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UMass-Amherst, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Brandeis University ranked among the '50 ugliest college campuses'

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While many higher learning institutions in Massachusetts are renowned for the educational opportunities provided, some are criticized for aesthetics. UMass-Amherst was ranked the ugliest college in the Commonwealth.

While many higher learning institutions in Massachusetts are renowned for the educational opportunities provided, some are criticized for aesthetics.

Five Massachusetts colleges topped Complex Magazine's list of "The 50 ugliest college campuses."

Both the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and Dartmouth made the list, as did Hampshire College, Brandeis University and Worcester Polytechnic Institute. UMass-Amherst was ranked the ugliest college in the Commonwealth.

WPI barely made the list at number 49.

Complex considered the campus beautiful "but due to bad planning and poorly placed parking lots, the scenic foliage is overshadowed by sterile, bland construction like the new Campus Center or the Life Science Center."

The campus has been a focal part of Worcester since it was established in 1865. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students enroll annually.

In part, the campus was designed by students. Each student is required to complete an interactive qualifying project which "relates technology and science to society or human needs," according to the Institute's website. One student created a fountain, which adjusts the height of the water based on the wind velocity.

Following right behind WPI is Brandeis University in Waltham, on the list at 48. The 65-year-old campus was designed by architect Eero Saarinen during the modernist movement. While the initial designs have historical status,

Complex states, "Brandeis mixed these Modernist buildings with bland, brick structures and a castle to come up with their current campus. This jumble of styles and aesthetics leaves the school looking disheveled and incoherent."

The University does feature varying styles of buildings that have differing connections to the campus. The Usen Castle, a brick, medieval-style building, was built in 1928 as a part of Middlesex College of Medicine and Surgery. It became a part of the Brandeis campus in 1946.

The Rose Art Museum features the works of Andy Warhol and Jasper Johns. While the interior contains beautiful works of art, the concrete and glass building is not visually striking.

Despite the negative review, academically the campus is sitting pretty. In the recently released 2014 Best College Rankings by the U.S. News & World Report, Brandeis ranked 32 of all universities in the nation. The ranking is on par with Boston College and New York University.

Further down the list, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth ranked 38.

In the 1960s, modernist architect Paul Rudolph was hired to revamp the college's look.

Complex wrote of his work, "Paul Rudolph is an iconic architect, and his Dartmouth campus is cohesive, especially compared to some of the other colleges on our list. However, the buildings themselves are busy, unappealing, and appear overdone. With undulating forms and sterile, cold concrete, the buildings of the Dartmouth campus are spot on for style, but it's necessarily a pleasant or welcoming style."

This campus has been criticized by others, including students, as well. The Boston Globe reports student tour guides used to tell visitors that Rudolph was a Satanist, to explain the Brutalist architecture.

Though Hampshire may be appealing to students for its loose academic structure, allowing students to study without majors or letter grades, the school was given low marks for its lack of campus cohesion.

Complex commented, "The campus was designed around the library with initially bland planning. The school's planner Hugh Stubbin is quoted as saying that 'structure should be forthright and honest.; To achieve this honesty, Stubbin decided to commission poured concrete buildings. Unfortunately, these lackluster buildings leave a lot to be desired and do not add anything to the surrounding space."

While considered lackluster, the campus does have some interesting buildings. The school's student radio station is in a yurt, known as The Yurt Media Center.

Upper class students live in "mods" one and two-story apartments of varying shapes. There are three on campus, including Enfield house, Greenwich house and Prescott house. Greenwich "mods" are eight pie-shaped apartments arranged in a circular form to create a doughnut.

The University of Massachusetts-Amherst was ranked the ugliest of Massachusetts colleges at 13. The college is known for featuring a mix of 19th century brick buildings, cement structures and the second tallest library in the world.

Complex wrote, "Architectural criticism is nothing new to the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In 1974, the Boston Globe's architecture critic, Robert Campbell, called the campus 'a jumble of unrelated personal monuments that look more like a world's fair grounds than a campus.' We guess that's one way to say 'disjointed,' but the school is still made up of a variety of concert buildings, dark subterranean spaces, and clinical architecture, so Campbell may not have been far off."

To form a more perfect university, construction is a constant at the flagship campus. The University spent 186.5 million on the Commonwealth Honors College which opened this fall. Last week, a report by the board of trustees outlined a five-year plan for construction and renovation at the five UMass campuses with a budget of $3.8 billion.


Power restored in Palmer, Monson and Brimfield

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The outage was blamed on a mechanical problem.

This is an update to a story posted at 1:19 p.m.

A National Grid spokeswoman is reporting that power has been restored to thousands of customers in Palmer, Monson and Brimfield.

Deborah Drew, of National Grid, blamed the noontime outage on a mechanical problem at the Palmer substation. She said all customers were back on line after 1 p.m. Tuesday.

At one point early this afternoon, thousands of customers in Palmer and Monson were without power, and all but 450 customers in the entire town of Monson were affected.

Western Massachusetts National Guard units honored for service in Iraq and Afghanistan at State House ceremony

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With pomp and circumstance, 30 Massachusetts Army and Air National Guard units, including three from Western Massachusetts received their battle streamers on Tuesday, recognizing their service in Iraq and Afghanistan between 2008 and 2013.

In 1636, the Massachusetts Bay Colony Militia was founded, and militia units met up to drill in the Salem Common. Those units laid the foundation for what would become the Army National Guard.

One of those units would become the 1st Battalion, 181st Infantry Unit, a National Guard unit based in Worcester with companies in Agawam and Gardner. The unit has “battle streamers,” decorations marking its combat service from the Civil War, when the unit saw action during the march from Massachusetts to Washington, D.C., to World War I, World War II and the war in Iraq. On Tuesday at the State House, the unit was awarded its 41st battle streamer for its service providing security for provincial reconstruction teams in Afghanistan in 2009-2010.

“It recognizes and continues the lineage for our unit,” said Lt. Col. Tony Couture, who commanded the 181st Infantry Unit.

The State House ceremony was attended by Gov. Deval Patrick, U.S. Rep. John Tierney and several Patrick administration officials and military leaders. With pomp and circumstance, 30 Massachusetts Army and Air National Guard units, including three from Western Massachusetts, received battle streamers recognizing their service in Iraq and Afghanistan between 2008 and 2013.

The front doors of the State House, closed except on special occasions, opened to the troops, to ceremonially welcome home the soldiers returning from war. “It’s historically significant,” said Maj. Mark Kalin, an Easthampton resident and the master of ceremonies. “The front doors of the State House open to receive units returning from battle.”

The origins of the battle streamers ceremony date back to the Civil War era, when then-Massachusetts Gov. John Andrew opened the State House doors in 1965 to receive the tattered flags carried into battle by Massachusetts regiments during the Civil War. A mural in Memorial Hall, where Tuesday’s ceremony was held, depicts that moment. Similar ceremonies were held after both World Wars and the war in Vietnam. The last ceremony was in 2008.

“We have some units that have every campaign we’ve had in our history since 1775 on their flag,” said Major General L. Scott Rice, the Adjutant General of Massachusetts.

In addition to the 181st Infantry Regiment, Western Massachusetts units honored Tuesday included the 747th Military Police Company based in Ware and the 104th Security Forces Squadron based at Barnes Air National Guard base in Westfield.

Dignitaries and members of the National Guard used the day to thank the troops for their service. “We understand the burden that each member of our armed services undertakes on behalf of all of us,” said Patrick, who, as governor, is the commander in chief of the Massachusetts National Guard. “Whether it’s sacrificing the comfort of being at home or being present at a milestone like the birth of child, to the more profound sacrifice of placing oneself in harm’s way for the rest of us.”

Patrick said Massachusetts spends more per capita on veterans’ services than any other state, pointing to tuition waivers for college and university, the expansion of a women’s veterans network and the state’s commitment to helping returning veterans find jobs.

Tierney said on a federal level, Congress has created community-based outreach services, modernized the GI bill, provided health services and worked on housing and job training. “We will at both a state and federal level continue that commitment,” Tierney said.

Unlike the active duty armed forces, the National Guard is made up of civilians who hold outside jobs in addition to their military service. Several Guardsmen said that made their units better prepared during their deployments.

747.jpgMembers of the 747th Military Police Company receive their battle streamer to honor their service in Iraq at a State House ceremony on Sept. 17, 2013. 

Capt. Tyler Field is a civilian police officer and a member of the 747th Military Police Company, which deployed to Iraq in 2009-2010. Having actual police officers training a civilian police force in Iraq “gives us more credibility” among Iraqis, Field said.

“We bring a different skill set to the fight,” said Command Sgt. Major Jay Sartori of the 181st Infantry Regiment. Satori said often a National Guard unit will have carpenters or electricians, who can be helpful when it comes to repairing a building on a military base.

Several guardsmen stressed the importance of support from civilians when they return home. The biggest challenge facing many returning veterans is the need to find a job, Couture said. He said many also face emotional stress, in ways civilians do not understand.

1st Sgt. Eric Vogelsang of the 747th Military Police Company said he had a “pretty seamless” transition back to work as the operations manager for a construction company. In general, he said, soldiers “need everyone’s support to help get reestablished and situated with employment and education.”

Twitter posts alert former Patriots lineman Brian Holloway of 400 teens trashing his NY home

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Holloway said the partiers caused at least $20,000 in damage, breaking windows and doors, punching holes in walls and spraying graffiti.

ALBANY, N.Y. — Former NFL offensive lineman Brian Holloway initially thought the Twitter photos showing young people partying at his family's second home in upstate New York were a hoax. Then he saw pictures of teenagers standing on the dining room table he bought with his Super Bowl bonus.

Holloway's rural vacation home was trashed during a Labor Day weekend party attended by up to 400 teenagers. Holloway said the partiers caused at least $20,000 in damage, breaking windows and doors, punching holes in walls and spraying graffiti. He saw the whole thing unfold live on Twitter — and now he's using the teens' own posts to reveal their identities and to try to set them on a better path.

Holloway, who played offensive tackle for the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Raiders in the 1980s, said his 19-year-old son, a University of Southern Florida sophomore, alerted him to the party after receiving tweets about it the night of Aug. 31.

Holloway was at his home in Lutz, Fla., at the time and watched as more tweets about the party were posted, many of them accompanied by photos of young people drinking throughout his home in Stephentown, on the Massachusetts border 25 miles southeast of Albany.

"We were getting eyewitness reports of what was happening while it was happening. We couldn't believe what was going down," Holloway told The Associated Press.

Before he could call police, more tweets reported that officers had arrived, Holloway said. The partygoers scattered across his 200-acre property, which includes the main house and a guest house set amid rolling countryside in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains.

Yvonne Keefe, spokeswoman for the Rensselaer County Sheriff's Office, confirmed Wednesday that a "very large investigation" into the party was underway. Police believe 200 to 400 young people were at the party, but investigators aren't commenting on the role social media is playing in the probe, she said.

No arrests have been reported.

Word of the party had spread via social media, and it attracted students at high schools from the Albany area and western Massachusetts, Holloway said. Holloway, who's now a motivational speaker, said he gave anti-drug and alcohol talks at some of those same schools during his playing days, which included an appearance in Super Bowl XX, when the Patriots lost to the Chicago Bears.

Holloway said the partiers broke about 10 windows and glass doors, punched dozens of holes in the walls, dragged kegs of beer across oak floors and left behind an "enormous amount" of graffiti. His $20,000 damage estimate does not include personal items that were stolen.

Several teens who weren't at the party but heard about it showed up this week and helped remove urine-soaked carpets and 10 large trash bags filled with liquor bottles, Holloway said, adding that drug paraphernalia also was found scattered about his property.

Holloway, a father of eight, said he used Twitter postings to compile 200 names of teens he said were at the party. He has been posting them on a website — helpmesave300 — in an effort to get them to come forward, take responsibility for their actions and change their behavior.

"It's not hard to identify who they were. We've got 170 tweets. We have 200 to 220 names already confirmed today. I'm going to go online right now — I guarantee I'll have 10 more names of people who are sharing who was there, what they did. And that data is all going to the sheriffs," Holloway said.

He said he is inviting "the 300" to show up and help clean the place up for a celebration picnic he is hosting this weekend for military personnel.

"We need to get these young kids turned around," he said "We need to get them on the right track."

The superintendent for a district where Holloway said some of the partiers go to school said one student had been confirmed as having been at the party. Averill Park Superintendent James Hoffman said the underage drinking party is a police matter but will be used to educate other students about personal behavior.

"It will be brought up in freshman seminar classes about kids making choices," Hoffman said. "It's definitely a topic that'll come up in places like that."

NFL: Cleveland Browns trade Trent Richardson to Indianapolis Colts

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Trent Richardson didn't fit into the Browns' plans. They're pushing forward without him.

BEREA, Ohio -- Trent Richardson didn't fit into the Browns' plans. They're pushing forward without him.

Cleveland traded the powerful running back to the Indianapolis Colts on Wednesday, a stunning move just two games into this season and only one year after drafting Richardson in the first round.

Richardson was dealt for a first-round selection in next year's draft, when the Browns will have two opening-round picks and 10 overall. Cleveland is rebuilding and the team hopes to use those picks -- seven in the first four rounds -- to help turn around a floundering franchise mired in losing for more than a decade.

Such a reversal was what the Browns had in mind when they took Richardson with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2011 draft. The former Alabama seemed to have it all: power, speed and good hands.

But Richardson apparently isn't the kind of back Cleveland's front office wants or one for first-year coach Rob Chudzinski's offensive system. Richardson, who rushed for 950 yards as a rookie despite playing most of last season with two broken ribs, gained just 105 yards on 31 carries in Cleveland's two losses this season.

He lacked the explosiveness the Browns' new regime was looking for, and it may not have helped that Richardson made it clear he wanted the ball more.

The shocking trade came on the same day Chudzinski announced that third-string quarterback Brian Hoyer will start Sunday against Minnesota. Hoyer got the surprising nod over backup Jason Campbell to fill in for starter Brandon Weeden, who is sidelined with a sprained right thumb.

Like Richardson, Weeden's days could be numbered in Cleveland, where the Browns have started 19 quarterbacks since 1999 and are still looking for the right one. Next year's draft class includes several top-flight QBs and the Browns could be loading up on picks to make sure they get one.

In addition, the Browns are bringing in free agent running back Willis McGahee for a physical and will sign him if he passes. A two-time Pro Bowl pick, McGahee was most recently with Denver.

McGahee rushed for 731 yards in 10 games for the Broncos last season. He has also played for Buffalo and Baltimore, gaining 8,097 career yards on 1,957 carries.

Earlier in the day, Richardson, who has been slowed by injuries throughout his brief pro career, talked to Minnesota reporters on a conference about the pressure and expectations that come with being such a high draft pick.

"I think people make it more pressure than what it is," he said. "I just like to play football. At the end of the day, I'm going to play football like I've always been coached. The way I've always played. I'm going to be physical, fast, I'm going to be up-tempo, I'm going to be the one who's trying to lead by example. No matter what, that's a big reason why I fought through injury last year with broken ribs and two knee surgeries, because I know that being a first-round pick what the expectations are of you, and me being the man that I am, the athlete I am, I'm not going to sit down unless my legs are broke.

"So if I can still run and I can still catch the ball, I'm playing."

Browns CEO Joe Banner said the decision to deal Richardson is in keeping with a plan to overhaul the team.

"Trent's a great player and we expect him to have success in this league," Banner said. "Right now, based on how we're building this team for sustainable success, we're going to be aggressive and do what it takes to assemble a team that consistently wins."

Richardson's role with the Brown has been perplexing under Chudzinski. He only had 13 carries in the season opener against Miami and did not have one rushing attempt in the fourth quarter. Last week, he said he wanted more carries and had 18 in Sunday's loss to the Ravens for 58 yards.

MetroEast Hometown Notes: Monson Free Library events, Holland Trails Committee plans workday; Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary in Wales hosts motor tour and wildlife walk

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The Quabbin Photo Group will feature a presentation by John Van de Graaff at its monthly meeting on Sept. 23 called "Wildlife on the Galapagos Islands." The meeting is open to the public free of charge and will be held at the Quabbin Visitor's Center, off Route 9 in Belchertown.

Autumn motor tour

WALES - An autumn motor tour of Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary will be held on Sept. 28 at 1 p.m.

The naturalist-guided ride will last approximately one-and-a-half hours and will be offered free of charge. Space is limited; call (413) 267-9654 or e-mail ohop@norcrossws.org for reservations. Additional tours are available; contact the sanctuary for information.

Nature walk

WALES - Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary will hold a nature walk on Oct. 4 at 2 p.m.

Participants will look for unusual plants, enjoy the fall color, check out beaver lodges and watch for signs of wildlife. This program is conducted off of the visitors’ trails and offers a rare chance to see some of the sanctuary's more interesting sights. This is a moderately difficult, two-hour walk.

Call (413) 267-9654 or email ohop@norcrossws.org to register.

Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary, 30 Peck Road, has walking trails open from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday, weather permitting. There is no admission charge.

Monson Democrats



MONSON
- Monson Democratic Town Committee will meet on Sept. 26 at 7:30 p.m., at the Polish American Citizen Club, 7 Bliss St.

Interested Monson residents are invited to attend. Call (413) 218-6271 with questions.

Quabbin Photo Group


BELCHERTOWN
- The Quabbin Photo Group will feature a presentation by John Van de Graaff, of Northampton, at its monthly meeting on Sept. 23 called "Wildlife on the Galapagos Islands."

The meeting is open to the public free of charge and will be held at the Quabbin Visitor's Center, off Route 9. For information, call Elaine Darr-Morton at (413) 323-9212.

Trail work

HOLLAND - A trail workday will be held Sept. 28, from 8:30 a.m. to noon, by the Holland Trails Committee.

Meet at 8:30 at the canoe launch and trail head on Pond Bridge Road.

The portion of the trail that will be worked on has been scraped, the pavement pulverized, and grading completed.

Volunteers will apply the final surface, a mix of stone dust and gravel. Volunteers with tractors and dump trucks are needed to do this work. The next task will be maintaining the existing trail with brush clearing and weed removal. Shovels, rakes, loppers, trowels, and work gloves are needed. Pizza will be provided to the volunteers.

The committee also is sponsoring a "Walktober Trail Ride" on Oct. 19, from 9:30 a.m. to noon.

It is part of the Walktober celebration sponsored by The Last Green Valley. Participants will meet at the trail head on Pond Bridge Road. At 9:30 a.m., there will be a safety check and minor adjustments by a mechanic from Bicycle Concepts. The ride is from 10 a.m. to noon with options for a shorter ride. It is mostly on trails, though a small part is on little-traveled public roads. Helmets are required. This is a family activity.

For information about the events, email hallerr@cox.net or call (413) 245-7745.


Celtic knots



MONSON
- Monson Free Library, on High Street, will hold Celtic knot workshops on Oct. 15 and 29, and Nov. 19, from 6 to 7:45 p.m. with the Rev. Bob Marone, pastor of the First Church.

These workshops will begin with the basics and gradually grow more intricate. Call (413) 267-3866 for information.

Mount Tom geology talk

MONSON- A color slideshow and presentation on "The Kingdom of Mt. Tom" will be held on Oct. 17 from 6 to 7:45 p.m. at Monson Free Library, High Street.

The geology and history of Mount Tom will be discussed by John Bator, a member of the Pascommuck Conservation Trust. Call (413) 267-3866 for information.

'Boo Bash'

MONSON - Monson Free Library, on High Street, will hold a "Boo Bash" on Oct. 26 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The family event will feature games, crafts, snacks, and a balloon sculptress. Call (413) 267-3866 for information.

Wright Builders of Northampton ready to begin new Village Hill project

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Wright Builders of Northampton to begin new Village Hill project next month.

NORTHAMPTON – Wright Builders plans to begin work this fall on the first phase of a new 28-unit development at Village Hill after securing Planning Board approval last week.

Wright Builders is planning a seven-building project called The Upper Ridge on about 2.3 acres on the east and west sides of Village Hill Road, south of the existing Coach House and west and north of Beech Tree Park on currently undeveloped land, according to the plans.

The $11 million project includes two-story townhouses with two-, three- and four-unit buildings and three-story “flats” with six units. The flats feature single-level living.

The project will unfold in four phases over four years, according to a release from Wright Builders. The first phase is expected to be ready for occupancy next summer.

According the design guidelines for Village Hill, the major buildings will be oriented towards the street or park space where available. There will landscaping to “ensure the project fits into the surrounding development as best we can,” according to the application.
Kuhn Riddle Architects of Amherst is designing the units that will range from 1,310 to 1,788 square feet.

This is the fourth project for Wright Builders at Village Hill. Twenty-eight other units are already occupied.

According to a Wright Builders press release, units from the first phase will sell from the high $200,000s to mid $400,000s.

A ground-breaking celebration will be held next month for the project at the same time as a ribbon-cutting for The Gatehouse, a 16,300-square-foot, two-story commercial space on the north side of the former Northampton State Hospital campus. Wright Builders constructed The Gatehouse as well.

Fazzi Associates, a national company that provides training for home care and hospice for seniors, will occupy about 10,000 square feet of the Gatehouse, moving here from the Potpourri Mall.

VA says Navy gunman Aaron Alexis never revealed homicidal thoughts

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The man who gunned down 12 people at the Washington Navy Yard on Monday visited two hospitals in the weeks before the rampage but denied that he was depressed or having thoughts of harming himself or others, the Department of Veterans Affairs said Wednesday.

919navy.JPGAn FBI evidence response team vehicle is parked outside Building 197 at the Navy Yard in Washington as evidence is collected Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013. A gunman killed 12 people at the base on Monday, Sept. 16, 2013. 

By ERIC TUCKER

WASHINGTON — The man who gunned down 12 people at the Washington Navy Yard on Monday visited two hospitals in the weeks before the rampage but denied that he was depressed or having thoughts of harming himself or others, the Department of Veterans Affairs said Wednesday.

Aaron Alexis, a former Navy reservist who died in a police shootout after the rampage, complained of insomnia during an Aug. 23 emergency room visit to the VA Medical Center in Providence, R.I. He was given sleep medication and advised to follow up with a doctor. He made a similar visit five days later to the VA hospital in Washington, when he again complained of not being able to sleep because of his work schedule. His medication was refilled.

The VA's statement, presented to lawmakers Wednesday, comes as investigators continue focusing on the erratic behavior of a 34-year-old man who law enforcement officials say was grappling with paranoia and reported hearing voices and being followed.

Two weeks before his ER visit, for instance, he complained to police in Rhode Island that people were talking to him through the walls and ceilings of his hotel room and sending microwave vibrations into his body to deprive him of sleep. Navy officials said the Newport police reported the incident to officers at the base security office, but nothing more was done about it because he did not appear to be a threat to himself or anyone else at the time.

Despite the apparent concerns over his mental health and past run-ins with the law, Alexis maintained his security clearance as he arrived in Washington in late August for a job as an information technology employee at a defense-related computer company.

Alexis had been a full-time Navy reservist from 2007 to early 2011, and a Navy spokesman said his security clearance, at the "secret level," was good for 10 years from when he got it.

On the morning of the shooting, he used a valid badge to gain access to the sprawling Navy Yard and Building 197, bringing with him a sawed-off shotgun on which the cryptic messages of "better off this way" and "my ELF weapon" were scrawled, according to a law enforcement document reviewed by The Associated Press. The meaning of those words wasn't immediately clear.

The motive of the shooting also remains unclear, though investigators have focused on Alexis's mental health and alarming behavior displayed in the weeks before the massacre.

Alexis had enrolled in VA health care in February 2011, and received monthly disability payments of $395 for orthopedic problems and ringing in his ears, according to the VA. He never sought an appointment from a mental health specialist and either canceled or failed to show up for primary care appointments he had scheduled at VA hospitals, the department said.

Meanwhile, Alexis's mother said Wednesday she does not know why her son opened fire on office workers and police. Cathleen Alexis read a brief statement inside her New York home, her voice shaking. She did not take questions from a reporter.

"Aaron is now in a place where he can no longer do harm to anyone, and for that I am glad," Cathleen Alexis said. "To the families of the victims, I am so so very sorry that this has happened. My heart is broken."

Alexis had with him during the massacre a handgun he picked up inside the building and a legally obtained Remington 870 Express shotgun.

The shotgun was brought into the building disassembled and pieced together by Alexis once inside, according to a law enforcement official and a senior defense official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

That firearm would not be covered under a proposed weapons ban supported by the White House. The ban was introduced in the Senate earlier this year and would prohibit 157 specific firearms designed for military and law enforcement use, and it would exempt more than 2,200 others.

The rampage and shootout spanned more than 30 minutes. One District of Columbia police officer was shot and wounded in the legs but survived. The U.S. Capitol Police, which protects members of Congress and Congressional buildings, announced Wednesday that it has ordered an investigation into the force's response. The fact review team is expected to look into reports that one of the force's tactical response teams arrived within minutes of the shootings and was told by a Capitol Police supervisor to stand down. The Navy Yard is less than three miles from the Capitol complex.

Senate Sergeant at Arms Terrance Gainer said in an email that if the reports are accurate, "It would be an unbearable failure. The Police Board will conduct a review of all facts related to our response. "

The shooting also raised questions about the adequacy of background checks for government contractors who have access to sensitive information. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has also ordered two sweeping reviews of military security and employee screening programs, acknowledging Wednesday that "a lot of red flags" may have been missed in the background of the Washington Navy Yard shooter.

"Obviously, there were a lot of red flags," Hagel told reporters at a Pentagon briefing. "Why they didn't get picked, why they didn't get incorporated into the clearance process, what he was doing — those are all legitimate questions that we're going to be dealing with."

The Navy Yard, located in southeast Washington, was set to return to mostly normal operations Thursday, although Building 197 and the gym, which is being used as a staging area for the FBI, will remain closed. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are expected to attend a memorial service for the shooting victims on Sunday.

Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Lolita Caldor, Laurie Kellman, Alicia A. Caldwell and Eileen Sullivan in Washington contributed to this report.


Extended school day discussed during education forum at Putnam Vocational Technical High School in Springfield

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The panel discussion was held by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees.

SPRINGFIELD - Changing the school calendar and extending the school day could make a difference in improving the educational achievements of urban students, state Rep. Aaron Vega, D-Holyoke, said at a panel discussion held Wednesday night at Putnam Vocational Technical High School by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees.

In urban areas, students experience a loss of learning during the summer months, Vega said at the panel discussion on the state of education in Massachusetts.

“We are still on an agrarian calendar. This is outdated for gateway cities such as Springfield, Holyoke and Fall River,” Vega said.

Paul Toner, president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, suggested that expanded learning time should come from the communities up, not from the top down.

The biggest opponents of expanding the school day and changing school vacation days will be the middle class suburban parents, he said.

Some middle class parents oppose an 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. school day, he said. They have enrichment activities planned for students after school such as music lessons, he said.

Holyoke School Committee member Michael Moriarty said summer vacation is no longer agrarian, but parents have built their lives around it. Parents have time share weeks and vacation homes, he said.

Moriarty added that another impenetrable barrier to lengthening time in school are teacher contracts which stipulate vacation time and the length of the school day.

Moriarty said there are 360 collective bargaining units in the state.

Vega said the school calendar could be changed without increasing the number of days students are in school.

Instead of a long summer vacation, students could have two-week winter and spring vacations, he said.

Toner said that as state Attorney General Martha Coakley prepares her campaign for governor, he would advise her not to talk about expanding the school day as it will not be popular with a lot of voters.

A longer school day should be entered into voluntarily, Toner said. He said regional rural school districts have transportation issues and ice and snow which would be an obstacle to extending the school day.

“This can’t be a one size fits all,” he said.

Panelists at the forum which was moderated by Ludlow School Committee member Jacob Oliveira also discussed the opportunities that adding online courses could bring to increasing educational opportunities in the state.



Western Massachusetts firefighters battle wild fires in Montana, California

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Since 1985, Massachusetts has been deploying firefighters to other states to help combat wild fires.

DCR firefighters.jpgView full sizeDepartment of Conservation and Recreation firefighters, from left, Sam Schilling, Eric Rogers and Jesse Hanecak, and Hampden County fire warden Trevor Augustino. All four recently returned from deployments to Montana and California to aid in wild fire suppression in those states. 

CHICOPEE – Those in the trade call it being “bitten by the fire bug” and Jesse Hanecak, Eric Rogers and Sam Schilling all say they've been bitten pretty bad.

To those who have been bitten, being off for weeks at a time to fight a wild fire in areas so remote they are inaccessible by most forms of modern transportation is not just a job, nor just an adventure; it’s a calling.

Hanecak, of Whately, Rogers, of Holyoke, and Schilling, of Northampton, are firefighters with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. They were among a group of 22 DCR and municipal firefighters who were recently deployed to combat wild fires at Lolo National Forest near Missoula, Mont.

The group spent three weeks at Lolo, aggressively attacking small fires in order to prevent them from growing larger and out of control.

Originally they were to be deployed to Lolo National Park for two weeks, but as fires continued to be sparked by lightning strikes, their time was extended for another week.
In that 21 days, they must have fought and contained more than a dozen fires, some between five and 20 acres, and one during their final week in the area of Welcome Creek Wilderness Area that grew to cover more than 500 acres.

Hanecak, who has been part of the summer deployments just about every year since 2006, recalls fighting a fire high on a peak in Nevada several years ago and taking time out to watch the panorama of aircraft dropping water on a fire in the valley below him.

That’s when it occurred to him that he really loves his work.

“Just being a part of all that. Where else do you get to see this and do this,” he said. “This is awesome.”

Fighting a fire in the woods is not the same as fighting a house fire in the suburbs. There is no hydrant nearby, there are no hoses, and there no fire trucks. And even if there were, there are few if any roads.

Sometimes they would be airlifted by helicopter to somewhere close to the fire, and sometimes they would walk six miles or more, carrying axes, shovels, chainsaws and whatever other gear they would need. DCR firefighters have to pass a fitness test that requires them to cover three miles in 45 minutes while carrying a 45-pound pack.

Hanecak said they were in wooded areas so remote, it would not surprise him if they were the first people to ever go there, nor the last as well.

In Montana, the conditions were ripe for wild fires, Hanecak said. Conditions were dry with little rain, and storms producing “dry lightning’ causes flare-ups all over the place.

As front-line firefighters, it was their job to charge in and deal with it.

Often they would clear a lot of trees and brush around the perimeter of the fire area to create a fire cut, or a gap in the woods to keep the fire from spreading.

The only water on the scene would come from the buckets dropped by helicopters, and the firefighters would charge in to smother the flames with shovelfuls of dirt.

“We call it dry mopping,” he said.

Schilling said that often they did not make it out to the fire scene until 7 p.m., and they would work through the night wearing headlamps. He said they’d turn in around midnight, camping out 100 yards or so away from the fire scene, then they’d wake up in the morning and start fighting it again in the morning light.

If that sounds like dirty, sweaty, miserable work, Hanecak, Rogers and Schilling agree but only to a point.

“It is dirty and sweaty,” said Hanecak.

“But I wouldn’t call it miserable. It was pretty fun,” Schilling said. “I prefer to be in the woods to be in an office all day.”

Trevor Augustino of Granby, the DCR Hampden County fire warden, had a different assignment.

Augustino was sent to Alaska to be in charge of communication for a wild fire in Mississippi region of the state. But after a week, rain came to help contain the fire, and Augustino was transferred to Northern California where he was public information officer for the Rim Fire near Yosemite National Forest.

Trevor augustino.jpgTrevor Augustino, of Hampden, the DCR District 11 fire warden for Hampden County points to a map showing the scope of the Rim Fire near Yosemite National Park. The fire covered an area roughly 254,000 acres. 

The Rim Fire at 250,000 acres was the fourth largest wild fire in California history and at one point threatened the water supply for San Francisco.

The scale of the fire is difficult to comprehend, but Augustino said one day, he drove from the fire command center in the middle of the fire zone to the outage. It took two hours.

As Public Information Officer, Augustino was in charge of communications, not with members of the press, but members of the public eager to learn if they had to abandon their homes or not.

“A lot of people wanted information about evacuations. We were getting calls every half minute from callers looking to see what was going on and if they were in danger.”:
The fire had close to 5,000 fire personnel on scene.

“It was the most dynamic situation I’ve ever been in,” he said

Massachusetts is a part of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group, said Massachusetts Fire Warden David Celino. Each year, Massachusetts sends fire personnel to assist with fires in other states under an agreement with the U.S. Forest Service.

Massachusetts has participated in the program since 1985, he said. “It’s kind of like a national mutual aid,” he said. Mutual aid is a system where neighboring fire departments agree to dispatch assistance to any municipal department that has its hands full with a fire.

All costs associated with the deployments, including salary, lodging and meals for the firefighters, are paid by the federal government.

Wild fire season in Massachusetts is typically in the early spring and late fall when it’s dry and the woods are loaded with combustible sticks and leaves. The wild fire season in California and the Rocky Mountains is in August.

Deployment during the off-season, Shilling said, “helps us stay on our toes and keeps us in a state of readiness.

Giving aid out west also aids the Massachusetts firefighters in gaining experience that they can apply back home, Rogers said.

“It gives us a ton of training opportunities,” Rogers said.

“The experiences we get out of it to bring back to Massachusetts makes it well worth it.” Hanecak said.

Road work at Northampton and West streets expected to slow Easthampton traffice further; people advised to find alternate routes

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From 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., a road crew will be milling Northampton Street between Mill and West streets to prepare it for paving.

EASTHAMPTON - The Easthampton police are warning motorists that road work planned for Thursday on a section of Northampton Street near the Manhan Bridge construction site is expected to slow traffic further.

People are being advised by police to seek alternative routes or expect lengthy delays.

From 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., a road crew will be milling Northampton Street between Mill and West streets to prepare it for paving.

West Street is already being used one of the two main detours while a section of Northampton Street is closed off due to the bridge project.

Westfield school dress code enforcement continues but may be reviewed, officials say

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WESTFIELD – Administrators from at least two city schools are continuing to enforce the dress policy, “a hot topic” that the School Committee has sent to its human resource and policy sub-committee for further review. Meanwhile, Westfield High School and South Middle School students remain under scrutiny from teachers and administrators charged with enforcing a dress code that may be...

WESTFIELD – Administrators from at least two city schools are continuing to enforce the dress policy, “a hot topic” that the School Committee has sent to its human resource and policy sub-committee for further review.

Meanwhile, Westfield High School and South Middle School students remain under scrutiny from teachers and administrators charged with enforcing a dress code that may be outdated, School Committee Secretary Cynthia Sullivan said.

“We may or may not do anything, but this gives us the opportunity to look at it,” she said. “The policy has not been reviewed in a long time.”

A meeting time for the human resource and policy committee has not yet been set, Sullivan said, but will meet after the WHS Parent Association Council meets in the hopes that those parents will bring their recommendations to the School Committee.

“We want to wait for the school council to meet so that we can hear from them,” she said. “That will allow principals to weigh in on the subject. I would like to hear from parents and kids. This is a collaboration. It’s not just the School Committee deciding. We want everyone to be heard.”

Sullivan said the policy has not been updated in at least 20 years. The dress code could require more current language broad enough to leave open for interpretation.

“I understand that dress is a form of expression, but we have to keep a handle on it because it’s our job to guide kids and show them what is appropriate,” she said. “A lot of companies have dress policies for the same reason. Teenagers push boundaries in trying to express themselves.”

According to the handbook, “WHS reserves the right to prohibit clothing or manner of dress which constitutes a health or safety concern or is so unusual as to be disruptive or distracting to the educational process. This includes but is not limited to clothing that:

Has wording, pictures or designs of a graphic sexual nature

Is vulgar or plainly offensive

Displays, advertises or promotes the use of tobacco products, alcoholic beverages or illegal substances

Displays, promotes or encourages overt violence or other illegal activity

See-through clothing, bare backs or midriffs, short shorts or skirts, exceptionally soiled or torn clothing, bandannas

If such clothing is worn to school, students will be required to change or cover the clothing before returning to class or school activity.”

Superintendent of Schools Suzanne Scallion said female students are allowed to wear skinny jeans as long as they are paired with an appropriate top.

“The key word is appropriate,” she said.

Scallion also said she is amazed by the way the issue has been blown out of proportion when the vast majority of students comply with the rules.

“This really is a non-issue in a school where kids are thriving and achieving,” she said. “I’m proud of our students.

The superintendent added she does not regret WHS Principal Jonathan Carter’s decision to enforce a dress policy that is clearly outlined in the handbook sent to parents and students for their signatures every year.

“We’ve moved through this, and we’ve learned a lot,” Scallion said.

Sullivan said she the parents who have contacted her support the policy enforcement.

Syrian President Bashar Assad denies his forces conducted chemical attack

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Syrian President Bashar Assad said a United Nations report finding "clear and convincing evidence" sarin nerve gas was used in Syria painted an "unrealistic" account, and he denied his government orchestrated the attack.

919assad.JPG Syrian President Bashar Assad listens during an interview at the presidential palace in Damascus, Syria. Assad says a U.N. report that found "clear and convincing evidence" of a sarin nerve gas attack in Syria last month is "unrealistic" and denies his regime orchestrated the attack that killed hundreds. 

House Republicans threaten to push U.S. into default unless health care overhaul is defunded

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By DAVID ESPO WASHINGTON — House Republicans vowed Wednesday to pass legislation that would prevent a partial government shutdown and avoid a historic national default while simultaneously canceling out President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, inaugurating a new round of political brinkmanship as critical deadlines approach. Obama swiftly condemned the effort as attempted political extortion, and the Republican-friendly Chamber...

919budget.JPGFrom left, Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb., House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., and Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, wait to speak with reporters following a strategy session at the Capitol, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013. House GOP leaders are looking to reverse course and agree to tea party demands to try to use a vote this week on a must-pass temporary government funding bill to block implementation of President Barack Obama's health care law. 

By DAVID ESPO

WASHINGTON — House Republicans vowed Wednesday to pass legislation that would prevent a partial government shutdown and avoid a historic national default while simultaneously canceling out President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, inaugurating a new round of political brinkmanship as critical deadlines approach.

Obama swiftly condemned the effort as attempted political extortion, and the Republican-friendly Chamber of Commerce pointedly called on lawmakers to pass urgent spending and borrowing legislation — unencumbered by debate over "Obamacare."

The two-step strategy announced by House Speaker John Boehner marked a concession to his confrontational rank and file. At the same time, it represented a challenge to conservatives inside the Senate and out who have spent the summer seeking the votes needed to pull the president's cherished health care law out by its roots. They now will be called on to deliver.

"The fight over here has been won. The House has voted 40 times to defund, change Obamacare, to repeal it. It's time for the Senate to have this fight," said Boehner, an Ohio Republican.

As outlined by several officials, Boehner and the leadership intend to set a House vote for Friday on legislation to fund the government through Dec. 15 at existing levels while permanently defunding the health care law. The same bill will include a requirement for Treasury to give priority to Social Security and disability payments in the event the government reaches its borrowing limit and cannot pay all of its obligations.

A second measure, to be brought to the floor as early as next week, would allow Treasury to borrow freely for one year.

That same bill is also expected to be loaded with other requirements, including the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline from Canada to the United States, a project that environmentalists oppose and that the Obama administration has so far refused to approve. Other elements will reflect different Republican budget priorities, including as-yet-undisclosed savings from health care and government benefit programs and steps to speed work on an overhaul of the tax code.

Prospects for passage of the two bills are high in the House, where Republicans have a majority and leaders pronounced the rank and file united behind the strategy.

But both measures are certain to be viewed as non-starters by majority Democrats in the Senate.

Some Republicans appeared to concede during the day that the legislation that eventually reaches the White House will leave the health care law in effect.

"I don't think that any reasonable person thinks there's anything to be gained by a government shutdown," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. "Rather than a shutdown of government, what we need is a Republican victory in 2014 so we can be in control. I'm not sure those are mutually compatible."

But a fellow Texas Republican, Sen. Ted Cruz said it was important to hold fast. He said Democrats appear at present to have the votes to restore funds for the health care law, adding, "At that point, House Republicans must stand firm, hold their ground and continue to listen to the American people."

Given the differences, it is unclear how long it will take Congress and the White House to clear the measures, and how close the government will come to a partial shutdown or a market-rattling default over the next three weeks.

Separately, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said it was time to settle the fight over raising the ceiling on government borrowing.

"This is one of the risks we are looking at," Bernanke said at a news conference, expressing concern that a lingering battle between Congress and the White House over the debt limit — and default — could slow the national economy.

At the White House, the administration's budget director, Sylvia Burwell, issued a memo to department heads that said, "Prudent management requires that agencies be prepared for the possibility of a lapse" in funding.

Congressional Democrats competed to denounce the Republican move in the strongest possible terms. Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York said the GOP was pursuing an "insane plan." Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota said, "A group of extremists is threatening to hold our government hostage."

Obama, speaking to CEOs at a meeting of the Business Roundtable, said, "You have never seen in the history of the United States the debt ceiling or the threat of not raising the debt ceiling being used to extort a president or a governing party and trying to force issues that have nothing to do with the budget and have nothing to do with the debt."

He attributed the effort to a "small faction" within the Republican Party.

R. Bruce Josten, executive vice president of the Chamber of Commerce for government affairs, urged the House in a letter to "act promptly to pass a (bill) to fund the government and to raise the debt ceiling," and then to return to health care, tax reform and other issues.

Whatever its ultimate impact on Republican lawmakers, the letter stands as a counter to an aggressive campaign by tea party-aligned groups including the Senate Conservatives Fund, Heritage Action and the Club for Growth in recent weeks to generate support for legislation to defund the administration's health care overhaul.

Also on Wednesday, a large group of House conservatives proposed the Republicans' first comprehensive alternative to the health care overhaul. It would provide expanded tax breaks for consumers who purchase their own insurance and increase government funding for high-risk insurance pools.

Under that proposal by the Republican Study Committee, people who buy coverage approved for sale in their states could claim a deduction of $7,500 against their income and payroll taxes, regardless of the cost of the insurance. Families could deduct $20,000. The RSC claims a membership of 175 members, about three-quarters of the House Republican rank and file.

The bill's introduction comes at a time when party leaders have yet to advance any comprehensive alternative to the law Obama signed in 2010, though the GOP House has voted repeatedly to repeal all or part of it. The GOP pledged three years ago to "repeal and replace" the existing law, a promise Obama often notes with disdain.

The approach outlined Wednesday by Boehner and the GOP leadership team underscored how quickly tea party lawmakers have shifted their principal focus in the weeks since Cruz and Sen. Mike Lee of Utah as well as the outside groups began stressing the issue in TV ads.

The leadership's initial proposal for avoiding a partial government shutdown was to couple funding for federal programs with a requirement for the Senate to cast a vote on defunding the health care program, a requirement that could easily have been evaded.

Conservatives quickly rebelled against that approach, forcing Boehner and his lieutenants to regroup.

Even as they did, they sought to emphasize their commitment to cutting federal spending and curtailing the debt, two issues that have consistently united the fractious rank and file since Republicans took control of the House nearly three years ago.

"Not since the Korean War has the federal government reduced spending two years in a row. We aim to make that happen," said the Republican majority leader, Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia.

Spending would be set at $986.3 billion for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, although that would be further reduced in January by a new round of across-the-board sequester cuts that would trim the level to $967 billion.

"There should be no conversation about shutting the government down. That's not the goal here," Boehner said.

Republicans paid a heavy political price two decades ago as the result of twin government shutdowns, at a time then-Speaker Newt Gingrich was insisting President Bill Clinton agree to cuts in Medicare, Medicaid and other popular programs.

Nor are Republicans eager to shoulder the blame for any market-shaking government default, which would probably occur if the Treasury could not continue to borrow funds to pay debts already incurred. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew has estimated that without action by Congress, that default will arrive in mid-October.

Associated Press writers Donna Cassata, Andrew Taylor and Jim Kuhnhenn contributed to this story.

Walgreen moves health coverage to private exchange

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Walgreen Co. is joining a growing push from big businesses to shift more responsibility for finding insurance onto their employees as health care costs continue to climb.

919walgreens.JPGWalgreen Co. will become the latest big employer to send its workers shopping for their health insurance coverage instead of providing a few plan choices for them. The nation's largest drugstore chain said Wednesday Sept. 18, 2013 that it will start giving workers a contribution toward the cost of coverage and then send them to a private health insurance exchange where they will pick from as many as 25 plans. Walgreen currently offers its workers two to four options depending on where the employee lives.  

By TOM MURPHY

Walgreen Co. is joining a growing push from big businesses to shift more responsibility for finding insurance onto their employees as health care costs continue to climb.

The nation's largest drugstore chain said Wednesday that it will send workers to a private health insurance exchange where they will pick from as many as 25 plans instead of having the company give them two to four options.

Employers normally pay most of the coverage cost, and Walgreen's contribution toward the benefit won't change. It said the move will give its workers more choices and help them become better consumers.

"I think the only way to drive down costs in the health care space is to have the consumer buying the health care be knowledgeable and educated and understand what they are buying, " said Tom Sondergeld, senior director of health and wellbeing for the Deerfield, Ill., company.

Employers have struggled for years with health care costs that climb faster than inflation and consume growing portions of their budgets. More are starting to veer from the decades-old practice of offering workers only a plan or two with benefits the employee might not want.

The alternative, called defined contribution health insurance, involves giving employees a set amount of money and then letting them pick their own coverage through a private marketplace or exchange that helps them sort out the choices.

The switch can make the employer's health care costs more predictable or give them a way to reduce the amount they spend per employee. Proponents of the approach say it also forces employees to pay more attention to the cost of their coverage, and that will make insurers compete more on price.

But it also means workers who are used to having their coverage chosen for them could wind up with big medical bills and inadequate coverage if they don't pick wisely.

The exchanges are similar to the public exchanges or marketplaces that will debut next month for coverage that starts in 2014 as part of the health care overhaul, the massive federal law that aims to cover millions of uninsured people.

Sears Holdings Corp. and Darden Restaurants Inc., which operates the Red Lobster and Olive Garden chains, are among the companies that have already shifted to this approach with a private exchange run by benefits consultant Aon Hewitt.

Walgreen runs more than 8,100 drugstores nationwide and provides health coverage for about 180,000 employees and dependents. It also will use Aon Hewitt's exchange for coverage that starts next year.

Aon Hewitt expects enrollment in its exchange business to triple to more than 600,000 people for coverage that starts next year. The consultant said it has 18 companies, each with more than 5,000 employees, lined up for 2014.

Employees using the Aon Hewitt exchange answer between 10 and 15 questions to figure out which plan may work best for them. One of the questions asks whether the employee could handle a $1,500 medical bill. That helps determine whether a high-deductible plan would work for the employee. Those plans are cheaper than traditional coverage but require the employee to pay more upfront for care before most coverage begins.

The process of picking coverage is more complex than other consumer decisions like making trip plans on a travel website

"It's a little bit more involved than buying a plane ticket, but I don't think it's more involved than buying a TV," said Ken Sperling, Aon Hewitt's national health exchange strategy leader.

The employer's contribution to coverage purchased on these exchanges may wind up covering a greater or smaller portion of the insurance bill than the worker is accustomed. It depends on the plan selected.

Workers who use these exchanges also can wind up paying a bigger share of the insurance bill over time if the contribution from their company doesn't climb to keep up with insurance costs or the worker doesn't chose a cheaper plan.

Sondergeld, the Walgreen executive, said his company will consider adjusting its contribution in the future if needed.

Employer-sponsored coverage is the most common form of health insurance in the United States, covering more than 149 million non-elderly people. Benefits experts say defined contribution plans make up a relatively small slice of that total, but the trend is expected to grow, especially with big companies.

A total of 29 percent of firms with 5,000 or more employees surveyed earlier this year by the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation said they are considering offering benefits through a private exchange. In contrast, only 7 percent of companies with 200 to 999 workers are considering it.

The consulting firm Accenture projects that private health insurance exchanges will become bigger than the overhaul's public version by 2018. It expects about 40 million people to be enrolled in coverage through a private exchange that year, compared to 31 million enrolled through the public version.

That's a big leap from next year, when Accenture expects private exchange enrollment, counting workers and retirees not yet eligible for Medicare, to total 1 million.

Health benefits trends tend to grow slowly. Many companies prefer to wait to see how other companies fare after making a big switch before they try it on their own employees.

But benefits experts say more companies are starting to appreciate the stability defined contribution plans offer. The approach means a company that pays its employee medical bills isn't on the hook for an unexpected expense if a wave of big claims hits during the year.

"It's something they can budget for as opposed to something they are surprised with," Aon Hewitt's Sperling said.


Route 20 accident snarls West Springfield traffic; driver escapes serious injury

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One of the drivers was taken to the hospital as a precaution following the 9 p.m. accident but he is not believed to be seriously hurt, police said.

WEST SPRINGFIELD - Traffic on Route 20 was delayed for close to an hour Wednesday night as police cleared the scene following a two-car accident at the intersection of Summit Street.

One of the drivers was taken to the hospital as a precaution following the 9 p.m. accident but he is not believed to be seriously hurt, police said.

The driver and two passengers in the other car were not injured.

The accident occurred at the intersection of Route 20, or Westfield Street, and Summit Road.

One of the cars, a late model Buick sedan, was stopped to make a left turn onto Summit when it was hit in the rear by a Subaru SUV. The impact caved in the rear of the car and send it skidding down the road and onto the sidewalk.

The road was closed in both directions while the two vehicles were towed away and debris from the accident cleaned up.


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US Census Bureau: Family incomes starting to grow in Hampshire, Franklin counties, but not in Hampden County

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The median family income in the city of Springfield $35,890 in 2012, the Census Bureau said. That's down from $36,276 in 2011, $39,611 in 2010 and $43,372 in 2009.

SPRINGFIELD — Family incomes have begun to rebound from recessionary lows in Franklin and Hampshire counties while those declines continue in Hampden County, according to updated data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey released this week.

In the city of Springfield, by far the largest population in Hampden County, a decline in median family income slowed in 2012 even as the countywide decline accelerated, according to the same set of data.

"Whatever is happening in Hampden County is not being impacted only by Springfield, which is often a common assumption," said Molly Goren-Watts, principal planner and manager of the regional information and policy center at the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission.

Statistics are only available now for the three counties and for Springfield. The Census Bureau will release statistics for cities of at least 20,000 population Oct. 24.

Using "family income" data focuses the conversation by, for example, eliminating groups of college-age roommates that are included in "household" data, Goren-Watts said. Median means half of all collected incomes are greater and half of all collected incomes are smaller.

The median family income in the city of Springfield was $35,890 in 2012, the Census Bureau said. That's down from $36,276 in 2011, $39,611 in 2010 and $43,372 in 2009.

For Hampden County as a whole, it was $48,865 for 2012, $60,056 in 2011, $58,988 in 2010 and $58,339 in 2009.

But none of those numbers is as high as the pre-recession median family income of $59,673 in 2007.

Both the Census Bureau and Goren-Watts caution that these numbers come with a pretty wide margin of error, as much as plus or minus $6,000 in Springfield's case.

 

In Hampshire County, the median family income was $78,303 in 2012, $75,551 in 2011, $80,247 in 2010 and $76,628 in 2009.

In Franklin County, it was $69,444 in 2012, $62,481 in 2011, $60,045 in 2010 and $63,604 in 2009.

The statewide median was $83,371. For the United States it was $64,293.

From 2011 to 2012 only Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts and Oregon showed increases in median household income.

According to the Census Bureau, the nation's official poverty rate in 2012 was 15 percent, which represents 46.5 million people living at or below the poverty line.

This marked the second consecutive year that neither the poverty rate nor the number of people in poverty were statistically different from the previous year's estimates. The 2012 poverty rate was 2.5 percentage points higher than in 2007, the year before the economic downturn.

"You can see the problems in the recovery that we have had," said Karl J. Petrick assistant professor of economics at Western New England University in Springfield. "This is being played out across the county"

Despite recoveries in the stock and housing markets, incomes are still down.

"What we are getting as we come out of the recession is a lot of part-time work, a lot of people working at jobs that pay a lot less than the jobs they had," Petrick said.

Income insecurity is in fact holding back the recovery, Petrick said.

"People still feel we are in the depths of a recession, though we really aren't," he said.

Ir's one reason to raise the minimum wage.

"If you put more money in household pockets, they are going to start spending," he said. "Household debt has crept up again. That's not a good way to grow the economy."

Consalvo visits North End bingo game, promises to be 'strong voice' for seniors

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City Councilor Rob Consalvo spoke with seniors at an event in the North End

BOSTON — City Councilor and mayoral candidate Rob Consalvo spoke to a group of seniors at the Nazzaro Community Center in North End on Tuesday.

Consalvo worked the room and shook the hands of all the bingo players in attendance before giving a brief speech. Consalvo said he would be "their strong voice in City Hall" and that he understands the issues of seniors.

"The seniors in Boston want to make sure when I am mayor, or whoever is mayor, that the mayor is going to be there for them," Consalvo said. "The current mayor set the bar so high on senior stuff that they want a continuation on the same kind of support."

"That means the Elderly Commission, strong advocates out in the neighborhoods, having me as the mayor regularly at their events to hear their concerns," said Consalvo.

Consalvo did manage to tailor his message ever so slightly for the North End community by mentioning that he is the only Italian-American candidate in the race.

"I am proud of being an Italian-American, so it's nice to come to talk to seniors who are of Italian descent and let them know that I am proud of my heritage and I am hopeful that they will support me," said Consalvo.

Even though Consalvo has been on TV since this summer and has a large campaign mailer going out later this week, he still thinks "shoe leather" is the best way to connect with potential voters.

"My goal, as it has been for the last five months, has been to meet as many voters as I can," said Consalvo.

Consalvo is launching a five-day citywide tour on Thursday called the "All In For Boston" tour, where he plans to make at least 15 campaign stops per day.

Whittier Street Health Center in Palmer to receive $180,000 in state funds

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BOSTON - State Sen. Stephen M. Brewer, D-Barre, announced Wednesday that Whittier Street Health Center in Palmer will receive funding to help them transition to integrated delivery systems that provide more effective and cost-efficient care to patients in need. The $182,602 in funds is part of $14.5 million in funding announced that will be divided among 57 hospitals across...

Stephen Brewer mug 2010.jpgStephen M. Brewer 

BOSTON - State Sen. Stephen M. Brewer, D-Barre, announced Wednesday that Whittier Street Health Center in Palmer will receive funding to help them transition to integrated delivery systems that provide more effective and cost-efficient care to patients in need.

The $182,602 in funds is part of $14.5 million in funding announced that will be divided among 57 hospitals across the state including critical access hospitals and community health centers.

“This funding is important as Massachusetts continues to be a leader in health care,” said Brewer. “These grants, funded in last year’s budget, will aid hospitals in making critical improvements that will reduce costs to patients and improve care.”

Whittier Street Health Center will receive the funds to implement a primary care based system of complex care management.

Funding was included in the fiscal year 2013 state budget, under the leadership of Brewer, chairman of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. The awards are supported by federal matching funds. The funding is designed to support one of five priority areas at hospitals and community health centers.

Boston Mayoral Campaign Trail 2013: Notes and schedule for Sept. 21

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The latest news and notes from the Boston mayoral campaign trail.

Ross releases series of web ads
City Councilor Mike Ross is out with some new web ads on a variety of issues facing the city. You can view all of them here.

Conley comments on latest MCAS scores
Suffolk County District Attorney released the following statement on the latest MCAS scores:

The latest MCAS scores underscore why the next Mayor must take education reform to the next level, and be willing to stand against the powerful interests that resist common sense improvements in public education. In the latest results, we see 71% of Boston Charter Schools performing at Level 1 status, compared to 21% of traditional Boston public schools.

Without a doubt, the students, parents, teachers and leadership at all of these public and public charter schools should be rightly proud of their accomplishment. As Mayor, I want to give every parent choices between great schools like these and every student a learning environment that works best for them. But if we really want to celebrate successful schools, we need to emulate what they are doing. We need to undertake education reform with what Dr. Martin Luther King called 'the fierce urgency of now.' And to do that, we need a Mayor who is not only committed to education reform but who has proven to have the independence and leadership to stand against special interests and get results.

Read more on the latest MCAS scores here.

No Dot Reporter endorsement
The largest neighborhood paper in Boston, the Dorchester Reporter, is not endorsing in the mayor's race.

Globe columnist torches Golar Richie; she writes letter to editor
Boston Globe columnist Larry Harmon took a bat to the mayoral candidacy of former state representative Charlotte Golar Richie, calling her appearance before a group of Globe columnists and editorial writers the second most uncomfortable sit down effort in his time there. Golar Richie responded with a letter of her own here.

How harsh was Harmon? He wrote: "If the quality of Golar Richie'€™s campaign is a reflection of her future administration, then she doesn'€™t belong anywhere in the vicinity of the mayor's fifth floor office at City Hall."

11 of the 12 candidates for mayor have problems with OCPF
Every candidate not named David James Wyatt has problems with OCPF reporting writes the Boston Herald's Dave Wedge.

And here are the schedules for today:

City Councilor Felix Arroyo

5:30 a.m. Freeport Bus Yard
10:00 a.m. Canvass Kickoff in Hyde Square
Mozart Park, Hyde Square, Jamaica Plain 02130
Speaking to volunteers before they head out knock on doors for our Get Out The Vote campaign

11:15 a.m. BNAN Harvest Festival and Perennial Divide
30 Edgewater Drive, Mattapan 02126
Greeting voters and discussing plans issues concerning the environment and urban farming

12:30 p.m. Tropical Foods
2101 Washington St, Roxbury 02119
Greeting voters and shoppers, discussing issues around investing in every neighborhood

3:30 p.m. Canvass Mission Hill Voters
1 Cornelia Ct, Boston 02120
Going door to door to have conversations with voters about the future of Boston

5:00 p.m. Rock the Vote
True Vine Church, 40 Norfolk Street, Dorchester 02124
Engaging with voters on the importance of voting and discussing issues concerning the community and creating opportunities for everyone to succeed

6:30 p.m. JP Open Studios
42 Seaverns Ave. Jamaica Plain MA
Greeting voters and discussing the importance of supporting small business owners and the arts community in Boston

9:15 p.m. @Latino Pride Awards
Villa Victoria Center for the Arts, 85 W Newton St, South End
Greeting voters and discussing the importance of the arts community and equal rights for everyone

Codman Square Health Center founder Bill Walczak

10:00-12:00 Bill meets voters at the Roche Brothers in West Roxbury
Centre Street, West Roxbury

11:00-12:00 Bill does canvassing and meets voters in West Roxbury

12:15-1:15 Bill meets voters at the JP Open Studios

1:15-2:30 Bill meets voters at the 28th Annual Chinatown Oak Street Fair

2:30-4:00 Bill meets voters at the Harbor Arts Festival ICA

8-930 Bill attends the 3rd Annual Latin Pride Awards

City Councilor Rob Consalvo

7:00 a.m. - Greets voters at Richy's, 1461 River Street, Hyde Park

7:45 a.m. - Stops by Parkway Youth Flag Football League, 109 Reservation Road, Hyde Park

8:45 a.m. - Greet customers at Brother's Restaurant, 1638 Blue Hill Ave., Mattapan

9:00 a.m. - Joins supporters for a stand out, 30 Belgrade Ave., Roslindale

10:30 a.m. - Meets voters at Parkway Soccer Millennium Park, 300 Gardner Street, West Roxbury

Noon - Hands out race numbers, Brian Honan 5K Race, 40 Life Street, Brighton

1:00 p.m. - Meets patrons, Eire Pub, 795 Adams Street, Dorchester

2:30 p.m. - Stops by Jamaica Plain Open Studios, 284 Amory Street, Jamiaca Plain

3:15 p.m. - Stops by Ardale Street Block Party, Roslindale

4:15 p.m. - Stops by Glide-Flavia Streets Block Party, Dorchester

5:30 p.m. - Attends 'An Eventing with Michelle,' 44 Highland Street, Roxbury

7:00 p.m. - Stops by Christopher's Blue Dogs Autism Speaks fundraiser, 1505 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester

8:00 p.m. - Attends Philbrick School Centennial Celebration, 40 Philbrick Street, Roslindale

8:45 p.m. - Stops by 4th Annual Backyard Barnyard Stomp, 631 South Street, Roslindale.

Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley

10:30 a.m.- Draper Playground Ribbon Cutting
11:30 a.m. Draper Playground
5265 Washington St.
West Roxbury, MA

12:00 p.m.- Canvassing
3:00 p.m. Hyde Park, MA

3:15 p.m.- Annual Greek Festival
3:45 p.m. 15 Union Park St
South End, MA

4:00 p.m.- Friend-raiser
4:30 p.m. Coco’s
3171 Washington St.
Jamaica Plain, MA

4:45 p.m.- Glide St Block Party
5:30 p.m. Gilde St
From Oakton Ave to Chickatawbut St
Dorchester, MA

6:00 p.m.- Ardale St Block Party
6:45 p.m. Ardale St
From Selwyn St to Centre St
Roslindale, MA

7:00 p.m.- Philbrick Elementary School 100th Birthday
7:45 p.m. Philbrick Elementary School
40 Philbrick St
Roslindale, MA

State Representative Marty Walsh

8:30 a.m. Rep. Walsh will kick off a canvass with members of the Sprinkler Fitters Local 550 (46 Rockland St, West Roxbury)

9:30 a.m. Allston Brighton 10th Annual Recovery Walk (Artisani/Herter Park, 1175 Soldiers Field Road)

11:00 a.m. Rep. Walsh will greet voters in West Roxbury (Rox Diner, 1881 Centre Street)

2:00 p.m. Rep. Walsh will greet voters in Dorchester (Greenhills Irish Bakery, 780 Adams Street)

3:30 p.m. Roslindale/Ardale Street Block Party (95 Ardale Street)

6:00 p.m. Glide Street Annual Block Party (Glide Street near Oakton Avenue, Dorchester)

7:00 p.m. Stockbridge's Autism Fundraiser (The Blarney Stone, 1505 Dorchester Ave, Dorchester)

9:00 p.m. Boston Latin@ Pride Awards (Villa Victoria Center for the Arts, 85 West Newton Street, South End

Ctiy Councilor John Connolly


10:00 a.m. Caribbean American Political Action Committee Rolling Rally
Leaving from 10 Dunbar Avenue, Dorchester, MA

5:30 p.m. Glide Street Block Party
Glide Street, Dorchester, MA

6:00 p.m. Christopher's Blue Dogs Autism Speaks Fundraiser
The Blarney Stone, 1509 Dorchester Avenue, Boston, MA

7:30 p.m. Somali Women's Meet and Greet in Jamaica Plain
Event is at a private residence

City Councilor Mike Ross


8:00 a.m. Greet Voters
Peters Park Dog Park
230 Shawmut Ave, Boston, MA 02118

9:30 a.m. City Sports Running Club
1035 Commonwealth Ave.

11:40 a.m. Shabbat Sukkah
Kehillath Israel

1:00 p.m. Villa Victoria BBQ
22B San Juan St.

2:30 p.m. JP Block Party
Ardale St, Jamaica Plain

3:45 p.m. JP Open Studios Visit
The Brewery, 284 Amory Street

5:00 p.m. HarborArts Festival Visit
Boston Harbor Shipyard & Marina: 256 Marginal St. East Boston

7:00 p.m. Stop by Mission Church Choir Concert
Mission Church, 1545 Tremont St Boston, MA 02120

Former school committee member John Barros

9:55 Dot Ave Canvass Kick-Off 1080 Dot Ave Campaign office

10 a.m. UMass Boston Event UMass Boston Campus

11:15 a.m. Meet and Greet at Hyde Park Hair Salon 1465 River St

12:30 p.m. Oak Street Fair, Rooftop of the Quincy School

2:00 p.m. Ardale Street block party, Ardale Street, Roslindale

3:00 p.m. House Party, 5 Thornton Street

4:30 p.m. 2013 Boston Mayoral Race Pulls On The Youth Vote
True Vine Church, 40 Norfolk St, Dorchester MA

The campaigns of Charlotte Golar Richie, Charles Yancey, Chalres Clemons, and David James Wyatt did not send us campaign schedules for today.

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