The Fed reaffirmed its commitment to support the economy in a statement released after the end of a two-day meeting.

By STEVE ROTHWELL

NEW YORK — After a day of stalled rallies, the stock market closed out July with its best monthly gain since January.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index ended the month 4.95 percent higher. That's the biggest increase since January, when it rose 5.04 percent. The Dow Jones industrial average also had its best month since January.

Markets surged in July after Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke assured investors that the central bank wouldn't pull back on its stimulus program until the economy was strong enough. The central bank is buying $85 billion of bonds a month to keep down interest rates to encourage borrowing and hiring.

On Wednesday, the Fed reaffirmed its commitment to support the economy in a statement released after the end of a two-day meeting. The central bank dropped hints that it might need to maintain its stimulus, and slightly downgraded its assessment of U.S. economic growth from "moderate" to "modest."

That initially gave stocks a boost, pushing the S&P 500 within two points of breaching the 1,700 level for the first time in afternoon trading. But the rally faded in the final hour, leaving the S&P flat at the end of the day.

Given the market's big gains in July, stocks may struggle to climb further in the coming months, said Phil Orlando, chief equity market strategist at Federated Investors.

"I would not be the least bit surprised to see some modest consolidation," said Orlando.

Stocks started higher Wednesday after the government said that the economy grew at a faster pace in the second quarter than economists had forecast.

The gain was mostly gone by the time the Fed statement came out at 2 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The market staged another rally for about an hour after the Fed's announcement, then ended little changed.

The U.S. grew at an annual rate of 1.7 percent from April through June as businesses spent more and the federal government cut less spending, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. Economists had expected growth of 1 percent, according to the data provider FactSet.

There was also an encouraging report on hiring ahead of the government's monthly jobs survey due out Friday.

U.S. businesses created a healthy 200,000 jobs this month, payroll company ADP said, as companies hired at the fastest pace since December. ADP also raised its estimate of the number of jobs the private sector created in June.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index ended little changed at 1,685.73. The Dow Jones industrial average ended the day 21 points lower, or 0.1 percent, at 15,499.54.

The Nasdaq composite gained 9.90 points, or 0.7 percent, to 3,626.37. The index fell just five times during the month and is at its highest level in more than a decade.

On the bond market, investors anticipated that the Fed's slightly weaker assessment of the economy would imply a longer period of bond purchases. Bond yields fell as demand increased for U.S. government debt. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.58 percent from 2.66 percent just before the announcement.

Investors were also tracking company earnings Wednesday.

Comcast rose $2.37, or 5.5 percent, to $45.08 after the parent company of the NBC network and Universal Studios reported earnings and revenue that exceed analysts' expectations in the second quarter.

Software company Symantec, which makes the Norton antivirus software, surged after the company reported earnings and revenue that beat analysts' forecasts. The stock rose $2.33, or 9.6 percent, to $26.68.

Analysts forecast that second-quarter earnings rose an average of 4.75 percent for S&P 500 companies, according to S&P Capital IQ. That would be the slowest rate of growth in three quarters.

In commodities trading, the price of oil rose $1.95, or 1.9 percent, to $105.03 a barrel. Gold dropped $11.80, or 1 percent, to $1,313 an ounce.

Among other stocks making big moves:

• Air Products & Chemicals rose $3.03, or 2.9 percent, to $108.64 after the Wall Street journal reported that activist investor William Ackman had bought a 9.8 percent stake in the gas company.
• Herbalife rose $5.46, or 9.1 percent, to $65.50 after CNBC reported that the veteran hedge fund investor George Soros had taken a stake in the company. Herbalife has been at the center of a battle between Ackman and rival investor Carl Ichan, who are taking opposing positions in the stock.

The thrift store will hold a grand opening and ribbon cutting for its new location, at 294 George Washington Road in Enfield, on Aug. 1 at 10 a.m.

Allied's Attic will be in the same building that houses the thrift store's donation processing center. "People will now be able to shop where they donate," thrift store manager Marisol Suarez said.The Republican file photo 

ENFIELD - Allied's Attic Thrift Store will celebrate its sixth anniversary at a new location.

On Aug. 1, the Attic will open a new store at 294 George Washington Road. A ribbon-cutting will take place at 10 a.m.

Shoppers who bring donations of non-perishable food items for the Enfield Food Shelf and 5 Corner Cupboard in East Windsor will receive a $1-off Allied's Attic coupon for every item.

Allied's Attic will be in the same building that houses the thrift store's donation processing center. "People will now be able to shop where they donate," thrift store manager Marisol Suarez said.

The donation processing center is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. A list of acceptable items is available on the website.

For store information and sales announcements, go online to alliedsattic.com, call (860) 265-2983 or visit Allied's Attic on Facebook.

The proposals for the two closed fire stations in Springfield included plans for a banquet facility at the Oakland Street station and a home and workshop at the Sumner Avenue station.

SPRINGFIELD — The city received proposals on Wednesday for the redevelopment of two closed fire stations, including a local businessman who is seeking to convert the Oakland Street station into a banquet facility, and a West Haven, Conn., man seeking to restore the Sumner Avenue station as his home and workshop.

The separate proposals for each vacant fire station were the only bids received by Wednesday’s deadline by the city’s Office of Procurement.

The proposals have been referred for review by the Office of Planning and Economic Development. The city can accept or reject the bids, and any sale needs approved from Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and the City Council.

Nicola Decesare of Vince LLC, of Springfield, submitted a bid of $30,000 to purchase the old fire station on Oakland Street. Decesare said that if his bid is selected, he will secure the building and then likely take four or five years to convert the site to a banquet facility. Decesare said he is co-owner of Felix Family Ristorante, across the street from the fire station, and the banquet facility would work in conjunction with the restaurant.

Jack Biessman, of West Haven, Conn., submitted a bid of $40,000 to purchase the former fire station at 1043 Sumner Ave., saying that if selected, he plans to live at the site, on the second floor.

He is proposing to use the ground floor as his own workshop to build replica race cars.

The two fire stations were closed in recent years, and were replaced by a single, state-of-the-art fire station on White Street. The Oakland Street station was built in 1884, and the Sumner Avenue station was constructed in 1924.

Biessman said he is a former area resident, and was also a volunteer firefighter in Killington, Vt. His father and grandfather were also firefighters, having worked in Connecticut.

Biessman said he and a partner also worked in the past with the Springfield Preservation Trust on historic preservation projects. He said he would plan to work closely with the Springfield Historical Commission to fully restore the Sumner Avenue fire station, with historic preservation a must.

Biessman said he wants to move to the firehouse as initial renovations make it possible.

Decesare said that his $30,000 bid for the Oakland Street station reflects that he faces significant work and expense in renovations, including a leaking roof, broken windows and making renovations that meet conditions established by the city aimed at preserving its history.

The first priority will be to secure the building in the first year, followed by the need to “bring it back to its original condition,” he said.

In addition to Felix’s, Decesare also owns the nearby Frank’s Package Store.

Walker said she suffers from bipolar disorder and Marissa Elkins, her lawyer, told Ferrara that contributed to her troubles with the law.

The Republican / File photo 

SPRINGFIELD — Tammy Walker, 50, admitted Wednesday driving under the influence of alcohol and injuring a Massachusetts State Police trooper by dragging her with her arm stuck in the car.

Walker – after State Trooper Amy Waterman was no longer trapped in the door frame – ran a red light on Interstate 291 in Chicopee and T-boned a car carrying three people.

Walker, of Chicopee, was sentenced by Hampden Superior Court Judge John S. Ferrara to 2½ years in the Western Massachusetts Regional Women’s Correctional Center in Chicopee.

She said she suffers from bipolar disorder, and Marissa Elkins, her lawyer, told Ferrara that contributed to her troubles with the law.

Walker also admitted, in a separate case, to spitting at two correctional officers who were transporting her from the jail to Worcester State Hospital. Those charges were assault and battery on a correctional officer by bodily substance.

Ferrara put Walker on two years probation now, which will apply while she is incarcerated, and another two years probation after the first probation.

Walker's plea was to operating under the influence of alcohol, third offense; assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (her car); and assault and battery on a police officer.

Assistant District Attorney James M. Forsyth said the trooper saw erratic driving and pulled Walker over. When Walker pulled over, she was belligerent and abusive to Waterman, he said.

Walker began to put the car in drive, and when Waterman reached in to stop her, she punched Waterman and drove away with Waterman’s arm in the door frame for a short distance.

Forsyth asked Ferrara to sentence Walker to three to five years in state prison followed by two years probation.

He said Waterman, who had bruising from the incident, agreed with his recommendation and knows the risks are part of her job.

He said Walker told another trooper on the scene she “didn’t give a s...” about the people in the car she hit.

Forsyth said Walker had eight prior convictions for assault and battery on a police officer and also had convictions for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Elkins said Walker has had many inpatient mental health treatments.

Ferrara said it was an unusual case since Walker had two associate's degrees and a work history showing she could function in an environment with people. But, he said, her record shows her routinely having severe problems when coming into contact with authorities.

Ferrara set as a condition of probation that Walker not drive, saying he would do that in addition to action the Registry of Motor Vehicle will take regarding her license. She must be drug and alcohol free and have substance abuse treatment and mental health evaluation and treatment.

Ferrara took personal jurisdiction over her case, meaning any probation violation allegations will come to him.

The story was updated at 8:45 p.m. to correct the name of the roadway on which the incident occurred to Interstate 291

One analyst said the increase in the gas tax is a small price to pay for maintaining roads and bridges.

BOSTON - Edward J. McCauley says it's "ridiculous" that he must pay an increase in the state's gas tax that took effect on Wednesday.

"But what are you going to do?" McCauley said, as he filled his car with gas at AL Prime Gas Station in the Dorchester section of Boston. "The price of gas keeps going up. The days of two dollars a gallon are gone."

McCauley, an unemployed machinist and a guitarist in The Whammy Bars, a band that travels all over New England, was among motorists paying a little more at the pumps starting Wednesday.

Some motorists said the increase could hurt the economy.

"It's a atrocious," said David Augustin of Randolph, a sales representative who also filled his vehicle at the Dorchester station. "This is the wrong time to raise the gas tax."

Others just shrugged. "I'm not too worried," said David Heng, of Boston, as he filled his vehicle's tank. "If you don't like it, don't drive."

The state's gas tax rose by 3 cents a gallon to 26.5 cents a gallon, including a 2.5 cent a gallon surcharge for cleaning underground storage tanks.

Gas cost between $3.63 and $3.87 at the discount station on Wednesday.

The gas tax went up the same day as the state's cigarette tax rose by $1 to $3.51 a pack, both part of a tax increase in a law that will raise $500 million this fiscal year and then about $805 million a year by 2018. Another part of the tax law is a provision to start charging the 6.25 percent sales tax on software services.

Hannah Orrall, 18, left of Lakeville, and Julia Cotrone, 24, of Hanover, held signs to mark the increase in the state's gas tax during a protest by Republicans at AL Prime Gas Station in Boston.Dan Ring / The Republican 

Legislators approved the tax hike in order to raise more money for transportation, including boosting funds for regional transit authorities such as the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority in Springfield and paying down debt at the MBTA to avoid a steep fare increase for riders in and around Boston. Another part of the new law calls for a phased end to the practice of borrowing to pay for employee salaries at the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, thereby freeing up more room to issue bonds for road and bridge projects.

The new law also includes a provision to increase the gas tax with inflation starting Jan. 1 of 2015.

Legislators estimate that the increase in the gas tax will cost a typical driver about $30 a year.

At the gas station, Republican lawmakers and Kirsten Hughes, chair of the Massachusetts Republican party, marked "Taxachusetts Day" with protest signs and a press conference to discuss the effects of the tax increases approved by the Democratic-controlled Legislature.

"Happy Taxachusetts Day," Hughes said. "Democrats are the reason taxes are higher today."

"We keep going after the taxpayers to keep government growing," said Rep. Viriato M. deMacedo, a Plymouth Republican who owns and operates a gas station in Plymouth. "That's not the right thing to do."

At the Statehouse, Gov. Deval L. Patrick defended the tax increase.

"We've got -- and citizens know it -- a long neglected transportation infrastructure," Patrick said. "It's time to reinvest in our infrastructure for the sake of our growth, for the sake of our economy and for the sake of our quality of life."

Patrick said it will be important to show people they are getting value for the tax hike.

Michael J. Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, said he is opposed to the sales tax on software services, but he said the foundation supports the gas tax increase.

"It's a small price to pay for maintaining roads and bridges, which generally speaking are in deplorable shape," he said.

Widmer said the gas tax probably should have been raised by 8 cents a gallon. He estimated there is a shortfall of at least $1 billion a year just to maintain roads and bridges in Massachusetts.

Sen. Stanley C. Rosenberg, an Amherst Democrat, is poised to become next Massachusetts Senate president.

BOSTON - State Senate majority leader Stanley Rosenberg, an Amherst Democrat, has claimed victory in the contest to be the next president of the Massachusetts Senate.

The only other candidate for the position was state Sen. Stephen Brewer, D-Barre.

“I am pleased to confirm that on July 30 I received the overwhelming support of the Democratic caucus to succeed Senate President Therese Murray when her term ends," Rosenberg wrote on his website.
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With 36 Democrats and four Republicans in the Senate, caucus support is tantamount to election.
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“I am humbled that my colleagues are willing to entrust me with the presidency of the Massachusetts Senate, “ he said.

Rosenberg would be the first Senate president from Western Massachusetts since Holyoke-born Maurice A. Donahue, who held the job 1964 to1971.

David Bartley, also of Holyoke, was the last speaker of the House from Western Massachusetts. He held the post from 1969 to 1975.

Murray has not said whether she will seek re-election in 2014. Under Senate rules, she could be elected president once more and serve until March 2015.

Many on Beacon Hill suspect she will leave earlier, however.

Earlier this year, Murray appointed Rosenberg, 63, Senate majority leader.
The move to become president began shortly after that.

Many members “approached me and hoped I would stay around and run for Senate president when her tenure was over,” Rosenberg said Wednesday. “It mushroomed. Members started talking to each other.”

Brewer, who is chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, was also interested in the presidency. “We met Monday evening. He congratulated me,” Rosenberg said.

In a statement, Brewer wished Rosenberg "all the best."

“I have known Stan Rosenberg for over 35 years," Brewer wrote. "We have had similar career paths and shared a common region of the commonwealth. I know Stan will do a fine job as Senate President when that time comes. I admire Senate President Murray as a colleague and a friend and look forward to her continued leadership. Our caucus should remain united."

Rosenberg in turn praised Brewer as “a dedicated public servant, a personal friend, and a man of great professional honor. “

Rosenberg wrote he is “particularly grateful to Senate President Murray, the first woman in our history to hold this position. I appreciate her friendship, her integrity, the skillful leadership that she shows, and will continue to show, as President of the Senate.

Rosenberg won his first election, to the state House of Representatives, in 1986, succeeding Democrat James G. Collins, who did not seek re-election.

In 1991 Rosenberg ran successfully for the Senate seat of John W. Olver, who was elected to Congress and served until 2013.

In 2011, Rosenberg was diagnosed with cancer. Treatment that involved radiation and chemotherapy kept him from Beacon Hill for a few months, but he has since returned to a full schedule.

He came out as a gay man in a newspaper column about liberty published July 4, 2009. He has been a strong advocate for the University of Massachusetts, from which he graduated. He has often talked about his experiences as a child in the foster care system as well.

With the election nearly a year and half away, “we’re back to business as usual," Rosenberg said. "We can’t distract from the body.”

Federal and state investigators trying to determine what caused a series of explosions at a central Florida propane plant said Wednesday they've uncovered nothing that indicates a crime was committed.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Federal and state investigators trying to determine what caused a series of explosions at a central Florida propane plant said Wednesday they've uncovered nothing that indicates a crime was committed.

Investigators have inspected the Blue Rhino plant's 5-acre property and also interviewed some workers who were at the plant when a fireball erupted in a lot outside the plant's two warehouses, said Maj. Brandon Ball of the Division of State Fire Marshal.

They have been unable to interview some of the eight workers who were injured, four critically, from the explosions due to their injuries, he said.

Investigators aren't ready to publicly say where the fire began or what caused it, Ball said, but he added that there was nothing to indicate the fire started inside the warehouses where propane canisters for gas grills are refurbished and filled. They also have done an extensive inspection on the plant's forklifts, Ball said.

Richard Keith, the fire chief of Tavares, the town northwest of Orlando where the plant fire occurred, said Tuesday that equipment failure and human error were among the possible causes.

The explosion Monday night sent flames 200 feet into the air and launched thousands of 20-pound propane canisters into the air. About 50 homes were evacuated for several hours. The day afterward, a lot next to two warehouses on the propane plant property was covered with tens of thousands of burned-out propane canisters. Officials have said the damage could have been significantly worse had three 30,000-pound propane storage containers nearby caught fire at the plant, which refills propane tanks for gas grills and other home uses.

A Blue Rhino employee who was at the plant when the explosions started told The Associated Press that based on what a forklift operator told him, the explosion was likely caused by a "combination of human error and bad practices."

The worker, Gene Williams, told the AP on Tuesday that the forklift operator came to him from the lot covered in burns from the initial fire. Williams drove him to a hospital.

Williams said the forklift driver told him, "'I did what they told me to do, I did what they told me to do, and then this happened.'"

"Something in that area must have triggered it. I don't know if he did something or something else triggered it," Williams said.

Hoses designed to spray water on the large tanks didn't go off because they had to be manually activated — requiring someone to brave dangerous conditions.

Tavares City Administrator John Drury said Wednesday that this was an issue of concern for city officials and that "any corrective procedures and improvements would be looked at very closely" by fire inspectors.

Blue Rhino is a subsidiary of Kansas-based national propane provider Ferrellgas. The parent company paid a $2,295 fine in November 2011 following an OSHA inspection of the plant that found a component at the end of an air hose used in the consumer tank refurbishing process was not present.

According to reports, police found Harrison's mother unable to care for herself in an apartment "not fit for habitation."

 

PITTSFIELD - A 44-year-old Pittsfield man was sentenced to serve 1 1/2 years in the Berkshire County House of Correction after he pleaded guilty to a charge of caretaker abuse by neglecting an elderly woman under his care.

Christopher A. Harrison also pleaded guilty to a charge of threatening to commit a crime: murder.

Judge John Agostini ordered him to serve a minimum of 18 months and that he serve two years probation following his release. While on probation he is to avoid drugs and alcohol, to be tested regularly for drug and alcohol use, and to receive counseling.

According to the office of Berkshire District Attorney David Capeless, Harrison was responsible for caring for a 67-year-old woman who lived in his house but between Jan. 1, 2012 and Feb. 13, 2013, he failed to do so. During the same period, he made threats against a 41-year-woman.

Capeless' office did not disclose the relationship between Harrison and the woman. However, according to the Berkshire Eagle, the woman was his mother, and she suffers from dementia-like symptoms and has difficulty walking.

The newspaper attributes police reports that say their apartment was "not fit for habitation," and there was trash and hypodermic needles all over the floor and no little food in apartment.

According to the Eagle, Harrison threatened to kill a family member if she ever tried to take his mother away.

Mayoral hopeful Christine Quinn suddenly finds herself in demand on national political television talk shows, and they all want to ask her the same question: Should Anthony Weiner drop out of the race?

NEW YORK — Mayoral hopeful Christine Quinn suddenly finds herself in demand on national political television talk shows, and they all want to ask her the same question: Should Anthony Weiner drop out of the race?

Quinn, the pugnacious City Council speaker who has now vaulted ahead of the former congressman in the wake of his latest sexting scandal, answers questions about her embattled rival the same way: She touts her own track record while carefully disparaging his "pattern of reckless behavior."

But, unlike other Democratic rivals, Quinn has always stopped short of calling for Weiner to bow out. Truth is, she may not want him to go anywhere.

Weiner's recent travails have ended up giving Quinn much more valuable media exposure, allowing her to portray herself as the "adult" in the race and contrast her leadership to her married rival's sordid behavior. Staying in the race could make Weiner the perfect foil, observers say.

"The debacle that we've seen over the last week and a half now, is going to — could potentially — help Quinn if she's able to embrace it," New York University political communications professor Jeanne Zaino said Wednesday.

Quinn's campaign has taken pains to contrast her legislative scorecard while ruling the City Council for seven years to Weiner's thin track record in Congress, where in 12 years he passed only one bill.

And political experts love Quinn's chances against Weiner if they are the two candidates to make it into a runoff, which could happen if no one achieves 40 percent of the vote in the Sept. 10 primary.

"That's the matchup she wants," said Doug Muzzio, political science professor at Baruch College. "Her strengths look the best against him, especially since he has again revealed himself to be a self-destructive candidate."

The potential benefits for Quinn if Weiner drops out are more difficult to discern since there's little overlap in their pools of voter support. A Quinnipiac College poll released this week shows Quinn's support rising only from 27 percent to 30 percent of likely Democratic voters if Weiner drops out.

That poll, which surveyed 446 likely voters, had Quinn followed by Public Advocate Bill de Blasio at 21 percent, ex-city comptroller Bill Thompson at 20 percent and Weiner at 16 percent.

Quinn, who's looking to become the city's first female and openly gay mayor, has continued a brisk campaign schedule in the wake of the latest Weiner revelations. She's trotted out the support of women's groups and unveiled her first TV ad just a week before the scandal broke.

The final line of the 30-second ad is a clear shot at Weiner, who talks incessantly about the middle class.

"I'm Christine Quinn," she says. "While others talk about fighting for the middle class, I've been doing it."

Quinn's resurgence has come as Weiner's campaign has been besieged by questions from the media and voters about exchanging sexually explicit messages with women online even after that behavior forced him from Congress.

The latest negative headlines came Wednesday, when Weiner's chief spokeswoman was forced to apologize for an expletive-laced tirade aimed at a former intern who wrote an unflattering first-person article about her experience working on Weiner's campaign.

In a stark contrast to Quinn, de Blasio and Thompson have forcefully called for the scandal-scarred candidate to bow out. Neither candidate had climbed higher than third in any poll before Weiner was revealed to have continued sending illicit messages even after he resigned from Congress in 2011.

Political analysts say de Blaiso was most hurt by Weiner's earlier success, since the two men cut a similar political persona: progressive, feisty, with their base of support found in the boroughs outside Manhattan. De Blasio's second-place showing in this week's Quinnipiac poll is by far his strongest in the race so far.

Thompson, the race's only black candidate, also would appear to benefit from Weiner's departure.

Thompson's team has spoken openly of its hope to win decisively among black voters, yet Weiner has remained the most popular candidate among them. Weiner pulled in 24 percent of black voters in the Quinnipiac poll, and Thompson would seem poised to grab more of them than de Blasio or Quinn.

Weiner has vowed to stay in the race to succeed independent Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Palmer joins other local communities that are grappling with the new regulations.

PALMER - The Palmer Town Council recently approved a temporary moratorium on medical marijuana facilities in order to give town officials more time to study the issue.

Town Manager Charles T. Blanchard said town officials can review the regulations now that they have been finalized, and determine where the medical marijuana treatment centers can be established.

"It's such a new, unique use," Blanchard said on Wednesday.

Palmer joins other local communities that are grappling with the new regulations. The Chicopee City Council in June voted to restrict medical marijuana dispensaries to a small section of the city’s industrial park. Springfield is seeking a moratorium, as are West Springfield and Agawam.

According to information provided to the Palmer Town Council, a medical marijuana treatment center is not a permitted use in town. Blanchard said the facilities must be non-profit and registered by the state Department of Public Health, which expects to have a competitive application process this summer and fall for licenses to operate medical marijuana dispensaries.

In the first year, the law requires up to 35 dispensaries around the state including at least one in each county and a limit of five for any one county.

People with certain "debilitating medical conditions," including cancer, glaucoma, the virus that causes AIDS or other conditions determined by a doctor, can obtain a registration card and possess up to a 60-day supply of marijuana, defined as 10 ounces in the regulations, according to information on the state website.

The website also states that communities cannot ban these dispensaries, but can adopt zoning bylaws to regulate them, and can enact temporary moratoriums to study zoning issues involving them.

Blanchard said the Planning Board will be involved in the creation of the zoning ordinance, as will the town's land use attorneys, Mirick O'Connell, of Worcester.

He said there have been no inquiries yet from anyone interested in opening such a center in town.

The moratorium is in effect through June 30, 2014.

Adam Schneider paid $61,000 for the battered shuttlecraft in an auction and spent about a year restoring the fiberglass ship and making it look nearly as it did on that episode.

By RAMIT PLUSHNICK-MASTI

HOUSTON — When the smoke cleared and the music died down, Candy Torres could no longer contain herself. Looking at the shiny, restored Star Trek Galileo shuttlecraft sitting in Houston in all its TV glory, she broke down.

"All of a sudden I was just crying. I was in tears. I couldn't believe it," Torres said, donning a brown tourist engineer hat and a NASA mission operations shirt. "It meant something."

People gather around the restored space shuttle Galileo. AP Photo/Pat Sullivan 

Adam Schneider paid $61,000 for the battered shuttlecraft in an auction and spent about a year restoring the fiberglass ship and making it look nearly as it did on that episode. He flew in from New York to mark the unveiling at the Space Center Houston, where it will be permanently displayed not far from NASA's Mission Control.

"Unbelievably proud," he said, beaming alongside the white shuttle. "Like sending your kid to college and having them get a job to build a successful life, because this was under our care for a year and we grew very attached.

Jeff Langston, 45, drove more than 160 miles from Austin with his two sons to see the moment. He and his 12-year-old son, Pearce, wore matching red Scotty's Repair Shop T-shirts. His 10-year-old son, Neo, couldn't find his shirt, but that didn't put a damper on the moment.

"It was very exciting," Neo said, bouncing on his feet. "When they filmed Star Trek the Galileo was cool and now that they remade it, it's cool to see a new version of the Galileo. And it's beautiful."

Richard Allen, the space center's 63-year-old CEO and president, hopes that just as the Star Trek movies and others like it inspired Torres to pursue a career in science and engineering, that today's generation will be similarly inspired when they see the Galileo.

"It's fantastic," he said of the shuttlecraft. "We're all about exciting and educating ... and I'm convinced that space is one of the best, if not the best, way of creating inquiry in young minds."

A ceremony with a moment of silence will be held on Aug. 2 followed by a dedication of Harold Marney's grave on Aug. 3.

Dennis Harkins, left and Brian Willett, right are planning a memorial for 19-year-old Harold W. Marney, of East Springfield, who died in World War II on PT-109. Photo by Mark M. Murray / The Republican 

AGAWAM — A Springfield man who was killed aboard the famed PT-109 torpedo patrol boat in World War II will be recognized and a gravestone placed in the state Veterans Memorial Cemetery in his honor on the 70th anniversary of his death.

It started years ago when Brian Willett, of South Hadley, junior vice commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Hampden County District 7, was told that one of the people aboard the boat commanded by a young John F. Kennedy was from Springfield.

He quickly learned Harold W. Marney, along with Andrew Kirsey, of Reynolds Georgia, were believed to have been killed instantly when a Japanese destroyer smashed through PT-109 near the Solomon Islands, the 26-year-old Kennedy and other 10 crew members survived.

The crew swam, some towing the injured, to an island. For days, Kennedy, who was honored for his heroism, and others swam to different islands until they were rescued.

Knowing just a few basic facts, including that Marney grew up on 132 Prentice St. in East Springfield and that he died when he was 19, Willett approached the director of the Agawam cemetery and asked about having a gravestone placed in an area reserved for veterans whose bodies were never recovered.

Director William Walls told Willett to find relatives of Marney and he would try to accomplish the mission.

That was not an easy task.

Marney’s brother and sister had died and his family had left East Springfield many years ago.

But Willett got lucky.

An Internet search resulted in one hit, Francis Piorek, of Tolland, mentioned an uncle he never met on a genealogy search.

He contacted Piorek who then called his brother, Dennis Harkins, who had moved back to Springfield and was involved in veterans affairs.

“I was rather shocked, it happened all of a sudden out of the clear blue. No one has ever approached us before,” Harkins said.

A veteran of the U.S. Army, Harkins joined in 1960 and was sent to Germany as the Berlin Wall was going up. He served three years of active duty and then three years in the Army Reserve. He is now the commander of American Legion Post 277 in Indian Orchard.

Willett served in the same spot, Freedburg, Germany, with the U.S. Army. He served five years active duty and joined the Army National Guard where he did tours in Bosnia and Afghanistan.

Willett proposed holding a memorial ceremony in Springfield on Aug. 2, the anniversary of Marney's death. The grave stone will be dedicated Aug. 3. Dozens of veterans groups are involved.

Harkins, whose mother was Marney’s sister, was 1 year old when his uncle died, but he grew up hearing his mother telling stories about her brother. Piorek, a half-brother who is 20 years younger, knew far less.

Records show he attended the former Trade High School and studied auto mechanics. He joined the Navy at age 17, a month before the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

“I knew he was into cars. The story I heard was he was supposed to be an aircraft mechanic but he asked for a transfer, he did not want the responsibility,” Harkins said.

Harkins is not sure how his uncle ended up on a boat but knew he only served on the PT-109 for two weeks before he died.

After Marney’s death, his grandmother continued to correspond occasionally with Kennedy. She also met with him on a number of occasions when he was a United States senator, and family stories say she went to Boston to sit with him when he was recovering from back surgery.

“I still have a letter from the lieutenant junior grade (Kennedy) explaining what happened,” he said.

Harkins also has a full-sized photograph of a memorial to the missing in the Manila American Cemetery where Harold W. Marney’s name is etched that is believed to have been sent from Kennedy to his grandmother. Later, his grandmother moved to Maine. When she had problems with Social Security benefits, it was President Kennedy and his staff who quickly fixed it.

The correspondence, especially the original letter from Kennedy, has been locked in a safe deposit box for years.

“It tells what happened, and it is him expressing his regrets and condolences,” Harkins said.

Harkins said the effort by Willett has prompted him to review old family pictures and documents with his younger brother.

When doing research, Willett said he was surprised to learn there is no local memorial to Marney. On the 70th anniversary of his death, veterans organizations worked together to plan a ceremony to honor Marney and Kirsey.

The event will be held Aug. 2 at 6:30 p.m., the anniversary of the sinking of the PT-109. It will be conducted at 24 Bowles Park, a few streets from where Marney grew up. It will be followed by a reception at the American Legion Post 277 at 379 Oak St. Harkins said he and his family plan to attend.

Willett has also been in touch with the American Legion in Georgia and that organization has pledge to hold a ceremony and moment of silence at the same time, 6:45 p.m. to honor Kirksey and Marney.

The next day, on Aug. 3, Marney will receive military honors by the USS Constitution honor guard, and the new gravestone will be dedicated at the state Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Agawam. That ceremony will start at 11 a.m.

A variety of veterans organization have been involved, including the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Western Massachusetts Chapter 875, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hampden County District 7, VFW Post 7352 Ladies Auxiliary, Korean War Veterans Chapter 2000, Patriot Chapter of the Gold Star Wives and American Legion Posts 420, 337 and 227.

No serious injuries were reported, although two occupants were transported to Baystate Medical Center, state police said.

Republican file photo

LONGMEADOW - A 4-car accident on Interstate 91 just over the Massachusetts line has reduced traffic to one lane and is causing a traffic jam for 12 to 15 miles into Connecticut.

No serious injuries were reported, although two occupants were transported to Baystate Medical Center said Trooper Dustin Fitch of the State Police Media Relations Bureau.

One of the four vehicles involved in the crash rolled over onto its roof, but there was no entrapment, he said.

The accident was reported at about 8:30 p.m.

As of 9:15 p.m., all northbound traffic was reduced to the break-down lane, he said.

Fitch said police at the scene were expecting all lanes to be cleared of wreckage and open for traffic by 10 p.m.

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The Mark Morris Dance Group performs Thursday night at Ozawa Hall on the grounds of Tanglewood in Lenox.

LENOX - Then the monks get out of the boat and walk towards the grave site, except for the Madwoman that stays behind.

Know what I'm saying?

Actually, no.

Confused?

Welcome to my world.

That's how I felt Wednesday night during the first half of the Mark Morris Dance Group's performance at Ozawa Hall on the grounds of Tanglewood. Actually, I should say that's how I felt during the later half of the first half of the performance. Because when I showed up, the show had already started half an hour earlier.

Normally, shows at Ozawa Hall start at 8 p.m. In fact, all the other shows this month at Ozawa Hall start at 8 p.m. And with the exception of a July 11th show last month, most of the shows in July at Ozawa started at 8 p.m. But if you go to see the Mark Morris Dance Group tonight, Thursday night, at Ozawa Hall - and you should - just make sure you get there before the show starts at 7:30 p.m.

The last time I felt this disoriented was in 1997, when I went with a group of friends to see the Clint Eastwood movie "Absolute Power." A good friend of mine used to have a very bad habit of never getting to movies on time. So by the time we got there, Eastwood was on the run. Why? I had absolutely no idea. Later, I found out that Eastwood's character saw someone get killed. But sitting there in the theater, almost 20 minutes into the movie by the time we got there, all I could think was I want to get out of here.

Luckily, the grounds of Tanglewood are much more beautiful than a dark theater in a shopping a mall. So my wife and I sat Wednesday night on the grass near the back of Ozawa Hall, which opens up completely and allows people sitting on the lawn to watch the concert inside.

Eventually, thanks to the program notes, I caught up to what was happening on stage. But can I honestly say what I think of the Tanglewood Music Center Fellows' performance of Benjamin Britten's "Curlew River" since I only saw the second half of it?

Let me first begin by saying I am a big fan of Morris' work. Rarely a summer has gone by since the mid nineties that I haven't seen his group perform at either Tanglewood or Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in Becket. He has great taste in music and the movements he creates for his dancers often have a light, effortless quality - as if they're just dancing to the music they hear around them.

Morris also seems like a genuinely nice, funny guy who doesn't take himself too seriously, based on the handful of interviews I've done with him over the phone and once in person. I'll also never forget that he was the only choreographer who called me back in person years ago when I was writing story about the best dance movies ever made. He told me at the time that one of his favorite dance scenes is the dance sequence in "Romy & Michele's High School Reunion," which also came out in 1997. (Should have seen if that movie was playing in another theater when we showed up late to "Absolute Power.")

Why am I saying all this? Because based on what I saw in the second half of "Curlew River," I honestly feel like I didn't miss a lot. The singing had a chant-like, talking quality clearly because the characters on stage were playing monks. But from where I was siting, coming into the show half way into it, this type of singing frankly didn't move me and felt too stylized.

And while I could clearly see that Morris had created the minimal movements performed by the singers on stage, it was also very clear that these singers were not professional dancers. But no one expects them to be. And the first half wasn't even a dance performance. Plus Britten was inspired by a Japanese "No" play from the 15th Century, an extremely stylized and sometimes stilted form of theater. Personally, I prefer "Butoh" modern Japanese dance, which is equally stylized but much more emotionally raw. Then again, that's like comparing apples to oranges. Or saying this car gets better gas mileage than a horse.

So for all I know, if I had been there on time, I might be singing the praises of "Curlew River" and racing home to place my order for my "Say Yes to 'No'" T-shirt.

But even if I had seen all of "Curlew River" and still didn't like it, I'd still strongly recommend going to see Thursday's Mark Morris Dance Group performance at Ozawa Hall. That's because the second half of the show featuring Morris' highly trained dancers in Henry Purcell's "Dido and Aeneas" feels so fresh and alive thanks to Morris, even though the music was created more than 300 years ago.

Morris' interpretation of "Dido and Aeneas" helped solidify Morris' reputation in 1989 as one of the greatest choreographers of our generation. I have seen video clips of "Dido and Aeneas" over the years, but I have never seen the entire opera as choreographed by Morris.

Morris' choreography, especially for Dido, the lead female character performed to perfection by Laurel Lynch on Wednesday, has a raw immediacy to it, even though the music was composed in 1689 and the story is set in ancient Rome.

Dido's sharp, thrashing movements reminded me at times of Martha Graham's electrifying choreography for the lead character in her 1958 masterpiece, "Clytemnestra." Dido seemed at times to be at war with her own body, as if she was fighting her emotions as she falls in love with Aeneas, performed this week by Spencer Ramirez. Other times, Morris presents Dido as a vengeful, sometimes flaky character.

And like many of Morris' large group masterpieces like "Grand Duo," the ensemble dancing in "Dido and Aeneas" brought out the best in Morris' powerful, graceful dancers.

So if you go, make sure you make it on time. And if you're tempted to leave, make sure you stay!

The Mark Morris Dance Group and the Fellows of the Tanglewood Music Center perform Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in Ozawa Hall on the grounds of Tanglewood, 297 West St., Lenox. Tickets range from $20 to $99. To order tickets or for more information, click here or call (888) 266-1200.

Police were called to two shooting reports in the southern end of the Forest Park neighborhood, south of Belmont Avenue, including an incident in which a home was hit by gunfire.

 

SPRINGFIELD — Officers responded to gunfire reports in the Forest Park neighborhood around 2 a.m. Thursday, but there were no apparent injuries linked to the incidents on Bronson Terrace and Groveland Street, police said.

"It was just a stray bullet. Nobody injured," Springfield Police Capt. Trent Duda said of the Bronson Terrace incident, in which a bullet pierced the door of a home. A precise address was not immediately available.

At about the same time, officers were called to nearby Groveland Street for a ShotSpotter activation. There was no immediate indication of any injuries or property damage, though officers were still investigating.

It was unclear if the gunfire incidents were related.

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South Hadley Public Health Director Sharon Hart said the mobile food truck can supply the popular eatery with potable water until a permit is issued for the unit.requirements.

SOUTH HADLEY — Dockside Restaurant at Brunelle’s Marina that was destroyed by an accidental fire on Friday may be selling food under their large tent as early as next week, according to the South Hadley Board of Health, which is prepared to issue the business a permit to operate a mobile food truck.

Because the structure was condemned and water was shut off, the restaurant has been unable to operate, even on a makeshift basis.

But at a meeting Wednesday, the town’s public health director, Sharon D. Hart, said the mobile food truck can supply the popular eatery with potable water, and a permit would be issued once the owners have obtained the unit. She said that a restaurant must have access to potable water to operate because of sanitary requirements.

The dining area would be under the large tent; portable toilet units would be used.

“The fire began in the kitchen and was due to a failure in the electrical system,” State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan wrote on July 29. “The cause of the 6:25 a.m. July 26, 2013, fire at the Dockside Restaurant at Brunelle’s Marina was accidental.”

In other business Wednesday, officials agreed to a plan to keep the public from a meeting on the future of the landfill. The Board of Health took favorable action on a request from South Hadley Selectmen Chairman John Hine for a closed-door meeting with him, Town Administrator Michael Sullivan and a health board member.

The Board of Health unanimously chose member Suzanne Cordes to represent them at the meeting, which will discuss the future of the South Hadley landfill. The facility, operated by Advanced Disposal, is scheduled to close in March.

Because no quorum of the Select Board or the Board of Health would be present, the meeting would not be subject to the state's Open Meeting Law.

A patient with a hardship permit to cultivate marijuana can designate only a single caregiver to grow the drug on behalf of the patient.

BOSTON — Advocates of medical marijuana protested in downtown Boston on Thursday, saying that a tough state regulation could hurt access for patients who are allowed to grow their own pot.

Under regulations approved by the state Department of Public Health, a patient with a hardship permit to cultivate marijuana can designate only a single caregiver to grow the drug on behalf of the patient.

Anna Coletti, left, and Brett Cogill, right, wave signs to protest a state regulation that seeks to limit home cultivation of medical marijuana.Dan Ring/The Republican 

Brett Cogill, publisher of Greenleaf magazine in Cohasset, said it would be more economical for patients to grow marijuana than to purchase it from a dispensary. He said a caregiver should be allowed to grow for 15 to 20 patients.

"One patient is kind of ridiculous," said Cogill, 43, who was among about a dozen protesters who held signs and sometimes chanted on Washington Street outside the offices of the state Department of Public Health.

The public health department approved the regulation to curb illegal distribution of medical marijuana.

"These regulations limit caregivers to one patient to prevent the unlawful diversion of marijuana, upholding Massachusetts voter intent that safe and appropriate access be allowed for those most in need," said David Kibbe, communications director for the department.

A home cultivation permit can be obtained by someone with a financial hardship, a physical incapacity to use transportation to drive to a dispensary or a lack of a dispensary within a reasonable distance or a lack of one that can deliver.

Of the 20 states, plus the District of Columbia, with legal medical marijuana, Massachusetts is among 15 that allow some kind of home cultivation, according to the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington.

Of those 15, a total of six, including Massachusetts and Vermont, limit caregivers to growing marijuana for only one patient.

Connecticut's 2012 law bans home cultivation, according to the policy project. New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Delaware also do not allow home growing of marijuana.

Maine and Rhode Island allow caregivers to grow for up to five patients, according to the project.

Massachusetts approved regulations partly designed to avoid some pitfalls in states such as California and Colorado, which are noted for having loose regulations for medical marijuana. The drug remains illegal under federal law.

Kibbe said the state regulations "appropriately balance and respect patient needs, while ensuring safe communities."

Advocates focused on the regulation that limits a care giver to growing for only one patient with a hardship permit. They said the regulation is designed to funnel business to nonprofit dispensaries, which must pay some high state fees to finance oversight of the pending medical-marijuana program.

"It's unfair," said Anna Coletti, 33, a hair stylist from Pawtucket, R.I. "It's not right. They are taking rights away from patients and making them go to the stores."

Michael Crawford, 42, of Cambridge, former president of the Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition, said a caregiver should be able to grow marijuana for at least five or six patients.

"Patients need access," he said.

In November of last year, 63 percent of voters in Massachusetts approved a ballot law for medical marijuana. In May, the state Public Health Council approved regulations to put the law into effect.

Patients can register with the state for medical marijuana with a recommendation from a physician.

Patients without hardship exemptions can designate as many as two personal caregivers to obtain medical marijuana. Caregivers, who could be personal care attendants, home health aides, or hospice workers, for example — also have to register.

The law allows up to 35 nonprofit dispensaries to operate around the state, including at least one and not more than five in each county. The state still is in the process of approving an application process for possible dispensary owners.

According to the law, people with certain “debilitating medical conditions,” including cancer, glaucoma, the virus that causes AIDS or “other conditions” determined by a doctor, can obtain a registration card and possess up to a 60-day supply of marijuana, or as many as 10 ounces.

This is the second time in less than a year that a horse died from EEE in Belchertown.

BELCHERTOWN -- The threat of Eastern Equine Encephalitis is causing organizers of outdoor activities to seek indoor sites here after a horse died from the mosquito-borne disease.

Meanwhile, West Nile Virus, another mosquito-borne disease, was found in mosquito specimens collected in Southampton, according to Northampton's public health director, Merridith O'Leary. Also, more West Nile was found in Northampton.

The Belchertown Community Band concerts scheduled for Aug. 8 and 15 at 7 p.m. on the town common now will be held indoors at Chestnut Hill Community School due to the threat of Eastern Equine Encephalitis, a rare, but sometimes fatal disease, according to the selectmen's office.

The Aug. 18 concert, slated for the common, will remain there because it is being held earlier in the day, at 2 p.m.

Judy T. Metcalf, public health director for the Quabbin Health District, said she met with the director of the Belchertown Day School Thursday morning to discuss the outdoor showing of "Madagascar III" planned for Aug. 9 at Swift River Elementary School's pavilion. She said they are trying to find an indoor location.

The horse that died was stabled on George Hannum Road, approximately five miles from the Amherst border, where a mosquito sample on Tuesday tested positive for EEE.

That same day, a mosquito sample gathered in Northampton tested positive for West Nile Virus.

On Thursday, an additional mosquito sample in Northampton tested positive for West Nile, as did two samples from Southampton. O'Leary is performing mosquito surveillance for Northampton, Southampton and Amherst through the Pioneer Valley Arbovirus Project.

While West Nile Virus can infect people of all ages, people over the age of 50 are at higher risk for severe infection, according to information from O'Leary. EEE and West Nile are spread by mosquitoes that feed on birds.

Adam Kinney, the Public Health Agent for Southampton, said there is no cause for panic.

“The thing is, most places aren’t even doing surveillance,” he said. “It’s been here before. It just hasn’t been detected.”

This is the second time in less than a year that a horse died from EEE in Belchertown.

Metcalf said the first horse was boarded at a stable on Orchard Street, on the same side of town as the latest horse death. She could not reveal exact locations.

Metcalf said the horse on George Hannum Road "got sick and died very quickly, within a few days," which prompted testing for the disease.

"Something was seriously wrong for it to get ill and die literally within days," Metcalf said.

Metcalf she also met with recreation officials, who will shut lights off at town fields at 7:30 p.m. to discourage night pick-up games.

Because EEE was found earlier this year than last, Metcalf said they have time to plan for the start of school. Mosquitoes are most active from dusk to dawn.

The state Department of Public Health on Wednesday raised the Eastern Equine Encephalitis threat level to critical in Belchertown, after the first case of EEE in a horse was found.

There have been no human cases of EEE or West Nile, a state public health department spokeswoman said Thursday.

The discovery in Belchertown prompted the threat level to be raised to moderate in surrounding communities such as Granby, Ludlow, New Salem, Palmer, Pelham and Ware.

The state is urging communities designated as "critical" to cancel evening outdoor events for the remainder of the mosquito season. People are advised to wear insect repellent, cover up exposed skin and avoid activities between dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active.

Information about EEE is posted on the town of Belchertown's website. Signs have been posted on the town common and in front of the police station warning about EEE.

EEE symptoms include fever, stiff neck, headache and lack of energy, and show up three to 10 days after a bite from an infected mosquito. The disease gets worse quickly, and some patients may go into a coma within a week, according to information on the state Department of Public Health website.

West Nile Virus can cause fever, headache, body aches, nausea, skin rash, and encephalitis or meningitis.

The bridge-to-be's fiance attended the funeral with a bruised eye and an arm in a sling.

PEARL RIVER, N.Y. -- The mother of a bride-to-be killed in a suburban New York boat crash urged the grieving groom and other mourners Thursday to turn the accident into a "source of strength."

"Tragedy is a word that will forever be linked with Lindsey and Mark," said Carol Stewart-Kosik, speaking to an overflow crowd at the stucco and stone church where Lindsey Stewart would have married Brian Bond on Aug. 10. Their best man, Mark Lennon, was also killed.

"I was supposed to be out there (in the congregation) and Lindsey was supposed to be up here" at the altar for the wedding, said Stewart-Kosik.

But the boat they were riding in smashed into a barge Friday night on the Hudson River. The powerboat's operator, another friend of the couple, faces a charge of vehicular manslaughter.

"I can't remove the word 'tragedy' from her legacy any more than I can push a barge out of the way," said Stewart-Kosik. But, she added, "tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength."

She repeated that urging as she turned to her daughter's fiance, who attended the funeral with a bruised eye and an arm in a sling.

"Lindsey loved you with every fiber of her being," she told him. "Use this tragedy as a source of strength."

When she finished, she went to his pew and hugged him.

Stewart's sister, Allyson Ruzicka, said she wants Stewart to be remembered for her love of life, her honesty and "for the way she loved the incredible man she was about to marry."

"Rest peacefully, beautiful angel," she bade her sister.

The Rev. John Havrilla, pastor of the Church of the Good Shepherd, remembered Stewart as a "loving, fun spirit."

The accident, he said, has touched the hearts of strangers as well as loved ones.

Havrilla said he's received emails of support "from people I have not seen ... continents far away and states down south."

The bride's mother and stepfather suggested Wednesday that poor lighting on the barge was responsible for the crash and complained of a rush to blame their boat's operator.

The stationary barge was carrying construction materials for the $3.9 billion project to build a new Tappan Zee Bridge across the Hudson.

Investigators have said they are looking into whether the barge was properly lighted. The Coast Guard and the state Thruway Authority, which is building the bridge, have said it was. Lighting was added after the crash.

Smith & Wesson has grown from 832 jobs in 2007 to 1,5000 today. it's also invested $41.7 million in new manufacturing equipment. Smith & Wesson also does $63 million a year in business with other companies in the Commonwealth.

SPRINGFIELD - Smith & Wesson wants its voice, and the voices of its 1,500 employees, heard as the state Legislature considers new gun control legislation in the wake of the Newtown, Conn., school shootings.

Smith & Wesson is committed to safety, James Debney, president and CEO, said Thursday in an interview. But he suggests making school buildings safer, improving the background check process for handgun purchasers and including more mental health information in the application. Smith & Wesson also wants to make the process of getting a Massachusetts license to carry a weapon consistent statewide and not dependent on individual police departments.

"We are focused on things that actually work," Debney said, "while respecting the Second Amendment."

Busloads of Smith & Wesson employees, contractors and dealers are expected Friday at a hearing conducted by the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security. It will be at 10 a.m. in the Griswold Theatre at American International College, 1000 State St.

Founded in Springfield in 1852, Smith & Wesson has more than 1,600 employees, including 1,500 production workers at its sprawling firearms plant on Roosevelt Avenue. The company has a $77.5 million annual payroll.

Business has been good for Smith & Wesson. In June, the public company reported record results. Income from continuing operations more than tripled to $81.4 million, or $1.22 per share, compared with income from continuing operations of $26.4 million, or 40 cents per share, for the fiscal year that ended April 30.

There is high demand across the industry. There have were 11.4 million FBI background checks for potential gun buyers through the end of June nationwide compared with 19.5 million in all of 2012. In Massachusetts alone, there have been 137,000 background checks this far in 2013 compared with 210,000 in all of 2012.

Background check requests, an indicator of firearm purchases, spiked in December amid calls for tighter gun-control restrictions following the school shooting in Newtown,

Smith & Wesson, founded here in 1852 and known for making the "most powerful handgun in the world" wielded by Clint Eastwood as "Dirty Harry," also pushed its position on Facebook and Twitter. And what it gets back, especially on social media, is a storm of comments from firearms aficionados who want Smith & Wesson to move to their "gun-friendly" states.

"Massachusetts is our home," said Debney at the company's sprawling Roosevelt Avenue factory. "All you have to do is look behind you at the hundreds of (computer numerically controlled ) milling machines. They are not going anywhere."

That manufacturing capacity has grown and will continue to grow, Debney said. Smith & Wesson has grown from 832 jobs in 2007 to 1,5000 today. It's also invested $41.7 million in new manufacturing equipment. Smith & Wesson also does $63 million a year in business with other companies in the commonwealth.

Earlier this year, Texas Gov. Rick Perry specifically lobbied gunmakers in Connecticut and New York state to relocate to Texas. Debney said he gets numerous solicitations form states all over the union.

"We are not listening," he said. "It all happens here."

But Debney acknowledged that any firearm restrictions would further cement Massachusetts' reputation as an "anti-gun" state. There could be a consumer backlash against Smith & Wesson similar to the hate which flowed from gun owners after Smith & Wesson cooperated with Clinton-era gun restrictions.

"It almost took down the company," he said. "We won't make that mistake again. At the end of the day, shooting is a passionate sport."

Debney has met with state Rep. Harold P. Naughton Jr., D- Clinton, who will chair the hearing. Naughton, father of four and an Army veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, said Smith & Wesson and the entirety of the Massachusetts firearm industry has his ear.

"We understand that anything we do can have an impact on their livelihood," Naughton said. "We don't want to take anyone's guns away, not from any licensed law-abiding individual."

Westfield-based Savage Arms will also send a small contingent to the hearings, said Bill Dermody, director of marketing at Savage. With 400 employees in Westfield, Savage calls itself one of the world's largest manufacturers of hunting rifles and shotguns.

"We really don't expect the type of products we sell to be a big part of
the conversation at these hearings," Dermody said. "We are attending to support our
colleagues in the industry and the law-abiding sportsmen of Massachusetts. But beyond the economic data we have submitted, there are not many
specifics that we can add to the conversation."

Naughton talked keeping illegally trafficked weapons out of the hands of drug dealers and cracking down on the "community gun" or illegal gun available for rent or loan to settle beefs on the street.

"Hopefully we will also be lifting the veil on mental health issues," Naughton said. "We already have the strongest gun licensing laws in the country. I don't think we are going to take any action that would affect manufacturing."

Naughton talked of the state School Building Authority designing safe buildings as another possibility.

But other proposals in Massachusetts would reduce magazine capacity from 10 rounds to seven and require people owning pre-1994 10-round magazines ti dispose of them. Other lawmakers have proposed limiting the sale of firearms to one in a 30-day period.

Naughton said all told lawmakers field 60 proposed pieces of legislation related to firearms and violence in after the Newtown killings. That's the second-largest group of bills on Beacon Hill behind the budget. It's the committee's job to whittle that down to a definitive plan for action. Naughton said he expects to have that plan by the fall.