The Boston Globe from Boston, Massachusetts • 26

64 City Region Boston Sunday Globe JULY 27, 2008 11 N.H. towns were hit in Thursday's tornado Maine governor fears cold winter Price of heating oil could put state in deep freeze Unusual event traveled 40 miles, lasted 50 minutes By Terri Schwartz GLOBE CORRESPONDENT The tornado that hit central New Hampshire Thursday traveled 40 miles through 11 towns, creating a swath of destruction a third of a mile wide in some areas, and lifting off the ground to skip over others, the National Weather Service said yesterday after completing a review of the damage. "Much of the damage across coordination meteorologist in the weather service's Gray, Maine "In some senses, when you look at the amount of damage from falling trees, we were very lucky? One person was killed in the storm and several members of her family were injured when her house collapsed, but beyond that there were only a few injuries, said James C. Van Dongen, a spokesman for the New Hampshire Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency. Sue to 12 other houses collapsed and about 200 were damaged, he said.

The tornado, generating winds as strong as 120 miles per hour, started in Deerfield, N.H., about noon Thursday and headed north- tornado crossed from Rhode Island into Southeastern Massachusetts Wednesday, but did not cause major damage. Three teams of federal and state workers continued to clean up damage in the New Hampshire towns yesterday, erecting new telephone poles and clearing trees mangled by the vicious winds. Family members, friends, volunteers, and neighbors pitched in to help people fix their homes. Van Dongen said most families had been able to find shelter with friends or relatives and only two families had to stay in a Red Cross shelter overnight The Granite Chapter of the American Red Cross opened up a service center at the Fire Depart ment in hard-hit Epsom today to help displaced families. "After the service center today, we'll have a better idea of what everyone needs," said Rebecca Field, a Red Cross spokeswoman.

"I was really impressed with how much resilience there is in the New England spirit" Joanne Randall, a select-woman in Epsom, said people were "just happy to be alive," and it was "good to see a community pulling together." Brenda J. Stevens, 57, of Deer-field was killed when her house collapsed. She was found in the rubble of her house near her stepson's 3-month-old son, who she had been holding when the tornado hit The baby survived. east through Epsom, Northwood, Pittsfield, Bamstead, Alton, New Durham, Wolfeboro, Ossipee, and Effingham before it tapered off in Freedom. The twister lasted approximately 50 to 55 minutes, Jensenius said.

Jensenius said he determined the storm's type and path primarily by looking at the damage to trees. One clue to the storm's strength was the fact that hardwood trees were snapped near the base of their trunks, he said. On Friday the weather service confirmed tornado damage in nine towns and added two other towns, Pittsfield and Northwood, yesterday. The tornado was the second to hit New England in two days. A 1 ASSOCIATED PRSS AUGUSTA, Maine Governor John Baldacci drew attention to a "dangerous" winter ahead in his the state was trees down.

Thousands and thousands of trees," said John Jensenius, warning- -'i WWW weekly radio address, while Republicans looked only as far into the future as Election Day. In his prepared text, the Democratic governor said that with the price of heating oil already above $4.60 a gallon, "many families will face a tough winter season, filled with difficult choices." "Maine faces a dangerous winter," he said. Baldacci said recommendations presented to him by his Pre-Emergency Energy Task Force, such as more home weatheriza-tion, centralized energy services, more energy audits, and more transportation options, will help. The one-stop-shopping approach to 2 AS 4 fi7jT a energy assistance that's included in the Maine Governor John Baldacci EEs (ft I 'W calls for a tracking system that will make sure people get answers quickly, he said. Once implemented, people who apply for an energy efficiency loan or fuel assistance will have their application processed within 30 days, the governor said.

"But there is only so much government can do. There's no magic pile of money we can tap to pay everyone's oil bill, and we can't force prices to drop," Baldacci said. "But what we can do is to offer a helping hand to the poorest amongst us, empowering people to improve their own situations, and to make sure the programs we have are used effectively and efficiently, and prepare in case there's a real emergency," he said. 0' I "Mli.L.. Over the long-term, Maine must reduce its consumption of oil ANGIE BtAUUtUASiOCIATEO PRESS Jimenez's casket was led from St.

Mary of the Assumption church in Lawrence yesterday after a funeral Mass that was attended by family, friends, and dignitaries. Family, friends mourn Jimenez at Mass and develop alternative energy re sources, said Baldacci. "We have survived energy crunches in the past, and we will nun rnar iMMM.fmMii SOLDIER survive this one," he said. Continued from Page Bl they awaited news about Jime ty -HI 0AA. Haverhill, who served in the Army in the 1980s.

"I think a lot of people are here for that reason, to show their support." Mayor Michael Sullivan of Lawrence said the city came together when Jimenez was kidnapped. "They always had hope that the one day would come when Alex would return home," he said during the Mass. "Today, Alex is home." At the end of the service, Jimenez's parents thanked the community for their support. "Thank you to the whole world who has been there throughout the anger, through the pain, throughout the suffering," said Andy Jimenez, standing by Duran. "And may I add, God bless you." Another service is planned for Aug.

2 on Long Island in New York, where Jimenez's mother lives, before he is buried in Ixng Island National Cemetery in Far-mingdide, N.Y. In the Republican response, House minority leader Josh Tardy said Mainers can expect a lively run-up to November's elections, when they will make choices for president, Congress, and the Legislature. But Tardy drew special attention to a likely veto referendum that seeks to repeal newly enacted taxes on soft drinks, wine, beer, and health insurance claims to help pay for Maine's Dingo Health program. He accused the Democrats of ramming the taxes through in the closing hours of the legislative session. Tardy, of Newport, said it's "as-tonishing that the Democrats would even consider raising taxes at a time when thousands of Maine residents are in financial trouble.

Our tax burden is already horrendous. And as if high prices trayed as." "Part of what we are witnessing here is part of what Alex's letter said. He wanted the whole world to know who he was, but he didn't know it," his father said. Outside the church, before the service began, a crowd that included families with children, leather-clad bikers, and military veterans lined up along the road leading to the church. Many held American flags, creating a path outlined by red, white, and blue.

They fell silent as the horse-drawn wagon carrying Jimenez's flag-draped casket approached. A black and purple cloth surrounded the wagon. Some people chimed in as "America the Beautiful" was played by a band that followed the casket got louder. Following his disappearance last year, Lawrence and neighboring communities united as one, waiting for information about Jimenez. "Everybody was hoping together, praying and hoping that they'd find him," said Billy Gallant, 48, of nez's fate during the months after he disappeared, told the nearly full church about how Jimenez was a jokester who loved to make his family laugh.

Wareing told them about a time in the Dominican Republic, where Jimenez's family is from, he carried a stranger to the hospital after he saw him get hit by a car and stayed by his side until he was stable. Wareing also cited a letter Jimenez wrote, vowing to "to fight for the innocent who can't fight for themselves." Red, white, and blue flower arrangements adorned the altar, flanked by two statues of angels in front of the fallen soldier's casket Jimenez's father, Ramon "Andy" Jimenez, who wore dark sunglasses during most of the service, sat in the front pew with Duran and Jimenez's brothers. Some relatives wore black and white T-shirts that read "climb to glory" above a picture of Jimenez WtNUY MAtUAULOUt SIAhF Maria del Rosario Duran, Jimenez's mother, stood outside St Mary of the Assumption church in Lawrence. Another funeral Mass will be held Aug. 2 on Long Island, N.Y., where she lives.

in his Army uniform and during the sen ice sang' along to the chorus of "God Bless America" with their heads bowed and their hands over their hearts. for gas and groceries are not bad enough, the cost of heating oil next winter will push countless Braulio Duran, a cousin who drove from New York City, said he felt Jimenez was depicted "as our nation's hero and that "this is exactly what he wanted to be por Jonndle Marte can le reached at jmartejilobe.com. Mainers to the breaking point, 'Behind the mask and under those layers, I zcas dying. San oi Patty, spoke and sang at coherence Thousands of women gather to share fears, faith v. By Maddie Hanna QIOM CORRESPONDENT The women spoke of failed diets, failed marriages, failed medical treatments and faith.

The storytellers stood onstage in TD Banknorth Garden during yesterday's Women of Faith conference and encouraged the crowd of thousands sitting in the stands and on folding chairs to share their fears with one another. "Fifteen years ago, I was a perfect Christian mother, wife, artist," said Sandl Patty, a singer who performed, then spoke at yesterday's conference about her bitter divorce and experience in therapy. "Behind the mask and under those Life," on ABC Family. "They have spinach on their teeth. They have bad hair days.

They bare their souls." i Wiman said tickets to the two-day conference cost between $59 and $169, but the organization has a scholarship program. Price, however, didn't deter the thousands who came yesterday. "You want to know how badly I wanted to comer said Amy Hoyt, 71. "Three weeks ago I was In the hospital with a stroke, bleeding from the back of my head, and I said, 'Lord, if you'U let me come' and he did." Hoyt spent more than 10 hours on a bus from New Brunswick layers, I was dying." Patty, who was wearing a silk floral-print dress, put on a parka, scarf, hat, sunglasses, and gloves, then took them off as she described barriers she said she had built between herself and the world. "I am learning that God wants to be the one to come and peel these layers away one by one," she said.

"He wants me to hold my head high and to know I am forgiven." Women of Faith is a non-denominational organization that hosts about 30 conferences a year across the country. Tills Is the sec ond year the event has been held in Boston. Organizers say the event started In 1996 and is one of the largest women's conferences in North America. The goal is to provide moral and spiritual support to women, according to conference spokeswoman Anne Wiman, who said 8,000 tickets to the event had been sold. What makes It work, said Louise DuArt, a comedic impressionist who graduated from Qulncy High School in 1968, is that the speakers tell their stories with humor and honesty.

"The women on the stage are not holier than thou," said DuArt, who hosts a talk show, "Living the KIMN UUMACKIAM.UBI STAff The audience as caught up in a song yesterday during the Women of Faith conference at TD Banknorth Garden. along with 47 other women from "It was like I was up there talk-Canada. She said she came to the lug," she said. conference in Boston last year and found that she could connect with Maddie Hanna can be reached at the speakers. mhannaRlobe.eom..