by an organization called an Economic Development Corporation - to revitalize the area in line with South Hadley's master plan

The action follows a letter from the Falls Neighborhood Association to the town's economic commission expressing concern that the $20,000 would be spent outside of the Falls.

"We have heard some talk that these funds might be re-purposed toward the Big Y shopping plaza on Newton Street," the group wrote. "The sudden closure of the Big Y is unfortunate for many reasons, but it should not distract the town from its commitment to the number one objective of the master plan: the revitalization of South Hadley Falls."

Town Planner Richard Harris told selectmen on Tuesday that his department had researched the matter.

In a letter to the board, Harris said that budget information shows that the "$20,000 has been included for economic development activities to implement the reports of the UMass and the American Institute of Architects studies of the Falls."

In the previous fiscal year, town meeting also allotted $20,000 for an economic development study of South Hadley Falls.

Selectmen unanimously authorized Harris to use the money to hire a consultant.

Here's a look at the big matchups and top storylines from around the nation as we begin another busy weekend of college basketball action.

Here's a look at the big matchups and top storylines from around the nation as we begin another busy weekend of college basketball action:

The Big Buzz: A rivalry not renewed

No. 11 Georgetown at No. 8 Syracuse, Saturday at 4 p.m. ET

Syracuse's James Southerland, left, looks to pass against Providence's Josh Fortune during the first half in an NCAA college basketball game in Syracuse, N.Y., Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013. (AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli)





 

With Syracuse set to jump to the ACC, this game marks the final time that the Orange will play host to the Hoyas in a Big East conference game. A record crowd is expected at the Carrier Dome, where Syracuse is undefeated this season, to bid farewell to this historic rivalry. Oh, and the teams just happen to be playing for first place in the Big East.

These two squads, while perhaps not on the level of the teams that battled during this rivalry's heyday, are certainly capable of giving the Syracuse-Georgetown tradition the sendoff that it deserves, writes Bud Poliquin of Syracuse.com:

It’ll be historic. It’ll be exciting. It’ll be, ultimately, more than a little bit sad. But it will be the Orange vs. the Hoyas, and as each club is in the Top 10 or on the fringes of that esteemed company, there will be two terrific editions to close it out. And that’ll make the affair a “can’t-miss” thing on some level or another.

Ryan Fagan of The Sporting News touts the contest as "required viewing":

Their intense rivalry defined the Big East for decades, and now it’s ending. That’s why officials are expecting a capacity crowd of 35,012 fans. And now, let’s look at the rankings. The Hoyas, riding an eight-game winning streak, are up to No. 11 in the AP poll and the Orange are No. 8. They’re both tied with Marquette atop the Big East at 10-3. It’s barely possible for this game to be more important than it already is.

ESPN.com's Myron Medcalf, who picks Syracuse to get the win, writes that the Orange will need point guard Michael Carter-Williams to orchestrate the offense with aplomb in order to overcome a tough Georgetown defense:

The effectiveness of a Cuse attack that’s responsible for four wins in five games is largely based on Michael Carter-Williams (13-for-42, 12 combined turnovers in three Big East losses) and his effectiveness. In this game, Syracuse will need MCW to demonstrate the skill set that makes NBA scouts drool.

Georgetown forward Aaron Bowen celebrates his dunk during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against DePaul, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013, in Washington. Georgetown won 90-66. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)





 

But Rob Dauster of CollegeBasketballTalk writes that Syracuse will have its hands full with Georgetown, aka "the hottest team in the country right now":

They can defend, they have enough length to match up with Syracuse, and their back court of Markel Starks and D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera (who went for 33 points against DePaul this week) has been playing great basketball. Otto Porter has a chance to be the Big East Player of the Year after the way he has played down the stretch of the season, but Syracuse looked like they finally found a rhythm on Wednesday with James Southerland back in the lineup.

And Carter-Williams may have given the Hoyas a little extra motivation when he took a shot at Georgetown in his weekly video show on Syracuse.com Thursday:

"We've always been better than them, always will be better than them, and we just want to go out on top," he said.

Top games

Here's a look at some of this weekend's other don't-miss matchups involving teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25:

• No. 16 New Mexico at No. 22 Colorado State, Saturday at 4 p.m. ET

• No. 17 Marquette at Villanova, Saturday at 6 p.m. ET

• Stanford at No. 23 Oregon, Saturday at 8 p.m. ET

• Illinois at No. 7 Michigan, Sunday at 1 p.m. ET

• Cincinnati at No. 25 Notre Dame, Sunday at 2 p.m. ET

• No. 4 Michigan State at No. 18 Ohio State, Sunday at 4 p.m. ET

Headlines

• Saint Louis completed a season sweep of No. 15 Butler with a 65-61 comeback victory Friday night. (via ESPN.com)

• The NCAA has accused Miami of having a "lack of institutional control" for not monitoring the conduct of a booster who provided cash and gifts to players on the men's basketball and football teams. (via ESPN.com)

• Syracuse freshman Dajuan Coleman returned to practice this week for the first time since undergoing knee surgery on Jan. 29 and will be available to play in Saturday's game against Georgetown. (via Syracuse.com)

• Miami Hurricanes coach Jim Larranaga credits Miami Heat star Chris Bosh for his team's success this season. (via USAToday.com)

• New York Knicks forward and former Syracuse star Carmelo Anthony will have his number retired by the Orange at halftime of this weekend's Syracuse-Georgetown game. (via Syracuse.com)

What they're saying

Gonzaga's Gary Bell Jr. makes a breakaway layup against Santa Clara, in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Jed Conklin)





 

• This year's Gonzaga squad is making a strong case to be considered the best of coach Mark Few's many notable Zags teams, writes Jeff Eisenberg of Yahoo! Sports:

They boast three non-league wins over top 30 RPI foes. They've lost only two games, one to NCAA tournament-bound Illinois and the other at the buzzer at Butler. And they're dominating the WCC like they used to do even though it's a vastly stronger league now than it was even a few years ago.

• Michigan State coach Tom Izzo defended Spartans center Derrick Nix after an incident during Tuesday's 72-68 loss to Indiana in which Nix struck Hoosiers forward Cody Zeller in the groin, initially drawing harsh criticism from the likes of ESPN analyst Dick Vitale: (via MLive.com)

"Nothing happened. There's more contact when I hug my daughter than that play had. Ridiculous."

• Ohio State's Lenzelle Smith Jr. was one of several players who offered a very frank assessment of the team's dismal performance in last weekend's 71-49 blowout loss to Wisconsin: (via Cleveland.com)

“We not only embarrassed ourselves, we embarrassed our coaching staff, our university, our school president, our fans, we embarrassed everybody,” junior Lenzelle Smith Jr. said. “We didn't answer the call. We didn't do anything we're known to do. We abandoned everything.”

Indiana's Victor Oladipo (4) drives to the basket against Michigan State's Adreian Payne, right, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013, in East Lansing, Mich. Oladipo led Indiana with 19 points in their 72-68 win. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)





 

• Nick Baumgardner of MLive.com writes that the Big Ten Player of the Year race could very well end up a tie between Michigan point guard Trey Burke and Indiana forward Victor Oladipo, but he gives the edge to Olapido:

When Indiana's at its best, he seems to be leading the charge. He's impossible to stop off the dribble with a head of steam, and he's the best on-ball perimeter defender in America (for my money). And, his team is the unquestioned No. 1 squad in America.

• Adam Jude of The Oregonian writes that No. 23 Oregon can't afford a loss to Stanford this weekend as the Ducks try to fix an offense that has been missing in action without injured point guard Dominic Artis: (via OregonLive.com)

With four regular-season games left (Stanford, vs. Oregon State, at Colorado and at Utah), Saturday becomes a vital step in the Ducks' title hopes. Realistically, if they have shot to win the Pac-12 title outright, they can't miss this opportunity.

Tourney Talk

• Yahoo! Sports has the tournament stock of Memphis and Michigan State rising this week, but Ohio State's outlook has taken a turn for the worse.

• No. 3 Gonzaga claims a No. 1 seed in the latest bracket projections from CBSSports.com's Jerry Palm.

• Michigan State, Duke and Michigan lead USAToday.com's current rankings of at-large tournament bids.

• ESPN.com picks Christian Laettner's buzzer-beater that lifted Duke over Kentucky in the 1992 Elite Eight as the No. 1 moment in NCAA Tournament history.

A new school superintendent from among three finalists is scheduled to be appointed the week of March 4.

Finalists for superintendent of schools in Holyoke are, from left, Kimberly A. Wells, Sergio Paez and Natalie B. Dunning.  

HOLYOKE - As the three finalists for school superintendent prepare their pitches, criticism persists about the search process used to fill the job.

Critics questioned why someone they considered a top candidate, Peck Full Service Community School Principal Paul Hyry-Dermith, wasn't a finalist and said insufficient effort was made to involve parents in the search.

But some School Committee members and those on a committee that screened applicants said that that they did all the outreach they could and that their scrutiny was sound, thorough and followed School Committee conditions.

The School Committee is scheduled to do public interviews of the finalists the week of March 4 and appoint a superintendent the night of the last interview.

The finalists are Natalie B. Dunning, senior administrator of Common Core standards in the Springfield School Department; Sergio Paez, manager of supplemental support services for the Worcester public schools; and Kimberly A. Wells, assistant Holyoke superintendent.

The job involves administering a school system of 5,800 students and 1,400 teachers and other staff in 11 schools and other facilities. The system operates with a budget which, with grants, totals about $90 million.

The next school superintendent will be paid $140,000 to $170,000 a year and face a residency requirement.

In recent telephone interviews, the finalists discussed why they want to lead the school system after Superintendent David L. Dupont retires in June.

They face taking over a school system whose challenges include low test scores, a high school graduation rate of only 52.8 percent compared to the statewide 84.7 percent and English being the second language for most students. The city of 40,000 is about half Hispanic.

Dunning, 44, of Chepachet, R.I., worked more than 20 years in Rhode Island schools before joining the Springfield School Department in 2011. She found she liked working in urban schools in Providence and that is part of Holyoke’s appeal, she said.

"I love the idea of Holyoke because you have all the opportunities that come with an urban district with a size that's manageable," she said.

Dunning has a doctorate in education from Johnson & Wales University, in Providence, master's from Rhode Island College, in Providence and a bachelor's from Providence College.

A major issue facing the superintendent will be the city's two Level 4 schools, Dean Technical High School and Morgan School. Such schools are on a watch list and are undergoing turn-around efforts because students have been chronically underperforming on state proficiency tests. Staff at both schools say they have made progress.

Dunning has experience with Level 4 schools because Springfield has 11 and Rhode Island has a similar evaluation process. The key with Level 4 schools is a combination of patience with the school’s progress and a curriculum that ensures individuals get attention, she said.

"I think the thing that's really hard is they didn't get to Level 4 in a day and they're not going to get out of Level 4 in a day," she said.

Paez, 46, of Leominster, said his experience directing the Worcester English language learning program from 2007 to 2010 would be valuable here. Plus, he is a native of Columbia and speaks Spanish.

"I want to help them achieve academics at a high level. They can navigate the language, they can be successful," Paez said.

Worcester has three Level 4 schools. Progress lies in supporting teachers and forming a variety of partnerships in the community so students see education is valued beyond just in school, he said.

"These pay off," he said.

Paez has a doctorate in education from Boston College a master's degree from Harvard University and a bachelor's from Fitchburg State College.

Wells, 40, of Springfield, has been assistant superintendent since 2010 and was executive director of curriculum and testing here from 2005 to 2010.

She wants the top job to continue the improvement she sees in the schools, she said, including strides at Dean and Morgan.

"We've done a lot of work in the last several years in turning the school district around and making sure that all of our students and their families have access to a rigorous curriculum," Wells said.

Still, she said, "We are an underperforming school district," and improving requires leadership that ensures students get a demanding "common core" education. That refers to the federal Common Core Standards that call for all schools to teach the same concepts in math and English in the same grades.

"It's something I'm passionate about," Wells said.

Wells has master's and a bachelor's degrees from American International College, in Springfield. She does not have a doctorate. The School Committee in setting job requirements for superintendent said a master's was required and a further degree was preferred.

A curious possibility is that children of the next superintendent here might not attend Holyoke public schools. Dunning's children are grown. Wells has twins and said whether they go to school here or continue in Springfield will be part of her contract negotiation with the School Committee. Paez said the plan is to send his daughter to Notre Dame Academy, a Roman Catholic high school in Hingham.

A 13-member committee that the School Committee appointed in December screened the field of 12 applicants and on Feb. 4 revealed finalists to the School Committee.

The School Committee had ordered the screening committee to review applicants and submit three to five finalists.

Nevertheless, the Feb. 4 meeting was significant as much for the criticism expressed about the process as it was for the revelation of the finalists' names.

An attempt was made to toss the process and redo the search, but the School Committee voted 6-3 against it. The committee also rejected a motion to have the screening committee deliberate more and submit names of two more finalists.

Alex B. Morse  

Mayor Alex B. Morse, whose position puts him as chairman of the School Committee, and Ward 1 member Joshua A. Garcia were among critics of the process who supported redoing the search.

Morse said the screening committee should have forwarded five finalists, to give the School Committee the best chance at choosing the best applicant.

The mayor also said the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, the School Committee's Boston-based superintendent search consultant, did a poor job of soliciting comments from parents and others in the community before the screening process began.

"This decision cannot be taken lightly. I believe it is more important that we have a transparent, inclusive and extensive search process rather than rush to select our next superintendent. We can't afford to make the wrong decision," Morse said.

Pat Correira, field director with the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, said the group did its best to reach as many people in the community as possible, with focus group meetings and an online survey.

Most of the focus group meetings were poorly attended and while the online survey drew 109 responses, its anonymity made it hard to determine actual number of participants.

Garcia objected to a confidentiality breach that had him hearing the finalists' names around the city the weekend before the meeting at which they were supposed to be revealed.

Among the process's defenders were Vice Chairman Devin M. Sheehan, who was on the screening committee, John G. Whelihan, screening committee member and former city councilor, and Ward 7 School Committee member Margaret M. Boulais.

"They did exactly what their job was," Sheehan said. "We have three excellent finalists."

Devin M. Sheehan  

"I know this was an inclusive group of people and we were all dedicated to the city," Whelihan said.

Boulais said during Feb. 4 meeting, ""We asked for three to five candidates, so we got what we asked for, and we selected the members of the screening committee. I don't know what we're arguing about."

Hyry-Dermith's name was never uttered during the meeting. Officials heeded lawyers' advice to abide by confidentiality requirements of those applicants who didn't become finalists.

But many who attended the meeting said later Hyry-Dermith was on their minds.

Correira made a reference during the discussion: "I know there is this internal candidate everyone is talking about, but they didn't meet the minimum qualifications for the job."

That was an apparent reference to the teaching experience requirement. The posting stated that five years teaching experience in a pre-kindergarten to grade 12 system was preferred.

Paul Hyry-Dermith is principal of the Peck Full Service Community School.  

Hyry-Dermith's resume showed he doesn't have that teaching experience. He taught philosophy at Worcester State College in 1999 and English as a second language at the private Community Education Project here from 1994 to 1998.

He has been Peck principal since July 2008, was principal of Lynch Middle School for three years before that and director of adult and parent education for the public schools here from 2002 to 2005.

He has a doctorate in education from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. His dissertation was titled, "Getting Beyond What Educators See as Wrong: How Understanding the Strengths of Low-Income Puerto Rican Families Can Help Urban Schools Improve," according to his resume.

Hyry-Dermith also has a master's in philosophy from UMass and a bachelor's from Carleton College, in Northfield, Minn.

Hyry-Dermith wrote in an email that since learning he wasn't a finalist, he has worked to "remain relentlessly focused" leading and improving Peck and all city schools.

After learning he wasn't a finalist, Hyry-Dermith sent an email Feb. 2 to faculty, staff and others in the Peck community. He was disappointed, he said, but joked that since it was Super Bowl weekend, he understood how his two favorite teams, the Packers and the Patriots, felt because they had failed to reach the big game.

"But with that said, the Screening Committee's decision in no way diminishes how lucky I feel to come to work at Peck with you every day, or my enthusiasm for our work! You have my commitment to remaining intensely focused on making our school better for the kids and families that we are fortunate to serve, and on doing my best with and for you every day as we go forward," Hyry-Dermith wrote in the email.

People like Megan Harding were shocked Hyry-Dermith wasn't a finalist.

He was key to making Peck a "full-service community school," joining parents, teachers and outside health, social services and educational agencies to offer more to students, said Harding, project manager at Peck.

"His leadership is the type that ignites leadership in others. For all of these reasons, it never occurred to me that he wouldn't advance to the final round," Harding said.

Alan H. Bloomgarden has worked with Hyry-Dermith and others at Peck as director of community engagement for Mount Holyoke College, in South Hadley. Excluding Hyry-Dermith makes no sense if based on teaching experience since a superintendent is hired to manage a system of people, not teach in a classroom, and Hyry-Dermith has shown a rare ability to galvanize people, he said.

"Overall, I would add that there is a significant segment of the community of parents, educators, community partners and students who have found Dr. Hyry-Dermith's leadership as a school principal for the last seven or so years as among the most promising, uplifting, visionary and engaging aspects of the education in the city of Holyoke," Bloomgarden said.

Sheehan and Whelihan said confidentiality agreements prohibited them from discussing candidates other than the finalists, when asked about Hyry-Dermith.

Donors to the $2 million capital campaign for the West Springfield Public Library will get the opportunity to name parts of the planned edifice.

WEST SPRINGFIELD – Now that drawings of the $13.4 million West Springfield Public Library building project have been unveiled, the group running the WestSide Story $2 million capital campaign for the project is kicking its efforts into high gear.

The plans were presented to the public recently during a program at the library that drew about 50 people. Architects from Caolo & Bienek Associates Inc. of Chicopee, which is heading the project, as well as from Centerbrook Architects of Centerbrook, Conn., spoke about plans.

Matthew Blumenfeld, principal of Financial Development Agency in Amherst, fund-raising consultants, said Friday a list of parts of the project that can be named by donors is now being drawn up.

He said there will be opportunities for donors to name the entire library or just a room or some chairs in return for giving to the capital drive.

“It is a wonderful way to have a lasting tribute to a loved one,” Blumenfeld said.

For $1,000, donors can be listed on a donor wall plaque in the entry to the library. Donors will be asked to make five-year pledges.

The project will consist of work on the oldest part of the library, the Carnegie wing, and the razing of the rest of the structure so it may be replaced with a two-story addition. Some of the design elements of the Carnegie wing, like tall windows and the yellowish brick exterior, will be carried over into the addition. An atrium will link the Carnegie wing to the new construction.

Blumenfeld said the drive has so far generated $200,000 in donations and will now focus on setting up parties in private homes to cultivate donations from friends of the library as well as people connected to the fund-raising steering committee and the library’s trustees.

“It is important to meet people face to face,” Blumenfeld said.

After that, fund-raisers will focus on leadership gifts from people, businesses and foundations that have the ability to make large donations. The two-year drive, which will seek five-year pledges, will not appeal to the general public for about another year.

Mayor Gregory C. Neffinger said he will lend a hand in raising money, too, talking to potential donors and making presentations.

“I hope as mayor to be closely involved in the fund raising,” Neffinger said.

Katie Harrington, chair of the steering committee for the fund raising, expressed confidence boosters of the project can meet their $2 million goal.

“It is just a wonderful project for which you can leave a legacy,” she said. “The architects did a wonderful job and it is going to be a tremendous addition to the community.”

The project will increase total space at the facility on Park Street from 19,000 to 34,000 square feet and add a community room and a mixed-use event space. It will double the size of the children’s area as well as double the number of computers available for use by the public. Additional features will include quiet study rooms, a local history room and a young adult area.

Construction is anticipated to start in late summer or early fall. The state has awarded a $6.3 million grant for the project and the Town Council has authorized bonding of $7.1 million. The bonding obligation is expected to be offset by money raised by the capital campaign.

Obituaries from The Republican.

Katlin Regan  

Katlin MacKenzie Regan, 24, of Granby, died Wednesday. Born in Holyoke, she graduated from Granby High in 2006 and attended Springfield College. She loved the water, and swam competitively through high school and for one year at Springfield College. She also served as a lifeguard.

Obituaries from The Republican:

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  Avenia, Tresann
  



• 
  Beaudry, Norman W.
  



• 
  Brown, Marlon
  



• 
  Caron, Linda
  



• 
  Conlin, Kevin F.
  



• 
  D'Antonio, Gaetano Paul
  



• 
  Diaz, Joan A.
  



• 
  Farrell, Esther B.
  



• 
  Fennell, Robin M.
  



• 
  Forsell, Edward J.
  



• 
  Gazda, Josephine
  



• 
  Genden, Miriam
  



• 
  Golubek, Stasia C.
  



• 
  Hastings, Muriel W.
  



• 
  Kurpaska, Briana L.
  



• 
  Lizak, Linda J.
  



• 
  Marion, Catherine A.
  



• 
  Moriarty, Joan A.
  



• 
  Ng, Robert
  



• 
  Nogueira, Alvaro M.
  



• 
  Pelletier, Kenneth G.
  



• 
  Peters, Johannes G.
  



• 
  Provost, Michael S.
  



• 
  Regan, Katlin
  



• 
  Rowe, Edith
  



• 
  Schmidt, Fritz Heinrich
  



• 
  Sestili, Ruth M.
  



• 
  Sidor, Kathleen M.
  



• 
  Smith, Lorraine M.
  



• 
  Yarrows, David
  

Since winning last year's grueling campaign, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren has kept a relatively low profile in Massachusetts.

In this Jan. 8, 2013 file photo, Democratic U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren address the crowd gathered as she opened her new Western Massachusetts office at 1550 Main Street in Springfield. (Republican Photo by Mark M. Murray)

BOSTON (AP) — Since winning last year's grueling campaign, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren has kept a relatively low profile in Massachusetts.

On Monday, the Democrat is scheduled to give one of her first major addresses since defeating former Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown when she appears before a breakfast meeting of the New England Council. About 300 local business leaders are expected to attend.

Warren's election and the resignation of longtime U.S. Sen. John Kerry to become secretary of state propelled Warren into the position of senior senator for Massachusetts just a month after being sworn in.

One of Warren's priorities since taking office has been protecting the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which she helped create. Warren led a Democratic group of senators this month in calling on Republicans to drop plans to filibuster a vote to approve the second term of Richard Cordray, the current director of the CFPB.

The senator's presentation is slated to take place at 8 a.m. in the Plaza Ballroom of the Seaport Hotel in Boston.

Authorities say a report of a gunman on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus was a hoax and there is no threat to public safety.

Pedestrians on the MIT Campus in Cambridge, Mass., duck underneath police tape, Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013, after police responded to reports of a gunman on campus that Cambridge police later said were unfounded. Police said that officers searched for a man reported to be carrying a long rifle and wearing body armor and found nothing. A spokeswoman for the university says the school also called off a campus-wide lockdown. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds)

BOSTON (AP) — Authorities say a report of a gunman on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus was a hoax and there is no threat to public safety.

Cambridge police said Saturday that officers searched for a man reported to be carrying a long rifle and wearing body armor but found nothing. A spokeswoman says the university called off a campus-wide lockdown.

Massachusetts State Police spokesman David Procopio says the report of a gunman turned out to be a hoax.

Spokesman Dan Riviello says Cambridge police received the tip in an electronic chat message, but witnesses on the scene eventually contradicted it.

About 11,000 people attend the prestigious school outside Boston where students are famous for their smarts as well as their stunts, including once putting a police car on top of a domed campus building.

Lynch grew up in the public housing projects of South Boston and spent 18 years as an ironworker. Friends say his working-class background has stayed with him as an attorney and member of Congress.

U.S. Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, D-South Boston, left, is shown here in Springfield on Jan. 31 as he campaigned for the U.S. Senate seat now vacant in Massachusetts. He talks with reporters during a stop at O'Brien's Corner. Mark M. Murray, The Republican

BOSTON - Stephen Lynch grew up in the public housing projects of South Boston and spent 18 years as an ironworker.

Lynch is not a typical Democratic congressman, and he wants voters to know it.

“Some people have said I won’t fit in in the U.S. Senate. I think they’re absolutely right,” Lynch told The Republican and MassLive.com. “But, I also think that’s a good thing. I’m not saying rich people can’t be good senators. I’m just saying that all senators don’t need to be real rich people.”

Lynch, a U.S. representative since 2001, is challenging U.S. Rep. Edward Markey in the Democratic primary to win the U.S. Senate seat relinquished by John F. Kerry when he became U.S. secretary of state. While Markey has sewn up support from much of the state’s Democratic establishment, Lynch is stressing his humble roots over his work in politics, pinning his hopes on support from organized labor and working families.

“I’m relying on ordinary families and ordinary people, small business owners, unions, workers,” Lynch said. “I know I’m the underdog, but that’s OK….I accept that role. I sort of enjoy it, and I think we’ll surprise some people.”

Lynch, who has five sisters, grew up in the Old Colony housing projects, a development then known for drugs and crime.

One of his childhood friends, John Hurley, who grew up with Lynch, says the neighborhood was predominantly Irish-Catholic and populated with working-class people. Lynch’s father was an ironworker; his mother worked in the post office.

After graduating from South Boston High School in 1973, Lynch followed his father’s path, working 18 years as an ironworker. When he couldn’t find work in Massachusetts, he traveled to Maine, Indiana, New Orleans, New Mexico and Wisconsin, working in steel mills, power plants and an oil refinery before returning to Massachusetts.

Lynch says he became active on safety issues after seeing the dangerous conditions in some of the places where he worked. “Ironworking is one of the most dangerous occupations in our country,” Lynch said. “Some of these areas …they didn’t have very high safety standards so you really have to fend for yourself.”

His activism in the work force led Lynch to become a union steward, then president of the local ironworkers' union.

Hurley, who is president of the ironworkers’ union in New England and worked with Lynch for years, says Lynch had a reputation as a “top notch ironworker and very bright guy” in a dangerous field. Lynch learned to work, according to Hurley, with a diverse group of members, dealing with issues such as collective bargaining and safety.

“He showed a capacity for leadership early on,” Hurley said. “He could have gone a long way internally within the union, but he saw a broader, brighter path he could pursue, and he succeeded every step of the way.”

Lynch went back to school later in life – attending Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston on nights and weekends. He graduated in 1988 with a bachelor’s degree in construction management.

“I was still in the boots when I went to Wentworth,” Lynch recalled, referring to his ironworking career. “I remember freezing outside during the winter and then going in and basically almost nodding off because of the heat.”

He says his work with the union led him to apply to Boston College Law School, from which he graduated in 1991. His interest was in labor law.

Lynch did some pro bono legal work at the housing complex where he grew up, representing families in housing court on issues like getting rid of asbestos in pipes. In one controversial case, raised during his 2001 campaign and reported on by the Boston Globe, Lynch defended a group of white teenagers accused of violence and harassment against an interracial couple. Lynch believed the young people had been "overcharged."

Former state Sen. Jack Hart, a friend and neighbor of Lynch, says Lynch “understands the struggle.” “He’s been an ironworker, lived in public housing, stood on the unemployment line,” Hart said. “He’s stood up for working people.”

Lynch said families he represented in the housing development encouraged him to run for office. He was first elected to the Massachusetts House in 1994. In 1996, after long-time Senate president William M. "Billy" Bulger left office, Lynch won a difficult state Senate campaign against Bulger’s son William Bulger. Lynch was elected to Congress in 2001 in a special election to fill the seat left vacant by the death of U.S. Rep. Joseph Moakley.

Supporters say Lynch’s background shapes his politics – his support for unions and his ability to relate to people.

Bob Philips, a Democrat and Lynch supporter who works at ABLE workforce training, said he likes that Lynch is “a union guy” and “a regular guy from South Boston.” “He’s not a run-of-the-mill crazy liberal who can’t talk to Republicans,” Philips said.

The Boston Globe reported in 2001 that Lynch was arrested for assault and battery in 1979 – though the charges were dropped – for punching Iranian students holding an anti-American protest. He also is reported to have struggled with alcohol abuse. Lynch recently said he has been sober since 1982. Lynch said drinking had been “a distraction.” “It just became an obstruction to do the things that I really wanted to do,” he said. “I had a hard-orking, hard-drinking lifestyle when I was younger, but that stopped around the time I met my wife, and I haven’t looked back.”

In March 2001, Lynch donated half of his liver to his brother-in-law, who had liver cancer. He started running during rehabilitation, and ran a marathon in 2006.

Today, Lynch lives in a two-family home in South Boston, which is assessed at $500,000, and rents out part of it. He owns a nearby single-family home, valued at $288,000, which he has rented out.

Excluding his real estate properties, both of which have mortgages, he has assets valued at between $12,000 and $169,000, mostly in retirement savings accounts, according to a 2011 financial disclosure.

His wife, Margaret Shaughnessy Lynch, is director of marketing at South Boston Community Health Center. They have a daughter, Victoria, 13, and raised their niece, Crystal, 18, after her father died 11 years ago.

By Shannon Dininny YAKIMA, Wash. — Federal and state officials say six underground tanks holding a brew of radioactive and toxic waste are leaking at the country's most contaminated nuclear site in south-central Washington, raising concerns about delays for emptying the aging tanks. The leaking materials at Hanford Nuclear Reservation pose no immediate risk to public safety or the...

In this July 14, 2010 photo, workers at the Hanford nuclear reservation work around a a tank farm where highly radioactive waste is stored underground near Richland, Wash. Six underground radioactive waste tanks at the nation's most contaminated nuclear site are leaking, Gov. Jay Inslee said Friday. The Associated Press / Shannon Dininny  

By Shannon Dininny

YAKIMA, Wash. — Federal and state officials say six underground tanks holding a brew of radioactive and toxic waste are leaking at the country's most contaminated nuclear site in south-central Washington, raising concerns about delays for emptying the aging tanks.

The leaking materials at Hanford Nuclear Reservation pose no immediate risk to public safety or the environment because it would take perhaps years for the chemicals to reach groundwater, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said Friday.

But the news has renewed discussion over delays for emptying the tanks, which were installed decades ago and are long past their intended 20-year life span.

"None of these tanks would be acceptable for use today. They are all beyond their design life. None of them should be in service," said Tom Carpenter of Hanford Challenge, a Hanford watchdog group. "And yet, they're holding two-thirds of the nation's high-level nuclear waste."

Just last week, state officials announced that one of Hanford's 177 tanks was leaking 150 to 300 gallons a year, posing a risk to groundwater and rivers. So far, nearby monitoring wells haven't detected higher radioactivity levels.

Inslee then traveled to Washington, D.C., to discuss the problem with federal officials, learning in meetings Friday that six tanks are leaking.

The declining waste levels in the six tanks were missed because only a narrow band of measurements was evaluated, rather than a wider band that would have shown the levels changing over time, Inslee said.

"It's like if you're trying to determine if climate change is happening, only looking at the data for today," he said. "Perhaps human error, the protocol did not call for it. But that's not the most important thing at the moment. The important thing now is to find and address the leakers."

Department of Energy spokeswoman Lindsey Geisler said there was no immediate health risk and that federal officials would work with Washington state to address the matter.

Regardless, Sen. Ron Wyden, the new chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, will ask the Government Accountability Office to investigate Hanford's tank monitoring and maintenance program, said his spokesman, Tom Towslee.

The federal government built the Hanford facility at the height of World War II as part of the Manhattan Project to build the atomic bomb. The remote site produced plutonium for the bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, and continued supporting the nation's nuclear weapons arsenal for years.

Today, it is the most contaminated nuclear site in the country, still surrounded by sagebrush but with Washington's Tri-Cities of Richland, Kennewick and Pasco several miles downriver.

Several years ago, workers at Hanford completed two of three projects deemed urgent risks to the public and the environment, removing all weapons-grade plutonium from the site and emptying leaky pools that held spent nuclear fuel just 400 yards from the river.

But successes at the site often are overshadowed by delays, budget overruns and technological challenges. Nowhere have those challenges been more apparent than in Hanford's central plateau, home to the site's third most urgent project: emptying the tanks.

Hanford's tanks hold some 53 million gallons of highly radioactive waste — enough to fill dozens of Olympic-size swimming pools — and many of those tanks are known to have leaked in the past. An estimated 1 million gallons of radioactive liquid has already leaked there.

The cornerstone of emptying the tanks is a treatment plant that will convert the waste into glasslike logs for safe, secure storage. The plant, last estimated to cost more than $12.3 billion, is billions of dollars over budget and behind schedule. It isn't expected to begin operating until at least 2019.

Washington state is imposing a "zero-tolerance" policy on radioactive waste leaking into the soil, Inslee said. So given those delays and the apparent deterioration of some of the tanks, the federal government will have to show that there is adequate storage for the waste in the meantime, he said.

"We are not convinced of this," he said. "There will be a robust exchange of information in the coming weeks to get to the bottom of this."

Inslee and Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber, both Democrats, have championed building additional tanks to ensure safe storage of the waste until the plant is completed.

Wyden, D-Ore., toured the site earlier this week. He said he shares the governors' concerns about the integrity of the tanks but he wants more scientific information to determine it's the correct way to spend scarce money.

Wyden noted the nation's most contaminated nuclear site — and the challenges associated with ridding it of its toxic legacy — will be a subject of upcoming hearings and a higher priority in Washington, D.C.

The federal government already spends $2 billion each year on Hanford cleanup — one-third of its entire budget for nuclear cleanup nationally. The Energy Department has said it expects funding levels to remain the same for the foreseeable future, but a new Energy Department report released this week calls for annual budgets of as much as $3.5 billion during some years of the cleanup effort.

There are legal, moral and ethical considerations to cleaning up the Hanford site at the national level, Inslee said, adding that he will continue to insist that the Energy Department completely clean up the site.

Shabazz opened the discussion with a passage from Du Bois and by noting that the exploration of Afro-American heritage in Western Massachusetts is a "process of ongoing discovery."

SPRINGFIELD - According to many scholars of the city's history, the African-American influence in Springfield and the region has been largely untold and remains a trove of potential discovery.

In honor of Black History Month and the birth date of black activist, scholar and author W.E.B. Du Bois (born in Great Barrington on Feb. 23, 1868) the Pan African Historical Museum USA in Springfield's Tower Square hosted a three-member panel discussion on the city's African-American heritage.

Amilcar Shabazz, professor of Afro-American studies at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, led the discussion in the museum, surrounded by iconic images of the city's civil rights evolution and dozens of community members who came to listen.

Shabazz opened the discussion with a passage from Du Bois and by noting that the exploration of African-American heritage in Western Massachusetts is a "process of ongoing discovery."

Other members of the panel included Joseph Carvalho III, retired president and executive director of the Springfield Museums, and Wayne E. Phaneuf, executive editor of The Republican.

The two are co-authoring a book due out later this year entitled "Struggle for Freedom," a detailed history from the advent of slave settlements in the region in the 17th century to the second inauguration of President Barack H. Obama.

"If we hadn't taken so long to finish the book, it would have ended with his first inauguration and the burning of the Macedonia Church," Phaneuf said, referring to the torching of the black church on Tinkham Road by three white men on the eve of Obama's first election in 2008. The church has since been rebuilt and the men are serving lengthy sentences in federal prison.

Like the contrast between the victory of the nation's first black president with a startling hate crime that drew national attention, Phaneuf said much of the city's civil rights history is filled with triumphs and heartbreak.

Carvalho, who has authored two books on black families in Hampden County, said his interest in black history was piqued when he was an archivist at the Springfield library early in his career. Genealogy buffs would come looking for information on black residents and ancestors and there was little to be had.

"How could you leave slavery out?" Carvalho asked of previous historical accounts of the city. "How could you leave out the workers who built the stone walls and harvested our crops ... and fought for our country?"

He likened the fractured history to a puzzle box with missing pieces.

The panel fielded questions from community members and scholars about early black entrepreneurs in the area, Martin Luther King Jr.'s visits to Springfield and the role of churches in the city's black community.

Shabazz noted told audience members that "a black community" does not result solely from a group of black people living in an area, but from relationships and networks.

The discussion was one of several events for Black History Month including culinary and genealogy workshops and gospel music.

The section of railway bridge spanning Route 5 where the tankers left the tracks was not damaged by the derailment, West Springfield Mayor Gregory Neffinger said.

CSX Transportation workers Saturday repair the area damaged when two tankers derailed on a train trestle over Route 5 in West Springfield Thursday. The Republican / Don Treeger  

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Things are "back to normal" following Thursday's derailment of a railroad tanker containing a highly flammable liquid, according to West Springfield Mayor Gregory C. Neffinger.

The derailment of two tankers – one carrying butyraldehyde, a colorless, odorless chemical more flammable than gasoline – prompted officials to shut down a roughly two-mile stretch of Route 5 from about 6 p.m. Thursday to 10 p.m. Friday.

Officials from CSX Corp., the Florida-based railroad transport company that operates the line, safely hauled both tankers from the scene late Friday. The tankers were still at the CSX railroad yard between Union Street and Memorial Avenue as of Saturday afternoon, Neffinger said.

Workers try to free up derailed railroad tanker cars stuck on a Route 5 railway overpass on Friday afternoon. Mark M. Murray, The Republican  

Officials said a section of railway line was damaged when the tankers derailed while crossing a Route 5 bridge. However, the trestle itself sustained only minimal damage, according to Neffinger. "The bridge is just fine," he said. The brick-and-concrete abutment absorbed the impact, sparing girders and other bridge parts from damage. "The abutment functioned correctly," Neffinger said.

The mayor said he plans to hold a follow-up news conference Monday. A time and venue has yet to be announced. The postmortem will address "what occurred, what could be improved, and things of that nature," said Neffinger, who believes the public safety response went smoothly.

A West Springfield police official said the tankers no longer pose a public safety threat.

The Springfield Housing Authority has defended the purchase of the building as benefiting the authority and its residents.

This building at 60 Congress St., seen following a 2009 renovation, was recently purchased by the Springfield Housing Authority. Mark M. Murray / The Republican file  

SPRINGFIELD – City Councilor Bud L. Williams said Friday he is concerned that the city has lost another significant tax-paying property due to the recent sale of a commercial building at 60 Congress St. to the Springfield Housing Authority.

The authority, which provides public housing to the poor, elderly and disabled, has purchased the building on the north edge of the downtown district for $4.65 million, from prior owners Jerome J. Gagliarducci and Zane Mirkin of 60 Congress LLC. The property will serve as the authority’s new central administration offices, with the relocation from scattered sites expected to begin in the spring or summer.

Bud L. Williams  

During a meeting at City Hall, Williams said he is pleased the tax-exempt Housing Authority will negotiate a payment in lieu of taxes to the city, to partially offset the loss of taxes.

The city, however, loses a key property from the tax rolls, “and these things start adding up,” Williams said. He said he wants more done to pursue payments in lieu of taxes from other nonprofits such as hospitals and colleges.

The Board of Assessors has estimated the property would be valued at roughly $3.5 million if fully renovated and occupied, and bear taxes of about $136,000 annually if commercially owned.

“At the end of the day, the taxpayer is holding the bag, an empty bag,” Williams said. “We need to be creating growth and creating a tax base, not eliminating it.”

William H. Abrashkin, executive director of the Housing Authority, said the purchase is beneficial to the authority and to the public housing residents it serves by providing a centralized location with ample parking and being along a bus route for their convenience.

In addition, Abrashkin said the authority already pays the city roughly $750,000 in various fees including current payments in lieu of taxes, special police details and trash fees. The authority had received free trash service at some housing complexes in past years, but was added to the city’s commercial customers this fiscal year, and is paying more than $400,000 annually in trash fees, he said.

Williams said payments for trash and police are for services received.

Abrashkin said the Congress Street property, which has housed various restaurants in the past including Spaghetti Warehouse and Hooters, was extensively renovated, and is ideal due to its condition, location, ample parking, convenience, and a stable tenant.

Abrashkin defended the $4.65 million price, saying the Housing Authority did an extensive search in the downtown area and found no better buy that met its needs. Authority Board Chairman Raymond Warren and Vice-Chairman Willie J. Thomas, said they and the board fully support the purchase.

The current tenant, the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, will continue to rent the first two floors of the four-story building at a cost of about $233,000 a year, which covers the mortgage, Abrashkin said

The authority, which will occupy the top two floors, paid a $2.1 million downpayment on the building. That money came from restitution funds that were recovered by the FBI and returned to the authority from its former executive director Raymond Asselin and other Asselin family members in a federal corruption case.

Williams said he is also concerned that the city gave a 10-year tax incentive to the former owners, reducing their taxes for the purpose of stimulating economic development. In turn, the former owners ended that agreement early by selling the property to the tax-exempt authority, he said.

Williams said he will ask the Law Department to review if the city can recoup any of the discounted taxes from the former owners.

Under law, the authority must make a payment in lieu of taxes, but the required amount is very low, Abrashkin said. The authority will not pay the minimum, finding some amount that represents a middle ground while reflecting that the authority already pays substantial fees to the city, he said.