I TUESDAY, Dec. 4, 2001
UNIVERSITY PARK FORECAST FOR TUESDAY, DEC. 4, 2001,
Above average temperatures will continue through the middle of the week until an area of low pressure
slides into the region from the west. While little precipitation is expected, this storm will open the door for some
colder air by the weekend.
Today
o1: ::z.
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.;,
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vir... ,
4.41 F l' "
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The extended outlook
Tomorrow night More clouds return. Low 46.
Thursday: Cloudy with a chance of a afternoon shower. High 60, low 49.
Friday: Chance of a morning shower; then sun returns. High 50, low 38
Saturday: Partly sunny. High 44, low 30.
ALMANAC
Today
Normal high
Record high
Normal low
Record low
SIMU* Climate Summary
(Data valid through 8 am yesterday)
Dec. precipitation 0.00 inches
Normal Dec. precip 2.67 inches
Dec. temp. departure + 14.41 deg.
Sun Data
Sunset today . . .
Sunrise tomorrow
40 deg.
64 deg. in 1998
25 deg.
. 0 deg. in 1976
PEOPLE IN THE NEWS
`Pearl Harbor' to hit
video stores today
LOS ANGELES (AP) Critics
trashed Pearl Harbor, but the movie
has become more relevant since the
Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, said produc
er Jerry Bruckheimer.
Recounting the Japanese sneak
attack that hurled the United States
into World War 11, Pearl Harbor likely
will resonate differ
ently with audi
ences when it
:tdebuts on home
video today, Bruck
heimer said.
"Absolutely and
unfortunately,"
Bruckheimer said
in a telephone inter
view last week. Bruckheimer
"There are echoes
of a country unaware and unprepared
jor,,,what's to come. the patriotism
--talskrwl'iteie seeing a tot of that
again. The military is looked at much
differently" since Sept. 11.
The VHS and DVD release this week
coincides with the 60th anniversary of
the Pearl Harbor attack on Dec. 7.
Pearl Harbor, starring Ben Meek,
Kate Beckinsale and Josh Hartnett,
was an explosion-laden, three-hour
epic that cost $l4O million. Critics gen
erally hated it, and the film failed to
live up to lofty box-office expectations
some in Hollywood had predicted.
The movie has grossed a bit less
than $2OO million, and before its
release, some analysts viewed it as the
film to beat last summer. But three
other summer-season movies
Shrek, Rush Hour 2 and The Mummy
Returns out-grossed Pearl Harbor,
along with two fall films, Harry Potter
and the Sorcerer's Stone and Mon
sters, Inc.
"Those were other people's expecta
tions, not ours," Bruckheimer said.
"Any studio would be happy to have a
hit as big as Pearl Harbor."
Cruise looks to religion
for strength as actor
NEW YORK (AP) Tom Cruise
says being a Scientologist for the past
15 years has given him the strength to
handle the negativity that can exist
Hollywood.
"Life pounds you —you know what I
mean?" Cruise says in the January
issue of Vanity Fair magazine, in which
he also discusses his upcoming movie,
Vanilla Sky.
"You come across losses. All of a
sudden something happens and now
you feel like you cannot go forward or
it invalidates you. People die. Things
'NEWS IN BRIEF
Water main break
closes intersection
- There was a water main break that
fteced the closure of Bigler Road
between Curtin Road and Park Avenue
yesterday afternoon between 3:28 and
4:15.
The break sent water flooding out
completely covering six inches of the
street However, no buildings or vehi
cles were damaged by the water, said
University Police Services supervisor,
Dvright Smith.
The break affected faculty and staff
who parked their vehicles in Lot
Orange A and Lot 80. Those who want
ed to exit the parking lots will need to
use west exits to Shortlidge Road.
OLICE LOG
■ Theft Compact discs, running
shoes and $5O in cash were taken from
a Penn State student's car Sunday at
an unknown time on the 600 block of
Early sun,
followed by
clouds
High 59
BIG TEN FORECAST ADDITIONAL WEATHER
University
Illinois
Michigan
Michigan St
Minnesota
Northwestern
Ohio State
Purdue
4:44 pm
.7:21 am
Wisconsin
happen in life that make it very difficult
at times to be happy
or to overcome cer
tain pioblems. Sci
entology has helped
me be able to figure
out tools to under
stand exactly what
a problem is, and
how to overcome
those problems."
As for his divorce
from Nicole Kidman
this year after near
ly a decade of marriage, the 39-year
old actor has less to say
"She knows why and I know why.
She's the mother of my children, and I
wish her well," he said.
"I don't care if it piques people's
interest. Honestly, people should mind
their own damn business. And get a
life of their own. ... My personal life
isn't here to sell newspapers."
Balw born taßraidon
and hubby in Georgia
ATLANTA (AP) Toni Braxton has
given birth to 5-pound, 12-ounce boy at
an Atlanta-area hospitaL
The baby, born Sunday, was named
Denim Cole Braxton Lewis and is the
first child for Braxton and her hus
band, Keri Lewis, of the Minneapolis
based band Mint Condition.
"Mom and baby are doing fine," said
her spokesman, David Brokaw.
The 33-year-old R&B singer, who
won her sixth Grammy Award this
year, met her husband, a 28-year-old
keyboard player, four years ago. Mint
Condition accompanied her when she
opened for contemporary jazz saxo
phonist Kenny G on a nationwide tour.
`N Sync watches sold
to raise funds for kids
LAS VEGAS (AP) 'N Sync has
teamed up with a Swiss watchmaker to
raise money for
children who were
orphaned by the
Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks on the
World made Center.
Audemars Piguet
has created 200 of
the limited-edition
watches that also
will benefit needy
children through
"Challenge for the Children," 'N Sync's
foundation.
The 50 men's watches and 150
women's watches have been engraved
with the signatures of the pop group's
five members and will be priced at
$8,500 and $5,900, respectively
Westerly Parkway, the State College
Police Department said.
The value of the items totaled $l,BOO,
police said.
■ Theft A Penn State staff member
reported Friday that sometime
overnight unknown persons had taken
items from a locked locker at the
Mateer Building, Penn State Police
Services said.
The estimated value of the items is
$l,OOO, police said.
■ Theft A Penn State student report
ed his wallet and contents were stolen
from the Intramural Building on Sun
day, sometime between 11:15 p.m. and
12 am., Penn State police said.
The estimated value of the wallet
and its contents is about ;860, police
said.
■ Theft: Two speakers, a carpeted
speaker box, two amplifiers and a
gross-mar device mew taken from an
unlocked vehicle NM block of
Belair Avenue, State College police
said
The total value of the items is $550,
police said.
ToniOt
Mainly cloudy,
but dry
Low 42
Today's Weather
HI/Lo Coeddhow
62/52 Mostly Cloudy
63/50 Mostly Cloudy
50/39 Mostly Cloudy
57/49 Mostly Cloudy
57/48 Mostly Cloudy
46/25 Partly Sunny
58/48 Mostly Cloudy
63/48 Mostly Cloudy
63/51 Mostly Cloudy
51/38 Mostly Cloudy
r 9 7 7 1
LOCAL & STATE
Tomorrow
Visit the Campus Weather
Service at:
http://cws.met.psu.edu
Comments concerning the content of
this page can be e-mailed to:
cws@cws.metpsu.edu
Forecasters: Jeff Porter, Joel Gratz, Jeff
Mock
Kalim A. BhaM,
`ON MY HONOR, I WILL TRY
. Connie Williams, D-Montgomery County, left, holds up her hand as her
husband Sankey, daughters, Jenny, right, and Betsy, far right, hold the Bible during Williams' swearing in ceremony at the Capitol
in Harrisburg, Pa. Williams was elected to the Pennsylvania senate in a special election.
Mob boss to serve
PHILADELPHIA Philadelphia's
already decimated Mafia family took
another blow yesterday when former
boss Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino
received a 14-year prison sentence for
racketeering.
Going back more than two decades,
every single Philadelphia mob boss
since Angelo Bruno has either been
murdered or sent to prison, prosecu
tors noted after Merlin was led away
in handcuffs.
"Other people have assumed leader
ship positions," Assistant U.S. Attorney
David E. Fritchey said outside court.
"But with each one of these prosecu
tions, they suffer blows of attrition.
We're down to the fourth string."
Merlino reacted with typical stoicism
as U.S. District Judge Herbert Hutton
delivered the sentence. Turning to face
family members sitting in the gallery
Merlino shrugged his shoulders and
said: "Ain't bad. Nine's better thn the
death penalty."
Merlino has already spent more than
two years behind bars, and with time off
for good behavior he could be released
in about nine years.
Hutton also sentenced Merlin, 39, to
three years of supervised release, resti
tution of almost $338,000 and $25,000 in
fines.
The sentence was more lenient than
what prosecutors had been asking for,
Academic Assembly supports calendar
By Etta Zarra
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER I emzll2@psu.edu
The Undergraduate Student Govern
ment Academic Assembly reaffirmed
their resolution last night to oppose any
calendar decision eliminating fall
break, as they believe that it goes
against the wishes of the student
majority
"I feel that this is a strong resolu
tion," said Academic Assembly Vice
President Robyn Ricketts said. "When
we voted, we voted on behalf of the stu
dents."
The Joint Committee To Review The
University Calendar's recent recom
mendation combines fall break with
Thanksgiving recess, leaving four days
for final exams.
A mix of sun
and clouds
High 62
REGIONAL FORECAST MAP
How to interpret this map: Shades of gray indicate the expected high temperatures for today. Today's fore
casted high and tomorrow morning's low are also shown for selected cities.
Legend: SU(Sunny), MS(Mostly Sunny), PS(Partly Sunny), MC(Mostly Cloudy), CY(Cloudy), RN(Rain),
RS(Rain/Snow), SH(Showers), SN(Snow), SF(Snow Flurries), MX (Mix), TS(Thunderstorms), WY(Windy),
E (Freezing Rain/Sleet).
By Michael Rubinkam
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
but fell within federal sentencing guide
lines.
While a jury acquitted Merlino of
murder, attempted murder and drug
trafficking last July, he and six other
defendants were convicted of a series of
racketeering offenses including extor
tion, illegal gambling and unlawful col
lection of debts. Merlino's co-defen
dants will be sentenced by Hutton over
the next several days.
Federal prosecutors had asked Hut
ton to go beyond the guidelines and
send Merlino to prison for up to 24
years. The guidelines called for a sen
tence of 11 to 14 years, according to the
U.S. Probation Department.
Merlino's trial lawyer, Edwin Jacobs
Jr., contested both versions as being too
high. He argued the applicable sentenc
ing guidelines were much lower, per
haps in the four- to five-year range.
"We're OK with the sentence," said
Jacobs, who still planned an appeal that
he said could knock off another 1 1 / 2
years. "Compared to where we were
one year ago facing life in prison or
the death penalty this is not so bad."
Merlino and his co-defendants were
convicted after a four-month racketeer
ing trial that featured testimony from
several top mob informants, including
admitted mob boss and one-time Merli
no ally Ralph Natale.
Natale was the only American Mafia
boss to ever turn government inform
ant. In 14 days on the witness stand, he
testified he set loose Merlin() and other
It also proposes 72 instructional days
for each semester.
The assembly said that in addition to
keeping fall break where it is, they
would also like the Monday and Tues
day before finals week to be designated
for study and review, not for lecture.
"We discussed some of the weak
nesses of our resolution so if asked to
back it up, we will be prepared," said
Academic Assembly President Paul
Ricciardi.
The assembly has three of its mem
bers on the !Jndergraduate Education
Committee and one on the University
Planning Committee.
These two groups will meet separate
ly today to discuss both the Joint Com
mittee's recommendation and assem
bly's esolution. They will then meet
THE DAILY COLLEGIAN
14 years
defendants to commit murder and may
hem in Philadelphia and New Jersey.
But his story didn't always jibe with
the accounts by three other confessed
Mobsters, and the jury acquitted Merli
no of three murders, two attempted
murders and murder conspiracy. Pros
ecutors said Merlin succeeded Natale
as boss of the Philadelphia-South Jer
sey mob after Natale was jailed in 1998.
During a two-hour sentencing hear
ing, Jacobs assailed the "desperation of
the government trying to salvage a win
.
ning sentence from a losing case."
But Fritchey mocked the short, slen
der Merlin as a physical weakling who
needed the Mafia to transform him into
a respected underworld figure.
"Merlino is not a particularly impos
ing physical specimen. He might be in
the 35th percentile of healthy American
males living in the city of Philadelphia,"
Fritchey said. "But he is a feared figure
because he is a mob leader."
Fritchey predicted a "100 percent"
chance that Merlin will re-enter mob
life once he's released from prison. But
at that point, Merlino will be "at the bot
tom of the totem pole" because other
imprisoned mobsters will have already
been released, Fritchey said.
The trial was the government's third
major assault on the Philadelphia mob
in 13 years. A 1988 case led to the down
fall of Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo
and 15 associates, while a 1994 indict
ment put mob boss John Stanfa away
for five consecutive life sentences.
together and have a final discussion on
the two proposals before bringing their
findings before the University Faculty
Senate at its meeting this afternoon.
However, the calendar is not set to be
voted on until the group's January
meeting.
Ricketts said that although she is not
sure how assembly's opinion will influ
ence the final decision, she is confident
that even if fall break is moved her
group will still have a strong voice on
campus and not be discouraged.
Senator for the College of Earth and
Mineral Sciences and member of the
Undergraduate Education Committee,
Terry Shirley said that his group will
take assembly's resolution seriously
"I know that they will listen to all of
the key points," Shirley said. f