The report found that while nine Apple iMac computers, valued at $16,251, were stolen from one classroom on campus, the college’s own records only recorded seven were stolen.

Republican file photoStudents walk down stairs at the crowded Holyoke Community College campus.

HOLYOKE – A recent state audit revealed that Holyoke Community College had inadequate controls to protect equipment and property from theft or misuse.

That audit, from July 1, 2010 to September 30, 2011 listed the theft of nine computers with a combined value of more than $18,000 and another five computers, valued at $6,469 could not be found on campus.

The audit determined that HCC’s electronic inventory was out of date and non-compliant with state and college policies. It also determined that the college lacked documentation on disbursement and use of gasoline used by its maintenance and security staff.

William J. Fogarty, HCC vice president for administration and finance, acknowledged the audit and its findings saying “We take very seriously our role as custodian of public assets funded by the taxpayers and our students and the state audit provides an opportunity to improve our performance. There are always things we can do to improve and our controls were not at the level they should have been.”

State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump, who released the findings Wednesday said that the college has responded “positively to all findings.”

Bump called on the college to update policy and procedures to comply with state regulations and provided Fogarty and other school officials with recommendations to meet state requirements on inventory and other state report regulations.

The audit, Bump said revealed HCC had inadequate controls to protect its property against theft and that some stolen items were not reported to her office as required by state law.

“Without a current and complete inventory HCC is exposed to potential loss, theft or misuse of property,” said Bump.

The audit targeted financial management internal controls over food service, student activity account, trust funds and property and equipment. HCC had adequate internal controls and complied with applicable laws, rules and regulations for areas reviewed, the report states.

The report found that while nine Apple iMac computers, valued at $16,251, were stolen from one classroom on campus, the college’s own records only recorded seven were stolen. Also, two Lenovo laptop computers, value $2,000, were reported stolen to campus police but no report to the state auditor was made.

The audit also states that lack of records on gasoline usage made fuel vulnerable to waste and misuse. HCC expended $45,829 for 14,425 gallons of fuel during the audit period.

Fogarty said “the broad scope of the audit, the fact that findings were limited to three areas, allows us to give each of them immediate and thorough attention. We have outlined the steps we are taking to fully comply with state standards in the ‘Auditee’s Response’ section of the audit report.”

HCC has a current enrollment of about 12,500 credit and non-credit students.

Stuart was charged by Ludlow police with arson and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building.

PALMER — In what was meant to be his suicide note to his estranged wife, retired Springfield police officer George W. Stuart claimed he destroyed nearly $2 million in cash, stocks, bonds and other property and used shredded cash to start the fire that severely damaged their Ludlow home.

Documents filed in Palmer District Court show how the 71-year-old Stuart methodically planned for the end of his life in the weeks leading up to the hours-long standoff that ended when he shot a bullet into his stomach.

He planned to burn his home at 795 Center St. in Ludlow and to destroy assets ranging from jewelry to cash, and, as an added spite toward his estranged wife Rena, to be buried on her 70th birthday.

“YOU have lost, in cash, stocks and bonds which were all cashed in and unrecoverable close to $1.5 million and that’s not counting the house and all buildings on the grounds and YOUR precious Cadillac . . . You didn’t know this, but we had almost 2 million dollars – BUT NOT ANYMORE. I spent about an hour and a half just shredding the cash from the safe. I’m sure it will make for a great fire starter,” Stuart wrote to his wife Rena in a document called “The Last Statement and Thoughts of: George W. Stuart” provided to Ludlow police by Stuart’s daughter.

George Stuart

Stuart was charged by Ludlow police with arson and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building. He is being held without bail and has a hearing set for Sept. 12 to determine if he is dangerous enough to continue to be held. He denied the charges at his arraignment Tuesday, held at his hospital bed at Baystate Medical Center.

On July 17, the day before the standoff at his ranch-style home at 795 Center St., Stuart paid Sampson Funeral Home $12,500 for his funeral with the instructions that he have a simple casket, no calling hours and be buried in Island Pond Cemetery in Ludlow four days later – on July 21 – Rena’s birthday.

“PS: Keep the change,” Stuart wrote to the funeral home.

The check to Samson is included in Stuart’s court file, which paints a picture of a man troubled by the demise of his 52-year marriage.

“Don’t bother to come to my funeral, I wouldn’t want to have you leave your precious television ... Don’t bother coming, you might miss the Saturday morning cartoons,” reads Stuart’s “Last Statement.”

Entries in the statement are dated from July 8 to July 17.

He also stated that he had to “get to the post office and prepare the house, car, sheds and me for the grand finale.”

It ends with “Well, goodbye and go to Hell.”

A friend of Stuart’s tipped police off about Stuart’s intention to harm himself.

According to the narrative by Ludlow Police Sgt. Louis E. Tulik, Jeffrey Roberts of Center Street went to the police station at 10:14 a.m. on July 18 to report that Stuart was suicidal over family and marital problems.

As an officer drove to Stuart’s home to check on him, he saw heavy smoke pouring from the Stuart home. Tulik’s report stated that there were open containers of what appeared to be gasoline in

Police Documents for George Stewart Case

sheds to the rear of the property, as well as propane tanks with open valves inside the home.

State Trooper Michael S. Mazza, of the fire and explosion investigation section, wrote in his report that a 275-gallon oil tank in the basement has been tampered with, resulting in a large oil spill, and a 20-pound propane tank was found in the front seat of a Cadillac sedan parked in the attached garage.

Mazza wrote that the greatest damage was in the kitchen table area, and that there was evidence money had been burned on the counter top, as well as scrap books covering Stuart’s police career. Stuart was an expert marksman with the department. Gasoline had been sprayed or poured onto the kitchen table to start the fire, Mazza wrote.

In the statement, he says he got rid of his assets because of the way his wife and daughter treated him since his wife moved out in May. He criticizes his wife for not keeping the house clean, for failing to give him credit card slips, and for watching television. He told her he threw her jewelry in the Chicopee River.

A photocopy of a calendar included in the file showed Stuart’s plan to burn his home to the ground. He wrote “puncture oil tank in cellar” and detailed where to place bottles of gas, along with the notation “soak good.” He wrote “destroy guns - all but 40 cal” and “spread ammo around” and “spray tiki oil over everything.”

He also wrote “prior to July 17” that he would burn or throw away or give away all cash, bank book records and jewelry.

Stuart was supposed to be in Hampden Probate and Family Court on July 18 for a divorce hearing and failed to show.

After police and firefighters arrived at his burning home, Stuart could be seen walking back toward the woods, according to Tulik’s narrative.

Springfield Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet, Springfield Officer Richard Rodrigues, state police negotiator Lt. James Penniman and Ludlow Police Chief James J. McGowan negotiated with Stuart for approximately seven hours in an effort to diffuse the standoff.

McGowan’s narrative stated that Stuart is licensed to carry a firearm by his department and is known to sometimes keep a weapon in his possession.

“Our goal was to make every effort to prevent harm to Mr. Stuart,” said McGowan, adding that Stuart held a .38 caliber handgun at his heart and he kept his finger on the trigger at all times.

McGowan praised Fitchet for his actions, saying those actions saved Stuart’s life.

Fitchet, in his report to McGowan about the incident, said that when Stuart looked at him and said “this is it, it’s over,” he grabbed the revolver while pushing it up toward the sky and away from Stuart. Because Stuart would not release the weapon, Fitchet wrote, Stuart was able to discharge it while it was pointed in the air. The discharge scorched Fitchet’s hand and he lost control of the weapon.

After a brief struggle, Stuart fell to the ground with the weapon still in his hand, then placed the gun to his midsection and fired, Fitchet wrote.

“Only necessary and proper force was used on Mr. Stuart in order to resolve this critical incident. All actions by all parties involved were centered solely on the effort to preserve the life of George Stuart,” Fitchet wrote.

Stuart retired in 1997 from the Springfield Police Department.

Ludlow Police Chief James McGowan, Springfield Police Commissioner William Fitchet Statements on George Stu...

As many at 100,000 Massachusetts homeowners who can no longer afford their mortgage payments could be eligible for loan modifications.

Associated PressAs many at 100,000 Massachusetts homeowners who can no longer afford their mortgage payments could be eligible for loan modifications. (AP File Photo)

By Matt Murphy, State House News Service

BOSTON - A House and Senate panel on Wednesday morning filed a compromise bill to prevent unnecessary foreclosures by giving at-risk homeowners strengthened tools to seek modifications to their mortgages.

The final bill, which has been pushed by Attorney General Martha Coakley, did not include Senate-approved provisions sought by the Massachusetts Alliance Against Predatory Lending and housing advocates that would have mandated mediation between banks and homeowners at risk of foreclosure, a strategy 23 other states employ.

As many at 100,000 Massachusetts homeowners who can no longer afford their mortgage payments could be eligible for loan modifications, including principal reductions from their banks, if it is determined that it is more financially beneficial to the bank to modify than foreclose, according to lawmakers.

The conference committee report was filed with the House clerk Wednesday morning, and an aide to House Speaker Robert DeLeo said the House planned to vote on the bill during its Wednesday session, which would require a suspension of rules aimed at ensuring adequate time to review bills.

House Financial Services Chairman Rep. Michael Costello, the lead House conferee on the bill, was expected to brief House Democrats on the compromise bill during a noontime caucus.

“In our bill, unlike the Senate mediation piece, our bill forces modifications. It’s mandatory modification, even if it may not be mandatory mediation. I think our bill is stronger and accomplishes the goals,” Costello said.

The bill would require banks and other lenders to assess a borrower's ability to pay and the value of a loan modification compared to the cost of foreclosure before entering into foreclosure proceedings. If a modified loan is worth more than the amount the bank expects to recover through foreclosure, the lender must offer a modified loan to the borrower, according to the bill.

While the Senate’s mediation proposal required banks and borrowers to meet with an arbiter, it did not require modification at the end of the process. Under the compromise bill, banks must file an affidavit before they foreclose on a property showing why a loan modification did not make financial sense.

“The bill is going to help many, many people, but the issue of foreclosure will probably be around for many years to come and the committee thought it was a prudent approach to understand the potential implications of a mediation program before we were to proceed,” said Sen. Anthony Petruccelli, the lead Senate conferee.

Both Costello and Petruccelli said the conference committee had questions about the cost of mediation to the state, how best to train mediators, and why the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration at UMass Boston would be the best place to coordinate the mediation process.

Grace Ross, the coordinator of the Massachusetts Alliance Against Predatory Lending, cautioned that the 150-day loan modification process outlined in the bill has been “unproven” nationally, and routinely gamed by banks that drag out the process by requiring applicants to submit multiple rounds of paperwork to run out the clock.

“Why would Massachusetts, just because we pass a law, magically find themselves in a world where applications are accepted in one shot and banks respond in a timeframe shorter than anywhere in the country?” Ross asked.

Both Costello and Petruccelli pointed to the required affidavit and the attorney general’s involvement in helping to shepherd borrowers through the process as a safeguard against abuse. Petruccelli said Coakley would be the “quarterback,” and Costello said the process piggybacks off Coakley’s newly established program to use money from a national settlement with five major banks to help renegotiate problem mortgages.

The legislation also addresses two recent Supreme Judicial Court decisions by requiring that lenders produce proper documentation showing they are the legal holders of the mortgage before foreclosing, and proposes a task force led by Coakley to study the feasibility of allowing foreclosed mortgage holders to stay in their homes as rental tenants.

Loans made through the Massachusetts Housing Partnership through programs such as those for first-time homebuyers would be exempt from the bill’s requirements.

Though the housing market has shown signs of rebounding, advocates say foreclosures are still up 47 percent since this time last year, and Massachusetts has been the fourth hardest hit by percentage of mortgages "under water," meaning the value of the home is less than that owed on a mortgage.

According to Costello’s office, more than more than 45,000 Massachusetts residents as of the spring had lost their homes due to foreclosure since the start of 2007.

The loan modification program applies to seven types of loans, such as subprime mortgages, that contributed to the housing crisis.

“If you do all loans you run the risk of pulling into the mix small community banks that hold four or five foreclosures a year and put these administrative procedures on them though they gave responsible loans,” Costello said. “This targets larger banks in the subprime game that cost all of us a great deal and puts the onus on them to come to the table, and holds small community banks that weren’t part of the problem harmless.”

Massachusetts Bankers Association President Daniel Forte wrote in late June that mediation would lengthen the foreclosure process, increase costs and hurt home values "without any measurable benefit for delinquent borrowers."

Using $44.5 million paid to Massachusetts as part of a national settlement over illegal foreclosures and loan servicing with Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and GMAC/Ally, Coakley in May launched a HomeCorps program featuring the hotline (617-573-5333), which makes loan modification experts available to advise residents.
Under the national settlement, the banks are also ordered to provide about $14.6 million in cash payments to Bay State borrowers and $257 million worth of mortgage relief across Massachusetts, money that Coakley said can be used for refinancing or principal reduction.

Whipsawed by strong earnings from some companies, weak ones from others, including the once infallible Apple, investors couldn't make up their mind whether to buy or sell.

By BERNARD CONDON | AP Business Writer

File photo | Associated PressZynga CEO Mark Pincus walks off the stage after an announcement of new games at Zynga headquarters in San Francisco. Zynga's stock is tanking after the online game maker reported a loss in the second quarter on Wednesday, July 25, 2012, with adjusted earnings and revenue below Wall Street's already-low expectations. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

NEW YORK — Whipsawed by strong earnings from some companies, weak ones from others, including the once infallible Apple, investors couldn't make up their mind whether to buy or sell on Wednesday. In the end, they mostly sold, but barely.

The Standard & Poor's 500 slipped 0.42 points, or 0.03 percent, to end 1,337.89. The tiny loss extended the broad index's losses to a fourth straight day. A big reason was Apple, which dropped $22.12 to $578.80, a loss of 4 percent. A sharp drop in new home sales also fed the selling.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 58.73 points, or 0.5 percent, to 12,676.05. That snapped a three-day, triple-digit losing streak for the index.

Helping the Dow were big gains from two of its components, Boeing and Caterpillar. The duo contributed 24 points to the index, or nearly half of its gain.

Boeing rose $2, nearly 3 percent, to $74.03 after reporting surprisingly strong earnings. The aircraft maker also raised its profit forecast for all of 2012.

Caterpillar, which makes mining and construction equipment, rose $1.17, or 1.4 percent, to $82.60. The company blew away analysts' estimates with a 67 percent surge in profits for the second quarter. Caterpillar credited strong sales of mining equipment overseas and a strengthening housing market.

Shortly after Caterpillar announced its results, the optimism about housing took a hit. The Commerce Department said sales of new homes plunged 8 percent last month, the steepest drop since February last year. Sales in the Northeastern U.S. plummeted 60 percent. The decline suggests a weaker job market is dampening any pickup in the industry.

"Housing is not really recovering, it's bottoming," said Steven Ricchiuto, chief economist at Mizuho Securities, a brokerage firm. "That's still a problem with the economy."

Home builders were hit hard. Beazer Homes fell 13 cents, or 5 percent, to $2.35. KB Home lost 32 cents, or 3 percent, to $9.31.

The biggest loser in the S&P was Netflix, the video subscription company. It fell $20.11 to $60.28, a loss of 25 percent. The company reported late Tuesday that its net income plunged 91 percent in the latest quarter. Investors are worried about rising licensing fees and slowing subscriber growth.

Stocks were pushed higher at the opening by the gains in Caterpillar and Boeing. But the disappointing home sales news soon cut into the gains, and trading remained choppy throughout the day.

Apple didn't help. Late Tuesday, the company reported net income rose 21 percent in the second quarter instead of the 33 percent that analysts were expecting. The company said consumers appear to be holding off on buying iPhones before a new model comes out, even though it isn't expected until October.

Apple makes up 12.7 percent of the Nasdaq composite, making it by far the biggest component of the technology-focused index. The Nasdaq lagged the broader market, giving up 0.3 percent, or 8.75 points, to close at 2,854.24.

The bad news from tech stocks didn't end there. After the closing bell, Zynga, the maker of online video games like "Farmville," slashed its forecast for full-year earnings, blaming delays in launching new games, dwindling revenue from existing web games and a "more challenging environment" on the Facebook platform. The stock plunged $2.04, or 40 percent, to $3.05 in after-hours trading.

In other corporate news, computer security provider Symantec soared $1.79 to $14.96. The company announced the departure of its CEO, Enrique Salem, and reported earnings per share and revenue came in well ahead of Wall Street's estimates.

WellPoint, the nation's second largest insurer, lowered its earnings forecast. Its stock fell $7.41, or 12 percent, $54.01, the biggest one-day drop for the stock in more than three years. The insurer said enrollment has been slipping as companies cut jobs.

Corning said its second-quarter profit sank 39 percent on lower sales volumes and prices of its liquid-crystal-display glass products. Its stock fell 93 cents to $11.14, or 8 percent.

Stock in RadioShack plunged $1.05, or 29 percent, to $2.60, an all-time low for the electronics retailer. The company reported an unexpected loss for its second quarter and suspended its dividend.

In Europe, stock indexes mostly higher. A European Central Bank policymaker said the region's bailout fund should be given the power to borrow money from the central bank, increasing its financial resources. That would be necessary if Spain asked for a bailout.

The yield on the Spain's 10-year government bond fell to 7.37 percent from 7.53 percent late Tuesday. That's a positive sign that investors are slightly less worried about Spain's ability to repay its debts.

Seated in the front row for the arraignment were Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet and Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant. - video by CBS3 Springfield

The appointment of a new treasurer is expected in September.

Gregory I. Kallfa

WESTFIELD – City Treasurer Gregory I. Kallfa is not retiring until later this year but the city is already looking for his successor.

The pending vacancy is already posted on the city’s website and in area publications, a move that will allow the city adequate time to find a new treasurer.

Jeffrey Krok, acting personnel director, said this week the early posting will, if successful, allow the City Council to make an appointment by mid-September allowing a smooth transition in administration of the Treasurer’s Department.

Kallfa acknowledged this week that notification of his pending retirement, after some 28 years as treasurer, was presented to city officials last November.

“I will be 64 in October and it is time,” he said of his pending retirement. He expects to retire at the end of October.

Mayor Daniel M. Knapik said Kallfa has “done an outstanding job, he will be hard to replace.

“As mayor I could sleep well at night because he was on the job protecting city funds,” the mayor said.

Kallfa said the early notice will insure “a smooth transition and to give the necessary time to choose a replacement.”

The posting does not include a salary range. That will be depend upon experience, Krok said. Kallfa earns about $78,000 annually.

The Personnel Department will accept resumes until 5 p.m. Aug. 16.

The City Treasurer oversees relations between that office and other city departments, must be bonded and is responsible for investing city funds in compliance with Massachusetts General Laws. The city is requiring applicants to have a bachelor degree in finance, business, accounting or related field and have three to five years experience in banking, business or financial management.

A description of the position and application is available online at www.cityofwestfield.org.

Kallfa was appointed treasurer in 1984 and since then has led the city securing financing for more than $245 million in capital projects. “We juggled various priorities and at times those priorities were simultaneous and we had to choose the most pressing ones to complete,” Kallfa said.

The Personnel Department will screen applicants and create a final list of candidates to be presented to the City Council for appointment.

The city is seeking proposals for the former Asylum nightclub building on Main Street.

The Republican | Mark M. MurrayThe Stone Wall Tavern on Main and Gridiron streets in Springfield has been sold.

The Republican | Mark M. MurrayThe building at 1600 Main St. in Springfield, the former Asylum Building.

SPRINGFIELD – A development group that already owns many downtown properties, including the Paramount building and The Fort and Student Prince restaurant block, is taking steps to control two additional properties on the Main Street corridor.

Heriberto Flores, president of the New England Farm Workers Council, said Wednesday that his group has a purchase and sale agreement to buy the Stonewall Tavern business at 1716 Main St. and is seeking approval of a liquor license transfer from the License Commission on Thursday night.

Amtrak owns the building at 1716 Main St. The developers are buying only the business and liquor license and will lease the site from Amtrak.

In addition, a development group affiliated with the Farm Workers Council will be submitting a proposal to purchase and redevelop the former Asylum club building at 1592-1600 Main St., owned by the city. The city is accepting proposals submitted by the deadline, Aug. 13.

Both sites targeted are adjacent to properties already owned by the Farm Workers Council, Flores said.

The tavern is adjacent to the Paramount property, which was purchased by the Farm Workers Council in March for about $1.7 million.

The vacant Asylum building is adjacent to The Fort and Student Prince property that was purchased by the Farm Workers Council in October of 2010 for $2 million. Several other properties are also owned by the council in that immediate area.

Heriberto Flores

“We have made an investment in the whole corridor,” Flores said. “We want to make sure all those things fit into the perspective. We have to look out for the future, how all of this will play.”

The Farm Workers Council is a private, nonprofit organization that provides social services, job training and other services to low-income people. Flores has stated that economic development efforts are an extension of that mission.

The city purchased and partially demolished the Asylum building. With grant assistance, the city removed asbestos, added a sprinkler system, gutted the interior and created a 20-space parking lot in the rear of the site.

Flores said the group that will file a proposal for the Asylum is still being structured, and details of the redevelopment plans are still being worked on.

The Stonewall Tavern is just a few feet from the Paramount building, separated by Gridiron Street. The bar plans for the site will be discussed with the commission at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall. The proposed new manager is Eduardo Colon, needing commission approval.

According to the application for the liquor license, the new buyers are listed as Corporation at 1716 Inc., with the Farm Workers Council listed as 51 percent owner and local businessman Ronald Krupke listed as 49 percent owner, said Peter L. Sygnator, License Commission chairman. Flores is president of Corporation of 1716 Inc.

The sellers are listed as 1716 Main Street Inc., composed of Brendan Broderick, Timothy J. Lamotte and Gregory P. George, all of Wilbraham, Sygnator said. The purchase price, including the liquor license and furnishings, is listed at $70,000, contingent on approval of the license transfer.

View New England Farm Workers' Council: Property in the heart of downtown Springfield in a larger map. Map / research by GREG SAULMON.

Egan said most of her time from work has been prescheduled vacation.

Staff photo by Michael S. GordonHolyoke City Clerk Susan M. Egan

HOLYOKE – Longtime City Clerk Susan M. Egan said Wednesday she has been ill with a stomach ulcer and weakness in her left leg, but expects to return to work at City Hall next month.

“I’m definitely coming back. I’m just waiting until I’m strong enough,” said Egan, 63.

Egan has been clerk for 20 years. It is an elected position and she said she will retire after her current, four-year term expires after next year.

The city clerk’s yearly salary is $71, 832.

Egan has been out of work since June, but most of that has been pre-arranged vacation for the weeks of July 2 and 9, she said.

On July 4, she said, she felt what seemed to be severe heartburn

“I didn’t know what was happening to me, but all I knew was I couldn’t take the pain anymore from the heartburn,” Egan said.

She went to the hospital, and while her heart was fine, an ulcer in her stomach was determined to be the cause of the pain. That is being treated, said Egan, who also said a weak left leg is improving with therapy.

She will see her primary care physician Aug. 7 and she believes she will return to work later in August, she said.

“They did tell me, when I do go back, it will only be, for one to two weeks, half-days,” Egan said.

She speaks by phone daily with city clerk staff. Assistant City Clerk Louise K. Bisson is in charge in her absence, she said.

Mayor Alex B. Morse said he was glad to hear Egan was recovering.

“I look forward to having Sue back at City Hall and I thank the support staff in the City Clerk’s office, particularly Assistant Clerk Louise Bisson for stepping up during Sue’s absence throughout the last month,” Morse said.

“If it becomes clear at some point that she is not able to return and perform the full duties of an elected city clerk, we can revisit the conversation at that time,” he said.

Egan invoked a famous line from U.S. Army Gen. Douglas MacArthur in dismissing rumors she has heard about her absence. One rumor was that she was so ill she might be committed to a hospital, she said, and another was she will otherwise not return to the city clerk’s office, which could prompt a City Council vote for a temporary replacement.

“So if the rumors out there are that I’m not coming back, that’s not true. I will be back. They can’t get rid of me. Like MacArthur said, ‘I shall return,’” Egan said.

U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur

The judge said there was no evidence their grandmother had done anything wrong but it appeared she was being prevented from fulfilling her role as guardian.

AP file photoThis Jan. 26, 2012 file photo shows, from left, Prince Jackson, Blanket Jackson and Paris Jackson after a hand and footprint ceremony honoring their father musician Michael Jackson in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A judge on Wednesday stepped into the turmoil roiling the Jackson family, appointing the son of Tito Jackson to serve as temporary guardian of Michael Jackson's children in the absence of the family matriarch and in the midst a feud over the pop superstar's estate.

Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff temporarily suspended Katherine Jackson as the children's guardian because she is in Arizona and hadn't spoken with them in several days. He appointed Tito Joe "TJ" Jackson to serve as temporary guardian with the ability to control the hilltop home where the children live and to take on other supervision duties.

Beckloff said there was no evidence that Katherine Jackson had done anything wrong but instead it appeared she was being prevented from fulfilling her role as guardian through the "intentional acts of third parties." He didn't elaborate.

He also said the children — Prince, Paris and Blanket — cannot be taken outside California without court approval.

The developments came after days of turmoil among the Jackson family that included a relative reporting Katherine Jackson missing before she was located safely with other family members in Arizona and an altercation between relatives on Monday.

Jermaine Jackson has said his mother was following doctor's orders to cut off communications with the children, who range in ages from 10 to 15. He didn't provide further details.

Katherine Jackson's lawyer, Perry Sanders Jr., said she had high blood pressure before she left for Arizona.

His co-counsel, Sandra Ribera, expressed concerned that Katherine Jackson may have been held against her will. She said one of the singer's children told her a conversation with the 82-year-old woman on Tuesday seemed to be monitored and influenced by others in the room.

Arizona authorities contacted Katherine Jackson on Sunday evening and it was determined she was safe, though her lack of communication with her grandchildren was described by TJ Jackson and others as unusual and unprecedented.

In addition to concerns about the safety of Jackson's children, some of Michael Jackson's siblings have recently called on the executors of his estate to resign.

Randy Jackson appeared Tuesday on Al Sharpton's MSNBC show PoliticsNation and said he believes his brother's will is a fake and that the executors have engaged in criminal activity.

The estate, which recently reported it saw $475 million in gross earning since Jackson's death in June 2009, has denied wrongdoing and called the accusations "false and defamatory."

The Jackson children have remained at the home they share with their grandmother in suburban Calabasas amid questions about Katherine Jackson's whereabouts and why she hadn't spoken with them since July 15.

Sheriff's deputies were called to the house on Monday after two factions of the family were involved in Monday's driveway confrontation. The incident remains under investigation.

Beckloff, who also oversees financial issues affecting Jackson's estate, was initially reluctant to appoint a temporary guardian but changed his mind after hearing from several attorneys who expressed concern about the family's problems.

TJ Jackson filed his petition under seal but appeared in court and was appointed temporary guardian after describing a "strange" conversation he had with Katherine Jackson on Tuesday evening.

"I've never heard my grandmother talk like that," he said reluctantly. "In every way. The sound in her voice. The pauses."

He said some of her speech sounded slurred and she used words that made him wonder if she was speaking in code.

The children's guardian ad litem, Margaret Lodise, said she spoke with the children and the two oldest, Prince and Paris, supported the appointment of a temporary guardian. Lodise did not ask the youngest son, 10-year-old Blanket, for his views.

Lodise is responsible for overseeing the children's interests in the estate of their father.

Beckloff ordered TJ Jackson's attorney Charles Shultz to give notice of his ruling to two other potential guardians — singer Diana Ross and Debbie Rowe, who is the mother of the eldest Jackson children. Ross was named in Michael Jackson's 2002 will as a potential guardian if his mother was not able to serve.

"Debbie is watching the situation carefully, and wishing for Katherine's speedy recovery," her attorney Eric George wrote in an email.

Schultz said TJ Jackson didn't want to replace Katherine Jackson as permanent guardian. Still, the judge noted that TJ Jackson would have to petition to become the permanent guardian within 48 hours and added that such a petition might not be heard if Katherine Jackson re-emerges.

Sanders said after the hearing that he had received word that she was returning Wednesday to Los Angeles. He said he would seek her reinstatement as guardian after speaking with her and would fight any move to have her permanently replaced.

He said he met with Randy and Janet Jackson in Tucson, Ariz., on Tuesday, but he was not allowed to see his client. He said he still hoped the recent events were a misunderstanding, but he described them as "chaos."

Pay for School Department administrators and nonunion employees ranges from $24,900 a year to $137,500 annually.

WEST SPRINGFIELD — The School Committee has authorized School Superintendent Russell D. Johnston to give the same cost-of-living raises this year to School Department administrators and non-union employees as those awarded to teachers for this fiscal year.

That means those 45 employees, including Johnston, could get 1 percent raises retroactive to July 1 as well as a second round of 1 percent raises effective Jan. 1, 2013.

The School Committee voted 6-0 Tuesday to give Johnston the authority to tap $40,000 in the budget to do that. It also voted unanimously to let him use another $5,000 to give additional pay increases that will ensure salaries are competitive with those in nearby communities.

“We feel it is important to keep our salaries competitive,” School Committee member Nancy M. Farrell, who made both motions, said.

Voting in favor of the motions were Farrell, Mayor Gregory C. Neffinger, Michelle M. Serafino, Patricia A. Garbacik, Dr. Joseph Foresi Jr., and Kathleen A. Alevras. School Committee member Joey Sutton was absent.

The salaries for administrators and non-union School Department employees range from $24,900 a year for a speech language pathologist assistant to $137,500 annually for the school superintendent.

She was involved with "Snow White and the Huntsman" director Rupert Sanders, who is married with two children.

AP file photoThis May 29, 2012 file photo shows actress Kristen Stewart and director Rupert Sanders attending the "Snow White and the Huntsman" screening in Los Angeles. Stewart and director Rupert Sanders are apologizing publicly to their loved ones following reports of infidelity.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — "Twilight" fans are heartbroken by Kristen Stewart's public admission that she cheated on her boyfriend and co-star Robert Pattinson. Some on Twitter are blasting the actress with no shortage of nasty names, while others are pledging support for Pattinson, calling him "sexy" and promising they'd be faithful.

But the scandal involving the on- and off-screen couple is unlikely to affect box-office returns for the final installment in the vampire-romance juggernaut due this fall, or even harm the image of the 22-year-old actress.

"It could make her actually more alluring," said Ian Drew, a senior editor at Us Weekly magazine, which features compromising photos of Stewart and her "Snow White and the Huntsman" director Rupert Sanders in its latest issue, out Friday. "It's not like Sally Field did this, so it could actually enhance her appeal and make her even bigger."

Stewart, whom Forbes named Hollywood's highest-paid actress last month, issued an apology to People magazine Wednesday, saying she is "deeply sorry for the hurt and embarrassment I've caused to those close to me and everyone this has affected."

"This momentary indiscretion has jeopardized the most important thing in my life, the person I love and respect the most, Rob," she said. "I love him, I love him, I'm so sorry."

Stewart and Pattinson, 26, have been in a relationship for several years after meeting on the set of "Twilight," in which they play lovers.

Sanders, 41, who is married and has two children, followed with his own apologetic statement to People.

"I am utterly distraught about the pain I have caused my family," he said. "My beautiful wife and heavenly children are all I have in this world, I love them with all my heart. I am praying that we can get through this together."

A spokesman for the director confirmed the statement Wednesday. Representatives for Stewart and Pattinson did not respond to requests for comment.

Fans embraced Stewart as human girl Bella Swan and Pattinson as vampire suitor Edward Cullen from the moment they were announced in 2008 as the stars of the big-screen adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's popular novels. The real-life romance that bloomed between the co-stars only made things more magical for the mostly female fan base.

"The fans are so romantically tied to this movie in both the real-life romance and the on-screen romance, so I'm sure this is hitting them pretty hard," said box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian of Hollywood.com. "They think of Bella and Edward and Kristen and Rob like family — characters they absolutely love on screen and in real life. For a 14-year-old girl, this is probably heartbreaking. But are girls not going to see the movie because of this? Heck no."

Reports of infidelity could even draw more viewers to theaters for "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2," he said: "They might go just so they can be even more mad at Kristen."

Pattinson became an instant heartthrob with his casting as the charming, elegant Edward Cullen. He was included among People magazine's "Sexiest Men Alive" in 2008 and has won similar titles from readers of Glamour and OK magazines.

"The shocking thing is (Stewart) cheated on Robert Pattinson, who is this guy who everyone in the world wants," Drew said.

Fans might feel it when they watch the film in November.

"It sort of intrudes on their universe a little bit," he said. "This is the ill-fated romance from the screen that ended up working on screen and in real life as well. That made it more believable and more sellable, so it punctures holes in that."

Still, moviegoers might find the changed dynamic compelling.

"There's a soap opera going on off-screen, and people love to follow that," Dergarabedian said. "I think it only serves to raise awareness of the movie."

Residents expressed gratitude by giving police and fire officials a round of applause at a City Council subcommittee meeting. Watch video

The Republican | Mark M. MurrayThe vacant house on Martin Street in Springfield's Forest Park neighborhood was the scene of a arson fire late Tuesday evening.

SPRINGFIELD — News of the arrests of eight teenagers in three fires Tuesday night brought relief to residents of the Forest Park section, including some who live on Kimberly Avenue who said they have not been able to sleep at night because of the series of 12 set fires in their neighborhood.

“We have lived here eight years and nothing like this has ever happened,” Maria Alicea, who lives with her husband, Pedro, and their four children at 11 Kimberly Ave., said on Wednesday.

In the past week, the window of the family’s van was smashed and a burning rag was found stuffed into the truck’s fuel tank opening, Alicea said.

Deikwon Duke, 17, 12 Crown St.; Devonte J. Wise, 17, 120 White St.; Shenard Holmes, 17, 28 Florence St.; Clarence Squaire, 17, 12 Crown St.; Dayne Bennett, 17, 25 Dawson St.; and Angel Navarro, 17, 36 Kimberly Ave., all pleaded not guilty and were held without right to bail pending a dangerousness hearing at their arraignment Wednesday in Springfield District Court. Also arrested were two juveniles, ages 15 and 16, whose names were not released because each was under age 17. Their cases will be handled in Juvenile Court.

Residents also expressed gratitude by giving police and fire officials a round of applause at a City Council subcommittee meeting at the Frederick Harris Elementary School on Wednesday night.

The meeting – attended by Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant, Deputy Police Chief Thomas McFarlin, City Councilors Thomas Ashe, Kenneth Shea and Katerie Walsh and other public safety officials – was called last week to discuss the arson outbreak.

“I don’t think we’d be applauding now if we hadn’t made the arrests” Tuesday night, Shea said, noting that the neighborhood had been on edge for the past week.

Jane Hetzel, president of the Forest Park Civic Association, alerted neighborhood residents about the arrests Wednesday morning.

“Let’s hope the rash of fires ends,” Hetzel said.

At the meeting, Ashe said he was pleased with the prompt police response that yielded the arrests, but urged residents to remain alert.

“Vigilance and phone calls and reaching out,” Ashe said. “The phone calls, the emails (to authorities) are very important.”

The bill aims to lower health care costs that came in the wake of landmark legislation signed in 2006 by then-Gov. Mitt Romney.

By SHANNON YOUNG

BOSTON – With their session expected to end Tuesday, Massachusetts lawmakers are running out of time to reconcile differences between House and Senate versions of a high-profile bill that targets spiraling health care costs.

Sen. Bruce Tarr, who serves on the committee charged with reconciling the two bills, said Wednesday he expects a compromise bill to be released early next week. The Republican from Gloucester expressed concerns the committee could finish its work in time for House and Senate members to review and vote on the legislation.

“I am somewhat disappointed that we’re in a situation where this is happening in the 11th hour because of the magnitude and the impact it will have,” he said.

The bill aims to lower health care costs in Massachusetts that came in the wake of landmark legislation signed in 2006 by then-Gov. Mitt Romney. The law expanded access to health coverage in the state, but premiums and other health care costs have threatened to undermine its long-term fiscal stability.

Gov. Deval Patrick told reporters Tuesday that he does not expect perfect legislation to come out of the committee, but believes they will create a “good bill.”

Earlier this session, the House of Representatives and the Senate each approved measures to contain health care costs before passing the bills on to a bipartisan panel of lawmakers. Both bills are aimed at saving the state billions of dollars over a 15-year period.

The House proposal includes a so-called “luxury tax” for hospitals that charge more than 20 percent above the state median price for a service. The hospitals would be levied a 10 percent surcharge that would go into a fund to help support hospitals serving the poor and most vulnerable.

Tarr said the surcharge is among the most significant differences between the two bills.

“There are a lot of issues where there is, in my opinion, a difference in philosophy between the House and the Senate and I would include that one in that category,” he said of the surcharge.

Tarr would not elaborate on discussion by the conference committee, which meets in private.

Conference committee chair Sen. Richard Moore declined to comment on the health care legislation. A spokesman for the Uxbridge Democrat said Moore was working to have a compromise bill to the Legislature before the end of the session.

Romney has said the first-term senator from Florida is among those he is considering to be his running mate.

File photo by Jae C. Hong / Associated PressSen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. listens at left as Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks in Aston, Pa., in April.

By BRENDAN FARRINGTON

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush says Sen. Marco Rubio is ready to be vice president and that he has shared those thoughts with Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

Romney has said the first-term senator from Florida is among those he is considering to be his running mate.

Romney is expected to announce a decision sometime before the Republican convention late next month in Tampa, Fla.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Bush said he pitched Rubio during a recent conversation he had with Romney. He says that Romney didn’t indicate which way the search for a vice presidential candidate was taking him.

Bush left office in 2007 and remains influential in Florida and Republican politics.

He is the son of former Presidents George H.W. Bush and brother of George W. Bush.

The charges mark the first use of a new California law designed to clamp down on photographers' reckless pursuit of celebrities.

AP file photoPop sensation Justin Bieber performs during his "My World Tour" in Mexico City, on Oct. 1, 2011.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A paparazzo photographer faces criminal charges in connection with a high-speed chase of Justin Bieber earlier this month, marking the first use of a new state law designed to clamp down on photographers' reckless pursuit of celebrities.

The Los Angeles City Attorney's office on Wednesday filed four misdemeanor charges against Paul Raef, 30, including reckless driving with the intent to capture pictures for commercial gain, reckless driving, failure to obey a peace officer and following another vehicle too closely.

Bieber pulled over for police and was given a speeding ticket.

Paparazzi pursuit of celebrities has long been identified as a risk in Los Angeles.

"It's Hollywood. There are a huge number of celebrities and there's a lot of money paid for these pictures," said attorney Harland Braun, who has defended cases involving paparazzi and who said he has had to fend off photographers chasing his celebrity clients.

"Unfortunately, innocent people get caught up in these chases," he said. "I think the law is a good thing."

City attorney spokesman Frank Mateljan said the Raef case meets all the criteria spelled out in the law which has not been used before this.

"We're very confident in our case," he said

However, a leading First Amendment lawyer said the California law is likely to be challenged vigorously.

Attorney Douglas Mirell said the statute enacted nearly two years ago seeks to punish members of the press by a different standard than the average person.

"A fan doing the same thing, trying to get a glimpse of Bieber or taking a photo for their personal photo album might be engaged in the same egregious conduct. But it would fall outside the statute because they were not doing it for a commercial purpose," Mirell said.

He said members of the press should be prosecuted the same way as others for laws such as reckless driving but should not be singled out as more culpable than others.

The charges stem from a July 6 incident in which Los Angeles Councilman Dennis Zine, a former police officer, and three other motorists called 911 to report a high speed chase along the 101 Freeway in the San Fernando Valley.

Officers saw six vehicles pursuing a silver Fisker Karma, a high-end sports car driven by Bieber.

Raef's Toyota SUV was seen traveling at speeds over 80 miles an hour, weaving across all lanes of the freeway and on the shoulder, forcing its way into lanes where there was little room to merge safely.

Authorities said motorists were forced to brake and swerve to avoid colliding with Raef's vehicle and the others.

Bieber pulled over when officers signaled him to do so, but Raef's vehicle did not stop.

Bieber was given a speeding ticket and released.

The matter might have ended there. But 30 minutes later, Bieber called 911 and said he was again being followed by the same Toyota.

California Highway Patrol officers arrived at a downtown Los Angeles parking garage, where other paparazzi had congregated, and found the Toyota with the same license plate as the one that had chased the singer.

Officers identified Raef as the driver.

Raef is scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 9. If convicted, he faces up to one year in county jail and $3,500 in fines.

Raef could not immediately be located for comment. Bieber's publicist did not respond to phone and email messages

Although Bieber ended up with a speeding ticket, Mateljan said he has cooperated with authorities investigating the case.

The president called for stepped-up background checks for people who want to buy guns and restrictions to keep mentally unbalanced individuals from buying weapons.

Photo by Ed Andrieski / Associated PressFamily members carry flowers from a memorial service for Gordon Cowden at the Pathways Church in Denver on Wednesday. Cowden was one of 12 people killed, and over 50 wounded in a shooting attack early Friday at the packed theater during a showing of the Batman movie, "The Dark Knight Rises." Police have identified the suspected shooter as James Holmes.

By CHARLES BABINGTON
and JULIE PACE

WASHINGTON – The politics of guns leapt to the top of the presidential race Wednesday, as President Barack Obama embraced some degree of control of weapons sales and Republican Mitt Romney seemed to suggest an alleged mass killer in Colorado had obtained his weapons illegally even though he hadn’t.

Speaking to a mostly black audience in New Orleans, Obama said he would seek a consensus on combating violence. He said some responsibility also rests with parents, neighbors and teachers to ensure that young people “do not have that void inside them.”

Obama’s remarks came five days after the movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colo., that left 12 dead and dozens wounded. He pledged to work with lawmakers of both parties to stop violence – not only the sudden massacres that have bedeviled the nation, but also the steady drip of urban crime that has cost many young lives.

The president called for stepped-up background checks for people who want to buy guns and restrictions to keep mentally unbalanced individuals from buying weapons. He said those steps “shouldn’t be controversial, they should be common sense.”

Romney, meanwhile, said many of the weapons deployed by the shooting suspect in Colorado were possessed illegally and that changing laws wouldn’t prevent gun-related tragedies. His comments added a confusing layer to the debate because authorities say the firearms that James Holmes allegedly used to kill 12 people were obtained legally.

“This person shouldn’t have had any kind of weapons and bombs and other devices, and it was illegal for him to have many of those things already,” Romney told NBC News in an interview in London. “But he had them. And so we can sometimes hope that just changing the law will make all bad things go away. It won’t.”

Authorities say Holmes broke no laws when he bought an assault-style rifle, a shotgun and Glock handgun, and he passed the required background checks.

Aides to Romney said the former Massachusetts governor was alluding only to homemade bombs, reportedly used as attempted booby-traps in Holmes’ apartment, when he spoke of items “illegal for him to have.”

“The illegality the governor is referencing is the ordinances, the devices that were in the home,” said campaign spokesman Danny Diaz. “He was not referencing the weapons carried to the theater.”

In a separate interview with KRNV-TV in Nevada, Romney seemed more precise. He said Holmes “had various incendiary devices, bombs of some kind. The idea that saying those things, of course, were illegal, but he had them, simply passing laws does not make the threat of an individual who is deranged, disappear.”

Romney’s campaign acknowledged Wednesday that Holmes’ gun purchases apparently were legal.

Aurora authorities disassembled the booby traps in the apartment, and they did not explode. It’s unclear if the suspect obtained the bomb materials illegally, but it’s against Colorado law to build an explosive device.

NBC News anchor Brian Williams pressed Romney about his tenure as Massachusetts governor, when the presumptive GOP nominee signed a bill that banned some assault weapons like the type Holmes is alleged to have used. At the time, Romney described such guns as “instruments of destruction with the sole purpose of hunting down and killing people.”

Asked if he stood by those comments, Romney mentioned the Massachusetts ban but said he didn’t think current laws needed to change.

“I don’t happen to believe that America needs new gun laws. A lot of what this ... young man did was clearly against the law. But the fact that it was against the law did not prevent it from happening,” Romney said.

Obama, speaking to the National Urban League, said, “We should leave no stone unturned and recognize that we have no greater mission that keeping our young people safe.”

His speech represented a bookend to a four-day trip that began Sunday in Colorado, where Obama visited with survivors of the massacre.

“For every Columbine or Virginia Tech, there are dozens gunned down on the streets of Chicago and Atlanta, here in New Orleans,” he said. “For every Tucson or Aurora, there is daily heartbreak over young Americans shot in Milwaukee or Cleveland.”

Obama said every heartbreaking tragedy creates an outcry for action. “Too often those efforts are defeated by politics and by lobbying and eventually by the pull of our collective attention elsewhere,” he said.

Obama said he believes in the Second Amendment’s protection of gun rights and that that hunting and shooting are part of a “cherished national tradition.”

“I also believe that a lot of gun owners would agree that an AK-47 belongs in the hands of soldiers, not in the hands of criminals,” he said. “That they belong on the battlefield of war, not on the streets of our cities.

While he called for efforts to keep criminals and fugitives and mentally unbalanced individuals from buying weapons, Obama also said he was undertaking efforts without Congress to create prevention and intervention programs that “steer young people away from a life of gang violence toward the safety and promise of classroom.”

But he also added: “We must also understand that when a child opens fire on other children, there’s a hole in his heart that no government can fill.”

While the Aurora shootings stunned the nation, Obama’s hometown of Chicago has symbolized the urban death toll with a surge in violence that has also captured widespread attention. Chicago homicides are up nearly 38 percent from last year, dramatized by the death of a 7-year-old girl who was gunned down last month while selling snow cones near her house.

Julie Pace reported from New Orleans. Associated Press writers Kasie Hunt in London and Jim Kuhnhenn in Washington contributed to this report.

In what was meant to be his suicide note to his estranged wife, retired Springfield police officer George Stuart claimed he destroyed nearly $2 million in cash, stocks, bonds and other property and used shredded cash to start the fire that severely damaged their Ludlow home.

View full sizePhotos by R.J. Sangosti / Denver PostThis photo combination shows a variety of facial expressions of James E. Holmes during his appearance at Arapahoe County District Court Monday in Centennial, Colo. Holmes is accused of killing 12 and wounding 58 in a shooting rampage in a movie theater on Friday in Aurora, Colo.

These were the most-read stories on MassLive.com yesterday. If you missed any of them, click on the links below to read them now.

1) Alleged Colorado Batman shooter James Holmes spent year surrounded by brain experts Photos at right. [Associated Press]

2) 8 arrested in connection with Martin Street fire in Springfield; suspected in other Forest Park neighborhood arsons [The Republican Newsroom]

3) Retired Springfield cop George Stuart's plans to burn home, destroy $2 million in assets, kill self revealed in court documents [Lori Stabile]

4) Man frees 17-pound lobster from Conn. restaurant [Associated Press]

5) Casino operators eye 4 potential sites in Springfield [Dan Ring]

He chaired the Olympic basketball committee for 16 years.

File photo / The RepublicanEdward S. Steitz holds a flag used in the presentation of the gold medal to the United States basketball team at the Summer Olympics in Montreal in 1976.

Edward S. Steitz, director of athletics at Springfield College from 1956 to 1990, once referred to the 1972 Summer Olympics as “the one I will never forget.”

Steitz, who died in 1990 at the age of 69, served as an executive board member of the U.S. Olympic Committee. As such, he was on duty at the compound housing American athletes on the night of Sept. 5, 1972.

That was the fateful time when members of a Palestinian terrorist organization known as Black September infiltrated the Israeli athletes’ quarters, killed two team members and took nine as hostages.

“It was a sickening, saddening thing that could put a damper on the Olympic Games of the future,” Steitz said, speaking on Sept. 6, 1972, in a transatlantic telephone interview with Jerry Radding, a now-retired member of The Springfield Union’s sports staff.

“We began hearing rumors of what happened – first, that a bomb had been dropped, then that Israelis had attacked Arabs. We finally got the right story, and it was just unbelievable,” Steitz said in the interview.

The day before the attack, Steitz had spent time with Moshe Weinberg, coach of the Israeli wrestling team.

When Black September broke into the Israeli compound, Weinberg was one of two Israelis who were killed as they tried to intercept the raiders.

“I felt close to the situation because I knew some of the people involved,” Steitz said in the interview.

Nine members of Israel’s Olympic team were taken hostage and brought to a nearby airport. The terrorists demanded the release of 234 prisoners held in Israeli jails. They also demanded the release of all members of the German “Red Army Faction” being held in German prisons.

West German police attempted a rescue at the airport, but failed and all nine hostages were killed, along with a West German police officer and five of the terrorists.

Speaking on behalf of the U.S. Olympic contingent, Steitz said, “We don’t really feel that the Germans can be faulted. I know it’s hard to conceive that it could have been worse, but they (the terrorists) could have captured the entire Israeli team.”

Israel and Egypt both withdrew their Olympic teams following the killings.

“Everybody feels deep sympathy for the Israelis, but there is hope that the Olympics can continue. I feel that all athletes would perform with greater motivation in the remaining events,” Steitz said as Olympic officials were wondering if the Munich games should continue.

Avery Brundage, chief of the International Olympic Committee, settled the question when he ordered a ceremony in Olympic Stadium to honor the dead, then announced, “The games must go on.”

Because of the killings, known as “The Munich Massacre,” tighter security measures were put in place for the next Olympiad, which began with the Winter Games of 1976 in Innsbruck, Austria.

Along with his Olympic committee duties, Steitz also headed the Amateur Basketball Association of the United States, the governing body for American involvement in international competition. (That organization is now known as USA Basketball). American teams in those days were composed of college players, with an occasional player from the AAU or the military making the roster.

As the 1972 Olympic games returned to their schedule following the killings, the U.S. basketball team lost the gold medal for the first time, bowing 51-50 to the Soviet Union in a game marred by confusion at the finish. A controversy regarding how much time remained finally was resolved, putting three seconds back on the clock when it appeared that the game was over with the U.S. winning 50-49 on two free throws by Doug Collins (current coach of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers).

Upon his return to the Springfield College campus from Munich, Steitz called a press conference to blast the way the gold medal game was handled in its closing seconds.

“It was an injustice and a travesty, and I think they blew it. It was the biggest steal in Olympic history,” Steitz said.

Going into that game, the U.S. had a 63-0 record in Olympic basketball, which began in 1936.

After that Olympiad, Steitz remained closely involved with basketball worldwide. He served on the Olympic hoop committee as its chairman from 1964 through 1980.

With the 1972 loss in mind, Steitz campaigned for a rules change which would allow the U.S. to send its best team to the Olympics – meaning professional players from the NBA, rather than non-professionals. Steitz and others argued that the Olympic ideal of “amateurism” no longer applied because other countries had national teams that were basically composed of professionals.

The proposed rules change finally passed in 1989. It led to Uncle Sam’s 1992 Olympic “dream team” that featured Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird and was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.

Steitz also played a significant role in the evolution of basketball rules. As national rules interpreter for 35 years, he was mainly responsible for such dramatic changes as reinstating the dunk (1977), adopting the shot clock (1985) and introducing the three-point field goal (1986). In 1987, Steitz led the way in having the jump ball eliminated, except for the start of a game or the start of overtime.

Indiana coach Bob Knight often referred to Steitz as “the father of the three-point field goal.”

Steitz coached men’s basketball at Springfield for 10 years before settling into a full-time role as athletic director. In 1984, he was en-shrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor. In 2007, the International Basketball Hall of Fame enshrined him, also as a contributor.

Garry Brown can be reached at geeman1918@yahoo.com.

The establishment features a laudably creative bill of fare and, in doing so, seems poised to become a bona fide dining out destination.

30Boltwood in Amherst

The standard critique of hotel restaurants is that they're not very interesting, since they typically maintain menus on which chicken wings, pizza, and steak must necessarily coexist.

30Boltwood, the restaurant in Amherst's recently re-opened Lord Jeffrey Inn, avoids such mediocrity. Instead, the establishment features a laudably creative bill of fare and, in doing so, seems poised to become a bona fide dining out destination.

The restaurant space, like the rest of the property, has been completely renovated. The style's elegant but not stuffy, with the Inn's original pseudo-Colonial decor recast in a more modern guise.

Dino Giordano, the Lord Jeffrey's executive chef, focuses his talents on what he's dubbed "modern farm-to-table cooking."

Thus he prepares the likes of Beer-braised Short Ribs ($23), Seared Duck Breast ($25) accented with baba ganoush, and Parisian Gnocchi ($20) with wild mushrooms and braised fennel.

Scallops ($27), an archetypical New England favorite, are paired with pea puree and baby bok choy, while locally-farmed Chicken ($20) comes to the table with culinary exotica like salsify and a duck confit fritter in tow.

The list of starters is small but diverse -- an Artisan Charcuterie Plate ($12) that features homemade pate, Mussels ($9) steamed in a tomato coriander broth, and Burrata ($12), a cream-enriched fresh mozzarella that's accompanied by dry-cured ham and a balsamic drizzle.

We began our dinner with complementary demitasse cups of chilled tomato-fennel soup, a deliciously savory appetite-awakener.

A first course of Watermelon Gazpacho ($8), the daily soup selection, successfully integrated the melon's sweetness into a zesty, tomato- and cucumber-based cold soup. Enriched with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, the gazpacho was a refreshing tonic for a heat-dulled palate.

Lamb Two Ways ($25) takes its name from the two different cuts, loin and rib, used in the presentation. The locally raised meat had a bit more "lamb" flavor than we're used to, but that proved to be in no way objectionable.

A small, crumb-topped tomato tart served as an accompaniment, while whole baby carrots and braised Swiss chard lent subtle earthy nuances to the composition.

The day's Market Fish ($24) was halibut the evening we stopped by, and we certainly enjoyed the way it was presented to us.

Pan roasted just enough to make the flesh opaque, the halibut was served in a rich Romesco broth, an elaboration that contributed heady sweet pepper and garlic flavors.

Roasted tomatoes, steamed greens, baby clams, and whole potatoes the size of marbles completed one of the most enjoyable seafood entrees we've encountered in quite some time.

Entrees at 30Boltwood don't include salads, although an attractive arrangement of local lettuces ($4) dressed with sherry vinaigrette can be had.

Slices of a whole-grain loaf and butter are provided with dinner, however.

The bar at 30Boltwood stands ready to concoct all manner of adult libations, and the wine program at the Inn is unique in its conception. Items on the list are grouped according to the wine's style, and all selections are priced at $45 a bottle and $25 a half bottle. Two sizes of by-the-glass pours are also available.

A small but carefully crafted dessert selection includes a "Cappuccino" ($8) chocolate cake served with espresso ice cream, Mixed Berries ($7) macerated in Kirsch, and an Artisan Cheese Plate ($8).

The restaurant's Coconut Rice Pudding ($7) elevated a comfort food staple into the realm of ethereal. Garnished with diced ripe mango and a small scoop of sorbet, the pudding had a delightfully light texture and a mellow coconut creaminess.

Salted Caramel Pot de Creme ($7) was a more stylized composition, with the caramel pudding, a quenelle-shaped scoop of chocolate mouse, diced hazelnuts, and a smear of chocolate sauce fancifully arranged on a long rectangular plate. All those elements worked together to create an exceptional dessert experience.

The service staff at 30Boltwood is youthful but well trained, with those attending us discharging their responsibilities with laudable professionalism.

30Boltwood is open for breakfast and lunch daily. On Sundays, a brunch menu replaces the normal noontime bill of fare.

Name: 30Boltwood
Address: 30 Boltwood Avenue, Amherst
Phone: (413) 256-8200
Hours: Dinner served nightly 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Entree Prices: $19 - $27
Credit Cards: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Handicapped Access: Accessible, with rest rooms equipped for wheelchairs
Reservations: Accepted and advisable, especially on weekends

The system to inform the public in emergencies will be updated.

Staff Photo by John SuchockiHolyoke Fire Chief John A. Pond shows new emergency radios and iPads to be used by department heads where citywide coordination is needed.

HOLYOKE – Two iPads that firefighters could use to provide live looks of a damage site in a storm are among technology the city has acquired with $26,000 in grants.

Also, the system officials use to inform residents during emergencies will be updated by fall to include texting, email and other methods, Fire Chief John A. Pond said Wednesday.

“Technology really helps us out,” said Pond, the city’s emergency management director.

Besides the iPads, the city has eight new portable radios equipped with 48 channels each, which will allow for improved communication with surrounding communities, he said.

The new technology includes a MacBook Pro laptop computer, an IBM compatible computer, two, 46-inch LCD (liquid crystal display) monitors, to watch disaster relief efforts, and a machine to make laminated photo identification cards for emergency personnel for security reasons, he said.

Also, grant money will be used to buy chain saws and portable generators for disaster responses, he said.

The grants, one for $17,000 and another for $9,000, came recently from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, Fire Department Lt. Thomas G. Paquin said.

When a big problem strikes, such as the Oct. 29 snow storm that overwhelmed the area, the Emergency Operations Center is at Fire Department headquarters, 600 High St.

For emergency notification of residents, the city will be changing from the current Swift 911, a computerized telephone calling system, to a system called Everbridge. Everbridge is an Internet-based system with capabilities that would allow the mayor to use a smartphone to tell residents about an emergency development, for example, he said.

Everbridge would let the city reach residents via email, voice mail, cell phone, land lines and with hearing-impaired technology, he said.

The plan is to have Everbridge operating by Oct. 1, he said.