The extra cash flow hasn't been enough incentive for the front office to give up Fenway's name.

BOSTON -- Imagine walking down Yawkey Way, turning into the 102-year-old stadium and hearing a booming voice over the public address system: “Welcome to Dunkin Donuts Park.”

Selling naming rights to the stadium is something every professional sports team has to consider.

On Wednesday, the Texas Rangers announced they were changing the name of the Ballpark in Arlington to represent a finance company based out of Oklahoma City. For $50 million over 10 years, the home of the Rangers will now be called Global Life Park.

Back in 2000, the Boston Red Sox were ready to make a similar move. The Boston Globe reported that then-general manager Dan Duquette told a local television station the Red Sox could get $20 million over 10 years from a corporation looking to put its name on the team’s stadium. At the time, this was a serious consideration.

When Yawkey Trust sold the Red Sox and the new ownership group took over the following year, it had a decision to make: Sell naming rights or preserve tradition.

Thirteen years later, Fenway Park is one of the few stadiums in professional sports that hasn’t traded part of its soul for a big check. Red Sox chief operating officer Sam Kennedy said it’s been an easy decision that the team still stands by.

“The concept of naming rights is something we’ve discussed and debated,” Kennedy told MassLive.com on Wednesday. “But for someone who grew up here, the name Fenway Park is so important to the history of Fenway and the team. So we’ve taken a little bit of a different strategy.”

The Red Sox have insisted Fenway Park keeps its name. But they have been open to selling naming rights to just about everything else inside the park to generate additional revenue.

There’s the State Street Pavilion, the EMC Club, the Budweiser Right Field Roof Deck, the Coca Cola Corner and the Absolut Clubhouse, to name a few. And the club sold naming rights to its spring training facility, JetBlue Park.

While Citigroup pays $20 million per year for naming rights to the Mets’ Citi Field, most naming deals pay in the range of $2 to $5 million per year.

There’s been debate in Chicago about the Cubs selling naming rights to Wrigley Field, which got its name in 1926 from William Wrigley Jr., the former team owner. Along with Fenway Park, Wrigley Field has been one of the longstanding buildings to keep its name and preserve tradition.

The Red Sox have consistently had one of the highest payrolls in baseball, with at least $99 million spent each season since the new ownership group took over, but the extra cash flow hasn't been enough incentive for the front office to give up Fenway's name.

“We’ve named parts of Fenway, so those sponsorship deals helped us with parts of payroll or the Fenway Park renovations,” Kennedy said. “But we’ve been very mindful to preserve the name Fenway. That’s been an affirmative strategy.”

The Dunkin Donuts example was purely hypothetical. It'll have to stay that way.

The annual Amherst Winterfest offers wagon rides, skilling and a chili contest.

AMHERST - Winterfest this year will not have to be delayed, nor will snow have to be made.

With fresh snow and a sunny forecast, Mother Nature is in control for the annual fest Saturday at the Cherry Hill Golf Course. The event is put on by Amherst Leisure Services and Supplemental Education and Friends of Recreation along with the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce.

The event, which features a super-pipe sledding hill, a chili-tasting contest and the cardboard classic sled race, begins at 1 p.m. and concludes with fireworks at 5:30 p.m. Last year the fest was moved to Sunday because of a storm and in another year, snow had to be made to augment what nature hadn’t delivered.

Other highlights of the annual celebration include wagon rides from Muddy Brook Farm, the Atkins Farm Food Court, family ice sculpture and Frisbee long toss and putting contests.

Atkins is holding a cider doughnut-eating contest and a wine and cheese tasting.
The University of Massachusetts mascot Sam the Minuteman, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Flaky the Snowman, the festival mascot, will also entertain.

The Amherst Regional High School Nordic Ski Team will demonstrate and offer lessons but participants need to bring their own equipment.

Admission is $5 for kids and $8 for adults. A family of three or more is $20.

The Boston Athletic Association has launched an app that allows runners around the world to be a part of the 2014 Boston Marathon experience.

PAIGE SUTHERLAND, Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Athletic Association has launched an app that allows runners around the world to be a part of the 2014 Boston Marathon experience.

The Boston Marathon World Run app, available for free on Apple and Android phones, is designed to make the exclusive event more inclusive to people of all abilities, locations and ages. Users are encouraged to set fitness goals they hope to accomplish by the April 21st race day, even if they're not in Boston or running a full 26.2 miles.

After the 2013 marathon bombing, there was an insatiable outpouring of people wanting to participate in the iconic race, said T.K. Skenderian, marketing and sponsorship manager for the BAA, which organizes the marathon.

"This year we are all Boston Marathoners," Skenderian said. "Whether you can run a 3:30 marathon or are from Southern Cambodia, everyone can take part." Even if you don't run, sign up and cheer on your friends and family, he said.

The app and corresponding website allow runners to share photos, post their mileage and connect with amateur and elite athletes around the globe. People on six continents have already signed up to take part in the virtual running community.

Users can set individual goals, group target mileage or run their own 26.2-mile course on Marathon Monday. By next year, the app is set to have GPS mileage tracking and route mapping, said Al Silvestri, senior vice president of marketing and new media at Lagardere, who helped design the app.

Participants who reach their goals will receive a printable bib number, a finisher's certificate and a Facebook medal that they can show off to friends, Silvestri said.

Kelly Lynch, 31, of California, said she will use the app to stay in touch with friends and family back home even as she does her mileage on the other side of the country.

"We are all affected by what happened last year," said Lynch, who grew up in Winchester, Mass., and graduated from Boston College. "I used to cheer people on during the race while I was at B.C. Now, I can still be a part of it."

Lynch said she hopes to run six miles without stopping on April 21.

When people sign up to participate, they can also donate to One Fund Boston, the charity to aid victims of last year's bombings and their families.

Another former Boston resident, 30-year-old Kayla Gorski, said running 26.2 miles sounds daunting to her but she still wants to be involved that day.

"I just registered to run 10 miles on Patriots Day," said Gorski, who now lives in California. "Having this virtual running community is going to keep me honest and motivated even though I'm miles away."

The 118th edition of the race will have a field of 36,000 runners, a 9,000 increase from last year.

___

Online

The House of Representatives voted to expel State Representative Carlos Henriquez from the chamber on Thursday.

BOSTON -- The House of Representatives voted to expel State Rep. Carlos Henriquez from the chamber on Thursday. The vote was 146-5.

Several legislators, including Gov. Deval Patrick, have called for the Dorchester Democrat to resign since his conviction on two misdemeanor charges of assault and battery on a woman who reportedly declined to have sex with him.

Throughout the ordeal, Henriquez has insisted on his innocence.

Henriquez is now the fourth sitting member of the state legislature to be kicked out of either body since 1900. Former State Reps. Frank Gethro and Harry Foster were expelled from the House in 1906 and 1916, respectively. In the Senate, former State Senator Joseph DiCarlo was expelled in 1977.

An amendment to censure Henriquez was brought forward by State Rep. Russell Holmes but failed on 143-10 vote.

Henriquez was expelled on a vote of 146-5.

In announcing his run, Lachiusa says this is his first attempt at public office although he was chosen to serve on the executive committee of the Longmeadow Democratic Town Committee in 2012

Longmeadow's own Dr. Tom Lachiusa is the latest candidate to throw his name into the pool of candidates running for the Massachusetts state Senate seat being vacated as Democrat Gale Candaras aims to be the next Hampden register of probate.

View full sizeDr. Tom Lachiusa, a Longmeadow Democrat, is the latest contender to jump in the race to replace state Sen. Gale Candaras in representing the 1st Hampden-Hampshire District. (submitted photo) 

In announcing his run, Lachiusa says this is his first attempt at public office although has been involved in politics on a cursory level for several years. He was chosen to serve on the executive committee of the Longmeadow Democratic Town Committee in 2012, and picked to serve as a delegate to the state Democratic convention the same year.

Lachiusa said the issues facing the state Legislature in the coming years are going to require steadfast leadership and advocacy for the region- two things which he feels his experiences have prepared him to deliver.

Lachiusa is a counselor at the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow, and he previously worked as a special education teacher, a wrestling coach and as a college
professor.

"Some of the big issues the Senate is going to tackle, gun safety and mental health issues, are things I know and have experience working on," Lachiusa said. "I've been working in the mental health field for 35 years and I've worked with violent men involved in domestic violence for the past 18 years."

Lachiusa said he has also worked as a consultant to various employment centers in Massachusetts, an experience which he says made him more understanding about the needs of the unemployed and the concerns of employers in an uncertain economy.

He lived in Springfield's Sixteen Acres neighborhood for 16 years and has lived in Longmeadow for the past ten.

It is still unclear just exactly who Lachiusa will be facing on election day, as state Rep. Angelo Puppolo Jr., D-Springfield, recently announced he will not run for the seat. Republican Debra Boronski, a longtime chamber of commerce activist, and Democratic chairman of the Ludlow School Committee, James "Chip" Harrington, are the only other candidates who have already declared their intention to run.

Lachiusa said his candidacy will take him to various Democratic Party caucuses which start this Saturday. At those events, he hopes to make some new friends, reconnect with friendly faces and build support for his campaign.

With Puppolo out of the race, Lachiusa is also hopeful that some of the organized labor groups and Western Massachusetts politicos who were supporting him will consider supporting his candidacy.

To Lachiusa, who has four grown children, the time is right to try his hand at public service.

"At this point in my life, I actually have the time so I'd be honored to serve as a state senator," he said. "You want someone in the state Senate who can help guide the direction of the commonwealth as a whole and also someone who can advocate for the needs of the local district. I think I am that person."

The suspects, who police say ran into the woods when spotted by Springfield police officers, did not live in the area where the Sixteen Acres break-in occurred.

A Springfield police cruiser at night.(Republican file photo by Robert Rizzuto) 

SPRINGFIELD — Police arrested a pair of 13-year-olds early Thursday after they allegedly broke into a Sixteen Acres neighborhood garage and wheeled off a dirt bike.

The owner’s girlfriend, woken by a loud noise at about 3:30 a.m., looked out the window and saw the two suspects push the dirt bike down he driveway of their Aspen Road home towards Butternut Street, Sgt. John M. Delaney, aide to Springfield Police Commissioner William Fitchet, said.

When officers Patrick Denault and Ivan Rosas spotted the pair on Fair Oak Street, the suspects ditched the dirt bike and ran into the woods toward Brunton School, Delaney said.

The officers anticipated where the juveniles would pop out of the woods and arrested them. They also confiscated a bolt cutter that they were carrying, Delaney said.

The juveniles were processed and their parents were notified. Neither lived in the area where the break-in occurred, Delaney said.

The map below shows the general area of Aspen Road in Springfield:

Velasquez is charged with two counts each of motor vehicle homicide while under the influence of alcohol, motor vehicle manslaughter and manslaughter.

Mauricio Velasquez during arraignment in Hampshire Superior Court on vehicular homicide charges.Don Treeger/The Republican 

NORTHAMPTON - A Springfield man accused of crashing his van into a pickup truck in Easthampton in December was arraigned Thursday on manslaughter and motor vehicle homicide charges.

Mauricio Velasquez, 32, told police he drank six or seven beers in 90 minutes on the afternoon of Dec. 7 before losing control of his van on Hendrick Street. Velasquez hit the accelerator instead of the brake, police said, slammed his van head-on into a pickup truck driven by Charles Hoffman, 71, of Easthampton. Hoffman died as a result of the crash as did Velasquez' 3-year-old daughter, Diana Velasques-Diaz. According to police, the child was not properly secured in her child's car-seat.

Velasquez' nephew, Milder Velasquez, a passenger in his van, and Janice Hoffman, 69, the wife of Charles Hoffman, were taken to Baystate Medical Center by ambulance along with the two victims, but their injuries were not life threatening.

Velasquez is charged with two counts each of motor vehicle homicide while under the influence of alcohol, motor vehicle manslaughter and manslaughter. Defense attorney Jonah Goldsmith entered innocent pleas on behalf of Velasquez. At the request of prosecutor Matthew Thomas, Hampshire Superior Count Judge Mary-Lou Rup maintained the $100,000 bail set in Northampton District Court, where Velasquez was originally arraigned. Rup scheduled a pretrial hearing for June 4.

Tonight's low temperature will be around 3 degrees.

The mostly sunny sky today will stick around through Saturday. Expect highs generally in the upper 20s.

We've got another low pressure area scheduled for Sunday. This will likely bring a light accumulation of snow. A coastal storm looks to be forming too far to the south to connect with the low pressure moving through. It does not appear to be a major storm at this point.

We'll remain in a pattern that favors storminess for the next 7 to 14 days.

Tonight: Starlit and frigid. Low near 3.

Friday: Mostly sunny, high 26.

Saturday: Sunny start, cloudy finish. high 30.

Sunday: Light snow likely. 20s.

Radar | 5 Day Forecast

David Linnehan was arrested in April after an investigation by Massachusetts State Police into trading child pornography via e-mail.

NORTHAMPTON — David M. Linnehan, a former Springfield College employee, pleaded not guilty Thursday to multiple child pornography charges in Hampshire Superior Court.

Linnehan, 37, was arrested in April after an investigation by Massachusetts State Police into trading child pornography via e-mail. He is charged with nine counts of possession of child pornography, eight counts of distributing material involving children in the nude, two counts of lasciviously posing a child in the nude and single counts of unauthorized access to a computer system, possession of a firearm without a license and improper storage of a firearm.

Investigators say they found thousands of photos and videos of children being sexually exploited and abused on Linnehan's Granby home computer and on work computers at Springfield College. There also were several photos of Springfield College students that investigators were able to trace back to the college, according to the office of the Massachusetts Attorney General, which is prosecuting the case.

Linnehan also is accused of going through student e-mail accounts at Springfield College and copying private and personal photographs without permission. In addition, police say they found an improperly stored handgun in his home.

Defense lawyer David P. Hoose told Hampshrie Superior Court Judge Mary-Lou Rup that Linnehan is currently unemployed. Linnehan was terminated from the college in April, after he was first indicted.

College spokesman Steve Roulier said the school iscooperating with investigators and is disturbed by the allegations and the blatant abuse of an administrative position. In the wake of the investigation, the college has bolstered security and contacted those known to be affected by Linnehan's alleged acts.

Roulier said all Springfield College employees go through a background check by an independent agency and that Linnehan passed.

At the request of Assistant Attorney General Timothy Wyse, Rup continued the $25,000 cash bail set when Linnehan was arraigned in Eastern Hampshire District Court, as well as the conditions accompanying bail. Under those conditions, Linnehan must have no unsupervised contact with anyone under 18, stay away from schools, parks and other places where children congregate, surrendered his passport, stay off the Internet and have his whereabouts tracked by a Global Positioning System monitor. Rup allowed Linnehan supervised visits with his son.

Bedinelli was supposed to show up in court to be arraigned for the charges. He never showed and now a warrant has been issued for his arrest.

File photo | The Republican 

SPRINGFIELD – A homeless man’s attempt to steal a pickup truck from a North End gas station during Tuesday’s snowstorm ended when the truck’s driver jumped back inside and began fighting for control of the vehicle, police said.

Michael BedinelliSpringfield police photo 

No one was injured, but the fire department responded to inspect damage to the pumps, he said.

Police arrested Michael Bedinelli, 32, who gave an address of the Friends of the Homeless shelter at 769 Worthington St., and charged him with larceny of a motor vehicle, malicious damage of more than $250 and operating a motor vehicle without a license.

Delaney said the driver of the truck had just stopped at the gas station and went inside to buy something. He left the keys in the ignition.

While waiting in line, he spotted Bedinelli in the driver’s seat driving away. The man ran outside and was able to jump into the react seat of the truck, where he grabbed Bedinelli in a choke hold.

Unable to drive during the struggle, the truck crashed into a gas pump, Delaney said.

The name of the truck’s driver was not released to the press. The truck belongs to his girlfriend, Delaney said.

Bedinelli was scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in Springfield District Court.

According to the office of Hampden County District Attorney Mark Mastroianni, Bedinelli was released from police custody by a clerk magistrate on Wednesday night on the promise that he show up at court for his arraignment.

Bedinelli never showed up and now a default warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Some cities and towns in the Pioneer Valley saw over a foot of snow fall by the time the storm was over.

It was snowing, and it was going to snow.

When I posted a map of snowfall totals yesterday, the storm seemed to be winding down; precipitation had switched to a sort of half-hearted sleet in downtown Springfield.

But, we hadn't seen the last of the snow. Checking the National Weather Service data today, some Massachusetts cities and towns saw an additional three or four inches through the afternoon and evening.

The map below shows the latest totals reported.

How do these totals match up with your observations? Please post your total to the comments below.

 

Hall, 36, of Peru, faces 19 charges, including multiple counts of murder and kidnapping from three separate incidents from 2009 through 2011.

SPRINGFIELD - The jury in the Adam Lee Hall triple murder trial sent the judge only one question Thursday: Can we go home now?

Jurors worked from 9 a.m. to almost 4 p.m. when Judge C. Jeffrey Kinder released them for the day to resume Friday at 9 a.m. So far they have deliberated 15 hours.

Hall, 36, of Peru, faces 19 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, David 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 next trial is of Chalue in mid-April.

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

An independent review of the Health Connector website detailed numerous flaws in management and in production of the website on the part of technology contractor CGI but also on the part of the state.

BOSTON — Gov. Deval Patrick on Thursday announced that he was hiring new management to oversee the contract for developing the state's Health Connector website and bringing in a new technology vendor to help fix the ongoing problems.

"The point is to catch up on the backlog and deliver a system that will give our residents convenience and confidence when it comes to health care coverage," Patrick said.

The announcement came the day the state released a report by MITRE, an independent company hired to review the Connector website. The report detailed numerous flaws in management and in production of the website on the part of technology contractor CGI but also on the part of the state, which was responsible for overseeing the project. [The full report is included at the end of this article]

As a result of the technology glitches, thousands of people have been unable to enroll in new health plans, as is required by the Affordable Care Act. The state has placed people on temporary insurance while they work to process applications.

"To the people whose transition has not been smooth, I join my colleagues from the Connector and MassHealth in apologizing to you for the inconvenience, and I want to thank you for your patience," Patrick said. "I also want to assure you that we are not going to let anyone slip through the cracks."

Patrick hired Sarah Iselin to oversee the project of repairing the website. Iselin, who is on leave from her job as chief strategy officer at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, was previously director of the state's Division of Health Care Finance and Policy under Patrick.

Iselin said she is "confident we'll get back on track and back where we need to be."

Secretary of Administration and Finance Glen Shor said Iselin will not be involved in daily activities of the Connector, will not have access to plan-specific data unless it is de-identified and will not have access to information or make any decisions that could provide a competitive advantage to Blue Cross Blue Shield.

The health care technology firm Optum will coordinate efforts to eliminate the backlog of people waiting for new coverage. Optum plans to bring in 300 workers in the next couple of days. Patrick said he authorized Optum "to bring in as much operational support as necessary" to ensure that people who applied for coverage can get it, whether through a call center, paper application or the website.

"The most important thing, and the guidance we got from the governor, is focus like a laser beam on making sure that we do everything possible to make sure that the residents of the commonwealth who are seeking coverage or transitioning from coverage, allow that to happen in as seamless a way as possible," said Andy Slavitt, group executive vice president at Optum.

The board of the Health Connector voted Thursday to approve the contract with Optum, which also helped fix problems with the federal health care exchange. The contract runs this week through April 30. The charges for the first 30 days are capped at $9.8 million. The company will provide temporary workers to put data into the health information system to address the backlog and will advise state officials on information technology, workarounds and other technical parts of the project.

Linda Odorisio, CGI's vice president of global communications, said in a statement, "CGI looks forward to continuing our work with Optum to accelerate improvement of the Massachusetts Health Connector. We remain determined to help Massachusetts residents get insured by enrolling in health plans via the Connector, and we fully intend to meet our contractual obligations."

Patrick also removed UMass Medical School from its role overseeing the CGI contract, and gave those responsibilities to state government. "Managing a sub-par performing vendor…is best done by some individual with a lot of authority and a short leash and not by a committee," Patrick said.

Mark Shelton, a spokesman for the University of Massachusetts Medical School, said the CGI contract represented 40 percent of the work the medical was doing for the Connector, and the medical school will continue to manage contracts for other parts of the project. "The medical school is completely supportive of the governor's decision and of the action he's taking," Shelton said.

The national health care reform provided new subsidies for people to buy health insurance and required that anyone already on the state's Commonwealth Care insurance plans re-enroll. The new state website went live Oct. 1. By then, the state had already reduced the scope of the project and, Patrick said, relied on representations from CGI that more work would be done in October and November.

Patrick called CGI's performance "consistently substandard" and said it was understaffed, missed deadlines and "failed to deliver the system we hired them to deliver." Patrick said he met personally with CGI's CEO to express his disappointment. Patrick did not rule out ending the contract with CGI, but said that would be complicated due to the complexity of the website and CGI's ownership of the computer code. "We still need CGI for the time being to help us fix what's largely a fixable system," Patrick said.

The MITRE report provides the first comprehensive look at what went wrong. On the state side, the report said UMass, the Health Connector and MassHealth all had different priorities for the system. "There does not appear to be a consistent, unified vision for the system nor clear lines of accountability for implementing the vision," the report stated.

It identified significant problems with CGI's project management and its implementation. The report found CGI did not have the ability to accommodate the needs for data manipulation; did not require that bugs in code were identified and fixed; did not adhere to schedules or procedures developed early in the project; and took on more work than it could handle. The report said it is "highly unlikely" that all the technical aspects of the site design were tested. There were flaws with software design, data being incorrectly used and other technical problems.

Currently, the automated determination process, through which the Connector determines what subsidy someone is eligible for and what insurance plans they can enroll in, does not work. There have been problems with account creation, slow performance, timeouts and error messages. The state discovered in November that some data that applicants put in got recorded incorrectly.

State officials have used call centers, paper applications and other workarounds to enroll people. As of early January, only 4,100 people had been processed for eligibility and enrolled in new plans while 26,000 were placed in temporary plans, paid for by MassHealth. The state extended the insurance plans of 124,000 people who were enrolled in Commonwealth Care and two smaller plans until March 31.

Now, with uncertainty around whether those people will be able to re-enroll by March, a delegation from Massachusetts will travel to Washington, D.C., on Friday to meet with officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, including administrator Marilyn Tavenner. State officials will ask for a waiver allowing them to extend the plans of individuals currently in Commonwealth Care past March 31, if the state cannot enroll people in new plans by then. Ashley Hague, deputy executive director of strategy for the Health Connector, said discussions with the federal government have been ongoing since late 2013.

"We're not going to let people's coverage lapse," Patrick said.

So far, the state has paid just $15 million of its $68 million contract with CGI. Patrick said he anticipates that the state will still complete the project within the $68 million budget. "We are not going to pay them for what we don't get," Patrick said.

Shor said any additional costs for keeping people on temporary health insurance will be paid for through the MassHealth budget. The state does not have an estimate for those costs, but Shor said the state anticipated more people would enroll in MassHealth under the Affordable Care Act and already budgeted for those costs.

MITRE FFRDC Technical Assistance Report

In endorsing Berwick, Kitzhaber, also a Democrat, said that the candidate's progressive take on a variety of issues led to his nod of support.

Democrat Don Berwick's gubernatorial campaign got a boost on Friday as Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber threw his support behind the former administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under President Barack Obama.

In endorsing Berwick, Kitzhaber, also a Democrat, said that the candidate's progressive take on a variety of issues led to his nod of support.

"I have known and worked with Don Berwick for years," Kitzhaber said in a statement released by the Berwick campaign. "His experience as an executive and his unapologetic progressive vision makes him an ideal fit for governor of Massachusetts."

In December, Kitzhaber announced he would seek an unprecedented fourth term as governor of Oregon. In Oregon, much like in Massachusetts, the website for the state's health insurance connector has had significant problems.

While Kitzhaber has said he'd like to focus on improving education funding, boosting middle class jobs and overseeing the state's health care reforms in a prospective fourth term, the failures of the website are expected to be a campaign issue.

Berwick's run for governor of the Bay State was previously endorsed by state Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz, D-Boston, and Mass-Care, a coalition which advocates for a single-payer health care system.

Other Democratic candidates running include Juliette Kayyem, a former national security advisor, state Attorney General Martha Coakley, state Treasurer Steven Grossman and Joe Avellone III, a surgeon and former Wellesley selectman.

All the Democrats running participated in a forum in Northampton a week ago ahead of the Democratic caucuses, slated to take place across the commonwealth from Feb. 8 through March 2. In order to proceed to the primary election in the fall, Democratic candidates need to land at least 15 percent of the vote from delegates at the convention in June.

Charlie Baker, who unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2010, is facing a challenge for the Republican Party's nomination from tea party member Mark Fisher of Shrewsbury. Baker is running as a team with lieutenant governor candidate Karyn Polito, a former state representative who ran unsuccessfully for state treasurer in 2010.

Health care executive Evan Falchuk is running under his newly created United Independent Party and Jeffrey McCormick, a founder of the Boston venture capital firm Saturn Partners, took out nomination papers in October to potentially run as an independent. The Springfield-based, anti-gay minister Scott Lively also recently announced his candidacy.

The primary election in the gubernatorial race will take place on Sept. 9, with the general election slated for Nov. 4.

A Hampden Superior Court jury at about 11 a.m. Friday convicted Adam Lee Hall, 36, of Peru, of three counts of first degree murder as well as other charges.

SPRINGFIELD - Carol Chadwell Smith said just after Adam Lee Hall was convicted of three counts of murder she can finally go to sleep and sleep peacefully.

“I hope that nobody has to endure the pain that we have,” Smith, sister of murder victim Robert Chadwell, said.

A Hampden Superior Court jury at about 11 a.m. Friday convicted Hall, 36, of Peru, of three counts of first degree murder as well as other charges.

In August 2011, weeks before he was to testify against Hall, David 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.

The men are being tried separately with Chalue’s trial slated for April 15 and Veiovis’ trial sometime in June.

In an interview after the verdicts Berkshire District Attorney David Capeless said his team will bring the same effort to bear in Chalue and Veovis’ trials.

“There was an incredible amount of work put in by a great number of people who did an excellent job. They were tireless,” Capeless said.

“Tireless in trying to determine not just whether or not Adam Hall did it and also to determine if it was possible that anyone else had done it. I think the public needs to understand this was an incredibly thorough investigation,” Capeless said.

Defense lawyer Alan Black declined comment on the verdicts.

Hall will be sentenced Monday at 9 a.m. The mandatory sentence for first degree murder is life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Capeless said Frampton’s social worker, who testified at the trial about when he went missing, wished to be here for sentencing.

About an hour before delivering the verdicts, the jury had reported to Superior Court Judge C. Jeffrey Kinder they had been deadlocked since Tuesday afternoon on the murder charges.

The jury of nine women and three men deliberated one hour Monday and seven hours each Tuesday and Thursday, with no court Wednesday because of the snowstorm.

When the jury reported itself deadlocked, Kinder gave them one of the standard instructions which in effect said to keep trying.

Smith, who with other family members and friends sat through a lot of the trial and has been here for deliberations, said she said she will follow, but not attend, the other two trials.

She has been missing work for this trial, she said.

“In my eyes this was the most important case because he is the gentleman that killed my brother and his two friends,” Smith said.

When she heard the verdicts, she said, “I was just at a point where I was going to collapse with satisfaction.... I feel weak at the knees, I was light headed. The healing process can begin.“

There are going to be things that were said in this courtroom that will stay with her always, Smith said.

“My memories are my memories,” she said.

“Like as far as the conditions of my brother and his friends’ bodies. I’ll have that image stuck in my head for the rest of my life,” she said.

Smith gave her victim impact statement to Kinder Friday, because she was not sure she could get out of work yet again Monday.

She asked Kinder to give Hall the maximum sentence allowed, and she thanked the jury on behalf of her family.

Hall faced a total of 19 charges for crimes against Glasser in 2009 and 2010 and for kidnapping, murder and intimidation of a witness against the three victims in 2011.

The jury returned guilty verdicts for all the 2011 charges with the three men as victims, and one not guilty on a charge of intimidation of a witness.

That charge had Alexandra Ely, Hall’s ex-girlfriend, as the victim.

From the 2009 incident where Hall was charged with beating Glasser with a baseball bat jurors convicted Hall of armed robbery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and intimidation of a witness. He was acquitted on the kidnapping and extortion charges.

From the 2010 incident in which Hall is charged with trying to frame Glasser jurors convicted Hall of kidnapping, possession of a firearm during a felony, and conspiracy. He was acquitted on the witness intimidation charge.

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

A main prosecution witness was David Casey, a fourth co-defendant.

Casey, 64, of Canaan, N.Y., 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.

Casey, who said on the stand he hoped for some consideration in his own case, testified Hall threatened to harm himself and his family if he didn’t use his excavator to bury the men’s remains.

Jurors heard from more than 80 witnesses over three weeks, and had about 350 pieces of evidence to examine.

Among items of evidence were photos of the victims’ dismembered body parts and hacked bones.

Hall’s mother and sister had been in the courtroom for several days, but were not in the courtroom Friday.

Prosecuting the case with Capeless were First Assistant Berkshire District Attorney Paul J. Caccaviello and assistant district attorney Gregory Barry.

Jeanne Liddy was on the defense team with Black.

Terms of the settlement were to be announced this afternoon during a press conference at the Hotel Northampton in Northampton.

UPDATE, 6 p.m.: State Rep. Stan Rosenberg on Baystate Franklin agreement with nurses: 'Both sides were willing to compromise'
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NORTHAMPTON — The nurses union and the administration at Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield have apparently reached a settlement in their lengthy contract dispute.

Terms of the settlement were to be announced this afternoon during a press conference at the Hotel Northampton in Northampton. Prior to the start of the press conference, officials with the Massachusetts Nurses Association, representing the nurses, distributed a press release announcing the settlement.

The Republican's Jim Kinney is on hand for the press conference and will file a report once it is concluded.

In the meantime, here is the release drafted by the Massachusetts Nurses Union:

GREENFIELD, Mass - The registered nurses of Baystate Franklin Medical Center (BFMC) have reached a tentative agreement on a new five-year contract, averting a one-day strike that was planned for Monday, Feb. 10. The pact provides protections the nurses had sought to prevent the use of mandatory overtime as an alternative to providing safe staffing at the hospital. It also includes improvements to the nurses' health insurance benefit and will grant the nurses pay raises.

The settlement was reached during negotiations held Thursday and Friday.

"We are thrilled to have finally reached an agreement that will provide the protections we need to ensure our patients receive the care they have come to expect from the nurses at Baystate Franklin Medical Center," said Linda Judd, a longtime nurse at the hospital and co-chair of the Massachusetts Nurses Association/National Nurses United local bargaining unit at BFMC. "This is an agreement where everybody wins: our patients, our nurses, our employer and our community"

Judd was quick to acknowledge all the support the nurses received from the communities throughout Franklin County in reaching this hard-fought victory that stretched over more than two years and 44 negotiating sessions.

"In reaching this settlement it is important to recognize all those in our community, including thousands of individual residents, as well as local public officials, who stood with the nurses through this long struggle. We also want to thank State Senator Stanley Rosenberg for hosting these negotiations over the last two days, with a special thanks to Senator Elizabeth Warren and Congressman James McGovern, who spearheaded the effort to get the parties together this week, and without whom we would not have achieved this resolution."

Highlights of the Tentative Agreement

The new contract covers five years, and expires on Dec. 31, 2016. Highlights of the agreement include:

* Baystate withdrew its proposal to eliminate "daily overtime." Baystate's call for this concession, where they would pay overtime only after 40 hours worked was the key sticking point in the talks. Instead the parties agreed to maintain the nurses' current benefit, with the addition of a one-hour grace period for daily overtime. This means that any work that is performed beyond one hour after the end of a nurse's scheduled shift triggers payment of time and one half back to the end of the nurse's scheduled shift; and in all cases, nurses have the protected right to refuse to work over time if he/she feels this would jeopardize the care of his/her patients.

* Baystate has agreed to clear language in the contract obligating Baystate to fully comply with the Massachusetts state law banning mandatory overtime. This law prohibits hospitals from using the dangerous practice of mandatory overtime as an alternative to providing safe staffing and guarantees that no nurse can be required to work beyond their scheduled shift. The hospital had previously refused to provide a contractual guarantee to adhere to the law, which, in combination with their demand for a concession on overtime pay, led the nurses to make a stand and strike over this important patient safety issue.

* An increase in the share of the family health insurance premium that Baystate pays from the current 70 percent of premium to 75 percent of premium.

* Wages and Bonuses: A 4 percent across the board raise for 2014 and an additional 1 percent across the board pay hike each year in 2015 and 2016. In addition nurses will receive bonuses upon ratification of the agreement of $2,000 for nurses who work 36 hours or more; $1,500 for nurses who work 24 hours or more and $1,000 for nurses who work less than 24 hours per week.

The nurses had announced their plan to conduct a one-day unfair labor practice strike on Monday, Feb. 10, in direct response to Baystate Health's illegal declaration of impasse two weeks ago and its plan to implement its last offer, which would eliminate the nurses overtime benefit. As part of the settlement, Baystate agreed to rescind its declaration of impasse and the nurses agreed to withdraw a number of charges they had filed with the National Labor Relations Board that arose out of this dispute.

There has been an outpouring of support for nurses' collective bargaining rights over the last year. At the Democratic State Convention held in Springfield last summer, the convention delegates unanimously passed a resolution calling on Baystate to conduct good faith negotiations with the MNA/NNU nurses and to come to a fair agreement. The Greenfield City Council passed a similar resolution last year. Thousands of Franklin County residents had signed a petition of support for the Baystate Franklin Medical Center nurses and delegations of community supporters and elected officials had called on Baystate to avoid further conflict and settle a fair contract with the nurses at BFMC.

The nurses and a growing coalition of community members and leaders have also been working together on a campaign to preserve and expand vital health care services at Baystate Franklin Medical Center. In concluding their contract negotiations today, the nurses pledged their continued commitment to this effort.

"The nurses appreciate the deep and broad community and political support that has been shown across Franklin County," said Donna Stern, RN, a nurse at the facility and co-chair of the bargaining unit. "And as committed caregivers and members of this community, we look forward to continuing our efforts to work with our community allies to ensure patients have access to the full range of services they need right here in Franklin County."
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Authorities in New Hampshire are asking the public to be on the lookout for a missing Keene, N.H. woman and her 2-year-old daughter.

Authorities in New Hampshire are asking the public to be on the lookout for a missing Keene, N.H. woman and her 2-year-old daughter.

Nicole Reynolds, 33, and her daughter Gianna Geraghty were last seen Wednesday evening, according to a report by the New Hampshire Union Leader. The newspaper reports that police said the young girl's father reported her missing, but they declined to elaborate if there was an ongoing custody dispute.

Police did say that they don't suspect foul play in the disappearance, and Boston CBS affiliate WBZ-TV reports the missing mother and daughter may be traveling in a silver Honda CRV with the New Hampshire license plate "2368697."

Anyone with information is asked to call the Keene, N.H. Police Department at (603) 357-9813 or visit the department's website where tips can be submitted anonymously.

The Springfield Parking Authority had appointed its comptroller, Ehsanul "Bokul" Bhuiya, to take on the added responsibilities of managing the department after the executive director position was eliminated in June of 2012.

SPRINGFIELD — The board of directors of the Springfield Park Authority, after refinancing its debt and improving its finances during the past year, is preparing to hire a permanent executive director after leaving the post vacant for nearly two years.

The authority board had eliminated the executive director position in June of 2012, assigning its comptroller, Ehsanul “Bokul” Bhuiya, to take on those additional duties since that time, as the authority refinanced its debt and made other changes.

The authority is a quasi-public agency that oversees both on-street and off-street parking in Springfield, including public garages.

Mary E. McNally, board chairwoman, said a separate executive director is needed. The board has advertised a salary range of $80,000 to $95,000 to be negotiated with the successful applicant.

“Essentially, we have found over the course of the last 18 months, the duties and responsibilities are too much for one person to manage, as both manager of day-to-day operations and comptroller,” McNally said.

The deadline for applications is Feb. 10. Bhuiya said he was still weighing his options last week regarding if he will be a candidate.

The authority is advertising for candidates nationally, designed to be an open and fully transparent process, McNally said. The prior executive director was Harold “Hal” King.

In addition to refinancing its debt of $5 million, related to the construction of garages in past decades, the authority also hired a new parking management company, Executive Parking Inc., of Springfield, last February, for additional savings, Bhuiya said. Executive Parking took over parking operations and enforcement, previously done under contract with Republic Parking, based in Chattanooga, Tenn.

The debt peaked at about $22 million in the 1980s, officials said.

The board will create a personnel committee to review resumes received for the executive director position and to interview candidates. The authority board will make the final decision on the director choice.

The authority oversees 4,500 off-street parking spaces and more than 1,000 on-street parking spaces, and its mission is to contribute to downtown economic development. The authority has four of its own employees, including Bhuiya, in addition to the contractual services of Executive Parking and vendors for security and snowplowing.

“I have been very fortunate to have the direction of the board and the support from the mayor and city to turn our operations around,” Bhuiya said. “Even during the difficult economic times, we have been able to take the Parking Authority from not so strong financially to a sound and leading entity within the region.”

Former Massachusetts Democratic Party Chairman John Walsh said Friday he is supporting former state Sen. Warren Tolman's bid to be the next attorney general of the Bay State.

Former Massachusetts Democratic Party Chairman John Walsh said Friday he is supporting former state Sen. Warren Tolman's bid to be the next attorney general of the Bay State.

Tolman, who is competing for the Democratic Party's nomination along with Maura Healey, a former bureau chief in the Attorney General’s office, and State Rep. Harold Naughton, gets the first endorsement Walsh has issued since he took the helm of Deval Patrick's 2006 gubernatorial campaign.

"I know his leadership promises results because I’ve seen it in the years he served in the legislature on progressive issues like environmental protection and early childhood education," Walsh wrote in a blog posted on the progressive Blue Mass Group website. "I’m with Warren because I know him as a fighter. I know when he promises to take on the fight to protect workers and students from bullying, and the fight for fair pay for women he’ll win those fights because I remember when he took the fight to the tobacco companies and won."

In accepting the endorsement, Tolman, who previously ran unsuccessfully for both governor and lieutenant governor, said he is honored to have Walsh's support.

“Nobody knows progressive politics and grassroots campaigning better than John Walsh,” Tolman said in a statement. "It’s a terrific honor to have his support as I campaign to reduce gun violence in our communities, take on rising health care costs, and protect Massachusetts families by standing up to special interests."

Walsh stepped down as the head of the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee in the fall to take a position in Gov. Deval Patrick's "Together" political action committee. His boots-on-the-ground approach to modern grassroots campaigns is credited with helping elect Democrats including Patrick, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, U.S. Congressman Joe Kennedy III and even President Barack Obama.

Walsh was replaced by state Sen. Tom McGee of Lynn as the head of the Massachusetts Democratic Party.

Tolman led his Democratic competitors in 2013 fundraising, ending the year with approximately $365,000 in the bank. No Republican candidates have emerged in the race.

The primary election is scheduled for Sept. 9 while the general election will take place on Nov. 4.

Florence Congregational Church is celebrating African-American History Month by teaming with members of the University of Massachusetts Chamber Choir on Feb. 23 for a 10 a.m. concert at the church.

Adopt-A-Trail

NORTHAMPTON - The city’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Subcommittee is looking for sponsors for its Adopt-a-Trail program to help maintain Northampton’s rail and multi-use trails. Smith College has agreed to be the first trail adopter, according to Planning Director Wayne Feiden, agreeing to mow the trail from the Veteran’s Field access road to Grove Avenue. Any person or organization interested in adopting a portion of the rail trail should contact the city through www.northamptonma.gov/1372/Adopt-a-Trail.

African-American History Month

NORTHAMPTON - Florence Congregational Church at 130 Pine St. is celebrating African-American History Month by teaming with members of the University of Massachusetts Chamber Choir Feb. 23 for a 10 a.m. concert at the church. The public is welcome.

Museum of Fine Art passes

NORTHAMPTON - Forbes Library is offering passes to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The $10 passes provide admission for up to two people; children under 18 years old are admitted for $10 during the week and are free on weekends. Passes can be picked up anytime during normal library hours and are valid within the year printed on the ticket. Patrons may have up to two passes a month. Featured exhibits at the MFA currently include Samba Spirit: Modern Afro Brazilian Art and The Creative Process in Modern Japanese Printmaking. For a complete listing and more information about the museum visit, www.mfa.org.