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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 02/08/2009 : 3:18:02 PM
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| I guess that I ought to do a liitle research before I post. The CHA center is the one in the old Post Office; the one on Norwood Street is associated with MGH. Sorry for the confusion. |
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 02/11/2009 : 10:00:54 AM
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The Boston Globe
Suspects in Medford bank robbery caught
By Stewart Bishop
Globe Correspondent / February 11, 2009
Authorities said that two bank robbers were captured in Medford yesterday after the sport utility vehicle they fled in collided with a police car, causing at least two injuries.
Joseph Centola, 27, and a companion allegedly passed a note to a teller demanding money with no dye-packs, implying they were armed; no weapon was shown.
IN CUSTODY
Joseph Centola, 27, of Everett and Joshua Walsh, 21, of Quincy are accused of robbing East Cambridge Savings Bank on Salem Street in Medford about 12:15 p.m., police said.
Medford police Lieutenant Paul Covino said that Centola and Walsh entered the bank and passed a note to a teller, demanding money with no dye-packs, and implied that they were armed, although no weapon was shown.
Police said the men fled the bank in a blue Jeep Cherokee. A witness described the vehicle and the license plate for police. Detective Stephen LeBert was responding from a detail when he spotted the Jeep. He and other officers chased the vehicle on to Riverside Avenue, where the Jeep crossed the center line and crashed head-on into a Medford police cruiser.
Amidst some scattered cash, Centola and Walsh were arrested, police said.
The latter sustained injuries in the crash and was removed on a stretcher.
It was not disclosed how much money was recovered.
Gino Ventresca, who lives on Riverside Avenue, said that it looked as though one of the suspects was injured in the collision.
"I saw them on the ground," Ventresca said. "One was bleeding pretty good. They took him away and put the other in the [police] wagon."
Kay O'Brien, who also lives on Riverside Avenue, saw the crash. "It happened right outside my front door," she said. "They crashed, and I don't know where they came from, but the police came from everywhere. Fire engines, too. They blocked off the whole street."
The officer driving the cruiser involved in the crash was treated for a head injury and released from the hospital.
Police said that the Jeep, driven by Centola, was stolen in Medford less than an hour before the robbery.
State Police said their air wing was called in to search for a possible third suspect, who jumped out of the car.
In addition to a charge of armed robbery while masked, police said, other charges are expected.
© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.
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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2009 : 10:36:45 AM
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| The city is stepping up enforcement of an ordinance aimed at cracking down on overcrowded apartments and illegal rooming houses. Beginning March 1, the Building Department will require landlords to obtain a certificate of habitability for any apartments or rooms rented to new tenants or rerented to existing tenants. Applications for certificates will be available through the Building Department for a $25 fee. Once the application is received, the Health Department will inspect the property within 10 days to determine if it meets "standards of fitness for human habitation." Property owners will be required to rectify any violations to obtain a certificate. Violators of the ordinance will face fines. The enforcement effort was initiated in response to a City Council order. "We've had this ordinance on the books for a while," Mayor Carlo DeMaria Jr. said in a prepared statement. "I firmly believe that we all want this enforced, and I'm glad the council brought it to our attention. This helps landlords and tenants; and it helps keep illegal rooming houses and overcrowded apartments out of Everett." - John Laidler |
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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
 Posted - 02/12/2009 : 10:49:05 AM
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| The thanks goes to Alderman Robert Van Campen, who has been bringing this up since December. |
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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 02/15/2009 : 08:03:36 AM
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Safety efforts get boost
City given $1m antiterror grant
By John Laidler
Globe Correspondent / February 15, 2009
Everett is planning major improvements to its public safety equipment and facilities through $1 million in federal antiterrorism funds.
The city, which hosts a liquefied natural gas facility, is receiving the funds through a US Department of Homeland Security grant program designed to protect critical infrastructure from a terrorist attack. Massachusetts received $2.1 million in 2006 from the program, $1 million of which was allocated to Everett.
City officials said the grant will pay for much-needed public safety upgrades, including new communications equipment and overhauls of the emergency dispatch and operations centers.
Police Lieutenant Paul M. Landry said the upgrades will not only serve the function of helping deter terrorists, but will help the city's public safety departments with their regular work.
"We are not just buying this equipment to sit on a shelf and wait for something to happen. It will be put to use on a daily basis by the city's first responders," Landry said.
He said the improvements would be difficult to carry out without the federal grant, given the city's tight finances.
Landry, the Police Department's executive officer, said it took several years for the money to become available because Everett and other recipients of the grant money had to have their purchasing plans reviewed and approved by state and federal officials.
Distrigas of Massachusetts' Everett marine terminal on the Mystic River meets about 20 percent of New England's annual gas demand, according to the company's website. The terminal includes two LNG storage tanks with a combined capacity of 3.4 billion cubic feet, or 42 million gallons. Since 1971, the facility has received more than 600 shipments of liquefied natural gas from various international sources.
Other major waterfront installations in Everett include an Exxon Mobil Corp. marine distribution terminal featuring 29 oil storage tanks and a metals recycling facility operated by Schnitzer Steel Industries.
"We're pleased that the federal government has recognized the importance of our role in helping prevent, deter, and respond to acts of terrorism against critical infrastructure" Police Chief Steven Mazzie said in a prepared statement. "This grant will enable us to be better prepared as a community to work with private industry for the safety of all."
Landry said the grant came from a Department of Homeland Security program that supports the implementation of "buffer zone plans" outside the perimeter of identified critical infrastructure or key resource sites. The plans are intended to develop measures that would make it more difficult for terrorists to conduct surveillance or launch attacks in the vicinity of those targets, and to better prepare localities to handle such threats.
The city, which will receive the funding in the form of reimbursements, is not required to appropriate any matching funds, according to Landry.
Mayor Carlo DeMaria Jr. praised the work of the Police Department in applying for the grant, saying in a statement, "I'm pleased that the Police and Fire Department are doing everything to be prepared to protect the residents of this city."
Equipment upgrades Everett plans to carry out with the grant include purchase of new mobile computers enabling police officers and firefighters to write reports, run queries, and communicate securely with their stations while in their vehicles.
Computers in the city's emergency operations center will be upgraded to improve data sharing and communication, while new helmets equipped for radio communications will be acquired for the Police Department's motorcycle unit.
The Police Department's marine patrol boat will get a new motor, while the department's dive team will be outfitted with new dry suits. The police special operations unit will receive new surveillance equipment.
The city's emergency dispatch center will be completely overhauled to enable it to meet current fire and electrical codes and to improve the efficiency of operations. The project will include new electrical wiring and the installation of new work stations, cabinets, and computers.
Another planned use of the funding is the relocation of a back-up radio repeater to eliminate black-out spots in the radio communication system used by the Police, Fire, and Emergency Management departments.
Funds will also allow the department to provide specialized equipment, training, and recruiting for its Citizens Corps, a group of citizen volunteers that is available to assist during emergencies.
© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company. |
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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 02/15/2009 : 08:06:06 AM
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DONATION FOR SENIOR SERVICES - A community organization recently donated $21,000 to support services for seniors in the city. The contribution from the Everett Foundation for Aged Persons will go to the city's Office of Human Services, which includes the Council on Aging. The money will be used to fund programs at the senior center, which range from exercise classes to educational seminars, meals, bingo, and movies. It will also support other services provided by the council, including transportation to medical appointments and grocery shopping, and referrals for other assistance. About 6,900 seniors reside in Everett. Carolyn Lightburn, the city's human services director, said in a prepared statement that the foundation's support over the years has helped the city expand services for its elder population while keeping the cost of those programs affordable for seniors. - John Laidler
STUDY OF OLDER CITY BUILDINGS - The city recently hired a consultant to study options for the future use of some of its older municipal buildings. RF Walsh Project Management of Boston was awarded a $24,500 contract to undertake the study. Among the buildings to be included in the study are the former high school; the police station; City Hall; the Hancock Street and Central Street fire stations; the school administration building; the city's emergency telecommunications center; and the former Adams school building. Erin Deveney, chief of staff to Mayor Carlo DeMaria Jr., said the study will focus on the feasibility of consolidating some or all of the functions of those buildings at the old high school on Broadway. She said the city wanted to explore that possibility before deciding whether to declare the three-acre high school property surplus and offer it for sale. - John Laidler |
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SillyPutty
Member
2 Posts |
Posted - 02/15/2009 : 08:43:37 AM
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| I thought that high priced ticket item Deveney resigned or did Matt just forget to read this one before he sent it out? For all the money they are paying those folks in the Mayor's office you would think we could at least put out fresh copy press releases instead of one written by a former employee who has been gone two weeks now. That's what I call efficiency. The person who coined the phrase "You get what you pay for.." never considered City of Everett Mayor's payroll when he came up with that one. |
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 02/15/2009 : 08:54:03 AM
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She is there until February 21st,
EVERETT
MAYOR LOSES CHIEF OF STAFF - Mayor Carlo DeMaria Jr. last week that a key member of his administrative team is leaving. Erin Deveney, DeMaria's chief of staff, is resigning effective Feb. 21 to become chief of staff to Registrar of Motor Vehicles Rachel Kaprelian. "This is a great loss to my office," DeMaria said in a prepared statement. "Erin is one of the best and brightest people I've ever worked with. She was extremely dedicated, worked very hard, and set the standard for that position. Deveney, a lawyer, worked at the Registry of Motor Vehicles from 2000-2005 in several positions, including legal counsel and deputy registrar. From January 2006 until she joined DeMaria's office, she served as general counsel for the state's Criminal History Systems Board. Deveney expressed appreciation to DeMaria and the city "for the opportunities I've been provided. I have great confidence in the mayor's ability to lead the city in the upcoming difficult times." - John Laidler |
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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 02/19/2009 : 08:46:43 AM
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Lawyer derides ethics decision
Superintendent, manager are fined
By John Laidler
Globe Correspondent / February 19, 2009
A lawyer for Everett School Superintendent Frederick Foresteire is rejecting as unwarranted a state Ethics Commission decision that Foresteire violated the state conflict-of-interest law.
The commission ruled Feb. 12 that Foresteire and Lona DeFeo, the school department's maintenance manager, both violated the law by using their official positions to have school employees secure supplies and assist with a 2002 renovation project at Foresteire's home.
The panel levied civil fines of $6,000 on Foresteire and $4,500 on DeFeo.
Foresteire, who has been superintendent since 1989 and whose current contract runs through July 2015, referred questions to his attorney, David Berman.
Berman called the allegations against his client without merit. He also contended that they fell outside a required three-year statute of limitations. Berman said Foresteire has not yet decided whether to appeal the decision in Superior Court.
Robert Christian, DeFeo's attorney, said, "We disagree with the decision and we're reviewing our options." He declined to comment further.
In its decision, the Ethics Commission said that between April and November 2002, a school department plumber did work during school time at Foresteire's home as directed by DeFeo or Debbie Dunbrack, a secretary in the school maintenance office, who is Foresteire's sister-in-law.
The commission said that since DeFeo reported directly to the superintendent and since it was Foresteire's home that was being renovated, "we can reasonably infer" that the plumber, Michael Pomer, was sent at Foresteire's direction. The ruling also said that Foresteire personally paid the plumber and was subsequently sent school payroll records reflecting that the employee had not used his vacation time when he did the work.
The commission also said that Foresteire unilaterally determined what he would pay Pomer, and that the amount, $1,960, was well below the $3,000 the plumber would usually charge for such work and the discounted price of $2,250 he would have been willing to offer.
But Berman said evidence at the hearing showed that Foresteire's wife, Dorothy, oversaw the home remodeling project. Berman said it was at the suggestion of her sister, Dunbrack, a friend of Pomer's, that Dorothy Foresteire hired Pomer for the plumbing work.
Although Frederick Foresteire saw Pomer working at the house, he was "out of this loop entirely," Berman said.
Berman also said that since no price was agreed upon, the plumber was legally entitled only to be paid a "fair value" for his services and no evidence was introduced at the hearing about what that value would be.
"How can it be illegal not to pay someone an amount you are not obligated to pay them?" said Berman. "We think the fair value was a good deal less than $1,960."
Pomer could not be reached for comment.
The commission also said that at DeFeo's direction, in October 2002, a school department carpenter purchased some plywood and cut it into sheets at the high school. A school custodian, William O'Leary, later delivered the plywood to Foresteire's house using a school truck, according to the commission, which also found the city paid the $234 invoice for the wood.
The panel said it is "a reasonable inference that Foresteire knew the source of the plywood and how it came to be at his house."
But Berman said Foresteire did not obtain any free plywood from the school. He said Dunbrack's nephew Raymond Dunbrack, who was working on the remodeling project, obtained her permission one day to cut some wood at the Everett High shop when it was not in use.
Berman said Debbie Dunbrack later that day arranged for O'Leary to deliver the wood to Foresteire's house during his lunch hour. Berman said that O'Leary, accompanied by Raymond Dunbrack, made the delivery, but that Debbie Dunbrack was not aware they did so in a school truck.
"There is not a shred of evidence that anybody ever talked to Fred Foresteire about this," Berman said, denying also that Foresteire used any plywood bought by the schools.
O'Leary Tuesday declined comment on the case, but said: "As far as I'm concerned, nobody's worked harder for the school department than Fred and Lona."
Debbie Dunbrack declined to comment.
In a previous case in 1992, Foresteire was fined $250 by the Ethics Commission for soliciting a School Department painter to paint a School Committee member's apartment.
The recent charges were first outlined in a show cause order last March 14. The commission said the three-year statute of limitations requirement had been met for the case, since no evidence was presented showing that any complaint was made to the commission, the Everett School Committee, or the attorney general prior to March 2005.
But Berman said the attorney general first became aware of the charges relating to the plumbing work in early 2003, putting the case well outside the statute of limitations.
School Committee chairman Richard C. Baniewicz said he could not comment on the case because "I really don't know much about it." But he said he continues to have confidence in Foresteire. "I think he does an excellent job. We evaluate the superintendent every year as a committee and I've always given him excellent grades."
© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company. |
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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 02/19/2009 : 08:53:21 AM
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MAZZIE CONTINUES AS CHIEF - Mayor Carlo DeMaria Jr. has reappointed police Chief Steven A. Mazzie to a three-year term effective March 27. The Board of Aldermen last week confirmed the reappointment. "I've known the chief to be a highly professional leader of the department. I think he has a great rapport with the community and is consistently looking for ways to improve the department and keep our city safe," DeMaria said in a prepared statement. Mazzie is a 17-year Everett police veteran. Hired as a patrolman in 1992, he was promoted to sergeant in 1995, lieutenant in 1998, and captain in 2002. The following year, Mayor David Ragucci appointed him chief, and in 2006, Mazzie was reappointed by Mayor John Hanlon. "I'm pleased that [DeMaria] is happy with my performance and he values the work and leadership I try to provide at the Police Department," Mazzie said.
- John Laidler |
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 02/19/2009 : 09:38:52 AM
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School Committee chairman Richard C. Baniewicz said he could not comment on the case because "I really don't know much about it." But he said he continues to have confidence in Foresteire. "I think he does an excellent job. We evaluate the superintendent every year as a committee and I've always given him excellent grades."
Of course Mr Baniewicz gives FFF excellent grades. His wife is a teacher a teacher at the Keverian School. |
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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 02/19/2009 : 10:01:36 AM
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| How can he not "know that much about it"? Unbelievable! |
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 02/19/2009 : 10:19:06 AM
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| How can he not "know that much about it" and be performing his duties properly as a School Committee member? It's not like this is anything new. |
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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 02/19/2009 : 2:25:32 PM
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John J. Brogna
BROGNA, John J. Formerly of Everett, Florida, AL and CA on Feb. 16. Survived by his loving brother Robert G. Brogna and his wife Danielle as well as his dear Aunt Mary L. Hanson, Uncle Edward Brogna and his wife Nicki and dozens of cousins and friends to whom he was very close. Mr. Brogna taught at Everett High School for 10 years and was a graduate of Northeastern University, Emerson College and earned a PhD from the University of Georgia. John was a member of the Screen Actors Guild and AFTRA. He stared in several movies and numerous television Sitcoms and Dramas. He spent more than 40 years performing on stage and screen. He will be greatly missed by all who loved him. A memorial celebration of John's life will take place in July. Donations in John's memory may be made to Hospice of Palm Beach County, 5300 East Ave, West Palm Beach, FL 33407.
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BOSTON GLOBE 2009
