By Matt Rocheleau, Town Correspondent

Four men were held hostage – including two who were ordered to lie on the kitchen floor for about two hours – after two armed men broke into an Allston home early Thursday morning, first identifying themselves as police officers and then demanding money and drugs, authorities said.

One of the victims was hospitalized for a cut to the head after being pistol-whipped, a Boston Police report said.

Police surrounded the home during a lengthy standoff before arresting the two alleged intruders.

Jake Wark, a spokesman for the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office, identified the suspects as Jacob Noseworthy, 29, of Allston and Sean Bowler, 24, of Waltham.

Both men have been charged with home invasion and witness intimidation. Noseworthy was also charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

The two men were each ordered to be held on $50,000 cash bail at their arraignment on Thursday, Wark said. A not guilty plea was automatically entered on their behalf. They are due back in court on May 30.

Wark said all of the victims are men in their mid-20s and residents of the home.

At about 3 a.m. Thursday, officers went to the house on Holman Street and saw one man – later identified as one of the alleged robbers – shut the front door, the police report said.

Boston Police officers then surrounded the home as the two alleged robbers ran around inside the two-story, two-family home and trying to open windows and doors, in apparent attempts to escape, the report said.

One of the suspects tried to leave out the basement door. An officer pointed a gun at the man and ordered him to the ground, but the man refused. The officer and suspect got into a “violent struggle” and they both fell to the ground, according to the report. Another officer helped pin and arrest the man.

The suspect suffered a cut on his forehead that needed several stitches, the report said.

Soon after a man – later identified as a victim – walked out a back door of the home and was ordered by officers to put his hands up and walk toward them backwards. He obeyed and was cuffed and put into a police cruiser, according to the report.

The other suspect continued to walk around the house, ducking to try to stay out of view.

Another man – later identified as a second victim – tried to jump out a front window of the house. Officers outside ordered him to walk out the front door with his hands up. He, too, obeyed and was cuffed and escorted away by officers, the report said.

About an hour later, two more victims escaped from the back door of the house.

Later, the second suspect walked out of the front door with his hands up, the report said.

The first victim to come out of the house told police he had been in his bedroom listening to music when he heard several loud bangs and someone yelling “Boston Police.” A man then entered his room and repeatedly yelled “give me the money” and “where is the weed?,” according to the report.

The victim replied: “We don’t have any.”

The two suspects then ordered the victim into the kitchen, to lay face down on the floor and to not look at the suspects. The suspects took the victim’s phone so he would not be able to call for help, the report said.

Soon after, the suspects saw the officers outside and began running around the house. After waiting for several minutes, the victim ran for the back door, where he was stopped by police, the report said.

The second victim he was sleeping in his bedroom when one of the suspects came in holding a silver handgun and began yelling “give me the money,” according to the report.

As the suspect threw things around the room, the victim said he told the suspect he did not know what he was talking about. The suspect then pistol-whipped the victim in the side of the head and told him to lay in his bed and pull a blanket over his face, the report said.

The victim said he laid in the bed until the man left the room and then later hid inside a closet. After a while, he left the closet, looked outside a window, saw officers and went outside. He was taken to St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton to be treated for a cut on his head, the report said.

The third victim told officers he was in his bedroom when he heard loud banging and someone yelling “where’s the money?” the report said. The victim was then told to go to the kitchen and lay on the floor with his face down. The victim laid there for about two hours alongside the fourth victim, who declined to talk to officers at the scene.

The second suspect apologized to the two victims. They then got up and left.

Police found a bag of marijuana and a cell phone inside a black Jeep Liberty parked in the driveway. The vehicle was towed away and seized as evidence, the report said.

E-mail Matt Rocheleau at mjrochele@gmail.com.
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By Jaclyn Reiss, Town Correspondent

Locals who want to celebrate Mother's Day next week are invited to the Arsenal Mall in Watertown's national "Mom's Nite Out" event on Thursday, which features an evening of free pampering, food, and giveaways, according to organizers.

The event, which will run from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on May 9 near Old Navy, will also feature beauty advice and makeovers, fragrance samples, fitness demonstrations, food and drink tasting, shopping discounts, a prize giveaway, and more, organizers said.

The first 100 moms who register at the event will also be given free "swag bags" filled with goodies.

For more information on the event, visit the mall's Facebook or Twitter.

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By Laura Gomez, Globe Correspondent

The weekend service suspension of the Fitchburg commuter rail line scheduled for May 4 has been postponed to begin on Saturday June 1, according to the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company.

Due to MBTA improvement projects on the line, service will not be available between the Fitchburg and South Acton stations on Saturdays and Sundays from June 1 to July 28. On Independence Day weekend (July 4 to July 7), weekend train service will be provided.

On Saturday August 3, weekend service will be suspended for the South Acton, West Concord, Concord, Lincoln, and Kendal Green stations until November 17. Weekend train service will be available on Labor Day weekend (August 31 to September 2).

Substitute buses will not be provided throughout the duration of the project.

Trains will terminate and originate at South Acton during the first phase of the project. During Phase 2, trains will terminate and originate at Brandeis/Roberts.

Phase 1: June 1 - July 28 (Fitchburg to/from South Acton)
Trains will terminate and originate at South Acton. During these weekend outages, the following stations will be closed:

• Fitchburg
• North Leominster
• Shirley
• Ayer
• Littleton/Route 495

Fitchburg line trains (inbound and outbound) between South Acton and North Station will operate on the normal weekend schedule.

Phase 2: August 3 - November 17 Fitchburg to/from Brandeis/Roberts
Trains will terminate and originate at Brandeis/Roberts. The following stations will be closed:

• South Acton
• West Concord
• Concord
• Lincoln
• Kendal Green (Weston)

Fitchburg line trains (inbound and outbound) between Brandeis/Roberts and North Station will operate on the normal weekend schedule.

Weekday service will not be impacted.

For more information, visit MBTA.com.

By Rajashree Ghosh, Guest Columnist

May 1 or May Day, is Labor (spelled Labour in India) Day in India. This is not to be confused with the distress signal which is a call for help, and is derived from the French word m'aider mainly used by boats and aircrafts via radio to communicate the call for help. The first day of the month of May is an official public holiday every year. India is one of the many countries that celebrates Labor Day each year on May 1. The first Labor Day in the country was organized by the Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan in Madras on May 1, 1923.

All over the world, May Day continues to symbolize the international struggle of the working class against the capitalist system. It is a day when workers can raise their class demands for unity and against racism, imperialist war, national chauvinism and the entire ruling class. The legacy of May Day provides optimism for future struggles to come. May 1 is a national holiday in more than 80 countries and celebrated unofficially in many other countries. However, many countries do not celebrate Labour Day on May 1. In Australia, Labour Day is celebrated on the first Monday of October. The United States of America and Canada are also among the exceptions. This, despite the fact that the holiday began in the 1880s in the USA.

Looking at the history of the May 1, the struggle for the eight-hour day began in the 1860s. In 1884, the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions of the United States and Canada, organized in 1881 (and changing its name in 1886 to American Federation of Labor ) passed a resolution which asserted that "eight hours shall constitute a legal day's work from and after May 1, 1886, and that we recommend to labor organizations throughout this district that they so direct their laws as to conform to this resolution". The following year the Federation repeated the declaration that an eight-hour system was to go into effect on May 1, 1886. With workers being forced to work ten, twelve, and fourteen hours a day, support for the eight-hour movement grew rapidly. In the months prior to May 1, 1886, thousands of workers, organized and unorganized, members of the organization Knights of Labor and of the federation, were drawn into the struggle. Chicago was the main center of the agitation for a shorter day. The anarchists were in the forefront of the Central Labor Union of Chicago, which consisted of 22 unions in 1886, among them the seven largest in the city. International Workers' Day is the commemoration of the Haymarket Event in Chicago in 1886. In 1889, the first congress of the Second International, meeting in Paris for the centennial of the French Revolution and the Exposition Universelle (1889), following an initiative from the American Federation of Labor, called for international demonstrations on the 1890 anniversary of the Chicago protests. These were so successful that May Day was formally recognized as an annual event at the International's second congress in 1891. State, business leaders, mainstream union officials, and the media and the United States government declared May 1st to be "Law Day", and gave the workers instead Labor Day, the first Monday of September - a holiday devoid of any historical significance.

Around the world and especially in Asia low paid workers held demonstrations to demand higher wages, better benefits and improved working conditions a week after a Bangladesh garment factory building collapse killed hundreds — a grim reminder of how lax safety regulations make going to work a danger in many poor countries. The New York Times reported that factories in Bangladesh, churn out clothing for brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Gap, Calvin Klein and H&M. Global retailers like Target and Walmart now operate sourcing offices in Dhaka, the capital. Garments are critical to Bangladesh’s economy, accounting for 80 percent of manufacturing exports and more than three million jobs. The country also has the lowest labor costs in the world, with the minimum wage for garment workers set at roughly $37 a month. During the past two years, as workers have seen their meager earnings eroded by double-digit inflation, protests and violent clashes with the police have become increasingly common.

Reports are coming in about laborers in Indonesia, Cambodia, the Philippines and elsewhere marched and chanted en masse Wednesday, sounding complaints about being squeezed by big business amid the surging cost of living.

Many of the Asian countries provide the manufacturing ground for world's largest multinational companies. Developing countries in Asia are increasingly attractive to multi-national companies (MNCs) because they enable bargaining power over wages. And cheap labor is central to the low-skilled industry’s growth. Labor costs account for only 1% to 3% of the retail price paid by the final customer, while profit margins are more than 50%. MNCs are able to take advantage of emerging markets in developing countries, and locating production facilities in these countries works to their financial advantage. As MNCs seek to increase market share through expansion - a critical factor in remaining competitive globally they prefer countries that fulfill both of the requirements of low cost production and easy access to emerging markets.

Workers rights are human rights and May 1 is only one day of the year that their voices are allowed to be louder and globally it needs to be a movement linked to wider issues of social change. There is increased need labor standards with American trade policy and for global bodies like the International Labor Organization to become more effective. A steady process of ensuring core labor standards needs to ensure in the spirit of International Worker’s Day.

Rajashree Ghosh is a resident scholar at the Women's Studies Research Center at Brandeis University in Waltham.

By Jaclyn Reiss, Town Correspondent

A summer-long project to replace a natural gas main near the center of Waltham will begin this week, resulting in some traffic slowness and service interruption, according to National Grid representatives.

Construction began today at the intersection of Main Street and Grant Street, and the project will extend to Main Street at Moody Street. A company contractor will be working from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, with some possible night and weekend work, until late summer to complete the replacement.

The project, which will improve the system and increase gas capacity for local customers, will enable National Grid to provide safe and reliable service to homes and businesses, the company said in a statement.

Workers will replace approximately 1,500 feet of existing 4-inch cast iron mains with a single stronger and longer-lasting 8-inch plastic main.

During the project, Main Street will remain open to traffic and police will help control traffic flow.

After the work is completed, National Grid will require customers to switch to the new gas main, resulting in a temporary service interruption. The company said it will notify customers before turning off service, and contact customers to schedule dates to switch to the new main.

Community members with questions or concerns should contact Victor Santana at 781-907-2205.

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The Annual Earth Day Charles River Cleanup was postponed from Saturday, April 20, to Saturday, April 27, as authorities continued their manhunt Friday for the second suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings.

The Charles River Watershed Association said it would provide more details about the rescheduled event next week.

The annual cleanup takes place at various sites all along the Charles River. Since 2000, Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) and a dedicated group of partner organizations and agencies have celebrated Earth Day by engaging local citizens in the state’s largest river cleanup.

By Rajashree Ghosh, Guest Columnist

April 15 2013 – how I looked forward to the day on April 14 2013! It was going to be Marathon Monday and my plans were to sit back at home, relax and enjoy the day as it unfolded.

And you know what? It was also the Bengali New Year. Bengalis – are those who belong to the state of West Bengal in India and even those from Bangladesh. Called “Poila Baisakh” or the first day of the month of Baisakh is celebrated with family, sharing the bounties of harvest, making delicacies to welcome the New Year and seeking blessings from those older.

As immigrants we tend to latch onto festivals that can be celebrated abroad where we live without much effort. Some festivals require complicated rituals which unless you gather resources and material, it is hard to pull it off. But Poila Baisakh is always simple and picking up the phone to call or answer calls and wish is the easiest thing to do. It is such a folksy day (unlike other stern, ritualistic festivals) that welcomes all and it is the inclusive nature of the day that makes me happy and I look forward to it every year. It gives me a chance to carry forward some of my traditions and I surprise myself sometimes at the food I whip up like my mother did. As a child watching her cook and helping her around in the kitchen has paid off although at the time of, it was a chore!

In the news early morning I read that US Secretary of State John Kerry sent his Poila Baisakh wishes to the Bengali speaking people across the world. “On behalf of President Obama, I convey my warm greetings to all Bengali speaking people around the world as you celebrate Poila Baisakh. The American people wish you all happiness and prosperity in the New Year,” he said in a statement. Those words made me feel like it was going to be a beautiful day. Some days are just like that.

As I finished my calls to India by late noon, wishing friends and family I was wondering what would be on our festive dinner menu. It must have been around 3 pm that I switched on the news and all channels on TV had a rider at the bottom of the screen saying “breaking news.” What was so urgent that they had to stop regular programming? Maybe the Marathon runners were being felicitated, I thought. I waited for the sound to come on and that is when I realized how ominous the day had turned into.

I looked aghast at the at the plume of smoke and fire as the “explosions” came on, people running injured and crying, the shock on their faces writ large and the police, EMTs scattered on the screen. It took me back to 9/11 and the subsequent fear, shock and devastation. Why? And why Boston? People from all over the world were participating – what a way to target innocent people! Time stood still and all the festive spirit with which the day started for me had completely diminished.

Again calls poured in from India and rest of the country asking if we were safe – and everyone asked about the eight year old Martin who lost his life and his mother and sister have serious injuries. What has the world come to? Who are the people who thrive on killing a child? And innocent by standers supporting and cheering on the runners – what was their fault? In the years that I have spent in and around Boston and made it my home I have never seen anything as violent, despicable and alarming as this. May be DC because it is the political hot seat, maybe New York because of its financial status but never Boston. I made calls to people I know who work and live around Boston and was relieved to learn they were safe but for some it was quite close. Either they walked down Boylston Street minutes before the explosion or they were stopped by the police much before they reached the finish line.

My day changed. If the New Year begins on such a violent note, what is the rest of the year going to be like? I shudder as I keep my eyes peeled on the news updates. Stories of brave men and women helping those injured pour in. Yes we are in mourning – we have lost people – lives and their being. We have lost a way of living and trusting.

What I am sometimes uncertain about is how as a regular law abiding, hard working immigrant am I supposed to mourn? Is there a template that I could follow so I am recognized as a viable mourner? Am I allowed to be part of a shared sense of loss? I see my colleagues share their experiences as Marathon runners, bystanders and just regular people and then write about how “American” it is to help each other in times of distress. At one go, I am shut off from what is going on.

Did I hear that the devices used were packaged in a pressure cooker? It is as common as an oven or a microwave for an American as a pressure cooker is for many cultures and cooking. It even forms part of wedding trousseau because the cookers are sturdy and last a life time just like silverware and dishes in this country.

At this point I am angry that something so cultural has been usurped for a heinous crime. And I want to reclaim that and much, much more. At the time of writing this piece, no one had been found responsible or at least reported. I hope they do find out and soon because we are hurting and need closure.

Understandably, loss is private, personal but when there is breakdown of the normal, let us recognize that bereavement is across family, community, national boundaries and an essential step in rebuilding our lives.

Rajashree Ghosh is a resident scholar at the Women's Studies Research Center at Brandeis University in Waltham.

By Jaclyn Reiss, Town Correspondent

Ken Doucette, vice-president of the Waltham City Council, said he ran Monday's Boston Marathon and had crossed the finish line mere moments before two blasts erupted in Copley Square, killing three people and injuring 176 at last count.

Doucette said over the phone that this week's race was his third Boston Marathon - although his last one had been in 1993.

Doucette declined to comment on the scene he witnessed, but noted that he was able to find his family quickly after the explosions.

"I was one of the luckier ones there," he said.

Doucette also issued a brief statement to local reporters.

"First and foremost, my thoughts and prayers are with those who passed away or were hurt in Monday’s explosions," Doucette said in his statement. "I do not pretend to understand this senseless act of violence. The Boston Marathon has always represented something ‘Good in this world’ and in the face of yesterday’s violence we saw shining examples of that ‘Good’ as First Responders, Medical Teams, Volunteers and Bystanders rushed to help total strangers.

"This is the memory I choose to take from this event. I encourage everyone to remember the 'Good' that was displayed by so many selfless people. In the coming days, let us all be sure to support our family and friends."

Doucette said councilors would observe a brief moment of silence at tonight's City Council meeting.

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By Jaclyn Reiss, Town Correspondent

To celebrate the kick-off of this year's agricultural growing season, the Waltham Fields Community Farms will hold its 12th annual "Sprout" silent auction event that features food, an open bar, live jazz music, and a live and online silent auction to help raise funds for the farm.

The event will take place April 26 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation.

The event is a main fundraiser for the farm, a nonprofit organization that seeks to promote local agriculture and food access through its educational programs and its practices of harvesting produce for local low-income residents and shelters for the homeless and needy.

Event organizers expect over 300 people to attend this year's auction, which will feature giveaways that include weekend stays in various parts of New England, farm meat and vegetable shares from local farms, gift certificates for local restaurants, theater and museum passes, and handmade quilts and art, among other unique prizes.

For the second year, organizers will also set up an online auction at esprout.communityfarms.org, and is open for bids through Sunday, April 21 at 11 p.m.

Guests at this year's auction will also be served a farm-to-table meal prepared by Cambridge-based locavore chef JJ Gonson, event organizers said.

Tickets for the event cost $50 for farm members, $55 for non-members, and $35 for each additional ticket after the first two are purchased.

For more information on the event, visit communityfarms.org.

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This press release was submitted by the YMCA of Greater Boston

The YMCA of Greater Boston is helping the community kick start a healthy lifestyle. All branches offer free fitness courses, nutritional seminars, shoe fittings and more April 15 through the end of May.

Workshops are open to both members and the community. Anyone who signs up for membership on free workshop days pays no joiner fee for membership and receives $10 Y Bucks towards Y programs. Members who refer a friend also get Y Bucks. For specific workshop details and to register, visit www.ymcaboston.org/StartHere.

The free workshops are a part of the YMCA of Greater Boston’s Healthy Lifestyles Start Here campaign, which aims to promote and embrace the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. All workshops and fitness courses are fun and informative, and include a group workout session.

On May 18, Season 10 Biggest Loser winner, Patrick House joins the Burbank YMCA in Reading from 9:30- 10:30am as part of the Healthy Lifestyles Start Here campaign. Patrick shares his weight loss journey through the Biggest Loser and how he maintains a healthy lifestyle. He will also participate in the free All Team Bootcamp as part of the Team Training program at the Burbank Y.

To see a complete list of all workshops and locations as well as to register online, please visit www.ymcaboston.org/StartHere.