Archdiocese raises $14.5m in 2007 drive

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston raised $14.5 million in its 2007 Catholic Appeal, surpassing its $14 million goal and bringing it closer to levels achieved before the clergy sexual abuse crisis, officials said yesterday. In 2000, the fund drive raised $17.2 million, but the intake plunged to $8.8 million in 2002, at the height of the abuse crisis. In an effort to rebuild the archdiocese, Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley has been increasing the goal by $1 million each year since his arrival in Boston in 2003. In 2006, the drive raised $13.8 million. "The success of this year's appeal serves as yet another reminder of the deep faith and charity that exists within the people of this archdiocese," O'Malley said in a written statement released yesterday.

The state Senate has approved a measure requiring the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority to come up with a plan to offer alternative fuels on the turnpike. The measure calls for the authority to make alternative fuels available at each of the highway's fuel stations and service plazas by 2014. Senator Bruce E. Tarr, Republican of Gloucester, says the requirement will show the state is serious about making the transition to alternative fuels. The measure was included in the Senate version of a sweeping energy bill passed last night. Another amendment approved by the Senate would require the MBTA and regional transit authorities to streamline the purchase of alternative fuel vehicles. The Senate version must be reconciled with the House version approved in December. (AP)

Suffolk University opened a residence hall on West Street, in what some advocates see as part of the revitalization of Downtown Crossing. "Suffolk is going to be a great asset," said Mary Ann Ponti, a board member of the Downtown Crossing Association. The building will house 274 undergraduate students in apartments and suites and will feature a coffee shop and restaurant on the street level, the university said in a statement. The retail district suffered big blows last year with the closing of Filene's Basement and the Filene's Department store. Demolition of the Filene's complex starts this month, meaning that the heart of the district will become a construction zone for the next two years. Ponti said things are looking up, however, with repairs to sidewalks, streets, and lighting and stepped-up policing. "Everything has been coming along, slowly but surely," she said.

State Police plan to hold a child safety fair at the South Shore Plaza tomorrow, in which they will fingerprint youngsters and compile child identification kits for families as part of their annual child safety awareness campaign. As part of the fair, the Molly Bish Foundation, named for the 16-year-old lifeguard abducted in 2000 from Comins Pond in Warren, is helping State Police localize the National Amber Alert Awareness day. Just over a decade ago, Amber Hagerman, 9, was abducted and murdered in Texas.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute has received a five-year, $1.5 million award from the National Science Foundation to fund a science tutoring system for middle school pupils. The system, which will begin as a pilot program in the middle school science classes in the Worcester public schools, is intended to improve the' understanding of concepts included in the state's science curriculum. Detailed reports on the pupils' knowledge and skills will allow teachers to tailor lessons to needs and abilities, said Janice Gobert, research associate professor in computer science and social sciences at WPI.

A bank teller and her fiance were banking on love when they tied the knot at a Bank of America branch. Sharon Paine and Thaigo Goes exchanged vows in the Sabattus Street branch lobby Tuesday as customers went about their business making financial transactions. For ambience, a candle was put on top of a copier, a linen tablecloth was draped over a desk, and music from rocker Bryan Adams played over a speaker. "We're having a wedding," branch manager Deanna Kinsey told customers. The Paine, 24, is a Bank of America teller who used to work at the Sabattus Street branch. She and Goes, who is also 24, were planning on a legal ceremony and were surprised when bank employees made it into a more elaborate affair. (AP)