Dr. Andrew Lam and partners Henry Clement, a builder, and Christopher Orszulak, a financial services professional, bought the Brewer-Young mansion for $470,200 from a bank that had foreclosed on it and evicted the previous occupants. Watch video

LONGMEADOW -- The Longmeadow Historical Commission supports plans to renovate the 1885 Brewer-Young mansion into professional office space despite the town's longtime opposition to commercial enterprise on the Green.

Eye surgeon Dr. Andrew Lam and partners Henry Clement, a builder, and Christopher Orszulak, a financial services professional, hope to renovate the  11,000-square-foot home at 734 Longmeadow St. into new offices for plastic surgeon Dr. Glen Brooks and his Spa on the Green medical day spa as well as one other tenant.

Lam, Clement and Orszulak bought the Brewer-Young mansion Sept. 7 for $470,200 from a bank that had foreclosed on it and evicted the previous occupants.

They say this is the only way to make the Brewer-Young property economically self-sufficient and fund the nearly $2 million in repairs needed.

But there are neighbors who fear a change in zoning at the Brewer-Young Mansion will lead owners of other properties to convert them to business use. Also, some fear increased traffic and commotion.

In an advisory opinion last week, the Historical Commission said it supports the preliminary plan as proposed by the owner to repurpose the Brewer Young mansion into professional office space, said member Steven Weiss.

"The Historical Commission believes that the proposal is not inconsistent with maintaining the historic character of the Town," the commission said in its written opinion.

Weiss said the opinion is only advice.

Lam, Orszulak and Clement will need a two-thirds vote by Town Meeting in order to change zoning. Getting a special town meeting called requires a petition with 100 signatures.

Weiss said he would expect that the Historical Commission would be asked to repeat its opinion at public hearings and meetings of the Planning Board prior to any Town Meeting vote.

The owners say they are hoping to go to Town Meeting for a vote either at the end of this year or in early 2018.

Longmeadow has a history of being slow to approve projects.

The Longmeadow Shops expansion, for example, failed to pass its first Town Meeting before winning approval in 2015 on its second try. And voters approved a new town highway garage this summer after decades of rejecting the plan.

View obituaries from The Republican newspaper in Springfield, Massachusetts.

A company spokeswoman said lights should come on at around 7:30 p.m.

This is an update of a story posted at 5:40 p.m.

GREENFIELD - A spokeswoman with Eversource Energy says technicians at the scene of a power outage in downtown Greenfield expect full restoration by 7:30 p.m.

Rhiannon D'Angelo, spokeswoman for the utility, said the revised estimate means the 400 some-odd customers should have power restored well before the original estimate of 11 p.m.

The outage was caused by what she was was some animal, most likely a squirrel, got into some electrical equipment and caused a short.

The outage, reported Tuesday afternoon, forced businesses to close and knocked out traffic lights, according to the Greenfield Recorder. 

Massachusetts Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash on Tuesday announced grants for seven organizations in Western Massachusetts, including Gateway City Arts in Holyoke.

HOLYOKE -- The Baker-Polito Administration on Tuesday announced $343,845 in grant awards to seven organizations in Western Massachusetts to help them strengthen community-based innovation and entrepreneurship.

"The Collaborative Workspace Program bolsters Massachusetts' innovation and creative economies by providing entrepreneurs with physical space, mentorship, training opportunities and investment capital," said state Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash, who shared the news at an event at Gateway City Arts in Holyoke.

"We are thrilled to announce this second round of funding through the program, which will help advance community-based innovation throughout the Commonwealth," said Ash, who also dropped by Ludlow Mills to announce a $3.5 million MassWorks grant for ongoing redevelopment efforts at the sprawling mill complex.  

The Collaborative Workspace Program funding, administered by MassDevelopment, is expected to help build physical infrastructure to support new entrepreneurial ventures while spurring innovation and job creation at the local level. The first round of program funding included more than $950,000 for 23 organizations.

"Massachusetts is home to an unrivaled innovation economy that has made us a destination for cutting-edge, world-class companies," Gov. Charlie Baker said in a statement.

The grants will help "lay a strong foundation for entrepreneurs collaborating to research and develop their ideas and businesses, driving job creation, economic growth and next-generation advancements," the governor said.

Collaborative spaces often feature open floor plans, community meeting spaces, and shared tools or equipment, with an emphasis on common and shared spaces.

The second round of Collaborative Workspace Program funding will help the following Western Massachusetts organizations:

• Gateway City Arts, which provides co-work facilities and networking opportunities for artists and small-business entrepreneurs, received $165,000 to replace a freight elevator with an ADA-compliant passenger elevator;
• Easthampton Co.Lab, a member-run co-working space in the Eastworks Building, received $5,700 to assess two unoccupied buildings at Eastworks for possible development into an innovation center and creative hub.
• SPARK, an affordable and flexible space in Holyoke for startups, aspiring entrepreneurs, and business professionals, received a $64,545 grant for improvements to the space, including minor cosmetic enhancements and technology updates;
• City Pop, a food-oriented business incubator that aims to mentor food entrepreneurs by providing commercial kitchen space and investment capital, among other things, received a $3,000 grant to fund a study to explore the feasibility of incorporating a food entrepreneurship center within Lever Inc.'s North Adams facility;
• Cloud85 Co-Working Space, a hybrid coffee shop and office space in North Adams, received $5,600 for soundproofing;
• Make-It Springfield, a community-run workshop space for local artisans, crafters, entrepreneurs, programmers, students and others, received $25,000 to study securing new space for the workshop;
• and Quaboag Community Kiln and Art Works, a gallery and training space for local potters, artists and craftspeople in Ware, received $75,000 to expand the facility to include a gallery storefront and other improvements.

An afternoon fire damaged a Main Street building, but Holyoke firefighters were able to extinguish the small fire quickly, minimizing the effects.

HOLYOKE -- A fire Tuesday afternoon damaged a downtown factory building, but firefighters were able to knock the flames down quickly.

Holyoke Fire Department spokesman Capt. Kevin Cavgnac said passersby reported seeing smoke coming from the Holyoke Machine building at 466 Main St. just after 2 p.m. 

First responding units found smoke coming from rooftop soffit vents. Once inside the building, firefighters found a small fire in a penthouse structure on the roof.

They were able to knock the fire down quickly, and Cavagnac said damage did not extend from a small area.

No injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire remains undetermined but is not considered suspicious.

Holyoke, Massachusetts Mayor Alex B. Morse said recently that Jay Ferreira, his opponent in the Nov. 7, 2017 election, uses "scare tactics" in positions on public safety dominated by criticism about fire engine brownouts and a failure to discuss issues with the fire chief, while Ferreira said Morse's decisions have compromised public safety.

HOLYOKE -- Mayor Alex B. Morse said that Jay Ferreira, his opponent in the Nov. 7 election, uses "scare tactics" in public safety positions dominated by criticism of fire engine brownouts and failure to discuss issues with the fire chief.

Ferreira said the browning out, or temporary removal from service, of fire trucks would be unnecessary had Morse embraced his proposal to regionalize and save money by sharing fire service costs with neighboring communities. Ferreira has said brownouts compromise public safety.

"During any election, the issue of public safety is on voters' minds," Morse said in a press release Friday. "Unfortunately, in the case of Jay Ferreira's mayoral candidacy, voters have heard only scare tactics and disingenuous arguments -- arguments belied by the facts, and at odds with Ferreira's own record as a city councilor."

Ferreira's idea for regionalization would have left some Holyoke fire engines unavailable for service here, Morse said. And the mayor questioned why Ferreira in calling for creativity and making public safety a campaign issue has yet to meet with Fire Chief John A. Pond.

"If Jay wants to hear about creative ways to save money and improve services, Chief Pond is exactly the person he should have talked to," Morse said.

Ferreira said that despite Morse's assertion, regionalization of services would result in "significant savings" to taxpayers.

"Those savings would allow Holyoke to reopen Engine 2 and offer relief to overburdened taxpayers at the same time," Ferreira said.

"The mayor is welcome to criticize me all he likes on this topic. If he had any vision himself, he would have done this before choosing to shut down a fire engine," he said.

Morse is running for his fourth term. Ferreira is a former Ward 4 city councilor and current employment coordinator at Community Enterprises here.

Statements from Morse and Ferreira are below.

Ferreira is among those who have criticized Morse and Pond for using brownouts and for removing Engine 2 from service. Reducing available fire trucks leaves the city less safe and is unnecessary,he said.

Pond has said that the plan that involves shifting firefighters from Engine 2 to other trucks would increase the number of firefighters per vehicle on initial responses in an emergency.

Engine 2 is located at Fire Department headquarters and has been the truck that has been "browned out" occasionally.

Brownout is the term used to identify a truck that is removed from service temporarily on a shift when available firefighting staffing is thin. That can happen with vacations, sick days and other matters. Instead of incurring overtime costs by calling in off-duty firefighters to work such shifts, a truck is shut down for a shift and the firefighters on that vehicle temporarily reassigned.

The firefighters union, city councilors such as Daniel B. Bresnahan, the  Public Safety Committee chairman, and others have criticized use of brownouts. But Pond and Morse have said that the use of brownouts still maintains sufficient coverage given the strategic locations of fire stations while also saving hundreds of thousands of dollars in employee overtime.

Here is Mayor Alex B. Morse's statement:

During any election, the issue of public safety is on voters' minds.

Unfortunately, in the case of Jay Ferreira's mayoral candidacy, voters have heard only scare tactics and disingenuous arguments -- arguments belied by the facts, and at odds with Ferreira's own record as a city councilor.

Jay Ferreira's whole public safety agenda boils down to his criticism about the "browning out" of Fire Engine #2.

But as a city councilor, when Jay Ferreira actually had a say in how to manage the fire department's budget, he advocated for an even more extreme path, calling for the regionalization of the fire department. In December of 2013, Ferreira filed orders that would have merged Holyoke's fire, building, health, and veterans departments with those of the towns of Southampton and South Hadley. At the time, he wrote, "I believe there is the potential for large savings and no reduction in city services if done properly."  

On December 19, 2013, Ferreira shared a MassLive article on his Facebook page --  titled "East Longmeadow considers sharing human resources department with Ludlow" -- and offered the following statement:

"This is the direction we need to be moving in. There is so much money to be saved. We could basically take over the entire government of Southampton and some of South Hadley's. I filed an order to do some of this with four city departments. Creativity and an open mind will equal savings."

Voters need to understand: had Ferreira gotten his way in 2013, some Holyoke engines would have been put out of service. And in much the same way the fire union has criticized Mayor Morse's redistribution plan, the union was highly critical of Ferreira's plan in 2013.  

"I like Jay, and believe he cares about the city," Mayor Morse says. "But this shows that he's willing to take positions for political advantage."

Jay Ferreira was right when he called for "creativity" and "an open mind" in addressing the city's financial challenges. But as a candidate for mayor, he has instead chosen to echo the talking points of political allies.

Moreover, despite making fire safety a centerpiece of his campaign, Jay Ferreira has still not reached out to Fire Chief Pond to discuss the department and its needs. At no time in the seven months since Ferreira pulled nomination papers to run for mayor has he prioritized meeting with the chief.

"It is truly astounding that a candidate for mayor wouldn't even reach out to the chief to have a conversation," Mayor Morse says. "If Jay wants to hear about creative ways to save money and improve services, Chief Pond is exactly the person he should have talked to."

Throughout his time in office, Mayor Morse has managed to cut overall spending while guaranteeing fire protection to the people of Holyoke. Since Mayor Morse took office, the city has purchased three new fire trucks, hired 37 new firefighters, and received nearly $3.3 million in federal grants to hire firefighters and buy radios and other gear. According to the Insurance Service Organization, Holyoke's fire protection has improved on Mayor Morse's watch.  

Here is mayoral candidate Jay Ferreira's statement:

I'm not sure if this is supposed to be some kind of criticism but I'm glad the mayor brought it up. Working together with surrounding communities is one of Holyoke's best opportunities to see significant savings in the city budget. Those savings would allow Holyoke to reopen Engine #2 and offer relief to overburdened taxpayers at the same time.

This option isn't limited to the Fire Department. There are potential savings in almost every city department. We absolutely need to be meeting with leaders from surrounding communities to identify areas where working together can save money while maintaining city services. The mayor is welcome to criticize me all he likes on this topic. If he had any vision himself, he would have done this before choosing to shut down a fire engine.

A report claims the practices cost New England consumers $3.6 billion over three years.

BOSTON -- Massachusetts utility regulators said Tuesday they will conduct a "thorough review" of allegations that energy conglomerates Eversource and Avangrid artificially constrained pipeline capacity in New England, costing consumers $3.6 billion over three years.

The Department of Public Utilities "takes seriously its responsibility to protect ratepayers," and has begun "a thorough review of allegations raised in a recent report on the unnecessary withholding of natural gas capacity," wrote DPU chairwoman Angela O'Connor in a statement.

The department will seek information from natural gas companies "on how their procurement practices balance gas supply needs with delivering reliable service at the lowest costs possible for consumers," O'Connor wrote.

The Environmental Defense Fund and three university researchers last week released a report titled Vertical Market Power in Interconnected Natural Gas and Electricity Markets.

It accuses Avangrid and Eversource of reserving capacity on the Algonquin pipeline system on a day-ahead basis, and then not using it. The practice caused electricity prices to spike during cold weather, the report alleges.

"We estimate that capacity withholding increased average natural gas and electricity prices by 38 percent and 20 percent, respectively, over the three-year period we studied," the report states.

While the authors do not accuse Eversource and Avangrid of breaking any laws, they said the companies manipulated fuel supplies to accrue profits, particularly during the "Polar Vortex" of 2013-2014, when New England's wholesale power prices skyrocketed.

The report called for market reforms to prevent the practice.

Around half of New England's electricity is generated by power plants that burn natural gas. The plants buy gas on the volatile spot market, whereas natural gas utilities lock in prices -- and guaranteed capacity -- via 20-year contracts, and have first dibs on the fuel.

The two companies have condemned the report, saying they did nothing wrong, had the full approval of regulators and acted prudently to reserve enough capacity to serve their home heating and business customers.

Eversource said the report "appears to be fabricated by anti-pipeline proponents who are trying to make the case that pipeline shortages in New England are due to capacity withholding." It is "well-documented that New England pipeline demand greatly exceeds the supply on cold days," Eversource said.

Avangrid said it reserves capacity only "to help protect customers from interruptions -- including during unpredictable, extreme weather conditions," and that it "rigorously follows all applicable laws and regulations."

A trade group representing the natural gas industry went one step further, calling the authors' conclusions "false, and frankly ridiculous." The report is "profoundly misleading and inaccurate," said the Northeast Gas Association.

Utility regulators in Connecticut have also opened a probe. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, has asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to investigate, and Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey said her office would review the allegations.

The Massachusetts utility regulators said Tuesday they would open six dockets and request information from Bay State Gas, Berkshire Gas, Fitchburg Gas & Electric, Boston Gas and Colonial Gas, Liberty Utilities and NSTAR Gas.

Eversource reiterated Tuesday it does not "artificially constrain capacity," and said the report was issued by "anti-gas proponents."

"We are confident that any review of our practices will demonstrate that we are following all rules and regulations and are always acting in the best interest of our customers and communities," said company spokesman Michael Durand.

There are "critical flaws" in the report regarding the flow of gas through the pipeline system, making the conclusions about manipulation false, said Durand.

"The authors manipulated the data so as to ignore the fact that we have an obligation to reserve enough gas capacity to deliver reliable supply to our customers in cold periods, and that's what we do," he said.

Durand said that Eversource's power plants, located in New Hampshire, make no extra profit when energy prices are high.

Eversource, the former Northeast Utilities, was formed in 2015. Its utility subsidiaries include 3.6 million customer accounts in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Avangrid owns gas and electric utilities in New England and New York, and was formed in 2015 in a $3 billion merger.

Mary Serreze can be reached at mserreze@gmail.com

House Speaker Robert DeLeo prodded the Baker administration on Tuesday to make use of $2 million for a program intended to help manufacturing companies take advantage of researchers and lab space at UMass Amherst and the other four university campuses.

By Matt Murphy
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, OCT. 24, 2017....House Speaker Robert DeLeo prodded the Baker administration on Tuesday to make use of $2 million for a program intended to help manufacturing companies take advantage of researchers and lab space at UMass Amherst and the other four university campuses.

The speaker made his polite request at a State House awards ceremony organized by the Legislative Manufacturing Caucus.

DeLeo, keying off House efforts to grow advanced manufacturing industries, highlighted a new initiative called the UMass Innovation Voucher Program that was included in the fiscal 2018 budget.

The Legislature included $2 million in funding for the program and companies and students are "clamoring" to participate, DeLeo said, but the money has still not been made available by Baker since the budget was signed in July.

"I know that I can count on the administration to release these funds soon so that we can begin the program's immense potential and make sure that this program can be realized," DeLeo said to an audience of lawmakers and manufacturers that included Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash.

Ash told the News Service he was unaware of why the funds might be held up, but the governor's budget office suggested DeLeo's faith in the administration to follow through with the Legislature's desires may not be such a safe bet.

"The Baker-Polito Administration was pleased to put forward a balanced budget that invests historic levels of education aid for public schools, combats the opioid epidemic, and supports a continued focus on workforce development and manufacturing. With only modest tax growth and pending legislative spending overrides, the administration will continue to closely review programs and spending to ensure we end the year in balance," Administration and Finance spokeswoman Sarah Finlaw said in a statement.

Pointing to the Legislature's ongoing efforts to override the governor's budget vetoes and lawmakers' failure to act on a package of MassHealth savings initiatives, the budget office reiterated its belief that the fiscal 2018 budget rests on shaky financial footing and has a potential $200 million exposure.

Baker officials noted also that the governor has supported other manufacturing initatives around the state, including funding for vocational school equipment and a five-year, $100 million committment to the Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative (M2I2). Baker also earlier this month announced at UMass Amherst $7 million in funding for seven advanced manufacturing projects.

The program highlighted by DeLeo was developed with UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy and was designed to subsidize the cost of companies using university lab space and equipment to advance their research and development and manufacturing efforts. The money was appropriated to MassDevelopment to create a fund that could be used to reimburse UMass for the costs associated with opening their doors to private companies.

"When participating companies take advantage of these resources they will also be working with research facilities, trained professional staff and students," DeLeo explained. He added, "Not only does it give businesses a competitive edge, it also challenges students to explore new technology and connect with companies looking for new employees."

DeLeo said he has heard from companies who are "ready to apply" for the vouchers, as well as students "who are clamoring for the real world experience that it will provide."

Holyoke Councilor at Large James M. Leahy, who has two brothers working for the Holyoke Police Department, has been endorsed for re-election by the patrol union in the Nov. 7, 2017 election.

HOLYOKE -- Councilor at Large James M. Leahy, who has two brothers working for the Holyoke Police Department, has been endorsed for re-election by the patrol union.

"We believe that Mr Leahy is a strong supporter of public safety and the Holyoke Police Department," said Officer James Bartolomei, president of Local 388, International Brotherhood of Police Officers, in an email on Tuesday.

"This endorsement is a significant one for me," Leahy said. "With the at large City Council seats going from eight to six, it's important for the residents of Holyoke to know that the Holyoke police union is supporting my re-election campaign, but more importantly, they are supporting the work that I have done for public safety over the last 18 years".

"The work that our men and women do on a daily basis, to ensure the safety of our families out there is tremendous," said Leahy,  43.

Patrick Leahy, 40, is a sergeant and Thomas Leahy, 31, an officer in the Holyoke Police Department and Brian Leahy, 38, is a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department detective.

James Leahy is among 10 candidates competing on Election Day Nov. 7 for six at large seats on the City Council.

Votes approved a change in the 2015 election that will take affect with the 2017 races to reduce the City Council to 13 members from the current 15, eliminating two of the eight at large seats. The council also has seven ward seats.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and challenger Tito Jackson on Tuesday scrapped over tax incentives for corporate heavyweights Amazon and General Electric in the only televised debate between the two candidates before voters head to the polls on Nov. 7.

In the only televised debate before voters head to the polls on Nov. 7, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and challenger Tito Jackson on Tuesday scrapped over tax incentives for corporate heavyweights Amazon and General Electric.

Walsh, who is seeking a second term, and Jackson, a city councilor, faced off in a nearly hour-long debate on WGBH.

Jackson said he believed Amazon should not get any tax breaks if the retail giant decides to locate its second headquarters in the city.

And he criticized the city and state for giving tax incentives to General Electric, which is building a new world headquarters in Boston's Fort Point/Seaport District neighborhood.

General Electric "poisoned" the Housatonic River when the company had a plant in Pittsfield, Jackson said.

'We've done more dredging than any other company on earth,' General Electric CEO says of Housatonic River cleanup

Jackson, who worked in Gov. Deval Patrick's economic development office before he became a city councilor, said he helped bring Google to Massachusetts and Microsoft's expansion here.

"We were able to bring them here based on the workforce that we have, based on the locale we have, relative to transportation," Jackson said.

General Electric should not be getting up to $25 million from the city, Jackson added. "Especially because they're now talking about laying people off. That was a bet that the city of Boston lost."

Walsh defended the deal to bring General Electric to Boston. City and officials from Gov. Charlie Baker's administration worked to lure in the conglomerate.

"General Electric coming to the city of Boston is an incredible opportunity for the city of Boston," the mayor said. "Not just having General Electric's world headquarters in our city, but the other types of companies and talent it attracts there."

General Electric reportedly cutting jobs at new Boston headquarters

The $25 million isn't coming in the form of a check but through incentives, in part because GE is building its headquarters on a dilapidated site, Walsh continued. The company has also pledged to funnel millions of dollars into the city's education system, he said.

Walsh took aim at Jackson's tenure in the Patrick administration, saying the administration supported tax credits.

"When he was working for the economic development in the Patrick administration, they gave plenty of tax credits away back then," Walsh said. "So I just think when you look at tax credits - I don't believe that we should give the store away."

When debate co-moderator Jim Braude noted that Jackson has previously expressed support for tax incentives, Jackson said, "I believe the tax incentives given to General Electric were too much. I'm not saying they never should be used."

Walsh said the city's bid for Amazon's second headquarters doesn't contain specific incentives, though if the city moves on to the next round they plan to discuss some potential incentives.

Here are the 26 sites Massachusetts is pitching to Amazon

An inmate who walked away Monday night from the Western Massachusetts Recovery and Wellness Center on Mill Street was found Tuesday afternoon in Holyoke.

SPRINGFIELD -- An inmate who walked away Monday night from the Western Massachusetts Recovery and Wellness Center on Mill Street was found Tuesday afternoon in Holyoke, the Hampden County Sheriff's Department said.

Stephen O'Neil, spokesman for the sheriff's department, said Francisco Garcia, 43, was taken into custody by the Western Massachusetts Apprehension Team early Tuesday afternoon. The team is made up of state and local police and members of the sheriff's department.  

Garcia was bringing out the trash Monday to a dumpster at the rear of the building as part of his responsibilities at the Recovery and Wellness Center, 155 Mill St., and did not return inside the building. It happened about 6 p.m.

He was serving a six-month sentence for larceny under $250 and possession of a Class B substance on Sep. 22.  His sentence was due to be completed March 17, 2018. 

O'Neil said Garcia was considered a minimum security risk and not a danger to the community.   

Boston "wasted a whole year" pursuing a bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics, an effort that later collapsed, according to Tito Jackson, the city councilor challenging Mayor Marty Walsh.

Boston "wasted a whole year" pursuing a bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics, an effort that later collapsed, according to Tito Jackson, the city councilor challenging Mayor Marty Walsh.

Boston's failed bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics resurfaced on Tuesday night as the two candidates sparred at WGBH's television studios, two weeks before voters head to the polls.

Walsh is seeking a second four-year term on Nov. 7, while Jackson, a former aide to Gov. Deval Patrick, is hoping to knock his fellow Democrat out of office.

Boston mayor defends luring GE to city, while challenger says company 'poisoned' Housatonic River

Walsh defended the city's efforts, saying the Boston 2024 bid led to a larger conversation about planning and housing that informed future discussions, such as the pursuit of retail giant Amazon.

When co-moderator Jim Braude pressed Walsh on how the bid for the Olympics was not originally available to members of the public, the mayor said a private outside group put together the bid, and had city officials had written it, the bid would have been more transparent.

Jackson said Walsh was "misremembering what actually happened here."

"I was the person on the [City] Council, the only person on the council to step forward and subpoena the Olympic documents, and actually make sure that we had transparency," Jackson said.

Five things that killed Boston's bid for the 2024 Olympics

"So the issue here is that we have a mayor who signed off on the future of the city of Boston," Jackson added.

Walsh said he made the decision to pull the city of the bid as Olympics officials were asking him to sign a document on the hook for cost overruns or the cancellation of the Olympics.

"I was very clear from the very beginning that I was not going mortgage the future of the city away," Walsh said.

Pursuing Amazon's second headquarters is 'not the Olympics, this is not IndyCar,' Boston Mayor Marty Walsh says

Follansbee has been with the district for 26 years, and was named superintendent in 2010.

EASTHAMPTON -- After a quarter-century with the Easthampton Public School District, Superintendent Nancy Follansbee has announced her retirement.

"I have been privileged and honored to have spent the majority of my career in education in Easthampton," Follansbee said at Tuesday's School Committee meeting.

Follansbee's three-year contract actually expired June 30, 2016, but the School Committee voted two consecutive one-year extensions. Now earning $133,687, Follansbee's agreement will expire on June 30.

She said she had originally intended to retire two years ago, but upon learning the Massachusetts School Building Authority would work with the district to build a new, consolidated school for kindergarten through eighth-grade students, she changed her mind.

"I knew I had to stay to do everything I could to support a project that could result in 21st century learning for all students in Easthampton," Follansbee said. 

The city will hold a special election in May where voters will be asked to approve borrowing to build the new school, which could cost as much as $101 million to $109 million. With reimbursement from the state, local borrowing could amount to $52 million to $61 million.

Follansbee has said the new facility, which would replace three 100-year-old elementary schools and the 1970s-era White Brook Middle School, is essential to the city's future and that of its school children.

Initially a teacher in New York, Follansbee joined Easthampton in 1991 as a reading specialist. Over the years, she acted as literacy coordinator, Title I director, district grants manager, and in 2006, was promoted to director of curriculum. In 2010, after a months-long search by the School Committee, she was named superintendent, replacing Deborah Carter, who retired.

Under Follansbee's watch, Easthampton High School earned a top Level 1 accountability rating from the state. The rating shows consistent progress over three years in narrowing achievement gaps as measured by MCAS tests. The city's elementary schools also earned Level 1 status.

The last year has been challenging for the School Committee and district administrators, as allegations of racial bias at Easthampton High School resulted in an investigation by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey. The schools are now operating under a consent agreement with the AG's office.

In response, Follansbee developed a ten-point action plan to improve culture and climate within the district. That plan is now being implemented, with intensive training for teachers and administrators, a re-working of the student handbook, a revised agreement between the police department and the schools, the creation of a stakeholder advisory group, and more.

Follansbee has always been "a consummate professional" with a commitment to excellence, said School Committee chairwoman Debora Lusnia. The district has seen growth under Follansbee's leadership, said committee member Cynthia Kwiecinski.

"There are very few people I admire in my life, and you are one of them," said Mayor Karen Cadieux, who added that "it's been a pleasure to work side-by-side" with Follansbee.

"I can't believe you're still standing," said committee member Kasey Corsello, who marveled at the long hours Follansbee puts in. 

The School Committee, after convening its regular meeting, held an open "work session" to begin the search for Follansbee's replacement.

The superintendent thanked the School Committee, Cadieux, and members of the community. "It's been a collaborative effort," she said.

Mary Serreze can be reached at mserreze@gmail.com

Heavy thunderstorms bringing torrential rain and high winds are pounding Western Massachusetts. The National Weather Service has issued a series of weather warnings.

SPRINGFIELD - The National Weather Service has issued a number of weather advisories as heavy thunderstorms pass through the area traveling south to north up the Connecticut River Valley.

Heavy rains have prompted flash flood warnings for Franklin and Hampshire counties until 2 a.m. Wednesday morning. The National Weather Service called the flash flooding as dangerous and possibly life-threatening as water levels can rise very quickly, trapping people in dangerous situations.  Do not drive in low lying areas, and do not attempt to drive through standing water.

Many police departments across the region are reporting heavy flooding on city roads.  

A wind advisory has been issued with winds between 10 and 15 miles per hour to be expected along with gusting as high as 45 mph capable of knocking down limbs and even some trees.  Expect power outages as power lines are affected.

On the outer cape, between Provincetown and Chatham, and as far north as Stellwagen Bank, gale force winds are expected with gusting up to 50 mph.

View obituaries from The Republican newspaper in Springfield, Massachusetts.

The man allegedly used a box cutter to slice the victim in the back during a fight in the parking lot of Cumberland Farms on Belmont Avenue.

SPRINGFIELD - A homeless man who allegedly used a box cutter to slice another man during a fight Monday night is being held for a mental health evaluation.

Dominick Murdock, 22, was scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in Springfield District Court on a charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

But the session was postponed when Judge Michele Ouimet-Rooke, acting at the request of defense lawyer Travaun Bailey, ordered the defendant held without right to bail for an examination by the court clinic.

The exam is expected to be conducted Wednesday.

Springfield police arrested Murdock on Monday night after responding to fight in the parking lot of the Cumberland Farms on Belmont Avenue.

Murdock allegedly used a box cutter to slice the victim in the back, according to police spokesman Ryan Walsh, who said the man's injuries were minor.

A 22-year-old Milford man is facing animal cruelty charges after he allegedly killed several kittens for fun.

A 22-year-old Milford man is facing animal cruelty charges after he allegedly killed and burned several kittens for fun.

The Milford Daily News reports Miguel Medina was arrested and arraigned last week on animal cruelty charges. According to police, Medina recently killed two kittens on a Howard Street farm.

Medina was staying in a camper at Ferrucci's Farm when the alleged killings took place. The farm owners felt threatened by Medina and called police to his camper on Oct. 15.

According to the Milford Daily News, Medina told the officers he knew they were coming, and agreed to leave the farm when they arrived. 

While at the farm, police learned that Medina invited witnesses to the camper to show him what he did to the kittens, according to the Boston Globe. Witnesses told police that Medina showed them the bones of a dead kitten hidden under a table and pictures of a kitten that he had burned in a fire pit.

''(The man) stated that Medina talks heavily about killing kittens daily and admits to killing a couple a week for fun when he is bored," police wrote in their report, according to the Milford Daily News.

An officer at the scene discovered the bones and the remains of the kitten burned in a fire pit. Police arrested Medina on Oct. 15 while he was walking on Central Street, the Boston Globe reports. As police were processing Medina, he allegedly admitting to killing at least one kitten.

Medina was arraigned on Oct. 16 in Milford District Court and ordered to a complete a mental health evaluation at the Worcester House of Corrections. He is due to return to court on Nov. 13. 

The about $25 million facility is designed to allow frail elderly remain as independent as possible.

CHICOPEE - Developers passed one of the final hurdles to receiving a special permit to build an assisted living facility on former Facemate factory property, after months of meetings.

The seven city councilors who are members of the Zoning Committee voted 7-0 to recommend the project receive the special permit contingent on some minor modifications be made to the plans to meet concerns of some city staff.

It will now go to the full City Council on Nov. 9 for final approvals.

DS Development, of Weston, has bid to purchase the about 3.85-acre parcel east of the RiverMills Senior Center and plans to build an about $25 million three-story, 95-unit assisted living facility on the land.

"This is significant development on a site that was thought to be undevelopable," Councilor Shane D. Brooks, said.

After spending more than a decade demolishing the former textile factory buildings and cleaning up the property of hazardous waste, the city went out to bid about a year ago to seek a developer interested in building on the land and returning it to the tax rolls.

It is the second piece of the about 72-acre property that once held the Uniroyal and Facemate factory complexes to be completely cleaned and ready to be redeveloped. The first houses the senior center on West Main Street.

David Spada, owner of D.S. Development, said he bid about $750,000 to purchase the property and expects to put another about $250,000 to prepare the land for development, mostly by bringing in fill to level the land. He said he cleaned a brownfields to build his first assisted living complex and said it was enormously expensive and took about four years.

He will not close on the purchase of the land until all the permits are finalized, which is a common practice for developers.

"It is not easy to build on a brownfields," Spada said. His company has dug multiple test pits to ensure the property was cleaned and developable as promised and found no problems.

The city did use crushed bricks and other types of demolition debris to fill in the property after buildings were removed and contaminated soils were disposed of according to law. Spada said he had dozens of test pits dug to ensure the cleanup was done properly and the facility could be built there.

In some ways it is easier to build on a brownfields that has been cleaned, Spada said.

"The types of materials there are not hazardous," he said. "A brownfields site has been documented and studied so there are no surprises."

The plans call for the access drive to be off RiverMills Way, which also leads to the Senior Center. The Chicopee Assisted Living building is U shaped and will have three floors of mostly one-bedroom and studio units. There are several that will be designed for two people, mostly for elderly couples, said Paul Selnau, an architect with Schadler Selnau Associates of Connecticut.

One of the wings on the first floor will be designed for people suffering from dementia. That area will have extra security and medical care for the residents, he said.

The facility will have a kitchen and dining room where three meals a day will be served and there will be a number of congregate rooms where residents can gather for activities or to socialize including an exercise area and a music room. The facility is also designed with walkways and benches outside, he said.

There will be constant programming and residents will also likely use the RiverMills Center next door.

The facility is designed for middle class elderly who are frail. Staff will be there to help them sort through medications and help them with some day-to-day activities and do the best to ensure they have a good quality of life and live as independently as possible, Spada said.

"We feed them three healthy meals a day and give them a lot of love and socialization," he said.

Spada said he hopes to open the facility in June, 2019.

A fight that began in a dorm room and moved out to a courtyard at a Louisiana university late Tuesday night left two men dead and one suspect at large.

A fight that began in a dorm room and moved out to a courtyard at a Louisiana university late Tuesday night left two men dead and one suspect at large.

A student and his friend were fatally shot at Grambling State University, a public university is located in Grambling, Louisiana, around midnight, according to multiple reports. A Lincoln Parish Sheriff spokesperson told news outlets the shooting was the result of an altercation between the pair and a third person.

The shooter reportedly fled the scene, and an investigation into the double homicide is underway.

Grambling State University Media Relations Director Will Sutton told reporters that one the victims were from Farmerville, Louisana. Earl Andrews, 23, a Grambling senior, and his friend Monquiarius Caldwell, 23, are believed to be the victims, according to a report by NBC.

The city is offering federal grant funds to help preserve historic properties damaged, and still unrepaired from the tornado of 2011.

SPRINGFIELD -- The city is once again offering federal grant assistance totaling up to $175,000 for the preservation of historic properties in Springfield that were damaged by the tornado of 2011 and are still unrepaired.

It marks the third time in recent years that the city is releasing a notice of the fund availability for outstanding, unmet repair needs from the tornado. The city previously advertised for bids for funding up to $200,000, and received just one proposal from an eligible property owner.

"The city continues to be committed to complete tornado recovery and this is another opportunity for property owners of historic buildings to receive funding for outstanding unmet repair needs from the tornado," Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said in a press release. "We hope property owners will take advantage of this funding while it is available."

The funds are for historic buildings within the tornado impact zone that still have tornado-related damages.

Eligible property owners are required to submit their proposals to the city's Office of Procurement at City Hall by Nov. 3 at 2 p.m.

A review committee will evaluate and score each proposal according to historic and neighborhood appropriateness, financial need, historic significance of the property, readiness to proceed and ability to comply with federal Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery guidelines.

Eligibility requirements include but are not limited to: 

• Project must be located within the geographical area of the city designated as the Tornado Impact Zone. 
• Project must be located within the boundaries of a National Register District and/or a Local Historic District. 
• Project must be located within a HUD CDBG target area. 
• Property must have sustained damage from the June 1, 2011 tornado and must continue to have unrepaired exterior and/or emergency structural damages as a result of the tornado. Applicant must be able to demonstrate this and sign an affidavit to this effect. 
• Property owner must have registered with FEMA and must have a valid FEMA registration number. 
• Property owner must not have received duplicative benefits from another source (insurance, FEMA, SBA, etc.) for the repairs applied for under this program. 
• City of Springfield and state property taxes, fees, fines and municipal liens must be current
• Mortgage payments must be current 
• All properties must meet the HUD Eliminating of Slums and Blight on a spot basis National Objective. 

Property owners with questions should contact the Office of Disaster Recovery at (413) 750-2114.