For some Massachusetts parents, a publication has announced a word of strong caution.

For some Massachusetts parents, a publication has announced a word of strong caution.

In the list "The 15 Worst Cities to Have a Baby, From New York to Miami," The Daily Beast named Worcester the fifth worst, and Boston fourteenth.

The website based its rankings on recently released USDA data on the cost of raising children. Below is how Boston and Worcester ranked.

5. Worcester

Cost of baby’s first year: $28,700
Cost as percentage of household income: 47%
Ob/Gyns per 100,000 residents: 9.9
Population under 5 years old: 5.8%
Avg. commuting time: 27.9 minutes
Playgrounds per 10,000 residents: n/a

14. Boston

Cost of baby’s first year: $34,000
Cost as percentage of household income: 49%
Ob/Gyns per 100,000 residents: 17.0
Population under 5 years old: 5.6%
Avg. commuting time: 29.2 minutes
Playgrounds per 10,000 residents: 3.6

Nationwide, the USDA reports child-rearing expenses vary considerably by household income. On average nationwide, the annual cost of raising a child in a two-child, married-couple family in the middle-income group ($60,640 and $105,000) is between $12,600 and $14,700 annually, according to the USDA.

The cost of raising a child born in 2012 varied in income brackets. Parents who earn under $60,640, will spend $216,910 to raise a child to adulthood. Those in the middle-income bracket will spend $301,970, and those earning over $105,000 spend $501,250 before a child turns 18.

Overall, families living in Northeast cities incur the highest child-rearing costs.

The median income for Boston families is $61,035, according to 2011 Census data.

Worcester families earn $76,485, on average, according to the most recent Census data.

Below are the full rankings by The Daily Beast.

1. New York City, NY
2. Santa Cruz, CA
3. Los Angeles, CA
4. Hagerstown, MD
5. Worcester, MA
6. Miami, FL
7. Santa Rosa, CA
8. Bremerton, WA
9. San Francisco, CA
10. Riverside, CA
11. Providence, RI
12. Portland, OR
13. Modesto, CA
14. Boston, MA
15. Chicago, IL

Springfield officials praised the Forest Park Middle School project, which includes a new gymnasium, as a fine blend of historic preservation features and 21st century technology.

09/03/13 Springfield - Republican Photo by Mark M.Murray- Springfield Mayor Domnic J. Sarno, shakes hands with students gathered for gym class at the new Forest Park Middle School, during a media tour of the newly renovated school 

SPRINGFIELD — City and school officials toured the newly renovated and expanded Forest Park Middle School on Tuesday, praising the project as a fine blend of historic preservation features and 21st century technology.

“We are just ecstatic,” Superintendent of Schools Daniel J. Warwick said. “This is a 21st century building. The original structure was built in the 1890s. So to have the technology upgrade, the facility upgrade, redesigned classrooms, all new science labs, this is a great learning environment for our students.”

The $43.4 million project is one of the last projects in the state that qualified for 90 percent state reimbursement of costs through the Massachusetts School Building Authority.

Principal Medina Ali led the tour of the fully renovated original building and the new wing that houses the gymnasium. Those along for the tour included Mayor Domenic J. Sarno; City Councilors Thomas M. Ashe, Kateri B. Walsh and Timothy C. Allen; and School Committee member Antonette Pepe.

While the exterior architecture was preserved, along with features such as fully restored wood floors, items such as 100-year-old drapes in the auditorium were replaced, officials said. The project included new windows and roofs and the addition of elevators..

Having a new building “means we can focus on instruction, we know the building is safe,” Ali said.

“We have the building space, and we have the facilities so that our students can learn in a place where they feel comfortable, they feel safe, the teachers feel comfortable and feel safe,” Ali said.

Sarno said the building is beautiful, including a new gymnasium. The gym was previously located in the basement of the original building, with very little room and pillars that created hindrances to basketball games and other physical fitness activities.

The original building was gutted and renovated, and the former gymnasium is now the media center for library services for the students.

While the school expanded, the enrollment has declined from approximately 950 students to 700 for an improved learning environment, officials said.

Pope Francis called for worldwide day of fast and prayer in response to crisis in Syria on Sept. 7.

The Most Rev, Timothy A. McDonnell, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, is asking diocesan parishes to hold "Vigils for Peace" in response to the crisis in Syria on Sept. 7, following their Saturday vigil Masses. He asked the vigils to include the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, according to a diocesan release.

Pope Francis has said that on Sept. 7 he will lead the world in a day of fasting, and prayer for a nonviolent resolution in Syria. He has also called for people to join in a prayer vigil on the evening of Sept. 7 at the Vatican.

“Today, dear brothers and sisters, I wish to make add my voice to the cry which rises up with increasing anguish from every part of the world, from every people, from the heart of each person, from the one great family which is humanity: it is the cry for peace," Francis said on Sept. 1, instead of his weekly homily.

"It is a cry which declares with force: we want a peaceful world, we want to be men and women of peace, and we want in our society, torn apart by divisions and conflict, that peace break out! War never again! Never again war! Peace is a precious gift, which must be promoted and protected."

He went on to announce plans for a vigil to be held at the Vatican on Sept. 7.

"I have decided to proclaim for the whole Church on 7 September next, the vigil of the birth of Mary, Queen of Peace, a day of fasting and prayer for peace in Syria, the Middle East, and throughout the world, and I also invite each person, including our fellow Christians, followers of other religions and all men of good will, to participate, in whatever way they can, in this initiative.

“On 7 September, in Saint Peter’s Square, here, from 7 p.m. until 12 a.m. we will gather in prayer and in a spirit of penance, invoking God’s great gift of peace upon the beloved nation of Syria and upon each situation of conflict and violence around the world. Humanity needs to see these gestures of peace and to hear words of hope and peace! I ask all the local churches, in addition to fasting, that they gather to pray for this intention."

The show runs through Sunday on Route 20 in Brimfield. The next show will be held in May 2014.

BRIMFIELD — Route 20 was already getting crowded, and it wasn’t even 7 a.m.

Antique seekers were piling into Brimfield early Tuesday morning for the Brimfield Antique Show, which continue through Sunday. This is the last show of the year, meaning shoppers will have to wait another eight months, until the May show, to experience Brimfield once again.

“The early bird usually gets the worm,” John L. Draper, of Syracuse, N.Y., said as he browsed the Central Park field.

Draper, a 15-year veteran of the Brimfield shows, arrived just after 6 a.m. He said he already purchased a World War II helmet for $85. He said he goes to Brimfield specifically to shop for military-style items.

Dealer Christina A. Saunders, of Pennsylvania, specializes in vintage textiles, mostly from the 1940s. She said the majority of her buyers are fellow dealers, and she reported that she already had a lot of customers before 7 a.m.

Something interesting she had on display came from an estate sale – a set of French drapes from the 1800s she was selling for $1,250. The golden brown drapes had a pattern that featured a person riding what appeared to be a lion.

Re-purposed grain bags from the 1940s that she was selling for $20 were proving to be a good seller, she said. The grain sacks were fashioned with new straps. Saunders said broaches also are “hot right now” as is anything “Steampunk” – Victorian-era style based on science fiction that can incorporate gadgets and gears in design.

In the booth next door, Saunders’ sister and nephew, Jean M. and Brian Davis, of North Carolina, sold an eclectic mix of textiles, old fire extinguishers, radios, lunch boxes ("The Flying Nun," "Hogan’s Heroes," "The Munsters" and "The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams," just to name a few) as well as Buddy Lee dolls (The Lee Jeans mascot) and a $9,000 “probably French” bronze opium box from the late 1700s or early 1800s emblazoned with devils.

Brian Davis said the vintage radios ranged in price from $600 to $4,000. One customer bought a Lone Ranger one from the 1950s before 7 a.m., but Davis declined to reveal the purchase price.

The fire extinguishers, from the 1930s, were being sold for $200 each. Davis said customers buy them to turn them into lamps. Davis also said that he spends the first day of the show in his booth – then he starts shopping for himself.

James M. Morrison, of Danielson, Conn., started browsing at 5:30 a.m. Morrison said he came specifically to buy rare, old marbles. He hadn’t purchased anything yet.

“It’s the earliest I’ve ever been up here,” Morrison said.

Jane Loeffler, a dealer from Thomaston, Conn., said she goes to Brimfield to shop “as soon as it gets light.” She sells vintage linens, lace and hankies at hearts-desires.com.

Shopper Debra B. Brown, of Charlestown, N.H., has been coming to Brimfield for three years, and loves it. She buys piano lamps from the 1800s, and found one for $120 before 7 a.m.

“This is my passion,” Brown said. “I collect and refurbish them.”

Brown brought her friend, Cathy A. Kurkol, of Westminster, Vt., to tag along. Kurkol found a $20 crucifix for last rites during their early bird shopping.

Said Brown, “I love the atmosphere, the excitement, and I love the dealers.“

The dealers, Brown said, take time to talk with shoppers about the items they are interested in. Besides the lamps, Brown was looking for old music boxes and victrolas – wind-up phonographs.

The show features approximately 20 fields featuring dealers specializing in antiques of all kinds on a mile-long stretch of Route 20.

Obituaries from The Republican.

Christopher Ferri 

Christopher M. Ferri, 51, of Colchester, Vt., passed away on Thursday. Born in Holyoke, he lived in East Longmeadow and Springfield before moving to Vermont. He was in the U.S. Army from 1980 to 1991, serving in many units throughout the United States and Germany, attaining the rank of staff sergeant. He worked for various contractors as a general laborer throughout his life. His favorite time was spent in California, working with family while in the California National Guard.

Obituaries from The Republican:

• 
  Audette, Doris F.
  



• 
  Baker, Willie Mae
  



• 
  Bouchard, Louis M.
  



• 
  Davis, Rita M.
  



• 
  Day, Robert A.
  



• 
  Deyo, Garry
  



• 
  Faucher, Gerard N.
  



• 
  Ferri, Christopher M.
  



• 
  Grossman, Jane D.
  



• 
  Jackewich, Judith A.
  



• 
  Kaselouskas, Clarice H.
  



• 
  Kuruc, Joan M.
  



• 
  Lambert, Richard J.
  



• 
  Lavoie, Evelyn D.
  



• 
  Matthews Jr., Herbert J.
  



• 
  Mulcahy, Eugene J.
  



• 
  Niedbala, Joseph
  



• 
  Pava, Arthur A.
  



• 
  Peters, Jacqueline M.
  



• 
  Racine, William J.
  



• 
  Samsel, Jennie K.
  



• 
  Strempel, Susan N.
  



• 
  Waite, Clyde A.
  

A man drowned while visiting a private residence in Middlefield.

MIDDLEFIELD -- A 44-year-old Corona, N.Y. man drowned Sunday at a private residence in Middlefield, while swimming in a secondary branch of Glendale Falls.

Mary Carey, spokeswoman for the Northwest District Attorney's Office, said Eduardo Adolfo Echavarria's body was recovered from the fast moving stream by Middlefield police and fire rescuers, and State Police at about 3 p.m. Sunday.

No foul play is suspected.

The blaze severely damaged the former school at 495 Chestnut St. in the Memorial Square section of the North End.

Updates story published at 2:05 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3.

SPRINGFIELD — A fire that ravaged the former Chestnut Junior High School in the city's North End early Tuesday is being investigated as a possible arson, according to Springfield Fire Department Public Information Officer Dennis G. Leger.

"Arson's going to have to check it out," said Leger, executive aide to fire Commissioner Joseph A. Conant.

The commissioner was among the emergency officials who responded to the two-alarm fire shortly before 2 a.m. at 495 Chestnut St., the scene of a massive brick building that smoldered and belched smoke into the humid air as firefighters attacked the blaze from Chestnut and Prospect streets.

09.03.2013 | SPRINGFIELD -- Demolition was underway Tuesday morning at the former Chestnut Street Junior High School, which sustained heavy damage in an overnight fire.Mark M. Murray | The Republican

A fire lieutenant sustained an unspecified injury and was treated at Baystate Medical Center and later released, Leger said.

The vacant structure was severely damaged and its future is uncertain. "Floors are burnt right through," Leger said. "There was a large amount of fire in the back of the building."

Flames could be seen shooting from boarded-up windows at the front of the 4-story building on Chestnut Street, while thick smoke rose high above the rear of the structure on Massasoit Street.

Fire officials began investigating reports of smoke in the Memorial Square section of the North End at about 1:45 a.m. Within minutes they pinpointed the smoke to the Chestnut Street school, bounded roughly by Prospect and Ringgold streets on the north and west and Massasoit and Carew streets on the east and south, respectively.

The call was issued at about 1:50 a.m., with the arson unit dispatched immediately afterward. It was followed by a "working fire" declaration at 1:55 a.m.

Residents of a Prospect Street apartment building were evacuated as a precaution, and city police cruisers blocked key intersections near the building to accommodate fire crews.

The 82,000-square-foot building, which was built in stages beginning in 1901, has lay dormant since 2004, when then-mayor Mayor Charles V. Ryan, citing a rotting gymnasium floor and other hazardous conditions, ordered the building closed. Two alternative education programs -- the Springfield Academy and the Springfield Adolescent Graduate Experience -- were relocated. Since then, the building has suffered additional interior damage and deterioration.

Records list the building's owner as the City of Springfield / Springfield Academy. The assessed value of the building and land was $5,001,300.

In May 2011, the New England Farm Workers Council was named preferred developer by the city, but that designation expired.

A year later, city officials sought redevelopment proposals for the building, touting its prime location in the middle of Springfield's health care corridor between Mercy and Bay State medical centers.

The future of the large building, now heavily damaged by fire, smoke and water, remains uncertain. The nearly city-block-long property is enclosed by a chain-link fence with no-trespassing signs.

Carlos Ramos, a neighborhood resident who grew up near the corner of Allendale Street, recalled playing handball at the school during his years there as a student.

"It's sad. There's a lot of memories here," Ramos said as he watched the firefighters work, noting that a number of his family members also attended the school.

"I wish they could have done something better with this place," he added.

Leger said the fire is "definitely" suspicious, particularly since the building's electricity, gas and other utilities were turned off well before Tuesday's fire. He estimated it would cost half a million dollars to tear down the compromised structure.

Other North End fires, including one about two weeks ago at an abandoned property across from the old junior high, have ratcheted up concerns that an arsonist is at work.

"Firebugs are scary," Springfield Police Capt. Trent Duda said.

The Aug. 15 fire at an abandoned home at the corner of Chestnut and Allendale streets, just north of the school, also has been deemed suspicious, according to officials.

Leger urged anyone with information about the fire at the school to call the Springfield Arson & Bomb Squad at (413) 787-6370.

Meanwhile, fire officials announced at 6:30 a.m. that they would be at the Chestnut Street fire scene for "several more hours." During this time, Chestnut is expected to remain closed to traffic between Carew Street and Brookline Avenue, while Prospect Street will remain closed between Chestnut and Massasoit streets.

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Atheists are suing over the Pledge of Allegiance, measles cases reported in two area hospitals, and Mayor Menino upsets Detroit with some harsh comments.

An anonymous atheist couple's lawsuit over the usage of "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance goes before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court today. The couple are suing on behalf of their children because they claim the law violates the state's equal rights law writes our own Conor Berry.

Two cases of measles have been reported in Boston hospitals reports our own Patrick Johnson.

The Boston Globe's Kathy McCabe reports the Revere City Council has approved a Community Host Agreement for the Suffolk Downs casino.

Today we get an update on the 2014 ballot questions from Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley.

Mayor Menino really upset the city of Detroit with his comments about blowing it up and starting over, writes the Boston Herald's Dave Wedge.

The state's gambling commission is set to discuss a casino dispute between Boston and Everett.

BOSTON (AP) — The state's gambling commission is set to discuss a casino dispute between Boston and Everett.

At issue is whether Steve Wynn, who wants to build a $1.2 billion casino at a site along the Mystic River in Everett, must also negotiate a host community agreement with Boston because a small piece of the proposed development may lie within the city's borders.

Since Boston Mayor Thomas Menino backs a competing casino proposal from Suffolk Downs, Everett officials fear the mayor could kill Wynn's plan by refusing to negotiate an agreement.

The gaming commission at its meeting on Wednesday is also expected to discuss a late bid by Penn National for the sole slots parlor license in Massachusetts. The company announced Tuesday that it had secured an option to buy the Plainridge harness race track.

The Massachusetts Ethics Commission has dismissed allegations that an administrative law judge and former state senator violated conflict-of-interest law by trying to get her brother-in-law's $1,000 dental bill erased.

Massachusetts administrative judge and former State Sen. Cheryl Jacques AP 

BOSTON (AP) — The state Ethics Commission has dismissed allegations that an administrative law judge and former state senator violated conflict-of-interest law by trying to get her brother-in-law's $1,000 dental bill erased.

The commission's enforcement division alleged that in 2010, Cheryl Jacques contacted the dental office, identified herself as a judge, and demanded they write off the bill.

When the office refused to forgive the entire bill, Jacques allegedly threatened to contact the insurance company to have the dental office removed as a provider.

Jacques, a judge in the Department of Industrial Accidents, said she called the office on her personal cellphone and identified herself as an attorney, only inadvertently mentioning she was a judge.

The commission Tuesday said there were two versions of what happened, and it couldn't determine which was more credible.

A Mashpee man has been sentenced to up to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to robbing two Cape Cod banks with his 11-month-old daughter in his getaway car.

BARNSTABLE, Mass. (AP) -€” A Mashpee man has been sentenced to up to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to robbing two Cape Cod banks with his 11-month-old daughter in his getaway car.

Gerard Langley pleaded guilty Tuesday in Barnstable Superior Court to stealing $2,800 from a Bank of America in Hyannis last October and following that up a week later by stealing just over $2,000 from an Eastern Bank in Barnstable.

The Cape Cod Times (http://bit.ly/17tnu0j ) reports that in both cases, he slipped the tellers a note ordering them to turn over the cash.

Prosecutors allege his girlfriend acted as his getaway driver. She said she didn't know he was robbing the banks. She faces trial in November.

The 39-year-old Langley told police he robbed the banks to support a drug habit.

___

Information from: Cape Cod (Mass.) Times, http://www.capecodonline.com

L.L. Bean has created a limited edition tote bag to benefit victims of the Boston Marathon bombings.

L.L.Bean has introduced The One Fund Boston Tote, a limited-edition tote made from the tarp used to protect the Fenway Park infield during its 100th anniversary in 2012. 

FREEPORT, Maine (AP)” Maine-based L.L. Bean has created a limited edition tote bag to benefit victims of the Boston Marathon bombings.

The company says The One Fund Boston Tote is made from a tarp used to protect the Fenway Park infield and has The One Fund Boston logo on it. All profits go to The One Fund Boston, which helps bombing victims and their families.

L.L. Bean says it's produced 3,500 of the bags, which will sell for $49 each.

The bags go on sale Friday at select stores, including Bean's flagship store in Freeport and stores in Burlington, Dedham and Mansfield, Mass.

President Barack Obama says the international community and Congress's credibility are on the line if a chemical attack on civilians in Syria goes unanswered. Obama is seeking congressional and international support for military action against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

WASHINGTON (AP) — In an impassioned appeal for support both at home and abroad, President Barack Obama says the credibility of the international community and Congress is on the line in the debate over to a response to the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria. As Obama made his case overseas during a visit to Sweden, his proposal for military intervention was under consideration by skeptical House members at home.

Asked about his past comments drawing a "red line" against the use of chemical weapons, Obama said it was a line that had first been clearly drawn with the chemical weapons treaty ratified by countries around the world and ratified by Congress.

He declared, quote, "That wasn't something I made up. didn't pluck it out of thin air. There's a reason for it."

The president said there was far more than his own credibility at stake in responding to the chemical weapons attack.

"I didn't set a red line, the world set a red line," he said. "The world set a red line when governments representing 98 percent of world population said the use of chemical weapons are abhorrent." He added that Congress set its own red line when it ratified the treaty.

With Obama in Europe, his top national security aides were to participate Wednesday in public and private hearings at the Capitol to advance their case for limited strikes against Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime in retaliation for what the administration says was a deadly sarin gas attack by his forces outside Damascus last month.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee could vote on authorizing the use of force as early as Wednesday, the first in a series of votes as the president's request makes its way through Senate and House committees before coming before the two chambers for a final vote.

Medical marijuana businesses worried that federal agents will close them down now have a roadmap to avoid prosecution, courtesy of the Justice Department's decision to allow legal pot in Colorado and Washington state.

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Medical marijuana businesses worried that federal agents will close them down now have a roadmap to avoid prosecution, courtesy of the Justice Department's decision to allow legal pot in Colorado and Washington state.

The agency said last week that even though the drug remains illegal under federal law, it won't intervene to block state pot laws or prosecute as long as states create strict and effective controls that follow eight conditions.

"The DOJ is saying you guys need to color inside the lines," said Teri Robnett, founder of the Cannabis Patients Action Network, a Westminster, Colo.-based medical marijuana advocacy group. "If you color inside the lines, we'll let you keep your crayons.

"If you don't, we can come in and take your crayons away," she said.

The DOJ's policy memo comes after voters in Colorado and Washington last fall passed first-in-the-nation laws to allow recreational pot use and follows similar agency statements in recent years that helped spur the creation of medical marijuana systems across the U.S.

In states like Montana and California, an explosion in the use of medical marijuana spawned a backlash, stricter laws and tougher federal enforcement.

U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner, whose office covers the Eastern District of California, said that more than half of the cases his office prosecutes comply with the criteria set out by the policy memo. Wagner said the memo wasn't so much a message to the marijuana industry but one to ensure there is better collaboration between state and federal authorities.

In California, "some cities and counties are banning (dispensaries), while others are licensing them and encouraging them," Wagner said. "It's hard to see how the current system fits the description laid out in the memo."

With legal, recreational pot on the horizon in two states, the memo is raising questions about the future of medical marijuana not just in Washington and Colorado, but the 18 other states and Washington, D.C., that allow it.

While advocates say it's too early to gauge the impact of the new recreational pot push, there were signs it could hurt medical marijuana.

In Washington, the governor and many lawmakers were already looking to rein in the state's unregulated medical marijuana market because they worried its untaxed cannabis would undercut the highly taxed recreational pot.

There may be some attrition in the beginning, as bargain-hunting medical marijuana users or those wanting to avoid the government bureaucracy of state registries dabble in the recreational market, Robnett said. But most will stay because the medical strains are tailored for their illnesses, can be more potent and don't necessarily create a high while relieving their symptoms, she said.

The DOJ memo outlines eight areas of "marijuana-related conduct" that it won't tolerate, from distribution to kids to use of firearms and drugged driving. Marijuana advocates say they welcome them as guidelines for medical marijuana states to tailor their laws and a way for other states to enact new laws without fear of federal reprisal.

Advocates say states with even regulations that meet or exceed regulations in those areas should not be worried about increased federal scrutiny. "It should give growers and dispensers a level of comfort that the federal government is becoming clearer in what their guidance is to U.S. attorneys," said Roseanne Scotti, the New Jersey director of the Drug Policy Alliance.

In Oregon, state health officials are drawing up regulations for a new medical marijuana program for next year. U.S. Attorney Amanda Marshall has said the state will need to create strong teeth when it writes the regulations, and make sure it can enforce them.

For those who do color outside the lines, the repercussions can be harsh.

In Montana, a 2004 voter-approved medical pot law was vague on local law-enforcement's abilities to regulate commercial activity. The feds stepped in when the number of registered pot providers topped 4,800 with billboard ads and huge greenhouses operating in the open.

Raids in 2011 led to the convictions of 33 providers and, coupled with a major rewrite of the state law, led to the demise of most commercial sales.

U.S. Attorney Mike Cotter, who orchestrated the crackdown and vows to prosecute large pot providers, said the new DOJ memo is "not going to affect the way we do business here in Montana."

Charles Baker's entrance into the contest gives the GOP a candidate with strong name recognition and experience in state government.

BOSTON - Republican Charles Baker officially launched his second bid for governor today with an Internet video that calls for bipartisan cooperation to improve the economy.

Entering the crowded race for governor, Baker, 56, emphasizes his Massachusetts roots and sounds familiar themes about his experience as a cabinet member in two Republican administrations during the 1990s and his past tenure as head of the Harvard Pilgrim health insurance company.

Charles BakerAP file photo/Josh Reynolds 

"Here's an idea," Baker said in the video. "Bipartisan leadership focused on growing our economy, making state government more affordable, accountable and business friendly."

Baker, a Swampscott resident, talks about his wife, Lauren, and their three children.

"As corny as it make sound, that's really why I want to be your governor," he said. "I care about this great state and the wonderful people who make it strong and call it home."

Baker was the Republican nominee in 2010 when he lost to Gov. Deval L. Patrick by six percentage points.

Patrick said on Wednesday that he is proud of what his administration has accomplished and he wants the achievements to continue. He said Democratic candidates for governor are talking about how the state moves ahead to even better times. And he criticized Republicans, saying they are not focusing on the future.

"Good for him," Patrick told reporters when asked about Baker's candidacy. "What can I say? I wish him well. Not too well. But well. I'm going to support the Democratic nominee because so far what I have seen out of the other party is a return to the past rather than a look to the future."

Baker gives the GOP a gubernatorial candidate with strong name recognition and experience in state government.

Baker's candidacy could serve as a poll on whether voters are weary of Democratic dominance on Beacon Hill and want a divided government with better check and balance.

Baker signaled that he will show a softer side during this campaign, unlike 2010 when he asked voters if they "had enough" and stressed the need for tax cuts and reductions in the state workforce.

In his video, Baker calls for great schools, safe neighborhoods and vibrant economies for cities and towns.

Democrats who have already announced they will run for governor include physicians Donald M. Berwick of Newton and Joseph C. Avellone of Wellesley, as well as Treasurer Steven Grossman and national security expert Juliette Kayyem.

Independent gubernatorial hopeful Evan Falchuk is also vying for the seat with hopes that his socially liberal and fiscally moderate approach to politics resonates with the 51 percent of the state's registered voters who don't belong to either major political party.

Attorney General Martha Coakley and U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano, D-Somerville, are also considering runs for governor.

Staff writer Shira Schoenberg contributed.

Kayyem reports having raised about $132,000 in campaign funds in 10 days in August.

BOSTON - In her first attempt at elective office, national security expert Juliette Kayyem is showing signs she may be catching on with voters.

Kayyem, a Democratic candidate for governor in 2014, reported she raised $131,921 in campaign funds during August. She created her campaign account on Aug. 20.

“I am honored by the support and generosity I have received,” Kayyem said in a statement. “Thanks to the commitment of so many donors in such a short time, our campaign is off to an incredibly strong start. This is just the beginning.”

Nearly 40 percent of her donations were in amounts of $100 or less, she said.

Other announced 2014 Democratic candidates for governor include: state treasurer Steven Grossman; Donald Berwick, the former federal administrator of Medicare and Medicaid; and biotechnology executive Joseph C. Avellone, of Wellesley.

Attorney General Martha M. Coakley, Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and U.S. Rep. Michael E. Capuano, of Somerville, are Democrats who are considering runs for governor.

Independent gubernatorial hopeful Evan Falchuk is also vying for the seat with hopes that his socially liberal and fiscally moderate approach to politics resonates with the 51 percent of the state's registered voters who don't belong to either major political party.

Kayyem, 44, a mother of three who lives in Cambridge, was an assistant secretary of homeland security under President Barack Obama. In the Gov. Deval L. Patrick administration, she was a homeland security adviser.

Stoney’s Pub was caught by police selling alcohol to an underage person in June and the selectboard on Tuesday voted 4-1 to suspend their license for a day as punishment.

Stoney'™s Pub bartender John Curran at September 3 2013 South Hadley selectboard meetingJim Russell 

SOUTH HADLEY – Stoney’s Pub was caught by police selling alcohol to an underage person in June and the selectboard on Tuesday voted 4-1 to suspend the bar's liquor license for a day as punishment.

The pub owner and the bartender who served the drink attended the meeting, making a public apology.

According to the police chief, the pub also violated the state’s prohibition on serving alcohol to anyone under 21 back in 2008.

Town bylaws require a one-day suspension for the second offense.

“I am at your mercy,” John Tabak, owner of Stoney's Pub and Underground Pizza, told selectmen.

“I should be more vigilant,” he added. “The employees are always told to card everybody.”

Tabak has owned the pub for 17 years.

According to Police Chief David LaBrie, the department routinely conducts checks at all establishments in town. He told selectmen that police employed a 20-year old male who ordered a $4 bottle of beer. The bartender at Stoney’s Pub, John Curran, failed to card the individual, and police then issed Tabak the citation.

“I am ashamed it happened,” Curran told the selectboard. “I realize the gravity of the mistake I made; it was my first bartending job.”

Curran also said he mistook the 20-year old for a regular customer. Curran said he now cards everyone.

Selectmen voted to suspend the pub’s license to serve alcohol for Oct. 1.

Marilyn Ishler voted against the measure. She had urged her colleagues to hold the punishment in abeyance and if there was no infraction for the next two years, to forego the penalty. And, if there was a problem during the time frame, Ishler said, the board should consider suspending the license for up to seven days.

Also cited for a violation of the liquor laws in June was the Egg and I.

According to police, a waitress was told by a 20-year old that he had no identification after ordering a beer, but was served the beverage nonetheless.

Because it was the restaurant's first offense, Egg and I was issued a written warning.

Stoney's Pub/ Underground Pizza owner John TabakJim Russell 

Big Y started talking about a new store in Holyoke before Walmart announced plans for a Supercenter nearby.

HOLYOKE — Big Y Foods Inc. will not move forward with plans for a supermarket in Holyoke.

"Economic conditions as well as increasing costs due to time and unforeseen conditions have altered the business model for their proposed location at the former Atlas-Copco site located on the northeast side of the intersection of Homestead Avenue and Lower Westfield Road," the chain wrote in an emailed news release Wednesday. "Coupled with the slow economic recovery and uncertainty in the region, the proposed site no longer fits with the company's long term objectives."

After Big Y announced its plans in 2011, mega retailer Walmart announced plans for a combination discount department store and grocery store nearby on Whiting Farms Road. That Walmart proposal remains controversial, however, and has become a political issue in Holyoke's upcoming mayoral race.

Big Y said it is not unusual for retail developments of this size and scope to take years to come to fruition in New England, and as such they are subject to this kind of reevaluation – especially as costs escalate. The cost of the project was originally estimated at $12 million.

Big Y president Charles L. D’Amour said in a prepared statement: “I want to personally thank Mayor Morse and city officials for welcoming us and working with us on a difficult site. But delays at the state level coupled with a sluggish economy have made this project untenable. We are saddened to not have the opportunity to move forward with this project in Holyoke.”

Claire D’Amour-Daley, vice president corporate communications for Big Y, said the decision was a result of an updated market analysis of Holyoke and how it fits in with Big Y’s ever-evolving business model.

“Walmart was a factor,” she said. “But you also have Target right up the street selling groceries. And even if Walmart doesn’t get approval for that site, you could have something else go in there.”

D’Amour-Daley said O’Connell Development Group, the people who would have developed the Big Y at Atlas-Copco, now have the opportunity to pitch that site to another supermarket chain with a different business model.

She said it takes a long time, especially in New England, to bring a supermarket proposal to completion. Big Y started working on the Holyoke proposal in 2010.

“At any given time we have about a dozen proposals going,” D’Amour-Daley said. “Maybe one of two of those turn into stores in the end.”

“Our business model is always changing, personnel costs are always changing,” she said. “We just thought it was more prudent to make that $12 million investment somewhere else.

“We are not abandoning the city,” D’Amour-Daley said.” We continue to draw heavily from the city, especially at our South Hadley store.”

Big Y recently completed renovations at their Ludlow and Southbridge locations, as well as their Tolland, Conn., market. The company has announced plans to open a World Class Market in Old Saybrook, Conn., in 2014, along with extensive remodeling efforts in several stores including locations in Pittsfield, Westfield, Southampton, Longmeadow and Newtown, Conn.

Headquartered in Springfield, Big Y is one of the largest independently owned supermarket chains in New England. The company currently operate 61 locations throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts and employs over 10,000 people.

Some Holyokers are eager to get a Big Y supermarket in the Paper City.Dave Roback / The Republican file 

The suspect was wanted on a grand larceny charge in Virginia.

The Republican [file] 

CHICOPEE — A man wanted by Virginia authorities was arrested by state police in Chicopee after a search involving K9 units, a state police helicopter and several troopers late Tuesday afternoon.

According to a statement issued from the Massachusetts State Police headquarters in Framingham, Trooper Brian Clapprood of the Springfield Barracks made a routine traffic stop on Grattan Street in Chicopee at about 6 p.m. As Clapprood ran checks on the operator, the man -- later identified as Chicopee resident James A. Michon, 24 -- allegedly bolted from the car and ran into a nearby wooded area.

A K9 unit came to the Grattan Street site and began searching for the suspect, with other troopers soon joining in the search. The State Police helicopter, stationed at Westover Air Base, began tracking the suspect and at one point watched as a Montvue Street resident chased Michon down the street.

The state police statement said that with the help of many residents in the area, the K9 team was finally able to arrest Michon as he hid in a heavily wooded area at the end of Montvue Street.

Michon was held overnight at the Springfield Barracks after being charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, trespassing, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, furnishing a false name to police and an inspection sticker violation.

Police also discovered that Michon is the subject of an arrest warrant from Hampton, Virginia, where he is wanted on a charge of grand larceny. A charge of being a fugitive from justice was added to the list of charges, and he was ordered held without right to bail pending arraignment in Chicopee District Court Wednesday.

The State Police said they do not recommend that residents pursue subjects of police searches. Instead, police urge citizens to call 911 with information.

Easthampton High School Assistant Principal Anne Beauregard was convicted in Springfield District Court on Tuesday of driving while intoxicated, second offense.

EASTHAMPTON — School Superintendent Nancy B. Follansbee will meet with assistant high school principal Anne Beauregard this week following Beauregard’s conviction for driving while intoxicated, second offense.

Anne Beauregard 

Springfield District Court Judge Gerald Lemire presided over the jury-waived trial Tuesday and sentenced Beauregard to one year in a county house of correction. The sentence was suspended for two years while Beauregard is on supervised probation.

During probation she must refrain from drinking alcoholic beverages and submit to random testing for alcohol. She must also go to an inpatient program for alcohol treatment.

Beauregard has been on paid administrative leave since her arrest Jan. 31 in West Springfield.

Follansbee said she had a phone conversation with Beauregard and made an appointment to speak with her so they can discuss the next steps. Because it’s a personnel matter, she said she could not comment further.

Kevin Burke, a seventh grade math and social studies teacher, has been the interim assistant principal in Beauregard’s absence.

Beauregard, of West Springfield, was arrested at 1:50 a.m. on Jan. 31 at North Boulevard and Westfield streets in West Springfield and refused to take a Breathalyzer test.

She had been convicted for driving while intoxicated twice before, according to records with the Registry of Motor Vehicles. In the West Springfield case, the prosecution and defense worked out that the charge would be for second offense, eliminating a second phase of the trial to determine the validity of past convictions.

According to registry records, Beauregard’s first driving while intoxicated conviction came in 1982 in Grafton, when she was ordered to attend an alcohol treatment program. She was also convicted in 1986 for an incident in Ashburnham.

She was charged on the same count again on July 1, 2011 in Brewster, but was convicted on the lesser charge of driving to endanger and lost her license for 60 days, according to state records. Follansbee said Beauregard, who was hired in Easthampton in 2009, was not placed on leave following the Brewster incident because the conviction was not for driving while intoxicated.

According to the registry, Beauregard has been involved in three traffic accidents that resulted in a surcharge on her insurance, the latest in February 2012.

Beauregard was hired in Easthampton after having been the director of alternative education in Pittsfield. She had been the interim principal of Pittsfield High School from 2007 to 2008 and had been a teacher at the school for 15 years prior to that appointment, according to the Berkshire Eagle.