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By Chris Rotolo |HOLMDEL – A once dilapidated link to the history of Holmdel and Monmouth County is being transformed from eyesore to attraction.Located at 84 Stillwell Road near a luxury housing development on Palmetto Road, St. Catharine’s Church was constructed in 1879, becoming the first Catholic church in Holmdel, and the first Catholic church in the state of New Jersey to be dedicated to St. Catharine of Genoa, Italy.Despite the history associated with the 25-by-75-foot church, according to Holmdel Historical Society treasurer Rhonda Beck-Edwards, the century-old building has been a talking point for nearby property owners, who over the years have witnessed its deterioration over the years.“I’m sure there was a time when the people across the street in that development would have liked it torn down and cleared. And one of the reasons why someone would want it to go away is because of the land it’s built on,” Beck-Edwards said of the church’s quarter-acre corner plot.“It’s a valuable piece of land to all neighboring properties, but when we began work on the church and gave it a little bit of a facelift, I can’t tell you the amount phone calls and positive feedback we received from the residents,” Beck-Edwards said. “People are genuinely happy about the way it looks and the progress being made. I think they just needed to see someone take the initiative and start the process.”In May 1975, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Trenton sold the St. Catharine’s Church property to the Holmdel Historical Society for $1, though only recently – in January 2017 – has the local organization taken steps to revitalize the property, in the wake of calls from developers and nearby home owners to remove the building.When Beck-Edwards first took the reins of the project in 2016, she and her Historical Society colleagues were dismayed to find raccoons and other rodents had made a home in the house of worship.After clearing the church of animal life, the group proceeded to organize the building’s contents and remove the sheetrock, revealing the original beaded woodwork in February 2017.Seven months later, the church got a facelift when the organization had the exterior walls of St. Catharine’s sandblasted.“We revealed the original wood last year and this year we’re going to be asking for volunteers to help us sand it down,” said Beck-Edwards. “And rather than painting the exterior, we’re going to stain the wood. I’m thankful that we do have the money to complete this next step in the process.”According to Beck-Edwards, the Holmdel Historical Society has about $12,000 in a bank account dedicated to the restoration of St. Catharine’s, and though there are ample funds to complete the cosmetic work, the group is in search of donations to complete structural work.“We’re currently looking for a structural engineer to provide us with a plan to fix the foundation,” Beck-Edwards said. “The foundation is the most important part of this process. There is some other maintenance and restoration that needs to be done, including the stained-glass windows, but if we don’t first deal with the foundation, then everything else really won’t matter.”When the Rev. Michael L. Glennon first began building St. Catharine’s Church in February 1879 – a construction he would complete just nine months later – the priest placed the physical structure atop a brick foundation, which has not stood the test of time, and in turn has caused the building to lean to the right.“In 1879 they really weren’t educated on how to build proper foundations, so that’s why the church is tilted a bit,” Beck-Edwards said. “Our plan is to keep it simple and have a basic foundation set before moving on to anything else.”The process has been slow-moving for Beck-Edwards – who works full time as an agent with Gloria Nilson & Co. Real Estate – but she has remained positive about the progress made by the Holmdel Historical Society.“If you know anything about Holmdel, you know it’s a lovely place, but everything with any sort of historical meaning tends to get torn down and erased. It’s our mission not to allow that to happen with St. Catharine’s Church,” she said.Beck-Edwards said the organization’s aim is to transform the church into a museum, a project she hopes they’ll have fully completed by 2025.This article was first published in the March 22-29, 2018 print edition of The Two River Times.
A truck driver will spend the next three years in jail after he was found guilty of causing death by dangerousClyde bARKERdriving.Clyde Barker was sentenced when he appeared before Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.The charge stated that the 32-year-old man on April 10, at Friendship, East Bank Demerara, drove motor lorry GJJ 278 in a manner dangerous to the public, causing the death of 12-year-old Ezekiel Murray.In handing down her ruling, Magistrate McGusty stated that the evidence presented to the court proved that the defendant’s account of what happened on the day in question was false.She added also that taking into consideration the fact that speeding was a major factor contributing to the accident, the injuries sustained by the deceased and the age of the deceased, the defendant was found guilty as charged. In his final words to the court, the defendant asked the court or leniency.However, the Magistrate said that a life was lost and handed down the sentence.On the day in question, at about 18:00h, the victim was walking along Friendship Public Road when the defendant’s truck slammed into him.According to information received, the lad was in the corner of the road when the driver of the canter took a sharp turn too quickly and hit the child. He was tossed into the air by the force of the impact and landed on the roadway where he reportedly died instantly.From reports received, Murray might have suffered a broken neck and other injuries. He was picked up and rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Police in Berbice is on the hunt for a man after he hacked his ex-wife to death and escaped after plunging into the Canje River.Dead is Mintie Karamchand, 40, of 19 Sheet Anchor, Berbice. The restaurant waitress and mother of five, was killed at her home in the presence of one of her children.The suspect, 47-year-old Goldburn December, is said to have fled the scene. Police are on the hunt for him.December and Karamchan separated eight years ago after a 20-year relationship and he migrated to Suriname but was deported last month and returned to Sheet Anchor.It is still unclear what triggered the brutal attack. However, the couple’s second child, Drucilla December, 21, said her mother returned home at 06:00h on Wednesday.Dead: Mintie KaramchandShe related that even though her father had moved back home, he and Karamchand had not rekindled their relationship. “He try touching her since he come back but she says that she have somebody and that she don’t want anything to do with him and I tell him not to touch Mummy, and since then he never try to touch her again,” the daughter related.Meanwhile, she noted that shortly after her mother arrived home, an argument broke out between her and her mother. According to the young mother, she decided to move out with her baby but her mother said she will move and started to pack some of her belongings. She said she went out of the house and then heard a loud voice coming from the lower flat and rushed to investigate. As she got close to the window, she saw her mother covered in blood jumping out of the window. She said her father was at the time holding a chopper and she went between her parents in an attempt to protect her mother.At the time she was holding her baby who is a few days old. “He tell me to move and I run outside and holla for help…”Suspect: Goldburn DecemberShe noted that December picked up a bench and went towards her mother but she did not see what happen next since she was trying to get assistance.Eyewitnesses say December used the bench to hit the woman in her head. According to one neighbour, Vanessa Artiga, after inflicting the injuries, December fled. Artiga said she was told of the incident and rushed over by which time other neighbours were flocking into the yard and Karamchamd was lying in a pool of blood. Shortly after, she saw the suspect returning to the yard.“She was breathing then the husband, which is Goldburn, he run back inside the yard and he say, ‘Oh you ent die yet, you hard fo dei.’ And he pick up a short piece of wood and give she like three or four hit on she head.”Artiga said the Police were contacted but they were advised to take the victim to the hospital and then go to the station and make a report.A taxi was called and the badly injured woman was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival.Asked why December was not apprehended, Artiga said that there was not enough manpower to do so.According to Drucilla, many persons were afraid of her father including her 23-year-old brother. She referred to him as a person who frequently consumed alcohol. This practice, she said, started before he left Guyana and was one of the reasons for the separation. She noted that after being deported, he had not been taking many drinks but recently returned to his old habit.Meanwhile, residents say the man left with a rope and headed for the Canje River. According to one eyewitness, they were on a wharf and saw a man wearing only trousers. The man swam the river and used a tree to climb onto shore in the vicinity of the National Psychiatric Hospital. At the time he was not carrying anything in his hands.Police arrived on the scene and, up to press time, were still searching for the suspect.
The Kennard Memorial Turf Club, at Bush Lot on the Corentyne Coast in East Berbice, is scheduled to host its pre-Diwali Horse Race Meet on October 21, and more than 60 entries have already been received for the card, which consists of six categories.Part of the action in last year’s Pre-Emancipation MeetThere is the H & Lower race, which carries the most attract top prize — $250,000; then there is the 2-Year Guyana-Bred (Maiden), which will see the winner carting off a handsome purse of $200,000.There is also the ‘L Non-Earner 2018’ race, which will see the victor receiving a first place prize of $100,000; and there is the L Open, which has a top prize of $140,000.The winner of the ‘L Non-Winner’ race will receive $120,000, while the winner of the J3 & K race will receive $160,000.Entry charges on the six-race card range from $12,000 to $30,000, and entry will close on Sunday, October 14. No late entries will be accepted.For further details, interested persons are kindly asked to contact Club Secretary Niketa Ross on 662-4668. Horses can also be entered via Ivan Dipnarine (331-0361), Justice Kennard (623-7606 or 225-4818), Fazal Habibulla (657-7010), Dennis DeRoop (640-6396) or Campton Sancho (602-1567).
“He’s the real deal,” said future Hall of Famer Luc Robitaille, who holds the Kings’ rookie scoring record with 84 points. “With the way he plays the game, he’s the kind of guy you build your team around.” Best of all for the Kings, Kopitar has the desire to be great, and the desire to do it the right way. His demeanor betrays only a quiet confidence, without any hint of cockiness or entitlement. Kopitar is unlikely to win the Calder Trophy for the NHL’s rookie of the year – Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin has 13 more points and much more hype – but Kopitar has high hopes for the Kings and himself. Asked if he has the desire to be among the next generation of NHL stars, Kopitar said, “Always. That’s why I chose to try to make it to the NHL. I could have just stayed home and maybe be good, but I knew if I wanted to be great I had to move. I’m going to try to keep going and not just stop now and be happy.” The journey started in the town of Jesenice. Slovenia, which broke away from Yugoslavia in 1991, had no hockey heritage of its own but Kopitar’s town borders Austria, where hockey is more popular. NHL games were rare on Slovenian television, but with the assistance of his father, Matjaz, a well-regarded coach in Slovenia’s pro league, Kopitar learned quickly. The Kopitars obtained videos of NHL games and Anze quickly took to the style of Fedorov and quickly became something to watch. “I learned fast because I was usually the young guy,” Kopitar said. “When I was 14 or 15 I was playing with guys two or three years older than me and even then, the counted on me to be a leader.” At age 15, Kopitar played in an under-18 league in Slovenia and scored 38 goals and 38 assists in 14 games. Those astounding numbers led to him being signed by a Slovenian pro team later that season. Kopitar averaged a point per game in two seasons in Slovenia, but his big move came in 2004, when he left the comforts of home to play in the Swedish Elite League. He spent most of the year on the juniors team but did well enough to get picked in the first round, 11th overall, by the Kings in the 2005 draft. Kopitar had been highly rated in pre-draft reports, but slipped a bit because some teams questioned his background. No player from Slovenia had ever made the NHL. Would Kopitar’s talent measure up? “Coming from a country that wasn’t on the hockey radar,” Kings general manager Dean Lombard said, “he had to prove himself at every stage. He just played and didn’t have to worry about sideshows. “A lot of these kids now, between being recruited by colleges and talking to agents, it’s no wonder that by the time they’re 18 they think they’ve made it. Anze has maintained a strong set of values.” And he brought them to America. Kopitar dazzled in the Kings’ 2005 training camp and would have made the team, but he promised his team in Sweden that he would return, and so he did. Although that disappointed the Kings on a hockey level, they were encouraged by his strong character. This season, Kopitar easily made the team in training camp and has impressed off the ice by doing little things, such as deferring to veterans when it comes to taking turns on the massage table. “He always has his eyes and ears open and he’s super respectful,” team captain Mattias Norstrom said. “He’s had some success but he hasn’t changed one bit in his preparation. Sometimes you see a little arrogance creep into some guys’ play but with Anze there are no shortcuts in his game.” In this market, bereft of much hockey buzz, Kopitar is a godsend, a polite, confident, talented player. Not since Rob Blake has a young King had this much potential, and not since Wayne Gretzky has a scorer come along with the potential to captivate the Kings’ fan base. And remember, he’s only 19. “It’s pretty to watch,” Ducks forward Teemu Selanne said “If someone told me to go there (the NHL) and play when I was 19, I would have said, `No way.’ He plays like a 10-year veteran. It’s great to see.” Selanne and the Ducks saw it first hand, in a YouTube moment that has received 30,000-plus views. Watch the first eight seconds, and it all becomes clear. Kopitar, in the second period of his first NHL game, treats the Ducks’ Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Chris Pronger like a pylon and makes playoff MVP Jean- Sebastien Giguere crumble to the ground in vain as Kopitar calmly lifts the puck into the net. First game, first goal, and the start of something big. Still a teenager, Kopitar is the main, if not only, reason to remain excited about the last-place Kings, but he’s far more than a good player on a bad team. “He’s a pretty complete player already,” Crawford said. “He’s still a baby and when he fully develops he’s going to be an imposing guy. When you add that to his dynamic play, he’s going to be special.” 160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! Anze Kopitar LOS ANGELES – Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles’ hockey savior, grew up in a city of 21,000 people – just more than the capacity of Staples Center. Turns out, that steel-mill town in northern Slovenia gave Kopitar all he needed. The talent? It blossomed, nurtured by a hockey coach father and assisted by videos of Sergei Fedorov. The motivation? It came from the desire to put his tiny Eastern-bloc country on the hockey map. The work ethic? It sprung from the childhood days spent waiting tables at his mother’s restaurant. 
Over his 19-plus years, Kopitar put it all together. Now he’s the Kings’ future, the hope of a franchise that hasn’t had much in recent years. Barring any unforeseen regression, he will be the Kings’ next Gretzky. Unfair expectations? Maybe. But Kopitar is young, big, quick and has the instincts of a player 10 years his senior. With 54 points in 61 games as a rookie, Kopitar is off to a brilliant start. But it’s just a start. “I mean, look at him. He’s still a baby,” Kings coach Marc Crawford said with wonder as Kopitar walked through the Kings’ training facility wearing a backward cap, looking very much like an average teenager. In appearance, yes. In terms of hockey talent, certainly not. Less than five months into his NHL career, Kopitar is the Kings’ No. 1 center and the team’s leader in average ice time among forwards. At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Kopitar is a physical beast with quick hands and superb vision. He’s not afraid to carry the puck out of his own zone and, despite his obvious scoring talents, he’s a talented playmaker. 
1 Tottenham midfielder Erik Lamela says he has no plans to return to Italy at the end of the season.Inter Milan are reportedly interested in signing the Argentine, who has struggled to make an impact in his first two campaigns in England.Initial reports suggested the 23-year-old would be open to a move back to Serie A, having spent two years at Roma, but Lamela today quashed rumours regarding his future.“I obviously see myself here [at Tottenham],” he said.“Those questions are starting to be normal but I am very happy here and I see myself here.” Erik Lamela 
Race Report :Lost Sheep 70.3 National ChampionshipIn 2015 Aidan Callaghan was third behind two professionals in National championship in Athlone. Coming in to the race he was the reigning super series champion and, having recently qualified for Kona was in good shape to improve on his previous results. In the swim section he came out of the water behind pro athlete Richie Nicols in a time just over 24 minutes for the 1900 metre swim. He and Nicols were passed by the national Duathlon champion Bryan Mc Crystal on the bike section but unfortunately for McCrystal he came off the bike on a downhill stretch. Aidan then took control of the race and finished his bike section four minutes ahead of the second rider and ultimately finished the run just over a minute ahead of Nicols. (Richie Nicols is married to fellow pro triathlete Eimear Mullen) . In third place was ‘THE RACE ‘winner Marius OLejnicjak over five minutes behind Callaghan.There were only three other club members who made the eight hour trek to Kenmare in Co.Kerry, Gavin Crawford was 13 th overall and 4 th in his category in a credible time of 4.30.23 in this hilly unforgiving course.The evergreen John Conaghan comfortably won his age group finishing in a time of 4.56.36. This is another solid performance by the Arranmore man.Lisa Dalton put the disappointment of last year in this race behind her and was second in her age group and sixth Woman home overall in a time of 5.09.15 Lough Key Sprint TriathlonA large contingent made their way to Boyle on Sunday for the Sprint Triathlon . There were fine debut performances from Aidan Gallagher, Raj Mehan and Terence Quinn. Liam Tinney was unfortunate to get a puncture in the last two k of the cycle so did not complete the race.There were numerous category prizes which rounds off the season wellDerry Half marathonAdam Speer was fifth in the Half marathon on Sunday closely followed by Brendan Murphy who was 9th. There were also good performances from Peter O’Donnell, Clint Doherty, Paul Kelly, David Harvey, Adrian Callaghan, Colin Dean, Damian Mc Goohan, Cathy Harvey and Stephen Sweeney. Five K reportsDanny Mooney won the Glenties five k in a time of 17.28 with Niamh Mc Daid also running well.Club DuathlonA club Duathlon will be held on Sunday 11 th of September . The race consists of a two mile run , ten mile cycle and two mile run. All you need is running gear , a safe bike and a helmet. Registration will be at at Aura at 8.00, Race Briefing 8.45 , race starts in the O’Donnell Park at 9.00 sharp.Race results and refreshments at Aura at 11.00.Everyone welcome for this end of season event. All funds raised will go to help Aidan Callaghan in his Trip to Kona for the World Iron Man ChampionshipOther newsEveryone in the club followed Jason Black in the cycle race around Ireland. It was a mighty achievement to complete the race.Open water safetyThere will not be any more Monday night swim sessions this yearIf anyone wants to use Gartan lake please enter from the heritage centre entrance point and please make sure you have a swim partner and swim buoy for personal safety. There is a club shed for changing and the lock code is available from any committee member.Training continues as followsTuesday: Aura track – Track session 7.50 pmWednesday : Aura Pool – Swim session 8.00 pmThursday : Long run Aura , meet at six thirty pmSaturday : Aura club cycle 8.00 amSunday : Beginners cycle 9.00 amResultsLough Key Sprint Triathlon Men only22 nd Paul Dillon 1.18.2524th Jason King 1.19.3549 th Patrick Mc Nulty 1.26.2451 st Lester Speer 1.26.4457 th Colm Corcoran 1.27.35Alastair Hetherington 1.32.34101 st Pat Brady 1.37.05120 th Terence Quinn 1.42.19139 th Aidan Gallagher 1.54.13143 rd Raj mehan 2.00.40Lough key sprint triathlon women only16 th Anne Robinson 1.30.5933 rd Sandra Devine 1.35.1037 th Martina McDaid 1.36.1043 rd Fiona Mc daid 1.37.3550 th Louise Alcorn 1.3971 st Rachel Stilvern 1.45.18Paul Kelly 1.48.03104 th Denised Mc Bride 1.54.59114 th Andrea Mc daid 2.00.00116 th Fiona Temple 2.00.01Derry City Half Marathon5 th Adam Speer 1.14.349 th Brendan Murphy 1.16.1230 th Peter O’Donnell 1.21.5854 th Clint Doherty 1.25.44120 th David Harvey 1.32.48143 rd Adrian Callahan 1.34.20156 th Colin Dean 1.35.04289 th Damian Mc Goohan 1.42.10571 st Stephen Sweeney 1.53.12807 th Cathy Harvey 1.58.57Letterkenny 247 Triathlon Club: Aidan Callaghan wins 70.3 National Championship was last modified: September 7th, 2016 by Elaine McCalligShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Tags:Aidan CallaghanLetterkenny 24/7 Triathlon Club
The Inishowen Spring Clean Challenge is taking place on Saturday 12th April 2014. This is a particular focus across the Inishowen Peninsula and is part of the National Spring Clean month.During the National Spring Clean month of April 2014 hundreds of thousands of volunteers across Ireland will take part in cleaning their community. The communities in the Inishowen Electoral Area will play their part in the National clean up month throughout April, with some groups carrying out weekly cleanups in their communities throughout the whole year. An exceptional effort which deserves great credit.It has now become an annual event over the past few years where the numerous groups and communities in the Inishowen Electoral Area have worked together on a nominated Saturday during the Spring Clean Month to carry out a Peninsula wide clean up. In particular this mass clean up has focused on by-roads and side streets between towns and villages as well as the main thoroughfares.Through the National Spring Clean campaign and Donegal County Council’s Spring Summer Clean up campaign support is given to groups intending to carry out a clean up in the form of the provision of Bags, Gloves and Litter Pickers.Any group that registers with An Tasice will receive a clean up kit but you may require additional materials, if so please contact the Water and Environment Section in the Donegal County Council Public Service Centre at Carndonagh on 074 91 53900. For further information on the Clean Up event in your area contact your local Tidy Towns or Community organisation for particular local arrangements and to find out about the local assembly points.Be Safe Be Seen – Please bring reflective coats to maximise visibility and safetyTo register for National Spring Clean call the National Spring Clean Hotline on (01) 4002219 or register online by logging onto to the website at www.nationalspringclean.orgIf you are unable to carry out a clean up in April you can still receive support from Donegal County Council’s Spring Summer clean up campaign which will provide resources throughout the summer time. For more information contact Donegal County Council on 074 9153900 or visit www.donegalcoco.ie .Share your Spring Clean By posting details, pictures and videos of your events on the National Spring Clean’s Facebook page you can show the world all the great work you’ve done. It’s also the quickest way to find out whats going on and where in Spring Clean 2013.INISHOWEN GETTING READY FOR A HUGE SPRING CLEAN-UP was last modified: March 28th, 2014 by StephenShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Tags:clean-updonegalInishowen
Share Facebook Twitter Google + LinkedIn Pinterest I rode shotgun with my local wildlife officer on the opening day of deer gun season earlier this month and have a whole new appreciation for what these officers are capable of as a result. For one thing, being hunters themselves. Which most are, and therefore are sensitive to issues like disrupting a hunt just to check a license. For example, my host Morrow County WLO Tyler Eldred is an archery hunter who appreciates what it takes to orchestrate an effective opportunity in the field to take a deer — or a duck — and considers that while on patrol. On the other hand, he won’t hesitate to bust through briars that had me lagging to check a hunter he suspected of being in the wrong place or to drive cross-county to follow-up on a trespass inquiry. He actually answered personally every trespass call we received the day I shared with the officer, and displayed monumental patience on at least two occasions while doing so.Eldred also didn’t miss a thing. By mid-afternoon while we drove the backroads I had made a game out of trying to spot a flash of blaze orange in the woods before he did, and was humbled even as the officer traded between keeping his eyes on the road and in the field. In one instance he spied an errant doe hoof peeking out of the bed of a passing pick-up truck that prompted a stop and time and again spotted deer on the hoof that he had to point out before I could see.Then there was the information Eldred had at his fingertips with a few taps on the console-mounted computer. He could run the license plate of a parked truck and know the name, deer permit status and other pertinent info about owner in seconds — as well as the name of the landowner who the hunter would need permission from to legally hunt there.At one point in the day, with me in tow, Eldred was the first ODNR officer on the scene of a self-inflicted gunshot incident that resulted in a helicopter medevac. Eldred didn’t have to offer one of three tourniquets he keeps handy for just such instances; the hunter’s buddy used his own blaze orange vest to fashion a tourniquet before our arrival, possibly saving the life of his companion.I came away from the eventful ride-along with a renewed respect for the officers in the field who represent those of us who enjoy hunting and fishing and enforce the laws that make it possible to do so safely and successfully — and got busy printing duplicates of my own licenses and permits to make sure I have plenty copies available to carry on my person whenever I am afield.
What makes Massachusetts and California so good?Massachusetts earned 42 of a possible 50 points, the same as it did last year. In the utilities area, ACEEE said the state has “one of the most aggressive energy efficiency resource standards in the country.”The group also praised its transportation policies, including tailpipe emission standards, lower miles driven per capita, and consumer incentives for buying efficient vehicles.The state also scored well for its building codes. Massachusetts has adopted the 2012 version of the International Energy Conservation Code with state-specific amendments for both residential and commercial building, the ACEEE said.California, the No. 2 state, won particular praise for its transportation policies, which the ACEEE said are the best in the country. “The state has some of the most comprehensive transportation and land-use planning policies in the nation,” the scorecard says.California also earned a perfect score for its building policies, with its energy codes “one of the most aggressive and best enforced” in the country. The state also ranked first on appliance standards. “Not only has California adopted the greatest number of standards,” the report said, “many other states’ standards are based on California’s.” A national scorecard on energy efficiency puts Massachusetts at the top of the list for the fourth year in a row.The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, a Washington-based non-profit, released its eighth annual State Energy Efficiency Scorecard on October 22, praising state legislatures and governors for continued progress in lowering energy costs and reducing pollution through energy efficiency efforts.After Massachusetts, the next most successful states are California; Oregon, Vermont, and Rhode Island (all tied for third); and then Connecticut, New York, Washington, Maryland and Minnesota.ACEEE singled out three states — Arkansas, Kentucky, and Wisconsin — along with the District of Columbia for having the most improved records. Their budgets for energy efficiency programs increased by 30% between 2012 and 2013, ACEEE said, while electricity savings more than tripled.Those states which are doing the least are Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Mississippi, and Alaska.The scorecard ranks states on the basis of six policy areas: utility policies and programs, transportation initiatives, building energy codes, combined heat and power development, state government initiatives, and state appliance standards. In all, the ACEEE says, states are graded in 30 individual categories.