Perry vowed to "uproot the three branches of government and overhaul government."

Associated PressRepublican presidential candidate Texas Gov. Rick Perry greets John Archer, of Bettendorf, Iowa, before speaking at the Scott County Republican Party's Ronald Reagan Dinner, Monday, Nov. 14, 2011, in Bettendorf, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

By MIKE GLOVER

BETTENDORF, Iowa — Texas Gov. Rick Perry, looking to breathe new life into his bid for the Republican nomination, opened an Iowa campaign swing by warning activists not to settle for a candidate who will just propose incremental change.

"The solution is not to nominate someone who is just going to nibble around the edges," said Perry. "Washington doesn't need a new coat of paint, it needs a complete overhaul."

Perry has lagged in recent polls, but he told about 300 activists that he is proposing a fundamental overhaul over all three branches of government. He told them none of the other Republicans seeking the nomination offer that kind of sweeping change.

He vowed to "uproot the three branches of government and overhaul government.

"They each have contributed to the demise of America," Perry said. Perry has scheduled an Iowa speech on Tuesday where he plans to lay out details of his overhaul. But he told the activists it will be sweeping and form the basis of the case he will make to activists who will show up for Jan. 3 precinct caucuses.

"The question for Iowans in 50 days is not whether to embrace change, but for Iowans to decide who is the most credible messenger for that change," said Perry.

He says one part of his plan will be to change the way the federal courts work, saying he's tired of judges he described as "arrogant."

The Texas Republican said other candidates offer lots of rhetoric on conservative issues, but he has a decade-long record of delivering on them as governor.

"Leadership isn't about style, it's about substance, about action," said Perry.

While other candidates tout their anti-abortion views "I signed a budget that defunded Planned Parenthood in Texas," said Perry.

Perry focused much of his fire on President Obama, saying voters have grown weary of the president, but he was not shy about making the case that he would make a better rival than any of his Republican opponents, largely because he aggressively confronts Obama and offers the most dramatic change.

"I'm in this race for the presidency not because of some lifelong ambition, but because the American people are yearning for someone who will tell them the truth," said Perry. "If you want real change, if you want to overhaul business as usual, caucus for me."

Perry dismissed Obama's campaign, saying many don't want to follow a leader who got the nation into its current difficulties.

"I, for one, do not believe the people who got us into this mess can get us out of it," said Perry.

Perry also poked fun at his campaign style, which he described as far from polished. He said that campaign style, however, is coupled with a fierce determination to stick with his principles.

"I'm not the most polished candidate, but I stick to my principles," said Perry.

Perry drifted briefly to foreign affairs, where he argued against Obama's involvement on foreign conflicts.

"I think any discussion of funding foreign aid should start with the number zero," said Perry. "There are millions of Americans on the mat, not because of a foreign power but because of flawed federal policies."

As he raised money for his re-election bid, the president sought to defend his record of change as more than a campaign slogan.

By BEN FELLER | AP White House Correspondent

Associated PressPresident Barack Obama speaks at a campaign fundraising event at Aulani Disney Resort, in Kapolei, Hawaii, Monday, Nov. 14, 2011. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

KAPOLEI, Hawaii — Politicking in his boyhood home, President Barack Obama told supporters Monday that everything they worked for and that the country stands for is on the line in his 2012 re-election bid, warning of a bleak America should a Republican win.

At ease in Hawaii, where he was born and vacations each year, Obama sprinkled his standard campaign speech with personal memories and called himself the "hometown kid." But his message turned urgent in trying to get his backers to think of the next election as a choice between a vision of a big country of opportunity or one where regular people lose their voice.

"You kept up the fight for change long after the election was over, and that should make you proud," Obama said inside a lush resort on the western side of Oahu. "It should make you hopeful. But it can't make you satisfied."

He added: "Everything we fought for in the last election is now at stake in the next election. The very core of what this country stands for is on the line."

Obama made time for domestic politics and the constant demand for cash amid a nine-day trip otherwise dominated by foreign affairs. He was enjoying a lighter schedule on Monday after hosting an Asia-Pacific economic summit of 21 nations over the weekend, and before heading to Australia Tuesday morning. Obama was also was to visit Indonesia before a Nov. 20 return to Washington.

As he raised money for his re-election bid, the president sought to defend his record of change as more than a campaign slogan. Obama reminded his audience that he has presided over the return of the American auto industry, financial help for college students, higher fuel efficiency for cars and more.

When it came to noting his signature health care law, Obama spoke of expanded and improved coverage for Americans but made no mention of Monday's move by the Supreme Court. The high court promised a full review over the constitutionality of the historic health care overhaul, likely in time for a ruling just before the presidential election next November.

The president spoke inside the waterfront Disney-themed Aulani Resort to a relaxed crowd of about 250 people at the fundraising brunch, where tickets started at $1,000 per person.

Obama said Republicans want to engage in a "race to the bottom" with other countries, rolling back wage protections and environmental standards. "Their attitude is, 'Let's go ahead and pollute," Obama said.

As for his promised change, he said he still needs time: "It takes more than a single term. It takes more than a single president."

The president promised that his wife, Michelle, and daughters, Sasha and Malia, would be back in Hawaii for the winter holidays as usual. "Let's see if Washington gets its business done so I can get here as well," he said.

Following the fundraiser, the president headed for a round of golf at a course on a nearby military base. Among his golfing partners was childhood friend Bobby Titcomb, who was arrested and pleaded no contest earlier this year to soliciting a prostitute.

A court agreement allowed the charge to be stricken from Titcomb's record last month because he stayed out of trouble for six months.

Titcomb attended Punahou School in Honolulu with Obama in the 1970s. The two have often played golf and basketball and headed to the beach together when the president has been back in the islands on vacation.

"The president has been a friend of Bobby's since childhood — and remains loyal to him as Bobby confronts some difficult challenges in his personal life," White House press secretary Jay Carney said.

Belchertown Selectman Kenneth Elstein said towns near a casino location need to face the issues it could bring.

03.09.11 | Photo by Julian Feller-Cohen – Belchertown Town Hall.

BELCHERTOWN – The selectmen are looking for someone who can quickly learn about the possible issues facing a town near a casino to appoint as Belchertown’s representative to the regional task force that has been working on these issues while Palmer has been talked about as a casino location the past few years.

“There is likely to be a casino and it may be on our doorstep in Palmer,” Selectmen Chairman Kenneth E. Elstein said during the board’s meeting on Monday night.

“We need somebody who could really get familiar with this issue and report back to the board,” Elstein said.

The Western Massachusetts Casino Task Force, which has representatives from 14 communities near Palmer, has been studying the potential impacts for towns that are near a resort casino, like the $600 million project proposed for Palmer by Mohegan Sun, which operates a casino in Connecticut.

Elstein said the job of the task force is not to work for or against the legalizing of casinos in Massachusetts, which the Legislature has been moving close to doing, but to examine issues like traffic, police staffing, real estate values, jobs, and a potential increase in gambling and the number of people who become problem gamblers.

“It is recognized that there can be dangers to the surrounding towns,” Elstein said. “The town that gets it will see a huge infusion of real estate taxes but not the surrounding towns.”

When the regional task force was formed, former Selectman Gerald Grasso represented Belchertown. When he left the Board of Selectmen he was replaced by Michael J. Reardon.

The town has had no representative since Reardon left office in May 2010.

There have also been proposals to build a casino in Holyoke and Brimfield.

None of the current selectmen volunteered to take on this role, so Elstein said he will have the volunteer position advertised in hopes of attracting some town resident ready to deal with the issues on Belchertown’s behalf.

Belchertown, Brookfield, Brimfield, Hampden, Holland, Ludlow, Monson, Palmer, Sturbridge, Wales, Ware, Warren, West Brookfield and Wilbraham belong to the task force, which has not taken an official position on gaming.

The Longmeadow resident is celebrating by recovering from an emergency appendectomy in Washington, D.C.

View full sizeAngela Lucier photoAngela Lucier of Longmeadow happened upon this classic Chevy parked in Stowe, Vt., on an early morning in October 2009. Lucier's photo is the Day 6 winner in the fifth annual Fall Photo Contest presented by The Republican, MassLive.com and El Pueblo Latino. The contest is sponsored by Hunt's Photo and Video and Dunkin' Donuts, the exclusive online sponsor. To view more contest photos, visit www.masslive.com/fall-foliage.

Such records weren't kept in the early years of the Fall Photo Contest, but it's very likely that Angela Lucier of Longmeadow is the first contest winner to have undergone an emergency appendectomy only two days before learning she had won.

Lucier, who is in Washington, D.C., visiting her father – who is in the hospital recovering from surgery – returned to her hotel room Monday night after a two-day hospital stay. There she received a message on her cell phone informing her that her photo of a classic Chevrolet parked in front of a backdrop of fall's beauty in Stowe, Vt., is the winning photo for Day 6 in the fifth annual Fall Photo Contest presented by The Republican, MassLive.com and El Pueblo Latino. The contest is sponsored by Hunt’s Photo and Video and Dunkin' Donuts, the exclusive online sponsor.

Lucier returned the call to The Republican and described her eventful past week. She was in her hotel room on Saturday.

"Out of nowhere I had a major stomach ache. I'm staying right next to the emergency room of the hospital where my father is; I went over, and it turned out to be appendicitis," she said.

She's recovering well and will be heading home soon. "I'm flying back up there on Wednesday. It'll be good to be back in New England."

New England was not originally home to Lucier, who is from Maryland (though "pretty much my whole family lives in Massachusetts," she said, "mostly in Longmeadow and East Longmeadow"). Her photo of the fall foliage-colored Chevrolet was taken on her first New England foliage tour in 2009.

"I had never done the whole New England fall foliage thing, so I decided to take weekend trip up to Vermont," she said. "Someone recommended the Stowe area.

"I parked my car. It was really early in the morning. And that car was just sitting there," she said.

"The fall foliage created such a stunning background to the car that I quickly grabbed my camera and took a few shots," Lucier wrote on her entry form.

She saw no sign of the owner.

"Someday I would love to find the owner of the car and give them a print of the photo!" she wrote.

Lucier studied art and photography at the College of Southern Maryland.

"I haven't found a way to turn it into a career," she said. But she is striving to turn it into a business. Lucier is in the early stages of starting an old photo restoration business that she'll call Forgotten Photo Works. "I'm really into old photos," she said.

Tuesday's runner-up photos:

The area around Whiting Street Reservoir in Holyoke was photographed by Bruce Chambers of West Springfield on Oct. 22.
See Bruce Chambers' photo »

Amanda Florek of Chicopee captured her 2½-year-old son Drew Florek pondering which pumpkin to choose on Oct. 15 at a farm stand in Greenfield.
See Amanda Florek's photo »

David Champigny of Agawam took this photo of Enders Falls in West Granby, Conn., last month.
See David Champigny's photo »

Previous 5th annual Fall Photo Contest winning photos:

DAY 1: Jeffrey Rivkin's point of view in Agawam results in winner
See Jeffrey Rivkin's photo »

DAY 2: Wachusett Aqueduct in Northborough provides setting for winner Jean Kelley-Joyce
See Jean Kelley-Joyce's photo »

DAY 3: Popular Jenne Farm in Vermont setting for winner by Ware's Mike Martin
See Mike Martin's photo »

DAY 4: Ware horses bring smile and winning photo to Jennifer Meighan
See Jennifer Meighan's photo »

DAY 5: New Hampshire covered bridge by Fred LeBlanc of South Hadley
See Fred LeBlanc's photo »

A controversial plan to build 27 condos in the Ferry Street neighborhood has been rejected by the South Hadley Planning Board.

SOUTH HADLEY — A controversial condominium project proposed for the Ferry Street neighborhood has been rejected by the South Hadley Planning Board, which cited the project's incompatibility with the rural neighborhood and other reasons for nixing the plan.

The Planning Board on Monday unanimously denied a special permit to Rivercrest Condominiums LLC to build 27 condominiums on a 10.8-acre site off Ferry Street.

For project opponents, the board's decision was cause for celebration. "I'm holding back tears, I'm so happy," Lyndia Brough told the Daily Hampshire Gazette.

Brough's property borders the site of the proposed project, whose future is now in doubt.

Edward Ryan, who is both a Rivercrest partner and South Hadley Town Moderator, could not immediately be reached for comment. Ryan last month said that the project had already been scaled down from 31 condo units to 27, claiming the plan would not be economically feasible if more reductions were made.

It was not immediately clear if Ryan and other backers of the project – the subject of three public hearings, some of which were quite heated – might try to revise plans for the project or abandon it completely.

Geri Brockway, the former owner of the parcel where the condos would have risen, said the land would eventually be developed. “Our responsibility is to decide what is best for our town, and we cannot afford to ignore that this would be a boon to the town,” she said last month.

The Planning Board also cited other deficiencies with the project, including the lack of a proposed sidewalk and insufficient outdoor lighting, among other things. The site borders the Town Commons commercial development at routes 116 and 47.

Critics of the project said it clashed with recommendations made in the town's Master Plan, which warns against haphazard building and urges projects to conform with the town’s character. Some residents had argued that the proposed development would be too dense, create too much traffic and change the character of their Ferry Street neighborhood.

At an October Planning Board hearing, things got so heated that one Rivercrest developer, Lee Marion, stormed out of the meeting and Joan Rosner, board chairwoman, had to bang her gavel to restore order.

A FedEx driver found the injured animal, who appeared to have suffered a broken leg.

Republican file photoA bobcat, similar to the one pictured here in September at Springfield's Forest Park Zoo, was found injured along an East Longmeadow roadway Monday afternoon.

EAST LONGMEADOW — A passing motorist spotted an injured bobcat on a busy town road Monday afternoon.

A FedEx driver on Denslow Road, which runs along the southern edge of the town's industrial park, reported the injured cat just after 4 p.m., according to East Longmeadow police, who contacted Massachusetts Environmental Police.

The animal appeared to have a broken leg, police said. An update on the animal's condition was not immediately available early Tuesday.

Bobcats are common throughout western Massachusetts.

A good-sized cat was spotted roaming a Wilbraham neighborhood in April.

Early-morning joggers in that town also report seeing bobcats in the vicinity of the gas pipeline trail off Stony Hill Road near East Longmeadow Road.

Bobcats, sometimes mistaken for mountain lions, are easily identified by their tufted ears and short, "bobbed" tails, which can grow to more than half a foot in length. Mountain lions, on the other hand, are larger and have long, ropelike tails.

Adult bobcats can weigh up to 35 pounds and can grow to nearly four feet in length, according to the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.

Backers of the plan don't expect casinos to be operational for three to four years after the expected passage of the proposal.

By Kyle Cheney and Matt Murphy

BOSTON -- House and Senate negotiators agreed to a pact Monday that sets the stage for final approval of legislation to bring three casinos and a slots-only facility to Massachusetts.

The bill, which is expected to easily clear both branches of the Legislature, could reach Gov. Deval Patrick’s desk as early as Tuesday afternoon, and Patrick has indicated he supports the broad framework of the bill. If lawmakers pass the plan this week, Patrick would then have 10 days to sign, amend or veto it.

Rep. Joseph Wagner, the co-chairman of the Economic Development Committee and the lead House conferee on the bill, said that backers of the plan don’t expect casinos to be operational for three to four years after the expected passage of the proposal.

“I think it’s a good bill. I think last year’s bill was a good bill, and we have made improvements on that in different areas. If you hold this to the light of day and against laws in other states that do casino gambling, this is a good bill,” Wagner said Monday night after the 150-page, 115-section bill had been filed with the House clerk.

Under the compromise bill – negotiated by a six-member panel of lawmakers charged by legislative leaders with forging consensus between House and Senate versions – lawmakers, municipal officials and county workers who vote on or administer gambling policy would be barred from working in the casino industry for a year after they leave office.

That plan, endorsed by the Senate, had initially been cast aside by the House, and the House and Senate’s lead negotiators, Wagner (D-Chicopee) and Sen. Stanley Rosenberg (D-Amherst), have expressed reservations about the policy. Wagner, however, said last night that the one-year “cooling-off” period was a “reasonable solution” to an issue that, in his opinion, could have little impact.

“I understand symbolically how important that appeared to some,” Wagner told the News Service. “ That said, these facilities aren’t going to come online for a period of four years, give or take, so as a practical matter a one-year cooling off period I don’t think means a great deal.”

The final proposal also eliminates a Senate plan that would have permitted bars and restaurants to offer free or discounted drinks to patrons, within the bounds of regulations established by the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission. Instead, the ABCC would be charged with studying all alcoholic beverage regulations for two years.

In Boston, Worcester and Springfield, approval of the siting of a casino would be left to the voters in the potential host ward, although city officials would have the option to open a citywide vote.

The final bill also scrapped a House plan that would have counted gambling revenue toward calculations that determine whether Bay State residents are in line for an income tax reduction.

The compromise proposal won the support of all four Democrats and one of the two Republicans negotiating a deal, including Wagner, Rosenberg, Rep. Brian Dempsey (D-Haverhill) and Sens. Jennifer Flanagan (D-Leominster) and Richard Ross (R-Wrentham). Only Rep. Paul Frost (R-Auburn) withheld his signature from the proposal. He could not immediately be reached for comment.

Backers of the casino legislation cite the potential to create thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue. Critics say it will cause irreparable harm to the character of the state, stoke addiction and increase crime and corruption.

Passage of a casino bill would bring resolution to an issue that has been on the Beacon Hill agenda for decades. The issue appeared resolved last year when lawmakers sent Gov. Deval Patrick a plan to introduce three casinos and two slot parlors – specifically marked for the state’s racetracks – but talks disintegrated over Patrick’s opposition to approving what he called “no-bid contracts” for track owners. The bill died when Patrick returned it with an amendment but lawmakers had already concluded formal business for the year.

“In view of what happened at the end of last session, we were clear we could not afford a repeat of that and took a good deal of care and deliberation trying to understand what might or might not be acceptable to him,” Wagner said of the governor.

Under the bill, oversight of the new gambling industry would fall to a new five-member gambling commission, whose members would be appointed by the governor, the treasurer and the attorney general. The commission would be responsible for vetting casino applicants to operate casinos around the state, for collecting taxes from gambling facilities and for ensuring that gambling operators comply with the law.

The bill divides the state into three regions that would each be eligible to host a single casino: an eastern region that includes Boston and extends to Worcester, a southeastern region that includes Plymouth County, Bristol County, Cape Cod and the islands, and a western region that includes the four counties west of Worcester.

Bidders, including the Mohegan tribe, Caesars Entertainment and Wynn Resorts have already begun lining up to obtain licenses, should they become available. The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe is also eyeing a bid for the southeastern license. Under the bill, Gov. Patrick would have until July 31, 2012 to negotiate a compact with tribes seeking a license before opening the process to other bidders.

Successful bidders would pay $85 million to obtain a casino license and guarantee a minimum $500 million capital investment, or $25 million to obtain a slots-only license with a minimum $125 million investment. Daily revenue at casinos would be taxed at 25 percent, and the slots facility would pay 49 percent in taxes on revenue.

The plan apportions revenue from licenses and taxes to local aid, higher education, health care payment reform, transportation, public health, racehorse development, mitigation for host and surrounding communities, tourism and anti-addiction programs.

The annual holiday gift-raising drive enables people to drop off new, unwrapped toys at any state police barracks in Massachusetts.

Republican file photoA U.S. Marine is shown in this 2005 Republican file photo gathering toys from a UMass Toys for Tots drop site. The annual gift- and money-raising program for needy families is now underway.

Massachusetts State Police are once again supporting the United States Marine Corps' annual Toys for Tots campaign, which entails dropping off new, unwrapped Christmas presents for children at any state police barracks throughout the commonwealth.

Toys can be dropped off at any barracks from now through Friday, Dec. 16. Click HERE for a list of other local toy drop-off sites.

Monetary donations also will be accepted. Such donations will benefit charitable organizations that provide children’s gifts and holiday meals for Massachusetts families in need, officials said.

“More than ever, in this, the season of giving, we need your help,” Col. Marian J. McGovern, superintendent of the state police, said in a statement.

“Your assistance can make holiday joy possible for a child who otherwise would go without. Every girl and boy deserves a gift this holiday season. Please help us make that difference in their lives,” McGovern said.

This year is the 64th anniversary of the Marine Corps’ leadership of the Toys for Tots program. State police in Massachusetts have partnered with the Marines on the program for the past 27 years.

Participants are asked to refrain from donating toys with violent themes. Recipients of the gifts typically range in age from infants to young teenagers.

In addition to supporting the annual Toys for Tots campaign, state police will hold a second annual “Fill the Cruiser” event on Dec. 3, during which troopers will collect donations for needy children at five Massachusetts Toys ‘R’ Us locations.

More information is available at www.toysfortots.org or by calling the state police Office of Media Relations at (508) 820-2623.

In the world we live in, with all of our problems and the real suffering that's going on, should we be concentrating our attention and energy elsewhere?

Courtesy Stanley Park

When is enough, enough?

For 72 hours, the various media outlets in Western Massachusetts have been offering up reports, tributes, and updates regarding the death of beloved Stanley Park mascot 'Ozzie the Duck'.

Ozzie was killed in a brutal fashion by a group of teenagers late Friday afternoon.

The unprovoked attack has elicited outrage from parkgoers and animal lovers all over Western Massachusetts.

But are we making too much of the death of a duck?

People die tragically every day, yet we have focused our grief and attention on a simple water fowl from an area park. In the world we live in, with all of our problems and the real suffering that's going on, should we be concentrating our attention and energy elsewhere?

I, for one, say the answer is no.

Some say, and I happen to agree, that we are judged by the way we treat our children and our animals. A person who harms either suffers from the lowest depth of misery.

These young boys, who will end up caught and prosecuted by the Westfield Police, are the worst kind of citizens we have roaming the streets of our community.

'Ozzie the Duck' brought joy and happiness to countless people who strolled the grounds of Stanley Park in Westfield. And when something is taken away, especially in such a senseless manner, people get angry. And in this case, people are angry.

The following is the report I filed on ABC40 on Monday. You can click on this link to watch the video of the story.

The death of Ozzie the Duck, the unofficial mascot of Stanley Park in Westfield continues to shock and sadden animal and nature lovers here in Western Massachusetts.

While police continue to follow-up leads that a group of teenagers attacked and killed Ozzie, people keep showing up at Stanley Park to enjoy the duck pond and reminisce about Ozzie.

And while there may be many people wondering why so much is being made about the death of a duck, all you need to do is talk to the folks who worked at Stanley park and the people who visit the park, and you know immediately how special this little guy was.

People say we’re judged by the way we treat our children and the way we treat our animals. And that’s why the death of Ozzie the Duck is so troubling.

“I called him the character of the park,” said Donna Herman, a volunteer who first discovered Ozzie more than three years ago. “He was just such a unique duck. Of course the children would come and feed him and pick him out of the whole group since he was so unique.”

On a typical fall morning at Stanley Park the expansive water foul population was causing its usual commotion while being fussed over and fed. All the while homemade cards from area children hung on the covered bridge where a few days earlier Ozzie the duck was brutalized by a group of teenagers.

Ozzie, the Muscovy duck, best known for his friendly manner and signature red bill, was a favorite at Stanley Park. His violent end has shocked animal lovers all over Western Mass, and the outpouring of attention has been heartwarming for the people who knew Ozzie best.

“This has really shown some real family caring about what is here and especially the animals that are here too,” said Bob McKean, Managing Director at Stanley Park.. “Its been overwhelming. I knew it was here but boy, now I’ve witnessed it as well. I can’t thank everybody enough for everything they’ve done for us.”

“Just to have an unusual visitor to blend in with the rest of the ducks and geese and the swans that are down there, said Donna Herman. “As I said, he thought he was a goose anyway, he was a very large duck. He ate with them and sometimes would lead them in a procession across the covered bridge. He was just lot’s of fun to watch.”

Especially fun to watch for people like Andy Whalen and his grandson Christopher. They’ve been regulars at Stanley Park ever since Christopher was a baby. On this particular morning there were still plenty of ducks and geese to feed, but grandpa did take time out to explain why Ozzie wasn’t there anymore.

“As a Grandfather, what do you tell him? “Well I told him that there’s some people that just don’t have the common sense to just be nice to nature and nice to animals, said Whalen “Hopefully he learn from the experience of coming here and feeding the ducks and treating the animals the way they should be treated.”

“He did stand out because he was a different color, said Paula Hepburn of Russell. “He had the red beak, the red bill. ”
“He looked like the ugly duckling from the Ugly Duckling story. You couldn’t miss him.”

While police continue to investigate, the folks at Stanley Park gave Ozzie a proper burial in a prominent place in the park.

If you have any information regarding the case you’re encouraged to call Westfield Police at (413) 562-5411.

A Connecticut man struck by a train remains in critical condition at a Worcester hospital, Richard Nixon's 'bizarre' visit to the Lincoln Memorial, and more morning news.

AP Photo/Mary AltafferOfficers with the New York Police Department disperse Occupy Wall Street protesters near the encampment at Zuccotti Park early today, Tuesday, Nov. 15. Police, who began their push to clear the park around 1 a.m., handed out notices from the park's owner, Brookfield Office Properties, and the city saying that the park had to be cleared because it had become unsanitary and hazardous. Protesters were told they could return, but without sleeping bags, tarps or tents.

• Massachusetts 'blue laws' derailing stores’ Black Friday plans [Boston.com]


• Deal reached on former South Weymouth air base land[Boston.com]


• Boston College lacrosse player from Long Island found dead in Hub apartment [Boston.com]


• Connecticut man struck by train is in critical condition at Worcester hospital [Courant.com]


• Connecticut robbery suspects claim they were raising money for Bloods street gang [Courant.com]


• Connecticut Police: Man accused in Glastonbury home invasion called victim's husband, apologized [Courant.com]


• NYPD breaks Occupy Wall Street camp at lower Manhattan park [NYTimes.com]


• Richard Nixon's bizarre visit to the Lincoln Memorial [TheAtlantic.com]




Tech History Today (VIDEO):




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


• Read more News Links »


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Authorities allege 53-year-old Keith Bigness downloaded thousands of child pornography images onto a work computer.

Keith Bigness (Southbridge Police Dept. booking photo)

DUDLEY, Mass. (AP) — A Southbridge man has been ordered held on $2,500 bail after pleading not guilty to child pornography possession charges.

Authorities allege 53-year-old Keith Bigness downloaded thousands of child pornography images onto a work computer. He was fired after the images were discovered.

An IT specialist at Bigness' place of work alerted police. He was arrested Friday.

A judge at his arraignment in Dudley District Court on Monday ordered that if Bigness makes bail, he must remain at home with a monitoring device, have no unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 16, and is now allowed to use computers.

The Telegram & Gazette reports that Bigness' lawyer says there are many "unanswered questions" and speculation about his client's case.

Under the city's plans, protesters would not be allowed to use tents, sleeping bags, or tarps and would have to follow all park rules.

NEW YORK (AP) — Hundreds of police officers in riot gear raided Zuccotti Park early Tuesday, evicting dozens of Occupy Wall Street protesters from what has become the epicenter of the worldwide movement protesting corporate greed and economic inequality.

Hours later, the National Lawyers Guild obtained a court order allowing Occupy Wall Street protesters to return with tents to the park. The guild said the injunction prevents the city from enforcing park rules on Occupy Wall Street protesters.

At a morning news conference at City Hall, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the city knew about the court order but had not seen it and would go to court to fight it. He said the city wants to protect people's rights, but if a choice must be made, it will protect public safety.

About 70 people were arrested overnight, including some who chained themselves together, while officers cleared the park so that sanitation crews could clean it.

By 9 a.m., the park was power-washed clean. Police in riot gear still ringed the public space, waiting for orders to reopen it.

The city told protesters at the two-month-old encampment they could come back after the cleaning, but under new tougher rules, including no tents, sleeping bags or tarps, which would effectively put an end to the encampment if enforced.

Bloomberg said the evacuation was conducted in the middle of the night "to reduce the risk of confrontation in the park, and to minimize disruption to the surrounding neighborhood."

"The law that created Zuccotti Park required that it be open for the public to enjoy for passive recreation 24 hours a day," Bloomberg said. "Ever since the occupation began, that law has not been complied with, as the park has been taken over by protesters, making it unavailable to anyone else."

Concerns about health and safety issues at Occupy Wall Street camps around the country have intensified, and protesters have been ordered to take down their shelters, adhere to curfews and relocate so that parks can be cleaned.

Hundreds of former Zuccotti Park residents and their supporters marched along Lower Manhattan before dawn Tuesday.

Some paused and locked arms outside the City Hall gates but left peacefully when police in riot gear appeared on the scene. About 300 to 400 kept moving along the sidewalks, taking care not to block them.

Some were chanting, "This is what democracy looks like."

Others chanted: "Hey, hey, ho, ho, our billionaire mayor has got to go."

At about 1 a.m. Tuesday, New York City police handed out notices from Brookfield Office Properties, owner of Zuccotti Park, and the city saying that the park had to be cleared because it had become unsanitary and hazardous.

Paul Browne, a spokesman for the New York Police Department, said the park had been cleared by 4:30 a.m. and that about 70 people who'd been inside it had been arrested, including a group who chained themselves together. One person was taken to a hospital for evaluation because of breathing problems.

Police in riot gear filled the streets, car lights flashing and sirens blaring. Protesters, some of whom shouted angrily at police, began marching to two locations in Lower Manhattan where they planned to hold rallies.

Some protesters refused to leave the park, but many left peacefully.

Ben Hamilton, 29, said he was arrested "and I was just trying to get away" from the fray.

Rabbi Chaim Gruber, an Occupy Wall Street member, said police officers were clearing the streets near Zuccotti Park.

"The police are forming a human shield, and are pushing everyone away," he said.

Hundreds of police officers surrounded the park in riot gear with plastic shields across their faces, holding plastic shields and batons which were used on some cases on protesters.

Police also came armed with klieg lights, which they used to flood the park, and bull horns to announce that everyone had to clear out.

Jake Rozak, another protester, said police "had their pepper spray out and were ready to use it."

Notices given to the protesters said the park "poses an increasing health and fire safety hazard to those camped in the park, the city's first responders and the surrounding community."

It said that tents, sleeping bags and other items had to be removed because "the storage of these materials at this location is not allowed." Anything left behind would be taken away, the notices said, giving an address at a sanitation department building where items could be picked up.

Alex Hall, 21, of Brooklyn, said police walked into the park "stepping on tents and ripping them out."

Occupy encampments have come under fire around the country as local officials and residents have complained about possible health hazards and ongoing inhabitation of parks and other public spaces.

Anti-Wall Street activists intend to converge at the University of California, Berkeley on Tuesday for a day of protests and another attempt to set up an Occupy Cal camp, less than a week after police arrested dozens of protesters who tried to pitch tents on campus.

The Berkeley protesters will be joined by Occupy Oakland activists who said they would march to the UC campus in the afternoon. Police cleared the tent city in front of Oakland City Hall before dawn Monday and arrested more than 50 people amid complaints about safety, sanitation and drug use.

Police arrested a Paper City man on Saturday following an alleged attack that left his pregnant girlfriend bleeding from the mouth.

Republican file photo

HOLYOKE - Police arrested a Paper City man on Saturday following an alleged attack that left his pregnant girlfriend bleeding from the mouth.

Around 2 p.m., police were called to room 312 at the Holyoke Hotel and Conference Center to investigate a reported domestic dispute, according to Lt. David Fournier of the Holyoke Police Department.

"Officers arrived and saw that the woman was bleeding from her mouth and had redness on her cheeks," Fournier said. "Based on her injuries, he was arrested."

Jose J. Ramos, 26, who said he lives at the hotel, was charged with aggravated assault and battery on a pregnant woman and taken into custody.

Ramos was held over the remainder of the weekend and arraigned Monday in Holyoke District Court. Details from his arraignment weren't immediately available Tuesday morning.

Cain struggled to answer a question about whether he supported President Barack Obama's handling of the crisis in Libya.

Associated PressIn this Nov. 2, 2011 file photo, Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain arrives to speak on Capitol Hill in Washington.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain is trying to explain his Rick Perry moment in a videotaped interview, just as the Georgia businessman tries to make his upstart campaign less controversial and more conventional.

Even as he continued to be dogged by sexual harassment talk on Monday, Cain momentarily lost his footing in a videotaped interview with the editorial board of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He struggled to answer a question about whether he supported President Barack Obama's handling of the crisis in Libya.

A top aide said later that Cain had not had enough sleep.

Cain hesitated when asked whether he agreed with Obama's decision to back Libyan rebels in overthrowing Moammar Gadhafi. The longtime Libyan dictator was killed last month.

"I do not agree with the way he handled it for the following reason," Cain said.

"Uh, nope that's, that's a different one," said Cain, who fidgeted in his chair and crossed his legs, then paused. "See, I got to go back, see, got all this stuff twirling around in my head. Specifically what are you asking me, did I agree or not disagree with Obama?"

Cain eventually explained that he would have done a better job than Obama assessing the nature of the Libyan opposition to Gadhafi. The Republican said he would have supported many of the steps taken to stop killings by Gadhafi's forces.

He conceded that might have ended up taking the same steps that Obama took.

Asked later about the exchange, Cain dismissed his stumble.

"I paused so I could gather my thoughts," Cain said.

Cain spokesman J.D. Gordon said Monday that Cain had four hours of sleep because of a busy campaign schedule when he sat for the interview, including the question on Libya. He said Cain took his time answering because the candidate wanted to make sure he was focusing on the right problem.

Cain's experience, nonetheless, evoked thoughts of Perry's halting, forgetful statements in a recent debate when the Texas governor declared that he would immediately eliminate three agencies of government if elected, but could cite only two — the departments of Commerce and Education. Videotape of Perry's performance went viral on the internet — he also is targeting the Energy Department — and he was the butt of jokes by late-night TV comedians.

With respect to Monday's interview incident, Gordon said that Cain had received briefings on recent Arab Spring developments in Libya, Yemen, Syria, Egypt and Tunisia in preparation for a Republican debate Saturday focusing on foreign policy issues.

Ultimately, Cain recovered from his awkward moment Monday and said that he would have done a better job than Obama in assessing the opposition to Gadhafi to make sure the rebels were not loyal to al-Qaida.

"After things erupted, now we discover that some of the members of the opposition were actually al-Qaida members," he told reporters in Green Bay. "That's not the proper due diligence in my opinion."

His interview incident occurred on the same day that a former boyfriend of Sharon Bialek, a woman who has publicly accused Cain of sexual harassment, told a news conference that he and Bialek had shared Cain's company at a dinner in the 1990s. Cain has steadfastly argued that he's never met Bialek and doesn't recognize her.

The search for a missing 13-year-old girl from Wayland, Massachusetts has taken detectives to New York City.

Allie Loftis hasn't been seen since Nov. 4 when she got off a Peter Pan bus in New York City.

WAYLAND, Mass. - The search for a missing 13-year-old girl from Wayland, Massachusetts has taken detectives to New York City.

According to the family of missing teen Allie Loftis, the "mature-looking" child took a Peter Pan bus to New York City on Friday Nov. 4 and hasn't been seen since her 11 p.m. arrival.

The eighth-grader's father Tony told The Huffington Post that Allie had been unhappy in school and that she was bored with life in the rural community of Wayland, a small community of just over 12,000 residents about 20 miles west of Boston.

"I live in semi-rural community where it's peaceful and quiet, and she wanted big city, bright lights," the father told the online news website.

With his family remaining in Brooklyn, it is believed that Loftis may have ran away to that borough of the city.

Allie Loftis

Detectives with the Wayland Police Department have since traveled to New York to work in conjunction with New York City Missing Persons Unit to find and bring the teen home safely.

Loftis is described as a light-skinned bi-racial child, 5 foot, 4 inches tall, weighing 130 pounds with black hair usually tied in a bun or ponytail.

She was last seen wearing blue jeans and black Uggs.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call Det. Ruth Backman or Det. Sgt. Jamie D. Berger at the Wayland Police Department at 508-358-4721, call the New York City Missing Persons squad at 212-694-7781 or send a note to FindAllieLoftis@gmail.com.

For more information about the case, follow the Loftis family's efforts to find Allie on Facebook.

Camp Good News in Sandwich announced plans to reopen on its website Monday, angering alleged victims.

(AP photo by Steve Heaslip / Cape Cod Times)Camp Good News in Sandwich, Massachusetts.

SANDWICH — The Christian summer camp on Cape Cod where several people including U.S. Sen. Scott Brown said they were sexually abused as children plans to reopen next summer.

Camp Good News in Sandwich announced plans to reopen on its website Monday, angering alleged victims.

The 76-year-old camp did not open last summer following the suicide in April of a longtime employee accused of molestation there in the 1980s. The camp then lost its accreditation.

Several adults, including Brown, stepped forward saying they were molested there. Several are suing, but Brown has said he is not pursuing the matter.

Carmen Durso and Mitchell Garabedian, lawyers representing some alleged Camp Good News victims, questioned the wisdom of reopening the camp. Garabedian says he represents 14 former campers.

A criminal investigation is also ongoing.

The compromise bill adopts a Senate plan to raise the minimum state retirement age from 55 to 60 for employees hired after next April.

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BOSTON – House and Senate negotiators have reached agreement on an overhaul of the state’s pension system that would raise the minimum retirement age for future state employees to 60.

The measure is expected to receive final approval in the Legislature by Wednesday. It aims to save the state $5 billion over the next 30 years and reduce the state’s $17 billion unfunded pension liability. Backers also say it will help preserve the state’s credit rating, which was recently upgraded by Standard & Poor’s.

The compromise bill adopts a Senate plan to raise the minimum state retirement age from 55 to 60 for employees hired after next April. The House version set 57 as the minimum retirement age.

The wide-ranging legislation also slightly increases the base amount for calculating cost-of-living increases for state workers.

Authorities say the man is 29 and from Scottsdale, Ariz., but not did disclose his name

BOSTON – Massachusetts authorities are investigating after an Arizona man was found dead in the bathroom of a bus.

Authorities say the man apparently entered the bathroom alone early in the trip from Londonderry, New Hampshire on Monday night.

The restroom door remained closed until transit personnel forced it open upon arrival in Boston and found him unresponsive inside at about 9 p.m.

Emergency medical technicians pronounced him dead at the scene.

A spokesman for the Suffolk district attorney’s office says the death does not appear suspicious. An autopsy is scheduled.

Authorities say the man is 29 and from Scottsdale, Ariz., but not did disclose his name.

An hour after news of the committee's vote broke, 11 freshman Republican lawmakers held a press conference to call for the proposal’s defeat, contending that it would strangle small businesses and lead to a flood of litigation.

AP Photo/Elise AmendolaMassachusetts House Minority Leader Bradley Jones, R-North Reading, leaves the House Chambers during a recess at the Statehouse in Boston.

BOSTON - The Judiciary Committee has approved legislation extending non-discrimination protection to transgender residents of Massachusetts, an aide confirmed Tuesday morning.

Senators on the Judiciary Committee voted 5-0 in support of the bill.

Senators voting in support of the bill include committee co-chair Cynthia Creem, D-Newton, and Sens. Gale Candaras, D-Wilbraham, Patricia Jehlen, D-Somerville, Thomas McGee, D-Lynn, and Sen. John Keenan, D-Quincy.

The committee's sole Republican senator, Richard Ross of Wrentham, abstained from the vote.

None of the committee's 11 House members responded to requests for comment on how they voted on the bill, and a committee aide declined to release results of the poll.

An hour later, however, 11 freshman Republican lawmakers held a press conference outside the House chamber to call for the proposal’s defeat, contending that it would strangle small businesses and lead to a flood of litigation.

State Rep. Marc Lombardo, of Billerica, joined by 10 colleagues and Republican Congressional candidate Bill Hudak, described scenarios in which small businesses would shutter if a transitioning transgender person scared away clients.

The bill, added Rep. Paul Adams of Andover, “encourages politicians to cater to special interests.”

Republicans at the press conference said they opposed violence against any person but emphasized that Massachusetts has “progressive” hate crimes laws and said adding another protection would be duplicative.

Attendees also suggested that the effort to pass the bill was a distraction from job creation efforts, which proponents of the bill called a “false” choice.

In addition to Adams and Lombardo, attendees at the press conference included Reps. Steven Levy, of Marlborough, James Lyons, of Andover, Richard Bastien, of Gardner, Geoff Diehl, of Whitman, Shaunna O’Connell, of Taunton, Keiko Orrall, of Lakeville, Kevin Kuros, of Uxbridge, Angelo D’Emilia, of Bridgewater, and Peter Durant, of Spencer.

Another freshman Republican, Rep. Daniel Winslow of Norfolk, voted in support of the bill in the Judiciary Committee but said he hopes to amend the section of the bill that defines “gender identity.”

About 55 lawmakers have signed on as cosponsors of the original legislation filed by Rep. Carl Sciortino, D-Medford.

The Judiciary Committee revised the bill to strike language that would have required public accommodations be available to support transgender men and women.

Democratic Party Chairman John Walsh issued a statement in the wake of the committee’s vote, saying transgender individuals in Massachusetts “can be fired from their job just for being who they are.” Walsh said, “Now that it is out of committee, we hope that the legislature will look past the divisive rhetoric of those who want to move the clock back on civil rights and pass this important bill.”

A three-judge appeals court panel said it did not find a substantial likelihood that DiMasi’s appeal would be successful.

Salvatore DiMasi

BOSTON – Former Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi has lost a bid to remain free on bail while appealing his federal corruption conviction.

A three-judge appeals court panel, in a ruling dated Monday, said it did not find a substantial likelihood that DiMasi’s appeal would be successful.

The panel also denied a similar request for bail from DiMasi’s co-defendant, Richard McDonough.

DiMasi was sentenced to eight years in prison and McDonough to seven years behind bars. They are scheduled to begin their sentences on Nov. 30.

DiMasi and McDonough were convicted in June on conspiracy and other charges. Prosecutors said they schemed to use DiMasi’s clout as speaker to steer two lucrative contracts to a software firm in exchange for payments.