The $25 registration fee gets you into as many courses as you want to take.

Holyoke Police Capt. Denise M. Duguay will present a course on crime-solving in the life-long learning series offered to the elderly at the Senior Center.Mark M. Murray, The Republican 

HOLYOKE -- With names like "CSI: Holyoke," courses in the life-long learning program being offered to elderly people at the Senior Center could fill fast, an organizer said.

"These are quality courses taught by experts in their field. Each of the speakers will be sharing their knowledge and experience – and their love of Holyoke," said Kathleen A. Bowler, executive director of the Council on Aging.

Courses will be taught at the Senior Center, 291 Pine St., beginning next month. Courses are limited to 20 students each, but the $25 registration fee provides admission to as many of the courses as a senior wants to join, she said.

"My Career as a Foreign Service Officer 1970-2010" will be presented by city native John Champagne. His career included tours with U.S. Army Special Forces and the U.S. Agency for International Development. The course will be presented Tuesdays from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 8, 15, 22 and 29, she said.

"World Religions" will be presented by the Rev. Richard Riendeau, a retired priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield. The course will explore Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Shinto, Taoism and Judaism. It will include optional visits to local houses of worship. The course will be presented Wednesdays from 9 to 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 9, 16, 23 and 30 and Nov. 6, 13 and 20, she said.

"History of Holyoke" will be presented by numerous local historians discussing Native Americans, industrial development and other topics. The course will be presented on Thursdays from 2:30 to 4 p.m. on Oct. 10, 17, 24 and 31 and Nov. 7, 14 and 21, she said.

"CSI: Holyoke" will be presented by Holyoke Police Capt. Denise M. Duguay, a 20-year veteran and commander of the Criminal Investigations Bureau. The course will explore the history of investigations, the role of forensics in solving crimes and the collecting of physical evidence. It will be presented Tuesdays from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Nov. 5, 12 and 19, she said.

Duguay said she will begin with a history of crime scene investigations. She will discuss the due process revolution of the 1960’s and the evolution of personal identification systems, such as how fingerprinting has gone from ink and paper to digital systems, she said.

Techniques used to determine how long a body has been at a site or whether it has been moved will be presented. These include algor mortis, which is the reduction of body temperature after death, rigor mortis, stiffening of a body’s muscles and joints in hours after death and lasting one to four days and livor mortis, which is the settling of blood in the lower part of the body causing a purplish discoloration of skin, she said.

Using “evidence” from class participants like fingerprints and footprints, Duguay will take the class on a field trip that will include stops at the Police Station and Holyoke District Court, she said.

“Then we’ll solve a fictitious crime scene using that information,” Duguay said.

Registration will be taken at the Senior Center or by mail to the Senior Center, 291 Pine St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Checks should be made payable to Holyoke COA.

For information call (413) 322-5625.

What is it about wine writing that seems to bring out the bodice ripper in some wine writers?

There's a fine line between many wine reviews and practically anything Anastasia Steele mumbles to herself in "50 Shades of Grey."

Words like "sexy," "musky," "racy" and "heady" get bandied about like a tennis ball in a baseline rally between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in both you-cannot-be-serious, over-the-top genres. In fact, that might explain why Christian Grey ("50 Shades" other main character in the record-setting, spankfest) is a wine aficionado. It gives the author, E.L. James, the opportunity to use a lot of the same language to describe their choices of wine as their shenanigans in the 'Red Room of Pain.'

None of this hyperbolic language should come as any surprise to anyone who reads racy romance novels. (And for the record, I'm not a fan of romance novels - not that there's anything wrong with it, as Seinfeld would say.)

But what is it about wine writing that seems to bring out the bodice ripper in some wine writers? And why do certain words or phrases that no one ever seems to be use in the real world somehow seem to creep their way into way too many wine reviews?

Seriously. Can you imagine going out to eat with someone and hearing them describe their steak as having a "barnyard" smell to it - or a "cat pee" taste? You'd think the chef left rancid meat out on the counter for the past week. And yet those words are commonly used to describe certain wines by wine writers around the world.

But there are certain words that just seem to needle their way into so many wine articles, sort of like "that guy" at a bar or a party who keeps interrupting your conversation with someone else to tell you something you honestly don't even really care about. Sort of like a really annoying version of Keith Olbermann - and that's saying a lot!

That's why I'm agreeing to take a pledge to not use the following five words or phrases to describe wines for the rest of this calendar year. I know that might not seem like a long time. And hopefully I can abstain from using them for much longer. Because most of us can agree that these phrases and many others have grown so tiresome, not even Sprockets wants to dance to them.

And I'm not talking everyday words like "complex" or "smooth" or "fruity" which have definitely been beaten to death again and again in one wine review after another. I'm talking about those words and phrases that make you just roll your eyes and think, "Who does this guy think he is? Ricardo Montalban trying to sell us a 1975 Chysler Cordoba with 'Corinthian leather'?"

So what are the five most overused, over-the-top words used to describe wine? Which words are on the banned list? Let me name names - starting with the fifth most overused word and working our way up to number one, Casey Kasem style.

5) Licorice - Don't get me wrong. I love licorice. But there's something so annoying about this word being used to describe so many different wines. It's also one of those overused words meant to signal to the reader that the Great Wine Writer can discern subtle tastes with their refined palate that us mere mortals are too ignorant to notice as we slug down our wine.

I debated whether to give "jammy" the fifth spot. But there's something sort of playful about a word that brings to mind pajamas or jammies being used to describe wine. Whereas licorice just has that forced playful quality to it. Sort of like an overbearing camp counselor or beauty pageant mom making her daughter wear a smile plastered on her face whether she likes it or not while uttering uplifting, encouraging phrases like, "Mary Catherine, so help me God, don't make me pull this car over or you will regret it!" Ah yes, there's nothing like family car trips in the heat of the summer - without air conditioning. And yet I'd gladly get back in a car before I read another review about wine with hints of licorice.

4) Flabby - Does this mean that this wine gets picked last in dodgeball? That it often wears loose fitting clothing? Or that it's bottle has all the right curves in all the right places? Who knows.

When I see wine writers using words like flabby, my first thought is lazy - and let me state for the record that I'm talking about the wine writers, not the wine or overweight people. I'm frankly a bit too bountiful around the waist right now myself to throw stones. And I will confess to using this word on occasion to describe a wine that has a vague, somewhat boring finish.

Not anymore. From now on, wines that taste flabby will be "lazy" or "couch potato worthy" or "Homer Simpsonish" or maybe even "voluptuous." Anything but flabby!

3) (Tie) Luscious and Seductive - "50 Shades of Grey" returns. Yes, these overripe adjectives reached their "Sell by" date sometime around 1979. I feel like a need to take a shower after I read some wine writers purring on about luscious, seductive red wines (almost always red wines). You know, sentences like... "I never believed most of the stories I've read here before in Winehouse Forum, until one day, after choir practice, on my way home, I became instantly intoxicated with the luscious, seductive aromas of that red-headed temptress from Northern California I will always lovingly call Plungerhead."

Luscious wines are... what? Tart? Spicy? And don't be shocked, shocked! if you happen to notice this word thrown around to describe Italian, Spanish or South American wines. Same goes for seductive. You'd think you were reading a review of a movie starring Penelope Cruz or Sophia Loren. Seriously. Just try to find a wine writer who uses these words to describe a wine from Germany or South Africa. Some stereotypes die hard.

It's a wine, not a woman. Put down the wine glass and write with both hands.

2) Smoky - Call the fire department! We got a scorcher here. This wine is burning up, Whoo Haa, Al Pacino Style. Or maybe it's lunch time with that bleach-haired bimbo Guy Fieri, owner of the one of the 'best' restaurants in New York. Confused? Not anymore than when you read about a wine that's "smoky" or some other non-descriptive hackneyed word.

Many wine books talk about wines having a tobacco-like flavor. I can buy that. That's a certain taste - sort of like licorice. (Aagh!!! Enough!) But smoke's more elusive, more vague. One minute, the wine's on the tip of your tongue. The next moment, it goes all Keyser Soze on you and vanishes into thin air.

Unless the wine bottle survived a fire, don't let the smoke get in your eyes - or your writing. Leave this word to Noir writers and insurance adjusters.

1) Full-bodied - The king of kings, the top of the peak. Yes, nothing says so little about a wine without seeming to say so much. And I should know. I plead guilty to using this phrase way too many times to describe wines that exhibit a wide range of characteristics.

Full-bodied wines often have a multitude of flavors. They might be smooth and velvety to start. Then rush in like a tidal wave a few seconds later and wash across your tongue like a tsunami of black currants, moldy cheese and the sweet aromatic scent of fresh picked lilacs.

Ah yes, these full-bodied wines. I can't resist them as they burst into my mouth and ravage my taste buds, these luscious, seductive sirens plucked from the vines and eager to be devoured, one detectible sip at a time, Anna mumbles to herself as Christian runs his twitching hands through his Corinthian leather hair again and again and again.

See what I mean? It's just too easy - and too much fun to resist... sometimes. But I'll do my best to keep my palate clear of hyperbole - at least for the next three and a half months.

Cheers!

Authorities were unable to provide updates on the conditions of the injured crash victims.

 

Updates story published at 10:13 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24.

SOUTH HADLEY — Two people were hospitalized after a speeding motorcycle crashed into a car on Route 202 just before 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to authorities, who have not released any information about the crash victims or the extent of their injuries.

Both the motorcyclist and the driver of the car were injured and taken to a local hospital for treatment, a South Hadley Fire Department District 1 official said early Wednesday morning. He had no updates on their conditions.

A ranking South Hadley police official did not immediately respond to a phone message, and a dispatcher with no information about the crash said on-duty police officers were unavailable to discuss the incident.

A roughly 1,000-foot stretch of Route 202 between Columbia Street and Brigham Road was closed for several hours as a team of Massachusetts State Police investigators reconstructed the high-speed crash. The state police Collision Analysis & Reconstruction Section is typically dispatched to probe serious or fatal crashes.

Granby police said a patrol officer first spotted the speeding motorcycle at about 5:22 p.m. Tuesday in the southbound lane of Route 202, about a half-mile southwest of Pleasant Street. The officer activated the lights and siren on his cruiser and turned around to pursue the motorcycle, which continued toward South Hadley "at a very high rate of speed," police said.

A supervising officer immediately called off the pursuit, and the patrol officer complied with the order, police said.

The motorcycle continued into South Hadley and crashed about a mile from the Granby town line, police said. The motorcycle reached speeds ranging from 70 mph to 100 mph, according to authorities.

In a separate incident, a Palmer man was arrested and charged with drunken driving after crashing a motorcycle at the Route 202 Rotary in South Hadley on Sept. 11.

John Paul Cebula, 61, of Three Rivers, was cited for a marked lanes violation and operating under the influence of alcohol, according to South Hadley police. Cebula sustained minor injuries in the crash, police said.

Report by CBS 3 Springfield, media partner of The Republican/MassLive.com:

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Westfield State University alumnus Emilee Gagnon, of Holliston, was killed when she was struck by a vehicle during a charity bicycle ride in Ohio.

These were the most read stories on MassLive.com yesterday. If you missed any of them, click on the links below to read them now. The most viewed photo gallery was Laura Merwin's images from the Big E, above.

1) Springfield police hunting for suspects who beat and robbed man, then tossed him from vehicle in East Springfield [Conor Berry]

2) Threatening message forces precautionary evacuation of Springfield Technical Community College campus [The Republican Newsroom]

3) Westfield State University releases statement about death of former student Emilee Gagnon [The Republican Newsroom]

4) East Longmeadow police believe a suspect, still at large, is tied to thefts of 3 Hondas [George Graham]

5) Willimansett Bridge construction halted as contractor Pihl Inc. files for bankruptcy [Jeanette DeForge]

UMass epidemiology professor receives $3.2 million federal grant.

 

Submitted photo 

AMHERST –University of Massachusetts professor Lisa E. Chasan-Taber has received a $3.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health and National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases to use individual coaching and support to help Hispanic women avoid obesity during pregnancy and to develop a healthy, active lifestyle.

This is the fourth multimillion-dollar grant the epidemiology professor has received from these agencies to work with Hispanic women, totaling more than $10 million.

The work with this grant builds upon what the investigators learned in conducting scientific trials of exercise interventions among Hispanic postpartum women - trials funded with a five-year, $2.56 million grant from the two institutes that she received last year.

That grant is allowing researchers to look at the effects of a culturally modified, individually tailored lifestyle intervention on postpartum weight loss, as well as the risk for type-two diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

For this latest grant, Chasan-Taber and her team of bi-cultural and bilingual health educators will recruit 300 overweight or obese Hispanic women and place them either into a wellness group or a lifestyle intervention group. Recruitment will begin in January, she said.

Both groups will receive one-on-one attention and information, but women in the lifestyle intervention group will get information on exercise, diet and as well as weight gain advice.

“We have tailored the intervention to be culturally specific.”

She said generally in the Hispanic culture “families have a lot of input" on whether a woman should exercise, what she should eat and how much weight she should gain, but the family view might not be based on fact.

Notions that a woman has not time to exercise or is supposed to be eating for two need to be challenged.

Educators will work with a woman on how she can “personally integrate (changes) into her life,” she said.

Together, they can determine if she could use stairs instead of an elevator, “ways to slip in 10 minutes” of exercise with the idea of gradually increasing to the 30 minutes a day recommended for pregnant women.

They can help her make dietary changes such as reducing sugary snacks.

The investigators will provide counseling and advice to the women for six weeks to six months after they give birth and follow up until the child’s first birthday.

Chasan-Taber’s team will then be able to evaluate each mother’s success in avoiding excess weight gain during pregnancy, reducing the risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, as well as the baby’s risk for diabetes and obesity-related health problems.

“Women are very interested,” in participating, she said.

Women for the study are recruited through UMass partner Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, she said.

In 2007, Chasan-Taber received $2.24 million to study the effects of exercise on pregnant women with a history of gestational diabetes. In 2005, she received a $2.28 million grant.

Scoutmaster Steven Teerlinck said becoming an Eagle Scout shows a certain dedication that one does not always see in today’s youth.

MONSON – When Cameron M. Keating was looking for an Eagle Scout project to do, he remembered running on the trails behind Monson High School, and how one could not be used due to storm damage.

So with the help of his father, grandfather and some friends, Keating, 18, a member of Troop 168, tackled the storm-damaged trail over several days this past spring, clearing away fallen trees and debris from snowstorms and a microburst.

They spent six to eight hours a day on the project, beginning after Keating finished school and staying until dark, using weed whackers and chainsaws to clear a trail approximately ¼ of a mile long and 10 feet wide.

Keating graduated from Monson High School in June. He is now a freshman at Westfield State University.

Keating, who ran cross country for Monson High School, said it will give the runners another path to use.

“It was a really good experience. I think the project worked out perfectly for me and the school,” Cameron said.

Benjamin Teerlinck, of Monsonsubmitted photo 

He said he expects the Eagle Scout ceremony sometime in December. An Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in Boy Scouts, and a service project is one of the requirements.

He said he joined cub scouts because he loved the outdoors and camping.

His father, Matthew J. Keating, said Cameron directed them on what to do to restore the trail. The elder Keating said there was so much debris “you wouldn’t even know it was ever a path.”

High School Principal Andrew Linkenhoker said Keating approached him last year about the trail project and he fully supported him.

“Our trails have had some difficult years between washing out from rain or fallen trees due to the October snowstorm. This results in our cross country teams struggling to clear the trails in preparation of the upcoming season,” Linkenhoker wrote in an email.

Linkenhoker said having Keating volunteer to fix the trails was truly a godsend.

“It demonstrated his willingness to help an activity that is often overshadowed by more popular athletic teams. I commend Keating for his hard work and desire to give back to the school community,” Linkenhoker said.

Scoutmaster Steven Teerlinck said the project was accepted by ranking officials from the Western Massachusetts Council for the Boy Scouts of America.

Teerlinck noted two other Eagle projects in the works by scouts in his troop – one from Monson High School senior Thomas A. Brown, 17, that will improve a trail at Rogers Field at Mount Ella by planting trees, seeding grass and installing picnic benches.

The other is from his son Benjamin, a junior at East Catholic High School in Manchester, Conn., who will make signs to mark all 18 holes at the Crane Hill Disc Golf Course in Wilbraham.

Teerlinck said becoming an Eagle Scout shows a certain dedication that one does not always see in today’s youth. A lot of kids drop out of scouting once they reach high school because other interests take over like sports, girls and cars. So it says something about someone’s character to stick with it, Teerlinck said.

Ben Teerlinck,16, said he got the idea to make the signs from a friend. He said he played a round of disc golf (disc golf is similar to traditional golf except it is played with discs) at the course and noticed the lack of signage at each hole. There used to be signs nailed to the trees, but he said they are barely recognizable now after being exposed to the elements.

Ben Teerlinck plans to create new signs out of wood to mark the holes. He said he will laminate them and cover them with plexiglass to protect them. He also will recommend a shooting pattern for the discs that he will include on the signs.

“It’s still a bit in the planning stage. I met with the people who run the course . . . I’m definitely hoping to get it done before winter comes,” he said. “I’m looking forward to helping out the disc golf course.”

Thomas Brown, of Monsonsubmitted photo 

Brown said Mount Ella used to be completely covered with trees, then the June 2011 tornado ripped them all down. He said he is clearing a half-mile hiking trail there, where he will install the picnic benches and plant trees.

He's been working with Replanting Monson Tree Committee's Leslie A. Duthie to plant two or three Elm trees on the property, and hopes to get the project completed before winter. The committee received grant money for replanting projects.

He said the spot has the potential to become as big a draw as Peaked Mountain, another popular hiking area.

On Sept. 7, Brown and fellow troop members were at the site, clearing the trail of rocks, sticks and debris.

"It's an excellent view of the town up there," Brown said.

He said he became involved with scouting as a second-grader, when he was a tiger cub.

"It's something I've always loved doing," he said.

After his errors were pointed out by Westfield State vice president Gerald Hayes, Dobelle said he effectively blew the whistle on himself by notifying the board of trustees.

WESTFIELD – Westfield State University President Evan S. Dobelle is considering seeking whistleblower protection as he prepares for a showdown with the Board of Trustees next month.

Amid mounting criticism of his travel expenses, Dobelle has repeatedly said he “self-reported” billing the university for dozens of airline, hotel and restaurant bills for himself and his family.

Dobelle has retained a lawyer and is exploring using the state Whistleblower Act to shield him from possible punishment by school trustees or state investigators, two sources confirmed Thursday.

State education officials have urged the board to consider disciplining Dobelle and other university officials for violating travel and credit card policies. The board’s next meeting is Oct. 24.

Dobelle’s spokesperson, Molly C. Watson, said she was unaware of any legal strategy being considered by Dobelle, and board chairman John F. Flynn III declined to comment.

During a meeting last week with The Republican’s editorial board, Dobelle explained that he had three credit cards, and never intentionally billed personal trips to Miami Beach, London, Vienna and other cities to the university.

After his errors were pointed out by Westfield State vice president of administration and finance Gerald W. Hayes, Dobelle said he effectively blew the whistle on himself by notifying the board of trustees.

“I self-reported,” Dobelle said, adding that this action has been overlooked in the travel controversy.

The state whistleblower act protects public employees from retaliation for reporting fraud, waste or abuse to the Inspector General’s Office or other agencies.

In a report made public last week, the university’s auditors found Dobelle and top university officials violated travel and credit-card policies on trips to London, Vienna, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Miami Beach and other national and international destinations.

Expenses from trips to China, Thailand, Vietnam, Spain and other countries were also billed without proper documentation to the Westfield State Foundation, the school’s fundraising arm, according to the firm.

No allegations of theft or fraud were made regarding the expenditures, but the auditors said record-keeping was so poor that distinguishing between personal and university-related expenses was sometimes impossible.

The university president said the spending paid off in increased donations, a distinguished speaker series, new undergraduate majors, expansion of the international exchange program and construction on campus.

Dobelle, 68, former Pittsfield mayor and president of Trinity College and the University of Hawaii, said he reimbursed the university for all his personal expenses.

Still, state education officials took a dim view of Dobelle’s spending during a closed-door meeting with the president in Boston last week.

State Commissioner of Higher Education Richard M. Freehand accused Dobelle of violating state ethics laws and undermining public confidence in higher education.

Also last week, the state Inspector General’s Office called on the trustees to exercise stricter oversight over Dobelle’s future travel and scrutinize the “return on investment” on trips he and others have taken since 2008.

In a letter to the trustees, Inspector General Glenn A. Cunha said Dobelle ran up excessive bills on university credit cards and spent funds from the Westfield State Foundation Inc. “indiscriminately and with little or no regard for the mission or financial viability of the foundation.”

Browse the photo gallery below to see who we spotted on the Giant Slide.

The McDonald's Giant Slide is a perennial favorite at The Big E. On Wednesday we caught up with some of the folks sliding down the attraction, which measures in at 46-feet tall and 135-feet long.

Browse the photo gallery below to see who we spotted on the Giant Slide.

 

The series will include a history of the Armory, interviews with museum Superintendent James Woolsey, and Smith & Wesson historian Roy Jenks, who pitched the idea for the series to Bequette.

SPRINGFIELD - Filming a segment for Gun & Ammo TV at the Springfield Armory, Darin Narlock, videographer for Gun & Ammo TV, shoots a segment with writer/host Dick Metcalf and Alex Mackenzie, Acting Chief Resource Management for the Springfield Armory Museum in the site's third-floor archives. Staff photo by John Suchocki 

SPRINGFIELD - Despite a lifetime around firearms, Jim Bequette admits he got a little starry-eyed when he was able hold the first M1-Garand ever made in his hands.

"That's like dying and going to heaven," said the editor of Guns & Ammo magazine and a producer for a a related television and web-based network run by InterMedia Outdoors, the largest outdoor media conglomerate in the country.

Bequette spent most of last week in town with a four-man crew filming at the Springfield Armory National Historic Site. The crew is preparing 13 segments on the museum to be aired on the Sportsman's Channel on a weekly basis for six months, beginning in January.

The Garand was one of the most important semi-automatic rifles of World War II for American troops, Bequette said. It was the first standard-issue semi-automatic rifle, called "the greatest battle implement ever devised" by General George S. Patton; there were 450,000 manufactured at the Armory.

Bequette said Guns & Ammo is a 60-year-old publication with a 450,000 monthly readership. The parent company will promote the televised series and the Armory, located off State Street, in print, broadcast and on the Web.

The Armory houses the world's largest collection of historic American military firearms. The site served as both an arsenal under George Washington and later a manufacturing site that employed 14,000 men and women at its peak during World War II. It closed in 1968 and reopened as a national park a decade later.

"The Armory is one of the best-kept secrets in America. It's the birthplace of the American firearms industry," said Bequette. He travels the country visiting firearms manufacturers for his work and refers to this region as "Gun Valley" for its concentration of gun manufacturers from Smith & Wesson to Savage Arms in Westfield and Ruger in Newport, N.H.

The series will include a history of the Armory, interviews with museum Superintendent James Woolsey, and Smith & Wesson historian Roy Jenks, who pitched the idea for the series to Bequette.

Woolsey said he hopes to modernize the exhibits and marketing of the site, and the series will be a welcome boon to the facility.

"We were very, very interested in them helping the public understand the history of the Springfield Armory," Woolsey said. "We really ought to have more visitors here."

In addition to televising the series on cable TV, the media collective also will merge the 13 vignettes into a DVD collection for commercial sale.

At the Springfield main post office, customers were not too concerned with proposed postal increases.

WASHINGTON (AP) — If the U.S. Postal Service gets its way, the cost of mailing a letter could increase by 3 cents to 49 cents.

The postal Board of Governors said Wednesday it wants to raise the price of a first-class stamp by 3 cents, citing the agency's "precarious financial condition" and the uncertain prospects for postal overhaul legislation in Congress.

"Of the options currently available to the Postal Service to align costs and revenues, increasing postage prices is a last resort that reflects extreme financial challenges," board chairman Mickey Barnett wrote customers.

The rate proposal must be approved by the independent Postal Regulatory Commission. If the commission accepts it, the increase would become effective Jan. 26.

Under federal law the post office cannot raise its prices more than the rate of inflation unless it gets approval from the commission. In seeking the increase,
Barnett cited "extraordinary and exceptional circumstances which have contributed to continued financial losses" by the agency.

Daisy Saad holds up some of her mail that she retrieved from her PO box. She said the proposed 3 cent increase in first-class stamps does not bother her.The Republican | Patrick Johnson 

As part of the rate increase request, the cost for each additional ounce of first class mail would increase a penny to 21 cents while the price of mailing a postcard would rise by a cent, to 34 cents. The cost to mail a letter to an international destination would jump 5 cents to $1.15.

In Springfield, customers going in and out of the post office on Liberty Street seemed unconcerned about the proposed hikes. Some said they would rather pay the additional 3 cents than to have to lose post office services.

Daisy Saad, of Springfield ,said a 3-cent hike on first-class mail isn’t all that much. And even if the cost of mailing a letter rises to 49 cents, it is still a bargain, she said.

“I don’t think 49 cents costs a lot,” she said. “Even if they raise it to a dollar, it’s still OK.”

Holding a batch of letters that she had just retrieved from her P.O. box, Saad said “I would hate to lose the post office. It would be easier to just use the internet and email, but I still use the mail.”

“It’s a dog-eat-dog society. (The Postal Service) is just trying to get its money back,” said Calvin Miller.

Neal Lakritz heading in to the Springfield Post Office to mail a package. Postal costs are still a bargain, he said.The Republican | Patrick Johnson 

“It’s probably not the popular opinion, but I think it’s still a bargain,” he said. “To be able to send a letter all the way across the county for 49 cents is pretty impressive.”

He said that by making use of the Internet and email, the amount he spends of postage in recent years has gone down, regardless of recently stamp increases.

“No one likes rising costs but there are many other things to complain about.”

Athan “Soco” Catjakis, of Springfield, said he remembers when the cost to mail a letter was 16 cents.

A former Springfield state representative, Catjakis said that rather than raising the cost of stamps, the Postal Service could do more to curb expenses.

For example, he pointed to the many glossy fliers and posters on the walls of the post office advertising post office services. It’s a waste of money and no one ever looks at them, he said.

The Springfield post office runs great and the men and women who work there do a good job, but it’s the U.S. Postal Service that needs to get its act together, he said.

Athan Soco Catjakis, former Springfield state representative, said the U.S. Postal Service should cut needless expenses before considering postal increases.The Republican | Patrick Johnson 

If the hikes are increased, consumers won't feel the increase immediately. Forever stamps bought before an increase still would cover first class postage. The price of new forever stamps would be at the higher rate, if approved.

The Postal Service also said it would request price increases totaling 5.9 percent for bulk mail, periodicals and package service rates, according to a filing to be made with the commission Thursday.

Media and marketing businesses that rely on postal services say a big increase in rates could hurt them and lower postal volume and revenues.

Rafe Morrissey, the Greeting Card Association's vice president of postal affairs, said the rate increases were "no substitute for common-sense, structural reforms" and the group hoped they would be rejected.

The post office expects to lose $6 billion this year and is seeking help from Congress to fix its finances.

Barnett said the increases, if approved, would generate $2 billion annually for his agency. The agency last raised postage rates on Jan. 27, including a penny increase in the cost of first-class mail to 46 cents.

The Postal Service is an independent agency that receives no tax dollars for its day-to-day operations but is subject to congressional control.

Republican reporter Patrick Johnson contributed to this report.

The restaurant would be the third tenant in the Chicopee Crossing development.

CHICOPEE – The Chicopee Crossing project is planning to expand by adding a national chain restaurant known for its sports bar.

But before a Buffalo Wild Wings moves in, officials are hoping the state will permit a new liquor license in the city.

“We could not find one (a liquor license) without buying the business and the real estate,” said Frank Colaccino, president of Colvest Group which is developing the Chicopee Crossing project.

The plan is to add a restaurant of about 6,000 square feet in the development on Memorial Drive. The restaurant will be the third tenant in the $30 million Chicopee Crossing complex, which includes a new Marriott Residence Inn that opened this month.

The restaurant is expected to be a $2 million investment and add about 60 full- and part-time jobs, Colaccino said.

The Planning Board has already approved the restaurant. The original plans called for a 4,000-square-foot bank building with a drive-through, so they needed to be modified, Catherine L. Brown, the city planner, said.

“It’s an nice addition and the location is superb,” she said. “There isn’t much land left with that kind of access. Everyone wants to be clustered around the turnpike exit and the other stores.”

But the one thing that is missing is the liquor license. Colaccino said he had secured a license, which was approved by the city’s License Commission, but the state rejected the transfer on a technicality and because Chicopee has more licenses than allowed under the state quota.

Calls to the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission were not returned.

The Massachusetts Liquor Control Act limits the number of liquor licenses available to a municipality based on population. Because Chicopee is over its quota, the only way a business can obtain a license is by purchasing it from someone who has one.

Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette proposed filing a home rule petition with the state Legislature to allow the city to receive another liquor license. Easthampton and South Hadley officials have successfully gone through the process and secured new liquor licenses this year.

The council debated the issue but members said they would like to hear from the License Commission, which regulates liquor licenses, before deciding if they should petition the state.

“If a guy wants to do business in the city let him,” Councilor Charles Swider said in supporting the petition.

He argued the City Council last year removed a limit on the number of used car dealership licenses, in part, because they felt people should not have to buy one to go into business.

But Councilor Dino A. Brunetti, who pushed for the elimination of the quota on used car dealership licenses said he feels the two are different, especially since liquor licenses are overseen by a separate committee and the state.

“I want to hear from other license holders in the city,” he said.

Councilor James K. Tillotson said the city should develop a policy before petitioning the state, adding others may come forward looking for a license as well.

“We are going down a new road and we have to figure out a plan that is fair for everyone,” he said.

The audit left some officials wondering whether the Geriatric Authority will last or should be privatized.

This extensively updates a story posted at 2:04 p.m.

HOLYOKE -- The state auditor Wednesday detailed how mismanagement at the Holyoke Geriatric Authority that included alleged misuse of credit cards and failure to seize revenue opportunities led to a $2.2 million debt to city agencies.

The 34-page audit renewed calls from Mayor Alex B. Morse and others for a transition that could include privatizing the struggling nursing home at 45 Lower Westfield Road and possibly relocating patients.

The city and a revamped authority board of commissioners in May 2012 requested the audit, which the office of Suzanne M. Bump began in August 2012. Patricia C. Devine, a former city councilor, took over as authority board chairwoman in April 2012.

The audit covers the period of Jan. 1, 2010, to June 30, 2012.

"The series of deficiencies detailed in this report describe an environment ripe for waste and abuse," Bump said in a press release with the audit.

"Holyoke is at a crossroads of its financial future, and it must be determined if the Geriatric Authority can be transitioned to a state of self-sufficiency or if it should continue to be supported by the taxpayers," Bump said.

Bump also praised Morse, the City Council and current authority officials for seeking the audit and trying to turn around the facility.

The audit criticizes former executive director Sheryl Y. Quinn, without identifying her beyond calling her the former executive director. Quinn left the authority in September 2012 after 16 years as executive director.

In a voice-mail message, Quinn said her separation agreement prohibited her from commenting about the authority. Her yearly salary was nearly $90,000.

The authority is a nursing home that has 80 beds and 80 other slots for day care of senior citizens.

It is overseen by a board consisting of three people appointed by the City Council and three appointed by the mayor, with those six choosing a seventh.

City Councilor Todd A. McGee, who is chairman of the council Finance Committee, was the first to call for an audit. He thanked the auditor's office, councilors and the new authority board members for work on the audit.

"I hope today's report will place us on the right path for a self-sufficient authority that provides care to our seniors for several generations to come," McGee said.

Morse called for a special committee to be headed by City Treasurer Jon D. Lumbra and formed with the City Council and authority board to "develop a plan to stop the (financial) bleeding."

"Now is not the time for political grandstanding; it's time for leadership. I want to see a plan that that will make the (authority) fully self-sufficient, which could include a transition to privatization, just as other municipal nursing homes have transitioned over the years," Morse said.

Devine said the audit shows the authority's mission under previous officials was "certainly misplaced." Officials now are eager to meet with councilors to correct problems cited in the audit, she said.

"We have a great team in place and their mission is one of compassion, duty and responsibility. ...The bleeding from the past can no longer continue," Devine said.

Lumbra was among those questioning whether the authority's current steps will be enough to save the city from having to provide additional financial bailouts to the facility.

"While I'm sure the current board has begun to take the steps needed to correct this, I am worried there may not be sufficient time to correct and or stop the bleeding, Lumbra said.

Among the audit's findings:

• Quinn's contract called for a $500-a-month automobile allowance plus mileage reimbursement. But Quinn submitted general gas credit card statements for reimbursement instead of actual mileage, "contrary to the conditions of her employment contract." That led to nearly $4,000 in questionable reimbursements during the audit period.


• The authority established, but didn't always follow, procedures for use of authority credit cards.


• The authority lacked policies that permitted only authorized personnel to sign disbursement checks from authority bank accounts.


• The authority in 2012, perhaps inappropriately, accepted $150,056 from the state Executive Office of Health and Human Services. That's a sign that an ongoing dispute remains unresolved between authority and city officials over whether the authority owes money to the city to cover health insurance costs for active retirees' health, dental and life insurance.


• The authority lost revenue chances by: letting its license expire to provide outpatient


• physical therapy services; leaving vacant space unused for too long, though a lease was recently signed to get income for a youth-detention facility on the authority campus; and leaving two vans often idle when they could have raised revenue by providing transportation for a fee.


• The authority doesn't always require a contract with vendors, leaving the authority unable to ensure the service would be provided.


• The authority made capital purchases without competitive bids and in some cases against its board's directives. Examples include a Ford F250 pickup truck for $27,924 and an industrial capacity dishwasher for $47,275.

According to the audit, the debt consists of $988,448 in health, dental and life insurance costs for retired authority employees, going back five years; $464,991 in pension contributions for active employees, going back four years; $427,938 to the Holyoke Gas and Electric Department, going back three years; $214,712 for a short-term loan from the city, which the authority also disputes, related to the city's purchase of 9.5 acres in 2006, going back five years; and $120,000 in payments to the city in lieu of taxes, going back three years.

Below, the document issued by the state auditor's office.

Holyoke Geriatric Authority Report by masslive

Concerns about the lack of information coming from Mohegan Sun and last week's closed-door meeting between Mohegan, the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and Gaming Commission again were voiced at Tuesday's selectmen's meeting.

MONSON - The lawyer for the town of Monson has sent a strongly worded letter to Mohegan Gaming Advisors and the Massachusetts Gaming Commission regarding the town's dissatisfaction with the way the surrounding community process is unfolding.

Gretchen E. Neggers 

The Sept. 25 letter, sent by lawyer Jeffrey I. Fialky, states that, to date, Mohegan has not met with the selectmen or residents about its casino proposal or host community agreement, despite Monson being an immediate neighbor.

Instead, he writes that Mohegan Sun and the Gaming Commission have engaged in a "private collaboration" with each other and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission "to the exclusion of the town of Monson and other potential surrounding communities."

He writes that besides being late in the process, this "undermines the (gaming) commission's own mission of transparency."

"Indeed, it is surprising that the commission would engage directly in negotiations of any kind with a gaming applicant, as opposed to avoiding any appearance of bias," Fialky wrote.

He also wrote that there has been no assurance that the town's adverse impacts or mitigation costs would be properly identified through a regional process.

Mohegan has been negotiating with Pioneer Valley Planning Commission to use its services in dealing with surrounding communities to the proposed resort casino on Thorndike Street (Route 32) in Palmer.

A Gaming Commission spokeswoman said in response that the meeting was preliminary, and that "it has been working very hard to identify ways to assist communities with navigating this process."

"This offer of (Regional Planning Agency) assistance to communities is strictly voluntarily. The Gaming Commission is deeply committed to transparency and has had frequent public discussions about our partnership with the RPAs and will continue to do so."

Casino companies must reach mitigation agreements with surrounding communities as part of the process for applying for a state license from the gaming commission.

Concerns about the lack of information coming from Mohegan Sun and last week's closed-door meeting between Mohegan, the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and Gaming Commission again were voiced at Tuesday's selectmen's meeting.

Selectman Richard M. Smith said he is not comfortable with having the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission speak about Monson's needs.

Selectman Edward S. Harrison, a member of the Western Massachusetts Regional Casino Task Force, said the task force advocated for regional planning agencies to be part of the process.

"Now it seems like they're all in bed together and surrounding communities are left out in the cold," Harrison said.

"We're supposed to have someone looking out for our best interest," Smith said.
Town Administrator Gretchen E. Neggers replied, "The only one looking out for our best interest is us."

Selectmen expressed concern that time is running out to craft an agreement that adequately addresses impacts from a nearby casino. The deadline for casino applications is Dec. 31, and the Gaming Commission is expected to make its decision on the one Western Massachusetts casino license in April.

Selectmen Chairman Edward A. Maia said he hopes the residents of Palmer are watching "how underhanded Mohegan Sun are dealing with this whole surrounding communities thing."

Maia, who called Mohegan "liars," said that Mohegan first said it would reach out to surrounding communities after Labor Day, then gave another date that didn't happen.

"You think they're going to care about the citizens of Palmer?" Maia said.

Neggers noted that the town has incurred legal fees associated with this process, fees that will cost the Monson taxpayers.

"This isn't just about putting a red light somewhere," Neggers said.

Neggers said she thinks the board's only recourse is to continue to use the town attorney to express frustrations with the process.

"I expected better," Neggers said. "I didn't think we would be completely ignored."

From March until June next year, several grade levels will be administered the in-progress test, know by the acronym PARCC. Students will also be required to complete the MCAS, Superintendent Judith Houle said at Tuesday’s committee meeting.

BELCHERTOWN – Members of the School Committee are not happy that Belchertown children are being used to test new standardized exams being developed to replace the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, or MCAS.

From March until June next year, several grade levels will be administered the in-progress test, know by the acronym PARCC. Students will also be required to complete the MCAS, Superintendent Judith Houle said at Tuesday’s committee meeting.

“Kids will be test-exhausted,” school committeeman Richard Fritsch said. “If the MCAS [test results] go down because of PACC – parents are not going to be happy with it, and they are going to want to know why.”

“We are raising that question" with the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Houle said. “How much is too much? Those are all questions we’ve raised with the governing board” of PARCC, she told the school committee.

PARCC stands for Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers.

PARCC is a consortium of 18 states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to their Website, PARCConline.org.

Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester also serves as chair of the PARCC governing board.

“Each Governing State has agreed to participate exclusively in PARCC and will administer the assessment system statewide during the 2014–15 school year,” the PARCC Website says. “These states will pilot and field test components of the assessment system during the development period.”

In other business, the school board scheduled a special meeting on October 1 to interview two organizations that expressed interest in overseeing the superintendent search.

New England School Development Council, or NESDEC, based in Marlborough and the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, or MASC will present at the meeting and answer questions from the committee.

NESDEC said cost for their service is $11,795 plus expenses such as advertising. MASC quoted the school board $12,000, plus costs.

Houle plans to resign June 30 when her contract ends.

The 4 were accused of using cutting torches to remove metal from the former paper mill.

 

HOLYOKE – Police arrested four out-of-town men on breaking and entering charges Tuesday afternoon after finding them removing metal from inside the former Parsons Paper Co. building on Sargeant Street, police said.

The mill at 84 Sargeant St is owned by the City of Holyoke, but it has been fenced off since a 2008 fire. Police on Tuesday found a 6-foot hole cut into the fence, said Lt. Jim Albert of the Holyoke Police.

The four men were also found with cutting torches and heavy tools and were using a moving cart and a pickup truck “to systematically cut and remove various machinery, metal and pipes from the old mill,” Albert said.

Arrested were Springfield residents Jose Fuentes, 39, of 26 Warner Street, Ritchie Aponte, 40, of 317 St. James Ave, and Raul Rodriguez, 33 of 438 Plainfield St., and David Nieves, 26, of Waterbury, Conn.

Each was charged with breaking and entering in the daytime for the purpose of committing a felony, possession of burglary tools, malicious damage of property, larceny of more than $250 and trespassing, Albert said.

Nieves was also found to be wanted on an outstanding warrant.

The former mill, vacant for years, was gutted by a major fire on June 9, 2008. The fire was started by a 13-year-old boy. Parts of the property remain unsafe and the city installed a perimeter fence to keep people out.

The fire department was called in to inspect the property out of concerns the cutting torches used incorrectly could have started another fire, Albert said.

The Holyoke Department of Public Works was called to the scene to repair the damage to the fence, he said.

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Alexis, a 34-year-old former Navy reservist and computer technician for a government contractor, used a valid badge to get into the Navy Yard and opened fire inside a building with the Remington shotgun.

This image released by the FBI shows a photo of Aaron Alexis, a 34-year-old former Navy reservist and IT contractor, shot and killed 12 people inside a Navy Yard building last week before being killed in a shootout with police. AP photo 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Navy Yard gunman Aaron Alexis left a note saying he was driven to kill by months of bombardment with extremely low-frequency radio waves, the FBI said Wednesday in a disclosure that explains the phrase he etched on his shotgun: "My ELF Weapon!"

Alexis did not target particular individuals during the Sept. 16 attack in which he killed 12 people, and there is no indication the shooting stemmed from any workplace dispute, said Valerie Parlave, assistant director in charge of the FBI's Washington field office. Instead, authorities said, his behavior in the weeks before the shooting and evidence recovered from his hotel room, backpack and other belongings reveal a man increasingly in the throes of paranoia and delusions.

"Ultra-low frequency attack is what I've been subject to for the last 3 months, and to be perfectly honest that is what has driven me to this," read an electronic document agents recovered after the shooting.

The attack came one month after Alexis had 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.

On his shotgun, he had scrawled "My ELF Weapon!" — an apparent reference to extremely low-frequency waves — along with "End to the Torment!" ''Not what yall say" and "Better off this way," the FBI said.

Alexis, a 34-year-old former Navy reservist and computer technician for a government contractor, used a valid badge to get into the Navy Yard and opened fire inside a building with the Remington shotgun, which he had legally purchased in Virginia two days earlier. He also used a 9 mm handgun that he took from a security guard, a weapon found near Alexis' body. He was killed in the building by a U.S. Park Police officer following a rampage and shootout with police that the FBI said lasted more than an hour.

"There are indicators that Alexis was prepared to die during the attack and that he accepted death as the inevitable consequence of his actions," Parlave said.

Surveillance video released by the FBI on Wednesday shows Alexis pulling his rental car into a garage, walking into the building with a bag and then skulking down a corridor with a shotgun, ducking and crouching around a corner and walking briskly down a flight of stairs. The video does not show him actually shooting anyone.

A timeline issued by the FBI shows Alexis started the rampage on the building's fourth floor and then moved down to the third and first floors. He ultimately returned to the third floor, where he was killed around 9:25 a.m. FBI Director James Comey has said there's no evidence that Alexis shot down into the atrium despite earlier accounts from witnesses at the scene.

Alexis had started a job as a contractor in the building just a week before.

Although there was a "routine performance-related issue addressed to him" on the Friday before the Monday morning shooting, "there is no indication that this caused any sort of reaction from him," Parlave said.

"We have not determined there to be any previous relationship between Alexis and any of the victims," she said. "There is no evidence or information at this point that indicates he targeted anyone he worked for or worked with. We do not see any one event as triggering this attack."

Defense officials have acknowledged that a lot of red flags were missed in Alexis' background, allowing him to maintain a secret-level security clearance and access to a Navy installation despite a string of behavioral problems and brushes with the law.

He worked for The Experts, a Florida-based computer firm that was a Hewlett-Packard subcontractor. Hewlett-Packard said Wednesday that it was severing ties with The Experts, accusing the company of failing to respond adequately to Alexis' mental problems.

The Experts responded by issuing a statement that the company was disappointed with Hewlett-Packard's decision.

"The Experts is disappointed in H-P's decision, as we have continued to meet all of our contractual obligations. The Experts had no greater insight into Alexis' mental health than H-P, particularly given that an H-P site manager closely supervised him, including during the events in Rhode Island," the statement said.

At the Pentagon, Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the department will review base safety procedures and the security clearance process.

"Bottom line is, we need to know how an employee was able to bring a weapon and ammunition onto a DoD installation, and how warning flags were either missed, ignored or not addressed in a timely manner," Carter said.

Navy Secretary Ray Mabus has recommended that the department require that all police reports — not just arrests or convictions — be included in background checks.

____

Associated Press writers Lolita C. Baldor and Jack Gillum contributed to this report.

The new "senior fitness walk" project is part of the first phase of upgrades to the field, which was damaged in the 2011 tornado.

MONSON - Work will begin on Friday to install three pieces of fitness equipment geared to senior citizens around Veterans Field off Main Street.

The new "senior fitness walk" project is part of the first phase of upgrades to the field, which was damaged in the 2011 tornado.

The town received $500,000 in grant money announced by the governor last year to repair tornado-ravaged public properties, including Veterans Field, which is receiving about $80,000 of the grant.

Town Planner Daniel Laroche recently gave a presentation to selectmen about the improvements slated for the field.

Berkshire Design Group designed the field improvements, all of which were approved by the Parks and Recreation Commission, he said.

The senior fitness walk is geared to seniors who live in nearby senior housing, or who frequent the Senior Center, which is across from the field, but anyone can use the equipment, according to Laroche.

He said parents watching their children play soccer on the field can try out the equipment.

Laroche said the equipment will be placed in the corners around the field and includes an arm press, recumbent bicycle and a step machine. He said all the pieces are made of galvanized steel for all kinds of weather.

The idea is to have attractions for people of all ages at the park, he said.

A new skate park also will be built, thanks to an insurance settlement of $170,000. Laroche said the park will feature concrete ramps and "will last a long, long time."

"It will be a nice facility when it's done," Laroche said.

The contract for the skate park construction will be awarded this fall, with the opening planned for spring. The grant also funded the tennis court repairs; a reopening celebration was held in June.

One of the baseball fields also will be enlarged at Veterans Field to make it regulation size, Laroche said.

The basketball court will temporarily be used for parking during the construction of the Town Hall-Police Station, expected to be completed in fall 2014. At that time, the court will be repaved for public use.

The old Town Hall-Police Station on Main Street was condemned due to tornado damage and later razed. Veterans Field is behind the old Town Hall.

Police are now operating out of temporary trailers, partially in their old parking lot and where the old skate park once stood. The new building is being constructed in the same spot as the old one. Town offices relocated to the old Hillside School on Thompson Street.

Another plan is to create a spray park, along the State Street end, to be funded by community preservation act funds.

Through the act, residents receive a surcharge on their property tax bills; the money is then used for recreation, historic, housing and open space projects pending Town Meeting approval. The spray park would be part of the second phase of field improvements.

"I think a spray park would be pretty popular," Town Administrator Gretchen E. Neggers has said.

House Speaker Robert DeLeo said the vote sends a strong message to the world that Massachusetts is the place for innovators to succeed and thrive.

BOSTON — With only one top Democrat in opposition, the state House of Representatives voted 156-1 to repeal the unwanted sales tax on software and computer services.

The House's reversal on Beacon Hill came two weeks after House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Senate President Therese Murray said they would back a repeal because the tax was broader than intended. The tax, which took effect on July 31, created an uproar among technology and other business leaders.

The Senate is also expected to vote to repeal the tax on Thursday. Gov. Deval L. Patrick has said he supports a repeal, but he has also voiced concerns about the loss of revenues.

Rep. Brain Dempsey, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, said the repeal is needed because the effects of the tax were underestimated.

"We made it very clear months ago we would continue to monitor and watch this tax," the Haverhill Democrat told members. "We have come to the conclusion it makes sense for the commonwealth to repeal this."

Rep. Angelo Scaccia, D-Boston, said House members should not relinquish a tax that came after some hard work by the House.

"It wasn't unreasonable other than the fact someone could say it wasn't related to transportation," said Scaccia, the lone vote in opposition.

The 6.25 percent sales tax on certain software and computer services was included in a bill approved in July to raise about $500 million a year for transportation projects. The bill increased the gas tax by 3 cents to 26.5 cents a gallon and the cigarette tax by $1 to $3.51 a pack.

Andrew Bagley, director of research and public affairs for the business-backed Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, which has been working to repeal the tax, said the repeal is retroactive to July 31 and any company can file for an abatement if it paid the tax.

"They've neutralized it completely, which is great," Bagley said.

Legislators said the measure would raise $161 million a year, but a study by the taxpayers foundation estimated it would raise $500 million a year and hurt the state's economy.

House Republicans had voted against the transportation financing bill.

Rep. George Peterson, R-Grafton, said it was a great day in the House. "We told you so," Peterson said. "We told you in April. We told you in May. We told you in June."

In a statement, DeLeo said the vote sends a strong message to the world that Massachusetts is the place for innovators to succeed and thrive.

"Because jobs and economic growth are central to the House’s agenda, I promised to listen to business leaders and House members on what the tax’s impact would be when this measure was initially passed," DeLeo said in a statement. "After listening, we learned of the burden of this tax. Our strong commitment to business and the innovation economy led to its repeal."

Legislators have said they could use existing revenues to fill any budget gap created by the repeal.

A leader of American Beverage Institute in Washington said the organization supports interlock devices for repeat offenders and for first-time offenders with a blood alcohol content of .15 and higher, but not a mandate for all first-time offenders who want to drive during a license suspension.

BOSTON - Ron Bersani and other advocates are pushing on Beacon Hill to give Massachusetts a new tool to help prevent drunk drivers from repeating the offense.

"I firmly believe that the only proven way to truly stop a drunk driver from getting behind the wheel is technology," said Bersani, whose 13- year-old granddaughter, Melanie Powell of Marshfield, was struck and killed by a drunk driver in 2003. "That technology exists right now."

Bersani and others on Wednesday testified in support of a bill that would require ignition interlock devices for people convicted for the first time of drunken driving and want to drive during a license suspension.

Ron Bersani Dan Ring / The Republican 

Under a 2006 state law, called "Melanie's Law" in honor of his granddaughter, the devices are required for at least two years for second and other repeat offenders in Massachusetts who want their licenses reinstated.

The devices disable a motor vehicle's ignition if the driver has a minimal blood-alcohol content.

Leaders of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, including Frank Harris, state legislative affairs manager, and others, including Mary Maguire, a director at AAA Southern New England, joined with Bersani to testify in support of the bill during a hearing by the Committee on the Judiciary. The bill's main sponsor is Rep. Michael A. Costello, a Newburyport Democrat.

Massachusetts currently has 5,890 of the devices installed in vehicles.

According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, 114 people were killed in Massachusetts in crashes caused by a drunk driver in 2011, down from 122 in 2010.

The devices, which analyze a driver's breath, block a car from starting if the blood-alcohol level measures higher than .02 percent. The legal limit for drunken driving in Massachusetts is .08 percent, but the law sets the alcohol content lower for repeat offenders who have the device.

"Ignition interlocks are an invaluable tool to stop drunk driving," Harris testified. "The interlock acts as a virtual probation officer riding in the front seat."

An interlock requirement starts on the first conviction in 21 states for people convicted with a blood alcohol content of .08 or greater and in 15 other states with a blood alcohol content of .15 or greater, according to MAAD.

The device is mandatory in eight states, including Massachusetts, for people with a second conviction.

Sarah Longwell, managing director of the American Beverage Institute in Washington, said the organization supports interlock devices for repeat offenders and for first-time offenders with a blood alcohol content of .15 and higher, but not a mandate for all first-time offenders who want to drive during a license suspension.

"We do oppose the .. first time offender mandate," she said in a phone interview. "It eliminates a judge's ability to distinguish between somebody who is one sip over the legal limit from somebody who had 10 drinks prior to driving."

She said that most states that require the devices for first-time convictions tend to lack the money to enforce the law. In such states, funds for the indigent are quickly exhausted, she said.

A rally at Central High School was designed to promote public colleges and universities and the study of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

SPRINGFIELD – Students from public colleges and universities and Massachusetts Education Decretary Matthew Malone challenged high school seniors Wednesday to take on the tough academics and “Go Public.”

The “Go Public” rally was conducted at Central High School, with Malone and a panel of college students speaking of the benefits of public colleges, and urging students to take science, technology, engineering and math -- the STEM fields.

The students were from Central, Putnam Vocational Technical Academy and the High School of Science and Technology. They were divided into groups to attend one of three assemblies, and an admissions fair, with many of those in attendance from honors and advanced placement programs.

The college student speakers urged the high school attendees to take their studies seriously and to take the challenge of taking many harder courses in areas such science and mathematics.

“My advice is take as much math and science as you can,” said Rebecca Walsh, a student at Greenfield Community College. “Not everything will come easily. I had to put in a lot of effort.”

Christopher Landreau, a graduate of Putnam, now attending Springfield Technical Community College in the mechanical engineering, urged the group to “stay in class and do your work.”

“I’m here right now living the better life because I didn’t want to make $9 an hour,” Landreau said.

Malone said there are great opportunities for employment in fields such as advanced manufacturing, precision engineer and life sciences, pointing out the importance of courses in science, technology, engineering and math.

“We are here to support our young people in Massachusetts going to the public colleges and universities,” Malone said. “We know that the way to close the achievement gaps and increase opportunities is to graduate young people ready and prepared for the 21st century.”

Students leaving the assembly said they received a lot of useful information.

“They have given me options on what to do when I prepare for college,” Putnam Senior Tania Figueroa said.

She said she may study psychology or business, but is not sure yet where she will go to college. She said she is not nervous about the transition — “it’s actually more exciting.”

Luis Angel Nieves of the High School of Science and Technology said he is looking forward to starting college.

“Hopefully, I will get into UMass, and I will try harder than I have ever have,” Nieves said, adding that math may be hard, but he will try his best. He said he may pursue being a dietitian, a nutritionist or both.

Ariana Barrenechea, a senior at the University of Massachusetts, said that her studies in mechanical engineering have led to two great internships and a job offer when she graduates.

She urged students to take advantage of the programs and resources available in college.

Other members of the panel were Jerry Kiahon of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Hillary Duda of Westfield State College, and Amber Nehring of Holyoke Community College.

Some of the college students said they had not been great students in high school but then tried harder and are doing well in college. The assembly ended with questions from the audience to the student panel. 