EXTRA...

Former White Cap to back up Youkilis; Cape Air expands to New York & Vermont; John McCain, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in Boston Monday; WSJ whacks out Romney

Casey to be at the bat -- a former Brewster White Cap
Sox agree to terms with veteran, who will back up Youkilis

Sean Casey, who lost his job as Detroit's everyday first baseman when the Tigers elected to move sore-kneed Carlos Guillen from shortstop to first, will be coming to the Red Sox as a backup to Kevin Youkilis and as a lefthanded bat off the bench.  Casey and the Red Sox agreed yesterday to terms on a one-year, $800,000 contract pending a physical, which is likely to take place Tuesday in Boston.

Sean was a star in the 2006 World Series that his Tigers lost. Now he figures to be a backup on the Red Sox team that won the title last year. 

Played here in '94, stocked store shelves

Casey, a three-time All-Star with the Cincinnati Reds who batted a career-best .332 in 1999 and ranks 19th among active players with a .301 career batting average, is still young enough (34 in July) to play as a regular for some teams...  Casey played for Brewster in the Cape Cod League in 1994 and stocked the frozen food section in a local supermarket that summer...  Globe  and Sun Journal. 
___________

Cape Air expands to Vermont and upstate New York
Vermont Public Radio interviews Michelle Haynes

Most Candidates are in Boston Monday
   Three of the four Presidential candidates will be holding rallies in Boston and CPN will be there to hand out stickers, postcards and action cards to the crowd. We do not know times or locations, however, it was confirmed by the Boston Globe that John McCain, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will each hold rallies in Boston this coming Monday 2/4.
(Host) Cape Air - the Massachusetts based airline that provides passenger service to Rutland- is expanding its reach into upstate New York. The regional carrier will begin flights to Saranac Lake and Plattsburgh later this month.

As VPR's Nina Keck reports they may add Albany and three other upstate New York destinations as well.

(Keck) Cape Air specializes in connecting hard-to-reach communities with larger airport hubs. Twenty years ago, their focus was Cape Cod and the nearby islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. Today, the airline has destinations all over the world including: Micronesia, Florida, Puerto Rico, Indiana and The Virgin Islands.

(Haynes) "Last year, we flew 690,000 passengers with over 120,000 flights."

(Keck) That's Company spokeswoman Michele Haynes. She says upstate New York fits in well with their niche market approach.

(Haynes) "We're flying up to the communities of Massena, Ogdensburg and Watertown and we're going to be discussing with airport officials in those towns - nonstop service between Albany, New York, Massena, Ogdensburg and Watertown"...  VPT. 
__________

WSJ whacks out Romney 

Wow. Check out this editorial about Mitt Romney on the Wall Street Journal's ultraconservative editorial page, which is no fan of John McCain. Here's just a tiny taste:

Plenty of politicians attune their positions to new constituencies. The larger danger is that Mr. Romney's conversions are not motivated by expediency or mere pandering but may represent his real governing philosophy....

John McCain's difficulties in selling himself to GOP voters reflect his many liberal lurches over the years — from taxes to free speech, prescription drugs and global warming cap and trade. Republicans have a pretty good sense of where he might betray them. Yet few doubt that on other issues — national security, spending — Mr. McCain will stick to his principles no matter the opinion polls. If Mr. Romney loses to Senator McCain, the cause will be his failure to persuade voters that he has any convictions at all.

Very tough stuff. (Via Blue Mass Group.)
__________

Tourism, spending are down in Newport, Visitors Bureau says
Cape's rental policy helps here

NEWPORT — The organizations that promote tourism and business in Newport County are aware of the struggles small retail shops in the city are facing.   Kathryn Farrington, vice president for marketing at the Newport County Convention & Visitors Bureau, cited a study by Global Insight that showed tourism retail spending in decline throughout the state from 2004 through 2006. That decline especially hurts in an area like Newport that is a tourist destination, she said.

The study used an international standard for measuring the contribution of tourism to an economy and included what a traveler buys before and during a trip.  By this measure, the study showed tourism retail spending in the state declining from $96.45 million in 2004 to $91.99 million in 2005 to $87.71 million in 2006.
   
The same study showed an increase in tourist spending for food. “People are eating out, but the retailers are hurting,” Farrington said. “There is a lot of frustration on the part of retailers”...  Smith said weekly rentals are big on Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard.  “Not allowing weekly rentals in Newport may be a missed opportunity,” he said...  Newport Daily News.