People will realize arts in downtown Holyoke is a common event, the mayor said.

The Republican file photo | Michael S. GordonHolyoke's Canal District will be bustling again Friday and Saturday with art exhibits and other happenings, as in this 2010 photo.

HOLYOKE — Anyone who doubts that Holyoke has an arts scene and that it’s worth checking out could be rendered without an argument Friday and Saturday.

The “Holyoke Canal District Arts Walk” will include studio and gallery open houses and openings and a farmers market. Saturday also will see the 30th anniversary of the Children’s Museum at Holyoke.

“This weekend is the perfect example of the things that are already happening in Holyoke and we should be proud,” Mayor Alex B. Morse said Wednesday.

“There’s going to be hundreds of people in downtown. It’s going to be fantastic. And it’s not just this weekend. Things like this are happening all the time,” he said.

Aside from the Children’s Museum party, all events are free and open to the public.

Here’s the list of events:

• Friday opening reception, 5 to 7 p.m., Open Square Gallery, 4 Open Square Way, “Finding Work,” by Peter Dellert.

Open Square is a converted mill between Lyman and Dwight streets.

Dellert’s exhibit runs to July 31 and is a solo show of new collage and sculpture. The sculptures use reclaimed cypress wood from Open Square and found automobile parts. Collages use cut and reassembled leaves, maps, music, and text, according to Dellert’s page on the website of CRUSH, or Citizens for the Revitalization and Urban Success of Holyoke.

Also open Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m.

• Friday opening reception, 6 to 9 p.m., Paper City Studios, 80 Race St., “HIDDEN IN PLAIN VIEW,” exhibits featuring dozens of artists.

Also open Saturday and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.

• Friday opening reception 7 to 11:30 p.m., Parsons Hall Project Space, 362 Dwight St., “SPECULATION(ELATION)4: EIGHTH KIND,” looped video screening with work by Edin Velez, Les LeVeque and Daniella Dooling.

• Friday, 7 to 11:30 p.m., Race and Main streets, “BRING YOUR OWN RESTAURANT,” an outside dining experience in which people are asked to bring a dish of something edible to share, along with their own plates, chairs and utensils.

Morse said organizers will get a temporary food permit for this event from the city Health Department.

• Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Open Square farmers’ market, 4 Open Square Way.

• Saturday, 3 to 6 p.m., Gateway City Arts, 92 Race St., grand opening.

Gateway City Arts offers classes, workshops, studios, events, lectures and professional development. Programs will be offered in painting, drawing and illustration, sculpture, applied and decorative arts, metal fabrication, dance and other areas, Gateway’s Veronika Kruta said.

• Saturday, 7 p.m. Children’s Museum, 444 Dwight St., 30th birthday celebration. Admission is $30.

For the party, the museum refurbished original exhibits built by local volunteers, including the fire truck, fire station and mail box slide. The newest exhibit, “Imagination Playground,” lets children play and create something new with each visit, a press release said.

A Montague woman will be summonsed to appear in court on animal cruelty charges after police on Wednesday found several pets had been left alone in her East Main Street apartment for at least a week.

MONTAGUE - A Montague woman will be summonsed to appear in court on animal cruelty charges after police on Wednesday found several pets had been left alone in her East Main Street apartment for at least a week.

Police removed five dogs from the apartment at 310 West St. and brought them to a local vet for treatment, said Sgt. Richard Suchanek of the Montague police.

"They were in bad shape, real bad shape," he said.

Police also found a cat, a snake and a lizard in the apartment, he said.

The interior was filled with animal waste and police called in the town Board of Health to determine if the apartment was habitable.

Police were called to the apartment by neighbors reporting neglect of animals.

Neighbors told police that the resident had been gone "for a week or so" and apparently did not arrange for anyone to feed her pets or take the dogs outside, Suchanek said.

She will be issued a summons to appear in court on charges related to animal cruelty, Suchanek said. Police were not releasing her name until the summons is issued, he said.

She agreed to surrender ownership of the dogs to the police.

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A lawyer for the Massachusetts Teachers Association said the proposed ballot question fails to include only related subjects as required by the state Constitution.

Coakley: Associated PressThe Massachusetts Teachers Association sued Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley for certifying the petition for a state ballot question that would require that the performance of teachers, not their seniority, be the deciding factor when making possible layoffs.

BOSTON — Judges on the state's highest court are weighing whether to bar a ballot question on Nov. 6 that would require that the performance of teachers, not their seniority, be the deciding factor when making possible layoffs.

The proposed ballot question would change the way teachers, principals and administrators are evaluated.

The state Supreme Judicial Court on Tuesday heard arguments in a lawsuit filed by the Massachusetts Teacher Association that says the proposed question violates the state Constitution partly because it confuses voters by including unrelated matters in one petition. The association sued Attorney General Martha M. Coakley for certifying the petition in September of last year. » Click here to watch a video of the arguments.

Sandra C. Quinn, lawyer for the teachers association, argued, among other things, that the petition is inconsistent with the state Constitution, which imposes significant limits on the process to guard against voter confusion.

"This petition, which contains 2,800 words and which amends and repeals significant features of public education laws, falls prey to its own complexity," Quinn said.

The organization Stand for Children collected 81,117 certified voter signatures to place the question on the ballot. The proposed law would institute a teacher evaluation system with merit-based decision making.

The petition requires that decisions about hiring, transfers and layoffs be based mainly on an educator's certifications, merit and ability and other factors related to job performance, according to Coakley's summary of the petition. Experience and seniority would be secondary.

The law would take effect on Jan. 1 if approved by a majority of voters.

Quinn said the petition in several instances fails to include only subjects that are related or mutually dependent, as required by the constitution.

Quinn said, for example, the petition seeks to eliminate tenure for part-time educators, something that is not related to the purpose of the petition.

Also, the petition would eliminate public hearings on teacher performance standards mandated by the 1993 education law, a proposed change that is not related to the goals of the petition, she said.

Judge Robert J. Cordy questioned if ending the hearings might be related to the purpose of the petition since it involves hearings on standards.

"It would be a lot different if the statute eliminated public meetings to consider school budgets," Cordy said.

Judge Margot Botsford asked Quinn if she was drawing too fine a line.

Assistant Attorney General Peter Sacks told the court that the proposed law meets the constitution's "relatedness" requirement. Sacks said that voters could view each of the subjects in the proposed law as being connected to the overall purpose of establishing an evaluation system for "merit-based decision-making" in teacher employment issues.

Sacks said the plaintiffs misinterpreted the proposed law as making part-time teachers ineligible for tenure. The law allows both full- and part-time teachers to obtain tenure once they have accumulated three full years of experience, he said.

"Even if they are right about part-time teachers and whether they are eligible for professional teacher status, it doesn't mean that it is unrelated to the overall purpose of the petition," Sacks said.

Quinn also contended the attorney general's required summary of the petition is incomplete, particularly in describing the petition's impact on negotiating union contracts.

The attorney general's summary says the petition would not affect current contract agreements but would have to be followed in future agreements.

"As this court has recognized many times, the attorney general's reasonable choices in summarizing a petition is entitled to deference," Sacks said. "The attorney general is a constitutional officer charged by the constitution with the duty of arriving at a fair and concise summary. That involves judgment and discretion and choices and sometimes it involves questions of interpretation. As long as the attorney general's interpretation of the proposed law embodied in the summary is reasonable, then it should be deferred to."

The court took the case under advisement.

Tourism is the state's third largest employer and is responsible for $15.5 billion in direct expenditures each year in the state.

Mary Kay Wydra, president of the Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, left, is seen with Ann Hamilton, president of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce in these file photos.

BOSTON - The state's top tourism official today said the industry is back to levels that preceded the recession and that the outlook is positive for the upcoming travel season.

Betsy Wall, executive director of the state Office of Travel and Tourism, joined tourism leaders from around the state on Beacon Hill during an event to mark the importance of tourism to the state's economy. A large contingent of industry leaders from Western Massachusetts attended.

"It definitely looks good," Wall said of the season ahead, citing increased bookings. "Tourism is rebounding faster than some other industries."

The event, including booths with exhibits, promotional materials and food from different regions, was held at the Statehouse during National Travel and Tourism Week. It also gave local leaders an opportunity to ask legislators to boost state money for tourism promotion in the state budget.

Tourism is the state's third largest employer and is responsible for $15.5 billion in direct expenditures each year in the state, Wall said. A total of 20 million tourists visit Massachusetts each year including 2 million from overseas. New York sends the most people to Massachusetts while Canada and England are the top two foreign countries with visitors to the state.

The addition of Japan Airlines nonstop flights to Boston is a huge opportunity for the state's tourism industry, officials said. The flights started April 22.

“Tourism is not only our third-largest industry, but also the primary way in which we introduce the world to what a great place Massachusetts is to live and work," said Gregory Bialecki, state secretary of housing and economic development.

Western Massachusetts tourism officials also said they are optimistic about this year's season, which will receive an early boost on June 1 and 2 with Massachusetts Democratic state convention at the MassMutual Center in Springfield and a convention of the American Truck Historical Society the same weekend at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield.

Western Massachusetts will also host the state's 25th annual Governor's Conference on Travel and Tourism on Sept. 20 at the Eastern States Exposition.

On Wednesday, Mary Kay Wydra , president of the Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau, and members of the bureau's board of directors met with House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo and other key legislators.

"We want to call attention to the value of the industry to the Commonwealth," Wydra said.

Wydra said she was optimistic about this year's tourism, but she said some beautiful weather days would help.

Last year, tourism may have been affected by Hurricane Irene in August and the June 1 tornado.

Local tourist leaders also worked for funding for annual state grants to 16 regional tourism councils for promotion and marketing.

Wydra and other tourist officials said they lobbied state legislators to finance the annual state grants at $6 million for the fiscal year that starts July 1, the same as this year but down 33 percent from $9 million three years ago.

Wydra said she thanked DeLeo for the state House of Representatives's approval of $6 million for the grants in its version of the fiscal 2013 budget. The state Senate is planning to unveil its budget next week.

Under the grant program, tourist councils must match every $1 received from the state.

The grants are crucial to the nonprofit councils such as the Greater Springfield bureau, which received $280,000 grant this year and the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, which received $260,000, and the Hampshire County Regional Tourism Council, which got about $232,000.

"Tourism generates jobs," said Ann Hamilton, president of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce. "Tourism generates rooms taxes, which support other expenditures in the state budget."

Food was popular with people who attended the event. At the Greater Springfield bureau's booth, Miriam Hyder, field marketing manager for Friendly Ice Cream Corp.in Wilbraham, handed out some 400 cups of Friendly ice cream, while Marian Noga, office manager for the Franklin chamber, served coffee by Pierce Bros Coffee in Greenfield.

Sen. Stephen M. Brewer, D-Barre, the chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, and Rep. Joseph F. Wagner, D-Chicopee, the co-chairman of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, each won "champions of tourism awards" from the tourism councils for their support and recognition of the industry.

The event was sponsored by the tourism councils, the state office of tourism and the state Legislature's Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts & Cultural Development.

Police are recommending people find other routes than Cottage and Union streets.

EASTHAMPTON - Motorists are being asked to avoid Union and Cottage streets, which run through downtown Easthampton on Route 141, because of road construction projects planned for Thursday, according to information released by the town police.

Two separate projects will be ongoing beginning at 7 a.m.

One will be along Union Street and the other is planned for the area of Cottage and Holyoke streets,

Route 141 is heavily traveled during the day, and construction is expected to reduce the road to one direction of travel at a time.

Motorist should expect heavy delays, and police are recommending people take alternative routes if possible.

For more information call the Easthampton police at (413) 527-1212.

View Holyoke St & Cottage St in a larger map

The current zoning ordinance calls for such vehicles to be kept out of sight in residential neighborhoods and the proposed one would allow for one vehicle to be parked outdoors.

File photo | Associated Press

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Some of the residents who expressed their views about a proposal on commercial vehicles being parked in residential zones will be appointed to a related study committee, according to Frank V. Palange, Planning Board chairman.

“We are going to try to come up with a happy medium,” Palange said. “We have a big population of blue collar workers who take home a vehicle, like heating and air conditioning guys.”

The current zoning ordinance calls for such vehicles to be kept out of sight in residential neighborhoods and the proposed one would allow for one vehicle to be parked outdoors.

About 20 people came out to voice their opinions on a zoning language changes proposed by the Planning Department when the Planning Board convened a public hearing on the plan last week. The hearing lasted for about two hours and included spirited contributions, according to Planning Administrator Richard A. Werbiskis.

“It was very professional, very cordial. People were very passionate in the way they expressed their viewpoint,” Werbiskis said.

Many people were concerned about not having vehicles with loud advertising wrapped around them parked in their neighborhood, according to Werbiskis.

“Some people don’t want any lettering,” Palange said.

The current wording of zoning regulations on the situation allows parking of commercial vehicles of not more than three-fourths of a ton with no more than one commercial vehicle per lot. They also allow vehicles used mostly for agricultural purposes to be exempt and forbid lease or rental of a garage storage to a nonresidential owner of a commercial vehicle. The Planning Department’s proposal calls for the following:

• No more than one commercial vehicle may be garaged or stored on the property.

• The commercial vehicle must be registered to an individual who resides at the property or a business entity of an employee who resides at the property, and the employee must use the vehicle for his or her job.

• The commercial vehicle shall not exceed the following dimensions: 22 feet length, 7 feet width (exclusive of mirrors) and 9 feet height.

• Vehicles used primarily for a legal and active agricultural use of the subject property shall be exempt from the preceding standards.

Haley 24, of Amherst, was driving his motorcycle on Route 116 in Hadley when Benton, 23, allegedly struck him with her Volvo.

NORTHAMPTON – A Hampshire County grand jury has indicted a Sunderland woman on charges of vehicular homicide, manslaughter and other felony charges in connection with an April 14 crash in Hadley that killed Daniel Haley, a Pittsfield man poised to graduate this month from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Haley, 24, who lived in Amherst, was riding his motorcycle on Route 116 at about 2:20 a.m. when Brittini Benton, 23, struck him with her Volvo as she was driving south in the northbound lane, according to prosecutors.

Benton was indicted on the following charges: motor vehicle homicide; manslaughter by motor vehicle; involuntary manslaughter; operating under the influence with negligence causing serious bodily injury; aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon; operating under the influence-second offense, and negligent operation of a motor vehicle.

Hampshire Grand Jury Indictment of Brittini Benton for vehicular homicide

New strategies include keeping all post offices open with reduced hours and establishing "village post offices" that would place a post office within a local business.

File photo | The RepublicanThe Indian Orchard Post Office was among those being considered for closure by the U.S. Postal Service.

Western Massachusetts residents who spoke out against the closing of their local post offices can breath a sigh of relief.

The U.S. Postal Service on Wednesday canceled a plan to close thousands of rural post offices after May 15, proposing to keep them open with shorter operating hours.

“We listened to the community and this is what they wanted,” said Christine G. Dugas, spokeswoman for the Postal Service’s Connecticut Valley District.

Dugas said one strategy will be to keep all post offices open with reduced hours. Another option will be to establish "village post offices" that would place a post office within a local business and house P.O. boxes within those businesses to provide extended hours for customers.

“Starting after Labor Day we will begin meeting with individual communities to see what their preferences are for their post office,” she said.

The new strategy will take two years to implement and will save the post office half a billion dollars a year, she said.

Before the new strategy was announced, five post offices in Springfield were being considered for closure, including Brightwood, 3065 Main St.; Colonial Station, 1149 Main St.; Mason Square, 914 State St.; Tower Square, 1500 Main St., and Indian Orchard, 19 Oak St.

In January state Rep. Cheryl Coakley-Rivera D-Springfield, encouraged North End residents to oppose the closing of the Brightwood branch during a public hearing. Residents in Indian Orchard even started a Facebook page in support of their local branch.

“We are trying to provide the services our customers want while at the same time cutting costs to address the financial issues faced by the U.S. Postal Service,” Dugas said. “The needs of our customers are changing. Many people pay bills and other things online and there are so many places to buy stamps. We want to efficiently provide the services people need.”

For a full listing of branch hours visit www.usps.com.

The fee hike would be accompanied by a reduction in trash barrel size, from 95 gallons to 65 gallons, making the proposal even less inviting for taxpayers, speakers said.

Photo by Don Treeger / The RepublicanCarol Kapolinski, of Agawam, speaks out against a proposed trash fee increase during a public meeting Wednesday night at Springfield City Hall. His family owns property in Forest Park through a trust.

SPRINGFIELD – No, thanks.

In its politest form, that was the message delivered to city officials Wednesday at a public hearing on a proposal to increase the $75 trash fee by as much as $29 annually.

About 20 residents attended the hearing at City Hall, the third held to sample public reaction to the proposed fee hikes.

Eight speakers urged city officials to find other ways to subsidize trash collections, from cutting back on pencils, pens and municipal vehicles to laying off more public employees.

The fee hike would be accompanied by a reduction in trash barrel size, from 95 gallons to 65 gallons, making the proposal even less inviting for residents, speakers said.

“People feel like the city is riding our backs. Every time something goes wrong, you look to the citizens to bail us out,” said Frank Vasquez, of Chapin Terrace.

“Shame on you, everyone of you,” added Carol Karolinski, an Agawam resident who owns rental property in Forest Park. “This is political suicide.”

The hearings are being conducted by the City Council General Government Committee before the council considers approving any fee increase.

Chief Administrative and Financial Officer Lee C. Erdmann, joined by other representatives of the Finance Department and Department of Public Works, said he is proposing the trash fee rise by $29 annually – from the current fee of $75 to a new fee of $220 – by 2017. Senior citizens would continue to pay a fee of $50 per year.

Erdman said other options would be raising the fee by $10 on July 1, followed by either a $10 or $5 annual increase the following four years with Mayor Domenic J. Sarno favoring the lowest increase.

The city is facing major layoffs and cuts in services in the coming year that can be reduced by steps, including a rise in the trash fee, Erdmann said. Since 2008, the city’s work force has been cut from 1,581 workers to 1,316, with further cuts looming for the coming fiscal year, Erdman added.

State Street resident Jane Devlin said the increases would not only be unfair to residents, but would discourage recycling and lead to illegal dumping.

“There are lots of other options,” she said.

Resident Miguel Rivas added that new trash fees could push residents too far, leading to a taxpayers’ revolt and recall elections. 

The two dogs left in the car became agitated during the incident. They calmed down only when a relative of owner Chad Barnes arrived to take them home.

The Republican | Greg Saulmon05.09.2012 | NORTHAMPTON -- One of the dogs left behind when a motorist fled police Wednesday afternoon reacts as Det. Corey Robinson approaches the vehicle.

NORTHAMPTON - A Chicopee man who tried to run from police during a King Street traffic stop Wednesday afternoon, leaving behind his car and two dogs, told police he took off because he was having "an anxiety attack," police said.

Police caught up to Chad Barnes, 36, of 50 West St., Chicopee, after a few hundred yards and took him into custody behind Hampshire County Probate and Family Court, 33 King St. said Northampton police Lt. Michael Patenaude.

Officers stopped Barns in the area near Ernie's Sunoco, 72 King St. for what Patenaude said was a routine traffic stop.

Barnes got out of his car and ran, leaving two large dogs behind with the vehicle.

Barnes was charged with driving with a suspended license, having an expired inspection sticker and failure to wear a seat belt. As a result of leading police on a foot chase, the charges of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct were added.

"He told us he ran because he was having an anxiety attack," Patenaude said.

He was being held in custody overnight pending his arraignment Thursday morning in Northampton District Court.

His arrest left police with having to control two large and agitated dogs inside Barnes' vehicle.

Police called for the animal control officer but eventually one of Barnes' relatives arrived to calm the dogs down.The dogs were turned over to the relative who brought them home, Patenaude said.

View traffic stop turns foot chase in a larger map

Polls show the country is evenly divided on the issue.

Photo by Sue Ogrock / Associated PressRepublican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, center, smiles as he greets supporters following a speech at Oklahoma state Republican Party Headquarters in Oklahoma City, Wednesday.

By SEAN MURPHY
and KASIE HUNT

OKLAHOMA CITY – Mitt Romney reaffirmed Wednesday his view that marriage should be restricted to one man and one woman, highlighting a sharp contrast with President Barack Obama.

Obama declared his unequivocal personal support for same-sex marriage during an interview with ABC News. Reporters asked Romney about the issue after a campaign event in Oklahoma City.

“My view is that marriage itself is between a man and a woman,” the presumptive Republican presidential nominee told reporters. He said he believes that states should be able to make decisions about whether to offer certain legal rights to same-sex couples.

“This is a very tender and sensitive topic, as are many social issues, but I have the same view that I’ve had since – since running for office,” Romney said. He first ran for political office in 1994, when he challenged Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., and was elected governor of Massachusetts in 2002.

Obama is the first president in history to support gay marriage. Polls show the country is evenly divided on the issue.

Romney did not go so far as to accuse Obama of changing his position on gay marriage, though the president has said that he had an “evolving” view of the subject. Questioned by reporters, Romney said news reports indicate Obama has shifted his stance.

Romney was a leading voice against gay marriage as Massachusetts governor. The courts legalized gay marriage in the state during his tenure, but he supported a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union of a man and a woman.

After gay marriage became legal, Romney sought to enforce a statute banning state officials from marrying gay couples from other states. In a speech to conservatives last winter, Romney touted that move, saying he prevented Massachusetts from becoming the “Las Vegas of gay marriage.”

Romney said Wednesday he supports limiting benefits for same-sex couples.

“I do not favor civil unions if they are identical to marriage other than by name,” he told the Fox TV station in Denver. “My view is the domestic partnership benefits, hospital visitation rights, and the like are appropriate but that the others are not.”

The Romney campaign did not respond to requests for clarification about which benefits Romney supports and which he does not.

A new Associated Press-GfK poll shows independent voters trust Obama over Romney to handle social issues “such as abortion and same-sex marriage,” with 39 percent favoring Obama and 22 percent favoring Romney. A majority of voters trust Obama over Romney in every age group except senior citizens.

While conservative Republicans trust Romney over Obama by wide margins, moderate and liberal Republicans are almost evenly split between Obama and Romney.

Associated Press Deputy Polling Director Jennifer Agiesta and writer Steve LeBlanc contributed to this report.

Officials have not released the name of the woman, who was described by a family spokesman as a 21-year-old pregnant mother of two shot in the jaw.

Photo by Patrick Johnson / The RepublicanThis was the scene Saturday at Elizabeth Manor Apartments at 238 Maple St., Agawam, after police accidentally shot a woman there while responding to a domestic call.

AGAWAM - Hampden District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni and the Agawam Police Department are expected to issue a joint statement Thursday regarding the shooting of an Elizabeth Manor woman early Saturday by an Agawam police officer.

Two officers who responded to a 911 call at the complex were placed on administrative leave immediately following the shooting, which Mastroianni characterized as accidental.

Officials have not released the names of the officers or the woman, who was described by a family spokesman as a 21-year-old pregnant mother of two shot in the jaw.

About 200 local TD Bank workers will have to find new jobs when the Springfield call center closes in December.

Here are the most-read stories that appeared on MassLive.com yesterday. If you missed any of them, click on the links below to read them now.

1) Carl Beane, voice of the Red Sox, killed in Sturbridge car accident [Patrick Johnson]

2) Diem Nguyen, woman seen in Springfield video attack, describes fight for her and her daughter's life [Patrick Johnson]

3) 200 Springfield call center workers to lose jobs at TD Bank on Main Street [Conor Berry]

4) The beloved school bake sale: Banned in Massachusetts? [George Graham]

5) Moose sighting near I-91 in Holyoke triggers public safety response [Conor Berry]

Motorists are required to stop at the checkpoints so troopers can check for intoxicated drivers, according to Massachusetts State Police Col. Marian McGovern (pictured).

Marian J. McGovern

SPRINGFIELD – Sobriety checkpoints aimed at nabbing drunken drivers are scheduled for Hampden and Worcester counties, according to Massachusetts State Police Col. Marian J. McGovern, superintendent of the statewide law enforcement agency.

The Hampden County checkpoint will be established at an undisclosed location on Friday, May 18, and will continue into early Saturday, May 19, while the Worcester County checkpoint will be in effect from Saturday, May 19, through early Sunday, May 20, McGovern said.

The purpose of the roadblocks is to "educate the motoring public and strengthen the public's awareness to the need of detecting and removing those motorists who operate under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs from our roadways," the colonel said in a release.

McGovern said the checkpoints will be held during "varied hours" and the selection of vehicles will not be arbitrary, but rather all motorists entering checkpoints will be stopped and scrutinized. Any inconveniences to motorists will be minimized, "with advance notice to reduce fear and anxiety," she said.

The routine roadblocks, which crop up at various locations throughout the year, are funded by a grant from the Highway Safety Division of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.

Hundreds of calls came in over four hours during the last Dial-A-Lawyer program held by the Massachusetts Bar Association.

File photo by Michael S. Gordon / The RepublicanElizabeth A. O’Neil, upper right, director of public and community service for the Massachusetts Bar Association, oversees last year’s Dial-a-Lawyer event at Western New England University in Springfield. Lawyers Kevin V. Maltby, foreground, Diana Sorrentini-Velez and Thomas D. O’Connor Jr. answer calls from people seeking legal assistance.

SPRINGFIELD – Free legal advice will be given out by telephone to any Western Massachusetts resident who calls the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Western Massachusetts Dial-A-Lawyer program on May 16. Legal questions on any topic will be answered during the four-hour program.

From 3:30 to 7:30 p.m., dozens of volunteer lawyers from the association will field phone calls from residents of Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire counties. The program is free, and provided as a public service.

All callers must dial (413) 782-1659 during the four hours to get through to a lawyer. If the line is busy, hang up and try again. Normal telephone charges apply. The phone number will not be answered outside of the specified hours.

“Western Massachusetts residents with legal questions, no matter the size or scope, are encouraged to call the lawyers who volunteer their time to participate in the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Dial-A-Lawyer program. All legal issues will be handled with anonymity and concern by attorneys with a wide range of legal expertise,” bar association president Richard P. Campbell said. “This free program is a great resource for the local community. It provides residents with a quick and easy way to get answers to their legal questions.”

Hundreds of calls came in over four hours during the last Dial-A-Lawyer program in October. Legal topics are varied and include landlord-tenant disputes, worker’s compensation, divorce, criminal matters, estate planning, discrimination, adoption and landlord disputes as well as health and Medicare issues.

“A lot of the people that call don’t even need a lawyer, they need direction and support,” said volunteer Christina Turgeon, who operates her own practice in Springfield that concentrates in the areas of bankruptcy, reorganization and criminal matters.

Susan A. Mielnikowski, an attorney at the firm of Cooley, Shrair in Springfield, has been volunteering for the Western Massachusetts Dial-A-Lawyer program since it began. Mielnikowski said she handles a wide variety of calls related to her practice area, estate and elder planning, when she volunteers.

“A lot of times people have called an attorney and they don’t like the answer so they’re looking for a second opinion,” Mielnikowski said. “I always have a wonderful time.”

The Western Massachusetts Dial-A-lawyer program has been held for the past 18 years and became a semi-annual program, held in May and October, 11 years ago. Western New England University School of Law, the only law school in Western Massachusetts, hosts the program. Other sponsors include The Republican, El Pueblo Latino , the Massachusetts Association of Hispanic Attorneys and the Hispanic National Bar Association.

Agawam attorney Jeff Weisser has been participating in the Dial-A-Lawyer program since its inception. Weisser said he enjoys donating his time to help those in need, and being kept on his toes by the many callers and their questions.

“It’s a way of helping the community and giving back,” said Weisser, a partner at the general practice firm of Connor, Sandman & Weisser. “You feel like you are really doing a service for these people.”

Michael Siddall continues to volunteer for the Dial-A-Lawyer program every year because he knows residents depend on the free advice. “People can call and ask a question with no strings attached,” said Siddall, of Siddall & Siddall in Springfield. “I’ve come to realize people really do rely on the program as a way to answer some lingering questions or to get a second opinion.”

Sidall said the program also benefits the volunteer attorneys, who meet other professionals from the region and learn about other practice areas of law through the questions that are called in.

Incorporated in 1911, the Massachusetts Bar Association is a non-profit organization that serves the legal profession and the public by promoting the administration of justice, legal education, professional excellence and respect for the law. The bar group represents a diverse group of attorneys, judges and legal professionals across the commonwealth.

As has become customary, Northampton Mayor David J. Narkewicz will read a proclamation supporting the event and affirming the importance of the gay community at the rally.

NORTHAMPTON – Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren and Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse are among the scheduled speakers at this year’s Pride March, which organizers expect to be bigger and better than ever.

The 31st Annual Pride March has made some major adjustments both in its date and location to accommodate the growing number of people who travel from throughout New England for the event. This year, for the first time, the march will take place on the second Saturday on May instead of on the first Saturday. Nonetheless, it retains its status as the first lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride march in the U.S. during the calendar year.

In an even bigger change, the parade will reverse its route, starting at Hampton Ave. at noon and proceeding to the Three County Fairground. In the past, parade-goers gathered on Bridge Street and marched downtown, where the rest of the event unfolded.

J.M. Sorrell, a spokesperson for Noho Pride, which is putting on the event, said the post-march rally outgrew the downtown parking lot, necessitating a bigger venue. In addition to offering protection from the elements, the Three County Fair will have perks such as a beer and wine barn.

Warren, the Democratic nominee for U.S. senator, is already the preferred
candidate in much of the gay community, according to Sorrell.

“I imagine she’s going to be supportive of our event,” she said, when asked about the content of Warren’s speech.

Morse, 23, became one of the youngest mayors in the country when he was elected to city hall in Holyoke last year. After coming out as gay in high school, he helped organize the Holyoke Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Task Force, which in turn created the Western Massachusetts Youth Pride Prom. The event annually draws hundreds of gay youth who would otherwise find little or no acceptance at their own high school proms.

As has become customary, Northampton Mayor David J. Narkewicz will read a proclamation supporting the event and affirming the importance of the gay community at the rally.

Entertainment will range from the Pioneer Valley Gay Men’s Chorus, an old standby, to comedian Jami Smith, to the band Sister Funk. Nationally acclaimed poet Alix Olson will serve as Master of Ceremonies.

Last year’s Pride March drew more than 15,000 people, according to Sorrell. She expects as many as 20,000 on Saturday. The parade is scheduled to begin at noon and the fairground activities to last until 5 p.m. For a more detailed list of events and other information, visit www.site.nohopride.org.

The U.S. Census Bureau recently reported that multi-generational families living under one roof has become a much more common practice in the last decade.

Associated Press

SPRINGFIELD – The U.S. Census Bureau recently reported that multi-generational families living under one roof has become a much more common practice in the last decade.

The number of such households, defined as those with three or more generations living under one roof, grew to almost 5.1 million in 2010, a 30 percent increase from 3.9 million in 2000.

I am interested in interviewing families in Western Massachusetts living in this situation. I am looking to find out more about the pros and cons of sharing a home with many generations of family members.

Anyone interested in being featured in this article should contact me via email at eroman@repub.com or by calling (413) 788-1141.

Interviews need to be conducted by May 15.

Bruno told reporters that he intends to file a complaint with the U.S. Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility asserting that the FBI mishandled investigations leading up to his father's death. Watch video

Photo by Mark M. Murray / The Republican05/10/12 Springfield - -Republican Photo by Mark M.Murray - Victor Bruno , reads a statement reguarding his father Adolfo Bruno case, during a press conference thursday afternoon at his restaurant Aldolfo's in downtown Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD — Victor Bruno, the son of murdered mob boss Adolfo "Big Al" Bruno, was critical of the government on Thursday at a press conference on Worthington Street in the restaurant bearing his late father's name.

Bruno, 40, who attended two trials in the case in federal court in Manhattan last year and this year, told reporters that he intends to file a complaint with the U.S. Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility — the watchdog of federal law enforcement agencies — asserting the FBI mishandled investigations leading up to his father's death and, in his belief, could have prevented it.

"The FBI knew my father's life was in danger. Yet, they took no steps to adequately notify him other than a brief, informal and impromptu meeting by Special Agent Cliff Hedges when my dad was eating pizza," Bruno said, referring to a meeting between his father and the Springfield agent in 2002 who was later memorialized in a presentencing report for Emilio Fusco, the latest defendant tried in connection with Adolfo Bruno's death.

FBI spokesman Mark S. Karangekis said that because the case is still pending, the Springfield office will refer all questions to the southern District of the U.S. Attorney's Office in the southern district of New York, where the case is being tried. They have historically refused comment.

Fusco, a Longmeadow gangster arrested in Italy in 2010 in connection with the case, was acquitted of Bruno's 2003 murder and that of police informant Gary D. Westerman's the same year. He was convicted of other charges including racketeering conspiracy, drug distribution and other charges.

At issue at trial was Fusco's circulating of a "government exhibit 202," a paragraph of Fusco's presentencing reporting that affirmed Bruno had talked about the mob to the FBI and prompted his father's death.

""(This) was nothing more than a death sentence for my father," Bruno said.

Fusco's sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 21 in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.

Fusco's stunning acquittals on the murder charges capped two trials that played out in federal court in New York as prosecutors contended the conspiracies to take out Bruno and Westerman came amid a power play by young gangsters that stretched from here to New York City.

Previously convicted were Anthony Arillotta, of Springfield, a onetime capo who initiated the hit against Bruno and has since turned government witness, his henchmen Fotios "Freddy" Geas and Ty Geas, once of West Springfield, and former New York Genovese crime boss Arthur "Artie Nigro," of Bronx, NY.

Arillotta testified in both trials that he, the Geases, and Fusco went on a reign of terror to wrest control of the city's illegal rackets in 2003, around the time Arillotta was secretly "made" in a ceremony in the Bronx that summer — behind Bruno's back, hobbling an already vulnerable capo in Springfield.

Arillotta testified under a plea deal that could ultimately yield a far lesser sentence than the life terms the Geases and Nigro are serving. Bruno is angered over the fact that Arillotta could serve fewer than five years, based on the reviews he has received in the legal community.

"He was the master manipulator in his grand scheme — doing so with the clear intent of having an exit strategy at hand if the scheme failed — to turn to federal authorities to cut a deal as a cooperating witness," Bruno said.

Arillotta's sentencing has not been scheduled; nor have those of his fellow cooperators.

Obama reportedly raised $1 million within 90 minutes of announcing his support for gay marriage, but critical swing state voters remain divided on the issue.

Within 90 minutes of announcing his support for gay marriage, President Obama raised $1 million, a Democrat told the news site BuzzFeed. By the next day, Obama’s reelection campaign had released a video attacking presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney for not supporting marriage equality.

But how much Obama’s stance will help him in the November election remains an open question. Obama’s support for gay marriage could galvanize his base – including major donors. But Obama is also positioning himself in opposition to voters in several swing states, who have approved measures banning gay marriage. And social issues pale compared to fiscal issues in every poll of voter concerns.

“People who will be most exercised about this weren’t going to vote for Obama anyway,” said Jeffrey Berry, a political science professor at Tufts University. “In terms of excitement and support, it will play well among a base of the Democratic Party….(But) I don’t think it will make a huge difference.”

The Obama campaign believes the president’s support for gay marriage will help his fundraising. One in six of Obama’s top campaign “bundlers,” those who solicit large numbers of donations, are gay, according to a Washington Post analysis. Obama is traveling to the West Coast on Thursday for three high-dollar fundraisers, including one with Hollywood actor George Clooney, where his support for gay marriage is expected to be greeted with enthusiasm. He has also planned at least two fundraisers with gay rights activists in the coming weeks, Bloomberg reported. The New Hampshire Democratic Party already used Obama’s stance in a fundraising appeal emailed to supporters.

Michael Cole-Schwartz, spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign, a national gay rights organization, said Obama’s stance could make a difference in energizing the Democratic base. “It increases enthusiasm, which will lead to campaign contributions, and people will spend more time volunteering, doing the boots on the ground work that the campaign needs,” Cole-Schwartz said.

But Obama’s support for gay marriage may not translate into votes. Nationally, while polls show the level of support for gay marriage steadily increasing, the country remains divided. A poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted April 4-15, found that 47 percent of Americans support gay marriage and 43 percent oppose it.

Associated Press photoPresident Barack Obama figures to raise more campaign donations thanks to his support of gay marriage but it could cost him votes in key swing states in November.

The divide already correlates with party affiliation. Another Pew Research Center poll from April found that voters who plan to vote for Obama support gay marriage, 66 percent to 25 percent. Those who oppose gay marriage plan to vote for Romney by similar margins. Like the general public, swing voters are split: 47 percent favor gay marriage, while 39 percent oppose it. Just 28 percent of voters see gay marriage as a very important issue, according to the Pew poll, with the numbers slightly higher for Republicans than for Democrats.

“It’s not viewed as a top tier voting issue,” said Carroll Doherty, associate director of the Pew Research Center. “For most people, this election will be about the economy and jobs.”

Cole-Schwartz pointed to polling data that shows that independent voters, which both candidates must attract to win the election, tend to support gay marriage.

Christian Berle, deputy executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans, a Republican gay rights group, said the president clearly recognizes a generational shift, in which younger voters, who supported Obama overwhelmingly in 2008, are more likely to support gay marriage.

But opponents of gay marriage point to the strong opposition to gay marriage in potential swing states like North Carolina, where voters this week approved a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman, 61 to 39 percent.

Voters in the swing states of Ohio, Virginia, Florida and Nevada have also adopted constitutional amendments barring gay marriage.

Other swing states – Iowa and New Hampshire – have gay marriage. But Kevin Smith, a Republican gubernatorial candidate in New Hampshire and the former head of a socially conservative advocacy group, said he does not think gay marriage will be a big issue in November. “I feel it’s just a distraction,” Smith said of Obama’s announcement. “They’re using the issue as a distraction to divert attention from issues people care the most about - jobs and the economy.”

C.J. Doyle, executive director of the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts, which opposes gay marriage, said social and religious conservatives are unlikely to vote for Obama anyway – particularly after the recent controversy over Obama’s mandate requiring insurers to cover contraception with no co-pay, which angered many religious leaders.

“Obama concluded he won’t get votes of social conservatives anyway…he probably is attempting to mobilize his own base,” Doyle said.

The Air Force announced in March plans to cut 153 civilian and 180 military positions in Massachusetts.

File photo by Don Treeger / The RepublicanCol. Kerry L. Kohler, left, commander of the 439th Maintenance Group, Air Force Reserve Command, Westover Air Reserve Base, leads a tour of a maintenance facility on the base for a group in March including Lt. Gov. Timothy Murphy, center, Richard K. Sullivan Jr. secretary of the executive office of energy and environmental affairs, behind Murray, and U.S. Rep. James McGovern, riight, D-Worcester.

CHICOPEE – State officials welcome efforts by the U.S. House Armed Services Committee that block potential Defense Department budget cuts, including C-5 cargo jets at Westover Air Reserve Base.

Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray, who launched efforts last year to preserve the state’s military installations and manpower, said Thursday action by the House Armed Services Committee “is an important first step towards preventing disproportionate cuts to Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve including Westover Air Reserve Base.”

Murray last year created the Massachusetts Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force, a group of state and local officials including business and industry representatives, in response to the DOD’s plans to trim $500 billion in spending over the new 10 years.

Strategy of the task force is promote the national security and economic impacts of state military units in efforts to prevent or reduce reductions in personnel, equipment and missions by the Defense Department.

The Air Force announced in March plans to cut 153 civilian and 180 military positions in Massachusetts as early as Oct. 1.

At Westover, eight of its 16 C-5 transports, being upgraded to C-5M category, are already slated for transfer to Lackland Air Force Base in Texas in 2016.

But, the House Armed Services Committee Thursday created guidelines and restrictions to proposed Air Force and Army aircraft retirements and transfers that could prevent that.

Westover public affairs officer Lt. Col. James G. Bishop said Thursday regardless of the outcome Westover will continue in its transport missions globally.

The House Armed Services Committee, which includes Congresswoman Niki Tsongas, D-Mass., is proposing the Air Force and Army be prevented from aircraft inventory changes during fiscal year 2013. That will also prohibit and retirement or transfer of Air Force or Army aircraft in President Barack Obama’s federal budget proposals. The proposals are in the form of amendments to the president’s budget for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.

The amendments were co-sponsored by U.S. Reps. Duncan Hunter, R-California and David Loebsack, D-Iowa.

Also, the committee wants $709.6 million in additional funding for personnel and operations by the Air Force, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and Army National guard. The committee also called for a $377 million reduction in procurement funding for a variety of air-launched munitions but keep all munitions funded at the FY13 budget levels.

If the committee succeeds in full approval of the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, DOD will be required to file reports by March 1, 2013 that outline economic analysis, alternative options and effect of various planned transfers and retirements and that the General Accounting Office provide, within 90 days, its analysis and review of transfers and retirements.

Murray said “We thank our congressional delegation, particularly Congresswoman Niki Tsongas who serves on that committee, for their continued partnership as we work together to promote and protect all Massachusetts military bases.”

Tsongas said the National Defense Authorization Act, passed Thursday morning, “restored critical funding for the air National Guard and reserve, which faced disproportionately high cuts when compared to the active duty component particularly in Massachusetts. as a member of the House National Guard and Reserve Caucus, I will continue to support these vital forces who have sacrificed so much over this past decade in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

Also praising the House Armed Services Committee actions was retired National Guard Maj. Gen. Gus L. Hargett Jr., president of the National Guard Association of the United States.

“This pause would preserve Air guard capabilities to accomplish its many missions while the Department of Defense and the nation’s governors develop a process that better accounts for domestic missions in future defense budgets,” Hargett said.

The Air Force has also proposed cutting two military and one civilian position at the Air National Guard’s 104th Fighter Wing at Barnes Regional Airport.

In addition to the C-5 transfers at Westover, the Air Force proposed eliminating four reservists and 13 civilians at the 439th Airlift Wing.