The fox, which has since been found dead, has been sent to the state laboratory for rabies testing.

Photo by Michael S. Gordon/The RepublicanThree red fox cubs (a fourth is just out of the frame) play on the grass in Longmeadow in this 2004 file photo.

MONTAGUE — Health officials say a 70-year-old Turners Falls man is being treated after being bitten by a fox suspected of having rabies.

Montague Director of Public Health Gina McNeely says the man was bitten as he was out walking on Dec. 15. The fox, which has since been found dead, has been sent to the state laboratory for rabies testing.

Police say the man is undergoing a series of rabies shots.

A rabid animal can spread the virus only through a bite, scratch, or the introduction of the infected animals' saliva into a fresh open wound or mucous membranes. Rabies is potentially lethal.

McNeely tells The Recorder of Greenfield that residents who see wild animals behaving unusually should call police.

The graduating class had 71 members from 35 separate departments across the state.

View full sizecourtesy of the state Department of Fire ServicesThe most recent graduates of the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy pose for a class picture

STOW - Eleven firefighters from seven area departments were among the recent graduates of the MassachusettsFireighting Academy's Recruit Firefighter Program.

In all, the 193rd academy graduating class had 71 members from 35 separate departments across the state. The ceremony was last week at the state Department of Fire Services in Stow.

Local graduates were Marc A. Periera, Agawam, Michael J. Cachat Jr. and Andrew C. Eisch of Greenfield, Andrew J. Markt and Michael F. Northe of Longmeadow, Robert E. Dooley and Matthew R. Niles of Ludlow, Shawn P. Crimmins and Jeremy W. McPherson of Northampton, Trisha L.F. Mieczkowski of Turners Falls, and Matthew A. Pacinella of Westfield.

To graduate, students must demonstrate proficiency in various firefighting skills and tactics, including search and rescue, ladder operations, pump operation, and fire attack. Upon completion of the program, graduates have met national standards of National Fire Protection Association 1001 and are certified to the level of Firefighter I and II, and Hazardous Materials First Responder Operational Level by the Massachusetts Fire Training Council.

State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan said “This rigorous professional training provides our newest firefighters with the basic skills to perform their jobs effectively and safely."

If he wins re-election, McGovern will also become a new congressman for part of the Pioneer Valley.

File photo by David Molnar / The RepublicanU.S. Rep. James McGovern, left, talks with Northampton mayor-elect David Narkieiz at the 8th Annual Hot Chocolate Run earlier this month. Under a recently approved redistricting plan, McGovern's district will now include Northampton.

BOSTON - U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern said he will never forget a tip he received from an old boss about the way things work on Capitol Hill.

Until he was elected, the Worcester Democrat worked as an aide for 15 years for U.S. Rep. J. Joseph Moakley of Boston.

“Moakley’s advice was, ‘Get to know everybody,’ “ McGovern said during an interview at the Sorelle Bakery & Café in the Charlestown section of Boston. “Get to know their spouses and kids and find out if they have dogs and cats. Build relationships with everybody. In order to get things done, you need people to help you.”

McGovern, 52, said he has made good use of that advice over nearly 16 years as an elected member of Congress.

After toppling a Republican incumbent in 1996, he is serving his eighth term in the U.S. House, currently as the No. 2 ranking minority member of the powerful House Committee on Rules, which screens bills and sets conditions for debate. McGovern spends a lot of time on the House floor, acting as traffic cop for legislation.

If he wins re-election on Nov. 6, McGovern will also become a new congressman for the upper Pioneer Valley.

Under a congressional redistricting law , approved in November by the state Legislature, McGovern’s district picked up seven Hampshire communities, including Amherst and Northampton, plus Greenfield and 13 other Franklin communities and one precinct in Palmer in Hampden.

Redistricting was needed after the state lost one of its 10 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives because of slow population growth during the past decade.

McGovern gained a portion of the district of U.S. Rep. John W. Olver, an Amherst Democrat who is retiring. The great majority of the rest of Olver’s district - including all of Berkshire County - was folded into the district of U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield.

Voters will elect people to the new districts this year.

McGovern comes from middle-class roots in Worcester.

The oldest of three, McGovern was raised in a bungalow in Worcester located about a half mile from his current home on Burncoat Street. He’s lived in the same ward and precinct all his life.

In his youth, he stocked shelves and did other work in “McGovern’s Package Store,” a business owned by family members since 1937. His father, Walter, took ownership in the early 1960's, and still works there, as does McGovern’s mother, Mindy.

His two sisters, Wendy Talcott of Sutton and Kelly Tuttle of Sterling, are teachers in the Worcester public schools.

McGovern said he was not a good student in elementary school in Worcester. His parents believed he needed a little more discipline and attention and sent him to the private Worcester Academy, where he had “great history teachers” and he fell in love with history and current events.

While in grade 7 at the academy in 1972, he volunteered for U.S. Sen. George S. McGovern of South Dakota, an outspoken foe of the Vietnam War and the Democratic nominee for president against Richard Nixon. He handed out literature, held signs and did other campaign work for McGovern, who is not related.

“I felt this great sense of satisfaction when he won Massachusetts comfortably,” he said. “The bad news is .. we lost 49 other states.”

Finding his calling, McGovern attended American University in Washington and worked as an intern for George McGovern from 1977 to 1980. He became a good friend of George McGovern and stays in close contact to this day with the former senator.

He said he was an activist and “involved in every protest you could think of” while obtaining his bachelor’s degree at the university.

When Sen. McGovern lost re-election in the GOP landslide of 1980, the younger McGovern joined the staff of Moakley.

“Moakley let me do anything I wanted,” he said. “I did press. I was his legislative director.”

In 1983, Moakley became alarmed by the reports of refugees from El Salvador who had fled to Boston to escape violence and political persecution in their nation. He sent McGovern on dozens of trips to El Salvador, where the Army, backed by the U.S., was involved in a bloody war against leftist rebels that lasted until the early 1990's.

In 1989, six Jesuit priests, including three who were friends of McGovern, were murdered by the Salvadoran Army. Moakley appointed McGovern to help lead a House task force investigating the murders and he spent a good portion of two years on the case. The task force, chaired by Moakley, recommended cutting military aid to El Salvador, setting the stage for a peace agreement.

While in Washington, he met his wife, Lisa, then an aide to U.S. Rep. Gerry Studds of Cohasset, at a party at Stetson's Famous Bar & Restaurant and they married in 1989. They now have two children, Patrick, 13, and Molly, 10.

On the House Rules Committee, McGovern is the only Democrat behind U.S. Rep. Louise M. Slaughter of New York, who at 82 is the oldest woman in Congress.

McGovern said his goal is to one day be chairman of the Rules Committee, which used to be chaired by Moakley, who died in 2001.

“It’s the traffic cop of Congress,” said McGovern, who is often the House floor in his committee role. “Every bill comes through Rules.”

His politics should play well in Amherst and Northampton, two of the more liberal communities in the state.

He opposed the war in Iraq from the start, voting against authorizing the president to use military force in Iraq in October 2002. Following the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2011, he voted for the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 in order to dislodge Al Qaeda, but eventually opposed the war after the terrorist group left the country.

“I feel sad that our country paid such a high price for two wars that got out of control,” he said. “My heart aches for the men and women and their families who paid such a high price.”

McGovern said he is “a bread and butter” politician who likes to bring home money for his district. He said he is also an “idealist,” who has been arrested twice for disorderly conduct with a handful of other congress members outside the embassy for Sudan, including once with Olver in 2006, for protests of atrocities in Darfur.

“I’ve had a lot of good teachers,” said McGovern, also co-chair of the House Caucus on Hunger. “I'm a mixture of a lot of different things.”

Nothing could have prepared McGovern for the shocking news he received in the month before the 2010 election. During a routine physical, a doctor discovered a nodule in his neck and later tests showed he had papillary thyroid cancer. A week after the election, McGovern had surgery to remove his thyroid.

Looking ahead, McGovern said he is optimistic that Democrats can retake control of the US House in the Nov. 6 elections. Republicans now hold 242 of 435 seats, following the success of Tea Party candidates in the 2010 elections.

McGovern said he currently does not have a Republican opponent but he expects one.

“George McGovern’s advice was, ‘If you want to be a good member of Congress, get over the fear of losing an election, or you won't give good judgments. You will be held hostage to public opinion polls,’ ” he said. “I’ve got to admit that I'm not quite over the fear of losing an election. But I always remember McGovern’s words and I try to do what is right.”

Here is a list of major municipal meetings for the coming week: Agawam Tues.- City Council, 7 p.m., Roberta G. Doering School. Thurs.- Planning Board, 7 p.m., Agawam Public Library. Amherst Tues.- Select Board, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall. Wed.- Local Historic District Study Committee, 10 a.m., Town Hall. Zoning Board Subcommittee, 5 p.m., Town Hall. Planning Board, 7 p.m.,...

Republican file photoAmherst Town Hall

Here is a list of major municipal meetings for the coming week:

Agawam
Tues.- City Council, 7 p.m., Roberta G. Doering School.

Thurs.- Planning Board, 7 p.m., Agawam Public Library.

Amherst

Tues.- Select Board, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall.

Wed.- Local Historic District Study Committee, 10 a.m., Town Hall.

Zoning Board Subcommittee, 5 p.m., Town Hall.

Planning Board, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Chicopee

Tues.- City Council, 7:15 p.m., City Hall.

Wed.- School Committee, 7 p.m., 180 Broadway.

East Longmeadow

Mon.- Board of Selectmen, 7:30 p.m., Town Hall.

Board of Assessors, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall.

Thu.- Appropriations Committee, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall.

Easthampton

Tues.- City Council, noon, Town Hall.

School Committee, 5 p.m., Municipal Building.

Wed.- Public Works, 4:30 p.m., Municipal Building.

Licensing Board, 5:30 p.m., Municipal Building.

Board of Assessors, 5:30 p.m., Municipal Building.

City Council, 6 p.m., Municipal Building.

Housing Partnership, 6:30 p.m., Municipal Building.

Greenfield

Mon.- Town Council Committee Chair Meeting, 6 p.m., Police Department.

Wed.- Historical Commission, 4:30 p.m., 114 Main St.

Franklin County Technical School Superintendent Search Committee, 5:30 p.m., Library Conference Room.

Board of Health, 6:45 p.m., Town Hall.

Thu.- Planning Board, 7 p.m., 321 High St.

Hadley

Tues.- Planning Board, 7 p.m., Senior Center.

Board of Health, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Wed.- Select Board, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Hatfield

Tues.- Library Building Committee, 6 p.m., Dickinson Memorial Building.

Capital Improvement Planning Committee, 3 p.m., Memorial Town Hall.

Library Trustees, 10 a.m., Hatfield Public Library.

Wed.- Community Preservation Committee, 6 p.m., Memorial Town Hall.

School Committee Budget Subcommittee, 11:30 a.m., Superintendent’s Office.

Longmeadow

Tues.- Capital Planning, 7 p.m., Fire Department.

Select Board, 7 p.m., Police Department.

Wed.- Planning Board, 7 p.m., Police Department.

Longmeadow Soccer Association, 7:30 p.m., Greenwood Center.

Monson

Tues.- Community Preservation Committee, 7 p.m., Hillside School.

Thu.- Cemetery Commissioners, 6 p.m., 32 Wilbraham Road.

Northampton

Tues.- Smith Vocational High School Board of Trustees, 5 p.m., Smith Vocational High School.

Inauguration ceremony, 10 a.m., Northampton High School.

City Council, 2 p.m., Council Chambers.

Wed.- License Commission, 4 p.m., Council Chambers.

Youth Commission, 7 p.m., City Hall.

Community Preservation Committee, 7 p.m., Council Chambers.

Police Facility Building Committee, 5 p.m., City Hall.

Palmer

Tues.- Bondsville Fire and Water District, 7 p.m., Bondsville Fire and Water complex.

Warren

Tues.- Board of Selectmen, 7 p.m., Shepard Municipal Building.

Wed.- Sewer Commissioners, 8 a.m., Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Thu.- Capital Planning Committee, 7 p.m., Shepard Municipal Building.

West Springfield

Tues.-Town Council, 6 p.m., municipal building.

School Committee organizational meeting, 6:30 p.m., Merrick Meeting Room, municipal building.

Planning and Construction Committee, 7 p.m., municipal building.

Wed.- Commission on Disabilities, 6 p.m., municipal building.

Advocates are seeking $30 million from the state to supplement federal aid for home heating assistance.

File photo | The RepublicanIf Congress cuts the Low Income Heating Assistance Program, New England states may have to reduce either aid amounts for heating assistance or the numbers of recipients this winter.

BOSTON – Despite a reduction to the state's share of federal funds for home heating assistance, leaders at two agencies in Western Massachusetts said Thursday the money could be enough to help keep needy people warm through the cold months and they are grateful that a possible crisis was prevented.

Gov. Deval L. Patrick, who worked to increase the funding from an initial allocation, this week announced that the maximum benefit for low-income people who heat with oil this winter will be $1,025 and the maximum aid will be $525 for those who heat with gas or electricity. The maximum levels for households are down from last year, but are an increase from earlier estimates of $675 for heating oil and from $275 for people who heat with gas or electricity.

Administration officials said they were able to increase those benefits because the state received an additional $22 million last week from Congress for heating assistance for low-income people. The state expects to receive an another $32 million in the coming weeks, raising the total for this year to $132.7 million, a cut of about 28 percent from last year.

The cut could have been more severe. Back in November, the state received an initial allocation of $77 million, which would have represented a cut of 58 percent from last year.

Photo by the Associated PressMassachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick responds to a reporter's question after signing this year's state budget at the Statehouse in Boston in July as Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray looks on.

Mary Ann Koblyanski, energy program director for the New England Farm Workers Council in Springfield, said the additional federal money is a tremendous help and she is hopeful it will be enough to heat homes of recipients through this month and February. "The additional funding is wonderful," she said. "It really is."

The farm workers council will administer the assistance for about 12,000 households in Springfield, including about 25 percent at the maximum benefit level.

Tammy Biagini, fuel-assistance director for the The Berkshire Community Action Council in Pittsfield, also cheered the additional federal aid received last week and the expectation that more federal money will arrive in coming weeks.

"With this increase alone, this could possibly get people through the colder months," Biagini said. "This is going to help the community, for sure."

The Berkshire agency administers the assistance for about 8,000 households.

At least two other leaders in Western Massachusetts said the state still needs to approve money to compensate for the federal cut. Advocates are asking Patrick and state legislators to approve $30 million in state money for the heating assistance program.

Peter Wingate, energy director for Community Action of the Franklin, Hampshire and North Quabbin Regions, which manages the aid for about 9,000 households, said the extra federal money is welcome, but the money could still run out by the end of this month for some people.

"I'm not ready to say this is a happy story for us," Wingate said. "We have such an unmet need for fuel assistance."

Al Norman, executive director of Massachusetts Home Care in Montague, a private nonprofit network of elder agencies, said the additional money approved by Congress falls short of what is needed. Norman said he is working with legislators who might sponsor a bill to provide $30 million in state dollars for the heating aid.

"We're not out of the cold yet," he said Thursday.

Mary-Leah Assad, spokeswoman for the state Department of Housing and Community Development, said Patrick made a major effort to increase the federal funding including working with Congress, lobbying President Barack Obama, writing letters and organizing a coalition of Northeast governors. She said Patrick will continue to urge more federal money.

Here is a list of major municipal meetings for the coming week: Agawam Mon.- Community Preservation Committee, 5:30 p.m., Agawam Public Library. Tues.- Agawam Cultural Council, 7 p.m., Agawam Public Library. School Committee, 7 p.m., Roberta G. Doering School. Wed.- Agawam Energy Commission, 10 a.m., Senior Center. Thurs.- Conservation Commission, 6:30 p.m., Agawam Public Library. Amherst Mon.- Cultural Council,...

Republican file photoWest Springfield Town offices

Here is a list of major municipal meetings for the coming week:

Agawam

Mon.- Community Preservation Committee, 5:30 p.m., Agawam Public Library.

Tues.- Agawam Cultural Council, 7 p.m., Agawam Public Library.

School Committee, 7 p.m., Roberta G. Doering School.

Wed.- Agawam Energy Commission, 10 a.m., Senior Center.

Thurs.- Conservation Commission, 6:30 p.m., Agawam Public Library.

Amherst

Mon.- Cultural Council, 2 p.m., Town Hall.

Tues.- Public Shade Tree Committee, 4 p.m., Town Hall.

Agricultural Commission, 4 p.m., Town Hall.

Historical Commission, 7 p.m., Bangs Community Center.

Thu.- Zoning Board of Appeals, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall.

Fri.- Finance Committee and Select Board, 4 p.m., Town Hall.

Chicopee

Mon.- Chicopee High Renovation Committee, 6 p.m., 820 Front St.

Library Board of Trustees, 6:15 p.m., 449 Front St.

Wed.- Zoning Board of Appeals, 6:30 p.m., City Hall.

Athletic Task Force, 6 p.m., Chicopee High School, 820 Front St.

East Longmeadow

Mon.- Capital Planning Committee, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall.

Board of Public Works, 5:30 p.m., Service Building.

School Committee, 7 p.m., School Committee meeting room.

Tues.- Public Safety Advisory Committee, 6:30 p.m., Police Department.

Recreation Commission, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview Senior Center.

Wed.- Council on Aging, 9 a.m., Pleasantview Senior Center.

Housing Authority, 10 a.m., Town Hall.

Easthampton

Mon.- Conservation Commission, 6 p.m., Municipal Building.

Board of Health, 6:30 p.m., Municipal Building.

School Committee, 7 p.m., Municipal Building.

Tues.- Planning Board, 6 p.m., Municipal Building.

Greenfield

Mon.- Town Counsel Committee Chair, 6 p.m., Police Department.

School Committee Policy Subcommittee, 6;30 p.m., 141 Davis St.

Appointment and Ordinance Committee, 6:30 p.m., Police Department.

Tues.- Greenfield Redevelopment Authority, 4:30 p.m., 114 Main St.

Library Board of Trustees, 5:30 p.m., 402 Main St.

Economic Development Committee, 6:30 p.m., 321 High St.

Conservation Commission, 7 p.m., 114 Main St.

Wed.- Franklin County Technical School Superintendent Search, 5:30 p.m., Library.

Parking and Traffic Commission, 5;30 p.m., 114 Main St.

Thu.- Zoning Board of Appeals, 7 p.m., 321 Main St.

Hadley

Tues.- Council on Again, 10:30 a.m., Senior Center.

Zoning Board of Appeals, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Board of Health, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Hatfield

Mon.- Planning Board, 7:30 p.m., Memorial Town Hall.

Emergency Management Committee, 9 a.m. Memorial Town Hall.

Wed.- Library Building Committee, 7 p.m., Dickinson Memorial Building.

Health Advisory Committee, 2:30 p.m., Hatfield Elementary School.

Board of Health, 5:30 p.m., Memorial Town Hall.

Thu.- Selectmen, 10:45 a.m., Hatfield Elementary School.

Holyoke

Mon.- School Committee, 6:15 p.m., Dean Technical High School, 1045 Main St., Fifield Community Room.

Water Commission, 6:30 p.m., 20 Commercial St.

School Committee, executive session, 7 p.m., Dean Technical High School, 1045 Main St., Fifield Community Room.

Tues.- Public Library board of directions, 4:39 p.m., City Hall auditorium, 536 Dwight St.

Planning Board, 6 p.m., City Hall Annex, fourth-floor conference room.

Fairfield Avenue Local Historic District Commission, 6:30 p.m., Wistariahurst Museum, 238 Cabot St., carriage house.

Wed.- Holyoke Charter School, board of trustees, 5 p.m., 2200 Northampton St.

Holyoke Charter School Finance/Facilities Committee, 5 p.m., 2200 Northampton St.

Thu.- Citizen Participation Committee, 5:30 p.m., 206 Maple St.

Longmeadow

Mon.- Park Board, 7 p.m., Fire Department.

School Committee, 5 p.m., Police Department.

Wed.- Capital Planning, 7 p.m., Fire Department.

Thu.- Board of Health, 7:30 p.m., Police Department.

Monson

Mon.- Finance Committee, 7 p.m., Hillside School.

Tues.- Board of Selectmen, 7 p.m., Hillside School.

Replanting Monson Tree Committee, 6 p.m., Hillside School.

Wed.- School Committee, 7 p.m., Quarry Hill Community School.

Water and Sewer Commission, 6:30 p.m., 198 WD Main St.

Northampton

Mon.- Conference Committee, 4 p.m., 125 Locust St.

Historic District Commission, 7 p.m., Northampton High School.

Registrar of Voters, 4 p.m., City Hall.

Housing Partnership, 5:30 p.m., City Hall.

Housing Authority, 7:30 p.m., 49 Old South St.

Recreation Commission, 7 p.m., 90 Locust St.

Charter Drafting Committee, 5 p.m., Council Chambers.

Tues.- Charter Drafting Committee, 5 p.m., Council Chambers.

South Street Traffic Calming, 7 p.m., Northampton Community Music Center.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Subcommittee, 7:30 a.m., City Hall.

Wed.- Charter Drafting Committee, 5 p.m., Council Chambers.

Bridge Street School Council, 4:30 p.m., Bridge Street School.

Board of Public Works, 5:30 p.m., 125 Locust St.

Thu.- Charter Drafting Committee, 5 p.m., Council Chambers.

Planning Board, 7 p.m., City Hall.

Zoning Administrator, 4 p.m., City Hall.

Conservation Commission, 5 p.m., City hall.

Palmer

Mon.- Town Council, 7 p.m., Town Building.

Planning Board, 7 p.m., Town Building.

Warren

Tues.- Board of Selectmen, 2 p.m., Shepard Municipal Building.

Board of Selectmen, 7 p.m., Shepard Municipal Building.

Wed.- Planning Board, 6 p.m., Shepard Municipal Building.

Thu.- Casino Study Committee, 6:30 p.m., Shepard Municipal Building.

West Springfield

Mon.- Park and Recreation Commission, 7 p.m., municipal building.

Tues.- Board of Library Trustees, 6:30 p.m., West Springfield Public Library.

School Committee, 7 p.m., municipal building.

Bobby Donovan shot and seriously injured Brian Baker at Donovan's Orange apartment in November, according to the office of Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan.

Republican file photoDavid Sullivan

GREENFIELD – The alleged gunman in an Orange shooting incident was scheduled to be arraigned at 9 a.m. Monday in Franklin Superior Court, according to Mary Carey, spokeswoman for Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan.

Robert "Bobby" Donovan, 25, of 18 Mechanic St., Orange, was expected to face a host of charges at today's arraignment in connection with the Nov. 24, 2011, shooting of Brian "Cali" Baker at Donovan's apartment.

As of last month, Baker remained hospitalized at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester. An update on his condition was not immediately available.

Carey said an investigation by Orange police and state police troopers assigned to Sullivan's office determined that Donovan was the suspected shooter. The case was given to a Franklin County grand jury, which recently handed up a four-count indictment against Donovan.

The Orange man is charged with perjury, misleading police, unlawful gun possession and aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury.

Donovan allegedly misled police about the shooting, then lied to the grand jury. Carey said Donovan originally told authorities he arrived at his Mechanic Street apartment early on the morning of Nov. 24 and found Baker suffering from a gunshot wound. But police and prosecutors claim Donovan loaded the gun, pointed it Baker, then squeezed the trigger twice.

Investigators said Donovan obtained a .22-caliber revolver last summer and used it to shoot Baker. The gun was hidden inside his apartment, according to authorities.

Carey said Donovan has a prior conviction for assault and battery on a police officer.

Meanwhile, law enforcement officials have released little information about Baker, including his age and address.

After he was appointed guardian of his grandfather, Stanley Ostrowski of Greenfield, Michael Ostrowski bought a new truck, television and assault rifle with his grandfather's money.

SPRINGFIELD – New York state resident Michael Ostrowski has pleaded guilty to ripping off his dementia-stricken grandfather in Greenfield, in a plea deal that exposes him to as much as 20 years in prison and $185,000 in restitution.

Ostrowski pleaded guilty to mail fraud, conspiracy, interstate transportation of stolen property and other charges during a hearing Monday in U.S. District Court.

Judge Michael A. Ponsor set sentencing for April 25.

The maximum penalty for the offenses is 20 years in prison. As part his plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s office, Ostrowski agreed to not oppose a sentence of 57 months or less while prosecutors will not challenge a sentence of 46 months or more.

A grand jury indictment accused Ostrowski, 42, of East Patchogue, N.Y., of
purchasing a $37,000 truck, a flat-screen television and an assault rifle after he was appointed as a temporary guardian for his grandfather, Stanley Ostrowski, of Greenfield, in 2006.

As part of the deal, the defendant agreed to forfeit the truck, the television and the rifle.

The indictment, handed down in 2010, states that the younger Ostrowski used $350,000 for his own purposes, instead of putting the money toward his grandfather’s nursing home costs.

Defense lawyers for Michael Ostrowski on Wednesday tried to suppress statements the defendant allegedly made to federal agents who searched his home in 2008, arguing the search was illegal. According to court filings, agents recovered $179,500 and a semiautomatic assault rifle from a safe in the New York home, plus an accounting of expenditures on the back of a paper shooting target.

Stanley Ostrowski died in 2008 at age 99.

Alexander Z. Nappan represented Kenny at his arraignment in March, but the court granted a motion to allow Jennings to replace him.

GREENFIELD – A Franklin Superior Court judge has appointed Springfield attorney Michael O. Jennings the new defense lawyer for former Greenfield Middle School teacher Brendan Kenney in Kenny’s child rape trial.

Kenny, 45, who taught computer classes at the school, is charged with multiple counts of child rape, indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 and furnishing alcohol to a minor in connection with a student he allegedly raped from 2004-2006.

Alexander Z. Nappan represented Kenny at his arraignment in March, but the court granted a motion to allow Jennings to replace him. Jennings then successfully argued a motion to allow his client to visit relatives. The next scheduled court date in the case is April 19.

Warren, Massachusetts' first elected black mayor, urged residents to celebrate the progress made possible by the King while pushing for greater social and economic equality.

The Republican | Michael S. GordonNewton Mayor Setti D. Warren addresses the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day commemoration and flag-raising Friday at Springfield City Hall.

SPRINGFIELD – The state’s first elected black mayor urged residents to celebrate the progress made possible by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. while pushing for greater social and economic equality.

Speaking at a ceremony honoring the civil rights leader, Newton Mayor Setti D. Warren told the overflow crowd at City Hall that his daughter Abagail is growing up in a world that would be unrecognizable to her grandparents.

She lives in a city “with a black mayor, in a state with a black governor, in a country with a black president,” said Warren, the keynote speaker at the event sponsored by the city, the local NAACP chapter and other groups.

“She’s too young to know there was a time when (those opportunities) were not for her, when her ascendance was not possible,” said Warren, 42, a lawyer and Naval intelligence officer who was elected mayor in 2009 after returning from Iraq.

Still, Warren said, stubborn social problems, from substandard schools to corporate greed and political partisanship, loom as obstacles to continued progress, especially for black Americans.

“Martin Luther King Jr. understood that in times of trouble, character is revealed,” Newton said, adding: “Above all else, Martin Luther King Jr. was an optimist.”

He urged the younger generation to draw inspiration from King’s speeches and actions, especially his willingness “to look past our differences and see a stake in each other’s futures.”

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno also spoke, urging residents to celebrate the progress made toward racial equality while deploring the epidemic of gang violence.

“There is a scourge of youth violence – our own kids killing each other, and for what?” Sarno said.

Rev. Talbert Swan, president of the local NAACP chapter, also reminded the crowd that causes championed by Martin Luther King Jr. are the same ones the NAACP is fighting for today.

“Jobs and justice,” said Swan, whose uncle, state Rep. Benjamin Swan, D-Springfield, served as chapter president in the 1960s.

Recalling the convictions last year of three Springfield men for torching of the Macedonia Church of God in Christ hours after Barack Obama’s election in 2008, Swan said: “That didn’t happen in Mississippi or Alabama; it happened right here in good old metropolitan, liberal Springfield.”

The ceremony also included songs, poetry and the raising of a flag with King’s image outside City Hall. Springfield College’s director of multicultural affairs, John M. Wilson, was also given the annual Martin Luther King Jr. award.

Students from the Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School of Excellence attended the service, with 11-year old Lenox Hamilton winning applause for his reading from of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

“I think I know who the next senator is going to be,” said Warren, who announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination to challenge U.S. Sen. Scott Brown last year, but has since dropped out of the race.

Other Martin Luther King holiday events are scheduled in the next few days.

In Northampton, the American Friends Service Committee will hold its 28th annual event Monday, beginning at 9 a.m. with a historical walk starting at the Sojourner Truth statue on Pine Street in Florence.

More events and workshops at Edwards Church, 297 Main St., start at 11 a.m.

In Amherst, the Martin Luther King breakfast will be held Saturday at 9 a.m. at the Amherst Regional Middle School.

The breakfast features speakers and awards. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $5 for children 12 and under.

On Tuesday, a celebration will be held at 1 p.m. in the Department of Veterans Affairs Northampton medical center chapel in Leeds.

The celebration’s guest speaker will be Rev. Calvin Jerome McFadden Sr., the senior pastor of St. John’s Congregational Church in Springfield. In Greenfield, a Martin Luther King Day service will be held Sunday at All Souls UU Church at 10:00 am.

Scott Russo, 27, of 1 Steam Mill Road, Deerfield, denied charges in connection with an October 2011 incident on Pine Nook Road.

GREENFIELD – A Franklin County man has pleaded not guilty to charges of hunting while intoxicated in connection with an incident in Deerfield last October.

Scott Russo, 27, of 1 Steam Mill Road, Deerfield, denied allegations that he was drunk while hunting at a spot along the town's Pine Nook Road early on the morning of Oct. 21, 2011, according to a report in the Daily Hampshire Gazette.

Russo was arraigned Thursday in Greenfield District Court, where he pleaded not guilty to charges hunting while under the influence of liquor, intoxicated licensee carrying a firearm and disturbing the peace, the Gazette reported.

Law enforcement officers responding to a predawn report of shots fired discovered a truck containing Russo and another man parked off of Pine Nook Road, which is close to the Connecticut River.

Police said they found a loaded handgun, still warm and smelling of gunpowder, in the back seat of the vehicle, but Russo and the unidentified man denied firing the weapon. Authorities also reportedly found open alcohol containers and a spent ammunition clip for the gun, according to the Gazette.

Russo failed a sobriety breath test, according to authorities. He is due back in court next month for a pretrial hearing.

Additional information was not immediately available.

THE MAP BELOW shows the location of Pine Nook Road in Deerfield, where authorities claim Scott Russo was hunting while intoxicated back in October:

View Larger Map

Here is a list of major municipal meetings for the coming week.

Here is a list of major municipal meetings for the coming week:

Agawam

Tues.- Agawam Disability Commission, 4 p.m., Senior Center.
Agawam Housing Authority, 4:30 p.m., 66 Meadowbrook Manor.
City Council, 7 p.m., Roberta G. Doering School.

Thu.- Planning Board, 7 p.m., Agawam Public Library.

Amherst

Tues.- Public Transportation and Bicycle Committee, 4 p.m., Town Hall.
Amherst Regional School Committee, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Wed.- Planning Board Zoning Subcommittee, 5 p.m., Town Hall.
Planning Board, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Thu.- Community Preservation Act Committee, 7 p.m., Town Hall.
Human Rights Commission, 7 p.m., Bangs Community Center.

Brimfield

Tues.- Board of Selectmen, 7 p.m., Town Hall annex.

Chicopee

Tues.- City Council, 7:15 p.m., Council chambers.

Wed.- Ambulance Commission, 5:15 p.m., 80 Church St.

Easthampton

Tues.- Council on Aging, 10 a.m., Municipal Building.
Board of Assessors, 5:30 p.m., Municipal Building.
Agricultural Commission, 6:30 p.m., Municipal Building.

Wed.- Board of Public Works, 4:30 p.m.,

Thu.- Disability Access Committee, 3:30 p.m., Municipal Building.
Community Preservation Act Committee, 6:30 p.m., Municipal Building.

Greenfield

Tues.- Council on Aging, 2 p.m., Senior Center.
Board of License Commissioner, 2 p.m., 14 Court Square.

Wed.- Franklin County Technical School Superintendent Search, 5:30 p.m., Library Conference Room.
Ways and Means Committee, 6 p.m., Police Department.
Town Council, 7 p.m., 393 Main St.

Thu.- School Committee, 6:30 p.m., High School Library.
Planning Board, 7 p.m., 321 High St.

Hadley

Tues.- Planning Board, 7 p.m., Senior Center.
Board of Health, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Wed.- Board of Health, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Hatfield

Tues.- Rescue/Pumper Committee, 7;30 P.M., Memorial Town Hall.
Housing Authority, 6:30 p.m., @ School St.
Selectmen, 10:30 a.m., Memorial Town Hall.

Thu.- School Improvement Council, 6:45 p.m., Smith Academy.
School Committee, 6:30 p.m., Smith Academy.

Holyoke

Tues.- City Council, 7:30 p.m., City Hall, City Council Chambers.

Wed.- Council on Aging, building committee, 10:30 a.m., new senior center job site trailer, 291 Pine St.
Charter School finance and facilities meeting, 5 p.m., 2200 Northampton St.
School Committee, Curriculum and Instruction Committee, 6 p.m., Dean Technical High School, 1045 Main St., Fifield Community Room.

Thu.- Holyoke Geriatric Authority, board of directors annual meeting, 6 p.m., 45 Lower Westfield Road.
Holyoke Geriatric Authority, board of directors, 6:15 p.m., 45 Lower Westfield Road.

Monson

Tues.- Planning Board, 7 p.m., Hillside School.

Wed.- Board of Health, 6 p.m., Hillside School.
Conservation Commission, 7 p.m., Hillside School.

Northampton

Tues.- Smith Vocational High School Board of Trustees, 5 p.m., Smith Vocational High School.
Charter Committee, 5 p.m., Council Chambers.
Agricultural Commission, 7 p.m., City Hall.
Parking and Transportation Commission, 4 p.m., City Hall.
Northampton Community Partnerships for Children, 5:15 p.m., Bridge Street School.

Wed.- School Vocational School Council, 3:30 p.m., Smith Vocational School.
Youth Commission, 7 p.m., City Hall.
Community Preservation Committee, 7 p.m., Council Chambers.
Board of Assessors, 1 p.m., Council Chambers.

Thu.- Board of Health, 5 p.m., City Hall.
City Council, 7 p.m., Council Chambers.
Triad Committee, 1 p.m., 67 Conz St.

Palmer

Wed.- School Committee, 6 p.m., Palmer High School.

Springfield

Tues.- City Council Public Health and Safety Committee, 4 p.m., Room 200, City Hall.
Springfield Parking Authority board, 5:30 p.m., authority office, 150 Bridge St.

Wed.- Pioneer Valley Transit Authority, noon, special meeting, PVTA office, 2808 Main St.
School Committee Buildings and Maintenance Subcommittee, noon, School Department, 1550 Main St.
Planning Board, 6 p.m., Room 220, City Hall.
Public Health Council, 6 p.m., 95 State St.

Thu.- School Committee, 6:30 p.m., Room 220, City Hall.

Warren

Wed.- Planning Board, 6 p.m., Shepard Municipal Building.
Sewer Commissioners, 8 a.m., Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Thu.- Capital Planning Committee, 7 p.m., Shepard Municipal Building.

West Springfield

Tues.- Board of License Commissioners, 7 p.m., municipal building.
Planning and Construction Committee, 7 p.m., municipal building.
Town Council, 7 p.m., municipal building.

Wieprecht came under suspicion 2 years ago as part of “Operation Predator,” an ongoing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigation of international child sexual exploitation

SPRINGFIELD - Greenfield resident Louis K. Wieprecht pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court of possession and receipt of child pornography, and now faces up to 20 years in federal prison, officials said.

Wieprecht, 57, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of material involving the
sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of receiving such material.

Sentencing is scheduled for April 13. He could be sentenced up to 10 years in prison on the possession charge, and between five and 20 years for the receiving charge. He could also be fined $250,000.

Wieprecht came under suspicion two years ago as part of “Operation Predator,” an ongoing investigation in international child sexual exploitation that is being conduced by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations, officials said.

He was arrested at his home in Greenfield on Oct. 5, 2010 when Greenfield police executed a search warrant. A search of his computer revealed 400 videos of children being raped and tortured.

The videos were downloaded from various peer-to-peer file sharing networks specializing in child pornography, officials said.

Prosecutors say 57-year-old Louis Kevin Wieprecht pleaded guilty in federal court in Worcester on Wednesday to possession of material involving the sexual exploitation of a minor.

WORCESTER, Mass. — Federal authorities say a Greenfield man has pleaded guilty to child pornography charges.

Prosecutors say 57-year-old Louis Kevin Wieprecht pleaded guilty in federal court in Worcester on Wednesday to possession of material involving the sexual exploitation of a minor.

Prosecutors say a search warrant executed at Wieprecht's home in October 2010 found a desktop computer that had about 400 videos containing child pornography, including depictions of rape and torture.

Wieprecht also told authorities that he collected and traded child pornography files over peer-to-peer file sharing networks.

Wieprecht faces a maximum of 10 years in prison at sentencing scheduled for April 12.

Gochinski said he helped gather information for state Attorney General Martha Coakley’s lawsuit against big banks for “robo signing” foreclosure documents.

View full sizeFile photoFranklin County Register of Deeds Joseph A Gochinski

GREENFIELD – Franklin County Register of Deeds Joseph A. Gochinski has formally announced that he plans to run for re-election to a second term in November.

In a statement declaring his candidacy, Gochinski cited improvements to convenience, speed and technology made since he took office in 2007.

“The establishment of electronic recording at the Registry is a wonderful asset and time savings,” said Gochinski. “The ease and simplicity of electronic recording further demonstrates our commitment toward time savings and further efficiency when dealing with the Registry.”

Gochinski also implemented an online directory of Franklin County Assessors maps at www.franklindeeds.com and a “fast track” system of recording documents that takes only a few minutes. He also keeps residents informed of possible Pay-for-Deed scams via the website.

He is Chairman of the Massachusetts Registers Association Bylaws Subcommittee and has worked with the association to upgrade recording equipment at Registries across the state, he said.

Gochinski is a Democrat and former assistant librarian at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. He ousted H. Peter Wood from his 12-year stint as Register in 2006.

In his announcement, Gochinski said he helped gather information for state Attorney General Martha M. Coakley’s lawsuit against big banks for “robo-signing” foreclosure documents.

“I am pleased to be able to help the Attorney General protect Franklin County home owners from the greed of the large banks in their rush to foreclose on people and the improper tactics used by the large banks in doing so,” he said.

He added that he worked to improve the Homestead Act, a law that protects homeowners who are sued and may lose their houses to creditors. Changes made in 2010 now provide an automatic protection of $125,000 of a home’s value and $500,000 for owners who file for homestead declarations.

“I am here full-time, answer my own emails and take my own phone calls and I welcome the public to come into the Registry and see me,” he said. “On behalf of my staff, we will continue to refine and revise the way Registry patrons request and receive information, and look to provide a truly 24/7 Registry in touch with modern technology and lifestyles.”

Here is a list of major municipal meetings for the coming week: Agawam Mon.- Agawam Small Business Administration Board of Directors, 8 a.m., Town Hall. Board of Appeals, 7 p.m., Agawam Public Library. Tues.- Council on Aging, 3 p.m., Senior Center. School Committee, 7 p.m., Roberta G. Doering. Wed.- Community Preservation Committee, 6:30 p.m., Agawam Public Library. Thurs.- Conservation...

Republican file photo by Don TreegerHolyoke City Hall

Here is a list of major municipal meetings for the coming week:

Agawam

Mon.- Agawam Small Business Administration Board of Directors, 8 a.m., Town Hall.

Board of Appeals, 7 p.m., Agawam Public Library.

Tues.- Council on Aging, 3 p.m., Senior Center.

School Committee, 7 p.m., Roberta G. Doering.

Wed.- Community Preservation Committee, 6:30 p.m., Agawam Public Library.

Thurs.- Conservation Commission, 6:30 p.m., Agawam Public Library.

Chicopee

Mon.- Municipal Light Board, 6:15 p.m., 725 Front St.

Commission on Disabled, 6:30 p.m., Chicopee Public Library.

Tues.- Rules Committee, 6:30 p.m., City Hall.

Parks and Recreation Commission, 7 p.m., 687 Front St.

Wed.- Sewer Commission, 5:30 p.m. 80 Medina St.

Water Commission, 6 p.m., 115 Baskin Dr.

Easthampton

Mon.- Conservation Commission, 6 p.m., 50 Payson Ave.

Manhan Rail Trail Committee, 7 p.m., 50 Payson Ave.

School Policy Subcommittee, 5 p.m., 50 Payson Ave.

Tues.- Planning Board, 6 p.m., 50 Payson Ave.

Wed.- Highway Business Review Committee, 6 p.m., 50 Payson Ave.

Easthampton High School Council, 2:15 p.m., School library.

Thu.- City Arts + Coordinating Committee, 5:30 p.m., Old Town Hall.

Granby

Mon.- Planning Board, 7 p.m., High School Library.

Wed.- Dufresne Ad Hoc Committee, 6:15 p.m., Public Safety Complex.

Greenfield

Mon.- Appointments and Ordinance Committee, 6:30 p.m., Police Department.

Retirement Board, 4 p.m., 14 Court Square.

Tues.- Community Relations and Education Committee, 6:30 p.m., 270 Main St.

Wed.- Franklin County Technical School Superintendent Search, 5:30 p.m. Town Library.

Thu.- Council on Aging, 2 p.m., Senior Center.

Hatfield

Mon.- Capital Improvement Planning Committee, 8 a.m., Memorial Town Hall.

Wed.- Community Preservation Committee, 6 p.m., Memorial Town Hall.

Thu.- Selectmen, 9 a.m., Memorial Town Hall.

Holyoke

Mon.- Board of Health, noon, City Hall, City Council Chambers.

Morgan School Council, 3:45 p.m., 587 South Summer St.

Board of Public Works/Sewer Commission/Stormwater Authority, 5:30 p.m., Department of Public Works, 63 Canal St.

School Committee, 6:15 p.m., Dean Technical High School, 1045 Main St., Fifield Community Room.

Tues.- Planning Board, 6 p.m., McMahon School, 75 Kane Road.

City Council Ordinance Committee, 6:30 p.m., City Hall, City Council Chambers.

Sullivan School Improvement Council, 6:30 p.m., Sullivan School, 400 Jarvis Ave.

Water Commission, 7 p.m., Holyoke Water Works, 20 Commercial St.

Wed.- Holyoke Charter School, Board of Trustees, 5 p.m., 2200 Northampton St.

Thu.- Retirement Board, 9 a.m., City Hall Annex, Room 207.

City Council Redevelopment Committee, 6:30 p.m., City Hall, City Council Chambers.

Fri.- Handicap Commission, 6 p.m., City Hall, City Council Chambers.

Northampton

Tues.- Tree Committee, 6:30 p.m., 125 Locust St.

Wed.- Board of Public Works, 5:30 p.m., 125 Locust St.

Human Rights Commission, 7 p.m., City Hall.

Thu.- Planning Board, 7 p.m., Council Chambers.

Zoning Board of Appeals, 5:30 p.m., Council Chambers.

Zoning Administrator, 4 p.m., City Hall.

Conservation Commission, 5 p.m., City Hall.

South Hadley

Mon.- Board of Assessors, 9 a.m., Town Hall.

Capital Planning Committee, 5:15 p.m., Town Hall Selectboard Meeting Room.

Public Library Building Committee, 6:15 p.m., Public Library.

Planning Board, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall 204 Selectboard and Appropriations Committee, 7 p.m., Town Hall Selectboard Meeting Room.

Tues.- Fire District 2 Prudential Committee, 9 a.m., 20 Woodbridge St. School Committee, 6:30 p.m., High School Library Selectboard, 7 p.m., Town Hall Selectboard Meeting Room.

Thu.- Open Space and Recreation Issues Forum, 7:30 p.m., Town Hall.

West Springfield

Mon.- Library Ad Hoc Committee, 4 p.m., municipal building.

Board of Appeals, 7 p.m., municipal building.

Park and Recreation Commission, 7 p.m., municipal building.

Tues.- Board of Library Trustees, 6:30 p.m., West Springfield Public Library.

The governor said many decisions, such as setting fees, will be taken directly from the boards of trustees that govern the colleges and placed into the hands of the state Board of Higher Education.

BOSTON – Leaders of community colleges in the Pioneer Valley are leery of Gov. Deval L. Patrick’s plan to place all community colleges under a powerful governing board in Boston, saying the move might weaken local control and hurt efforts to improve job training for employers in the region.

Patrick is asking the state Legislature to approve a law to bring the 15 community colleges into a new central system as a way to improve coordination for job training, both statewide and regionally.

The governor is also seeking to give an existing state board – the state Board of Higher Education – new powers to allocate state funding to each campus, to set fees for students and to appoint and remove presidents.

William F. Messner

The community colleges in Greenfield, Holyoke and Springfield offer two-year degrees and are often overshadowed by the University of Massachusetts and private colleges in Hampshire and Hampden counties. But the three colleges together have about 20,000 full and part-time students and are noted for offering an affordable education and training programs for certain careers.

William F. Messner, president of Holyoke Community, which has 7,000 students, said local businesses and institutions are best situated to identify employment needs in a region and to craft plans to meet those needs.

“To direct that process from Boston gives me great pause,” Messner said. “You’ve got to be a lot smarter than I am to be able to define the workforce needs of an area in the state while sitting behind a desk in Boston.”

Funding is a key issue, said Messner, especially with budget cuts in recent years that he said have cut his school’s state budget by 25 percent.

Holyoke Community, for example, puts hundreds of students on a wait list for its program to train registered nurses. The college needs to hire more faculty for the program but nursing faculty are hard to find and expensive, he said.

“It’s a question of resources,” Messner said. “I understand some folks don’t want to hear that, but it’s the God’s honest truth.”

Stephen H. Keller, executive vice president and chief academic officer at Springfield Technical Community, also expressed concerns about consolidating too much authority in Boston.

“I’d feel better if the state Department of Higher Education was in Springfield, not Boston,” Keller said. “West of Worcester, we might as well be in New York.”

Patrick’s plan would strip each college’s board of trustees of their existing powers to set student fees and to appoint a president.

According to the plan, the state Board of Higher Education would select a search committee, including members of local boards of trustees, and the committee would interview candidates for president and would recommend three finalists. The state board would get the final say on appointing a president.

During a conference call with reporters last week, Patrick said many decisions, such as setting fees, will be taken directly from the boards of trustees that govern the colleges and placed into the hands of the state Board of Higher Education.

Under the governor’s plan, the local boards of trustees would still oversee day-to-day operations at the colleges and would be involved in setting the campus mission.

Generally, the plan calls for shared control of the campuses between the state and local boards.

Patrick said the community colleges need to be unified to better train students for job openings and to better align the colleges with the needs of employers.

“We have a skills gap,” Patrick said during his “State of the State” speech a week ago. “We can do something about that. We can help people get back to work. And our community colleges should be at the very center of it.”

The governor’s plan is also aimed at clearing the way for students to transfer credits among colleges.

To help in the change to a new system, Patrick is proposing a $10 million increase in the community college system’s budget for the coming year and asking businesses to match that money with an additional $10 million.

Patrick would fund the 15 colleges at $218 million for the fiscal year that starts July 1, an increase from $209 million in state funding two years ago and up from $188 million in state dollars three years ago.

Messner and other community college leaders praised Patrick for recognized the importance of the two-year colleges.

Messner said he also likes the governor’s plan to develop a more rational approach for financing the colleges. Under Patrick’s plan, the state board would receive a lump sum and then would consider enrollment and performance measures when making decisions on allocating funding to individual campuses.

Currently, the budget for each campus is set by state legislators and the governor.

Keller, the executive vice president at Springfield Technical Community, also cited the need for increasing funding to the colleges.

Springfield Technical also turns away hundreds of students from its program for registered nurses, partly because many students need remedial training in math and English, Keller said.

Other highly specialized programs at Springfield Technical – robotics and laser optics and photonics – need more faculty, space and equipment, he said. Capacity is also limited at those programs, mostly because of a lack of funding, he said.

Keller said the colleges do need to work more closely with industry to better anticipate future employment needs.

Springfield Technical, which has 6,700 full and part-time students, could benefit from a new funding formula if it is based on a college’s training of students for jobs and careers.

“If the emphasis is on technical and vocational education, that puts us in a good position,” Keller said.

Robert Pura

Patrick said his plan would help the state’s 240,000 unemployed people obtain the skills needed to fill an estimated 120,000 current job openings, including many that require special skills.

Robert L. Pura, president of Greenfield Community College, which has 6,000 students, said he is also not convinced that a central governing board is the best answer.

“Other states have figured out that a strong central board alongside a strong local board is really the right balance,” Pura said.

Local trustees understand and appreciate the needs of employers in communities, he said.

Greenfield Community also works incredibly well with a regional employment board, which includes representatives from local businesses and industry, Pura said. The boards, located around the state, have planning and oversight responsibilities for worker training and placement programs in their areas.

Pura says he will work with the governor as Patrick’s plan presents a good opportunity to have a debate about the future of the community colleges.

Pura praised Patrick and a couple of top state education aides, but he noted that administrations come and go on Beacon Hill. Former Gov. W. Mitt Romney, for example, proposed merging community colleges, including Holyoke and Greenfield.

Pura said he agrees that community colleges should help people get jobs they want and should help employers fill vacancies. “The truth is, we’ve been doing that for a while here,” Pura said.

This isn’t the first time Patrick proposed an overhaul for community colleges. In 2007, Patrick proposed to make Massachusetts’ community colleges free to all high-school graduates in the state by the year 2015, but the plan died amid a state fiscal crisis.

Patrick’s new plan follows a report by the Boston Foundation, a civic group, that said community colleges are hampered by low graduation rates, cuts in state funding and a lack of accountability. The report said a central board should govern the colleges.

Here is a list of major municipal meetings for the coming week: Agawam Mon.- Agawam City Capital Planning Committee, 5:15 p.m. Wed.- Agawam Energy Commission, 10 a.m., Department of Public Works at 1000 Suffield St. Thurs.- Planning Board, 7 p.m., Agawam Public Library. Fri.- Agawam Municipal Golf Commission, 7:45 a.m., golf course at 128 Southwick St. Amherst Mon.- Amherst...

Republican file photo

Here is a list of major municipal meetings for the coming week:

Agawam

Mon.- Agawam City Capital Planning Committee, 5:15 p.m.

Wed.- Agawam Energy Commission, 10 a.m., Department of Public Works at 1000 Suffield St.

Thurs.- Planning Board, 7 p.m., Agawam Public Library.

Fri.- Agawam Municipal Golf Commission, 7:45 a.m., golf course at 128 Southwick St.

Amherst

Mon.- Amherst Housing Authority, 4:30, 33 Kellogg Ave.

Wed.- Planning Board Zoning Subcommittee, 5 p.m., Town Hall.

Planning Board, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Thu.- Zoning Board of Appeals, 5:30 p.m., Town Hall.

Brimfield

Mon.- Board of Selectmen, 7 p.m., Town Hall annex.

Chicopee

Mon-License Committee, 6:30 p.m., City Hall.

Tues-Zoning Committee, 6:30 p.m., City Hall .

Public Works Committee, 6:30 p.m., City Hall.

Wed.- School Committee, 7 p.m., 180 Broadway.

Thurs.-Planning Board, 7 p.m., City Hall.

East Longmeadow

Mon.- Capital Planning Committee, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall.

Policy sub-committee meeting, 4:30 p.m., East Longmeadow High School.

Tues.- Board of Assessors, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall, Assessor’s Meeting Room.

Planning Board, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall.

Wed.- Special Town Meeting, 7 p.m., East Longmeadow High School.

Easthampton

Wed.- Licensing Board, 5:30 p.m., Municipal Building

City Council, 6 p.m., Municipal Building.

Housing Partnership, 6:30 p.m., Municipal Building.

Granby

Mon.- Planning Board, 7 p.m., High School.

Zoning Board of Appeals, 7 p.m., High School.

Tues.- Conservation Commission, 7 p.m., Aldrich Hall.

Greenfield

Mon.- Appointment and Ordinance Committee, 6:30 p.m., Police Department.

Tues.- Board of License Commissioners, 6 p.m., 14 Court Square.

Conservation Commission, 7 p.m., Police Department.

Wed.- Historical Commission, 4:30 p.m., 114 Main St.

Thu.- Planning Board, 7 p.m., 321 High St.

Hadley

Tues.- Board of Health, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Wed.- Select Board, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Hatfield

Tues.- Agricultural Advisory Committee, 7 p.m., Hatfield Elementary School.

Thu.- Cable Advisory Committee, 6:30 p.m., Smith Academy.

Holyoke

Mon.- City Council Public Safety Committee, 6 p.m., City Hall, City Council Chambers.

Holyoke Housing Authority board of directors, 6 p.m., 475 Maple St.

Tues.- City Council Ordinance Committee, 6:30 p.m., City Hall, City Council Chambers.

Wed.- School building advisory committee, 10 a.m., Holyoke High School, 500 Beech St.

Board of Appeals, 5:30 p.m., City Hall Annex, fourth-floor conference room.

City Council Public Service Committee, 6:30 p.m., City Hall, City Council Chambers.

Longmeadow

Tues.- Select Board, 7 p.m., Police Department.

Capital Planning Committee, 7 p.m., Community House.

Wed.- Planning Board, 7 p.m., Police Department.

Thu.- Tree Committee, 4 p.m., Department of Public Works.

Monson

Thu.- Cemetery Commission, 6 p.m., 32 Wilbraham Road.

Northampton

Mon.- Historical Commission, 5:30 p.m., City Hall.

Wed.- License Commission, 4 p.m., Council Chambers.

Youth Commission, 7 p.m., City Hall.

Community Preservation Committee, 7 p.m., Council Chambers.

Thu.- City Council, 7 p.m., Council Chambers.

Palmer

Mon.- Planning Board, 7 p.m., Town Building.

Thu.- Town Council ordinance subcommittee, 7 p.m., Town Building.

South Hadley

Mon.- Selectboard and Appropriations Committees, 6 p.m., Town Hall 109.

Appropriations Committee, 7 p.m., Police Station Conference Room.

Tues.- Capital Planning Committee, 5:15 p.m., Town Hall.

Community Preservation Coalition, 7 p.m.

Selectboard, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Wed.- Open Space Committee Meeting, 5 p.m., Town Hall 204.

School Building Committee, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall.

Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) Steering Committee meeting, 7 p.m., Town Hall 204.

Thu.- Personnel Board, 5:30 p.m., Town Hall 103.

Fire District 1 Water Commissioners, 630 p.m., 438 Granby Road.

Springfield

Mon.- City Council Public Health and Safety Committee, 4:45 p.m., Room 200, City Hall.

City Council, 5 p.m., special meeting, Council Chambers, City Hall.

Tues.- Commission on Disability, 3 p.m., Public Works building, 70 Tapley St.

Board of Assessors, 3 p.m., assessors room, City Hall.

Wed.- City Council Finance Committee, 4:30 p.m., Room 200, City Hall.

Library Commission, 5:30 p.m., commission room, Central Library, 220 State St.

Thu.- School Building Commission, noon, Barney Carriage House, Forest Park.

Pioneer Valley Transit Authority, noon, administration office, 2808 Main St.

Springfield Retirement Board, 5 p.m., board room, 70 Tapley St.

Historical Commission, 6:30 p.m., Room 310, City Hall.

West Springfield

Tues.- West Springfield Retirement Board, 7:30 a.m., Sullivan Paper Co. at 58 Progress Ave.

Wed.- West Springfield Redevelopment Authority, 3:30 p.m., municipal building.

Commission on Disabilities, 6 p.m., municipal building.

Planning Board, 7 p.m., municipal building.

Thu.- West Springfield Council on Aging, 4 p.m., Senior Center.

Steven T. Fay, 57, of Hillsborough, N.H., is expected to be arraigned in Franklin Superior Court on manslaughter charges connected to the Jan. 1, 2011, death of his daughter, Jessica Malin, 35.

NORTHAMPTON – A Franklin County grand jury has indicted a New Hampshire pilot in connection with an Orange plane crash that killed his daughter last year, according to the Northwestern District Attorney's office in Northampton.

Steven T. Fay, 57, of Hillsborough, N.H., will be arraigned Feb. 1 at 2 p.m. in Franklin Superior Court in Greenfield, said Mary Carey, communications director for District Attorney David E. Sullivan.

The grand jury handed up an indictment on one count of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the Jan. 1, 2011, plane crash, which killed Fay's daughter, Jessica L. Malin, 35, also of Hillsborough. Fay, who was flying the plane, is accused of "unintentionally and unlawfully" causing Malin's death by means of "wanton or reckless conduct."

An involuntary manslaughter conviction carries a maximum penalty of up to twenty years in state prison. Lighter potential penalties include probation or a 2 ½-year jail sentence.

Northwestern First Assistant District Attorney Steven E. Gagne presented the case to the grand jury, which returned an indictment alleging that Fay's conduct "created a high degree of likelihood that substantial harm would result to another, in that he did operate a Cessna fixed-wing, multi-engine aircraft without sufficient training, experience, expertise, licensure, qualifications and/or supervision, and in violation of various rules and regulations of the Federal Aviation Administration."

The indictment goes on to allege that Fay's conduct caused the aircraft to crash upon approach to the Orange Municipal Airport, located at 80 Airport St., which is off of East River Street.

"Fay was neither licensed nor qualified to fly that twin-engine plane without an instructor on board, and he was repeatedly warned as such, yet he nevertheless chose to fly the plane at night with a passenger on board without his instructor's knowledge or approval," Gagne said in prepared remarks about the case, which triggered heavy media coverage in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire, where the flight originated.

Fay told authorities he took off from Keene Dillant-Hopkins Airport in Keene, N.H., at around 4:30 p.m. on New Year's Day 2011, and that he had planned to practice landings at Orange Municipal Airport before returning to Keene.

"His conduct unfortunately resulted in the tragic death of his own daughter, but it also endangered anyone who happened to be in his flight path, particularly those who live in the residential neighborhoods adjacent to the Orange Airport," Gagne said.

Authorities said the crash happened about 1½ hours after sunset. A National Transportation Safety Board report indicated the accident occurred when the plane struck some trees near the runway as Fay practiced a maneuver known as a "touch-and-go" landing. Mechanical failure, weather, and operator impairment were not factors in the crash, NTSB officials said

The FAA revoked Fay's pilots license in March 2011. Fay was first licensed to fly in 1989, clocking about 500 hours over the years. However, he had not flown for at least a half-dozen years prior to the Orange crash, according to the NTSB report, which indicates he resumed flying with an instructor in 2010.

Click HERE to watch an abc40 report on the plane crash.

"I've been sick for over a year about this," Fay said before the arraignment. "The loss is more than I can handle. ... I'm trying to get better one day at a time."

Associated PressSteven T. Fay of Hillsborough, N.H., 57, leaves the courtroom in Franklin Superior Court in Greenfield, Mass. on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012 after he was was arraigned on a charge of involuntary manslaughter stemming from the death of his daughter in a plane he was piloting on Jan. 1, 2011. Fay was not certified to pilot the twin-engine Cessna he crashed on approach to Orange Municipal Airport in western Massachusetts. (AP Photo/The Greenfield Recorder, Paul Franz)

GREENFIELD - Steven T. Fay stood before a judge in Greenfield Superior Court on Wednesday, charged with killing his daughter in a plane crash last year.

The 57-year-old from Hillsborough, N.H., denied an involuntary manslaughter charge stemming from a Jan. 1, 2011, twin-engine Cessna crash at Orange Municipal Airport that killed 35-year-old Jessica L. Malin. The felony is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

"Obviously he will have to live with this the rest of his life, and that will probably weigh on him more than any criminal sanction imposed," Northwestern First Assistant District Attorney Steven E. Gagne said after the arraignment. But, the prosecutor added, he hopes the case "sends a message" that flying or driving when not qualified can have deadly consequences.

Fay told Judge John Agostini that he doesn't yet have an attorney and Gagne said the defendant is not eligible for a public defender.

Fay obtained a pilot's license in 1989. The Federal Aviation Administration revoked it two months after the crash, writing in the revocation order that Fay was not authorized to fly without an instructor, carry passengers or fly at night.

Fay didn't physically surrender his license, he admitted in court, because he could not find it. Agostini granted a request by the prosecution to order Fay to give it up if he locates it.

Agostini released Fay on his own recognizance on the condition that he submit an affidavit to the FAA by Friday, swearing that his license is lost.

Fay took off from Keene Dillant-Hopkins Airport in Keene, N.H., at around 4:30 p.m. on the day of the crash. Prosecutors say the plane's wings clipped treetops while landing in Orange about 90 minutes after sunset.

The National Transportation Safety Board said Malin was not wearing a seatbelt. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Fay suffered bruises.

The grand jury indictment alleges Fay "created a high degree of likelihood that substantial harm would result to another, in that he did operate a Cessna fixed-wing, multi-engine aircraft without sufficient training, experience, expertise, licensure, qualifications and/or supervision, and in violation of various rules and regulations of the Federal Aviation Administration."

The prosecution said Fay also endangered other lives by flying recklessly.

David Getchell, 35, a close friend and roommate of Fay who knew Malin, said before the arraignment that Fay cries frequently and battles the guilt of Malin's death every day.

"He's suffered enough," Getchell said. "That's enough punishment. ... I'm hoping he gets to leave today."

"No one (in the family) can believe they're bringing charges like this against him," he added.

He said poor tree maintenance at the airport was responsible for the crash, not Fay's negligence. Gagne said that Fay knew the airport well, that the topography was published and available to all pilots, and that there is no reason to believe the airport is at all responsible for the crash.

"I've been sick for over a year about this," Fay said in a brief interview before the arraignment. "The loss is more than I can handle. ... I'm trying to get better one day at a time."

Fay wouldn't comment on the events of that fateful night, saying he's been advised not to discuss it with the press.

"(Malin) was a wonderful, wonderful person. Very high-spirited, very loving," he said.

Randall M. Gauley of Greenfield is a friend of Fay and spoke highly of him as a father and a man. He said Fay was there for him when he was "in dire straits" and he will do the same for Fay in return.

Fay is scheduled to appear with an attorney for a status hearing on Feb. 24 at 2 p.m.