October 21, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
While officials are counting on the Arcade at Downtown Framingham, a nearly $60 million mixed-use project, to revitalize the town's commercial core, some worry that the project will help push out immigrant businesses.
After nearly three years of negotiations with developers, community leaders are touting the Arcade project, which includes renovation of historic buildings, a new garage, and an apartment complex, as the cornerstone of downtown revitalization, Globe West correspondent Tanya Perez-Brennan reports in today's Globe West.
"I think it's huge," said John Steacie, chairman of Framingham Downtown Renaissance, a coalition of community groups. "It would bring people into the downtown [who] have discretionary income. They'd be willing to spend, so that's a big economic boom."
The project would include 290 one- or two-bedroom apartments, a six-story, 563-space parking garage, and 50,000 square feet of new commercial space. Michael Gatlin, an attorney for developer Framingham Acquisition LLC, said officials are "pretty optimistic" construction could start as soon as early winter and be completed within 2 1/2 years.
Developers are building multimillion-dollar projects in downtowns across New England, including in area communities such as Lincoln, Franklin, and Westborough. But what's happening in Framingham is an early example of a new gentrification trend, one that pushes out immigrant-owned businesses, according to Jonathan Leit, who wrote his master's thesis on the Arcade project for the urban studies and planning department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
After the project's completion, commercial rents could double to $18 to $20 per square foot, which has some existing merchants feeling uneasy, and some, including Brazilian business owners, fearing they could be displaced.
Vera Dias-Freitas, an advocate for the Brazilian community and owner of a jewelry store in the existing Arcade building, one of four Concord Street buildings included in the larger project, said the concerns of local businesses are not being taken into account.
Read more about the benefits and pitfalls of Framingham's downtown revitalization in today's Globe West.
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 09:11 AM
October 16, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
The second public hearing on the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority's recent vote to approve toll increases at both the Weston and Allston-Brighton toll plazas by 25 cents each for 2008 will be held on Monday.
Globe West reported earlier this month that western commuters who use the pike will end up paying more than nine times as much in gas taxes and tolls -- the state's two user fees for drivers -- as commuters on the South Shore or in the northwest suburbs if the Turnpike Authority Board gives final approval to the hikes.
A Framingham driver commuting 220 days to Boston now pays a little over $800 in tolls. The increase would bring that annual cost to over $1,000, according to Turnpike board member Mary Z. Connaughton.
This is the last public hearing before the Turnpike board makes its final vote on Oct. 29.
The hearing will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Nevins Hall at the Memorial Building at 150 Concord St.
-- Tanya Perez-Brennan
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 10:44 AM
October 11, 2007
Once a mechanic, Brian Smith of Framingham now works as an auto appraiser.
(Globe staff photo by Bill Polo)
REGION
After surgeons installed two mechanical valves to repair his congenital heart defect, Brian Smith knew he had seen the end of his grease-monkey days. Heavy lifting was out of the question, and he had to avoid sharp objects because his new blood-thinning medication made cuts potentially disastrous.
Unable to work at his former job as a mechanic at a Framingham car dealership, Smith went on Social Security for a few years. By 2002, he had recovered and, no longer qualifying for public assistance, was told to get a job, Globe West correspondent John Dyer reports today.
"They were telling me I could go back to work, but they all agreed I couldn't do what I used to do," said the 49-year-old Bellingham resident. "They were thinking about me selling movie tickets. But I have two kids. I wasn't going to go back to a job for minimum wage."
After a four-year job search, his first in decades, Smith received training in a state program and landed a position as an automobile appraiser for a Mendon company. Now he's a proud earner.
Smith's happy ending is the exception, not the rule. Across the state, disabled people and their advocates say that while progress is being made in putting the disabled onto payrolls, most are still unemployed.
The gap between disabled people and the help they need leaves a hole in the region's economy, in the form of an untapped workforce, they say. Although the Massachusetts unemployment rate is hovering between 4 and 5 percent overall, around 70 percent of the state's approximately 550,000 disabled residents older than 18 don't work, said Charles Carr, commissioner of the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, the agency that helped retrain Smith.
Read more about how the disabled are being retrained to work in the online edition of today's Globe West.
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 10:37 AM
October 11, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
A graffiti artist accused of spray-painting on several buildings has appeared in court after being scooped up - blue-handed - by police.
Witnesses called police Monday after seeing a man spray-painting an anti-Ku Klux Klan message on the side of the Standard Electric building, the Associated Press is reporting.
"When the officers confronted him, his hands were blue," said Lt. Paul Shastany, a police spokesman. "He claimed he was an artist and it was just like an addiction, spray painting."
Josh Kirby, 31, of Framingham, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to five counts of malicious mischief causing more than $250 worth of damage. Police said they found similar graffiti on a restaurant, pizza shop and food market in the town.
-- AP
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 09:04 AM
October 5, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
A baby took a frightening fall out of the window of her parents' apartment yesterday, but survived with relatively minor injuries.
The baby's mother was dressing in the bathroom with her 4-year-old daughter when she noticed that her toddler had fallen out of a window, WHDH-TV/Channel 7 reported on its web site. The 14-month-old girl apparently pushed on the window screen and then fell through. She plummeted three stories to the ground.
The baby remains at Children's Hospital Boston and is expected to be OK. The Dept. of Social Services is investigating the case, but a spokesperson said the agency had never been to the house before.
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 02:30 PM
October 2, 2007
(AP photo)
FRAMINGHAM
A dedication ceremony will be held Monday, Oct. 15 to officially rename the Town's Public Hearing Room after former State Representative, Deborah D. Blumer.
The new room name, proposed by resident Cheryl Tully Stoll, will be the "Representative Deborah D. Blumer Community Room," said Scott Morelli, assistant to the Town Manager. It is the first time a room in the town's Memorial Building has ever been named after a woman. Blumer, a Framingham democrat, served in the state legislature from 2001 until she died from an apparent heart attack in 2006.
The ceremony includes a reception from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m., guest speakers, and the unveiling of a photo of Blumer from 7:00 to 7:45 p.m. There will also be a video tribute from 7:45 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. The Memorial Building is located at 150 Concord Street.
Officials are urging anyone seeking more information to call 508-532-5400.
-- Tanya Pérez-Brennan
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 09:25 AM
October 2, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
A study of nearly 4,000 men and women from Framingham, has shown that how often couples fight or what they fight about usually doesn’t matter.
Instead, it’s the nuanced interactions between men and women, and how they react to and resolve conflict, that appear to make a meaningful difference in the health of the marriage and the health of the couple, the New York Times reports today.
The Framingham couples were asked whether they typically vented their feelings or kept quiet in arguments with their spouse. Notably, 32 percent of the men and 23 percent of the women said they typically bottled up their feelings during a marital spat.
In men, keeping quiet during a fight didn’t have any measurable effect on health. But women who didn’t speak their minds in those fights were four times as likely to die during the 10-year study period as women who always told their husbands how they felt, according to the July report in Psychosomatic Medicine. Whether the woman reported being in a happy marriage or an unhappy marriage didn’t change her risk.
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 09:16 AM
September 25, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
A would-be robber who flashed a pistol and demanded cash from a Framingham grocery store clerk Monday night found himself instead staring at a rude surprise: a bigger gun, police said.
After looking at the robber's .22 Ruger, the clerk at A & J grocery on Kendall Street grabbed a .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun and loaded a bullet into the chamber, police told Globe correspondent Emily A. Canal for a report in the Globe's Local News Updates blog on Boston.com.
As the failed robber fled, the clerk pulled the trigger, shooting a bullet that missed the man but hit an ATM machine and a door inside the store, police said.
"After the suspect was shot at, he proceeded to flee on foot toward Freeman Street," said Lieutenant Paul Shastany of the Framingham Police Department. "We searched the area to the best of our ability but could not locate the suspect."
Police did not release the name of the clerk, who is in his 40s. The robbery suspect was described as a black male with medium to dark colored skin who was between the ages of 18 and 25. He is approximately 5 feet 8 and 165 pounds and was wearing a red hooded sweatshirt and dark pants.
The shooting at about 9:30 p.m. remains under investigation.
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 11:33 AM
September 25, 2007
(Globe staff photo by Tom Herde)
FRAMINGHAM
For the first time, the town's Conservation Commission is considering allowing bow hunting for deer in Wittenborg Woods and Macomber Woods and is inviting residents to a public forum at Town Hall Oct. 1 to discuss the issue.
The continued growth of the deer population in eastern Massachusetts has led to adverse effects on vegetation and other wildlife, said conservation agent, Michele Grzenda.
"The commission is looking at this strictly as a land management tool," she said. The Town will not impose a fee on hunters, she said.
According to the commission, Framingham has roughly 18-20 deer per square mile, which is twice the density that would thrive in a balanced, natural environment. The Town's proposal would allow 10 bow hunters per parcel from mid-October to mid-December.
The forum will include a presentation by Tom O'Shea, assistant director of wildlife for the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. O'Shea will do a slide presentation on deer population trends, issues related to the overpopulation of deer, and offer options for residents.
The commission will vote on the issue Oct. 3 and make a recommendation to the Board of Selectmen, who will make a final decision Oct. 16. The public forum will be held in the Public Hearing Room at Town Hall at 150 Concord St. from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Officials are urging anyone interested in more information to call 508-532-5460.
-- Tanya Pérez-Brennan
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 09:32 AM
September 21, 2007
John Stasik and Carol Getchell, both members of the Friends Of Saxonville, in front of historic Athenaeum building
(Globe staff photo by Bill Polo)
FRAMINGHAM
The roof and exterior of Framingham's historic Athenaeum Hall were finished this summer, but its makeover is still incomplete and organizers of the restoration are asking residents to once again dig into their pockets.
That's why the Friends of Saxonville will hold a fundraiser on the Athenaeum's front lawn.next Saturday, Sept. 29, said John Stasik, a selectmen and member of the organization. The group is asking people for a $35 donation and hope to raise at least $5,000.
The 1847 Athenaeum, formerly Saxonville Town Hall, was later used as a school and a jail, among other things. Architectural plans drawn up put the cost of restoration at an estimated $2 million, he said, and there have been at least three or four other fundraisers for the building over the past 10 years.
Over that time, the group has raised $60,000 toward the project. A state grant through former representative Deborah Blumer provided $75,000, which went toward the architectural renderings for interior restoration. The Town of Framingham also put $300,000 toward the project for stabilization purposes during the beginning phase of its restoration.
Organizers will provide tours from noon to 4 p.m. followed by a gala from 7 to 10 p.m. Call 508-371-4361 for more information or visit the Friends of Saxonville online.
-- Tanya Pérez-Brennan
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 11:31 AM
September 17, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
State Senator Karen E. Spilka will hold open office hours from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. next Monday, Sept. 24 at the Framingham Civic League.
The Ashland Democrat senator holds rotating office hours for the 7 different towns she represents, said her communications director, Sarah Blodgett. Constituents are encouraged to stop by and raise any concerns or ask questions, she said.
The Framingham Civic League is located at 214 Concord Street. Blodgett urged anyone seeking more information to call the senator's office at 617-722-1640.
-- Tanya Pérez-Brennan
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 07:39 AM
September 12, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
Auditions for the Performing Art Center of MetroWest's 4th annual "Holiday Revelry" -- a multicultural celebration honors winter and the holidays in song, dance, story, and theater -- will be held Sunday, organizers have announced.
Directed by Betty Lehrman, the performance includes English Mummer's play, "St. George and the Dragon," along with traditional Jewish and Christmas songs.
The ensemble piece will have about 20 to 30 parts to cast, Lehrman said. Children who are in third grade or higher may audition as well as adults, but tryouts must prepare a song or sing one from the show with an accompanist. Auditions will be from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Framingham Civil League Theater at 214 Concord Street.
Performances will be held on Friday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 8 at 2 p.m. Anyone seeking more information is urged to call The Performing Arts Center of MetroWest at 508-875-5554.
-- Tanya Pérez-Brennan
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 01:10 PM
August 23, 2007
Since her death last October, state representative Deborah Blumer has been honored in a variety of ways
(AP photo)
FRAMINGHAM
Framingham selectmen voted Tuesday to name the public hearing room at Framingham Town Hall after Deborah Blumer, the three-term state representative who died unexpectedly last fall.
Chairman Dennis Giombetti said officials would schedule a dedication ceremony to occur around the anniversary of her Oct. 13 death. In the months that have followed the Democratic lawmaker's passing, several scholarships, awards, internships, tributes have been dedicated in her honor.
-- John C. Drake
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 03:54 PM
August 22, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
Framingham selectmen say they plan to sign a statement outlining the town's position on limiting the number of social service facilities locating within its borders.
Alexis Silver, the town's human services coordinator, said Framingham is "paying a significant price" in terms of tax-exempt properties and the public services provided to them because of the increasing number of shelters, halfway houses, rehabilitation centers, and other facilities. She also said quality of life in the town has been hurt by crime and panhandling committed by some of the troubled clients of the social service agencies.
Selectmen said that the statement should affirm that town officials believe the expansion of social service agencies is hurting the town and that it will give Silver ammunition as she negotiates for concessions from social service agencies.
The statement, to be drafted by Town Manager Julian Suso, also would form the foundation of a series of proposed bylaws and regulations meant to curb the expansion, selectmen said.
-- John C. Drake
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 03:33 PM
August 16, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
A Framingham man was operating a power boat with twin, 435-horsepower engines when it struck a smaller boat on Long Lake in Maine, killing two people, officials said Thursday.
Robert Lapointe, 38, of Framingham, Mass., and his companion, Nicole Randall, 19, of Bridgton, Maine, swam to shore Saturday night after being thrown from their 32-foot cigarette boat, the Maine Warden Service and Cumberland County district attorney's office announced. After the crash, the larger boat plowed onto the shore and traveled nearly 135 feet on land before coming to a rest.
Killed were the two occupants of a 14-foot boat, Terry Raye Trott, 55, of Naples, and his companion, Susanne Groetzinger, 44, of Berwick, officials said. Groetzinger died from blunt-force trauma to the head, while Trott drowned, according to the medical examiner's office, which conducted autopsies.
Warden divers recovered the bodies three days after the collision, which happened at 9 p.m. Saturday. Since then, divers have returned to retrieve evidence from the bottom of the lake, said Warden Service spokesman Mark Latti.
It will take several days to a couple of weeks to complete the crash reconstruction, Latti said. Once that's complete, wardens will present their findings to the district attorney, who will decide what charges, if any, are warranted.
-- AP
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 12:41 PM
August 5, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
Friends and family of an Avon man shot and killed by a Framingham police officer Friday night described him yesterday as a peaceful, considerate man who might have been depressed by his failure to find a job and mend a relationship with a former girlfriend.
Karl Thomsen, 42, was threatening Officer Steve Casey with a knife before Casey fired four shots in response on Concord Street in Framingham, according to a statement from the district attorney's office in Middlesex County. The office and Framingham Police Department are investigating the shooting, correspondent Felicia Mello reports in today's City & Region section.
"He was always a good kid," said his mother, Nancy Tom, 72, sitting in the blue ranch house where Thomsen grew up and spent the last months of his life. "We never had much trouble with him."
Thomsen and his parents were preparing for a cousin's wedding Friday when he left the house, saying he was going to the library to check his e-mail, his parents said. A licensed installer of heating and air conditioning units, Thomsen had been looking for work since moving to his parents' house from Framingham in April.
"Last time I spoke with him, he was a little down in the dumps," said Victor Martelli, who has lived across the street from the Toms for 15 years and said he occasionally shared a beer with Thomsen.
Thomsen also spent time in Framingham with an on-and-off girlfriend, his parents said.
Read more about this story in the online edition of today's Boston Globe.
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 02:47 PM
July 22, 2007
FRAMINGHAM/SHERBORN
The roar of tailpipes from the horde lf leather-clad bikers descending on local towns Sunday will be music to the ears of a Holliston charity.
The Metrowest HOGs (Harley Owners Group) a nonprofit organization of about 150 local motorcycle enthusiasts, will take to the streets on a poker run supporting the Breezy Hill therapeutic riding program, which provides muscle therapy to handicapped children and adults through horseback riding lessons.
The 48-mile motorcycle ride will begin at the Paramount Harley Davidson store on Route 135 in Framingham at 10 a.m., winding through several local towns for about two hours before concluding at the Millis Boggastowe Fish and Game club for a barbecue and entertainment.
This is the third year the motorcyclists have chosen the Breezy Hill organization as a beneficiary. Organizers are urging anyone interested in more information to call Ray Devoe at 508-400-0198.
-- Alison O'Leary Murray
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 12:48 PM
July 11, 2007
Several Framingham businesses, including TJX Cos., were encouraged to close their offices for the day following a 12-inch water main break near the Route 30 exit off of the Mass Pike.
About six buildings near Route 30 and Speen Street were without potable water because of the break, said Tom Holder, Framingham's deputy director of public works. TJX, corporate parent of several retailers including Marshall's, has an on-site tank for fire protection, he said. A spokesman for the company could not immediately be reached.
Holder said crews probably would be working to repair the break through late evening. Officials were still investigating the cause of the break, which left a gaping hole along the sidewalk.
The break affected businesses large and small. Employees placed a sign outside a Dunkin Donuts in the area informing customers they could not serve coffee.
-- John C. Drake
Posted by John C. Drake at 01:33 PM
June 22, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
Two college students who stole hundreds of copies of the campus newspaper because they thought they looked fat in a front page photo showing them baring their bellies are paying the cost of reprinting the lost editions, a school official said.
"I know they're going to be repaying something," Framingham State College spokeswoman Mari Megias said, without providing more detail.
The photo in the April 27 edition of The Gatepost shows seven fans at a women's lacrosse game with "I (heart) N-O-O-N-A-N," the name of a friend on the team, spelled out on their stomachs. The women are wearing hip-hugger shorts and tank tops.
Two students eventually owned up to stealing hundreds of copies of the paper. Apparently, they weren't pleased with their appearance in the photo, according to the paper's faculty adviser. They were not criminally charged and the college did not release their names.
Although Megias did not say how much the two students would repay, the editor in chief said shortly after the thefts that a press run of 500 copies costs $630.The Gatepost refused to print an unsigned apology from students who admitted pilfering the paper after learning the statement was actually written by college administrators.
-- AP
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 10:35 AM
June 21, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
Twenty members and associates of a Framingham gang that allegedly recruited new members over the Internet to terrorize the community with beatings, stabbings, and shootings have been indicted on federal and state charges of selling crack cocaine, according to law enforcement officials.
Globe City & Region section reporter Shelley Murphy reports that the the Kendall Street Thugs gang had its own page on MySpace, which it used to promote itself and recruit new younger members, according to US Attorney Michael J. Sullivan.
One of the photos posted on the MySpace page showed a 9-year-old boy, who is not believed to be a gang member, posing with known gang members, Sullivan said. Authorities have alerted social service agencies to investigate the boy's situation, he said.
"It is just another reminder obviously to all of us as parents to make sure we are monitoring where our kids are going, in terms of the Internet," Sullivan said during a press conference today at the federal courthouse in Boston announcing the indictments.
The charges follow a three-year investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administrations' South Eastern Massachusetts Gang Task Force, in which undercover officers and witnesses made more than 50 crack purchases from those who were indicted, according to officials.
-- Globe City & Region staff
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 04:56 PM
June 13, 2007
REGION
Several local schools won 'Green Team' awards from the state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs following a program to reduce pollution and protect the environment.
The Globe West area schools honored were:
- Berlin Middle School in Berlin
- Fowler School in Maynard
- Marion E. Zeh School in Northborough
- Melican Middle School in Northborough
- Beatrice H. Wood School in Plainville
- James Fitzgerald Elementary School in Waltham
- Hemenway School in Framingham
- Mary E. Stapleton School in Framingham
Schools that won awards received recycling equipment to make their individual programs more effective.
-- Adam Sell
Posted by Martin Finucane at 02:57 PM
June 12, 2007
WATERTOWN, N.Y.
A woman who claims she was used as unknowing bait to catch a man taking photographs up women's skirts is suing retailer T.J. Maxx. Svetlana Van Buren said store personnel surreptitiously videotaped a man taking photos up her skirt while she was shopping for coffee at the company's store in Watertown on June 14, 2006.
It was only after the man committed the crime that store personnel told her the photos had been taken and that the act was caught on tape, said Van Buren, a psychologist who was working at a state-run facility for youths at the time and now lives in Omaha, Neb. The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in the Jefferson County Clerk's office.
Officials at TJX Companies, Inc., of Framingham, Mass., which operates the T.J. Maxx chain, were not immediately available for comment.
The lawsuit contends that the store and law enforcement officials knew the man "secretly stalked" female customers for the purpose of taking upskirt photos, but did nothing to prevent it from happening to Van Buren.
T.J. Maxx should have used either a private female detective, a policewoman or a female employee who consented to being photographed to set a trap for the man, the lawsuit said.
Van Buren claims the incident has caused her physical and psychological pain, suffering and loss of enjoyment of life. She said she has experienced sleeplessness, anxiety, depression and feelings of stress and violation, prompting her to seek professional help.
She blames T.J. Maxx for, among other things, making her the victim of a crime without her consent and violating her privacy rights. She claims the store failed to provide her with a safe environment and failed to stop a crime from being committed against her when it could have.
Her suit does not specify an amount in damages being sought.
The lawsuit does not name Jeremiah Williams, a Watertown man who was arrested outside T.J. Maxx the same day Van Buren was photographed. Williams was sentenced in February to two to four years in state prison for second-degree unlawful surveillance. Police accused Williams of taking more than 700 upskirt photos of women in public places with plans to start an Internet business with the shots.
- Associated Press
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 07:47 AM
May 30, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
Framingham Town Meeting has approved a 2008 school budget that calls for eliminating eight teaching positions and increasing athletics and bus fees.
The $83 million budget approved last night will hit some parents in the wallet. The annual school bus fee will increase from $180 to $270 a year, and the athletics fee will increase from $100 a sport to $150 a sport.
"This is another year of reducing services and adding fees and freezing position that we were hoping we wouldn't have to," said Christopher Martes, schools superintendent.
Other cuts include freezing several custodial vacancies, and eliminating a secretary and a teacher's aide position. Textbook purchases will be reduced as will professional development opportunities for teachers. Additionally, elementary school buildings will be closed early after the school day several days a week to save energy.
Martes said most of the staff cuts will be accomplished through attrition though he said one or two layoffs may be necessary.
-- John C. Drake
Posted by John C. Drake at 12:20 PM
May 28, 2007
MILFORD/FRAMINGHAM
A 16-year-old boy drowned yesterday after plunging into a water-filled quarry that attracts young people despite warnings from authorities to stay away.
Brian Kerr of Framingham was hanging out with friends at the edge of the quarry about 3:30 p.m. when he apparently tripped, said fire officials. Kerr apparently struck his head on an outcropping of rock before hitting the water, officials said.
A team of State Police divers searching the quarry's waters recovered Kerr's body on an underwater ledge about 40 feet below the surface, the officials said.
He was pronouced dead at Milford Regional Hospital at 5:10 p.m.
Fire officials said the quarry, located behind Louisa Lake and an apartment complex, is 120 feet deep in places. It is filled with underwater ledges that make diving and swimming precarious. Even hiking around the quarry is forbidden by local authorities.
Read more about this story in the Local News section of Boston.com.
-- Michael Naughton and Raja Mishra, Globe Correspondent and Globe Staff
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 11:49 AM
May 25, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
Mansfield mom and disability educator Kim Piro, founder of The Jamie Fund and ICARE, will speak in Framingham on June 6.
Her talk, titled ``Disability Awareness Through Reading'' will discuss how schools can use books and classroom discussion to educate children about their classmates with special needs.
Piro, who has a daughter with autism, has worked in the Mansfield schools since 2002 teaching kids about challenges faced by their peers with the disorder.
The talk is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Criterion Middlesex Early Intervention Center, 651 Franklin St., Framingham.
-- Erica Noonan
Posted by Erica Noonan, Globe West at 09:44 AM
May 24, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
Twenty people, maybe.
That's all Nicholas Paganella was expecting would sign on for last year's Memorial Day bus trip to Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne.
He couldn't believe it when the phone started ringing off the hook.
This year, 100 people -- mostly World War II veterans -- are going and organizers had to turn away dozens more.
Patriotism is alive and well in Framingham, Paganella says in today's Globe West.
-- Erica Noonan
Posted by Erica Noonan, Globe West at 10:42 AM
May 24, 2007
NATICK/FRAMINGHAM
A 40-year-old woman and three girls are facing assault and battery charges in connection with what police are calling a "group beat down" of a 16-year-old girl at a mall in front of dozens of onlookers.
Marilyn Camacho, 40, of Framingham and the girls, ages 16, 13 and 12, were arrested following a fight at the Natick Collection on Monday that left the victim unconscious and requiring hospitalization, Lt. Brian Grassey said. Police did not disclose the girls' relationship to Camacho.
The victim, whose name was not made public, was taken to MetroWest Medical Center's Leonard Morse campus for treatment.
Camacho and the three girls came upon the victim walking through the mall at about 5 p.m. One of the alleged attackers and the victim had fought in the past, Grassey said. There was an argument, followed by a fight, police said.
"This was an absolute group beat down," Grassey told The MetroWest Daily News. "It's an extremely unsettling event. The level of violence in this defies logic.
The suspects stomped on the victim's legs, back and face, police said.
"They collectively grabbed her and pushed her into the glass window of one of the stores," Grassey said. "All four started punching her, pulling her hair. They knocked her to the floor where all four continued to punch and kick her."
At least one onlooker tried to stop the fight, which was eventually broken up my mall security guards. The incident was captured by a surveillance camera, he said.
Camacho and the three girls were charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, disturbing the peace and affray. Camacho was also charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
-- AP
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 12:46 AM
May 21, 2007
MIT researcher Laurie Boyer
(Photo by Sam Ogden, courtesy Whitehead Institute)
FRAMINGHAM
MIT stem cell researcher Laurie Boyer will speak to graduates at Framingham State College, her alma mater, during Sunday's commencement ceremony, the school said today.
Boyer, who graduated from Framingham State in 1990, conducts embryonic stem cell research at MIT's Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, where she is completing a post-doctoral fellowship. In 2006, the journal "Scientific American" named Boyer to its annual list of 50 leading scientific researchers. She lives in Westborough.
Commencement is 2 p.m. Sunday at the Village Green (also known at Framingham Centre Common) on Edgell Road.
-- John C. Drake
Posted by John C. Drake at 12:12 PM
May 8, 2007
(AP photo by Nanine Hartzenbusch)
FRAMINGHAM/NATICK
The O.J. Simpson case launched a lot of new careers. Lawyers from the case became high-paid legal commentators. Kato Kaelin became a pop culture oddity. O.J. himself became a professional pariah. And Denise Brown, the sister of victim Nicole Brown Simpson, became an advocate against domestic violence.
For that work, Brown will receive the Voices Against Violence Award and serve as the keynote speaker at a gala event for the Framingham-based Metrowest domestic violence and sexual assault services provider. Voices Against Violence will hold its annual Barbara Gray Humanitarian Award ceremony this Thursday evening at the Crowne Plaza in Natick.
The Barbara Gray award, presented to someone who continues to fight for the dignity and humanity of every member of the community, will be given to attorney Lauren Stiller Rikleen who helped establish the first domestic violence shelter in the Metrowest.
Organizers are asking anyone who wants more information to email Carol McKean Events or call 781-925-3459.
-- Susan Lebovits
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 04:07 PM
May 2, 2007
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Framingham is one of 200 churches across the country to have hosted a U2charist. (Dina Rudick/Globe Staff)
FRAMINGHAM
The crowd clapped, sang , and danced, swaying and waving cellphones in the air like lighters at a rock concert.
"In the name of love, what more in the name of love " -- the U2 song "Pride" blasted over the audience members, whose voices reached higher with each lyric they read off a screen, the Globe reports.
Up next on the playlist: "One," "Sunday Bloody Sunday," and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For."
It may have sounded and looked like a U2 concert, but the house this music rocked is one of God -- specifically, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Framingham. On Sunday it held a wildly popular U2charist -- short for U2 Eucharist -- a traditional service set to U2 songs that carry spiritual messages to raise awareness about global poverty and AIDS.
-- Johnny Diaz
Posted by Martin Finucane at 02:29 PM
April 27, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
He's been on the job for about eight months, but Framingham State College president Timothy Flanagan has been without an official welcome to the school, until now.
Gov. Deval Patrick administered the oath of office to the college's new leader -- it's 15th since opening in 1839 -- this afternoon at an investiture on campus.
"We need to work hard on our own behalf to improve Framingham State College," Flanagan said at the ceremony, describing the five key areas of focus for the campus.
He called for focusing on ensuring student success, building up faculty and staff, strengthening diversity in the student body and curriculum, remaining responsive to community, needs and being resourceful in spite of limits on funding.
On the last point, Flanagan said: "We don't want a stripped-down, bargain-basement experience."
-- John C. Drake
Posted by John C. Drake at 03:04 PM
April 26, 2007
REGION
Unemployment rates dropped last month in all three Central Massachusetts labor market areas, the state Division of Unemployment Assistance reported yesterday.
The March jobless rate in the Worcester metropolitan area was 5 percent, down from 5.3 percent the same time last year. Joblessness dropped to 6.2 percent from 6.7 percent in the Leominster-Fitchburg-Gardner area. In the Athol area, the March rate of 5.8 percent was down from 6 percent over the year.
The rates were not adjusted for seasonal employment swings. During March, the statewide unemployment rate was 4.8 percent.
The state reported that all Massachusetts metropolitan areas reported lower unemployment rates in March, with the Framingham area reporting the lowest jobless rate of 3.8 percent.
-- Telegram and Gazette of Worcester
Posted by Martin Finucane at 04:44 PM
April 12, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
Gov. Deval Patrick said today he will ask state employees to help clean up state parks next month.
The remarks came as Patrick makes a swing through communities west of Boston this morning. He started with comments on civic engagement in a talk to Leadership MetroWest's Annual Forum in Framingham.
"Next month, we intend to invite all state employees and anyone else who is willing to come and join us in a cleanup of state parks and beaches, just to get us on the right foot this spring," Patrick said.
He also offered a tribute to the late state Rep. Deborah D. Blumer, of Framingham, who died of a heart attack last year.
"Deb was one of the earliest and hardest-working supporters during the campaign," Patrick said. "I think Deb would be proud of what we've done so far and I aim to make her proud."
From there he headed to Needham High School, where school officials had asked Patrick to offer a morale boost. Four teenagers from the town died of suicide between 2004 and 2006, and the school has reached out to nearby Wellesley High School, where three students have taken their own lives in the last three years.
The school asked that the governor's talk to the student body be closed to the media.
"He was asked to speak to the students to lift their spirits," said Jose Martinez, a spokesman for the governor.
Around noon, Patrick will tour Boston Scientific, the Natick-based medical devices company.
-- John C. Drake
Posted by John C. Drake at 10:38 AM
April 6, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
Framingham superintendent Christopher Martes has accepted an offer to lead the school system in Foxborough, Beverley Lord, a member of the Foxborough School Committee, said.
Martes, who has led the Framingham Public Schools since 2003, was interviewed by the Foxborough School Committee last night after being named the sole finalist by a 13-member search committee. The decision to offer him the position was unanimous, Lord said.
"He was head-and-shoulders above all the other applicants," she told the Globe today.
Martes, who was not immediately available for comment Friday, will be returning home with his new position. He graduated from Foxborough High School in 1971 and began his teaching career in the district.
Phil Dinsky, chairman of the Framingham School Committee, said this morning Martes had not yet informed him of his decision, but that the committee was well aware of the possibility.
"There's no reason to have hard feelings," Dinsky said. "People make choices for what's good for them, and Chris obviously thinks this works better for his career and his life, and that's fine."
Dinsky said he would expect Martes, who earns $192,617 in total annual compensation according to a recent Globe review, to work through the 90-day notice required by his contract, before the School Committee selects an interim leader.
Dinsky said it was too late in the year to begin a superintendent search, as most potential candidates probably have made their plans for the next school year.
But he said he was confident the town would attract a strong new superintendent.
Framingham is "one of the few districts recognized for its ability to bridge the achievement gap between majority and minority students ... and we're a community that's always stood behind education in terms of funding, although we are having a funding problem now."
The school system is working to plug a $1.9 million deficit in funding for special-education.
Lord said the School Committee expects to begin contract negotiations with Martes immediately. Salary for the job starts at $150,000 a year.
Martes has been actively seeking a new post. Earlier this year he was a finalist for superintendent jobs in both Wellesley and Canton.
Town leaders had high praise for Martes' performance in the district in a recent profile of the superintendent by Lisa Kocian of the Globe staff. Read the story here.
-- John C. Drake
Posted by John C. Drake at 12:18 PM
April 4, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
A 12-year-old Framingham boy is being charged for vandalizing and setting fires in St. Stephen's Church.
The boy, whose name was not released, used a candle and matches to start a fire at the Concord Street church on March 18 and another fire at the church on Sunday during a Palm Sunday Mass, police said.
He also allegedly broke the fingers off a statue of Mary and broke an arm off of a statue of Jesus on the cross. Police said the Department of Social Services and the district attorney's office are investigating.
-- Michael Naughton
Posted by Martin Finucane at 11:47 AM
April 3, 2007
MILFORD
Christopher Hoyt, 55, of Congress Street, was uninjured when Framingham police picked him up around 11 p.m. Sunday at the Sheraton on Route 9, 12 hours after he went out for a walk in the morning in his neighborhood, Milford Police Officer Frank Minichiello said yesterday. Police and community members searched the area for Mr. Hoyt most of Sunday afternoon, Officer Minichiello said.
“How he made it out there, we don’t know,” Officer Minichiello said. “But we don’t think there was any foul play.”
Officer Minichiello said Milford police traveled to Framingham to return Mr. Hoyt to his home. Mr. Hoyt told police he did not remember how he got there, Officer Minichiello said. He said family members told police that recent medical issues may have caused him to become disoriented.
-- Telegram & Gazette of Worcester
Posted by Martin Finucane at 06:39 PM
April 2, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
Framingham High School's run in the statewide drama competition ended Saturday night at the state final level. While there was no repeat of last year's state championship performance, several Framingham students were recognized.
Nick Sulfaro, a senior, won first place prize scholarship for a monologue competition, his second place prize scholarship for a set design competition, and an All-Star Company award for his work in Framingham's entry, Stories Gone Wilde.
Also honored were Emily Craver, a senior, with an honorable mention in the monologue competition, and Sabrina Schwartz, a senior, with third place in the monologue competition. Anthony Tofani, a junior, was recognized with an All-Star Company award.
While Framingham's run came to a close, one Globe West school may have the chance to continue. Wellesley High School was named as an alternate should either of the state's winners, Joseph Case in Swansea and St. John's Prep in Danvers be unable to go.
-- Adam Sell
Posted by Martin Finucane at 11:35 AM
March 30, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
Students and parents packed the School Committee meeting last night to make their voices heard in the debate over budget cuts.
Framingham's school district has a $1.9 million gap to make up. Proposals include cutting the district's gifted and talented program, eliminating 22 custodial positions, and reducing the number of full-time librarians and library aides.
The public split on the potential for a Proposition 2 1/2 override, with some suggesting that it may be necessary, and others rejecting the idea. One person said a tax hike would be a "band-aid on a hemorrhage."
State Representative Pam Richardson, Representative Tom Sannicandro, and Senator Karen Spilka, all Democrats, attended and said they are working to bring more money to Framingham. Spilka said there could be a bill outlining additional funding to local communities as soon as next week.
-- Adam Sell
Posted by Martin Finucane at 09:47 AM
March 28, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray will speak tomorrow at the Memorial Building on brownfields revitalization projects.
The National Association of Local Government Environmental Professionals is hosting the event, for which Murray will give the keynote address.
The conference will run from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. at Town Hall. Murray is scheduled to speak at noon.
-- Adam Sell
Posted by Martin Finucane at 04:55 PM
March 28, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
Incumbents Charles Sisitsky and Ginger Esty held off challenger Christine Long to retain their seats on the Framingham Board of Selectmen. Esty and Sisitsky received 2,961 and 2955 votes respectively in yesterday's town-wide election, while Long received 1,869 votes in the race in which the two top vote-getters earned seats.
Adam Blumer will join the Framingham School Committee after finishing first in a three-way race for two seats. Blumer is the son of former Democratic state Rep. Deborah D. Blumer, who died of a heart attack late last year. Incumbent Cesar Monzon also retained his seat, finishing ahead of Steve Hakar, whose petition campaign has forced a Special Town Meeting to deal with funding for special education.
Voter turnout was 14 percent, according to the Town Clerk's office. Full election results are available here.
-- John C. Drake
Posted by John C. Drake at 11:55 AM
March 27, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
Framingham town officials want to honor military personnel from the community who have served in the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
But first they need names.
Anyone from Framingham who is a veteran of these wars or knows someone who is serving is asked to contact the selectmen's office at (508) 532-5400 or by e-mail at selectmen@framinghamma.gov by Apr. 9.
The names will be displayed on a banner -- donated by Sign-A-Rama owner Jeffrey Newman -- at the annual Town meeting on Apr. 24.
-- John C. Drake
Posted by John C. Drake at 11:38 AM
March 22, 2007
Members of U2 at a recent concert
(Reuters photo by Stephen Hird)
FRAMINGHAM
The Irish rock band U2 will have a place at the pulpit on April 29 at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Framingham.
Its one of a growing number of Episcopal churches hosting "U2charist" services, which weave in recordings of hit U2 songs with a spiritual bent, such as "Where the Streets Have No Name," "One," "Pride (In the Name of Love)" and "Yahweh," into the traditional liturgy.
Song lyrics will be displayed on a large screen, so that congregants without the band's hit already in their iPod can join in.
About 200 Episcopal churches in the United States and overseas have hosted a U2charist, and reported attendance figures rivaling, even exceeding, traditional Sunday morning services.
Collections taken during the special U2 services go to charities fighting poverty, famine, and HIV/AIDS. Participants are also asked to sign on to the ONE Campaign e-mail project, which mobilizes members when foreign aid bills go before Congress.
Read more about U2charist services in today's Globe West...
-- Erica Noonan
Posted by Erica Noonan, Globe West at 10:23 AM
March 12, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
A federal judge has ruled that Framingham's board of selectmen was wrong to deny Wayside Youth and Family Support Network a permit to build a driveway for a facility for adolescents with emotional and learning disabilities.
Calling the board's May 2006 decision "arbitrary and capricious," US Magistrate Judge Leo T. Sorokin ordered selectmen to work with Wayside to develop a traffic plan that will allow the facility's construction to go forward.
The board's May ruling overruled a recommendation by the town's director of public works to grant the organization a permit to access the public way from its property.
In a series of public hearings, neighbors said they worried about the impact the facility would have on traffic. They also said they were concerned about allowing a center for troubled teens into their neighborhood.
In its complaint challenging the board's decision, Wayside alleged that the town was discriminating against the disabled and that its decision violated Dover Amendment protections for educational facilities. The complaint also alleged that the board's decision violated Wayside's right to have access to the street from its property
The judge did not address the discrimination issue and did not rule on whether the facility was protected by the Dover amendment. Still, Sorokin ruled that the board's permit denial was not supported by evidence. He ordered both sides to report back on their progress toward reaching an agreement by May 22.
-- John C. Drake
Posted by John C. Drake at 10:56 AM
March 8, 2007
Amanda Kearns prepares for her role in Framingham's play
(Globe Staff Photo by Bill Polo)
FRAMINGHAM
The signs that declare Framingham High School is a state champion are scattered all around town.
But look again, the signs aren't talking about a sports team. They're talking about the school's drama company.
Last year, Framingham was one of the two champions in the statewide drama competition. This year, they're defending their title on home turf.
Read more about Framingham's quest for drama honors -- and see a slideshow with more pictures -- in today's Globe West.
-- Adam Sell
Posted by Martin Finucane at 05:17 PM
March 4, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
With all the billions spent on the Big Dig, could it be that some secret project was budgeted into it?
Did the government build something beneath it that we're not supposed to know about? And, on another note, if you're unarmed and attacked by assassins wearing night-vision goggles, what's the best way to fight them off?
These are the kinds of questions that romp through the mind of A. David Lewis -- at night. That's when he turns up his Bruce Springsteen CDs, scoots up to his desk, and churns out suspense-filled, action-packed comic books like his new series, "Empty Chamber."
Released by Silent Devil comics last month, the series tells the story of a conspiracy-theory-obsessed Boston student who finds himself caught up in a terrorist plot. When a friend sends Matt Mahtganee a clue that could foil the attack, Matt winds up running all over town trying to elude the bad guys.
"I wanted to set an adventure in Boston that made use of Boston's landmarks and mysteries, and the Big Dig just screamed mystique," said Lewis, a 29-year-old Framingham native who lives in Allston. "It's everyday mystique -- something we see every day and get so used to that we stop even looking at it."
Read more about Lewis' flights of imagination in today's Globe West.
-- Denise Taylor
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 08:51 AM
February 28, 2007
FRAMINGHAN
CompUSA Inc. says it will close its Framingham store and five of its six other stores in Massachusetts by May 31.
The closures are part of a restructuring plan that calls for shuttering more than half its stores, company spokeswoman Jessica Nunez said.
Chief executive Roman Ross cited "changing conditions in the consumer retail electronics market."
In Massachusetts, the chain also plans to close stores in Woburn, Braintree, Danvers, North Attleborough, and Brighton. The Holyoke store will remain open. Closing 126 shops will leave the chain with 103.
-- Globe staff and wire services
Posted by Martin Finucane at 02:56 PM
February 22, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
Discount retailer TJX Cos. yesterday said computer hackers may have gained access to its consumer data in 2005, a year earlier than it had previously thought, potentially exposing millions more customers of stores such as T.J. Maxx and Marshalls to identity theft.
The disclosure comes a month after the Framingham retailer reported that credit- and debit-card information dating to 2003, along with some driver's license data, may have been compromised during an unauthorized intrusion into its computers. Customers have reported fraudulent use, and the company faces a slew of lawsuits from individuals and banks that issued the cards.
Separately, a spokesman for MasterCard International Inc. said yesterday that at the time of the breach TJX did not meet a data-security standard set by card companies. TJX spokeswoman Sherry Lang declined to respond to MasterCard's assertion.
Read more about the TJX security breach in Ross Kerber's story in the Globe's Business Section.
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 07:20 AM
February 21, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
A man living in Framingham was arrested Sunday after it came to light that he had been convicted of murder in Brazil, the AP reports.
Vander Pedro Silveira, 42, is being held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Silveira was convicted in absentia in 2004 of a murder he committed in 1999.
Silveira is the third convicted murderer in the last three years to be arrested in Framingham.
-- Adam Sell
Posted by Martin Finucane at 02:08 PM
February 16, 2007
WELLESLEY
Bella Wong was offered the job of Wellesley superintendent this afternoon after a unanimous vote by the School Committee.
Wong, 46, has been assistant superintendent in Wellesley for six of the last nine years. Calling her a better fit, four of the five committee members said she was their first choice over the other finalist, Christopher Martes, who is Framingham superintendent.
Marlene Allen switched her vote after more than an hour of discussion to make the decision unanimous.
“I was hoping for a breath of fresh air,” said Allen, who added that there would likely be an “uproar” from the community over the process.
Member Suzy Littlefield said she was concerned about how long Martes would stay in the job, as his track record was four years in most posts.
Wong, who lives in Weston and served on the School Committee there from 2003 to 2006, practiced law before she switched into education. She would replace Matthew King as of July 1. Details of her salary still have to be negotiated.
“I’m absolutely thrilled,” said Wong, about an hour after being offered the job. “I really love the community.”
–- Lisa Kocian
Posted by lkocian at 07:06 PM
February 15, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
Wayside Youth and Family Support Network has cleared a legal hurdle in its bid to build a school and six townhouse-style group homes for teenagers with learning disabilities in Framingham.
A land court judge sided with town planners and Wayside in a lawsuit filed by nearby residents in the Lockland Avenue neighborhood challenging the town's decision to approve the center.
While the decision, dated Tuesday, settles the zoning dispute, a separate lawsuit filed against the Framingham Board of Selectmen is still pending. In April 2006 the board rejected the center's building permit, citing neighbors' concerns about traffic.
But Wayside sued, claiming the selectmen discriminated against the center in their decision. Unless the selectmen's decision is reversed, Wayside still will not be able to build the center.
-- John C. Drake
Posted by John C. Drake at 05:11 PM
February 14, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
There are no plans to transform Edgell Road from Sudbury to Route 9 into a north-south superhighway.
None. Never considered. Not gonna happen.
That's the word from Framingham town officials trying to quell rumors of a secret plan to widen the three-and-a-half mile largely residential stretch on the north side of town. In a letter posted on the frambors community e-mail discussion list today, Town Manager Julian Suso said there are no detailed plans for the future of Edgell Road.
The heavily traveled roadway with several hazardous intersections has been pushed to the top of the town's transportation improvement plan, which raises its profile for state and federal highway money. But any work remains a ways off, he and other officials have said.
The letter was addressed to Christine Long, the chairwoman of the Standing Committee on Public Works and a candidate for the Board of Selectmen.
Despite town officials' comments, a community meeting on the issue remains scheduled for 7 p.m. March 5 at the Hemenway School, 729 Water St.
Read more about the Edgell Road issue, including how much Public Works Director Peter Sellers says reconstruction of the roadway would cost, in tomorrow's Globe West.
-- John C. Drake
Posted by John C. Drake at 11:19 AM
February 14, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
A summer internship with the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus has been established in honor of Representative Deborah Blumer, a Framingham Democrat who died last year.
College juniors and seniors will be eligible for the paid internship with the non-partisan group dedicated to increasing the number of women involved in state politics and public policy issues.
The internship will be sponsored by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, and was announced yesterday at the organization's annual luncheon.
“The Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus is just one of a long list of organizations and individuals that lost a friend and ally with Debby's passing,” said Executive Director Jesse Mermell. “We are proud to be able to celebrate her legacy by creating a program that will address two of Debby's great passions: supporting young people, and encouraging women's leadership in Massachusetts politics.”
-- Erica Noonan
Posted by Erica Noonan, Globe West at 09:51 AM
February 13, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
Globe staff photographer Matthew J. Lee caught students from the Century Chinese Language School waiting for their turn to go on stage during a recent dress rehearsal for a Chinese New Year show at Mass Bay Community College.
Posted by Martin Finucane at 06:06 PM
February 13, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
Framingham-based TJX Companies has accused of interfering with the hiring of one of its chief executives, the Toronto Star reports.
Pier 1 Imports hired former TJX employee Alex Smith to be its chief executive officer last month. Pier 1 claims that TJX threatened legal action to prevent Smith from joining the company.
-- Adam Sell
Posted by Martin Finucane at 11:10 AM
February 12, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
If there's any town where you'd expect a heart summit to draw a crowd, it's Framingham, home to the groundbreaking heart study that bears its name.
The Framingham Board of Health is sponsoring a Health Smart Summit, ominously titled "Is your Number Up?" from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Framingham Public Library.
Screenings for cholesterol, glucose, body mass index and blood pressure will be provided with results available on site. Organizers also will provide healthy refreshments and other give-aways. Anyone interested can call the board of health for information at 508-532-5470.
-- John C. Drake
Posted by John C. Drake at 11:01 AM
January 30, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
A Framingham animal control officer shot and killed a pack of four coyotes this weekend because of the specific threat they posed, said police spokesman Lt. Paul Shastany.
But that doesn't mean officers will be more likely to pull the trigger in the future in a town where coyote sightings in residential areas are relatively common, he said.
"If somebdy says 'Hey, I got a coyote in my backyard,' we want to know the coyote's behavior, the time of day, the appearance of the coyote," Shastany said. "We're not going to eliminate wildflife, that's not our position."
The animals first became a problem Saturday when residents saw a coyote attacking a family pet -- a small mixed-poodle breed -- near Walsh Middle School. When a responding officer spotted the coyote later that day, it growled and stood its ground, Shastany said.
Police then used their new reverse-911 system to notify residents in a one-mile area of the threat and asked them to call authorities with any sightings. That effort elicited numerous phone calls about a pack of three or four roaming coyotes, Shastany said.
Animal control officer Joe Shepherd spotted four coyotes in the area Sunday afternoon, and, as directed, shot and killed them all.
"The presence of the coyotes in the neighborhood searching for food indicated that this was a public safety threat," Shastany said.
--John C. Drake
Posted by Martin Finucane at 11:44 AM
January 26, 2007
(Bob Seger looking for a better place on his recently released Capitol Records album)
FRAMINGHAM
Excuse us if we reminisce about the days of old. Bob Seger is back. Eleven years after his last CD, Seger has released a new album, "Face the Promise." His tour comes to the TD Banknorth Garden tomorrow night.
The title song in Seger's new collection takes a little dig at Framingham. While wishing goodbye to all the small towns he no longer cares to be in, Seger mentions Framingham in a class with, among other places, Alabam'.
When asked by the Globe why he singled out the town, Seger appeared to suggest that Framingham was simply blindsided by a runaway rhyme scheme.
He said the mention was "a simple matter of geography; it had to end in 'ham.'"
-- Adam Sell
Posted by Martin Finucane at 09:56 AM
January 23, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
A 54-year-old man from Framingham and his sister were arrested for child pornography as they entered Canada at the Thousand Islands Border crossing, a New York TV station reports.
Canada Border Services Agency officers say both Walter Moore and Mary Jo Moore, 49, of Phoenix Ariz., knew there was child pornography on the laptop computer in their commercial truck, WWTI-TV (Channel 50) of Watertown, N.Y. reported.
The arrests came after an inspection at the Canadian side of the Thousand Islands Bridge on Saturday, CBSA officials said. The computer is owned by Mr. Moore, officers said.
Posted by Martin Finucane at 06:59 PM
January 17, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
TJX Cos. reported today that intruders broke into its computers and stole an unknown amount of customer data involving people who shop at its T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and other stores.
The breach was discovered in mid-December, the Framingham-based retailer said in a news release, but was kept secret until today at the request of law enforcement officials.
TJX did not say how many customers were affected.
The intrusion, TJX said, involves the portion of its computer network that handles credit card, debit card, check, and merchandise return transactions for customers of its T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, and A.J. Wright stores in the United States, including Puerto Rico, and its Winners and HomeSense stores in Canada.
The intrusion could also extend to TJX’s Bob’s Stores in the United States and to T.K. Maxx stores in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
An investigation is continuing, TJX said.
TJX has established a toll-free help line for its customers who have questions about this situation: 866-484-6978.
TJX will also provide information for customers on its website, www.tjx.com.
The company recommended that customers review their account statements and immediately notify their credit or debit card company or bank if they suspect fraud.
In addition, Bruce Spitzer, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Bankers Association, said at least eight banks have been affected by the breach disclosed by TJX.
-- Ross Kerber
Posted by Martin Finucane at 06:23 PM
January 10, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
Want to know more about the possibility of creating a regional transportation authority for the western suburbs?
Framingham Selectman John Stasik will discuss what a new RTA would mean for Framingham and Metrowest at a presentation tonight sponsored by the Framingham League of Women Voters.
The Framingham Board of Selectmen voted last month to incorporate a new RTA to take the place of the existing LIFT bus system. While Framingham would be the only member initially, the town is encouraging other communities to join in. Natick, Milford, Marlborough and Ashland have discussed joining a new authority.
The discussion is at 7:30 tonight at the library in The Oaks Building, which is located within Summerville at Farm Pond. Call (508) 788-5253 for more information.
--John C. Drake
Posted by Martin Finucane at 11:22 AM
January 9, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
Has the balmy weather has put you in the mood for gardening?
The New England Wild Flower Society's seed sale program starts next Monday, and lasts through March 15. Choose from 285 varieties of plants collected at Garden in the Woods and Nasami Farm, with proceeds supporting the society's plant conservation work.
Visit the society online or call (508) 877-7630 for more information.
-- Erica Noonan
Posted by Erica Noonan, Globe West at 12:10 PM
January 4, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
Steve Fossey, a Framingham resident, spoke on the phone on Christmas morning with an old World War II friend of his father's.
Fossey reached out to his father's friend, Harold Lusk, after Lusk's name appeared on a deck of cards belonging to Fossey's father.
Fossey's late father, Tech. Sgt. William Fossey, wrote down the names of prisoners-of-war that he was imprisoned with, reports the Topeka Capital-Journal.
The elder Fossey died in 1999, but his son found the cards two months ago.
Lusk told the Capital-Journal that he remembered Sgt. Fossey and enjoyed talking to his son.
Steve Fossey is compiling a history of his father's military service for future generations.
-- Adam Sell
Posted by Martin Finucane at 01:41 PM
January 3, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
In the latest trouble for the Fung Wah discount bus line, the wheels literally fell off a New York-to-Boston bus on the Massachusetts Turnpike today. The bus pulled into the Framingham service area shortly before 8 a.m.
None of the 30 passengers on board were injured, but State Police cited the company after two of the tandem rear wheels on the right side of the bus detached from the vehicle's rear axle as it was headed from New York to Boston.
State Police arrived to find the two right rear wheels had severed from the bus axle. Investigators said the bolts appeared to have been sheared off, an indication that the lug nuts may not have been properly tightened.
The bus passed its most recent inspection by state officials, on Nov. 29. Officials with the state Department of Telecommunications and Energy, which regulates commercial bus lines, said they are now asking Fung Wah officials for detailed repair reports on the 2001 Van Hool bus since that inspection.
The bus was about 20 miles from South Station in Boston when the incident occurred. Another Fung Wah coach was dispatched from Boston to pick up the passengers.
-- Mac Daniel
Posted by Martin Finucane at 04:43 PM
January 2, 2007
FRAMINGHAM
Low temperatures aside, more than 800 people gathered for this year's Millenium Mile in Londonderry, N.H.
The race, which is in its eighth year and is sponsored by the New Hampshire Union-Leader, puts runners on a downhill course and frequently sees the four-minute barrier broken.
Among this year's participants, the Union-Leader of Manchester, N.H. reported, was Kathryn McGovern of Framingham, who completed the course in 8 minutes and 23 seconds.
McGovern was the oldest person to complete the downhill mile at a robust 90 years old.
-- Adam Sell
Posted by Martin Finucane at 02:58 PM
December 31, 2006
FRAMINGHAM
Her next-door neighbors said Edilene Evangelista had so much to live for. A beautiful young daughter, a dental degree, a friendly husband, and a new home the hard-working couple spent the past year fixing up.
But the 31-year-old mother died yesterday afternoon, less than a mile from her home, when she lost control of her Jeep Grand Cherokee on an icy, steep curve. The vehicle jumped the curb, flipped over and landed on its roof next to a house on Carter Drive, police said. Evangelista, the sole occupant, was pronounced dead at the scene.
"She's a great mother, very friendly," said Phil Makkas, who lives next door to the Evangelistas.
"They are a success story," added Makkas's daughter, Angela.
The neighbors said Evangelista had a dental degree from her home country of Brazil but was attending Tufts Medical School to get certified in the United States. Her husband, Sirlei, 34, started his own painting company and was successful, they said.
The couple bought the run-down house next door to the Makkases a year ago and transformed it into a welcoming, well-manicured home, the neighbors said. A man who answered the door at Evangelista's house last night said he was too upset to speak.
A couple who lives across the street from where Evangelista's Jeep went off the road said that stretch of Carter Drive has seen its share of accidents.
-- Kay Lazar and Nathan Hurst
Posted by Martin Finucane at 11:22 AM
December 22, 2006
FRAMINGHAM
Rizoli at the recent protest
(Globe Staff Photo by Bill Polo)
A national Latino group has criticized a sign that Jim Rizoli, a controversial critic of illegal immigration, displayed at a recent protest.
Jim Rizoli's sign shows a mock "Mexifornia" license that includes the image of a bandit wearing a sombrero and has an "X" in place of the signature. Rizoli has said he plans to display the large sign in other locations around town to raise awareness of illegal immigrants using false identification documents.
But Brent Wilkes, executive director of the League of United Latin American Citizens, said the sign was "race baiting."
"It's totally offensive and exploits stereotypes of Latin Americans," Wilkes said.
Despite the criticism, Rizoli said he plans to display his sign again this weekend, weather permitting. He denied that he was stirring up racial tension.
“I don’t hate anybody. They are wrong 100 percent, and all they can do is come after me, attack the person,” he said. “The sign is a parody. It’s just making fun of a situation that exists.”
Posted by Martin Finucane at 11:06 AM
December 21, 2006
FRAMINGHAM
Two inmates in the the state prison system committed suicide during a two-hour period ending just after midnight yesterday, authorities said.
Nicole Davis, 24, was found hanging by a bedsheet at MCI-Framingham late Tuesday night. She had been in custody for a 30-day drug detoxification program but was not a convicted criminal, the Globe reports today.
Just after midnight yesterday, convicted murderer Eduardo Soto, 33, was found hanging by a bedsheet at Old Colony Correctional Center in Bridgewater.
State Correction Department spokeswoman Diane Wiffin said the deaths did not stem from larger problem in the prison system. "Any death in prison is an unfortunate and sad occurence, but these aren't related," she said. "We extend our sympathies to the families and the staff who tried to keep them alive."
-- Raja Mishra
Posted by Martin Finucane at 08:29 AM
December 20, 2006
FRAMINGHAM
Jim Rizoli, a controversial Framingham critic of illegal immigration, is planning to display a provocative sign in highly visible locations around town to spotlight what he says is the rampant distribution of phony identification cards among immigrants.
The 8-by-3-foot sign, which he first displayed at a small protest in downtown Framingham Saturday, says, "Welcome to Framingham" along the top. Under that, it reads "Document Fraud Capital of MetroWest" on the right. On the left, it displays an image of a mock "Mexifornia" driver's license that has circulated on the Internet, touching off controversy along the way.
Ali Noorani, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, said the sign matches a pattern of over-the-top tactics used by Jim Rizoli and his brother Joe Rizoli.
"If I had a nickel for every line the Rizolis crossed, I'd be a rich man," Noorani said.
Read more of this story in tomorrow's Globe West.
Posted by Martin Finucane at 07:33 PM
December 16, 2006
FRAMINGHAM/SOUTHBOROUGH
Jay Engel, a teacher at St. Mark's in Southborough who persuaded famous writers and musicians to visit the school and took students on trips to Boston and New York City for opera and theater, died Nov. 11 in his Framingham home of myelodysplastic syndrome. He was 74.
With a voice and presence that often listed toward the Shakespearean, "he was one of those people who, when he entered a room, you absolutely knew it," John Warren, head of school at St. Mark's and a former student of Mr. Engel's, told the Globe in an obituary today. "It was a booming voice with lots of inflection. At 8 o'clock in the morning, there was no way you were going to stay sleepy."
-- Bryan Marquard
Posted by Martin Finucane at 09:24 AM
December 14, 2006
FRAMINGHAM
Once upon a time, Massachusetts had its very own music video channel. It was called V-66...and it was broadcasted live from Framingham. The V-66 studios were based inside a huge office building close to Route 9 -– apparently the same building where our Globe West bureau is located now...(check out the fab photo on ThisIsFramingham.com). ...
Read more of this item by Emily Sweeney on the Globe's FlipSide blog.
Posted by Martin Finucane at 04:06 PM
December 13, 2006
FRAMINGHAM
A Framingham police detective faces criminal charges and removal from the force for allegedly pointing a loaded weapon at fellow officers while drunk.
Michael E. Doherty, 35, is scheduled to be arraigned Dec. 27 on three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and carrying a gun while intoxicated in connection with the Sept. 12 incident, according to records at Framingham District Court. Doherty faces a hearing next week, Chief Steven Carl said Monday.
-- AP
Posted by Martin Finucane at 08:32 AM
December 9, 2006
FRAMINGHAM/MARLBOROUGH
Framingham and Marlborough will be getting some help with affordable housing.
Tax credits and grants totaling $85 million will go to support 26 affordable rental developments in 17 communities in the state, Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey announced yesterday.
The completed developments will provide 1,203 rental apartments, 1,089 of which will be affordable for low- and moderate-income working families.
Six of the developments will be in Boston, and others will be built in Framingham, Marlborough, Amherst, Cambridge, Fitchburg, Great Barrington, Lawrence, Leominster, Lowell, Mashpee, Middleborough, Northampton, Quincy, Salem, Springfield, and Westfield.
-- Globe City & Region staff
Posted by Martin Finucane at 12:41 PM
December 6, 2006
FRAMINGHAM
Framingham's Board of Selectmen says the St. Bridget's Parish Pastoral Council may place a Nativity scene on the Village Green.
But don't ask for the town's help.
Town Manager Julian Suso said the selectmen granted the parish permission to install the display, which includes a figure of the Christ child, last night with the condition that "all erection and maintenance and disassembly be done privately with no town involvement."
Sarah Wunsch, a staff attorney with the ACLU of Massachusetts, said the group believes such displays should be allowed under those conditions.
"Places like that are traditional public forums for expression," she said. "If some other group wants to come along and have a display that extols the First Amendment, they'd have to allow that also.
"As long as we're not talking about the government itself sponsoring a religious display, it's fine."
A parish official said this is the first time it has sought to place a creche on the town green during the holidays.
The display, which will feature a banner with the words "Gloria in Excelsis Deo," will face Edgell Road on the east side of the green.
It will be up from Dec. 14 until Jan. 7.
--John C. Drake
Posted by Martin Finucane at 01:32 PM
November 30, 2006
FRAMINGHAM
Some mothers choose to go back to work not long after their child is born. Kelly Guagenty, an attorney from Framingham, is not one of them. She plans on staying home with her daughter until she is at least one year old.
However, Guagenty feels the strain of losing a source of income.
"I went to school for a long time," she said. "I feel like I put a lot of work into something and dropped the ball."
Guagenty and several other mothers were interviewed for a story about stay-at-home moms in the Wall Street Journal today.
-- Erica Tochin
Posted by Martin Finucane at 03:38 PM
November 30, 2006
FRAMINGHAM
A Framingham physical therapist has been sentenced in federal court to three years of probation for health care fraud, according to the office of U.S. Attorney Michael J. Sullivan.
Ho Ling Lai, 38, caused Medicare to be billed for $55,000 worth of physical therapy she did not provide, prosecutors said.
She was sentenced to three years of probation, the first five months of which will be spent in home detention, and a fine of $3,000. She also agreed to pay $32,094 in restitution.
-- Erica Tochin
Posted by Martin Finucane at 03:33 PM
November 30, 2006
FRAMINGHAM
(A crowd of parishioners attended the court hearing in Cambridge, Globe Staff Photo by Michele McDonald)
Attorneys for parishioners of the closed St. Jeremiah Parish in Framingham yesterday urged a Middlesex Superior Court judge to rule that the parishioners, not the Archdiocese of Boston, are the rightful owners of St. Jeremiah's land and buildings.
The archdiocese's attorney argued that the parishioners have no right under Massachusetts law to sue for the property, and that the head of the archdiocese is entitled to dispose of church assets as he sees fit. He asked that the parishioners' suit be dismissed.
Judge Isaac Borenstein deferred ruling in the case until January to give attorneys for both sides time to make further filings, the Globe reports today.
-- Charles Radin
Posted by Martin Finucane at 09:28 AM
November 29, 2006
FRAMINGHAM
Students and doctors in Framingham will be able to try out medical techniques on a $35,000 mannequin before touching a real person, higher education and hospital officials are announcing today.
The state Board of Higher Education is providing a SimMan patient simulator at the Framingham campus of the MetroWest Medical Center for use by nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists and first responders at the hospital along with nursing students from Framingham State College and Mass Bay Community College, community groups and others.
The Globe reported on the growing use of patient simulators this summer.
The Board has purchased patient simulators for other hospitals in the state as well. The life-like mannequin has a pulse, blood pressure and airway so clinicians can work in a true-to-life environment.
--John C. Drake
Posted by Martin Finucane at 11:34 AM
November 25, 2006
FRAMINGHAM
When Lucia Almeida moved here from Brazil about eight months ago, she assumed her tastes would have to change. How could she expect to find the bitter eggplant called "jilo" around here? And abobora, the squash that Brazilians hollow out and fill with beef or shrimp stew, surely didn't exist in a Massachusetts grocery store.
"I was very worried," she said in Portuguese. "I didn't think I'd get the vegetables I wanted here."
But her trips to a local grocery store keep surprising her.
Thanks to a program started by Frank Mangan, an associate professor at the University of Massachusetts, Almeida and other Latin American immigrants are able to find more of the vegetables they know from home in their new local marketplaces.
"I'm very happy this is here," Almeida said as she placed a pumpkin-like abobora in her shopping cart at the Market Basket, the Associated Press reports.
Posted by Martin Finucane at 04:23 PM
November 23, 2006
Theo McCummings and Natick ran a step ahead of Framingham.
(Globe Staff Photo by Matthew J. Lee)
SPORTS
FRAMINGHAM -- The 100th Framingham-Natick Thanksgiving football matchup was a twin effort and much, much more.
Junior fullback Thad McCummings punched in the go-ahead score with 5:11 remaining on a 9-burst while his twin brother, Theo, Natick's starting quarterback, rushed for 116 yards on 18 carries to lift the unbeaten Redmen to their 26th straight win, a gritty 10-7 victory over host Framingham on a cold, raw and rainy morning before a crowd of 3,000 at Bowditch Field.
Bay State Herget champ Natick (11-0) will play Middlesex League champ Burlington (11-0) in an EMass Division 2 playoff Tuesday night at Acton-Boxboro at 7.
While the McCummings' brothers piled up the yards on the muddy turf, Mike Russo was immense with both his feet and his hands. The junior booted a 33-yard field goal, set up by his own 40-yard punt pinning Framingham on its own 5-yard line and picked off a pair of passes, including the clincher with 3:14 left in the game.
Alan Williams had given Framingham (6-5) a 7-3 lead in the third quarter with a 53-yard scamper down the left sideline.
Natick nows leads the overall series, 67-29-5.
-- Craig Larson
Posted by Martin Finucane at 01:52 PM
November 22, 2006
SPORTS
Planning to attend tomorrow morning's 100th Thanksgiving Day high school football matchup between unbeaten Natick (10-0) and host Framingham (6-4) at Bowditch Field?
Arrive early.
Prior to the 10 a.m. kickoff, Framingham will retire the number (86) of one of the program's all-time greats, wide receiver Billy Brooks, a 1982 graduate of Framingham North. Brooks went on to a record-setting career at Boston University before playing 11 years in the NFL with the Colts, Bills and Redskins.
He is in his fifth season as executive director of administration for the Indianapolis Colts.
A number of other pre-game festivities are planned, including a flyover by four aircraft from the Northeast Warbirds Squadron 7, weather permitting.
"The (flyover) is to pay homage to the men and women from the town of Framingham who over the years have served our country in the United States Army Air Corps to the present day Air Force," said Framingham High Gridiron Club President Mike Norton.
-- Craig Larson
Posted by Martin Finucane at 12:08 PM
November 15, 2006
FRAMINGHAM
Framingham has a new No. 2, and Town Manager Julian Suso has one less job to fill.
Timothy D. Goddard, town administrator in Littleton, Mass., has been hired as Framingham's assistant town manager, Suso announced this afternoon.
Goddard has been the top official in Littleton since 1997. Before that, he was regional planner and program manager for the Northern Middlesex Council of Governments. Goddard will begin his $89,000-a-year job on Dec. 11.
Globe correspondent Jennifer Fenn Lefferts reported in October that the town of Littleton is considering switching to a town manager form of government to fill a leadership void at Town Hall.
Since being named Framingham's town manager in May, Suso has been working to fill open slots in senior management positions. He still needs to hire a new building commissioner to replace Joe Mikielian, who resigned to take a similar job in Worcester. Also, the town is looking to hire a human services policy and program coordinator. Suso said in September that he expected both the assistant town manager and human services positions to be filled by the end of November.
-- John C.Drake
Posted by Martin Finucane at 04:38 PM
November 15, 2006
FRAMINGHAM
Republican Nicolas Sanchez, an unsuccesful candidate for the 6th Middlesex House seat, is calling for the Framingham town clerk's resignation over several allegations of problems with the Nov. 7 election.
Democrat Pam Richardson, vice chairwoman of the Framingham School Committee, won the six-way write-in race for the seat left vacant by the death last month of state Rep. Deborah Blumer. Sanchez came in second and acknowledges defeat, but he claimed at last night's selectmen's meeting that Town Clerk Valerie Mulvey did not do enough to make sure campaign literature was not left behind in voting booths.
He also took issue with the clerk's staff going behind closed doors on Tuesday night to input vote tabulations, and allowing two town selectmen to count votes at the precincts.
Mulvey acknowedged that an obscure state law prohibits selectmen from participating in vote-counting, but she said the Secretary of State's office has ruled the mistake was unintentional and "harmless." She rejected other criticisms and thanked town staff and volunteers for working through the night to tally results. The process ended after 1 a.m. on election night.
Selectmen backed Mulvey and said the vote-counting process was fair. Sanchez said he has not decided whether he will file a formal complaint with the state over the election.
-- John C. Drake
Posted by Martin Finucane at 11:08 AM
November 11, 2006
FRAMINGHAM
A Framingham woman will spend the next nine years in prison for robbing a Citizens Bank last year at a Hannaford supermarket in Hampton, N.H.
Lee Marie Lafaso, 40, was sentenced in federal court in Concord Monday in connection with the Oct. 11, 2005 crime, The Hampton Union reported.
Lafaso had pleaded guilty in June, admitting that she robbed the bsnk at 630 Lafayette Road of about $920.
Posted by Martin Finucane at 03:59 PM
November 10, 2006
FRAMINGHAM
Two companies, one of them based in Framingham, came forward this week and said that they had designed the voter database used by the Democratic National Committee, the Boston Business Journal reports.
Intelligent Integration Systems Inc. of Boston used server technology from Framingham-based Netezza Corp. to build the database, which includes about 200 million voters and is used nation-wide.
-- Erica Tochin
Posted by Martin Finucane at 12:00 PM
November 8, 2006
FRAMINGHAM
The results are in. Democrat Pam Richardson defeated Republican Nick Sanchez in the race to capture the House seat in Framingham that was held by Democrat Deborah Blumer, who died last month of a heart attack.
With all 11 precincts reporting, Richardson, a 36-year-old school committee member, led by about 1,200 votes over Sanchez, 61, a Cuban-born economics professor at the College of the Holy Cross, officials said early today.
Blumer's death had sparked a six-way write-in race.
"I think that the voters already knew me because of ny work on the school committee for the past four years," Richardson said last night. "I've shown them I'm a hard worker, and I care deeply for the town."
Posted by Martin Finucane at 11:33 AM
November 8, 2006
FRAMINGHAM
Democrat Pam Richardson is poised to claim the 6th Middlesex House district seat in Framingham left vacant by the death of incumbent Deborah Blumer.
With nine of 11 precincts reporting early today, Richardson had what appeared to be an insurmountable lead of about 1,000 write-in votes over Republican Nick Sanchez.
Richardson and Sanchez were endorsed by their respective parties. Four other candidates also ran write-in campaigns.
Independent Dawn Harkness came in third, while anti-illegal immigration activist Jim Rizoli was fourth.
Blumer, who had been running unopposed for reelection, died last month of a heart attack while driving her car, setting off the brief six-way race.
-- John C. Drake
Posted by Martin Finucane at 12:50 AM
November 7, 2006
FRAMINGHAM
There was little campaign activity outside Framingham's Town Hall this morning, but poll workers were busy: 426 voters had cast ballots before noon today,
Allison Black, a 48-year-old registered nurse, voted for Democrat Deval L. Patrick, saying Republican Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey's "negative ad campaign was a turnoff.
Marcia Frary, a 49-year-old housewife and her son, 18-year-old Bradford, also said they voted for Patrick.
"I didn't necessarily vote against Healey, but there have been a lot of education cuts while she's been here," Bradford said. "Deval Patrick seems more like an average Joe."
Tom Curran, a 48-year-old engineer for the town, planned to cast a vote for Christy Mihos. "He's a successful businessman, and he can bring that leadership to the state," Curran said.
Mihos had another fan in 28-year-old Jamie Ordway, although the administrative assistant said she thought his campaign ads were "immature and juvenile."
Ordway declined to say who she chose for the 6th Middlesex House seat, which was left open by the death of incumbent Democrat Deborah D. Blumer last month. But she said she would have preferred to have seen a special election for the seat, so voters would have had more time to decide.
-Erica P. Tochin
Posted by Martin Finucane at 01:58 PM
November 7, 2006
FRAMINGHAM
Campaign volunteers stuffed their pockets with stickers bearing the names of their candidates for Framingham's 6th Middlesex House seat this morning and fanned out to the town's precincts where voters are choosing a successor to deceased state Representative Deborah D. Blumer.
Blumer's death, of a heart attack last month, set up a six-way write-in race for the Democrat's seat. Although the Democratic and Republican committees in the town each selected preferred candidates, four others hopefuls also are staging aggressive campaigns for the seat in a race that has focused on illegal immigration, social services and taxes.
"Most people got stickers in the mail and brought them with them," said Evelyn Reilly, a volunteer for the campaign of Nicholas Sanchez, who has been endorsed by local Republicans.
She stood outside the Hemenway School in Framingham alongside about a dozen other volunteers for legislative and gubernatorial candidates. "It's a free-for-all," she said of the month-long campaign for the seat.
Campaign volunteers there and poll worker William Toll said turnout had been steady and appeared high. About 640 people had cast votes there by 11:30 this morning.
"There's been incredible voter turnout," said Pam Richardson, the Democratic-endorsed candidate for the seat, who went to the Hemenway School to greet voters. "I'm surprised at how quickly people have come to understand the process."
The Town Clerk's office has provided additional training for poll workers who will be reading and counting thousands of hand-written votes in the race tonight.
In addition to hot button political topics, the race has focused on who could best continue the legacy of Blumer, considered a progressive liberal who advocated for government benefits for immigrants and gay rights among other stands.
Dawn Harkness, an attorney and Town Meeting member, joined the race after the Democratic party selected Richardson.
"I feel (Harkness) is the most qualified out of the six candidates, and the most progressive," said Lee Mason, who held signs outside the Hemenway School supporting Harkness.
Also running are Republican Jim Rizoli, a staunch anti-illegal immigration activist, Republican Tom Tierney, an actuary, and independent Gerald Bloomfield, a retired engineer.
Posted by Martin Finucane at 12:26 PM
November 3, 2006
FRAMINGHAM
Just over a year after a star turn in "The Apprentice," office retailer Staples Inc. is gearing up for a prime-time TV encore.
According to the Framingham-based company, its new Staples MailMate junk-mail shredder has been cast in a supporting role in the Nov. 16 episode of the NBC sitcom "The Office."
This is no mere product placement, said Staples vice president Todd Peters; the shredder, which is billed as a defense weapon against identity theft, has been "integrated into the story line."
Peters will say little more because he doesn't want to give the plot away before the episode airs.
Read more in the Globe's business blog.
Posted by Martin Finucane at 06:16 PM
November 2, 2006
FRAMINGHAM
Andre Picard, a writer at Toronto's Globe and Mail, advances this proposition -- that the Framingham Heart Study was "arguably the most influential medical research project ever undertaken."
Picard says that in the time the study has been under way heart disease and stroke deaths have dropped by by 60 per cent, "in no small part because of what has been learned."
He argues in a "Second Opinion" column that Canada should undertake its own study to complement and expand on the Framingham study.
Posted by Martin Finucane at 04:55 PM
October 29, 2006
FRAMINGHAM
Boston police arrested two Framingham men and a Boston man early yesterday in connection with the stabbing of a 23-year-old man who was found near the Foggy Goggle on Boylston Street in Boston.
The victim, who was not identified, was stabbed in the stomach just before 1 a.m., police said.
Jose Ramos, 31, of Framingham was charged with assault with intent to murder, assault and battery, and two counts of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon. Fernando Mendez, 20, of Framingham, and Jermaine White, 26, of Roxbury, face assault charges. The victim was in serious condition at Brigham's and Women's Hospital, police said.
-- Globe City & Region staff
Posted by Martin Finucane at 07:56 AM
October 28, 2006
FRAMINGHAM
A new finding from the Framingham Osteoporosis study that might give women second thoughts about opening a cool, frosty cola -- drinking cola may weaken women's bones.
Katherine L. Tucker of the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging in Boston, said that no matter how her team looked at the data, the trend remained: the more cola a woman drank, the lower the average mineral density in her hip, Science News Online reports.
Posted by Martin Finucane at 10:46 AM
October 25, 2006
FRAMINGHAM
A Framingham man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston to three years on probation for trafficking in counterfeit luxury handbags and wallets.
Jack Hoffman, 66, was ordered to spend the first five months of the probation under home detention with electronic monitoring, US Attorney Michael J. Sullivan's office said.
Hoffman pleaded guilty in May. A statement from Sullivan's office said that prosecutors would have proven that during 2001 and 2002, Hoffman sold counterfeit items at flea markets, including fake Burberry, Gucci, Hermes, Kate Spade, Louis Vuitton, and Prada goods.
Hoffman had 200 items for sale in August 2001 at a flea market in Mashpee and had 750 items at his home in July 2002. The items were worth about $38,000 at average counterfeit prices, Sullivan's office said.
-- Globe City & Region staff
Posted by Martin Finucane at 03:29 PM
October 25, 2006
FRAMINGHAM
A Middlesex grand jury yesterday indicted a former Framingham woman on charges of recruiting patients for an illegal plastic surgery practice, scheduling surgical procedures in her home, and providing illegal narcotics to patients, one of whom died this summer, prosecutors said.
Ana Celia Pena Sielemann, 41, who was deported to her native Brazil last month, was charged with being an accessory before the fact to manslaughter, accessory after the fact to manslaughter, distribution of a Class A substance, and possession of a Class A substance, prosecutors said.
On July 30, Fabiola B. DePaula, 24, was pronounced dead at MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham after a Brazilian doctor performed an illegal liposuction procedure in Sielemann's basement, prosecutors said.
Authorities previously charged Sielemann with possession and distribution of controlled substances. The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement sent Sielemann to Brazil on Sept. 1 because of a deportation order issued against her in July 2001.
Luiz Carlos Ribeiro, 49, and Ana Maria Miranda Ribeiro, 49, have already been indicted on manslaughter and other charges in the case.
-- David Abel
Posted by Martin Finucane at 12:04 PM
October 22, 2006
FRAMINGHAM
In another of the Globe Magazine's "Tales of the City," a homeless man lent a helping hand to a student at college in Framingham.
Coming home from college in Framingham, my daughter was using the commuter rail for the first time. She made it to Back Bay, where she was to switch trains, but left her pocketbook (with her phone) on the train. The purse, she was told, might be at South Station. But how to get there? She tried to call home collect, as well as to contact both grandparents, but couldn't get through. In despair, she sat on a bench crying. She felt a hand on her shoulder; it was a homeless man. After she told him the situation, he approached a woman, who let my daughter use her phone and gave her fare and instructions to get to Salem. Those two proved that there really are some caring people in this world.
CHERYL DICIERO
Peabody
Posted by Martin Finucane at 10:24 AM
October 19, 2006
FRAMINGHAM
The list is growing longer of candidates seeking the state House seat left unexpectedly open by the death last week of Rep. Deborah Blumer.
Several candidates have registered as sticker candidates with the Town Clerk's office and others have publicly said they will seek write-in votes.
At least three Democrats will seek the endorsement of fellow partisans at a caucus on Sunday. Framingham School Committee vice chair Pam Richardson; Wes Ritchie, who is the legislative aide to state Rep. Tom Sannicandro; and Thomas Hanson, of Hanson Farms, have all said they will seek the seat. Democratic leaders have said they hope the candidates who are not endorsed will back the party's selection.
Republicans see an opportunity, too. Nick Sanchez, who garnered about a third of the votes when he ran against Blumer two years ago, received the local GOP nod in a meeting Wednesday night. Also, Jim Rizoli, a Republican and vocal opponent of illegal immigration, said he would seek the seat. Marla Davis, an unenrolled candidate, also has registered with the Town Clerk's office.
Blumer, who was running unopposed for a fourth term, died of an apparent heart attack while driving in Framingham Friday morning.
Secretary of State William F. Galvin said Blumer's name would remain on the Nov. 7 ballot, but that votes cast for her would not count. Whoever receives the most write-in votes will be declared the winner.
-- John C. Drake
Posted by Martin Finucane at 05:55 PM
October 17, 2006
FRAMINGHAM
The South Middlesex Opportunity Council plans to continue using the former site of the Common Ground shelter for daily Alcoholic Anonymous meetings, said Jim Cuddy, the group's executive director.
The "wet shelter," a controversial downtown fixture that allowed homeless people to stay the night even if they were under the influence of drugs or alcohol, announced plans last month to shut down after a protracted battle with the town.
Its last day of operation was Monday. But Cuddy said hour-long AA meetings, beginning at noon, would continue there. He said 15 to 40 people typically attend the meetings. The agency may use the site for other activities as well for the duration of its lease, which expires in a year and a half, Cuddy said.
-- John C. Drake
Posted by Martin Finucane at 10:38 AM
October 16, 2006
REGION
A Franklin man is being held on bail after his arraignment this morning on charges that he struck a car while driving under the influence Saturday night on Interstate 495 North in Wrentham, killing the car’s driver.
Wrentham District Court Judge Warren Powers scheduled a pretrial hearing for Nov. 13 for Brian F. Harland, 34, of 14 Crocker Ave. Franklin.
According to state police, Harland swerved across three lanes and struck a car being driven by Paul J. Rudeen, age 21, of Framingham.
The collision forced Rudeen’s car off the road and caused it to roll over, police said.
Rudeen was pronounced dead at the scene. Harland pleaded innocent to charges of motor vehicle homicide, operating with a suspended license, and a marked lanes violation. The homicide charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
Harland has prior convictions for heroin possession and possession of cocaine with intent to deliver, said David Traub, a spokesman for the Norfolk County district attorney.
The conditions of Harland’s bail, which was set at $50,000 cash or $500,000 surety, would not allow him to operate a motor vehicle or use
alcohol or illicit drugs. Harland has appealed the bail decision.
-- Calvin Hennick
Posted by Martin Finucane at 12:41 PM
October 16, 2006
REGION
A Franklin man is facing charges today after a car crash that killed a Framingham man.
State Police said the accident happened on Interstate 495 in Wrentham at about 9:50 p.m. Saturday.
Brian F. Harland, 34, of Franklin crossed three northbound lanes of traffic in his Ford pickup and struck a Saturn sedan driven by Paul J. Rudeen, 21, of Framingham, police said.
Rudeen was declared dead at the scene. Harland was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, speeding, driving with a suspended license, driving to endanger, and vehicular homicide.
Harland is to be arraigned in Wrentham District Court today.
-- Globe City & Region staff
Posted by Martin Finucane at 08:24 AM
October 15, 2006
FRAMINGHAM
Former major leaguer Sammy Stewart says he was living in Framingham in the 1980s when he went to a party where people were smoking cocaine. He tried it -- and he says it's been "downhill ever since."
Stewart,who made his name as a pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles and is now in jail in North Carolina, is profiled in a story today in the Asheville Citizen-Times.
Posted by Martin Finucane at 10:31 AM
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