Selectboard listed nine problem areas with the project that must be addressed should the state approve the new housing.

 

SOUTH HADLEY – The controversial proposal to build 60 condominium duplex houses – with a 120-space parking lot - on five acres along Ferry Street - is a bad idea, the selectboard said on Tuesday and unanimously voted to urge the state to prevent the developer from building it. The board also listed nine problem areas with the project that must be addressed should the state approve the new housing.

The Boston consulting firm SEB LLC submitted the application to the state on behalf of Riverside Condominiums, LLC, of Chicopee. The builders are seeking the state’s permission to build using the controversial state law known as 40B.

The 40B designation would allow the project to get built even without having to comply with South Hadley zoning bylaws. In addition, the builder only would go before the Zoning Board of Appeals for approval.

The Planning Board unanimously rejected a plan to build 27 condominiums at the Ferry Street parcel in 2011.

At the time, the builders sought a special permit from the town. Because the special permit was denied, the company was required to wait two years before being able to appear again before the Planning Board to resubmit a proposal.

The much larger revamped plans show a $10.5 million cost to build 45 “market” price homes – projected to sell at $195,000 each and 15 “affordable” units at $165,000. Proposals brought under 40B must have at least 20 to 25 percent of the units deemed affordable.

Municipalities with less than 10 percent of their housing stock qualifying as low-income are subject to 40B housing developments. South Hadley’s ratio is about 5.5 percent, according to town planner Richard Harris.

Town officials say the zoning in the Ferry Street area only allows about one home per 1.8 acres - and say the condo proposal squeezes in more than six times that amount in addition to a 120-vehicle parking area.

“Certainly, the Town of South Hadley does allow this type of density in certain parts of the town, especially to promote affordable housing. While affordable housing is appropriate for the neighborhood in which the project is proposed, the type of density proposed is not appropriate for this neighborhood,” the board wrote. Its letter is addressed to MassHousing’s Michael Busby, the 40B Project Coordinator and is dated March 5.

“The board urges MassHousing to reject the application by RCL for a project eligibility letter but if such a letter is to be issued it should be subject to conditions.”

In addition to asking the state to require the density to comport with “a level appropriate for the area,” the selectboard said drainage, building design, utility and well, energy efficiency, operating cost, fire safety, wetlands, and transportation issues must be mitigated with stringent conditions – if the state says yes to the 40B designation.

Should the state issue a 40B certificate to the builder, the project then goes to the town's appeals board.

The plant, built in 1960, is blamed by some for contributing to Holyoke's high asthma rate.

The Mt. Tom Power Plant along the Connecticut River in Holyoke. The Republican | John Suchocki  

HOLYOKE – Mount Tom Station, one of the few remaining coal-burning power generation plants in Massachusetts, will be taken off line for one year in 2016, and environmental groups opposed to the plant say the move signals it will be permanently shut down.

According to a joint statement issued by the groups Healthy Holyoke!, Coal Free Massachusetts Coalition and the Sierra Club, the move to cease producing electric power for for 2016-17 makes it unlikely it come back on line.

ISO New England accepted a proposal known as a “dynamic de-list bid” from the plant’s
owner, GDF Suez, meaning the plant will not be expected to run or to receive any payments from the Forward Capacity Market.

The Forward Capacity Market is the annual process under which ISO New England projects how much electricity to power the region three years in advance and then conducts an auction to purchase resources that will meet that demand. Electrical suppliers that are selected in the auction are then required to provide power or curtail demand when called upon by ISO New England.

“While the plant still has the option to run and be paid for electricity it produces, the act of de-listing means that the owner believes there is a significant chance it will not be economic for the plant to run during that year,” the release states.

Charles B. Burnham, manager of government and regulatory affairs for GDF Suez, declined to comment.

Marcia Blomberg, spokeswoman for ISO New England, confirmed ISO New England accepted the de-list offer, which included about 134 megawatts of power.

She said that while it may have withdrawn from the capacity market for a year, the plant has the option to produce and sell electricity into the region’s wholesale electricity markets if it chooses.

While no one with ISO New England or GDF Suez has explicitly said the de-listing is the first step to shutting the plant down, the three environmental groups say the move signals it is unlikely to start up again.

They note two other coal-fired plants that have been shut down first announced they were leaving the market for one year, just as Mount Tom is doing.

They also note that with the acceptance of the de-list offer, ISO New England is signaling that the Mount Tom plant is not essential for meeting the region’s demand for electricity.

“This is a strong indication that Mount Tom could permanently retire without any impacts on electric reliability for customers,” the group's release notes.

As recently as July, company officials said there were no plans to permanently close the facility.

Built in 1960 as a coal-burning electric power generating plant, Mount Tom Station was converted to oil-burning in 1970 and converted back to coal-burning in 1981.

It has been criticized as being one of the state’s largest polluters and been blamed for asthma rates in Holyoke that are higher than the state average.

In 2009, GDF Suez was forced to install pollution control equipment that they say cost $55 million, but there is evidence that significant pollution continues, according to the statement from Healthy Holyoke!, Coal Free Massachusetts Coalition and the Sierra Club.

There are four coal-burning plants in Massachusetts, and Mount Tom is the only one in Western Massachusetts.

The City Council will consider amending a requirement for banks to post a $10,000 bond on foreclosed, vacant properties.

The City Council is considering amending a requirement for banks to post a $10,000 bond on any foreclosed, vacant residential property File photo | Associated Press  

SPRINGFIELD – The City Council, after passing two ordinances in August 2011 aimed at addressing the problems of foreclosed properties in Springfield, is considering amendments to settle a federal lawsuit and appeal filed by several banks.

As a result of mediation in recent months, the city is considering allowing banks to be exempt from having to post a $10,000 bond on each foreclosed, vacant property in Springfield, as required by the new law, if the banks can meet certain conditions.

Specifically, the bank would not have to post the bond if they: register the property with the city within 21 days of initiation of the foreclosure process or within 21 days of a property becoming vacant; pay a $100 administrative fee to the city; identify a local agent within 20 miles of City Hall that can be served legal notices by the city; and if vacant, identify a local property manager.

One ordinance passed in 2011 set guidelines for vacant and foreclosing residential properties including the requirement for the $10,000 bond. The city could spend the funds for cleaning up and securimg the property if the bank or owner failed to take care of the site.

The second ordinance called for establishment of a city-approved, mandatory mediation program to assist homeowners faced with foreclosures.

At the time, community activists hailed the new ordinances as a national model for addressing the foreclosure crisis.

Lisa DeSousa, associate city solicitor, said the banks are ready to drop their court appeal if the $10,000 bond requirement is amended. The mediation program, not yet implemented, would be left intact in the ordinance, she said.

“This ordinance is not designed to solve every problem,” DeSousa said. “Specifically, it’s designed to give owners an option to mediate, and impose requirements to mediate, and fight the blight that results from foreclosure.”

Some community activists attending the council meeting urged councilors to delay action, in order to include them, along with residents affected by foreclosures and others in any discussion of changes to the Springfield ordinances.

“I don’t want to take something that is historic and turn it into something that is mundane,” said Amaad Rivera, a former city councilor who was the lead sponsor of the two ordinances.

The council took no immediate action.

U.S. District Court Judge Michael A. Ponsor upheld the legality of the city ordinances in July, but it was appealed to the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston by a group of banks from the region. The voluntary mediation followed, DeSousa said.

A Massachusetts Housing Partnership report found that there were more than 1,300 housing units in Springfield affected by foreclosure action as of the end of December, the second highest rate per capita in the state behind Brockton, DeSousa said.

“It’s very important we continue to address the foreclosure crisis,” DeSousa said.

Some activists said during this week’s council meeting that they had just learned of the proposed changes within an hour of the meeting, and wanted input, including that they want to ensure that owners still living in properties being foreclosed are protected.

DeSousa said the language changes were not harmful, adding that residents have other protections including Housing Court.

Police disclosed the identity of the man found dead in Laviolette Field as 47-year-old Palmer resident Michael Kenney.

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

1) Holyoke boy, 5, father shot in Flats neighborhood; police say injuries not-life threatening Photo gallery at right. [Mike Plaisance]

2) Cara Rintala Trial: Live updates from Day 15 of courtroom proceedings [Fred Contrada]

3) Palmer police identify body found at Laviolette Field; no foul play suspected [Patrick Johnson]

4) Our nor'easter will bring us accumulating snow but not until Thursday night [Nick Morganelli]

5) Springfield police: Brookline Avenue raid yields stolen handgun, cocaine [The Republican Newsroom]

Winslow's work for 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney did not stop him from working for a group advocating a 3rd choice in the 2012 race.

State Rep. Daniel Winslow, R-Norfolk, is one of three Republicans running in the 2013 Massachusetts special election for U.S. Senate.  

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Daniel Winslow says his work supporting an organization that wanted a third nominee in the 2012 presidential race was about process, not party.

Winslow, a state representative from Norfolk who is a Boston attorney and expert in election law, was general counsel for Americans Elect during the 2012 presidential race. It was an unusual job for the former chief legal counsel to former Massachusetts Republican Gov. Mitt Romney, the 2012 GOP presidential nominee.

Winslow, now running against private equity investor Gabriel Gomez and former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, said his work was about changing the presidential nominating process. “I was proud of my work as the governor’s chief legal counsel. I was equally proud of my work trying to create new reform of the process of choosing the president,” Winslow told MassLive.com.

Americans Elect was a non-profit organization that wanted Americans to choose a presidential nominee through the internet. Its slogan was “pick a president, not a party,” and its aim was to nominate a “third choice for president.” According to the group’s rules, a candidate needed to win the online primary with at least 10,000 votes. The nominee would have to pick a running mate from another party.

The group’s leaders said they raised more than $35 million dollars. But they gave up in May 2012 after no candidate earned enough votes to win the primary. In August 2012, Americans Elect filed with the Federal Election Commission as an independent expenditure organization and spent over $1 million supporting independent Senate candidate Angus King of Maine.

Winslow was the group’s general counsel and was listed as its secretary on some legal documents. Winslow said his job was to help the group qualify for the ballot in all 50 states. In an interview previously posted on the Americans Elect website, Winslow said existing ballot access laws prevent competition and limit alternative choices.

“The entire election structure at the state and federal level assumes just two seats at the table, one for each major party,” Winslow said. “And if the people want to pull up a seat for themselves, sometimes they have to throw some elbows to pull up their chair.”

Winslow said then that he got involved in the group because he thinks competition is good. “The more options voters have, the better it is for democracy,” Winslow said. “People should not have to feel as if they are voting for the lesser of two evils.”

Winslow supported Romney while working for Americans Elect and was a surrogate for Romney’s campaign. (Though Americans Elect required its officers to be neutral, Winslow told the Boston Globe that as an outside contractor, he was exempt from those rules.)

Asked this week about his work with Americans Elect, Winslow raised a new concern: the presidential primary nominating process that benefits voters in early nominating states. “The current system gives a huge advantage to the early states – Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada – that effectively get to choose or at least winnow the field of presidential candidates so that people in Massachusetts and populous states oftentimes don’t get a say in who’s on the ballot,” Winslow said.

Winslow said he still believes that process needs reform. “If people like the Iowa caucus, or like having people from South Carolina making decisions for us in Massachusetts, stick with the status quo,” he said.

Americans Elect officials did not raise that issue – which would have alienated officials in the early states – during the primary process. But challenges to Iowa and New Hampshire, the two traditional early nominating states, have been raised quadrennially since the 1970s. In the 2008 race, attempts by Michigan to move up its primary forced Iowa and New Hampshire to vote in early January. Officials in Florida and elsewhere tried to challenge the early states again in 2011, and again forced the first primaries into January.

Winslow also said the online nominating process was not meant to hurt Romney, but could have provided Romney with an alternative path to the ballot should Republicans have chosen another candidate.

(Neither Romney nor any of the major Republican candidates, except former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer and former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, indicated that they would accept an alternative path to the ballot should they lose the GOP nomination.)

Republican National Committeeman Ron Kaufman, who is neutral in the Senate primary, said other issues are more important in the race than Winslow’s involvement in Americans Elect. “If you asked Republican activists in Massachusetts, they wouldn’t know what you were talking about,” he said.

Other Republican operatives said there has been talk about Winslow’s involvement in the group. One former member of the Romney administration who is advising a rival candidate questioned why Winslow would get involved with Americans Elect, given his work for Romney. The person said while no one knew what impact Americans Elect would have, it could have hurt the Republican nominee.

Former Romney staffers are currently assisting all three Republican Senate campaigns. Boston Phoenix reporter David Bernstein, on the Talking Politics blog, suggested that Winslow’s activities are one reason former Romney staffers are not lining up behind Winslow. “You can't go around aiding an effort explicitly in opposition to the GOP presidential nominee, and then expect that nominee and his people to assist your future campaigns,” he wrote.

The heaviest snow is expected Thursday evening.

The nor'easter moving along the coast of New England has led a handful of schools to close, delay classes, or release students early today:

CLOSED

• Orange Elementary Schools
• Mahar Regional High Schools

TWO-HOUR DELAY

• North Brookfield Public Schools

EARLY DISMISSAL

• Athol-Royalston School District


• Gateway Regional School District


• Quabbin Regional School District: Middle / High-school students dismissed at 12:00 p.m.; elementary schools dismissed at 1 p.m.

Have a closing, early dismissal, or other weather-related information to announce? Email online@repub.com.

Find CBS3 meteorologist Nick Morganelli's forecast here.

A nor'easter is bringing wind-whipped, wet snow to Massachusetts, and coastal flooding is expected in communities still recovering from February's blizzard.

BOSTON (AP) — A nor'easter is bringing wind-whipped, wet snow to Massachusetts, and coastal flooding is expected in communities still recovering from February's blizzard.

A coastal flood warning is in effect Thursday morning to Friday morning for east-facing shores. The National Weather Service predicts up to a 3-foot surge at high tide in some areas. Scituate and Sandwich are most vulnerable, especially during Friday morning's high tide.

Beach erosion is expected on Plum Island.

Up to 10 inches of snow was issued for central Massachusetts, with the brunt of the storm and heaviest accumulation expected Thursday night.

Lower snow totals of 3 to 5 inches are expected in eastern Massachusetts, including Boston, and less along the coast.

Cape Cod is expected to gets 30 to 40 mph winds, gusting to 60 mph.

The victim, who lives in Chicopee, was house-sitting at a Brynmawr Drive home.

 

EAST LONGMEADOW -- Police arrested a 49-year-old Chicopee man early Wednesday afternoon after he allegedly threatened to kill a woman with a knife and meat cleaver during a domestic altercation the day before at a Brynmawr Drive home.

Sgt. Denis Sheehan said police became aware of the alleged assault Wednesday after the woman, house-sitting at the Brynmawr Drive home, called police about noon and said that the suspect had shown up there and was taking items belonging to the homeowner.

Police arrested the suspect, Barry Allan McDonald, of School Street, Chicopee, a short distance away from the home. While he was being booked at the police station, officers discovered he was in possession of the Class A drug Clonazepam.

McDonald was charged with possession of that drug and two counts of larceny from a building.

Sheehan said officers learned that that McDonald allegedly went to the house the day before, threw the woman to the floor and threatened to kill her with a meat cleaver and knife.

McDonald was then also charged with assault by means of a dangerous weapon and threat to murder.

The victim has since obtained a restraining order against the suspect prohibiting him from going to the School Street residence that they shared in Chicopee, Sheehan said.

The wife of former Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi says her husband's condition continues to worsen as he battles cancer in a federal prison.

In this Wednesday, June 15, 2011 file photo former Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi walks out of the Federal courthouse in Boston after his conviction on conspiracy and other charges in a scheme to steer two state contracts worth $17.5 million to a software firm in exchange for payments. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia, File) The Associated Press  

Debbie DiMasi tells The Boston Globe (http://b.globe.com/Zg1UMV) her husband has grown frail. He has lost 50 pounds, has had bouts with pneumonia, and has a feeding tube.

The 68-year-old DiMasi may also be facing a recurrence of cancer in his tongue and throat despite radiation treatment that has left him unable to swallow solid food. He sips apple sauce, pudding and cottage cheese.

DiMasi is serving an eight-year sentence after being convicted in 2011 for using his political power to steer state contracts to a software company in exchange for payments of $65,000.

Debbie DiMasi says federal prison authorities took too long to diagnose her husband's cancer.

President Hugo Chavez died of a massive heart attack after great suffering and inaudibly mouthed his desire to live, the head of Venezuela's presidential guard said late Wednesday.

By FABIOLA SANCHEZ, Associated Press

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — President Hugo Chavez died of a massive heart attack after great suffering and inaudibly mouthed his desire to live, the head of Venezuela's presidential guard said late Wednesday.

"He couldn't speak but he said it with his lips ... 'I don't want to die. Please don't let me die,' because he loved his country, he sacrificed himself for his country," Gen. Jose Ornella told The Associated Press.

The general said he spent the last two years with Chavez, including his final moments, as Venezuela's president of 14 years battled an unspecified cancer in the pelvic region.

Ornella spoke to the AP outside the military academy where Chavez's body lay in state. He said Chavez's cancer was very advanced when death came but gave no details.

Ornella did not respond when asked if the cancer had spread to Chavez's lungs.

The government announced on the eve of Chavez's death that he had suffered a severe new respiratory infection. It was the second such infection reported by officials after Chavez underwent his fourth cancer surgery in Cuba on Dec. 11.

Venezuelan authorities have not said what kind of cancer Chavez had or specified exactly where tumors were removed.

During the first lung infection, near the end of December, doctors implanted a tracheal tube to ease Chavez's breathing, but breathing insufficiency persisted and worsened, the government said.

Ornella said that Chavez had "the best" doctors from all over the world but that they never discussed the president's condition in front of him.

The general said he didn't know precisely what kind of cancer afflicted Chavez, but added: "He suffered a lot."

He said that Chavez knew when he spoke to Venezuelans on Dec. 8, three days before his final surgery in Cuba, that "there was very little hope he would make it out of that operation."

It was Chavez's fourth cancer surgery and previous interventions had been followed by chemotherapy and radiation.

Ornella echoed the concern of Vice President Nicolas Maduro that some sort of foul play was involved in Chavez's cancer.

"I think it will be 50 years before they declassify a document (that) I think (will show) the hand of the enemy is involved," he said.

The general didn't identify who he was talking about, but Maduro suggested possible U.S. involvement on Tuesday. The U.S. State Department called the allegation absurd.

Maduro, Chavez's self-anointed successor, said Chavez died Tuesday afternoon in a Caracas military hospital.

The government said Chavez, 58, had been there since returning from Cuba on Feb. 18.

Arkansas soon will have the nation's most restrictive abortion law — a near-ban on the procedure from the 12th week of pregnancy — unless a lawsuit or court action intervenes.

Sen. Jason Rapert, R-Conway, appears for an interview near the senate chamber at the Arkansas state Capitol in Little Rock, Ark., Tuesday, March 5, 2013. The Arkansas Senate voted Tuesday to override Gov. Mike Beebe’s veto of Rapert's legislation that would ban most abortions from the 12th week of pregnancy onward and would give the state the most restrictive abortion laws in the country. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston) The Associated Press  

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas soon will have the nation's most restrictive abortion law — a near-ban on the procedure from the 12th week of pregnancy — unless a lawsuit or court action intervenes.

Lawmakers in the Republican-dominated Legislature defied Gov. Mike Beebe, overriding the Democrat's veto. The House voted 56-33 on Wednesday to override Beebe's veto, a day after the Senate voted to do the same.

The votes come less than a week after the Legislature overrode a veto of a separate bill banning most abortions starting in the 20th week of pregnancy. That bill took effect immediately after the final override vote, whereas the 12-week ban won't take effect until this summer.

Abortion rights proponents have said they'll sue to block the 12-week ban from taking effect. Beebe warned lawmakers that both measures would end up wasting taxpayers' money with the state defending them in court, where, he said, they are likely to fail.

The measures' supporters, who expected court challenges, were undaunted.

"Not the governor, nor anyone else other than the courts, can determine if something is constitutional or unconstitutional," Rep. Bruce Westerman, a Republican from Hot Springs, said in urging his colleagues to override Beebe.

Bill sponsor Sen. Jason Rapert, a Republican from Conway, watched the vote from the House gallery and said a number of law firms have offered to help the state defend the laws in court, if it comes to that.

"I'm just grateful that this body has continued to stand up for the bills that have passed. The eyes of the entire nation were on the Arkansas House of Representatives today," he said.

Beebe rejected both measures for the same reasons, saying they are unconstitutional and that they contradict the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion until a fetus could viably survive outside the womb. A fetus is generally considered viable at 22 to 24 weeks.

"The Arkansas Legislature has once again disregarded women's health care and passed the most extreme anti-women's health bill in the country," said Jill June, the CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland. "With this bill, the Arkansas Legislature will force many women to seek unsafe care."

The 12-week ban would prohibit abortions from the point when a fetus' heartbeat can typically be detected using an abdominal ultrasound. It includes exemptions for rape, incest, the life of the mother and highly lethal fetal disorders. The 20-week prohibition, which is based on the disputed claim that a fetus can feel pain by the 20th week and therefore deserves protection from abortion, includes all of the same exemptions except for fetal disorders.

Six Democrats joined with Republicans in voting to override the veto of the 12-week ban. Last week, only two Democrats voted to override the veto of the 20-week ban.

"I think a lot of people felt some pressure after the last vote," said House Minority Leader Greg Leding, a Democrat from Fayetteville.

The measure is among several abortion restrictions lawmakers have backed since Republicans won control of the House and Senate in the November election. Republicans hold 21 of the 35 Senate seats, and 51 of the 100 seats in the House. It takes a simple majority in both chambers to override.

Beebe has signed into law one of those measures, a prohibition on most abortion coverage by insurers participating in the exchange created under the health care law.

Rep. Ann Clemmer, a Republican of Benton serving her third term in the House, asked her colleagues to support the override attempt, saying her votes on anti-abortion bills this year were the first time she could fully express her view on the issue at the Capitol. When Democrats held control, such bills never made it this far.

"If I say that I'm pro-life, at some point I have to do something about what I say I believe," said Clemmer, the bill's sponsor in the House.

Unlike the 20-week ban, which took effect immediately, the 12-week restriction won't take effect until 90 days after the House and Senate adjourn. Lawmakers aren't expected to wrap up this year's session until later this month or April.

In vetoing both measures, Beebe has cited the costs to the state if it has to defend either ban in court. The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas has vowed to sue if the state enacts the 12-week ban and said it is considering legal action over the 20-week restriction as well.

"I think today, for whatever reason, the Arkansas House turned its back on the women of Arkansas and said, we don't think you're capable of making your own decisions," said Rita Sklar, ACLU of Arkansas' executive director. Sklar said the group planned to file suit in federal court in the next couple weeks.

Beebe noted that the state paid nearly $148,000 to attorneys for plaintiffs who successfully challenged a 1997 late-term abortion ban.

The original version of Rapert's bill would have banned abortions as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, but he changed the measure after facing resistance from some lawmakers worried that it would require the use of a vaginal probe.

Women who have abortions would not face prosecution under Rapert's bill, but doctors who perform abortions in violation of the 12-week ban could have their medical licenses revoked.

The one victim suffered a grazing injury to his head, police said.

SPRINGFIELD -- Police are investigating the scene of a shooting at a residence on Florence Street where a man escaped serious injury when a bullet grazed his head, police said.

The man, whose name was not released, was able to run out of the back of the house at 98 Florence St. to Cedar Street, a few blocks away, where he was found by police, said Capt. Cheryl C. Clapprood.

The man was taken to Baystate Medical Center by ambulance for treatment, she said.
She said his wounds were not believed to be life threatening.

Police are still trying to determine what happened. Clapprood said the initial reports are that there was some sort of altercation and multiple shots were fired.

The shooting was reported at about 8:45 p.m.

Florence Street is located in the Six Corners neighborhood and runs between Central and Walnut streets.

View Larger Map

Gov. Deval Patrick is urging lawmakers to adopt his proposal to raise taxes by nearly $2 billion dollars to pay for improvements in education and transportation.

BOSTON (AP) — Gov. Deval Patrick is urging lawmakers to adopt his proposal to raise taxes by nearly $2 billion dollars to pay for improvements in education and transportation.

Patrick testified at a public hearing Friday that the money is needed to ensure the state's economic prosperity, in part by giving students access to early education and affordable college.

Patrick's proposal would hike the state income tax from 5.25 percent to 6.25 percent, while lowering the sales tax from 6.25 to 4.5 percent.

Patrick said simply raising the state gas tax by a modest amount wouldn't bring in enough dollars to create what he called a 21st century transportation system while also paying for his education plan.

On Thursday, House Speaker Robert DeLeo called for a much smaller tax package, saying he wants to address needs while avoiding economic damage.

Court documents state that Faniel made the threat while riding in a car with the family member and his girlfriend.

State and local police descended on Holyoke Community College Feb. 26 after a student allegedly made a threat against a family member and the campus. Don Treeger / The Republican file

HOLYOKE - A 23-year-old Springfield man, who allegedly threatened to kill a family member last week and then go to Holyoke Community College “and shoot up the place," was released on $50,000 personal surety following a dangerousness hearing Wednesday in District Court.

Cameron Faniel, of 383 Beacon Circle, denied a charge of bomb / hijack threat with serious public alarm during his arraignment Feb. 27 in District Court.

Judge Maureen Walsh ordered Faniel to be held without right to bail pending Wednesday’s dangerousness hearing.

Court documents state that Faniel made the threat while riding in a car with the family member and his girlfriend.

Faniel and the family member were involved in an argument and he threatened to kill that family member and “go to Holyoke Community College and kill everyone,” according to an application for complaint which was written by state Trooper Michael Tucker and included in court documents.

The complaint makes no mention of any firearms or other weapons, other than Faniel’s alleged threat to “shoot up the place.”

The threatened family member then called Springfield police, “the threat was relayed to other agencies and as a result, the entire Holyoke Community College campus was evacuated,” according to the complaint.

That evacuation caused traffic jams and took more than an hour, some students have said. It has prompted the college to consider ways to improve that process in the event of another emergency.

A pretrial hearing was set for April 24.

The slow-moving storm center that's been hovering around for two days brought more flood waters to one Cape Cod town, breached dunes in another and threatened vulnerable cottages.

 

• Plum Island homeowner devastated by loss of house to high tide [Boston Herald]


• National Weather Service increases prediction, says part of Massachusetts could get 2 feet of snow [Boston Globe]


• Storm hits Cape Cod with more beach erosion, street flooding [Cape Cod Times]

WVIT-TV, NBC30, Connecticut

• Heavy wet snow closes schools in Connecticut, knocks out power [Hartford Courant]


• Don't leave work early, give plows time to do job, Gov. Deval Patrick says [Telegram & Gazette]

• Conclave to elect new pope will begin Tuesday, Roman Catholic cardinals say [Washington Post]

• Northampton School Superintendent Brian Salzer resigns to take job in Germany [Daily Hampshire Gazette]


• Connecticut police say mother gave liquor to 14-year-old girl [Middletown Press]


• Twitter posts tagged #westernma in Western Mass. [MassLive.com]


• Read more News Links »


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Putnam has never won a sectional title, last appearing in the final in 1984. Now the Beavers are one victory away from history.

SPRINGFIELD – Putnam Vocational High School boys basketball coach William Shepard will tell you he's a lucky man.

After his Beavers downed West Springfield 64-42 in a Western Massachusetts Division I semifinal Wednesday – using a 25-6 second-half run to turn an eight-point game into a one-sided clinic of togetherness – Shepard's speech was about how his players stay with each other, make the extra pass, communicate effectively, overcome adversity, do whatever it takes to win.

Forgive him if he used some clichés, because they’re an appropriate description of Putnam’s unselfishness.

"It's a beautiful thing,” Shepard said. “Whatever we’ve asked them to do, they’ve done it. I can’t ask for a better group.”

There hasn’t been a better group – or at least a more successful one – in school history. Second-seeded Putnam has never won a Western Mass. title, last appearing in the final in 1984 – a decade before any of the current players were born. This season has been a continuation of program growth that began with a five-game improvement in 2010. Putnam won 11 games that season, 14 the next, 16 last year, and has already won 21 en route to its fourth straight postseason trip.

The amount of wins this season hardly begins to explain the dominance. All but two have come by double digits, and the others were by nine points.

Putnam won eight times against Division I playoff qualifiers during the regular season – by an average of 22.3 points. The Beavers also downed two Division II semifinalists – Sabis and South Hadley, the latter of which will play in the Western Mass. final Saturday – by 28 and 23 points, respectively. In two playoff games, Putnam has pounded Cathedral by 18 points and the No. 3 Terriers by 22.

The latter win felt like revenge. Putnam’s one blemish came at West Springfield Feb. 12, a game which starting guard Dizel Wright missed due to injury. You can bet the Beavers were happy for another tussle with the Terriers in the postseason.

“It was nice, especially after they beat us," said senior forward KayJuan Bynum, who has scored in double figures every game. "A lot of teams felt like, ‘They’re beatable now.’ But little did they know who was injured and who didn’t play.”

Putnam is the least-flawed team in Western Mass. Every player Shepard puts on the floor can dribble, pass and shoot. What Bynum (16.5 points per game) and frontcourt mate David Murrell (15.1) lack in height, they make up for with the maturity of grown men, both physical and otherwise. Wright (12.5) is one of the better athletes in the region. Jonathan Garcia (8.2) can be more irritating to opponents than a bedside mosquito.

“Jon-Jon’s been the most consistent defensively that we’ve had all year, to be honest. He does all the little things," Shepard said. "He’s always in help-side position. We can count on Jon-Jon.”

Despite all the skill, Putnam’s cohesion has been the difference, leading to so many runs like the one against West Springfield, when the defense is molded as one and the offense consists of five talented players all willing and capable of finding the most open teammate.

“I keep using that word (consistency)," Shepard said. "That’s basically what these kids have been giving me all year. These guys put forth that effort every, every single night. I enjoy watching them.”

And now there’s just one team left to beat – the defending state champion. Putnam wanted to meet top-seeded Central (18-4) in the final even before the Golden Eagles dispatched Holyoke in the semis. This season wouldn’t feel as complete without meeting Central, which happens Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Curry Hicks Cage on the University of Massachusetts campus in Amherst.

“It’ll be good to play them and see who’s really No. 1,” Bynum said.

“Questions about why we haven’t played Central – I don’t want to hear that anymore. ... We just want to answer all questions,” Shepard said.

The Beavers have been doing that all season. They’ve used discipline, defense and unselfishness to uncover a level of synergy unmatched in the region, carrying the program to places it hasn’t been in nearly 30 years.

"We talked about it. Yes, you guys can enjoy this," Shepard said. "But the generations that come behind you guys, the students that follow you guys, you guys are laying down the foundation for others to follow. You guys are basically leaving your legacy, letting students behind you know it can be done at Putnam."

Shepard recently saw a brick from the old high school, replaced this year by a sparkling new facility. On the brick was “1938,” a reminder that in the school’s 75th year, it has never won a Western Mass. boys basketball title.

“We still have one more (game),” Shepard said. “We're not done yet. But we're where we want to be."

The Tuesday start date appears to be a compromise, albeit one that favors those who were seeking more time to evaluate the candidates and the state of the Roman Catholic Church.

By DAVID GIBSON
and ALESSANDRO SPECIALE
c. 2013 Religion News Service

VATICAN CITY — The conclave to pick a new pope will begin on Tuesday the Vatican said Friday, resolving an open question that had dogged the cardinals meeting here over the past week.

The cardinals will celebrate a special Mass “pro eligendo Romano Pontifice” — for the election of the Roman Pontiff — in St. Peter’s Basilica on Tuesday morning, and in the afternoon the cardinals will enter into the Conclave, the Vatican said.

The date was set by the cardinals gathered in a late-afternoon session on Friday. They were scheduled to vote on the decision, but there was no word on how many supported the Tuesday start date or how many preferred an earlier or a later date.

In one of his last acts before resigning on Feb. 28, Pope Benedict XVI amended the law regulating papal elections to allow cardinals to move up the beginning of the conclave, which would normally not be able to start until at least 15 days after a pope dies or leaves office.

Because Benedict resigned — the first pope to do so in 600 years — and announced his plans on Feb. 11, the cardinals did not have to focus on a funeral, as they did when John Paul II died in April 2005. They also have had nearly a month to think about a successor.

As a result, many believed the cardinals did not need to wait long after Benedict’s resignation took effect to begin the conclave itself.

But the start date was one of several issues reportedly dividing the cardinals as they gathered in closed-door daily meetings over the past week to prepare for the papal election.

Some of the cardinals — notably the American electors and several from Africa and Latin America — had balked at trying to hold the conclave too quickly, arguing that the more than 150 cardinals gathered here needed time in their General Congregation meetings to discuss the key issues facing the church and to size up potential candidates.

Other cardinals, notably those associated with the Roman Curia (the Vatican bureaucracy) were pushing for a quick conclave, apparently in hopes of choosing a candidate to their liking before the cardinals from other parts of the world could rally around an outsider.

The Tuesday start date appears to be a compromise, albeit one that favors those who were seeking more time to evaluate the candidates and the state of the Roman Catholic Church.

There are 115 cardinals who were under 80 when Benedict XVI resigned and are therefore eligible to vote for his successor. With a supermajority of two-thirds required for an election, a cardinal will need 77 votes to become the next pope.

Over the past century, conclaves have averaged just three days, with recent conclaves going no more than a day or two. But the field appears to be more open than in past elections, and no one is sure how long the coming conclave could last. Church experts say it is not likely to run more than three or four days at most, however.

Under the conclave rules, there are two ballots in the morning and two in the afternoon, until a pope is elected. The ballots are burned after each round, and chemicals are added after the victory round to make the smoke white to signal a successful conclusion to the voting.

According to the Vatican’s chief spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, around 100 cardinals have taken the floor to deliver five-minute speeches during the daily pre-conclave meetings that began on Monday.

The cardinals have touched on a variety of topics, ranging from relations between the Vatican and bishops around the world to issues such as interfaith dialogue and bioethics.

Vatican secrecy rules forbid the disclosure of the identity and contents of cardinals’ addresses during the meetings, but Lombardi said that at least one of Friday’s talks centered on “the importance of a positive presentation of Christianity — a presentation that focuses on love, joy, and mercy.”

Lombardi stressed that these pre-conclave meetings are just part of the process of reflection before the cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel to vote. Assessing a papal candidate also takes place “through personal contacts and reflection,” Lombardi said, referring to the informal chats that cardinals during coffee breaks and over private dinners.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest says the trio enjoyed the conversation but isn't releasing details

In this Jan. 21, 2013 file photo, President Barack Obama is greeted by then-Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and former President Bill Clinton for his ceremonial swearing-in on Capitol Hill in Washington, during the 57th Presidential Inauguration. The White House says President Barack Obama held a private dinner recently with the former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says President Barack Obama held a private dinner recently with former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest says the trio enjoyed the conversation but isn't releasing details.

Hillary Rodham Clinton stepped down in February as Obama's chief diplomat after serving in that role throughout his first term.

On Wednesday, Obama shared another notable meal with a dozen Republican senators near the White House. He had lunch Thursday with Paul Ryan, the Republican chairman of the House Budget Committee, and Chris Van Hollen, the committee's top Democrat.

Those meals are part of a broader attempt by Obama to improve relations with congressional Republicans in hopes of jumpstarting budget talks and rallying support for other proposals.

He said his leaving has nothing to do with the controversy late last year involving the high school vice principal Bryan Lombardi.

NORTHAMPTON — Less than two years after he was hired as School Superintendent, Brian L. Salzer is leaving for a position at an international school in Germany in July.

Salzer, 45, said ideally he’d like to stay here for a couple of more years, but said, “it’s a great opportunity” to head the John F. Kennedy School in Berlin.

The John F. Kennedy School is a bilingual, bicultural school. Salzer said he speaks German. He said he and his partner have always wanted to live and work abroad.

Salzer, who lives in Easthampton, said it’s hard to leave here, though. In his resignation letter in the School Committee packet for the March 14 meeting, he wrote “I have had the best professional experience of my career working in Northampton with high quality teachers, strong administrative leaders, a committed team of secretaries, nurses and custodians, and most of all, I have appreciated working with this caring supportive School Committee.”

In his letter, he cites a number of initiatives during his time here, including developing a new educator evaluation system, improving and developing an effective relationship with the union leadership and a new school budget design system.

“I think we’ve done some real good work,” he said. The measures in place are “not going to go away with my leaving.”

He said his leaving has nothing to do with the controversy late last year involving the high school vice principal Bryan Lombardi.

Salzer was critical of Lombardi having students write a pledge related to school violence two days after a threatening note was found at the high school. The pledge was seen as a way to collect handwriting samples. Salzer had said that was not the way the system did business. The move raised concerns from the America Civil Liberties Union.

But Salzer said his decision had nothing to do with that.

In a Jan. 25 post on his blog, Salzer he wrote “We have reviewed our communication and decision-making protocols; now, and in the future, we will gather more people and perspectives around the situation, respect the trusting relationship we have with our students and families, and we will work to resolve future crises in a proper and respectful manner."

In Feb. 1 post, he wrote: “I understand that some people feel compelled to weigh in on the recent controversy regarding the student pledge and I believe everyone has a right to share their thoughts, letters, and comments; however, it is important to keep perspective. The pledge issue is over; please know we have moved on.

“Bryan is an important and valued member of our leadership team and we are all effectively working together to lead and manage our schools. We have many important educational initiatives, student learning goals, and now, budget work to do. In a system as complex as a public school system, one issue should not distract from the many. Our team is intact and moving forward.”

In his letter, Salzer told the committee that he will “work to support the transition to new leadership.” His resignation is effective July 13 and gives him enough time to work through the fiscal 2014 budget.

He had replaced William Erickson, who had been filling in for Isabella Rodriguez, who left in 2011 to become Superintendent in Granby after seven years in Northampton.

Penn National, under a formal agreement with the owners of the Paramount Theater, will help revitalize and lease the Main Street venue.

SPRINGFIELD — Penn National Gaming, proposing a casino in the North End of the downtown, announced on Friday that it has signed an agreement with the owners of the Paramount building on Main Street that will lead to major renovations of the theater.

The agreement was signed with the New England Farm Workers Council, the property owner, said Eric Schippers, senior vice president of public affairs at Penn National.

The agreement includes financial support for the restoration project and a lease agreement that will allow Penn National to use the venue for live entertainment shows, officials said. The Paramount was built in 1926, and was purchased by the Farm Workers Council and its president, Heriberto Flores, three years ago for approximately $1.72 million.

“Penn National came to us early on in the process to include us as partners in their proposal to revitalize Springfield,” Flores said in a prepared release. “We are excited to have a signed agreement that will revitalize the Paramount Theater and bring a diverse group of entertainers that will appeal to not just one segment of our city, but to all our citizens.”

Schippers said the revitalization of the Paramount is considered an important component of Penn’s planned “ripple effect” of its Hollywood-Springfield casino project linking the North End casino and downtown core. The specific financial contribution and further details of the lease agreement were not released.

“Our proposal is the only one that has involved the local minority community at this level, and we are incredibly proud to be associated with an organization that is such a powerful and effective voice for the Latino community in Springfield,” Schippers said.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission will grant up to three casino licenses in the state, including one casino designated for Western Massachusetts. MGM Resorts International is proposing a casino in the South End of Springfield, and casinos are also proposed in Palmer off the Massachusetts Turnpike and in West Springfield on the grounds of Eastern States Exposition.