4 the Chronicle, Willimantic, Conn., Tuesday, September 29, 2015

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Obituaries

To place an obituary (funeral homes only): Classified Dept. at 860.423.8466, ext. 3363, or 860.423.8466, ext. 3337 after 5 p.m. on Fridays

during 2014 decreased an over-all 9.7 percent, including a 5.5 percent drop in murders, a 12.2 percent decline in rapes, an 11 percent decrease in robberies, and an 8.4 percent reduction in aggra-vated assaults.

“Indeed, violent crime is drop-ping significantly so far even this year on a year-to-date basis,” Malloy said.

The FBI reported 17 states ex-perienced an increase in violent crime over the last year.

Crimes committed with a fire-arm declined 4.9 percent over 2013, said Doris B. Schriro, the public safety commissioner. Gun crimes are down 16.7 percent since 2010, she added.

“In comparison to the rest of the country, Connecticut’s rate of crime committed with a gun per

100,000 persons is one-half of the national average,” she said.

Violent crime was down in Bridgeport, Hartford and New Haven, but the governor acknowl-edged Hartford’s homicide rate is the highest in New England.

“There is no way to ignore what is happening in Hartford, but what is happening in Hartford is not playing itself out in other munici-palities,” Malloy said. In addition to violent crimes dropping, the FBI reported a 7.6 percent drop in burglaries last year, a 2.1 percent drop in larcenies and a 2.1 percent drop in motor vehicle thefts.

After rattling off the favorable numbers, Malloy challenged the news media and political oppo-nents to find any downsides to the new FBI crime data.

“This will be a tough one to make a bad story out of,” he said.

Malloy and Schriro said crime in the state is at a nearly 50-year low.

The total number of index crimes reported for Connecticut in 2014 is the lowest total since 1967, according to the FBI.

The violent crime rate is lowest since 1974 and the rate for prop-erty crimes is the lowest since 1966, Schriro said.

“When we compare ourselves to the rest of the nation, we see clear progress,” Malloy said.

He said Connecticut saw the fourth highest drop in crime among the 50 states and the state had the biggest drop among the 42 states with a population of 1.3 million or more.

Malloy also used the occasion of the release of the FBI crime report to plug his Second Chance Society initiatives, a series of sen-

tencing reforms and other related policy changes intended to treat nonviolent offenders differently and reduce repeat offenses.

“I predict further improve-ments because of Second Chance Society legislation, which makes systemic changes to our state’s crime-fighting strategy,” he said.

In his opinion, Malloy said he believes the drop in violent crimes reflects the strict new gun laws that were enacted in 2013 follow-ing the deadly mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown that claimed 26 lives in December 2012.

“I think that we are smart on our approach to guns and I think it is having an impact,” he said. Yet, Malloy also said more time is needed to objectively evaluate the effect of the post-Sandy Hook laws on crime here.

Theresa Marie Muir

WILLIAMSTOWN, MA - Theresa Marie Muir passed away peacefully on August 23, 2015. A won-derful wife, mother, grand-mother and friend, she was surrounded by loved ones at Williamstown Commons Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Williamstown, MA, where she resided for the past six years. Marie was born in Newark, NJ on May 13, 1926, but grew up in Providence, RI, where she graduated from Hope High School. In 1947, she married Robert E. Muir Sr., also of Providence. He was the love of her life and her very best friend. They relocated to Willimantic, CT, where they lived for fifty-six years and raised their fam-ily. Bob predeceased Marie in January 2009. Devoted to her family, Marie was happi-est when she was with her husband, children, and grand-children. Some of her fondest memories were of spending time with her family, espe-cially in Cape Cod, MA and Sun City Center, FL. She also

loved card games and was a volunteer and player on Bingo nights at the Elks Club in Willimantic. Marie held several jobs in Willimantic and retired in 1988 from Brand-Rex Company, where she worked as an account-ing clerk. Marie leaves her son Robert E. Muir Jr. and daughter-in-law JoAnn Muir of Williamstown, MA; her daughter Susan E. Baker and son-in-law William C. Baker of Willimantic, CT; and her three grandchildren, Scott J. E. Baker of Lebanon, CT, Bryan E. Muir of Boulder, CO, and Christopher E. Muir of Brooklyn, NY. Her son William S. Muir also passed away in January 2009. Marie will be fondly remembered by everyone whose life she touched. The family would like to thank the staff at Williamstown Commons, for their tireless professional-ism and compassion and the staff at HospiceCare in the Berkshires, for their tremen-dous support and guidance. They would also like to express their deep gratitude to Melissa Bryce and her extraor-dinary staff at At Home TLC, for providing loving care and companionship for Marie for the past eight years. A private burial service will take place in Willimantic, CT at the family’s convenience. To send a message or a card, please visit www.flynndagnolifuneral-homes.com.

Charles J. NagyMANSFIELD - Charles J.

Nagy, of Mansfield, CT, passed away September 25, 2015. He was born in Tatabanya, Hungary March 21, 1938. Charles was married to Barbara (Varga) Nagy. He was proud of his Hungarian heritage and was a Hungarian freedom fighter in the 1956 revolution. He then came to the United States in 1957, on his 19th birthday. He was active in the Hungarian Social Club of Ashford, where he met Barbara. Charles leaves a son Karl (Aaron) of Mansfield, a daughter Deena in New Hampshire and grand-children, Karl Jr., Benjamin and Rebecca, also a sister, several nephews, and relatives in Hungary. Charles (Charlie, Chuck and also affection-ately called “trouble”), was a skilled carpenter. He was a partner in the former Major

Construction Co. and retired as a stair installer working throughout New England and New York. Deep appreciation is extended to his doctors, especially Dr. Peter Jones, Dr. Robert Bundy and their staff, as well as Renee Clinton, Lori Giambauttista and the respiratory group, and to the many friends made in the Pulmonary Rehab Program, and finally to the staff at Windham Hospital. The family will receive friends Wednesday, September 30, 2015, from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. at Potter Funeral Home, 456 Jackson St. (Rte. 195), Willimantic, CT. A Funeral Mass will be held Thursday, October 1, 2015, at 11:00 a.m., at St. Philip the Apostle Church, 64 Pompey Hollow Rd., Ashford, CT, with burial to follow at Storrs Cemetery.

Eldridge said he wasn’t sure how the reduction would affect the town budget, but he noted the news was a “bump in the road” or a “hiccup.”

“I’m sure the board of finance and (Windham Town Manager) Neal (Beets) will have to look at it,” he said.

Windham Board of Finance Chairman Lynne Ide and Wind-ham Town/School Finance Direct-or Christian Johnson could not be reached for comment this morn-ing.

Beets said this morning he was concerned about the PILOT reduction, but said he felt it hap-pened early enough in the fiscal year that the town will still be able to come in with a balanced budget.

“It’s still early in the year,” he said. “It’s better than finding out next spring,” he said.

Beets said it’s too early in the fiscal year to make recommenda-tions about spending cuts.

“We’ll sort of see how this year plays out,” he said.

Beets said the town may real-

ize it doesn’t need something it budgeted for or may get more revenue than anticipated in other areas.

“It’s a little too early to make any judgments,” he said.

By knowing about the PILOT reduction early in the fiscal year, Beets said “we can plan around it.”

Eldridge said he wasn’t too con-cerned about the PILOT reduc-tion, noting the town always has a strong fund balance and that could be used to cover shortfalls — if there are any.

“It’s not a traumatic thing,” he said, referring to the reduction in state aid. “It’s just not a nice thing.”

Beets said the Willimantic Tax-ing District may need to make spending cuts.

He noted PILOT funding is split between the Willimantic Taxing District and the general govern-ment budgets.

Under the new charter, which went into effect July 1, the Willi-mantic Taxing District is now responsible for making ad-just-ments to its budget, rather than the board of finance.

Budget cuts reduce PILOT funds for town

(Continued from Page 1)

By KATE LINTHICUMLos Angeles Times

Asians are likely to surpass Latinos as the nation’s largest immigrant group shortly after the middle of the century as the wave of new arrivals from Latin America slows but trans-Pacific migra-tion continues apace, according to a new study of census data.

The surge of immigration that has re-shaped the American population over the last half century will transform the coun-try for several decades to come, the pro-jections indicate. Immigrants and their children are likely to make up 88 percent of the country’s population growth over the next 50 years, according to the study by the Pew Research Center, which has tracked the effects of immigration on the country’s population for the last several decades.

The foreign-born, who made up just 5 percent of the nation’s population in

1965, when Congress completely rewrote the country’s immigration laws, make up 14 percent today, the study found. They are projected to be 18 percent of the population by 2065.

Increasingly, that population growth will involve Asians. Unlike the Latino population, which mostly shares a com-mon language, Spanish, and many cultural traits, the census category of Asian takes in a vast array of ethnic and language groups, including Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, Filipinos, Indians and Pakistanis.

Already, Asian-Americans make up about 6 percent of the nation’s popula-tion, up from just 1 percent in 1965. By the middle of the century they will total 14 percent, the projections say.

Asians are expected to constitute 36 percent of the immigrant population by 2055, surpassing Latinos, who by then will be 34 percent of immigrants, the study indicates. Since many Latinos are

third- or fourth-generation Americans, they will remain a larger share of the total population, close to one-quarter of all Americans by midcentury.

Currently, Americans have a more posi-tive view of Asian immigrants than of Latinos, according to a survey Pew did along with the population projections.

Nearly half of American adults, 47 percent, said immigrants from Asia have had a mostly positive effect on American society. Only 26 percent said the same about immigrants from Latin America, with 37 percent saying they thought the effects of Latin American immigration had been mostly negative. Immigrants from the Middle East fared worse in public opinion, with just 20 percent say-ing their effect on the country has been mostly positive, and 39 percent saying their impact has been mostly negative.

The survey found that 59 percent of Americans said immigrants, overall, were not learning English in a reasonable

amount of time.The Pew study was designed to look at

how immigration has changed the racial and ethnic makeup of the U.S. since Congress passed the 1965 Immigration and Naturalization Act. That law abol-ished a quota system based on national origin, which had barred most immigrants from outside of western Europe and led to a sharp increase in immigration from Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Today, 62 percent of Americans are non-Latino whites, the report found. That’s down from 85 percent in 1965.

The survey found that people’s attitudes toward immigration depend on their polit-ical affiliation — with Democrats more favorable than Republicans — and also on whether a person knows an immigrant personally, said Mark Lopez, director of Hispanic research at Pew and a co-author of the report.

“If you take a look at those who know someone who is an immigrant, fewer will

say that crime and the economy are worse for it,” Lopez said.

He noted that the poll was conducted in the spring, before Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump sparked nation-al debate with calls for much tougher immigration enforcement and criticism of some Mexican immigrants.

Among Democrats, 55 percent said immigrants were making American soci-ety better in the long run, while 24 per-cent said immigrants were making things worse.

Views were nearly the opposite among Republicans, 53 percent of whom said immigrants were making American soci-ety worse in the long run, and 31 percent saying they were making things better.

Younger Americans were more likely to see immigration as a positive thing, reflecting in part the ethnic diversity of their generation.

Distributed by Tribune Content Ag-ency.

Study finds Asians will surpass Latinos as largest immigrant group in U.S.

FBI: Crime rate in state fell by 10 percent in ’14(Continued from Page 1)

Reuters

LONDON — The first patient has been treated in Britain in a pioneering trial of a new treat-ment co-developed by Pfizer and derived from embryonic stem cells designed for patients with a condition that can cause blind-ness.

Specialists at London’s Moor-fields Eye Hospital said the oper-ation, described as “successful”, was the first of 10 planned for participants in a trial of the treat-ment for a disease called ‘wet’ age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The trial will test the safety and efficacy of transplanting eye cells known as retinal pigment epithe-lium, which have been derived

from embryonic stem cells.Stem cells are the body’s mas-

ter cells, the source of all other cells. Scientists who support the use of embryonic stem cells say they could transform medicine, providing treatments for blind-ness, juvenile diabetes or severe injuries. But critics object to them because they are harvested from human embryos.

This trial involves surgeons inserting a specially engineered patch behind the retina to deliver the treatment cells to replace dis-eased cells at the back of the eye.

The first surgery was success-fully performed on a patient last month, Moorfields said in a state-ment today, and “there have been no complications to date”.

“The patient wishes to remain

anonymous, but the team hope to determine her outcome in terms of initial visual recovery by early December,” it added.

Retinal surgeon Lyndon Da Cruz, who is performing the operations, said he hoped many patients “will benefit in the future from transplantation of these cells.”

Macular degeneration accounts for almost 50 percent of all cases of blindness or vision loss in the developed world. It usually affects people over 50 and comes in two forms, wet and dry. Wet AMD, which is less common than dry AMD, is generally caused by abnormal blood vessels that leak fluid or blood into a region in center of the retina.

This trial is part of The London

Project to Cure Blindness — a partnership between Moorfields, University College London’s (UCL) Institute of Ophthalmo-logy and Britain’s National Instit-ute for Health Research. The U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer joined in 2009.

Chris Mason, a professor of regenerative medicine at UCL, said the trial is important both as potential step towards curing a major cause of blindness, and as a way of deepening understanding of the use of embryonic stem cells in treatments.

“If the AMD trials are success-ful, then by using embryonic stem cells as the starting material, the therapy can then be affordably manufactured at large scale,” he said.

Researchers start stem cell trial of potential blindness cure

The Press-Republican

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — Be-fore she was sentenced Monday for her role in helping two killers escape from Clinton Correctional, Joyce Mitchell sobbed through a statement expressing remorse and fear of going to state prison.

“This is by far the worst mis-take I have made in my life,” the Dickinson Center woman said. “I not only let myself down but my children and my husband.

“I love them more than life itself.

“I realize I need to be respon-sible for my actions,” Mitchell said. “(But) I would wear an ankle bracelet for rest of my life if could just go home to my family.”

Mitchell, 51, who provided hacksaw blades and other imple-ments to inmates Richard Matt and David Sweat, had known they were planning an escape.

“I know I should have told someone, but Mr. Matt had oth-ers watching and reporting to him about what my husband and I were doing at all times,” she said, tears streaming and her head down as

she tried to follow her notes.“I was fearful of Mr. Matt threat-

ening to kill my husband.”Clinton County Judge Kevin K.

Ryan wasn’t buying that.“You said you ‘did the wrong

thing for the right reasons,’” he told her, referencing a presentenc-ing interview with Mitchell. “I just don’t find that explanation credible.”

In that same interview, the judge reminded the former prison tai-lor shop supervisor, she had said she felt the punishment she had agreed to in July was too harsh.

“I can assure you, you have nothing to complain about in the negotiated sentence,” he told her.

That sentence, delivered Mon-day morning by Ryan, gave Mitchell two and a third to seven years of incarceration on her con-viction of first-degree promoting prison contraband, a felony, along with a $5,000 fine.

She will serve a concurrent jail term of a year for fourth-degree criminal facilitation, a misde-meanor, and pay a $1,000 fine.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency.

New York judge brings hammer down on Joyce Mitchell

According to Bellano, the unem-ployment rate in Windham for August was 6.8 percent, a slight improvement over July, when the unemployment rate in town was 7 percent.

Bellano said the improved DECD ranking and improved unemployment rate are “positive indicators” the town is “moving

in the right direction.”Bellano said the economy is

better in Windham than it has been in the last five years.

“Employment is a key factor,” he said.

While the improved DECD rat-ing is good news, Bellano said the town’s job is not done.

He noted one of the goals of his office is to have a central point of

contact for businesses, nonprofits and other groups in town.

“We want to keep that dialogue open,” Bellano said.

He will continue to recruit businesses into town, as well as provide resources for existing businesses, including tax incen-tives and any available incentives through DECD.

Eldridge said Bellano is a “one-

man band,” but he is doing a great job in Windham.

To further improve the town’s economy, he said the school sys-tem must also improve.

“I think if we can get our schools to perform better, that means we can get people to come to our community,” Eldridge said. “The superintendent (Patricia Garcia) is really working hard to do that.”

Windham fares better on list of distressed towns(Continued from Page 1)

weeks ago, Shor videotaped a flyboarding exercise performed about 30 feet away from the out-door patio.

Now that hydrilla was found in the lake, she is concerned small fragments of the invasive plant could fall into people’s food from the flyboarding.

Shor said the Lake Advisory Committee is still awaiting a re-port from Kortmann regarding the effect flyboarding has on the lake, but her committee its recommend-ing its prohibition while acknowl-edging the positive impact it can

have on the community such as increased tourism.

Coventry Town Council Chair-man Lisa Thomas told members of the steering committee it’s possible the issue of flyboarding won’t be up for discussion at the council level until after Election Day.

Thomas said an e-mail she received from Kortmann stated divers were unable to find rooted hydrilla near the state boat ramp in their initial look.

She said Kortmann questions whether this came from a colony or whether it was fragments that

came off a boat.Kortmann was unavailable for

comment this morning.Thomas confirmed hydrilla

was not a plant discussed at the recent “State of the Lake Forum” because it was never previously found at the Coventry Lake.

Eric Trott, Coventry’s director of planning and development, said he hopes representatives from the Connecticut Agriculture Experimentation Station will come to the lake for testing before the season ends or at the begin-ning of next year.

Sanden said the state boat

launch ramp will be removed from Coventry Lake between Oct. 15 and Nov. 15 based on schedul-ing.

The dock can be taken apart in four sections and stored to prevent ice from damaging the ramp.

Thomas credited the popularity of Coventry Lake for out-of-town visitors, since it is first major lake outside Hartford with a public boat launch that is large enough to support flyboarding.

That popularity makes the dis-covery of hydrilla even more dis-cerning, according to local offi-cials.

Scientists probe invasive weeds(Continued from Page 1)

Reuters

WASHINGTON — Republican U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the leading candidate to be the next House speaker, voiced sharp dis-agreement with President Obama’s foreign policy on Monday with calls for a tougher response to

Islamic State and Russian aggres-sion in Ukraine.

McCarthy was strongly critical of the Democratic president in a speech that could increase his appeal to hard-line conservatives who sought to oust the current speaker, John Boehner. Boehner

abruptly announced his resigna-tion on Friday.

“The absence of leadership over the past six years has had horrific consequences all across the globe, and it is getting worse day by day,” McCarthy said in a speech to the John Hay Initiative, an organiza-

tion of Republican foreign policy veterans.

McCarthy, 50, has emerged as the most likely candidate to be elected to as speaker. The California congressman formally announced later on Monday that he had decided to run.

Contender for House speaker blasts Obama’s foreign policy