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2011 Valley Food Championship Pizza Playoffs: Round 2 voting begins

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Round 2 voting in the 2011 Pizza Playoffs continues through noon Wednesday.

2011-valley-food-championship-b2.jpg

A little more than two weeks ago, we asked you where to find the Valley's best pizza and you nominated 117 pizzerias.

On Wednesday, you determined that 32 of them are a slice above the rest.

Now, it's time to step up to the oven and cut that field to 16 as the 2011 Valley Food Championship Pizza Playoffs works toward determining the Elite 8 in an NCAA basketball-style tournament.

Round 2 voting is open until Wednesday, June 1, at noon. Your votes will narrow the field of 32 contenders down to 16. In each region, you can vote in each of the four matchups. The four winners in each region will advance to Round 3.

In Round 3, you will select the all-important Elite 8. Then, judges from The Republican's newsroom – arts and entertainment editor Ray Kelly, sports reporter Pam McCray and photographer Don Treeger – will visit each surviving pizza shop and proclaim the 2011 Valley Food Championship Pizza.

Here are links to the Round 2 polls:

» North Region

» South Region

» East of the River Region

» West of the River Region

Remember, Round 2 voting is open until Wednesday, June 1, at noon. It's time to make the tough choices.



Obituaries today: Edward Mullarkey, former guidance counselor at Westfield Vocational Technical High School, served in Korean, Vietnam wars

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Obituaries from The Republican.

Edward Mullarkey.jpgEdward J. Mullarkey

WESTFIELD - Edward J. Mullarkey, 77, died at home on Tuesday. He was born on February 17, 1934 in Bronx NY to the late Edward A. and Selma M. (Christian-sen) Mullarkey. He has been a lifelong resident of Westfield and was a 1951 graduate of St. Mary's High School. He received his bachelor of arts degree in education and his master's in counseling and guidance from Westfield State College. He was a guidance counselor at Westfield Vocational Technical High School for 17 years and retired in 1992. He was a U.S. Air Force veteran of Korea and Vietnam. He retired from the Air Force after 20 years of service in 1973. He was a navigator and received the distinguished flying cross in Vietnam and also received seven air medals with six clusters. He was also a navigator bombardier at Westover Air Force Base in Chicopee most of the time while flying on B-52s.

Obituaries from The Republican:

Springfield police probe shooting on State Street that left 28-year-old victim with gunshot wound to foot

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Police continue to probe the shooting.

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SPRINGFIELD – Police are probing a shooting on State Street late Wednesday night that left a 28-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to his foot.

The victim, found sitting in front of 327 State St., told police he did not know who his attackers were, Sgt. John M. Delaney said. He was taken to Baystate Medical Center, treated and released.

Detectives determined that the victim has an active restraining order against him from a person who lives in the same neighborhood where he was shot in the foot.

The investigation, headed by detective James McCoy, is ongoing, Delaney, aide to Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet, said. The shooting occurred around midnight.

Gov. Deval Patrick: Scott Brown can be beaten in Senate race

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Patrick said in a radio interview Thursday that Brown is "eminently beatable."

Last days of the Massachusetts Senate raceU.S. Sen. Scott Brown, holds up a copy of the Boston Herald as he celebrates in Boston, Tuesday, Jan. 19. State Democrats have been looking for a candidate to face Brown in 2012 since he secured the Senate seat once held by Ted Kennedy. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

BOSTON (AP) — Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown is "eminently beatable" in next year's Senate race in Massachusetts, Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick said Thursday.

The incumbent is a "nice guy," but has not always represented the state's best interests in the Senate, Patrick said in a response to a question during his monthly appearance on WTKK-FM's "Ask the Governor" program.

Patrick added that he had no plans to endorse any of the Democrats who have so far announced for the race, and speculated that the Democratic field could grow before the 2012 primary. He has firmly ruled out running for the seat himself.

"I think Scott Brown is eminently beatable," the governor said. "I think there are going to be perfectly fair issues around the way in which his service in the Senate has not served the interests of the people of the Commonwealth."

Pressed by hosts of the show to identify a vote that went against the state's interests, Patrick noted that Brown was among Republicans who insisted that tax breaks for wealthier Americans be retained in a compromise that extended jobless benefits for the unemployed. President Barack Obama eventually went along with the compromise.

Brown has crossed party lines and voted with Democrats on several issues, most recently against a House GOP budget that included a provision to transform Medicare into a voucher system. Patrick said Brown has often wavered before settling on a position.

Newton Mayor Setti Warren, City Year co-founder Alan Khazei and Robert Massie, a onetime candidate for lieutenant governor, have publicly announced their candidacies for the seat held by Brown. Marisa DeFranco, a Salem attorney, has also filed papers to enter the race.

Patrick said that while the Democratic candidates to date are relatively unknown among voters, he too was a virtual unknown when he first launched his candidacy for governor.

PM News Links: Barney Frank admits he helped ex-lover land federal job, judge voids Wisconsin collective bargaining law and more

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The Supreme Court upheld an Arizona law penalizing companies that hire illegal immigrants, rejecting a challenge by business groups and civil liberties organizations.

BarneyFrank 2011.jpgU.S. Rep. Barney Frank, ranking Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, earlier this year. Click on the link, above right, for a report from The Boston Globe about the congressman admitting he helped his former partner, Herb Moses, land a job with Fannie Mae. Click here for another report from the Boston Herald.

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

After Massachusetts legislature tackles budget, casino discussion may resume

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Casino gambling legislation hit a dead end in summer 2010 when Gov. Deval Patrick vetoed a bill.

010512 deval patrick.jpgGov. Deval Patrick said in a radio interview Thursday that he and legislative leaders would discuss casino gambling in the Commonwealth after budget talks are finished.

Gov. Deval Patrick said in a radio interview Thursday that consensus on whether or not to expand casino gambling in the Commonwealth could be reached after his office and the Legislature completes work on the state budget.

"I think when the Senate finishes their budget, the three of us should be able to turn to this and figure something out," Patrick said, referring to ongoing discussions between himself, House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Senate President Therese Murray, adding that there was no clear consensus just yet.

"We're talking. We don't have a deal. We've been, frankly, concentrating on getting the budget done," he said. "The budget's pretty tough this year."

Patrick's remarks came during a regular appearance on WTKK-FM in Boston.

Patrick and DeLeo have been at odds over the inclusion of licenses for so-called "racinos" — race tracks licensed to install slot machines — within the final version of gambling legislation that made its way to Patrick's desk last summer. The Governor vetoed the bill, saying the racino provision, which would benefit race tracks in DeLeo's district, amounted to a "no-bid contract."

Patrick said there was one thing the three agreed on, though.

"The one agreement we had is that we should re-start the hearings and get the input from the general public and that is what has begun," Patrick said.

The first such hearing was held earlier this month in Boston, where experts, advocates and opponents of casino gambling testified before the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies.

Under the proposed legislation, the state would allow three resort-style casinos, one of which would be based in Western Massachusetts.

Joseph A. Lashinger, managing member of Paper City Development Co., testified in early May about the group’s proposal for a casino in Holyoke. The plan would involve sharing revenue with the city and surrounding communities, though critics have said the proposed 1.25 percent shared with the city of Holyoke would not be enough to offset social and economic damage caused by the presence of a large casino.

Another proposal has been developed by the Connecticut-based Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority for a casino in Palmer, though the size and scope of the project has shrunk significantly from the original $1 billion proposal to a smaller $600 million one.

Home Street home invaders come away empty-handed, say Springfield police

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The would-be robbers took the homeowner at his word when he said he did not have the combination to his personal safe.

SPRINGFIELD - Two suspects in an attempted home-invasion robbery Wednesday night left a Home Street residence empty-handed after the owner told them he could not open his household safe because he did not have the combination, police said.

The two unnamed suspects surprised the resident at about 11:30 p.m. and demanded at gunpoint he give them cash from his safe, said Springfield police Sgt. John Delaney, aide to Commissioner William J. Fitchet.

The resident brought them to his upstairs safe, but he insisted he could not open it because he did not have the combination, Delaney said.

When the resident refused to budge, the two suspects eventually gave up and left, he said.

The resident was not harmed.

One of the suspects was familiar to the resident by the name of "Bobby," He was described as 6 feet tall, black, about 190 pounds and wearing a long-sleeve black shirt with a yellow emblem, Delaney said.

The second suspect was described as 6 feet tall, black and about 230 pounds. he was wearing a black tank-top shirt, Delaney said..

The Springfield Police Detective Bureau is investigating.

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

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Western Massachusetts lawyers dispense free legal advice

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The Dial-A-Lawyer program was held at Western New England College.

dial.JPGLawyers participate in Dial-A-Lawyer program.

SPRINGFIELD – Elizabeth D. Katz, a lawyer with Ostrander Law Office of Northampton, said she volunteers with the Massachusetts Bar Association’s semiannual Dial-A-Lawyer call-in program because she finds it personally rewarding.

Lawyers through the program answered a steady barrage of calls Wednesday during the four-hour program held at the Blake Law Center at Western New England College.

The program is co-sponsored by Western New England College School of Law, The Republican, El Pueblo Latino, the Massachusetts Association of Hispanic Attorneys and the Hispanic National Bar Association.

The program gives residents of Western Massachusetts the opportunity to call in for free legal advice. Residents from Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire Counties can call in to talk to a volunteer lawyer.

Elizabeth O’Neil, director of public services for the Massachusetts Bar Association, said that recent calls have dealt with the economy, including bankruptcies and foreclosures, and family law.

“Many people who call in already know the right answer,” Katz said. “They are smart people. They are looking for confirmation.”

Bankruptcy law questions to which people may not know the correct answer are that if they file for bankruptcy they will not automatically lose their house, she said.

Other people ask whether they will ever be able to get credit again if they file for bankruptcy. Katz said a bankruptcy stays on a person’s credit history for 10 years, but credit usually is restored in two to three years.

Usually, a person can get credit earlier, but the interest rates aren’t so good, Katz said.

Lawyer referral services are available for Hampden, Hampshire, Berkshire and Franklin Counties. The service provides a free initial half hour consultation and a lawyer referral if needed, she said.

During Wednesday’s session, 29 volunteers fielded 317 calls, O’Neil said.


West Brookfield to vote on improvements to elementary school at special town meeting

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The Quaboag school superintendent said they are only proposing improvements to West Brookfield Elementary School at this time. He will push for improvements to the Warren Elementary School, and middle-high school next year.

brettk.JPGQuaboag Regional School District Superintendent Brett M. Kustigian

West Brookfield voters will get a second chance on voting for $700,000 in improvements at its elementary school at a special Town Meeting next month.

Quaboag Regional School District Superintendent Brett M. Kustigian said voters were urged to vote against debt exclusions for technology and infrastructure improvements at the annual Town Meeting on May 10, even though voters supported them at the annual town election a week earlier.

That was because Warren voters rejected the debt exclusion questions at their annual election, and also agreed to disapprove them at the annual Town Meeting. The two towns make up the Quaboag Regional School District.

Kustigian said he told Warren voters that it was not the right time to be asking for the upgrades, and asked them to consider looking at making technology and facility upgrades to its elementary and middle-high schools next year.

Kustigian said they decided to postpone the push for the debt exclusions in Warren because the “Warren voters spoke so loudly” against it. Votes were 287 to 184 against improvements at Warren Elementary, and 292-179 against upgrades at the middle-high school.

“It just didn’t seem like the right time for it,” Kustigian said.

Over the next year, Kustigian said he will work on another proposal “and try to get more people on board” with the projects in Warren.

In West Brookfield, the vote was 160-127 in support of improvements at its elementary school, and 152-132 for upgrades at the middle-high school.

Having the question come up again next month will enable school officials to present updated figures, he said. But this time, only the elementary school will be on warrant. The special Town Meeting is June 21 at 7 p.m. at West Brookfield Elementary School.

Kustigian said West Brookfield voters and parents have been very supportive of the projects in their towns. If the article passes at the special Town Meeting, it will enable the district to place a projector and electronic “smartboard” in every classroom, as well as fund extra computers for each classroom and replace flooring and clocks.

West Brookfield Elementary School houses kindergarten through grade 6, and has 340 pupils. The tax impact was unavailable from the West Brookfield accountant’s office on Wednesday.

Kustigian has said that after the Massachusetts School Building Authority gave the district an unexpected payout of $15 million last year, eliminating the final 10 years of payments on the middle-high school project, officials began looking into other potential projects to improve the schools in the 1,500 student district.

“We wouldn’t even be having this conversation if we didn’t pay off the high school,” Kustigian said.

In a debt exclusion, taxes are raised beyond the limits of Proposition 2 ½ only for the life of the project.

Ware armed robbery suspects, Trevon Jones and Duran Alexander, arraigned

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Trevon Q. Jones and Duran Alexander robbed a man with a knife on May 16, police said.

WARE - A 28-year-old suspect in an armed robbery case turned himself in on Thursday morning to Ware police.

Police said Trevon Q. Jones, of 13 North St., was wanted on a warrant issued by Eastern Hampshire District Court for a May 16 knifepoint robbery of a male victim. Jones was taken to the court for his arraignment on armed robbery and conspiracy charges. He will return to court June 21; bail was set at $1,000.

Police said Jones was with Duran L. Alexander, 29, of 95 Lois St., Springfield, when he held a knife to the back and throat of the victim during the robbery. Alexander was arrested Saturday in connection with the incident and was charged with armed robbery by knife (joint venture) and receiving stolen property, police said.

Alexander denied the charges at his arraignment Monday; he will return to court on June 21. His bail also was set at $1,000.

Chicopee City Council questions proposal to create new financial department

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Voters would make the final decision on creating a financial manager in the November election.

CHICOPEE – The City Council’s finance committee is awaiting the answers to a half-dozen questions about a proposal to revamp the city’s financial departments before it debates if it should ask voters to consider the idea.

“We want to hear what this is all about,” City Council President William A. Zaskey said. “It looks like now...let’s vote and then find out what’s in it.”

About three weeks ago Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette formally posed putting a question on the November ballot that would ask voters if they wanted to create a position of financial manager. The manager would oversee the offices of tax collector, treasurer, auditor and assessor.

State law allows voters to create the department by referendum question. Either the City Council can put the question on the ballot or voters can collect 4,000 signatures to list it.

Bissonnette said he feels so strongly that a manager would create a more cost-effective department that follows on modern financial practices, he will collect the 4,000 signatures if the City Council rejects down the idea.

A number of City Councilors said they do not like the proposal, but the body voted to send it to finance committee for more discussion.

Zaskey said he is hesitant to support any changes, especially while there are so many questions about the proposal.

“Overall our operations have worked,” he said. “I think the mayor should have a valid reason for wanting the change.”

Zaskey said he does not expect to call a meeting until he gets answers from the mayor, but Bissonnette said he expected to respond to the questions in person during a finance committee meeting.

The councilors want to know if the city treasurer and tax collector would continue to be elected under the new proposal. If they are not, councilors question how appointments would be made, Zaskey said.

He said he is also concerned there would be fewer checks and balances if the department heads are appointed.

Bissonnette has said publicly his plan would call for the treasurer and collector be joined into one position and likely be appointed because most professionals are hesitant to run for office.

One of the main reasons for having appointed instead of elected positions is professionals who hold those jobs generally deal with the day-to-day operations while elected officials such as the City Council and School Committee’s main job is to create the policies that the professionals implement, Bissonnette said.

Zaskey said his committee also wants to know if the city assessors would continue to be elected and what the role of the board of assessors would be in the future.

He also questioned if the auditor’s job would change. That position is appointed by the City Council now.

“How does the school department fit into this whole scenario?” he asked.

Farmers' market to be held at Kendrick Park in Amherst

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Organizers expect the midweek market to bring in a different crowd than the weekend market.

KENM.JPGEasthampton sculptor Mark Evald Johnson's work pictured here was on display at Kendrick Park as part of the Amherst biennial last fall. The town will be holding a farmer's market at the park beginning June 15.

AMHERST - While the town is looking into funding to develop Kendrick Park, a group of farmers will be selling their wares there Wednesday afternoons, a kind of trial run to see how such a venue works there.

The Cecil Group last month presented a final schematic for the park design and suggested the park be used for picnicking, walking, public gatherings among other uses. And while the 3-acre tract between North and East Pleasant is not suitable for a large market, the site is deemed appropriate for a small market.

So for the first time beginning June 15, the town will host a weekday market to complement its decades-old Saturday Market on the Town Common. This market will provide an opportunity to farmers who can’t get into that market because of the limited space.

A second Saturday market has been established in North Amherst on Saturdays.

The market is being organized by Ware farmer Danya Teitelbaum, who sold greens and other produce at the town’s winter market.

That success in part spirited the establishment of the new Wednesday market, she said. “It definitely paved the way for this. The winter market was a very big success.”

The need here is vast.

“The Amherst consumer market (for local produce) is larger than a couple of hours a week (of the Saturday market,)” she said. “A lot of farmers have been talking about it for a long time.”

The market will run from June 15 through November. Summer hours are 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., closing earlier into the fall.

“It’s very exciting and will be a great addition to the downtown,” said Select Board chairwoman Stephanie J. O’Keeffe. “Local farmers have wanted more venues to share their produce and other farm products, and Kendrick Park seems like an ideal option.”

Town Manager John P. Musante agrees. The additional market “provides access for more Amherst farmers, it’s a great use of Kendrick Park.”

The market will bring people downtown and they get the chance to see how the venue works, he said.

Teitelbaum expects the venue will accommodate about 15 booths. And the market will lure “very different customers (from the Saturday crowd.) We’re really hoping to capture the after school, after work commuting crowd.”

Teitelbaum is currently collecting applications from farmers who want to sell there and preference will be given to Amherst farmers. “They pay (Amherst) taxes. It’s their public park. We’re also acknowledging farming in Amherst is unaffordable for the average farmer.”

Farmers have until Monday to apply. Teitelbaum is also looking for musicians who want to play.

The town will apply for a Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities grant this summer to help pay for the work to transform the open landscape into a park with walkways, space for performances and a children’s play area among the proposal.

Belchertown skate park ordered closed until repairs are made

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Town Administrator Gary Brougham said he found benches broken, ramps and jumps in bad repair and trash at the park.

Belchertown skate park 2006.jpgCasey A. Brown, who was 13 when this picture was taken, catches some air at the refurbished Belchertown Skate Park behind the police station in 2006. Selectmen recently voted, once again, to close the park until repairs can be made.

BELCHERTOWN – The town’s skate park will remain closed until the Skate Park Committee makes repairs that satisfy the town building inspector and the trash that has been found at the park is cleaned up.

This decision was explained Monday by members of the Board of Selectmen to parents of those youths who use the park.

The response made by selectmen after learning the park was littered and unsafe is similar to positions the board has taken in recent years.

Town Administrator Gary L. Brougham reported to the board that during an inspection two weeks ago, he found benches broken, ramps and jumps in bad repair and trash at the park.

“I found items of great concern,” Brougham said.

The park was also inspected by Building Inspector Paul Adzima, who ordered that it be closed because of safety reasons.

Selectman Ronald E. Aponte said, “By viewing the pictures, I can certainly see where it would be a public safety issue.”

Representatives of the Skate Park Committee, which has traditionally been filled with parents of current users of the skate park, conceded that repairs are needed but said the committee has about $1,100 in its account, which is enough to cover the purchase of plywood to replace ramps.

When Selectman Kenneth E. Elstein asked what it would take to make long-lasting repairs instead of having to get the park ready for use each spring, Aponte said the town budget was set by Town Meeting a few weeks ago, so he would not expect any new funding to be available for the Skate Park Committee until the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2012.

Some members of the Skate Park Committee suggested that the town should be maintaining the skate park the way other parks in town are maintained.

Brougham said that when the skate park was established several years ago, the Recreation Commission and the Board of Selectmen were concerned about liability problems and did not want it to be treated like other town parks.

“The parents who proposed it agreed to build it and take care of it,” Brougham said.

Elstein suggested that the town take a more formal role in maintaining the skate park and paying for its upkeep. “It is a town facility,” he said.

Aponte said that members of the Skate Park Committee could meet with the Recreation Commission in the coming year and discuss future funding.

“As for the short-term problem, it sounds like you have a game plan,” Aponte told the Skate Park Committee. “It looks like we can save this particular season.”

Selectman George D. Archible said, “It doesn’t cost anything to pick up the trash,” and members of the Skate Park Committee said they have plans for a cleanup day, which the youths who use the park will participate in.

Investors shrug off news of sluggish economic recovery; Dow closes up 8 points

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Government bond yields, however, hit their lowest level in a year.

Tiffany earnings 52611.jpgA woman walks out from Tiffany's Fifth Avenue store with a purchase, Wednesday in New York. Tiffany & Co. reported Thursday, its first-quarter earnings rose 25 percent on worldwide sales growth. It also raised its forecast for the year.

NEW YORK – Signs of a sluggish economic recovery sent government bond yields to their lowest level in a year Thursday. But strong earnings and a plea to push Microsoft’s CEO aside helped push stocks higher.

Microsoft Corp. rose 2 percent after well-known hedge-fund manager David Einhorn called for the tech giant’s board to replace CEO Steve Ballmer. Einhorn was quoted as saying at a conference late Wednesday that Ballmer’s management was keeping the company’s stock down.

Stocks reversed early losses and bond yields remained near their lowest level in a year after two reports suggested that the U.S. jobs market is recovering more slowly than economists anticipated.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 8.10 points to close at 12,402.76. It was the second day of gains for the Dow after three days of losses driven by new concerns about Greece’s debt crisis.

Tiffany & Co. rose 8 percent, the most of any stock in the S&P 500 index, after the company said its income rose 25 percent on higher revenue across all regions. The results easily beat analysts’ expectations. The jewelry maker also raised its forecast for the year above current Wall Street estimates.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 5.22, or 0.4 percent, to 1,325.69. The Nasdaq composite rose 21.54, or 0.8 percent, to 2,782.92.

In a revised look at economic growth, the government reported that the U.S. economy grew 1.8 percent in the January-March quarter. Economists expected an upward revision to 2.2 percent. Gasoline prices that reached $4 a gallon and sharp cutbacks in government spending hindered growth.

More people applied for unemployment benefits last week, the first increase in three weeks. The number of people seeking benefits rose by 10,000 to 424,000. Analysts expected a drop.

Employers stepped up hiring this spring, but some economists worry that rising applications for unemployment benefits suggest that the hiring is uneven. The next look at the job market comes June 1, when payroll processor ADP provides its monthly employment report.

The weaker than expected economic news drew investors into government bonds, sending the yield on the 10-year Treasury note as low as 3.06 percent, its lowest level this year. It was trading at 3.15 percent shortly before the economic reports came out. Bond yields fall when their prices rise.

“People are nervous about what’s happening in Europe, nervous about whether or not the economic recovery has enough wind left in its sails,” said Brian Jacobsen, chief portfolio strategist at Wells Fargo Advantage Funds.

Concerns about the European debt crisis have caused the market to wobble in recent weeks as the likelihood seemed to increase that Greece would need to renegotiate its debts, even after receiving a package of emergency loans last year. Greece’s debt troubles sent global markets reeling last spring as investors shunned the debt of other European nations. Investors are fearful that scenario might repeat itself.

Stocks have been falling throughout May, erasing nearly all of the gains made in April on stronger corporate earnings reports. The S&P 500 has lost 3 percent this month after reaching a 2011 high of 1,363 on April 29. It’s still up 5.4 percent for the year.

Computer Sciences Corp. fell 13 percent, the most in the S&P 500, after the government contractor reported disappointing results and a weak earnings forecast late Wednesday. CSC also announced that its audit committee has started an investigation into accounting issues, some of which are being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

More than two shares rose for every one that fell on the New York Stock Exchange. Trading volume was 3.5 billion shares.

Chicopee High teacher accused of 'sexting' 15-year-old student

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The teacher was removed from class and questioned by officials following reports that he had sent a sexual text message to a student.

This is an updated version of a story posted at 2:45 this morning.


ChiefFerraro518.jpgJohn Ferraro

CHICOPEE – A Chicopee High School teacher has been suspended and is under police investigation after being accused of sending sexual text messages to a 15-year-old student.

Police Chief John R. Ferraro Jr. did not release the male teacher’s name or much information because the investigation is continuing.

The Chicopee High School teacher was removed from class Tuesday morning and questioned by police and school officials.

He was verbally suspended Tuesday and Thursday he was mailed an official letter confirming the action. The suspension is unpaid, Superintendent Richard W. Rege Jr. said.

“He is accused of sexting a 15-year-old student photos,” Rege said. The superintendent said the teacher also is suspected of sending sexual messages to the student. Officials believe the texting started in March.

Chicopee High School Principal Roland R. Joyal Jr. was first alerted to concerns about the teacher by a family member of the student. The woman complained she had found a number of text messages from the teacher on the youth’s phone, Rege said.

Richard Rege 2005.jpgRichard W. Rege Jr.

The texts were not sexual, but she felt there were a lot of them and was uncomfortable with the teacher texting the student, he said.

“Something did not smell right and we told the teacher to cease and desist,” Rege said. “We checked his phone and we did not find anything on it.”

A School Committee policy bans teachers from text messaging students and calls for them to use the school phones if they have to contact them or their families. At the time, the teacher was reminded of the policy, Rege said.

Tuesday the student’s family member met with Joyal again, just after she found text messages of a sexual nature on the student’s phone. Joyal immediately called for assistance from the police resource officer who is assigned to Chicopee High. Information technology staff were also called to confirm the texts were legitimate, Rege said.

Once police were contacted, they questioned the teacher in the school and later at the Police Department, he said.

“Our first concern was the safety of the students. We made sure the teacher was separated from them,” he said.

Rege said he had the choice of suspending the teacher without pay or putting him on administrative leave, which would have allowed him to continue to be paid until the investigation is complete. Because of the information he had, Rege said he felt the suspension was warranted.

No formal announcement was made to students, but Joyal met briefly with staff to tell them about the suspension. Other teachers were shocked, Rege said.

“It is also a shock to me,” he said. “There was never a hint of anything appropriate. We did a CORI on him this year and it came out clean.”

The School Department runs the names of all staff members through the state Criminal Offender Record Information law when they are hired to ensure they have never been found guilty of a crime. It also rechecks their records every few years, Rege said.

School Committee vice chairwoman Marjorie A. Wojcik declined comment, saying the board agreed to have the superintendent handle all inquiries.

Officials for the Chicopee Education Association did not return immediate calls for comment.

This is the second time a Chicopee teacher has been accused of sharing sexual photos with students.

In 2009, Comprehensive High School teacher Jason P. Beaudry was charged with two counts of annoying and accosting members of the opposite sex, two counts of disseminating obscene matter to minors, and one count of witness intimidation after he allowed students to see inappropriate photographs on his cell phone.

Beaudry was put on administrative leave and later resigned. His state teaching license was also revoked.


State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan urges people to think safety before they fire up the grill

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Last year, there were 68 fires and explosions involving outdoor grills, resulting in four injuries to civilians, one firefighter injury and $321,291 in total property damage.

easthampton fire.JPGThis home at 463 East St.,Easthamtpon, was heavily damaged in a fire July 6 that officials said was caused by a gas grill igniting an exterior wall.

STOW - With the Memorial Day signaling the unofficial start to outdoor grilling season, state Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan urged people to keep fire safety in mind while they are cooking their hot dogs and burgers.

“Start the summer off right,” Coan said. “This is the perfect time of year to inspect your gas grill for leaks and cracks, and to teach children to state 3 feet away from any grill.”

Two thirds of all grill fires occur between May and September, the prime months for outdoor cooking, he said.

Last year, there were 68 fires and explosions involving outdoor grills, resulting in four injuries to civilians, one firefighter injury and $321,291 in total property damage.

The bulk of that damage was to one home in Easthampton during a July 6 fire caused by heat from the patio grill igniting an adjacent exterior wall. The total damage tallied $282,000 in damage.

Also, a gas grill set an exterior wall to a Chicopee house on fire in March of last year, and that fire spread to a nearby car, causing a total of $12,000 in damage.

Coan said people with propane grills should check to make sure all connections are secure before starting it for the first time. Also any lines that appear to be cracked should be replaced immediately.

He also recommends that all grills — propane and charcoal — should be used outside.

Grills should also be placed at least 10 feet from the side of a home, and away from deck railings, out from under eaves and away from low-hanging tree branches, he said.

Pets and children should be kept away, the grill should be keep clean to keep grease and fat from building up, and no grill should be left unattended, he said.

People who use charcoal grills also need to be careful.

Only a suitable grill lighter fluid should be used, and not any other flammable liquid like gasoline, and it should not be applied after the fire is started. He said it is possible for flames to travel up the fluid stream if you spray into the fire.

Also used coals should be left alone until they cool and then disposed of inside a metal container with a lid, he said.

Road repair on Amherst Road in Granby coming up

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This winter has been exceptionally hard on potholes.

GRANBY – David Desrosiers, highway superintendent in Granby, said drivers will contend with road construction on Amherst Street starting June 15.

“Expect delays and seek alternate routes if possible,” said Desrosiers, adding that Amherst is “one of our more heavily trafficked roads.”

He said Amherst Street was deteriorating due to “age, and the number of potholes. This winter has been exceptionally hard on potholes. We’re out there all the time patching them,” he said.

The street is a “busy truck route,” said Desrosiers, which tends to add further stress.

The project will cost about $250,000 and will extend from West Street to Bachelor Street. It’s part of a larger project, with the portion between West Street to Route 202 being put off for a future date.

The bulk of the funding comes from Chapter 90, as funding from the state is referred to, with the rest provided by Granby’s annual road construction budget.

Later in the summer, Desrosiers’ department will be repairing North Street and a few others he wasn’t ready to specify.

For more information on the Amherst Street project, call (413) 467-7575.


Holyoke police Officer James Bartolomei sees truck explode, fly apart, catch fire

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No injuries were reported, but the fire destroyed the truck, police said.

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HOLYOKE – Police Officer James Bartolomei told his supervisor he heard an explosion and saw truck parts fly into the air on Route 202 Thursday.

Then the driver bolted from the cab and fire began destroying the tractor-trailer, Lt. Michael J. Higgins said.

Bartolemei happened to be in a cruiser behind the truck near the McLean Reservoir just before 10 a.m., he said.

No injuries were reported and the cause of the explosion was under investigation, he said.

The truck was owned by Borys Ostropolets, of Westfield, and was being driven by Carlos Ramos, of Springfield, Higgins said.

Holyoke police want drivers to be aware of traffic change on Hampden Street off Mueller Bridge

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Drivers will have to get used to stopping at the traffic light on Hampden Street off the Mueller Bridge.

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HOLYOKE – Police are alerting drivers to a change on Hampden Street off the Mueller Bridge in which a complete stop will be required at the traffic light before taking a right leading up to Lincoln Street.

Drivers got used to the nearly constant green arrow on the light that permitted the turn, Lt. Michael J. Higgins said Thursday.

The change was made to accommodate residents of that part of Hampden Street. The goal is to give them a break in the steady traffic, especially in the morning and late afternoon, so they can drive in and out of their driveways, he said.

Residents laud renovations at Johnny Appleseed Park in Springfield

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The park improvements were completed with state and federal grant funds totaling $408,230.

Johnny Appleseed Park 52611.jpgSpringfield officials and residents celebrate the completion of renovations to Johnny Appleseed Park Wednesday. City Councilor Melvin A. Edwards is second from left. Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, center, with tie waves. Paul J. Sears stands between the mayor and Patrick J. Sullivan, director of Springfield Parks, Buildings and Recreation Management, at right.

SPRINGFIELD – Rats, drugs and drunks.

That was how residents described Johnny Appleseed Park in Six Corners prior to a recently completed, $408,230 renovation project.

City officials and residents gathered at the park Wednesday for a reopening ceremony that culminated a three-year effort to transform the park at Mill and Hancock streets, along the Mill River.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said a letter from neighborhood residents, pleading for improvements, got the ball rolling about three years ago. The city allocated $150,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant funds and obtained a $258,230 grant from the state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to afford the project, he said.

The project includes new play equipment and new basketball court, benches, picnic tables, walking path, landscaping, and a black chain-link fence that borders the river.

“It’s wicked,” said Wendy L. Alicea of Leyfred Terrace, who was with two grandchildren, among residents enjoying the improved surroundings. “It’s 110 percent better. It’s perfect.”

The improvements, including the fence, are helping to keep the children safe while discouraging past problems that included drug dealing, drunks, littering and even rats, she said.

Francheska Reveron, who was among three people who sent the letter to the mayor, seeking the park improvements, said she is “very proud of the way it turned out.”

In the past, the there were discarded needles and drug paraphernalia, bottles, and people sleeping in the park, Reveron said.

“I feel wonderful,” said Santy Reveron, her sister and a co-writer of the letter. “I am so excited. Everything turned out so well. I am happy to see the people smile.”

The park was very troubled in the past, and looked “like a dump,” Santy Reveron said.

“Before, it was dead,” she said. “It had no life. Now, it’s a park. It’s beautiful.”

Sarno said the project is a boost for green space, recreation and the quality of life.

Melvin A. Edwards, the Ward 3 city councilor, joined in praising the project, saying it is “great to see when government does listen to people.

“It was done, and it was done well,” Edwards said.

Patrick J. Sullivan, director of parks, buildings and recreation management, said the city is aggressively pursuing grants for park improvement projects in urban areas.

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