Online Plus Edition Saturday-Sunday, August 14-15, 2004
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Charley slams into Florida coastAssociated Press
PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (AP) - A stronger-than-expected Hurricane Charley roared ashore yesterday as a dangerous Category 4 storm, slamming the heavily populated Gulf Coast with devastating storm surges and 145 mph wind that snapped trees in half, ripped roofs off buildings and knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of people. The hurricane struck west-central Florida at Charlotte Harbor with a wicked combination of water and wind. A surge of sea water reached up to 15 feet high, the National Hurricane Center said. Winds blew off the roof of a hurricane shelter where 1,200 people had gathered and tore apart small planes at the Charlotte County airport. Two traffic deaths were reported in Florida. Earlier, Charley had been blamed for three deaths in Cuba and one in Jamaica. Gov. Jeb Bush said damage could exceed $15 billion but cautioned it was a preliminary estimate as the storm headed across the center of Florida toward the Orlando area. President Bush declared the storm-battered region a federal disaster area. "Our prayers are with you and your families tonight," the president said in Seattle." "This is the nightmare scenario that we've been talking about for years," hurricane center director Max Mayfield said of storm surges that ranged from 10 to 15 feet. Charley's eye reached land at 3:45 p.m. EDT when it passed over the barrier islands between Fort Myers and Punta Gorda, some 70 miles southeast of the Tampa Bay area. It struck the mainland 30 minutes later. "Happy yesterday the 13th," said Don Paterson of Punta Gorda, who tried to ride out the storm at his mobile home but got beaned by a flying microwave oven as his home was demolished. His refrigerator fell on him, and he spent the rest of the storm sheltering behind a lawnmower. As an airplane hangar at the Charlotte County airport flew apart around him and his wife, "it sounded like a calypso band gone crazy," said Jim Morgan. "There was crap flying around there - It looked like the inside of a blender," said Morgan, 66. "If you want to meet your maker, I got close on that round." In Arcadia, 20 miles inland, one wall collapsed at a civic center serving as a shelter for 1,200 people. Only one person was hurt, and her injuries were minor. The wall "started peeling back," said Alida Dejongh. "It lifted and you could just see more and more light. You could hear this popping and zipping noise like a giant Ziploc bag." At 7 p.m., the center of the hurricane was 65 miles south-southwest of Orlando, moving north-northeast near 25 mph and gaining speed. Maximum sustained winds had decreased to near 115 mph with higher gusts, with further weakening expected. Charley was forecast to strike the Daytona Beach area before reaching the Atlantic Ocean, where it could regain strength. Rain totaling 4 to 8 inches was expected along Charley's path, creating the risk of flash flooding. Tornado watches were issued for a wide swath of southwestern and central Florida. Small tornadoes associated with the hurricane were reported in Osceola County southwest of Orlando and Highlands County northwest of Lake Okeechobee, with no damage reported. Flights were halted at Orlando International Airport. Orlando theme parks, including Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld Orlando, had closed by early afternoon and Disney's Animal Kingdom did not open at all. The only previous time that the parks closed for a hurricane was in 1999 for Floyd. Guests remaining at hotels were urged to stay in their rooms. On the state's Atlantic coast, 10 Navy ships from Mayport Naval Station near Jacksonville were sent out to sea, the Navy said yesterday. At Cape Canaveral, traffic was bumper-to-bumper at noon as Kennedy Space Center employees left work early. All but a skeleton crew of 200 of the center's nearly 13,000-person work force was sent home, or told to stay home, and the space shuttle hangars and the massive Vehicle Assembly Building were sealed tight. About 340,000 homes and businesses were without power in southwest Florida, said Kathy Scott, spokeswoman with Florida Power & Light. That number was expected to grow as Charley cut across the state. The hurricane was initially expected to strike as a Category 2 storm, with sustained wind of 96 mph to 110 mph. But it strengthened rapidly as it swung across the Gulf of Mexico toward the Florida coast, largely sparing the Key West area, and was upgraded to Category 4, a storm capable of extreme damage with sustained wind of 131 mph to 155 mph. The storm was almost on par with Hurricane Andrew, which smashed into South Florida in 1992 with 165 mph wind, killed 43 people and caused $31 billion in damage. It even affected the nerve center of the war in Iraq, MacDill Air Force Base, where residents evacuated and only essential personnel remained. Amtrak canceled long-distance service between Miami and New York for today, and trains coming from Los Angeles were stopping at New Orleans instead of continuing on to Orlando. Charley was the strongest hurricane to hit Florida since the Category 5 Andrew hit south of Miami in 1992. Hurricane Mitch, which stalled over Honduras in 1998, also was Category 5 with sustained wind over 155 mph. Mitch killed some 10,000 people in Central America. South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford declared a state of emergency and ordered residents and vacationers in two coastal counties to evacuate. State troopers immediately started redirecting traffic on the main highway leading away from Myrtle Beach. - Associated Press writers Mark Long in Fort Myers, Ken Thomas in Key West and Vickie Chachere in Sarasota contributed to this report. - On the Net: National Hurricane Center: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov
Gay couples unsure after court nullifies marriagesBy David Kravets Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO - With their same-sex marriages yanked away by the California Supreme Court, many gay and lesbian couples were left wondering yesterday what will happen to the benefits they briefly received, such as family insurance discounts and medical coverage. The court ruling came as many gay newlyweds were in the process of asserting legal rights to benefits only married couples enjoy. It means that the 3,995 same-sex marriages sanctioned by the city of San Francisco were never valid under the law. "I was planning on going to court and saying 'I am married' and now I can't say 'I'm married," Margot McShane said. "The court's decision, it gave me a feeling like you were kicked in the stomach." McShane worries that the court's decision will make it difficult, if not impossible, to be recognized as a legal parent of the twins that her partner gave birth to last month. McShane and Alexandra D'Amario, of Napa, were the fourth lesbian couple to get married in San Francisco, but the children's birth certificates have spots only for "mother" and "father." The pair had planned to go to court, marriage license in hand, demanding that McShane be legally recognized as having the same parental benefits as D'Amario. The couple may still have a case, said John Mayoue, who wrote "Balancing Competing Interests in Family Law," published by the American Bar Association last year. "I think it's going to create more litigation," he said of the Supreme Court's decision. "Someone has the right to say, 'I had a license issued by a municipality, by San Francisco, and I believe I had a constitutional right." California's justices ruled narrowly on the limits of a mayor's authority to interpret state law and did not resolve whether the state constitution would permit same-sex marriage, as Massachusetts' highest court found. Gay marriage opponents say the gay weddings violate both state law and a voter referendum barring same-sex marriages. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and gay and lesbian couples point to the higher authority of the state constitution, which prohibits discrimination. The resolution of these challenges will have to wait until a series of lawsuits over the San Francisco weddings, consolidated into one case, reach California's top court. The next step is the filing of legal briefs, due in San Francisco Superior Court on Sept. 8. The justices voted 5-2 to invalidate the marriages in the meantime, to avoid a legal quagmire. "Withholding or delaying a ruling on the current validity of the existing same-sex marriages might lead numerous persons to make fundamental changes in their lives or otherwise proceed on the basis of erroneous expectations," Chief Justice Ronald George wrote. Two justices dissented, saying the decision to void the marriages should have been put on hold pending a decision on the constitutional question. Valid marriages not only ensure parental rights - they are key to a wide variety of financial benefits, affecting taxes, inheritance, insurance, Social Security and retirement. And while neither the federal government nor California recognized the marriages in the six months before they were nullified, a host of lawsuits were filed asserting their legitimacy. Some of the gays and lesbians who joyfully got married under the ornate dome of San Francisco's City Hall quickly applied for marriage benefits. Others were more cautious. "I think many of the married were waiting the court's decision to see if they were still married before they sought benefits, and if they were denied, they may have gone to court," said Larry Levine, a professor at the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law.
Negotiations to end Najaf crisis continueBy Todd Pitman Associated Press
NAJAF, Iraq - U.S. forces suspended a major offensive against militants in Najaf on yesterday, and aides to Muqtada al-Sadr told Iraqi negotiators that radical Shiite cleric was prepared to disarm his followers in exchange for a list of demands including an American withdrawal from the holy city and amnesty for all his fighters. The negotiations to end nine days of clashes in Najaf came as al-Sadr's Mahdi Army militia appeared to stop most attacks in the city. Before the pause in the fighting, aides to the cleric said al-Sadr was slightly injured early yesterday, suffering shrapnel wounds to the face, chest and shoulder as he met with followers near the revered Imam Ali Shrine, where many of the militants were hiding. Secretary of State Colin Powell said he could not confirm that al-Sadr was wounded. U.S. troops and Iraqi officials want to ensure that any new truce would eliminate the flaws of the previous agreements, including one that ended a two-month uprising in early June. Al-Sadr's Mahdi Army militia repeatedly violated that cease-fire, shooting at police and burying caches of weapons in Najaf's vast cemetery and using the time to regroup, according to U.S. officials and witnesses. In Washington, Powell said he hoped the insurgent leader would respond "in due course" to charges placed against him by Iraqi authorities. An Iraqi judge has released an arrest warrant for al-Sadr in connection with the death of a moderate Shiite leader, Abdul Maid al-Khoel, in April 2003, two days after the fall of Baghdad. Al-Sadr denies any role in the murder. Powell denounced al-Sadr and his militia as outlaws and said U.S. forces were "squeezing" Najaf in an effort to end the fighting. U.S. officials were not involved in yesterday's talks, Iraqi officials said. Iraqi National Security Adviser Mouwaffaq al-Rubaie and Defense Minister Hazem Shalan were among the officials negotiating with al-Sadr's aides. One of the cleric's assistants, Ahmed al-Shaibany, described the talks as "serious and positive, but difficult." Another, Sheik Ali Smeisim, said al-Sadr wanted a U.S. withdrawal from Najaf, the freeing of all Mahdi Army fighters in detention and an amnesty for the militants, among other demands, in exchange for his disarming his followers and ending the fighting. Despite the talks, al-Sadr lashed out at the United States, which he said was intent on "occupying the whole world." The fiery sermon was read on his behalf during yesterday prayers at the Kufa Mosque near Najaf. "The presence of occupation in Iraq has made our country an unbearable hell," he said, calling on Iraqis to rebel, "because I will not allow another Saddam-like government again." Najaf, which had rattled with explosions and gunfire since Aug. 5, was quiet by yesterday afternoon. U.S. tanks were seen pulling back from some streets, and no U.S. or Iraqi forces were visible in the city center. The U.S. military said it was maintaining a loose cordon around the Old City, the cemetery and the Imam Ali Shrine. The Americans had announced the start of a major offensive to rout the insurgents Thursday, and the fighting in the city had threatened to infuriate Iraq's Shiite majority. "We do not in any way wish to get involved with the mosque," Powell said. "It's a very holy place for all Shia." The U.S. military said it suspended offensive operations at 7 a.m. yesterday because of the truce talks. "We are allowed to engage the enemy only in self defense and long enough to break contact," said U.S. Maj. Bob Pizzitola. "That was a blanket order for everybody." "Hopefully the talks will go well and everything will be resolved peacefully," he said. Despite the tacit cease-fire, Iraqis held demonstrations yesterday in support of al-Sadr in cities across the country. In Baghdad, thousands of protesters, including some police officers, gathered outside the fortified enclave housing the U.S. Embassy and government offices and prayed in the street. Meanwhile, a series of airstrikes yesterday in the volatile Sunni city of Fallujah killed eight people and wounded 16 others, said Abdel Wahab Ahmed from Fallujah hospital. The U.S. military did not immediately comment, but U.S. forces have repeatedly hit the militant stronghold 40 miles west of Baghdad with airstrikes. Also yesterday, the new U.N. envoy to Iraq arrived in Baghdad to set up the international body's first official presence here since a series of deadly bombings forced it out last year. Ashraf Jehangir Qazi's primary task is to help Iraqis establish a constitutionally elected government by Dec. 31, 2005. He met yesterday with interim President Ghazi al-Yawer and interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi and appealed for a peaceful resolution to the Najaf crisis. The violence in Najaf has spread to other Shiite communities in Iraq. In the southern city of Basra, militants briefly kidnapped British journalist James Brandon and threatened to kill him if U.S. troops did not leave Najaf. He was freed after al-Sadr's aides condemned the kidnapping. Brandon, 23, a freelance reporter, was abducted Thursday night when a group of masked gunmen stormed the Diafa Hotel and pulled him from his room. They beat him, threatened him and pretended they were about to execute him, pointing an unloaded gun at his head and pulling the trigger, he said. They sent out a video yesterday morning showing him scared and bare chested with a bandage around his head, but released him at al-Sadr's local office in the afternoon. "They just told me they realized I was a journalist and they said I was going to be let go," Brandon told The Associated Press. "I didn't quite believe it until it actually happened." Before Thursday, the U.S. military has estimated that hundreds of insurgents had been killed in the Najaf fighting since it began last week, but the militants dispute the figure. Six Americans have been killed, along with about 20 Iraqi officers, it said. Iraq's top Shiite Muslim cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, who has called on all sides to end the crisis quickly, was in stable condition at a hospital outside London on yesterday following a procedure to unblock a coronary artery, his office said. The 73-year-old cleric had an angioplasty. - Associated Press writer Abdul Hussein al-Obeidi contributed to this report.
Typhoon kills 115 on China's south coastBy Christopher Bodeen Associated Press
SHANGHAI, China - The most powerful typhoon to hit China in seven years roared inland yesterday after killing 115 people and injuring more than 1,800 others along the coast and leaving a path of destruction though farms, towns and fishing ports. Typhoon Rananim weakened to a tropical storm after crossing into Jiangxi province, where it brought heavy rain to China's central lakes region, meteorologists said. Sixteen people were missing in Zhejiang province, just south of Shanghai, where the typhoon made landfall Thursday night with winds of more than 100 mph, China Central Television reported. More than 1,800 people were injured, 185 of them seriously, while 42,000 houses were destroyed and tens of thousands more were damaged, various government reports said. Television and newspaper pictures showed people caught in the open crouching low to avoid being blown over by gales and flying rain. In the city of Wenzhou, two grabbed at a canvas-topped bicycle taxi that had been blown into the air. CCTV showed uprooted trees, fallen billboards, swamped bridges and a man trying to hold onto his bicycle but being dragged along the street by the roaring winds. Huge waves pounded fishing ports, which were reinforced by cement blocks, while ferries and small boats were tied up at the dock. Other boats were caught at sea, but there were no immediate reports of any lost. Most of the deaths were caused by collapsing houses, said an official at the Zhejiang Anti-Flood Headquarters in the provincial capital of Hangzhou. "Other deaths were caused by falling electricity poles (and) people falling into rivers," the official said. He wouldn't give his name. Authorities evacuated 410,000 people from the storm's path, many from rural villages where raging wind and rain destroyed huge swaths of cropland and killed thousands of livestock, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. Power was knocked out in the city of Taizhou and millions of people lost water and phone service, it said. Rananim, which means "hello" in the Chuukese language spoken in Micronesia, hit the coastal Chinese city of Wenling on Thursday after killing one person in Taiwan. The city is about 90 miles south of Shanghai, where the storm caused little damage but helped break a heat wave. High winds and torrential rains were expected as far as 150 miles away in the provinces of Fujian to the south and Anhui to the northwest, Xinhua said. A series of natural disasters have severely strained China's emergency services this summer. On Tuesday, a strong earthquake destroyed thousands of dwellings in the southwestern province of Yunnan, leaving about 126,000 people homeless. Four people were killed in the quake, and emergency workers say the earthquake-prone region's tobacco-based economy was smashed and will likely take years to recover. China also has suffered from devastating floods in much of the center and south of the country, along with drought and unusually high temperatures elsewhere.
Don't give up too easily on relationshipsBy Barton Goldsmith Scripps Howard
Couples who end their relationships without doing everything they can to save it will always have unanswered questions. I have worked with a number of people who told me they realized years too late that they didn't have to end their first marriages. They just gave up too easily. Every couple has issues, and it is always a choice whether to work through them or not. If one or the other in a relationship refuses to talk, compromise or just let it go, that issue can grow into a relationship-breaker. Choosing to work through your issues takes some strength and fortitude; it can be very hard work. The payoff is that if you do the work, you have a much stronger relationship and you keep your family together. Many people today feel that relationships are disposable, that they can find another partner easily, so why bother working on a relationship. The fact is that finding someone you truly bond with is not all that easy. If all you're looking for is companionship or someone to sleep with, that's different. If what you really want is commitment to a caring and communicative relationship, that takes effort. There are going to be tough times in a relationship no matter how great it starts out. The couples in successful relationships stick together through those difficult moments and are able to look back on them as turning points in their lives. Relationships cannot survive more than 20 percent discord. What that means to you is that if you're over your limit you need to start making things better. One of the most powerful things you can do is to take 100 percent responsibility for whatever it is that went wrong. However wrong either of you may be, forgiveness has to occur before healing can start, and it begins with someone saying, "I'm going to be responsible for fixing this." Healing a relationship doesn't require anything more than willingness. I recommend that the first thing a couple needs to do for and with each other is to remember that their relationship is in healing mode. That way all of their actions are governed by a little extra sensitivity. Next I advise them to simply be nice to each other. It's amazing how easily we forget the importance of simple kindness. Many couples can work out their problems by talking about them, but this shouldn't be a full-time occupation. Talk for an hour a night, and then relax together for the rest of the evening. If you find that you just cannot discuss things calmly, you need to find a third party to help you. Just making the decision that you are going to work on things before you throw the baby out with the bath water may be the turning point that keeps you together and lets you share the joy of having someone to grow old with. (Barton Goldsmith, Ph.D., has resided and practiced in Westlake Village, Calif., for a decade. Contact him at barton(at)emotionalfitness.net.) (Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.shns.com)
Religious briefsDENVER (AP) - Promise Keepers founder Bill McCartney has reportedly been planning a new initiative for strengthening ties between evangelicals and Messianic Jews - a move that could damage relations between conservative Christians and Jewish leaders. McCartney and the Rev. Raleigh Washington, an elder at a Denver church led by a Messianic Jew, plan to announce the campaign called "Road to Jerusalem" on Dec. 3 in Palm Springs, Calif., The Denver Post reported. Neither McCartney nor Washington would comment on the report. Messianic Jews believe Jesus is the Messiah, but consider themselves Jewish and observe Jewish rituals. Jewish religious leaders, however, consider them Christian and are offended by their efforts to evangelize Jews. While evangelical Christians have become strong supporters of Israel, they usually don't associate with Messianic Jews to avoid offending Jewish leaders, said Russ Resnick, executive director of the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations. Resnick said having McCartney's support would be "a significant thing." The Anti-Defamation League and other Jewish leaders have warned that any such alliance would make it impossible for them to work with evangelicals. McCartney has had previous ties to Messianic Jews. Leaders of the movement participated in a large Promise Keepers rally in Washington in 1997. McCartney founded the Christian men's organization in 1990, the same year he coached the University of Colorado to a share of the national football championship. He left the school in 1994 to run the ministry full time and resigned his post at Promise Keepers last September, saying he would devote more time to his family and his ill wife. - White House faith-based director vows to fight restrictive local government FALMOUTH, Maine (AP) - The head of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives says he'll fight local governments that block federal funding of religious groups. "Sometimes you see local governments that bully faith-based organizations and basically tell them that they have to compromise their religious beliefs and tenets if they want to partner with government," said Jim Towey, who met last week with Catholic Charities of Maine. "That may be their prerogative when it's state and local money," Towey said, "but when it's federal money that raises a whole different set of issues." Portland's domestic partnership ordinance restricts federal funding to the Roman Catholic nonprofit because it provides no benefits to same-sex partners of employees or unmarried heterosexual partners of staff members. The charity responded by suing the city in March 2003. Towey said ordinances such as the one in Portland "discriminate against faith-based organizations." Some objected to Towey's characterization of the law. "It is not bullying to tell a group that it has to obey the same laws as everyone else," said the Rev. Barry Lynn, director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, based in Washington, D.C. "Mr. Towey, although he talks about a level playing field, in fact wants to require secular groups to abide by civil rights laws but not religious groups. Frankly, they all should abide by basic principles of fairness and equality that we find in the Constitution, if they get federal funds." - U.S. Roman Catholic ordination class older, more educated WASHINGTON (AP) - Men who became American Roman Catholic priests this year were older and better educated than previous ordination classes, and more of them came from other countries, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said. The percentage who were not from the United States rose from 24 percent to 31 percent between 1998 and this year, and came mainly from Vietnam, Mexico, the Philippines and Poland. The average age rose from 35 to 37 in the same period. The share of men without a bachelor's degree before entering the seminary dropped from 30 percent to 22 percent, and the number with a degree beyond a bachelor's rose from 13 percent to 28 percent in the same period. The survey was conducted by Dean Hoge, a sociologist at the Catholic University of America who has studied the priesthood for three decades. He based his findings on interviews with 336 respondents from dioceses and religious orders. - http://www.usccb.org/ - New Southern Baptist president wants 1 million baptisms a year DECATUR, Ala. (AP) - As the new president of the Southern Baptist Convention, the Rev. Bobby Welch says he will travel to all 50 states to push his goal of baptizing 1 million people a year. Welch and other convention leaders are concerned that the 16.3 million-member denomination - the nation's largest Protestant group - is stagnating. About 10,000 Southern Baptist churches held no baptisms last year. Welch has plastered a chartered bus with the slogan "Everyone Can!" and plans to travel more than 18,000 miles to spread his message. "The goal is not to fill the church house, but to empty it to go into the fields," Welch said last week, in an address at Decatur's Central Park Baptist Church. Welch insists the denomination can reach the 1 million baptism mark, even though it has never come close to such a large number in previous years. Southern Baptists have about 43,000 churches. They could reach Welch's goal if each church baptized two people a month for a year. Welch, pastor of First Baptist Church in Daytona Beach, Fla., said the idea isn't to get "scalps on our belts," but to let the world know that Southern Baptists represent Christ's love and forgiveness. - Hospital 'johnny' redesigned because of complaints from Muslim women PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Maine Medical Center has redesigned its hospital gown after discovering that Muslim women accustomed to being fully covered were skipping appointments to avoid wearing the immodest garment. The old "johnny," as the garment is known, leaves a patient's backside and legs exposed. The new gown, which became available this summer, fully covers patients. "This is a great example of a challenge raised by a specific community that can ultimately benefit all patients," said Dana Farris Gaya, manager of interpreter and cross-cultural services. Maine Medical administrators decided they had to act last November after the hospital identified a high no-show rate for Muslim women from African countries, particularly Somalia. As many as three out of 10 women were skipping their appointments, said Osman Hersi, a medical interpreter at the hospital. Tracked down at home, the women described the horror of being asked to wear the revealing gowns during outpatient procedures and while waiting in a hallway in the radiology department. Islam teaches modesty in dress, and the women said the gowns went against their religious and cultural beliefs.
Correction
Due to a typing error, the entertainment listings for the week of Aug. 12 to 18 at Dodge Street Bar & Grill, 7 Dodge St., in Salem, were incorrect. Saturday night features the Megawatt Blues Crushers; Sunday features Spirithouse; Monday is open mike night; Tuesday features Fats Hammond; and Wednesday features Capital "b" and The Elephant Men.
Death noticesBy Debbie Strong Staff writer
BAKER - Of North Reading, formerly of Salem, Aug. 12, Mildred Pauline (O’Connor) Cloutier Baker, 92, wife of the late William Baker and the late Arthur J. Cloutier Sr. Mother of Arthur J. Cloutier Jr. of Peabody, Rosemarie A. Cloutier of Reading, Robert M. Cloutier of Salem and Richard D. Cloutier of Reading; grandmother of Marie K., Michelle N., Stephanie A., Michael D., Gabriel A., and Alexander R.; great-grandmother of Kitana. Her funeral will be held from The O’Donnell Funeral Home, 46 Washington Sq. (at Salem Common), Salem, Tuesday at 9 a.m., followed by a funeral Mass in the Immaculate Conception Church, Salem at 10 a.m. Relatives and friends invited. Burial in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Salem. Visiting hours Monday from 4 to 7 p.m. For more information, inquire at (978) 744-2350. (8/14, 8/16) COMER - Of Salem, Aug. 12, Patricia A. "Pat" Comer, 57. A memorial service will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, August 17, 2004, at the First Baptist Church, Salem. A visitation will be held at the church from 5 to 7 p.m., prior to the service. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to either the Rebekah Assembly of MA, IOOF, c/o Barbara Moore, 11 Russell St., Hudson, MA 01749 or to the Salem Mission, 7 Crombie St., Salem, MA 01970. Funeral arrangements are by the Full-Spychalski Funeral Home, 84 Washington Square East, by Salem Common, Salem. For online guest book and other information, visit www.SalemFuneral.com. (8/14) DEAN - Of Beverly, Aug. 13, Jeanette (LeBlanc) Dean, 90, wife of the late Donald "Tom" Dean. Mother of Thomas S. Dean of Beverly. A private graveside service will be held. There are no visiting hours. Arrangements by the Lee, Moody, and Russell Funeral Home, 9 Dane St., Beverly. (8/14) HARTIGAN - Of Melrose, Bruce H., 42, Aug. 12. Funeral from the Gately Funeral Home, 79 W. Foster St., Melrose on Tuesday, Aug. 17, at 9 a.m. Funeral Mass in St. Mary’s Church, Herbert St., Melrose, at 10 a.m. Relatives and friends invited. Visiting hours are Monday, 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 pm. Burial in Wyoming Cemetery, Melrose. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Hartigan Children’s Educational Trust, in care of Melrose Cooperative Bank, 638 Main St., Melrose, MA 02176. (8/14) HEALEY - Of Marblehead, Josephine (Canvan) Healey, 98, died Friday, Aug. 13, 2004, in the Lafayette Nursing Home in Marblehead. She was the wife of the late Daniel J. Healey. She is survived by two sons, William Healey and his wife Suzanne of Marblehead and Daniel Healey and his wife Pamela of New Hampshire; two daughters, Joan Champlin, wife of the late Ronald Champlin; and Mary Healey, both of Marblehead; five grandchildren, Christine Speliotis and her husband Greg of Salem, Darlene Currier and her husband Henry of Marblehead; Jackie Colbert and her husband Dan of Marblehead; Kimberly Breier and her husband Peter of Alexanderia, Va., and Dan Healey and his wife Jana of Springfield; and six great-grandchildren, Ashley and Gregory Speliotis, Samantha and Ryan Currier, and Danny and Kelly Colbert. A funeral Mass will be held Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2004, at noon at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, 85 Atlantic Ave., Marblehead, followed by interment in Waterside Cemetery, Marblehead. Visiting hours will be held Monday from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Eustis-Cornell Funeral Home, 142 Elm St., Marblehead. Friends and relatives are kindly invited to attend all services. (8/14, 8/16) SHAUGHNESSY - Of Marblehead, Aug 13, Gertrude M. (Lee) Shaughnessy, wife of the late J. Robert Shaughnessy, M.D.; daughter of the late George W. and Josephine (Hyde) Lee; mother of Mary Shaughnessy and her husband Stephen Schroeder and Sara and her husband John Hart; grandmother of Laura, Eric, and Anna Schroeder and Sam Hart. Funeral Tuesday at 9:15 a.m. from the Murphy Funeral Home, 85 Federal St. (cor of North St), Salem to be followed by a funeral Mass at 10 a.m. in Our Lady Star of the Sea Church. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Visiting hours are Monday from 4 to 8 p.m. Interment will be in St. Mary's Cemetery, Salem. Those who wish may make memorial contributions to the Jimmy Fund, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Gift Processing, 1309 Beacon St., Boston, MA 02446 or Hospice of the North Shore, 10 Elm St., Danvers, MA 01923. For more information call (978) 744-0497 or visit www.MurphyFuneralHome.com. (8/14, 8/16)
ObituariesBy Debbie Strong Staff writer
photo with comer: 040813_sn_obit_comer Patricia A. Comer, 57 SALEM - Patricia A. “Pat” Comer, 57, of Salem, died Thursday, August 12, 2004 at her home following a long illness. Born in Salem, she was the daughter of Marjorie (Pierce) Comer of Salem and the late Henry B. Comer, and was a lifelong resident of the city. She was a graduate of Salem High School in 1965 and received a bachelor's degree from Salem State College in 1970. Until the time of her illness, she was employed for 10 years as an accountant in the offices at Salem State College. Active in her community, she was a member of the First Baptist Church, where she had served in many ways over the years. She was currently serving as chairperson for the 200th anniversary of the church, which is being celebrated this year. She was a member and past president (1997-1998) of the Rebekah Assembly of Mass., IOOF. Through her involvement with the lodge and church, she helped organize and participated in the serving of monthly dinners at the Fairweather Apartments and the Salem Mission. She also was involved in scouting for over 40 years, starting with her memberships in the Brownies and Girl Scouts to her role as an adult leader. In addition to her mother, she is survived by two brothers, Robert Comer of Salem and Richard Comer of Elkridge, Md.; two sisters, Barbara Resnick of Salem and Debra Mallon of Beverly; one aunt and uncle, Rachael and Henry Garand of Seabrook, N.H.; eight nieces and nephews, Tina Moccia, Linette Moccia, Eva Oliveira, Thomas Mallon, Daniel Mallon, Samantha Comer, Lindsey Comer, and Benjamin Comer; and several grandnieces and grandnephews. Jeanette (LeBlanc) Dean, 90 BEVERLY - Jeanette (LeBlanc) Dean, 90, died Friday, Aug. 13, 2004, at home following a long illness. She was the wife of the late Donald "Tom" Dean. She was born in Salem, the daughter of the late Joseph and Josephine (Fecteau) Dean. Mrs. Dean and her husband enjoyed being members of the North Shore Old Car Club for many years. She is survived by a son, Thomas Dean of Beverly; a granddaughter, Brianna Ward of Beverly; several members of her late husband's family; and other members of her son's family, Jason Terry and Tuesday Petrathelis. photo with baker: 040813_sn_obit_baker Mildred Pauline (O’Connor) Cloutier Baker, 92 NORTH READING - Mildred Pauline (O’Connor) Cloutier Baker, 92, of North Reading, formerly of Endicott Street, Salem, died Thursday, Aug. 12, 2004, in the Sunbridge Care Facility in North Reading. She was the wife of the late William Baker, who passed away in 1992, and the wife of the late Arthur J. Cloutier Sr., who passed away in 1959 and was a U.S. Air Force veteran of World War II. Born in Tewksbury, Oct. 11, 1911, she was the daughter of the late William O’Connor and Sarah O’Connor Schnare. She was raised and educated in Salem and was an honors graduate of Salem High School, class of 1930. Mrs. Cloutier Baker had been employed for many years at the former Salem Bleachery and the Ann & Hope Department Store. A lifelong resident of Salem, she was an active member of the Immaculate Conception Church in Salem, where she volunteered by teaching C.C.D. and Bible classes. She and her late husband Bill enjoyed participating in many local political campaigns. She enjoyed dress-making, gardening, swimming, dancing, children, pets, and helping others. She is survived by her four children, Arthur Cloutier Jr. of Peabody, Rosemarie Cloutier of Reading, Robert Cloutier of Salem and Richard Cloutier of Reading; six grandchildren, Marie, Michelle, Stephanie, Michael, Gabriel, and Alexander; a great-grandchild, Kitana; a sister-in-law and lifelong friend, Anita (Cloutier) Carey of Sarasota, Fla.; her cousins, Mary Michaud and Gladys Neylon, both of Connecticut; and many nieces and nephews. She was also the sister of the late Catherine Crean, and cousin and lifelong friend of the late Gertrude C. Knowlton. photo with allen: 040813_sn_obit_allen Lawrence Allen Jr., 94 SALEM - Lawrence Allen Jr., a longtime resident of Marblehead and Topsham, Maine, died Saturday, Aug. 7, 2004, at Salem Hospital after a brief and unexpected illness. Born in Newton, he graduated from Phillips Andover Academy (1927) and from Dartmouth College (1931). He started his career in management with the Container Corp. of America in September of 1931, then joined Sylvania Electric in Salem in 1941 and worked there until his retirement in 1974. For several years, he was the general office manager, corporate clerk of Sylvania Electrical Products Division, and for 24 years was the clerk and director of the Sylvania Employee Credit Union. He was the administrator of compensation and benefits at the time of his retirement. Additionally, he was active in the National Office Managers Association (NOMA), serving as national director for two years and as president of the Boston chapter. He was actively involved in local activities in both Marblehead and Salem. In Marblehead, he was on the Marblehead Finance Committee, director of the Historical Association, and for many years taught Advanced Piloting for the U.S. Power Squadron. In Salem, he was director of the Salem Red Cross, the President of the Salem, Marblehead, and Danvers Community Fund, and an incorporator of Salem Hospital. He was an original incorporator of the Massachusetts Bay Community United Fund. He was an active member of the Salem Five Cents Savings Bank, serving as a trustee, member of the Board of Investment, director of Mutual Assistant Corporation, and treasurer and director of the North Shore Corporation. After retirement, he and his wife moved to Topsham, Maine for 23 years before returning to Salem. An avid boater, he spent a lifetime of summers "gunkholing" the waters around his beloved Boothbay Harbor, Maine. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Mary Davis Allen; and two daughters, Julia McInnes of Salem and Nancy Giesberger of Andover. He also leaves two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Services will be private. Bruce H. Hartigan, 42 MELROSE - Bruce H. Hartigan, 42, of Melrose died Thursday, Aug. 12, 2004, after a courageous battle with cancer. He was raised in Melrose, graduated from St. Mary’s Grammar School, Malden Catholic High School, class of 1979, and from Bentley College in 1993. He also received his MBA in finance from Bentley College. He was vice president of finance and strategic planning for Sodexho USA of Lexington, where he worked for the past 20 years. Mr. Hartigan was a devoted family man, a lifelong resident of Melrose and a member of St. Mary’s Church in Melrose. He was the husband of Anne (Petmezakis) Hartigan. In addition to his wife, he is survived by three children, Paula, Katherine and Christina Hartigan, all of Melrose; three brothers, Brian Hartigan, Richard Hartigan and his wife Kerrie of Peabody, Robert Hartigan and his wife Kathleen of Maine; one sister, Mary Signor and her husband Doug of New Hampshire; his mother-in-law, Christine Petmezakis of Melrose; brothers and sisters-in-law, Elaine and Evan Kakis of Illinois and Joyce and Jay Powell of Woburn; and several cousins, nieces, nephews and godchildren. He was predeceased by his parents, Paul H. and Margaret M. (Hargreaves) Hartigan and his sister Susan. Josephine (Canvan) Healey, 98 MARBLEHEAD - Josephine (Canvan) Healey, 98, of Marblehead, died Friday, Aug. 13, 2004, in the Lafayette Nursing Home in Marblehead. She was the wife of the late Daniel J. Healey. Born in Ocghterard, Ireland Feb. 4, 1906, she was the daughter of the late Mark and Mary Canvan. She left Ireland in her early 20s and moved to Boston, where she lived and worked for a few years before moving to Marblehead. She married her husband, Daniel Healey, in 1933. A resident of Marblehead for more 70 years, she was employed as a housekeeper in Marblehead for many years. She was a devout Catholic and a member of Our Lady Star of the Sea Church. A devoted sports fan, she enjoyed attending sports events since her children were young, and continued to attend her grandchildren's games well into her 90s. She is survived by two sons, William Healey and his wife Suzanne of Marblehead and Daniel Healey and his wife Pamela of New Hampshire; two daughters, Joan Champlin, wife of the late Ronald Champlin; and Mary Healey, both of Marblehead; five grandchildren, Christine Speliotis and her husband Greg of Salem, Darlene Currier and her husband Henry of Marblehead; Jackie Colbert and her husband Dan of Marblehead; Kimberly Breier and her husband Peter of Alexanderia, Va., and Dan Healey and his wife Jana of Springfield; and six great-grandchildren, Ashley and Gregory Speliotis, Samantha and Ryan Currier, and Danny and Kelly Colbert. photo with shaughnessy: 040813_sn_obit_shaugnnessy Gertrude M. (Lee) Shaughnessy MARBLEHEAD - Gertrude M. (Lee) Shaughnessy died Friday, Aug. 13, 2004, at home. She was the wife of the late, J. Robert Shaughnessy, M.D., for whom the Shaughnessy Hospital in Salem was named. She was the daughter of the late Josephine Hyde Lee and George Colbert Lee of Salem. Mrs. Shaughnessy, or "Goo Goo," as she was known to her grandchildren and many friends, was devoted to her family and friends. She supported her husband Rob throughout his life, helping in his office and getting to know his many patients, serving as a gracious hostess, and caring for him during his illness. She was artistic and had a sense of style, and enjoyed being a "fashion consultant" to others later in life. She also enjoyed her weekly bridge games with close friends, and she would eagerly report if she "won the berry dish." An avid reader, she could always be found reading the latest best sellers, and was always able to recommend her new "find" to friends. She will be remembered for being a great listener and for her sense of humor by her many friends, who spanned several generations. These friends gathered annually to celebrate the Fourth of July on her patio, overlooking the ocean and the Marblehead fireworks. She loved the ocean and prided herself on taking one last swim of the season as far into October as weather would permit. Not only a wife, mother, grandmother, "Goo Goo" was considered a "best friend" by many. She is survived by her two daughters and their families, Mary Shaughnessy and Stephen Schroeder of Acton and Sara and John Hart of Marblehead; and four grandchildren, Laura, Eric and Anna Schroeder of Acton and Sam Hart of Marblehead. She was the sister of the late Colbert Lee of Salem, Walter Lee of Peabody and Thomas Lee of Beverly and beloved cousin and friend to Honey Berry of Peabody. She is also survived by a number of nieces and nephews including Sally Donnellan of Marblehead, Betsy Merry of Salem and Terry Lee of Peabody, as well as several greatnieces and greatnephews.
Deaths by townBy Debbie Strong Staff writer
BEVERLY Dean, Jeanette (LeBlanc), 90 MARBLEHEAD Healey, Josephine (Canvan), 98 Shaughnessy, Gertrude M. (Lee) SALEM Allen, Lawrence Jr., 94 Comer, Patricia A., 57 OUT OF TOWN Baker, Mildred Pauline (O'Connor) Cloutier, 92, of North Reading Hartigan, Bruce H., 42, of Melrose
Pet of the WeekBy Robyn Day Staff writer
Callie is a beautiful, tri-colored, 3-year-old spayed female who was found wandering around Ipswich. She loves getting attention and even comes to greet you. There are other adult cats and three kittens also living at the shelter. All are looking to be adopted. For more information about Callie or the other adoptable pets, call (978) 948-2181. You can also see them at www.ipswichhumanegroup.petfinder.com. Contributions to help these animals can be sent to: Ipswich Humane Group Inc., Box 873, Ipswich, MA 01938.
British Muslim expert renders Quran in EnglishBy RICHARD N. OSTLING Associated Press
When M.A.S. Abdel Haleem was a youngster in Egypt all the boys in his school were required to memorize the entire Quran and were tested annually to make sure they maintained this knowledge. The veteran University of London professor of Islamic studies says he obeys a promise to his father to read the Quran daily and the childhood training means he doesn't need a printed text. "I can do this anytime, even when I am walking or riding the Underground." Haleem has put his lifelong immersion in the Quran and the Arabic language to good use the past seven years, working on a new Quran translation in English that appeared last month: "The Quran" (Oxford University Press). It's hard to overstate the importance of the Quran, which defines the belief and conduct of a billion-plus Muslims, including a growing number of immigrants in English-speaking nations. Unlike Christians with their Bibles, Muslims believe the Quran is Scripture only in Arabic because it existed in that form in heaven before it was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. Only the Arabic is literally God's word and is always used in Quran quotations during rituals and sermons. In times past there were debates about whether it was even proper to translate the Scriptures. Early English versions came from non-Muslims (the subtitle of the very first, in 1649, called the Quran "the Turkish vanities"). No Muslim produced an English Quran till the 20th century. But nowadays even strict Muslims promote English editions to aid "dawah," Arabic for "call," meaning missionary work. Haleem says translations are essential so that Muslims in the West, including his own children and grandchildren, can remain knowledgeable. Georgetown University's Yvonne Haddad says most immigrants' children "cannot read the Quran in Arabic. They may recite it, but they don't understand it." As with the Bible, there are numerous English Qurans on the market, though experts say many have limitations. While most English Qurans retain old-fashioned, King James-style English, Haleem employs 21st century language. A reviewer for Britain's The Economist said he transformed the Arabic "into a form of modern English which reads easily and flows smoothly without taking liberties with the inviolable text." The most widely distributed English Quran - thanks to Saudi Arabian sponsorship - is probably the 1934 edition by India's Abdullah Yusuf Ali, as revised in 1989 at the International Institute of Islamic Thought in Herndon, Va. Yusuf Ali's terminology is notably fusty, for instance in this passage about the day of judgment: "...(then) shall each soul know what it hath sent forward and (what it hath) kept back. O man! what has seduced thee from thy Lord Most Beneficient (sic)? - Him Who created thee, fashioned thee in due proportion and gave thee a just bias; in whatever Form He wills does He put thee Together. Nay! but ye do reject Right and Judgment!" (82:5-9). Compare that with Haleem: "...each soul will know what it has done and what it has left undone. Mankind, what has lured you away from God, your generous Lord who created you, shaped you, proportioned you, in whatever form He chose? Yet you still take the Judgment to be a lie!" Another modern-language version by Majid Fakhry of the American University of Beirut, "An Interpretation of the Quran" (New York University Press), boasts of approval from Cairo's authoritative Al-Azhar University. This 2002 book is costly because it includes both the Arabic and English texts, but an inexpensive paperback edition was issued this year. Abdulaziz Sachedina of the University of Virginia, who till now has favored a 1955 translation by A. J. Arberry of Cambridge University, hasn't yet assessed Haleem's rendition but thinks it's "potentially very important for non-Muslims as well as Muslims." The Quran is cryptic, often requiring addition of parenthetical words that are not in the literal Arabic to explain the meaning. Haleem also inserts "Prophet" in brackets so English readers can distinguish between God's directives to Muhammad and to people in general. And Haleem says the meaning of words can differ between classical and modern Arabic. That's only the beginning of the difficulties. Amila Buturovic of Toronto's York University says the Quran "is so rich, so complex, that even for Arabists and literary critics it is a phenomenal challenge," making any translation "highly problematic." Yusuf Ali's edition is especially influential due to its extensive commentary. Sachedina and Haddad say the 1989 edition made unwarranted changes in both Yusuf Ali's translation and the commentary to reflect the militant Saudi version of Islam. Unlike Yusuf Ali, Haleem provides only brief introductions to the chapters and limits footnotes to the most essential matters. But his introduction stresses that the Quran must be understood in terms of the context of the words in Muhammad's own time, for instance on the pressing issue of violence. Examples: -"Kill them wherever you encounter them" (2:191). Haleem says that meant only that Muslims had the right of self-defense, even if they were being attacked in the holy sanctuary of Mecca. -"Wherever you find the polytheists, kill them, seize them, besiege them, ambush them" (9:5). Haleem says the context shows such action was taken against unbelievers who repeatedly broke treaties and wanted to expel Muslims or force them back into paganism. -"Fight those of the People of the Book who do not (truly) believe in God" (9:29). Haleem says this applied only to Jews and Christians who broke treaties and refused to pay taxes. Haleem believes that in many instances, both Muslim extremists and outside opponents of Islam have seriously distorted the meaning of God's revelation.
Feds will take over holdup caseBy Julie Manganis Staff writer
SALEM -- A Peabody man who robbed a Newburyport bank, led police on a wild chase in a septic truck and was finally captured in a stolen camper the next morning will face federal charges, a prosecutor said yesterday. John DiFrancesco, 31, who lived at 7 Esquire Circle in Peabody before his arrest, was in Salem Superior Court yesterday, where he tried, unsuccessfully, to convince a judge to reduce his bail from the $500,000 cash set at his arraignment last month. He is charged with armed robbery while masked and a host of other counts stemming from the July 1 holdup of the Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank on Storey Avenue. DiFrancesco, an ex-con who had served prison time for armed robbery in the mid-1990s, had been working for Wind River Environmental Services, driving and operating a septic truck, his lawyer, Lawrence McGuire, said yesterday. It was that truck that pulled into the bank parking lot, not far from Route 95, around 7 p.m. Prosecutor Jesse Dole said others in the lot noticed the driver putting on a mask before heading inside. A teller told police that the masked man paced back and forth between two teller windows pointing a gun -- DiFrancesco later told police it was a toy -- at them and demanding money. He made off with just over $10,000. But police caught up with the septic truck in Georgetown, and were about to pull it over when DiFrancesco crossed the median of Route 95 and began heading up the highway the wrong way. He eventually crashed into a wooded area in Byfield, then fled on foot -- leaving a trail of money and his wallet, containing his driver's license, behind in the truck. Police believe he hid in the mud of the banks of the Parker River overnight, then, early the next morning, stole a recreational vehicle that had been left with the keys in the ignition. He was spotted on Route 133 in North Andover by the husband of a state police trooper who had just passed along the camper's description. The robbery came after a series of setbacks for DiFrancesco, his lawyer said yesterday. After serving a federal prison term for holdups in five communities, including Salem, in 1993 and 1994, he was paroled, and went on to earn his associate's degree and find steady work in the septic pumping business. But, said McGuire, he suffered from hepatitis C, and had lately found that the medication he was taking no longer appeared to help. He also suffered severe pain, his lawyer said, leading him to return to using heroin, a drug he thought he had beaten after a rehabilitation program on Cape Cod. He was "driven to commit the robbery" by the pain and his addiction, McGuire said. DiFrancesco has resigned himself to the fact that he will be punished for what he has done, his lawyer said. But he asked for a chance to post a lower bail, saying he wants to enter drug treatment. Judge Patrick Riley, while expressing concern that DiFrancesco is not receiving his medications at the Nashua Street Jail in Boston, said he shared the prosecutor's assessment of the case as serious and the high bail is justified. Dole said the U.S. Attorney's office intends to present the case to a federal grand jury next month, meaning DiFrancesco could be heading back to federal prison within the next several weeks.
Police searching for missing Lawrence clerkBy O'Ryan Johnson Staff Writer
LAWRENCE - The wife of ex-City Clerk James A. McGravey called police yesterday concerned about her husband's safety and asking police to stop him if they see him. "His wife was concerned about his state of mind," Police Chief John J. Romero said. "She contacted the police we put the word out." Romero said he told city police and police in surrounding towns to be on the look out for a green 1995 Saab shortly after the call came in between 11:15 and 11:30 a.m. McGravey resigned suddenly one month ago, following a co-workers complaint that he was advising her and other female employees to look at Internet pictures of him and his mistress engaged in sexual activities. This was the second complaint Assistant City Clerk Jennifer E. Padellaro had filed. The first one in 2000 alleged that McGravey arranged for trysts with call girls using city computers. The ex-clerk's wife, Carol Hajjar McGravey was the city attorney at the time her husband was alleged to have arranged for dates with prostitutes. Romero said she called his office about 11:15 or 11:30 a.m. yesterday. He said in cases like this there is no set protocol for police when they stop someone who may be in danger. They want to ensure the person does not want to harm themselves or others. McGravey, 54, said he was ending his 22-year career for personal reasons when he left. He is the father of one son, a Philips Academy graduate, headed to college this fall. McGravey's wife left the city attorney's office in 2003 to work at a Boston law firm. At the time of this writing police had not located McGravey.
By Robyn Day Staff write Auctions/Sales Saturday, Aug. 14 Annual Topsfield Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to noon. Main parking lot of Topsfield Fairgrounds, Route 1, Topsfield. (978) 922-1648. Asbury Grove Fair, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. front lawn of Asbury Grove, junction of Highland and Asbury streets, Hamilton. Rummage sale, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at First Parish Church, 225 Cabot St., Beverly. Clothes, kitchen items, toys and books. Call Ann Geikie at (978) 468-2082. Heritage Days Essex Street Fair, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Essex Pedestrian Mall and downtown Salem. Includes music, street performers and entertainment. Free. Sponsored by Heritage Bank. www.salem-chamber.org. Sunday, Aug. 15 Heritage Days Essex Street Fair, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Essex Pedestrian Mall and downtown Salem. Includes music, street performers and entertainment. Free. Sponsored by Heritage Bank. www.salem-chamber.org. Children/Families Saturday, Aug. 14 Haunted City Youth Triathlon, for kids ages 7 to 14, 10 a.m. at Dead Horse Beach. Cost is $20, and proceeds benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Salem. (978) 744-0180. Jazz for Kids Story Time program, 10:30 a.m. Make a musical instrument and sing along with Ella, Louis and Carmen. Free. All welcome. Borders Books and Music, 151 Andover St., Peabody. (978) 538-3003. Festival Saturday, Aug. 14 Sixth Annual Peach Festival, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with live music, facepainting, balloon twisting, hayrides, wine tasting, and lots of peach goodies. Also "Circle of Songs," children's music by Hugh Hanley at 12:30, 1:30, and 2:30 p.m. Russell Orchards, Argilla Road, Ipswich. (978) 356-5366. Sunday, Aug. 15 Sixth Annual Peach Festival, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with live music, facepainting, balloon twisting, hayrides, wine tasting, and lots of peach goodies. Also music by Old Cold Tater from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Russell Orchards, Argilla Road, Ipswich. (978) 356-5366. Food Saturday, Aug. 14 Lobster Picnic and Auction, noon to 4 p.m., Gerry Playground (Stramski Park), West Shore Drive, Marblehead. Sponsored by the Marblehead Republican Town Committee. $20 adults or $15 seniors. Alternate menu available for $10 or $5 children. Call (781) 631-6360. Music Saturday, Aug. 14 Summer Jazz Series, 8 p.m. featuring Eric Alexander Quartet. Tickets $23.50 in advance, $25.50 at door. Unitarian Universalist Church, 28 Mugford St., Marblehead. (781) 631-1528. Hooper Mansion concert, 8 p.m. featuring the award-winning band All About Buford. The group will be joined by Full Frontal Folk of Philadelphia. Tickets $12, available at door. 8 Hooper St., Marblehead. www.allaboutbuford.com. Sunday, Aug. 15 Ensemble Chaconne concert, 4 p.m. "The Devonshire Treasures: A Musical Context" at Peabody Essex Museum, East India Square, Salem. Includes music by Handel and Vivaldi. Free with museum admission. (978) 745 9500. Summer Music at St. Peter's concert series, 5 p.m., featuring The Venetian Vespers. Includes period instruments from 16th and 17th century Venice. Admission $10 per person, $20 family maximum. St. Peter's Episcopal Church, 4 Ocean St., Beverly. www.stpetersbeverly.org. Sundays in Patton Park, 5 p.m., featuring Quintessential Brass. Free. All welcome. Patton park Gazebo, Hamilton. (978) 468-4818 or www.pattonparkconcerts.org. Concerts in the Shell, 6 to 8 p.m., Chris & Meredith Thompson, Lynch Park, Beverly. Free. Reading/Signing Saturday, Aug. 14 Book signing, 3 to 5 p.m. with Valerie Carnevale, editor of "Poetry of Salem," and poets Claire Keyes and JD Scrimgeour. Open A Book Bookshore, 72 Loring Ave., Salem. Recreation Saturday, Aug. 14 "Snakes of the Farm and Massachusetts," 2 to 3:30 p.m. A live animal program presented by The Trustees of Reservations at Appleton Farms, off Route 1A, Ipswich. $5 for adults, free for children. Registration required. Call (978) 356-5728. Sunday, Aug. 15 Nature program, 1 to 3 p.m. hosted by Marblehead Trails Committee, "Drawing and Painting Nature" with Holly Jaynes at Camp Shore Lea, Marblehead. Opportunity to purchase a bat house. Free for all ages. (781) 631-4103. Guided Chebacco Woods trail walk, 1 p.m. Meet at main trail entrance on Chebacco Road in Hamilton. All welcome on 90-minute walk. (978) 468-7715. Theater Saturday, Aug. 14 "Seussical the Musical," 3 and 7:30 p.m., presented by Danvers Youth Theatre at the Maple Street Church, 90 Maple St., Danvers. $7. Benefits Danvers Art Association. For tickets, call (978) 777-9163 or visit www.danversyouththeatre.org. "The Scarlet Letter," 5 p.m. Tickets $6 and $8, Salem residents free. Pioneer Village, Forest River Park, Salem. Shakespeare in the Barn will present "Richard III" at 7 p.m. $16, advance purchase recommended. Castle Hill, The Crane Estate, Argilla Road, Ipswich. (978) 356-4351. Encore! youth performance, "Boogie-Woogie Bugle Girl," 7 p.m. $10 admission. Masconomet Regional High School Auditorium in Topsfield. (508) 246-9179. "Legacy of the Hanging Judge," 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Interactive play recalls Witch Trials. Presented by House of Seven Gables, 54 Turner St., Salem. "A Chorus Line," 8 p.m. performed by Salem State College Student Theatre Ensemble. Mainstage Auditorium, Lafayette Street, Salem. $15 general, $10 seniors/students. (978) 744-8478. Sunday, Aug. 15 Encore! youth performance, "Boogie-Woogie Bugle Girl," 1 p.m. $10 admission. Masconomet Regional High School Auditorium in Topsfield. (508) 246-9179. "Seussical the Musical," 3 p.m., presented by Danvers Youth Theatre at the Maple Street Church, 90 Maple St., Danvers. $7. Benefits Danvers Art Association. For tickets, call (978) 777-9163 or visit www.danversyouththeatre.org. Shakespeare in the Barn will present "Richard III" at 3 p.m. $16, advance purchase recommended. Castle Hill, The Crane Estate, Argilla Road, Ipswich. (978) 356-4351. Tours Saturday, Aug. 14 Free walking tour of Hawthorne's Salem, 11 a.m. to noon, presented by Salem Maritime National Historic Site. Meet at Hawthorne statue on Hawthorne Boulevard, Salem. (978) 740-1660. Tour First Baptist Church, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. View historic building and memorabilia from last two centuries. Tea party and desserts. 56 Federal St. (978) 744-3780. Sunday, Aug. 15 Free walking tour of Hawthorne's Salem, 11 a.m. to noon, presented by Salem Maritime National Historic Site. Meet at Hawthorne statue on Hawthorne Boulevard, Salem. (978) 740-1660. Tour First Baptist Church, 1 to 3 p.m. View historic building and memorabilia from last two centuries. Tea party and desserts. 56 Federal St. (978) 744-3780. Farmstead tours, 3 to 5 p.m. at Appleton Farms. Begins at Waldingfield Road parking area, Ipswich. $5 adults, reservations required. Presented by The Trustees of Reservations. (978) 356-5728 or www.thetrustees.org. Etc. Saturday, Aug. 14 "Fandango in Topsfield," a Paso Fino horse show, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Entertainment and stallion parade. Free admission. Topsfield Fairgrounds, Topsfield. Eighth Annual Tribute to the King, 8 p.m. to midnight. Includes music, dancing, amateur Elvis contest, raffles and prizes. Tickets $10, benefits North Shore Association of Retarded Citizens. St. Mike's Hall, 15 Endicott St., Peabody. (978) 532-4126. Sunday, Aug. 15 "Fandango in Topsfield," a Paso Fino horse show, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free admission. Topsfield Fairgrounds, Topsfield. North Shore Old Car Club Show, noon to 3 p.m. Features live music of the '20s and '30s and antique cars. Stephen Phillips Trust House, Chestnut Street, Salem. (978) 744-0440.
Kilborn calls it quits at 'Late Late Show'Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Craig Kilborn has decided to quit CBS' "Late Late Show" after five seasons, leaving the network to find a new host for the hour that follows "Late Show with David Letterman." "It was easily the greatest job I've had, and CBS was very generous in their offer to re-sign me," Kilborn told Daily Variety. "But I simply want to try something new. I can now focus on writing and producing different television projects I haven't had time for." Not one to pass up a gag, Kilborn added: "And this is cool: I will continue to wear makeup in my everyday life." Kilborn had drawn solid ratings for CBS since he took the time slot over from Tom Snyder. Since 1999, the audience had grown 34 percent to this season's average of 1.7 million viewers. He likely will wrap up his tenure within a month, according to a source close to the production, Variety reported yesterday. The program is produced by Letterman's company, Worldwide Pants. CBS, which learned of Kilborn's decision Thursday, had no comment on his replacement, a CBS spokesman said yesterday. There was immediate speculation that Conan O'Brien, whose contract with NBC's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" has more than a year to run, might be a candidate - if he could eventually could end up with Letterman's job. Industry speculation has it that Letterman is likely to exit late-night TV before Leno does. Kilborn was the original host of Comedy Central's "Daily Show" and had a role in the 2003 film "Old School."
State: disabled students may have skipped MCASBy Ben Casselman Staff writer
State education officials are concerned that dozens of severely disabled students on the North Shore might not have taken the MCAS last year as required. The state Department of Education reported last month that it has no MCAS records for hundreds of students in special education collaboratives and private programs across the state. In a memo to special education program directors, Commissioner of Education David Driscoll said he was concerned some of the students might not have taken the MCAS. Among the missing records are those of more than a quarter of the students at the North Shore Education Consortium, which runs special education programs for severely disabled students from 14 local school districts, including Peabody, Beverly, Salem, and Danvers. The state is also missing records for nearly 20 percent of students at Beverly's Landmark School, a private school that educates mostly students suffering from the reading disorder dyslexia. Robert Gass, executive director of the North Shore Consortium, said all of his students took the MCAS as required - and if any did not, he said, it was not intentional. "As far as I know, every kid who was supposed to take the MCAS took the MCAS. We were very diligent about it," Gass said. "There is no intent here to somehow thwart the attempt at MCAS. If anything, the North Shore Consortium stands for the inclusion of all these kids." Landmark School Headmaster Robert Broudo could not be reached for comment. School superintendents have often complained that special education students can drag down their districts' test scores, and as state and federal regulations push districts to improve their results, incentives grow for districts to allow disabled students to opt out of the MCAS. Not all students have to take the MCAS. Some severely disabled students are exempt from MCAS and instead compile a portfolio of work known as an Alternative Assessment. Whether the student takes the MCAS or the Alternative Assessment, schools are required to send documentation to the state to ensure that the tests are being administered. Gass blamed record-keeping errors either at the state or local level for the problem, and he criticized the state for not discussing the issue with him and other directors before making accusations. He said he still did not know the names of the students who supposedly did not take the test - making it impossible for him to figure out whether they missed it or whether their records were simply misplaced. "There seems to be a big jump here to noncompliance instead of 'let's work it out,'" Gass said. "I think the memo was too heavy handed, but I also understand the department is very, very conscientious about the MCAS." Department of Education spokeswoman Heidi Perlman acknowledged that record-keeping problems could be to blame, unlike earlier comments by Driscoll that suggested the errors may have been intentional. "I think that there's a bit of a misunderstanding out there that there are 1,400 students who were not tested," Perlman said. "There's a huge possibility that there could be enrollment issues, there could be records issues ... . We're trying to figure out exactly what happened. Were they simply not tested at all, or was there a misunderstanding?" Staff reporter Ben Casselman can be reached at (978) 338-2529 or by e-mail at bcasselman@ecnnews.com.
Missing recordsOrganization Enrolled* Took MCAS Took Alt-Assessment** No records Percent missing North Shore Consortium 123 37 52 34 43% Landmark School 101 82 0 19 19% Statewide 5433 3099 907 1427 26% * "Enrolled" number indicates publically-funded students who should have taken the MCAS. ** Some severely disabled students are exempt from MCAS and instead compile a portfolio of work known as an Alternative Assessment. Source: Massachusetts Department of Education r>
Let us know
Anthony Pasquale of Danvers is one of 30 people in the world taking The Ultimate Black Belt Test. One of the requirements for the year-long test is to commit 1,000 random acts of kindness, and encourage others to perform 50,000. Instead of 50,000, Pasquale's goal is to have people perform 1 million good deeds. The Salem News and its sister newspapers are helping him count. If you have committed a good deed, or seen one, or had one done to you, send us an e-mail at actsofkindness@ecnnews.com. Please describe where, when and how it happened, and include your name, community and telephone number for verification.
North Shore residents log their good deedsBy Salem News Staff Last week, The Salem News introduced readers to martial arts instructor Anthony Pasquale and his mission to record one million acts of kindness by next May. Here's a sample of good deeds we've heard about so far: On July 19, Karen Hodgson of Beverly reports, her husband fell and broke his arm on his way to work on Causeway Street in Boston. "A woman saw him fall and went over to him," Hodgson wrote "She told him to sit for a minute and calm down. Then she asked if he wanted her to call an ambulance. "He said, 'No, but I think I need to go to the hospital.'" She hailed a cab for him, collected his belongings and helped him into the cab. She rode with him to Mass General Hospital and got him some help. She then left, never leaving us her name. We'd like to thank her. She was a true angel that day and never asked for anything in return." nnn Nancy Savageau of Beverly sent the following list of kind acts: 1. Listened to a supermarket employee vent about another employee, both unknown to me personally, Aug. 7, Beverly. 2. Sent sister flowers to her workplace just because she's special, Aug. 7, Beverly. 3. Let a man with small amount of groceries go ahead of me in line when no express lanes were open, Aug. 7, Beverly. 4. Complimented a woman (stranger) about her son's enthusiasm during a martial arts lesson, Aug. 7, Danvers. 5. Picked up litter, Aug. 7, Danvers. 6. Let vehicle into line of traffic ahead of me, Aug. 7, Beverly. 7. Let son use my car while his was being serviced, Aug. 11, Beverly. 8. Helped my instructor carry items from a demo at the mall, Aug. 11, Peabody. 9. Received a gift certificate from my instructor to thank me for participating and helping with a demo at Peabody mall, Aug. 11. 10. Yielded right of way to car trying to make a right turn, Aug. 12, Beverly. nnn Salem's Laurie Austin was walking her dog on a recent Saturday morning when she happened upon another neighborhood dog loose in the street. "Knowing she was prone to running away, I removed my dog from his leash and attached her," she wrote. "I walked her around the block to her house, and when no one answered the unlocked door, I simply opened it and returned her. "As I was walking back home with my dog, the owner drove by and asked if I had seen his dog because he'd been looking for 45 minutes. I told him I had returned her just moments ago!" nnn Kelly Loiselle of Beverly wrote to recognize her fellow employees at Danvers Savings Bank for their "Jeans Day" contributions. Every Friday, bank employees are encouraged to wear jeans for a $5 donation to a different charity. Whether the charity is a well-known cause or another fellow employee in need, the donations have always been there. nnn Cody and Clay Michaud, two students at United Martial Arts in Danvers, were at Stop & Shop with their mother when a man in wheelchair cart accidentally knocked over a stack of paper towels on an endcap. "He looked very troubled, thinking about how he was going to pick all of these paper towels up," they wrote. "We went over to him and said, 'Don't worry about it, we'll pick them up'. "This man was very friendly and thanked us for the help. It felt really good to make his day a little easier." r>
Police Log
Salem Friday * Anthony Stiefel, 17, Bridge Street, Salem, was arrested and charged with operating a motor vehicle without a license, leaving the scene after property damage and failure to display license plates. Police said the Salem High student was arrested after the car he was driving struck a utility pole on Beacon Street. He was not seriously injured. * Edgar Rodriguez, 37, 96 Congress St., Salem, was arrested on Derby Street for two outstanding Salem warrants for assault and battery and various motor vehicle offenses. * Giovanni Rosario Jr., 21, 35 Buffum St., Salem, was arrested and charged with domestic assault and battery after allegedly hitting his girlfriend during a fight. * Sheri Gray, 22, 103 Newbury St., Danvers, was arrested and charged with driving with a revoked license. Danvers Thursday * Paul Martins, 18, 20 Gemma Drive, Peabody, was arrested for shoplifting. Police said a Homegoods employee was charged with stealing from his Newbury Street employer. Beverly Thursday * Michelle Kuhn, 40, 62 Water St., Beverly, was arrested on an outstanding Beverly warrant for shoplifting. Peabody Thursday * Eric McKinnon, 25, 57 Northend St., Peabody, was arrested on outstanding Peabody warrants. Police were called after McKinnon allegedly threatened a taxi dispatcher with a sword. Charges from that incident are still pending. Friday * Gregory Comeau, 27, 86 Walnut St., Peabody, was arrested and charged with domestic assault and battery. * Neighbors on Pine Street called police to report a large snapping turtle blocking the street that "appeared hurt." The animal control officer was called in, and the turtle was removed from the street. Topsfield Friday * Todd Thibodeau, 46, 3 Parkview Lane, Peabody, was arrested and charged with driving to endanger, possession of a hypodermic needle, leaving the scene of property damage, leaving the scene of personal damage and possession of marijuana. According to police, Thibodeau led officers on a brief chase before he was taken into custody. Marblehead Friday * Joanne Kapnis, 49, 19 Amburg St., Georgetown, was arrested and charged with operating under the influence of alcohol, second offense. According to police, she was arrested after the car she was driving struck a parked car. No one was injured in the accident.
Saugus couple arrested at Motel 6By Melissa Beecher DANVERS - A Saugus couple that police believe are tied to a rash of house breaks were arrested yesterday after an alert hotel clerk contacted authorities. Brendan Bates, 29, of 38 Magnolia St., and Danielle Bucklin, 21, of 2 Jennifer Drive, were both arrested at the Motel 6 on Newbury Street at 9 a.m. yesterday. A hotel worker had called police because a credit card that was used to pay for a room came back as stolen. According to police, patrolmen Robert Sullivan and Jason Skane found Bates in the room and caught Bucklin, who had climbed out the hotel room window, hiding on the balcony. A variety of drugs were found in the room, including marijuana, OxyContin and Percoset pills. In addition to the drugs, numerous drivers licenses, identification cards, traveler's checks, cameras, cell phones, jewelry and checkbooks were found. According to police, an investigation revealed that a majority of the items could be tied to house breaks in Saugus and Lynnfield. Other items found in the room were reported stolen from gym lockers at local health clubs. Bucklin, who police believe was involved in the majority of the thefts, was charged with forgery, uttering false checks, larceny under $250, identity fraud, 20 counts of receiving stolen property under $250, fraudulent use of a credit card, and three counts of possession of a stolen credit card. Bates was charged with possession of marijuana, OxyContin and Percoset, possession of a stolen credit card and five counts of receiving stolen property. br> Staff writer
Priest says farewell to church he helped expandBy Anna Scott Staff writer
IPSWICH - John Hooker stumbled into the priesthood by chance. His career as a concert organist was just taking off when a debilitating muscular disease cut it short. Friends at an Arizona church where he was music director suggested he become a priest. Armed with a deep faith, and faced with the pain of never playing the organ again, he gave it a try. "I was losing control of my feet and ankles, and my hands didn't always do what I wanted them to do," Hooker said. "When I couldn't meet my own standards, that's when the whole ordination thing opened up." He graduated from Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge in 1992, and stayed on as a teacher there until 1998. He came to lead Ipswich's Ascension Memorial Church in 2000. It is his first position as a full-time rector, and it will be his last. On Sunday, his parish will celebrate both his 60th birthday and his going-away party. His disease is forcing him to retire early and return to Arizona, where the dry weather is expected to help ease his muscle pain. While his stay in Ipswich has been short, his trail of accomplishments is long. During his years at the helm, attendance at Sunday Masses increased 44 percent, up to about 155 people every Sunday. He created a family Mass just 30 minutes long, drawing up to 80 newcomers each week. He held healing ceremonies every Tuesday for sick parishioners. In turn, he found a community of friends who embraced him and his partner David Bucchiere. The two married this summer after gay marriage became legal, and celebrated with church friends. "Obviously it's not something everyone is comfortable with, so from the beginning I tried not to push it. I said my family structure doesn't have to have an impact on the church," Hooker said. "They said, 'Don't be silly. Your family is important to us.' They made it obvious to us from the beginning we would be accepted." Stable leader Before Hooker arrived in Ipswich, the County Street parish had been without a full-time minister for more than five years. The last minister was traditional, recalls 69-year-old Gini Player, who has been a member of the church since birth. "(Hooker) brought stability," Player said. She said he brought a unique experience to the church, unlike other ministers who treated the congregation more formally. He often invited people to his home for dinner. When the church hosted brunch after service, Hooker was there to set up the tables, bake the coffee cake, and clean up afterward. And when parishioners needed to talk, Hooker always had time. "He really is a people person," Player said. Peg Whittier, a church member since 1950, called him "the most caring rector we've ever had." The search committee selected Hooker from a dozen applicants. They liked that he wasn't a career priest. "He sent a copy of a piece of music he wrote that had been played at a national church convention," said Kathy Hirbour, who chaired the committee. "He struck us as someone out of the ordinary." Though he once played with famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma, Hooker's health has allowed him to play the parish organ only twice. Now, he cannot play at all. "People say, 'How can you stand that?' I tell them I have no choice about it," Hooker said. "Because I know real disappointment, I think I have something to say about that. It's been a gift." A different type of Mass Barbara DiLorenzo began attending Hooker's family Mass with her husband and 2-year-old son in January, after neighbors told her the rector was "very talented." What she found was a Mass where Hooker often acted out the Bible stories, and rambunctious children were welcome. "I'm just so worried they're going to get a minister who is ho-hum, nothing too earth shattering," she said. "In some of his sermons I felt he was breathing life into things I knew before." Parishioners praise Hooker's sermons for their ability to link ancient stories with modern living -- a trait Hooker said he learned by going to church his whole life. "I've heard an awful lot of (sermons)," he said. "I try to think what's going to help you get up on Monday morning and put one foot in front of the other. If it doesn't do that, why are we bothering?" Hooker plans to leave Ipswich in September, after selling his home. His going away party starts at 9:40 a.m. tomorrow after the family Mass. It will be held at the parish center on County Street. Staff reporter Anna Scott can be reached at ascott@ecnnews.com or by calling (978) 338-2664.
It's the stupid economyBy Dan K. Thomasson Scripps Howard
WASHINGTON -- The Clintonian warning that when it comes to presidential elections "it's the economy, stupid" actually was a transposition that should have read: "It's the stupid economy." Since 1932 (at least), the re-election hopes of incumbent presidents have hinged to a large extent on something over which they have little or no control - the nation's economic well-being. A good economy on Election Day is a leg up to another four years in the White House, and one that is not so good is just the opposite. It is that simple in American politics - even during times of war. Now and then a candidate can blow the advantages of a long period of prosperity during an incumbent administration, as then-Vice President Al Gore managed to do in 2000. But most of the time voters are willing to forgive any number of other presidential shortcomings or indiscretions as long as they feel safe about the current and future status of their pocketbooks. That is, of course, what George W. Bush faces as he tries to convince voters that he deserves an extended tour in the Oval Office despite an economy that once again seems to be slowing and a situation in Iraq that appears always to be going from bad to worse. This election clearly will be decided on whether Americans believe that his claimed strengths as a fighter of terrorism override his alleged deficiencies as a fiscal leader; whether the tax cuts that he instituted were the lasting antidote for a faltering economy or merely a relatively short-lived shot of feel-good medicine. At the very least, the reductions pumped some blood back into the system when the dot-com vein ruptured. The chances are good that if voters answer that question negatively and elect John Kerry, they will soon find that he, like Franklin Roosevelt, had no more solutions to the economy than his predecessor did. Jobs, for instance, are still going to go to the cheapest bidder overseas without a major overhaul of global policies, and that will require some dangerously draconian trade and tariff measures. The Federal Reserve, by raising the interest rate a quarter point, has come down on the side of those who argue that oil prices mainly have caused only a temporary glitch in the economy's continuing growth mode. But that hasn't stopped Democrats from pointing out that Bush probably will be the only president since Herbert Hoover to end his first term with fewer jobs than when he began it. Like most things in American politics, the truth rarely catches up with the myth. Running against Hoover has been at the forefront of Democratic strategy off and on for more than 70 years, so why should it change now? Never mind that FDR's New Deal programs failed to break the grip of the Depression. World War II finally returned the country to prosperity. There are those who believe Richard Nixon might have survived Watergate had the economy been better, and that Thomas Dewey probably would have won the 1948 election had not the country still been in the throes of a new postwar prosperity. Have Bush's chances been hurt by the latest job reports? There seems to be little doubt that a stronger recovery would have gone a long way in improving his standing in the rust-belt battleground states. On the other hand, Kerry has failed to propose any real solutions other than changes in the tax law that now encourages the exportation of jobs to cheaper overseas markets. The truth is, an economy the size of America's is pretty much unmanageable by anyone. All any president can do is establish a positive atmosphere, use the bully pulpit and hope for the best. Dan K. Thomasson is former editor of the Scripps Howard News Service.
LNG shipment and storage not just an East Coast problemBy Michael Fumento Scripp Texas-based Excelerate Energy LLC has proposed spending $200 million for the construction of an offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal 10 miles southeast of Gloucester. The company is currently building a similar facility more than 100 miles off the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico. While company officials say they hope to complete the North Shore facility by 2006, it must obtain permits from the Coast Guard and other agencies before work can begin. Elected officials including Gov. Mitt Romney and Congressman John Tierney, D-Salem, have said they need more information before weighing in on the project, but it has already drawn opposition from representatives of the fishing industry locally who have expressed concerns about its safety and potential impact on marine life. Natural gas is the cleanest fossil fuel, one reason it provides almost a fourth of U.S. energy and heats over half our homes. But already North America can't meet the continent's gas needs. With America's growing energy requirements, the amount we'll need to import is expected to double within 20 years. If some people have their way, though, that supply - and we - will be choked off. For shipping, natural gas is liquefied through super-chilling. This reduces the volume by 600 times. LNG also doesn't burn. At the receiving terminal, it's warmed back into a gas and piped where needed. Currently, the United States has only four receiving terminals, none west of Louisiana. We need more and it's obvious where. California's population is huge and surging, as are its energy needs. It also has the nation's strictest environmental laws, thereby favoring natural gas. But although various companies have proposed terminal locations, over two-dozen environmental groups are fighting them all. Why? Environmental activists hate all affordable forms of energy, no matter how clean, because it's the lifeblood of industry. To them, Saddam Hussein may be bad, but industry is absolutely evil. Although not building a terminal "would be a recipe for unacceptable economic hardship for those who can least afford it," according to two true top-ranking California environmentalists in a recent op-ed, the activists in green paint couldn't care less. There are also the NIMBY groups, who recognize California's need for a terminal but Not in My Back Yard. They don't want any new industry near them that is heavier than, say, flower arrangement. But such ideas can't be sold to the broader public, so other reasons are concocted. Since fear sells, naturally, activists point out that natural gas can explode. In reality, LNG has a terrific safety record. There has never been a shipboard explosion, and while there are 113 active LNG facilities in the United States, only one has had an accident with outside fatalities. That was in 1944, caused by a holding tank that was improperly made because of a wartime shortage of materials. Further, safety technology continually improves. Algeria had a fatal LNG explosion last year attributed to a steam boiler, but boilers are only used at the shipping end. Over 40 LNG receiving terminals operate worldwide; none has had a significant accident. True, some proposals do have pitfalls. For example, Japan's Mitsubishi wants a terminal in Long Beach Harbor. That's a bad place for something to go boom because it's also the location of the nation's busiest port. Since Mitsubishi also has a nasty history of price fixing regarding such things as plastic wrap, fax paper and graphite electrodes, it's natural that Californians would be worried about giving it the state's first LNG terminal. ChevronTexaco of San Ramon, Calif., proposes a terminal near the Marine Corps' Camp Pendleton, but it's still near a population center (the base), near a nuclear power plant, and it could disrupt the flow of goods and services along one of the state's major transportation corridors (Interstate 5). Sempra Energy of San Diego wants a terminal in Baja Mexico. That's certainly out of California's back yard. But placing it in Mexico runs the risk the government could nationalize it. It could then divert some or all of the gas or simply charge whatever it feels like. Californians are also distrustful of Sempra because of its role in the 2000 energy crisis. On the other hand, BHP Billiton plans to build a floating terminal 14 miles offshore so that there would be no impact on land, no interference with shipping - and the largest possible explosion wouldn't singe a single hair on the mainland. As one of the largest proposed terminals, it would supply almost a fifth of California's gas needs by 2008. Yet since environmentalists are dead-set against any terminal, they're fighting even this one. And, yes, NIMBYs oppose it, although by definition it's in no one's back yard. At some point, still another California terminal will be required. But if Ahnuld's state terminates even this one, surely the others have no chance. Then when the energy shortage hits, the consumers' fuel of choice may be burning activists at the stake. Michael Fumento is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and a nationally syndicated columnist with Scripps Howard News Service. His e-mail address is Fumento@pobox.com Howard
The Internet: Blessing or curse for society?
Riddle me this Question: What would you get if all of the military computers in the world crashed? Answer: Peace on Earth James Stanley Hale Beverly Both Just like the advent of the automobile, it's both a curse and a blessing. Yet who could live a productive life without a motor vehicle? Imagine our society without cars. Do cars cause death? Do some people use them irresponsibly? Yes, some do - not all. The business and communications opportunities that have cropped up because of the Internet are astounding. The Internet - like the automobile - is simply a vehicle allowing us to get from one place to another at previously unheard of speeds. The horse-and-buggy ride that took two days turned into a two-hour drive. Who would want to go back to those days? An e-mail takes a millisecond to travel as opposed to a stamped envelope that can take days. However, as with a car, the young and irresponsible should be kept at bay. Our children are growing up too fast as it is. Keith Roberts Rockport Users beware The Internet today is growing, thanks to a lot of Web sites, as well as our ability to find almost everything from A to Z out there in cyberspace. When you use the Internet, you have to be careful because you don't know who you are dealing with when you communicate via e-mail. If you do suspect anyone of using a computer to download child pornography, this person needs some form of psychiatric help. Michael A. Daley Jr. Danvers Computer Age great for kids Definitely a blessing. Though I do not have the Internet at my fingertips like I used to, I loved the days where I could post up a newly written poem on poetry.com or watch a stick-figure experience his demise in the most comical way on stickdeath.com. The Internet has made life so much easier for all of us in some way, shape or form. I'm not just talking about Bill Gates, who is laughing all the way to the bank with a big sack draped over his shoulder with a huge dollar sign on it, either. It's too bad the Internet didn't come out sooner. I'm envious of the way elementary and middle school kids have it now as opposed to when I was their age. A few clicks of the mouse and they've got what they need. I had to go to the library! I got to deal with a three-century-old woman named Delores who had Coke-bottle glasses and didn't know which way was up. I had to walk through aisles and aisles of 10-foot-high shelves and look through 55 books before I finally found what I needed. Lucky kids today. When I was their age, I had to walk through 3 feet of snow with no shoes ... . Christopher A. Pizzo Salem More trouble than it's worth As far as I'm concerned, it's more of a curse than a blessing. I personally know of a woman's daughter who left home for an "on-the-net" affair. She was underage and missing for a month. Thank God it ended well. I know of a lady who was scammed out of a small amount of money via the Internet. There are marriage problems because one spouse finds another's computer messages as happened with the mayor of Newburyport. Add on the scams such as the Salem couple that was selling stolen goods, and the beat goes on. One can get into another's bank account, etc. So it's a curse. It can be a blessing at times for shut-ins and friends keeping in touch from distances apart. But parents: Please check on kids' computer use! Terry McDonald Salem Big factor in U.S. job losses Yes, it's a shame that companies can operate on the Internet and do business from overseas, as do crooks, thieves and people who make threats via the Internet. It's not a blessing, we should tax those companies using the Internet to move jobs overseas. Mark Jones Beverly Internet isn't the problem, it's the people using it Most of the problems with the Internet mentioned in your question of the week are not really problems with the Internet. They are problems with the character of those using the Internet, including the mayor of Newburyport. There are far more benefits than problems with the Internet. I can sit here at home and read the news from my parents' hometown paper. I can read the Washington Times, the Washington Post, U.S. News, etc. I can read the Congressional Record. I can search library databases for books I want to read. I can communicate with family and friends. People with character flaws will still be there with or without the Internet. Barbara Bartholomew Ipswich Point of comparison When weighing its good and bad points, compare it to the automobile! Dan Killoran Lynn Mixed blessing I think that society itself has been both blessed and cursed by the Internet. I think the creators of the Internet must be absolutely horrified that they have produced a medium that has been taken over by society for pornography and pop-up advertising. Just like any other form of communication, the Internet has been used for the evil purposes of men such as scams and child predators. I can't understand where people get the idea that this electronic form of communication has the ability to filter out dishonesty in people. On the other hand, the Internet has been a blessing for cheap and instant communication for those who wish not to talk to others over the phone or meet to talk to them face to face. I'm from the old school of people who like to write with pen and paper, but I am slowly finding myself being sucked into the ease of e-mail. I think the use of the Internet can be likened to the use of a television. One can use them both to educate and entertain wisely or one can find that both sometimes have very little to offer. The biggest blessing of the Internet is online shopping and information at your fingertips. You can get anything you want and find out anything you want to know on a whim. Going back to curses would be the privacy issue. It's amazing how many cookies are inserted by Web sites and how much spam mail one can receive in a day. I view spam in the same way as those telemarketers who call during supper. I really don't need four ads for Viagra a day unless my computer is so smart that it knows something I don't. Dean Burgess Manchester-by-the-Sea
Was sales tax holiday a good idea?
Today, all day, you can purchase any item valued at $2,500 or less from a Massachusetts retailer and not have to pay the normal 5 percent sales tax. The proposal to have the Bay State become New Hampshire - where there is no state sales tax - for a day, was conceived on Beacon Hill last spring as a means of helping retailers through the summer doldrums and also attract back-to-school shoppers. Many stores were anticipating a healthy increase in traffic, with some adding staff and expanding their hours to accommodate the additional shoppers. State officials hope the sales tax holiday will help spur the economy and allow local retailers to grab some of the business that might otherwise have gone to their competition to the north. On the other hand, even as this big day approached, there was confusion as to how this program would work. Could consumers buy something today and pay for it later without having to pay the sales tax? (No). Does it apply to all purchases? (No. Motor vehicles, boats, meals and telecommunications services, including cell phones, are not exempted from taxation.) During the debate on this measure, objections were also raised to the fact that rather than encourage new purchases, the one-day tax holiday would hurt early-summer sales as people held off on major purchases in anticipation of the Aug. 14 tax moratorium. And some said the state could not afford to forego even a single day of sales tax revenue. What do you think? Was the sales tax holiday a good idea? Should the state be sacrificing money that would otherwise go to providing needed governmental services? Or should the sales tax be eliminated altogether? E-mail your thoughts to: nbenton@ecnnews.com
Prominent golfer Carangelo dead at 73By Mike Grenier Staff Writer
Ted Carangelo was a seven-time club champion at Tedesco Country Club in Marblehead. But his friends would say simply that he was a champion in life. A former president of the Massachusetts Golf Association and one of the most prominent golfers in North Shore history, Carangelo, 73, died of cancer Thursday night at his Swampscott home. "This is someone who gave so much back to the game that had given him so much," Bob Green, the longtime head pro at Tedesco, said of Carangelo yesterday. "He was a great champion, but it was never about Ted when he won. It was more about golf. "He'll always be known as Ted," added Green, "but he'll be best remembered for what he did for golf at Tedesco and throughout Massachusetts. He always knew the right thing to do. This is a great loss to the golf community and to his family." Carangelo remains the only man from this region to both win the Mass. Amateur and serve as president of the governing MGA, a responsibility he had, and relished, in 1982-83. Remarkably, he was also the president at Tedesco (1980-83) during the two years that he served as the MGA's president. He wouldn't say he was too busy to handle all the tasks the jobs required. Instead, he would talk about how fortunate he was to have the opportunity to have the dual roles. "It worked," Carangelo said in Gary Larrabee's book, "The Green and Gold Coast: the History of Golf on Boston's North Shore." "I loved the involvement at both levels and felt we got a lot done." A Hall of Fame inductee at Boston English High School and Colgate University, Carangelo last played competitively in May when he teamed up with Charlie Hartnett of Winchester to finish third in the senior member-guest tourney at Tedesco. A month later, he wasn't feeling up to par and had to withdraw from the Tedesco Cup. Given that Carangelo had such a young approach to the game, his passing hit Green particularly hard. He still played the game with a newcomer's passion even though he'd been a member at Tedesco for 44 years. "Every time Ted played it was like a new experience for him," said Green. "He had that kind of enthusiasm. He had a lot of love and a great respect for the game. He'll be missed very much at Tedesco. His love for the history and tradition of golf, and how he felt about the game, those are just some of the things (that you associate with Carangelo). Ted came out of East Boston as a kid and was introduced to golf at a caddie camp at Maplewood in New Hampshire. That caddie camp changed his life." Carangelo was an exceptional all-around athlete. He was offered a scholarship to Georgetown University shortly before the school dropped football. He changed gears and went to Colgate, where he played baseball on a team that made it to the College World Series. He also won the college's boxing championship three times and further pursued baseball, becoming a player in the Detroit Tigers' minor league system. But following a tour of duty in the Marines, he gravitated to golf. In 1960 Carangelo qualified for the first state amateur that was held at Salem Country Club two years later, and he ended up reaching the semifinals before he lost to eventual champion Joe Carr. But it was at Tedesco where he found his home and really blossomed. Carangelo collaborated with his good friend, Jack Nies, to dominate the Tedesco Cup gross division for two decades, winning the title 17 times. He was also moving up in a leadership capacity at Booma Oil, becoming the president of the company during that time, and was getting heavily involved with the MGA. "He loved baseball and boxing; he was just a real sportsman. He loved competing," said Green. Green recounted how Carangelo would show up at Tedesco for lunch every day and, ever curious, Ted would poke around and check out any new equipment. It became a ritual and Green got great enjoyment out of it. "Ted was a constant dabbler at the game," said Green. "He would try every golf demo club in the shop. I cherished his feedback on product demos." Mostly, however, Green cherished his relationship with Carangelo. "He was never afraid to stand up and express his opinion," said Green. "He was just always willing to give of himself."
New 'field of dreams' at Ross ParkBy Jean DePlacido Staff writer
Jean DePlacido A new field of dreams is almost ready at Lt. Ross Park in West Peabody thanks to a dedicated group of volunteers, who took on the project and are still spending their free time putting the finishing touches on the dugouts and announcer's booth. When it is completed sometime this fall, the beautiful facility, complete with lights, will be home to the Peabody West Major Little League teams. "We had a sinkhole and had to dig down and put crushed stone to fill it in," said West president Alan Titelbaum. "We still have to redo the base paths, but we expect the field to be ready for fall baseball. The project was all done through donations and volunteers working hard to make it possible. And we couldn't have done it without the help of Wood Trucking." The site is on park land where the old salt barn stood, adjacent to the current field. The first order of business was to tear down that barn and remove the rocks. Scott Aulson, Paul Dewsnap, Jim Jeffries, Robert Wood, and Danvers Ford helped coordinate efforts. "Aulson has been working on it for the last three years, even in the rain and snow," said Titelbaum. "Without so many dedicated people this would never have been possible. It's the first new park in the city in years, and has been done without any city funding. We applied for CPA (Community Preservation Act) funding, but were turned down twice. "We're really close to finishing up now. We just have to shingle the roof, and close up the building. Between five volunteers and two hired carpenters, we've been working nights on getting the dugouts ready. We took out a three-year $25,000 loan for lights, and now we'll have two lighted ball fields in the city." Titelbaum said plans call for the existing field to be used for Little League AAA games. The new one will be a 200-foot major league field. The only drawback for hosting big tournament events is the lack of restroom facilities at Ross Park. "We hosted the 10-year old tournament this year (which Peabody West won), and so many kids were amazed to play on a field with lights and dugouts. We do have nice facilities here." Titelbaum would like the Veterans Council to raise the flag as part of the opening day dedication, and thinks it would be fitting to give all three fields names. Currently they are known as the A and B fields (the new one will be C). "This park is named for a war hero, and I think it would be fitting to name the fields for deserving individuals," said Titelbaum. While on the subject of those Peabody West 10-year old All-Stars, the group is now 13-0 the past two years. They captured the 9-year-old tourney a year ago, and topped that with a 6-0 mark, compiling 70 runs while allowing only 13 en route to another championship tournament. Stephen Girolamo, Tyler Finnegan, Kevin Church, Nicholas Turco and Jared Lewis handled the pitching chores while all 12 team members contributed to the torrid hitting. In the championship game West beat Peabody American, 16-2, behind great pitching by Girolamo and key hitting from Turco, Genaro Ciulla, and Finnegan. Peabody West started off with a 2-1 win over Salem National behind Girolamo's pitching and great defense. They then beat Manchester Essex, 16-4 powered by the combined pitching of Finnegan, Church, and Turco with key hits from Jared Lewis, Jordan Lewis and Ryan Courtney. Next to fall was Beverly West, 10-5 with Jared Lewis and Church on the mound and clutch hits from Bobby Losanno, Ryan Wall and Girolamo. Peabody West dumped the Gloucester Nats, 11-1, as once again Girolamo got the win with the offense sparked by Brady Doyle, Cameron Borrelli and Church. West then advanced to the championship by blanking Peabody American, 15-0, led by Turco, Ciulla, and Finnegan at the plate while Girolamo was unhittable. Frank Benea managed the team while Mark Lewis, Ed Aiello, Jeff Benea, and Fred Girolamo coached. Justin Lewis was the bat boy. ... The Soteropoulos family from Peabody departed for Athens last Wednesday to watch their son Peter play for the Greek baseball team in the Olympics. "We're all very excited about it," said Kate. "The whole family will be there, George and myself along with Amy and Cara. We're going to meet my father-in-law (Peter Soteropoulos) there. He left a week ago to see all the exhibition games, too. Greece has a few planned against Canada and Australia." Peter, who was selected to pitch and most likely come out of the bullpen, left for Athens on August 5 which happens to be his birthday. ... The St. John's Athletic Hall of Fame will induct eight new members at the annual ceremony and dinner on Friday, September 17. It will also be a special night with the 1979 state champion hockey and tennis teams honored on the 25th anniversary of their achievements. This year's illustrious class includes Richard Batchelder of Danvers (1951) for basketball and baseball; Jack Schylling ('68) of Essex for track; David Howell ('80) of Lynn for hockey; Andrew Veneri ('91) of Smithfield, Va., for hockey and baseball; Mark Peabody ('92) of New York for skiing; Capt. Benjamin Ring ('92) of Killeen, Texas, for wrestling and football; Jonathan Russell ('93) of Marina, Calif., for track; and Kristian Hanson ('94) of Salem for hockey. Paul "Buster" DiVincenzo ('50) of Beverly will be presented the Crystal Eagle award in recognition of his many years of dedication and service to the athletic program at St. John's. Tickets may be purchased from the Prep Alumni Office at (978) 774-6727.
North Shore red hot in hockey showcaseBy Kevin Doyle Staff Writ NO. ANDOVER - Phase One has been successfully completed, capped by a scintillating overtime victory at Merrimack College's Lawler Arena late Thursday night. When 2004 Northeastern Conference MVP and Berkshire-bound defenseman Patrick Gunn of Winthrop blasted home the deciding goal just 30 seconds into overtime of a 6-5 win against South Shore, it allowed North Shore to complete the round-robin portion of Hockey Night In Boston's Summer Showcase as the lone unbeaten squad (7-0) in the 20-team tournament. As the newly-minted champion of the tournament's Massachusetts/New England North Division, North Shore begins its quest to win just its second tournament title - the other came in 1989 - tonight (Merrimack, 8:30) against the survivor of this morning's play-in game at Chelmsford Forum (11:30). Due to the parity of this year's 30th annual event, playoff match-ups were still being determined late last night. With a roster that includes 15 players who were performing in the state's Div. 2 and Div. 3 ranks last winter, North Shore's run - under the direction of Valley Jr. Warriors coach Larry Rocha - has been deadly efficient. Playing an aggressive brand of two-way hockey, North Shore ranks second in goals scored (51) behind Pacific, has allowed the fewest goals (21) and owns far and away the best differential (plus-30) in the tournament. The offense has been spread out with 17 players scoring at least one goal and all 20 skaters having a minimum of two points. Leading the way has been 2004 Cape Ann League Player of the Year Kevin Maresco of Lynnfield, who's off to Phillips Exeter for a post-graduate season and has eight goals and 15 points to rank second in tournament scoring. Northfield senior Alex Muse of Lynnfield (2-11-13), Tilton junior and former Lynn English flash Matt Johnson (7-5-12) and St. John's Prep senior sniper Rico Piatelli (2-8-10) of Danvers are also in double figures. Other key contributors among the forwards have been Pomfret junior Sean Driscoll of Peabody (5 goals), Lynnfield senior Brendan Cox (9 points) and Hebron PG Matt Gilman of Groveland. The former Pentucket ace has three goals and six points to his credit. The goaltending has been spectacular. Phillips Andover junior Matt Ward of Boxford (0.42 gaa, 4 SO) will begin the playoffs as the tournament's top-ranked keeper. Tyngsboro High junior Tom Cole (1.00 gaa, 2 SO) sits in a three-way tie for sixth while Tilton junior Jamie DiGiulio of Peabody (1.57 gaa, 1 SO) has been solid. With seven shutout periods to its credit, North's goaltending troika has kept the opposition off the board for fully one-third of the tournament - a startling accomplishment in such a freewheeling event. Clearly, a portion of the goalies' success is the result of the in-zone coverage applied by the defensemen. Gunn and fellow Winthrop product Dan Coughlin, a senior at Buckingham, Browne & Nichols; the Saugus quartet of post-grads Eric Quinlan (Avon Old Farms) and Bryan Hartigan (Salisbury) and seniors Rob Gannon and Craig Serino; Northfield senior Chris Powers of Lynnfield and St. John's Prep senior Andy Letarte of Salem form up that group. Let Phase Two commence. r
Like mother, like daughterMerrimac mom lives Olympic dream through daughterBy Alan Siegel Correspondent
MERRIMAC - The lack of fanfare aside, Cheryl Treworgy was on top of the world. Then named Cheryl Bridges, she owned a world record in women's marathoning, earning the mark, 2:49:40, in only her second attempt at the 26.2-mile distance. She held the mark for nearly two years, from 1971 to 1973. Unfortunately for her, women's marathoning was a small blip on the screen until several years later when Rosie Ruiz strangely put the sport on the map. But there was one thing missing on top of the world more than 30 years ago. Treworgy, 53, never earned an Olympic berth. Thanks to her daughter, Shalane Flanagan of Marblehead, that will change next week. Flanagan is in Athens. And Treworgy, with cameras and lenses in tow, will be joining her on Monday. Flanagan one-upped her talented mother by qualifying for the 5,000-meter run. The Treworgys' 23-year-old daughter earned the berth by finishing third at the U.S. Track and Field Trials in Sacramento, Calif., last month in a time of 15:10.52, losing out to the top two by only three seconds. "I'm living (the dream) with (Shalane)," said Treworgy, who will travel to Athens next week to watch her daughter compete. "I know that it may sound strange. I know how badly I wanted (to compete in the Olympics). I can only imagine how bad she wants it. As a mother and former athlete, I know how difficult it is. It's amazing to even know somebody participating. And to have it be your kid, it's even more poignant." The young University of North Carolina star has other track and field genes. Her father, Steve Flanagan, ran for the University of Connecticut and competed on three U.S. national cross country teams in the 1970s. Cheryl and Steve divorced when Shalane was young, but running still came naturally for a girl who would watch her parents go out for daily workouts. "Shalane thought everybody went for a run," Treworgy said. "We've seen a lot of people who did push their kids. We didn't try to make her anything that she wasn't." After picking up running in middle school, Flanagan became a star. But unlike her mom, she had a team to compete on. Growing up on the north side of Indianapolis in the 1960s, Treworgy wasn't allowed on her high school track team. It was for boys only. "One of the school board members saw me practicing and said, 'We can't have this,' and I was banned," she said. "I joined a club track team in the summer. I wanted to be involved as much as I could. The only way I could stay involved was for me to keep the books." Treworgy kept running and eventually took her talents to Indiana State University in 1966. Even without a women's varsity track team, she received a special scholarship. "It was from the 'talented student fund,' which basically was a slush fund for talented students," she said. "It could've been one of the first female athletic scholarships around." At Indiana State, Treworgy said, women still were not yet accepted as serious athletes. Females weren't supposed to be competitive. "When I went off to college I was on the volleyball team and I really adopted the guys' way of doing things," she said. "I would try to psych myself up and they thought I was being too aggressive." When the government passed Title IX in 1972, the nation took the first step toward gender equality in sports. More than three decades later, women's sports are flourishing across the country. Treworgy's world record would probably have earned her seven-figure contracts if it had come three decades later. "Even back in the '60s, the only cool sports for girls were gymnastics, swimming, tennis and ice skating," said the 53-year-old mother of two, Shalane and Maggie. She lives in Merrimac with her husband John. "That's just the way it was." Treworgy didn't compete for the fanfare. In fact, originally it seemed just a way to stay in shape. "I read an article by (coach) Bill Bowerman," she said. "He was talking about this concept called 'jogging' that was good cardiovascular exercise. That stuff that made an awful lot of sense. So I said, 'Well, shoot, I can do this.'" In 1976, Treworgy retired from competitive racing. But a few decades later, while still running on her own, she focused on Shalane's career, which has taken off like a rocket the last few years. Just this year, her daughter Shalane signed a 5<1/2>-year contract with Nike. "It's going to be a Nike Christmas," Treworgy said, laughing. Treworgy has no regrets about her track career in relative obscurity, which included five years on the World Cross Country team. Shalane is getting what women have always deserved. "I know that a lot of people weren't sure that Title |
