A Peter Pan official said they are in the final negotiation stage with Penn National.

SPRINGFIELD — The same day that MGM Resorts International unveiled its $800 million casino project for the city’s South End, Penn National Gaming Inc. revealed that it is in talks with Peter Pan Bus Lines Chairman Peter A. Picknelly to develop a resort casino in the North End.

Eric Schippers, senior vice president, public affairs and government relations, for Pennsylvania-based Penn National, said they are not in a position to release details, but are discussing a comprehensive economic development project that “will have positive ripple effects across Springfield.”

“In terms of MGM, we have seen their announcement and find it a bit curious their proposal includes land that’s not under their control. In any case, given the strength of our balance sheet and proven track record of developing regional gaming destinations in urban settings, we expect a proposal from us will be very competitive,” Schippers wrote in an e-mail.

Robert J. Schwarz, executive vice president of Peter Pan Bus Lines and Opal Real Estate Group, said they are in the final negotiation stage with Penn National.

File photoRobert J. Schwarz, executive vice president of Peter Pan Bus Lines

“We’ve said from day one that we had three goals: to select the best gaming partner, secure real estate and put together the best project for the revitalization of the city,” Schwarz said.

“We’re near completion of negotiating the partnership,” Schwarz said.

Schwarz said he would not discuss where exactly the real estate is located.

However, two companies associated with Picknelly recently presented an option to buy The Republican’s Main Street building and property, as well as the newspaper’s eight vacant acres on the Connecticut River, which is adjacent to property that Picknelly owns. The proposal also would include Picknelly’s bus station property on Main Street, next to the newspaper.

Penn National also had talked with Westfield Mayor Daniel M. Knapik about opening a casino at the former Pavilion Mall site near the Massachusetts Turnpike.

Knapik said he was told by the property owner, Waterstone Realty, that it had an agreement with Penn to perform studies on the site, and that the company had 90 days to tell it if it planned to go forward with a project there. Knapik said he believes the end of the 90-day period is approaching.

“I had the impression these would be resort-style casinos, not something that would be piece-mealed into a neighborhood,” Knapik said.

“At this point we’re just spectators,” Knapik said.

Picknelly’s brother, Paul C. Picknelly, apparently is involved in the MGM proposal, but did not return a call for comment on Wednesday.

Love is projected to start alongside Vince Wilfork at defensive tackle.

APKyle Love (74) received a new contract Wednesday evening.

The New England Patriots took a step towards solidifying what they hope is a bright future for their defense by signing defensive tackle Kyle Love to a one-year contract extension.

The deal carries a maximum value of $3.1 million and runs through 2013, according to multiple reports. Love was schedule to become a restricted free agent after this season.

Widely considered an up and coming player, Love recorded 33 tackles and three sacks playing mostly on first and second down last season. The hope is that he will emerge as a three-down player this season starting alongside Vince Wilfork.

The properties include 12 multi-unit buildings with parking lots on Spring, Winter, Salem and Elliot streets.

The Republican | Michael S. GordonArmoury Commons Apartments on Pearl St.

SPRINGFIELD — More than 12 properties, including 250 apartments in a historic district, will be auctioned Sept. 25 in a foreclosure sale.

Auctioneer Stephen Dean said the auction of Armoury Commons, which was originally scheduled for Wednesday, has been postponed while the bank tries to work out an agreement with the owner, Waterfront Hampden LLC.

“All I know is the auction has been rescheduled for now,” he said.

The properties include 12 multi-unit buildings with parking lots on Spring, Winter, Salem and Elliot streets, a tennis court at 69 Pearl St. and a mixed-use building at 45 Pearl St. All properties are part of apartment blocks known as Armoury Commons.

Robert McCarroll, a member of the Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Historical Commission and a longtime resident of the neighborhood, said the complex includes a dozen apartment buildings built in the early 20th century.

“The area is listed on the National Register of Historic Places,” he said.

McCarroll said the buildings were vacant or partially occupied for many years until the 1970s when there was a major renovation spearheaded by the Springfield Institution for Savings, a bank that owned the properties for years.

“They renovated 250 units, and the city helped the project along by creating new brick sidewalks, providing new utilities, decorating the street with trees and building the park on the corner of Spring and Pearl streets,” he said.

Units will be auctioned off in seven groups, which will be followed by a sale by entirety. If the bidding price for the sale of entirety is more than the sum of the separate sales, then the separate sales will be discarded.

A minimum deposit of $50,000 will be required for each individual sale, and a minimum of $250,000 will be required for the entirety sale.

Dean said he cannot discuss the total value of the properties because it is a foreclosure sale.

Evan Plotkin of NAI Plotkin Commercial Real Estate Services, which manages the properties, said the foreclosing bank is Arbor Commercial Mortgage, a Fannie Mae lender.

Mayor Alex Morse envisions the coordinator tying together arts and cultural activities into an economic plus.

The Republican file photo | Dave RobackMarcos A. Marrero, director of Holyoke Office of Planning and Economic Development, looks at presentation at state CreativeNEXT event last month.

HOLYOKE — An announcement will come Thursday or Friday about which of three finalists is getting the new job of city creative economy coordinator, officials said Wednesday.

The finalists are Debbie Oppermann, who has held various local government and administrative positions in the area, Bevan A. Brunelle, marketing manager for CityStage and Symphony Hall in Springfield, and Jeffrey Bianchine, of Paper City Pictures photography here, said Marcos A. Marrero, director of the city Office of Planning and Economic Development.

Mayor Alex B. Morse has said the coordinator will highlight arts and cultural activities and organize such attractions into an economic boost.

The coordinator of arts, culture and tourism will be paid $43,037 a year.

The job drew 28 applicants. That was narrowed to seven who were to be brought in for interviews, but one got another job, so six had meetings with Morse and Marrero, they said.

“We’re feeling very confident that this field will yield a good coordinator for the creative economy,” Morse said.

Marrero said that he also was impressed with the candidates, but that he and Morse were being careful in considering their qualifications.

“I want to make sure I review everything,” Marrero said.

The coordinator would work with businesses, individuals and organizations in music and other performing arts, architecture, film, publishing, marketing and other areas, officials said.

The coordinator must live here, so if the person hired isn’t a resident, he or she will have to move into Holyoke by a certain date, officials said.

The City Council in approving the establishment of the new position made residency a requirement. The council also installed a so-called “sunset clause” that means the job is repealed in two years if Morse is unable to show it has generated activity to pay for itself.

Finn, of West Springfield, has cited his work in getting state money for tornado relief as one of his accomplishments.

WEST SPRINGFIELD — State Rep. Michael J. Finn, D-West Springfield, has announced he will be a candidate for re-election to a second two-year term in the state legislature in the November election.

Michael Finn

His 6th Hampden District consists of West Springfield as well as three wards in Chicopee and one ward in Springfield. He faces opposition from West Springfield resident Lincoln A. Blackie, who does not have a party affiliation.

A former president of the West Springfield Town Council, Finn stated in a press release that within hours of the June 1, 2011, tornado he escorted the governor to see the devastation firsthand.

“I immediately asked for and secured his commitment for assistance, which resulted in over $15 million for tornado relief that paid for water, food and shelter, and kept emergency responders working around the clock in recovery efforts,” the 42-year-old legislator said in his prepared statement.

Finn cited as among his accomplishments having worked toward state bond rating increases, pension reform, food stamp reform, and health care payment reform that will help the state recover from the recession stronger and quicker than the rest of the nation.

“The reforms we have undertaken will allow us to continue providing the core services that are vital for those who need them the most, our children, our seniors, and our veterans,” Finn said. “I fought hard to secure increases to our Chapter 70 and local aid accounts, protected funding for senior Meals on Wheels and increased funding for our soldiers’ homes. I will continue the fight with your help and support.”

A life-long resident of West Springfield, Finn lives at 465 Gooseberry Road with his wife, the former Jennifer Masi, and their three children.

Michael Finn

The site has contaminated ground water, and city officials need to document the extent of the pollution.

Republican file photoThe site of the former Games and Lanes bowling alley on Walnut Street Extension in Agawam, where officials want to assess contamination left behind by a dry cleaning operation.

AGAWAM — The mayor seeks authorization from the City Council to apply for $50,000 from the state to hire a brownfields site assessment consultant to evaluate the contaminated former Games and Lanes bowling alley property.

The site has contaminated ground water, and city officials need to document the extent of the pollution, according to Mayor Richard A. Cohen and Planning and Community Development Director Deborah S. Dachos. The site was occupied by a commercial dry cleaning business for about two decades.

“We are hoping to get the $50,000 from Mass Development to do an assessment so we can finally know the extent of the contamination, so we can finally get the site cleaned up and developed,” Cohen said.

“The actual extent of the contamination has not been quantified,” Dachos said.

The City Council is expected to vote on a mayoral resolution to seek state funding when it meets Sept. 4.

Dachos said officials at Mass Development have told her it could take as few as 30 days for the state agency to process and act on a request for funding. Dachos said she would like to see the assessment start this fall with work continuing in the spring when the water table is at its highest.

Potential developers have been leery of acquiring the property for redevelopment because the full extent of contamination by the hazardous cleaning solvent trichlorolethylene at 346-350 Walnut Street Extension is unknown, according to officials. The property was occupied by the uniform rental business Standard Uniform Corp. from 1969 through about the late 1980s.

Dachos said a selection committee working with the city on the project has selected O’Reilly, Talbot & Okun Associates Inc. of Springfield to do the work. At $43,900, its proposal was the lowest priced of the three finalists for the work.

The other two finalists and the amounts they proposed for work are Environmental Compliance Services, of Agawam, at $67,150 and Tighe & Bond Inc., of Westfield, at $49,100.

The other companies that submitted proposals for the job and the amounts they proposed were: Beta Group Inc., of Norwood, at $43,100; Bradburne Briller & Johnson, of Amesbury at $49,100; and Loureiro Engineering Associates Inc., of Plainville, Conn., at $97,313.

Burgess pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 8 to 9 years in state prison.

The Republican / File photo

SPRINGFIELD — James V. Smith told a Hampden Superior Court judge it has been very difficult for his family to move forward without his brother, Richard Wayne Dillon.

Smith was speaking to Judge Peter A. Velis last week as Cleveland Burgess, 32, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in Dillon’s fatal shooting in 1995.

The shooting happened on Halloween night 17 years ago in Indian Orchard, where Dillon, 30, lived with his mother.

Burgess was 16 years old at that time. He wasn’t charged with the murder until November. The case had been unsolved for all those years.

Velis sentenced Burgess to eight to nine years in state prison in the case prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney James M. Forsyth.

When Burgess was charged, Hampden District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni said the indictment was the result of a series of statements made by Burgess to people “disclosing his (own) involvement” in Dillon’s death.

Mastroianni did not say to whom Burgess made statements, but he did say one was made while Burgess was incarcerated.

“One of those statements rose to the level of what is a confession,” Mastroianni said. Investigators took the statements attributed to Burgess and compared them with details of the killing, and it was determined there was cause to charge Burgess.

Burgess was serving a four- to six-year state prison sentence for a 2010 unarmed
robbery conviction for robbing a woman in Springfield when he was charged with Dillon’s killing.

Smith recalled being told his brother had been shot in the chest with a shotgun at close range.

He said he viewed his brother’s body and found “it had taken a brutal attack on it. I would later explain the condition of his body to his mother and other family members.”

He said, “Needless to say our hearts were heavy and our family had suffered a heavy loss.”

Smith said the family missed Richard’s “sense of humor, his smile and his contributions to this family and to the world we live in.”

Soon after Dillon was killed, about 75 people held a vigil in his memory on Rodney King Circle, where Dillon was shot.

Three men had been charged initially, but charges were later dropped against them.

The Valley Opportunity Council is hoping to purchase the former Kendall Building in Chicopee.

The Republican file photo | Don TreegerStephen C. Huntley, executive director of the Valley Opportunity Council, stands outside 42-54 Center St. in Chicopee, a property the council has purchased last summer, is renovating and been renting out to small businesses.

The Valley Opportunity Council is expanding its real estate holdings with the recent purchase of three multi-family homes in Holyoke and last summer’s acquisition of an office and retail building in Chicopee.

Now it is finalizing the purchase the Kendall Building in downtown Chicopee and hoping to eventually renovate the boarding house, said Stephen C. Huntley, Valley Opportunity Council executive director.

The idea is two-pronged. By buying and renovating the properties, the non-profit agency helps communities. At the same time it can use rental income it generates to fund its adult education, day care and other programs, he said.

“Non-profits are going to have to include entrepreneurship in their businesses,” said Heriberto Flores, president of the New England Farmworkers Council, which has purchased many properties in Western Massachusetts including the Paramount and The Fort buildings in Springfield.

Non-profits rely on grants, but they aren't enough, especially in an atmosphere in which federal and state lawmakers are cutting back on human services spending. Also, grants may fund the program, but not the administration needed for it, Flores said.

“He understands what he has to do. He has a good business head and he is not afraid to ask questions,” Flores said, adding Huntley calls him for advice on occasion.

Most recently the Valley Opportunity Council purchased three multi-family homes in Holyoke that had been foreclosed on by Fannie Mae. The total cost was $359,000.

“We buy if the right value comes along. The board (of directors) will meet and we decide if it is the right fit for us,” Huntley said.

The Council closed on the three Holyoke buildings, located at the corner of Pearl and Hampden streets, Harrison Avenue and the corner of Worcester Place and Commercial Street, on June 1.

The Council is now converting the three from oil heat to natural gas and will update the apartments as tenants move out, he said.

They will use the rents from the properties to pay bank loans used to buy the homes and then use proceeds to make improvements and fund programs. “They will be paid off pretty quickly,” he said.

The same philosophy was used last year when the Council purchased the Ferris building at 45-54 Center St. in Chicopee. The three storefronts on the first floor were occupied, but the second floor, which has 26 small offices, was vacant.

The council, which used some of its reserves to buy the $225,000 building, immediately replaced the roof and has slowly renovated the second floor and one-by-one has been renting out the offices. One room can be had for $150 to $250 a month depending if furniture is provided. The council will also rent out two side-by-side rooms as a suite.

“We have 10 rooms filled out of 26. It has been really great, we have a professional photographer who is doing sittings in his room, a massage therapist, an attorney, an architect,” Huntley said.

Along with upgrading the building, it also brings new professionals and their customers downtown to increase the foot traffic and patronage of existing businesses, he said.

Now the council is hoping to finalize a deal by December to buy the Kendall building at 4 Springfield St., which is owned by HapHousing Inc. It would acquire the mortgage that the other non-profit is having a difficult time paying and then sell tax credits to raise money for renovations, Huntley said.

“We are buying it because it needs some attention and we would like to give it that attention. We are planning to completely renovate that building,” he said.

The building is currently home to HAPHousing offices, Quicky’s Restaurant and 38 single occupancy rooms with shared bathrooms and a common kitchen, Huntley said.

The restaurant will remain and the plan is to slowly convert the rest of the space into 35 studio apartments that would each have a private bathroom and a kitchenette for low-income residents.

The project would be done slowly, likely as people move out of the rooms. In some cases the turnover is frequent and in others there are people who have lived there for a dozen years, Huntley said.

The work will not happen quickly, especially since the Council has not finalized the sale and does not have funding for the renovations yet, Huntley said.

As the Valley Opportunity Council buys and converts that building, it also hopes to eventually close the boarding house it owns at 288 Front St., next to City Hall, where 17 people live.

“It is smaller and it is not possible to renovate it in an economical manner, he said.

Some of the long-term tenants will likely move to the Kendall building as it is renovated, he said.

Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette said he hopes the city will be able to eventually purchase that building, demolish it and use it for parking.

The work involves separating storm drains lines from sewer mains, replacing some water pipes and repaving streets.

CHICOPEE — The start of a $13 million construction project to separate storm drains lines from sewer mains, replace some water pipes and repave streets has been delayed a week.

The Department of Public Works initially expected the project to begin on Aug. 20, but a delay with the contractor, F & J Construction of Ludlow, will push back the start to Monday, Department of Public Works Superintendent Stanley W. Kulig said.

Starting Monday, Beauchamp Terrace will be closed for at least two weeks between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Residents will be able to drive down the street.

More than two dozen streets in the Chicopee Falls area will be closed later because of the project, he said. 

The forums were polite and low-key, with no rebuttals allowed.

The Republican | Dave RobackHampden Superior Court clerk candidates Thomas M. Ashe, John P. DaCruz, Linda A. Stec DiSanti, and Laura S. Gentile at a candidate's forum Wednsday night at Central High School in Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD — Seven candidates for two elective offices touted their qualifications and experience Wednesday, each explaining to a crowd of about 75 people why they – and not their opponents – deserve their sought-after post.

The back to back forums at Central High School featured Democratic candidates for the Western Massachusetts seat on the Governor’s Council and Hampden Superior Court clerk.

The Hampden County Democratic Coalition, which includes Agawam, Holyoke, Longmeadow, Springfield, and West Springfield, sponsored the forums.

Generally, both forums were polite and low key, with the format not allowing for any rebuttals.

Democratic candidates for Governor’s Council are Michael J. Albano, Gerard Roy and Kevin J. Sullivan. The winner of the primary will face the winner of the Republican primary, in which Michael Franco faces Michael F. Case.

Albano, a former Springfield mayor, said his 32 years of experience in the public sector in a variety of positions makes him the right man for the job.

He said he would file a law to make the Governor’s Council fall under the open meeting law. He said he will not confirm judges that will go backwards on issues such as affirmative action, marriage equality and a woman’s right to choose.

Roy said the quality of judges is very important, and he does not believe lawyers should be on the council. He said unlike Albano, he believes “we really can’t have activists” as judges, whether it is in one direction of another.

Sullivan said he is the only lawyer in the race and “that is the key to why I am the best candidate.”

He said he intends on “bringing some sanity back to the process” of how the Governor’s Council operates.

Thomas M. Ashe, John P. DaCruz, Linda A. Stec DiSanti, and Laura S. Gentile are trying to capture the Democratic primary for clerk of courts. There are no announced Republican candidates.

Ashe, a Springfield city councilor, said he can improve the efficiency of the office and save money.

DaCruz said he is a lawyer with an extensive background in civil and criminal law.

“You have to know how the court system works to make it better,” he said.

DiSanti, legal administrator and office manager at DiSanti Law Offices in West Springfield, said, “Let me be clear, the clerk of courts is a business management position.”

Gentile said because of her nearly 16 years as assistant Hampden Superior Court clerk, because she is a lawyer and because she has a masters degree in administration the voter would be assured the clerk had all qualifications.

“I know the job inside and out,” she said.

Ashe called for more technology, saying his talks with current Hampden Superior Court Clerk Brian Lees and other clerks show when the courts “bog down,” it’s because of lack of technology.

Gentile said the office is too important “to allow name recognition or popularity to play a role.”

DiSanti, who is not a lawyer, said she is not someone who has made a career out of seeking public office.

She said Lees is not a lawyer, and she listed other Superior Court clerks in the state who are not lawyers.

DaCruz said he is the only candidate with real world experience and a thorough knowledge of the law.

Ashe said the diversity in his qualifications and experience “sets me apart from the field.”

As Ms. Mifune awaited my response, I weighed my options.

The Republican | Don Treeger Japanese rock star George Takahasi and his wife, TV personality Mika Mifune, enjoy a performance of the Young @Heart Chorus at Laurel Park in Northampton in a performance that was being filmed for a television special in Japan.

I speak only a few words of Japanese. The majority of my vocabulary has to do with karate terms such as "knife-hand chest block" and "pre-arranged fighting number one," phrases that are of little help in day-to-day conversation. I can also count from one to 10.

Recently, I had a rare opportunity to use my Japanese when a TV crew from that country came to Northampton to film the Young@Heart Chorus. Some of them spoke little or no English, others enough for me to explain that I was a reporter from a local newspaper and that we don't let other media vet our photographs.

At one point, I plopped myself down next to George Takahashi and Mika Mifune, a celebrity couple from Japan. He, I was told, was the number one rock star of the 1980s. She is a television personality and the daughter of Toshiro Mifune, perhaps that country's most illustrious actor.

Takahashi spoke little English, but Mifune was fluent. When I professed some modest Japanese, she quickly asked for a sample. I hesitated as a voice in my head shouted, "No, Freddy-san!"

The other bit of Japanese in my arsenal I picked up 30 years ago in Alaska. I'd gone up there in the summer of 1982 (George Takahashi's heyday, perhaps) to work in a salmon-packing plant and see the country. I found my way to a maritime operation just outside Kenai.

Our workers' camp consisted of tents set up along a strand of beach on Cook Inlet, where the panorama included bald eagles, whales, active volcanoes and the occasional moose clopping through.

File photo | Associated Press — A little humor can make a messy job better.

While most of my colleagues were assigned the task of cutting open and gutting salmon assembly-line style as they were off-loaded from the boat, I was chosen to work in the egg room. The egg room was where we washed, salted and packaged all the roe squeezed from the female salmon. The operation was subcontracted by the Japanese, for whom this was a delicacy. As I recall, the head of the crew picked me out of the crowd with an almost imperceptible nod of the head.

His name, I learned, was Katsumoto. He was about my age and spoke a modest amount of English. Noto and Yamamoto were a few years older and did most of the heavy lifting. The foreman of the crew was Mr. Sanmiya, an older, smaller, severe-looking man of whom we Americans were much afraid. Noto, Yamamoto and Sanmiya spoke no English at all.

I had never before been around Japanese people, and my preconception was that they were neat, meticulous and inscrutable. We worked together for 18, 20, 24 hours at a stretch and eventually there were cracks in the ice. Katsumoto, in particular, took a shine to me and invited me to their quarters, a single bunk room at the packing plant.

I soon learned my preconceptions were wrong. These guys were slobs. The floor of their room was littered with cigarette butts, food, magazines and other trash. I also found they could keep their affects flat forever if need be, but underneath they were warm and hilarious.

And so it was that one day Katsumoto spent hours teaching me syllable by syllable how to say a very naughty thing involving Eskimos in Japanese. When he was satisfied that I had memorized this, he said, "You must say to Mr. Sanmiya."

Sanmiya wore a kerchief knotted around his head, a fashion statement that recalled Toshiro Mifune in all his "Seven Samurai" ferocity. He alone of the Japanese crew had never let his guard down, and he kept the egg room running like a military operation. Although I was intimidated by him, I thought, "I don't care. I'm in Alaska."

Noto, Yamamoto and Sanmiya were lying on their bunks when we entered the room. Katsumoto announced in Japanese that I had something to say to Sanmiya. In a steady voice, I delivered my line.

Sanmiya's eyes and mouth popped open in comic shock, and he flopped back on the bed with his hands and feet in the air, like a dead dog. Noto looked at me with amused affection. Yamamoto fell on the floor and laughed so hard I thought he would wet himself.

It was the high point of a slow day in Alaska and afterwards we were all great friends. Mr. Sanmiya even let me see through his samurai facade once or twice. When I left Alaska, they all lined up to hug me.

As Ms. Mifune awaited my response, I weighed my options. The Eskimo thing, naughty as it is, was a far more sophisticated use of the language than "knife-hand chest block," and I remembered it word for word after all these years. But hip though she seemed, I decided it was something you should never say to a lady.

I counted instead to five. She was delighted. As I took my leave, I kept thinking, "But let me tell you about this Eskimo." All the way back to my car, I studied the producers, the agents, the camera crew. They all seemed focused, serious, meticulous. But, I saw underneath it all. I could change it in a second.

A look at how the competition is shaking up with two games to go.

APNew England Patriots wide receiver Deion Branch (84) against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter of an NFL preseason football game in Foxborough, Mass., Monday, Aug. 20, 2012.

We still don’t know how the New England Patriots roster will end up shaking out when the final draft is submitted in less than 10 days.

Bill Belichick always finds a way to blow minds. He has no real tendencies, so it’s impossible to look at the past and consider it a viable way to predict the future.

Having said that, our best guess is that he’s going to keep six wide receivers. Why? Because that’s the number the team has started with the last three seasons – and yes, I’m aware the previous sentence contradicts my previous statement.

Could Belichick go with five receivers like he did for Week 1 of the 2007 season?

Yes.

Could he go with seven like he did in 2008?

Yes.

You just never know with the Patriots.

But assuming the number is six, a big name is going to be cut. The general consensus, as it has been all along, is that Wes Welker, Brandon Lloyd, Julian Edelman and Matthew Slater are in.

That leaves Jabar Gaffney, Deion Branch and Donte Stallworth battling it out for the final two roster spots. Here’s a look at where they currently stand:

Deion Branch: In

The veteran receiver appeared to be falling out of this battle when he suffered an ailment midway through camp that prevented him from participating in team drills and the first preseason game. But he came roaring back Monday night, catching three passes on four targets for 51 yards. The performance was enough to remind everyone that Branch shouldn’t be taken for granted.

Donte Stallworth: In

Stallworth didn’t have his best game against the Eagles, but he’s been somewhat impressive in practices and has good speed for his age. He’ll need to have a better game against the Bucs Friday night, but, if we’re judging off of current performance, he’s done more than the next man on the list to warrant a spot on the roster.

Jabar Gaffney: Out

As things currently stand Gaffney should be the odd-man out. He just hasn’t done a whole lot in practices and is currently battling an injury. All three players need to make an impression over the final two preseason games, but Gaffney needs to put his chemistry with Brady to good use if he hopes to cover the lost ground.

Juan Gonzalez of Holyoke, Eric Beaulieu of Chicopee and Dylan Welsted of South Deerfield are among students who will spend one week learning about political campaigns and a second week on the convention floor.

Left to right, Eric Beaulieu, Juan Gonzalez and Dylan Welsted

WESTFIELD – A group of eight Westfield State University students will get an insight into national politics, with some hoping to bolster their own political aspirations, when they attend the Republican and Democratic national conventions.

They will also earn three college credits through the Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars and some will be put to work either by political parties or organizations and the media.

Holyoke’s Juan A. Gonzalez and Chicopee’s Eric M. Beaulieu will use the experience in their future plans to run for City Council in their respective communities. South Deerfield’s Dylan C. Welsted will use his Republican National Convention experience in his pursuit of a career as a history professor.

Welsted also intends to use the convention as an opportunity to focus on an issue of educational services, tools and programs for those with learning disabilities. He suffers attention deficit, hyperactivity and dyslexia and had a personal experience in trying to obtain particular computer equipment through MassRehab when he entered college.

The WSU junior said he will seek an opportunity to discuss that issue with U.S. Sen. Scott Brown during the Republican convention in Tampa, Fla.

“This is my first time at a convention and I am hoping to meet with Scott Brown and also would like to meet (former presidential candidate) Ron Paul,” said Welsted.

“I am a history major hoping to become a history professor. The convention allows me to experience how the system works and to be part of history making,” he said.

Gonzalez has already made one connection at the convention, reaching out to Dori L. Dean, former chief of staff for Holyoke Mayor Alex B. Morse and a convention delegate.

“I’m hoping she can gain access for me to some activities that will be going on,” Gonzalez, a Hampden County representative to the Governor’s Youth Council.

“I am looking forward to real interaction with those at the convention,” he said.

Beaulieu wants to meet former President Bill Clinton. “I have always had a passion for politics and last year almost ran for the Ward 9 City Council seat. But, school was more demanding,” he said.

When not enjoying the convention, Beaulieu will work as a “runner” for Bloomberg News. He explained his job will be to assist in scheduling interviews and help coordinate. “This gives me the opportunity to meet and chat with people,” he said.

WSU President Evan S. Dobelle, a former White House chief of protocol under President Jimmy Carter, said the “Washington Center offers our students the extraordinary opportunity to study and work in our nation’s capital. Attendance at the national conventions provides real-life, micro insight into how federal government works and the type of careers available.”

Students will spend the first week of their two-week experience learning the history of political campaigns, convention planning and procedures and the role of the media. The second week will be spent at the convention, participating in field work assignments and attending convention receptions and rallies.

Westfield State University has been affiliated with The Washington Center since 1991 and since then 334 WSU students have attended its programs and seminars.

The students' convention experiences will be chronicled at www.westfield.ma.edu/news.

Villamaino, a Republican, was a 3rd-term Selectman and a candidate for state representative in the 2nd Hampden District.

The Republican | Dave RobackEast Longmeadow Selectman James D. Driscoll reads a resignation letter from fellow selectman Enrico "Jack" Villamaino III as Selectman Paul L. Federici listens during the board's meeting on Wednesday evening.

EAST LONGMEADOW — Embattled East Longmeadow Board of Selectman chairman Enrico "Jack" Villamaino III resigned his position at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, two hours before a crowded board meeting at the town's senior center and amid a voter fraud investigation.

Villamaino, a Republican third-term selectman and candidate for state representative in the 2nd Hampden District, has fallen under investigation for voter fraud after the Elections Office was flooded with typed applications for absentee ballots, many of which noted a change in political affiliation from Democrat to Republican. Those familiar with the investigation have said yet-unnamed individuals researched voting records that had been stagnant for several years, and typed up applications to submit as absentee ballots.

Selectman James Driscoll read a brief email submitted to Town Clerk Thomas Florence just after 2 p.m. on Wednesday.

"Due to matters of a personal and familial nature, I am at this time unable to dedicate to the board of selectman the time and effort which it deserves. I therefore, with regret, resign from my seat on the board effective today at 4 p.m. It has been both my pleasure and honor to serve the Town of East Longmeadow," the email read.

Villamaino did not attend the meeting, and the absence of a name placard for him at the start of the meeting signaled his resignation may have been tendered.

Enrico Villamaino

Targets in the investigation have not been publicly named, but law enforcement officials have previously confirmed that state and local police executed search warrants at Villamaino’s home on Somers Road and that of Courtney Llewelyn, a special projects manager at the cable subscriber-funded East Longmeadow public access station. Llewelyn was placed on paid leave on Aug. 13 by Driscoll in connection with the investigation. She and Villamaino have dodged repeated requests for comment.

A spokesman for Secretary of the Commonwealth William F. Galvin said his office will send state election watchdogs to supervise balloting in East Longmeadow on Sept. 6. The town has a single polling site separated into four precincts with 24 employees manning the polls, according to Florence. The investigation, which now encompasses Galvin's office, local and state police and the Hampden District Attorney's Office, was triggered when 445 applications for absentee ballots poured in – four times that of the last election.

Villamaino was defeated by Longmeadow Republican Marie Angelides in the previous primary election for the same seat by 284 votes. He is facing her on the pending ballot in September. Angelides was beaten by state Rep. Brian Ashe, D-Longmeadow.

One voter, Kevin B. Coyle, a member of the Democratic Town Committee who was among those whose affiliations were changed, said he had not switched alliances and an absentee ballot had been completed without his knowledge.

Villamaino has not publicly said whether he will drop out of the state rep race.

Driscoll and Selectman Paul Federici both told a packed room of taxpayers, town officials and political candidates that the alleged voter tampering was the action of a few.

"We are as embarrassed as every taxpayer in East Longmeadow," Driscoll said, adding that the suspected improprieties were quickly flagged by Florence as soon as they came to light, in late July.

"It happened within hours," of the discovery, Florence said at the meeting.

Federici said the scandal should not taint the whole town.

"If you get two theoretical bad apples, you don't want everyone in a group to be painted with the same broad brush," Federici said.

Driscoll, who had tendered his resignation in July, to be effective in September, rescinded that, noting that the board never took action on it.

Driscoll said he will remain on the board to see the town through "these turbulent times," but was yet undecided about his future political intentions. He resigned due to work pressures, Driscoll said previously.

Ashe attended Wednesday's meeting and informed the selectmen that he had alerted the U.S. Attorney's office about the suspected voter fraud.

"I just wanted to let you know this is also a federal investigation," Ashe said during a brief public comment session.

Hampden County District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni previously confirmed his office is actively investigating the voter fraud allegations, but would not disclose details about the probe.

"We are still actively investigating, but now that the investigation has produced evidence we’re analyzing it as well. And, we remain in contact with the Secretary of State's office to keep a coordinated effort," Mastroianni said on Wednesday.

Enrico P. Villamaino III

Angelides said a voter fraud investigation linked to Villamaino "reveals the checks and balances of our system and the integrity of our election workers."

Enrico "Jack" Villamaino III, left, and Marie Angelides

EAST LONGMEADOW — One day after Select Board Chairman Enrico Villamaino III resigned amid a ballot tampering scandal, his opponent in next month’s state representative primary urged him to consider dropping out of that race too.

In her first statement on the town’s voting fraud probe, Longmeadow Republican Marie Angelides praised the town clerk’s office for detecting more 200 questionable absentee ballot requests during the past month, with many switching party affiliations from Democrat to Republican.

The unusual ballot activity triggered an investigation by the Hampden District Attorney’s office and Secretary of State William F. Galvin, who will send monitors to oversee the Sept. 6 primary.

“Rather than revealing flaws, this incident reveals the checks and balances of our system and the integrity of our election workers,” said Angelides, a lawyer and member of the Longmeadow Select Board.

Referring to Villamaino, a three-term selectman and employee of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Angelides said, “It’s not my place to ask my primary opponent ... to withdraw from the race; however, I believe he should seriously consider the viability of his candidacy.”

Villamaino, 35, who has refused public comment on the ballot fraud probe, announced his resignation Wednesday, three hours before the Select Board was scheduled to meet and discuss the matter.

Law enforcement officials have also confirmed that state and local police executed search warrants at Villamaino’s home on Somers Road and that of Courtney Llewelyn, a special projects manager for the town public access cable station.

Llewelyn, a $27,000 per year town employee, was placed on paid leave on Aug. 13 by Selectman James D. Driscoll in connection with the investigation.

Angelides singled out Town Clerk Thomas Florence for praise, noting that he had already reported an unusual surge in absentee ballot activity to Galvin’s office before her campaign developed its own suspicions in late July.

Angelides said her campaign eventually determined that many of the party-switching requests were fraudulent by calling or writing some of the 445 voters who allegedly requested ballots.

Florence said he cannot discuss the case in detail due to the investigation. He and Driscoll have assured town voters that the Sept. 6 primary will not be tainted by fraud.

When Florence received a raise three weeks ago from the three-member Select Board, Villamaino cast the only opposing vote.

The vote came after Florence, who also serves as town treasurer and collector, had reported the questionable ballot activity to the Galvin’s office.

Under the agreement, Florence’s salary will increase from $73,910 to $88,910 over the next three years.

Driscoll said he did not believe Villamaino’s vote againt the pay increase was a form of retaliation.

“He told the department heads he was going to vote against all pay raises because he was running for election,” Driscoll said.

At least 500 volunteers from across the country are expected to descend on Tampa.

Dr. Rick Knabb, director of the National Hurricane Center, shows some of the possible trajectories Tropical Storm Isaac could develop in the coming days, Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2012, at the National Hurricane Center in Miami. As of 11:00 a.m., Tropical Storm Isaac's location was 15.9 degrees north, 59.3 degrees west, about 140 miles east of Guadeloupe, maximum sustained winds 45 mph, present movement west or 280 degrees at 21 mph. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

SPRINGFIELD — Two Western Massachusetts residents who've dedicated years to volunteering for the Pioneer Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross will be leaving the state Friday to join up with hundreds of others in Tampa, Fla., to prepare for Tropical Storm Isaac, now churning through the Caribbean and moving toward the Sunshine State.

"We commonly do this [send people out of the area]," said Rick Lee, executive director of the Pioneer Valley Chapter, adding that the chapter has sent volunteers to every U.S. disaster since 9-11.

Disaster relief is a "tag-team sport," he said.

"We are identifying available shelters in Florida, assembling disaster teams, and coordinating with government and community partners like the Southern Baptist Convention and NAACP," the relief organization said Thursday in a statement.

At least 500 volunteers from across the country are expected to descend on Tampa. It's being done "to ensure that the Red Cross is ready to help if the need arises," the organization said.

U.S. forecasters say Isaac could become a Category 1 hurricane Friday as it approaches the island of Hispaniola, which is shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti. It's expected to weaken a little while crossing over Haiti and the eastern two-thirds of Cuba.

The storm was projected to head toward Florida as a hurricane by Monday, but the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said some forecast models predict it could go farther west into the Gulf of Mexico, so "significant uncertainty remains about the threat Isaac poses to Florida."

Those making the trip to Tampa include Don Cawrse of Easthampton, who has worked his way up the volunteer hierarchy since starting with the organization in 2009, said Dawn Leaks, regional director of communications for the Red Cross of Central and Western Massachusetts.

Cawrse, who's retired, will serve as a shelter manager, supervising the intake of people, making sure other volunteers are doing their jobs correctly, ensuring that people with disabilities are cared for properly and that food and water are available.

"He's going to bring those skills back to us," Leaks said.

The second local volunteer headed south is Angela Orlich of West Springfield, who has been with the Red Cross since 2004 and is no stranger to being deployed far from home. Leaks said Orlich traveled to the Gulf during Hurricane Katrina.

In Florida, she will serve as a shelter worker, interacting directly with those in need. Orlich works part-time and also attends nursing school, Leaks said.

This will be Cawrse's first deployment out of the region.

Volunteers from two other chapters of the regional Red Cross – Berkshire County and Central Mass. – also are joining Orlich and Cawrse on the trip.

Tom Pfeiffer of Pittsfield, who started as a volunteer in Springfield, also will be serving as a shelter manager. He is one of the few paid Red Cross staff members, working as the director of disaster services for the Berkshire County Chapter. The ratio of volunteers to paid staff is 35 to 1, Lee said.

Dorothy Murray of the Central Mass. Chapter will be serving as a shelter worker.

The volunteers' deployments could last three weeks.

Associated Press content was used in this report.

Brown is assistant field office director for Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the Boston office.

WESTFIELD – City Councilor James E. Brown Jr., citing career demands, will resign from his elected post Sept. 1, creating the third vacancy on the board this year.

James Brown

Brown, assistant field office director for Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the Boston office, announced Thursday morning his intention to resign his seat as Ward 2 city councilor effective Sept. 1.

“It is with great sadness that I announce today that I will be resigning from my position,” Brown said. “As I close in on finishing my third year representing the residents of Ward 2, I have come to realize that my commitment to my position as assistant field office director for Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement ERO in the Boston field office has increased to a level that does not allow me to serve the Ward residents in the way I believe they deserve.”

“To that end I have decided to relinquish my seat on the council and look to my colleagues to fill the vacancy with another Ward 2 resident who is willing to represent the people proudly,” he added.

Brown also said he is pleased that he was able to take an active role in Ward 2 projects such as the new town green, the recently completed Broad and Main Street project, the impending new elementary school project and new zoning designations that will allow businesses to expand, as well as helping residents deal with issues such as potholes and over-hanging tree limbs.

“Constituent service was the most rewarding part of this job and as a ward councilor it is the number one task,” he said. “When a resident calls and has an issue with how to get a dead tree looked at, or they want to know how to apply for a city job, a zone change or a permit, it is always a pleasure to provide the guidance or assistance.

“I will truly miss serving the people of Westfield and specifically the residents of Ward 2, but I also know that if I cannot provide the proper service it is time to pass the torch.”

Describing the task of replacing Brown as “miserably difficult,” City Council President Christopher Keefe said that Brown, who chaired the council’s Legislative and Ordinance Committee, “was one of the hardest working and diligent councilors.”

“It’s no accident that he was tapped to chair one of the council’s busiest committees,” Keefe added. “He was detail-oriented and made my job much easier.”

Keefe said Brown has not yet submitted a formal letter of resignation to City Clerk Karen Fanion and is scheduled to participate in the Aug. 30 special City Council meeting.

As far as naming a replacement, Keefe said he is consulting with the city’s law department to determine the best course of action as the process to replace councilors has differed in various situations.

“There is no plan at the moment,” he said.

Brown was elected to the City Council two years ago after Daniel M. Knapik, who had held that seat, was elected mayor.

Brown’s resignation marks the third time this year the City Council is faced with replacing a member and the second of a councilor representing the city’s downtown CORE district. Former City Councilor Peter J. Miller Jr. resigned from his post April 30 after serving more than eight years representing Ward 3.

Like Brown, Miller ran unopposed for his seat, which was filled by the council appointment of Ann Callahan who will complete Miller’s elected term in office.

The seat held by At-large Councilor Patti Andras, who died in May after a long battle with cancer, was filled by Kevin Harraghy, appointed to complete Andras’ term because he was the candidate with the next highest vote count in the election last fall.

Keefe, who is serving his second term as council president, said he is looking forward to the time when the council can return to the job of running the city rather than replacing members.

“I never would have anticipated this level of turnover,” he said. “I can’t believe how much time we’re spending on replacements. It will be nice to deal with issues and have a routine rather than organization.”

The City Council, whose members have the option of submitting candidates from the council floor, requests Ward 3 residents interested in serving on the council to submit their name for consideration.

James Brown

The decision sets up a likely lifetime ban from the sport and the possibility that Armstrong will be stripped of his signature achievement – the extraordinary run of Tour titles he won from 1999-2005.

APThis file photo taken July 25, 2010, shows Lance Armstrong looking back on the podium after the 20th and last stage of the Tour de France cycling race in Paris, France.

AUSTIN, Texas — The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said Thursday night it will strip Lance Armstrong of his unprecedented seven Tour de France titles after he declared he was finished fighting the drug charges that threaten his legacy as one of the greatest cyclists of all time.

Travis Tygart, USADA's chief executive, said Armstrong would also be hit with a lifetime ban on Friday.

Still to be heard from was the sport's governing body, the International Cycling Union, which had backed Armstrong's legal challenge to USADA's authority.

Armstrong, who retired last year, declined to enter USADA's arbitration process — his last option — because he said he was weary of fighting accusations that have dogged him for years. He has consistently pointed to the hundreds of drug tests that he has passed as proof of his innocence during his extraordinary run of Tour titles stretchingfrom1999-2005.

"There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, "Enough is enough." For me, that time is now," Armstrong said in a statement sent to The Associated Press. He called the USADA investigation an "unconstitutional witch hunt."

"I have been dealing with claims that I cheated and had an unfair advantage in winning my seven Tours since 1999," he said. "The toll this has taken on my family and my work for our foundation and on me leads me to where I am today - finished with this nonsense."

USADA reacted quickly and treated Armstrong's decision as an admission of guilt, hanging the label of drug cheat on an athlete who was a hero to thousands for overcoming life-threatening testicular cancer and for his foundation's support for cancer research.

"It is a sad day for all of us who love sport and athletes," Tygart said. "It's a heartbreaking example of win at all costs overtaking the fair and safe option. There's no success in cheating to win."

Tygart said the agency can strip the Tour titles, though Armstrong disputed that as he insisted his decision is not an admission of drug use, but a refusal to enter an arbitration process he believes is unfair.

"USADA cannot assert control of a professional international sport and attempt to strip my seven Tour de France titles," he said. "I know who won those seven Tours, my teammates know who won those seven Tours, and everyone I competed against knows who won those seven Tours."

USADA maintains that Armstrong has used banned substances as far back as 1996, including the blood-booster EPO and steroids as well as blood transfusions — all to boost his performance.

The 40-year-old Armstrong walked away from the sport in 2011 without being charged following a two-year federal criminal investigation into many of the same accusations he faces from USADA. The federal probe was closed in February, but USADA announced in June it had evidence Armstrong used banned substances and methods — and encouraged their use by teammates. The agency also said it had blood tests from 2009 and 2010 that were "fully consistent" with blood doping.

Included in USADA's evidence were emails written by Armstrong's former U.S. Postal Service teammate Floyd Landis, who was stripped of his 2006 Tour de France title after a positive drug test. Landis' emails to a USA Cycling official detailed allegations of a complex doping program on the team.

USADA also said it had 10 former Armstrong teammates ready to testify against him. Other than suggesting they include Landis and Tyler Hamilton, both of whom have admitted to doping offenses, the agency has refused to say who they are or specifically what they would say.

"There is zero physical evidence to support (the) outlandish and heinous claims. The only physical evidence here is the hundreds of (doping) controls I have passed with flying colors," Armstrong said.

Armstrong sued USADA in Austin, where he lives, in an attempt to block the case and was supported by the UCI. A judge threw out the case on Monday, siding with USADA despite questioning the agency's pursuit of Armstrong in his retirement.

"USADA's conduct raises serious questions about whether its real interest in charging Armstrong is to combat doping, or if it is acting according to less noble motives," such as politics or publicity, U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks wrote.

Now the ultra-competitive Armstrong has done something virtually unthinkable for him: He has quit before a fight is over.

"Today I turn the page. I will no longer address this issue, regardless of the circumstances. I will commit myself to the work I began before ever winning a single Tour de France title: serving people and families affected by cancer, especially those in underserved communities," Armstrong said.

Armstrong could have pressed his innocence in USADA's arbitration process, but the cyclist has said he believes most people have already made up their minds about whether he's a fraud or a persecuted hero.

It was a stunning move for an athlete who built his reputation on not only beating cancer, but forcing himself through grueling offseason workouts no one else could match, then crushing his rivals in the Alps and the Pyrenees.

Although he had already been crowned a world champion and won individual stages at the Tour de France, Armstrong was still relatively unknown in the U.S. until he won the epic race for the first time in 1999. It was the ultimate comeback tale: When diagnosed with cancer, doctors had given him less than a 50 percent chance of survival before surgery and brutal cycles of chemotherapy saved his life.

Armstrong's riveting victories, his work for cancer awareness and his gossip-page romances with rocker Sheryl Crow, fashion designer Tory Burch and actress Kate Hudson made him a figure who transcended sports.

His dominance of the Tour de France elevated the sport's popularity in America to unprecedented levels. His story and success helped sell millions of the "Livestrong" plastic yellow wrist bracelets, and enabled him to enlist lawmakers and global policymakers to promote cancer awareness and research. His Lance Armstrong Foundation has raised nearly $500 million since its founding in 1997.

Created in 2000, USADA is recognized by Congress as the official anti-doping agency for Olympic sports in the United States. Its investigators joined U.S. agents during the federal probe, and Tygart had dismissed Armstrong's lawsuit as an attempt at "concealing the truth." He said the agency is motivated by one goal — exposing cheaters in sport.

Others close to Armstrong were caught up in the charges: Johan Bruyneel, the coach of Armstrong's teams, and three members of the medical staff and a consultant were also charged. Bruyneel is taking his case to arbitration, while two medical team staffers and consulting doctor Michele Ferrari didn't formally contest the charges and were issued lifetime ban by USADA. Ferrari later said he was innocent.

In a sport rife with cheaters, Armstrong has been under constant suspicion since the 1990s from those who refused to believe he was a clean rider winning cycling's premier event against a field of doped-up competition.

He had tense public disputes with USADA, the World Anti-Doping Agency, some former teammates and assistants and even Greg LeMond, the first American to win the Tour de France.

Through it all, Armstrong vigorously denied any and all hints, rumors and direct accusations he was cheating. He had the blazing personality, celebrity and personal wealth needed to fight back with legal and public relations battles to clear his name — and he did, time after time.

Armstrong won his first Tour at a time when doping scandals had rocked the race. He was leading the race when a trace amount of a banned anti-inflammatory corticosteroid was found in his urine; cycling officials said he was authorized to use a small amount of a cream to treat saddle sores.

After Armstrong's second victory in 2000, French judicial officials investigated his Postal Service team for drug use. That investigation ended with no charges, but the allegations kept coming.

Armstrong was criticized for his relationship with Ferrari, who was banned by Italian authorities over doping charges in 2002. Former personal and team assistants accused Armstrong of having steroids in an apartment in Spain and disposing of syringes that were used for injections.

In 2004, a Dallas-based promotions company initially refused to pay him a $5 million bonus for winning his sixth Tour de France because it wanted to investigate allegations raised by media in Europe. Testimony in that case included former teammate Frankie Andreu and his wife, Betsy, saying Armstrong told doctors during his 1996 cancer treatments that he had taken a cornucopia of steroids and performance-enhancing drugs.

Two books published in Europe, "L.A. Confidential" and "L.A. Official," also raised doping allegations and, in 2005, French magazine L'Equipe reported that retested urine samples from the 1999 Tour showed EPO use.

Armstrong fought every accusation with denials and, in some cases, lawsuits against the European media outlets that reported them.

But he showed signs that he was tiring of the never-ending questions. Armstrong retired (for the first time) in 2005 and almost immediately considered a comeback before deciding to stay on the sidelines, in part, because he didn't want to keep answering doping questions.

"I'm sick of this," Armstrong said in 2005. "Sitting here today, dealing with all this stuff again, knowing if I were to go back, there's no way I could get a fair shake — on the roadside, in doping control, or the labs."

Three years later, Armstrong was 36 and itching to ride again. He came back to finish third in the 2009 Tour de France.

Armstrong raced in the Tour again in 2010, under the cloud of the federal criminal investigation. Early last year, he quit the sport for good, but made a brief return as a triathlete until the USADA investigation shut him down.

During his sworn testimony in the dispute over the $5 million bonus, Armstrong said he wouldn't take performance enhancing drugs because he had too much to lose.

"(The) faith of all the cancer survivors around the world. Everything I do off the bike would go away, too," Armstrong said then. "And don't think for a second I don't understand that. It's not about money for me. Everything. It's also about the faith that people have put in me over the years. So all of that would be erased."

The fire was reported just before 5:30 p.m. when a neighbor noticed smoke rising from the back of the church and called 911, according to Bright.

The Republican | Doron Tyler AntrimFirefighters focus on damage to the attic at the rear of St. Peter's Episcopal Church on Buckingham Street Thursday evening.

Updates a story posted Thursday at 6:54 p.m.

SPRINGFIELD — Beginning tomorrow, Rev. Dee W. Bright said he will begin thinking about how to pay for the damage, estimated by a fire official at as much as $100,000, caused to St. Peters Episcopal Church by a Thursday night fire as parishioners were gathering for a service.

Reached by phone at home Thursday night, Bright said the fire "will cause some financial hardship."

"There's a lot of smoke damage in the interior," he said.

The fire was reported just before 5:30 p.m. when a neighbor noticed smoke rising from the back of the church and called 911, according to Bright.

At the time, Bright was in his office when another church official came in to alert him. He said he rushed to the chapel and dismissed the service.

By the time he made his way outside, he said, the fire department was already on scene.

There were no injuries and the fire was quickly put out.

An investigation is underway to determine what caused the blaze.

Dennis Leger, aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant, said the flames caused $20,000 worth of structural damage and much more in smoke damage. He estimated it may take upwards of $100,000 or more to rid all the church's icons and paintings of smoke damage.

The church is located at 45 Buckingham St. in the city's McKnight neighborhood.

E.J. Dionne: Elizabeth Warren is the kind of person Massachusetts has always liked to send to the U.S. Senate.

By E.J. DIONNE | The Washington Post

Associated PressDemocrat Elizabeth Warren samples some gelato as she campaigns in Methuen on Thursday. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Elizabeth Warren is the kind of person Massachusetts has always liked to send to the U.S. Senate.

She would instantly become a national leader, which appeals in a state that has sent to Washington Democrats such as John and Edward Kennedy and Republicans such as Henry Cabot Lodge and Edward Brooke. The Harvard Law School professor who warned of abuses in the financial system long before the economic crisis should draw suburban liberals who admire her seriousness as well as lunch-bucket Democrats who appreciate her populism.

And few in her party have made a more compelling case that successful capitalism requires a dose of government to guarantee fair competition, economic justice and the public infrastructure businesses require. Warren’s off-the-cuff statement on the subject a year ago was so eloquent that it went instantly viral.

So why hasn’t one of this year’s most exciting Senate candidates put the election away? The obstacle is a Republican incumbent who is making voters forget that he’s a Republican. If former House Speaker Tip O’Neill preached that all politics is local, Sen. Scott Brown makes all politics personal. He’s running even or, in one recent poll, slightly ahead of Warren simply because so many voters like him.

The best summary of what’s happening is offered by Dick Flavin, a veteran of the Massachusetts political wars. “A lot of people vote for how they feel about a candidate, not what they think about a candidate,” Flavin said, “and she’s doing the think stuff.” Brown can walk into a tavern and make people feel he’s one of them. Thus his simple slogan: “He’s for us.”

Brown has also been good at picking issues where he can separate himself from his party — even as he often votes with the Senate Republican leadership. When Rep. Todd Akin made his outlandish comments about rape, Brown sensed not danger but opportunity. Speaking as “a husband and father of two young women,” he won banner headlines by quickly condemning Akin and urging him to drop out of the Missouri Senate race.

Brown won a celebrated special election in January 2010 as a tea party hero who traveled the state in his pickup truck and pledged to fight President Obama’s health care plan. Ever since, Brown has cast himself as a middle-of-the-roader who can work with everybody, including local Democratic officials. Todd Domke, a Republican consultant, said that even “moderate-to-liberal Democrats” here warm to “the idea of a moderate Republican who breaks with his party.” The state’s many independent voters relate to the profile Brown has painstakingly built.

But Brown is different from classic Republican moderates (such as Brooke) who battled conservatives inside the party. He more fits retiring Rep. Barney Frank’s quip that “moderate Republicans are the people who are there when you don’t need them.”

Or, as Warren put it in an interview, Brown is less the old-fashioned moderate who actively “comes out early” and then pulls votes together. His practice, she said, is to “wait until the end, count noses, consult with the leadership.”

Warren’s best occasion for pressing this point will be this fall’s debates. And with President Obama set to carry the state by a large margin, Brown will need an enormous crossover vote. Rep. Jim McGovern, a strong Warren supporter, believes the elevation of Paul Ryan to the Republican ticket will make this harder for Brown. An ideologically defined Republican ticket, McGovern says, will move the race from personality to issues. “It’s not about a Coke-and-a-smile,” he said. “It’s not about what truck you drive.”

To get to the issues, Warren will have to convey a warmth that comes across one-on-one but not so much in the campaign.

Joe Kennedy – yes, he’s from that Kennedy family – is favored to win Frank’s congressional seat this year. A former Warren student, he said in an interview that she was different from many of his law school professors because she “always brought it down to people and how the law affected people.”

“I asked her once why she cared so much about bankruptcy law,” the 31-year-old Kennedy said, “and she said that it came down to what kind of country we wanted to be. When you ask people to take risks, what do you do if they fail? How do they pick themselves up again?”

Brown is a truly gifted retail politician and Warren will never out-personality Mr. Personality. But to win, she’ll have to link thoughts and ideas to feelings, a skill rarely demanded of law professors.