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just wondering
Senior Member
387 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2008 : 11:20:49 AM
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| Too funny....I went to a half dozen school council meetings last year. They were run as if they were PTA meetings, talking about bake sales and social events. It didn't take long to realize that the schools want zero input from the outside world. I was getting tired of not knowing exactly what my children had for homework each night...when I asked why there wasnt a website I could go to to find out, I was told there was no money. I did the research and found a company that hosts websites for school to post homework and grades. It was less than 50 dollars per class for the entire year. I told them to solicit donations from parents to sponsor an entire classroom......my suggestions fell on deaf ears. it seemed like a no brainer to me...for $50, I get to see what my kids are studying, don't have to read the chicken scratch in their assignment books and know about projects weeks before they are due. My $50 would have paid for 34 other parents to do the same thing. Fast Freddy squashed that idea like a bug crawling across the face of his newly installed AC. |
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2008 : 1:15:56 PM
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| just wondering, finally something we agree on. I think most parents would be willing to donate the money to get that type of program up and running. FFF likes total control over every aspect of the school department. It's too bad that the students and their education doesn't come first. |
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just wondering
Senior Member
387 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2008 : 1:45:11 PM
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I have another funny story for you..
In April of last year I was at a school council meeting.....the principal proudly announced that as of that morning, the teachers in the school had spoken one on one to 70% of the parents either on the phone or in person. The purpose of these discussions was typical parent teacher confrence stuff (expectations, issues etc). I thought it was kind of funny that they were proud to have reached the 70% mark 8 months into the school year. That humor caused me to ask the question... "why aren't you reaching 100% of the parents by the end of September"
The following conversation resulted
Principal:And how would you like us to accomplish that?
Me: How about not letting the child in the school until you meet with the parent....let them know what the expectations are around homework, behavior, dress code etc
Principal (and a few teachers): You can't force the parents to meet with you before letting them go to school
Me: I disagree, but we'll table that for now. How about the teacher makes phone calls to parents. 10 calls a week would give you 100% contact within a month. If you ask the right questions, you would have a better understanding of who may need extra help, whose parents arent interested in education etc
Principal: It is not our job to get involved in social issues
Me: Ok, how about when you have a PTO event at the school. While the kids are enjoying a movie or an ice cream, have some sort of seminar for the parents to show them how to best help their kids succeed.
And the funny part:
Principal: We can't do that, the evening events are for SOCIAL PURPOSES ONLY
In fairness to the principal and teachers....I think the immigration and ecomomic issues of our city have caught our school system off guard. The number of hours a week a teacher spends dealing with ill behaved children is crazy. The time spent trying to bridge the gap caused by a language barrier is equally disturbing. The folks on Vine Street need a plan to solve these problems soon or the majority of our children are going to be pigeon holed into low paying jobs rather than given the opportunity to chose a college or profession. |
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arthur
Senior Member
212 Posts |
Posted - 04/06/2008 : 06:19:32 AM
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EVERETT
HIRING VETERANS OFFICER - The city received a "fairly decent" number of applicants for the position of veterans services commissioner, said Erin Deveney, Mayor Carlo DeMaria's chief of staff. Applicants had until Friday to apply. The position was posted after DeMaria terminated the services of Walter Rice, who had held the position for two years and was appointed by then-mayor John Hanlon. "There have been concerns in the community about the mayor not filling the position promptly, and he is mindful of this need," Deveney said. She also said that DeMaria is hoping to schedule interviews with all applicants this week. - Kay Lazar |
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 04/06/2008 : 08:50:57 AM
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Vandal Trashes Everett Church
EVERETT, Mass. (WBZ) #8213; Police are trying to find the person who vandalized a church in Everett early Saturday morning.
Stained glass was smashed, a cabinet was damaged and wine goblets and candles were broken inside the Immaculate Conception Church.
The damage was discovered when the church was opened up for a funeral mass Saturday.
The funeral was delayed while volunteers cleaned up the damage.
"This is a house of worship. People come here to express their faith and their belief in God, and to violate that -- if that was the intent --- it is a little bit disturbing," Everett Police Lt. Paul Landry told WBZ.
A homeless man who often spends time on the property was arrested at the scene for breaking and entering.
Police are trying to determine whether he was responsible for the damage, or if he might have seen someone else do it.
Is there something more you would like us to know about this story? Do you have a news tip to share with WBZ? |
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
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charm
Senior Member
264 Posts |
Posted - 04/08/2008 : 06:17:43 AM
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Home / News / Local
Everett schools employee accused of sexually assaulting boy
Robert Shea, a custodian and basketball coach in the Everett public schools, at his arraignment in Malden District Court. (Associated Press/Pool)
Email|Print|Single Page| Text size – + By Brian R. Ballou
Globe Staff / April 8, 2008
Robert J. Shea was known to neighbors as the man who often hosted pool parties at his home on summer days, drawing boys from the neighborhood. Twice in recent years, Shea, a custodian and longtime basketball coach at Everett Middle School, was investigated by authorities for possible misconduct toward youth, but those cases were closed.
more stories like thisYesterday in Malden District Court, Shea was charged with two counts of rape and three counts of indecent assault and battery on a 12-year-old boy who lives near his three-decker on Jefferson Avenue. He pleaded not guilty and was ordered held on $15,000 cash bail. If Shea posts bail, he will have to wear a GPS monitor. His next court date is May 5 for a pretrial conference.
"He's had some of the young boys in his pool," said Cheryl Crane, 40, who lives near Shea. "I thought it was kind of odd that he always had boys and young adult males over there. I'm not surprised by what I'm hearing now. People around here kind of talked about his behavior with the boys."
Frederick F. Foresteire, superintendent of Everett schools, said Shea has been suspended from his positions with pay pending the outcome of the court case. Foresteire said that Shea had been the subject of two prior investigations conducted by the Department of Social Services in 2003 and the Everett Police Department in 2005.
In the 2003 case, an unidentified teacher alerted authorities about "questionable behavior" by Shea toward a youth, Foresteire said. The department conducted an investigation but closed it without a finding. The 2005 police investigation also was closed without a finding, according to Foresteire.
On Friday, the mother of the 12-year-old went to Everett police, prompting an investigation by the Middlesex district attorney's child abuse unit. Police arrested Shea, 57, at his home on Sunday.
Yesterday, prosecutors alleged that Shea befriended the boy in the fall of 2007 and abused him for six months. They said Shea would take the boy to a restaurant on Saturday mornings for breakfast and invited him to his house.
Prosecutors allege that incidents of abuse occurred at Shea's house and at the old Everett High School site.
"We met with the boy and the mother, and he has recall of very specific events," prosecutor Michael Chinman said yesterday during the arraignment.
Shea's attorney, Mark Griffith, said his client is "completely shocked" by the charges. Griffith told the court that Shea has worked in the Everett School Department for 25 years; he has been a junior varsity basketball coach for 14 years. Griffith said Shea also received a Golden Apple Reward for exceptional performance at his job. "My client has been a friend to this young man, a big brother, under the knowledge of the boy's mother."
Griffith added, "To suggest he [Shea] was not seen by others in the neighborhood doing this alleged behavior begs the question of credibility. He's been around children all the time for the past 25 years and all we have is one allegation."
© Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company. |
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 04/08/2008 : 11:16:56 AM
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White Powder on Bus Shuts Down Haymarket MBTA Station
Last Edited: Tuesday, 08 Apr 2008, 10:47 AM EDT
Created: Tuesday, 08 Apr 2008, 10:29 AM EDT
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A HAZMAT situation is developing at the Haymarket MBTA stop in Boston. According to FOX25's Diana Rocco, a bus driver found white powder on the dash of her bus. As she went to wipe it away, it irritated her eyes.
The driver was treated on the scene and has reportedly not experienced any symptoms of being contaminated.
The Haymarket station has been shut while HAZMAT tries to determine what substance.
Stay with FOX25 and myfoxboston.com for more on this story as it develops.
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charm
Senior Member
264 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2008 : 06:20:53 AM
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Home / News / Local EVERETT
A healthier Keverian gets back to work at City Hall
George Keverian used a fountain pen to demonstrate his John Hancock at his desk in Everett City Hall. "People didn't care what I was signing; they just wanted to see my signature," he said. The former House speaker was fired from his assessor's post last year. (JOANNE RATHE/GLOBE STAFF)
Email|Print|Single Page| Text size – + By Kay Lazar
Globe Staff / April 13, 2008
All he wanted was his job back.
more stories like thisGeorge Keverian, the iconic former House speaker who was fired last fall from his Everett City Hall post during a political spat, then hospitalized for three months - they read him last rites - is at his desk again. And pulling double duty.
Seven weeks shy of his 77th birthday, Keverian resumed his chief of assessors position last week while also agreeing to help his new boss, Mayor Carlo DeMaria, lobby legislators in Keverian's old State House stomping grounds for more money for Everett.
"I am probably going to work till I drop," said a delighted Keverian, his workaholic ways and deep political roots firmly intact, despite ongoing physical therapy. "The opposite of work is no work," he said, "and I am not one of those people who learned how to golf."
Keverian was abruptly let go in November by outgoing mayor John Hanlon in what Keverian called political payback. Hanlon, knocked out of the race in the September primary, said the position Keverian held for 12 years was no longer needed. But Keverian said he was punished for backing another candidate after Hanlon's primary defeat.
The firing didn't go over well in Everett, where a City Hall meeting room and a school bear Keverian's name. Even as a petition calling for his return circulated, Keverian was taken to a Boston hospital in November for emergency surgery from fluid build-up around his heart.
The news prompted concerned calls from many corridors, including Beacon Hill, where Keverian was a towering state figure two decades ago as House speaker. Everett's new mayor went to Keverian's hospital bedside and asked if he'd be interested in coming back, when he felt up to it.
"There's a lot of respect at the State House for the speaker, and that's where you get all of your local aid," DeMaria said.
"I respect [former Mayor] Hanlon's decision, but I think [Keverian's] vast experience in state and local politics will benefit the city."
The former speaker said he's settling in, nearly 100 pounds lighter than when he left.
A new strict diet has helped in his long battle with weight. But one thing hasn't changed: Keverian's lifelong love of work.
"It's the reason to get up, to get dressed, to go out and say hello to people, to have the ability to help people who need help," he said.
"When I go home I may be tired, but I felt like I did something."
Kay Lazar can be reached at klazar@globe.com.
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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 04/27/2008 : 07:35:46 AM
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VETERANS' AGENT CHOICE NEARS - After weeks of searching for and interviewing 17 applicants, Mayor Carlo DeMaria is expected to announce his choice this week for the city's new veteran services commissioner. The applicants include four women who are veterans, said Erin Deveney, the mayor's chief of staff. Those interviewed included candidates from Billerica, Concord, and Malden. "While they all had different professional backgrounds, the one thing that distinguished all of the candidates is that they all expressed their commitment and desire to serve their fellow veterans. That came up in every interview," Deveney said. - Kay Lazar
CLEANUP DAY - Mayor Carlo DeMaria is urging residents, community groups, youth organizations, and local businesses to join him today for a city cleanup as Everett belatedly celebrates Earth Day. Volunteers will be at the Parlin Library, 410 Broadway, at 8:30 a.m. for a continental breakfast. Groups will be dispersed at 9 a.m. for cleanup activities. Participants are asked to bring their own gloves, and a rake or a broom. The city will provide bags, and a contractor will remove bags filled with debris. - Kay Lazar |
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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
 Posted - 04/28/2008 : 11:26:29 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by tetris
"While they all had different professional backgrounds, the one thing that distinguished all of the candidates is that they all expressed their commitment and desire to serve their fellow veterans. That came up in every interview," Deveney said. - Kay Lazar
Gee...One would hope that would come up in every interview...and nothing mentioned about a time frame of when this person would be hired? Can it be conveniently after the budget? |
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2008 : 09:47:19 AM
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| It's about time some progress is being made for a new VSO. This has been going on for far too long. |
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charm
Senior Member
264 Posts |
Posted - 05/04/2008 : 04:55:46 AM
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EVERETT
MAYOR'S AIDE TO DO DOUBLE DUTY - The city's new solicitor is a familiar face. Erin Deveney, Mayor Carlo DeMaria's chief of staff, will take on double duty and perform both jobs as part of DeMaria's streamlining and cost-cutting initiative. Deveney's appointment was approved by the Board of Aldermen Monday night, but she will not be sworn in as solicitor until the state Ethics Commission signs off on the move. Acting city solicitor Colleen Mejia will continue to head the legal department until the Ethics Commission rules, then would become deputy city solicitor, Deveney said. Before coming to Everett in January, Deveney was general counsel to the state's Criminal History Systems Board. - Kay Lazar |
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arthur
Senior Member
212 Posts |
Posted - 05/08/2008 : 06:02:43 AM
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REGION
Feeling all too foreign
Immigrants wary; officials deny bias
By Kay Lazar, Globe Staff | May 8, 2008
There are whispers in Revere about drivers who are stopped by police because they look foreign. In Everett, there are similar anxieties.
Newcomers also talk about local ordinances that seem to be enforced unfairly, with residents who don't speak English more likely to receive tickets for breaking curb-side trash rules and other health code violations. Those concerns are echoed in Malden, where some say City Hall seems more like an ivory tower.
Immigrant enclaves across the region say they are feeling a local backlash as federal authorities conduct large-scale raids nationwide, tracking down and deporting undocumented immigrants. Yet elected and appointed officials say immigrants are not being singled out, and that leaders have been working hard to bridge divides and ease fears.
On one point, all sides agree: Language barriers are a huge hurdle. Finding common ground has been complicated, and solutions even more elusive.
Consider the trash issue, where local rules tend to vary community by community.
"In a lot of cities, you cannot put all the garbage outside. And you have to get a sticker or you get a ticket," said Lucy Pineda, a 35-year-old Revere resident who moved to the United States 24 years ago from El Salvador.
Pineda is the director of LUMA, Latinos United in Massachusetts, an Everett-based nonprofit. She said that immigrants who do not understand local trash rules or have limited English skills will go to a city hall to find out why they received a trash ticket, and find there is no literature or employee who can speak their language to explain it.
So LUMA is planning to translate fliers that explain various local ordinances into several languages for a number of communities, she said.
Pineda also said that her group, which serves immigrants in many of the urban communities north of Boston, has been receiving complaints from immigrants who say they are being singled out by police for traffic stops, particularly in Revere and Everett.
"If police stop an American and then they stop Lucy, Lucy looks different, so they treat Lucy different," Pineda said.
Police officials dispute the allegation. They say immigrants are treated the same as all others who are stopped for violations.
But officials acknowledge that they often face substantial communication problems because their departments don't mirror the demographics of their changing communities.
"It's extremely frustrating communicating with someone who doesn't understand what you are asking them for," said Revere Police Chief Terrence Reardon. "Oftentimes we have to depend on other police departments. We'll call over to Chelsea and see if they have anyone who speaks Spanish."
Chelsea often receives high marks from immigrant groups, who say the city has made great strides in bridging cultural and language differences.
It is one of a handful of cities that has declared itself a sanctuary for immigrants, including those here illegally.
Everett, by comparison, approved a resolution last fall urging that federal homeland security dollars be stripped from self-declared "sanctuary cities" and instead be sent to Everett and other neighboring communities.
In Everett, the 99-member police department has just six officers who are bilingual, speaking a variety of languages. Yet a quarter of families with school-aged children in the city are Hispanic, according to state education data. The numbers are similar in Revere, where there are four Spanish-speaking officers in a force of roughly 92. Yet more than a third of families are Hispanic, state figures show.
Officials in both police departments said they are aggressively working to boost their bilingual numbers.
Revere's chief said his department has also received federal funding for more bilingual translators to help with domestic violence issues in the community's growing Asian and Hispanic neighborhoods.
Everett, which has a growing Brazilian population, has held Portuguese language classes for officers and is planning more this fall, said Everett Police Lieutenant Paul Landry.
"We understand, all too well, that perception is reality," he said. "We're here to help [immigrants]. We are not here to target them. But if they break the law, they will be arrested."
In Malden, where roughly 40 percent of families with school-aged children are Asian or Hispanic, the unease is more diffuse. Some immigrant groups say that the city, for years, has done little to make them feel welcome.
"You go into the City Hall, there is a bunch of white people. It's ivory tower politics," said Mohamed Brahimi, 39, founder of the Malden-based Moroccan American Civic and Cultural Association.
Brahimi said that about three years ago, when he was forming the association and looking for a place to hold free English classes, he received a chilly reception when he knocked on a lot of doors at City Hall asking for help finding space. Eventually, he said, a nonprofit agency stepped forward with a low-cost rental.
He also said that last summer, some immigrant groups lobbied, unsuccessfully, to have city pamphlets published in various languages.
While information handed out by city and school departments is only in English, for roughly the past five years there also has been a sentence in boldface type that says, "This is an important notice. Please have this translated."
That sentence is in five languages: Spanish, Portuguese, French, Chinese, and Vietnamese, said the mayor's spokeswoman, Deborah Burke.
"The city . . . has been most welcoming to new immigrant groups," said Burke, who noted that Malden has at least six employees throughout City Hall who are fluent in either Spanish, Mandarin, or Cantonese.
"We could always do more and better," Burke said. "But we have made progress."
Kay Lazar can be reached at klazar@globe.com.
© Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company
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justme
Advanced Member
1428 Posts |
Posted - 05/08/2008 : 08:07:59 AM
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I know there are many who will disagree, but I think immigrants need to learn our language, not the other way around. Our tax dollars are already stretched to their limit. Hiring translators and translating laws, ordinances, school notices, and whatever else is a burden we shouldn't be expected to bear.
Anyone who chooses to live in a country other than their own needs to understand that they are required to follow the laws of that country and they should be willing to accept the responsibility of learning the language. If they don’t understand those basics, perhaps they should stay where they are.
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BOSTON GLOBE
