Mankins suffered the injury during the regular season but managed to push through until the end.

AP file photoLogan Mankins

FOXBOROUGH – Fans of the New England Patriots have long known that Logan Mankins is a warrior.

The offensive guard didn’t miss his first practice due to injury until last season, and has been a rock for the Patriots’ offensive line for the last seven years. No one ever had a need to question his credentials, because, as he put it, he’s “here to play, not watch and collect a check.”

But now we know how tough he really is.

Speaking to reporters after being removed from the physically unable to perform list and participating in his first practice of training camp, just six months removed from having surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, Mankins revealed that he played a good majority of last season with the tear.

“I could still run so there was no reason to sit out,” Mankins said. “There were no MRIs or anything, so we never knew what exactly was hurt. If you could still run there’s no reason to see a doctor, right?”

Mankins said that he was able to effectively ward off the pain through most of the season, but it finally got the better of him during the Super Bowl.

By that point everyone was forced to admit there was a problem, and he was taken for an MRI after the game. He had surgery a few later and headed down the long road back to the field.

“Put a brace on, tape an aspirin to it and go,” Mankins said when asked how he dealt with that level of pain.

The guard still isn’t sure if he will be ready to play by the start of the season, but is hoping to get a better barometer for where he’s at in a few days.

Under the rules of the collective bargaining agreement, Mankins will be limited in practice and cannot wear full pads until Tuesday. During Sunday’s session he participated in positional drills but was forced to take a knee during full-team drills.

“I wish I knew. How long do we have – a few more weeks – I’d like to think I would be able to (return by then),” Mankins said. “I don’t know. We’re taking it slow right now so it’s hard to tell.”

If anyone can make it back in short a period of time, the Patriots believe it is Mankins.

“He’s worked hard. Nobody’s worked harder than Logan,” coach Bill Belichick said. “We know he’s really a tough kind of a guy. He’s put a lot into it. He’s worked as hard as anybody can.”

Follow @Nick_Underhill

Johnson was arrested for domestic abuse Saturday night.

APThis undated photo provided by the Broward Sheriff's Office shows Miami Dolphins wide receiver Chad Johnson. A judge has set bond at $2,500 for Johnson, who is being held in a Florida jail on a domestic violence charge after his wife accused him of head-butting her during an argument. Johnson's defense attorney, Adam Swickle, says Johnson posted the bond early Sunday, Aug. 12, 2012, though jail records show he had not yet been released. Swickle says a no-contact order has been issued that prevents Johnson from contacting his wife, Evelyn Lozada.

Chad Johnson is looking for work again.

Less than 24 hours after being arrested for domestic violence, the Miami Dolphins made a decision to release the wide receiver.

According to a report by Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, the team cleaned out his locker and confiscated his playbook Sunday evening.

Johnson was arrested allegedly head-butting his wife, Evelyn Lozada, late Saturday night. He was released from custody after posting a bail of $2,500 Sunday morning.

The two reportedly got into a fight after Lozada found a receipt for a box of condoms and confronted Johnson about it. Things escalated and Johnson is accused head-butted Lozada, causing her to rush to the safety of a neighbors house, where she contacted the police.

Johnson contends that Lozada head-butted him.

Johnson played for the Patriots last season but was released in June after failing to learn the team's playbook.

Follow @Nick_Underhill

As usual, Belichick wasn't talking.

APNew England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick looks out onto the field during their first NFL preseason football game against the New Orleans Saints in Foxborough, Mass., Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012

FOXBOROUGH – The New England Patriots worked out Plaxico Burress Sunday afternoon, but the team was unwilling to divulge its level of interest in the veteran wide receiver.

"We work out a lot of players. We just try to know who's available out there. We work out and talk to a lot of guys, give them physicals and all that," Belichick said. "I'm not going to comment on any of them individually."

Burress, 35, caught 35 passes for 612 yards with the New York Jets. He was out of football prior to that while serving a 22-month prison sentence for shooting himself in the thigh at a nightclub.

The Patriots currently have 10 wide receivers on the roster, though none were concerned about the possibility of adding another body to the mix.

"I think we work out guys all the time, and so it’s nothing new around here. You just kind of roll with it," Welker said. "Whatever Coach Belichick thinks is going to help the team, I’m sure he’s going to make those decisions."

Follow @Nick_Underhill

Highlights from training camp.

APNew England Patriots' Brandon Spikes (55) reacts to a play in scrimmage during NFL football training camp in Foxborough, Mass., Saturday, July 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

FOXBOROUGH -- Sunday's training camp practice was full of good news for the Patriots.

Along with the return of Logan Mankins, the team also got linebacker Brandon Spikes and defensive lineman Ron Brace back on the field after both missed Thursday's preseason game. The session also saw Deion Branch return to full action after being limited last week.

However, the bad news-- and there's always bad news -- was that tight end Rob Gronkowski did not participate in the session for undisclosed reasons. We'll keep you updated if we learn anything new.

Here are some other notes and highlights from Sunday's session:

THE DAY: Players worked out in shorts and shells in a pretty low-key session. You could certainly feel the change of pace after having the Saints in town last week.

DIDN'T PRACTICE: Safeties James Ihedigbo and Malcolm Williams; fullback Spencer Larsen; offensive linemen Sebastian Vollmer, Matt Kopa, Kyle Hix and Markuz Zusevics; fullback Spencer Larsen; linebackers Dane Fletcher and Tracy White; cornerback Alfonzo Dennard; tight ends Gronkowski, Daniel Fells and Visanthe Shiancoe; running back Eric Kettani; defensive linemen Myron Pryor, Gerard Warren and Jonathan Fanene; and wide receiver Britt Davis.

PLAY OF THE DAY: This may soon just become the Aaron Hernandez Highlight of the Day. The tight end continues to have an impressive camp and the best moment came when he juked cornerback Ras-I Dowling off the line and made him drop to the ground. Hernandez had about 10 yards of space after quick juke and was off to the races.

HIGHTOWER POWER: Rookie linebacker Dont'a Hightower came up big with a pair of interceptions. The second one was quite impressive as he leaped in the air to snag a Brian Hoyer pass. The first came off a dropped pass by running back Stevan Ridley.

McCOURTY SHOWS UP: Cornerback Devin McCourty also showed up big and came up with a big interception during one-on-one drills. The Patriots will need him to keep having such moments if they hope to improve this season.

TOMORROW: The Patriots practice from 1:30 until 4 p.m. The practice is free and open to the public.

Follow @Nick_Underhill

Amanda Plasse was 20 when she was killed in her School Street apartment on Aug. 26.

Submitted photoAn undated photo Amanda Plasse.

CHICOPEE – The family of murder victim Amanda L. Plasse are hoping to use the anniversary of her death to help the community.

An event to be held Aug. 26 will have more than 30 bands performing at four different stages, as well as a poker tournament, food, and prizes such as signed baseballs from the Boston Red Sox and a trip to Las Vegas.

The event will be held at Maximum Capacity and the nearby Brass Tap, which are near the 73 School St. apartment where Plasse lived and was killed at about 4:30 p.m. Aug. 26, 2011, said Michelle Mathieson, Plasse’s mother.

The event is being held on the anniversary of Amanda Plasse’s death. Her murder is still unsolved.

“I don’t think it has been forgotten, but the more we keep it public the more it is out there,” Mathieson said. “Hopefully it will jar someone to come up with something.”

Plasse, who was 20 at the time, was killed on a Friday afternoon when she was getting ready for her job as a waitress at Friendly’s in Chicopee. Mathieson said she still believes someone knows something that could bring her killer to justice.

The event will begin at noon and tickets are available for $20 in advance or $25 at the door, and children under 12 will be admitted for $10. There is a $30 charge to buy into the poker game, and for $45 people can play in the tournament and listen to all the bands, Mathieson said.

All the bands have volunteered to play and owners of Maximum Capacity and Brass Tap are offering the use their clubs for free. Mathieson said she is getting donations for raffle items and is working on food donations.

The money will go to help improve the nearby Wisniowski Park, where a candlelight vigil was held in memory of Plasse. Because Plasse was a talented artist some of the proceeds will also be donated to the school department to purchase art supplies.

Mathieson is also asking people to bring a canned good to help restock Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen, which is running low on food. Everyone who does bring a donation will receive a raffle ticket.

“Everything will go right back into the community,” she said.

More information, including a list of the bands which are playing, can be found on the R.I.P Amanda Plasse Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/ripamanda.plasse.

Quiet and more comfortable overnight, sunshine starts off the workweek.

Skies will continue clearing overnight, as a large low pressure system responsible for all of the rain over the last several days is moving out. After dewpoints hit 70 degrees again today, we should see those humidity levels go down overnight. Areas of fog will develop by morning as well.

Monday will be a pleasant and comfortable day across western Massachusetts. High pressure takes control of much of the Atlantic coast, which will keep skies mostly sunny tomorrow with high temperatures in the mid-80s. That's the number we've been hitting through the weekend, but it should feel a lot better because the humidity levels will stay down a bit for us.

Tuesday will be another mostly sunny day, but the clouds will be moving in quickly by the end of the day, leading to our next round of showers and thunderstorms late Tuesday night and throughout the day on Wednesday. Another round of rain starts off next weekend Friday night into Saturday.

Tonight: Clearing skies, areas of fog, low 60.

Monday: Sunny and seasonal, less humid, high 87.

Tuesday: Sunny start, thunderstorms arriving by the evening, high 91.

Wednesday: Showers and thunderstorms, humid, high 82.

Extra officers were called and were able to disperse the crowd.

Republican file photo

SPRINGFIELD – Two police officers who were called to quell a disturbance at a large house party were attacked by a group of people Sunday.

When the two officers arrived at about 8:55 p.m. they found about 100 people standing in the street arguing in front of 29 Cameron St. The police were jumped by some of the crowd and they called for immediate assistance, Lt. John Bobianski said.

The extra police officers were able to calm down and disperse the crowd, he said.

At least six people were arrested on various charges. The charges and names of those arrested were not immediately available, he said.

The two officers sustained some bruises but declined treatment, Bobianski said.

Masslive will update this story as more information becomes available.

Sean Goggin had only been in the city for a week when he was killed.

Republican file photo

By SCOTT CROTEAU,Telegram & Gazette

WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — Sixty-one years ago, then-Police Chief William P. Finneran promised the parents of slain Irishman Sean Goggin that detectives were searching for the two men "responsible for this most dastardly act."

Investigators are now keeping true to that promise.

"We've recently located some evidence that we believe is of probative value to us, and we believe is worth testing at the state crime lab," Detective Sgt. Mark J. Sawyer of the Unresolved Homicide Unit said last week. "We are in the process of submitting that to the state crime lab. We hope to develop a DNA profile from that evidence."

The sergeant couldn't discuss what evidence is being reviewed. The materials have never been tested. In 1951, the year of the killing, the technology being considered was nonexistent.

One item left at the crime scene by one of the perpetrators was a brown felt hat, size seven. Sgt. Sawyer would not disclose if that was the item being tested.

Mr. Goggin had only been in the city for a little more than a week when he was killed. All signs point to him being an innocent victim in what appeared to be a robbery attempt, or a case in which the perpetrators went to the wrong house.

The 20-year-old Irish immigrant, who hailed from the seaside resort town of Youghal in County Cork, Ireland, came to Toronto before making his way to Worcester. Records show Mr. Goggin had emigrated from Ireland to Canada two years before he was shot dead on March 11, 1951.

From news accounts and police records, it was learned that Mr. Goggin was a schoolmate in Ireland of a man named Donald Herlihy, the nephew of Worcester resident Cornelius Herlihy. The nephew stayed with his uncle at 191 Fairhaven Road. "Sean came here for work and ironically he was due to start a job the following day," Sgt. Sawyer said. "He was a pattern maker and was due to start a job here in Worcester."

Even though the case is so old the file is in amazing condition. It is filled with typewritten reports, letters and some yellowed, handwritten notes.

According to Sgt. Sawyer, it was in the evening hours of March 11, 1951, when the phone rang at the home of Cornelius Herlihy. The call came in around 10:30 p.m.

A man on the phone identified himself as Mr. Anderson. He told Cornelius Herlihy he would be able to pay him tomorrow. The only problem was, Cornelius Herlihy didn't know anyone by that name and didn't know about any money owed. He just thought the call was a wrong number, Sgt. Sawyer said.

As everyone in the house began to prepare for bed, there was a knock on the back door. It came about 15 minutes after the phone call.

Cornelius Herlihy looked out the back window into the dark and rainy night. He saw two people outside the door.

"We're from Western Union with a telegram," the men allegedly said.

In his pajamas, Mr. Goggin went to see what was going on. Cornelius Herlihy told the men outside to go to the front door.

At the door, two men appeared; at least one was masked. Both were armed with handguns. They said either, "This is a stickup," or "This is a holdup," the sergeant said.

Investigators later learned someone unscrewed the light bulb to the front porch. Detectives checked to see how tall someone would have to be to unscrew it to estimate the height of one of the perpetrators.

One of the suspects displayed a 9-mm Luger.

"Mr. Herlihy then grabbed hold of the firearm and struggled with the assailant, at which point a round was discharged from the firearm," Sgt. Sawyer said. That round went into the ceiling.

The second gunman pulled out a .32-caliber Colt and fired two shots. One missed the men. The other didn't.

Mr. Goggin was struck in the chest, just above his heart. He was dead within 15 minutes.

His body was eventually flown back to Ireland for burial.

Investigators surmised the suspects might have wanted to kidnap Cornelius Herlihy, the sales manager of United Dairy System Inc. on Route 20. The theory was that the suspects might have wanted him to open the company safe.

"In reviewing the case file, I was very impressed at the investigation that was done by the investigators back then," Sgt. Sawyer said. "They did not have all the tools that we have available to us these days. They left no stone unturned."

Detectives checked out similar incidents, traveling as far as Quincy. A recovered .32-caliber Colt in New York City was checked. The gun in Mr. Goggin's killing was never recovered.

There were lists of people who owned both types of guns. Detectives checked lists of people from the area entering the military right after the killing, in case someone might have attempted to flee justice that way.

As he talked about the case, Sgt. Sawyer dug into the large file and pulled out a small piece of paper. Someone had drawn a map showing detectives the location of a two-door black sedan on a nearby street. The suspects used that vehicle.

Even if the perpetrators are dead, investigators still could close the case if the evidence leads to concrete information. Police believe some witnesses might still be alive. There have been other cases in which police knew the suspect was dead but DNA evidence helped close the case.

Letters from Mr. Goggin's parents show they were concerned about rumors.

"We are greatly grieved by the murder of our son in such tragic circumstances, but our distress has been added to by certain misleading statements which have appeared in the newspapers about the killing," John and Madge Goggin wrote in April 1951 to Chief Finneran.

Mr. Goggin had no connection to the gunmen, the parents wrote.

Another letter in April was also mailed to the police chief. This was from Joseph F. Shields, consul for the Consulate of Ireland, stationed in Boston. He discusses the concern of Mr. Goggin's parents.

"They believe that their son was perfectly innocent of any connection with anything discreditable, and they are anxious that full enquiries be made into their boy's death so that all the facts may come to light and be disclosed," Mr. Shields wrote.

Chief Finneran responded to the parent's letter.

He described what happened and the "tussle" with the unknown assailants.

"Investigation discloses that your son was not involved with any gangster movement in this city, and from all appearances was an innocent victim of circumstances," the chief wrote. "Be advised that we are making every effort to try and locate the two men responsible for this most dastardly act, and you can rest assured that they will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law when they are taken into custody."

The victim suffered a stab wound to his abdomen.

Republican file photo

SPRINGFIELD - Police are investigating the stabbing of an 18-year-old Sunday night.

The man reported at about 10:55 p.m. that he was attacked by someone at the Taco Bell at 456 Sumner Ave., Police Lt. John Bobianski said.

The victim suffered a wound to his abdomen and is being treated at the scene. It is unknown if it is serious, he said.

Police are now tracking three male suspects who were spotted running on Oakland Street and heading toward Belmont Avenue, he said.

Masslive will update this story as more information becomes available.

The couple co-starred in the film "Wanderlust."

AP file photosJustin Theroux, left and Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer Aniston is engaged to actor-screenwriter Justin Theroux, People reported. The couple have been dating for more than a year.

"Justin Theroux had an amazing birthday on Friday, receiving an extraordinary gift when his girlfriend, Jennifer Aniston, accepted his proposal of marriage," his spokesman told People.

Aniston's representative,Stephen Huvane, confirmed the report to the Associated Press on Sunday night.

The couple co-starred in the film "Wanderlust."

It will be the first marriage for Theroux and the second for Aniston, In 2005, she split from her husband of five years, Brad Pitt.

With a little British pomp and a lot of British pop, London brought the curtain down on a glorious Olympic Games on Sunday in a spectacular, technicolor pageant of landmarks, lightshows and lots of fun.

View full sizeAP PhotoFireworks explode during the Closing Ceremony at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 13, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

LONDON — With a little British pomp and a lot of British pop, London brought the curtain down on a glorious Olympic Games on Sunday in a spectacular, technicolor pageant of landmarks, lightshows and lots of fun.

The closing ceremony offered a sensory blast including rock 'n' roll rickshaws, dustbin percussionists, an exploding yellow car and a marching band in red tunics and bearskin hats.

The Spice Girls staged a show-stopping reunion, and Monty Python's Eric Idle sauntered through "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" — accompanied by Roman centurions, Scottish bagpipers and a human cannonball.

It all made for a psychedelic mashup that had 80,000 fans at Olympic Stadium stomping, cheering and singing along. Organizers estimated 300 million or more were watching around the world.

What a way to end a games far more successful than many Londoners expected. Security woes were overcome, and traffic nightmares never materialized. The weather held up, more or less, and British athletes overachieved.

It all came with a price tag of $14 billion — three times the original estimate. But nobody wanted to spoil the fun with such mundane concerns, at least not on this night.

"We lit the flame, and we lit up the world," said London organizing committee chief Sebastian Coe. "When our time came, Britain, we did it right."

International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge declared the Olympics over with praise for the athletes.

"Through your commitment to fair play, your respect for opponents, and your grace in defeat as well as in victory, you have earned the right to be called Olympians," he said, adding: "These were happy and glorious games."

But the night was about splash more than speeches.

Festive and fast-moving, the ceremony opened with pop bands Madness, Pet Shop Boys and One Direction, a shout-out to Winston Churchill and a tribute to the Union Jack — the floor of Olympic Stadium floor arranged to resemble the British flag.

Monochrome recreations of London landmarks were covered in newsprint, from Big Ben's clock tower and Tower Bridge to the London Eye ferris wheel and the chubby highrise known as the Gherkin.

View full sizeAP PhotoThe Spice Girls perform during the Closing Ceremony at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 12, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Street percussion group Stomp built the noise into a frenzy, and dancers brandished brooms, in a nod to the spontaneous popular movement to clean up London after riots shook neighborhoods not far from Olympic Stadium just a year ago.

Liam Gallagher performed "Wonderwall," a 1990s hit by his former band, Oasis, Muse rocked the house with the hard-edged Olympic anthem "Survival," and Queen guitarist Brian May was joined by singer Jessie J for a crowd-pleasing "We Will Rock You."

The headline performers were each paid a pound, a little more than $1.50.

The night ended with the extinguishing of the multi-petaled Olympic cauldron and a supercharged rendition of "My Generation" and other classics by The Who that had the crowd dancing in the aisles. Confetti rained down, and fireworks lit up the sky.

Prince William's wife, Kate, and Prince Harry took seats next to Rogge. They sang along to "God Save the Queen." There was no sign of the queen herself, who made a memorable mock parachute entrance at the July 27 opening ceremony.

Following Olympic tradition, the 10,800 athletes of the London Games marched in as one rather than with their nations, symbolizing the harmony and friendship inspired by the games.

As the crowd cheered their heroes and flashbulbs rippled through the stadium, the Olympians cheered back, some carrying national flags, others snapping photographs with smartphones and cameras.

They held hands, embraced and carried each other on their shoulders, finally forming a human mosh pit on the field.

The ceremony had something for everyone, from tween girls to 1960s hippies. The face of John Lennon appeared on the stadium floor, assembled by 101 fragments of sculpture, and just as quickly gave way to George Michael, Fatboy Slim and Annie Lennox.

Eight minutes were turned over to Brazil, host of the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, which delivered an explosion of samba, sequins and Latin cool. Following tradition, the mayor of London handed the Olympic flag off to his Rio counterpart.

Britons, who had fretted for weeks that the games would become a fiasco, were buoyed by their biggest medal haul since 1908 — 29 golds and 65 medals in all.

The United States edged China in both the gold medal and total medal standings, eclipsing its best performance at an Olympics on foreign soil after the Dream Team narrowly held off Spain in basketball for the country's 46th gold.

View full sizeAP PhotoActor Timothy Spall portrays Winston Churchill as he delivers a speech from atop a representation of St. Stephens' Tower during the Closing Ceremony at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 12, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

While the games may have lacked some of the grandeur of the Beijing Olympics in 2008, there were more than a few unforgettable moments.

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt became an Olympic legend by repeating as champion in both the 100-meter and 200-meter sprints. Michael Phelps ended his long career as the most decorated Olympian in history.

British distance runner Mo Farah became a national treasure by sweeping the 5,000- and 10,000-meter races, and favorite daughter Jessica Ennis became a global phenomenon with her victory in the heptathlon.

Female athletes took center stage in a way they never had before. American gymnast Gabby Douglas soared to gold, the U.S. soccer team made a dramatic march to the championship. Packed houses turned out to watch the new event of women's boxing. And women competed for Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Brunei for the first time.

And then there was Oscar Pistorius, the double-amputee from South Africa running on carbon-fiber blades, who didn't win a medal but nonetheless left a champion. And sprinter Manteo Mitchell, who completed his leg of the 4x400 relay semifinal on a broken leg, allowing his team to qualify and win silver.

Britons seemed exhausted and exhilarated after two glorious weeks in the world's spotlight, and just months after the country celebrated the queen's 60th year on the throne with a magnificent pageant and street parties.

Some at Olympic Park acknowledged happy surprise that not much had gone wrong, and so much had gone right.

"I was a bit worried we wouldn't be able to live up to it," said Phil Akrill of Chichester. "But walking around here it's just unbelievable."

Even non-Brits were proud of their adopted homeland.

"It's just been a really nice thing to see," said Anja Ekelof, a Swede who now lives in Scotland. "The whole country has come together."

___

Associated Press writer Paul Haven wrote this report. Associated Press writers Fergus Bell and Jill Lawless contributed to this report.

The Leachate Treatment Plant was built to treat the liquid run-off produced by the landfill, but testing proved the leachate contained a sufficiently low level of harmful material that the city could pump it directly into its sewer system.

The Republican file photo | Michael GordonNorthampton is scheduled to close its landfill next March.

NORTHAMPTON — The Department of Public Works is beginning two projects that involve the Glendale Road landfill, an old building on the site and lots of dirt.

One of the projects is taking place in anticipation of the landfill’s closing next March, when it is scheduled to reach capacity. The city must then cap it. As Department of Public Works Director Edward S. Huntley explained, this involves layers of dirt, sand and loam and an impermeable membrane.

The sand is coming courtesy of a construction site on Atwood Drive, where Development Associates of Agawam in building a 33,000-square-foot building that will feature commercial space and medical offices. The developer has surplus fill from that project and has offered it to the city for free, Huntley said.

Starting Aug. 13, 50 to 60 trucks a day will carry that material to the landfill, where it will be stored in a great heap for use next spring. Huntley anticipates the transfer of material to last six or seven days.

As that project is ending, the Department of Public Works will begin decommissioning the Leachate Treatment Plant at the landfill. The facility was built to treat the liquid run-off produced by the landfill, but Huntley said testing proved the leachate contained a sufficiently low level of harmful material that the city could pump it directly into its sewer system.

Burke Construction of Adams has been hired to undertake the six-month project, which includes removing all equipment from the building, backfilling leachate lagoons and replacing the old generator with a newer, smaller one. The city will then use the building as storage space, Huntley said.

Amherst, Northfield, Pelham, Sunderland, Gill, Conway and Huntington are among 17 new state Green Communities eligible for $2.75 million in grants.

AMHERST — State energy officials will be in town Monday to present the official Green Community status awards to the most recent group of designees.

State Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Richard K. Sullivan Jr. and Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Mark Sylvia will be in Town Hall at 1:30 to present awards to Amherst, Northfield, Pelham, Sunderland, Gill, Conway and Huntington, said spokeswoman Krista Selmi.

These communities were among the 17 statewide receiving the status, bringing the state total to 103. Athol, Belchertown, Buckland, Deerfield, Easthampton, Granby, Greenfield, Holland, Leverett, Middlefield, Palmer, Monson, Northampton and Shutesbury and Springfield have already received green status.

With green status, communities are eligible for state grants. The 17 communities are eligible for $2.75 million. Amherst is eligible to receive $302,000.

Town staff are looking at what it would cost to replace the town's 1,800 streetlights, said Town Manager John P. Musante.

Musante said staff is looking at the scope of the light replacement project as applications for the $302,000 in available funding are due next month.

As part of that work, staff will try to determine the amount the town would save. They are also considering how many lights to replace.

In the 1990s, the town had to shut off some lights to save money and reduce energy costs. "We don't see adding to the inventory," Musante said. But he said they are looking at "having what inventory we have be more efficient."

To be eligible for Green Community status, communities must meet five criteria, including establishing a municipal energy use baseline and a program to reduce use by 20 percent within five years.

Jennifer and Heather Mears of Amherst would wake up early to go for a jog in Hyde Park (“two steps from the dorm”) at 5 a.m

Submitted photoWestern New England University students gather in Earl's Court in London to watch the women's volleyball competition.

Twins Heather and Jennifer Mears, of Amherst, glowed as they talked about their trip of a lifetime to the Olympic Games in London. They were in a group of 15 Western New England University students who were there from July 25 to August 4.

The trip was organized by professor Curt Hamakawa, director of the Center for International Sports Business at Western New England and a former member of the International Olympic Committee.

“For me,” said Hamakawa, who teaches sports management, “the thrill is seeing students wide-eyed at this kind of mega-sporting event. It’s history in the making and the students get to be part of it.”

Jennifer and Heather, who are entering their senior year, had never been outside the country before. “We both play volleyball and softball in school, so we couldn’t travel,” said Heather Mears, as if anyone but a jock would understand the explanation.

The two young women worked like furies to help pay for the trip, which cost $6,000 per person. “We’ve been saving since September,” said Heather Mears.

Both had catering jobs at Amherst College. Between them, they also worked at Dunkin’ Donuts, Enterprise Rent-a-Car and the Nike Softball Camp at Amherst.

They also used birthday money (they turned 21 on July 1), and their parents, Kelley and Rick, shouldered a lot of the cost. “We owe everything to them,” said Heather.

The Western New England Alumni Association awarded the project a $1,200 grant.

Hamakawa taught a business and culture course in the spring that prepared participants for the upcoming trip.

Most of the students were from the School of Business. Heather Mears is majoring in public relations and communications, and Jennifer Mears is a marketing, communications and advertising major.

Other Massachusetts students on the trip were Maria Francese, of Dalton, Laura Madaio, of Paxton, Jason Titelbaum, of Peabody, and Dan Colton, of Plymouth.

From New York came R. J. Suhre, of West Harrison, Ryan Coseo, of Ballston Spa, and Dennis Rinaldi, of West Harrison, who cracked up his friends by wearing a flag-inspired bodysuit and even got a reaction from a member of the famously imperturbable Palace Guard.

Connecticut students on the trip were Lydia LeFevre of New Hartford, Marisa Harris of Wethersfield, Nick Varney, Lauren Silvis and Emily Savino of Ellington, and Anthony Camardi of Canaan, who brought an Italian flag to wave when Italians performed. Two other professors were also on the trip.

While they were in London, the students took quizzes and wrote papers. The Mears sisters and Madaio gave a presentation on “The Development of Sports through the Olympics.”

This is the first year the United States had more females than males in the competitions, said Jennifer. Also, three countries sent women to the Olympics that had never done so before.

Jennifer said she and her sister would wake up early to go for a jog in Hyde Park (“two steps from the dorm”) at 5 a.m. Then they would meet for class at 7 a.m., have breakfast, hit the stands to watch world-class athletes and board buses to tour the city and countryside. They stayed up into the wee hours of the morning and never got tired, they said.

The group got to see eight athletic events, including two with U.S. teams. Even badminton, which some consider a tame backyard sport, was ferocious at that level. “The reflexes and speed were incredible,” said Jennifer. She learned that the U.S. men are World Champions in Badminton.

The students had stocked up on lapel pins bearing the name of their university. Pin-trading is popular across the pond, and they met people – on the street, on the “tube” – from everywhere by trading pins.

It’s one of those things that had no language barriers.

While both men agreed that Ryan is a friendly and likeable guy, they also both stand against some of his more controversial proposals to radically change the Medicare system. Watch video

U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, left, and U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., may not agree on many issues, but they both said they are opposed to the Medicare cuts included in the budget proposed by Mitt Romney's running mate, U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin. (Republican file photos)

More politics news

Ryan adds substantive — but controversial — budget policies to Romney's ticket

On Sunday, a day after Romney chose Ryan, the Wisconsin representative and chairman of the House Budget Committee, as his running mate, the Ryan budget plan already took on a central role in the debate.

• Rev. Talbert Swan's team defeats Sen. Scott Brown's in Path to Manhood charity basketball game in Springfield
• Paul Ryan's Medicare plan would be tricky to pull off
• CNN's Candy Crowley will be the first woman to moderate a presidential debate since 1992

SPRINGFIELD - Ahead of a charity basketball game Monday where Republican Sen. Scott Brown's team lost to one led by the Rev. Talbert Swan II, both Brown and U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, offered their opinions on Mitt Romney's choice of Paul Ryan to be his running mate against President Barack Obama in the upcoming presidential election.

While both men agreed that Ryan is a friendly and likeable guy, they also both stand against some of his more controversial proposals to radically change the Medicare system.

Neal, on the one hand, said that he has debated Ryan a number of times in the powerful Ways and Means Committee and he doesn't think the young congressman's ideas for reducing the federal deficit by slashing Medicare are right for the country.

"I've debated Paul Ryan many times in the Ways and Means Committee and challenged the assumptions that he will offer to the American people. To me, what's surprising, is how long it took for people to come to terms with the Ryan budget," Neal told reporters. "Paul Ryan and I are of similar ethnicity and... we've both received survivor benefits under Social Security because of the early death of a parent. The difference is that I want to maintain that benefit, and I don't think Paul does."

Brown cited past votes against the Ryan budget, as well as a guest editorial he penned for Politico in May 2011 in explaining his stance on the congressman's more controversial ideas in relation to the public insurance program.

Brown said that one of the main reasons for voting against the Ryan budget was the approach to medicare. "We can reform Medicare I think, within the system, and I look forward to doing just that," Brown said.

The senator also took aim at his Democratic rival in the U.S. Senate race, Elizabeth Warren, saying that she supports drastic cuts to Medicare benefits for current seniors to pay for the president's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Warren has rejected such claims in the past, saying that the health care law will help stabilize Medicare by slowing future spending on the program that provides health insurance for citizens age 65 or older and those receiving disability payments under Social Security.

Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts said that although there are some parts of the Ryan budget he likes, he voted against it primarily because of the way it cuts the Medicare program. (Staff photo by Mandy Hofmockel)

Brown said that there were parts of the Ryan budget proposal he liked, such as reducing the tax rate for corporations.

"I think the corporate tax rate needs to be cut but I don't know if 25 percent is the number" Brown said, referring to the rate Ryan suggested corporate taxes be set at. "I think any time we can put more money into people's pockets, especially when we have the highest corporate tax rate in the industrialized world... is a good thing. When we're battling and trying to be competitive on a global basis, to have the highest corporate tax rate... we can't compete."

While Neal said he has served with Ryan since the Wisconsin congressman won his seat in the House of Representatives, Brown noted that he had only met Ryan at the president's state of the union speeches.

Still, both politicians called Ryan a "bold" choice on Romney's part.

"While we don't agree on everything I certainly appreciate his efforts to bring budgetary issues to the forefront," Brown said.

Neal said that Romney's choice of Ryan puts the former Massachusetts governor on the spot about cutting Medicare, Social Security and other suggestions the Wisconsin congressman has suggested.

"And I don't think in this instance that Gov. Romney, ought to be able to lightly say that they will now form their own budget," Neal said. "He chose Paul Ryan to shore up the conservative base because of the Ryan budget."

Neal is in a three-way primary election against former state Sen. Andrea Nuciforo Jr. and Bill Shein to represent the new 1st Congressional District while Brown and Warren are neck-and-neck in a battle to represent the Bay State in the U.S. Senate.

Of his 73 years in the big leagues, 61 were with Boston.

Associated PressDuring the 2012 Boston Red Sox home opening weekend, David Ortiz, left, team owner John Henry, second from right, and team president and CEO Larry Lucchino, right, applauded as Johnny Pesky (seated) was honored at Fenway Park. Six days later, Pesky was on hand as the Red Sox celebrated the 100th anniversary of Fenway's opening. Pesky was with the club for 61 of those years including the last 44.

His career in baseball spanned more than seven decades, almost all of it with the Boston Red Sox, but it was not simply longevity that made Johnny Pesky an embodiment of all that was good about the franchise itself.

His loyalty, humility and humanity turned a very good ballplayer into an icon, and almost assuredly the most beloved Red Soxer of them all.

Pesky died Monday at 92. His passing leaves double play partner Bobby Doerr, the second baseman on Boston's 1940s powerhouses, and pitcher Dave "Boo" Ferriss, 90, as the last living stars of the 1946 American League championship team.

Doerr, 94, and Pesky appeared at Fenway Park in April as part of the club's celebration of the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park. Pesky was an indelible part of Fenway for most of that century.

He spent 61 of his 73 big league seasons with the Red Sox. His array of capacities ranged from infielder to manager, and from broadcaster to coach.

He even sold advertising during a career that began in his rookie year of 1942, when Pesky's 205 hits established a Red Sox rookie record that stood for 55 years.

Pesky's most suitable title, though, was "ambassador.'' He did not need a formal title to meet and greet the vast array of fans who made up Red Sox Nation - a term that itself did not exist until long after this native of Portland, Oregon had first arrived in Boston.

"The national pastime has lost one of its greatest ambassadors today,'' baseball commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement.

"Johnny Pesky, who led a great American life, was an embodiment of loyalty and good will for the Boston Red Sox and all of Major League Baseball.''

"We have lost a dear and beloved friend. Johnny was happiest when wearing a Red Sox uniform,'' said John Henry, the team's principal owner.

"He was the grandfather of the Red Sox. His stories were delightful ... we know those stories, and his spirit, will continue to live on at Fenway Park,'' Red Sox chairman Tom Werner said.

"We extend our sympathies to his son, David, his daughter-in-law, Alison, and all members of the Pesky family.''

Modern fans knew Pesky as the human face of Red Sox history, a steady presence at Fenway until the final two years of his life, when the frailties of age caused his appearances to become infrequent.

Older fans knew him in a different way. Had Pesky not missed the seasons from 1943 through 1945 for military service during World War II, he might have built a case for election to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Born John Michael Paveskovich, and signed by the Red Sox as a free agent in 1940, he hit .307 in a big league career that lasted until 1954.

A left-handed hitting shortstop, Pesky belted only 17 home runs in a 1,270-game career that ended with stops in Detroit from 1952-54, and Washington toward the end of the 1954 season.

That did not stop Fenway's inviting right-field foul pole from being designated "Pesky's Pole.'' According to legend, Pesky won a 1948 game for pitcher Mel Parnell by curling a 305-foot home run down the line.

Records indicate his only home run in a Parnell game came in 1950, in a game Boston lost. Nonetheless, the name became a part of modern Fenway Park lexicon long after he retired.

Eventually, the Red Sox formally named the pole for Pesky. In 2008, they also retired his No. 6 jersey, one of only seven uniform numbers (not including Jackie Robinson's universally retired 42) the Red Sox have retired.

When the Red Sox raised the 2004 World Series championship flag at its 2005 home opener, Pesky was the club's featured representative at its pinnacle moment. It was Boston's first title since 1918, the year before Pesky was born.

For as much as Pesky's presence evoked nostalgic memories for Red Sox fans, the players of generations who followed his own were most appreciative and impressed at his ability to remain current, and his willingness to teach.

Jim Rice said Pesky spent countless hours, working not only with the young slugger's hitting but helping him learn the outfield. Nomar Garciaparra was devoted to Pesky, not just as a father figure but as a former shortstop who was a source of baseball knowledge and expertise.

Pesky led the American League in hits in his first three seasons. In each of them, he topped the 200-hit mark at a time teams played only 154 games.

Pesky's 205 hits in 1942, a year that saw him hit .331, stood as a Red Sox rookie record until Nomar Garciaparra surpassed it in 1997. Pesky finished third in the 1942 American League MVP vote.

It was his only season before leaving for war. He returned to collect 208 hits in 1946, his only All-Star season, and 207 the following year.

For all his talent and production, Pesky's career did not at first suggest he would become the man who would touch the hearts of Red Sox fans in a way that even greater players, including his close friend Ted Williams and later Carl Yastrzemski, could not.

Forty years before Bill Buckner's infamous moment, Pesky was the relay man when St. Louis Cardinals' outfielder Enos Slaughter scored the winning run in Game 7 of the 1946 World Series.

It has been widely accepted for decades that Pesky handled the play efficiently, but that Slaughter simply outraced the throw. If any mistakes were made by the Red Sox defense, it is believed they were made in the outfield.

Pesky never became embittered by the infamy of the play. Rather, he accepted it as part of the game he loved - a price for playing in the passionate Boston baseball atmosphere.

It was that unmistakeable decency, along with an encyclopedic knowledge of baseball and the skill at passing it on, that ultimately endeared Pesky to the Red Sox and their following.

He became Red Sox manager in 1963, at a time the club's talent level had dipped to its lowest level in the postwar era. Pesky's managing record was 146-175 in 1963 and '64.

In 1965, the year after Pesky left, the Red Sox lost 100 games under Billy Herman, his successor.

After managing in Boston, Pesky spent several years in the Pittsburgh organization before rejoining the Red Sox franchise as a broadcaster in 1969.

His timeline with the organization remained unbroken that point until his death, a span of 44 years. Late in the 1980 season, the Red Sox replaced Don Zimmer and Pesky returned for a brief, five-game stint as interim manager.

Pesky's friendship with 1946 teammates Doerr, Williams and Dom DiMaggio was the focus of author David Halberstam's 2003 book, "The Teammates.''

It is considered one of the highest baseball journals in modern history and probably of all time. Williams died in 2002, with DiMaggio passing on in 2009.

The passing of Pesky, while not unexpected given his age and failing health, nonetheless adds another layer of sadness to a Red Sox season that has been difficult on and off the field.

Parnell died on March 20. On May 9, public address announcer Carl Beane died after suffering a heart attack while driving.

In late May, loss of grants and higher busing costs had officials worried layoffs could total 69.

HOLYOKE – Nine teachers and others lost their jobs, but spending freezes and all-around sacrifices stopped the layoffs from being worse as the new school year begins Aug. 29, officials said.

“Every school and every department contributed,” Christine P. Regan, executive director of finance of the School Department, said last week.

In late May, before the state funding and city budget pictures clarified, officials had drawn up plans to close an $11 million shortfall that included laying off 69 teachers, assistant principals, custodians, paralegals and others.

The final layoff tally consisted of one family case manager at Peck School, one kindergarten reading coordinator at Peck, one outreach worker at Holyoke High School, one library media specialist at Morgan School, one library media specialist at the Center for Excellence and four teachers, including one shop teacher, at Dean Technical High School, Superintendent David L. Dupont said.

The $11 million gap was the difference between the revenue officials knew they could count on to run the school system in the fiscal year that began July 1 and the amount of money school principals and department heads said they needed to run their parts of the system.

Part of the funding problem was that federal stimulus money that consisted of three years at $3.2 million a year to the schools expired June 30. Officials have said the money was used to pay for existing staff and not to hire new people.

Also, with a quarter of the student enrollment of 5,900 in special education, such costs account for $15 million. But a formula lets the city use only $6 million of a state aid category known as Chapter 70 funding for special education, leaving the city to fund the remaining $9 million, officials said.

Further, state law requires that the city pay to transport students in homeless families that the state has placed in hotels here to attend school in their home communities. Such transportation cost $450,000, or nearly $200,000 more than budgeted in the previous fiscal year, officials said.

To close the $11 million gap, the first thing officials did was freeze spending except for “absolutely necessary items” for the remainder of the previous fiscal year, which ended June 30, Regan said.

As Regan described the freeze, “These were across-the-board types of budgeted line items, including staff development, travel, textbooks, instructional materials, computer hardware, field trips, nursing services for field trips, balances in accounts such as repairs and maintenance that were not needed, snow removal funds that were not needed due to the mild winter, funds for heating expense, advertising, equipment, furniture, unexpended/available special education tuition funding, etc.”

In addition, many of the openings that occurred with retirements of about 30 teachers and other staff won’t be filled, she said.

Another 20 to 30 employees weren’t brought back for the coming school year. They either failed to get the required state certifications for their teaching fields, were only one-year hires or were not renewed as employees for other reasons, she said.

“The combinations of positions that were not filled helped reduce the number of employees that were actually laid off,” Regan said.

Peter McAndrew, president of the Holyoke Teachers Association, couldn’t be reached for comment.

In the city budget of more than $124 million, more than half is school funding, at more than $64 million. The total school budget with all grants included is about $90 million. Most of the school budget, including part of the funding that is considered the city appropriation, consists of state aid.

"We looked into the complaint. The chief felt for public safety it wouldn't be a bad idea to have more lights there," Town Manager Charles Blanchard said.

The Republican/Michael Gordon

PALMER - Soon, there will be more street lights in the Alden Street neighborhood, thanks to a resident going before the Town Council about the problem.

Police Chief Robert P. Frydryk visited the neighborhood - known as the Brainerd Heights Development - after Alden Street resident Rina Lavoie expressed her concerns about the lack of lighting there when she went to the Town Council's July 30 meeting.

Frydryk agreed that there is a need for additional lighting on Alden, Cabot and Winthrop streets. He is recommending that a light be added to each street.

"It was rather dark in those areas," said Frydryk, adding Winthrop and Alden streets have no lights at all, and Cabot has a "long stretch" with no lights.

Town Manager Charles T. Blanchard said abutters are in the process of being notified about the plan to install the lights, in case they have any concerns. Blanchard said he will contact National Grid to install the lights, which he estimated will cost approximately $65 each in annual electricity costs for the town.

"We looked into the complaint. The chief felt for public safety it wouldn't be a bad idea to have more lights there," Blanchard said.

Lavoie also sent a letter to the council about her concerns, citing break-ins, and "random middle of the night knocking on doors." The lack of lighting, she said, makes the area "vulnerable for trespassing."

Frydryk said there have not been many incidents in that neighborhood. However, last month an unlocked car was rummaged through on Winthrop Street, and a 20-year-old Thorndike man was arrested for charges including trespassing and attempt to commit a crime, breaking and entering, after incidents on Irene and Deborah streets, he said.

U.S. Sen. Scott Brown discusses Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's VP pick Paul Ryan and more Monday before a charity basketball game at the Dunbar Y Community Center in Springfield.

Mueller and co-defendant Pete Eyre were acquitted of wiretapping charges by a Greenfield District Court jury a year ago.

Photo courtesy of CopBlock.orgAdam "Ademo" Mueller, who was acquitted a year ago in Greenfield for illegally recording officials at the Franklin County House of Correction, was found guilty in Manchester, N.H. on three counts of illegal wiretapping public officials.

A New Hampshire blogger who last year was acquitted in Greenfield District Court of charges that he illegally filmed inside the Franklin County Jail was found guilty on Monday in Manchester, N.H. on charges that he recorded conversations with three public officials without their permission.

Adam “Ademo” Mueller, a founding member of a police accountability blog called CopBlock.org, was found guilty in Hillsborough County Superior Court to three counts of illegal wiretapping, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader.

He was charged with illegally recording phone conversations with a Manchester police captain, and the principal and a secretary of Manchester High School without their consent.

Mueller called them for comments about a video of a student being arrested and handcuffed at the high school that was posted on the CopBlock website. Portions of the telephone calls were also posted on the website. He maintained that he told each person they were being recorded, but they maintained they were not.

Mueller, who represented himself at his trial, argued that the wiretapping law should not apply to recording public officials.

"I know I didn't cause them any harm — physical or otherwise," Mueller told jurors, stressing he called them while they were at their public jobs.

He was given a sentence of one to three years with all but 90 days suspended on one of the illegal wiretapping counts. For the other two counts, he received suspended sentences of one to three years but is required to attend counseling and stay out of trouble.

Mueller, who also goes by the name “Ademo Freeman,” was in custody before his trial started, nearing the end of a 60-day sentence for resisting arrest after chalking messages on the Manchester Police Department building 14 months ago.

Asked by Hillsborough Superior Court Judge Kenneth Brown if he wanted to be delay sentencing, Mueller replied, “I’m already in jail. We might as well get it over with.“

He also told the judge he had no regrets about what he did, and that locking him up would not deter him from being an activist.

"I don't think jails were built for people who make phone calls or chalk buildings," he said.

The jury deliberated for about 50 minutes before returning with the guilty verdict.

File photo | The Republican A large group of supporters were on hand outside the Greenfield District Courthouse for the July 19, 2011illegal wiretapping trial of Pete Eyre and Adam Mueller. Eyre and Mueller, founders of the police watchdog organization CopBlock.org, were acquitted.

On July 19, 2011, Mueller and co-defendant Pete Eyre were acquitted by a Greenfield District Court jury on similar charges of illegal wiretapping stemming from an unrelated incident in Greenfield.

They were charged with using a video camera the previous July to record officials at the Franklin County House of Correction, where they had gone to bail out a friend.

Eyre and Mueller testified that when they went first went to the jail to inquire about bail, they were told they could film the process. When they returned a short-time later with the bail money
and began filming, they were told it was not permitted on jail property.

They refused and when police arrived and demanded they shut off the camera, they refused again and were arrested.

Jail officials were unable to show any written policies precluding filming at the facility. Nor were there any posted signs explicitly prohibiting the use of recording devices at the jail.

In the Greenfield trial, it took the jury about 2 hours to reach the verdict of not guilty.

Materials from the Associated Press were used in this report.