The 25-year-old woman accusing Rep. Carlos Henriquez of assault and battery diverged in her testimony Monday from some of the statements about the July 8, 2012 early-morning incident recorded by detectives.

By ANDY METZGER

MEDFORD — The 25-year-old woman accusing Rep. Carlos Henriquez of assault and battery diverged in her testimony Monday from some of the statements about the July 8, 2012 early-morning incident recorded by detectives.

Massachusetts State Rep. Carlos Henriquez, D-Dorchester, as seen in his official Legislature portrait. 

On Monday, Katherine Gonzalves said after Henriquez had punched her three times, choked her, back-handed her and took away her cell phone, he threw the phone back at her.

In Arlington Inspector Edward DeFrancisco’s July 9, 2012 report, he stated that after the alleged assault and battery Gonzalves “was able to rip the cell phone back from his hands…”

Quizzed on the discrepancy by defense attorney Stephanie Soriano-Mills, Gonzalves said, “At that time, that’s how I recalled it.”

In the fourth day since the trial began, Gonzalves took the stand for the first time, giving jurors her first-hand account of what she says occurred after Henriquez allegedly became angry that she would not leave with him when he had driven to her mother’s home around 3 a.m.

Soriano-Mills attempted to sow doubt in her cross-examination, highlighting differences in Gonzalves’s accounts of the crime, including her initial statements to police that Henriquez had driven her around Boston for about two hours.

The Dorchester Democrat was originally charged with kidnapping, in addition to three counts of assault and battery, intimidation of a witness and larceny of her cell phone’s SIM card. The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office declined to seek the indictment, which would have been necessary to try Henriquez with kidnapping.

Monday was the first time, Soriano-Mills said, that Gonzalves had reported Henriquez punched her three times. Gonzalves said that after Henriquez became “physical” she told him that she was recording him with her cell phone in the hopes that would “scare” him.

Under cross-examination, she said her cell phone battery had died when she got into the car with Henriquez, parked on her mother’s street.

Soriano-Mills also asked about the missing SIM card. Later in the morning of Sunday, July 8, 2012, Boston police detectives took photos of text messages on Gonzalves’s phone. Gonzalves, who was living in East Somerville at the time, said that while the police left to retrieve a working camera that Sunday morning, she purchased another SIM card and she does not remember where she bought it.

DeFrancisco testified previously that he spoke to Gonzalves the day after the alleged attack, and that she showed him the blank area on her cell phone where the SIM card would go.

Gonzalves said she did not recall whom she had shown her cell phone sans SIM card.

“This was over three years ago,” Gonzalves said at one point. The incident occurred in July 2012. During direct examination by the prosecution there were also certain elements of the case that Gonzalves said she did not recall.

Over the objection of prosecutor Clarence Brown, Soriano-Mills questioned Gonzalves on an online alias, Kathy Nicole London. With the jury temporarily out of the courtroom, Soriano-Mills said Gonzalves was Facebook friends under that identity with several local politicians. Judge Michele Hogan allowed limited discussion of the identity, saying it went to the witnesses’ credibility. Gonzalves said the alias was something she had made up and used with friends.

Gonzalves also went into further detail on a Dec. 2, 2012 incident in which she said she called Henriquez from a blocked number, and then when she went to his home she was met by two men who told her to leave and that they had called the police.

Under cross-examination, Gonzalves said that in addition to drinks that December afternoon, she had taken Ambien – which is a sleep aid – and that because she was “out of it” her then-roommate had driven her to Henriquez’s house.

“I just felt bad about the whole situation,” said Gonzalves, explaining why she went to her alleged attacker’s house.

Gonzalves, who is now living at her mother’s home, also credited her former roommate with adding some levity during the Boston detectives’ initial investigation. In a recording of that Sunday morning interview, Gonzalves appeared to chuckle mildly as she described her escape from the car.

“She was trying to make light of it,” Gonzalves said. She said, “During the time she made me laugh…I never found it funny.”

Gonzalves’s attorney, Rick Brody, had been a fixture at the trial last week, including on Friday when attorneys originally believed Gonzalves would testify. On Monday, when she took the stand, he was absent. He told the News Service he had prescheduled appearances and wished he had been in the Cambridge District Court where Gonzalves was testifying.

During the proceedings, Soriano-Mills asked if it was true that her attorney would be representing her in a potential civil case.

“That’s false,” Gonzalves said.

Two men from Leicester were arraigned Monday on six counts of vandalism with 126 additional counts to come for 180 vandalized properties, according to officials.

WORCESTER — Two Leicester men were arraigned Monday on six counts of vandalism with 120 additional counts pending for 180 vandalized properties, according to officials.

"Both defendants will be indicted, your honor, for about 126 counts of vandalism," said Assistant District Attorney Brett Dillon. "It is an ongoing issue in the city of Worcester. These taggings can be tied to these two defendants based on the signatures used."

The two men from Leicester, 21-year-old Danny Nguyen and 20-year-old Jesse D'Amelio were arraigned on six counts of vandalism each. The two, who allegedly use the tags "CHINO" and "SKOPE," respectively, could face up to 126 charges each carrying jail time of up to 3 years in state prison, according to Dillon.

"What we have here is six accounts of vandalism for each defendant, but what in fact has been an ongoing investigation by the police department," said Dillon, who asked for $10,000 cash bail for each man.

The pair was accused of tagging various locations throughout the city over the last 90 days. According to court records, Nguyen was arrested on Dec. 28 in the area of 360 Park Ave. where he was allegedly vandalizing a building with spray paint. Another man, later identified by Nguyen as D'Amelio, according to court records, alluded police. Surveillance footage at 2 Oliver St., where tagging also happened that night, match photos of the pair, according to court records.

D'Amelio's car was also seen transporting four people who were allegedly seen spray painting at 60 Webster St. on Oct. 21, 2013, according to court documents.

Both men live with their parents in Leicester, according to their attorneys. The attorney for D'Amelio, H. Hoover, questioned why charges were not brought earlier. He speculated that police waited for further evidence to come up, adding the officers still haven't presented enough against his client.

Nguyen also faces charges of trespassing, willful and malicious destruction of property and carrying a dangerous weapon from his Dec. 28 arrest.

Nguyen received $2,000 cash bail while D'Amelio received $1,000.

Holyoke is the only nonabutting community to get surrounding-community status from MGM Springfield regarding casino benefits.

HOLYOKE — MGM Resorts International will pay the city $50,000 up front and nearly $1.28 million over 15 years and commit to providing residents with "hundreds of permanent job opportunities" in relation to its proposed casino in Springfield, officials said Monday.

The agreement means Holyoke is the only non-abutting municipality MGM has granted surrounding community status, a designation specified in state regulations that allows for provision of benefits from a casino, according to a press release issued by the city and MGM.

“Although the casino is not coming to the city of Holyoke, there is no doubt that we will be affected by one in our backyard,” Mayor Alex B. Morse said.

“I am pleased with the results of these negotiations, as they will benefit and
protect the interests of Holyoke’s residents, business owners, and the local economy. This agreement would not have been possible without the hard work of City Solicitor Heather Egan," he said.

In the press release provided by Morse's staff, an MGM official said negotiations with city officials showed an MGM Springfield deal with Holyoke would help the region.

"Holyoke is a city we looked at early on as a regional partner. After several meetings with Mayor Morse and his team it became clear that the designation along with a
strong and fair jobs agreement was the right course of action for MGM Springfield and for Western Massachusetts," said Michael Mathis, MGM vice president of global gaming development.

Michael Mathis, an MGM Resorts International vice president, said an agreement with Holyoke made sense for the region.Mark M. Murray Republican staff 

Under the state casino law, three gaming licenses will be issued in the state, including one for the four-county area of Western Massachusetts. MGM Springfield's is the only application pending with the Massachusetts Gaming Commission after voters rejected casino plans in Palmer and West Springfield.

Communities have been jockeying to get slices of the MGM Springfield benefit pie. Agawam and Chicopee each would get $125,000 up front with annual payments of $150,000. Ludlow, East Longmeadow and Wilbraham are set to receive $50,000 up front with annual payments of $100,000.

Morse declined to consider proposals for casino projects here, saying he wanted economic development to focus instead on a combination of technology companies in relation to a high performance computing center downtown and arts and culture.

The Gaming Commission is expected to hold a public hearing on the issue of surrounding communities on Jan. 23 with a decision as to their status coming by Feb. 6.

“This defendant didn’t learn the most important thing” - that accomplices and confidants will testify against him, Capeless said.

SPRINGFIELD - A prosecutor told jurors Monday they will hear people testify Adam Lee Hall used words like “gutted,” “torture,” and “cutting” when he spoke with them about what he did to the three men he is accused of killing.

Berkshire District Attorney David Capeless said in his opening statement witnesses will testify Hall said he made victim David Glasser watch what he did to his two friends before he was killed.

“This defendant didn’t learn the most important thing” - that accomplices and confidants will testify against him, Capeless said.

Hall, 36, of Peru, is facing 20 charges, including multiple counts of murder and kidnapping from three separate incidents from 2009 through 2011.

In August 2011, weeks before he was to testify against Hall, Glasser and his roommate, Edward Frampton, and their friend Robert Chadwell, all of Pittsfield, disappeared.

Their dismembered bodies were found in Becket nearly two weeks later.

Hall was a ranking member of the local Hells Angels when he, David Chalue, 46, of North Adams, and Caius Veiovis, 32, of Pittsfield, kidnapped the three victims from Frampton’s Pittsfield home sometime in the early hours of Aug. 28, 2011, and fatally shot them, according to prosecutors.

Hurricane Irene was raging that weekend and many witnesses are referring to the storm.

Hall is being tried first.

The trials were moved to Hampden Superior Court after defense lawyers said publicity in Berkshire County would make is impossible for a fair trial.

Perhaps the most gruesome testimony Capeless previewed in his opening is what he said jurors will hear from David Casey.

Casey, 65, of Canaan, N.Y., is not charged with murder but is charged with three counts of accessory after the fact of murder, three counts of accessory after the fact of kidnapping, and three counts of accessory after the fact of intimidation of a witness.

Capeless told jurors Casey will testify Hall said he was holding Glasser and went to shoot him, but the gun didn’t go off and Glasser ran.

Capeless said Casey will say Hall told him another person fired a shot at Glasser.

Hall said “he’s mine,” and shot Glasser in the head, Capeless said Casey will testify.

Casey said Hall said he held Glasser’s head up when it was cut off and laughed and joked.

Capeless said Casey will say Hall said if he used his excavator to bury the bodies no harm would come to him or his family.

Capeless said no DNA evidence links the defendants to the victims. He said the place of the killings and the weapons used have never been discovered.

The trench dug by Casey in Becket contained 15 garbage bags of remains, with the heads, arms and legs cut off all three men.

The torsos of Glasser and Frampton were cut in half.

Glasser had three gunshot wounds. Frampton had four gunshot wound and he and Chadwell were cut up through the middle with their entrails exposed, Capeless said.

Defense lawyer Alan J. Black said there is no physical evidence connecting Hall to any of the 20 crimes for which he is charged.

He said the prosecution is alleging three people in four hours took three bodies and cut them up and put them in plastic bags.

Black said there is no blood evidence on the defendants or their clothes, or anything related to the case.

As for the witnesses who will testify about crimes they say they participated in with Hall, Black said, “Most have been charged with either cases related to this or have other charges.”

He said Casey’s case has been continued until after this trial.

The first prosecution witness was Erin Forbush, a social worker who worked with Frampton and knew his roommate Glasser.

She said Frampton was put in Belchertown State Hospital for many years at age five because “he was hard to handle.”

Frampton and Glasser both received Social Security benefits, she said.

Leslie Chadwell, Robert Chadwell’s brother, testified he last saw his brother the Friday night before Hurricane Irene.

Jason Breault, who was working as a Pittsfield police officer at the time, said when he and other police examined Frampton and Glasser’s apartment after they had been missing for several days, the cell phones of the victims were in the apartment.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission will make a decision about surrounding community designations by Feb. 6.

LONGMEADOW — Coming in just before the deadline, Longmeadow submitted a petition Monday to be designated a surrounding community by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission for the proposed MGM Springfield casino.

Longmeadow, Northampton and Hampden submitted petitions for surrounding community status, according to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.

MGM has already negotiated surrounding community mitigation agreements with Ludlow, Agawam, Wilbraham, East Longmeadow and Chicopee. On Monday, MGM and Holyoke announced a surrounding community agreement. West Springfield was designated a surrounding community on Jan. 9, and is in negotiations with MGM on an agreement.

The agreements with Agawam and Chicopee call for each municipality to receive $125,000 up front with annual payments of $150,000. Ludlow, East Longmeadow and Wilbraham are set to receive $50,000 up front with annual payments of $100,000.

Holyoke became the only non-abutting community to be voluntarily named a surrounding community in MGM’s amended RFA 2 application to the gaming commission, according to a statement released by Mayor Alex Morse's office.

The agreement calls for $50,000 up front and an additional $1,275,000 direct mitigation funds over 15 years, after the casino opens in Springfield. This will bring $85,000 annually into the city. The agreement also includes a provision for look-back studies, which will allow MGM and Holyoke to revisit the agreement after the first and fifth year of the casino’s operation and, where appropriate, negotiate further compensation.

In West Springfield, Mayor Edward Sullivan said that although he has no specific dollar figure in mind, he is considering the impact of a Springfield casino on traffic and some of West Springfield's neighborhoods, for instance. After a meeting last Thursday with MGM officials, Sullivan said, "It was a very productive meeting, and they realize that West Springfield has some specific concerns about how a casino may impact us. They agreed to make us a surrounding community, and (we'd like to) negotiate the terms of a mitigation agreement in the next 30 days."

Northampton submitted its petition on Jan.9 after failing to come to an agreement with MGM. The community is located nearly 20 miles from Springfield.

The petition acknowledges that Northampton, among other communities seeking “surrounding community” status, does not expect to see a burden on infrastructure, such as increased traffic.

Instead, Northampton anticipates “grave and substantial impact on finances and local businesses due to the erosion of its status as the sole destination market in the Pioneer Valley,” its petition states.

Longmeadow has been in negotiations with MGM for months without a successful resolution. Currently, the community that borders Springfield is asking for $1 million up front from MGM to be followed by annual payments of $500,000, with 2.5 percent annual increases.

Through written communication, MGM has said it will not pay Longmeadow the sum, which is several times more the amount any other community is receiving.

Longmeadow Town Manger Stephen Crane said the town based its request on the independent traffic impact study done by Greenman-Pedersen, Inc., which was released Dec. 20. The study states that Longmeadow will be adversely affected by traffic on Interstate 91 as well as additional traffic on Route 5.

Longmeadow is the only direct abutter to Springfield that MGM has denied designation as a surrounding community, he said.

"We feel like we have followed the process MGM asked us to follow, and we are confident that the Gaming Commission will see that the town will be significantly and adversely impacted by the MGM Springfield casino," he said

The gaming commission is expected to hold a public hearing on the issue of surrounding communities on Jan. 23, with a decision as to their status coming by Feb. 6.

If Longmeadow and Northampton are designated surrounding communities, they will have 30 days to negotiate a formal arrangement with MGM. Should either town fail to reach an agreement with the company, the issue will go to arbitration, with the commission holding the final say.

Carole Brennan, spokeswoman for MGM Springfield, said it is up to the commission now.

"The Massachusetts Gaming Commission has put a detailed petition process in place for these situations, and we intend to follow the process through," she said.

In the Greater Boston region, Wynn Resorts, which is proposing a casino in Everett, included a finalized agreement only with Malden in its Phase 2 application, according to the Gaming Commission. It designated Boston and Medford as surrounding communities, though only Medford had assented to that designation. Boston, Chelsea, Cambridge, Melrose, Saugus, Lynn and Somerville filed petitions for surrounding community status.

Mohegan Sun, which is proposing a casino on land in Revere at the Suffolk Downs racetrack, had no agreements in its application and designated Boston, Chelsea and Winthrop as surrounding communities, according to the Gaming Commission. Boston did not assent to that designation and petitioned for surrounding community status with
Cambridge, Everett, Lynn, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Saugus and Somerville.

Staff reporters Robert Rizzuto and Michael Plaisance contributed to this report.

Petition for Designation as Surrounding Community by Town of Longmeadow

The city previously received $21.8 million in Community Development Block Grant funds for disaster recovery. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -- Local officials announced Monday that Springfield has received a final settlement of $25 million in federal disaster aid for the 2011 tornado, with the money set to be used for major projects, including a new senior center at Blunt Park and a new South End Community Center.

In addition, funds will be used for the renovation and expansion of the Clifford Phaneuf environmental center at Forest Park and for major renovations to the former Arthur MacArthur Army Reserve Center at 50 East St., for various Police Department uses.

Mayor Domenic Sarno and U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, announced the settlement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, culminating more than two years of negotiations and appeals after the tornado of June 1, 2011.

Following the tornado, Sarno pledged “to go after every dime the city is due.”

The city was successful in its application and appeals because of the city’s “resolute approach,” and the aid of Neal and other officials, Sarno said

01.13.2014 | SPRINGFIELD -- An artist's view of the interior of the proposed Clifford A. Phaneuf Environmental Center in Forest Park.Mark M. Murray | The Republican

The latest announcement brings the total amount of disaster aid for Springfield, in state and federal grants and reimbursements to bout $90 million, Sarno said.

“We are not only rebuilding structures,” Sarno said. “We are rebuilding human lives.”

Neal said the disaster aid serves as a reminder “that in crisis there is opportunity.”

"There is innovation: There is creativity and there is opportunity that comes of what was a very substantial setback for the city and indeed many communities throughout Western Massachusetts,” Neal said.

The $90 million includes $21.8 million in federal Community Development Block Grant funds for disaster recovery. The funds were awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The city also is slated to received 100 percent state reimbursement from the Massachusetts School Building Authority for a new, $27.9 million Elias Brookings School, under construction, and the $15.1 million renovations and new wing at the Mary A. Dryden Veterans Memorial School. Both were struck by the tornado, with Brookings deemed to be damaged beyond repair, and Dryden needing renovations and a new wing.

In its FEMA application process, the city had to identify alternative projects that reimbursements would be used for, and seek approval from FEMA. Thus, as allowed by FEMA, the funds could be used for projects not directly affected by the tornado.

Both the senior center at Blunt Park and the Environmental Center of Our Schools (ECOS) program at Forest Park are scheduled to advertise for bids in the spring, with construction slated to begin in the fall, said Patrick J. Sullivan, the city’s director of parks, buildings and recreation management. The senior center is expected to cost $12 million and include about 43,000 square feet of programming and office space.

The South End Community Center is planned at Emerson Wight Park in the South End, and has an estimated $8 million cost.

Clodovaldo Concepcion, Ward 5 city councilor, said the senior center has been long awaited and needed. The design includes a dining room for up to 300 people and centralized senior related offices for elder affairs, Golden Agers, retirement, health care, fitness and recreation, officials said.

The environmental center renovation-expansion is estimated at $2.75 million, and will include major energy improvements, including heating, air conditioning and solar panels.

The receipt of federal funds for the environmental center is “fabulous news,” said Burt Freedman, lead teacher of the program. Freedman said he is thrilled for the students, teachers and parents.

Roughly 150,000 students have benefited from the environmental center housed at Forest Park since 1970, and the expansion “ensures that we are going to have more generations come into ECOS,” Freedman said.

The new South End Community Center will be 37,550 square feet and will include 20,000 square feet of program space and 16,750 square feet for a gymnasium, according to plans.

The building at 50 East St., will house police-based programs, including its training academy, juvenile assessment center, tactical response unit, and evidence storage unit, officials said. The use of the building frees up space at police headquarters, and the East Street building renovations will include upgrades to outdated systems, and a state-of-the-art storage system built in the basement.

The land acquisition would fortify the existing 63 acre parcel at Jabish Brook that abuts the Quabbin Reservoir state reservation.

L-R Belchertown selectmen chairman William Barnett, Conservation Administrator LeeAnne Connolly, and Selectman Vice Chairman Brenda Aldrich at Jan. 13 meetingJim Russell 

BELCHERTOWN – Should town meeting say yes, Belchertown will spend $198,000 to purchase an additional 91 acres at the Jabish Brook Conservation Area.

Selectmen on Monday unanimously approved the project agreement that involves accepting a $133,650 state grant; the idea also requires using the town’s Community Preservation Act fund to pay the balance.

“It is a wonderful property,” Selectman Ken Elstein said at the Jan. 13 meeting.

The land acquisition would fortify the existing 63 acre parcel at Jabish Brook that abuts the Quabbin Reservoir state reservation.

Jabish Brook is among 11 town-owned conservation areas covering hundreds of acres, Belchertown’s conservation agent LeeAnne Connolly said. Others are Holland Glen; Holyoke Range; Scarborough Brook; Reed Property; Topping Farm; Warner Road; Wentworth Property; Lashway Property; Arcadia Bog, and Cold Spring.

In other business, selectmen approved several temporary and permanent easements needed for the 5.6 mile, $10 million Route 181 road project that is expected to take two years to finish. The state and the federal governments are paying the cost. The state will supervise the work.

The road project, which is from the Palmer line to the junction of Route 202, also includes relocating 90 telephone poles – costing nearly $600,000.

According to the town’s department of public works director, Steve Williams, there will be road widening of 2 to 3 feet on both sides of Route 181, grade alterations and “tough travel for two years.

“It is going to be a changed landscape,” he said. “All indications are construction will start” in 2014.

In another matter, selectmen approved recommendations from Williams that keep the transfer station sticker and bag fees the same, but increase them for some of the bulky items.

The board approved the appointment of auxiliary police officer Jeremy Burns on the recommendation of Police Chief Francis Fox.

The board delayed action on an electricity agreement with the Hampshire Council of Governments. Selectmen are expected to take action on the proposal at the Jan. 27 meeting.

Police are warning the public to be on the lookout after two incidents of teenage girls being approached by suspicious men.

WORCESTER — Police urge the public to be on the lookout after two teenage girls were approached by men deemed suspicious.

The two separate incidents took place in the past week and it is not known whether they are related, said the Worcester Police Department in a press release.

The first incident occurred when a teenage girl was waiting outside of City Hall for a bus when she noticed a man watching her from across the street. He then followed her in his car while she walked to catch the bus, according to police.

She reportedly told police that she recognized the man from when he said another inappropriate comment to her in recent weeks while she was at the bus stop.

The man is described as a 6-feet-tall, medium build, middle-aged, unshaven Hispanic man driving a black vehicle.

The second incident reportedly occurred on Crystal Street when two teenage girls were chased on foot by a man as they were walking home. They were able to lose sight of the man when they turned onto Illinois Street, according to police. They described the man as a middle-aged, bearded Hispanic man wearing dark clothes.

Police urge students and parents to be aware of their surroundings and report suspicious activity.

If anyone has information about these incidents they can send an anonymous text to 274637 TIPWPD + your message or send a message on the police website. Calls can also be made to the Worcester Police Detective Bureau at (508) 799-8651.

Elosko Brown was arraigned today in Suffolk Superior Court on charges of killing 19-year-old Joseph Morante of Revere at his Tremont Street workplace in July.

BOSTON — Elosko Brown was arraigned today in Suffolk Superior Court on charges of killing 19-year-old Joseph Morante of Revere at his Tremont Street workplace in July.

According to video surveillance in the store and surrounding area, Brown shot Morante twice in the torso inside iWorld Accessories before fleeing with several cell phones and a tablet.

Brown, 27, of Brockton, was later capture by Boston police after being identified in photos and handouts.

This is not Brown's first run in with the law. Brown has spent time in jail for prior drug offenses and was charged with a gun offense that was later dropped.

Brown is being represented by attorney Elda James and is due back in court on March 4.

Worcester police are urging people to use common sense when meeting for sales or purchases through Craigslist after two robberies of people selling Playstation 4's over the service.

WORCESTER — Worcester police urge people to use common sense when meeting for sales or purchases arraigned through Craigslist after two robberies of people selling Playstation 4's over the service.

The two January robberies resulted in one man going to the hospital with stab wounds. That happened after the victim walked with the believed buyer to a more secluded area, according to a Worcester Police Department press release.

"Police urge those making transactions through Craigslist to arrange meetings in public areas," stated the department in the release. "Buyers and sellers should choose an area that is well lit and populated."

Police are still investigating both January robberies.

If anyone has information about these incidents they can send an anonymous text to 274637 TIPWPD + your message or send a message on the police website. Calls can also be made to the Worcester Police Detective Bureau at (508) 799-8651.

Faced with a widening political scandal that threatens to undermine his second term and a possible 2016 presidential run, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie apologized again Tuesday, saying his administration "let down the people we are entrusted to serve" but that the issue doesn't define his team or the state.

ANGELA DELLI SANTI, Associated Press

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Faced with a widening political scandal that threatens to undermine his second term and a possible 2016 presidential run, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie apologized again Tuesday, saying his administration "let down the people we are entrusted to serve" but that the issue doesn't define his team or the state.

On the eve of his second term, the governor opened his annual State of the State address by touching only briefly on the apparent political payback plot before moving on to take credit for the state's improving economy and cycle through such familiar themes as avoiding tax increases and working with the Democrats who control both chambers of the state Legislature.

He also promoted the state's rising high school graduation rate and proposed lengthening both the school day and school year but did not offer details. He promised to present choices to overhaul the state's tax system next month when he presents his budget proposal but did not offer an insight on how he might want to do that. A tax cut he proposed two years ago foundered in the Legislature.

"The last week has certainly tested this administration," he told legislators and others gathered at the Statehouse. "Mistakes were clearly made. And as a result, we let down the people we are entrusted to serve. I know our citizens deserve better."

He received tempered applause after he went on, saying, "This administration and this Legislature will not allow the work that needs to be done to improve the people's lives in Jersey to be delayed."

Among his audience were lawmakers who announced this week that they're intensifying their probe of the political retribution scheme.

The scandal broke wide open last week with the release of documents showing the involvement of Christie aides and appointees in apparently politically orchestrated traffic lane closings in September that caused massive gridlock. The governor has fired one close aide and others on his team have resigned.

Christie first apologized last week during a nearly two-hour news conference, saying he was blindsided by his staff's involvement. Christie has denied any knowledge in the planning or execution of the plot, and there is no evidence linking him to it.

A popular figure in the Republican Party, Christie won re-election by 22 points in November after earning high marks from New Jerseyans for his handling of the state's recovery from Superstorm Sandy, and his stock had been rising as a potential candidate for president in 2016.

Now, he is hoping his State of the State address will help him rebound from the apparent political payback scheme that could damage his second term and cut short any ambitions to run for president.

The first year of his second term is considered a key building block for his political future.

After his November re-election, his advisers suggested he had just a one-year window to stack up accomplishments as a can-do, bipartisan leader before his lame-duck status — and a prospective White House campaign — start to interfere.

The recent revelations may have slammed that window shut.

His top-line new proposal — to extend the school day — was not exactly embraced by one key group.

Wendell Steinhauer, president of New Jersey's largest and most powerful teachers union and a frequent adversary of Christie, said in a statement ahead of the speech that the group would welcome discussion of the proposal with Christie. But Steinhauer also criticized Christie for his veto Monday of a bill that would have implemented full-day kindergarten statewide.

An overhaul of public employee retirement benefits by Christie and the Legislature in 2011 was bitterly opposed by the union, which spent millions of dollars on anti-Christie ads during his gubernatorial campaigns.

The plan is the latest from a governor who has sought to retool schooling in grades kindergarten through 12 with mixed success.

He successfully overhauled century-old teacher tenure rules in a way the union supported, essentially eliminating lifetime job protections. But the Democrat-led Legislature has not gone along with his voucher plan, which would allow children in failing schools to attend classes elsewhere, including at private or parochial schools.

Christie is set to be inaugurated for a second term Jan. 21.

___

Geoff Mulvihill in Trenton and Steve Peoples in Boston contributed.

The center is seeking volunteers to help with packing and moving items to the new location.

HOLYOKE -- The Holyoke Creative Arts Center will move to the the Wauregan Building at 384 Dwight St. next month from 400 South Elm St., an official said this week.

One reason for the move is to have the center located in the Art and Innovation District downtown. The current facility also is difficult to maintain and some classrooms are without heat, said Jeffrey C. Bianchine, president of the center board of directors and city creative economy coordinator.

Volunteers are being sought to help pack items on Jan. 23 and 28 and then move items. Jan. 24 and 29. To help, send an email to lison.mcalear@gmail.com or holyokecac@yahoo.com.

Brooks said she was 20 years old, “scared of being in a police cruiser,” scared of Hall.

SPRINGFIELD – Nicole Brooks testified Tuesday that in 2010 she found herself facing serious charges stemming from her role in Adam Lee Hall’s plot to set up David Glasser to be arrested.

Brooks said she was 20 years old, “scared of being in a police cruiser,” scared of Hall.

Hall had told her if the plan to frame Glasser to prevent him from testifying against Hall didn’t work, “he would have to make Glasser disappear,” Brooks said.

Hall, 36, of Peru, is facing 20 charges, including multiple counts of murder and kidnapping from three separate incidents from 2009 through 2011.

In August 2011, weeks before he was to testify against Hall, Glasser and his roommate, Edward Frampton, and their friend Robert Chadwell, all of Pittsfield, disappeared.

Their dismembered bodies were found in Becket nearly two weeks later.

Hall was a ranking member of the local Hells Angels when he, David Chalue, 46, of North Adams, and Caius Veiovis, 32, of Pittsfield, kidnapped the three victims from Frampton’s Pittsfield home sometime in the early hours of Aug. 28, 2011, and fatally shot them, according to prosecutors.

Hall is being tried first.

The trials were moved to Hampden Superior Court after defense lawyers said publicity in Berkshire County would make is impossible for a fair trial.

The trial against Hall is sort of a three-part case. Testimony ended Tuesday on the 2009 part where Hall is charged with beating Glasser with a baseball bat and intimidating him.

Then prosecutors presented witnesses on the second part, Hall’s 2010 alleged attempt to frame Glasser so he wouldn’t testify against him in the baseball bat case

Brooks, who is still facing charges for her part in the plot, gave a long and detailed narrative of the events that culminated in her filing a false police report against Glasser on Aug. 14, 2010.

She said she met Hall in May and they started dating.

She met Scott Langdon and Alexandra Ely - who she said participated in the plot - through Hall. She said Ely “supposedly was his (Hall’s) ex-girlfriend.”

Brooks said Hall, in the days before Aug. 14, had her pull over in a rest stop in New York. He took her to the back and shot into a tree several times, she said.

Hall said this is where he wanted to have the alleged kidnapping and robbery of Brooks happen and the bullet holes would confirm her story.

Brooks said that was the first time she knew she was to be part of such a plan and she didn’t want to do it.

“He said it needed to be done and there was no room for argument,” Brooks said.

After the frame was complete, it fell apart quickly, Brooks reported.

Police discovered she was Myspace friends with Hall. They had phone records showing communication with Hall.

Brooks was the second ex-girlfriend to testify against Hall Tuesday.

Brittany Beggs, the mother of a 5-year-old son with Hall, described in 2009 Hall telling her he would beat up Glasser for selling auto parts Hall said were his.

Beggs, who now lives in California, is charged as a joint venture co-defendant with Hall in that case.

She testified she saw Hall hit Glasser with a baseball bat at their Peru property and moved Glasser’s truck when Hall told her to do so.

The trial continues Wednesday with cross-examination of Brooks. 

With Monday's deadline to petition for "surrounding community" designation in relation to the state's three proposed casino projects in the rear view, 13 towns and cities, including three in Western Massachusetts, are hoping the state gaming commission grants their request, opening them up to casino cash to mitigate potential impacts from a nearby resort-style casino.

SPRINGFIELD — With Monday's deadline to petition for "surrounding community" designation in relation to the state's three proposed casino projects in the rear view, 13 towns and cities, including three in Western Massachusetts, are hoping the state gaming commission grants their request and makes them eligible for casino cash to mitigate potential impacts from a nearby gaming facility.

In Western Massachusetts, where MGM Resorts International is aiming to develop an estimated $800 million casino project in Springfield's South End, the company already has mitigation agreements in place with six municipalities and has designated West Springfield a surrounding community, although no specific agreement has been reached. Longmeadow, Northampton and Hampden have all petitioned the commission for such a designation after their respective talks with MGM fell short of securing a deal.

Out east, Mohegan Sun's proposed Revere casino at Suffolk Downs and Wynn Resorts proposed Everett project each drew more than double the amount of petitions. The only mitigation agreement signed in relation to the two competing projects in the greater Boston area is for Malden, which has entered an agreement with Wynn in relation to the would-be casino on the banks of the Mystic River in Everett.

View full sizeThis artist's rendering released Wednesday, March 27, 2013 by Wynn Resorts shows a proposed resort casino on the banks of the Mystic River in Everett, Mass. Las Vegas casino operator Steve Wynn is proposing the complex on 37 acres of land at the site of a former chemical plant. (AP Photo/Wynn Resorts) 

Cambridge, Melrose, Lynn, Saugus and Somerville petitioned for surrounding community status from both prospective communities, while Medford has the designation without an agreement for the Everett casino. Chelsea and Winthrop both have the designation without specific agreements for the Mohegan Sun proposal.

And while Boston has already been deemed a surrounding community by both casino projects in adjacent suburbs, newly elected Mayor Marty Walsh took negotiations one step further Monday as he petitioned the commission for a host community designation as well.

He told MassLive.com that his petition was filed to best advocate for the city, especially the East Boston and Charlestown neighborhoods that are adjacent to the respective eastern Massachusetts casino proposals. A previous attempt by former Mayor Tom Menino to secure such a designation was unsuccessful.

View full sizeThis image released by Suffolk Downs Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013, shows a conceptual design of a proposed casino development by Mohegan Sun on the parcel of Suffolk Downs in Revere, Mass. (AP Photo/Suffolk Downs)  

In relation to the MGM Springfield project, it was expected that Northampton and Longmeadow would petition to become surrounding communities, but the rural town of Hampden, abutting the Connecticut border and barely missing sharing a border with Springfield, also jumped in the game at the last minute.

John Flynn, the chairman of the Hampden Board of Selectmen, said that he is primarily concerned about traffic increasing as residents of Somers, Conn., make their way through the town on their way to the casino.

Flynn said the town would likely conduct a traffic study to help determine a dollar amount to be requested from MGM. He also said the petition was filed after MGM opted against granting the town surrounding community status, as was the case with Longmeadow, a wealthy suburb abutting Springfield to the south. Northampton, a city filled with independently owned retail, dining and entertainment options about 20 miles north of Springfield, also was denied surrounding community status by MGM.

Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz has said he is concerned over how an MGM-infused downtown Springfield entertainment scene would impact the businesses in his city, and he is hopeful the commission will consider his petition.

Longmeadow officials' request to receive $1 million up front from MGM to be followed by annual payments of $500,000, with a 2.5 percent annual increase, was wholly rejected by the entertainment company. MGM Vice President Michael Mathis, in a letter to the Longmeadow Select Board, pointed out that their request was significantly higher than what all other communities had asked for, and he declined to sign a deal.

Longmeadow is the only Western Massachusetts petitioner that actually shares a border with the city of Springfield.

Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse, however, was able to negotiate an agreement with MGM that classifies the city as a surrounding community despite not sharing a border. The agreement positions Holyoke to receive $50,000 up front and approximately $85,000 annually, in addition to "hundreds of permanent job opportunities" guaranteed for the city's residents.

"Although the casino is not coming to the city of Holyoke, there is no doubt that we will be affected by one in our backyard," Morse said this week. "I am pleased with the results of these negotiations, as they will benefit and protect the interests of Holyoke’s residents, business owners, and the local economy."

MGM has also successfully negotiated surrounding community mitigation agreements with Ludlow, Agawam, Wilbraham, East Longmeadow and Chicopee. Several nearby communities, such as South Hadley, Belchertown and Granby, have declined to attempt to get in on the action.

The agreements with Agawam and Chicopee call for each municipality to receive $125,000 up front with annual payments of $150,000. Ludlow, East Longmeadow and Wilbraham are set to receive $50,000 up front with annual payments of $100,000.

MGM, Wynn and Mohegan Sun each have 10 days to submit a formal response to the petitions filed with the gaming commission. On Jan. 28, the companies and petitioning communities may be asked to present their cases to the commission. The three gaming companies also will present their respective phase two applications to the public and the gaming commission on Jan. 22.

Voters in Springfield and Everett, respectively, have passed referendums approving casino projects proposed in their cities, while voters in Revere will hit the polls on Feb. 25 to decide if the $1 billion Mohegan Sun casino moves forward.

The Connecticut-based Mohegan Sun previously spent the better part of a decade in Palmer trying to win the public over in regards to a proposed casino off of the Massachusetts Turnpike. That project was defeated by just 93 votes on Nov. 5. By the end of that month, the company had announced the partnership with Suffolk Downs, not long after the race track asked then-partner Caesars Entertainment to step aside amid questions over whether it would pass its state background check.

Caesars has since filed a lawsuit against the gaming commission, alleging it was held to a higher standard than the other gaming companies in the state.

Meanwhile, opponents of casino gambling in Massachusetts are hoping that they will be able to take their case to the voters in November with a ballot question repealing the state law that allows casino gaming. But despite collecting enough signatures to qualify the question, it may need to win a lawsuit at the state Supreme Judicial Court to proceed because state Attorney General Martha Coakley ruled that its passage would amount to an uncompensated taking of private property from casino companies and their partners.

The map below shows the current landscape of MGM Springfield's agreements with Pioneer Valley communities. Key:

• Springfield is shown in red.
• Orange shapes represent cities and towns that have been designated surrounding communities.
• Yellow shapes represent cities and towns that are petitioning the Massachusetts Gaming commission for surrounding community status.
• Click on a city / town shape for additional information, including proposed mitigation payments.

Map by Greg Saulmon | The Republican

But neither Preston nor Lemanski expressed confidence that a state bailout was imminent, forcing the school to find funding within its own budget.

WESTFIELD – Facing more than $1 million in legal bills, two lawsuits and continuing subpoenas from state investigators, Westfield State University is seeking state assistance to cover costs related to president Evan S. Dobelle's departure in November.

Interim president Elizabeth H. Preston said Monday that Westfield State has reached out to state education officials amid mounting legal fees from its own lawyers and two lawsuits filed by Dobelle.

The former president resigned Nov. 8, two weeks after filing a federal lawsuit against Higher Education Commissioner Richard M. Freeland, three university trustees and others for allegedly conspiring to oust him from his $240,000-a-year post.

Last month, he filed a second lawsuit in Hampden Superior Court to force Westfield State to pay his legal fees from investigations into his travel, plus his costs for both lawsuits against the university.

In the federal case, three lawyers are representing Dobelle while eight others - including three from the attorney general’s office - have signed on for the defendants.

To cover the university's own legal expenses, Westfield State trustees agreed this week to consider using $1.2 million from surplus accounts. The trustees will vote on the proposed transfer on Feb. 13.

During a meeting with trustees Monday night, Preston said a request for funding was submitted to the state Board of High Education as an alternative to dipping into reserve accounts.

Kenneth Lemanski, the school’s vice president for advancement and university relations, also told trustees the state Legislature could approve a supplemental budget for the school later this year.

But neither Preston nor Lemanski expressed confidence that a state bailout was imminent, forcing the school to find funding within its own budget.

“We had to make the effort” to secure extra state funds, Preston said.

Westfield State spokesperson Molly C. Watson said Tuesday the request was just one option considered to defray the unbudgeted legal expenses.

Katy Abel, a spokesperson for Higher Education Commissioner Richard M. Freeland, had no comment on whether Westfield State’s funding request was refused.

The school’s law firm, Boston-based Fish and Richardson, has already submitted $500,000 in bills for September and October – or less than half of the estimated $1.2 million in legal fees expected before the legal wrangling related to Dobelle is completed.

Fish & Richardson was hired to respond to document requests from the state Inspector General’s Office, which is investigating spending by Dobelle and other school officials.

After placing Dobelle on paid leave on Oct. 15, the trustees expanded the firm’s mission to include reviewing the president's travel and credit card use.

On Monday, Preston said the school is still receiving subpoenas for documents as part of the inspector general’s probe. But legal expenses have dropped off since Dobelle’s resignation and should continue to decline as the inspector general’s investigation winds down, Preston said.

The state attorney general’s office is also investigating spending at the university and the Westfield State Foundation, the school’s nonprofit arm.

The controversy over Dobelle’s spending began in August with the release of an audit criticizing his travel, including visits to Austria, Cuba, China, Hong Kong, Thailand and Vietnam, and 15 trips to San Francisco.

The auditors found that Dobelle repeatedly violated travel and credit card policies, including charging personal travel expenses for himself and family members to school-related credit cards.

In response, Dobelle said his travel benefited the university, and any personal charges were later reimbursed.

The bar, Tully O'Reilly's and The Elevens share ownership as well as a liquor and entertainment license, is listed for sale at the asking price of $400,000 by broker R<J. Greeley & Co. in Springfield.

NORTHAMPTON - Tully O'Reilly's Pub and The Elevens, Pleasant Street nightspots with a history of fights and disturbances that culminated last year in seven-day license suspensions, are for sale.

Tully O'Reilly's and The Elevens share ownership as well as a liquor and entertainment license. The bars are listed for sale at the asking price of $400,000 by broker .R. J. Greeley & Co. in Springfield. That price includes a long-term lease on the 6,000-square-foot space, the liquor license and all the restaurant equipment. The two adjacent bars share a kitchen.

The real estate listing doesn't include the building, which is owned Gleason Brothers Inc., according to Northampton city records. The building is assessed at $2.7 million. The street address is 1 Pearl St.

Tully O'Reilly's owner Tully McColgan didn't respond to repeated attempts to contact him Monday and Tuesday.

Robert J. Greeley, owner of R.J. Greeley Co., confirmed that the businesses are for sale and said there has been some interest from potential buyers.

The Northampton License Commission ordered a seven-day license suspension last year following a hearing requested by Police Chief Russell P. Sienkiewicz.

Sienkiewicz listed occasions that his officers were summoned to the area because of fights and other disturbances both inside and outside the bars.

One incident on June 16, 2013, resulted in seven arrests and demanded the attention of every officer on the shift plus mutual aid from Easthampton, police said at the time. This left the rest of Northampton and Easthampton without police presence.

At first, the License Commission delayed imposition of two days of the suspension, so McColgan didn't have to close on a weekend. But the businesses got back in trouble with the License Commission after hosting a DJ at The Elevens. The commission had barred DJs at the two bars as part of its disciplinary action.

McColgan countered that it was a live performance, not a DJ, but the License Commission made him close the bars for the two days. McColgan closed Dec. 24 and 25, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day , to serve the final two days of the license suspension.

In April, a bystander video claiming to depict police brutality at an arrest outside the venue went viral.

A 134-year old former paper mill consumed by fire l has been one of the most troubled properties in Lawrence since Andover developer Stephen Stapinski bought it.

Do you have news or a news tip to submit to MassLive.com for consideration? Send an email to online@repub.com.

Aaron Peabody and Gary Como each pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and three counts of wire fraud.

 

SPRINGFIELD - Aaron Peabody and Gary Como, former owners of New England Equipment Company of Palmer, pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to taking part in a scheme that resulted in losses of more than $1 million, according to officials with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Peabody, 42, of Houlton, Maine, and Como, 49, of Palmer, each pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and three counts of wire fraud.

Judge Michael A. Ponsor scheduled sentencing for April 10. Como and Peabody face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count of wire fraud.

Prosecutors charged that between 2006 and 2010, Como and Peabody, as owners of their company, engaged in a long-running scheme that ultimate led to losses of more than $1 million.

The pair would fraudulent obtain loans using the names of their customers, and would also lease power equipment such as wood chippers and then sell the equipment to their customers.

Como and Peabody also engaged in check-kiting through a rapid series of deposits and withdrawals between two banks, giving the impression that their company had more money than it actual did. When one of the banks stopped honoring the company’s checks, the other bank lost more than $138,000.

They were also accused of offering to sell chipping equipment on consignment from one customer with the promise that they would pay off the customer’s loan once it sold. Once the equipment was sold, they kept the money and the customer was still responsible for the loan.

The district goals include getting 90 percent of students to achieve proficient or advanced on the test by 2017.

LONGMEADOW — While Longmeadow has reached many of its district goals regarding student performance on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, there is always room for improvement.

The School Department has implemented a plan to identify students in need.

Kelley Gangi, assistant superintendent for learning, presented a report to the School Committee Monday night highlighting some of the department's successes and goals for the coming school year.

Gangi said the district goals include getting 90 percent of students to achieve proficient or advanced on the test by 2017, improving literacy for the English Language Arts (ELA) MCAS and improving mathematics achievement.

Currently, 83 percent of students are scoring proficient or advanced on the test, she said.

"Also, 45 percent of our special education students are scoring proficient or advanced on the ELA test compared to a state average of 29 percent," she said.

Gangi said 47 percent of students are scoring advanced on the ELA test compared to the state average of 19 percent. A national way of gauging how students are doing on the test is to look at growth and achievement, Gangi said.

"Currently the high school is performing at very high levels of achievement and growth," Gangi said. She said grades kindergarten through eighth are where the district needs to intensify the implementation of Response to Intervention. That is a method used to provide early intervention to children who are having difficulty learning.

"There are about 15 percent of students who require a second dose of intervention, that is what we are focusing on now," she said. "There are 5 percent of students who require intensive intervention which includes students with disabilities."

Gangi said aligning the curriculum with the Common Core national standards initiative will also raise levels of achievement. She also said the district is doing well in math at all grade levels.

Nicholas Norris and Stephen Tavernier were charged with illegally selling firearms that had been linked to a November home break-in.

SPRINGFIELD - Springfield police arrested two men, charging them with selling handguns that were stolen during a November house break-in, police said.

Arrested with Nicholas Norris, 25, of 37 Halsey St., and Stephen A. Tavernier, 26, of 401 Bay St.

Each was charged with carrying a firearm without a license, illegal sale of a firearm and receiving a stolen firearm.

Delaney said the two men each have gang ties and are known to police

The pair were arrested as part of the investigation into a Nov. 22 house break on Van Buren Street where several guns were stolen. Police recovered some of the guns during a Dec. 5 raid on a Clantoy Street residence in which three people were arrested.

Delaney said an on-going investigation over the last month, officers were narrowed in on Norris and Tavernier.

Norris was arrested Monday night in the parking lot at 668 Liberty St., while Tavernier was arrested at his home on Bay Street.

Police recovered two guns from the November robbery.

They were scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in Springfield District Court but information on the arraignment was not available.