A university presence in Western Massachusetts' largest city could transform the dynamic of Springfield for the better.

University of Massachusetts President Robert Caret speaks during a reception in honor Henry M. Thomas III , the new chairman of the University of Massachusetts' Board of Trustees. The event was held at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield in September. The Republican file / Mark M. Murray

If not for a twist of fate, the University of Massachusetts’ flagship campus might have been built in the city of Springfield instead of Amherst.

During the bleakest days of the Civil War, Congress had before it an enlightened piece of legislation that would create a national system of public higher education. The intent of the Morrill Land Grant Act, named for Vermont Congressman Justin Smith Morrill, was to make a college degree accessible to every citizen of the commonwealth, not just the elite few. It sounded like a good idea to folks in Springfield.

So, as Springfield was preparing for the state elections on Nov. 5, 1861, a question was added to the ballot: “Would the voters authorize the transfer of the city farm, or poor house, to the state for the creation of an agricultural college in the city?”

An additional $25,000 had already been pledged for the project. The forerunner of this newspaper editorialized in favor and the vote passed, but the war delayed the project.

And the rest, they say, is history. In 1863, it was Amherst, not Springfield, that became the location for the new Massachusetts Agricultural College. Since its inception, the state’s new land grant college, which built its curriculum around farming – and the principle that science and research could be used to improve the overall quality of life – continued to evolve into an institution that has embraced breathtaking technological and scientific advances to prepare its graduates for the world that awaits them. Whether it be organic farming or high-performance computing, UMass was there, in the forefront.

UMass President Robert L. Caret says the university remains committed to its original mission of transformation. In a Nov. 4 article for the Sunday Republican, Caret wrote: “We have never fought harder to maintain accessibility and affordability for our students, while competing with some of the top research universities in the country. And we will never stop pursuing innovative ideas to make our state, our country and our world a more profound place to live.”

Might that renewed commitment include an outreach to the urban areas not envisioned when the land-grant concept was developed? Say a satellite campus in Springfield, the heavily populated urban hub of Western Massachusetts?

The recent appointment of Springfield’s Henry M. Thomas III to the position of chairman of the UMass Board of Trustees brings well-deserved recognition to a longtime champion of the university system. We hope Thomas’ commitment to the city he calls home will spark some new ideas about how to expand the land-grant concept to urban areas.

We have long advocated for an increased UMass presence in the city, offering courses and programming that complement the Amherst campus and the curriculum of the other fine Springfield institutions of higher learning.We believe the university could attract additional students and new supporters. We believe UMass would learn much from – and bring much to – the challenges of modern urban America. We know that Springfield would welcome more college students and appreciate the social and cultural energy they exude. And we think, over time, a substantial, growing UMass presence here could transform the dynamic of Springfield – for the better — as nothing else could possibly do. After 150 years, it’s time to bring Springfield back into the conversation as UMass continues its mission of transformation.

Late Friday and Saturday, the opportunists took to eBay and Craigslist. They began marketing their hoard to whimsical collectors and junk-food lovers for hundreds — and in some cases — thousands of dollars. That's a fat profit margin, when you consider the retail price for a box of 10 Twinkies is roughly $5.

A cashier rings up boxes of Hostess Twinkies and Cup Cakes at the Hostess Brands' bakery in Denver, Friday Nov. 16, 2012. Hostess Brands Inc. said Friday it would shutter after years of struggling with management turmoil, rising labor costs and the ever-changing tastes of Americans even as its pantry of sugary cakes seemed suspended in time. Associated Press

MICHAEL LIEDTKE
AP Business Writer

SAN FRANCISCO — Twinkies are being sold on the Internet like exquisite delicacies.

Hours after Twinkie-maker Hostess announced its plans to close its doors forever, people flocked to stores to fill their shopping baskets with boxes of the cream-filled sponge cakes and their sibling snacks — Ding Dongs, Ho Hos and Zingers.

Late Friday and Saturday, the opportunists took to eBay and Craigslist. They began marketing their hoard to whimsical collectors and junk-food lovers for hundreds — and in some cases — thousands of dollars. That's a fat profit margin, when you consider the retail price for a box of 10 Twinkies is roughly $5.

Greg Edmonds of Sherman, Texas is among those who believe Twinkies are worth more now that Hostess Brands Inc. has closed its bakeries. He lost his job as a sales representative eight months ago, so he is hoping to make some money feeding the appetites of Twinkie fans and connoisseurs

After spending a couple hours driving around to stores Friday, Edmonds wound up with 16 boxes of Twinkies and Ding Dongs. He started selling them Saturday on eBay, advertising three boxes for a hefty price of $300.

"I could really use the extra money since I'm unemployed," Edmonds, 50, said. "I figure I better sell them pretty quickly because I am not sure how long this novelty is going to last."

Contrary to popular belief, Twinkies don't last forever. Most bought in stores Friday carry an expiration date of early December,

If buyers don't bite, Edmonds isn't sure what he will do with his supply. He doesn't even like Twinkies. "I do like to have a Ding Dong, every once in a while though," he said.

John Stansel of Tampa, Fla. blanches at the thought of eating a Twinkie. He's a self-described health nut.

Yet he, too, rummaged shelves late Friday at a neighborhood Walgreens and then again early Saturday at Target and a grocery store. He spent about $100 for 20 boxes of Twinkies and Ding Dongs. His goal: sell them for about $1,000 and put the money to good use.

"Maybe I will hire a personal trainer for myself or go do some shopping at Whole Foods or donate the money to a charity to fight diabetes," Stansel, 40, said. "No matter what, I figure I am getting sugar off the streets."

Although Hostess is shutting down, it's still possible that Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Ho Hos could make a comeback. That's because Hostess is planning to sell its brands and other assets at an auction to be overseen by a U.S. bankruptcy judge in New York. Several potential buyers could emerge for Twinkies, particularly with the recent outpouring of affection.

A hearing on Hostess's liquidation request is scheduled for Monday morning.

Not all online sellers are demanding top dollar. Some boxes are being listed at $5 to $20. Others are willing to barter. "I am willing to trade a box for some good microbrew. A real quality six pack," offered a thirsty New York seller on Craigslist.

Despite his disdain for junk food, Stansel confesses he won't sell a few of his individually wrapped Twinkies. He plans to give them to his nostalgic friends and family as stocking stuffers for Christmas.

In all, 46 Palestinians, including 15 civilians, have been killed and more than 400 civilians wounded, according to medical officials. Three Israeli civilians have been killed and more than 50 wounded.

Smoke rises during an explosion from an Israeli forces strike in Gaza City, Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012. Israel bombarded the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip with nearly 200 airstrikes early Saturday, the military said, widening a blistering assault on Gaza rocket operations by militants to include the prime minister's headquarters, a police compound and a vast network of smuggling tunnels. Associated Press

IBRAHIM BARZAK
and JOSEF FEDERMAN
Associated Press

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israel destroyed the headquarters of Hamas' prime minister and blasted a sprawling network of smuggling tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday, broadening a blistering four-day-old offensive against the Islamic militant group even as diplomatic efforts to broker a cease-fire appeared to be gaining steam.

In neighboring Egypt, President Mohammed Morsi hosted leaders from Hamas and two key allies, Qatar and Turkey, to seek a way to end the fighting.

"There are discussions about the ways to bring a cease-fire soon, but there are no guarantees until now," Morsi said at a news conference. He said he was working with Turkey, Arab countries, the U.S., Russia and western European countries to halt the fighting.

Israel launched the operation on Wednesday in what it said was an effort to end months of rocket fire out of the Hamas-ruled territory. It began the offensive with an unexpected airstrike that killed Hamas' powerful military chief, and since then has relentlessly targeted suspected rocket launchers and storage sites.

In all, 46 Palestinians, including 15 civilians, have been killed and more than 400 civilians wounded, according to medical officials. Three Israeli civilians have been killed and more than 50 wounded.

Israeli military officials expressed satisfaction with their progress Saturday, claiming they have inflicted heavy damage to Hamas.

"Most of their capabilities have been destroyed," Maj. Gen. Tal Russo, Israel's southern commander, told reporters. Asked whether Israel is ready to send ground troops into Gaza, he said: "Absolutely."

The White House said President Barack Obama was also in touch with the Egyptian and Turkish leaders. The U.S. has solidly backed Israel so far.

Speaking on Air Force One, deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said that the White House believes Israel "has the right to defend itself" against attack and that the Israelis will make their own decisions about their "military tactics and operations."

The White House, which like Israel considers Hamas a terrorist organization, also continued to support Israel. "We believe Israel has a right to defend itself, and they'll make their own decisions about the tactics they use in that regard," deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters on Air Force One.

Despite the bruising offensive, Israel has failed to slow the barrages of rockets from Gaza.

The Israeli military said 160 rockets were launched into Israel on Saturday, raising the total number to roughly 500 since this week's fighting began. Eight Israelis, including five civilians, were lightly wounded Saturday, the army said.

Israel carried out at least 300 airstrikes on Saturday, the military said, and it broadened its array of targets. One air raid flattened the three-story office building used by Hamas' prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh. He was not inside the building at the time.

In southern Gaza, aircraft went after the tunnels that militants use to smuggle in weapons and other contraband from neighboring Egypt. Tunnel operators said the intensity of the bombing was unprecedented, and that massive explosions could be heard kilometers (miles) away, both in Gaza and in Egypt.

The operators, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the illicit nature of their business, said they cannot approach the tunnel area to assess the damage, but the blasts appeared to be more powerful than in Israel's last major push to destroy the tunnels during a previous offensive four years ago. The tunnels are a key lifeline for Hamas, bringing in both weapons and supporting a lucrative trade that helps fund the group's activities.

Missiles also smashed into two small security facilities and the massive Hamas police headquarters in Gaza City, setting off a huge blaze that engulfed nearby houses and civilian cars parked outside, the Interior Ministry reported. No one was inside the buildings.

Air attacks knocked out five electricity transformers, cutting off power to more than 400,000 people in southern Gaza, according to the Gaza electricity distribution company. People switched on backup generators for limited electrical supplies.

Hamas has unveiled an arsenal of more powerful, longer-range rockets this week, and for the first time has struck at Israel's two largest cities, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Both cities, more than 70 kilometers (45 miles) from Gaza, had previously been beyond rocket range.

In a psychological boost for Israel, a new rocket-defense system known as "Iron Dome" knocked down a rocket headed toward Tel Aviv, eliciting cheers from relieved residents huddled in fear after air raid sirens sounded in the city.

Associated Press video showed a plume of smoke following an intercepting missile out of a rocket-defense battery deployed near the city, followed by a burst of light overhead as it struck its target.

Police said a second rocket also targeted Tel Aviv. It was not clear where it landed or whether it was shot down. No injuries were reported. It was the third straight day the city was targeted.

Israel says the Iron Dome system has shot down some 250 of 500 rockets fired toward the country this week, most in southern Israel near Gaza.

Saturday's interception was the first time Iron Dome has been deployed in Tel Aviv. The battery was a new upgraded version that was only activated on Saturday, two months ahead of schedule, the Defense Ministry said.

Israel has vowed to stage a ground invasion, a scenario that would bring the scale of fighting closer to that of a war four years ago. Hamas was badly bruised during that conflict but has since restocked its arsenal with more and better weapons. Five years after seizing control of Gaza, it has also come under pressure from smaller, more militant groups to prove its commitment to fighting Israel as it turns its focus to governing the seaside strip.

Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak has authorized the emergency call-up of up to 75,000 reserve troops ahead of a possible ground offensive. Israel has massed thousands of troops and dozens of tanks and armored vehicles along the border in recent days.

Egypt, which is led by Hamas' parent movement, the Muslim Brotherhood, has been spearheading efforts to forge a cease-fire. Morsi has vowed to stand strong with the people of Gaza and this week recalled Cairo's ambassador from Israel to protest the offensive.

Quietly, though, non-Muslim Brotherhood members in Morsi's government are said to be pushing Hamas to end its rocket fire on Israel. Morsi is under pressure not to go too far and risk straining ties with Israel's ally, the United States.

The Hamas website said Saturday that its leader, Khaled Meshaal, met with the head of Egyptian intelligence for two hours Saturday in Cairo, a day after the Egyptian official was in the Gaza Strip trying to work out an end to the escalation in violence.

Hamas has not immediately accepted Egypt's proposal for a cease-fire, but the group's website said it could end its rocket fire if Israel agrees to end "all acts of aggression and assassination" and lift its five-year Israeli blockade on Gaza. Egypt will present the Hamas position to Israeli officials.

Israeli officials say they are not interested in a "timeout," and want firm guarantees that the rocket fire, which has paralyzed life in an area home to 1 million Israelis, finally ends. Past cease-fires have been short lived.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he spoke with the leaders of Britain, Poland, Portugal, Bulgaria to press his case. "No government in the world would allow a situation where its population lives under the constant threat of rockets," Netanyahu told them, according to a statement from his office.

The diplomatic activity in Cairo illustrated Hamas' rising influence in a changing Middle East. The Arab Spring has brought Islamists to power and influence across the region, helping Hamas emerge from years of isolation.

Morsi warned that a ground operation by Israel will have "repercussions" across the region. "All must realize the situation is different than before, and the people of the region now are different than before and the leaders are different than before," he said at a joint press conference with Turkey's Islamist prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan, like Morsi, leads an Islamist government that has chilly diplomatic ties with Israel.

On Friday, Morsi sent his prime minister to Gaza on a solidarity mission with Hamas. And on Saturday, Tunisia's Foreign Minister Rafik Abdessalem visited Gaza as well.

Federman reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Karin Laub in Gaza City and Aya Batrawy in Cairo contributed reporting.

The trip marks Obama's fourth visit to Asia in as many years. He kicks off his schedule in Bangkok. With a second term now guaranteed, aides say Obama will be a regular visitor to the region over the next four years as well.

A woman takes a photo of a wall painting created by Myanmar graffiti artists to welcome U.S. President Barack Obama on a street in Yangon, Myanmar, Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012. Obama will visit Myanmar on Monday, in a first for a sitting U.S. president. White House officials on Thursday said he will use his visit "to lock down progress and to push on areas where progress is urgently needed" — most notably freeing political prisoners and ending ethnic tensions in the western state of Rakhine and the northern state of Kachin. Obama's stop in Myanmar, scheduled to last about six hours, is the centerpiece of his first foreign tour since winning re-election. Associated Press

JULIE PACE
Associated Press

BANGKOK — For President Barack Obama, expanding U.S. influence in Asia is more than just countering China or opening up new markets to American businesses. It's also about building his legacy.

Fresh off re-election, Obama will make a significant investment in that effort during a quick run through Southeast Asia that begins Sunday. In addition to stops in Thailand and Cambodia, the president will make a historic visit to Myanmar, where his administration has led efforts to ease the once pariah nation out of international isolation.

The trip marks Obama's fourth visit to Asia in as many years. He kicks off his schedule in Bangkok. With a second term now guaranteed, aides say Obama will be a regular visitor to the region over the next four years as well.

"Continuing to fill in our pivot to Asia will be a critical part of the president's second term and ultimately his foreign policy legacy," said Ben Rhodes, Obama's deputy national security adviser.

The president's motivations in Asia are both personal and strategic.

Obama, who was born in Hawaii and lived in Indonesia as a child, has called himself America's first "Pacific president." The region gives him an opportunity to open up new markets for U.S. companies, promote democracy and ease fears of China's rise by boosting U.S. military presence in area.

The president, like many of his predecessors, had hoped to cement his foreign policy legacy in the Middle East. He visited two major allies in the region, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, on one of his first overseas trips as president and attempted to revive peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

But those talks stalled, and fresh outbursts of violence between Israel and the Palestinians make the prospects of a peace accord appear increasingly slim. The Obama-backed Arab Spring democracy push has had mixed results so far, with Islamists taking power in Egypt and progress in Libya tainted by the deadly attacks on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi. Obama hasn't been back to the region since 2009.

In Asia, however, Obama will be viewed as something of an elder statesman when he returns less than two weeks after winning re-election. The region is undergoing significant leadership changes, most notably in China, where the Communist Party tapped new leaders last week. Japan and South Korea will both hold new elections soon.

"Most of the leaders he'll meet with will not have a tenure as long as he will as president," said Michael Green, an Asia scholar at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. "So he'll go into this in a very strong position."

The centerpiece of Obama's whirlwind Asia tour is his visit to Myanmar. It will be the first time a U.S. president has visited the former pariah state.

Myanmar has become something of a pet project for Obama and his national security aides, who have cheered the country's significant strides toward democracy. Obama lifted some U.S. penalties on Myanmar, appointed a permanent U.S. ambassador and hosted democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi at the White House this year.

Many of the same strategic motivations behind Obama's larger focus on Asia are at play in Myanmar, which is known by the U.S. as Burma.

The country long has oriented itself toward China, but the easing of sanctions gives American businesses a chance to gain a foothold there. It's also an opportunity for the Obama administration to show other nations in the region, and elsewhere in the world, that there are benefits to aligning with the U.S.

Still, there's little denying that history has been a draw for Obama's team when it comes to its dealings with Myanmar. That's led to criticism from some human rights groups that say Obama's visit is premature given that the country continues to hold political prisoners and has been unable to stem some ethnic violence.

"This trip risks being an ill-timed presidential pat on the back for a regime that has looked the other way as violence rages, destroying villages and communities just in the last few weeks," said Suzanne Nossel, the U.S.-based director of Amnesty International.

But the White House believes that "if we want to promote human rights and promote American values, we intend to do so through engagement," Rhodes said Saturday as Obama flew to Asia.

He said it was important for Obama to convey the message about "the type of action we'd like to see locked in, in Burma as it relates to political reform, as it relates to economic reform, and national reconciliation."

Obama's other stops in the region also underscore the potential pitfalls of going all-in in Asia.

Thailand's 2006 coup, which led to the ouster of the prime minister, strained relations with the U.S. and raised questions in Washington about the stability of its longtime regional ally. Cambodia, where Obama's visit also marks the first by a U.S. president, has a dismal human rights record.

White House officials have emphasized that Obama is visiting Cambodia because it is hosting the East Asia Summit, an annual meeting the U.S. now attends. Aides say the president will voice his human rights concerns during his meeting with Hun Sen, Cambodia's long-serving prime minister.

Still, human rights groups fear Obama's visit will be seen within Cambodia as an affirmation of the prime minister and a sign to opposition groups that the U.S. stands with the government, not with them.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was also traveling to Thailand where she was going to join Obama. Clinton then was to fly to Myanmar with Obama on Air Force One. It will be the last joint trip for the president and his secretary of state, the once presidential rival who went on to become Obama's peripatetic chief diplomat. Clinton is planning on leaving the administration.

Nearly 10,000 were lost in New York City alone, and "thousands upon thousands" went down on Long Island, a state parks spokesman said. New Jersey utilities reported more than 113,000 destroyed or damaged trees.

In this Oct. 31, 2012 file photo, a tree in Jersey City, N.J., lies tangled in power lines after being brought down by high winds from Superstorm Sandy. Experts say the winds of Superstorm Sandy took out more trees in the neighborhoods, parks and forests of New York and New Jersey than any previous storm on record. Associated Press

JIM FITZGERALD
Associated Press

NEW YORK — They fell by the thousands, like soldiers in some vast battle of giants, dropping to the earth in submission to a greater force.

The winds of Superstorm Sandy took out more trees in the neighborhoods, parks and forests of New York and New Jersey than any previous storm on record, experts say.

Nearly 10,000 were lost in New York City alone, and "thousands upon thousands" went down on Long Island, a state parks spokesman said. New Jersey utilities reported more than 113,000 destroyed or damaged trees.

"These are perfectly healthy trees, some more than 120 years old, that have survived hurricanes, ice storms, nor'easters, anything Mother Nature could throw their way," said Todd Forrest, a vice president at the New York Botanical Garden. "Sandy was just too much."

As oaks, spruces and sycamores buckled, many became Sandy's agents, contributing to the destruction by crashing through houses or tearing through electric wires. They caused several deaths, including those of two boys playing in a suburban family room. They left hundreds of thousands of people without power for more than a week.

And as homeowners and public officials deal with the cleanup, some tree care experts say the shocking force of the storm weeks ago might mean they should reassess where and how to replant.

"When trees go down that have lived a long life and been so beneficial, it's terrible when they cause injury to people and property," said Nina Bassuk, program leader at the Urban Horticulture Institute at Cornell University. "We have to replant better and do it smarter."

For example, she said, shorter trees like hawthorns and crabapples should be planted below electric wires.

She also said a soil substitute can help trees extend their roots beneath pavement so maybe they can keep their balance in high winds.

Frank Juliano, executive director of the Reeves-Reed Arboretum in Summit, N.J., which lost uncounted trees on its perimeter, said those might not be replaced.

"Would they just come down again?" he asked. "This is a global issue. We all have to deal with the ramifications of what's happening with our world and environment."

But Bram Gunther, chief of forestry, horticulture and natural resources for the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, said, "Some trees may have been planted where they shouldn't have been and you have other infrastructure conflicts. You don't stop planting trees."

Gunther said last week that the city had counted 9,662 downed trees on its streets and in its parks after Sandy and the nor'easter that followed. That's more than the combined total from tornadoes in 2010 and last year's Hurricane Irene and October snowstorm.

Among those trees may be some New Yorkers' favorites. Doug Blonsky, president of the Central Park Conservancy, said among the hundreds of Central Park trees that became Sandy's victims were a popular 120-year-old swamp white oak near the Mall and a willow next to the Lasker pool.

Forrest said one of his favorite spots at the Botanical Garden, a valley in the protected forest, was changed forever when an American beech was blown over "and took out five or six other trees like a game of dominoes."

The city has been in the midst of a campaign to plant 1 million trees. Gunther said the idea was to help with environmental issues such as greenhouse gases, air pollution and the urban heat island effect.

Forrest said it seems ironic that trees, "the very things that are supposed to help buffer climate change, are now examples of the havoc it can wreak."

But he said, "That shouldn't make us afraid of trees or less willing to plant trees." He said each tree that came down was home to birds, insects and "animals you wouldn't associate with New York City, like our great horned owls."

He said at least 286 trees were uprooted or otherwise destroyed at the Bronx garden and 271 others were damaged enough that their survival is questionable.

"This is the most wholesale destruction of trees at the garden, especially in the native forest, on record," he said. "It was worse than the great hurricane of 1944."

On Long Island, "we were just destroyed," said New York state parks spokesman Randy Simons, estimating "thousands upon thousands" of trees came down.

At the Planting Fields Arboretum, a state park in Oyster Bay on Long Island's North Shore, director Vincent Simeone said, "We're certainly not going to stop planting the way we plant, but we did learn that 70 mph winds seems to be the breaking point. With Irene, our trees did pretty well, but now we've got hundreds damaged or destroyed."

He said he's already planning for spring.

"Sometimes a tree falls and a vista opens up and you have an opportunity to do something different," he said.

Larry Hajna, spokesman for New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection, said big stands of evergreens that were planted in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps toppled during Sandy.

"For 70, 80 years, they had no problems, but this storm came along and that was more than enough," he said.

The Bartlett Arboretum in Stamford, Conn., is considering taking some drastic measures before the next big storm. It said last year it lost century-old chestnut trees and during Sandy a 100-foot-tall, 120-year-old white pine crashed down onto a cottage where a staffer was living.

"It was one of a matching pair, and now the other one is there and with all the trees we've lost the wind buffer is eliminated," executive director Peter Saverine said. "We're going to have to look at taking it down."

"It's sad, but we have to look ahead," he said. "In two years, we've had two 100-year storms and two freak snowstorms."

Terry has quietly had an efficient start, averaging 11.6 points on 51.2 percent shooting from the floor and 43.8 percent from the 3-point arc. But he says it's been a real adjustment during his first season with the Celtics.

Boston Celtics' Jason Terry celebrates his three-pointer in the third quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Toronto Raptors in Boston, Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012. The Celtics won 107-89. AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

BOSTON -- The Boston Celtics signed Jason Terry largely for his offensive talent. But after scoring 20 points Saturday in Boston's 107-89 victory against the Toronto Raptors, Terry explained one of his other uses:

Leading celebrations.

"That's my role here. I call it 'swag check.' There's a point in the game where a guy looks like he's struggling a little bit, I go to him and we all know each other's little routine," he said before listing the many eclectic celebrations the Celtics have already developed.

"Jeff's Iron Man -- opens up his chest. Rondo, we pick up the money off the ground. Who else? Brandon Bass is the musclebound man. Of course, I'm the takeoff runway guy. (Kevin Garnett) is just nothing. Sheer silence. Mean mug, that's what we've got for him. And (Paul Pierce) is The Truth. You'll hear us yelling out, 'Truth, Truth, Truth, Truth,' like that. So we have all our unique nuances, but it makes the game fun."

Terry had nine points in the final 3:30 of the third quarter as Boston quickly turned a two-point lead into a 79-64 advantage, lending credence to the belief that his scoring can quickly flip a game on its rear. All of Terry's points during the 16-4 Boston run came on three-pointers, aided in part by Toronto's decision to play some zone.

"He's a zone-breaker," coach Doc Rivers explained.

"No question," Terry said. "Terry Stotts, Dwane Casey, Rick Carlisle, all the guys I know are going to play zone, I get extra excited, because obviously, in a zone, they're going to pack it in. They don't want to give up anything inside, and shooters are going to be wide open."

Terry has quietly had an efficient start, averaging 11.6 points on 51.2 percent shooting from the floor and 43.8 percent from the 3-point arc. But he says it's been a real adjustment during his first season with the Celtics.

"This year, on this team, the looks that I'm going to be getting are different," he said. "They're not in my comfort zone or where I usually get my offense. So I have to be patient and take what comes to me -- but when it comes, take them like it's the game-winning shot."

Wilcox has been good for the Celtics. And he's finally starting to get back into shape.

AP

BOSTON -- One could easily spot Darko Milicic at the end of the Boston Celtics bench, even during the waning seconds of Saturday's 107-89 win against the Toronto Raptors.

It would have been easy to speculate that Milicic had played himself so far into Doc Rivers' doghouse that he didn't even get mop-up minutes in the lopsided affair.

But Rivers said he had another reason for playing Chris Wilcox for each of the final five minutes.

"I'm still trying to get (Wilcox) in shape," Rivers said. The center entered training camp in poor physical condition after undergoing season-ending heart surgery last season. "That's part of the reason we're keeping him in long stretches. If we have a game like this where we have a lead, I try to leave him on the floor until he almost -- I'm just trying to run him into shape and we have no practices. So right now you have to try to do it in a game, which is unusual as well. But he knows what we're doing."

Wilcox, who had eight points and two rebounds Saturday, catching three alley-oops from Rajon Rondo, has given the Celtics stability in the frontcourt behind Kevin Garnett. He allows them to maintain a little bit of size without Garnett and he gives them a slashing big man, notable because most of Boston's interior players actually prefer shots from the perimeter.

In the past, Boston has become a wreck whenever Garnett sits. But Wilcox was +17 on Saturday as the Celtics continue to play well with him in the lineup. Partially because of Wilcox's production, Garnett needed to play only 17 minutes Saturday.

And Wilcox is starting to get his wind back.

"I'm a whole lot more advanced than I was before," he said. "It's coming with time. Every day is better. The opportunity is there, so I just have to take advantage."

Yes, the opportunity is there. So is the need. Wilcox continues to prove his importance, even if he's still not quite in shape.

People on the first float and dozens of others who had come out to greet the veterans shrieked and watched in shock, as some aboard the truck tried to jump off, witnesses said. The veterans' military instincts kicked in as they treated the wounded.

Railroad investigators work the scene of an accident where four veterans were killed and 16 other people were injured when a train slammed into a parade float carrying the returning heroes to a banquet last Thursday in Midland, Texas on Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012. Federal investigators were trying to determine whether the two-float parade had been given enough warning to clear the tracks. Associated Press

JUAN CARLOS LLORCA
Associated Press

MIDLAND, Texas — A parade float filled with wounded veterans that collided with a freight train had crossed onto the railroad tracks after warning signals were going off, investigators said Saturday.

Four veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan were killed and 16 more people were injured when the train crashed into the flatbed truck in West Texas.

It was the second of two floats carrying veterans in Thursday's parade in Midland. The first was exiting the tracks when the warning bells and signals were activated, 20 seconds before the accident, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The second float didn't enter the tracks until several seconds after the warning system went off, the NTSB said. By that time, the guardrail was lowering.

"Once the crossing becomes active, people should stop," lead investigator Robert Accetta with the NTSB said at a news conference Saturday afternoon.

The timeline was pieced together by combining information from a video camera mounted on the front of the train, another one on a sheriff's car and a data recorder that acts like an airplane's black box, activating when the train blared the horn, NTSB member Mark Rosekind said.

Nine seconds before the crash, the train sounded its horn, a blaring that lasted four seconds, according to Rosekind. The guardrail hit the truck, then the engineer pulled the emergency brake, trying to bring the train that was traveling at 62 mph to screeching halt.

People on the first float and dozens of others who had come out to greet the veterans shrieked and watched in shock, as some aboard the truck tried to jump off, witnesses said. The veterans' military instincts kicked in as they treated the wounded.

A candlelight vigil was being held Saturday evening.

The NTSB has also interviewed the engineer and conductor, and established the train's air brakes were working, Rosekind said. No mechanical problems were found with the cars. A review of the train's maintenance history found no defects, he added. The tracks also had no problems.

Investigators will try to establish on Monday what the engine could have seen as it approached the truck, Rosekind said.

Part of the investigation includes whether the parade had the proper permit. The parade has been an annual event in Midland for nine years, but City Manager Courtney Sharp declined to say whether the group, Show of Support/Hunt for Heroes, had the necessary paperwork to hold the event.

Railroads, though, are a vital part of Midland, a town that sits in the heart of Texas' oil rich Permian basin. Three or four tracks lie within city limits, and the site of the accident is just about 10 minutes from downtown, said Midland spokesman Ryan Stout.

That's considered when the city grants permits for parades and other events, Sharp said.

"We take all steps into consideration when we permit," he said. "I hate to go down that track until all of the investigation is over, but yes we do take that stuff into account."

The veterans were on their way to a banquet in their honor and were being cheered by a flag-waving crowd. It was supposed to be the start of a three-day weekend of banquets, deer hunting and shopping in appreciation of the veterans' sacrifice.

Killed were Marine Chief Warrant Officer 3 Gary Stouffer, 37; Army Sgt. Maj. Lawrence Boivin, 47; Army Sgt. Joshua Michael, 34; and Army Sgt. Maj. William Lubbers, 43.

Five people remained hospitalized early Saturday. In Midland, three people were in stable condition and one in critical. None of the injuries are life-threatening, said hospital spokeswoman Marcy Madrid. A fifth person who was transferred to a Lubbock hospital shortly after the accident is in serious condition.

Union Pacific spokeswoman Raquel Espinoza said the speed limit in that area was raised from 40 mph to 70 mph in 2006.

Associated Press writers Ramit Plushnick-Masti in Houston; James Beltran, Nomaan Merchant, Danny Robbins and Terry Wallace in Dallas; Angela K. Brown in Fort Worth, Texas; and Joan Lowy in Washington contributed to this report.

Asked specifically about the MVP award and Terry's comments, Rondo replied, "Well, JT's on my side, so he's a little biased, but the MVP is in the picture. I would like to be one day. But we've just got to keep winning."

AP

BOSTON -- Disclaimer: It's far too early to intelligently discuss who will be the NBA MVP.

We know some familiar names very likely to be in the discussion for the award -- LeBron James and Kevin Durant immediately come to mind -- but we are just 10 contests into an 82-game season. More than seven-eighths of the regular season has yet to be played.

With that warning out of the way:

Boston Celtics guard Jason Terry threw teammate Rajon Rondo's name into the early-season MVP hat Saturday.

"I've said that from Day 1, that he's the best point guard in this league," Terry said after watching Rondo notch 20 assists in a 107-89 win against the Toronto Raptors. "This year, he's definitely going to be in the talks when they're talking about MVP, if we can continue to win. The way he controls the game, his leadership, his ability to dominate the game on both ends of the floor is what makes him special."

Asked specifically about the MVP award and Terry's comments, Rondo replied, "Well, JT's on my side, so he's a little biased, but the MVP is in the picture. I would like to be one day. But we've just got to keep winning."

Asked why he'd like to win the MVP, Rondo said, "Who wouldn't? That's a dream."

Kevin Garnett said he doesn't know where Rondo should rank in the MVP discussion, but seems to agree Rondo deserves some level of mention.

"I've always looked at someone as MVP as someone that is able to dictate the game stat-wise, get rebounds, does multiples things for his team. That's preference," Garnett said. "I understand that I can be biased because I play with him, I see his growth and how hard he works but when you look at the overall package its unbelievable what he's doing."

Meanwhile, officials said no oil was leaking from the charred platform, a relief for Gulf Coast residents still weary two years after the BP oil spill illustrated the risk that offshore drilling poses to the region's ecosystem and economy.

In this aerial photograph, a supply vessel moves near an oil rig damaged by an explosion and fire, Friday, Nov. 16, 2012, in the Gulf of Mexico about 25 miles southeast of Grand Isle, La. Four people were transported to a hospital with critical burns and two were missing. Associated Press

MICHAEL KUNZELMAN
Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS — The Coast Guard on Saturday evening called off its search for two workers missing after a fire broke out on an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico, sending an ominous black plume of smoke into the air reminiscent of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion that transformed the oil industry and life along the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Chief Petty Officer Bobby Nash told The Associated Press that the search was ended at about 5:25 p.m. CST.

Coast Guard officials said in a news release Saturday that helicopters were searching for the missing workers from the air, while a cutter searched the sea.

The blaze, which started Friday while workers were using a torch to cut an oil line, severely burned at least four workers. Their burns were not as extensive as initially reported, said Leslie Hoffman, a spokeswoman for Black Elk Energy, which owned the platform.

Officials at Baton Rouge General Medical Center said Saturday that two men remained in critical condition, while two men remained in serious condition. All four, who are being treated in a burn unit, are employees of oilfield contractor Grand Isle Shipyard and are from the Philippines. The hospital said it and Grand Isle Shipyard are trying to reach the men's families in the Philippines.

Meanwhile, officials said no oil was leaking from the charred platform, a relief for Gulf Coast residents still weary two years after the BP oil spill illustrated the risk that offshore drilling poses to the region's ecosystem and economy.

It's unclear whether the missing men worked for a contractor. Grand Isle Shipyard employed 14 of the 22 workers on the platform at the time of the incident, WWL-TV in New Orleans reported. A man who answered the phone at the company's Galliano, La., office on Saturday said no one was available to comment.

The images Friday were eerily similar to the Deepwater Horizon blaze that killed 11 workers and led to an oil spill that took months to bring under control. The fire came a day after BP PLC agreed to plead guilty to a raft of charges in the 2010 spill and pay a record $4.5 billion in penalties.

There were a few important differences between this latest blaze and the one that touched off the worst offshore spill in U.S. history: Friday's fire at an oil platform about 25 miles southeast of Grand Isle, Louisiana, was put out within hours, while the Deepwater Horizon burned for more than a day, collapsed and sank.

The site of Friday's blaze is a production platform in shallow water, rather than an exploratory drilling rig like the Deepwater Horizon looking for new oil on the seafloor almost a mile deep.

The depth of the 2010 well blow-out proved to be a major challenge in bringing the disaster under control.

The Black Elk platform is in 56 feet of water — a depth much easier for engineers to manage if a spill had happened.

A sheen of oil about a half-mile long and 200 yards wide was reported on the Gulf surface, but officials believe it came from residual oil on the platform.

"It's not going to be an uncontrolled discharge from everything we're getting right now," Coast Guard Capt. Ed Cubanski said.

Hoffman, the Black Elk Energy spokeswoman, said Saturday that there were still no signs of any leak or spill at the platform site.

BP's blown-out well spewed millions of gallons of oil into the sea, about 50 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River on the east side of the river delta. The crude fouled beaches, marshes and rich seafood grounds.

After Friday's blaze, 11 people were taken by helicopter to area hospitals or for treatment on shore by emergency medical workers.

The production platform owned by Houston-based Black Elk Energy is on the western side of the Mississippi River delta. The Coast Guard said 24 people were aboard the platform at the time of the fire.

Cubanski said the platform appeared to be structurally sound. He said only about 28 gallons of oil were in the broken line on the platform.

David Smith, a spokesman for the Interior Department's Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement in Washington, said an environmental enforcement team was dispatched from a Gulf Coast base by helicopter soon after the Coast Guard was notified of the emergency. Smith said the team would scan for any evidence of oil spilling and investigate the cause of the explosion.

Black Elk is an independent oil and gas company. The company's website says it holds interests in properties in Texas and Louisiana waters, including 854 wells on 155 platforms.

John Hoffman, Black Elk's president and CEO, said in an email early Saturday morning that he was leaving Houston for Louisiana to assist in the investigation and help the families of the missing and injured workers.

"My entire focus is the families and workers. Nothing else matters at this point," he wrote.

Associated Press Writer Kevin McGill in New Orleans and Jeff Amy in Jackson, Miss., contributed to this story.

Lowell swept UMass last year, outscoring the Minutemen an embarrassing 13-4.

Darren Rowe was the last player to score against UNH's Casey DeSmith until BU stopped his three-game shutout string Sunday. File photo by The Republican

That would be the last goal UNH goaltender Casey DeSmith would give up until Sunday afternoon.

Following the Rowe goal, DeSmith went on to register three straight shutouts. Finally, he gave up a goal Sunday. Yeah, only one. And that was a second-period goal by BU's Danny O'Regan. It didn't do the Terriers any good. UNH won 3-1, and DeSmith made 45 saves.

That UMass win over UNH is looking better and better.

Now for Sunday night's game at home (7) against Lowell - What's weird is that the River Hawks have been outscored 22-13 overall, but have outshot their opponent in every period, and are averaging over five more shots per game (32.5 - 27.4)

The Minutemen have a large returning cast, hopefully with good memories. Lowell swept UMass last season, winning 4-0 and 5-2 at home, and 4-2 in Amherst. So it's revenge time.

Lowell goaltender Doug Carr stopped 78 of 82 shots in the series last year for a .951 save percentage. So far this season, he has a goals against average of 2.36 and a .911 save percentage. UMass goaltender Kevin Boyle has a goals against average of 1.64, and a save percentage of .939.

Balanced scoring - So far this season, UMass has a total of six players with either five or six points.

Prior to being swept by Lowell, UMass had won five straight games from Jan. 15, 2010 - Jan. 15, 2011.

Lowell leads the all-time series 34-24-6.

I ask this every year - where of where is the old Alumni Cup for winner of the season series? Maybe we can start a new cup - you know "The Better State School Cup."
And the winning team gets an allotment of tee-shirts to give out to their students at the first home match-up of the next year. How about really rubbing it in? The winning team logo on the front has the word "Superior" across it, and the other team logo on the back with "Inferior".

By the way, for you from Eastern Mass. It's UMass versus UMass-Lowell not UMass-Amherst vs. UMass-Lowell.

There is only one UMass.

This is a big game.

Brockton Police Chief Emanuel Gomes said city officers followed department rules during a car chase that ended in a fatal accident.

BROCKTON — Brockton Police Chief Emanuel Gomes said city officers followed department rules during a car chase that ended in a fatal accident last month.

Gomes told The Enterprise of Brockton that officers followed the department's pursuit policy while chasing 28-year-old Antwoin Moore on Oct. 12.

Brockton Police Chief Emanuel Gomes

Moore caused a multicar accident during the chase that killed 49-year-old Mary Anne Kotsiopoulos of Brockton.

A Plymouth County grand jury has indicted Moore on second-degree murder and other charges.

Gomes ordered an internal review of the chase and said it concluded officers followed policy.

Moore fled during a motor vehicle stop, striking a police cruiser and nearly hitting an officer, according to authorities. Police said they had stopped Moore as part of a drug investigation.

The fatal crash is being probed by Massachusetts State Police.

The sunny weather this weekend will continue through Thanksgiving.

Not much is changing in our weather pattern; a large area of high pressure remains centered over the Northeast. This means clear skies will stay with us for the next few days. High temperatures got close to 50 degrees once again this afternoon. Those numbers will then quickly drop after sunset. Using last night as an example, the temperature in Springfield dropped from 42 degrees at 5 p.m. to 29 degrees by 7 p.m.

On Tuesday, this high will start to exit, allowing a few extra clouds to move into the region. That is all that will happen though, as another area of high pressure will squeeze into the region heading into Thanksgiving. A few days ago, there was some talk about a coastal storm for the middle of the week, but that low pressure system is going to harmlessly stay well out at sea.

To find out how to stay prepared this winter, and how much snow we're expecting in Western Mass., tune in to CBS3 Springfield this Wednesday night at 11:15 p.m. for a special weather presentation, the Pinpoint Weather Winter Outlook.

Tonight: Clear and cold, low 22.

Monday: Sunny, high 50.

Tuesday: Partly cloudy, high 48.

Wednesday: Partly cloudy, high 48.

Thanksgiving Day: Sunny, seasonally mild, high 51.

The Twinlights, a 42-foot scallop boat, capsized about three miles north of Race Point in the outermost Cape town of Provincetown, according to Massachusetts State Police.

Coast Guard and Massachusetts State Police officials were searching for a missing fisherman whose boat capsized late Sunday morning about three miles north of Race Point Light, pictured here, off the coast of Provincetown, the northernmost town on Cape Cod. Wikimedia Commons

PROVINCETOWN — Massachusetts State Police divers were assisting U.S. Coast Guard officials with a search-and-rescue mission off the Cape Cod town of Provincetown, where a 42-foot scallop boat capsized about three miles north of the Cape-tip town around 11:30 a.m. Sunday.

Coast Guard and state police officials said the vessel Twinlights is continuing to take on water after it was caught in fishing gear north of the Cape-tip town.

Crewmen aboard a nearby lobster boat were able to rescue one of two fishermen, the other of whom is believed to be trapped inside the sinking vessel.

A state police advisory issued around 3:20 p.m. said: "We have now received word that the vessel has become completely submerged. The original designation of a search-and-resuce mission still stands, and we are awaiting further updates."

Members of the State Police Underwater Recovery Team were sent to Cape Cod to assist the Coast Guard, which sent a rescue helicopter and two cutters to the scene.

The vessel is reportedly sinking about three miles north of Race Point Beach, officials said.

More details will be posted on MassLive.com as they become available.

No one was injured in the fire, which struck when the family of 11 was sleeping.

Jeanette DeForge, The Republican

ORANGE – Firefighters had to rescue two people trapped on a second-floor porch after their large two-story home caught fire early Sunday morning.

The 11 family members were sleeping when the fire broke out at about 3:15 a.m. on 54 North Main St. The single-family home was destroyed in the fire, Orange Fire Department Capt. Jim Young said.

Nine of the family members were able to escape unhurt, but two others were trapped on a porch on the second floor. They were uninjured when firefighters rescued them, he said.

The home was large and firefighters from surrounding departments in Athol, Erving, New Salem, Greenfield, Northfield, Shutesbury, Barre, Phillipston, Turners Falls were called to assist. Those from Templeton and Royalston took over empty stations in Orange, Young said.

The cause is under investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s office. It is believed to have been accidental, he said.

The family had recently purchased a second home nearby and is staying there. The Salvation Army is assisting them, Young said.

Burgess, who has held the $87,000-a-year job since 2007, will be reassigned to a new job when she returns from medical leave, according to Mary Heffernan, secretary of the state Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.

BOSTON — If Sheila Burgess were a Major League baseball manager, she'd have to find a new job – and pronto.

Burgess, director of the Massachusetts Highway Safety Division, is a chronic speeder with multiple crashes and other violations on her driving record since 1982, according to a Boston Globe analysis of her record.

In addition to twice failing to stop for police who pursued her, Burgess has racked up seven accidents, four speeding tickets and nearly two dozen other traffic violations over the past 30 years, the Globe reports. Among those violations are citations for failing to stay in her lane, failing to wear her seat belt, and driving without her license or registration, the records show.

Sheila Burgess Facebook

Burgess, 48, of Randolph, has been on leave since sustaining a head injury in a single-car crash in Milton in August. State officials have refused to say whether Burgess, who earns $87,000 annually, is getting paid while she's on medical leave.

However, Mary E. Heffernan, secretary of the state Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, said Burgess will not be returning to her role as safety czar when she recovers from her injury.

"When Ms. Burgess returns from her current medical leave, she will no longer have any role in highway safety and will be reassigned to a different role within the Executive Office," said Heffernan, whose office oversees the Highway Safety Division.

Officials in Gov. Deval L. Patrick's administration said Burgess was hired partly based on the recommendation of U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Worcester, but they could not say why she was given the highway safety job considering her poor safety record as a driver.

Other details in the Globe analysis include a 1999 speeding incident in New Hampshire in which Burgess failed to show up for her court hearing and, more recently, her failure to pay local vehicle excise taxes. Up until Nov. 1, her license was on nonrenewal status for failure to pay excise taxes, according to the Globe, citing a total of 34 driving record entries for Burgess since 1982.

Burgess, who was appointed safety chief in 2007, is charged with overseeing public education campaigns about the dangers of speeding, texting while driving, driving while impaired, and failing to wear seat belts, among other things.

"Given her driving record, it is clear that Ms. Burgess should not have been hired as the director of Highway Safety," Heffernan said. "While she has performed her duties properly and with professionalism, has not had any citations or at-fault accidents since she was hired, and has otherwise been a solid and dependable employee, Ms. Burgess cannot expect the public's trust, nor mine, as the directory of Highway Safety going forward," Heffernan added.

Material from the Boston Globe and WBZ-CBS Boston was used in this report.

Watson, a former high school star in South Bend, Indiana, played in front of family and friends in the University of Massachusetts' 94-50 loss to No. 7 Notre Dame.

UMass center Jasmine Watson, left, defends against Notre Dame forward Natalie Achonwa as she looks for two amid the crowd Sunday in South Bend. Joe Raymond | Associated Press

By PAUL D. BOWKER

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Just a few minutes before the University of Massachusetts women‘s basketball team began its near-impossible task Sunday against the nation’s seventh-ranked team, a chorus of cheers echoed from one small corner of Notre Dame‘s Purcell Pavilion.

UMass senior center Jasmine Watson, a former high school star in South Bend, had been introduced by the public-address announcer. A group of family and friends were there to cheer her on.

From then on, the Fighting Irish provided the noise. Notre Dame, ranked No. 7 in The Associated Press poll and No. 6 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll, cruised to a 94-50 victory over the Minutewomen.

The Irish (2-0), NCAA runners-up last season, will destroy plenty of teams this season. That wasn’t the point of Sunday’s meeting, the first between UMass and Notre Dame since the Women’s National Invitation Tournament in 1995. This game had been set up specifically as a homecoming for Watson, something that UMass coach Sharon Dawley said had been in the works for a couple of years.

Among the Irish players Watson faced was Skylar Diggins, a five-time gold medalist with various USA Basketball teams and a former teammate of Watson at South Bend Washington High School. Watson played her high school ball for three years in nearby Elkhart before transferring to Washington her senior year.

“It was a big game for me,” said Watson, noting that she tried to treat this game no more importantly than any other one. “But I’m definitely appreciative of being able to play in front of my parents and for a lot of people in my family to be able to see me play.”

“It was good seeing her,” said Diggins, who scored 15 points and had a game-high seven assists.

Watson grabbed eight rebounds, tying Notre Dame’s Natalie Achonwa, a 2012 Olympian with the Canadian National Team, for game-high honors. However, Watson was held to a season-low eight points as the Irish turned their home opener into a track meet featuring 49 points off 34 UMass turnovers. Watson was one of four UMass players with eight points.

“I was rushing it,” Watson said. “I feel like I just didn’t play my game. I wasn’t dominating like how I usually do.”

Kayla McBride, a junior guard, scored 18 points, leading four Notre Dame players in double figures. The Minutemen led just once, 3-2, after Montgomery hit a 3-pointer in the game’s first minute. The game slipped away soon after that, but the real killer was a 17-0 Notre Dame run in the first half.

“We came here to bring Jas home and I think everyone just got too caught up in the emotional side, where we’re playing, who we’re playing, how good they are, playing in front of a lot of family and friends," Dawley said. "We had a lot of families here because we have a lot of Midwest kids.”

New England crushed Indianapolis Sunday at Gillette Stadium.

FOXBOROUGH – Sunday started out like a regular game for the Patriots. The Indianapolis Colts were driving down the field, and it didn't look like there was a force in New England strong enough to slow them down.

But Bill Belichick didn't want to hear it. With his offense on the field, the coach gathered his defense and drew some things up on the whiteboard. Off to the side, linebackers coach Pepper Johnson tore into his group while shaking a crutch in the air.

Belichick played coy when asked about his scribbling afterward, but newly acquired cornerback Aqib Talib was willing to put the mentality of that moment into perspective.

"By that third or fourth series, we kind of got into it," Talib said. "It was kind of quiet. We got talking and kind of got into it after that series."

At that instant, something clicked, and the Patriots were well on their way to a rousing 59-24 victory at Gillette Stadium.

It wasn't the offense that changed New England's fortunes. Tom Brady showcased his typical brilliance, completing 24 of 35 passes for 331 yards and three touchdowns while outperforming Colts rookie Andrew Luck (27 of 50, 334, two TDs, three interceptions). But it was the other phases of the game that helped the Patriots pull away.

New England's offense returned to the sideline following a missed field goal after Belichick's impromptu coaching session, keeping its deficit 14-7. The defense responded by forcing a three-and-out punctuated by Vince Wilfork batting down a ball at the line of scrimmage. Indianapolis was forced to punt, and the tide immediately turned.

Julian Edelman fielded the kick, and after a key block by Matthew Slater and a few quick moves, he had soon covered 68 yards to the end zone. It was his third career punt return for a score.

The Colts came back out and quickly stalled when Wilfork got after Luck on second-and-1, forcing him to badly overthrow Reggie Wayne downfield. Talib was there to accept the gift and took off to the right side of the field. With nothing there, he cut back to the left and was on his way to a 59-yard touchdown return.

Just 61 seconds after falling behind, New England was back on top 21-14. And Brady was more than happy to take over from there.

"The punt return for a touchdown, the interception return for a touchdown, those were awesome plays," Brady said. "When you get those types of plays, those are game-changing plays. I don't remember too many times we've lost games when we've gotten returns for touchdowns."

The Patriots quarterback had one of his vintage surgical performances, taking full advantage of Colts cornerback Vontae Davis being sidelined with a knee injury.

Standing behind an offensive line that was without guards Logan Mankins (calf/ankle) and Dan Connolly (back), and throwing to a receiving corps once again minus tight end Aaron Hernandez (ankle), Brady set the tone in New England's first scoring drive by taking the Patriots 80 yards in 3:32.

He was back at it in the third quarter, marching the Pats 76 yards over 3:53, thanks in part to a 17-yard gain by Edelman and a 31-yard completion up the right sideline to Rob Gronkowski. The Patriots pushed the score to 31-17 when Brady found Edelman for a 2-yard score.

The defense then put the game out of reach when Rob Ninkovich came around the edge and strip-sacked Luck – his fifth forced fumble – and Brady found Gronkowski (seven receptions, 137 yards, two touchdowns) for a 24-yard touchdown on the next snap. Alfonzo Dennard tied the bow on the rout when he picked off Luck to start the fourth quarter and returned it 87 yards for a touchdown.

For perhaps the first time this year, the Patriots can celebrate balance. And they can thank Belichick and Johnson for getting them there.

Then again, that may not be the Patriot Way.

"It wasn't perfect, but it was close," defensive back Devin McCourty said. "It was real close."

The Minutemen couldn't handle the Volunteers' Jarnell Stokes in the third-place game of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off

UMass’ Trey Davis pressures Tennessee’s Trae Golden Sunday. Associated Press

BAYAMÓN, Puerto Rico – University of Massachusetts basketball coach Derek Kellogg said Friday he knew about Tennessee’s Jarnell Stokes as he “came up through the ranks” in Memphis, Tenn., as a youth.

But knowing the question doesn’t always mean you have the answer.

Kellogg and his team certainly didn’t have one for the 6-foot-8, 270-pound forward, who dominated the paint Sunday, scoring 24 points with 12 rebounds in the Volunteers' 83-69 victory in the third-place game of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off at Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez.

“He’s one of the better big guys in the country because of his size, his pure athleticism and strength,” Kellogg said. “I thought at times, we did a good job on him. We doubled him and made him work. Other times, he knocked us out of the way.”

After falling behind by 7 early in the second half, the Minutemen rallied to take a 52-50 lead with 9:42 remaining before the Vols turned the lane into their own personal Rocky Top. They finished on a 33-17 run in which every point – 11 of which belonged to Stokes – came from either the paint or the free-throw line.

“I think in Jarnell’s case, he might have an advantage against a lot of guys with his physical stature,” Tennessee coach Cuonzo Martin said. “He’s a nimble big guy. He knows how to make plays. He knows how to get to the rim and find guys.”

UMass (2-2) closed within 7 with 3:17 to go, but at that point, Tennessee had already figured out where its mismatch lied.

“I thought they did a nice job of really dominating the paint tonight,” Kellogg said. “We need some post presence. We need somebody down there on the defensive end of the floor to really take up some space and help us out.”

The Minutemen also continued an ugly trend of being on the wrong end of a major free-throw disparity, this time sending the Vols to the line 33 times compared to just 14 attempts themselves. In four games, opponents have shot 114 free throws to UMass' 63.

“I’ve got to figure out why we’re fouling so much,” Kellogg said. “We can’t win if they’re in the one-and-one with 15 minutes left in the first half and 12 minutes in the second half – that’s impossible.”

Tennessee actually shot its first one-and-one with 13:16 left in the first half, but the premise is the same – if the other team is at the line all evening, it makes for tough sledding.

UMass, however, held its own in the first half, as the Volunteers missed six of their 12 free throws and the Minutemen got eight points and eight assists from Chaz Williams to stay within 4 at the break.

Things looked bleak five minutes into the second half when Williams was stuffed on an ill-fated dunk attempt, picked up his fourth foul trying to steal the ball back from Tennessee’s Armani Moore and had to be removed.

The Minutemen fought back without their star, though, as freshman Trey Davis held his own at point guard and UMass slid its way in front.

Jesse Morgan led the team in scoring for the fourth straight game with 18 points, but ultimately the fatigue of four games in six days caught up to the Minutemen when Tennessee pushed back in front for good.

“I’m tired, and if I’m tired, I think they are,” Kellogg said. “They deserve a little break, but at the same time they need to know that was really unacceptable because we did it to ourselves as much as Tennessee did it (to us).”

The Minutemen will get a rest, with ten days off before their next game Nov. 28 at Siena, but they still have plenty to fix.

"We’re going to watch a lot of film, straighten a lot of things out," forward Terrell Vinson said. "Coach is going to get on us, we’re going to do the things we need to do to win."

A dozen hair stylists who work in Northampton quickly volunteered to participate in the benefit.

Stylist Diane Bevan, left, cuts the hair of Joanna Varadi, of Florence, at the local stylist haircut-a-thon to raise money for the American Red Cross to help victims of Hurricane Sandy. Bevan organized the event. The Republican / David Molnar

NORTHAMPTON – With a few snips - well, a few hundred snips, hair stylists across the city quickly raised money to help victims of Hurricane Sandy.

About a dozen hair stylists from every part of Northampton gathered for four hours on Sunday in an empty store in Thorne’s Marketplace to stage a haircut-a-thon. They raised $870 that will go to the American Red Cross to assist with Hurricane Sandy disaster relief.

The idea for the benefit came from Diane Bevan, a hair stylist for 33 years who currently works at Panacea Hair Salon. She was watching a benefit that Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi put on to help storm victims and was inspired to do something more than just donate money for the cause.

“I said, OK, it they can do this in 24 hours, we can get together and pull off this in 10 days,” she said.

Bevan called a few fellow hair stylists in Northampton who put the word out to others and pretty quickly a dozen hair stylists came forward to say they wanted to participate.

At the same time a number of businesses donated gifts that were used as door prizes to raise money, she said.

“Northampton is an amazing town. Everyone jumped at the opportunity to help when I asked,” Bevan said.

The volunteers put up posters and passed out flyers around the city and found a spot in the basement of Thorne’s Marketplace where they could cut hair. On Sunday nearly 50 people came to get their hair cut.

The suggested donation was $20. Some gave more and some could not afford the full amount but still got their hair cut, Bevan said.

One of the side benefits is a lot of the stylists had never met, so they had a chance to gather together and built a camaraderie they may have never had without the event, she said.