The Boston Globe

South scrambles to cope with drought
Water supply in Atlanta less than 90 days
By Greg Bluestein, Associated Press
October 20, 2007
ATLANTA - With the South in the grip of a drought and its largest city holding less than a 90-day supply of water, officials are scrambling to deal with the worst-case scenario: What if Atlanta's faucets really do go dry?
No real backup plan exists. And there are no quick fixes among suggested solutions, which include piping water in from rivers in neighboring states, building more regional reservoirs, setting up a statewide recycling system, or even desalinating water from the Atlantic Ocean.
"It's amazing that things have come to this," said Ray Wiedman, owner of an Atlanta landscaping business.
"Everybody knew the growth was coming. We haven't had a plan for all the people coming here?"
Governor Sonny Perdue of Georgia seems to be pinning his hopes on a two-pronged approach: urging water conservation and reducing water flowing out of federally controlled lakes.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/10/20/south_scrambles_to_cope_with_drought/



Cold drug ban for children is advised
FDA panel says those under 6 aren't helped
By Gardiner Harris, New York Times News Service
October 20, 2007
SILVER SPRING, Md. - A Food and Drug Administration panel of advisers voted yesterday to ban scores of popular over-the-counter cough and cold products intended for children under the age of 6 because they have not been shown to work and can cause injuries.
If put into practice, the vote could transform pharmacy shelves and change the way many parents cope with the myriad colds caught by young children every year. The vote was taken a week after major manufacturers agreed to withdraw more than a dozen cough and cold products labeled for use for babies.
But there are reasons to suspect that further changes, if they come, will not be immediate.
The panel voted unanimously to ban these products for use in children under 2, but its vote to ban them in children ages 2 to 5 was 13 to 9. The FDA usually follows the advice of its independent expert panels, but the closer the vote the more likely the agency is to ignore the advice.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/10/20/cold_drug_ban_for_children_is_advised/



New R.I. report raises questions on clergy abuse
Diocese says vague cases behind rise; AG concerned
Ann Hagan Webb (right) of Wellesley, who is a sexual abuse survivor, spoke yesterday during a press conference in Providence held by BishopAccountability.org. (STEW MILNE FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE)
By Michael Paulson, Globe Staff October 20, 2007
Between 1971 and 2007, 125 priests in Rhode Island were accused of sexual assault or sexual misconduct, including 95 accused of child molestation or sexual assault of a minor, according to a court document filed by Bishop Thomas J. Tobin, head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/10/20/new_ri_report_raises_questions_on_clergy_abuse/



Ashland grapples with crime surge
Sense of safety in suburbs under attack
By Keith O'Brien, Globe Staff October 20, 2007
ASHLAND - Halloween decorations dangle from the trees in anticipation of trick-or-treaters. Tricycles sit near porches. And the residents of the Presidents Row condominium complex in Ashland, where every building is named for a former president, say it is quiet here. It is suburbia.
But in recent weeks, teenagers began hanging out on a rock wall in the complex, often disturbing residents late into the night. And earlier this month, three teenagers attacked a 22-year-old man, slashing him with serrated kitchen knives.
The attack, which the victim survived, has shocked many Ashland residents, specifically because one of the suspects is alleged to be a member of the Bloods street gang. But it is also emblematic of how life has changed in many small communities these days and specifically in Ashland, population 16,120, where arrests were up 62 percent between 2000 and 2006 and are on pace to reach a 10-year high in 2007.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/10/20/ashland_grapples_with_crime_surge/



Judge says illegal immigrant should receive workers compensation
October 20, 2007
PROVIDENCE, R.I. --A judge has issued a preliminary order awarding workers' compensation to an illegal Mexican immigrant who slashed his face to the bone with a chain saw.
Edgar Velasquez was deported last year before he could pursue his case against William J. Gorman Jr., owner of Billy G's Tree Care in Warwick.
The 22-year-old Velasquez alleges Gorman called authorities to have him arrested so he could avoid liability.
But Velasquez was able to attend hearings after he was allowed back into the country on a humanitarian visa.
The judge ordered Gorman to pay medical costs that so far approach $17,000.
If the lawyers file for a trial within five days, the award could be increased, affirmed or reversed. Otherwise, the judgment is final.
Velasquez's attorney said he would pursue a trial to seek more money.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2007/10/20/judge_says_illegal_immigrant_should_receive_workers_compensation/



Evangelical Christians remain wary of top GOP candidates
Crucial voting bloc appears divided
By Michael Kranish, Globe Staff October 20, 2007
WASHINGTON - John Ayers, a 77-year-old retiree, stood outside the cavernous hall where Republican presidential candidates yesterday were courting more than 2,000 evangelical Christians. Several candidates addressed the Values Voter Summit, even though a key organizer, James Dobson of Focus on the Family, has said he could never vote for them.
"We are in a quandary," Ayers said. "We don't know what to do."
One candidate that Ayers likes, US Representative Tom Tancredo of Colorado, is barely a blip in the polls. Another candidate aligned with Christian conservatives, Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas, dropped out of the race yesterday because of lack of support and money. Yet the four highest-polling candidates - Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Fred Thompson - give many evangelicals pause.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/10/20/evangelical_christians_remain_wary_of_top_gop_candidates/



New R.I. report raises questions on clergy abuse
Diocese says vague cases behind rise; AG concerned
By Michael Paulson, Globe Staff October 20, 2007
Between 1971 and 2007, 125 priests in Rhode Island were accused of sexual assault or sexual misconduct, including 95 accused of child molestation or sexual assault of a minor, according to a court document filed by Bishop Thomas J. Tobin, head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/10/20/new_ri_report_raises_questions_on_clergy_abuse/



Patrick frustrated by slow pace of progress
Many priorities stall in first year
By Lisa Wangsness, Globe Staff October 20, 2007
It looked like a done deal the day it was announced. At an international biotechnology conference in South Boston last May, Governor Deval Patrick proposed investing more than $1 billion in the industry, a colossal initiative intended to secure the state's position as a global leader in the field. Alongside him stood Senate President Therese Murray and House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi, a tableau that seemed to ensure its success.
More than five months later, the bill hasn't even had a hearing on Beacon Hill; the first one is scheduled for later this month.
House leaders cite a number of reasons for the delays: Patrick did not file the bill until mid-July; the House and Senate spent six weeks debating whether to break it up or send it to a single committee; and there are differences between the governor and House leaders over crucial details.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/10/20/patrick_frustrated_by_slow_pace_of_progress/



Winchester sports team is checked for MRSA
Football player recovering amid staph-infection scare
By Stephen Smith, Globe Staff October 20, 2007
The 85 members of the Winchester High School football team endured a different kind of exercise this week: A trainer checked them for the pimples, bumps, and boils that can be the harbinger of a dangerous bacterial infection.
One of their teammates had come down with an infection caused by a germ called methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, and school administrators wanted to make sure none of the other players had caught it.
"Everybody was checked, and there was no one else who had it," said Tom Gwin, Winchester High's principal. "We have to take it very seriously."
It was evidence of a problem decades in the making that has seized the public's attention and prompted schools in Massachusetts and across the nation to inspect students and scrub walls and tables.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/10/20/winchester_sports_team_is_checked_for_mrsa/



Mass., N.H. weren't ready for rumble
October 20, 2007
The rumble enveloped Littleton, Mass., and dozens of nearby towns at 1:23 a.m. yesterday, a grating noise that witnesses said sounded like a truck crashing, a lumbering freight train, or a 747 buzzing 100 feet from the ground. As windows rattled and floors vibrated, people sat up in bed, dogs barked, and weary baseball fans awoke on couches with their televisions still flickering, wondering if the Red Sox had won.
"I thought, oh, my God, the furnace blew," said Ann Carey, 64, who was jarred from sleep in her Westford bedroom.
It was a 2.5-magnitude earthquake with an epicenter near Littleton Common. No injuries or damage were reported, but it rattled homes from Milton to Hollis, N.H. Another minor temblor shook the Merrimack Valley earlier this month.
The emergency switchboard lit up at the Littleton police station with reports of explosions and accidents on Interstate 495. "We had two people working the phones, and we still couldn't keep up," said Sergeant Robert Romilly.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/10/20/mass_nh_werent_ready_for_rumble/



Burglars strike Cape DA's home twice in past year
By Stephanie Ebbert, Globe Staff
October 20, 2007
The home of Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O'Keefe has been burglarized twice within the past year, and in one instance, the thief reportedly made off with O'Keefe's gun.
O'Keefe confirmed the burglaries to the Globe but would not address details, including a report that his gun had been stolen.
"It's unfortunate house breaks take place, and I'm sure that the police are working hard to solve those particular breaks," O'Keefe said.
"And there were several of them that occurred in several different homes. They're upsetting to people who are the victims of those things."
"I'm not going to comment about mine," the district attorney added about the break-ins. "Mine are no more or less important than anybody else's. It's just an unfortunate thing that occurs."

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/10/20/burglars_strike_cape_das_home_twice_in_past_year/



Maine fisherman, boat owner face $510,000 in federal fines
By Associated Press
October 20, 2007
ROCKLAND, Maine - The captain of a Maine fishing boat and the vessel's owner face $510,000 in fines for allegedly breaking federal commercial fishing reporting laws.
The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration alleges that Daniel Fill, 43, of Sedgwick, failed to report about 15 million pounds of herring that he caught in the Gulf of Maine from June 1 to late August.
The herring fishery operates under a quota system, with each boat allocated a certain percentage of the overall catch, federal officials said. Boat captains are required to report their catches every week and to keep daily logs detailing catch information.
NOAA issued the fine last week and suspended his fishing license for two years. Fill is prohibited from holding any federal fishing permits during that time, said Mark Oswell, a NOAA spokesman in Silver Spring, Md.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/10/20/maine_fisherman_boat_owner_face_510000_in_federal_fines/



Former Calif. gang member gets 126 years
October 20, 2007
RIVERSIDE, Calif. --A former gang member convicted in a jewelry heist that resembled robberies he described in his memoir has been sentenced to 126 years in prison.
Colton Simpson, 41, declined to speak during Friday's sentencing hearing and showed no reaction when Superior Court Judge F. Paul Dickerson III issued the sentence.
Simpson, who has previous felony convictions, was sentenced under the state's three strikes law. He was found guilty of robbery, burglary and grand theft for his role in a 2003 heist at a Robinsons-May Co. department store jewelry counter in Temecula.
Simpson was accused of being the mastermind and getaway car driver. Two unidentified men, who were not prosecuted, were accused of entering the store and actually pulling off the heist.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/10/20/former_calif_gang_member_gets_126_years/



2nd-grader suspended for drawing of gun
October 20, 2007
DENNIS TOWNSHIP, N.J. --A second-grader's drawing of a stick figure shooting a gun earned him a one-day school suspension.
Kyle Walker, 7, was suspended last week for violating Dennis Township Primary School's zero-tolerance policy on guns, the boy's mother, Shirley McDevitt, told The Press of Atlantic City.
Kyle gave the picture to another child on the school bus, and that child's parents complained about it to school officials, McDevitt said. Her son told her the drawing was of a water gun, she said.
A photocopy of the picture provided by McDevitt showed two stick figures with one pointing a crude-looking gun at the other, the newspaper said. What appeared to be the word "me" was written above the shooter, with another name scribbled above the other figure.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/10/20/2nd_grader_suspended_for_drawing_of_gun/



J.K. Rowling outs Hogwarts character
By Hillel Italie, AP National Writer October 20, 2007
NEW YORK --Harry Potter fans, the rumors are true: Albus Dumbledore, master wizard and Headmaster of Hogwarts, is gay. J.K. Rowling, author of the mega-selling fantasy series that ended last summer, outed the beloved character Friday night while appearing before a full house at Carnegie Hall.

http://www.boston.com/ae/books/articles/2007/10/20/jk_rowling_outs_hogwarts_character/?p1=MEWell_Pos1



60 educators disciplined, more than a third for sexual misconduct
By Jay Lindsay, Associated Press Writer
October 20, 2007
BOSTON --More than 60 educators were disciplined or dismissed during a five-year period in Massachusetts for ethical or criminal offenses, including more than a third who were accused of sexual misconduct ranging from sex harassment to child rape, according to a review of records by The Associated Press.
Many of the sexual misconduct cases made headlines, such as the teacher who sent naked photos to a student.
But other cases were prosecuted with little fanfare, or schools chose to keep the cases quiet. A North Middlesex teacher, for example, was caught nearly naked with a student, but school officials did not release those details to protect her privacy.
Records of sexual misconduct can be found in districts, or with the courts if the cases are criminal, but the records often aren't in plain sight, said attorney Dean Pickett, vice chairman of the National Council of School Attorneys.
"It takes someone saying, 'I think I need to know why John Doe won't be teaching any more,'" Pickett said.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/10/20/60_educators_disciplined_more_than_a_third_for_sexual_misconduct_1192899901/



Gambling in Massachusetts
Editorials and columns on the prospect of casinos in the Bay State
As Governor Deval Patrick and other Massachusetts officials consider a push for expanded gambling in the state, op-ed columnists and the Globe's editorial board weigh in on the issue.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/gambling_mass/



After the Karachi bombing
October 20, 2007
THE SUICIDE bombing directed against Pakistan's former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, on her return home Thursday after eight years in exile illuminates the destructive forces threatening to tear that country apart. In the aftermath of the atrocity, it falls to Bhutto and other temperate political leaders in Pakistan to rally all democratic forces against the violence of Islamist militants and in favor of the rule of law.
Rival party leaders have expressed their sympathy to Bhutto, who came home to lead her Pakistan People's Party in parliamentary elections to be held by mid-January. It remains for those disparate parties to unite in condemnation of both jihadist terrorism and military dictatorship, and to demand free, fair, and transparent parliamentary elections.
The victims of the attack on Bhutto's homecoming procession were among more than a million Pakistanis who were in the streets, not solely to cheer the leader of one party, but to demonstrate their yearning for a return to genuine democracy. Paradoxically, there may be a better chance now than before the bombing to restore civilian democracy. But that chance may be missed unless Bhutto and her civilian political rivals cooperate.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2007/10/20/after_the_karachi_bombing/



Gore's warnings present clear choice
October 20, 2007
BJORN LOMBORG'S Oct. 13 op-ed "An inconvenient Peace Prize" misrepresents Al Gore's statements and misconstrues the findings of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Lomborg writes that Gore, in his film, warns audiences "to expect 20-foot sea-level rises over this century." This is untrue. Gore correctly says that Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets are each equivalent to 20 feet of sea level. He then suggests what would happen "if Greenland broke up and melted or if half of Greenland and half of West Antarctica broke up and melted." Even the IPCC-projected 2-foot rise in sea level by 2100 would wreak havoc in coastal cities worldwide.
Glacial instabilities are causing earthquakes on Greenland. The area of summer Arctic sea ice, which decreased 1 percent per year over the past three decades, shrunk a shocking 20 percent this year.
We have a clear choice: Use climate science to guide us toward actions that minimize adverse impacts of climate change, or be seduced into inaction by distortions such as those of Mr. Lomborg.
If a panel of prominent physicians diagnosed a deadly disease and advised urgent treatment, while a statistician counseled, "Don't worry, be happy," whose recommendation would you follow?
JAMES J. McCARTHY
Cambridge
The writer, a professor of biological oceanography at Harvard, cochaired the 2001 IPCC working group that assessed impacts of climate change.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/letters/articles/2007/10/20/gores_warnings_present_clear_choice/



Women, science, and gender bias
By Cathy Young
October 20, 2007
THE DEBATE over women's place in science, which proved to be the downfall of Harvard President Lawrence Summers after he suggested that male preeminence in the field could be due at least partly to biological traits and personal choices, remains a lightning rod for controversy. Earlier this month, the subject was tackled in two different symposiums - one at Harvard, the other at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington-based right-of-center think tank.
Both events focused on the National Academy of Sciences report issued last fall by an almost all-female NAS committee. The report takes the position that any existing cognitive gender differences are irrelevant to success in science and engineering, and that women in these fields continue to be held back by pervasive gender biases and institutional barriers. This viewpoint was summed up at the Harvard symposium by one of the report's coauthors, Maria Zuber, professor of geophysics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/10/20/women_science_and_gender_bias/



Richardson gives candid answers in N.H.
By Holly Ramer, Associated Press Writer
October 20, 2007
NORTH HAMPTON, N.H. --Democratic presidential hopeful Bill Richardson realizes his position on illegal immigration costs him votes, but he says he's determined to "accept it and do the right thing."
The New Mexico governor applied that same attitude to a range of issues Saturday, giving candid answers to voters gathered at a supporter's home.
When a woman urged him to forget corn-based ethanol and focus only on other potential renewable fuel sources, Richardson refused. When a man asked him to support raising taxes on gasoline, Richardson again said no.
"I think the middle class has been hit enough, and I think there are better ways to do it," he said, saying he prefers tax incentives for companies that develop renewable energy sources and other measures.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/10/20/richardson_gives_candid_answers_in_nh/

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