Markets fell worldwide after Greece said it will miss deficit reduction targets it agreed to as part of its bailout deal.

Associated PressTraders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Monday, Oct. 3, 2011. European markets slumped, dragging U.S. stocks down along with them, after Greece said it will miss deficit reduction targets it agreed to as part of its bailout deal. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

By DAVID K. RANDALL
AP Business Writer

NEW YORK — The latest setback in Greece's financial crisis sent the Standard and Poor's 500 index to its lowest level of the year, putting it on the edge of a new bear market.

The index, the benchmark for most U.S. stock funds, has fallen 19.4 percent since its high for the year on April 29. A 20 percent drop would signify the start of a bear market, ending a bull market that began in March 2009. The S&P 500 has gained 76 percent since then, including dividends.

European markets slumped, dragging U.S. stocks down along with them, after Greece said it will miss deficit reduction targets it agreed to as part of its bailout deal. Benchmark indexes in Germany, France and Spain all fell 2 percent.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 258.08 points, or 2.4 percent, to 10,655.30. The S&P 500 lost 32.19, or 2.9 percent, to 1,099.23. That's below its closing low of 1,119 for the year, reached on Aug. 8.

Indexes measuring smaller stocks fell even more than the Dow and S&P, which are dominated by large companies. The Nasdaq composite slid 79.57, or 3.3 percent, to 2,335.83. The Russell 2000 index of small companies plunged 5.4 percent to 609.49.

All 10 company groups in the S&P index fell. Banks, energy, and consumer discretionary stocks had the steepest declines. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.75 percent from 1.91 percent late Friday as investors piled into lower-risk investments. The yield hit a record low of 1.71 percent on Sept. 22.

"The market is continuing to trade based on what is happening in Europe, and that is going to overshadow everything else," said Quincy Krosby, market strategist at Prudential Financial. "The math (for the Greek bailout) didn't add up a year ago, and the math doesn't add up today. The market knows that and is waiting for the Europeans to acknowledge it."

The renewed concerns about Europe's debt problems pushed the euro down to $1.32 versus the dollar, a 9-month low. The stronger dollar could hurt large U.S. companies that rely on exports by making their products more expensive overseas. Coca-Cola Co. fell 3.2 percent to $65.42. Caterpillar Inc., which sells construction equipment globally, lost 4.5 percent to $70.55. Boeing, another large exporter, dropped 3.7 percent to $58.25.

"Everything that is coming out of Greece suggests that the dollar is only going to strengthen, which doesn't bode well for the international firms," said J.J. Kinahan, chief options strategist at T.D. Ameritrade. "It's tough to be bullish on anything at the moment."

The Dow briefly turned higher after 10 a.m., when the Institute of Supply Management said its gauge of U.S. manufacturing did better than Wall Street had predicted in September. The Dow and S&P turned mixed within 20 minutes, then took a sharp slide shortly after noon.

The slump started the market off on a weak note for the fourth quarter. Concerns that the U.S. economy is headed for another recession helped send the S&P 500 index, the basis for most mutual funds that invest in U.S. stocks, down 14 percent over the three months that ended in September. It was the worst quarter for the stock market since the financial crisis of 2008.

Some investors are also concerned that Friday's jobs report will show that unemployment rose from 9.1 percent in September. "If I had to bet, I would say it's more likely that more jobs have been lost than a surprise to the upside," said T.D. Ameritrade's Kinahan.

In corporate news, AMR Corp., the parent company of American Airlines, plummeted 33 percent to $1.98 as concerns flared up again that the company could be headed for bankruptcy protection. The stock hadn't closed below $2 since 2003. American is considered the most vulnerable among U.S. carriers to an economic downturn.

Bank of America Corp. plunged 9.6 percent to $5.53, the lowest price for the stock since the financial crisis in 2008. The company has fallen 59 percent since January as investors fret that the nation's largest bank will be hit with more settlements over mortgage securities that lost value after the housing bust.

Yahoo Inc. gained 2.7 percent, to $13.53, after the head of Chinese Internet company Alibaba Group Holdings said he would be interested in buying the company. Yahoo, which recently ousted Carol Bartz as its CEO, has been trying to decide whether to sell parts of the company.

Nine stocks fell for every one that rose on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume was heavy at 5.8 billion shares.

David Dec and Ramona Balicki were put on probation and ordered to perform community service following their convictions.

File photo | The Republican03.29.1998 | FILE PHOTO | NORTHAMPTON – David P. Dec, right, and Ramona M. Balicki, with one of their lawyers John G. Swomley, left, at their arraignment in Hampshire Superior Court.

NORTHAMPTON – The state Appeals Court has affirmed the guilty verdicts against two former Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School employees resulting from their 2002 trial on charges of stealing from the school.

Although the court agreed that prosecutor Alexander Z. Nappan overstepped his boundaries by stating a personal opinion to the jury in his closing argument, it determined that his “improper” remarks did not make a difference in the jury’s conclusions regarding David P. Dec and Ramona M. Balicki.

Dec, who had been the school’s business manager, and Balicki, a secretary in the business office, were accused of stealing $40,000 in receipts from a soft drink machine, skimming money from scholarship funds, making false claims and filing false reports. The defendants, who are married, were acquitted of about half those charges but convicted of several others, including larceny over $250.

Dec and Balicki maintained that they were singled out for prosecution because they supported the school’s farm program, which the city had planned to discontinue, and because Dec had a lawsuit against the city seeking reinstatement and back pay following his 1995 resignation. A number of Smith School employees and city officials supported the couple and submitted letters to the court on their behalf.

Dec and Balicki were put on probation and ordered to perform community service following their convictions. Neither served time in jail.

The appeal argued that Nappan engaged in misconduct by personally vouching for the integrity of the prosecution in his closing remarks. Although the Appeals Court rejected that argument, it wrote, “We are presented with yet another case in which a prosecutor, by venturing beyond the boundaries of fair argument in his closing remarks to the jury, has threatened to ‘snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.’”

Nappan told the jury “the integrity of this investigation is beyond reproach” in response to the defendants’ claims of unfair prosecution. The Appeals Court said, however, that the evidence in the case was strong and that the judge properly instructed the jury that closing remarks do not constitute evidence.

Orchards lawyer: Although club employees referred to Craig Barton as "Creepy Craig" because of his manner when he had too much to drink, there was no sign of "Creepy Craig" the day he killed Kareta with his car.

NORTHAMPTON – Although a police officer at the scene determined that Craig A. Barton appeared intoxicated when he killed Frederick S. Kareta III with his car, a lawyer for the club that served Barton alcohol before the crash said employees there saw no such indications.

Alexandra R. Power, who is representing The Orchards, a South Hadley golf course, asked Judge Bertha D. Josephson to dismiss a civil suit against her client for lack of evidence Monday. Kareta, 22, was gathering the mail at his aunt’s house in South Hadley on Aug. 28, 2010, when Barton’s Lexus knocked him out of his shoes and propelled him 80 feet. He died of massive injuries.

Barton, a juvenile court lawyer who lives in Westfield, pleaded guilty last month to motor vehicle homicide while under the influence of alcohol in Hampshire Superior Court. He was sentenced to 5-7 years in prison.

At his sentencing, prosecutors said Barton consumed at least four alcoholic drinks at The Orchards before striking Kareta on his way from that club to another bar in Holyoke. He was traveling 61 miles an hour in a 35 mile-an-hour zone when his car left Brainard Street and drove up on the lawn where Kareta was standing.

Kareta’s family filed the civil suit against Barton and The Orchards seeking damages for his death. According to Power, Barton’s insurer has offered the family the full amount payable on his policy. The family has no legitimate liability claim against The Orchards, however, she contended.

Prosecutors at Barton’s plea cited statements by a waitress at the club that she cut Barton off because he was intoxicated. Power said the waitress told a different story in another affidavit, saying she only told Barton to finish the full bottle of beer in front of him before he ordered another drink. She subsequently served Barton a margarita, Power said.

Although club employees referred to Barton as “Creepy Craig” because of his manner when he had too much to drink, there was no sign of “Creepy Craig” on Aug. 28, according to Power. She also noted that witnesses reported Barton smoking marijuana and taking three Percocets that day.

John D. Ross III, the lawyer for the Kareta family, told Judge Bertha D. Josephson that the waitress’ conflicting statements were “a jump ball,” and don’t warrant dismissal of the suit. Josephson took the matter under advisement.

Northwestern First Assistant DA Steven Gagne said the Commonwealth is not suggesting Morse was blatantly drunk but the combination of alcohol and marijuana impaired his ability to safety operate the motor boat.

The Republican file photo | Michael S. GordonSteven J. Morse appears in Hampshire District Court in Decemeber 2010.

NORTHAMPTON – The lawyer for a man accused of running over a boy on Lake Norwich with his motorboat and killing him last year told a judge Monday that his client might have been blinded by the sun’s glare on the water but there is no evidence he was intoxicated at the time.

Attorney Michael O. Jennings asked Hampshire Superior Court Judge Bertha D. Josephson to dismiss the manslaughter and boat homicide charges against Steven J. Morse of Westfield. According to prosecutors, Morse, 37, was pulling a water skier on the lake on Aug. 17, 2010, when he ran over a kayak containing Augustus Adamopoulos and his father, James Adamopoulos. Augustus, 10, known as Gus, died of injuries suffered from the crash.

Augustus "Gus" Adamopoulos

Prosecutors maintain that Morse was intoxicated from a combination of alcohol and marijuana and that he was driving the boat recklessly and under the influence of those substances. Although a witness told police that Morse had alcohol on his breath, Jennings noted that a breathalyzer test performed at the scene registered .064, below the legal limit of intoxication. Subsequent tests performed a few hours afterwards at the state police barracks registered little or no alcohol, he said.

Jennings told the judge that the grand jury did not hear testimony from an Environmental Police officer who performed a number of field sobriety tests on Morse at the scene and did not find him intoxicated. Moreover, he said, the only testimony the grand jury heard about intoxication was from a Coast Guard commander who related information he had gathered from the Internet about the effects of combining alcohol and marijuana.

Jennings asked Josephson to review a video of police attempting to recreate the scene on Lake Norwich a few days after the crash. That video, he said, shows police struggling with the sun’s glare off the water in the early evening, the time the crash occurred.

Northwestern First Assistant District Attorney Steven Gagne said the Commonwealth is not suggesting that Morse was blatantly drunk at the time but that the combination of alcohol and marijuana impaired his ability to safety operate the motor boat.

“Mr. Morse has been on the lake hundreds of times,” Gagne said. “He did not let off the gas as he headed into that patch of blind glare.”

Josephson took the matter under advisement.

Marie Joseph's body was discovered 2 days after she drowned in a public swimming pool.

Associated PressThis June 26, 2011 photo provided by Candella Matta shows Marie Joseph, foreground, holding family friend Dalianys Melendez, daughter of Candella Matta, in the public swimming pool at Lafayette Park in Fall River, Mass. The body of Joseph, 36, was found floating in the pool two days later. (AP Photo/Candella Matta)

FALL RIVER — A prosecutor is seeking charges against two Massachusetts state employees for opening a public swimming pool where a woman drowned and her body went unnoticed for days.

Bristol District Attorney Samuel Sutter says a Department of Conservation and Recreation regional director and the SouthCoast district manager won't be charged in the death of Marie Joseph. But he says state police will seek criminal complaints against them for allowing the pool to remain open the following two days, when the water was too cloudy for safe operation.

Joseph's body was discovered June 28 at the murky pool in Fall River, 50 miles south of Boston.

Joseph was a Newport, R.I., hotel housekeeper from Haiti. Her death was ruled accidental. But the prosecutor cites a "systemic failure" in the pool's operation.

The Department of Conservation and Recreation says it'll comment later.

Denson is charged with one count of first degree murder and two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in the widely-publicized March 13, 2010 killing.

Updates a story posted Monday at 1:43p.m.

SPRINGFIELD – Jury selection is scheduled to resume Tuesday in the trial of a Eric B. Denson, the 22-year old city man charged with killing Cathedral High School soccer star Conor Reynolds during a party at the Blue Fusion bar in 2010.

Hampden Superior Court Judge Peter A. Velis said he hopes to impanel 14 jurors by the end of Tuesday’s session, clearing the way for the trial to begin with a tour of the St. James Street nightclub on Wednesday.

With only 5 of 120 prospective jurors seated Monday, a new pool of jury candidates will be brought in as the selection process continues in the trial of Denson, accused of stabbing Conor W. Reynolds during a crowded birthday party attended by as many as 200 teenagers and young adults.

Denson is charged with one count of first degree murder and two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in the widely publicized March 13, 2010 killing. He is accused of fatally stabbing Reynolds and wounding a second Cathedral student, Peter D’Amario, during a crowded party at the night club.

Velis told jurors Monday the trial would involve an unusually large number of potential witnesses and would take an estimated four weeks to complete.

The names of more than 100 possible witnesses, from city and state police to Cathedral High School students and expert witnesses from Texas and California, were read aloud to determine if any prospective jurors knew them, or had family or social ties.

By 1 p.m., the jury pool had been halved as one juror after another was dismissed after brief interviews at the judge’s bench with Hampden District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni, Assistant District Attorney Karen J. Bell and defense lawyers Harry L. Miles, David Rountree and Bonnie G. Allen.

Denson, wearing a blue dress shirt over a white T-shirt, spent much of the day listening to the interviews and conferring with his lawyers.

A half dozen of Denson’s family members were present in the courtroom, along with four reluctant prosecution witnesses who were subpoenaed to testify.

After the jurors were dismissed, the prosecution and defense also tangled over discovery issues that surfaced in the weeks before the trial.

Velis, saying he was determined to keep the trial on schedule, ordered both sides to try to work out an agreement before opening arguments Wednesday or Thursday.

Police said Reynolds was trying to break up an argument at the party when Denson approached and stabbed him in the neck, also wounding D’Amario.

Some of the partygoers tried to assist Reynolds, who was bleeding profusely, immediately after the attack, officials said.

Head Pro Billy Downes said last week he was waiting to hear whether the 18-hole course would stay open beyond Sunday.

HAMPDEN – A telephone recording at the Hampden Country Club says the golf course and pro shop are closed until further notice.

Head Pro Billy Downes said last week that he was waiting to hear whether the 18-hole course would stay open beyond Sunday.

Director of Golf William Tragakis could not be reached for comment Monday.

Findlay and Elliott also were ordered to pay nearly $140,000 in restitution.

File photos | The RepublicanPatrick Elliott, left, of Charlton, and Brian Findlay, of Ashford, Conn., Brimfield call firefighters, were sentenced to 3-year terms at the Hampden County House of Correction on arson convictions.

BRIMFIELD – Two Brimfield call firefighters convicted of setting empty houses on fire will serve jail time and pay nearly $140,000 apiece in restitution, and their cases have prompted new training aimed at trying to recognize firefighter candidates with a potential for arson.

“While this does not happen often, it is sad and frankly unacceptable,” state Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan said Monday, referring to the arson convictions for Brian S. Findlay, 20, of Ashford, Conn., and Patrick K. Elliott, 20, of Charlton.

Both had admitted in court to three counts of burning a building for fires in 2010 and one count of conspiracy.

“The State Police fire investigators assigned to our agency are dedicated to bringing every arsonist to justice as they did in this case,” Coan said.

Hampden Superior Court Judge Peter A. Velis sentenced Elliott and Findlay on Friday to 3-year terms at the Hampden County House of Correction.

The jail time will be followed by 5 years probation, and Elliott and Findlay will have to pay restitution of $139,045.

Assistant District Attorney James M. Forsyth had recommended they be sentenced to 3 to 4½ years in state prison.

Co-defendants Donald C. Moores, 21, of Brimfield, and Dylan Lajeunesse, 19, of Holland, whom Forsyth described as having had smaller roles in the arson case, were sentenced to three years of probation and restitution.

The fifth co-defendant, Jordan R. Frank, 19, of West Brookfield, is scheduled for sentencing Nov. 29.

The Brimfield Board of Selectmen has placed all five on administrative leave and has decided not to comment publicly on the cases or take further action until the final sentencing decision in court.

Call firefighters in Brimfield are paid $12.29 an hour when they respond to a fire.

Coan said these convictions “should not diminish the esteem we have for the 99.9 percent of the firefighters who dedicate themselves to serving their communities.”

“In the wake of this and other incidents, the Department of Fire Services has provided training to fire chiefs and command officers to help them identify people who may be likely to engage in this type of activity when they first apply to enter the fire service and how to detect and address such behavior if it does occur,” Coan said.

Preservation Massachusetts has been compiling its annual "most endangered" list for 18 years, but decided to focus this year solely on communities impacted by the tornadoes.

File photo | The RepublicanThe Young House at the former MacDuffie School in Springfield, seen three months after the June 1 tornado, is among buildings placed on Preservation Massachusetts' 2011 "most endangered" list.

Multiple private and public properties in Springfield, Brimfield, Wilbraham and Monson that were damaged in the June 1 tornadoes have been named to a statewide list of the “most endangered” historic resources in Massachusetts.

Preservation Massachusetts, a statewide historic preservation organization, recently announced its “most endangered” list for 2011, which include Springfield sites such as the Howard Street Armory, the Howard Street School, the former MacDuffie School Campus and the Six Corners neighborhood.

The list also includes downtown Monson and the Monson Town Office building, the Springfield Boys Club Camp in Brimfield, and the Adams Cemetery in Wilbraham.

Preservation Massachusetts has been compiling its annual “most endangered” list for 18 years but decided to focus its attention this year solely on the communities impacted by the tornadoes. It accepted nominations from individuals and organizations.

James W. Igoe, in a prepared release, said it is imperative “to keep the spotlight on the areas devastated by the natural disaster.” The endangered status “is hoped to encourage a restoration ethic and promote the benefits that rehabilitation can bring to a community,” he said.

The list, while not providing a direct link to preservation funds, has served as an important tool for preservation advocacy and education and can be a catalyst for preservation opportunities, according to the organization.

Ralph C. Slate, chairman of the Springfield Historical Commission, praised Preservation Massachusetts for its focus on the tornado-damaged properties, saying the local sites chosen are in danger.

Gary J. McCarthy, executive director of the Springfield Boys and Girls Club, said he is not sure what impact the endangered list designation will have on the Brimfield campground, which is for sale and was rarely used in the last few years before it was damaged by the tornado.

File photo | The RepublicanA smashed car sits next to the South End Community Center at the Howard Street Armory following the June 1 tornado that struck Springfield.

The Howard Street properties are city-owned, were damaged and do not have a slated use, Slate said. The school has been vacant and the armory building, which housed the South End Community Center, has been closed since the tornado.

“I think there will be pressure to knock them down since they are not critically important to the city,” Slate said.

The Six Corners neighborhood is historically significant, has serious damage from the tornado and there are many under-insured properties, Slate said.

With the designation on the most endangered list, more people will realize what can be lost, and that could lead to “a cry to try to save these properties,” Slate said.

Igoe described Six Corners as “a community whose history is a tremendous untapped asset.” It is the smallest of 17 city neighborhoods and “offers opportunities such as historic tax credits that combined with rehabilitation and preservation planning could prove to be catalysts for further investment,” Preservation Massachusetts said.

If the Howard Street Armory is lost to demolition, it would leave “a terrific architectural and historical gap in the neighborhood,” the organization stated.

Regarding the Howard Street school site, there was a preferred developer chosen to redevelop the site, but heavy damage from the tornado raises fears of demolition, Preservation Massachusetts stated.

Staff reporter John Appleton contributed to this report.

After being rarely used for the past 5 years and put up for sale, the camp was severely damaged in the June 1 tornado.

BRIMFIELD - For 86 years the Springfield Boys and Girls Club Camp served thousands of youths, many with no other opportunity to get out in the woods, but it now stands unused and for sale, a victim of changing economics and lifestyles.

After being rarely used for the past five years and put up for sale, the camp was severely damaged in the June 1 tornado in a way that complicates but does not seriously alter the organization’s plans for selling the property.

The club, whose headquarters is on Carew Street in Springfield, owns about 400 acres at the camp on the north side of Route 20, about one mile east of the center of Brimfield.

Many trees came down in the tornado and some landed on buildings.

Most of the 16 buildings were severely damaged, and three of the six barracks-style bunk houses were destroyed.

The pump house, which contained the pump that provided water for the campground, was destroyed, and the administrative building and pavilion were severely damaged.

On Monday, Preservation Massachusetts, a statewide historic preservation organization, listed the camp as one of the state’s most endangered historic resources because of the damage from the tornado.

Gary J. McCarthy, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club, said some of the felled trees have been cleared away by a company that was doing logging work on the back acreage of the property.

McCarthy said insurance adjusters and contractors have been to the property to assess damage and reconstruction possibilities, but the Boys and Girls Club does not have any final figures for insurance settlements agreed on at this point.

“We see resident-camping there in the future as pretty much ruled out,” McCarthy said, but he explained that that decision was made well in advance of the tornado devastation to the property.

The camp opened in 1920 and provided an outdoor camping experience at its peak for about 400 children a year through 2006, when the program was stopped.

“One of the reasons was the cost of operating a facility like that for just eight weeks a year,” McCarthy said.

“All the kids that went to the camp all those years, basically went at no cost to the families. It was funding we had to raise. It got to be a great challenge,” he said.

The camp was for boys only until the mid-1990s when girls were brought there too.

McCarthy said overnight camping has fallen off in popularity in recent years, except for some specialty camps.

“We might have been one of the last ones standing,” McCarthy said. “We held out as long as we could and then followed suit.”

Even so, there was considerable debate among members of the board of directors before the decision was made to close the camp.

“It certainly has a lot of meaning for a lot of alums. I started my career there, myself,” McCarthy said. “It was a very, very difficult time for us when we had to make those decisions.”

There have been some day-trips for hiking at the property in the last few years, but the board of directors of the club decided that by selling the property they would generate proceeds that could be used to strengthen other programs.

A real estate agent was brought in a few years ago, but the club did not receive any offers that were considered worth considering, McCarthy said.

“We have been taking our time, looking at our options, since it has been closed, to see what might make it a benefit to the kids,” he said.

“A lot of that land is flood plain land, controlled by the Army Corps of Engineers in connection with the dams downstream, so it would probably have to stay as it is,” McCarthy said.

The endangered species designation by the state historic organization is probably related to the old farm house near Route 20, McCarthy said, adding that he is not sure what the designation will mean for the Boys and Girls Club or for the process of selling the camp.

Massachusetts required all school systems to adopt anti-bullying polices after suicides by students Carl Walker-Hoover in Springfield and Phoebe Prince in South Hadley.

File photo by Dave Roback | The Republican

HOLYOKE – Bullying and especially cyberbullying are so prevalent, each of the 11 public schools should hold an education forum for parents, an official told the School Committee.

Douglas J. Arnold, School Department director of student services, made the call for a sustained community effort Monday as he delivered an hour-long training to the committee.

“Everybody needs to be involved in this,” Arnold said.

The city is required to give the training about bullying recognition and prevention to everyone who has even indirect contact with students, from custodians and aides to teachers, administrators and School Committee members.

About 1,600 people in the system have received the training, he said.

The training is part of the anti-bullying policy the state has required of each school system.

“We have to find the time for this,” Arnold said. “Protecting the kids is a big deal.”

School Superintendent David L. Dupont said plans are underway for each school to present anti-bullying nights for parents.

Part of Arnold’s presentation focused on physical-world bullying. The difference between bullying and a conflict or a quarrel is repetition, he said.

Students who get up and move away when a student sits near them every day or push a student into a locker daily are bullying, he said.

Gender differences exist. Boys bully someone as a joke or to be cool and will target anyone, he said.

Girls usually bully their friends and because they’re angry, he said.

But cyberbullying – sending texts, photos and videos by computer, usually a cellphone – has caused bullying cases to explode, he said.

Using hand-held technology is second-nature to young people, he said.

“I know kids who can text without taking their phone out of their pocket,” Arnold said.

Many feel they must keep in near-constant contact with friends, for fear of missing something or becoming a victim, and the result when someone is targeted can be ugly, he said.

He didn’t have statistics Monday but said about a third of the cases reported as bullying turn out to be real cases of bullying, but officials would rather deal with “over-reporting” than the opposite, he said.

In such cases, parents are called, and discipline can include a warning or suspension from school.

Arnold’s job includes a few hours each week scouring social online sites like Facebook to search for problems.

Last year, he said, someone posted a fake Peck School website on which a search yielded purported sexual histories of local girls.

He praised the help of police and the district attorney in the quick take-down of such sites.

Hampden District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni, reached later, said his office has tried to help school districts deal with cyberbullying because it is so widespread.

“Online bullying is beyond what a lot of adults can even comprehend. It’s pervasive,” Mastroianni said by phone Monday.

Arnold told the School Committee that parents, teachers and others must realize that an incident occurring at school in the afternoon can spread in the form of a lie or innuendo to hundreds of a student’s classmates by dinner time thanks to cell phones and youngsters’ skills with them.

Each Holyoke school keeps a log of cases of bullying, and teachers and other staff are urged to step in and tell students when they see something wrong, he said.

Committee member at-large Michael J. Moriarty said the presentation was helpful.

“This is well done. I think it raises most of the interesting points,” Moriarty said.

Policies were required after two high-profile cases of suicides of victims of bullying in the region. Carl J. Walker-Hoover, 11, a student of New Leadership Charter School, in Springfield, hanged himself April 6, 2009, and Phoebe N. Prince, a South Hadley High School freshman, hanged herself Jan. 14, 2010.

The former Massachusetts governor told New Hampshire voters Pakistan is playing both sides – going after the Taliban within its borders in some cases and helping it in others.

Associated PressRepublican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks during a campaign stop at the Derry-Salem Elks Lodge 2226, Monday, Oct. 3, 2011, in Salem, N.H. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)

By STEVE PEOPLES

SALEM, N.H. — Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney is talking tough on Pakistan, a key ally in the war in Afghanistan.

The former Massachusetts governor told New Hampshire voters Monday night that Pakistan is playing both sides — going after the Taliban within its borders in some cases and helping it in others, according to the former Massachusetts governor. That's unacceptable, he said, even though Pakistan is strategically located as a key ally in the war in Afghanistan.

"It's pretty straightforward to say, 'Listen guys, you can't play both sides of this game. You've got to decide if you're with us or with them,'" said during a campaign stop. " 'If you're with them, that will have a very significant consequence. If you're with us, that's very good thing.' "

Romney did not clarify what that consequence might be.

The comments are among his toughest regarding Pakistan and represent a departure from his position last time he ran for president.

In 2007, Romney was critical of then-Democratic candidate Barack Obama's support for military action inside Pakistan's borders in some cases. Relying largely on drone attacks, Obama has pursued the policy as president, inside Pakistan and elsewhere.

Romney and other Republican presidential candidates last week praised the Obama administration's killing of a top al-Qaida operative inside Yemen.

Romney also took aim at Obama for suggesting in a recent television interview that American competition had gone "soft."

Obama's comments came last week on a Florida television station while talking about the need case for investment in science and infrastructure and improving education.

"This is a great, great country that had gotten a little soft and didn't have that same competitive edge that we needed over the last couple of decades," Obama said during the interview. "We need to get back on track. I still wouldn't trade our position with any country on Earth."

Romney pounced Monday night.

"We have not gone soft. We have gone soft on the president too long," he said. "And it's time for us to get hard on him."

Small businesses must eventually replace aging fleets of work trucks, and auto companies offered some good deals to clear out 2011 model trucks.

By DEE-ANN DURBIN and TOM KRISHER | AP Auto Writers

Associated Press2012 Ford Explorers are displayed at a car dealership in San Jose, Calif. Ford Motor Co.'s U.S. sales rose 9 percent in September thanks to strong sales of SUVs and pickups. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

DETROIT — U.S. buyers shrugged off economic worries and snapped up SUVs and pickups last month, surprising the auto industry and raising hopes that a bumpy year will end on a high note.

Big trucks typically sell when the housing market and construction industry are strong, gas prices are low and consumer confidence is high. None of those was true in September. The economy remains weak, confidence is shaky and a gallon of gas cost nearly $1 per more than in September 2010.

But other factors boosted truck sales. Small businesses must eventually replace aging fleets of work trucks, and auto companies offered some good deals to clear out 2011 model trucks. They also stepped up their marketing. And consumers are learning to live with economic uncertainty.

"We see consumers being more comfortable with buying cars in a continuously volatile environment," said Jesse Toprak, vice president of industry trends and insights for the car pricing site TrueCar.com. "Traditionally, they would have postponed making the purchase decision."

U.S. vehicle sales rose 10 percent from last September, according to Autodata Corp. September saw the fastest sales pace since April, and automakers expect that pace to stay steady for the rest of this year.

Nearly 54 percent of vehicles sold were trucks and SUVs, the highest percentage this year. That's good news for automakers, which make much bigger profits on trucks and SUVs. Truck sales at General Motors Co., Chrysler Group LLC and Ford Motor Co. grew in the double digits, outpacing cars. Even Honda Motor Co., which normally gets the bulk of its sales from cars, sold 3,000 more trucks than cars.

A shortage of cars is another reason truck and SUV sales were strong. Analysts had expected more Japanese cars to fill showrooms after months of shortages related to March's earthquake and tsunami.

But Honda and Toyota continued to struggle with product shortages. Toyota's September sales were down 17.5 percent, while Honda's fell 8 percent.

Truckloads of new Honda vehicles arrived at dealerships last week, and Toyota Motor Corp.'s new Camry sedan recently went on sale, but they were too late in both cases to give September totals a significant boost.

Bob Carter, Toyota's U.S. sales chief, said October should be a turning point. With all of its plants now running, the automaker expects its Toyota division to post its first year-over-year sales increase since April and it expects to post sales increases through the fourth quarter and beyond.

Many buyers were replacing trucks in September because they had to. The average truck on the road is now around 10.1 years old, according to R.L. Polk and Associates.

"A commercial owner cannot afford to have their vehicle out of service," said Don Johnson, GM's vice president of U.S. sales.

Promotions also helped. GM was offering zero-percent financing for 60 months and $1,000 cash on the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pickup. But Edmunds.com said incentive spending was only up 3 percent from August, to an average of $2,453 per vehicle, and was actually down from last September.

Paul Ballew, a former GM chief economist who now works for Nationwide Insurance, said deals will probably get more generous in the last part of this year. Japanese automakers will have to offer rebates and other incentives to get back market share lost to GM, Hyundai Motor Co. and other competitors. Detroit automakers will probably offer discounts on trucks because of high inventories, he said.

"It'll probably be a pretty good time to buy a vehicle," he said. "Consumers have proved they will respond selectively when prodded."

Automakers don't expect the pace of sales to slow for the rest of the year. GM stuck with its forecast for full-year sales of around 12.8 million cars and trucks, which would be up 10 percent from last year.

But some analysts say September's boost will be short-lived because economic worries could still dampen sales. Edmunds.com last week reduced its full-year sales forecast from 12.9 million vehicles to 12.6 million vehicles.

GM's September sales rose 20 percent, led by a 34 percent rise in sales of full-size pickups and SUVs. Chrysler's sales rose 27 percent, while Ford's were up 9 percent.

Other automakers reporting sales Monday included:

• Nissan Motor Co., with sales up almost 29 percent. The company's cars led the way with sales of the Altima midsize sedan, Sentra compact, Versa subcompact and Maxima large sedan up a combined 32 percent for the month.

• Hyundai Motor Co., which said sales rose 12 percent. Sales of the Elantra small car rose 43 percent, while sales of the Santa Fe crossover rose 67 percent.

• Volkswagen AG, with sales up 37 percent on the strength of the new Jetta and Passat sedans.

• Kia Motors America, with sales up 18.4 percent.

• The BMW Group, with sales up 11.4 percent

• Subaru of America Inc., which saw its sales fall 2.3 percent as it struggled with continuing inventory issues due to the March earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

AP Auto Writer Bree Fowler contributed from New York.

Owen Humphries and James Desrochers are newest members of the Longmeadow School Committee.

LONGMEADOW- Owen J. Humphries, Jr.,a retired father of two and James G. Desrochers, a father and engineer, are the newest members of the School Committee. The pair was appointed on Monday by the Select Board and School Committee during a joint meeting.

Seven candidates interviewed for the two seats on Sept. 12 after Gwen M. Bruns and Thomas M. Brunette resigned for personal reasons.

Applying for Thomas Brunette's seat were James A. Cass, Daniel J. Zwirko,Humphries, Gerard D. Kiernan and Jeremy B. Powers. Zwirko, Humphries, Kiernan and Powers are also applying for Bruns' seat, along with Diane B. Nadeau, Hal Etkin and Desrochers.

Humphries will fill Brunette's seat and will have to run for the seat in the June 2012 election to maintain the position for one more year. Desrochers will fill Bruns' seat and will have to run in June 2012 for a two-year seat.

The candidates needed six votes to win the seat.

For the one-year seat Select Board Chairman Mark Gold voted for Kiernan, Robert H. Aseltine voted for Humphries, Christine L. Swanson voted for Zwirko, Paul P. Santaniello voted for Kiernan and Marie Angelides voted for Powers in the first round and Humphries in the second round.School Committee chair Jennifer Jester and members members Armand Wray, Laurie Flynn and Michael Clark voted for Humphries. John Fitzgerald voted for Zwirko in the first round and Humphries in the second round.

"I'm excited to work with such a dedicated group of individuals to keep the quality of excellence our schools are known for," Humphries said.

For the two-year seat Aseltine voted for Desrochers,Santaniello voted for Kiernan, Swanson voted for Zwirko and Gold voted for Kiernan in the first round and Desrochers in the second round. Angelides voted for Etkin in the first round and Desrochers in the second round. Wray, Jester, Flynn and Clark voted for Desrochers and Fitzgerald voted for Zwirko in the first round and Desrochers in the second round.

"I am looking forward to creating some mentoring programs between area colleges and the high school and middle schools around the area of science and math and also finding ways to unite the liberal arts and science programs," Desrochers said.

Jester said there were many qualified candidates, but there was an overall consensus about the two chosen. She said both men have shown an interest in working hard and have shown a dedication to the schools.

They will be sworn in at Town Hall and join the committee for their Oct. 12 meeting.

The town has a contract with Siemens Corp. for the replacement of the 85-year-old boiler in Town Hall and a 50-year-old boiler at Jabish Brook School

BELCHERTOWN – By using federal bonds designed to encourage energy conservation projects, the town will save $32,000 a year in interest when repaying the costs of a $3.1 million contract for upgrades in town and school buildings.

Town Treasurer Lisa Banner told the selectmen that after factoring in the subsidy for the work included in the federal qualified energy conservation bonds, the town will have an interest rate of 1.23 percent on the money borrowed for the project.

“It looks like this will be a cost-neutral project,” Banner said.

The town has a contract with Siemens Corp. for the replacement of the 85-year-old boiler in Town Hall, a 50-year-old boiler at Jabish Brook School and many other heating and electricity upgrades designed to conserve energy and save money.

The contract terms are based on a state program that allows cities and towns to borrow money for energy upgrades and pay for the work with money borrowed in anticipation of energy cost savings.

According to the terms of this program and the contract, Siemens has guaranteed that if the town’s energy savings do not match the costs of the work over 15 years, Siemens will make up the difference.

Work began on the installations and other features of the project this summer and several phases are complete.

The Board of Selectmen voted Monday to authorize Banner to issue the bonds through the federal qualified energy conservation program.

Selectmen Chairman Kenneth E. Elstein commended Banner for her work in finding bonds to use with lower interest rates that will save the town money and said she has a track record of doing that for town projects.

“We were expecting to break even in the first two years. Here we are cutting $32,000 off that,” Elstein said.

Town Administrator Gary L. Brougham said he and his staff, Public Works Director
Steven J. Williams, School Building Director Robert LaChance and Banner put in a tremendous amount of work for this project.

Brougham and Selectman Ronald E. Aponte also praised former Selectman James A. Barry for getting the town started on the project.

Aponte said he was personally skeptical at first but Barry made a strong case for the work, which will save the town money and upgrade equipment and buildings that will be used for decades.

Magnante is a commentator on Speed TV for the Barrett-Jackson antique car auctions and has written for Popular He grew up in West Brookfield.

SPEED-TV's very own Steve Magnante will be special guest at the third annual Brimfield Antique Auto show on Saturday, October 1.

BRIMFIELD – Steve Magnante, known for his writing about cars in national magazines and his appearances on Speed TV, will be on hand to answer questions and talk about automobiles Saturday for the third annual Hitchcock Academy Antique Auto Show.

The show, which will benefit educational and cultural programs at Hitchcock, will be at the Heart-O-the-Mart field on Route 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Magnante will be bringing his Wilshire Shaker altered wheelbase ¤’63 Chevy Nova to the show.

“I’ll be with it to answer any questions people might have about its ‘funny’ looks. I’ll also be happy just to chat about cars, the Barrett-Jackson auction and anything automotive,” Magnante said.

Magnante is a commentator on Speed TV for the Barrett-Jackson antique car auctions and has written for Popular He grew up in West Brookfield.
“That quickly led to building plastic model car kits. I appreciated how model kits usually gave the builder options to make the kit into a custom a stock car or a drag racer,” Magnante said.

Magnante, who has been to many car shows, likes the setting of the Brimfield show.

"Brimfield is a beautiful town with its own international reputation for antique shows,” he said.

For information, go to www.hitchcockacademy.org or call (413) 245-9977.

The school will start a state-sponsored free-and-reduced-price Breakfast Program this month, but the fact that it has no kitchen means the menu will be limited.

SOUTH HADLEY – School officials say they have another reason why the Plains School needs a better building: It will start a state-sponsored free-and-reduced-price Breakfast Program this month, but the fact that it has no kitchen means the menu will be limited.

It won’t include hot dishes, though the children will get such items as bagels and cream cheese, cereal, milk, fruit juice and granola bars.

Plains Principal Jillayne Flanders told the School Committee last week that the meal will be put together the day before at the Mosier School, which does have a kitchen, and delivered to Plains before the end of the day.

The menu will be rotated on a five-day basis, according to Matt Hoagland, director of food service for the South Hadley Schools.

Plains students do get hot lunches delivered from the kitchen at Mosier.

The school was notified in May that it was eligible for the state-sponsored Breakfast Program, Flanders told the committee.

Families that qualify will pay 30 cents for a breakfast, and some will pay nothing. Other children in the school can buy a breakfast at the full price, $1.50.

Both the program and the fee were approved by the School Commission last week.

Flanders had written to 300 parents to ask if such a program was needed. Though only 30 of the 100 responders expressed interest, she expects the number to rise after the program begins on Oct. 30.

Breakfast will be served at 8:35 a.m., but because buses arrive at different times, the meal will be available until 9:05 a.m.

Flanders expects some confusion at first, because little consumers must go straight to the cafeteria instead of checking in with teacher first.

At lunch, it’s easy for kids to remember whether they are in a meals program, because the teacher, who leads them into the cafeteria, can remind them.

In the case of breakfast, the teacher won’t be there, and the children must rely on their own memories. Plains serves children from pre-kindergarten through grade 1.

Whatever happens, said Flanders, no child who wants breakfast will be denied, even if somebody forgets the money.

“Our PTA provides us with back-up funds,” said Flanders. The school can lend the money and get reimbursed later by parents.

Morse filed a police report about vandalized campaign signs.

Submitted photoAlex B. Morse stands with supporters in January after announcing his bid to become Holyoke mayor on the steps of City Hall.

Staff Photo by John SuchockiHolyoke Mayor Elaine A. Pluta (right) and her election office manager Carol R. Provost (left back) examine signs at Pluta campaign headquarters.

HOLYOKE – Mayoral candidate Alex B. Morse said his vandalized campaign sign total is up to about 100, with 25 more having been damaged since he filed a police report Friday that said 75 had been totaled.

Morse reported to police that since the Sept. 20 preliminary election, in which he finished first, signs bearing his name in Wards 4, 5 and 6 had been sliced in half or stolen at a cost of $500.

Police said damaged campaign signs happen during every election and it was hard to determine the vandals unless they’re caught in the act.

Morse said Monday that in some cases, hacked-up portions of signs were placed back on the sign but facing the wrong way.

About 25 more signs since Friday were vandalized, he said.

Morse also emailed a statement saying that he is running a clean campaign and hopes Mayor Elaine A. Pluta urges supporters to do the same.

“I am running a completely positive campaign and I prefer to focus on the issues important to voters – jobs, education, public safety and restoring civic pride,” Morse said.

“This malicious destruction of property, invasion of private property and stifling the freedom of speech must stop, as it is a distraction from the real issues. I have promised to run a clean campaign and I hope that the mayor will encourage her supporters to do the same,” he said.

Pluta said that she also has had signs vandalized, including some on Laurel Street, but was unsure how many.

“It’s typical for a campaign, not that it’s something that needs to be taken lightly,” Pluta said.

Pluta, who is running for a second term, finished behind Morse in the preliminary election, and the two will be on the Election Day ballot Nov. 8.

Police Capt. Arthur R. Monfette said damaged campaign signs during an election aren’t unusual.

“Every single time we have an election, we have reports of one side complaining about signs being vandalized. Who’s to know who’s behind it?” Monfette said.

Holyoke Police Report, Morse for Mayor Signs Vandalized

File photos | The Republican

The 75 acres are adjacent to 200 acres conservation parcels the town already wons

EAST LONGMEADOW– A 75-acre property off Hampden Road could be used for nature trails, cross country skiing and other forms of passive recreation.

The town approved the purchase of the $1.25 million Brown-Koch property in 2009. The land is adjacent to several town and conservation parcels that total more than 200 acres of land.

“There is a lot that can be done with the land, but the first thing we need to look at is mapping out the wetlands,” said George C. Kingston, Chairman of the Conservation Commission.

Money for the land came from Community Preservation Funds.

A recent forum was held by the Board of Selectmen to discuss potential projects for the land. While affordable housing for seniors and athletic fields were considered, passive recreation seems to be the way to go, said Board of Selectmen Chairman James D. Driscoll.

“We do have a need for affordable senior housing in town, but there doesn’t seem to be a good spot on this land for that, especially with the traffic on Hampden Road,” he said.

Driscoll said the new athletic field at East Longeadow High School makes the need for additional fields unnecessary.

“We haven’t seen as much demand for that and with the new field I don’t think it’s something we need,” he said.

Driscoll said the 200 acres are prefect for passive recreation including cross country skiing, hiking and maybe even horseback riding.

During the Sept. 26 Town Meeting residents approved the use of $500,000 from Community Preservation Funds to pay down the bond on the property.

“This will save us close to one million dollars over the course of the bond,” Driscoll said. The land has been paid for entirely with Community Preservation Funds.

Driscoll said he hopes the town can secure grant funding to develop the land.

“There is a lot of funding out there for these kinds of projects and we will do our best to find what’s available,” he said.

The restoration of $688,258 included funds to resurrect a tiered furlough program for non-bargaining employees.

File photo | The Republican

SPRINGFIELD – The City Council voted to restore $688,258 to the city budget on Monday night, intended to ensure that city terraces are mowed, the bulk pick-up program continues, police overtime is boosted and furlough days are reduced for many lower-paid employees.

The vote to restore the funds to the $542.2 million annual budget was approved by a unanimous vote, but occurred after considerable debate and some opposition to some of the funding amendments.

“Nobody was happy with every piece of this financial order,” Council Finance Chairman Michael A. Fenton said after the vote. “But it’s an example of a successful compromise.”

Michael A. Fenton

The council cut the budget by $2.7 million in June, leading Mayor Domenic J. Sarno to say the action was irresponsible and would result in more layoffs, unmowed city terraces and elimination of the bulk pickup program. Under the program, residents buy a sticker for $8 for the city to pick up a large junk item at curbside such as furniture or appliances, with the city subsidizing the balance of the cost.

Councilors defended their budget cuts then and again Monday night, saying the council cut non-salary accounts for all city departments by 5 percent, not the programs cited by the mayor.

Timothy J. Plante, the city’s finance director, said the 5 percent cut had repercussions as warned by the mayor and the Finance Department.

The restoration of $688,258 included funds to resurrect a tiered furlough program for non-bargaining employees. Currently, approximately 330 nonbargaining employees were required to take 12 unpaid furlough days this fiscal year due to budget hardships, but the tiered program is slated to reduce the number of days for lower paid employees.

Councilors including Kateri B. Walsh said the tiered furlough program was a key ingredient to the compromise, saying it was based on fairness.

Kateri B. Walsh

Plante said the city budget remains unbalanced. Sarno and the Finance Department will ask the council to help balance the budget by taking funds from the stabilization “rainy day” reserve fund.

The amount of the transfer will be discussed with the mayor and forwarded for needed approval from the council, he said.

The $688,258 restored by the council on Monday included $100,000 to the Police Department that is expected to be used for overtime such as special details and patrols in “hot spots,” councilors and Plante said. The full-year overtime budget for police was initially approved for $1.4 million.

In addition, approximately $16,000 was set aside to restore an animal control employee position.

The council did not restore funds for the CitiStat Department, which was eliminated in June as part of the initial $2.7 million cut by the council. The department was created to search for government efficiencies.

In addition, the council on Monday kept a 5 percent cut in non-salary accounts for most other city departments.

Councilors said they have received calls from residents complaining about the unmowed condition of many city terraces. Councilor Timothy J. Rooke said some residents had resorted to mowing terraces themselves.