The cat is the longest surviving member of a group known as Janus cats, named for a Roman god with two faces.

Associated PressIn this Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011 photo, a cat with two faces, named Frank and Louie, is held by the cat's owner at their home in Worcester, Mass. The animal is known as a Janus cat, named for the figure in Roman mythology with two faces on one head. The owner calls the face on the left Frank, while the face on the right is identified as Louie.

WORCESTER— Frank and Louie the cat was born with two faces, two mouths, two noses, three eyes — and lots of doubts about his future.

Now, 12 years after Marty Stevens rescued him from being put to sleep because of his condition, the exotic blue-eyed rag doll cat is not only thriving but has made it into the 2012 Guinness Book of World Records as the longest surviving member of a group known as Janus cats, named for a Roman god with two faces.

"Every day is kind of a blessing, being 12 and normal life expectancy when they have this condition is one to four days," Stevens said, stroking Frank and Louie's soft fur as he sat on her lap purring. "So, he's ahead of the game — every day I just thank God I still have him."

Frank and Louie's breeder had taken him to the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, where Stevens was working at the time, to be euthanized when he was just a day old. Stevens offered to take him home, but experts told her not to get her hopes up.

Janus cats almost never survive, and most have numerous congenital defects, including a cleft palate that makes it difficult for them to nurse and often causes them to slowly starve to death or aspirate milk into their lungs and die of pneumonia. The condition is the result of a genetic defect that triggers excessive production of a certain kind of protein.

But Frank and Louie did not suffer from most of the common Janus problems. Stevens used feeding tubes to nourish him for three months, hoping that would also save him from the danger of choking on food going down the esophagus from two mouths.

It turned out she didn't have to worry about him choking, because Frank and Louie just used one of his mouths to eat.

"The condition itself is very rare and I think that the fact that this cat became an adult, a healthy adult, is remarkable," said Dr. Armelle deLaforcade, an associate professor at Cummings and head of the emergency services section.

Colleagues at the veterinary hospital told Stevens that trying to raise Frank and Louie might not be good for him — or her.

Still, she "stood firm and stood by the cat, and I'm really glad she did because this cat really has fewer problems than many cats that have very normal anatomies," deLaforcade said.

Frank and Louie does not seem to be bothered by his condition and has developed a very friendly personality. The breed is known for its soft and silky fur, docile temperament and penchant for relaxing in a person's arms like a rag doll.

He is "very, very laid back, not afraid of people, very friendly and he's actually more of a dog than a cat," Stevens said. "He walks on a leash, he goes right in the car, he loves car rides."

People often want to touch Frank and Louie's long, luxurious fur while Stevens is out walking him.

"It's funny because people walk up to him thinking it's a nice, fluffy white cat and they're walking up with a big smile on their face to pat him, like, 'Oh, what a beautiful cat' and I see a look of horror come over their faces when they actually see his face," Stevens said, laughing.

Thirty years ago, a cat like Frank and Louie might not have been given a chance to live.

Said deLaforcade: "You can look at a cat like this as either a very strange and bad omen, or you can look at this cat as a miracle."

State police said no serious injuries have been reported.

Republican file photo

BLANDFORD - Motor vehicle accidents on both sides of the Massachusetts Turnpike late Thursday morning, possibly caused by wet road conditions, backed up traffic on both sides.

State police attached to the Westfield barracks said no serious injuries have been reported. One of the vehicles involved was a camper and fear of a potential propane leak sent Westfield firefighters to the scene.

State police, speaking about 1:30 p.m., reported that the backups easing as the accident scenes are cleared.

The has issued a flood warning for the north central areas of Hampden County and western areas of Hampshire County through 4:45 p.m.

By comparison, the June 1 tornadoes have generate $175 million in insurance claims thus far. Officials estimate the final total will be approximately $200 million.

SPRINGFIELD – Tropical Storm Irene has already resulted in $90 million in insurance claims from Western Massachusetts, a number expected to swell to more than $100 million once federal flood insurance claims are included in the estimate.

“These are huge numbers,” said Barbara T. Anthony, the state’s undersecretary of consumer affairs and business regulation.

Anthony was in Springfield Thursday for a “Consumer Day” event at Tower Square downtown. The public had the opportunity to meet with and ask questions of staff from the consumer-protection agencies Anthony oversees, including the Division of Insurance and the Division of Professional Licensure which oversees building contractors, electricians and plumbers doing repairs for both Irene and the June 1 tornadoes .

Flood insurance is a federal program and the state has had trouble trying to get a handle on those statistics, Anthony said.

But counting auto, home and commercial claims overseen by the state, there were a total of 28,500 insurance claims field as a result of Irene. the storm dumped more than 10 inches of rain on an already-saturated Western Massachusetts causing widespread flooding. The hill communities of western Franklin County, including Shelburne Falls, were especially hard hit when the Deerfield River flooded.

Irene has already generated 150 claims worth more than $750,000 in Franklin County; 600 claims worth more than $2.5 million in Hampden County; 200 claims worth almost $800,000 in Hampshire County; 3,500 claims worth more than $10.6 million in Worcester County and 350 claims totaling more than $960,000 in Berkshire County, according to statistics calculated by the state Division of Insurance.

By comparison, the June 1 tornadoes have generate $175 million in insurance claims thus far. Officials estimate the final total will be approximately $200 million.

Anthony urged consumers recovering from both disasters to be careful and hire only registered . Hiring a registered contractor makes consumers who are defrauded eligible for compensation from a state fund. People can check registrations by going to www.mass.gov/consumer

The committee ran a gala ball, picnic and other events and hopes to bring in $8,000 to pay off its debt.

File photo by David Molnar / The RepublicanBelchertown's 250th anniversary celebrations started with events on the Town Common on Dec. 31, 2010.

BELCHERTOWN – Heading into the final events of the town’s 250th anniversary celebration, the committee that has coordinated the efforts is hoping to raise $8,000 to pay off debts taken on to pay for the festivities.

“I think we can pay it off,’’ said Town Clerk William R. Barnett, who served as chairman for the Belchertown 250th Anniversary Committee.

Because of tight budgets and decreases in state revenue, the Board of Selectmen and the Finance Committee did not throw their support behind a request from the committee in 2010 for $5,000 in seed money to pay toward operations and the early events of the year-long celebration, but residents voting at a Town Meeting approved the amount.

The committee also borrowed $13,000 from the Zimmer Foundation, a Belchertown based charity that supports students in China.

The committee kicked off its festivities with a New Year’s Eve First Night celebration on the Town Common on Dec. 31, 2010.

Other major events were an Anniversary Ball on April 2, a picnic July 2, fireworks and a parade as part of the 154th Belchertown Fair, Sept. 22-25.

The final events will be a production of the Thornton Wilder play, “Our Town,’’ the final two weekends of October at Belchertown United Church of Christ.

Some revenue came in to the committee with the sale of tickets to the ball at $50 apiece and for reserved benches at the picnic.

The committee has also sold wrist watches for men and women, pocket watches and commemorative coins.

A book, “Mysteries of Belchertown’s History,’’ was written by Cliff McCarthy, archivist at the Stone House Museum, and sold throughout the year.

McCarthy focused on personal stories of Belchertown residents through the town’s history.

Barnett said there are still some watches, coins and books for sale at the town clerk’s office and the Senior Center, and he hopes people will consider purchasing the remaining items as gifts.

With revenue taken in, the committee has paid back $5,000 of the loan from the Zimmer Foundation, and Barnett said he hopes remaining sales and revenue from the play will help retire the remaining $8,000 in debt.

A second request for funding from the town is also under consideration, said Barnett, who feels the people of town appreciated and enjoyed the events throughout the year.

“The ball was great. People very much enjoyed the First Night and several thousand people came to the picnic,’’ Barnett said.

Authorities said the man was in guarded but stable condition Thursday at Berkshire Medical Center.

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Authorities in western Massachusetts say a 46-year-old man was hospitalized after he approached a police officer with a knife and was shot in the chest.

Berkshire District Attorney David Capeless says Keith Carnute of Pittsfield was in guarded but stable condition Thursday at Berkshire Medical Center, where he underwent surgery after Wednesday's incident.

Capeless said two women walking their dogs called 911 to report they'd spotted a body in the road in a heavily wooded, remote area of Lanesborough.

Lanesborough Police Officer Timothy Sorrell and firefighters who responded found Carnute on the edge of the road. They say Carnute ignored Sorrell's commands to drop his knife, and that the officer fired when Carnute advanced toward him.

The incident remained under investigation Thursday and no charges had been filed.

Gay black youths go from attacked to attackers, Lawmakers want FTC probe of Facebook, Crony Capitalism: $737 Million Green Jobs Loan Given to Nancy Pelosi's Brother-In-Law, and more

AP Photo/Paul SakumaFacebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg talks about the redesign during the f/8 conference in San Francisco, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011. Facebook is dramatically redesigning its users' profile pages to create what Zuckerberg says is a "new way to express who you are."

• Gay black youths go from attacked to attackers[WashingtonPost.com]


• Violence at historical low [WSJ.com]


• President’s illegal uncle giggles in court [BostonHerald.com]


• Lawmakers want FTC probe of Facebook [Politico.com]


• Crony Capitalism: $737 Million Green Jobs Loan Given to Nancy Pelosi's Brother-In-Law [WeeklyStandard.com]


• Couple's big-screen dream takes shape at site of former church in Easthampton [GazetteNet.com]


• Amherst Police arrest over 100 during weekend [DailyCollegian.com]


• When is a terrorist not a terrorist? America's Haqqani conundrum. [CSMonitor.com]


• Twitter posts tagged #westernma in Western Mass. [MassLive.com]


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Her lawyer said she was in love with Bulger and didn’t know the extent of his alleged crimes when she left Boston with him.

This is an updated version of a story posted at 3:45 this morning.

James 'Whitey' Bulger and Catherine Greig are seen in these police booking photos.

BOSTON – A judge has set an April trial date for the woman charged with helping former Boston crime boss James “Whitey” Bulger elude authorities for 16 years.

Catherine Greig, Bulger’s longtime girlfriend, is being held without bail after pleading not guilty to a charge of conspiracy to harbor and conceal a fugitive.

During a brief status conference in federal court Thursday, a judge scheduled Greig’s trial to begin April 23. Greig did not attend the hearing.

Her lawyer says she was in love with Bulger and didn’t know the extent of his alleged crimes when she left Boston with him in 1995.

On Wednesday, prosecutors said in a court filing that they plan to seek a new indictment against Greig. Her lawyer declined to comment on potential new charges.

The East Longmeadow High School athletic field was completed in August.

Staff Photo by Dave Roback

EAST LONGMEADOW - The School Department used nearly $100,000 from surplus funds at
the end of the fiscal year to complete the athletic field at East Longmeadow High School.

Superintendent of Schools Gordon C. Smith said the funds came from money left over at the end of the year from things like salary and special education costs.

“Sometimes you come in over budget, but some years you have funds left over from money you predicted would be spent, but wasn’t,” he said.

Initially, the School Committee placed an article on the May Town Warrant requesting $335,000 to pay for several alternate projects on the field including water cannons, plexiglass accelerator, striping on the field, a logo, visitor bleachers, track and field equipment, surfacing the d areas of the track, a fence around the field and a lighting retrofit. The article passed at Town Meeting, but failed at the ballot on June 28 by 26 votes.

On June 29 the Project Management Committee made up of Smith, School Committee Chairman Gregory Thompson, facilities manager Bruce Fenney and various public works department employees met to discuss what other options they had. They recommended using some of the surplus money to pay for the most important and necessary projects to complete the field.

The School Committee’s financial sub committee made up of School Committee members Elizabeth Marsian-Boucher and Thompson met on July 6 and made the transfers recommended by the Project Management Committee.

Town Accountant Thomas Caliento said he researched the project and spoke with an
independent auditor who said the purchases were done properly. Because the Project
Management Committee met on June 29 they were still within the time frame before the
fiscal year closed on June 30. On July 1 the committee returned $195,00 in surplus funds to the town, which will be placed in the unrestricted reserve fund.

School Committee member Joseph Cabrera said he was disappointed that Thompson did not come before the School Committee to disclose the use of the surplus money. He said many people in town were concerned when they saw that the field included many of the items they voted against.

There is a School Committee policy in place that gives the financial sub committee the
authority to transfer funds to necessary projects before the close of the fiscal year
without confirming it with the full committee, Thompson said. He said he is to blame for
not providing an update to the full committee. The committee will now be providing sub
committee updates during their regularly scheduled meetings in order to be more
transparent, he said.

In total the School Department spent $98,2000 for the projects including:
• A four-foot fence for $40,000
• Striping on the field for $5,000, discounted from $9,700
• Plexiglass accelerator for $30,200
• Track and field equipment for $16,000
• Cement base for permanent bleachers for $7,000

Smith said the projects were necessary to open the field safety and efficiently. The
fence protects students participating in races as well protecting the field from
spectators walking on it. He said the plexiglass accelerator extends the life of the
track from 8-10 years to 10-12 years. The track and field equipment will help the team
host meets, which they have not been able to do in ten years due to lack of proper
equipment. The striping was ordered beforehand by the contractor, so the school
department received a considerable discount, Smith said.

Major items that were not purchased include a $96,000 lighting retrofit. Currently the
school teams cannot play sports at night on the field because there are dark spots that
could cause player injuries, Smith said.

Visitor bleachers at $85,000 and three water cannons at $8,600 were also put on hold.

The logo on the field was paid for by the several booster clubs and private donations.
The town did not incur that cost, Smith said.

Menwer, 27, has never held elected office and works for the Air National Guard.

Yasser Menwer

HOLYOKE – Yasser Menwer wants to be a city councilor at large, and if he gets there, he has a plan.

Menwer’s plan would be to focus on business, revitalization and education, he said.

“I am running for council at large because it is time for our city to head in a new direction,” Menwer said Friday.

“Our current state of affairs with regards to our country’s economy has made this decision for me personally as it should for every citizen of Holyoke,” he said.

Menwer, 27, of 61 Beacon Ave., has never held elected office. He is a master sergeant who works in mission planning at the 104th Fighter Wing, Massachusetts Air National Guard at Barnes Regional Airport, in Westfield.

His plan involves trying to draw new businesses here. The city can do so by offering incentives such as lower property taxes and discounts on electric bills and rent, he said.

The city could influence rent discounts by focusing on revitalization of old mill and other vacant buildings, he said. Current officials say they already are working on such steps.

The education part of Menwer’s plan includes having businesses, including those who have been granted tax and other incentives, to take on vocational students from Dean Technical High School in apprenticeships, he said.

“This is how a business owner would give back to Holyoke,” Menwer said.

“This is my plan overview. It is not all encompassing, because quite frankly, at the end of the day, talk is just talk, without meaningful action. I can’t do this without you,” he said.

Menwer and his wife Ashley E. Menwer, a certified nurse aid, have an 8-month-old son, Elijah, he said.

Menwer is among 11 candidates, including all eight incumbents, who will compete on Election Day Nov. 8 for the eight at large seats on the council.

According to Friends of Community Preservation, Community Preservation revenue from city taxes has contributed $3.8 million towards local project and prompted $1.9 million in matching funds from the state.

File photo by David Molnar / The RepublicanThe Academy of Music, seen here last year, got a facelift with the help of Community Preservaton Act funds.

NORTHAMPTON – Voters will have the rare chance to vote themselves a tax cut on the November ballot, but they must first decide whether doing so would be penny-wise and pound-foolish.

Ward 7 City Councilor Eugene C. Tacy said Wednesday that he and others have succeeded in gathering enough signatures for a ballot question that gives voters the option of repealing Northampton’s 2005 decision to adopt the Community Preservation Act. By adopted the state legislation, the city was able to levy a 3 percent surcharge on local property taxes to use for affordable housing, land conservation, historical preservation and recreation. At the time, the state was matching the money gathered in this way from communities dollar for dollar.

In the years since, the city has put the money to good use, at least in the eyes of Friends of Community Preservation, which has put together a fact sheet extolling some of the projects that benefited from Community Preservation Act funds. These include the acquisition by the city of the Bean-Allard property, which is providing prime agricultural land for local farming and community gardens as well as space for a much-needed recreational complex. The Community Preservation Committee, which oversees distribution of the funds, has earmarked some of the money to develop the complex of playing fields called Florence Fields. That project will require additional injections of cash over the next few years, according to the group. Without it, some fear the project will die.

Forbes Library and the Academy of Music are among the landmark Northampton buildings that have been renovated with the help of Community Preservation funds. The city’s Conservation Commission has also been able to save numerous parcels of prime conservation land with that money. In addition, Community Preservation funds have been instrumental in the development of single-room-occupancy housing and affordable housing for families.

An added benefit of the funding, advocates say, is that it often represents the local share that allows projects to leverage grants from the state, federal government and private organizations.

According to Friends of Community Preservation, Community Preservation revenues from city taxes has contributed $3.8 million towards local project and prompted $1.9 million in matching funds from the state. The average toll on property taxes is $79.11 in fiscal 2011.

Some residents feel that is $79 they would rather keep. They are also upset about how some of the money has been spent. Tacy said there are still bad feelings over a Community Preservation Act award of $250,000 to Valley Community Development Corporation to improve a boarding house on Maple Street in Florence by creating “enhanced” units with individual kitchens and bathrooms. The corporation eventually dropped the “enhanced” aspect and the project proceeded at about half the originally projected cost of $2 million.

The Community Preservation Committee insisted that it was aware of the possible change in plans when it allocated the money. Nonetheless, some councilors, Tacy included, feel the city was duped.

Despite this, Tacy says the Community Preservation money has been responsible for a lot of good projects in Northampton and will not say whether or not he will personally vote it down.

“This is just a chance to debate and see what they questions are,” he said. “There’s no question the CPA has done some good things. But there are some problems that need to be addressed.”

City Council At Large candidate William Dwight has released a statement affirming his own support for the Community Preservation Act.

“Our local economy depends on our special mix of vibrant downtowns surrounded by open spaces,” Dwight said. “Community Preservation Act funding is essential if we are to maintain a balanced approach to development during tough economic and fiscal times.”

Voters will get the chance to decide for themselves on Nov. 8.

A student at Springfield Technical Community College, McAuliffe graduated from Chicopee Comprehensive High School in 2010.

Submitted photoJoel D. McAuliffe

CHICOPEE – Saying it is time for fresh ideas to improve education, Joel D. McAuliffe has announced he is a candidate for an at-large seat on the School Committee.

McAuliffe, 19, of 359 Granby Road, is a student at Springfield Technical Community College and works at Best Buy in Holyoke. He is facing off against Michael J. Pise, a long-term School Committee member in Ward 4 who decided this year to run for an at-large seat.

Having graduated from Chicopee Comprehensive High School in 2010 and having served as president of his class gives him a unique perspective on how to improve the schools, McAuliffe said.

“Throughout my time at Comprehensive I had the privilege to build many friendships both with students and staff. My close relationship with the staff allowed me to learn the inner workings of what it takes to make a school successful as well as the feelings of teachers on a variety of subjects," he said. "I want to work with the education professionals to find out how they feel about issues and what will make our schools better. No one knows more about today’s students then the teachers who teach them. We do not give them enough say."

In his announcement, McAuliffe said the first issue he would address is retention of students who fail classes. The current policy allows students to progress to the next year regardless of how many credits they earn. He said he would change that by requiring students to pass English and a minimum of four other classes.

“We need to address the issue of dropping out at its earliest stage not at the end. Send a message to the students who do not understand the impact of their actions as a 14- or 15-year-old. This is a simple change that would have a huge impact on students in Chicopee,” he said.

He also called for a change in members, saying the School Committee has been dysfunctional and filled with infighting.

“Members can’t work out simple issues. This needs to change and I plan to be the one to change it. It is time to put politics aside and do what is right for our students,” he said.

Nock walked the wire that extends across the peaks high above circus tent on the Eastern States Exposition grounds in West Springfield.

View full sizeComedy daredevil act Bello Nock went out for a walk on Tuesday -- on the really high wire above the circus tents at the Big E in West Springfield.

WEST SPRINGFIELD - Comedy daredevil stuntman Bello Nock, the starring act of the Big E Super Circus, decided to get an over-the-top view of the circus big top this week.

Nock walked the wire that extends across the peaks high above circus tent on the Eastern States Exposition grounds in West Springfield on Tuesday. The wire is 70 feet in the air and 50 feet long; the tent is located near the giant slide on the fairgrounds.

Bello is a seventh-generation performer and has received many awards exemplifying his talents, according to officials at the Big E. He was awarded the “Gold Clown” at the 2011 Monte Carlo International Circus Festival, making him the first American to receive the honor. Bello performed for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus for eight years and was the first person in Ringling’s over 140-year history to have a production named after him, “Bellobration,” which produced record attendances.

He holds two Guinness World Records for the longest high wire walk and the longest unsupported high wire walk, both set when he walked a wire across the length of Royal Caribbean’s “Majesty of the Seas” in 2010.

People who life in the area of Route 116 around Graystone Avenue ang Gagne's Package Store could be affected

GRANBY – The Granby Fire Department will hold a meeting on Oct. 1 at 10 a.m. at the Granby Senior Center, 10 West State St., to talk about a possible abatement of the fire tax for certain Granby residents.

The issue affects people who live in the area of Route 116 around Graystone Avenue and Gagne’s Package Store.

Because of the geography of Granby and South Hadley, “the fire district boundaries overlap,” said Granby Fire Chief Russell Anderson.

As a result, residents in that pocket of Granby pay taxes both to the Granby Fire Department and to the District 2 Fire Department of South Hadley, based at 20 Woodbridge St.

Some residents have complained about the tax situation, said Anderson. Others seem to be untroubled by the double dose of safety.

State representatives Ellen Story and John Scibak and state senator Gale Candaras are scheduled to attend the meeting, which was originated by the Granby Selectboard.

The selectboard began discussing the issue over a year ago.

The state officials were invited “to see if something can be worked out legislatively, and what’s required for that,” said Anderson.

“They can assist us in accomplishing whatever the people at the meeting decide,” said Christopher Martin, Town Administrator for Granby.

Martin said it’s important for residents who will be affected to show up. “We need to know what people want,” he said.

Originally, South Hadley had one fire department, in the Falls area.

A second fire department, Fire District 2, was built across the street from Mount Holyoke College, evidently because there was no direct route to the college in the earlier history of the town.

The economists said that at 35 weeks, the average duration of unemployment in 2011 is at its highest level ever recorded.

By MICHAEL NORTON

BOSTON - Global demand for high-tech products that helped propel the Massachusetts economy over the past year has flattened out and the state economy is "showing clear signs of slowing," according to 12 economic analysts who serve on the MassBenchmarks editorial board.

In a summary of the board's Sept. 23 discussions released Thursday, the economists wrote that recovery in the state's labor market has been "agonizingly slow," with the state's total jobs number still 150,000 below its 2001 peak. The state’s unemployment rate stands at 7.4 percent.

The economists said that at 35 weeks, the average duration of unemployment in 2011 is at its highest level ever recorded.

"All segments of the population are suffering from long-term unemployment: young workers, including recent college graduates; middle aged workers, especially those who worked outside the high technology sector; and workers who are approaching retirement age, and face the prospect of forced early retirement with too few resources for a comfortable life," the editorial board reported.

The board includes economic experts from UMass Lowell, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., Wellesley College, Boston University, MIT, State Street Bank, Harvard University and Northeastern University.

Over the first eight months of 2011, more than 200,000 workers in Massachusetts were working part-time but wanted full-time work and the state has seen a rise in "hidden unemployment" reflected by a decline in the estimated size of the active labor force this year, according to the summary.

Looking ahead, the board said the state's prospects are clouded by the reluctance of consumers to spend, possible cuts in federal spending on defense and research, the crisis in the Euro currency zone and the "possible effects of financial contagion."

Saying the economic downturn that started in 2008 was deeper than policymakers realized at the time and asserting that monetary policy is “now nearing the limit of its effectiveness,” board members called on Washington to address the economy with “renewed vigor.”

"It is clear that the economy is not going to heal itself, and that fiscal austerity in the short run will only prolong the economic suffering," the board wrote. "The economically prudent policy - more fiscal stimulus in the short run coupled with deficit reduction that takes effect as the economy recovers - can be achieved if we can reach political consensus.

More details coming on MassLive.com and in The Republican.

According to the Journal, Friendly’s is negotiating a $70 million financing to keep it afloat during bankruptcy proceedings.

Photo by Michael S. Gordon / The RepublicanHarsha V. Agadi, left, Friendly's chairman and CEO, gives a "high five" hand slap to Brady Paquette of Ludlow, during promotional visit to the company's restaurant on Boston Road in Springfield last week. The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that the company is considering a possible bankruptcy reorganization filing.

WILBRAHAM - The Friendly Ice Cream Corp. is considering filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, to be followed up by a potential sale, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing unnamed sources. The filing may come as early as next week, the Journal reported.

The chain, which operates about 500 Friendly's ice cream and hamburger restaurants, has reported $700 million in annual, system-wide sales.

Friendly’s celebrated its 75th anniversary last year. At the time, the company had 508 Friendly’s restaurants and employed 12,000. The number of employees is now roughly 10,000, according to the Journal report.

According to the Journal, Friendly’s is negotiating a $70 million financing to keep it afloat during bankruptcy proceedings.

Boca Raton, Fla.-based private equity firm Sun Capital Partners acquired Friendly’s in 2007 for $337 million cash. The sale followed a public spat with the company’s largest shareholder, Sardar Biglari.

Friendly’s could not be immediately reached for comment. Sun Capital also could not be reached for comment.

More details coming on MassLive.com and in The Republican.

Traders were relieved that Germany passed a measure to expand the powers of a regional bailout fund.

Associated Press photoGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel reacts after she casts her vote about the eurozone bailout fund at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin. German lawmakers approved new powers Thursday for the eurozone bailout fund in a major step toward tackling the bloc's sprawling sovereign debt crisis.

NEW YORK – It was another day of big swings in the stock market.

The Dow Jones industrial average ended with a gain of 143 points Thursday. On its way there, it surged 260 points shortly after the opening bell, then turned mixed for much of the day. A burst of buying in the last half-hour of trading sent the Dow shooting higher again.

Financial stocks had the biggest gains. Traders were relieved that Germany passed a measure to expand the powers of a regional bailout fund. That eased worries that U.S. banks could be buffeted by another bout of turmoil in Europe’s financial system. Travelers Cos. Inc. and Bank of America Corp. led the Dow average higher.

Investors struggled to make sense of conflicting reports on the economy. First-time applications for unemployment benefits fell to a five-month low. The government also raised its estimate of economic growth in the April-June period.

Other economic reports were weak. A trade group reported that chief executives of the nation’s largest companies are more pessimistic than they were just three months ago. Also, fewer Americans signed contracts to buy homes in August, the second straight month of declines.

All of that contributed to another day of ups and downs on the stock market. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 143.08 points, or 1.3 percent, to close at 11,153.98. Travelers led the Dow with a gain of 3.2 percent; Bank of America was close behind, rising 3.1 percent.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 9.34 points, or 0.8 percent, to 1,160.40. Financial stocks rose 2.8 percent, the most of the 10 company groups that make up the S&P.

Technology companies lagged the rest of the market. The Nasdaq composite index lost 10.82 points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,480.76.

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. plunged 13.7 percent, the most of any stock in the S&P 500, after the company cut its revenue and earnings forecast for the third quarter, saying it was having problems getting its chips made.

Retailers and other consumer discretionary stocks also tanked as investors avoided companies that would be most susceptible to an economic downturn. Netflix Inc. fell 11 percent, Tiffany & Co. fell 6.9 percent and Coach Inc. fell 6.1 percent.

Analysts said financial markets were likely to remain volatile until more questions were resolved about Europe’s debt crisis and the U.S. economy. “Until we start to see more clarity on policy intervention, we’ll continue to see this intraday, manic market reaction,” said James Dailey, chief investment officer of TEAM Financial Managers Inc.

The measure approved by German lawmakers to expand the region’s bailout fund must be approved by all 17 countries that use the euro. The plan will allow the bailout fund to buy government debt and lend money to troubled European countries. Finland approved the measure Wednesday.

Analysts cautioned that bank stocks remain vulnerable if Europe stumbles in its efforts to contain its debt crisis. “Investors need to be very careful, because there is still a vast labyrinth of potential challenges that remain to be cleared with regard to Europe,” said Frank Barbera, a portfolio co-manager of the Sierra Core Retirement Fund.

About three stocks rose for every one that fell on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume was average at 4.5 billion shares.

Setian asked whether an acceptable candidate could be found in house.

Barry Del Castilho

WILBRAHAM - The Board of Selectmen was asked earlier this week why it decided to spend $12,500 for a consultant when it could do the search for a new police chief itself and save the money.

“Don’t we have anybody in-house who could do the job of police chief so we don’t spend the additional money?” Harry Setian, a town resident asked.

“That’s a fair question,” Selectmen Chairman Patrick J. Brady responded.

Longtime Police Chief Allen M. Stratton has informed the board that he plans to retire by Dec. 31.

Selectmen have agreed to contract Barry Del Castilho of the Collins Center for Public Management to assist the board in its search for a new police chief.

Brady said the board will consider in house applicants for the position. He added, “We owe it to the town to look outside as well.”

Nobody on the Board of Selectmen has experience recruiting applicants for the police chief position, he said.

Brady said Del Castilho served the town four years ago as interim town manager, and the board trusts his expertise.

Filling the police chief position is a big decision for the Board of Selectmen, Brady said. He said the police chief gets tenure after three years and could end up serving the town for many years.

“We don’t expect everybody to agree with us,” Brady said. He said he believes the $12,500 will be well spent.

He advised Setian “to check back with the board in a year and tell us how we did.”

Del Castilho said he and Town Administrator Robert A. Weitz will screen applicants for the position, and a selection committee will interview 10 candidates and bring three finalists to the Board of Selectmen to interview.

Del Castilho said he believes the search and hiring can be completed within three months so a new chief can be brought on board when Stratton retires.

“We will do this in an open manner and keep you apprised,” Brady told Setian.

Setian said he feels satisfied that the selectmen have given serious consideration to the best method of finding a new chief.

Murray pointed to a weeklong crackdown by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that resulted in the arrest of 2,900 "criminal aliens" around the country, including dozens in Massachusetts.

File photos | The Republican (Murray) and Associated Press (Patrick)Massachusetts Senate President Therese Murray, left, said Thursday she doesn't understand why Gov. Deval Patrick, right, hasn't embraced the Secure Communities program.

By KYLE CHENEY

BOSTON – Senate President Therese Murray on Thursday questioned Gov. Deval Patrick’s hesitance to embrace Secure Communities, a federal program to cross-check the immigration status of arrestees and queue up serious undocumented offenders for deportation.

“I’m really not sure. I have not had a full discussion with him on it,” she said. “We have to do it anyway. All of the states have to do it by 2013.”

During an appearance on Marshfield-based WATD-FM, Murray pointed to a weeklong crackdown by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that concluded Wednesday and resulted in the arrest of 2,900 “criminal aliens” around the country, including dozens in Massachusetts.

“I think that this roundup they just did really points that we have a problem,” said the Plymouth Democrat. An aide later confirmed she supports the activation of Secure Communities in Massachusetts.

Murray also said she agreed with a group of Republican county sheriffs pushing for tools to perform immigration checks on inmates, adding that most county jails already implement a “system of biometrics” to verify the status of prisoners.

“I don’t understand why you wouldn’t check the status of people coming into your criminal justice system,” the Plymouth Democrat said during her radio interview.

Although Patrick has insisted that Secure Communities is an information-sharing program between two federal agencies – with no state sign-off needed – Republicans have bludgeoned him as pandering to his base on the issue and appear poised to make it a central focus of the 2012 election cycle.

With their persistent and repeated attacks on Patrick over Secure Communities, Republicans appear to believe they have found an issue on which the administration is vulnerable. The issue arose during Patrick’s reelection bid in 2010, when Republican Charles Baker and Independent Tim Cahill hammered him for refusing to immediately sign onto the program. Patrick weathered the criticism in part by saying his administration was still reviewing it.

After the election, Patrick indicated his intent to join Secure Communities before wavering and calling a statewide hearing tour on the matter. In June, Patrick said he worried that the program could lead to profiling and would net low-level arrestees rather than targeting serious and violent criminals, and he expressed uncertainty about whether federal officials would unilaterally implement the program on their own. In August, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement director John Morton informed Patrick of plans to do just that, canceling all deals with states and moving ahead with plans to bring the program online around the country by 2013.

Although ICE plans to take Secure Communities nationwide in 2013, local officials – primarily Republicans – have pressed to expand the program sooner. Currently, in Massachusetts, it is only active in Suffolk County.

Murray, who faced a close reelection fight last year against Republican Thomas Keyes, is among the highest-ranking Massachusetts Democrats to back to the Secure Communities concept. She noted that she met this week with Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph McDonald, a Republican who ripped Patrick Wednesday for showing “open hostility” toward the program.

Her remarks put her at odds with House Speaker Robert DeLeo. DeLeo was one of 84 Democrats in the House who voted against a budget amendment in April that would have directed Patrick to enter into an agreement with federal officials to participate in Secure Communities. Seventy-three House members, including the entire 32-member Republican caucus, back the proposal.

DeLeo told the News Service this week that a string of violent crimes allegedly committed by illegal immigrants had “raised the issue” for lawmakers. Asked whether something had to be done legislatively to address illegal immigration, DeLeo said, “What that something may be, I’m not certain of. I think at the very least it’s going to require some study.”

Murray’s remarks came three days after the Senate backed a proposal to check the immigration status of job applicants at casinos, a plan offered as an amendment to an expanded gambling bill. The amendment passed 32-6 without debate, although one opponent later referred to the amendment as “anti-immigrant.”

In a blog post, the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition called the amendment “bigoted” and worried that the federal program to check immigration status – known as E-Verify – produces flawed results and could bar legal immigrants from employment.

“[W]ith the hyped branding of a ‘jobs-creation bill,’ the Senate has once again snuck in a prejudiced, unfair and scapegoating measure in the name of protecting jobs for Massachusetts workers,” according to the group.

The Senate has previously taken positions over the objections of immigrant advocates, using budget debates in recent years to pass sweeping crackdowns on contractors who hire illegal immigrants and stepped up punishment for people who drive without a license. Murray, after the Senate adopted one such spate of proposals in 2010, called parts of it “unfortunate” and said she advanced the proposal because her colleagues wanted it.

During last year’s election cycle, Murray described rising anti-immigrant sentiment in America.

“This is nothing new in America, this kind of hate, this kind of fractious dissent has always been with us and we need to rise above it because everyone has a right to come to this country and everyone has a right to be a citizen and if they don't come legally then Congress must act and they must act soon to pave that way,” she said during remarks to the Cape and Islands Democratic Council.

The average length of unemployment has reached 35 weeks, the longest average in state history.

This is an updated version of a story posted at 5:15 this afternoon.

Robert A. Nakosteen

HADLEY – Massachusetts’ economy will slow in the next three months, but will not fall back into recession, according to a report issued Thursday by leading economists associated with the University of Massachusetts’ Donahue Institute.

“There are a lot of moving pieces here, and not a lot of them look all that good right now,” said Robert A. Nakosteen, a professor of economics and statistics at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst Isenberg School of Management and a member of the editorial board at MassBenchmarks, a study of the state’s economy. “I think the state is going to see a real slowdown.”

The Donahue Institute has offices in Hadley.

Spending by corporations on technology had been helping the state’s economy. Much of that technology originates in or near Boston. “But that technology spending is starting to slow down,” Nakosteen said. “Ironically, a lot of companies bought that technology so that they didn’t have to hire as many people.”

He said the average duration of unemployment is in Massachusetts is now 35 weeks, the longest average duration in state history.

There was bad news on the real estate front from another source. The number of foreclosure deeds, typically the last step in the foreclosure process, rose 22.92 percent from 48 in August 2010 to 59 in August 2011 breaking a trend of fewer foreclosures in 2011 than in 2010, according to the Warren Group, a Boston-based provider of real-estate information. For Hampden County as a whole, the number of foreclosure deeds remained unchanged form August 2010 to August 2011 at 88 deeds, according to The Warren Group.

In Hampshire County, the number of foreclosure deeds fell 7.14 percent from 14 in August 2010 to 13 in August 2011.

In Franklin County, the number of foreclosure deeds rose 18.18 percent from 11 in August 2010 to 13 in August 2011, according to The Warren Group.

Statewide, more than 937 foreclosures were completed in August, the most of any month so far in 2011, according to The Warren Group.

Nakosteen said household debt is a fundamental problem with the economy.

“The value of their homes has dropped. Now, homeowners have an asset versus liability problem,” he said.

Debt also keeps people from shopping, he said. A lack of strong demand for goods and services is keeping companies from hiring.

“No matter what people are saying, customers have to walk in the door,” Nakosteen said. “That is what it takes to make a recovery.”

As a group, MassBenchmarks editors released a consensus opinion that federal lawmakers need to address the economy with renewed vigor.

“The economically prudent policy – more fiscal stimulus in the short run coupled with deficit reduction that takes effect as the economy recovers – can be achieved if we can reach political consensus,” all the economists wrote.

Listeria also prompted a California farm to recall bags of chopped romaine lettuce because of possible contamination, though no illnesses have been reported.

By MARILYNN MARCHIONE | AP Chief Medical Writer

Associated PressCantaloupes rot in the afternoon heat on a field on the Jensen Farms near Holly, Colo., on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011. The Food and Drug Administration has recalled 300,000 cases of cantaloupe grown on the Jensen Farms after connecting it with a listeria outbreak. Officials said Wednesday more illnesses and possibly more deaths may be linked to the outbreak of listeria in coming weeks. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

MILWAUKEE — Avoid foreign produce. Wash and peel your fruit. Keep it refrigerated. None of these common tips would have guaranteed your safety from the deadliest food outbreak in a decade, the one involving cantaloupes from Colorado.

Whether it's sprouts or spinach, turkey or hamburger; whether the government conducted double, triple or quadruple inspections, the truth is that no food will ever be completely free of risk.

And a few foods have become so risky that certain people such as children, pregnant women and the elderly may do best to avoid them altogether until growers and the government figure out how to make them safer, some food experts say.

An unappetizing fact: Although the current cantaloupe outbreak has been tied to just one farm in Colorado, it's at least the 19th outbreak involving that melon since 1984. It's also the first one caused by listeria, a germ that actually likes to be in the refrigerator and thrives in this fruit, which cannot be cooked unless you want to eat melon mush.

Listeria also prompted a California farm to recall bags of chopped romaine lettuce on Thursday because of possible contamination, though no illnesses have been reported. The greens from Salinas-based True Leaf Farms went to an Oregon distributor and possibly at least two other states — Washington and Idaho.

So what should you do if you see cantaloupe on a salad bar or at the grocery store? Can you be sure all of the tainted stuff has been pulled from the market, since the last bad melons were shipped on Sept. 10? What if no one knows where the cantaloupe was grown?

"If the store can't tell them or the restaurant can't tell them, I would not buy it at all," said Chris Waldrop, director of the Food Policy Institute at the Consumer Federation of America.

Laura Anderko, a Georgetown University public health expert, went a step further.

"Honestly, as a nurse, I would tell people don't eat the cantaloupe until this thing resolves itself," she said. "This stuff happens because our system is not as tight as it needs to be."

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has confirmed 13 deaths and 72 illnesses in the outbreak so far, has not told people to stop buying cantaloupe. However, the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration cannot even say where all of the tainted melon went, because it was sold and resold to many distributors across the nation.

"When in doubt, throw it out," is the CDC's advice to consumers who have any cantaloupe whose origins they can't determine.

"Even if the cantaloupe is gone, you need to wash the drawer or shelf it may have been on" to make sure other foods don't become contaminated, said Caroline Smith DeWaal, director of food safety at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Beyond that, each outbreak brings fresh lessons on how to make produce safer. And while some of these things aren't guarantees, they can cut the odds you'll lose at the food safety lottery.

Some new tips food experts offered Thursday:

• Shop more often and consume fresh fruits and vegetables within a few days. This gives germs less chance to multiply and gives you more nutrients from your food, too.

• Don't just wash a melon. Scrub it under running water to rinse off any dislodged germs, and let it dry. If you cut it while it's still wet, "you may be sliding the pathogens more easily from the outside to the inside" on the knife, DeWaal said.

• Keep the fridge cold, 40 degrees or lower. Higher than that can let germs grow.

• Don't get a false sense of security if you buy organic produce. That just means less pesticide — not necessarily fewer germs.

• Consider dropping especially risky foods from your diet. Bean sprouts are not safe for children, pregnant women or people with weak immune systems and certain diseases, but that doesn't mean they're OK for everyone else, said Michael Doyle, a microbiologist who heads the University of Georgia's Center for Food Safety.

Doyle also consults for a lot of food companies, including a major spinach producer that sought help after outbreaks involving that vegetable. He has chaired a food safety advisory council for McDonald's for many years.

"I don't eat sprouts at all," he said. If harmful bacteria are in the seeds "they grow in the sprouting process, and there's nothing to kill them unless you cook them."

You can go too far with this, though. Even Dr. Robert Tauxe, the CDC's top food-germ sleuth, once confessed over lunch that he refused to live in fear, and that there were only a few foods he absolutely wouldn't eat, such as raw oysters and unpasteurized milk.

Beyond that, safe handling and cooking can generally keep most foods safe, he said.

The big picture is important, said Robert Gravani, a food scientist at Cornell University.

A gazillion pounds of produce are consumed each day, and only a tiny fraction cause problems, he said.

"I have a hard time saying, 'Don't eat produce,' because of all of the health benefits," he said. "Everything we do has some degree of risk attached to it."