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Osama bin Laden wanted new name for al-Qaida to repair image

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Bin Laden lamented in his final writings that al-Qaida was suffering from a marketing problem.

062411binladen.jpg In this May 3, 2011 file photo, local residents gather outside a house, where al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden was caught and killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

WASHINGTON — As Osama bin Laden watched his terrorist organization get picked apart, he lamented in his final writings that al-Qaida was suffering from a marketing problem. His group was killing too many Muslims and that was bad for business. The West was winning the public relations fight. All his old comrades were dead and he barely knew their replacements.

Faced with these challenges, bin Laden, who hated the United States and decried capitalism, considered a most American of business strategies. Like Blackwater, ValuJet and Philip Morris, perhaps what al-Qaida really needed was a fresh start under a new name.

The problem with the name al-Qaida, bin Laden wrote in a letter recovered from his compound in Pakistan, was that it lacked a religious element, something to convince Muslims worldwide that they are in a holy war with America.

Maybe something like Taifat al-Tawhed Wal-Jihad, meaning Monotheism and Jihad Group, would do the trick, he wrote. Or Jama'at I'Adat al-Khilafat al-Rashida, meaning Restoration of the Caliphate Group.

As bin Laden saw it, the problem was that the group's full name, al-Qaida al-Jihad, for The Base of Holy War, had become short-handed as simply al-Qaida. Lopping off the word "jihad," bin Laden wrote, allowed the West to "claim deceptively that they are not at war with Islam." Maybe it was time for al-Qaida to bring back its original name.

The letter, which was undated, was discovered among bin Laden's recent writings. Navy SEALs stormed his compound and killed him before any name change could be made. The letter was described by senior administration, national security and other U.S. officials only on condition of anonymity because the materials are sensitive. The documents portray bin Laden as a terrorist chief executive, struggling to sell holy war for a company in crisis.

At the White House, the documents were taken as positive reinforcement for President Barack Obama's effort to eliminate religiously charged words from the government's language of terrorism. Words like "jihad," which also has a peaceful religious meaning, are out. "Islamic radical" has been nixed in favor of "terrorist" and "mass murderer." Though former members of President George W. Bush's administration have backed that effort, it also has drawn ridicule from critics who said the president was being too politically correct.

"The information that we recovered from bin Laden's compound shows al-Qaida under enormous strain," Obama said Wednesday in his speech to the nation on withdrawing troops from Afghanistan. "Bin Laden expressed concern that al-Qaida had been unable to effectively replace senior terrorists that had been killed and that al-Qaida has failed in its effort to portray America as a nation at war with Islam, thereby draining more widespread support."

Bin Laden wrote his musings about renaming al-Qaida as a letter but, as with many of his writings, the recipient was not identified. Intelligence officials have determined that bin Laden only communicated with his most senior commanders, including his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, and his No. 3, Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, according to one U.S. official. Because of the courier system bin Laden used, it's unclear to U.S. intelligence whether the letter ever was sent.

Al-Yazid was killed in a U.S. airstrike last year. Zawahri has replaced bin Laden as head of al-Qaida.

In one letter sent to Zawahri within the past year or so, bin Laden said al-Qaida's image was suffering because of attacks that have killed Muslims, particularly in Iraq, officials said. In other journal entries and letters, they said, bin Laden wrote that he was frustrated that many of his trusted longtime comrades, whom he'd fought alongside in Afghanistan, had been killed or captured.

Using his courier system, bin Laden could still exercise some operational control over al-Qaida. But increasingly the men he was directing were younger and inexperienced. Frequently, the generals who had vouched for these young fighters were dead or in prison. And bin Laden, unable to leave his walled compound and with no phone or Internet access, was annoyed that he did not know so many people in his own organization.

The U.S. has essentially completed the review of documents taken from bin Laden's compound, officials said, though intelligence analysts will continue to mine the data for a long time.


Western Massachusetts energy prices, at a glance

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Here are the average energy prices in the Pioneer Valley for the week ending today.

energy prices0624.JPGView full size

Obituaries today: Pamela Reed, 52, worked at Frigo's, Belchertown Community Preschool

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Obituaries from The Republican.

Pamela Reed 62411.jpgPamela K. Reed

BELCHERTOWN - Pamela Katsounakis Reed, 52, of Belchertown, Massachusetts and Londonderry,, Vt., died Wednesday at home after a battle with cancer. Born on January 17, 1959, in Springfield, she was the daughter of Sylvia and Manny Katsounakis and was married to David Andrew Reed. She graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1980. After graduating, she moved to Mississippi, Texas, and Missouri. She worked as an assistant buyer for the Horchow Collection family of catalogs and was a preschool teacher. After moving back to Belchertown, she worked as a preschool teacher at Belchertown Community Preschool for many years. In later years, she pursued her passion for cooking by achieving a certificate in culinary arts from Holyoke Community College and later working alongside her team at the family run business, Frigo's, in downtown Springfield.

Obituaries from The Republican:


Your Comments: Readers react to Chicopee schools new dress code for students

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Chicopee students will have a new strict dress code to abide by as of the 2011-12 school year. The debate over whether it went too far or not far enough is far from settled. Here is what our readers had to say about it.

CH_SCHOOL_2_4878787.JPGThe debate over creating a uniform policy began when School Committee member Deborah A. Styckiewicz proposed it after she saw a Chicopee Comprehensive High student wearing clothing she felt was too revealing for school.

CHICOPEE- The school committee in Chicopee recently voted to ban clothing that is deemed inappropriate because it exposes midriffs or backs and is shorter than mid-thigh. Chains attached to wallets or used as belts are also banned along with any spiked accessories such as collars or belts.

The new policy labels flip-flops and slippers as banned footwear. It also bans all types of head coverings, including ball caps. headbands and bandanas, but there are exceptions for students who wear them for religious reasons.

The vote brought to a close, at least for now, a long debate about whether the district should adopt a uniform requirement as some neighboring districts did. The debate about what the youth is wearing, however, continues.


In response to the new dress code, here is what some of our readers had to say.

nonameposter says: It's not prudish, it promotes an environment that says students are there for education and not a fashion show.

icemanstone says: What is sad is that at no time in modern history have the clothes been so revealing as it is today in the teen fashion world. Not even during the 60's with the mini dress craze or the short shorts of the 70's.

foggyworld1932 says: In my opinion, the people who drafted this should read the Constitution of the UNITED STATES. People have a right to be creative in their own individuality, even if it scares them. Next all houses will have to be painted the same color in Chicopee because some schmuck doesn't like other peoples taste.

xrfranchize says: i think having a school uniform would be great. Less money to spend on school clothes, and less time saying no you can't wear that. Then we wouldn't have to worry about what child is wearing and if it meets the approval.

taxedtothemax says: Parents, if you consider yourself a GOOD and RESPONSIBLE parent, you should be more concerned about what your kid is learning, if they will be able to graduate, if they will become learned and productive adults, and not so concerned and upset that your little darlings are not able to show off their underwear and body parts with INAPPROPRIATE CLOTHING!!! Teach your kids to have dignity and self-esteem.

Gov. Deval Patrick emphasizes 'people'-focused policy, calls on Senate to consider tax revenues at D.C. health care hearing

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Patrick recommended that Congress "put revenues on the table" just as the GOP was exiting spending talks over Democrat-proposed tax increases.

gov.jpgGov. Deval Patrick speaks to reporters in Springfield in this file photo.

Gov. Deval Patrick testified before the Senate Finance Committee in Washington, D.C. Thursday, calling on the federal government to reject a proposal from some Congressional Republicans to convert Medicare and Medicaid into voucher-like systems.

"Dispersing federal Medicaid funding in the form of block grants, as some have proposed, won't reform the system," Patrick said. "It will starve it."

Testifying at the hearing, titled "Health Care Entitlements: The Road Forward," Patrick argued that such proposals focus on "abstract policy" rather than people.

Video and testimony from the hearing is available on the committee's website.

Patrick, a Democrat, also echoed members of his own party in calling for "revenues" — taxes — in order to maintain funding for health care entitlements. Patrick said:

Put revenues on the table. I know this is the point where most politicians run for cover, but it's time we faced up to this.

Our federal government has been running two wars and a costly prescription drug benefit for nearly a decade using borrowed money. Meanwhile, I know mom and pop stores and college students who pay more and taxes than corporations that are earning billions of dollars in revenue, and so do you. Some of these loopholes ought to be closed. If we believe that the poor and disabled — the people Medicaid serves — should get adequate health care, it's only fair, it seems to me, to ask everyone to help close a gap other policy choices have created and end exacerbate.

Congressional Democrats and Republicans have been struggling over that very issue in ongoing budget talks brokered by Vice President Joe Biden. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor exited budget talks prematurely Thursday after Democrats demanded tax increases be coupled with Republican-mandated spending cuts in negotiations.

Congress must find common ground on the federal budget in order to raise the nation's debt ceiling by Aug. 2, the date at which the administration says the nation would default on its debt obligations without an increase.

Lawyers for convicted former Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi seek transcripts from trial as they prepare appeal

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The motion seeks more than $5,200 in public legal counsel funding to pay for 6,765 pages of transcripts.

DiMasi after conviction 62411.jpgFormer Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi opens the car door for his wife Deborah after they left the Federal Courthouse in Boston, June 15, after his conviction on conspiracy and other charges in a scheme to steer two state contracts worth $17.5 million to a software firm in exchange for payments.

BOSTON — Lawyers for convicted former Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi are asking a federal court to deliver at government expense thousands of pages of transcripts from DiMasi's recent trial.

The request is among the first steps by the defense team to appeal DiMasi's June 15 conviction on conspiracy, honest services fraud and extortion charges.

The motion seeks more than $5,200 in public legal counsel funding to pay for 6,765 pages of transcripts, including a request for expedited transcripts of the testimony of two key witnesses in the case: former Cognos software salesman Joseph Lally and DiMasi's law associate, Steven Topazio.

Defense attorney Thomas Kiley said in the motion that the transcripts will be used to help prepare post-trial appeals.

New Holyoke Police Chief James Neiswanger introduced to public by Mayor Elaine Pluta

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Neiswanger, 48, said he will spend the early part of his tenure getting to know police officers and members of the community

Holyoke's new Police Chief ames M. Neiswange is introducted to the public by Mayor Elaine Pluta.

HOLYOKE - Mayor Elaine A. Pluta introduced new police chief James M. Neiswanger to the city Friday morning, saying she was confident she made a good choice.

“I am very excited and pleased that we have a good candidate for chief and if he accomplishes what’s in his three-year plan for the police department, we will have a good well-rounded police chief. He will not only be chief of the department but a leader in the community,” Pluta said.

Neiswanger, 48, a captain with the Manchester, Conn. Police Department, discussed his plans and spoke with city officials, police officers, the public and the media in the mayor’s office.

Neiswanger was asked about his philosophy of police work.

“It’s about service, it’s about service to the community. You may not be able to save the world, but can you make your community better, can you make things better here,” Neiswanger said.

Neiswanger, accompanied by his wife, Carla, and one of their three daughters, said he will spend the early part of his tenure getting to know police officers and people in the community.

Neiswanger was asked about replacing retired police Chief Anthony R. Scott, who was very popular in some quarters of the city.

“I am going to have to make my own mark. Chief Scott set some great initiatives,” said Neiswanger, who said a key for him will be getting out into the community.

“I am very approachable. I am here to listen. I need their input in what’s going on in the city,” he said.

The mayor said she will be negotiating a contract with Neiswanger and neither said that they expect there will be any problems.

The job was advertised with a salary range of $120,00 to $135,000.

It turns out, Neiswanger already had a Holyoke connection. Joseph Gattinella, Neiswangerr's brother-in-law, has lived in a former fire station at Hampden and Oliver streets for six years. He works for a restaurant equipment company, said Carla Neiswanger, the new chief's wife.

Neiswanger spent a few hours in the mayor's office talking and exchanging phone numbers with the public and city officials and employees.

"I'm actually excited about the new chief," said Sandra Zieminski, city public health nurse.

"'Continue to make it a safe city,'" Zieminski said she told the new chief, "especially for those like us from the Board of Health who have to go into the bowels of the city every day. I'm really excited. I hope everything works out well. I trust the mayor's judgment."

Christine M. Alger, who belongs to Friends of the Holyoke Library among other groups, said she would tell Neiswanger she would like to see more of a police presence on foot and bicycle patrols. She wants her two children to know police officers by name, she said.

"You're more likely to talk to someone you know," Alger said.

Neiswanger, speaking to a small group that included Alger and mayoral candidate Alex B. Morse, said he understands the need to have police and young people interact.

"I'm scheduled to attend a youth violence conference in Hartford, which is good because maybe some of what I find there I can apply here," Neiswanger said.


More details coming in The Republican.

U.S. House weighs cutting off funds for Libya mission

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The House was scheduled to vote on dueling legislation: a resolution to continue American involvement in Libya and a bill to cut off funds for U.S. military attacks.

062411libya.jpgAn armed rebel fighter provides security as he stands guard while people pray during Friday Prayers in Benghazi, Libya, Friday, June 24, 2011.

WASHINGTON — Challenging President Barack Obama's authority as commander in chief, the House pushed toward votes Friday on the U.S. military involvement in Libya, weighing competing measures to continue the operation or cut off funds for military attacks.

"We have drifted into an apparently open-ended commitment with goals vaguely defined," said Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., the chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, as Democrats and Republicans criticized the mission and Obama's treatment of Congress.

"What? We don't have enough wars going on," Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio., asked mockingly. "We need one more war. We have to wage war against another nation that didn't attack us."

The House was scheduled to vote on dueling legislation: a resolution giving Obama limited authority to continue the American involvement in the NATO-led operation against Moammar Gadhafi's forces and a bill to cut off funds for U.S. military attacks there.

The resolution mirrors a Senate measure sponsored by Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and John McCain, R-Ariz., that Obama has indicated he would welcome. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will consider the resolution on Tuesday.

The bill to cut off funds would make an exception for search and rescue efforts, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, aerial refueling and operational planning to continue the NATO effort in Libya. It has no chance in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

"The president has ignored the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution, but he cannot ignore a lack of funding," said Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla., sponsor of the bill. "Only Congress has the power to declare war and the power of the purse, and my bill exercises both of those powers by blocking funds for the war in Libya unless the president receives congressional authorization."

House Republicans and Democrats are furious with Obama for failing to seek congressional authorization for the 3-month-old war against Gadhafi, as required under the War Powers Resolution. The 1973 law, often ignored by Republican and Democratic presidents, says the commander in chief must seek congressional consent for military actions within 60 days. That deadline has long passed.

Obama stirred congressional unrest last week when he told lawmakers he didn't need authorization because the operation was not full-blown hostilities. NATO commands the Libya operation, but the United States still plays a significant support role that includes aerial refueling of warplanes and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance work as well as drone attacks and bombings.

A New York Times report that said Obama overruled some of his legal advisers further incensed members of Congress.

In a repudiation of the president, a coalition of anti-war Democrats and tea party-backed Republicans was expected to defeat the resolution that would give Obama authority for the operation. The fate of the legislation to cut off funds was uncertain.

In a last-ditch effort Thursday, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met with rank-and-file Democrats to explain the mission and discuss the implications if the House votes to cut off funds. The administration requested the closed-door meeting.

Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., said Clinton apologized for not coming to Congress earlier. But he said she warned about the implications of a House vote to cut off money.

"The secretary expressed her deep concern that you're probably not on the right track when Gadhafi supports your efforts," Walz said.

Rep. Howard Berman of California, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said such a vote "ensures the failure of the whole mission."

Earlier this week Clinton said lawmakers were free to raise questions, but she asked, "Are you on Gadhafi's side, or are you on the side on the aspirations of the Libyan people and the international coalition that has been bringing them support?"

In the Senate, backers of a resolution to authorize the operation wondered whether the administration had waited too long to address the concerns of House members.

"It's way late," said McCain, the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee. "This is one of the reasons why they're having this veritable uprising in the House, because of a lack of communication. And then the icing on the cake was probably for them when he (Obama) said that we're not engaged in hostilities. That obviously is foolishness."

He added, however, "That is not a reason to pass a resolution that would encourage Moammar Gadhafi to stay in power."

Earlier this month, the House voted 268-145 to rebuke Obama for failing to provide a "compelling rationale" for the Libyan mission and for launching U.S. military forces without congressional approval.


Gangster James 'Whitey' Bulger, arrested after 16 years on the run, due for arraignment in Boston

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His longtime girlfriend Catherine Greig, who was captured with him in Santa Monica, Calif., will make her initial appearance in a different courtroom shortly afterward.

Whitey Bulger police mug 62411.jpgView full sizeJames 'Whitey' Bulger

BOSTON – Gangster James “Whitey” Bulger, nabbed in California this week after 16 years as a fugitive, is making a quick return to Boston.

Bulger is scheduled to be in federal court in Boston at 4 p.m. Friday, said a spokeswoman for federal prosecutors in Boston. His longtime girlfriend Catherine Greig, who was captured with him Wednesday in Santa Monica, Calif., will make her initial appearance in a different courtroom shortly afterward.

Bulger’s arrest appeared to end a long, frustrating manhunt that had embarrassed the FBI and raised questions about its efforts to find one of its most wanted fugitives.

But his capture could become a new chapter in an old scandal for the Boston FBI and others.

If Bulger decides to cut a deal with prosecutors, he could implicate an untold number of local, state and federal law enforcement officials, according to investigators who built a racketeering indictment against Bulger before he fled in 1995.

“If he starts to talk, there will be some unwelcome accountability on the part of a lot of people inside law enforcement,” said retired Massachusetts state police Maj. Tom Duffy. “Let me put it this way: I wouldn’t want my pension contingent on what he will say at this point.”

Bulger is charged in connection with 19 murders. He had lived in Santa Monica for 15 of the last 16 years, according to his landlord.

Bulger’s flight in early 1995 allegedly came after a tip from former Boston FBI Agent John Connolly Jr., who was convicted of racketeering and obstruction of justice in 2002 for protecting Bulger and his cohort Stephen “The Rifleman” Flemmi from prosecution. Both Bulger and Flemmi were FBI informants who ratted out members of their main rivals, the New England Mob.

During Connolly’s trial, Bulger’s right-hand man, Kevin Weeks, testified that Bulger boasted that he had corrupted six FBI agents and more than 20 Boston police officers. At holiday time, Bulger stuffed envelopes with cash, Weeks testified.

“He used to say that Christmas was for cops and kids,” Weeks said.

Edward J. MacKenzie Jr., a former drug dealer and enforcer for Bulger, predicted that Bulger will disclose new details about FBI corruption and how agents protected him for so long.

“Whitey was no fool. He knew he would get caught. I think he’ll have more fun pulling all those skeletons out of the closet,” MacKenzie said.

“I think he’ll start talking and he’ll start taking people down.”

Bulger, now 81, appeared briefly in federal court in Los Angeles Thursday, agreeing to waive extradition.

Neighbors were stunned to learn they had been living in the same building as the man who was the model for Jack Nicholson’s ruthless crime boss in the 2006 Martin Scorsese movie, “The Departed.”

Connolly, the retired FBI agent who was convicted of protecting Bulger, also was found guilty of murder in Miami for helping to set in motion a mob hit in 1982 against a business executive.

The Bulger arrest could have a huge impact on whether Connolly spends the rest of his life in a Florida prison. Connolly is set for release next Tuesday from a federal penitentiary after serving nearly 10 years for his Boston racketeering conviction.

But Connolly will be whisked to Florida right away to begin serving a 40-year sentence for his role in the slaying in Miami of gambling executive John Callahan. Connolly was convicted of murder in 2008 for tipping Bulger that Callahan was about implicate Bulger and Flemmi in the 1981 killing of Oklahoma businessman Roger Wheeler.

Connolly, who is appealing the conviction, insists he never fingered Callahan. Now, if Bulger backs up Connolly’s story, it could change the outcome of the Florida case.

“If Bulger says that John (Connolly) had no involvement in the Callahan murder, then John will file a motion for new trial based on newly discovered evidence and should prevail,” said Connolly’s attorney Manuel Alvarez. “If that happens, we might see Whitey testifying in a Miami courtroom.”

Day of healing for tornado victims planned at South Congregational Church in Springfield

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The church served as a shelter for dozens of people, including police officers, when the tornadoes barreled through the city.

United Church of Chirst logo.jpeg

SPRINGFIELD - Yoga and other soothing activities will be available as a day of healing for victims of the June 1 tornado Sunday at the South Congregational Church, an affliate of United Church of Christ, at 45 Maple St.

The event will be noon to 6 p.m., church secretary Shalawnda Carr said Friday.

The church served as a shelter for dozens of people, including police officers, when the tornadoes barreled through the city.

The day of healing will include music, aroma therapy, singing and meditation, Carr said.

Springfield police arrest Rafael Alvarez, 49. and Miguel Santana, 41, on heroin charges

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Police said the suspect boasted business cards advertising their enterprise.

rafaelalvarez49.jpgRafael Alvarez

SPRINGFIELD – Two city men, charged by city police with dealing heroin Thursday afternoon in the Six Corners neighborhood, boasted business cards that they would hand out to their customers, police said.

Sgt. John M. Delaney said the two suspects, operating out of 511 Hancock St., Apt. 1-1, made deliveries to their customers who would call them on their cell phones.

Officers, conducting surveillance, learned that one of the suspects, Rafael Alvarez, who lives at that address, was poised to make a delivery. They saw Alvarez leave the apartment and get into his red Hyundai, Delaney, aide to Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet, said.

miguelsantana41.jpgMiguel Santana


The officers interrupted the drug deal at Locust and Mill streets and placed Alvarez into custody. He was in possession of 22 bags of heroin tucked into a pouch of rice, Delaney said. They also confiscated business cards that listed the suspect’ cell phone number and street name, “Junio,”

The officers, armed with a search warrant, then went back to the apartment at 511 Hancock St. and arrested Miguel Santana, 41, of 94 Hickory St.

Both were charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute, violation of a drug-free zone (Johnny Appleseed Park) and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

Cheerios turn 70; Iconic cereal endures, sells

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Cheerios has been General Mills' top name since 1951.

cheeriosIn this June 16, 2011 photo, boxes of Cheerios are shown in a store in Akron, N.Y. The iconic cereal from General Mills is 70 years old this year.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Here's a little quiz for the breakfast table:

What is the most popular cereal brand in American grocery stores?

Hint: It's been General Mills' top name since 1951.

Another hint: If you're a parent, you've vacuumed it from the minivan and under the high-chair cushion by the cupful.

The answer, of course, is Cheerios.

The iconic cereal, known by its distinctive yellow box, is 70 years old this year and still a force on the breakfast cereal market. One out of every eight boxes of cereal to leave the shelf in America carries the Cheerios name.

"They've been around since the beginning of man, right?" said Kathy Scott in Cape Coral, Fla. For her, the cereal's linked to memories of childhood Saturday morning cartoons.

"My mother was very old-fashioned, a stay-at-home mom," Scott, 50, said, "She made breakfast every morning, but on Saturday morning we were allowed to have cereal. Throw some fruit in there, sit on the floor and watch cartoons."

The tradition repeated itself with her own two children.

"Saturday morning cartoons and Cheerios," she said.

To make Cheerios, balls of dough are heated and shot out of a "puffing gun" at hundreds of miles an hour, according to General Mills. The company's waterfront plant in Buffalo has been firing them off since 1941, often cloaking the city with a distinctive toasty-with-a-sweet-finish aroma and inspiring T-shirts announcing "My city smells like Cheerios." More than 10 shapes and sizes were considered before the makers settled on little Os.

Since then, the company's introduced several new flavors, starting with Honey Nut in 1979 and last year, chocolate.

In 2009, sales of Honey Nut Cheerios surpassed the original flavor for the first time and remain in the top spot today.

But Kathleen Dohl, 30, sticks to the originals, the ones she refers to as the "old-school, yellow box, plain Jane" variety. She buys it in bulk at Sam's Club to keep her 6- and 3-year-olds happy.

"That's one of the first 'real people' foods that they ate," the Chester, Va., mother said.

"They know when we're having a morning where we're running late, they're like, 'can I get a snack bag of Cheerios?'" she said, "because it's something I can't say no to. I can say no to chips. I can say no to candy. I can say no to a dozen other things, but a snack bag of Cheerios? How can you say no to that?"

So yes, she's cleaned them out of the car seats.

"At least they're not sticky," she said, "so that's a plus. And they're not so colorful. Once you grind them in they just look like the rest of the dirt, they don't look neon-colored."

Minneapolis-based General Mills began advertising Cheerios (first called Cheerioats) as a first food for toddlers in 1974. Since 1999, the company has focused on promoting the cereal as healthy; it's made from whole-grain oats, with 3 grams of fiber and 1 gram of sugar per serving. But in 2009, federal regulators took issue with the cereal box's claim that it was "clinically proven to help lower cholesterol." In a warning letter, the Food and Drug Administration said only FDA-approved drugs can make such a claim.

General Mills, in its response, stood by the claims and said the FDA's complaints dealt with how the language appears on the box, not the cereal itself. The case is still open, an FDA spokeswoman said.

"I went through a phase in high school where I drank Coca-Cola and carried around a box of Cheerios in my back pack," said Dohl, whose course schedule and yearbook duties often kept her at the computer and in her car through meals.

"That's literally what I ate for breakfast, lunch and dinner," she said. "...At least I felt like it was healthy."

Since cereal is the major source of fiber for Americans, something most people shortchange themselves on, Cornell University nutrition expert David Levitsky said it's actually not a bad idea to eat cereal as a relatively low-calorie lunch or dinner once in a while, even the sugar-sweetened variety.

"They're seducing kids to eat it," he acknowledged. "It's a technique that breakfast food companies have learned and it works... but it's got a good aspect because that's where they're getting their fiber in the morning," he said. "And all these cereals are enriched."

Americans spent $6.4 billion on ready-to-eat cereal in the 52 weeks ending May 15, according to SymphonyIRI Group, a Chicago-based market research firm that tracked sales at supermarkets, drug stores and mass merchandise outlets, excluding Walmart.

In honor of Cheerios' 70th Buffalo's Citybration Festival highlighting its assets will include a June 26 Cheerios breakfast in sight (and smell) of the General Mills facility.

"Cheerios are actually a more iconic food to Buffalo than even the ubiquitous chicken wing," said festival organizer Marti Gorman. (The spicy Buffalo wing came along in 1964.)

"There just must be something so gently appealing about the product," said Dave Hassett, a school counselor whose Born in Buffalo site sells the Cheerios T-shirts online and at local festivals. Along with his 4-year-old daughter, he said he eats a bowl daily. "I hope they stick around for 70 more years and beyond."

Tamik Kirkland held gun on accomplice Trevin Smith to recruit help in shoot-out, investigators say

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Smith was held on $500,000 bail following a hearing in Hampden Superior Court.

Kirkland and Smith 62411.jpgTamik Kirkland, left, and Treven Smith are seen during recent court hearings in Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD – Accused killer and cop shooter Tamik Kirkland stuck a gun in his friend’s face and handed him a flip-phone to recruit him as an accomplice for Kirkland’s April 30 shooting spree in the Bay neighborhood, according to investigators.

Trevin T. Smith, 30, of 79 Penrose St., was held on $500,000 bail after a hearing in Hampden Superior Court Friday morning. Technically, the high bail amount was a reduction for Smith, who was denied bail at a previous hearing. He is charged with accessory before and after murder, and reckless endangerment of a child.

Hampden County District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni told a judge that Smith was hanging out in the neighborhood late that morning when he encountered Kirkland, whom he knew had escaped from a state prison days before to avenge his mother’s shooting.

“They shot my moms. I gotta do what I gotta do ... . you helping me? You with me?” Mastroianni recounted to Judge Daniel Ford, referring to Kirkland’s hard-sell approach to Smith that day.

Smith then drove to his girlfriend’s house where he saw her loading a six-month old baby and her 12-year-old daughter in her car, and asked her to take a detour to a house at Cambridge and Burr streets. In the meantime, Kirkland, 25, ambushed a barber and his customer at Bill Brown’s House of Beauty on State Street, wounding the barber and killing 24-year-old Sheldon R. Innocent. of Wilbraham.

Minutes later, the woman rolled up to the house where Smith had directed her, as he guided her to make a six-point turn, back into the driveway and pop the trunk, according to Mastroianni. The woman, who has not been identified, told police she saw a man whose street name she knew as “Maniac” leap into the trunk.

“(Smith) stayed on the phone with her while she was doing all this,” Mastroianni told Ford.

Kirkland leapt into the trunk, but police surrounded the car as the woman tried to drive away. Officers ordered her to pop the trunk, investigators say, and Kirkland emerged shooting at officers, who returned fire.

Two officers were hit in the chest but spared serious injury by their bullet-proof vests. Kirkland was shot several times but survived. The children in the back seat were unharmed.

Alexander Z. Nappan, a lawyer for Smith, argued that his client participated in the situation under duress and only because Kirkland had a handgun trained inches from his head.

Mastroianni said Smith immediately grabbed a ride out of town after the shootings that essentially locked down several square blocks afterward and drew a swarm of law enforcement.

He arrived in New York City but was rebuffed by friends and family whom he approached to hide him, Mastroianni said. He ultimately turned himself in to police in that city on June 4.

Kirkland was arraigned in Superior Court on June 17 while in a wheelchair; he was shot six times. He denied 16 criminal charges including the murder of Innocent. Both face life sentences if convicted.

A pretrial conference is set for both men on Oct. 17.

House rejects measure to continue U.S. role in Libya

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The 295-123 vote was a major repudiation of the commander in chief.

062411obama-troops.jpgPresident Barack Obama is photographed with soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division, many of whom have just returned from Afghanistan, Thursday, June 23, 2011, in Fort Drum, N.Y.

WASHINGTON — The House on Friday overwhelmingly rejected a measure giving President Barack Obama the authority to continue the U.S. military operation against Libya, a major repudiation of the commander in chief.

The vote was 295-123, with Obama losing the support of 70 of his Democrats one day after Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton had made a last-minute plea for the mission.

While the congressional action had no immediate effect on American involvement in the NATO-led mission, it was an embarrassment to a sitting president and certain to have reverberations in Tripoli and NATO capitals.

The vote marked the first time since 1999 that either House has voted against a military operation. The last time was over President Bill Clinton's authority in the Bosnian war.

The House planned a second vote on legislation to cut off money for the military hostilities in the operation.

House Republican leaders pushed for the vote, with rank-and-file members saying the president broke the law by failing to seek congressional approval for the 3-month-old war.

"The president has operated in what we now know is called the zone of twilight as to whether or not he even needs our approval," said Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla. "So what are we left with?"

Some Democrats accused the GOP of playing politics with national security. They said the vote would send a message to Gadhafi.

Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, said the vote would essentially "stop the mission in Libya and empower Moammar Gadhafi."

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, White House spokesman Jay Carney expressed disappointment.

"We think now is not the time to send the kind of mixed message that it sends when we're working with our allies to achieve the goals that we believe that are widely shared in Congress: protecting civilians in Libya, enforcing a no-fly zone, enforcing an arms embargo and further putting pressure on Gadhafi," Carney said. "The writing's on the wall for Colonel Gadhafi and now is not the time to let up."

Carney also dismissed the action as just one House vote.

The defeated resolution mirrors a Senate measure sponsored by Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and John McCain, R-Ariz., that Obama has indicated he would welcome. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will consider the resolution on Tuesday.

The second vote to eliminate money for the Libya operation would make an exception for search and rescue efforts, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, aerial refueling and operational planning to continue the NATO effort in Libya. That measure has no chance in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

House Republicans and Democrats are furious with Obama for failing to seek congressional authorization as required under the War Powers Resolution. The 1973 law, often ignored by Republican and Democratic presidents, says the commander in chief must seek congressional consent for military actions within 60 days. That deadline has long passed.

Obama stirred congressional unrest last week when he told lawmakers he didn't need authorization because the operation was not full-blown hostilities. NATO commands the Libya operation, but the United States still plays a significant support role that includes aerial refueling of warplanes and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance work as well as drone attacks and bombings.

A New York Times report that said Obama overruled some of his legal advisers further incensed members of Congress.

In a last-ditch effort Thursday, Clinton met with rank-and-file Democrats to explain the mission and discuss the implications if the House votes to cut off funds. The administration requested the closed-door meeting.

Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., said Clinton apologized for not coming to Congress earlier. But he said she warned about the implications of a House vote to cut off money.

"The secretary expressed her deep concern that you're probably not on the right track when Gadhafi supports your efforts," Walz said.

Rep. Howard Berman of California, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said such a vote "ensures the failure of the whole mission."

Earlier this week Clinton said lawmakers were free to raise questions, but she asked, "Are you on Gadhafi's side, or are you on the side of the aspirations of the Libyan people and the international coalition that has been bringing them support?"

In the Senate, backers of a resolution to authorize the operation wondered whether the administration had waited too long to address the concerns of House members.

"It's way late," said McCain, the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee. "This is one of the reasons why they're having this veritable uprising in the House, because of a lack of communication. And then the icing on the cake was probably for them when he (Obama) said that we're not engaged in hostilities. That obviously is foolishness."

He added, however, "That is not a reason to pass a resolution that would encourage Moammar Gadhafi to stay in power."

Earlier this month, the House voted 268-145 to rebuke Obama for failing to provide a "compelling rationale" for the Libyan mission and for launching U.S. military forces without congressional approval.

Warren police arrest three juveniles on break-in charges; cash, jewelry and prescription drugs stolen

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Approximately $4,000 was stolen from a safe in one of the homes, and was used to buy marijuana and other illegal narcotics, Detective Chase said.

WARREN - Warren police arrested three juveniles on charges stemming from a series of house break-ins in town in which jewelry, cash and prescription medication were stolen, according to Detective Mark Chase, who led the investigation.

The juveniles told police that the money they stole was used to buy marijuana and other illegal narcotics, said Chase, adding more arrests are expected.

He said thousands of dollars in jewelry, cash and prescription medications were stolen from the homes. Several pieces of jewelry were returned to the owners, but some is still missing. Approximately $4,000 was stolen from a safe in one of the homes, Chase said on Friday.


Peter Falk, TV's rumpled Columbo, has died

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"Columbo" began its history in 1971 and continued into the 21st century.

peter falk diesActor Peter Falk, from "Columbo," arrives at NBC's 75th anniversary celebration, Sunday, May 5, 2002, at New York's Rockefeller Center.

LOS ANGELES — Peter Falk, the stage and movie actor who became identified as the squinty, rumpled detective in "Columbo," which spanned 30 years in primetime television and established one of the most iconic characters in police work, has died. He was 83.

Falk died Thursday in his Beverly Hills home, according to a statement released Friday by family friend Larry Larson.

In a court document filed in December 2008, Falk's daughter Catherine Falk said he was suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

"Columbo" began its history in 1971 as part of the NBC Sunday Mystery Movie series, appearing every third week. The show became by far the most popular of the three mysteries, the others being "McCloud" and "McMillan and Wife."

Falk was reportedly paid $250,000 a movie and could have made much more if he had accepted an offer to convert "Columbo" into a weekly series. He declined, reasoning that carrying a weekly detective series would be too great a burden.

Columbo — he never had a first name — presented a contrast to other TV detectives. "He looks like a flood victim," Falk once said. "You feel sorry for him. He appears to be seeing nothing, but he's seeing everything. Underneath his dishevelment, a good mind is at work."

NBC canceled the three series in 1977. In 1989 ABC offered "Columbo" in a two-hour format usually appearing once or twice a season. The movies continued into the 21st century. "Columbo" appeared in 26 foreign countries and was a particular favorite in France and Iran.

Columbo's trademark was an ancient raincoat Falk had once bought for himself. After 25 years on television, the coat became so tattered it had to be replaced.

Peter Michael Falk was born Sept. 16, 1927, in New York City and grew up in Ossining, N.Y., where his parents ran a clothing store. At 3 he had one eye removed because of cancer. "When something like that happens early," he said in a 1963 Associated Press interview, "you learn to live with it. It became the joke of the neighborhood. If the umpire ruled me out on a bad call, I'd take the fake eye out and hand it to him."

When Falk was starting as an actor in New York, an agent told him, "Of course, you won't be able to work in movies or TV because of your eye." Falk would later win two Oscar nominations ("Murder, Inc.," 1960; "Pocketful of Miracles," 1961) and collect five Emmys.

After serving as a cook in the merchant marine and receiving a master's degree in public administration from Syracuse University, he worked as an efficiency expert for the budget bureau of the state of Connecticut. He also acted in amateur theater and was encouraged to become a professional by actress-teacher Eva La Gallienne.

An appearance in "The Iceman Cometh" off-Broadway led to other classical parts, notably as Joseph Stalin in "The Passion of Joseph D." In 1971 Falk scored a hit in Neil Simon's "The Prisoner of Second Avenue."

Falk made his film debut in 1958 with "Wind Across the Everglades" and established himself as a talented character actor with his performance as the vicious killer Abe Reles in "Murder, Inc." Among his other movies: "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World," ''Robin and the Seven Hoods," ''The Great Race," ''Luv," ''Castle Keep," ''The Cheap Detective," ''The Brinks Job," ''The In-Laws," ''The Princess Bride."

Falk also appeared in a number of art house favorites, including the semi-improvisational films "Husbands" and "A Woman Under the Influence," directed by his friend John Cassavetes, and Wim Wenders' "Wings of Desire," in which he played himself. Falk became prominent in television movies, beginning with his first Emmy for "The Price of Tomatoes" in 1961. His four other Emmys were for "Columbo."

He was married to pianist Alyce Mayo in 1960; they had two daughters, Jackie and Catherine, and divorced in 1976. The following year he married actress Shera Danese. They filed for divorce twice and reconciled each time.

When not working, Falk spent time in the garage of his Beverly Hills home. He had converted it into a studio where he created charcoal drawings. He took up art in New York when he was in the Simon play and one day happened into the Art Students League.

He recalled: "I opened a door and there she was, a nude model, shoulders back, a light from above, buck-ass naked. The female body is awesome. Believe me, I signed up right away."

Falk is survived by his wife Shera and his two daughters.

Westfield seeks state funding to replace tornado-damaged roof at Munger Hill School

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Additional projects, including boiler replacements, are being scheduled for next year at 5 schools.

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WESTFIELD – The School Department will launch roof replacement projects at two elementary schools as early as next week while it seeks out state funding to replace the tornado-damaged roof at Munger Hill School.

School Operations director Frank B. Maher Jr. said this week the estimate for full roof replacement at Munger Hill is estimated at $1.3 million and an emergency request for state School Building Authority financial help has been filed. The state could provide up to 62 percent of that cost.

In the meantime, the city, if necessary, will repair the 20-foot section of roofing that was ripped from the elementary school during the June 1 tornado. Repairs are estimated at $25,000, Maher said.

Following a tour of Munger Hill School, along with damaged schools in Springfield June 8, state Treasurer Steven Grossman and SBA director Katherine Craven advised local officials to submit cost estimates on school damage through the agency’s emergency process.

But both Maher and Mayor Daniel M. Knapik favor replacement of the entire roof because of its age. The roof is 19 or 20 years old, and total replacement will be necessary in the near future, they said.

Maher said new roofs will be installed on Southampton Road and Highland Elementary schools at a cost of $2.4 million. That project includes design, asbestos abatement and removal of old roofing.

“That project was approved last year for SBA funding,” Maher said.

The School Department is also planning roof repairs at Westfield Vocational-Technical High School and replacement of boilers at Highland, Paper Mill and Southampton Road elementary schools and Westfield High School.

Those projects are estimated at a total of $8.4 million. SBA last week approved funding for those projects in the amount of $5.3 million,

City officials recently approved a $12 million bond to cover its share of the cost for school projects.

PM News Links: 'Whitey' Bulger tipster a mystery, with Bulger in custody, who's on FBI's most wanted list? and more

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A Great Barrington resident with a history of mental health issues has been charged in connection with the aborted downtown arson spree.

Top 10 list 62411.jpgSteve Martinez, assistant director in charge of the Los Angeles FBI office, right, with Douglas Price, assistant special agent in charge of the criminal division, speak next to a 'wanted' poster overstamped 'captured' for James 'Whitey' Bulger, before a news conference at FBI headquarters in Los Angeles Thursday. Click on the link, above left, for a report from WFXT-TV, Channel 25 in Boston about who's on the FBI's most wanted list now.

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Chicopee robbery suspect locked inside store, uses gun to bust his way out, say police

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The robber was armed with a revolver with a 6- to 8-inch barrel, which police said is an unusual choice of weapon among street-level criminals.


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

CHICOPEE - A suspect in a Chicopee Street convenience store robbery Friday morning was locked inside the store by the clerk, and had to use his gun to shoot at and then pound on the locked door to escape, police said.

Police were called to Sam’s Sunoco A Plus, 1031 Chicopee St., at about 5:15 for a report of an attempted robbery and shots fired, said Capt. Thomas Charette.

The clerk on duty told police that a man came into the convenience store with a long-barreled revolver and demanded cash, said Charette.

The revolver had a barrel that was between 6 to 8 inches long. Charette said it is an unusual type of firearm to use in a robbery because the length of the barrel makes it hard for criminals to conceal.

The clerk locked himself inside the bullet-proof cage around the cash register, and then activated the electronic door locks to the front door, which locked the robber inside, Charette said.

The suspect tried to shoot the lock on the cage to get inside but was not able to, Charette said.

He then fired some shots at the locks on the front door in an attempt to break free. When that did not work, he used the gun as a club to bash a hole in the door glass large enough to escape, Charette said.

The suspect remains at large.

The suspect was described as a white man, approximately 5 feet, 10 inches tall and thin. He was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and was last seen running south on Chicopee Street.

For now he is wanted for attempted armed robbery and discharging a firearm, although Charette said. “I’m sure if we catch him we’ll pile on some more charges.”

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Chicopee Police at (413) 592-6341

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'Green Bags' selling fast in anticipation of South Hadley's new trash collection program

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The idea behind the new program is that, since people will be paying by the bag, they will make a greater effort to accumulate less trash and will recycle more.

SOUTH HADLEY – With only a few glitches reported, people in this town are getting ready for the town’s new “Green Bags” trash program.

After July 1, the town will only pick up trash if it’s in the prescribed green bag, which can be purchased at local stores in two sizes.

The idea behind the new program is that, since people will be paying by the bag, they will make a greater effort to accumulate less trash and will recycle more. The town will pick up trash as it has before, every two weeks.

The bags cost 50 cents for a small bag, which holds up to 20 pounds, and $1 for a large bag, which holds up to 40 pounds. They are sold in packs of five.

“I’ve already been through my original order of three cases,” said Marilyn Sicotte, manager of White Wing Mobil, one of the South Hadley businesses that sell the bags. “There are 40 bags per case. I’m on my second order, and I have three more orders coming in this week.”

Like others, Sicotte said it was hard to anticipate how many bags she would need. Fortunately, she said, it only takes two days for the orders to arrive.

The South Hadley Department of Public Works received notice that one of the Big Y stores was out of the large-sized green bags, but DPW superintendent James Reidy said it had ordered more.

“With any new program,” said Reidy, “there are always a few bugs.”

At Cumberland Farms, assistant manager Theresa Walsh said she, too, was almost out of the larger bags, and would reorder.

At O’Connell’s, people asking to buy bags have been told they couldn’t yet. Cashier Carmen Torres explained that it’s because the price has not been programmed into the register. She said the bags will be available July 1.

Green bags are also available at Gagne’s, Tailgate and Stop and Go.

“There’s been quite a demand,” said Reidy, “which is good!”

One consumer reported that the drawstrings on his smaller bags were stuck to the plastic, but that may have been an anomaly.

The Green Bag program in South Hadley was developed by the DPW in conjunction with the town’s Solid Waste Advisory Committee.

“With any new program, you’re going to have folks that are concerned,” said Reidy, “but we’ve done our homework, and we’re confident that this will be good for the town.”

For more information on the Green Bags program, go to the South Hadley website or call the DPW at (413) 538-5033.

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