Obituaries from The Republican.

A. Elizabeth Nowlan

WEST SPRINGFIELD - A. Elizabeth "Betty" Nowlan, passed away Monday at Redstone Rehabilitation & Nursing in East Longmeadow. She was born in Newport, N.H. on Nov. 12, 1923 to the late Minnie (Loiselle) and Edmund Morin. She was a graduate of Newport High School and Keene State College, and worked in the West Springfield assessor's office for 19 years. She was a communicant of St. Thomas the Apostle Church in West Springfield. She was a member of the VIP Blood Donor Club, a Red Cross Volunteer at the Blood Donor Center, St. Thomas Social Club Committee and was a poll worker during WEst Springfield's elections.

Obituaries from The Republican:

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  Atkinson, Robert B.
  



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  Barber, Sylvia L. (George)
  



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  Bilodeau, Eleanor E. (Matroni)
  



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  Bissell, Edward T.
  



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  Courtney, Grace (Sullivan)
  



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  Devine, Mary M. (Caliento)
  



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  Escalante, Luis
  



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  Gagne, Omar J.
  



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  Gawron, Sandra R. (Montgomery)
  



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  Gilbert, Elizabeth Conant
  



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  Gilbert, Henrietta A. (Bishop)
  



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  Haley, Elizabeth L.
  



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  Hohengasser, Elizabeth M.
  



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  Hosmer, David F.
  



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  Kelley, Richard F. "Pop"
  



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  Labrie, Fernand H. "Ferde"
  



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  Laliberte, Eloi J.
  



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  Littlehale, Anita I. (Goyette)
  



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  Logan, Edward M.
  



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  Marceau, Robert W. "Bob"
  



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  Miller, Robert B.
  



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  Morales, Awildo
  



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  Niquette, Jacqueline C. (Chenier)
  



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  Nowlan, A. Elizabeth "Betty"
  



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  Seigiel, Robert A. "Eagle"
  



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  Stapert, Micah Dexter
  



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  Tanona, William W.
  



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  Taylor, Ocie G. "Gee" (Harris)
  



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  Thomas Jr., Harold L.
  



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  Todd, Edward L.
  



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  Woods, Norma M. Devore (Becker)
  

House Republicans are pressing for more Justice Department documents on the flawed gun-smuggling probe known as Operation Fast and Furious.

Associated PressThe House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, led by Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., center, considers whether to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, June 20, 2012. Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., the ranking member, speaks at left. In a showdown with President Barack Obama’s administration, House Republicans are pressing for more Justice Department documents on the flawed gun-smuggling probe known as Operation Fast and Furious that resulted in hundreds of guns illicitly purchased in Arizona gun shops winding up in the hands of Mexican drug cartels.

WASHINGTON — A House committee has voted to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress for failing to turn over Justice Department documents.

The straight party-line vote was 23-17.

The vote followed a decision by President Barack Obama earlier in the day to assert executive privilege for the first time in his administration in order to protect the confidentiality of the documents.

This is a breaking news alert. More information will be added as it become available.

Defense lawyer said client did better when medicated for illnesses.

The Republican / File photo

SPRINGFIELD – A vicious beating of her ex-boyfriend’s girlfriend has earned Annmarie Corrales a state prison sentence of three to four years.

The 38-year-old Corrales pleaded guilty Wednesday in a Holyoke case in which she and an unidentified woman dragged the victim out of her Dwight Street apartment into an alley on May 5, 2011.

While the unidentified woman held the victim’s arms behind her back, Corrales hit the victim with a metal object twice in the head and 10 times in the stomach, Assistant District Attorney Richard B. Morse said.

Corrales did not say a word during the beating, according to the victim.

Corrales also admitted punching the victim in January 2011 while the victim was pregnant.

Hampden Superior Court Judge Constance M. Sweeney accepted the agreed-upon recommendation for the state prison sentence followed by three years probation.

Morse said the victim was afraid to call 911 after the beating with the metal object because of the amount of drug activity in her neighborhood.

He said she was afraid for anyone to see police at her apartment so she started walking to Holyoke Hospital. A woman who saw her bent over picked her up and brought her to the hospital, Morse said.

The victim told Sweeney she was terrorized by Corrales. “She took my sense of security,” she said. “I feel scared all the time even when she’s not around. I’m always looking over my shoulder.”

Morse said Holyoke detectives have been concerned that Corrales, when she is living in the street, creates a volatile situation.

Defense lawyer Bernard T. O’Connor Jr. said of Corrales, “This is a troubled woman who found herself on the street. Her record is consistent with someone living on the streets.”

He said Corrales had a considerable record in the 1990s but during the last 10 years there was a period where she was diagnosed as bipolar and on medication and she had less trouble with the law.

The charges to which Corrales pleaded guilty are kidnapping, burglary, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery, and assault and battery on a pregnant woman. 

The Senior Center will open Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

WEST SPRINGFIELD – With the onset of temperatures approaching 96 degrees, the city will open a cooling center for residents who have inadequate cooling in their homes.

The cooling center will be located at the Senior Center at 128 Park St. and will be open Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The center will be open to all West Springfield residents.

Hashtags have become the latest forum for "organized mocking." The furor over Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown's debate conditions is only the latest example.

Associated PressU.S. Sen. Scott Brown's decision not to participate in a debate with Democrat Elizabeth Warren sponsored by the Edward M. Kennedy Institute led to a flap over Twitter.

On Tuesday, Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown declined to participate in a debate proposed by Vicki Kennedy, widow of the former Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy, because Kennedy would not meet his demands to remain neutral in the Senate race. Within hours, EMILY’s List, an advocacy group that has been a strong supporter of Brown’s Democratic challenger, Elizabeth Warren, took to Twitter with the hashtag #scottbrowndebatedemands.

EMILY’s List tweeted, "Scott Brown will only debate if the #redsox stay over .500#scottbrowndebatedemands.” Others picked up the hashtag, a phrase preceded by the pound sign that allows Twitter users to see all the posts marked with that phrase. Democratic Party spokesman Matt House chimed in, “@ScottBrownMA will only debate if none of the questions are about his weakening Wall St. reform.” Someone with the Twitter name Michael Ripple, who describes himself as a Boston cartoonist, writer and advocate chimed in, “All answers must be given in apple pie, God and mother platitudes.”

First created by a Twitter user in 2007, hashtags are among the online tools that “Twitterati” use to organize Twitter messages, and energize grassroots support. They are a forum where quick wit and sharp retorts rule. They are used by advocacy groups and average voters looking to make a point.

“Every time a campaign makes a hashtag to organize supporters, the other side jumps on to mock him,” said Zach Green, CEO of the Twitter consulting company 140Elect. “It’s become a sport…to hijack those hashtags.”

When President Obama’s campaign released the slogan “Forward,” with its own hashtag, Republicans responded, #forward off a cliff.

When Obama unveiled his slogan “We can’t wait,” referring to his use of executive orders to implement policies that Congress delayed acting on, that too was picked up by both sides of the aisle. This week, the Republican National Committee tweeted, “It’s been over 1200 days since Dem-controlled Senate passed a budget- #WeCantWait for them to do their job.”

Often, gaffes get turned into hashtags. For example, there was #ImRunningForOfficeForPetesSake, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s unfortunately phrased answer during a debate on why he fired the company that used illegal immigrants to care for his lawn.

Another currently trending topic is #ThreeWordsYouWillNeverHearObamaSay. Among the suggestions: “Holder is guilty,” “budget is balanced,” and “thanks for reelection.”

In the Brown-Warren race, the campaigns themselves have used few hashtags beyond basic organizational ones. According to an analysis by 140Elect, the substantive hashtags most often used by Brown were redsox and STOCKAct (five mentions each). The Stock Act is a law Brown supports prohibiting insider trading by members of Congress. The substantive hashtags most used by Warren were wallstreet (16 mentions) and lgbt (eight mentions). Warren has made regulating Wall Street a core of her campaign. She supports equal rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

Hashtags are more prevalent in the presidential race, particularly by the Obama campaign. According to 140Elect, the Obama campaign used #ACA, the Affordable Care Act, 44 times in the last year, and #BuffettRule 41 times, referring to an Obama tax plan that would require the wealthy to pay higher taxes.

In New Hampshire, Secretary of State Bill Gardner – who has held his job since before the commercial Internet existed - became the subject of #BillGardnerFacts last year as he prepared to set the date for New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation 2012 presidential primary. Among the "facts": “The Founding Fathers wanted to sign the Declaration on June 27th, but Bill Gardner told them to move it back a week.” “God wanted to create the world in 11 days. Bill Gardner said seven.” And the one Gardner himself once quoted, when asked about the Twitter feed: “Bill Gardner is not bald; his hair just left his head out of fear”.

Sometimes, hashtags make more serious political statements. After the 2010 election, when anti-abortion conservatives won numerous congressional seats, Salon reported that someone with the name @IAmDrTiller, recalling the murdered abortion doctor George Tiller, urged women to Tweet #IHadAnAbortion. Numerous women responded, many along the lines of, “Almost half my life ago, #ihadanabortion. I’m not sorry. I’ve never been sorry. I will never be sorry. Just very, very grateful.”

As far away as Pakistan, a writer on a Pakistani news website noted in May that #shutupClinton became a top trending hashtag for Pakistanis to vent their anger after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton suggested a top al-Qaida leader was hiding in Pakistan.

Green said while many hashtags get little notice, the most popular ones go viral. “That kind of organized mocking can energize those people. People tweet more and they jump on because it’s more fun when everyone’s doing it,” Green said.

Former incumbent Michael Kane quit the seat June 8 after having been a lawmaker since 2001.

Linda Vacon

Staff photo by Michael S. GordonHolyoke City Councilor Linda Vacon speaks at ground-breaking for the new regional Girl Scout Service Center, 301 Kelly Way, in March.

HOLYOKE – Ward 5 Councilor Linda L. Vacon said Wednesday she is mounting a write-in campaign as a Republican for state representative.

“I think there’s a lot of value in people having different choices,” Vacon said.

Michael F. Kane, D-Holyoke, who had held the position since 2001, quit the 5th Hampden District seat for another job June 8.

Vacon’s campaign means a second councilor is in the race with Democratic Councilor at Large Aaron M. Vega having announced his bid in February.

A third, Councilor at Large James M. Leahy, has said he also is leaning toward a run.

Miguel A. Vasquez, a financial services associate at People’s United Bank who has never held elected office, also said he was leaning toward seeking the legislative seat with a write-in campaign.

Leahy and Vasquez said they are unenrolled in terms of party affiliation.

The representative’s yearly salary is $61,133.

Kane’s late withdrawal has put a scramble into the race. Because Kane had filed nomination papers with signatures of registered voters by the May 1 deadline, his name still will be on the ballot.

Residents interested in seeking the seat are left only with a campaign in which they ask voters to write in their names on ballots in voting booths, because the May 1 filing has passed.

The voting will take place with the primary election Sept. 6. The top vote-getters from each party will move onto the general election Nov. 6.

On Sept. 6, write-in candidates must be the top vote-getter and have at least 150 write-in votes to win the election.

Vacon, who is in her second, two-year term on the council, said getting 150 write-in votes will be “easily accomplished.”

“I offer myself and my record of service to give voters a choice in the November election. My mission continues to be ‘for you, for Holyoke,’ as we enter the campaign season,’” Vacon said.

She is dedicating the campaign in memory of her father Reginald G. Laporte. He was a World War II U.S. Navy veteran who served in defense of the liberties Americans enjoy today, she said.

Vacon said a campaign kick-off will be July 18 at 80 Jarvis Ave., from 6 to 8 p.m.

Longmeadow's veteran service agent Jason Dieni plans to resign his position at the end of June.

LONGMEADOW – Finance Director Paul Pasterczyk said the town is in good financial shape for fiscal year 2013 which begins July 1.

"We have a good chunk of change saved,” said Pasterczyk who met with the Select Board Monday night.

Due to high receipts from excise taxes and several miscellaneous one-year funding sources the town will be able to deposit close to $400,000 in to the free cash account which will total $1.8 million.

Pasterczyk said that while there are still collective barraging agreements to fund as well as costs associated with the October snowstorm, the town will still enter the new fiscal year with a balanced budget.

During the meeting Town Manger Robin Crosbie informed the board that the town’s Veteran’s Service Agent Jason Dieni will leave his post when his contract expires in July.

“He had applied for a federal job about a year ago and he has been offered the job,” she said.

A U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran, Dieni was hired by the town in November of 2011. Initially, Longmeadow was looking to regionalize with East Longmeadow to hire a joint agent. East Longmeadow joined the Veterans Service District of Eastern Hampden County, but Longmeadow decided to hire their own full-time agent.

Crosbie said the board will have to decided what to do with the position now that Dieni will leave. A state law requires communities with more than 12,000 people to have a full-time agent.

Monday night was also Crosbie’s last meeting. She will be leaving the position when her contract expires June 30. The Select Board is currently in the process of looking for a new town manager.

Select Board Chairman Paul Santaniello said whoever comes next will have some big shoes to fill.

“I appreciate you being here,” he said.

Crosbie said she is thankful for the experience.

“ Not too many people walk into a fresh form of government,” said Crosbie who was the town’s first town manager and served for six years. “ It’s been a challenge, but it’s also been a pleasure.”

During its meeting the board also interviewed candidates for several vacant positions on the Council on Aging, the tree committee, the community preservation committee, the historic district committee, the historical commission and the zoning board of appeals. The board will appoint new members during its next meeting.

The Dow Jones industrial average closed down about 13 points to close at 12,824.

Photo by Haraz N. Ghanbari / Associated PressFederal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke speaks during a news conference, Wednesday in Washington. Bernanke says the Federal Reserve is open to purchasing more Treasury bonds to lower long-term interest rates and boost growth if the economy worsens. "If we don't see further improvement in the labor market, we will be prepared to take additional steps if appropriate," Bernanke said.

By JOSHUA FREED

NEW YORK – It’s going to take more than low interest rates to fire up investors.

The Federal Reserve’s latest plan to help the economy failed to impress Wall Street on Wednesday. Stocks finished slightly lower for the day, and not much better than they were before the Fed announcement.

The Fed said it would keep its “Operation Twist” program going through the end of the year rather than let it expire at the end of this month. It aims to keep long-term interest rates low by selling the Fed’s short-term U.S. government debt and buying long-term debt.

Economists have pointed out that long-term interest rates are already near record lows, and that consumers and businesses who aren’t borrowing today won’t necessarily borrow tomorrow just because it’s a little cheaper.

The Fed also sharply lowered its outlook for U.S. economic growth. Chairman Ben Bernanke said the economy would grow no more than 2.4 percent this year, down from an April forecast of no more than 2.9 percent.

“What the markets really don’t like was he ratcheted down growth sharply,” said Doug Cote, chief market strategist at ING Investment Management.

The Dow Jones industrial average closed down 12.94 points, or a tenth of a percent, at 12,824.39. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 2.29 points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,355.69. The Nasdaq composite index rose 0.69 points, a fraction of a percent, to 2,930.45.

Indexes dipped right after the Fed’s announcement came out at 12:30 p.m., then quickly went back to where they were. It was the latest knee-jerk response to news headlines in a stock market that has been buffeted in recent weeks by fears that Europe’s 17-nation currency union could rupture.

“It’s obvious we’re still in a trader’s market, and it’s a market that is still responding to news events, including the Fed, almost hour by hour, if not minute by minute,” said Quincy Krosby, a market strategist with Prudential Financial.

Stocks spent most of the morning lower. Some of the same weakness being addressed by the Fed has forced Procter & Gamble Co. to reign in recent price increases as people cut back on spending. P&G is the world’s largest consumer products company, and sales of its Tide detergent and Duracell batteries, among other things, are a good window into the economy.

P&G predicted continued slow growth in developed markets and slower growth in China, and cut estimates for fourth-quarter revenue and income. The stock dropped $1.83, 2.9 percent, to $60.39, making it the biggest decliner in the Dow Jones industrial average.

Next week, new figures on personal income and consumer sentiment will be released. The reports could signal more retrenchment by the U.S. consumer.

Actuant Corp., which makes industrial products, fell 94 cents, or 3.4 percent to $26.51 after predicting “uneven end market demand, notably in Europe and China.” The company predicted revenue for its current and next fiscal years will be less than analysts had been expecting.

Adobe Systems dropped 90 cents, or 2.7 percent, to $31.99. The software maker, whose products include Adobe Reader and Photoshop, issued a profit forecast late Tuesday that was weaker that analysts were expecting. Its income for the latest quarter fell 2 percent on higher expenses.

La-Z-Boy plunged almost 13 percent after earnings came in far below what analysts were expecting. The stock lost $1.66 to close at $11.47.

Markets in Europe rose and the euro strengthened against the dollar. Benchmark stock indexes rose 0.5 percent in Germany, 0.6 percent in Britain and 2.1 percent in Italy.

Borrowing costs fell in Europe, too. Yields on government bonds in Spain and Italy fell, a signal that investors are less worried about the finances of those two countries.

The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.63 percent from 1.62 percent the day before as investors moved money out of low-risk assets.

Randy Warren, chief investment officer for Warren Financial Service, lamented the focus on the Fed, saying investors should be thinking about where to put their money considering Europe’s problems and a weak euro. He favors American companies who mostly do business in the U.S.

“There’s plenty to choose from for investors,” he said. “They just have to think more than five minutes ahead.”

The Worcester library system operates with more city funds but fewer branches.

Photo by Dave Roback / The RepublicanWilliam Buchanon, of Springfield, works on a computer at the Pine Point Branch of the Springfield City Library one day last week.

SPRINGFIELD – Three branch libraries that are slated to close July 2 as part of city budget cuts are important resources in their neighborhoods with significant use, according to library advocates.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2013 included a reduction of funds for the Library Department, and a decision to close the branches on Boston Road in Pine Point, Liberty Street in Liberty Heights, and Island Pond Road in East Forest Park.

Library system Director Molly Fogarty said the city’s 10 libraries – the central library and nine neighborhood branches – have been active and provide crucial services.

While similarly sized Worcester, has just three libraries, Fogarty and Mary Ann Maloney, president of Friends of the Springfield Library, said Springfield’s library system serves thousands of people with a wide array of services.

Worcester’s budget for city libraries is $4.4 million for the new fiscal year, as compared to Springfield’s appropriation of $3.55 million.

Some people think that libraries “are going out of business” with the advance of home computers and online information, Fogarty said. She and Maloney said they disagree with that perception, as the libraries provide many tools and technologies and professional assistance.

Library branches have been closed multiple times during difficult budget times, and residents have repeatedly protested, leading to funding eventually being restored and branches reopened, Fogarty said.

“Springfield residents really depend on their libraries now more than ever,” Fogarty said. “They are providing for engaging, learning and literacy opportunities. They are community anchors.”

The nine branches in Springfield, however, have been open just three days a week, on different schedules, and for very limited hours. Each branch has been open just 15 to 18 hours per week.

Sarno and finance officials said tough decisions had to made, including cutting funds for the libraries, given the city’s budget hardships and reduced revenues. Sarno is proposing the library budget be reduced from $3.67 million to $3.55 million, but the libraries have a deeper gap because of increased expenses, Fogarty said.

The cut in funds is expected to result in two layoffs and the elimination of five vacant positions in the libraries, she said.

The libraries are aided by approximately $1 million annually in state and federal grants and private funding, along with volunteer labor, Maloney said.

“We have to really realize how crucial libraries are,” Maloney said. “Each branch is unique to the neighborhood.”

The city has about 78,000 library card holders, Fogarty said.

Maloney and Fogarty said the libraries provide access to computers, books, wireless uses, adult and youth literacy programs, online job assistance and applications, and serve as a safe place to do homework, read and meet people.

The East Forest Park branch had the third highest use of the nine branches, according to statistics kept by each library and based on factors such as number of visits, circulation and computer use. However, the East Forest Park branch was the only leased branch, costing $53,000 a year, a key factor in the decision to close it.

Neighborhood residents held a rally at the East Forest Park branch this week, and also attended the City Council meeting and a subcommittee meeting to protest the plans to close the branch.

The Liberty Street branch had the lowest use among the nine branches, and the Pine Point had the fifth lowest use, according to the statistics.

For the 10-month period ending April 30, East Forest Park had 29,361 visitors, Pine Point had 19,498 visitors and Liberty had 11,295 visitors. That compared with Forest Park branch, that had the most visitors, 43,991, followed by Sixteen Acres with 37,539 visitors.

Sixteen Acres had the highest circulation among branches at 65,195 (books, tapes and other materials), followed by East Forest Park with 38,739, and Forest Park with 38,128 for that 10-month period. Pine Point circulation was 30,393 and Liberty was 22,905.

Fogarty said those numbers and other statistics, when considering the very limited hours at each branch, show they are busy.

Mark K. Contois, head librarian for the Worcester public libraries, praised Springfield for always having “very strong branch library services.” He worked for the Springfield library system in the 1980s.

“When a library closes anywhere, it’s a sad day,” Contois said.

Worcester added a mobile library this month that travels around the city with advanced online services, he said.

“The fact we reinstituted mobile library services speaks to the need in Worcester to have library services out in the neighborhoods,” Contois said. “People are flocking to the library express.”

Fogarty said communities are different, and Worcester used to have more libraries years ago. In Springfield, some of the libraries are a century old, and residents have wanted them open, she said.

“Libraries are part of solutions to problems that exist everywhere in Springfield and help children and adults become literate, productive citizens” she said.

Both the Springfield police and fire departments said their staffing has been on the decline for many years.

Thomas M. Ashe

SPRINGFIELD – City councilors, following budget hearings with police and fire officials on Wednesday, said they are concerned about reduced staffing in those departments and the threat to public safety under the proposed city budget.

“It’s very scary,” said Councilor Thomas M. Ashe, chairman of the Public Health and Safety Committee. “It’s dangerously low as far as officers on the street and fire trucks and ladder trucks being operational. I don’t know the answer.”

Under Mayor Domenic J. Sarno’s proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, funds for the Police, Fire and Dispatch departments would decrease from $57.7 million to $55.7 million, a reduction of 3.4 percent.

No police officers or firefighters would be laid off, but 31 vacancies in the Police Department would be eliminated along with 12 vacancies in the Fire Department. There is also a plan to take a fire truck out of service due to inadequate staffing, officials said.

“We can’t continue to operate not filling positions, losing positions to attrition and not filling them, and just putting our firefighters and police officers in harm’s way,” Ashe said.

Councilors Timothy C. Allen and Timothy J. Rooke, attending the hearings, also raised concerns about the risk to the public and the risk to police and firefighters from having reduced staffing.

Sarno and the city’s chief administrative and financial officer, Lee C. Erdmann, said budget cuts were necessary and will result in 12 layoffs in city departments, the elimination of 96 vacant positions, and the closure of three branch libraries among other service cuts. The cuts were triggered in part by an estimated $7 million reduction in property taxes due to reaching the tax levy limit and declining property values, they said.

Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet said his department has about 445 patrol officers and supervisors, about 130 less than it did 10 years ago. The police budget is decreasing from $37.2 million to $35.25 million

“That impacts the delivery of services,” Fitchet said. “The public’s expectation does not decrease. It increases every year. They have the expectation that the Police Department will respond effectively and efficiently.¤.¤. (that) becomes more and more challenging with less personnel,” Fitchet said.

They will not be able to hire new officers to fill vacancies for a third consecutive year. Regarding the mayor’s proposal to fully fund the Quinn Bill education fund for police officers, Fitchet said that issue is being addressed in contract negotiations, declining comment.

Deputy Fire Chief of Operations Glenn Guyer said the proposed $19.1 million fire budget, while roughly the same as last year, is “bare bones” in the face of cost increases. With attrition over many years, the fire personnel have declined from about 480 firefighters and supervisors in 1987 to about 225 now, he said.

“We are fire trucks, firefighters and gear,” Guyer said. “That is it.”

Response time is critically important in responding to fires, rescues and other emergencies, with reduced staffing on the trucks, he said.

Fire Lt. David Wells, president of the firefighters union, and about 25 firefighters attended the budget hearing to show their concern, Wells said.

“We are putting people in harm’s way, quite frankly,” Wells said.

There have to be other areas in the budget that can be cut rather than the Fire Department, Wells said.

A separate Dispatch Center budget is declining from $1.4 million to $1.36 million.

Oppressive heat and humidity are again on tap for Thursday, and people are advised to drink plenty of water and avoid prolonged exposure outside during the day.

View full sizeThe Republican | Don TreegerClara Rodriguez of Springfield cools off with a cold bottle of water while making a visit to the Holyoke War Memorial building which the city has designated as a cooling center.

SPRINGFIELD - Summer officially began at 7:09 p.m. Wednesday, but for all intents and purposes, summer was fully underway hours earlier when temperatures soared to the upper 90s.

There was no graceful segue from one season to the next, just a foot-to-the-floor acceleration as summer raced onto the seasonal arena and announced its presence with shirts drenched in sweat, lines at the ice cream store, and a Death Valley daze on the faces of all who had to venture out into direct sunlight for any extended period.

Seriously, it was hot -- and hold onto your water bottles because Thursday is expected to be just as hot.

A high of 97 degrees was recorded in Springfield, Westfield and Hartford. Chicopee reached 96 degrees.

The 97 degrees in Hartford was a record for the date, breaking the previous mark set in 1995 by one degree.

The high heat, combined with high humidity, caused to make the heat seem hotter, said CBS 3 meteorologist Nick Morganelli. The heat index, or the combined measure of heat and moisture, made that 97 degrees seem like it was more than 100 degrees.

The National Weather Service declared a heat advisory for much of the Northeast for Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. That advisory warns against prolonged exposure to outside conditions due to the possiblity of heat-related illnesses.

This type of heat mixed with high humidity is no laughing matter. According to Baystate Medical Center doctors, it’s the top weather-related killer in the United States.

View full sizeThe Republican | Michael S. GordonThe temperature reads 99-degrees on the Silverscape Designs sign at the corner of Main and King streets in downtown Northampton on Wednesday afternoon. Similar temperatures are expected Thursday.

“As with many illnesses, the best defense is prevention,” said Dr. Joseph Schmidt, an emergency department physician with Baystate Medical Center. “Those at greatest risk for developing a heat-related illness are children under five years of age and people 65 years of age and older, who have the least ability to regulate their body temperatures,” he said.

People who are overweight and others with chronic illnesses such as heart disease or high blood pressure, as well as those who are on certain medications, are also at high risk. Schmidt suggests people stay out of the heat and avoid directly sunlight, dress in lightweight, light-colored and loose fitting clothing, and drink plenty of fluids even if not thirsty.

He also recommends postponing athletic activities, or rescheduling to early morning or evening hours.

Extreme heat affects the body’s ability to safely regulate its temperature, often resulting in heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion, heat stroke, or heat cramps, he said.

“Heat stroke, which can cause death or permanent disability, is the most serious heat-related illness and requires immediate emergency medical treatment,” said Schmidt.

Communities across the region to steps to help people cool off.

The Department of Conservation and Recreation announced that in anticipation of the hot weather, it would be staffing lifeguards at swimming areas in state parks, beaches and pools three days earlier than planned.

The lifeguards were scheduled to begin working June 23 and go through Labor Day, but instead they were at their posts on Wednesday.

One exception was the swimming area at Hampton Ponds in Westfield, which remained closed due to high bacterial levels in the water that were deemed unsafe.

DCR spokesman S.J. Port said it is not clear when the area will reopen.

“ We will continue to test daily until bacteria levels on the tests come back as normal or below normal,” she said.

In Chicopee, schools were due to close early and spray parks and cooling centers to open.

School on Thursday and Friday will be half days.

Meanwhile, the Senior Center in Aldenville and the main library on Front Street will operate as public cooling centers through Friday.

Ludlow notified parents it would be closing the elementary schools and middle school early on Wednesday and again on Thursday. The High School students were already getting dismissed early as part of final exam week.

The middle school will dismiss students Thursday at 1:15 p.m. while the elementary schools will release at 1:15 p.m.

In Springfield, schools were already out for the school year. Northampton’s final day of classes was Wednesday.

In Holyoke, Mayor Alex B. Morse ordered the city to open a cooling center at the War Memorial, 310 Appleton St. on Wednesday and Thursday from noon to 8 p.m. Spray parks also opened at Springdale and Pulaski parks.

Photo by Kathleen ConleyBuddy the beagle chills out at the cooling center set up Wednesday at the Holyoke War Memorial.

In Holyoke, approximately 20 people - and one dog, a beagle named Buddy, showed up at the War Memorial at 310 Appleton St., said Kathleen Conley, spokeswoman for the Medical Reserve Corps, which staffed the shelter.

The cooling shelters are designed to aid people, but some people have chosen to bring their pets with them.

“We try to be as pet friendly as possible,” she said.

She said people are encouraged to watch out for the elderly, small children and pets for signs of heat stress.

Agawam opened a cooling center at the town Senior Center on Main Street. It will be open again on Thursday from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m.

The West Springfield Senior Center, at 128 Park St., will operate a cooling center on Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is open to all West Springfield residents.

Springfield did not activate any cooling centers, although the city department of health and human services is keeping an eye on conditions in the event that centers are necessary, said Thomas Walsh, aide to Mayor Domenic J. Sarno.

Health and Human Service Director Helen Caulton-Harris said Springfield typically declares a heat emergency whenever the heat index is expected to exceed 105 degrees or when nighttime temperatures are expected to remain at 80 or higher for three consecutive days. Neither of those benchmarks are expected go be hit this week, Caulton-Harris said.

However, she said, there are public buildings in the city that will be open that people can use to get relief from the heat.

On Wednesday through 8 p.m., people were welcomed to go to the library branches at Pine Point, 204 Boston Road, East Springfield, 21 Osbourne Terrace, East Forest Park, 124 Island Pond Road, and Indian Orchard, 44 Oak St.

On Thursday, those branches will be closed, but the Forest Park branch, 380 Belmont Ave., and Brightwood branch, 359 Plainfield St., will open from 1-8 p.m.

View full sizeThe Republican | Don TreegerMary Jane Trybulski, assistant director of the Chicopee Public Library, pulls down shades to try and keep the building cooler. The library has been designated as a cooling center for the city.

The Mason Square library at 765 State St. will also be open from 1-8 p.m. but Caulton-Harris said the last she knew it was having problems with its air conditioning system. If it is repaired by Thursday, that facility will also be available.

In addition, there will also be four senior centers open from 8 a.m. until 4:15 p.m. They are Mason Square, 74 Walnut St., Riverview, 120 Clyde St., Greenleaf, 1187 Parker St., and Pine Point at 335 Berkshire Ave.

Caulton-Harris said each facility is open to city residents seeking relief, and bottled water will be available.

The heat also found a way to impact the Mercy Medical Center morgue. Springfield firefighters were called to Springfield hospital at about 3:15 p.m. for a report of a fire.

Fire Department spokesman, Deputy Chief Glenn Guyer said employees made the call because some machinery in the morgue overheated and caught fire. Any flames were extinguished before firefighters arrived on scene, he said.

There were no injuries.

Mary Orr, hospital spokeswoman, said the fire was confined to the machinery and caused no damage to the morgue or any other areas in the building.

Record temperatures were recorded at all three New York City-area airports, along with Connecticut’s Bradley International Airport and the cities of Burlington, Vt., and Houlton, Maine, according to the National Weather Service.

View full sizePhoto by Jacquelyn Martin / Associated PressDillon Davis, 1, of Washington, tries to catch some water from a fountain at Georgetown Waterfront Park, in Washington on Wednesday.

By MEGHAN BARR

NEW YORK – The official start of summer brought temperatures in the high 90s to the Eastern Seaboard on Wednesday, setting records in some spots and getting awfully close in others, with people wilting at graduation ceremonies, students trying to learn in sweltering classrooms and authorities warning folks to check on elderly neighbors.

The hot spell arrived right on time – on the longest day of the year – in a region that’s home to some of the nation’s most densely populated cities. Record temperatures were recorded at all three New York City-area airports, along with Connecticut’s Bradley International Airport and the cities of Burlington, Vt., and Houlton, Maine, according to the National Weather Service.

“It’s not a day for the elderly to be out walking, I can tell you that,” said Nancy Baker, 69, as she watched the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Conn., from under the shade of a large oak tree near the first tee.

Health officials across the Northeast warned residents to drink water, stay out of the sun and in air conditioning, and to check on elderly neighbors and pets. Public cooling centers were set up in dozens of cities for those without air conditioning.

Several relatives of high school graduates were treated for heat exhaustion at an outdoor ceremony in North Bergen, N.J., and taken to a hospital. Ambulances were on standby at the event, which was held outside to accommodate about 5,000 people, said Capt. Gerald Sanzari of the North Bergen Police Department.

A similar scene took place in New Britain, Conn., where several people were taken to a hospital after suffering heat-related symptoms while attending the New Britain High School graduation. Captain David Koscuk of the New Britain EMS told the New Britain Herald that 24 people suffered from heat exhaustion or fainting and half of them were taken to area hospitals.

In Howell, N.J., school officials made Wednesday the last day of the school year instead of Thursday, citing the heat. And at nearby Wall High School, people attending the graduation ceremony were able to watch a remote broadcast inside the air-conditioned building.

According to the weather service, it hit 94 degrees at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, passing the 93-degree mark set in 1995. The 98-degree temperatures at LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport passed records set in 1953, when highs reached 96 at LaGuardia and 97 at Newark.

In New England, the mercury hit 97 degrees at Bradley airport in Hartford, Conn., breaking the 1995 record of 96 degrees. Record temperatures were also seen in Burlington, Vt., and Houlton, Maine, which reached 95 degrees and 90 degrees, up from 94 and 89.

Even places that didn’t break records were extremely hot. In Washington, the airports topped out at 98, one degree shy of setting new heat marks. The mercury in Philadelphia rose to 97 degrees, one degree short of the record set in 1931.

“You’re talking about almost 15 degrees above normal,” said Kristin Kline, a weather service meteorologist in Mount Holly, N.J.

Every state in the Lower 48 except for North Dakota was forecast to have 90-degree weather until Saturday, according to a model by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the agency in charge of weather, climate and oceans.

Mail carrier Connie Vincent was already sweating as she began her rounds in a residential neighborhood in Manchester, Conn., Wednesday morning.

“There’s nothing you can do,” she said as she dabbed her face with wet washcloths. “Tomorrow’s my day off, thank God. I’ve just got to make it through today.”

Some people in Boston headed to Malibu Beach, a harbor beach south of downtown, to try to beat the heat.

Retired teacher Mary O’Brien sat on a bench, armed with a bottle of water and a magazine, enjoying the afternoon as a breeze came off the saltwater. But Genesis Langham, 38, said heading to the waterfront with a family friend and her sons, ages 6 and 1, wasn’t the best idea.

“If your goal is to stay cool, stay inside,” she said.

In a rare bending of the rules, the Metro in Washington, D.C., said passengers on Wednesday and Thursday would be allowed to drink water, an exception to their no-drinks policy.

Deborah Otchere, 59, mapped out a tree-lined route to work and brought a change of clothes to her job as a secretary in a Washington law firm. Among her traveling supplies was a partially frozen bottle of water.

“You live here long enough, you know how to prepare,” she said.

More than 450 cooling centers were being opened around New York City, which is under a hot weather advisory. Mayor Michael Bloomberg encouraged people without air conditioning to seek out the cooler spaces or visit the city’s beaches.

The city’s 1.1 million public school students are still in session for another week, and just 64 percent of classrooms are air-conditioned. The city is leaving it up to teachers and administrators to monitor the situation in each school, Bloomberg said.

“There’s nothing unsafe about it. It may be a tiny bit uncomfortable, but these are young, strong people, and we’re not going to ask anybody to stay in a building where we think it becomes dangerous,” he said.

In downtown Providence, R.I., at the central bus terminal, a worker for the Salvation Army – red-faced and hot herself – was handing out free bottles of water, reminding people to stay hydrated. Users of public transit were enjoying free service on buses and trolleys, offered on days when health officials declare air quality to be unhealthy and driving is discouraged.

On New York’s Long Island, Roy Gross, chief of the Suffolk County SPCA, cautioned against keeping pets in vehicles, noting temperatures can reach 120 degrees within minutes.

“Your pet can quickly suffer brain damage or die from heatstroke when trapped in these high temperatures,” Gross said.

In Manhattan’s Washington Square Park, women and small children took off their shoes to wade in a fountain. But the main attraction was a promotion by Nestle to give away a free ice cream cone to anyone who would do the hula hoop.

Tiny tourist Katie Phan, visiting New York with her family from Orange, Calif., joined several dozen people who took the frozen-treat bait. The 8-year-old expertly spun three hoops – and munched on a melting cone – all at once. It made her mother Terry proud.

“I had no idea she could do that,” she said.

Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Jessica Gresko in Washington, Patrick Walters in Philadelphia, Frank Eltman in Garden City, N.Y., Karen Matthews, Samantha Gross, Tom Hays, Deepti Hajela and Verena Dobnik in New York City, Mary Esch in Albany, N.Y., Stephen Singer in Hartford, Conn., Dave Collins in West Hartford, Conn., Erika Niedowski in Providence, R.I., and Shannon Young and Bridget Murphy in Boston.

James Bulger, the former leader of the Winter Hill Gang, is accused of participating in 19 killings.

James 'Whitey' Bulger

BOSTON – A lawyer for mobster James “Whitey” Bulger filed a motion Wednesday night formally asking a judge to delay the start of Bulger’s trial by a year, arguing that he needs more time to explore piles of evidence prosecutors plan to use against him.

Bulger, the former leader of the Winter Hill Gang, is accused of participating in 19 killings. He was also a top-echelon FBI informant who gave the agency information on the rival New England Mob.

The 82-year-old gangster was apprehended in Santa Monica, Calif., a year ago after 16 years on the run.

His lawyer, J.W. Carney Jr., has repeatedly said he cannot be ready by Nov. 5, the current trial date. Carney argued in court papers Wednesday that the voluminous evidence in the case will take until May 2013 to review, and he asked for a new trial date of Nov. 4, 2013.

Carney denied that Bulger is trying to delay the trial, saying his client is looking forward to it and is in good health. “Mentally, he is sharp, focused, candid and effusive, with an excellent memory of events,” Carney wrote.

The defense attorney said he has received more than 300,000 pages of documents from prosecutors along with 31 videos and more than 1,000 cassette tapes of audio recordings. He said he has been slowed by the “chaotic organization” of the material.

He still has not received material he requested on related civil cases, he said, and he wants to review several books on the case co-written by people he called “essential witnesses.”

Carney also said he needs time to work in person with Bulger on the material, since Bulger doesn’t trust telephone and mail communications after one of his letters to his lawyer was intercepted by authorities.

Carney said prosecutors have been helped in their preparations by their work on previous trials of Bulger’s associates, who he said were given more than two years to prepare their defenses.

A neighbor found the man and called police.

Republican file photo

HOLYOKE – A man in his early 60’s at 138 Beech St. died Wednesday apparently after slipping and falling down the stairs, police said.

“No sign of foul play,” Police Lt. Matthew F. Moriarty said.

Police got the call at 3:45 p.m. after a neighbor found the man, whose name police were withholding until family could be told, he said.

Police have turned the case over to the state medical examiner’s office to determine the man’s cause of death, he said.

The city is using a federal grant to build the skateboard park.

This could be a scene in Holyoke sometime next year as plans proceed for a skateboard park.

HOLYOKE – The seclusion of Pulaski Park on St. Kolbe Drive and the openness of Lawrence School on Cabot Street were cited as both positives and negatives at a public hearing on where to put a skateboard park.

The location might be undecided, but the enthusiasm of skateboarders Wednesday was clear.

“Personally, I’ll make do with whatever you give me and make it the best site....You could put it in the canal and I’ll build a ramp,” said Alex Maldonado, 38, of Holyoke, who said he runs skateboard camps.

The hearing drew about 25 people to the War Memorial, 310 Appleton St.

The plan is to choose a site in the next few months, discuss designs in the fall, begin construction in the spring and open the skateboard park in a year, officials said.

“The city is definitely building a skateboard park,” said Teresa M. Shepard, director of the Parks and Recreation Department.

Mayor Alex B. Morse has designated $250,000 of the city’s share of the federal Community Development Block Grant for a skateboard park.

Donald R. Welch, a police officer and former city councilor, said Pulaski Park is near his home and he takes his grandchildren there. A concern is drug users like the seclusion there and police have to make numerous drug arrests. The Lawrence School is an easier-to-access location, he said.

But Justis Connor, 16, said he prefers such a spot so he can skateboard without many bystanders shouting for skateboarders to perform certain maneuvers.

“I don’t want to exclude anyone, but I don’t want kids bothering me all the time,” Connor said.

He hoped the park the city builds will be designed for fun with ramps, stair sets and ledges for skateboarders, he said.

Skateboarding is fun to watch and Lawrence School offers wide vantage points compared to Pulaski Park, said Justin McAndrews, 27, of Hillside Avenue.

True, said Maldonado, but if having such a facility here increases skateboarding’s popularity Pulaski Park offers more room to expand than Lawrence School.

Others sites like Lt. William J. Sheard Park at Maple Street and Resnic Boulevard and Roberts Field Sports Complex beside Holyoke High School on Beech Street were discussed and will be considered. But Morse and Shepard said the likely site is either Pulaski Park or Lawrence School because the goal is a central location.

“I think it’s awesome, a really good opportunity for the youth,” said Migdalia Thomas, of Holyoke who declined to give her address.

The president of the City Council said he has reservations about extending term limits without a local recall provision.

AGAWAM – The City Council unanimously endorsed a resolution to put a question on the local ballot calling for increasing term lengths for the community’s elected officials from two to four years.

The council, which initiated the proposal, voted 11-0 Monday to take that action. Local officials have stressed that longer term lengths will allow elected officials to accomplish more because they will not have to start campaigning for re-election shortly after taking office.

“I personally have my reservations because Agawam does not have a recall provision in its charter,” City Council President Christopher C. Johnson said of the proposal.

The charter allows for removal of an elected official only in the event of conviction and sentencing on a felony, according to Johnson. The council president said in addition to adding a recall process to the charter, if the city implements the change it should also stagger terms so all positions are not on the ballot at the same time.

Mayor Richard A. Cohen, who said Tuesday he is pleased with the vote, will send a proposed question on to the city’s local legislative delegation by the end of the week.

Currently, the delegation consists of state Rep. Nicholas A. Boldyga, R-Southwick, and state Sen. James T. Welch, D-West Springfield. Cohen also plans to send the proposed question on to state Sen. Michael R. Knapik, R-Westfield, who will take over from Welch in January as the city’s state senator because of district lines being redrawn.

If the state approves the wording of the question it will be placed on the ballot in November of 2013, going before local voters, who will have the final say.

The loans were announced this week by the Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture, which began an emergency farm fund in October in partnership with Whole Foods Market and Equity Trust.

DEERFIELD – Loans totaling $93,000 were made to 11 farms in the Pioneer Valley as part a disaster-recovery effort launched last fall in the wake of tropical storm Irene.

The loans were announced this week by the Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture, which began an emergency farm fund in October in partnership with Whole Foods Market and Equity Trust.

The fund offered zero-interest loans to assist farmers and farm businesses struggling to meet their immediate needs in the aftermath of the storm and flooding in late August and September.

Farms receiving the loans, according to Philip Korman, executive director of Communities Involved in Sustaining Agriculture, include McKinstry Market Garden in Chicopee; Hager Brothers Farm and Lyonsville Valley Farm, both in Colrain; Dave’s Natural Garden in Granby; Bug Hill Farm in Ashfield; Bars Farm in Deerfield; and Czajkowski Farm in Hadley.

Korman said creation of a disaster-recovery fund “filled a long-standing financing gap for local farms.” His agency works to build connections between farmers and the community and provides farms with technical and marketing assistance, but had never given loans.

“We knew we wanted to support farmers going through this challenging time, and we thought that with the right collaborators, we could launch this new fund quickly and effectively,” said Korman.

Farms that sought the loans had to describe the extent of devastation of crops, soil, and farm infrastructure. The destruction was on a scale not seen in decades, according to Korman.

One farmer described “$100,000 worth of crops gone in one hour.” The three weeks of wet weather during and following the hurricane also created disease problems, impacting higher elevation fields that had escaped the floodwaters. Ten months after the storm, many farms are still recovering from the disruption of planting and harvesting schedules, reduction in farm cash flow, and the need to rebuild structures or regrade fields, Korman said in a press release. Storm-related losses at the 11 farms ranged from $12,000 to $250,000.

An anonymous donor made a $50,000 matching grant to the loan fund, and business and individual support following, including $20,000 grants from Whole Foods Market and the Farm Table at Kringle Candle in Bernardston. Donations were also received from Farm Credit East, the Beveridge Family Foundation, Easthampton Savings Bank, Smith College, Florence Savings Bank, Deerfield Academy and numerous individuals.

“We are so pleased that the community stepped up for our farmers, since our farmers make possible the food that sustains our families every day of the year,” said Korman. “The creation of the CISA emergency farm fund is an important addition to the safety net provided by state and federal government programs. These small, no-interest, quick turnaround loans are able to help tide the farms over.”

The fund is now dormant and will reopen in the future when farms face a similar emergency situation, according to Korman.

“The commonwealth is fortunate to have non-profits like CISA linking farms and communities,” said state Agriculture Commissioner Gregory C. Watson. He said the farm fund “plays an important role for farmers impacted by this storm, and it will continue to do so for future unexpected events.”

The jury began its deliberations after hearing closing arguments Monday.

The Republican | Michael S. Gordon06.21.012 | NORTHAMPTON -- Steven Morse is taken from the Hampshire Superior Courtroom where he was convicted on two of the eight counts against him on charges related to an August 2010 boating death in Huntington. At right is his lawyer, Michael O. Jennings.

NORTHAMPTON -- A Hampshire Superior Court jury Thursday cleared Steven Morse of the most serious charges stemming from the 2010 boating fatality that took the life of 10-year-old Augustus Adamopoulos, convicting the Westfield man on a misdemeanor homicide by vessel charge and a charge of misleading a witness.

Morse, 37, of Westfield, was on trial for charges of manslaughter, boat homicide by reckless operation while under the influence of alcohol, boat homicide by reckless operation, child endangerment while under the influence and lying to police in connection with the death. The Ludlow boy was fishing with his father on Norwich Lake in Huntington on Aug. 17 when the power boat driven by Morse ran over their kayak.

The jury delivered its verdicts around 12 p.m. Thursday, acquitting Morse of a felony homicide by vessel charge and convicting him of a misdemeanor instead. The jury cleared him of the manslaughter, child endangerment, and reckless operation charges.

Morse will be sentenced Friday at 2 p.m., and Judge Daniel Ford revoked his bail until that time. The misdemeanor homicide by vessel charge carries a mandatory 30-day minimum sentence. The misdemeanor charge requires only a finding that the defendant was negligent, while the felony charge would have required the jury to find that Morse was impaired at the time of the accident.

Assistant district attorney Matthew Thomas, who prosecuted the case, praised the jury for its work. "I can tell from the events of the past few days that the jurors worked very hard," he said in a press conference that followed the announcement of the verdicts.

"My thoughts are with the family right now," Thomas added. "Losing a child is a nightmare from which a parent never awakens. I can only hope they find a measure of solace."

The Republican | Michael S. Gordon06.21.2012 | NORTHAMPTON -- Northwestern assistant district attorney Matthew Thomas speaks to the media after the jury delivered its verdict in the trial of Steven Morse for the boating death of Augustus Adamopoulos.

The jury Tuesday reached verdicts on all but one of the charges against Morse. Judge Ford sent the jury home at 4:35 p.m. Tuesday with instructions to resume deliberations when members return to court Wednesday at 9 a.m. The judge told jurors that Wednesday's session must end by 1 p.m. because he has a scheduling conflict.

The jury made it known to Ford at about 2 p.m. Tuesday that it was unable to reach a unanimous agreement on one of the counts against Morse.

Ford said that the jury's failure to reach agreement on the one count would not nullify its verdicts on the others. However, he instructed the jurors to keep trying to come to a unanimous agreement on the remaining charge. The jury did not say which charge is the source of its disagreement.

On Monday, the jury asked Ford for the legal definitions of “recklessness,” “negligence” and “under the influence.” Ford gave them a transcript of his jury instructions, which contains that information.

Despite acknowledging that he had three beers over the course of that day, Morse passed several field sobriety tests at the scene of the accident. Two breathalyzer tests also showed that the alcohol in his blood was below the legal limit. In his closing argument, defense lawyer Michael O. Jennings told the jury that the glare of the sun on the water at that time of day was the reason for the crash.

“This was an accident,” Jennings said during the trial. “It was ‘one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand’ - bang! That’s how quickly it happened.”

Videos made by police trying to recreate the circumstances of the crash two days later show the low evening sun creating a blinding glare on the water at certain angles. However, prosecutor Matthew Thomas told the jury that two other boaters on the lake that evening slowed down because of the glare, but Morse did not.

“Mr. Morse didn’t use his common sense when he used that boat,” Thomas said. “This man cared more about his good time giving a skier a good ride than the safety of others.” ¶

Speaking after the verdicts were delivered Thursday, Thomas said: "I just hope everyone takes an extra measure of caution when they're out on the water."

This is a developing story. Details will be added as they become available.

Backing off the harsh rhetoric of the Republican primaries, Mitt Romney pledged Thursday to address illegal immigration "in a civil but resolute manner."

The Associated PressRepublican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, speaks at the NALEO (National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials) conference in Orlando, Fla., Thursday, June 21, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

By STEVE PEOPLES, Associated Press

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Backing off the harsh rhetoric of the Republican primaries, Mitt Romney pledged Thursday to address illegal immigration "in a civil but resolute manner" and said he will overhaul the green card system for immigrants with families and end immigration caps for their spouses and minor children.

Romney also told a Hispanic audience that his administration would complete a 2,000-mile border fence to help stem illegal immigration. He faulted President Barack Obama's recent plan to ease deportation rules for some children of illegal immigrants as little more than a "stop-gap measure."

"As President, I won't settle for a stop-gap measure. I will work with Republicans and Democrats to find a long-term solution," Romney told the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. "I will prioritize measures that strengthen legal immigration and make it easier. And I will address the problem of illegal immigration in a civil but resolute manner. We may not always agree, but when I make a promise to you, I will keep it."

Obama will speak to the same group Friday. The speeches come as the Supreme Court prepares to render judgment on a get-tough Arizona law and after Obama announced his new deportation plan.

Romney has struggled in recent days to clarify his immigration policy as he pivots from the harsh rhetoric that defined the months-long GOP primary to a general election audience in which Latinos will play a critical role. The stakes are high not only for states with larger Hispanic populations such as Florida, Nevada and Colorado, but for a growing number of other battlegrounds — Ohio, North Carolina and Virginia, among them — where even a modest shift among Latino voters could be significant.

At least 1 in 6 Americans is of Hispanic descent, according to the Census Bureau.

Romney was vague in some areas — particularly the treatment of immigrant children brought to the country illegally by their parents — but offered new details in others.

His plan to reallocate green cards for immigrants with families and end caps for spouses and minor children would mark a change from the current system, which is something of a first come, first served system. And his pledge to "staple a green card to your diploma" for immigrants who earned advanced degrees in the United States represents a significant change.

It is unclear how many of Romney's promises on immigration reform could be accomplished without legislative action.

Obama has used presidential authority twice since 2011 to make changes to immigration enforcement, including last week's announcement that many young illegal immigrants brought to the United States as children would be exempted for deportation and granted work permits good for two years.

The president's re-election campaign blasted Romney for ignoring his previously stated opposition to the DREAM Act, a measure that would have allowed some children of illegal immigrants to stay in the country legally.

"In front of an audience of Republican primary voters, he called the DREAM Act a 'handout' and promised to veto it," said Obama spokesman Lis Smith.

It was clear that Romney was on unfriendly turf as he addressed several hundred Hispanic leaders gathered in a Disney ballroom, particularly when the Republican candidate went after the president's health care overhaul.

"If jobs are your priority, you've got to get rid of ObamaCare," Romney said, offering a line that typically prompts cheers at his rallies. But among the Hispanic crowd Thursday, only a handful applauded. At least one person booed.

Romney addressed Obama's new deportation policy, but left some questions unanswered.

"Some people have asked if I will let stand the president's executive action," Romney said. "The answer is that I will put in place my own long-term solution that will replace and supersede the president's temporary measure."

Obama is riding a wave of Latino enthusiasm over his decision to allow hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants to stay in the country and work. Under the administration plan, illegal immigrants can avoid deportation if they can prove they were brought to the United States before they turned 16 and are younger than 30, have been in the country for at least five continuous years, have no criminal history, and graduated from a U.S. high school or earned a GED or served in the military.

The new policy could help anywhere from 800,000 young immigrants, the administration's estimate, to 1.4 million, the Pew Hispanic Center's estimate.

Romney had previously refused to say whether he would reverse the policy if elected, but he has seized on the temporary status of Obama's plan as his prime criticism. The Republican has also highlighted what he calls the president's "broken promises" to deliver comprehensive immigration reform during his first term.

"Despite his promises, President Obama has failed to address immigration reform," Romney said. "For two years, this president had huge majorities in the House and Senate — he was free to pursue any policy he pleased. But he did nothing to advance a permanent fix for our broken immigration system. Nothing. Instead, he failed to act until facing a tough re-election and trying to secure your vote."

Both sides are crafting aggressive strategies to appeal to a demographic that is by no means monolithic but has supported Democrats in recent elections. Some Republicans fear — and Democrats hope — that Obama could capitalize on this moment to help solidify Hispanic voters as predominantly Democratic this fall and for years to come, much as President Lyndon Johnson hardened the black vote for Democrats as he pushed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

As is typical, Romney also focused on the economy. The former Massachusetts governor argued that his economic credentials would benefit all people who have struggled under Obama's leadership in recent years — women, younger voters and Hispanics among them.

In a 17-minute speech, Romney said that Obama is taking the Hispanic vote for granted.

"I've come here today with a very simple message: You do have an alternative. Your vote should be respected, and your voice is more important now than ever before," he said.

The justices declined to issue a broad ruling on the constitutionality of the FCC's indecency policy.

AP Photo/Alex Brandon)The U.S. Supreme Court is seen Wednesday, June 20, 2012 in Washington.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously threw out fines and other penalties against broadcast companies that violated the Federal Communications Commission policy regulating curse words and nudity on television airwaves.

But the justices declined to issue a broad ruling on the constitutionality of the FCC's indecency policy. Instead, the court concluded only that broadcasters could not have known in advance that obscenities uttered during awards show programs and a brief display of nudity on an episode of ABC's "NYPD Blue" could give rise to penalties. ABC and 45 affiliates were hit with proposed fines totaling nearly $1.24 million.

The justices said the FCC is free to revise its indecency policy, which is intended to keep the airwaves free of objectionable material during the hours when children are likely to be watching.

The agency's chairman, Julius Genachowski, said the ruling "appears to be narrowly limited to procedural issues related to actions taken a number of years ago. Consistent with vital First Amendment principles, the FCC will carry out Congress's directive to protect young TV viewers."

It was the second time the court has confronted, but not ruled conclusively on the FCC's policy on isolated expletives. Justice Anthony Kennedy said in his opinion for the court that "it is unnecessary for the court to address the constitutionality of the current policy."

The narrow decision, coupled with the more than five months that elapsed between the argument in January and Thursday's decision, could mean that the justices struggled and failed to reach agreement on a broader outcome.

Paul Smith, a First Amendment expert and partner with the Jenner and Block law firm in Washington, said the court should expect more challenges until it rules definitively.

"The Supreme Court decided to punt on the opportunity to issue a broad ruling on the constitutionality of the FCC indecency policy. The issue will be raised again as broadcasters will continue to try to grapple with the FCC's vague and inconsistent enforcement regime," said Smith, who wrote a brief supporting the broadcasters.

The case arose from a change in the FCC's long-standing policy on curse words.

For many years, the agency did not take action against broadcasters for one-time uses of curse words. But after several awards shows with cursing celebrities in 2002 and 2003, the FCC toughened its policy after it concluded that a one-free-expletive rule did not make sense in the context of keeping the airwaves free of indecency when children are likely to be watching television.

But Kennedy said the commission did not adequately explain that under the new policy "a fleeting expletive or a brief shot of nudity could be actionably indecent."

The stepped-up indecency enforcement, including issuing record fines for violations, also was spurred in part by widespread public outrage following Janet Jackson's breast-baring performance during the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show on CBS.

That incident and the FCC's proposed fine of $550,000 are not part of the current case. The government has an appeal pending of a lower court ruling that threw out the fine in that case.

But the 2004 Super Bowl also took place before the FCC later that year laid out its new policy and the possibility of fines for even one-time utterances of certain words.

Tim Winter, president of the Parents Television Council, said he read the ruling as a "green light" for the FCC to rule against broadcasters in the many pending complaints of indecent material that aired after the FCC explained its new policy. "Once again the Supreme Court has ruled against the networks in their yearslong campaign to obliterate broadcast decency standards," Winter said.

The material at issue in Thursday's decision includes the isolated use of expletives as well as fines against broadcasters who showed a woman's nude buttocks on a 2003 episode of the show "NYPD Blue."

In December 2002, singer Cher used the phrase "F--- 'em" during the Billboard Music Awards show on the Fox television network. A month later, U2 lead singer Bono uttered the phrase "f------ brilliant" during NBC's broadcast of the Golden Globes awards show. During the December 2003 Billboard awards show on Fox, reality show star Nicole Richie said, "Have you ever tried to get cow s--- out of a Prada purse? It's not so f------simple."

But the challenge went beyond just the penalties for the use of fleeting expletives.

The broadcasters wanted the court to free them from all regulation of content around the clock. The court's 1978 Pacifica decision upheld the FCC's reprimand of a New York radio station for airing a George Carlin monologue containing a 12-minute string of expletives in the middle of the afternoon.

The broadcasters argued that the revolution in technology that has brought the Internet, satellite television and cable makes even the old rules obsolete. The regulations only apply to broadcast channels.

Viewers have so many options, unlike the handful of channels they had available in the 1960s and 1970s, when the court last weighed in on indecency on the airwaves. In many cases, viewers don't even know when they are switching between the older broadcast channels and cable.

Still, the regulated broadcast channels provide what the government has called a safe haven of milder programming, and those channels remain dominant, even in the Internet age, the administration said.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said in a brief opinion that she would have overturned the Pacifica ruling, which she called wrong even when it was decided. Justice Sonia Sotomayor did not take part in the case because she was involved in an earlier version while sitting as an appeals court judge in New York.

The case is FCC v. Fox, 10-1293.