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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 02/22/2009 : 08:50:36 AM
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EVERETT
LIBRARY WORKS TO EARN GRANTS - The Friends of the Everett Public Library recently raised about $5,000 in separate initiatives to support two library projects. At a Feb. 5 wine tasting at the Parlin Memorial Library, the group raised about $2,000. Most of it will go toward the cost of meeting the required 25 percent match for a $17,550 technology grant awarded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The grant is to replace existing public access computers and related equipment in the Parlin and Shute Memorial libraries. Some of the funds also go toward the local share of the costs of a proposed renovation of the Shute. Everett has received a provisional $1.6 million state grant award for the project, but will need to generate up to $4 million in city and private dollars to match it. The Friends raised about $3,000 through an initiative in which local businesses and organizations were asked to serve as "technology partners" by contributing at least $250 each to help meet the match for the Gates Foundation grant, according to library director Deborah Abraham. She said the library is seeking additional technology partners. - John Laidler
CENSUS WORKERS SOUGHT - The US Census Bureau will be conducting employment testing in Everett tomorrow for local residents interested in working up to 40 hours a week on the 2010 count. The bureau is seeking people to do door-to-door field work in Everett and other area communities, plus office work. Tomorrow's testing will be held in the Keverian Room at City Hall at 1 p.m. For more information, call 866-861-2010. - John Laidler
"Deb" |
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charm
Senior Member
264 Posts |
Posted - 03/02/2009 : 07:48:15 AM
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Drivers losing a right to appeal
Insurers to decide on surcharges
By Jeffrey Krasner, Globe Staff | March 2, 2009
Some Massachusetts drivers could pay hundreds of dollars more for insurance under a state plan to eliminate the board that allows them to contest auto accident surcharges.
The Division of Insurance Board of Appeal, which hears about 50,000 surcharge cases annually, is scheduled to be dissolved April 1, said insurance commissioner Nonnie Burnes. The board is no longer needed, she said, because insurance companies now set their own rates, including penalties for drivers deemed responsible for accidents.
Before last year's implementation of a "managed competition" system, premium rates and surcharges levels were dictated by the state. Now, motorists unhappy with their bills can switch to an insurer with more lenient policies on accidents, Burnes said.
"We're trying to develop a system where the insurers are more responsive to customers," she said of the move to eliminate the appeals board.
Currently, insurers can increase premiums by levying surcharges if they determine a driver is more than 50 percent to blame for a collision. Such penalties often cost hundreds of dollars annually for up to six years. About half of the 50,000 cases disputed each year are overturned by the appeals board. Those drivers are issued re funds.
As the April deadline to dissolve the board nears, however, a move to save it is underway on Beacon Hill. State Senator Stephen J. Buoniconti, Democrat of West Springfield and chairman of the Joint Committee on Financial Services, said more than half the members of the House and Senate have cosigned a bill that would require Burnes to maintain the appeals board.
"I'm getting more calls about this bill than any other issue," Buoniconti said. He said it was unclear when the legislation might go to a vote in the Senate.
Last week, the union representing workers at the Division of Insurance distributed leaflets in support of the board at four state government buildings.
The state's new insurance system is intended to save drivers money by spurring competition among insurers on price, service, and features. The rules governing the system also included doing away with the appeals board. That has angered some consumer advocates.
"Consumers should have an independent board to challenge a decision that could result in hundreds of dollars a year in higher premiums," said Deirdre Cummings, legislative director for the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group, an advocacy organization. "This is a straight-up consumer protection."
Burnes said she isn't inclined to seek a change in the law to preserve the appeals board. The current process is anticonsumer, she said, because drivers must pay $50 for a hearing. It generally takes six months for a case to be heard.
However, an improperly assessed surcharge can cost a driver hundreds or thousands in extra premiums. Insurance companies have great latitude to decide how much extra to charge a driver for an accident. That surcharge lasts for as long as six years, according to insurance companies and agents.
Burnes said drivers who believe they were improperly found at fault can shop for an insurer that won't charge them extra. The option, called "accident forgiveness," is a new feature that some insurance companies offer under the new competitive system. It will force some drivers to seek "forgiveness" for accidents that aren't their fault.
Frank Mancini, president of the Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents, which supports keeping the board, said the savings offered by accident forgiveness programs won't help all motorists because switching insurers won't necessarily lower a driver's bill.
"The accident follows you," said Mancini. "It doesn't go away if you move to another insurer."
Burnes has proposed a system in which insurance companies would give customers assessed surcharges the opportunity for two reviews. Consumers could also file a complaint with the division, though there would not be a formal review.
"They can call us," said Burnes. "We'll help them navigate the system."
Mancini said he is skeptical of the plan.
"Companies review claims all the time," he said. "We don't find them changing their decisions very often."
Glenn Greenberg, a spokesman for Liberty Mutual Group, the national insurance company based in Boston, said ending the appeals board is "logical."
"Massachusetts drivers hold a distinct advantage in that if they feel they're treated unfairly, or if they're not happy with the price or outcome of an appeal, they now have the great consumer protection of going out and shopping the market for a company that will treat them better," said Greenberg.
Burnes said she also opposes the current process because some surcharges may be reversed by the board in cases where a motorist is genuinely at fault. She said she does not know how many surcharges are wrongly overturned.
"I would have to look at every file going back a year," she said.
Burnes's comments highlight some of the dynamics of the Massachusetts auto insurance market, where most policies are sold through independent agents. Agents receive commissions for selling policies, and are primarily concerned with keeping customers satisfied so they renew their policies. Insurance companies, however, have an interest in levying accident-based surcharges because they help pay for accident claims, and to raise the rates of high-risk drivers.
"I hear from agents who say they send customers to the board of appeal because they are lenient," said Burnes.
The board has 15 full-time members. They hear as many as 25 cases a day at various locations, including Registry of Motor Vehicles offices. There is a wait of about six months for a case to be heard. Insurance agents in favor of preserving the appeals board say it generates about $2 million a year for the state. The Division of Insurance said the surplus is about $300,000.
Burnes said eliminating the board is likely to generate criticism from drivers.
"We'll probably see an uptick in complaints as people try to figure out the new system," she said. "I think this new system is going to work, but I don't know that."
Jeffrey Krasner can be reached at krasner@globe.com.
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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2009 : 11:28:24 AM
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With authorization from the City Council, City Clerk Paul F. Kelly recently purchased 620 parking meters to replace the city's approximately 18-year-old supply. MacKay Guardian, of Nova Scotia, was awarded a $230,888 bid to supply the new meters and spare parts. Kelly said the meters are set to be delivered tomorrow. The installation is scheduled to begin next week and, weather permitting, take about two weeks. The meters will be mounted either on existing poles or on new poles where the existing ones are missing or need replacement. Kelly said the new meters will be easier to use because they will accept nickels, dimes, and quarters; the current ones accept only quarters. He said that greater convenience and the fact that the new meters will be less susceptible to breakdowns should boost the city's meter revenues.
- John Laidler |
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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 03/13/2009 : 12:30:59 PM
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Early Patrick supporter gets plum job
State senator named to $175,000 position
By Frank Phillips
Globe Staff / March 13, 2009
Governor Deval Patrick, who campaigned on a platform to fight business as usual on Beacon Hill, has given one of his earliest political supporters a $175,000-a-year job as an assistant director at a state bonding authority, a position that had sat vacant for more than a dozen years.
State Senator Marian Walsh's appointment was approved yesterday by the board of the Massachusetts Health and Education Facilities Authority, which is dominated by Patrick appointees. The new post will give her a pay raise of nearly $100,000 a year. The agency said Walsh will head its new effort to reach out to other authorities and state agencies to create savings by pooling resources.
Republicans sharply criticized Patrick yesterday for appointing Walsh, a nine-term West Roxbury Democrat, to such a high-paying post as the nation slides into serious recession and the state government is slashing its budget and laying people off. The appointment comes as unemployment in the private sector has risen to 7.4 percent.
"Creating a job for Marian Walsh does not count as one of the thousands of jobs Governor Patrick promised to create in Massachusetts," said Barney Keller, the GOP spokesman. "Instead of rewarding supporters with high-paying jobs, the governor should focus on creating jobs for the thousands of unemployed taxpayers."
Two years ago, Patrick appointed Walsh's husband - Paul V. Buckley, a retired District Court judge - to the state's Industrial Accident Board, a post that pays $113,000 a year. That job will sharply increase his state pension. Walsh had applied to Patrick's Judicial Nominating Commission to become a district court judge, but she withdrew her name a year ago.
Joseph Landolfi, the governor's spokesman, did not respond directly to the GOP criticism. He issued a statement saying that Walsh was "highly qualified" for the post and that the governor's office looks forward to working with her.
Walsh's office said she would not be available to comment on her new job.
In a joint statement, the Massachusetts Health and Education Facilities Authority chairman, Allen Larson, and its executive director, Benson Caswell, said Walsh's 20 years of experience in the Legislature gives her the credentials for the job. "She is a highly qualified and well-respected individual," they said in the written statement.
Walsh had originally been slated to take over as executive director of the facilities authority, but the governor's staff backed down after the Globe published an e-mail in May 2008 from a Walsh adviser to Patrick's chief of staff that detailed a plan to push Caswell out of the $225,000-a-year position, pack the board with Patrick supporters, and then have the board appoint her to his position.
Walsh, the Senate majority whip, will see a significant boost in her current $76,440 state salary. But the authority is not part of the state pension system, and her new salary will not boost her state retirement benefits. The agency, which secures tax-exempt capital financing for hospitals, colleges and universities, cultural and research institutions, and human service providers, has a private savings retirement system.
The veteran lawmaker had been looking to give up her seat for a state job for several years. Beacon Hill officials have said her relationship with Senate President Therese Murray has been strained. She has held the Senate seat since 1992, after serving two terms in the House.
Murray issued a statement yesterday praising Walsh, saying she has been a "strong advocate for her constituents and a champion of important issues."'
Caswell has extensive experience in public bonding and non-profit debt.
Walsh's credentials in public bonding are not as strong. She holds a theological degree from Harvard Divinity School and a law degree from Suffolk University. She has worked on state finance and financial regulation issues, serving as Senate chairwoman of the Joint Committee on Taxation and the Joint Committee on Banks and Banking. She also led efforts in the Senate to force private, nonprofit organizations to open their books to the public.
Walsh was one of the first state political figures to back what was then considered a long-shot bid by Patrick to win the Democratic nomination for governor in 2006. Within days after winning the governor's race, Patrick, having vowed to upend the political culture on Beacon Hill, told reporters that state legislators should not expect patronage appointments from him.
Walsh's announcement creates a rare opening in the Senate, prompting speculation about who may look to succeed her in a special election, which will probably be held in late summer or fall.
State Representative Michael F. Rush of West Roxbury wasted no time yesterday jumping into the race. Other potential contenders include former House majority leader John H. Rogers, who was relegated to the back benches after his failed bid to become speaker.
Councilor John D. Tobin of West Roxbury said yesterday that he would hold off on making a decision. When Walsh was rumored to be a candidate for a judgeship last year, Tobin said, he was ready to run for the seat. But he faces reelection this year and said he probably would have to give up his council seat to run in a special election for Walsh's seat.
"A year ago, things lined up politically and professionally," Tobin said. "There are differing things on the table now that I have to evaluate."
State Representative Paul McMurtry, of Dedham, also was noncommittal yesterday. "I'm leaving options open," he said.
Councilor Rob Consalvo of Hyde Park said yesterday he would not run in a special election.
John Drake of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company. |
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charm
Senior Member
264 Posts |
Posted - 03/29/2009 : 04:59:15 AM
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Revere city council makes the most of retirement
Pensions brim with rich rewards
By Sean P. Murphy, Globe Staff | March 29, 2009
REVERE - A group of elected officials in this working-class city, which struggles daily to provide services under the threat of severe budget cuts, is reaping some extraordinary rewards for public service.
Through deft exploitation of state laws and local ordinances, a majority of Revere's 11 part-time city councilors are collecting full city pensions while remaining on the city payroll and receiving up to $25,000 a year in council compensation, according to a Globe review of public records.
One councilor began collecting his city pension without retiring. Two others left the council, began collecting their retirement benefits, and returned to the council with no interruption or reduction of their pensions. Some have tacked extra years onto pensions with just a few days' work. They also have used annual bonuses that accumulate for multiple years of service, called "longevity pay," to pad their pensions and council salaries simultaneously.
In many ways, the Revere council provides a case study in the myriad tactics employed by some public officials in Massachusetts to maximize retirement benefits. But it also is an extreme case, according to the Globe review. The use of so many different retirement provisions - by retirees still on a public payroll - is rare if not unique, compensation specialists said.
Fred Foulkes, a Boston University professor and director of the university's Human Policy Institute, said Revere city councilors may have seized every available advantage in state and local rules to increase their income.
"There are a lot of these quirks around to take advantage of," he said. "The average citizen doesn't know about things like this."
The pensions are an example of the kind of nest-feathering that has infuriated the public and recently prompted Governor Deval Patrick and some lawmakers to call for an overhaul of the pension system.
The Globe has published stories about town moderators and a library trustee who counted their volunteer service toward pensions, and public officials who began collecting early, enhanced pensions after they were fired from state government.
Revere officials say they are doing nothing improper, and that the provisions they have used to increase their pensions are part of state and local codes.
"I take what is given to me - that's my stand on it," said Councilor George V. Colella, a former Revere mayor.
Seven of the 11 Revere councilors receive pensions, ranging up to $57,000 a year. In addition, they receive base city council pay of $14,650, plus automatic expense stipends of $7,200 (recently reduced by 20 percent, in a nod to the budget crisis), plus the accumulating bonuses for years worked, called longevity bonuses.
The combined take for some councilors is more than $85,000 a year, in a city of 55,000 people where the median income hovers around $45,000 annually. By comparison, Malden, with about the same population and demographics, pays councilors $17,500. Only one Malden councilor receives a city pension.
Some of the Revere councilors built up pensions while serving as full-time city employees; others earned pensions based largely on serving as council and School Committee members. Two of the retirees served the city as both mayor and councilor; one as only a councilor; one as a firefighter; one as a police officer; and one served in the state's employment training department.
"Revere may be unique in electing so many retirees to the city council," said Anthony T. Zambuto, one of the few councilors who does not receive a public pension.
Councilor Arthur Guinasso, for example, retired as a councilor in 2002 at age 62, began receiving a $10,000 annual pension, and then returned to the council two years later, collecting both his pension and the councilor compensation package, which together equals a combined $31,700. Guinasso did not return telephone calls.
Councilor Robert J. Haas Jr. "retired" from his career as a mayor and councilor in 2005 at age 62, and just kept going, never breaking his service on the council. The only change for Haas was that he began drawing his $47,500 pension on top of his councilor's pay and expenses of about $25,000.
These moves are legal because city councilors and other elected officials in Massachusetts are exempt from the restrictions and financial penalties the law imposes on most government retirees who want to continuing working and drawing paychecks beyond their retirement. The law imposes no such restrictions on retirees who hold elected office.
The state rules also allow City Council members to count their part-time, elected jobs as full years of pension credit. The council usually meets three times a month, for as long as five hours per session. On average, that is about four hours a week throughout the year. They also spend various amounts of time on constituent work.
Councilors bristled at the suggestion they are taking advantage of the system.
"Everybody says it's part-time work," said Ira Novoselsky, a councilor who combined state employment and a stint on the city planning board to retire at age 55 with an annual pension of about $30,000, on top of his council compensation of more than $26,500. "But you don't get calls at two o'clock in the morning from [angry] constituents."
Revere City Council members have also used the so-called one-day rule to boost their pensions, in a fashion similar to other officials around the state. It allows public officials to collect a full year of credit toward a pension for as little as one day of work in a calendar year.
The rule was devised by the state Legislature, whose departing members typically gain an extra year of credit when they remain in office for a few days in January while awaiting the swearing-in of their successors.
In Revere, the terms of mayor, councilors, and School Committee members also extend into the first week of January. (Two out of six School Committee members in Revere also receive city pensions, plus pay and health benefits.)
Haas took advantage of the one-day rule in 2005, boosting his eventual pension by about $1,500 a year for life by serving two days as a councilor in January.
Colella used it three times in his long political career, twice when leaving office as mayor and once when leaving office as councilor, allowing him to ring up an extra $5,000 in his annual pension for 10 days' work - for life. Since he began collecting a pension 17 years ago, the one-day rule in Colella's case has cost the city about $85,000.
Colella said the one-day rule was spawned by the Legislature.
"I had nothing to do with it," he said.
But another key benefit was established by the council. The council voted in 2000 to boost members' pay - and their eventual pensions - by giving themselves automatic annual longevity bonuses based on the length of their public employment. Longevity pay is practically unheard of for city councilors and other elected officials in surrounding municipalities, according to a survey of those cities.
The Revere city council also then further enhanced the benefits of longevity. Councilors voted, in the same year, to allow longevity payments they receive to be used in calculating their pensions. Longevity bonuses are awarded at $500 a year for the first nine years of service, and then boosted by $200 for every year after that, up to a maximum of $6,300.
Haas, for example, receives about $2,500 a year of his $47,500 annual pension in recognition for the longevity he amassed as a councilor and mayor in the 1980s and 1990s. And he is using those same years a second time to collect $3,700 a year in longevity pay as a councilor.
Haas said he did not realize councilors were getting the advantages of longevity bonuses twice, until it was pointed out by the Globe.
"I think we have to address it," he said. "It may be a small amount in dollars, but it's symbolic. If it is wrong, we will do something about it."
Sean P. Murphy can be reached at smurphy@globe.com.
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charm
Senior Member
264 Posts |
Posted - 03/29/2009 : 05:02:10 AM
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EVERETT
Incentive offered to retire
City workers who leave to get bonus
By John Laidler, Globe Correspondent | March 29, 2009
Everett is rewarding employees who agree to leave their jobs this spring under an initiative aimed at limiting potential layoffs.
The separation incentive program, outlined in a letter to employees by Mayor Carlo DeMaria Jr. earlier this month, offered a one-time bonus payment to anyone agreeing to resign or retire effective May 1.
The approximately 518 employees offered the incentive - all workers outside of the School Department and the Housing Authority - had until Friday to inform the city of their intentions. The retirement option is available only to those who are currently eligible to retire.
As of Thursday, 17 employees had officially notified the city of their intention to take the resignation bonus, according to Cheryl D'Andrea, the city's personnel technician. She was expecting at least five others to file by the deadline.
"This is a program to minimize layoffs," DeMaria said.
The city expects layoffs next fiscal year because of rising costs in areas such as health insurance, and drops in state aid and local receipts. Each job vacated through retirement or resignation will either be left open or, if it is an essential post, filled by a lower-ranking employee whose own position will then be left open.
The incentive bonuses offered by the city were $25,000 for full-time police officers and firefighters; $17,500 for department heads; $12,500 for other full-time employees, and $5,000 for part-time employees.
Those retiring also will receive the unused vacation and sick leave buyback payments to which they would be entitled under their union contracts or city personnel policy. Those resigning would get accumulated unused vacation payments.
The 17 employees who filed notice included nine full-time employees: four from the fire department; two from city services; and one each from the police, treasurer's, and registrar of voters departments; Eight part-time employees took the offer: two each from the engineering and building departments and the Office of Human Services; and one each from the health and treasurer's departments.
DeMaria, who had not targeted a specific number of jobs to eliminate through the voluntary program, said the spirit of the plan is to encourage long-time workers to consider retiring or resigning to help save the jobs of junior workers for whom the loss of employment would mean financial hardship.
"I think it can encourage a little camaraderie in the community," he said.
City solicitor Colleen Mejia said that because Everett's program is purely voluntary, the city did not need to negotiate agreements with unions to offer it. The incentives were not offered to school or Housing Authority employees because the budgets of those departments do not come under the mayor.
Larry DeCoste, Everett's city auditor, said that the city faces a "very difficult and challenging" budget year in fiscal 2010, which begins July 1.
The city is currently assuming a $2.4 million drop in state aid and a $300,000 decrease in local receipts, notably from a fall in motor vehicle excise taxes, DeCoste said. At the same time, the city anticipates a sharp rise in some of its fixed costs, including $700,000 in health insurance and $965,000 in pensions.
To absorb just those increases and the expected revenue decline would require $4.3 million in cuts in other areas, which will necessitate layoffs, DeCoste said.
The separation incentive program will be very helpful in reducing the number of layoffs, DeCoste said. He said the city expects to be able to cover all the costs of bonuses from available fiscal 2009 funds, allowing it to reap the full savings from the separation incentive plan in fiscal 2010, which is expected to be a more difficult year.
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 03/29/2009 : 11:07:37 AM
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Just a lay person's opinion.
I can't see how all of these will be supported by their departments budgets or won't need replacements. For example, I doubt that Human Services has a lot of extra money in its budget. The elimination of two part-time positions in engineering would leave Julius by himself. Two of three part time positions in the building department are inspectors. Can't see how those can be eliminated. The employee buyback line item certainly doesn't seem sufficient to handle all of this. Free cash here we come.
Some of these part-timers appear to be getting more than half a year's salary for taking this deal; a lot more than they'd probably make on unemployment.
I hope that they have some other ideas about where they are going to make up $4.3 million. The total city side salary line items were budgeted at 22.6 million in the last budget, after any union settlements and budget cuts. That would be a 19% reduction. Doesn't seem possible since most of that is concentrated in three departments: Police, Fire and City Services. Carlo's got his hands full. Let's hope the people around him are up to the task.
Did something happen to Laureen Chapman? Haven't seen her or heard her name for a while. Larry's been doing what I would be expecting her to do.
BTW, there were 544 budget positions in the last budget. If you take out the 26 elected officials, you come to the 518 number in the article.
"Deb" |
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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 03/29/2009 : 11:14:41 AM
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Great observations, Massdee. As we almost always have to say, we'll just have to wait and see. It should be interesting.
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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 03/29/2009 : 11:20:16 AM
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TIME TO MOVE THE CAR - Mayor Carlo DeMaria Jr. is reminding residents that the city's spring street-sweeping program will get underway Wednesday. The mayor asked car owners to remove their vehicles from designated sweeping areas. Vehicles not removed will be ticketed and towed. The city is stepping up enforcement of parking regulations, the mayor added. DeMaria, in a statement, said the city has seen a rise in violations for parking within 20 feet of an intersection, in crosswalks, and in handicapped zones. He said the city has a particular concern with vehicles parked too close to intersections because they can impede the flow of emergency and snow removal vehicles. Everett recently bolstered its parking enforcement efforts through the purchase of three Smart Cars, two-seat vehicles whose size makes them easy to maneuver around city streets. "It's not all about revenue. It's a quality of life issue. Everyone should obey the rules," DeMaria said.
- John Laidler |
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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 03/29/2009 : 11:34:26 AM
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| Maybe I'm biased because Everett's getting its fair share in the deal but I had to laugh at the article in the North Weekly section of the Globe with the headline "Stimulus cash for schools flows unevenly". I didn't hear any of these communities complaining when their FY10 foundation budgets were fully funded by level funding them at FY09 levels while communities like Everett got shortchanged in that deal. The more equitable way to distribute the original allocation would have been to give every community the same percentage of the total FY09 amount but based upon the FY10 calculations. That would have been a true level playing field. The education stimulus money would have then made every community whole. I can't feel bad for them. |
Edited by - tetris on 03/29/2009 11:35:43 AM |
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
 Posted - 03/29/2009 : 1:59:36 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by tetris
Great observations, Massdee. As we almost always have to say, we'll just have to wait and see. It should be interesting.
Thanks, Tetris. I must be learning from all your informational posts.
"Deb" |
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sweetdeal2007
Member
29 Posts |
Posted - 03/29/2009 : 6:59:37 PM
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trust me they will be replaced, I don't trust the mayor, he does not hire from our city, he goes outside and he brings in other people.
I can't wait till they publish the names of the people who are taking this buyout. then we should all figure this out. and I can't wait for the budget hearings this should tell us alot. |
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charm
Senior Member
264 Posts |
Posted - 03/30/2009 : 2:53:30 PM
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BOSTON -- Three people were arrested after a cocaine transaction at an Everett home, according to police.
The arrests followed a month-long drug investigation of cocaine distribution in Everett and Malden by detectives from the two towns and state police troopers.
Police arrested George Graef, 33, and John Mazzeo, 27, both of Everett, and Jennifer Verderber, 21, of Medford.
Verderber and Mazzeo are accused of driving a white Ford Bronco to Graef’s home on Stuart Street and receiving a package believed to be cocaine from him, according to police.
The pair then reportedly drove to Clark Street, where Mazzeo exited the vehicle and gave a small plastic bag to the driver. Officers arrested Mazzeo and Verderber and returned to the Graef’s home, where they found 60 grams of cocaine, about $2,900 in cash, scales and other drug paraphernalia, police said. Graef was arrested at the home.
All three are scheduled to be arraigned in Malden District Court on Monday.
Copyright 2009 by TheBostonChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Local Voices |
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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2009 : 8:43:39 PM
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Boston Globe May Be Shut Down
BOSTON -- The New York Times Co. has threatened to close down the Boston Globe unless the newspaper's unions quickly agree to $20 million in concessions, the newspaper reported on its Web site Friday night.
The Times, which owns the Globe and Worcester Telegram, made the demands Thursday morning in meeting with leaders of the newspaper's 13 unions, union officials said.
The possible concessions include pay cuts, the end of pension contributions by the company and the elimination of lifetime job guarantees now enjoyed by some veteran employees, said Daniel Totten, president of the Boston Newspaper Guild, the Globe's biggest union.
"We all know the newspaper industry is going through great transition and loss," said Ralph Giallanella of the union that represents the drivers who deliver the newspaper. "The ad revenues have fallen off the cliff. Just based on everything that's going on around the country, they're serious."
Times management told the unions that the Globe will lose $85 million in 2009, unless serious cutbacks are made, the newspaper reported.
Hearst Newspapers recently turned the Seattle Post-Intelligencer into a Web-only publication, and Scripps Co. shuttered the Rocky Mountain News in Denver. |
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michael
Senior Member
195 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2009 : 10:56:45 PM
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Everett man charged in fatal Calif. accident
By Associated Press | Friday, April 3, 2009 | You must be logged in to see this link. | Local Coverage
LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE, Calif. - A Massachusetts trucker ignored warning signs and used a forbidden mountain route before his brakes burned out and he smashed into cars and a bookstore, killing two and injuring a dozen others, police said.
Marcos Costa, 43, of Everett drove the road “contrary to posted vehicle limitation signs,” police said. He was treated for minor injuries and arrested late Wednesday for investigation of gross vehicular manslaughter and felony reckless driving. He was held on $200,000 bail.
The car hauler had come over the San Gabriel Mountains on Angeles Forest Highway, a narrow, winding road used as a shortcut by commuters into Los Angeles. The truck, which left Georgia several days ago, couldn’t stop on the final downgrade. Angelina Posca, 12, and her father, Angel Jorge Posca, 58, of Palmdale were killed when their car was pushed through the intersection and crushed by the truck, which hit four other cars and plowed into the Flintridge Bookstore and Coffeehouse.
Article URL: You must be logged in to see this link. |
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BOSTON GLOBE 2009
