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Elderly Vermont couple ends 9-year anti-war vigil

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A nine-year vigil by a Vermont couple to protest the war in Iraq is coming to an end with the new year.

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — A nine-year vigil by a Vermont couple to protest the war in Iraq is coming to an end with the new year.

The Times Argus of Barre says Friday was the last day of a peace vigil in front of the Montpelier post office for 87-year-old Jules Rabin, and his 71-year-old wife Helen, of Marshfield. Their vigil, every Friday at noon for an hour, began in the fall of 2002 with the hope that they the war could be stopped before it started.

On March 19, 2003, the invasion of Iraq began with Operation Iraqi Freedom. On Dec. 15 the war officially ended.

Jules Rabin says that even though there's still a war in Afghanistan, he and his wife have stayed the course.

To hear more about the Vermont couple's nearly decade-long plight, check out a report by Vermont Public Radio.


Obituaries today: Richard Whitty was transportation supervisor at Martin Brower Company in Enfield

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Rollover crash at Babcock Tavern and Monson Turnpike roads in Ware

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The cause of the wreck is under investigation, police said.

WARE – Police are investigating a rollover crash involving a car that hit a telephone pole around 8:30 p.m. Saturday.

The accident happened at the intersection of Babcock Tavern and Monson Turnpike roads, according to Ware Police Sgt. Kenneth Kovitch.

The driver was taken to Mary Lane Hospital by ambulance. No further information was immediately available.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

NYC, world ring in 2012, say goodbye to a tough year

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From New Zealand to New York, the world eagerly welcomed a new year Sunday and hoped for a better future, saying goodbye to a year of hurricanes, tsunamis and economic turmoil that many would rather forget.

Gallery previewNEW YORK (AP) — Revelers erupted in cheers amid a confetti-filled celebration in New York's Times Square to welcome in the new year, part of star-studded celebrations and glittering fireworks displays around the world to usher in 2012.

From New Zealand to New York, the world eagerly welcomed a new year Sunday and hoped for a better future, saying goodbye to a year of hurricanes, tsunamis and economic turmoil that many would rather forget.

In New York, hundreds of thousands gathered at the crossroads of the world to witness a crystal ball with more than 30,000 lights that descended at midnight. Lady Gaga and Mayor Michael Bloomberg led the crowd in the final-minute countdown of the famed crystal-paneled ball drop.

Matheus Campos, a law student from Brazil, threw both arms in the air as the new year began in Times Square.

"It's awesome," he said.

Revelers in Australia, Asia, Europe and the South Pacific island nation of Samoa, which jumped across the international dateline to be first to celebrate, welcomed 2012 with booming pyrotechnic displays. Fireworks soared and sparked over Moscow's Red Square, crowds on Paris' Champs-Elysées boulevard popped Champagne corks at midnight.

But many approached the new year with more relief than joy, as people battered by weather disasters, joblessness and economic uncertainty hoped the stroke of midnight would change their fortunes.

"It was a pretty tough year, but God was looking after us and I know 2012 has got to be better," said Kyralee Scott, 16, of Jackson, N.J., whose father spent most of the year out of work.

Some New York revelers, wearing party hats and "2012" glasses, began camping out Saturday morning, even as workers readied bags stuffed with hundreds of balloons and technicians put colored filters on klieg lights. The crowds cheered as workers lit the crystal-paneled ball that drops at midnight Saturday and put it through a test run, 400 feet above the street. The sphere, now decorated with 3,000 Waterford crystal triangles, has been dropping to mark the new year since 1907, long before television made it a U.S. tradition.

In Times Square, hundreds of thousands people crammed into spectator pens ringed by barricades, enjoying surprisingly warm weather for the Northeast. The National Weather Service said it was about 49 degrees in nearby Central Park — about 10 degrees warmer than the normal high temperature.

As the country prepared for the celebration, glum wasn't on the agenda for many, even those who had a sour year.

"We're hoping the next year will be better," said Becky Martin, a former elementary school teacher who drove from Rockford, Ill., to Times Square after spending a fruitless year trying to find a job. "We're starting off optimistic and hoping it lasts."

Many expressed cautious hope that better times were ahead after a year in which Japan was ravaged by an earthquake and tsunami, hurricanes wreaked havoc across the country and a debt crisis devastated Europe's economy.

"Everybody's suffering. That's why it's so beautiful to be here celebrating something with everybody," said Lisa Nicol, 47, of Melbourne, Australia.

For all of the holiday's bittersweet potential, New York City always treats it like a big party — albeit one that now takes place under the watchful eye of a massive security force, including more than 1,500 police officers.

Dick Clark, who suffered a stroke in 2004, put in a few brief appearances mentioning that he has hosted his namesake New Year's Eve celebration for years, but said "tonight, it's better than ever." Clark, looking cheerful but struggling with his speech, introduced a performance by Lady Gaga and also assisted in the countdown. The show, hosted by Ryan Seacrest also featured a performance by Justin Bieber.

Natalie Tolli, a 13-year-old from Yonkers, said "it was the best time I ever had, especially seeing Justin Bieber in his red hat."

The father, George Tolli, said he and his wife and three daughters and son waited since 2 p.m. to get their place.

"It was a pleasant surprise, very controlled," he said. "In my 51 years, I've never been here for New Year's. But I did it for the kids. And it was worth it."

In Las Vegas, police shut down a four-mile section of the Strip to vehicle traffic six hours before midnight, letting revelers party in the street. Casino nightclubs touted pricey, exclusive bashes hosted by celebrities including Kim Kardashian and Fergie, and fireworks were expected to shoot from the rooftops of eight of the city's most famous casinos.

Atlanta welcomed thousands to its downtown, where a giant peach dropped at midnight. Fireworks were to be launched from the top of the Space Needle in Seattle; in Houston, tens of thousands were celebrating at a party with country singer Delbert McClinton.

In summer temperatures at Key West, Fla., three separate midnight drops took place. A giant facsimile of a conch shell was lowered at Sloppy Joe's Bar, Ernest Hemingway's favorite watering hole when he lived in Key West. At the Schooner Wharf Bar, the bar owner dressed as a pirate wench and dropped down from a mast of a tall sailing ship. And at the Bourbon Street Pub complex, a drag queen named Sushi descended in a glittering 6-foot red women's high heel.

The town of Eastport, Maine, lowers an 8-foot-long wooden sardine from a downtown building at midnight, in celebration of its sardine canning and fishing history.

In San Francisco, revelers were lining the waterfront for the annual fireworks show. Though the city's fickle weather and persistent fog can never be counted on to cooperate, forecasters say the skies above the city should be clear overnight.

The first worldwide celebrations started in the island nation of Samoa, which hopped across the international date line at midnight on Thursday, skipping Friday and moving instantly to Saturday.

Samoa and the neighboring nation of Tokelau lie near the dateline that zigzags vertically through the Pacific Ocean; both sets of islands decided to realign themselves this year from the Americas side of the line to the Asia side to be more in tune with key trading partners.

In Sydney, more than 1.5 million people watched the shimmering pyrotechnic display designed around the theme "Time to Dream." In London, some 250,000 people gathered to listen to Big Ben chime at the stroke of midnight.

World leaders evoked 2011's struggles in their New Year's messages with some ambivalence.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy warned Europe's crisis is not finished and "that 2012 will be the year full of risks, but also of possibilities."

Pope Benedict XVI marked the end of 2011 with prayers of thanks and said humanity awaits the new year with apprehension but also with hope for a better future.

"We prepare to cross the threshold of 2012, remembering that the Lord watches over us and takes care of us," Benedict said. "In him this evening we want to entrust the entire world. We put into his hands the tragedies of this world of ours, and we also offer him the hopes for a better future."

In Brazil, heavy rains didn't halt parties as upward of 2 million people gathered on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro and nearly as many on a main avenue in Sao Paulo, South America's biggest city. Massive fireworks displays and top music acts graced stages across the nation.

Brazil has seen healthy economic growth in recent years, as the country prepares to host the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016. Growth, however, has stalled in recent months, and Brazilian leaders are trying to stimulate the economy in the new year.

"This was a good year for Brazil and I think things are only getting better, it feels like we're making big advances," said Fabiana dos Santos Silva, an 18-year-old student who gathered with hundreds of thousands of others on a main avenue in Sao Paulo.

Several people preparing to celebrate the holiday in the U.S. told the AP that they would usher in the New Year hoping the Congress would become a more cooperative place. Some talked about their hopes for the presidential election. Others said they hoped to hold on to their job, or find a new one to replace one they'd lost.

An Associated Press-GfK poll conducted Dec. 8-12 found that 62 percent of Americans are optimistic that the nation's fortunes will improve in 2012, and 78 percent hopeful that their own family will have a better year. Most wrote off 2011 as a dud.

Debbie Hart, 50, of Perry, Ga., called herself the "perpetual optimist" who believes each year will be better than the one before.

"I married a farmer. 'Wait until next year. Next year will be better.' That's what I've been hearing for 30 years," said Hart. "I have faith."


Southampton woman to appear on ABC show 'The Bachelor'

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Rachel Truehart, a 2002 graduate of Hampshire Regional High School, is among the 25 female contestants vying for the affection of a male bachelor in the reality TV show.

Rachel_Truehart_Ben_Flajnik.jpgRachel Truehart and Ben Flajnik in a scene from the Season 16 debut episode of "The Bachelor." Truehart, a Southampton native, is one of 25 women competing on the show. The season premier will air locally on Monday, January, 2, 2012, on WGGB-TV, abc40

SOUTHAMPTON – Will she get a rose and a chance for true love, or will she go home single and frustrated?

Those are questions Pioneer Valley TV viewers surely will be asking when one of their own appears in the new season of the "The Bachelor," which premieres Monday at 8 p.m. on ABC.

Rachel Truehart, a 27-year-old New York fashion industry professional and 2002 graduate of Hampshire Regional High School in Westhampton, is among the 25 female contestants vying for the affection of Ben Flajnik, a 28-year-old winemaker from Sonoma, Calif.

Each week, Flajnik – a loser on last season's "The Bachelorette," a companion show to "The Bachelor" – will winnow down a pool of potential female mates until he finds the so-called girl of his dreams. Those who make the weekly cut in this elimination contest receive a red rose, which means they survive for another round.

Truehart is a 2006 graduate of Rhode Island's Roger Williams University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in marketing and psychology.

Though she now works in New York's high-pressure fashion industry, she's expected to watch Monday's season opener at the family homestead on Lead Mine Road in Southampton.

Truehart said someone recommended her for the TV show after her last relationship ended, according to the Daily Hampshire Gazette.

"I was nominated for it by a family friend after I got out of my last relationship, and then I went through the interview process and was chosen," she told the Northampton newspaper.

A signed confidentiality agreement with ABC prohibits here from discussing details of the show.

New Year's Day: Springfield police respond to multiple assault, shooting and car crash reports

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Among the many incidents police responded to was an apparent stabbing in Liberty Heights and a shooting incident in the Sixteen Acres neighborhood.

SPRINGFIELD – The new year got off to a bumpy and busy start in Springfield as police responded to numerous reports of violence throughout the city, including domestic disturbances, shootings and an apparent stabbing.

Ranking police officials were unable to comment in detail about some of the reports, while some of the incidents turned out to be unfounded or were still under investigation.

An incident reported at 3:35 a.m. Sunday near the interface of the Liberty Heights and East Springfield neighborhoods involved an apparent stabbing victim, according to preliminary Springfield police reports. Sgt. Dennis Prior said the incident was being investigated by detectives, and details were unavailable.

In that matter, police responded to a report of a three-car accident with a possible shooting victim at the intersection of Carew Street and St. James Avenue. But that victim later was determined to be a stabbing victim, who was taken to the hospital around 3:52 a.m.

Details of many of the incidents remained sketchy this morning, but police received numerous gunfire and disturbance calls and responded to multiple ShotSpotter activations from the city's automated gunshot-detection system.

Prior said some of the gunfire reports were actually fireworks, while others revealed no evidence of a shooting. As of 5 a.m. Sunday, no apparent gunshot victims had turned up at city hospitals for treatment.

Around 1:47 a.m., police responded to a report of gunfire coming from a gray Honda in the vicinity of Boston Road and Seymour Avenue in the Pine Point neighborhood. That was followed by a 1:52 a.m. ShotSpotter activation in the 100 block of Euclid Avenue in the Forest Park neighborhood, and a 2:13 a.m. report of gunfire on Mary Coburn Road in the Sixteen Acres section of the city.

Police reports indicated a spent shell casing was recovered in the vicinity of 72 Mary Coburn Road, which is off of Parker Street, but Prior said he was unaware if a casing was recovered at the scene.

Around 2:20 a.m., officers responded to a report of a person chasing and shooting at someone near White and Vermont streets in Forest Park, though that incident appears to have been unfounded.

About a half-hour later, authorities were alerted to multiple shots fired near Melrose and Marshall streets in the Old Hill neighborhood, followed by a 2:52 a.m. report of gunfire possibly coming from a moving vehicle in the vicinity of Oakland and Dickinson streets in Forest Park.

When officers weren't busy handling disturbances, they were assisting city firefighters at crash scenes, including a three-car collision in the 2900 block of Main Street just after 4 a.m. They also responded to a 2:12 a.m. report of a one-car crash at the intersection of Orange and White streets. It was unclear if anyone was injured in either of those incidents.

One of the cars in the Main Street crash was reportedly a stolen vehicle whose occupants fled the scene on foot.

Prior said police resources were stretched as officers responded to more than 200 calls across the city.

Updates on individual incidents, including the possible stabbing, will be posted on MassLive as details become available.

2012 Western Massachusetts mayoral inaugurations break new ground

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Alex Morse will become Holyoke's youngest mayor, Domenic Sarno will begin Springfield's first 4-year mayoral term and Gregory Neffinger will become West Springfield's 2nd mayor.

alex morse gregory neffinger domenic sarno.jpgLeft to right, Holyoke Mayor-elect Alex Morse, West Springfield Mayor-elect Gregory Neffinger and Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno.

When inaugural ceremonies begin next week in Greater Springfield, there will be no shortage of firsts.

In Holyoke, Alex B. Morse’s first day in office will be Tuesday when the 22-year-old is sworn in as the youngest mayor in the city’s history.

In Springfield, Domenic J. Sarno will embark on the city’s first four-year mayoral term Tuesday after winning two-year terms in 2008 and 2010.

And in West Springfield, the first mayor not named Edward J. Gibson will assume office Tuesday morning after Gibson, the only mayor since the city adopted the form of government 11 years ago, steps down.

Across Western Mass., three new mayors and five incumbents will take the oath of office Monday and Tuesday, along with dozens of municipal and school officials tapped by voters in November’s election.

In Holyoke, the ceremonies begin Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Holyoke High School, 500 Beech St. The event will feature the swearing-in of Morse, a senior at Brown University this time last year, as well as aldermen and school committee members.

Fifteen city councilors, six of whom are new, and school committee members will also be sworn in at the 500 Beech St. School.

Since defeating incumbent Elaine A. Pluta in November, Morse has maintained a high profile, including an invitation to a holiday dinner with President Obama at the White House.

A reception will be held at City Hall at noon; the inaugural ball is Jan. 14 from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m., at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House.

In Springfield, Sarno will be sworn for a four-year term Monday at 10 a.m. at City Hall, with Rev. Robert S. White, pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish, offering prayers.

“I am appreciative and humbled,” Sarno said, referring to his status as the city’s first four-year mayor.

Speakers will include Congressman Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield; state Senator James T. Welch, D-West Springfield and state representative Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr., D-Springfield.

Festivities will continue Monday evening from 5 to 7 p.m. with Bright Nights at Forest Park open with free admission. Mayor Sarno, his family and members of the Springfield City Council will greet visitors at the front gate. Cookies and hot chocolate will be served.

An inaugural party will be held Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Richard Flynn Student Union at Springfield College. Music will be provided by the High School of Science & Technology Jazz Band.

In West Springfield, Gregory C. Neffinger will be ceremonially sworn in as the city’s second mayor at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Nine city councilors and six school committee members will also be sworn in by Town Clerk Otto J. Frizzell at the service at the municipal building.

For legal purposes, the new mayor will take the oath of office early Tuesday morning – a requirement for performing duties as mayor.

053011 daniel knapik mug.jpgDaniel Knapik

In Westfield, elected officials begin their terms Tuesday following inauguration ceremonies at Westfield Vocational-Technical High School.

Inauguration is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. The City Council will meet immediately following to elect its president for the new year. The council will meet at 11:30 a.m. at City Hall.

Mayor Daniel M. Knapik, who is launching his second term, said he chose the vocational high school for inauguration to help draw attention the school’s 100th anniversary celebration.

City Clerk Karen M. Fanion will administer the oath of office to Knapik and then to the 13 members of the City Council. Four School Committee members will be sworn in as well as six Municipal Light Board members and one Athenaeum trustee.

In Agawam, Mayor Richard A. Cohen will be sworn in Tuesday for his sixth two-year term, making him the city’s longest-serving mayor.

The ceremony will be at 10 a.m. at Town Hall.

Town Clerk Richard M. Theroux will administer the oath of office.

102511 david narkewicz mug.JPGDavid Narkewicz

In Northampton, the inauguration begins Tuesday at 10 a.m. at the Northampton High School auditorium. Acting mayor David Narkewicz will sworn in for his first full term; Judge Jacklyn M. Connly of Northampton District Court will preside.

A reception will be held at Look Park’s Garden House from 5 to 7 p.m., with light refreshments and a cash bar.

In Chicopee, Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette will be begin his fourth term at 10 a.m. Monday at Elms College.

The ceremony will start at 8:30 a.m., and will include swearing in of 13 city councilors, 11 members of the School Committee, the city clerk and assessors.

In Easthampton, Mayor Michael A. Tautznik’s eighth term begins with a Tuesday noontime swearing-in ceremony at the municipal building.

The City Council will hold a reorganization meeting at 12:45 p.m.

Toy for Joy campaign tops holiday goal with $167,333 in donations

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Families served by Salvation Army units in Springfield, Holyoke, Westfield, Northampton and Greenfield benefited from the program.

ToyForJoyLogo2010.JPG

SPRINGFIELD – Last-minute donations to the Toy for Joy holiday gift campaign pushed this season’s tally well north of this its $150,000 goal.

The Toy for Joy total, as of noon on Dec. 23, came in at $163,425,97.

Additional donations made by readers of The Republican and Masslive.com, however, trickled in last week and pushed the 2011 total to $167,333.08.

“That’s great, great news,” said Maj. Thomas E. Perks, co-commander of the Greater Springfield Salvation Army Citadel. “After the difficult year our community has endured, I am amazed at the generosity and the concern that we have for our neighbors and it just goes to show our dedication as a community to rebuild, to grow, no matter what.”


More than 4,000 families from Greater Springfield alone benefited from Toy for Joy this year. Families from Salvation Army units in Holyoke, Westfield, Northampton and Greenfield also benefited from the program.

“The need is still very, very apparent,” said Gail P. lagers, director of the Westfield service unit which provided toys to 1,130 children in Greater Westfield through Toy for Joy and other programs.

The final tally handily exceeded the $160,147 raised for Toy for Joy last year. Both campaigns didn’t reach and surpass their $150,000 goals until their final days of collection.

This marked the 89th annual Toy for Joy campaign; jointly sponsored by the Salvation Army and The Republican.

“It’s no secret that many families in the Greater Springfield area have suffered through a recession and unemployment longer than other parts of our state,” said The Republican Executive Editor Wayne E. Phaneuf. “The generosity of our readers, businesses and institutions once again came through to make the holiday brighter.”

Hasbro, Inc. joined Toy for Joy as a partner and provided some of the toys which were distributed. Hasbro has a long history of helping families in Western Massachusetts during the holidays and this year was different.

By teaming with the Toy for Joy campaign, Hasbro, The Republican and the Salvation Army bring over 100 combined years of experience managing programs that help families in need give their children a toy or game to unwrap on their holiday. Hasbro employees have also been among the volunteers who have aided the Salvation Army with registration of families and with distribution of the toys and gifts.

Last week’s donations included $175.11 from the Arthur T. Talmadge School on Allen Street and $200 accompanied with a message stating “Sorry, late again.”

Alternative Recycling Systems LLC and Aramatic Coffee Services, both also part of last week’s batch of donations, gave $500 and $100, respectively.

Here’s a list of the latest contributors:

We are blessed, Merry Christmas, Mike, Gerri, Brendan and Courtney Gill, $30

Have faith in what you do and it will happen, $20

In memory of John Owczarski, love Marlene, Tara, Jeff, Jim and John and families, $100

Jeff, $75

In memory of Mom and Dad and David B., $25

In memory of Mary and Brien, $30

Enjoy, $20

In loving memory of our parents Glenrose and Francis “Red” Rollet and Doris and Henry Lamoureux, $25

In memory of Joanne, Milo, Junior, Bridget and JelSomine Julian, $50

For my godchildren Amanda, Lee and Adam from Auntie Christine, $10

Michele, $50

Memory of Rebekah M. Gates, love Mom, Dad, Renata, Gram Valerie Zywar and Teddy Bear, $10

Memory of BAJ, Seybold, DiLuzio, DeFranco and Gates families, love your family, $10

For Dave Meehan from the office gang, City of Springfield/DPBRM-FM, $35

Ronna and Donna, $25

My great grandson, $10

In memory of Bill O’Shea, love Mom and Dad, $20

Thank you Jesus, you are a gift to all children, $50

In memory of our Colby, $25

Ray and Sue, $50

Merry Christmas from Kathy and Andy, $15

In memory of Ann Marie, $25

In memory of our Papa, we love and miss you, love Colby and Shelby, $25

Remembering my dear friend Joanne Skroback, $25

Sorry, late again, $200

Merry Christmas from Susan, $25

Denise, $10

Christmas joy and New Year blessings to all, Allen and Mary Stratton, $50

With thanks for our grandchildren from Tom and Susan, $150

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Mary, $10

Anonymous, $10

Merry Christmas from Michael, $15

Merry Christmas from the Kan family, $10

In loving memory of Mary and John Fitzgibbon, $100

WAKEL/REMDV, $50

In honor of the birth of our grandson RJ, Babci and Dziadz, $25

Merry Christmas from Bert, Ernie, Rosie and Zoe, $25

Merry Christmas toys, the Fitzgerald and Dunn families, $100

Diane and Paul, $100

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Lambert-Lavoie School staff dress down days, $150

In loving memory of my sister Jenny McKenna, sadly missed by Emily Berrena, $20

In lieu of Christmas cards, in memory of Alfred Sebastyanski, sadly missed by Patti, Vinney, Mike, Joe and Chris Siniscalchi, $15

In lieu of Christmas cards, in memory of Richard Sebastyanski, sadly missed by Patti, Vinney, Mike, Joe and Chris Siniscalchi, $15

In lieu of Christmas cards, in memory of Wayne Sebastyanski, sadly missed by Patti, Vinney, Mike, Joe and Chris Siniscalchi, $15

In lieu of Christmas cards, in memory of Antonio and Josephine Siniscalchi, sadly missed by Patti, Vinney, Mike, Joe and Chris Siniscalchi, $15

In memory of Emily and Eugene Charest, sadly missed by Stefanie Hartman, $15

In memory of my beautiful daughter Juliann and wonderful husband Ed, Happy Birthday Lord Jesus, $20

Memory of Noni, Pappy, Gram, Pa and Dedi, $150

In loving memory of my beloved son and brother Randall Maynard 3/18/78 - 4/12/03 and other family members with all our love, Gloria Maynard and family, $47

We wish everyone a Happy Holidays from Aramatic Coffee Service, $100

We wish you a very Merry Christmas from Alternative Recycling Systems, LLC, $500

May your Christmas be filled with family, friends and love, $20

In loving memory of my husband Donald Smith 12/25/66, $20

In memory of my husband Stanley Soltys and my brother Walter, $5

Happy Holidays for Talmadge School, $175.11

Merry Christmas to Samantha Goodrich, $200

Peace on earth, $20

In memory of my daughter Frances, $25

In loving memory of a special sister Alice Barry from brother Jim, $25

Merry Christmas from Steve, Eileen, Adam, Tripod and Mr. Tux, $50

In memory of my boxer Ozzie, $25

In memory of Jean, she loved all children, $50

Merry Christmas from the Binos, $20

In loving memory of Lee Allman, Fred Sanders, Dorothy Wood and Helen and Edmund Jachym, $30

Paul and Joyce, $25

In honor of Pepe and Meme T., $50

Merry Christmas from Roy, $25

In memory of our niece Kyla Roberts from Pat and Charlie, $20

Ted and Ginnie, $30

Merry Christmas from Lisa, Mike and Derek, $50

In appreciation of our servicemen and women, may they all come back soon and safely, $20

In memory of Papa Pete, we love and miss you, $10

From Vinny Boom Batz, $10

From Richard and Pat Dudley, $50

Remembering past Christmases with Cliff (Poppy) and Stella (Gran) Lane from Kim, Tamia, Kayla, J.J., Carolyn, Oliver, Samantha, Matt and Andrea, $50

Merry Christmas from all of our children to yours, from Western Drive Christmas Carolers, $150

In memory of Richie Forni, $50

LATEST RECEIVED, $3,907.11
TOTAL TO DATE, $167,333.08


Fate of GOP presidential hopefuls rests with undecided voters

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The volatile Republican presidential race in Iowa will come down to which way an enormous chunk of undecided voters breaks in the coming days.

romney signs.jpgSupporters of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, listen during a campaign stop on Saturday, Dec. 31, in Le Mars, Iowa.

THOMAS BEAUMONT, Associated Press

LE MARS, Iowa — The volatile Republican presidential race in Iowa will come down to which way an enormous chunk of undecided voters breaks in the coming days.

With the first-in-the-nation voting of the 2012 race for the White House looming Tuesday, Mitt Romney is contending for victory in a state that eluded him four years ago, while Rick Santorum — a hero among social conservatives — surges and libertarian-leaning Ron Paul slides in a contest that remains incredibly fluid.

With many factors at play, the dynamics can shift rapidly.

Yet, two things were clear on the final weekend before the caucuses: The yearlong effort to establish a consensus challenger to Romney had so far come up short, and Romney's carefully laid plan to survive Iowa may succeed because conservative voters have so far failed to unite behind one candidate.

"It may be Romney's to lose at this point," said John Stineman, an Iowa GOP campaign strategist. "And it's a battle among the rest."

Underscoring the unpredictability of the race, a new poll by The Des Moines Register showed that a remarkable 41 percent of likely caucus-goers say they were undecided or still might change their minds.

Romney had 24 percent support among likely voters while Paul had 22 percent, meaning they were statistically even at the front of the pack. Santorum was third with 15 percent, followed by Newt Gingrich, with 12 percent, and Rick Perry, with 11 percent. Michele Bachmann, a one-time Iowa favorite, brought up the rear with 7 percent.

However, in a sign of how quickly things can change, the last two days of the poll — taken Tuesday through Friday — found Santorum with momentum and Paul losing his. Heading into the weekend, Romney held a narrow lead, but Santorum was right behind him with 21 percent while Paul had fallen to 18 percent.

On Sunday, the candidates were making their closing arguments, both in appearances across Iowa as well as on national television, while volunteers and staffers canvassed the state to start mobilizing backers.

Paul, who was at home in Texas for the weekend, was making the rounds of Sunday talk shows, while Santorum, Perry and Bachmann were doing the same from Iowa.

Romney planned appearances in Atlantic and Council Bluffs as he works to maximize the edge he holds in critical areas rather than risk underperforming in places where more ardent conservatives are leery of his Mormon faith and shifting positions on social issues.

In Le Mars on Sunday, he drew a crowd of 300 people, including supporter Alan Lucken, who shouted to the candidate: "You're going to win."

"I'm planning on it," Romney said and later told a reporter, "I sure hope to. I'll tell you that."

In another show of confidence, Romney promised to return if he is the GOP nominee.

"I'm going to be back in Iowa; we're going to fight, we're going to win Iowa in the general election," Romney said as he closed his remarks in Le Mars.

Santorum, meanwhile, looked to capitalize on his recent surge by focusing on southern portions of rural Iowa, where the former Pennsylvania senator has made a point of visiting more often than his rivals. And his campaign rolled out a new TV ad casting him as "a trusted conservative who gives us the best chance to take back America."

He claimed momentum Saturday — and acknowledged his opponents had more money — as he traveled with his daughter Liz, who quit college to campaign for her father.

"We believe that ultimately, money doesn't matter in Iowa," Santorum said at a packed stop in Indianola. "You can't buy Iowa. You've got to go out and work for Iowa votes."

Perry's advisers see Santorum within reach and have begun attacking the former senator for having supported spending on home-state pet projects, an unpopular position in these tough economic times.

"I think the world of Rick Santorum. He's got a great family. But we've got some real difference when it comes to fiscal issues," Perry told supporters in Boone. "Those differences couldn't be clearer when it comes to important issues in this election like spending."

Santorum, in turn, charged Perry with hypocrisy: "He had a paid lobbyist in Washington looking for earmarks."

Perry announced he would travel directly from Iowa to Greenville, S.C., the day after the caucuses, bypassing next-up New Hampshire. Still, he said he planned to participate in two debates in New Hampshire next weekend.

Gingrich, for his part, was spending the weekend pleading anew with Iowans to side with him despite what they have learned about him through millions of dollars in attack advertising by Paul and a political action committee bankrolled by Romney supporters.

"Iowa could actually dramatically change people's understanding of what works in politics if you repudiate that kind of negativity," Gingrich told 150 people at a Council Bluffs restaurant.

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Associated Press writers Holly Ramer in Campton, N.H., Steve People in Hampton, N.H., Shannon McCaffrey in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Brian Bakst in Urbandale, Iowa, contributed to this report.

Holyoke police traffic stop leads to arrest of 2 heroin trafficking suspects

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Police did not say what led them to stop a vehicle carrying a Holyoke man and Springfield woman, both of whom were charged with serious felony drug crimes.

HOLYOKE – Police here arrested two people on heroin trafficking charges following a motor vehicle stop early Saturday evening near the intersection of High and Division streets.

Eric C. Potter, 26, of 362 High St., Apt. 4D, Holyoke, and Sonia M. Quintana, 24, of 38 Malden St., Springfield, each were charged with single counts of trafficking more than 200 grams of heroin and drug violations committed near a school or park.

Potter and Quintana are expected to be arraigned Tuesday in Holyoke District Court. Massachusetts courts are closed Monday.

Police did not say what led them to stop the pair, who were taken into custody just before 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Further details were not immediately.

Paper City police also rang in the new year by responding to a flurry of gunfire reports that began just after midnight Sunday, though it wasn't immediately clear if the reports possibly pertained to fireworks.

Holyoke Police Department records indicate four "shots fired" reports were received between 12:01 a.m. and 12:34 a.m. Additional information was unavailable.

Just Ask: What ever happened in the Howard Hoxie murder case in Whately?

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Police had a strong suspect at the time, but the investigation failed to turn up enough forensic evidence for an arrest.

HFCT POND SEARCH CAVANAUGH.JPGState Trooper Blake Gilmore, head of the Massachusetts State Police dive team assists trooper Dan Rose out of a pond on Quonquont Farm in Whately on Dec. 22, 1999. Police divers were searching for a murder weapon used in the killing of Whatley farmer Howard Hoxie.

Question: Some time ago, there was a farmer named Hoxie who was violently murdered in Whately.

Press accounts at the time, pointed to a farmhand who had recently been fired, had a temper and a restraining order taken out against him, but then moved out of the area.

I still keep hoping to read about an arrest, but haven’t seen anything.

Can you tell me what has happened with this case?

- Anonymous,
Hadley


Answer: Howard M. Hoxie, 80, a Whately farmer, was found bludgeoned to death in his North Street home on Dec. 15, 1999.

Police had a strong suspect at the time, but the investigation failed to turn up enough forensic evidence for an arrest.

State police divers searched a pond on the property but never found the murder weapon.

According to the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office, the case is still officially under investigation.

Hit the road, 2011, you're done! Americans express optimism for a better, brighter 2012

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The year 2011 may very well go down in history as one of the worst in centuries. But a majority of Americans are expressing optimism for 2012, and why not – things couldn't get any worse. Could they?

times square new year.jpgA mass of humanity packed New York's Times Square to ring in 2012 as the clock struck midnight Sunday.

VERENA DOBNIK, Associated Press

NEW YORK — As the world welcomed a new year Sunday with glittering fireworks and star-studded festivities, very few disturbances were reported in New York City, the epicenter of America's annual Times Square celebration. But authorities in London reported dozens of arrests as some rowdy revelers rang in the new year on a disorderly note.

Despite a few blips on the radar, celebrants mostly peacefully marked a new beginning and hoped for a brighter future as they bid adieu to 2011, a year of turmoil featuring hurricanes, tsunamis and economic hardship that many would rather forget. A majority of Americans reflected optimism for the new year, according to a poll, predicting their families and the nation as a whole would fare better in 2012.

In New York, hundreds of thousands gathered at the crossroads of the world to witness a crystal ball with more than 30,000 lights that descended at midnight. Lady Gaga and Mayor Michael Bloomberg led the crowd in the final-minute countdown of the famed crystal-paneled ball drop.

Matheus Campos, a law student from Brazil, threw both arms in the air as the new year began in Times Square.

"It's awesome," he said.

Revelers in Australia, Asia, Europe and the South Pacific island nation of Samoa, which jumped across the international dateline to be first to celebrate, welcomed 2012 with booming pyrotechnic displays. Fireworks soared over Moscow's Red Square, crowds on Paris' Champs-Elysées boulevard popped Champagne corks at midnight.

But many approached the new year with more relief than joy, as people battered by weather disasters, joblessness and economic uncertainty hoped the stroke of midnight would change their fortunes.

"It was a pretty tough year, but God was looking after us and I know 2012 has got to be better," said Kyralee Scott, 16, of Jackson, N.J., whose father spent most of the year out of work.

Some New York revelers, wearing party hats and "2012" glasses, began camping out Saturday morning, even as workers readied bags stuffed with hundreds of balloons and technicians put colored filters on klieg lights. The crowds cheered as workers lit the crystal-paneled ball that would drop at midnight Saturday and put it through a test run, 400 feet above the street. The sphere, decorated with 3,000 Waterford crystal triangles, has been dropping to mark the new year since 1907, long before television made it a U.S. tradition.

In Times Square, hundreds of thousands people crammed into spectator pens ringed by barricades, enjoying surprisingly warm weather for the Northeast. The National Weather Service said it was about 49 degrees in nearby Central Park — about 10 degrees warmer than the normal high temperature.

As the country prepared for the celebration, glum wasn't on the agenda for many, even those who had a sour year.

"We're hoping the next year will be better," said Becky Martin, a former elementary school teacher who drove from Rockford, Ill., to Times Square after spending a fruitless year trying to find a job. "We're starting off optimistic and hoping it lasts."

Many expressed cautious hope that better times were ahead after a year in which Japan was ravaged by an earthquake and tsunami, hurricanes wreaked havoc across the country and a debt crisis devastated Europe's economy.

"Everybody's suffering. That's why it's so beautiful to be here celebrating something with everybody," said Lisa Nicol, 47, of Melbourne, Australia.

For all of the holiday's bittersweet potential, New York City always treats it like a big party — albeit one that now takes place under the watchful eye of a massive security force, including more than 1,500 police officers.

Dick Clark, who suffered a stroke in 2004, put in a few brief appearances mentioning that he has hosted his namesake New Year's Eve celebration for years, but said "tonight, it's better than ever." Clark, looking cheerful but struggling with his speech, introduced a performance by Lady Gaga and also assisted in the countdown. The show, hosted by Ryan Seacrest also featured a performance by Justin Bieber.

Natalie Tolli, a 13-year-old from Yonkers, said "it was the best time I ever had, especially seeing Justin Bieber in his red hat."

Her father, George Tolli, said he and his wife and three daughters and son waited since 2 p.m. to get their place.

"It was a pleasant surprise, very controlled," he said. "In my 51 years, I've never been here for New Year's. But I did it for the kids. And it was worth it."

In Las Vegas, fireworks were launched from eight rooftops at midnight. Police earlier shut down a four-mile section of the Strip to vehicle traffic, letting revelers party in the street. Casino nightclubs touted pricey, exclusive bashes hosted by celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Bruno Mars and Fergie.

Authorities reported only minor hiccups, including an ash tray canister fire on the 15th floor of the Paris Las Vegas hotel casino and an intermittent power outage at Bellagio that led to casino officials closing its buffet.

The Bellagio outage also affected a bank of slot machines and some guest rooms, but the problem was fixed before 8 p.m., allowing all gambling, nightclub parties and shows to go forward.

Thousands of New Year's celebrants turned out in Salt Lake City for a variety of events organized by the Downtown Alliance, while in Seattle crowds were treated to a fireworks display that included barrages from the top of the city's iconic Space Needle.

A typically busy New Year's Eve in Los Angeles became even busier as police and fire crews remained on alert for more arson attacks, after dozens of deliberately set car fires hit the city in the early morning hours of Friday and Saturday. Four suspicious car fires were reported Saturday evening.

Atlanta welcomed thousands to its downtown, where a giant peach dropped at midnight. Fireworks were launched from the top of the Space Needle in Seattle; in Houston, tens of thousands celebrated at a party with blues guitarist and singer Delbert McClinton.

In summer temperatures at Key West, Fla., three separate midnight drops took place. A giant facsimile of a conch shell was lowered at Sloppy Joe's Bar, Ernest Hemingway's favorite watering hole when he lived in Key West. At the Schooner Wharf Bar, the bar owner dressed as a pirate wench and dropped down from the mast of a tall sailing ship. And at the Bourbon Street Pub complex, a drag queen named Sushi descended in a glittering 6-foot red women's high heel.

The town of Eastport, Maine, lowered an 8-foot-long wooden sardine from a downtown building at midnight, in celebration of its sardine canning and fishing history.

In San Francisco, revelers lined the waterfront for the annual fireworks show.

The first worldwide celebrations started in the island nation of Samoa, which hopped across the international date line at midnight on Thursday, skipping Friday and moving instantly to Saturday.

Samoa and neighboring Tokelau lie near the dateline that zigzags vertically through the Pacific Ocean; both sets of islands decided to realign themselves this year from the Americas side of the line to the Asia side to be more in tune with key trading partners.

In Sydney, more than 1.5 million people watched the shimmering pyrotechnic display designed around the theme "Time to Dream." In London, some 250,000 people gathered to listen to Big Ben chime at the stroke of midnight. Scotland Yard reported they arrested 77 people during London's New Year's celebrations.

World leaders evoked 2011's struggles in their New Year's messages with some ambivalence.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy warned Europe's crisis is not finished and "that 2012 will be the year full of risks, but also of possibilities."

Pope Benedict XVI marked the end of 2011 with prayers of thanks and said humanity awaits the new year with apprehension but also with hope for a better future.

"We prepare to cross the threshold of 2012, remembering that the Lord watches over us and takes care of us," Benedict said. "In him this evening we want to entrust the entire world. We put into his hands the tragedies of this world of ours, and we also offer him the hopes for a better future."

In Brazil, heavy rains didn't halt parties as upward of 2 million people gathered on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro and nearly as many on a main avenue in Sao Paulo, South America's biggest city. Massive fireworks displays and top music acts graced stages across the nation.

Brazil has seen healthy economic growth in recent years, as the country prepares to host the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016. Growth, however, has stalled in recent months, and Brazilian leaders are trying to stimulate the economy in the new year.

"This was a good year for Brazil and I think things are only getting better, it feels like we're making big advances," said Fabiana dos Santos Silva, an 18-year-old student who gathered with hundreds of thousands of others on a main avenue in Sao Paulo.

Several people preparing to celebrate the holiday in the U.S. told the AP that they would usher in the New Year hoping the Congress would become a more cooperative place. Some talked about their hopes for the presidential election. Others said they hoped to hold on to their job, or find a new one to replace one they'd lost.

An Associated Press-GfK poll conducted Dec. 8-12 found that 62 percent of Americans are optimistic that the nation's fortunes will improve in 2012, and 78 percent hopeful that their own family will have a better year. Most wrote off 2011 as a dud.

Debbie Hart, 50, of Perry, Ga., called herself the "perpetual optimist" who believes each year will be better than the one before.

"I married a farmer. 'Wait until next year. Next year will be better.' That's what I've been hearing for 30 years," said Hart. "I have faith."

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Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Chris Hawley and David B. Caruso in New York, Oskar Garcia in Las Vegas, Bruce Shipkowski in Jackson, N.J., Dorie Turner in Atlanta, Greg Keller in Paris, Harold Heckle in Madrid, Kristen Gelineau in Sydney, Ray Lilley in Wellington, New Zealand, Frances D'Emilio in Vatican City, Meera Selva in London, Bradley Brooks in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Jack Chang in Mexico City and Melissa Eddy in Berlin.

Los Angeles arson probe: more car fires reported on New Year's Eve

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Four more L.A. car blazes were reported on New Year's Eve, according to authorities, who fear the fires may be the work of a serial arsonist.

la car fires.jpgA Los Angeles Fire Department firefighter extinguishes multiple cars on fire in a carport in the Sun Valley neighborhood of Los Angeles on Saturday night, New Year's Eve. For the third night in a row, a rash of arson fires has sent firefighters scrambling to extinguish car fires in various LA neighborhoods in L.A. Most of the fires on Saturday night occurred in the San Fernando Valley.

ALICIA CHANG & ANDREW DALTON, Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — Four more car fires broke out in the Los Angeles area New Year's Eve, leaving authorities to probe for any links to a series of arson blazes that burned dozens of cars and spread to some structures in recent days.

In a sobering counterpoint to the typical revelry of the night, fire trucks were stationed in neighborhoods, police patrolled the city, switchboards took hotline calls and thousands in rewards were offered.

Firefighters quickly put out a car fire at about 6 p.m. Saturday in Hollywood that "fits the profile of concern" authorities have been following for the arsons, fire department spokesman Brian Humphrey said.

A crew of 10 put out the fire in minutes. The flames did not spread beyond the car and no one was injured. Humphrey could not immediately say how the fire started.

Later at the Hollywood and Highland complex, a popular destination for holiday revelers, firefighters responded to a small car fire in a parking structure that was out by the time they arrived, Humphrey said.

He said only that the fire was under investigation, and could not say whether it was thought to be arson or tied to the others.

Shortly before 9 p.m., firefighters made quick work of two car fires in a carport in West Hollywood.

Fire dispatch supervisor Robert Diaz says the fires were put out before they could spread.

There was no word if they were linked to the arson fires.

But the fires resembled more than a dozen set before dawn Saturday, mostly in North Hollywood, and nearly two dozen fires set in and around Hollywood a day earlier.

Though some of the fires spread and damaged homes and apartments, none have brought injuries.

Still, some residents were on edge as authorities ramped up efforts to catch the culprit or culprits on a night when police and fire resources are always stretched thin as drunken New Year's revelers hit the town.

"We're pulling out all the stops," Humphrey said. "We're hoping that the person or people responsible will be brought to swift and complete justice."

Firefighters were to be stationed around the city to respond to emergencies, while authorities set up a hotline and pored through tips. Authorities also were interviewing witnesses, looking at video footage for clues and have announced at least $35,000 in rewards for information leading to a conviction.

Among the most pressing questions: Were the fires set by a serial arsonist, multiple people or copycats? And why target cars, apparently at random?

"It's really unnerving," said Gary Joseph, one of several neighbors who stood looking at the frames of four badly charred vehicles in a carport in North Hollywood. Joseph said there was no way to stow his own car and keep it safe.

"It's partly exposed, but there's nothing I can do about it," he said.

Sheila Kirk, who lives in the building next to the Hollywood freeway where the four cars were torched, said she quickly realized when she was awakened before dawn that the arson spree had spread to her neighborhood, though it's several miles northeast of where the fires were set the previous night.

"We'd heard all about the fires in Hollywood and West Hollywood, then we heard what sounded like a giant hose and ran downstairs and found everything burning," said Kirk, whose own car had a partly melted bumper despite being some 30 feet away from the cars that were set on fire. "It looks like they chose the spot where the cars were bunched together so they could do the most damage. Thank God no one got hurt."

Neighbors and gawkers gathered to take cellphone pictures of the wreckage, and the smell of burnt plastic still hung in the air hours after the fire.

Kirk said she felt no safer because her building had already been struck.

"You don't know, you just don't know," she said. "When you're dealing with crazy people, who knows what they're going to do?"

While few clues have emerged publicly, officials have speculated that it's plausible that one person in a car, on a motorcycle or on a bike could have set all the fires, considering the limited area the blazes broke out in, but know they could be looking for multiple suspects.

Police said they were looking for a man who was driving a mid-1990s Lexus sedan, but offered no further description or details.

Fire officials also have yet to set a damage figure for the blazes. In West Hollywood alone, they said flames destroyed about $350,000 worth of property.

Also early Saturday some 25 miles to the south in an unincorporated section of Los Angeles, arson detectives from the Sheriff's Department investigated a fire that destroyed eight vehicles, damaged six more, destroyed a carport and damaged an apartment building.

No evidence has been found linking that fire to those in the Hollywood area, Sheriff's Sgt. Joe Acevedo said in a statement.

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AP reporter Terry Tang contributed from Phoenix.

State police urge drivers to beware of black ice, slippery road conditions this New Year's morn

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Elevated sections of roadway, particularly bridges and overpasses, should be approached cautiously and slowly because they freeze fast in these weather conditions, said Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Alan Joubert of the Springfield barracks.

SPRINGFIELD – State police have issued a New Year's Day advisory for motorists: Beware of black ice and slippery road conditions as you head out on the roadways this morning.

With wet surfaces and temperatures at or below the freezing mark, drivers should use extreme caution on all area roadways, particularly bridges, highway ramps or any road surface that's elevated, according to Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Alan Joubert of the Springfield barracks.

"Right now, the bridges are icy," Joubert said around 7:45 a.m. Sunday.

At that hour, the temperature in Springfield was around 28 degrees, or four degrees below the freezing mark, which means moisture on area roadways is icing up – and quickly. That can spell trouble for anyone barreling down a local highway, according to authorities.

Temperatures are predicted to gradually climb to around 40 degrees around noontime, but road conditions will remain icy and dicey for the next few hours.

Authorities said they're cautioning drivers to avoid the same sort of trouble they had on Saturday, when nearly identical weather conditions caused numerous crashes throughout central and western Massachusetts.

Officials reminded drivers that black ice is difficult, if not impossible, to see and can occur across widespread areas or in isolated patches when road surfaces are cold – even if the air temperature is above freezing.

To avoid trouble, police said, drivers should reduce speeds and leave extra space between vehicles. Police also reminded motorists that bridges and overpasses tend to freeze faster than roadways, and highway ramps with sharp turns should also be approached very cautiously.

Another way to avoid serious injuries is to buckle up, according to police.

Boston plans New Year's skate at "Frozen Fenway"

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Boston Mayor Thomas Menino is hosting a free New Year's Day skate at a city landmark more associated with green grass and summer breezes.

Frozen FenwayAn ice rink covers the infield area in Fenway Park Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011 in Boston. Two years after the NHL's Winter Classic was played there, the ballpark will host a series of skating events and hockey games during January 2012, including a Hockey East doubleheader featuring Vermont vs. Massachusetts and New Hampshire vs. Maine on Jan. 7, 2012. The Red Sox will commemorate the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park on April 20, 2012 with a game against the New York Yankees. (AP Photo/Boston Herald, Brooks Canaday)

BOSTON (AP) — Boston Mayor Thomas Menino is hosting a free New Year's Day skate at a city landmark more associated with green grass and summer breezes.

On Sunday, residents will get to take a spin on an ice rink built at Fenway Park. The event kicks off "Frozen Fenway" celebrations, which run until Jan. 16 and feature several hockey games between local high school and college teams, including Northeastern University and Boston College.

The rink covers the area between first and third base and extends slightly into the outfield at Fenway, which celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2012.

The Boston Red Sox's famous home has hosted skating on New Year's Day once before, when the Boston Bruins played the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010.


New Year firecrackers, gang violence injure nearly 500 Filipinos

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An official said the number of injuries — 454 from firecracker blasts and 18 from stray bullets — was slightly lower than last year but remained alarming.

New Year Filipinos Firecrackers Injuries.jpgView full sizeTwo-year-old Herbi Orbiso rests on the cheeks of his aunt after being wounded by a stray bullet on the head during New Year celebrations in Manila, Philippines on Sunday Jan. 1, 2012. Nearly 500 people have been injured by illegal firecrackers and celebratory gunfire in the Philippines despite a government scare campaign against reckless New Year revelries, officials recently said. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Despite a government scare campaign, firecrackers and gunfire injured nearly 500 people in the Philippines as revelers welcomed the new year in one of the world's most raucous and dangerous celebrations.

About a dozen flights, including two from the United States, were diverted or canceled early Sunday after dark smog caused by a night of firecracker explosions obscured visibility at Manila's airport, officials said.

Health Secretary Enrique Ona said the number of injuries — 454 from firecracker blasts and 18 from stray bullets — was slightly lower than last year but remained alarming.

Injured revelers, including many children, filled hospital emergency rooms in the capital shortly after midnight. Adding to the chaos, two gangs clashed in front of Manila's main government hospital attending to the injured, leaving one man dead from a gunshot wound.

"Again, it seems our appeal to mothers to keep their children away from firecrackers wasn't effective," Ona told a news conference.

Many Filipinos, largely influenced by Chinese tradition, believe that noisy New Year's celebrations drive away evil and misfortune. But they have carried that superstition to extremes, exploding huge firecrackers and firing guns to welcome the new year despite threats of arrest.

Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo said at least 65 people were arrested for using illegally large firecrackers.

Ona said he was willing to consider a proposal for a total ban on firecrackers but that it needed to be studied.

Dozens of hospitals nationwide went on full alert before midnight, their emergency rooms staffed with trauma doctors as if preparing for civil strife. Many people spent the night in hotels for added safety.

Health officials attempted to discourage dangerous celebrations by showing gory pictures of injuries, including hands mangled by firecracker blasts, and the national police chief threatened his men with dismissal if they fired their guns in revelry, but the violent tradition has continued.

Massachusetts teen flies solo on 1st day he's eligible

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A Mass. teen with a passion for flying spent his 16th birthday pursuing what he loves most.

Young PilotBruce Vinal shakes instructor Pete Coolidge's hand after completing his first solo flight at Fitchburg Municipal Airport in Fitchburg, Mass., (AP Photo/Alan Arsenault, The Fitchburg Sentinel & Enterprise)

By JACK MINCH, The Sentinel and Enterprise

FITCHBURG, Mass. (AP) — Monday dawned clear and cool.

Bruce Vinal III's father woke him up to take a solo flight in a Cessna 152.

It was the younger Vinal's 16th birthday, and that meant it was the first day he could fly a plane by himself.

At 10:18 a.m. he lifted off from Fitchburg Municipal Airport runway 3-2 alone, even though he does not have a learner's permit to drive a car yet.

"He hasn't even asked yet about his permit ... this is the only thing he's wanted to do," his nervous mother, Kristy Vinal, said as her youngest child flew over Fitchburg and Leominster.

Weather and the Christmas holiday conspired against Vinal, of Townsend, but were no match for his resolve.

"I never knew somebody who is so determined," Kristy Vinal said.

Pilots cannot fly solo until they have a medical flight exam, but when Vinal tried to get one last week, he was told to come back when he turned 16.

Monday was considered a holiday for many because Christmas fell on a Sunday this year, but Dr. John Skrzypczak, of Athol Memorial Hospital, agreed to go into his office to give Vinal the exam so he could fly on the first eligible day.

Vinal passed the exam and arrived at the airport's FCA Flight Center where his instructor, Peter Coolidge, was waiting about 9:50 a.m.

Young PilotBruce Vinal taxis back in and parks the the Cessna 152 that he flew successfully for his first solo flight at Fitchburg Municipal Airport in Fitchburg, Mass., (AP Photo/Alan Arsenault, The Fitchburg Sentinel & Enterprise)

Clouds were not a problem, but the wind was picking up, with gusts forecast to 27 knots, a lot to handle for a new flyer, said Charley Valera, owner of FCA.

The flight plan called for three laps around the airport at 1,000 feet with Coolidge in the passenger seat and then three solo flights around the field.

The wind was blowing hard during the first three laps and there was concern among a small crowd of pilots who gathered to watch whether Coolidge would let Vinal fly solo.

Coolidge was aware of the wind and said he watched Vinal on the three laps looking for any reason not to let the young pilot make his solo flight.

"He didn't give me one," Coolidge said.

Vinal, wearing a Cheshire grin, dropped off Coolidge and taxied back to the runway in the 110-horsepower two-seater.

He had to take off, land and come to a complete stop three times as part of his solo flight exam.

Vinal made his final landing of the day in a strong, cold wind at 11:03 a.m.

As he drove past the airport tower, about a dozen family members did the wave, normally reserved for sporting events.

"I feel really happy for him," Kristy Vinal said from the edge of the runway. "It's just a long life of worrying now."

Coolidge congratulated the young pilot when the plane stopped.

"Good job, Bruce. Those landings looked textbook," he said.

Vinal got his introduction to flying about three years ago as part of the Experimental Aircraft Association's Young Eagles program, sponsored by the Fitchburg Pilots Association.

The program offers introductory flights in helicopters and airplanes to children 8 to 17 to stir interest in flying, Valera said.

Valera was concerned about the wind but happy to see Vinal make his solo.

"It doesn't matter who it is, but they always remember their first solo," he said.

Vinal's grandfather is a pilot and his father is an aerial photographer. The youngest Vinal fell in love with flying the first time he took off.

"I think it's unique. It's not something everybody my age is doing, and I've never been a jock, so it's something I can identify with," he said after landing.

He hopes to attend Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with plans to be an air-traffic controller.

Vinal must be 17 before he can get his pilot's license.

"This is like the first big step," Coolidge said. "Your solo is your first big step."

Vinal must log more solo flight time, including some cross-country flights and some night flights before earning his license, Coolidge said.

"The 16th birthday was the big one," he said.

Brain-injured plaintiffs living fuller lives after class action lawsuit

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Along with Puchalski, 53 brain-injury survivors have been placed in group homes, foster homes or independent settings since the lawsuit settled, with 60 more in the process.

ray.JPGRaymond J. Puchalski was among four brain-injured plaintiffs who sued the state in 2007 for community-based care. He is pictured here at his friend's on Old Bay Road in Belchertown.

BELCHERTOWN - It was a clear day in June. Roads were dry. There wasn’t a single reason a car should have swerved into Raymond Puchalski’s lane as he drove on a straight-away in Erving. But it did.

Puchalski wasn’t supposed to live through the night following the 2003 accident. Then, he wasn’t expected to come out of a monthlong coma, or to ever walk or talk again. But he did.

Credit serendipity or the mysterious ability the body has to heal itself. However, Puchalski’s severe brain injuries and resulting cognitive disabilities left his loved ones, and the state Medicaid system, struggling with how best to care for him with so much life left. After dismal stints in a nursing home in Northampton and a long-term care facility in Stoughton, Puchalski, now 63, was among four brain-injured plaintiffs who in 2007 sued the state for community-based, individual care.

“I ask you: Is this a man who needs to be locked up? It was the hardest thing I ever had to do - to sign those papers. But I wanted him safe,” said Puchalski’s longtime love and legal guardian, Nickie Chandler, 61, of Belchertown. “He would ask me: ‘Nickie, how long do I have to live here?’ And I would tell him, ‘Ray, I’m doing my best. I’m doing my best.’”

With the help of the Center for Public Representation in Northampton, which has long advocated for community placements for various disabled groups, Chandler’s best resulted in the lawsuit that settled swiftly in 2008. The settlement yielded a vow from the state to place 100 brain-injured residents in less restrictive environments each year for three years: 300 total.

For Puchalski, that means weekdays at a newly built group home in Westfield run by the Berkshire County Arc, which offer community services to the brain-injured and those with developmental disabilities. The facility houses four men with brain injuries and offers round-the-clock care, plus outings and a host of personal choices of which Puchalski was deprived in other placements.

The simple pleasures of choosing what he wants for breakfast, or cooking his own dinner, or being able to attend the occasional Red Sox game are now available to him, while in previous placements “outings” may have consisted of once-weekly trips to the cafeteria. Chandler said Puchalski would take huge gulps of air on the rare occasions he made it outside.

“I love it outdoors. I love sports. I love fishing. I love hunting,” said Puchalski, who has marked short-term memory loss as a result of the accident, but remembers the girl who sat behind him in seventh grade and the 1966 Mustang he drove as a young man.

Pamela M. Bush, spokeswoman for the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts, said the brain-injured were historically a smaller, more neglected group of disabled than, say, the mentally disabled, thousands of whom won their own way out of locked facilities and state schools with lawsuits decades before.

Massachusetts was the first state to settle successfully with brain-injured plaintiffs with Catherine Hutchinson v. Gov. Deval Patrick, et al.

Those covered under the lawsuit include those with brain injuries from accidents, stroke, sinus infections and any other “acquired or traumatic” brain injuries. Along with Puchalski, 53 brain-injury survivors have been placed in group homes, foster homes or independent settings since the lawsuit settled, with 60 more in the process.

“It sounds slow, but you have to find a place for them to go and you have to find the proper services,” Bush said. “You can’t just open the doors and wish them well.”

With the average annual cost of caring for a patient in a nursing home between $80,000 and $100,000, moving these patients out to the community - even to newly built facilities - is cost neutral, according to Bush.

She added that although there was a swell of enthusiasm surrounding the lawsuit and its successful settlement, the number of applicants has been smaller than advocates expected.

“Survivors and family members can get anxious. It’s scary to make the move. But, with the right care, as we know, the brain has plasticity and improvements can be remarkable,” Bush said.

Medicaid hosts biannual open enrollments for so-called Hutchinson/ABI (acquired brain injury) Waivers, with one upcoming in the spring. Marketing for the two-week enrollment periods is limited and the injured and their loved ones may be put off by the prospect of a long application, but Bush said the process is relatively simple. More information is available at www.biama.org and help is available through the agency.

For Puchalski, the new placement means being able to take up photography, revisit his days as an antiques “picker,” and go to dinner and the theater for his birthday with “his sweetheart,” Chandler, who remembers their first date dancing to a country band.

“I thought he might never live long enough at his age to enjoy living outside those institutions,” Chandler said. “But I also thought at least if I could save one person having to live where they didn’t belong, it would be worth it.” 

U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts says he has 'complete confidence' that colleagues are impartial

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"They are jurists of exceptional integrity and experience whose character and fitness have been examined through a rigorous appointment and confirmation process," Roberts wrote of the other eight justices.

2010 supreme courtView full sizeThe Supreme Court. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

By ANNE FLAHERTY

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts said Saturday that he has "complete confidence" in his colleagues' ability to step away from cases where their personal interests are at stake, and noted that judges should not be swayed by "partisan demands."

The comment, included in Roberts' year-end report, comes after lawmakers demanded that two Justices recuse themselves from the high court's review of President Barack Obama's health care law aimed at extending coverage to more than 30 million people. Republicans want Justice Elena Kagan off the case because of her work in the Obama administration as solicitor general, whereas Democrats say Justice Clarence Thomas should back away because of his wife's work with groups that opposed changes to the law.

While not mentioning the upcoming health care ruling, or any case in particular, Roberts' year-end report dismissed suggestions that Supreme Court Justices are subject to more lax ethical standards than lower federal courts and said each Justice is "deeply committed" to preserving the Court's role as "an impartial tribunal" governed by law.

"I have complete confidence in the capability of my colleagues to determine when recusal is warranted," wrote Roberts. "They are jurists of exceptional integrity and experience whose character and fitness have been examined through a rigorous appointment and confirmation process. I know that they each give careful consideration to any recusal questions that arise in the course of their judicial duties."

The court's ruling on Obama's health care law, expected by late June, could have serious political ramifications in the 2012 presidential elections. Both sides know that taking away just one vote could tip the outcome on the nine-justice court.

Republican lawmakers say it's not fair that Kagan will rule on the case after serving as Obama's top Supreme Court lawyer until nominated to the high court. They say the Justice Department has not fully revealed her involvement in planning Obama's response to challenges to the law.

Meanwhile, 74 Democrats told Thomas in a letter last February that because of his wife's work "the line between your impartiality and you and your wife's financial stake in the overturn of health care reform is blurred."

While not specifically addressing Kagan or Thomas, Roberts noted guidelines issued in 1924 by the American Bar Association that stated a judge "should not be swayed by partisan demands, public clamor or considerations of personal popularity or notoriety, nor be apprehensive of unjust criticism."

Roberts also defended the Supreme Court's adherence to certain ethical guidelines, even though a congressionally enacted "Code of Conduct" applies only to lower courts. And, Roberts said, special considerations must be made when dealing with a nine-member panel that does not answer to a higher court. Whereas one lower-court judge can be substituted for another, a Supreme Court Justice "cannot withdraw from a case as a matter of convenience or simply to avoid controversy," Roberts wrote.

Even after following strict guidelines, he added, "no compilation of ethical rules can guarantee integrity. Judges must exercise both constant vigilance and good judgment to fulfill the obligations they have all taken since the beginning of the Republic."

Rick Santorum, on rise in GOP field, targeted by rivals in Iowa days before first-in-the-nation caucuses

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Santorum's campaign debuted a TV ad in Iowa that portrayed him as "a trusted conservative who gives us the best chance to take back America."

122711 rick santorum.jpgView full sizeRepublican presidential candidate, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum speaks during a town hall meeting at the Fort Dodge GOP Headquarters, Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011, in Fort Dodge, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

By BETH FOUHY and THOMAS BEAUMONT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Surging into top-tier contention, Republican Rick Santorum came under sharp criticism from rivals hoping to slow his momentum two days before Iowa's kickoff caucuses.

The former Pennsylvania senator defended his record in Washington and cast himself as the most electable conservative alternative to front-runner Mitt Romney.

Polls showed Romney poised for a possible victory Tuesday in Iowa and Texas Rep. Ron Paul not far behind. Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann tried to make their case Sunday to peel votes away from Santorum, whose meticulous campaigning across Iowa and wooing of social conservatives appeared to be paying dividends at the finish line.

"He's got a spending problem, he's got an earmark problem, he voted eight times to raise the debt ceiling in the United States Senate," Perry said on "Fox News Sunday."

Bachmann noted on the same broadcast that Santorum was soundly defeated when he ran for re-election in 2006, losing by a 59-41 margin to Democrat Bob Casey.

Santorum's campaign debuted a TV ad in Iowa that portrayed him as "a trusted conservative who gives us the best chance to take back America."

Joining rivals on the Sunday talk shows, Santorum was pressed to say whether he believed Romney had conservative values. Santorum said any of the Republican candidates would be more conservative than President Barack Obama.

"The question is, are those values ones that you can trust when they become president of the United States?" he told NBC's "Meet the Press."

Santorum defended his support for home-state spending projects, or earmarks, saying he was elected in part to bring federal money to Pennsylvania.

"I don't regret going out at the time and making sure the people of Pennsylvania — who I was elected to represent — got resources," Santorum said. But, he added, "I voted for some things that I look back and say, 'Why the heck did I do that?'"

Santorum planned several campaign stops in western Iowa later Sunday.

Romney was set to appear in Atlantic and Council Bluffs as he works to maximize the edge he holds in critical areas rather than risk underperforming in places where more ardent conservatives are leery of his Mormon faith and shifting positions on social issues.

110911 newt gingrich mitt romney.jpgView full sizeRepublican presidential candidates Newt Gingrich, the former House Speaker, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney laugh before a Republican presidential debate at Oakland University in Auburn Hills, Miss., in December. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

A new Des Moines Register poll found Romney with 24 percent support among likely voters in Iowa while Paul had 22 percent. Santorum placed third with 15 percent, followed by Newt Gingrich, with 12 percent, and Perry, with 11 percent. Bachmann had just 7 percent support.

The poll's margin of sampling error for the full four days was plus or minus 4 percentage points. For the last two days, it was plus or minus 5.6 percentage points.

The poll showed Santorum gaining ground and Paul slipping a bit as rivals hammered him on his non-interventionist foreign policy views.

Paul, who spent the weekend at his home in Texas, stood firm on his contention that the U.S. should not bomb Iran if the country is developing a nuclear weapon.

"I would say that we just need to be more cautious. I think if we overreact and participate in bombing Iran we're looking for a lot more trouble," Paul told CNN's "State of the Union."

Santorum said that if he were president, he would bomb Iran's nuclear facilities unless they were opened for international arms inspectors.

Gingrich, battered by negative TV ads from rivals and a pro-Romney super political action committee, was fighting to stay in contention after topping the field in Iowa just weeks ago.

"Romney would buy the election if he could," the former House speaker told reporters after attending Mass in Des Moines with his wife, Callista.

He said he was encouraged by one finding in the new poll — that 41 percent of voters could change their mind about who to support.

Indeed, with many factors at play, the dynamics can shift rapidly.

Yet two things were clear on the final weekend before the caucuses: The yearlong effort to establish a consensus challenger to Romney had so far come up short, and Romney's carefully laid plan to survive Iowa may succeed because conservative voters had yet to unite behind one candidate.

Bachmann redoubled her effort to woo evangelicals Sunday.

She took to the pulpit at Jubilee Family Church in Oskaloosa, where for more than 30 minutes she guided the congregation to several favorite Bible passages and shared her testimony for becoming a Christian as a teenager in Minnesota.

"The Holy Spirit cleansed me and gave me a peace I'd never before had in my heart," she said.

Perry had no campaign events planned after attending church in West Des Moines. He was to travel to Greenville, S.C., the day after the caucuses, bypassing next-up New Hampshire, which holds its primary Jan. 10. He intended to participate in two debates in New Hampshire next weekend.

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Associated Press writers Philip Elliott in West Des Moines, Shannon McCaffrey in Des Moines and Brian Bakst in Oskaloosa contributed to this report.

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