All proceeds from the Rays of Hope walk are used in Western Massachusetts.

Walkers start the course in Sunday's Rays of Hope walk/run in Springfield. More than $800,000 was raised in Springfield for breast cancer research and another $600,000 was raised at the Rays of Hope event in Greenfield, also on Sunday. Photo / Manon L. Mirabelli

“We’ve raised a lot of public awareness throughout the years,” Carvalho added.

While research into a cure for the disease that affects one in every eight women in the United States has made great strides, more needs to be done, and survivors and supporters alike need to remain vigilant.

“This is a testament to what one community can do when we pull our resources together and make noise to make change,” Carvalho said.

With staggering statistics that include an estimated 230,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer yearly, and another 57,000 non-invasive cases, the need for public awareness of the disease remains critical.

“This is about awareness and research, but prevention is much easier,” Carvalho noted. “We’ve made great strides in research, and we’re making great strides locally.”

Education and teaching patients to navigate the health care system are also important to Carvalho, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1993 and learned the hard way how to get the help she needed.

“I want to make it easier for other people,” said Carvalho, who is now cancer-free.She said she does not take her recovery for granted, but does not succumb to a fear, either.

“To have fear is to give in,” she said. “I’m vigilant.”

In all, Sunday’s 22,600 Rays of Hope participants raised $838,000 in Springfield and at a separate event in Greenfield.

“This was a good year for us,” said Baystate Medical Center spokesperson Keith J. O’Connor.

“All proceeds raised through Rays of Hope stay right here in our communities and make an impact on our own friends and neighbors,” O’Connor added. “Over the years, monies have been used to fund breast cancer programs and services for breast cancer patients and survivors, research, and state-of-the art equipment through the Baystate Health Breast Network, as well as breast cancer care at Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield, Baystate Mary Lane Hospital in Ware, and various community projects throughout the region.”

Recognizing the importance of breast cancer research, the Rays of Hope last year awarded a $1.5 million grant to establish the Rays of Hope Center for Breast Cancer Research located inside the Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute, part of a collaborative effort, between clinicians at Baystate Medical Center and scientists at UMass-Amherst, where breast cancer research will continue to be conducted locally and on a much broader scale.

Rays of Hope, the most successful fund raising walk in western Massachusetts for breast cancer, was founded in 1994 and has raised $10.25 million since that time, all of which has remained in our local communities on behalf of patients and their families affected by breast cancer, O’Connor said.

Last year, some 21,000 combined walkers and runners from Springfield and Greenfield, including over 600 teams, participated in the Rays of Hope. This year’s Rays of Hope major sponsors are Health New England, Gale Toyota, Balise, Chicopee Savings Charitable Foundation, Doctor’s Express, Kinsley Power Systems, The Pink Petal, and Radiology and Imaging.

Gov. Deval L. Patrick declared a state of emergency, mobilized the National Guard and told state workers to stay home Monday.

Schools across Western Massachusetts were canceled, extra utility crews started arriving and Department of Public Works officials began working overtime to prepare for heavy rains and possible flooding from Hurricane Sandy, Sunday.

As the monster storm barreled up the coastline Sunday night, evacuations were ordered in low-lying coastal regions, airlines canceled flights, Amtrack stopped train service, cities closed subways, some area stations reported shortages of regular gasonline, and federal workers were told not to report to work in Washington D.C.

The hurricane, already blamed for 65 deaths in the Caribbean, was expected to come ashore late Monday or early today in New Jersey and move west joining up with cold air streaming down from the arctic and cause widespread problems including coastal surges in the eastern areas and heavy snow in Pennsylvania.

Massachusetts Gov. Deval L. Patrick declared a state of emergency Saturday and mobilized the National Guard. On Sunday he expanded it, telling non-emergency state workers to stay home Monday.

Although forecasts show Western Massachusetts should be saved from the brunt of the storm, city officials were taking no chances.

“We are planning for the worst but expecting the best,” Holyoke Mayor Alex B. Morse said.

In Holyoke, City Hall is closed today, school was canceled and even trick-or-treating was moved to Saturday in case the storm downed wires and tree limbs and made it too dangerous for children to go out in the dark Wednesday.

“We ask residents to look out for neighbors and make sure everyone is safe,” Morse said.

Officials from communities across Western Massachusetts continued to say they did not expect the widespread flooding the region saw during last August’s Tropical Storm Irene or the massive damage saw during the June 1, 2011 tornado, but want to be prepared.

Off-and-showers sprinkled Western Massachusetts Sunday afternoon but the rain and wind is expected to pick up by mid-day Monday, said Mike Skurko, meteorologist with CBS 3, media partner of The Republican and MassLive.com.

Locally Western Massachusetts is expecting two or three inches of rain between late Sunday and Tuesday afternoon. There will be areas which will could get up to four or five inches of rain so residents should be prepared for localized flooding especially in problem spots such as underpasses, Skurko said.

“To put this into perspective, when we had Tropical Storm Irene (in Aug. 2011) the majority of problems were flooding. The majority of the problems this time will be wind damage,” Skurko said.

Residents should expect sustained winds between 30 and 40 miles an hour beginning Monday afternoon and there will be gusts of 50 to 60 miles an hour.

The peak of the storm should run from about 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday. That is when the heaviest rain will fall and the winds should be at their strongest, Skurko said.

Dozens of cancellations started coming in Sunday for everything from Historic Deerfield to some Peter Pan bus routes.

Because of possible electrical outages and concerns about getting children home, dozens of school districts across Western Massachusetts canceled classes for Monday.

“The worst part in the afternoon and we decided that would be dangerous for kids either walking home or taking the bus,” said Robert Hassett, the Springfield Fire Department’s Office of Emergency Preparedness Director.

School districts across the region including Palmer, Ludlow, Wilbraham, Chicopee, Northampton and Agawam canceled classes. Westfield State University, Springfield Technical Community College, Holyoke Community College and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst also closed Monday.

Officials at Westover Air Reserve Base decided Sunday afternoon to fly most of its fleet of C-5 Galaxy jets to MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., because of concerns that the high winds could damage the aircraft. Two planes will remain on base, Lt. Col. James Bishop, chief of public affairs for the base, said.

The base is also being used as a staging area for the Federal Emergency Management Agency and 77 trucks full of supplies arrived Sunday, ready to be driven to anywhere in New England were assistance is needed, he said.

When asked what the biggest concern is from this storm, Hassett said: “Power outages.”

Still reeling from the massive power outages from the October snowstorm that hit exactly a year ago and left some without electricity for more than a week, power companies said they are taking extra precautions this time.

The one problem is in high winds, it may be dangerous for crews to be up in bucket trucks so making repairs could be delayed until the winds die down, Hassett said.

James M. Lavelle, manager of the Holyoke Gas and Electric Department, said crews have been trimming back tree limbs since last year’s storm and hopes that work may prevent widespread outages.

“We have our full compliment our line workers and we contracted with outside workers,” Lavelle said. Those workers will arrive on Tuesday if they are needed.

Northeast Utilities and Western Massachusetts Electric Company had workers arrive Sunday and early today from Oklahoma, Indiana and Michigan and will have a work force four times their usual size to handle any power outages. If the damage is not as severe, those crews will be sent to other locations where they are needed, said Priscilla Ress, spokeswoman for Western Massachusetts Electric.

That company has been very aggressive in removing tree limbs and other vegetation from the power lines, investing more than $1 million in the efforts so officials are hoping it pays off, Ress said.

National Grid is following suit and called in more people to supplement its work force.

“We have extra crews coming from across the country to help and they are all arriving no later than today,” Charlotte McCormack, a National Grid spokeswoman said Sunday.

Springfield started coordinating with Western Massachusetts Electric as soon as the storm was first predicted. Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said he is confident the company will handle widespread outages quickly.

“Everyone will be ready and we will get through this. We have a great team on the field,” Sarno said.

The city has been coordinating with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, which opened the center at 9 a.m. Sunday to begin preparing to help cities and towns respond to the storm.

Flooding also continues to be a concern and officials in town-after-town asked residents to please help out and clear any storm drains near their homes of fallen leaves.

In Holyoke, highway crews and those from United Waste will be patrolling to fix any problems with localized flooding and downed trees and limbs, said William Fuqua, Department of Public Works superintendent.

Residents can call the mayor’s office at 536-9300 to report things like downed limbs. Officials in all communities however told residents to call 911 if they see downed wires, since they could be live and dangerous.

Motorists were also warned not to drive through flooding, since they will not know if the road below is intact.

Hassett put off announcing if Springfield would be opening shelters, saying city officials would wait and see if it was necessary.

Morse said the Holyoke War Memorial Building on Maple Street would be used as a shelter if necessary, but was not being open immediately.

Northampton officials opted not to put off making a decision. Mayor David Narkewicz sent out emails, twitter messages and phone calls to residents announcing a regional shelter will be open at Smith Vocational High School starting at 11 p.m. Sunday.

“The primary impacts of the storm on Northampton are expected to be a heavy rain and a 12-18 hour period of sustained heavy winds beginning at midday Monday,” he said.

Many city mayors are communicating in a variety of ways including posting messages on Facebook pages, sending out recorded phone messages and through city websites.

Holyoke kicked off its new emergency notification system, Everbridge, early because of the storm. The system, which is already used by a number of area communities, allows people to get messages through email, Twitter, through cell phones and landlines.

The city has had to print a separate ballot at its own expense after being told by the Secretary of the Commonwealth that it had missed a June 1 deadline for being on the state ballot.

NORTHAMPTON – Northampton voters will be called upon to decide whether they want major revisions to the city’s charter when they go to the polls on Nov. 6.

A special committee spent more than a year holding public meetings to get input on the document, which was written in the 1880s. Among the recommended changes, the mayor's term of office will be expanded from two to four years. The revised charter also transfers the chairmanship of council meetings from the mayor to the council president and calls for the creation of a council vice president.

It also standardizes the terms of School Committee members at two years.

The new charter also increases the number of signatures candidates for various offices must solicit in order to be on the ballot. It provides new procedure for direct citizen participation in government through referenda. Another proposed change is an automatic review of the charter every 10 years.

The city has had to print a separate ballot at its own expense after being told by the Secretary of the Commonwealth that it had missed a June 1 deadline for being on the state ballot. Mayor David J. Narkewicz has protested, claiming Northampton was notified after the fact.

In Ware, Question 4 presents to residents a Proposition 2 1/2 override to pay for a bond issued to construct improvements at the wastewater treatment plant in town.

Ballots in several Western Massachusetts municipalities will include questions that affect only that city or town, with issues ranging from $1.4 million in school spending in Easthampton, to funding a wastewater treatment plant upgrade in Ware to establishing a tax exemption for farmers in Granby.

Easthampton residents face a Proposition 2 1/2 property tax override of $1.4 million to increase funding for the school department and the operating budget for fiscal year 2013. The outcome of Question 4 will affect the tax rate. The fiscal year 2012 tax rate is $13.27 per thousand.

The Easthampton School Committee is seeking the override to close the approximate $660,000 budget gap in fiscal 2013, as well as to restore programs that have been cut over the past several years and to improve education into the future.

In Ware, Question 4 presents to residents a Proposition 2 1/2 override to pay for a bond issued to construct improvements at the wastewater treatment plant in town. During an August Town Meeting voters overwhelmingly approved borrowing $1 million to fund the proposed $4.5 million upgrade for the aging wastewater treatment plant.

Questions 4 and 5 in Bernardston ask residents to approve an override to purchase a new truck for the highway department and to fund the replacement of the roof at the Bernardston Elementary School.

Hugh Campbell, administrative assistant to the Board of Selectmen, said both the roof and the truck were approved during a June 7 Town Meeting.

He said the ballot questions will allow the town to pay for the bond used to fund the projects. The roof cost about $192,000 while the Highway Department truck with equipment was $182,235.

With as much as 5 inches of rain possible in some areas of southern New England, the National Weather Service issued a Flood Watch.

Hurricane Sandy has taken its predicted turn to the north, and is expected to continue on a path that will see it slam into the coast of the mid-Atlantic states sometime Monday night.

The National Hurricane Center's Monday 2 a.m. update show Sandy about 280 miles east of Cape Hatteras, N.C., and about 425 miles south-southeast of New York City, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. It was moving north at 14 mph.

The storm is expected to take a to the northwest sometime Monday, followed by a turn to the west-northwest tonight – sending it toward the mid-Atlantic states in the area of Maryland, Delaware and – most likely for landfall – New Jersey sometime on Monday evening.

Hurricane force winds (74 mph or greater) are expected along parts of the coast between Cincoteague, Va., and Chatham, Mass., with tropical storm force winds (39 to 73 mph) expected north of Chatham to the Merrimack River, according to the 2 a.m. National Hurricane Center Hurricane Sandy Public Advisory.

According to Mike Skurko, meteorologist for CBS 3 Springfield, the media partner of The Republican and MassLive.com, "The 'peak' of the storm for Western Massachusetts ... heaviest rain and strongest wind ... is expected between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Monday."

The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning for southern New England, including all of Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties, at 10:47 p.m. on Sunday. The warning is in effect from 6 a.m. Monday until 6 a.m. Tuesday.

At 10:23 p.m. Sunday, the National Weather Service issued a flood watch for the area. It is in effect from 8 a.m. Monday through Tuesday evening. "Rainfall of 1 to 3 inches is expected Monday into Tuesday with as much as 5 inches in some locations," according the Flood Watch statement.

In a forecast posted late Sunday night on MassLive.com, Skurko wrote, "Sustained winds will reach 30-35 mph on Monday, with gusts up to 50 mph possible in the Springfield area...60 mph in the hilltowns. The winds should ease up a little bit for the remainder of the storm, eventually dropping to a breezy 15-25 mph by the end of the day Tuesday. The persistent rain eventually comes to an end on Wednesday, although scattered showers will stick around as this storm lingers/dissipates through Friday."

Ahead of the storm, school was canceled for Monday throughout Western Massachusetts. State and local officials, as well as utility companies, were planning for the worst.

Stay with MassLive.com for more updates on Hurricane Sandy as it approaches and hits land

Even as they gird for possible flooding rains, property damage and high winds from Sandy, utility executives are recalling the destructive snow storm of a year ago and vowing not to repeat mistakes if tested again.

One year after an historic snowstorm pounded Western Massachusetts and left tens of thousands of people without power for days, leaders of electric utilities and government officials say they are more ready for Frankenstorm – Hurricane Sandy, which is roaring toward the Northeast.

With Hurricane Sandy poised to hit Massachusetts, people may get to apply the lessons from last year's Oct. 29 storm sooner than they may have wanted or expected. Even as they gird for possible flooding rains, property damage and high winds from Sandy, utility executives are recalling the destructive snow storm of a year ago and vowing not to repeat mistakes if tested again.

There's intense public and government pressure on the utilities to step up their games. Gov. Deval L. Patrick said the utilities understand they have a lot of work to accomplish to regain confidence of customers.

The utilities also have a financial incentive to avoid the mistakes that plagued them last year. Attorney General Martha M. Coakley is proposing combined fines of $15.6 million against National Grid and Western Massachusetts Electric for their communication and other problems during the Oct. 29 storm.

The attorney general told The Republican that she is hoping that the utilities will be more ready for the next storm.

"We don't know for sure," Coakley said in an interview with The Republican. "The proof of the pudding is in the eating."

Martha Coakley The Republican file photo by Mark M. Murray

Leaders of the two utilities are pledging to improve call center operations and boost staff for storm response. They added that they have overhauled procedures for coordinating storm response and communications with customers and municipal officials, expanded use of automated devices on the distribution system and provided significantly more money for trimming or removing trees around power lines.

The utilities have also tightened communication efforts by assigning a liaison to each city and town. They are saying that line and tree crews will aim to work in tandem to more efficiently and quickly restore power.

Peter J. Clarke, president and chief operating officer of Western Massachusetts Electric, which is owned by Northeast Utilities, said the utility will be better prepared.

“We have learned some lessons,” Clarke said. “From each incident, you learn and try to get better.”

During a meeting with customers in Longmeadow after last year's October storm, Peter Clarke, president of Western Massachusetts Electric, explained what his company was doing to restore power to the town. The Republican file photo by John Suchocki

"We're all in this together," added Marcy L. Reed, president of National Grid in Massachusetts, in an interview about lessons learned from the Oct. 29 and 30 storm. "A year later, if the same thing were to happen, you would see a different result."

Last year's weird storm dropped up to two feet of wet, heavy snow on the region and caused power outages for as long as eight or nine days and in some instances stripped people of heat and water.

Striking on a Saturday night, the wet snow spilled on trees that still bore leaves, causing limbs or whole trees to topple on power lines.

The storm stunned a region still recovering from a June 1 tornado, a microburst in July and then tropical storm Irene in August.

Marcy Reed FayFoto/Boston

State and municipal officials, including the Springfield mayor, and residents criticized utilities for being short on personnel during the October storm and providing misleading or false information about efforts to restore electricity.

In an interview, Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said the October storm was the worse in the city's 376-year history. He said 160,000 cubic yards of debris were removed from the city following the tornado, for example, but more than 500,000 cubic yards were hauled away after the October storm.

Sarno said the experiences last year were often frustrating and agonizing but the tornado and the Oct. 29 storm left city employees better prepared and better trained for natural disasters. "We're a fine-tuned, oiled machine," the mayor said in a conference call with members of his administration.

Sarno and other city officials said a main problem last October was a lack of information, and sometimes wrong information, from Western Massachusetts Electric, which serves the city.

On the day after last year's October snow storm, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno unloads cots from the Salvation Army for the emergency shelter at Springfield Central High. The Republican file photo by Dave Roback

Sarno said the city's emergency operations center did not receive a detailed report of outages and restoration efforts until about five or six days after the storm.

The mayor said communication was so poor with the electric company that firefighters were often unprepared to extinguish blazes caused by power surges when electricity was restored. Sarno said the fire department needs to know when and where power will be turned back on, so they can be on scene for possible electricial fires.

The mayor and his communications director, Thomas T. Walsh, said the city would ask the utility for the number of crews and trucks in the city, for example, but could only get region-wide numbers,

William Fitchet, police commissioner in Springfield, said the city faced a "catch 22" with downed trees and wires blocking streets. City crews could not clear fallen trees from streets because of fear of live electrical wires, but the electric company could not get down streets to take away wires because of debris that remained in the way. For several days, half the city streets remained unplowed.

"This storm covered the whole city," Fitchet said. "That's what strained the resources."

Joseph A. Conant, acting fire commissioner in Springfield, Chris Cignoli, the city engineer, and Robert Hassett, manager of emergency preparedness, all emphasized the need for the utility to provide a regularly updated map that would show where power was restored and where it was still out.

If city employees knew power was off on a certain street, for example, then they would know they could work safely, Cignoli said.

During the October storm, Hassett said, city officials sometimes received "mis-information" from the electric company. Hassett said the utility would tell him that power would be restored on a certain street at a certain time and then it wouldn't happen. "We had issues with that," he said.

Hassett said he will be looking for the electric company to imbed a representative in the city's emergency operations center during the next serious storm. During an emergency, Hassett said, the city needs around-the-clock information, but a utility representative was sometimes only in the center for two to three hours a day last October.

Confusion was also rampant at the Central High School, which was converted into an emergency shelter, marking the first time the city itself ran a shelter, said Helen R. Caulton- Harris, director of health and human services for Springfield. Nearly 500 people spent overnight at the Central High School shelter, staying an average 3.5 days. Because of a lack of information from the utility, many had no idea when they could return home, she said.

In the wake of the October storm, National Grid saw 536,000 customers lose power in 158 of the 172 communities it serves in Massachusetts. The company serves Belchertown, Brimfield, East Longmeadow, Erving, Granby, Northampton, Palmer and Wilbraham, which were clobbered by the October storm.

Western Massachusetts Electric said the storm cut power to 140,000 of the company's 215,000 customers. The utility serves 59 communities in the four counties of Western Massachusetts including Agawam, Ludlow, West Springfield and Springfield.

Attorney General Coakley said she is attempting to send a message with her proposed penalties against the utilities for failing to comply with standards in their plans for responding to storms -- $4 million fine for the Western Massachusetts Electric Co. during the October storm and $16.3 million fine for National Grid including $11.6 million for violations during the Oct. 29 storm and $4.6 million for infractions during Tropical Storm Irene.

The state Department of Utilities still is weighing whether to approve any fines, which the two utilities have said are unwarranted. A decision is expected in early November.

Coakley, who advocates on behalf of utility ratepayers, said her office will stay on top of utility response to storms.

A couple of workers for a private company attempt to clear last year's Halloween snow from the roof of a home on Arcadia Blvd. in Springfield that was damaged by the June 1 tornado. The Republican file photo by Mark M. Murray

"It's just not enough anymore to have business as usual and say, 'We didn't expect this storm," Coakley said. "We hope they have gotten the message."

National Grid's lawyer has said "there is no factual or evidentiary basis to support the unprecedented penalty being recommended by the attorney general's office, nor any penalty."

Western Massachusetts Electric's lawyer said "penalties are neither called for nor necessary, and would merely tarnish the diligent efforts" of the company's workers that responded to the storm.

Clarke, the president of Western Massachusetts Electric, said the company would mobilize more in advance for future storms, generally scaling up as needed, without overdoing it since it is costly for ratepayers.

The company had 500 two-person crews working the Oct. 29 storm, five times more than is typical, mostly with contractors and crews from other utilities provided through mutual aid.

Clarke said the company also now has enhanced mapping technology so it can detail outages on streets and in communities with more accuracy and share that information with municipalities.

“Once the impact hit, people wanted more and more information,” he said.

In an effort to reduce the possibility of limbs from falling onto power lines, Clarke said the company spent $4 million on trimming trees this year along transmission and distribution power lines and another $1.5 million on removing hazardous trees. That's up from a prior $800,000 a year.

Clarke said tree work requires permmission from communities, businesses or customers since the utility does not own the trees.

But Clarke said it was not practical to trim all the trees that could be hazardous during a storm.

When asked if the utility had enough crews during the Oct. 29 storm last year, Clarke said, “Everybody has hindsight … Everybody thought the utility should have known the world was going to end.”

Clarke said the reality is that the severity of a storm can’t be predicted. Small changes in temperatures and humidity can mean heavier or lighter snow, for example, he said.

“A lot of it isn’t knowable,” he said. “It evolves as you get into it.”

Reed, appointed president of National Grid in Massachusetts at the start of last year, said power would be restored more quickly during the next storm.

In order to improve communications, the company has assigned a trained "municipal liaison" to each community to work directly with municipal officials during and after storms.

"That will go a long, long way in helping our municipal relationships," she said.

Reed said the company will also make more extensive use of social media including Facebook and Twitter.

Reed said National Grid has refined and speeded up its program for assessing damage after a storm. In last year's storm, it took up to three days to calculate exactly where all the problems existed.

Reed said no utility can staff in advance for the type of storm that raged through the region last year at this time.

While a mutual aid agreement has been in place for decades among utilities, she said, National Grid has now signed contracts with certain utilities to assure that aid comes when it is needed.

Last year, Reed said, National Grid sought help from its counterparts from Maryland to Maine, but as the forecast became more gloomy, those utilities said they needed their crews. National Grid eventually secured some 1,800 outside line workers, with many coming from as far away as Texas, North Carolina, Michigan and Canada, adding to restoration time, in addition to hundreds of its own workers.

Reed said the company also trained and assigned more personnel to repair the hundreds of electric wires that can fall during a storm.

Of the $11.6 million in fines proposed against National Grid for the Oct. 29 storm, more than $8 million is for being late in responding to more than 1,500 priority calls for downed wires.

Beacon Hill also responded with a new law to ensure better storm preparation and response.

Clarke said the new law mostly codifies what is already in place at the utility.

“To be honest, we’ve been doing a lot of those things,” Clarke said when asked about the new state law.

The law, signed on Aug. 6 by the governor, for example, requires investor-owned utilities to annually submit to the state an emergency response plan, which would identify management and staff and the number of service workers and crew available for an emergency within 24 hours.

The law also orders investor-owned electric companies to pay a new annual state assessment to raise $165,000 each year to pay for the department of public utilities to investigate responses to storms.

Any fines for future storms would go back to ratepayers, ending the current practice of depositing the money in the state’s general fund, according to the law.

"We have held the utilities' feet to the fire," said state Sen. Stephen M. Brewer, a Barre Democrat and chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

Sen. Gale D. Candaras, a Wilbraham Democrat, said the law should help, but she also supports the attorney general's proposed fines. "I'm hoping the fines are significant enough in size and scope to provide real deterrence," she said.

Letter writer: Only those who are faced with a life -ending illness can define what the term “quality of life” means to them and judge how they wish it to be.

Brown’s record tells true story

U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., uses a bull horn at a campaign stop in Watertown Wednesday,. Brown is running for re-election against Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren. Assopciated Press | Charles Krupa

U.S. Sen. Scott Brown’s political advertisements create a photogenic image, but if you want a snapshot of the man, check out his voting record.

According to ProgressMass, before Democratic candidate Elizabeth Warren entered the race, Scott Brown voted with Republicans 93 percent of the time.

This shows his true colors. Brown habitually voted with Republican obstructionist tactics. Notably, he voted to obstruct the first financial regulatory bill, which would’ve ended “too big to fail.”

Then he protected wealthy PAC donors, by voting to filibuster the DISCLOSE Act. CNN reports that Wall Street is Brown’s biggest contributor, and he has received more from the financial and real estate sectors than any other senator in either party.

On issues important to average citizens Brown voted against two job creation bills, middle class tax cuts, extending unemployment benefits, funding for food stamps and the equal pay.

He also voted for cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and job training assistance. Brown voted to repeal President Obama’s healthcare bill, while hypocritically using it to keep his 23-year-old daughter on his policy. He is really not “for us.”

Furthermore, a vote for Brown could put Republicans in control of Senate committees advancing their agenda to give favors to the very rich and corporations while dismantling programs that work for the rest of us. My vote goes to Elizabeth Warren, a strong advocate for the middle class and people facing hard times.

– NANCY NELKIN, Easthampton

Medical Association opposes Question 2

We oppose Question 2, which would legalize physician-assisted suicide for a number of reasons.

• The proposed safeguards against abuse are insufficient. Enforcement provisions, investigation authority, oversight, or data verification are not included in the act. A witness to the patient’s signed request could also be an heir. • Assisted suicide is not necessary to improve the quality of life at the end of life. Current law gives every patient the right to refuse lifesaving treatment, and to have adequate pain relief, including hospice and palliative sedation.

• Predicting the end of life within six months is difficult; sometimes the prediction is not accurate. From time to time, patients expected to be within months of their death have gone on to live many more months — or years. In one study, 17 percent of patients outlived their prognosis.

• Doctors should not participate in assisted suicide. The chief policy making body of the Massachusetts Medical Society has voted to oppose physician assisted suicide.

• The Massachusetts Medical Society reaffirmed its commitment to provide physicians treating terminally ill patients with the ethical, medical, social, and legal education, training, and resources to enable them to contribute to the comfort and dignity of the patient and the patient’s family.

– MASS. MEDICAL SOCIETY, Waltham
HAMPDEN DISTRICT MEDICAL SOCIETY, West Springfield

The terminally ill deserve a choice

In the Sunday Republican article about the physician-assisted suicide ballot question, opponent John Kelly was quoted as saying that it is “based on judgments on the quality of people’s lives.”

He is right. Only those who are faced with a life -ending illness can define what the term “quality of life” means to them and judge how they wish it to be. They have the right to decide individually how they desire to live and if faced with an undesirable end that would drastically alter that quality, only they can determine if, when and the manner of their death. With concerns about abuses by family members, the doctors, after a determination have the final say. As far as misdiagnoses, most patients get second and even third opinions.

If a patient’s doctor is against assisted suicide, there is no choice but to find another doctor. With regard to terminally ill patients who may be depressed, most doctors lean toward a diagnosis of depression and therefore would not participate in the suicide.

As Dr. Angell said in the news piece: “It’s not a question of life versus death. It’s a question of what kind of death.”

– HALINA ZABIK, Agawam

Crocker said the "Arab Spring" series of revolutions that swept the Middle East started in part because of economic frustration.

March 30, 2012 - During the U. S. State Department sponsored World Affairs Councils mission to Afghanistan, March 25-31, 2012. From left: U. S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, Gen. John Allen, commander ISAF (International Security Assitance Force), Ken Furst, Massachusetts delegate, and Mimi Gregory, Florida delegate. Photo made at ISAF command headquarters in Kabul.Submitted photo

SPRINGFIELD – To understand Afghanistan, a group of visitors to the country that included Ken R. Furst of the World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts needed to understand the marketplace, said Ryan C. Crocker, who was the U.S. Ambassador to the troubled country at the time.

So Crocker, who has now left government service and teaches at Yale University, told the group to dress in jeans and work shirts and join him for a walk through the local bazaar.

“Oh wow, you name it. It’s a bewildering array of stuff. From used auto parts to consumer goods to agricultural products,” Crocker said. “And if you look at where it comes from, it is from all over the world.”

Crocker also wanted the visitors to see the buying and selling, the haggling, the daily life of the people.

“For all the dissimilarities of history and culture, we are all pretty much alike,” Crocker said in a recent interview, speaking from New Haven campus. “Ultimately, when you get down to the basics, we are all pretty much alike. Afghans just want a better life for their children. And these people know how to do business.”

Crocker will speak at 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 12, at the Springfield Marriott, 2 Boland Way, in an event sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts. The cost is $50 and people are asked to reserve their seats by Nov. 7. The World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts can be reached at www.worldaffairscouncil.com or (413) 733-0110.

The title of Crocker’s talk will be “Lessons from a Long War: The US and the Strategic Challenges of the Middle East.” A career diplomat, he was the U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan from 2004 to 2007 and to Syria from 1998 to 2001 and Kuwait from 1994 to 1997 and Lebanon from 1990 to 1993. In January 2010 he became dean of Texas A&M’s George Bush School of Government and Public Service until President Barack Obama appointed him to the Afghanistan post in 2011. In August, he left Afghanistan for Yale, where he is a Kissinger Senior Fellow at the Johnson Center for the Study of American Diplomacy.

The World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts has about 200 members and about 35 corporate members, Furst said. Members meet regularly to hear from diplomats and experts in the field. It’s affiliated with the national World Affairs Councils of America, which helps organize trips abroad and helps the local councils host groups from overseas.

“In a very general sense, the business world is very tied to foreign markets and foreign products,” said Furst, who is now president of Momentum Group, a Wilbraham-based sales consulting company.

“I don’t think anyone can ignore the obvious. We all buy products made overseas,” he said.

Crocker said the “Arab Spring” series of revolutions that swept the Middle East started in part because of economic frustration. A Tunisian fruit vendor, Mohamed Bouazizi, set himself on fire in 2010. The man had a college education, couldn’t get a good job and was being gouged by authorities.

“He saw absolutely no way forward for him and his family,” Crocker said.

That act helped lead to a Middle Eastern situation that is as complicated as Crocker said he’s ever seen it.

“This is Arab Spring, Act 1, Scene 1,” he said. “We are just beginning to get into the complexities. This is not over. Where it may go, who knows? It’s the biggest and most profound revolution to sweep the Arab world since the 1950s. The repercussions of those events are still with us today.”

The horrible violence we are seeing across the region is symptomatic of countries that just don’t have the social structures, such as courts and police forces, that we depend on in our society. A country that's been a under the thumb a strongman dictator just never develops those institutions, he said.

“When the top comes off, there isn’t a lot of institutional or social structure underneath,” he said.“ What makes us different is not because we are intrinsically better people. We have institutions to fall back on. They don’t. They are paying for it and we are paying for it.”

Crocker knew Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, who was killed along with three other Americans in an attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, in September.

“One of the finest diplomats of his generation. It’s a huge personal loss for me and a huge professional loss to the United States,” Crocker said.

That the attack occurred at all is also a very troubling sign.

“What that tells me is that al-Qaeda , which is our No. 1 strategic enemy, is gaining ground and not only in Libya but in Syria as well.”

In Afghanistan, he sees fragile progress. Ten years ago there were 900,000 boys in school. Now there are 8.5 million children in school, 40 percent of them girls. Life expectancy has jumped 16 years as medical care gets better.

“There was nothing. No communications, no telecommunications, no health care worth speaking of,” he said. “My only fear is that we decide we are done before we are done. Where we lead, the international community will follow.

“That leadership isn’t just military,” he said. “It’s health-care, education, agriculture and business.”

Filming will begin in Springfield within the next 30 to 45 days.

Film producer and director Stephen "Stix" Josey, left, with author Keshawn Dodds, right. Photo courtesy of AIC

SPRINGFIELD – Keshawn Dodds’ book “Who’s On My Side?” about a teenage boy struggling with an alcoholic father and tough upbringing is about to be a feature length film shot in Springfield.

Dodds’ “Who’s On My Side?” was published in December 2011, and took to the stage as a play the following spring. Dodds wrote the story after a particularly moving dream.

“I had a dream, and from the dream I created my characters. It included some of the things I witnessed when I was a student,” Dodds said. “I realized some people have things going on inside themselves, and you can’t judge them because you don’t know what’s going in their lives.”

The story also took inspiration from Dodds’ own life. Growing up, his father was an alcoholic, who passed away when Dodds was 7 years old.

Dodds also witnessed his best friend, Marcus McDowell, lose a battle with prostate cancer when he was a teenager. The two started writing the comic book "Menzuo- Solar Warrior," which Dodds continued to write and publish as a children's series after McDowell's passing. The memory of McDowell pushed Dodds to write "Who's On My Side?"

“He was an avid artist and I was an avid writer. I never knew this was something I was passionate about until him,” Dodds said.

But “Who’s On My Side,” which covers heavy topics, was not an easy thing to write.

“When I first wrote it I was afraid to put it out, because it was so deep and dark with the main character, Kalen Brown,” said Dodds. “In my subconscious, it addressed so many issues that I never thought I would want to put in a book. When I gave it to my editor he said ‘You have to put this out because it can help so many people in similar situations and help them work it out, dark as it is.’”

The story resonated with film producer-director Stephen “Stix” Josey. The two met through a mutual friend.

“It’s kind of funny, it was a divine intervention. My Internet was down, and I clicked on the radio and it was one of our associates, our friends on the radio, talking to (Josey), and I said ‘I have to meet this guy.’ He got me in touch with him within 10 minutes,” said Dodds.

Josey, who graduated from Springfield College, knew about Dodds after watching him play football at Central High School and at American International College, where Dodds graduated from and is now the director of Greek Life, Dodds said.

“I thought the story was compelling. I could feel the passion, I could see what happened. My father died of cancer too,” said Josey. “The real struggle of the saga within the story, the mother not being there, the father being an alcoholic, and the main character taking different avenues constantly, is amazing.”

Josey, who is the co-founder of MSJ Productions, has worked on and produced music artists and now feature films. He recently directed and acted in the film “Angels Around Me.” He won “Best First Time Director” at the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival.

“I was an angel in ‘Angels Around Me,’ but it was really about me finding God at an early age. So many of us only have faith to lean on, like Brown (the main character in ‘Who’s On My Side?’). Keshawn’s story just made me think ‘I have to turn this into a script,’” said Josey.

Dodds graduated with his master of education degree from AIC in 2009, and worked as an aide for former Springfield Mayor Charles V. Ryan. He is also a motivational speaker.

“Who’s On My Side?” is currently in pre-production, but will begin production in the next 30 to 45 days, Josey said.

“We’ve got the city behind us and we’re going to go ahead with the production soon. We’re always looking for product placement within the city, we’re looking for the story of the city,” said Josey. “People may want to have their businesses shown in the movie. The real objective is to have Springfield become the next Hollywood. Let’s do it here, this is going to be the first feature film shot in Springfield.”

Dodds hopes that the film, along with his personal success story, will inspire others in tough positions.

“I want to help other people see that if they have a dream, they can make it happen. As long as you put your faith in it, things you don’t think you can do can happen. I’ve seen my book move from a play into a motion picture. But a dream doesn’t become a reality unless you work hard,” said Dodds

The MSJ Productions film “Angels Around Me” will be shown on October 30 at 7 p.m. at AIC, where producer Stephen “Stix” Josey (also of “Who’s On My Side?”) will be on hand to answer questions, following the film.

The film “Who’s On My Side?” is expected to be released under MSJ Productions by the spring or summer of 2013, depending on the distributor, said Josey.

The Super 60 event honors local companies in two categories: total revenues and growth in revenues. Jeffrey S. Ciuffreda, president chambers, said the companies honored all show that the region is recovering from the recession.

Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Greg Bialecki addresses the audience at the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield's Super 60 Luncheon at Chez Josef in Agawam on Oct. 26, 2012. The Republican | Don Treeger

AGAWAM – The state plans to partner with local business groups to pitch the region’s virtues as a place to establish or expand operations to 50 large companies, in person, and in the next year.

Gregory P. Bialecki, the state secretary of housing and economic development, announced the plan, part of the state’s “Choosing to Compete in the 21st Century” program, at the annual Super 60 lunch sponsored by the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield.

The focus, Bialecki said, will be on technology , e-commerce and financial services companies who might be looking for back-office operations like computer centers and call centers. “Companies tend to put those in other parts of the country,” Bialecki said. “We think they might be overlooking an opportunity right in their back yard.”

Western Massachusetts has an educated work force, he said. It also has relatively lower costs for real estate compared with major metropolitan areas. The $156 million Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center is an example, he said. The state has invested in the project, but it didn’t tell the universities and private investors building it where it should go. They chose Holyoke because space and Internet connectivity was available and Holyoke has cheap hydroelectric power.

“They looked at communities all over New England,” he said.

Bialecki said he’s seeing signs that companies are starting to plan expansions, or at least consolidations. He wants to make sure that those expansions and consolidations happen here.

“The governor and I believe this region has the resources to make it happen,” Bialecki said.

Also on Friday, MassBenchmarks said growth in Massachusetts real gross domestic product increased at an annual rate of 1.9 percent in the third quarter of 2012.

MassBenchmarks is the journal of the Massachusetts economy published by the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute in collaboration with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

In contrast, the growth in U.S. real gross domestic product increased at an annual rate of 2 percent in the third quarter, according to the Advance Estimate.

But the MassBenchmarks editors said they see growth in high technology sectors.

The Super 60 event honors local companies for both total revenues and growth in revenues. Jeffrey S. Ciuffreda, president of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield said the companies honored Friday all show that the region is recovering from the recession.

Albert Kasper, left, president and COO of Savage Arms in Westfield, talks with keynote speaker Stanley Kowalski III, chairman of FloDesign in Wilbraham, at the Super 60 luncheon on Oct. 26, 2012.The Republican | Don Treeger

The keynote speaker was Stanley Kowalski III, chairman of FloDesign in Wilbraham. The company, which has units developing filtration and wind turbines and other technologies, has grown to 130 employees all over the world.

“I see this economy as an opportunity,” he said.

Especially to hire the talent he needs.

“I’ve been able to offer jobs to people who had no business being unemployed,” Kowalski said.

Albert F. Kasper is president and chief operating officer of Savage Arms in Westfield, one of the 60 companies honored Friday. Savage has 403 employees at its plant and headquarters here. That number has doubled in the last 18 months.

Sales have grown on the strength of new products, Kasper said - and on new people taking up hunting and target shooting.

“People are transitioning from personal protection - we don’t make products for that market - into hunting and target shooting,” Kasper said. “That’s our market and it is growing.”

This is the last in a six-part series by The Washington Post taking a look at the major issues in the 2012 presidential campaign.

The Valero oil refinery looms over the blighted streets of Port Arthur, Texas, which is slated to be the end of the line for the Keystone XL pipeline bringing oil from Canada to the Gulf Coast. Washington Post

Editor's note: This is the sixth in a six-part series by The Washington Post taking a look at the major issues in the presidential campaign.

By DAN BALZ and STEVEN MUFSON
Washington Post

WASHINGTON - Energy politics are price-sensitive. When oil prices spike and costs at the pump rise, presidents respond - and the opposition attacks. President Barack Obama has faced this problem several times, and when prices increased, his approval ratings generally took a hit.

But there's little in the short term that any president can do. Longer term, presidents and presidential candidates for decades have set a goal of energy independence, to no great success. No president or Congress has found the political will or the consensus on policies to achieve that goal. Little in the current campaign suggests that will change starting in 2013.

Listen to the candidates with one ear and you would think they basically agree on energy issues. Both are, in their own ways, advocates of "whatever works" approaches to wean the United States off its dependence on foreign oil. Listen with both ears and you come away understanding the debate that rages from campaign event to campaign event.

In GOP rival Mitt Romney's telling, Obama has slighted domestic production of oil, gas and coal while shoveling billions to alternative-energy companies, some of which have gone bankrupt and some of which are run by his contributors. To hear the president, Romney is a tool of big oil and other energy producers, defending tax breaks for the industry at a time of record profits and not willing to stand up to them on behalf of consumers.

The rhetorical differences are significant, but if there were easy solutions, politicians would have found them long ago.

Here are Obama and Romney's positions on energy, broken down by subject:

Fuel efficiency

Obama

Obama took advantage of the financial crisis in the auto industry to forge an agreement with companies, unions, banks and environmental groups for improving the fuel efficiency of new cars. About one in eight barrels of oil produced worldwide goes into American cars and trucks.

The initial deal set fuel efficiency standards at the equivalent of 35.5 miles per gallon for the average new car by 2016 and later talks set an average of 54.5 miles per gallon for cars and light-duty trucks by model year 2025. Although it will take more than a decade to replace the U.S. vehicle fleet, oil industry economists think that American motor fuel consumption may have peaked.

Romney

Romney opposes Obama's new fuel efficiency standards. He says that the government mandate is the wrong way to improve efficiency and that it will raise the cost of cars more than it will offset the money motorists will save by buying less gas.

"Governor Romney opposes the extreme standards that President Obama has imposed, which will limit choices for American families," a campaign spokeswoman said. "The president tells voters that his regulations will save them thousands of dollars at the pump but always forgets to mention that the savings will be wiped out by having to pay thousands of dollars more up front."

Drilling and pipeline

Obama

Obama rejected an earlier Keystone XL pipeline proposal, saying that a deadline set by Congress did not leave enough time for environmental review. He has left open the possibility of approving a revised plan.

He favors opening up new offshore areas for oil and gas exploration but has proceeded cautiously in the wake of the massive 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. His five-year plan includes preliminary work off the coast of Virginia and the south Atlantic states. He has supported Shell's efforts to drill in Alaska's Chukchi Sea over protests by environmental groups. Mitt Romney has accused him of stifling gulf exploration, but the number of rigs there is about the same as before the spill.

The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed guidelines for hydraulic fracturing, but Obama has not slowed the use of the controversial drilling technique that has spurred higher output of domestic oil and gas. He calls for an all-of-the-above energy strategy and has urged firms to replace coal with natural gas, which has lowered greenhouse gas emissions.

Obama has called for cutting U.S. oil imports by a third by 2020, a target well within reach as a result of higher U.S. output and lower consumption. Low natural gas prices have sped the closure of coal-fired power plants, many of which are 45 to 60 years old.

Romney

Romney has said that on Day One of his administration, he would approve the Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry oil from Canada's oil or tar sands across the Great Plains to the Texas Gulf Coast.

Romney would open up all federal land for oil and gas drilling, including the Pacific, Atlantic and Alaska coasts, as well as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Although oil and gas production has increased sharply since President Obama took office, Romney has accused him of trying to stifle fossil fuels.

Romney says he would aim for North American energy independence, boosting domestic output and relying on Canada and Mexico to fill U.S. oil import needs.
He would strip the Interior Department of its power to lease federal land and turn that over to the states. He also would put regulation of drilling - including hydraulic fracturing - in the hands of states, not the Environmental Protection Agency.

In addition, he would remove the EPA's ability to regulate carbon dioxide, a power that was unambiguously recognized in a Supreme Court ruling during the George W. Bush administration. The EPA is collecting CO2 data and weighing tough limits on
emissions by new power plants. Romney, who says Obama is "killing coal," blames the agency for forcing the closure of coal plants, which are large CO2 emitters.

Wind, solar, other renewables

Obama

Obama came into office vowing to double the use of renewable energy sources, primarily wind and solar power, and he has achieved that. The wind industry has been one of the brightest spots in a tough economy, doubling capacity to 49.8 gigawatts and accounting for a third of new generation for electricity over the past five years.

The president favors extending the production tax credit for wind. He told an audience in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on Aug. 13 that "without these wind energy tax credits, a whole lot of these jobs would be at risk."

The economic stimulus bill in 2009 included major spending on innovative batteries and renewable energy, including loan guarantees and grants for projects, research and development.

The administration approved a $535 million federal loan to Solyndra, a solar panel maker whose technology turned out to be too expensive. The company went bankrupt and defaulted on the loan.

Romney

Romney would eliminate the production tax credit for wind energy and other subsidies for renewable energy. He does, however, support tax incentives for oil drilling.

He also favors the renewable fuel standard that requires a minimum level of ethanol use by refiners of motor fuel. Even though the tax credit for ethanol has expired, the renewable fuel mandate has boosted the use of ethanol to an extent that might not have happened otherwise.

Romney has criticized the energy lending and grant programs in the 2009 economic stimulus bill.

It's important to note that there were plenty of banks - many of them smaller, local institutions that were playing by the rules and continue to do so today.

Buildings and palm trees are reflected on the entrance of the Countrywide Financial Corp. office in Beverly Hills, Calif., in 2008. The top federal prosecutor in Manhattan sued Bank of America for more than $1 billion on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012 for mortgage fraud against Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac during the years around the financial crisis. Associated Press file

Just a few years back, it was possible to get a mortgage with little or no money down, and with no legitimate proof of income.

Those were the days. The days that destroyed our economy, that is.

Because the mortgage-maker turned around and sold the paper immediately, making money with each and every approval, it didn’t matter, at least not to those who were unloading the mortgages, whether a single payment was made. The lending house or bank had moved on to other people, other mortgages, more profits. What mattered – all that mattered – was writing mortgages.

Until the bottom fell out.

It’s important to note that not everyone was acting this way. There were plenty of banks – many of them smaller, local institutions – that were playing by the old rules. Still are today.

But too many others — both fly-by-night storefront operations and banking behemoths alike — were going wild.

The federal government says that Bank of America was among them. And the feds have sued BoA, looking to collect at least $1 billion. The claim is that Bank of America stuck Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the federally backed mortgage giants, with bad mortgages – knowing full well what it was doing.Bank of America, not surprisingly, denies the charge.

We’ve noted before that there was plenty of blame to go around in the creation of the housing bubble that ultimately cratered the economy in the summer of 2008. There was. But four years later, no one has been punished. No one has gone to jail. And no crooked financial institution has really been made to pay for what it did.

Why? The worst financial collapse since the Great Depression didn’t just happen by accident. There were people and institutions at fault.

It’s high time that some of them were held accountable. 

Worst of Sandy today between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., wind gusts above 50 mph.

It is a windy start to our Monday morning, and that will continue to strengthen as the day goes on. The steady batches of rain will be delayed for western Massachusetts a little bit. It is not expected to begin raining persistently until closer to noontime, but as soon as it does start raining, it will barely let up for the remainder of the day.

The "peak" of the storm for western Massachusetts...heaviest rain and strongest wind...is expected between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. today.

In total, expect a general 2 - 3 inches in the Springfield area through Tuesday, with isolated higher amounts possible, especially towards the Berkshires. The steadiest rain is expected early this evening.

Sustained winds will reach 30-35 mph on Monday, with gusts up to 50 mph possible in the Springfield area...60 mph in the hilltowns. The winds should ease up a little bit for the remainder of the storm, eventually dropping to a breezy 15-25 mph by the end of the day Tuesday.

Scattered power outages are possible, although it should not be quite as widespread across western Massachusetts as last year's October Nor'easter. Minor flooding is likely this week in the typically-prone places; low-lying areas, urban areas, underpasses and near creeks and streams. Washed out roadways are also a possibility over hilly terrain.

Much of the damage by last year's Tropical Storm Irene was caused by flooding, while the main concern for this storm will be focused on wind damage.

Hurricane Sandy is still expected to make landfall near Atlantic City, NJ late Monday night. It will then move westward through the Philadelphia area before turning northward and stalling out over central Pennsylvania through Tuesday and Wednesday. The persistent rain eventually comes to an end on Wednesday, although scattered showers will stick around as this storm lingers/dissipates through Friday.

Today: Nor'easter conditions, wind and rain, strongest between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., high 58.

Tonight: Rainy and windy, gusts ease up a little, low 54.

Tuesday: Nor'easter conditions, breezy and rainy, winds continue dying down, high 60.

Wednesday: Cloudy, scattered showers, a little breezy, high 59.

Question 1 would make manufacturers' repair data and diagnostic codes for vehicles more easily available to individuals, independent auto mechanics and big retailers such as Advance Auto Parts.

The Republican file | Mark M. MurrayMike Reardon, left, manager of the WestSide Tire and Auto Service in West Springfield, and Pete Kearing, right, owner of the business, look over a car being worked on in their garage in 2010.

Voters in Massachusetts on Nov. 6 will be asked to approve a "right to repair" law in a ballot question that will settle a long dispute between auto manufacturers and independent repair shops.

Question 1 on the ballot would make manufacturers' repair data and diagnostic codes for vehicles more easily available to individuals, independent auto mechanics and big retailers such as Advance Auto Parts. Those groups want the same access to the information as the manufacturers and franchised dealers.

The question seeks to mandate that auto manufacturers provide all the most recent diagnostic and repair information through a non-proprietary software system and tools that could be purchased at "fair market value" by independent repair businesses and individuals.

Question 1 is also about who controls the technology of the future. Supporters said approval of the ballot question would assure that auto makers share information when it becomes routine to use telecommunications similar to OnStar to remotely diagnose and repair vehicles, maybe even while they are moving.

Supporters of the ballot question said it could help reduce repair costs and provide consumers more choices when getting their vehicles repaired.

Opponents, including automaker trade groups, say the bill is too stringent and could require them to re-design existing models. Manufacturers also argue that they already give repair shops important access to information in the same way it is provided to dealers. The automaker trade groups have raised about $300,000 and spent $195,000 this year on Question 1.

Manufacturers also point out that companies and industry organizations are financing the ballot question to help get their way on the issues. The Massachusetts Right to Repair Committee raised about $1.8 million including about $900,000 from the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association in Maryland and $150,000 apiece from AutoZone in Memphis and Advance Auto Parts in Virginia.

Arthur Kinsman

Opponents favor a compromise "right to repair" law passed on Beacon Hill in early August that was backed by both sides of the ballot question. They are asking voters on a web site to skip Question 1.

But the question will still appear on the ballot because the compromise law was passed after a July 3 deadline for taking a question off the ballot.

People on both sides of the debate had agreed to back the compromise law and had urged voters to pass over or "skip" the ballot question.

That agreement fell apart about two weeks ago.

Since he appeared at the Statehouse press conference to support the compromise, Arthur Kinsman, spokesman for the Massachusetts Right to Repair Committee, said he has received "overwhelming" feedback from people that the ballot question should still be pushed, partly because the ballot question provides a stronger "right to repair" law than the compromise.

Kinsman's coalition is now urging people to vote "yes" on Question 1.

"The Massachusetts Right to Repair Committee embarked on an outreach campaign with voters and our thousands of coalition members to inform them about the powerful new law. What we found .. is that consumers still overwhelmingly support a yes vote for question one," Kinsman said.

Matthew Godlewski

Officials at AAA of Pioneer Valley in West Springfield and AAA of Southern New England in Providence said they also want voters to vote "yes" on Question 1.

Daniel J. Gage , a spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers in Washington, said that independent repair technicians and consumers can currently obtain diagnostic repair codes if they purchase access to a web site and buy the right tools.

"We are continuing with our campaign to educate voters on the benefits of the right to repair agreement that is now law," Gage said.

The compromise law, which coincidentally takes effect on election day, contains many of the same provisions in the ballot question, but is different on telecommunications and in a couple of other key ways.

Polls have shown that the ballot question is likely to pass. If it's approved, the ballot question would take precedence over the state law, but the state law would be in place until Jan. 1.

Auto makers like the compromise because it provides more time and does not lock them into using one standard interface for transmitting repair codes and other information, as the ballot question requires. They have said that technology is too old and could be ineffective.

The ballot law also contains a punitive measure that would ban manufacturers from selling or leasing in Massachusetts if they can't comply by 2015.

Gage said auto makers are still committed to implementing all parties agreed to during compromise negotiations. He said his side is moving forward with its campaign to ask voters to skip the ballot question.

“Automakers applaud the fair and thoughtful way the Massachusetts Legislature addressed this difficult and complex issue," said a joint statement by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and the Association of Global Automakers, the leading trade groups for the industry that together represent 26 vehicle manufacturers. "We continue to support the negotiated Right to Repair agreement that resulted and has since become law, a law that is in the best interests of Massachusetts voters, car owners and all parties involved.”

Sandra Marsian

The dispute is also over increasing use of technology to diagnose vehicle problems.

Sandra J. Marsian, a vice president for AAA of Pioneer Valley, said a newer-model car is a "rolling computer" that generates a lot of data about location, speed, repair and other information for owners. The ballot question would allow vehicle owners to control that computerized information and assure that it is provided to an independent mechanic if needed, she said.

However, the compromise law would allow vehicle manufacturers to retain the information , Marsian said.

Gage cited some complex issues involving telecommunications, including consumer safety, privacy and intellectual property. Until the technology is firmly in place and being utilized, it is smart to exclude it from a law, he said.

Automakers said they are concerned that right to repair could make Massachusetts a hub for business-to-business litigation over automotive parts design.

"Automakers remain committed to making available to the aftermarket
all the service and repair information that is provided to franchised dealers, provided that there is adequate protection for manufacturers’ intellectual property, feasible implementation timelines, and a reasonable enforcement program," said a letter on the issue cosigned by Matthew Godlewski, a vice president for the Alliance of Auto Manufacturers.

Leneus, a walk-on defensive lineman, saw significant playing time at guard during the Vanderbilt game.

Al Leneus went from scout-team defensive lineman to playing right guard at Vanderbilt over the course of a little more than two weeks. Photo Courtesy of UMass Athletics

AMHERST — A couple of weeks ago, University of Massachusetts offensive line coach Ron Hudson told Al Leneus it was too late. His decision was made. The die was cast — Leneus, a freshman, was a defensive lineman.

As it happens, it was not, in fact, too late.

After walking onto the Minutemen football team as a defensive lineman, the Nanuet, N.Y. native got his first playing time of his career Saturday against Vanderbilt — as a guard.

Hudson said he saw Leneus “goofing off” on the offensive side of the ball, and that was when he told him it was too late.

“He said, ‘Well, I’m not sure. I’d like to play, and maybe I could play faster on O.’ I said, ‘That’s not up to me, you have to ask the head coach that,’” Hudson recalled. “So, he talked to the head coach, and the next thing I know he’s wearing one of our jerseys.”

UMass is desperate for consistent play at the guard position with Nick Speller still suspended for academic issues. One of his replacements, Jamie Casselberry, has missed the last two games with a concussion and has no timetable for a return. Speller could return as soon as Wednesday, but until he does, the revolving door of Matt Sparks, John Wallace, and now Leneus is going to continue at right guard.

Leneus, who was on the scout team's defensive line, converted during the bye week, and just two weeks later, found himself on the field during the third offensive series of the Vanderbilt game.

On his very first play, he blew an assignment. After that, he was part of a Minutemen drive that was its best of the game — and ended at the Vanderbilt 9.

“He came off to the sideline and I said, ‘That first play you were awful.’ And he goes, ‘Coach, I’m not going to lie, I was scared to death. That was my first college football play,’” Hudson recalled. “I said, ‘Welcome to college football. Now, you’ve got to make that block from now on.’”

Hudson said he has seen great improvement in Leneus, and appreciates his work ethic. At 6’2”, 295 lbs., offensive line isn’t necessarily a natural position for him.

“He’s a 600-pound squatter, he’s a powerful young man in a unique package. He loves the game,” Hudson said. “You’ve got a guy that loves the game, has a chip on his shoulder and wants to go be physical with people. You give him a shot.”

Leneus said that despite their old ties, his buddies on the defensive line haven’t been taking it easy on him during practice by any stretch.

“They are after me. Ryan Delaire, Stanley Andre, Chaz Thompson, they’re all coming for me,” Leneus said. “Trust me, there’s no sympathy.”

More than anything, Hudson stressed that Leneus has been a positive force of energy to be around.

“In his career here, I will love coaching him, but you’re going to enjoy him, because he’s a great kid with a great personality,” Hudson said. “He’s always got something goofy to say. He has fun.”

For a much-maligned offensive line, perhaps a little fun is exactly what they need.

ROSTER UPDATES

Molnar’s fears about linebacker Greg Hilliard being out for the season have been realized. The coach confirmed Tuesday that the shoulder injury that has kept Hilliard out for the past five games will sideline the sophomore for the remainder of the season.

The injury was originally thought to merely be a stinger, but Hilliard could not regain functional strength, and thus, has been ruled out for the rest of 2012.

Molnar said there is a possibility that the team could seek a medical redshirt for Hilliard, but was unable to give an official answer.

Cornerback Antoine Tharpe’s foot has his status as “doubtful” for Northern Illinois, according to Molnar.

The governor praised leaders of state agencies for preparing for the storm, which knocked out power to about 400,000 electric utility customers in the state at its height on Monday

Gov. Deval L. Patrick said today that the state "was very, very fortunate" to escape Hurricane Sandy with no extensive or serious damage to roads or other infrastructure.

State offices, except for emergency personnel, opened on Tuesday after being closed on Monday for the storm.

Patrick praised leaders of state agencies for preparing for the storm, which knocked out power to about 400,000 electric utility customers in the state at its height on Monday.

"Frankly by comparison to some of our neighbors, we are blessed," Patrick told reporters in Revere, a coastal community north of Boston that had minor damage.

"There isn’t any one part of the state where there is real devastation – again that’s a blessing," Patrick said. "I’ve had reports from all over the state, but it’s mostly isolated kinds of things."

During a press conference at state emergency management headquarters in Framingham, Patrick said electric utilities were making progress in restoring power. With the winds died down and the storm virtually over, he said "now is the time" for the utilities to perform.

"I love you all but you have been asking me if the utilities have been successful since before the storm started," Patrick told a reporter. "Now is the time for the utility companies to show us their performance, and more to the point, to show their customers their performance."

The Western Massachusetts Electric Co., which serves 59 communities in the region, said 7,872 customers, or 3 percent of its total, were without power as of 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday, the company's website said.

National Grid, which serves 168 cities and towns including Belchertown, Palmer, Northampton and Wilbraham and other communities in Western Massachusetts, said that 148,575 customers had lost power as of a little past 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, according to its website.

Patrick said damage is getting cleaned up, but the state was fortunate because no devastation resulted from the storm. "It turned out OK on the whole," the governor said. "I'm relieved, that's for sure."

The Air National Guard unit is preparing for a 2013 inspection of its readiness status.

The Air National Guard's 104th Fighter Wing, based at Barnes Municipal Airport in Westfield, flies F-15 Eagle fighter jets; some of the unit's jets are shown here in a file photo from 2010. The Republican file photo

WESTFIELD — Increased air and ground activity is expected Friday and Saturday at Barnes Regional Airport as the Air National Guard’s 104th Fighter Wing prepares for a 2013 inspection of its readiness status.

The wing, with its 1,100 members and 18 F-15 jet fighter aircraft, will conduct a large-scale operational readiness exercise Nov. 2 and Nov. 3 at Barnes Regional Airport, Executive Officer Matthew T. Mutti said Tuesday.

Upwards of 30 F-15 flights are scheduled both days from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. along with simulated ground explosions, alert sirens and smoke that will provide realistic combat training and survival experience for the guard unit.

Gov. Deval Patrick said damage assessment teams found no evidence of any serious infrastructure damage, though there were plenty of toppled trees and damage to individual homes and businesses.

Don Mahoney of Natick, Mass. searches for articles of value along the oceanfront at Plum Island in Newbury, Mass. Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012 in the wake of hybrid superstorm Sandy. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola) Associated Press

By BOB SALSBERG and DENISE LAVOIE
Associated Press

FREETOWN, Mass. — Relieved that the state escaped the full brunt of Sandy's fury, Massachusetts officials offered a hand Tuesday to hard-hit states in the region while monitoring the progress of utilities restoring power at home.

Gov. Deval Patrick said damage assessment teams found no evidence of any serious infrastructure damage, though there were plenty of toppled trees and damage to individual homes and businesses. As of Tuesday evening, the number of Massachusetts residents without power had dropped below 200,000, compared with some 400,000 at the height of the storm on Monday.

"We feel very fortunate, particularly as you look at some of the scenes and read some of the reports from New York and New Jersey and Connecticut," the governor said. He has been in touch with officials in those states to see what Massachusetts can do to help.

The Massachusetts National Guard sent two helicopters and flight crews to New Jersey on Tuesday to assist with search and rescue efforts. Secretary of Transportation Richard Davey said the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority was also prepared to offer technical assistance to New York City, if needed, to help restore service to its flooded subway system.

Many schools in Massachusetts remained closed, but residents in south coastal areas were mostly relieved that the 6-foot storm surge caused by the powerful hybrid storm did not cause more extensive damage.

Sarah Whittey of Freetown watched nervously Monday as water from the Assonet River rose behind her home, a historic house built in 1720 and known to local residents as "Aunt Kate's House."

"We have five steps in the back. When it came up to the second step, we were going to leave, but we saw it hold there so we decided to stay," Whittey said Tuesday.

"There were some prayers said on that back deck last night ... family first, friends, strangers, then property. We were very, very lucky."

At Grandpa's Place, a variety store in Assonet, the parking lot was flooded when the river surged over its banks Monday evening and poured into nearby yards. Owner Liz Borges said she and her husband borrowed a truck and started loading up goods from the store.

"We loaded everything — beer, wine, soda, candy — everything," Borges said. "As soon as we got everything loaded, the water started to go back down. We didn't lose anything."

Utility crews were working around the clock to restore power.

A spokesman for NStar said the company hoped to fully restore power by Thursday night. National Grid said it was not yet prepared to say when all power would be restored in Massachusetts.

Dick Ellis, a retired teacher from Whitman, lost his electricity at about 4 p.m. Monday and was still without power more than 24 hours later.

"We get so dependent on electricity; it's hard to do without it," Ellis said. "Last night, we were reading newspapers and books by lantern but then that started flickering from a low battery, so we went to bed at 9:30."

Patrick said during a briefing at the state's emergency management center in Framingham that 161 people spent Monday night in shelters around Massachusetts. Officials had opened enough shelters statewide to accommodate thousands, if necessary.

Truck driver Chris Marrero, 31, spent the night in a Red Cross shelter in New Bedford after the storm's high winds ripped the chimney and part of the roof off his apartment building and sent bricks and other debris crashing through a skylight in his neighbor's apartment.

No one was injured, but the building's roof was badly damaged and the city deemed the building unsafe. Residents, including Marrero and his wife and their 6- and 10-year-old sons, were evacuated and most spent the night at the shelter at Keith Middle School.

While Marrero said he felt unsettled staying at the shelter, his sons compared their stay to camping and "a big sleepover." He was just grateful no one was injured.

"It could have been way worse," he said.

Transportation was also returning to normal around the state. Service on the MBTA, which shut down Monday, was fully restored by Tuesday with the exception of the D Branch of the Green Line, where buses were substituting for trolleys.

Ferry service also resumed to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.

There were no reports of damage to runways at Boston's Logan International Airport, Patrick said. But commercial flight disruptions were expected to continue as a result of problems caused by the storm elsewhere along the East Coast.

Communities were thinking ahead to Halloween, with some pushing trick-or-treating and related festivities to later in the week and others saying they could go ahead Wednesday.

The latter included Salem, Mass., where the famed witch trials took place in 1680. About 50,000 costumed revelers are expected to show up for a day of events culminating with a fireworks display over Salem Harbor.

The celebration concludes a monthlong "Haunted Happenings" celebration that generates approximately $25 million in economic activity for the city.

The storm caused some power outages and forced some attractions in the city to close temporarily, but Kate Fox, executive director of Destination Salem, the city's tourism agency, said all were expected to be open on Wednesday

"We are lucky, so very lucky," she said.

___

The Suffolk University/WHDH-TV poll shows the "death with dignity" Question 2 supported by a 47 to 41 percent margin, compared with a 64-27 percent margin of backing in a similar poll taken six weeks earlier.

BOSTON — A new poll shows support for all three initiatives on the Massachusetts ballot next month, but approval for the so-called "death with dignity" question appears to be slipping.

The Suffolk University/WHDH-TV poll shows Question 2 supported by a 47 to 41 percent margin, compared with a 64-27 percent margin of backing in a similar poll taken six weeks earlier.

The proposal would allow doctors to prescribe life-ending medication at the request of certain terminally ill patients.

Nearly three-quarters of those surveyed backed Question 1, which would require automakers to share diagnostic and repair information with independent mechanics. Fifty-five percent backed Question 3, which would allow marijuana to be used for some medical purposes.

The survey of 600 likely voters, conducted Oct. 25-28, had a margin of error of plus or minus four points.

A weakening Sandy, the hurricane turned fearsome superstorm, killed at least 50 people, many hit by falling trees, and still wasn't finished. It inched inland across Pennsylvania, ready to bank toward western New York to dump more of its water and likely cause more havoc Tuesday night.

Brian Hajeski, 41, of Brick, N.J., reacts after looking at debris of a home that washed up on to the Mantoloking Bridge the morning after superstorm Sandy rolled through, Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, in Mantoloking, N.J. Sandy, the storm that made landfall Monday, caused multiple fatalities, halted mass transit and cut power to more than 6 million homes and businesses. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Associated Press

By TED ANTHONY
AP National Writer

PITTSBURGH — The most devastating storm in decades to hit the country's most densely populated region upended man and nature as it rolled back the clock on 21st-century lives, cutting off modern communication and leaving millions without power Tuesday as thousands who fled their water-menaced homes wondered when — if — life would return to normal.

A weakening Sandy, the hurricane turned fearsome superstorm, killed at least 50 people, many hit by falling trees, and still wasn't finished. It inched inland across Pennsylvania, ready to bank toward western New York to dump more of its water and likely cause more havoc Tuesday night. Behind it: a dazed, inundated New York City, a waterlogged Atlantic Coast and a moonscape of disarray and debris — from unmoored shore-town boardwalks to submerged mass-transit systems to delicate presidential politics.

"Nature," said New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, assessing the damage to his city, "is an awful lot more powerful than we are."

More than 8.2 million households were without power in 17 states as far west as Michigan. Nearly 2 million of those were in New York, where large swaths of lower Manhattan lost electricity and entire streets ended up under water — as did seven subway tunnels between Manhattan and Brooklyn at one point, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said. The New York Stock Exchange was closed for a second day from weather, the first time that has happened since a blizzard in 1888. The city's subway system, the lifeblood of more than 5 million residents, was damaged like never before and closed indefinitely, and Consolidated Edison said electricity in and around New York could take a week to restore.

"Everybody knew it was coming. Unfortunately, it was everything they said it was," said Sal Novello, a construction executive who rode out the storm with his wife, Lori, in the Long Island town of Lindenhurst, and ended up with 7 feet of water in the basement.

The scope of the storm's damage wasn't known yet. Though early predictions of river flooding in Sandy's inland path were petering out, colder temperatures made snow the main product of Sandy's slow march from the sea. Parts of the West Virginia mountains were blanketed with 2 feet of snow by Tuesday afternoon, and drifts 4 feet deep were reported at Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the Tennessee-North Carolina border.

With Election Day a week away, the storm also threatened to affect the presidential campaign. Federal disaster response, always a dicey political issue, has become even thornier since government mismanagement of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. And poll access and voter turnout, both of which hinge upon how people are impacted by the storm, could help shift the outcome in an extremely close race.

As organized civilization came roaring back Tuesday in the form of emergency response, recharged cellphones and the reassurance of daylight, harrowing stories and pastiches emerged from Maryland north to Rhode Island in the hours after Sandy's howling winds and tidal surges shoved water over seaside barriers, into low-lying streets and up from coastal storm drains.

Images from around the storm-affected areas depicted scenes reminiscent of big-budget disaster movies. In Atlantic City, N.J., a gaping hole remained where once a stretch of boardwalk sat by the sea. In Queens, N.Y., rubble from a fire that destroyed as many as 100 houses in an evacuated beachfront neighborhood jutted into the air at ugly angles against a gray sky. In heavily flooded Hoboken, N.J., across the Hudson River from Manhattan, dozens of yellow cabs sat parked in rows, submerged in murky water to their windshields. At the ground zero construction site in lower Manhattan, sea water rushed into a gaping hole under harsh floodlights.

One of the most dramatic tales came from lower Manhattan, where a failed backup generator forced New York University's Tisch Hospital to relocate more than 200 patients, including 20 babies from neonatal intensive care. Dozens of ambulances lined up in the rainy night and the tiny patients were gingerly moved out, some attached to battery-powered respirators as gusts of wind blew their blankets.

In Moonachie, N.J., 10 miles north of Manhattan, water rose to 5 feet within 45 minutes and trapped residents who thought the worst of the storm had passed. Mobile-home park resident Juan Allen said water overflowed a 2-foot wall along a nearby creek, filling the area with 2 to 3 feet of water within 15 minutes. "I saw trees not just knocked down but ripped right out of the ground," he said. "I watched a tree crush a guy's house like a wet sponge."

In a measure of its massive size, waves on southern Lake Michigan rose to a record-tying 20.3 feet. High winds spinning off Sandy's edges clobbered the Cleveland area early Tuesday, uprooting trees, closing schools and flooding major roads along Lake Erie.

Most along the East Coast, though, grappled with an experience like Bertha Weismann of Bridgeport, Conn.— frightening, inconvenient and financially problematic but, overall, endurable. Her garage was flooded and she lost power, but she was grateful. "I feel like we are blessed," she said. "It could have been worse."

The presidential candidates' campaign maneuverings Tuesday revealed the delicacy of the need to look presidential in a crisis without appearing to capitalize on a disaster. President Barack Obama canceled a third straight day of campaigning, scratching events scheduled for Wednesday in swing-state Ohio, in Sandy's path. Republican Mitt Romney resumed his campaign with plans for an Ohio rally billed as a "storm relief event."

And the weather posed challenges a week out for how to get everyone out to vote. On the hard-hit New Jersey coastline, a county elections chief said some polling places on barrier islands will be unusable and have to be moved.

"This is the biggest challenge we've ever had," said George R. Gilmore, chairman of the Ocean County Board of Elections.

By Tuesday afternoon, there were still only hints of the economic impact of the storm. Airports remained closed across the East Coast and far beyond as tens of thousands of travelers found they couldn't get where they were going.

Forecasting firm IHS Global Insight predicted the storm will end up causing about $20 billion in damages and $10 billion to $30 billion in lost business. Another firm, AIR Worldwide, estimated losses up to $15 billion — big numbers probably offset by reconstruction and repairs that will contribute to longer-term growth.

"The biggest problem is not the first few days but the coming months," said Alan Rubin, an expert in nature disaster recovery.

Sandy began in the Atlantic and knocked around the Caribbean — killing nearly 70 people — and strengthened into a hurricane as it chugged across the southeastern coast of the United States. By Tuesday night it had ebbed in strength but was joining up with another, more wintry storm — an expected confluence of weather systems that earned it nicknames like "superstorm" and, on Halloween eve, "Frankenstorm."

It became, pretty much everyone agreed Tuesday, the weather event of a lifetime — and one shared vigorously on social media by people in Sandy's path who took eye-popping photographs as the storm blew through, then shared them with the world by the blue light of their smartphones.

On Twitter , Facebook and the photo-sharing service Instagram, people tried to connect, reassure relatives and make sense of what was happening — and, in many cases, work to authenticate reports of destruction and storm surges. They posted and passed around images and real-time updates at a dizzying rate, wishing each other well and gaping, virtually, at scenes of calamity moments after they unfolded. Among the top terms on Facebook through the night and well into Tuesday, according to the social network: "we are OK," ''made it" and "fine."

Around midday Tuesday, Sandy was about 120 miles east of Pittsburgh, pushing westward with winds of 45 mph, and was expected to turn toward New York State on Tuesday night. Although weakening as it goes, the storm will continue to bring heavy rain and flooding, said Daniel Brown of the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Atlantic City's fabled Boardwalk, the first in the nation, lost several blocks when Sandy came through, though the majority of it remained intact even as other Jersey Shore boardwalks were dismantled. What damage could be seen on the coastline Tuesday was, in some locations, staggering — "unthinkable," New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said of what unfolded along the Jersey Shore, where houses were swept from their foundations and amusement park rides were washed into the ocean. "Beyond anything I thought I would ever see."

Resident Carol Mason returned to her bayfront home to carpets that squished as she stepped on them. She made her final mortgage payment just last week. Facing a mandatory evacuation order, she had tried to ride out the storm at first but then saw the waters rising outside her bathroom window and quickly reconsidered.

"I looked at the bay and saw the fury in it," she said. "I knew it was time to go."

___

Contributing to this report were Katie Zezima in Atlantic City, N.J.; Alicia Caldwell and Martin Crutsinger in Washington; Colleen Long, Jennifer Peltz, Tom Hays, Larry Neumeister, Ralph Russo and Scott Mayerowitz in New York; Meghan Barr in Mastic Beach, N.Y.; Christopher S. Rugaber in Arlington, Va.; Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pa.: John Christoffersen in Bridgeport, Conn.; Vicki Smith in Elkins, W.Va.; David Porter in Newark, N.J.; Joe Mandak in Pittsburgh; and Dave Collins in Hartford, Conn.