BILLERICA, Mass. (AP) – Members of the Billerica board of selectmen will have to TTYL.

The board voted 3-2 Monday night to ban its members from sending text messages and e-mails during its public meetings.

Selectman Bob Correnti said he proposed the ban after a resident complained to him that it was annoying to see fellow Selectman Marc Lombardo texting while others were speaking.

Correnti also said he was concerned that text messages could become public records.

Lombardo said he wanted to receive text messages from his wife during meetings in case of an emergency. He said he also liked to use the calculator function on his cell phone.

Oregon won’t be naming state berry

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – Put in a jam by one sour response, Oregon lawmakers are chucking a plan to designate a state berry.

Resolution sponsors and the Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission wanted to honor the marionberry.

The sweet blackberry variety was bred at Oregon State University and grows almost exclusively in Marion County.

Other berry interests -rasp, blue and straw – assented, but a grower of another blackberry variety objected.

The Oregonian newspaper reported the commission then backed down.

Woman wins house in raffle

DANVILLE, Calif. (AP) -Susan Wells was thrilled to learn she’d won a $2 million house in a raffle days after her husband had been laid off from his job.

“I’m floored,” said Wells, who bought the ticket as a surprise to celebrate the couple’s 16th anniversary.

The house is in upscale Marin County, just north of San Francisco.

The couple already own a home in Danville, a suburb south of San Francisco, and if they don’t want to move they have the option of $1.2 million in cash.

They’re still deciding what do, but Brad Wells, who had been a sales executive for a Silicon Valley high-tech company, said the winnings are definitely a boost.

“I got laid off on Wednesday and the company went bankrupt on Friday,” he said. The couple got word of their win on Saturday. “It’s been a really rough ride for the last year. This gives us an unbelievable lift.”

The raffle was held by Community Action Marin, which netted about $1.3 million, down from $2 million last year, the first time the even


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