By David KravetsAssociated Press

SAN FRANCISCO — TheCalifornia Supreme Court orderedan immediate halt to same-sexweddings in San Francisco onThursday as Massachusetts law-makers gave preliminary approvalto a constitutional amendment toban gay marriages in the only statewhere they have been ruled legal.

Teary-eyed couples were turnedaway at San Francisco’s City Hall,where 4,161 gay couples have tiedthe knot in the last month.

“We were filling out the applica-tion and they told us to stop,” saidArt Adams, who was the first to bedenied as he and partner DevinBaker sought a license. “It’s heart-breaking. I don’t understand whytwo people in love should be pre-vented from expressing it.”

On the other side of the country,Massachusetts legislators returnedto the Capitol to consider a consti-tutional amendment that would

strip gay couples of their court-granted right to marriage but allowcivil unions.

The amendment won approvalduring two preliminary votes, butits final passage is far from certain.Gay marriage supporters wereconducting procedural maneuvers

that could ultimately lead to theproposal’s defeat.

Please turn to 14A, HALT

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Gay marriage suffers setbacks in 2 states

t’s heartbreaking. I don’t understand

why two people inlove should be prevented fromexpressing it.”

— Art Adams, the first per-son denied a same-sex

marriage license Thursdayin San Francisco

hey restoredorder to chaos

in San Francisco.”— Joshua Carden, an

attorney with the conserva-tive Alliance Defense Fund

Bill would exempt local property taxBy Trip Jennings© 2004 Republican-American

HARTFORD — A Waterbury homeownercould reap thousands of dollars in savings onhis or her local property tax bill. The samegoes for Naugatuck, Southbury or Torrington.

That’s the local angle on a statewide pro-posal floated here Thursday, which wouldexempt the first $75,000 of a home’s assessedvalue from local property taxes.

But there’s a catch. Every town and city inthe state could offer local residential taxpay-ers the tax break, but they would forfeit a sep-arate pot of state money going to municipali-ties each year, said Senate President Pro TemKevin Sullivan, D-West Hartford, who

authored the proposal.A homestead exemption, which has been

popularized in states like Florida, where thefirst $25,000 of every home’s assessed value isexempt, reduces homeowners’ property taxburden. But in the land of steady habits,

where such a broad-based tax break isunheard of, the idea generated mixed reviews.

The Connecticut Conference ofMunicipalities said it was “still analyzing thedetails of each component of the proposal,(but) the tax relief package clearly would go a

long way toward providing fiscal relief forproperty taxpayers across the state.”

Republicans, meanwhile, called it a

Please turn to 4A, BREAK

Democratic proposal’s tradeoff: forfeiture of state money

I N S I D E T O D A YI N S I D E T O D A YIn a squeaker, Gilbertboys advance in statetournament. Page 5C

Fallout continues fromout-of-bounds show atSuper Bowl. Page 6A

Scientists say grandmasare responsible for big,

healthy broods of grandkids. Page 2A

Antique show has something for Americanacollectors or people who

are just curious. In Weekend

Appealof tribeweighedin Kent

By Gale Courey Toensing© 2004 Republican-American

KENT — The town attorney said hehas learned of grounds for an appealto the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation’sfederal recognition — a document hesays suggests the Bureau of IndianAffairs knew the tribe did not meet allof its criteria.

Town Attorney Jeff Sienkiewiczsaid he saw the document from thestaff of the BIA’s research departmentin the past few days. It was on the lastCD of data sent to him by the BIA,Sienkiewicz said.

“The documents said ‘Should thepetitioner (The Schaghticoke TribalNation) be acknowledged eventhough evidence of political influenceand authority is absent or insufficientfor two substantial historical periods(1820-1840 and 1892-1836) and, if so,on what grounds?’” Sienkiewicz said.

“One of the suggestions is they fillthe gap by using state recognition andin another document they say this isunprecedented. I would submit thatone of the questions that should beconsidered on the appeal is whetheror not this departure from the estab-lished process is appropriate,”Sienkiewicz said.

Sienkiewicz offered his opinionduring a meeting Thursday night of250 residents who gathered to discusswhether the town should appeal thetribe’s federal recognition, which wasgranted Jan. 29. The SchaghticokeTribal Nation has a 400-acre reserva-tion on Schaghticoke Mountain andland claims to 2,150 acres in Kent.

The forum Thursday at Kent CenterSchool was an opportunity for resi-dents to voice their opinion to select-men, who are debating whether thetown should appeal. The town hasuntil May 5 to decide.

The meeting was ongoing Thursdayat press time, but the majority of res-idents who spoke favored an appeal.Fear was the predominant theme ofthe night, as residents worried abouteverything from the tribe building acasino to it using the reservation for

Please turn to 4A, KENT

BIA documentcould provide key,town attorney says

Associated Press

BOSTON — New seats on the right-field roofat Fenway Park, complete with table service,waiters and waitresses, a full menu and somefood and beverages built into the price of theticket, will cost Red Sox fans as much as $100.

The 192 seats, which must be bought ingroups of four, matching the section’s seating,went on sale at 2 p.m. Thursday on the Internet,with registration closing at 11 p.m. Monday.

Tickets are $75 per seat for 64 home games,and $100 a seat for 17 high-profile games againstthe Yankees, Dodgers, Phillies and Opening Day.

Seats above the Green Monster left-field wallwent on sale last season for $50. Those pricesare expected to be announced within a week.

Meanwhile, Opening Day ticket holders whoare Catholic face a dilemma: the BostonArchdiocese said since the afternoon gameagainst the Toronto Blue Jays is on Good Friday,they must refrain from eating meat, includinghot dogs, sausages and pepperoni pizza.

Red Sox fans cansign up for chanceto pay $100 a seat

“I

“T

Associated PressPali Cooper, left, and Jeanne Rizzo just missed the chance to bemarried Thursday in San Francisco before the state’s SupremeCourt ordered an immediate halt to gay marriages.

Terror bombs kill 192, hurt 1,400 Madrid commuters SPAIN’S DAY OF PAIN

By Mar RomanAssociated Press

MADRID, Spain — A series of bombs hiddenin backpacks exploded in quick successionThursday, blowing apart four commuter trainsand killing at least 192 people and woundingmore than 1,400. Spain at first blamed Basqueseparatists but a shadowy group claimedresponsibility in the name of al-Qaida for theworst terrorist attack in Spanish history.

Panicked rush-hour commuters trampled oneach other, abandoning their bags and shoes,after the first three bombs went off in one trainin the Atocha station in the heart of Madrid.Seven other bombings followed on other trains.

Train cars were turned into twisted wrecks

and platforms were strewn with corpses. Cellphones rang unanswered on the bodies of thedead as frantic relatives tried to call them.

“March 11, 2004, now holds its place in thehistory of infamy,” Prime Minister Jose MariaAznar said.

The bombing came three days ahead ofSpain’s general election on Sunday. A majorcampaign issue was how to deal with ETA, theBasque militant group that is seeking greaterautonomy.

Campaigning for the election was called offand three days of mourning were declared.

The bombings occurred exactly 2½ years

Please turn to 4A, SPAIN

Basque separatists, al-Qaida grouptop suspects in nation’s worst attack

A look at ETA, the Basque group con-sidered a terrorist group by Spain, theEuropean Union and the United States:

ETA is the Basque-languageacronym for Basque Homeland andFreedom. The group seeks an indepen-dent nation in the three-provinceBasque region of northern Spain, plusneighboring Navarra and threeprovinces on the French side of thePyrenees mountain border.

ETA has claimed responsibility orwas blamed for more than 800 deathssince the late 1960s.

ETA was founded in 1959 with theaim of establishing an independent landbased on Marxist principles.

ETA finances its activities throughkidnappings, robberies, and extortion.

More on Page 4A.

Spain’s ‘terrorist group’

Associated Press

Rescue workers gather bodies inside the bombed-out shell of a commuter train at Atocha train station in Madrid, Spain, on Thursday.

With Charlie Villanuevabehind him, UConn’s

Emeka Okafor can afford

a night off. Page 1C

CharlieVillanueva

Republican-American

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Commission asked to raise limit forRowland’s legal defense fund. Page 3A.

State towns ask Blumenthalhow to handle issue. Page 14A.