Hampden Bank total assets increased $37 million, or 6 percent, from $616 million at June 30, 2012, to $653 million at June 30. The bank also reported it eliminated two senior vice president positions.

SPRINGFIELD - Hampden Bancorp, parent company of Hampden Bank, reported this week $3 million in net income for the quarter ending June 30, the same amount recorded in the same time period a year before.

Hampden Bank, which has been the subject of complaints from activist shareholders, also reported having cut two senior vice president positions.

Per share, earnings work out to 54 cents a share, up from 51 cents a share in the same time period a year before.

The $0.03 increase in diluted earnings per share (“EPS”) to $0.54 represents the largest fiscal year EPS performance by Hampden Bancorp, Inc. since the bank went public. Hampden Bank has repurchased shares of its own stock in the last year.

"We are proud to have delivered record earnings per share performance in the midst of a challenging interest rate environment. We recognized that in light of the industry-wide threat to net interest margins, we needed to pursue a multi-pronged strategy of eliminating targeted expenses, delivering core relationship-based balance sheet growth, and continuing our disciplined capital management process of returning capital to shareholders through stock buybacks and dividends," President and CEO Glenn S. Welch said in news release.

"We believe our continued vigilance in targeting non-interest expenses, coupled with our robust business pipeline will position us to achieve greater levels in operating efficiency as we move forward."

Hampden Bank total assets increased $37 million, or 6 percent, from $616 million at June 30, 2012 to $653 million at June 30.

Hampden Bank has 10 office locations, in Agawam, two in Longmeadow, in West Springfield and Wilbraham and five in Springfield: Allen Street, Boston Road, the Harrison Avenue headquarters, Tower Square and Indian Orchard.

An additional turning lane, north of the bridge structure, will be added for entrance to West Street.

EASTHAMPTON - Beams are in place for the new Northampton Road Bridge over the Manhan River.

The $3.74 million project is expected to last into the fall. It involves replacing the bridge and resurfacing 500 feet of street both north and south of the bridge. Work began in June.

An additional turning lane, north of the bridge structure, will be added for entrance to West Street. There is a rather long detour carrying traffic around the bridge, leading to some disruption in Easthampton's business district.

Northern Construction Services, with offices in both Weymouth and Palmer, is the general contractor. Northern currently has more than 80 employees.

The new bridge superstructure will be built with precast concrete deck bulb tee beams to reduce construction time, according to the state Department of Transportation.

CareerPoint worked with 12,000 job seekers and 675 businesses in the last fiscal year.

HOLYOKE - CareerPoint, the one stop Career Center, served approximately 12,000 job seekers during the last fiscal year.

A record number of Bay State residents looking for their next employment opportunity were served by CareerPoint and the state's One Stop Career Centers. The 33 centers located across the Commonwealth served more than 231,000 Massachusetts residents, a 16 percent increase over the previous year.

These figures, compiled in a report from the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, were released by the Massachusetts Workforce Professional Association.

CareerPoint worked with 675 businesses last year, assisting them with fulfilling their workforce needs, including job postings and referrals, prescreening candidates, job fairs, labor market information and incumbent worker trainings. The One Stop Career Centers worked with almost 12,000 businesses last year, and 70 percent of these businesses were return customers.

To find a Career Center near you, go online to www.mass.gov/lwd/employment-services/career-services/career-center-services/find-a-career-center-near-you-1.html

The Massachusetts Workforce Professionals Association is the nonprofit membership organization for local workforce development professionals. MWPA members are the service delivery arm of the Massachusetts workforce delivery system whose primary goal is to develop and connect a skilled workforce to meet the needs of the state’s businesses.

Red Sox reporter Evan Drellich assesses where Xander Bogaerts stands with the Red Sox after the promotion of Will Middlebrooks back to the big-league club.

8/10/13 Boston - Staff photo by Michael Beswick - Justin Timberlake and JZ sing to a packed Fenway Saturday evening during the Legends of Summer Concert. 

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

1) Springfield man dies of gunshot wound in State Police shooting [By Dave Canton]

2) Police and ambulance crew in the line of fire in State Street shooting incident [By Dave Canton]

3) Springfield police investigate shooting incidents [By Dave Canton]

4) Concert review: Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake bring Big Apple to Fenway Park in Boston [By Donnie Moorhouse]

5) Where Xander Bogaerts stands with Red Sox after Will Middlebrooks' promotion [By Evan Drellich]

Photos: A slideshow of photos from one of the top stories in entertainment over the weekend, the Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake concert at Fenway Park in Boston.

There will be up to five nonprofit dispensaries allowed in each county in Massachusetts.

AMHERST - Planning officials are in the process of crafting a marijuana dispensary zoning bylaw to control where such establishments can be located.

The state is accepting applications for dispensaries in the first phase of bidding. The first dispensary is expected to open sometime next year.

Up to 35 nonprofit dispensaries will be allowed across the state, with at least one, but no more than five, in each county.

The Chicopee City Council voted in June to restrict medical marijuana dispensaries to a small section of the city’s industrial park. Palmer officials approved a temporary moratorium on marijuana facilities to give officials more time to study the issued. Other communities including Springfield, Agawam and West Springfield are considering moratoriums as well.

In an email, Amherst's planning director, Jonathan Tucker, said his office has received “general inquires….but no proposals.”

The staff will be “keeping the Planning Board aware of progress on this issue," he said. "Knowing that this was coming, and wanting the community to be able to control any proposed dispensary through the permit process, the board put the amendment on the list of zoning articles to consider for this coming fall special town meeting.”

The bylaw is on the zoning subcommittee’s working list for its Aug. 14 meeting to be held at 5 p.m. in Town Hall.

As part of the process to create a bylaw, Tucker reported that his staff has since February been meeting with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and representatives from other Western Massachusetts communities “to review ongoing interpretations of the state regulations and develop model bylaw language.”

According to the proposed bylaw, the town recognizes “that the nature of the substance cultivated, processed, and/or sold by medical marijuana treatment centers and off-site medical marijuana dispensaries may have objectionable operational characteristics and may be located in such a way to pose a threat to the health, safety, and general well-being of the public as well as patients seeking treatment.

“Therefore, specific and separate regulation of Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers (MMTCs) and Off-site Medical Marijuana Dispensary (OMMD) facilities is necessary to ensure that adverse effects will not contribute to blight in the surrounding neighborhood or exacerbate risks to public health and safety associated with other nearby land uses, and that such facilities are not located within close proximity of minors and do not become concentrated in any one area within the Town of Amherst.”

The proposal includes numerous regulations and prohibitions including where such a facility could be sited. It also requires details showing proposed security measures “including lighting, fencing, gates and alarms, etc. ensuring the safety of employees and patrons and to protect the premises from theft or other criminal activity.”

The state is requiring that prospective marijuana dispensaries pay a $1,500 fee for a first-phase application, and $30,000 for a second phase application. Both are nonrefundable.

Dispensaries that are selected will be required to pay a $50,000 annual registration fee. There will also be a $500 annual registration fee for each dispensary employee.

The 2-year-old's mother was among the pair of people found dead inside a Johnston, R.I., home, police said. Two men have been taken into custody and may face multiple charges in connection with the case.

JOHNSTON, R.I. — The toddler of a woman found slain alongside another person at a home here Sunday morning was discovered unharmed at a Providence, R.I. housing project that evening, according to authorities, who continue to investigate the double homicide.

Police took Malcolm Crowell and Daniel Rodriguez into custody in connection with the abduction of 2-year-old Isaiah Perez, whose mother was one of two people found dead inside an Oaktree Drive home in Johnston, a town just west of Providence.

The bodies were discovered shortly before 5:30 a.m. Sunday, while the boy – the subject of a nationwide Amber Alert – was found unscathed around 8:15 p.m. at the Chad Brown housing project in the Wanskuck neighborhood of Providence.

Johnston Police Chief Richard S. Tamburini confirmed that the toddler's mother was a victim, but her identity and the other person's name have not been released.

Crowell, 22, and Roriguez, who's believed to be 27 or 28, are both from Providence, according to police, who haven't indicated if the pair is related to either victim. Investigators are questioning both men in connection with the abduction of Perez, who was allegedly taken after the killings. One or both suspects may also be charged in connection with the homicides, police said.

Officials haven't said what led them to Crowell and Rodriguez, who were arrested in Fall River, Mass., and Providence, respectively.

The toddler was taken to Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence for an evaluation, but preliminary reports indicate he was in good condition.

The Oaktree Drive home is located in a suburban neighborhood of well-kept homes bordering a lake.

Material from the Associated Press, Boston Globe and Providence Journal was used in this report.

Last month, the bank reported reported net income of $4 million, or 20 cents per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2013 compared to net income of $2.6 million, or 17 cents per diluted share, for the corresponding period in 2012.

WEST SPRINGFIELD - United Bank is one of "Two Small Banks with Big Appeal," according to financial publication Barron's.

Barron's, published by Wall Street Journal Owner Dow Jones & Co., has actually written favorably about West Springfield-based United once before, said Richard B. Collins, president and CEO of United Bank.

Barron's identified United Bank and a bank in New Jersey as being stock bargains, undervalued in comparison to peer institutions and ripe for making a profit.

The key for Barron's, Collins said, is United Bank's relatively small number of borrowers who are behind in their loans.

"I'd like to think it is a reflection of the things that we are doing well," Collins said in an interview last week with The Republican. "We've been in an expansion mode lately."

Last year, United Bank bought Enfield-based New England Bank and its 15 branches for $91 million in cash and stock. The deal made United Bank the largest bank with headquarters in Greater Springfield and the 11th-largest bank headquartered in New England and brought it up to 37 branches in six counties in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Following the merger, total deposits grew 5.6 percent in the first half of 2013 to $30.33 million with a 4.7 perent increase in core deposits to $14.1 million. The bank closed $32 million in commercial loans in the first half of 2013.

And Collins said there was no significant loss of customers from New England Bank. Instead, a number of New England Bank customers started using the new United Bank more, apparently because they find having branches on both sides of the border convenient.

United had already purchased a Worcester-area bank, Commonwealth National Bank the year before. Worcester region loan totals now exceed $270 million , up more than 30 percent since acquisition of Commonwealth National Bank

Last month, the bank reported net income of $4 million, or 20 cents per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2013 compared to net income of $2.6 million, or 17 cents per diluted share, for the corresponding period in 2012.

This despite low interest rates which squeeze the profit margins at many banks.

"We manage the bank to do well no matter what the interest rate is," Collins said. "But what I think these low interest rates do is they punish savers."

Barron's also speculated that United itself could be purchased by Pittsfield's Berkshire Bank. Collins said officers of a publicly traded company are limited in what they can say concerning takeovers, but there isn't anything in the works.

"There is no 'For sale' sign hanging on our bank," he said.

Irving Greenberg founded the Springfield company in 1927, soon after coming to this country from Russia.

SPRINGFIELD — Back in 1927 when Irving Greenberg, a Russian immigrant, started City Tire, tires were round and black and it was important that the customer leave satisfied

And that's about the only things about the tire business that have remained unchanged in the 85 years City Tire has been in business, said Peter Greenberg, Irving's grandson and City Tire's current president.

Peter Greenberg runs the business with his brother, Daniel. Both are the third generation in the family business. City tire, which now has 11 locations in four states $17 million a year in sales, has 100 employees. City Tire provides a wide range of auto repairs in addition to tires.

"Tires still hook on the rim the same way," Peter Greenberg said. "And I'm sure the basic way they are made is the same."

But Irving Greenberg never had to deal with today's car models with their automatic traction control systems and automatic dashboard alerts for low tire pressure.

Irving Greenberg, second from left, who founded City Tire in 1927, is photographed with employees outside the original location of the company, 323 Dwight St. in Springfield (where the MassMutual Center garage now stands). Back then, there were no special service facilities; tires were changed at the curb.Photo courtesy City Tire 

"I think he had probably five sizes of tires. (When) my father, Larry, had the business, he probably only had about 10 sizes to deal with," Peter Greenberg said. "Today, there are thousands of sizes."

Back then, City Tire exclusively sold Uniroyal tires at that first location at Dwight and Harrison Streets.

"Today you need to have multiple brands," Greenberg said. "If you come in and need one tire, I pretty much have to replace it with that exact same tire or it won't work."

City Tire moved its Springfield headquarters to Avocado Street in 1971.The Republican / Dave Roback 

City Tire moved to Avocado Street in Springfield in 1971 to make way for parking garages associated with what is now known as the MassMutual Center.

Today, City Tire is renovating show rooms to keep up with the times and make customers feel welcome.

And training technicians is an ongoing effort for the company.

Bob Cassales works in City Tire's re-treading department. The Republican / Dave Robak 

"Your staff needs to be better trained and that training needs constant updating," he said. "Vehicles are so sophisticated."

And drivers are keeping their cars on the road longer. The average car is 8 to 10 years old — that means more tires and more maintenance. And when a warranty expires, its an opportunity for City Tire to grab business from the dealership.

All in all, a pretty rosy future, Greenerg said.

"As long as we have tires with some sort of air in them, and we aren't zipping around like the Jetsons, City Tire will be here," he said.

The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Legion Field behind Converse Middle School.

PALMER - The eighth annual Nostalgia Day will be held Saturday, Aug. 17, rain or shine at Legion Field behind Converse Middle School, offering activities for the entire family.

Robert S. Haveles, president of Palmer Events Planning, the organization that has been putting on Nostalgia Day for the past four years, said there will be plenty of attractions during the day-long event, including live music, horse-drawn wagon rides, a classic car and motorcycle display, karaoke and a free-throw basketball contest.

Musical performers include The Revolvers, Lenny Gomulka and Chicago Push, Noah
Lis and The Skidmarks.

For children, there will be a clown, bounce house, spin art, games, mini cars and more.

Though it isn't on the same scale as Monson's signature event, Summerfest, Haveles said Nostalgia Day is catching on and the spot at Legion Field is working out well.

When it first began, Nostalgia Day was held downtown, in a closed-off section of Main Street, and was sponsored by the Palmer Business Partnership.

"Moving Nostalgia Day to Legion Field also provided a softer, greener and cooler venue than being on the radiating asphalt surface, particularly on those clear, 'hot,' sunshiny days. By having all the activities at Legion Field and in a more open area it makes it a great family venue and safe for kids of all ages," Haveles said in a press release.

Nostalgia Day offers residents a place to go to catch up with each other, and an event to enjoy in town, Haveles said. He added that people from outside communities also are welcome to attend.

Nostalgia Day will run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Volunteers are needed, starting with setup at 7 a.m., and those interested can call Haveles at (413) 896-9550 or email palmerevents@yahoo.com, or call Alice Davey at the Palmer Community Development office at (413) 283-2614.

The event is free, but Palmer Events Planning is asking those who attend to provide a donation to offset its $15,000 cost.

The Revolvers, the winners of the "battle of the bands" contest at the Palmer Historical and Cultural Center, will perform from 11 to 11:30 a.m.

A karaoke contest will follow from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (participants are advised to sign up early and bring their own music).

From 1 to 2:30 p.m., Lenny Gomulka and Chicago Push will perform polkas and more, and from 3 to 4:30 p.m., Noah Lis will entertain. The Skidmarks will close out the show with '50s and '60s tunes from 5 to 7 p.m.

There also will be raffles, food and craft vendors, a video arcade trailer, informational booths, fire trucks and a beer garden. Those with classic cars or motorcycles are encouraged to bring them to the event.

Additional information about Nostalgia Day can be found on the town of Palmer website, www.townofpalmer.com, by clicking on town calendars, then community events calendar.

Last year the City Council passed an ordinance to give any homeowner in the military a tax abatement if they were activated overseas.

File photo / The Republican 

CHICOPEE – Motivated by questions about a new tax abatement program for residents sent overseas with the military, the Chicopee City Council has voted to review all programs that give residents a break on their real estate taxes.

Last year, the City Council passed an ordinance to give any homeowner activated through the Massachusetts National Guard or the United States Reserves and sent to a foreign country a $500 abatement on their annual property taxes for the period they had been overseas.

“Given that the tax abatement numbers are minimal ... we should look at bumping it to $1,000 per fiscal year,” said Councilor Gerry Roy, who proposed the ordinance last year.

He said the Board of Assessors recently looked at increasing the abatement, but decided against it.

So far there have only been one or two people who fit the category and applied for the abatement so it would make little difference in the city’s tax collection, Roy said.

“Given that only a few applied for it maybe they should not have to pay any taxes while overseas,” said Councilor Timothy McLellan, who is a disabled veteran.

He said that would make it easier for a family that is already going through a stressful time.

“I don’t know if I want to go that far,” Councilor James K. Tillotson said. “I’m a veteran, too, but we have to be realistic.”

Before trying to change the law, Tillotson proposed the City Council review all abatements that are offered with the Board of Assessors. The council voted 10-0 to send the proposal to the finance subcommittee.

“The bottom line is assessors make the final decision,” he said.

Abatements and exemptions can be granted to homeowners who are elderly, blind, surviving spouses of deceased taxpayers, disabled veterans and elderly taxpayers with documented extreme hardship. It also offers a program that allows the elderly to work off some of their property taxes by doing clerical work and other jobs for the city.

Multiple shooting incidents kept investigators busy, including a fatal highway shooting of a motorist by a state trooper.

 

SPRINGFIELD — Authorities continue to investigate a shooting incident in which city police officers and an ambulance crew came under fire near 659 State St. early Sunday.

The incident was among several episodes involving gunfire over the weekend in Springfield, including a fatal police shooting of a motorist by a state trooper on Interstate 91.

Nobody was injured in the State Street incident, reported shortly after 3 a.m., though an American Medical Response ambulance was hit by gunfire, police said. No arrests had been made as of early Monday, Springfield Police Lt. Thomas Maccini said.

A police cruiser and AMR rig were handling a call at the State Street address, located between Stebbins and Terrence streets in the Mason Square neighborhood, when an alleged robbery victim being chased by two men approached for help and multiple gunshots rang out. The public safety officials were uninjured, but a bullet did strike the ambulance, police said.

Details of the alleged robbery leading up to the shooting were unavailable. The victim told authorities he was pistol-whipped before being chased and shot at by two assailants, both of whom remain at large. Police have asked anyone with information to call them at (413) 787-6355.

Also Sunday, a rookie Massachusetts State Police trooper shot and killed a motorist following a 12:20 a.m. traffic altercation south of Exit 8 on Interstate 91 in Springfield.

The trooper, a 2012 police academy graduate stationed at the Springfield barracks, shot a 23-year-old Springfield resident after the city man started a fight with the trooper during a traffic stop, state police officials said.

Investigators said they found two handguns with scratched-out serial numbers inside the man's BMW, which originally was stopped for speeding in the southbound lane of I-91. The driver became combative after the trooper asked for his license and registration and got into a "physical altercation" with the officer, state police spokesman David Procopio said in a news release. During that altercation, the trooper discharged his service weapon, striking the driver, Procopio said.

A 22-year-old passenger in the BMW injured her arm while attempting to flee, police said.

As the trooper radioed for backup, the injured man managed to drive from the scene and merge onto nearby Interstate 291. But he only drove a short distance before crashing into a highway barrier, police said.

Early Saturday, Springfield police responded to gunfire reports near 14 Revere St., a residence in the city's Forest Park section, and near City View Commons II, an apartment complex at 926 Worthington St. near the eastern edge of Metro Center.

Police said multiple shell casings were recovered at both crime scenes, but there were no reported injuries. The spent casings found on Revere Street appear to have been fired from an assault rifle, police said.

Walmart wants to build a 155,000-square-foot store and employ 300 people, but critics fault the store on traffic and treatment of employees. Watch video

Updated at 8:33 p.m. to include additional comments from residents for and against the plan; remarks from Walmart spokesman William Wertz; more of the dueling "myth and fact" points; and the scene inside the open house.

HOLYOKE -- Supporters and opponents of Walmart mingled Monday as the retailer held an open house about its proposed "supercenter" that drew hundreds of people.

"I want some business to come to this town, so I'll have to be in favor of it. I've got nieces and nephews, I want them to be able to have jobs while they're going to high school and college," said Eunice Hartling, of County Road.

"Not in favor at all, too much traffic. It's going to ruin Kmart, which has been established for a while. There's so much traffic right now," said Jeanne Bartley, of West Glen St.

The event at the Log Cabin Banquet and Meeting House included anti-Walmart protesters holding signs outside on Easthampton Road.

Walmart wants to open a store at 222 Whiting Farms Road near the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside. Officials said it would employ more than 300 people and offer clothing, appliances, groceries and meats, as well as specialty shops such as a pharmacy and nail salon.

Walmart has yet to submit a plan to the city Planning Board to begin its review. That would happen by fall, officials have said.

Renderings on tripods displayed plans for the proposed Walmart showing it to be a long and low structure. The store would be about 500 feet long on a footprint of about 155,000 square feet, said John Kucich, of Bohler Engineering, of Southborough. Walmart officials previously have said the store would be 160,000 square feet.

Visitors to the event received dueling "myth-fact" leaflets from backers and foes of the plan. They disputed about traffic problems posed by Walmart stores, the retailer's wages and health-care plans and the taxes it pays to host communities.

For example, Walmart fliers said the myth was that bringing Walmart to a community results in a net job loss because the company drives out existing businesses. The fact is Walmart produces jobs, with more than 11,000 employees in Massachusetts and more than 300 planned here, the Walmart flier said.

Walmart pays employees an average of $13.86 an hour with health care plans that meet standards in the federal Affordable Care Act, the Walmart flier said.

But Holyoke First, a group of neighbors fighting the plan, issued a flier that said the "Wal-Myth" states the store would bring 340 jobs and wouldn't compete with small businesses because those businesses sell different goods. The "Walmart Reality" is that existing stores' sales drop 10 percent to 40 percent when Walmart opens, according to Holyoke First.

Also, according to the Holyoke First flier, Walmart workers make an average of only $8.81 an hour. The Holyoke First flier cited a study done by IBISWorld, a market research firm.

Teri Laramee, spokeswoman for Holyoke First, said she has trouble leaving her Gordon Drive home now because of traffic on Whiting Farms Road and is protesting Walmart to protect her home.

"The biggest issue is how they're going to affect my quality of life," Laramee said.

Jason Garand held a "Holyoke First" sign outside the Log Cabin. He is business manager of Local 108, New England Regional Council of Carpenters, which supports projects that pay good wages and benefits, which isn't the case with Walmart, he said.

"This project is obviously not right for the neighborhood. It's not right for the city. This project's going to be a net loss in jobs," said Garand, of Holyoke.

Ed PrzystasMike Plaisance, The Republican 

Ed Przystas, of Elmwood Avenue, couldn't disagree more. Holyoke should welcome Walmart's jobs and taxes, he said.

"I'm glad this is going on," Przystas said inside the open house. "I'm happy that Holyoke is trying to get something. We need something."

Spokesman William Wertz said Walmart considered the open house a success.

"We were hoping for a good turnout and we have a good turnout. I've talked to quite a few folks tonight and they've told me they are in favor of having a Walmart. We've seen some of the anti-Walmart folks, but I don't think they represent the feelings of the community," Wertz said.

Aubretia Edick, of Granby, is a cashier at the Chicopee Walmart. She said she makes only $11.40 an hour after 14 years working there. She would like to work more than the 26 hours a week Walmart gives her, she said.

"I am not anti-Walmart. I'm pro-associate. There's a big difference. I like my job. I'd rather be full time," Edick said.

Cheryl Davis, of Chicopee, is a jewelry associate at the Northampton Walmart and loves it, she said. She makes $13.20 an hour for a 40-hour week and has been with Walmart 13 years, she said.

"I like it. I get frustrated, but that's with every job. I like the people. Our fellow associates, they have the biggest hearts. We're like family," Davis said.

Al Norman, of Greenfield, who fights Walmarts nationwide, poses with Walmart sign welcoming visitors to retailer's open house in Holyoke Monday at Log Cabin Banquet and Meeting House.Mike Plaisance, The Republican 

As passionate as the Walmart proposal has made people here, the atmosphere inside the Log Cabin appeared to be congenial, with Walmart representatives and residents favoring the plan milling about with those wearing stickers that said "Walmart puts people in poverty."

Among the curious sights at the Walmart open house was Al Norman, of Greenfield, chatting up Walmart officials and urging them to meet with neighbors. Norman has devoted his life to fighting Walmart plans nationwide and has written books criticizing the retailer.

Candidates for mayor, City Council and state senate took advantage of the captive crowd to shake hands and campaign.

Lori Belanger, of Roland Street, said she sees the positives of a Walmart in the taxes paid to the city. She also worries about the store pumping even more traffic onto Homestead Avenue and other streets, she said.

"I'm right down the middle," Belanger said.

Mohegan Sun wants to build a nearly $1 billion resort casino off Thorndike Street (Route 32) across from the Massachusetts Turnpike exit 8.

PALMER - Mohegan Sun's development coordinator said that he expects an announcement to take place about a host community agreement with the town as early as next week.

Paul I. Brody, Mohegan's development coordinator, said the agreement is still being negotiated, but said on Monday that it should be completed "about a week from now."

Town Manager Charles T. Blanchard said he has been told by Mohegan officials that they want to complete the agreement soon. While Brody said he expected news about the agreement to be discussed at the Town Council's meeting next Monday, no such meeting has been scheduled yet.

The council's regular monthly meeting happened tonight.

Mohegan Sun wants to build a nearly $1 billion resort casino off Thorndike Street (Route 32) across from the Massachusetts Turnpike exit 8.

The council can schedule a vote on the agreement anywhere from 60 to 90 days after it receives it, which would mean that the earliest a vote would happen would be October.

The Chicopee Cultural Council offers grants to fund programs in the arts and humanities.

CHICOPEE – The city’s Cultural Council is asking residents to offer suggestions on how to spend public money granted through the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

The money is designed to fund programs and activities in the arts, humanities and interpretive sciences and local input will help the council identify community needs and set funding priorities.

The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 21 at the Chicopee Public Library.

Last year the council awarded 34 grants totaling $27,787 to a variety of activities including school field trips, concerts, art exhibits, writing and painting workshops and festivals.

For those interested in applying for grants, applications and guidelines are available on the Massachusetts Cultural Council website at www.massculturalcouncil.org. Applications must be postmarked by Oct. 15. Suggestions can also be e-mailed to chicopeeculturalcouncil@yahoo.com or call the chairwoman at (413)592-6924.

"Madagascar 3" will be shown on Aug. 20.

CHICOPEE – The final outdoor movie offered through Mayor Mike’s Movie Night has been postponed from Tuesday to Aug. 20 because rain is expected.

“Madagascar 3” will begin at dusk in the Szot Park Football field but the field will be open at 6 p.m. so families can set up early and picnic and the concession stand will be open for snacks. The movie is being sponsored by Ross Insurance Agency.

Alcoholic beverages and dogs are prohibited from the field.

As a first step, Holder has instructed federal prosecutors to stop charging many nonviolent drug defendants with offenses that carry mandatory minimum sentences.

By PAUL ELIAS

WASHINGTON — Attorney General Eric Holder announced a major shift Monday in federal sentencing policies, targeting long mandatory terms that he said have flooded the nation's prisons with low-level drug offenders and diverted crime-fighting dollars that could be far better spent.

If Holder's policies are implemented aggressively, they could mark one of the most significant changes in the way the federal criminal justice system handles drug cases since the government declared a war on drugs in the 1980s

As a first step, Holder has instructed federal prosecutors to stop charging many nonviolent drug defendants with offenses that carry mandatory minimum sentences. His next step will be working with a bipartisan group in Congress to give judges greater discretion in sentencing.

"We will start by fundamentally rethinking the notion of mandatory minimum sentences for drug-related crimes," Holder told the American Bar Association in San Francisco.

There are currently more than 219,000 federal inmates, and the prisons are operating at nearly 40 percent above capacity. Holder said the prison population "has grown at an astonishing rate — by almost 800 percent" since 1980. Almost half the inmates are serving time for drug-related crimes.

Holder said he also wants to divert people convicted of low-level offenses to drug treatment and community service programs and expand a prison program to allow for release of some elderly, non-violent offenders.

The speech drew widespread praise, including from some of the people Holder will need most — Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said he is encouraged by the Obama administration's view that mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent offenders promote injustice and do not serve public safety. Paul and Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., have introduced legislation to grant federal judges greater flexibility in sentencing. Leahy commended Holder for his efforts on the issue and said his committee will hold a hearing on the bill next month.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, said he looked forward to working on the issue with Holder and senators of both parties.

But support was not universal. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., said Holder "cannot unilaterally ignore the laws or the limits on his executive powers. While the attorney general has the ability to use prosecutorial discretion in individual cases, that authority does not extend to entire categories of people."

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said whether the law needs to be changed should be decided by the Congress, along with the president.

"Instead we're seeing the president attempt to run roughshod over the direct representatives of the people elected to write the laws," Grassley said. "The overreach by the administration to unilaterally decide which laws to enforce and which laws to ignore is a disturbing trend."

Still, the impact of Holder's initiative could be significant, said Marc Mauer, executive director of the Sentencing Project, a private group involved in research and policy reform of the criminal justice system.

African-Americans and Hispanics probably would benefit the most from a change. African-Americans account for about 30 percent of federal drug convictions each year and Hispanics account for 40 percent, according to Mauer.

If state policymakers were to adopt similar policies, the impact of changes at the state level could be even broader. Currently, about 225,000 state prisoners are incarcerated for drug offenses, according to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics. One national survey from 15 years ago by the Sentencing Project found that 58 percent of state drug offenders had no history of violence or high-level drug dealing.

"These proportions on state prisoners may have shifted somewhat since that time, but it's still likely that a substantial proportion of state drug offenders fall into that category today," said Mauer.

In a three-page memo to all 94 U.S. Attorneys' offices around the country, Holder said rising prison costs have resulted in reduced spending on law enforcement agents, prosecutors and prevention and intervention programs.

"These reductions in public safety spending require us to make our public safety expenditures smarter and more productive," the memo stated.

In some cases where a defendant is not an organizer, leader, manager or supervisor of others, "prosecutors should decline to pursue charges triggering a mandatory minimum sentence," Holder's memo stated.

In his speech to the ABA, the attorney general said "we need to ensure that incarceration is used to punish, deter and rehabilitate — not merely to convict, warehouse and forget."

Holder said new approaches — which he is calling the "Smart On Crime" initiative — are the result of a Justice Department review he launched early this year.

The attorney general said that some issues are best handled at the state or local level and that he has directed federal prosecutors across the country to develop locally tailored guidelines for determining when federal charges should be filed and when they should not.

He said 17 states have directed money away from prison construction and toward programs and services such as treatment and supervision that are designed to reduce the problem of repeat offenders.

In Kentucky, legislation has reserved prison space for the most serious offenders and refocused resources on community supervision. The state, Holder said, is projected to reduce its prison population by more than 3,000 over the next 10 years, saving more than $400 million.

He also cited investments in drug treatment in Texas for non-violent offenders and changes to parole policies which he said have brought about a reduction in the prison population of more than 5,000 last year. He said similar efforts helped Arkansas reduce its prison population by more than 1,400. He also pointed to Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Hawaii as states that have improved public safety while preserving limited resources.

San Francisco County District Attorney George Gascon applauded Holder's speech.

"It's obviously a big shift in policy," Gascon said. "Now let's see how the follow through works."

In a state experiencing severe prison overcrowding, Gascon has been advocating "alternative" sentencing of low-level drug offenders since taking office as district attorney in January 2011. He previously served as the city's police chief. Last week, the Supreme Court refused to delay the early release of nearly 10,000 California inmates by year's end to ease overcrowding at 33 adult prisons.

Praising Holder's efforts, Laura W. Murphy, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Washington Legislative Office, said the attorney general "is taking crucial steps to tackle our bloated federal mass incarceration crisis."

Julie Stewart, president of Families Against Mandatory Minimums, said, "For the past 40 years, the Department of Justice, under both political parties, has promoted mandatory minimum sentencing like a one-way ratchet."

Former federal appeals court judge Timothy Lewis recalled that he once had to sentence a 19-year-old to 10 years in prison for conspiracy for being in a car where drugs were found. Lewis, a former prosecutor, said the teen, who was African-American, was on course to be the first person in his family to go to college. Instead, Lewis had to send him to prison as the teen turned and screamed for his mother.

"I am just glad that someone finally has the guts to stand up and do something about what is a pervasively racist policy," said Lewis, who is African-American.

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Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he would appeal the ruling, which was a stinging rebuke to a policy he and the New York Police Department have defended as a life-saving, crime-fighting tool that helped lead the city to historic crime lows. The legal outcome could affect how and whether other cities employ the tactic.

By COLLEEN LONG
NEW YORK — The nation's largest police department illegally and systematically singled out large numbers of blacks and Hispanics under its stop-and-frisk policy, a federal judge ruled Monday while appointing an independent monitor to oversee major changes, including body cameras on some officers.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he would appeal the ruling, which was a stinging rebuke to a policy he and the New York Police Department have defended as a life-saving, crime-fighting tool that helped lead the city to historic crime lows. The legal outcome could affect how and whether other cities employ the tactic.

"The city's highest officials have turned a blind eye to the evidence that officers are conducting stops in a racially discriminatory manner," U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin wrote in her ruling. "In their zeal to defend a policy that they believe to be effective, they have willfully ignored overwhelming proof that the policy of targeting 'the right people' is racially discriminatory."

Stop-and-frisk has been around for decades in some form, but recorded stops increased dramatically under the Bloomberg administration to an all-time high in 2011 of 684,330, mostly of black and Hispanic men. The lawsuit was filed in 2004 by four men, all minorities, and became a class action case.

About half the people who are stopped are subject only to questioning. Others have their bags or backpacks searched, and sometimes police conduct full pat-downs. Only 10 percent of all stops result in arrest, and a weapon is recovered a small fraction of the time.

Scheindlin noted she was not putting an end to the practice, which is constitutional, but was reforming the way the NYPD implemented its stops.

In her long ruling, she determined at least 200,000 stops were made without reasonable suspicion, the necessary legal benchmark, lower than the standard of probable cause needed to justify an arrest. She said that rank-and-file officers were pressured by superiors to make stops — and that high-ranking police officials ignored mounting evidence that bad stops were being made.

"The city and its highest officials believe that blacks and Hispanics should be stopped at the same rate as their proportion of the local criminal suspect population," she wrote. "But this reasoning is flawed because the stopped population is overwhelmingly innocent — not criminal."

She also cited violations of the Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable search and seizure.

"Far too many people in New York City have been deprived of this basic freedom far too often," she said. "The NYPD's practice of making stops that lack individualized reasonable suspicion has been so pervasive and persistent as to become not only a part of the NYPD's standard operating procedure, but a fact of daily life in some New York City neighborhoods."

Scheindlin did not give many specifics for how to correct such practices but instead directed the monitor to develop reforms to policies, training, supervision and discipline with input from the communities most affected. She also ordered a pilot program in which officers test body-worn cameras in the one precinct per borough where most stops occurred. The idea came up inadvertently during testimony, but Scheindlin seized on it as a way to provide objective records of the encounters.

Scheindlin appointed the city's former lead attorney Peter L. Zimroth, previously a chief assistant district attorney, as the monitor. He said he realized the issue was difficult.

"It's very important to get it right. And to the extent I can help with that, I want to," he said.

At a news conference, Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly blasted the ruling, saying the judge ignored historic crime lows and displayed a "disturbing disregard" for the "good intentions" of police officers who do not racially profile.

"There is just no question that stop, question, frisk has saved countless lives, and most of those lives saved have been black and Hispanic young men," Bloomberg said.

Bloomberg said police have done exactly what the courts and constitution allow to keep the city safe. The judge simply does not understand "how policing works," he said, and the result could be a return to the days of crime and mayhem from the 1980s and 1990 — when murders hit an all-time high of 2,245.

"This is a dangerous decision made by a judge who I think does not understand how policing works and what is compliant with the U.S. Constitution as determined by the Supreme Court," he said. "I worry for my kids, and I worry for your kids. I worry for you and I worry for me. Crime can come back any time the criminals think they can get away with things. We just cannot let that happen."

Scheindlin presided over a 10-week bench trial this year that included testimony from NYPD brass and a dozen people — 11 men and one woman — who said they were wrongly stopped because of their race. She found that nine of the 19 stops discussed in court were unconstitutional, and that an additional five stops included wrongful frisking.

Witness Nicholas Peart, who wept on the stand during the trial as he described a frightening encounter with police, said Monday that he hoped the ruling would mean "tremendous steps forward."

"I felt that it restores a sense of trust," said the 24-year-old Peart, who is black. "Our voices do count, and count towards something greater."

Lead attorney Darius Charney, of the nonprofit legal advocate Center for Constitutional Rights, praised the decision as historic and noted that it hinged on the testimony from those stopped.

The class-action lawsuit was the largest and broadest legal action against the policy at the nation's biggest police department, with 35,000 officers.

City lawmakers have also sought to create an independent monitor and make it easier for people to sue the department if they feel their civil rights were violated. Those bills are awaiting an override vote after the mayor vetoed the legislation.

The monitor appointed Monday will examine stop-and-frisk specifically and can compel changes. The inspector general envisioned in the city legislation would look at other issues but could only make recommendations.

The appeal process could take time, and the ruling will likely be on hold, meaning one of the candidates running in the November election to succeed Bloomberg will deal with the outcome. New Yorkers were skeptical of any real change in the near future.

"Eventually it might trickle down into real change, but it's only just happened," said Carlos Jones, 26, of Manhattan's Harlem neighborhood, who said he was stopped several times. "I know a lot of officers really don't care about it, and they're still going to do their job to the worst of their ability, which is stopping and frisking people for no reason."

Werenski scored a rare double eagle on the par-5, 545-yard 16th hole at Charles River Country Club in Newton and finished one stroke back with a 4-under-par 66.

By BRIAN FOLEY

NEWTON – South Hadley’s Richy Werenski had a day most golfers dream about Monday at the U.S. Amateur Championship, scoring a rare double eagle on the par-5, 545-yard 16th hole at Charles River Country Club and entering the second round in second place at 4-under-par 66, one stroke behind 17-year-old Nick Hardy.

On the 16th, Werenski bombed a drive 310 yards to give himself 240 to the hole and an uphill green.

“I grabbed my 17-degree hybrid and was just trying to put myself in position for a birdie on the hole,” he said.

Did he ever.

The ball hit the front of the green, rolled 8 feet and dropped in.

He gave a slight fist pump to the crowd of a dozen spectators who saw him record the first double eagle in a USGA-sponsored event since Nick Watney drained one at the 2012 U.S. Open.

The day didn’t start off well for Werenski. He started on the 10th hole with a pull to the left that landed in the rough. After chipping within 20 yards of the green, he could not save his par, settling for an opening bogey.

He made up for it with a birdie on the par-4 13th hole, thanks to a 25-foot putt. He stayed at even par until the 16th when he hit the miraculous shot that put him 3 under.

On the front nine, he made a birdie on No. 3 with a sweeping putt from 15 yards to go 4 under.

His worst shot came on the next hole when he pulled a ball right into the left greenside bunker.

“It was a terrible lie,” Werenski said. “I tried to chunk the ball out but caught the ball.”

The up-and-down attempt went over the green and down the opposite side.

It left him with a 15-yard chip uphill that he was able to put about 10 feet from the hole for a testy bogey putt that broke in multiple directions. With assistance from his brother Mickey, also serving as his caddie, Werenski read it perfectly and buried the putt.

He posted back-to-back birdies on Nos. 6 and 7 before dropping a stroke on the eighth hole and parring No. 9 for the 66 that has him alone in second. There were only three sub-70 rounds in the afternoon grouping at Charles River.

Werenski wasn’t the only Western Massachusetts player in action, though recent American International College graduate Nate Pereira of Ludlow struggled with three bogeys and a double bogey on the front nine before six bogeys on the back to finish 11 over.

Werenski goes off the 1st tee at 8:55 a.m. at The Country Club in Brookline while Pereira goes off the 9th at 9.

unday's attacks were the latest in a slew of violence blamed on religious extremists in this West African oil producer, where the radical Boko Haram group, which wants to oust the government and impose Islamic law, poses the greatest security threat in years.

By MICHELLE FAU

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria — Suspected Islamic militants wearing army fatigues gunned down 44 people praying at a mosque in northeast Nigeria, while another 12 civilians died in an apparently simultaneous attack, security agents said Monday.

Sunday's attacks were the latest in a slew of violence blamed on religious extremists in this West African oil producer, where the radical Boko Haram group, which wants to oust the government and impose Islamic law, poses the greatest security threat in years.

It was not immediately clear why the Islamic Boko Haram would have killed worshipping Muslims, but the group has in the past attacked mosques whose clerics have spoken out against religious extremism. Boko Haram also has attacked Christians outside churches and teachers and schoolchildren, as well as government and military targets.

Since 2010, the militants have been blamed for the killings of more than 1,700 people, according to a count by The Associated Press.

The news about Sunday's violence in Borno state, one of three in the northeast under a military state of emergency, came as journalists received a video featuring Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, who gloats over recent attacks, threatens more, and even says his group is now strong enough to go after the United States.

The mosque slayings occurred Sunday morning in Konduga town, 35 kilometers (22 miles) outside Maiduguri, the capital of Nigeria's Borno state.

A state security service agent and Usman Musa, a member of a civilian militia that works with the military, said Monday they counted the bodies at the mosque after the attack. Musa said four members of his group — known as the Civilian Joint Task Force —also were killed when they reached Konduga and encountered "fierce resistance from heavily armed terrorists."

Musa and the security service agent said the attackers wore military camouflage uniforms used by the Nigerian army, which they may have acquired in one of their attacks on military bases.

On their way back from Konduga, the security forces came upon the scene of another attack at Ngom village, 5 kilometers (3 miles) outside Maiduguri, where Musa said he counted 12 bodies of civilians.

Twenty-six worshippers at the mosque were hospitalized with gunshot wounds, said a security guard at the emergency ward of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital. He and the state security agent both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to give information to reporters.

Nigeria declared a state of emergency in much of the northeast on May 14 to fight the onslaught after Boko Haram fighters took over several northeastern towns and villages in this nation of more than 160 million people, which is divided almost equally between the predominantly Muslim north and the mainly Christian south.

In the video received by journalists Monday, Shekau brushes off any gains asserted by the security forces.

"You soldiers have claimed that you are powerful, that we have been defeated, that we are mad people," Shekau says, speaking in the local Hausa language. "But how can a mad man successfully coordinate recent attacks in Gamboru, in Malam Fatori, slaughter people in Biu, kill in Gwoza and in Bama, where soldiers fled under our heavy fire power?

"We have killed countless soldiers and we are going to kill more."

He further insists the extremists' "strength and firepower has surpassed that of Nigeria. ... We can now comfortably confront the United States of America."

Shekau also said Nigeria's military is "lying to the world" about its casualties. "They lied that they have killed our members, but we are the ones that have killed the soldiers."

He apparently was referring to Aug. 4 attacks on a military base at Malam Fatori and a police outpost in Bama, both near the border with Cameroon. Joint Task Force spokesman Lt. Col. Sagir Musa told reporters 32 extremists, two soldiers and one police officer were killed. But when the Borno state governor called on the head of the task force to commiserate, Maj. Gen. Jah Ewansiah told him in front of reporters that they lost 12 soldiers and seven policemen. Nigeria's military regularly lowballs casualty figures of civilians and military.

Under orders from the military, cellphone and Internet service has been cut in Borno, making communications difficult. The military says the extremists were using cellphones to coordinate attacks. But some government officials argue that the lack of communication prevents civilians from informing them of suspicious movements and getting help when they are attacked.

Details on exactly how the man fell -- and what part of the stadium the incident occurred in -- weren't immediately available.

ATLANTA -- A man who fell more than 60 feet from an upper-level platform at Atlanta's Turner Field onto a parking lot during a baseball game died Monday night, police said.

Atlanta police spokesman John Chafee confirmed the death of the man, whose name has not been released. The man fell during Monday night's game between the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies.

"At this time there's no indication of foul play and the fall appears accidental," Chafee said late Monday. "It appears he fell from an upper-level platform to a secured lot below."

Chafee said police received the report of the fall just before 9 p.m. Monday. When officers arrived, they located a man who appeared to have fallen 65 feet, or about six stories.

The man was transported to Atlanta Medical Center and died of his injuries.

Chafee said the fall occurred on the stadium's back side. He said witnesses described the fall as accidental, but that police were not releasing other details of what they said.

He said he did not know if wet conditions or alcohol were factors.

Heavy rains had led to a nearly two-hour delay of the game, which was scheduled to start at 7:10 p.m.

A Braves spokeswoman declined comment earlier Monday night, referring calls to the Atlanta police.

Monday's accident wasn't the first of its kind to happen at Turner Field, and marked at least the third time a sports fan has fallen from the stands in Atlanta in about a year.

Isaac Grubb, 20, of Lenoir City, Tenn. died after falling over a railing at the Georgia Dome during a football game between Tennessee and North Carolina State on Aug. 31, 2012. Authorities said he landed on another man seated in the lower level, and that alcohol was a factor.

A man fell about 25 feet over a staircase railing at a Georgia Tech-Miami football game on Sept. 22, 2012 and was not seriously injured.

In May 2008, a 25-year-old Cumming, Ga. man suffered head injuries when he fell down a stairwell at Turner Field during a game between the Braves and the New York Mets and later died. Police found that alcohol had factored into that accident, which the Braves had said was the first non-medical fatality to happen at the ballpark.

Turner Field became the home of the Braves in 1997, a year after serving as the site of events for the 1996 Summer Olympics.