Five households and a business were left without water for the day.

Republican staff photo by Michael BeswickWater Department and Department of Public Works employees repair a broken water main on Old Chicopee Street Extension Sunday.

CHICOPEE – A break in a water main off Granby Road left five households and a business without water for most of Sunday.

This is the second large water main break in the city in less than two weeks. On June 27, a 12-inch water main broke in front on Chicopee City Hall, pouring 1.7 million gallons of water down the street and collapsing a brick storm drain.

Sunday’s break was discovered around 3:30 a.m. on Old Chicopee Street Extension. About 500,000 gallons poured out of the 12-inch cast iron main.

“The pipe was at least 80 to 100 years old. You have to think of age as a cause of the break,” said Alan M. Starzyk, the city water superintendent.

It took employees from the Water Department and the Department of Public Works more than 12 hours to remove the 13-foot piece of pipe that was severed and replace it. Most residents had water back on by 5:30 p.m., he said.

The biggest problem was the pipe was buried at least 10 feet deep and there were drainage pipes blocking the pipe. Most pipes are laid 6 to 7 feet under the road, Starzyk said.

It cost an estimated $2,000, mostly in overtime salaries, to repair the break. The city already had pipes and other equipment needed in stock, he said.

The break caused minor flooding on Chicopee Street near the entrance of Interstate 391 north, but drains took most of the water. The Water Department cleaned up mud and debris left behind.

The city has been plagued by a series of water pipe breaks in recent years, and officials are now developing a plan to begin replacing its aging infrastructure. An April 2011 break in a pipe under South Street caused about $100,000 in damage. In February 2009, a major break on Granby Road left a large part of the city without water.

Jon Lester was inefficient and insufficient, and fell to 5-6.

Associated PressRed Sox outfielder Ryan Sweeney crashes into the centerfield fence in a futile bid to catch Alex Rodriguez' fifth-inning triple at Fenway Park. Sweeney stayed in the game against the Yankees.

BOSTON - The last game before the All-Star break ended the way the entire season began, with a Red Sox defeat.

The way this season has gone, the Sox were probably just relieved to escape with a 7-3 loss to the New York Yankees, but no disabling injuries.

Oh, they did lose Adrian Gonzalez to illness in third inning. And let's not forget Ryan Sweeney, who came off the disabled list Saturday, then ran face-first into the bullpen wall on Alex Rodriguez' triple.

Just another night at Fenway Park for the Red Sox, who dropped three of four to the Yankees and stumble into the break with a 43-43 record.

Trailing the Yankees by 9 1/2 games, they are tied with Toronto for fourth in a five-team division, which means they are tied for last.

Maybe they think Pedro Ciriaco can win games by himself. The weekend sensation did his best Sunday night.

Fresh from his four-hit, four-RBI night on Saturday, Ciriaco went 3-for-4 with two runs, a walk and a stolen base.

The Red Sox could do little else against Ivan Nova (10-3), who allowed two runs (one earned), six hits and struck out 10 in six innings.

Red Sox batters drew eight walks in the game but struck out 15 times.

The Yankees proved a team does not have to play airtight baseball to beat the Red Sox. Derek Jeter in particular looked his age of 38 in the field, dropping a popup and fighting ground balls.

Jeter appeared to be playing in discomfort, but he can still hit. Jeter had eight hits in the four-game series, with three Sunday night, and has 3,199 in his career.

Boston's discomfort started with the sight of Jon Lester again failing to live up to his role as the supposed ace of this staff.

In reality, the Red Sox have no ace. It is certainly not Lester (5-6, 4.49 ERA), who heard some boos as he trudged off with one out in the fifth.

Lester had pitched well at Oakland in his previous start. This time, he left with a 5-2 deficit after allowing nine hits.

It took Lester 101 pitches to get 13 outs. The trade talks involving Lester have so far been pure speculation, based more on whimsy than truth, but that might be changing.

The Red Sox probably can't trade Josh Beckett, but Lester is another story. They might be getting tired of relying on big names who are not producing.

It is not as if Lester has always been shoddy. He has managed to maintain order in many games..

That is not the same as controlling the game, as top-of-the-rotation pitchers are expected to do. In Lester's last 10 starts, dating back to May 19, he has allowed 75 hits and 35 earned runs in 61 1/3 innings.

Lester's defense cost him a run in the first inning Sunday. Mauro Gomez made a poor throw from third base, a fielder's choice that gave the Yankees a 2-0 lead.

Gomez' glaring flaws as a third baseman were resolved in the third, when he was moved to his natural position of first base. But it came at a cost because Gonzalez left with illness.

Gonzalez' hitting streak ended at a career high 18 games. With Will Middlebrooks still unavailable with a hamstring injury, the Red Sox wound up putting .198-hitting Nick Punto in the cleanup spot as the new third baseman.

Punto had two hits in the game. His place in the middle of the order still summed up Boston's predicament.

Sweeney slammed into the fence in the fifth. He showed real grit by staying in the game, and more of it by ending the inning with a diving catch off Chris Stewart's short fly.

It was not nearly enough. Andruw Jones' two-run homer off Scott Atchison made it 7-2 in the seventh.

It was the fourth home run in three games and 431st of the career for Jones. His Hall of Fame case is building.

Only four players in baseball history have 400 home runs and 10 Gold Gloves - Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Schmidt and Jones. That's pretty good company, and Jones is only 35.

Jones' home run took on added meeting when Mike Aviles' RBI double made it 7-3 in the eighth.

In the top of the inning, the ubiquitous Ciriaco robbed Rodriguez of a line drive hit over second base. He had a storybook weekend, but his team did not.

The Red Sox hit the break on a 3-8 skid. They are 1-5 against the Yankees this year, and the entire nine-game Yankee Stadium portion of the schedule remains.

Manager Bobby Valentine thinks that works to Boston's favor as they try to stay in the race.

"We could have something to do with it,'' he said.

Maybe, but not if they played as they have for the last two weeks, or over the weekend, or Sunday night.

Putnam, like many vocational high schools, faces challenges based on how it has been perceived over the years.

The Republican | Michael S. Gordon Gilbert E. Traverso is the principal of Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical Academy in Springfield.

By JULIE KRISTENSEN

This fall the doors to Springfield’s new Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical Academy will open, and the man at the helm of the new $114 million building that the regional manufacturing community is eyeing as a source for workers will take the next step in rebuilding the school.

“You can’t build a house without a foundation,” Gilbert E. Traverso says, in describing his term thus far as principal of Putnam Vocational. “You also can’t be a change agent and make everyone happy.”

In 2010, Traverso, of Hamden, Conn., was appointed principal at Putnam, succeeding Kevin McCaskill. Traverso had served as assistant principal of the Connecticut Department of Education-Connecticut Technical High School system for 14 years.

“My priority upon arriving at Putnam was the kids and their parents who wanted their children to come to a safe school with strict policies, education, discipline and opportunities,” Traverso said in a recent interview. “There was little to no accountability, and the environment made it difficult for the kids to learn. We are proud to state that Putnam now has the lowest number of fights across Springfield’s high schools.”

“Under the prior administration, chaos reigned,” says York Mayo, president and chief executive officer of the Putnam Technical Fund who is a retired executive from American Saw & Manufacturing in East Longmeadow. “When the students were in the hallways, you couldn’t hear yourself think. Forty-four false fire alarms in the year before Gil arrived. The place was dirty and unkempt. Bathrooms were horrible.”

“Gil has corrected all that and restored order,” Mayo said. “It has been extremely difficult for him because, in addition to everything he had to contend with, for the past two years the state attorney general and Hampden district attorney have been conducting an ongoing investigation and audit into the prior administration.”

At least eight administrators and teachers have been fired, left of their own accord, were escorted from the building or retired because of the audit, according to Mayo. “It’s been tough for Gil to fight his way through this,” he said.

Being an agent of change isn’t new for Traverso; in fact, he says it’s a role he’s taken on at various points throughout his career.

Now, at the close of his second year at Putnam, Traverso cites many positive changes he’s helped usher in and says he’s done all of it with support from the Springfield Public Schools’ central office.

“A main goal for Putnam and Gil has been in expanding the mindset through the district on the role of a vocational school,” said Judy K. Vazquez, one of the system’s chief schools officers. “We are also focusing on creating common intentions, equal opportunity and goals throughout the Springfield high schools.

“We have implemented a Daily Grade Sheet with a common rubric across the programs that measures competency, employability skills and common soft skills required by employers. A college and career readiness program is now also in place.”

“A drop-out early warning system was set up and shows the parents a matrix of remediation measures. The students are assigned a drop-out coach and counselor and those counselors are offered free training from April through summer at Putnam,” Traverso said.

“A key hurdle is bridging the misconception of the caliber of our kids by the industry that will eventually employ them,” he said. “This begins with the administration and, in particular, the trade advisory committees.”

While Traverso admits that “change doesn’t happen as quickly in an educational environment versus business,” he says great strides are being made thanks to advisory committees for each of Putnam’s 18 vocational programs. Major industry leaders from across the region are involved with each committee, and departmental chairs help promote the school and students within each industry, Traverso said.

“The goal of the trade advisory committees should be on identifying new trends, skills and technology required by the industry,” said Traverso. “Putnam has a long way to go in this area to bridge the current gap.”

Putnam, like many vocational high schools, faces challenges based on how it has been
perceived over the years, Traverso believes.

“Due to misperceptions, students who are not academically strong are placed in vocational schools, which, in fact, actually require stronger skills. This could be very damaging to a student’s self-esteem if the student was improperly placed in this setting,” he said.

The Republican | Mark M. MurrayConstruction continues in late spring on the new Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical Academy at 1300 State St. in Springfield.

Some guidance counselors, for instance, have only limited exposure to vocational schools, he said; it was among the reasons he launched the “Lesson and Luncheon” program in March, at which eighth-grade counselors were paired off with students from the manufacturing, culinary arts and allied health programs to learn what Putnam can offer.

“Another challenge for the students at Putnam is the requirement to meet the same standards for (the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System tests),” Traverso said. Putnam students only have 90 days of preparation, compared with the 180 days in a non vocational setting, because their time is split between the trade shops and academics each week, he said.

“The MCAS is one-size-fits-all when it should be percentage-based for the vocational schools,” Traverso said. “For example, an alternative testing program more in line with vocational and technical school proficiencies is the NOCTI assessment.”

NOCTI is a Michigan-based non-profit educational organization, the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute. The NOCTI program is currently used in nine states, including Connecticut. According to the NOCTI website (www.nocti.org), the program utilizes job readiness to measure the skills of those who complete a secondary or post-secondary technical program.

Putnam Vocational has been under fire recently from the manufacturing sector for its alleged inability to attract, retain and educate enough students to fill the growing skilled work force gap in precision manufacturing in the region.

“I feel the school currently has the correct mix of trades for the community,” Traverso said, “but I do understand the concerns in the manufacturing sector. The conflict for me is that my job is to sustain credibility as a leader by ensuring equity across programs.

“We currently have an average of 11-to-1 student-teacher ratio in the Manufacturing Department at Putnam, with Chapter 74 requiring 14-to-1 and Springfield averaging 17-to-1,” Traverso said. “If we add another teacher to manufacturing, the ratio would be 8-to-1. How would I explain that to shops that currently have almost 20-to-1 (student-teacher ratios)? We went to the student waiting list, and there were no kids signed up for manufacturing to even fill an additional teaching position.”

In the five years since the machine shop opened, it has never had more than four teachers, according to Traverso. “I personally advocated for the fourth teacher last year based on projected demands, but the teacher only worked until February of 2012,” he said. “The school even paid for professional training for all three manufacturing teachers to bring them up to date with current technology.”

Traverso knows he’s also going to face a space crunch when the new Putnam opens its doors in the fall. The school, he noted, was designed for 1,300 students, while current enrollment hovers around 1,600. “The balance between programs becomes even more complicated,” Traverso said.

“Looking forward, Gil and our political and business leaders in Springfield have a huge opportunity to come together and help prepare our Putnam students for the many opportunities in the Western Massachusetts job market,” Mayo said. “The time is right for our political and education leaders to join forces with the business community in a real partnership.”

Traverso wants to welcome industry leaders to the school and aims to do away with any lingering negative perceptions of Putnam.

He also wants to consider establishing an adult education program in the machine shop at night to optimize the resources and facilities to help meet the short-term needs of the industry until more students opt into the program. He’s discussing the idea with the Regional Employment Board, he said.

Utilizing Putnam as a venue for adult training programs and courses that increase the
technical competencies of the region’s incumbent work force to provide training to the unemployed and underemployed is critical to job retention and creation, according to David Cruise, director of business and employer services with the employment board.

“I want to work with the Putnam Technical Fund and the manufacturing industry to help bridge this gap, but we need help recruiting students into the program,” said Traverso. “In the end, my job is to create sustainable change and programs that maintain equitable community representation and will carry on whether I am here or not.”

Julie Kristensen is a free-lance writer and business consultant; she can be reached via www.consultingwithjewels.com

The company set a goal of selling 5,000 bottles within the first year. To date, they have sold more than 20,000.

Photo by David Huck Onyx co-founders Peter Kowalczyk, left, and Adam von Gootkin show off their product at the distillery in Manchester, Conn.

By DAVID HUCK
Special to The Republican

MANCHESTER, Conn. – Moonshine producer Onyx Spirits Co., which was founded in October by two friends in a small, 19th-century factory building on Hilliard Street here, is expanding its distribution beyond Connecticut.

The moonshine will soon be shipped to Massachusetts through one of New England’s largest liquor distributors. By the end of the summer, the product also will be available in New York and Rhode Island, said Onyx co-founder Adam von Gootkin, who started the company with business partner Peter Kowalczyk.

The company set a goal of selling 5,000 bottles within the first year. To date, they have sold more than 20,000. For most new businesses, breaking even can take two to three years. Onyx,
started on a shoestring budget, moved out of the red after only five months.

The 80-proof, unaged whiskey is made with corn, malted barley and Connecticut spring water.

“We can barely make this stuff fast enough,” von Gootkin said during a recent interview among pallets of product waiting to be shipped. “It’s selling out the door because people are telling people.”

Pegging the start-up costs between $250,000 to $400,000, von Gootkin says the higher than expected sales have made the growing business profitable. They now have 900 accounts in Connecticut, which include restaurants and liquor stores. Each 750-milliliter bottle retails for $23.99.

That money, however, is being reinvested into the company, allowing them to purchase two new copper stills and to expand to meet production demands. Von Gootkin says they are expecting to hire several more full-time employees over the next several months. The company has four full-time employees and several part-time workers.

They also have hired a marketing firm out of Avon to help with a poster campaign and to design their product displays for stores. Social media postings on sites like Facebook, along with “meet the producer” tastings at restaurants throughout the state, have also helped to spread the word.

The 1,500 square feet at the former Hilliard mills complex isn’t enough to meet the demand. Von Gootkin says they are looking at several locations in central Connecticut as they need at least 10,000 square feet.

He said they hope to one day offer tours of the facility and have a tasting bar.

“The bottom line is that we need way more room,” von Gootkin said.

The product will be available soon throughout the Bay State initially at 365 locations, including in Boston and Cape Cod. To celebrate the expansion, the company is partnering with Six Flags New England in Agawam and will offer Onyx moonshine cocktails at the amusement park this month and in August.

The product will be available soon throughout the Bay State .¤.¤. To celebrate the expansion, the company is partnering with Six Flags New England in Agawam and will offer Onyx moonshine cocktails at the amusement park this month and in August.

“This is the first time in many decades that a Connecticut-made liquor is being exported across state lines,” von Gootkin said. “We’ve been receiving tons of emails and calls from all over the country from people wanting Onyx, but we’re grassroots and can only take it one state at a time.”

The market in Massachusetts is about four times larger than that in Connecticut, he said.

“We’re confident,” von Gootkin said. “With Boston being there, we feel like it’s a great new market to launch into, and it feels like it fits.”

In May, Onyx was named by Yankee Magazine as the best micro-distillery in New England. The moonshine has also made it into the hands of celebrities and musicians, as it was distributed to attendees at this year’s Grammy Music Awards and Country Music Awards.

Earlier this spring, the two men sold their audio recording studio on Cooper Street to focus on the spirits business. They have also received a $100,000 matching grant from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development.

For the first several months of operation, von Gootkin and Kowalczyk drove around the state distributing their products out of their cars. As the orders piled up and word of mouth spread, the long hours behind the wheel became just too much. They are glad to finally be working with several distributors.

“We’ve been fortunate,” von Gootkin said. “The big thing is that consumers might be hesitant to try it because it’s moonshine, but once they test it, there’s no going back.”

As for future plans, von Gootkin says they hope to be able to purchase grains locally and begin aging their spirits in oak barrels to produce a full-bodied whiskey. Kowalczyk has family that has been farming in Wethersfield for several generations and the company is looking at sourcing grains from there.

The focus is to continue making quality product to keep their momentum going.

“The key thing for us is to keep the product affordable,” von Gootkin said. “It’s tough because it costs a lot to do business in New England.”

Penelope Scotland Disick is the reality TV star's second child.

AP photoKourtney Kardashian

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kourtney Kardashian has given birth to a girl and she's naming her Penelope.

The reality TV star told E! News that her second child with boyfriend Scott Disick was born early Sunday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces. Her full name is Penelope Scotland Disick.

Kardashian said mother and child were "resting comfortably."

She and Disick have a 2-year-old son named Mason. Both of her pregnancies were highly publicized.

Her sister, Kim, wrote on her website that the family was thrilled to finally meet the newborn. The family appears on "Keeping Up With the Kardashians."

Obama calls for extension of tax breaks for those making less than $250,000, Oscar-winning actor Ernest Borgnine dies at 95, and more AP news.

Associated PressPresident Barack Obama gestures during his joint news conference with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2011, in the East Room at the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

A daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today, Monday, July 9:

1. GETTING ONLINE MAY BE A PROBLEM FOR SOME

That's because malware that took over computers around the world more than a year ago may affect thousands trying to get online this morning.

2. WHAT OBAMA PLANS FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS

With the economy still in the doldrums, the president will call for a one-year extension of tax cuts for people making less than $250,000 a year.

3. WHY ARAFAT'S REMAINS ARE BEING EXHUMED

A Swiss institute found elevated traces of a radioactive agent reportedly on the late Palestinian leader's belongings, reviving speculation he was poisoned.

4. IRS HAS WORK CUT OUT FOR IT IN 2014

That's when it will have to enforce collecting taxes for the 2010 Affordable Care Act on top of collecting all the taxes for running the federal government.

5. FILM GREAT ERNEST BORGNINE DIES AT 95

His portrayal of a lovesick butcher in the 1955 movie "Marty" won him his only Oscar but opened up new roles for him in a career that spanned nearly seven decades.

6. WHY SOME MILITARY FAMILIES ARE GETTING CLOSURE

At 9 a.m. in Arlington, Va., the U.S. military will bury the remains of six airmen lost in an Air Force plane crash over Laos 47 years ago.

7. WHAT OCEANS' RISING ACID LEVELS MEANS TO YOU

The head of a U.S. scientific agency says the effect on coral reefs threatens everything from food security to tourism to livelihoods.

8. WHY AN OPENLY GAY CANDIDATE HAS A TOUGH ROAD TO SENATE

Tammy Baldwin, a Democratic congresswoman, faces an uphill climb to election in more conservative parts of Wisconsin.

9. IT'S NOT A BATTERY, BUT IT KEEPS GOING AND GOING

Don't tell Irvin Gordon to trade in his 1966 Volvo P1800S. The man from New York's Long Island needs only 34,000 more miles to crack 3 million on his odometer.

10. FEDERER ROLLS A "7'' AT WIMBLEDON

Roger Federer captures his seventh title at the All England Club and 17th major overall after defeating Scotsman Andy Murray in four sets.

David Montes, 33, of Palmer Avenue, is accused of animal cruelty and other charges in connection with a South End fight that led to a dog being stabbed.

SPRINGFIELD — A Springfield man caught on camera stabbing a pit bull during a fight in the city's South End last month is due back in court today.

David Montes, 33, is expected to appear in Springfield District Court for a follow-up hearing in his assault case on Monday. He was charged with assault and battery and animal cruelty in connection with a June 7 incident.

Police said Montes stabbed a pit bull after a fight with another man on Palmer Avenue in the South End. The man was uninjured, but the dog had to be euthanized due to its injuries, according to authorities.

A bystander used a cellphone to record the fight, which was shown in a 22News report. However, the portion in which the dog was stabbed was not included in TV station's broadcast.

Jeanelis Gonzalez, the dog's owner, said her pet was like a son to her.

Springfield man stabs dog twice: wwlp.com

They lost Dwyane Wade but gained Kevin Durant. Dwight Howard's size has given way to Russell Westbrook's speed.

The Associated PressTeam member James Harden, third from right, is seen during the USA Olympic Men's basketball team news conference announcing the final roster for London in Las Vegas on Saturday, July 7, 2012. From left is Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Deron Williams, Harden, Andre Iguodala and Kobe Bryant. (AP Photo/Las Vegas Review-Journal, Jason Bean)

By BRIAN MAHONEY, AP Basketball Writer

LAS VEGAS (AP) — They lost Dwyane Wade but gained Kevin Durant. Dwight Howard's size has given way to Russell Westbrook's speed.

The Americans know their men's Olympic basketball team will look much different than the one that captured gold four years ago in Beijing. Three of the most important players from that team were unable to return, but the carryovers keep talking about being better now than they were then.

"I think it has the potential to be that if we learn to use our versatility. It's a more versatile team than 2008. Now does that translate into being better?" coach Mike Krzyzewski said Sunday. "Although we don't have the center, that team didn't have Durant or Westbrook. So it's a different team and we'll see if it becomes better, but it can be. It could be."

In some ways, that's difficult to envision. Wade was the team's leading scorer, averaging 16 points in just over 18 minutes per game off the bench. Howard started at center and averaged 10.9 points while shooting 74.5 percent from the field. Chris Bosh, also out this summer, backed him up and shot even better, knocking down 24 of 31 shots (77.4 percent) and leading the team with 6.1 rebounds per game.

How can any team make up for all that?

"Well, we have some guys that can pick that up," LeBron James said. "I mean, D-Wade was our leading scorer, but we didn't have Kevin Durant on our team. We didn't have the activity of Tyson Chandler on our team as well and the athleticism at the point guard position."

Westbrook is an offensive upgrade over Jason Kidd, the point guard not back from '08, and is seen by teammates as the player who could most easily fill Wade's role as the game-changer off the bench. As James sees it, Andre Iguodala is more athletic than Tayshaun Prince, and James Harden can do more things offensively than Michael Redd.

Prince and Redd, along with Carlos Boozer, were reserves on the 2008 team but were not retained. Kidd retired from international competition after winning two gold medals.

"If you match us up, we have so many great pieces that guys can just play to their strengths, and I think we can be better," James said.

Having Durant is a start. The NBA's three-time scoring champion had the best tournament ever by an American player at the world basketball championship two years ago, scoring 22.8 points per game. But the biggest difference could be James, who was already a great player in 2008 but has grown into the best in the world by now.

Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Deron Williams, the other young players from that team, have made similar leaps toward superstardom, and Kobe Bryant has held steady where he was.

"First of all, you have to look at the guys who are with us from the '08 team. They were 21, 22 years old back in Beijing. They're now in the prime of their careers, so they're a lot bigger, stronger, better basketball players today," USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said.

"Those players by themselves are much better and I look at the players we've added. We have much more depth, much more talent than we had in '08 when I look at this roster versus that roster, and I'm not looking to make comparisons, but when asked the question, I'll put this team up against anyone."

Center remains the biggest question mark. Chandler was the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year and has become more of a weapon offensively in recent years, but he's still not quite Howard. Kevin Love and Blake Griffin will have to show they can handle the move to center as well as Bosh did.

The Americans averaged 106.2 points in 2008 and smashed their opponents by nearly 30 per game. Nobody was close to them until the gold-medal game, when Spain was within four points with 2½ minutes left before the U.S. pulled away to a 118-107 victory.

Playing at that level again won't be easy. So no matter what the expectations are now, none of them matter until the games start in three weeks.

"We didn't do nothing yet," Anthony said. "So until we go out there and we win the gold medal, then people are going to talk, going to speculate, but we'll see after we win the gold medal if we determine if we're a better team than '08."

Leaks are springing. Trial balloons are floating. Egos are being stroked. Wannabes are auditioning. And, chances are, lies are being told.

The Associated PressIn this Jan. 8, 2012 file photo, Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, campaigns with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, center, and Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., right, in Exeter, N.H. Leaks are springing. Trial balloons are floating. Egos are being stroked. Wanna-bes are auditioning. And, chances are, lies are being told. Somewhere, amid all of the shenanigans, Republican Mitt Romney is considering his choices for a running mate, one of the most significant decisions of his presidential campaign. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

More politics news

Romney raises $106.1M in June: Of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s June haul, 94 percent of the donations were under $250, and those smaller donations comprised $22.3 million of his total, according to the Romney campaign.

• Gov. Deval Patrick signs $32.5 billion state budget, vetoes $32.1 million in spending
• Coalition of groups ask Sen. Scott Brown to embrace national health care law
• Mass. State Rep. Carlos Henriquez charged with domestic assault, kidnapping

By NANCY BENAC, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Leaks are springing. Trial balloons are floating. Egos are being stroked. Wannabes are auditioning. And, chances are, lies are being told.

Somewhere, amid all of the shenanigans, Republican Mitt Romney is considering his choices for a running mate, one of the most significant decisions of his presidential campaign.

The secrecy that shrouds the selection of a modern presidential running mate has given rise to political sideshows that play out in public while the more serious search operation takes place at a largely subterranean level.

Names of new Romney short-listers emerge; others fall by the wayside.

Any kind of proximity to Romney — or his opponent — generates questions about GOP veep ambitions.

Why did Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire walk in a July Fourth parade with Romney? Why did Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and former Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota turn up in Ohio and Pennsylvania during President Barack Obama's Midwest bus trip? Why did Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio write a Cleveland newspaper column criticizing the president's policies just as Obama headed for the state?

Comments by Romney and his team are parsed for deeper meaning.

What to make of Ann Romney's remark this past week that women are under consideration? What about Romney's earlier comment that outspoken New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie "really is something"? Why did Romney pull back the veil last month to announce that Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida was being "thoroughly vetted" for vice president after reports to the contrary emerged?

Consultant Bob Shrum, who's worked on numerous Democratic presidential campaigns, says a closely held search operation is a good thing because it protects the people who open up their lives to the campaign to be thoroughly checked out as potential running mates.

But the lack of public information creates an opening for all sorts of political gamesmanship, including self-promotion by short-listers who aren't on the short list at all and denials by actual short-listers who feign nonchalance.

That makes it hard for voters to know what's real and what's simply for show. Which is just fine with Romney.

Take all the recent attention on Portman, busy raising his own profile. He invited reporters to an off-the-record dinner during the primaries, chatted them up on the press bus during a Romney tour of Ohio, and held a round-table with national media Saturday in New Hampshire, where he headlined a fundraiser for the state GOP. He said he was in the state "mostly on a college tour" with his daughter, but also expected to speak at some events in Boston on Monday to benefit Romney's campaign.

The Associated PressIn this April 23, 2012 file photo, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. listens at left as Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks in Aston, Pa. Leaks are springing. Trial balloons are floating. Egos are being stroked. Wanna-bes are auditioning. And, chances are, lies are being told. Somewhere, amid all of the shenanigans, Republican Mitt Romney is considering his choices for a running mate, one of the most significant decisions of his presidential campaign. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

Who's really floating his name as a veep contender?

"Is that a Romney float or is that a Portman float or is that a friends-of-Portman float?" asks Paul Light, a professor of government at New York University. "You just don't know."

There's an easy remedy available to wanna-be contenders who've been left off the short list, says Light. All it takes is a well-placed whisper from a friend of a friend to land on the veep list.

"Instead of saying, 'I could've been a contender,' you can say, 'I am a contender' even if you're not," says Shrum.

No one's owning up, but Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., managed to get mentioned as a veep contender in 2008 although the notion that he was under consideration was laughable to GOP nominee John McCain's campaign.

Shrum, who worked on Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry's 2004 campaign, when John Edwards was the running mate, says then-New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson "very much wanted to be seen as being vetted in 2004, until he pulled his own name out of contention." Shrum's theory is that Richardson never wanted to be chosen, but wanted to make a name for himself in preparation for his own 2008 run for president.

Joel Goldstein, an expert on the vice presidency at Saint Louis University School of Law, said presidential candidates may try to flatter a politician or appease a voting bloc by letting it be known that a certain person is under consideration when that person doesn't have a chance. Some call that an "ego vet."

What really matters, says Goldstein, is who's been asked by the campaign to submit documents and answer questionnaires as part of a thorough vetting process.

Steve Schmidt, a senior strategist to McCain's 2008 presidential run, said campaigns are "very careful to have a very inclusive list of people" as potential running mates to avoid giving offense.

Last month, when word surfaced that Rubio wasn't being vetted, it could have created considerable grief for Romney in Florida and with Hispanics. Romney quickly came out and said that Rubio was being "thoroughly vetted."

More often, though, Romney clams up when asked about his search efforts.

That's a far cry from the vice presidential selection process of earlier decades, when candidates were paraded before cameras and, ultimately, very publicly ruled out, causing considerable embarrassment. Walter Mondale, the Democratic nominee in 1984, would fly potential running mates to Minnesota for interviews and hold joint news conferences.

More recently, candidates have gone to great lengths to keep their deliberations secret until they're ready to announce a choice.

When George W. Bush settled on Dick Cheney in 2000 more than a week before his running mate was to be announced, aides worried the secret might not hold. Campaign architect Karl Rove's solution: lie.

Rove told a campaign aide who was known to leak information to reporters, "Don't tell anybody — but it's going to be Danforth."

That evening, three networks reported that former Sen. John Danforth of Missouri had emerged as a top candidate for the GOP ticket.

"We'd gotten what we needed: a little breathing room for Cheney's announcement," Rove wrote in his memoir.

Too much secrecy, though, can prove problematic, particularly when a vice presidential choice is not well known.

George H.W. Bush's surprise announcement at the GOP convention in 1988 that he had selected Sen. Dan Quayle of Indiana quickly overshadowed Bush himself when questions surfaced about Quayle's service in the National Guard during Vietnam.

"Within hours, it was attracting all the ink and TV time we had counted on for George's official rollout as nominee," James Baker, Bush's campaign chairman, wrote in his memoir.

Light said leaking names of serious contenders gives campaigns an opportunity to see what unsavory issues might be dredged up by interest groups and the press, and to find out whether the questions will peter out or mushroom. He likens it to entering a horse in lower-profile races before the Kentucky Derby.

"You want to see how your horse does under real conditions against strong competitors," Light said.

Romney promises to reveal his decision on a running mate before the GOP convention in late August but won't share much more.

When his wife was asked by CBS last week if she had a favorite candidate, she said, "I like to think that I have a few that I really like a lot."

Romney himself would add just three words: "What she said."
___

Associated Press writer Kasie Hunt contributed to this report.

Americans this week will get a reprieve from the stifling heat that has blanketed much of the country as temperatures begin approaching normal from the Midwest to the East Coast.

The Associated PressAuset Donadalle, 4, sprays herself with mist to keep cool during a Durham Parks and Recreation-sponsored Rock the Park concert, Saturday, July 7, 2012, at Old Farm Road Park in Durham, N.C. (AP Photo/The Herald-Sun, Christine T. Nguyen)

The Associated PressKevin Sanabria, 10, plays in a small waterfall in Trenton, N.J., Saturday, July, 7, 2012. People were coping as temperatures in the region climbed into the high 90s. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

By BRETT ZONGKER and KAREN MATTHEWS, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Americans this week will get a reprieve from the stifling heat that has blanketed much of the country as temperatures begin approaching normal from the Midwest to the East Coast.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Andrew Orrison said Sunday that a cold front will move through the South and the mid-Atlantic bringing thunderstorms and showers.

He said temperatures there will drop to a more normal range: mid- to upper-80s. Residents of the Southeast and Tennessee Valley will experience temperatures in the low 90s — "still fairly warm," Orrison said, but not as hot as it had been.

The Midwest can expect cooler weather, as well, with temperatures in the 80s.

The cooler air began sweeping southward Sunday in the eastern half of the country, bringing down some temperatures by 15 or more degrees from Saturday's highs, which topped 100 in cities including Philadelphia, Washington, St. Louis, Indianapolis and Louisville, Ky.

It was 80-plus degrees in New York City on Sunday night. Some visitors to the city said they'd spent much of the weekend shopping in air-conditioned stores rather than exploring Central Park as they had planned.

"But that's OK, shopping is always good in New York," said Linda Boteach of Baltimore, waiting to board a bus that was spewing exhaust into the already hot night.

"It was worse in Baltimore," Boteach said. "It's all relative."

The heat of the past several days has been blamed for at least 46 deaths across the country.

In Chicago, the Cook County medical examiner's office determined Sunday that eight more people died from heat-related causes, adding to the 10 deaths previously confirmed Saturday. The deaths included a 100-year-old woman, 65-year-old woman, a 53-year-old man, a 46-year-old woman and an unidentified man believed to be about 30 years old.

In Tennessee, the third heat-related death of the year was a 62-year-old woman found dead in her home. She had a working air conditioner, but it was not turned on.

Deaths have also been reported by authorities in Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

To stay cool, Americans tried familiar solutions — dipping into the pool, going to the movies and riding subways just to be in air conditioning.

Gregory Englebach relaxed on a bench Sunday evening near the Starbucks coffee shop in Philadelphia where he'd worked all day, enjoying temperatures that had dipped into the 80s.

It's the humidity that gets me," said the 24-year-old Englebach. He said he thinks his utility bill has already gone up by $30 or $40 because of his increased use of electricity at home. But he's resigned to it: "It's air conditioning or I can't sleep at night," he said.
___

Zongker reported from Washington and Matthews reported from New York. Associated Press writers Verena Dobnik in New York, Ed Donahue in Alexandria, Va., Steve Szkotak in Richmond, Va., Mike Householder in Detroit, Carla K. Johnson in Chicago, Ron Todt in Philadelphia and Tom Coyne in South Bend, Ind., contributed to this report.

The blaze burned a quarter-acre section of woods near the base of Poet's Seat, the city's 1912 sandstone observation tower that , located in Greenfield, Massachusetts. It was so named to honor a long tradition of poets being drawn to the spot, in particular, th

Republican file photo/Greg Saulmon

GREENFIELD — A Sunday evening fireworks display near Poet's Seat Tower sparked a brush fire that burned a quarter-acre section of woods near the base of the well-known Greenfield landmark, a city fire official said.

Smoldering fireworks burned a wooded area near Beacon Field and Poet's Seat Tower around 10:30 p.m., Greenfield Fire Department Capt. Kyle Phelps said Monday.

The fire was quickly contained and extinguished, Phelps said. There were no reported injuries.

The fireworks display originally was expected to take place Saturday night, but was postponed until Sunday due to the threat of stormy weather.

Poet's Seat is the city's 1912 sandstone observation tower, which was named for a long tradition of poets being drawn to the promontory.

The Obama campaign has not yet announced its most recent fundraising totals.

These file photos from the Associated Press show President Obama and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has $160 million cash on hand to spend during the next four months, his campaign announced Monday.

While it had been previously reported that Romney and the Republican National Committee raised more than $100 million in June, Romney’s campaign confirmed Monday that the final total was $106.1 million.

Of Romney’s June haul, 94 percent of the donations were under $250, and those smaller donations comprised $22.3 million of his total, according to the Romney campaign.

“Voters of all stripes – Republicans, Independents, and Democrats – have made it clear that President Obama has not lived up to the promises of his last campaign,” said Romney Victory National Finance Chairman Spencer Zwick in a statement, echoing the Romney campaign’s recent campaign theme. “In the months to come, these resources will be crucial to highlighting the difference between President Obama’s broken promises and Mitt Romney’s plan to get America on the right track again.”

The Obama campaign has not yet announced its June fundraising totals, which are due in to the Federal Election Commission July 20.

Romney’s fundraising is an enormous figure for any presidential candidate – particularly one challenging an incumbent president. It will also be enhanced by spending from super political action committees, which cannot coordinate with the candidate but which can spend and raise unlimited amounts of money in support of a candidate. So far, Republican super PACs have outraised Democratic super PACs.

In the 2008 election, Obama raised record amounts of money himself, pulling in $150 million in a single month in September 2008. As of the end of May, Obama’s campaign (not including the Democratic National Committee or other related fundraising committees) had $109 million in the bank.

The family of an electrician who died in a 2010 propane explosion has settled a lawsuit against a propane distributor and a plumbing company for $7.5 million.

BOSTON (AP) — The family of an electrician who died in a 2010 propane explosion has settled a lawsuit against a propane distributor and a plumbing company for $7.5 million.

A lawyer for the family of William Nichols says the family and two other people who suffered permanent injuries in the blast in Norfolk settled last week for a total of $22.5 million.

The lawsuit alleged that EnergyUSA under-filled a new propane tank causing the chemical odorant which had been added to fade. This made the leaking propane odorless and undetectable.

Smolinsky Plumbing and Heating allegedly failed to tighten a connection that led to the leak.

Investigators said the propane had "virtually no odorant."

Nichols, of Blackstone, suffered burns over 80 percent of his body.

The explosion led to new regulations for propane.

___

Information from: The Boston Globe, http://www.boston.com/globe

A vehicle and moose collided on North Main Street near the Petersham Country Club, which is northeast of the Quabbin.

Petersham Highway Superintendent Timothy Graves confirmed the incident, which was reported just after 11 p.m., but he had no further details.

It was unclear if anyone was injured in the incident. Police and fire officials from the Worcester County town did not immediately return phone calls this morning, and state police from the nearby Athol barracks did not respond to the call.

The vehicle and moose collision happened near the country club at 240 North Main St., just a couple of miles northeast of the reservoir area, which is home to moose, bear and other wildlife.

MAP of area where a motorist collided with a moose Sunday night:

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President Barack Obama, eager to shift election-year attention away from the nation's lackluster jobs market, called on Congress Monday to extend tax cuts for only low and middle income earners while allowing taxes to increase for families that make more than $250,000 a year.

The Associated PressPresident Barack Obama calls on Congress to pass a temporary, one-year extension of the Bush-era tax cuts for people who make less than $250,000 a year, during a statement in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, July 9, 2012. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

More politics news

Veepstakes include leaks, lies, auditions: Of Somewhere, amid all of the shenanigans, Republican Mitt Romney is considering his choices for a running mate, one of the most significant decisions of his presidential campaign.

• Mitt Romney raises $106.1 million in June; has $160 million in the bank
• Obama to push extension of middle-class tax cuts
• Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick signs $32.5 billion state budget, vetoes $32.1 million in spending

By JULIE PACE, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama, eager to shift election-year attention away from the nation's lackluster jobs market, called on Congress Monday to extend tax cuts for only low and middle income earners while allowing taxes to increase for families that make more than $250,000 a year.

"Let's not hold the vast majority of Americans and our economy hostage while we debate the merits of another tax cut for the wealthy," said Obama, flanked by a dozen people the White House said would benefit from the middle class-oriented tax cut extension.

Obama wants Congress to pass a one-year extension of the Bush-era tax cuts for households making less than $250,000 before they expire at the end of the year. He said the outcome of his November election contest with Republican rival Mitt Romney would then determine the fate of the tax cuts for higher income earners.

"My opponent will fight to keep them in place. I will fight to end them," he said.

Obama has long supported expiration of the tax cuts for those making more than $250,000. But the White House and the president's re-election team are reviving his arguments now as a way to paint congressional Republicans as obstructionists and Romney as a protector of the wealthy, suggesting the GOP push for an across-the-board extension of the tax cuts puts the middle class at risk.

The president's announcement also follows Friday's dismal jobs report, which showed the nation's unemployment rate stubbornly stuck at 8.2 percent.

Romney supports extending the tax cuts for all income earners. His campaign spokeswoman Andrea Saul said Monday that Obama's proposal amounted to a "massive tax increase" and proved that the president "doesn't have a clue how to get America working again and help the middle class."

The contours of the tax debate are largely the same as they were when the cuts were due to expire at the end of 2010. While Obama opposed an extension for higher income earners then as well, he ultimately agreed to full two-year extension, in part to win concessions for other legislation.

The president did not say whether he would veto legislation this year that again extended the whole range of tax cuts in full.

Democrats see the tax debate as part of a larger coordinated attack on Romney, which includes intensifying calls for him to explain offshore bank accounts and release several years of tax returns.

The strategy is aimed at portraying Romney, whose personal wealth could exceed $250 million, as disconnected from middle-class voters.

Romney aides say the Democratic attacks on the presumptive GOP nominee's wealth an "unfounded character assault."

Romney hasn't shirked from his wealth in the face of renewed Democratic criticism. He held a $50,000 per person fundraisers Sunday in the Hamptons, New York's exclusive string of waterfront communities on Long Island's South Shore.

Romney aides also announced that the campaign and the Republican National Committee raised a combined $106 million in June, the former Massachusetts governor's biggest monthly haul so far. The Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee raised $71 million last month.

Republican lawmakers immediately balked at Obama's call for a partial extension.

"No one should see an income tax hike next year — not families, not small businesses and other job creators," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

The president's pitch may also face some opposition from congressional Democrats. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., a member of his party's Senate leadership, have both advocated denying the tax cut extension to those making above $1 million annually.

Extending the tax cuts only for households making below $250,000 costs the government about $800 billion less over 10 years than extending them for everyone. The full cuts cost the government about $4.5 trillion over a decade.

Obama was to continue the tax debate Tuesday during a campaign trip to Iowa. His re-election team was also promoting the president's tax policy at a series of events this week in battleground states, including New Hampshire, Colorado and Nevada.

The Bush-era tax cuts are due to expire at the end of the year unless Congress votes to extend them. Economists worry that across-the-board tax increases, along with automatic spending cuts also scheduled to take hold at year's end, could be a blow to the shaky U.S. economy.
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Associated Press writer Alan Fram contributed to this report.

Local advocates are hoping that both capital projects can move forward despite funding challenges.

File photo by Mark M. Murray / The RepublicanLee C. Erdmann, Springfields' chief administrative and financial officer, and Mayor Domenic J. Sarno

SPRINGFIELD — Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and his finance team are exploring all options for funds to keep plans on the move for a new senior center at Blunt Park, and for renovations and expansion of the Clifford A. Phaneuf Environmental Center at Forest Park.

During a City Council meeting last week, Chief Administrative and Financial Officer Lee C. Erdmann said both projects are considered high priorities under the city’s capital improvement plan, but face funding challenges. The projects are at different stages and one is not being pitted against the other, Erdmann said.

Councilors said they agree with the importance of both projects.

Bond anticipation notes, which involves short-term borrowing, have been listed as one potential source of funding for capital projects.

“People have been waiting a long time for both projects,” Councilor Kateri B. Walsh said Friday. “We have been talking about the senior center for many years and we now have a location.”

The Phaneuf center, which houses the Environmental Center for Our Schools (ECOS) program, has been “a long time coming,” and is also a priority, Walsh said.

“So many students who go to Springfield public schools have such a positive experience doing that (program),” Walsh said. “They should have more hands-on experiences.”

Many grandparents eagerly await a new senior center at the park site, boasting ample parking and easy access, and also would want their grandchildren to have the same “positive learning experience” offered for decades at the ECOS center, she said.

The senior center is roughly estimated to cost between $11 million and $14 million, and the Phaneuf center has an estimated cost of $2.5 million.

With city funds and private funds, the design of the Phaneuf center has been completed, including construction documents, and the project is ready to go out to bid, but with the need to secure funding, officials said.

The city contributed $200,000 in recent years to assist with the design work at the Phaneuf Center, and the project has also been assisted by private funds including a $150,000 commitment from MassMutual Financial Group.

The city, meanwhile, has finished the schematic design plans on the new senior center, but additional design work and construction documents are needed, as well as funding sources to advance plans, Erdmann said.

Councilor Bud L. Williams urged the senior center be made a priority, saying he is hearing from senior citizens concerned about any delay in plans. Williams said he is “appalled” if one project is pitted against the other, and will not allow the senior center to “sit on the back burner.”

Erdmann said both are high priorities, but are at different stages.

Burt D. Freedman, who is a teacher at the environmental center, said the project is “shovel ready” and greatly needed. He praised Sarno and Erdmann for their long-term efforts to move the project forward, but said conditions have deteriorated over the years.

The site is the former Porter Lake Skate House, built in the 1930s. The science program has been housed in the building since the 1970s, educating more than 120,000 students over the years, Freedman said.

Baseball fans who are tuning into Monday's Home Run Derby should keep an eye on Angels second-year player Mark Trumbo.

Second year slugger Mark Trumbo of the Los Angeles Angels is a player to watch in tonight's home run derby.

It's Major League Baseball's equivalent of the NBA's Slam Dunk Contest.

Home Run Derby. It's held every year at the All-Star break, on the night before the actual All-Star game.

That means that baseball fans who enjoy watching copious amounts of home runs would be well-advised to tune in to ESPN tonight at 8 p.m.

For those unaware the Home Run Derby is an age-old baseball tradition that enjoyed a brief run as a television series from 1959-1961. The rules were similar to the rules of the modern Home Run Derby, and the show was taped in Los Angeles.

It drew an impressive array of contestants including Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle and Frank Robinson.

The modern Home Run Derby, the one that is held annually on the eve of the MLB All-Start game, dates back to 1985.

There are eight contestants, four from each league, but one guy on the American League squad is the intriguing.

Mark Trumbo.

This past offseason the Los Angeles Angels made a huge free-agent splash when they signed two big-name free agents on the same day.

On Dec. 8, 2011 the Angels signed free agent first baseman Albert Pujols and pitcher C.J. Wilson.

Seven months later Pujols is not the Angels' big attraction at the Home Run Derby.

Mark Trumbo got his shot at the majors the same way many minor leaguers get their big chance.

Someone got hurt.

In this case that "someone" was named Kendrys Morales, and while Morales was busy missing all of the 2011 season due to injury, Trumbo, a rookie, filled in and mashed 29 home runs en route to finishing second in the Rookie of the Year balloting.

When the 2012 season began Morales was back and ready to assume DH duties, with first base now occupied by Pujols. Angels manager Mike Scioscia tried Trumbo at third. He wasn't pleased with the results, so Trumbo, Morales and Alberto Callaspo were used in various situations.

That us until Trumbo's bat forced it's way into the Angels lineup permanently. It's not just that Trumbo, who is earning $500,000 this year currently leads the Angels in home runs and RBIs.

Albert Pujols is earning $12 million and has 14 home runs and 51 RBI.

With Trumbo, it's not just the home runs, it's the nature of the home runs. They're towering, majestic shots. These are the types of home runs that leave no questions when they leave the bat.

Trumbo has started 75 of the Angles 86 games, in June alone he crushed nine home runs and drove in 27 runs.

Sometimes when players are in their first Home Run Derby they struggle. Trumbo might not win the derby tonight, but if you had to pick which of the eight participants will hit the longest home run, he'd be a good guy to take a flier on.

Obama raised $71 million in June, compared to $106 million for Romney.

File photos | Associated PressRepublican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, left, and President Barack Obama.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney raised $35 million more than Democratic President Barack Obama in June.

The Obama campaign said Monday that it raised $71 million last month – compared to $106 million raised by Romney.

“While June was our best month so far, we still got beat,” the Obama campaign tweeted on Monday, with a link asking supporters to donate to the campaign.

The $71 million was raised across several committees. The Obama campaign said 706,000 people donated in June, 181,000 for the first time. More than 98 percent of donations were less than $250 and the average donation was $52, according to the campaign.

June fundraising reports are due in to the Federal Election Commission July 20, so additional information will be available after that date.

Both campaigns have prolific fundraising efforts. Romney outraised the incumbent president in May, raising $76 million compared to $60 million for Obama. In April, Obama raised slightly more than Romney – $43 million to $40 million. Those figures include several fundraising committees directly connected to the candidate or the state party – but do not include super political action committees, which can raise and spend unlimited sums independent of the candidate.

According to FEC filings, as of the end of May, Obama’s campaign (not including related committees) had raised $255 million this election cycle, while Romney’s campaign had raised $120 million.

The House speaker took exception to the governor's suggestion that legislators are involved in "political grandstanding."

AP Photo/Josh ReynoldsSpeaker of the House Robert DeLeo, left, looks to Gov. Deval Patrick, as he spoke in November during a signing ceremony for a bill legalizing casino gambling in Massachusetts.

BOSTON — The leader of the Massachusetts House of Representatives on Monday pledged to override the governor's rejection of the Legislature's new restrictions on electronic benefit cards for welfare recipients.

Gov. Deval L. Patrick suggested that legislators were "political grandstanding" when they approved a provision in the state budget that expanded an existing ban on use of the cards to also prohibit purchases of such items or services as guns, tattoos, gambling and pornography. Patrick is seeking to amend the budget provisions.

Speaker Robert A. DeLeo took exception to the governor's "political grandstanding" comment.

"I was a little disappointed, I suppose, in that statement," DeLeo told reporters on Monday at the Statehouse. "When you are talking about saving taxpayer's money from fraud, I don't think that's political grandstanding."

Patrick sent the benefit-card provisions back to legislators with an amendment that would forbid the use of the cards in businesses where those items are sold including gun dealers, casinos, tattoo parlors, adult bookstores and strip joints. Patrick said he was following recommendations of a state study commission in seeking to ban the use of the cards in establishments rather than banning certain items. Patrick said the technology of the cards can detect where a purchase is made, not necessarily what item is bought.

"I see no reason, other than political grandstanding, to deviate from that basic conclusion," Patrick wrote in his amendment letter to legislators.

The cards, used for food stamps and monthly welfare, are already prohibited for alcohol, lottery tickets and tobacco purchases in Massachusetts, according to the Associated Press.

DeLeo said House members will take up the governor's proposed amendments on Wednesday.

"I think what we did in EBT reform was the responsible thing to do," DeLeo said. "Any time you are talking about fraud of this type, I think what we did as a House and a Senate ... was the correct thing to do."

If legislators, as expected, vote to turn down the governor's amendment and again vote to approve their changes to the cards, Patrick then will have the opportunity to veto the measure.

Legislators then would have to vote to override a possible veto. A two-thirds vote in each branch is needed for an override.

Alcoa, one of the 30 stocks in the Dow, became the first major U.S. company to report 2nd-quarter results, beating the earnings per share estimates of Wall Street analysts by a penny.

By PALLAVI GOGOI | AP Business Writer

File photo | Associated PressThe headquarters of Wellpoint is shown in downtown Indianapolis. WellPoint Inc. announced Monday, July 9, 2012, it will spend about $4.46 billion for Medicaid coverage provider Amerigroup Corp. in a deal that more than doubles the health insurer's enrollment in a market segment poised for expansion. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

NEW YORK — Edgy investors sent stocks lower Monday on Wall Street ahead of U.S. corporate earnings reports and amid more signs of instability in Europe.

The Dow Jones industrial average closed down 36.18 points at 12,736.29. It was the Dow's third straight day of declines.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 2.22 points to 1,352.46 and the Nasdaq composite index fell 5.56 points to 2,931.77. Health care stocks rose the most, while stocks of materials companies fell the most.

Alcoa, one of the 30 stocks in the Dow, became the first major U.S. company to report second-quarter results after the market closed Monday.

The aluminum manufacturer beat the earnings per share estimates of Wall Street analysts by a penny, although revenue dropped due to weaker prices and pockets of declining demand in the slowing global economy.

Alcoa's results are often seen as a harbinger for other major companies. So far, investor expectations are low. Wall Street forecasts a 1 percent decline in second-quarter earnings of S&P 500 companies compared with last year, according to Standard & Poor's Capital IQ. That would be the first decline since the third quarter of 2009.

Kim Caughey-Forrest, senior equity analyst at Fort Pitt Capital Group, said many portfolio managers are afraid that this earnings season could bring bad surprises about stocks they've picked up earlier this year.

"It's report card time," Caughey-Forrest said.

AMD dropped 6 percent in after-hours trading after the semiconductor company unexpectedly released preliminary results following the market close. Revenue fell 11 percent from the previous quarter due to weak sales in China and Europe. The company had previously forecast revenue growth of 3 percent. The stock slumped 33 cents to $5.29.

Investors were also spooked Monday by news from Europe, where Spain's borrowing costs rose as finance ministers from the euro countries gathered in Brussels to finalize a rescue package for Spain's banks.

The interest rate on Spain's 10-year government bond rose to 7 percent. Greece, Ireland and Portugal all asked for help from their international lenders when their own borrowing costs rose that high.

In Greece, a new three-party coalition government won a vote of confidence in parliament early Monday, ending a period of uncertainty that led to two elections in less than two months. Greece is in its fifth year of recession and has survived for two years on international rescue loans.

Spain is in better shape financially, and can afford the high rates for a few weeks at least. However, a long-term solution is badly needed to prevent the nation, which has an unemployment rate near 25 percent, from defaulting.

A pair of acquisitions were announced Monday. The nation's second largest health insurer, WellPoint Inc., is paying $4.46 billion to acquire Amerigroup Corp., a provider of Medicaid coverage provider.

With the acquisition, Wellpoint seeks to become a major player in state and federally funded programs like Medicaid. Its stock rose $2.04, or 3.4 percent, to $61.95. Amerigroup soared $24.45, or 38 percent, to $88.79.

Also on Monday, the world's biggest soup maker, Campbell Soup Co., said it will buy natural foods maker Bolthouse Farms in a $1.55 billion cash deal. Campbell stock fell 27 cents, or about 1 percent, to $32.72.

Among other stocks making big moves:

• LinkedIn, the social networking company, fell $5.88, or 5.4 percent, to $102.98 after reports that Facebook would add a job search feature to its website, which could pose direct competition for LinkedIn.

• FTI Consulting, a business advisory company, lost $1.70, or 5.8 percent, to $27.43 after announcing on Friday that it was planning to cut 3 percent of its work force.

• Visa and MasterCard fell after an analyst recommended investors sell those stocks because of the global economic slowdown. MasterCard fell $10.36 to $431.27, while Visa fell $1.63 to $123.65.