Seven months after Superstorm Sandy, the Red Cross still hasn't spent more than a third of the $303 million it raised to assist victims of the storm, a strategy the organization says will help address needs that weren't immediately apparent in the disaster's wake.

DAVID B. CARUSO, JENNIFER PELTZ
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Seven months after Superstorm Sandy, the Red Cross still hasn't spent more than a third of the $303 million it raised to assist victims of the storm, a strategy the organization says will help address needs that weren't immediately apparent in the disaster's wake.

Some disaster relief experts say that's smart planning. But others question whether the Red Cross, an organization best known for rushing into disasters to distribute food and get people into shelter, should have acted with more urgency in the weeks after the storm and left long-haul recovery tasks to someone else.

"The Red Cross has never been a recovery operation. Their responsibility has always been mass care," said Ben Smilowitz, executive director of the Disaster Accountability Project, a nonprofit group that monitors aid groups. "Stick with what you're good at."

Storm victims could have used more help this past winter, said Kathleen McCarthy, director of the Center for the Study of Philanthropy and Civil Society at the City University of New York.

"People were cold. Homes mildewed. There wasn't enough decent housing," she said. "Given the lingering despair, it's hard to understand the argument that 'We are setting that money aside.'"

As Americans open their wallets to assist tornado victims in Oklahoma, the Red Cross is again emerging as one of the most important relief organizations on the ground and also one of the most prodigious fundraisers for victims. As of Thursday, it had raised approximately $15 million in donations and pledges for the tornado response, including a $1 million gift from NBA star Kevin Durant and numerous $10 donations, pledged via text.

The Red Cross was also the No. 1 recipient of donations after Sandy. The organization said it still had $110 million remaining from its pool of storm donations as of mid-April, which were the most recent figures available.

Red Cross officials pledged that all the money in its Sandy fund will eventually be spent on the storm recovery and not diverted to other disasters or used to support general Red Cross operations.

Over the next few months, the Red Cross expects to spend as much as $27 million of its remaining Sandy donations on a program providing "move-in assistance" grants of up to $10,000 to families displaced by the storm. About 2,000 households have been assisted by the program so far, with an additional 4,000 waiting for an eligibility determination.

Part of the delay in spending, officials said, is to wait to see how the hardest-hit states allocate a $60 billion pot of federal relief dollars and address gaps in the government aid package.

"We are waiting to see where the greatest need is going to be over time," said Josh Lockwood, CEO of the Red Cross Greater New York Region. "We are more concerned with spending our resources wisely rather than quickly."

Some disaster relief experts said holding funds in reserve was indeed a smart move.

Much of the toughest and most expensive relief work after a natural disaster comes not during the initial months but during the long-term rebuilding phase after the public's attention has waned and new donations have stopped flowing, said Patrick Rooney, associate dean at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

"It would be splashier, perhaps, to spend the money right away while the media is still there and the donors are still looking," he said. "But the important needs, from the cost perspective and the recipient perspective, take place after the headlines are gone and after the cameras are gone."

Red Cross officials noted that a year after a tornado killed 158 people in Joplin, Mo., it found itself providing a new round of mental health services to survivors. The cholera epidemic that killed thousands of people following a massive earthquake in Haiti, where the Red Cross was also criticized for not spending donations faster, also didn't start until nearly a year after the disaster.

The Red Cross says it is planning substantial grants to other nonprofit groups doing Sandy recovery work and is doing much of its current work in conjunction with charitable partners with local ties.

Red Cross volunteers working in conjunction with the organizing group New York Cares are going out several days a week to muck and clean flooded homes and remove mold. Red Cross staff and caseworkers have been holding "unmet needs roundtables" in hard-hit communities, trying to identify victims not covered by traditional aid programs.

"Our experience shows that as the recovery goes on, the needs of survivors will evolve," said Roger Lowe, Red Cross senior vice president. "It's important to make sure some money is available for those needs no one can predict right now."

Other organizations that raised large sums for the relief effort have also held back money while they evaluated the wisest way to spend it.

The Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund, led by Mary Pat Christie, the wife of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, raised $32 million after the storm but didn't begin awarding grants on a large scale until April. So far, it has given about $11 million, with the biggest grants going to local organizations building or repairing housing.

The United Way, which raised $9.7 million in a Sandy recovery fund for New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and some parts of Pennsylvania, said it has spent about $4 million of that total to date, though another $2.5 million is set to go out soon.

"We always knew, from the very beginning, that our fund and our resources would be for longer-term strategies," said United Way of New York City President Sheena Wright. "We feel good about the timeframe."

That strategy of holding some cash to spend later contrasts with the approach taken by the Robin Hood Foundation, which was in charge of distributing more than $70 million raised by a Dec. 12 benefit concert by Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones and other music royalty.

That fund was depleted entirely by April, with grants given to 400 relief organizations ranging from food banks to legal services to volunteer rebuilding groups.

Robin Hood spokeswoman Patty Smith said the foundation moved as fast as it could because it believed that delays in government aid were leaving big gaps in services.

Red Cross officials say they have the ability to meet both long-term and short-term needs, noting the organization has served 17 million meals and snacks, distributed 7 million relief items, mobilized 17,000 workers and volunteers, and provided 81,000 overnight stays.

Its efforts won over early critics like Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro, who assailed the Red Cross response in the days immediately after the storm but now praises it as having provided vital help.

"They've come a long way since Day One," Molinaro said.

Fire Capt. Mark Galarneau said the fire, which appears to be suspicious, was reported around 6:30 a.m. at 2 School St.

05.28.2013 | CHICOPEE -- The home at 2 School St. was damaged in a morning fire Tuesday.George Graham | The Republican

CHICOPEE -- No injuries were reported Tuesday morning in a blaze that broke out in the attic of a vacant home at School and West streets.

Fire Capt. Mark Galarneau said the fire, which appears to be suspicious, was reported around 6:30 a.m. at 2 School St.

The building had no power and had not been secured, Galarneau said. The two-story brick building sustained fire damage in the attic and heavy water damage throughout.

Property owner John D. Costa, of Palmer, said the building's tenants had moved out several weeks ago and he had been working on a number of repairs. Costa said he has owned the building for 17 years, adding, "I've never had any issues here."

The building dates to 1880 and is assessed at $115,800, according to city records.

Gas north of the 49th parallel is about $1.30 per gallon more expensive than in the United States. But that's not the only product that Canadians seek in visits to Washington state: Beer, wine and milk are significantly cheaper.

MANUEL VALDES
Associated Press

SEATTLE (AP) — By Michael Hill's estimation, 90 percent of the people pumping gas at his station just south of the U.S.-Canada border in Washington state are Canadians.

Gas north of the 49th parallel, he said, is about $1.30 per gallon more expensive than in the United States. But that's not the only product that Canadians seek in visits to Washington state: Beer, wine and milk are significantly cheaper (beer and wine alone are roughly half the price in the U.S.).

Add a strong Canadian dollar and the result is a key element of the economy in the towns of Whatcom County. For example, the town of Blaine, population just shy of 5,000, generates over $225,000 from a penny per gallon gas tax, which is about 30 percent of its street maintenance budget.

That's why Hill and others are troubled by the notion of charging a fee to enter the U.S. by land. Last month, in its 2014 fiscal year budget proposal, the Department of Homeland Security requested permission to study a fee at the nation's land border crossings.

"It's a deterrent," said Hill, whose station is fully stocked with wine and has a reader board that says "Thank you Canadians."

"They should be doing anything they can to get them down here to buy more," he added.

That lone request sparked wide opposition among members of Congress from northern states, who vowed to stop it. A fee, they say, would hurt communities on the border that rely on people, goods and money moving between the U.S. and Canada.

"The imposition of such a toll would act as a barrier to the greater economic integration that we seek, and is the absolute last thing we should be doing to grow our economy," stated a letter sent to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano earlier this month signed by 18 Republican and Democratic House lawmakers.

Democrat U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont is sponsoring an amendment to the immigration reform bill that bars Homeland Security from conducting the study. The senator has also promised to stop any funding for the study. In the House, Democrat Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington state introduced a bill to stop the creation of a fee.

This week an amendment by Democrat Rep. Bill Owens of New York to stop the study was introduced to the House to the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill.

Lawmakers and people from the southern border, though, did not show such strong opposition, highlighting a north-south divide on how to pay for border infrastructure.

Democrat Congressman Ruben E. Hinojosa, who represents a district in Texas that includes McAllen and its nearby border region, said fees would be good if the revenue stream is used to improve infrastructure.

"I would support crossing fees only if the funds garnered would be used to upgrade our facilities, provide better equipment for our agents, or used for the hiring of more agents at our border crossings," Hinojosa said.

Currently it costs nothing to enter the country by land. Air and sea crossings already have a fee of under $2, which are included in ticket prices.

The proposal would mean creating a pilot program that tests all the steps needed to create a fee collection — short of actually collecting money. The proposed fee would offset costs of providing border screening and infrastructure. Customs and Border Protection did not specify the cost of the study.

The quick response from northern states lawmakers bolsters the thought that the study won't happen this fiscal year, said Ken Oplinger, president of the Bellingham/Whatcom County Chamber of Commerce in Washington state.

But he thinks that due to the expensive border security measures that have been implemented since Sept. 11, the idea could make a comeback in the future unless other sources of funding not reliant on a border fee appear.

One of busiest northern border crossings — the Peace Arch — is located in Whatcom County. It connects Washington state with British Columbia. In places, the border is just farmland, with no wall or fence and grazing cows. About 12,000 people cross the border there every day, according to CBP figures.

Oplinger has two main concerns. The lesser is people who will refuse to pay the toll and thus stop visiting Whatcom County all together. His greater worry, however, would be any increase to the wait time at the border. He said border traffic has just fully rebounded to pre-Sept. 11 volumes, adding that on summer weekends the wait to enter the U.S. can be as high as two hours. He fears that adding some sort of mechanism to collect the toll would mean more waiting time.

Border fees, albeit local ones, already exist on the southern border. In Texas, local municipalities charge fees to use bridges that connect Mexico and the U.S.

For Kenn Morris, president of marketing research firm Crossborder Group Inc. in San Diego, the future of the border is in public-private partnerships, unless the government acts to improve ports of entry. For example, a private company operates and builds a port of entry, booths and roads, and charges a fee to recoup investments.

"I think that it's inevitable that more border regions use those tools and those who don't want to use it that's they're choice, but they shouldn't take the ability for other regions to at least look at that option," he said. "For those regions that want the ability to charge a fee, we need good analyses to create good policy."

Citing a 2009 University of Texas study, Morris said tolls at the border don't affect traffic flow negatively, but provide a source of revenue to build more border infrastructure.

At the nation's busiest border entry at San Ysidro in California, 50,000 vehicles and 25,000 pedestrians go north from Mexico every day. For the past few years, Congress has sent chunks of money to improve the infrastructure. In his last budget, President Barack Obama asked for $226 million to continue the improvements.

In the meantime, people face hours of waiting every day.

"People are tired of waiting," Morris said.

Less than six months after a gunman killed 20 first-graders and six educators inside Sandy Hook Elementary School, Treehouse Comedy Productions plans to put on a show at the Edmond Town Hall in Newtown, Conn., to benefit those affected by the massacre.

In comedy, timing is everything.

Less than six months after a gunman killed 20 first-graders and six educators inside Sandy Hook Elementary School, Treehouse Comedy Productions plans to put on a show at the Edmond Town Hall in Newtown, Conn., to benefit those affected by the massacre.

The event, "Stand up for Newtown," will be held June 7.

Treehouse founder Brad Axelrod said he has produced about a dozen shows in Newtown over the years and thought about doing a benefit immediately after the Dec. 14 shooting.

But there already were plans for concerts and theatrical productions, and athletes were making trips to visit. Those, he said, seemed more appropriate than what he had in mind.

"I just didn't feel that comedy a month or two months or even three months out was the appropriate time," he said. "There needed to be a time of healing first. But there also needs to be a time when people can move on with their lives."

Bob Schmidt, a Sandy Hook resident and mental health counselor, agrees. He said that time is now.

"Laughter is a great therapy," he said. "And after something like this, we don't feel like laughing, but we really need to laugh and enjoy ourselves again. I think this will bring the town together over something fun and help us rebuild the morale of the town by having a common experience."

Schmidt, 67, also administers a charity fund for the local Lion's Club's that is raising money to help provide mental health services for victims' families, first responders and children who witnessed the shootings at the school.

Proceeds from the show will benefit that charity and the Newtown police union. Schmidt said his group has raised about $150,000 so far and spent about $70,000 of that. They hope the show will give them a little bit more money, and perhaps a lot more publicity, so they can keep the fund going.

The show will include five comics: Peaches Rodriguez, Tommy Koenig, Joe Mulligan, Tom "The Coach" Whitley and Stephanie Peters.

Koenig, who is from the Rockaway section of Queens, said he's done several benefits this year for Superstorm Sandy victims, and he's found that laughter can help people affected by a tragedy release pent-up emotions. He said picking appropriate material for the show is important.

"I wouldn't do anything that's inappropriate or would touch on the subject in a negative way," he said. "You want to hope that people can come and laugh again. And if they can't, you understand that, too. But it seems like maybe waiting until June, this might be a good time. We'll see."

The show won't include any jokes about guns and politics, sexual innuendo or profanity, Axelrod said.

Koenig, who does a lot of musical impressions, said his set will include a Bruce Springsteen riff and an impression of an old man in the future doing the hits of his lifetime.

"These people are professionals," Axelrod said. "We earmarked talent that we know what they do. This is all PG-13, maybe soft R stuff."

Axelrod said he had planned a much bigger show at the Mohegan Sun Casino, about 90 miles away from Newtown. But arrangement to bring in headliners Kevin James and Dennis Leary fell through because of scheduling problems. He said that led them back to doing something smaller in Newtown, which, he said, might be the best thing.

The venue seats about 525 people. The first 400 tickets were given out free to town residents, including police, EMS and teachers at Sandy Hook.

The show also will include a silent auction, featuring trips to Mohegan Sun and overnight excursions to New York for tapings of the "Late Show with David Letterman" and the "Rachael Ray Show."

Treehouse hopes to raise a few thousand dollars during the benefit. But those involved said it's not about the money, it's more about the funny.

"I know a lot of comedians would shy away from doing this because they are not sure it's appropriate," Koenig said. "There never will be a time when we can heal all of this with comedy, but they say laughter is the best medicine for a reason."

Mieke Crane claims her 6-year-old son, a kindergartener at Old Mill Pond Elementary School, must serve detention for bringing a plastic Lego gun onto a school bus, according to a report. The toy gun is only about the size of a quarter.

A kindergartener at Old Mill Pond Elementary School in Palmer is being disciplined for boarding a school bus last week with a Lego toy gun about the size of a quarter, according to the boy's mother.Republican file photo 

PALMER — A mother says she's upset over the punishment her 6-year-old kindergartener is facing after the Old Mill Pond Elementary School student boarded a school bus last week with a Lego plastic gun about the size of a quarter.

"I think they overreacted, totally," Mieke Crane told abc40.

The tiny toy gun is the type that snaps into the hands of a Lego figure, and another student saw it and yelled to the driver. Both Crane's son and the student who alerted the driver had to apologize, according to Crane, who says her son also must serve detention on Tuesday. Palmer school officials couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

After the Friday incident, school officials sent home a letter to parents emphasizing that a real gun wasn't involved and that their children were never in danger, according to abc40. The letter also included a photo that showed the gun was only slightly larger than a quarter.

"I could see if it was, you know, an Airsoft gun or some sort of pistol or live bullets, or something," Crane said. "(But) this is just a toy."

This is not the first time a phony gun has caused a stir in Palmer schools. In May 2011, a 9-year-old Old Mill Pond Elementary School student was disciplined and summoned to Juvenile Court after bringing an Airsoft gun on a school bus.

The father and son plan to be in Boston for the 2014 running of the Boston Marathon.

Katie Couric, right, host of 'Katie,' is shown here with her guests Dick Hoyt, left, and Rick Hoyt who appear in a segment to air on May 30.Donna Svennevik | Disney-ABC Domestic Television 

HOLLAND -- After 34 years and more than 1,100 events, including 31 Boston Marathons, at a time when most athletes might contemplate hanging up their sneakers, Team Hoyt is still going strong.

Their story never gets old; they attract new followers to their Facebook page and website every day.

Dick and Rick Hoyt will bring their story to national TV again this week with an appearance on “Katie,” the talk show of Katie Couric, which will air on Thursday. The show includes segments on “Amazing Acts of Love.”

“It’s going to be a good show,” said Dick Hoyt in a telephone interview this week. “One of Rick’s answers to her questions brought tears to my eyes; it had everyone in the audience choked up.”

The question involved Rick, now 51, talking about his dad, who will turn 73 on June 1.

Known as Team Hoyt, the Hoyts have been running and competing in triathlons and marathons for more than three decades, inspiring people around the world with their story of perseverance. Their message is a simple: “Yes, you can.”

Rick Hoyt was born a quadriplegic with cerebral palsy; his parents, convinced he had the intellect to accomplish much, worked to ensure Rick lived as normal a life as possible, from attending school to participating in sports.

This isn’t the first time their story has captured the national spotlight, but they were invited to appear on “Katie” soon after this year’s Boston Marathon. Their marathon run on April 15, like so many others, was cut short at about the 25-mile marker because of the bombings at the finish line. President Barack Obama, in his speech at a commemorative service later that week, referred to the Hoyts as being among those who inspire others: “We’ll keep going,” the president said. “We will finish the race. In the words of Dick Hoyt, who’s pushed his disabled son, Rick, in 31 Boston Marathons - ’We can’t let something like this stop us.’ This doesn’t stop us.“

Resilience is something the Hoyt family has been practicing for many years.

“Rick and I have competed for 34 years, 1,100 events,” Dick Hoyt said. “At first, no one wanted anything to do with us; whether it was going to school or to restaurants, we told Rick, ‘Anything you want, you can do. There is no such word as ‘no.’”

“Many people tried to make it difficult for us, but we just went ahead,” Dick Hoyt said. “We’ve been motivating people from all over the world now, saying we’re out there competing. If we can do it, you can do it.”

Dick Hoyt confides that one thing he didn’t want to do was have to drive into New York City to appear on the “Katie” show. The producers agreed to send a limousine to pick him and Rick up and transport them to the studio. Things almost went awry when the limousine service wasn’t able to accommodate Rick’s chair. The limousine driver, however, wound up driving the Hoyts’ van to and from the city.

The situation wasn’t too unlike what the father and son faced as the marathon route shut down after the bombings.

One bystander at the time suggested the two get a cab, but, Dick Hoyt said his son’s running chair wouldn’t fit into a cab. At that point, another spectator came forward, offering his SUV to transport the Hoyts back to their hotel.

Rick’s wheelchair eventually ended up in a different vehicle, and didn’t get returned until the following day.

On the “Katie” show, the Hoyts share their marathon experience, Dick Hoyt said. Because Rick communicates via computer with a system that can take some time to process, he was given Couric’s questions ahead of time, his father said.

“In the second one, he talks about me. He did an awesome job,” Dick Hoyt said.

In the weeks since the marathon, the Hoyts have been going about doing what they do to help raise funds and awareness. Just a week ago, they had more than 100 people at their home and participated in a 5K road race to benefit the Holland Elementary School, Dick Hoyt said.

“It’s been a very powerful experience for us. Now people everywhere are helping motivate us to keep going,” he said.

The Hoyts already have events scheduled in the coming months, including a trip to Hawaii in October where they will be parade marshals for the Iron Man competition. Next spring’s marathon is also on their agenda as are other competitive races. Now, though, it’s less about competing and more about inspiring others, Dick Hoyt said.

“We still enjoy it. We’re not as fast as we used to be, but people seem to enjoy seeing us,” said Dick Hoyt. “People say it all the time to us; they’re no longer at the marathon looking for Joan Benoit or Johnny Kelly. It’s, ‘Where are the Hoyts.’”

The “Katie” show airs at 4 p.m. on WGGB-TV40. 

Analysts says it's far too early to know whether Netflix's high-profile foray into original programming will turn out to be a hit or a flop for the company.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The hoopla surrounding the return of "Arrested Development" on Netflix's Internet video service has quickly dissolved into a letdown on Wall Street.

Netflix's stock fell by more than 6 percent Tuesday as investors reacted to critics' mixed reviews over the weekend of the first new "Arrested Development" episodes since Fox canceled the TV series seven years ago. The shares shed $14.55 to close at $214.19, marking the biggest one-day drop in the stock in nearly six months.

IDC analyst Greg Ireland characterized Tuesday's sell-off as an overreaction, given that it's far too early to know whether Netflix's latest high-profile foray into original programming will turn out to be a hit or a flop for the company. That determination probably won't be made until late July, when Netflix Inc. typically announces the number of subscribers it added during the April-June period.

Netflix declined Tuesday to disclose any information about how many and how much subscribers have watched "Arrested Development" since all 15 new episodes were released at once early Sunday morning. The mass debut made it possible for Netflix's 29.2 million U.S. subscribers to watch as many episodes as they wanted during the holiday weekend as part of their $8-a-month subscription fee. Many people opted to view them all at once rather than space them out over weeks or months.

"Arrested Development" is the third original series to debut on Netflix this year, but it has attracted far more attention than the others because of its built-in fan base and a popular cast, which includes Jason Bateman and Michael Cera.

Netflix also raised hopes for "Arrested Development" by predicting the series could help add as many as 880,000 U.S. subscribers to the online video service during the three months ending in June. That would be 350,000 more subscribers than the service gained during the same stretch last year. It's traditionally a sluggish period for the company because more people are on vacation and doing things outdoors instead of spending a lot of time watching video.

The Los Gatos, Calif., company didn't make any of the new "Arrested Development" episodes available for advance viewing. That made it impossible to know ahead of time whether the series retained the same quirky humor and appeal that won the show critical acclaim, Emmy awards and a devoted fan base during its three-year run on Fox and its subsequent distribution on Internet video services such as Netflix.

Once they saw the resurrected "Arrested Development," some influential critics panned it as a disappointment. The New York Times was particularly harsh, asserting that Netflix had "killed" the series. Variety was only slightly kinder in describing the revival as "an interesting idea that was more exciting on paper."

But many other critics hailed the new episodes for being just as good, if not better, than the show's original incarnation. "The comedic payout begins to multiply with each succeeding episode," asserted The Hollywood Reporter's Tim Goodman, who recommended watching the new season at least twice to get all the jokes. Other reviewers in daily newspapers scattered across the country also praised the series.

As of late Tuesday afternoon, "Arrested Development" had received a 72 rating on a scale of 100, based on 10 professional reviews analyzed by Metacritic.com. That compared with a rating of 76 for the political drama "House of Cards" and 46 for the thriller "Hemlock Grove," the other Netflix-financed series released on the service this year. Metacritic considers a rating of 61 to 80 to be signifying "generally favorable reviews."

The opinions of the critics ultimately won't matter if Netflix's subscribers are enjoying the new episodes of "Arrested Development," Janney Montgomery Scott analyst Tony Wible said.

The show becomes "almost like a marketing vehicle for Netflix" as satisfied customers keep their subscriptions and help create a buzz that attracts new subscribers, Wible said.

Just a whiff of negative sentiment about "Arrested Development" was enough to spook Wall Street. Many investors have been betting that the series will accelerate Netflix's subscriber growth and provide further validation of the company's decision to spend about $200 million annually on original programming in an effort to make its Internet video service as compelling as any broadcast or cable TV network.

The buildup to "Arrested Development" helped Netflix's stock recover from a backlash to price increases and proposed service changes announced nearly two years ago. The stock plummeted from nearly $305 in July 2011 to below $53 last August. Even with Tuesday's sharp decline, Netflix's stock has more than doubled in value so far this year.

The run-up has left investors paying about $144 for every $1 in Netflix's projected earnings this year compared with $23 for every $1 in anticipated earnings for Google, the Internet's most powerful company. Netflix's lofty valuation means the slightest stumble can cause many investors to dump their shares, Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter said.

"It's a stock that is priced for perfection," he said.

A sampling of traffic Sunday indicated that "Arrested Development" got off to a positive start, despite the misgivings of some critics.

Procera Networks, which provides Internet traffic management for broadband providers, estimated that about one-third of the Netflix subscribers it monitored watched at least one episode of "Arrested Development." Procera monitors traffic for several major broadband providers, though it doesn't identify which ones. The traffic for "Arrested Development" was far better than the 11 percent of Netflix subscribers who watched at least one episode of "House of Cards" during its debut weekend in February, according to Procera.

Netflix credited the popularity of "House of Cards" for helping its service add 2 million U.S. subscribers during the first three months of this year, about 250,000 more than the same time last year.

About 10 percent of the Netflix subscribers monitored by Procera finished the entire season of "Arrested Development" on Sunday.

"I would call that a numbers success, regardless of critical acclaim," Cam Cullen, Procera's vice president of global marketing, wrote Tuesday in a blog post.

All of the top candidates for the North American seat have visited Boston. New England voters chose Lefebve over Scemama by 12 votes.

French parliamentary candidate Frederic Lefebvre, left, and his deputy Olivier Piton spoke to a reporter at the International School of Boston in Cambridge on Wednesday, May 22, 2013.Shira Schoenberg for MassLive.com 

French parliamentary candidates Frederic Lefebvre and Franck Scemama will face off in a runoff election to determine who will win a seat representing French citizens living in the United States and Canada.

There are 11 seats in the 577-seat French National Assembly that, since 2012, have been reserved for representatives of French citizens living abroad. All of the top candidates visited the Boston area, and Lefebvre sat down with The Republican/MassLive.com last week.

Lefebvre, 49, represents the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP), a center-right political party to which former president Nicolas Sarkozy belonged. Scemama, 38, belongs to the Socialist party, which controls both houses of parliament and the presidency, held by Francois Hollande.

Lefebvre came in first in a first round of balloting, which was held on Saturday, winning 5,863 votes. Scemama finished a close second, with 5,024 votes. No other candidate came close, with the third place candidate, Damien Regnard, earning less than 2,600 votes. Giscard d’Estaing, the son of a former French president, finished fourth. There were 12 candidates running.

In New England, where nearly 6,000 French citizens were registered to vote, only around 710 people cast ballots. Lefebvre beat Scemama by 12 votes, 222 to 210, in the region covered by the Consulate General of France in Boston, which includes Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire.

A second round of voting will be held June 8.

A U.S. congressional delegation is spending a week in Russia meeting with high-level government and security officials to investigate whether more could have been done to prevent the Boston Marathon bombings.

MOSCOW (AP) — A U.S. congressional delegation is spending a week in Russia meeting with high-level government and security officials to investigate whether more could have been done to prevent the Boston Marathon bombings.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, the California Republican who is leading the delegation, said Wednesday: "We think there is some information that is vital for us to know that hasn't been made public yet."

Russia warned the U.S. in 2011 that bombings suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev was a potential terrorist threat, but did not respond to U.S. requests for more information.

Although the U.S. and Russian presidents have pledged to improve counter-terrorism cooperation, both sides have accused the other of being less than forthcoming.

Tsarnaev, who was killed by police, spent six months last year in Dagestan, a southern Russian province.

MassGOP Chairwoman Kirsten Hughes on Tuesday accused House Democrats of giving Fresolo a “get out of jail free card.”

Former State Rep. John P. Fresolo, D-WorcesterHandout  

The Republican Party on Tuesday called on Treasurer Steve Grossman and the state Retirement Board to freeze former Rep. John Fresolo’s pension until the House Ethics Committee discloses the findings of its investigation that led to the Worcester Democrat’s resignation.

Though Fresolo is vested in the retirement system after 15 years as a state representative, a spokesman for Grossman said Fresolo, 48, does not yet qualify for a pension because of his age. “The Retirement Board works to ensure that all pensions are provided in an appropriate manner, and it will follow the law and established precedent if it is presented with any information related to Mr. Fresolo,” said Jon Carlisle, a spokesman for Grossman, who chairs the Retirement Board.

MassGOP Chairwoman Kirsten Hughes on Tuesday accused House Democrats of giving Fresolo a “get out of jail free card.”

“Mr. Grossman should act immediately to freeze any payment to Mr. Fresolo until the findings of the House Ethics Committee are made public to ensure fair use of taxpayer money,” Hughes said in a statement. “House Democrats gave Fresolo a get out of jail free card and now it is up to Mr. Grossman to make sure he doesn’t get a $300,000 bonus for bad behavior as well.”

The Worcester Telegram and Gazette reported last Friday that Fresolo is due to receive an annual pension of $13,472 once he turns 55, based on his salary and years of service. By the time he turns 78 – the average life expectancy of a 48-year-old male - the state will have paid Fresolo almost $310,000 in retirement benefits, according to the newspaper.

Fresolo resigned last week after days of hearings conducted behind closed doors by the House Ethics Committee into undisclosed “serious allegations” brought by a staffer against a member of the House. If the Ethics Committee found reason to discipline a member of the House, a report would have to be filed with the clerk and made public outlining the evidence against the individual. If the committee finds insufficient evidence of wrongdoing, no public disclosure must be made. Fresolo's resignation obviated the need for his colleagues to act on a committee recommendation, if one were made.

State officials are asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a private company against a provision in the Massachusetts casino law that gave preference to a native American tribe in the state's southeastern region.

BOSTON (AP) — State officials are asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a private company against a provision in the Massachusetts casino law that gave preference to a native American tribe in the state's southeastern region.

In its motion, the state argues the lawsuit is moot because the Massachusetts Gaming Commission has since voted to open the region to commercial casino applicants.

The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe has proposed a resort casino in Taunton, but cannot proceed without federal approval of a land-in-trust application.

KG Urban Enterprises, which hopes to build a casino in New Bedford, said the provision in the 2011 law that gave exclusivity to the tribe in southeastern Massachusetts violates the equal protection clause of the U.S. constitution.

There was no immediate comment from KG on the motion.

Obituaries from The Republican.

Michael Peretti  

Michael P. Peretti, 61, passed away on Sunday. He was born in Springfield and grew up in Agawam. He graduated from Putnam Vocational High School in Springfield in 1971. He was employed for 35 years as a mechanic for H.P. Hood Inc. in Agawam and Suffield and for 32 years as a mechanic for Sears & Roebuck in West Springfield and Holyoke. He was a member of the Agawam and Westfield Sportsmen's Club.

Obituaries from The Republican:

• 
  Barker, Patricia H.
  



• 
  Barrett, Mason J.
  



• 
  Bourbeau, Bernadette A. (Bourcier)
  



• 
  Brock-Pixley, Elizabeth B.
  



• 
  Burdick, Jonathan M.
  



• 
  Clark, Evelyn C.
  



• 
  Coffey, Vincent M.
  



• 
  Cormack, Joan
  



• 
  DeWeese, Beverly W.
  



• 
  Jones, John W.
  



• 
  Judd, David L.
  



• 
  Jurkowski, Joseph J.
  



• 
  Mansi, Kevin F.
  



• 
  Peretti, Michael P.
  



• 
  Petruchik, Peter
  



• 
  Pieczarka, Jeannette
  



• 
  Provost, Lillian
  



• 
  Sampeck, Harriet C. Malley
  



• 
  Shaker, Benjamin T.
  



• 
  Shaw, Pamela M.
  



• 
  Smith, Christine A.
  



• 
  Tardif, Anna M.
  



• 
  Trybus, Raymond
  

The tournament was plagued by low attendance in Springfield, drawing a total of 14,394 fans this March -- about 2,000 fewer than 2012.

SPRINGFIELD -- The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference will host its 2015 to 2017 MAAC Men's and Women's Basketball Championships at Albany's Times Union Center after a run of several years at the MassMutual Center.

The MassMutual Center hosted the Championships in 2012 and 2013, and will do so again in 2014 on March 6-10.

But the league's nearest schools are Marist in Poughkeepsie, Siena in Albany and Fairfield University in Connecticut. There are no MAAC schools in Massachusetts.

The tournament was plagued by low attendance in Springfield, drawing a total of 14,394 this March, about 2,000 fewer than 2012.

The decision to return to Albany and the Times Union Center, Siena's home court, was a unanimous vote by MAAC Council of Presidents at their May 28 meeting in New York City, the league announced Wednesday.

In 2013, the MAAC generated over $2.3 million in economic fan activity in Springfield as calculated by an UMass Isenberg School of Business Economic Impact Study. That figure did not account for the approximately $15,000 a day in travel, housing and meal expenses associated with each of the 20 visiting teams in Springfield.

With the expansion to 11 member schools in 2014, and the return to Albany in 2015, the economic impact is expected to grow considerably, the league said.

Under Bump, state auditors have exposed waste and the misuse of public money in Massachusetts.

State Auditor Suzanne Bump is among the Massachusetts politicos being honored on Thursday as the Springfield Democratic City Committee holds its annual "Democrats of Distinction" awards ceremony and dinner.

As Democrats from each of the city's eight wards are noted for their efforts, Bump, a Great Barrington resident, will be named the Edward P. Boland Democrat of the Year. Under Bump, state auditors have exposed waste and the misuse of public money in Massachusetts. On Tuesday, her office released a report concluding that the Department of Transitional Assistance had paid a total of $2.39 million in benefits to more than 1,100 dead recipients.

Although among the names rumored to be considering a run for governor, Bump has said she intends on running for re-election to her current position.

Fiore Grassetti, who has served as president of the Pioneer Valley AFL-CIO since January, will receive the group’s Distinguished Labor Leader of the Year award.

One Democrat from each of the city's wards will also be honored for their efforts to boost the party. The event, being held at The Cedars Banquet Facility on Island Pond Road, is open to the public as tickets are $50 each. Cocktail hour begins at 6 p.m. with dinner and the awards ceremony taking place after 7 p.m.

For tickets, or other information, contact chairman E. Henry Twiggs at (413) 737-7306.

Planning for the Wings & Wheels show comes in the wake of cancellation of military air shows across the nation.

This file photo shows A B-25 Mitchell bomber flying over a Westfield International Air Show. Gen. Hap Arnold's B-25 will be among the vintage aircraft set to participate in the first edition of the Great New England Wings & Wheels show in August at Westover Metropolitan Airport in Chicopee.The Republican file photo 

CHICOPEE – The Galaxy Community Council, the charitable organization which has assisted the Westover Air Reserve Base’s 439th Airlift Wing and other military-related groups for more than two decades, is planning a new event to at least temporarily fill in the gap left by the absence of a major military air show in the region.

The “first edition” of the Great New England Wings & Wheels show will debut Aug. 24 and 25 at Westover Metropolitan Airport, 255 Padgette St.

Planning for the show came about in the wake of the federal budget sequestration’s effects on military air shows around the nation. This show will take place on the civilian portion of Westover and is not expected to include any active military aircraft.

Organizers say the Wings & Wheels show will “be the best and only opportunity for aviation enthusiasts to see vintage civilian and military aircraft” in the region because of the cancellation of shows like those previously held at Westover and at the Air National Guard’s 104th Fighter Wing in Westfield.

This show will include a display of Air Force Gen. Hap Arnold’s B-25 Mitchell bomber and other World War II aircraft.

Proceeds from the show will benefit the, the Pioneer Valley USO, other military assistance organizations, the Shriners Hospital for Children in Springfield and “the next edition” of the Great New England Air Show at Westover Air Reserve Base.

Along with the static vintage and modern aircraft, there will also be displays of classic cars, from early 1900s vehicles to “modern exotics.”

Music groups, along with food and beverage vendors, will be offered throughout the weekend. Admission will be $10; children under 12 will be admitted free.

The events schedule, prize schedule, musical line-up, gate and registration fees, and additional acts are still to be determined.

Car registration forms will be available online at greatnewenglandwingsandwheels.com in the near future. Sponsorships, as well as food and merchandise vendor booths, are available.

A spokesman says FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff submitted his resignation letter to President Barack Obama on late Tuesday.

By MATTHEW DALY, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is resigning.

A spokesman says FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff submitted his resignation letter to President Barack Obama on late Tuesday. Wellinghoff will remain at the commission until a replacement is nominated and confirmed by the Senate. He will continue as chairman and vote on matters before the commission.

Wellinghoff, a former Nevada utility regulator, has served as chairman of the energy panel since 2009 and has been a commission member since 2006.

FERC is an independent agency that regulates the interstate transmission of electricity, natural gas, and oil.

Senate Energy Committee Chairman Ron Wyden of Oregon says that Wellinghoff launched important investigations to protect consumers from manipulation of energy markets and pushed to increase renewable energy supplies.

Tortilla Sam's won't celebrate its 15th birthday in July because it's owner Van Le announced that Wednesday is its last day serving burritos and other Mexican-American food. The small burrito joint on Highland Street will officially close its doors for good once it runs out of food Wednesday.

WORCESTER - Tortilla Sam's won't celebrate its 15th birthday in July following owner Van Le's announcement that Wednesday will be the restaurant's last day serving burritos and other Mexican-American food. The small burrito joint on Highland Street will officially close its doors for good once it runs out of food today, which employees expect will be around 11 p.m.

Le, 46, of Worcester, started Tortilla Sam's 15 years ago after being laid off from his job as a design engineer. He saw opening a restaurant in the heart of Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Becker College as a good opportunity to make money. But after close to 15 years of owning and running the restaurant he said it wasn't worth it anymore with costs soaring and profit margins being squeezed. A combination of rent increases, increased competition and a middling economy proved too much to overcome.

Le said he loved Tortilla Sam's but he's moved on to a new project. Le owns a Putnam, Conn. business, Charlee Bravos, that serves burgers, frozen yogurt and also includes a pool hall.

Instagram Pictures from Tortilla Sam's

Obama will headline a fundraiser Wednesday for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee at the home of two longtime supporters.

By JOSH LEDERMAN, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is flying home to Chicago to give a boost to Democrats hoping to take back the House in 2014.

Obama will headline a fundraiser Wednesday for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee at the home of two longtime supporters. Tickets start at $10,000 per person and go up to $32,400 per couple.

Obama will also be joined by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel at a reception costing $1,000 per person.

Democrats need to gain 17 seats to gain the majority.

First lady Michelle Obama is also raising Democratic cash at two East Coast fundraisers for the Democratic National Committee, including the DNC's annual lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender gala featuring NBA veteran Jason Collins. On Wednesday, she will also headline a fundraiser for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate in Massachusetts Ed Markey.

The chase went through seven Hampshire County communities before ending on a Southampton lawn.

03.09.11 | Photo by Julian Feller-Cohen – A South Hadley Police Department cruiser. 

SOUTHAMPTON -- A police chase that started late Tuesday night in South Hadley and ultimately traveled through seven other Hampshire County communities ended in town shortly after midnight in a long blaze of sparks that stretched from Easthampton's downtown rotary to somebody’s lawn on Route 10.

The sparks flew after the 23-year-old suspect hit a pair of stop sticks, placed by police in the area of the rotary, that shredded his tires. He then continued west into Southampton on his rims, Easthampton Police officer Chad Alexander said.

No injuries were reported in the incident.

South Hadley Police Chief David LaBrie said the chase started in his town after an officer spotted the suspect, Southampton resident Thomas Pitoniak, pull into town from Veteran’s Bridge in the Falls neighborhood and make a sharp left turn onto Main Street.

The suspect’s 2002 Kia Optima turned so sharply that it went into the opposing lane on Main Street, prompting the officer to suspect that the driver was impaired, LaBrie said.

The officer attempted to pull Pitoniak over. Instead, Pitoniak continued onto Route 202. What LaBrie described as a “medium-speed” police chase ensued, with speeds approaching 65 to 70 mph.

Pitoniak was ultimately pursued by police through Granby, Belchertown, Amherst, Hadley, Northampton, Easthampton and Southampton, LaBrie said.

The initial South Hadley officer pursued Pitoniak all the way to Easthampton where he also hit one of the stop sticks and flattened two of the tires on his cruiser, LaBrie said.

Alexander said Easthampton police deployed the stop sticks after hearing that the suspect, who entered town via Florence Road from Northampton, took a right onto Route 10 and was heading their way at about 50 mph.

“That slowed his speeds way down,” said Alexander of the post-speed sticks portion the chase.

LaBrie said the chase ended on a Southampton lawn, which he believed was a short distance away from the Easthampton line.

South Hadley police charged the suspect, who lives at 2 Karen Lane in Southampton, with operating with a revoked license, operating with a revoked registration, failure to stop for police, speeding, running a red light and a marked lanes violation.

Easthampton police charged the suspect with operating with a suspended license, operating with a revoked registration, negligent operation, driving an uninsured motor vehicle, failure to stop for police, a marked lanes violation and speeding.

LaBrie did not know if additional charges are pending in any other communities.

Pitoniak was slated to be arraigned Wednesday in Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown.

LaBrie declined to identify the officer who initially gave chase to Pitoniak. He said, however, it's not unheard of for a police officer to unintentionally run over stop sticks during a chase.

“It does happen on occasion from what I understand,” LaBrie said.

Citing Gomez's previous military service as a Navy SEAL, local union president Brian D. Halloran released a statement commending the political newcomer for his "leadership, integrity and perseverance."

Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Gabriel Gomez's campaign received a boost Wednesday in the form of an endorsement from the New England Police Benevolent Association's local 911 in Worcester.

Citing Gomez's previous military service as a Navy SEAL, local union president Brian D. Halloran released a statement commending the political newcomer for his "leadership, integrity and perseverance."

"These personal assets are harder and harder to come by in our elected office holders, not only across our state but also across our country. We wish to support a candidate that will best represent our city, state and country," Halloran said in a statement. "Like Gabriel Gomez we are guided by our principles, not by any party affiliation, in making decisions that are best for our members."

In early May, the local union's parent organization, representing law enforcement across the region, announced that its executive committee unanimously voted to endorse Gomez over his Democratic competitor Edward Markey.

In 2012, the union was among a coalition of law enforcement that endorsed then Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, citing his support for the federal Secure Communities program.

Markey was endorsed on Monday by President Barack Obama and the first lady will participate in a fundraiser on his behalf later this evening.

Both candidates have been sparring over tax policy while late last week, the campaigns agreed to a June 11 debate in Springfield.

Both campaigns also have agreed to take part in a June 5 debate at WBZ studios in Allston and a June 18 debate at WGBH’s studios in Brighton.

June 5 is the last day to register to vote in the June 25 special election.