Originally slated for demolition, officials are now weighing options that include refurbishing the buildings and dropping the number of units in Lyman Terrace from 167 to between 135 and 155.

HOLYOKE -- A presentation on the status of the Lyman Terrace public housing project, offered during a community meeting Monday evening, has been posted to the city's Holyoke Redevelopment website.

Originally slated for demolition, officials are now weighing options that include refurbishing the buildings and dropping the number of units in Lyman Terrace from 167 to between 135 and 155.

Below, Monday's presentation:

Holyoke Community Meeting 3-11-13 Presentation Final by masslive

Part of the Lyman Terrace housing complex in the shadow of Holyoke City Hall. Dave Roback, The Republican  

The Dream was in St. Maarten on the final stop of a Caribbean cruise when the crew announced they would not be sailing home to Port Canaveral, Florida, because of a mechanical issue with a diesel generator, passengers said.

By JUDY FITZPATRICK

PHILIPSBURG, ST. MAARTEN — Passengers from the Carnival Dream were heading to the airport Thursday instead of sailing home after an on board generator problem halted their trip in the latest maintenance headache for the world's largest cruise line.

The Dream was in St. Maarten on the final stop of a Caribbean cruise when the crew announced they would not be sailing home to Port Canaveral, Fla., because of a mechanical issue with a diesel generator, passengers said.

Carnival Cruise Lines said the Dream had a "technical issue," with its backup emergency diesel generator that was discovered during a test on Wednesday. A company statement said the ship did not lose power but that there were periodic interruptions to elevators and restrooms.

Carnival said all systems were functioning normally Thursday but the company had decided to make flight arrangements for the passengers to return home by air.

Passengers strolling about the Dutch Caribbean town of Philipsburg told The Associated Press that the power and water were out for 10-20 minutes, contradicting media reports of longer outages and unsanitary conditions.

"We have toilets. We have water. It's no different than a regular day at sea," said 31-year-old Tasha Larson of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, after disembarking with her boyfriend to spend the day in St. Maarten.

Passengers Mary and Terry Washington of Tampa, Florida, said they were grateful because the malfunction gave them an additional day to spend in St. Maarten. ""The plumbing is fine. The food is fine. Everything is fine," Mary Washington said.

Another passenger, Tammie Knapper of Hedgesville, West Virginia, said she also preferred another day in St. Maarten to the risk that the ship could encounter problems as sea. "It's better that we are here than in the middle of the ocean," she said.

The Dream on a seven-day cruise of the Caribbean with 3,646 passengers. The ship's March 16 voyage from Port Canaveral has been canceled.

An engine fire crippled the Carnival Triumph in February, leaving 4,200 stranded for five days without working toilets or power.

Southwick adopts a no medical marijuana policy for police officers.

Southwick Police Department officers will not be able to use or possess medical marijuana under a new policy approved by the Board of Selectmen.  

SOUTHWICK — A new departmental policy now says Southwick police officers cannot use or possess medical marijuana and only in certain circumstances can an officer be in its presence.

Selectmen approved the personnel policy at their last meeting after Police Chief Mark Krynicki advocated adoption.

Lt. David Ricardi drafted the policy for the board's action, and he said police are in a difficult position with regard to medical marijuana.

"The whole hinge point is that it is still against federal law," he said. "The federal government is not budging on that."

That alone, he said, makes it illegal for police. But, under federal Department of Alcohol, Firearms and Tobacco regulations, it is also unlawful for anyone, police included, to possess firearms or ammunition if they use or are addicted to controlled substances. In order to legally possess marijuana for medical purposes, the user must obtain a special registration card for qualified patients, diagnosed by a physician with a debilitating medical condition. Thus, possession of such a registration card would preclude officers from possessing a firearm.

Under the new policy officers can be considered "caregivers" for patients who use medical marijuana, but only with special permission from the police chief. Ricardi said permission will be granted only on a case by case basis.

"We have to cover all the bases," Ricardi said. "If we have no policy in place we could conceivably have an officer smoking or using marijuana on duty. We are trying to get ahead of the situation. It could happen."

The mayor says he does not want to burden taxpayers now but wants the city to be in the pipeline for state money if it moves to build a new high school and/or early childhood center.

AGAWAM – School Committee members want the city for the third year in a row to submit a statement of interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority in case the community builds a new high school and/or early childhood center sometime down the road.

The School Committee voted 6-0 Tuesday to authorize preparing a statement of interest and the matter will now go the City Council, which has the final say.

Mayor Richard A. Cohen, who chairs the School Committee, said Wednesday that he does not want to burden taxpayers at this time, but that he wants the city to be in the funding pipeline should it decide to move forward.

“It just puts us on a list in case at some point we decide to build,” Cohen said.

Submitting a statement in no way obligates a community to undertake construction. Many local communities have tapped the School Building Authority for grants for school building projects. In West Springfield, for example, the state is reimbursing the city more than $68 million of the $107 million cost of the new high school currently under construction.

If the city files a statement of interest the next step will be for the state to evaluate the condition of the buildings housing Agawam High School and the Early Childhood Center.

Cohen said the high school is in good shape because of excellent maintenance by custodians, but that science laboratories could use upgrading to meet new standards.

The resolution approved by the School Committee describes the high school, which was built in 1955, having athletic facilities, a track and bleachers in need of repair and renovation. The high school building at 760 Cooper St. was added to in 1961, 1980, 1997 and 2001.

The statement of interest also describes locker rooms and bathrooms as in need of repair and renovation. It goes on to state that that work would prevent possible loss of accreditation and could also be justified on the grounds of the school being in an obsolete building that needs work to provide for a full range of programs required on the state and local level.

Deficiencies regarding accreditation include the fact that there is insufficient space to allow teachers dedicated space so they must travel from classroom to classroom, according to the resolution. Classrooms are about 760 square feet for about 20-plus students. “The layout of the building bottlenecks at the intersection of the new and old building, resulting in dangerous situations during the change of class times,” the resolution states.

The high school is expanding its offerings in science, technology, engineering and mathematics in classrooms that need to be “state of the art” to support the curriculum, according to the statement.

As for the Early Childhood Center, which is currently housed on Perry Lane, the resolution states that the goal is to move it to the high school. That would allow for collaboration with Westfield State University and the School Department’s Program of Studies in Early Childhood Education.

The resolution further states that there would savings from closing the current building as it is inadequate in size and condition. Combining the Early Childhood Center with the high school be good for programming and offer cost efficiencies, according to the statement.

The city is seeking the purchase and redevelopment of properties at 609-611 Main St., and 739 Main St.

SPRINGFIELD — The city recently advertised for proposals for the purchase and redevelopment of two tax-foreclosed properties on Main Street in the South End, with a preference for new commercial uses.

Proposals will be accepted for the former Hapco building at 739 Main St., in the hope of attracting “a positive commercial redevelopment to help the neighborhood,” said Samalid M. Hogan, senior project manager with the city’s Office of Planning and Economic Development.

Proposals are due by March 29, at the city’s Office of Procurement at City Hall, at 2 p.m.

Proposals are also being accepted for redevelopment of a vacant lot at 609-611 Main St., aimed at bringing the property back on the tax rolls and to assist with neighborhood revitalization, said Tina Quagliato, the city’s deputy director in the Office of Housing.

A large commercial building on the site, which had housed a bottle redemption business and used appliance store, was demolished in December 2010.

Proposals are due by March 28, at 2 p.m., at the Procurement office.

The sites in the South End are along the business corridor, but are not within the boundaries, or abutting, a casino project being proposed by MGM Resorts International.

The city is also seeking to sell two abutting tax-foreclosed lots on the east side of Thompson Street, zoned Residence B, in the McKnight neighborhood in the Mason Square area, and a foreclosed lot on the north side of Boston Road, zoned Residence A, that abuts the Pine Point Library.

“We’re disposing several lots,” Quagliato said. “Our purpose is to try to get some new reuses on all of them, and to get them out of city management.”

The proposals for the Thompson Street properties is due March 29, and proposals for the Boston Road site are due April 3.

The system, funded by donations from businesses and organizations, expanded six months ago.

Don Treeger | The Republican 03.14.2013 | SPRINGFIELD -- Mayor Domenic Sarno discusses the $120,000 expansion of the ShotSpotter audio surveillance system in the North End during a press conference at at Springfield Housing Authority Resident Services Center at 82 Division St.

Below, an example of audio recorded by the ShotSpotter system in connection with a Jan. 27 incident and arrest.

ShotSpotter Audio: Chapin Terrace gunfire

SPRINGFIELD – North End resident Ted Cupac, who has suffered through some 50 break-ins to his home and vehicles over the last 33 years, was among the many to gather late Thursday morning to celebrate the $120,000 expansion of the ShotSpotter audio surveillance here.

The system, which has been operational in other parts of the city for about four years, expanded to include the North End about six months ago. It allows police to pinpoint the location of gunfire and rapidly respond.

Cupac said expansion of the system, along with the ongoing Safe Neighborhood Initiative in which residents and business owners work with city and state police to combat crime, has made the North End neighborhood a safer place to live and work.

“It makes a big difference with ShotSpotter pushing the leaders of the gangs out, and, of course, that takes the drug trade out, too,” said the East Hooker Street resident.

The once-common break-ins, however, have since dwindled down to nothing, Cupac says, attributing it to the initiative and the ShotSpotter expansion.

“The neighborhood has changed,” Cupac said. “There are still problems, there are still things happening, but they are minor problems.”

A component of that initiative is known as C3 policing or the Counter Criminal Continum in which state and city police make use of a military counterinsurgency model to combat gangs and unite the neighborhood.

“We think we are on to something good,” said State Police Lt. Michael Domnarski, commander of the C3 unit.

As part of the expansion, state police now have the ShotSpotter system in the Springfield barracks and in some of their cruisers.

The ShotSpotter announcement was made at Springfield Housing Authority resident services center located at 82 Division St.

Officer Sean Sullivan, who helps to oversee the ShotSpotter system, said the North End expansion increases the city’s coverage to about six square miles.

Since Jan. 1, the system has alerted police to 207 incidents involving gunfire within the city, Sullivan said. It’s an invaluable tool to police officers because residents tend not to call 911 regarding gunfire unless somebody has been hit, he said.

The system averages some 2,000 activations a year, according to Sullivan.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno praised the efforts of Jose L. Claudio and the New North Citizens’ Council, Inc. in spearheading the effort to fund the expansion. “This is part of our continued attack to get guns, gangs and drugs off the streets,” Sarno said.

Claudio, community development and relations director for the council., thanked the organizations and businesses that have committed to fund the $120,000 annual cost of the system for three years. He said the outpouring is part of resurgence of community spirit in the North End.

“People are getting involved, people are talking and people are taking it to the next level,” Claudio said.

Contributors jnclude the housing authority, Baystate Health, Focus Springfield, Mercy Medical Center, McDonald’s of Main Street and Edgewater Apartments.

“We had to think about it for a good 15 to 20 seconds before we said ‘Yes, we are in,’” said housing authority executive director William H. Abrashkin, a former Housing Court judge.

Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet said the system has helped police cope with an issue that has taken center stage. “We know guns and gun violence are the electrifying issues in our society today.” he said, adding that “we need to find a way to make it unifying issue.”

Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse joined a live chat with MassLive.com readers Thursday afternoon and addressed their questions concerning crime, Holyoke's annual St. Patrick's Parade and housing.

Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse answers MassLive.com reader questions on Thursday, March 14, 2013. Photo by Mandy Hofmockel  

Mandy Hofmockel: Hi all, join us at 2 p.m. for a live chat with Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse. Reader-submitted questions will be taken from the box below.

Mandy Hofmockel: We'll get started in just a few minutes. There are already a number of great questions in our queue, but there's still plenty of time to submit yours to the question box below.

Mayor Morse: Welcome everyone!

rose91: What are your plans to improve the decaying Suffolk Street garage?

Mayor Morse: Timely question. We will be demolishing the entire garage this summer and constructing an entire new 2-story parking garage in it's place. This is an important project to have more, quality parking in the Downtown to support business growth. We also just finished up improvements on the Dwight St. garage - no more leaking, new lighting, and new signage coming soon. Thanks for the question!

Concerned: I have lived in this city for about 10 years now. I have always found dirty syringes on the ground, and recently have seen a decrease in the number of needles I come across. I believe this is thanks to the Needle Exchange program. I often see workers from the program with ID tags walking around and picking up needles. I heard this program is being threatened to shut down because one person in particular, Kevin Jordain, city councilor. What is the status of the lawsuit? Will this program be shut down and will we be doomed to finding more dirty syringes on our streets, playgrounds and all throughout the city?

Mayor Morse: Thank you for your positive comments on the needle exchange program. Since its inception, the program has collected more needles than it has distributed. Furthermore, we are actually connecting addicts to treatment. In addition, the staff of Tapestry Health is working hand in hand with CEPA and the Holyoke Health Center to have a community wide strategy around syringe clean-up in the City. We know where the hot spots are and we have been effective in keeping needles off our streets, out of our parks, etc. All research shows that needle exchange programs are the most effective harm reduction tool to decrease HIV and Hep C through injection drug use. The court case is still pending. The City Council's attempt to seek a legal injunction to stop the program failed last year, and I'm happy that the program is still operating.

Mayor Morse: Please remember that the work is ongoing, and no program is perfect, but this is a step in the right direction.

James: I'm sure you saw the recent jobs report for MA that showed the Greater Pittsfield and Springfield regions as the only regions in the state LOSING jobs. What, in your opinion, is the most important thing that officials at the local and state level can do to reverse this and really get the Western MA economy going?

Mayor Morse: Great question - and there is no silver bullet. I think it's important to continue making investments in infrastructure and transportation. For example, with the upcoming construction of our CanalWalk, passenger rail platform, Veterans Park renovation, Holyoke Catholic Rehabilitation, we will see hundreds of construction jobs in the City of Holyoke. This is just a start. I think overall, it is the government's role to catalyze private investment and business growth, which would increase private hiring. Government can't create jobs on its own, but we must create the economic conditions where people want to invest, thus creating jobs. We are doing that here in Holyoke through our Urban Renewal Plan and our expansion of local business tax incentives. We have seen the expansion of many existing businesses as well as new businesses coming into Holyoke. Other strategies include focusing in on Dean Vocational High School to make sure our students are getting trained in those sectors that are struggling to find qualified and skilled employees - technology, health care, IT. For example, Veritech, a new IT company is moving their HQ to Holyoke in September, yet they are struggling to find skilled mid-level engineers. Therefore, we are working with HCC and other regional stakeholders to make sure we have a pathway that is training people to fill these positions. I think we are on the right path - but we need to continue supporting investments in infrastructure, transportation and education. We also need to foster entrepreneurship and help create and grow small businesses in our community. Thank you for the question.

rebecca: Is there anything to be done with vacant lots that are bare and become overgrown in summer months? Can residents take it upon themselves to clean them up for use or is it up the city or are there actual property owners who should be caring for the neglected, empty spaces? There are plenty of these spaces that would make nice additional neighborhood garden spaces or little park areas.

Mayor Morse: Good question. It depends. We regularly take private property owners to court to order them to clean up their vacant lots. We often win on these, but it shouldn't take a court order for a property owner to upkeep their lot. Our Board of Health works hard, and they respond to such calls. I ask that residents call the BOH or my office to report trashy lots, etc and we can respond appropriately. In terms of vacant city lots, it is the City's job to upkeep those and we do that on a regular basis. We always encourage civic involvement and would love to see more residents and volunteers come together to help beautify the city. It is not legal for the City to go on privately owned land without permission or a court order, so we have to be careful, as many people assume that the City can just go clean up or cut the grass on vacant land. We enforce our ordinances and address these issues in a legal and timely manner. If you have particular lots, please let me know. In terms of community gardens, we are able to work with private land owners who often let community groups plant gardens. Again, let me know if we can help facilitate some of these connections.

Dan: The shooting of a 5 year old seems like a new low. It seems our police are stretched thin and do the best they can with what they have. How can you guarantee the safety of all Holyoke neighborhoods?

Mayor Morse: We never want to see a child injured or shot. It's important to note that almost all such crimes in the City of Holyoke are drug dealer on drug dealer - and they are contained. The "Flats" - the area in which this incident occurred, is not the City's highest crime neighborhood, it's actually relatively calm and quiet. In this incident, the child was shot in the knee by a bullet intended for his father. I applaud the HPD and the Chief for quickly arresting the man responsible for this incident and we are doing everything we can to keep this element out of our neighborhoods. The day after the shooting, we parked our Mobile Community Policing unit at that intersection, and have followed up with constant patrols ever since. It is important to know that we have expanded many of our police work over the past year. We have opened 3 community policing substations, launched a K-9 unit, launched the Mobile Community Policing Unit, increased bike and foot patrols, implemented tasers, and other strategies that are paying off. Violent crime in Holyoke is at a historic low. Even so, things are not perfect but we are certainly headed in the right direction.

concretepillow: Former Mayor Pluta publicly stated stated that over 40% of taxable properties pay no tax because they are non profits, leaving 60% of us paying 100% of the bills. No one is stepping up for 'payment in lieu of taxes.' As I drive around town, I see that many of the non profits house themselves in some of the more desirable properties-the victorians. Those should be left open for development. Can you find a way to start merging/moving non profits so more DESIRABLE properties can be made available? Surely there are offices/storefronts that could serve the same purpose. Not as comfortable but lots cheaper for us. Even Holyoke Health Center has empty space-use them. Holyoke will remain forever poor due to the overwhelming number of non profit organizations Holyoke taxpayers have to carry in addition to their ever increasing tax burdens.

Mayor Morse: Thanks for addressing this important issue. We are working on it. When I took office, I initiated the conversations with the Computing Center around a PILOT and we are making progress on this. Currently, the City received a PILOT from HG&E, the Housing Authority, ISO New England, and the Holyoke Medical Center when they make an annual profit. We are taking very specific steps to contain the expansion of tax exempt properties in our City. For example, in April, we are having the city's 1st public property auction since 1976 - of property that the City has taken for tax title. We have put language in our auction properties that whoever is the winning bidder, including a nonprofit, will have to pay 100% of what the taxable amount would be, ensuring that moving forward the City is getting the taxes it needs. Furthermore, my administration is preparing to send all nonprofits in the City that own their building a request for a PILOT. Other than that, it's important to note that over time the "market" can help solve this issue. Assuming property values go up as the economy improves, we will see an expansion of for-profit entities in the most fitting locations in the city (storefronts for example), and nonprofits will no longer afford prime real estate. The City, through policy, can capture more funds on the short term, but in the long term it remains important that we continue to strengthen the economy and create the conditions where people want to invest private dollars in Holyoke.

Supporters from Ward 7: Please would you consider having a city-wide or ward by ward trash collection of all or most all unwanted household goods, furniture, junk, clutter and trash? Mayor Taupier had such a collection in the 70’s and it allowed citizens to throw away whatever they wanted to. In addition, if pickers are permitted to look through the items, and take whatever they want many of these items could be recycled and reused. Not everyone has the physical ability or the access to a truck or vehicle that can carry items to the refuse yard/ garage. When we hired our lawn service man to bring some unwanted items to the refuse yard, with our permit and my husband in attendance, and his truck, they were turned away. Reason: citizens are not allowed to hire a commercial business/ truck to bring in our refuse.

Mayor Morse: Yeah, this seems like a simple request and I'm sure we can make this happen. I know this has occurred in the past and I'm happy to help plan an event of this kind. It is in our best interest as well, as too much illegal dumping occurs in the City. On another note, we are introducing a new policy that allows landlords to have access to the city dump, as to decrease the amount of refuse (mattresses, TVs) in alleyways around apartment buildings. I will talk to DPW about planning such an event and you are also welcome to contact my office to inquire. Thank you!

holyoker: Your first term has appropriately focused on economic development, public safety, and civic pride and look forward to seeing that work continue in a robust way but if you are elected into another term? What will some new priorities be? What have you learned needs more attention and focus?

Mayor Morse: Thanks for the question - my priorities won't all of a sudden change in a second term. While we have made unprecedented progress in a little over a year, more time is needed to see substantial changes in our education system and in our economy. I will continue focusing on improving schools, and plan to have a more active role with incoming Superintendent Dr. Sergio Paez, who promises to be an active agent of change in our community. I will continue promoting economic development - implementing the urban renewal plan, finishing up the many infrastructure projects happening in Downtown, continuing to promote the creative economy. A second term will allow me to continue this important progress and build off the momentum we have created. To be specific, I want to begin to tackle blight in a more aggressive manner in a second term. I will work with department heads to identify key areas of the city that need to be cleaned up, buildings that need to come down, areas that need a shot in the arm. I think we need to see tangible, visual changes in many of our neighborhoods. Making these investments will only improve our City and make people want to come here. I look forward to a second term, as we have much more work to do.

Guest: Downtown will never be viable until we get it cleaned up. What are you going to do about all of the abandoned buildings?

Mayor Morse: We are working on it. I would encourage you to visit www.holyokeredevelopment.com and check out our urban renewal plan. There is a list of many properties (most of them abandoned or vacant) that the City plans to take, demolish, or preserve for a particular use. These properties would either go to the Holyoke Redevelopment Authority for redevelopment, or they would be auctioned off at a future public auction. As I said, in April, we are having our 1st public auction since 1976 - and auctioning off over 15 public properties that we have taken for tax title. This will get properties back on the tax roll in an efficient manner. On the other hand, some of our vacant buildings are privately owned and the owners are paying the taxes on these buildings, and waiting for the right time to begin investing. We are constantly working with these people and pushing them to move on their properties. Also, as I said in my previous answer, it's also time we do an inventory of those buildings and areas of the City that can use increased investment, and or take down those buildings that are unsafe or beyond repair and preservation. We are making progress and have more work to do.

Ken: Why should the people re-elect you after you first were against the casino coming to the city, then you change your mind and invited them, and then go back against it?

Mayor Morse: You are entitled to your opinion. I encourage you to check out this Republican article on my consideration of a casino in the City of Holyoke:

Mayor Morse: Link to economic impact study: http://www.donahue.umassp.edu/publications/Holyoke_Parade_econ_contribution

Mayor Morse: Many strategies are being used. We are regularly doing "drug busts" in the City, as you may see in the media, and typically, most of the people we arrest do not live in Holyoke. We just welcomed our first K-9 officer, who will be in the narcotics division, and we are soon to get our second K-9 in the HPD. We have also established a traffic unit in the HPD to focus on drugs coming into the City via vehicles on 391 or 91, in collaboration with the State Police. We have seen an increase in collaboration with city residents on helping us solve drug crimes, as a result of our community policing efforts and the improvement of community relations. We are working hard to send the message that Holyoke is not a place to buy and sell drugs, nor a place to commit crime. We are lucky to be working closely with the FBI, State Police and other agencies to crack down on drug trafficking, and we are doing all we can to get these people off out streets, with much success.

Tony Montana: Do you anticipate any budget cuts in the future or do you just plan to continue to raise taxes on homeowners and business to support continued spending?

Mayor Morse: Great question Tony. I do anticipate budget cuts this year. I have already reviewed the Fiscal Year 2014 requests from my Department Heads and have already cut millions from those requests. I am working hard to decrease this year's budget, as to provide tax stabilization and relief to both homeowners and property owners. One item which I have been working on for months is health insurance, as to reduce the cost of health insurance to the City, and we are making progress on this. Other cuts include reductions and savings through attrition in several departments, as to not automatically fill positions when someone retires. Unlike last budget year, I do not anticipate a huge increase in debt service payments or a big increase in our obligation to our retirees. I am working hard to control spending and will be working with my department heads to keep this budget as conservative as possible, as to mitigate any potential tax increase. I will keep you and the public informed on this. Thank you.

Mandy Hofmockel: That about wraps it up for this afternoon's live chat. Thanks for all your great questions!

Mayor Morse: Thank you all again for joining me this afternoon, and have a great parade weekend in the City of Holyoke! As always, feel free to contact me here at City Hall if you have any questions, follow up, or if I can be of assistance with anything. Take care!

A Westfield man is back in jail for the 3rd time on drug charges.

WESTFIELD — Christopher C. Wert finds himself held in the Hampden County Correctional Center for the third time in the past year after he was charged with possession of hallucinogenic mushrooms allegedly found by police during a traffic stop Feb. 25, police said Thursday.

The 26-year-old Southwick Road man had just been released from jail just 11 days before.

According to police Capt. Michael McCabe, Wert was originally arrested on drug charges last April 14. He was released on his personal recognizance pending a later pretrial hearing, but was ordered by the judge to remain drug and alcohol free. However, Wert tested positive for marijuana use during a routine drug screen on June 22. He was jailed until July 20, when a district court judge allowed him free on $1,000 cash bail. Wert was again jailed on Dec. 17, when he failed two drug tests.

Not quite two weeks after he was released Feb. 14 from the Ludlow jail, a Westfield police officer said he stopped Wert and arrested him for driving with a suspended license. During a routine inventory of the contents of the towed car, police found a one-half pound bag of mushrooms that Wert said he was trying to sell.

He was arraigned in Westfield District Court for possession of a Class C substance with the intent to distribute, and was ordered held without the right to bail pending a March 26 hearing.

A 19-year-old from Bryant University is dead, after eating a cookie. It was cooked in peanut oil, and the student had a nut allergy.

A bill that would legalize up to 5,000 video slots and 150 table games at one casino in the state of New Hampshire passed New Hampshire Senate on Thursday and will now move to the House. Link to full story on left.

Associated Press / Julie Jacobson




 

• Baby survives 8 story fall [USA Today]


• New Hampshire senate passes casino bill [WMUR, News 9, New Hampshire]


• Bryant university teen with nut allergy, dies after eating cookie [ABC6, WLNE-TV Providence]


• Former EMT faces child porn charges [NBC Connecticut]


• Rhode Island creates proposal to put gay marriage on ballots [WPRI.com]

• More than 180,000 Honda vehicles recalled [CBS Boston]


• Man suspected of groping girls on Hartford buses [Hartford Courant]


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


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Obama told Israel's Channel 2 TV that while he still prefers diplomacy over force, but that a nuclear Iran is a "red line" and all options remain on the table to stop it.

In this March 5, 2012 file photo, President Barack Obama meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. Associated Press  

JERUSALEM (AP) — Iran is about a year away from developing a nuclear weapon and the United States remains committed to doing everything in its power to prevent that from happening, President Barack Obama said in an exclusive interview aired Thursday on Israeli TV.

Just days before he is to arrive in Israel for his first presidential visit, Obama told Israel's Channel 2 TV that while he still prefers diplomacy over force, but that a nuclear Iran is a "red line" and all options remain on the table to stop it.

"Right now, we think it would take over a year or so for Iran to actually develop a nuclear weapon, but obviously we don't want to cut it too close," he said. "So when I'm consulting with Bibi (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) as I have over the last several years on this issue, my message to him will be the same as before: 'If we can resolve it diplomatically that is a more lasting solution. But if not I continue to keep all options on the table.'"

The timeline for action against Iran has been one of the most fraught disputes in an already tense relationship between Obama and Netanyahu. Israel has repeatedly threatened to act militarily should Iran appear to be on the verge of obtaining a bomb, while the U.S. has pushed for more time to allow diplomacy and economic sanctions to run their course.

Obama's forecast gives more time than that of Netanyahu, who has signaled that the coming months present a point of no return in dealing with Iran.

The American president nonetheless took a stern tone toward Iran in the half-hour long interview.

"What I have also said is that there is a window, not an infinite period of time, but a window of time where we can resolve this diplomatically and it is in all of our interests" to do this, he said. "They (Iran) are not yet at the point, I think, where they have made a fundamental decision to get right with the international community ... I do think they are recognizing that there is a severe cost to continue on the path they are on and that there is another door open."

Israel considers a nuclear-armed Iran to be an existential threat, citing Iranian denials of the Holocaust, its calls for Israel's destruction, its development of missiles capable of striking the Jewish state and its support for hostile Arab militant groups. Tehran says its nuclear program is peaceful and designed to produce energy and medical isotopes, a claim that Israel and many Western countries reject.

Obama said that a nuclear Iran would also be "dangerous for the world. It would be dangerous for U.S. national security interests."

In the interview, Obama also spoke about his relationship with Netanyahu — claiming it is not as tense as reported — and encouraged Israelis and Palestinians to resume peace talks. He also said he had no immediate plans to release convicted spy Jonathan Pollard, whom Israel has been pressuring to set free after 28 years in prison for spying for them.

Obama arrives in Israel Wednesday for a three-day visit that is seem primarily as a means to convey the closeness of the U.S.-Israel alliance.

The judge could rule on the Stop & Shop lawsuit in a couple of weeks.

Tasty Top on Route 10 in Easthampton is the site of a proposed Stop & Shop Republican file photo  

NORTHAMPTON – Hampshire Superior Court Judge C. Jeffrey Kinder has taken the case of Cernak Buick and the proposed Easthampton Stop & Shop under advisement after the three-day trial concluded Thursday morning.

Cernak Buick filed its lawsuit against the Planning Board, its members, and Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. among others. Among the claims in the suit is the project will cause access problems for Cernak Buick, which is across Route 10 from the development site.

Easthampton City Attorney John H. Fitz-Gibbon said a ruling could come in about two weeks.

Current and former Planning Board members testified Thursday.

Fitz-Gibbon said he is unsure what might happen next. The trial was only one facet of the suit examining whether Stop & Shop contacted Planning Board members during the application process, “thereby impermissibly corrupting the hearing process,” according to the suit.

The judge could rule on that or allow the whole suit go to trial.

Cernak Buick, which is across Route 10 from the proposed site, filed suit in February 2010 against the Planning Board’s approval of Stop & Shop’s application to build a 45,000-square-foot grocery store and a 4,900-square-foot adjacent store at the location of the Tasty Top restaurant.

On Sept. 21, 2009, the board rejected that permit, saying that the parking had to be at the rear of the building for that type of project. Stop & Shop submitted a new plan on Nov. 9, 2009, that dropped the two stores at the front.

The suit states that the Planning Board did not properly hear the second application and public hearings for it were not properly held. The suit also charged that the project does not comply with the city’s zoning ordinance and that the traffic signal on Route 10 modifies the entrance to Cernak Buick.

Gomez did not vote in the 2008 presidential primary in which he donated to Obama.

Republican Senate candidate Gabriel Gomez speaks about his plan to "reboot Congress" at a VFW hall in Somerville on March 14, 2013. Shira Schoenberg for MassLive.com  

Republican Senate candidate Gabriel Gomez said Thursday that he “fully supported” the candidacies of the Republican presidential nominees in 2008 and 2012 – even though Gomez donated to Democratic President Barack Obama in 2008, told Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick that he supported Obama that year, and did not actually vote in the presidential primary in either year.

“The first thing I’ll say about President Obama is that I did not vote for President Obama in 2008. I didn’t vote for President Obama in 2012,” Gomez said at a campaign event at a Somerville VFW post. “I voted for the Navy guy in 2008. I voted for (Republican presidential nominee) John McCain.”

Gomez is facing State Rep. Daniel Winslow and former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate.

Gomez wrote to Patrick, in a letter seeking the interim appointment for U.S. Senator after John Kerry's nomination as Secretary of State, “I supported President Obama in 2008.”

According to Federal Election Commission filings, Gomez gave $230 to Obama in March 2007, during Obama’s primary campaign. Gomez did not donate to McCain.

However, Gomez said despite his donation and his representation to Patrick, “I was very clear back then who I supported. I supported the Navy guy. I supported John McCain.” (Gomez is a former Navy SEAL. McCain was a Navy aviator and prisoner of war in Vietnam.)

“What I simply meant by that letter was that I donated to Obama in 2008 in the primary and that was it,” Gomez continued. “Like I said, I voted for McCain and I voted for (2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt) Romney and I fully supported both their candidacies throughout the primary and the general election.”

Gomez donated $2,500 to Romney’s presidential campaign in 2011. He was also a spokesman for a controversial film released during Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign that criticized Obama for revealing sensitive intelligence information relating to the killing of Osama bin Laden.

Gomez said at the Somerville event that he is not sure whether he voted in the 2008 presidential primary. His voting history, provided by the Cohasset town clerk’s office, shows Gomez did not vote in the 2008 presidential primary or the 2012 presidential primary. The last presidential primary Gomez voted in was in the 2004 Republican primary.

Gomez spokesman Lenny Alcivar said Gomez is similar to the large number of Americans who only vote in general elections. “He reflects a lot of Massachusetts, a lot of America,” Alcivar said.

The voting history shows that Gomez, who moved to Cohasset in 2001 and ran for Cohasset selectman in 2003, has voted regularly in annual local elections. He voted in statewide general elections in 2002, 2004, 2008, the 2010 special election and 2012. He did not vote in state general elections in 2006 and 2010. The only state primary elections that he voted in were in the 2009 special election and in 2010. Both times, he cast ballots in the Republican races.

Gomez was also asked about comments he made in the letter to Patrick saying he supports the positions Obama has taken on immigration reform and gun control. At a debate on Tuesday, Gomez said he supports universal background checks for gun purchases but opposes an assault weapons ban. Obama has pushed for an assault weapons ban.

On immigration, Gomez said “I don’t believe in amnesty at all” for illegal immigrants, though he also said there should be “some kind of pathway to citizenship” tied to securing the border. Obama has supported amnesty for some illegal immigrants.

“What I meant in the letter was I said I supported the fact that he’s actually raised this to a national discussion now,” Gomez said Thursday.

Gomez made the comments at an event dedicated to outlining his plan to reform Congress. Gomez has focused his campaign on opposing “career politicians.” He is proposing reforms that include banning members of Congress from becoming lobbyists; instituting term limits of two terms for Senators and three terms for Representatives; and requiring all members of Congress to put their investments into blind trusts.

Gomez wants to give the president a line-item veto and pass a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution. He would advocate for freezing the pay for members of Congress at the rate it is at when a member enters Congress. He would deny members of Congress their annual pay altogether any year in which Congress misses a budget deadline.

The Pentagon will spend $1 billion to add 14 interceptors to an Alaska-based missile defense system.

By ROBERT BURNS
AP National Security Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon announced Friday it will spend $1 billion to add 14 interceptors to an Alaska-based missile defense system, responding to what it called faster-than-anticipated North Korean progress on nuclear weapons and missiles.

In announcing the decision, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said he is determined to protect the U.S. homeland and stay ahead of a worrisome North Korean missile threat. He acknowledged that the interceptors already in place to defend against potential North Korean missile strikes have had poor test performances.

"We will strengthen our homeland defense, maintain our commitments to our allies and partners, and make clear to the world that the United States stands firm against aggression," Hagel told a Pentagon news conference.

He said the 14 additional interceptors will be installed at Fort Greely, Alaska, where 26 already stand in underground silos, connected to communications systems and operated by soldiers at Greely and at Colorado Springs, Colo. The interceptors are designed to lift out of their silos, soar beyond the atmosphere and deploy a "kill vehicle" that can lock onto a targeted warhead and, by ramming into it at high speed, obliterate it.

Hagel also cited a previously announced Pentagon plan to place an additional radar in Japan to provide early warning of a North Korean missile launch and to assist in tracking its flight path.

A portion of the $1 billion cost of the expanded system at Fort Greely will come from scrapping the final phase of a missile defense system the U.S. is building in Europe, Hagel said. The system in Europe is aimed mainly at defending against a missile threat from Iran; key elements of that system are already in place.

Tom Collina, research director at the Arms Control Association, applauded the decision to scrap the final phase of the European system, calling it an addition that "may not work against a threat that does not yet exist."

Anticipating possible European unease, Hagel said U.S. commitment to defending Europe "remains ironclad."

The decision to drop the planned expansion in Europe happens to coincide with President Barack Obama's announced intention to engage Russia in talks about further reducing each country's nuclear weapons arsenal. The Russians have balked at that, saying Washington must first address their objections to U.S. missile defenses in Europe, which the Russians see as undermining the deterrent value of their nuclear arms.

Collina said the Russians may be more willing to talk about nuclear arms reductions now that the Obama administration had decided not to go forward with the final phase of its European missile defense system.

Hagel cited three recent developments in North Korea that prompted the Obama administration to act, including a nuclear test in February deemed reckless by Washington and condemned by the United National Security Council.

Hagel also cited Pyongyang's launch in December of a rocket that put a satellite into space and demonstrated mastery of some of the technologies needed to produce a long-range nuclear missile. And he noted that last April the North Koreans put on public display a road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile, the KN-08. Navy Adm. James Winnefeld Jr., vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that missile is believed to be capable of reaching U.S. territory. Winnefeld appeared with Hagel at Friday's news conference.

Although not mentioned by Hagel, the North Koreas raised tensions further by threatening last Thursday to pre-emptively attack the U.S. Among its recent declarations, North Korea has said it will no longer recognize the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War, though it has made such remarks before.

Republicans in Congress have criticized the administration for deciding several years ago that the North Korean missile threat did not justify expanding the interceptor fleet at Greely. Rep. Howard "Buck' McKeon, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said Friday the administration was guilty of "looking at threats through politically tinted glasses. Now that the administration has decided to see clearly, America can get back on the right course."

Winnefeld said the administration is seeking to make clear to new North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, grandson of the country's founder, Kim Il Sung, that he would lose catastrophically by attacking the U.S. or U.S. allies.

"And we believe that this young lad ought to be deterred by that. And if he's not, we'll be ready," Winnefeld said.

By personally announcing the expanded U.S. missile defense plan, Hagel appeared eager to instill confidence among Americans that they would be protected in the unlikely event that North Korea launched a strike.

"The American people should be assured that our interceptors are effective," he said.

The missile defense system was first fielded by the administration of President George W. Bush in late 2004. It has a spotty test record and has never been used in actual combat. In addition to the 26 interceptors at Greely, the system includes four interceptors at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

Hagel said the 14 additional interceptors should be in place at Greely by September 2017 but not before they have been adequately tested.

James Miller, the undersecretary of defense for policy, said the project would cost about $1 billion.

Miller and Hagel said the U.S. will conduct environmental studies on three additional potential locations for interceptors in the United States, including on the East Coast, as required by Congress. Hagel said there has been no decision to build additional missile defense sites.

Rep. Michael Turner, R-Ohio, a vocal critic of the administration's missile defense and nuclear weapons policies, called the building of an East Coast missile defense site "the next logical and prudent step to ensure we can counter the rising threat to the homeland."

___

Follow Robert burns on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/robertburnsAP

Trading was tentative because investors feared that rising inflation could cause the Federal Reserve to retreat from policies aimed at boosting markets.

By DANIEL WAGNER | AP Business Writer

U.S. stock markets fell Friday, ending the longest winning streak for the Dow Jones industrial average in nearly 17 years.

The Dow dropped 25.03 points, or 0.2 percent, to 14,514.11 The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 2.5 points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,560.70, just shy of an all-time high from October 2007. The Nasdaq composite index dropped nine points, or 0.3 percent, to 3,249.

The Dow had notched a 10-day winning streak through Thursday, its longest since November 1996. The string of wins pushed the blue-chip index up 484 points, or 3.4 percent, to a Thursday close of 14,539.14. The index's closing price on Feb. 28, just before the rally began, was 14,054.49.

Trading Friday was tentative because investors feared that rising inflation could cause the Federal Reserve to retreat from policies aimed at boosting markets. The government said that consumer prices increased in February at the fastest pace in more than three years.

The increase was driven by a spike in gas prices; the core index, which excludes the volatile energy and food categories, increased more modestly. But both figures rose 2 percent compared with a year earlier, enough to get investors' attention, said Peter Tchir, who runs the hedge fund TF Market Advisors.

"It's real and it's a drag, and I think people are growing concerned that it can get out of control quickly," Tchir said. He said signs of economic improvement and inflation "make them wonder if there will be continued market pressure on the Fed" to end its bond-buying programs.

The market's recent rally to multiyear highs was fueled in part by the Fed's efforts to keep interest rates low and encourage investment.

The Dow's win streak matched a 10-day run that ended on Nov. 15, 1996. To find a longer uninterrupted series of gains, you would have to go back to Jan. 3, 1992, when the Dow rose for 11 consecutive days.

The index's longest winning streak was 14 days, ending June 14, 1897.

Stocks opened lower and extended their losses at 10 a.m. after a closely-watched index of consumer sentiment fell to its lowest level since the end of 2011. The University of Michigan's preliminary consumer sentiment index dropped 5.8 points to 71.8, according JPMorgan analyst Daniel Silver said in a note to clients.

Stocks reversed the losses briefly at midday, then drifted back down in the afternoon.

Traders are processing big banks' scores on "stress tests" administered by the Fed. The Fed said late Thursday that JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs both need better plans to cope with a severe recession. It gave them until September to revise their plans.

Still, the Fed allowed both banks to increase their dividends and buy back their stock, signaling that regulators believe the banks are fundamentally sound.

The stock of JPMorgan fell 98 cents, or 1.9 percent, to $50.02. Goldman's stock rose 82 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $154.84.

The S&P 500 closed just five points from its all-time closing high of 1,565, reached in October 2007.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.99 percent from 2.06 percent early Thursday, as demand increased for ultra-safe investments.

Among the other companies making big moves:

— Cruise ship operator Carnival Corp. fell 78 cents, or 2.2 percent, to $34.95. The company said passengers have been booking vacations at a slower pace after a series of high-profile mishaps.

— Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. plunged after saying its fiscal fourth-quarter net income dropped sharply and fell short of expectations. The stock fell 41 cents, or 2.7 percent, to $14.54.

— Teen apparel chain Aeropostale Inc. fell 76 cents, or 5.2 percent, to $13.75, after posting a loss in its fiscal fourth quarter and saying it expects another one in the current quarter.

One available avenue for increasing revenues is a Proposition 2½ override.

Members of the School Committee are sworn in last year. Don Treeger / The Republican file  

NORTHAMPTON – The School Committee discussed a number of measures aimed at bridging a $1.2 million gap in its fiscal 2014 budget Thursday, including cutting nearly two dozen positions.

The School Department is trying to balance at projected $28 million budget, but anticipated revenues fall about $1,275,000 short of that target, according to School Committee member Howard Moore. Particularly disconcerting, Moore said, is that the School Committee has been making deep cuts in areas other than teaching for several years, leaving little or no fat left in the budget.

For example, Moore said, the committee is considering transportation cuts that would limit busing to grades kindergarten through 6, which is mandated by the state.

Eliminating busing to Northampton High School, however, would save a mere $50,000. It might not be feasible to cut busing for seventh- and eighth-grade students because they take the same buses to the John F. Kennedy Middle School that sixth-graders use.

Even if the committee were to eliminate all busing, Moore noted, it would save only $1 million, less than the projected shortfall.

“The real change needs to happen at the state and federal levels,” Moore said. “There’s nothing we can really do to solve the problem.”

The last option available to the School Committee is to eliminate jobs. The following cuts are on the table: a fourth-grade teacher at Jackson Street School, a librarian, fourth-grade teacher and special education teacher at Leeds School, front office and special education posts at Bridge Street School, a language teacher, music teacher and math support teacher at the middle school and an art teacher at the high school. There was also a proposal to reduce the hours of a number of other positions.

After all these cuts, a small gap would still remain in the budget.

“It’s all pretty grim,” Moore said. “Expenses are going up faster than revenues are allowed to rise.”

One available avenue for increasing revenues is a Proposition 2½ override. School Superintendent Brian Salzer broached the subject with the City Council last year but got a frosty reception. Northampton voters endorsed a $1 million override targeted for the schools in 2009 and councilors felt there was little appetite for another override so soon afterwards.

Also on Thursday, the School Committee accepted the superintendent’s resignation after only two years on the job. Salzer, 45, is leaving to take a post at an international school in Germany. His last day will be July 31. Moore said the committee will meet to discuss how to go about looking for a new superintendent, a process he expects to take at least six months.

Both vehicles sustained extensive front end damage and had to be towed from the scene.

SPRINGFIELD — One man was injured Friday afternoon in a two-car accident at Main and Congress streets in front of The Republican building at 1860 Main St.

The collision between a Cadillac sedan and a Honda Accord sent the Honda careening off the road. The car uprooted a fire hydrant and struck a large electrical vault, knocking it off its foundation.

It came to rest inches from a tree and a car parked in the lot for Northgate Plaza.

Airbags for each car deployed. Both vehicles sustained extensive front end damage.

Springfield firefighters were called to the scene to help extricate the man from the Honda.

The driver, whose name was not immediately released by police, was taken to Mercy Medical Center for treatment.

Dennis Leger, aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant, said the man's injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.

The driver of the other car was George Arwady, publisher of The Republican. He was not injured.

Springfield police officer Raymond J. Wyszysnki said the accident remains under investigation. He had yet to interview the driver of the Honda for his version of the story.

The initial investigation shows the Cadillac was making a left turn from Main to Congress when it was struck on the passenger side front end by the Honda, which was heading north on Main.

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By the fourth ballot on Wednesday -- the fifth since the conclave had begun -- Bergoglio passed the threshold of 77 votes on his way to upwards of 90 votes out of 115. It was just before 7 p.m., a little more than 24 hours since they started, and the Catholic Church had a new pope.

By DAVID GIBSON

c. 2013 Religion News Service

VATICAN CITY -- Last Sunday night, the Rev. Thomas Rosica was walking through the Piazza Navona in Rome's historic center when he bumped into Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, who he has known for years. Bergoglio was walking alone, wearing a simple black cassock and he stopped and grabbed Rosica's hands.
 
"I want you to pray for me," the Argentine cardinal told Rosica, a Canadian priest who was assisting as a Vatican spokesman during the papal interregnum. Rosica asked him if he was nervous. "A little bit," Bergoglio confessed.

In this photo made available by the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Pope Francis is greeted by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone as he meets the Cardinals for the first time after his election, at the Vatican, Friday, March 15, 2013. AP Photo/L'Osservatore Romano, ho  

He had reason to be worried. Two days later, on Tuesday evening, he and 114 other cardinals entered the conclave to elect a successor to Benedict XVI; a little more than 24 hours and five ballots after that, Bergoglio emerged on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica as Pope Francis.

It was a surprising outcome, and even if Bergoglio suspected something was up, few others did, including many of the cardinals in the Sistine Chapel with him.

"I think it all came together in an extraordinary fashion," Chicago Cardinal Francis George told the Chicago Tribune.

Unexpected momentum

George said Bergoglio's name had not surfaced as an option in the week of closed-door discussions among the cardinals before the conclave, and Bergoglio had also dropped off the radar of most journalists. He was 76, and many cardinals said they would not vote for someone older than 70. Bergoglio was also reportedly the runner-up to Benedict in the conclave of 2005 and unlikely to return as a candidate.

"I wouldn't have expected it to happen either this fast or even the way it developed in terms of the choices available to us," George said. "I believe the Holy Spirit makes clear which way we should go. And we went that way very quickly."

The Holy Spirit, yes, but other forces also contributed to the unexpected result. And despite the cone of silence that is supposed to remain over all proceedings inside the conclave, leaks in the Italian press and interviews with various cardinal-electors have begun to give a clearer picture of how this 28-hour conclave unfolded.

What happened, in short, is that during the first "shake out" ballot on Tuesday evening, Bergoglio's name drew a surprising number of votes, suddenly putting him out there as a potential candidate.

"Cardinal Bergoglio wouldn't have become pope in the fifth ballot if he had not been a really strong contender for the papacy from the beginning," Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn told reporters.

Until then, the field had been considered fairly open, with two main camps each looking for a champion: There were those who wanted a pope who would reform the Roman Curia, the papal bureaucracy -- and preferably someone from outside Europe to represent the church's demographic shift to the Southern Hemisphere. Then there were the electors who wanted to defend the Curia, and they were joined by some who also hoped to keep the papacy in Europe, or even return it to an Italian.

The "reform" camp had no clear champion but a dozen or more possibilities. They reportedly wanted someone from outside Europe, in particular a Latin American, but weren't sure who.

The Roman camp, on the other hand, had apparently begun to lean toward Brazilian Cardinal Odilo Pedro Scherer, who was born of German immigrant parents and had long experience in the Curia. That made him a plausible Southern Hemisphere candidate, but one with strong European and curial ties.

In the days leading up to the conclave, however, Cardinal Angelo Scola of Milan had increasingly emerged as an apparent front-runner because he was seen as an Italian who could fix the Vatican, a combination that some said could attract votes from both camps.

An appealing combination

Throughout this wrangling, Bergoglio had maintained a low profile, which was in keeping with his reputation for humility and holiness, and several electors said they found that refreshing. Moreover, Bergoglio had a fierce pastoral dedication to the poor, and he was born in Argentina to Italian immigrant parents. While he is 76, he is in good health but not so young that he is likely have a marathon pontificate.

All those elements made for an appealing combination.

"He is not part of the Italian system, but also at the same time, because of his culture and background, he was Italo-compatible," French Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois told reporters. "If there was a chance that someone could intervene with justice in this situation" -- reforming the Curia -- "he was the man who could do it best."

In the first round of voting, not only did Bergoglio make an unexpectedly strong showing, but Scola did not fare well, and neither did Scherer or another leading contender, Canadian Marc Ouellet, who works in the Curia.

That night, sequestered at the Casa Santa Marta residence that houses the cardinals during a conclave, the reform camp began to coalesce around Bergoglio. The Argentine continued to gain strength during the two ballots on Wednesday morning. At lunch, he "seemed very weighed down by what was happening," according to Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley, who sat next to him.

According to La Repubblica, an Italian daily with good sources in the Vatican, Washington's Cardinal Donald Wuerl played a key role in rallying the Americans to Bergoglio, and they were followed by European bishops such as Vingt-Trois.

As Bergoglio gained steam, Scola's fortunes continued to decline, thanks also to "ancient envies and rivalries," as La Stampa's Giacomo Galeazzi put it, among the 28 Italian electors -- a bloc far larger than any other country's, but also more fractious and "inexorably hostile to Scola."

"In the last few hours there were signs that Scola's strong candidacy was a giant with clay feet," Galeazzi wrote.
   
No Italian restoration
   
By the fourth ballot on Wednesday -- the fifth since the conclave had begun -- Bergoglio passed the threshold of 77 votes on his way to upwards of 90 votes out of 115. It was just before 7 p.m., a little more than 24 hours since they started, and the Catholic Church had a new pope. "I was surprised that consensus among the cardinals was reached so soon," said Ireland's Cardinal Sean Brady.

Also surprised, apparently, was the Italian bishops' conference, which was so sure that Scola would win that it sent out a message of congratulations to Scola on his election as soon as the white smoke appeared over the Sistine Chapel.

Yet there was to be no Italian restoration.

"You don't ask why they changed their votes. Nor do you know who changed their votes. But it became fairly clear as we voted that perhaps it was going to go in some other unexpected way, but more quickly also," said George. "There are surprises. That's a sign of the Holy Spirit, I think."

Karen Turner's SUV had 4 flat tires and front-end damage when police spotted her driving.

 

HOLDEN - State Police in Holden on Friday morning arrested a woman for drunken driving after spotting her riding on four flat tires.

At about 11:43 a.m., Trooper Michael Cotton spotted Karen Turner, 44, of Holden, driving in a Toyota Rav4 that had front end damage and four flat tires. He pulled her over on Holden Street just north of the Worcester city line.

After determining she was intoxicated, Cotton charged her with driving while intoxicated and leaving the scene of a property damage accident. Police did not disclose where the accident occurred.

She is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Leominster District Court.

In addition to being a Shriner and an academic tutor at Suffield, Conn., Middle School, he was a retired U.S. Air Force member who for decades served as a special agent in an elite criminal investigations unit.

SPRINGFIELD - A 61-year-old middle school worker on Friday denied charges of child pornography, including allegations he filmed nude children.

Gardner A. Whitney Jr., of Westfield, pleaded not guilty in a barely audible voice to eight criminal counts in U.S. District Court in Springfield. He has been behind bars since his arrest on Jan. 23, unable to post the $25,000 cash bail set by a Hampden Superior Court judge.

Gardner Whitney 

Whitney was originally charged in state court with possession of child pornography, assault and battery on a child under 14, lasciviously posing or exhibiting a child in the nude and photographing an unsuspecting nude person, and firearms offenses.

In federal court, where the sentencing guidelines for child pornography offenses are far higher, he was indicted for child pornography and sexual exploitation of a child. Whitney faces nearly 30 years in prison in convicted on the federal charges. The assault and firearms charges will remain in Hampden Superior Court.

The alleged offenses occurred Jan. 17, according to police, and involved at least two girls. A prosecutor in state court also said investigators discovered hundreds of electronic images of girls from 7 to 16 during a search of his home.

The allegations stand in startling contrast to Whitney's professional and civic life. In addition to being a Melha Shriner and an academic tutor at Suffield, Conn., Middle School, he was a retired U.S. Air Force member who for decades served as a special agent in an elite criminal investigations unit.

A spokeswoman for the Air Force Office of Special Investigations confirmed that Whitney began his career with the Air Force as a radiology technician in the 1970s before joining the investigative unit in 1979.

He was both a part-time reservist and full-time agent at Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee from the 1990s until 2006, when he retired, according to Linda Card, spokeswoman for the Office of Special Investigations.

Among the tenets of the agency, according to a fact sheet on its website are to "vigorously solve crime; protect secrets; warn of threats; exploit intelligence opportunities; operate in cyber."

A spokesman for the local Shriners said Whitney was well-liked in the organization, to which he belonged for about a decade.

"He was an easy going fellow. He had a nice way about him," said Shriner Allen Zippin, of Longmeadow. "I would have never, never, never expected this."

None of the allegations have been linked to Whitney's work as a Shriner, and the organization suspended him in the wake of his arrest. Zippin said the local chapter is nonetheless suffering from a backlash.

In soliciting ads for the program for the upcoming Shriners Circus in May, Zippin said they are about $20,000 behind where they were at this time last year.

A lawyer for Whitney said he was fired from his job at the middle school, where he had worked since 2009, after his arrest.

He is scheduled to appear for a pretrial conference in federal court on May 1.

Police found Brent Leonesio with a container of orange juice up his sleeve and $30,000 in cash in his pockets.

 

PITTSFIELD - A man arrested for shoplifting $7 in merchandise from a Pittsfield convenience store Friday morning was found by police to have $30,000 in cash in his pockets.

The Berkshire Eagle is reporting the man, Brent T. Leonesio, 35, of West Street in Pittsfield was charged with a misdemeanor count of shoplifting, third offense. He denied the charges at his arraignment Friday in Central Berkshire District Court.

He was ordered held in lieu of $500 bail.

The Eagle reports that Leonesio was a repeat offender at the store, and management had even hung his photo on the wall to alert workers. The store reported him to police Friday after a clerk allegedly caught him shoving a jar of non-dairy creamer into his pants.

When police arrived, they found Leonesio also had a bottle of orange juice stuffed up the sleeve of his jacket and $30,000, and three containers with 500 pills of various types stuffed in his front pocket.

Police confiscated the pills and the cash, and are now looking to see if he has the required prescriptions.

According to the Eagle, police said Leonesio told them he carries that much money with him “so he doesn’t get robbed.”